Sebastian – Page 650 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Head Turning Headlines

I couldn’t have imagined Dan Boren was suddenly turning on us, which is why this headline appearing in my alerts made me do a double take:

Oklahoma Representative Boren: Microstamping Bill is Pro-Gun

They are talking about an NRA backed bill to fund a study on microstamping, not the act of mandating microstamping itself. I actually questioned someone at NRA about this wisdom of this when the issue came out a few weeks ago, but they noted that when they’ve done these kinds of studies (real scientific studies, as opposed to the crap our opponents peddle) they’ve been more useful for our side than they are for the other. The only serious study of microstamping done to date wasn’t favorable to the technology, so I think the hope is this study confirms those findings and helps put this issue to bed.

Concealed Crocodiles

Perhaps the weirdest cause for a plane crash I’ve ever seen. You know, this would make a pretty good Samuel L. Jackson movie.

Playing on Fears

Of all the ads this election season, this one will play most decidedly on deeply seeded American fears:

I’m generally not one to enjoy scare tactics in politics, but this ad made my skin crawl. This is genius, even if it’s creepy genius. Sometimes I think people need to be slapped in the face with what’s at stake. This add gets that across.

Gaming Scenarios

Caleb asks some questions, knowing many of us carry. I’ll do my best to answer.

Youâ€™re eating at a restaurant with your family and a group of shooters burst in to the restaurant and light it up, Mumbai-style.

No choice. You have to return fire even if you think you’ll die. At worst you’ll delay the shooters long enough for your family and others to get away to safety. At best you save yourself.

You see a 3rd party being violently attacked and in clear threat of death or grievous bodily harm.

I believe you have a civic obligation to intervene. If you really believe in a universal citizen militia, I don’t see how you can believe otherwise. The entire idea of such a thing is that every citizen has an obligation to others, and towards the common peace.

You see a young mother having her child forcibly ripped away from her by an obvious bad man.

Same as above.Â But, the problem is:

Assume for the sake of argument that in all the above situations the bad guys are clear, the good guys are obvious, youâ€™re carrying your regular carry gun, and lethal force is clearly justified.

Almost nothing in the real world is ever that simple. When it comes to assisting third parties, you need to be supremely cautious. There are plenty of instances when it wouldn’t be so cut and dry. I’m going to get away from that situation, or just be a good witness for police. The real world is seldom so forgiving as the situations Caleb is gaming here.

What it Takes to Get a Permit in Maryland

You’re going to be grilled by your “betters.” And this guy was a House Delegate! I’d hate to see what would happen to your average American. The process for carry rights is just beginning, but it’s happening. I’m glad Delegate Smigiel is getting the process started in Maryland.

Afraid to Get Into Competition?

Miguel takes a quote from Massad Ayoob. Â Any time I’ve ever shot competitively, I’m generally in the middle of the pack. There’s probably better shooters out there than you, but there’s also probably worse shooters. If you are at the bottom of the pile, it probably means you’re shooting with top notch people, and can learn something.

What Shot Sestak up?

Local pundits are suggesting that it’s this commercial:

Folks, if all a left-wing Democrat has to do to win is put his foo foo dog in a commercial blaming Bush for the country’s problems, we’re totally screwed. I’d like to encourage everyone to get out there and do something for Pat Toomey. We need to win this. If Dems get another state wide win with an openly anti-Second Amendment candidate, it’s not going to stop with Joe Sestak.

Remington Strikes Back

CNBC is busily promoting a show which will purportedly show the 700 is a dangerous firearm. Remington isn’t taking it lying down.Â Also see this interview with Cam Edwards on NRA News.

[Video Removed due to autoplay. Here’s a link. Remington, guys, use YouTube. This looks like the same abomination of an app that NRA uses. Bad move.]

It’s well understood when it comes to journalistic integrity, NBC has none. I believe nothing of what the media says anymore without some independent facts to back it up. They’ve been lying to the American public for years, it’s just now they are getting caught.
Hat tip to Firearms Blog.

[Full disclosure, Neither Remington nor its parent company advertises on this site. I just really hate CNBC.]

Polling

We’re very concerned about some recent polling that shows Joe Sestak either closing the lead on Toomey or ahead of him. Polling is obviously not the end all be all, but suffice it to say it has us concerned. Especially considering it was a last minute surge that put Sestak over the top.

If Joe Sestak is elected Senator, he will be the most anti-gun Senator this state has ever had. If we can’t beat Joe Sestak this year, Pennsylvania will not stay pro-gun for long. Every gun owner needs to get out and vote for Toomey. Sestak doesn’t even believe you have a right to have a gun in the home for self-defense. If that’s not too radical for Pennsylvania gun owners, we’re doomed.

More About Gun Shows

Chris shares with us some of the Reasoned Discourse^TM, and notes:

As a side note, I’m not a huge fan of hand grenades, personally. I just don’t see an epidemic of hand grenade crime, they are already highly regulated, and I really doubt that you can just go to a gun show and buy one over the counter.

Not something I’m chomping at the bit to get my hands on either (unlike, say, something belt fed), but I think it’s interesting Ms. Japete believes we can just pick them up at any local gun show. Nothing could convince me more her entire field of knowledge about gun shows comes from scary crap she’s read from the Brady folks, and their like.

I’ve never been to a gun show that didn’t have law some law enforcement presence, with the exception of some smaller ones. Who would have guessed a place where people are buying and trading valuable items that criminals want to steal, the promoters might want a cop or two around.

So how, exactly, does Ms. Japete think that a highly contraband object is being sold at gun shows where there is likely to be law enforcement presence?