Normally I condemn laws that require banks to spy on customers. But applied to Elliot Spitzer, I consider them poetic justice. No doubt as a prosecutor, he relied on many of these laws to send people up river. Paybacks are hell.
Year: 2008
You know you’re a gun nut …
… when you go to clean the lint out of your dryer screen and notice an empty .22LR casing. Bonus gun nutty points if you notice how clean it came out, and think maybe you should tumble some more of your brass through the laundry.
First Amendment Issue in Pennsylvania
Thanks to Rustmeister, who found it, it would appear that a Pennsylvania school is stifling student free speech:
Donald Miller III, 14, went to Penn Manor High School in December wearing a T-shirt he said was intended to honor his uncle, a U.S. Army soldier fighting in Iraq.
The shirt bears the image of a military sidearm and on the front pocket says “Volunteer Homeland Security.” On the back, over another image of the weapon, are the words “Special issue Resident Lifetime License — United States Terrorist Hunting Permit — Permit No. 91101 — Gun Owner — No Bag Limit.”
If I recall my first amendment law correct, which I might not, it’s lawful for schools to regulate dress code, but it has to do it in a content neutral manner. In other words, it could proscribe all shirts that are not plain shirts of uniform color, it could proscribe an obscene t-shirt that could be construed as disruptive to the educational environment, but it can’t discriminate on dress based merely on disapproval of the content displayed on the shirt.
Rally in Harrisburg: Be There or Be Square
Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmens Clubs, Allegheny County Sportsmens League, and Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Association, along with several other groups, will be rallying in Harrisburg on Monday April 7th, 2008.
I have made arrangements to be able to attend this rally, and I hope you will all join me in going. We are under constant assault by anti-gun forces here in Pennsylvania, and we need to push our own legislative agenda. We can’t let the anti-gunners gain an inch of ground. We must let the folks in Harrisburg know that we’re here, and we’re active. Our continued gun rights in Pennsylvania depend on it.
Excellent Post on Originalism
Randy Barnett has a post up which is lengthy, but well worth the read, on new originalism vs. the living constitution. It does contain a little bit about the second amendment, since I know most of us are interested in that here. It amazes me how good of a litmus test your views on that particular topic are in terms of how you view not only constitutional interpretation, but on the proper relationship between a people and its government.
The Oldest Profession
Apparently New York Governor Elliot Spitzer knows it well.
Feds Chilling Free Speech Online?
Looks like it to me. I might not always agree with David’s approach to activism, but to suggest that he’s implicitly threatened anyone, or that his blogging activities might bring the wrath of federal law enforcement on him is offensive to not only the first amendment, but the very principles this country was founded on.
More on OWAA
Bitter has more on OWAA. Seems they canceled their planned event with anti-hunting and anti-gun forces. Hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts need to understand who pays for most of the wildlife management and upkeep of public lands, and it’s not them. Both hunters and shooters pay for wildlife management through the federal “Pittman Robertson” excise taxes on guns and ammunition. Next time you hear a hiker bitch about sunday hunting, remind them who pays for the trails they like to hike on.
Teaching Marksmanship
I would note that this kind of thing would be impossible if we didn’t have a vibrant civilian shooting culture. Fighting the gun banners is not just a matter of preserving our sporting heritage, and right of self-defense, it’s a matter of national security as well.
Booze With Bane
Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? The Outdoor Channel’s Michael Bane will be providing bloggers attending the Second Amendment Blogger Bash with a happy hour. I have Comcast Cable, so sadly, I don’t get to watch Michael’s show, but for those of you who have cable providers who do not suck, you can catch his show on the Outdoor Channel.