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January 2007
Thune-Nelson national reciprocity bill
US Senators John Thune and Ben Nelson have introduced a national CCW reciprocity bill, similar to that introduced last Session by Sen. Allen. Here's a pdf of the bill and their "dear colleague" letter to other Senators.
Continue reading "Thune-Nelson national reciprocity bill"
Permalink · CCW licensing · Comments (15)
Florida readers hit back
Readers respond to the Florida hit-pieces on "shall issue."
Permalink · media · Comments (0)
Advantage in the battle for hearts and minds
Permalink · humor · Comments (1)
Media forming herd
I'd noted earlier that the media seemed to be going back to its traditional ways, of serving as an arm of the antigun movement. Well...
Yesterday the antigun Violence Policy Center (as in Joyce Foundation is its main income, $400,000 a year) issued a press release focusing on black homicide rates. Chuckle--it's a study of how to pick and choose statistics to get the desired result. Example: the states with the lowest black homicide rates are gunnie South Dakota and Montana. DC is omitted, probably because it would have an astronomical rate -- despite its handgun ban. And its lead target is Pennsylvania, with the study proclaiming it has the highest black homicide rate in the country. But since in 2004 (the year chosen) Pennsylvania had a lower overall homicide rate than the national average (5.2 vs. 5.5), for it to have the highest black homicide rate, it must also have had the lowest or one of the lowest white homicide rates in the nation. Of course the study doesn't mention the non-black rates...
But the media uncritically leap into line:
The Philie Inquirer runs an editoral today entitled "Open Season on Young Black Men; Thank Gun Laws for Fact PA Leads the Nation in Black Homicides." (It didn't do much research: it claims that the "Handgun Owner Protection Act" hobbles BATF. It's the "Firearms Owners' Protection Act," and doesn't).
Other Pennsylvania press pick up the story, here and here
News outlets in other states pick it up, Kansas City; Maryland. The LA Times covers it with notes that California ranked No. 4.
Permalink · media · Comments (19)
John Lott on "gun show loophole"
Economist John Lott takes on the "gun show loophole" in the Washington Times.
"By contrast, the Bureau of Justice Statistics conducted a survey
of 18,000 state prison inmates in 1997, the largest survey of inmates
ever conducted. Less than 1 percent of inmates (0.7 percent) who had a
gun indicated they had obtained it at a gun show. When combined with
guns obtained from flea markets, the total rises to 1.7 percent. These
are tiny fractions compared to the estimated 40 percent of the
criminals' guns that are obtained from friends or family and the 39
percent that are obtained on the street or from illegal sources."
British turning to crossbows for self-defense
Here's the story.
"Could we be seeing the first signs of a militant middle class which has had enough and is beginning to arm itself? Perhaps.
For those who cling to the notion that an Englishman's home is his castle, a new weapon will soon be available to help deter intruders. Designed by BowTech in Oregon, USA, the Stryker (left) will be on sale in Europe by mid-January."
Look forward to a drive to ban crossbows. Well, not the first over there. Henry VIII tried it, too, in order to force everyone to train with longbows.
Permalink · non-US · Comments (5)
Article on the militia and communitarianism
Professors Glenn Reynolds and Brannon Denning have a William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal article on the subject, well worth reading.
The core theme is that the communitarians (who seek to revive the sense of community, as separate from government and from the isolated individual, a popularized version being Hillary Clinton's "It takes a village to raise a child") tend to be anti-gun because it's, well so nasty. But in fact, throughout most of American history, communitarianism centered around the compulsory militia. It wasn't people without callouses turning out to build Houses for Humanity, it was most of the adult male population turning out, with firearms, to organize, drill, and prepared for group defense if the worst should come to pass. (The professors have an interesting invented dialogue, which I'll put in extended comments). It's a good read, and I'd urge downloading it.
Continue reading "Article on the militia and communitarianism"
Permalink · militia · Comments (4)
Snow in the desert
There's been some talk about the snowfall last week in Tucson.
Here's an image, from the street in front of my house. Understand, this is the middle of the Sonoran Desert!
Permalink · Personal · Comments (3)
IG report on BATFE disciplinary matters
Just found an Inspector General's report on ATFE disciplinary matters. Major findings:
1. Many problems are not being reported. 47 of a group of 58 that were supposed to be reported to the Justice IG were not. For others, while a demotion or firing was decided upon, there was no record showing that it had actually been done.
2. Of 76 files where the agent was disciplined, 16 contained no documentation at all to show why, and not one showed a report of investigation.
3. ATF rules allow a supervisor to both bring charges and be the judge of those charges, which is done most of the time. It also has no consistent standards, so that each case is a law unto itself.
Permalink · BATFE · Comments (2)
Newspaper begins attack on Florida "shall issue" law
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has commenced a week-long series of articles attacking Florida's shall-issue CCW law.
As I read the first article: Florida law gives judges the power to take a plea, impose probation (without entering a conviction) and if the person completes that, "withhold conviction." OK, they're not convicted of anything, and eligible for a permit.
So the newspaper hunts up those cases, looks for the worst -- one guy got judges to "withhold conviction" on a manslaughter rap, on possession of ten pounds of pot, and on a CCW charge. The real question is ... why are the judges withholding convictions, if the cases are this bad? The problem is with the judges and the legal system here, and the easy way to ensure these folks don't get licenses is to get the judges to convict.
Permalink · media · Comments (2)
Interesting Montana bill
A bill has been introduced in Montana to declare that firearms made and kept there are not subject to federal control. Two thoughts:
1. I think ATF takes the position in prohibited person cases that a gun must at least have moved in interstate commerce at some time (shown by proof it was manufactured out of state). That may be because the statute requires a link to interstate commerce for these cases; ATF might contend that all other federal restrictions still apply to a gun made in-state.
2. The value of a state law declaring this ... hmm... normally, you'd say not a lot. If it's within the commerce power, it doesn't matter that a state declares that it's not. But in the Lopez case, as I recall, the Court made a big affair of schools traditionally being a state matter, and that states had their own laws regulating gun possession near schools. I couldn't see the relevance there, either (if it's in or affecting commerce, what matters it that states also regulate it, or the commerce relates to traditional state domains? It's either in or affecting commerce, or it's not). So perhaps such a state law would have some weight in the Supremes.
Permalink · Commerce Clause · Comments (7)
Radio interview online
A local radio host, Charles Heller, just posted a radio interview about my documentary film.
Permalink · documentary film · Comments (1)
Clayton Cramer on book tour
Instapundit reports that Clayton Cramer is embarking on a book tour and radio tour to promo his book, "Armed America: The Remarkable Story of How and Why Guns Became as American as Apple Pie." It's the outcome of his pursuit of Michael Bellesiles (he's the fellow who first exposed Bellesiles on the web, and kept piling the information on until the professional historians began to take note and investigate).
Brady equivocates on self-defense
In the Gainesville Times:
"Incidents like last week's shooting "are definitely being played up to justify this slew of fake self-defense laws," said Zach Ragbourn, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "I know if this (incident) happened two years ago, the result would have been the same. Police and prosecutors are not evil people bent on trying to put citizens away. A righteous shooting is a righteous shooting."
Ragbourn believes the new laws could serve to provide a defense for a criminal who kills someone in a shootout by claiming he feared for his safety. He said the Brady Campaign has never been opposed to the use of firearms for legitimate self-defense purposes.
"There are absolutely times when you have to defend yourself," Ragbourn said. "We do say that while there is legitimate value to gun ownership, the value doesn't always outweigh the risks."
Guns in homes are 22 times more likely to cause harm to the residents than to be used in defense of those homes, Ragbourn said."
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (5)
Wash. case on sentencing & arms rights
There's an interesting string of Washington cases under discussion at the Volokh Conspiracy. Basically, the courts read the statutes on sentencing enhancement for armed crime, in combination with the state right to bear arms, as requiring that the arms be accessible and have some connection to the crime.
Continue reading "Wash. case on sentencing & arms rights"
Firearm Ed. in West Virginia
W.V. Sen. Mike Green has sponsored a bill to make firearms safety training an elective course.
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (0)
Cook County "AW" Ban
Ill. State Rifle Ass'n has an an outline of the new Cook County "assault weapon" ban, which on the face of it seems to outlaw most semi-auto shotguns, and might just ban all semi-auto rifle as well.
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (0)
Zero tolerance
American Shooters & Hunters Assn and the media
I've mentioned American Shooters & Hunters Association -- which is basically an antigun group flying false colors, here and here and here. For Pete's sake, it's not even a good "false colors" operation: it was founded by a Brady Campaign director, with Brady's agenda.
ABC News just ran a piece on Bloomberg's mayors' group, claiming that it's a "gun rights group":
"The head of the American Hunters and Shooters Association, Ray Schoenke, said that gun rights "extremists," including the National Rifle Association, have taken positions that have "tarnished" the reputations of hunters and shooters... He is the first gun rights advocate to join the mayors in their cause."
Welcome fellow Instapunditers! Take a look at the main blog, and if you're a voting NRA member, my board elections roundup of all relevant blogs and webpages. If you're into the Second Amendment, you might take a look at my new documentary film on it.
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (9)
Analysis of argument in Parker v. DC
Triggerfinger has a solid analysis. Via the K-Romulus Chronicles.
Hunting feral cats with a Coehorn mortar
Now, this is imaginative!
Worst gun law ever?
That's what Alan Korwin terms it. Text of the AZ bill, which happily stands not a chance, is in extended remarks below, together with a note on the space cadet legislator who introduced it. Here's World Net Daily's take on it.
Continue reading "Worst gun law ever?"
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (6)
John Lott takes on the latest Hemenway claims
Three staff at the Harvard School of Public Health (as in Joyce Foundation grants) issued a study claiming to show that more guns = more homicides, which of course got NY Times coverage. John Lott shows how they cooked the books by, e.g., excluding DC, and using data from different years, so they'd get the desired result.
Permalink · Crime and statistics · Comments (0)
Don't try this at the airport
Don't play this on your laptop while going thru security or while waiting for takeoff.
Philadelpha Inquirer makes correction
A few days ago, I posted a critique of an Inquirer story, quoting Brady leaders, saying that dealers' records could only be inspected once a year.
An alert reader emailed the editorial staff with the link, and asked them to check it out. Today they published a correction, acknowledging that ATF can also check records anytime there is a criminal investigation.
Permalink · media · Comments (0)
NRA board elections roundup
Here's a quick roundup of gun bloggers and others' recommendations for the 2007 NRA Board of Directors' election.
I've especially recommended re-election of president Sandy Froman, and of the hardworking director Carol Bambery (who serves on six committees, plus on the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, chairs the NRA Foundation's National Firearms Law Seminar, and was counsel to MUCC and MCRGO).
Bitter quite agrees, on Sandy ("She rocks") here and on Carol ("a great choice for the Board") here (She promises to add a couple more soon, and I won't spoil the suspense). UPDATE: Here they are. Sandy Froman, Carol Bambery, Susan Howard, and Bob Barr.
Anthroblogogy agrees on Sandy Froman ("a natural") and Carol Bambery ("another stellar performer"), and adds Ted Nugent, Curtis Jenkins, and Joaquin Jackson.
Col. Brown of Soldier of Fortune recommends Steve Schreiner, President of the Firearms Coalition of Colorado, and winner of the Bronze and Silver Stars in 'Nam.
UPDATE: candidate Jim Supica has a webpage, too. Another update: Tom King of New York has one, too.
I put a tip on voting in Board elections in extended remarks below.
Continue reading "NRA board elections roundup"
Funny spoof of Webb's State of the Union reply
"Let me share with you this deguerrotype of my great great great great grandfather, a penniless drunkard and street-corner pugilist who sat in a Dublin jail, until he was paroled and came to Virginia in 1724, just in time to join in the massacre of the peaceful Massapequasimolie Indians. I would hope you draw strength from this tomorrow when you return to your janitorial duties, brooding about the hour when you will rise up against the robber barons of the beef trust, but none of you are likely to have understood those historical references anyway.
But let me get to the real reason we are here, besides your mandate to disband the Mark Foley Man-Boy Love Association: to change course in Iraq."
That's just the beginning...
(Via Instapundit).
Permalink · Politics · Comments (0)
Trial begins in PETA animal cruelty case
The trial of two PETA activists for animal cruelty has begun. I'm not sure the animal cruelty charges will hold up -- I think fraud (obtaining the animals by telling people they would be given a shelter and later good homes) might have better fit the situation as described.
Permalink · animal rights and eco-terrorism · Comments (2)
Presidential candidates' ratings
Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, Dave Kopel rates the candidates on Second Amendment issues.
Of possible GOP frontrunners, Gilmore draws nearly perfect. Of possible Demo frontrunners, none get near. Gov. Richardson of NM does get a high ranking, altho his chances for Demo nomination don't seem high (if only because the press has decided this is a Hilary vs. Obama race).
Permalink · Politics · Comments (2)
Story that doesn't quite fit the mold
From the LA Times, a story on "Sheriff traces guns' crooked paths to Compton's streets" -- actually, to the FFLs who first sold them. And the gun end of the story ends there, since there's no indication the FFLs were doing something wrong. More interesting is the note at the end: The sheriff created a task force on gangs that made 1,622 arrests and worked closely with probation and parole officers assigned to Compton.
Gang-related killings fell by 50%. It would probably have been lower, except that midway thru the year someone reassigned all the task force personnel, and gang killings went up again.
Permalink · Crime and statistics · Comments (2)
9th Cir. upholds "dealer letters"
The 9th Circuit has upheld ATF's requirement that certain dealers (those with 10 more trace requests and some other details) to report used firearms sales directly to it. Text of the decision is in extended remarks below.
Continue reading "9th Cir. upholds "dealer letters""
Permalink · Gun Control Act of 68 · Comments (0)
Bloomberg group speaks with forked tongue
The NY Times doesn't note, of course, the two quotes in its puff-piece story:
"Members of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns insisted that they respected the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Mr. Bloomberg said he was not trying to curb existing gun rights. “That’s ideological nonsense and we’ve just got to move past it,” he said.
and later, after saying the Mayors announced a legislative task force....
"The task force says it will also “work to enact common sense measures” to stem the flow of illegal guns, officials said."
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (2)
Proposed AW ban in Maryland
A broad "assault weapon" ban is proposed in MD, and it sounds as if sportsmen are up in arms.
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (0)
Global cooling?
It snowed in Tucson yesterday. About 2" where I am, in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.
Brady Campaign going after Firearm Owners Protection Act
From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center and former mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., said the ATF had been greatly weakened by pro-dealer legislation Congress passed, including some laws dating to 1986. For example, if ATF agents make a surprise visit to a gun shop suspected of breaking the law, they are not allowed to make another surprise visit for 12 months, Helmke said. During that period, the ATF must warn the dealer in advance that they are coming."
Bullpucky. I'll put the real law in extended remarks below. Essentially:
1. ATF can inspect records anytime it traces a gun to the dealer.
2. It can inspect records anytime it has suspicion a third party (the shooter, or anyone who transferred to him) broke the law.
3. What's left is records where ATF has NO reason to believe the gun sold is linked to a crime. The reason for inspecting those is just to ensure the dealer is keeping his books correctly. That they can do, but no more than once a year.
Continue reading "Brady Campaign going after Firearm Owners Protection Act"
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (2)
Google AdSense and firearms
Google's ads have some interesting limitations. For one thing, Google won't let you run ads if your site features "Sales or promotion of weapons or ammunition". It's listed next to porn, illegal drugs, fake term papers, etc. One blogger has been banned simply because his blog discusses firearms. And, despite their policy statement, it turns out that they actually do accept porn sites. Anyone have a tip on advertising services that don't ban firearms-related sites?
Supreme Court takes another shot at determinate sentencing
Decision here. On quick read, it extends prior caselaw to hold that any provision that allows the judge to up the sentence based on finding of a specific fact, must be determined by the jury.
Permalink · General con law · Comments (0)
Brady Campaign and cooking the books
The Conservative Voice fisks the Brady Campaign's statistics.
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (0)
Kicking *** and taking numbers
Five antigun types criticize Prof. Reynolds' NY Times piece on laws mandating gun ownership, and he fires back.
Continue reading "Kicking *** and taking numbers"
Permalink · Self defense · Comments (2)
UN may downgrade disarmament program
Kofi is gone, and a new broom sweeps clean. The new UN Sec. General, Ban Ki-Moon, is floating a proposal to downgrade the Department of Disarmament Affairs. And considering putting an American in charge of it, to boot. "Having an American as head," the ambassador told the meeting "is like putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop."
We're not to next international right stage yet, but it may be moving that way.
Permalink · UN · Comments (0)
New article by Steve Halbrook
"The Second Amendment in the Supreme Court". (pdf).
Chicago Alderman with illegal gun...got it from a TV show host
The Sun-Times has the story.
Permalink · media · Comments (1)
NRA elections
I was right about NRA directors' 2007 elections time approaching, just got the magazine with the ballot. 36 candidates for 26 seats, tighter than usual. When I read thru them, I ask myself: (1) does the person know much about the NRA? (2) how hard do they work for it? and (3) how committed are they to Second Amendment causes (in terms of having actually done work on them)? Giving the list a quick look, two people stand out.
Sandy Froman, longterm director and outgoing President. That the board itself elected her its leader says all you need to know. And I know that it's hard to reach her, because she's almost always on the road, doing something for NRA. And she's got one impressive collection of NFA stuff, too!
Carol Bambery is another. She has a webpage here. She's been a director for nine years, knows the NRA. She works hard, serving on five regular committees, plus the special Committee on Right to Carry,. At the last annual meeting, she had to race between two building, because in one she chaired the annual Firearms Law Seminar, and in another she was voting as a trustee of the NRA Civil Liberties Defense Fund. Mind you, all of this is voluntary, and all is unpaid.
When not doing that, she helped found the Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners, took a trial and appeal that got three Michigan city gun laws struck down, and was counsel to Michigan Unified Conservation Clubs. Oh, and coauthored the book on MI gun laws.
Bitter has endorsement of Ms. Bambery up, too.
Permalink · NRA · Comments (1)
Anti gun bills introduced
From an email alert by Alan Korwin:
"The NICS Improvement Act," H.R. 297. NICS is the national firearms background checks for the public required by the Brady law.
"The Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention Act of 2007," H.R.256.
"The Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2007," H.R. 96.
A toy gun ban, H.R. 428, involving the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
You can search for the text of the bills here.
Chicago Alderman caught with gun
The FBI executed a search warrant on Chicago Alderman Arenda Troutman, apparently suspected of involvement with street gangs and taking bribes, and recovered a pistol and possible drugs. How about this..."Aldermen are an exception to Chicago's ban on handguns..."
If you're going to go down in flames, might as well make a big flare
Attorney caught naked in courthouse with an underaged girl.
Debate: Romney v. Romney
Pretty amusing.
Permalink · Politics · Comments (1)
Instapunk on the new age of intolerance
Instapunk has an excellent commentary on how Democrats have taken aim at talk radio, blogs, transparency in legislation, and anyone who criticizes them.
Cost of pistol permit in NYC
Just got an email from a friend on the cost of a NY City pistol permit (generally only premises permits are issued, that don't let you carry one). The cost: $340 for the license plus $99 for the fingerprinting fee, a total of $439.00. And it has to be renewed every three years.
Continue reading "Cost of pistol permit in NYC"
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (11)
NRA elections time
It must be the season for NRA elections, and here is the first webpage for a candidate, Carol Bambery of Michigan and DC. I see Carol at Board meetings, and have always wondered how she carries the remarkable load of work that she does. A ton of committee assignments, plus a trustee on the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, plus heading up the Foundation's steering committee for its annual Continuing Legal Education program. And helping state pro-gun groups and suing antigun cities on the side.
Permalink · NRA · Comments (0)
Media waking up
They're starting to push on the assault weapons and gun show issues. Expect more.
Update: here it comes. (Via the Bitchgirls.
Permalink · media · Comments (3)
Register bloggers, not guns?
S.1 has been introduced in the Senate as "lobbying reform" -- which in this case means "First Amendment infringements." An amendment has been attached, which requires registration of bloggers with more than 500 readers, and who comment on policy issues. Violation would be a criminal offense.
I looked it up on the Library of Congress webpage (which is essentially unlinkable) and have attached section 220 in extended remarks, below. As the bill is reported, it appears to cover any "paid" grassroots lobbying, that reaches more than 500 people. But a blogger who receives contributions might be classed as a "paid" grassroots type. It looks like Congress wants to keep an eye on annoying people like Porkbusters. It may be significant that S.1 was introduced by Harry Reid, one of the Kings of Pork. (Hat tip to Kurt Fremont).
UPDATE: reader Mark Fitzgibbons
I just read the debate on your site about the scope of the grassroots legislation that was defeated in the Senate but is expected to be introduced in the House, in one form or another.
I've written a number of summaries of the legislation. There are several key points in which your readers may be interested.
The bill as written, as opposed to the press relases from the Senators who sponsored the bill (which of course would not be controlling to determine the "intent" of the legislation), would have applied to bloggers. That was not probably not the "intent," but the language of the bill -- as it amended existing law -- demands that conclusion. And I've been doing this stuff long enough to know that if it's written that way, legislation will eventually be enforced that way.
The term "grassroots lobbying firm" and its $25,000 quarterly threshold applies to a whole separate category.
Lobbying subject to registration is two lobbying "contacts" plus 20% of one's time spent on lobbying "activities" for that "client." You can be your own client and your own lobbyist at the same time under current law. Lobbying "contacts" can be as simple as two emails to Congress. The bill would have redefined lobbying "activities" to include communications to as few as 500 people "influencing" them to contact Congress.
There must be some form of compensation from the "client," but here's where the legislation would have made many bloggers lobbyists. All lobbyists, regardless of how much they are paid or how much they spend, would be required to register EXCEPT FOR two specific low-dollar exemptions in the current law. The Senate bill was written in such a way that grassroots communications would be INELIGIBLE for the low-dollar exemptions. So a blogger who receives any compensation (which need not be "financial" under current law) would have fit the definition of "compensated." Even if that language in the bill were a mistake, it was written with extreme precision.
I explain all this in the following, which cites to the legislation and the current law:
http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?action=view&CMSArticleID=485&CMSCategoryID=23
Another piece explains the difference between lobbyists and the new terms "Grassroots Lobbying Firm" created by the legislation, showing why bloggers would not need to cross the $25,000 threshold:
http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?action=view&
CMSArticleID=591&CMSCategoryID=23
I'm the first to admit that the legislation, as it amends the exisitng law, is tough to follow. However, when one works through the mess, the conclusions are unmistakeable. And in the area of the First Amendment, sloppy legislation is unacceptable.
Mark Fitzgibbons
Continue reading "Register bloggers, not guns?"
Guns with 200 mile range
The Navy is creating guns fired by electronic pulse, which might give a 5" gun a range of 200 miles. At long range they'd take advantage of the effect discovered by WWI Germans when they built the Paris Gun -- when you put rounds thru the stratosphere, wind resistance falls off rapidly! The idea is to combine modern targetting technology with this, and get the equivalent of a missile, at the price of a shell.
Permalink · shooting · Comments (3)
Motion to hold New Orleans mayor in contempt
SAF has filed a motion to hold Mayor Nagin in contempt for failure to comply with discovery orders. Press release is in extended remarks below.
[Welcome Instapunditers! Take a look at the main web page. And if your interested, the first documentary on the Second Amendment is available -- just see the link in the left margin of this page.]
Continue reading "Motion to hold New Orleans mayor in contempt"
Story on illegal guns
It's in the Florida Times-Union. Sounds a little as if the reporter wanted to write an anti-gun story, but came up with no material. The murderer who talked said he got his guns by stealing them from a railroad car. Police tried some "stings" at gun shows and gun dealerships and came up empty, confirming their belief that illegal guns were coming from burglaries. The sheriff has a copy of the Second Amendment on his wall. The main beef is that prosecutors aren't anxious to find out the sources of illegal guns as part of a plea bargain or confession.
Permalink · media · Comments (2)
Ignorance of history
The New Hampshire Union Leader has an appalling report on students' historical ignorance.
"More than half of college seniors could not identify the correct century in which the Jamestown colony was founded or name the battle that ended the American Revolution. Truly frightening, more than half also did not know that the Bill of Rights forbids the federal government from establishing a national religion.
These are college seniors. Among the institutions whose students were surveyed: Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Michigan."
Mary Katherine Ham on gun defense
Mary Katherine Ham has a detailed post on gun self-defense, over at Michelle Malkin's blog. (Via the Bitchgirls).
Permalink · Self defense · Comments (0)
2nd Amendment documentary now has Wikipedia page
My 2nd Amendment documentary DVD now has a detailed Wikipedia page. courtesy of viewer Eric Salem, outlining its content. (If anyone wants to order, see the link in the left margin of this blog page).
Permalink · documentary film · Comments (2)
Mayor bails out of Bloomberg group
Idaho Falls mayor Jared Fuhriman has quit Bloomberg's mayors' group. (Via Instapundit).
"Nutter" crime plan
Philadelphia Mayoral candidate Michael Nutter is going to unveil crime plan. It involves declaring a "crime emergency," under which he'd have some power to do away with inconveniences such as the Bill of Rights.
"Three months ago, Nutter publicly urged Mayor Street to declare a crime emergency. Street has repeatedly rejected this idea, focusing on violence-reduction programs and other efforts.
If such a declaration was made, the city would be empowered to limit or prohibit sidewalk or other outdoor gatherings; halt or limit cars and trucks within targeted neighborhoods; establish a curfew; and prohibit anyone from publicly selling, carrying or possessing any weapons."
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (7)
Favorable Op-Ed on requiring gun ownership -- in the NY Times?
Glenn Reynolds has an Op-Ed, in the NY Times, favoring municipal statutes requiring gun ownership!
"While pro-gun laws like the one in Greenleaf are mostly symbolic, to the extent that they actually make a difference, it is likely to be a positive one.
Greenleaf is following in the footsteps of Kennesaw, Ga., which in 1982 passed a mandatory gun ownership law in response to a handgun ban passed in Morton Grove, Ill. Kennesaw’s crime dropped sharply, while Morton Grove’s did not.
To some degree, this is rational. Criminals, unsurprisingly, would rather break into a house where they aren’t at risk of being shot. As David Kopel noted in a 2001 article in The Arizona Law Review, burglars report that they try to avoid homes where armed residents are likely to be present. We see this phenomenon internationally, too, with the United States having a lower proportion of “hot” burglaries — break-ins where the burglars know the home to be occupied — than countries with restrictive gun laws."
Permalink · media · Comments (4)
Federal self defense bill
Rep. Bartlett, of Maryland, has introduced HR 73. I'll paste its text in extended remarks below. It doesn't have a snowball's chance of getting out of Judiciary Committee, but the effort is praiseworthy.
Continue reading "Federal self defense bill"
Permalink · Self defense · Comments (5)
More on Romney's record
The Boston Globe notes that Mitt Romney's gun position has, er, varied a bit over years. As have his positions on other mattters....
Permalink · Politics · Comments (3)
Brady chapter head: too many gun shows
From a letter to the editor:
" am concerned about the alarming number of gun shows scheduled for Solano County in 2007.
I'm sure we are all aware of the rising level of senseless gun violence in America. I understand that many citizens feel the need to own guns for protection. However, scheduling gun shows for March, June, September, October and November is a bit excessive. ....I have recently become involved with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence by starting a chapter in West Contra Costa County. I believe there should be a Solano County chapter."
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (7)
MAJOR article on ATF
The Arizona Republic has one major story about BATFE, from the inside, as it were.
"Dobyns, among the most celebrated agents within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, has lived on the edge from the beginning of his career.....
In grievances filed with the ATF, Dobyns claimed the agency failed to protect him when he was threatened in the line of duty and then harassed him when he complained about the lack of security. He has submitted a multimillion-dollar claim alleging the bureau ignored death threats against him and his family.
According to a grievance Dobyns filed in May, ATF administrators sought to undermine his credibility by spreading false allegations that he was psychologically unfit for duty and a danger to himself or others. Dobyns alleged in that 83-page record that he was subjected to unwanted transfers, denied security, accused of fraud and blocked from getting a Medal of Valor.....
Vincent Cefalu of Modesto, Calif., a 20-year agent with grievances pending, recently sent a letter to Sullivan complaining about "unethical practices and widespread distrust." ...
Billy Queen, a former agent who wrote Under and Alone, a book about his infiltration of the Mongols biker gang, said he retired in 2003 after enduring four years of harassment from ATF administration. Queen said he still loves the bureau but believes it is beleaguered by incompetent bully managers...."
Permalink · BATFE · Comments (2)
Legal challenge in VA
Rudy DiGiacinto of Virginia1776 has a legal challenge pending: pdf file here. Interesting historical finds in it, too.
Mitt Romney backtracks on support for gun laws
The Boston Globe has the story.
Then:
"That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA," Romney told the Boston Herald in 1994.
At another campaign stop that year, he told reporters: "I don't line up with the NRA."
And as the GOP gubernatorial candidate in 2002, Romney lauded the state's strong laws during a debate against Democrat Shannon O'Brien. "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them," he said. "I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety."
Now:
He now touts his work as governor to ease restrictions on gun owners. He proudly describes himself as a member of the NRA -- though his campaign won't say when he joined. And Friday, at his campaign's request, top officials of the NRA and the National Shooting Sports Foundation led him around one of the country's biggest gun shows.
Permalink · Politics · Comments (3)
Psychology of self defense
Dr. Helen has thoughts on self-defense from a psychological standpoint.
"Have you noticed that most of the tips you get in recent years for how to survive a violent crime involve an accompanying psychological maneuver of first trying to make you feel impotent? And instead of suggesting remedies to overcome this impotence, these survival tips usually just tell you to give the criminal what they want."
Permalink · Self defense · Comments (0)
Fairfax Co. police shooting
The Agitator has some gun-related thoughts. I tend to agree.
Joyce Foundation, once again
Alphecca has a great post on how the Joyce Foundation is financing anti-gun studies at the Harvard School of Public Health.
I've discussed the $700 million Joyce Foundation before. They're using their millions to create fake grassroots groups, generate studies, stir up campaigns, you name it. They're financing Bloomberg's mayors group, putting $380,000 into the "Legal Community Against Gun Violence", funding "Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence", essentially buying issues of the Stanford Law & Policy Review and other law reviews.
Via Instapundit, which also has this earlier posting on the purchase of law reviews.
[Welcome, Instanpundit readers. I might suggest you take a look at my documentary film on the right to arms (there's a link in the left margin), which stars Prof. Reynolds, not to mention Gene Volkh, Randy Barnett, and many others. It has a Wikipedia page here that sums up the content.
Update--link fixed. Thanks.
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (7)
This is just going too far...
I can see shooting the AKs, but paying $500 to obliterate a cow with an RPG is just going too far....
Permalink · shooting · Comments (3)
Update on Lott suit
Concurring Opinions has an update on John Lott's lawsuit against the author of "Freakonomics." The judge dismissed the claim as to the statement in the book that Lott's work could not be replicated -- finding that the average reader might think that merely meant that others differed with his conclusions -- but kept in a claim that Lott had been defamed by an email that claimed he had "bought" an issue of Journal of Law and Economics and only put in studies that supported his results.
(Via the Volokh Conspiracy).
Alan Gottlieb op-ed
Alan Gottlieb has an Op-Ed piece that mentions a study I'd found a while back. A division of the Justice Department surveyed thousands of inmates in federal institutions and asked where they got their guns. 0.7% got them at gun shows; so much for the "gun show loophole."
A request regarding documentary
I'm distributing the documentary directly, via www.secondamendmentdocumentary.com, and also via amazon.com. I'd appreciate if anyone who viewed it could go over to Amazon and give it a rating and a review. The Amazon webpage for it is here. There's a "Rate this item" button about a quarter of the way down the page, and below that a section for "Customer Reviews."
Former Demo candidate uses assault rifle
Former Democratic congressional candidate Paul Hackett used an AR-15 to hold three men after their car crashed into his fence. There's a bit of an investigation since this would be threat of deadly force to apprehend people who'd committed misdemeanors.
Amusingly, the Huffington Post carries the story favorably, as "Fmr. Political Candidate Hackett Subdues Three Men With Assault Rifle: "I Had Done This About 200 Times In Iraq"."
It's amusing, since the Huffington Post's regular columnists include Paul Helmke, head of the Brady Center, and Josh Sugarman, head of Violence Policy Center, which should tell you their general orientation as to "assault rifles" and use of force by civilians.
Permalink · Self defense · Comments (6)
Gun law proposals in Pennsylvania
According to Fox News,
"Among the measures included in the bill package: limiting handgun purchases to one a month, banning the sale of military-style weapons, providing law enforcement with new investigative tools, tougher bail and sentences for violent crimes and repeat offenders, letting communities enact their own gun laws, and requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to police."
The Philadelphia Inquirer adds that the sponsor "said he had a commitment from the new Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee to at least allow the measures to come up for a vote on the floor of the state's House of Representatives. "
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (2)
Knife rights organization
Bitter notes the creation of Knife Rights, Inc.
Taking Brady to task
Ohioans for Concealed Carry does a good job of it.
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (0)
Maryland gun law sentence
A Maryland collector has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for violating state gun laws.
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (11)
Interesting result
A US district court has ruled that a defendant will be allowed to argue to a jury (within limits) that the Second Amendment bars his prosecution for possession of unregistered machineguns.
Normally you wouldn't be allowed to argue interpretation of a law, let alone the argument of unconstitutionality, to a jury. That's for the judge to decide. But the court says it wants a wide-open record. And, frankly, it'd make what would be a boring trial (limited to did he possess the gun, was it tax-paid, and to a minor degree what was his state of mind and knowledge) into something halfway interesting, and I think trials should be interesting.
Boston Mayor proposes more Mass. gun laws
Boston mayor Menino is keeping busy.
"Menino wants to suspend the driver's licenses and revoke the vehicle registrations of people convicted of firearms violations. The mayor hopes the stricter laws will not only reduce violent crimes, but also warn police pulling over cars that the driver may be carrying guns."
Permalink · State legislation · Comments (4)
British businessmen networking via shotgun shooting
The London Times Online has the story.
"PUT down those golf clubs and go for your gun: shooting is fast becoming the social networking sport of choice.
A survey of 2,000 companies and 14,000 directors shows that shooting is soaring in popularity. A decade ago, toting a shotgun did not even feature among the most popular recreations listed by company directors. But the survey ranks shooting as the seventh most popular recreation, almost level with gardening."
But the remark I like best is: "“In golf, if you’re no good it’s painfully obvious. In shooting, if you keep missing birds nobody minds...."
[Hat tip to Eric Bainter]
Permalink · non-US · Comments (2)
Anti-Bloomberg rally in DC 1/23/07
Countertop describes the VCDL rally planned for January 23, at the DC Capitol Hilton. Bloomberg and his mayors will be meeting at the hotel, and VCDL plans a protest calling for BATF prosecution of Bloomberg for setting up alleged "straw man" sales. My recommendations for travel are in extended remarks.
Continue reading "Anti-Bloomberg rally in DC 1/23/07"
Permalink · antigun groups · Comments (2)
Gun theft--FBI presentation
Just attended a presentation by 3 FBI agents on theft and fraud of collector guns. VERY interesting. I'll elaborate after I get home tommorrow. They said some antique (high end) collectors are followed when they leave an exhibition. The trailing vehicle waits for them to stop at a McDonalds, etc., and while they are inside quickly raids and cleans out their van.
THey discussed several big time gun frauds. In one, a fellow wanted the finest collection of Colt Walkers, and had tons of money. He hired a couple of experts, offering them a 5-10% commission on any they got. They scammed him. A typical case involved finding a rare gun, price $600,000, and buying it. Then they bribed another expert to say he had a guy who wanted to buy it (from the original seller) and was offering $1.25 million. They showed that to the buyer and told him he'd have to match the offer. He did so and they pocketed the extra hundreds of thousand, plus a doubled commission.
light blogging
Outa town on business--won't be doing much posting for a few days...
Amusing satirical news page
Here it is.
Interesting thought
rec'd in email:
WEATHER BULLETIN
Up here, in the Northern Plains, we just recovered from a Historic event--- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to tens of thousands.
FYI:
George Bush did not come.
FEMA did nothing.
No one howled for the government.
No one blamed the government.
Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.
Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.
Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snowstorm.
Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.
No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.
No one looted.
Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.
Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.
No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.
No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found.
Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.
The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.
Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.
We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.
We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".
We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.
Interesting collection of photos
Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes.
[Link fixed, thanks]
FAA rule asserting 2nd amendment is collective
I mentioned it below, but David Codrea has a detailed post on it, and his letter to the President.
Home robbers face risks in New Mexico
Alburquerque homeowners accounted for three dead housebreakers last month. Story here.