Got the old AK Kit:

Me and a friend got some work to do.

In my home county:

County commissioners will take a $450 per month pay cut in a budget that includes no property tax increase, the Blount County Commission voted Tuesday.

To keep the property tax rate a steady $2.43, however, the county will have to dip into its general fund balance for some $2,584,000.

Commissioners tackled the proposed pay cut — from $900 per month to $450 per month — first thing, with Commissioner Steve Hargis moving to strike it from the appropriations resolution.

Gun Math:

$200 Rifle +
$200 Aftermarket accessories =
$400 Rifle

Nice SKS too.

David links to his own GunsMagazine article on the ATF not know its ass from a hole in the ground:

“It’s extremely irresponsible and most likely actionable negligence,” Charlotte, North Carolina, attorney Monroe Whitesides tells me.

The Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law is talking about BATFE’s treatment of competition shooter John Glover, who had seven firearms seized and was indicted for manufacturing an illegal machinegun. If convicted, Glover was in danger of federal prison.

As part of his investigation, Whitesides accompanied firearms expert Len Savage, of Historic Arms LLC, to the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s firing range. There, BATFE Agent Michael Cooney, who wrote the report declaring one of the seized rifles fired “automatically,” set out to prove it on videotape.

The problem was, the FN-FAL wouldn’t cooperate. Out of 12 taped tests, Cooney achieved a “string fire” of three-round bursts in only two.

What was happening, Savage explains, was “a malfunction. The cause was a worn firing pin retainer, and a broken firing pin spring. The firing pin could fly forward under its own inertia, because the spring that held it back was broken, and impact the primer just by chambering a round.”

Whitesides recalls Savage advising him and others present to move back when Cooney continued firing.

“I did warn everyone back after the first light strike,” Savage confirms. “It was very dangerous to continue. If it ever ignited the cartridge before the bolt fully locked in position, it would have been a catastrophic failure.”

Not to be deterred, the increasingly defensive Cooney proceeded, oblivious to the danger. His theory, Savage continues, was “that the locking plate in the lower receiver — that was missing metal — allowed the hammer to travel further forward than is normal.”

“The truth is, when assembled as a complete firearm, the hammer can never go any further forward than the bolt carrier assembly. It collides with it.”

“Len told me,” Whitesides reveals, “that the access locking plate had as much to do with firing automatic as the sight on the end of the barrel. Cooney’s not a technician, he’s an enforcement officer.”

Those who enforce the laws don’t even know how the weapon is supposed to work and cannot distinguish a defect due to wear from intentionally altering a weapon. Note: this weapon in this configuration is unsafe. It could fire out of battery and kill you.

I’ve heard people poke fun and never understood why. I try to not to make fun of religious beliefs. However, some combination of browsing got me to the Wikipedia entries that deal with Scientology. That stuff is weird. It’s like Amway for your soul.

Jeff has the latest on anti-gun bias in the media.

Ben Livingston was tracking his efforts to purchase tax stamps on illegal drugs as required by Tennessee law. It starts out with this opening email:

I am interested in purchasing the new illegal drug stamps that Tennessee now offers. I called this morning to purchase some of these, but I was told I could not buy them without travelling 2500 miles to Nashville.

You would generate more revenue if you sold these stamps without requiring purchasers to travel to Nashville. It is likely that this tax is not legal and is instead double jeopardy punishment, especially given that the State of Tennessee will not sell these stamps unless a purchaser physically stands before the Department of Revenue, incriminating themselves in the process. Supposedly the DOR keeps no identifying information on the purchaser, but this additional burden is proof that these stamps are not easily acquired and thus isn’t really a tax but a penalty, which is disallowed by the Supreme Court decision Montana Department of Revenue v. Kurth Ranch, et al.

I am also inquiring on behalf of a disabled friend who would like to buy these stamps. It is possible that your refusal to sell stamps to this person without their physical presence is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It seem unreasonable to require a wheelchair-bound patient to travel to your office in order to pay their taxes. I am cc’ing W. Alan Beckelheimer of the Crossville Chronicle, where I read about these tax stamps. I am also cc’ing NORML, a marijuana legalization group that was mentioned in some articles I read about the drug tax; I believe your refusal to sell me stamps may help them get this new law ruled unconstitutional.

He’s received responses that are interesting. Worth reading. The correspondence does confirm, as stated here before, that to buy the stamps a person must appear in person at the Department of Revenue Office in Nashville. It’s not a tax or a penalty, it’s a scam.

Unbelievable:

A man who rescued a swimmer caught in swirling river currents found himself in trouble soon afterward when he was arrested by authorities who claimed he was interfering.

Dave Newman, 48, disobeyed repeated orders by emergency personnel to leave the water, police said. He was charged with interfering with public duties.

Interfering with public duties, which seem to include not saving people. It also sounds made-up. In the event a legal fund is set up for this guy, let me know.

I have not exactly followed this whole Rove/Plame link thing because it’s so over a year ago. But I’ll wager you this: Rove is, once again, poking liberals and the media with a pointy stick. When it’s all said and done, the media and those on the left hollering will, once again, look like imbeciles and be forced to kind of acknowledge a little oops. Rove will light up a cigar, have a drink, and giggle like a school girl.

Could be wrong, of course.

An article details how the number of pit bull maulings may be skewed by the breed’s popularity:

But experts disagree about whether pit bulls are inherently more dangerous — or just the latest breed in vogue among irresponsible dog owners.

After all, German shepherds killed more people than any other dog in the late 1970s, when many people favored the breed for its fierce reputation. Then, for two years, it was Great Danes. Rottweilers topped the list of killer dogs through most of the ’90s, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control. Now it’s pit bulls.

Duh. A couple of other smart crackers have been saying that for a while.

Heh.

Seriously though, why is it that the state of Supreme Court affairs in this country supposedly hinges on this abortion thing? You could have this guy/gal who is astute, qualified, sharp as a tack but if the person thinks maybe we should reconsider this whole killing babies thing, the howls from the press, the left and everyone else would quickly drown any serious contention out.

Carnaby links to the Canadian Firearms Safety Sample Exam. I haven’t taken it because it takes 20 minutes but seems to be pretty interesting.

Update: Fine, it takes only 1 minute. I took it and got 17/20 due to Canadian acronyms and the fact that green means stop in Canada.

Via Blake, a peace-nik hippie liberal has fallen in love with the Second Amendment. Excellent. Why:

But, as you all may know, and was driven home by Castle Rock v. Gonzales, the police don’t have to protect you. You can have a restraining order against someone, say your crazy ex-husband, and he can violate it and take your kids and kill them and himself and no matter how many times you called the police, begging for help, they didn’t have to help you, no matter how sorry they are now that you no longer have living children.

The only paper protection that works is ATF Form 4473.

David notes that the Last Gun Shop in Minneapolis is done for:

“The last gun-shop owner in Minneapolis lost his zoning appeal Friday and will soon be told to stop doing business…Even though he will stop selling guns, he said, his store will remain open selling accessories, posters and Mace, and teaching gun safety classes. ‘Everything will be the same except for the sale of firearms,’ [Mark Koscielski] said.”

Bummer.

It’s like the Free State Project, only backward.

Dr. Frank Holtzhauer testified to the Columbus City Council regarding its proposed ban on weapons that look like assault weapons. Here’s his testimony.

It’s a beautiful thing. See, here in the real world, a budget cut implies that you have a budget in effect and then you (or the powers that be) decide that you need to spend less. Hence, an actual budget has been cut. But in .gov land, a cut is when you do a proposal that hasn’t been approved and don’t get what you want. And the press parrots it. Headline: Budget ax set to fall

The Knox County school board initially asked county government to approve a $345.85 million budget for public schools. Throw in a state-mandated raise for teachers, and the number jumped to $347.2 million.

[snip]

In May, Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale recommended giving the school system $320 million to operate in 2005-06. County Commission agreed.

No ax fell. They just didn’t get what they wanted.

TriggerFinger has set one up so you can keep in contact. He’s also hosting Eternal Vigilance, which is a weekly Carnival-style publication offering readers the opportunity to make a difference for Liberty in the United States and around the world.

Happy Independence Day!

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

By the way – can anyone point me to a quality vocal recording of all four stanzas pf the Star Spangled Banner. Inexplicable, the only time I’ve heard a recording of anything other than the first was in that not-bad Tom Clancy movie, The Sum of All Fears, just before Baltimore got nuked.

The Second RINO Sightings is up over Decision ’08. Go on, it don’t cost nothing.

Reader Tim Sheehy wrote this and I said I’d publish hit so here you go.

This 4th of July be sure to:

Buckle your seatbelt,

Behave for the traffic cameras,

Patiently wait at the sobriety checkpoints and hold your tongue if you feel the police officer at that checkpoint is too inquisitive,

Don’t light up that cigarette to relax while you linger over dinner at your favorite restaurant,

Don’t let your 20 year old son or daughter just back from Iraq get their hands on a beer(the sense of responsibility needed to fight a war is nothing compared to the sense needed to drink responsibly)

Don’t let your suffering elderly parent get some much needed pain relief whether it be by marijuana(God forbid they became an addict) or painkillers(heaven help society if those pills wound up on the street),

Be grateful for the opportunity to hand over your home of 30 years so society can benefit from the newest parking lot/economic development/casino,

Make sure that the government has all the information/paperwork it needs to issue your driving/fishing/boating/cosmetology/manicurist/hunting/gun/massage/liquor/contractors license,

Be patient while the gun dealer finishes your background check (that threat directed against your family isn’t that serious),

Report all your political contributions,

Relax if you can’t find the free speech cage near the president’s speech (it’s only a half a mile that way),

Don’t get excited about the TSA agent molesting you at the airport (it’s for your safety),

Remember to attend the zoning meeting next week so you can get permission to put that garden shed in the backyard,

Be understanding when the DEA agents break down your door and shoot your teenager in the back (mistakes are bound to happen when dealing with such an omnipresent and malignant danger as drugs),

Smile when the nice policeman stops you on the street to inquire where you’re going, where you’ve been, who you were with, what you do for a living, and what your address and name are(as a convenience to the officer you can provide your ID papers),

Don’t let the threat of jail stop you from exposing government corruption if you’re a journalist,

Leave the aspirin at home if you’re a public school student(what’s a little migraine compared to the intrusion of drugs on school property – aspirins not an illegal drug? don’t be stupid, check that zero tolerance policy),

Make sure you’re aware of all acceptable points of view at your school if you’re a college student(wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings with offensive comments),

Accept that it’s better for a little child to move from foster home to foster home than to be adopted into your loving home if you’re gay,

If you’re not gay be glad we don’t just let any two consenting adults be declared legally a couple to receive the same insurance, tax and inheritance consideration that you do (that would be against God’s will and who wants to live in a country where the laws aren’t written by people channeling God),

Don’t bother changing the channel if you’re offended by what’s on TV(the FCC will be happy to take care of that for you),

Go to the library and read (as opposed to taking the books home, this way the FBI won’t know your taste in literature),

Happily pay that income, sales, alcohol, cigarette, gas, property, phone and inheritance tax,

Stop developing your property immediately if you should discover an endangered insect,

Write your congressman and tell him to vote to destroy an athlete’s career for one positive drug test and expand the power of law enforcement under the Patriot Act (I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry, these powers won’t be abused because law enforcement officials promised they won’t),

Sit back and relax if you’re in state government (after Raich there’s really not much left for you to do that the feds can’t handle),

And last but not least if you’re out on this 4th of July and the National Anthem is played snap to attention, take off your hat, salute and be thankful for your freedom.

Update: The reader chose to be identified, so I did.

What are you doing here? The gun stuff is here.

On occasion, you read a slam in the comments section of a blog that is brutal Or just damn funny. Or in this case both. James Calloway over at SKB’s on NOW:

are any of their members even young enough to have kids anymore ?

Ouch.

John Cole:

I would love ‘strict constructionist’ or ‘originalist’ judges if that meant what I think it means. But it doesn’t.

Word.

Update: Even worder.

Via Der Commissar, you must be a dumbass. Heh. This reminded me of 20 Things Online Debate Has Taught Me.

Update: Meanwhile, real dumbasses.

Ok, I don’t know jack about judges. But I do know that I was impressed with what Andrew Napolitano said in his interview with Reason:

Chaos in our criminal justice system comes about when the government acts as if it is entitled to a free pass on enforcing the laws. When people who work for the government, whether they’re traffic cops or FBI agents, prosecutors or bureaucrats, act with the self-confidence that they are not obliged to obey the law….

I had a realization that many [law enforcement agents] were lying. Some of them would acknowledge, not to the extent that I would have them charged with perjury, but in the wink and the nod in a conversation with them afterwards, “Well, we almost don’t care if you found out that we kicked in the taillight.” “We knew,” they’d suggest, “from the profile—Mercedes Benz, New York plates, African-American driver, coming off the George Washington Bridge—it was more likely than not that drugs were in there, and we don’t even care.” They took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and they’re violating that oath when they violate the rights of the driver of that car.

I’ve always considered myself a Barry Goldwater Republican. I want the Democrats out of my pocketbook, and I want the Republicans out of my bedroom. I believe that the Constitution and the natural law mandate that the individual is greater than the state and that individual rights are the whole reason for our success in the Western world. Our cultural successes, our enjoyment of freedom, our financial successes, are all due to unleashing individual initiative and guarding and protecting individual liberty.

On many issues, I agree with conservative thought. It’s not society that causes crimes; individuals cause crimes. I believe abortion is murder. I believe the Second Amendment protects an absolute right to keep and bear arms. I believe affirmative action based on race is an absolutely unconstitutional as well as immoral policy. I also believe that government is best which governs least and that the Constitution only gives 18 specific enumerated delegated powers to the federal government.

I think we could do worse. Of course, he did just say the “A” word. Well, forget it, then.

In case you’ve not heard, Sandra Day O’Connor announced her retirement. Speculation about others retirement due to age has been bandied about.

The Geek is right.

George, don’t screw this up.

Update: I have a feeling this will be ugly.

No entries in over a month? Protesters at the capital? Kelo? The Tennessee Waltz? And you got nothing to say? Come on, Phil, get with it.

The House passed a bill that would deny federal funds to any city or state project that used eminent domain to force people to sell their property to make way for a profit-making project such as a hotel or mall..

At the bottom of the article is this:

In the roll call on the House amendment, 192 Republicans voted for and 31 against, with 39 Democrats voting for and 157 against. The lone independent, Rep. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), voted against.

The Democrats voted overwhelmingly against. This will be another political issue that they will lose on. Smijer is spot on:

This is an issue for Democrats, because the abuse in Kelo abuse represents the benefit of the rich and powerful at the expense of the unempowered.

Let’s all get on the right side of this thing.

Locally, Stacey Campfield notes that many local legislators are drafting their own anti-eminent domain bills. Good.

More states are looking into protections and eight states already have such protections in place:

At least eight states — Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, South Carolina and Washington — already forbid the use of eminent domain for economic development unless it is to eliminate blight.

And Senate candidate and local Rep. Beth Harwell has come out against Kelo.

Tim Lambert is shocked that the LA Times would print pro-gun lies! I think it doesn’t even begin to make up for all the anti-gun lies they’ve told over the years.

No, I kid. Tim is upset that the LA Times is publishing John Lott. Tim is, however, spot on in noting that the data Lott uses only includes 3 months in which the ban on weapons that look like assault weapons was gone. I wrote about this claim before.

While I appreciate Lott’s efforts, our side needs to be correct in both ideals and our claims of factual data. The other side’s claims consist almost entirely of lies and misrepresentations. We’re better than that.