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November 12, 2009
2nd Amendment Concerns Over Obama's Nominee
Obama to attack guns as public-health threat?
2nd Amendment advocates worry over opinions of OSHA nominee
Second Amendment advocates are expressing alarm that the most significant attack on gun rights across the United States in years soon could come in the form of a workplace "safety" regulation under President Obama's nominee to run the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Obama has nominated David Michaels, a George Washington University professor and the chief of the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy, which reportedly partially is funded by George Soros.
"The controversial OSHA nominee and left-leaning public health advocate also seems to have strong views on firearms," wrote Walter Olson at Overlawyered.com.
"That's by no means irrelevant to the agenda of an agency like OSHA, because once you start viewing private gun ownership as a public health menace, it begins to seem logical to use the powers of government to urge or even require employers to forbid workers from possessing guns on company premises, up to and including parking lots, ostensibly for the protection of co-workers."
Michaels, who although he would have to be approved by the U.S. Senate, comes with views that concern Second Amendment advocates.
In his 2007 writing to laud the ability of the federal government to respond by creating new laws to ban activities or behaviors.
"When the toll of preventable and pointless deaths or injuries from any single event or related events becomes so great, or particular aspects of the story bring it to the public's attention, our nation invariably demands more and stronger regulation, not less," Michaels wrote at the time.
"In the U.S., we see an average of one gun-related homicide every 45 minutes, or 32 each day," he wrote. "These are usually treated as isolated incidents, until a horrific event like the Virginia Tech massacre reawakens the public and strengthens public health advocates who are attempting to prevent gun violence."
OSHA is an agency that already has a well-earned reputation for abusing its authority and reaching beyond its stated purpose. Add one zealot and it easily becomes an oppressive entity with immense power over all American businesses, large and small. At a time in which America's businesses desperately need the freedom to responsibly pursue earning profits and put workers back on the payroll, the chemical potency of combining Obama's left-wing agenda with an anti-business zealot manager at OSHA could prove toxic," Myrick wrote.
The first vote on Michaels' nomination already was canceled by the Senate Committee on Health, Labor, Education and Pensions.
At the Examiner, gun rights writer David Codrea warned that some "public health" excuse could be used for imposing draconian restrictions on gun owners.
He cited the comment from a director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Control and Prevention that, "We need to revolutionize the way we look at guns, like what we did with cigarettes. Now it [sic] is dirty, deadly, and banned."
"Does anyone doubt that Michaels will bring a similarly creative agenda to apply through regulatory measures under the guise of 'occupational safety and health?'" he asked.
The National Gun Rights organization called him an "anti-gunner."
Columnist Dave Kopel at the Independence Institute in Colorado said, "Plenty of Obama's administration appointees have a longer record of anti-gun activism than David Michaels, but perhaps none of them have the ability to make such a dramatic, instant change in the lives of law-abiding gun owners.
"By its own fiat, OSHA could outlaw the possession of firearms in every workplace and every employee parking lot in the United States," he wrote.
"That David Michaels is anti-gun is undisputed," he continued.
"The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution means that a valid federal law or regulation wins in any conflict with a state law. Many states have laws that protect the rights of employees to store lawful firearms in parking lots at work. If an OSHA regulation prohibiting such storage existed, the federal regulation would trump state law," he said.
"Under Michaels, OSHA could write a regulation stating that it is illegal for any business to allow guns in the workplace or in parking lots. No handgun could be locked in the trunk of a car, even if the owner has a Right-to-Carry license. No rifle could be stored in the car, even if there’s no ammunition around and the gun will be dropped off at the gunsmith after work," he said.
Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, had supported Washington, D.C.'s ban on handguns before it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. And since Obama has been in office, he's already advocated for a treaty that would require a federal license for hunters to reload their ammunition, has expressed a desire to ban "assault" weapons, has seen a plan to require handgun owners to submit to mental health evaluations and sparked a rush on ammunition purchases with his history of anti-gun positions.
Wild Thing's comment.........
I could be wrong, but I think if Obama makes a move on guns, we will have Congress for the next 20 years if he tries that. Gun control is a totally lost issue for the Dems, as the country is now something like two to one against it as a ‘cure’ for crime. MUCH HIGHER than the polling has ever shown.
Plus there are a lot of Democrats that own guns, for protection and also for hunting.
Obama is a threat to all of our freedoms!
....Thank you JohnE PFC U.S. Army for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at November 12, 2009 03:44 AM
Comments
as Heston said "FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!!"
Posted by: Richard at November 12, 2009 10:38 AM
Buy ammo!
Posted by: TomR at November 12, 2009 04:39 PM
How can the Lame Stream Media claim obama is a moderate politician. obama himself said, Look at the people around me, when McCain asked him about his associations with Ayers, who was supposedly thrown under the bus, but was merely a nudge to the back of the bus.
I think there are no left looneytunes still on the street they all have a key role in this administration. well they say this guy has to be confirmed by the Senate. Since when is the Senate any judge of Character and honesty ? They even approved Cass the "nudge" Sunstein for a post, one of the very few who actually went before the Senate. Clearly obama is hiding his agenda, and that is the destruction of America as it was founded. All of his ilk are of the same mind.
More people had better wake up, we got a year before the elections and if we do not take back the House and senate, then it is over.
Posted by: Mark at November 12, 2009 09:39 PM
