We're the Only Ones Defending Ourselves Enough

An off-duty Chicago Police officer shot and killed a man who tried to rob him on the South Side Tuesday morning, officials said.

In other words, if lethal force was justified, he had to do it because he was in fear for his life.

In other words, had it been you or me, we could now be dead.

Because you and I aren't "Only Ones."

Forget it Jake, it's Chi-town.

[Via David H]

Ayers' Greatest Coup

Beach Girl shares some thoughts on Obama.

We're the Only Ones Vested Enough

The "Thor Shield" was designed for police officers but sure to be more popular amongst protesters and other people who piss off police officers. It uses a layer of foil in the vest to draw the current of the taser, keeping your body nice and jolt-free. That'll really come in handy the next time you foolishly decide to get out of your car to argue with a cop at a traffic stop or decide to protest any of the government's actions.

Wrong.

Thor Shield is only sold to Military and Law Enforcement Agencies

So I guess if you want one, you'll just have to adapt the idea and make one for yourself. Unless that's against the law, too.

I mean think about it: Why should we trust you with a vest? Who do you think you are? An "Only One"?

[Via David H]

You'd Do Anything to Keep Them Safe

Anti-Castle Doctrine mailer attacking Buckeye Firearms Assoc. endorsee paid for by Ohio Democratic Party

I hope to cover this next week on my Examiner page.

Until then, these are the democrat mailers.

This is my response:

The New Buccaneers

Security analysts and the Somali government are publicly flirting with the idea of hiring mercenaries to stop the pirates that are terrorizing east Africa. Now, the notorious guns-for-fire at Blackwater are responding to the call, with a resounding arrrr!!!!!

Concerns with Blackwater domestic operations notwithstanding, I find a free market solution interesting. As long as there's no problem proving the scalps and ears turned in for the bounty are righteously harvested...and all the controls are in place to prevent abuses and ensure protection of the innocent that that implies.

Without it, what's to stop some enterprising mercenary from shanghaiing a crew, placing them on a stolen vessel, blowing it to hell and then collecting a reward? I mean, it's not like we're dealing with professors of ethics here. And what's the saying, "Dead men tell no tales"...?

[Via David H]

A Modest Increase

Buried among the articles and budget legalese is this tiny gem spotted by a reader:

Increase gun registration fee from $20 to $60 per firearm

Don't worry, though. Richard Mell can afford it.

[Via DJK]

Who Do You Trust?

Four ATF agents infiltrated the gang and were accepted as full members, a difficult process that requires winning the trust of the gang's top leaders over a period of months, Hoffman said.

The agents were required to live away from their families in homes set up to make it look like they lived a Mongols lifestyle, Hoffman said. Four female undercover ATF agents also were involved in the operation, pretending to be biker girlfriends and attending parties with the agents.

Not that I'm comparing the two, but what they can do to the Mongols they can do to a militia.

Beware infiltrator informants and provocateurs. As we've seen too often, being a moral and patriotic American exercising Constitutionally-protected rights is no defense.

[Via David H and Avg Joe]

Don't Panic?

5. Don't panic. "When they knock, don't panic." Having worked on both sides of investigations, Howard offered plenty of observations, namely this: "It's all about pressure." He said he has seen investigators send in a uniformed SWAT team just for effect. "None of us think as well when we are under pressure," Howard said. "One of the ways to handle the pressure is to prepare for it now."

What if they don't knock?

I agree with the part about not panicking and being prepared to handle pressure, though...

[Via Cris C]

UPDATE: Robb Allen has improved on the original:

American Gun Owner = Trained Jihadist

Most unbelievable of all, though, is Judge Rogers’s take on guns. Can you imagine drawing a moral and factual equivalence between United States citizens who own firearms and alien terrorist trainees who have gone to jihadist camps and received instruction in explosives, close-combat, assassination tactics, and jihadist ideology? The mind reels.

Sure I can.

III.

Well, except for those "alien terrorist trainees" and "jihadist ideology" bits. No need to get nasty. Besides, I prefer "Homegrown Terrorist."

I hope more minds reel.

The stronger and more capable and better equipped we are perceived to be, and there are indeed some strong, capable and equipped individuals, the better it is for everyone.

The better to keep the peace with, my dear.

[Via Michael G]

GMU Alert

Firedbrass tells us how effective George Mason University's "No guns on campus" policy is.

Y'all remember George Mason? The guy who said:

I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers.

Some TN Permit Holders are Now Felons

Plain and simple, Tennessee's self-defense law was in my opinion much better before the NRA endorsed legislation was pushed through with the bi-partisan help of Republicans and Democrats in the Tennessee legislature many of which, in my belief, simply did not understand existing law and therefore tried to change it in perceived but misplaced need for a "castle doctrine" in Tennessee although we have had one for many years...

The effect of the new law is that now even non-violent felons are prohibited from possessing any firearms and also from buying firearms (TCA 39-17-1316) and also from having a handgun carry permit (TCA 39-17-1351) even if they have previously had their full rights of citizenship restored by a Tennessee court. They cannot hunt with a firearm. They cannot have a firearm in their home for self-defense. They cannot work as an armed guard. They cannot work in an armed law enforcement position.

They are unindicted felons instantly on July 1, 2008 whose names are in many state databases as firearms owners.

The title-linked post is a few months old--it's the best substitute I could find for a Tennessee Firearms Association email that I don't see posted yet on their website. Here's the beginnning of their email:

From: "TFALAC"
To:
Subject: TFALAC Alert: ATF Opinion on Tennessee Restorations
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:43:09 +0000

Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc.
Legislative Action Committee

I have written previously about the serious problems caused to 10's of thousands in Tennessee as a result of the Tennessee General Assembly, with what I understand to be the blessings of NRA-ILA's lobbyist Heidi Keesling, changed Tennessee's criminal code effective July 1, 2008. Below is an opinion by ATF's legal division on the consequences of this adverse change in the law. This was not just "2 steps back" for the issue of gun rights but more like a football field.
Call not only your legislators to demand that this be changed but call Chris Cox at the NRA-ILA.

I can't reproduce the entire lengthy text of the balance of the email here, and suggest you contact TFA for details. If someone can come up with a link where the complete alert is posted, please share it and I'll update this post.

Anybody from NRA care to address this and give us your side?

New Pro-gun Column in Cleveland

The Cleveland section of the news website Examiner.com had a new column start up this week, the Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner.

Written by gun rights advocate and writer David Codrea, this column will cover gun rights issues in Ohio with a focus on Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland area.

Ohioans For Concealed Carry noticed. Thanks for the plug!

Lightworker vs 2A

During Obama’s tenure, the Joyce Foundation board planned and implemented a program targeting the Supreme Court. The work began five years into Obama’s directorship, when the Foundation had experience in turning its millions into anti-gun “grassroots” organizations, but none at converting cash into legal scholarship.

The plan’s objective was bold: the judicial obliteration of the Second Amendment.

David Hardy tells us about it.

The Robber State

As the economy collapses, credit lines become constricted, and tax revenues are choked off, we can expect local representatives of the parasite class (commonly called "government") to become perversely creative in finding new ways to extract money from productive people. For parasites looking to feast on the wealth of others, the liberty-devouring fraud called the War on Drugs offers a particularly rich menu of possibilities.

Soon to be ratcheted up for the War on Guns...?

[Via Ron W]

This Day in History: October 22

Mr. Lorthrope has given me this account of the demand upon Falmouth. A Man of War and two tenders went down and sent to the inhabitants to demand their Arms and require them to Stand Nutur, they required time to consider, they gave them till nine oclock the next day, which time they imployed in removeing the women, children and the rest of their most valuable Effects out of Danger when they sent their answer in the Negative. Upon which they began a cannonade and were continuing it when the Express came away. --Hitchbourn and an other Gentleman got out of Town in a cana small Boat, one of the fogy nights we have had this week. I have not heard what intelegance he brings. An other person says that How enlarged all the prisoners but Lovel and he would not come out.

Who are the "Only Ones" We Can Trust with Guns?

How often have we been told this though, by police officials, by politicians, by anti-gun groups, by the media? Our laws have been geared to exempt police from carry restrictions in "No Guns" zones, assigning to the uniform and the badge an automatic and unquestioned trust that police are better trained, and just generally more cheerful, thrifty, brave clean and reverent than we mere mortal citizens. They are, we are told, the only ones who can handle the awesome trust of being armed in public.

My latest Examiner.com post is up, and it covers a subject very familiar to WarOnGuns regulars.

Hey, not bad for the 2nd day on the job (click image to enlarge)--this may yet make a go if it:



I've started compiling link lists and feeds. Right now I'm looking specifically for Ohio gun bloggers. If you are one, and would like to reciprocate links with my Examiner page, let me know and I'll include your blog in my list.

In the mean time, I'll continue to shamelessly beg for regulars here to support this effort by spreading the word. A growing audience not entirely comprised of choir members couldn't hurt...

The True Student of History

...can spot a holocaust when it's an idea yet to happen.

Every once in a while you come across a comment posted by an anti that is so profoundly stupid and ignorant, it just makes your jaw drop.

Telefon

Bryan Pick and Jon Henke invited me to particpate in a telephone conference with MO Governor Matt Blunt tomorrow. 2A will be among the topics and I'm told he will take questions.

No idea what to expect, really, but I will do a follow-up report.

UPDATE: As a point of clarification, I'm told the principals behind the call are doing this on their own and not under the auspices of QandO.

"Obvious Stonewalling": Savage Finds BATFU in Willful Violation of FOIA Request

Via E-mail :

FOIA request 08-1494

Ms. Graham,

In your final "final response" to my Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for "the documents and final determinations of the investigations" of the four closed investigations based on complaints made by myself or on my behalf.

Due to the poor punctuation in the response I can only assume the BATFE disclosure division meant to cite the following, which BATFE contends is exempt from disclosure under the Title 5, United States Code, Section 552(b):

b(5) inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letter which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency;

b(6) personnel and medical files and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute a clear and unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

It's a bit hard to envision b(6) as being applicable, as I never asked for personnel or medical files. BATFE can probably justify at least some of b(5); however, I don't see how the disclosure division can lawfully withhold the results of the investigations as I originally requested in September.

This is obvious stonewalling. It appears you are parsing words of the law to prevent the results of the investigations from becoming known. Your office clearly stated: "We are transferring these documents to that federal agency..." In other words your disclosure division admits it had the documents and got rid of them to prevent from complying with my lawful FOIA request? Perhaps another FOIA asking for a budget breakdown of how much money your office and the BATFE spent in man hours and all other expenses while responding to my FOIA request 08-1494 is in order? I would think the results of that would be of great interest to the U.S. Inspector General, the honorable Glenn Fine.

Ms. Graham, please respond to my original FOIA request for "the documents and final determinations of the investigations".

Respectfully,

Len Savage
-----------------
Ain't that something? And note when they want records, they just come in, armed, and seize them.--DC

Stop Me Before I Kill Again

“I dont like guns much, and the reason I don”t like them is because I do like them,” the New York Daily News quoted him, as saying.

“If you put one in my hand, I feel incredibly omnipotent. And I hate that truth,” he added.

Nice self control. There's a man I can admire.

If I didn't know better, I might think some of these movie heroes are nothing more than weakling stage props with artificially inflated egos.

I'm sure glad the "Authorized Journalists" hang on their every word so that we can share in their wisdom. We want to keep that pH Factor growing (currently at 1.6:59, up from 1:24 just since February)...

[Via KABA Newslinks]