The Four Most Important Lessons of Columbine...

...show supposed "experts" like Dave Cullen haven't learned a damn thing. [More] 

The most important lesson isn't even mentioned. What a useless article. I can't imagine subjecting myself to more of it with his book. I'm always amazed by those who presume to teach us when it's evident they aren't even qualified to be in the damn class.

[Via Ed M]

A Tale of Two Protests

There's what really happened and the "Authorized Journalist" version. [More]

A Bad Gun Show Experience

I received the following email. I share it here in the hopes of enlightening us all a bit:

Dear David,

Just a quick question, I hope you can help educate me.

My wife and I went to a gun show today in Austin, TX. I wasn't planning on buying anything big so I only took $120 with me. Then I found a particular model shotgun I've been looking for but unable to find, price $450. My wife (bless her heart) said we could put it on her credit card.

I told the dealer we wanted to purchase it, so he asked for ID. I gave him my driver's license, and my wife took out her credit card. He said, "Sorry, the person who purchases the gun needs to be the one to fill out the paperwork." Fine, my wife said she'd do it. Dealer then said, "No, I can't sell you the gun now because he [meaning me] already said the gun was for him." I actually didn't say "I" wanted
to purchase it, I said "we"; it just so happens that I handed him my driver's license instead of my wife's. I wouldn't say the dealer was being a complete dick, but he was... dick-ish. We just walked away.

I've purchased other guns in the past using my wife's credit card -- one time at a gun show where she filled out the NICS paperwork, another time at a local store where I did the paperwork but they took her card without saying a word. We've been married for 8 years, live at the same address, have the same last names, shoot together... we were simply dumbfounded. I don't have a single credit card in my name, swore off the damn evil things 5 years ago and haven't needed one since (until today, I guess...). The dealer made no effort to try to find a way to accommodate us. He clearly didn't want our business, so he didn't get it.

I understand that the first line on form 4473 is “I am the buyer of this firearm” and the purchaser must answer honestly yes or no in ink, in his or her own handwriting. Our stated intention was to purchase the shotgun for our home. Everything in our home is community property, as any divorce court would maintain, so if my wife answered "yes" on Line 1 she would have been telling the truth. We were not trying to pull one over on the dealer or circumvent the law.

I can also understand that dealers have to cover themselves from the feds who want to put them out of business for typos and punctuation errors on their FFL forms and all.. but was what we were doing in any way improper or illegal?

In the end, this whole episode left a really bad taste in our mouths, to the point where we've agreed never to buy at a gun show again and support our local dealers instead.

Thanks for any advice or insight you might offer.

----------

I've never tried to buy a gun this way, so I put it out to you for comment.

My response:

Unfortunately, the ATF has become so aggressive on "straw purchasers" that dealers are afraid to do anything that might cause scrutiny. With what Bloomberg did to gun dealers with his Mintz Group "investigative teams" is enough to trigger this type of response. He does not know you and for all he knows, you were antis or undercovers trying to set him up. You could very well encounter this same response in a store.

Whether or not his fears are legally founded is something I'd have difficulty answering without consulting a knowledgeable attorney, so I can see where he figured the profit he'd make on a $450 sale was not worth taking any risk.

Who has something to add?

Three to One

About 100 supporters of a bill tightening Virginia gun control staged a lie-in on the Capitol lawn, but were outnumbered 3-1 yesterday by opponents who wielded signs declaring "Here Lie Disarmed Victims." [More]

I recall one of my fellow gun bloggers took my fantasy of Evel Knievel jumping a bike over the lie-in line and Photoshopped a pretty funny picture. I can't find it now--if anybody remembers this, please let us know so I can link to it.

UPDATE: Ah, here we go...

Thanks, Yuri Orlov!

The Hell with You, Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan has triggered controversy by claiming Chinese people are so chaotic they need to be firmly controlled by the government...

The actor told a forum on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, whose attendees included Wen Jiabao, the Chinese prime minister, he was not sure "freedom" was necessary. [More]

I guess you've got yours, right, "action hero"? And if your own people can't be trusted with freedom, how much less we "foreigners"?

And to maintain that order, you've put yourself squarely in the camp of the Tienanmen murderers, and revealed yourself to be just another grotesque cartoon character like Jingjing and Chacha.

Meanwhile, Across the Pond in Sarah Brady Paradise...

Senile 'have a duty to die' [More]

Things to come, from the wonderful disarmed global socialist workers' paradise that will give us all "free health care."

See, if the ant has no further contributions it can make to the hive...say...I wonder if Soylent Green would actually be feasible...?

Yo, "Baroness": Remember what Mr. Paine said about entrusting power to hereditary peerage?

[T]he idea of hereditary legislators is as inconsistent as that of hereditary judges, or hereditary juries; and as absurd as an hereditary mathematician, or an hereditary wise man; and as ridiculous as an hereditary poet laureate.

As ridiculous as you, Baroness.

What we have a duty to do is be responsible for ourselves and not demand a "right" to burden others. Unfortunately, government interference, regulation and theft complicates the hell out of achieving that end. And it's designed to.

Then vs. Now

Yesterday's Gun Rights Examiner column took us back to 1959.

J. Malmberg's "Growing Up Then vs Now" shows us how we suffer in comparison.

Fun with Antis

I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this, but then thought, what the hell, particularly after reflecting on the sacrifices made on behalf of Liberty, including efforts some are making this day, to the scorn of their inferiors.

Part of my efforts to promote my Gun Rights Examiner columns includes a Craigs List outreach in their "Politics" section. I know over there I should probably stick to MLM scams and STD hookups, but every day I ask readers here to help share the links, and I never ask anything of anyone I don't do myself.

So I get this in my inbox in response to my column "Why does our government equate Constitutionalists with terrorists?" (Warning--you may not like some of the following language, so proceed having been told):

chris allen <fuzzbutt49@yahoo.com> (Interesting choice of screen names he picked):

No, Not Terrorist, Most gun toters are either immature weinies that would rather have their toys than save childrens lives, (just like Pit Bull owners),or just chicken s**ts who are AFRAID of their own shadow, always worried someone is coming to get them! The sad thing is somebody should.

I know I shouldn't, but this seemed like fun, so I replied:

Fine. YOU "come get" me, asshole.

And he replied:

I wouldn't walk acrossed the street to piss in your mouth you CHICKEN-SHIT

And I replied:

No, no--come on--I'm the chicken shit, so that must mean you're braver than me.

Why not arrange to show me?

And he replied:

See, you assholes always prove my point for me. It's always, 'oh yeah, my dad can beat up your dad or lets have a pissing contest. You sound like a fifth grader. (probably didn't make it thru.) I'm sorry you where abused as a child, but rest of us stable people don't need you & your 'wingnut' friends making life more dangerous for our children.(I'm sure you don't have any, what woman in her right mind would let you near her). Grow up! Nobody cares how 'brave' you are & it won't make your mother love you.(if you even knew where or who she was.) Do us all a favor & put 'ALL' of you brave guns in your mouth & pull the triggers tough guy.

I know, I should know better.

April 19 a Day for Gun Owners to Reflect on Sacrifices

On this day in history, American patriots said "No" to their government's attempt at disarming them... [More]

Today's Gun Rights Examiner column asks if we're worthy. Also see related Patriots Day and other columns from my fellow GREs.

Please share it with your friends.

This Day in History: April 19

The government "enforcing existing gun laws."--April 19, 1775


The government "enforcing existing gun laws."--April 19, 1993

Why do some who purport to speak for gun owners think that's such a good idea?