“In this season of hope, however, we should not despair and say this kind of violence is inevitable. We should not tolerate the steady drumbeat of gun deaths and injuries that tears our families and communities apart. We can and should do all that is within our power to find solutions to gun violence.
“In the New Year, we hope that our nation’s leaders have the courage and conviction to take steps that will help protect our families and communities from gun violence.”
How? This guy lived in California, which is the Brady #1 rated state for gun laws. If the “reasonable” laws they advocate that every state should have were so effective, how did this happen in the first place? You can’t make laws to stop all evil acts.
I found this interesting that hunters in England are changing their dress to avoid being noticed.
The huntsman’s red coat – a totemic image of hunting for more than 200 years – is one of the main casualties of the sport since the hunting ban came into force four years ago.
Many hunts have decided to abandon their scarlet (known as pink) jackets in favour of tweed or dark coats in an attempt to be less conspicuous and avoid scrutiny. …
Fear of harassment and malicious prosecution from activists have made hunts significantly more covert. Many no longer publicise the dates, times and venues for meets on websites or even post notices in a village pub or community centre.
Apparently, many clubs will go back to using red coats if the hunting ban is ever repealed.
Will it be repealed? That’s hard to say. Obviously, I’m not on the ground to be able to judge the political climate on the issue, but the hunt clubs seem to have some hope. However, the anti-hunting forces claim public opinion is on their side. Given that they cite a poll they funded, it’s hard to say how accurate it may be.
Having never shot any kind of practical rifle before, I got up this morning to go try out one of Langhorne Rod and Gun Club‘s practical rifle matches. LGRC holds practical rifle shoots once every month, but this match was the one Kalashnikov match they hold each year in December. I haven’t fired my Kalashnikov beyond 25 yards since GBR, October of 2007, and I shot like it. Not good. Had no idea even honestly where my site settings were. Next time I go, I will make sure I have time to check my shit before walking on to the range and shooting a match.
But any day you get to spend sending hot lead downrange, particularly at steel, is a good day. LRGC runs a fun, safe, no-pressure match. They are very welcoming to first time shooters, and everyone there seems to have a good time. Ran into Dave Markowitz of the Blog O’ Stuff, and was glad to meet him. Here are our pictures for the day. I commented in the pictures to give people an idea of what goes on in a practical rifle match, in case they are thinking about attending one (which I would highly recommend). The pics of me were taken by Dave.
The Brady Campaign seems to be really eagar to tout their involvement on the Melanie Hain case on the side of the Lebanon County Sheriff. I agreed with the suit to get her License to Carry reinstated. I might even agree with some form of civil rights suit. The problem is, I just can’t agree with this particular suit. I think the Brady’s see an easy opportunity to add a feather to their hat here, and unfortunatly, think it’s likely they will get what they want out of this situation.
Q: How do you feel about the Brady Center becoming involved?
A: They offered some aid to the county, but to my knowledge, neither the county nor the sheriff have taken them up on that, so it would seem to me they are just sitting on the sidelines drooling in hopes that they do get the go-ahead to handle things.
I would not be surprised if this is the case, but Bradys’ eagerness to get involved should say something. They are not stupid. For the better part of two decades they, in their several incarnations, had us on the defensive. What the Bradys probably don’t realize here is that it would be problematic for the Sheriff to work openly with them in the part of Pennsylvania he’s in. But they are eagar to define this struggle on their terms regardless.
Time to go back to Pennsylvania. Tomorrow there’s a Kalashnikov match at Langhorne Rod and Gun Club that I’m going to try to attend. I’ll be shooting the AK-74, though I’ll probably take the 7.62 Romanian Kalashnikov too, just in case I feel like shooting that instead.
UPDATE: Back in Pennsylvania. We got a new GPS for Christmas, and decided we liked being bothered by the American guy the best. The British woman pronounced “Skippack Pike” wrong and it just annoyed me. It works very well though. We threw it for a loop a few times by deviating from the prescribed route. Someone needs to make a gun nutty GPS navigation unit that can take you the shortest distance for states with no reciprocity.
Bitter and I decided to head to Mill Mountain to see the giant neon star that looks over the City of Roanoke, Virginia. We used our new GPS navigator that Bitter’s mom got is for Christmas, and it worked pretty well.
He says don’t be selfish and help those who live in places where the basics needed for survival are missing. He said this from an extravagant mantle, on a gold throne with jewels, wearing a priceless gold cross, and some expensive clothes.
Good message there, chief.
UPDATE: The spiritual leader Governor of the Anglican Church, gets her Christmas message right, I think. The message is appropriate, and the backdrop is not ostentatious:
I see Tam has discovered the unmitigated joy of the Brazilian Steakhouse. I went to one in New Hampshire with friends a few years ago and though I had died and gone to heaven, only instead of spending an eternity with Jesus, I would spend it with “our servers providing continuous table side service, gallantly walking among the dining room with sizzling skewers of the hottest, most delicious rotisserie-cooked meat. Every bite is perfection.” I thought suggesting their servers were gallant was a pretty bold statement, but afterward, I had to agree, they were pretty damned gallant.
There’s one in Philadelphia I’ve been meaning to go to, but I need to starve myself for a few days beforehand, so there’s room for all that delicious meat. Maybe I’ll take Bitter there to celebrate when she gets a job finally. If you have a Brazilian steakhouse in your city, go. You can find it by following in the opposite direction from the fleeing vegans and PETA members.
