Yeah, my blog was down for most of yesterday. All my websites that use ASP.NET were down. It was a problem with my web provider. I need to finish migrating to another provider but I haven’t. Maybe over Thanksgiving or something…
Author Archives: Joe
Quote of the day–Senator Everett Dirksen
A billion here, and a billion there, and pretty soon it adds up to real money.
Senator Everett Dirksen
[I should have posted this two weeks ago.–Joe]
Quote of the day–David B. Kopel
There is no doubt that an abused woman is at much greater risk if her abuser has a gun. However, research shows no heightened risk to an abuse victim who lives apart from the abuser and who has her own gun. An abuser’s being armed creates a 7.59 odds ratio for increased risk of femicide. Living alone and having a gun yields an odds ratio of 0.22, far below the 2.0 level necessary for statistical significance. Jacquelyn Campbell et al., Risk Factors for Femicide in Abusive Relationships, 93 AM.J.PUB. HEALTH 1089, 1090-92 (2003). Petitioners and their amici relentlessly cite variants of the first figure, but ignore the second figure.
David B. Kopel
Brief of The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), The International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI), Maryland State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, Southern States Police Benevolent Association, 29 Elected California District Attorneys, San Francisco Veteran Police Officers Association, Long Beach Police Officers Association, Texas Police Chiefs Association, Texas Municipal Police Association, New York State Association of Auxiliary Police,Mendocino County, Calif., Sheriff Thomas D. Allman, Oregon State Rep. Andy Olson, National Police Defense Foundation, Law Enforcement Alliance of America, and The Independence Institute as amici curiae in support of respondent.
D.C. v. Heller
[Typical. Crow about the dangers but none of the benefits of firearms.–Joe]
Security theater where you are the entertainer
So what did you expect when the security theater people didn’t improve security? Did you believe they would give up and spend the money on something effective? Of course not. Instead they make you the entertainment–Genitals, breasts not obscured in airport security trial.
Preemption in Washington State stands–for now
The back story is here, here, here, here, here, and here.
An email from Joe Waldron to the WA-Guns email list:
The Attorney General has issued Opinion Number 2008 — 8 that defines
state preemption as it applies to Mayor Nickels attempt to ban guns on
Seattle city property.
In a nutshell, the AG says “preemption means preemption.”
The AGO reads in part:
The question: “Does a city in Washington have the authority to enact a
local law that prohibits the possession of firearms on city property or
in city-owned buildings?”
The answer: “The answer to your question is no. RCW 9.41.290 “fully
occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation” and
preempts a city’s authority to adopt firearms laws or regulations of
application to the general public, unless specifically authorized by
state law. Accordingly, RCW 9.41.290 preempts a city’s authority to
enact local laws that prohibit possession of firearms on city property
or in city-owned facilities.”
He then uses a dozen pages of legalese to explain why the Cherry and
PNWSPA cases (state Supreme Court decisions that went against us) do not
apply here.
AG Opinions are published on the AG’s web site at
http://www.atg.wa.gov/uploadedFiles/Another/About_the_Office/AGO_Opinions/AGO_Opinion_Archives/Indices%20Yearly%20Report%202007.pdf
AGO 2008-8 is not posted yet, but should be shortly.
In all, to these non-lawyerly eyes, a well written stick to poke in
Mayor Nickels’ eye.
Another win for the good guys.
We need to thank Senator Morton (R-7), Representative Van De Wege (D-24)
and those other legislators who made the formal request to the AG for
this opinion.
And now for the down side: We can expect a frontal assault on
preemption in Olympia when the legislature goes back into session in
January. They’ve tried it before, and didn’t have quite the number of
votes they needed to pass. With ACORN & Co working overtime to register
fraudulent voters for the presidential election, we can anticipate
Democrat gains in the 2009-2010 legislature. That MAY be enough to push
them over the top.
Joe W
Quote of the day–Richard Pearson
I’d like to remind you that I’m a guy who has actually gone nose to nose with Obama on gun rights issues. The Obama I know cannot even begin to identify with this nation’s outdoor traditions. The Obama I know sees you, the law abiding gun owner, as nothing but a low-class lummox who is easily swayed by the flash of a smile and a ration of rosy rhetoric. The Obama I know is a stony-faced liar who has honed his skill at getting what he wants – so long as people are willing to give it to him.
Richard Pearson
October 15, 2008
Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson Issues Open Letter to Nation’s Sportsmen Regarding Obama’s History in the Illinois Senate
[H/T to Sebastian. See also GunBaNObama.com. And that totally ignores his anti-First Amendment activities and his apparently complete disregard for the U.S. Constitution as a whole. See also The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate. That book will really open your eyes. He won at least two of his state legislative offices by kicking his opponents out of the race–Chicago politics at their finest. You can be sure he will bring change you can believe in to Washington D.C.. There is also his close relationship with Reverend “Snuffy” Pfleger (not to be confused with Reverend Wright) and so many other unsavory things that people that should know greatly fear his rise to power.–Joe]
Wow!
Say Uncle says Frightening, Third Power says Baghdad Chicago, Mike Vanderboegh says be careful what you wish for, Dave Codrea says:
Mary Mitchell’s America is a police state.
I notice she acknowledged force was used. I note she says “Forget it” for any rights-based disagreement, removing any will but hers from the decision.
How many men who disagree is Mary willing to see destroyed to enact her totalitarian agenda? Anybody not think creatures just like her enabled killing fields?
This wretched harridan is nothing less than a domestic enemy. The Chicago Sun-Times, which gives her a platform, is an instrument of subversion.
Anyone who thinks such as these will ever allow us to peacefully coexist is a fool.
All over what Mary Mitchell says:
Secret Service, sheriff’s deputies, Chicago Police officers and plainclothes officers are scattered throughout the area.
Frankly, I felt like I had just entered the safest zone in America.
For the first time — in a long time –while on the South Side, I didn’t worry about leaving my car parked on the street or about walking back to it several hours later in the dark.
Obviously, law enforcement is doing what needs to be done to ensure a presidential candidate’s safety.
But it does make me think.
Obama’s neighbors have been forced to give up certain of their personal freedoms in order to ensure his safety.
Unsuspecting pedestrians are questioned when they go around the barricades. Similar to a gated community, guests who visit Obama’s neighbors have to identify themselves.
Although I’m a journalist, the presumption on the part of the Secret Service is the same as it is for the Fruit of Islam who guard the Nation of Islam headquarters a few blocks away.
An agent rifled through my purse and searched my backpack.
More than a few dog-walkers strolled past without so much as a backward glance at my outspread arms as the agent checked me with a hand-held metal detector.
Aldermen and activists who are struggling to stop the bloodbath on the South Side may have to resort to the same aggressive policing that is being used to protect Obama.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the city this year because of street violence.
It is a crisis.
And a crisis requires drastic intervention, not rhetoric.
There’s no telling how many guns would be taken off the street in gang- and drug-plagued neighborhoods if police were to set up roadblocks and search everyone going into those areas.
For those of you who argue that what I am proposing violates basic civil rights, forget it.
When you go to an airport or into most schools, you have to walk through a metal detector.
This is Chicago, not Alaska.
Wow! Just wow!
Any other words I am inclined to say could be used against me…
Quote of the day–Mike of Gun Guys
If a domestic violence report is filed, the police should forcefully search for any and all weapons owned by the alleged abuser. The police should have broad discretion and lean on the side of protecting women and not worrying about a batterer’s “gun rights”. If a woman’s charges of domestic violence are unwarranted, then a gun owner can get their rights restored later — that’s why we have a court system and procedures.
Mike of Gun Guys
April 4, 2008
With So Many Men Owning Guns, Domestic Violence Is Difficult to Prevent for Justice System
[And the reason we don’t violate a person’s rights on the basis of a single accusation is because we have a court system and procedures. If someone is not fit to own a gun then prove it in court where the gun owner has a chance to defend themselves. If these guys applied the same logic to the First Amendment they would change their tune. On the first accusation of them using their website to lie about the NRA or gun owners their website would be taken down, all their computers confiscated, and they would be forbidden to talk to the media. They could try to prove the charge of libel was unwarranted later in court. If they were lucky their First Amendment rights would be restored sometime within the next year after spended tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
See also my other comments about this same post here.–Joe]
Our trip through airport security theater
This particular rights violation session wasn’t as bad as some. As Barb said, “They were pretty good about guns here. Much better than Denver.” I can’t find where I wrote up my Denver experience but here is someone else’s experience. I have to agree but it’s still aggravating to be searched by government agents without a warrant or probable cause.
As I was researching this post I reviewed the TSA website again. I may have gotten lucky when TSA let me get through with three of my STI magazines in carry-on baggage. They saw them in the x-ray and pulled the bag off for further inspection while a police officer watched. They examined each of the magazines for ammunition, asked if I was law enforcement, and told me to have a nice trip.
The TSA says this about firearms parts:
You may only transport firearms, ammunition and firearm parts in your checked baggage. Firearms, ammunition and firearm parts are prohibited from carry-on baggage.
I guess it depends on what you define a firearm part to be.
More Obama ads from the NRA
Obama is trying to trample on the first amendment. And then Obama saying, “Don’t tell me words don’t matter” in combination with saying people with “traditional values” cling to their guns and religion.
On our way home
Barb and I are sitting in the Reno airport waiting for our plane. I’m pretty sure I’m the last of the gun bloggers to leave town. Barb and I had dinner last night at the Black Bear Diner with The Conservative UAW Guy, his wife, Mr. Completely, and Keewee. Back at Circus Circus I chatted with them and Ride Fast, the last hanger ons, about airport security theater until about 21:00 when most of us said our good-byes. Mr. Completely, Keewee, Barb and I had breakfast together this morning and the Gun Blogger Rendezvous was over.
I have a few pictures and will post more later, particularly about our day at the range, but for now here is an odd gun I saw at the museum today with Barb. This gun was part of an exhibit on bootleggers:
Sawed off pistol. (Click for bigger.)
[Please excuse the poor photo quality. I used my cell-phone camera.]
I noticed one of their exhibits was mislabeled and they seemed very grateful when I corrected them. A device used to clean wheat had original markings saying it separated wheat from wild oats. But was labeled as tool for separating wild oats from chaff.
Quote of the day–Jacques Yves Cousteau
The real cure for our environmental problems is to understand that our job is to salvage Mother Nature. We are facing a formidable enemy in this field. It is the hunters… and to convince them to leave their guns on the wall is going to be very difficult.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
[This is widely attributed to Cousteau but I have not been able to find the context. Regardless this is a very mild version of what a great number of people believe. What they don’t understand is that hunters and other shooters raise more money and do more for wildlife preservation than, probably, any other group. Bigotry is an ugly thing.–Joe]
I know that guy
Say Uncle says he knows the guy quoted in the newspaper article. The article is about the NRA ad being correct when it says Obama voted for a bill that would have outlawed most common hunting ammo. Obama and others on the left say the NRA ad is a lie. The reporter quotes a gun blogger as a reference to support the NRA’s claim. I know that guy too.
That blogger would be me and this blog post.
Sebastian also noticed.
What I noticed was that the headline to the article wasn’t something to the effect that “NRA is right–Obama tried to ban hunting ammo” but instead, “NRA ad draws fire for dubious claims”.
What media bias?
Sparse posting from the Gun Blogger Rendezvous
Lack of sleep (up very late talking to other bloggers) combined with Barb wanting to use my computer meant I haven’t really posted anything about the rendezvous. Sorry, it’s not going to get much better for a few days.
Check out what others have been saying:
- GBR-III Update: Nice Hat! (this is the picture I should have taken of Ashley. I only got a couple before she left and both were crap compared to this one)
- GBR-III Update: Range Day, with Gun Pr0n (picture of me preparing to shoot–a story I promise I will tell before long)
- We’re Either Dedicated or Crazy
- GBR-III Saturday 101108 – Range Day
- GBR Day 3 (lots of pictures–See previous posts as well)
Quote of the day–Ben Franklin
There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and more frequently fall into than that of defrauding the government.
Ben Franklin
[Socialized medicine anyone?–Joe]
Quote of the day–M. Carol Bambery
What the District’s current firearms laws do is manifest “gross indifference” to the self-defense needs of women. Effectively banning the possession of handguns ignores biological differences between men and women, and in fact allows gender-inspired violence free rein. Those biological differences should, under these limited circumstances, be influential to the Court’s decision.
M. Carol Bambery
Brief of amicae curiae 126 women state legislators and academics in support of respondent in D.C. v. Heller.
[A lot of people in the gun rights community worry about the aging of the gun owning population and the need to get young people into the culture. Just as important and, in a logical sense, an easier sell is to get women into the culture. Defense of self and defense of your family is a very powerful argument.–Joe]
Gun Blogger Rendezvous first report
Barb and I arrived in Reno a little to late to get on the visit to Cabelas and the NRA presentation from Ashley Varner. I did participated in the show and tell and Barb came in for the tail end of that just before went to dinner.
I’m am now sitting in the corner listening to discussions of how bad Obama is and how the race is closer than the national polls indicate. I certainly hope so.
Oh, and David gave me a Serenity poster. Cool!
Quote of the day–Ly Chho
I am a new NRA member. I have been a citizen for only fourteen years. I believe in the Constitution and the Second Amendment, and when I see Obama, I see Communism, and I am afraid. I believe he is going to win the election. Do you have any plans in place if this happens?
Ly Chho
October 9, 2008
A question for NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
Via Kevin Baker.
[Kevin reports Mrs. Ly Chho, was born of Chinese parents in Cambodia, raised and schooled in Taiwan, and hence “she should know”.–Joe]
Full court press until election day?
One might reasonably speculate that the NRA is going to engage in a full court press against Barack Abomination Obama starting today and continuing until election day.
Here are some hints of what we will see today:
- NRA ad uses Clinton’s words against Obama on guns
- Hillary Was Right: You Can’t Trust Obama With Your Guns
- NRA to Make Major Election Announcement Thursday, October 9, 2008
The news should be out of the bag by now. It’s 8:00 in PA but I haven’t seen what is being said yet and I really need to get back to bed and get some sleep.
Quote of the day–Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
[Ebner-Eschenbach is apparently the originator of the “stopped clock is right twice a day” quote:
Even a stopped clock is right twice every day. After some years, it can boast of a long series of successes.
Which wouldn’t be a bad QOTD during this political season as well. But back to fear and dodging…
Obama dodges. What does he mean when he says the following?
“I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country.” (gun ownership and restrictions on guns)
Politico, 2/11/08
“I think that local jurisdictions have the capability to institute their own gun laws.”
BaltimoreSun.com, 2/15/08
He could settle all this by promising, as President of the United States, to veto any gun control restriction bill that reaches his desk. But he doesn’t.
Gun owners have something to fear in Obama as a person in power.–Joe]