Guest Editorial: Credible Deterrence & the Logistics of Liberty

FOREWORD: Here's another gem from Mike Vanderboegh. I am pleased and privileged to showcase his important work here at WarOnGuns. Because the reach of this humble blog is so limited, I encourage you to pass links to Mr. Vanderboegh's work far and wide, if you agree with me that there is wisdom here we must heed.

Credible Deterrence & the Logistics of Liberty
by Mike Vanderboegh

"The test of a good strategy is that it achieves its object without the necessity for battle. As Sun Tzu put it: 'What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy; next best is to disrupt his alliances; next best is to attack his army.'"
--General Rupert Smith, British Army, Ret'd, in The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World, Alfred Knopf, NY, 2007, pp. 13


"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition."
-- Rudyard Kipling

What did the Founders intend with the Second Amendment? Liberals ignored, gunnies would all agree that their purpose was to codify the people's natural right to arms. As men who had been compelled to fight for independence by the British seizure of their arms, it was natural for them to ensure that the people of future generations be enabled to maintain the tools necessary to repel tyranny. But I think the Founders' purpose was not only to set up the preconditions to resist tyranny when it appeared, but also to deter it by providing future would-be tyrants with a credible deterrent that would discourage them from making the attempt to begin with. Others think so too. Here are two examples:

"The 'insurrectionist theory' label does not do justice to this aspect of the Second Amendment. True, the Second Amendment implicitly authorizes recourse to arms when less drastic means fail to attain or retain the proper ends of government identified in the Declaration. But the Amendment's greater value lies in the deterrent effect it would have, were it respected and enforced to the degree of its companion rights in the Bill of Rights. Although it implicitly authorizes rebellion-and explicitly provides the means of waging rebellion-the Amendment, if observed, should make rebellion less likely by making it less likely to be necessary. The Second Amendment should stand as a reminder to those who govern of the people's ultimate right to preserve or reestablish their rights by arms. One need not prophesy armed struggle by American citizens against their own government to propose that the citizenry's widespread ownership of firearms could safeguard liberty by deterring tyranny. The great value of the right is political, not military. This value lies not in the fact that the Amendment enables armed resistance, but that by enabling armed resistance it should make the conditions which would justify such resistance less likely to occur."

-- David Harmer, "Securing a free state: Why the Second Amendment Matters", Brigham Young University Law Review, 1998

(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3736/is_199801/ai_n8765559/pg_1)

"Too many people wrongly assume that the purpose of revitalizing 'the Militia of the several States' (or, for that matter, of forming the kind of private citizens 'militia' that already exist in several States) is to fight new battles of Lexington and Concord. To the contrary: The goal must be, if at all possible, to deter usurpation and tyranny, so as to make actually fighting any battle here in America unnecessary. Deterrence is always the best defense. And preparedness makes deterrence credible."

- Dr. Edwin Vieira, Jr. "'The Militia Of The Several States' Guarantee The Right To Keep And Bear Arms", Aug 2005

(http://www.gunowners.org/opev06.htm)

Here we are then, back to Sun Tzu's dictum quoted at the outset. The exercise of the Second Amendment attacks the enemy-of-liberty's strategy at its source, between the tyrant's own ears, strangling the deadly idea of usurpation in its cradle before it can spring forth in murderous adulthood. Note well, I said "the exercise of the Second Amendment." The piece of paper alone guarantees nothing. We are not talking about law or morality or "emanations and penumbras" as one Supreme Court justice has divined. In the end, as with most other things in this world, American liberty is secured by the threat of naked force from the armed citizenry. Tyrants are nothing if not calculating, and the credible deterrence comes from the number of free men and free women opposed to their schemes, the character and number of the arms they hold, the level of proficiency they have achieved with those arms and their perceived will to use them. That, and one other thing, which we will get to in a minute.

But first, you must understand how tyrants think. Joseph Stalin, when informed after World War II that the Pope disapproved of Russian troops occupying Trieste, turned to his advisors and asked, “The Pope? The Pope? How many divisions does he have?” Dictators are unmoved by moral suasion. But you, gentle readers, have the argument that persuades dictators in your gun safes, closets and car trunks: millions upon millions of semi-automatic rifles of military utility-- those evil misnamed "assault rufles" that so frighten Chuck "the Schmuck" Shumer and the Brady Bunch. You have the power, ladies and gentlemen. The question is: Is the possession of rifles and the will to use them by themselves enough? No, it is not.

"Lieutenants study tactics, Generals study logistics." -- Military maxim.

"Then there is ammunition, for above all it is the bullet that kills. Skill is, of course, an essential element in dispatching that bullet effectively, but it is still the bullet that kills.... At the lower tactical levels of command one operates on the assumption that bullets are in continuous supply, but everyone is conscious that it is only an assumption. A rifleman can discharge all that he can carry in only a few minutes, and his commander must then either replace him or resupply him. It is therefore up to the commander to either strictly define or limit a soldier's task to the ammunition he carries, or else ensure that he is steadily replaced or resupplied. As you rise in command, you become increasingly concerned about the bullets rather than the rifles, and all other weapons, since they are the force being propelled and applied."

-- General Rupert Smith, British Army, Ret'd, in The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World, Alfred Knopf, NY, 2007, pp. 79-80

Or as General Walton Walker said in the early, desperate days of the Korean War, "We can win without food, we cannot win without ammunition." And ammunition supplies to the armed citizenry, as many of you have no doubt noticed, are becoming increasingly problematic. Hence this recent story:

Overseas wars causing ammo shortages
By UPI Staff
United Press International
April 9, 2007
SAN JOSE, Calif. (UPI) -- With wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, police departments in the United States are reporting a shortage of ammunition needed for firearms.

The San Jose (Calif.) Mercury-News reported that in addition to overseas conflicts, an unprecedented rise in the price of raw materials is also contributing to the shortage of ammunition. Also compounding the problem are longer delays in the shipment of ammo. Police across the United States said that ammunition shipments that once took 45 days are now taking as long as six months.

Many police departments are stepping up their ammo orders to hold them over during the long delays, the Mercury-News reported. "It has become a nightmare," said Sgt. Don Moore, San Jose police range master.

The U.S. military's increased use of firearms has been blamed for the shortage, but another factor, the Mercury-News reported, is the rise in the prices for ammo. Prices are said to have risen almost fourfold in the past 2 1/2 years, as demand for raw materials has surged in China and India.

(Source: http://www.gopusa.com/news/2007/april/0409_ammo_shortage.shtml)

Or this one, quoted in part, from the Fort Wayne, IN Journal Gazette:

Mon, Apr. 02, 2007
Bullet shortage tales spur police to load up
By Rebecca S. Green
The Journal Gazette

Some area law enforcement agencies have stocked up on ammunition in recent months after rumors of shortages and backorders caused by increased usage by military and law enforcement in the ongoing war on terror. Though Jeffersonville-based Kiesler Police Supply and Ammunition Co. sent a letter in February to law enforcement agencies in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, alerting them to a continued ammunition shortage, many local agencies are not worried about running out of bullets.

“We wish to advise every police and sheriff department or agency in our territory (whether or not you are a customer of Kiesler’s) that deliveries of duty and practice ammunition are horribly backordered,” the letter read.. . . Increased usage by the military and law enforcement, as well as a number of foreign manufacturers ceasing U.S. sales, has contributed to the backlog, which is “the worst shortage Kiesler’s has seen in its 35 years of being in business,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Journal Gazette.

The letter to police goes on to indicate that .223-caliber rounds, used in assault rifles such as the M-16, are backlogged until the end of 2007 or early 2008 for both training rounds and ammunition carried on duty. The M-16 and its descendants, such as the M-16A1 and others, have been the primary infantry rifle used by the U.S. military for more than 40 years, and are also used by a number of other countries. Officials from Kiesler declined to comment for this story but on Friday referred calls to ATK, a weapons system company. No correlation between the increased demands for ammunition by law enforcement agencies, particularly training ammunition, should be drawn to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Brian Grace, spokesman for weapons manufacturer ATK.

The company manufacturers a large amount of ammunition used in the civilian, law enforcement and military sectors, doing an estimated $1.3 billion in business in its Ammunition Systems Group and produces about 1.5 billion rounds of small-caliber ammunition annually. ATK’s law enforcement ammunition, both training and duty rounds, is manufactured at plants in Minnesota, while small-caliber rounds for military use are made in Missouri, according to the company’s Web site. Grace said ATK has ramped up production of training ammunition, as well as increased capacity at its plants, making bullets “24/7.” He said the move was driven 99 percent by demand, rather than by a shortage in supply. . . .

. . . Huntington police officer Dale Osborn has served as the department’s firearms instructor for the past decade. He said the .45-caliber is the hardest round to obtain, the only backlog for his department’s supplier, Precision Cartridge Inc. in Hobart. Officials at Precision told Huntington that some suppliers were slower because of an increase in the military’s need for bullets, Osborn said. Slightly cheaper than the rounds carried in officers’ weapons, training rounds make up the bulk of police departments’ ammunition purchases, unlike the more complicated duty ammunition, which expands after contact with a target.

Sgt. Chad Hill, public information officer at the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, said his department has had such a hard time obtaining the .223 rounds needed for the M-16A1 military surplus rifles carried by the deputies they have had to buy the ammunition from the Czech Republic. . . .He said the department has also had difficulty getting training ammunition for the duty-issued .45-caliber handguns and 9 mm handguns used by the department. While the department has been told to expect an easier time buying bullets by August, there is no guarantee, Hill said.

(Source: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/17014131.htm)

We civilian shooters have experienced this lately in the soaring rise in prices, but more troubling was the drying up of entire classes of ammo we have come to depend on, which one observer called The Great Ammo Drought of '06.

"SayUncle (a blogger) mentioned the rising cost of 7.62x39mm ammo, and offered an explanation. While the order of a bazillion rounds of 7.62 for the Afghanis might mean the supply of commercial Wolf/Barnaul ammo remains scarce, it doesn't account for the fact that it has been scarce for almost a year now, and that the scarcity of imported Russkie 7.62x39 is not necessarily directly linked to the price of its domestic alternatives. . . .Thing is, the domestic companies never loaded all that much 7.62x39, since most shooters simply burned up cheap imported Wolf by the case. Then Venezuela bought 100,000 AK's and the ammo to feed them last summer, and that dried up the Russian ammo flow like somebody turned off a tap; the domestic production never really caught up to the increasing demand. If this Afghan contract happens, it'll be another long drought until we see more cheap imported ammo. 'Til then it's going to be brass-cased domestic stuff or nothing, and with metals prices and fuel costs both up, ammo is more expensive than ever. I've seen two or three price hikes from every manufacturer and distributor since last October, with some brands and calibers going up by as much as 20%. Of course, this affects all ammo, not just 7.62x39mm. Combine that with the shortage of Winchester .22 ammo caused by Winchester moving rimfire production to a new facility in Arkansas, and you have a recipe for scarcity and high prices all across the ammunition landscape. Hoard you some ammo today. :)"

(Source: http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2006/06/great-ammo-drought-of-06.html)

"Hoard you some ammo today." Not bad advice. For if we understand this vulnerability, so do our enemies. Says the Small Arms Survey, an adjunct of the United Nations' attempt to control the private use of arms world-wide (including your own, my dear friends):

"Ammunition: Weapons are only lethal when supplied with ammunition. The procurement of the correct type of ammunition for the available stockpiles of weapons is therefore a core concern for states, non-state armed groups, and individuals. While weapons are durable goods, which can be used for many years, ammunition is quickly depleted, and stocks must be replenished. As a consequence, intensive weapons use, such as in contexts of conflict or criminality, requires the maintenance of regular supply lines of ammunition. The oversight or disruption of such supply lines potentially represents an opportunity for controlling arms proliferation and limiting weapons misuse."

(Source: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/files/portal/spotlight/ammunition/ammun.html)

Getting the picture now? You know Bill Clinton did this back in 1994, when the unintended consequences of the impending AWB boosted sales of Chinese semi-auto rifles and ammunition through the roof.

"In a sharp change of policy, President Bill Clinton declared Thursday that he was breaking the link between human rights and trade with China. The president's declaration came as he announced what U.S. officials had been signaling for days: that the White House believes China has made enough progress on human rights in the past year to retain most-favored-nation trade status, which means low U.S. tariffs on the $31 billion worth of goods it exports to the United States. . .

Nevertheless, Mr. Clinton took a series of steps designed to maintain at least some pressure on China: He ordered a ban on the importation of Chinese-made weapons and ammunition, but there was no explicit link to human rights. Cheap, Chinese infantry assault rifles are flooding the U.S. market and are increasingly being used in violent crimes. He announced his intention to enhance Radio Free Asia and Voice of America broadcasts into China and increase government support for private human rights groups."

(Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/1994/05/27/mfn_1.php)

Though couched in terms of "human rights", Clinton's real purpose was clear enough, even to human rights activists. Said Human Rights Watch Executive Director Sidney Jones at the time:

"'By any yardstick, the human rights situation in China has deteriorated in the last year,' . . .noting more than 100 political and religious activists have been arrested, compared with three dozen prisoners released.. . the decision left Clinton's administration 'looking vacillating and hypocritical while the Chinese leadership, by contrast, has emerged as hard-nosed, uncompromising and victorious.' The ban on arms and ammunition imports from the Peoples Liberation Army is good for 'gun control, not human rights pressure,' Jones said. 'The only big winner from this decision is the Chinese government.'"

(Source: http://www.tibet.ca/en/wtnarchive/1994/5/27-4_2.html)

We frightened the Clintonistas with our purchases and so Bubba cut them off, though it was too late to stop the balance of power shifting more than a few degrees toward us, the armed citizenry. Millions of rifles and billions of rounds of ammunition flooded in and, as Clausewitz observed: "In military affairs, quantity has a quality all its own."

Of course the desire to disarm us by starving our ammunition supply is also alive and well in the proposals of liberal congresscritters over the past decade to require the banning of "armor piercing" and "cop killer" bullets and attempts to tax ammunition out of existence, or make it chemically "deactivated" after a certain period of time.

So our enemies know well how to mess with our power. The question is: What are we prepared to do about it?

Finding even semi-accurate "guess-timates" of how many rounds of ammunition are in private hands in this country is almost impossible. Anecdotal evidence suggests that after the Clintons departed the White House, many folks felt the pressure was off and have spent the past six years shooting up those billions of rounds of 7.62x39 at the range. Replacing them now is financially problematic for the average gunowner. Even absent continuing production diversions to hot wars like Iraq and Afghanistan (and potential troublemakers like Venezuela), the Chinese economy has driven up prices on all base metals and with them, the cost of the finished product that makes your rifles go "bang." The only "cheap" ammo (circa 12 cents per) to be had these days is Russian and Bulgarian military production 7N6 5.45x39. This is why the semi-auto AK-74 has acheived new significance in your gun shop's line of profitable guns to stock. When that 5.45 milsurp is exhausted, the price on 5.45 will also rise.

And this is absent any significant push in the market. Should the Clintons return to the White House, or there's another LA riot or Katrina disaster, the rush will be on and prices that are thought to be high now will be looked upon with fond nostalgia. Unless somebody nukes China, the market forces are going to continue to squeeze us, cutting down on our range time (also important to maintain credible deterrence) and threatening to make our rifles nothing more than expensive clubs.

So I guess I've told you all of this, in part at least, as an investment tip. Buy now. Buy a LOT. Start stocking up on everything from finished rounds to reloading equipment and components. It is the only way to maintain credible deterrence with our political enemies who seek to disarm us on the quiet. We all must turn our attention to the logistics of liberty, lest we lose the deterrence and are forced to fight.

And one other thing. We have always said amongst ourselves that any attempt at universal gun confiscation would be a causus belli-- the trip wire to overthrow the gun-grabbers and drive them from power. We said as much publicly, if indirectly, when we purchased those millions of rifles in the early 90s. It is time to get the message across that attacking the armed citizenry by indirect disarmament in the taxing or banning of ammunition is also a trip wire that potential tyrants need to be mindful of lest we make them a footnote to history.

Mike Vanderboegh
PO Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126
GeorgeMason1776ATaol.com

Separate AND Unequal

[T]he National Action Network has increased the Rev. Al Sharpton's security due to a number of death threats in the wake of the firing of radio host Don Imus by MSNBC and CBS Radio.

That wouldn't include armed security, would it, "Reverend"? Not "Gun Control" Al...

I also couldn't help but notice this bit:

Sharpton later filed suit against the city accusing the NYPD of failing to protect him. The two sides eventually settled.

Oh, really? Do you think they'd "settle" if it was someone besides this lying, hate-mongering race pimp? They didn't "settle" with Linda Riss. They "ruled that [she] had no right to protection."

So much for equality under the law.

Why corporate America kisses this bigot's corrupt posterior instead of having security throw him out on the sidewalk is beyond me. I'd make a point of patronizing a company that had the guts to publicly tell him to take his ridiculous extortion threats and go to hell.

We're the Only Ones Unbinding Enough...

A corrections officer at the Hudson County Jail has been charged with giving a handcuff key to an inmate who was scheduled to be moved to a state prison facility.

Hey, what with the cigarettes, contraband and cell phone, it sounds like he was just taking care of a special customer. I wonder if they offer a "Buy One Only One Get One Free" deal?

Maybe that explains why they returned my letter to Wayne Fincher that included writing paper, envelopes and stamps. I didn't realize I was competing against a preferred vendor...

[Via Vinnie]

Wayne Fincher Update: Sentencing Set for June 22

Hollis Wayne Fincher, 60, was convicted Jan. 12 of possessing illegal, unregistered weapons, including machine guns and a sawed-off shotgun.

Sentencing is set for 10 a.m. June 22 in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville before Judge Jimm Larry Hendren.

Fincher faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Y'all have written those letters, right?

Except for you, Russ Whitfield, and you, Doug H. You guys have chains to polish or something...

We're the Only Ones Who Support a Woman's Right to Do as She's Told Enough

The police report says that Jerod Frazier held a gun to a woman he was having an affair with and threatened to shoot her when she changed her mind about getting an abortion.

Nothin' says lovin' like an "Only One" cleanin' out the oven...

[Via Vinnie]

This Day in History: April 14

Slow on the Draw

You might not like what Sheriff Bill Brown of Santa Barbara County has to say, but he is honest and direct about it. Which makes you wonder why the NRA gave an “A” rating to a man who makes it clear he’s proud that he has given out only three concealed-carry permits in his many years of service.

Friend Larry Rankin gets ink from The Santa Barbara Independent.

Another Pledge

I specifically swear that I will oppose any initiative to place foreign armies within our borders, including United Nations forces. I here swear upon my honor that I WILL USE ANY MEANS NECESSARY, including violence, to eliminate any such presence, and those responsible for its sponsorship. So Help me God.

Sounds good to me. And you can even get your own "larger frameable copy" of the pledge.

Hey, it's not like I'm not already on watchlists.

[Via Dave Licht]

We're the Only Ones Quick on the Draw Enough

Washington, the county’s deputy homeland security director, was arrested and charged with first-degree assault Friday, after he allegedly pulled a gun on a real estate appraiser who mistakenly came to his home...

He was already under investigation in connection with an incident at his Accokeek home Jan. 24, in which he shot two furniture deliverymen; one later died. Sources say a grand jury is considering evidence in that case, but no charges have been filed.

Of course not. "Only Ones" and all that...

[Via Vinnie]

We're the Only Ones Not Labeled Enough

The Clarksville police officer accused of selling drugs at the local skating rink he owns was charged Wednesday afternoon with three class A felony drug charges and faces a maximum of 150 years in prison...

Mikel claims that “once you get people hooked on Morphine pills, you can raise the price on them” and that he was hesitant to get involved in any cocaine transactions because he “didn’t want to be labeled a drug dealer, in case he had to take a polygraph test some day.”

I guess that all depends on the meaning of the words "drug dealer".

The name of the town where he's a candidate for judge is amusingly ironic: Sellersburg.

[Via Vinnie]

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

We're the Only Ones Perjuring Enough

A former Shreveport police officer who was fired after he ran from the scene of an officer-involved shooting has been arrested on charges he lied during a court hearing for the man wounded by police.

WoG contributor Vinnie, who found this story for us observes:

Cop runs away,lies. Other one runs out of ammo. No info if another stooge was involved.

Not "stooges," Vinnie. "Only Ones."

This Day in History: April 13

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell in Albemarle County, Virginia. A member of the Continental Congress, he was the author of the Declaration of Independence at the age of 33.

We're the Only Ones Progressive Enough

[T]he San Bernardino County district attorney's office alleges that Adelanto Mayor Jim Nehmens and his wife, Kelly, used the fireworks sales to line their own pockets.

They were arrested Tuesday, each charged with three counts of grand theft by embezzlement...

Former Councilwoman Zoila Meyer was forced to step down two years ago after authorities determined that she was not a U.S. citizen...

In 1997, Philip Genaway, a former Adelanto police chief, was sentenced to a four-year prison term for embezzling nearly $10,000 from the department's canine unit. That same year, two officers went to prison for beating two handcuffed suspects and forcing one to lick his blood off the police station floor.

"Progress Through Unity" indeed. And remember, in Spanish, "adelanto" means "to go forward"...

The only question is, "Forward to what?"

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

Ranges of Death

Even in a state known for some of the nation's toughest gun control laws, unlicensed shooters in Massachusetts have to do little more than swear they are not criminals, drunk or mentally unstable to fire their choice of pistols or rifles.

Horrors!

Next thing they'll tell us is that shooting range injuries and deaths are approaching the pandemic proportions of activities as insanely perilous as...high school cheerleading.

That certainly seems justification for new uniform laws to harass ranges into performing background checks, with maybe days to get approval if the system hiccups. Heck, BATFU could swell their ranks with enforcement agents to make sure all registries have been completely and accurately filled out, and shut down any rogue ranges that violate paperwork protocols!

And by taking away places to learn and practice safe gun handling and marksmanship, we can rely on our old friend the law of unintended consequences to make its presence known...

NUTTY GUN OWNER PSYCHOS KILLING SELVES IN RECORD NUMBERS!!!!!

Or some such.

I mean, heck, the Harvard School of Public Health wouldn't have an agenda, or anything, would it?

"Removing all firearms from one's home is one of the most effective and straightforward steps that household decision-makers can take to reduce the risk of suicide," Matthew Miller, assistant professor of health policy and management, said in a prepared statement.

Well, maybe it would.

Just one thing, though, Prof. Miller: What are you going to do about these guys?

The Firing Line

Rory Ahearn of VICE/VBS.tv informs me of "a show called Americana, where we go out and talk to the folks about their life and their ideas of what makes America tick."

They do a good job in this episode of letting their subjects tell the story without injecting observer bias or advocacy, and you can't really ask for more than that.

We need as much truthful media in this country as we can get. When I get some time, I'm going back to check out some of their other offerings.

He Didn't Really Say That, Did He?

Snoop's position is he wants to give children and teenagers an example to follow...

Good grief.

[Via Hairy Hobbit]

A Tarnished Image

I think this presupposes the image of Daley's Finest was shiny to begin with...

[Via Dan]

Does John W. Whitehead Have a Right to Be a Sterile Queen Bee?

While it must be conceded that the individual citizen could not hope to defend him or herself against local and federal law enforcement dressed in military gear, armed to the teeth with armored vehicles and weapons of mass destruction, shouldn’t Americans at least be able to protect themselves, their families and their homes against criminals?

Well, I guess the way you've set things up, John, there's no argument. Can we at least not march in straight lines on the plain of battle? I suppose asymmetrical tactics, including covert individual acts of resistance, or the fact that gun owners outnumber our keepers don't enter into the argument.

We see your theory playing out right now in the Middle East. Do you have an "exit strategy" for your army of domestic occupation, and how well do you think it will be received by the growing number of Americans who don't even want our military fighting overseas?

As George Mason declared, “To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” While Congress can, of course, reasonably regulate certain types of weapons such as assault rifles, banning law-abiding citizens from having handguns in their own homes for self-defense or owning hunting rifles goes far beyond anything the Framers contemplated.

"Of course"? Really? Why, John? Where do they get the authority? Just what do you Rutherford wonks think the Second Amendment is for if you say it's OK to withhold the single most common and necessary infantry battlefield implement from the Citizen Militia?

You started out real good there, John, had us all primed. And then you ended up so...so neocon. You got everybody following you and then led them to a conclusion of appeasement and defeat.

I see you established your organization to "defend people who were persecuted or oppressed without charging them for such services. The Rutherford Institute exists to ensure that people are treated fairly in the courts and are free to express themselves without fear."

Why not prove how wrong I am about you, John?

Why not defend Wayne Fincher and thereby defend the right to keep and bear militia-suitable arms for all of us, as well as our right to argue Constitutional matters before the courts in our own defense?

2A-Killer Mitt

As a Second Amendment supporter, I don’t care about Romney’s hunting history. I’ve never hunted, nor has Don Kates, who is one of the most influential pro-Second Amendment scholars ever. I know plenty of outstanding pro-rights legislators and activists who have never hunted, or who haven’t been hunting for many years.

I've said before that I can't think of any slogan less inspiring than "Vote Your Sport."

[Via Peter B]

This Day in History: April 12

North Carolina, on April 12, 1776, authorized her delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. This was the first official action by a colony calling for independence. The 83 delegates present in Halifax at the Fourth Provincial Congress unanimously adopted the Halifax Resolves...

Guest Editorial: God, Guns and Judas Goats

FOREWORD: Here's another profound missive from Mike Vanderboegh, one he says will be the last for a while "Unless something else gets me worked up."

God, Guns and Judas Goats
Mike Vanderboegh

"Gun-control laws do not control crime because crimes are not committed by guns; they are committed by criminals. Criminals will always have guns because they do not obey laws, including anti-gun laws. Those without guns are easy prey for criminals with guns. Gun control encourages crime. The right to bear arms was included in the Bill of Rights, not to deter crime, but to deter oppressive government. Just governments honor and protect the right to bear arms. Oppressive governments fear and prohibit the right to bear arms. Guns are dangerous. The only thing more dangerous is not having them." -- G. Edward Griffin

"To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." -- George Mason

10 April 2007
TO: Errol Louis
Editorial Page, New York Daily News

Dear Errol,

I have titled my response to your recent editorial ("Time to put our faith in ending gun scourge", NY Daily News, 8 April 07) God, Guns and Judas Goats. As you hold degrees from Harvard, Yale and Brooklyn Law School, and thus are an educated man, I will assume your familiarity with the concepts of both God and firearms. But as a lifelong "New Yarker" you may not know what a Judas Goat is. Since I know that Wikipedia is one of your favorite on-line resources, I have chosen its definition:

"A Judas goat is a trained goat used at a slaughterhouse and in general animal herding. The Judas goat is trained to associate with sheep or cattle, leading them to a specific destination. In stockyards, a Judas goat will lead sheep to slaughter, while its own life is spared. Judas goats are also used to lead other animals to specific pens and on to trucks. The term is a reference to the biblical traitor Judas Iscariot. The phrase has also been used to describe a goat that is used to find feral goats that are targeted for eradication. In many ecosystems goats introduced there mostly by European colonists are a pest or can outcompete endemic endangered species. The Judas goat is outfitted with a transmitter, painted in red and then released. The goat then finds the remaining herds of feral goats, allowing hunters to exterminate them."

I was reminded of the Judas goat by your editorial which praised the new effort from the hoplophobic Brady Center called the "God Not Guns Coalition." As the website describes it:

"The God Not Guns Coalition seeks to raise awareness of gun violence as a spiritual and moral crisis. We call on every congregation, synagogue, mosque, and gathering of people of faith to work toward a peaceable society where all children have the opportunity to grow and prosper, and where everyone can live without fear of being cut down by firearm violence. We invite every faithful individual and faith-based group to join us as we work to prevent the tragic toll of gun violence."

To which you replied, "Amen to that." And on the face of it, who can be for "gun violence"? If you mean by that imprecise term violent criminals killing folks with handguns, then you bet, I'm agin' it as they say in Blount County, Alabama. Hey, that's why I own firearms-- to keep me, my family, my friends and even my anti-gun neighbors safe from both criminals and predatory governments. I'm a big opponent of "gun violence" IF that's what you mean. But of course that's not exactly what the Brady Center has in mind, and I suspect you know that too.

What the Brady Center is interested in and has been assiduously working toward for decades is the disarmament of the American citizenry. They believe that criminals will be cut off from the supply of firearms when the law-abiding are. Yeah, that's worked real well for the drug epidemic, I'm sure it will work in the kumbaya future envisioned by the Brady Bunch. (As a writer I'm sure you recognize both irony and sarcasm when you read it.)

Strict gun control laws have worked real well in NYC haven't they? You cite several recent incidents in Gotham in your editorial as reason to join the Brady bandwagon, but I can only assume that as the son of an NYPD policeman you HAVE heard of the Sullivan Act? So, because of the failure of you New Yorkers to control your own criminal element with strict gun laws, we should all give up our guns to see if that will work? Pardon me if I don't jump on that bandwagon just yet. But that's not really the main point of my critique. Judas goats are.

The Brady Bunch has been chafing at the bit now that the largely anti-firearm Democrat Party controls both houses of Congress. But because the presidency is up for grabs in a year and a half the marching orders have gone out: "no anti-gun legislation until we've got the whole enchilada." Of course some Dems aren't persuaded, hence you have embarrassing gun-grabbing bills introduced like H.B. 1022. But the Brady Bunch knows that they will be marking time legislatively until January, 2009, so they have to have something else to keep them busy, burnish their image among the weak-minded and, not coincidentally, help them raise funds for the gargantuan legislative gun-grabs to come.

And so we have the God Not Guns Coalition (hereinafter referred to as the GNGC). I read through the list of religious organizations of various faiths that have signed onto this project, and was relieved when I didn't see a Baptist among 'em. I'm sure if the Bradys look hard enough they'll find one eventually, there are fools everywhere and I've met my share of them in the Baptist congregations I've belonged to over the years. Lots of the GNGC were organizations that I expected to see, as they have declared themselves before on the issue of the Second Amendment (they're agin' it). I even knew that the Presbyterians had gone all wobbly on the gun issue, no doubt making their ancestors of "The Black Regiment" -- the British term for Presbyterian ministers who preached revolution in the 1770s-- spin like tops in their New England graveyards.

I take note that several prominent Muslim organizations have signed onto the GNGC, and this is to be applauded I suppose, for the simple fact that so few of their co-religionists seem interested in gun control as it applies to global Jihad. This is a step in the right direction, thus proving that every cloud has a silver lining.

The AME Zion Church of Maryland surprised me though, for reasons that I will deal with further down the page. But the fact that the top leadership of Reform Judaism endorses citizen disarmament is certainly no surprise, and here is where we begin to deal with the subject of Judas goats.

You quote, with approval, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, who you say, "put his finger on the spiritual dimension of the crisis at an anti-gun rally in 2000."

"'The indiscriminate distribution of guns is an offense against God and humanity,' he said. 'Our gun-flooded society has turned weapons into idols, and the worship of idols must be recognized for what it is - blasphemy.'"

Well, now. Using the "B" word is tough stuff in any religion. I have my own opinions as to what constitutes blasphemy and idolatry in present day America, but as a confessed rabid Second Amendment advocate, guns don't meet the test with me. Firearms are tools, like any other. They are value neutral. If an evil man uses a gun to kill, the man is evil, not the gun. Likewise, if the firearm is used to defend against criminal attack or tyranny, the justified good intentions accrue to the man who wields it and not the object itself. There is, I'm sure Reb Yoffie would agree, an oft-quoted rabbinic legal dictum, "Im ba l'hargekha, hashkem l'hargo," "If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him (first)." Firearms faciliate the dispensing of that justice.

Now, as I said, I'm a Baptist and so it might seem that I'm out of my league in dispensing the following analysis. But hey, some of my best friends are observant Jews and we've had long conversations about the self-defense dictums of Judaism and how they were ignored during the Holocaust. The Talmudic discussion of the classic Jewish principle of self-defense cited above is plain. "If there is homicidal intent, self-defense is more than permitted; it is required. This is a common principle of all legal systems, America's included." ("If Someone Comes to Kill You, Rise Up and Kill Him First" by Noam E. Marans, Associate Director, Contemporary Jewish Life Department, American Jewish Committee, available on AJC's website www.ajc.org.)

My brother-in-arms Aaron Zelman of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership once told me: “If every Jewish and anti-nazi family in Germany had owned a Mauser rifle and twenty rounds of ammunition AND THE WILL TO USE IT, Adolf Hitler would be a little-known footnote to the history of the Weimar Republic.”

And this has always puzzled me. Why didn't the Jews resist the Holocaust more violently and directly, given "Im ba l'hargekha, hashkem l'hargo"? It wasn't like Hitler didn't tell them what was coming. Enter the Judas Goats.

"Listen and believe this, even though it happened here, even though it seems so odd, so distant, so strange." -- From the account of Josef Zelkowicz, September, 1942, Lodz Ghetto (Died, Auschwitz, 1944.)

They came in many colors, many forms, some unwitting, some coldly calculating. Some were mere "useful idiots", to use Lenin's term, who figuratively sold the Nazis the rope with which they themselves were hanged. In one place it was the Rabbi who, having read Mein Kampf, urged his faithful to patience, remembering all the other anti-semitic storms which his community had weathered for a thousand years. In another place it was the "assimilated" Jews who had played such a vital role in the Weimar Republic that preceded the "nightmare years" as William Shirer called them, who laid the bureaucratic basis for the Nazi terror with things like gun registration laws. (Proponents of the Patriot Act take note.) In yet another it was leaders of the Reichsbanner, a paramilitary corps for the defense of the Republic, Jewish and Gentile alike, who held back their followers who burned to confront the Nazis with guns, waiting for orders from the faltering republican government in Berlin. Waiting for orders that never came. Waiting, in fact, for the Gestapo raids that scooped them up individually and sent them to Dachau, when collectively they could have killed the Nazi experiment in its Devil's cradle.

As the darkness deepened, the Judas goats of deception and denial became those of collaboration. These opportunists like Mordechai Rumkowski, dubbed by the Nazis "the Eldest of Jews" of the Lodz Ghetto, sold themselves and their people, urging compliance, assisting in the death machine, sending their own to die (at least in Rumkowski's case) with eyes wide open. (See Lodz Ghetto by Alan Adelson and Robert Lapides.) As one survivor put it: "Without Jewish collaborators, the Nazis would not have succeeded!" (See "Kapo", Winner of the 2000 International EMMY Award for Best Documentary.)

But there were other Judas goats who had less excuse, because of their own margin of safety. These were American Jews, leaders of their communities, who didn't do enough to help their co-religionists under the Nazi boot, who didn't demand enough of the American government which could have done more, who fought amongst themselves for "leadership" and hampered efforts like those Peter Bergson to save as many as possible. (See While Six Million Died by Arthur D. Morse and especially Shake Heaven and Earth: Peter Bergson and the Struggle to Rescue the Jews of Europe by Louis Rapoport.)

In the politically correct, sanitized memory of the Holocaust today, the intellectual descendants of Reform Rabbi Stephen Wise (who hampered Bergson's efforts) remember and venerate the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the escape from Sobibor and the Jewish partisans who wreaked vengeance on the Nazis. This is good. But they conveniently forget about the Judas goats whose complacency, complicity and pacifism enabled the Nazis to commit the horror. And they also have forgotten that most crucial element of resistance: guns. The survivors of the death camps learned this lesson, indelibly imprinted upon their souls. What was the difference between the herded victims at the Auschwitz gate, shuffling to their deaths, and the proud founding of the state of Israel? Guns, and the will to use them against deadly enemies.

How American Jews can miss this lesson is frankly baffling to me. As far as I can see, any American Jews like Rabbi Yoffie who urge citizen disarmament are merely the Judas goats of a future Holocaust. And if you think it can't happen here, Errol, you're whistling past the graveyard of history. As an African American, you should know this. It wasn't that long ago that the Deacons for Defense and Justice rose up in a perilous time and faced down their own would-be murderers with guns in their hands.

"Who or what could control the haters? The governor? The president? The spirit of Gandhi? Or the barrel of a gun!" (Civil Rights pioneer James Farmer, in his book Lay Bare the Heart)

This is why it surprises me that the AME Zion Church of Maryland signed onto the GNGC load of gun baloney. They should know better. I commend to their reading list, and yours, Deacons for Defense: Armed Resistance and the Civil Rights Movement by Lance Hill. Professor Hill tells the often ignored story of the Deacons for Defense and Justice. To quote again from your favorite source, Wikipedia:

"(The Deacons for Defense and Justice were) a group of African American men in Jonesboro, Louisiana led by Earnest 'Chilly Willy' Thomas and Frederick Douglas Kirkpatrick founded the group in November of 1964 to protect civil rights workers against the violence of the Ku Klux Klan. Most of them were war veterans with combat experience from the Korean War and World War II. The Jonesboro chapter later organized a Deacons chapter in Bogalusa, Louisiana led by Charles Sims, A.Z. Young and Robert Hicks. The Jonesboro chapter initiated a regional organizing campaign and eventually formed 21 chapters in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The militant Deacons confrontation with the Klan in Bogalusa was instrumental in forcing the federal government to invervene on behalf of the black community and enforce the 1964 Civil Rights Act and neutralize the Klan."

James Farmer slept well when he visited Bogalusa, he later reported, because the house he slept in was guarded by Deacons carrying M-1 rifles, carbines and .45 automatic pistols. According to former Ohio secretary of State Ken Blackwell:

"As legendary civil rights leader Roy Innis recently said to me, the Deacons forced the Klan to re-evaluate their actions and often change their undergarments." (See "Second Amendment Freedoms Aided the Civil Rights Movement" at www.townhall.com/columnists/KenBlackwell)

If you require a thumbnail history of the Deacons on-line, Errol, you may go to Larry Pratt's article, "Deacons For Defense," dated August, 2004 at http://www.gunowners.org/op0438.htm. Larry also has another excellent essay on Christians and self defense at the same site. Interestingly, Condi Rice's father was said to be a Deacon in the Birmingham chapter.

Yet the Deacons merely formalized in an organization what had actually been happening for some time as the tide of Klan violence rose.

"More typically, efforts to provide physical protection for movement leaders and activists were discreet and unaccompanied by ideological claims. Devotees of nonviolence in CORE and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee–and indeed Martin Luther King Jr. himself–were all aware that many of the local activists with whom they worked carried guns, and they often quietly accepted the protection these guns afforded." (See Mike Marqusee, http://www.mikemarqusee.com)

Which brings me back to the hypocrisy of you and the Brady Bunch using that quote from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., "who warned in 1963 that 'by our readiness to allow arms to be purchased at will and fired at whim; by allowing our movies and television screens to teach our children that the hero is one who masters the art of shooting and the technique of killing ... we have created an atmosphere in which violence and hatred have become popular pastimes.'" Considering that MLK was himself guarded by men with guns, it seems in retrospect to be a little, well, hypocritical, don't you think?

And speaking of hypocrisy, let's conclude by talking about the current Judas goat under examination, one Errol Louis. What do you suppose the Deacons would say to you for casting your lot with the citizen disarmament crowd? They fought and bled to secure your right to equal treatment under law and to keep and bear arms against tyrannical government. Do you believe that the current way of things will always be? What is to prevent some American Hitler in the future from deciding on a "Final Solution to the Negro Problem"?

I'll tell you who will prevent it. Me and my friends will-- white and black, Christian and Jewish, all the colors and creeds of the American rainbow. The gunnies will. The despised "gun nuts" whom the Brady Bunch seeks to disarm. We will. No thanks to Judas goats like you, the calculating Brady Bunch and the well-intentioned but foolish clerics of the God Not Guns Coalition who, purposefully or not, are enabling future tyrants and smoothing the path for the next Holocaust.

Mike Vanderboegh
PO Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126
GeorgeMason1776ATaol.com

Previous guest editorials at WarOnGuns by Mike Vanderboegh:

• Hoplophobia: "Crazy Is As Crazy Does."
• You Can't Repeal the Law of Unintended Consequences

We're the Only Ones in the News Enough

Here are some more "Only Ones" headline challenges for me to devise from WarOnGuns correspondent Vinnie:

We're the Only Ones Paid for Drinking and Driving Enough

A township police officer may remain on paid suspension until after he faces drunk driving charges in court.

We're the Only Ones Mouthing Off to Boys Enough

A police officer was charged Monday with three counts of oral copulation involving minor boys, according to Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Richard Klemmer.

We're the Only Ones "Good" Enough

A rookie police officer accused of using excessive force during a confrontation with a teenager began law enforcement training this week, months after a video showed him pointing his gun at the student in a crowded school hall...

"I'm really looking forward to this hearing so Mr. Wiggins can put this behind him and get on with being a good police officer, which is what he is," Creel said. "We need good officers out there. He's a good officer. I hate that people make these kinds of accusations, but it's just a prime example of how bad things happen to good people."

We're the Only Ones Speedy Enough

A police officer has been charged with vehicular homicide for allegedly driving nearly 40 miles an hour over the speed limit when his cruiser struck a pedestrian.

Since I obviously don't have anywhere near the self control, judgment and moral development of these fine professionals, I guess it's a good thing the law says they can be armed and I can't.

Lies, Damned Lies and Joyce Foundation Statistics

“When asked directly whether ‘gun control laws should be stricter, making it harder for people to purchase firearms’ as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 76.5 percent backed this idea and only 16 percent endorsed less strict gun controls,” said Smith. The findings are in “Public Attitudes Toward the Regulation of Firearms,” a study funded by Chicago’s Joyce Foundation as part of the 2006 GSS survey.

The Joyce Foundation said it, I believe it, that settles it.

Ri-ight.

This truly needs a John Lott type to give it the debunking it deserves, but I will say it's evident the survey group didn't have a clue as to what they profess beliefs in, which always allows for the results one wishes to produce. It's also clear what they thought they knew was merely regurguitated sound bites from mainstream propaganda conditioning.

I know it's wrong to judge books by their covers, but I can't help but look at Tom W. Smith and wonder what the hell good he'd be if someone decided to commit savage violence in front of him.

What I see is another advocate of disarming you and me who doesn't have the guts to try it himself, another "anti-gun male."

Another "Judas goat."

[Via Vinnie]

rf396

Big words from someone who HAS NO idea what goes on there. NO IDEA AT ALL. I would take the opportunity to enlighten you a bit, but you've already made up your mind, what little of it you possess. Do you have ANY idea how ASSNINE you sound wishing for me to LOSE MY JOB? I don't make policy there you moron, nor did I have any choice as to where I was assigned, you DUMMY. But this job that you hope I lose, feeds MY family, pays MY mortgage, MY taxes, and MY bills. Can YOU say the same? Or would it be better if I was POS illegal alien CREATING the crime instead of helping to curb it. You anarchist types kill me. I wasn't rah rahing for anybody. I was simply giving ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE as someone who sees it on a day to day basis. But again, that all appears to be lost on you, chump. So instead of maybe talking to me like a man/woman/other, and maybe getting some background, you decided to take a cheap shot. WOW, did that make you feel superior? ....wants me to lose my job.....what a LOSER!

A BATFU contract network engineer gets all defensive in a Red's thread over at Liberty Post.

Maybe this should be our next poll.

What would you rather do:
Boot the BATFE
or
Make sure rf396 can pay his bills?

Take all the time you need to think this through, now...

Camille Paglia on 2A

But as a libertarian, I read the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights as granting to private citizens the right to bear arms against the potential abuses of a government turned tyrannous. Furthermore, should police authority evaporate after a cataclysm of storm, flood, earthquake or terrorism, citizens have a right to defend their families and property against criminals and looters. If food and water are in short supply over a protracted period, expect predators and violence.

You almost get it. Not quite, but almost.

Perhaps "intellectuals" are teachable.

Why the Instant Background Check is a Bad Idea

Congress has legislation before it to expand the Instant Background Check, aka the Brady Law.

Rather than expand the program, it should be abolished.

I agree, Mr. Pratt.

Now what is your plan for making that happen?

"Majority rule democracy"? Lobbying? Writing more essays?

Do you think it is more likely that rollbacks will happen all at once or in steps? You guys at GOA dismiss BIDS and I understand your reasons completely, and cannot argue with the purity of your position. But what I'm not seeing is an alternative.

I'm not trying to be a pain with this, I'm serious and sincere. You're the national gun rights leaders. Lead me.

Not Gun-Related, But...

Do you think Al Sharpton will demand that Halle Berry gets fired?

50-50

Brown County Sheriff Dennis Kocken didn't have to write himself a ticket. But he says it was the right thing to do.

"As sheriff, I'm held to the highest standard in law enforcement. How can I hold officers accountable if I don't hold myself accountable?" he said. "I'm satisfied I'm doing the right thing."

So far so good. He's not an "Only One."

Or is he?

Brown County Sheriff Dennis Kocken said he is not opposed to the concept of citizen conceal carry, but said there are problems with the bill as written.

"Most of the sheriffs in Wisconsin are against the law as it's currently proposed," Kocken said. "The main reason is the legislators drafting the thing have refused to talk to any of the sheriffs or chiefs and get their opinion as to what they think.

"I'm not opposed to it, but let's do it right," Kocken said. "As it's proposed, we haven't gotten it right."

Kocken pointed to access to information about who has a permit — beyond owners of vehicles — and how that information is disseminated. Kocken said he is not a fan of keeping permit holders' names secret.

"Why can't it be a public record?" Kocken said.

Sorry, Sheriff. The scales just don't balance out.

[Via Jeff]

Wayne Fincher Update: April 11

Per Wayne Fincher's daughter:

They have set dad's sentencing date for June 22, 2007 at 10:00. That's all I know at this time.

This Day in History: April 11

A letter from General Putnam, at New York, of the 7, with sundry papers enclosed,also a letter from Captain Barry was presented to Congress, and read.

Guest Editorial--Hoplophobia: "Crazy Is As Crazy Does."

FOREWORD: The response to Mike Vanderboegh's last guest piece was remarkable. The guy can really write. At the risk of putting myself out of business by showcasing more of his work, he's generously allowing me to post this new essay, and tells me another is on the way!

Hoplophobia: "Crazy Is As Crazy Does."

Mike Vanderboegh

I have long believed that the country I grew up in has in fact become two countries. These two countries, both of whom claim to be the United States of America, are divided along the fault lines of respect for life (abortion), liberty (taxes and guns), morality (Hollywood ethics and gay marriage) and even truth (”the meaning of is”). Reflecting this dichotomy is the language that each side uses to describe the other. Liberals are especially adept at using terminology to demonize their opponents: "religious fanatics" and "gun nuts" to name just two. I have been called both of these pejoratives countless times over the years, and yet I always resisted calling gun control advocates anything other than foolish or misdirected. I really do despise ad hominem attacks, having been on the receiving end of quite a few. So I never questioned a gun grabber's mental state with name-calling until recently, when I realized that nothing else quite described their behavior like "hoplophobe."

"Hoplophobia" comes from from the Greek hoplon, or weapon, and is a term coined by the great Colonel Jeff Cooper in 1962. As described in Wikipedia:

"(Cooper's) intent was to satirically use a clinical term to bring public recognition of the irrational fear of firearms and other forms of weaponry such as knives or explosives. He stated that 'the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user'. Hoplophobia is deemed to be a cultural side effect of those who engage in the primordial human belief systems that anthropologists refer to as 'animism', or the belief that inanimate objects can hold spirits that can affect human actions."

How else, other than hoplophobia, can you explain this recent Washington Times story by Valerie Richardson out of Littleton, Colorado with the headline "Community at odds over fallen hero's statue"?

"A planned statue depicting a local hero, a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan, has drawn opposition from some parents, who say the image and location are inappropriate for children. A bronze sculpture of Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz Jr. showing him cradling his rifle across his chest is scheduled to be unveiled July 4 at Berry Park here, where he grew up and attended school. The statue was modeled after a photo of the young serviceman.. . .Petty Officer Dietz, 25, was awarded the Navy Cross, the service's second-highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor, for fighting off an ambush by insurgents in Afghanistan despite being mortally wounded. His actions were credited with helping a fellow Navy SEAL escape."

Seems straightforward, right? A hometown hero has a statue erected in his memory so that his sacrifice will not be forgotten by those he made it for. Ah, but enter the hoplophobes:

"But a group of parents wants the city to recast the statue or place it elsewhere, arguing that the site, near three elementary schools and two parks, is a hub for young children who could find the weapon disturbing."

Disturbing? DISTURBING?

"'While our hearts go out to the family of this brave young man, we have serious concerns regarding the graphic and violent detail the statue portrays,' stated a flier distributed recently in a nearby neighborhood. 'As a community, we cannot allow the many young children in this area to be exposed to a larger than life-size grenade-launching machine gun,' the flier stated."

Of course, the story continues,

"members of Petty Officer Dietz's family and others have defended the memorial, saying there's a clear distinction between a rifle used in combat to defend the United States and a firearm used in other contexts. But critics have said the image of an automatic rifle is particularly inappropriate given the memorial's proximity to Columbine High School. The high school, located a few miles from the park, was the site of the 1999 massacre in which two suicidal teenage gunmen killed 12 students and a teacher. 'In light of our community's experience with the Columbine tragedy, and the clear message of nonviolence that we teach in Littleton schools, what is our city thinking?' the flier stated."

The real question is "What are these morons smoking"? But of course it is not marijuana, it is merely the latest manifestation of hoplophobia. If I may paraphrase that famous Alabama philosopher, Mrs. Gump: "Crazy is as crazy does." What shall we do now, sanitize all the statues to our war dead? Shall we redo the Minuteman statue, replacing his musket with a pitchfork? Are you sure that's not too violent a substitute? I mean, pitchforks can kill folks too. How about an Iwo Jima memorial without M1 rifles? You know, sort of like the amiable Marines just hopped a tourist liner to visit Japanese territory and then decided to raise an American flag while the hospitable Imperial Army looked on in smiling approval. While were at it, we can reshape their helmets into construction site hardhats so as to make the whole thing less militaristic. And why don't we spruce up all those Civil War memorials by removing their muskets and replacing them with bouquets of daisies?

To my mind, objecting to a sculpture of a hero which includes the weapon he used in defense of his country just because two pimple-faced neoNazi wannabes who couldn't get dates used weapons (albeit entirely different in type and capability) to carry out a massacre in the "no guns allowed" criminal free fire zone of the local high school makes about as much sense as a militant lesbian objecting to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile driving through a local grocery store's parking lot because it reminds her of a phallus. I mean, are we talking two different countries here, or entire alternate universes?

It's like the friend of mine who lived in California and got tired of all the "War Is NOT the Answer" peacenik bumper stickers he saw on his daily commute. He came up with an alternative sticker of his own which read: "If you think war is not the answer, it's because you don't understand the frigging question."

Dr. Sarah Thompson, in her 2000 article "Raging Against Self Defense: A Psychiatrist Examines The Anti-Gun Mentality", disagrees with Cooper's blanket terminology. Describing an acquaintance who is afraid of his neighbors owning guns because he is afraid they will shoot him, the scrupulously scientific Thompson posits:

"This is an example of what mental health professionals call projection – unconsciously projecting one's own unacceptable feelings onto other people, so that one doesn't have to own them. In some cases, the intolerable feelings are projected not onto a person, but onto an inanimate object, such as a gun, so that the projector believes the gun itself will murder him. Projection is a defense mechanism. Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological mechanisms that protect us from feelings that we cannot consciously accept. They operate without our awareness, so that we don't have to deal consciously with 'forbidden' feelings and impulses. Thus, if you asked my e-mail correspondent if he really wanted to murder his neighbors, he would vehemently deny it, and insist that other people want to kill him. . . "

"Defense mechanisms are also frequently combined, so that an anti-gun person may use several defense mechanisms simultaneously. For example, my unfortunate correspondent uses projection to create a world in which all his neighbors want to murder him. As a result, he becomes more angry and fearful, and needs to employ even more defense mechanisms to cope. So he uses projection to attribute his own rage to others, he uses denial that there is any danger to protect himself from a world where he believes he is helpless and everyone wants to murder him, and he uses reaction formation to try to control everyone else's life because his own is so horribly out of control."

"Also, it's important to remember that not all anti-gun beliefs are the result of defense mechanisms. Some people suffer from gun phobia, an excessive and completely irrational fear of firearms, usually caused by the anti-gun conditioning they've been subjected to by the media, politicians, so-called 'educators,' and others. In some cases, gun phobia is caused by an authentic bad experience associated with a firearm. But with all due respect to Col. Jeff Cooper, who coined the term 'hoplophobia' to describe anti-gun people, most anti-gun people do not have true phobias. Interestingly, a person with a true phobia of guns realizes his fear is excessive or unreasonable, something most anti-gun folks will never admit."

(Dr. Thompson's article can be found in its entirety at: http://www.jpfo.org/ragingagainstselfdefense.htm).

So who's right-- the great Jeff Cooper, Dr. Thompson or both? Even after reading Dr. Thompson's article, I'm not entirely certain. But I do know this for sure: this country and all her people, including the hoplophobic nitwit housewives of Littleton, Colorado, owe their freedom from before the Founding up through today to brave men with scary guns like Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz Jr.

And I'll tell you something else I know for sure. In the practical, common sense corner of the universe that I inhabit, and in my own modest opinion, regardless of where such loonies get their fear of firearms and whether it's treatable or not, I know this with absolute certainty: THESE PEOPLE ARE NUTS!

Mike Vanderboegh
PO Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126
GeorgeMason1776ATaol.com

We're the Only Ones...ENOUGH Already...

WarOnGuns correspondent Vinnie puts the "cop" into "cornucopia" with a virtual glut of "Only Ones" vignettes. Now we get to see if I can spontaneously come up with suitably corny headlines for this unanticipated barrage:

We're the Only Ones Appraising Enough

A Prince George's County police officer is charged with assault after police say he pulled a gun on a real estate appraiser who came to the officer's house by mistake.

We're the Only Ones "America's Bloodiest Home Videos" Enough

"The one cop came punched me in my mouth then they threw me on the floor. After they were done smashing the camera then they hit me with the night stick," Rodriguez said.

We're the Only Ones Putting Out the Hits Enough

A Suffolk county jury has convicted a 22-year-old New York police academy recruit of conspiracy to commit murder for trying to hire a hit man to kill his girlfriend.

We're the Only Ones Anxious to Get on With Our Lives and Work Enough

A municipal court judge charged with pointing a pistol at two others has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.

We're the Only Ones Dealing Enough

A Wallace police officer was jailed on drug charges after an investigation that began last summer, authorities said.

We're the Only Ones Who Keep Going and Going Enough

A Chicago police officer has been charged with domestic battery and stripped of her police powers, officials said.

We're the Only Ones Discharging Enough

She is charged with one count of discharging a firearm in an occupied building, a four-year felony, one count of felonious assault, a four-year felony, and felony firearms, a two-year felony.

We're the Only Ones Dipping Into the Spa Enough

Another New Orleans police officer charged in a robbery at the Bangkok Spa has pleaded guilty.

We're the Only Ones Walking the Walk Enough

35-year-old Paul Cetinski told a judge he was tasered repeatedly, without warning, after allegedly jay-walking in the downtown area.

We're the Only Ones Overlapping Enough

A Cuyahoga County grand jury today indicted a Cleveland police officer on a charge of theft in office based on allegations he collected on-duty pay while working off-duty as a security guard.

I'm sure glad these people were all considered more trustworthy to bear arms than I am.

I need a drink. And it's not even 6:00 AM. And I don't really drink all that much.

The Shape of Things to Come

We may have seen it all before in science-fiction films. But the bionic warrior is in fact a vision of real-life warfare in the 21st century. U.S. defence chiefs hope to have their troops kitted out in the outlandish combat gear as soon as 2020.

Included in the Pentagon's Future Warrior Concept are a powerful exoskeleton, a self-camouflaging outer layer that adapts to changing environments and a helmet which translates a soldier's voice into any foreign language.

The future soldier will also benefit from 'intelligent' armour, which remains light and flexible until it senses an approaching bullet, then tenses to become bulletproof.

As I've asked before, any bets on whether or not this technology will be withheld from the Citizen Militia? Or will the only authorized "civilian" applications be for dynamic entry SWAT teams?

[Via John Schaefer]

IKEA: Affordable Solutions for a Better Police State

I need the following:

A. Include a request to have as many people as possible call 650 853 3160 and ask to speak to the sergeant on duty. Get as much info as you can about the program and the details.

B. Get people to start calling Ikea in East Palo Alto and find out why they are allowing this to go on.

C. Get this information out to as many other 2A groups as possible.

Many thanks,

Mark Towber
President
Golden State 2nd Amendment Council

Gee, and I was just thinking the other day about how much I needed a pressboard shelving unit that would warp and deform if you put anything on it.

[Via Benjamin S and Gerhard P]

The Oven Control Debate

Households With Ovens vs. Households Without Ovens: What's the big deal, anyway??? Here are the straight facts ...

Jason Kirk gives us an inside look at these appliances of death, which, if flung from a trebuchet, would be capable of bringing down an airliner! There oughtta be a law...

In all seriousness, and I use this factoid when confronted by ninnies who wish to ban fireworks, you're over four times more likely to be injured by your cooking range/oven...

This Day in History: April 10

But now that I am fifteen, my thoughts are quite different and I see my friend Dr. Franklin in a different light. He is no longer just a clever, clever boy who always manages to get his way, but a man who repeatedly rebels against authority when he believes authority is wrong. He rebelled at great risk against his brother James, his master at the time...

But this time, I fear, he is going too far.

I found this fictional "diary" of William Temple Franklin at the Independence Hall Association website.

Red's Under Fire: WarOnGuns Interviews Ryan Horsley

NOTE: INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON APRIL 9. THREAD NOW CLOSED FROM FURTHER QUESTIONS. YOU CAN ASK 'EM, BUT RYAN WON'T BE AROUND TO ANSWER.

WarOnGuns has been reporting on the ongoing BATFE actions against Red's Trading Post in Twin Falls, ID, since we became aware of this story. I contacted Red's Marketing Director Ryan Horsley and he agreed to answer some questions about his plight, and also provided me with this brief bio to introduce himself to us:

Ryan Horsley is the fourth generation at Red's Trading Post "Idaho's Oldest Gun Shop" which was started in 1936 by his Great Grandfather. Horsley serves as Chairman of the Twin Falls Planning and Zoning Commission, President of the Twin Falls Downtown Business District, Board of Directors for the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce, Public Relations Chairman for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve and was appointed to the Selective Service Board by then Idaho Governor and Current Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. He has brought Red's Trading Post from a local pawn shop to a thriving online specialty firearms store that has increased nearly 600% since Horsley's arrival. Ryan and his wife Miah have 3 small children.

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DC: Tell me about Red's.

RH: Red's Trading Post was started by my Great Grandfather Lowell "Red" Kinney in 1936. We became at the time one of the biggest gun shops in Idaho for awhile. We are located in the heart of Twin Falls in a 95 year old building. In recent years the majority of our business is online. We specialize in consignments and specialty firearms.

DC: So what happened? And have you had you had these problems before?

RH: We were audited in 2000 and there were some minor errors found, that was when I just took over the role of manager. We were then audited again in 2001 and found in full compliance. In 2005 we were audited again and the agent found minor paperwork errors and other minor items. Yet we were told by the ATF Agent conducting the investigation that we were one of the "best small gun shops he had inspected". I was not worried because these were small items that could be rectified, most of the items that had been brought to our attention were items that other Agents never mentioned to us. He explained that each Agent looks for something different. The inspector went through about 10,000 forms, we have a success rate of 99.6%. Yet the ATF has to prove that these violations are WILLFUL, willful is a word that Reagan and Congress put in the wording to protect dealers but the ATF is now saying that if you were written up on violations in the past and then again...it is willful. I was stunned to say the least when we found that they were going to revoke our license.

DC: Aside from some paperwork glitches, what damage has been done?

RH: There were no missing guns, all of our sales were to legal buyers, there was nothing shady. The most severe violation that the ATF is touting is one in which a local retired Doctor came in to pick up a special order shotgun. My clerk called him in and had him fill out the paperwork. When my clerk turned around he grabbed the paperwork probably assuming that it was his. When it was discovered the ATF agent contacted his widow and verified that it was completed and that it was called in. Yet they have labeled this WILLFUL as well.

DC: What's the current status of your case? Does your lawyer think talking publicly about it could be used against you?

RH: We are currently in the process of seeking and injunction to allow us to acquire firearms. The ATF pulled a different tactic on us and said that through the Federal Court process we could no longer acquire any new firearms, we could only sell off our remaining inventory. I have kept quiet on several things which drives me nuts because I have always been open and upfront on everything. So that is why I try and focus on what is happening to our industry as a whole rather than our own personal case but that tends to turn into the focus sometime. People wonder who this can happen to an honest established dealer located in Idaho which is the most Republican state in the Union where our Senior Senator also sits on the Board of Directors for the NRA. Yet it proves if it can happen to us then it could happen to anyone.

DC: There are those in the gun community commenting on forums who aren't all that sympathetic to your plight-they basically say you had a job to do keeping complete records and your failure to do that brought your troubles on yourself. How do you respond to that?

RH: It is really easy to cast stones, I used to do it. I would hear of some dealer who had their license revoked and would assume that it was something really bad. I saw this happening to the individuals who had FFL's but really did not feel compelled to speak up. Just like the poem:

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. Pastor Martin Niemöller.

We need to stand up for each other, we cannot allow them to tear us apart. There are so many other dealers who are hiding their head because most times in the court of Public Opinion we are found guilty. We need to stand up for one another and come to each others aid and not just throw our fellow dealers to the wolves.

DC: You say the BATFE is shutting down gun dealers, and imply that is part of an agenda. What makes you think that?

RH: Shooting Sports Retailer Magazine just reported that from 2001 to 2006, revocations have gone up nearly 6 times. The VPC reported that "the Number of Gun Dealers in U.S. Drops Almost 80 Percent—From 245,628 to 54,902—Since 1994 till 2005". That is why Congress put together the ATF Reform Act of 2006 which received bipartisan support in the House, but was ultimately held up in the Senate by Dianne Feinstein. Gun Manufacturers, Distributors, the NRA and other organizations are aware of this. Dealers are either having to fight this in Federal Court or if they cannot afford it they just close shop. We are easy targets. The startling fact is that the ATF's funding is increasing, yet FFL dealers are rapidly declining.

DC: Tell us about your petition, and what you hope to accomplish with it. Are you satisfied with the response?

RH: The petition is twofold, it is to educate gun owners to what is happening and it is also to be sent out to Congress. I have had some organizations ask if they can use it as well. I feel the response is OK but could be much better, there are some excellent comments on it.

DC: We reported on the commercials you produced. Are they being shown anywhere besides the Internet? What difference do you expect them to make?

RH: They are on our web site www.redstradingpost.com and are available to anyone to download as well. Some supporters have posted them on YouTube. I think they are a great tool to get Gun Owners attention, I am hoping people will contact their Congressional Delegates and show support to reform the ATF. Gun Dealers are becoming an endangered species.

DC: Does anyone from BATFE seem inclined to give you a break, or does it look like they're intent on destroying Red's? And do you think going public like this will make them more or less inclined to show lenience?

RH: It is all coming from the top, they cannot let you win, they have an unlimited amount of resources and it is a costly fight. When it became clear that they were not going to let up that is when I had to make a decision to go public about this. Honestly what is the worst thing that they can do to me...revoke my license? I have been told by others who have won in court that to expect more attacks. So I have to press on because the only true victory is to reform the ATF or severely cut their budget.

DC: Who in the pro-gun community has stepped forward to help you, either through publicity, with legal aid, etc.?

RH: ATFABUSE.com has been great with being very vocal, hitting the gun forums. JPFO has been wonderful as well and has requested pictures of our store for their upcoming video "The Gang", the NRA posted an ILA report on their website. Several small grass roots organizations have been great but the larger organizations are silent. One which we are a member of has ignored us and will not answer our e-mails. I have had individuals and other dealers step forward to offer funds for our legal defense but I have declined. This issue is not about Red's Trading Post and I do not want people to think that I am doing this for my own personal gain or to receive money, sympathy or empathy. This campaign is for all dealers and for gun owners, to protect our industry.

DC: Have customers, suppliers, and those who know you in the business community come forth with testimonials? Would they be helpful? Are you soliciting them, or do you have plans to?

RH: I have not sought any testimonials but I have asked them to speak out. Where we are in Federal Court, our case is up to the Judge. So it would not do much good at this point. Speaking out for us is a moot point but you can speak out for other dealers and against these attacks.

DC: What is the best outcome you can hope for, and what do you think your chances are of achieving it?

RH: We are confident that we will win this case and recoup attorney fees. But the best outcome is for reform because they will be back if we win or will just set their sights on another dealer. Reform, Cutting their budget or join JPFO's campaign to "Boot the BATFE". We have to be responsible taxpayers as well. If we saw our local Police department spending the majority of their time issuing tickets for littering and jaywalking when there is real crime being committed then we would be outraged. Why are we not outraged when we see the ATF spending the majority of their time going after honest gun dealers for petty violations when there are real criminals out there?

DC: What would you ask of people reading this interview? What do you want them to do?

RH: Stand behind your dealers, Contact your Senators and Congressman, do not let this continue to happen. This is your chance to fight back. Politically we are moving in an uncertain future, we have the ability to turn the tide against what seems to be a barrage of attacks from the new assault weapons ban, Bloomberg straw purchase entrapments, ATF shutting down dealers and so many that are happening at statewide levels. Our guard is down right now and this industry is taking shots left and right. This takes individuals, this takes men and women we have reached a point where we cannot compromise. Get involved and stand up!

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

Now it's time for you to ask questions. Ryan has agreed to check in from time to time today and see what you have posted for him to answer in the "Comments" section, below.

Please follow these very simple ground rules:

Stay on topic.

Keep questions brief and to the point.

Ask a question, don't write an essay.

Politeness, please.

Your willing cooperation with these expectations of conduct will help provide an enjoyable and informative experience for all, and will be appreciated.

UPDATE: Ryan tells me he's been asked to appear on Cam Edwards' program some time today. Hopefully he can give us the details so we can all listen in.

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON APRIL 9. THREAD NOW CLOSED FROM FURTHER QUESTIONS. YOU CAN ASK 'EM, BUT RYAN WON'T BE AROUND TO ANSWER.

"Non-Lethal"

The unidentified airman suffered second-degree burns during an evaluation of a non-lethal heat-ray gun this week in South Georgia.

How long would he have to cook before someone admits the potential for lethality?

I saw this device tested on "Future Weapons," a program that shows us all what is withheld from the Citizen Militia by the standing army. Some time back, I wrote "Things to Come," an analysis of weapons developments, for GUNS AND AMMO Magazine, where I concluded:

It's been said that a battle isn't won until a man with a rifle occupies the ground. We must keep in mind that someone probably once said the same thing about spears.

DC Appeals Parker

Attorneys for the D-C government are expected to file an appeal tomorrow against a federal appeals court ruling that overturned the district's strict ban on guns.

Mayor Adrian Fenty has said the city will appeal the decision. Attorneys plan to petition for the case to be reheard by the full U-S Court of Appeals for the D-C Circuit.

This is getting interesting...

Romney "Bogus"?

He'd lie to us about guns to trick "sportsmen" into voting for him?

I'm shocked.

This Day in History: April 9

Sir: I take the Liberty of transmitting you a Copy of a paper, addressed to me by Lieut. Col. Walcot of your Army, which came inclosed in a Letter from Lieut. General Lord Cornwallis. It is with peculiar regret, I am constrained to observe, that this illiberal performance of Col. Walcott, is obviously calculated, to answer a less generous purpose than that of merely effecting an exchange, contains a gross misrepresentation of Facts, and is a palpable deviation from that delicate line, which I expected would mark his conduct, as a Man of Candor and ingenuity.

New WarOnGuns Poll: Does Congressional Action Jeopardize Parker?

The principle lawyer behind the Parker lawsuit contends that recent actions in Congress to overturn Washington DC's gun ban endanger their case, and further speculates that this is a desired outcome for some in the gun rights movement. This week's poll, in the left margin, asks what you think.

Here are the results of last week's poll (click on picture to enlarge):

We're the Only Ones Searching Everyone Enough

Then the cops came. They ordered everyone off the steps and onto the ground. They shouted and pointed guns. They handcuffed some people and searched everyone. A 24-year-old mother had to leave her 8-month-old daughter on the porch.

Two hours later, the residents knew police had been looking for a gun they never found.

And we'd do it again. Because we're "The Only Ones" who are supposed to have guns.

[Via Declan]

If You Have a Story...

If you have a story of self-defense involving the aid of a gun and would like to tell it to 20/20, please fill out the form below. A "20/20" producer may contact you.

Here's MY story:
[Via Bob L]

We're the Only Ones Child-Abandoning Enough

A northeast Baltimore mother said she's angry and frustrated after her 12-year-old child was left alone to sit on a curb while police arrested her father and took him to central booking.

That'll teach him to have his name mistakenly placed on an arrest warrant!

[Via Tavis]

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

This Day in History: April 8

Let me beseech you to use every possible means to collect your men together, and not suffer some to be in one place, some in another; and let me also entreat you, to charge your Recruiting Officers in explicit, and positive terms to be exceedingly attentive to that duty, as idleness and dissipation will not meet with the smallest countenance. Your other officers are to attend the Regiment closely and not suffer'd under various excuses, to be idling their time away in Philadelphia or elsewhere.

No New Posts Until Sunday Night

I'll get to emails then, too, so please be patient if you don't get an immediate reply.

Everyone have a blessed Easter. If you must be on the Internet, feel free to browse around here for archived stuff you might have missed, or head on over to the left margin and go explore one of the many fine sites on my primary blogroll.