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]

Quote of the day—Ladd Everitt (@LaddEveritt)

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Says the d**kless loser who needs a gun to feel like a man. No one is afraid of you. We’re going THROUGH you to save lives.

Ladd Everitt (@LaddEveritt)
Director at @1Pulse4America
Ex-@CSGV comms director (2006-2016)
Tweeted July 29, 2018
[It’s another Markley’s Law Monday!

Way to stay classy Ladd. You are really showing your intellect. I’ll bet you get a lots of new converts to your cause with that line of reasoning.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Nick Wing

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The gun lobby has long pushed a vision of the world in which anyone could be armed at any time, and in which you need a gun to defend yourself against that constant threat. By inviting the “era of the downloadable gun,” as Defense Distributed has coined it, we’d be one step closer to that dystopian future.

Nick Wing
August 3, 2018
The Darkly Twisted Logic Behind The NRA’s Support For 3D-Printed Guns
[The only twisted logic I found in the article was in that of the author. Why do they think that just because anyone could be armed at any time would mean there is a constant threat? In most states and locations in the U.S.it is already the case that someone there could be legally armed at any time. And most of the other locations are covered by the easily probable case of someone being illegally armed. The only way I can make sense of his view is if he is living in some sort of fantasy world.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Dana Loesch‏ @DLoesch

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A lot of very sensitive, triggered people out there today. A reminder: never bend a knee to the outrage mob.

Dana Loesch‏ @DLoesch
[Don’t forget:

Have you ever noticed that crazy people will act only as crazy as you let them be?

Tell the children they aren’t going to benefit from throwing a tantrum.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Jonathan Lowy

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Judge Kavanaugh must tell the American public whether he will protect their most important right — the right to be safe from gun violence.

Jonathan Lowy
Vice president of litigation at the Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence
July 26, 2018
With Kavanaugh, Court Could Take Aim at Gun Control Laws
[Lowy must believe he is in some alternate universe. In the universe I live in no such right exists. It sounds to me like he is advocating for the “right” of criminals and tyrants to “practice their trade” without fear of meaningful opposition.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Amy Swearer

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President Trump himself tweeted that the idea of approving 3D-printed guns “doesn’t make much sense.”

But the only thing that “doesn’t make much sense” is the hyperbolic response of gun-control advocates to activity protected by both the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution.

Amy Swearer
August 1, 2018
3D guns: Despite the complaints of gun-control advocates, these weapons are protected by the Bill of Rights
[Well… it makes sense if you understand that the gun control advocates want to eliminate the entire Bill of Rights.—Joe]

Rounds in the last month

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I reloaded 1193 rounds of .40 S&W last month. It was all 180 grain Montana Gold JHP to be used for practice at indoor ranges.

This is just two rounds short of the maximum number of rounds reload in a single month all year. Still, it only brings the rounds year to date to 6,532. By this time last year I had reloaded 12,712 rounds. I probably will make it something over 10,000 rounds for the year but it will be a lot less than the 23,356 I did last year and the 18,265 I reloaded the year before that.

This brings my lifetime reloaded ammunition totals to:

223: 4,813 rounds.
30.06: 756 rounds.
300 WIN: 1,591 rounds.
40 S&W: 84,697 rounds.
45 ACP: 2,007 rounds.
9 mm: 21,641 rounds.
Total: 115,505 rounds