Giffords/Kelly’s veterans’ gun control group
Chief Tango sends us a link to a CNN article about the new group of veterans being sponsored by the Gabby Giffords/Mark Kelly organization, the misnamed Americans for Responsible Solutions, calling it Veterans for Responsible Solutions. From their own press release, here is their list of members;
Founding Members
Veterans for Responsible Solutions
November 8, 2013
Major General Vance Coleman, US Army (Ret.), Sun City, AZ
Rear Admiral James A. Barnett, US Navy (Ret.), Arlington, VA
Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, US Marine Corps (Ret.), Alexandria, VA
Brigadier General Evelyn “Pat” Foote, US Army (Ret.), Accotink, MD
Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr, California State Military Reserve (Ret.), Santa Rosa,
CA
Captain Joan E. Darrah, US Navy (Ret.), Alexandria, Virginia
Captain Gail P. Kulisch, US Coast Guard (Ret.), Reston, VA
Captain April F. Heinze, US Navy (Ret.), Coronado, CA
Captain James Jordan, US Navy (Ret.), Fairwood, WA
Former Captain John Gillies, US Navy, Lynden, WA
Former Captain Howard Christofersen, US Navy, Chesterton, IN
Former Captain Bill Kingston, US Marine Corps, New Castle, NH
Former Captain Frank Quinn, US Marine Corps, Bay City, MI
Colonel Thomas F. Field, US Army Reserve (Ret.), Arlington, VA
Commander Beth F. Coye, US Navy (Ret.), Ashland, OR
Commander George Trotman, US Navy (Ret.), Philadelphia, PA
Former First Lieutenant Colonel Frederic Stephens, US Army, Roseville, MN
Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach, US Air Force (Ret.), Dayton, OH
Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach, US Air Force (Ret.), Dayton, OH
Former Lieutenant Commander Jim Engelking, US Navy, Golden, CO
Former Lieutenant Commander Phil Green, US Navy, Portage, MI
Former Lieutenant Commander John Gadzinski, US Navy, Virginia Beach, VA
Former Lieutenant Commander G.K. Desjarlais, US Navy, Drummonds, TN
Major Michael Almy, US Air Force (Ret.), Dayton, OH
Major Colleen Jew, US Army (Ret.), Oakland, CA
Former Major Schwartz Malibu, US Army, Los Angeles, CA
Former Major Charles Arnold, U.S. Air Force, Lompoc, CA
Former Captain Susanne Scott, US Air Force, Sequim, WA
Former Captain Joe Wiederhold, US Air Force, Bellingham, WA
Former Captain Jacobo Van, US Army, San Juan, PR
Former Captain Anthony C. Woods, US Army, University Park, MD
Former Captain Kenneth Richards, US Army, Evergreen, CO
Former Captain Joe Meyer, US Army, Amery, WI
Former Captain and Vietnam veteran Ralph Siewers, US Army, Sedgwick, ME
Former Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel Cripe, US Navy, Missoula, MT
Former Lieutenant Junior Grade Gary Bogle, U.S. Naval Reserve, St. Helena, CA
Former Lieutenant Junior Grade Robert Austin, US Navy, Norwalk, CT
Former Lieutenant Junior Grade Glenn Nichols, US Navy, Philadelphia, PA
Former First Lieutenant Marx Bowens, US Naval Reserve, Worchester, MA
Former First Lieutenant Barry Wolfer, US Air Force, Houston, TX
Former First Lieutenant David Small, US Army, Middleboro, MA
Former First Lieutenant Cooper Wood, US Army, Casselberry, FL
Former First Lieutenant Ann Marie Briggs, US Air Force, Kennebunkport, ME
Former First Lieutenant and World War II veteran Edgar Peara, US Army, Eugene, OR
Former First Lieutenant Ronald Wos, US Army, Chicago, IL
Former First Lieutenant Craig Richmond, US Air Force, Cincinnati, OH
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Vincent W. Patton III, Ed.D., US Coast
Guard (Ret.), Alexandria, VA
Former Sergeant Major Jerry Corbin, US Army, Jonesboro, AR
Senior Master Sergeant Rick Etheridge, US Air Force (Ret.), Port Angeles, WA
Former Sergeant First Class Camelus Walker, US Army, Clinton, MD
Former Petty Officer Joe Fouts, US Navy, Avon, OH
Former Senior Chief Petty Officer Nelson Miller, US Navy SEALs, Tucson, AZ
Former Private First Class Earsell Leslie, Sr., US Army, Los Angeles, CA
Former Radarman 1st Class Michael Taccardi, US Navy, Norwich, CT
Former Staff Sergeant Eric F. Alva, USMC, San Antonio, TX
Former Sergeant Paul Madarasz, US Air Force
Former Sergeant Frank Gifford, US Navy, Oakland, ME
Former Sergeant Martin Wong, US Army, Boulder, CO
Former Sergeant Mel Pontious, US Army, North Platte, NE
Former Sergeant Edward Silha, US Army Austin, TX
Former Sergeant Larry Butler, US Marine Corps, New York, NY
Former Sergeant and Vietnam War veteran Bob Buckman, US Air Force, Houston, TX
Former Sergeant Dave Ogilvie, US Army, Santa Barbara, CA
Former Sergeant Neil Friedman, US Army, Brooklyn, NY
Former Sergeant Thomas Adamski, US Air Force, Oxford, CT
Former Radarman 2nd Class John Schaefers, US Navy, Seven Fields, PA
Former Staff Sergeant Laura Giblin, US Air Force, Alexandria, VA
Former Sergeant Shane Gibney, US Marine Corps, Alexandria, VA
Former Engineman 2nd Class Francis C. Hynds, US Navy, Upper St. Clair, PA
Former Staff Sergeant John Brophy, US Marine Corps, Vista, CA
Former Sergeant Michael Alexander, US Army, Northville, MI
Former Sergeant Nelson Van Brunt, US Army, Kensington, MD
Master Sergeant Douglas Poore, US Air Force (Ret.), Vacaville, CA
Former Staff Sergeant Christel Holcomb, US Air Force, Amery, WI
Former Sergeant and Vietnam veteran Joseph Thomas, US Air Force, Holt, MO
Former Staff Sergeant David Hall, US Air Force, Washington, DC
Former Sergeant Tony Kourtakis, US Marine Corps, Novi, MI
Former Storekeeper 2nd Class Robert Houseman, US Navy, Liberty, MO
Former Sergeant Ruben Neria, US Army, Dallas, TX
Former Sergeant Bob Simons, US Army, Ardmore, PA
Former Sergeant Thomas McKenna, US Army, Lake Forest, CA
Former Sergeant Mara Solberg, US National Guard, Fargo, ND
Former Sergeant Michelle Wilmot, US Army, Athens, GA
Former Specialist Guy Stoddard, US Army, Los Altos Hills, CA
Former Petty Officer Third Class Don Morgan, US Navy, Magalia, CA
Former Senior Airman Emory Stevens, US Air Force, Las Vegas, NV
Former Petty Officer Third Class Robert Hadden, US Coast Guard, Cincinnati, OH
Former Specialist William Herrera, US Army, Walnut Creek, CA
Former Petty Officer Third Class S. Scales, US Navy, Buda, TX
Former Corporal David Farwell, US Marine Corps, San Jose, CA
Former Senior Airmen Richard Anderson, US Air Force, Milwaukee, WI
Former Petty Officer Third Class Leonard Banaszak, US Navy, Saint Louis, MO
Former Specialist Vivian Ghazarian, US Army, Penn Wynne, PA
Former Specialist Odis (Chuck) Tanner, US Army, Russellville, AR
Former Corporal Rickie Byers, US Army, Lynnwood, WA
Former Specialist Larry Barton, US Army, Crookston, MN
Former Corporal Kevin McGowan, US Army, Danbury, CT
Former Aviation Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Arthur McDonald, US Navy, Gilette, NJ
Former Petty Officer Third Class Thomas Futch, US Navy, High Springs, FL
Former Petty Officer Third Class Dave Elvin, US Navy, Seattle, WA
Former Specialist Tom Herr, US Army, Westerville, OH
Former Specialist Third Class Hooker Horton, US Army, Raleigh, NC
Former Corporal John Helfrich, US Army, Burbank, CA
Former Senior Airman Dave Ogilvie, US Air Force, Santa Barbara, CA
Former Specialist Victor Daub, US Army, Tucson, AZ
Former Specialist 5 Howard J. Kendall, US Army, Yarmouth Port, MA
Former Corporal Robert Parson, US Army, Tucson, AZ
Former Buck Sergeant Frances Kellogg, US Army Air Corps, Gwynedd, PA
Former Corporal Earl Nikkel, US Marine Corps, Denver, CO
Former Seaman Albert Rossignol, US Navy, Seal Beach, CA
Former Airman First Class Leon Demars, US Air Force, Ajo, AZ
Former Private First Class Sidney Cholmar, US Army, Berkshire, MA
Former Private 1st Class Dennis Kreiner, US Army, Carpentersville, IL
Former Airman First Class Rennie Ferris, US Air Force, Newport, OR
Former Lance Corporal, Robert Raiche Sr., US Marine Corps, Manchester, NH
Former Private Second Class John Stickler, US Army, Los Angeles, CA
Former Private First Class Richard Meader, US Army, Austin, TX
Former Airmen Robert J. Stedman, US Air Force, Las Vegas, NV
Former Private 1st Class Eric Serati, US Army, De Sotto, IL
Former Seaman Apprentice Mercer Gewin, US Coast Guard, Country Club, MO
Former Seaman Jeff Nisbet, US Navy, Waterford, WI
Former Cadet Devon Maness, US Army, Rainbow City, AL
From the CNN article;
“We’re for gun rights,” said James Barnett, a retired rear admiral.
Instead, Veterans for Responsible Solutions wants commonsense actions like universal background checks, Kelly said.
These are background checks an overwhelming majority of Americans have said they support, polls show.
Vance Coleman, a retired Army major general, said on the call that he also owns guns. But not everyone should, Coleman continued, namely criminals and the mentally ill.
“They should not own guns and the Congress needs to do something about that,” Coleman said.
No one who joins forces with the crackpots at Americans for Responsible Solutions is for gun rights if they have a measure of common sense. It’s not the “gun lobby” that opposes the ownership of guns by criminals and the mentally ill. Jared Loughner who shot Gabby Giffords, should have been in the national background check system, but the police who had contact with him never arrested him in previous encounters, so he was never on the list.
It’s the doctors and law enforcement who aren’t putting the criminals and mentally ill in the system – background checks are working in their current form, but when the people responsible for putting names in there aren’t doing their job under the current law, the solution isn’t making new laws – unless you want to make doctors and law enforcement do their job and hold up their end of the bargain.
This is yet another exploitation of the “veterans” brand, using our the honor and trust that Americans have for their veterans to force some vacuous ideology into the national discussion that we never had after the President promised us that we’d have a discussion.
The CNN article says that Veterans for Responsible Solutions “will be doing little more than lending their names while others will be pursuing a greater measure of activism, perhaps by writing newspaper editorials” – attention whores all. It’s nothing more that VoteVets, IAVA, March Forward – organizations that used the “veterans” brand to influence politics, mostly in conflict with our own interests.
Category: Gun Grabbing Fascists, Veterans Issues
“Former First Lieutenant Colonel Frederic Stephens, US Army, Roseville, MN”
Maybe it’s a typo, but my BS meter goes off when they can’t get rank correct.
I’m super impressed by all the Navy folk on this list. Oh, what is that at the bottom? “Former Cadet Devon Maness, US Army, Rainbow City, AL” Well sign me up! We have a former cadet on board!
Nothing says we gots gravitas like having a Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice on the list, I’ll say.
Ofcourse, the bona fides of each one have been established. There can’t be a single popser on this puny list. No question.
What a lovely bunch of special little snowflakes. Or daisies. Or something.
“Former Cadet”? Wow, that’s a distinguished career…
Lot of Former Officers there……I thought it was Ret. or did they all resign their commissions?
“Former Buck Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps”???? That’s impressive, I wonder if that might be someone’s son/daughter or grandson/granddaughter using Grandpa’s name to push their own agenda.
I like how the officers are ordered by rank, but they were too ignorant to realize that a Marine Captain is an O-3 like his Army counterparts–not an O-6 like the Navy Captains they’re grouped with…
I’d guess from this ‘effort’ that Kelly is not getting quite enough attention in the media lately, and he offers this solution to it.
The selfish side of me REALLY wants to know just what is going on behind those closed doors, and why he has to keep putting his debilitated wife on display. I have a hell of a lot of sympathy for her, but I think he’s taking advantage of someone who is unable to fend for herself.
The cynical side of me says that when she no longer proves useful to him, he’ll walk out the door without a backward glance.
What a clown. There were so many strange things and inconsistencies on the list that I seriously question the credibily of this “group”. Luckily, I don’t think they’ll get much traction on this issue, since the gun control debate is on the back burner to Obamacare.
May I point out there are NO warrant officers on the list :>) Shame, otherwise they would have to be listed right after the O-6’s because a Chief Warrant Officer is equal to an O-6. Do not take my word for this, ask any Chief Warrant Officer.
On a more serious note, what is the problem with doing a background check on all gun purchases? Especially at Gun Shows. I have to be checked when I make a legal purchase but our state is full of nuts who could not pass the same check running around with all sorts of firepower purchased at Gun Shows. I also think they should use voter registration roles to disqualify gun ownership. If they are a Dumbocrat, no way Jose.
Yipes. I selected a few of the senior officers at random and, of three, two were openly gay and two were H. Wideload Clinton supporters.
Correction, of sorts. Of the three I Googled, two are openly gay. The third, Pat Foote is, at least, a gay rights champion. So, that may be 3 out of 3. The others I looked at were Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach, US Air Force (Ret.), Dayton, OH, who appears twice on the list, and
Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr, California State Military Reserve (Ret.). I’m just guessing that at least half of the Navy signers are gay, but I’m not checking any more.
That loon Ron Paul got more veterans, and more senior ones.
Seriously, what is Mister Gabby gonna come up with next, Former Bumfucktegypt, PA dogcatcher Joe Shittheragman?
#12 Club Manager: We already have background checks at gun shows, etc. I’ve bought two guns at gunshows and went through the same background checks that I endured when I bought guns at brick and mortar businesses. I’ve bought five guns on line and the same thing happened. Why do we need more laws in that regard? The problem is that the people who are supposed to be reporting the “nuts”, as you call them, aren’t doing their jobs. The Loughners, the Holmes, the Lanzas aren’t getting in the system because folks aren’t doing their jobs.
@ #12
^^^^ What Jonn said. I would also add that the issue isn’t just about the background check, the background check is simply what they talk about because they don’t want to telegraph their true intentions, registration. In the Manchin/Toomey “Background check” bill that died in the senate, a provision was in there that all records of background checks for private sales would be kept indefinitely. It wasn’t just that they wanted background checks for private sales, they wanted records of those sales kept, even if the individuals in question passed the check. Why would they need a record of the check kept if nothing got flagged in the system during the check? It wouldn’t be because they plan on using that record to create a registry would it?
Jonn is right; I used to frequent gun shows and have bought a number of guns from the dealers there. All required background checks, and in fact a dealer refused to sell to me on at least two occasions. The first was in Nashville, despite my TN registration and being stationed at Fort Campbell (most of which is in TN) I wasn’t eligible to buy a handgun. Bought my vz24 that day. The second time I had just switched my KY license back to VA (my home of record) and was stationed in NOVA. The dealer refused to sell to me since my license was newer than 30 days, despite the fact that he could have used my military orders. The system works… Now, as to that “loophole”, I have bought two firearms at shows without an NICS check. The first was an Arisaka rechambered for 7.62×39 that a guy was selling at his table (most of what he had was militaria and such). The second a Spanish M1916 Mauser from a guy walking around with a big “for sale” sign on it. Those transactions were conducted the same as any private transfer of property (which they were despite the location). I’ve seen some “cool guy” guns for sale in such a manner, but only a fool would walk into the lion’s den to buy a gun if they are unqualified. Every show I’ve been to looks like a who’s who of local and state police along with federal agents. Closing this “loophole” effectively removes our right to sell our own property without government supervision. I’ve bought countless guns from private individuals and traded countless others. Personally I like the thought of browsing the classifieds, finding a deal, and negotiating a good price with a private seller–who often is a fellow “gun guy” who’s looking for a bit of conversation as well. I got a few of my Mausers like that–the K98k’s in VA had dried up in 2000 or so, and a guy overheard me asking a dealer. He was a collector, invited me over to his house, and… Read more »
@Club Manager There’s no problem with running background checks at gun shows, because THEY ALREADY DO THAT. I’ve made a few such purchases myself. Every time I signed the check, showed my ID, filled out the 4473/DROS, and was told the address of the cooperating gun shop where I could pick up the weapon I had just purchased at the conclusion of the ten day waiting period. So where’s that loophole again?
I have been noticing that there are several gun-grabber moves going on all at the same time. First the Guns & Ammo issue, then another article in Runner’s World (I know; right?), and now this. I think that OFA sent out the marching orders to get the gun grabber crap rolling, again, now, since we are all preoccupied with the Obamacare debacle. I don’t believe it’s coincidence.
As for the gun show “loophole”‘ that’s pure bullshit. It’s a tired meme that the leftists have grabbed on to from a survey (not to be confused with a study) done back in the late 90’s that they claim is proof positive that many illegal gun purchases are done at gun shows. It’s been proven false since then by talking to actual criminals, not a “survey” sent out to garner a specific result. The criminals will tell you they don’t get their illegal guns from gun shows, yet that doesn’t fit the meme, so the gun grabbers ignore facts and stick with their agenda driven memes.
Ah, yes, Mark “The Professional Husband” Kelly, shamelessly lining his pockets off his wife’s terrible circumstance, being a willing shill for the gungrabbers. In Mark’s world elitists (he sees himself in that group) may keep and bear arms, but you schlubs, not so much.
I once worked in an establishment that hired a lot of ex-felons, and every one of them said that if they wanted to get ahold of a gun, they could get one in less than an hour if they wanted to. Criminals get theirs via their networks, laws mean nothing to them, and these fools are little more than what Lenin would refer to as “useful idiots”!
@12–if the left were so concerned with gun laws, etc., then why isn’t Mister Gabby in jail for a strawman purchase of an AR-15 that he PUBLICLY ADMITTED TO IN WRITING?
Why isn’t David Gregory in jail for violating DC weapons laws for his little stunt on Meet The Press and the magazine? Hey, it’s a dumbass law, but it’s still the law, and Mr. Gregory broke it–and in a just world, he’d be paying the price as any other schlub.
@23 – Because then they would have to arrest Diane “Call me Senator” Feinstein for breaking those stupid DC laws as well for when she brought those scary, evil assault weapons into the capitol for her anti-gun rant.
Golden, CO? Boulder? No surprises there.
Tools and useful idiots, all of them.
Molon Labe to all these “individuals”.
If the NRA or GOA were to list all of the former military who support them, how many do you think it would be? I figure it gets easily into six figures.
@9 When asked, the Marine Captain more than likely responded that his rank is AT LEAST equivalent to an O-6.
I plan to start my own “veterans” group. All y’all are welcome to join (except for a few. You know who you are).
It will be called Veterans for Common Sense Now Sit Down and STFU. No real agenda, meetings or statements. Just an obligation to continue serving the country whenever someone is behaving in a obvious/blatantly stupid manner. Members shall inform such individual that they are being an idiot/moron/douchebag and tell them to “sit down and STFU”. Throat punching will be optional.
Or Veterans Who Tell Assclowns To Eat A Fat Bag Of Dicks, or VWTATEAFBOD for short.
Oh, and @24, that was Babs Boxhead who said, “Call me Senator,” not DiFi, although both staffs use the same gardening service to make sure the Senators are both watered twice a week.
@29 My bad – Your right, and if you throw Pelosi into the group you have the three hags from Macbeth
Yeah, well, Googling a few more names showed academics (Ed.D/Ph.D) types and heavy duty anti-gun activist, in addition to the uncanny number of gays/lesbians, if my unscientific 2 out of 3 and, possibly, 3 for 3, is reflective of the whole list.
Careful on one issue that’s at least walking beside the “common sense gun control” thing.
The mental hygiene industry. You do NOT want to give that group of potential tyrants anymore power than absolutely necessary.
Lets not forget that this is the group of “professionals” that’s often behind the whispers that anyone who ever even voluntarily puts on a uniform of military service is, by definition, broken brained.
And, for illustration purposes…
This is also the “profession” that tried to get away with redefining pedophilia and pederasty as sexual orientations, rather than deviations.
Lets not agitprop for more power and more control given to that particular group of thumb suckers.
Former Veterans Who Missed the Socialism of the Service for Gun Control… retards who enjoy being told to put three sheets of paper in their right hand wipe in vertical manner. (If it’d been up to these dipshits, all Joe Stalin would’ve had to do was promise to triple the per diem rate and we’d all be speaking Russian now.)
So what’s the over and under that all of the LBGT names on that list are on that list for other reasons?
Hey you give legitimacy to our attempts to piss on the constitution and we’ll kick back some more freebies to your cause.
That sort of thing. I mean sure, it technically fails Occam’s Razor, but the coincidence there.
Has anybody seen Mark Kelley’s can of paste wax and polishing towels laying around? His head is kinda dull looking…And NH Sparky, that’d be a bagful of smoking dicks.
@34. Hmmmm. If one posits that the person who would upend one traditional legal value (marriage as only between a man and a woman) is willing to upend others (2nd Amendment as sacrosanct), then Occam’s Razor fits.
This looks like an Acorn petition. Some of my favorites;
Former Major Schwartz Malibu, US Army, Los Angeles, CA
Former First Lieutenant Colonel Frederic Stephens, US Army, Roseville, MN
Former First Lieutenant Marx Bowens, US Naval Reserve, Worchester, MA
Former Petty Officer Joe Fouts, US Navy, Avon, OH
Former Private First Class Earsell Leslie, Sr., US Army, Los Angeles, CA
A quick interwebz search shows that “former specialist third class Horton Hooker, US Army, Raleigh NC” was arrested for trespassing by the NC General Assembly Police during one of the leftist “Moral Monday” protests against the GOP.
http://ncmugs.com/mugshots-by-state/north-carolina-mugshots/wake-county/hooker-horton-second-degree-trespass/
And that former “buck sergeant” Frances Kellogg of Gwynedd, PA has contributed money to only democrats since 2000.
I’m sure those are just coincidences.
The only vets the left loves are liberal “ex” military types who can sound like hippes without the smell.
Not surprised that the gun grabber crowd got some washouts, liberals and other hipster types who happened to serve to whitewash their totalitarian agenda.
I didn’t even read this comment, I just deleted it…Jonn.
@40 Jonn’s blog, Jonn’s rules.
seems like I missed a good one @40
Great news. not a single Warrant Officer in the list.
Thanks for sparing us Jonn.
Can’t we compromise? How about this…
We pass a law requiring universal background checks, even unto the seventh generation, for anyone who even thinks about buying anything that can remotely look like a firearm, including Pop Tarts.
But then, in deference to Kelly, the law explicitly forbids any enforcement of the law, so there’s no penalty for when it’s broken. The law also would include text indicating that it is automatically repealed if it ever comes up for amendment or if any other gun control law is proposed.
Another comment I didn’t read before I deleted it.
Jonn
Buh-bye, Curt le Spurt.
I like the fact that he’s not barred. It’s much more painful (I hope) for him to take the time to write his drivel out, post it, and then see nothing but a screen name. I LIKES it!
A former PV2 and PFC?? WTF did they get shitcanned for in the Army? Even with a 2 year enlistment they would have made it to E-4… or should have. Makes me wonder how many on that list are Legit.
@49. Not many, if any at all, if you discount the political and social activists.