A Question for the Pragmatists

Now that Fred has bowed out, some gun owners are predictably scrambling to the Mitt and McCain camps.

Noting that the "Vote Freedom First President" narrowly won both elections only with the strong support of gun owners, does anyone think either of the Republican front runners can pull it off without that strong support?

My Kind of Protest, Part 2

SailorCurt gives a first-hand account, with pictures, of the rally we visited yesterday.

[Via Clint]

This Day in History: January 23

You must be fully sensible of the Hardship imposed upon Individuals, and how detrimental it must be to the Public, to have her Farmers and Tradesmen frequently called into the Field as Militia-men, whereby a total Stop is put to Arts & Agriculture, without which We can not possibly long subsist. But great as this Inconvenience is, We must put up with it, or submit to a greater, the total Loss of our Liberties, untill our regular Continental Army can be brought into the Field.

And Then There Were Five...

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.

OK, gun owners for Fred.

Now what?

Hmmm...??

About Last Night...

Anybody catch the pander-fest?

First of all, can you imagine if someone proposed a Congressional White Caucus?

The way all three of these creatures tried to out-self-abase each other was nothing short of disgusting, not to mention frightening. Nothing like stoking the fires of resentment, hostility and entitlement to further divide the Republic...I mean, democracy.

Barack making repeated references to Edwards being a white man, and telling us he hasn't seen Bill Clinton dance so he can't say if he's a brother, made me wonder exactly why Jimmy the Greek's career was ruined.

I find it more than curious how not only the left, but especially the false right, is trying to paint Ron Paul as a racist, with this blatant hypocrisy shoved right in everybody's faces by CNN, with none of the usual suspects saying a word.

Forgive me if I just don't get it. I come from the school that says if you treat me like a human being, I'll treat you like a human being.

Everything else is just ignorance, propagated by those who don't know any better, or in the case of some who stand to gain power, those who do, and are counting on the fallout.

We're the Only Ones Automatically Recovered Enough

Wayne police have found a rapid-fire submachine gun that had been missing for at least two weeks.

But they won't say exactly where the nine-millimeter weapon turned up on Monday.

Oh, gee, I wonder why.

We might ask the "Authorized Journalists" why they didn't press on this point, or what New Jersey "Only Ones" intend to do with such weapons--particularly when, based on results we can see the lax control they employ in their keeping. But I'm actually more interested in finding out where one can get a magazine for an MP5 that's between around 22 and 27 feet long to accommodate being able to "shoot 700 to 900 rounds per minute."

I Can't Think of a More Appropriate Name...

Too many guns, too many deaths...

Marilyn Bull.

Go figure.

We're the Only Ones Informative Enough

A man suspected of smuggling a gun into prison for Billy Wright's killer was a Special Branch agent, the inquiry into the LVF leader's murder has revealed.

Yes, when "gun murders" take place in UK prisons, you know all those citizen disarmament laws are working the way they're intended. And if you read the whole article, you'll see this was the second incident of smuggling one inside.

"Only Ones" rule.

And how convenient--the suspect informant is dead. No doubt he lived a high risk lifestyle, but for some reason that line from Pirates of the Caribbean comes to mind, especially after trying to navigate through this convoluted tale...

My Kind of Protest

About 100 supporters of the measure lay on the Capitol lawn to honor the victims of gun violence, as about 200 opponents stood nearby, holding signs that read, "Here Lie Disarmed Victims."

Any time the antis want to stage an event where we get two times the representation is fine in my book.

Don't you just love the absolute separation from reality by Colin Goddard? He experienced utter helplessness, useless to himself and all others, and saw first-hand what placing "full trust" in the police got him. What kind of "man" would actually prefer to be a pathetic victim?

I just can't muster any sympathy for volunteers.

[Via SameNoKami]

UPDATE: Nicki weighs in, and as usual, she's a lot nicer, more diplomatic and genteel than crude old me, as she rips what's left of this gentle little boy's guts out and smears them all over the walls. But she does it real nice and lady-like, with extended pinkies.

We're the Only Ones Propertied Enough

An Illinois State trooper had the handcuffs slapped on him when he was arrested Thursday on one count of theft and three counts of official misconduct.

According to the complaint generated by an Illinois State Police internal investigation, between Feb. 10 and Aug. 20 last year, Rinaldo exerted unauthorized control of $300 to $10,000, all of it property of the Illinois State Police...

Notice how, when it's a crime against the state, as opposed to mere citizens, releasing the errant "Only One's" name is no problem? And the "property" vs. "plunder" debate notwithstanding, how the same folks who wouldn't bat an eye at confiscating yours sure seem to keep a jealous eye on theirs...?

[Via 45Superman]

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/22/08

A fellow traveler in citizen disarmament offers his support for achieving this milestone.

This Day in History: January 22

You will endeavour to collect such of the Jersey troops to your standard as have not followed the pernicious example of their associates, and you will also try to avail yourself of the services of the Militia, representing to them how dangerous to civil liberty the precedent is of armed soldiers dictating terms to their country.

Let the District Have Its Gun Law

No.

UPDATE: Sebastian makes an analogy.

Any Person...Even If

It looks like Nebraska lawmakers are out there proposing to break federal law.

In Haynes v US, the court ruled "...A proper claim of the privilege against self-incrimination provides a full defense to prosecutions either for failure to register under sec. 5841 or for possession of an unregistered firearm under sec. 5851..."

Tell me refusal to obey a requirement to report a lost or stolen firearm by a prohibited person wouldn't be viewed as "a proper claim."

They try to get around that with this:

Note it only guarantees amnesty against registration violations, not violations of possession. And it fails to note that the state of Nebraska is utterly without legal authority to guarantee a pass for federal violations.

There are plenty of other traps and crap in this abomination, but this is the one most often overlooked.

This is nothing more than another way to screw with the "law abiding," and will not result in one less violent act by the free agent predators the official ones rely on to create demand for their "services."

[Via Gunscribe]

And That Goes Double for Mitt

“Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts,” Romney said, at a bill signing ceremony on July 1 with legislators, sportsmen’s groups and gun safety advocates. “These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.”

What I just said about McCain goes double for this flip-flopping fraud.

The Straight Talk Express

Now I'm sure if we try hard enough, we can convince ourselves that the guy who partnered with Lieberman and Schumer and McCarthy, and Americans for Gun Safety will be the lesser of two evils.

And then we'll be able to blame principled third party supporters for not being pragmatic, throwing away their votes and electing Hillary!

Justice for Gun Owners

The Clement brief reflects cowardice on the part of the Justice Department, and a desire for expediency over what is right...

Possibly, but I think it reflects more on the cowardice of gun owners who have enabled the betrayals all these years by continually rewarding the "lesser of two evils" with political power. They've actually got the justice they've earned, and now we all are living with it.

It also reflects on the cynical manipulation by some in convincing others that the "Vote Freedom First President" represented a vote for freedom, as well as gullibility to the point of willful negligence of those desperate to swallow a lie that told them what they wanted to hear.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not criticizing Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman here. I think it's past time those with national prominence in the gun rights movement took the gloves off and gave this administration what fer.

I would like to see them take this a step further, and join with Gun Owners of America in calling on Bush to withdraw this brief. And GOA goes a step further by "invit[ing]the National Rifle Association to join it in fighting this anti-gun development."

Can anyone think of a good reason why they wouldn't?

We're the Only Ones Pooling Our Resources Enough

Several gay adult Web sites have posted photographs of teenage water polo players from several high schools in Southern California...

Police at the University of California, Irvine, confirmed they are investigating whether a campus police dispatcher had photographed the high school athletes for gay-oriented sites.

Hopefully, they're all wet...uh...mistaken. He couldn't be "The Only One" with a camera, an opportunity, a predilection...

[Via Michael J]

Bleater's Digest

Dale ran back to his own house, got a shotgun and tossed it to Robert. Now the two friends made a plan. They would trap the man inside the garage so he couldn’t get back into the house, where Robert’s kids might still be. They’d hold him until police arrived.

And it worked. The incident was resolved without anyone getting seriously injured or killed.

So knowing this, what's the Digest's advice to its Readers?

Locks...lights...pepper spray...

See anything about keeping a gun for self defense?

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/21/08

I don't mean to sound pessimistic or anything, Professor, but if I were you I'd maybe start looking for some new friends...

What's New Over at Red's Trading Post

From Ryan Horsley:

Two new companies have been unveiled that will protect firearms dealers.

I'd like to see more on guarantees and warranties, and what they have in writing from BATFU certifying these as acceptable--not that they haven't been known to renege on that.

Also Idaho is heading to the Shot Show in Las Vegas to meet with firearms manufacturers.

I suggest they work on those still in Illinois.

This Day in History: January 21

Washington directs each regiment to send out two officers to purchase weapons for their unit. Soldiers enlisting with their own firearms are promised one dollar for its use and reimbursement if the weapon is lost during the campaign.

We're the Only Ones Kissing You Off Enough

A Houston woman and her husband filed suit against state Rep. Borris Miles on Friday, asking that he be tested for sexually transmitted diseases and claiming he forced a kiss on the woman at a holiday party.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office has been investigating a complaint that Miles entered a St. Regis Hotel ballroom uninvited, confronting guests, displaying a pistol and forcibly kissing another man's wife.

"Displaying a pistol"?

He reportedly "referred to himself as a 'gangster' and a 'thug' as he "threatened a business rival and brandished a gun."

And this same article tells us:

In July, Miles made news when he shot a man in the leg who was apparently trying to steal copper wiring from a home Miles was building. He is licensed to carry a concealed weapon and was not charged in the shooting.

Just one thing about that. It didn't stop him from "oppos[ing] a bill giving Texans stronger right to defend themselves with deadly force."

I guess now we can see why.

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

Well, They Can't Say They Don't Know About It...

What remains to be seen is if they intend to do anything about it.

A Solution We Can All Live With

We need a stricter gateway of regulations and education system before people are allowed the privilege of handling firearms. Had Hunter been taught the proper handling and laws of gun ownership, and had Talovic had to go through months of gun education, the Trolley Square incidents could have been prevented, and the life of Vanessa Quinn could have been saved. An extended waiting time and licensing for the initial privilege of gun ownership -- keeping guns in the hands of only those who have proven themselves worthy -- is a solution we can all live with.

The United Violent Stalkers of America salute Janice Kopaunik's proposal to require "months of gun education" before any in the "law-abiding" victim pool can obtain the means of defense. And they applaud the University of Utah for not teaching their starry-eyed charges that perceived benefits can't be effectively assessed without understanding there will always be associated costs and unintended consequences.

I'm sure young Janice thinks she's come up with something original that people of good will and moderation can all get behind, so I won't burst her bubble nor waste space addressing stale arguments that have been debunked many times over the years. Besides, by checking that out, the minimal research she should have done before affixing her brand name to this will do her some good.

Suffice it to say, "No."

Sorry, Janice, I will resist and defy all ill-conceived edicts that you would have the state impose under force of arms on men and women older and far wiser than you. And I am far from alone.

So now that that's settled, Janice, the ball is in your court: How many men like me are you willing to see destroyed in order to impose your will? How bad do you want it, Janice? And what makes you think we'll go quietly into that good night?

How much in unintended consequences and associated costs do you think a fair price will be?

When Geiger Counters are Outlawed...

"There are currently no guidelines regulating the private acquisition of biological, chemical, and radiological detectors," warned Falkenrath, adding that this law was suggested by officials within the Department of Homeland Security.

Because We the People are just so damned incompetent, and government professionals know best, don't ya know...

And if we can't be trusted with instruments, why would they trust us with tools? Or raw materials? That kill? And don't even mention guns... this is Bloomberg and Bender we're talkin' about here.

Well, gee, this was hard to find...

[Via Plug Nickel Times]

Don Perata: "I'm Melting...I'm Me-elti-ing!!!"

Perata, saying there are just "too many damn guns" in the city, reminded everyone that he himself had been carjacked less than a month ago just blocks away from the music school where Rodriguez was shot...

Perata said his own gun, for which he owns a concealed weapons permit, will be the first one melted.

And where was his famous concealed pistol? He says he didn't have it on him.

So this proves those of us not so unprepared need to be defenseless?

Sounds to me like he was tested and found wanting. And this way, if it ever happens again and he can't defend himself or anyone else, why no one will be able to question his manhood. And he gets to do this little cover up in plain sight of his clucking admirers, as they all congratulate themselves on how moral and progressive they are.

Sorry, Don. Before, you were a contemptible hypocrite. Now, you're just contemptible.

Still, one might ask what the state of California, with it's highly publicized fiscal woes, is doing providing politicians with candy apple red muscle cars with chrome rims. As a critic of proposed budget cuts and as a "champion" against global warming, do you really need a tricked-out Dodge Charger, Don?

I take it back. You're still a contemptible hypocrite.

[Via Dave Licht]

We're the Only Ones Putting Our Finger on the Problem Enough

County Administrator Andrew Kalmar said the officer, Glenn Bigley, was injured when his semi-automatic pistol discharged. The bullet struck the officer’s ring finger, according to Kalmar.

Yet again, the "pistol discharged." All by its own self, no doubt.

But does this mean maybe someone in "authoritah" will realize there's really no justification for creating an "Only Ones" exemption for being armed? That maybe some of us mere sovereign citizens--you know, like those of us who have been around firearms for decades and never come close to negligently shooting ourselves or anyone else-- might actually be just as qualified, ethical and judgmentally sound to be entrusted with bearing arms as Frodo of the Nine Fingers here?

Not at all:

“He’s a firearms instructor so it can happen to anyone”...

Which means we're too dangerous but he's not.

[Via Jeffersonian]

When Plastic Cutlasses are Outlawed...

A Cornish village drama group has had to register a toy gun with the police to comply with health and safety rules.


Carnon Downs drama group in Cornwall have also had to keep their plastic cutlasses and wooden swords locked up for the pantomime, Robinson Crusoe...

The climax of the show is a fight in which actors use replica 4ft-foot long plastic cutlasses.

There is also a toy gun which produces a flag saying "Bang".

It's official. The UK has become a Monty Python skit.

[Via Jeffersonian]

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/20/08

Maybe they're all hung over and sleeping in after yesterday's party...?

When Libs Collide

I cannot believe that women all over this country are not up in arms over Oprah's backing of Obama. For the first time in history, we actually have a shot at putting a woman in the white house and Oprah backs the black MAN. She's choosing her race over her gender- hypocracy at it's finest!! Oprah- you should be ashamed of yourself!!!!!

And these people call Ron Paul racist! I love it when the pirhannas on the left turn on each other.

Speaking of which, I took my challenge over to the lion's den, and as expected, garnered little more than off-topic diversion and ad hominem bile.

This Day in History: January 20

We have in the Name of the said United States of North America & in Virtue of the Powers we are vested with, received the above Declaration and do accept the same by these Presents, and we do reciprocally declare, that the said States shall cause to cease all Hostilities against his Britannic Majesty, his Subjects and Possessions at the Terms or Periods agreed to between his said Majesty the King of Great Britain, his Majesty the King of France, and his Majesty the King of Spain, in the same manner as is stipulated between these , three Crowns, and to have the same Effect.

In faith whereof, We Ministers Plenipotentiary from the United States of America, have signed the present Declaration and have hereunto affixed the Seals of our Arms. At Versailles the twentieth of January one thousand seven hundred and eighty three.

JOHN ADAMS
B FRANKLIN

Through a Glass Darkly

For constitutionalists and gun-rights advocates, the Solicitor General's brief is a big victory.

Sure glad the Heretic...uh...Heritage Foundation is there to make sure our glasses are half-filled with Republican Kool-Aid.

If you listen to these worm-tongues, you have to believe we have an individual right to keep and bear arms that shall not be infringed--except when the government won't let us keep and bear them. Make sense?

"Leadership for America" indeed. And following you will lead to where, exactly?

Our rights are not subject to dispensing. Choke on your own poison. Some of us are here to smash your glass, not drink from it.

Guns Were Invented for One Thing — Killing

I can't help but wonder why anyone would express or even believe that our Founding Fathers would write into the Constitution a right for the means to allow wholesale killing.

This is probably not the only situation where you'd be helpless to do more than wonder, Thomas G. Sykes.

Hey, could somebody call down to the front desk? We need a change of sheets in here.

We're the Only Ones Peppering Enough

The officers, who were working the lower Greenville Avenue club scene, were accused of randomly pepperballing and tazing bar patrons as they headed to their cars. Since that time, a group of those citizens sued the department and won. Still, none of those officers involved has been disciplined.

I'm starting to understand why "The Only Ones" demand laws prohibiting concealed carry in bars...

[Via Tony G]

We're the Only Ones Stoking the Fires of Justice Enough

In a case some say reveals political backscratching at the courthouse, a Texas Supreme Court justice saw his arson-related indictment thrown out Friday at the request of a scandal-plagued, but fellow Republican, prosecutor.

Well, why not? The black robed "Only Ones" have no problem burning the Constitution whenever it suits them...

[Via Tony G]

Dismal Numbers

With those dismal numbers, it's no wonder our Second Amendment is being shredded before us every day!

Chris Horton recognizes a fundamental truth about gun owner involvement when asked for help.

I could have predicted this, but didn't want to discourage someone else's efforts...

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/19/08

I hinted yesterday that we'd be celebrating something today. If a human year is like seven years to a dog, then today is the first anniversary--in dog years--of CeaseFire PA's failure to acknowledge Professor Alexander Tristan Riley on it's Board of Director's page.

So in commemoration of this special occasion, I hope you'll join me in congratulating them on reaching this milestone: It's probably the biggest achievement they've ever accomplished, so feel free to sign the card and leave your special wishes for them below.



Happy Doggiversary, ya crazy mutts you...Funny though. I haven't heard much yapping from either them or Alex lately, have you...?

Speaking of WorldNetDaily...

After seeing this:



I was hoping they'd address this:

A BFA/DDN Twofer

DDN quotes in anti-gun editorial were selective

The DDN will package gun control to advance its agenda without concern for life, liberty, self-defense or the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

DDN anti-gun editorial is wrong, no matter how you package it

The problem with the anti-gun side isn't packaging; the problem is the product. You can put lipstick and a dress on a pig and, at the end of the day, you still have, well, just a pig.

Larry S. Moore and Jeff Riley of the Buckeye Firearms Association take the Dayton Daily News to task for it's how-to-lie-about-guns-and-exploit-death playbook. Cox News wanting to show how fair they are notwithstanding, these are excellent opinion pieces, well written and to the point, and will probably not only provide significant damage control, but may even turn some open minds toward the truth.

Kudos to both of these gentlemen.

[Via Jeff Riley]

What Part About "Shall Be Infringed" Don't You Understand?

"Under the administration's amicus brief, a national ban on all firearms – including hunting rifles – could be 'constitutional,' even if the Supreme Court decides – on ample historical evidence – that the Founders intended the Second Amendment as an individual right," he continued.

Gun Owners of America and Heller's Robert Levy tell it like it is concerning the "Vote Freedom First President's" recent betrayal.

I'd originally written "latest betrayal," but realized that's not true.

This Day in History: January 19

At a Brigade Court-Martial held 7th. instant whereof Major Ryan was President; Francis Morris a Soldier in 1st. Pennsylvania Regiment tried for repeated desertions was found guilty and unanimously sentenced to suffer death in Such manner as Shall be ordered by the Commander in Chief. His Excellency the Commander in Chief approves the Sentence.

What Orwell Meant by "Pro Choice"

An Iowa grandmother has been banished to jail, including a night in isolation, after refusing to give in to a judge's demand that she submit to a psychiatric exam and take psychotropic drugs if prescribed to mitigate her opposition to abortion, her husband has confirmed.

So now all we need is a shrink who is pro-abortion and anti-gun, and we have a great alignment of opportunities to get granny adjudicated onto the prohibited persons list...all perfectly nice and legal-like.

No?

No Contest

A former Los Angeles gang member who founded an anti-violence group called No Guns has pleaded no contest to federal weapons charges. [More]

Big f****** weasel...

But it does explain why he's so strongly in favor of citizen disarmament, aided and abetted by his city government criminal co-conspirators. I wonder how much of that $1.5 million they got back, and if there's been an accounting for what he bought with it...? I couldn't find any tax status documentation on either GuideStar or Melissa Data, so I wonder if he's been keeping the old books in order...

Gun rights activists in Los Angeles could do worse than to find the resolution awarding the grant, including the names of all the politicos who authorized it, and publicizing it now and at election time.

Hey--now that No Guns has folded, maybe Big Weasel can get a directorship over at Ceasefire PA if they back off on Alex...?

Radio Free Red's

JPFO Director Aaron Zelman and I were on The G. Gordon Liddy Show

Ryan Horsley gets some national coverage for the David Olofson case. He includes a link to the interview. Go listen.

We're the Only Ones with Driving Ambition Enough

A federal agent has been charged with hitting a woman with his car in a parking garage then zooming off...

Smalley made "an abrupt intentional turn and accelerated, striking the victim and knocking down the female victim"...The woman ran down the garage stairs to the security station by the entrance -- only to see Smalley's car accelerate toward her, police said, "causing her to run to avoid behind struck again."

Sure sounds like he came back for more and tried to run her down again, doesn't it?

But no, "He claimed the woman jumped on his hood and fell off..."

BATFU's finest. I guess she should be grateful he was driving an Acura instead of a Panzer...

Maybe she put "Y" or "N" on a form instead of "Yes" or "No."

[Via Red's Trading Post]

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

We're the Only Ones Heavily Disabled Enough

A retired 500-pound police officer cannot increase his pension check by blaming his disability on an accident, because a medical board had already found it was related to his obesity, a judge said.

The guy hasn't performed full duties for five years they still kept him on the payroll, and now half pay for doing nothing isn't good enough.

How many of us tax cows have a deal that sweet?

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

Hillary "Believe[s] in the Second Amendment"!

You know, I believe in the Second Amendment. People have a right to bear arms.

Well then, you can count on my vote, senator.

What?

Those same words were good enough for gun owners to rally behind this guy, and he made no secret about supporting "the assault-weapons ban," too.

Y'all are familiar with Carroll Quigley, right?

"The chief problem of American political life for a long time has been how to make the two Congressional parties more national and more international. The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps of the Right, and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical so that the American people can 'throw the rascals out' at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy. The policies that are vital and necessary for America are no longer subjects of significant disagreement, but are disputable only in terms of procedure, priority and method..." ["Tragedy and Hope," Page 1248-1249]

But there I go getting all black helicopter tinfoil hat conspiratorial again. Better to just dismiss all kooky and paranoid intimations that we're being played for suckers.

Things are much more comfortable that way, aren't they?

South of the Border with the Bush-Brady DoJ

The US has said it will give Mexico access to an electronic database to trace weapons smuggled from the US to powerful drug gangs across the border.

Well if this doesn't solve the problem, nothing will.

At least nothing in the interest of either government to explore...

But it does reveal how AG Mukasey does indeed embrace the same views on the Second Amendment as the "Vote Freedom First President."

[Via Ahab]

George Bush-Brady v Second Amendment

So much for the old saw that Republican politicians, if only they could, would get rid of all of those unconstitutional federal gun laws, but we just need to be patient until they are in a position to do so.

Stewart Rhodes shares his observations on the latest betrayal by our "Vote Freedom First President."

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/18/08

Tomorrow will be a very special day, assuming Prof. Riley still hasn't been added to the list, and we'll have a little celebration to honor the non-occasion.

Can you guess what it is?

Hint: Woof!

Ron Paul on the DC Gun Ban

The DC gun ban is no joke, and the legal challenges to the ban are not simply academic exercises. People's lives and safety are at stake.

Some readers have sent me the above title link outlining Dr. Paul's position on the DC gun ban.

Yes, it's absolutely right on and what I would expect, but it's an old post and not what I'm talking about:

I think it's important that he address the "Vote Freedom First President's" DoJ brief, give his opinion of that, and tell what he would do if he were in charge.

Fred has. At least the first part.

That question should be put to all candidates representing themselves to gun owners as our pals, but that won't happen as long as such expectations are confined to lowly blogs...

This Day in History: January 18

On January 18, 1777, representatives of the New Hampshire Grants convened in Westminster and declared the independence of the Vermont. For the first six months of the state's existence, the state was called New Connecticut, after the name of an existing state.

And in case you're wondering, the constitution they adopted said:

That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of the themselves and the State; and, as standing armies, in the time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.

You know, in other words, a collective right...

Ann Coulter Pours the Romney Kool-Aid

Liberals claim to be enraged at Romney for being a "flip-flopper." I've looked and looked, and the only issue I can find that Romney has "flipped" on is abortion.

Truly? Gee, Ann, you must not have looked all that hard.

Of the top five Republican candidates for president, Romney is the only one who hasn't dumped his first wife (as well as the second, in the case of Giuliani) – except Huckabee.

Oh, really?

I guess it all depends on the meaning of "top five."

Y'know, Ann, you'd get a lot farther with people inclined to agree with some of your views if you didn't, like, lie to them...

Who Didn't Stay "Paid Off"?

Some of us lament the NRA statement on the DoJ Heller brief was not "strongly worded" enough.

Others ask "[A]re people irritated because Bush was 'paid off' and didn't stay paid off?"

Recalling not too long ago who the major proponents of this case not being heard were, right down to the point of trying to sabotage it, are we really that sure the Vote Freedom First president isn't doing exactly what some want him to...?

We're the Only Ones Giving Ourselves a Little Bonus Enough?

A former Hamburg police officer, who once was accused of threatening to shoot a customer in a West Reading diner, has been charged with stealing more than $3,000 seized in drug investigations in the Dauphin County community where he is now police chief.

That's OK, chief. I note the date on this story is January 16. We're having a special.

Just show the judge your "Only Ones" badge and ID.

[Via KABA Newslinks]

We're the Only Ones Smelling of Unfairness Enough

As expected, a second former police officer in Tuxedo Park has been sentenced not to time in jail, as requested by the prosecution, but to three years of probation and 150 hours of community service...This is similar to the sentence received last month by another former member of the department who pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor...No one will explain how the police chief, involved in this and even worse crimes, could have received no jail time, no probation and no community service after pleading guilty to a felony, not a misdemeanor, and costing the village many thousands of dollars in investigations.

Previous requests for some public explanation of this glaring discrepancy have brought two responses — silence and a not-so-veiled threat that the newspaper does not deserve equal treatment by lawyers or judges if it persists in questioning these inequities...

Such thuggish behavior does not erase the court record...This Tuxedo Park case smells of unfairness or worse..

Well as long as Michelle is getting a break, why not end the Tuxedo Park saga the same way?

Maybe we should recognize January 16 as "Only Ones Leniency Day".

I do wonder though, now that the "Authorized Journalists" at the Times Herald-Record have figured out you can't trust the cops and you can't trust the courts, if they think this monopoly of power business is a good idea or if it leads to "thuggish behavior"--and if they "smell" the "unfairness" of it all...?

[Via Declan]

We're the Only Ones of Justice and Peace Enough

Lockney Justice of the Peace Michelle Araujo drew 10 years probation and a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty Tuesday to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of her husband.

Oh, gee, what a surprise.

And thus ends our little saga (for now?), an object lesson in justice and peace, "Only Ones" style:

A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Michelle and her Romeo.

Exeunt

Fred Pulls Ahead on Heller

Asked his opinion of the Second Amendment and the Solicitor General's request that the DC Circuit Court remand the appeal back to the trial court for "fact-finding", the lawyer turned Senator from Tennessee said the Bush Administration was "overlawyering" and stated that he opposed remand and that the case should move forward to the U.S. Supreme Court.

I'd still like to see what I originally called for along with this, that is, "detailing what he would do if he were president."

I also recall advising "Don't let Fred Thompson beat you to the punch on this."

Oh well. The Ron Paul campaign had a no-cost opportunity and they blew it, and kudos are now going to the candidate to whom he is most vulnerable for gun owner loyalty. And that, Kent Snyder, et al., is what happens when you "rest assured."

[Via 45superman in "Comments"]

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/17/08

Nifty, nifty, look who's fifty...

This Day in History: January 17

The Battle of Cowpens was fought on January 17, 1781, during the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War and was an overwhelming victory by American Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. It was a turning point in the reconquest of South Carolina from the British, and went down in history as the great American tactical masterpiece of the war.

Who Shall Guard the Guards?

[I just received this essay from Mike Vanderboegh. It is pasted here as a Guest Editorial complete and unedited except for minor formatting.]

"Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?" -- Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis, Juvenal's Satires, 6.347-48.

Lisa Simpson: "If you're the police, who will police the police?"
Homer: "I dunno, Coast Guard?"

We've been here before. A Republican administration, mildly allergic to the Second Amendment, is about to give way to a virulently anti-gun Democrat regime. The lying, arrogant and armed bureaucrats of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are eager to curry favor and lick the boots of their incoming masters. The last time this led to Waco and the deaths of 85 innocent people. This time I fear it will lead to something worse.

David Olofson is not a household name, even in the community of gun rights activists. He should be. While gunnies have been worried about the Bush administration's petty treasons to the Second Amendment in the matters of the Heller D.C. gun ban case and the appointment of the new anti-gun director of the ATF, Michael J. Sullivan, the decision in the case of US v. Olofson in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has escaped much attention. Forget Heller. It is, in the grand scheme of things unimportant, trumped as it is by endemic government misconduct. Whether the Supreme Court decides this summer if we are citizens or serfs is immaterial if the abuses of power, constitutional rule of law and even common sense which are evident in the Olofson case are left to stand unchallenged.

"A government is a body of people, usually, notably ungoverned."
-- Shepherd Book, Firefly, Episode Nine, "War Stories," 2002.

Len Savage, firearms expert and owner of Historic Arms testified at the Olofson trial. Here is his rendition of the facts of the case:

Mr. Olofson, a Drill Instructor in the National Guard, was asked by Robert Kiernicki to teach him how to shoot a firearm. Olofson did and from time to time would let Mr. Kiernicki borrow his oldest AR-15 , go to a public range and target practice. . . (O)n his third time at the range after 120 rounds down range the rifle sputtered three times and jammed. The Law enforcement on the range swept in... The rifle in question seized now by the ATF; It was sent to Firearm Technology Branch (FTB), the testing Arm of the BATFE. They examined and test fired the rifle; then declared it to be "just a rifle". You would think it would all be resolved at this point, this was merely the beginning. The Special Agent in Charge Jody Keeku asked FTB to re-test the firearm and this time use soft primered commercial ammunition.

FTB has no standardized testing procedures, in fact it has no written procedures at all for testing firearms. They had no standard to stick to, and gleefully tried again. The results this time..."a Machinegun". ATF with a self admitted 50% error rate pursued an indictment and Mr. Olofson was charged with "Unlawful transfer of a machinegun". Not possession, not even Robert Kiernicki was charged with possession (who actually possessed the rifle), though the ATF paid Mr. Kiernicki "an undisclosed amount of money" to testify against Mr. Olofson at trial.

At the same time Mr. Olofson was being charged with "Unlawful Transfer" because the rifle malfunctioned and had a M-16 trigger, disconnector, and hammer; calling it an AR-15 with M-16 trigger parts (not the parts that make a machinegun). The ATF removed "a machinegun" from the NFRTR or NFA registry, claiming it was an AR-15 with M-16 parts, therefore NOT "a machinegun". I have the documents, I can prove this. The court was never shown this information. When Mr. Olofson's Attorneys requested the court compel the ATF to provide this and other documents that proved his innocence to the court. The ATF Chief Counsel's Office told the court the documents contained tax information (federal excise tax stamp for $200) and the court was prohibited from seeing them. All documents were kept secret from the Honorable Judge Clevert and the rest of the court. Even the letter from the ATF to the manufacturer of Mr. Olofson's rifle from 1986, which mandated a "safety recall" due to the rifle going "full auto" if it malfunctioned. ATF Chief Counsel told AUSA Haanstad, who then told the court "The Court will have take our word, that the documents in question contain tax information and contain no exculpatory evidence".

It gets even worse... AUSA Haanstad claimed the law does not exempt a malfunction. He claims that it states "any weapon that shoots more than once without manual reloading, per function of the trigger is a machinegun". To clarify when I was on the stand, I asked him "Are you saying if I take my Great Granddaddy's double barrel out and I pull one trigger and both barrels go off, its a machinegun?". He went back to the law (United States Code, Section 5845 (b)), and claims "any weapon that shoots..."

Mr. Savage concludes with this observation:

If your semiautomatic rifle breaks or malfunctions your are now subject to prosecution. That is now a sad FACT. I guess we know now what Senator Kennedy meant when he said he looked forward to working with Mike Sullivan on Gun control issues, after his committee approved him for full Senate vote. To those in the sporting culture who have derided "black guns" and so called "assault weapons"; Your double barreled shotgun is now next up to be seized and you could possibly be prosecuted if the ATF can get it to "fire more than once". Hey, but don't worry. The people testing it have no procedures in writing and the testing will be in secret. Also if you know of information that proves YOUR innocence, maybe the ATF won't claim that it's tax information at your trial and prevent YOUR judge from viewing it. Are you next up on the menu?

(Source: http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2008/01/len-savage-duck-hunters-and-sportsman.html)

David Olofson was convicted, despite the facts presented by the defense, on the words of a paid informer and an assistant United States prosecutor who refused to release exculpatory "Brady" material (something he is required to do by Supreme Court decision). There is chance that, if Mr. Olofson is finally able to sustain the costs of an appeal, that this egregious case of ATF and Justice Department misconduct will be overturned. But don't bet on it. What you should be certain of is this: We are now going back, if we ever left it, to the time of Waco Rules. You remember what they are, surely? "We are the avenging angels of the ATF, representing the god-on-earth Imperial Federal Government. If you resist us, we will crush you. If you shoot back at us, we and our big brothers of the FBI will kill you -- we will burn down your house, your church, your family and all you hold dear, AND WE WILL NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE." Those my friends, are Waco Rules. They can do anything you can't stop them from doing.

You see, it doesn't matter what the Supreme Court decides if we have bureaucratic criminals enforcing the law to suit themselves and the purposes of their antigun financial masters, the Democrat-controlled Congress. Do you really think that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi will undertake oversight hearings on ATF abuses? President Hillary, perhaps? This is as likely as George Bush seriously enforcing the immigration laws. The ATF understands this. You should too.

Sheriff Johnny Behan: "You're under arrest!"
Wyatt Earp: "I don't think I'll let you arrest me today, Johnny."
Tombstone, 1993.

Of course, like everything else, the Olofson case is subject to the immutable Law of Unintended Consequences. A reasonable man, observing the outcome of Olofson's case might conclude that there is no point in an honest fellow playing the game of an abusive regime that flaunts the law and manipulates the courts. A reasonable man might conclude that, if he is approached by ATF agents, he should probably consider them as little better than unconstitutional gangsters operating under the fiction of legal pretense. A reasonable man, realizing the system is rigged against him, that the rule of law has broken down and not wishing to go to federal prison for a crime he did not commit, might decide that the best thing to do is refuse to be the victim, right there and then. And you may infer from that whatever you wish.

The Olofson case confirms that we are still living in the time of Waco Rules, so let's not kid ourselves over the maybes of Heller. Supreme Court decisions don't count for spit in the wind to these people. But if the law no longer protects us, it no longer protects them either. Which is something they probably haven't considered, but should, given the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Mike Vanderboegh
PO Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126
GeorgeMason1776@aol.com

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/16/08

Let's have a contest:

Will CeaseFire PA formally welcome professor Alexander Tristan Riley into their hallowed ranks by updating their director's website to include his name, will they or he issue some statement saying he cannot accept the position due to whatever reason, or will they all just continue to ignore this?

If it turns out to be one of the first two possibilities, either listing him or disaffiliating from him, what Day Number do you think it will happen on?

In the Pink

I am so tired of pink men...

Count how many times Erica Jong repeats the phrase, or a variation of it.

And finally near the end she sets her sights on "brown men and tan men and wheaten men," just to be inclusive I guess. [Wheaten men?]

Her solution?

I have seen enough men in high office to last a lifetime. Let's give women a chance!

Racist and sexist.

But I thought the HuffPo was outraged by that...?

Me, I'm tired of pinkos.

So How Come...?

So why is it that Barack Obama can closely affiliate himself with a preacher who endorses a chronic bigot who makes statements that clearly meet the criteria for unequivocal racism, such as "White people are potential humans - they haven't evolved yet," and then, when Obama issues a lame, off-point CYA response, the political left is willing to give him a pass?

Ron Paul never made such a statement, and if you look at the notorious past newsletters that are at the center of the maelstrom, they didn't go anywhere near that far, either.

We're the Only Ones Whose Chances Are Rare Enough

“The chance of actually having the gun at the time it would be needed would be rare,” Sanguinetti said. “We don’t feel it’s worth the risk of bringing a gun into the situation.”

The reason the chances would be rare of having a gun when you need one are because of mudheads like you.

Let's see what happens in one of those "rare" chances:

[A] coyote dragged a young boy...The boy’s older brother beat off the coyote with a stick. The child survived but he was “torn up pretty bad...Those rangers weren’t capable of doing anything because we weren’t armed”...

Time was, the boys would have had a .22, and probably even earned a couple dollars bounty for the pelt.

I can't feel too much sympathy for the Peace Officers Association though, as the thrust of their effort is to be "The Only Ones" armed. The chance of one of them being around with a gun when a citizen needed it would indeed be rare.

You have to wonder what kind of mentality would require a human being to be defenseless in the presence of wild animals, what kind of human being would demand such an absurdly evil edict. But I also wonder at what kind of human being would obey it, especially when the chance of being discovered would be so rare.

"Rest Assured"

Ron Paul is the strongest candidate on the 2nd amendment hands down! You can rest assured Ron will denounce this!!

Any time a flack says "rest assured," it gets my hackles up.

Resting assured and relying on promises is what got us in this mess.

You can rest assured I'll keep on this business of getting an unequivocal statement about Heller and what the Solicitor General would do in a Paul administration. There should be no hold up and it should be a no-brainer, as there is literally no cost and plenty to gain.

It's like I speculated before--for a lot of these campaign folks, this is a brand new experience, and most of them are volunteers--so all in all, they're doing a pretty remarkable job. But we also see some costly mistakes being made, like not scheduling in the NRA's "Celebration of American Values." One place I see where this campaign could do a much better job is in processing suggestions and getting management to react to them--after all, grassroots is your front lines--the eyes, the ears, the field intelligence reporters...

Note to Kent Snyder: Show us how bureaucracies will be streamlined by showing us some responsiveness in your campaign. Let We the People do more. Show us you can listen as well as direct.

The Political Chessmasters

From NRA-ILA:

The National Rifle Association endorsed Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue`s re-election bid Sept. 28. "We support Gov. Perdue because he has stood with the gun owners, hunters and sportsmen of Georgia at every turn," said NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.

From AP:

Gov. Sonny Perdue said Tuesday that he opposes a gun bill backed by the National Rifle Association that would allow employees to keep their firearms in their parked car at work.

Without intending to reopen that debate here, I do find it interesting how political candidates are selected for endorsement--and how they are not.

This Day in History: January 16

Boston loyalist Peter Oliver reports that the old North Meeting House is pulled down for fuel for the loyalist Associators. The meeting house had been abandoned by the Reverend John Lathrop and his patriot congregation, most of whom had left Boston.

We're the Only Ones Troubled Enough

The Boston police officer accused of using his BPD-issued weapon to hold up a Roslindale gas station was drunk, off his medication and troubled by his cancer-stricken father on the day of the brazen daytime heist, his attorney said yesterday,

Yeah, there all kinds of mitigating circumstances for "what happened" as opposed to what he caused. I like the previous pass for the "domestic incident," the history of injury claims, and especially think the "chest pains" are a nice touch...as well as the thought of an armed Boston cop on meds.

See, the argument goes: If a highly trained "Only One" like this can get himself into such a jam, what chance would one of we poor mortal sovereign citizens have? After all, who knows what crises we will have to face in life?

Or as the Brady's tell us:

Law-abiding citizens with the best intentions underestimate how hard it is to use a gun for self-defense successfully. Even highly-trained police officers lose control of their handguns; according to the FBI, 5 out of 41 law enforcement officers (12%) killed by gunfire in the line of duty in 1999 were killed by an adversary with the officer's own service weapon. And police officers know that the very sight of a gun can escalate a situation, so that instead of simply losing your wallet, you can lose your life. That's why almost every major law enforcement organization - including the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the International Association of Chiefs of Police - opposes the weakening of CCW laws. (See Law Enforcement Relations)

So best to leave it to the professionals--like Officer Jones.

Here's the address for Faulkner Hospital, in case anyone wants to send him a "Get Well" card...

[Via Brian F]

What "Slippery Slope"?

"Why does a 22-year-old in a city like Toronto need a handgun? It's just not acceptable and I think it's time the federal government passed legislation to end the ownership of handguns in this country, period," the mayor said.

See--all you paranoids warning against a slippery slope are demonstrably wrong. If the antis had their way, it would be a sheer precipice.

And David Miller will finally achieve the world he so desperately wants to mandate, with even more guaranteed outcomes like this...

And then, of course, when that doesn't work, we'll need to look at the source of supply from the south and...naw...

That's crazy talk.

A Walk in the Park

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell is drawing up plans for cyberspace spying that would make the current debate on warrantless wiretaps look like a "walk in the park," according to an interview published in the New Yorker's print edition today.

More reasons to hate us because we're free, from the VFFP...

[Via Ron W]

The Thing That Menaced Walthamstow

The .22 calibre short round bullet was found at the entrance of the 99p Stores in Walthamstow High Street...

Good thing there was a licensed gun owner who believes in enforcing existing gun laws nearby to handle this horror!

I mean, really: "How can you feel safe..."?

I do have one thing I'd like to say to Mr. Khan, though...

[Via ChareltonHest]

The Tannerite Maneuver

[Use BugMeNot to bypass site registration]

Goodhue County Sheriff Dean Albers said Brian Childs, 30, 21000 Prairie Island Blvd., placed about 100 pounds of explosives into the rear of a truck Sunday on his property. A group of people on his property could be seen on a videotape.

The explosives were detonated when the truck was shot by a .50 caliber rifle from about 300 yards away, Albers said. It is unclear who fired the rifle.

It was a relief to learn no one was injured during the incident, he said. But since the material can be purchased over the Web — and possibly fall into the hands of those seeking to do harm — is concerning, Albers said.

Sounds to me like nobody got hurt and everybody had a good time. But the new standard, as applied by our masters, is whether someone "seeking to do harm" might get their hands on it.

You know, really dangerous stuff, like utility knives, fuel oil and fertilizer, gasoline and matches...

[Via ChareltonHest]

On Being Assured

It is important that we have strong, effective leadership at the top of the ATF. Please be assured that when making a decision, I will have your views in mind.

Kent McManigal replies to the unsurprising weasel words from Sen. Bob Casey on "Maximum Mike."

A Liberal Reading of the 2nd Amendment?

But Breyer's book, through its philosophical discussions of the meaning of liberty, does show a way to reconcile the subordinate clause of the Second Amendment (the importance of the militia to a free state) and the main clause (gun ownership as an individual right). And this reconciliation of the two clauses strongly suggests that the D.C. gun bans are unconstitutional.

Dave Kopel seems to think there's a good chance we'll find a sympathetic judicial ear with Stephen Breyer, generally acknowledged as a "liberal." Let's hope he's right.

[Via Greg L]

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/15/08

As 45Superman pointed out weeks ago, perhaps they're having second thoughts?

We're the Only Ones Reconciled Enough?

More than 10 months after being arrested and seven months after a change of venue, a Lockney justice of the peace faces trial beginning today in Randall County for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of her husband...

McPherson said Michelle Araujo, 33 at the time of the shooting, and Romeo Araujo, then 39, remain married. Romeo Araujo filed for divorce but withdrew the petition, McPherson said.

If I were to do any speculating, I'd be looking into the legal and financial advantages of remaining married under these circumstances, as opposed to undying love. I can't help but wonder if "mitigating" testimony he could now volunteer would diminish the charges--and, undying love notwithstanding, what other incentives there might be for him to do so...

Or, it could just be I'm cynical, and she really is the "Only One" for him...

This Day in History: January 15

Contrarians as always, the Vermonters could not come to terms with the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and chose instead to proclaim their land an independent republic. Thus was born the Republic of Vermont on January 15, 1777, in large part the creation of younger brother Ira Allen.

The Great Race

Somewhat surprisingly, as the campaign has tightened, racial tensions have bubbled to the surface with the two camps exchanging accusations. Those tensions are reflected in this week’s polling data. Overall, Clinton and Obama are close nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. But, among white voters, Clinton leads 41% to 27%. Among African-American voters, Obama leads 66% to 16%.

Now hold on just a dang minute here. I thought all the racists were over in the Ron Paul camp...???

A Faulty Conclusion?

The following is the unedited and complete response of Jay Smith, President of Cox Newspapers, to my Open Letter. I present it here with no further personal comment and invite you to draw your own conclusion:

Mr. Codrea: I have read the editorial and did not draw the same conclusions you drew. Gun control is a heated political issue. Organizations opposed to gun control have done a better job, over time, of packaging and presenting their arguments in the political arena than have those who support gun control. The editorial, while clearly supportive of gun-control legislation, urged gun-control advocates to become equally effective in making their political case.

In no way should a reader infer that this means The Dayton Daily News will skew its reporting to reflect that view. I believe you have drawn a faulty conclusion. I am copying Dayton Daily News Editor Kevin Riley and the newspaper's publisher, Doug Franklin, in hopes that you will continue your discussion with them.

The newspaper, I am sure, will be open to presenting views, such as yours, which take issue with the editorial. I appreciate your concern and your willingness to write to me. Sincerely, Jay Smith

We're the Only Ones Shushing You Up Enough

Holy and his friend told police that Anderson and Loughridge pointed their guns at them and told them to get on the ground. Before the officers left, the report says, Anderson told Holy that he'd kill him if he said anything about the incident.

Now I want all of you contributing to this divisive "us vs them" mentality to just stop it, OK?

[More from "The Only Ones" Files]

Just Stop It

The solicitor general holds an unusual position in the government.

He is an appointee of the president in the Justice Department, representing the administration's view in court.

To all of you who are floating the in-denial hope that somehow, this latest power grab/act of sabotage has been done without the implicit consent and direction of the "Vote Freedom First President," grow up. It wasn't slipped through by Clinton administration holdovers, and yes, the VFFP had full knowledge of this action. He authorized it.

Good grief.

More KoolAid Please...

No, the Bush Administration has not betrayed gun rights...

Right. I note this My Republicans Right or Wrong apologist doesn't allow comments. The better to avoid alternative viewpoints I guess, kind of like the more famous gun grabbers do on their sites.

The old "Who else do they have to vote for so we can get them to eat anything we scrape onto the floor" crap gun owners conditioned these people to expect.

And y'know what? I bet he's right. Before this thing is over, we'll see plenty from "our side" fulfilling that expectation, and chastising those of us who won't for throwing away our vote and giving the election to the democrats.

[Via Say Uncle and Snowflakes in Hell]

How YOU Can Be a Part of History

I first told you about Academics for the Second Amendment here.

They need financial help to fund their legal work on behalf of Heller. As we've just seen over the weekend, the novel betrayal by the "Vote Freedom First President" has made the need for compelling scholarship even more critical.

The work these men are doing on our behalf can be all consuming--they are devoting their time, their labor and their expertise to help bring us the best outcome possible.

We can continue to stand by as spectators, or we can do something to pitch in. Please help out by sending a donation and by spreading the word.

Wouldn't it be nice if our side prevails to know that you helped make it happen? Wouldn't it be pathetic if we lose and you know you didn't?

To reiterate who these guys are and their qualifications:

David T. Hardy
Clayton Cramer
Joseph E. Olson

[Via Greg L]

Use the First Amendment to Protect the Second

Mindful Musings reports on a petition to save the Second Amendment. Click the title link here to get to Chris Horton's commentary, and click the title link on his blog to sign the petition.

CeaseFire PA Director's Watch: 01/14/08

Maybe this'll be the week...?

You Bet HIS Life...

She then hid in a closet, armed with a gun.

The tape captures the woman struggling with a man, repeatedly saying,
"Stop it. Stop it."

The woman eventually shot and killed the intruder.

We reported on this here.

Maybe she'd have been better off playing dead?

Listen to the tape and judge for yourself.

And make note of the fact that our "Vote Freedom First President"--the most heavily protected man on the planet--and his DoJ lackey are perfectly OK with the "playing dead" option. In fact, when push comes to shove, betting your loved ones' lives is their choice of preference.

[Via HZ]

You Bet Your Life

She'd just been raped in her bedroom, hacked and slashed in the face, head, hands and neck with a butcher blade until her mattress and pillows were slick with blood and the white bones of her pinky finger were exposed, in her words, like a split "chicken wing."

A violently angry, mixed-up teen loomed over her and was going to kill her, because he had a $10,000 bet that he would...

That's why "Women's groups from across Canada call on political leaders to stand firm on gun control."

Or something...

This Day in History: January 14

The Continental Congress, which was temporarily situated in Annapolis, Maryland, at the time, ratified the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784.