Do as We Say

The ATF lost 76 weapons and hundreds of laptops over five years, the Justice Department reported Wednesday, blaming carelessness and sloppy record-keeping.

Thirty-five of the missing handguns, rifles, Tasers and other weapons were stolen, as were 50 laptops, the internal audit found. Two of the stolen weapons were used in crimes.

Here's the report.

And BATFU goons are trying to shut down gun dealers for form discrepancies and a "not properly bound" book?

[Via Brian F and Mr. X]

Post-Heller Junk Science

The recent Supreme Court decision concerning the Washington, D.C. handgun ban, District of Columbia v. Heller, is a big win for American gun owners because simply banning firearms is no longer an option.

Now that an individual right to arms has been confirmed by the Supreme Court, firearm prohibitionists can only accomplish their goal of civilian disarmament by regulating the Second Amendment out of existence.

Paul Gallant and Joanne D. Eisen tell us about some of the agenda-driven "research" being promulgated to scare the public into supporting citizen disarmament.

Loaded for "Bear"?

Just hours after a Brady Center report highlighted the NRA’s repeated and false denials that its bill to gut DC’s gun laws would allow assault rifles on the streets of Washington, the gun lobby has revised the bill to prevent the carrying of assault weapons on DC’s streets.

What's up with that?

I know it's tough divining truth out of Brady claims, but is there any here? Is this a give up "bear" in order to pass "keep" compromise? Heller leaves no other options? Or is this more hysteria-ginning?

Illumination on just what is going on here will be appreciated.

I suspect it's all sound and fury signifying nothing anyway...

Elitist and Wealthy

Palin is not only a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, but is also a close ally of Safari Club International. These radical groups don't represent rank-and-file hunters, but instead lobby on behalf of their elitist, wealthy members...

Well, I knew I was "elitist," that is, I believe rational people are superior, but I'm still working on the "wealthy" part...

Zargonian sympathizers sure get worked up, don't they?

Possibly Michael Markarian can tell us what type of "rank-and-file hunt[ing] he does support. He takes comments--why not ask him?

We're the Only Ones Protecting Enough

An off-duty Chicago police officer shot a suspect who stabbed a man, apparently at random, outside an Orem restaurant, police say.

Kudos to him. Well and bravely done.

Let's work toward the day when LEO's are not the "Only Ones" from Chicago who can do that for themselves and others without fearing criminal consequences.

[Via MacEntyre]

We're the Only Ones Driving Enough

Bus drivers seek better security

If pepper spray falls short, union officials say, they’d consider guns

I'm sorry, I shouldn't be amused--I just read "pepper spray" and "By Linda Spice" and I think it set a tone for me.

Yes, of course I believe bus drivers have a right to self defense--as do bus riders. But I hardly think spraying a powerful irritant in an enclosed bus is the brightest of ideas, particularly if there are any elderly or people with respiratory problems on board.

I actually hope they go with the guns--not only to give us another great example of hypocrisy in action, but I really would like to see someone make the argument that Milwaukee bus drivers are the "Only Ones" trained, competent and trustworthy enough to bear arms.

[Via Brian F]

The Second Storm

The few hundred holdouts on Texas' ravaged Bolivar Peninsula will be required to leave in the next few days, and officials said Tuesday they are ready to use emergency powers to empty the barrier island scraped clean by Hurricane Ike.

They survived the first storm. Here comes the second.

"I don't want to do it," he said. "I'm doing it because it's in their best interests."

What's in another sovereign human being's "bests interests" ain't your call, judge. How leaving their homes and being placed in a government "shelter" (disarmed of course) is the preferable alternative seems debatable.

What's going to happen if someone still refuses, and is prepared to die--and kill--to defy you, judge?

What happens next will be a lesson to us all. Because it will show what we can expect if it's ever our turn.

[Via Stephen S]

UPDATE: Per "Comments," they're ready to impose "martial law." Which means we'll get to see if troops enforce disarmament.

Foreign Enemies

Matthew Bracken is back. Click on the title link for a sample from the forthcoming conclusion to his trilogy.

Here are my reviews of his first* and second books.

Matt tells me he's about 2/3 of the way through and he's shooting for an early 2009 release.

Good stuff. Can't wait.

And, of course I'll keep you posted.

[Via Matthew Maynard]

* Yeah, I know about "dosmetic." I emailed the site admin some time ago and never got a reply.

We're the Only Ones Persuading Enough

About 40 Chicago police officers rode a bus from Chicago to Des Moines in hopes of persuading an appeals court to free a fellow police officer serving a prison sentence.

From accounts I've read, I don't have a problem with Mette's actions if they were really as described. I don't think an "Only One" should have fewer human rights. It sounds like he reacted about the way a man should to intolerable physical provocation, and that the judge is an idiot.

By the same token, I can't imagine his brother Chi-Town officers having any concern whatsoever were the situation reversed, that is, had a "civilian" punched a cop out in self defense.

[Via Joel T and David H]

UPDATE: See Chris Mallory's comments to this post for a different take.

Young to Attend GRPC

From David E. Young:

Wanted to let gun bloggers know that I will be attending the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Phoenix on September 26, 27, and 28, 2008. The Second Amendment Foundation is providing me with a book signing table. For those interested, a limited number of copies of my new definitive history of the Second Amendment, The Founders' View of the Right to Bear Arms, will be available there.

We're the Only Ones Doggone Enough Update

A Denver police report released Friday backs up a witness account that an officer chased down a yellow lab named Rocky deemed "vicious" before shooting it to death.

But it still sounds like they're trying to come up with something plausible, what with that "turned on the officer" excuse.

I wonder where a private citizen would be right now if he'd shot an "Only One" dog that had "lunged" at him?

[Via Mike H]

When We Said "Wealth Redistribution" We Meant YOUR Wealth

The Internal Revenue Service is trying to collect billions of dollars in late taxes from nearly half a million federal employees.

Documents obtained by WTOP radio through the Freedom of Information Act show the federal employees and retirees did not pay more than $3.5 billion in taxes owed last year.

And it's not just lowly employees.

Tax and spend advocates Charles Rangel and Al Franken are two of the prominent names that have surfaced recently as being perfectly willing to bleed you dry while not ponying up--what is it the collectivists call it?--"their fair share."

[Via Mike H]

This Day in History: September 17

The Enemy and we are very near Neighbours. Our advanced Works are not more than five or 600 Yards from theirs, and the main body of the two Armies scarce a Mile. We see every thing that passes, and that is all we can do, as they keep close on the two Peninsulas of Boston and Charlestown, both of which are surrounded with Ships of War, Floating Batteries, &c. and the narrow necks of Land leading into them fortified in such a manner as not to be forced without a very considerable Slaughter, if practicable at all.