The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State …
A little backstory first: this is the 3rd attempt to adapt the novel I am Legend into a movie. To be candid, the first two attempts sucked. “The Last Man on Earth†and “The Omega Man†were perfect examples of Hollywood past taking a good story and raping it to death and then defecating on the corpse.
I think we’ll have to revoke his NRA membership for saying bad things about a Charlton Heston movie ;)
It looks like the Chambersburg Public Opinion believes that guns and polling places don’t mix. While I don’t find their argument to be entirely unreasonable, the Pennsylvania Legislature could have chosen to make polling places off limits for carrying firearms if they were concerned enough about this issue. The fact that is, that the legislature chose not to do so.
The incident with Mr. Rotz is not really about public policy, it’s what the law is, and whether or not Sheriff Wollyung was within his authority to revoke this man’s license to carry a firearm. I don’t believe the sheriff was, as Mr. Rotz was not doing anything unlawful at the time, and asserted his legal right to be armed at the polling place. If Sheriff Wollyung does not like the idea of a man carrying in a polling place, he’s free to lobby the legislature to forbid the practice. Abusing his authority by making and example out of one man, and revoking his right to be armed without just cause, was not the proper or just course of action to take.
Today was actually a really nice day, but the nasty stuff is coming overnight. Today was spent at the Valley Forge Gun Show, where I met up briefly with Dan Pehrson, President of the PA Firearms Owners’ Association.  I couldn’t stay long, because the longer I stay, the more tempted I am to buy something. What I did get, though, was some ammo for my Nagant revolver, and a holographic site for my Ruger Mk.III.
But now the weather is closing in. I have some beer and a bottle of 1792 Ridgemont Reserve. What more do you need?
It’s also frustrating that when a UPS employee raised concerns on September 13 about the “multiple boxes” of ammunition the Colorado shooter had delivered to his postal box, police officers said there was nothing illegal. No limits on the number of guns; no limits on ammunition; very minimal limits on the type of guns – no wonder we have problems.
Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke, Should The Public Be Able To Get The Types Of Guns We Use In Iraq?
How many of us here have multiple boxes of ammunition delivered to our front door when we buy in bulk? With implying he’s looking for limits on numbers of guns and ammunition people can buy, you’d almost think they are looking to revive Brady II. Face it Paul, it’s not happening. You might have help from your friends in the media spreading your organizations bullshit, and let’s face it, you’re trying to mislead the public.
UPDATE: Armed and Safe has more.
… Only outlaws will have Katanas. I guess they don’t want anyone in the UK to be able to do something like this.
NRA has issued an alert asking folks to help Holmesburg Fish and Game Protective Association continue to operate in the City of Philadelphia:
For seventy-seven years, the Holmesburg Fish and Game Protective Association has served sportsmen and gun enthusiasts throughout Pennsylvania. However, several months ago, the City of Philadelphia sent notice to the Association that its long existing property lease would not be renewed. If no action is taken, the last remaining shooting range in the City of Philadelphia will be forced to close its doors on January 1, 2008.
This one hits close to home for me. The Holmsburg members showed up at one of my club’s meetings asking us to take them in, but we were very close to our membership cap at the time, and they were declined. We have taken some of them in, but we can’t take all of them.
What the City of Philadelphia is doing here is utterly disgraceful. Who must pay for violent in Philadelphia? Certainly not the criminals. It’s the honest sportsmen who have to pay. It’s the honest sportsmen that aren’t welcome in the City of Brotherly Love. The criminals? Well… they rule the streets, and run the city.
So make a call if you can. It’ll mean a lot of the folks who our club can’t take in, and we’re really the only other club close by.
Armed and Safe has pretty good coverage of the Sullivan confirmation fight, but notices the lack of coverage on the part of NRA:
By the way, I mentioned several pro-gun groups that have taken a public stand against Sullivan as director of the BATFE, but it seems to me that there’s another gun rights group out there–one, in fact, that considers itself to be the “800 lb gorilla of gun rights groups”–which has remained silent about Sullivan. Perhaps they should be asked why.
I would note that one of our two heroes in all this, Senator Larry Craig, serves on the NRA Board of Directors. I wouldn’t take NRA’s lack of public support for defeating Sullivan has an indication they don’t care about reforming ATF. It wasn’t too long ago they almost got something through Congress that would have accomplished a lot of the goals, but then the 2006 elections happened. I have heard from sources inside the association that pushing relief through Congress is still very much a priority, and they remain committed to it. While I was certainly wrong in questioning grass roots efforts to bring down the confirmation, I wasn’t wrong that the whole issue is a lot bigger than just Mike Sullivan, and ultimately, it will take an Act of Congress to fix what’s wrong at ATF.
This shot across the bow by Craig and Crapo could open the door to Sullivan being more receptive to concerns of pro-gun groups and to try to fix some of the problems we’re having with the agency. It also raises awareness of the problem. This can’t be anything but good.  But I can imagine that NRA might think it’s better to keep their attention focused on getting action out of Congress on a reform bill, rather than spending their political capital going after Sullivan, with little hope of actually defeating him.
What do you think?  Is this the wrong strategy? If so, what’s the right strategy?
… are dangerous even without access to firearms. Perhaps we need combustion control.
I know I have more than a few Jersey readers, who have no doubt been following what’s been going on in Pennsylvania lately. Now its your turn New Jersey. It’s time to put your war face on, storm the capitol, and reclaim the rights that are rightfully yours! Or you could just write your state representative that are listed in the alert. I know, I know. No fun. But we do what we have to.