A Larmee of One

I really assumed this was done by a child, and not a very smart or talented one at that.

To paraphrase the old saying, I don't know art, but I know what sucks.

Paul Helmke's New Math

There is the “Militia purpose” clause, with 13 words. Then there is the “keep and bear Arms” clause, with 14 words. Two clauses and 27 words. This is an uncomfortable fact to those accustomed to reading only half of the Amendment, reciting the last 14 words over and over again as if the first 13 didn’t exist.

Of course they all exist, Paul. You're the ones arguing the militia are not "the whole people," but just that fraction in active service to the government.

By the way, how come no comments on your blog, Paul? What are you afraid of? I guess your supporters will have to troll "pro-gun" sites to chime in their support for your subversive lies.

UPDATE: Hi guys. That's right, I said "LIES." Speaking of which, how come your IP Address still says "Handgun Control"?


I thought you'd established the deception that you were some sort of violence prevention campaign, because the old monicker revealed too much about your mindset and goals...

Do You Know Where YOUR AG Stands?

Ryan Horsley asks his to weigh in on Heller with support for individual rights.

I'm delighted to see this avenue being pursued. A few days back, I sent the following link of state Attorneys General supporting the Ashcroft position to Robert Levy, hoping he would find value in it, and he noted that "6 of the 18 [were] Democrats...very impressive..."

I wasn't so fortunate in the response I received from then-CA AG Bill Lockyer, which was really no surprise, but did get a commitment from Republican AG candidate Dick Ackerman's campaign that he would go on record supporting an individual rights view.

I agree with Ryan--find out where your state AG stands on the Second Amendment--and ask him if he will add his voice to those supporting Heller.

A Word About Registration

Today's post on Ontario home inspections illustrates one of the reasons I get so irritated with some in Second Amendment academic circles who maintain that registration would prove to be Constitutional, citing militia laws specifying firearm and inspection requirements. There's no argument that those mustered were required to submit to command authority in this and other matters--but also no evidence that this universally included a thorough accounting of everything that they did not bring to the field and left for private use at home.

I don't know why these reputed smart guys think it's wise to cede this point before we've even engaged on it, and particularly with the indisputable historical record of government abuse whenever such lists are at their disposal.

ALERT in Ontario

We have just learned that the Chief Firearms Office in Ontario is initiating a pilot program to begin limited home inspections in the Toronto area.

CSSA Executive Director Larry Whitmore sent me this link to legal information they have made available to those at risk.

Think about it. Mandatory inspections. Warrantless searches. A requirement to self-incriminate. Presumed authority to seize property. All against registered collectors under the guise of "public safety," with a liberal sprinkling of the word "reasonable," and even sneaking in the Orwellian fraud of "voluntary compliance."

That'll show Ontario's violent criminal underclass.

Keep an eye on this one for adaptation here. You know our enemies will.

[Via Bruce Mills]

We're the Only Ones Who Really Know How to Party Enough

Jude, 29, said he had been at a party on Oct. 24, 2004, when a group of white men who identified themselves as off-duty officers kicked and punched him, put a knife to his throat and jammed a pen in his ears as he begged for mercy. Jude said he heard Spengler call him a racial slur.

Thank goodness it's only a few "Only Ones," right, and it's not reflective of the force? That must be why:

The police department disciplined 13 officers after the beating, including nine who were fired. Two of the fired officers won back their jobs, including Packard after a 20-day suspension.

Four others have pleaded guilty to similar federal charges.

Nope, no pattern here...

[Via SameNoKami]

We're the Only Ones Misconducting Ourselves Enough

Prosecutors said Trooper Robert Czora pulled over an out-of-state motorist on the Adirondack Northway in Ausable back in August. He told the motorist to pay $300 in bail money then kept the money for himself.

But he didn't plan on keeping the money, as evidenced by the fact that he returned it after finding out he was being investigated! Why does that remind me of something a 7-year-old would say when caught with his hand in the cookie jar?

Forget not knowing if this highwayman is going to keep his job--why isn't he being prosecuted for strong arm robbery with additional charges tacked on because a gun was on his person during a commission of a crime?

And can you imagine what he would have done had she refused to sign the ticket? Or offered an opinion? Or "lifted a finger" to stop a literal act of highway robbery under color of authority?

Only "The Only Ones"...

We're the Only Ones Flying Free Enough

Stan tells us of one story with two outcomes.

WarOnGuns mentioned Judge James here and here. I also told you about High-Flyin' Frank and the Juan that got away, The story of the hapless Mr. Hochman only proves it's good to be an "Only One."

Follow the title link and find out what happens if you're not.

GunTalk TV

It's not really a surprise that CNN chose to not air the Tom Gresham/Clint Smith question--anyone who watched the "debates" saw they did present two RKBA-related questions, one where the person had to be corrected not to throw guns, the other where the questioner--and Rudy--repeated the oblivious assumption that 2A is a granted right.

Tom didn't figure they'd select his question, but was nice enough not to discourage me from urging gun owners to request CNN do just that. He's been busy bypassing a media that too often ignores gun owners by producing his own videos at GunTalkTV, and tells me:

A bunch are free. Some require a (cheap) subscription...It's been fun, and it's going to grow like crazy. We kicked it off with 100 videos, but I plan to have 500 on it within a year. All are original (I shoot 'em) videos. We'll be adding some with Jerry Miculek next week. The safety videos are all free. Folks do need to sign up to see them...

Anyway, take a look. My goal is to make quality firearms training available to everyone.

By all means, take a look.

UPDATE: Faulty memory alert. There were three questions, actually--the third dealt with guns candidates own and if any require a stamp.

This Day in History: November 29

The officers commanding regiments are to see, that their men's arms are put in the best order possible; and of the loaded ones, such as can be drawn, are to be drawn, and the others discharged the first fair day, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon; but to prevent the waste of lead, the men of each regiment, or brigade, are to discharge their pieces, into a bank of earth, from whence the lead may be taken again.

Late Start

Computer has been down all morning. Finally have it back up, but posting has been shot to hell.

Here's an outline of what I was going to talk about today, sans commentary:

This Day in History

After the judgement and loyalty of Silas Deane is called into question, Congress appoints John Adams to succeed Deane as the commissioner to France.

We're the Only Ones Who Won't Be Charged Enough

Charges will not be filed against a district court judge who was accused of taking a loaded gun to a Detroit Metropolitan Airport checkpoint this summer.
[Via MacEntyre]

Whose Right to Bear Arms?

Some questions are best left to time, precedent and the evolving standards of the common law.
[Via Paul W. Davis]

The ABC's of Assault Weapons

This surge of deaths stemming from semiautomatic assault weapons seems unnecessary. In 1994, President Clinton signed a law banning the sale of these weapons.
[Via HZ]

Is Paris Burning?

Youths rampaged for a third night in the tough suburbs north of Paris and violence spread to a southern city late Tuesday as police struggled to contain rioters who have burned cars and buildings and — in an ominous turn — shot at officers.
[Via Chris Horton]

Reminder-Republican YouTube Debate is Tonight! There is still time to email CNN about the Gresham tape.

What Passes for a Legal Scholar

But there is no need for the court to choose, because even if the Second Amendment is regarded as creating an individual right to own firearms, it is surely not an absolute liberty. It seems obvious that the government can keep people from having particularly dangerous weapons, such as assault rifles, and keep those with criminal records from having guns. Just as free speech has never been regarded as absolute, nor should an individual right to bear arms be seen as precluding all government regulation.

No one is arguing that the Second Amendment CREATES any right, Erwin, except for you lying left-wing revisionist subversives trying to derail it with weasel words and deception. In Madison's own words, he was "enumerating particular exceptions to the grant of power." Your First Amendment analogy also falls flat because it does not invoke prior restraint. And the purpose of government is to protect rights and property, not control them.

This is what passes for a professor of law these days? Good grief. I wouldn't use your articles to line my birdcage--they might contaminate the guano.

So Who's the Liar?

I am sorry that you were offended by the“yahoo” comment; it actually referred to persons who shouted “yahoo” after common sense gun legislation was defeated within the judiciary committee.

Really?

Because the "Authorized Journalist" told us that Jewell said "Yahoos" were "the old boys with the boots and the guns."

On the one hand, Jewell says "I am a strong supporter of the right to bear arms" while shilling for the police state, so we know right off the bat he's talking out of both sides of his mouth. On the other hand, well, we're dealing with an anti-gun Philly opinion columnist here.

A politician or a big city media hack. Which one is lying? Talk about a real stumper!

Was anybody at the legislative committee meeting? Is there a recording of the event? Did someone really yell "Yahoo"? And did Jewell really make that remark to the "reporter"?

Some of us "Yahoos," code word for redneck, code word for rural white hick as used here, would like to know if we've been disparaged with a racist character slur by an elected representative of the people. And interestingly, the origin of the word as an interjection is a variation of "Yo-Ho," but noting the circumstances of this dispute we probably shouldn't go there.

To Dream the Impossible Dream

That demand for perfection is an impossible burden for anyone, including federal firearms licensees, to meet. If ATF continues to enforce the law in the current manner, few licensees will remain in business.

Ryan Horsley shares the thoughts of his attorney on BATFU's impossible dream--which turns out to be a nightmare for the rest of us.

Sean Taylor: Death By Gun Control?

Taylor and his fiancee had been in the bedroom when a disturbance was heard in the living room, Sharpstein said.

"(He) tried to get a small machete that he keeps under the bed to defend himself but the door was burst into," Sharpstein told CNN, adding that Taylor's fiancee hid under the covers until the assailants had fled.

Why a machete?

Taylor had faced off-field legal issues several times, including a 2004 drunken driving arrest and the dropping of felony assault charges from a 2005 off-season incident involving firearms.

Taylor... pleaded no contest last year to two misdemeanor charges in connection with the 2005 incident and was in the final days of 18 months on probation.

Typically, people on probation are prohibited from possessing firearms. But then again, his assailant probably was, too. But the fact that he was not in custody means the legal system did not deem him a danger to others. The fact that he was a big, strong guy with access to machetes, and other potentially lethal objects just makes the firearm prohibition even more absurd. And the fact that a big, strong guy with a machete was no match for someone with a gun ought to be an object lesson for anyone who would find themselves outmatched without one.

I repeat myself: Those who cannot be trusted with firearms cannot be trusted without a custodian.

I also won't be surprised to find out there's a lot more to this story than what we've heard so far.

[Via John Hardin]

UPDATE: A comment poster on Reason Hit & Run writes:

A radio show interviewed Taylor's attorney from that case. He said that there were no restrictions on that, and that Taylor was no longer under any probation, anyway.

I'm taking that under advisement, but still maintain the speculation is valid to bring up, not only because diverse news sources claim Taylor's probation had not yet ended (his plea deal was first reported in June 2006, meaning he'd still have a couple months left to reach 18 months), but also because Florida statute 948.03 on terms and conditions of probation state that the offender:

Be prohibited from possessing, carrying, or owning any firearm unless authorized by the court and consented to by the probation officer.

Obviously, the important thing is to determine the truth of the matter, and the truth remains, regardless of Taylor's probation status and imposed conditions, his not having a firearm gave the victory advantage to his assailant.

Naturally, I'll keep an eye open if more information surfaces.

Speaking of Calendars...

...there is one more day to send that email to CNN and ask them to play the Tom Gresham/Clint Smith gun law repeal question on the Republican YouTube debate, Wed., Nov. 28, 8:00 PM EST.

It'd sure be nice to think that gun owners would take a minute out of their lives to do this, and maybe take another minute to spread the word.

Mark Your Calendar...

...right after you get one. Chris Horton has more info on those gun calendars being sold to raise funds for Maryland volunteer fire departments, including a link to order them.

The Monster Maker

Oh just stop it. Good Lord, what the hell is wrong with some people? They truly are too stupid, dependent and pathetic to be anything other than wards of a police state. I nominate comment poster "kl" for the "If You're Happy and You Know It Clank Your Chains" award.

The issue we advocating Liberty have not addressed in any great detail is those in our culture who have become so degraded they are unprepared for even the most basic responsibilities of free people. I fear if things get really bad, and they can no longer rely on their keepers, they will suffer the most, and in the greatest numbers. And that's what's truly monstrous.

[Via HZ]

We're the Only Ones Suspended Enough

A Channel 3 Eyewitness News investigation has led to the suspension of a Teton County deputy accused of shooting a dog.

Deputy Joseph Gutierrez has been suspended and the Tri-county Sheriff's organization is now investigating the shooting incident...

When we spoke with Teton County dispatch, they say they've received multiple death threats against their officers.

Gee, imagine that. Consequences for actions.

Does this mean there's a limit to what people will put up with from "Only Ones" before they start reacting in the same manner in which they are treated?

This Day in History: November 27

By order of Genl. Howe, 300 of the poor Inhabitants of Boston were landed on Saturday last at point Shirley, destitute almost of every thing; the Instant I got notice of it, I informed a Committee of Council thereof, that proper care might be taken of them -- Yesterday in the evening I receive information that one of them was dead, and two more expiring; and the whole in the most miserable and piteous condition. -- I have order'd Provision to them till they can be remov'd, but am under dreadful apprehensions of their communicating the small Pox as it is Rief in Boston. I have forbid any of them coming to this place on that acct.