The NRA has pulled its 2007 convention from Columbus, Ohio due to the city council’s unanimous ban on so-called assault weapons. They figure it will result in $20M of business that Columbus will not get (note that is not a cost for you gov-math types). There is now a bill in the Ohio legislature that prohibit cities from banning guns. The NRA says it will be back once that passes.
In this post, I mentioned a press account about two protesters who were arrested at a gun buyback program. Neil Evangelista left a comment to that post noting that he in fact was not arrested but merely threatened with arrest. The press gets it wrong again.
The Carnival of Liberty is a round up of Life, Liberty and Property rights. Number three is up at Eric’s.
This is just another in a long line of reports that shows the gun grabbing lobby is full of lies
July 16, 2005 — Recently the Florida State University department of Criminology released a study indicating that people who employed self protection strategies reduced their likelihood of injury when compared to nonresistance.
Old research seemed to indicate that resistance to confrontational crime contributed to victim injury. New information reveals the old assumptions were found to be largely attributable to confusion concerning the sequence of self protective actions and injury. In crimes where both occurred, injury followed self protection in only 10 percent of the incidents. Combined with the fact that injuries following resistance are almost always relatively minor, victim resistance appears to be generally a wise course of action.
It seems more and more reports come out showing the positive nature of firearms and self protection. Yet everyday the gun grabbers dig their heels in even more. Would I be stupid to say that maybe this will change their minds?
I have contacted the school to see if I can lay my hands on a copy of this report. Would like to see what else they say. If I get a copy I will post about it here and send copies to anyone who wants one.
A while back, I mentioned 60 Minutes piece on 50 Caliber rifles, wherein they interviewed terrorist weapons supplier and book pimp Florin Krasniqi. I said:
The guy [Florin Krasniqi – ed] said (and reporter agreed) that exporting rifles and weapons was perfectly legal. It is legal, if you are a licensed exporter of firearms which this guy was not. This was a lie. Additionally, they even pointed out in the story that they set up a dummy hunting reserve so they could justify exporting to authorities while in Switzerland for a layover. Seems the Swiss became suspicious that this guy had a few 50 calibers in the cargo hold. The guy can leave the country with guns for legitimate sporting purposes (such as going on a hunting trip) but he was exporting without a license. So, would you set up a dummy hunting reserve if what you were doing was perfectly legal? A source said he exported several hundred 50 caliber rifles out of the country by hiding them in humanitarian aid shipments.
Now, the lies have gotten more daring:
Fifteen years ago, Osama bin Laden sent one of his operatives to the United States to buy and bring back two-dozen .50-caliber rifles, a gun that can kill someone from over a mile away and even bring down an airplane.
In spite of all the recent efforts to curb terrorism, bin Laden could do the same thing today, because buying and shipping the world’s most powerful sniper rifle is not as difficult as you might think.
Name one plane that has been downed by such a rifle. And it is possible to kill someone with one a mile away but, to my knowledge, it has happened only one time by one highly and specially trained Canadian sniper who took two shots to hit his target. And I’d like a cite on OBL purchasing 50 Calibers. As I recall, the US supplied Afghanistan with weapons for a while.
The rest of the article is basically the same as the first. The only difference seems to be the scarier intro. They continue to push the lie that this is all perfectly legal. I suppose by legal, they mean easy to do. Because this was done in violation of the Arms Control Export Act and, if the guy lied on his form 4473, these are illegal straw purchases.
And as a KABA commenter says:
Conveniently timed to support the UN’s campaign against gun ownership everywhere by highlighting the international impact of this band of unprosecuted criminals.
It’s also timed with the 50 caliber ban being potentially offered up as the sacrificial lamb to appease gun-banners to get the gun immunity bill through.
RINO Sightings is up at the World Wide Rant. Get over there to hear what secular conservative types have to say.
Jed alerts me to the latest Cop Killer Legislation. The bill states is purpose is to ban the already banned SS190 ammo for the FN FiveseveN. But the wording leaves it open to ban all ammunition that might pierce armor if there’s a possibility that it can be chambered in a handgun. That’s rather silly since there are entire lines of pistols (like the Thompson Center) that are made to shoot rifle rounds for handgun hunting season.
Via Stacey Campfield, who needs to learn how to use hyper links, another local politico is blogging. Linda Noe upset an incumbent to become a Hamblen County Commissioner.
I highly recommend Moral-Flexibility for some good DIY gun projects. Check out the Franken Garand and the Zombie Rifle. They let you have those in Canada?
It’s sort of neat how you can figure out news and trends through wild-ass speculation just by shopping. I told you guys about how I learned from the sporting goods guy at Wal-Mart that ammo sales were up. Yesterday, I learned more from the friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart sporting goods guy. Since ammo is at a such a good price at Wal-Mart, every time me and the family go, I pick up a box of something (usually 9mm or 45ACP).
Yesterday while there, I asked if they had any 5.56X45MM. He said huh? I said you know, 223? He responded by stating they had a good sale on it (100 rounds for $11!) but couldn’t keep it in stock and can’t get it in the door fast enough. I asked why that was. The sporting goods guy then says that he’s heard from the supplier that the US military has ordered 300,000,000 rounds and most manufacturers have stopped making civilian ammo to help the military out. He then said that the last time he remembered Wal-Mart having a 223 shortage was about one month before the invasion. So, he speculated that someone was next. I don’t know if there’s any truth to it.
However, the one thing I did deduce is that, if the military is ordering 300M rounds of 5.56 Nato, I tend to doubt they’ll be switching to the 6.8SPC any time soon.
A while back, Chris and some friends decided to shoot up a few Korans. He says he lost his job for it. And now he states that he has been contacted by the Feds because some radical European based Palestinian group has issued a Fatwah against him.
Though shooting up Korans was kind of a dickish thing to do, it doesn’t justify threatening the man and his family. Reasonable people may get offended by Chris’ insult but they don’t call for his life. Just proves how unreasonable terror groups are, I suppose.
The Castle Coalition will keep you up to date on the eminent domain fight with their Hands Off My Home Campaign.
The VPC is now trying to use teen suicide to promote gun control. Jeff tells us why they’re full of crap.
Solarvoid has started the Right to Keep and Bear Arms wiki. Neato. I’ve already fiddled with it.
If you don’t know what a Wiki is, it’s a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.
Memo to our supposed pro-gun senators: We are not willing to compromise gun rights to pass an immunity bill. Period. That went for the assault weapons ban and the same goes for .50 calibers:
This thread on THR seems to indicate that there’s a deal in the works between Senator Craig and Senator Fienstien to get the lawsuit immunity bill through, at the cost of classifying .50 bmg as NFA weaponry.
The thread quotes a Reuters article, the current iteration of which softpedals the .50 bmg compromise, making it seem they’d only be transferable through an FFL.
The bill proposed by Fienstien and her merry band of traitors to the Republic, however, goes much farther than requiring FFL transfers, by defining the .50 bmg and variants as NFA regulated weapons.
Letter sent to editor:
Mr. Thomasson needs to do research. He writes:
“The amendment states that a “well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”
Now a strict interpretation of that amendment would seem to take into consideration the operative clause about the “well regulated militia,” a condition that no longer exists. When was the last time the freedom of Virginia or Maryland or the District of Columbia or New York City or South Dakota, for that matter, depended on forming its citizens into a military unit and making sure they all could grab their long rifles at a moment’s notice to repel invaders?”
The militia does exist: USC Title 10, Sec 311: The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States …
He misquotes the second amendment, which reads: A well-regulated Militia, being necessary for the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Additionally, The words ‘A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,’ contrary to the interpretation cited in your letter of July 26, 1991, constitutes a present participle, rather than a clause. It is used as an adjective, modifying ‘militia,’ which is followed by the main clause of the sentence (subject ‘the right’, verb ‘shall’). The to keep and bear arms is asserted as an essential for maintaining a militia. (source)
Arguing that gun buy-backs “do not work, two Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County (LPPBC) officials were arrested this week during the city of West Palm Beach’s gun buy-back program, “Operation Cease Fire”.
Two West Palm Beach officers told LPPBC Chairman Karl Dickey he would be arrested for trespass if he did not leave the property immediately, according to Dickey.
The buyback was taking place on city-owned property and was open to the public. Don’t see how that’s trespassing. The piece concludes with:
“It’s a program that, while well-intentioned, does nothing. Look at who is turning them in – grandparents. There aren’t any gang-bangers turning in their MAC 10s,” Evangelista said.
Ayup.
Orin Kerr presents his history of fourth amendment law. Here’s an even shorter version: We had a fourth amendment and now we don’t.
Michael notes that the Birmingham mayor has ordered the police to halt the use of Tasers until more research is done on the impact of the weapons.
Ravenwood notes that the press isn’t too keen on pointing out that a dog is a pit bull when it’s the dog that’s the victim.
Looks like the senate is poised to move on it:
The gun industry is likely to win sweeping protection against civil liability lawsuits in the U.S. Senate this month, reflecting a more firearm-friendly Senate after the 2004 elections, lawmakers said on Thursday.
Last year the Republicans killed their own bill, meant to shield gunmakers, gun distributors and gun sellers against many liability suits, after gun opponents attached amendments to it, including an extension of the 1994 ban on assault rifles.
But the November elections left a bigger Republican majority and the Senate is now a more conservative and more pro-gun rights body. Several Democrats, particularly from rural states, also back the immunity measure.
The most important debate of our time: I caught that tune Devil Went Down To Georgia (been a while since I heard it) and I can say matter-of-factly that the Devil kicked Johnny’s ass. Seriously, the Devil’s bass player rocked.
In an update to this post regarding the ATF randomly deciding that some gun parts can no longer be reported, the word is (via email and some message boards) that the only thing really affected by this decision is barrels. Head is upset about it and I am too. Jed isn’t happy either. This will probably only affect the prices to the extent that cheap barrels can’t be imported. The only potential good thing about this is that higher quality barrels that are made in America will probably be produced. And everyone knows the AK needs a better barrel.
The receivers and frames have been banned from import for a while if they were functioning. Per law, the frame/receiver is the part that is technically the gun. Those are typically cut for import. The only real impact will be barrel prices but that impact could be significant.
Update: There’s probably an opportunity here from some enterprising upstart to start making barrels in America.
Update 2: Over at KDT’s, reader TheFaz123 writes:
I am as upset about this as anyone, but before we get too excited, keep in mind that the biggest impact this will have is on parts kits and those who build from them (which unfortunately includes me).
The SKS falls on no ban lists, so it will continue to come in. As for the WASR, that will remain unchanged. The WASR starts out as a single-stack, AWB compliant gun made in Romania – all made there, including the receiver. Century Arms imports them, modifies the receiver to take hi-caps, adds US parts and voila, a post-ban US made rifle results.
As the rifle is importable under current law, this barrel ban will have no impact. The big loophole for us AK builders is that the barrels for the legally importable lo-cap rifles are obviously the same as the standard AK barrels. So if you import barrels for the WASR-10 on your Form 6 you should be fine.
Unfortunately this doesn’t work for the FAL or CETME since there are no lo-cap equivalents, but US-made barrels for both those rifles are more plentiful.
In the end, the biggest issue will be faced by home builders, who will likely end up with a more difficult and expensive building process.
Alphie has up part three in his series on the rise in violent crime and gun crime in England since it essentially banned gun ownership.
David Codrea called a reporter out on some sloppy reporting. Part of her response is beautiful:
You simply chose to read my article a certain way.
Seriously? Like right to left instead of left to right?
Words mean things and people can usually figure out that meaning. I tend to doubt Mr. Codrea chose words that meant something other than what you were saying.
The mayor and police chief pleaded with residents Wednesday to help them fight the escalating murder rate after three people were shot to death the previous night in the state’s largest city.
“There’s so much anger in our society and we need to get out there and control our anger, all of us,” Chief Nannette Hegerty said. “What we are seeing now is so hard for the department to have a meaningful effect on without the help of the community.”
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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