Author Archives: Joe

Quote of the day–ubu52

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I believe, if guns were only used for target shooting or for events like Boomershoot, guns would be as controversial as bowling balls.


…


It looks like a fairly rural county. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t be armed? To me, this is exactly the kind of county where everyone should have guns. It just makes sense. If the cops are more than a couple of minutes away, you probably would be wise to have a gun.


ubu52
April 11, 2010
Comments here and here.
[The significance of this relatively mundane comments can only be realized if you take into account that she has also said such things as:



[To be fair, I have pulled the above quotes out of context from 83 comments she has left on my blog in the last year. It does represent a biased sample.]


And of note is that numerous gun bloggers have banned her from commenting on their blogs. I think it is safe to say that ubu52 falls on the anti-gun side of the fence. Yet, she admits (as she has in the past) that guns are useful tools and may in fact agree a gun is the self-defense tool of choice in some circumstances. I was surprised to read the comments she left today. Yes, there were some qualification that she made which I didn’t include in my QOTD. But it seems to me that she is breaking into somewhat new ground and may have made a small step closer to coming around to our side of the fence. I welcome that.


Some of the other commenter’s reminded me of a Libertarian essay or pamphlet I read 10 or 15 years ago. The author pointed out that hard-core Libertarians sometimes have the nasty habit of pushing until they find a point they on which they disagree with someone they are proselyting to. For example, they might find someone agrees that the war on some drugs cannot be won and is more harmful to society than the drugs themselves would be if legalized and taxed like other recreational drugs such as cigarettes and alcohol. The hard-core Libertarian would not try and “cement” that agreement but would go on to some other issue such as elimination of government schools or something. And then “hammer” on the potential new recruit if they disagreed.


This is not the way you recruit people to your cause. When someone sees a glimmer of the light you have been trying to demonstrate you should encourage them. You don’t tell them they are a blind idiot because they can’t see the entire spectrum of ultra-violet, infra-red, and X-ray, beauty to find in so many ways that you know and love. If you are right your viewpoint will grow better through careful nurturing than through pushing more and more new material down their throat until they start gagging.


I think the proper response in this case is to ask her where and how the dividing line between rural and metropolitan areas should be drawn. If guns are acceptable and appropriate in a “rural area” but not in “metropolitan areas” then legal definitions will have to be created. What might those definitions be? How will someone traveling from one area to another (perhaps several times in one day or hour) be able to change their status from gun possessor to gun free and vice versa?


When they get stumped or realize their belief system has an internal conflict let it drop rather than push on or gloat. Let them think on it and realize they have an irreconcilable problem on their own.


Welcome new people to your community even if you don’t really trust them to watch your back. You have considerable power to determine the nature of the future relationship of them with you and other people like you. Someone who is not really your friend is much better than someone who thinks you are jerk and maybe a little bit rabid.–Joe]

Judge tells citizens to arm themselves

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Via email from Chet (this blog post).


Ashtabula County: Judge tells residents to “Arm themselves”:



In the ongoing financial crisis in Ashtabula County, the Sheriff’s Department has been cut from 112 to 49 deputies. With deputies assigned to transport prisoners, serve warrants and other duties, only one patrol car is assigned to patrol the entire county of 720 square miles.


…


Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mackey was asked what residents should do to protect themselves and their families with the severe cutback in law enforcement.

“Arm themselves,” the judge said. “Be very careful, be vigilant, get in touch with your neighbors, because we’re going to have to look after each other.”

Ashtabula County gun dealers and firearms instructors tell WKYC their business has really picked up since the Sheriff’s Department cutbacks began some months ago.


Do the math. 49 deputies divided by 4 (3 shifts plus vacation, sick leave, weekends, etc.) and you have about 12 deputies for 720 square miles or about 1 deputy for every 60 square miles. Pull out duties like transportation of prisoners and court duty and you are probably talking nearly 100 square miles for each deputy on duty.


Interesting times ahead as the financial crisis worsens.

Quote of the day–Sam

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I’ve also known people who became pretty good shooters because they were motivated by fear. But, love always exceeds fear like light exceeds darkness.


Sam
July 31, 2009
A comment on the forum topic of Defining “Natural Athlete” vs. “Technical Athlete”
[This explains why we win in terms of membership in organizations like the NRA, SAF, CCRBA, JPFO, USPSA, IPDA, etc. (many millions) versus Brady Campaign, Violence Policy Center, etc. (a few hundred thousand if you squint at the numbers just right). And of course the same applies in the intellectual debate. We who have some love for the study of the topics know our stuff so much better than those who try to debate the issue end up making fools of themselves.–Joe]

And your point is?

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I’ve read Half-Truth Henigan’s most recent post several times now and I still don’t really get what his point is. I think he is trying to claim the NRA is saying if gun owners don’t get their way they will start shooting politicians. But the data he presents doesn’t read that way to me. And Half-Truth doesn’t come right out and say that either. He just alludes to it.


Even the guy he quotes says things that I find completely appropriate and would feel comfortable defending in a debate against anyone:



We’re screaming! We’re protesting! We’re faxing! We’re phoning and marching and yelling….


But still…they ignore us.


I hear the clank of metal on metal in the distance, but not so distant today as it was yesterday or the day before, or the day before, or the day before.


I have a feeling, just a feeling, that I’m not alone. There are a lot of people out there like me who will no longer tolerate the arrogance of politicians who ignore us. I’ve been told that there’s only one thing worse than being abused, and that’s being ignored. If you kick me, at least I know I exist. But if you ignore me, then I’m not even worth the trouble.


My question to everyone reading this article is this: “For you, as an individual, when do you draw your saber? When do you say “Yes, I am willing to rise up and overthrow an oppressive, totalitarian government?”


Is it when the government takes away your  private business?
Is it when the government rigs elections?
Is it when the government imposes martial law?
Is it when the government takes away your firearms?


Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating the immediate use of force against the government. It isn’t time, and hopefully that time will never come. But one thing is certain:  “Now is the time to rattle your sabers.” If not now, then when?


When the government ignores the First Amendment, it is time to rattle the Second Amendment sabers. It’s all about accountability. So long as our elected officials believe we will rise up and overthrow them under certain conditions, then they will not allow those conditions to occur. Their jobs and their very lives depend on it.


Even after Half-Truth Henigan removes half of what was actually said there isn’t anything I really have a problem with:



We the people have been exercising our First Amendment right to the hilt. We’re screaming! We’re protesting! We’re faxing! We’re phoning and marching and yelling….But still…they ignore us….There are a lot of people out there like me who will no longer tolerate the arrogance of politicians who ignore us….And here’s the million-dollar question: What happens if the First Amendment fails?…When the government ignores the First Amendment, it is time to rattle the Second Amendment sabers…As long as our elected officials believe we will rise up and overthrow them under certain conditions, then they will not allow those conditions to occur. Their jobs and their very lives depend on it.


I guess it is just a different mindset. I have to conclude that Half-Truth Henigan is of the mind that no matter what the government decides that is what you have to live (or die) with. I guess in his world view those 60 million (give or a take few 10’s of millions) innocent people murdered by their own government in the last century deserved what they got.


I am not of that mindset. I learned the hard way that even if you have a contract with someone or an organization it is meaningless unless you have a means of enforcing that contract. And you have to be willing to use that enforcement means in order for the other party to adhere to the contract.


The Second Amendment is the people’s means to enforce the contracts known as our State and Federal constitutions. Those constitutions are the granting of certain powers to the government. When discussing (First Amendment) and pleading (the courts) about contract violation fails and the violations are too egregious to ignore the means to break the contract must reside with the people who granted the government those powers to begin with. Or has Henigan conveniently forgotten these words?



We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,[71] that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.


The Second Amendment protects the ability of people, like me, to have a reasonable chance of saying, “Please don’t do that” in the right tone of voice and being heard in such a way that the politician and their hired thugs who have overstepped the authority given to him or her by the Constitution gets a chill down their back and then scans the area every time they step outside. The enforcement of all contracts ultimate boils down to someone with a gun and a willingness to pull the trigger if necessary. Half-Truth Henigan and all politicians should know that and I don’t have a problem with them being given a gentle reminder every once in a while.


Update: Sebastian posts what I wish I had written on this topic. The sarcasm is strong.

Talk to a shrink and lose your guns

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From Canada:



As a psychiatrist, I have had occasion to witness the efficacy of Canada’s gun control legislation in action and have recommended use of the information contained in the database to ensure that unstable individuals do not have access to firearms.


I have to wonder if Ms. Kane uses the same logic to advocate for a database of everyone that possesses recreational drugs, baseball bats, knives, matches, and sharp sticks so she can “ensure that unstable individuals do not have access” and become more unstable through their use and abuse.


What I expect the most likely result will be that gun owners in need psychiatric help will not seek it because they know they will likely lose their guns forever.

Quote of the day–Russ Crane

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There is good and evil in the world. It gets so you yearn for a righteous fight. Personally I believe there are bad people, and God put people here to shoot those people, to let other people live peaceful lives. David was a shepherd boy who became king. The Philistines had their giant, Goliath. The Lord said to David, ‘I’m on your side. Go out and fight.’ David did. And you know, David killed Goliath as dead as Elvis Presley. He was a shepherd, a king, a follower of the Lord. But first and foremost he was a warrior. God understands that we have to have soldiers. Soldiers are part of God’s plan.


Russ Crane (pseudonym)
February 2010
The Distant Executioner (via Ry)
[“Crane” is talking about his work as a sniper with the police and military but most of what he says above can also be applied to anyone who carries a gun for defense of self and other innocent life. It’s a very sober read but I liked it.


I sometimes wonder how the anti-gun people view statements like that above. Do they see all gun use as wrong? Or is the use of a gun in the defense of innocent life acceptable? Or is it only acceptable when the person pulling trigger gets a government paycheck?


What about the fact that far, far more innocent people have been murdered by their government than by common criminals? Doesn’t that mean if firearms possession to be banned from anyone it would be more appropriate for the private citizen to be armed and government employees to be forbidden by law to possess weapons?–Joe]

Quote of the day–Max

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Sullum, I hope you get a gun and accidentally shoot your balls off, you simpering right-wing fuckhead.

Max
April 7, 2010
Comment to Gun Controllers Need Not Fear ‘Intermediate Scrutiny’.
H/T to Say Uncle for the link.
[I guess I’m just a slow learner. Even though my first encounter was nearly a dozen years ago I’m always surprised at how hateful some of the people on the left are.

This morning I was reading some of Driftglass’s posts and addition to the persistent and willful ignorance there were things that were profoundly hateful and hinting at a desire for genocide. Again, I shouldn’t be surprised but I am. All genocides that immediately come to mind were by leftists. Even the concentration camps in the U.S. last century were implemented by leftists.

One of my main motivators for Boomershoot is because the left has such a propensity toward genocide. And if they didn’t want to take guns away I would be far less motived to be active in the gun rights movement and I might not even own a gun (the election of Bill Clinton and his anti-gun agenda was what inspired me to buy my first gun). The irony of it all–the left wants to ban guns and would be closer and better able to accomplish that particular goal if they didn’t want to ban guns.

Writing the previous paragraph reminded me of something I wrote a long time ago (from my quote database):

The only reason the American people will ever really NEED the number of firearms they have is if the American government tries to take those firearms away.
Joe Huffman
December 1, 1995

Side note–I didn’t know there was an internment camp out in the woods in Idaho at Canyon Creek near where Barb and I have spent a fair amount of time.–Joe]

Boomershoot 2010 update

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Boomershoot 2010 shirts, hats, framed prints, underwear, cups, tote bags, mugs, etc. Available here.


Ry has the Boomershoot 2010 schedule available for your cell phone. There are different schedules you can subscribe to such as “Precision Rifle Clinic”, “Staff”, “Main Event”, etc. You phone will be automatically updated (assuming you have a data connection–free on-site Wi-Fi is available if nothing else) if the schedule changes.

Quote of the day–Driftglass

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Its leaders fought for the right to : to work them like animals and kill them at will.

Its leaders fought for the right to enforce the institution of slavery with state-sanctioned terror and murder.

Its leaders were known as “Confederates”.

To preserve and defend their monstrous institution, Confederates spent centuries constructing massive social, economic, religious and cultural fortifications around it.

Like hemophilia, Confederates passed that comprehensive social, economic, religious and cultural worldview down generation after generation.

Like syphilis, to this day Confederates continue to spread that social, economic, religious and cultural worldview everywhere they go.

About 40 years ago, the Confederates changed their name.

Now they are known as “Republicans”.


Driftglass
April 7, 2010
Just In Case
[Some might say it is because of the state of our educational system. Others might say it was a simple error. But I’m inclined to think of it as a mental defect.


How can they live in such a fact free environment? No wonder they want government assistance for everything. They couldn’t find their way to their food without help from someone.


I left the following comment on their post:



You got a couple things mixed up. The anti-slavery people were Republicans and the pro-slavery people (including the racist bigots with their Jim Crow laws up through the 1960s) were all Democrats.

Other than that minor error I think you are pretty close.


I wonder if this is going to be another instance of “Reasoned Discourse“.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Mohandes Gandhi

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Political power means capacity to regulate national life through national representatives. If national life becomes so perfect as to become self-regulated, no representation becomes necessary. There is then a state of enlightened anarchy. In such a state every one is his own ruler. He rules himself in such a manner that he is never a hindrance to his neighbor. In the ideal State, therefore, there is no political power because there is no State.


Mohandes Gandhi
November 17, 1921
[Maybe it’s just crazy talk but it seems to me that Gandhi has it right.


In the ideal State there is no government because there is no need of government. Agreed, my utopia is just as unattainable as everyone elses. I concede government is necessary. But the less government we have the closer to the ideal we are. Yet so many people seem to think more government (via Kevin) brings us closer to the ideal.


Do these people even have a glimmer of what their end result looks like? Either they don’t have any concept of the principles, as explained above by Gandhi (and countless others including the people who wrote our constitution), or they have a radically different view of what utopia looks like. Both of these possible conclusions are equally frightening.–Joe]

Photo of the year?

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Linoge claims one of the pictures of private Boomershoot party for Ian is “photo of the year”.


I’m not entirely comfortable with that claim. But it is nice that he did say that.


It was a pretty ordinary day and event in a lot of ways. What of the days when we have 120 shooters connecting with 1 MOA reactive targets out to 700 yards? I think of those pictures as more awe inspiring to me and are probably PSH inspiring to the anti-gun people. And what of the other private parties such as this one with Shobana? (BTW, she is planning on attending another private party soon.) She is from a country that has just as restrictive laws, if not more so, than Canada. And also, the year is young still.


But it’s an opinion thing. Linoge’s opinion is probably just as good as mine in this case.


In any event I have uploaded the original, unedited, high resolution photo for your viewing pleasure here (just shy of 5 Mbytes).


Update: I added the link to his post. Sorry about forgetting that.

Boomershoot 2010 T-shirt image

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Via our professional photographer daughter Xenia who took the picture at Boomershoot last year:



Notice the target rich enviornment in the distance? Each of those little white dots is another pound or two of high explosives. The white “smoke” is actually almost all water vapor from the explosions. Yes, we try to make Boomershoot a “green” event. The daffodils? Those were planted by my grandmother and her sisters about 90 years ago.


T-shirts, cups, etc. will be available at Cafepress in a day or three.

Quote of the day–John Kenneth Galbraith

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People of privilege will alway risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage.


John Kenneth Galbraith
1977
The Age of Uncertainty
[I find it interesting that Galbraith was a hard-core socialist and advocated the government intervention to remove “inequities”. The reason I find it interesting is that when I read the quote above I immediately, and only, thought of politicians and government bureaucrats.


Apparently he didn’t think of people in government as being “people of privilege”. He, like many other advocates of socialism, gun control, etc. only think in terms of the hoped for benefits rather than weighing the total package for its net worth. Contrary to those with experience with attempts to achieve utopia they think the equalizers will equalize themselves.


I should come up with “Just One Question” for socialists/communists. I believe it would end up something like, as I mentioned before, “How do you measure fairness/justice?”–Joe]

Quote of the day–Emma Goldman

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The philosophy of a new social order based on liberty unrestricted by man-made law; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary.


Emma Goldman
The above is Ms. Goldman’s definition of anarchism.
[She hoped to help move this country to the next stage beyond our present form of government. And the above almost sounds like a Libertarian tenet. But she also advocated “from everyone according to their ability and to everyone according to their need“. And she was an inspiration to President McKinley’s assassin.


It is possible we may be facing “the next stage” of government in the near future. Let us beware of forms which create hope of an utopia and bring poverty, violence, and everlasting servitude.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Ellen Glasgow

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The mob that would die for a belief seldom hesitates to inflict death upon any opposing heretical group.


Ellen Glasgow
From The Great Thoughts (link is to the 2nd Edition, mine is the 1st Edition–1985)
[The people on both sides of the current political battles would do well to keep this in mind.–Joe]

Free Washington State IDPA Championship entry

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Via email from Daniel:



Cheaper Than Dirt! has one free entry into the Northwest Practical Pistol Association sponsored 2010 Washington State IDPA Championship being held August 21st at the Renton Fish & Game Club in Renton, Washington.


Established in 1933, the Renton Fish & Game Club has been open and serving the community for more than 50 years. They are one of the oldest and the largest shooting ranges in King county. For over a half century the Renton Fish & Game Club has been providing a safe place to shoot as well as learn and practice the safe use of firearms through various training programs.


Cheaper Than Dirt! is looking for a blogger or person on Facebook or Twitter who would like to compete in the IDPA Championship and blog or tweet about their experience. Qualified individuals must be a current IDPA member with a Master Marksman classification or higher. Novice class shooters are not permitted to compete. Preference will be given to shooters with an existing blog or public Twitter or Facebook account.


If you don’t currently have an IDPA classification but are capable of obtaining one by the match date, we will consider those entries as well. Novice shooters will have difficulty making the classification by the deadline, so please limit entries to experienced shooters only.


If you meet the requirements and would like to compete in the 2010 Washington State IDPA Championship, send an email with your information and why you would like to attend to daniels@cheaperthandirt.com. We will select one person to receive a free entry to the match. Selection will be made by July 1st, so please send in your emails no later than midnight May 31st.

A gun blogger glossary

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From Appleseed to Zootshooters here.

I’m probably a little over-represented with my Jews In the Attic Test, Just One Question, and Threepers.

Quote of the day–Beverly Akerman

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How long does it take to pull a trigger, anyway? That’s the amount of time it takes for a “law-abiding” gun owner to become a law-breaking one. Here’s how the gun registry helps prevent crimes, including murder (I’m typing slowly so even the dullards among us will understand): knowing who has which guns allows the police to remove them as a preventative measure, should it become necessary. Why do critics of the long gun registry persistently ignore this simple truth? Enforcing the registry does prevent crime. Since its creation, close to 23,000 firearms licences have been refused or revoked because of just this sort of safety concern.


Beverly Akerman
Enforcing long-gun registry does prevent crime.
March 29, 2010
[Preventing crime… Shall we also prevent the crime of falsely yelling fire in a crowded theater by duct taping peoples mouths shut and tying their hands to their ankles prior to entering a theater so that can’t remove the tape? Or how about preventing women from engaging in prostitution by forcing them to wear a chastity belt with the only keys held by their fathers or husbands? Or preventing libel by registering all computers and printers?  (actually, we sort of have this already).


Also note that she measures the effectiveness of the registration laws in terms of licenses refused or revoked rather than decreased violent crime rates. This is like measuring the effectiveness of anti-miscegenation laws by the number of people in prison rather than any imagined benefit to society.


It is also worthy of note that the advocates of miscegenation laws and hoaxes to further their cause were Democrats. This is also generally the case today with gun laws where advocates are generally Democrats and openly engage in hoaxes to accomplish their goals.–Joe]

Quote of the day–George Mason

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That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation or community; of all the various modes and forms of government that is best, which is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety and is most effectually secured against the danger of maladministration; and that, whenever any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.


George Mason
Virgina Declaration of Rights
Adopted unanimously June 12, 1776 bye the Virginia Convention of Delegates.
[It’s time for some reform, altering, and abolishing around here.–Joe]