APPEARS IN First Things First

Rudy Giuliani: “Chicago Relied On Gun Control”

In an interview with Fox News Monday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani compared the crime rates of Baltimore, Chicago and NYC. In Baltimore, “We’re talking about numbers that exceed murder rates in Iraq and Afghanistan during the war … we supposedly got tired of.” Giuliani confirmed what A1F wrote yesterday: “When you don’t support the police, when you don’t have their back … it isn’t that they don’t do their jobs, they just do it much more carefully. The ones that aren’t as dedicated may show up late.” “They know if anything goes wrong, the mayor of Baltimore will turn on them,” he added. “The district attorney will probably put them in jail, and their families will be ruined.” Why is gun violence rampant in Chicago, but not NYC? “We were much more aggressive with stop and frisk … and taking guns away from bad guys,” said Giuliani. “Chicago relied on gun control.”

Lil Wayne Incites Brawl At Anti-Gun Charity Basketball Game

On Sunday, rapper Lil Wayne traveled to St. Louis to coach a charity basketball game. His team, Young Money, was facing off against the team of opposing coach and event organizer Loose Cannon Slim—and after an official made several calls against Young Money, “Weezy” lost his temper. According to TMZ, Wayne charged at the official and allegedly spit on him before being restrained by his own team. Did we mention that the name of the event was “Stop the Violence” Charity Basketball Game? We’re unsure what’s more ironic—that, or the fact that a rapper known for lyrics such as “My trigger finger itchin’” was chosen to coach an event benefitting a group called “Put Down the Pistol.” We do know that Wayne isn’t the first celebrity to posture for politically correct social causes only to be revealed as a hypocrite—and probably won’t be the last.

More Anti-Gun Shenanigans In California

A critical piece of anti-gun legislation that would make Californians less safe has been approved by the State Senate. Senate Bill 707 would prohibit Right-to-Carry permit holders from possessing firearms on any properties that make up the grounds of a K-12 school or university, including many parking lots, common areas that may not be readily identifiable as school grounds, and student apartment buildings. Current law exempts permit holders from the state’s campus firearm ban. The measure will now be considered in the State Assembly, where Democrats hold a 52-to-28 margin. Californians are urged to contact their Assembly member and request they oppose this legislation, and to forward this information to family, friends and fellow gun owners who live in the Golden State.

Davidson’s Expands Ruger Donation Plan

Every now and again, good news comes in multiples, too: Davidson’s CEO Bryan Tucker (of “Gallery of Guns” fame) has announced that “Davidson’s will contribute an additional one dollar to the two contributed by Ruger for each Ruger firearm that Davidson’s sells over the next year. I would also encourage all Ruger firearms distributors to support Ruger’s generous donation with one of their own.” The Davidson’s and Sturm, Ruger & Co. contributions could mean an additional $6 million going to NRA-ILA projects. Looking ahead to the 2016 elections through the long shadow of a dozen new Obama administration anti-gun executive orders, NRA-ILA’s defense of your Second Amendment rights has never been more important. As we said yesterday, now is a mighty good time for that new Ruger.

Sex Crimes Also On The Rise In NYC

We’ve noted a recent spike in violent crime in major cities across the country, including New York City. Unsurprisingly, new reports indicate that the general atmosphere of lawlessness encompasses far more than gang shootings. Sex crimes are occurring at a far greater rate in New York than was the case last year, with the New York Post reporting a dramatic 75 percent increase in misdemeanor sexual assaults last week compared with the same week in 2014. There are also consistently greater numbers of felony assaults taking place across all categories. With some police feeling pressure to back away from aggressively enforcing the law, the burden of defense falls ever more squarely on the shoulders of law-abiding citizens. The trouble in New York is that gun laws are not conducive to individuals’ ability to protect themselves—and as the numbers demonstrate, predatory criminals likely know it.

Armed Shopper Saves Lives At Liquor Store

On Sunday, Jeffrey Scott Pitts was caught on camera walking into a liquor store in Conyers, Ga., where he opened fire on customers and employees. Two people were tragically killed in the attack, but it could have been much worse. According to media reports, Todd C. Scott, who was in the liquor store when Pitts entered, drew his own pistol and fired back. Pitts quickly retreated when he realized he was at risk. With Pitts’ apparent desire to kill as many people as possible, who knows how many lives Scott saved with his quick and courageous actions. Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett was unambiguous in his praise, stating that Scott is a “hero.” There would likely have been a much greater death toll if not for the actions of an armed bystander. After fleeing, Pitts hurried home, wounded his parents and ultimately died in a shootout with police.