Year: 2007

Microstamping Passed in California

From the Brady Campaign, they’ve passed Microstamping in California. If you live in California, it is very important to:

CALL GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER AND URGE HIM TO VETO THIS BILL!

I will have more to say on micro stamping soon. This is one issue I urge manufacturers to follow the lead of Ronnie Barrett and refuse to sell your product in California, including to law enforcement. It’s the only way we’re going to stop crap like this from spreading.

UPDATE:  The Flashing Light has an interesting bit of commentary:

Someone suggests that gun manufacturers not sell in California in the future. That’s an ideal thought, maybe, but thinking it through I don’t see how they could afford to do that. Doing so would set in motion a whole lot of market and government actions of which some are predictable, but many are unforeseen. And I doubt most gun and ammo manufacturers are willing to play with fire when it comes to the bottom line.

This is a serious issue, no doubt.  California is the nation’s most populous state, and whether or not firearms and ammunition manufacturers can afford to pull out of the state entirely is a reasonable question.  But can they afford to keep complying with the costs of complying with the state’s ridiculous and ignorant policy in regards to firearms?  That’s a good question too.

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Female Suicide Rate

It pains me to write that headline, because I do love the ladies (especially one lady in particular):

The suicide rate among preteen and young teen girls spiked 76 percent, a disturbing sign that federal health officials say they can’t fully explain.

For all young people between ages 10 to 24, the suicide rate rose 8 percent from 2003 to 2004 – the biggest single-year bump in 15 years – in what one official called “a dramatic and huge increase.”

Of course, the gun control folks will be disappointed in this:

The study also documented a change in suicide method. In 1990, guns accounted for more than half of all suicides among young females. By 2004, though, death by hanging and suffocation became the most common suicide method. It accounted for about 71 percent of all suicides in girls aged 10-14; about half of those aged 15-19; and 34 percent between 20-24.

Well, we haven’t exactly made guns less accessible since 1990, so it would seem that guns aren’t a driving factor behind female suicide, especially as more young women arm themselves. They definitely aren’t going to like this:

It also said the suicide methods suggest that prevention focused solely on restricting access to pills, weapons or other lethal means may be of limited success.

I’ve never found the prevention of suicide a compelling reason to restrict access to anything, because I believe that it’s a person’s fundamental right to terminate his life. But it’s nice to know studies are showing it wouldn’t work anyway.

Hat tip to Ms. Moneymakers

UPDATE: ZendoDeb has more.

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My Impression

Reading Kevin’s open letter to Robyn Ringler, the impression I’m left with is the gun-control movement, because it has always had a friendly media willing to print anything without question or criticism, has never had to seriously defend its views in an open forum, and is discovering they aren’t prepared for it.

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Philadelphia Protests on Aug 28th

Eric has some pretty good coverage of how things went, including the Philadelphia media reaction.   I feel guilty letting Eric do all the hard work, but I was busy importing another evil baby killer into Pennsylvania from Idaho.

I have the FedEx tracking number.  My Citori is on its way from Reds!

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Shameless Gun Blogger Rendezvous Promotion

It seems we’re a little short of participants for the Gun Blogger Rendezvous in Reno on October 11th., 12th., and 13th.  We’re looking for a few (or many) good men and women to come out and hang out.  If you can’t make it, at least consider making a donation to Project Valour-IT, who is the GBR charity and Guest of Honor this year.

But seriously, if you can make it, you should come.

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DC v. Heller Petition

It seems to be the buzz on the blogosphere from people who are in the know is that the cert. petition in DC v. Heller is rather unusual, in that it discusses at length the merits of The Districts position, rather than discussing why it’s important for the Supreme Court to hear the case.

I almost have to wonder if DC doesn’t want the Supreme Court to actually hear the case.   For political reasons, Fenty had to file for cert., because he has to be seen as standing up for his city’s position on their gun ban.  But you can bet the anti-gun groups don’t want to cast this die.   If Fenty appealed with a crappy petition, it would get him off the hook, he did everything he had, after all, but the anti-gun movement as a whole wouldn’t risk putting their entire future in jeopardy by having to go before The Court, and quite possibly losing.

I have to wonder.

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