"The only individuals whose privacy would have been infringed by the bill would have been the privacy of people with something to hide from the police..."
Damn straight.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Shameless Plug: "Failing the Test"
As part of his investigation, Whitesides accompanied firearms expert Len Savage, of Historic Arms LLC, to the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s firing range. There, BATFE Agent Michael Cooney, who wrote the report declaring one of the seized rifles fired “automatically,” set out to prove it on videotape.
The problem was, the FN-FAL wouldn’t cooperate.
"Failing the Test," my "Rights Watch" column for the July issue of GUNS Magazine, provides exclusive behind-the-scenes details of JPFO's "BATFE Fails the Test" video.
The magazine is on sale now. So is the video. Get both and ace the test.
The problem was, the FN-FAL wouldn’t cooperate.
"Failing the Test," my "Rights Watch" column for the July issue of GUNS Magazine, provides exclusive behind-the-scenes details of JPFO's "BATFE Fails the Test" video.
The magazine is on sale now. So is the video. Get both and ace the test.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Surrender Your Freedom and Live
"A monthlong gun buyback program aimed at getting firearms off the street netted 75 guns as of Friday. Tuesday is the last day that residents can turn in guns...The gun buyback program, titled ‘Surrender Your Weapons and Live,’ was supported by community groups who blanketed neighborhoods with flyers...Guns were turned in at the police station and residents were given a $50 voucher."
"’It's an opportunity to make sure we don't just get the guns out of the house,’ [Brett] Wells said. ‘But it provides opportunities for family strengthening. Really it has been a collaborative effort.’"
No doubt. Sounds like there are quite a few collaborators.
"The total grant for the project was $65,000 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Wells said the grant has room to buy about 75 more firearms."
Wait a minute. 150 guns at $50 a pop (sorry) is only $7,500. You're telling me it cost $57,500 to administer this evil farce? And the damn lapdog Times Herald doesn't even raise this point, but instead presents the program as "beating estimates"?
"We would have been satisfied if we'd gotten 30 or 40 (guns)," Wells discloses.
Well no, duh. Keep it down to 75 guns and that's another $3,750 they won't have to shell out.
Our tax dollars at work.
"’It's an opportunity to make sure we don't just get the guns out of the house,’ [Brett] Wells said. ‘But it provides opportunities for family strengthening. Really it has been a collaborative effort.’"
No doubt. Sounds like there are quite a few collaborators.
"The total grant for the project was $65,000 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Wells said the grant has room to buy about 75 more firearms."
Wait a minute. 150 guns at $50 a pop (sorry) is only $7,500. You're telling me it cost $57,500 to administer this evil farce? And the damn lapdog Times Herald doesn't even raise this point, but instead presents the program as "beating estimates"?
"We would have been satisfied if we'd gotten 30 or 40 (guns)," Wells discloses.
Well no, duh. Keep it down to 75 guns and that's another $3,750 they won't have to shell out.
Our tax dollars at work.
Smile, You're on Kelly's Camera
"New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has told top police brass that he wants to put up about 400 surveillance cameras on high-crime and high-traffic streets..."
Of course he does.
Give it a few years and ordinary cameras won't be good enough.
Welcome to The Gray Zone.
Of course he does.
Give it a few years and ordinary cameras won't be good enough.
Welcome to The Gray Zone.
Monday, May 30, 2005
A Memorial Day Remembrance
Years ago, when some friends and I launched the GunTruths website, I wrote an article about some of the flames we'd been receiving from antis who took offense at our unapologetic advocacy of the right to keep and bear arms.
One particularly hate-filled Brit wrote:
"When you broke away 200 years ago realise why we don't think it was as great a victory as you do! There have been lots of events over the years that have shown the US to be less than willing to participate in warfare, and when you do, your preoccupation with firing missiles or dropping bombs from a 'safe' distance means that our guys are in more danger from you. Don't get too close you might get your uniforms dirty!"
My observations follow. The complete article is on KABA.
How do you deal with this? These are people who think that pledging your "lives fortunes and sacred honor" against tyranny is no big deal. These are people who took out ads in newspapers pleading for Americans to "Send guns to defend a British home". These are people who, despite the experience of two world wars in the last eighty years disparage the concept of being invaded and needing guns, all the while living under the protective shield of a largely American NATO deployment throughout Europe. Tonight, as they sleep, United States military forces will be standing guard in the darkness.
I cannot but consider such unfair and stark ingratitude against the recollection of my boyhood visit to the World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy, where, beneath an ordered formation of uniform white crosses, my Uncle Nick is interred. He never grew past his teens, never went to college, never married, had children, a career, or grandchildren. I can only speculate as to the paralyzing horror, the denial, the sorrow, and the helpless, tragic realization of finality that my grandparents must have gone through with the loss of their baby, their laughing, lovely boy, their cherished only son.
Trust me, beneficiaries of his sacrifice, Nick Morrison's uniform got dirty.
"The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is situated at the north edge of the town of Nettuno, Italy. It is just east of Anzio and thirty miles south of Rome...Beyond the pool is an immense field of headstones of 7,862 American military Dead arranged in gentle arcs which sweep across the broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines... On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose remains were never recovered or identified."
--From The American Battle Monuments Commission
One particularly hate-filled Brit wrote:
"When you broke away 200 years ago realise why we don't think it was as great a victory as you do! There have been lots of events over the years that have shown the US to be less than willing to participate in warfare, and when you do, your preoccupation with firing missiles or dropping bombs from a 'safe' distance means that our guys are in more danger from you. Don't get too close you might get your uniforms dirty!"
My observations follow. The complete article is on KABA.
How do you deal with this? These are people who think that pledging your "lives fortunes and sacred honor" against tyranny is no big deal. These are people who took out ads in newspapers pleading for Americans to "Send guns to defend a British home". These are people who, despite the experience of two world wars in the last eighty years disparage the concept of being invaded and needing guns, all the while living under the protective shield of a largely American NATO deployment throughout Europe. Tonight, as they sleep, United States military forces will be standing guard in the darkness.
I cannot but consider such unfair and stark ingratitude against the recollection of my boyhood visit to the World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Italy, where, beneath an ordered formation of uniform white crosses, my Uncle Nick is interred. He never grew past his teens, never went to college, never married, had children, a career, or grandchildren. I can only speculate as to the paralyzing horror, the denial, the sorrow, and the helpless, tragic realization of finality that my grandparents must have gone through with the loss of their baby, their laughing, lovely boy, their cherished only son.
Trust me, beneficiaries of his sacrifice, Nick Morrison's uniform got dirty.
"The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is situated at the north edge of the town of Nettuno, Italy. It is just east of Anzio and thirty miles south of Rome...Beyond the pool is an immense field of headstones of 7,862 American military Dead arranged in gentle arcs which sweep across the broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines... On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose remains were never recovered or identified."
--From The American Battle Monuments Commission
No Victims
Deborah Ann Courtney has a new website. In her words:
"Everyone else was either working to get Mc Clintock or Ahnold elected; I was by myself in a courtroom, with one friend, Randy Herrst, not even my family, because my Momma was dying of cancer, and I delivered this statement, as I went deep into myself, and for some reason, the courtroom was jam packed, and silent, and when I was done, and wanted to crumple, a thunderous roar of applause filled the room, and the judge allowed me a few moments of triumph, that grew with the encouragement of the crowd, and as they gave me a standing ovation in the courtroom. My finest moment, his worst fear.
"It is so important that we as victims teach others to become victors. The crowd showed me, now we need to show each other."
"Everyone else was either working to get Mc Clintock or Ahnold elected; I was by myself in a courtroom, with one friend, Randy Herrst, not even my family, because my Momma was dying of cancer, and I delivered this statement, as I went deep into myself, and for some reason, the courtroom was jam packed, and silent, and when I was done, and wanted to crumple, a thunderous roar of applause filled the room, and the judge allowed me a few moments of triumph, that grew with the encouragement of the crowd, and as they gave me a standing ovation in the courtroom. My finest moment, his worst fear.
"It is so important that we as victims teach others to become victors. The crowd showed me, now we need to show each other."
Tagging Along
Claire Wolfe just "book tagged" me.
Wow--I'm honored. Really.
I feel like Garth and Wayne.
How can I decline?
Total number of books I've owned: No idea. It must be in the thousands.
Last book I bought: Easy. I'm wearing the t-shirt as I type.
Last book I read: I just finished it today. And what's this talk about maybe not doing a sequel? You can't just leave me hanging like this!
Five books that mean a lot to me:
[These are not listed in any particular order, and there are many more books that mean a lot to me than just these five. So this list is not fixed.]
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Bible
Prodigal Genius by John J. O'Neill
The Federalist Papers by Publius
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Tag five people and have them do this on their blogs:
Jed
Nicki
Matthew
Kevin
Say Uncle
There are many more books and many other bloggers that could have been listed here. This reminds me of a scene from the end of the movie version of The Time Machine where Filby and the housekeeper discover George has returned to the future and has taken three books from his library. They don't know which ones he selected as being the most useful for rebuilding a civilization.
"Which three would you have chosen?" Filby asks.
Wow--I'm honored. Really.
I feel like Garth and Wayne.
How can I decline?
Total number of books I've owned: No idea. It must be in the thousands.
Last book I bought: Easy. I'm wearing the t-shirt as I type.
Last book I read: I just finished it today. And what's this talk about maybe not doing a sequel? You can't just leave me hanging like this!
Five books that mean a lot to me:
[These are not listed in any particular order, and there are many more books that mean a lot to me than just these five. So this list is not fixed.]
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Bible
Prodigal Genius by John J. O'Neill
The Federalist Papers by Publius
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Tag five people and have them do this on their blogs:
Jed
Nicki
Matthew
Kevin
Say Uncle
There are many more books and many other bloggers that could have been listed here. This reminds me of a scene from the end of the movie version of The Time Machine where Filby and the housekeeper discover George has returned to the future and has taken three books from his library. They don't know which ones he selected as being the most useful for rebuilding a civilization.
"Which three would you have chosen?" Filby asks.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Jedi Gibberish
Rational Review links us to "Star Wars: Are the Sith Selfish?" by Edward Hudgins of The Objectivist Center.
Hudgins calls our attention to a particularly ludicrous aspect of the Jedi Code articulated by Yoda: "that fear of loss is the path to the Dark Side; that attachment leads to greed; and that one should release oneself from that which one fears to lose. If one lets go of fear -- which by Yoda's logic implies giving up what one loves --, loss cannot harm one.
"Well there's a pretty bleak choice! If you really love something -- your wife, children, career -- fear of their loss could drive you to commit every kind of immoral act. Self-interest leads to Darth Vader. The only alternative: self-sacrifice; love nothing. On Yoda's theory, why should he and the other Jedi love the Republic and liberty?"
Good call, pointing this out.
We took the kids to see the film the other night. Special effects are great. Basics, like acting and dialog, could use some work. Hayden Christensen did a better job than most critics are giving him credit for. Brilliant veteran performers like Samuel L. Jackson sounded like they were doing rehearsals for the school play.
Another thing that bugged me is how those on the "good" side kept equating freedom with "democracy."
My final objection was when Obi-Wan saved himself using a handblaster, and afterward threw it to the floor with a disgusted "How uncivilized!"
Maybe, pal. But you used it, didn't you?
Hudgins calls our attention to a particularly ludicrous aspect of the Jedi Code articulated by Yoda: "that fear of loss is the path to the Dark Side; that attachment leads to greed; and that one should release oneself from that which one fears to lose. If one lets go of fear -- which by Yoda's logic implies giving up what one loves --, loss cannot harm one.
"Well there's a pretty bleak choice! If you really love something -- your wife, children, career -- fear of their loss could drive you to commit every kind of immoral act. Self-interest leads to Darth Vader. The only alternative: self-sacrifice; love nothing. On Yoda's theory, why should he and the other Jedi love the Republic and liberty?"
Good call, pointing this out.
We took the kids to see the film the other night. Special effects are great. Basics, like acting and dialog, could use some work. Hayden Christensen did a better job than most critics are giving him credit for. Brilliant veteran performers like Samuel L. Jackson sounded like they were doing rehearsals for the school play.
Another thing that bugged me is how those on the "good" side kept equating freedom with "democracy."
My final objection was when Obi-Wan saved himself using a handblaster, and afterward threw it to the floor with a disgusted "How uncivilized!"
Maybe, pal. But you used it, didn't you?
Saturday, May 28, 2005
A Numbers Game
Los Angeles Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa won the recent election 59% to 41%. Of the 1.5 million registered voters, 30.5% turned out, that is, 448,857 went to the polls or cast absentee ballots.
Here's what a few hundred thousand people decided about the course of gun rights in the City of Angels:
According to Gun Owners of California's Assembly Scorecard, Villaraigosa earned a 0% rating in 1999.
Not that Republican darling Jim Hahn would have been any better.
Here's what a few hundred thousand people decided about the course of gun rights in the City of Angels:
According to Gun Owners of California's Assembly Scorecard, Villaraigosa earned a 0% rating in 1999.
Not that Republican darling Jim Hahn would have been any better.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
"The United States wants Britain's proposed identity cards to have the same microchip and technology as the ones used on American documents.
"The aim of getting the same microchip is to ensure compatability in screening terrorist suspects."
Sure it is. It's for your own good. It has nothing to do with global control. Where do such silly ideas come from?
Hush now. Go back to sleep.
Have you joined The Real ID Rebellion?
Why not?
"The aim of getting the same microchip is to ensure compatability in screening terrorist suspects."
Sure it is. It's for your own good. It has nothing to do with global control. Where do such silly ideas come from?
Hush now. Go back to sleep.
Have you joined The Real ID Rebellion?
Why not?
"The So-Called Gun Show Loophole"
Per NRA-ILA:
"Amendment 22, the law that closed the so-called gun-show loophole to require background checks on gun buyers, could be altered for the first time by the Colorado legislature."
Per NRA-ILA:
A lawmaker wants to remove some language from the voter- approved law that closed the so-called "gun-show loophole" regarding criminal background checks in 2000.
Per NRA-ILA:
"There Is No Gun Show Loophole"
Per NRA-ILA:
"In its desperation to abolish gun shows, AGS also continues attempts to fabricate a gun show 'loophole.'"
Per NRA-ILA:
"Proponents say their bill is a single-purpose effort to close a so-called 'gun show loophole,' but S. 890 contains numerous complications and loopholes that give a single federal official the ability to shut down gun shows entirely, register citizens who attend shows and impose many other restrictions that have nothing to do with background checks on purchases."
And how do these words and warnings translate into actions?
In a compromise engineered by NRA-ILA:
"[S]enators voted 34-25 to approve the NRA-backed proposal to close the so-called "gun show loophole."
"Amendment 22, the law that closed the so-called gun-show loophole to require background checks on gun buyers, could be altered for the first time by the Colorado legislature."
Per NRA-ILA:
A lawmaker wants to remove some language from the voter- approved law that closed the so-called "gun-show loophole" regarding criminal background checks in 2000.
Per NRA-ILA:
"There Is No Gun Show Loophole"
Per NRA-ILA:
"In its desperation to abolish gun shows, AGS also continues attempts to fabricate a gun show 'loophole.'"
Per NRA-ILA:
"Proponents say their bill is a single-purpose effort to close a so-called 'gun show loophole,' but S. 890 contains numerous complications and loopholes that give a single federal official the ability to shut down gun shows entirely, register citizens who attend shows and impose many other restrictions that have nothing to do with background checks on purchases."
And how do these words and warnings translate into actions?
In a compromise engineered by NRA-ILA:
"[S]enators voted 34-25 to approve the NRA-backed proposal to close the so-called "gun show loophole."
New Weapon System Shoots Around Corners...
...but it won't be available to We the People because you don't need to shoot around corners to hunt deer.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Law and Order
Correspondent Robert Lewis is angry over last night's episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent." They apparently used the show as a platform to seed the audience with gun control propaganda.
I've heard that L&O has long been a subversive show. I’ve never watched it myself, but I remember channel surfing through it and stopping long enough to hear Jerry Orbach’s character tell the crime scene photographer to “Send the pictures to Charlton Heston.”
That was enough for me.
Richard Belzer and his porn actress wife signed a Violence Policy Center letter urging Congress and the President to enact a “stronger assault weapons ban.”
Face it--the preponderance of TV shows glorifying cops and prosecutors enforcing "law and order" is no accident.
I've heard that L&O has long been a subversive show. I’ve never watched it myself, but I remember channel surfing through it and stopping long enough to hear Jerry Orbach’s character tell the crime scene photographer to “Send the pictures to Charlton Heston.”
That was enough for me.
Richard Belzer and his porn actress wife signed a Violence Policy Center letter urging Congress and the President to enact a “stronger assault weapons ban.”
Face it--the preponderance of TV shows glorifying cops and prosecutors enforcing "law and order" is no accident.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Sure, Sen. McCain, It's Right Here in the Constitution
This guy is pure, megalomaniacal evil.
Yeah, I know he was a "war hero."
So was Benedict Arnold.
Yeah, I know he was a "war hero."
So was Benedict Arnold.
The War on the Bill of Rights
From JPFO:
The FBI is investigating library checkout records in its "War on Terror."
A librarian said "no."
"The Library had consulted their lawyer and done their homework, so they told the FBI that it would have to follow the proper procedures. About a week later, the FBI served a subpoena upon the Library, demanding a list of everyone who had borrowed that book since November 2001...
"After the Library's legal challenge, the FBI withdrew its request. Ms. Airoldi learned, however, that under the Patriot Act, the FBI could go to a secret court to obtain a court order to obtain the borrowing records."
That apparently is not good enough.
From The Washington Post:
"The FBI on Tuesday asked the U.S. Congress for sweeping new powers to seize business or private records, ranging from medical information to book purchases, to investigate terrorism without first securing approval from a judge...
"The proposed new powers, long sought by the FBI, have been added by Republican lawmakers, acting on the wishes of the Bush administration, to the new draft of the USA Patriot Act."
How does the propaganda slogan go, "If you're not with us, you're against us"?
Squarely against over here, guys.
Oh, but wait, here's their rationale:
"Committee chairman, Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, noted that other government agencies already had subpoena power to investigate matters such as child pornography, drug investigations and medical malpractice. He said it made little sense to deny those same powers to the FBI to investigate terrorism or keep track of foreign intelligence agents."
No doubt the same treasonous black robes who rule the Second Amendment is a collective state power have abetted the destruction of the Fourth Amendment as well.
That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it Constitutional.
Mr. Franklin warned us about trading liberty for security.
The FBI is investigating library checkout records in its "War on Terror."
A librarian said "no."
"The Library had consulted their lawyer and done their homework, so they told the FBI that it would have to follow the proper procedures. About a week later, the FBI served a subpoena upon the Library, demanding a list of everyone who had borrowed that book since November 2001...
"After the Library's legal challenge, the FBI withdrew its request. Ms. Airoldi learned, however, that under the Patriot Act, the FBI could go to a secret court to obtain a court order to obtain the borrowing records."
That apparently is not good enough.
From The Washington Post:
"The FBI on Tuesday asked the U.S. Congress for sweeping new powers to seize business or private records, ranging from medical information to book purchases, to investigate terrorism without first securing approval from a judge...
"The proposed new powers, long sought by the FBI, have been added by Republican lawmakers, acting on the wishes of the Bush administration, to the new draft of the USA Patriot Act."
How does the propaganda slogan go, "If you're not with us, you're against us"?
Squarely against over here, guys.
Oh, but wait, here's their rationale:
"Committee chairman, Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, noted that other government agencies already had subpoena power to investigate matters such as child pornography, drug investigations and medical malpractice. He said it made little sense to deny those same powers to the FBI to investigate terrorism or keep track of foreign intelligence agents."
No doubt the same treasonous black robes who rule the Second Amendment is a collective state power have abetted the destruction of the Fourth Amendment as well.
That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it Constitutional.
Mr. Franklin warned us about trading liberty for security.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Open Inquiry to the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team
Since I seem to be fixated on numbers this morning, I have a couple simple questions for the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team:
Since your unit was activated in 1983, how much money, total, have your operations cost the American taxpayer?
How many hostages have you rescued?
How much is that per hostage?
Oh, I guess I also need to factor in how many "hostages" you haven't rescued...
By the way, you guys wouldn't happen to know anything about a BIG METAL DOOR, would you...?
Since your unit was activated in 1983, how much money, total, have your operations cost the American taxpayer?
How many hostages have you rescued?
How much is that per hostage?
Oh, I guess I also need to factor in how many "hostages" you haven't rescued...
By the way, you guys wouldn't happen to know anything about a BIG METAL DOOR, would you...?
The "pH" Factor
My Very Own Cultural Degeneracy Indicator
Google hits for “Patrick Henry”
“Results 1 - 10 of about 885,000 for ‘Patrick Henry’.”
Google hits for “Paris Hilton”
“Results 1 - 10 of about 6,060,000 for ‘Paris Hilton’.”
I wonder what the ratio of no return is, where the culture as a collective deserves to be doomed?
Google hits for “Patrick Henry”
“Results 1 - 10 of about 885,000 for ‘Patrick Henry’.”
Google hits for “Paris Hilton”
“Results 1 - 10 of about 6,060,000 for ‘Paris Hilton’.”
I wonder what the ratio of no return is, where the culture as a collective deserves to be doomed?
Monday, May 23, 2005
Josh Horwitz Waves Red Flag
"The standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco -- often cited as proof that the government can and does abuse its power -- illustrate why armed resistance is a dead end. Randy Weaver and David Koresh may have had good reasons to distrust the government, but they had no right to use private arsenals to keep the police at bay. Our system includes democratic safeguards, such as juries, that do not rely on the private force of arms."
Hey Josh--why don't you have "our system" find the damned steel front door from Mt. Carmel that somehow mysteriously disappeared from evidence custody--to help determine who actually shot first? And I'm sure Sammy and Vicki Weaver appreciate the jury trials they got.
Damned police state apologist. I suppose the Warsaw Ghetto resistance fighters "had no right to keep the [Nazis] at bay," either.
[Thanks to SaMaeL for the tip.]
Hey Josh--why don't you have "our system" find the damned steel front door from Mt. Carmel that somehow mysteriously disappeared from evidence custody--to help determine who actually shot first? And I'm sure Sammy and Vicki Weaver appreciate the jury trials they got.
Damned police state apologist. I suppose the Warsaw Ghetto resistance fighters "had no right to keep the [Nazis] at bay," either.
[Thanks to SaMaeL for the tip.]
The Clock is Ticking
Triggerfinger tells us "time is running out to comment on the FEC's rules for bloggers."
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