An Independence Day Message from the Olofson's

July 4

Yesterday was the hardest day of our lives, writing this, right now seems to be the second. We drove David, along with Larry Pratt of GOA, to the Sandstone institution yesterday. Larry’s presence, words of wisdom and comfort were invaluable. We would be faring a lot worse today if it would have not been for him – thank you Larry from the bottom of our hearts. We would ask all of you, if you can, to please support GOA in the defense of David for this unthinkable miscarriage of injustice. This conviction MUST be righted for ALL Americans, for David, and for the 2nd Amendment of America’s Constitution. With this present ruling, anyone who owns a firearm can be made guilty of owning a machine gun.

We just received a call from David early this AM. He is doing fine, so far. He did admit that he under estimated how badly all the people there are being gouged for everything they must buy. The $200 he took with him will not get him very far. I told him we would see the he gets his allotment of $300 for every mo. Please DO NOT send him any money. We will talk to a few people on how to handle that subject, and if there is something you all can do we will pass that information on. As an example David indicated he is getting a tooth ache and a small bottle, 24 pills, of ibuprofen cost him $7.

The few people he has talked to indicated that they are treated well - to which we replied: follow your new counsel’s advice. And we know his new representation has HIS best interests in mind, as opposed to his prior.

He did ask that we pass on his address for everyone, and please pass it on so everyone who wants to can write him:

David R. Olofson
08632089-K1
Federal Correctional Institute
PO Box 1000
Sandstone, MN 55072

David also indicated that there is no e-mail, so snail mail is the only option.

We hope everyone has a happier 4th, and please keep David in your prayers.

Dave & Pat Olofson

This Day in History: July 4

We all know what happened on this date. Most of us who frequent sites like this even know why it was significant.

Barring unforeseen events, I'm only making one post today besides this one, and I think you'll agree it's an important one for us to keep in mind--especially today.

Unlike Mr. Olofson, I will be with my family today--including two sets of cousins coming in from opposite coasts. I'm hosting a big family gathering today and need to get busy. Posting will also be relatively slow for the remainder of the weekend--I'll still be around, but most people will be occupied with the benefits of three days off work.

Go and enjoy--remember that the men who put their lives on the line to sign the Declaration considered "the pursuit of Happiness" right up there with Life and Liberty. Taking time to enjoy the fruits of your labors with those you love certainly qualifies, and I hope you have as much to pursue this weekend as I do.

GUNS Magazine: July 1958

SWITZERLAND, SAFE FROM WAR THROUGH 600 YEARS, PRESERVES PEACE BY TRAINING ITS CIVILIANS TO SHOOT THE WEAPONS THEY WOULD USE IN WAR

I know I should be dulled to it by now, but it still just flat out amazes me that everybody doesn't get that simple concept.

The July 1958 issue of GUNS Magazine is now online. Enjoy.

We're the Only Ones Growing Into the Job Enough

Police in Dillon, a small town near the North Carolina border, say a 13-year-old with an interest in law enforcement twice stole a police cruiser and took it out to do some patrolling.

He wants to be an "Only One" and he's already learned how to ignore the rules and do what he wants.

Sounds like a natural for some of the forces we've reported on here.

[Via Emmett A]

Sitting on Rights in Utah

The same day the Supreme Court said the Second Amendment is an individual right, Utah’s governor said he’d like to see fewer individuals exercise that right.

Specifically, he said he wants to limit the access of out-of-staters to Utah’s pistol permit.

His legal rationale: It doesn’t “sit right" with him.

Sounds like he needs to be unseated.

[Via Jeffersonian]

UPDATE: Al F just sent me this email:

VCDL has been following this pretty closely. Here are some links about the incident if you are interested.
http://www2.vcdl.org/webapps/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1746595
http://media.hamptonroads.com/media/content/pilotonline/2007/08/gunmeeting.html

2A Ruled Non-Binding on States?

Senior Norfolk Judge Henry Coke Morgan held in a local federal case the day after Heller was decided that the individual right created by the Second Amendment does not impose any obligations whatsoever on state or local governments: only the federal government. The decision came in the controversial case of Chet Szymecki v. City of Norfolk where the citizen was detained, handcuffed and roughed up by Norfolk The count made under the Second Amendment for injunctive relief and for compensation was dismissed. The other constitutional claims made by Szymecki, for an unreasonable seizure and for the use of excessive force by police, survived dismissal, at least for now.

I don't know if it's the person reporting this or what the Norfolk court ruled, but the Heller majority opinion was pretty clear in saying RKBA was not "created" by 2A.

I can't claim personal experience with this forum or the poster--but he seems credible. The name "Szymecki" does not turn up on a Google news search to verify this, but you can find more info on the case here--I just don't have time to dig right now.

[Via Mack H]

Vanderboegh: In re Keeku

Our sins are those of omission.

Keeku's are sins of commission.

Which is worse is for God and history to judge.

I do have something to add to one thing you presented, Mike:

Ultimately, the then-sitting Boundary County Prosecutor, Brett Benson, who had defeated Woodbury in the 2000 election, decided to drop the charges because he felt it was unlikely the state could prove the case and too much time had passed.

That ain't the whole story.

Not by a long shot.

[Via Chris Horton]

We're the Only Ones Privately Selling Enough

Jason Barber, 32, was charged with the sale of a handgun to a convicted felon and official misconduct.

Investigators said Barber sold the gun to a felon in March who was wearing a recording device and paid him in marked bills.

There are "Only Ones" and then there are Special Indianapolis "Only Ones."

[Via Carl S]

We're the Only Ones Losing Track Enough

The New York City Police Department can't keep track of the guns it seizes, according to a report issued yesterday.

Maybe Bloomberg ought to sue 'em...

Manhattan officials failed to account for or find 94 of the 324 firearms specified, adding that other boroughs' property divisions were found in a "similar state of disarray."

Well, they probably filled out the "Yes" and "No" spaces on the form correctly, so it wasn't "willful" and thus no big deal. Besides which, they're "Only Ones"...

[Via Carl S]

If It Ducks Like a Duck...

Derek Barr cheeses out. At least the campaign can't claim they're unaware of gun owners demanding an explanation for Bob Barr's support of the Lautenberg gun ban. Further refusal to squarely address it can only be seen as an intentional strategy.

Jay21 responds with an open letter.

The Real Gun Guys enter the poster contest.

And the LRC blog has noticed.

The Deadly Assault Sausage

A man was charged with battery after he hit his mother in the head with a three-pound package of Polish sausage, police said.

It's dumb, but I read this and wondered if he'd have been charged with sausage if he'd hit her with batteries.

I go this from the MSSA, who ask:

What on Earth can the government be thinking about, allowing these large, dangerous sausages to be sold to any member of the public? Isn't it time for sausage control, allowing no sausages to be sold that are larger than standard American hot dogs? After all, no real American really needs a sausage larger than the all-American hot dog.

This tragic Florida case just proves that larger sausages will cause people to turn violent. Large sausages should be restricted to responsible government employees only, such as the BATFEEEEE annual "good old boys" rally in the South, and perhaps for feeding company-sized units of Marines.

Further, the less dangerous American hot dogs should be restricted to packages of no more than three. If anyone really needs more than three hot dogs, they can buy more packages, but perhaps not on one day.

Wherever good people concerned about mother mayhem gather, let them raise their voices against the evils of inordinately large and dangerous Polish sausages, infiltrating America from the once-Communist Poland, and crowding out the more benign and traditional American hot dog.

“Cap-and-Trade”

Sunday’s Los Angeles Times brought us as glorious an example of ivory-tower impracticality as ever put forth, this one by a pair of university professors who, if one may judge from their curricula vitae, are well steeped in academic theory but lacking sufficient practical experience to realize what they propose is manifestly absurd.

We talked about this here.

And oh gee, The Times is in trouble. What a pity.

[Via Michael G]

We're the Only Ones Who Love You Long, Long Time Enough

An Indianapolis police officer and his wife were accused Wednesday of running a prostitution ring out of their Greenwood home, and a former top criminal justice agency official was arrested and charged with patronizing a prostitute.

While their fellow "Only Ones" devoted resources to eliminating the competition, no doubt.

[Via Shermlock Shomes]

V

So why am I concerned about the history of the "V" sign? It's just this. As gunnies, as members of the armed citizenry of the Republic of the united States, we too need a symbol. Something as short, sweet and powerful as the "V".

Mike Vanderboegh tells us there is power in a symbol.

Olofson Surrenders

A Wisconsin man today surrendered to federal authorities to begin serving a 30-month prison term for having a broken rifle, prompting the Gun Owners of America to issue a warning about the owner's liability should any semi-automatic weapon ever misfire.

WorldNetDaily has the story. They also quote my GUNS Magazine article.

I don't see anything on Lou Dobbs' site yet about last night's program, but will bring you a video link when they post it.

A prayer for Mr. Olofson and his family would not be out of order.

UPDATE: Jake in "Comments gives us the video link.

This Day in History: July 3

July 3, 1775 - At Cambridge, Massachusetts, George Washington takes command of the Continental Army which now has about 17,000 men.

BREAKING: Lou Dobbs to Cover Olofson Tonight

I've just received word from Len Savage that Lou Dobbs will feature the surrender of David R. Olofson tonight. It's on CNN, and their site says 7:00 pm, but as always, check your local listings.

Please spread the word.

Any Bets...

...that "Operation Blunt Two" will have about as much effect on violent crime in the UK as if nothing had been banned at all...?

It really is like watching a bunch of Flatlanders totally oblivious to the concept of looking up.

[Via 1894C]

We're the Only Ones Judging On-Site Enough

You laugh, but the good cops never let problems get to judges. They are judge on-site, I like to say.

In other words, they're the "Only Ones" who can operate outside the law? And they don't view that as a terrorist act?

Good thing it's only a few bad apples, right? I mean, if it were more widespread, non-"Only Ones might start taking the law into their hands, too, and then what would we have?

And I'm not laughing.

[Via Andre D]

We're the Only Ones Surprised Enough

Police Chief Henry Reyes said Tony McElyea, a Strategic Counterdrug Team agent, decided to surprise a good friend and former police academy cadet at his home in the 1300 block of Virginia Boulevard...

McElyea, his girlfriend, and the friend's wife snuck into the home at about 2:30 a.m.

Only an "Only One" would be surprised by what happened next.

Good grief.

[Via Chris Horton]