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First thing, let's be clear that New Yorkers don't care for John Rocker, the one-time Atlanta Braves closer known for his insensitivity to things like diversity and alternative lifestyles.

But the NYDailyNews.com is taking the retired pitcher, who is now an occasional columnist for a conservative blog, to task for his statements about guns and Jews under Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany.

Here's what Rocker wrote, noting as he introduced the idea that few things in life are certain, except we can all agree that one of them is: "the undeniable fact that the Holocaust would have never taken place had the Jewish citizenry of Hitler's Germany had the right to bear arms and defended themselves with those arms."

The New York Daily News also highlights the 1999 comments that started Rocker's descent into becoming a national joke and eventually a has been, his dislike of NY Met fans and concerns about public transportation in New York in general.

No matter what you think of the gun debate issue, tossing the Holocaust and the stripping away not only of gun rights but all political rights, property rights and human rights from Jewish people in Nazi Germany is not relevant here today. Not at all. Just as when people compare their mayor, their governor, their president or their boss to Hitler is so very wrong, this too is stepping way over the line in terms of taste and logic. 

Yes, I'm talking about the president's two young daughters. They're mentioned, not by name, just by the fact that he had kids, in an online video ad brought to us by the NRA.

The ad is a preemptive response to President Barack Obama's plans to try to reduce gun violence.

Many are critical of the NRA using the president's kids for political gain. Well, we'll see if there's any gain. At the most, it'll preach to the converted and it will, as most of the NRA's leadership does, likewise anger those who do not respect the NRA.

One of the critics is the Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson, who always writes with strong reason and sharp humor and says that the tactic shows the desperation of the NRA. It does reek of desperation and like I said, it will only convince the true believers.

But many of the comments I've seen have said it's wrong to bring the children of the president into the debate, to use them for political gain. Even the White House complained. Hmm. I don't think so. Presidential children are always in the news when they do something, good or bad, and he had mentioned his being a father as impacting how he feels about certain things. And it's a fair thing to point out, that the NRA wants guns in schools as protection and the presidential children have such protections.

Of course, they have that protection because there are so many nuts with access to guns, but hey, we only have 30 seconds to make up our minds.

Funny, too, that many complain about the president using Sandy Hook to look into gun control and prosecuting gun crimes. That's a pretty amazing argument, seeing how actions always cause reactions. George W. Bush didn't denounce the Taliban not consider a war with Afghanistan until after 9.11, and he wasn't politicizing anything there. He, and we, reacted. Most major changes come after something terrible, and it's not politicizing the event.

A boat sinks and dozens die, then we talk boating regulations. Hundreds get sick after food is tainted and we talk regulations and enforcement. Sometimes the reaction is too big, but when you have dozens of school shootings and thousands killed, it'll bring about a reaction. This one took a long time, and it's too bad for the gun owners that the NRA doesn't participate in the debate. They'll be left out of the decision-making process if they keep angering those in the middle.

But maybe it's just about membership dues for them.

Nonetheless, nothing wrong with their ad, except it isn't helping their cause. Their ads should reach the middle, if they want to be part of the solution and not relegated to fringe group status. 

This story might attract some attention, considering the recent battle over guns following the Sandy Hook shootings that left so many children dead.

The Miami Herald reports out of South Florida that in two different cases, suspected armed robbers were gunned down by potential victims.

Now,  it's common for people both sides of the political aisle to use news stories to bolster political claims and these stories may soon make big headlines.

The first case involved an employee of an Exxon in Hollywood shooting one of two armed robbery suspects, police reported. The one suspect shot ended up dead, and police later found and picked up the second suspect.

The second case was out the northeast Miami-Dade area, where a resident shot someone who was trying to rob him.

There was no immediate word if the guns used were legally owned and carried, but already the headline is big, being posted on DrudgeReport.com.

The story is to be updated by the paper.

That's the argument, guns make us safer. If good guys, like me, have a gun, I'm safer.

So this quote and bit from an Associated Press story about the newspaper seeking public records on pistol permits from the local government in Putman County, New York, is pretty funny.

Critics called the publication an invasion of privacy; some said it could endanger permit holders.
“In Putnam County, I have over 11,000 pistol permit holders, and I refuse to put their lives and their families’ lives in danger,” Sant told The New York Times. “When these laws were conceived, there was no social media, there was no Google maps.”

So, owning a gun is a dangerous thing, especially if everyone knows you have a gun? Wonder what the 'open carry' people think about that. Having a gun makes you vulnerable and an attractive target?

Talking about having it both ways.

This Sandy Hook story and the prior shooting at the "Dark Knight Rises" premiere in Colorado are going to stick around in the news cycle for a long time, and inconsistent statements like this from an oversensitive gun lobby is going to help fire up the cause.

Face it, many people must be embarrassed to be gun owners right now, especially with the hard right conservatives saying the answer to gun violence is more guns, especially in classrooms. Crying about safety is shooting themselves in the foot.

However, just as self-hurting is the newspaper, trying to get people talking and perhaps trying to touch on public safety (taking a 'your neighbor is armed' approach), as the backlash against publishing such information has proven swift and ferocious.

The paper had already published some information regarding pistol permits, creating a massive uproar that has led to the paper hiring armed guards... some sweet irony there. And a blogger published the names and addresses and contac information for the paper's leadership.

Should these public records be open to the public? I would think so, as if you want to be a proud gunowner, then stand proud and be loud. If it brings shame, then perhaps it's not such a politically strong position.

And I like the open carry advocates in Michigan. Talk about open and honest; you know where they stand.

Saw something I want to check out, or more likely await actual results, but the group that forecasts national sales amended its projection for Christmas, from an increase of 3.3 percent to an increase of 2.5 percent, as CBS News reported on 'Sunday Morning.'

The report said the decrease in the estimate of the holiday's sales came for two reasons: Hurricane Sandy and its devastation of the northeast coast, or NY/NJ area as well as the impact of the Sandy Hook shooting.

I understand fewer sales due to people paying to replace their homes and belongings, spending less on gifts because of the need for essentials. The economic impact of the hurricane affected sales of cars and will force the jump of building materials sales. But the emotional impact of a tragedy? That's kinda surprising, though I guess I can see people less enthusiastic, especially out east.

But I thought the jump in gun sales would counter that.

Here is where the NRA press conference can be seen.

I'm interested in what they have to say about gun violence and the availability of such powerful weapons, which are often in the news when used to kill many people in these too-frequent mass shootings.

But the NRA caught some grief on Twitter due to requiring reporters to fax in their credentials. Kinda adds to the image of the NRA and its supporters being old timey asking for a fax, not providing an email.

UPDATE:

It appears the NRA is speaking not to America but to its membership. Too bad, because I think they'll lose the public relations battle on this one.

Instead of bringing gun control to the table, and having a stronger say in what is available for Americans to purchase and own, they are blaming:

Schools
Video games
Movies
The media
Federal government

Some reactions:

Travis Wright ‏@WDETravis

NRA brings up the old video game argument. AND music videos. Music videos? TV doesn't even play music videos any more! Get with it.

Matt Yglesias ‏@mattyglesias

Lets get real folks, Mortal Kombat is responsible for the national plague of bare-handed beheadings. #finishhim 

emily bell ‏@emilybell

Given the toxicity of society so forensically identified by the #NRA ...is the widespread availability of guns really a god idea? 

Priscilla Perkins ‏@pdperk

#NRA blames the media and mentally ill. WTF! It's on..... 

Bruce Arthur ‏@bruce_arthur

The NRA wants a national database of the mentally ill, which ranks among the most ironic stances in human history. 

Johanna Barr ‏@JohannaBarr

So this is all the fault of the media, video games, movies, music, and the mentally ill -- everything but guns #NRA 

Dalibor Dimovski ‏@kewlrats

Charlton Heston is rolling in his grave right now. #NRA 

Rob Pitingolo ‏@robpitingolo

Based on what I'm reading about this NRA presser. Sounds like the Mayans were on to something. 

Jeff Jarvis ‏@jeffjarvis

Shorter #NRA: Guns don't kill people. Hollywood does. 

TheMasonGuitars Excuse me sir,, but security will not stop a bullet fired at someone from 200 yards away

Marley Gardner HEY HEY NRA GOT TO GO

williamswalton There's a monster talking right now at the podium.

 wizardkitten ‏@wizardkitten

Wingnuts are all for big government spending and intrusion when it serves their agenda. Never forget that. 

@Waterford_Joe ‏@Waterford_Joe

@TheOaklandPress theres more guns than people in this world, it's not video games or violent movies. #banassultrifles

Rex Huppke ‏@RexHuppke

BREAKING: Following NRA's path, alcohol industry now blaming drunk driving on "too much Mario Kart" 

richardbroughton2 so our children will be learning each day surrounded by armed guard??

 Bella ‏@ciaobella50

The only way this #NRA press conference would make any sense is if someone shouted, "LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!" via...

Swanny ‏@YoSwanny

I have lost all respect for anyone who agrees with the NRA.

Dalibor Dimovski ‏@kewlrats

Seriously, all the NRA had to do was say "We are saddened by the recent events and will work with authorities." And they screwed that up.

Dalibor Dimovski ‏@kewlrats

With this press conference, the NRA just opened up the war on guns. 

Some of the debate about the guns is proving very laughable.

NBC News reported that a lawmaker in Texas defended on Fox News Sunday morning the availability of high powered 'assault' rifles - as many call them - to protect Americans against a tyrannical government. I'm rushing now but I've gotta look this up and watch, for it may be as funny as it sounds.

I'm sure he's not advocating shooting police officers, the front line of the government (local, state or federal, yes, but officers represent law and order and hence government in general). Don't need fancy weapons for that... just ask the families of the many officers gunned down when responding to typical calls. One in East Grand Rapids was killed with a shotgun by a man lying in wait as the officer responded to a call for help reporting domestic violence.

Then there's Patrick O'Rourke's family, mourning the loss of their father and husband, a longtime West Bloomfield police officer.

But I get it, this Texas gentleman is referring to the federal government, which taxes us and interacts with other countries through the United Nations. So if wants weapons available to fight that government, he'll need to legalize surface-to-air rocket launchers and small nuclear weapons, because nowadays, no militia is going to go up against our U.S. military and do any damage.

If that fight is going to be fought, it will be unarmed people being killed in what we now call terrorist acts. Is this political debate becoming so irresponsible? (And I'm not even considering the ludicrous idea of requiring teachers and administrators to be armed and trained to fight off other armed militants.... you know how much more taxes we would have to pay for schools if that were mandated?)

Here are the comments of Texas, hm, er, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, as quoted by Livewire.com's Talking Points Memo:

"Well, for the reason George Washington said a free people should be an armed people," Gohmert said, responding to a question on why people need assault weapons. "It ensures against the tyranny of the government. If they know that the biggest army is the American people, then you don’t have the tyranny that came from King George. That is why it was put in there, that’s why once you start drawing the line, where do you stop? And that’s why it is important to not just look emotionally, our reaction, Chris, is to immediately say, 'let’s get rid of all guns.'" 

Gohmert argued that more guns would lessen gun violence, saying he wished the principle at Sandy Hook Elementary School that was attacked Friday had been armed. "I wish to god she had had an M-4 in her office, locked up so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out and she didn’t have to lunge heroically with nothing in her hands, but she takes him out, takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids," he said.

Reminds me of the Simpsons, with Homer asking Lisa if she wants the king of England pushing her around. He's living in a fantasyland, where King George is still being fought and answers to problems are taking "his head off." Wow,

Of course, if we are fighting tyranny, I could use a nuke or two. I can be trusted. Believe me, I'm responsible enough to have a button to push. 

So, you thought you'd get away from ugly political fights now that the election is over?

Ok, perhaps after jump over or avert (or postpone, typical for our DC leaders) the fiscal cliff, and then we can focus on work, family, sports, entertainment...a Super Bowl, the Academy Awards and awaiting spring?

Nope, it's going to get ugly with the upcoming war on guns arriving. Well, it's not going to be a war on guns, but to the defenders of the guns, it's war just thinking about any kinds of limits. (I wonder what Boehner would do if Obama offered to keep taxes on the rich lower if GOP would vote for a ban of the most deadly semi-automatic rifles.... that'd be an interesting test on the right's desire for guns and lower taxes... which is the  priority?)

The debate is already ugly, judging by the reaction to the mass shooting that killed 20 children in Connecticut just three days ago.

And wow, the news gets better:

Two police officers killed in Topeka.

A man in California arrested after firing off multiple rounds in a mall parking lot. He was releasing tension from the stuff that made his life unhappy, police said. Used to be, beer was enough for that.

Now I hear those 'people' from that church are to protest at the funerals in Connecticut.

Makes one want to turn off the news and lock the doors.