The 11th Hour

This is it. Tomorrow will be the most crucial national election affecting gun rights I've ever seen, and I was born in the Truman administration.

Today's Gun Rights Examiner column is up.

We'll know tomorrow whether we're consigned to the frying pan or the fire.

Gun Talk

Click on the title link for my chat with Tom Gresham and some callers.

The program went well, a lot of fun, but the hour sure passed quickly. Tom, as always, was a gracious host, easy to talk to. We focused mostly on the Cooper Firearms fiasco and talked a bit about Sen. Obama.

I told Tom I agree with the senator on one key point: He will not take my guns.

UPDATE: I just ran across this announcement.

We're the Only Ones Not Deemed Criminal Enough

The San Francisco Police Department will conduct an internal investigation into the actions of an off-duty officer whose gun went off Friday night at a small Halloween party in unincorporated Los Altos, authorities said.

The negligent firing of a gun can be a crime. But the incident was not deemed criminal and the officer was not arrested, said Sgt. Don Morrissey of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.

• Daly City: BART updating sign to show underpass 11.03.08

Of course it wasn't--it's not like a police report would be filled out or an arrest would be made or criminal charges filed if you or I were drinking and urinating in yards and discharging firearms around children. In the Frisco area. If we were "Only Ones."

A Gun to His Head

Nevada state senator battling for re-election in Las Vegas is asking local television stations to stop airing an ad during which a gun appears to be briefly pointed at his head...

The ad claims it is funded by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

Well, that figures. If they can't document a gunthreat(TM), they'll create one.

Daily Blotter

From Mama Liberty, who notes:

Very chilling. Not one story of self defense...

Politics, Schmolitics

I'm not sure what round this is...as I said when I first weighed in, I'd like to see this go offline for a while to see if a whole greater than the parts can be achieved. I see via email Vanderboegh has made an overture to do that...

And not to diminish the value of other comments I've received so far, but this one strikes me as particularly insightful.

SCOTUS to Hear Hayes

No. 07–608. United States v. Randy Edward Hayes.
Certiorari to the C. A. 4th Circuit.
For petitioner: Nicole A. Saharsky, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice,
Washington, D. C.
For respondent: Troy N. Giatras, Charleston, W. Va.
(1 hour for argument.)

This could have major implications, if adding "domestic" considerations into the mix for convictions that did not originally contain that element is allowed.

Hmmm. I wonder if that list of briefs in support of respondent is complete...?

[Via W-3]

Help Sen. McClintock Get Out The Vote

Last chance, Californians. Via email:

Volunteer to Get Out The Vote

As we approach the final 48 hours of the campaign, help Sen. McClintock get out the vote in the 4th Congressional District. Over the weekend hundreds of volunteers made thousands phone calls and even walked precincts in the rain! You can join the growing grassroots army to keep this district Republican. For more information please call our Roseville Headquarters at (916) 783-4411 or (530) 613-1188.

McClintock/Victory '08 Campaign Offices:

Main Campaign Headquarters
1700 Eureka Rd, Ste 170
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 783-4411 or (530) 613-1188

Auburn HQ
655 High Street
Auburn, CA 95661
530-921-2244

Nevada County HQ
2038 Nevada City Highway
Grass Valley, CA 95945
(530) 273-5107

El Dorado County HQ
191 Placerville Drive
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 295-0818

Lassen County HQ
30 S Gay Street
Susanville, CA 96130
(530) 601-0672

Oroville HQ
2167 Montgomery
Oroville, CA
(530) 921-2368

They need help today, right now. And they'll be able to use you even after the voting starts--to make sure voters in the district who haven't voted get calls urging them to do so.

You'd better believe the opposition will be doing that.

I'm the Only One Taking You Out Permanently Enough

The race between longtime U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings and his challenger, Dr. Marion Thorpe, in District 23, has apparently taken a nasty turn...

Thorpe said Friday that after the debate, Hastings whispered in his ear when they embraced on stage "You mention that impeachment ... again and I'm taking you out permanently."

"Nasty"? As in "criminal"?

So there is an investigation, right? Are we all free to make implied death threats to specific candidates for federal office? Or is that a privilege reserved for the political nobility subset of the "Only Ones"?

Boy, those criminal anti-gun racists sure are angry, aren't they? Maybe that's why they don't trust us with weapons...

On the plus side, guess who took the Superman symbol down from his website?


In your face, Hastings.

It Also Pinpoints

ERDS automatically will highlight anyone who is carrying explosives, or who has handled chemicals such as Semtex or TNT, or has fired a weapon.

Go to the range, become a suspect. Not that they have to worry about that in the UK.

Coming soon to a continent near you.

We're the Fauxnly Ones Enough

"I woke up everyday with the intention of, 'Hey, I'm really doin' some great things here.' And I fed off of it and I enjoyed it. And you know, I slept good at night. I really did. I thought, man, 'I'm putting drug dealers out of business,'" he tells Couric.

What a loser.

The fake "Only One," too.

And the chief doesn't sound like much of a prize himself.

[Via ChuckAtPodunkOutpost]

This Day in History: November 3

Major Andre was captured by General Montgomery, in Upper Canada, while on his way to Quebec, November 3, 1775, and taken, with other officers, to Lancaster, where he became an inmate of Caleb Cope's house. There, the eldest brother, John, then 13 years of age, received lessons in drawing from Major Andre; and the three brothers, John, William and Thomas had, in after life, vivid recollections of their games of marbles and other juvenile sports with the lively young English officer, who was destined to figure so terribly in the after history of this country.

A Reminder and Some News

I generally don't post to Gun Rights Examiner on weekends, but made an exception today to remind readers about my appearance later today on Gun Talk. As long as I was at it, I also included some blurbs for Buckeye Firearms Association and Ohioans for Concealed Carry.

THESE Cowardly Pigs...

...had an article posted at the title-linked url with photos of houses with republican campaign signs, along with the addresses--obviously a blatant encouragement of voter intimidation. They have since taken down the post.

What a surprise--there's a red star in their logo.

If anybody has some time, see what you can find out about the proprietors--starting with where they live.

[Via Avg Joe]

UPDATE: It's in their print edition, though, titled "Hell Houses."

UPDATE: Oh, look, the reason they pulled it is because evil right wing bloggers started posting their addresses, and they're the victims here.

We're NOT the "Only Ones" (Allah be Praised!)

The militants tied up eight policemen and lay them on the floor, and according to local accounts, the youngest member of the gang, a 14-year-old, shot the captives on orders from his boss. The fighters stole uniforms and weapons and fled into the mountains.

Almost instantly, the people of Buner, armed with rifles, daggers and pistols, formed a posse, and after five days they cornered and killed their quarry. A video made on a cellphone showed the six militants lying in the dirt, blood oozing from their wounds.

Maybe when The Lightworker gets that national civilian security force, we can start a similar pogrom...uh...program here, to avenge our "Only Ones"?

[Via George Haystack]

Civilian Security, Lightworker Style

We've got to have a civilian national security force, that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded...

What an original idea! You mean like something that would be "necessary to the security of a free state"?

That kind of "civilian security"? Those kinds of "objectives"?

Or are we talking something more along the lines of the Tonton Macoutes?

[Via Elliot]

The Awakening

I spent a lot of time in my room with the door locked. When I went home for Christmas break, I bought a storage unit for my valuables because I was afraid she'd rob me. When I returned, she was gone, and I was living alone for the first time ever. The summer before I moved in, the house next door was invaded, and a girl was killed.

I was terrified.

That was the first time getting a gun ever entered my mind.

You're almost getting it. But this statement:

In the end, I fight one type of paranoia and embrace the other

shows you still have quite a bit of learning to do.

Still, it's progress.

[Via Jeffersonian]

The State of the Union

...is it still lies to its members. But the union bosses don't seem to be missing any meals, do they?

Yeah, I'll be buying into Communist Workers Party propaganda real soon...

Why do I suddenly feel like going out and renting "On the Waterfront"?

[Via Skip]

Jeff Knox Responds

David,

I appreciate your take on this and you getting involved.

To answer your first point, I am not unaware of the movement or the sentiment of the extreme right of our fraternity, I have just not paid close enough attention to take note of names; thus my unfamiliarity with Mike.

I have to argue with your criticism of Chris' Walter Mitty crack. Chris was laying down a challenge of sorts: If these guys really have the numbers then let them demonstrate it with Peaceful Political Action. Taking violent action without first "firing a shot across the bow" with some sort of Peaceful (or at least non-lethal, minimally destructive) Show of Force is a sucker's play all the way around and without that Peaceful Show of Force, why would anyone take them seriously. If they won't stand up and be counted in peace, how can anyone trust that they will stand firm when bullets are flying?

That is basically what the original article was about. To say that all is not lost, the time for violent revolution has not yet come, participate in political action to avoid the need for revolution because there are rarely any real winners in a war, especially a civil war.

I probably should have chosen my words more carefully in the original article because it is obvious to me that some have misconstrued my intent, but I stand by the message.

I intend to go over all of this and will post a more precise statement of my position on FirearmsCoalition.org and will mirror that in a thread on GunVoter.org. The FC site limits comments so I am running the dialog on GunVoter.org where comments are unrestricted except for civility - which I must say has been seriously lacking in this little up-scuttle.

I allowed the barbs to get to me a bit in my initial response and I personalized it in ways that I shouldn't have. It is difficult to have people making assumptions and judgments about my character and personal life based solely on a single 850-word editorial. An editorial which, as I say, I feel has been seriously misconstrued.

One of the things that drives me nuts about this is the way guys who were not targets of any of my comments have taken them personally. Here's a disclaimer: If you are politically active - vote, work on campaigns, run for office, write letters to elected officials urging specific actions, are a member of local and/or national political organizations such as NRA, GOA, JPFO, VCDL, AZCDL, GOAL, GRNC, or the hundreds of other such organizations out there and encourage others to emulate you in this -- I wasn't talking to or about you.

If you do not write articles or routinely post comments on forum sites espousing the theory that political action is futile and the only hope of restoring the US to some semblance of the Constitutional Republic it was created to be is through bloodshed and revolution -- I wasn't talking to or about you.

Some of that got convoluted in my response to Mike's attack on me from the initial article and for that I apologize. As I say, it is difficult to remain detached when your character is being assaulted in the vilest of terms.

As I say, I'll have more to say on this subject in a day or two and I will post it on FirearmsCoalition.org and GunVoter.org. Anyone is welcome to comment or cross-post as they please. For now I will simply ask that people go back and re-read my original article with the assumption that I am as committed to the preservation of the Constitution as you are and as willing to stand in its defense as you, rather than the contrary assumptions Mike displayed in his critique.

To clarify; what I was talking about in the article was our side starting or advocating the starting of an all-out war with the US government or engaging in independent actions such as the bombing of the Murrah Building which will do nothing but alienate us and our cause with the vast majority of our fellow citizens and make political action more difficult. My opinions are based on over 30 years of sharing campfires, firing lines, and foxholes with hunters, shooters, and patriots and 48 years closely observing the world around me. I might be wrong in my assumptions, but I don't think I am. In any case, that's how I see it and until I see evidence to the contrary I don't expect to shift my position.

Jeff Knox
Director, The Firearms Coalition

This Day in History: November 2

I Promised the Gentlemen who did me the Honor to call upon me yesterday, by order of your House, that I would enquire of the Quarter Master General and let them know to day, what Quantity of Wood and Hay would be necessary to supply the Army thro' the Winter...