As reported, the city of St. Louis, MO has wisely decided not to run another gun buy back program, which would have cost about $57,500:
I’ve previously discussed how gun buy back programs are a waste of money because criminals wont turn in the guns that they will to commit crimes. To briefly recap: Criminals don’t [...]
Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s a chilly Sunday morning here in New Hampshire, and I have to burn a few more pieces of my dismembered and axe-butchered trees. – Bruce
The end of a tale of almost unbelievable moonbattery. RTWT
Wednesday’s post on Charter Arms’ New Rimless Revolver seems to have attracted a bit of attention from a wide range of sources. Opinions are varied, but check it out if you missed it.
1) Mayor Bloomberg pushes for and gets passage of legislation imposing a 3.5 year, no-probation term for carrying without a license.
2) Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress shoots self in leg while carrying illegally.
Mike Ditka, in the meantime, proposed that NFL players be banned from owning guns. A new “prohibited person” class?
The Irish have a saying: Nil aon tintean, mar do thintean fein. “There is no hearth like your own hearth.” Fittingly enough, in honor of the great truth it represents, I have this motto hanging in a small frame over my own poor hearth.We are back from …
Via that ever reliable source of vacuousness, CNN:Pirates have reached a deal with the owners of a Ukrainian ship loaded with arms that was seized more than two months ago, an official with the Kenya Seafarers Association said Sunday….The ship, which…
A podcast by Syd
Topics: Concealed Carry and Terrorist Threats, Remembering Ruby Ridge, Grizzly Bears and the .357 Magnum, Remington 185g +p .45 ACP ammunition, Ambidextrous Gunfighting.
Front Sight Press is one of my favorite reads, and Syd’s podcasts are well worth your time to listen to.
The sky wore a veil of gold and gray
Cold Play – Prospeckt’s March
I missed shooting yesterday. In the morning, my favorite range was closed, but fighting a headache I was OK with that. In the afternoon a few of us went to an indoor range, but feeling even punkier, I only shot a few rounds and eventually went home, not being good company and just not feeling well.
Today, after some medicine
Sebastian points us to a story with a happy ending:
Victim shoots man during robbery try
An armed robber who tried to stick up a man Monday night ended up getting shot when the victim pulled out his own gun, police said.
Says a commenter:
What a heartwarming story for the Holiday Season. It is people like this [...]
Story here. The background check system is supposed to be limited to licensed dealers checking out a potential sale, but the newspaper found that 10% of requests are from state troopers, not dealers.
Allen from The Whited Sepulchre posted excerpts from an interview with the photographer who got most of the photos during the recent Mumbai massacre in India .
From the interview:
The gunmen were terrifyingly professional, making sure at least one of them was able to fire their rifle while the other reloaded. By the time he managed to capture the killer on camera, Mr D’Souza had already seen two gunmen calmly stroll across the station concourse shooting both civilians and policemen, many of whom, he said, were armed but did not fire back.
….”There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything,” he said. “At one point, I ran up to them and told them to use their weapons. I said, ‘Shoot them, they’re sitting ducks!’ but they just didn’t shoot back.”
Head on over to The Whited Sepulchre for more.
Long-time Gunblogger Kim du Toit bids farewell to the blogpsphere today.
Drop by and and pay him a visit .
by Peter W. Wickham, Jr.
AKA The Ol’ Grey Ghost
“The third part of my plan will be integrating service into education, so that young Americans are called upon and prepared to be active citizens.
“Just as we teach math and writing, arts and athletics, we need to teach young Americans to take citizenship seriously. Study after study shows that students who serve do better in school, are more likely to go to college, and more likely to maintain that service as adults. So when I’m President, I will set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year. This means that by the time you graduate college, you’ll have done 17 weeks of service.
“We’ll reach this goal in several ways. At the middle and high school level, we’ll make federal assistance conditional on school districts developing service programs, and give schools resources to offer new service opportunities.”
Senator Barack Obama, December 5, 2007, Mt. Vernon, Iowa
1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted 1865
servitude – 1. the condition of a slave, serf, or the like; subjection to a master, slavery, or bondage
Webster’s New World Dictionary
The first African-American President of these United States appears to be planning to bring back slavery to our country. Or at least he intends to entice some by promise of monetary rewards into voluntarily serving (.pdf) the federal government while for others, especially the children, he intends to coerce local governments (read school districts) into enslaving the children for the federal government, all in the name of teaching them to “be active citizens.” It’s interesting how he uses language so that we all think we know what he is saying but somehow it’s a little difficult to determine if he means what we think he means.
If you read the entirety of Mr. Obama’s speech it seems he is under the impression that there are very limited opportunities for Americans, particularly the young, to serve their fellow man in a volunteer capacity. Just off the top of my head I can list the Cub and Boy Scouts, Brownies and Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, 4H, The American Red Cross, Candystripers, and other youth organizations that require their members, who have voluntarily applied to join these private associations, to perform some form of charitable service for the less fortunate amongst us. Every church in my local area with a membership of at least 50 adults has a youth program and I’ve personally seen these young people mowing lawns and doing yard work for elderly persons who can’t get around as well as they used to. I even see little ones scour their neighborhoods knocking on doors to raise money for charitable organizations like the Muscular Dystrophy Association. No, Mr. Obama, there is no lack of opportunity for young people to serve.
Mr. Obama refers to studies he says shows that children who serve are better students. I would posit that the reason these children serve is because of their personal moral code that also drives them to be better students. It is the personality traits of the young person that drives them to success. Their volunteer service to others is merely a symptom of their good character and not the cause of it. To expect compulsory service to change bad students into good is the same as expecting a mouse to turn into a fish just because you throw it into a lake. The mouse will expend the minimum energy necessary to survive and will spend all its time struggling to get itself back to dry land where it will emerge from the water soaking wet but still a mouse. The only thing the mouse will learn from the event is to never trust you again with carrying it in your hand.
There is still the question of what kind of service will be expected of these young people and whether they can choose to perform one type and refuse to perform another. Since taking over the education system, Liberals have been adamant in trying to break the emotional and spiritual bonds between parent and child so that the child will look to the state, run by the Liberals, as their new parents and this call for service could be just more of the same. Imagine the children of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim parents being forced to work at an advocacy center for homosexuals or at an abortion clinic for the poor in order to sensitize the children to the “plight” of others different from themselves and “help” them break the vicious cycle of “archaic bigotry” passed from one generation to another. An ironic aspect of Liberals is that their immediate assumption that someone’s personal religious convictions are always based on “archaic bigotry” is itself a form of archaic bigotry.
Then there is the matter of the children’s safety as they perform this mandatory service to the state. Private organizations that enlist volunteers have the incentive to protect those who work for them since any public report of persons being injured on the job will certainly cut into the number of people who might volunteer in the future. These organizations are also open to civil litigation if it can be proved that the administrators were negligent by not providing a safe work environment and there are a myriad of laws issued by the government that cover the same thing. The government can exempt itself from such laws if it determines that it is in the best interest of the government to do so and can go so far as to block anyone from filing a lawsuit against it for the negligence of its executives. During their forced labor the children can also be exposed to such fine examples of benevolent government officials like Congressman Mark Foley and President Bill Clinton. We all know how well they took care of young people assigned to work with them.
We can pretty well guess that with the number of hours a week students will have to perform this service, there will not be an accompanying reduction in the number of hours they are required to attend their classes so the time has to come from another important source, namely time with their families. It will also cut into that time that some young people can use for part-time gainful employment where they learn that valuable lesson of how to satisfy a customer, their employer, and the added education in how to live on a budget and how to invest their money so as to build up capital for larger purchases in the future or for lean times when there are no wages to be earned. The worst moral hazard is that our children will learn from this program that slavery and being a slave is a desirable state. Kind of turns the whole concept of “government serving the people” on its head.
Now some might think that their children would be exempt since they do not attend public schools but I think we should file that theory under the “They can make ‘em put seat belts in our cars but they can’t make us wear ‘em” heading. As the government presently persecutes (but not aggressively prosecutes) young men who fail to register for Selective Service we will eventually see requirements for the presentation of certificates that attest to the fact that the young person has completed the required “service” before they are allowed to attend any college or university that accepts federal grants. We will probably also see it show up on applications for employment and assistance from government agencies, including Social Security, the IRS, FEMA, and we might even see it on the BATF&E form 4473.
Contrary to what Mr. Obama says there are plenty of opportunities for Americans to serve their fellow countrymen, and even fellow Earthlings, through hundreds of thousands of private charitable organizations without having to turn to serve the federal government, or any government for that matter. The rub for Liberal Marxists like Mr. Obama seems to be that these organizations are not under the thumb of he and his minions and the best way to destroy these groups and the ideology which they represent – that people can take care of themselves without government – is to take away the people they depend on for volunteers and leave everyone dependent on the government for their very existence.
It’s high time to teach our children that to be a Patriot also means from time to time to resist an oppressive government even when and if it is your own. As Mark Twain pointed out when he quoted Czar Nicholas II: “…(T)he true patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to the Nation ALL the time, loyalty to the Government (only) when it deserves it.” They are coming for our children. Let us prepare to make them pay dearly when they have the audacity to try…
For further reading I would like to recommend Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln’s White Dream
I’ve previously discussed the phone poll that is being run in Cook County, IL in order to justify a draconian gun ban. This poll is still active, and you do not need to be a resident of Cook County to take the poll:
The ISRA has posted an urgent alert: ” In order to justify passage [...]
I did not go to the Market Hall gun show this weekend, but from all accounts it was packed. Folks were lined up around the block to get in, and once inside were greeted by vendors asking $30 for standard GI AR mags and hundreds of dollars over MSRP for the AR’s themselves. I understand that one vendor had SKS’s for $600. The demand is exceptionally high, and with that demand dealers are asking an exceptional price for their wares. There is nothing wrong with that, but these vendors risk backlash. How are their customers going to feel when they get home, hop on the Internet and find just how badly they were taken? There is also the fact that those of us who do attend the gun shows on a regular basis have noticed who is doing the gouging and who is not. Those who have taken advantage of this situation will be remembered.
That being said, the dealers who are not using the recent run to gouge the heck out of us need to be highlighted. One such dealer is Model 1 Sales.
Instead of inflating their gun show pricing to take advantage of the recent “panic” buying, Model 1 Sales kept their prices low and continued to offer quality products at a good price. As a matter of fact, I was told that their pricing at Market Hall was slightly lower than their last catalog.
Model 1 Sales offers a very good selection of AR-15 parts, kits and accessories. I own Model 1 Sales components and I highly recommend them for all of your EBR needs.
I’ve always appreciated the exposed hammer, side by side 12 Ga shotguns.
Coach Guns as they are now called.
These are Interstate Arms Corp, Model 99W Side-by-Side 12Ga with 20" barrels, blue metal and walnut stocks. These have 3" chambers, improved cylinder bores with a two round capacity, exposed hammers and a bead front sight.
Here’s what is [...]
Lessons from Memsahib Brady NirvanaOnly a small group of determined monsters created the carnage…And perhaps the most troubling question to emerge for the Indian authorities was how, if official estimates are accurate, just 10 gunmen could have caused so much carnage and repelled Indi…
This Day in History: November 30Cape Ann is a very open Harbour and accessible to large Ships, which made me immediately send off, Col: Glover and Mr. Palfrey, with orders to raise the Minute Men and Militia of that part of the Country, to have the Cargo landed without Loss of Time a…
Kim DuToit steps down from blogging. Kim was one of the first bloggers I ever read. I bought two of his books. I guess I’ll get around to reading them now..
Gun sales and Black FridayA review: it was literally standing room only.
On this date in 1954, Ann Elizabeth Hodges of Oak Grove, Alabama was napping on her sofa when, all of a sudden, an honest-to-God rock from outer space came through the roof of the house, smashed her big ol’ Philco console radio, and slammed into her, l…
Here’ some good blues:Canned Heat: “Woodstock Boogie”.
The precipitation is stacking up in the yard outside my window. What a great day to go shooting!I think some speedloader drills with numb fingers are in order today. Especially because, now that I think about it, I’ve never worked with HKS speedloaders…
I carry protein bars around in the range bag as having slightly low blood sugar, I don’t eat a little something with protein every 4 -6 hours I will get a bad headache and I agree with my friends, if you don’t feel good best to stay home from the range.
After talking with friends after shooting it was discussed – it IS on the advice of a doctor. I MUST eat bacon regularly. Hmmm. . . they have
I’ve previously discussed how Chicago’s anti gun rights politicians spend millions in taxpayer money on bodyguards for themselves at at time when ordinary Chicago citizens are dying faster than US soldiers in Iraq. The Sun-Times now reports that Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely and Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke, still have police officers permanently [...]
Handgun carry in a nutshell:Carry your gun – it’s a lighter burden than regret. Damn skippy..
Over at SayUncle,
There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything
It’s funny, recently, a coworker ask me what the deciding factor was that inspired me to own a gun. I told this person Katrina did, and how the Government said it’s not their responsibilty to protect the citizenry. Granted, [...]
Richard Fernandez at Belmont Club says it better than I can, so I quote:
"Maybe the most important effect of the Second Amendment is that it it implants the germ of the idea that resistance is a viable option. It’s a germ which must be nurtured by a little training. The gun is [...]
I just renewed mine, is yours up to date?
You can use this link to get a $10 discount.
Please post a comment if you join or renew.
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Sticks and stonesOver at insty’s, a reader writes:
So you think that ordinary citizens armed with handguns would slow down a surprise attack by trained paramilitary forces armed with automatic weapons, grenades and who knows what else? I?m curious how you see that scenario playing out.
Obviously, people should be armed with rifles, then.
Seriously, the unarmed didn’t stand much [...]
For 50 bonus points, what possible gun control law could be enacted to prevent this kind of “accident” from happening again? I mean, other than a high-capacity moron ban. – Bruce
The post violates the high-cap moron ban. RTWT
At the moment, most commercial vessels are required to use AIS, Automatic Identification System, as a collision avoidance measure. It radios the ship position, course and speed to any ships within receiving range. And to any pirates. The Washington Times reports AIS is a suspect in the recent hijacking of a mega-tanker 450 miles offshore. “The ability of the pirates to intercept this mega-tanker so far out in the Indian Ocean suggests they were able to obtain either track information from an outside source or they were electronically able to intercept the ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS). The AIS system is driven by Radio Frequencies (RD) that can be intercepted and tracked by any ship with an RF intercept capability”
That’d make sense. Picking off ships at choke points isn’t that hard, but you’d not want to range out 450 miles, without radar, unless you knew where and when to intercept a big prize. Its captain changes course by a degree or two and you’re going to spend a long time waiting for nothing.
AIS receivers are on the market (Google AIS receiver and you get prices as low as $189, more if you want a GPS unit to show your own location relative to the target), and if you qualify you can even get one for free.
But they don’t need a radio receiver, just an internet connection. Go for a world map showing location of ships at sea, with different designations for cargo, passenger, tanker, etc.
Click on the “vessels” tab and you get a nice table of all vessels at sea, their type, last location and course (and when that was recorded, usually less than an hour ago) and destination. Click on the individual ship and you get its details. Admiral L is a tanker, weight 41,100 metric tons, ETA Houston on Jan. 11, reported at 24.2255 lat., -81.83988 long, 52 minutes ago. Click on its “track” and you get a nice map. It’s heading around the Florida Keys right now.
I’d guess a hi-tech pirate would use both. Ship-to-ship AIS range is about 20 miles; if you have a receiver on a mountain, it can go to ten times that. So you’d have a guy ashore with an internet link up, to radio you on any course changes by the target. When you get close, you have your own receiver for the final approach. This would also suggest that radio monitoring might give advance word on pirate attacks. You’d be listening for someone ashore broadcasting locations and courses, maybe even naming the target. A bit direction finding and you’d also have the pirates’ transmitter’s location, just in time for an air strike.
UPDATE: after pirates attacked a chemical tanker, British helicopters rescued three unarmed security personnel. Unarmed security personnel have never had a good track record against pirates. Blackbeard and the boys are not here for a wrestling match. What you need is a .50 caliber M2 and some guys who can use it. Or if you want it on a smaller scale, turn out the crew with M1As. Your opponents are bouncing around on a high-speed vessel, you’ve got a steady platform. Open fire at, say, 400 yards and I doubt anyone would need a second magazine.
Several hat tips to Don Hamrick…
