My Dad ran across some stuff about his parents recently.
I didn’t realize that my Grandfather and his brother were married on the same day in Juliette Idaho or that they went to Riverside California for their honeymoon.
Also related is this post on the land they purchased shortly after getting married which my brothers and I recent brought back into the family.
People buy guns in a moment of passion. I think if you’re going to kill someone, you’d better make sure you take the time and make sure you’re prepared to take someone’s life.
Suzanne Verge
December 7, 2009
Sister takes a stand against gun violence
[I’m willing to entertain the proposition that the reporter messed this quote up because most of it just doesn’t make any sense to me. But the main point I wanted to make is about “People buy guns in a moment of passion.” I have never bought a gun in that manner and I don’t know of anyone that has done that. Guns are expensive and it involves budgeting for them and a lot of time selecting the best value for the intended purpose. It is carefully considered decision and has nothing to do with “a moment of passion.”
This is just another data point that demonstrates the anti-gun people make a lot of false assumptions about gun owners. Whether they confirm Markley’s Law, call us uneducated (false), or think us as vigilantes they are just demonstrating their bigotry.—Joe]
I have been reading some of the anti-gun people’s thoughts on the events in Egypt recently and a particular theme appeared.
From Colin and Andy Goddard:
If instead of staging peaceful demonstrations, Egyptian protesters been armed with guns, it is highly likely that the Egyptian military, equipped with billions of dollars worth of weapons supplied free of charge by our own government, would have retaliated. That would have produced massive casualties among both the armed and unarmed Egyptians.
From Brady Campaign board member Joan Peterson:
If things had gone otherwise and the military had decided to side with President Mubarek instead of the people, what good would pistols and shotguns have done against tanks and machine guns? I say, not much. It would likely have elevated the violence and increased the potential for deaths and injuries.
This theme bothered me but I didn’t quite have the words to express my discomfort. Then I found them here. This is from Reuben Ainsztein’s book Jewish Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Eastern Europe page 585:
The Jewish leaders, however, rejected the offer, arguing that if they behaved quietly the Germans might deport and murder 20,000 or 30,000, perhaps even 60,000 of them, but it was inconceivable that they should destroy the lot; while if they resisted, the Germans would certainly do so.
I fully agree that going to the street in a massive, anticipated to be peaceful, protest while being openly armed is generally not a good idea. I agree that making every reasonable effort to avoid violence is a good idea. It does not follow that the general population is better off without owning firearms the government is unaware of. It does not follow that once the government begins killing innocent people that non-violence is the best response.
The anti-gun people may be channeling the thoughts of the Jews prior to the Final Solution but the Jews hindsight is surely superior and it is those thoughts you should attempt to channel.
Oleg Volk
February 19, 2011
No such thing as a social contract with evil
[Oleg can do more with a single picture and two sentences than I can do with thousands of words.—Joe]
The Lady Laser 25 caliber pistol from Sundance Industries of Valencia, California. The Lady Laser is a Saturday Night Special pistol that comes equipped with a laser sight mounted on its trigger guard. Laser sights offer the user point-and-shoot killing capability. Based on the unique characteristics of the weapon price, size, and lethality the Lady Laser appears to be an attempt by Sundance to break into the criminal pistol market that so far has been dominated by fellow California Saturday Night Special manufacturers Lorcin, Davis, and Bryco.
Violence Policy Center
January 20, 1995
Gun Industry, Pro Gun Lobbying Organizations Meet At Las Vegas S.H.O.T. Show To Preview New Products And Hone Marketing And Press Strategies
[Are affordable cars an attempt by the automobile industry to get into the criminal getaway car market? How about a printer for your computer that is within the price range of single mothers? Would that be an attempt to sell to those who would use it for libel?
Those were the dark days of gun ownership and the forces of evil were constantly hammering on us as if we were the scourge of the earth. They came very close to extinguishing the last spark of resistance. But I think they overplayed their hand just a little bit and the public began to see the absurdity of their actions and their rhetoric. We fought back and now if we play our hand right over the next generation or two we should be able to politically extinguish them.—Joe]
I haven’t followed the happenings in the Mid-East all that closely but my co-worker Chet frequently comes into my office to update me with the latest news.
According to Chet, in the Mid-East at least some of the protesters are demanding the government give them a house and a job. From my viewpoint that is just Moon-bat crazy talk. Government is force. Except for sale and leases of natural resources owned by the government (I’m thinking of oil, trees, mining rights, etc. on government owned lands) the government obtains its money via taking it from someone else at the point of a gun. If you are demanding money from the government you are demanding they take it from someone else and give it to you. This can work as long as the parasites don’t overwhelm the hosts. Once the host can no longer provide for both itself and the parasite both die. Many people don’t seem to understand this.
As Lyle pointed out in his post earlier today Chomsky compares protesters in Wisconsin to the protesters in the Mid-East. What is it these people expect to happen? The money simply does not exist. In the case of our domestic governments they have been borrowing money for years and the “credit card” is nearly maxed out. The governments are attempt to reduce the hemorrhaging by a small amount. They aren’t even actually stopping the bleeding yet there are those advocating “revolution” if “the people” don’t get what the government can’t physically give them. The taxpayers (the hosts) have almost been bled dry and are dying (both businesses and individuals are going bankrupt). The parasites are being told they have to stop sucking so hard and they respond by demanding they be given blood that does not exist or else they will destroy the infrastructure that feeds everyone.
There are a lot of people that are in dire need of reality check. The sad part is I’m pretty sure the only way reality is going to penetrate their thick skulls is after a lot of parasites and a fair number of hosts have died.
In addition to the Associate Director of Communications they are looking for:
Director, Development
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and its sister organization, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, are the nation’s largest, non-partisan, grassroots organizations leading the fight to prevent gun violence. For additional information and a full job description, please visit www.bradycenter.org. We are searching for a talented Director, Development.
The Director, Development leads the development activities of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The Director is responsible for planning and implementing all fund raising for the organizations, with specific emphasis on direct mail campaigns and online giving. The Director, Development, works with Deputy to the President to set and execute the organizations’ development strategy. The Director manages and develops the development department’s professional staff.
The Director, Development maintains and expands successful existing programs while designing and implementing new initiatives. The Director, Development manages direct mail, membership services, and new member development, with emphasis on member retention, and online giving. The Director, Development is accountable for individual annual fund donor programs, fund raising events, foundation grants, solicitor training, and planned giving and endowment gifts.
In coordination with the Deputy to the President, the Director, Development serves as principal staff to the development/fund raising committee of the Board and provides appropriate budget and income analyses. The Director, Development is responsible for researching, proposing, and executing additional fund raising strategies and opportunities, including but not limited to the use of audio, print and video materials.
Qualifications for this role include:
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Masters degree desirable.
· At least 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in a related nonprofit fund raising position, preferably at the Director level, with experience using traditional and online strategies. Experience with specific emphasis on direct mail campaigns and online giving required.
· At least three years of experience managing and developing a development staff.
· Experience planning and implementing all types of fund raising campaigns, including marketing, social networking, foundations and major gifts.
· Ability to plan, execute and evaluate major events.
· Demonstrated skills and experience in budget development and management, strategic thinking and tactical application of an organization’s finite resources for successful development programs.
· Demonstrated ability to facilitate relationships and work successfully with other organizational units to achieve common objectives.
· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written).
· Demonstrated success in managing a staff to achieve results while developing and motivating employees through positive management techniques.
· Proficiency in fundraising software applications, use of social media and Internet tools.Please submit your resume and letter of interest to Expand HR Consulting, the organization’s Human Resources Consulting Firm, at jobs@expandhr.com. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
NOTES:
Local Residents Preferred (No Relo)Requirements
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Masters degree desirable.
· At least 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in a related nonprofit fund raising position, preferably at the Director level, with experience using traditional and online strategies. Experience with specific emphasis on direct mail campaigns and online giving required.
· At least three years of experience managing and developing a development staff.
· Experience planning and implementing all types of fund raising campaigns, including marketing, social networking, foundations and major gifts.
· Ability to plan, execute and evaluate major events.
· Demonstrated skills and experience in budget development and management, strategic thinking and tactical application of an organization’s finite resources for successful development programs.
· Demonstrated ability to facilitate relationships and work successfully with other organizational units to achieve common objectives.
· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written).
· Demonstrated success in managing a staff to achieve results while developing and motivating employees through positive management techniques.
· Proficiency in fundraising software applications, use of social media and Internet tools
I have to wonder if the rats are jumping ship. And furthermore isn’t taking a job with them a lot like going to work for a buggy whip or slide-rule manufacture?
Via email from Ry is this web page on experiments with both black powder and smokeless powder where the experimenter fails to get ignition of gun powder with static electricity.
I wouldn’t count on static electricity not igniting the powder but if you were hoping to use it as an ignition source you probably would be disappointed.
de·MOC·ra·cy – Noun – 1. The takeover of a state government by a state employee’s union, often resulting in ever increasing tax rates, and the eventual bankruptcy of the state.
They’re actually shouting, “Freedom! Democracy! Unions!” as though the three were compatible, while the democrats refuse to allow a vote. All this over a proposal that might get their 3.6 billion dollar budget deficit down to 3.3 billion. In two years.
Via theblaze.com we find Noam Chomsky (yeah, that Noam Chomsky) wants what happened in Egypt to happen in Wisconsin, stating that the governor has “eviscerated” democracy in the state;
The blatant rejection of all reason is on parade.
To the people of Japan, from my friends in China.
Lawrence Johnston
August 5, 1945
Message written in black marker on the atomic bomb soon to be dropped on Hiroshima Japan.
From his Los Alamos presentation given August 9, 2006.
[For those of you who are unfamiliar with the reference to China do a little reading on Nanking. Johnston had spent some time in China before the war.—Joe]
The term has often been one that garners respect, as though the public servant is someone donating his or her time out of a sense of duty and purpose. “Serving” the public and milking the public are somewhat different concepts though. Someone who makes over $100K in a small town public school, for example, with a nice medical insurance policy and a nice pension is a “servant” while someone doing much the same thing in the private sector for half the pay and no pension, supporting himself while paying the taxes to support the Public Servant, is not a servant at all. The private entrepreneur is “greedy”. Right? Greed and the profit motive are one in the same thing, right? That’s what you’ve been taught, I bet.
What do you call a group of public servants, coercively funded, that has been organized, has huge political influence, and is currently helping to bankrupt several states? Is that public service, or is it something else?
Some state governments are starting to realize that the gravy train for the selfless public servants is running dry– that something major needs to change. The response from the selfless servants is that they’re taking to the streets.
I’ve been saying for years that public education, by its very nature and structure, was destined to become a de facto political party (which of course it is) with one of its goals being the indoctrination of the students to a certain political and world view amenable to the desires of the government/education complex. It’s a given. It’s an inevitability. A guarantee. A system based on coercive funding, that would teach and promote the principles of liberty, and the protection of property rights that are fundamental to liberty, would be in a perpetual conflict of interest. That cannot last. I did not last.
That has been considered an ultra-extremist point of view by many. You just don’t say those things in mixed company. I’ve also pointed out that the fastest way to lose a friend who’s complaining about his “small budget” or “low pay” in a public position, is to tell him he can always quit, get a job in the private sector and find out exactly what he’s worth. You’d better step back before you say something like that, because violence will be on his mind. Who’s more “extreme”; the person stating a simple truth, which is obvious to anyone who’s operated a business, or the person who wants to punch you in the face for saying it? If a simple truth is now to be considered extreme, what does that say about the current state of our culture?
So it has came to pass, that the teachers have taken to the streets, bringing their students with them (and you said public education was never about indoctrination. No; couldn’t be. That would be bad, and we all know that teachers are saints) to demand more goodies from a state that they helped bankrupt. To hell with the state government. To hell with the governor who’s trying to keep the state out of bankruptcy. To hell with everything and everyone; we want more goodies! To hell with the public! (Look at the signs they’re carrying)
These are our sefess “servants” who care about nothing in the world but the common good, and we’re going to be seeing a lot more of this sort of thing from them. It is an inevitability, where ever and when ever we have the arrogance to believe that WE can get away with having a coercion-based system, because WE can afford it, because WE are so very, very smart and compassionate. This is going to keep happening as sure as you are reading this, and it is going to escalate. This is the result of our “Compassion“.
Colin and Andy Goddard posting on the Brady Campaign blog admit something I have been saying for a long time:
The laws on the books aren’t working…
Yup. And the CDC agrees with us.
Then they should have no problem agreeing that we should repeal those laws and try something different, correct? Let’s look at what does work. For example what happened to the murder rate in Washington D.C. when the gun ban was declared unconstitutional? Oh, yeah! Within one year it dropped to the lowest level since 1985 – a 24 year low. What about forcible rape? That turned out different. Within one year it dropped to the lowest level since 1967—a 42 year low. Just maybe strict gun laws are not the solution to increasing public safety.
But then we know that the Brady Campaign has no real interest in public safety so don’t expect them to agree with me anytime soon.
A few years ago a friend of mine and I were talking about nuclear bombs and he said something about all the scientists involved with the development of “The Bomb” were now dead. I told him, “No. Johnston is still alive.” “Who is Johnston?” Johnston, I told him, was the guy that invented the detonators. After the war he was a physics professor at the University of Idaho and still lives in Moscow. I’m not sure my friend really believed me. Why would someone with a background like that end up in a backwater college like the U of I? I disputed this. The U of I has done quite well for itself and has nothing to be ashamed of—well, except for perhaps Larry “Wide Stance” Craig. Other famous graduates or professors include Sarah Palin in the class of 1987, Dan O’Brien (class of ’93), and Margrit Von Braun (daughter of Wernher von Braun).
Back to Johnston—I got my undergraduate degree at the U of I and took several physics classes there. But none of them were with Johnston even though he was there at the time (’67 –> ’88). But I would occasionally see mention of him in the news and I was proud to have him in my home town.
Last week wife and physical therapist Barbara called me up and excitedly asked me, “Do you know who I have as my patient?” “No. You don’t tell me that information unless you get permission from the patient and you haven’t done that for several weeks now.” My taking her literally somehow didn’t damping her spirits as it usually does and she went on to tell me that it was one of the scientist who worked on the first atomic bomb. “Johnston?”, I asked. “Yes. How did you know?”, her spirits finally dampened a tad. “Because he is the only one left and he lives in Moscow”, I explained.
She went on to tell me he gave her permission to talk to me about him, he was a really nice guy, is 92 years old, is the only person to have witnessed all three of the first atomic bomb explosions (he was in the observation planes over Hiroshima and Nagasaki), and he would be interested to exchange email with me. “Uhhh…. WOW!” was about all I could say.
I did exchange email with him and he sent me a presentation he made at Los Alamos a few years ago about his experiences developing and deploying the first nuclear bombs. I found it fascinating. My QOTD tomorrow will come from that presentation. And despite the detailed info in the presentation about the explosives and detonators used and the requests for “upgrading” beyond chemical explosives at Boomershoot I have no plans to pursue that particular line of experiments at this time.
Thank you Barbara and Professor Johnston.
Mildred and Lawrence Johnston
In the recent assassination attempt on congresswoman Giffords, the gunman employed a weapon of mass destruction he could buy over the counter as easily as a pack of cigarettes: an extended magazine for his 9 mm Glock.
David Heller
January 29, 2011
Shootings reinforce need for gun control
[It turns out Nutter was not the first to call a standard capacity magazine a WMD. The first reference I have been able to find was published on January 27th and was by Freshman Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans. David Heller, above, then showed up two days later.
All this WMD talk has me hearing voices. I have this voice of Paul Hogan telling me “That’s not a knife. That’s a knife.” After reading my next post this will make more sense.
Update: Joel has more instances of the WMD meme. Robb has the graphic and the t-shirt.—Joe]
Via email from Jeff Knox:
Immediate Action Needed – Window Closes Today!!
Copy the text of the email below or rewrite it in your own words and email it to:
The comment period has been extended for the ATF’s proposed “temporary,” emergency regulation requiring firearms dealers to file reports every time someone purchases more than one semi-auto long gun, but that comment period closes this Tuesday, February 15.
The ATF claims the reporting is necessary to combat the flow of firearms across the border into Mexico, but recent revelations and accusations raise significant questions about ATF’s motives and the efficacy of such a reporting requirement.
In what has been dubbed “Project Gunwalker” ATF is accused of allowing hundreds of AR and AK- type rifles to be sold in questionable sales and smuggled across the border – including two rifles recovered after a shootout with bandits on the border in which Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed.
The implications of the Project Gunwalker scandal are that ATF has already been receiving significant, voluntary cooperation from gun dealers in the border states, but that the agency has used that cooperation more to build support for their Project Gunrunner interdiction program and justify the need for the emergency reporting regulation by inflating the numbers of illegally “trafficked” weapons tracked across the border.
Beyond the complications of Project Gunwalker, the idea of requiring reporting of multiple long gun sales is clearly in conflict with established congressional mandates and restrictions on ATF’s authority.
Back in 1968 when the federal Gun Control Act was passed Congress included a requirement that multiple sales of handguns be reported to ATF and local law enforcement. At that time, and several times since, Congress has had the opportunity to include multiple sales of long guns in the reporting requirements and they have chosen not to do so.
Congress has also passed several resolutions and included language in laws restricting ATF and other government agencies from instituting any sort of registration program or collecting detailed information from firearms sales without a direct connection to a specific criminal investigation. By attempting to push through this major regulatory change without congressional approval, ATF is seriously overstepping their legal authority.Here is a sample letter which we ask you to copy and paste into an email or use as a template for writing a letter of your own to email in response to this proposal.
To: barbara.terrell@atf.gov
Subject: Oppose Regulation Expanding Multiple Sale ReportingI am writing to oppose the so called emergency regulation to register multiple sales of certain rifles with BATFE as described in FR Doc.
2010-31761 from the 12/17/2010 Federal Register.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-31761.pdfThis regulation is both illegal and unnecessary. Further there is no justification for any “emergency” implementation as reported by the Washington Post:
White House delayed rule meant to stop gun flow to Mexico, Washington Post, Dec. 17, 2010, On-line edition:
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121706598.html).* The regulation proposed is outside the statutory grant of authority to record information about multiple sales of firearms. Title 18 U.S.C. § 923(g)(3)(A) specifically grants the authority to collect multiple sale information on handguns and revolvers. Other firearms are excluded and there is no implied authority to extend this reporting requirement to rifles or any other type of firearm.
* “FFL” holders are already required by law to respond to BATFE requests for information on firearms distribution pursuant to criminal
investigations: Title 18 U.S.C. § 923(g)(7).* The regulation contains no provision for the destruction of information collected, which establishes a nationwide registry of “certain types of firearms” as proposed. Because of this the regulation as proposed is illegal under Title 18 U.S.C. § 926(a). “No such rule or regulation . may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or disposition be established.”
There is a grave potential for this regulation to unduly burden citizens who are collectors or must obtain purchase permits at the local or state level to possess firearms. The proposed regulation does not say what the agency intends to do with the information but ostensibly it would be for criminal investigations. Subjecting law abiding gun owners to this type of investigation under the guise of “information collection” is an overt attempt to prevent them from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights to purchase and own firearms.
* This regulatory action has not allowed the public sufficient time to comment.
This regulatory action should not be approved.
# # #
Whether you use this specific language, edit it, or compose a letter of your own, please take action immediately! Do not put off sending a comment!
Comments must be received by Tuesday February 15, 2011.
Please Send Your Comments Immediately!
Thank you for your Action!
Jeff Knox
Director, The Firearms Coalition
www.FirearmsCoalition.org
—
Now available!
Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War
A compilation of the best of Neal Knox’s writing from 35 years in the trenches http://thegunrightswar.com/
Claiming New Jersey in 2011 needs stricter anti-gun laws would be like saying Alabama in 1961 needed stricter laws against blacks. Both gun rights and racial discrimination are constitutional, civil rights issues. Alabama eventually respected civil rights and maybe one day New Jersey will respect civil rights, too.
Evan F. Nappen
February 13, 2011
DOES NEW JERSEY NEED EVEN TIGHTER GUN CONTROL?: Abusive gun laws make felons of state’s law-abiding citizens
[Read it all. I have nothing further to add.
H/T to Sebastian.—Joe]
If you are Catholic John Snyder, founder of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, has a request:
This year the society plans to mark St. Gabriel Possenti’s feast day, Feb. 27, by urging Catholic firearms owners to put one of their website coupons (www.gunsaint.com) in the collection basket. The coupon states: “Millions for charity but not one cent for gun-grabbing church bureaucrats.”
If you don’t remember Robyn Ringler, here the outline of the refresher course:
She is back spreading her hate on the web again. This time she says she supports efforts to limit accessibility to what the U.S. Supreme Court says is a specific enumerated right:
As a member of The League of Women Voters (LWV), I encourage you to show strong support for these efforts. The LWV believes that the proliferation of handguns and semi-automatic assault weapons is a major health and safety threat. The LWV supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens.
If she were advocating the limiting of accessibility to religion, books, or trial by jury do you think a newspaper like The Saratogian would publish her opinion? Why is it they let her spout her hate when it’s a different part of the Bill of Rights she is attempting to destroy?
She should create her own blog again and be left to whine by herself in some obscure corner of the Internet.
Update: From Barron in the comments:
As a member of
The League of Women Voters (LWV)National Rifle Association (NRA), I encourage you to show strong support for these efforts. TheLWVNRA believes that the proliferation ofhandguns and semi-automatic assault weaponsWomen’s Suffrage is a majorhealth and safety threatthreat to freedom and morals. TheLWVNRA supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate theownership of these weapons by privateability of female citizens to vote.
And, like Barron, I do not support the restriction of women voting but the word substitution is very useful to illustrate the bigotry.
I can see why his name is “Nutter”:
Bad people will do bad things, but we can and must take steps to deny these criminals the weapons of mass destruction that have ripped apart families across the country.
…
President Obama has called for “common sense” regulation. Regulating magazine size is surely common sense. Large-capacity magazines can turn a semiautomatic pistol into a weapon of mass destruction, with some spitting out six shots per second.
Actually, as I demonstrated last week, even on an off day a middle-aged computer geek can do close to six rounds a second with only ten rounds in the magazine. The size of the magazine has nothing to do with rate of fire and no matter how many rounds are in the magazine it doesn’t turn the gun into a WMD.
Or is Nutter saying we really did find WMDs in Iraq?