Home > Alerts & Updates > Alert 12/31/2019: Armed Church Members Stop Shooter: Lessons for Utah Mormons

Click on picture to enlarge.

Armed Texan Church Members Stop Shooter: Lessons for Disarmed Utah Mormons*

Alert for 12/31/2019: On December 29th, 2019, during church services at ?? in Whiteland City, Texas, an individual carrying a concealed shotgun opened fire on attendants.  An armed member of the church returned fire and killed the assailant in a matter of critical seconds.  Two church members were reportedly killed by the assailant as well.

UT Gun Rights presents the following indepedent video analysis performed by Active Self-Protection for your awareness and independent study.  The narrator makes several points worthy of consideration for those who wish to defend themselves and others well in group situations. 

The video contains graphic material, and viewer discretion is advised.  To view the video, click here.

Unlike the video above, UT Gun Rights will add political commentary. In a recent update, it exposed Mormon Corporation* President Russell Nelson's efforts to disarm church-goers.  From the update:

In August of this year, the Mormon Corporation further tightened its defenseless noose around visitors to ALL PROPERTIES WORLDWIDE, by altering its official policy to read: "With the exception of current law enforcement officers, the carrying of lethal weapons on Church property, concealed or otherwise, is prohibited."
Source: Bloomberg's Busy Bees: Mormon Corporate CEO Russell Nelson A-buzz for Gun Control, September 3, 2019.

Some Facebook members were critical of the tone and temperament of that update.  You can read some of the back-and-forth comments by clicking here.

UT Gun Rights is committed to continue exposuring attacks on any corporation that attempts to disarm its visitors and customers.  These insane policies will result in the murder of innocent people.

 Utah Mormons

* Some have taken issue with refering to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as "Mormons."  In the August 2019 updated church's Handbook, however, it states: "In referring to Church members,... 'Mormons' is acceptable."

Some have also taken issue with referring to Russell Nelson as "President of the Mormon Corporation."  Nelson is, in fact, Presdident of the Corporation of the First Presidency, which claims to govern Mormon members.  UT Gun Rights is interested in holding corporate heads equally accountable for their behavior, and is no respector of persons.  Therefore, that Nelson holds ecclesiastical or other separate titles is irrelevant.

1. Deranged Federal Congress Provides the Prostitution Model

In 2015, federal congressman Louie Gohmert made a startling public admission [bold added]:

"It's only when the members of Congress are allowed to have authority and power that they can adequately represent their own constituents.  We haven't had that authority under [outgoing Speaker of the House John] Boehner. Nobody could get a committee they wanted without his okay, or a chairmanship that they wanted without his okay...

"If we let our committees run themselves and let the members elect their own committee chairman, for example, and restore power back to the members instead of having a dictator — I mean let's face it, if we're going to have a dictator of the Republican Party, we've got to have somebody really incredibly good if they're going to make all the decisions for all of us who represent over 700,000 people."
Source: "Rep. Gohmert: 'Put Me in Crazy Category,' But I Won't Vote For Paul Ryan," by Cathy Burke, Newsmax, 10/23/15.

Gohmert's lamentation of the federal house dictatorship was surprisingly echoed in an editorial by the communist-leaning Deseret News:

"The [federal house] speaker's role has evolved over the years to the point where he or she has absolute control over the House's agenda. The speaker determines what issues will be discussed and voted upon, who will have the opportunity to speak on the House floor, and who will serve on all House committees. Contrast this near-dictatorial authority with that of the Senate majority leader, who has equivalent responsibilities in the Senate but not an equivalent level of power." [bold added]
Source: "In our opinion: The speaker has near-dictatorial power in the House," editorial board, Deseret News, 10/16/15.

Scandals in states like New York have likewise highlighted assembly speakers and senate majority leaders empowered structurally to exercise unchallenged dominance.

"Under the state's political system, the assembly speaker and the senate majority leader, together with the governor, comprise the so-called three men in a room who exercise virtually unfettered control over the legislative and budget process in Albany." [bold added]
Source: "Powerful N.Y. lawmaker collected millions in bribes, prosecutor says," by Joseph Ax, Reuters, 11/23/2015.

What local, compromised press outlets have not appropriately exposed is that Utah suffers under the same brand of political playground bullying — as seen in New York and at the federal level.

Back to Topics

Caption.

2. Pompous Pimp Powers

How do two people exercise such control? As one example, the house speaker and senate president alone appoint and remove EVERY member of EVERY committee. Current house speaker Brad Wilson and senate president Stuart Adams are empowered to do this without any review or confirmation process.
Sources: "The general duties of the Speaker are to:... appoint the members of committees…" (House Rules 1-3-102. Duties of the speaker) and "The general duties of the president are to:… appoint the members of committees…" (SR1-3-102. Duties of the president)

Consider the vast implications of this incredible power. No bill may be voted on in the house or senate without going through a committee.  Wilson and Adams each control a "rules committee" that can prevent or allow a bill from going to a committee to be heard.

Should a bill survive a committee hearing, it is again "prioritized" by the same rules committee for any floor action.   As a result, bills live or die almost entirely upon the calculated orders of these two bullies.

Former House Madaam Becky Lockhart candidly admitted her power to the press:

"I empower [house] committee chairs..." [bold added]
Source: "Bill banning enforcement of federal gun laws 'stuck in limbo'," by Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News, February 22, 2013.

Lockhart's eventual successor, Wilson, likewise empowers the chairs of each house committee because he appoints and fires them at his will alone, as does Adams for every senate committee.  And these hand-picked chairs control each committee agenda.

As if effeminizing your elected officials weren't enough, these two bullies also have enormous influence on how vast sums of money are distributed in Utah political races.  Adams is the first officer listed for the "Utah Republican Senate Campaign Committee".  Wilson is the first officer listed for the "Utah Republican House Campaign Committee" and has established the "Hughes Leadership PAC".  Both have significant influence with other PACs and also with the Utah Republican Party, of which they are automatically voting members of its exclusive "Executive Committee".

Both Pimp Daddies are enabled by a spider web-like network of corrupt corporations and elitists desirous to advance their agendas by "paying to play" in Utah's capitol.  For a partial who's-who list, see Adams' 2014 disclosure report (and 2010-13 reports), and Wilson's 2014 disclosure report (and 2010-13 reports).

3. They Abuse & Manipulate The Public

As a demonstration of their power, Hughes' hand-picked rules committee held a secretive meeting and actively prevented the press from attending.  Hughes' obedient rules committee chairman Mike Noel demonstrated well the prevailing attitude of contempt for the rule of law and public access.

Utah Political Capitol reported the following:

"…Reporters were puzzled as to where the Rules Committee would be meeting to conduct the mandatory business prior to getting the procedural amendments approved. When the location was eventually determined, press representatives from several media outlets were not allowed access to the area where Rep. Mike Noel (Republican – Kanab) was conducting the meeting… a clear violation of 'open meeting' requirements in the state law.

"Lisa Roche of the Deseret News told Noel, 'Mr. Chairman, may I just make a protest here; we were kept out in the hallway and not allowed in here… I don't know why that was but it was really frustrating. We were kept out in the hallway by the communications director and not allowed in. When there's a meeting in the part of the [Capitol] that we don't have access to, we need someone to make sure that we can get here.' Her concerns were met with incredulous, non-verbal responses but no apologies or explanations until Rep Noel said, 'Well that's unfortunate, did you have some questions about the bill?' …he agreed to address her concerns but not until after he had adjourned the meeting."
[bold added]
Source: "Utah House Rules Committee Receives Media Protest After Closed Meeting," Michael Orton, Utah Political Capitol, March 9, 2015.

Even Utah's gun-control-favoring media appeared annoyed at their first-hand taste of the abuse gun owners have experienced for many years.  It is obvious how flagrantly these bullies defy statute and any semblance of fair play.

In 2013, Senate Bully Wayne Niederhauser's stooge, John Valentine* pushed through a fraudulent "procedural reform" to expand Niederhauser's domination of the entire statutory process, by de facto eliminating one of the only mechanisms for senate statutators to act independently.  See UT Gun Rights' 2013 threat assessment, "SR 1: Crushing Resistance in Monarch Niederhauser's Senate".
*Note: Valentine recently retired from the state senate, and was unanimously confirmed by Niederhauser's senate to head of the Utah Tax Commission.

4. Their Street Game is Gun Control

Niederhauser also participated in the infamous deception regarding HB 76 in 2013, wherein officials kept their anti-gun agenda from becoming full public knowledge.  After promising gun owner activists he would stand firm, Niederhauser voted against holding a veto override session for HB 76.  For more information, see the article, "HB 76: Political Theater for Suckers."

This report highlights a nearly identical bill, SB 256: Carry "Unloaded" Firearms Concealed, which languished in Niederhauser's senate until March 9 (the session ended March 12), and then died in Hughes' house without a final vote.  Compare the snail's pace of SB 256 with the lightning passage of gun control bills highlighted in this report.

Niederhauser has an abysmal -200% lifetime rating.  Hughes has a -117% lifetime rating.  Neither bully is a friend to gun owners.

5. They Intimidate Their Hoes

If an escort gets too out of line, the Pimp Daddies intimidate her into compliance.

Consider the following incident that took place on January 27, 2015, described by the Salt Lake Tribune:

"When the floor vote took place on HB74, 74 House members voted for the bill and one member registered a 'no' vote. Those votes are displayed on an electronic board at the front of the chamber.

"The one 'no' vote came from Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, a freshman who took Lockhart's place in District 64.

"Glances from around the room quickly darted in Thurston's direction. Some colleagues mentioned to him that a 'no' vote on that issue was ill-advised. Thurston, who already made news by proposing a bill to allow gun toters to carry firearms on TRAX and buses, didn't budge.

"A funny thing then happened.

"Hughes, who as speaker controls the board, did not close the vote. He instead kept it open and glared down at Thurston.

"Two minutes went by. Three minutes. Four minutes. Hughes did not look away.

"Finally, Thurston blinked."

He changed his vote to 'yes,' and Romero's bill went to the Senate with, eventually, a unanimous nod from the House." [bold added]
Source: "Rolly: New Utah House speaker wins staredown as freshman blinks on rape bill," by Paul Rolly, Salt Lake Tribune, February 12, 2015.

This indoctrination was also evident in a recent procedural tiff between Democrats and Republicans surrounding Gary "BB Gun Background Checks" Herbert's health care  "initiative".  Democrats wanted to bypass Hughes' unfriendly committees, bring the bill directly to the floor, and debate it openly.  During the emotional back-and-forth that ensued, statutator Jake Anderegg was quoted as follows:

"'We have a process up here that we follow, and that process vets and weeds out both good and bad legislation,' said Rep. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi. 'If this body really chooses to ignore our processes and bring this back, why did we hold it in committee to begin with?' He said it wastes time with a week left in the session." [bold added]
Source: "Dems force Healthy Utah vote in House, igniting fight with GOP", by Lee Davidson, Salt Lake Tribune, March 6, 2015.

Notice that Anderegg, a relative newcomer (elected in 2012), already referred to house procedures as "a process" and "our processes".  He does not refer to it as "the process" based upon rules that are fair and equitable.  Anderegg eagerly consumed the brainwashing that Hughes' Soviet-style hand-picked committee sham with something just and legitimate.  Escort Anderegg was since advanced to the senate, becoming a favorite provider for his Pimp Daddy's elite clientelle.

The drama evident in this procedural tiff also demonstrated that minority Democrats are only interested in confronting "the way things are done around here" when it goes against their core agenda.  Democrat house minority leader Brian King shared this when the debate ended:

"King said, 'I don't know if there will be retribution' to Democrats, 'but I would hope not.' He added he has had a good working relationship with GOP leaders. 'I hope it continues, but if it doesn't — that's the price you pay in politics on something as important as this.'"
Source: ibid.

Why weren't King and his Democrats ready to "pay the price" and fight against this fraudulent process a long time ago?  Are we to believe that Herbert's health care initiative was the first time something came along that was important enough to oppose the blatant bullying?

Back to Topics

How long will you sit quietly in the back of the political bus?

6. Slapping Down the Pimp Daddies

If Hughes and Niederhauser tried this sort of nonsense on a school playground, parents of affected children would have them expelled, would immediately alter the rules that empowered them to be bullies, and would adorn the grounds with "Hazing Will Not Be Tolerated" signs.  Why should it be any different in Utah's capitol?

The political buck stops with these bullies for failing to advance positive gun owner bills, and for every gun control bill enacted. Until citizens oppose their power, and statutators follow their lead, your rights will continue to be undermined.

People like you must take concerted political action.

1. Consider that it is up to YOU to stop these hostile, anti-gun bullies.  They will continue to abuse you, and those you care about, until you stand up to them and tell them you have had enough.

2. Invite Gary "BB Gun Background Checks" Herbert to cease and desist in attacking your rights.  He should veto SB 1002, call another special session, and pressure statutators (aka "legislators") to actually safeguard gun owners rather than lure them into danger.

UT Gun Rights asserts that a real bill would accomplish the following:

* Provide clear criminal and other penalties for state Statute Enforcement Agents (SEAs) who violate the rights of gun owners, either directly, or indirectly via collusion with federal multi-jurisdictional task forces and/or perverse federal grants.

* Direct and require the Utah attorney general, in this case Sean "Rambo" Reyes, to actually do his job and start using his office's many resources to protect Utahans bullied by unjust federal code.

* Decriminalize cannabis at the state level to immediately alleviate the sufferings of ill Utahans, disempower the federal regime's militaristic "drug war" that has ruined the lives of thousands of innocent gun owners, and reinforce the humane policy that citizens have a natural right to access natural plants as they see fit.

3. Consider warning your friends of the risks and dangers of participating in Utah's cannabis program, as either a patient or as any part of its vulnerable supply chain.  If, out of desperation, an individual chooses to participate, at least she will have some idea of what she is getting involved in.

4. For more ideas on actions you can take, see UT Gun Rights' article, "What You Can Do."

Back to Topics