Burt Constable Replies

I just received the following email in response to this post:

Dear David Codrea,

Thanks for the link. I love the theory that I am sexually inadequate as a male and that is why I want to take away your gun. I'm just curious. What size gun did you determine that you need?

Sincerely,

Burt Constable

My reply:

Dear Burt Constable,

That's really a function of what I intend to use it for. For concealed carry, my pistol of choice is actually quite small. The largest handgun I own has a 7 ½"” barrel--not the best choice for concealment, but invaluable as an open-holstered sidearm in wilderness areas. And, incidentally, I had to brandish it, once, almost 20 years ago. I credit that action with probably saving my life and that of my family, and everything was resolved peaceably, that is, with multiple aggressors fleeing and without a shot being fired. Credible, peer-reviewed studies, particularly by Kleck, but also by the US DoJ, prove that such defensive gun uses with such outcomes are not that rare an occurrence.

Anyway, it'’s not my theory, just one I found interesting--—and incidentally--—the Julia Gorin essay said nothing about size, so that'’s your fixation. My theory is that you'’re just another in a long line of boringly unoriginal, subversive and childish hacks who don't understand their subject matter, but insist on making public spectacles of themselves anyway. Your reading public deserves better than that, particularly since it is their rights you so smugly and ignorantly disparage.

If you're interested in challenging your own prejudices and preconceptions, I suggest starting here:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2006/09/can-gun-control-reduce-violence.html

Not that I think you will.

Sincerely,

David Codrea

PS: I will repro this letter and your initial reply (and any subsequent replies) on my blog. You might be interested in the original post:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2006/11/kathryn-johnstons-gun-to-blame-for-her.html

We're the Only Ones Fightin' Irish Enough

Two senior gardaí were sacked today following a drunken brawl while on armed protection at the United States Embassy in Dublin.

So Paddy says to Mike "Not to me, but it happened to me sister..."

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via Cousin G]

What Paul IS Talking About

We're not talking about banning or confiscating guns that people buy and own for hunting, collecting, or personal protection.

What guns are you talking about confiscating, you miserable traitor?

And how many Americans are you willing to have imprisoned or killed to make it happen?

[Via Cousin G]

We're the Only Ones Going to the Dogs Enough

TWO policemen have not been prosecuted for shooting a dog after tying it to a tree...But police last night said the officers had been subjected only to "internal disciplinary action". The first officer fired at the family pet from close range but missed.

A shot from the second officer passed through the dog's neck - depriving it of the ability to bark - and cut the rope...

The incident happened after police in an unnamed "remote locality" went to a house to arrest a man's son on an outstanding warrant.

A struggle started and the family dog bit one of the officers. The police decided the dog was a "vicious animal" and should be put down.

It certainly sounds like these two thugs would recognize a vicious animal that should be put down when they see one. This brings me to an interesting question: would lethal force be morally justified to defend the life of a pet?

I say "yes." Without question.

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

This Day in History: November 30

On this day in 1776, Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe, "the King's Commissioners for restoring Peace," issue a proclamation from New York City, promising pardon to those who will within 60 days subscribe to a declaration that they will desist from "Treasonable Actings and Doings."

We're the Only Ones Protective Enough

The armed criminals walked in, held up the cashier and then noticed a U.S. Capitol police captain who happened to be there.

Investigators said they took his badge and gun and then ran away.

"The Only Ones" can't even protect themselves, but we're supposed to believe they can protect us...?

We're the Only Ones Charged Enough

Ericsson is charged with two counts of grand theft by possession of stolen items. Both charges are connected with former Idaho Falls prosecutor Kimball Mason.

This guy's attitude plays right into our recurring theme here:

I’m the only one being charged. I think that says something right there.

Yes it does. And I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Via Cousin G]

Kathryn Johnston's Gun to Blame for Her Death

A handgun is not some useful tool that offers its owner safety and piece of mind. If it were, a gun-toting old lady in Atlanta would have survived Thanksgiving... Had she been without her precious gun, she’d no doubt be alive today.

One lying Constable shills for other lying constables.

Actually, I'm surprised it took the "it's her gun's fault" thesis this long to ooze to the surface.

What a disgusting and contemptible excuse for a man. No wonder he runs behind the skir...uh...slacks of a woman who is hostile to men--particularly the gun-owning kind, to bolster his snotty self-loathing.

He's obviously trolling for angry emails, presumably so he can show his editor how important he is--and he's counting on most of them being expressed in ways that "sophisticates" can feel superior to. If you're inclined to write but don't want to play his game, allow me to make a suggestion: Just send him the link to "The Anti-Gun Male" (http://www.gunowners.org/wv36.htm) with no other comment.

[Via HZ]

This Day in History: November 29

On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, establishes a Committee of Secret Correspondence. The committee’s goal was to provide European nations with a Patriot interpretation of events in Britain’s North American colonies, in the hope of soliciting aid for the American war effort.

Getting the NRA Facts Straight

[T]he National Rifle Association continues to lead the way in protecting not only the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, but also our long-standing hunting heritage.

Anyone who argues differently doesn't have their facts straight.

I don't know about hunting heritage, Mr. Cox. But when it comes to the Second Amendment, I've asked NRA repeatedly to explain how its positions are consistent with the Second Amendment when it gives political endorsements and underserved A-ratings to known gun grabbers, when it endorses "gun free school zones", when it calls for "enforcing existing gun laws," and lauds federal usurpations of power such as "Project Exile."

I do find it interesting when you say you protect the "rights of law-abiding Americans," it gives you an "out" from concerning yourself with Americans who defy and resist unconstitutional edicts that restrict or prohibit their right to keep and bear arms.

Rather than engaging with a life member posing legitmate questions, you and your organization choose to ignore and not respond. I understand it's a numbers game, and it does not serve your purposes to acknowlege these challenges. That's OK. I've seen more and more gun owners wising up to you guys over the years. That trend isn't reversing.

It's not a choice between AHSA and NRA, folks, between whose brand of "gun control" we find more palatable. That's a false alternative, a tail-chaser, and more importantly, a diversion of time, energy, resources and focus.

We're the Only Ones Abusive and Unexposed Enough

SB 647, introduced by Sen. Alan Sanborn, R-Richmond Township, could prevent the public from ever finding out about acts of abuse by police officers.

Because they're "The Only Ones" and we're not.

[Via Cousin G]

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/28

You feeling safer, too?

The Informant Speaks

Three officers exchanged gunfire with 88-year-old Kathryn Johnston, killing the woman in her home. The injured officers claim they were on a drug raid and had good reason to be there. FOX5 news talked to a man who says the police are lying.

Also see:

LIE!

We're the Only Ones Nonagenariancidal Enough

This Day in History: November 28

After the judgment and loyalty of Silas Deane is called into question, Congress appoints John Adams to succeed Deane as the commissioner to France on this day in 1777.

LIE!

Chief Richard Pennington wrapped up a surprise press conference around 5:20 p.m. Monday telling us his entire narcotics unit is on administrative leave – that means seven officers and one sergeant are on leave after the police shootout that left Kathryn Johnston dead.

Now, Chief Pennington confirmed there are questions as to whether there was ever a drug buy at Kathryn Johnston’s home – the informant told the Internal Affairs Unit he was told to lie.

Developing...

Video Link

[Via WarOnGuns Comment] by Gunstar1]

The Guyanese Solution

The Guyanese-born head of the Brooklyn-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy is expressing concern over the seemingly relentless increase in shootings and gun violence in some Caribbean-American communities in New York City.

His comments come just days after the killing of Jamaica, New York groom, Sean Bell, 23, who was fatally gunned down by police outside a strip club in the borough of Queens early Saturday morning...

"We believe that the state legislature should review the current laws and enact harsher, mandatory sentences for illegal gun possession, use, trafficking, sale and other related convictions, as part of a new regime of legislative and social policy measures that are urgently needed to pull our communities out of this abyss of drug offences, gang violence, robberies and shootings," Burke stated recently. "We have also got to make the penalties for gun crimes, including unlawful possession and illegal sale, so harsh and arduous, that it will be a permanent deterrent to perpetrators of this type of crime. This would be an effective expression of society's intolerance of this unacceptable and deviant conduct."

So the answer to police gunning down unarmed citizens is further citizen disarmament?

Hmmm, sounds plausible!

And it pretty much mirrors what they're doing in Guyana!

Due to increased gun-related crimes caused by the inflows of illegal weapons, my Administration will:
- introduce tougher penalties for those convicted of illegal possession and use of firearms
- improve intelligence in this area
- expand the Guyana Revenue Authority’s ability to detect smuggled weapons at our sea ports and airports
- increase our military presence in the border areas for better interdiction
- increase international co-operation to combat trafficking in firearms

So how has this worked? Let's consult the State Department, and see:

Serious crime, including murder, home invasion, kidnapping, and carjacking continues to be a major problem. The murder rate in Guyana is three times higher than the murder rate in the United States.

Yep, the Guyanese Solution sounds like another welcome foreign import.

The Fifth Columnist

The membership of the National Rifle Association is 4 million and it is rare to hear a hunter or competitive shooter make strong statements against the organization.

That's because the NRA is viewed as the uncompromising, stalwart, shooters' rights defender.

I guess you don't get out much beyond your sporting clay and duck blind buddies, Lew Freedman, although I notice you limited your circle of potential critics to exclude "Second Amendment activists."

The "authorized journalists" universally portray the "gun lobby" as a monolith, and NRA as extremist. How much research does it take to uncover deep dissensions in the ranks?

Not surprisingly, the NRA is attuned to such challenges from competing gun rights groups, hinting that the Hunters & Shooters Association might be a fifth column on the side of gun-possession foes. Though it sounds far-fetched in this case, the NRA says beware of enemy "antis" in sheep's clothing.

It may "sound...far-fetched" Lew, but is it?

Again, the proof that AHSA is an organization established to recruit "sportsmen" into supporting "gun control" is irrefutable (and has been around for some time)--that is, if one is motivated to look for it.

Here are two instances where you have made assertions that reflect either ignorance of your subject matter approaching willful negligence, or a motive to lead them to a conclusion. You've manipulated your readers too blatantly here, Lew, for me to believe it's the former.

This Day in History: November 27

On this day in 1746, Robert R. (or R.R.) Livingston--later known as "the Chancellor"--becomes the first of nine children eventually born to Judge Robert Livingston and Margaret Beekman Livingston in their family seat, Clermont, on the Hudson River in upstate New York.

We're the Only Ones Bordering on Being Above the Law Enough

An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent was jailed for more than a day after Mexican border officials found 650 rounds of ammunition in his car, authorities said Saturday...

Lloyd Easterling, a Border Patrol spokesman, said the agent was assigned to the agency's Yuma sector, but declined to release his name. He said officials worked with Mexican authorities to secure his release...

A similar incident happened in April 2005, when Mexican officials detained two Border Patrol agents at the Mexicali Port of Entry after inspectors found boxes contained more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. They were freed on bail after more than a week in a Mexican jail.

Funny thing about the fedgov. If you're one of "The Only Ones," they work to free and clear you, and even shield your identity from the "Authorized Journalists" (who, Lord knows, are incapable of finding out the name of an employee of the government they're supposed to be watchdogging without it being announced.) But if you're a mere private citizen like Thomas Bean, who also negligently had some ammo in his vehicle, that government will not only imprison you upon your release from Mexico, but will then legally strip you of your "gun rights"--forever--and use every resource at its disposal to ensure they cannot be restored.

This, of course, happened in "pro-gun John Ashcroft's" DoJ. And it was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court, including the "conservatives" everyone is relying on--when the "right case" eventually comes along (not something the gun lobby establishment considers "icky" like Silveira, or God forbid, Fincher)...

Just so we're clear: if convicted of a "felony" in a foreign land, the national government intends to see you disarmed here--even if your activities are perfectly legal under US law. This logically includes Mr. Ashcroft's fellow Pentecostals if caught bringing unauthorized Bibles into North Korea, or even presumably a capital morals conviction under Sharia "law."

That is, unless you're one of them.

Dial 911 and Obey or Die

A North Vancouver couple has complained to District of North Vancouver council and said they will sue the North Vancouver RCMP after officers responded to their hang-up 911 call by breaking down their door, making a forceful arrest and jailing them overnight when the couple refused to allow a house-search.

The RCMP said, however, that in this case, federal policy commands a home-check, designed to ensure public safety.

We'll make sure you're safe. Even if we have to kill you if you resist.

[Thanks to Cryptic Subterranean]

This Day in History: November 26

On this day in 1776, the body of Peyton Randolph is returned to Williamsburg, Virginia, for re-interment at his alma mater, the College of William and Mary. Randolph had died on October 22, 1775, at the age of 54, while in Philadelphia representing Virginia in the second Continental Congress.

Night of the Evil Butterball

I'm making this little essay a WarOnGuns Thanksgiving tradition...

This Day in History: November 23

On this day in 1749, Edward Rutledge, one of South Carolina’s representatives to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, is born in Charleston.

Long Weekend, FYI

Posting will be sporadic and I will not be checking emails, so those of you who send me links, please understand.

We're the Only Ones Party Pooping Enough

In X-rated testimony as graphic as a porno flick, a former dominatrix yesterday described a bizarre sexual encounter in the woods she claims to have had with a town police officer.

"He wanted to go to a motel in the Bronx where I would defecate on him, but I told him I was uncomfortable going to the Bronx," testified the dominatrix, Gina Pane, 31, buttoned up in an olive-gray suit with her black hair pulled back in a bun. "I suggested that we go into a woody area. He was very excited."

So if I'm reading this right, a coprophiliac copper wanted her to be a stoolie?

Ai-yi-yi, only "The Only Ones"...

We're the Only Ones Public Enough

Stung by the shooting deaths of two officers outside a western Fairfax County police station in May, county officials want to push the Virginia General Assembly to ban the carrying of guns into law enforcement buildings by anyone other than authorized personnel.

Can't have the public exercising their rights in public building, now, can we?

I mean, they can't be trusted because they're not "The Only Ones"...

[Via Cousin G]

Meanwhile, Over in the "Gun Free" UK...

EIGHT Warminster-based soldiers accused of smuggling guns out of Iraq to trade for drugs and cash have been named.

Keep up the War on Drugs and keep up the War on Guns.

If things get out of hand, you can always send in Super Nanny.

[Via Cousin G]

We're the Only Ones Revelrous Enough

Four rookie policemen from Western Visayas who are in town for the Asean summit are facing criminal complaints for allegedly firing their guns while under the influence of liquor last Saturday.

What--they haven't heard of masking tape?

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via Cousin G]

Super Nanny to the Rescue!

A team of "supernannies" is to be sent to some of Britain's most deprived areas to help parents control antisocial children, Tony Blair revealed today...

The £4m scheme will also force the parents of disruptive children to attend parenting courses.

I guess when the once-mightiest Empire on Earth is devolving into a Third World socialist hellhole, this at least makes it look like the government is doing something.

Give 'em Hell, Cartman...

[Via John Schaefer]

We're the Only Ones Cutting Deals Enough

Mayor Frank Melton, who has taken a hard stand against the city's rising crime rate, pleaded guilty to weapons charges Wednesday in a deal with prosecutors that lets him stay in office and out of jail.

Nice to see Frank is getting the same deal as, oh, say Wayne Fincher...

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via Wm H]

We're the Only Ones Nonagenariancidal Enough

A 92-year-old woman was shot to death Tuesday after she fired at three narcotics officers trying to serve a warrant at her house, officials said...

This story bears further watching. If they were plainclothes, meaning blending in with the people they investigate, it's easy to see how she could assume they were bad guys trying to break in.

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/22

Washington County Militia Leader Pleads Innocent

This Day in History: November 22

On this day in 1783, John Hanson, the first president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation, dies in his home state of Maryland. Hanson is sometimes called the first president of the United States, but this is a misnomer, since the presidency did not exist as an executive position separate from Congress until the federal Constitution created the role upon its ratification in 1789.

Hey, Mitt: Conserve THIS!

“I’m a conservative Republican, there’s no question about that,” he said. “I’m at a different place than the other two.”

What a total and shameless fraud:

Mitt Romney on Gun Control
* Will support assault weapons bill and Brady Bill. (Aug 1994)

Looks like the Republicans are doing their damnedest to field "Hillary in '08" candidates...

Shameless Plug: "Profiles in Apathy"

We have no shortage of expectations and strong opinions about what we want. But when it comes time to step up to the plate, things get awfully quiet.

"Profiles in Apathy" is my Rights Watch column for the Jan. 2007 (Good Lord, already?) issue of GUNS Magazine, on sale now at caring and engaged newsstands throughout the Republic.

This one fits into a broader ongoing effort I'm working on and have presented on occasion here at WarOnGuns, under the umbrella category "Escaping the Village." It concerns three grassroots efforts I've involved myself in over the years that could have made a difference:

• John Brantuk's run for the CA Assembly
• Russ Howard's persecution by the CA political establishment
• Brian Puckett's struggle to penetrate the mass media with a pro-2A message

Frustratingly, these fizzled out because gun owners didn't care enough to involve themselves and help those shouldering tremendous burdens--and what was being asked of them was minimal. This apathy, to me, is a greater enemy than fear, and unless this changes, the fear times will become inevitable.

I also want to make a point of clarification: My editor quotes me in the "Crossfire" (letters) section. I thought I was just giving him some information based on an email he sent me and didn't realize he would publish my response. My source for this should be mentioned and credited--I adapted it from my friend Brian Puckett's excellent "The Founders Intended for the Bill of Rights to Apply to the States."

Finally, as always, there's this month's contest: See page 100 to find out how you can win a Springfield ArmoryXD .45 ACP.

When Spuds Attack

A 43-year-old man was arrested and police seized nine improvised potato guns of various sizes...

"We haven’t found any damage or found anyone with injuries [but] the potential is obvious that someone could get hurt."

Getting hit by a potato would cause the same damage as a fast ball thrown by a major-league pitcher, said Sylven. Aiming a potato gun at someone can draw more serious charges than just firing it off a balcony, as this man is alleged to have done.

The answer is obvious.

Ban major league pitching.

The guy wasn't threatening anyone and didn't hurt anyone, so naturally they have to come in heavy on the force, haul him off, confiscate his property and leave him hanging with an expensive legal fight and potential criminal record. They couldn't just investigate the report and see for themselves no harm was being done--or caution him to move to a more appropriate area if there was any real danger. They couldn't just tell him it was pretty neat, and ask if they could fire a round or two.

We can't just mind our own business and have fun any more, can we?

We're the Only Ones Straw Purchasing Enough

A former West Tennessee sheriff was indicted Monday on federal charges of making bogus purchases of firearms, ammunition and other law enforcement supplies from a Kentucky gun store.

Somebody ought to sue the manufacturer!

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

This Day in History: November 21

In what proved a fateful decision on this day in 1776, Continental Commander in Chief General George Washington writes to General Charles Lee in Westchester County, New York, to report the loss of Fort Lee, New Jersey, and to order Lee to bring his forces to New Jersey.

Villaraigosa: Do as I Say

The mayor rarely, if ever, takes the bus or the train to work. Instead, he rides around town in a GMC Yukon chauffeured by a Los Angeles police officer who doubles as a bodyguard.

So in spite of haranguing We the Subjects into public transit, El Rey de Los Angeles sticks to his royal coach.

I went looking for this story because local radio quoted him as saying the people responsible for his protection thought public travel would present a security risk.

And needless to say, King Antonio I is one of the Bloomburgomeisters.

So allow me to translate the message His Highness is sending to We the Rabble:

I don't trust you, either to ride with me or to provide for your own protection. I consider the conveyances I expect you to ride in to be so unsafe and unsecured that I fear using them. But I don't care if you get hurt or killed--the important thing is that I'm insulated and protected.

Y'know, as much as I hate to admit it, I believe His Lordship may have a point: Anyone stupid enough to vote for this elitist hypocrite probably is too stupid to own a gun.

Is My Tiara on Straight?

Thanks, WP.

Just a few questions:

Will I need to carry an assault weapon if it bruises my legs?

And can I stand having my heart broken one more time?

But seriously, I do appreciate the kind sentiment. Out of the small pool of people who've even heard of me, there's no shortage of folks--many from "our side"--who would prefer I just go away. So the occasional bouquet among the barbs is appreciated.

Standing Up Like North Americans

Security of the person is non-negotiable. It is the prime given. It is the excuse government uses for nearly all its other actions. The thing about security of the person is that it is ultimately not something that can be delegated. Anyone who demands under any circumstances that a person delegate that authority 100% by disarming whether voluntarily or under duress is either running a protection racket or planning something very, very bad. Maybe even Pol Pot bad.

Clive Edwards has written an important essay here, one that deserves to be spread and read far and wide. It's especially a hopeful thing to see such sentiment springing from Canada.

[Via Cousin G]

Carmen Caldwell: Knowing Best in Spite of the Facts

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration.]

It was quite enlightening to learn how people around the country feel about their guns. Several felt insulted by my comment that "in 26 years of crime prevention I had not seen anything good regarding owning a gun." I should have clarified that my 26 years have been in Miami-Dade, which is apparently very different from the rest of the country.

What many of these readers do not understand is that residents of Miami-Dade County prefer to work with their law enforcement, working to prevent crime by cooperating with their neighbors and using their intelligence to avoid becoming victims of crime. This is a lot more challenging than just owning a gun.

Yes, Carmen. As the very newspaper you write for reports, Miami-Dade is apparently quite different:

Murders in Miami-Dade County are up 42 percent...

Wow, you're right. That is a lot more challenging than just owning a gun! Great job "cooperating" there, Carmen, although with an outcome like this, it might be fair to ask who your aversion to guns really benefits. Maybe you could travel the country and teach us how to follow your great example, so we can replicate these awesome results where we live.

[Via Cousin G]

This Day in History: November 20

On this day in 1789, New Jersey ratifies the Bill of Rights, becoming the first state to do so. New Jersey’s action was a first step toward making the first 10 amendments to the Constitution law and completing the revolutionary reforms begun by the Declaration of Independence.

Bringing a Fist to a Gunfight

Bob Renzi believes that teachers represent the first and best line of defense against school violence...For the past seven years, he has taught teachers how to protect themselves against violence in schools...Renzi teaches not only how to defend against violence, but how to prevent it. He urges teachers to tell their students how not to be victimized...

Renzi teaches individuals how to defend themselves against weapons, but does not believe teachers should carry guns into the classroom.

Well, you had me going for a minute there, Bob. I'm sure if some budding young Harris or Klebold wannabe shoots his way into Kristen Felentzer's third grade classroom, she'll be more than up to the task of defending herself and her charges.

Do you also teach her to yell "Judo CHOP!" as she strikes?

Unarmed martial arts skills have their place and everyone could benefit from learning them, but there are times when they just won't meet the task at hand. Here's hoping no one gets killed listening to you.

[Via Cousin G]

Nebraska to Demonstrate Newton's Third Law

You'll soon be seeing the signs-— a universal red circle with a slash across a handgun- on the doors of businesses and other buildings across the state.

The message: No guns here.

And as we all learned in elementary school science class when they introduced us to physics:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

[Cryptic Subterranean kindly posted these cards for downloading here.]

[Via Cousin G]

The Witch Doctor Prescription

Steve Hargarten, a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin and an emergency room physician, doesn't claim to be an expert on handguns. But he knows enough from years of treating gunshot wounds and directing the college's Injury Research Center that handguns can easily be made safer.

Hey, Steve, I've got this tapping noise coming from the back of my van and the engine light comes on after about 20 minutes. Also, I don't know if I should move some of the money from my 401k over to a high tech stock fund or shift it over to a safer bond portfolio.

Why don't you stick to what you know, Doc? Because when it comes to designing safe guns, you're an ignorant, agenda-driven propagandist who is unqualified to comment.

To abuse your status as a physician to prescribe otherwise is a dangerous fraud. And to demand changes to the law based on your ignorant superstitions is nothing short of unethical.

[Via Cousin G]

We're the Only...Hey Moe!

A clumsy constable attending a domestic dispute in Central Auckland accidentally shocked himself and a teenager with a taser gun before pepper-spraying an innocent woman, reports said on Saturday.

Why, you, gimme that...
CLONK!
Woo-bwoo-bwoo-bwoo-bwoo...
N'yuck-n'yuck-n'yuck...

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via Eric from Of Arms and the Law]

We're the Only Ones Shortchanged Enough

A Dallas police lieutenant is under investigation after he allegedly argued with a fast-food clerk over his change, flashed his badge, grabbed an employee and left with the money he thought he was owed.

Hey, they're lucky he didn't spray them.

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via Blackfork 6]

This Day in History: November 19

On this day in 1776, Congress pleads for the states to send more soldiers to serve in the Continental Army, reminding them "how indispensable it is to the common safety, that they pursue the most immediate and vigorous measures to furnish their respective quotas of Troops for the new Army, as the time of service for which the present Army was enlisted, is so near expiring."

We're the Only Ones Understandable Enough

Columbus State Community College (Ohio) President Val Moeller doesn’t want guns on her campus. Understandable -- when it comes to the institution’s civilian faculty and nearly 23,000 students -- but extremely controversial when you realize that Moeller’s resolve to maintain a firearms-free environment extends to the sworn officers who make up the college’s police force.

What exactly is it you "sworn officers" have sworn, Scott Buhrmaster? And why is rendering We the People defenseless "understandable"?

Is it because you're an "Only One" and the rest of us aren't? We tried it your way at Columbine, Scott--all the armed cops, and particularly the one assigned to protect the campus, escaped just fine, thank you very much.

I can tell you're competent and qualified by the exemplary gun safety you exhibit in your official portrait, Scott. I like it so much I'm thinking of submitting it to Xavier's "Idiots With Guns" gallery. After all, it's not like negligent discharges aren't a common occurrence among you "professionals."

[Via Cousin G]

Contempt of Court

After the verdict was read, Judge Ammons gave Mr. Hines some advice.

"Take that concealed weapon permit and turn it in to the Sheriff's Office - you don't need it," Judge Ammons said. "If the gun is returned to you, go sell it. You don't need it."

The Pistolero illustrates a case of "judicial malpractice.'

He's being charitable in his assessment.

We're the Only Ones Officially Misconducting Ourselves Enough

An Illinois State Police master sergeant has been charged with official misconduct and home invasion after he allegedly barged into a woman's apartment and hit a man with his gun...Knezevich is still being paid pending the results of the case...Authorities said he used a law enforcement database to get information on one of the alleged victims...

Let's see, they know what income you've earned, where you got it from, where you've invested it, where you've spent it, what properties, vehicles, boats and guns you own, your medical history, including a record of every pharmaceutical prescription written for you, your political affiliations, which charities you support...

But don't worry--access to these databases is limited to exclusive use by "The Only Ones," who can use it to track you down any time they please.

Hey, if you're not doing anything wrong, what have you got to hide?

[Via k_romulus]

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/18

Militia Leader Still in Custody

This Day in History: November 18

In honor of Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, who had stormed the post five days earlier, British Commander in Chief General William Howe renames Fort Washington "Fort Knyphausen" on this day in 1776.

Sexiest Man Alive Comes to NC

Oh, wait...I thought this was about me.

Never mind.

Besides, I like pâté, and even more since this happened...

We're the Only Ones Thieving and Tampering Enough

Former Troup Police Chief Chester Kennedy was found guilty of theft and tampering with physical evidence...guilty of theft for taking a pistol from the police department...guilty of tampering with physical evidence for giving a 30-pack of Natural Light beer that was evidence in a criminal case to former Troup Officer Samuel "Mark" Turner...Murphy said the two empty bags found in Kennedy's drawer should have contained 13 rocks of crack cocaine and $400 but it was nowhere to be found.

Yeah, I agree with his defense attorney. It sounds more like "mismanagement and poor judgment" than a crime, don't you think? I know that kind of stuff turns up missing every time I have a lapse, and I'm sure you've experienced the same thing...

Ho...ney, I just mismanaged again. Did you see where I left the crack...?

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Thanks to Blackfork6]

A Telephone Survey

GUN owners across North Yorkshire have been warned not to divulge any information over the phone about their firearms after several people received calls from bogus firearms enquiry officers.

Gee, I wonder where they got their call list from?

A Case for Guns

It certainly was the right of Margaret Johnson to bear arms in September, when a mugger tried to rob the wheelchair-bound Harlem resident. She drew the pistol she was carrying and shot him in his elbow...

New York doesn't need more victims or ineffective gun control. We need more Margaret Johnsons.

Carrying a gun for self defense! What a "cowboy"! What a non-"Only One"! She obviously needs to learn rights from wrongs.

[Via Cousin G]

Carolyn Smith, Girl Reporter

For example, Madison has seen a record-breaking spate of bank robberies this year, and though it may be troubling to bankers and patrons alike, the robberies all have one thing in common: No one was hurt during them. Had some cowboy with a handgun seen one of the robberies taking place from outside and decided to take matters into his own hands, things may have ended differently. Perhaps he would have stopped the robbery and apprehended the suspect, or perhaps an innocent bystander would have gotten injured or killed.

There are reasons why those who can currently carry weapons — police — have to go through such extensive training. The rationale that allowing everyday people to carry weapons in public will make people safer, regardless of what criminals may be packing illegally, is ludicrous. Two wrongs do not make a right; and two weapons, no matter whose hands they are in, are by no means safer than one.

So keeping and bearing arms is a "wrong," not a right. Carolyn Smith said it, I believe it, that settles it.

Hey, Jeremy: Got a live one for ya.

The rest of you people--hell, you're just a bunch of "cowboys."

[Via Cousin G]

We're the Only...What Do You Mean We're NOT...?

Cleveland police Chief John Foster presented his concerns over new courthouse security measures to the city council at their Monday night meeting, saying his officers won't be able to carry their weapons inside.

The sheriff pulled an "Only One" on you, eh, chief?

How does it feel to be treated like the lowest of the low on the social ladder--a mere citizen?

[Via Cousin G]

Campus RKBA Roundup #5

I missed this one when it came out on the 9th.

That sounds eerily like the excuse I gave more than one professor on occasion, many, many years ago...

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/17

Fincher Accepts Judge's Terms?

This Day in History: November 17

On this day in 1777, Congress submits the Articles of Confederation to the states for ratification.

SAF's Strange Bedfellow

A United States citizen who now lives in Great Britain has joined with the country’s leading gun owner rights organization in a federal lawsuit that says nonresident citizens are unfairly being targeted by existing laws that restrict gun ownership to those who live in the U.S.

Attorneys William B. Mateja, a principal in the Dallas and Washington, D.C., offices of Fish & Richardson P.C., and Alan Gura of Alexandria, Va.’s Gura & Possessky, PLLC, filed the federal claim today on behalf of London, England, resident Maxwell Hodgkins and the Bellevue, Wash.-based Second Amendment Foundation.

William B. Mateja...William B. Mateja...

Where have I heard that name before...? Oh, yeah, he's the guy CCRKBA's Gun Week slammed for maintaining--in court, in an attempt to legally destroy Dr. Timothy Emerson's life, that:

"There is no individual right contained within the Second Amendment.…It protects only a collective right to bear arms.”

I guess Alan & Co. haven't learned their lesson about getting in bed with...uh...mercenaries...

He That Hath No Sword

St. Paul Minnesota churches aren't bound by a state law requiring private property owners to either post a sign or verbally inform people when concealed handguns are barred from their parking lots and sanctuaries, a judge has ruled...

So I guess the rest of us aren't bound to read minds?

Talk about a law "respecting an establishment of religion"... So churches get to be super entities unbound by edicts affecting atheists?

Why anyone would go to a church or a store that would rather see them dead than armed--other than to leave a card--is beyond me anyway.

[Via Cousin G]

Ron Paul on Guns

The Second Amendment is not about hunting deer or keeping a pistol in your nightstand. It is not about protecting oneself against common criminals. It is about preventing tyranny. The founders knew that unarmed citizens would never be able to overthrow a tyrannical government as they did. They envisioned government as a servant, not a master, of the American people...

The notion that the Second Amendment confers rights only upon organized state-run militias is preposterous; the amendment is meaningless unless it protects the gun rights of individuals.

What? Nothing about his being a sportsman and enforcing existing gun laws? Well, gee, no wonder NRA management wanted to torpedo the guy...

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/16

Paul Davis on Hollis Wayne Fincher

Victims Share Their Story

Violence can come upon you at any time, at any place. In California the legislature has decided that you do not have the right to adequately protect yourself while out in public, you are supposed to rely upon the police.

Where were the police in this incident?

JR does a great job illustrating the horrors suffered by the defenseless when goblins attack.

"Chip" Thompson for President!

Tommy Thompson

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson said he's considering the possibility of running for the White House in 2008...

He said issues such as health care and his appeal as a Midwesterner make him a potentially viable candidate.

That plus his being so damned traceable.

Oh, wait--he backed out of that deal. He just wants the rest of us to insert those chips his company makes.

Plus he signed legislation mandating schools become Predator Empowerment Zones, which ought to put him in the chips with scholastic soul mateWayne LaPierre. Sounds just like the kind of guy I want to give super political power to.

The Republicans certainly are positioning their best and their brightest in the vanguard for '08, aren't they?

In the Spirit of Bipartisanship

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday she may introduce a bill requiring local officials to approve if a sports team tries to leave town with the city's name still attached...

Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he was sympathetic to Feinstein's concerns, noting that he fought the proposed move of the Philadelphia Eagles to Phoenix in the 1980s.

Nice to see that both sides of the aisle have such a healthy respect for the principles of federalism and enumerated powers.

When you can usurp and trample with impunity, is it any surprise they also treat the Bill of Rights--and particularly the Second Amendment--with such contempt?

This Day in History: November 16

On this day in 1776, Hessian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and a force of 3,000 Hessian mercenaries and 5,000 Redcoats lay siege to Fort Washington at the northern end and highest point of Manhattan Island.

We're the Only Ones Making You Feel Good All Under Enough

A Portland police officer pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of official misconduct for asking two women to show him their underwear during a traffic stop in July.

Honest to God, I don't go looking for these...

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Thanks to Bud]

Don't They Mean "Insecurity Van"?

TWO masked gunmen robbed a security van at a petrol station yesterday and escaped with tens of thousands of pounds.

The robbers threatened the two-man van crew with a semiautomatic gun as they filled up a cash machine at the garage.

That's some security. Why is it I assume the guards were unarmed?

Oh, that's right--it's the UK. Stupid question, forget I asked it...

We're the Only Ones Elite and Tactical Enough

A court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday for four Chicago Police officers accused of using their badges to break into homes and rob them...[They] targeted both known drug dealers and innocent residents. They face home invasion, kidnapping and armed violence charges.

Prosecutors say the officers from the elite “special operations section,” abused their authority to terrorize and steal from people.

As opposed to Chicago cops legally terrorizing and stealing from people, I suppose...

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via Cousin G]

Insanity in the UK

We need to reach out to our fellow Americans and help them understand the difference between fact and emotion as it pertains to guns. It is not now, nor has it ever been, enough to preach to the choir.

No doubt. I'm open to suggestions on how this can be done.

Oh, the Humanitas!

Although the guards are known for their plumed helmets and halberds, some also pack guns. Security is also provided by plainclothes agents and Italian police, who patrol outside the square and stand ready as sharpshooters atop buildings during public ceremonies...

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Vatican has tightened security in St. Peter's Square when the pope is present: Knapsacks, purses and camera bags are searched or passed through X-ray machines, and visitors must pass through metal-detection gates or submit to a metal-detecting wand check.

But...but...but that's inhuman!

Zoo.com: Preventing Kids from Realizing It's a Jungle Out There

It filters the results against a database of more than 50,000 "adult" words and phrases, to reduce the risk of children's exposure to inappropriate or harmful material on the Web. Content pertaining to guns, violence and unlawful drugs is also filtered.

What did Mr. Orwell say? Ignorance is strength...

Get 'em while they're young.

[Via Cousin G]

This Day in History: November 15

After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress, sitting in its temporary capital of York, Pennsylvania, agrees to adopt the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union on this day in 1777. Not until March 1, 1781, would the last of the 13 states, Maryland, ratify the agreement.

Stupid Party Says "Hillary in '08!"

John McCain is the most popular prospective presidential nominee for Republican Party supporters in the United States...Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second...

I guess the Republicans just got their sorry butts kicked because they're not liberal enough.

How About Some Straight Answers (For a Change)?

My friends in Santa Barbara got another reply from NRA in response to why the Association endorsed Bill Brown for sheriff:

Thank you for your response. When a candidate does not return a questionnaire, we do assume that it is because they are hostile to gun rights. There is always a possibility the candidate did not receive the questionnaire or forgot to return it. But in Sheriff Anderson's case, according to individuals who talked to him and know him, he was aware that he had not returned the questionnaire and he still never did return it.

Sincerely,

Erik Eckberg

NRA-ILA

Here's what I sent back:

I believe the correct question is not why Anderson was unrated. That’s a diversion from the real issue in this race. I would like someone from NRA HQ to go on record about what Bill Brown did, said and promised to receive an A rating. This nebulous “Bill Brown has worked with the NRA to defeat anti-gun legislation at the State Capitol” does not tell me why Brown deserves an A, AND AN ENDORSEMENT, which in anybody’s book ought to mean he’s a gun rights leader.

What bills did he help defeat? Specifically.

What work did he do for NRA to help defeat these bills? Give details.

What is Brown’s position on the Second Amendment and why won’t he state it for the record?

What is Brown’s position on “assault weapons”?

What is Brown’s position on concealed carry?

What is Brown’s position on .50 caliber rifles?

How does Brown define the militia?

Why did Brown endorse Gov. Moonbeam, who made gun control ads a centerpiece of his campaign?

What does Brown think “shall not be infringed” means?

People are catching on to NRA HQ duplicity. As a life member, I am sick of arrogant staffers equivocating, weasel-wording, avoiding giving direct answers to direct questions. I am sick of phony ratings. I am sick of slick talking.

How about a “for the record” reply to each of my specific concerns, Mr. Eckberg?

And when we’re done with Brown, we can move on to Shane Sklar and Judy Topinka.

I will, of course, post any response I get, unedited.

From the Birthplace of Liberty

A few doors down, her block captain, Lorraine Armstrong, thinks one answer to gun violence in her West Philadelphia neighborhood is for police to stop and frisk suspects.

What is it with these Cellblock Snitch types?

Always my favorite line that inevitably oozes bubbling and reeking to the surface in stories of this type:

"If you've got nothing to be guilty about, you should have no problem. I would put up with that level of inconvenience to make the neighborhood safer," he said.

Talk about someone with an appropriate name:

We've seen some of these tactics utilized in other places," said former City Councilman Michael A. Nutter, now a candidate for mayor and a proponent of stop-and-frisk.

Indeed we have, you nutter. And for you to suggest making it standard practice in the Birthplace of Liberty--and for the Heirs of Liberty to fall all over themselves demanding a freedom "buy back" in exchange for the fraudulent promise of safety, is one of the more sickening examples of how far increasingly large segments of our culture have allowed themselves to degenerate.

"I don't care whether you are black, white, purple or polka-dotted. If you have an illegal weapon, I expect a well-trained Philadelphia police officer to take that gun away."

At least Nutter's an equal opportunity tyrant wannabe. But I'm sure we were promised that Project Exile would end Philly's "gun problem."

"Guns are out there," said Carnegie-Mellon anticrime expert Alfred Blumstein, "but if you can reduce the carrying, you've made some important progress."

Professor, Carnegie Mellon just lost an ethical giant who championed gun rights. It's a shame that their voice on this issue now emanates from a stunted intellect like yours.

In Philadelphia, by contrast, an even larger share - 87 percent - of homicides are committed with guns, Johnson said, and more than 32,000 permits to carry concealed weapons have been issued to city residents since the state gun law made it easier in 1995.

Here we go with another predictable twist--it's the fault of all those law-abiding, nonviolent people who submit themselves to background checks to prove they're not criminals. If we can just disarm them...

This is the logic that has the inmates bleating for more. And they are the sheep who cancel out your vote, and impose their pathetic and disgusting dependence on collectivism and tyranny on the rest of us.


[Via Cousin G]

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/14

Militia Member Can Post Bond if He Agrees to Judge's Conditions

Don Bright on Wayne Fincher

Bond OK’d for Militia Leader

This Day in History: November 14

On this day in 1776, the St. James Chronicle of London carries an item announcing "The very identical Dr. Franklyn [Benjamin Franklin], whom Lord Chatham [former leading parliamentarian and colonial supporter William Pitt] so much caressed, and used to say he was proud in calling his friend, is now at the head of the rebellion in North America."

When "Only Ones" Collide II

As if all that’s happening on the streets where crime is concerned is not enough, senior officers in the police force are going at each other violently.

Naturally, nobody was arrested for assaulting a police officer. I guess their special "Only Ones" powers cancelled each other's out...

[When Only Ones Collide I]

Philly Criminals "Make NRA's Day"

A bloody crime rampage over the weekend left three men dead and nine others wounded.

The slayings, which raised the city's homicide rate to 354 for the year...

NRA's "Project Exile" is sure living up to its promise, wouldn't you say?

"If you're a felon out on the streets of Philadelphia today, I dare you to carry a gun," Heston warned. "Because if you do, you will go to prison. No plea bargain, no discussion. Just a cold, hard federal prison cell. So go ahead -- carry a gun on these streets. To quote my good friend Clint Eastwood, `Make My Day'."

They're running scared now...

We're the Only Ones on Trial Enough

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton begins the fight for his political future in Hinds County Circuit Court on Tuesday in the first of several trials.

The first-term mayor will be prosecuted on three gun charges - one felony and two misdemeanor [sic] in two separate trials - stemming from accusations he carried handguns onto a school campus, public park and church.

As we've observed before here at WarOnGuns, Hizzoner is one of the Bloomberg Burgermeisters intent on disarming everybody else, and he led the charge to ban gun shows in Jackson. Plus, he's already been let off the hook by TSA for carrying on planes, when the rest of us would be rotting in a federal pen.

Welcome to the world of the non-"Only Ones" that you helped create and impose on the rest of us, Herr Mayor.

Sucks, doesn't it?

[Via Cousin G]

WARNING: This Area Protected by Carmen Caldwell

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration]

I understand that everyone has the "right" to own a weapon but I have not yet seen, in the 26 years that I have been involved in crime prevention, anything "good" about having a gun in the home.

Carmen Caldwell doesn't tell us how many violent crimes she's prevented, or what she's personally prepared to do if she witnesses one in progress--aside from dialing 911, assuming the attacker doesn't get to her first. I wonder if the fact that there's a funeral director on the executive board has anything to do with her idiotic assertions, or if "Citizen's Crime Watch" will assume a financial liability if anyone follows her ignorant advice and gets hurt or killed?

[Via Cousin G, who adds "What a tool."]

This Day in History: November 13

On this day in 1775, Continental Army Brigadier General Richard Montgomery takes Montreal, Canada, without opposition.

We're the Only Ones Mentored Enough

A first-year Bay County judge was ordered to accept mentoring after bringing a loaded gun into his courtroom and announcing he was "locked and loaded."

County Judge Michael Hauversburk said he brought the handgun to court because he was frustrated that a defendant facing a felony parole violation was being tried for a separate misdemeanor charge in a courtroom with inadequate security...

I take this one personally. Many years back, I was summoned for jury "duty," that is, ordered to report as a hostage, to Compton, CA, a city with almost four times the violent crime rate as the national average.

They make you park in a lot several hundred feet from the building, and in order to get from your car to the court house, you need to run the gauntlet past friends, relatives and associates of the lovely people being detained inside. Because they make you go through metal detectors to get into the building's main entrance, taking appropriate measures to improve your own safety would assuredly result in detection and resultant violence from the "authorities".

Had I done this, do you think I would have been assigned to a "mentoring" program, or do you think I'd have been thrown in the hole with the "Mother rapers. Father stabbers. Father rapers!"?

But then again, I'm not an "Only One," am I?

We're the Only Ones Recovering Enough

There, in talking to 18-year-old Kevin Rodriguez, they recovered the automatic machine gun. Police called for the Sheriff's Office, and deputies interviewed Rodriguez and said they later recovered two other weapons used by the SWAT team from the Riverwoods Circle home of Gaston Delgado, 15.

This is a follow-up to an "Only Ones" episode posted yesterday.

[Via Cousin G, who notes: "They identified the perps, right down to the street where they lived, yet still won't release the name of the Deputy who carelessly lost the guns in the first place..."]

We're the Only Ones With Guns AND Drugs Enough

Documents showing that weapons once were reported stolen from Mississippi Board of Pharmacy employees are leading State Auditor Phil Bryant to take a closer look at the agency's inventory.

Board of Pharmacy employees with state-issued weapons? I guess if you work for any government agency, you just might be an "Only One."

I'm gonna spend the rest of the day pounding out a pilot script for a TV series this just inspired me to create.

You've heard of CSI Miami?

Well get ready for Rx Mississippi.

[Via Cousin G]

FreedomSight's New Home

Jed has moved in to his new place.

Don't mind the boxes, he's still settling in.

Still, the place doesn't seem quite like home yet. Maybe it's just me, but I think he needs to find a place to hang this:

Wayne Fincher Update: 11/12

Militia Leader Held Without Bail

ATF News Release Re: Fincher Arrest

Thank You, Claire...

...and Jr,
and E David,
and E David again,
and Bill,
and Hairy Hobbit,
and who did I miss?

Or more to the point, who didn't I?

Update: Thank you, Whose Paranoid.

This Day in History: November 12

Upon hearing of England's rejection of the so-called Olive Branch Petition on this day in 1775, Abigail Adams writes to her husband, "Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren. Let us renounce them and instead of supplications as formerly for their prosperity and happiness, Let us beseech the almighty to blast their councils and bring to Nought all their devices."

United States vs. Fincher

The title link goes to a new blog that will keep us updated on the persecution of Hollis "Wayne" Fincher, a lieutenant commander of the Militia of Washington County, who was arrested by BATFU on Wednesday.

This is an important development in the renewed wars on guns and on We the People by our government. As such, every gun rights activist should be informed as to the particulars of the case, and, importantly, to its history.

I'm sure there will be no shortage of forum chat room warriors pompously declaring that Fincher is getting what he asked for by flouting the law in the local media. They will be wrong, and as shallow in their opinions as they are in their commitment to liberty.

If you read the exhaustively detailed "Silver Bullet" report, it will be evident who the real lawbreakers are. Note it is a commitment to get through the entire document and understand it, but we need to ask ourselves if we would rather be informed than lazy.

The Militia of Washington County has duly kept the authorities informed for many years, exercising their right to petition for peaceful redress and pleading for recognition of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights. In response, they been completely ignored by public servants criminally derelict in their duty to honor their oaths of office, and by the media, who the Militia has pleaded with to take notice of their demands for justice (which it has predictably failed to do, just as it failed to exercise its watchdog role at Waco):


I ask you to take notice that Fincher took great pains--for years--to document--and inform "authorities"--of the lawful nature of his activities. I also ask you to take notice of some important points in The Morning News account:

Fincher was arrested without incident at his residence...Fincher has no criminal record...

And now consider:

The investigation was conducted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Department of Justice initiative that combines federal, state and local resources to combat violent gun crime.

We can see who has committed the "violent gun crime" here.

One last point about "Project Safe Neighborhoods":

"The NRA and our over four million members fully support the Justice Department's Project Safe Neighborhoods," said National Rifle Association spokeswoman Kelly Whitley.

I happen to have personally known a man for years, an honorable patriot, a fine human being, and a colleague of Mr. Fincher's in the Militia of Washington County, and have been following this group's novel activism in defense of their (and our) rights for years. I'd like for the slick talkers in Fairfax to explain to me and to other gun owners--who actually believe that "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"--how the persecution and removal of Mr. Fincher from society will make anyone's neighborhood safer.

People, make no mistake--this is naked tyranny unfolding before us. Our deserved fate as gun owners will depend largely on whether or not we sound the alarm and unify in a demand for justice for Wayne Fincher--or if we just ignore this, or even worse, blame the victim.

I'll follow the US v Fincher blog and report updates as I learn of them, including if help is solicited in Mr. Fincher's defense. In the mean time, I ask my fellow gun owners not to ignore this, and my fellow bloggers to spread the word.

[Via Locking Lug]

Welcome Back, Captain...

...from your 4-month voyage.

We're the Only Ones Judicially Selective Enough, Eh?

Justice Minister Vic Toews is sticking to his guns that cops should play a role in helping select Canada's judges, despite public rebukes from Canada's top judge and a national lawyers group.

Nothing like checks and balances, eh?

And I'm sure Vic Toews finds nothing Orwellian in his title, eh?

[More from "The Only Ones" files, eh...?]

[Via Cousin G, eh?]

We're the Only Ones Rewarding Enough

A submachine gun and other SWAT team weapons were stolen late Thursday or early Friday from an Orange County deputy's vehicle...The agency is offering a $2,500 reward for the return of the weapons...Earlier this year, a burglar stole a .223-caliber AR-15 assault rifle from an Orlando police patrol car. It has not been recovered despite a $1,500 reward.

Do I hear $3,000?

With the local paper reporting on it, there's no excuse for not knowing that "gun thefts are.. common" in the area. And, naturally, "[The Only One] was not identified..."

[Via Cousin G]

This Day in History: November 11

On this day in 1778, Patriot Colonel Ichabod Alden refuses to believe intelligence about an approaching hostile force. As a result, a combined force of Loyalists and Native Americans, attacking in the snow, killed more than 40 Patriots, including Alden, and took at least an additional 70 prisoners, in what is known today as the Cherry Valley Massacre. The attack took place east of Cooperstown, New York, in what is now Otsego County.

"Thanks for Your Email to NRA-PVF"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bradey, Jennifer
Date: Nov 6, 2006 11:17 AM
Subject: RE: New website submission
To: [edited for privacy-DC]@gmail.com

Dear Mr. Hofnann [sic*],

Thanks for your email to NRA-PVF.

We have been receiving a bit of communication from NRA members after the latest publicity campaign from GOA regarding Ron Paul's NRA-rating. [1] GOA does this to encourage folks to join their organization rather than NRA. Think about it: if they said NRA was doing everything right, they wouldn't have any members. Only in trying to stir up disagreement among our members, do they reap the benefits.

NRA has accordingly graded Congressman Ron Paul a "B". We have NOT endorsed against him - as widely MISreported.[2]

Congressman Paul is a staunch libertarian, and as such, would not vote for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act on countless occasions over the past decade. Although he opposed it on libertarian grounds, he still voted against us on one of our top legislative priorities for over a decade. We cannot make exceptions for the reasons WHY Members of Congress don't vote for a bill because they will all come up with some reason not to be supportive. This bill was critical in protecting our firearms heritage in this country, and NRA very successful shephered its passage through the Congress in 2005.

Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you.

___________________________________________
Jennifer Bradey
Manager, Political & Legislative Activities
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
(800) 392-VOTE / (703) 267-1195

There's only one problem, Ms. Bradey. GOA says it is "unaware of any publicity campaign" on this. If this is true, someone owes someone else a sincere and public apology. I have forwarded the NRA email, including the header information that validates it is "authentic", to GOA.

[1] All I can even guess that Ms. Bradey is referring to is an article by Kevin Smith that appeared on Alex Jones' website where Larry Pratt defends Ron Paul upon learning of the NRA rating. But Pratt does not mention NRA. This is hardly a GOA "campaign," and certainly not one conducted with a hidden motive to skim off NRA members to swell GOA's ranks, as Ms. Bradey accuses.]

[2] Ms. Bradey is correct and the Smith article is in factual error on one point. NRA never "endorsed" Shane Sklar, and WarOnGuns took care to point this out--along with how the Sklar campaign's presentation of their rating blurred the distinction so that it would be likely to infer an endorsement. Besides which, give one candidate an "A" and his opponent a "B" and the average person will understandably assume a preference has been expressed. But technically, she's right.

----------------------------

* "Mr. Hofnann" is Kurt Hofmann. He's the activist who initially wrote to NRA and reported their response on the 1911 Forum, so this story is really his. Kurt is new to blogging, having recently created Armed and Safe, which I am adding to the blogroll as soon as I get done posting this. Go on over and check it out.