Collins says he will start carrying a gun, after baseball practice shooting

[BeyondGeography]

Rep. Chris Collins told a Buffalo television station that, after a shooting Wednesday morning at a Congressional baseball practice in Virginia, he will start carrying a pistol while he’s out in public.

“If you look at the vulnerability, I assure you: I have a carry permit. I will be carrying when I’m out and about,” Collins, a Republican from suburban Buffalo, told WKBW. “On a rare occasion I’d have my gun in a glove box or something, but it’s going to be in my pocket from this day forward.”

Collins was not at the Wednesday morning practice, where a shooting left several injured, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Alexandria police said five people had been taken to local hospitals following the incident.

Collins was the first member of the House of Representatives to endorse President Donald Trump during the campaign, and he has been a key backer of the president. He’s also one of six House members who Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democrats have said they will look to unseat in the 2018 elections.

http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2017/06/14/collins-im-going-to-start-carrying-a-gun-112748?lo=ap_c3

[DemKittyNC]

1. Because the answer to gun violence

Is MORE GUNS!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. More guns! That's the answer!

[marylandblue]

3. Is he going to carry a gun while playing baseball?

That can cause a really nasty scrape if he has to slide for home.

[haele]

11. Not to mention dangerous to the catcher and umpire.

'Cause I'm pretty sure he's not going to have any sort of trigger guard or safety on it when he's carrying.
He strikes me as being a wanna-be macho type who depends on props.

Haele

[linuxman]

25. How many pistols do you know of without trigger guards?

[kacekwl]

30. New meaning to two balls and a strike

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

36. If he wants to steal second, who's gonna stop him? nt

[SaschaHM]

4. I see someone is putting their re-election campaign into overdrive.

This is the guy who blamed Dems earlier.

[pangaia]

26. This fucker is my unrep..

we're after him...

[Motley13]

5. GUNS, GUNS, GUNS when will it stop?

is Chris Collins going to carry around an AK 47? Sounds like that it what the shooter had & security had pistols.
What an idiot!!!

[Bucky]

19. You can't let them out gun you. He should conceal-carry a bazooka to take out snipers en masse

If he hides it in wallet where he carries all the NRA campaign contributions, it won't even stand out

[pangaia]

27. Don't give the stupid shit any ideas...

He's in my district...

[Beaverhausen]

6. Oh yeah...tough guy

He's not even brave enough to be on this baseball team.

[TNLib]

7. Why do I get the sense we are going to start seeing Congressmen accidentally shoot themselves?

nt

[politicat]

31. Will they be bringing back dueling, as well?

Should we start calling him Mr Burr?

While my atavistic, least generous and most cynical self wants to set aside a few square miles of Nevada or western North Dakota to allow these RWNJs a space where they can have the live-fire LARP they're so desperate to have, my more rational side recognizes that fearful people make stupid statements based on emotional reactions they don't have the mental resources to properly process.

[smirkymonkey]

42. Well, it's one way to drain the swamp.

[DefenseLawyer]

8. I just fucking shot myself!

[jpak]

23. This is the version I like

[Buns_of_Fire]

28. He's a high-falutin', rootin'-tootin', sonofagun from Arizona...

...well, maybe more like "The Ballad of Irving".

[trentwestcott]

40. His name is Tex Grebner. I don't think he's from AZ. I think he may be from TX.

[atreides1]

9. He'll have to get a permit from DC!

District of Columbia Does Not Honor Permits from these States:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, New York City, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, American Samoa, N. Mariana Islands


Mr. Collins will have to get a permit issued by the MPD, before he can legally carry a concealed weapon in the District!

[mac56]

10. I feel sad for anyone who's afraid to play a simple game of baseball without a gun.

[jmg257]

12. Now how did we not see that coming! 'Carry 'em if you got 'em.'

Congress and other politicians usually get a pass 'cause they are more likely to be targets.

And who would blame them?

Feinstein had a CCP for years.

"Later the same group shot out all the windows of my home and I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself, because that’s what I did. I was trained in firearms," Feinstein said in the 1995 hearing.

"When I walked to the hospital when my husband was sick, I carried a concealed weapon," she said. "I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out I was going to take them with me. Now having said all of that, that was a period of time ago and I’ve watched through these 20 years as terrorism has increased both on the far extremist left and the far extremist right in this country."
Feinstein got rid of the permit once the New World Liberation Front was no longer a threat to her.

[Hoyt]

15. You guys turn every tragedy into a celebration for more guns in more places.

[jmg257]

21. Sure "we" do, Hoyt - guys are planning a big party right now...at Chuck E Cheese maybe!

Nothing cries "celebration" like people getting shot.

Ghoulish, that would be.

[HockeyMom]

13. Rounding Third, carrying an AK-47,

and headed for Home, etc., etc. Better change the lyrics of Centerfield????

[Hoyt]

14. Instant contribution from NRA and gun nuts everywhere.

[Bucky]

16. He should use a holster or holster clip, not carry it in his pocket

Besides being a safer protocol, it will sound less like he's talking about his wiener

[MineralMan]

17. Because a pocket pistol is such a good defence against

someone with a semi-auto rifle. Yes, indeed, Congressman. You could stand up and blaze away that that rifleman. There's an excellent plan, indeed.

[jmg257]

38. Did the security and police take down the shooter

Today with rifles? Haven't seen the coverage yet.

[Baconator]

18. I would have already if I was that high profile...

[JDC]

20. You can bet no more town halls

[footinmouth]

45. Collins won't even hold a town hall.

Maybe he needs his gun for grocery shopping.

[QC]

22. This guy compared an opponent to Hitler and the Antichrist.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/erie-county-executive-collins-regrets-comparing-sheldon-silver-hitler-anti-christ-article-1.384862

[LittleBlue]

24. Smart

Congressmen are sitting ducks. They are public figures without the security normally associated with being well known.

When you consider how many are willing to throw away their lives, it's amazing this hasn't happened sooner. (Happened in UK with Jo Cox though)

[BeyondGeography]

32. Scalise had two police officers with him

You think a gunman who was determined to shoot an otherwise engaged congressman would care if he was armed? He has the element of surprise and, as you say, doesn't care about throwing his life away.

[LittleBlue]

43. You're right

It's unlikely that being armed would have helped him here. I dunno, I just couldn't go in public myself being that high profile without a gun if I didn't have police protection.

Do they always have protection or was Scalise just lucky?

[BeyondGeography]

44. He's Majority Whip so I assume that's why

I suppose they'll all be looking for beefed up security now. Probably work it into the budget at some point, while other things get cut...

[BannonsLiver]

29. "and oh by the way, I won't be doing any more town halls or public events."

This will be used as a pretext to duck, dodge and weave by these blowhard cowards.

[regnaD kciN]

33. Then maybe WE all need to start carrying guns, too...

...to protect ourselves from armed Republican congrescritters. I certainly don't feel safe, knowing they're out there.

[Freethinker65]

34. Bet more harm than good will come from this particular guy carrying

Fumbling for a gun in your pocket when you are on edge and inexperienced is a disaster waiting to happen. He is more likely to become injured, plus now some people know exactly where to look for his gun.

I understand that he wants to feel "safer", but feeing safe is just that, a feeling. (No doubt he also wants some more NRA $$$) What he really needs to do is decrease the risk, which is quantifiable. His mathematical risk of getting shot is already pretty low compared to the average D.C. dweller. I assume he has no interest in decreasing their risk from being shot.

[Thor_MN]

35. Is he going to carry it in his SOFTball glove?

Ankle holster? Do they slide in their softball games?

[wildeyed]

37. Yep, that would help when a gunman is targeting you from a distance with a rifle.

Moron.

[AmandaRuth]

39. why do i get the feeling we have

potential darwin awards here?

[trentwestcott]

41. While I do believe that body armor might be more useful...

Here's the part where I get called a troll again I guess.

The ideal solution would be no more guns. There, I said it.

Having said it, please be honest and admit that that isn't ever going to happen. The laws are never going to be passed, and even if they are passed they'll only be followed by people inclined to follow laws.

Ultimately, what ended this shooting rampage?

People with guns shooting the guy who was shooting everyone else.

What prolonged the shooting rampage?

The length of time required for the people with guns to show up.

Contrary to myth, shooting a gun isn't a super human act. There is training involved, but not Jedi type training.

This isn't a perfect solution, because there is a real danger of mistaken identification and "good guys" shooting other "good guys", but studies have shown that non-police officers are less likely to shoot the wrong person than police officers. Read into that what you will.

Alrighty Hoyt, I see you over there. Come and get it.