Sure, the FBI lost 354 firearms but their record with computer security is a bit better:
The FBI said that 160 laptop computers were lost or stolen in less than four years, including at least 10 that contained sensitive or classified information — one of which held “personal identifying information on FBI personnel,” according to a report released yesterday.
NK sends the following image:
This is Hiram Maxim’s bump-firing, semi-automatic lever action. Looks like the recoil of the weapon cocks it. NK says:
This particular design was actually produced in England in 1885 and was adopted by the Turkish army who were already very happy with their standard lever-action Winchesters.
My sources tell me that if you’re in the process of initiating a National Firearms Act transfer and tax payment, do not use the forms on the ATF website. Apparently, the PDF files contain a few errors and ATF will not process them. That’s government for you: inconveniencing you for their mistakes.
Pink eye is running rampant at day care. Groan.
Via Dr. Helen, comes an interview with, err, Dr. Helen. On the cause of kiddie violence, she says:
Youth violence is a very complex construct and experts and others tend to want to blame one thing, a video game, the Internet, or TV as the “cause” of why kids kill. This simplistic “one solution fits all” approach is easy, just get rid of X and kids will stop being violent. But it is simply not true.
Back when I was in prison*, there was a man that had worked with delinquents for two decades. Back then, we called them delinquents – I think they call them happy, fluffy bunnies now so as not to offend them or their parents. Particularly the parents, who get outright ornery when you tell them that their son (who is a three time, violent felon and sexual predator) may have some issues. The man I worked with was a licensed social worker with a graduate degree and before that he was a drill sergeant. No, really. One day, I said to him: What’s wrong with kids these days? They’re too quick to shoot each other or stab each other or club each other from behind. He says, and I am not making this up, that: Kids today are afraid to take an ass-whippin’.
He went on to say that, in his day and mine, if two teenage boys had a conflict, they’d meet on the playground after school and settle it. He’s right, we did. But no one ever got killed. No one ever went to the ER. We had black-eyes and were sore but we got over it pretty quickly. Then, the next day, we were friends again. Now, he says, kids are afraid of that. They don’t want to fight, because they’re scared of a little ass-whippin’. They’d rather attempt to kill someone than get their ass handed to them.
Could be. I had my ass kicked a few times and I seem OK.
* I worked there but I may as well have been doing time. Not a pleasant experience.
Update: In comments, Ken opines:
But if no distinction whatsoever is made between degrees of violence, or the ends to which it is put, then there is no reason for an adolescent to draw a distinction between “fighting back” and murder. Both are equally condemned, so why take half measures?
I suppose teaching the notion that all violence is equally bad, though understandable, could have some unintended consequences. But I don’t know that anyone intentionally teaches that but policies like zero tolerance make it somewhat believable.
Challenge The Mantm and get demoted:
Two senior officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who opposed many questionable management and spending decisions by the agency’s former director are being moved to lower-ranking positions effective Thursday, officials said.
Deputy Director Edgar A. Domenech, who also served as acting director last year, is being moved out of ATF headquarters to lead the agency’s Washington field office. The assistant director for field operations, Michael Bouchard, will become an assistant to Michael J. Sullivan, a U.S. attorney who is temporarily running ATF.
The transfers are widely seen within ATF as demotions. They come seven months after the sudden departure of Carl J. Truscott, the former director, who clashed with Domenech and other senior executives over spending and management practices.
It’s been a rough couple of years for ATF. Here’s some past coverage of some of the agency’s problems:
Insiders criticizing the agency.
A circuit court smacks them down for their ruling on model rockets;
An agent testified under oath that the NFRTR (the NFA weapons database) was corrupt;Having budget issues due to mismanagement;
Being investigated for breaking he law at Virginia gun shows.
And they’ve had funds cut for some of their rather, err, dubious programs.
The ATF Director has resigned over excessive and lavish spending.
The now former head of the ATF ordered staff to do his nephew’s homework.
And there may be somewhat of an internal revolt at the agency. David Hardy posts an email from a group called ATFers United against Mismanagement and Misconduct. I received the same email. I hoped it was true but had my doubts. The group has no webpage, their email address was from Yahoo or something, and the letter was in all caps. But, if true, some guys inside the ATF are unhappy with management.
Someone really needs to clean this agency up. My preference, of course, would be to shut it down but that’s not going to happen. It seems lately, though, that the rot is coming from the inside.
Triggerfinger has some more analysis of the case in DC that is challenging their gun ban.
Looks like there’s a bill to expand the defense for deadly force in the works:
Representative Todd wants to build on an existing law passed back in 1999. In Tennessee you can already use deadly force if there is reasonable belief your life is in danger. But Todd wants to broaden that law and close what he calls loopholes. Giving the citizen every bit of legal protection when, if threatened, they can shoot to kill.
“I want to make sure its spelled out so there is no other interpretation but that, and I think that’s key,” said Todd.
It might be going too far since a firearms instructor isn’t too keen on the idea:
“Tennessee state law is already pretty much in favor of the individual,” said Chief Instructor at Range Master Tom Givens.
Givens says Tennessee gun laws are solid enough.
“I wouldn’t want to see it broadened to the point its ambiguous. Tennessee state law is pretty simple right now. It’s easy to teach, easy for the laymen to understand.”
A third mayor has quit Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group:
A third mayor has bowed out of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun mayors’ coalition, saying he is in favor of disarming criminals, but “not at the risk of losing our Constitutional freedom.”
SAF learned from the staff at Gun Week that Rio Rancho, NM Mayor Kevin Jackson has withdrawn from Mayors Against Illegal Guns, without having attended a single meeting of the group, which now reportedly involves more than 150 mayors.
You locals may want to call Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and point this out to him. He can be reached at:
Phone: 865-215-2040
Fax: 865-215-2085
mayor@cityofknoxville.org
Does anyone know if Bill Haslam has attended any of the meetings?
You know the caterwauling from the anti-gun groups that goes something like no one should have guns but police because they’re, like, all trained and stuff. And regular Joes lack that training.
Well, for comparison, in the last 28 months SayUncle has lost zero guns. The FBI has lost 354.
Blogitude feels snubbed. Though I met him, I couldn’t recall the blog name when I got home. Sorry about that.
I prefer the term propaganda but it’s the same thing. William R. Tonso has some phrases anti-gunners like to use and the origin of those phrases.
Little swamped, hence the late start. Blogging to be sporadic for a bit.
Local bloggers got together for some discussion and drinks. Mostly drinks. Some thoughts:
Barry has the top 10 surprised from the evening.
Mountain publican, who as far as I know drove the farthest to get there, says it was like the Star Wars bar. Han shot first.
Dr. Helen notes that no violence erupted.
It’s news to me has more.
Update: I can’t read the whole internet every day but here’s some more:
The anti-gun groups vilified Barrett saying that their rifles could be used to shoot down planes, nevermind that said task would be damn near impossible. Now it seems that a man of middle-eastern decent tried to get into Barrett’s facilities:
A statewide alert was issued Thursday for subjects who asked questions of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing employees and tried to enter the facility, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department.
According to a release issued today, the subjects trying to enter the facility were described as being of Middle Eastern descent.
The sheriff’s department is working with the manufacturer and the Department of Homeland Security concerning the situation. Extra patrol of the facility is underway.
Deputies were called to the plant, which manufactures the military’s M107 .50-caliber sniper system, Thursday morning to gather information about the Wednesday afternoon incident.
Junior has apparently discovered she has lungs. She likes to scream now, often for no reason. It’s a bit annoying for us and for the dog it’s excruciating. So, the other night she starts screaming. I say to her: Let’s not scream inside. We use our quiet voices in the house. She says outside. I said she could go outside and scream all she wanted. So, she did. She was standing on the front porch screaming at random intervals while me and the Mrs. were watching from the door having a good laugh. So, if you see a child outside screaming, that’s probably why.
I’m no rock star. I appreciate the accolades from Glenn. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Dr. Helen was a fan. Would it kill you to leave a comment, or something? One of the things about this blog is that I have a lot of readers who comment. But I have a lot who do not. And if you guys would leave the occasional comment, I’d appreciate it. I just like to know a little about who’s reading and what they think. Even if they think I’m wrong.
The good doctor asked me how I chose topics to blog about. Fact is, I have a short attention span (look, a monkey). I blog about whatever is in front of me at the time I sit down to blog. I don’t say to myself Self, you need to blog about trade relations with Mozambique and then do so. I just decide that I want to blog and I write about whatever happens to be there. And I’m usually reading gun stuff when that happens.
A few things on meeting other bloggers:
There were no laptops (that shocked me).
There was very little discussion of politics.
Every few seconds, someone’s camera flashed.
Dr. Helen doesn’t like to be called Dr. Helen.
I was only called crazy once.
Glenn writes a lot, quickly. I pull in my driveway and the dude’s already posted like five entries. We left at the same time.
And when you have the blog fest on the west side of town, there are substantially fewer hippies.
Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham continues to be uninterested in what the citizens have to say. And has, in fact, been outright hostile:
Mayor Jerry Cunningham apparently believes he must vilify those who disagrees with him. This kind of arrogance towards citizens is inexcusable and can not be tolerated by the citizens.
Here’s a letter that was written to the local paper about the mayor’s antics:
Our Mayor, Sheriff Berrong, Deputy Ledford and Ron Dunn of the Sheriff’s Office have said that our citizens’ group turns facts into fiction. They degrade our complaints by calling them “dishonest and disgusting.” Citizens for Blount County’s Future has never demeaned our duty officers. Our criticism has been directed at top management for excessive expenditures. According to the state of Tennessee’s Annual Audit Report ending June, 2006, well over $80,000 was spent by the Sheriff on travel. Couldn’t some of this have been used for raises for deputies? Couldn’t drug fund money be spent on various purchases, again freeing up budget money for payroll increases? The taxpayers are not to blame for underpaid law enforcement. We do not control our tax money once it’s been turned over to the Sheriff. Now, is that fact or fiction?
I still think a bunch of people should show up with Sharpies at the mayor’s office and ask to look at the budget.
Update at their site. They’re asking the ATF to reconsider and have cited the ATF’s own rulings. They are also asking for you to write a letter (and they have a sample letter).
Background info here.
Update: BTW, I hope the ATF reconsiders. I really want one of these things.
Update 2: The law says single function of trigger makes a machine gun. The ATF has changed that to single function of trigger finger.
Also, if you write a letter, send a copy to your congressmonkey.
Cam Edwards has a piece up at Townhall.com:
According to the Daily News, none of the gun dealers Bloomberg is suing broke federal law and took part in straw purchase transactions. The letter also took Bloomberg to task for conducting these stings “without proper law enforcement authority,” though there is no indication that BATFE or the Justice Department would seek to file charges against Bloomberg or his civilian private investigators. Instead, the letter warns that Bloomberg’s operations could put the city at risk of legal action.
Like me you will remember vividly the horror we all felt back in 1996 when 16 children and a teacher were shot dead at a school in Dunblane by a deranged man with a gun. Politicians reacted in haste to the call for ‘something to be done’. A partial ban on hand guns was implemented immediately, followed by a total ban as one of the first measures taken by the new Labour Government in 1997.
advertisementAs I am sure your officials will tell you, there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that by banning legally-licensed cartridge pistols and closing legally-operating shooting clubs, we would all sleep safer in our beds. Yet today there are more hand guns on our streets than 10 years ago.
Seems a Tennessee Senator is wanting to liberalize our liquor laws and wants to allow gambling establishments. I’m all for it. There’s likely a lot of Tennessee dollars that go to casinos in Tunica and to the casino at Cherokee, NC.
Says Braisted:
Legalize it, regulate it, and tax it…the liberal philospy(sic) of life
Actually, I thought it was If you can’t tax it or ban it, fuck it up to the point where no one wants it anyway.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
Uncle Pays the Bills
 |
|
Find Local
|
