What Have YOU Done for Heller?

I've made a few appeals now about supporting Academics for the Second Amendment in their work to draft an amicus brief on behalf of the Heller case.

These good people have devoted much labor that will benefit us all, yet their costs are far from being covered. Who thinks it's fair that, in addition to doing all the research, writing, and production work, costs such as additional attorney fees, printing expenses, filing fees, travel and lodging expenses, etc., ought to come out of their pockets as well?

The brief will be online soon--they file it on Monday. While I have not seen an advance copy, I have been in correspondence with one of the attorneys working on it--David Hardy. I do know they will be raising some things that are vital, and that were not covered in the Respondent's brief. I also know and have faith in not only the reputations of the principals involved, but also the peerless quality of their scholarship and work to date.

If every WarOnGuns visitor today sent them the cost of a box of ammo, they'd be well on their way to recovering most of their costs. If you then took it one step further and sent a link to this plea to your gun owning friends, we'd be able to make them completely whole.

Gratitude is important. Don't you think we owe these men at least this much?

You can either donate via PayPal on the A2A site, or send a check to:
Academics for the Second Amendment
Post Office Box 131254
St. Paul, Minn. 55113

RELATED READING:
Academics for the Second Amendment Need Your Support NOW
How YOU Can Be a Part of History
Academics for the Second Amendment Want YOU

Just stop what you're doing right now and take care of this. I mean, really...

It's Not "The Right of the Standing Army to Keep and Bear Arms..."

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today announced its support for legislation introduced by State Sen. Mark Christensen that would amend the state’s concealed carry law to provide a residency exception to non-resident military personnel stationed in the state.

I thought I'd posted on this a couple weeks back, but I guess I didn't.

In short, no.

I just don't get giving special "Only One" exemptions to the standing army while denying it to "We the People." It's not like they have any incentive to invite the rest of us in from the cold once they have their place at the table.

That's not to say I think the state has legitimate power to prevent a service member--or anyone else who's not in due process adjudicated custodial care--from carrying. I just can't get behind unequal protection under ther law.

Maybe if more, not fewer, people felt my pain, there'd be more pressure to get something done about that.

UPDATE: Laughingdog tells me I'm all wet. It ain't the first time, and certainly won't be the last.

UPDATE 2: Bob R tells me not to get the towel out just yet.

The Unforgiven

Johnson was arrested and jailed over the weekend on a marijuana charge while awaiting sentencing on a federal weapons conviction.

On Tuesday, police added a theft charge stemming from reported use of a debit card that was left at a convenience store where he had worked. Johnson had a court appearance scheduled Tuesday.

Y'all know what went down at Jonesboro, right?

I don't care if he was a minor when he made the evil decision to sever himself from humanity. Some things are so broken they can't be fixed, and this defect is one of them. Whether or not God will forgive him is outside the scope of our control. But it could not be more evident that his actions were so deviant, there's no way to reestablish trust meriting his reacceptance into society.

I just read where a couple other young worthies are suing a newspaper for printing their names. I don't get where the age of an offender should outweigh my right to know there's a rabid animal loose in the neighborhood, so that I can take appropriate precautions to secure me and mine from predation. If the maladjusted neighbor kid is skinning puppies in satanic rituals, I want to know about it, especially if I have small children.

The Washington State House Judiciary Committee cast its votes today to strip Washington gun owners of the right to a trial by jury. Since at least 1959, Washington citizens have had the right to a jury trial with a standard of “clear, cogent, and convincing evidence” before losing their right to bear arms due to being involuntarily committed for an alleged mental health illness.

House Bill 3095, sponsored by Committee Chairwoman Rep. Pat Lantz (D-26), effectively removes these protections by stripping citizens of their right to bear arms, perhaps permanently, after being involuntarily committed for a mere 14 days. In these “probable cause” hearings there is no jury, no elected judge, and the standard of guilt is a mere preponderance of the evidence.

And yet again, there's nothing from our leaders.

I guess after selling us on what a great deal we're getting by enabling more mental health records to be entered into NICS they're...sorry, I just can't come up with a convincing defensive cover for them. Perhaps one of you can? Besides accusing also-ran CCRKBA of jumping to unfounded conclusions like GOA as a way to divert money from the only really effective gun lobby group...? [/sarcasm]

Houses of the Holy

Forcing churches to allow guns in their parking lots and use state-mandated language for signs forbidding firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on religious freedom, the state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

I guess my puzzlement is why any gun owner would want to go to a church like these. And why any predator would not--particularly at collection plate time.

For Shame!

"I am totally ashamed of what I did and I am sorry that I did it. I have already paid a heavy price, having been in three prisons, suffered public humiliation, lost my job and my livelihood."

I fear the UK may be lost.

Logic from Nutters

"I think reasonable gun laws are really what we need," Ramsey said. "Nothing's going to be absolute. The only people that obey laws are law-abiding citizens."

You don't see the contradiction in that, Chief?

And this is the guy the head Nutter says will cut Philly homicide in half?

How Others See Us

Guns kill. In the countryside hunter kill their prey. In the city and suburbs guns are for killing people.

Guns create hate. If you own a handgun you have to constantly be thinking about who it is OK to shoot and kill. You have to turn people into an "other". Somebody less than you who you now feel you have the right to kill. This is sick. This works against any decent society...

Hate groups love guns. Go to a gun show and you will see Neo-Nazi groups recruiting under the banner of gun owner rights. Timothy McVeigh stole and sold guns at gun shows. Most white male gun owners I have spoken to have fantasies of shooting and killing brown skinned people. They will demur "in self defense", but our national gun fetish and increasing racism go hand in hand.

Just thought I'd give you a glimpse into how you're viewed by the other side. Yes, there actually are people this loopy.

This site is a few years old, so I don't know if John Ricker's still active or not. I do note there's no trace of Guns Into Art as a registered 501c(3), and his Peaceful Streets effort doesn't file a form 990, probably meaning it takes in less than $25,000/year. Too bad. It would be in our interests to have the antis divert as many resources as possible into lunatic dead ends like this.

But there I go being hateful, racist and sick again.

[Via HZ]

We're the Only Ones Gun Running Enough

A Chicago police officer has been indicted on gun charges.

Sean P. Ryan is accused of selling a semi-automatic assault rifle to a gang member who is a convicted drug dealer.

So how come Snuffy Pfleger and Jesse aren't leading a protest mob down to the police department and threatening to "Snuff out the O-N-L-Y-O-N-E-S?"

And where's Maximum Mike on this? Or isn't this as "willful" a "violation" as entering "Y" or "N" on a Form 4473?

I'll tell ya, if this doesn't illustrate the need to get guns out of the hands of people like you and me, nothing does.

[Via Jeff, via Second City Cop]

This Day in History: February 6

Neither of the two Parties shall conclude either Truce or Peace with Great Britain, without the formal consent of the other first obtain'd; and they mutually engage not to lay down their arms, until the Independence of the united states shall have been formally or tacitly assured by the Treaty or Treaties that shall terminate the War.