Citizen Militia Defends NO Neighborhood

"She said she still has 42 bullets to expend before she'll be forcibly evacuated."

Looks like that idiot P. Edwin Compass III has a math problem to solve.

Three cheers for the Algiers Point Militia!

[Thanks to Cornet Joyce II]

Check Out The Handgun Club of America!

Some of the gun blogs are mentioning a new group, Handgun Club of America, and encouraging us to check it out.

I just took a cursory glance at their site, and will need to learn more before I can recommend joining.

They say they’re not a “politically-charged grou[p] like the NRA and other firearm organizations.” Instead, they say they “are, if you will, a calm, rational alternative for the 60 million households who lawfully choose to own a handgun.”

Fine. Not everyone can be an activist. There is room for recreational/educational clubs, and they can do much good in promoting an interest in shooting handguns, which can result in an interest in defending the right to own one. But claiming to be a “calm, rational alternative” implies those fighting for the right to keep and bear arms are agitated (fair enough) and irrational (hey, wait a minute...).

This raises a flag for me. An unequivocal statement of support for the Second Amendment--along with some examples to demonstrate their understanding of "shall not be infringed"--would help alleviate concerns.

Just who is behind HCA? Who are the people who want us to send them money? A register.com WHOIS lookup identifies one Josh Manheimer of J.C. Manheimer & Company as the registrant—although it’s not clear if he’s the principal behind the effort or an agent of those who are. I’ve never heard of him—either in the gun rights community or as someone of note in the field of handgun expertise. A Google search on his name turns up nothing in terms of any kind of "street cred" in the firearms community—although I do note he raised $100 for Howard Dean in 2004.

Yeah, Dean used to have an NRA "A" rating (for what that's worth), but he's on record supporting the "assault weapon" ban, the Brady Bill, and ending the "gun show loophole." He also has no problem with states ignoring the Bill of Rights--at least as far as the Second Amendment goes. Manheimer's support--if he is a principal behind HCA as opposed to a paid pr guy-- raises another flag for me.

What Manheimer is is a direct mail copywriter, a pro at crafting words so that people in his target market will want to buy the product or service he has contracted to promote.

That's great. If you want to attract people, you have to know how to do it. His advertising expertise is impressive and the HCA site reflects this.

But that's all style--I have another concern--another flag--about substance: On their “Gun Safety Rules” page, HCA tells us to:

"Store firearms and ammunition separately. When cleaning a firearm, put ammunition in a separate room or locked up out of reach.

"Stored firearms should be unloaded to prevent accidents when removing from their storage location. Ammunition, especially while cleaning a firearm, should be stored separately."

Well, sorry, but if I do that, it becomes useless for emergency defense. This seems to be the same advice we get from Andrew McKelvey’s Americans for Gun Safety, which tells us to: “Keep your ammunition as safe and inaccessible as your firearms.”

And it's the same position adopted by the Brady Center, which has initiated a Legal Action Project because they say “a majority of gun owners living with children do not store their guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.”

We see that when applied uniformly in the real world, such one-size-fits-all policies can result in nasty, brutal things--like pitchfork murders--where minors couldn’t reach a gun to save their lives.

I think HCA needs to address this.

Bottom line: HCA may turn out to be a fine organization. Mr. Manheimer may turn out to be a handgun enthusiast who has created something that will benefit gun owners. He may turn out to be a hired marketing consultant for someone else.

But until we find out who is behind HCA and whether or not they really support the Second Amendment--and how they do so--I can’t recommend giving them any money. Some sport shooters almost got burned by the American Hunting and Shooting Association until some curious folks started checking up on them.

I'll go this far in joining the other gun bloggers who recommend checking out HCA:

Yes, by all means, do so.

The Lord of War

You've probably seen the commercials for the upcoming Nicholas Cage movie about an international arms dealer.

I'll probably see it--on the one hand, Cage is cool and the guns are cool, on the other, it will probably have no shortage of "evils that guns do" messages and may come up short on otherwise helpless people defending themselves from genocidal regimes.

Lion's Gate Films has set up a forum on their website. I literally don't have time to participate in forums, particularly one where much debate will be likely--but call it to the attention of the pro-2A community in case anyone has the time and inclination to make sure the truth doesn't get buried in the hype--for instance, one thread links to The Federation of American Scientists Arms Sales Monitoring Project, which is big on international agreements for global gun control. It might not hurt to have people on "our side" pointing out that tyanny can't be resisted if the people have nothing to resist with, that 100 million victims were murdered by their own governments in the last century, and stuff like that...plus a forum on a popular movie site ought to give some great exposure to activists who like to write.

I'd do it, but honest to God, my plate is beyond full.

Still MORE Proof...

...that only sworn officers of the law can be trusted with guns.

Heaven Forbid!

"Journalists in Michigan are reportedly being told by state legislators that bills introduced this week only relate to the use of deadly force in one's home, and don't create new legal justifications for expanded use of deadly force in public. That is not accurate," whines the Brady Center's Peter Hamm.

Heaven forbid you have the means and will to protect yourself or your loved ones if attacked in public! What kind of vigilante miscreant could even think of such a thing?

"Mothers Protest Against Gun Crimes"

I don't get it.

How can there be any "gun crimes" when guns have been effectively banned?

What, you mean gun control laws don't work?

Coming Soon to a Range Near You

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday an agreement with an upstate New York gun club to keep its members from firing lead shot into nearby wetlands and water... the consent order...is part of a larger effort to educate owners and operators of outdoor shooting ranges on how to safely manage lead shot and bullets...The agency said it plans similar agreements with other shooting ranges to help keep lead from accumulating in soil and groundwater, where it poses a threat of lead poisoning to people."

Oh, boy--a new way to close down ranges! Well, is it an "order" or an "agreement"? Or is it kind of like those folks in New Orleans who "volunteered" to leave their homes and supplies, and surrender their guns after the SWAT teams showed up with M-16s and plastic cuffs?

It's nice to see the "pro-gun" Bush administration is on the same page about this as the Leonardo DiCaprio/Robert Redford-backed Natural Resources Defense Council.

Aren't you glad gun owners were seduced to "Vote Freedom First"? Because Lord knows what creative ways a Kerry administration would have used to harass gun owners.

"Treat Me With Benign Neglect" (Video)

The CNN busybody just doesn't get it. He thinks the police are "trying to talk sense" into folks when they order them to leave their property and surrender their means of self defense.

These residents show more liberty leadership than NRA management. And they don't even charge dues.

Michigan bills would allow residents to fatally shoot intruders

And your point is...?

"Rest Assured...

...NRA is monitoring this situation very closely and will address any activity by the government that unduly infringes upon the rights of lawful gun owners at the appropriate time."

Somehow I don't feel very assured.

And now is not the time to rest.

What more needs to be monitored? Confiscations are happening. They don't think that "unduly infringes"?

How could there be a more appropriate time than now?

FEMA Looting

We're from the government. We're here to help.

Sa-a-ay...nice gun you've got there...

Mexican Military Crosses Border

I guess we're supposed to be grateful, but do we really need foreign troops on US soil?

I'd like to see some questions answered:

• Are they armed?
• Do they have authority over Americans who don't want their help?
• Why have we placed ourselves in a position where we need their manpower?
• Why is it that an American citizen trying to bring a truck of relief supplies in will reportedly get turned away at gunpoint, but a Mexican soldier doing the same is hailed as a liberator?

Maybe they can help with the forced evacuations and weapons confiscations.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: Looks like they're unarmed. Link courtesy of Texican Tattler.

UPDATE UPDATE: Gunner links to an account that says they are armed.

"Flood Survivors Expelled By Force"

"Police backed by troops have begun to use force to remove people from their homes in the city of New Orleans...Many are now going voluntarily - but others are being handcuffed and taken to evacuation centres, officials say."

I like the lapdog media's definition of going "voluntarily."

Let me get this straight--if you have prepared and stockpiled and made provisions for your own survival and defense, the government would rather disarm you and put you in an evacuation center.

Here's what reportedly happened when they did that last week, at the Superdome:

"We had three murders last night. We had a total of six rapes last night. We had the day before, I think, there were three or four murders. There were half-a-dozen rapes that night. We had one suicide last night. We had one military policeman shot."

Well, the school buses are flooded out--maybe the volunteer refugees could be transported in cattle cars.

Go Greyhound

And leave the driving to us.

Or not.

These are the incompetent kleptocrats who want to disarm us because we can't be trusted.

[Thanks to Jim Peel.]

Some Quick, Random Thoughts on the NO Gun Confiscations

• New Orleans is within the jurisdiction of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals--the court that said in Emerson that the Second Amendment is an individual right. No idea if that will factor into this at a later date.
• I wonder if cops who participated in the looting will be excluded from the confiscation parties. No, I really don't. Looks like some goons are gonna be adding to their throwaway collections--as well as getting nice inventories to sell to their gang buddies.
• The people who were prepared to hold out and defend their homes and lives, that is, the independent and self-sufficient, will now be coerced into becoming defenseless displaced dependents.
• The operative theme here: Let us save you or we'll kill you.
• So much for the gungrabbers saying we're paranoid for thinking registration will lead to confiscation.

UPDATE: I'm not sure what the NYT article was referring to--per NRA's site, there is no registration in Louisiana. Perhaps they meant those with permits for concealed handguns? Or perhaps they--or the police officials they spoke with--simply don't know what they're talking about.

Oh, Gee--What a Surprise

"Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered firearms, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here."

I nominate P. Edwin Compass III for Morlock of the Month.

This business of allowing private security to keep their arms strikes me as a clear abridgement of the equal protection guarantee--but then again, your life isn't as valuable as an NBC reporter's.

Expect the same thing when disaster strikes your town.

Squeeze, baby, squeeze.

[Thanks to Cornet Joyce II]

UPDATE: I'm not sure what the NYT article was referring to--per NRA's site, there is no registration in Louisiana. Perhaps they meant those with permits for concealed handguns? Or perhaps they--or the police officials they spoke with--simply don't know what they're talking about.

What, Hurricane Survivors Are Buying GUNS?

"It seems to matter little that the police have appealed for calm, and dismissed most of the reports of carjackings and armed robberies and other crimes as nothing more than rumour."

There, see? You don't need a gun. New Orleans is a model of lawfulness and order. You shouldn't believe all those nasty "rumours." The Financial Times said it, I believe it, that settles it.

Just one question: Would those be the same police that are in Aisle Three?

Yet ANOTHER Delay

Looks like the politicians up in Canada have bitten off more than the bureaucracy can chew.

Their Orwellian spinboob says the delay is to ensure the system is more "user-friendly."

Badaboom!

Looks like a leading contributor to the New Jersey political establishment just got popped on a gun charge.

That reminds me--I was gonna pick up that box set of "The Sopranos" DVDs...

"We Actually Saw the Police. They're in Aisle Three."

Amazing Facts links to a video of New Orleans cops looting Wal-Mart.

I guess if they get sent on that Vegas vacation, the hotels had better inventory their towels and ashtrays...