Sebastian – Page 1036 – Shall Not Be Questioned

On the New Jersey .50 Caliber Ban

CemeteryCAS points to an article in the Trenton Times talking about the ban on firearms over a certain caliber that’s been up for debate in New Jersey.Â Interestingly enough, I shoot indoor silhouette on Thursdays with the guy that wrote the article:

In response to calls, faxes and emails, on Nov. 17 the New Jersey Assembly delayed passage of A2116 (banning most firearms of .50 caliber or larger) and instead is in the process of amending the legislation in an attempt to respond to gun- owner concerns. The amended bill could be considered by the full Assembly as early as December. With no statistics to justify such a ban, and all the negative things that it would do, we can only hope that the state legislators will have a case of common sense and scrap the bill.

Trenton is itching to ban something. That’s just how the roll over there.Â Time has passed, and it’s time to screw gun owners once again.Â Bryan Miller demands it!Â But we’ve killed this before, and we might be able to kill it again.

Good Article About Shooting Sports

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“The attitude of the public and the media is often ‘We don’t want guns around,’ ” he said. “But once people become more knowledgeable, they see shooting more favorably.”

“Some people fear guns until they learn the fundamentals,” said Edmiston. “We’ve had women afraid to even come into the building, and then they take a course and find shooting can be fun.”

It’s good that we’re still getting posts like this in the media.Â After carrying the water for Obama in this election, we have to be concerned that they will also carry the water for whatever ant-gun agenda he might want to pursue.

West Virginia & Louisiana Recprocity

Even in these foreboding times for gun rights, we’re still getting reciprocity agreements between states worked out.

Don’t Worry, Look at What He Says

The Arizona Daily Star thinks we’re all a bunch of negative nancys:

And there are genuine problems we all should be worried about: A continuing credit crunch, stock-market declines, growing numbers of business failures, 1.2 million lost jobs so far this year and nearly as many homeowners expected to endure foreclosure.

So what’s going on with gun sales? We’ve investigated Obama’s gun agenda. It is not a whacko left-wing attack on Second Amendment rights. It is a safety agenda, pure and simple.

So stop buying up assault weapons you stupid, paranoid cousin humpers!Â Obama only said he’s going to ban them, but pretty clearly he’ll have better things to worry about.

Music to My Ears

The Inquirer is lamenting the loss of Philadelphia political power:

Philadelphia is quickly losing clout in Harrisburg, and considering the city’s budget crisis, it couldn’t happen at a worse time.

First, after Democratic voting last week, Carbon County State Rep. Keith McCall is all but certain to assume the title of House speaker come January – a title held by Philadelphians for the last five years.

For gun owners, Keith McCall is an NRA A+ rated Democrat from Carbon County.Â Our previous speaker was actually Philadelphia Republican Dennis O’Brein, who was also an A rated guy on our issue, but it’s good that the seat doesn’t appear to be going to a big city Dem.

They also lament the loss of Vince Fumo’s top Democratic spot in the Senate Appropriations committee to an Allegeny County Dem.Â Fumo did not run for re-election because he is currently under a 139 count indictment by the feds for fraud and various other malfeasance.Â The Democrats did gain one house seat in Pennsylvania’s House, increasing their lead to a whopping two seats.Â But the departure of Fumo and the Philadelphia political machine from important positions is something to feel good about.

Undermining Heller

Says Judge Wilkinson of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals:

Writing for the Virginia Law Review, Judge Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit says that Heller, like Roe, was disrespectful of legislative judgments, has hurled courts into a political thicket of fine-tuning policy in interminable litigation and traduced federalism. Furthermore, Heller exposed “originalism” — the doctrine that the Constitution’s text means precisely what those who wrote its words meant by them — as no barrier to “judicial subjectivity.”

Yes, except the Second Amendment is right there, staring at you in the face in the Bill of Rights.Â It’s not to be found emanating from any penumbras.

On Manners

The Belmont Club talks about recent bad mannered proposals to get Barack Obama into the White House sooner, rather than later:

Since Barack Obama himself has made no such demand and has the good sense not to make it, why should anyone care about the likes of Collins and Matthews? One reason is that they are engaged in a very public display of their bad manners and bad manners are contagious. Manners play an important part in civic life. Why do we stand in line at a buffet and not rush to the front if we can get away with it? Why do we observe rope barriers when it would be easy to duck under it or jump over them? Because it isnâ€™t the done thing. The Collins and Matthews proposal to install Obama in office right away if they could get away with it is in many ways like shouting that in a cafeteria queue that it would be better to clamber over the steam tables because youâ€™re in a hurry to eat. JJ McNab observed that most things happen through voluntary compliance.

Good manners are in short supply these days, and sadly that’s true of much of our side as well.

It’s a Bit Odd, Indeed

The Arizona Rifleman runs into his first reader that didn’t know who he was.Â It is an odd experience to be talking to someone you’ve introduced yourself to under your real name, and have them mention your blog.

A Litmus Test

Since the soon-to-be Obama Administration is so keen on thoroughly vetting their high-level candidate, I have a suggestion for something that should act as a litmus test.Â Once they complete the mandatory sensitivity training, I would recommend playing this.Â Anyone who stands up and puts their hand over their heart is automatically disqualified.

Sadly, I expect that would disqualify a hefty portion of his Administration.

Regulating Rainfall

Apparently it’s illegal to collect rain water in some western states without difficult to obtain water rights for doing so.Â There’s a saying from the west that I believe goes something like “Out west, whiskey is for drinkin’ and water is for fightin’.”Â Things like that don’t really change, though presumably we fight using lawyers these days rather than guns.