Newark NJ Mayor Cory Booker is one of the many folks who is gunho about getting the *One Hand Gun a Month* Bill passed into law. This Op-Ed piece he wrote is full of it. I just have to wonder where he gets his info, and unfortunately, people in NJ are pretty clueless with regards to guns, so it’s pretty easy to sell them snake oil, and trying to teach them gets gun owners labeled as *extremist* and *gun lobby pawns*.
Cory writes;
Approximately 100,000 Americans fall victim to gun violence each year. - I thought it was 30,000.
pursue a number of reasonable gun regulations that represent practical, common sense steps that can reduce violent crime in our communities. More than 80 percent of Americans and, interestingly, more than 80 percent of gun owners support such laws. - Can you tell us what laws you speak of?
non-licensed operators often sell at gun shows and conventions to gun traffickers who then resell to criminals. As long as this back door for the black market exists, most regulation in other areas will fall short. This loophole must be closed. - While this may be true, guns shows don’t exist in NJ. So I just see this as a way to set up an agenda.
Our federal government takes strong and necessary steps to prevent suspected terrorists from boarding planes, yet those same individuals can still walk into any gun store and purchase whatever weaponry they desire. - If this is true, then why am I still waiting for my hand gun permits, for which I dropped off the application 2 weeks ago?
Twenty-eight percent of the firearms used in the commission of crimes in New Jersey in 2007 were originally purchased within our state. - Let’s see, in the 2007 NJ Trace Data report, it states on the top that not all gun’s traced where used in crimes.
I affirm the right of a law abiding citizen to purchase a hand gun. I also agree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s full affirmation of a government’s right to apply reasonable restrictions to the sale and ownership of such weapons. If we are to ever end our national nightmare, in which 34 Americans are murdered every day with a firearm, then we must move from the divisive low ground of distracting debate to the common high ground of reasonable restrictions and enact common sense laws that will undermine the ability of criminals to obtain weapons - ?? Not sure, but I think he meant to right *law abiding citizen* in place of *criminals* at the end.
A couple of weeks ago, Bukhari Washington, was accidentally killed with a rifle, it seems that the rifle in question was a Norinco SKS semi automatic. And in typical response Newark Mayor Cory Booker is calling for a renewal of the AWB, but it seems that this rifle was not even on the list.
But in a letter to the Editor, a reader writes;
I don’t find it strange that an otherwise good kid would want a firearm for protection. The young man may or may not have known about state laws that require a permit to buy a firearm. Criminals don’t care about firearms laws and carry guns with impunity be cause they know there isn’t much consequence for doing so. People without criminal intent are held hostage by laws that prevent them from protecting themselves with arms.
Calling for more gun bans is stupid.
To the author of this letter: Welcome to NJ, land of the Stupid.
Voter confidence in the War on Terror is at the highest level ever recorded since Rasmussen Reports began regular tracking in January 2004. Fifty-four percent (54%) of American voters now think the United States and its allies are winning the war.
Like too many things, this could cut either way. While it should be good news for the Republicans heading into the election, it may lead to complacency, not just in voter turnout, but in people thinking things are going well enough that the war on terror is lessened as an election issue.
Intruder shot in Muskogee home robbery
A Muskogee man was being treated Wednesday night at Muskogee Regional Medical Center for gunshot wounds he sustained during what appears to be a home invasion, police said.
Police Lt. Bert Poole said the investigation so far shows that Bernard Harlin, 36, was in the house at 1420 Fremont St., when Anthony Irving, 36, entered the residence.
Officers said Harlin lives in the Muskogee residence during the week and in Wagoner on weekends.
Poole said Irving came into the residence carrying a gun, which discharged as he scuffled with Harlin. It went off again, striking Irving.
Harlin then ran outside, yelling for a neighbor to call 911.
That neighbor was Lillian Harlin, who said she was standing in her backyard at the time. She said she did not hear the gunshots because her air conditioner was running.
She ran into her home and called for help and later saw the victim being removed from the house on a stretcher. She said she did not hear or see anything else. She also said she did not know her neighbor.
District Attorney Larry Moore said the evidence so far in the case indicates the homeowner was defending himself against an intruder.
Moore said he doesn't expect to file charges against the homeowner but will consider charges against the intruder.
According to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records, Irving has prior convictions for drug possession and distribution of drugs. His last conviction in Muskogee County was in 2006, when he received a suspended sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance
Guns are the canaries in the coal mine,a bellwether on how people really feel about freedom and individual responsibility. - Michael Bane
The Armed Canadian discusses a day at the Quantico range and some of the mathematics of long range rifle shooting.
Ross Seyfried in Summer 2008 issue of Double Gun and Single Shot Journal:
…The bottom line is there are about ninety million gun owners in the United States and only about four million members in the NRA. Essentially 96 percent of gun owners are riding on the coat tails of a very few. And yes, I am very aware of many of the thought processes that “justify” the position of the 96. In the case of many I believe the reason is a false sense of security. In this context it could be as simple as “we are not worried about our fine double guns. We hunt grouse and quail, shoot sporting clays and the government will never interfere with our rights. Furthermore we do not like the fact that the NRA defends ’semiautomatic rifles’”
While books have been written on the subject, I will try to sum it up very quickly for you. First and foremost, the NRA does not simply defend “assault weapons or handguns or bolt action rifles or Purdeys or Parkers.” It defends THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! When the authors wrote the Constitution they wanted us to be armed with the best firearms available, the highest technology we could muster. That at the moment it happened to be flintlock does not alter the intent. They were not afraid of invading powers; they were afraid of our won government. The “Right To Keep and Bear Arms” did not discriminate. The stance of the NRA is therefore to defend all legal firearms’ ownership in this nation, “his AR-15, her Ladysmith, and yes ladies and gentlemen, your L.C. Smith.”
For those not familiar with the publication, DGJ is written mainly about guns that cost more than my car did new, and to an audience that may well be inclined to not think very highly of our AR-15s and AK-47s. (No, I am not trying to make a blanket statement about people that own those kinds of guns, I would love to have one.) The article underscore the fact that we all need to hang together, or hang separately. While there are people that look down on “assault weapons,” and some that hate the “fudds,” we are not going to get anywhere eating our own. We will get a lot further working together, and yes, that means calling and writing to protect hunters rights, even if you don’t hunt, and protecting EBRs and handguns, even if you would never own one.
By the way, the article was about Connecticut Shotgun’s new Wayne LaPierre Signature Edition shotgun:
Very nice, and part of the proceeds go to the NRA.
Our prayers are with everyone in the path of Gustav. This is a bad storm that is causing problems from the panhandle of Florida to south Texas. It’s beginning to look like NOLA has dodged a bullet, assuming the flood walls hold through the rest of the storm. There is still considerable concern about flooding in the days to come, so the folks down there are not out of the woods yet.
I wonder about the Democreeps who callously joked about God sending Gustav to disrupt the Republican Convention? I wonder what they’re thinking now? Not only is that exceptionally bad theology, joking about such a thing reveals a cruel disregard for the lives hanging in the balance with this storm.
Any God that would demolish an entire region just to provide a minor disruption to a political convention would be something more akin to a demon than a deity, but then, who knows what these guys are praying to when they hold their seances?
Let’s see, Obama’s kids are “off limits.” Sarah Palin’s aren’t.
It’s a great point. Obama and his supporters have gone so far as to say that comments that Michelle Obama has maid while campaigning for her husband are off limits, but they can say that Sarah’s daughter MUST be the mother of their youngest son, on the strength of Mrs. Palin not showing as much as they think she should.
Two teenagers who had been given city permission to write their messages protesting Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's support for abortion on public sidewalks during the Democratic National Convention this week were shoved to the sidewalk, cuffed and arrested for doing just that.Because "Only Ones" want to go home at the end of their shift...
For the foregoing reasons, the Court has GRANTED defendant’s motion for a new trial.I meant to post on this a few days back but got wrapped up in other stuff and plumb forgot.
The bicentennial committee said that they would be contacting the State Attorney General and make a complaint with him. They said that they will let him look into the situation... A situation they are calling a scam.That seems harsh, considering the totality of circumstances and the opinion of the gun shop spokesman they interviewed.
franklin-ny-j3mdThat's actually some pretty nice work there.
Spurred by fear of a violent attack or because they’ve survived one, more Washingtonians are getting a concealed pistol license. License-holders jumped from about 179,000 to 258,000, 43 percent, between 2003 and 2007.Does somebody want to tell this idiot the people have spoken?
The far left has officially lost its mind. Not content will vilifying Sarah Palin the Uber “progressive” left has now sunk to attacking Sarah Palin’s seventeen year old daughter.
How low can these creatures go?
Egalia has more. The comments tell how women feel. They feel betrayed.
Locally Katie Allison Granju posted a blog post in the Knoxville News Sentinel that reported on the terrible post from the Daily Krazy about the vile untrue rumor about Palin’s daughter. After hundreds of outraged readers pounded Katie her own mother told her she had crossed the line. Katie pulled the post and apologized. She was correct to do so.
What is wrong with these people?
Anybody know of a decent, simple online drawing/CAD routine I can use at internet cafe computers (&c.) until I get my computer online?My reply:
Boy, do I!If anyone knows of a better resource, please chime in. In the meantime, enjoy.
Washington Gun Ownership to Go Through One Man
By WILL BARDENWERPER
Published: August 31, 2008
WASHINGTON — Residents here who buy a gun to keep legally at home, now that the Supreme Court has overturned the city’s ban on handguns, will find that a bureaucratic maze leads them to an unmarked door on Good Hope Road Southeast where Charles W. Sykes Jr. does business.
Mr. Sykes does not sell guns, but on Tuesday he is expected to become the only federally licensed dealer in Washington to serve as the transfer agent for the carefully controlled transactions that will put guns in the hands of district residents.
There are no gun stores here, and a resident who buys a gun elsewhere must have the weapon shipped to a licensed dealer in the district. Mr. Sykes’s permit will allow him to receive the weapon and, for a transaction fee of $125, he will ensure that the requisite paperwork is prepared for approval by federal and district officials before handing over the weapon to its new owner.
Source: The New York Times
Officials (love that word) generally don't like vigilantes, that is, those who 'take the law into their own hands'. Argh! The law IS in our hands.It is, you know.
Concealed pistol permits up 43 percent in Wash
By JOSH FARLEY
KITSAP SUNSEABECK, Wash. — In Julian Piercy’s mind, the small bulge in his shirt near his lower back is a way of "leveling a situation."
The clip that he fastens to his waist band before leaving the house isn’t just another accessory. It gives him an option, he said, when all others are off the table and a life is on the line.
When he feels the pressure of metal on his back, it gives him confidence that he has a chance of protecting those he cares about most.
"As a parent, I am the first line of defense for my children," he said. "Not the police."…
…Spurred by fear of a violent attack or because they have actually survived one more Washingtonians are getting a concealed pistol license. The license, or CPL, allows them to travel with a hidden gun among an unknowing public. License holders jumped from about 179,000 to 258,000, 43 percent, between 2003 and 2007. The state Department of Licensing says permit applications in Kitsap County jumped from 1,587 in 2004 to 3,339 in 2007…
Federal buildings, courthouses, military installations, bars, schools and airports are off limits to concealed weapons, but they are allowed in most other public areas. In fact, Washington’s constitution permits its residents to "open carry" with a gun on their hip in public, but many gun owners choose to apply for the CPL and keep their weapon hidden.
"Nobody knows," said Jim Wamsher, 52, of Port Orchard, who carries a Kimber 1911 on his hip. "And that’s the whole idea."
Wamsher believes he has a "moral obligation" to protect his family and the community. But he acknowledges that carrying also gives him an obligation to be well-trained with his weapon…
…But do concealed pistol holders actually make society safer, a kind of armed public service?
Mark Duncan, deputy police chief on Bainbridge Island, said that’s a difficult question to answer. An easier question for him is whether they make society more dangerous. His answer is no.
"The cases of someone misusing their concealed pistol license are virtually unheard of," he said.
Dean Byrd, chief deputy with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, goes further.
"Sometimes that’s what people have to rely on," Byrd said of CPL holders in rural parts of the county he patrols, "because law enforcement may be a long ways away."
Duncan, who added that he carries "everywhere I go," including when he’s off-duty, said those who get a concealed pistol license see themselves as having a "sacred responsibility."…
…"Mike" in North Kitsap who asked that his last name not be used because many of his relatives would disapprove of his gun ownership cites violent outbursts around the country as his rationale to carry.
Mike got his concealed pistol license about four years ago and carries a .45-caliber Glock (he has a smaller 9 millimeter for when he’s wearing lighter clothes or is in the company of his "anti-gun" relatives). He carried intermittently until the Virginia Tech massacre, in which 32 people died when a gunman shot up classrooms in a building and then killed himself.
"It was then that I realized that you can’t count on help being there when you need it. You’re only guaranteed a chance when you are able to defend yourself," he said.
h/t: Say Uncle
Forensic scientists could soon be pulling fingerprints from fired bullet casings...Am I reading this right? It took a British scientist to discover you can leave fingerprints on brass casings?
Fingerprinting dust clings to organic compounds like amino acids and urea from skin to reveal prints. But any of those residues on a bullet are likely to be burned away when it is fired...
Now John Bond, a scientist with the Northamptonshire Police and fellow at the University of Leicester, both in the UK, has discovered that fired bullet casings can reveal fingerprints. And it is the high temperatures they reach that make it possible.
Mr. Noble said four or five law officers, plus a police dog, descended on him after somebody reported that he was wearing a pistol on his hip. He said they held him for 40 minutes in a Secret Service vehicle, then took him to the Beaver barracks of the state police for questioning. After being cuffed and shackled, he said, police eventually read him his rights. They also confiscated his pistol.
Mr. Obama doesn't trump my constitutional rights. The president of the United States doesn't trump my constitutional rights...
"I am not a number — I am a free man!"And as long as we're laughing:
(Laughter from Number Two.)
Mr. Noble said he had not decided whether to support Mr. Obama...Good grief.
Richard Penn and Arthur Lee, representing the Continental Congress, present the so-called Olive Branch Petition to the Earl of Dartmouth on this day in 1775. Britain’s King George III, however, refused to receive the petition, which, written by John Dickinson, appealed directly to the king and expressed hope for reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain.
From Joe’s quote of the day comes Dennis Hennigan:
The lines are being more clearly drawn on the gun issue. One day after Senator Obama made it clear that he thinks assault weapons should be banned in a remarkable portion of his speech, here Senator McCain selects someone who is not only proud to be endorsed by [the NRA], an opponent of that ban, but apparently is pretty enthusiastic about the guns themselves.
McCain is not a fan of the ban on weapons that look like assault weapons either.
