The Parker Decision – Should Knife Owners Celebrate?

While the decision concerned Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns, the majority opinion did provide some discussion of the nature of the “arms” protected by the Second Amendment, which potentially include edged weapons.

Attorney David Wong examines an area of RKBA overlooked when we focus exclusively on guns.

[Via Doug Ritter]

Unintended Consequences

From "TF":

I recently finished reading "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross, and it really lit the fire of revolution (hypothetically, of course :) in my belly. I want to get others to read this, but was kind of surprised that the book was kind of hard to find, and thusly not read by a portion of the gun owner population. I've been trying to get people to read the book, but they're turned off by the size. While I was also turned off by the size, when I heard that the F troop tried to stop its publishing, and threatened sellers (documented) my interest was piqued. Once I started, I couldn't put it down and hundreds of pages flew by.

...I think much of the gunny population would benefit by a reminder of the incredibly important piece of literature some of them are missing.

Right you are, TF. I read it when it first came out, before I'd started this blog or began writing for magazines. So now is as good a time as any to remind everyone of this important book, one that I believe will still be relevant and timely for many years to come.

And if you haven't seen it, Mr. Ross has an FAQ page that will benefit both those who have and have not yet read his book.

We're the Only...What Was That Address Again...?

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration]

Four days after more than a dozen heavily armed police officers raided her Elgin home, Betty Granger got the news she was waiting for early Thursday: The city would repair the damage—pronto.

The Granger's are damned lucky the damage can be repaired. I couldn't help but focus on Betty's statement:

"I asked the officers why they did this, and they said they got a tip that there were guns in the house," said Betty Granger, 60. "I told them that if they had just asked us, if they had just knocked on the door and asked, I would have let them search the house."

Without a warrant, Betty?

And like "The Only Ones" need to ask.

[Via HZ]

Arm the Herbivores

Nevada lawmakers introduced a bill during Wednesday's session that, if passed, would allow teachers to pack heat. Senate Bill 286 would authorize teachers to carry concealed weapons on school grounds, during school hours.

The "authorized journalist" just couldn't resist creating an emotional reflex, could he? "Pack heat." What is this, a Cagney movie? And if NBC declares the idea of being able to protect oneself and others a "throwback," then, by golly, it must be. After all, this is straight news, not an opinion piece.

I guess this bill could be considered an incremental step in the right direction if you go for that sort of thing. On the other hand, here we go creating another special class of "Only Ones." And it's not like unionized public school teachers have a reputation for being RKBA activists, and the cud chewer they milked a comment from seems to bear me out on this. Essentially, he's admitting he's not man enough to defend himself, but he expects another man to risk his life protecting him.

Me, I'm wondering who the hell's business it is if any responsible citizen is armed, and what kind of total a****** would want to punish those who are.

[Via Larry Rankin]

We're the Only Ones Blasting from the Past Enough

Jeffersonian points to an "Only Ones" story in the March 1957 issue of GUNS Magazine (p. 10, under "Guns in the News):

Police Chief W. E. Traylor of Petersburg, Va., ordered daily target practice for his men after they fired 21 times at a restaurant burglar they were set for and failed to even score a scratch wound.

We're the Only Ones...Well, Not Exactly, But There ARE Fewer than 10 of Us...

New Haven's narcotics unit will be shut down after its head and a detective were charged with theft in an FBI sting, and the probe likely will result in more arrests, the city's police chief said Wednesday...

“I think what you're seeing here today is just a sampling of what's to come,” Ortiz said outside U.S. District Court in Hartford. He did not elaborate, except to predict there would be fewer than 10 arrests.

I like the head perp's mouthpiece in another article telling us he "has received numerous awards and honors."

Yeah, he sounds like a real honorable guy, the kind only a corrupt "Only One" can be.

[Via Anonymous and Mopar]

A Relative Explanation

Six weeks before his deadly rampage at Trolley Square mall, Sulejman Talovic proudly showed three young relatives the 12-gauge shotgun, .38-caliber revolver and black backpack of ammunition he had collected...

Faced with disbelief, Talovic offered "proof." He took the teens into his basement bedroom and opened a small closet.

I've highlighted comments on a couple occasions now by Talovic's father, a man understandably in a hell I pray I'll never know, but who, in his desperate grasping to find something other than soul-rending agony, is looking in the wrong places for answers.

Let me just offer this: There is no way there will be guns stored in my house that I am unaware of. It's becoming pretty obvious there was a dynamic going on in that house and in that family that wasn't being addressed.

[Via HKL]

This Day in History: March 17

On this day in 1776, British forces are forced to evacuate Boston following General George Washington's successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights, which overlooks the city from the south.

Too bad we can't force Thomas Menino and his forces to evacuate, but based on results, the majority of the herd likes things the way they are.