The main hindrance to rational regulation of firearms is almost entirely driven by frightened idiots who, apparently, know deep in their hearts that they wouldn’t meet the standard.
pete x tp
Comment to The Media’s Narrow Definition Of “Gun Control”
October 26, 2011
[Either this “Einstein” has never heard of the 2nd Amendment or doesn’t consider the Bill of Rights an obstacle to his agenda.
H/T to Sebastian.—Joe]
Via The Jewish Week:
While I was recently giving a class at a Modern Orthodox synagogue in New York City on the topic of halachic approaches to weapons I asked this group of 25 people (most between 50-65 years old) how many of them owned guns. I expected 1 or 2 hands to emerge but was astonished to find that about 50-60% admitted to having a gun at home. Shortly after, I learned that there is an Orthodox organization now training Orthodox Jews to use guns and to bring them to synagogue as a form of “protection.” If the religious Jewish community in America has joined the consumers of guns then we must also enter into the national gun discourse.
Wow! This is awesome!
The rest of the article is rather negative on gun ownership with things like:
The Mishnah describes weapons as “shameful” things to be seen with (Shabbat 63a). One should be embarrassed to own a weapon, even in the case that they must.
But the important part is that it may be that U.S. Jews are recognizing the utility of possessing the skills and tools to defend themselves rather than being totally dependent upon the government. Even though this would seem to be a “Well, DUH!” conclusion (German Police Battalion involvement in direct killing operations were responsible for at least 1 million deaths, see also this book) this is a huge change from 10 or 15 years ago.
If 50-60% possess firearms then most of the rest will be willing to have open-minded discussions about guns. This means we win as well as the Jewish community.
[Slightly off topic but one semi-famous Jewish author just signed up for the Precision Rifle Clinic at Boomershoot 2012.]
The introduction of Bill C-19 today in the House of Commons, and its possible coming into force, will set Canada’s gun control efforts back decades.
Ken Lewenza
Canadian Auto Workers National President
October 25, 2011
Harper’s Gun Bill Sets Canada Back Decades, CAW says
[I find that hard to believe since the act being repealed was passed in 1995. But it does set them back a good bit. Now if they can just be pushed into extinction.
And why is the Canadian Auto Workers getting into a debate about gun control?
Which cars sold in the U.S. are made in Canada? I want to make sure I don’t buy any.—Joe]
Someone has their tin-foil hat on way too tight:
The Obama regime is preparing to instigate a revolution for the purpose of their being able to hold on to power and complete the enslavement of the American people.
According to this report the “Occupy Wall Street” protests that began in New York City nearly a month ago have now spread to at least 25 other US cities and show no sign of abating any time soon.
From what I have seen in Seattle there isn’t that much going on and what is going on isn’t the material of a revolution.
Existing gun control legislation provided the ATF with leverage over FFLs to coerce them into transactions they knew to be criminal. Gun control provided the ATF with the resources and power to organize and conduct the operation. Lastly, gun control was the root cause of the operation itself. The operation was conducted in an effort to create a crisis that would warrant the further restriction of firearms. This restriction would either be that of ownership by law abiding citizens, or that in preventing new purchase by a law abiding citizen.
Barron Barnett
October 22, 2011
Fast and Furious, Root Cause Analysis
[It’s a little bit of a “Catch 22” here. Certainly the existence of gun control enabled the crimes committed by the government agents. But had there not been some laws restricting firearm sales there would have not been a crime for the government agents to commit.
I think the lesson to be learned here is that Ayn Rand was correct. The government has power because it has the power to create criminals.—Joe]
Via email from Richard F. who sent me a link to here.
Video by TheIdahoSpudBoy. No. I’m not TheIdahoSpudBoy.
The Boomershoot 2012 Precision Rifle Clinic is now open for entries. Instructor Gene Econ reports, “Already have a number of guys signed up.”
Sign up here before it fills up.
There are still 23 positions left in the main event for Boomershoot. Sign up for Boomershoot here.
It’s like I always say, the Tragedy of the Commons is a tragedy of commons. No commons, no tragedy. How much simpler could it get?
Mark Alger
October 24, 2011
Comment to Quote of the day—Ted Turner.
[There are some commons that probably have to stay common. For the example the atmosphere, the oceans, and to a certain extent the electromagnetic spectrum. But it is an idea worth giving considerable consideration.—Joe]
I don’t like what we’re doing to the national forests, cutting trees down at taxpayers’ expense and destroying the forest, just so we can have a few jobs. That is like saying, Adolf Hitler trying to justify the Nazi concentration camps — it provided employment for people. Bulls–t! I’m fanatical. A part of me is so angry that I want to take out a gun and do something about it . . . Even though in my heart I do get angry and frustrated, I have never done anything . . . and I want to go down and burn lumber mills in the middle of the night and spike trees, I don’t do it. I just dream about it occasionally. I work within the system.
Ten Turner
Sometime before 1993.
[Apparently Turner is a typical liberal with a propensity for falsehood (it’s not at taxpayer expense, lumber companies PAY for the trees and have to replant afterward) and violence. Trees are a great renewable resource and apparently Turner doesn’t comprehend that.
I would like to suggest Mr. Turner try living for a month or so without wood products. Of course I suppose he could use one of his silk shirts to wipe his ass when he runs out of toilet paper. Then someone should complain about the exploited silkworms.—Joe]
Corporate greed, racial discrimination and oppression, and police brutality and murders are among the many guaranteed products of the capitalist system of production. But exploitation, injustice and oppression inevitably give rise to resistance struggles, with each of these struggles needing to be patiently built in its own right around its particular demands. Yet these seeming separate struggles are greatly strengthened when they fire each other up in united actions against the common class enemy. This is what will happen this Saturday at Westlake, and it will be another small step toward building a revolutionary movement that can win everything.
Seattle Anti-Imperialist Committee
October 19, 2011
Join the October 22 march against police brutality!
[I stopped by work today and was handed a piece of paper by the Occupy Seattle crowd. It appears to be word for word the web page linked above.
You might ask, just what is it that they want to win? From the same web page, “We demand everything!” So they want a revolution to win everything? I see…
Since I walk by the Occupy Seattle crowd every day to and from work I have taken a few pictures. This should give you an idea what it is like, minus the chanting:
October 10, 2011. Lots of tents.
October 7th, 2011.
October 7, 2011
Cropped version of the picture above.
October 10, 2011
Cropped version of the picture above.
October 13, 2011
Cropped version of the picture above.
Yeah. They aren’t exactly coherent.
October 14, 2011
I think they are going to need a lot more people supporting them to have a successful revolution. It probably also requires a group of people capable of accomplishing something more than creating and carrying poorly made signs and pitching tents on the sidewalk.—Joe]
Anti-social violence can be broken down into two categories, Resource crime and Process crime. A resource criminal is willing to kill you to get your stuff. A process criminal is willing to kill you in order to enjoy killing you. They have different motivations. If you give up your wallet to a resource criminal, you’re probably going to be ok. If you mistake a process criminal for a resource criminal and hand over your wallet, you’re still going to get killed because your wallet wasn’t what he was after.
Sean Sorrentino
October 21, 2011
Comment to The Myth of Giving them What They Want. Paraphrasing Facing Violence.
[Pacifists and those that proudly sniff they, “Want to create a society where you don’t need to carry a gun.” have a very narrow view on the wide range of human nature.
The mindsets of both those that would commit violence against us and that of our opponents are so alien that many of us simply cannot believe it is possible. But it is.
There exist, and probably will always exist, people who get pleasure from causing harm.
The only thing which can be done when such a person engages in violence against an innocent life is to do exactly what our anti-gun opponents say should not be done. Violence should begat violence.—Joe]
Is it just me or do people who use the force of government to take money from me and spend it on things I don’t think it should be spent on (nearly everything but Obama Care is one of the better examples) also want me to be happy and grateful for what they have done?
Do robbers who stick a gun or knife in your face and take your money also expect your gratitude?
The sheep see the violence that a sheepdog is capable of on the nightly news in Iraq, Afghanistan, the local police force and in self-defense stories. Similar to the wolf in nature, human sheep can not tell the difference between sheepdogs and wolves from a distance, this scares them. Currently most civilian sheepdogs carry their weapons concealed to blend in with the flock, partly to make wolves question their actions, but honestly one predator can typically spot another. In reality, they try to blend in to avoid spooking the sheep.
Sheepdogs need to work on educating the sheep and helping them understand the risks they face and exposing them to the sheepdogs tools. Helping them understand that gun or a knife is just tool that a person can use for or against evil. Pulling the canines teeth will not make the flock safer from the wolf when the balloon goes up.
Balloon Goes Up
October 20, 2011
Baa, Baa, Woof… What?
[This has been expressed differently by many other people but this is one of the more succinct versions.—Joe]
Just as the DOJ, NIJ/BJS, and the FBI are the hallmarks in research and statistics credibility, there are still politically motivated and tenacious entities like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence (formally Handgun Control, Inc.), the oddly named Violence Policy Center, and Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Handguns that shamelessly cite discredited studies, or simply pull numbers out of thin air while crafting bogus arguments to piously stand in the way of continuing reforms. Gun control in America was a chronic failure. Gun control is dead. It’s time to bury it where it falls and move forward which includes teaching and enabling society to be better prepared and more alert to these sudden mass shootings.
Nanjing03
17 year veteran of law enforcement investigations, administration, and training
October 18, 2011
Comment to Virginia Tech Shooting Survivor Speaking Tonight at Diablo Valley College.
[It’s the burying part that is difficult. Gun control is like a zombie. It slowly stumbles around without any intellectual capacity but it isn’t really dead.—Joe]
Only tax the poor, not the wealthy. This would motivate the poor to work harder and not be poor anymore. [Paraphrased]
Glen Utzman
Fall Semester 2011
[Via daughter Kimberly who is taking a class from Professor Utzman.
While this does make a great deal of sense I somehow doubt the idea would receive widespread support.—Joe]
Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress that a lack of gun control was to blame for the government selling guns to Mexican drug cartels.
Jack Minor
AG: Gun control would have stopped Fast and Furious
October 15, 2011
[I think what he meant to say was, “The NRA Devil made me do it!”—Joe]
It’s probably a lot easier to sleep at night if you think you’re fighting evil corporations, rather than merely being a sour busybody inserting your nose into the personal business of millions and millions of fellow Americans.
Sebastian
October 15, 2011
An Interview with Josh Horwitz
[Horwitz is the Executive Director of Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. Yeah. You would have never heard of him or his organizations if you weren’t active in the gun owner rights movement.
As Sebastian hints at these people either cannot believe and/or want to make others believe that gun ownership is driven by “evil gun companies wanting to make a profit”. That people actual believe that they have a right to own firearms and would want do so without the influence of “corporate interests” is nearly unthinkable to them.—Joe]
I thought Obama was brilliant. He’s so informed. He’s circumspect. He’s articulate. He’s thoughtful. Well, I think in my lifetime, there’s never been anything like it.
David Shuster
June 2009
[And how brilliant and thoughtful do people think he is now?—Joe]
The left needs a sacrificial lamb. So it has nonsensically turned with a fury on Obama as if he were culpable for getting through the left’s own agenda. If Democrats don’t blame the public’s anger on their once-beloved messenger, then they’re left only with their message itself. That’s something they simply can’t accept.
Victor Davis Hanson
September 14, 2011
Why liberals are giving prez the shiv
[And I’ll bet they thought the “Occupy Wall Street” protests would resonate more as well. As near as I can tell the left lacks a grasp on reality. That limits their ability to accomplish anything other than by using violence. They apparently realize that and are making what they think are the appropriate plans. But as son James said last night (paraphrasing), “Bring it on.”—Joe]
Paul Barrett sent Ry and I an email telling us he has a website up for his new book Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun.