I’m not as addicted as Chris Byrne, but I’m within 10 points. I usually blog when I first get up in the morning, maybe a few posts around lunch time. And then at night. Some posts are timed to go up, but if I notice something interesting come up during the day, I might link it. I still have time to do things despite blogging, but I have to admit, it’s a very time consuming hobby if you want to be good at it.
Month: August 2007
Fallout
I attended the monthly meeting for the gun club tonight, and now am working on the fallout from HR2640.  The NRA is doing it’s usual bang up job of communicating exactly nothing to it’s clubs and members in regards to the nature of the deal, and as such, our Legislative chairman is getting all of his news from GOA and the Brady’s, which as I’ve detailed here, has been quite misleading.
Our club is a 100% NRA club, which means you need to be a member of the NRA to join, and continue your membership with the NRA to continue your membership with the club. Our club has about 1100 members, which amounts to quite a lot of money if NRA were to lose a club of that size.  Granted, it would be their own fault, because they, one, cut a deal with the devil which was bound to be controversial no matter how many positive things we got in return, and two, haven’t been working hard to make sure the message gets out there.
I’m going to do what I can do to repair this damage, but the problem is, I don’t know anybody who can help.  Bitter might, and I’m pursuing some of those channels, but this could be a hard thing to fix, and I very well might be on my own here. As a new member of the club, who doesn’t really know anyone, I’m not entirely comfortable at starting a huge political fight within the club over the 100% NRA program.
I think the Brady Campaign may have outsmarted us on this one. If the cost of this deal is a divided pro-gun community, and a weakened NRA, it will have amounted to a giant victory for the gun control movement.  Whether people like them or not, the NRA is the 800lb gorilla on the gun issue in Washington, and the politicians don’t know much about the other pro-gun organizations, and don’t much care. Much of the gun control movement may be on the ropes, but we will be too if we end up divided, and have a weak NRA representing us in Washington. That’s the political reality.
Winning Converts
The other Sebastian shows it is possible to win people over to your side, if you have good arguments, and don’t go off the deep end. I hope all this works out well. If we’re converting the true believers, we’re truly making progress!
Reporter Takes Concealed Carry Course
Remember the reporter a while ago who bought a cheap piece of junk pocket pistol intending to get a concealed carry license in Kansas? He took his class, and wrote about it.  Zendo Deb has the details.
Gun Control Australia Wants More
For those who think that perhaps those that advocate gun control will get their little victory, and then go away, I offer this:
Gun Control Australia says stronger laws have reduced the number of mass killings in Australia, but is worried the test to obtain a shooting licence is far too easy.
“In all jurisdictions, that is nowhere near as thorough and demanding as should be,” Gun Control Australia president John Crook said.
“Our only experience in analysing Victorian figures is virtually everyone, that is 99.5 per cent of people who take that test, pass it.
“In other words, it completely lacks integrity.
“It’s the simplest test you could imagine of just a few multiple choice answers.”
Mr Crook argued the test should be made into a course of between 20-40 hours over six months.
Put in tests and training, it’ll then be too easy, because people are passing them. They don’t want any legal ownership, but you can’t get there in one fell swoop.
“If I had a magic wand, if was premier for a day, I would have a total prohibition on guns. Total prohibition, including disarming the police force,” he told the Nine Network.
Yeah. Go ahead and try that and let me know how it works out for ya.
Reporting Stolen Guns
Requiring people to report stolen guns, or else, seems to be the latest trend in stopping illegal trafficing.  I’ve yet to figure out exactly how this works, other than adding a new way for legal gun ownership to land otherwise law abiding people in jail:
Gun-control advocates and public safety officials say the laws will close a loophole on illegal trafficking. California requires a 10-day waiting period for gun purchases, so authorities can run background checks on applicants. But nothing forbids someone who passes a background check from selling guns to someone who doesn’t, an act known as a “straw purchase.”
If by nothing they mean federal law that makes doing this a felony, then yeah, nothing forbids it.  Do reporters bother to do any research? Or just say what sounds good, and hope for the best.
Such laws educate the public “and make gun owners a little more accountable,” Simi Valley Police Chief Mike Lewis said.
We’re already accountable enough, thank you. You don’t think those 20,000 gun laws across the US are all aimed at criminals do you?
“Everybody should know where their gun is,” Heyne said, adding that the law doesn’t target responsible owners. “What we’re after are people who don’t know where their gun is or haven’t checked on it in years. This isn’t a hairbrush. This is a lethal instrument of death.”
Even I don’t do a complete inventory every other day. Apparently the Pentagon doesn’t either. Explain to me, oh anti-gun folks, exactly how is this meant to combat straw purchasing, which is already a felony?  I’d really like to know, especially since this crap is being peddled in my state legislature as we speak.
I should note, that as an FFL holder, I’m already required to report any thefts/losses to the ATF. But one can be expected to know the laws that pertain to having the license. I don’t expect some poor schmo that keeps a deer rifle in the attic to know much.
San Francisco Weird Time
I’m a good bit more socially liberal than Clayton Cramer, but San Francisco still scares the crap out of me. Those links are not safe for work, or anywhere else really. I warned you! San Francisco was originally founded by the Spanish in 1776, so all the weirdos in the world could live in one place.
UPDATE: Kevin Baker’s comment on the whole thing is just wrong, but quite hilarious.
Anyone Know This Gun’s Story?
The Wilkinson Arms “Linda” pistol. I don’t know anything about the manufacturer, or the gun. Never heard of either. Does anyone else know the history?
What Should Happen to the ATF?
Red’s Trading Post Blog asks the question. Go tell him what you think. I would like nothing better than to see the organization rolled up into another federal agency, because I think we have too many federal law enforcement agencies in general, and I think there are cultural problems within ATF that need to be remedied.
But unless we can get rid of every federal gun law, which I don’t believe is politically feasible for the foreseeable future, a solution has to come from Congress. That’s also not likely as long as the Democrats are running things.
But we can’t blame the Democrats for all this. We still have a Republican occupying the White House. A Republican who is supposed to be friendly to lawful gun ownership. What are you doing for us now Mr. Bush? Mr. Gonzalez? We will remember this come 2008!
UPDATE: Take a look at the gem from this article:
In a phone interview, Professor Burbick says the gun-rights movement began not only in reaction to gun laws, but also as a reflection of white men’s anxiety about the civil rights movement. Right-wing politicians have deliberately exploited that anxiety, exaggerating the dangers of government power and of criminals who supposedly target every unarmed person, she says. “The gun has become a fetish — an emotional response to a changing America,” she notes, “the idea that somehow, the social problems of the U.S. will be solved through private gun ownership and a lot more guns.”
Are these people serious? I love it when the media passes off someone else’s preconceptions and prejudices as authoritative opinion. Professor Jean Burbick, as a pro-civil rights, otherwise socially liberal gun rights advocate, you can go to hell.
Passing Blame
Bryan Miller, President of CeaseFire New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is busy blaming the handgun manufacturers for the tragedy in Newark. Also blamed are Pennsylvania’s gun laws.  Glossed over is the fact that New Jersey’s very strict gun laws did not prevent this tragedy.  I’ve had my say.  Go have yours.