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This past weekend, as warmer weather and a post-pandemic mood called crowds out to Beale Street, bullets crashed the party.

And the ones firing them seemed to be more driven by the invincibility of their weapons and the urge to settle a grudge than in the power of the police.

Which isnt surprising given how the fetishization of guns and laws which make it easier to obtain may be reducing police to fixtures, not enforcers.

According to an MPD preliminary report, sometime around or after 2 a.m. Sunday, two groups of men began shooting at each other outside of The Green Room on Beale Street. One wound up dead, while two were seriously injured.

This shootout happened infront of Memphis police officers who had been outside the club, their presence a blur to the shooters.

Three of theofficers fired back at the shooters and have been relieved of duty pending the outcome of an investigation.

Said MPD Director C.J. Davis in a statement:"The Memphis Police Department is outraged at the senseless and brazen acts of violence that took place this morning in the presence of officers.

The proliferation of gun violence continues at epic levels throughout our nation; however, we are committed to bringing every resource to bear to end these critical incidents in our city..."

Yet anyone who believes that outbreak of violence on one of the nations most iconic streets is solely a reflection of violence and dysfunction in Memphis would be wrong.

Theyd be wrong because around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, just 30 minutes before the bullets began flying on Beale Streetand more than eight hours away,a gunfight erupted inside a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, nightclub. Two people were killed in this shooting, and 10 were injured.

And they weren't deterred by the police, who were still outsidethe club after being summoned to deal with an earlier incident.

Right now, its unclear how all that bad blood curdled into enough venom to poison the minds of the perpetrators to the point where they let loose with guns in places where the bullets could get people who got in the way.

But whats stunningly clear is that they dont care if the police are nearby, or if the police are watching.

In a way, this isnt that surprising.

Tennesseeis astate where people older than 21 can openly carry a gun without any training and without a permit. We livein a nation where people can buy kits to assemble guns, called ghost guns that are virtually untraceable by law enforcement.

It's easy to see how those who would fire a gun in public could come to believe that they have more power than the police, so why would they hold off on having a shootout in front of the police?Or near the police?

Some probably believe they can outshoot the police.

None of us can say that we werent warned about this. In fact, the police warned us all about this.

Last year this time, when Gov. Bill Lee signed the permitless carry bill into law even though the states leading law enforcement agencies opposed it, saying that it would lead to more crime and make officers more vulnerable to being shot.

Law enforcement groups have also long opposed ghost guns. As they should, considering that, according to federal authorities, more than23,000 in unmarked guns were found at crime scenes between 2016 and 2020.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced new federal regulations on ghost guns.

Among other things, the regulations will require commercial manufacturers of the guns to be licensed and to include serial numbers on unfinished parts, and sellers will have to run background checks on the buyers.

Of course, some gun groups have vowed to sue the administration over the regulations, saying that they violate Second Amendment rights.

But come on. A serial number on an instrument of death is a violation of someones Second Amendment rights?

If anyone is being violated here, it is the people who may be killed by someone who wont be caught because the gun is untraceable.

Such craziness is what led us to the shooting on Beale Street and in Cedar Rapids. It has led us to a point where people acting intentionally or on impulse believe any power the gun conveys usurps any power that the police might have.

In these moments abetted by NRA-influenced laws that hold reasonable gun regulations as sacrilegious, the police are reduced to bystanders. Just like anyone who gets in the way of the bullets.

And as long as that situation persists, anyone who goes out to have a good time could risk coming home in a body bag.

No matter how many police are around.

Tonyaa Weathersbee can be reached at tonyaa.weathersbee@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter: @tonyaajw

The rest is here:
Memphis is 8 hours from Cedar Rapids. The shootings near police were 30 minutes apart | Weathersbee - Commercial Appeal

The Road to November: The latest on the race for Georgia governor

Gov. Kemp signed HB 1302 which will return money to Georgia taxpayers in response to the state's budget surplus. GOP challenger David Perdue countered by saying Kemp did not return enough money to taxpayers. Meanwhile, Democrat Stacey Abrams filed a lawsuit arguing she should be allowed to raise money under the same law that applies to the governor.

ATLANTA - Primaries in Georgia are looming, and after Democrats won several key races during the 2020 election, the eyes of the nation are once again on the state during the2022 midterm elections.

The Republican primary for governor is contested with incumbentGov. Brian Kempfacing challengers, including a former senator with the endorsement offormer President Donald Trump:David Perdue.

Meanwhile, Stacey Abrams is vying for office once again after he defeat her in 2018. Abrams, however, wont face any competition in a primary.

Heres a look at each of the candidates to become Georgias next governor and where they stand on key issues.

FOX 5's Russ Spencer spoke one-on-one with Gov. Kemp to discuss his views on critical race theory, medicaid expansion, the Rivian electric vehicle plant, and his run for reelection.

Kemp is seeking a second term since he beat potential Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams in the 2018 gubernatorial race.

While in office, Kemp has beenat odds with former President Donald Trumpover how he handled the 2020 Election when Joe Biden narrowly won the state and Democrats won two senate seats in runoffs.

Polling showsKemp holding an advantage over his GOP adversaries, including Trump-backed David Perdue.

Gov. Kemp maintains a double digit lead over former Sen. Perdue in the latest polls. Meanwhile, an Emerson College and The Hill poll shows Brad Raffensperger with a 3 point lead over Rep. Jody Hice in the race for secretary of state.

Kemp pushed to pass the states "constitutional carry" bill, which eliminates the need for concealed carry permits for gun owners.

"Its great to see so much support for the 2nd Amendment, as the General Assembly considers bills to uphold this fundamental right," Kemp tweeted in March. "I am committed to working with both the Georgia House and Senate to get Constitutional Carry across the finish line!"

Kemp has vocally backed theElection Integrity Act, which passed in 2021 in response to perceived insecurity during the 2020 presidential election after President Joe Biden won the state and Democrats took both Senate seats.

Kemp hasnt aligned with former President Donald Trumps unproven claims of voter fraud, but hes emphasized his belief that reducing the number of ballot drop boxes, requiring voter ID to vote by mail and modifying early voting hours have in-fact made voting easier and strengthened election security.

Kemp hasrailed against "divisive topics"in schools. He supported a bill to ban teaching Critical Race Theory and another thatbanned transgender student-athletes from playing high school sports.

Kemps budget plan, which passed, includes thefinal installment of his promised teacher pay raiseand fully funds the state's Quality Basic Education formula.

Kemp has taken interest in school districts that removebooks related to LGBTQ+ issues.

"We'll have a lot of dialogue. I think that's something people at home should know that you know, we're going to be very thoughtful about this and we're talking to everybody involved. We're talking to the parents, for sure, but we're also talking to teachers and superintendents and school board members and the folks back home and I think this will be a good debate for us to have that will move us forward as a state," said Kemp during a visit to a Forsyth County school.

Since Kemp has been in office,Georgia has passed legislation to ban most abortionsafter a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of gestation.

At the time of passage, Kemp said, "We stand up for the innocent and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."

The panelist analyze the former president's campaign stop in Commerce, Georgia.

Sinceformer President Donald Trump backed Perdues bid for governor, the former senators campaign has done what it can to spread the word.

That was the intent of two 2022 rallies, one with the former president as a guest of honor and another featuring Donald Trump Jr.

Perdue considers himself an "outsider," and has criticized Kemp for being reactive in some of the measures hes passed in 2022.

Perdue criticized Kemp for not pushing for "constitutional carry" sooner.

Perdue, who lost his senate seat to Jon Ossoff during a January 2021 runoff, has echoed Trumps claims of an illegitimate 2020 election. Before Trump arrived at a rally in Commerce in northeast Georgia, Perdue said "our elections in 2020 were absolutely stolen." He accused Kemp of having "sold out" Georgia voters through a series of actions including refusing to call a special state legislative session before Jan. 6 to investigate or overturn the election.

Perdue has suggested forming an entity to enforce election laws and an independent audit of election results before certification.

Purdue said he wants to empower parents, and proposed a Parent Bill of Rights similar to the one that Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law this year.

Perdue said parents should have a "straightforward" way to sue school systems that violate their rights. He opposes Critical Race Theory and divisive ideologies.

Perdue haspublicly supported measures to make abortion laws stricteras a senator.

Perdue defended Georgias "heartbeat bill" in 2019, saying, "Life is precious and should be defended at any stage."

Taylor describes herself as a native of South Georgia who worked in public education as a 3rd-grade teacher, counselor, testing coordinator, student services coordinator and homeless liaison.

Taylor haslaunched an online petitionto participate in gubernatorial debates against opponents David Perdue and incumbent Brian Kemp.

Taylor says she supports constitutional carry.

Taylor said she wants to remove ballot drop boxes.

Its unclear if she is advocating for the complete removal of voting machines or just machines operated by Dominion, a company that was scrutinized by Republicans during the fallout of the 2020 election.

Taylor also said she intends to remove absentee ballots.

She advocated for a forensic audit of the 2020 election in Georgia.

Taylor said she is against certain concepts being taught in Georgia schools, including critical race theory, comprehensive sex education, and social-emotional learning.

Taylor said she intends to criminalize abortion upon proof of pregnancy, which would be the strictest abortion regulation in the U.S.

FOX 5's Claire Simms sat down with former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams just hours after she announced her second bid for governor.

Abrams is the only democratic candidate to officially qualify for governor. She campaigned for the job in 2018 and lost to current governor Brian Kemp.

A tendency to attack Abrams is one thing all of the GOP gubernatorial candidates have shared. She came under fire for removing a mask during a photo opportunity at a Georgia elementary school. Republican candidates later criticized her for comments during a rally, in which she stated, "I did the work, now I want the job."

Her opponents havent hesitated to mention her unwillingness to immediately concede defeat to Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Abrams swiftly denouncedKemps push for constitutional carry. Her campaign spokesperson called the proposal reckless and said it threatened Georgians lives.

Abrams stance on the second amendment is linked to her public safety policy.

In aninterview with FOX 5 Atlanta, Abrams said she would address that by working hand-in-hand with law enforcement to make sure they have the resources they need, as well as the underlying issues like education and economics.

"Corollary to that is gun violence," said Abrams. "Part of that is the fact that Georgia has weakened its gun laws under Brian Kemp, and we have seen an erosion of safety for our communities. That is not something that should be sustainable in this state. Gun safety does not mean taking away a single person's weapon or their right to own. I believe in the 2nd Amendment, but I also believe in gun safety."

Since losing the 2018 race for governor, Abrams has been bent on increasing voter turnout and fighting restrictive election laws. Abrams organization, Fair Fight Action, took some of the credit for turning the once-staunchly Republican state closer to a shade of "purple."

Abrams criticized Georgias election reform, saying it disproportionally affects minority voters.

Abrams said she intends to pursue educational equity and mobility. She said it starts with scholarships for early-childhood education.

She supports an institutionalized teacher pipeline and the structure to fund a permanent plan to raise teacher salaries.

Abrams advocates for tuition-free technical college and need-based aid programs.

Abrams advocates for women and families to have the right to make their own healthcare decisions with ample access to reproductive health care. Abrams sees Medicaid expansion as a way to address maternal and infant mortality in Georgia.

The Associated Press contributed to this piece.

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Georgia governors race 2022: Where candidates stand on key issues - FOX 5 Atlanta

Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law on Wednesday that bans anyone in Colorado from openly carrying a firearm within 100 feet of a voting location, unless their property falls within that buffer.

The Vote Without Fear Act was a priority election bill for Democrats in charge of the state legislature. Supporters say the law is needed to prevent the harassment of voters and poll workers, arguing that the current intimidation law can be difficult to enforce.

It passed with no Republican backers, who argued it infringed on 2nd Amendment rights.

Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Joan Lopez attended the bill signing ceremony at the state capitol and recalled an incident that occurred on the eve of the 2020 presidential election. Two men came to the countys administrative office in Littleton.

Came in with cameras, filming voters, open carrying, and just trying to intimidate voters. Andthen they moved to the front of the building where every voter had to pass them to get to the voting center, she said.

Lopez said people complained and the election judges were really shook up.

Even though the police were called and our attorneys were involved, there was nothing we could do at that point because they weren't violating any laws. Now it's going to be law and they won't be able to do this ever again, Lopez said.

Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Bacon is one of the main sponsors of House Bill 1086. She said voter intimidation has a long legacy in the U.S, especially against communities of color. She said its part of her own familys history when they lived in Jackson Mississippi.

I want to thank the NAACP. We have been fighting for this for a century in this country to be able to vote without fear, she said.

Opponents argued that since Colorado is an open-carry state (with a few exceptions), the bill infringes on Second Amendment rights, and could make people who openly carry a firearm feel less secure.

House Bill 1273 would make it a misdemeanor to threaten or intimidate state and local election workers for doing their jobs. Its still awaiting its first committee hearing. It also would make it illegal to publish the personal information of election workers a practice known as doxxing and allow those workers and their immediate family members to remove their private information from open records requests. And it would increase the penalties for threats and intimidation.

Senate Bill 153 is in response to the security breach in Mesa county. Republican Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters and her Deputy Clerk Belinda Knisley are facing multiple indictments for election tampering and misconduct. A federal investigation is ongoing.

It would add new security requirements for counties, requiring constant video surveillance of election equipment, stricter rules about who can access equipment and increase penalties for potential security breaches in an effort to try to prevent insider security threats. The bill cleared the Senate with Democratic support and one Republican yes vote.

More here:
New Colorado law bans people from openly carrying firearms near voting locations - Colorado Public Radio

April 2 is my Alive Day.

When military and veterans talk about their Alive Day, its typically a commemoration of the day that they survived death in combat.

My Alive Day marks the date that I was not killed by a mass shooter.

Eight years ago, a soldier at Fort Hood embarked on a shooting spree that resulted in the murder of three service member and injuries to many others. While the shooter and the three men he killed were all in military uniforms, this was not an act of war. Rather, this was another chapter in the growing saga of gun violence in America.

I knew two of the murdered soldiers well. I was working alongside Sgt. Timothy Owens on the day of the shooting; he was a dedicated team leader in my platoon. Sgt. First Class Daniel Ferguson was a hard-working, professional soldier with whom I had the pleasure of working in a past assignment. I did not have the privilege of knowing Staff Sgt. Carlos Alberto Lazaney-Rodriguez.

As a veteran, I am often thanked for my service. Yet, I dont consider my service to be complete. I am no longer in active service, but I am still compelled by a duty to protect my fellow Americans this time, from the ongoing epidemic of gun violence.

We know how to handle guns in the military. We follow the three pillars of military gun culture: training, safety and accountability. Every soldier knows to keep their weapon locked and unloaded until its ready for use, with strict accountability for every firearm, including regular checks by staff duty officers. The military takes these steps to reduce the number of soldiers killed or wounded on duty.

Civilian America is vastly different.

Dozens of states have no law requiring gun owners to safely secure their guns or even a law requiring a background check on all gun sales, including those arranged online making it easier for convicted criminals and domestic abusers to get their hands on guns. The shooter eight years ago bought his gun off-base, from the very same store that five years prior another shooter bought a weapon from, used in the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. Instead of strengthening our gun laws, in Texas last year, politicians went even further, passing permitless carry which allows anyone to carry a handgun in public without a permit, which required a background check and safety training.

This lack of oversight does not make us more free as a society, it makes us less safe. Just a few months into this year, there have already been at least 51 unintentional shootings by children with guns, resulting in 17 deaths, and roughly 70 percent of veteran suicides are by gun.

If you are one of the many Americans who greet veterans with a hearty, Thank you for your service, what actions will you take to honor the lives of our brothers lost at Fort Hood?

We need common-sense gun laws, like universal background checks on all gun sales. If you are a gun owner, practice and promote a culture of weapons safety, including secure gun storage. We cant stay quiet when dangerous laws like permitless carry put us at risk.

None of these steps threaten the rights laid out in the Second Amendment rights that I believe in and served to protect. In fact, in states where these gun safety laws are already in effect, they are helping to save lives. The data is irrefutable: States with weaker gun laws have higher rates of firearm-related homicides and suicides.

There is no magic cure for gun violence, but common-sense gun laws save lives.

We owe it to our loved ones to create a society where people feel safe from this epidemic that is harming our fellow Americans every day. I owe it to Timothy, Daniel and my country to work for a significant reduction in all forms of gun violence.

Johnston is an Army veteran who served as a platoon leader during the 2014 mass shooting on Fort Hood. The views expressed in this article are his alone, and do not reflect the United States military or Department of Defense.

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Opinion: I survived the Fort Hood mass shooting. Now I work to stop gun violence. - Houston Chronicle

The race for the Congressional District 9 seat is underway. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson faces three challengers in the Republican primary, while a state senator is the only Democratrunning.

Hudson is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House. He currently represents North Carolina's 8th Congressional District,but is running for reelection in the 9th Congressional District after the districts were redrawn based on population data from the 2020 Census.

Hudson's primary issues include agriculture, coronavirus, defense and national security, economy and jobs, education, energy, environment, health care, immigration, preventing gun violence, the Second Amendment, Social Security, veterans and his voting record, according to his website.

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Hudson likes to call himself "Fort Bragg's congressman." He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and as the Republican Conference Secretary, according to the website. He was named the 12th most conservative member of the House by National Journal, it said.

Hudsongrew up in Charlotte andgraduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the website said. He and his family live in Concord, it said.

Bucardo is a California native who was raised in North Carolina.

The primary issues for her campaign are education, anti-critical race theory, pro-life, pro-guns, the foster care system, immigration, clean water and clear air, and ensuring election integrity, according to Bucardo's campaign website.

Rios is a veteran who is running to represent Congressional District 9.

Rios served in the 82nd Airborne Division and rose to the rank of sergeantbefore the end of his service in 1977.

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Rioswants to run to give his constituents the means of controlling how he should vote on the various bills and committee matters, according to his campaign website.

Andriani is running for Congressional District 9 for four main reasons "to protect our God-given liberties and maintain our status as a nation of law;" to support efforts that are pro-life, protect gun ownership, school choice, female sports, strong borders and energy independence; to stop government interference with the freedom to make medical decisions for ourselves and our families; and to end all "tyrannical COVID restrictions imposed on We the People," according to Andriani's campaign website.

Some of the primary issues of Andriani's campaign are what he calls medical tyranny, education, economic policy, social policy, defense policy, energy policy, immigration and border security, the website said.

North Carolina Sen. Ben Clark has served five terms representing North Carolina Senate District 21 and is the only Democrat running for the Congressional District 9 seat.

Clark's campaignslogan is "Familly First Agenda." He saidwhen families are strong, the nation is strong.

In an email, Clark said he will go to Congress with a six-point "Family First Agenda." The agenda includes establishing a $15 per-hour minimum wage; makingaffordable health care accessible to every American; providing a quality education for each child; providing support for small businesses; caring for the environment; and protecting democracy.

Clark has a background in education. After earning his Master's in Business Administrationat Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, he taught high school science in Marylandand North Carolina.

"As a retired Air Force Lt. Col. having served five terms in the North Carolina Senate presenting the citizens of Cumberland and Hoke in Senate District 21, I have worked successfully with my colleagues to secure historic levels of resources for the district and to address the pressing concerns of our community," he said.

Staff writerAkira Kyles can be reachedatakyles@gannett.com.

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Meet the candidates running for the Congressional District 9 seat - The Fayetteville Observer