Spitting on the Memory

[Foreword: Mike Vanderboegh has written an open letter.]

To: Rep. John Rogers
re: HB600 & spitting on the memory of the Deacons for Defense & Justice

Dear Rep. Rogers,

I note with interest that you are a co-sponsor of Patricia Todd's HB 600, requiring, among other things, the registration of all semi-automatic firearms in the state of Alabama. Now I know that this bill has about as much chance of passage as the Devil handing out Perrier-filled side-by-side refrigerators with ice makers to the denizens of Hell.

Still, for the purpose of satisfying my curiosity if nothing else, can you possibly explain to me why YOU have signed onto this unconstitutional folly? I mean, Todd, I understand. She's a white liberal and therefore, as a typical representative of her species, quite clueless. But you're African American. Are you so unfamiliar with your own history? Have you never heard of the Deacons for Defense and Justice? What do you suppose they would say about registering the firearms they used to defend MLK, James Farmer and others against the Klan with the Klan-dominated government at the time?

Do you suppose that what you now understand as "benign government" will always remain on your side? To think so would be in spite of all logic and human experience.

The Founders understood that you should never pass a law that you weren't willing to see enforced by your own worst enemy. And private firearms registration is ALWAYS the precursor to confiscation, which is, in turn, the predicate for oppression and genocide.

So tell me, why on earth did you sign onto this bill? I'd like to know. And I'll bet there is another bunch of brave Americans who would like to know too. Somewhere, those Deacons for Defense and Justice who have crossed over to their reward are frowning at the spittle with which you have encrusted their sacrifice and struggle. What a great way to treat a precious inheritance. Shame on you.

Mike Vanderboegh
PO Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126

A Beautiful Thing

"Well, I would love it if they could take all the guns away. Unfortunately, you can't do that so you hope that good people in the world have them to protect the people who can't protect themselves," he says.

"Certainly, I haven't used a gun anywhere other than on a movie set and I'd like to see if we could take them all away. It would be a beautiful thing."

Of course it would be, Pokey Poke. Then apes with sticks could rule the planet.

Correspondent Red Dot brought up the Pokester's troubled past with an instructor at Front Sight, and was told "all the troubles Pokey Poke had experienced were while a juvenile and thus sealed and inapplicable. And the 'internet rumors' were wrong."

Not according to the Suffolk County Clerk's Office for Criminal Business:

Has Mr. Wahlberg's record been expunged?

The answer was "No, it is public record."

Was defendant Wahlberg sentenced as a juvenile or as an adult?

"He was tried as an adult."

I guess I'm going to need to start digging around again, and see if anything has changed since I spoke with them six years ago.

[Via 45superman]

This Day in History: April 27

The Riotous Behaviour of some Soldiers of the Continental Army, Yesterday, and the Evening before, has filled the General, with much Regret, and concern; and lays him under the disagreeable necessity of declaring, that if the like behaviour should be practiced again, the Authors will be brought to the severest punishment if taken, or treated as a common Enemy, if they dare to resist -- Men are not to carve out Remedies for themselves -- If they are injured in any respect, there are legal Modes to obtain relief; and just Complaints will always be attended to, and redressed. It should be the pride of a Soldier, to conduct himself in such a manner, as to obtain the Applause, and not the reproach of a people, he is sent to defend; and it should be the business, as it is the duty of an Officer to inculcate and enforce this doctrine.

Guest Editorial: Diligence Awards

[Foreword: Andy Barniskis' emails are invariably well-reasoned, instructive , challenging and engaging. He has given me permission to post the following.]

Diligence Awards
Andy Barniskis

House Bill 1029: This legislation would allow individuals with a valid Pennsylvania license to carry a firearm to purchase additional guns without the cumbersome, expensive and redundant requirements of subsequent background checks through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS).

Correspondent writes:

What can you really have against this? Opposing it sure makes you sound pretty anti-gun, yourself.

Andy responds:

I'll start with the practical and then move up to the philosophical.

Carry permits are fundamentally a means of establishing a gun OWNER registration system, which in my opinion is more dangerous than the firearms registration systems everyone [rightly] gets so hot and bothered about. Why worry if some percentage of your GUNS are registered, if YOU are registered as the type who owns guns? Do you suspect being a "registered owner" might supply "reasonable cause" for an otherwise random search, someday in the future?

Thanks to some of our Real Gunnie, reciprocity-maven compatriots here in Pennsylvania, we are already on the way to having a centralized, computerized, 24/7, JBT-accessible registration of CCW holders (which will record your name FOREVER, even if you give up your CCW tomorrow) instead of the decentralized, 67- county system of the past. As bad as the county-level system may have been, it at least provided some hope that 67 bureaucracies, most of them rural, would lose or confuse some records, and possibly destroy outdated records. We could hope that if freedom ever broke out and we got Vermont/Alaska Carry, at least some of those counties would destroy all of their past records. Wishful thinking, maybe, but not impossible. The centralized system is going to be hardwired to the FBI, BATF, and possibly even accessible by (e.g.) the Southern Poverty Law Center, if they can dream up a use for it. (And don't tell me "Oh, but that will be ILLEGAL. . .") Tell me ANYONE's record is EVER going to cease to exist!

But hang on, I'm still not addressing the specific issue.

This legislation will create an implied (initially) and required (later) legal linkage between the CCW system and the IBC systems. As I'm writing this, the NRA and Rep. McCarthy are conspiring to make YOUR medical and mental health records -- and how will those be defined in the future? -- readily accessible to NICS/PICS. Meaning they will logically become linked to the PA CCW granting system. So, when Sister Mary Katherine tells someone in her eighth grade class that a trip to the principal's office for acting out in class will go on their "permanent record," she may be telling more truth than she'll ever know.

Maybe I'm sensitive to it, because the last big lawsuit I filed against a public official, was against my county sheriff for trying to make a "doctors note," attesting to mental health, a part of the application requirements for a CCW. It was illegal under PA law, and I don't think I have to itemize all the ways it could have been (and probably was) abused before my suit put a stop to it. Now, I'm supposed to cheer because the same thing that I fought and won against at the county level, is going to be imposed on us via a 24/7 electronic system at the state/national level that WILL eventually be linked to NICS/PICS?

And by "pro-gun" people?

Moving on to the tactical/political level: I have never made a secret that for me the gold standard of individual gun rights is that we should not have to seek permission from The State to acquire, own, or carry a gun. Unfortunately, I'd say the majority of firearms hobbyists I encounter seem to regard holding a CCW as imbuing them with some special status as a "Real Gunnie," and (referring to outside Pennsylvania) the harder it is to get a CCW, the more CCW holders seem to hold themselves in high regard. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently listened to a national radio talk show, and the STRONGEST advocates for restricted access to carrying firearms were self- identified "certified firearms instructors!" These people, sad to say, are one of the strongest constituencies IN OPPOSITION to fundamental rights, and yet to a man they regard themselves as "pro-gun" -- they want you to have a gun, as long as you satisfy THEIR criteria for it.

Now, add to the mix that this legislation grants additional benefits for those holding a CCW; they can walk into a gun shop, flash their CCW, and wave off the background check, to the admiration of the kids and counter-loungers; "Gosh Elmer, that feller must have a LICENSE to do that! He must be a real Gun Guy, you betcha!"

Think that feller is going to be much of a constituent for losing his self esteem, via the abolition of CCWs, should the day come when the rest of us make that possible? It's hard to call legislation that serves hobbyists' convenience "anti-gun," but I'd suggest it is appropriate to call it "anti-rights" in its practical effects on the masses and their attitudes.

And last, I must wax poetic, with a true story that is nonetheless also allegorical:

My uncle was captured at Corregidor in 1942. Eventually he was taken to Japan, where he spent almost the entire war as a slave laborer in the Mitsubishi Shipyards, building ships (well, A ship) for the Japs.

The Japs would give "diligence awards" of extra food, cigarettes, and privileges to prisoners who did good work. According to my uncle, many was the time they beat the hell out of fellow prisoners who earned or accepted diligence awards. I once asked "How badly?" and he just grimaced and shook his head.

For most of the time they had no idea how the war was going. According to the Japs, Japan was winning. They never heard of the Battle of Midway or any of the island landings. The first positive hint they had was, the first time they saw a B-29 fly overhead at high altitude, probably in late 1943.

But they resisted. When the one ship they completed was launched, it rested in the harbor for a few minutes, then promptly sank. Welders like my uncle had laid cold welding rods and other debris in joints and welded over them. Under the first stresses the welds snapped, and the ship sank. They EXPECTED to be executed, en masse, but they weren't. The Japs had used Jap civilian labor on the ship, too, and with their bizarre sense of "honor," they could not punish the prisoners without punishing their countrymen the same way.

Nevertheless by war's end only eight of the 350+ men he had been captured with were left alive. Standing 6 feet tall, my uncle weighed less than 100 pounds when liberated. I've never asked him this -- I've never had to -- but with hindsight, wouldn't it have been better to accept "diligence awards," so that maybe a handful more would have survived? In the big picture, what difference would it have made if they had helped the Japs launch another cargo ship or two?

The idea of course was unthinkable, even during those long months when it appeared possible that the Japs WERE winning -- just as it appears now the anti-freedom forces in our own country have won, hands down, on some issues.

You of course see the analogy I'm making: I WILL not believe the war for true gun RIGHTS -- not privileges -- is lost. While the fight goes on, I WILL not countenance the acceptance -- much less the SEEKING -- of "diligence awards" from our enemies, in the form of special privileges granted in return for willing acceptance of our present state of subjugation.

--Andy

Freedom: It's for the Dogs

Claire Wolfe shows us how a humble doggie knows what many of us have seemingly forgotten.

What does that have to do with eliminating BATFU?

Follow the link and find out.

Magic Marker Challenge Prof Speaks

Speaking of college professors, M. Terry points me to some video clips related to a story we posted on the other day.

Sure is great the way diversity and tolerance are encouraged in our institutions of higher learning, ain't it? I mean, our kids are free to be Leninists or Trotskyites, or even jihadists.

America--that's why I love her!

Second Amendment Obsolete? Abolish it and Watch What Happens

Mike Vanderboegh has written an open letter in reply to a sheltered professor's ill-reasoned rant.

My Dear Jeffery,

You really ought not extrapolate from your own cowardice and impute your own weeniehood to the self-reliant citizens you seek to disarm. If you truly believe the 2nd Amendment is obsolete, then I suggest you and your friends abolish it and watch what happens. And do it quickly please, while I'm still young enough to fight in the civil war you start.

Just because you would cave to any government diktat does not mean we would. Indeed, I can just about guarantee that at least 10% of us gunowners are "cold dead hands" types, which means you'll have to kill upwards of 8.5 million of us to accomplish your goal. Remember, we're the ones with the guns, and we will not go gently into that good collectivist night.

Aren't you the least bit concerned that folks who are willing to die for their country might be willing to kill for it too? Certainly we would intend to sell ourselves as dearly as possible. And do you think that we would fail to include the people who urged the policy upon such an oppressive government? There are no free lunches, Jeffery. So please, be careful what you wish for, you may get it. But hey, if you feel lucky, go ahead and abolish the 2nd Amendment. You'll find out just how "obsolete" the Founders' concept of the citizen militia really is.

Mike Vanderboegh
PO Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126

Disclaimer: No weenie college professors were actually harmed in the creation of this email.

Gun Bans Don't Work

School massacres occur regardless of the law.

And sometimes they occur because of it.

Jennifer Freeman gives us another Liberty Belles exclusive.

Gun-Free Talk

[H]as the NRA changed it's position on "gun-free" schools? It seem incongruous to call for their end and, in the same breath, to urge support of an organization that has stood beside the antis in supporting legislation to create victim disarmament zones.

Good question, Alan! Great one, actually.

And the reply?

I don't agree with the NRA on everything, but I do know they are vital to our gun rights. I don't know what their policy is on gun free school zones.

Well, you do now, Mr. Gresham. Alan even gave you source references.

So can we count on your voice joining with those of us calling on NRA to end their inexplicably anti-human position?

Jerry Adler Wets Pants for Newsweek

Many ordinary citizens now have 9-millimeters for protection as well, which means, inevitably, that they get used to settle arguments between spouses or friends.

Right, and we know they're never used to save lives, right, Jerry? They're just too dangerous for "ordinary citizens," and we're so stupid and out of control, why, we'd just use them to "settle arguments." It's not like we possess anywhere near the awesome intellect, judgment and morality of, say, "The Only Ones" who do.

Being an "authorized journalist" and all, you'd tell us if there was another side to the story--wouldn't you? Because otherwise, that would make you just another lying shill for Brady Campaign propaganda who has cast all journalistic ethics to the side in favor of cushy writing gigs for a national magazine. I want to believe better of you, Jer.

Regardless, it's nice to see the 9mm has regained the crown for "weapon of choice." A while back, I was getting worried...

Anybody else notice--while the title is "Story of a Gun," the window tab says "The Weapon: A Day in the Life of a 9mm"?

"The Life"? I guess these must be those self-activating guns we're always hearing about on the news that just go off and kill and kill and kill again?

[Via HZ]

Johnston Home Invasion Officers Indicted

A grand jury has indicted three current and former police officers in the November shooting death of an elderly Atlanta woman during a police raid.

We've talked about the Kathryn Johnston outrage before here on WarOnGuns. It would be nice to think that justice will be done, but I'm suspending judgment. Besides, nothing will bring that poor soul back to life.

If I were optimistic, I'd hope this would be a catalyst for the American people to rethink when no-knock dynamic entries are truly justified--like, say, at Virginia Tech. You'll notice when it's just a little old lady, no one in body armor is hiding behind trees.

This Day in History: April 26

"Sybil Ludington rode horseback over this road the night of April 26, 1777 to call out Col. Ludington's regiment to repel the British at Danbury, Connecticut."

"Run Rights Rally"?

Black lawmakers are demanding a police investigation of a banner held at Tuesday's run rights rally in the state Capitol.

Zoinks! Did they pass out Scooby Snacks?

Notes to our side:

• It's "hanged."
• The Tree of Liberty has nothing to do with lynching, and it's certainly not "just a figure of speech."

Notes to Rep. Cruz:

• You truly are dangerously incompetent.
  
• I can't really disagree with Mr. Jefferson's "manure" analogy.

It May Not Be Enough?

Damon Wells and his home appear no longer safe.

The .40-caliber handgun that Wells carries legally for defense may not be enough to protect the 25-year-old man and his home in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

I should say, not, "reporter" Gabriel Baird. Don't you read your own newspaper?

Police took a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson firearm from Wells as evidence, the police report shows.

So now the poor guy's got a vengeful mob of thug apologists terrorizing him, and no way to protect himself.

It sounds like we as a society ought to miss young "Ace Boogie" as much as we will "Boonie."

A Chicago Story

Tom Mayhew sent me this picture of a different time altogether. This was Chicago! There were cops in the picture encouraging this--it was their idea!! And it was given favorable press in a California newspaper!!!

Today, tellers give up the cash just based on a note, without ever seeing a weapon. That's because so many banks are "No Gun Zones," and because so many among us have forgotten--or never knew--the responsibilities of free men and the way things are supposed to be.

"Good Citizens"

Holmgren said, "We're not saying that we want citizens to go out there and arm themselves and take the law into their own hands. We want citizens to be good witnesses, to be good report-takers and to identify suspects."

Defending yourself and your property is "taking the law into your own hands"?

We want citizens to be good Eloi.

Congratulations, Holmgren, you've left me with nothing to add.

[Via Cryptic Subterranean]

Department of Destroying History

Go over to Armed and Safe and read about the latest bit of BATFU stupidity and arrogance.

You just gotta shake your head and work for the day when these parasites will starve.

Good catch, Kurt. Good comments.

We're the Only Ones With the Right Hands Enough

Thieves broke into a Utah County Sheriff's vehicle early Tuesday morning in Lehi and stole two very dangerous assault weapons that authorities fear could be used in other crimes.

"We're very worried because we don't want any weapon getting into the hands of anybody in the public because, you are looking at a sawed off shotgun and an assault rifle," said Utah County Public Information Officer Dennis Harris as he looked at the damaged vehicle.

Left unsaid is why "peace officers" need what the antis continually describe as "weapons of war" and "killing machines." I woupldn't be surprised to find a "bullet hose" or two in there somewhere. But did you catch what Harris said? That's "anybody in the public," not just the thieves they provided this grand no-mental-health-or-criminal-background-check-required opportunity to.

Why?

In the right hands police said these weapons protect the public, but in the wrong hands they present a major threat.

And we all know "the right hands" are "Only Ones" hands.

[Via 45superman]

A Pro-Gun Neocon

By eliminating pistol purchase permits and allowing only those of us with a CCW to purchase a handgun, there will be no more guns sold legally to those with a history of mental problems who have not yet committed their first crime. And it should be some consolation to the gun control crowd that it takes about 90 days to obtain a CCW in North Carolina.

Good Lord. This is what Mike S. Adams considers a "rebuttal" to an anti-gun editorial?

[Via M. Terry]

Militia HQ Fire Declared Arson

Someone purposely set a fire that destroyed the office area of the Washington County Militia last week, County Fire Marshal John Jenkins said Tuesday.

Jenkins would not comment on what evidence led him to suspect arson at the structure southeast of Fayetteville. No other information will be released, he said.

Well, that was no surprise.

In a tangentially-related matter, Wayne Fincher's daughter has the following request:

Do you know where i can get a copy of the congressional hearings on the national firearms of 1934? Or the subcommittee hearings of the national firearms act of 1934? I'm trying to find a copy of it for my dad and I can't seem to find a copy of it.

They may only exist in an archive--information will be appreciated.

[Via Martin B and Connie F]

A Heavy Price

That lesson is this: if a suicide bomber walks into a crowded market in Iraq and blows himself up along with 32 innocent bystanders, it is terrorism. If the same thing happens in America, it is not. Americans — and by extension anyone in the country — enjoy a constitutional right to bear arms. However anachronistic this may seem to outsiders given that the days of frontiersmen and citizens’ militias are long past, there still remains a powerful lobby, funded by the weaponry manufacturers themselves, that defends what it claims is a fundamental right.

The Saudi Arabians lecture us on anachronisms. They say we'd be safer if we'd only disarm.

And no, a mass shooting is definitely terrorism, and some of us believe that hasn't gone unnoticed. My friend Russ Howard even has an ongoing bet that the next terror attack will exploit the very "gun free zones" this "editorialist" wants us to expand nationwide--anybody care to take him up on it?

[Via Bounty Hunter, via Little Green Footballs]

This Day in History: April 25

[Affidavit] No. 1.Lexington, April 25, 1775.

We, Solomon Brown, Jonathan Loring, and Elijah Sanderson, all of lawful Age, and of Lexington, in the County of Middlesex, and Collony of the Massachusett Bay, in New England, do testifie and declare, that on the evening of the Eighteenth of April, Instant, being on the Road between Concord and Lexington, and all of us mounted on Horses, we were, about ten of the Clock, suddenly surprized by nine Persons, whom we took to be Regular Officers, who Rode up to us, mounted and armed, each having a Pistol in His Hand, and after Putting Pistols to our Breasts, and seizing the Bridles of our Horses, they swore, that if we stirred another step, we should be all Dead Men, upon which we surrendered our selves. They Detained us until Two o'Clock the next morning, in which time they searched and greatly abused us; having first enquired about the Magazine at Concord, whether any Guards were posted there, and whether the bridges were up, and said four or five Regiments of Regulars would be in Possession of the stores soon; they then brought us back to Lexington, eat the Horses Bridles and Girts, turned them Loose, and then Left us.

We're the Only Ones Insulted Enough

Three female minority police officers claim they were insulted with the same language radio host Don Imus used. But they said the abuse came from fellow officers.

Would that make them "The Ho-nly Ones"?

"The System Failed"

One of Ms. Cleland's chief concerns, however, is what happens after the initial sale.

The same gun that she sells to a customer can be resold virtually without scrutiny and without a trace in five minutes, five days, or five years.

A private individual also can sell a handgun at the ever-popular gun shows around the state without paperwork or scrutiny. Federal firearms license holders and dealers at the same shows, however, do have to fill out the forms.

"It's a loophole. We do all this paperwork, but to me that is the big loophole. We're regulated to the teeth, but then we have this huge gray area where people just go out and sell them without keeping any records," Mrs. Cleland said. "It makes it look like we're controlling guns, but we're not. That's what we're dealing with, with the Virginia Tech thing. It's not the gun issue but that the system failed."

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here, Mrs. Cleland, that your statement was taken out of context, or you didn't mean what it sounds like you're saying.

Because if I thought for a minute you're endorsing for what it sounds like you're calling for, I'd be making some recommendations to my friends about where to shop...

[Via Nathan F]

Oppose the McCarthy/Dingell/NRA Gun Control Axis

On Friday, The Washington Post reported on the strange coalition. "With the Virginia Tech shootings resurrecting calls for tighter gun controls," the Post said, "the National Rifle Association has begun negotiations with senior Democrats over legislation to bolster the national background-check system."

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), who was once on the NRA Board of Directors but resigned when he supported and voted for the Clinton semi-auto ban in 1994, is reported to be "leading talks with the powerful gun lobby in hopes of producing a deal [soon]," Democratic aides and lawmakers told the newspaper.

Rep. McCarthy admitted to the Post that her "crusades" for more gun control have made her voice "toxic" in gun circles. "So Dingell is handling negotiations with the NRA," the newspaper reported. "Dingell is also in talks with Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (Wis.), the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee."

I was on my way out the door on Friday when I first heard about the "mental health background check" proposal. All I really had time to post was this:

Four days after the fact--when the whole country is furiously debating the impact of the Virginia tech shootings on the Second Amendment--there's still no leadership from our self-proclaimed leaders? All we get are plausibly deniable signals sent through seconds that they'd endorse an expansion of NICS if only there were some way to work around privacy protections?

It's hard to argue with the general public about background checks, particularly where mental health questions are involved. Deep-rooted prejudice and an inclination to discriminate is tough to overcome, and people are skeptical when you tell them the mentally ill are no more inclined toward violence than the general population.

Likewise, most of our countrymen are oblivious to the concept of enumerated Constitutional powers for the federal government. Perhaps National Rifle Control, Inc./The LaPierre Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence would be kind enough to show us the section of this document that authorizes their bright new idea for applying prior restraint.

So what am I arguing? Crazy people and psychopaths should be able to walk into the hardware store and walk out with a grenade launcher? Look, I've said this before, many times: Anyone who can't be trusted with a gun can't be trusted without a custodian.

Here's something else I've pointed out numerous times: If we are to believe official reports, the single biggest act of mass murder in our nation's history was committed with mail room tools. The second largest death toll was created with gardening chemicals. The third utilized about a buck's worth of gasoline.

And here's another concern that has been left unsaid in this bill, but you can bet your guns (and you will be if this thing passes) that those behind it will be back with Phase 2. After all, if it makes sense to keep people with questionable mental health backgrounds from buying guns, wouldn't it make even more sense to remove existing guns from their homes? And how will the government know who has guns, unless NICS has the capability to keep records if only the political will existed to do so?

And why stop with your mental health, or make allowances that we all have periods of tragedy and trauma in our lives that tax--and sometimes overcome--our ability to cope? How about if your spouse is being treated for depression, or your child has been diagnosed with "ADHD" by a school with a government grant money incentive to get him on Ritalin? How can we possibly allow dangerous guns to be brought into such households, and it follows, how can we allow existing guns to remain?

Also, will there be an "Only Ones" loophole? That may be a way to help stifle enthusiasm for this bill--start insisting on an amendment that gores their ox.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of cynical posturing I've come to expect from current NRA management. I don't know if a campaign to call or write them will make any difference--perhaps it will if you include a copy of a donation check made out to GOA.

The other thing to do is contact the Republicans named in the GOA release. I agree with activist Andy Barniskis, who suggests adding the following text to GOA's pre-written letter:

[Insert after 1st paragraph] I DO NOT AGREE WITH NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, WHICH HAS GIVEN ITS APPROVAL TO THIS TERRIBLE LEGISLATION.

[Insert as last paragraph] PLEASE DON'T BELIEVE THAT SUPPORT BY THE NRA WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT COVER FOR YOU IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS LEGISLATION. GUN OWNERS WILL NOT FORGET HOW YOU VOTE.

The Common Denominator

I scanned the above from the April 17 edition of The Daily Breeze, a newspaper in Southern California's South Bay. It summarizes school shootings over the past 40+ years.

Something about it strikes me as more than coincidental. It's as if all of these random acts in different locales spanning decades had some common thread, some shared factor, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

What could shootings at the University of Texas and Kent State University and Cal State Fullerton and the University of Iowa and San Diego State and the University of Arkansas and the Appalachian School of Law* and the University of Arizona and Shepherd University and Virginia Tech possibly have in common?

I feel like the answer is staring me in the face, like it's something obvious. Give me some time. It may come to me.

* I couldn't find a weapons policy for the Appalachian School of Law, but note that those reports which admitted students with firearms subdued the killer (most simply said they tackled him) said they had to run to their cars to retrieve them.

What's Up, Doc?

How come you took this post off your site?


I've been beating this drum for years, mostly to myself, it seems. Your reach is much longer than mine.

So what's the deal, Prof. Lott? It's the truth and it's relevant. Hell, it's more than relevant, it's giving sanction to evil laws that are killing--and will continue to kill--real people. Don't you think gun owners/NRA members deserve to know where the most influential name in "the gun lobby" stands on this issue?

It's your blog and you can post what you want, but I don't think we can be faulted if some of us are wondering what prompted you to remove it. I hope you reconsider--adding your voice to those asking LaPierre why his self-serving blowhard anti-defense posturing is worth anyone's life seems a legitimate pursuit.

Take the Magic Marker Challenge

Winset said he gave students a disclaimer before he started his Virginia Tech re-enactment, which involved him pointing a Magic Marker at students and saying, “Pow.” He then had another student shoot him with an imaginary gun to make the point that Cho could have been stopped by another student with a firearm.

Good thing he didn't try this with an Airsoft pistol--there would have been mass intestinal evacuations from the administration.

He sounds like the type of educator students would actually learn something useful from. No wonder they had to can him.

[Via ChareltonHest]

Project Exile's Miracle in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A bloody, bullet-filled weekend left 11 people dead across the city, where drugs and disrespect have trumped brotherly love and the murder rate is on pace to be the highest in a decade.

C'mon, criminals. NRA dares you to carry a gun.

This business of teaming up with anti-gun politicians to promote gun control sure works wonders, doesn't it?

This Day in History: April 24

To THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY OF NEW YORK New York, April 24, 1776.

Gentn: It being necessary, that I should know the number of Troops to compose the Army here, I must request the favor of your Honble. body, to inform me, how many Regiments are raising in this Province for the Continental Service, by order of Congress, and what their state is, as to Men and Arms. From the Accounts I have had, I have reason to fear there is a great dificiency in the latter...

Just.One.Person.

Three fairly small words. One massively important concept.

Joe's Crabby Shack pegs it: You're either a sovereign individual with the imagination and courage to act independently or you're just a part of the herd. This is really what it all distills into. This is what "liberty" means, and it's why the "collective rights" revisionists are so wrong.

Go read this post and decide what you'd like to do today, tomorrow, and in the days to follow to make a difference for freedom as Just. One. Person.

New WarOnGuns Poll: Would You Carry on a "No Guns" Campus?

The new poll is over in the left margin. What would you do if you had to be on a school or college campus where guns are forbidden?

The results of last week's poll are presented below (click on image to enlarge). It was actually going neck-and-neck until some new traffic started coming to the site, so I guess that means WarOnGuns frequenters are a tad more radical than most gun activists, which gives me cause for hope.

O Happy Dagger!

Nicki has some words of disbelief over Yale University banning stage props that look like weapons from campus theatrical productions. This should make for some interesting Shakespeare, as evidenced by these "before and after" representations of his Roman tragedy, Coriolanus.










I wonder if Betty Trachtenberg realizes what an idiot this makes her look like? Probably not.

Flatlanders, by definition, are oblivious to the existence of other dimensions.

Meanwhile, Back in Romania...

I was just interviewed by Adevărul, a national Romanian newspaper (I guess they noticed my Romanian last name in the NYT article?). They wanted my perspective on the post-Virginia Tech gun debate for their readers. The reporters' deadline is Wednesday, so I ought to have something to link to later this week, along with a Google Translator page.

"Adevărul" means "the truth," so let's all have high hopes and higher expectations, the paper's history notwithstanding.

Bullet Chart

The New York Times can't seem to find room to discuss Virginia Tech's disarmament policies killing defenseless students and faculty, but they have no trouble coming up with a slick graphic showing Americans "killed by guns."

There's so much that could be said about this misleading illustration, but I'll leave that to the statisticians, and to you in the "Comments" section, who I'm sure will have no problem spotting flaws with this presentation method.

I do wonder (Not!) why, if they're focusing part of their graphic on suicide, they don't have a special breakout for a demographic with a much higher rate than the general populace...

[Via Declan]

An Only Ones in Love Trifecta

We're the Only Ones Chatty Enough

Authorities say an Ocala police veteran was charged with trying to solicit a 14-year-old girl over the Internet and sending her offensive material.

The burning question--if she'd gone out with him, would he have bought her a Happy Meal or a Big Kids Meal?

[Via Wm H]

We're the Only Ones Digital Enough

While en route to the police station, Torres began a sexually frank discussion with the woman, the charging papers state. Torres allegedly took the woman to a Federal Way weigh station and parked his patrol car. He told her he had previously had sex there with other women he had arrested and then proceeded to fondle her breasts and raped her with his finger, according to the charging papers.

I've heard of fingering a suspect, but this is ridiculous.

We're the Only Ones Getting a Grip Enough

The two women said they hesitatingly complied, and performed oral sex on their male companions for about 15 minutes, police reported...The 25-year-old said she asked to step out of the vehicle to urinate. The officer allegedly shined a flashlight on her as she did so and she said she noticed he was masturbating.

And here he was thinking he'd get off easy...

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

What's This "Our"?

"A near-death experience does focus the mind. We need to get rid of our guns."

"Our guns"? You have already made it clear you don't and won't arm yourself in your own defense. Please do not think you have any right to make that decision on my behalf for me.

John Hardin shows Tom Plate for the intellectually dishonest and immature victim and wannabe victimizer that he is.

Burned

As flames rose from the roof of the Washington County militia headquarters on Friday, witnesses reported hearing rounds of ammunition sporadically being fired...

The blaze comes just two months before the sentencing date for Hollis Wayne Fincher, who founded the militia headquarters in 1994...

Jenkins didn’t say whether Friday’s fire was related to Fincher’s arrest, but said he was looking at a number of possibilities.

“I was on the radio this morning, and we received a call from one of our regular callers, and he told me and the listening audience that the building had burned,” said Don Bright, a local resident known as a regular contributor to talk radio shows. “There’s speculation that it might be someone trying to make a point, but I don’t want to make too many projections.”

We'll keep our eye on this, of course.

Getting Out the Word About Knife Rights

That is the lesson to be learned from this. We are defenseless because we are not organized. The Antis know this and they will try to do the same here as they have done in Britain and elsewhere, take away your right to carry even a simple pocket knife, given half a chance.

Doug Ritter talks about attending the NRA Annual Meeting and updates us on his organization's progress.

Second Amendment Carnival XI

Providing the best 2nd Amendment coverage the blogosphere has to offer.

Stan posted this on Saturday, but I was away for the weekend. But you can still attend his carnival--he assures me latecomers are welcome.

This Day in History: April 23

The Provincial Congress in Massachusetts orders 13,600 American soldiers to be mobilized. Colonial volunteers from all over New England assemble and head for Boston, then establish camps around the city and begin a year long siege of British-held Boston.

Awaiting Your Response

Do you still feel the same way about your policy now, Mr. Hincker? Will your faith in that policy provide comfort to any of the victims' families?

How about it, Larry? The first time around, you ridiculed Mr. Wiles' pleas with words like "mind-boggling...out-of-touch" and "inane."

I'm sure your dismissal of his latest letter will be equally contemptuous and witty.

Take the Airsoft Challenge

There's a lot of debate going on right now about what the results of the Virginia Tech massacre might have been had just one targeted student been armed.

Here's a way we can approximate real world results: Stage an Airsoft mass shooting.

Gather around 20 friends or so. Pick a room to conduct the test. Everyone should have protective gear. One person should act as recorder/tally keeper, off-limits to the action.

One person will act as the shooter. He will enter the room where everyone else is seated in simulation of a classroom setting. He will block the only exit and begin shooting. In order to be faithful to the Virginia Tech scenario, no one will fight back. You can run, you can duck and cover, you can play dead, you can plead, you can pray, but you can't counterattack. Feel free to add to the pandemonium, though. If hit, raise your hand and remain in place.

What were the results?

Now we're going to repeat the test, but this time, one person in the room will have a concealed Airsoft pistol, and will draw and fire it at the shooter when they think they can. Again, to be faithful to real world conditions, this person should have practiced with the "weapon" beforehand to approximate the skill level of a trained and knowledgeable gun owner. And to keep things as realistic as possible, don't tell the shooter or anyone else this scenario is planned. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Let them get through one massacre, and then tell them you want to do it again to reconfirm the results of the first test--that way, the shooter will be just like Cho, or Harris or Klebold--he won't be expecting resistance from his prey--and the "victims" will likewise not have cause to react differently.

What were the results this time? If the person shooting back is hit, could he likely have continued firing? Note that this does not guarantee everyone will survive, or that there won't be collateral damage--what we're looking for is simply a difference in raw numbers of people shot. The recorder will call a halt to the action when the initial shooter is deemed stopped, and ask everyone to remain where they are and report if they've been hit and where.

Then we can up the ante. Pick a new shooter, again one who doesn't know there may be armed victims. Now add another concealed carrier in the classroom, or maybe a couple more--after all,those opposed to armed defense would have us believe the more people with guns, the worse such situations are likely to become--why not test that theory as well? As the number of concealed carriers goes up, what happens to the number of victims?

Feel free to come up with variations and rules of your own--this is just a rough idea at this stage. If anyone actually conducts these or similar tests, I'd be interested in hearing the results.

Disclaimer: If you do this, I'm not responsible for any consequences. Here's some information you may find useful, but I ain't vouching for it. It might not be a bad idea to let local "authorities" know about your intentions so you don't get mistaken for real shooters and shot. Even firing Airsoft equipment may be illegal in some jurisdictions/prohibited in some locations. You may want to get everyone to sign waivers, but that's not legal advice. Here's an online manual I found-- follow its suggestions at your own risk.

"The Gun Lobby Doesn't Disagree"

The gun lobby—typically opposed to any attempt to tighten federal gun controls—doesn't disagree. The National Rifle Association has decided to make no public comment about any aspect of the Virginia Tech tragedy, according to a spokesman. But a source close to the gun lobby (who asked not to be identified because of the organization’s sensitivities about making any political points related to the tragedy), pointed out that pro-gun lobbyists and groups like the NRA have long supported adding all relevant mental-health records to background check databases. "We have no problem as long as one is adjudicated mentally incompetent [in denying gun purchases] and we have no problem with mental health records being part of the NICS," the source said. "The problem is not with the gun community. The problem is with the medical community" that has traditionally opposed making such records available on privacy grounds.

That's it?

Four days after the fact--when the whole country is furiously debating the impact of the Virginia tech shootings on the Second Amendment--there's still no leadership from our self-proclaimed leaders? All we get are plausibly deniable signals sent through seconds that they'd endorse an expansion of NICS if only there were some way to work around privacy protections?

I'll repeat myself: anyone who can't be trusted with a gun can't be trusted without a custodian. But absent due process, you cannot deprive a citizen of his rights. That's one of the prices of a free and open society.

I expect the recognized leaders in promoting the Second Amendment to promote the Second Amendment. I expect them to lead us in demanding an end to victim disarmament zones. Are they so cynical to believe that fighting unbendingly for the truth and for liberty is indefensible? Are they really so afraid of the Bradys--who are currently out grubbing for massacre money--accusing them of "making political points"? Does anyone at Fairfax really believe that saying nothing will accomplish anything?

[Via Ryan H]

Thanks for the Three...Uh...Two Bills!

I wish I'd gotten a a screen shot of the original post. Still, someone forgot to delete "HB 2457" from the subhead. I guess by this latest incarnation, someone at HQ decided cheering on an "Only Ones Only" bill might be problematic?

[Via 45superman]

How to Deal with Workplace Violence at Virginia Tech

What to Do When Violence Occurs

• Try to stay calm. Raising your own voice may increase the anxiety of a potentially violent person.
• Speak slowly, softly, and clearly to reduce the momentum of the situation.
• Listen empathetically by really paying attention to what the person is saying. Let the person know that you will help them within your ability to do so or you will send for additional help.
• Do not agree using distorted statements or attempt to argue.
• Avoid defensive statements. This is not the time to place blame on the enraged person.
• Ask the belligerent person to leave the area and come back when they feel calmer.
• Ask questions to help regain control of the conversation.
• Ask uninvolved parties to leave the area if this can be done safely.
• Use the prearranged code word to alert your coworker(s) to call the Campus Police.
• Never challenge, try to bargain, or make promises you cannot keep.
• Describe the consequences of any violent behavior.
• Avoid challenging body language such as placing your hands on your hips, moving toward the person, or staring directly at them. If seated, remain in your chair and do not turn your back on the individual.
• Do not physically touch an outraged person, or try to force them to leave.
• Move away from any object, such as scissors or heavy objects that could be used as a weapon.
• Calmly ask the person to place any weapons in a neutral location while you continue to talk to them.
• Never attempt to disarm or accept a weapon from the person in question. Weapon retrieval should only be done by a police officer.

They forgot a few:

• Tell the attacker you have an STD.
• Vomit.
• Use a rat tail comb.
  

But under no circumstances use a weapon. That would be against the rules.

[Via J. Peel]

A Very Strong Proponent

I am a 36-year-old gun owner. I started target shooting at the age of 5 and hunting at the age of 14. At the age of 21 I joined the NRA and became am NRA certified shooting instructor and spent three years teaching shooting skills with the Boy Scouts of America. Not surprisingly, I am a very strong proponent of the right of Americans to own firearms. What some people do find surprising is that I am also a strong proponent of stricter gun laws in this country...

The only realistic solution is to enact strict federal laws that require background checks for the purchase of all firearms, to have mandatory waiting periods for purchasing firearms, to federally regulate ALL gun dealers in the country and to limit the number of guns that can be purchased by an individual during a given time period, such as per month or per year.

Nothing disgusts me more than gun owners for gun control. There's a term for such creatures...

[Via HZ]

Bridge Out Ahead

Absent some sort of federal "Missouri Compromise" where y'all agree to leave us alone and we agree to leave you alone, state by state, there really is nothing our two countries can negotiate about. We may share a past, we do not, cannot and WILL NOT share your intended anti-liberty collectivist future.

Mike Vanderboegh takes on Tommy Denton (again).

We're the Only Ones Minimizing a Lot More Losses Enough

SMERCONISH: Well, wait a minute. I think you`re speaking my language now when you say we need to arm the general public. Is your thought process that we`d be better served if more individuals, law abiding Americans, were carrying firearms so that they could take down whomever it is that perpetrated these acts?

BROWN: You bet, Michael. I`m one of those people. Yes, I do believe that.

SMERCONISH: OK, well, that makes two of us. And I imagine, Lieutenant Rogers, we may not get a beef out of you on that?

ROGERS: Well, the problem with that is, that, when the police, who are well trained to deal with these situation, enter into a dorm, who`s the shooter? Who`s the killer? Who`s the murderer?

You know, it`s an easy fix to say, well, let`s arm everyone. But we`ve got to be concerned about how many more lives could be lost. These police officers, and I agree with Pat, you know, they`re reacting to a tragic situation. But what they did, what these officers did this morning was no doubt minimize a lot more losses that could have been incurred by this suspect.

No doubt. "Only Ones" crouching behind trees while victims are being slaughtered works every time.

[Via Whose Paranoid]

Last Wish

Except it's time to stop wishing. It's time to start doing.

Before this happens.

[Via Declan]

Radio Rankin

Larry Rankin got some air time on The Colab Report , following a special appearance by Columbine survivor Crystal Woodman Miller. I didn't have time to listen to her segment, so I don't know if she came away from the experience with an appreciation for armed defense or not.

Click on "Download" for the April 19 show. Larry's segment starts a bit past half way through.

End the School Grounds Loophole

In a surprise move, a House panel voted Wednesday to repeal a state law that forbids the carrying of handguns on property and buildings owned by state, county and city governments - including parks and playgrounds.

"I think the recent Virginia disaster - or catastrophe or nightmare or whatever you want to call it - has woken up a lot of people to the need for having guns available to law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. "I hope that is what this vote reflects."

As amended, the legislation still wouldn't allow guns on school property, however.

Nicely done, Rep. Nicely. And brilliant amendment, Rep. Briley. But why not finish the job? Why do we leave the most obvious targets still vulnerable? Isn't it time to End the School Grounds Loophole? (Feel free to adopt this slogan.)

And why not challenge that idiot Janis Sontany to publicly demonstrate what she would do if a madman started shooting up the place while she was there? Why not challenge antis everywhere to do this? (Feel free to adopt this tactic.)

I notice from her website she's doing a "Tour for Life" for animals. I guess her constituents' lives aren't as important or sacred as cats'.

[Via Brian Puckett]

This Day in History: April 20

NEVER AGAIN

"Do You Know What a Barrel Shroud Is?"

Amazing. These people don't even know what it is they want to ban. And she's their "leader." What an incompetent fraud. In any other professional field, this would be considered malpractice.

From your legislation, Congressthing McCarthy, which you apparently neither read nor understood, but insisted on banning anyway:

`(36) Barrel Shroud- The term `barrel shroud' means a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel of a firearm so that the shroud protects the user of the firearm from heat generated by the barrel, but does not include a slide that encloses the barrel, and does not include an extension of the stock along the bottom of the barrel which does not encircle or substantially encircle the barrel.

[Via "Anonymous"]

A Media "Conservative"

The Second Amendment itself is debatable. But my position is the same as it was before this tragic week: I support a ban on all privately held handguns, period. In fact, I believe the manufacturing of handguns for private use should be outlawed.

That's the "liberal" position according to USA Today. What do the antis call that? "Reasonable gun control"?

Here's what they'd have us believe is the "conservative" counterpunch:

As for the assault-weapons ban, life went on for the 10 years that the ban was in place, so I'm not averse to reauthorizing it.

Neat trick by the "authorized journalists"--if you fall outside their parameters of a total ban on handguns and a total ban on semiautomatics, why you're an extremist!

Cal Thomas, you are a hollow fraud.

At least a fleeting mention of VTech's disarmament policy made it into in the "debate."

[Via 45superman]

The First Obligation

College officials in the U.S. are considering measures including better surveillance cameras and passes to improve security after the shooting at Virginia Tech University that left 33 people dead...

"We have been meeting all day; there's been endless discussion," Massachusetts Institute of Technology spokeswoman Patti Richards said in an interview. "The first obligation is to reassure the community that we hear people's fears and we're on the situation."

No, the first obligation is to not create a haven for psychopathic predators, you nitwits. You can have all the endless discussions in the world, and none of them will stop a deranged murderer.

But I guess it makes it seem like you're experts, and like you're doing something. But it's all an illusion, all for show. You people don't have a clue, and want to address everything but the obvious.

How reassuring is that?

Let's Pass the Ban--Before it's Too Late

Maniacs should not have easy access to hammers. We must have tool control.

Madame Nicki Knows All, Sees All

And I'm sure the armed criminals are appreciative of the General Assembly's actions as well. This will help them victimize their prey and give them a full college campus of disarmed targets.

Nicki Fellenzer said this about the death of the bill to provide for concealed carry on Virginia college campuses--in February 2006.

Believe it or not.

Eisner to Manipulate Public with Propaganda

So I think the solution is to get the public, in an emotional, story-driven way, behind the goal of an abolition of handguns and automatic weapons.

Coming from a guy who made money selling illegal toy guns, that's pretty hypocritical.

He comes right out and admits he never shared values with middle America while he was social imagineering Disney, and that he compromised his principles to keep his job.

The Best Tyranny Money Can Buy

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a coalition of 214 mayors are using the Virginia Tech massacre to pressure Congress to give local cops the information they need to trace illegal guns used in crimes.

CBS 2 has also learned that they're also launching a TV ad campaign starting Sunday...

The ads are funded by Bloomberg, who said he will personally spend whatever it takes to stop a bill that would allow the feds to withhold crucial information on illegal guns needed by local cops.

"In terms of how much money to spend I don't know," Bloomberg said. "The last time I was on a campaign I spent $85 million."

Well, he spent $70 milliion to buy the mayor's seat--that's some campaign finance reform in NYC, eh?

And the thing is, having a comparable war chest wouldn't be enough--not that any rich pro-2A champion will ride to the rescue, and not, heaven forbid--that gun owners will ever chip in to launch a pro-gun media campaign of their own. No, even if such an effort existed, it still would pale compared to the free media exposure the citizen disarmament camp get every day via bias, ignorance, omission and outright lies by the establishment press.

So Bloomberg will use his millions to put on a propaganda blitz aimed at a mass audience the experts are, well, experts at manipulating. He'll demand what this idiot "authorized journalist" Marcia Kramer brainlessly parrots: "Give local cops the information they need." And the mayor is not above exploiting the Virginia Tech murders to convince people this is so--even if the police somehow managed to "trace" those guns without having a national gun owner registry, which is really what he's after (and which some friends of mine have figured out how to stymie, but their idea is getting even less support than the COA ad campaign).

Yeah, I'm sure "The Only Ones" need a lot of things that would make their jobs easier, if only that pesky Bill of Rights didn't get in the way.

Butchers With Immaculate Hands

These butchers with immaculate hands are, to my mind, just as guilty as the shooter. They are the enablers of mass murder, by setting up a huge "free fire kill zone" where any criminal KNOWS IN ADVANCE he's not at risk; where anyone who has the temerity to try to obtain the legal means to protect himself or others is prosecuted as if he is the criminal. In today's body count do we see today the inevitable fruits of the insanity of gun control.

Mike Vanderboegh has some thought on shared culpability for the Virginia Tech massacre.

Fox Quotes Alphecca

"(The Republican candidates) must appeal to folks like me to get my vote. I don't expect them to be calling for further gun control," said Jeff Soyer, who runs www.Alphecca.com, a Web log popular with supporters of the Second Amendment guarantee for individuals to bear arms.

"Simply put," Soyer said, "there is no law that could be enacted that would have prevented this tragedy. You can't legislate against insanity.

It's nice to see deserving bloggers gain access to a mass audience. Here's Jeff's take.

This Day in History: April 19

NEVER AGAIN

2005
2006

Rekindling an Issue

Some commentators who oppose what they see as unconstitutional limits on gun ownership said they feared gun control advocates would successfully use the Virginia tragedy to bolster their position, especially with Democrats’ new power in Washington. “We see calls for gun control but we may not see as much empathy for calls for armed self-defense,” said David Codrea, a blogger and a columnist for Guns Magazine.

Pretty tepid stuff. I'd settle for just kindling the issue in the first place. As I alluded to yesterday, I contacted major papers and networks with the following questions:

Why don’t you consider the fact that Virginia Tech policy prohibits firearms on campus—even for concealed weapon permit holders—important enough to inform your readers and viewers?

Why do I read, watch and listen in vain to find any reference to a bill that never made it out of committee that would have changed that? Why did Virginia Tech Associate VP of University Relations Larry Hincker say the death of the bill that would have allowed adult students and faculty the means to defend themselves made him “happy”?

Why did Hincker pen an editorial reply on The Roanoake Times ridiculing the concept of peaceable people keeping and bearing arms on campus?

Why have your respective outlets been silent on these matters?

This is what I spent the brunt of my time discussing with reporter Leslie Eaton. What she quoted me on was an afterthought to a follow-up question. To her credit, I don't think the decision to cut the majority of our conversation came from her. She sent me a follow-up email, saying in part:

i'm afraid some of my reporting on the debate over carrying ban in virginia may not make this piece because i had to include a lot of political stuff from washington. i hope to try again tomorrow. but i used your thought about the dem. congress.

I hope she does try again, and at least one major outlet covers these important questions. Here's what I wrote back:

I...appreciate that you will try again. I just don't see how the editors can consider their obligation to their readers complete by omitting discussion of VTech's campus disarmament policy, the failed bill, and the hostile public statements of the university spokesman.

I suppose I ought to look at the bright side. I got ink in "The Paper of Record," they didn't misquote me, and most importantly, they spelled my name right.

UPDATE: I just got a copy of the paper and the article appears on page A19.

A Letter WorldNetDaily Didn't (Wouldn't?) Print

In response to "How to Prevent Next Massacre":

Aside from the usual suspects, there’s one big impediment to allowing students and faculty to keep and bear arms on campus that will surprise most WND readers: The NRA.

“[W]e believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools,” Association Executive Vice President and WND Books author (“Guns, Freedom and Terrorism”) Wayne LaPierre proclaimed in his address to members at the 1999 Annual Meeting. “That means no guns in America's schools, period ... with the rare exception of law enforcement officers or trained security personnel.”

But that was 8 years ago. Perhaps times have changed?

Current NRA president and new WND “On Target” columnist Sandy Froman suggested a possible shift shortly after the Minnesota school shootings in 2005, recommending “we need to look at all options.”

The following week, after a “clarification” to the press by LaPierre, Froman backed off, stating “The only people that ought to have firearms in the schools are law enforcement and trained security personnel.”

Will the massacre of the defenseless at Virginia Tech finally prompt LaPierre & Co. to admit that gun control laws don't work, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed anywhere? I don't know. Being a mere Life Member, they won't answer me. And while others in the gun rights community, from smaller groups to bloggers, are calling for the obvious, our cautious ostensible leaders "will not have further comment until all the facts are known."

Perhaps you, Mr. Farah, will have better luck eliciting an answer.

David Codrea

Then again, perhaps not.

33 Dead. Can We Have Some Money?

Aside from being demonstrably shameless liars, these mercenary bastards aren't above a little war profiteering while the iron is hot, are they?

The names of all the dead haven't even been released yet, and these information superhighway off ramp beggars already have their grubby, blood-soaked mitts out.

Mag Shortage?

Correspondent Andre C asks me if I've heard anything about all major wholesalers being sold out on Glock mags. Can anyone verify this, and if so, is there supposedly any connection to recent events?

We're the Only Ones Secret Enough

Two Secret Service officers were injured on Tuesday after a gun held by another Secret Service officer accidentally fired inside the White House gate...

The gun accidentally fired. That seems to happen a lot in "authorized journalist" reports. I'm sure no secret fingers were secretly on the secret trigger or anything...

[More from "The (Shhh...they're SECRET) Only Ones" files...]

[Via, in order: Matt M, Ron W, Andre C and Blogonomicon]

This Day in History: April 18

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

Take a moment and re-read this famous poem, preferably with a young person.