Category Archives: Quote of the Day

Quote of the day–Ronald Reagan

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Of the four wars in my lifetime none came about because the U.S. was too strong.


Ronald Reagan
[This afternoon on my way back to my hidden underground bunker in the Seattle area I listened to A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles by Thomas Sowell.  Kevin gives a more complete review than I would ever consider but one thing in the book jumped out at me that reminded me of this Reagan quote. In the unconstrained vision nations enter into war because of misunderstandings many of which are because one side or both became convinced that their neighbor was preparing to go to war against them. Hence, in the eyes of those who adhere to the unconstrained vision, one of the ways to prevent war is to disarm.


As Kevin points out those of the unconstrained persuasion are as much or more interested in intent than in hard data. Does that remind you of any politicians you know?


In the unconstrained vision the definitions of the most basic words have different meanings from those of a constrained vision viewpoint. Some definitions are not merely different–they are the complete opposite (for example see the video I linked to here). This is why, for them, “freedom” and/or “economic justice” can entail forced redistribution of wealth without a hint of irony.


For them, criminals can be understood and reformed. It was the fault of society/poverty/”economic-injustice” which creates criminals and by fixing those problems and taking away the tools of their trade there will be less (or zero) crime. As an example just last month Paul Helmke said gun violence is one component of the total violence. This, of course, presumes that violent crime committed with firearms is totally independent of other types of violent crime. It assumes there will be no substitution of other weapons if firearms are less available (and with the victims disarmed firearms are less likely to be needed by large predators). In their minds people like Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, and Richard Kuklinski (now there was one scary SOB–Ted Bundy was a pussy cat compared to him) apparently would not come into being.


That line of thought brought me to gun control and back to Reagan’s quote. What Reagan said in regards to war also applies to gun ownership and criminals. No violent criminal or political tyrant committed his crimes because his victims were too strong.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Thucydides

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The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.


Thucydides
[When I was young I thought of people who entered the military as not smart enough to get a real job. This was based on a very limited sample of my classmates who joined the military. In the last couple of decades I revised my opinion as I met veterans who were incredibly smart and I read books about and by military people who were great thinkers as well as great warriors.


But I think there is a large segment of our society that does make a great distinction between scholars and warriors and thinks people who join the military are dullards.


I have yet to be convinced that the supposed scholars of our nation are not both cowards and fools.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Steve Chapman

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Gun control supporters fear that if the Supreme Court invalidates local handgun bans, the consequences will be nothing but bad. That would be easier to believe if the laws had ever done any good.

Steve Chapman
March 4, 2010
Chicago’s pointless handgun ban–City gun ordinances proved to be a failure
[Gun control supporters fear potentialities. Rational people evaluate actualities.

I’ve quoted Chapman here before too. It’s nice to see someone on a Chicago newspaper editorial board support our specific enumerated right to keep and bear arms.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Dennis Henigan

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We are going to vigorously attack the law in courts, … Congress has no power to retroactively deprive people of their rights.


Dennis Henigan
October 21, 2005
Houses Passes Ban on Gun Industry Lawsuits
[One would assume from the words Henigan uses that he would be opposed to the Launtenberg Amendment. Somehow I don’t think he is capable of being that consistent.–Joe]

Quote of the day–GuessWho

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“How many open carry citizens have committed crimes with their weapons? Answer – none”.


You are incorrect. Open carry laws make it easy for psychos to tote around LOADED weapons, which are responsible for a lot of the crime and gun deaths each year. The law may be designed for the “law abiding” citizen, but if you think only “law abiding” citizens utilize the law you are an idiot.


Why does someone need to carry around an unloaded weapon anyway? To cure their small man syndrome? To “get chicks”? To make-up for their small endowment?


GuessWho
June 1, 2010
Comment to Ban on ‘open carry’ of guns passes Assembly
[For some reason GuessWho believes “psychos” will not think of concealing LOADED weapons in violation of the law when they go about violating the laws against robbery and murder. Facts, such as nearly all other states allow open and easy to obtain concealed carry licenses, are apparently irrelevant to them so they make dick jokes.


What is this about “Utilize the law”? The same rational would be just as applicable to the First Amendment with the right to worship as you please, associate with you please, and to speak as you please.


GuessWho should be less concerned with the endowment between my legs and more concerned with the endowment between his ears.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Dave Kopel

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Petitioners’ prohibitions are now and always have been based on invidious prejudice that the law-abiding citizens of the District are incipient murderers.


David B. Kopel
2008
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.
[This applies to anyplace, anytime, there are restrictions on the right of ordinary people to keep and bear arms.


Also note that this is a big worded way of saying the anti-gun people are bigots.


I was adding a quote to my database from spending most of the evening listening and talking to Dave Kopel at the NRA Annual Meeting last month (thank you Sebastian and Bitter for arranging it!) when I ran across this one that I had not yet posted. I would post the one I heard directly last month (it is awesome!) but he had been drinking and was probably a little more enthusiastic about freedom than he normally presents himself in public.–Joe]

Quote of the day–John Cook

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Teaching a child to shoot is teaching a child to kill. It’s what guns are used for.


John Cook
Gun Control Australia
Attributed here. GCA defends the statement here.
[Apparently I didn’t teach my children very well then. I pretty sure they haven’t killed anything with a gun even though they first started shooting in the early 90s.–Joe]

Quote of the day–sweatypie

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Carrying a gun for self defense is stupid. If you are being robbed, just give the robber what he wants. Your life or any life is not worth money. Very seldom does a robber want to kill you. And there are many women who are raped that go on to live normal, productive lives. Resisting during a rape will just get your face bashed in or worse. Self defense in reality does not work. A gun only increases your or a loved ones chances of getting hurt or killed by that stupid gun you got to protect yourself with.


sweatypie
May 28, 2010
Comment to Dueling emotions on gun control flare anew.
[Ahh… yes. Just lie back and enjoy it little lady. Facts are irrelevant.


What this approach does is lower the costs of a criminal “doing business”. It’s like a welfare program. You don’t really want people on welfare but once you have created such a program some people will decide that is a better/easier way of life than working for a living and figure out a way to take advantage of the system. You want to raise the costs of being a criminal. Sure, the police, courts, and penal system impose a cost on the criminal but only if they get caught and convicted. We supply free legal representation so the cost is essentially only imposed if they are convicted. And what are those odds? One in a hundred for every crime committed? And then what happens? They spend some time in prison. That is a gamble the criminal is willing to take–and we have the criminal facts to prove it.


If the criminal has to consider that one out of ten of their victims is capable and willing to splatter their brains all over the sidewalk the odds look considerably different. The criminal facts from places outside of Chicago and Washington D.C. also prove this.


If someone should actually encounter sweatypie I would like to suggest taking Greg Hamilton’s lead on dealing with people like this.


Update: Another approach to dealing with someone such as sweatypie is to suggest they convince their local police force that, “Self defense in reality does not work.” Once the local police have agreed and complied for a year or more you will give it further consideration.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Tamara K.

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How’s it feel to be on the losing side, Paul? Hey, did you hear? Louisiana’s passing its own Firearms Freedom Act, Indiana’s Parking Lot bill passed, and Arizona just got Vermont Style Carry. We have got your astroturf “movement” down and we are kicking it like a naked fat guy at Altamont. Taste the ash heap of history, you bigoted old Bolshie.


Tamara K.
April 14, 2010
Hi, Paul!
[I normally exclude Tam from the competition for QOTD because there would be little point in anyone checking out The View From North Central Idaho for a QOTD when they would have already picked it up when reading the View From The Porch earlier. But this was different. I was catching up on my RSS feeds that I was got behind on in the days before Boomershoot 2010 and I thought this was particularly applicable again six weeks after it was written because of my discovery of the Brady membership numbers.–Joe]

Quote of the day–sfprogressive

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If we see anyone walking around with a gun it is a signal that they are crazy and we should lock them up. “Guns don’t kill people, but crazy open carry people walking around with guns can kill people”. Lets hope that Obama has the guts to push for a total gun ban and melts down all the guns these crazy people want to wank around with.


sfprogressive
May 28, 2010
Comment to Dueling emotions on gun control flare anew
[Ahhh… yes. This is no surprise. If you don’t conform to their view you must be crazy and need to sent off to the mental hospital. That is what they did in the USSR and it’s what the “progressives” advocate here.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Thomas Paine

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THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but “to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER,” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth.


Thomas Paine
The American Crisis
[I find it interesting how applicable these words are to our present situation.–Joe]

Quote of the day–John Lott

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Having a gun is consistently the safest course of action when someone is confronted by a criminal. Research by academics such as Gary Kleck and Larry Southwick have used the National Crime Victimization Survey, which surveys about 100,000 to 150,000 people each year, to directly measure how different types of victim reactions impact the probability that they will be injured by the attack. The data from the 1990s indicated that the probability of an injury after self protection with a gun is 3.6 percent; for running or driving away, 5.4 percent; screaming, 12.6 percent; threaten without weapon, 13.6 percent; and passive behavior, 55.2 percent.


John Lott
An Interview with John Lott
[I find it very interesting that the anything other than being passive will result in less injury than “giving them what they want” which is frequently the advice given by anti-gun activists.


This shows three things.


First, violent criminals think different than most people. In the stereotypical situation the bad guys offers you a deal, “Do what I want or get hurt.” But the evidence is that the bad guy frequently does not honor the deal they offered. They break the “contract” they wrote.


This was one of the surprising things I learned in the book Ice Man about mafia contract killer Richard Kuklinski. One of his contracts were brothers in South America who were suppliers of cocaine to the mafia. The mafia found a cheaper supplier and rather than simply paying for the last shipment and ordering from the new supplier they refused to pay for the last shipment. When the brothers complained about not being paid they hired Kuklinski to murder them. In another case Kuklinski had a request from a pharmacist for some cheap Tagamet (Kuklinski was also in the business of hijacking trucks and selling the contents “wholesale”). Kuklinski didn’t have any leads on it but when the pharmacist said he had the cash ($20K) in hand Kuklinski told him he had the drug and then killed him for the money when the delivery was supposedly going to be made.


For some reason this failure to honor agreements surprises me. It shouldn’t, I have had far too many personal interactions where people and organizations that are supposedly “normal” law-abiding and trustworthy violate not only verbal but written contracts that they themselves wrote. And that doesn’t even count the U.S. Constitution and how it has been violated by our public servants.


As a bit of a tangent this is further evidence that unless you have a means of enforcing a contract you should not count on the contract being honored. The Second Amendment is a last resort contract enforcement tool.


Second, I believe that criminals have a behavior pattern that can be accurately modeled as predator versus prey. The more you act like prey the more likely they are to treat you like prey. If you give off signals that you are also a predator (you can be a benign predator such as a sheep dog) the more likely they are to avoid getting into a conflict with you. If they think of you as a “grass eater” they do not think you worthy of respect any more than they would respect a steak in the refrigerator.


Third, it shows anti-gun activists live in a fantasy world with only a tenuous connection with reality.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Wendy Cukier

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Myths surrounding the discussion around gun control tend to focus on the problems of urban violence, gangs, and handguns. This however ignores the fact that most firearm deaths in Canada are suicides and the guns most often used are rifles and shotguns. In addition, referring to harmless “duck guns” masks the truth: if this law passes, police will no longer be able to trace non-restricted firearms including the powerful semi-automatic Ruger Mini 14 used in the Montreal Massacre and sniper rifles such as the L115A3 and the Steyr-Mannlicher HS50 which can pierce Kevlar vests and fire bullets over 2 km with great accuracy.


Wendy Cukier
President of Coalition for Gun Control
May 25, 2010
Coalition for Gun Control Takes Aim at Myths About the Firearms Registry
[It may be that Cukier didn’t say those exact words. The news release is unclear about who actually wrote them. But the odds are very good she would not object to them being attributed to her.


Some of the myths she doesn’t address are those that she propagates. In just this one paragraph she does the following:



  1. Hints that suicide rates could be reduced if rifles and shotguns were registered. I don’t know of any data that suggests complete bans on firearms reduces suicide rates. Driving your vehicle into a concrete abutment, washing down an overdose of sleeping pills with alcohol, and using a razor blade to get an inside view of their veins always seem to be readily available substitutes for people lacking an interest in tomorrow.
  2. Hints there is a benefit in police tracing guns. The last time I had data on the topic (the Gun Rights Policy Conference in 2000) Canada had only solved two crimes with gun registration data after decades of handgun registration. If gun registration doesn’t help solve crimes then what is the point?
  3. The Ruger Mini 14 is not “powerful” compared to almost any other rifle. It shoots the intermediate (at best) .223 Remington cartridge.
  4. The L115A3 and Steyr-Mannlicher HS .50 are considered very powerful rifles and capable of long range accuracy but 2 km is a big stretch and can only be done when conditions are extremely favorable.
  5. To the best of my knowledge there have been zero crimes committed with these long range rifles let alone a preponderance of their use being criminal in nature. Without such evidence there is no rational justification for restrictions on them. Cukier is propagating a myth that there is some benefit to such restrictions.
  6. By saying the L115A3 and HS .50 can pierce Kevlar vests implies most other firearms cannot. This is not true. Nearly any center-fire rifle will pierce a Kevlar vest at ranges less than 200 meters and most will pierce a vest at 500 meters. Body armor for day-to-day use is intended for, and does a good job, of stopping pistol rounds. It is not intended for nor is it technologically feasible to make rifle resistant body armor that is appropriate for use in environments in anything other than battlefield environments.

Cukier apparently lives in a fairy tale land of her own making. I wouldn’t be surprised if she still believes in Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and The Great Pumpkin too.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Napoleon Bonaparte

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Victory belongs to the most persevering.

Napoleon Bonaparte
[I read several more chapters in The Gun Rights War last night. The stuff from the 60s is amazingly similar to the stuff today. The anti-gun people carefully worded things to spin the facts in exactly the same way. Senator Thomas Dodd (father of the present day Senator Chris Dodd) held hearings and presented data that homicides via firearms were lower in states with repressive laws–conveniently leaving out that fact that the total homicide rate was the same or higher. Read the chapter The Dodd Bill Both Fact–And Fantasy.

That chapter was written nearly 44 years ago (July 1966). Both that Senator Dodd and Neal Knox are gone and both are replaced by their sons who still fight the same battle and use the same words. The other side has had many, many victories since then. But in the last 10 years we have started winning some of the battles.

Perseverance was key to those recent victories. Of course it also helps to have the U.S. Supreme Court, the facts, and 80 million fellow citizens in arms on your side too.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Winski

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Hey, everyone has the right to go blast a few rounds anywhere they want, right?? At Wal-Mart, the gas station, at a family picnic area, at all bass-boat launch sites, any bar when you stop in for a quick shot-and-a-beer… it goes on and on….


What could possibly go wrong in texas?? BUT, texans will need an open carry law soon.. When we give them back to mexico for being more trouble than they’re worth!


Winski
May 23, 2010
Comment to Some Texas advocates pushing for an open carry gun law.
[Is there anything in this comment that isn’t bigoted or flat out factually wrong?–Joe]

Quote of the day–Mayor Richard M. Daley

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Next will be hand grenades, right? We’ll say that hand grenades are OK. I mean, how far can you go in regards to mass weapons? To me, any gun taken off saves thousands of lives in America. I really believe that, I don’t care what people tell me. You have to thank the police officers for seizing all these weapons. We lead the country in seizing weapons. This is unbelievable.


Mayor Richard M. Daley
May 20, 2010
Mayor Daley Threatens to Shoot the Messenger—Namely, Me
[H/T to Rob who sent me an email.


“Any gun taken off saves thousands of lives”? Really? Yup, he says, “I really believe that.” There are approximately 200,000,000 guns in private hands in the U.S. If all of them were seized would there be 200 billion lives saved?


I think he says all we need know about what goes on in his mind when he says, “I don’t care what people tell me”. I never would have guessed.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Jay G.

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Guns don’t kill people.


Dads with pretty daughters do.



Jay G.
On his t-shirt May 16, 2010.
[I can’t say that this actually happens that often. It was something I generally wanted to avoid but I did tell my daughters there was a “Blood for Tears” policy in effect (each girl tear would result in an ounce of boy blood) and they should inform the boys that came prowling. When I asked a couple of the boys if they had been fully informed they seemed surprised.


It turns out neither of my daughters had informed any of the boys.


I can’t imagine why they failed to do that. They are usually quite responsible. I would have hated to have been in the middle of a blood letting and had one of the girls back up the boys claim that he didn’t know.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Ry Jones

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Shoot at kids for not taking you seriously; the cops, once they arrive, will take you seriously.


Ry Jones
May 20, 2010
How to be taken seriously
[Uhhh… yes. That will work but it is highly discouraged.–Joe]

Quote of the day–NotaPIFan

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I’ve noticed a trend with right wing fascists, like the above-commentators. When a poll shows findings that counter their wacky ideas, challenge the credibility of the poll. Why do we allow a minority of crazy, right wing people who believe the earth was created in 6 days and in faith healing to so dominate our political discussions? Can’t we just send them to a farm where they can live out their cloudy-minded days in peace and without harming the rest of civilization?


NotaPIFan
Comment at 5/12/2010 11:02 a.m. to Should gun-control group wake up and smell hot joe?
[“Send them to a farm”? Didn’t Joseph Stalin do that as he was trying to implement his utopia?


Denial of civil rights, reeducation camps, and gulags–it’s what communists/socialists/liberals/progressives do. It’s in their nature and they can’t help it–but you can.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Breda

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Joe Huffman is not really a redneck.


…


He seems very sophisticated, not a redneck at all.


Breda
May, 2010
The Educated Redneck
[I probably would have responded with something like, “You can fool all of the people some of the time…” but Alan had a more unique response which I also considered for use as the QOTD.


I have to wonder if she said this before or after I explained how current womens fashion was destroying old growth habitat and creating an endangered species in the NRA Press Room to a bunch of bloggers while she was there.


See also a more serious and detailed response as to why I have the subtitle I do.


Thank you Breda.–Joe]