Quote of the day—Gregory Hoyt

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It’s certainly a bold ask, as the groups attached to this letter are blatantly requesting that Democrats not only have a monopoly on gun legislation, but to adopt a hardline position of legislating away at gun rights while also urging the public to relinquish said rights through persuasion via the bully pulpit.

Gregory Hoyt
August 29, 2021
Here it comes: Gun control groups pressure Biden to create firearm control office to bypass Senate
[Bold? Perhaps. Especially with President Biden is completely overwhelmed by other issues. But if gets even a little publicity and traction in leftist media it will move the Overton Window in the wrong direction.

Do your part to combat the continuing battle for mindshare.

  • Come out of the closet as a gun owner.
  • Take a newbie to the range.
  • Get concealed carry licenses in many states (the numbers are frequently published and numbers matter).
  • Responsibly carry when you can.
  • Donate to organizations which support the Second Amendment (I donate thousands each year to SAF and FPC).

The Biden administration, deliberately or not, appears to be destroying the United States of America. Some of the individual states with low debt and a strong mindset of liberty appear to be the best hope for the future. Perhaps it is time to let the U.S. collapse.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Joey (@Joey13251)

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I think the males who don’t want to get vaccinated are already in the wet noodle phase.
It’s why they need to walk around with so many guns.

Joey (@Joey13251)
Tweeted on July 31, 2021
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!

Oh! It’s a twofer! Their childish insults and prejudice includes people skeptical of experimental vaccines as well gun owners.

Remember, childish insults are what you use with you can not think of anything better.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Dr. Rochelle Walensky

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Generally, the word gun, for those who are worried about research in this area, is followed by the word control, and that’s not what I want to do here. I’m not here about gun control. I’m here about preventing gun violence and gun death.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky
Director of the Centers for Disease Control
August 27, 2021
CDC Director wants the agency to take on firearm violence for the first time in decades: ‘I’m not here about gun control’
[Wow! That was impressive. On her first venture into the 2nd Amendment arena she tripped and fell flat on her face into a tar pit and is unlikely to ever get the stain off her reputation.

She completely, unambiguously, showed her evil hand with the phrase, “preventing gun violence and gun death.” If she had substituted “criminal” for “gun” in the phrase I would have given her a C+ and offered her some suggestions for remedial Constitutional law. But she didn’t. She completely failed.

Apparently she doesn’t understand (and/or is engaged in deliberately deception) there is such a thing as necessary violence and death. And frequently a gun is the most effective way to delivery that necessary violence. There are people that need to be shot, quickly and repeatedly, until they stop their violent attack on innocent people. In this article there is not even a hint that she is willing to acknowledge this.

Next there is the issue of prevention. You can only legally prevent gun violence and death by means similar that of the exercise of the 1st Amendment can be restricted. The government cannot legally prevent the falsely yelling of, “Fire!” in a crowded theater by gagging the theater patrons upon entry into the theater. They can only threaten people with prosecution for harming innocent people after the harmful act.

I suspect her further activity in this arena will put her at risk for future prosecution under 18 USC 242.—Joe]

Quote of the day—J.D. Tuccille

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A majority of Americans may currently favor more restrictive laws regarding firearms, but that majority looks likely to shrink in the years to come, making policy changes less likely as the years go by. That’s just as well, since passage of such laws would leave the powers-that-be looking thoroughly ineffective given that the people who would actually be touched by them have demonstrated their unwillingness to submit to such policies.

J.D. Tuccille
August 25, 2021
Don’t Be Surprised if Gun Owners Don’t Comply With Gun Control Laws
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Range construction update

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Last Saturday I said I expected the range to be completed by the end of this week or early next week. I was on site yesterday and it only lacked rock and gravel which are being put down today (and possibly Monday).

Below are the latest pictures.

Continue reading →

Quote of the day—Nathan Kalmoe (@NathanKalmoe)

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55% of Reps & 44% of Dems said the other party is “not just worse for politics—they are downright evil.”

34% of Reps & 27% of Dems said the other party “lack the traits to be considered fully human—they behave like animals.”

Nathan Kalmoe (@NathanKalmoe)
Tweeted on October 1, 2019
[This was nearly two years ago. I’m certain things have gotten worse since then.

I have to wonder how much of the current political conflict is the result of external agitation by our adversaries such as Russia and China. US Civil War II would certainly be to their advantage in many ways.

Regardless, fasten your seat belts because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Or, as I more frequently say, prepare appropriately.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Dogs don’t have thumbs @MorlockP

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I believe in a multi-racial, progressive society where whites, blacks, and Koreans can all work together to stand on rooftops and shoot communists.

Dogs don’t have thumbs @MorlockP
Tweeted on August 23, 2021
Deleted by Twitter sometime between August 24, 10:22 AM PDT and August 25 7:01 PM PDT.
[That was an unexpected plot twist in the last couple of words.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Laura J. Nelson and Kristina Davis

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Dramatic anecdotes and a tendency toward gun-related puns seem at times designed to troll gun-safety advocates, who view his rulings and his expansive view of the 2nd Amendment with a mixture of outrage and alarm.

Laura J. Nelson and Kristina Davis
August 8, 2021
The judge upending California’s gun laws: ‘Blessed’ jurist or ‘stone-cold ideologue’?
[This is regarding U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez who has been throwing out some of California’s oppressive gun laws.

I don’t think it does any good to troll the anti-gun people in judicial rulings. Rather I think they should be treated with a certain amount of respect as they are prosecuted.

I didn’t know that he is 70 years old and semi-retired. That explains why some of his rulings have taken so long.

Reading about his experience as a child in Cuba may explain why he gives the 2nd Amendment the respect it deserves:

In September 1960, Castro set up a network of “revolutionary collective vigilance” committees in neighborhoods across the country. Its members, covert adherents to the Communist Party, began going door to door, asking neighbors to surrender their weapons, said Lillian Guerra, a University of Florida history professor.

At school, Benitez and his classmates were pulled out of class and questioned about their parents’ view of the revolution. His father was a businessman, and his mother held advanced degrees. In the Daily Journal, Benitez recalled opening the front door one day to see two armed people in army uniforms who took his mother away.

“We didn’t see her for three days,” he told the Daily Journal. “We didn’t know where she was, what happened to her, whether she was dead or alive.”

That would make quite the impression.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Mike Carter

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The indictment alleged Reid lied to a Seattle federal grand jury about statements purportedly made to her by an individual identified in court papers as “Suspect #1” — a man federal agents say bragged to Reid about being involved in Wales’ death.

According to court documents and law enforcement sources, Suspect #1 is an acquaintance of the individual believed to have killed Wales on contract, and Suspect #1 is believed to have acted as a lookout while the job was done.

During her appearance before the grand jury on Feb. 28, 2018, Reid claimed the government lawyers laid a “perjury trap” — tricking her into telling a lie — so they could indict her, with the goal of pressuring her to give more information about Suspect #1 and others. Her attorney, Nance, has said it was a dry well and that Reid had no firsthand knowledge of the crime or those involved in it.

Wales, a white-collar prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle, was shot to death in the basement of his Queen Anne Hill home on Oct. 11, 2001.

Mike Carter
Seattle Times Reporter
August 23, 2021
Woman accused of lying in unsolved Thomas Wales slaying case pleads guilty to misdemeanor
[I sort of marvel at the effort put into this case. As near as I can tell the FBI has been working on this full time for just short of 20 years. At this point it appears they are willing to violate the rights of innocent people in order to give indicators they are making progress. They brought in “special” prosecutors with questionable (at best) ethical standards (from the quoted article):

Earlier this month, Robart reprimanded and chastised the special prosecutors out of Washington, D.C., brought in to handle the case, for “carelessness” by failing to turn over evidence to the defense.

The apparently innocent person in this case, Reid, was ensnared in the “perjury trap” and then threatened with a lengthy prison sentence:

Reid was indicted on charges of lying to a grand jury and obstruction of justice. A conviction could have sent her to prison for up to five years.

She traded a guilty plea for:

U.S. District Judge James Robart sentenced Shawna Reid to time served — a total of nine days in custody since she was indicted in 2019 — with no additional supervised release, plus a $25 fine.

Can you imagine the FBI having a team work full time for 20 years to solve the murder of an ordinary citizen and withholding evidence from the defense to acquire a conviction? I can’t. This must mean the “King’s Men” are considered very special.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Magus Melanie @MagusMelanie

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Looks like I’ve angered a lot of <100 accounts desperate to prove their guns are bigger than their cocks

Magus Melanie @MagusMelanie
Tweeted on August 13, 2021
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!

We have SCOTUS decisions. The best they can bring to the party are childish insults.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Robby Soave

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The American appetite for social media censorship is apparently increasing: 48 percent of survey respondents now want the government to restrict misinformation, compared with just 39 percent in 2018.

…

That figure—48 percent—is significant. It means, that just about half of all people want the government to violate the First Amendment, which protects the free speech rights of private actors, including tech companies.

FirstAmendmentHaters

Robby Soave
August 20, 2021
48% of Americans Want the Government To Restrict Misinformation on Social Media
[I find it very telling that Democrats had a 25% jump in desire for government infringement upon the specific enumerated right to free speech.—Joe]

The castle wall

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Yesterday someone pointed out the walls for my current home project look a lot like castle walls. He was correct. And from certain angles this is especially true:

20210820_115615

20210820_111329

I expect the project to be completed by the end of next week or the beginning of the following week. When it is done I’ll supply more pictures.

Quote of the day—Gregg Palermo and Heidi Schmidt

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Lawyers for the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and the state of Missouri will be in a Cole County courtroom Thursday afternoon for a motion hearing over a new state law that hasn’t gone into full effect yet, but one which the Department of Justice says is already having a chilling impact on law enforcement.

At issue is House Bill 85, dubbed as the Second Amendment Preservation Act.

Gregg Palermo and Heidi Schmidt
August 18, 2021
Feds say Missouri Second Amendment law already having chilling impact
[There is a chilling effect on law enforcement infringing upon the rights of the specific enumerated right of the people to keep and bear arms? Excellent! That was the point of the law. Good to know it is working as intended.

I am looking forward to the prosecutions and convictions.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Tom Luongo

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The big reveal in Afghanistan is that what happened there can happen here, quickly. Those goat-herders just showed us how to defeat an Empire abroad. Now it’s time to defeat the empire within.

Tom Luongo
August 16, 2021
What If Afghanistan is More Than Just a Failed War?
[I suspect the rot is very deep and collapse could be much closer than what 99% of the people realize.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Tom Knighton

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These gang members didn’t have too hard a time getting around New Jersey’s gun laws. More than that, though, your typical gang member isn’t known for being some kind of master criminal.

In other words, if they can get guns, anyone can get guns.

…

When it comes to gun control, the only ones really slowed down by the law are good, decent, law-abiding citizens who are trying to walk the straight and narrow path. The criminals, on the other hand, will find a way around it without much challenge. Most probably won’t even realize a new law was passed.

Tom Knighton
August 12, 2021
Gang Members Don’t Seem Bothered By New Jersey Gun Laws
[It’s easier to believe this is all according to plan rather than the politicians are that stupid and/or ignorant after so many decades of no evidence that gun control makes the general population safer.

I am nearly convinced it’s about creating a safe work environment for the politicians and their comrades, the criminals. This is well-known. Read The Gulag Archipelago. The USSR regarded thieves as allies in the building of communism because they were the enemy of property owners. Why should our modern day socialists behave any differently?—Joe]

Quote of the day—Taliban

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We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians.

Taliban
August 16, 2021
Taliban in Afghan capital Kabul start collecting weapons from civilians
[That is so reassuring. They have me totally convinced to give them my ammo and guns. Have them stop by my house some time and I’ll let them have it.—Joe]

This is what they think of you

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Via email from Rolf:

MindOfTheLeft

I’m sure that will convince everyone of the righteousness of their cause. They can’t convince people with words so they just need to change the means of persuasion.

Prepare and respond appropriately.—Joe]

Range construction details

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Sebastian asked about the details of the base for the ecology blocks on the walls around my range. Here are some pictures and additional information.

The ground this time of year is really hard. It took a large dozer and a heavy excavator to get down to, essentially level. The range has a 1% grade down range to the target berm. A mini excavator was used to dig the footings about another six to eight inches deeper and three feet wide. This was filled with four inches of compacted and wetted, 3/4” with fines, gravel which was carefully (it took two people about two days complete this stage) made level. This deliberately did not match the 1% grade. Being level allowed for the back wall to be straight and have interlocking corners.

This first picture is looking down range from near the up range end of what will be the right wall.

20210805_094928

This is the compactor in use along the left wall:

image

A four inch drain tile was put just inside the back wall (as seen on the right in the picture below) which exits under the right wall in the foreground:

image

Another drain tile, parallel to the first, will be placed 15 feet from the back wall and will catch drainage before it reaches the target berm. This will connect to the first drain tile with a Y a few feet outside the range.

The floor of the range will be covered with four inches of compacted, 3/4” with fines, gravel.

Quote of the day—Cam Edwards

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It is worth noting that even previously ardent supporters of restricting the right to keep and bear arms don’t want to talk those ideas on the campaign trail in Cleveland this year. Instead, they’re talking about building up the city’s police force, focusing on violent actors, and at least in one case, encouraging residents to obtain a concealed carry license so that they don’t have to fear for their lives when they step outside their door. This is a step in the right direction, and a sign that at least some Democrats feel comfortable putting some distance between themselves and the gun control lobby that’s still eager to court their support.

Cam Edwards
August 16, 2021
Change: Cleveland Democrats Downplay Gun Control As Solution To Violent Crime
[Yes, it’s worth noting. I might have some trust in their change of direction after they advocate for and repeal many of the restrictions on our specific enumerated right to keep and bear arms.

Until then I’ll continue to advocate for their prosecution.—Joe]

Good advice on suppressors

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80% Silencers, the Political Ramifications of Mass Ownership is a bit old but I found it very informative. Some of the more interesting takeaways (emphasis added) are:

Purchasing or legally making a firearms silencer is one of the most effective steps a Second Amendment supporter can take to undermine the National Firearms Act and incrementally restore Second Amendment rights. Second Amendment supporters are well on the way to removing the NFA through an unusual tool: Overwhelming compliance.

…

Once silencers become common enough so they do not draw immediate attention at the range or in the field, we have the ingredients for victory.

At that point, a law enforcement officer will not have reasonable suspicion to inspect a silencer and to demand information to prove the silencer is legal and registered. Such demands would violate the First and Fourth Amendments.

An important part of this structure is a practice I have seen on a number of Youtube videos. The manufacturer information and serial number of the silencer pictured is covered. The information is there; it is simply not available to casual inspection or to the public. Removal of the cover is a search, requiring probable cause or a warrant. Do not grant permission for law enforcement to remove the cover.

…

I have heard of numerous incidents where local law enforcement officers have contacted the ATF about mere possession of silencers, short-barreled rifles, or short-barreled shotguns, only to be told the ATF is not interested unless there is another crime involved.

This is anecdotal. It indicates enforcement of mere possession of silencers may not be a high priority for the ATF.