James von Brunn, a white supremacist, was under investigation for a shooting inside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington Photo: AP
One other source 'gets it.' The guy is not only an extremist, he has a prior violent record INCLUDING prison. What is he doing with weapons? The laws regarding hate crimes need to be bolstered. When a 'hate mongerer' has a prior record of violence, prison or no prison, when they are 'suspected' of having ACCESS to weapons, through legal, illegal means or sympathizers, they should immediately be charged with additional AND new weapons charges.
What good is the hate crimes charges if they ONLY go into force when someone is killed? Tell me that makes sense.
When 'Ex-Convicts' are released from prison, because of parole or having served their time, they are 'Constitutionally' given back their rights. Or so it is supposed to be. Even getting back their right to vote is nearly impossible in some states. That is besides the point, sorta. The point is that when a former convict has a weapons charge of any kind that resulted in violence or the threat of it, that individual has no right to ever own a weapon again.
If the NRA thinks they can 'get away' with being silent anymore regarding the offensive nature of its presence in the American Landscape they are sadly mistaken. If any entity in this country should be advocating for proper criminal statues that involve guns, it is the NRA. The 'conspiracy of silence' by the NRA against the people of this nation and the underlying advocacy to allow 'guns at any cost' within a society is more than reprehensible. It is bargaining with lives in this country for a profitable bottomline.
NO MORE ! If the NRA cannot and will not be a healthy conversation regarding guns and people in this country, then they don't belong as part of the Landscape of a democracy ! The American people need to voice their disgust at the continued lack of adequate laws regarding the 'availability' of guns that results in crimes like this. I don't want to hear how this is a 2nd Amendment Right issue. It doesn't even come close! The USA Constitution is aobut the RIGHTS of the citizens of this country, not the allowance of violence to remove those rights to life and the pursuit of happiness.
...In December 1981, angered by what he called the "treacherous and unconstitutional" acts of the Federal Reserve, von Brunn entered the central bank's Washington headquarters armed with a pistol, a shotgun, a knife and a mock bomb, according to court records. He claimed to be a photographer who wanted to shoot pictures of the boardroom, and bolted up the stairs when security guards told him to wait.
While being subdued, he claimed to have planted a bomb, which forced the building's evacuation, court records state. He told officers he was upset over high interest rates -- then well into double digits -- and the state of the economy, which was in a recession.
Von Brunn, then 62, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on attempted kidnapping, second-degree burglary, assault and weapons charges....
While being subdued, he claimed to have planted a bomb, which forced the building's evacuation, court records state. He told officers he was upset over high interest rates -- then well into double digits -- and the state of the economy, which was in a recession.
Von Brunn, then 62, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on attempted kidnapping, second-degree burglary, assault and weapons charges....
