Arizona state Sen. Lori Klein merged x3

[scout706]

From the Huffington Post:

Arizona state Sen. Lori Klein (R), a gun-rights champion, keeps a loaded raspberry-pink handgun in her purse,
and during an interview with Arizona Republic reporter Richard Ruelas, she took it out and pointed it at him.

"Oh, it's so cute," Klein said, before aiming the gun at Ruelas's chest to show off the red beam of the laser sight.
Klein's gun, a .380 Ruger, has no safety, but the senator assured Ruelas that he wasn't in danger.

"I just didn't have my hand on the trigger," she said.

Klein told the Arizona Republic that she owns a number of guns and has had "informal" training sessions
on each of them, and that she was taught gun safety by her father.

Local gun activists have criticized Klein for pointing her gun at Ruelas, however.

Rob Mermelstein, the range master of the Phoenix Rod and Gun Club, told the Arizona Guardian, that Klein's actions were "unconscionable."

"Whoever would do something like that needs to have a better grounding in gun safety before ever laying a hand on a firearm," he said.
The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) on January 8 has reignited the national debate over gun control.

President Barack Obama called for stronger gun laws in the wake of the shooting, and HuffPost's Sam Stein reported
last week that the Obama administration is preparing to release a series of reforms in the near future.

According to the Daily Beast the changes will include:

- A national electronic system designed to make background checks for handgun buyers simpler and
faster, leaving an electronic paper trail under a law named for Ronald Reagan's press secretary
James Brady, who was wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt.
- A new reporting requirement that federally licensed gun shops report any person who tries to
buy two long-arm weapons near the Mexican border over a five-day period.
- Tougher sentencing guidelines for straw buyers that Holder's department pushed through
procedural hoops at the U.S. Sentencing Commission earlier this year.
In Arizona, Klein's handgun has become a symbol of the gun control debate, and while
she supports those who want the right to carry guns, she says it's a personal choice that she isn't forcing on anyone.

"I don't like chocolate ice cream," she told the Arizona Republic. "Am I going to force you not to have any?"

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[HotGuns]

Definatly not a good example of firearms ownership or safety.

[Skeeter64]

Well, that was STUPID! Perhaps she could use a little more formal training.

[rammerjammer]

What an idiot!

[babarock]

Local gun activists have criticized Klein for pointing her gun at Ruelas, however.

Rob Mermelstein, the range master of the Phoenix Rod and Gun Club, told the Arizona Guardian, that Klein's actions were "unconscionable."

"Whoever would do something like that needs to have a better grounding in gun safety before ever laying a hand on a firearm," he said.

This is the correct reaction from us. We need others, especially folks that might be on the fence, to see our community as "self-correcting".

Pulling a bone head stunt like this hurts her credibility on everything not to mention the breaking of one of the basic rules. "No soup for you!".

[retsupt99]

Will some of you pro-gun folks in her area please call her and lend a little verbal help an/or find her some training?

[jarhead74]

Moron!

[SpencerB]

Legislator denies pointing loaded gun at reporter

[Mr B]

Her ass needs to be kicked out of office, and she need to be charged with brandishing a weapon.

[Chirpy72]

AZ doesn't have a "brandishing" law ...

What part of "CONCEALED CARRY" doesn't she understand? Her gun should have never been made an issue, never been brought out into public view ( unless of course she was actually using it ).

[Mr B]

Either way, she was still irresponsible in her actions and should either lose her job or be fined or something. Maybe the reporter will file a law suite against her ?.

[ntkb]

I think before passing judgment the background of the reporter needs to be examined.

[imthduke]

Some gun owners, just act irrespondible and need trainning before they start showing off their new toys.

Arizona State Senator Under Fire for Allegedly Pointing Gun at Reporter

Published July 12, 2011 | Associated Press


PHOENIX – An Arizona state senator's handling of her gun is drawing criticism from a fellow lawmaker.

An Arizona Republic story about Anthem Republican Lori Klein's carrying of a gun in her purse while at the Legislature said she showed off its laser sighting by pointing it at a reporter interviewing her in the Senate lounge.

According to Klein, the gun has no safety but there was no danger because she didn't have her hand on the trigger.

In an email to the Capitol Times reported by the Republic, Klein denied pointing the gun at the reporter and said he sat himself down in front of it.

Democratic Sen. Steve Gallardo of Phoenix called for an ethics inquiry and said lawmakers should be prohibited from taking guns into the Senate.

[Rollo]

Yeah, crap like that definitely doesn't help our cause. What a moron!

[8th ID]

And THIS is from a pro-gun congresswoman!! Holy Crap! Please someone call this woman and at least tell her the 4 rules of firearm safety. My God!!!