Chicago journalist can’t buy a gun
The folks at Maxon Shooter Supplies and Indoor Range, who claim to be TAH fans, send us a link to the story about them in the Chicago Sun Times, wherein the Times sent Neil Steinberg, one of their reporters, to write about his experience buying and firing an evil black, scary gun (known in journalistic circles as an assault rifle). Steinberg does the handwringing thing about guns and journalistic integrity thing during his drive to Des Plaines, Illinois to the Maxon “lemonade stand” as the owner described it to me.
Driving to Maxon Shooter’s Supplies in Des Plaines on Wednesday to purchase my first assault rifle, I admit, I was nervous. I’d never owned a gun before. And with the horror of Sunday’s Orlando massacre still echoing, even the pleasant summer day — the lush green trees, fluffy white clouds, blue sky — took on a grim aspect, the sweetness of fragile life flashing by as I headed into the Valley of Death.
Earlier, in my editor’s office, I had ticked off the reasons for me not to buy a gun: this was a journalistic stunt; done repeatedly; supporting an industry I despise. But as I tell people, I just work here, I don’t own the place. And my qualms melted as I dug into the issue.
He needn’t have worried – after he filled out the paperwork paid for his Smith & Wesson M & P 15 Sport II there was a waiting period, during which his purchase was rejected by the gun dealer;
I was looking forward to shooting my new rifle the next day. I’ve shot guns. It’s fun. I was worried though, about having fun with guns in the current environment of outrage and horror. Had I been co-opted by the purchase process? By the friendly staff at Maxon’s?
[…]
At 5:13 Sarah from Maxon called. They were canceling my sale and refunding my money. No gun for you. I called back. Why? “I don’t have to tell you,” she said.
[…]
A few hours later, Maxon sent the newspaper a lengthy statement, the key part being: “it was uncovered that Mr. Steinberg has an admitted history of alcohol abuse, and a charge for domestic battery involving his wife.”
Well, didn’t see that coming.
Of course, Steinburg thinks that’s not the reason, he thinks it’s some bias against journalists.
Would-be terrorists can buy guns. Insane people can buy guns. But reporters . . . that’s a different story. Gun makers avoid publicity because the truth is this: they sell tools of death to frightened people and make a fortune doing so.
Or maybe the fine folks at Maxon don’t like their guns in the hands of mean drunks who beat their wives.
I’m pretty sure that, if the sale had been approved, the headline would have read something like “Local gun dealer sells gun to wife beater” It was probably the editor’s intent from the beginning – that’s why they chose Steinberg in the first place to make the purchase.
From the Maxon Facebook page;
Mr. Steinberg was very aggressive on the phone with Sarah, insisting he was going to write that we denied him because he is a journalist. “Journalist” is not a protected class, BTW. We contacted his editor and said that, while we don’t normally provide a reason for a denial, in this case to correct the record before you publish, here’s why; we pasted a couple links of press accounts of his past behavior and his admission of same. He’s free to believe or disbelieve that’s why he was denied, but that *is* why he was denied. There was no “We’ll see you in court!!!!” type of language from us – we simply want to set the record straight. That it undermined his thesis and rendered the column incoherent isn’t really our problem, is it? Thanks for your support.
Clarification: Steinberg did fill out an ATF 4473. he didn’t lie on the form which asks the respondent if they have ever been *convicted* in a court of a domestic violence misdemeanor and, apparently, Steinberg wasn’t convicted (even though you or I would have been convicted). He made a big deal about his arrest and his “come to Jesus” moment in the paper and in his book “Drunkard”. Because he doesn’t have a conviction, he also has a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.
Steinberg didn’t pop hot on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check because he doesn’t have a conviction, and he didn’t lie on his ATF 4473.
Everyone in Chicago knows about his escapades as a drunk and a wife beater because he wrote about it, the staff at Maxon knew about his past and they denied his purchase based on Steinberg’s own admissions in his writings about it. The firearms dealer has the final say in whether you get a gun or not and because of Steinberg’s local reputation, they decided not to take a chance on him. I hope that answers your questions.
Category: Guns
“…even the pleasant summer day — the lush green trees, fluffy white clouds, blue sky — took on a grim aspect, the sweetness of fragile life flashing by as I headed into the Valley of Death.”
Oh dear Lord-forget gun control, can we get overwrought hack control?
It was a dark and stormy night….
And why are you dragging my good name down with this journalist?
Sorry dude-collateral damage, insert “mediocre scribbler” as needed.
I know of a Vice President of a “proud woman owned” software company formerly located on Wilson Lane in Bethesda MD that would like to institute some Hack Control.
His defense is that there is a giant conspiracy against him.
He then doubles down in the comments with this statement:
“Thanks Dennis. I can assure commentators above that no one expected the sale to be denied. I have an FOID card and no criminal record whatsoever. If they hadn’t ID’ed me as a columnist, they never would have denied the sale. This was an assignment, and I executed it to the best of my ability, after arguing, again to the best of my ability, that it wasn’t worth doing. Turns out, my boss was right, as he so often is. It was worth doing, from a journalistic point of view. From a personal point of view, well, I’d have rather gone to the Cubs came and written about the new plaza. ”
Linky
Meanwhile there is this in his background:
“Columnist charged with abuse
Sun-Times’ Steinberg arrested at home”
Linky
And what Democrat Senator will he fellate because it was his amendment that keeps weapons out of the hands of domestic abusers, hmmmmm?
Oh, delicious irony.
Lautenberg…but he’s dead.
Another “Gash” Cuntzman stopped in his tracks by a system that works, that, in all liklihood, Maxon even supported. Until now.
There needs to be a whole separate class of awards for these presstitutes, “the Gash Cuntzman award for propaganda on EBRs”.
Oops. Sorry. Working from my tiny tablet. For “Maxon”, replace with “Neil Steinberg”.
I’m thinking he omitted another reason to be nervous in that list above: he knew there was a good chance he’d be rejected. If he pleaded to a misdemeanor domestic violence crime after that arrest, as I recall something called the “Lautenberg Amendment” comes into play.
http://www.everygoddamnday.com/2016/06/that-old-second-amendment-only-goes-so.html?showComment=1466174091821#c343105897635585750
He doesn’t believe the DV charge applies to him. Only the little people.
Or it was the intent of the paper to send an ineligible person to purchase a “Scary Black Rifle” then crow about how easy it is for someone who should not have a rifle can get one. Its a win-win for the paper. Not so much for Mr Alcoholic Wife beater. Which brings up another question. On the 4473 aren’t those two separate questions? Do you have a drug or alcohol problem? Have you ever been convicted of domestic violence? Two separate felonies if he checked no?
Was he buying the rifle or did the paper give him the money to buy it? If the paper gave him the money then isn’t that a straw purchase? And whoever gave him the money is also guilty of a felony?
This just proves my point that we need a 14 day waiting period on “journalists” and thorough background checks. Otherwise we get irresponsible journalism.
LOL
A drunken wife beater.
But its OK. He’s a liberal. He is getting help.
I would live to wipe the Phil Monkress off of my show on his face.
Maggot.
coward and a douchegnard
Where have all the Y chromosomes and testicles gone?
I was wondering when one of these reporters doing one of these purchase stunts would get the door slammed on them by the check system.
So the asshole who beats his wife when he ties one on didn’t see the background check coming? Oh, wait, I forgot, he’s a “journalist,” so domestic abuse, like so many other things lately, is apparently okay if he does it. Fucking shitbird.
NICS is far from perfect, but a domestic violence charge will pop hot. And if you pop hot, you can’t buy a gun. And even if they don’t like him for his job and obvious agenda, guess what, fucker? They have the right to refuse to sell. They also have a legal and moral obligation to refuse to sell if they feel you would use it irresponsibly.
Well, you see, the fact that Illinois DOES have strict rules about gun purchases and that the shop owners DO follow those rules says that THE RULES DO WORK WHEN APPLIED PROPERLY.
I’d agree that this dipstick excuse for a reporter was nervous because he’d been busted for domestic violence and knew that would show up in an NICS check. But his dithering about it being someone else’s fault, trying to deflect blame for what HE did away from himself, speaks volumes. He and his editor are idiots.
No, it is not easy to get a gun in the Chicago area unless YOU’RE A CRIMINAL, YOU MORON! Try to figure that out, willya?
So, did he lie on the 4473? If he did, he’ll be another one the Feds “don’t have the time or manpower to prosecute”.
I read some of the comments in today’s Detroit Free Press, wow, stupidity reigns at that paper. The best letter was the maroon who described the AR-15 as a “militaristic attack gun”. Followed closely by the typical “I’m a gun owner, but nobody needs high capacity clips” bullshit.
“High capacity clips?” They really said that?
Oh yeah, he did. I saw it in the Freep this morning when the wife took me to breakfast. The Free Press featured about 9 or 10 letters from the public, all of whom, coincidentally, hate guns and gun owners, even the guy who started out with the “I’m a gun owner, but….”.
Jonn linked to Mitch Albom’s column in the same paper, in the Mitch Albom story just above this thread. The whole paper is full of diatribes against guns, and gun owners, but hardly a mention of jihadist-inspired murder.
As usual, when it comes to reading anything in the Detroit Free Press, I came away feeling soiled and dumber for having read the opinion pieces.
Mrs. HMC has several ‘high capacity clips’. She uses them to keep her hair in place and off her face.
Lush… he might have some knowledge about choice of phrasing.
https://www.amazon.com/Drunkard-Hard-Drinking-Life-Neil-Steinberg/dp/0452295432
“Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg loved his job, his wife, and his two young sons. But he also loved to drink. Drunkard is an unflinchingly honest account of one man’s descent into alcoholism”
Poor thing, always a victim. Clever as he seems, surely he could have gotten something “on the street” the way they usually do it in Illinois–or similar places where criminals congregate.
The only thing this clown has knowledge of is bullshitting folks who are below the information line.
Much like the False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) in Merritt Island, FL.
Playing the “claims” to garner some fame (and cash in Phildo’s case).
Shitbags.
Check out a dog park one day.
The resemblance to these turds from the piles is uncanny.
Maybe Mr. Steinberg should point his Google box at the “Lautenberg Amendment”, named after Dem Senator Frank Lautenberg as a common sense gun control. He might realize that the store couldn’t sell that rifle to him under penalty of law. But I guess the narrative trumps the truth.
No sympathy for Neil Steinberg… the system worked and blocked his dumb, drunk, wife hitting ass from purchasing a gun.
Dude needs to stop whining about what happened and go home, put on his onesie, get himself a cup of cocoa and cry about his experience with Gersh Kuntzman and PJ Boy.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…
SOMETIMES the system works. Yes, the Lautenberg Amendment…
In his eyes he’s again proven that the pen is mightier than the sword, but doesn’t want to regulate the pen.
Just sent this to his public email:
Nice hit piece, Neill. Since your record indicates that you like to get violent with your wife when you drink, it’s nice to see that the background check system worked, and the folks at Maxon were absolutely right to deny the sale. If you didn’t see that coming, then you’re an idiot.
God forbid you do something as crazy as take responsibility for your own mistakes, you instead coughed up an article that’s as comically false as it self-righteous.
Besides, if you want a gun so badly, just go outside and look. Chicago has lots of fine folks who will sell you a weapon with the serial numbers filed off (that’s probably cycled through at least three CPD buybacks), cash or drugs up front, and no background check. Probably wouldn’t even take you half an hour.
Given your poor record of self-control, it might not be a bad idea for your wife to get herself a gun, however.
Cue up the choir for a rousing rendition of the TAH Hymn!
All together now, with feeling:
“Him, him, fuck him!”
^^^^^ This ^^^^^
Just make sure that NEIL STEINBERG is another famous internet idiot.
I wonder if KUNTZMAN would pass a 4473.
Anybody care to pay for a 57 state criminal check?
That’s fucking brilliant.
This is the best ever! The system works! Then the gun hater, gun culture Zombie virus – present at any place selling guns – believer Mr. Steinberg spends the rest of his time justifying why it should not have worked allowing him to purchase a gun! Ha! Ha! Ha! Mr. Steinberg you are an idiot and a coward. The proof is (It bit you right in the ass.) you are now officially, by all Leftists standards, a criminal, and the worst of criminals – a wife beater (Although not sure knocking the phone out of your wife’s hand while drunk warrants “wife beater.”) with a criminal record. Leftist Karma is a real bitch; I mean your a solid leftist? Right? Shouldn’t you get a pass? These rules are for those rubes out there infected by the gun culture Zombie virus – running scared from their own shadows while the likes of you, masculine, virile, reasonable, self assured and courageous to resist the disease and live above… accept your not. You sound like just another drunk trying to justify why your not a drunk and why you are different than all the other drunks. Welcome to the real world, not the fake world you used to try and live in. Oh and Joe across town, he probably has a gun for you – since this is the only way criminals with a record can buy guns.
Note to Leftists: I wonder when one of your elite colleagues – who are exempt from such laws – proposes that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander and those who are refused a gun because they fail a background check are automatically inserted on the no-fly list!
That’s not JOE across town who has a gun for STEINBERG. It’s Dashaqnu in the ‘hood, probably down at 63rd and Stony Island. STEINBERG should just go down to Englewood at 2AM and find out how many GUNNZZ! he can pick up on da Sout’ Side at that time of night.
That is, if he doesn’t catch a boolit instead.
On an unrelated note, we got my son baptized at Saturday night Mass last night. Afterwards, our priest declared that the boy will shoot left-handed. Not sure how he can tell, but he’s rarely wrong.
Our priest is awesome. Used to be a construction contractor before he got ordained, licensed electrician, fixed up the church and rectory himself, drives a kickass Bronco he fixed up himself, hunts deer and birds every fall, and he’s a Catholic priest! Perfect priest for my hometown!
This means the lad’s Great-Grandpa (all-around lefty) and Grandpa (shoots lefty due to cross-dominance) will have to do the lion’s share of firearms instruction, because I’m right-handed all the way. My left hand is good for mag changes and not much else, and my eye dominance is strong enough that I basically can’t see shit out of just my left.
Still pondering what his first non-BB gun weapon will be. I could do like my Dad did with me, start him on a ’94 Winchester (got a couple of those) and then give him a Garand for his own (got a couple of those, too). Probably will do that, as the M1 carbine is already earmarked for his big sister. He’s five months old, though, so I have some time to decide and prepare.
Congratulations on your son’s baptism.
Does Father celebrate Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form (aka Tridentine/Traditional Latin Mass)? If not, I’ll bet his Ordinary Form is strictly “Say the Black, Do the Red” and he doesn’t allow “girl altar boys.” Father doesn’t sound like one of those 1970s liberal-type priest-dinosaurs that have not yet died out (our bishop is from Ireland and is a very lefty-liberal who allowed Aztec dancers during Mass at one confirmation). Thank God our Novus Ordo parish is run by very traditional Order of priests. Too bad they won’t do Latin!
Sorry … hijack aborted.
WORD
I do have an obvious question that’s been bugging me for a while, and I’m not sure it has a simple answer.
These dorkwads like NEIL STEINBERG and GERSH KUNTZMAN are either terrified of guns or afraid of even thinking about one. But they will flock to movies that promote what can politely be termed extreme violence (Transformers, Star Wars, Straw Dogs, gladiator, etc.) and will happily watch sports that are also violent in nature (hockey, football, boxing, wrestling, etc.) They’ll watch Sam Peckinpah’s movies or those spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood, and practically drool over them, but hand over their overpriced personal crap in the blink of an eye when some asswipe demands it, and then cry about it after they quit shaking. They will also dwell on the surprise attacks and deaths of people for weeks and complain about the ‘ease with which it happened’ part, but never do anything themselves to stop it, and they always have excuses for not stepping up.
I want to know how gerbils like GERSH KUNTZMAN and NEIL STEINBERG can justify that kind of behavior. I just do not understand any of it. Maybe someone can explain it to me, apart from their obvious cowardice.
ADDED: I’m pretty sure that, if the sale had been approved, the headline would have read something like “Local gun dealer sells gun to wife beater” It was probably the editor’s intent from the beginning – that’s why they chose Steinberg in the first place to make the purchase.
I’m not sure how the NICS would work for this guy.
It looks like he got a good lawyer and got the charges dropped, so there wouldn’t have been a conviction (Which makes me wonder how many guys out there WITH domestic abuse convictions are scratching their heads, going, “Wait a minute, how’d he pull that off?).
On the other hand, he must be approaching cognitive dissonance territory with this deal… cake decorators must be forced to sell to gays; gun shops shouldn’t be forced to sell to bad actors, except for me… Ow, ow, my head! It hurts!
Never try to follow a lefty’s “logic”.
That way lies madness.
We should chip in to send him a Smith & Wesson t-shirt.
With the sleeves cut off.
Forget the wife beater. You mean there are people out there who claim to be TAH fans?
Also, I read the Mitch Albom piece on Facebook. I’m guessing about 99% of the comments are ripping him a new one.
That surprised me, too. The DRG reminds me everyday how they’ve chased off all of our fans with their childish antics.
Really? Do tell, Jonn… (smile)
I hate to go against the grain on this one, but the liberal douchebag claims he does not have a conviction on his record. Not sure if there is an active restraining order or not. In any event it is not clear to me that the NCIS system worked. If it did work, it possibly worked without any due process…which is no victory IMHO.
Yeah I’m glad this idiot wasn’t able to purchase a scary black rifle, but I wonder if it was an NCIS denial or merely a conscientious gun shop owner that used good sense. If it’s the latter, well played.
So he knew he was ineligible and tried to get a gun anyway. ATF should be looking into this guy.
A “journalist” lying about something really isn’t news.
The fact that the backround check worked also isn’t news.
What was the point of all this again?
Methinks Neil Steinberg IS THIS STUPID:
Who is the cop standing there letting him spew that lie?
Don’t know if I would have done what he did if were allegedly a wife beater and had an alcohol related issue. But, he’s preaching to the masses.
The stupid, it burns. ♨
I love your hymn, but I was signal corps and ours was, We won’t fight and you can’t make us, If we can’t fix it, Fuck It!!
Can’t tell you how happy I am that you were never in my Signal Corps. Have a nice day, Bill. I’ll sing you a hymn personally.
My .02
He has no convictions, so passed NCIS. He most likely didn’t lie on 4473 as alcohol isn’t considered a controlled substance.
Gun store exercised their right to refuse service to anyone based on a net search. Very similar to the store that decided not to sell bulk ammo to the Orlando douche nozzle based on a lack of warm fuzzy.
Did anyone else notice that he contradicted himself? (I know, I’m shocked too)
First he went on about how he hates guns, and didn’t want to support the gun industry, and the dramatic description of the Valley of Death.
Then fuckstick goes on to write:
‘I was looking forward to shooting my new rifle the next day. I’ve shot guns. It’s fun. I was worried though, about having fun with guns in the current environment of outrage and horror.’
So I enjoy shooting…but it just wouldn’t be PC for me to say such a thing…so I have to add the disclaimer at the end, you know so nobody will think ill of me.
Whoa, a libidiot contradicting themselves and being a hypocrite? You must be mistaken, Aktron. That never happens.
(smile)
Then there’s this…
Bylines of Brutality
As Casualties Mount, Some Question The Emotional Stability of Media Vets
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2008/01/notepads-of-sha.html
Guy beats up his wife then tries to buy a gun.
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He hit his wife Jeanne, was arrested, spent the night in jail, and ordered by a judge to attend a minimum of 28 days of an alcohol rehab program as an inpatient, and a domestic violence evaluation Page 30 of “Drunkard”.
The wife was in the process of calling 911 because “You’re scaring me” (page 22). Neil drops the c-bomb, and then “I suddenly swing, an arcing open-handed slap, knocking the phone hard against the side of her head” (page 22).
Police and a social worker respond to the call, and Neil is told “We’re going to have to arrest you”. (page 23).
Sounds like a swell guy.
Just wandered in. Funny stuff! And good on Maxon.
Can’t wait til some liberal “journalist” goes to catch a plane and finds he’s been put on the no-fly list by mistake. Wait, that can’t happen–can it?
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