Parker and "the Final Word"

I'm sure there will be all kinds of kudos for this being a great promotional piece for 2A. I was with you until this line, Mr. Levy:

The U.S. Supreme Court is, and rightly should be, the final word on that question.

What, just like they were "the final word" at one time about slaves not having the rights of free citizens?

Anybody who thinks a pronouncement from any branch of government declaring we have no right as individuals to keep and bear arms will be "the final word," and that we'll all then go gentle into that good night, lives in a pretty sheltered world and hasn't really been paying attention to what the soul of this movement is all about.

There will be no "final word" denying our rights, nor any more "final solutions" while some of us yet breathe.

[Via Dan Gifford]

Eli's Coming, Hide Your Heart Girl

Trocka claims in a federal lawsuit that Trooper Nicole Eli, the district's school resource officer, grabbed her by the coat, pushed her back into her car and shook her repeatedly without cause.

The suit said that Trocka bruised her back on the steering wheel and has suffered sleeplessness and emotional distress because of the incident.

Via Declan, who says "The poor women must have thought she was back in Poland under the old commie regime."

Citizen Comments on Virginia Tech

From Declan:

David, I watched the opening session of the Virginia Tech Review Panel, and it opened with comments from Gov. Kaine and Vir. Tech President Charles Steger. This doesn't look good for gun owners. The Governor asked the panel to look at all aspects of the shooting and the subsequent response by the college and State, he made no mention of VT's ban on concealed carry. Steger spoke briefly and about how vast the campus was and the huge task of protecting VT's staff and students, again no mention of the college ban on concealed carry. He was then given an incomprehensibly gushing kudos from the panel chairman, how objective could anyone on the panel be after hearing that?

Maybe you could let your readers know about this site and ask them to post their comments there.

UPDATE--Here are my comments:

Why don’t you consider the fact that Virginia Tech policy prohibits firearms on campus—even for concealed weapon permit holders—important enough to discuss?

Why do I watch and listen in vain to find any reference to a bill that never made it out of committee that would have changed that? Why did Virginia Tech Associate VP of University Relations Larry Hincken say the death of the bill that would have allowed adult students and faculty the means to defend themselves made him “happy”?

Why did Hincken pen an editorial reply on The Roanoake Times ridiculing the concept of peaceable people keeping and bearing arms on campus?

Why are these hearings silent on these matters?

We all know the only thing that stopped Cho was a bullet. That no one was able to stop him sooner is on your consciences, or should be.

More Deep-Seated Conviction from the "Gun Lobby"

Feldman discusses a careening life that transformed him from gun control supporter to lobbyist for the National Rifle Association and at least part of the way back again.

Reminds me of another such creature, our old pal Judas Bob.

It illustrates the danger of making professional men your representatives rather than principled ones.

There's a word for people who give you the love if you give them enough money...

[Via Paul Grant]

"Supported by the Likes of..."

It is supported by the likes of Chuck Schumer, Ted Kennedy, Dick Durbin, John Conyers and NRA board member Larry Craig.

Does that make them an "ilk"?

Why is it NRA is tripping all over themselves to support streamlining the ability of the state to restrict gun purchases, but mention keeping and bearing arms on campus and we get this "it's not time/we don't want to exploit tragedy" BS?

We all know what the only thing that stopped Cho was--a bullet. The real outrage is that one didn't stop him sooner. And the likes of Larry Craig are intent on keeping it that way.

[Via M. Terry]

Home Invasion for Dummies

Armed officers burst into the house, shouted at the owner to lie on the floor, and ordered him to surrender his weapon.

But efficiency turned to embarrassment when the "gunman" turned out to be a life-sized model of the video game character Lara Croft, complete with trademark outsized pistols.

Well, at least they kept Angelina Jolie's kids from seeing it.

[Via 45superman]

A Remarkable Young Man...

There's hope.

[Via Charelton Hest]

"A Good First Step"

“We’re supportive of the concept that those adjudicated as mentally defective should not be able to purchase a firearm,” said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam.

A spokesman for the Brady Campaign, a gun-control group, said that the bill was a “good first step.”

See that, Andrew? After decades of gun control, these liars are calling this bill a "good first step." And they'll say the same about the next bill, and the one after that.

Some of us have been warning about this particular subterfuge for years:

They’ll propose further restrictions under the bald-faced pretense that it’s "a good first step." They won’t tell you that there are already over 20,000 gun laws on the books at the federal, state and municipal level that are consistently ignored by all but the law-abiding.

"A good first step…" the clueless segment of our victim pool populace will drone back at the proposal of law number 20,001.

"One helluva good first step– keep ‘em coming!" agree illegally armed criminal predators, emboldened with each new law that renders their prey increasingly vulnerable…

You can never give them enough, Andrew. You can't dance with the devil or placate this enemy.

That is, assuming you consider them the enemy.

[Via Charelton Hest]

This Day in History: May 16

Our battalions for the Continental service were some time ago so far filled as rendered the recommendation of a draught from the militia hardly requisite, and the more so as in this country it ever was the most unpopular and impracticable thing that could be attempted. Our people even under the monarchical government had learnt to consider it as the last of all oppressions.

Guest Editorial: NRA Ratings Sham in Georgia

By Matt Knighten

I have sent you emails a couple of times in the past about NRA ratings in Georgia that are similarly confusing as that of Bill Brown's own rating.

Well I don't think I have updated you on the latest ordeal with the NRA and Georgia legislation.

Georgiacarry.org (link already on your website) had been pushing a bill called HB 89 that would allow a person not ineligible for a carry license to be able to carry a firearm anywhere in a car without a license (our thinking being if you left your license elsewhere or left your firearm in the car with a unlicensed family member driving, that it would not be illegal). Our current law makes it illegal unless an unlicensed person puts it in a glovebox, console, or open to view (licensed people can carry anywhere in the car).

HB 89 had already passed the House Committee, Full House and Senate Committee (GCO showed up to and spoke at all public meetings, no other pro-gun showed up for any), all that was waiting was a vote by the Senate which we expected it to pass by a good margin.

The NRA had its own bills (2 identical, one for the house HB 143, the other in the senate SB 43). Basically they both were to prohibit certain employers from prohibiting employees from lawfully carrying and possessing firearms in locked motor vehicles; to provide for immunity for employers who allow employees to possess firearms in locked vehicles on the premises of such employer.

They both were strongly opposed by Georgia Chamber of Commerce and other similar powerful lobby groups (GCO was not opposed or in support of it as our membership had mixed feelings). As the crossover day approached, the NRA pushed hard for passage. It failed. Only our bill HB 89 was passed before crossover day and could continue. So the only way for the NRA to get their bill back in the running was to tack it on to HB 89.

So without asking the author of the bill or GCO (its only defender in the house and senate), the NRA got HB 89 pulled from the calendar and amended it. HB 89 went from near certain passage to near certain failure.

So we started asking Senators to make sure the amendment was not officially added (full vote needed) and leave HB 89 as it originally was.

The NRA got wind of what we were doing and they released a threat (published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution "Political Insider" column) that said if anyone voted against adding the amendment or the bill itself, would be given an F. We contacted NRA's rep and said that they were killing HB 89 with their threats. The threat remained, so support for HB 89 dried up.

It almost came to a vote, then the Virginia Tech shootings happened and so they had an excuse to bury the bill with the amendment and not incur the wrath of the NRA.

So thanks to the NRA help and threats, instead of getting one pro-gun bill passed in Georgia, we get none.

The absurdity is, without the unfortunate deaths at VT giving legislators an excuse, the NRA would probably have given the original author of HB 89 as well as many others a F.

Anyway, just thought you would like to know.

Matt Knighten
Owner GeorgiaPacking.org
Secretary and member of the Board of GeorgiaCarry.org

PS - We have now learned that an 800 lb gorilla is great if it does what you want, however there are times when all it ends up doing is smashing your own hard work to bits.

We're the Only Ones "Deep Pockets" Enough

The family of a teenager who was accidentally killed by his best friend is suing a Martin County deputy whose handgun was stolen and used in the shooting.

This is an interesting set of circumstances--everyone mentioned in this story is in the wrong.

[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

Prosecute This Criminal Now!

The man was walking with a beagle along Flint Hill Road in Bedford County, carrying a bag of dog food and an unloaded .22-caliber rifle, when he stopped and sat in a ditch near school property, authorities said Monday.

If they determine he set one foot on school property, I know at least one guy who wants to see him prosecuted to the full extent of the law:

[W]e believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America's schools, period ... with the rare exception of law enforcement officers or trained security personnel.

Isn't that right, Wayne?

Onward Christian Soldier

In July 1993, Charl, relying on his faith and a .38 caliber special revolver, caused a gang of terrorists to flee a church in Cape Town in what became known as the St. James Massacre. The terrorists were part of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan African Congress, a Marxist-Leninist group.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!

An Open and Shut Case

Police shut down a building at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Monday after a faculty member reported seeing someone carrying in what looked like a gun case.

A case?

A freaking case?

This is certifiable.

Besides, what kind of scofflaw would violate this?

Hartford Passes Criminal Immunity Law

The Hartford city council passed an ordinance Monday allowing the city to sue gun owners if they fail to report their weapon lost or stolen and the gun is used in a crime in Hartford.

With gun violence plaguing city streets, Mayor Eddie A. Perez and members of the council decided they could not wait for legislation pending at the General Assembly to help control the problem.

I don't know why not--it's not like they can require "prohibited persons" to report guns lost or stolen from them--since they're not allowed to have guns and can't legally own them, being forced to report that they'd had one in their possession would violate their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

I posted a comment over at The Courant and hope others join me.

No One Needs a Claw Hammer to Hunt Deer

When will we finally enact reasonable tool control?

Yuri Orlov hammers away at some absurd assumptions and nails them to the wall.

This Day in History: May 15

PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTION OF THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION, MAY 15, 1776, INSTRUCTING THE VIRGINIA DELEGATES IN THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS TO " PROPOSE TO THAT RESPECTABLE BODY TO DECLARE THE UNITED COLONIES FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES"

"A Gun Reform We Can All Support"

This slick attempt to sound like a "reasonable" consensus is a given reminds me of the old Lone Ranger joke where he tells Tonto they're surrounded by Indians:

"What you mean WE, Kemosabe?"

Don't presume to speak for me. I'm firmly in the "shall not be infringed" camp, and if a person has been adjudicated too dangerous to be allowed access to a gun, what the hell is he doing running around free with access to matches, fertilizer and box cutters?

A "Campfire Prank"

A group of teachers who staged a fictitious gun attack that left many children in tears during a Tennessee primary school field trip are facing disciplinary action for their insensitive "campfire prank"...

Mr Bartch said that the prank lasted just five minutes and was meant to be a "learning experience". "We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he explained.

And just what would you have done, Mr. Bartch? What are you personally prepared to do if the lives of precious children entrusted to your care were being threatened by an armed intruder? Forget the students--what did you learn from your "prank"?

The school's version of what happened is posted on their website. It doesn't change my questions one bit.

Time to Weigh in, Mr. Gresham

Here's a follow-up to my "Gun-Free Talk" post from April:

Hi David,

An interesting follow up on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk from a couple weeks ago; since pointing out to him the NRA's gun-free schools policy, he hasn't mentioned the NRA even once on the air. Today's show was a rebroadcast from January but the last two shows (three hours each, minus ads) have been devoid of calls to join the NRA. This after weeks of hammering to join and double their membership. Interesting.

-Alan

I'd find it even more interesting if Mr. Gresham directly addressed this issue with his listeners and readers. That he knows about this situation is enough to expect that he would make his position known and use his influence to rectify it. Now, more than ever, we need the leaders in the gun rights community to take bold public stands on issues, not ignore or avoid them for whatever their reasons.

Note that I did give Mr. Gresham a heads-up on this post last night and invited him to respond. I explained:

It is not my wish to embarrass you or to cause friction between you and your friends at NRA—but their position on gun free school zones is simply unacceptable. Real people, including gun owners and NRA members, are and will continue to be in danger unless and until this changes. We deserve leadership for the rights of free citizens to keep and bear arms from an association that’s bylaws state its purposes and objectives are to defend the 2nd Amendment—instead of leadership for the Brady position, which is all they’ve shown to date.

I hope he didn't reply yet because he's too busy and hasn't seen the email yet. My invitation still stands.