Report typos and corrections to: corrections@rawstory.com.
Stories Chosen For You
Owners of company that manufactures gun used in Uvalde school shooting are prolific GOP donors: report
May 27, 2022
The owners of the manufacturer of the gun allegedly used in the Uvalde school shooting are deep-pocketed Republican donors, The Washington Post reports.
Marvin C. Daniel and his wife, Cindy D. Daniel, who are the owners of Daniel Defense, have given more than $70,000 directly to GOP candidates for federal office this election cycle. Last year, the manufacturer gave $100,000 to GOP causes.
“The ability of the industry to use money to advance its policy agenda has increased given the dramatic rise in firearm sales that we’ve seen over the last two or three years,” said Timothy D. Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University. “The industry is much better equipped to further its lobbying interests, independent of the NRA.”
One of the couple's beneficiaries is Trump-endorsed former football star Herschel Walker, who is running for Georgia Senate. Others include Republican Sens. Joni Ernst (IA), Tim Scott (SC) and John Neely Kennedy (LA).
READ MORE: Oregon dad gives up firearms after Texas massacre: 'Guns aren't as precious as my children'
A statement on Daniel Defense's website says “it is our understanding that the firearm used in the attack was manufactured by Daniel Defense. We will cooperate with all federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in their investigations."
The rifle reportedly used in the shooting, the DDM4 V7, sells for about $2,000, according to the website.
“In north Georgia, the semiautomatic rifle has replaced the flag as the primary signifier of a particular congressional candidate’s political alignment,” Lytton said.
Read the full report at The Washington Post.
CONTINUE READING
Show less
Oregon dad gives up firearms after Texas massacre: 'Guns aren't as precious as my children'
May 27, 2022
An Oregon gun owner went viral after sharing a video claiming that he turned his weapons over to police to be destroyed.
Ben Beers, of Hillsboro, posted the video on TikTok explaining his decision to get rid of an AR-15 rifle like the one a gunman used to kill 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and the post was viewed more than 200,000 times in the first day, reported KGW-TV.
“I was up all night, tossing and turning, crying and shaking,” Beers said, and he decided Wednesday morning to get rid of the rifle and his 9-mm handgun.
“Hopefully soon we can all wake up and realize this needs to be done," Beers said. "This is an idea — guns are not as precious to us and nor are my Second Amendment rights as the lives of my children in school."
The 37-year-old Beers is a married father of two daughters, and he hopes guns are far less prevalent by the time they're grown.
“I can't even find a PlayStation 5, but I can go get a Glock, you know?” Beers said.
Hillsboro police contracts with a company that destroys weapons turned in to the department, which they said happens about once a month.
“It could be a death in the family and someone has left them a firearm that they don't want in the house and they decide to turn it in to us,” Sgt. Clint Shrz, who said most law enforcement agencies do the same.
Beers hopes Congress will pass new legislation restricting gun ownership or even amend the Constitution to prevent the epidemic of violence.
“Hopefully America can wake up," he said, "because no other country has the problem we do with gun culture and ideation and gun violence like we do."
@benji5811 Turning in my guns to have destroyed by Police. #uvalde #guncontrol #koin6 #texas #teachersoftiktok #portlandpolice #parentsoftiktok #shootings ♬ original sound - Ben Beers
CONTINUE READING
Show less
Right-wing school board member who delivered racist rant faces removal after cyberstalking conviction
May 27, 2022
On Thursday, the Daily News in Jacksonville, North Carolina reported that the Onslow Board of Education is moving to remove Eric Whitfield, a controversial right-wing member who was convicted of cyberstalking.
"The school board has unanimously voted to move forward with the process of 'amotion,' in attempting to remove Eric Whitfield from the Onslow County Board of Education. Whitfield was elected to the board in 2020 following a controversial campaign during which he faced allegations of making racist and derogatory comments about minorities," reported Morgan Starling. "He was also convicted of one count of cyberstalking former Onslow County Schools employee Kelli Muse on April 7 of this year."
"The board's litigation committee met Thursday morning preceding a special board meeting to receive and review the reported recommendations of the committee," the report continued. "Chairman Bob Williams said they received the report and recommendations from their outside council, and were ready to make those recommendations to the board."
Whitfield's racist comments came during a Facebook rant in 2020, when he claimed that local NAACP leader Al Burgess "controls the ignorant darkies in his community." Whitfield had been enraged about disparaging comments Burgess made about Mark Robinson, a Black businessman who was shortly elected lieutenant governor despite a history of anti-Semitic comments.
IN OTHER NEWS: Ted Cruz's sordid history of pro-gun inhumanity after massacres
After his remarks, Whitfield was fired by the Jacksonville Christian Academy, which employed him as a teacher at the time. However, he did not drop out of the race, saying that he would only end his campaign "if the property tax rate can eventually get to a rate of 59 cents and stay at that level." He was elected anyway.
Whitfield has faced petitions for his removal ever since taking office.
CONTINUE READING
Show less
Copyright © 2022 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 | Masthead | Privacy Policy | For corrections or concerns, please email corrections@rawstory.com.
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}