New Orleans: A Wakeup Call For California

"When politicians tell you that only law enforcement and police should own guns in today's 'modern society', tell them to go to hell... or New Orleans. There's no difference between either at this point in time."--Ralph Weller

What Kind of Example Are These People Setting for Our Children?

"I was standing on the front porch with a shotgun keeping an eye on things. I could hear people breaking into houses right around the corner. We knew. We knew we had to get out. There was no police presence. The people are just going crazy. There doesn't seem to be any authority at all...

"Earlier today, a man came up to me. I think he wanted the canoe. He saw I was armed and gave up.

"We happened to pass this mall and people were looting it.

"People told us the police went in there so they started shooting at the police. So the police left. They (looters) just set the place on fire. We saw it burning and we saw the fire department not even going near the place because the looters were going nuts."

The Brady Center, of course, knows better:

"Recent research has shown that most Americans feel less safe when others in the community acquire firearms: 71% of all Americans and 85% of non-gun owners came to this conclusion. Clearly, as the authors noted, 'the decision to own a firearm is more than solely a personal or a household issue - it affects others in the community as well.' The decision to allow citizens to carry firearms outside of their homes would arguably have an even more detrimental effect on feelings of safety.

"More importantly, one has to wonder what the National Rifle Association's mantra that 'an armed society is a polite society' is teaching our children. The rhetoric of the gun lobby suggests that only by carrying a weapon can one be safe in the United States. They claim that law enforcement cannot be trusted to protect society."

New Orleans Journal

Awesome and compelling commentary.

Thanks to McGath.

More "In Your FACE!" to CA Gun Owners

Mark Ridley-Thomas thinks we're not mature enough to select our own ammunition at gun stores.

Ridley-Thomas also promulgates a communist redistribution of wealth edict "that would impose a fee on ammunition to partially offset the financial costs incurred by firearm victims."

Along with then-mayor Tom Bradley, he told police to keep a low profile during the outbreak of the Los Angeles riots. Per former LAPD Assistant Chief Robert Vernon, "They listened to the politicians and those two quadrants of the city are where we had the trouble."

So he does what he can to disarm you, and then sets up conditions where you'd better be armed if you want to survive.

Let's see what Arnhole does with this one.

"Trade Your Gun for Cameras and Equipment"

Don't worry--this isn't another odious "gun buyback" program where some anti trades you merchandise gift certificates to "get guns off the street." It's an ad in the September 1955 issue of GUNS Magazine placed by the National Camera Exchange of Minneapolis, MN, which would sell you a gun as well (looks like they're out of the gun trading business--oh, that's right, the City of Minneapolis is currently harassing The Last Gunshop out of existence).

That's not all that's changed since this issue was printed.

Take a look back at a different time. Enjoy.

"Shoot to Kill"

That's what I'm hearing a lot of in regards to New Orleans looters.

Without getting into a debate on the many causes of the effects we are now seeing, I just want to point out one thing: A confrontation where looters or rioters are shot and killed by authorities could be the catalyst for riots in many other urban areas.

With each new report of lawlessness and violence, the potential for this seems more likely.

I hope that I'm wrong.

Good For Me, But Not For Thee

NBC News has sent private security personnel to the increasingly dicey Gulf Coast region to help keep its employees safe while covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The private security officers, usually former soldiers or police, are licensed to carry firearms and are trained to keep the situation under control so that journalists can do their jobs safely.

Wait a minute...isn't NBC one of those "Publication and Media Outlets" listed as anti-gun on NRA's website?

And they've operated under the protection of armed guards before? And so have their competitors?

It seems when it comes to protecting their own elitist hindquarters, the Establishment media isn't really that anti-gun after all.

"Better Late Than Never," Indeed

An AP Katrina aftermath survival story, via Whose Paranoid:

"We had excellent plans. We had enough food for 10 days," said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. "Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot."

An Open Plea to President Bush

I just received my "personal invitation" from the Second Amendment Foundation's Alan Gottlieb to attend the "20th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC), which will be taking place September 23, 24 and 25, 2005 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott in Los Angeles, California."

We're promised "Scheduled speakers this year include: myself, Joe Tartaro, Wayne LaPierre, Sandy Froman, John Lott, Massad Ayoob, Eugene Volokh, Larry Pratt, John Snyder, Joe Waldron, as well as staff from the Second Amendment Foundation, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, KeepAndBearArms.com, and Gun Owners of America. President George Bush has been invited as well. "

President Bush, I have never in my life begged anything from a public official.

Please attend this conference. PLEASE!

I'd pay good money to see all the nationally recognized "gun rights leaders" line up to get cavity searched for weapons--just so they can pay tribute to you for supporting their right to keep and bear arms.

Please?

Ann Coulter--Neocon Shill

"Conservative" columnist Ann Coulter disdains "...the (nonexistent) 'right to privacy.' "I know as much about the 'right to privacy' as I know about any other made-up, nonexistent right," she snickers to her readers. Yes, Ann, free people do indeed have a right to privacy. The lie you and other neocons perpetuate--that it is not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights so therefore doesn't exist--is an intentional bit of disinformation. In a real sense, this propaganda abets the state in its control over people's lives and freeedom. You know damn well the Constitution is not intended to enumerate all rights of free Americans, but to define the limits under which the national government can legitimately exercise power. You know damn well this was one of the concerns against adding a "Bill of Rights" to the Constitution--that people like you would construe it to mean only the rights mentioned must be recognized. And you know damn well that what you espouse would have been alien to the Framers, who wisely (in addition to Amendment IV) added:

Amendment IX The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. Amendment X The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

If the federal government has no authority "to deny or disparage" other rights, Ann, what makes you think you do? The argument that privacy is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution is hollow. The rebuttal ought to be "Exactly. So it follows the government has no authority to give itself privacy-invading powers that haven't been specifically delegated to it."

That's Why They Call It Global Gun "CONTROL"

Russia wants the UN to pass rules outlawing unauthorized use of Russian weapons designs. Russia hopes to piggyback this on a UN effort to limit the illegal distribution of assault rifles. It's all about money.

It's not about eliminating small arms--it's never been about that. It's about who controls, possesses and profits off them.

The do-gooder shills who get all the PR and tug at heartstrings with tales of woe are mere pawns. Their primary function--whether they realize it or not--is to keep the sheep distracted while the wolves sneak around the flank.

Pay no attention to the men behind the Iron Curtain.

A Lesson in Democracy

Nicki and Kevin can't believe how stupid some people are.

Just remember--not only are some people stupid, but their votes cancel out ours.

You don't think all this talk about spreading "democracy" has anything to do with relying on the ease with which stupid people and their opinions can be manipulated, do you?

"Gun Act Failing Dismally"

And after we filled out that 27B/6...

From the "I'm the only One Professional Enough" Files

Good thing Andy only lets Barney keep one bullet.

Youth Funds, Not Tougher Gun Rules, Needed, Cotler Says

If I may:

Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke,
You gotta understand,
It's just our bringin' up-ke
That gets us out of hand.
Our mothers all are junkies,
Our fathers all are drunks.
Golly Moses, natcherly we're punks!

Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset;
We never had the love that ev'ry child oughta get.
We ain't no delinquents,
We're misunderstood.
Deep down inside us there is good!

From West Side Story
Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
© 1956, 1957 Amberson Holdings LLC and Stephen Sondheim. Copyright renewed.
Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, Publisher.

“It must be legal,” she said. “The police are here taking stuff, too.”

Things are gonna get real interesting in the next few days and weeks.

Some people are gonna be real glad they have guns.

It's Time to Renew!

Why does going through the firearm permitting process in South Africa remind me of a scene from Terry Gilliam's "Brazil"?

If Only We Got Rid of Weapons...

...people couldn't possibly kill themselves.

Just ask this poor wretch who submitted to the bend-'n-spread-'em at the Superdome.

There are more than 10,000 people in the arena.

Officials had earlier reported two deaths at the Superdome, and now, they report that someone died Tuesday after plunging from an upper level of the stadium. They say the person probably jumped.

That's a rate of 30 deaths per 100,000--every 3 days--in a disarmed, guarded 24/7 populace where the State provides for all?

If those are the odds for being a protected refugee, how bad can taking care of yourself be?

The Louisiana Superdome of Shame

I posted about National Guardsmen disarming Superdome refugees on Sunday, relying on hastily transcribed notes. Here's confirmation and commentary from, of all places, Pravda:

Watching news coverage of the refugees trying to enter the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans for safety from the approaching force-five Hurricane Katrina, I was incredulous how the people attempting to enter the stadium were being treated by the national guard troops and local police. The people were made to stand for hours outside in the awful Louisiana climate while they were admitted one or two adults at a time so they could be searched "for firearms and alcohol."

... The lamp of freedom has been blown out by force-five bureaucrats, their sycophants and their head-embedded media enablers who will insure that it will never get re-ignited. For our own good, of course.

Shameless Plug: The Bear Necessities

“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”—Timothy Treadwell, setting up his video camera inches from a grizzly bear

“Grunt. Snort. Crunch. Snap. Munch. Gulp.”—Grizzly, loosely translated as “I love you, too.”

"The Bear Necessities" is my October Rights Watch column for GUNS Magazine, on sale now at indispensable newsstands throughout the Republic.

A Gathering Storm?

I just received the following response to my "Trouble in Paradise" concerns:

"All of the current rules for guns at the ranch are not inforceable due to the fact that they are all just word of mouth. Nothing has ever been written down and passed by the board. We are not trying to take away your gun rights. Our primary concern is the safety of all of the owners. I intend to get a concessus of all the owners present at the meeting to see what the majority considers fair. Since you have such a strong interest I hope that you will be present for the meeting 12 noon on 24 Sept. 05 at the Dance hall."

My reply:

I don’t know if I can make the meeting or not due to other obligations that weekend, but don’t think that should be the only forum for evaluating the proposed criteria. If we’re talking about at the Range, there are many professional references to consult for establishing protocols. If we’re talking about on Ranch property in general, things get problematic.

I’d like to see what it is you will be proposing, and also would appreciate a summary of your credentials for establishing “gun safety rules.” I’d also like to know what the incident was that makes people feel a need to address this, and what evidence you have that a set of rules you propose will eliminate the risk of a recurrence.

Will you send these to me?

We shall see...

The Answer to "Gun Crime" in the US...

...is a candlelight vigil.

Quick--somebody tell the Canadians they've got it wrong...

The Answer to "Gun Crime" in Canada...

...is apparently "a single, loud voice."

Why didn't we think of that here?

Oh, and closed-door meetings away from the prying disarmed victim pool...I mean, public.

"It's about time somebody put the feds on the spot. Where have they been? Who are they, even?"

My God, does this fool realize what some of us would give to be able to say that in the US (at least those of us not calling on them to "enforce existing gun laws")?

"Thus, the progressive dream team shapes up, a made-in-Toronto crime-busting squad that combines tough enforcement with all the increased social spending that senior governments and the private sector can afford."

Surely they have some money left over after that $2 Billion gun registry "boondoggle"?

Kaine Caught Stealing NRA's Thunder

"'It's no surprise that Tim Kaine is attempting to hide his anti-gun past from gun owners,' said Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, in an interview. He challenged Kaine's assertion that he was a leader in bringing Project Exile to Richmond."

Translation: "How dare you claim credit for our gun control legislation."

O Canada

The Canadian national gun registry doesn't stop "gun violence."

It is a "$2-billion boondoggle."

They should "shut down their useless registry and put the money into actual police officers fighting crime."

But they won't.

Don't believe me, believe The Edmonton Sun.

This is a good real-world lesson to throw back at domestic antis who claim registries here will prevent violent crime.

If somebody wants to know which Americans own guns, the answer ought to be: assume all of us--and conduct yourself accordingly.

"Everyone Certainly is Appreciative"

That's a quote from the Fox News reporter on scene at the Superdome in New Orleans, thanking two National Guard privates for confiscating, among other things, a fork, plastic disposable razors, allen and ratchet wrenches, pocket knives, scissors, combs, and nail clippers, from refugees seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina.

People must undergo bag and body checks for "contraband." If you have prescriptions, you must have ID to match. And of course, no weapons are allowed.

When asked why a fingernail file was confiscated, one of the privates replied "Fingernail files have a point on them. We just think it will be safer."

Ah yes. The militia is now the National Guard, right?

Back to Geraldo Rivera, who is relieved.

"I'm glad for all the people seeking shelter, that's all they've got."

Geraldo, of course, insisted on carrying a gun to protect his own precious hide when on assignment in Afghanistan.

Make no mistake--this is the way things will go down in every future major emergency. And no doubt everyone will certainly be appreciative.

Another Young Skull Full of Mush With a Big Forum and a Bigger 'But'

Sez 11th-grader David Albright :

"I consider myself to be very conservative, but...I find another area of agreement in gun control. I believe the law should be stricter in regard to the possession particularly of assault-style weapons. Having stricter regulations should make it easier for police to reduce crime...It is very important for Republicans and Democrats to work together. Rather than focusing on differences and personalities, parties should try to find areas of agreement. Compromise will, of course, still be needed to get things done. Rather than putting all of their effort into their own agendas, Democrats and Republicans in Congress should work toward what is best for Americans."

"When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child."

Too bad the alleged "grown-ups" at the Democrat and Chronicle , who pass along such tripe as reasoned argument worthy of adult consideration, never matured to realize it is long past the time for them to "put away childish things."

Always Low Coverage-Always

The Smallest Minority tells us how the media is handling another Wal-Mart shooting.

Another Brilliant Analogy...

...from Claire, naturally.

In the Shadow of 'Braveheart'

Publicola points us to a great site honoring William Wallace.

This guy David R. Ross appears to understand that he lives in a conquered and occupied country. I sent him the following:

As you know, Scotland is subject to virtually complete civilian disarmament imposed by its English rulers and abetted by Scottish MPs.

What is the position of your organization on the rights of freemen, including to bear arms in defense of self and country? Is it consistent with Wallace’s?

We'll see if he really gets it or not.

Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others

MEMBERS of Britain’s elite have been selected as priority cases to receive scarce pills and vaccinations at the taxpayers’ expense if the country is hit by a deadly bird flu outbreak.

Let's play the substitution word game:

MEMBERS of Britain’s elite have been selected as priority cases to receive scarce armed protection at the taxpayers’ expense if the country is hit by a deadly civil violence outbreak.

Some animals are more equal than others. Of course we knew that.

May I Have the Envelope, Please?

The August Eloi Award goes to Pete Gitlin, of Phoenix, AZ.

Runner-up honors are shared by Penny and Pete Peters of Everett, WA.

Congratulations to Pete, Penny and Pete. Your Morlock masters are so pleased with you, they will eat you last.

Unless they're hungry and you're handy.

Scarborough Fair Update: 1st Report BS

Looks like the guy shot at the Canadian anti-gun barbecue wasn't what he was reported to be.

Looks like Natalie Alcoba and the National Post have some explaining to do about how, in their zeal to promote an agenda, they got the basic facts so thoroughly wrong.

This is a useful reminder to all--me included--about assuming that, just because something appears in the media, it bears any relation to the facts.

Do You Wear That License on Your Collar?

The Toledo Free Press is reporting that although a man with a temporary emergency concealed handgun license was not charged with a crime, police have seen fit to confiscate and hold his handgun (despite an Ohio law which suggests such action by the Toledo police officers was illegal).

What the state giveth, the state can take away--and they have a voluntary registration list with which to do it.

It also allows them to dictate the rules for carrying, most importantly including where they say you may not.

What other right must we petition for permission and pay for the "privilege" of exercising?

Unfortunately, most of the activist gun owner community has been seduced into believing this is progress. They have allowed the Constitutional bright line of "shall not be infringed" to be dimmed and diffused.

Only perceived "radicals" commit the heresy of suggesting that what we have might not be the progress everyone claims it is. Those who do must be prepared to endure wrath and scorn. The illusion of the Emperor's clothes is strong--all his ministers tell us how fine they are.

As my pal Steiger says (about much more than just this issue), "We've been conned. Bare-ass naked in the public square conned."

[KABA Newslinks]

I'M the NRA

CIVIS PROELIATOR explains why he isn’t an NRA member, and has some kind words for WarOnGuns in his reasoning—particularly referencing yesterday’s post about the Rick Santorum interview.

For the record, because I’ve been accused of “NRA bashing” by more than one paid staffer, I’d like to share part of an email I sent to one a few years back. Bottom line—I don’t bash the NRA—I AM the NRA. My beef is with current association management, and the directors and members who give it carte blanche, branding anyone who dissents an enemy.

"Based on your history" is the second time you have accused me of being anti-NRA, without ever giving me one concrete example-- although I realize you regard public disagreement over policy as an "attack". I am a Life Member. I was a Golden Eagle for several years. I am a long-time Members Council activist and former officer-- for years. I single-handedly produced and distributed (and paid for out of my own pocket more times than not) the Council's newsletter-- for years. On my own initiative I created the Council's first fundraiser-- designed, produced and sold T-shirts that netted the small organization thousands of dollars. I sat outside of gun stores and ranges recruiting members, putting up with harassment from antis in passing cars. I marched with the Council at public events, again enduring no small amount of harassment. I manned the booth at events. I worked political campaigns supported by the NRA-- everything from manning phones to walking precincts.

That is my "history"--question someone else's loyalty. I have done more raw volunteer work for the organization than 99% of your members ever have or will. The fact is that institutional arrogance from employees like yourself led me to conclude that my contributions to 2A would be best achieved pursuing my own, as you put it, "agenda." The (small) part of that agenda that involves NRA is motivated by a desire to see the organization reformed. It's certainly no secret that many hard core gun activists are fed up with the Association-- or more precisely, its management. Unlike them, I don't advocate leaving it-- I advocate holding its officers accountable to a constructionist interpretation of the Second Amendment and the Association Bylaws-- something we hardly see when Wayne comes out endorsing "gun free schools", and calling on the government to "enforce existing gun laws" and the like.

Clarification on "Disarmed" DC

There appears to be a general misconception that guns are not allowed in Washington DC. The War on Guns would like to take this opportunity to correct this flawed perception. DC is awash in guns. All the "right" people have them.

Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?

A Canadian anti-gun activist has been shot and killed in an altercation at a Stop the Violence barbecue in Scarborough.

Some people find out they're dead wrong the hard way.

Too bad he didn't have a gun to protect himself.

But then again, if he'd had one, he would have been violating citizen disarmament edicts he endorsed. And we see how effective those were at stopping his assailant.

From the way he's been described, he truly did seem like a courageous and caring man. Unfortunately, when dealing with evil, that is just not enough.

UPDATE: It turns out most of this report was BS.

Cheek to Cheek With Senator Rick Santorum

I finally had time to go through the September issue of American Rifleman, which features a Wayne LaPierre/Chris Cox tag team suck-up session masked as an interview titled "Face to Face With Senator Rick Santorum."

The subhead tells us the senator "receives an 'A+' grade from the NRA Political Victory Fund."

Gun Owners of America gives him a "C" rating. Why the disparity?

For one thing, the senator's own words show him in lock-step with NRA management.

"I support strict enforcement of current federal gun laws...My overarching position on gun legislation, and I also believe, the Republican Party's position, is that before we pass new laws to restrict Second Amendment rights, we must enforce the laws currently on the books to determine whether they are truly effective, rather than pass more redundant, ineffective laws."

Note the concern is wholly whether or not an edict will be "effective," not whether it is Constitutional. Perhaps Sen. Santorum and Messrs. LaPierre and Cox would explain where the Constitution provides for any federal gun laws, and how that squares with "shall not be infringed." Perhaps they could explain to us why their focus isn't on repealing, rather than enforcing existing infringements.

"In addition," Santorum continues, "I support programs such as Project Exile that have been successful in dramatically reducing violent gun crime."

Oh, for God's sake. Go read this.

I guess if you repeat something long enough, you might get some Kool-Aid drinkers who take things at face value without fact-checking to buy into it.

NRA's Project Exile showcase cities are experiencing murder rates at "crisis" levels. In Philadelphia, police are reduced to begging the public for help in identifying killers, and Richmond actually saw a murder increase in 2004 while national numbers declined.

NRA management needs to be told by its membership--in no uncertain terms--that they can't have it both ways. They can't tell the antis that gun control doesn't work, and then turn around and recommend gun control.

NRA members need to understand that "enforcing existing gun laws" is exactly what the feds were doing at Waco and Ruby Ridge.

The Asylum is Open

Nicki Fellenzer wants a place where she can post on topics that wouldn't fit over at The Liberty Zone (like the Clay Aiken thong), so she's checked herself in to Nicki's Asylum.

The Clay Aiken thong.

Good grief.

C'mon, Nicki, not before breakfast...:-)

When Sarah Gets Her Wish

Here's an appalling story to throw back into the faces of gungrabbing police statists:

"City where police gun down children...

"1,195 people were killed by police here in 2003, an alarming number of them shot in cold blood."

Yep, we need more sensible gun laws. Only the police are professional enough to be trusted with carrying firearms in public. We need to get in step with the rest of the world.

For the children.

Trouble in Paradise

My wife and I have been owners at R-Ranch in the Sequoias since before the kids were born. It's been great for them and us. We've always loved the place and go up several times a year to restore our souls (and use the gun range).

As with anything where other people are involved, disagreements spring up. I've stayed out of the politics of the place because that's not why I bought in, and I get into enough scraps down here in Flatland. But now it looks like a fight to the finish is being forced on me and I won't be able to remain sidelined.

One of the Board members just sent this out via the Ranch's e-news update:

Rules for Firearms
A couple of month ago there was an incident on the ranch involving a gun. When we checked the ranch rules we found we had no written rules dealing with the use and caring of firearms on the ranch.

Earl [the Board president--DC] gave me the task of coming up with some rules for the safety of all.

I have scheduled the dance hall for a meeting of all, who are concerned with the issue. The next board meeting has been change to 24 Sept. 10 A.M. So I have reserved the dance hall for 12 Noon, 24 Sept. to have a meeting. We have several owners who are interested in attending the meeting, but I would like to get as many owners as possible to attend and participate in the debate. I would like the rules that we give to the board for review to be a consensus of a large group rather than just a few.

I would appreciate it if you would run an article to let all the owners know about the meeting. I will have a list of what I think the rules should be, but that will only be a base to start from. I will chair the committee and will try to get a secretary to take notes. All who attend will be members of the committee.

My reply:

The last thing we need is politically correct hysteria limiting the right of rational free Americans to keep and bear arms on what is their own property. One “incident” is hardly cause for infringing on my rights. That’s the same excuse well-meaning (or sometimes subversive) fools use for imposing “gun control” on society at large, and the results are always the same: the goblins have what they want when and where they want it, and the “good” people are helpless.

One incident out of the 15 years I have been an owner. This is an urgent problem? If some moron did something stupid or evil with a gun, that has no bearing on me and I will not be penalized for it. Punish him—severely-- and be done with it.

You should know, the California Penal Code prohibition against carrying a loaded firearm provides an exception for a temporary residence or campsite.

Finally, unless the Ranch is willing to guarantee my protection and that of my family while there—including from bears and mountain lions—where the directors know we have a recurring problem—it seems they are setting us all up for a big liability should something happen if people are forced to obey some artificial prohibition.

Don’t open this door. There is no need to. It will only cause more divisiveness and not solve a thing.

If someone is brandishing a gun, there are already laws against that. If someone is recklessly endangering someone with a gun, there are already laws against that. If someone is threatening someone with a gun, there are already laws against that.

What more does Earl want?

And one other thing—if you do pass a prohibition, I’ll ignore it and carry what I want when I want. It’s not like anyone will know for sure—just like always.

The implications--if such rules are imposed and allowed to stand--reach far beyond the borders of Ranch property. I have some ideas on where I want to take this and will post updates as they happen. In the meantime, suggestions on legal avenues to explore and cite references will be appreciated.

Another Newspeak Award

"Freedom bags."

You could not make this stuff up.

Declawing the Lion of the West

My first impression is the guy is too short for the role. But "Al Bouler, of Montgomery, Ala., who portrayed Davy Crockett at Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park in Limestone this past weekend...said Crockett was actually about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, his own height."

The park's official website claims that at "15 years of age [Crockett was] approaching six feet in height."

Illusions of Fess Parker and John Wayne vs. Billy Bob Thornton aside, that's really a minor debate.

What interested me was the rifles. The reneactors appear to be violating Tennessee state law:

Are firearms allowed in state parks?
Firearms are allowed at authorized firing ranges and at parks with authorized hunts. Firearms in transit must be unloaded and cased. No other firearms are allowed.

So if the real Crockett could miraculously be transported to the present, he'd be arrested, charged with a crime and imprisoned for carrying ol' Betsy in his namesake park. Wonder what he would have thought of that?

[KABA Newslinks.]

Newspeak at It's Finest

"The first thing we had to do in the community was to empower people to say no to guns."

Wow. That's so perversely twisted it approaches elegance.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

I've been on full system burn for the past 5 months, working 7 days a week at my "real" job, posting to this site, and turning in my magazine columns by deadline.

I'm taking 2 weeks off. Posting will be sporadic.

Vistors are invited to make yourselves at home. Go ahead and explore all the rooms, put your feet up on the furniture and scrounge around in the fridge. There's archives over in that column on the left, as well as links to other blogs that have the good taste and sound judgment to link back to WoG.

I'll be checking in from time to time to see if the place has burned down yet, or if anybody needs a beer or something...

Brady Center: Ginning Up Jonesboro

"You kill five people in cold blood, shocking an entire nation. You go to prison. Seven years later, you get out, and you are free to buy all the guns you want."

Sounds like a perfect reason to disarm you and me.

"[T]his is a textbook case of an individual who should be deemed by society as forever barred from the privilege of owning a gun."

Well, doesn't this little revelation prove the lie that they're not interested in disarming Americans--only in having "sensible gun laws"?

It ain't a "privilege."

True, it's outrageous that the "justice" system reintroduces monsters in our midst. As long as it does, expecting the rest of us to be even more defenseless is criminal and insane.

My thoughts on the effectiveness of laws that disarm segments of our non-incarcerated society--for whatever reason--can be found here.

Bottom line: Anyone who can't be trusted with a gun can't be trusted without a custodian.

Gun Law News: Request for Information - Sullivan Act

"We are beginning an investigation into the origins of and precursors to the Sullivan Act. We have a fair amount of information and the text to some New York Times editorials. What we need is more, and better sourcing for our information. We need quotes, with firm sources and, if possible PDF files. This would be especially true of any newspaper articles or editorials. If you have any information related to this, please forward it to us via Feedback."

Seems like a worthy and potentially fruitful venture.

As an aside, I have found the GLN site to be an excellent resource. RKBA activists would do well to bookmark and visit it regularly, and add it to the roll if you have a blog.

Doh!

So California state officials want the public to believe that by forcing manufacturers to install microstamping mechanisms in handguns and laser-etch serial numbers on ammunition, they'll be able to keep track of it all to solve crimes.

Why don't the dolts focus on finding the 30,000 cars they bought on the people's dime and now can't account for?

"Tracking down the data has been difficult... the situation 'was so bad,'...that one government agency had purchased $4 million worth of automobiles but didn't have any record of where it bought them.

"So far the department has determined that California spent $33.6 million on automobile acquisitions in calendar year 2004, but it is still compiling fleetwide data and does not yet know the total value or ongoing costs of the state's fleet."

Make of This What You Will

"Wilcox's demeanor toward authorities on the night of his arrest contributed to prosecutors' decision to drop the charges."

Random reactions:

I'm glad he's off.

I'm sorry it took a technicality to do it.

I doubt you or I would have the connections to make this work for us--or the high profile to focus a media spotlight so that the technicality couldn't be conveniently overlooked/successfully denied.

When are some of these multimillionaire celebrity gun owners--particularly ones who are minorities and could do much to sway public opinion about the right of all people to keep and bear arms--going to put their shoulder to the wheel and help promote and preserve that right?

The Government We Deserve

“At the close of the constitutional convention, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin what type of government the Constitution was bringing into existence. Franklin replied, ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’”

Flash forward:

“[O]nly 55 percent of Americans [are] able to correctly identify the three branches of government.”

"Thrilling...and Thought-Provoking"

The following review of 'The Black Arrow' appears in the current, August edition of the 'Midwest Book Review':
The Black Arrow
Vin Suprynowicz
Mountain Media
3172 North Rainbow Boulevard, Suite 343
Las Vegas, NV 89108
$24.95
www.TheLibertarian.us / www.TheBlackArrow.us

In "The Black Arrow: A Tale Of The Resistance," author Vin Suprynowicz draws upon his skill and expertise as a syndicated newspaper columnist to write a provocative novel set in the near future of 2031 where America is ruled under the authority of a Patriot-Poindexter police state. This is a time of ID checks, invasive body searches, stacked juries, kangaroo courts, a corrupt political class, and a gray-suited police cadre known as the Homeland Security Special Forces. It is against this background that wealthy record company executive Andrew Fletcher decides to resist the all powerful police state by becoming a masked vigilante known as the "Black Arrow". The result is a thrilling, rapidly paced, 703-page action/adventure novel that also incorporates thoughtful and thought-provoking commentary on the power of the state run amok, an unusual love story, and how a movement of the people can take back their liberties when pressed too far by those above them. Highly recommended reading -- especially for the libertarian inclined!

-----------------------------------------------------

Vin Suprynowicz is assistant editorial page editor of the daily Las Vegas Review-Journal and author of the books Send in the Waco Killers, The Ballad of Carl Drega, and The Black Arrow. For information call 702-656-3285, or visit
www.TheLibertarian.us or www.LibertyBookShop.us.

Another Senseless Child Gun Death...

...that could have been prevented if only we would enact "sensible gun laws"?

Good grief, how do you reach ages 19 and 20, and not be able to tell if a revolver is loaded?

Oh, Yeah, THIS'LL Work...

"But what I do believe that we can do is bring a concerted effort to the border so that we can capture many more guns than we have been capturing in the past that are coming in illegally."

Das Boots

How ironic.

A gungrabber has armed guards for his boots.

GunLawNews Replies to JPFO

Scroll down to August 9: SB397 Issues

Coming Soon to the California Hit List: BB and Pellet Guns

From "California Dreamin'," my Rights Watch column in the Sept. 2005 issue of GUNS Magazine, on newsstands now:

"Pellet Guns and BB Guns: Dangerous Playthings on the Open Market," by the Senate Office of Research, calls for regulating air guns with the same restrictions as firearms.

Its author is a former Los Angeles Times hack, the SOR Director is a former aide to termed out (anti-gun) Senate President Pro-Tem John Burton, and the report was prepared at the “request” of Jack Scott, another notorious gun banner.

To prove how dangerous air guns are, the report cites an instance where “[a] 16-year-old boy sustained a severe midbrain injury from a self-inflicted combination BB/pellet gun wound through the roof of his mouth.”

The “study” states “anyone can get a pellet gun with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 feet per second—more powerful than some .45 automatics.”

To back the claim that a pellet gun has “more striking power than many classes of handgun firearms,” it provides an endnote—but one that references back to the original claim, in a nice bit of circuitous deception.

You can read this bit of taxpayer-funded subversive nonsense here.

All you need to know about "study" author Max Vanzi: "Max has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley."

Ditto for SOR Director Donald Moulds: "...Don was a Visiting Scholar and Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, a Ford Foundation Scholar, and a Fellow at the Center for the Study of Cultural Values and Ethics and at the Program for the Study of Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security..."

Fatal Blindness?

JPFO addresses criticisms of it’s previous alert on S.397.

Some Choice

Westchester District Attorney Jeanine Pirro is challenging Hillary Clinton for her New York Senate seat.

"'My support in the Republican Party is broad and deep,’ Pirro told the AP when asked about a possible primary. She also said she would seek the Conservative Party's endorsement and noted that she had it for her races in Westchester County.”

“In 2006, New Yorkers will have a choice,” says the 1997 People magazine's "most beautiful people" listee.

So what kind of “choice” will a Conservative Party-endorsed candidate with “broad and deep” Republican Party support offer gun owners?

Oh, let’s just see.

She joined the New Yorkers Against Gun Violence anti-defense zealots in a Columbine High School Memorial Blood Dance to call “for renewal and strengthening of the federal assault weapons ban.”

She launched a “gun amnesty/buyback” program—“no questions asked,” naturally, “to get illegal and unwanted weapons off the streets.”

I guess gun rights aren’t important when your Republican fundraiser husband is a federal prison alumnus—as a felon, he can’t legally own a gun. Besides, when you have a taxpayer-funded bodyguard, one who made more than $87,000 in overtime in addition to his $101,000-plus salary, who need a personal gun?

The New York Republican establishment evidently believes gun owners are so cowed by the prospect of Hillary that they’ll vote for anyone.

The pathetic thing is, they’re probably right.

And don't even get me started on Rudy Giuliani.

Unwanted

Heartless Libertarian tells us about "the worst TV show gun-related writing ever."

In all fairness, I have not seen TNT's "Wanted," but I know from this promo blurb that I have no desire to:

"Jimmy McGloin (Hurst) is an ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) officer and a bona fide card-carrying conservative."

Couldn't be any Hollywood liberal bias in that assumption, could there?

As if a true conservative, i.e., original intent Constitutionalist, would have anything to do with BATFU.

Front Sight:True Crimes--Casting Final Episodes

I'm passing this along at the request of Deborah Courtney:

Victim Rights Advocate and Second Amendment Activist, Deborah Courtney, is actively seeking those who have been brutally victimized by crime from across the country to tell their story in an upcoming TV reality documentary. She will help those who participate in taking control back into their lives through personal safety awareness and personal defense as part of the show.

She believes in total empowerment of those victimized!

Contact her at the following email before August 25
Deborah Ann Courtney
www.NOVICTIMS.org

Just Do It

I just sent my review of Matthew Bracken's "Enemies Foreign and Domestic" in to GUNS Magazine. As it will be a few months before that issue hits the stands, let me give a brief teaser/spoiler here:

Buy this book. Stop what you're doing, go the the website I've linked to and just do it.

The Courtesy of a Reply Would be Appreciated

Dear Mr. DiMare,

I hope all is well with you. I haven’t received a reply to my open letter yet, and under normal circumstances, you’ve certainly had plenty of time to give me one.

Has anything changed? Are you still the staff contact for the California Chamber of Commerce for “job killer” bills? Should I be writing someone else?

Please let me know. I don’t want people to think the Chamber would duck this important issue out of political correctness or fear of taking a stand related to guns, but without any feedback from you it’s tough not to speculate.

Are SB352 and AB357 not “job killers” too?

Is the Chamber intentionally ignoring my letter?

Are firearm and ammunition makers not part of the California economy, producing legal products enjoyed by millions of consumers? Are the thousands of direct and ancillary support jobs these industries create not worthy of the Chamber’s concern and support?

Will the Chamber issue a statement on these "job killer" bills or intentionally remain silent?

Sincerely,
David Codrea
The War on Guns

Gun Law News Disagrees With JPFO

Looks like we're gonna have us a debate.

Nice to be a spectator for a change.

JPFO ALERT: Is S. 397 a Trojan Horse?

When JPFO talks, gun owners should listen.

In this case their fears, that S. 397 could result in giving the AG power to ban all rifle ammo capable of penetrating BODY ARMOR, should be looked at very carefully--particularly since this opinion is being given serious credence by Len Savage.

I haven't had time to look into this, so am posting this in the hopes of soliciting informed opinions. Is there an alternative explanation? If JPFO's analysis is accurate, why haven't we heard about this from NRA?

QUICK! TAKE THIS POLL!!!

Do you support the National Rifle Association's boycott of ConocoPhillips?

So far, "No" is leading. Click on the link and vote to help change that, and pass this on to your gun owner friends.

On AHSA

Bloggers are all over the American Hunters and Shooters Association. Aside from posting a few comments on other blogs and pointing out their connections with Crime Gun Solutions, I haven't said much, because I already said it this weekend--in my latest submission to GUNS Magazine.

I owe it to the publisher not to offer essentially the same commentary on my blog that I'm asking them to send me a check for. But it's frustrating to know that by the time my article comes out, much of the same ground will have been covered on the internet for months.

A lot of great research has been independently conducted on this--I don't want to slight anybody else who's commented, but Triggerfinger and Gun Law News offer some of the best analyses.

The source I need to credit for making me aware of AHSA is NRA's Dawson at "Digger's Corner." That's what prompted me to start "digging," which included much of the same methodology used by others--the Whois lookup, finding the DCS connection, etc.

I would like to offer one insight about a front group inserting themselves into the shooting community as if they're on our side, something I like to think of as The AHSA Motto.

No Apologies

Drudge titled his link to this story: "EDITOR: NO APOLOGIES FOR HELEN THOMAS 'KILL SELF' REPORT..."

I think the guy does owe us an apology...for getting our hopes up.

Wrong John Silver's

[Use BugMeNot UserID: none@homee.com / Password: 66666 to bypass site registration]

Rick Stanley reminds me of this story from Oct. 2004. I think it merits being brought up again.

Robbers come into a Long John Silver's restaurant. They order three employees on the floor. They order the supervisor to the back of the store. He thinks he's a dead man and hits one of the robbers with a hammer, thwarting the robbery and causing them to flee.

Long John Silver's fires him for not following company policy. The company flack, an idiot and a weasel, claims their policy outlines the steps he should have taken.

I've written company policies--2 years in pharmaceutical production, 16 years in defense electronics and 3 years in medical practice management--three more heavily regulated and audited industries you will not find--and I helped get my companies through audits conducted by the best (worst) the feds and state could throw at us. There are very few areas where I would have the gall to claim to be qualified to be considered an expert in. This is one of those areas.

Any claim that Long John Silver's has a policy that can effectively deal with an armed robbery is bullshit. It is a lie. Anyone claiming otherwise is either incompetent or a lying corporate whore who will say anything to please his masters.

Sue me, Rick Maynard.

My one and only experience with this pathetic chain went down like this: The kids saw a commercial for popcorn shrimp or some such and wanted to try it. We have one not too far from home and had never been to it, so I took the family there for lunch.

The place was empty as far as customers were concerned, but the counter help was busy chatting with the kitchen help, and decided continuing the conversation was a biggger priority than attending to patrons with money to spend. After about 3 minutes, she finally noticed us and acknowledged our presence. She also wiped her eye with her index finger and looked at the results this yielded.

Sue me, Long John Silver's. I'd swear to that in court and have 3 witnesses who would back me up.

Needless to say, I shepherded the wife and kids out of that disgusting place pronto, and we have never been back.

Long story short: Boycott these creeps.

"Security Guards in California Are Going to be Trained to Help Fight Terrorists."

The reporterette on KFI radio actually said that as the lead-in to a news story.

I laughed so hard and so long my ribs hurt. Other drivers on the 91 Freeway must have thought I was nuts.

Our tax dollars at work.

Good Lord, we are so doomed.

Shameless Plug: California Dreamin'

It’s not about public safety—it’s about harassing gun owners and political opponents. That’s why we see endless proposals designed to infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms—something Attorney General Bill Lockyer denies exists.

California Dreamin’ is my “Rights Watch” column for the September issue of GUNS Magazine, available now at visionary newsstands throughout the Republic.

The issue also features my review of Vin Suprynowicz’s futurist liberty novel “The Black Arrow.”

Look Who’s Demanding Gun Control

Guess who thinks YOU can't be trusted to own and use firearms responsibly.

My August "Rights Watch" column for GUNS Magazine is now online.

"What's Wrong With Gun Laws?"

The August 1955 issue of GUNS Magazine is now online. A Chicago cop, of all people, makes a statement against gun control--and you'll recognize many of the same arguments used today. The photos of New York and Chicago cops dumping confiscated firearms into the water should interest gun control historians.

Also in this issue:
"Why Cops Get Killed"
"How Dick Tracy Gets His Man"
"The 20,000 Guns of Jesse James"
and more.

And There Was War in the Heavens...

Some folks are taking me to task for yesterday's post.

In a nutshell: No, I am not "for" private employers banning guns, searching cars for them or firing employees who have them in their car trunks. I'd like to see company policies welcoming employees to carry on premises.

What concerns me is the method for achieving this--and whether the chair we pick up in this particular barfight is also used to smash rights to property and freedom of association. I see grave danger in ceding more power to government in these areas.

Under my argument, if you don't bend to my will, the worst that can happen is that our association is terminated. By entering government into the mix, the element of coercion is also introduced. Now, if I don't bend to your will, you can call in the JBTs to seize me and my property, and to destroy me if I resist.

That does not seem to me to be a formula for freedom.

But that doesn't mean we're powerless to retaliate against private parties that have anti-gun policies. Companies generally have a comparatively small profit margin--the difference of a percentage point or two can make a difference between thriving or succumbing, especially when they face a lot of competition.

That's why, while I fully support NRA's call to boycott ConocoPhillips. And while there are other companies that also deserve this response, I think it's smart strategy to focus on only one to make an example out of for the rest.

I challenge you who feel strongly about this to contact ConocoPhillips management. I'm not going to give an email address, because that's too easy to do--it will make more of an impression to contact them directly, either by mail or phone:

600 North Dairy Ashford (77079-1175)
P.O. Box 2197
Houston, TX 77252-2197
Phone 281.293.1000

Contact them today. And do it once a week until this is over. If you have one of their gas cards, cut it up and return it with a note telling them why. Make good on the boycott--refuse to buy their products. And spread the word--get your gun owner friends involved.

DeWine Whines

"In a lengthy speech on the Senate floor, the former Greene County prosecutor lashed out at the bill, which would require gun victims to prove that a crime had been committed before they could bring a civil lawsuit against the firearms industry." [More]

We can't have that, can we? No, we want to sue people who have complied with all the state and federal laws.

I'm originally from Ohio. If I still lived there, I'd be doing my best to put this fascist out to pasture--even if it meant letting a Sara Brady democrat win for a cycle. There is no other way to teach Ohio republicans the lesson that a choice unacceptable to gun owners will always lose.

I wish there was a way to convince all republicans of the same. Some of us do what we can, but fear of democrats seems to cow most people into settling for a perceived lesser evil.

Until we change that, nothing else will change. It doesn't have to.

Just What We Need:

NRA stumping for edicts to tell people what they can and cannot do with their private property. [More]

As loathsome as it might be, if I own a piece of property and you want to access it, and as long as I'm not forcing you to do so, I have a right to set the rules. You then have the right to tell me where to stick those rules, bypass me and mine in your commercial dealings, and rally people of like mind to do the same.

You do NOT have the right to impose your rules on my property under force of government arms.

The proper response to corporate anti-gun policies is exposure and consumer activism. I fear the use of state-enforced coercion over private property decisions provides too much potential to blow up in our faces, what with precedent and legal penumbras and all.

Vendetta

Angry Engineer joins other bloggers in expressing anticipation for the upcoming "V for Vendetta" (based on the graphic novels by Alan Moore).

What's not to like? The slogan: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people;" the trailer ending with a line from the Guy Fawkes poem...

I want to see it, too. Let's just not forget that the Chairman and President of Time Warner, and the conglomerate itself (of which the film's production company, Warner Bros. is a division) all made the gungrabber list.

Rule of thumb: rich and powerful Establishment types have no incentive to change the status quo.

As for Natalie Portman, the film's star, let's hope she's grown up some since I wrote "The Fandom Menace" for the Nov. 1999 issue of GUNS AND AMMO Magazine:

So there is no apparent disconnect when anti-gun Rosie O'Donnell displays armed "Star Wars" figurines while praising this newest release. There is no incredulity when "Phantom Menace" co-star Natalie Portman (the lightpistol-packing Queen Amidala of Theed) tells Rosie "I'm proud of you, your power, and talking about what you believe in."

As someone who has played the title role in Broadway's "The Diary of Anne Frank," you'd think Ms. Portman would know only too well the evil real life consequences of population disarmament. Instead, she vacuously asserts, "I'm in high school too, and I know what you're talking about...this stuff is hitting my school now too. Somebody's got to say something about it and not be afraid to do so."

And the audience cheers. After all, she's beautiful, successful, self-assured– what more do you need to be considered an authority in this era of image over substance? Yet they can't wait to see this privileged dilettante lead a make-believe armed retinue against the forces of darkness (as opposed to hiding in an attic with her unarmed family before being dragged off to a death camp).

We'll see how close the film "gets it," and I'll suspend judgment 'til then. But I am concerned that the guy in the comedy mask is bringing throwing daggers to what should be a gunfight...yeah, I heard the story takes place in a futuristic UK, but if the yobs in "Gunchester" can get 'em, why shouldn't revolutionaries?

If You Can't Stand the Heat...

Jed points us to a "spirited discussion" as well as a related thread at The Claire Files about Claire Wolfe's August "Enemy at the Gate" column in SWAT Magazine.

Conservatives, Guns, and Drugs

Sheldon Richman treats us to a great exercise in logic and truth.

People-Tracking RFIDs

Claire Wolfe tells us it's begun.

At least now we'll be able to keep track of Tommy Thompson.

The High and the Mighty

[WARNING--CONTAINS MOVIE ENDING SPOILER--PROCEED WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE]

Turner Classic Movies has been playing a resurrected John Wayne film, just recently released to DVD and apparently seen on TV for the first time: "The High and the Mighty."

I enjoyed it--from the soapy melodramas among the passengers, to scenes that were obvious sources* for the "Airplane" parodies, right down to Robert Stack thanking John Wayne for slapping him when he lost his cool: "I needed that."

I half expected to see Lloyd Bridges declaring it a bad week to give up sniffing glue, or Stack warning "That's just what they'll be expecting!" when the control tower ordered the runway lights turned on.

But what really struck me were the assumptions of the time: A stewardess (before the pc days of "flight attendant") lighting a passenger's cigarette--indeed, the pilots smoking in the cockpit. Not that I miss that, but you know what?--that choice ought to be determined by the market rather than dictated by the fedgov.

And then there was the handgun--carried by a passenger who was stalking a man he believed to be his wife's lover. He carried it right in his coat pocket.

He got on a plane without going through metal detectors. TSA didn't grope him or wand him down or make him take off his shoes. The other passengers took it away from him. One kept it in his pocket for safekeeping, and gave it back when the guy promised to be good! And because there was no harm/no foul, no SWAT team was waiting to take the guy out when he got off the plane--he disembarked down the stairs and walked across the tarmac to the terminal. In San Francisco!

I was two years old when this movie came out. I see the changes in assumptions that have happened in my lifetime, and wonder what assumptions will change when my sons are my age.

I guess that all depends on what we as a culture will tolerate and allow, doesn't it?

And the sad thing--a real letdown for me--is knowing guys like John Wayne and Charlton Heston paved the way for this to happen by supporting GCA '68.

* The main plot and inspiration for many scenes was from "Zero Hour!" which is now a hoot to watch.

UPDATE: To my knowledge, Wayne did not come out and publicly support the bill. But Heston, Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Hugh O'Brien and Kirk Douglas did.  High and mighty, indeed.

S.397 Passes Senate With Bike Lock Amendment

I'm sure there are a hundred-and-one uses for the damned thing as long as it never touches a gun.

Plenty on "our side" have already begun minimizing the impact on blogs and in forums, the apologetics centering around how most manufacturers already include locks with their products anyway.

Ain't that a shame? And why do they do this?

Oh, yeah, to keep from being sued.

How very circular.

The thing is, most gun owners feel this is no big deal, and the general public has been conditioned to respond that gun locks are only common sense. The mandate is acceptable to more people than it's not.

Let's see what else is tacked on in the House. I think the real question here is, do the powers pushing for this want it bad enough, and do they think they can sustain the fallout if they make a few other tiny concessions that are acceptable to more people than they're not?

Things like closing "the so-called gun show loophole" and regulating those icky .50 BMG rifles.

"Bring the Heat"

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration.]

The breaking poop on Berserkeley's latest "gun death":

"Moments before she was shot to death, 19-year-old Meleia Willis-Starbuck was heard by witnesses telling a friend on a cellular telephone to "bring the heat," which Berkeley police say was an apparent reference to a gun."

Just remember:

"No one blames anyone in this. We are all caught in this matrix created by too many handguns."

If you don't believe me, just ask Richard Hourula.

Take This USA Today Poll

Should gun makers be protected against lawsuit damages resulting from the illegal use of a firearm?

Don't let the fact that it's currently 92% to 7% in favor of "yes" deter you. Pile it on.

Yeah, it's "nonscientific," but it sure shows which side can mobilize the most people.

Analogy of the Week Award

Sent by an editor I know:

A new category, Analogy of the Week Award, has been added to the Sentence of the Week Award in honor of the following quote:

"The trigger stop on the 87 Target sent to me for testing reminded me of the description of JFK's adrenal glands at autopsy: atrophied to the point of disappearance."

"Black Arrow" Review in GUNS

I guess the September issue of GUNS Magazine must be out. I haven't received my comp copy yet (I think somebody at the Post Office is reading it first), but Vin Suprynowicz writes me about my review of "The Black Arrow":

By the way, I thought the write-up in "Guns" looked great. Thanks for the "how to buy" info.

Though I'm not sure how to deal with one $24 check that arrived here in the handwriting of an apparently very old fellow from Tennessee, made payable to "David Codrea" and itemized "for the Black Book."

For the record, I told him to send me the check so I could sign and return it to him.

"They're Always After Me Lucky Charms"

"THE IRA will destroy its vast arsenal within eight weeks after yesterday’s historic pledge to surrender all its guns.

"Provo godfathers have agreed to get rid of every last weapon, bullet and ounce of explosive by October — bringing to a close 36 years of bloody war with Britain." [More]

Right.

And I believe in these:

"Purpose will be available..."

"Purpose will be available..."
"Purpose will be available..."
"Purpose will be available..."
"Purpose will be available..."

The usual suspects do their best to throw procedural spoilers in the path of S.397.

If this was any other activity, such behavior would properly be labeled obsessive-compulsive.

I just figured out what it reminds me of--that scene from this movie:

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY...

JUMP!

Helen Thomas is threatening to kill herself if Dick Cheney runs for president.

I don't know why the White House continues to allow this harridan a seat at press conferences--especially since she is no longer a reporter, as everyone else is required to be, but an editorialist. I know they made an exception out of some sort of respect for her status and tenure and all, but seriously, why does this old cow deserve it?

I don't even particularly like Cheney, but I'd love to see him declare his candidacy if for no other reason than to either call her bluff, or so she would go ahead and put herself--and the rest of us--out of her misery.

In any case, and seriously, her statement ought to be sufficient proof of mental instability to get her banned from being in the physical presence of our heads of state.

Helen, if you decide to do us all a favor, here's a little background music for ya.

A Dilemma in Amber

There was an Amber Alert when I was driving home today.

I wanted to keep my eyes peeled for a crime being committed, so I could report it to the authorities.

But I was afraid if I did, I might be branded a "vigilante"

I Don’t NEED to Know What I’m Talking About

Another Berserkeley intellect weighs in on the woman who got killed by friendly fire after she called in for ground support. Like his Daily Planet (which one?) colleague, he too recommends stabbing—and adds clubbing—as preferred methods of assault.

"No One Blames Anyone in This"

"We are all caught in this matrix created by too many handguns."

Sheesh.

Fish Or Man is right. I need to get out to the woods.

Another Idiot Jury

As a "whole people," we certainly seem to have the government we deserve.

I guess not one in 12 knows or cares anything about this.

Are These Not “Job Killers,” Too?

An Open Letter to the California Chamber of Commerce

The California Chamber of Commerce lists 20 bills it identifies as “job killers,” and recommends they be opposed.

Why is there no mention of Senate Bill 357, requiring serial numbers on handgun ammunition, and Assembly Bill 352, requiring handguns to micro-imprint firearm-identifying data to shell casings?

The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, which establishes industry technical standards for the nation's leading manufacturers of sporting firearms, ammunition and components, has issued position papers opposing both of these bills, citing among other concerns:

SB357:

“Even if it took just a fraction of a second to laser engrave a bullet with a serial number, ammunition production would be slowed down dramatically. SAAMI estimates that it would take as much as three weeks to make what is now manufactured in a single day! No manufacturer can withstand such a massive slow-done in production. They would cease to be profitable. Instead manufacturers would have no alternative but to abandon the California market. This is because the tens of millions of dollars needed to comply with SB 357 far exceeds the reasonable profit a manufacturer could ever hope to make selling ammunition in the California market. The cost to comply would bankrupt any manufacturer that tried. Even abandoning the California market comes at a cost. Manufacturers will suffer lost sales and profits; but the lesser of two evils remains to abandon the market.”

AB352:

“Dramatic Price Increases and Reduction in Supply. Compelling the use of this unproven and untested technology will dramatically reduce the product selection available to law abiding consumers in California, because some manufacturers will choose to abandon the California market rather than incur the massive costs associated with complying, which include purchasing very expensive equipment and patented technology...and completely redesigning their manufacturing processes, plant and equipment...Clearly, any attempt to comply with the requirements of this bill would force a radical and complete redesign of time-tested, finely tuned and efficient manufacturing processes. It would cost millions of dollars to do this.”

Will you add these bills to your list of “job killers” and publicly oppose them, encouraging your members to do the same?

If “yes,” what will you do to inform your members, the media and those in government whom you lobby?

If “no,” why not?

Sincerely,
David Codrea
The War on Guns

A Meaningless Poll

I received the following email from KeepAndBearArms.com:

"Cast Your Vote In New Poll; Should gun owners and gun rights organizations support Senate Confirmation of Judge John G. Roberts to the US Supreme Court? If you have not already done so, go to KeepAndBearArms.com and cast your vote in the poll on confirmation of Judge John G. Roberts to the US Supreme Court. The poll appears in the left hand column of the web page. A number of national radio talk show hosts and leaders of gun rights organizations are monitoring this poll closely."

Poll results at this writing:

Yes 79.7% 534 votes
No 5.8% 39 votes
Undecided 14.5% 97 votes
Total Votes: 670

On what basis can gun owners make any kind of informed judgment on the Roberts nomination?

Can KABA point to any meaningful indicators on Judge Roberts' sentiments on the Second Amendment? Unless something new has been disclosed that I'm out of the loop on, even NRA, with all its Washington connections and insider information has been mum on the subject of Roberts and guns.

Here's what we do know:

Hillary is reported to be ready to confirm him. Feinstein is "impressed" with him. Schumer's only 2A-related concern is whether or not he agrees with a prior high court decision to overturn the "Gun Free School Zones Act."

Nearly all of the debate concerning the Roberts nomination revolves around Roe v Wade. On the gun issue, all we really have is that he voted in favor of the petition to rehear the Seegars case, and for some reason, that information has disappeared from the blog that reported it.

Perhaps gun owner support comes from some sort of innate trust for George Bush's judicial picks?

I know--Bush saying he was for the "assault weapons" ban was some sort of ploy to get elected. Bush AG Alberto Gonzales saying he also was for the "assault weapons" ban was some sort of ploy to get confirmed. And BATFU Gauleiter Lewis P. Raden, who works for Gonzales, who works for Bush, unilaterally, and without warning or prior communication issuing an edict to halt the importation of frames, receivers and barrels must be some kind of ploy to prove what, exactly?

How can any gun owner vote "Yes" in this poll and claim to have an informed opinion? How can they even claim to have a rational basis for wishful thinking?

Quick, Everyone, Stop Enjoying Yourselves: Rosie's Disgruntled Again

"Rapper Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs has angered celebrity neighbor Rosie O'Donnell after throwing an extravagant fireworks show that left her children in tears.

"O'Donnell is upset after spending all night calming her frightened puppy and consoling her four sobbing kids who were left terrified by the loud display."

Rosie, what are you doing to those children to where their reaction is one of terror instead of wonderment? How do those poor kids stand a chance with a self-admitted headcase like you as their primary adult role model? How have you described yourself? Oh yeah, “one of the haunted…with an absurd ability to deny the obvious.”

I don't suppose it's possible they were reacting to your reaction? Do they cry often in situations where other children do not? Do you?

It's also telling how something that leaves you inconvenienced and disgruntled also leaves you feeling entitled to trivialize true disasters like "a war zone -- downtown Baghdad -- a subway in London -- a hotel in Egypt and on and on and on," which in turn trivializes sacrifice and tragedy and horror. You hearing fireworks from your mansion equates with human carnage?

But then, it's all about you, isn't it, Rosie, and getting attention by letting everyone know how miserable you are? And making them miserable in the process?

A Snap of it's Fingers?

The Washington Post at its hysterical worst. The implication is clear: by bringing the frivolous gun lawsuit bill to the Senate floor, NRA sidelined a "critical Defense Department appropriations bill," endangering us all.

Suddenly, these subversives are for defense.

There can be no peace with these creatures. We cannot coexist. They won't let us.

This really illustrates the foolishness of those companies that cave in the face of legal pressure. They have bought themselves temporary respite at the cost of giving the enemy a beachhead from where it can fortify its position and threaten everyone.

Whose Side Are YOU On?

I designed this graphic over 10 years ago, back when I was active in the Westside Firearms Association, which became the NRA Members Council of Westside Los Angeles. It was originally produced on a t-shirt which we sold as a fundraiser. I also posted it on the old GunTruths.com website.

The only copy I had to date was pretty grainy--I discovered this cleaner version on an old floppy disk I found while going through some old stuff, and figured I'd better save it elsewhere before it was lost forever.

Consider it saved. Although maybe the best course of action would be to just redo it from scratch to produce something really clear...

I still have my shirt, but it's getting kind of worn. Maybe I'll make some more up.

Don't Mess With This Mom

From an anonymous correspondent:

Your piece on "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" got me thinking. I have a few images sitting around and I thought you might make use of them at some time or another.

The female in the images is my wife. She's not acting for these images. She was ambivalent towards firearms until a few years ago. She finally agreed to go to the range with me and the rest is history. She almost broke the bank last year with the number of handguns she purchased in addition to buying our 9 year old son his first .22 rifle. She's a wife and a mother of three. Unlike the "million moms," she has told me that our sons and daughter will not leave home until they have become thoroughly proficient in their defensive shooting skills.

My correspondent is quite an accomplished photographer. I'd like to see him start a website to post his portfolio on. He's also pretty fortunate to have such a rational life partner.

Second Amendment--Down But Not Out?

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership posted "The Second Amendment is Alive and Well" , in response to writer David Brownlow's opinion piece, "The Second Amendment is Already Dead."

Skip in Texas adds his thoughts in an open letter to Mr. Brownlow, posted here with permission:

JPFO's comments are correct in that your article is worth reading and discussing. Both you and JPFO had some very valid points in your arguments. As a retired military officer I believe that you far underestimate the capabilities of our Nation's civilians, especially those with previous military experience, to act in support of our rights should that need ever arise.

There are millions of us with a vast amount of military experience who remain capable of neutralizing or commandeering and using the superior weapons currently in the possession of the presumed opposition. Also, there are many currently in uniform, military and law enforcement, who still abide by their oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Just as our founders fought and prevailed against superior forces, so is possible for us to do again, if needed. While the gov't can concentrate a vast amount of combat power into a small, specific area, it would be outgunned by a large margin should widespread revolution break out across the land, or even within an area the size of several states. I suspect that many more, in uniform at the time, would sympathize with those defending the Constitution and our Founders' ideals than one might imagine. This could happen in any of a number of ways, but make no mistake, happen it could.

Regarding your comment: "Sure, we might still have the ability to wage a little one-man revolution - for about five minutes!", I can assure you that anyone with any smarts what-so-ever could make things happen in their favor for much longer than that. An area that you completely ignore in your thesis is that of "leaderless resistance". Probably one of the best books on the topic is titled "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. If you have not read it, you should consider it. I'm sure there are other models out there too. In many of these scenarios, at least at the beginning, it would be necessary for a few dedicated individuals, acting individually or in concert, to get the ball rolling and then convince others to join in the action; or others would join in because of the ongoing actions. Our Nation is becoming more and more of a tinder box in this regard and I suspect that at some point a spark in the right place could ignite a wildfire throughout many parts of the country.

JPFO's comment: "History everywhere shows that a fire in the belly -- the will to be free -- triumphs over superior weaponry," is very valid, especially when that superior weaponry can be turned against those attempting to usurp the freedoms of another. Consider too that such an action by "the people" would only be required until those necessary factions of the gov't could be neutralized or disempowered, which would allow the freedoms to be returned to the people, perhaps without a complete cleansing of those in power. That would allow a Constitutional gov't to continue without the need to start up an entirely new gov't. There are a number of ways that this could happen but some of "the people" using the meager resources currently available to them could certainly start the ball rolling, should that become necessary.

Still, your article is worthwhile, if perhaps naive, in several respects. Keep up the good work.

Birds Do It

My sister sent me this after I posted the piece on how "charity" is destroying Africa:

I have to share one, and it's even true. On a goofy whim I bought a hummingbird feeder a few weeks ago. It is a complete hoot, but I may have to rethink the moral implications of this ornithological entertainment. I got birdie visits within 10 minutes of putting the damn thing up on my back porch, which is pretty interesting. But it took less than a day for the birds to completely stop foraging the hibiscus - too much work apparently when the Federal auto dispenser is so close by. Then the altercations started - alpha birdie [actually I think its a she] plops her butt on the perch, hogs and chases the others off. And just a couple of days ago the drive by peckings started up. So now I have fat, lazy, hostile birdies dependent on subsidies.

Of course, its pretty funny to watch, too...