Sloppy Housekeeping

I guess they haven't had time to take Mary off.

Or put Alex on.

Why would they demand gun registration lists with tens of millions of names if they can't even update their director's page?

We're the Only Ones Feeling the Heat Enough

In the wake of three murders and the recent attack on a federal prosecutor in a New York courtroom, a group representing the nation's federal prosecutors is calling for stepped-up security, including home alarms, self-defense training and the right to carry firearms....

"Statistically, we are threatened more than judges"...

Yeah?

How about cab drivers? Convenience store clerks? Minority residents in any major urban area?

How are their statistics? Are you going to demand RKBA and secure parking for them?

Or is it just an "Only Ones" thang...?

[Via KABA Newslinks]

Honor Khang Instead

Why is his bravery and intelligence under fire any less worthy of recognition?

Second letter down.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune prints my letter about the wrong house-raiding cops getting medals.

I used to get letters published all the time but don't so much any more now that I'm focusing on my own venues. For those of you who aren't, I highly recommend it--I see so many brilliant and well-crafted comments here, it's a shame they're not reaching a wider audience.

So I have a challenge for those of you who are regular commentators here: Commit to writing one letter a week to various papers you see linked to on this site--if the story grabs you enough to leave a comment here, make it a force multiplier by sending it there.

As a general tip, to maximize your chances of getting ink, think of an original way to look at the topic, stick with one thought and keep it to around 150 words or so.

I honestly think this is one of the more valuable contributions you could make.

Oh, and feel free to add your thoughts about my letter in the Star Tribune comments box thingy.

Now That It's MY Turn...

A death row inmate scheduled for execution says he's too fat to be put to death, claiming executioners would have trouble finding his veins and that his weight could diminish the effectiveness of one of the lethal injection drugs.

Aw, poor baby.

Read what he did: He participated in trapping, raping, torturing, mutilating and brutally murdering two beautiful young girls who were working hard to make something of their lives. And at the time, when confronted by the family, he proclaimed "I believe in the death penalty and an eye for an eye." Guess that was just a "Please don't throw me in d'at briar patch" ploy.

I've always had mixed feelings about the death penalty. Certainly no one wants to see an innocent ever be put down, and I have very strong concerns about giving the state such power. What I come down to is what I would do to this worthless demon if he'd tortured and killed one of mine and I was able to get him in my power. Lethal injection would be an act of supreme mercy.

We all have the beast inside--some of us just control it better than others. I pray I will never choose to unleash mine.

Welcome to Connecticut!

Several of you have sent me the link to this outrage:

Using a unique state law, police in Connecticut have disarmed dozens of gun owners based on suspicions that they might harm themselves or others.

The state's gun seizure law is considered the first and only law in the country that allows the confiscation of a gun before the owner commits an act of violence. Police and state prosecutors can obtain seizure warrants based on concerns about someone's intentions.

Concerned American shares his thoughts.

When Zargonians Attack

The FBI is investigating two firebombings targeting University of California, Santa Cruz scientists as the latest in an outbreak of attacks against UC researchers who experiment on animals...

It forced the man, his wife and two small children to flee out a second story window as the house filled with smoke. The family then managed to escape down a fire ladder from the window, according to police.

Too bad he didn't have a rifle. I wouldn't mind mounting a few Zargonian heads on my wall.

Here's the thing about experimenting on animals: Forget humans for a second. How would you develop a safe and effective pet medicine without clinical trials? How many more animals would die if the research was stopped?

The most ridiculous counter I've heard to that is to use computer modeling, that is, freeze the database of knowledge to where it's at.

I think the preferable, and certainly more satisfying solution, is DEATH TO ZARGON!

[Via Michael G]

More from the They Hate Us Because We're Free Department

Garbage collectors would inspect San Francisco residents' trash to make sure pizza crusts aren't mixed in with chip bags or wine bottles under a proposal by Mayor Gavin Newsom.

And if residents or businesses don't separate the coffee grounds from the newspapers, they would face fines of up to $1,000 and eventually could have their garbage service stopped.

So where would I throw away an alcohol and saliva-coated fellated microphone cover?

San Francisco is trying to out-UK the UK. Can the wheelie bin death squads be far behind?

The most toxic garbage that really needs to be disposed of is at City Hall.

[Via John G]

Your Show of Shows

45superman is going to be on a podcast tonight.

11 pm EST here.

There's a call-in number: (347)-539-5436

Some just won't let go of Mike Vanderboegh. It's funny, really, because he's not going to stop, and this just gives more people exposure to his work.

Representing "the other side" will be Sebastian. Except also representing the other side will be the host. Who's made his views on this more than clear:

OH NO AD HOMINEM BETTER IGNORE EVERYTHING I SAY.

There's balance for you.

Smells like a gang-up to me. I'd say I wonder what excuse will be given for not inviting Vanderboegh to discuss his own work instead of bringing in a third party, but I think we all know why it's being put together this way.

S'Okay, Kurt can hold his own.

Gun Blogs

It's a pretty good site except they keep posting a recurring picture of some goofball with a rifle.

Check 'em out.

We're the Only Ones Mostly Mum Enough

All was quiet Saturday at the Wellston city hall and police station, a day after the new police chief and former chief got into a brawl there.

City officials were mostly mum about the scuffle, in which both men pulled out pistols. No shots were fired, and no arrests have been made.

I don't even need to ask a rhetorical "Only Ones" question any more, do I?

[Via Chris Horton]

From the They Hate Us Because We're Free Department

Peter Tubic ignored a $50 parking fine in 2004, and on Monday, it cost him his $245,000 house.

OK, his excuses sound all whiny and pathetic and stuff, but really--take the guy's house? What sounds even more whiny and pathetic is the bureaucrat Don Schaewe who says his hands are tied and he can't do anything about it now.

Of course there's something the city can do, Don. Except the parasites have no incentive to recall that our governments was established to "secure the blessings of liberty," not to "sen[d] hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance."

[Via Avg Joe and John G]

Settle in for Another Überpost

Truly. Almost 4,000 words, the first 2,400 devoted to explaining how much of an authority he is before he even mentions Vanderboegh?

And the grand conclusion after slogging through all this? Don't scare white people, make them MAD instead.

Whatever.

I'm reminded of a comment I once heard a wise immigrant make:

Talky talky no go no place.

[58 words]

This Day in History: August 5

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, writes to London: "Be assured peace will never be firmly established between Great Britain and America, until the latter receives an ample recognition of her rights, and a full satisfaction for the blood that has or may be shed."

A Self-Identified Man

The writer identifies himself as "a longtime constitutional militia man and Internet advocate for Second Amendment rights."

Nice way to deflect from the content of the letter, and mask your utter lack of journalistic ethics by failing to issue a retraction, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

That's what you get for traumatizing the melanin deficient, Vanderboegh. I'd accuse you of making me look bad, but when I think about all the potentials for that, all I can say is take a number.

That and good letter, Mike!

How to Lose Your Guns Without Due Process in Freeport

I promised an update to the case of Gabriel Razzano. Here’s his recounting of how he lost his guns, taken from notes of our telephone conversation on July 24. Note the events described here took place in the first part of 2007. They are still unresolved over a year later.

Mr. Razzano is a community activist and, as a member of the Minutemen, has an interest in stopping illegal immigration. As such, he works within the system, including making his views known to his congressional representative. Over the course of several years, he developed a working relationship with Carolyn McCarthy’s former Chief of Staff—to the point where this individual had even visited Razzano at his home. When he learned the chief of staff had been replaced, Razzano asked to speak with the new one, but never had his call returned.

On a subsequent trip to her office, Razzano was informed he was not one of McCarthy’s constituents due to redistricting, and his representative was Peter King. He then went to the Board of Elections and obtained a certified copy stating he was in her district.

When he went back to McCarthy’s office with his “proof of constituency,” a detective approached him, told him to leave and to stop “annoying” Rep. McCarthy because he was not a constituent. The detective escorted Razzano down the elevator—at the bottom, when the doors opened, Rep. McCarthy was there. She ignored Razanno when he tried to speak to her and the detective escorted him out the building.

The very next day, Razanno got a call from his mother who lives a few doors down—the police were at her house demanding his guns or they would arrest him. He was told there was a 911 call about him, and he needed to surrender his firearms for a 90-day “cooling off period.” In other words, they would take the guns or they would take him. It was portrayed to him by the confiscating officer as “not a big deal.”

The police took all of his legally registered guns—nine rifles and 15 handguns, and they also seized his fiancée’s handgun. This despite no statutory authority to do this-- It’s important here to note that this was not a domestic or any other kind of violence incident. Razzano didn’t even get a receipt for the seized property until a week later—after he requested one.

A little over a month after the seizures, he received notice from Chief Anthony Rocco that his pistol license had been revoked. This has been done with no adjudication under “authority” of the chief, who indicated he believed Razzano to be “obsessed with the day laborer situation” and offered his unqualified opinion that Razzano’s actions had raised “concerns” over his “suitability” to have a license.

The letter made no mention of the 911 call, and in fact, a judge had to order McCarthy’s office to identify the employee who had called 911—after McCarthy had denied any involvement.

To sum it up, for exercising his First Amendment right to petition his representative, Razzano had the cops called on him by Congressman McCarthy’s office, which denied doing so until ordered by a magistrate to produce the name of the staffer who did this. Using the call as their reason to intervene, police made a decision to “temporarily” confiscate Mr. Razzano’s firearms. They subsequently revoked his pistol license, effectively barring return of his property. They have also retained custody of his long arms, and there is no provision to return them. And at no time has Mr. Razzano been charged with any crime, nor has he been adjudicated unsuitable or examined by any professional who has rendered that determination.

Razzano has filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, Eastern District of New York to recover his property and seek compensatory damages. That’s where the case stands as of today.

I have seen other documents, including the Razzano’s complaint, his certificate of registration from the Elections Board, the license revocation letter from Chief Rocco, and other legal particulars related to the case. While I would like to post them, as I said when I first brought this story onto WarOnGuns, I don’t want to do anything that his lawyer thinks inadvisable or that will hurt Mr. Razzano’s case. If I can get an OK to do that I will—otherwise, all information will be cleared before I discuss it here. Further information will be forthcoming as they happen with those conditions in mind.

Gabriel Razzano adds:

The only point I think might be added was the week before the incident I was in her office and they told me I "was in the wrong district" and they were "going to straighten it out." I left the phone numbers I could be reached at. They never called, and one week later I went back. Just thought the fact that Mc Carthy's office knew there was an election fraud happening, yet did nothing, till they called the police, to report me, not the election fraud!

Further Reading:
Another Look at Freeport Gun Seizure
Don't Mess With the Tyrant

And to Think All We Needed Was a Billboard

GIANT posters of the jailed gang who flooded Manchester with guns have been put up in Moss Side to deter others from following in their footsteps.

Posters. Now why didn't we think of that? That ought to totally offset the "£1,500 for a gun and £7 a bullet" financial incentive created by prohibition, don't you think?

I can see how combining this effort along with an anonymous snitch program (which would never be used to eliminate the competition, would it?) and all the high quality color charts and graphs in their Policing Strategy ought to turn Gunche...uh...Manchester into a Sarah Brady Paradise in no time.

Funny How it Works Out

One man was shot and another beaten Saturday when an altercation broke out between suspected gang members on a Metro Orange Line bus, sheriffs deputies said.

It's revealing how the same socialists who want us disarmed also want us out of our cars and into public transportation...

The Power of One

The first day of Hobbema's gun amnesty ended with a single firearm being turned in to authorities.

Keep hoping for snowballs there, Cpl. Larsen. I expect that gang violence will plummet any day now...or not.

A New Type of Flower Power

Lily pollen is notoriously difficult to remove once it has stuck to a surfaces.

"It is a new type of flower power," Paul Sermon, the leader of the research, said. "The tags primarily consist of naturally occurring pollen, a substance that evolution has provided with extraordinary adhesive properties.

"Each cartridge would have between 1,000 and one million tags on it, and if you touch one you will end up with a large number of those on your hands, gloves or clothes. They are almost impossible to get off and they don't degrade over time."

Yeah, I want to gum up the works with that!

Tell you what, guys--get the military and police to use it as standard issue and then get back to me.

What a ridiculous idea, on so many levels.

A Direct Connection

The percentage of young people who use a gun to kill themselves is higher in Switzerland than any other European country, according to an international survey.

This is directly connected to liberal Swiss gun laws and the easy availability of weapons, said researchers from the European Alliance Against Depression, whose study is published in the current edition of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Well yeah...haven't we established that guns cause suicide...? Oh, wait...

I love the way assumptions are selectively engineered to highlight the intended outcome and omit everything else. That's not the way science works, but it is a common tactic used by scam artists. I'll be curious to see what someone like John Lott can tell us about the methodologies and conclusions. But in the mean time, the sound bite has been created to send the hysterics off and running.

Globalist headshrinkers. Is there anything they don't know?