"Most Dangerous and Vile"

FOREWORD: I have not personally verified the following text. It was sent to me by correspondent "Don," who tells me "You need to go to the Arizona Room at the main library and ask for the book of the Arizona Constitutional Convention of 1910. See pgs 678,679....the minutes are all there."

The Records of the Arizona Constitutional Convention of 1910
Pages 678 and 679 Edited by: John S. Goff (C) The Supreme Court of Arizona

Mr. Chairman: Are there any objections or corrections to Section 32?

Mr. Baker: Mr. Chairman, I move to strike out all of Section 32. I never in all my life found it necessary to carry a six-shooter and I have passed through nearly all the scenes and experiences of this world and unsettled country. Carrying arms is dangerous. It is a very dangerous thing to oneself and to one's associates and should not be permitted under any circumstances. I have seen lives lost and innocent blood spilled just through the carrying of arms, concealed weapons under one's coat or shirt. It is most dangerous and vile; a practice that should never be permitted except in times of war and never in times of peace. Think of it; carrying a six-shooter or a knife or some other terrible arm of defense, and then in a moment of heated passion using that weapon. I do not believe in it and I move to strike out that section.

Mr.Webb: I second that motion for I agree with the gentleman from Maricopa that it is a pernicious thing and should not be included in this bill. I too, in all my experiences, have never seen the time when it was necessary to carry concealed weapons except in times of Indian troubles, and have had many and varied experiences, in cow camps. I have been in many places where some might deem it necessary to come armed, but I did not, nor do I believe it necessary to do so now. We are no longer a frontier country, and if we did not need arms in the early days of pioneering in this country, we do not now, and I second the motion.

Mr. Crutchfield: I move to amend by inserting after the word "impair" in line 9, page 7, the following words: "....but the legislature shall have the right to regulate the wearing of weapons to prevent crime."

Mr. Baker: That is all right and I second the motion.

Mr. Parsons: Mr. chairman, I move to amend by striking out all of Section 32 and substituting the following in lieu thereof:, "The people shall have the right to bear arms for their safety and defense, but the legislature shall regulate the exercise of this right by law."

Mr. Feeney: I second that motion.

Mr. Chairman: The question comes up on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Cochise, Mr. Parsons, to strike out Section 32 and insert in lieu thereof his amendment. Those in favor of this motion answer "aye", opposed "nay". The motion is lost. The question now comes up on the amendment offered by Mr. Crutchfield to insert after the word "impaired" in line 9, page 7, the following words: " but the legislature shall have the right to regulate the wearing of weapons to prevent crime." Those in favor of the amendment say "aye", those opposed "nay". The secretary will call the roll.

Roll Call showed: 22 "Ayes" 23 "Nays".

Mr. Chairman: The motion is lost, and Section 32 will stand approved as read unless there are other amendments. Are there any objections to Section 33?

[ 25 November, Evening ]

SECTION 32: The right of the individual citizens to bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.

[ Later renumbered: Article II, Section 26, Arizona Constitution ]

This Day in History: November 26

My opinion is, to draw our whole force together, take post and fortify Germantown, considering it as our Winter Quarters. When the works there are in a tolerable state of defence, I should be for taking our whole force (except one Brigade to guard the works) and proceed [struck: as] near the enemies lines, offering them battle, which, if they declined, would in the opinion of every national man, fully evince our superiority in point of strength. If they should come out, fight, and defeat us, we have a secure retreat and Winter Quarters.

Securing the Blessings of Liberty in Washington

Federal officials are routinely asking courts to order cellphone companies to furnish real-time tracking data so they can pinpoint the whereabouts of drug traffickers, fugitives and other criminal suspects, according to judges and industry lawyers.

In some cases, judges have granted the requests without requiring the government to demonstrate that there is probable cause to believe that a crime is taking place or that the inquiry will yield evidence of a crime.

Oh, now, come on. I'm sure they need this tool to help track Homegrown Terrorists.

[Via AvgJoe]

Securing the Blessings of Liberty in Houston

PULL!

[Via KABA Comments]

Burma Shave IX

Previous "Burma Shave" Signs:
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII

[For those not familiar with the Burma Shave roadside billboard campaign or the CCRA RKBA campaign]

Easy Access

FOREWORD: This little essay, which I wrote in 2001, has disappeared from other sites where it originally appeared, so I'm going to give it a home here at WarOnGuns:

Half a lifetime ago, my friend Howard's dad bought him a Stevens bolt-action, single-shot .22 with a Weaver 4X scope. By the time he was 13, his dad trusted him enough to take the gun by himself to the range in Santa Monica. The rest of the world didn't have a problem with it either.

Stevens rifle in hand, he and a friend walked down the street and boarded a bus, opening the action to show the driver that the gun wasn't loaded. After getting off at their stop, they walked another half-mile to the range. And they returned home the same way.

Fast-forward to the present. The place is Hawthorne, California, the scene, the 99 Cents Plus Mini Market. Two predatory teenagers have decided the store is a low-risk target, with vulnerable prey. This is the third robbery at the place in two months. It's not as if the cops are around. And when you're an easy mark, word spreads on the street.

Still, there is nothing like an overwhelming show of force, just to make sure your victims know who's in charge, and violent criminals always seem to understand this. To that end, one approaches a 62-year-old female clerk and sticks a gun to her head, a machine pistol according to the news accounts.

Another gun crime committed by troubled adolescents. Isn't this further proof that youth today have all too easy access to guns, and that if we don't do something about it, the senseless killings will continue?

Let's stop for a moment and examine the facts. In California, a juvenile cannot legally own a gun. He cannot legally handle one outside the supervision of an adult. He cannot legally carry a concealed weapon, nor can that weapon be loaded, even if carried openly, which he's not allowed to do. So at this point, we have several violations of state gun control laws, each enacted under the promise that it will help end this sort of thing. And, as automatic weapons have been regulated, licensed and taxed by the federal government since 1934, illegal possession of a machine pistol makes this a federal rap as well.

Like any of this matters to any but opportunistic politicians and those incapable of separating reason from emotion who elect them. Street hoodlums are smarter than that. They know they can get a gun any time they want. They laugh at anyone who thinks that another law is going to slow them down one bit, as if someone who would commit armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon by sticking a machine pistol to a 62-year-old woman's head would worry about the penalties for violating one of the 20,000-plus gun control laws already in place. No?

But let's return to the 99 Cents Plus store and see what harvest easy youth access to guns has reaped. There is a struggle. The woman's 12-year-old grandson grabs a hidden handgun and fires at one of the attackers, killing him and causing his accomplice to flee.

He has repelled two monsters, this brave youth, most certainly saving his grandmother, and probably himself, as murderers tend not to look upon witnesses with favor. He has stopped a violent crime from happening and assured that at least one sociopathic reptile will never again find human victims.

So where are the headlines: RESPONSIBLE ARMED YOUTH SAVES LIVES...? I mean, the press is supposed to be objective and unbiased, right?

Do you think the scenario may have played out differently had the wonks at Handgun Control, Inc., been heeded? What do you think the outcome would have been had the grandmother kept her gun unloaded, locked up and separated from its ammunition, or if she had installed a trigger lock? What about if her firearm was a personalized "smart gun" that no one but herself could fire? And had these "safety methods" resulted in the death of this valiant boy and his grandmother, would HCI have exploited this to call for yet more gun control?

Half a lifetime ago, a boy carrying a scoped rifle boarded the Santa Monica bus and no one gave it a second thought. There can be no doubt what the result would be if he tried the same thing today, in our climate of "easy youth access to guns."

Just a Gun

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration]

After one outdoors writer saw his career ruined when he said he saw no place for "black" rifles in hunting, this writer wanted to use such a rifle for hunting himself.

True, it ain't about hunting, but otherrwise, Dennis Anderson does a good job setting the record straight. About the only thing I'd add--and his readers should know about this--is how the term "assault weapon" was an intentionally deceptive term employed to exploit public ignorance. We all deserve to know when we're being lied to, and who those liars are.

We're the Only Ones "No Show" Enough

Despite a court order, a police detective has repeatedly failed to show up to give a deposition in a Brooklyn man’s lawsuit charging police brutality. Now the city says the detective has retired and cannot be found, an explanation that has failed to satisfy the judge overseeing the case...

The detective accused of beating Mr. Victor, Dwayne L. Chandler, has missed five appointments to give his own sworn account of the case.

All I can say, Mr. Victor, is you're lucky you didn't "lift a finger" against him.

D'ya think former "Only One" Chandler still carries a gun...?

[Via Peter R]

Let's Do a Warrrantless Gun Search on YOU, Jeanine

HZ sends us a link to Jeanine Pirro demonstrating how a Republican fascist can be just as loathsome (if not more) as those with "D's" after their names.

If she's so into warrantless searches, I have one for her--or hell--get a warrant--I insist:

"I have a .22, a .38 and a Mauser," she bragged to the annual New York Conservative Party conference in a shameless pandering session to lie about her record and whore for votes.

OK, Jeanine, since we the little people apparently have nothing to hide, where do you keep them? Because as we all know, your husband is a convicted felon, and he can't have access to firearms--which again, for we the little people generally means living in a place where they are present.

For someone who enthusiastically put convicted felons in prison over firearms possession violations, I'm wondering why the double standard, Jeanine--and how it is we ever got to the point where our ruling elites can flout laws they impose on the rest of us with impunity.

If New York law enforcement had a shred of integrity, they'd investigate and prosecute--they do in the poor community based on less reliable tips than a person's own words quoted in a major newspaper. And if this...woman had a shred of decency, she'd go crawl in a cave somewhere in shame instead of flaunting her status as exhibitionist for the police state.

Me and My 30'06

Joe Bethancourt punches little holes in pieces of paper in this offering from his "Naked Banjos" CD.

This Day in History: November 25

The British and Hessian forces were ordered to withdraw from New York on November 25, 1783. As the retreating armies relinquished control of northern Manhattan, the American army advanced toward the city at a respectable distance behind the Royalist army (about an hour apart). General Washington along with General George Clinton (who served as Governor of the State of New York from 1777 to 1795) marched to Manhattan through what is now Washington Heights and Inwood. While in the area, Washington and Clinton stopped at the Blue Bell Tavern, which was located at what is now 181st Street and Broadway. Both men were on their horses with the army passing in review as they marched southward to McGown’s Pass and lower Manhattan.

A Question of Priorities

"You see people come here from all walks of life," said booth owner, Gene Branson. "Some people even come a hundred miles to this show." [More]

If gun owners devoted a tenth of that effort and expense to actively championing the right to keep and bear arms, we would be an invincible political force. That most prefer to squabble like learning disabled children over such trivialities as being asked to send an email exemplifies why things are the way they are.

Years ago, before the Great Western Gun Show was forced out of California, I recall being especially bitter over how it could attract tens of thousands of gun owners--yet a counter-protest against the Million Moms preceded by announcements and appeals throughout the "activist" network, only drew a few hundred. And out of all Los Angeles, we'd be lucky to get 50 to show up at an NRA Members' Council meeting, and of those, maybe half a dozen-- of the same people all the time-- actually did any work.

I repeat: If gun owners would get off their lazy, apathetic butts and consistently and proactively devote time, effort and treasure to the cause, we would be invincible. It's easy to point the finger at politicians for attacking us, or NRA management for compromising, and I'm not saying that should stop, but put in perspective, politicians wouldn't betray us if they didn't dare--and compromises wouldn't be made if they weren't perceived as advantageous or necessary.

British Traditions Upheld

Police will be armed with powerful machine guns to guard cash deliveries against armed robbers in the run up to Christmas.

It's nice to know money is still valued more than the lives of mere subjects, who are forbidden to guard themselves.

Naivete

"Parents are so naive," Jiggetts said. "They have to understand that it's not OK to have guns in their houses unless they are locked."

Yeah, right.

I've managed to raise two children just fine, and so have millions of others. Point being, by the time a boy is 14, a household that practiced true "gun safety" would have produced a marksman capable of giving the old man a run for his money.

And by the way--who did the shotgun belong to? How the hell do you investigate the death of a child without determining that?

This may seem harsh--I can't imagine this woman's agony. But my natural sympathy is tempered by seeing her point her finger outward, and that does nothing but help empower those intent on placing mandates over the rest of us who had nothing to do with this.

It also provides fodder for "Authorized Journalists" like Luz Lazo and Julian Walker to appeal to the weak-minded among their readers with another agenda-driven sob story, so that even more reason-free, feelings-based edicts can be demanded.

We're the Only Ones Teaching Our Children Well Enough

A 5-year-old boy who was accidentally shot by his stepfather, a Venice police officer, was released from the hospital and was recovering at home on Friday.

Interesting past Masters has there, what with that prior "gun related incident" and all. I wonder what would have happened had you or I pointed at weapon at his "fellow officer"? I also wonder what child protective services would do if this involved a non-"Only One" family...?

Results are Results

"...I am not sure what to make of the senator’s comments, except to say results are results,” Katie Levinson said.

Uh, yes, Katie, that's the point exactly.

We're the Only Ones Having One for the Road Enough

A police officer charged with drunken driving in a car wreck that killed two men and injured a third was assigned to desk duty pending an internal investigation, a police spokesman said Friday.

I'm wondering if that misdemeanor charge isn't a little harsh--after all, he is an "Only One." But I do appreciate that the original police report was changed.

[Via SameNoKami]

Red's Report: 11/24/07

From Ryan Horsley:

I received an e-mail from Rick Celata the other day, explaining how the ATF refuses to return his property and how his legal bills are substantial:
http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2007/11/this-could-happen-to-you.html

...By the way our petition has broken 5,000 signatures:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?redstrad&1

I am sending off a link to all of our Senators, so they can see the need for change.

This Day in History: November 24

Information having been given that divers of the late sutlers, and some of the inhabitants have opened tippling houses within and adjacent to the encampment of the army, by which the design of banishing the Sutlers from the army is in a great measure frustrated. The Deputy Quarter Master General is required forthwith, to make diligent inquiry, and examination, for discovering such houses, and suppressing them, and to assure all who are driving this pernicious trade, that if continued any longer, their liquors shall be seized, and they expelled from the neighbourhood of the army, on pain of the severest punishment if they return.

Humankind Declared Cosmic Menace

Forget about the threat that mankind poses to the Earth: our activities may be shortening the life of the universe too.

The solution is obvious: we need to set up a system to allow physics labs to purchase quantum offset credits. From the government. That, and probably enact a universal lead ammo ban, too.

Y'know with this kind of absolute metaphysical crap being touted as science, I'm not overly concerned about establishment "wisdom" billing people like me a kook.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to open this container and see how Schrödinger's cat is doing.

For Once I'm Speechless

Today's mail came in, and included a hefty box from CCRKBA. Seems I was the April 2007 Gun Rights Defender of the Month for my expose resulting in the FAA issuing a correction in the Federal Register to their previous assertion that the Second Amendment is a collective right. This is the first I've heard of this, so I hope they don't think I'm an ingrate for not thanking them before now.

I must say this caught me flat-footed--I do recall corresponding with John M. Snyder a while back thinking he was going to mention something about my work in a write-up, and when I heard nothing more assumed it was one of those articles that never makes it past the idea stage. I'll also admit that I'm generally one to forego awards and banquets and all their trappings because there is work in the trenches to be done--that, and if I'd wanted to be popular, I'd be prattling on about Paris and Britney instead of ...ick!... gun rights.

But the plaque sure is nice (it matches my office/den decor perfectly),and their write-up is too, especially when you consider I've not been shy about disagreeing with CCRKBA in the past, and they're big enough to not hold that against me.

So thank you, Mr. Gottlieb and Mr. Snyder. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and generosity you have extended to a wild-eyed, intemperate troublemaker like me, and will do my best to continue being one.

Sorry, Wrong Number

TEENAGERS will have an anti-gun film beamed direct to their mobiles in a new bid to keep them the right side of the thin Bluetooth line.

Interesting that the MySpace poster is a 40-year-old single male who calls himself "Nemesis," and who is reaching out to young people. Interesting and a little creepy.

Me, I'm wondering if the dream sequence video game had been Super Mario instead of a first person shooter, would the thug have fantasized about jumping on top of the cops amidst cartoon background noises instead of shooting them? That and what is it with UK cops and racial assumptions? Every damned one of the first responders look like PCSO Steve, and the perps all look like, well...

Perhaps the warning at the end of the film clip would benefit from a minor edit:

Ann Woolner is a Bloomberg News Columnist

The opinions expressed are her own.

Master is pleased...

Paul Takes Second in AOL Poll

So naturally they feature supplemental information on all the other "major" candidates except him.

[Via M. Terry]

UPDATE: I see now he's tied for first with Rudy at 21%.

This Day in History: November 23

Sir: I am compelled by repeated Complaints of the Inhuman treatment still shewn to the unhappy Prisoners in your hands to call upon you for a clear and explicit answer to my Letter o ? the 14th instant. This I shall expect to receive by Monday Evening next. Their sufferings demand immediate redress, and unless, I obtain the most satisfactory Assurances on this Head, duty will constrain me to retaliate instantly, on the Prisoners in my possession. I am etc.

War is hell.

Thanksgiving Day, 2007

No original blogging today, although I am linking to WarOnGuns' traditional Thanksgiving post.

My prayer for you is that you have something to be thankful for. I know I sure do.

We're the Only Ones Dog Day Afternoon Enough

A Teton County, Idaho family is outraged after they say a sheriff's deputy tried to murder their dog in their own front yard.

I really hate to go into the Thanksgiving holiday with a story like this, but for God's sake, what the hell is wrong with these damned sheep meekly complying and leading their pet out for slaughter? And what the hell is the name of the thug "Only One" who did this?

Literally, he would have had to get through me first. Barring a completely undisclosed set of facts, if this story as told even loosely approximates the truth, lethal force to defend the pet would be morally, if not legally, justifiable.

Damn it, why do people put up with this Nazi crap in America?

RELATED: Vicious Dog Protocol

We're the Only Ones Not Licensing Enough

Mark P. Ragsdale, who shot and wounded a Shrewsbury police officer last year, has filed a civil suit seeking a new license to carry a firearm...

According to Shrewsbury police reports, Officers Rice and R. Ryan Chartrand were let into the home by a neighbor around 2:30 a.m. to investigate a burglar alarm. The officers were not aware Mr. Ragsdale was home when they entered. Mr. Ragsdale had told the alarm company he set off the alarm. The officers did not announce themselves when they entered the home.

A report by Detective Lt. Daniel G. Sklut said Mr. Ragsdale armed himself with a .380-caliber handgun when the alarm went off. “Mark Ragsdale stated that he could hear someone coming up the stairs toward his bedroom,” Lt. Sklut’s report said. “He stated that the hallway was in complete darkness and he saw a dark figure and discharged his firearm. He then heard someone yell “police.” Mark Ragsdale stated that he never said anything or challenged the figure, he just fired. When he heard someone yell “police” he immediately dropped the gun and went into a prone position.

So the chief won't give permission to carry a firearm now out of what, revenge? What's the problem here, aside from negligent private residence entry procedures on the part of law enforcement? It sounds like a training issue that points its finger back at his department more than anything else.

The fact that Ragsdale had been in a bar until the wee hours--reported here to make it sound like he's a morning drinker (and the report even stated he was only "moderately under the influence")--could apply to any number of Citizens, and even to "Only Ones," certainly known to congregate at "cop bars" when off duty (and sometimes when on).

There's so much innuendo and so little substance in this "report." There's no mistaking where the sympathies of the "Authorized Journalists" lie in this hit piece. And as for the former chief claiming there was enough evidence to bring charges, sorry, pal. The grand jury thought not, and the prosecutor declined to resubmit the case. That means Ragsdale's presumed innocent in the eyes of the law--you know, all those words that gave you an excuse to draw a salary for all those years.

It also sounds like everybody's going after Ragsdale due to chemical imbalance symptoms of diabetes that can be managed with insulin--it's easy for a disgruntled ex-employee to make charges of "violent mood swings," but one must ask: where's the actual violence? Were reports made? Were charges filed? If this stands, can it be used to deny self defense rights to all diabetics? Perhaps he can add an Americans With Disabilities complaint to his lawsuit...

And no, I'm not suddenly advocating licensing of rights. I just don't think the "authorities" ought to be able to abuse the law to reward or punish based on personal agendas, which is what I'm reading here, in spite of the best efforts of Scott J. Croteau and the "TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF" to mask it.

Technical Difficulties

A technical glitch delayed a mass e-mail to alert the University of New Hampshire to a reported gun incident on the Durham campus Sunday night, the university said Tuesday.

The alert should have gone out Monday evening, when campus police say they learned how serious the incident was, but wasn't transmitted until 8:22 a.m. Tuesday, the university and university police said.

Thank goodness there's a backup system in place, and one can always consult the UNH "Shooting Protocol." Let's see, stay calm, maintain eye contact, try to stall...consult a bunch of pastors and a rabbi, try to run...nope, nothing about returning fire.

Oh, here it is, section 26.1 on page 69. They say you can't.

Emulating Success

The Home Office is preparing to launch a nationwide communications strategy on gun crime, in what will be seen as the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s first attempt to demonstrate to the public how the Government is tackling the issue...

Insiders say the communications brief is still being discussed with advertising agencies, as the Home Office would like to emulate the success Metropolitan Police advertising campaigns have had as part of the Trident campaign.

Because as we've seen time and again, nothing stops a reptile in his tracks quite like a "communications strategy." And when predators are aprowl, nothing calms the cud-chewers down more than soothing noises from the herdsman .

We're the Only Ones All Fired Up Enough

A Capitol Police officer has been suspended in connection with the series of restroom fires that broke out in Senate office buildings over the past three months.

Maybe she was trying to flush out Larry Craig...?

[Via Mack]
[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

TV Does Heller

The Today Show, actually--they were reporting on yesterday's Supreme Court decision to hear Heller, and the anchorbabe presented the opposition's case to the effect that the Second Amendment is based on 18th Century conditions, as if that makes it no longer relevant, and as if that is sufficient grounds to pass disarmament edicts. I thought it significant, though, that the "Authorized Journalists" are already starting the spin to reframe the debate away from "collective rights," so if they lose, they'll have fixed the "no longer relevant" alternative in the consciousness of their viewers.

I also caught a few seconds of Wayne on CNN. I wish they would've asked him why NRA tried to "foul the waters" and, in light of that, if they think it's right that now they're getting so much of the media's attention.

Authorized Journalists Cheer "Gun Violence"

It's hard to talk over all the shooting, but Timothy Olyphant gives enough reasons to cheer on his Agent 47...

I guess maybe I'm being inconsistent. I just got done complaining about Brits wetting themselves over movie posters with guns, and now I'm upset about the Chicago Tribune/LA Times applauding a violent "gun movie."

It's just the hypocrisy of these damned chic socialists--they're all for glorifying assassins who slay without remorse, but the first to use their influence to demand the disarmament of Citizens who merely wish the means to defend themselves against sociopaths. Plus, speaking of posters, in every one I've seen so far, the idiot has his fingers on the triggers. But he's intended to look way cool doing it.

GRendell Vanquished!

Mad Troll Sent Howling Into Darkness Without (our) Arms [More]


But put down that cup of mead, brave Geats--there is no time to celebrate. For soon, we must face the monster's demon hag mother...


[Via Mindful Musings]

Our Eyes--They BURN!!!

Complaints about a set of film posters featuring actors brandishing guns have been upheld by advertising watchdogs...

[T]he ASA said the actor's expression was aggressive, and the posters could be seen to condone violence. It ordered that the two posters should not be displayed again.

Good grief--do these degenerate heirs of what was once a land of greatness have no shred of pride or dignity left?

This Day in History: November 21

Resolved, That a Declaration of Rights, asserting and securing from encroachment the great Principles of civil and religious Liberty, and the unalienable Rights of the People, together with Amendments to the most ambiguous and exceptional Parts of the said Constitution of Government, ought to be laid before Congress, and the Convention of the States that shall or may be called for the Purpose of Amending the said Constitution, for their consideration, previous to the Ratification of the Constitution aforesaid, on the part of the State of North Carolina.

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS...

That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well regulated militia composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural and safe defence of a free state. That standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to Liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided, as far as the circumstances and protection of the community will admit; and that in all cases, the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by the civil power.

It seems pretty clear what the North Carolinians thought they were signing into, and they seemed to have no problem whatsoever reconciling the separately declared individual nature of the right alongside the cooperative rationale for a militia.

Anyone who maintains this is not what the Founders understood the Second Amendment to mean is quite simply a damned liar. Let us hope that no more than four damned liars are currently seated on the Supreme Court.

SCOTUS TO HEAR HELLER

The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will decide whether the District of Columbia can ban handguns, a case that could produce the most in-depth examination of the constitutional right to "keep and bear arms" in nearly 70 Years.

Hang on to your hats.

More on the SGT Major

I have done my part for this nation for all of my life, and I, as well as my cousin, a United States Representative from Ca have served the Democratic Party for years. I know who I campaigned for in 2000 and 2004, becasue i was at the Dem HQ and was canvassing for Gore and for Kerry.

That certainly is not inconsistent with someone who supports IANSA's goals...

And Now, the Rest of the Story...

Phoenix police apprehended a robbery suspect who briefly held employees of a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic hostage early Monday morning.

From Featherless Biped, who sent me this story:

This is an establishment with a big NO FIREARMS sign at the entrance...

A Model of Restraint

There’s another very significant vulnerability that deserves mention: Restraining orders are commonly issued either through manipulative claims of fear or simply as a matter of course, meaning a man who owns guns may not have legal access to them throughout the duration of the order.

My two cents, added to this...

"Free!"

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will provide 500 free firearm safety kits to local residents...

This program was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office.

So they're not "free." The money used to buy them was plundered from productive Citizens. And, of course, "safety," when it comes to gun locks, is a relative concept dependent on time, place and circumstances...

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Newspeak. It isn't just for novels any more.

We're the Only Ones Represented Diversely Enough

London's Metropolitan Police has been forced to spend 15,000 pounds creating "ethnically diverse" mascots after complaints about a model deemed too white and too male, reports said Tuesday.

Met chief Sir Ian Blair ordered the new politically correct (PC) models after an Asian officer complained about PCSO Steve, the mascot produced to visit to schools to promote the police force.

Specifically critics said the fact that Steve was white, with blue eyes and blond hair, risked leaving Asian and women officers "isolated," said the Daily Telegraph.

I mean, it's not like they have the resources, ability or obligation to actually protect people, so why not spend money on mascots and posters and bus ads...?

In the interest of helping our "Only One" friends in the UK come up with racially diverse mascots, perhaps we could let them have some of the ones being discarded on this side of the pond by athletic teams that have caved in to political pressure over racial stereotypes. Or perhaps forgo human mascots altogether, PETA willing, and spread the good news of the police state using friendly animal characters like this or like this...

The Podium Pounder

Judging from Rendell's podium-pounding announcement of his plans last week, he's not going to say "pretty please" when calling for gun-violence reform.

"Podium-pounding"?

Like this...?



Or like this...?


Let's hope Pennsylvania gun owners have enough control over their legislators to tell this tinpot dictator to go pound sand.

It's All in the Grip

Hill's attorney, Earl Xaiz, argued in a motion that the felony count should be dismissed because the gun Hill sold was considered a shotgun, which can be legally sold to 18-year-olds. But federal law bans sales of shotguns with pistol grips to anyone younger than 21.

Because as we all know, the addition of a grip makes the firearm so much more powerful and deadly.

Counterstrike

Some of the dealers settled the suits and agreed to work with a court-appointed monitor, but the owner of the Summerville shop, Larry Mickalis, countersued, accusing Mr. Bloomberg and the city of conspiracy, fraud and libel, among other charges.

Meanwhile, BATFU is too busy harassing family businesses owned by dealers like Mr. Mickalis and Ryan Horsley to look into pursuing obvious and willful violations by Bloomberg and his James Mintz Group mercenary co-conspirators.

Red's Report for Nov. 20

Sullivan Weasel Words Findings
What? BATFU didn't revoke their license. We just harassed them into not renewing...

The BATFU of Yesteryear
Yep--they were corrupt megalomaniacal punks 12 years ago, too.

[More on Red's Trading Post from WarOnGuns]

Garden State Liberty Day Celebration Proposal

New Jersey may finally outlaw gun trafficking.

No doubt in celebration for being first to ratify the Bill of Rights...

This Day in History: November 20

On November 20, 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution—guaranteeing the fundamental rights and freedoms of all American citizens.

I guess they also pioneered First In, First Out...?

A Question for the Secretary of the Standing Army

I know I'm just a lowly member of the unorganized militia 'n all, but would someone please mind telling me just what in bloody freaking hell Command SGT Major Daniel Luke is doing posing on a world government-lobbying gungrabber site, in uniform, in blatant violation of Army Regulation 670–1, Uniforms and Insignia, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, Part One General Information and Responsibilities, Chapter 1 Introduction, 1–10. When the wear of the Army uniform is required or prohibited:

j. Wearing Army uniforms is prohibited in the following situations:
(1) In connection with the furtherance of any political or commercial interests, or when engaged in off-duty civilian employment

?

You guys are still under civilian authority, right? So why is one of your noncoms out there exploiting the uniform and insignias of service, and undermining the unalienable right of sovereign American Citizens, by appealing to international authorities to regulate arms in contravention of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights--especially after the representative designated by the Commander in Chief has specifically repudiated global gun control as the administration's official position?

Note: I tried to check up on Sgt. Luke on the off-chance that someone posted his picture on the IANSA site without his authorization, or God forbid, that he died in service and a relative posted it. There's not much out there, but as this is a violation regardless, the Army should investigate.

UPDATE: The name tag on the above photo looks like it says "Diaz," not "Luke." I have been able to find some search hits for a Command SGT Major Daniel Luke Diaz, and if this is the same person, some of the posts ostensibly made by him say he is retired. I have no idea if the Army has recourse in this--I'm not sure what authority they would have to do anything but request that IANSA remove the picture. Whether or not--assuming this is willful--they would have any ability to pursue this with a retired sergeant is a matter for people knowledgeable in such matters.
UPDATE 2: Here we go. Hey Sarge, did you post your picture on the Million Faces website or is somebody doing this without your consent?

UPDATE 3: The Army just arrived.

Trust Busters

Some organizers cited "security reasons" for the candidate's sudden withdrawal. An advertisement in a Sikh newspaper said the fund-raiser, which was also to have featured President Clinton as a guest, had been postponed "due to the advice of the Secret Service." Others involved said some of those planning the fund-raiser failed either the campaign's vetting process or a Secret Service review...

What "security reasons" could there be? Ah, here it is...

Many of the Sikh men carried ceremonial daggers, often hidden under their clothes. Some who led the parade brandished swords. However, participants said the ritual weapons did not justify Mrs. Clinton's absence.

A savvy candidate would now do a spontaneous photo op with a bunch of dagger-wielding Sikhs. And he'd also do one at a random gun range surrounded by a bunch of unvetted armed Americans, without a security man in sight. The message ought to be one of them trusting him, not the other way around.

Removing All Doubt

We need laws that will close the loopholes that existing laws have. I have three handguns in my home. I have been a member of the NRA. I learned gun safety from a gun enthusiast way back when. Guns used in the right way are one of our American privileges.

J.W. Pollard proves out the words of Lincoln better than anything I could possibly say.

Dashing Adam's Hopes

Shooting death suspect wanted as parole violator

Uncle arrested in shooting of 17-year-old Clevelander

So, Adam, it's been just over a week. How are all those hopes of yours working out so far...?

Either/Or

So I ventured to the gun club ready to get my lesson in self-defense.

I ended up discovering that knowing how to shoot a gun probably wouldn't help me fend off criminals.

Then I'd say you failed the class. Either that or it failed you.

We're the Only Ones Clean Enough

Authorities believe an off-duty Houston police officer was killed Sunday in a gun-cleaning accident at his home.

After decades of cleaning guns without ever coming close to a negligent discharge, I'm left wondering how something like this can happen by accident.

Oh, here's another account that explains it all: "[H]is gun accidentally fired."

So it was the gun's fault.

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

The Great New Orleans Gun Grab

The Great New Orleans Gun Grab (Louisiana Publishing Inc., $19.95 softcover) by Gordon Hutchinson and Todd Masson, is the story of how business owners and homeowners who decided stay behind and protect their property found themselves in conflict with civil authorities. They were all gun owners and were prepared to protect their property with deadly force. The police disarmed many of them and confiscated some of their guns.

What, you mean the ones who didn't desert or weren't out looting?

The Little Bang Theory of Violence

Certain parents disagree.

In a recent New Jersey Star-Ledger online survey, one grandparent responded to news of Zapper by writing, "Why don't they enclose an application to the NRA in every box as well? ... The marketing person who came up with this brainchild of an idea should be fired."

Good grief.

So much for wisdom coming with age. The senile, humorless old coot ought to relax and have a cookie.

Today

We're the Only Ones Cruella Deville Enough

Responding to a call about a barking dog in Weston, a Broward County sheriff's deputy fired two shots at an 11-year-old Dalmatian after it lunged at her, according to police reports.

Hey, if she shoots a hundred more, she can make a coat...

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

This Day in History: November 19

The Battle of Fort Lee was fought on November 19, 1776 between American and British forces. The British were led by Charles Cornwallis, while the Americans were led by Nathanael Greene.

Fort Lee was rendered defenseless after the defeat of Manhattan by advancing British soldiers. George Washington and Nathanael Greene ordered the evacuation of the fort on November 19, 1776, when 5,000 British troops ferried up the Hudson on barges. They landed near Closter, New Jersey. Washington quickly alerted the soldiers at Fort Lee, followed by a hasty retreat.

Burma Shave VIII

Previous "Burma Shave" Signs:
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII

[For those not familiar with the Burma Shave roadside billboard campaign or the CCRA RKBA campaign]

Baghdad, NV

It also is the gun-death state. According to the Center for Disease Control, since 2000, Nevada has led the nation with an average of 26 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people.

War-torn Iraq averaged 32 gun deaths per 100,000 people last year, according to the same study.

That certainly is presented in the most hysterical fashion imaginable. I also note that somehow, in all that fair and balanced "authorized journaling," we only see the cost side of the equation, and no benefits. Surely someone in the state was able to deter violence with a firearm--or is Nevada an anomaly, where nothing works the way it does everywhere else?

Here's the other thing--I'm not sure where his CDC figures are being pulled from, but the most current WISQARS data I could find linking from the CDC site was quite different:


Even taking suicides and legal interventions into account yielded an age-adjusted rate of 16.62 per 100,000, over 9 points below what this story is claiming.

I'm going to assume he's looking at a different report, but the CDC is keeping it pretty well hidden. If you go to their website, you'll see firearms aren't listed as one of their "Top 20" categories in the search utility (top right corner of main page). I also wandered around seemingly related pages dealing with violence and injury with no luck and even did a Google news search to see if there have been any recent press releases.

I'm not claiming it ain't right in front of my face as I stumble clumsily around it...

I'll email the reporter and ask for a link to his source.

UPDATE:

My email to the reporter:

Mr. Pridgen,

"According to the Center for Disease Control, since 2000, Nevada has led the nation with an average of 26 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people."

I couldn't find this on the CDC site, and WISQARS data tells a different story from 200-2004 and isn't updated beyond that.
[Inserted graphic from above]
Even accounting for suicides and law enforcement interventions only produced an age-adjusted rate of under 17/100,000. Could you please point me to where you got your information with a link to the data and findings?

Thank you,
David Codrea

His reply:

Hi David,

Thanks a bunch for your feedback. The CDC study we used was sent straight from the CDC office in Washington DC and Atlanta Ga- you can find them at cdc.gov or call them at 404-639-3534...

Their ‘07 numbers have not been released yet- but the stats we used were from June ‘05- June ‘07

...hope this helps- and yes, we do count in that number all deaths – homicide, manslaughter, suicide and accidental deaths- remember it’s ‘gun-related death’ period...

We hashed over the numbers and the story for months in the newsroom, but I understand where a reader interested in the subject (like yourself) may have needed a better breakdown of the numbers- so I appreciate your calling this to our attention...

-a

Stay tuned.

Zero Tolerance

The tactic, pioneered in the US, will warn youths that unless they stop tit-for-tat killings they will face a zero-tolerance crackdown.

You kids stop this right now. Don't make us get serious.

Good grief.

Just so we can measure this and have some sort of benchmark, if it's not at zero now, where is the tolerance level for killings?

Paging Sherlock Holmes

Effectiveness of D.C. gun ban still a mystery

Only to you highly trained investigative "Authorized Journalists," Paul Duggan, and police state enforcers like Linda Singer. To anyone with a brain or without an agenda, the solution is elementary.

Another NRA "A" Rated Candidate

Some facts that surprised me: between 80 and 100 million Americans own guns, NRA membership soared after the shootings at Columbine, and Bill Clinton received an "A" grade from the NRA.

Well, I guess I don't feel so bad about Bill Brown now...

Mannard/English Translator

If an adult does choose to bring a gun in a home where there are children, they should keep that gun unloaded and inaccessible.
Thomas Mannard
Executive Director
Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
Chicago

Translation: I want this 12-year-old and his grandmother to end up like these kids.

This Day in History: November 18

The garrison decided to defend it, and the defence fell to three thousand Pennsylvanians and Marylanders. Colonel Magaw, who had been placed in command, made a valiant stand but was compelled to surrender, November 18, 1776, and the three thousand men fell into the hands of the British. Washington had urged General Greene to abandon the place, but had left the decision to that officer, who decided to garrison and hold it. In so doing he was following the instructions of Congress. Washington now determined to abandon Fort Lee on the west side of the Hudson, but this decision was arrived at after five thousand British soldiers had scaled the Palisades and were ready to make a dash upon the fort.

The disheartenment of the patriotic army was complete.

We're the Only Ones Up to Our Old Tricks Enough

Prosecutors have charged an Orange County sheriff's deputy with detaining prostitutes and then sexually assaulting them in his patrol car.

And just think--had any of them been armed, "Only One" Rodriguez would have arrested them. That's a pretty neat trick in itself.

Guess Again

Musser’s proposal is going to cost money. Vendors who sell hunting licenses would need the ability to do background checks on those making the purchases.

But our guess is the citizens of Wisconsin would be willing to pay a little extra to make sure felons with a history of violence aren’t roaming the fields with loaded weapons during hunting season.

Let's see, criminals are breaking the law, so we need a new law, and we need to put the burden on everybody else. And God forbid criminals would break yet another law and just poach.

I don't know how hunting licenses are issued in Wisconsin and just don't have time now to slog through this, but my guess is they can be had at small general stores in remote little towns...? Somebody from there help me out here.

I don't see how a mom and pop operation would be equipped to deal with background checks, and this seems designed to drive a lot of them out of the process altogether. Of course, this could just be a ploy to drastically curtail hunting, which wouldn't surprise me a bit.

Note to hunters: If this doesn't convince you that gun owners of all stripes must join in opposing all infringements, you're simply not paying attention. You can't throw EBRs under the bus and expect it won't be your ox getting gored next.

The Winning Team

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office again bested eight other major police units in Western Visayas , in the enforcement of the Comelec gun ban during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 29, police records show.

I will not go for the cheap shot...
I will not go for the cheap shot...
I w...

‘Top Tory Twit’

WELSH MP David Davies said that being named as a “Top 10 Tory Twit” will not shake his faith in the suitability of Taser guns as household weapons.

Even a Taser is over the top for the UK intelligentsia. Gosh, if Davies is a twit, what kind of drooling moron must that make someone like me in the eyes of David Williamson?

Sad, really--all I ever wanted was the respect of snotty herbivores.

And Now, from the Cradle of Liberty...

Boston police are launching a program that will call upon parents in high-crime neighborhoods to allow detectives into their homes, without a warrant, to search for guns in their children's bedrooms.

The program, which is already raising questions about civil liberties, is based on the premise that parents are so fearful of gun violence and the possibility that their own teenagers will be caught up in it that they will turn to police for help, even in their own households.

No, it's based on the premise that livestock depends on handlers for every aspect of existence--from feeding time, to which pen to be ushered into...

Shhhh...

World record holding Xtreme Sport Shooter Patrick Flanigan fires 12 shells in just 1.442 seconds with the Winchester Super X3 Shotgun!

Don't anybody tell the Bradys or BATFU...

Watch the video--it really is cool.

[Via SameNoKami]

In His Scholarly Decision

In his scholarly decision, Gerstein adopts the view that the Second Amendment was enacted to protect of state militias from the federal government and not to declare the individual’s right to possess arms. With the disappearance of state militias, courts have generally held, the purpose of the Second Amendment is moot. Parker is "founded on a revisionist view of the Constitutional Convention, which view is far from generally accepted," said Gerstein.

More likely, Gernstein is just another in a long train of black-robed subversives bent on undermining the Natural Rights of his victims.

What is "generally accepted" today is very different than what was "generally accepted" by the Framers. Thanks in no small part to damage done over the years by despicable revisionists like Judge Gernstein.

One other thing this case illustrates is the folly of avoiding Second Amendment challenges by our "gun rights leaders." Anybody can claim a 2A defense. Is that the case we want moving forward, or would it best serve our interests to have one carefully crafted with all the resources and scholarship that can be mustered to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome?

[Via 1894C, via Alphecca]

Georgia On My Mind

Many Georgians assume that Georgia adopted its gun control laws for public safety reasons. They never stop to ask, why does Georgia ban carry at “public gatherings” generally when no other state does so, or why is Georgia one of only 12 states that requires a firearms license to carry a pistol openly? GCO Board member Mike Menkus asked these questions, and he then devoted months to researching the answers. Shocked by what he discovered, he decided to put them into a written form. The shocking title is stolen from an editorial title in the Atlanta newspaper, and GCO cannot help but observe that the Atlanta newspaper’s editorial stance on the right to bear arms seems not to have changed very much in the intervening century.

GCO issues special report called “DISARM THE NEGROES - The Racist Roots of Georgia’s Gun Laws”. This report documents the ugly history of Georgia’s gun laws. As the Atlanta Journal made clear in their paper, the intent of Georgia’s gun laws was to disarm the Negroes. After reading this report, you will have a clearer understanding of the advocates of gun control in Georgia.

Mike wants GCO members to know the truth behind Georgia’s restrictive gun laws. Read Mike’s report here.

Go. Read. Download and save for reference.

Great, great job. What a service Mike Menkus has done for us. Thank you, Mr. Menkus.

[Via Ed Stone]

"Privilege"

During this segment, the interviewer peppered Edwards with a series of questions asking if he considered each a right or a privilege. In response to the proposition of “owning a handgun,” and following a pregnant pause, came the former Senator’s one word answer: “privilege.”

The Breck Girl proves he's unfit for citizenship, let alone elected office.

See video here.

This Day in History: November 17

Congress submits the Articles of Confederation to the states for ratification.

Looking for a Few Good Thugs: WOG's BATFU Recruiting Presentation

What with Ryan presenting BATFU personnel recruiting videos, and not wanting to be left out, WarOnGuns has prepared the following public service message in the hopes of assisting the agency in finding the right kind of employees to best exemplify its mission.

UPDATE: For some reason this gets cut off in Firefox, so it needs to be viewed using IE. No idea why--will ask Toufee tech support. I'm also told you can double-click on the Toufee icon and view this at their site.

Making Flash is easy with Toufee!

[Thanks for the slogan and music suggestion, Sean! I was originally going to go with Die Wacht am Rhein, but Panzerlied really is the most appropriate background score.]

We're the Only Ones Keeping Abreast of Things Enough

Thanks for the mammaries (sorry). This really is instructive as to institutionalized arrogance (sorry again).

Just remember, these New Jersey "Only Ones" would kill anyone they came across who was bearing their own arms and not a brainless willing-to-be-groped plaything (what is it with cops and Hooters?. The lieutenant's Klan hood didn't bother me much though, I guess because I found it so totally unsurprising. Good O' Boy Roundup, anyone?



[Via Say Uncle, The Agitator and Bill Y/Ace of Spades HQ]

The Day After the Day After Tomorrow

SameNoKami reminds us that November 19 is National Ammo Day.

Interesting, to read "when we approached the NRA in 2002, we were actually told that such an event would be 'inopportune in the current circumstances.'”

That figures.

Another Red's Twofer

Ryan Horsley calls our attention to two more BATFU outrages:

Thugette Threatens to Close Down Businesses Unless They Obey Her: "You vill provide trigger locks!"

Mad Max Mike: The guy's bad news. You've contacted your senators to block his confirmation, right? Why the hell not?

We're the Only Ones Falsely Credited Enough

An Orange County Court jury will have the final word when it finishes hearing testimony this week in the trial of Heatherine Tomlinson, a county correction officer who's charged with using another person's credit card to buy booze at three stores last year.

The other day, I went to the hardware store. On my way out, a man dressed in painter's overalls called after me and wanted to know if I had lost some money--some bills were on the floor and may have dropped from my pocket. I didn't know how much I had on me and couldn't be sure, and told him so, so he went back in the store to see if he could find whoever it belonged to.

This was just an ordinary, every day interaction between two "ordinary" Citizens, two strangers, both intent on doing the right thing. It was random, it was coincidental, meaning it more likely reflects the rule than the exception--at least where I choose to live. Yet people like us are suspect for not having the proper values and temperament to keep and bear arms by our Stockholm Syndromed countrymen, because we're not "The Only Ones."

I don't know what became of the ownerless bills, but I'd bet good money the honest tradesman didn't go on a booze-buying spree with it.

[Via Declan]

We're the Only Ones Brutally Expensive Enough

Mayor Daley could buy 5,000 new cop cars or 7,000 blue light security cameras for the money rogue cops have cost the city the last five years. It’s a staggering number that you haven't heard, until now. Mark Suppelsa investigates the cost of police brutality.

What costs? It all comes from the slave work force, but still, I'm wondering what the effect on crime would be if that $111 MILLION had gone toward arming the Citizens of Chicago as opposed to paying for the sins of Daley's thug "Only Ones" who have disarmed them under threat of even more vicious brutality.

Sodomized with a screwdriver. Good Lord, what kind of sick mad dog perverts relish their own brutality this way?

That Snuffy and Jesse aren't leading outraged mobs of indignant rabble against these domestic enemies instead of an out-of-town gun store shows what evil police state apologist frauds they are.

And the excuse given at the end of the video--that this is in line with what other cities are shelling out--ought to outrage and chill every thinking American. It certainly puts the oft-tendered "few bad apples" apologia in the proper light. You know--like the manipulation perpetrated by the "Authorized Journalists" using the word "rogue" in the lead-off sentence...

[Via HZ]

This Day in History: November 16

On the morning of November 16, 1776, at about 7 a.m., the British and Hessian forces were lining up to start the battle. These combined forces would attack the fort and its defenses from all sides. Due to the inclement weather and the tides running against the Royalist forces under the command of Cornwallis and Matthew, the initial assault was delayed until about noon.

Sink Sullivan Now

A week ago, Ryan Horsley put out yet another call to oppose the confirmation of Michael J. Sullivan to the top slot at BATFU. I've also raised that flag, once in September and again last month.

I have no idea when the full Senate will take up the vote, but the bottom line is, this guy is very bad news. Follow the links Ryan and I have provided and see for yourself. Actually, this link should give you all the reason--and motivation--you need to understand how dangerous this enforcement freak will be to our right to keep and bear arms.

I'm asking all gun bloggers to join me in spreading the word and asking their readers to contact their senators with the message to VOTE NO ON SULLIVAN'S CONFIRMATION. I'm asking WarOnGuns visitors to do the same, and to spread the word to your gun-owning friends through forums, emails, clubs, ranges, shops, you name it.

Here's how you can contact your senators--please pass this link along, too:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC

Now I know some of you will say "My senators are gun haters, so it will be no use." Do it anyway--just let them see that numbers of voters are against Sullivan. Find a reason besides guns (see this link) if you think it will help: He's attacked health care companies; A dozen US attorneys quit on his watch; He's done patronage hires with his buddies; He's alienated federal judges with his heavy-handedness; Ah, here's one--his policies single out minorities for the most extreme punishment. You get the idea.

The other common objection I see is based on pride: people tell me they are done pleading with servants who act like masters. So don't plead. Act like the boss and demand.

Last week I asked people to send a simple email on behalf of Red's, and was just astounded at the level of resistance and vitriol asking for such a simple, easy thing generated. There were 81 comments alone on KABA Newslinks, each one taking as much or more time and effort than just doing what was asked would have taken. I'm afraid I don't put too much stock in big talk of "Molon Labe" from people who won't even send an email.

Anyway, that's it-- do it or not. But if you're going to do it, do it now.

UPDATE: Neither of my senators give a damn about gun rights, so I took a different tack with each one based on their predispositions:

With democrat gungrabber Sherrod Brown, I talked like a fellow collectivist:

Oppose Michael Sullivan as head of ATF. His track record of heavy-handed prosecution of minorities should concern all Americans who champion social justice.

I am going to urge Rev. Jackson to decry any and all senators who turn Sullivan loose on the nation's urban communities.

Actually, siccing Jesse on this ain't a bad idea. Any chair in a bar fight...

I put on the fellow fascist mask to approach RINO (GOA "D"-rated) George Voinovich:

I strongly oppose nomination of Michael Sullivan to head ATF. His disturbing record of cronyism with questionable hiring practices of friends and fellow land owners will turn out to be an embarrassment to all who support him. Likewise, his mismanagement caused a dozen career US attorneys to quit, and he has alienated federal judges with his heavy-handed unprofessionalism--that's no way to achieve effective law enforcement.

As a lifelong Republican, including campaign volunteer, I am counting on you to oppose his confirmation, and will be extremely disappointed and disillusioned if you fail your constituents in this important matter.

Ron Paul: Abolish ATF

So naturally, gun owners will find plenty of reasons to back some other candidate, and will-- before this is through-- resort to blaming "absolutists" who won't jump on the Rudy-Because-Otherwise-We'll-Get-Hillary bandwagon.

Making the Grade

Dustin tells us why flunking out may not be such a bad thing.

We're the Only Ones Who "Fly With US" Enough

A former police officer said his gun was stolen at Philadelphia International Airport...

Now, he's convinced his gun is in the hands of a criminal on the streets of Philadelphia.

I doubt it. Criminals have been too scared to have guns in Philly since '99.

Read the rest of this comedy of errors--11 guns reported missing, probably twice that many in three years. And BATFU is trying to shut down Red's?

This really does illustrate the utter incompetence of the lowest common denominator forced charity cases guarding America's airports. Workers are left with security "loopholes" you could taxi a 747 through and don't get me started on the TSA "Only Ones"...

I'm convinced the only reason we haven't had another hijacking is because passengers now know they'll die anyway, so they might as well kill on the way down.

There's a wider lesson to be learned in that observation, don't you think?

[Via MacEntyre]

A Gun Guide for Authorized Journalists

Nathaniel has found one...

A Tale of Two Outcomes

Another body found in burned-out dumpster

Chicago Police are investigating the deaths of two women whose bodies were found burning in or near trash bins on Chicago's South Side. One body was discovered early Wednesday morning. The other was found Tuesday. Investigators are not sure if the two deaths are linked.

An autopsy confirms one of the women was strangled before her body was set on fire. The victims were found within about a mile of each other.

Hammond woman fatally shoots alleged stalker

A northwest Indiana woman shot her alleged stalker to death.

Police say 41-year-old Ryan Lee Bergner broke into the woman's home in Hammond Monday night. The 51-year-old woman called 9-1-1 and hid in a closet with a gun she had been given for protection. She says she shot him when he opened the closet door and started choking her.

Same day, same ABC7 Chicago "Authorized Journalist" news outlet. Do you think they'll notice the difference?

Let's see, they both involved choking, so that's not it.

I know: One took place in Chicago and one just across the state line in Indiana?

No? Something else?

[Via HZ]

This Day in History: November 15

After considerable debate and alteration, the Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States' first constitution, and was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present day Constitution went into effect.