Firearms Industry Scores Major Victory in California Assembly; Microstamping & Bullet Serialization Bill Defeated

Legislation before the California Assembly (AB 352) that would have required microstamping of firearms and bullet serialization of all ammunition was defeated last night.

It'll be back.

Escaping the Village II: False Alternatives

I know I promised "Profiles in Apathy" as the next installment to my ongoing series on steps needed to restore gun rights, but the timeliness of the linked article needs to take precedence. I was going to cover this topic later.

A Second Amendment group is warning gun owners that a "massive gun control bill" is now working its way through Congress -- and is surprisingly close to becoming law.

Gun Owners of America also admits that it is the only national pro-gun group to oppose the "NICS Improvement Act of 2005" (H.R. 1415)....

Okay with NRA

The National Rifle Association takes a less ominous view of the bill.

"This bill...would improve availability of criminal history and other records for conducting background checks on firearm buyers," says an analysis on the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action website.

Why doesn't that surprise me?

Still, missing from the debate is a system proposed years ago that would allow for checks without identifying individual gun owners. Did you know such a proposal existed?

I thought not.

It been ignored by the major gun groups.

The Blind Identification Database System, or BIDS, was developed by my friends Russ Howard and Brian Puckett. Note that they are the first ones to admit that no prior restraint is constitutional, and that background checks are ineffective at keeping guns out of the hands of "prohibited persons" (as if there is government authority to prohibit or put prior restraints on anyone who is not incarcerated).

But what BIDS would do is reduce the amount of infringement the government is currently forcing on us, and preclude them having a registration list of identified gun owners as NICS provides.

Anyone who has read my work knows I prefer no system--my long-stated position is anyone who can't be trusted with a gun can't be trusted without a custodian. But I have also long admitted I am a minority, and stipulate that those who tout the benefits of incrementalism view people like me as unrealistic "absolutists" (hell, an NRA rep once warned people that Brian and I were "wild-eyed extremists"!)

So here's my challenge to the majority: Why not BIDS? So far, the only objection I've heard is "it's not politically feasible."

Yeah, I guess if all the major gun groups are going to suppress it from the debate, that's probably correct. Let's just all give up before we even engage. That'll win back our gun rights.

Click on the BIDS link above and save your own copy of this proposal.

My guess is only a few gun owners will even take the time to read the whole thing. Which brings me back to the start of this post--I still need to work on "Profiles in Apathy."

"Once I Started Reading, I Didn't Want to Stop"

I thought WoG visitors would be interested in the reviews starting to come in at Amazon.com for "Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista."

I just got my copy and will begin reading it over the long weekend. I hope it's as good as "Enemies Foreign and Domestic," and as good as these early reviews indicate.

Don't forget, the Matthew Bracken Interview is 4 days away...

We're the Only Ones Da Bomb Enough II: Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

Called "a menace to society," by a judge Monday, Jon Bartlett was sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison, which officials said should finally get him off the Milwaukee Police Department payroll.

"Should?"

The creep was already convicted.

And it's still just "should"?

Just what does it take to get an "Only One" off the backs of Milwaukee taxpayers?

Because of a state law that applies only to Milwaukee police and advocated by the politically powerful police union, city taxpayers were forced to pay Bartlett his full salary and benefits since he was fired along with eight other officers in May 2005 for their roles in the Jude incident. Since then, he has received more than $100,000 in pay and benefits...

Legislation to change the law and stop paying fired Milwaukee police officers died last fall when all Republicans on the committee voted against it.

Ah yes--the party of limited government and law and order. Anybody from WI have a handle on what's up with that?

[Thanks to AB5SY]

This Day in History: September 1

Richard Penn and Arthur Lee, representing the Continental Congress, present the so-called Olive Branch Petition to the Earl of Dartmouth on this day in 1775. Britain’s King George III, however, refused to receive the petition, which, written by John Dickinson, appealed directly to the king and expressed hope for reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain.

Our modern day rulers ignore our petitions, too.

Gun Dealer Stings Back

Mayor Bloomberg has been hit with another lawsuit in connection with his campaign to crack down on illegal guns.

A South Carolina gun dealer became the second storeowner to sue after Mr. Bloomberg targeted it a few months ago in an undercover sting operation designed to stymie illegal gun sales.

The lawsuit, filed in South Carolina, seeks damages and claims that the city smeared the storeowner's reputation.

Looks like my latest Guns Magazine article, just now on the newsstands but written last June, wasn't that far off the mark...

Shameless Plug: "The Sting"

Bloomberg’s team may not have uncovered crimes at all, and may not have committed any themselves. This may be all about generating publicity for his lawsuits, and the sales could have all been conducted in a perfectly legal manner, despite media hype.

"The Sting" is my Rights Watch column for the October 2006 issue of GUNS Magazine, on sale now at newsstands that do their best to flood the streets of New York City with gun information.

Why not buy a copy for yourself, or make a straw purchase for someone else?

BONUS: See page 106 to find out how you can win a Benelli Supernova 12 gauge shotgun

5 More Days...

...until "The Interview".

Meanwhile, Matthew Bracken informs me John Ross has written a review of "Domestic Enemies" over at The High Road.

I can't give you a clip from that because I'm going to be writing my own review and don't want to see what Ross has written, lest it influences my own reporting.

We're the Only Ones Ignorant of the Law Enough

Charges that an Illinois State Police sergeant illegally possessed a machine gun were dismissed Wednesday by a federal judge, who ruled that the law was "unconstitutionally vague" as applied to him.

...U.S. District Judge David R. Herndon dropped the charges against Sgt. James V. Vest... Herndon's 26-page order says the confusion is over the federal law's exception for police officers, and whether Vest could reasonably be expected to know whether he was breaking the law.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse--unless you're an "Only One."

We're the Only Ones Exploring Enough

A suspended Alhambra police officer was charged Wednesday with 10 criminal counts for allegedly molesting 2 teenage boys, including one who was an Explorer with the Baldwin Park Police Department.

What a waste, being an "Only One" and then blowing it.

A Sophomoric Opinion

While allowing a licensed person to carry a gun on campus sounds like a good idea...I strongly disagree.

Sophomore Renee Maisel illustrates the dangers of allowing a shallow and ignorant little girl's opinions to have any bearing on the rights of free men and women.

This Day in History: August 31

Samuel Mason, a Patriot captain in command of Fort Henry on the Ohio frontier, survives a devastating Indian attack on this day in 1777.

Coming Tuesday, Sept.5

A WarOnGuns Exclusive

The Matthew Bracken Interview

Mark Your Calendars

Tell Your Friends

Prepare Your OWN Question

We will be discussing his new book, Domestic Enemies: The Reconquista.
Mr. Bracken will be checking posted comments that day and answering questions as time permits.

Lest Ye Be Judged Follow-Up

Comment poster Alex observed that pointing a gun in Georgia is classified as a misdemeanor. I had referenced Georgia law that indicated brandishing a gun could be treated as a felony.

Say Uncle speculated there could be prosecutorial leeway, which this article confirms.

Pointing or aiming a gun or pistol at another occurs when someone purposefully and with no legal reason points a gun at someone else, according to Georgia case law. Courts have held it doesn't matter if the gun is loaded.

One example of when the more serious felony charge of aggravated assault occurs is when someone uses a deadly weapon that could or does cause serious injury.

"When can you point a gun at someone and not threaten serious bodily harm?" said Russell Gabriel, director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at The University of Georgia. "I don't know. It's sort of a rhetorical question."

Gabriel said that in his opinion it is somewhat absurd to have both laws on the books, though the existence of both charges gives prosecutors some discretion in how to charge someone. "The law doesn't always make sense," he added.

Sydney Gun Crimes Double

In inner Sydney, robberies with a firearm increased by 111 per cent over the last two years...

Who could have guessed?

Texas Bull

Jones gets to use the weapons to create a longhorn sculpture for the city's Butler Longhorn Museum, which honors the bovine bloodline that originated in League City.

Yep, honor herd animals.

Honor chattel.

[Via KABA Newslinks]

This Day in History: August 30

"The American Revolution" category over at The History Channel website appears to be down again. But you can bet your tricorne something happened.

Second Amendment Carnival IV

Free Constitution presents links to commentary from sites promoting the right to keep and bear arms.

We're the Only Ones Upsetting Enough

Dear Abby: My husband is a great husband and father to our three children, ages 17, 10 and 4. The problem is, he leaves his loaded 9mm gun lying around our house. Last week, I found it on the kitchen table. Now here's the kicker: He's a police officer...

My kids have friends in and out of our home daily...

--Upset in Washington

Dear Upset,

There is absolutely no reason to worry.

Your husband is one of "The Only Ones," and is thus demonstrably immune to any of the mishaps that plague mere ordinary, non-professional citizens, who don't have the judgment or training to own dangerous guns.

Canada's Newest Gun Control Spokesman

In the wake of increasing violence involving his friends, a Calgary man is speaking out against the proliferation of gun use on city streets.

Jeremy Cesaire, 24, a Calgary hip hop artist whose acquaintances include known city drug dealers, said he sees more people arming themselves now than ever before...

Cesaire is facing his own weapons charges after a loaded handgun was found by police in a car he was riding in with his friend Shaun Dixon on Aug. 18.

Right, Jeremy.

It must be the guns.

It couldn't have anything to do with your lifestyle, your friends or your choices.