Via CF Active @ActiveCf:
The progressives demanding new debt-financed programs to take advantage of low interest rates did not acknowledge that Washington is already on course to borrow $114 trillion over 30 years just to finance current programs.
Brian Riedl
September 20, 2022
Expected Interest Rate Hike Will Add $2 Trillion to the Deficit
[Prepare appropriately.—Joe]
The research also found that gun owners who are receptive to regulations feel alienated by the current national conversation. They have a fundamentally different view than most gun-safety activists and pro-reform politicians who don’t own guns. Whereas someone like me sees guns as dangerous, gun owners typically see them as a way to keep safe. Whereas I associate guns exclusively with harm, gun owners see them as a tool that can be used for good or bad purposes. This helps explain a widespread conviction among gun owners: that policy should focus on “keeping guns out of the wrong hands,” not on bans of certain types of weapons or attempts to reduce the number of guns in the country. Another survey found that most gun owners believe that gun-reform advocates ultimately want to take their guns away. This belief makes them mistrustful and reluctant to speak out for any reforms at all — the “slippery slope” argument.
Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow
September 21, 2022
Will Gun Owners Fight for Stronger Gun Laws? — A new group, which includes two former NRA lobbyists, is betting on it
[Yet another gun control group. How many have failed now? Yet they keep trying to put lipstick on the pig.
While she has a better understanding of her opposition than most anti-gun people she has certain important “facts” wrong. For example she apparently believes:
Siegel has found that the majority of gun owners support four laws shown to be effective: universal background checks, prohibitions for those convicted of violent misdemeanors, permits for concealed carry, and permits for gun purchases and possession. He estimates that if all four were implemented, firearm homicides would decline by 35 percent.
Technically this may be true. But it is extremely deceptive in it’s wording.
“Firearm homicide” includes defensive use of firearms. Even if it did only include murder by firearm it does not mean it would decrease the murder rate because criminals substitute other weapons when firearms become difficult to obtain.
There are other weasel words and phrases in this claim as well as outright lies which I will leave as an exercise for the reader.
And the last point I would like to make is that she totally ignores the Bruen decision.—Joe]
The U.S. attorney’s office said the law to prohibit those under felony indictment from obtaining guns does not interfere with the Second Amendment “because it does not disarm felony indictees who already had guns and does not prohibit possession or public carry.”
Jolie McCullough
September 19, 2022
Texas judge rules that people under felony indictment have the right to buy guns under the Second Amendment
[As I understand it, this Federal Prosecutor is making the argument that the law prohibiting the purchase of a firearm by someone with a felony indictment is constitutional because the person can continue to possess and carry any existing firearms they own. But can’t the defense attorney also claim because their client is allowed to keep and use any firearm they already own the law against purchase is nonsensical, serves no purpose, and the client has harmed no one despite breaking a law? Or is this one of those cases where you just have to say, “It’s just a law. It doesn’t have to make sense?”—Joe]
Gun-control groups want this freedom issue framed as a “safety issue,” with gun control as the solution; as in, if the elites just had the power to ban, confiscate or deeply restrict the use of firearms, they could save the people. That’s nonsense, of course, as history shows again and again that disarmed peoples are not and do not remain free; “safe” is not an adjective the people of Venezuela, to give one example, would now use to describe their situation.
Frank Miniter
September 21, 2022
This Is Not A Culture War
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]
The creation of a Merchant Category Code for sales at U.S. gun stores will not only not accomplish its intended goal, but is rife for misuse and abuse. Missourians value their Second Amendment rights and oppose any attempts to create a de-facto gun registry. I’m proud to stand up for those rights and will oppose this decision by the major credit card companies at every turn.
Eric Schmitt
Missouri Attorney General
September 21, 2022
Missouri Attorney General slams credit card companies for violation of Second Amendment rights
[Twenty four attorneys general signed a letter sent to American Express, Master Card and VISA CEOs. I can’t imagine this accomplishing anything more than some positive publicity for the signers of the letter. But it doesn’t hurt our cause any either.—Joe]
The demand for White supremacy vastly outstrips the supply of White supremacy. We have more people assigned to investigate White supremacists than we can actually find.
Anonymous FBI Agent
September 16, 2022
Biden Reportedly Pressuring FBI to ‘Cook Up’ White Supremacy Cases
[When a government can not find enough criminals to meet their needs (in this case it is for the suppression of their political opposition) they will create them.
Prepare appropriately.—Joe]
We do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters. Asking private companies to decide what legal products or services can or cannot be bought and from what store sets a dangerous precedent. Further, it would be an invasion of consumers’ privacy for banks and payment networks to know each of our most personal purchasing habits. Visa is firmly against this.
VISA
September 13, 2022
Visa Warns Merchant Codes Won’t Show Customer Gun Purchases
[It would seem to me that VISA could decisively limit future activities by these anti-gun and other moral busybodies. They could cancel all credit cards owned by the politicians and activists who contributed to this B.S.
It won’t happen, but it’s a pleasant thought.
Imagine thinking “encouraging minorities to build their own firearms in order to defend themselves” is a “fascist” position to take.
These people are insane.
In Chains @InChainsInJail
Tweeted on September 13, 2022
[This was in response to this tweet by coderedamerica.com@coderedamerica
Replying to @RICECUTTA0 @OleGelo5 and @POTUS
@FBI @FBIWFO here is a great thread to follow especially with people like @SamuelWhittemo3 involved. Nothing spells fascist like a maga follower pretending to be a christian and promoting ghost guns.
Words mean things and there are dictionaries which can be referenced determine those meanings when you are unsure. But some people see words meaning whatever suits their purpose as the time. Others see them as just sounds they make which give them some sort of satisfaction.
My first awareness of this was in conversations I attempted to follow with a particular family. Read my comments at that link!
This family trait was a source of considerable bafflement and some amusement to me. But things didn’t really “click” for me until, as I reported in the linked post, I was told my inability to resolve a contradiction in what someone had said was unimportant:
Oh Joe, it doesn’t matter. We are just talking.
They were just making sounds at each other. It was sort of like humming to a baby to help it go to sleep.
Casual conversation is one thing. Legal definitions is another. My first recollection of having frustrations with this was in “assault weapon” ban of ‘94. What does “shall not be infringed” mean to these people? The issue was brought into clarity when I realized it was, at least sometimes, deliberate deception using the definition of words.
Other examples:
See also, Speech Is Not Violence by John Stossel.
And redefining, or perhaps more accurate in many cases “undefining”, words applies to people who job depends upon the precise meaning of words.
As much clarity as I discovered on my own since my first awareness 30 or 40 years ago, this is not a new thing. Greater minds than mine made the practice far more clear pointed out the dangers. Lewis Carroll is one such example in his book Through the Looking Glass:
“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’
’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’
’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”
Circling back to the QOTD by In Chains above is something my daughter Jaime asked of me a few days ago:
Please look up the definition of “fascism” in your old timey dictionary*.
Here is the result:
Fascism The principles or methods of the Fascisti—Fascist, I. A member of the Fascisti. II. Of or pertaining to the Fascisti.
Fascisti … The members of a patriotic society in Italy, animated by a strong national spirit, and organized in connection with a repressive movement directed against the socialists and communists and the disturbances excited by them during 1919 and the years following, which regarded the government as criminally negligent in failing to deal with these disturbances, and took measure on its own account, often violent ones, to combat them, and which developed into a powerful party obtaining political control of the country in Oct., 1922, under its founder and leader, Benito Mussolini, as prime minister; hence, the members of a similar society or party elsewhere.
This definition is not the same as what is commonly used today but perhaps it has a hint of something more accurate than many people think. The people being called fascists typically are opposed to socialism and communism. But the violence component does not appear to have manifested itself.
So, is In Chains correct when he says, “These people are insane.”? Perhaps. I’m nearly certain some people redefining or undefining words have mental issues. Others, perhaps most, wish to be the master.
* “Old timey dictionary” means the unabridged The New Century Dictionary Copyright 1946, 1944, 1942, 1938, 1936,1934, 1933, 1931, 1929, 1927.
I received this email yesterday:
Joe,
Long time reader but not a comments kind of guy. I was hoping maybe you can contribute or share this info.
A buddy of mine is suspended without pay for refusing to get vaccinated and is currently in court over this issue. The Go Fund Me link has all the details. He is looking for financial help for the legal expenses.
I thought you might be interested in supporting this GoFundMe, https://gofund.me/511282ac.
Even a small donation could help Jonathan Lucas reach their fundraising goal. And if you can’t make a donation, it would be great if you could share the fundraiser to help spread the word.
Thanks for taking a look!
I have mixed feelings about this. Government mandates? NO WAY!!! Private mandate? Hmmm…. maybe. Your mileage may vary. I’d be interested in your thoughts.
I donated a little bit. The link given to me after my donation was https://gofund.me/cc1fcb01.
The New York Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul are making a mockery of the Supreme Court’s ruling in June, which struck down the state’s onerous ‘proper cause’ requirement in June. While they’re playing politics, the rights of law-abiding New York citizens are being cavalierly trampled. We cannot allow that to happen just so anti-gunners in Albany can play games with the constitution, just to see whether they can get away with it.
The fact that New York’s new regulatory scheme essentially prohibits lawful carry in most public places is outrageous. The state is being too clever by half, and we’re confident that the federal courts, with the recent guidance from the Supreme Court on Second Amendment jurisprudence, will bring a quick end to this nonsense.
Alan M. Gottlieb
September 13, 2022
SAF FILES FEDERAL CHALLENGE TO NEW YORK’S NEW GUN CONTROL SCHEME
[It is no surprise (read the comments here) to us that the authoritarians cling to authority or that SAF, the FPC, and others will have work to do for many years. But we are making progress.—Joe]
Via Chet, Richard, and other sources.
Interesting development. It’s another attempt at an end run around the 2nd Amendment:
Credit Card Code to Track Gun Sales Approved by Standards Group:
“I’m pleased that the ISO voted to advance a key step to prevent the next tragedy,” Lander said in a news release. “American Express, Mastercard, Visa and other credit card companies now have a responsibility to implement the new merchant category code, so that financial institutions can do their part to flag suspicious activity and save lives.”
Guns bought through credit cards in the US will now be trackable:
Credit card purchases of firearms in the US can now be tracked and purchases deemed suspicious can even be shared with law enforcement, according to a new measure approved by an organization that sets parameters for business transactions.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) voted in favor of creating a merchant code for firearms stores, according to Reuters.
Visa To Categorize Sales At Gun Stores In Win For Gun Control Advocates:
Visa’s decision will allow banks to make decisions with enhanced information on whether they will allow purchases at gun shops on their cards.
Visa, Mastercard, AmEx to start categorizing sales from gun shops:
Visa’s adoption is significant as the largest payment network, and with Mastercard and AmeEx, will likely put pressure on the banks as the card issuers to adopt the standard as well. Visa acts as a middleman between merchants and banks, and it will be up to banks to decide whether they will allow sales at gun stores to happen on their issued cards.
There were some attempts at balanced reporting. ABC and NBC had identical articles which included this:
Gun rights advocates argue that tracking sales at gun stores would unfairly target legal gun purchases, since merchant codes just track the type of merchant where the credit or debit card is used, not the actual items purchased. A sale of a gun safe, worth thousands of dollars and an item considered part of responsible gun ownership, could be seen as a just a large purchase at a gun shop.
“The (industry’s) decision to create a firearm specific code is nothing more than a capitulation to anti-gun politicians and activists bent on eroding the rights of law-abiding Americans one transaction at a time,” said Lars Dalseide, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association.
Credit card firms to code gun, ammunition purchases, making them easier to track:
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, on Wednesday morning, also tweeted in support of an MCC.
“Together we can help stop gun trafficking & keep New Yorkers safe,” she posted.
Opponents of the measure included the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
In a statement to The Center Square, Mark Oliva, the organization’s managing director for public affairs, slammed the move, saying the creation of the code was “flawed on its premise. Those who believe it will help law enforcement do not provide details on what should be considered suspicious purchases.”
“This decision chills the free exercise of Constitutionally-protected rights and does nothing to assist law enforcement with crime prevention or holding criminals accountable,” he said. “The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics consistently shows in their own reporting that 90% of felons convicted of their crimes involving a firearm admit they illegally obtain those guns through theft or trading on the black market. Attaching codes specific to firearm and ammunition purchases casts a dark pall by gun control advocates who are only interested in disarming lawful gun owners.”
I have three takeaways:
Make this work both ways. They want to use it to cast a chilling effect on the exercise of constitutionally protected right. We can use it to out the enemies of the constitution and freedom. And by using cash you enable others to avoid paying our oppressors more tax money.
Update: This is a good article on the topic which includes more from the civil rights viewpoint.
Via Chuck Petras @Chuck_Petras:
Get out of Illinois.
It is way too dangerous to live or work there.The state legislature and Governor are insane to have passed this.
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) September 8, 2022
Prepare appropriately.
You will increasingly see the gun prohibitionists now attempt to utilize the private sector to chill the Second Amendment since they can’t use governmental power to do so.
Over the next year when magazine bans and AWBs are struck down in the courts under the THT test you will witness a push to shame gun manufactures (we’ve seen a taste of that in congress), push shippers to refuse to ship firearms and accessories that democrats want to ban but can’t, and push the banking system to make gun purchases are difficult as possible.
The battle will now be shifting from the court system to the court of public opinion, it’s all they have left. We’re on the offensive now and they know it. Don’t take this as a sign of weakness on our side, but as a sign of their desperation as they get pushed back into the hole they crawled out of for another generation.
…
They’re desperate, take this sign for what it is and hold on tight. You’re about to witness a lash out like you’ve never seen.
Brandon Soderman
Facebook comment on September 7, 2022
[I think this is more than plausible.
We live in interesting times. Prepare appropriately.—Joe]
The way I see it, the only way forward is not only to have some acknowledgment of the truth, but as Germany has done with its horrific past, I’d like to criminalize denial. That may sound harsh, but I think it’s the only way for this nation to truly progress.
Rebekah Sager
September 5, 2022
The U.S. will never move forward until we acknowledge our past and criminalize its denial
[In other words, she wants to create a thoughtcrime in order to “truly progress”.
In addition to being a violation of the 1st Amendment thoughtcrime is a regression rather than progression. China, North Korea, and the U.S.S.R. performed massive and catastrophic experiments with that. That Germany has managed to survive a very narrow experiment is an exception rather than a shining example.
She should read some books on the topic. I would like to recommend she start with The Gulag Archipelago. Even the publication history would be a good background. But, of course, there is a high risk that she either already has, or would, consider such documentation as how-to material rather than a warning against a dystopian world.—Joe]
NY Governor Says Her Rights As Governor Trumps Constitutional Rights To Conceal Carry
Does this sound like a woman who is worried about the safety of her citizens or a TYRANT who is afraid to lose power over its citizens?
Colion Noir @MrColionNoir
Tweeted on September 3, 2022
[Hint: This is a rhetorical question.—Joe]
We are watching what is not only the best speech Joe Biden ever made … we’re watching a speech for the ages. And it’s exactly what we need at the exact time we need it.
Karin @karincpryor
Tweeted on September 1, 2022
[President Biden is such a uniter. He should be made president for life.*—Joe]
* While Karin is not being sarcastic I am.
Joe Biden used MAGA the way other dictators have used people of certain races and religions. It was pure evil. The president of the United States declared war on half the nation in an attempt to hang on to power.
Carmine Sabia @CarmineSabia
Tweeted on September 2, 2022
[I’m so glad we were able to elect someone who could unite us again inside of the previous guy who was so divisive.—Joe]
Responsible gun control measures save lives and any attempts by the gun lobby to tear down New York’s sensible gun control laws will be met with fierce defense of the law,
Letitia James
August 31, 2022
New York to enact new gun restrictions in response to supreme court decision
[I read this and hear the echoes of politicians responding to the 1865 passage of the 13th Amendment with the Jim Crow laws.
It probably will take at least a full generation before hey will lose the power and prestige they know belongs to them and their ilk. But eventually we will laugh at them as they are marginalized, finally lose their grip on power, and are occasionally prosecuted as the lash out with violence at their frustration of losing so much.—Joe]
The Seattle area,via their dominance of state politics, pushed a bunch of gun control down our throats in the last ten years. They promised us less “gun crime” for the tax on gun sales (Seattle only) the extended waiting periods, the standard capacity magazine bans, the training requirements for semi-auto rifles, and the banning of sales to people under the age of 21.
You would think with all those “gun safety” laws Seattle would be much safer now than it was ten years ago. Some people don’t see it that way:
A good August is when nothing happens. But this one has been more like the devil’s month, as some call it in South America.
During a time that, one hoped, was going to mark some summer recovery from the social dislocations of the pandemic, Seattle is instead continuing to slide backward — dangerously so in the areas of street crime and drugs.
Seattle has seen 11 homicides this month — making this the deadliest single month in the city as far back as the police’s crime dashboard has records (to 2008). The previous high for any month was nine homicides, and for any August before this one, six.
They must need still more gun control and defunding of the police.*
If that is their response then you know it’s not about “safety” or prevention of “gun crime”. It means they are delusional and/or it is about the control of ordinary people and/or the destruction of our society.
* Sarcasm.