BATFU Gives Pokey-Poke a Passy-Pass

A while back I received an email from CDT about my "Planet of the Ape" exposé on anti-gun Mark "Pokey Poke" Wahlberg (that's also the article Larry Elder referenced in his book). The essence of the piece is that Wahlberg has been convicted of violent crimes, and his handling of any actual firearms in films could be a violation of federal law. And it also explains the origin of the nickname I've given him.

Tavares' email said in part:

I used it as research material to write a letter on the subject to the BATF tonight. I asked them for a formal response as to why Wahlberg gets a pass when others don't.

Here are the results of his inquiry:

To those who asked me to keep them informed if the BATF ever responded to my letter of complaint about convicted felon Mark Wahlberg getting a "free pass" to possess guns while making one Hollywood shoot-em-up after another: the BATF has responded.

There are only three sentences of actual content buried in a page and a half of pap. The first is a restatement of the definition of firearm in 27 CFR 478.11. The next two say:

"Because you saw this individual possessing a gun in a movie trailer, it is not known whether or not this item meets this definition. The possibility exists that it could have been a movie prop and made to function as a real weapon through the use of special effects."

In my original letter, I wrote, "Please consider this a formal complaint. I ask that you look into this situation..." BATF's response: we won't even investigate. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Imagine reporting a screaming street-rape to 911 and being told, "We're not coming out, because... well, you know, it's possible that they're just role-playing and she's actually enjoying it." Same logic, after all.

I have both my letter and BATF's scanned and waiting to go on the web. I have a TIME magazine photo of Wahlberg waving a pistol in a shot from "Four Brothers." I'm waiting to obtain a vidcap of Bob Hoskins brandishing the "toon gun" from Roger Rabbit. I want to run the page under the headline, "If you can tell the difference... the BATF needs you!"

To those who might be inclined to agree that B-A-T-F-U had insufficient evidence to go after Wahlberg, just remember that a picture in the paper was one of the reasons used to stormtroop in and destroy Wayne Fincher's life. Besides, movie productions keep meticulous accounting records on props rented, armorers and trainers hired, etc. Determining the truth would be an afternoon's work for a competent investigator.

These Boots are Made for Stompin'

Kicking somebody during a fight can be more dangerous than using a sharp or blunt weapon, research shows...

Firearms injuries, which were very rare, were not considered...

"There's an important link with alcohol. Often in fights people are kicked when they fall over and one of the ways to reduce kicking is to reduce severe intoxication because fewer people would fall over.

Well, we've tried alcohol prohibition and "gun control," and those haven't worked, and besides, it appears from this "study" that guns aren't the problem anyway. So maybe we need some kind of boot control--after all, who needs pointed toes or heels over 1"?

Someone also ought to clue the good ivory tower docs into the fact that many--if not most--fights are going to end up on the ground regardless of whether or not the participants have been drinking. Real life altercations are very different from the choreographed sequences portrayed in the movies--nowhere near as pretty, nowhere near as temporary. A blow to the head or other vital area, whether with fist, elbow, foot or knee, a gouge, a bite, a stranglehold or a shove, can all have crippling or lethal consequences. No one has a right to initiate violence in this manner, and the victim has every right to stop such an attacker with lethal force.

"Fair fights" are fantasies conjured up by those who have never been assaulted and don't know how such things are done.

[Via 1894C]

We're the Only Ones Locking Down Enough

Deputy Greg Gardner accidentally discharged a bullet from the rifle he was carrying while located in an “incident staging area at the school.”

And Wayne agrees with Jim and Sarah that guys like Greg are "The Only Ones" qualified and entitled to keep and bear arms in Harris/Klebold Empowerment Zones.

[Via TheGuyFromWI]

This Day in History: December 20

On this day in 1783, Virginia cedes the vast territory it had previously claimed by right of colonial charter to the federal government of the United States. The Ohio Valley territory, which covered the area north of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and south of the Great Lakes and Canada, had been contested by Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

We're the Only Ones Superior Enough

An off-duty Detroit police sergeant who was shocked with a Taser gun in Farmington Hills last week has hired an attorney...

Reed added that Marshall was superior in rank compared to the Farmington Hills officers, and they need to learn respect for their superiors.

I'm a more exclusive "Only One" than you are...

Being a mere inferior citizen, how'd you like to have a guy with Marshall's attitude in your face? And do you think the Farmington Hills cops would have settled for tasing you if you refused to disarm?

It's important that we understand our place when in the presence of superiors, you know...

Bush Administration Declares Second Amendment a "Collective Right"

As in the NPRM, under Sec. 460.53, a space flight participant may not carry on board any explosives, firearms, knives, or other weapons.

XCOR inquired whether the FAA had the authority to impose security requirements under its statute and the U.S. Constitution. The Second Amendment to the Constitution provides that "[a] well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'' This right is not unfettered. Nearly every statute restricting the right to bear arms has been upheld. For example, in 1958, Congress made it a criminal offense to knowingly carry a firearm onto an airplane engaged in air transportation. 49 U.S.C. 46505. Additionally, nearly all courts have also held that the Second Amendment is a collective right, rather than a personal right. Therefore, despite the Second Amendment collective right to bear arms, the FAA has the authority to prohibit firearms on launch and reentry vehicles for safety and security purposes. [Emphasis added-DC]

The FAA has released its rules for tourists in space. And per the AP, if you wish to travel, you have to "promise not to sue the government." They issue a license, you sign a "waiver of claims" (Sec.440.17). So a Citizen would presumably have no standing if they wanted to challenge a ruling by unelected bureaucrats on Constitutional grounds. Pretty nice to be able to mandate yourself not responsible, that is, irresponsible, for that which you are, in fact, responsible.

The FAA reports to the DOT, and Secretary Peters reports directly to the President. It is inconceivable that she would allow policy directives to be issued against his will.

It looks like they didn't consider my comments when they crafted the final set of rules, but that's OK. Could I have some more Republican Kool-Aid, please?

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

I just sent the following to Laura Montgomery, Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration:


Of course I will post any reply...

Assault on Home Rule

Ohio lawmakers recently voted to override Gov. Bob Taft's veto of a bill wiping out local gun laws. When they did that, they may as well have declared open season on cities' 94-year-old "home rule" right to govern themselves in accord with local needs and wishes as laid out in the state constitution.

Of course, if "home rule" involved, say, a First Amendment issue that we disagree with, say, putting a manger up in the town square over Christmas, we'd be squealing like the indignant piglets that we are.

Forget the "supreme law of the land" and "unalienable rights." It's much easier to assault those, and declare open season on sovereign citizens.

And newspapers wonder why their bottom lines are tanking. Don't these 10-year-old girls have some permit holder names to publish or something?

Fashionably Late to the 2A Carnival

Welcome to the seventh edition of the Second Amendment Carnival

...better late than never

You got that right, Stan. I almost missed it completely, but as you say, better late than never.

This Day in History: December 19

“These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

I'm King of the World!

Asked what rules they would make if they were king or queen of the world, the number one response from the under-10s was to ban knives and guns.

What more needs to be said about the mindset and maturity of those who would disarm free men and women?

And while this survey was conducted in the UK, I don't see much difference in the vacuous and materialistic attitudes of children in this country. Give 'em another decade and they'll be voting.

We're the Only Ones Elephanticidal Enough

A killer elephant named after Osama bin Laden by fearful villagers was killed by sharpshooters, officials said Sunday. The animal was blamed for 14 deaths in the northeastern state of Assam.

And one can only wonder how many of those 14 would still be alive if high-powered rifles were not practically limited by government policies to the elites and "The Only Ones."

Related Reading: "Gun Ownership in India"--Excellent insights by Abhijeet Singh

A Protection Racket

But Ohio’s cities were not happy with the state’s overriding their right to enact gun protections...

See the way the "authorized journalist" slips into a supposedly "straight news" piece the editorial concept that banning you from having a gun is for everybody's "protection"?

Reagan Knew Value of Gun Ownership

President Reagan most assuredly understood that honest gun owners are not a threat to anyone, and neither are they a threat to national security or their own neighborhoods. After all, the man took a bullet less than three months into his first term, yet he never used that as an excuse to make his office a bully pulpit for gun bans or repeal of the Second Amendment. [More]

I read this story or something very similar years ago. I have no idea why it's being resurrected now, but the claim that Reagan was a 2A champion who never promulgated citizen disarmament edicts is unmitigated BS.

Years ago, we ran a poll on KABA asking "What do you think of this politician?" without identifying who we were talking about. We listed several gun control measures he had endorsed, including the Brady Bill, waiting periods, an "assault weapon" ban, and signing legislation to ban the open carry of firearms.

The results?

[N]early 80%...who voted based solely on his actions deemed them “traitorous,” and the vast majority of the balance deemed them “misguided.”

I know Reagan had a persona many found reassuring, paternal and likeable. I was not immune to his charisma myself. But truth is truth, and we're not doing ourselves any favors ignoring it.

As for why some would have you believe differently, you'll have to ask them.

[Via KABA Newslinks]

Rational Review 2A News Announcement

From Mary Lou Seymour:

Due to either a Yahoo breakdown or a cyberattack by unknown persons, the 2AM News email edition, located at Yahoo groups, was deleted last week. (Our parent pub, RRND, was also deleted.) Unfortunately, the entire email subscriber list for 2AM News was lost, presumably forever.

So, I have created a new Yahoo group, 2AM News Digest, located at groups.yahoo.com/group/2AMNewsDigest. If you were a subscriber, please resubscribe by clicking on the above link.

UPDATE:

I've now been informed that possibly it can be restored, but I'm not sure when (or even if it'll actually happen). I had created another group to replace it, but I am now going to wait a day or two to see if the old list reappears ... if so, I'll send out this week's 2AM News then; if not, I'll crank up the new list. Thanks to those who have subscribed to the new list so far and stay tuned!

This Day in History: December 18

The new United States celebrates its first national day of thanksgiving on Thursday, December 18, 1777, commemorating the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga after the surrender of General John Burgoyne and 5,000 British troops in October 1777.

There Are Bad Ideas...

...and there are really bad ideas.

Cryptic Subterranean alerts us to the latter: "Password-protected bullets."

Good grief.

Handgun Owners Irate Over Having Names Published Online

Dozens of readers have taken issue with The Journal News over its decision to run a list of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties as part of a wider investigative article.

The names of more than 30,000 licensed handgun owners were posted online as part of "Falling Through the Cracks," the paper's Dec. 10 report...

"The Constitution gives people the right to own guns in this country, and it also gives people the right to know whether they own a gun or not," said Henry Freeman, editor and vice president/news at The Journal News. "This is a public record. People have a right to know that.

"We did take it into consideration and did not publish your street address, which is also public information."

Irate?

Irate doesn't quite cover it, you miserable...

Your understanding of the Constitution is as broken as your moral compass. You're a betrayer of your countrymen and a betrayer of your name. You and your employers may yet end up with blood on your hands.

A Questionable Fellow

Gun control researcher Philip Alpers has accused the police officer in charge of firearms licensing of bias over a series of emails questioning his credentials.

Inspector Joe Green has written to two universities where Mr Alpers has held posts, questioning the former TV journalist's roles.

Mr Green has also written to Mr Alpers warning him he could be charged if he continued to use the title Harvard fellow.

So the co-author of the questionable Australian "gun death" study has questionable credentials?

We're the Only Ones Fumble-Fingered Enough

In an unrelated incident, a reserve police officer who was entering the building at the time of the evacuation shot himself in the arm and thigh as he tried to take a trigger lock off a Glock handgun.

And just which lock manufacturer recommends using their product with a round in the chamber?

He doesn't know how to use a lock or a gun, so naturally this damn boob and his kind are "The Only Ones" trusted by the City of Detroit to carry firearms.

Like Sheep to the Slaughter

So a school district actually comes up with a response to school shootings that will actually stop or lessen the blow of a school shooting, and some pantywaist gets upset and gets the program canned.

The Subversive comes to some maddening conclusions about schools, self defense, and mindsets.

This Day in History: December 17

On this day in 1777, the French foreign minister, Charles Gravier, count of Vergennes, officially acknowledges the United States as an independent nation. News of the Continental Army’s overwhelming victory against the British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga gave Benjamin Franklin new leverage in his efforts to rally French support for the American rebels. Although the victory occurred in October, news did not reach France until December 4th.

The Devil in the Details

New details are emerging about what led to the shooting of two ATF agents at an apartment complex in DeKalb County on Friday morning...

Reed says she told the ATF a different story than what they used to issue the warrant.

BATFU playing fast and loose with the details? Why doesn't that surprise me?

I also like this quote from another account:

“I just don’t get it,” the father said. “You come, kick in somebody’s door at 4 o’clock in the morning and what do you expect? This area has had a lot of burglaries and home invasions.”

Besides, haven't we established that if you shoot someone through a door, no charges will be filed? Or does that door not swing both ways?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

The grand jury should be respected. The grand jury decision should be respected. In routine criminal cases against citizens throughout the state, grand jury decisions are not second guessed; rather they are respected.

Respect is earned.

Herbivores More Intelligent than Carnivores

Frequently dismissed as cranks, their fussy eating habits tend to make them unpopular with dinner party hosts and guests alike.

But now it seems they may have the last laugh, with research showing vegetarians are more intelligent than their meat-eating friends.

Allow me to illustrate:

Smart

Stupid

Stupid Carnivores With Smart Herbivore: "Try the brains--they're delicious!"

So I think I'll do the smart thing and gain an advantage over predators by getting rid of my guns and becoming prey.

British researchers--is there anything they can't prove?

For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz lawmakers on Thursday approved a law allowing them to possess firearms. Most of the deputies believe that they need arms for self-defense.

We once suffer very bad Gypsy attack...

What You Should Know Before Buying a BB Gun for Your Child

For young boys a BB gun is like a right of passage. It is the first step to gun ownership. [More]

That would be "rite of passage," but that's not why this caught my interest:

The most important thing to remember if you get your child a BB gun is to supervise them while they use it.

See, that's the thing--when I was young, my Dad got us our BB guns and taught us how to use them. We learned safety and marksmanship from a man who spent his early twenties with the Marines on Guam in WWII, so we couldn't have had a more qualified instructor. And we learned rules and consequences, what you can shoot, what you can't, and then we were left free to exercise our judgment independently--critical skills if we were to become adults who understood and appreciated the responsibilities of freedom.

If we abused that freedom, we knew there would be trouble and we would be the ones to pay dearly for it. And we got something immeasurable in return: we learned how to earn trust from adults, who understood that at some point, we'd need to learn to work without a net, and that we'd never learn to be free men and women through incessant nannying.

I took my Daisy with me just about every time I was out playing, strapped to my shoulder as I rode my bike--no eyebrows were ever raised, no cops ever hassled me. And I did this not only here, but also in Iran (click the "Fourth Grade" link over in my blogroll), where we lived for several years, and that brings me to my real point:

If my sons today went casually about their public business bearing a BB rifle, indistinguishable to many from a firearm (both in reality and law), is there any doubt that 9-1-1 calls would flood the police station, that a response team replete with SWAT would be dispatched, that they would have their lives gravely at risk while arrested at gunpoint, and that the aftermath would include legal woes, expenses, potential criminal records and hysterical negative publicity?

This is the state of public respect for the rights of free Americans to keep and bear arms, and how much it has devolved in my lifetime. In this respect, I had more freedom as a boy in the Shah's Iran than my sons do in today's United States of America.

And we've allowed it to be done to us.

This Day in History: December 16

On this day in 1773, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships moored in Boston Harbor and dump 342 chests of tea into the water.

Unintended Consequences of UK Gun Laws

LIVERPOOL was today named and shamed as one of Britain's gun capitals.

A new report put the city behind only Manchester for the ease with which criminals can obtain illegal firearms...

We have a real-life laboratory producing real-life results. Anyone who ignores them and advocates continued propagation of the delusion is either ignorant or evil.

Do the Right Thing

The school board for an elementary district has chosen to have a student home schooled instead of expelling him in response to a possession of a gun incident.

The board at Troy Elementary School District made that decision Wednesday night after administrators recommended an expulsion. On Nov. 15, the boy found a pellet gun and turned it over to an official at Troy Middle School...

Am I the only one who thinks they have actually done him a favor? And any guesses on what he'll do if he ever finds another gun?

Gun-Grabber to be Sentenced Next Week

If only the story lived up to the promise of its headline...

Clyde Confident Gun Ban Will Stand Despite Vote

Which no doubt pleases Bonnie, what with the reduced professional risks and all...

The Stéphane Solution

The tragic shooting at Dawson College should convince the Conservative government to acknowledge the necessity for effective gun control in Canada, said Stéphane Dion, Leader of the Liberal Official Opposition, today.

Ok, Stéphane, here's a test.

Kimveer Gill has just pulled a gun and is shooting your family.


Just what the hell are you prepared to do about it--besides shriek, wet yourself, run away or hide?

We're the Only Ones Exclusively Judgmental Enough

A senior district judge charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit has been held for trial...

Presutti's attorney, Michael Witherel, told Court of Common Pleas Judge Lawrence O'Toole on Thursday that his client needed the gun to protect himself from his father-in-law. He argued that district judges are allowed to carry guns because they are "law enforcement officers."

In other words, he's allowed to protect himself and we're not because he's an "Only One" and we're not.

Yeah, that sounds like the kind of Republic the Founders had in mind...

About that Australian "Gun Death" Study...

I can't help but note the graph shows a steep declining trend for better than 15 years before the '96 "buyback." I'm no statistician, but several questions come immediately to mind:

• If removing a fixed number of guns from the population resulted in a directly attributable decrease in deaths, can we also demonstrate a commensurate level in continued deaths for the guns remaining in the population?
• Which part of the population participated in surrendering weapons (i.e., "law-abiding"?) Are the death reductions exclusive to that segment?
• Has there been a commensurate decrease in criminal activity?
• Has immigration policy introduced a new and statistically significant population growth demographic for which gun ownership is nontraditional?

This is just off the top of my head--there are plenty of other questions that pop up, such as how they factor in higher suicide rates in totally disarmed cultures like Japan, why a temporary absence of a statistical rarity, mass shootings, is perceived as a cure against all future mass shootings, what the criteria is to define a mass shooting (more than 1? 2?...), and, to get theoretical (but it's justified based on longer-term historic "trends") what would the effects of a disarmed population be should the country either devolve into a Stalinist-style tyranny or be invaded?

I'd like to see someone who really knows his way around crunching the numbers and asking the right questions, like John Lott take a crack at this.

This Day in History: December 15

On this day in 1791, Virginia becomes the last state to ratify the Bill of Rights, making the first ten amendments to the Constitution law and completing the revolutionary reforms begun by the Declaration of Independence. Before the Massachusetts ratifying convention would accept the Constitution, which they finally did in February 1788, the document’s Federalist supporters had to promise to create a Bill of Rights to be amended to the Constitution immediately upon the creation of a new government under the document.

If the Bill of Rights is law, that clearly makes those who violate it lawbreakers.

More: Bill of Rights Day

Open the Pod Bay Doors, WOG...

My trusty old workhorse computer, the Warongunsotron [WOG] 9000, is making the Devil's own noise.

It may be the hard drive, it may be the fan. I don't know, but I'm taking it in for the rubber glove turn-your-CPU-and-cough battery of tests.

We may or may not be blogging tomorrow or the next few days thereafter. But I'll hope for the best.

Just what do you think you're doing, Dave? I'm afraid...

The REAL Reason Kathryn Johnston Was Killed

Because of "stand your ground" laws.

For over 200 years, distinguishing self-defense from vigilantism was for police, prosecutors, juries, and judges to decide.

The new laws leave it up to you and me.

Self defense is vigilantism. There's no way to tell the difference during a violent encounter until it's adjudicated by the government.

Really. Rick Perlstein said it, I believe it, that settles it.

Does this creature remind you of anybody else?

We're the Only Ones Uncharged Enough

The parents of a Kennesaw police recruit killed by an instructor during firearms training said Wednesday they are frustrated and angry that the veteran officer responsible was neither charged with a crime nor fired...

The sheriff's administrative report on the shooting was released nearly six months after the shooting. It said that Jackson fired a single round during a drill in which recruits faced each other, drew their weapons, pulled the trigger, ejected the magazine, reloaded and pulled the trigger a second time, according to the sheriff's report.

Jackson took the place of the recruit facing Drummond to demonstrate the procedure, the report states. Jackson's semiautomatic pistol fired a live round when reloaded with the second magazine, striking Drummond in the chest, investigators reported.

I guess the grand jury foreman checked the wrong box...?

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

[Via The Claire Files]

Why Kill a Dream When You Can Kill a Disarmed Victim?

The Chicago PD, which did such a stellar job keeping those people at Citcigroup Center from getting killed the other day, want to ensure even more disarmed human targets in the victim pool.

I've resisted posting this for some time, but enough is enough with these stupid "buy backs":


Think I'd get in trouble if I did this...?

Well, I can always dream--as long as I'm alive.

[Link to Chicago PD flyer via HZ]

We're the Only Ones Shooting First Enough

San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales closed a spontaneous address to hundreds of county staffers Wednesday with an unexpected and somewhat shocking message to county public safety employees.

"Shoot first and ask questions later," she said. "I'll take care of the lawsuits."

...her final remarks drew applause and cheers from the audience...

Public safety employees should shoot the public that employs them to ensure public safety. How very circular. And that "drew applause and cheers."

Oh, wait. She was only joking.

Whew!

Ha ha. Good one. (But if it was a joke, how come the audience applauded and cheered, instead of laughed?)

Maybe we can address our co-workers and joke about shooting our employers, too. I'll bet our bosses would appreciate the humor as much as our applauding and cheering (but not laughing) fellow employees. I'll bet they'd also appreciate being treated like subjects, and even enemies.

Who wants to try it and report back on how it went?

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

This Day in History: December 14

On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress names Irish-born Thomas Conway to the post of inspector general of the United States. Conway, who was born in Ireland but raised in France, entered the French army in 1749. He was recruited to the Patriot cause by Silas Deane, the American ambassador to France, and after meeting with General George Washington at Morristown in May 1777, he was appointed brigadier general and assigned to Major General John Sullivan’s division.

Preaching to the Choir

I just read a comment over at Blogonomicon that I see time and again on forums, in comments, and in emails I receive:

You're preaching to the choir.

The following is from "You Say You Want a Revolution?," published several years back in GUNS AND AMMO:

If only this assumption was true. We would be invincible!

The choir is comprised of the volunteers up there doing the work, singing. These are the people who learn the music and the words and the programs. They take significant time out from their demanding professional and personal lives to practice, to learn and to perform. And they’ll do it again next week, and the next.

The overwhelming majority of gun owners are, at best, spectators. They may occasionally attend a service, they may even put a couple dollars in the plate when it’s passed, but to actually put forth time, effort and financial support on a continued basis, to do real work and make real sacrifices, is something they typically find reasons for not doing.

I have no way of knowing if the comment poster who was the catalyst for this rant is in "the choir" or not, and don't mean to imply otherwise. It's just that I see this comment tossed around cavalierly by others, and think it important to point out the reality, that most who claim membership are giving themselves more credit than they're due.

Please Accept Our Self-Promoting Condolences

Last Friday's tragedy at the Citigroup Center was a sad reminder of what can happen when an armed person becomes overwhelmed with rage.

The tragedy and outrage is, none of his victims had the ability to defend themselves, and these miserable traitors are doing their utmost to impose this contemptible helplessness on the rest of us.

I note the Bradys never issued a sympathy statement to the families of Peyton Strickland, Kathryn Johnston or Sean Bell. Apparently, "gun violence" perpetrated by "The Only Ones" is A-OK with them.

Stuff your opportunistic and exploitive crocodile tears, Jennifer Bishop. I'll bet you'd be real useful in a life-or-death confrontation against a violent attacker. And try not to slip in all that blood you're dancing in.

The Ammunition Loophole

Criminal offenders bought handgun ammunition from nine stores in Monmouth and Ocean counties, according to testimony heard Tuesday by a state panel investigating the link between bullet sales and street violence...

Then they violated 18 USC § 922(g), which states in part:

It shall be unlawful for any person...to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

I'm just sayin'...but apparently that's not good enough:

Other witnesses suggested making it illegal for criminal offenders to buy ammunition, requiring special identification cards for ammunition buyers, and equipping vendors with computers to log purchases.

Yeah, make it more illegal--and put additional burdens on the rest of us. That always works.

Taking Aim

WHAS 11 Louisville has done a surprisingly encouraging report on teaching kids gun safety--including how to shoot--and it all takes place at Barry Laws' new OpenRange facility on Crestwood.

This Day in History: December 13

On this day in 1776, American General Charles Lee leaves his army, riding in search of female sociability at Widow White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

MISTAKE?

A day after authorities announced that a former New Hanover County deputy had been indicted in the shooting death of a Durham teen during a raid on a Wilmington home, members of the grand jury now say the indictment was a mistake...the foreman checked the wrong box on the indictment...

Three deputies fired shots into the home, and sources close to the case said they believe several shots were fired before Strickland opened the door.

Any guess if the wrong box would get checked if you or I made a similar "mistake"?

We're the Only Ones Waving Enough

A beer-spitting, tequila-swilling Framingham detective faces criminal charges and may be bounced from the force for allegedly waving a loaded pistol at two fellow officers.

The “extremely” drunk 35-year-old cop is also accused of pointing his pistol out of a car the same night as his buddies were trying to drive him home...

Doherty has been on paid leave since Oct. 10...

"Paid leave"?

"May be bounced from the force"?

Only "The Only Ones"...

Deputy Charged With Murder in Strickland Shooting

Go read.

MORE

Vive le Difference!

In their response to our supporter, the NRA spokesperson, on behalf of Sandra Froman, president of the NRA, made several statements that are contrary to what JPFO believes gun rights organizations should support.

"...we support certain federal laws relative to firearms..."

"The Association does not object to many of the federal laws..."

"...greater emphasis should be placed on enforcing existing laws..."

"...NRA did not object to the increase in funding to BATF..."

JPFO's response letter is here. It addresses many points very well, but in my opinion, since NRA placed such emphasis on Project Exile in their letter, an opportunity to further expose that program for the fraudulent failure it is was missed.

[Via Dave Licht]

Little Pig, Little Pig, Let Me Come In

Police also plan to ask home owners at times for consent to search their homes without a probable-cause warrant, District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said Monday.

Or I'll huff, and I'll puff and I'll blow your door in, and you with it.

[Via John Schaefer]

UK "Middle Classes are Tooling Up"

A widow who lives alone in a Wiltshire farmhouse has taken to sleeping with a Smith & Wesson Saturday Night Special under her pillow. It belonged to her husband and is more than capable of stopping an intruder, of which she has had three in the last two years...

Owning a weapon is becoming a habit for rural homeowners who feel unprotected now that so many police stations have closed.

I have never seen a police car in my village and violent crime in the county, of course, is up.

Defend yourself with a weapon. You'll see a police car soon enough.

It's heartbreaking to see the odds stacked so high against those in the UK who would retain the rights of freemen. And it ought to be apparent that our fate will closely follow theirs should we not act now with everything we've got.

[Via 1894C]

This Day in History: December 12

On this day in 1787, Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the Constitution, by a vote of 46 to 23. Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify, as well as the first state to endure a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification.

We're the Only Ones "Are Our Faces Red" Enough

A thief made off with a Detroit police officer's gun and private car at a Southfield gas station Sunday morning, the latest embarrassing episode for a department reeling from a week punctuated by prisoner escapes and gun thefts...

The theft marks the third time in less than a week that criminals have stolen guns from Detroit police officers or reserve officers.

That's OK. After they've been used in a few stick-ups and homicides, the Detroit PD can always hold another "gun buyback" to retrieve them.

And remember--they're "The Only Ones" responsible and professional enough to be trusted with guns!

Constitution Says Gun Rights Belong to 'The People'

To believe his claim that the amendment only protects the National Guard, one would have to believe that "the people" in the amendment somehow refers to the federal government (since the Guard can be federalized with one stroke of the presidential pen) while "the people" in other amendments references an individual right.

Not just one, but SIX opinion pieces promoting the individual rights meaning of the Second Amendment have made it to the editorial page of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Just don't hold your breath waiting for anyone who has bought into the fear and ignorance side to change their...let's see, I don't think "minds" is the right word...

SinntAKlaus is Coming to Town

Sick Christmas cards being sold in a republican shop were condemned by a leading church man last night.

The cards depicting Santa Claus with an AK-47 rifle were branded " abhorrent" by Rev David McIlveen.

Don't worry, Reverend.

They're only cards, and besides, haven't you heard? The IRA has given up all their guns.

I believe that just as firmly as I believe in Santa.

An Unkept Promise

A deadly year continued in the city of Philadelphia as four men were killed in weekend shootings. The latest violence puts the city at 384 homicides for the year.

But...but...but...we were promised Project Exile would put a stop to this...

The NY Death Loophole

Police have lost track of thousands of registered handguns because there's no system in place to keep tabs on the weapons of state pistol permit holders who die, The Journal News has found.

The guns are a symptom of a larger administrative black hole brought on by outdated records and reliance on an "honor system'' requiring families to turn in weapons on their own after a licensed gun owner has died.

Uh-oh, time for a new law...

Westchester, Rockland and Putnam county licensees. Talk about a population where no problem exists. Keep 'em to yourself, New York heirs--you'll probably need 'em some day, and those who insist on your getting rid of them are no friends of yours.

The first thing that struck me about this was that if Michael Bellesiles conducted a survey of probate records, he's conclude that hardly anybody owned guns. That, and of course, the gall of these miserable upstart tyrants, who have failed the "honor system" of abiding by their oaths of office.

This Day in History: December 11

On this day in 1777, General George Washington begins marching 12,000 soldiers of his Continental Army from Whitemarsh to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, for the winter. As Washington’s men began crossing the Schuylkill River, they were surprised by a regiment of several thousand British troops led by General Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis came across the continental forces by chance as he followed General William Howe’s orders to forage for supplies in the hills outside Philadelphia.

Songs of Solomon

I was going through some old files and found the following letters, written and sent respectively to Bill Clinton and Janet Reno during the Elian Gonzalez dispute. I thought I'd resurrect them here, not because they're timely, but just because.

Dear Mr. President, The answer is so simple. We all know it, and have for years. We learned about it long ago, and it's part of our common heritage. The answer is in that Bible you carry around in public. Remember Solomon? Remember the two women who claimed a child was theirs? You should order the INS to cut Elian in half! Send the left half to Castro. The Miami Cubans get to keep the right. Talk about a metaphor! 'Course if somebody blinks first, and cedes him to the other side, well, that's who gets to keep him. What a legacy for someone who is looking for exactly that. The wisdom of Solomon! And if nobody blinks and you actually have to go through with it? Well, all those dead kids at Waco didn't hurt your poll numbers any. And if things get too hot, you can just order another bomb strike somewhere. That always seems to work.

***

Dear Ms. Attorney General, Reliable reports document the grandmother of Elian Gonzales biting his tongue and unzipping his pants because she wanted to see if his "little private parts" had grown. Recalling that the catalyst for the massacre of the Branch Davidian children was your concern that they were being sexually abused, your duty, and the precedent for defining it, seem clear. Call in the Hostage Rescue Team. Elian must die.

[Graphic originally posted at GunTruths.com]

We're the Only Ones Unregistered Enough

A veteran Toronto cop once named officer of the month for "superior investigative skills" has been charged with possession of an unregistered handgun at his Oakville residence...The gun, a Glock automatic, allegedly came to the attention of police as a result of a domestic incident a few weeks ago.

Note to "The Only Ones": The net you help to draw can catch you up just as easily, and eventually will.

And the Chief Inspector Dreyfus Award Goes To...

A woman staying at a northeast Georgia motel this week shot herself while trying to light a cigarette -- with a loaded pistol.

"Fighting at a Waffle House..."

Sounds like a classy, intelligent gal all the way around.

Don't just stand there, help me find my nose!

A Bit o' the Blarney

Fine Gael's Justice Spokesman Jim O'Keeffe has called on the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to provide gardaí with extra resources to tackle what he called the apparently all-pervasive gun culture in the country.

"All-pervasive" is it now?

There you go on again with your tales.

Why, everyone knows that guns are tightly controlled here in Dublin and across the Emerald Isle. Next you'll be tellin' us you saw the wee people.

"A never-ending spate."

Ha! Good one, O'Keeffe, now pour us a pint. Begorra, you do go on...

Prosecutor: Ban Fantasy Knives

A futuristic, wicked four-bladed weapon that was used in a Thanksgiving Day assault in Grand Blanc Township should be outlawed, said Genesee County Prosecutor David S. Leyton...

"The only purpose of a weapon like this is to maim and kill," Leyton said.

Uh, yeah, Dave, that's kind'a what a weapon is for:

something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

But it's not the only purpose. First, it could be used for defense--would you mug someone holding one? Plus, there are plenty (millions?) of fantasy knife collectors who have never harmed a soul. I've never caught that bug, but to each his own. And besides, you and Capt. Rariden were reported as saying "the use of the knife in this case was the first time [you] had heard of it."

So wouldn't you say the problem is being a bit overblown?

If someone was coming at you with a Critical Mass four-blader, would you want to counter them with another one, or would you prefer, say, a gun, because you realize it would be a superior choice of weapon, that is, more capable of maiming and killing? Following your logic, do you therefore want to ban guns, too?

I found your press release over at your website (you're really milking this for all the ink you can get, aren't you?), and noticed the picture of you and one of "The Only Ones," who I presume can be trusted with such a fearsome implement due to his superior morals, training, judgment, intelligence, etc., while us mere citizens would instantly turn into homicidal automatons. I know you agree that cops enjoy a special status over citizens, because you also think they are the Only Ones who should be immune from prosecution for theft "of video games and movies seized from suspected drug houses..."

I love your excuse for dismissing felony larceny charges: All the other Flint cops are doing it, so no individual should be singled out! Hysterical, Dave! That's like my kid telling me "Billy's mom let's him do it."And besides, they weren't stealing, they were--what word did you use?--"borrowing."

Besides, I'm sure you'd be just as quick to drop felony charges against non-cop criminals, because all the other criminals are stealing?

What the hell is wrong with the citizens of Genessee County, giving an opportunistic political fraud like you power over their lives? But seeing as how you'll exploit whatever sensationalist angle you can to advance your quest for power over others, here's another deadly weapon you might be able to advance your career by going after.

That sucker looks like it could do some serious damage, and is much too dangerous to trust in the hands of a mere citizen. Better get one of your Flint LEOs to take time away from playing with "borrowed" video games to demonstrate its danger to a room full of "authorized journalists," who will dutifully parrot back everything you say to their readers without question.

[Thanks for the initial tip to WmH]

The Path of Least Resistance

The Virginia Citizens Defense League is gearing up to boycott and perhaps picket Cole's Gun Shop, saying owner Mark Cole put their privacy in jeopardy when he agreed to let a court-appointed officer scrutinize his gun sales for the next three years.

Attorney Michael Cole, who represented his brother's shop in the settlement, says it was purely an economic decision.

"Was it going to eat into our profits and ability to make a living more to defend this case or to settle it under the terms that we were offered?" he said. "It's a no-brainer."

Yeah, no doubt it was a tough choice, and I say that with no sarcasm.

But collaborators have always had reasons to take the path of least resistance, and the Coles are now in a fix. I wouldn't want my information subjected to that sick punk Michael Bloomberg's scrutiny, either, and would take my business to a place where that doesn't happen.

Still, here's my challenge to gun owners, because the enemy is successfully playing our ranks against each other: Will we take the lead in helping out a gun store that resists and defies the Bloomberg parasites? Legal battles are expensive and protracted. The average gun store simply does not have the resources to fight one, and will make the "pragmatic" choice just to survive.

If our answer is "No," that is, if we have chosen the path of least resistance, then I don't see where we have much room to complain. The gun stores will be picked off one by one, to cave in or fold under pressure. Either way is fine with those who wish to see us disarmed.

I'd think the gun industry would want to keep their lines of supply open, and ought to take the lead in coordinating this. But I won't be surprised to find that until their bottom lines are threatened, they too will take the path of least resistance.

So rather than form a centralized organization--that might impose all kinds of objectionable eligibility standards--we should act locally. If we know of a gun store that's being extorted, talk to the owner about setting up a defense fund--then get your gun owning friends and grassroots activists involved. Figure out how much needs to be raised and come up with a plan to do it.

Or don't, and continue down the path...

This Day in History: December 10

On this day in 1778, John Jay, the former chief justice of the New York Supreme Court, is elected president of the Continental Congress. Jay, who graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) at the age of 19, was a prominent figure in New York state politics from an early age. While Jay opposed British interference in the colonies, he was against complete independence from Great Britain.

Democrats Betray Ohio Gun Owners, Who Act Surprised

Gun owners have demonstrated their importance and effectiveness on the campaign trail, and have learned that the only way to be taken seriously is to make sure pro-gun candidates run on both sides of the aisle in every race.

Sorry, but all gun owners have demonstrated--repeatedly--is the cynical reality of the adage misattributed to PT Barnum.

Oh, who could ever have foreseen this? Especially since one of them, John Bocierri, reportedly had an "NRA A+" rating (not true--it was only an "A"--but he did get their endorsement).

And we all know how reliable those A ratings and endorsements are...

Defenseless Citizens Slain: No Charges Expected Against Daley

Carrying a cache of weapons into a bustling downtown office, a gunman chained a law firm’s doors closed and fatally shot three people before a police sniper killed him as held a hostage at gunpoint, authorities said.

And, of course, had any of the office workers exercised their right to keep and bear arms in defense of their lives, Mayor Daley's Community Death Squad would have taken them out, too.

Coming Soon: E-Gun Control

It's called the electron gun, or simply the "e-gun."

When it's being developed by a company best-known for its defense work, thoughts of Star Wars and death rays are inevitable.

But this e-gun, which creates electrons and shoots them at high speed toward a target, could just as easily be used to save lives as to defend the country...

So defending the country is considered the ideological opposite of saving lives...?

And as I asked in "Things to Come," an article on weapons development I wrote for the July 2002 issue of GUNS AND AMMO:

Any bets on whether one of these babies will ever make it to the civilian market?

The Experts Agree!

The country doesn't necessarily need new laws to limit handguns, but it should enforce the laws it has and resist efforts to weaken them, one of the nation's top handgun control advocates said Thursday.

--Paul Helmke, President, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

"Until you provide 100% enforcement of the existing laws, (criminals are) going to laugh at you, and ... go about their business."

--Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association

Ever get the feeling both ends are being played against the middle...?

Buffalo Chips at False Alternatives

Buying a handgun in Buffalo, community activist Arlee Daniels Jr. said, "is as easy as going to the supermarket to buy a loaf of bread."

Erie County Probation Commissioner George Alexander used a slightly different analogy. The message is the same:

"Getting a gun on the street is so easy," he said. "They can get one quicker than they can get their school books. It's a travesty."

...In response to Tuesday's shooting of Officers Patricia A. Parete and Carl E. Andolina, [Mayor Byron "What Can Brown Do to You?"] Brown said the city plans a gun buyback program to get illegal guns off the street.

These people are not only supply and demand-challenged, they're cause and effect-retarded.

Yeah, do your stupid "buyback," like it's something that hasn't been tried with no beneficial results a thousand times before. Pass more "common sense gun laws" and enforce the existing ones. Bring in "Project Safe Neighborhoods" (Oh, you have already?)

Posture and promulgate and publicize, and watch things continue to get worse.

And do everything in your power to make certain the "law-abiding" fear exercising an uninfringed right to keep and bear arms of their choosing whenever and wherever they deem prudent.

Fools.

We're the Only Ones Black Robed Enough

Personal responsibility- exactly! And yet they’re only trying to allow judges to carry guns in court. What about the personal responsibility of jurors and others attending court? I guess they aren't considered to be members of the privileged classes.

Cryptic Subterranean touches on a subject many of us non-"Only Ones" have direct experience with.

We're the Only Ones "Third Time's a Charm" Enough

A city police officer was arrested yesterday for the third time since 2004 after failing to appear for his trial on charges of assaulting an ex-girlfriend and carrying a firearm while intoxicated.

And naturally, his professional record can't be discussed with the potential victim pool that employs him. After all, he's an "Only One."

[Via Eric, via mAss Backwards]

This Day in History: December 9

The Virginia and North Carolina militias defeat 800 slaves and 200 redcoats serving John Murray, earl of Dunmore and governor of Virginia, at Great Bridge outside Norfolk, ending British royal control of Virginia. The Tory survivors retreated first to Norfolk then to Dunmore’s ship, the Otter, where the majority died of smallpox.

Strickland Shooting Deputy Fired

New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey has fired one of three deputies who have been on paid leave in connection with the shooting death of 18-year-old Peyton Strickland.

“Christopher M. Long was dismissed from employment with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office today,” Causey said in a terse news release faxed to the Star-News at 4:49 p.m.

The reason for Long’s dismissal was not explained in the release. But it did state that “a criminal investigation is being conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the District Attorney,” apparently a reference to the ongoing investigation into the Dec. 1 shooting.

As Alice observed, "Curiouser and curiouser."

Parker v. DC Oral Argument Transcript

K-Romulus attended and wrote down a "rough transcript."

Great job! Nice "exclusive"!

And remember--you got the scoop from a blogger, not an "authorized journalist."

We're the Only Ones Irresistable Enough

In the passenger seat, Whitehead trembled and stuttered when Hires asked for his identification and ordered him out of the truck. He screamed when Hires threw him against the truck, beat him with a police-issued flashlight -- and then tased him while he ran back to the woman's house, the records say...

Whitehead, 27, wound up in the hospital so doctors could remove the Taser prongs from his arm. Then he was booked into Lake County Jail, arrested on suspicion of resisting a police officer with violence.

Where do you think Whitehead would be right now if he had resisted--with the appropriate level of force?

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

This is All it Takes

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration]

It was Fabian Sheats' third felony drug arrest in four months. But on the afternoon of Nov. 21, according to a police report, he was looking to curry favor, so he told officers they could find a kilogram of cocaine in a house at 933 Neal Street N.W.

That encounter led police to the home of Kathryn Johnston, an elderly woman who lived alone behind burglar bars and kept a rusty revolver. When officers burst into the house just three hours after talking to Sheats, a shootout ensued that left the woman dead and three officers wounded. No cocaine was found.

Rely on the neighborhood Gollum and use that as justification to raid an innocent woman's home. That's some police work.

[Via Uncle, via Balko]

We're the Only Ones Excessively Forceful Enough

Two of the three deputies involved in Friday's deadly shooting of a Wilmington teenager have been the focus of prior investigations for use of excessive force.

I agree with Tomato 7:

It keeps getting better.

[More on Peyton Strickland]

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

Wayne Fincher Update

Wayne may be contacted via U.S. Mail at:

Hollis Wayne Fincher
c/o Sebastian County Jail
801 South A Street
Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901

I just pasted copies of every WarOnGuns post about his case into a Word document and am mailing it to him today, just to let him know he hasn't been forgotten, especially knowing how agonizing it must be to be separated from those you love at this time of year.

If you have a blog where you've written about him, I encourage you to do the same--or if not, just a note of encouragement or a Christmas card would be nice gestures.

I'm also sending him some paper, envelopes and stamps--we'll see if they let him keep those.

Wrong Question

In a case that could shape firearms laws nationwide, attorneys for the District of Columbia argued Thursday that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applies only to militias, not individuals...

Silberman and Judge Thomas B. Griffith seemed to wrestle, however, with the meaning of the amendment's language about militias. If a well-regulated militia is no longer needed, they asked, is the right to bear arms still necessary?

No, the proper question is: "Where the hell do you get off thinking you have authority to determine need?"

This, of course, is the case that NRA tried to horn in on and sideline. Perhaps it will find its way to SCOTUS--I understand they're looking for something to do right now...

We're the Only Ones Opportunistic Enough

Goshen — The Orange County Sheriff's Office is investigating whether a member of its command staff misused his position to sell privately owned guns that the agency was holding for safekeeping or destruction.

Land o' Goshen, imagine that! (Sorry, couldn't resist. Some day, I hope to have cause to use "Jumping Jehosaphat!")

Meanwhile, rich wretch Mayor Bloomberg focuses his treasonous wrath on out-of-state private dealers who sell their own property.

I got this one from Declan, who observes:

[T]his is my local sheriff's office...where I had to be interviewed by an investigator to determine if I was worthy to receive a New York State pistol permit...

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

We're the Only Ones Off the Cuff Enough

A veteran police officer was arrested Thursday for investigation of assaulting a handcuffed boy, 16, in a videotaped attack...The police chief says Meade assaulted a youth who had been arrested about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday in Chinatown for a curfew violation. He said the teenager was in a juvenile holding cell at Central Station and did not provoke the attack.

I've been looking around to see if any "authorized journalists" have posted the tape--so far, nothing. I'll keep an eye out, and if anyone else runs across it, please let me know.

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

We're the Only Ones Cutting Enough

Two Rhode Island police officers are in hot water from their superiors as they've been accused of using their authority to cut into a long line of people waiting to buy a launch day PlayStation 3.

Maybe they were just trying to keep dangerous game controllers out of the hands of potential arrestees.

The automatically assumed arrogance...anybody think this is the only time and way it has manifested itself?

Can you imagine what would have happened-- on the spot --if a couple mere citizens cut in front of a line of "The Only Ones"?

This Day in History: December 8

Beginning on this day in 1775, Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery lead an American force in the siege of Quebec. The Americans hoped to capture the British-occupied city and with it win support for the American cause in Canada.

Supreme Court Has Nothing to Do

On the Supreme Court'’s color-coded master calendar, which was distributed months before the term began on the first Monday in October, Dec. 6 is marked in red to signify a day when the justices are scheduled to be on the bench, hearing arguments.

The courtroom, however, was empty on Wednesday, and for a simple reason: The court was out of cases. The question is, where have all the cases gone?

If they really have all that free time, I can think of something to fill it.

The question isn't where all the cases have gone--that's "authorized journalist" misdirection, that is, a damnable and transparent lie. The question is, why won't the black-robed cowards do their sworn duty and uphold the Second Amendment's promise that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed--instead of refusing to hear such cases without comment?

Why "Gun Control" Propaganda Works

Essentially because enough people are stupid, uninformed, predisposed to bias and ignorantly opinionated... I know this test was conducted on middle school students, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a majority of their voting parents buying into it as well, which explains why the populace can be sold a bill of goods on just about any government or media manipulation imaginable.

Here's the hoax site--pretty dang funny if the results weren't so pathetic.

[Via Jim Peel]

We're the Only Ones Armed and Famous Enough

HERE'S a really good idea: take a washed-up TV hero, a rehab-hopping son of a reality rock icon, Wacko Jacko's sister and a cast member of Jackass and give them all guns. Real guns.

Just when you though reality TV couldn't get any dumber, we hear CBS is working on Armed And Famous, which follows celebrities as they enforce the laws alongside city police officers.

Just when you thought "The Only Ones" couldn't possibly get any more ridiculous...

I rarely find myself rooting for disastrous unintended consequences, but I'll tell you what--if Zeppo Osbourne or whatever the hell his name is ever pulls a gun on a free man, he's liable to get a few more piercings.

Now that's entertainment...

(Question: "rehab-hopping"? I thought that would make him a legally "prohibited person." Maybe the show can be used as evidence to not only prosecute him for having a gun, but also those who provided it to him. The unintended consequences begin before they even air the first episode...)

[Via Cousin G]

Another One Bites the Dust

Concealed Carry, Inc. Closes Doors For Good...

Yes, the "other side is better funded, but that's really not so much a reflection of enthusiasm and commitment by the antis as it is apathy and resignation by gun owners.

I have more contempt for gun owners who do not involve themselves in the fight than I do for members of the Million Moms.

[Via HZ]

Wayne Fincher Updates

The Wayne Fincher Defense Fund
This is the one I've been waiting for. My check will go out in today's mail to:

The Wayne Fincher Defense Fund
c/o Mr. Don Bright
2225 No. Mockingbird Ln,
Fayetteville, AR 72703

Also see:

Patriots MUST Stand for Wayne Fincher... (From the November 2006 Idaho Observer)

Are Questions Still Allowed?(By Barb McCutchen)

The Brutish BATF Struck Again... (By Joe McCutcheon)

US vs Fincher (Blog)

Wayne Fincher Posts (From WarOnGuns)

United States Government vs Guns

The latest in the persecution of KT Ordnance (and by implication, the rest of us who would exercise an uninfringed right to keep and bear arms) by the "pro-gun Bush administration's" Department of "Justice."

[Via Hairy Hobbit]

Letter to Burt Constable

I occasionally get copied on letters written by WarOnGuns visitors that I think are worth sharing. The following is one such letter, posted here with permission of the writer.

David,
This is a letter I sent to Burt Constable. Probably will not do any good but at least it's another try.

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

Mr. Constable,

I would refer you to the New Testament, the Book of Luke, Chapter 11, verse 21. "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.” V 22, “But when someone stronger attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils."

Verse 23 shows neutrality impossible.

Next, in Luke, Chapter 22, verse 36, "He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a SWORD, SELL YOUR CLOAK AND BUY ONE’". (In the explanations portion: "BUY ONE". An extreme figure of speech used to warn them of the perilous times about to come. They would need protection, as Paul did when he appealed to Caesar as the one who "bears the sword."

In those times a sword was about the highest technology in weapons one could have. I feel sure that if machine guns were available then Jesus would have wanted them to have the best to defend and protect.

Mr. Constable, I just can't comprehend what it is that has turned men into such sissies that are afraid of their own shadow. I would be forever more afraid to have someone like you guarding my back in a foxhole. I dare say that I am sure you would cut and run when the going got tough. As for protecting your family, what would you do? Have your wife and children curl up in a fetal ball and await execution while you run out the back door?

Mr. Constable, I have seen several videos of the beheadings in Iraq. Often the victims are lain on the ground with their hands tied behind them and un-blindfolded. In one video 3 victims were lain out and trussed up in very close proximity waiting for the inevitable. The insurgents were gathered around sharpening knives and singing songs of praise to "Allah". The 3 victims were all calm and resigned to their fate. In no hurry, one insurgent gets on his knees astride a victim and with one hand pulls the head backward and with the other cuts the victims throat with a large knife. There is no screaming or fighting from the victim, just gurgling. Another insurgent quickly comes and holds the victims head in ways to facilitate the beheading. All during the beheadings the insurgents are shouting "Allahu Akbar". The other 2 victims quietly and somberly watch. Then the process is repeated with the last 2 victims.

In all of the beheading videos that I have seen the victims seem resigned to their fate and do not resist in any way nor do they scream out in pain, They just gurgle and blow blood. And Mr. Constable, there is lots of blood squirting everywhere.

Mr. Constable, I wonder, would you sacrifice your wife and children to beheading while you escaped or would you compliantly submit first? Or, Mr. Constable, would you be a man, arm yourself, and die like a man defending your loved ones and the loved ones of your neighbors?

In the early part of WWII the Japanese sailed up a river and attacked the Chinese city of Nanking. It was later called the Rape of Nanking. Captured Chinese soldiers were used for bio warfare testing. Three Chinese soldiers at a time were tied to a post and were used for bayonet practice to inure the Japanese troops for the killing to come. Japanese officers made a game of killing the Chinese, one; buy lining them up in a line and seeing how many they could kill with one bullet. Other officers made bets as to how many Chinese they could behead with swords before they tired out. Squads of Japanese soldiers roamed the streets raping and killing every Chinese female they could find. When the Japanese got tired of just shooting the victims they used more entertaining methods like bayoneting and herding a group of women and children into buildings and nailing up the exits then setting the building on fire and listening to the screams as they burned to death. I have seen Japanese soldiers make Chinese men and women dig fairly shallow holes then throw the Chinese in then shovel dirt on top of the live victims and tromping the dirt down tightly.

In Stalin's reign before WWII he had practically the same thing done. Death squads roamed the country and executed anyone they could find and did it by any means. Hanging from signs and street lights was very popular. The hanging bodies were left hanging up for all to see. By several estimates, Stalin executed or starved to death up to 35,000,000 Russian citizens from the time he took power in 1927 until he died in 1953. AND, this figure didn't include those lost in warfare.

Which way will you have it Mr. Constable? Will you die like sheep with your family, or will you run like a sissy? Or, Mr. Constable, will you take up arms, train with them, and defend your family and give them a chance to live?

Personally Mr. Constable, I’d rather stand like a man and have my family trained and equipped to defend themselves. I am reminded of my great aunt, born in 1872, sho came to West Texas in a covered wagon when she was a little girl. There was an Indian raid and the men were out of the wagons shooting. As there weren't enough rifles to go around, the women kept track of the children in the wagons. One of the Indians started to climb up into the wagon to capture a white "squaw" or a little boy for a fresh blood line. MY great grand mother didn't cower in the front of the wagon, she didn't scream, nor was she paralyzed with fear. She reacted, she took an axe and chopped the Indian's hand off. My great aunt told me this story more than once the same way every time when I was a little boy in the early 50's. That is the way that people that love their families should react to danger. I want my son to be able to live out his life and reproduce and to teach his family to protect themselves. Maybe someday there will be hope for you to grow a set and be a real man.

Sincerely,
Tommy Sherman

This Day in History: December 7

On this day in 1787, Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution, doing so by a unanimous vote.

It was also, of course the "date which will live in infamy."

Heck of a 21st birthday present for my father, who would join the Marines and be sent to Guam. Happy birthday, Dad. I love you.