I'll Contact You, Tom

There are some gun rights advocates I hear from whenever they read about a citizen using a gun to thwart a criminal.

They love those stories. Some especially love it when the good guy has a concealed firearm permit. Such accounts prove that just about everyone who isn't a criminal should carry a gun, they tell me.

But none have contacted me about the arrest of concealed weapons permit holder Albert H. Rudolph III, who police say pulled a .45-caliber semi-automatic out of his shirt at Patrick's, a downtown Sarasota restaurant.

So for you, one anecdote about alleged misuse is enough to render everyone else who didn't behave irresponsibly defenseless? Because as we've seen time and again, only the authorities and their enforcers possess sufficient powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men to be trusted with a gun?

I've just provided you a link to thousands of examples of abuses by government authorities you so obviously hold in such esteem, Tom. And here's the thing--I don't even make an effort to look for these stories--and in fact, I don't comment on but a fraction of them since I could literally be doing nothing else. Just do a news search on the term "gun" every day and you'll be virtually tripping all over them.

You, in turn, give us one example, and suggest policy change affecting everyone to be the desired outcome. Fess up, Tom--don't you "especially love it when the good guy has a concealed firearm permit" and then abuses it? So why is it this is the first time you've had occasion to rant on the subject and you couldn't resist jumping on it? Could it be because it's so rare you've never had the opportunity to exploit it before--or is it just that you objective "authorized journalists" (another category I literally have to wade through every day) aren't doing your job and finding these stories for your readers?

If a fair-minded person were to look at the preponderance of problems reported by your own profession, Tom, which group do you think it would say poses the greatest danger to the public: the authorities you think are so much more trustworthy with guns than "ordinary" citizens, or concealed permit holders?

And as for guns and booze under the same roof? You might as well just cut to the chase and ban either firearms or alcohol, then (why not both?), because the home--you know, the place where most domestic violence situations and suicides occur--often has both present. And did you know that the suicide rate for law enforcement is about twice that of the general population, and that "Domestic violence is almost four times more likely to occur in police families"?

Don't believe me? Ask your colleagues---they're the ones filing stories on these numbers, and you guys always take pains to make sure what you're reporting is fair, balanced and accurate, right?

And incidentally: unless it had been discharged, it was a "cartridge" or a "round" that "fell to the floor," not a "bullet." Here's a resource you can consult if you're ever unsure about the difference in the future.

Liberal editorial writers. Is there anything they don't know?

We're the Only Ones Gun Running Enough

An Ekurhuleni metro police officer has been arrested for the second time in less than a year for suspected gun-running...

Constable Richard Msibi, who is in his 50s, was allegedly caught red-handed selling ammunition at the Wattville/Actonville hostel. He was in full metro police uniform at the time and was travelling in his own car.

They'd caught the guy before not only with "illegal guns" but with counterfeit money and he bribed his way out. And he's so confident his corruption will be tolerated he doesn't even bother to remove his uniform--there's respect for the law being promoted for you. Yep, sure looks like only government officials and their enforcers possess all the qualifications to be "The Only Ones," alright...

Frankly Speaking, Mayor Jackson, You're a Liar

Mayor Frank Jackson has called for the Ohio General Assembly to pass a law banning anyone under the age of 21 from possessing a firearm...

"Right now, if a young person was walking down any Ohio street brandishing an assault weapon, the police could not arrest him for that," said Mayor Jackson.

As long as you're playing the demographics card, Frank, care to narrow it down to that segment of people under 21 where the overwhelming number of "cross-fire gun battles" originate from?

No? Too politically untouchable for you?

OK, then I've got an easier task. Do you have any "young persons" in your family, mayor?

Give one of them an "assault weapon" and have them walk down the streets "brandishing an assault weapon" in the neighborhood where you're performing your latest blood dance. Don't tell the police you're doing this, because we want the experiment to reflect an influence-free outcome.

If you actually believe this latest line of crap you're getting the "authorized journalists" to parrot unchallenged for you, you should have no problem walking the walk--or letting a young loved one do it for you.

Or forget young people. Dress down to where you're not easily recognized and try it yourself--and don't tell the responding officers who you are. And don't forget to--what was the word you deliberately chose?--brandish.

If you're not willing to do this because you think there might be some life-endangering risk involved, how dare you risk the lives of young adults under 21 by coercing them into defenselessness--ultimately under force of arms?

We're the Only Ones Not Trained to Do Our Jobs Enough

"Forty percent of them (inmates) have serious mental problems and we're dealing with them from a law enforcement point of view, we're not trained to deal with them mentally." said Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander, who neither condemned nor condoned his deputies' actions.

Why aren't you trained if that's your responsibility and you're accepting paychecks? And how much training do you need to know you're not supposed to gang up and beat a man to death?

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

This Day in History: September 11

September 11, 1776 - A peace conference is held on Staten Island with British Admiral, Lord Richard Howe, meeting American representatives including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The conference fails as Howe demands the colonists revoke the Declaration of Independence.

Fashion Statement for Herbivores

The spring 2008 collection of Brandon's clothing line... featured items fashioned out of real guns that have been collected by Philadelphia sheriff's deputies, melted down and sculpted into cuffed bracelets, dangling necklaces and pendants...

"It was amazing seeing something that was used for so much violence, hurt and destruction, to watch its power being taken away," Brandon said. "This really hits so close to home."

It would hit even closer if someone with evil intent ever came after her and all she had was her stupid jewelry.

I wonder if her stuff looks anything like this?

A UK Paradox

The wall of silence shielding the identity of the hooded teenager who allegedly shot 11-year-old Rhys Jones appeared finally to be crumbling last night.

Via Sam, who asks how this could happen over there since they've banned guns.

We're the Only Ones Giving Ourselves a Hand Enough

An Albany County sheriff's deputy shot a fellow member of a drug detail in the hand while trying to kill an attacking dog Thursday.

And naturally:

The names of the officer and sheriff's deputy were not released.

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

We're the Only Ones Having it Our Way Enough

A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.

He couldn't just taste it and demand another burger?

What is it about "The Only Ones" and fast food workers?

[Via Stan]

Wouldn't You BE Safer With a Gun?

Wouldn’t you feel safer with a gun?

I would and I do--because I AM safer.

Nice to see our friends across the pond are still producing men of reason.

[Via Stan]

What New York Needs

Mayor Michael Bloomberg once again pointed to the need for gun reform. The suspect's gun in this incident was stolen in Ohio five years ago.

Yeah, we need laws that make stealing guns illegal.

Calves was freed on parole from prison two years ago after serving time for manslaughter, robbery, and attempt to promote prison contraband. The manslaughter conviction involved the killing of a fellow prison inmate at Attica Correctional Facility, police said.

And they release this animal among a population they've disarmed.

"Officer Marchiondo and police officers like her are the reason the New York City subways are the safest in memory," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Friday.

So safe stuff like this happens and Officer Marchando couldn't even protect herself. Men with guns, who just happened to be on scene, needed to rescue her. Oh, and did I mention?

Police didn't immediately know who had shot Marchiondo.

"The Mayor of NY needs criminal control, not Gun Control," says Tony G, who sent me this story. I'd say New Yorkers need Bloomberg and Kelly control even more.

This Day in History: September 10

“The United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitken, as subservient to the interest of religion, as well as an instance of the progress of arts in this country, and being satisfied from the above report of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper.”

–Congressional Resolution, September 10, 1782

Lost Weekend

Business will keep me away from new blog posts until Monday morning.

Please feel free to wander about. I will be checking comments from afar to make sure no one hijacks the joint, but aside from that, I won't be getting to accumulating emails until I have time, so please don't feel ignored.

Item last--seems nobody else but Blogonomicon knows how to get picked up by a pretty girl. OK, pal, you may be younger and better looking than me 'n Stieger, but us old guys are a lot more treacherous.

It's on.

Significant Guidance--BATFU Style

http://www.atf.gov/sgd.htm



http://www.atf.gov/atf-gd.htm



Thanks a lot fellas, that was very helpful of you. You certainly do make compliance a breeze.

I guess this means you've got nothing new coming down the pike, no plans or anything anyone needs to know about? No interpretations, no policies, nothing that will affect anyone you have any regulatory power over? Or if you do, and haven't provided guidance documents, dealers affected by it will be given some sort of leeway or recourse?

No?

[More on BATFU from WaronGuns]

A Cavalcade of "Only Ones"

I received quite a few "Only Ones" tips yesterday, and because of time constraints decided to consolidate them into one post.

We're the Only Ones Hot Dogging It Enough, Part II

A suburban police officer is accused of leaving a police dog in a patrol car for more than 12 hours on a 109-degree day, killing the animal.

Looks like they finally booked him. Part I is here.

[Via Sam]

We're the Only Ones Mixing Kids and Guns Enough
[I needed to use Google cache because the submitted link isn't working right now]

Sentenced to probation for shooting two cars and holding police at bay for seven hours during a psychotic episode that ended with a trip to the mental-health ward and the discovery of child pornography on his computer, retired state trooper Stanley W. Foss III had one question for Judge John S. Kennedy.

He wanted to know if the judge would lower the felony child pornography charge to a misdemeanor "so I could keep my weapons."

Y'know, as a professional courtesy--kind'a like getting probation for crimes that would get us non-"Only Ones" either put away or put under...

[Via Hyunchback]

We're the Only Ones Distributing Enough

A former Lebanon Junction police sergeant has pleaded guilty in U.S. district court to charges that he planned to distribute OxyContin, law enforcement officials said yesterday.

I wonder how many drug arrests he participated in during his seven years in law enforcement?

[Via Hyunchback]

We're the Only Ones Losing It Enough

Lowell police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing -- and most likely unloaded -- .40-caliber Beretta after a veteran officer apparently misplaced the handgun over the weekend.

Hey, we're always glad to help out here at WarOnGuns:


[Via Brian F]

We're the Only Ones Who, When We Do Shooters, Really Do Shooters Enough

She was sitting in a lounge chair in the living room of her Oak Street home, watching television, when the round ripped through a screen on an open bathroom window, rattling off walls and doors and hitting about 4 feet over her head, showering her with pieces of plasterboard as she ducked in fear...

Shots were still being fired when an officer arrived at their home, said Police Chief James Downes.

Police say those shots came from a nearby house, at 800 Main St., where two law-enforcement officers were allegedly drinking.

And are you ready for the best part? Aside from the responding officer reaching the victims' house with weapon drawn because he wasn't sure if they were the ones doing the shooting?

Downes declined to identify the two men linked to the shooting because criminal charges have not been filed. A source said one of the men works for the Reading Police Department and the other for the Middlesex Sheriff's Office.

"They were law-enforcement officials, and their agencies were called to take administrative action," Downes said.

I love how the drunken, sociopathic hired help consider themselves to be "officials." Besides, it's not like they endangered the lives of anyone important. I wonder what kind of "administrative action" they'd have taken against non-"Only Ones"?

[Via Brian F]

Portrait of a "Gun Criminal"

THIS is Why We Need Gun Registration!

Meet Alfred Flatow, gun criminal. Despite being a prohibited person, meaning he was not legally allowed to own one, the authorities arrested him for having an illegal gun in his possession. And they were able to do so--before Flatow could use those guns and kill anyone--through good old-fashioned police work, by tracing it to him via firearm registration lists.

Thank goodness they had such lists, because how would you like the idea of this guy having an unregistered gun, an easily concealable weapon designed to kill people? And the same night Flatow was arrested, many other lawbreakers just like him were also relieved of their illegal weapons through a prototype Project Disarmed Neighborhoods initiative.

Who could possibly be against the authorities knowing people among us like Gun Criminal Flatow possess lethal firepower? What kind of extremist gun zealot could be against reasonable, common sense gun laws like registration, or keeping guns away from people who aren't supposed to have them?

You can find out more about this gun criminal here.

And you can read about his arrest and what happened to this outlaw here.

If this doesn't end the gun registration debate once and for all, I don't know what will.

[Via Of Arms and the Law]

A Self-Help Book for Robyn

Kevin tells us another anti has turned off "Comments" on her blog because:

If you google "Robyn Ringler"—my formerly good name—You will find many similar comments about me. I have been called a liar, a rapist, a moron, an idiot, a racist, a bigot, Hitler, stupid, and so many other names—it's enough to last a lifetime.

Just the other day someone wished me and my gun-owning guests dead right here on my own blog--and I let his comment stay up, as I do with all "negative" comments except for those that are spam, something that could be legally perceived as a threat against a specific person other than myself, blatant obscenities, or an intentional attempt to derail a thread with something completely off topic. I can't even begin to recount the insults, names, libels, lies and threats that have been posted to me or about me over the years as a result of my taking a stand on this side of the wall.

That's what happens when you enter a fray--people fight back. Duh.

Too bad Robyn doesn't have the guts or the depth to deal with a fight she picked by injecting herself into the debate as a "leader." Oh well, that's actually a good thing, because if she can't handle this, it means if real sacrifices and commitment are ever needed, she and her fellow cyber tigers will fold and run .

In the mean time, and totally in the interest of helping this self-pitying quitter climb out of the well she's dug and placed herself at the bottom of, Robyn, have I got a book for you:

This Day in History: September 7

On September 7, 1778, 400 Indians and 12 French companions appeared at the fort. After a couple days of talk, the attack finally came, and it was furious. The French and Indians attempted to set fire to the fort by shooting fireballs onto the roofs of the cabins. The plan failed because the women and children of the fort easily put out the fires and were aided by heavy rainfall. Next the attackers tried to burrow under the foundation of the stockade. The pioneers thwarted this scheme and the French and Indians retreated after a 13 day siege. "..we had two men killed, and four wounded, besides a number of cattle. We killed of the enemy thirty-seven, and wounded a great number" (Lofaro).

A Reasoned Approach

Next, how about we throw the 2nd Amendment into the trash heap of well-meant but stupid historical statements. There is no right way to interpret it, and we're just being intellectually dishonest if we pretend there is.

Of course there's a right way to interpret the Second Amendment, Mark. Just because you say there's not doesn't make it so.

Be intellectually honest and do some research before acting like you're an authority and obscuring the issue.

Start by getting a copy of attorney David T. Hardy's "In Search of the Second Amendment" DVD, which interviews leading Constitutional scholars and examines the historical record on how the amendment was developed and the intent of the Founders. If you're going to set yourself up as an authority with credentials to negate evidence presented by figures like Kates, Polsby, Levinson, Halbrook, Malcolm, Amar, Barnett, Cottroll, Kleck, Lund, Johnson, Innes, Reynolds, Volokh, et al., then let's party.

Educating yourself so you know what you're talking about would be the "reasoned approach." Otherwise, you just come across as another self-impressed dilettante with a fashionable opinion and a following of equally shallow and uneducated sycophants.

GUNS Magazine: September 1957

"WHY NOT Have A Pro-Gun Law," is possibly the longest article we have ever published. It may well be also the most important article we have ever published.

The "call to arms" which ends the story, urging all firearms enthusiasts to write to the Director of the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit,Treasury, Washington 25, D. C., to protest new revised federal regulations in the gun law field is a little like Paul Revere's "one if by land, two if by sea." Only now it isn't the "British are coming," it is the bureaucrats.

There has been some serious thought among Congressmen and Senators as to the activities of this branch of the Treasury which administers the federal gun laws. Some congressmen have been outspoken in expressing the view that the Treasury has been attempting actually to alter law, to make law, which is a privilege jealously guarded by the Congress. In "Why Not A Pro-Gun Law," the author brings up to date the present situation in anti-6rearms legislation.

We are now at a crossroads. For decades shooting enthusiasts have been complacent while lawmakers, directed by people who are not all well-intentioned by any means, have been chipping away at the edges of American freedom. Restrictive firearms laws are but one face of restrictive federal interference into American private affairs.

We exist in a republic which is supposed to guarantee liberty under law. When laws become destructive of these liberties, it is the right and duty of the people to alter or to abolish those laws, and to institute new forms of law which shall best effect their safety and happiness.

Old militiaman Tom Jefferson would doubtless applaud this paraphrasing of his immortal document, the Declaration of Independence. Fortunately, it is not too late. The revised regulations are not yet in effect as of press-time. A public hearing on the new revised regulations is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, 1957, at 10:00 AM, room 3313, Internal Revenue Bldg., 12th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D. C. Any protests can be made in person there, and Eastern-area readers of GUNS may find their interests best served if they obtain complete copies of the regulations, read and understand their implications, and appear to register their protests in person.

The September 1957 issue of GUNS Magazine is now online. Go to page 22 to read the entire article in question, which brings to light much information I had not previously been aware of (and some controversy, as you'll see when the topic of bearing arms is discussed.) Still, how much fault do we want to find find with an author who advocates eliminating all federal "gun control" laws? And the anecdotes about gun-controlling authorities breaking federal laws, the recap of "Big Tim" Sullivan's corruption, and the refreshing voice of radicalism in that era are just plain fascinating.

And let's not forget the classic period gun ads.

But just to show that even then some gun owners had their heads up...a creek..., there's this letter to the editor:
Good rebuttal, Mr. Mann!