New WarOnGuns Poll: Have You Bought a Copy of "In Search of the Second Amendment"?

Take the new poll in the left margin. This week I'm trying to gauge the effectiveness of my efforts here at WarOnGuns to persuade you to procure a copy of David Hardy's documentary. Here are links if you haven't already read my GUNS Magazine review or my interview with Hardy.

Here are the results of last week's poll (click on image to enlarge):



Most of you think SCOTUS will once more duck the critical issue of our time. I hope you're wrong.

Where Credit is Due

See, this is where so-called “conservative” news outlets are either ignorant of the particulars or flat out BS’ing us—either one being inexcusable when presenting themselves as "authorities" on the matter. Plain and simple, NRA tried to kill this case— first, they advised the lawyers representing Parker and the others not to pursue it. When that didn’t work, they filed a copycat complaint that added complications and tried to get the courts to merge their case with Parker—over the objections of its attorneys. Then, when that was not approved, their political allies began working on a bill where congress would overrule the DC gun control, which would have made a court ruling on Parker unnecessary.

I take on some Kool-Aid vendors.

A Cryptic Subterranean "Only Ones" Twofer

From Jay.Mac:

These just keep coming- I see what you mean about not deliberately looking for them too.

Remember the police officer in the UK who was caught doing 159mph? He was acquitted, then found guilty and has now been let off again. All because of his “skills”.

http://crypticsubterranean.blogspot.com/2007/03/job-benefits.html

and:

Another for your files- Baltimore police sprang into action to arrest a 7 year old for sitting on a bike on the sidewalk. Not only did they forcibly drag him off the bike and yell at him, they arrested him, handcuffed him to a bench in the station and interrogated him.

http://crypticsubterranean.blogspot.com/2007/03/only-ones-catch-master-criminal.html

I think I may be beginning to see why Baltimore has a crime problem…

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

Red's Under Fire

Red's Trading Post is currently under fire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). On March 5th our license to acquire firearms was revoked and is pending appeal in federal court. In the meantime we are still able to continue selling as we always have.

A 2004 audit by the ATF claims to have uncovered several minor clerical errors. Out of nearly10,000 firearms transferred between 1996 and 2004, the alleged error rate found was not even a full percentage point. There were no missing firearms, and no willful illegal acts.

This is not just happening to us though and is becoming a common trend throughout the United States...

Also see the Times-News article.

This link was sent to me by "ChareltonHest," who makes some important observations:

It appears to be the usual purging of gun dealers, but the thing that really bothers me is the "patriot" response to the incident as seen on several forum boards. I think "we" have really lost our way. Everyone jumps on the victim, because today being a "good gun-owner" is taking pride in your ability to jump through all the master's hoops and survive all the "laws". We think we are somehow good because we are "law-abiding"(not necessarily a term to be proud of), while the victim in not. Not realizing that when it is our turn, the enemy will have a way of making us "law-un-abiding".

We will wish we came to the aid of such people that came under fire, instead of abandoning them. We do not hang together for this reason, and then we wonder why it gets worse. I think the MSGM (Mainstream Gun Movement) is politically-correct and over-concerned about their image in the face of criticism. We worry about how we will be viewed when targeted by the dishonest accusations of the enemy, and make the mistake of capitulating to their ridiculous arguments, instead of refuting them. We have adopted the NICS, whimpered about how we are "law-abiding" while the enemy uses the color of the law to deprive us of our rights, and turn our backs on people like Ryan(the dealer) because he tripped on the bureaucratic red-tape trip-wires that were put there for the very purpose of driving dealers out of business.

If you really want to grind my gears, let me read some chatroom warrior criticizing a gun owner for getting busted with a complaint along the lines of "He knew better and chose to break the law. He deserves what's coming. He makes us all look bad."

We're the Only Ones Getting Our Butts Kicked Enough

John Coffin won't spend any more time in jail for beating up two sheriff's deputies inside his house, striking one in the head with a Taser gun he took from the other...

But Coffin, 56, had a right to defend his family and property because the deputies had no right to be in Coffin's house in the first place...

This is the kind of stare decisis I culd live with.

[Via Vinnie]

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

This Day in History: March 18

After four months of widespread protest in America, the British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, a taxation measure enacted to raise revenues for a standing British army in America.

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.

We're the Only Ones with Editorial Discretion Enough

Under the law, only journalists -- not the general public -- can obtain the information but they cannot copy it. The requests highlight the increasingly murky definition of journalists in the age of the Internet...

Ohio law says a journalist is a person who works for a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station "or a similar medium."

So basically, under Ohio law, a free citizen who carries on the tradition of the early pamphleteers of the Republic is not an "authorized journalist," but a propagandist for, say Al-Jazeera or People's Weekly World (or something really subversive, like The Los Angeles Times) is...

Isn't it great, that "The Only Ones" get to decide who the government watchdogs are? And we've seen how responsible and devoted to liberty their "appointees" have turned out to be...

I could help out, but have mixed feelings--yes, I am one of those dreaded "AJs" I'm constantly railing against--I fit the definition of Ohio's law, right alongside my Pravda colleagues: I work for a magazine and have a press card (which I've never used), so technically, I could requisition the names on their behalf. But I'm so dead set against the idea of lists that--even if the Ohio gun activists intend to use the information to promote a greater good, I'd struggle with the ends justifying the means. It boils down to it's really none of my damn business if you or anyone else carries concealed, and just because I could get access doesn't mean I should--not that anybody has asked me to stick my big, fat nose in this, mind you.

I'd be interested in feedback on this. If you had "press credentials," would you volunteer to help get this information? Why or why not?

[Via Buckeye Firearms Association]

We're the Only Ones Filching and Firing Enough

A policeman who said he was shot by an unknown assailant actually shot himself with a gun he stole from the police department's property room, Dayton police Chief Julian Davis said Wednesday.

So the Fink is now on paid sick leave. And Awwwww..."he didn't reach out to anybody to tell us what was going on."

How very "Oprah" of you, Chief. Do you invest yourself emotionally with all common thieves, or just the lying, authority-abusing ones who need a throwaway piece for use on citizens?

But there I go being cynical. I'm sure the same treatment and concern would be extended to the rest of us non-"Only Ones" as well.

What? We'd be cuffed to the bed railing in the jail infirmary? No way...

The New Mantra

If the Supreme Court gets this case and clearly upholds gun ownership as a right, it should at least deflate the political battle by ruling that courts should use only the most limited scrutiny in challenging gun laws. Firearms ownership must be treated as much as a privilege as a right.

This is the same bulls*** argument our buddy Erwin tried to pull the other day, so it appears the talking points have been distributed. "Limited scrutiny," or a variant thereof, is the new mantra we can expect to see more of.

And no, you arrogant fools at The Monitor--my rights are not privileges dependent on your or anyone's approval, and to imply there is any Constitutional basis to make this so is quite simply a damnable lie.

The outrageous travesty that property rights have been eroded through treasonous precedents is more a benchmark for how far we have allowed the ideals of liberty to be degraded by collectivism; it's certainly no justification for spreading the cancerous erosion to other foundational supports of the Republic.

Wayne Fincher Update: March 16

Per Paul W. Davis, the docket has been updated.

[More about Wayne Fincher via WarOnGuns]

This Day in History: March 16

On this day in 1751, James Madison, drafter of the Constitution, recorder of the Constitutional Convention, author of the “Federalist Papers” and fourth president of the United States, is born on a plantation in Virginia.

Late Start

Didn't sleep well last night, plus fighting an oncoming cold. Got up later than normal, still expected at work to keep some commitments, so that's it for this morning's blogging. I know this is less content than usual--I'll be happy to give everybody their money back. I may have something more this evening. Until then...