Author: Sebastian

HSUS Organizing Vermin Celebration

In New York City, they are celebrating the pigeon:

Animal rights groups will hold a “National Pigeon Day” in New York City next month to rally for the rights of birds and protest hunting activities at places such as the Philadelphia Gun Club in Bensalem.

Animal rights groups said they are rallying against pigeon trafficking to Pennsylvania for the purposes of pigeon shoots, pigeon control methods, including contraceptives and poaching.

I am not personally a fan of pigeon shooting, in that I don’t take part in it.  But much like Canadian Geese, pigeons are pests, and can carry disease.  I have no problems with effective management techniques to reduce their numbers, even if they are lethal methods.

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They Do Sometimes Bite

Joe Huffman seems to have had the IPSC stage from hell this weekend, and got bitten by his 1911, which malfunctioned.  When I shoot silhouette, I use a Ruger Mk.III.  Holding taco, you bring the pistol in close for a more stable position.  I have to be careful not to hold too close, or the slide comes back and punches me in the nose.  That’s about the worst I’ve ever gotten in competition.

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Gambling: It’s for the Children

From Capitol Ideas:

Speaking from Summerdale, Cumberland County, yesterday, Rendell urged the young’uns to mount a Children’s Crusade by signing an online petition supporting the legalization of tens of thousands of video poker terminals to raise roughly $500 million for higher education grants.

Read the whole thing.  I’m wholly in agreement with Rendell on the liberalization of the state’s gambling laws, but I think it’s odd to employ children in the promotion of it.  Lame duck Ed is a lot more interesting than needs to win an election Ed.  I will say that.  Perhaps next Rendell can tell kids to convince their parents to drink more in order to bring in even more money the state can use for education.

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A Tale of Two Statements

A few weeks ago, in regards to Harrisburg’s recently passed Lost and Stolen ordinance, Linda Thompson, Harrisburg Council president stated to our favorite Inquirer columnist, Monica Yant Kinney:

Thompson doesn’t believe a lost-and-stolen law will halt gun trafficking, but it’s a worthy first step.

On Monday, responding to an NRA lawsuit against Harrisburg’s ordinance, she stated:

“I’m not threatened by the NRA,” said City Council President Linda Thompson. “I want the NRA to know I support our law-abiding gun owners, but they’ve got to get off the special interest state of mind. This is about human interest.”

How, in that instance, is the Lost and Stolen law not a “special interest?”  She freely admits it will not stop illegal gun trafficking.  So who does she presume it will affect?  If you guessed the law abiding, you would be correct.  Who is behind this rash of ordinances breaking out all over the Commonwealth?  If you guessed CeaseFire PA, you would be correct.  Does CeaseFire PA escape “special interest” status, or are the a “human interest?”

You see, it’s already a crime to transfer a handgun in this Commonwealth without processing through an FFL or the police.  But we’re told now that even lowering the state’s burden down to that isn’t good enough.  Now we want to be able to throw people in jail because the state thinks (but can’t prove) they are liars, when they inform the police they had a gun stolen.  And opposing that, according to Councilwoman Thompson is a “special interest,” rather than a “human interest.”  Forgive me if I don’t get the distinction.

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New Jersey Dead Last in NICS Stats

Cemetery is reporting that New Jersey is dead last in NICS checks.  Sales there are still up by over 30%, but with one of the lowest rates of (legal) gun ownership in the country, New Jersey’s just not a big enough slice of the pie to compete with other states.  Pennsylvania is selling an order of magnitude more guns per person.  Onerous restrictions in NJ are also going to put a lid on demand.  Many folks who have applied for permit to purchases or FIDs after Novermber 4th are no doubt still waiting for them, and will wait for more than a year in many cases.  This despite the fact that the law calls for a 90 30 day issuance.  Obeying the gun laws over there is mandatory for the citizen, with multi-year mandatory jail sentences for forgetting some obscure detail, but optional for the police.   All in the name of public safety, you know.

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Specter Way Ahead of Toomey in Polling

Capitol Ideas is reporting that Specter beats Pat Toomey 53-33 percent in the general, but Tom Ridge matches up with Specter at 46 percent and Ridge at 43 percent.  Like I’ve said before, incumbents have a sky high reelection rate, which is why it makes sense for NRA to endorse Specter if he holds his position on the Second Amendment and keeps voting that way.

As much as I would like to see Pat Toomey off Sarlen Arlen in the 2010 election, it’s not likely to happen.  I think Toomey could improve his polling numbers if he plays his politics right for Pennsylvania, but if Ridge throws his hat into the primary, he’s going to have to run to the right of Ridge (how’s that for alliteration?).  I think Toomey’s fortunes depend on him avoiding a rough primary, and even if he manages that, he has an uphill fight.

Of course, it’s not out of the question that Specter will face a stiff primary challenge from the left as well, so I’d be hard pressed to suggest this race is over before it starts.  Time will tell.

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