March 2009 – Page 12 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Smith & Wesson Beats the Street

They earned three cents more per share than analyists were expecting.

“While our hunting business continues to suffer in the current economic environment, the market for hunting rifles in a healthy economy is a sizeable one,” said Michael F. Golden, president and chief executive. “In addition, this portion of our business produces barrels for our tactical rifles, products that are clearly in very high demand right now.”

I think Mike Golden owes the White House a fruit basket for being such an effective gun salesman.

Labor Negotiations in France

Interesting how they do things in France:

The chief executive of Sony in France was freed today after being held hostage overnight by workers practicing an increasing common negotiating tactic amid growing industrial unrest in France.

Serge Foucher and Roland Bentz, director of human resources, had been prevented from leaving the Sony factory in Pontoux-sur-l’Adrour in south-west France following a protest over redundancy payments.

I don’t know about France, but it’s lawful in the United States to use deadly force on kidnappers.Â If I were the workers at, say, Smith & Wesson, I don’t think I’d try this negotiating tactic.Â Management may very well, as Marko said, reject “an unacceptably termed business proposition.”

I’m surprised the French authorities tolerate this practice.

Hunting on the Rise in Pennsylvania

It appears that sport shooters, collecters, and self-defense whackos (according to AHSA) aren’t the only ones spending more money on their hobby right now.Â Hunting license sales are also on the rise here in Pennsylvania, turning around after years of losses.Â In fact, archery, muzzleloader, furtaker, bear, and migratory bird licenses are also on the rise.

Common Sense out of Germany

The German Interior Minister seems to have more common sense than a lot of our politicians.Â See the interview here:

Some German politicians have called for a ban on private gun ownership and urged authorities to set up airport-style security systems at schools in response to the massacre, which left 16 people dead, including the killer.

“I can’t see how a change in weapons rules would contribute anything to solving the problem,” Schaeuble, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, told Reuters.

In response to setting up airport style security at schools?

“Do we now want to treat pupils like passengers at the airport? Imagine the effect on children growing up under such circumstances. It’s absurd! I think it wouldn’t help us at all.”

Vielen Dank, Herr Schaeuble.Â The world needs your common sense during times like this.

Shootoff Next Week

Just got the results for last night’s Indoor Silhouette match, and I’ve ended up in a shootoff with one of our better pistol shooters for the top spot for the pistol scoped class, which I guess means I must be doing something right.Â I’ve been shooting into the high 20s and low 30s (out of 40) with pistol lately, which is a lot better than a few months ago.Â We’ll have to see how the shootoff goes next week.Â My competition is pretty tough.

Someone mentioned in the comments the other day about not having the money to get into competition, which I don’t think should really be a problem.Â I shoot our indoor smallbore pistol matches, and IHMSA smallbore with a Ruger Mk.III Hunter 22/45 topped with an inexpensive BSA red dot scope that I bought from SayUncle for a few measly bucks.Â My only nod to the exquisite is the Volquartsen trigger kit I put in, because the Ruger factory trigger is kind of awful.Â When I shoot air pistol matches I shoot a Crossman 2300S.Â I replaced the grips and added a peep sight to the rear, but the whole rig was under 350 dollars.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started competing.Â In fact, you should probably start with cheap equipment, and only upgrade when you feel like the equipment is holding you back.Â You’re far better off spending the money on ammunition and shooting more, than spending the money on expensive equipment you won’t be good enough for starting out.Â If money for ammunition is really a concern, shoot air guns.Â Not only are air guns cheap, but the ammunition is too, and if you have a basement, you can practice in it.Â The skills you learn will transfer to other shooting disciplines.Â Competition is a lot of fun, and good at helping you develop your shooting skills.Â Money doesn’t have to be an object.

Daley Funding Oak Park in Lawsuit

Looks like the City of Chicago is going to pick up the tab for defending Oak Park against NRA’s lawsuit.

Ladd Everitt Says We Promote Murder

Check out this Inquirer article:

“A child who does such a thing somehow has received the message that guns are a solution to problems, and that if you’re a ‘good guy’ and you shoot a ‘bad guy,’ then that kind of violence is OK,” Everitt said.

The bearers of that message are not responsible gun owners, he said; it is the avid gun-rights activists who view the victims of such shootings as “scumbags.” These activists oppose all gun control.

“As I am seeing these shootings where children are murdering people in cold blood, I’m beginning to believe that children are picking up on these messages, that there are no repercussions, and that you are doing the right thing to do this,” said Everitt.

Yeah, because murdering your mother is exactly what we advocate.Â The sick part, though, is that the Inquirer happily prints this type of slander.Â No wonder they are circling the bowl.

Experts in What?

Apparently “Experts” are saying what Europe clearly needs is tighter gun laws:

“The general trend is clearly towards stronger gun laws,” said Alun Howard, a policy director at the London-based International Action Network on Small Arms, part of a global network of organizations fighting the proliferation of small arms.

Oh, those experts.Â They wouldn’t have a bias or anything, and pretty clearly they can point to many many studies that show gun control redeuces crime, right?

Gisela Kallenbach, a German Green Party deputy who steered the bloc’s upcoming legislation through the European Parliament, said some EU member states have been “very progressive” in restricting the availability of gun laws while others “still have something to do.”

Ah, yes, the watermelon experts.Â Green on the outside, red on the inside.Â Do we have a criminologist in the house?Â Nope.

Wet Beavers

Sorry of this disappoints you, but at least it’s safe for work.

The Alabama Shooting

I haven’t really had much desire to talk about the mass shooting in Alabama.Â I don’t like to jump on tragic situations to make a political point, but nor do I really want to offer up platitudes either.Â Whether we like it or not, this has become part of the national media landscape, and is probably a media generated phenomena.

The Brady Campaign is making the most out of it, and our side has been pointing out that a worse shooting happened in Germany at the same time, which has strict gun laws.Â I’ve been watching what the Administration says, because I think it’s key.Â This is the first mass shooting that’s happened under the new presidency.Â So far, not a peep.Â That’s telling.Â Why?Â Because that means Obama isn’t willing to use the bully pulpit to push for more gun control, something that Bill Clinton never missed a chance to do.Â That’s not to say Obama has suddenly become our friend, but he’s not willing ot engage in this particular polarizing debate.Â That’s a tremedously good thing for gun owners, and we ought to hope it doesn’t change.

I have a feeling that if Obama remains silent on the issue, the folks at the Brady Campaign are going to start missing Bill Clinton a lot more than I’m sure they already do.