Quote of the day—Robert Lasnik

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You know, it’s a little bit frustrating to be sitting in this chair as a United States District Court judge and seeing this is an issue that should be solved by the political branches of government. And I really hope and wish that the executive branch and Congress would face up to this and say, it’s a tough issue, but that’s why you got into public service to begin with.

Robert Lasnik
U.S. District Court Judge
August 21, 2018
3D-printed guns: Federal judge in Seattle frustrated over case, could make decision by Monday
[My initial response was, “The issue was resolved long ago and is still resolved. There is no Federal law against 3D-printing a gun. Therefore there isn’t anything the court can say except, ‘Case dismissed.’”

But reading a little closer it appears the argument of the anti-freedom people is a little more twisted:

The legal dispute before the court centers on ITAR, a law that involves regulating the export of certain weapons — not the potential dangers that may result if criminals print out guns and later use them to commit offenses.

Okay, unless ITAR is directly challenged, which it is not, the court has to assume ITAR is valid law. And then the question, “Is the Federal government following the letter of that law?” is a fair question that is a valid for the court to get involved in.

Wilson’s lawyer has to be scoring some points with this argument:

Chad Flores, a lawyer representing Wilson, also raised the arguments that other files for 3D guns are already available online, and Wilson could simply disseminate his plans legally by other means.

My client could mail the files at issue to everyone in the country and violate no law.

Next week we find out which side is more convincing to Judge Lasnik.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Ayn Rand

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Remember that rights are moral principles which define and protect a man’s freedom of action, but impose no obligations on other men. Private citizens are not a threat to one another’s rights or freedom. A private citizen who resorts to physical force and violates the rights of others is a criminal — and men have legal protection against him.

Criminals are a small minority in any age or country. And the harm they have done to mankind is infinitesimal when compared to the horrors — the bloodshed, the wars, the persecutions, the confiscations, the famines, the enslavements, the wholesale destructions — perpetrated by mankind’s governments. Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man’s rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims. When unlimited and unrestricted by individual rights, a government is men’s deadliest enemy. It is not as protection against private actions, but against governmental actions that the Bill of Rights was written.

Ayn Rand
1963
POV: Man’s Rights; The Nature of Government
[Via email from Stephanie.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Cody Wilson

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People come to me and say, ‘Cody, tell us why you want to do it.’ No, no – more like all these authorities, all these powers, they will have to justify why they should have the right to stop me.

…

If they could build a system that could prevent people from downloading that pistol, it would be far more dangerous and the effects would be far more terrible than that little pistol. Power wants to know everything, surveil everything, absorb everything. This impulse should be checked.

Cody Wilson
August 14, 2018
3D-printed gun inventor welcomes Seattle legal battle
[I would make the correction that it is actually all these authorities will have to prove they have powers delegated by the people to do what they are attempting to do. The 1st and 2nd Amendments reinforce the fact the Constitution did not give them any such power.

Also, I would say, “must be checked” rather than “should be checked.” It fails my Jews In The Attic Test.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Mark Wetzler‏ @Wex2

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having a weapon makes you an adult. I think not. It doesn’t even make you virile or a man. It’s just a form of penis envy. Feeling a little light are you?

Mark Wetzler‏ @Wex2
Tweeted on August 8, 2018
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!

Via a tweet by Jonathan‏ @CorrelA_B

Also in response to Wetzler:

Agreed.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Rob Shattuck @RobShattuckAL06

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I think expanded police forces and police technology, subject to civilian control, will be sufficient to do any necessary killing of citizens who are needed to be killed.

Rob Shattuck @RobShattuckAL06
Candidate for U.S. Congress
Alabama 6th District
Tweeted on August 17, 2018
[The background for this is a gun control thread:

There are many laws banning or restricting items for which there is a market. It is true such laws can have limited or no success (e.g., Prohibition, unlawful drugs, child pornography). I don’t think society is ready to give up trying to impose restrictions. #alpolitics

Rob Shattuck‏ @RobShattuckAL06 Aug 16

And none of those three things are protected by the Constitution. This time you are targeting a specific class of items that is protected by the Constitution. There is a big difference.

It’s the end of the World as we know it…again‏ @AntCar0123 Aug 17

And laws banning those items tend to have a reverse effect as those items become more available. Hell, prohibition helped usher in the age of organized crime.

It’s the end of the World as we know it…again‏ @AntCar0123 Aug 17

I have acknowledged problems and difficulties society has in enacting restrictions and prohibitions. I don’t think those problems should be considered an absolute impediment to restricting guns. #alpolitics

Rob Shattuck‏ @RobShattuckAL06 Aug 17

Have you acknowledged that you’d need many people with guns and the willingness to kill their fellow citizens to properly enforce such a thing? Have you acknowledged that as you push for more restrictions the other side will push against you harder?

It’s the end of the World as we know it…again‏ @AntCar0123 Aug 17

While it is a little unusual for leftists to openly admit it, if you dig deep enough it always boils down to this:

CollectivismExecution

It’s very generous of a candidate for U.S. congress to confess this is what he has in mind for U.S. gun owners. One has to wonder if he is bright enough to realize he probably just got himself put on a few lists of people who do not plan on being on the receiving end of the rifles.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Mark Brockway

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So much ado about nothing. People have been making guns since the founding of our nation. As far as these files go, they are already out there and anyone can get them. Criminals don’t make crappy ass plastic guns, they simply buy quality firearms from the black market or steal them. More political grandstanding by Ferguson to make his sheep feel safe. The only way you’ll ever be safe is if you take some personal responsibility and learn self defense by the method of your choosing (martial arts, knife, firearms or all the above). Practice self awareness and get training. The police and government are under no legal obligation to protect you. Stop being a victim and take control of your life.

Mark Brockway
August 16, 2018
Comment to Seattle judge blocks publication of 3D-printed gun design
[I would like to make a minor correction. People were making guns long before the founding of our nation. Other than that, Brockway has it right.—Joe]

Encouraging news on I-1639

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Via the Spokesman Review:

A gun control initiative should not appear on the November ballot because the proposed changes in the law on the petitions that some 378,000 voters signed were not readable, a Thurston County Superior Court judge said.

Judge James Dixon agreed with gun-rights advocates that the size of the print was too small and the proposed changes not clearly marked.

“I have 20-20 vision. I can’t read it,” Dixon said in granting a court order to keep Initiative 1639 off the ballot.

A notice of appeal was filed within minutes after the order was drafted and signed, and will go to the state Supreme Court on an expedited process in an effort to get a decision before counties have to print ballots in early September.

…

Safe Schools Safe Communities spent nearly $2.8 million to pay people to gather signatures for the initiative.

Via the Seattle Times:

A Thurston County judge Friday dealt a major blow to a proposed firearms-regulation measure, raising questions about whether Initiative 1639 will appear on Washington’s fall ballot.

Superior Court Judge James Dixon ruled that the formatting of the signature petitions used in the Alliance For Gun Responsibility’s campaign “did not comport” with Washington law.

…

Dixon’s decision, however, might not stand for very long, according to Hugh Spitzer, a professor at the University of Washington School of Law.

The state Supreme Court has generally “been quite hesitant to knock out initiatives because of technical defects,” said Spitzer. As a result, Dixon’s decision appears to be “inconsistent with a century of case law,” he added.

I find it “interesting” that the Spokesman Review mentions the size of the print was a critical issue in the decision while the Seattle Time does not even mention print size.

The Washington State Supreme Court has been rather mixed in it’s support of gun ownership in recent years. The Second Amendment Foundation and the NRA have kept this particular legal battle over the process of the initiative rather than the constitutional issues at stake. So perhaps this will somewhat dull the court’s dislike for private gun ownership.

Religious extremists

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While not all people will agree it appears to me that one critical component of religion is faith. Where faith is defined as:

belief that is not based on proof

And perhaps even further:

a belief in spite of proof to the contrary.

As one datum I offer this from Martin Luther (if you have the time read the entire post because it is exactly on point for the conclusions of this post):

Die verfluchte Hure, Vernunft.
(The damned whore, Reason).

The political left has their belief that socialism/communism is a superior form of government to any other. This is without convincing proof and, in fact, in spite of proof to the contrary. While I don’t know the belief system of members of ISIS as well as I do that of the political left in the U.S. I imagine their faith is similarly immune to factual refutation.

Hence I submit, via email, from Rolf the following memes:

OffensiveImages2

patterns

There is a reason the political left defends ISIS. They are kindred spirtis.

Quote of the day—Kaitlin Bennett

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Repeal all gun laws. We can prevent gun violence if we stop prohibiting non-violent people from getting guns. Gun control only hurts law abiding citizens.

Kaitlin Bennett
August 15, 2018
‘Repeal all gun laws,’ says Kent State’s rifle-carrying graduate behind viral photo
[This was in response to the question:

How can tragedy resulting from gun violence be prevented in the future?

Also, in response to the question:

Parkland survivors and other March for Our Lives organizers have been registering young people to vote and advocating gun-control in a nationwide tour, what would you want to say to them?

She replies:

…

If I had to say something to them, it would be come and take it.

It appears she has her act together. I wish I could afford to pay her way to Idaho for Boomershoot 2019 to be our dinner speaker.—Joe]

Quote of the day—kgbudge

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I am reminded, once again, of the old lawyer’s joke. A lawyer begins his opening arguments before SCOTUS:

Your Honors, I’m hear to appeal a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court. And I have other arguments in my favor as well…

kgbudge
August 14, 2018
Comment to Ninth Circuit Returns to Form, Upholds Bizarre California Gun Regulation
[I could see that happening.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Jess Grant

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I’m not suggesting we disarm the police or army. Not exactly. But we might want to take a closer look at our culture and try to understand why we’re all so darned gun crazy.

It’s a frontier mentality, I suppose. A couple of hundred years of stealing land and fending off angry natives can really make a culture trigger-happy.

I suggest we start at the top.

I worry about somebody shooting me at the mall, but I worry a lot more about being incinerated by nuclear weapons.

If we’re serious about gun control, we might want to refocus on multilateral nuclear disarmament. To fret about handguns in a world of hair-trigger nuclear weaponry is textbook denial.

Jess Grant
August 14, 2018
A new approach to gun control
[I found to difficult to decide if they were this vacuous because they were naturally this way or if they were exhibiting the effects of the readily available marijuana in Washington state.

In either case, they had crap for brains when they wrote this.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Mike Thompson

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When we take the majority in November you will see a background-checks bill right away.

Mike Thompson
U.S. Representative from California
August 9, 2018
The Democratic Party’s New Litmus Test: Gun Control
Candidates for the 2018 House midterms are pushing a muscular firearms-regulation agenda, a wholesale repositioning after the party for a generation avoided new limits
[Via email from Paul Koning.

Also, from the same article:

Democrats running for Congress in 2018 are pushing a muscular gun-control agenda that represents a wholesale repositioning on the hot-button issue. In this year’s midterm election, gun control has become a party litmus test from which few dissent, alongside abortion rights and support for same-sex marriage.

It is critically important to make this the biggest political miscalculation disaster possible. Find things you can do to contribute to their loss and do them.—Joe]

Quote of the day—J. Effingham Bellweather‏ @SenCassius

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3-D printed guns will be the biggest development in conservatives’ sex lives since the Fleshlight.

J. Effingham Bellweather‏ @SenCassius
Tweeted on July 30, 2018
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!

Via a tweet from Jonathan‏ @CorrelA_B.

I have to wonder, is this claim is based on:

  1. Marketing projections
  2. Peer reviewed research
  3. Personal research
  4. Projection

My guess is #4.-Joe]

Quote of the day—Sherry Suen-Mizell

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I prefer rifles.

Sherry Suen-Mizell
August 11, 2018
[Sherry was on the Huffman family farm and was given an opportunity to throw a tomahawk at the end of a log. She wasn’t interested and gave this as the reason. This was an excellent way decline in a manner which endeared her to me.

Also, from the same day, she acted as a chair for my grandson Bryce:

20180810_130922

We didn’t get to the rifles or the Boomerite this weekend. We will make it happen someday.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Kellie Collins

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When your friends and family are depending on you to make ethical decisions that affect their lives for many years a member of Congress should hold her or himself to a much higher standard than the bare minimum that many GOP members are currently using as a benchmark.

Kellie Collins
February 27, 2017
Get to Know Kellie Collins, Candidate for House Representative in Georgia’s 10th
Update 8/14/2018: Reasoned discourse has broken out. Here is a cached copy.
[That was 18 months ago. Now we have this:

Former candidate charged shooting death of campaign treasurer, backed gun control during race

A former Georgia Congressional candidate is now charged with the murder of her campaign treasurer.

Thomson woman, Kellie Collins, turned herself into the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office the same day authorities in Aiken County found Curtis Cain’s body in his apartment on Old Powderhouse Road.

Why are progressives so violent? Because it is in their nature.—Joe]

Quote of the day—lamar loquacious platypus

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The best statement on gun control is this:
► “The day you come for my gun, you better bring yours.” ◄

lamar loquacious platypus
August 9, 2018
Comment to Gun Control Proposal Hopes to Make Gun Stores, Ranges Display THIS Outside Their Businesses
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Idaho visit

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Last weekend Barb and I went to Idaho. We delivered more chemicals for Boomershoot 2019, trimmed some trees along the road to Boomershoot Taj Mahal, and attended my high school reunion. The weather was a little on the warm side but not bad. We took a few pictures during the trip:

20180803_124351

I believe this was west of Colfax on Highway 26. We found the clouds quite pretty.

20180804_104422

This is the lentil field just south of Boomershoot Mecca.

20180804_113014

I”m planning to repair these steel targets at the tree line before Boomershoot 2019.

20180804_113229Adjusted

I was trying to do the equivalent of this one from almost exactly 10 years ago:

IMG_1714Web

20180804_113359

Another view of the hay bales with the shooting line in the background.

20180804_130111

For many years Barb had digestive issues with wheat. Those issues mysteriously went away a few months ago (Barb is skeptical of my suggestion it was Dr. Joe’s cure for everything, and I’m skeptical of her hypothesis of a spiritual/energy something or other healing). Here we have her next to a field of Huffman Wheat.

Quote of the day—The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence

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8 kids a day are accidentally killed or injured by FAMILY FIRE. FAMILY FIRE is a shooting involving an improperly stored gun.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
August 8, 2018
Gun control group targets firearms owners with new ads, seeks common ground
[It’s an “interesting” choice of words. In the video they say, “8 kids a day are accidently killed or injured by FAMILY FIRE”. So, one has to conclude they mean that someone obtained access to an improperly stored gun then a “kid” was killed or injured with that gun.

Let’s look at the numbers from the most recent data from CDC (2016 fatal and non-fatal unintentional injuries) by age:

Age Deaths Injuries Total Daily
0-12 61 547 608 1.66
0-13 64 679 743 2.03
0-14 74 822 896 2.45
0-15 81 1,389 1,470 4.02
0-16 91 1,818 1,909 5.22
0-17 104 1,998 2,102 5.74
0-18 117 2,445 2,562 7.00
0-19 127 2,811 2,938 8.03

Definition of kid:

n.

  1. a) A young goat.
    b) One of the young of certain similar animals.
  2. a) The flesh of a young goat.
    b) Leather made from the skin of a young goat; kidskin.
    c) An article made from this leather.
  3. Informal
    a) A child.
    b) A young person.

Definition of child:

n.

  1. A person’s natural offspring.
  2. A person 14 years and under. A “child” should be distinguished from a “minor” who is anyone under 18 in almost all states.

These numbers include all accidental firearm related injuries and deaths. Not just those “involving an improperly stored gun”. Hence it must be that, if their definitions of “FAMILY FIRE” and “accidently” means “unintentional” then they had to include people even older than 19 in their definition of “kid”.

They have a long history of lies and deception. It is part of their culture. This appears to be yet another example.

That said, it is a worthy goal to reduce injuries and deaths of innocent people. And as presented in the article and in their video they appear to be proposing an educational approach rather than a government mandate. I’m okay with an educational approach as long as they are factual. Using what appears to be a child in the range of six to eight when they must be including those in the range of 20 or 21 is deliberate deception.

If they really wanted to “seek common ground” with me then they must knock off the deliberate lies. And a better approach than “public service announcements facilitated by the Ad Council” would be to target gun owners in stores and at ranges with suggestions for safe storage.

But watching the video it’s clear that is not their objective. It is much more likely this is a campaign to encourage people to not have guns in their homes and/or the first wave of a campaign for mandatory gun storage.

Don’t let your friends and family be fooled by these liars. If someone mentions this ad to you then tell them they have been lied to.—Joe]

Quote of the day—George Parry

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The gun control advocates may not realize it, but they lost the fight long ago. It’s all over but the shouting.

In the meantime, as the war of words continues, there sits DD’s founder, Cody Wilson, having more fun than should be legally allowed. Like a mischievous adolescent waving a laser pointer, he has the gun control cats racing in circles knocking over furniture and banging into walls as they try to catch and hold the elusive bouncing red dot of readily available firearms. Due to the efforts of Wilson and his little company, the government is once again being exposed as a lumbering and ineffectual colossus. All in all, it’s a dramatic public demonstration of the limits of government power and the fecklessness of those who worship at its altar.

And from out here in the cheap seats, it sure is fun to watch.

George Parry
August 6, 2018
The Utter Futility of Gun Control
[While it is futile in the sense of keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals it is possible to make life difficult for those who wish to be able to keep and bear arms openly.—Joe]

Quote of the day—tjliberty1969

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When this happened I instantly felt something was not right about the botched robbery theory. Within a 72 hour period it hit me that it was a hit. It was during election season and a Democrat (dnc) employee’s murder was in the news and this blew me away. NOT ONE, DAMN THEM TO HELL, DEMOCRAT MENTIONED HOW SETH’S MURDER IS MORE PROOF OF WHY WE NEED GUN CONTROL. Nope all I saw was a couple of them lift the rug and a few others pushing the broom, nothing to see here, move along these aren’t the droids your looking for . These people never miss an opportunity for situation exploitation unless it risks self incrimination. Donna Brazile knows.

tjliberty1969
August 6, 2018
Seth Rich and what got my attention about his murder.
[While I agree there were some odd things about the murder I’m not sure this particular point is all that strong.

It’s interesting to read the comments. The conspiracy theory is in full bloom here.

Something I have recently observed is that high IQ people don’t necessarily follow the data to the truth. But they definitely are more skilled at rationalizing the data to fit their prior conclusions. I suspect this may be a case in point.—Joe]