If You Build It, They Will Come

"We don't know if the gun range has caused the drop in attendance (at the park)," Bartsch said.

He said the decrease in visitors occurred at the park, golf course, nature center and farm center.

Uhhh...maybe they're all at the gun range.

Tags: gun

Gun Grabber Hypocrisy

Jon Dougherty weighs in on the story of the battered San Francisco woman who was caught with an unsanctioned pistol, and skewers the reporter, Joan Ryan, for hypocrisy.

Incidentally, Ms. Ryan never did respond to my questions.

Tags: gun control

The Better to Eat You With, My Dear

Gun lobbyists are fuming because the state police have been slow at processing FOID applications. State law requires that be accomplished in 30 days. But callers to the state police bureau that handles FOID cards get a recording that says it may take eight weeks. A gun owner is in technical violation of the law if his card expires before a new one arrives in the mail...

Gun owners want better service? Hike the FOID card fee.

Translation: We force you to comply with a process we can't perform, so it must be your fault.

Tags: gun control

Gun Czar Adds to Load

Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross is now head of internal affairs, and will retain his title as the city's gun czar.

I repeat a question I've asked before: Why "czar"?

Why don't they ever call these guys "fuhrer"?

And as for Commissioner Ross adding to his load, well, I'd really rather not go there.

Tags: gun control, police

We're the Only Ones Guarded Enough...

A jail security officer was placed on administrative leave after a woman visitor got past an X-ray machine carrying a gun, leading to the closure of two Clayton County courts on Wednesday...."She got as far as the lobby and was called back because she didn't fit the dress code. Her arms were exposed or something," the sheriff said.

No, her arms weren't exposed. Hence the lockdown.

Tags: gun control

The Registry That Never Happened

Technical problems have once again delayed the national firearms register, nine years after it was first proposed..."‘If the Home Office really is incapable, over a period of eight years, of computerising something as straightforward as a few hundred thousand firearms records, then it does suggest that they do not have a hope of making a success of the introduction of the national identity card scheme,"’ he said.

Eight years?

For "a few hundred thousand" records?

How much information do they need to record?

Why do I suspect that this could have all been entered into an Access database by a few dozen clerks in a matter of weeks?

How much have they forked over to this Anite outfit to develop the software? And how are we doing on projected costs?

Maybe we've been approaching this all wrong. Maybe the safest place we could put our gun ownership information--to ensure it will never be discoverable or retrievable--is with the government.

Still, bummer this hampering their "national identity card scheme."

Tags: gun control, UK

I'm With Fitty

Hip-hop star 50 CENT has dismissed accusations his movie GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN' glorifies violence and gun crime, insisting the film is being unfairly singled out for criticism.

It is unfair. Where's the "community" outrage over this?


Although personally, I'd rather watch Kate Beckinsale...

Tags: gun, 50 Cent, Kate Beckinsale

Police Want to Vet Gun Bill

Of course they do.

Tell them "No."

Tags: gun control, police

Never Give Up Your Guns

The Liberty Belles' Jennifer Freeman weighs in on some recent gun control proposals, and shows how they give the advantage to the most violent among us.

What kind of politician would do that?

Tags: gun control

Somebody's Been Watching Too Much TV

Even if the gun was real, the officer could have shot Penley in a non-fatal area.

Poor Heather Forgione. She had my attention up until that point, what with her talking about "simple communication and common sense," and all.

But forgive her ignorance. Not only is she a freshman, she's a journalism major.

Tags: gun, police

"If You Value Your Life, DON'T Carry a Weapon"

Nicki figured out why this article disappeared. Seems the weapon-advocating Brit is a fabrication.

A statement from New Scotland Yard said: "Mr Eastman is extremely upset about the article.

"He does not recognise the quotes attributed to him and does not condone anyone carrying a knife or a weapon of any kind."

The idiot evidently prefers people being stabbed to death by those who do not share his share his sheeplike bent.

Tags: gun control, UK

Police Didn't Know Gun Not a Firearm

Over the weekend, an attorney for the family said Penley's father told him that he contacted law enforcement before the boy was shot to tell them that his son did not have a gun and that he only had a pellet gun, Local 6 News reported.

However, phone records obtained by the FDLE showed authorities did not make contact with the dead boy's father until about 45 minutes after the boy had been shot, according to a report released Tuesday.

If that's the case, then the outcome can't be judged unreasonable. When I posted this, press accounts were very different, citing the boys father, a brother and a classmate all corroborating police and school authorities being told.

Tags: gun, police

Guess Who's Teaming Up With The Million Moms?

Brooks, too, is not new to controversy. He’s been widely known as one of the city’s most flamboyant activists for over a decade and is a convicted sex offender.

I guess if I was a predatory pervert, I'd want to make sure my victims--and those able to avenge them--were disarmed, too.

It also adds a new twist when they say "it's for the children."

[Via SayUncle]

AJC Says Flight, Not Fight

Since passing its "shoot first, ask questions later" law last year, the state of Florida has been derided by the international press, become the subject of an ad campaign that warns visitors not to "shout or make threatening gestures" at the natives, and provided fodder for amused bloggers, pundits and late-night comics. (What's the Sunshine State's new motto? "Florida: Don't make us come up there.'')

Translation: British and French journalists' opinions should be a deciding factor in which rights the government allows you to enjoy. A handful of mentally ill loons passing out propaganda leaflets at Orlando airport should be a deciding factor in which rights the government allows you to enjoy. And Hollywood and other media elites making snotty comments to the amusement of their worshippers should be a deciding factor in which rights the government allows you to enjoy.

Sounds reasonable.

If it's good enough for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it's good enough for me! I mean, we all know the media only wants what's best for us. Right?

Tags: gun control, media bias

Canadian Blood Dance a Hit in DC

Jane Creba, 15, was browsing the Boxing Day sales with her older sister when she started crossing the street to look for sneakers. She stepped into a spray of gunfire between rival teenage gangs in the middle of the busy downtown shopping district.

A Google news search yields no fewer than 31 pages of hits for the term "Jane Creba."

You don't think the media's trying to tell us something, do you? I mean, it's not like The Washington Post and its ilk have a vested interest in outcomes, is it?

Tags: gun control, media bias

A Nicki Twofer

Nicki has more to say about that absurd Washington Post editorial calling for a national handgun ban.

She also tackles the latest proposed ban by the Brits: this time, it's samurai swords they're after. My email comments to her on that:

Just Samurai? Isn't that racist?
Substitute "brick" for "sword" and "bashed" for "stabbed."

UPDATE:It might help if I gave you the link to her comments on the WaPo gun ban proposal.

Duh.

Sorry, Nicki.
Tags: gun control

Individual Rights Vs. "Reasonable Restrictions"

Denise at the ten ring adds her thoughts to my prediction about SCOTUS and the Second Amendment.

I notice their was also a discussion at SayUncle, with some dissent. Two comments on that:

I didn't specifically address complete gun bans, like in Washington, and that's my fault--especially since I think that's where a favorable ruling is likely to come---if the original Cato-backed case isn't derailed by legislation or a competing lawsuit. I just think that when such a ruling or legislation does come about, the restrictions and limitations will further codify the power of government to permit when, where and how, as opposed to ceding they properly should have no say in the matter.

My second point--don't take soothsaying too seriously--from me or from anyone else. It's just speculation out loud. If I could foretell the future with any degree of reliability, I'd be at the track placing bets.

Tags: Second Amendment, gun control, Supreme Court

We're the Only Ones Bordering On Trustworthy Enough...

A U.S. border patrol agent is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Del Rio, Texas, on federal charges that he illegally purchased a pistol for a Mexican national who intended to smuggle the weapon into Mexico, according to U.S. investigators.

What did Plato ask?

"Who shall guard the guardians?"

Tags: gun control, Border Patrol

We're the Only Ones Enterprising Enough...

Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the 25-year-old police officer allegedly hired out his service pistol for R150 to three hijackers.

And remember, South African citizens, the police say you must register your guns to keep things like this from happening.

Tags: gun control, police

WaPo Advocates Starting Civil War in America

Lawmakers know all this and know as well that handguns -- however exalted they seem to be in America -- should not be in general circulation. Political long shot that it may be, a national ban on the general manufacture, sale and ownership of handguns ought be enacted. It would not pacify kids or adults with violent tendencies, and it might not curb general criminal activity markedly. But it might well save thousands of lives. Handgun exceptions could be made for federal, state and local law enforcement and military agencies; collectors of antique firearms; federally licensed handgun sporting clubs with certain safety procedures; security guard services; and licensed dealers, importers or manufacturers that are determined to be meeting those needs.

Like the man said: Molon Labe!

The answer is "No." End of debate. Back off. NOW!

Or bring it on.

Pull out this editorial the next time someone accuses you of being paranoid for suspecting the true aim of the gun banners is...uhhh...a gun ban.

Tags: gun control

Olympic Shooters Plead for Special Treatment

British lawmakers are being urged to ease a ban on handguns so Britain`s champion shooters can train for the Olympics.

I guess they can do it there if they want--they have "nobility" and commoners.

Yo, Fuddites--as the line goes in Blade Runner: "Wake up. Time to die!"

Or it will be if you fools don't wake up.

The "sporting purposes clause" is a dividing tactic. You think if they go after the other guy, they'll leave you alone.

Guess what--it doesn't work that way.

The Cyclops may promise to eat you last, but once he eliminates the warriors, he will eat you all the same.

Tags: gun control, Olympics

"If You Value Your Life Carry a Weapon"

"If police catch you carrying a weapon you could be arrested and prosecuted. But isn't that better than being unable to protect yourself and losing your life? The police can't be everywhere and the sentences handed down by the courts are often far too lenient."

Yep--as the truism goes, better to be tried by twelve than carried by six...

[Via Dan Gifford]

Tags: gun control

Ghetto Uprising

The Boston Globe writes:

Harold M. Clemens of Roxbury writes on his Ghetto Uprising that, as well-intentioned as the state's tough gun-ownership laws are, it might be time to relax them so residents of violence-prone neighborhoods can protect themselves.

Relax 'em? Hell, it's past time to repeal 'em. But this is, as our opponents are wont to say, "a good first step."

Go on over to Mr. Clemens' blog and offer some encouragement.

[Via Alphecca]

Tags: gun control

Police Told Gun Was Toy

The family of a 13-year-old Florida boy shot by police say officers were told the gun he held was not real.

Ralph Penley said when he arrived at the Millwee Middle School in suburban Orlando on Friday morning, he told Seminole County Sheriff`s deputies his son Christopher only had a replica pistol, CNN said. The boy`s younger brother says he told school officials the same thing.

Why should authorities have taken their word for it? They're only "civilians." And you know how they lie.

Tags: gun, police

SCOTUS Will Hear THIS...

...but they wouldn't hear this.

Prediction: A Second Amendment case will be heard by the Supreme Court in the next few years, and it will confirm an individual right. However, the ruling will be so narrow that it will not override state interest claims. It will not require a strict scrutiny standard, but rather an intermediate one. And it will certainly not overturn "assault weapon" bans, open the door for viable challenges to permitting schemes, or declare registration mandates, background checks, and similar prior restraints unconstitutional infringements.

In short, we will achieve a "status quo," where the vast majority of "existing gun laws" are deemed enforceable and prosecutable, rather than repealable.

By dancing in the middle, the court will scuff over and camouflage the Constitutional bright line of "shall not be infringed." If you think about it, it's what anyone who wishes to maintain their position of advantage would do: If they say it's not an individual right, they'll have a rebellion on their hands. If they say it's unalienable, well, there goes the government's monopoly of power.

The brutal lesson of history: power is never ceded unless there is a fear of an "or else." Without that fear, we can play around with incrementalism on both sides, and congratulate each other on the fabulous progress we've made. We can maintain the illusion that the system can work, and there are those who won't mind that one bit.

Until "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" is demanded, with real and unpleasant consequences for anyone using coercion to impose otherwise, it's all posturing and bluff. Until then, no real victory for freedom can occur.

Tags: Second Amendment, Supreme Court

We're the Only Ones Secure Enough...

Greenwood police are investigating the disappearance of several firearms from the department's inventory...The guns were stored in a vault or locker in the department's main headquarters building and were discovered missing Jan. 6, Harris said...He said the weapons were securely stored and access was controlled.

Right. That's why they're MISSING!

You know, we need laws to keep you and me from endangering the public this way...

Tags: gun, police

We're the Only Ones...Oh, So THAT'S What That Lever Does...

The Remington 12-gauge shotgun had been issued to Lemay by the Sheriff's Office, Buchanan said. It's Lemay's responsibility to keep the gun locked up, and Buchanan said he considered it to be secure because it was inside the trunk.

But all the thief needed to do to get the shotgun was to slip his hand inside the car and lift a lever to pop open the trunk.

At least his "710" cap isn't missing...

Tags: gun, police

We're the Only Ones In Control of Our Emotions Enough...

A township police officer is facing more than 11 years in prison...a Morris County Grand Jury handed up the indictment against Kevin J. Lassiter, 43. He was indicted for possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose on Sept. 5 and aggravated assault for allegedly holding a gun to the head of his wife'’s cousin when she tried to intervene in the dispute between Lassiter and his wife at Lassiter'’s home.

Lassiter was charged with assaulting his wife by pushing, punching and grabbing her by the throat...

See, you and I can't be trusted with guns because we might go off the deep end...

Tags: gun, police

MSN's Authority Showcase

Microsoft's MSN division, the same folks who, for a buck, partner with Chicom tyrants to censor free speech, are showcasing blogs that demonstrate their affinity for domestic authority worship.

Among the police-themed MSN Spaces sites featured this week, we find "The Hub," at the center of which is a self-described "problem solver" who includes among his "favorite things":

There is nothing quite like punching someone in the head and having it sound like a ripe melon.

His "favorite quote"? Boy, you could see this one coming a mile away:

What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women. - Conan the Barbarian

In a post titled "More Holiday Cheer," he describes a recent arrest that elicits a chorus of admiring comments, including:

Hey Man - Happy New Year! Congrats on catching that bastard. Put a pink tutu on him and throw in the cell with the friendly chaps.

What's even more disgusting, the prison rape advocate isn't even a cop. But he expresses a sentiment promoted by no less an "authority" than California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who had this to say about a man who hadn't (at the time) even been charged with a crime, let alone convicted:

I would love to personally escort [Enron CEO Ken Lay] to an 8-by-10 cell that he could share with a tattooed dude who says, 'Hi, my name is Spike, honey.'

Lockyer, of course, says you have no right to own a gun, and if his cop minions catch you with one he doesn't approve of, they'll do their best to throw you into a population of "Spikes".

That is, assuming you survive the dynamic entry, and your skull withstands the "ripe melon" treatment.

How telling. Microsoft/MSN closes down websites that challenge authority, and publicizes those that promote it. That makes them, and there's no getting around this, a fascist organization, one that suppresses the cause of liberty and advances that of the global police state--as long as it serves their bottom line.

I trust no one is surprised?

Tags: Microsoft, MSN, police, gun control, Lockyer

Do You Know What Day It Is?

It's "Second Amendment Saturday," a recurring feature over at The Transcending Sovereignty.

Recommendations

Now, let's go out on a limb and say that this was actually a viable idea. How does a criminal, who doesn't want his firearm found, circumvent this system? Two ways: remove the battery or wrap the antenna with aluminum foil. If you don't believe me, try it with your cell phone. That's all; he's done.

So, in summary, please consider these two recommendations. Not only will you save yourself the appearance of complete stupidity, you will save gun bloggers time as well.

Gun Law News has two recommendations for the idiot Boston councilman who wants to mandate GPS chips in guns.

I have another recommendation for him, but they're not words I'd want to commit to any record.

Tags: gun control, Boston

Finger Lickin' Foolishness

Alphecca tells us PETA freak Pamela Anderson wants a bust honoring Col. Sanders removed from Kentucky's State Capitol.

This reminds me of the old "Police Squad" gag:

Is this some kind of bust?

Yes, very nice...

Hey, Pam, at least if I eat KFC, I won't get Hepatitis C...

Tags: Pamela Anderson, KFC, PETA

We're the Only Ones Accountable Enough...

The Long Beach Police Department is missing more than a fourth of its shotguns and an unknown number of revolvers, officials said Thursday.

See, that's why we need to register your and my guns--to keep stuff like this from happening.

If ever manufacturers deserved to get sued for irresponsible distribution...

Truth Laid Low

Most bloggers want to have a link on popular sites. I want off of one.

You'll note WarOnGuns perpetually hovering near the bottom of the list of the Gunbloggers page, but if you click on the details link, you'll see it's not found. Plus, my site updates never appear there.

I know the initial cause was my fault--I didn't know what I was doing when I set things up after noticing my blog appear there.

I've approached NZ numerous times about this over the past several months, even filling out work orders--and finally asked to just be removed from his site. I can't even get the decency of a reply.

Bottom line--I know there are many more popular blogs than this, but I also don't think the efforts I put into this site deserve to be under-represented this way. I know the guy is busy--news flash--we all are. I'll match demands on my time to just about anyone. Ignoring repeated polite requests is just plain rude.

I want off Truth Laid Bear. It is a proven unreliable resource, and the attention to correcting things sucks. I don't want to have anything to do with them and just want them to forget I exist.

Just take me off the site, NZ, and I won't bother you any more. I promise.

We're the Only Ones Nurturing and Protective Enough...

An Oklahoma police chief has been charged with second-degree rape of a 15-year-old girl, reportedly spending nights with the teenager before taking her home and then giving her mom, the city's librarian, a lift to work.

Two questions come to mind:

1. What the hell was her mother doing? and

2. When he took his date out to dinner, did she prefer Happy or Big Kids Meals?

Tags: police

Scientists to Create Human/Rabbit Hybrid

This is news? We've already got 'em...

Police Say Prisoner Kills Himself With Concealed Gun

Durrett patted White down before he placed him in the patrol car, Sheriff Mike Cleveland said. The sheriff said he didn't think White was handcuffed.

If this is what happened, that's damned sloppy police work, deputy. You're lucky it wasn't you who got shot.

Then all the blooddancers could have made you a martyr, blamed the gun, and called for more "common sense gun laws."

Tags: gun control, police

Peabody Has State's First Gun Court

Improbable history in the making.

Tags: gun control

Marvel at My Power!

Ravenwood has noticed my awesome prescience.

Actually, looking around various sites after the Marion Barry story broke, I noticed the speculation that he was probably trying to score was pretty widespread. How could you know anything about the guy and not suspect that?

The only times my abilities as an oracle prove infallible are when I know I'm going to get in trouble for something. It's spooky how right I am about that.

Tags: Marion Barry

The Nice Policeman is Your Friend

Police arrested a 27-year-old man after he allegedly reported his gun stolen, but then found it in his car.

Now what did we all learn from this?

Tags: gun control, police

What Have They Got to Hide?

Correspondent Mike Battaglia writes:

I was reading a story about Cory Maye.

You might remember it. A young black man in Mississippi with no criminal record and an 18 month old daughter has cops invade his home during the middle of the night. It hasn't been determined whether or not they identified themselves, but Corey thought them to be intruders and fired at them. He ended up killing the Sheriff's son. Turns out they'd raided the wrong duplex. They were looking for marijuana, they didn't find any in his duplex. In any case, I had an epiphany. Let me explain.

Cops have nothing to hide, right? The government and political pundits tells us we shouldn't worry about surveillance if we have nothing to hide.

So, therefore, I propose making law enforcement officers wear cameras that can record audio and video while on duty. This would cut down on them screwing around, possible corruption, excessive force, etc. There'd be penalties if they deliberately tampered with it. At the end of each day they have to turn in the cameras. If there's any complaints against them, the video is reviewed by a civilian panel on that particular day on the incident that a complaint was received about.

I mean, cops are supposed to be the most upstanding and law-abiding of us all, right? Therefore, they shouldn't have anything to hide. Cameras are so small these days they could fit one on 'em just fine without any problems. It would avoid these type of situations and create accountability. They don't have anything to hide...do they?

I like it. Of course, the mandate would need to be done at the state level, since there's no delegated Constitutional authority for the fedgov to involve themselves in this. But it's an interesting speculation, if for no other reason than to throw the police statist's arguments back in their faces.

Here's a nice fantasy: Perhaps some day, We the People will reassert authority over our servants and force this to happen...

Tags: gun control, Cory Maye

Do You Know Where Your Gun Is?

The ten ring informs us of the latest ludicrous proposal from those demanding a monopoly of power: Mandatory GPS installed on guns.

It'll just be a matter of time before they mandate electronic shut-off switches.

Tags: gun control, GPS

Let the Controlled Burns Begin

Cryptic Subterranean makes a compelling case for deforestation.

Tags: environment

Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions

"Senator, I'm not being reviewed for a position as an editorialist; I'm being reviewed for a position as a Supreme Court Justice. How complicated is it for you to understand that my personal opinions have NO BEARING on how I would rule on a question of law?

If Machine Gun Sammy would listen to coaching from Curtis Stone, I'd watch the damned hearings on pay-per-view.

Tags: Alito

"Our Constitutional Right to Bear Arms..."

Fine words coming from a Maryland sheriff, albeit one passing out pitchfork murderer-enabling gadgets.

I wonder if he understands what an unalienable right is, and more specifically, the meaning of "shall not be infringed"?

Their website (sorry, they use frames so I can't drill you in to a specific page) offers us some clues.

Under "Community Services," we see a "Firearm Safety Certification Course," where we're informed:

Anyone who wants to purchase a handgun in Maryland must attend this course. The course consists of classroom instruction only. NO HANDGUNS ARE PEMITTED [sic].

So in order to exercise a Constitutional right, you need their prior "pemission". And, when in their presence, or apparently wherever else they deem not "pemitted", you may not exercise your Constitutional right.

I'm glad we cleared that up.

Tags: gun lock, gun control

Guilty of What?

North Shore prosecutors' efforts to crack down on individuals, especially gang members, who use illegal firearms coincides with the opening of two Boston gun court sessions..."Introducing a gun as evidence goes a long way to getting a defendant to plead guilty," Suffolk District Attorney's spokesman David Procopio said.

Note the lead paragraph said "individuals, especially gang members..."

That means not just hardened criminals could be caught in the "gun court" trap.

So we ought to be asking ourselves "Guilty of what?"

A crime of violence?

Or possession of something we're supposed to have the unifringed right to keep and bear?

Tags: gun control

If It Ain't Broke, Fix It

The Swiss government on Wednesday recommended to parliament that all gun owners must obtain a permit...As soon as the accord comes into effect, unauthorized possession will be considered an infringement of the law.

This is a sad development. While many areas of firearms possession won't be affected (yet), the precedent has been set for further encroachment. And note how the concern is for infringement of laws, not infringement of rights.

The European Union eroding their sovereignty is just about the biggest sell-out the Swiss people could have allowed their politicians to do to them, and a complete betrayal of their history and traditions. Once alliances are formed, the neutrality that has kept them out of the horrible conflicts of the last century will begin to dissolve.

It's suicidal, and it's a damned shame.

UPDATE: Just went over to KABA, and many of the comments are along the lines of "If it ain't broke..." Great minds think alike and all that...

Tags: gun control, Switzerland

Barry Fails Coke Test

Of course he did.

But I didn't think laws applied to public officials.

Tags: Marion Barry, cocaine

What He SHOULD Have Done

Houston Texans reserve running back Tony Hollings appeared in court today to face a gun charge.

Hollings, 24, was arrested in Houston on Jan. 3 and charged with unlawfully carrying a gun with a suspended driver's license. Hollings was stopped for speeding.

See, he should have had an armed escort and no license, and actually gotten in to an accident. Then he wouldn't have been arrested.

Tags: gun, football

Can I Ignore the Law, Too?

An Open Inquiry to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Dear Governor,

You have been violating California law by riding a motorcycle without a license.

You've been doing this for years, and say you just never thought about it? Yeah, that's pretty believable. It's not like there's any established pattern that would make us doubt your word--and we'll just forget about the attempted weasel-wording from your flack about sidecars and Class C licenses...

So tell me, Governor--am I free to ignore laws, too? I see you're a big supporter of citizen disarmament. Unfortunately, unlike you, when we ordinary Californians go out, we don't take a "protective detail" of taxpayer-funded armed CHP officers with us.

So if any of us "never really applied" to register what the state of California classifies as an "assault weapon" or a .50 BMG rifle, can we just shrug it off if we get caught, and pledge to get a license in the future?

Understand this is all just hypothetical--the last time I posed a similar exercise in tongue-in-cheek comparative logic, San Francisco authorities launched a police investigation against me.

I wouldn't want that to happen again--for simply asking someone in authority who is selectively enforcing and ignoring laws that suit their purposes--if I can expect the same privileges and immunities they claim entitlement to.

Tags: gun control, Schwarzenegger, motorcycle

Suggestion to Anyone Who Would Stop Me From Carrying a Gun to a Fun Outing

Get bent.

It's not my fault some armed morons showed up and you were unprepared to do anything about it.

Why should I be put in the same helpless position you were, and compromise my safety, or that of my family, due to your pathetic hoplophobia?

Tags: gun

It's the Gun's Fault...

...even if it turns out there is no gun.

Tags: gun, heart attack, police

Nobody Fisks Like The Smallest Minority

You can stick a fork in Kevin Fagin. He's done.

But I wouldn't count on him being intellectually honest enough to admit it.

Whitney Wolverine Range Report

Xavier treats us to a thoroughly enjoyable essay.

I've said before I'm not really a hardware guy--most of the time I gloss over anything technical. But this post grabbed me from the start and kept me hooked all the way through. I'm not sure why--I think it's because his enthusiasm for his subject just shines through, and that makes for a fun read.

It's Nice to Know There's Justice in This World

An appeals court on Monday upheld the 55-year mandatory sentence of a Utah man who carried a firearm while dealing pot, a penalty that had been decried as unconstitutional by dozens of former judges and prosecutors and as unjust by the sentencing judge himself.

If he'd only been an out-of-his-mind drunken cop firing that gun out the window of a moving car...

Tags: gun, marijuana

The Answer to Canada's "Gun Crime"

If the vigil doesn't work, Brian Walmsley says you guys can always emulate Jamaica...

Ha, ha, ha, Brian. Good one.

Tags: gun, Jamaica

We're the Only Ones Sober Enough...

A former Oconomowoc police officer was sentenced Monday to one year of probation on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge accusing him of firing a handgun out a car window on a night of heavy drinking.

I just take comfort knowing that if it had been you or me, the judge would also have "stayed" our jail term and issued probation.

Tags: gun, police

Canada to Ban Illegal Drugs!

Wait a minute--they're already banned. But buying them gives people money to buy guns that are also illegal for them to have. And that gives them something to use to kill people--isn't that against the law, too?

But...but...but...we've got to do something...

I know! Let's hold a vigil!

Tags: gun, drugs

North Country Gazette--A Lying Propaganda Rag

Find one statement in this "news" account that's not out of the the Gunbanner's Playbook. I posted the following on their contact page:

You people are a bunch of lying weasels, and your paper is nothing but a left-wing propaganda rag.

You call this editorial a straight news story? A reader would never know another point of view existed.

If you are going to publish an opinion piece, it should be clearly labeled as such. But it's not an oversight, is it?

You have no journalistic ethics.

Tags: liars, propaganda

Be Prepared

Pam Stegner's "Preparedness Now" Newsletter for Jan. 2006 is up.

The Price of Liberty

In Gary, IN, it's apparently $50.

Baptist ministers across northwestern Indiana are trying something new to encourage residents to give up their guns. Under the program, residents will get a 50-dollar voucher for groceries or clothing in exchange for giving up their guns. The program is the idea of Pastor Dwight Gardner, the newly elected chairman of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Gary.

There's nothing "new" about these moronic tool surrender programs, and Gary is about the last place I'd want to be caught without a gun.

In the words of a 1747 Philadelphia sermon:

"He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one who has no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God has enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend [it]self."

The ability of these pathetic ministers in Gary to openly preach their nonsense was secured by men willing to defend their rights--with guns. And you can only wonder at the type of wretch who would trade in a right secured by the blood of others for a gift certificate.

Tags: gun, buyback, Gary, Baptist

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Ted Kennedy has a "water dog" named Splash?

"Free" Gun Locks

Project Child Safe is a nationwide campaign to promote safe and responsible gun ownership and storage and its right here in the East. Thousands of gun locks will be given away for free,no questions asked.

Well, I've got some questions...

Project Child Safe is one of those "public/private partnerships" between the National Shooting Sports Foundation and "governors, lieutenant governors, U.S. Attorneys, community leaders and law enforcement," that is, fascism. I guess they figure if they suck up to the parasites, nobody will try to put them out of business?

Oh, and as for the locks being "free"...no they're not.

It is supported by a U.S. Department of Justice grant and is a component of Project Safe Neighborhoods...

That means they're using money they take from you and me to help fund this thing.

And as for "Project Safe Neighborhoods," well, we all know who supports that...

Tags: gun, lock

Second Amendment vs Third Way

David E. Rosenbaum, a longtime editor and reporter in the Washington bureau of the New York Times, died yesterday after being beaten and robbed Friday night near his home in upper Northwest Washington.

Per Richard Poe

In the May 23, 1999 New York Times, David E. Rosenbaum argued that there had once been two "extremes" in the gun debate – those who wanted to ban handguns, and those who wanted "the right to own and carry guns more or less at will."

Now both sides had found a "third way," he exulted. Both had agreed that some "common-sense" gun control was necessary. Sound familiar?

Rosenbaum compared the situation to the fight over health care. Some extremists had wanted to socialize medicine, he noted, while others had opposed government meddling altogether. Eventually, we got Medicare and Medicaid, said Rosenbaum – the perfect "third-way" compromise.

I'm sorry, Mr. Rosenbaum. When it comes to unalienable rights, there can be no compromise, no "third way."

I'm sorry that you had to find that out the hard way.

Tags: gun control, self defense

Without Compromise

A new "safety" gadget is being marketed to gun owners.

The Child Guard CS-100 firearm safety device boasts more firearm safety features than any other gun lock on the market, securely fitting rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers without compromising quick emergency use.

Even their Mission Statement promises:

Only Child Guard's patent pending No-LoadTM accessories allow most revolvers and pistols to be stored safely and made inert - unable to be loaded, placed into battery, or fired - but still be instantly available in an emergency situation.

Yeah, right.

That's why their instructions have all those steps. That's why you apparently need a key (that can be fumbled, dropped or lost) to open the thing. That's why they tell you (twice) in big bold letters:

NEVER INSTALL ANY CHILD GUARD UNIT ON A LOADED FIREARM.
Make sure the firearm is unloaded before proceeding.

Wait a minute--they tell you FOUR times. I forgot to check the disclaimers:

All firearms are potentially deadly. To avoid serious injury or death, never use this or any child safety device on a loaded firearm. This product is intended for use on unloaded firearms only.

Before attempting to install your child safety device, make sure the firearm is completely unloaded.

Yep, sounds like "quick emergency use" isn't compromised, alright. Sounds like your gun will be "instantly available" to me.

But I guess because the inventor is an "NRA Life Member" and "gun writer," he wouldn't mislead us about something like that. And just to facilitate that quick emergency use/instant availability they promise us won't be compromised, they add the following useful safety tips:

Always store firearms unloaded and locked in a safe place, inaccessible to children and other unauthorized persons. Store ammunition in a separate secure location.

Always remember to remove your key from the child safety device.

Do not store the key or combination to any Child Guard child safety device in the same place as your locked firearm.

Still, if it's so safe and effective and noncompromising in its quick emergency usability/instant availability, why do you suppose they feel compelled to put the following disclaimer in all caps?

CHILD GUARD IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES, AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

And not to argue petty details or anything, but their press release says their gadget "boasts more firearm safety features than any other gun lock on the market."

So how come their home page says:

It is NOT a gun lock or a trigger lock.

I guess that's why it needs a key.

Pitchfork murder, anyone?

Tags: gun, trigger, lock

A Challenge to Tradition

Pointman points us to the Dodge Challenger Concept car.

As a fan of the 1970 R/T, I gotta say I'm impressed.

That's quite a concession for me, seeing as how I'm such a mule-headed originalist about most things.

For instance, Say Uncle & Co. are waxing eloquent about the virtues of the new "Battlestar Galactica." I almost entered a comment about preferring the original, but didn't want to get laughed off the board.

But still--Starbuck a chick? (Oh, God, Sunni is going to kick my butt for being sexist...but it's not that--had the original Starbuck been female, I'd be just as adamant about not changing the character.)

Seriously, though--what's with phone cords on the bridge of a star ship? And who did what to Boxy?

Let me see if I can put things in perspective:

I'm still livid with "Gunsmoke" for replacing Chester with Festus. Candy was an interloper who should have been driven off the Ponderosa--or better yet, hanged for Adam's disappearance. Who the hell are Ernie and Uncle Charlie, how did they get into the Douglas house on "My Three Sons," and what the hell did they do with Mike and Bub (I'm suspecting pod people here)? And "Zorro"--dude, you dress in black to evade pursuit on dark nights. What bad mescal could you have possibly been drinking to think replacing black Tornado with white Phantom was a tactically sound idea?

Did I mention how I'll never forgive "The Adventures of Superman" for replacing Phyllis Coates with Noell Neil? And sorry, Lee Merriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry--there's only one Catwoman, and her name is Newmar.

Does anyone get the feeling I wasn't being completely honest when I described things I considered weird about myself?

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Gang members are actively gathering intelligence on legitimate gun collectors who have been targeted in recent years, leading police to warn owners to be careful about who they confide in about their weapons...McLeod hopes a new tip line set up by police will help them gather their own intelligence on how gang members...find out the source of domestic guns held by registered gun owners.

Oh, gee, I wonder.

Yes, by all means--be careful who you "confide in." Because they'll coerce you into registering your guns and then turn around and sell you out to the gangs--all the while using the crime they set up as a reason to call for "legally" stealing your property.

The flash point may just end up being north of the border...

Tags: gun, registration, Canada

A Woman, a Batterer and a Gun

More important, the conviction leaves Rebecca more vulnerable than ever to her abusive husband. For one, the district attorney's office mistakenly included her actual street address on all its documents, which are public record. The office was scrambling on Friday to delete the information.

And two, she now has no protection. (I wonder whether San Francisco voters considered domestic violence situations when they voted in November to ban all handguns and what consequences women like Rebecca might pay.)

I just sent the following to the reporter:

Ms. Ryan,

Why does “[T]he law against carrying concealed guns makes good sense”?

Where has carnage resulted from peaceable people having the means to defend themselves?

And what law will you pass that you think violent predators will observe?

You had a good story going until your conclusion, where you seemed to ignore everything you’d just finished writing and reverted to knee-jerk liberal bias.

It's true-- a piece of paper can't protect you. And a woman trying to protect herself should NOT be made into a criminal.

No one should be.

David Codrea

Tags: gun, domestic violence, restraining order

Second Amendment Saturday

The Transcending Sovereignty is going to start posting a weekly RKBA feature. He also has some nice things to say about ths humble site.

Tags: RKBA, Second Amendment

MTV "Gun Episode" Update

SayUncle has the inside scoop--a letter from the mother of one of the featured gun owners.

[Via Blognomicon]

Tags: gun, MTV

Arm the Superintendents?

Alphecca tells us about proposed legislation in Oklahoma that "would allow top school officials to carry firearms on school property if they have a gun permit and approval of the school board."

Not tryin' to pick a fight, Jeff, but I disagree with your comment:

I see nothing wrong with this idea. It can't hurt, only (hopefully) help if the unthinkable happens.

I see plenty wrong with it--it creates a special class of citizen, with privileges and immunities not enjoyed by all. I also think ceding authority to "officials" to issue permissions and approvals and conditions for our unalienable rights--particularly the one that "shall not be infringed," is dangerous and wrong.

Besides, don't tell Wayne LaPierre--he thinks only cops should be armed on school campuses, and squelched Sandra Froman suggesting otherwise.

Tags: gun, school, concealed carry

Export Boston Gun Laws--Since They Work So Well

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration.]

What did we just get done saying about the American Hunters and Shooters Assocation? Here's the latest pack of lies from John Rosenthal, their founding AHSAhole.

Right, John, guns in the US are "easily accessible and virtually unregulated." We need to implement edicts like those in Boston, where you're writing from, so that we can all enjoy a 10-year high murder rate.

No wonder the rag you're writing for has suffered an 8% decline in circulation. Maybe people are starting to wake up, and getting sick of being lied to.

Comments on FAA Space Regs

Space Politics observes that the first comments on proposed FAA space edicts have been posted (enter docket # 23449), including the one submitted by yours truly.

Have you let them know what you think yet?

Why on (or off) Earth not?

We're the Only Ones Responsible Enough, Eh?

While law enforcement officers fight to stop illegal guns from entering Canada through the American border, New Brunswick officials are searching for a weapon that disappeared from the province's own military base.

About four months ago, a powerful nine-millimetre handgun went missing from a military vehicle inside CFB Gagetown, near Saint John, N.B.

Sorry, I don't have much to add--I kind of locked on to "powerful nine-millimetre" and went into brain freeze...

Well, What the Bloody 'ell Did They Expect ?

Birmingham's world-famous gun maker Webley and Scott has folded, ending 200 years of proud Midland industrial tradition...The closure of Webley and Scott marks another hammer blow for the Midlands' manufacturing heritage.

Webley and Scott's revolvers were used by General Custer and also featured in Sherlock Holmes.

Smother it...

Smother it...

Smother it...

Keep smothering...

OH MY WORD, IT'S DEAD!!!

Crikey! Who could have possibly foreseen that eliminating its domestic market would have an adverse effect on a business?

Beware of Moles

They have a list of positions they advocate, including: "AHSA is committed to supporting the right to keep and bear arms, protecting our homes, and preserving our liberties," and "Hunting and sport shooting are American values AHSA will vigorously defend."

Sounds great, huh? But wait, there’s more. They also say "an overwhelming majority of hunters support proposals like background checks to purchase guns, keeping military style assault weapons off our streets and the elimination of cop killer bullets," advocate that "the FBI should be given reasonable access to National Instant Check System (NICS) purchase records" and promote "legislative efforts to regulate .50 caliber BMG sniper rifles in the same manner as machine guns."

Who are these guys--Brady Center Lite?

"Beware of Moles" is my Rights Watch column for the Jan. 2006 issue of GUNS Magazine.

Back when the controversy over the American Hunters and Shooters Association broke, I begged off commenting in detail because I'd already submitted this article to the magazine. It's publication was delayed another month because the editor and I both felt that printing my article about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina had a greater need for immediacy--such as you can get in a monthly magazine...

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?