Saturday, January 21, 2006
Don't Think of It as a Bribe...
State troopers who fix tickets as favors — even for someone who gives them gifts — are not breaking the law, the Knox County prosecutor has determined for Gov. Phil Bredesen.That Lord Acton--him plenty smart fella.
[Thanks to Skip]
Tags: police
In Jail With Pay
At most jobs, on-the-job conduct that gets an employee arrested will usually stop the paycheck, at least for the duration of the incarceration. However, if that individual is a Washington State Patrol employee sworn to uphold the law, the paycheck is delivered to the jail, it seems.Why? Because no one is accountable. Because there are no consequences. Because it's not their money and what happens doesn't affect them. Because they can.
Michael Idland was on administrative reassignment and drew his full Washington State Patrol (WSP) salary during the 17 months he spent in the King County Jail for molesting women during routine traffic stops. Why did the agency that is supposed to enforce our state laws reward an officer for breaking those laws?
[Thanks to Skip]
Tags: police
We're the Only Ones Safe Enough...
Another dark cloud hangs over the Easton Police Department tonight, as a new report finds city cops regularly break the rules when it comes to the safety of their guns.Yeah, common sense gun handling is kinda like quantum physics in its incredible complexity. No wonder only a highly-educated and select few are trustworthy enough to be armed.
The findings come just 10 months after an officer was shot and killed inside the department's headquarters.
Tags: gun, police
Raking In the Haul
Ottawa city's gun amnesty hasn't even started but police have already raked in dozens of firearms, including at least one that's about 200 years old."Dozens" is "raking in"?
So far police have collected 43 guns...Police showed off part of their haul to media Friday morning.
"43" is a "haul"?
One-third of the guns collected were missing essential working parts, and most were several decades old, such as the only semi-automatic pistol in the haul, an 80-year-old German Walther .380, a rusty antique breechloader from the 19th century, and two old-style revolvers of the 'Saturday night special' design.Rest easy, Ottawa. The orcs have been defanged. Your salvation from "gun violence" is at hand.
Police also raked in a number of shotguns, hunting rifles and BB guns.
Tags: gun control, amnesty
I Choose "Other"
From Dan Gifford:
A legislative update from my California Assemblyman, Paul Koretz, just arrived and it contains the following survey question that should concern all California firearm owners:
I choose "other." And I don't think Assemblyman Koretz would want to hear my comments. Unmoderated, they'd get me arrested.
Tags: gun control
A legislative update from my California Assemblyman, Paul Koretz, just arrived and it contains the following survey question that should concern all California firearm owners:
"State law authorizes law enforcement to keep a record of every handgun sold or transferred in the state, but the state does not keep any records on the sale of rifles or shotguns. Handgun sale records are maintained by state law enforcement for use in gun tracing and related criminal investigations, and to make sure they are not possessed by individuals who are not legally allowed to have them. Which of the following most closely represents your opinion?This is a probe. And it got sent to a trendy LA constituency, so it's also designed to be a self-fulfilling prophecy and pretext. The bastard just won't stop attacking.
a. California should retain records on the purchase of rifles and shotguns because that would help law enforcement solve crimes related to the criminal use of on these weapons -- it does not make sense to exempt rifles and shotguns from record keeping if law enforcement is already keeping records on handgun purchases.
b. I am not in favor of law enforcement having records on persons who own rifles and shotguns.
c. We should make sure our existing firearms laws are working before we consider more gun legislation.
d. Other, please comment _____________________ "
I choose "other." And I don't think Assemblyman Koretz would want to hear my comments. Unmoderated, they'd get me arrested.
Tags: gun control
Friday, January 20, 2006
Firearms and the Supreme Court
Triggerfinger enters the discussion on a future SCOTUS 2A ruling.
He does a thoughtful job of it, as usual.
He does a thoughtful job of it, as usual.
The Magic Kingdom Scofflaw
[My post about the toy gun ban in NY made me recall this article, which I wrote 5 years ago. Chances are, most WarOnGuns visitors haven't seen it.]
It doesn't seem out of line to ask what the hell Disney CEO Michael Eisner is doing selling toy guns in the first place. After all, in his role as advisory panelist for the anti-self-defense organization CeaseFire (a group with the stated goal of promoting "handgun-free homes and families" through TV commercials and print ads with the message that lawful gun ownership poses a threat to society), you'd think he'd do everything in his power to teach children that guns are not playthings. Assuming, of course, that he places principle ahead of profits.
It also seems fitting to ask why, given his affinity for promoting hysterical and liberty-destroying gun control laws that the rest of us must abide by, Mr. Eisner's flagship theme park is flouting California law and selling ILLEGAL toy guns. And why the authorities tasked with enforcing such things are doing nothing about it.
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom! As we pass through the gates of Frontier Land, we see one of the more popular attractions, as evidenced by another interminable Disneyland queue, the Shootin' Exposition.
"There's nothing like a little target practice 'on the range' to make you feel like a real Old West sharpshooter," advises the promotional literature.
"Davy Crockett would be proud," it continues. How Mr. Eisner's citizen disarmament colleagues over at CeaseFire would feel about it remains unsaid.
"*Additional charge," the fine print reminds Mr. Eisner's "guests."
And when you're done plinking targets, you can saunter on over to the Pioneer Mercantile, "a gold mine for young pioneers, this shop is filled with goodies inspired by American folk heroes."
Like guns. Toy guns. Illegal toy guns.
Racks of 'em, and nicely crafted pieces of work they are, too, with real wood stocks and polished metal barrels. There are flintlock-style pistols and frontier rifles, some with Indian feathers, and even one model that looks suspiciously like a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun.
It's a shame the aesthetics of these fine faux firearms are spoiled by the ugly orange plastic caps that terminate each muzzle, but then, how would it look if Little Johnny got blown away by some well meaning peace officer who mistook him for a midget crack dealer in a "Mouseketeer" cap?
But there's the rub. Because nowadays, thanks to the idiots in the California Legislature and their supporters like Michael Eisner, orange caps are not enough. Effective January 1 of this year, in order for such toys to be compliant with state law, "the coloration of the entire exterior surface of the device [must be] bright orange or bright green, either singly or in combination."
Accordingly, "Section 417.2 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 417.2. (a) Any person who, for commercial purposes, purchases, sells, manufactures, ships, transports distributes, or receives, by mail order or in any other manner, an imitation firearm except as permitted by this section shall be liable for a civil fine in an action brought by the city attorney of the city or the district attorney of the county of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation."
Each violation.
So do the math. Disneyland appears to have been in violation of the amended Penal Code for in excess of two weeks. And finding out how many violations have occurred shouldn't be difficult at all; I imagine a simple subpoena for sales receipts involving affected stock numbers would do the trick nicely.
That is, providing anyone from the DA or City Attorney's office has the stones to go up against the jewel in Anaheim's economic crown, and the considerable political leverage the Disney organization wields at the local, state and national level.
Still, as risky as it seems, some smart prosecutor may figure out that this is a slam-dunk case, one that can build name recognition and boost a career to prominence. After all, it's not like Disney can claim ignorance of the law, especially with their army of in-house and retained lawyers and lobbyists. Besides which, their hometown paper, the Orange County Register ran a feature on the new regulations just a week after they went into effect.
While it may be conceivable that a mom and pop toy store in Little Saigon might not be clued into these new arcane requirements, it is hardly believable that Disney senior executives and legal counsel are in the dark. And it's not like they can claim their imitation guns aren't "realistic" enough to be included; the muzzle caps clearly demonstrate a legal awareness that these toys fall within the jurisdiction of such laws.
Nope, all it would really take is for some ambitious prosecutor to take a few hours, drive over to the Magic Kingdom and stroll over to Pioneer Mercantile in Frontierland. One quick look at the on-floor inventory should give him all the authority he needs to seal the place and obtain a subpoena.
And then, just for good measure, maybe he'd like to take a brief detour over to Adventure Land, and visit the Indiana Jones Adventure Outlet, where he can "unearth some true finds, like Indy hats, leather jackets and T-shirts, Egyptian artifacts, jewelry, and more."
More illegal toy guns.
Courtesy of the Magic Kingdom Scofflaw, who belies the very laws he endorses, and demonstrates for all to see that when toy guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have toy guns.
[Within weeks after this article appeared on KeepAndBearArms.com, the guns were pulled from the shelves at Disneyland--I'm not claiming this is why, but it is a definite coincidence.]
It doesn't seem out of line to ask what the hell Disney CEO Michael Eisner is doing selling toy guns in the first place. After all, in his role as advisory panelist for the anti-self-defense organization CeaseFire (a group with the stated goal of promoting "handgun-free homes and families" through TV commercials and print ads with the message that lawful gun ownership poses a threat to society), you'd think he'd do everything in his power to teach children that guns are not playthings. Assuming, of course, that he places principle ahead of profits.
It also seems fitting to ask why, given his affinity for promoting hysterical and liberty-destroying gun control laws that the rest of us must abide by, Mr. Eisner's flagship theme park is flouting California law and selling ILLEGAL toy guns. And why the authorities tasked with enforcing such things are doing nothing about it.
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom! As we pass through the gates of Frontier Land, we see one of the more popular attractions, as evidenced by another interminable Disneyland queue, the Shootin' Exposition.
"There's nothing like a little target practice 'on the range' to make you feel like a real Old West sharpshooter," advises the promotional literature.
"Davy Crockett would be proud," it continues. How Mr. Eisner's citizen disarmament colleagues over at CeaseFire would feel about it remains unsaid.
"*Additional charge," the fine print reminds Mr. Eisner's "guests."
And when you're done plinking targets, you can saunter on over to the Pioneer Mercantile, "a gold mine for young pioneers, this shop is filled with goodies inspired by American folk heroes."
Like guns. Toy guns. Illegal toy guns.
Racks of 'em, and nicely crafted pieces of work they are, too, with real wood stocks and polished metal barrels. There are flintlock-style pistols and frontier rifles, some with Indian feathers, and even one model that looks suspiciously like a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun.
It's a shame the aesthetics of these fine faux firearms are spoiled by the ugly orange plastic caps that terminate each muzzle, but then, how would it look if Little Johnny got blown away by some well meaning peace officer who mistook him for a midget crack dealer in a "Mouseketeer" cap?
But there's the rub. Because nowadays, thanks to the idiots in the California Legislature and their supporters like Michael Eisner, orange caps are not enough. Effective January 1 of this year, in order for such toys to be compliant with state law, "the coloration of the entire exterior surface of the device [must be] bright orange or bright green, either singly or in combination."
Accordingly, "Section 417.2 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 417.2. (a) Any person who, for commercial purposes, purchases, sells, manufactures, ships, transports distributes, or receives, by mail order or in any other manner, an imitation firearm except as permitted by this section shall be liable for a civil fine in an action brought by the city attorney of the city or the district attorney of the county of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation."
Each violation.
So do the math. Disneyland appears to have been in violation of the amended Penal Code for in excess of two weeks. And finding out how many violations have occurred shouldn't be difficult at all; I imagine a simple subpoena for sales receipts involving affected stock numbers would do the trick nicely.
That is, providing anyone from the DA or City Attorney's office has the stones to go up against the jewel in Anaheim's economic crown, and the considerable political leverage the Disney organization wields at the local, state and national level.
Still, as risky as it seems, some smart prosecutor may figure out that this is a slam-dunk case, one that can build name recognition and boost a career to prominence. After all, it's not like Disney can claim ignorance of the law, especially with their army of in-house and retained lawyers and lobbyists. Besides which, their hometown paper, the Orange County Register ran a feature on the new regulations just a week after they went into effect.
While it may be conceivable that a mom and pop toy store in Little Saigon might not be clued into these new arcane requirements, it is hardly believable that Disney senior executives and legal counsel are in the dark. And it's not like they can claim their imitation guns aren't "realistic" enough to be included; the muzzle caps clearly demonstrate a legal awareness that these toys fall within the jurisdiction of such laws.
Nope, all it would really take is for some ambitious prosecutor to take a few hours, drive over to the Magic Kingdom and stroll over to Pioneer Mercantile in Frontierland. One quick look at the on-floor inventory should give him all the authority he needs to seal the place and obtain a subpoena.
And then, just for good measure, maybe he'd like to take a brief detour over to Adventure Land, and visit the Indiana Jones Adventure Outlet, where he can "unearth some true finds, like Indy hats, leather jackets and T-shirts, Egyptian artifacts, jewelry, and more."
More illegal toy guns.
Courtesy of the Magic Kingdom Scofflaw, who belies the very laws he endorses, and demonstrates for all to see that when toy guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have toy guns.
[Within weeks after this article appeared on KeepAndBearArms.com, the guns were pulled from the shelves at Disneyland--I'm not claiming this is why, but it is a definite coincidence.]
"It Just Didn't Look Right"
Yeah, what are a couple of Hispanics doing driving a Navigator? Sounds like a perfect reason to perform a warrantless search to me.
Pesky Fourteenth and Fourth Amendments.
Note the charge: keeping and bearing has been transformed into "unlawful use."
Pesky Second Amendment.
Tags: gun control
Pesky Fourteenth and Fourth Amendments.
Note the charge: keeping and bearing has been transformed into "unlawful use."
Pesky Second Amendment.
Tags: gun control
Former Gun Maker Pays Ransom
Parents leave a loaded gun laying around for their untrained children to find. The ignorant babysitter shoots one of the kids while trying to unload it, that is, not knowing what he was doing, and instead of just carefully putting it out of reach until the parents returned, HE PULLED THE TRIGGER.
The solution?
Steal the gun maker's property.
I guess he figured paying a ransom was the cheapest way to replace it.
If there is one urgent message that needs to get out to our countrymen, the majority of whom prove time and again to be libertards, it is that juries have a right to judge not just the facts, but also the law. And if they do it discreetly, there's not a damned thing the state can do about it.
Tags: gun control, lawsuit
The solution?
Steal the gun maker's property.
I guess he figured paying a ransom was the cheapest way to replace it.
If there is one urgent message that needs to get out to our countrymen, the majority of whom prove time and again to be libertards, it is that juries have a right to judge not just the facts, but also the law. And if they do it discreetly, there's not a damned thing the state can do about it.
Tags: gun control, lawsuit
Thursday, January 19, 2006
MSN: Partnering With Authority
This came out over the weekend when traffic was slow. I'm linking to it here on a higher traffic day because it looks like a lot of site visitors missed it.
Evil, Violent Gun Attacks Boy!!!
Police tell us when Rollman went to put the gun away after investigating the noise, it went off and the bullet hit his son in the hip.Dang--another one of those self-animating guns. I'm sure Mr. Rollman's finger was nowhere near the trigger, or the reporter would have surely written the account that way.
But this has even more terrifying implications: At the beginning of the story, did you catch the bit about "High winds [being] partly to blame..."?
Tags: gun
If You Build It, They Will Come
"We don't know if the gun range has caused the drop in attendance (at the park)," Bartsch said.Uhhh...maybe they're all at the gun range.
He said the decrease in visitors occurred at the park, golf course, nature center and farm center.
Tags: gun
Gun Grabber Hypocrisy
Jon Dougherty weighs in on the story of the battered San Francisco woman who was caught with an unsanctioned pistol, and skewers the reporter, Joan Ryan, for hypocrisy.
Incidentally, Ms. Ryan never did respond to my questions.
Tags: gun control
Incidentally, Ms. Ryan never did respond to my questions.
Tags: gun control
The Better to Eat You With, My Dear
Gun lobbyists are fuming because the state police have been slow at processing FOID applications. State law requires that be accomplished in 30 days. But callers to the state police bureau that handles FOID cards get a recording that says it may take eight weeks. A gun owner is in technical violation of the law if his card expires before a new one arrives in the mail...Translation: We force you to comply with a process we can't perform, so it must be your fault.
Gun owners want better service? Hike the FOID card fee.
Tags: gun control
Gun Czar Adds to Load
Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross is now head of internal affairs, and will retain his title as the city's gun czar.I repeat a question I've asked before: Why "czar"?
Why don't they ever call these guys "fuhrer"?
And as for Commissioner Ross adding to his load, well, I'd really rather not go there.
Tags: gun control, police
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