Talkin' to America Interviews David Codrea

Our latest Talkin' to America interview focuses on "War on Guns" blogger David Codrea! Listen to this fascinating interview to learn more about the injustice our government is bringing to bear on a man who is being denied his right to even _discuss_ the US Constitution or the law in court! You'll also find some commentary on the NRA that you may find useful as well.

Don't miss the latest Talkin' to America! You can download it or read the transcript at www.jpfo.org/talkamerica.htm.

As I'd mentioned earlier, we got around to discussing this blog, my GUNS Magazine Rights Watch column, the BIDS system, Matt Bracken's books, Wayne Fincher, the NRA, and, of course, my favorite subject...

Thanks again, Aaron Zelman. What must you have thought when I dropped the phone right at the beginning of the interview and had to request that we back up and start again...?

"Modest and Sensible"

Rep. David Orentlicher has proposed three modest and sensible bills to the state legislature to address the problem of gun homicide that plagues our city...

Restricting handgun purchases to one per month and requiring the same background checks at gun shows that dealers use now are intended to slow the flow of guns to criminals. The third bill would simply give the city the chance to address gun violence without pre-emption from the state. These measures could help reduce the appalling toll from gun violence...

I don't know how much of an impact the proposed measures would have, but if even one criminal found it more difficult to buy a gun, the bills are worth the effort.

So using your logic, Dr. Dunlop, each city should come up with its own patchwork quilt of laws regulating the practice of medicine. We don't know if it will have any effect on medical malpractice, but if it saves one patient's life...?

Does anyone hear a "quacking" noise?

Doc, you're clearly outside the area of your expertise, and as a health care customer, I'm appalled they don't teach more of you guys cause and effect in med school. Your qulifications as a physician notwithstanding, you're simply not qualified to be an authority on this subject, meaning you're incompetent to diagnose and prescribe.

If I'm wrong and you are, prove it. Fill this out and I'll be glad to post it.

We're Almost the Only Ones

Police say a security guard at the Anderson County Library fired his gun at a car after the driver triggered a security alarm.

Put down that overdue book and come out with your hands up!

So is this guy "Only One" material or what?

[Via John Schaefer]

Menino Presses for Nation of Merinos

Boston, facing a spike in gun violence and murders, will press the new Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives to come up with tougher national gun laws, Boston's mayor said on Tuesday.

Great idea! Make everywhere in the land just like Boston! That way, the whole country can achieve record murder rates!

And every Thanksgiving, we can all hide from turkeys!

Keep whistling past that graveyard and listen to those who tell us the new Congress isn't interested in putting more gun control on the front burner. Does anybody seriously not believe we're just an incident and a blood dance away...?

This Day in History: January 10

While in exile aboard a warship in Cape Fear, North Carolina’s Royal Governor Josiah Martin issues a proclamation calling on the king's loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the rebels, raise the royal standard and restore the province to its former glorious freedom. These North Carolina Loyalists were to march to the sea, where General William Howe intended to provision them with arms and supplement their numbers with troops from Boston and Ireland.

Advice for Renée

Renée Zellweger wants to buy a gun to protect herself..."I don't want to own a gun, but sometimes I do think about it."

If you're the bundle of fears this article makes you out to be, Ms. Zellweger, combine that gun purchase with some training, including how to achieve the proper mindset to effectively and appropriately defend yourself--we don't want you blowing away a fan who just wants to slip a letter under your door.

Go see this lady. She can help.

"I Hate Guns"

I hate guns. In today's society there is no need for the average citizen to own or carry a gun...

Tighter gun control? I'll go so far as to say ban guns. That's the only way.

Carol Solnom

Translation: Give my hatred the force of law. Imprison or kill anyone who defies or resists.

Sorry, Carol. You get the same answer I gave Sallie.

We're the Only Ones Off the Cuff Enough

New eyewitness accounts of a deadly police shooting differ with what police initially said.

Investigators said the suspect was killed after he attacked an officer with his own Taser in southeast Houston.

“I could see everything that happened,” said Yolanda Perry.

From the front porch of the Greater Lighthouse Church, where her husband serves as minister, Perry said she watched in disbelief.

“He got out his handcuffs and he handcuffed him. And after he handcuffed him he got out his gun and he shot him,” she said.

I don't see the problem here. No one disputes that the car the dead suspect's girlfriend was driving had a broken tail light.

Public safety first, you know.

[Via KABA Newslinks]

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

Judge Reverses Public Exclusion in Fincher Case

From Oscar Stilley (Wayne Fincher's attorney):

I just got off a conference with the Court and opposing counsel. At 9:00 AM, I objected to the conduct of any court proceedings outside the public eye. Judge Hendren overruled the objection.

Earlier this afternoon during our conference the judge, on his own motion, explained that he thought his earlier ruling was incorrect and reversed it. He set forth the legal test for excluding the public, based upon research by his personnel, and stated that he did not believe that there was a sufficient reason to exclude the public from part of the proceedings.

He said that his concern this morning was the logistics involved in keeping the jurors out of the courtroom while arguments and rulings on motions and other preliminary matters took place. I don’t question in the slightest that this was the actual reason for the initial ruling.

This afternoon, Judge Hendren said that his solution was to postpone the jury selection process until Wednesday morning. This will give us more seating for the pretrial matters, which are absolutely critical in this case. So we have a win-win situation with this ruling.

I will still go back in chambers. I have no objection to that, and I trust that the public will not be concerned about that. My objection was to keeping any official proceedings out of the public eye. Judge Hendren has agreed that the importance of allowing the public to view all recorded proceedings outweighed any logistical difficulties. I told Judge Hendren that I was very grateful for the ruling and that is the truth.

There is a new schedule. Pretrial will be at 8:30 AM Tuesday morning, the 9th. We will adjourn after those proceedings conclude. At 8:30 on Wednesday morning we will commence jury selection.

Due to the need for seats for the jury, some of the public and perhaps the press as well, may have to wait outside due to lack of space. That’s ok, an overflow crowd is a good thing, not a bad thing. We will probably discuss the logistics of this a bit more in the morning. However, as soon as seating is available it will be opened to the public. Jury selection may be over when most of the seating comes available, but the court will accommodate the public as best as he can.

I am grateful, so grateful for this ruling, and hope that the rest of the interested public is too. It takes courage to do what Judge Hendren did, and for that he deserves our highest respect.

[Via Joe & Barb McCutcheon]

[More from WarOnGuns]

KnifeRights.Org

Doug Ritter announces that the United States Knife & Tool Association has evolved into Knife Rights.

I like the fact they refer to "rights." I understand the strategy of referring to knives as "tools," which they can be, but they are also arms, and long overdue for Second Amendment protection.

Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American ... the unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.--Tenche Coxe

I hope I see a position issued from this new group that they believe the keeping and bearing of knives is a right guaranteed by the Second Amendment, and that their strategy will include challenges to infringements on those grounds.

This Day in History: January 9

Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is published in Philadelphia. The 50 page pamphlet is highly critical of King George III and attacks allegiance to Monarchy in principle while providing strong arguments for American independence. It becomes an instant best-seller in America. "We have it in our power to begin the world anew...American shall make a stand, not for herself alone, but for the world," Paine states.

Maybe it's Just Me...

...but I find it hard to believe that the developing Wayne Fincher story isn't something that would be of interest to members of major "gun lobby groups," and I'm wondering why they've not informed their members.

I'm also wondering why the same "gun lobby groups" that made such political hay out of George Bush proclaiming the Second Amendment an individual right have not commented on his administration's apparent regression to the "collective rights" position.

Those of us who think these developments are significant are manning the bucket line and the well is going dry. Meanwhile, we can't even get the people who constantly hit gun owners up for money to look out the windows of their mansions and yell "Fire!"

If I were the cynical type I might read intent into the silence.

"Gun Control" and the New Congress

American firearm owners’ rights already at issue during the 110th Congress...Any possibility that gun control and the individual Second Amendment civil right to keep and bear arms would be shelved as legislative and political issues during the 110th Congress came to a crashing end last week as Representatives were sworn in on Capitol Hill.

There has been no shortage of observers soothing us with predictions that citizen disarmament will be on the back burner because "we" elected so many "pro-gun Democrats." I agree with Mr. Snyder. This group of radical subversives hasn't even started rolling up its sleeves yet, but gun owners haven't been forgotten.

And once an animal tastes blood...

We're the Only Ones Brooking No Competition Enough

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A New Jersey woman has accused the Clarke County coroner of taking guns from her father's Bogart house after he pronounced the 86-year-old dead of heart failure, a charge that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation may investigate...

"The mere fact that my father's body was still in the garage just under the room that Mr. Tribble was searching leaves me extremely distressed," Sharpe said. "It appears that rifling through my father's belongings took preference over having his body taken care of. This is certainly a most despicable act on the part of Mr. Tribble"...

"If it wasn't an elected official, there's no doubt we'd investigate it as a theft," Holeman said. "There was no reason for (Tribble) to go any farther than the garage, and if anything needed to be taken for safekeeping, it should have been taken by us."

We all got that, right? If it was anyone besides "an elected official," there'd be no doubt of an investigation. But regardless, he overstepped his bounds, because WE'RE "The only Only Ones" who should have taken the guns. Just "for safekeeping" of course.

We're the Only Ones "Oops--Our Bad, and Sorry About That Hole in the Wall " Enough

They were startled from their sleep by heavily armed police officers shouting at them through a loudspeaker to leave their house one by one with hands up.

Police had a warrant to search the Atlantic Avenue house for a black, long-barrelled seven-millimetre handgun, a leather holster and 10 rounds of ammunition. A confidential police source had told investigators the gun was there, but officers later learned the source made a mistake.

Police handcuffed Cerros and put him in one police car. Horyski and her son were put in the back seat of another.

Inside the two-storey house, one officer fired his Glock service pistol into the wall of a bathroom that was under renovation. Police say the officer tripped on a carpet runner and fired accidentally. A single round was shot through seven sheets of drywall leaning against one wall and created a large hole in the bathroom wall.

Another day in the life of "The Only Ones."

Wayne Fincher "Put Government on Notice"

Federal agents said they started investigating the militia after a report and photographs about the group appeared in The Morning News. The report noted the group had automatic weapons. Agents subsequently sent an undercover agent to join the group.

So that's enough to prompt an undercover BATFU plant/full-blown investigation?

Then why isn't this?

And we're to believe that these...guys, who can't even tell what a selective fire-capable gun is when they've captured, examined and fired it, can determine if a firearm is "illegal" from a photograph?

[More from WarOnGuns]

This Day in History: January 8

On this day in 1790, President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address to the assembled Congress in New York City.

We're the Only Ones Who Can't Drive a Stick Enough

A teenager harassed by police in St. Louis, Missouri caught the incident on tape. Brett Darrow, 19, had his video camera rolling last month as he drove his 1997 Maxima, minding his own business. He approached a drunk driving roadblock where he was stopped, detained and threatened with arrest when he declined to enter a conversation with a police officer about his personal travel habits...

Brett: Why am I being detained officer? (directed toward Officer #4)

Officer #4: You better stop runnin your mouth or the other officer will find a reason to lock you up tonight.

This is one gutsy, intelligent and mature young man. He gives me hope for the next generation.

And Officer H-A-L-L-Q-U-I-S-D, your ignorant authoritarian arrogance represents everything that's wrong with "law enforcement."

Watch the video.

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

[Via The Claire Files]

Sonic Net v1.0

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Boston city councilors, law enforcement officials, and community leaders are pressing City Hall to come up with $1.5 million to buy a promising acoustic gunshot- detection system.

Hmmm...where have I heard about that before?

I guess if they need to resort to this, Operation Ceasefire must not be working all that well...

The heirs of liberty from one of the forges of freedom...

Pathetic.

Let Them Eat Cake!

PRINCE William's girlfriend Kate Middleton will soon be under round-the-clock guard by gun-toting women police officers.

Despite not yet being a member of the Royal Family, Kate, 25 next week, will be protected by her own unit from Scotland Yard's elite Royal Protection Squad.

The women are being trained in unarmed combat and weapons after the move was requested by Prince Charles, who is worried for Kate's safety.

Normally she would not get gun guards until she was engaged to William, 24, who is expected to propose within months.

Right. And if you're a British subject, they'll be sending an armed squad 'round to protect your girlfriend, too. Right?

The government that throws Tony Martin in the dungeon for defending himself throws this in the face of the rabble.

As Mr. Paine observed:

[T]he idea of hereditary legislators is as inconsistent as that of hereditary judges, or hereditary juries; and as absurd as an hereditary mathematician, or an hereditary wise man; and as ridiculous as an hereditary poet laureate.

The need to be ruled has always baffled me. Sovereign human beings are not meant to subject themselves to parasites.

"There Ought to Be a Law"

Catherine Crowley tried to change a state gun law after her 18-year-old son killed himself with a shotgun he bought at a Wal-Mart.

Her endeavor fell short when lawmakers rejected her idea to require a waiting period for young people to buy guns in Maine. But her effort can now be seen in a new documentary.

The 55-minute film, "There Ought To Be A Law," provides a look at Crowley's experience navigating the legislative system in hopes of getting a law on the books to make it harder for young people to get their hands on guns.

Ms. Crowley, honest to God, I'm sorry for your loss, but why should that have any bearing on what freedoms the rest of us claim? And can you honestly tell us that your son's life and upbringing revealed no indications that he had difficulty coping with his troubles?

I don't mean to belittle you for being "divorced and working two jobs," a situation many unfortunately (or, more often, through unwise mate selection) find themselves in, but who is providing the children with the stable parenting they need while you're out there, and God bless you for it, doing your best to provide for them? I can tell you, as the father of two teenage boys, I've not met too many single mothers up to the task of providing the needed perspective, example and authority that a loving dad in the home does. And the ones who come closest are there with the children, not absent because of work.

What will you do if the waiting period you wish for is imposed--and someone else's son or daughter dies because they were denied the means of protection until it was too late? Besides, if you really want to reduce "gun suicides," you're looking at the wrong segment of the populace.

Listen to people blind with grief, helplessness and (possibly) guilt if you wish to lend a sympathetic ear. But to heed their counsel as justification for limiting the rights of those not so afflicted is not only insane, but the blood dancers are counting on it.

Wayne Fincher Update: January 7

Email from Wayne's Daughter (via Joe & Barb McCutcheon):

We went [to see] dad this morning. He is weak but feeling better. They took him to the hospital last night. He is back in jail this morning. He is in good spirits. Mr. Stilley was there to see him also. The inmates are helping him out by giving him extra food. He has lost about 40 pounds. He says not to worry about him. He is ready to go to trial. I will be sending a letter that an inmate wrote as soon as I get it typed up. Thanks to everyone for all the help and prayers that you have giving us and dad. We been putting signs up everywhere but someone or somebody is taking them down. We are going to put up more. Also the court day is for Tuesday Jan.9th. Everything has been crazy around here this week sorry it has taking me so long to get news to everyone. Thanks. Connie Fields

Testimonial from an Inmate (via Connie Fields):

Mr. Hollis Wayne Fincher,

I've spent a lot of times in hospital,jails,and multiple prisons around the United States. A career criminal if you would. I've never met a Greater and most Wonderful man in my life- my own father included. Mr. Fincher has had a profound effect in my life. He has taught me about God & Country. I feel like this man has been treated so unjust by this goverment. The very thing Mr. Fincher loves most. Never has a man in my life either on T.V.,Radio, Teacher, College Professor, Preacher or other ever had such a profround effect in my life. I will always cherish his friendship in my heart. I pray that someday we are able to meet on different grounds under much freer circumstances. I know that God has His hand on your sir. The men in BB Pod (BAD BOYS POD),are all in agreement that you are the best man in the Pod. With the Utmost respect we thank you for your presence. A real blessing from God.

Respectfully,

An inmate in Sebastian County Jail

Fincher Letter Transcribed: This is the letter Wayne wrote to me--I posted it as an image file (courtesy of and gratitude to Hairy Hobbit)

[More from WarOnGuns]

This Day in History: January 7

From Philadelphia, Samuel Adams writes to his friend Colonel James Warren that the idea of a confederation, or loose political union, among the colonies "is not dead, but sleepeth.” To those who believed they would see the confederation completed long ago Adams wrote, “I do not despair of it -- since our Enemies themselves are hastening it.”

WorldNetDaily Notices Wayne Fincher Case

...and even links to WarOnGuns ("A blog"? You couldn't refer to WoG by name?)

Supporters of Wayne--this is really pretty big--WND gets tremendous traffic, and reaches a large national audience, most of whom identify themselves as conservative.

Take a moment to write an email letter to WND--keep it brief and to the point to increase the likelihood that it will be published. Every letter we get is more exposure to their large national audience about this case. It's also important to give them feedback to let them know that this story has people interested and they should continue reporting it.

[More from WarOnGuns]

UPDATE: I just noticed WND has a related poll:

Should federal licensing be required to own fully automatic weapons?

You need to register to vote, but can view results without doing so. At this writing, the correct answer is leading with over 71% of the votes.

Saved by the Gun!

I have a suggestion for a somewhat different type of reality show. Maybe a network such as Fox would be interested. Numerous bloggers as well as the NRA have long cataloged the fleeting newspaper accounts of firearms being used defensively to protect life and property.

How about a weekly docu-drama TV show that recreates some of these news stories where civilian possession of a firearm saves a life? Such reenactments would have all the necessary ingredients for a ratings hit: Drama, excitement, tension, a potential victim being stalked, a bad guy, and a happy ending!

I'm sure we could get someone such as David Codrea or Clayton Cramer for series producer.

Thank you, Jeff Soyer--I guess great minds really do think alike, or at least yours understands my inferior one :)

I have no idea how you came up with me being a likely candidate for involvement in such a program. But when I saw your post, memories from the past came flooding back to when I had just started meeting with a group of friends to dream up creative ways to promote Second Amendment activism.

This is what I came up with and introduced to the group (I needed to scan papers I pulled out of my files--I could only find a few, but not all of these in electronic format--if I still have those in Word they're on a floppy disk somewhere I couldn't locate on short notice from the clutter):
Here's a mock-up TV schedule ad I created with scissors and tape. Note I was proposing Eric Estrada as host. He was a fairly regular attendee at California Rifle and Pistol Association annual banquets at the time, along with Robert Stack and Paul Sorvino, which meant that he was not afraid to identify himself with the pro-gun community, and I just thought he'd be a natural. Note this was all in the "blue sky" proposal stage and we never advanced to the point of approaching him on this, so this was done without his knowledge or consent, and without the knowledge and consent of UPN 13, whose logo I appropriated for the mock-up:


Here's how I envisioned the program to flow:


Here's the upshot--one of our group members, who has beaucoup Hollywood contacts, went around and pitched this to several producers, none of whom showed the slightest interest. There were a lot of reasons for that, first and foremost a distaste for such things among the entertainment elite. Still, I thought at the time their love of money would be enough to overcome such transient, ephemeral things as show business principles, but that's where another dynamic came into play: The money people aren't, by and large, very creative or visionary--they play the margins and stick with known formulas, hence the preponderance of copycat programming when something new takes off. Yes, you can be sure, if a new formula works, they'll be quick to pile onto the trend while it's hot, but that's after someone else has risked his capital and reputation blazing the trail.

Simply put, we didn't have the juice to make this happen.

Could it work today, particularly with the tremendous expansion of cable channels and programming that simply did not exist back in 1997? Yeah, I think it could, but this time I'd go for a younger and hipper format--my proposal really was rooted in the dynamic of its time and my own creative limitations, but the core concept would still remain valid.

So, Mr. Studio Executive, or Mr. Hollywood Venture Capitalist: Have your girl call my girl. Let's do lunch. Love ya, baby, you look fantastic!

And thank you, Jeff. I'd have probably not given this another thought but for your post. That was a lot of fun taking this stuff out of a drawer where it's been sleeping all these years--even if just to recapture a dream from long ago for a few brief moments today.

We're the Only Ones in Heap Big Trouble Enough

A Santa Clara Pueblo officer was arraigned in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court on Friday on charges stemming from an incident during which he fired his service revolver in a home near a 3-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, according to a statement of probable cause.

Leon Gallegos, 29, of Alcalde was charged with assault against a household member, kidnapping, abandonment or abuse of a child and negligent use of a deadly weapon. According to the statement, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs officers received a report of "shots fired" in a home at 2:48 a.m. Monday.

Gallegos' girlfriend told police she had heard seven gunshots in the home as she was leaving it, the statement said. She said Gallegos had been drinking alcohol, and two small children were in the home when the shots were fired...

Firearms and fire water bad medicine--especially for "Only Ones."

We're the Only Ones Sawed Off Enough

A former D.C. police officer pleaded guilty to gun charges yesterday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.

Edwin Kennedy, 36, of Chesapeake, admitted to illegally transporting a firearm and having an illegal shotgun. According to a statement of facts entered in court, Kennedy found a shotgun in Washington last year while on duty. He then took it home, and with the help of his 15-year-old daughter, sawed off the barrel to 14 inches, an illegal length. Kennedy then took the illegal gun back to Washington, where he arranged for the D.C. police to recover it.

When Kennedy learned he was under investigation for the modifications, he purchased a different shotgun and cut that barrel down to a legal length. Then prosecutors say he took pictures of it and showed those to authorities as if it were the original shotgun. But he later acknowledged to authorities that it was a different gun. He will be sentenced in May.

A lot about this story makes absolutely no sense to me--but then again, I'm not trained to think like an "Only One."

[Via k-romulus]

Citizen Militia Needed Now

When President Bush sent National Guard troops to the border, no red-blooded American would have guessed that their orders would be to retreat in the face of border aggression. And yet that's exactly what happened Wednesday night (1/3/07) when a group of armed men stormed the border and headed right for the National Guard.

Jennifer Freeman of Liberty Belles senses we need a lot less of the new "Homeland Security" and a lot more old-fashioned "Civil Defense."

VA Alert: It's On!

From the Virginia Citizens Defense League:

THE PROTEST IS ON!!

Maniacal New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Mayors' Coalition Against Illegal Guns will be meeting for a one day "National Summit" at the DC Capitol Hilton (corner of 16th and K at 1001 16th Street NW) on Tuesday, January 23rd - see http://tinyurl.com/yxyvjg

Bloomy's summit runs from 9:30 AM until 2:30 PM followed by an evening reception at 5 PM at the Capitol Hilton.

VCDL's headquarters will be at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel at 14th and K, where at 2:00 PM we will rally members and hand out picket signs, and march on to the Capitol Hilton 2 blocks away to begin protesting.

[Via Countertop]

This Day in History: January 6

After two significant victories over the British in Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey, General George Washington marches north to Morristown, New Jersey, where he set up winter headquarters for himself and the men of the Continental Army on this day in 1777. The hills surrounding the camp offered Washington a perfect vantage point from which to keep an eye on the British army, which was headquartered across the Hudson River in New York City. Morristown’s position also allowed Washington to protect the roads leading from the British strongholds in New Jersey to New England and the roads leading to Philadelphia, where the leaders of the American Revolution were headquartered.

Talkin' to Aaron Zelman

I just completed an interview with Aaron Zelman of Jews for the Preservation fo Firearms Ownership for their "Talkin' to America" podcast program. We discussed, among other things, the Wayne Fincher case, the recent controversy broken by WarOnGuns about the FAA asserting a "collective rights" interpretation of the Second Amendment, this blog, my GUNS Magazine columns, the BIDS System, my Domestic Enemies review, and a whole bunch of other cool and groovy things.

I'll put up a link and announcement when he's got the finished product posted.
------------

We ran out of time and did not get to the FAA story. I think it went well, but you can judge for yourself when the podcast goes up on the JPFO site.

Many thanks, Aaron--you're a gracious host.

We're the Only Ones Suicidal Enough

Last year, the CHP had eight suicides among its 7,200 officers - a rate five times the national average for law enforcement. Experts are calling the suicide cluster - 13 total since September 2003 - the most serious among law enforcement agencies nationwide...

There doesn't seem to be a common theme nor precipitating stress aside from the victims being mostly men and using firearms to kill themselves...

The comparable suicide rates: CHP has had an average 45 per 100,000 annually over the past four years, spiking to 111 per 100,000 last year; versus an annual average at LAPD of 17 per 100,000, and the Sheriff's Department at 3.4 per 100,000.

National law enforcement suicide rates run between 18 and 22 per 100,000. The suicide rate for the general population is about 11 per 100,000. [More]

So the CHP (incidentally, the group sent to New Orleans to help disarm citizens wanting to protect themselves) has a suicide rate over four times that of the general population, and LEOs in general have a rate up to twice that of "the whole people."

Remember that the next time some asinine "study" says gun suicides will be reduced by disarming you and me, and limiting the firepower to the "clustered" hands of "The Only Ones."

A Letter from Wayne Fincher

I just received the following from Hollis Wayne Fincher. It looks like he received my letter. He has given me permission to share his (click on graphic, then you should be able to enlarge it from that page):

"Two offers by gov. to plea. I say no deal!"

In a related development, Barb McCutcheon informs us:

Just to let you know the books we sent to Wayne Fincher for Christmas were returned yesterday. The jail explanation was that the book on Jefferson and the Constitution was too heavy.

Don’t we all feel safer now?

[More from WarOnGuns]

UPDATE: I have receive notice that Wayne is still having health issues and anti-nausea medication has taken over 31 hours to be provided. My source tells me his attorney must get a court order before his medical records will be released to him--this is raw info, so I have no independent means to verify. Let me just say that if medicines were being withheld from war prisoners at Gitmo, the "authorized journalists" would be all over this story. I'll follow up on this later tonight to see if there are any new developments.

This Day in History: January 5

American traitor and British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold enjoys his greatest success as a British commander on this day in 1781. Arnold’s 1,600 largely Loyalist troops sailed up the James River at the beginning of January, eventually landing in Westover, Virginia. Leaving Westover on the afternoon of January 4, Arnold and his men arrived at the virtually undefended capital city of Richmond the next afternoon.

Technical Difficulties

We had high winds last night in SoCal and it knocked out my cable/internet access. I'm doing this from a public library. I have some posts I prepared that I'll put up now. We'll see if I can get back on this evening...

Whatever it is...You Can Get it on eBay. And How.

Kingston footballer Mazin Ahmad has been sentenced to 100 hours of community service after he admitted buying an illegal stun gun on eBay.

Good Lord. They monitored his emails over this. And then they "swooped."

Me, I'm waiting for the rope used to hang Saddam to go up for bid.

Life's Great Mysteries from Life's Great Thinkers

Rapper PHAROAHE MONCH has defended his violent new music video, insisting it carries an important message about the "desensitisation we currently have towards senseless violence"...

"As a creative writer, I like to ask questions. What would a bullet say if it had a voice to speak its mind?..."

Dude, I know exactly what you mean!

I've spent hours wondering what language cheese would speak if it wore shoes. But in fairness, that was back in college...

The Reddest Guys You've Ever Seen in Seattle*

On a morning when a school shooting grabbed headlines yet again, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels urged state lawmakers for the second year in a row to pass tougher gun laws.

"We have some of the weakest gun laws in America," Nickels said Wednesday, flanked by police Chief Gil Kerlikowske and Special Agent Kelvin Crenshaw, who heads the Seattle office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Go ahead, turn 'em in, Mr. and Mrs. Washington State. Nickels, Kerlikowski and Crenshaw will personally guarantee your safety if you do, and they'll be able to show you their guns (paid for by you) to prove it.

* You really need to be an over-the-hill trivial-minded geek like someone I know to get the pun behind the post title. Anybody care to stand with me in self-inflicted shame?

We're the Only Ones Observing Rule Four Enough

Fort Smith police say the bullet that killed a bystander as police exchanged gunfire with a criminal suspect last month came from an officer's gun. Forty-one-year-old Olivia Stewart was a block away at an apartment complex when she was fatally wounded December 12.

If you don't know what "Rule Four" means, you need to educate yourself right now--without delay. Don't be one of "The Only Ones" remaining in the dark on this.

Daley Aims to Pass New Gun Laws

Because the old ones just aren't enough. They never are.

But don't worry--those who urged you to vote for Judy Baar Topinka will stop him.

Wayne Fincher Update: January 4

Reported admitted to the hospital.

Reported released from the hospital.

I also note "The Gun Guys" gloating in sadistic glee over Fincher's situation. I will not link to those evil traitors to direct any traffic their way. I merely point it out because it's yet one more example of the defective character of those who demand that the state disarm their countrymen.

[More from WarOnGuns]

We're the Only Ones Ringing in the New Year Enough

A Houston woman's house literally became a target for gun-play on New Year's Eve. But the man accused of pulling the trigger is a Houston police officer.

Investigators say Ricardo Pineda fired two guns at a New Year's party at a home in southwest Harris County.

HAP-PY NEW YEARRRRR!!!! from "The Only Ones."

I wonder what would have happened to the homeowners had they returned fire?

[Via JR at A Keyboard and a .45]

This Day in History: January 4

On this day in 1796, the House of Representatives accepts the “Colors,” or flag, of the French Revolutionary Republic, proclaiming it “the most honorable testimonial of the existing sympathies and affections of the two Republics.”

Profiles in Apathy

We have no shortage of expectations and strong opinions about what we want. But when it comes time to step up to the plate, things get awfully quiet.

"Profiles in Apathy," my Rights Watch column for the January 2007 issue of GUNS Magazine, is now online.

Plying a Seamy Trade

An early December Associated Press story out of Atlantic City caught my eye. "Prostitutes arm selves as body count rises," read the headline...

I scanned the whole story, interested to find out how easy it's proving for the East Coast ladies of the evening to arm themselves for their own defense. Way down in the ninth paragraph, I read of "Christine, 37, who works out of a cheap motel on Pacific Avenue near the entrance to several casinos," who "bought a canister of pepper spray after the bodies were found in the ditch."

That's it? A can of pepper spray?

Yes, that's it. And the sadistic bondage and discipline/dominance perverts who run the government and enforce its freaky edicts wouldn't have it any other way.

Vin Suprynowicz is one of our most articulate and clear thinking liberty writers. Anyone who does not regularly read his columns is cheating themselves.

Everybody here has read his last book, right?

Wayne Fincher Update: January 3

From Paul W. Davis:

There are several documents relating to Wayne's case that have been added to the webpage. Most important of the documents are the transcript of the Bond Hearing, and the Preliminary Jury Instructions for both the Government and the Defense.

You will find these documents in Adobe Acrobat and Wordperfect format. The Bond Hearing is the additional format of HTML (please excuse the HTML as it has not been reformatted to appear as the printed document)

[More from WarOnGuns]

In Search of the Second Amendment

My review of David Hardy's new DVD should be in next month's (March) issue of GUNS Magazine. I'm not going to post it here before it hits the newsstands, but I will give you my concluding assessment:

David Hardy has given us an important tool to use in educating ourselves and others.

Click on the title link to learn more, including how to get your own copy.

We're the Only Ones Rooty Tooty Fresh and Shooty Enough

An Alexandria police officer who shot and killed a teenager last year will be disciplined, but not fired, police officials announced on Tuesday.

Officer Carl Stowe was working as a security guard when he fired shots, killing 18-year-old Aaron Brown in a Duke Street IHOP parking lot on Feb. 25.

Only "The Only Ones" could get away with stepping in front of a car and then claiming it was coming at them so they had to defend themselves.

Oh, and about the title to this post? I'm really sorry. Truly, I feel bad. I'll try not to let it happen again.

Have You Sent YOUR Email?

Some of you have, most of you have not. The fewer who take the minute to do this, the greater the likelihood those who wish to see this resolved will be ignored.

What have you got to lose?

This Day in History: January 3

In a stroke of strategic genius, General George Washington manages to evade conflict with General Charles Cornwallis, who had been dispatched to Trenton to “bag the fox” (Washington), and wins several encounters with the British rear guard, as it departs Princeton for Trenton, New Jersey.

Three-Card Monte

Gov. Mitt Romney will file paperwork forming a presidential exploratory committee on Wednesday...

You know, the guy who supports the "assault weapons ban" and the "Brady Bill".

Now with Giulianii and McCain already on the table, we're ready to start the game...

Going, Going, Gone...

With little fanfare, the federal government has substantially increased the number of licenses it has taken away from gun dealers over the past five years, according to newly obtained statistics.

Sure glad we have a BATFU where we're working out of their Big Boss's office.

Take a Valium?

My personal opinion is that this is a storm in a teacup, and Codrea needs to take a Valium or something.

Why, Kim?

I didn't invent the guns in space angle, I merely reported it, and I even commented on how stated administration policy could be used to establish regulations without invoking any change in Second Amendment interpretation. If they had simply done this, not many gun owners would have even noticed the new regs, let alone protested.

As far as the "collective rights" issue goes, you just essentially agreed with me, admitting "we gunnies are going to get upset about this" and referring to the new language as "lunacy."

I've addressed the speculation that it may be just a bureaucratic oversight here, but regardless--since the function of government is essentially to protect our rights-- such sloppiness, if that's what it is, amounts to irresponsible, and some would say, criminal negligence when one of the keystone rights is involved.

If it's truly "a storm in a teacup," then there's no reason why the administration shouldn't order the language they approved for publication in the Federal Register rescinded, and the office of the president shouldn't publicly reaffirm it's commitment to an "individual rights" interpretation.

I have a way to find out, and it'll only take a minute--probably less than a tenth of the time it took to write commentary with a conclusion telling people I need to take a Valium. Why not just send the White House an email on the topic and find out? If it's no big deal, they should be happy to make everything all right. Right?

I know it would sure settle me down, hysterical little Cassandra that I am.

This Day in History: January 2

The Continental Congress publishes the “Tory Act” resolution on this day in 1776, which describes how colonies should handle those Americans who remain loyal to the British and King George.

Open Letter to President Bush on FAA Assertion that Second Amendment is a "Collective Right"

Dear Mr. President,

From Federal Register: December 15, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 241)
[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 75615-75645]
II.C.6: Security Requirements:

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.

From Laura Montgomery
Senior Attorney
Office of the Chief Counsel
Federal Aviation Administration:

This rule, including its security requirements, underwent coordination and review within the executive branch. It was reviewed and approved by the Executive Office of the President.

From "President George W. Bush Speaks On The Record":

NRA: Also early on in your Administration, Attorney General John Ashcroft stated his view "that the text and the original intent of the Second Amendment clearly protect the right of individuals to keep and bear firearms." This was a clear reversal, was it not, of the Clinton Administration's position?

President Bush: It was a clear reversal. It was a position that needed to be reversed--—the prior Administration had taken the position that the Second Amendment only applies to state militias and doesn'’t protect an individual right to bear arms. My opponent issued a press release earlier this year supporting that exact same position. I know that'’s not what the Constitution says. The Constitution gives people a personal right to bear arms. So we did reverse the Clinton Administration'’s position, and I think that was the right thing to do.

Mr. President, is it still "the right thing to do"? Clearly, the language that the Senior Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel for the FAA says was "reviewed and approved by the Executive Office of the President" directly contradicts your earlier stated position.

Some have suggested this is merely a bureaucratic oversight--a staffer issuing routine approval without a meticulous detail check and without your cognizance. Others fear it may signal a change in your administration's official position on the Second Amendment.

If it's the former, will you take immediate steps to revise the Final Rule and delete all references to "collective rights," as well as establish controls to prevent such oversights from happening in future rulemaking?

If it's the latter, will you issue a public explanation of your new position and the reasons behind it?

Your immediate attention and personal response to this matter will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

David Codrea
Citizen

CC: Laura Montgomery

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

Related Reading:

Further Thoughts on the Bush 2A Reversal
Bush Administration Reverses Ashcroft Interpretation of 2A
Bush Administration Declares 2A a "Collective Right"
FAA to Disarm Universe
Other Links

'Free Wayne'

[Via Joe & Barb McCutcheon]

[More from WarOnGuns]

Wayne Fincher Update: Jan.1

From Paul W. Davis :

In the interest of maintaining access to all the documentation involved in the case of U.S. v. Hollis Wayne Fincher, I have updated the MOWCA's website with a page focused on the BATFE raid on the Militia and the arrest and detention of Wayne.

http://www.arkansasmilitia.com/raid/main.html

This page does not replace the USvFincher blog or the other blogs and websites that are tracking this case. However, it will lay out all documentation involved. Please note: This page is not a blog and is not intended to function as such, but is a document repository that also functions as a backup to the USvFincher blog in case access is unavailable for whatever reason.

All submissions to the page will be cleared through the militia and/or Wayne's lawyer if applicable. Please remember that I am only the webmaster and cannot post a document unless it has been previously cleared through the militia.

[More from WarOnGuns]

The Money Quote

"A person who is willing to shoot an officer is willing to shoot a civilian," he said.

Bingo!

Crouching to Tyranny

The removal of guns from this city's streets is basic to achieving a civilized level of order and a feeling of safety, which is the job of the New York Police Department and the city administration and any gathering of do-gooders focused on the lowering of the murder rate.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says that Operation Gun Stop is a necessary program because it creates incentive and guarantees the protection of those citizens who want to report the sale of or possession of illegal firearms.

Stanley Crouch--kind of makes you wonder if Mr. Adams was prescient when he said:

Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!

Stanley could benefit from reading this, that is, assuming he's merely ignorant.

"Review the Bidding"

Thanks, Blogonomicon!

This Day in History: January 1

On this day in 1781, 1,500 soldiers from the Pennsylvania Line--all 11 regiments under General Anthony Wayne’s command--insist that their three-year enlistments are expired, kill three officers in a drunken rage and abandon the Continental Army’s winter camp at Morristown, New Jersey.

Wayne Fincher Docket Updated

Direct Link

[More from WarOnGuns]

The Missing Post

Thanks, Fodder!

Empathy

Thanks, World Examiner!

To Which I Replied...

Thanks, Existing Thing!

The Head Janitor

Thanks, WP!

We're Number Two!

Poor Oaktown is closing in on a record year for homicides. Up about 55% from last year. Approximately 555 in the last 5 years. I wonder how many they don't know about?

Fodder presents some interesting facts, including how Project Exile apparently has not stemmed the violence.

How shocking.

Just remember-- the vast majority of California's "Only Ones" endorsed Jerry Brown for AG, lying about his qualifications to control violent crime-- and in the process advocating citizen disarmament. These betrayers of the public trust aren't interested in public safety. Those in management are interested in career advancement. Rank and file supporters are interested in union contracts and benefits.

They knew what the dismal score was with Brown's record as Oakland mayor, and they lied to us anyway. And the hell with your freedom and your life.

These are the people who endorsed Brown's citizen disarmament agenda, fully aware of his and their utter ineptitude at preventing homicides and other violent crimes in Oakland or anywhere else:

California Police Chiefs Association, Peace Officers Research Association (PORAC), California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations, Sacramento Police Officers Association, Sacramento County Sheriff, Modesto Police Officers'’ Association, Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff'’s Association, Madera Police Officers Association, Amador County Sheriff, Sierra County Sherriff, San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs Association, San Francisco Police Officers Association, Oakland Police Officers Association, Deputy Sheriff'’s Association of Alameda Country, San Jose Police Officers Association, Marin County Deputy Sheriffs Association, San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff'’s Association, Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriff'’s Association, Deputy Sheriffs'’ Association of Santa Clara County, Los Angeles County Police Officers Association, Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association, Long Beach Police Officers Association, Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, Huntington Beach Police Officers Association, Pasadena Police Officers Association, San Diego Police Officers Association, Deputy Sheriffs'’ Association of San Diego County, San Bernardino County Safety Employees'’ Benefit Association (S.E.B.A), Riverside Police Officers Association, Long Beach Police Officers Association, Fresno Police Officers Association, Kern Law Enforcement Association, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association.

These are the people intent on keeping you and me disarmed.

"To serve and protect" my...eye.

Sex, Guns and Goldilocks

A man charged in November in connection with an Internet sex sting in Newtown is being held on a $750,000 bond for allegedly possessing an assault rifle.

Here's hoping he's not the one to present a Second Amendment defense:

In the mean time, we are utterly powerless to prevent a really wrong case from being made that will settle the matter (again, "legally") without our input and with overwhelming public sentiment agreeing with the decision--for instance, if a child molester files the suit.

That's the problem with waiting around for the Goldilocks case that's "just right"--you have no control over who else might beat you to the punch.

Just Like Boston

Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis said he supports a proposed program to curb gun violence in Cincinnati.

The program...dropped gun-related deaths in Boston nearly 70 percent in 18 months and has been replicated in about 20 cities around the world.

Sure it did:

Boston's homicide count last year not only hit a 10-year high, but also took one of the biggest jumps for a city of its size, a Globe review found.

Boston's death toll increased by 17 percent to 75, the sixth-highest percentage increase among 15 cities with comparable populations surveyed.

We're the Only Ones Enduring Enough

Philadelphia Police Endure A Night Of Gun Violence

But...but...but...

And I don't suppose non-"Only Ones" are enduring anything...

This Day in History: December 31

On this day in 1775, Patriot forces under Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery attempt to capture the city of Quebec under cover of darkness and snowfall. They fail, and the effort costs Montgomery his life.

The Fix is In: Destroy Wayne Fincher

A man charged with possessing illegal machine guns shouldn't be able to make constitutional arguments at trial, according to a motion filed Friday by federal prosecutors.

Hollis Wayne Fincher, 60, a lieutenant commander of the Militia of Washington County, is charged in U.S. District Court with possessing three homemade, unregistered machine guns and an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.

Trial is set for Jan. 8 in Fayetteville.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Johnson filed the motion asking U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren to preclude Fincher and his attorney, Oscar Stilley, from arguing matters of law to the jury as a defense. The government believes Fincher wants to argue the gun charges are unconstitutional and that the prosecution must prove an "interstate nexus" for the firearms, according to the motion.

Damn right--the Constitution has no place in America's courtrooms! Imagine, wanting to "argue matters of law" as a defense!

Here's how you can help.

[More from WarOnGuns]

We're the Only Ones Strapped and Unstrapped Enough

It seems a lot of police officers don't wear their seat belts when they are driving their patrol cruisers. And researchers think that played a role in the number of police officers killed in crashes while working...Many patrol car seat belts tangle with gun belts worn by officers, causing some of them to choose access to a firearm over seat belt safety...

And those same "choices" are available to us non-"Only Ones," aren't they?

Wrongful Termination for 2A Advocacy

A former security researcher for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory at Richland says he was fired for advocating gun rights.

Fifty-one-year-old Joseph Huffman of Moscow, Idaho, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Benton County Superior Court. He says investigators monitored his Web sites to build a case against him.

He doesn't just "say"--he proves it.

Go get 'em, Mr. Huffman. He addresses the case, and denies the charge of unauthorized use of PNNL computers here. I don't know enough about his case, so I may be recommending something he's already got covered, but I hope his attorney subpoenas computer records to show other employees and managers routinely violating policy with no recriminations.

We're the Only Ones Scared to Death Enough

Thieves stole the gun and nearly $5,000 worth of other police equipment from the personal car of a Cincinnati police investigations supervisor earlier this month, according to a Cleves police report.

Acting Cleves Police Chief William Renner said his department has a lead on the thief who stole Lt. Michael Savard’s equipment sometime on Dec. 18 or Dec. 19.

“We taking missing guns seriously,” Renner said. “It scares us to death.”

Yeah, us too. Especially since us non-"Only Ones" can't have hidden guns in our "personal cars" in Ohio--even those whose names are published in the papers as concealed carry permit holders. Maybe they're afraid we'll leave them unattended in our cars where they could get stolen.

Too Good Not to Share

Thanks, Russ!

I appreciate it.

Reflections on Silveira

Part of the recent attack on me has focused on criticism of the Silveira case. While the commenters in this instance aren't high on my list of favorite people, it's undeniable that some very credible and respectable attorneys argued the case was a bad one to make. I'll get into that another time, as the inclination strikes, but would just offer these observations:

If we wait for the "perfect" case and the "perfect" court, we will never resolve this "legally." That happy convergence will simply never happen. In the mean time, we are utterly powerless to prevent a really wrong case from being made that will settle the matter (again, "legally") without our input and with overwhelming public sentiment agreeing with the decision--for instance, if a child molester files the suit.

And this is assuming that the initiative is taken by the "side" claiming 2A applies to We the People--if the government prosecution of, say Wayne Fincher argues he has no individual right, or if a lawsuit filed by Michael Bloomberg or the Brady Campaign predicates itself on establishing a national "collective rights" precedent, what will the Silveria critics do then?

The recent tempest over FAA asserting a "collective rights" interpretation of the Second Amendment should demonstrate that it's a legal argument the federal government is willing to make and/or uphold--as in California, where decisions at both the state Supreme Court and federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have created exactly such precedent.

If there is one constant we can demonstrate about those who would render us disarmed, it's that they will not wait around for us to suit up for the game on our terms. They will bring the fight to us at the times and places of their choosing, again and again and again.

If there's one thing we can demonstrate about battles is, every war won by we Americans required going on a totally committed offense. It's, incidentally, why we haven't won one for over 60 years.

My position? If the government at all levels intends to deny us our birthright, I want to know about it, and the sooner the better. Perhaps it will galvanize us, perhaps not, but at least we'll know the score, with no further illusions that cynical faux leaders can use to manipulate us with. Perhaps, if the change in temperature is stark enough, the frog will jump.

If not, we're screwed anyway, but in a manner that humiliates us, robs us of our dignity as men, and conditions our children for enslavement by the example we set.

This Day in History: December 30

On this day in 1803, Francis Lewis, signer of the Declaration of Independence, dies in New York City, at the age of 90.

Mr. Connery, You'll Have to Check That Shotgun

Taking a lesson from the 1981 Sean Connery sci fi western Outland, which showed how dangerous it can be to mix guns with spaceflight, the Federal Aviation Administration wants to keep passengers from carrying firearms on rocket ships...

[T]he FAA casually and gratuitously endorsed the "collective right" interpretation of the Second Amendment, according to which the amendment poses no obstacle to gun control because it has nothing to do with an individual right to keep and bear arms, instead protecting states' prerogatives vis-à-vis their militias...

For supporters of the right to armed self-defense, them's fightin' words. Pro-gun-rights blogger David Codrea asked the FAA how it could reconcile this language with then-Attorney General John Ashcroft's statement, in a May 2001 letter to the National Rifle Association, that "the text and the original intent of the Second Amendment clearly protect the right of individuals to keep and bear firearms."

Well, this has certainly gone a lot farther than I'd expected. Let's see if interest evaporates or if it gains wider attention, the goal being to press the administration to explain itself and rescind the "collective rights" language.

Is the Story Getting Legs?

Via email fom SayUncle:

Check it out:

http://volokh.com/posts/1167404621.shtml
http://instapundit.com/archives2/2006/12/post_1331.php

Many thanks to these hugely popular blogs for picking up on this.

Shameless Plug: A Request for BIDS

NICS, whether "“improved"” or not, creates a record of gun purchases, that is, a de facto registration list of gun owners. And while current law prohibits retaining records, there are many lawmakers eager to change that.

What if it was possible to establish a system for clearing firearm purchases with no identifying information about lawful buyers?

The Blind Identification Database System, or BIDS, is designed to do just that.

"A Request for BIDS" is my Rights Watch column for the February 2007 issue of GUNS Magazine, up for bids now at at offering newsstands throughout the Republic.

BONUS: See page 108 to find out how you can win a "Kimber 1911 Desert Warrior with Crimson Trace Laser Grips, Insight M3 [light], Blackhawk Holster, belt and light holder and United Cutlery US Army Ranger Knife!"

Also in this issue: My review of Matt Bracken's gripping new novel, Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista.

[More on BIDS from WarOnGuns]

GUNS Magazine Review of Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista

Matthew Bracken'’s latest novel is a brave book.

It'’s brave because it'’s a sequel, and expectations from a readership that embraced his first book, “Enemies Foreign and Domestic, are high. It'’s brave because he believes in the grand purpose of the right to bear arms, and that runs against the mindset of mainstream publishers. And it'’s brave because Bracken makes a harsh prediction of where this country is headed should the unchecked flow of illegal immigration not be halted and reversed.

My review of Matt's outstanding new effort appears on page 88 of the February 2007 issue of GUNS Magazine, on sale now at friendly domestic newsstands throughout the Republic.

Further Thoughts on the Bush 2A Reversal

I made a comment yesterday over at SayUncle's that I realized I had not yet articulated here on my own site, regarding the "executive office of the president" approving a "collective rights" interpretation of the Second Amendment in its claim of authority to regulate weapons on spacecraft:

[I]f the pres simply wanted to keep guns off spaceships, they didn't need to bring in the "“collective rights"” language. Re-read Ashcroft'’s letter--–he gave them the out to effect a ban with his "“compelling state interest"” rationale. That'’s all they'’d have needed to say and it would have legally stuck. They didn'’t need to address either a collective OR an individual right. But somebody did, and such inclusions are rarely accidental, which means there was intent, which implies motive...

The way I read this is, should a legal challenge to the authority of these regs be issued, the argument the administration will make will be based on the collective theory. I don't know any other way to look at it. And if that sticks, it will hurt us a lot more than if their defense was "“compelling state interest."”

Understand, I'm not defending "compelling state interest," because, as practiced by the Bush DoJ, just about any existing law would be prosecuted or defended against under that banner. I'm merely observing that the administration did not need to go out of its way to embrace "collective rights"--the identical position as every enemy of the individual right to keep and bear arms.

Had they quietly announced the rules claiming authority under "compelling state interest," they would have probably slipped in completely under the radar--although aside from this blog and its few supporters, they essentially have anyway.

We're the Only Ones "Calm and Assertive Pack Leaders" Enough

A deputy constable is now out of the hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the foot Thursday morning...

"Attempted to bite me and actually grabbed a hold of my foot and part of my leg but never broke the skin. That's when the dog turned toward the constable and the constable fired one shot at the dog and actually shot himself in the foot," said Day.

If that dog had wanted to bite you, it would have bitten you. It figures, The Only One and the repo gang blunder in, do everything wrong to provoke a fear reaction from the animal, and then blame the owner and the dog for its natural response. Sounds like these guys could have benefited from National Geographic Channel's "Dog Whisperer" marathon yesterday, and of course, Deputy Constable Limpy has no more business being around guns than he does dogs.

[Via KABA Newslinks]

Letter from Wayne Fincher

From the Sebastian County Jail

[In response to AFV editor’s request, this is a day in the life of Hollis Wayne Fincher inside the Sebastian County jail.]

I am doing OK here in jail. It’s not where I want to be, but it’s where I am and I try to make the best of it.

The temperature is pretty constant, probably near 70 both day and night with a few warmer and cooler spots here and there, but no problem.

The light after 10 o’clock [PM] is subdued and about 6 o’clock [AM] it is turned on bright all day and is OK for reading or writing. About 7, we are let out of our cells for breakfast, which might be about a cupful of oatmeal or grits and a piece of bread, some gravy and a tablespoon of margarine, a half pint of milk and some about 50% strength coffee. We go back to our cells for a while and then may be let out for maybe an hour, more or less, and then back to our cells until dinner at about 12 [noon].

Dinner might be some macaroni or beans or peas or sometimes a hamburger (a bun, a piece of meat and a slice of cheese with a tablespoon of mustard) and a small dessert.

A typical dinner might be maybe a half cup of salad or chopped cabbage, some beans, some margarine, two slices of white bread and some kind of meat with a small tub of applesauce and some tea.

After dinner we are sent back to our cells until about 2 [PM] or so, then let out again for a half hour to over an hour and then back to our cells until supper at about 5 [PM] for 30-40 minutes, and then back to our cells until morning.

While the food varies from day to day, it remains pretty much the same. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say that it is about a 5. It is not bad food, but there is nothing much to complement it for. The food is supposed to be 2000 calories a day, but some days, I doubt if it makes it. Some days it might be a little more.

The bedding is like the food – adequate, but no more; an wool army blanket, a bed sheet and a cotton mattress about 30 inches wide and about 3-1/2 inches thick. Showers are open every day and you can shower nearly every day with a bit of luck. Soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste and toilet paper are provided. Other supplies can be bought at the commissary. Every one complains about the prices. I only buy a few things; paper, stamps and a very few other things. I buy no food.

We can attend in house church a couple of times a week, sometimes more. I talk to other prisoners about their need for Jesus to save them. Some take heed and are willing to listen and some go to their cells and pray. I have a Bible. Most anyone who wants a Bible can get one with out much trouble.

It is somewhat unpredictable using the phone. There are three phones for about 50 prisoners. The phones are open at meal times and the timeout of our cells, but it is a real hassle to use one with any regularity or dependability. In the visitation rooms the noise makes coherent conversation nearly impossible to take care of family needs and the 15 minute time limit is a contemptible mockery of compassion for the families of prisoners who sometimes have to travel quite a distance from home to visit their loved ones.

To sum it up, the jail is designed to provide a place to hold prisoners at the least amount of cost to the county, at the lowest acceptable level under the law.

Dear Loretta, I saw Linda for a few minutes today and she said things were looking very good, but could not elaborate.

Loretta, you and Paul and Teresa Dramer and many others are the light that shines into the darkness of tyranny.

I pray that God blesses you all and please continue to pray for me.

Yours in Jesus Christ our Lord
Wayne Fincher

Source: American Family Voice news, P. O. Box 127, Russellville, AR 72811; 479-880-2026; americanfamilyvoiceATyahooDOTcom; Subscriptions: $25/yr

Fincher's "crime," of course, is for (allegedly) exercising an individual right to keep and bear arms.

The text below is from a recent appeal written by Dale Morfey of Fort Smith, AR:

Wayne’s legal fight will likely be long and costly. Wayne and his family are already doing the heavy work… will we at least pick up the slack? What is this country… what is the Constitution worth to you?

For this time in American history, you were born. What will be recorded about your actions?

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

Want to help Wayne on a very personal level? Write him a letter of encouragement.

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

I am praying that you will take meaningful action today… and also let as many others as you can know about Wayne’s case.

[Via Joe & Barb McCutchen]

More from WarOnGuns

This Day in History: December 29

On this day in 1778, British Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell and his force of between 2500 and 3600 troops, which included the 71st Highland regiment, New York Loyalists, and Hessian mercenaries, launch a surprise attack on American forces defending Savannah, Georgia.