Death of a Whipping Boy

There is nothing remotely liberal in demanding that the state should have a monopoly on the use of force over the rest of the population...

Whatever his motives, whatever underpinned his passion for guns, Charlton Heston, in demanding equal treatment for blacks in the 1950s and later calling for everyone to have the right to bear arms, was a better representative of the spirit of American equality than any of those gun control campaigners who turned him into their favourite redneck whipping boy.

Nice to see the light of reason has not completely flickered out across the pond.

[Via M. Terry]

Gray Lady Update

I sent in my opening statement and got back the following:

Thanks. I'm about to hop on the train, so this won't go up for a bit, but it will!

I was the first panelist to clock in, and the list has not changed. I did recommend considering Messrs. Cramer and Hardy and Dr. Lott, and expressed concern that I may need to weigh in more often that anyone else due to the stack-up, but was told they'll be discussing more than guns, so essentially, don't worry my pretty little head about it.

Hey, when your head is this pretty and this little, what else is there to worry about?

I'll post again on this when something develops on the NYT site. Until then, I'll see how many of your link tips I can get through while waiting.

And They Lived Happily Ever After

Last night, the 15th, the McHenry Co. Board voted unanimously to pass the Illinois Second Amendment Resolution! I think we were the 75th county and the 1st collar county to pass the resolution... It is possible that another county voted to approve the measure last night too...

I love a happy ending.

[Via Discontented Cookie]

A Rose By Any Other Name

Assembly Endorses Gun Safety Measures

Because "gun safety" sounds so much more palatable than "citizen disarmament."

My hands-down favorite: "ban advanced weaponry used to kill police officers."

Hell, if that's the justification, ban 'em all!

Think they're talking about the .50? Sure reads that way. But what else would we expect from a lying propaganda rag, I mean, the North Country Gazette?

[Via cycjec]

This Day in History: April 16

Resolved, That Jacob Hans be, and he is hereby, appointed Captain to one tier of Fire-Rafts.

Resolved, That Mr. Owen Biddle and Mr. Parker be a Committee to prepare a plan for a Powder Magazine, and to lay out the ground upon which it is to be built.

Invitation from a Gray Lady

The New York Times just contacted me and asked me to be on an online panel tomorrow to discuss Virginia Tech.

I'll have more as things develop.

A Golden Opportunity

"This is a tool, an additional tool, that the police departments across the land can use," said Sen. Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn. Golden said he plans to push for a similar bill in the Senate.

Because the republicans are our friends.

This is why you can't donate to the party. Individual candidates, yes, but party contributions can be spread out to enable police statists like Smarty Marty here.

I'm sure there will be some gun owners who support him anyway, because the democrat would have really wanted to hurt us.

And then we wonder how things got this way.

Honor Killings

As the nation prepares to mark the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, a group of Charlotteans is planning to honor the victims of gun violence Wednesday during a demonstration uptown.

How will ensuring a continual supply of defenseless victims honor anyone but the killers?

So In Other Words, Both are Traitors?

In terms of policy, there's not much to separate Clinton and Obama on the issue of guns. Both would restrict gun purchases to one a month -- and both want to renew the assault weapons ban.

Hell, I can't afford one gun a month anyway, and you don't need machine guns to hunt with.

Right, AHSA?

Mentalidad Americana

Clara imagen de la mentalidad temerosa y agresiva americana.

Yeah, that's us, fearful and aggressive.

It's not like you couldn't figure out it's a joke sign in about 5 seconds on Google. So which is it, Sergio Malagrida Rakosnik? Are you just lazy, or do you maybe have an agenda?

Do you think we should give comment poster "Fontana" the benefit of the doubt for this being a joke as well? (Spanish to English via Inside Europe: Iberian Notes):

I have been told that in some states in the USA, North Carolina, Virginia, and Mississipi (sic), man-hunting exists, they turn loose a prisoner and hunt him like a rabbit, the victims are usually marginalized, generally blacks and Hispanics, and they are hunted like deer, with dogs and big rifles, a lot of money is spent on these hunts, human life in that country is worth nothing.

[From Sam W via MaxedOutMama]

A Mother of Eight

A "single mother."

Look, I don't take away from her that she's trying to do something now, but good grief.

Sorry, My Faux Chicago, but all you see fit to bring up as a solution is more money or smaller classrooms or after-school programs.

Anybody here not know how babies are made? This isn't worth a mention because it might offend? Once can be seen as a mistake in judgment. You start a personal breeding program and there's a whole 'nother dynamic at play here.

One that should have no bearing on my right to keep and bear arms.

We can dance around the issue and ignore the elephant because we're afraid to address it head-on, but that won't help the least fortunate among us, or any of the rest of us one bit. The only ones it will help are those in "leadership" interested in expanding their power and control by creating, sustaining and expanding artificial dependencies.

The Catch in California?

From Dave Licht:

Any gun in California needs to be registered;

Note that there(technically)is no statute that says your pre 1/1/98 gun has to be registered but if you acquire a gun (even if you are not prohibited)after 1/1/98 and do not register it the "potential crime" under 12072 PC is essentially colluding with the seller to avoid registration - a misdemeanor - or a felony for multiple "violations".

HOWEVER - and this is the catch - once it comes into police possession - they will only return it to the registered owner - Sooooo, if your gun is old and was purchased by a "last known" not you, they will not give it back - period - say the last owner is dead or it went through a couple of hands before it got to you or you got it before registration was required - too bad.

Lose your guns in a "state emergency" - "just show us your registration" and you can have it back - flooded out, car stolen with "your" guns in the trunk - Burglary at your house? You live in Oakland and you want your house searched for your safety.........You will only be able to keep or get back guns that are registered to you.

Using the analogy wherein you are robbed of a couple hundred guns and it would take 10 - 20 years to get them back - Think again - every gun in that collection not "registered" to you would be forfeit to the state - you could only get back the ones "registered" to you - NO Affidavits.

Say the DOJ did a safe compliance check at your house in Kalifornia (which the DOJ can do if you sign that you have a safe when you do your purchase paperwork in CA) - Every non papered gun they find they could (arguably) take away and you would be forced to trade a felony collusion to avoid registration under 12072 PC in "exchange" for the privilege of forfeiting your guns to the "proper authorities".

This IS the knock 'em down one at a time and wipe 'em out by attrition, de facto registration law...

Interesting scenario, one I've never thought through. Anyone have any insights?

Wally World is Watching You

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest seller of firearms, announced Monday it will toughen rules for gun sales, from storing video of purchases to creating an internal log of which guns they sell that are later used in crimes.

So you would want to patronize them why again?

Let's see if any of the major gun groups are going to organize a boycott.

In the mean time, the best way to register displeasure over this is by writing a letter, not an email to:

Lee Scott

Wal-Mart President & CEO

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611

[Via HZ]

A Lopsided Forum

I just got back from the Naperville/NIU event and it was the single most lopsided forum I have ever witnessed. There were about 150 in the audience and 4 ICPGV presenters. Without exaggeration, my best guess would be that of the approx 150 in the audience there might have been less than 5 anti's with most of the remainder outwardly pro 2A. The panel took a real beating at the end of their presentation when no fewer than 20 pro2As stood at the microphone for the next 1/2 hour and gave the panel a real tongue lashing. This included the president of the ISRA who made a few "retaliatory verbal" trips to the mic to counter the blatant lies of the ICPGV.

Looks like you guys did it. Good job!

[Via "Comment" by 45superman]

HZ has more:

Based on tonight's news coverage, it seems that "our" side overwhelmed them. They showed a student from Virginia Tech addressing the crowd. The only person (from the audience) they showed was a woman from our side. I couldn't hear everything she said but she didn't appear to be too eloquent (I don't think that was on accident). Everyone lined up to speak behind her and seated in the audience looked like "ours" ... it looked like a hunter/shooter convention. I could be wrong but they didn't show anyone on camera from the crowd that supported gun control. They just showed one spokesperson from either side, the VT student and the woman at the microphone. Coverage was minimal and low-key.

I just did a cursory scan of some of the major area TV stations using search terms "gun" and "Naperville," and found nothing. If you can find a link to coverage on this story, please share it with the rest of us in "Comments," below.

Nick Wants Your Kids

From GOA:

Nickelodeon has contacted Gun Owners of America and offered us a wonderful opportunity to get out the pro-gun message to young people.

They want some teenagers (between 11-15 years of age) to appear on the May 13 taping of Nick News which will run later that month. Specifically, they would like to interview kids from all over the nation:

1. Who can talk about the right to keep and bear arms,
2. or Who have seen an example of armed self-defense in their home.

They need about ten kids. In some cases, Nickelodeon will fly a team out to your home to film your kids taking target practice, answering questions, etc. In some cases, they will fly your child (along with one parent) for an all-expenses paid trip to New York on May 12, for the taping which will occur the following day.

No doubt, they will probably have kids who tout the anti-gun position. But if you think you have a well-spoken teen who can handle this challenge, please contact Gun Owners of America at goamail@gunowners.org or at 703-321-8585.

I see where this is being greeted with suspicion on some forums, which doesn't surprise me, as they are too often places where new ideas are strangled in their cribs by dullards or those with agendas.

Yeah, Nick's a bunch of libs, and there are no doubt those who would like to distort/take out of context/edit, manipulate, load questions, etc., but it also looks like there are those who at least want to make it look like they're interested in both sides. If you have a kid who knows what he's/she's talking about, they can handle it.

The alternative is no representation.

Talk to your child if you think they have the knowledge, presence and desire to do this.

Castle-Building in Columbus

From State Senator Steve Stivers:

Thank you very much for your email regarding Senate Bill 184. I appreciate your thoughts and concerns on this issue.

Senate Bill 184, which was introduced on 6-13-07, will provide a criminal defendant who properly establishes the affirmative defense of self-defense or defense of another with immunity from civil liability for damages related to the acts of self-defense or defense of another and to create a rebuttable presumption that a criminal defendant who raises the affirmative defense of self-defense or defense of another acted properly if the defendant or the person defended by the accused was suffering or was about to suffer a felony offense of violence or a forcible trespass upon the home of the defendant or of the person defended by the accused.

I am a co-sponsor of this piece of legislation and believe that providing individuals with immunity from civil liability for damages resulting from self-defense is imperative in protecting the safety of all Ohioans. I look forward to seeing Senate Bill 184 passed and enacted.

Thank you again for your email and please do not hesitate to remain in contact in regards to Senate Bill 184 and/or any other matter before state government.

He joins co-sponsor Timothy J. Grendell in responding.

I have not yet heard back from:

State Senator Bill Seitz (R-8)
sd08@mailr.sen.state.oh.us

State Senator Lance Mason (D-25)
senatormason@maild.sen.state.oh.us

State Senator Steve Austria (R-10)
sd10@mailr.sen.state.oh.us

State Senator Keith Faber (R-12)*
SD12@mailr.sen.state.oh.us

State Senator Teresa Fedor (D-11)
fedoroffice@maild.sen.state.oh.us

State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-31)*
SD31@mailr.sen.state.oh.us

State Senator Shirley Smith (D-21)
senatorsmith@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Faber and Schaffer are co-sponsors, so I'm not worried about them. But the others, particularly republicans Austria and Seitz, need to know their support is expected. I won't be too sympathetic to any weasel-wording about looking into it--by now they've had ample opportunity to make up their minds. Actually, their minds should have been made up on the right of people to protect life and liberty before they ever decided to run for public office.

Democrat Mason did not return a Buckeye Firearm Association survey. BFA also gave a nominal nod to Fedor on the grounds that she "has exhibited some level of support for the Second Amendment, hunting, and self-defense," but supporting freedom to me is something you either do or you don't.

In 2002, BFA noted Mason and Smith "consistently voted anti-CCW."

Ohio gun owners: If you haven't yet sent in your email, what in the world is stopping you? Send one to the above-provided email addresses and let them know you are an Ohio voter expecting them to support your right to defend yourself by supporting SB 184, "Castle Doctrine."

As today is the deadline for submission of revisions, there's no longer even the pretense of a reason for them to delay giving you a direct answer. But they won't feel a need to if they're not directly asked.

Happy April 15

This Day in History: April 15

On this day in 1783, the Continental Congress ratified preliminary articles of peace, ending the seven-year-long Revolutionary War with Great Britain.

We're the Only Ones Sticking Up for Ourselves Enough

But on Friday, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said that as he moved from cadet to recruit to probationary police officer, Christian A. Torres, 21, was something else as well:

A serial bank robber.

On his "MySpace" page, he calls himself "The Law." Talk about a JBT mindset.

And LEO WM40 on Officer.com forums ("These Are Private Forums for Law Enforcement. We Reserve the Right to Remove Non-LEO Members, Anti-LE or Inappropriate Posts and Users Without Warning") has the self-serving, excuse-making gall to ask "Is this what NYPD's low pay is leading to?"

Whiny damn thug apologist. And they say there are no stupid questions.

I hope no one "lifted a finger against" young Christian--otherwise, Benevolent "Only One" Liberty-Lynchin' Patrick Lynch will see to it your "life [is] on the line."

Just think--if he'd tried to rob you and you shot him in self defense, you'd be in the slammer right now, thanks to NYC edicts that demand you be helpless against all predators--especially the ones on the city payroll.

Dangerously Silly

Mike Vanderboegh forwarded me an old email he first sent to an errant editorialist back during the Clinton the First era.

It's still more than relevant today:

Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 08:18:55 -0600
From: Mike Vanderboegh, Pinson, AL
To: Rich Hood, Kansas City Star Editorial Page rhood@kcstar.com (Rich Hood)
Subject: Your Dangerously Silly Editorial of 12 April Entitled "Gun Ban Was Needed."

Mr. Hood,

It is a measure of how far common sense and respect for the rule of law have deteriorated in our constitutional republic during the present administration that educated men such as yourself could write such dangerously silly and unconstitutional drivel such as your editorial "Gun Ban Was Needed."

In the past, when I had illusions that legal, moral and historical arguments could sway anti-freedom ideologues such as yourself and the President, I would have mustered a formidable array of facts, cited legal opinions and quoted from the Founders' own lips to refute your wrong-headed opinion that law-abiding Americans need to be disarmed. (Oh, I know you do not say it directly, but isn't that what you're endorsing when you urge "the President should consider stricter prohibitions"?)

Forget that the Second Amendment is, like the First you cherish, both an individual and collective right. Forget, indeed, that it is the Second Amendment that secures all the others, including the First.

Forget that the Founders' didn't write the 2nd Amendment with "sporting purposes" in mind. Forget that the very idea of codifying the right to "keep and bear arms" for the purposes of shooting fuzzy animals would have been laughable to men such as Thomas Jefferson.

Forget that the 2nd Amendment was designed to guarantee the 18th Century equivalent of "assault rifles" to the citizenry so that they might resist tyrannical administrations. Forget that the Clinton Administration has from the beginning used every means at its disposal to strip law-abiding Americans from exactly these kind of previously legal arms of military utility.

Forget that this President has acted like he was King George III himself, not only adopting His Late Majesty's firearms policy, but issuing imperial "Executive Orders" in the middle of the night, when Congress is not in session, contraryto law and Constitution.

Forget all that.

If the law and the Constitution mean nothing to you and your President, let's explain this in terms you will understand. If you want my legal, semiautomatic rifle then I suggest you come and get it. Yourself. Today. Bring the President if he's suddenly caught a draught of courage. Have the strength of your gun-grabbing convictions and come along with the raiding party you are encouraging through your editorial page to confiscate my weapons. Don't send someone else's son to do the job. Don't cry out for the police or military to disarm me while you sit safely at home and cluck your editorial tongue in approval. You want my rifle? Come and get it. Call your gun-grabbing buddies at the BATF, they'll give you directions to my house. You don't even have to call and tell me you're coming.

Of course, I'll bet you won't because you're a smart little editorial writer and you know that you'll likely get killed if you try. And you know what? That's exactly what the Founders had in mind. That tyrants, or their pissant editorial apologists such as yourself, would think twice before trying to disarm the law-abiding citizenry, the final arbiter and guarantor of American liberty.

Mike Vanderboegh