Storm Warning

Outside the Superdome, chaos ruled. Looters ransacked with impunity. Armed gangs robbed and raped and killed. Rescue helicopters were shot at. Police were photographed and videotaped joining in the looting. Hundreds of police went AWOL or quit outright. Mayor Nagin bizarrely claimed they needed a five-day all-expenses-paid Las Vegas vacation to cope with the stress.

Meanwhile, reports began to emerge of armed citizens warning off looters, repelling roving gangs, firing warning shots, and taking responsibility for their own protection where the police clearly could or would not.

"Storm Warning" is my Rights Watch column for the Dec. 2005 issue of GUNS Magazine. This has actually been posted on their website for the past month, but for some reason it wasn't linked from the main page, so I didn't realize it and announce it here.

It was written as reports were coming fast and furious across news desks, so when the smoke cleared a month after it was published, I felt compelled to send the editor the following clarification for publication in a later issue:

"Storm Warning" (my December “Rights Watch column) referenced incidents of Superdome violence reported in the media that have subsequently been determined to be exaggerated. The article was written in the midst of the disaster and used information available at the time. Note the article was also submitted before the reported gun confiscations and NRA/SAF legal action to halt firearms seizures.--David Codrea

More on Machine Gun Charges

This is the "official" press release elaborating on yesterday's post.

Yes, there is very definitely some lawbreaking going on here. For starters, kidnapping...

[Thanks to JM]

It's a Start

Alfano, who was promoted to Assistant Minority Leader last week, said the new measures are a step in the right direction...

For those who doubt the ultimate aim of the gungrabbers, note the rhetoric.

It's a "start." It's "a step in the right direction."

There's no acknowledgement of the thousands of citizen disarmament laws already in existence that have already utterly failed to impact the feigned and proclaimed goals of the next edict. No, we're treading virgin snow here, and we all know how a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Note that Alfano's another Republican who wants to spread this Bloomberging treachery nationwide.

A Bloom(berg)ing Idiot

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday boosted his anti-gun rhetoric, insisting that the only reason to carry a gun in New York City is to "kill somebody" and wondering aloud why people consider it a sport to hunt with assault rifles.

Oh, wait a minute...I read further down in the article.

He wasn't talking about the NYPD or his taxpayer-funded armed bodyguards. Never mind.

Something in Common

Triggerfinger says he shares a trait with me. If so, I'm sure he'll confirm that being jaw-droppingly handsome can at times be more of a burden than a blessing.

There's a mind in here, too...

We're the Only Ones Precautionary Enough...

Bowyer stated he was conducting a "press check" to ensure the small handgun he carried with him while off-duty was properly loaded...

It was.

When I press their triggers, my loaded guns fire, too.

CITGO's Resolution

I received the following email from Bruce McCall, Customer Service Representative for CITGO. You remember the story.

Dear Mr. Codrea,

I apologize for the delay in getting back to you, but we wanted to make sure that we investigated this incident thoroughly. I would like to update you on what we have learned and what actions have been taken following the robbery at the CITGO station in Gary.

The owner of the station has made a public apology to the robbery victim, replaced her stolen money and met with Gary Mayor Scott King to discuss ways business owners can work more effectively with city and police officials. This meeting has had a positive result -- according to the police chief, the Gary Police Department intends to sponsor a series of sessions for local gas station owners and employees.

Since the station owner has taken these actions, CITGO Petroleum Corporation will not de-brand this retail outlet. Remember, CITGO does not own or operate any of the more than 13,000 branded locations. Actions such as those of the attendant do not reflect the commitment that CITGO has to the communities where we do business.

We appreciate and share your concern over such matters. Rest assured that we do not take these things lightly.

Thank you for your time and concern,

Bruce McCall

I think Mr. McCall deserves credit for following through with this reply, especially since it would have been easier to just ignore me.

There Is Nothing Perplexing About the Second Amendment

That is, if you can read.

Nicki helps de-perplex things.

(Yes, I admit that's probably not a word, but it sounded better than "unperplexify.")

"I Sent You a Boat, I Sent You a Helicopter..."

"I was hoping and praying that everyone [would stay] still and calm, and hoped that there would be no violence," McLaughlin said last night.

"He ordered several children and their father to go up the aisles getting purses and wallets," McLaughlin, 48, said."

A predator is threatening children at gunpoint, for God's sake, their fathers are helpless to do anything but obey, and all the pastor can do is "hope and pray."

These parishioners and their minister remind me of the old joke about the flood victim.

[Thanks to Bill Clark]

Some Good Questions

Schools and taverns and police stations and restaurants and kindergartens and government buildings and jails and airports (well, just past the security checkpoints; up to there they're OK) all are on the prohibited list.

So here's the question: If permit-holders are safe and reliable enough to be handed permits, why aren't they safe everywhere? Why can they not go into the federal courthouse in Madison, but they can wander into the Wausau Center mall or through the heart of downtown?...It's obvious that lawmakers aren't sure. They hope licensees will be trustworthy, but they're not willing to bet the lives of schoolchildren or cops on it. They're not willing to bet that one of these fine and upstanding citizens won't have one too many at the local watering hole and open fire.

More snide innuendo and hysteria from a smarmy, bedwetting statist, but it does inadvertently illustrate the drawback of permits. Ceding this authority to the very people we are ultimately supposed to be able to protect ourselves from is so wrong, but we've been sold the bill of goods that this is "incremental progress."

[Thanks to HZ]

A Question of Guilt

Ten men from Georgia and two from Kentucky and Alabama pleaded guilty in Atlanta today to federal charges relating to the unlawful manufacture, sale, and possession of machine guns.

The story doesn't tell us who they hurt, or where the US Attorney's Office got the Constitutional authority to have any say in the matter. If I find out, I'll be sure and let you know.

Judges vs NJ Lawmakers

The case represents the most serious clash in decades between the Legislature and the courts. Lawmakers had passed the bill despite testimony from the judiciary that arming probation officers would destroy their "neutrality."

That's actually pretty dang funny.

I love it when statists turn on each other.

Seeing Crime Guns Destroyed Gives Solace to Victims' Families

Look up the word "deodand" and tell me we're still not living in medieval times.

UPDATE: the ten ring has more.

We're the Only Ones Confirmed Enough...

A policeman died when his own gun fell on the floor and fired a bullet into his chest yesterday...The victim had earlier been reported to have committed suicide but the report could not be confirmed.

As straightarrow observed about another suspicious death in the Phillipines:

I will bet you he was Catholic. Suicide would prevent him from burial in consecrated ground. Accident would not.

Mama lied. The priests will know it, the police will know it, but most probably, just like here, if it causes no further harm to anyone will go along with the "accidental" story out of respect for the mother.

Own a Gun, Languish in Jail

"Reverse onus" bail rules -- already used in cases of suspected murder and terrorism –- require the defence to prove why the suspect should be allowed bail.

In other words, obey citizen disarmament edicts or get thrown into a hole with the most violent scum on the planet--and survive as best you can until we get around to formally convicting you.

This is nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism.

About Marion Barry Being Robbed...

As I commented on Blognomicon:

This whole story doesn't smell right.

Are we to believe Barry doesn't know street hoods when he sees them? That he gave them a few dollars to carry groceries?

They came back and he invited them in?

Why do I cynically suspect he wanted a drug deal, and they saw an opportunity?

The fact that he says he has "no animosity" and is pledging to "advocate non-prosecution" makes me wonder if he's trying to buy silence if they are caught.

"There is a sort of an unwritten code in Washington, among the underworld and the hustlers and these other guys, that I am their friend," Barry said at an afternoon news conference...

That part I'll buy.

An "Honest" Person

I have no problem being monitored. It's because I'm not a terrorist and I'm not involved in terrorist activities. If monitoring would reassure my government of this fact — monitor away, please...I'm also a responsible gun owner, and the government is welcome to know about my legally owned firearms. I take my Second Amendment rights seriously, as all sportsmen and collectors should. Why should honest people be concerned about the government knowing how many guns they have?

If such a thing is definable, this is quite possibly the most "un-American" commentary I have ever read.

William Fowler, I won't even wish that your chains set lightly.

[Via KABA Newslinks]

Blowing the Whistle on Gun Murder

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration.]

Meantime, the gun-murder rate in Jamaica is among the highest in the world. But nobody mentioned that. In fact, the word "Jamaica" can't be found in any of these penetrating analyses, even though police will tell you off the record that 80 per cent or more of the city's gun crime is Jamaican-related.

Looks like somebody else is noticing that elephant in the room. The gutless blood-dancing politicians, the hand-wringing enuretics and the manipulating social engineers would have the gullible public believe it's all about inanimate objects.

Some are so paralyzed at the prospect of being charged with bigotry that they'll sabotage the truth. Others just have an agenda.

This would make an interesting statistical analysis for John Lott, who demonstrated media bias against mentioning defensive gun use. How many articles about "gun crime" mention the demographic and cultural trends wherein most of it takes place?

A Welcome Correspondence

I got the following email out of the blue yesterday from someone I have never heard from before. With the author's permission (he prefers to remain anonymous), I am presenting it here for two reasons: It supports much of what we have come to understand about federal law enforcement mentality--and the state worshippers who admire them; and because the kind words the writer had for this site come at a time when I'm struggling with whether or not it's worth the effort.

When you consider how a gun show can draw tens of thousands, and yet look at the pathetic site visit statistics this and most other gun blogs draw, it's easy to get discouraged. Take a look at the blogroll in the left column. There are many fine sites with great material being brought to you regularly by people of insight, talent and dedication. I encourage you to pick a few that you enjoy and visit regularly, and tell those bloggers you appreciate their work. Why not also tell your friends about these sites, and occasionally send them links to posts you find important, funny or interesting?

Dear Mr. Codrea:

I have been reading your web log for several months and I am heartened to know that you are out there dissenting in the face of the power mongers who want to take away our freedom. I live in Chicago, where police-state tactics are accepted as the normal way to do things. A few months ago a supposed friend told me he thought that his acquaintances in BATFE (or, as you put it, BATFU) were "cool" because they were "above the law" so they could break laws with impunity, where people who were not government agents would be arrested. These characters actually bragged to him that they could get him out of any trouble with a local cop and have any charges dropped as long as he didn't do something to personally antagonize the cop. So I found myself looking at another example of the blind worship of power.

I'm no longer surprised by the kinds of stories I read on your website. Most people seem to have absolutely no concept of the principles this nation was founded upon. What I like about your website is that you take an intelligent, thoughtful approach to the issues. Too many people focus only on the issue of guns, missing out
on the bigger freedom picture, and display knee-jerk reactions that follow the NRA party line or that of some other organization or individual they consider infallible.

Your website is a breath of fresh air in a world where our rights are routinely violated, and even many people who vaguely sense that something is wrong do not understand the concept of individual liberty. Thank you for carrying the unadulterated message of liberty.

Sincerely,
A Friend of Freedom

What, Me Weird?

Nicki tagged me to confess to 5 weird things about myself. I've always believed weird is in the eye of the beholder, and truth be known, am proud of my misfit status. I mean, in a culture that rewards the likes of Paris Hilton and Sniff Dog with celebrity, who with a shred of self esteem or intelligence would want to fit in?

1. I catch and release insects from the house whenever possible, rather than kill them.

2. Contrary to the impression some have from my writing, I'm actually quite humble in person.

3. I once tried to fight a malevolent ghost. No kidding. And I don't even believe in ghosts, but have no other explanation for what happened.

4. I sometimes dream that I can fly after taking a running leap. But I'm never more than a foot or so off the ground, leaning forward, kind of doing a perpetual ski jump.

5. Here's probably the biggest weird statement about myself I could make: I'm really not that much into guns. That's why you don't see "gun porn" here, or ever see me write about technical matters. For me, the passion is in the principles involved.

I tag anyone who wishes to add a comment to this post.

Illinois Makes Progress in War on Freedom

Stiffer gun and drug laws are among hundreds of new Illinois laws that take effect today.

One law requires trigger-lock mechanisms to be included with the sale of any gun. Another bars people from buying stun guns or tasers unless they have a Firearm Owners I-D card...

Another new law says cold medicines that can be used to make methamphetamine must be kept behind the counter and sold only to people with a valid I-D.

Look for a rise in "gun deaths" and meth use.

News like this always makes me think of a passage from "One of the People," Philadelphia Federal Gazette, July 2, 1789:

"What should we think of a gentleman, who, upon hiring a waiting-man, should say to him—'my friend, please to take notice, before we come together, that I shall always claim the liberty of eating when and what I please, of fishing and hunting upon my own ground, of keeping as many horses and hounds as I can maintain, and of speaking and writing my sentiments upon all subjects.' A servant must be a fool, who would not suppose such a master to be a madman... Let these truths sink deep into our hearts: that the people are the masters of their rulers and that rulers are the servants of the people..."

We're the Only Ones Celebratory Enough...

The suspect, identified as PO2 Orlando Antonio, was collared by fellow policemen after he was caught firing his gun in Tondo, Manila.

Orlando, Orlando.

Didn't anyone tell you about masking tape?

Cancerous Bloomberg Pledges to Metastasize

"We will take our message to Albany, to Washington and to every capital of every state that permits guns to flow freely across its borders," said Bloomberg.

"And to those who distort our laws to aid and abet hardened criminals, know this," he said, punching the air for emphasis. "We will not rest until we secure all of the tools we need to protect New Yorkers from the scourge of illegal guns."

I wonder how that sounds being screamed in its original German?

My "favorite" point from this story--and one that we ignore at our peril:

Gun control advocates said that as the Republican mayor of the country's largest city - and one of the GOP's most generous donors - Bloomberg could be uniquely positioned to influence the national gun control debate.

Presumptions About "First Gun Death of 2006"

Reading the lead paragraphs, my immediate thought was "I'll bet he was involved with gangs."

Not more than five hours after ringing in the new year, a 21-year-old man was gunned down in the driver's seat of his Cadillac DeVille yesterday.

Dillan Yhanike Anderson of North York was pronounced dead at Sunnybrook hospital after he was found slumped over in the driver's seat of his car in an alley...

"What's a 21-year-old from New York doing in a Cadillac in a Toronto alley late at night?" I asked myself.

"Here we are just into 2006 and already there is another mother planning to bury her son," said homicide Det. Steve Ryan.

Now I started to feel bad for being presumptuous. Det. Ryan's spin evokes visions of June Cleaver grieving over a slaughtered Wally. Still:

Mayor David Miller said he was disappointed to learn of yesterday's murder.

"Every shooting fills me with sadness and this one again appears to be connected to the gang and the gun trade. It tells me that the things we're doing are the right things -- we just have to get them moving."

So my instincts were right? Anderson probably was up to something? And does anybody else find it creepy the way the mayor took the opportunity to publicly dance in fresh blood to hawk his citizen disarmament agenda?

"I think someone approached the vehicle and shots were fired from outside the car," Ryan said.

Yep, gangland hit, alright.

And there's one more "surprise" twist in this case:

Anderson was known to police. In 2003 Anderson and a 17-year-old were arrested in connection with the robbery and shooting of a man near Jane Street and Wilson Avenue. The victim in that case survived.

Dillan, my man: say it ain't so!

Would it be presumptuous and wrong of me to speculate about that victim?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Should auld acquaintance be forqot,
Tho' they return with scars?
These are a noble hero's lot,
Obtain'd in glorious wars;
Welcome, my Varo, to my breast,
Thy arms about me twine,
And make me once again as blest,
As I was lang syne.

[Auld Lang Syne (Original)]

FAA to Disarm Universe

More than 120 pages of proposed rules, released Thursday, governing the future of space tourism touch on medical standards for passengers, preflight training and other topics.

What kind of "other topics" are addressed in Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and Space Flight Participants?

For one thing, Section II.A.9, "Human Factors" (p.29) states:

The FAA proposes to require an operator to make provisions for restraint or stowage of all individuals and objects in the cabin, so moving objects do not interfere with the flight crew's operation of the vehicle during flight.

II.B.5., "Security Requirements" (p.38) is where things really start to get interesting:

The FAA proposes to require an operator to implement security requirements to prevent any space flight participant from jeopardizing the safety of the flight crew or the public. Security restrictions currently apply to passengers for airlines. Some of the restrictions prohibit a person carrying explosives, firearms, knives, or other weapons from boarding an airplane. Similar types of security restrictions for launch or reentry vehicles would contribute to the safety of the public by preventing a space flight participant from potentially interfering with the flight crew's operation of the vehicle. Any such interference might jeopardize the flight crew's ability to protect the public. The FAA notes that one means of satisfying part of this requirement would be for an operator to consult the "no-fly" list of the Transportation Security Administration.

So just to get things straight: Seeing as how government does everything so well, including the astounding competence demonstrated by the TSA, the feds (naturally, and unsurprisingly) intend to extend their clutches into private space travel. The pioneer developers clearly aren't competent to decide for themselves who and what they wish to let aboard their craft, and under what mutually acceptable contractual terms and conditions.

The bureaucrats aren't very imaginative, are they? You don't need to be a speculative/science fiction enthusiast to imagine the opportunities for an "outlaw" existence once colonization of the Moon and Mars begins in earnest, or asteroid mining, or beyond...

The desire for freedom will not be lessened, nor will the righteous defiance of tyrannical restraints. What kind of people do these form-stamping parasites think the new pioneers will be?

UPDATE: I posted this article to their Public Comment form. Please consider sending them comments of your own.

[Jed has more.]

Rapper Pimp C Released From Prison

He was charged after brandishing a gun during an argument with a woman at a mall.

I thought I'd end 2005 with some happy news.

An Imbecile of One

A U.S. soldier on leave from the Army was arrested on Thursday for firing into the air and subsequently killing a young mother as she looked out her window.

If he had just had a roll of masking tape...

Gun 'Sealing' to Mark New Year

Lomibao and Tolentino said the firearms of all soldiers and policemen nationwide will be sealed with masking tapes and duly-signed by their unit commanders to deter them from firing their guns during the frenetic New Year revelries.

The guns, they said, will be duly inspected and unsealed after the holidays to ferret out violators on whom appropriately severe penalties will be imposed.

Lomibao said the police will carry out similar close monitoring of all duly licensed firearms issued to civilians in accordance with Arroyo's directive.

And all those with unlicensed firearms will no doubt put their own tape on and comply out of the goodness of their hearts...

Right, THAT'LL Work...

Calls for an end to gun violence were heard at a candlelight vigil in downtown Toronto...Among those who attended was Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty...

who thinks the best way to end gun violence besides singing Kumbaya is to lock people up for four years for possessing a handgun--at gunpoint, and killing them if they don't comply.

So "gun control" is not about "getting rid of the guns," is it?

Send in the Army?

Perhaps the most ridiculous suggestion, however, was the one made by Pastor Allan Bowen of the Abundant Life Assembly in Etobicoke. "(City leaders) have to call in the army," he said. "The army should be left in the communities for two years. They will be able to conduct random checks until the guns disappear." What is this? Iraq?

It's nice to see a common sense editorial appear in The Edmonton Sun. Pastor Bowen's sentiments are worth noting, though. Those who want a total ban on private gun ownership would indeed prefer martial law to an armed citizenry. This is but one more proof of the inevitable relationship of gun control with absolute, unchecked tyranny.

Good News From Wyoming

Representative Becket Hinckley of Cheyenne is planning to sponsor a bill that would allow people to carry a concealed weapon without going through the application process.

Two other legislators are sponsoring a measure that would make Wyoming a "no retreat" state.

No Taping of Gun Nozzles

NO GUN nozzle will be taped this time as preventive measure against discriminate firing by police and military personnel during the coming New Year celebration.

Davao City Police Office chief Catalino Cuy said he does not find it necessary to tape the nozzles of policemen's guns just to ensure that they would not fire their guns during the revelry.

Nice to know Chief Cuy has such faith in the caliber of his men

Unlike some people we could mention.

When I first saw "nozzles," I was wondering if they were issued squirt guns. But then I realized they must have some of those "bullet hoses" I've been hearing about...

We're the Only Ones Exceptional Enough...

A Palm Beach County school police officer was arrested in Pompano Beach on Monday and accused of using a firearm while intoxicated, among other charges, according to Broward County sheriff's officials...Broward sheriff's officials said witnesses heard shots fired from the 1998 Red Mercury Marquis driven by Nicholas Sarnicola, 48, of Boca Raton, who works as a school officer at Boca Raton Middle School.

What did Wayne say to thunderous applause?

Oh, yeah:

[W]e believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America's schools, period ... with the rare exception of law enforcement officers or trained security personnel.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Guard Faces Gun Charges

The District Attorney's Office charged a local probation officer arrested for smuggling drugs into Juvenile Hall with two felony gun offenses...both felonies that can result in Gonzales being locked-up for a maximum of five years, according to Sarsfield. However, Gonzales was released from custody Friday on his own recognizance.

I'm sure you and I, who aren't in "law enforcement," would be released on our own recognizance under similar circumstances.

Wouldn't we?

We're the Only Ones Phat Enough...

An off-duty New York police officer who claimed he was friends with 50 Cent and Ja Rule was recently arraigned on gun possession and is suspected to have planned robberies against drug dealers. He also boasted about being on the verge of a $1 million recording contract.

Nice to see standards on the force are rising, yo.

[Follow-up to this story]

Shameless Plug: Stand Your Ground

It’s not our fault that anti-defense misfits don’t trust themselves and transfer their self-loathing to the rest of us. Their hysterics don’t entitle them to impose their will on the rest of us under force of law. Just as we must sometimes turn and repel someone attacking our person, so must we defend against any who would attack our rights.

"Stand Your Ground" is my February Rights Watch column for GUNS Magazine, available now at steadfast newsstands throughout the Republic.

BONUS: See pg. 84 to find out how you can win an FM 9mm Hi-Power M95 Detective Model and Mitch Rosen Premier holster.

Buck-Buck-Buck-AWWW

A PFA order is not a quick fix for everyone. It is a tool and just like a hammer or wrench...

So is a gun, Beata. Try using your tool to repel an attack.

Why does "Peck Little" evoke images of a witless clucking hen?

N.C. Man Arrested for Stun Gun in Baggage

A North Carolina man is charged with unauthorized use of a weapon and attempting to board an aircraft with a weapon.

Chicago Police say a screener at O'Hare International Airport found the stun gun in baggage belonging to 35-year-old John Adegbenjo of Winston-Salem last night. He was going through a security checkpoint at the time.

Oopsie!

Who does that guy think he is?

Juan Hinojosa?

We're the Only Ones Lawful Enough

A police officer arrested Tuesday along with three other men who were allegedly carrying illegally defaced handguns is suspected of robbing drug dealers in Manhattan.

But lift a finger against these guys and you'll have Patrick Lynch to contend with.

Besides, who's gonna have more credibility in the courtroom: some lowlife street scum, or a sworn officer of the law?

Like a Good Neighbor, Rob Hansen Is There

Including a new addition, the 35,000-square-foot building will offer 12 pistol ranges, five 100-yard rifle ranges and an 11,000-square-foot space for a game similar to paintball, but without the mess....

Still, the project has triggered concern from neighbors.

Before the county Board of Adjustments and Appeals approved the project in January, about 100 residents signed a petition opposing it, said Rob Hansen, who lives nearby. He worries about accidents in the parking lot.

"I don't want a gun range, even if it's indoors, 300 feet from my back door," he said. "It only takes one accident, and I don't want that to be my kids."

In other words, if you don't have legitimate concerns, invent some. And make sure they're as hysterical as you can make them sound, to ensure the press repeating them.

Federal Agent Shoots the Beaver

Hey, I'm just reporting what happened.

Blatant Anti-Gun Bias

Nicki adds her insights to the Katherine Letellier brouhaha.

For You, It's a Felony. For Me, It's an "Oopsie!"

Banno, 48, of 411 W. Thousand Oaks faces one count of boarding a plane with a weapon, a Class 4 felony punishable by either probation or up to three years in prison.

Banno was arrested shortly before 8 a.m. Nov. 22 by airport police as he tried to pass through the security checkpoint on his way to catch a flight to Florida. The weapon, a .380-caliber handgun, showed up as his carry-on bag was sent through the X-ray machine.

You know what his mistake was, right?

He's not a political elite.

We're the Only...Ahhh...That's Quite a Coincidence, Wouldn't You Say...?

A Waterloo police officer accidentally shot his gun while investigating a shots fired call Monday.

[Thanks to Benson]

The Doppelganger from Dimension X

There's only one explanation.

The Barry Campbell I referred to was obviously Evil Barry from a parallel universe.

Firearm Saved Us From Four Armed Hijackers

In this country orders are placed with hijacking syndicates for low-mileage luxury cars for sale in adjacent countries, information being obtained from motor dealer staff as to car types and names and addresses of purchasers.

Well, that would certainly make me eager to register my firearms, as is being demanded. Then orders could be placed for expensive guns, and the crime syndicates would know the names and addresses of their owners.

[Thanks to John Schaefer]

Well, They Selectively Edited My Response...

...to our old pal Katherine Letellier. You remember, the teacher who claimed quotes from the founders supported a collective rights theory of the Second Amendment, and then couldn't substantiate her position when I challenged her.

For reasons known only to the editors of The Free-Lance Star, they chose to omit the last two sentences, that is, the whole point of my letter:

Since she made a public claim, wouldn't it be appropriate if she provided some of those quotes that she says exist? Or issued a retraction if she cannot?

Why do you suppose they did that?

What's Wrong With This Picture?

No, I'm not pointing out that some sheep would rather have merchandise than freedom tools, or that cops and businesses are funding another pointless media-circus "buyback." We should have come to expect such nonsense by now.

What I find truly absurd about this article is this:

The two were among dozens of gun-toting residents who converged on a shopping center parking lot Saturday to anonymously [emphasis added--DC] swap firearms for gift certificates as part of a program aimed at reducing violence in this crime-plagued city.

Good job, Sandy Cohen of the Associated Press!

You've now announced the names of "Big Daddy" Willis, Charlene Watt and Ruther Daniels. But I suppose if these three had the acumen to withhold their names, they wouldn't be turning in guns for gift certificates.

Wonder what poor Charlene will do when she finds out she needs to turn in about 20 more shotguns to get that plasma TV?

We're the Only...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

REGIONAL police director Prospero Noble has directed all policemen to seal the barrels of their service firearms with masking tapes starting December 30 to assure that no indiscriminate firing will welcome the New Year.

Noble said he would conduct an inspection on December 31 to check if all the policemen under his command followed his directive.

Uhh...Prospero?

They couldn't just take the tape off after your inspection?

"Please, Let Us Debate Gun Ownership Without 'Acrimony'"

Why become "very angry" at my merely expressing an opinion with which one disagrees?

Well, John Paul, maybe it's because you are free to ignore our opinions and no ninjas will come after after you.

Guess what happens to one of us when we ignore one of those evil citizen disarmament edicts you promote?

What Have We Been Saying All Along?

Wouldn't it make more sense to define the ultimate battle as one for a national ban on handguns...?

Sorry, Jenny Price.

You get the same answer I gave Sallie Tisdale.

[Thanks to GunShowOnTheNet]

Merry Christmas

May the meaning and joy of Christmas fill your heart with peace and gladness.

I'm taking a few days off to give those I love some undivided attention. I have the luxury of doing this because on a cold night in 1776, better men than me gave up their Christmas.

Count your blessings, love your loved ones, and I hope to see you back in a few days.

Merry Christmas.

[The Nativity, 1597, by Federico Barocci]

Pentagon Forced To Ship Ray Gun to Iraq

Boy, if I had a ray gun, nobody could force me to do anything.

Humor aside, it's an interesting read. I've questioned the non-lethality claims from the outset. And you can bet such technology will be withheld from the Constitutional militia.

I didn't have time to track down a photo of the beast. I'm wondering how big the dish is, and how hard it would be to hit at 500 meters...

Tow Firm Shooter Faces Gun Charge

A Jackson businessman who shot and killed a suspected burglar is facing a new charge because of a conviction more than two decades ago.

He defended himself against a burglar, but because he was on the wrong side of the law himself a quarter century ago, the LaPierre Center to Prevent Gun Violence (formerly National Rifle Control, Inc.) promotes this policy:

Any felon caught with a gun, no matter what he's doing, goes to jail for 5 years, period.

Too bad he didn't let his attacker hurt or kill him--then he wouldn't be facing charges. Plus, think how happy it would have made Wayne.

We're the Only...Ahhh, Shoot, They're Out of Paper...

The city's police chief left his loaded service pistol in a restaurant bathroom last month and didn't realize it until another officer returned the gun to him.

When he realized his mistake, Chief Bob Deutsch wrote an e-mail to the entire department stating what he had done. He then wrote himself a written reprimand.

Don't you wish you could write yourself up when you screw up on the job?

Bad me. Bad, bad, bad...

I do wonder what punishment the Chief would have gone for had one of his employers, that is, one of us tax cows, done the same thing. Think it would have resulted in a reprimand, with public endangerment charges waived...?

The New York Centurions

The state will hire 100 state troopers as part of a new effort to crack down on illegal gun trafficking, Gov. George Pataki said Thursday.

They'll partner with BATFU, and be deputized as federal agents "to go after the sources of the guns, often people in southern states..." That sounds like it will allow them to cross state lines, doesn't it? In any case, there's no danger in federalizing local police, is there?

Their leader describes guns in the parlance of those in the medical community who wish to see them banned, i.e., "an epidemic."

And what's not to like? I mean, our great pals the Republicans are for it, and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association issued a press release that "applauded" it.

So this must be a great day for freedom, right?

We're the Only Ones Emotionally Stable Enough...

Eugene Victor Perry Jr., a police officer with a state agency who is accused of fatally shooting two Baltimore police officers Wednesday, had as recently as last week asked to join the city force.

And there are those who demand the death penalty if ordinary citizens lift a finger against such rabid dogs...

[Thanks to Bill Clark]

We're the Only Ones MATURE Enough...

Two sheriff's deputies have been transferred out of the Juvenile Court system after allegations that one of them pretended to draw his gun behind an 11-year-old boy as the other took pictures.

I suppose if I "pretended" to draw down on two deputies, I'd get some sort of transfer, too?

I'll Bet He Didn't Eat His Vegetables or Clean His Room, Either

Beatriz Roldan, mother of the victim, reminded her son not to play with the gun but he continued to do so.

The guy wasn't a child, he was a 38-year-old prosecutor...

Another Dangerous Gun Hits the Street

A car burglar made off with a Fontana police officer s department identification card and a firearm...

What did Mr. Good say?

State Trooper Shot With Own Gun

A state trooper killed earlier this month after an early morning highway chase was shot twice with his own weapon, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

"Takeaway" shootings like this were the stated rationale for the initial federal grant to Sandia Labs to develop so-called "smart guns." As predicted, cops quickly got themselves exempted from any such requirement, and if the damned things ever are put on the market, only citizens will be forced to jeopardize their lives with mandated gadgetry.

The most effective solution to such incidents (from my interview with Ken Good in the above-linked "smart gun" article):

"If a weapon is taken from an officer, I personally believe it is primarily a training issue. Most folks seem to try and solve most tactical problems through some sort of hardware improvement without looking at the core system. The human operator should be the primary system to be improved upon. Many departments are dangerously low in their delivery of ongoing advanced officer training. If an officer cannot be trusted to deploy and keep his or her weapon, please don't give them one in the first place!"

Albany Gun-Law Compromise

Interesting title, albeit a bit misleading, since the compromise involves the death penalty, not guns. But it does raise a question none in power seem to ever ask themselves--or be held accountable for:

How can someone legitimately compromise that which is not theirs?

"Gun rights groups" would do well to remember this when they negotiate infringements with legislators, and come back telling us its the best scrap we can get, and that "politics is the art of compromise."

We're the Only Ones Moral and Upright Enough...

Ja'nerra Carson-Slaughter testified Tuesday that during a business trip last year to Springfield, she delivered a cash bribe to former Police Chief Ron Matthews.

Carson-Slaughter said the money, including $800 to pay Matthews' girlfriend's overdue utility bill, had been requested by Matthews for his help in getting a .38-caliber handgun out of a locked police evidence room.

She said Matthews agreed to help make the pistol disappear before it could be used as evidence against Matthews' businessman friend, Ayoub "Dave" Qattoum, who had been arrested on an illegal weapons charge.

Why do I feel like I just read a 419 scam email?

It Could Be Worse

You could be Barry Campbell.

PLEASE Obey Our Gun Registration

Please...?

They're getting desperate. Threats and cajoling and a hopelessly incompetent bureaucracy haven't worked.

This is both funny and pathetic. Police manning tables at shopping centers. Nothing like a public admission of failure and impotence to foster respect and compliance.

I wonder if they're handing out stickers and balloons?

Keep your gun ownership status to yourselves, South Africans. Anyone who demands to know what you have, with penalties for noncompliance, is not your friend, but your oppressor.

When you pass the "information" tables, point and laugh--or better yet, ask 'em if they've recovered and registered those 17,000 firearms they had in their custody and "lost".

Unintended (But Not Unexpected) Consequences

Liberal Gun Ban Fuels Buying Binge

Paul Martin's plan to ban handguns may have backfired.

As soon as the Liberals unveiled their promise to ban the weapons earlier this month, Vancouver gun shop owners saw a jump in handgun sales.

Who can buy guns at such shops, Mr. Martin, the criminal element you're using as an excuse for this insane and evil crusade, or peaceable, decent Canadians who just want to be able to defend themselves?

Your government can't guarantee their protection, can it? No, of course not, neither in fact nor as an obligation of law.

But you're keeping your taxpayer-funded armed bodyguards, right?

The Strike is On

Subways and buses across the nation's largest city shut down Tuesday morning as transit workers walked off the job following days of acrimonious labor talks, stranding more than 7 million daily riders...

But...but...but...how will we move about without someone to pat us down and search our bags?

Landru, guide us!

Katherine Letellier Responds...

...to my inquiry:

Mr. Codrea,

I appreciate your comments. I do object, however, to your contention that I am challenging "the leading authorities on the subject" when I state that both sides of the gun debate issue can cite colonial history and arguments made by the Founders to support their case.

First, though I do not question Mr. Halbrook's scholarly credentials, there is no monolithic set of "leading authorities" who are all in agreement regarding the Founders' intents. A quick Google search of the gun rights issue will bring up myriad federal court cases (Silveira v. Lockyer, for example) in which federal judges explicitly declare their belief that the intent of the Founders was to preserve a collective rather than independent right to bear arms. While I am not endorsing or refuting either the federal courts' or Mr. Halbrook's view of the original intent of the 2nd Amendment, I would posit that federal judges should be included among "leading authorities on the subject" and that "leading authorities" thus appear to disagree on the issue. There is apparently some gray where you would like to see only black or white.

Second, you can examine the 1789 "House Journal" and "Senate Journal" (the official records of the original debate) or the "Annals of Congress" (compiled decades later) to assess the intentions of the Founders. Contention over the meaning of "milita" abounds, a point critical to collective rights advocates. You can additionally examine English common law, often referenced in the colonies prior to the Revolution, and find a debasement of the individual right to bear arms starting as far back as 1328. These are but examples of the historical evidence that gun control advocates might use to substantiate their case and what I intended when I wrote that "both sides can cite colonial history and quote from the Founders."

But my point in writing the original letter was not to position myself as a leading scholar of matters constitutional nor to advance a particular point of view, but rather to express disappointment that such a complex and interesting issue was treated in so one-sided a manner. I was hoping that leading scholars on BOTH sides of the argument would write thoughtful pieces, and that I and other readers would benefit from their contrasting viewpoints.

I would very much appreciate your removing my e-mail address from your web site as it is intended for school business, and I do not want to be inundated with Second Amendment-related e-mails. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Regards,
Katherine Letellier

My reply:

Ms. Letellier,

Perhaps I did not make myself clear.

I did not ask you about Silveira. I did you [sic--my bad--it was late] ask you about English law in 1328.

I asked you to substantiate your claim that "Each side can cite Colonial history and quote from the Founding Fathers."

Please provide these quotes from the Founding Fathers you say exist that state there is no individual right to keep and bear arms.

That's what this is all about, and that's all I'm looking for.

Can you do this? Yes or no?

Everything else is nonresponsive to my specific question.

In re your email address, it is a public record on the internet, available to anyone doing a Google search on your name. However, in the interest of obtaining a specific answer to my inquiry, I will do as you request.

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

Let's see what she says.

Man Accused of al-Qaida Link Admits Gun Buy

Khadr admitted ties to senior al-Qaida members and confessed to buying guns and rocket launchers for them in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan?

Why didn't they just go to one of probable GOP presidential candidate John McCain's American gun shows? Does this mean terrorists can buy all the weapons they want elsewhere?

And here I thought the problem was America's "lax gun laws." Boy, I guess you learn something every day.

Brand Wars in Albany

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration]

Synopsis:

New York Democrats want to sue gun manufacturers.

New York Republicans object.

They have a better brand of gun control.

You're Not Supposed to Tip Your Hand...

The president of the Oakville Liberal riding association has resigned after telling a voter unhappy with gun control to take her "gun-loving ass back to the U.S."

See, the cardinal rule has been broken here--you're not supposed to reveal your true agenda.

We've seen this happen in California. It's called "ideological cleansing."

The Bidding is Over

The special signed copy of The Black Arrow has been won. Final bid was $865.00.

Claire Wolfe has more.

Quotes From the Founders

An Open Request to Katherine Letellier

Dear Ms. Letellier,

You apparently possess knowledge that many of us interested in the Second Amendment have been seeking for some time to no avail.

In your published op-ed, you state:

Each side can cite Colonial history and quote from the Founding Fathers. Because both sides in this debate offer challenging and convincing arguments, both deserve equal time in your paper, if the intent truly is to educate readers on the Bill of Rights.

Yet according to Constitutional law scholar Stephen P. Halbrook:

In recent years it has been suggested that the second amendment protects the "collective" right of states to maintain militias, but not the right of "the people" to keep and bear arms. If anyone entertained this notion in the period in which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were debated and ratified, it remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the eighteenth century, for no known surviving writing of the 1787-1791 period states that thesis.

Ms. Letellier, I’ve always believed that debates should be about determining the truth. You have publicly made a remarkable claim that refutes the leading authorities on the subject. If substantiated, your claim will have significant impact on current understanding and future court cases.

Both you and Prof. Halbrook can’t be right. One of you must be wrong.

What “challenging and convincing arguments” did the Framers make to disparage the right of individuals to keep and bear arms?
Would you please provide some of those quotes and their sources that you say exist, so that we can “truly…educate readers on the Bill of Rights”?

Sincerely,

David Codrea

Well, There's YOU and Then There's US...

A federal judge placed former Cedar Bluff town manager Ricky Steele on three years probation for his part in the sale of guns from a police evidence room.

Seems I read something once that covered this sort of thing...it went kind'a like:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States...No State shall...grant any Title of Nobility.

I also remember something along the lines of:

No State shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Give me time. I'm sure I'll remember where I saw this.

It'll be nice to know there are guarentees ensuring the rest of us would receive the same treatment as Mr. Steele should we ever find ourselves in a similar predicament.

Prove You're WORTHY of Rights

Possessing even a single illegal gun should be classified as a violent felony that carries guaranteed prison time, unless the defendant can show proof of being an otherwise upstanding citizen.

Yes. None of that "innocent until proven guilty" tomfoolery in New York! And none of that "right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" nonsense, either!

I , for one, am damned glad the New York Daily News is there to act as champion for our rights and watchdog against governement abuse.

BREAKING NEWS!

The establishment media "leans left."

Who'da thunk?

Thanks to establishment academia for this stunning revelation.

I'd comment more, but I need time for this to truly settle in.

Philly Struggles With Rising Murder Rate

As far back as March, when the city endured a spate of 22 killings in nine days - 20 of them by gunfire - Mayor John F. Street pleaded for help in stopping the violence.

"We are stymied to protect our citizens" because of the state's permissive gun laws, Street wrote in a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell.

Help never came. As of Friday afternoon, 365 people had been killed in this city of 1.6 million, the highest number in at least seven years and up 35 from last year, according to FBI statistics.

"Permissive gun laws"? But wasn't Gov. Rendell standing shoulder-to-shoulder with NRA officials when they promised everyone that Project Exile would do the same thing for Philadelphia that it had for Richmond?

What's that?

Richmond's murder rate is climbing, too?

I see Boston's 10-year-high murder rate is mentioned as well. You know, the city that implemented Operation Cease Fire, another program hailed by NRA as a success...

Never mind.

My favorite hand-wringing Bloodance quote in this story comes from Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson:

"We have the most lax handgun law in the entire nation."

Right. You can carry concealed without a permit, like in Vermont or Alaska, or you can carry openly without interference, like in Arizona.

No?

You mean a police official would tell a flat-out, agenda-driven LIE, and the ethics-obsessed Watchdog Press would swallow and print it not only without challenge, but with enthusiasm?

Brits Fear Santa Terrorizes Kids

A VISIT from Father Christmas could be "terrifying" for small children, says advice on a government website...The advice for teachers on teachernet.gov.uk said: "Younger children in particular have a wide range of fears. For very young children, Father Christmas can be terrifying.

No doubt. After all, children in the UK under 14 aren't considered old enough to be trusted with pens.

Thank goodness they're old enough for their teachers to have sex with!

H.G. Wells miscalculated. He didn't need to send his Time Traveller all the way to "the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand odd" in order to find the Eloi.

Or the Morlocks, either, for that matter.

Chief Cuts Penalty for Officer in Firing of Weapon

Even though she first tried to get away with not reporting it and went to her union rep first, and even though investigators think she fired it deliberately, not accidentally, and even though there is credible testimony she abused and threatened a citizen under color of authority...

If you and I had done this, we'd deservedly be in the slammer. She gets a 15 day suspension. And we're supposed to believe this is all on the up-and-up?

Oh, that's right--they don't care what we think. They don't have to. Lift a finger against them and die.

UPDATE: Blognomicon puts things in perspective.

A Tale of Two Cities

"Gun-plagued Toronto" wants to "perform a 'Boston Miracle.'"

Meanwhile, Alphecca tells us Boston's murder rate has hit a 10-Year High...

My head hurts.

"Partial Reprieve" for SA Gun Owners

Gun owners who fail to renew their licences in terms of the new gun-control regulations will not overnight become criminals in possession of illegal firearms - at least, not until July 2009.

Translation: Noncompliance has been so massive and overwhelming we know we'll appear to be utter, impotent fools if we don't act like we're doing something to get tough.

Translation: If the people get it in their heads that they can defy us with impunity, they might cease fearing us. And if they cease fearing us...

Flynn Gets Probation on Gun Charge

Of course he does.

After all, "He had...a long history of service to the State."

Speaking of Republicans...

...it looks like George Pataki is doing what he can to hasten our plunge into a total police state. But then, we've already established that cop lives are more important than, say, butcher, baker or candlestick maker lives...

Boy, that New York gun control sure must be working well if they feel a need to "refine laws against gun trafficking and heighten penalties for illegal possession and use of guns, particularly for shooting cops."

Nobody's obeying the law so we'll make things even more illegal...

And whaddya know, another police state champion, Martin Golden, is also a Republican. So why did Democrat "Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver [depict] the GOP as being 'in the pocket' of the National Rifle Association"?

Democrats Recast Gun Control Image

I'll bet they do.

And I'm sure there are plenty of our countrymen stupid and lazy enough to choose image over substance.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are doing their level best to give serious gun owners no choice at all.

Maybe they figure the pot is already so heated up that the few who finally jump out will be easy pickings.

Meanwhile, keep your eye on the shell...

Well, THIS Doesn't Look Good...

Obviously, the Fourth Amendment was only intended to apply to the states.

And remember: Vote Freeedom First!

Looks Like I'm Authorized After All

I just don't remember asking to be...

Still Looking for Lautenberg Victims

Gun Law News needs your help. If you or someone you know has relevant information "of how Lautenberg has unjustly denied people their Second Amendment rights," by all means contact them and tell them about it.

Fish Or Man Wins Appeal

And he did it "pro se, without the help of the gun rights organization based in Washington State, (although it was requested)."

Why do you think that is?

This man won a preemption battle on his own, while the "professionals" sat on the sidelines and ignored him. Had he lost, the precedent could have affected their members throughout the state. They knew this and still didn't get involved.

You might want to remember that the next time you get an urgent appeal for donations from one of the "gun rights" groups. Ask 'em why they were AWOL at Ellensburg...

[Via End the War on Freedom]

Who Needs Goebbels When You've Got The Post?

I would like to express the personal and professional thanks of 25,000 active New York City police officers for The Post's efforts to put some strength into existing gun laws," an appreciative Patrolmen's Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch wrote in a letter to The Post.

"The New York City PBA will stand shoulder to shoulder with the New York Post in its effort to force the changes in Albany that will give some judicial muscle to New York's anti-gun laws," Lynch continued. [More]

Kudos from one police state propagandist to another. I wonder how Polizeiführer Lynch's letter would sound in its original German?

I just noticed who wrote this latest Post article. And they say there are no coincidences.

Cops With 'Roid Rage

According to Koonce's attorney, Tweedy kicked and stomped on Koonce's head repeatedly, walking away and then returning to continue the blows as Koonce lay motionless, gurgling his own blood.

Koonce, now 28, suffered life-threatening injuries, including skull fractures and brain contusions. He spent two months in a coma.

Ah yes, out-of-control cops on steroids. But note how their supervisors have turned a blind eye to the obvious...I mean, are unaware of any problem. It's not like you'd tend to notice a subordinate doubling in size and roaring things like "NOW HULK MAD!!!"

It's a good thing Patrick Lynch wants to keep hollow points away from mere citizens, and wants us to die if we lift a finger against such violent apes...after all, their lives are more valuable than ours.

JBT to Serfs: Resist and Die

When we last left Patrick Lynch, he was telling us no one had any business with hollow points except those professional enough.

Here's the latest from Liberty-Lynchin' Pat:

"We need to make it clear that if someone lifts even a finger against a police officer, their life could be on the line."

Right. We all know your lives are more valuable than ours.

We sure wouldn't want any mere citizen lifting a finger against these former members of your union, would we, Pat?

Or this guy.

Or this one.

Or all of these...

I'm lifting a finger, Pat. Guess which one?

Anatomy of a Photograph

Zombietime shows us how photographs used by the MSM, and the context either presented or left out, can shape our perception of what's really going on.

[Thanks to Thaddeus Fendon]

We're the Only Ones TRUSTWORTHY Enough...

Officer Celina Clay is under investigation. The Correction Department says she took a 38 caliber gun and two rounds of ammunition to the Charles Bass Correctional Complex in an attempt to deliver them to a specific inmate.

Looks like the authorities have put the kibosh on future exposés of corrupt guards by giving up the name of the jailhouse snitch to the media. Wonder what his life is like these days?

I love the psychiatric hand-wringing and excuse-making about how "a woman may feel sympathetic." Funny how employment sexism is decried (hell, it's forbidden by law with severe penalties) unless and until it becomes advantageous to exploit.

My favorite quote from this story: "Power is one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs."

Ain't it the truth.

A False Alternative

SAF/CCRKBA sent out an alert about their new poll on KABA:

Should cities like San Francisco, which ban firearms, be allowed to receive federal tax dollars for crime prevention?

The poll appears in the left hand column of the web page.

A number of national radio talk show hosts are monitoring this poll closely, as well as key Congressmen and Senators.

Perhaps SAF would be kind enough to point out where this document delegates the enumerated power to the fedgov to involve itself in funding local policing anywhere?

Romney to Assist GOP Suicide

Governor Mitt Romney will announce at 6 p.m. that he will not seek re-election to a second term, setting the stage for an expected campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, a senior aide to the governor said today.

Figures. The "moderate" hijacking of the party is damn near complete.

If he's the nominee, watch the RINO apologists trip all over themselves to convince us how much worse a Democrat will be, and continue the cycle of gutless gun owners eating GOP droppings out of fear.

Note to the Republican party:

Romney is unacceptable. If you run him, you will lose the presidency.

McCain is unacceptable. If you run him, you will lose the presidency.

Giuliani is unacceptable. If you run him, you will lose the presidency.

The two-party facade is crumbling. The "lesser of two evils" excuse is wearing thin.

"What other choice do they have?" is a question all of us had better give some sober consideration to.

Happy Bill of Rights Day

Tina Terry sends us links to the celebration in Payson, AZ, and her article in the newspaper.

Special Copy of "THE BLACK ARROW" being Auctioned for Fundraiser!

From "The Libertarian":

This brand new, one-of-a-kind book is being sold to raise money for a friend of liberty who is dying of cancer.

THE BOOK: This is a leather-bound copy of the exciting near-future adventure novel The Black Arrow by Vin Suprynowicz, author of the syndicated newspaper column, "The Libertarian."

It is #485 of 1,000 copies from the book's first edition. It is brand new and in perfect shape. It has beautiful blue and gold hand-made end-papers. Vin autographed this book to his fellow libertarian writer, Claire Wolfe. And together they have decided to auction it for a good cause.

THE CAUSE: Walter Bark, the founding webmaster and guiding spirit of The Claire Files discussion forums is dying of cancer. His friends Elias Alias, Basil Fishbone, and Iloilo Jones have been bearing the entire cost of the herbal medicines that are making Bark's final days tolerable. They're spending about $400 per month out of their own pockets and Elias has taken Bark and his mother and daughter into his home.

If you're the winner of this auction, you'll be getting a truly one-of-a-kind collector's item, signed from one well-known libertarian author to another. And you'll be doing a great deed for some fine, generous people.

View details on eBay Auction page.

Act now! The auction ends Dec-19-05 08:39:01 PST

As of this post, I have the high bid.

Et tu, Pilots?

I received an email from Tracy Price of the Passenger-Cargo Security Group ("An Airline Security Trade Association"). It included an attached press release. Captain Price has been sending me Airline Pilot Security Alliance stuff for years. He knows I've been an early and vocal supporter of arming pilots. That's why I was surprised and disappointed by the PCSG release, which protested pending TSA relaxation of rules regarding what passengers are allowed to carry on planes-- we've all shaken our heads at the stories of confiscated nail clippers and other ridiculous examples of heavy-handed bureaucratic overkill. But PCSG is demanding such prohibitions remain in place. Here's the release in total:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact PCSG President Marcus W. Flagg, at 817-800-0866 for more information PCSG has serious concerns about the Transportation Security Administration'’s (TSA) intent to modify the existing list of airport security screening prohibited items. Until the TSA has adequate procedures in place that effectively screen for hostile intent, nothing that can be used as a potential weapon should be allowed in any passenger'’s carry-on baggage. The September 11th hijackers effectively utilized the equivalent of 4-inch blade knives, which were at the time allowed aboard aircraft. A 1992 FAA Special Analysis Security Memorandum covering 9 years, 29 U.S. hijackings and 6 aircraft commandeering incidents states, "Small knives (blade length of 4 inches or less) were the most frequently employed weapon to hijack aircraft." Strengthening of cockpit doors and the presence of Federal Flight Deck Officers (FFDO'’s -– armed pilots) provide deterrence against September 11th style aircraft hijackings. However, allowing passengers to carry potential weapons on board in the cabin, without an effective means of screening for hostile intent, could lead to a new and unforeseen type of airborne terrorism. "“Terrorists are a persistent enemy"”, said First Officer Marcus Flagg, Co-Founder and President of the Passenger-Cargo Security Group (PCSG). "We have provided a level of deterrence against 9/11 style terrorist hijackings with our FFDO program and our hardened cockpit doors. So now the enemy will consider other methods of attacking our country and destroying our airline industry and our nation'’s economy by conducting multiple coordinated terrorist attacks on airline cabins in flight. Federal Air Marshals (FAMS) are on very few flights and allowing those with hostile intent to have small knives and other potential weapons such as scissors and screwdrivers could negate any deterrent value of the FAMS. Thus the TSA's intent to relax restrictions on formerly prohibited items makes no sense." "“The TSA's failure rate for detecting weapons, and other prohibited items, has increased dramatically"”, said First Officer Flagg. "“It may be that the TSA now wants to cynically relax its screening standards possibly to improve their apparent detection performance." PCSG is opposed to any relaxation of screening standards until the TSA can demonstrate conclusively that an effective method of screening individuals for hostile intent has been implemented.

http://www.pcsg.us/

I wrote back:

Tracy, So you don’t trust me with even the basics with which to defend myself? If someone DOES manage to slip by our wonderfully competent TSA, you’re going to come out from behind your locked, reinforced cockpit door with your authorized gun to save me and my family from getting slashed, right? No?

He would not respond on the record, even though he said he "would like to," but insisted anything he told me would need to be kept private. My reply:

No. Sorry, no dice. Your press release saying you don’t trust people like me to have the means to defend ourselves is a matter of public record, and you are publicly asking supporters to pass along announcements that serve your purposes. I’ve had it with elitism, and the “we’ve got ours, now screw the rest of you” mentality, which is what your public message states, regardless of what you say you mean. I’m a lot simpler and less subtle than that—I just do people the honor of saying what I mean the first time. You know as well as I do the government will NEVER develop the ability to read “intent.” That criterion is absurd on its face. That means—-if your words have meaning—-you’ll NEVER change your position. I’ve publicly supported the pilots time after time after time, with: It's Time to Show the Servants Who's in Charge, A Different Kind of War, Inform the Pilots, The Armed Pilot The bulk of the Second Amendment community supported you when all the government was giving you was lip service. Now that your goal is in sight, the appearance is that we are expendable—in more ways than one. You have joined the government in not being satisfied until the people who ultimately pay your salaries are reduced to this. I’m going public with my rebuttal to your latest release. If you want to say something for the record, feel free. Your private, confidential responses do nothing to sway public policy. Your press releases do plenty. No games, Capt. Price. No stealth agendas and no weasel words. No politics, no “art of compromise.” I have neither time nor patience for guile. I’ve tried to befriend the pilots, but it’s a two-way street. My friends don’t want me helpless. You guys have really miscalculated this one. Good people who have supported you in the past are going to be pissed.

I guess it's a typical case of they're getting theirs. I'm very disappointed but too jaded by experience to really be surprised.

Exceptions

Benson over at Tomato 7 takes exception to a Winston-Salem Journal opinion piece where columnist Scott Sexton states:

"Nobody - police, prosecutors or advocates for crime victims - thinks that firing a gun is the preferred method for dealing with an intruder."

I see Benson's point. Anyone intentionally breaking into your home must be considered dangerous. Hesitation could prove fatal.

I've gotten into arguments in the past with those who recommend racking the shotgun slide to scare intruders off. I can't think of any reason to give an enemy the tactical advantages of knowing:
1. I am there,
2. I am aware of him,
3. My approximate location, and
4. My armaments/capabilities

But that's not my major beef with Sexton's article. I think the guy's heart is in the right place but his knowledge base needs to catch up.

What grabbed my attention was his absurd claim:

"Basically, that means that you have the right to obtain a permit..."

This is what We the People permitting usurpations of power by our servants has led us to--the assumption that government authorization is needed to exercise unalienable rights. The Constitutional bright line of "shall not be infringed" has been blurred under the hollow promise and historically unjustified hope that compromise and incrementalism will lead to victory.