"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Emiliano Zapata

The gun hypocrisy in our state is so sickening that it is causing Pancho Villa and Zapata to turn in their graves. It's no secret Arizona has a gun violence problem, and Arizona citizens are thankful the I-10 shooters were caught yesterday before real harm could have occurred.  That said, populist politicians like Rep. Ruben Gallego are using this opportunity to create bureaucracy even though he completely loses site of the fact that much of that gun violence is attached to domestic violence against women.

According to Channel 12 news:

"New data reveals some disturbing findings: 62 percent of Arizona women are shot to death by their intimate partners in domestic violence murders, and the rate of these domestic violence tragedies is 45 percent higher than the national average."

As a former NRA member, I am for reasonable gun laws -- not bureaucratic ones.   I am a moderate on gun laws and I refused to give the NRA my membership fees several years ago when they allowed the likes of Ted Nugent to be a spokesperson for them.  Ted Nugent was spewing gun violence against our national elected officials like Hillary Clinton, and I believe saying those things incite unhealthy violence.   Since the NRA allowed that sort of rhetoric from their spokesperson, I proudly ripped up my NRA membership card. 

However, I am still pro-gun and pro 2nd amendment, and I will not allow the likes of Rep. Gallego to get away with his policy and political hypocrisy.

If Gallego truly cared for reducing gun violence in our State of Arizona, he would begin by supporting laws that protect women, too, that attaches gun violence to the actual more serious problem of domestic violence.   Unfortunately, Ruben's past endorsement of Paul Penzone (who had an official domestic violence record against his ex wife that included documented injuries) precludes him from doing the right thing.  If Gallego wants to be taken seriously by women voters in Arizona, he would begin by apologizing for endorsing Penzone who had an official domestic violence record.  It would do Rep. Ruben Gallego a lot of good to ensure he no longer endorses politicians with a domestic violence record. It would also do a lot of good for Arizona Democrats to VET the people they endorse, and they have no business supporting politicians who have a domestic violence record with documented injuries.   Ruben ought to stop his populism in light of the Phoenix I-10 shooter issue, and work on productive laws that have teeth to it.  Women voters are looking at reducing domestic violence that is attached to gun violence and not just this "receive a certificate / document" if you are a good neighbor bullshit.  

How much are these good neighbor certificates going to cost the tax payer?    What we need is stripping guns away from domestic violence abusers.  That's the kind of teeth we need here in Arizona, and it shouldn't have to take a Domestic Violence Court Hearing Officer to strip guns and ammunition from a "defendant" in order for a woman to feel safe (see Page 18 of this pdf file).

(Above)  Paul Penzone ordered not to possess, receive and/or purchase firearms or ammo in a temporary Court Order.

Viva la mujer!

C/S