May 2007 – Page 14 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Did You Have to Pick the Nut?

I’m very happy to see that race is playing less of a role in Philadelphia elections, which has traditionally voted along racial lines. But man, do you people have to settle on Nutty Nutter?

Seriously, any of these guys is better than John Street. But can we pick someone who, I don’t know, doesn’t want to make police state tactics a regular routine for city authorities?

Nutter has drawn fire for his proposal to allow police to stop and frisk people suspected of carrying guns as a way to stem the rising tide of violence in the city.

Fattah and the other three candidates said Nutter’s idea might subject black residents to police abuse. Nutter responded that it’s “not about race, it’s about criminals,” adding, “as a person who’s been black for 49 years, I think I know a little bit about racial profiling.”

This white non-resident agrees that it would be wrong to profile blacks for stop and frisk. Actually, this white non-resident believe that it would be wrong to stop and frisk people of any color, because it’s not how this country operates. Terry stops were meant to allow officers to frisk suspects for their own personal safety. It wasn’t meant to be a generic tool for fighting crime.

Classical Values has more.

Weekend Plans?

If you’re in the Philadelphia area, and have nothing to do this weekend, why not take a tour of a guided missile cruiser.Â Â The USS Winston Churchill will be docked at Penn’s Landing, and open for tours.

Illinois Magazine Ban Passes Senate

The magazine ban has passed the IL senate. It will now be heard by the house.

Odd Ways to Off Yourself

We hear quite a lot of calls for gun restrictions based on the fact that they are great instruments for people committing suicide. I think this method is probably a bit more effective:

A man cut off his own head with a chainsaw after stabbing his 70-year-old father to death in their apartment in the German city of Cologne, police said.

Clearly easy access to chainsaws is to blame. Also, does anyone else notice that these really bizarre news reports always seem to come out of Germany?

Mouse Troubles

It seems I may have rodents again in the house.Â The normal response previously would be to watch my friend’s cat for a weekend while the friend was gone.Â Bitter is allergic though, so I may have to look for alternatives.Â Â The problem with traps is I have to remember to check them, and I’m kind of absent minded about things like that.Â They need to make a trap that beeps when it has a captive.

Maybe I should pick up a black rat snake the next time I see one while hiking.Â I’d be willing to bet they are effective at dealing with rodent problems, and I’m sure Bitter isn’t allergic to them.Â But I doubt she’d want to visit in that case.Â I doubt my neighbors would appreciate the rodent reducing utility of having a giant contstricting reptile in the neighborhood either.

Feinstein at it Again

Diane Feinstein, who really wants to make sure their party loses in 2008, are pushing for making 50 caliber rifles NFA weapons. Another bit of “reasonable” gun regulation we’re asked, with righteous indignation, why we won’t endure.

Light Posting Because of Lost

Sorry for the light posting.Â I had the gun club meeting last night, and then, of course, Lost, so not much of a chance to queue some filler.Â Last night’s lost episode was excellent, and as Brad pointed out in the comments, it turns out that Ben’s father is Lazlo from the movie Real Genius.

Ben killed his father because he spent all his time making repeated entries into the island’s sweepstakes.Â He had calculated that he’d win 32.6% of the prizes.Â Or maybe because he drank too much.Â I’m getting my plots confused.

Quote of the Day

From Dave Hardy, commenting on the third amendment over at The Volokh Conspiracy:

The only bill of rights provision that was outmoded by the construction industry.

I’m In!

I am now a proud member of the Falls Township Rifle and Pistol Association. Facilities include trap range, with manual and automatic throwers. Indoor 25 yard pistol range. Outdoor 25/50/100/200 yard rifle range. 25 yard plinking range. It’s NRA and CMP affiliated, which is nice.Â I’m hoping to get some CMP stuff through the club.

Now the real question is whether to maintain my membership at Classic Pistol, in Southampton. Classic Pistol is, without a doubt, the best indoor range in the area that’s not members only. Full auto is allowed, as well as rifles of any caliber. Pistol lanes are up to 15 yards, rifle up to 25. I think I’ll probably maintain it, and only drop it if I’m not using it enough. Since I can shoot there without being a member, if I don’t go enough, it’s not worth it to maintain the membership.

I’ll extend an open invitation to any of my readers to go shoot as a guest if you’re ever in the area.

Fort Dix Six Trained in Poconos

Looks like the Fort Dix Six trained at a Pennsylvania Game Commission range in Gouldsboro, PA, the PGC Shooting Range at State Game Lands 127. See this article in the Pocono Record, with map locations of where they lived. Also see this article, where a local shooter describes them as lousy shots, who were breaking range rules and never bothered to clean up their mess.

From one of the suspected terrorists:

â€œYou are in the mountains in the Poconos … In Pennsylvania. It is about two hours away from here. We went there for a week walking in the mountains and shooting in the open shooting range.â€

The video showed 10 young men in their early 20s â€œshooting assault weapons at a firing range … while calling for jihad and shouting in Arabic â€™Allah Akbarâ€™ (God is great),â€ the complaint said. The 10 included six of those arrested, authorities said.

Scary stuff. I repeat the call for shooters in Pennsylvania to be vigilant, on the look out for people that look out of place, and are breaking the range rules. Report suspicious activity¹. Carry at all times, if you have a license to do so.

Pennsylvania Game Wardens have just been put on the front lines of War on Terror. Hopefully they will step up patrols of public shooting ranges. Welcome to asymmetric warfare in the 21st century.

Hat tip to Nathaniel for the links

¹Use your judgement here. I think everyone would agree that someone on the range taking video of themselves shouting “Allah Akbar!” would fall into the realm of suspicious activity. Anyone flagrantly breaking range rules, or being unsafe would fall under this as well. We must take care not to be unfriendly to new shooters.