Kevin Baker points out that the meme is back! I guess they will try all the old tricks in the hopes that something works. I think the gig is up though, at least for the time being.
Category: Gun Rights
Are the Brady’s Contaminating the Water in Tennessee?
First Lamar Alexander wanders off and votes against National Park carry, and now Phil Bredesen vetoes the restaurant carry bill. NRA has a statement on it here. Having been in Arizona, which also prohibits carry in any establishment that serves alcohol, it’s a major inconvenience, especially if you don’t have a car.
When we were in Phoenix, we were going to find some lunch with some of the Arizona bloggers, and found a nice place, then realized they had a liquor license. Even though none of us had any intention of drinking, we had to go leave firearms in cars and hotel rooms to avoid running afoul of the law.  Critics of restaurant carry, including Bresdesen, express concern about how the law would be enforced. But wouldn’t that be a concern for concealed carry in general? The whole thing is based on the honor system, which is why it’s stilly to even require licenses in the first place. Only those with honor will participate.
New Jersey Laws Get in Penn Jillette’s Way
SayUncle has the story. No, in New Jersey there is no dramatic reenactment or entertainment exception, though I understand that’s been talked about. New Jersey laws on guns (including air guns) is relatively simple: guns are illegal in New Jersey. You can only own them and possess them under exceptions to the law. One of those exceptions is a shooting range, and going directly too and from. A theater is Atlantic City is not a shooting range, so it’s outside of that exception. The only way to legally possess a .357 revolver in a theater in Atlantic City is to get a New Jersey License to Carry Firearms, which are not really issued to anyone who’s not well connected, and even the well connected can have a rough time.
Incidentally, New Jersey law can create problems for reenactors, because of the lack of exception for entertainment. Even a flintlock pistol in New Jersey is regulated in the same manner as a Glock. Muzzleloaders are regulated in a lesser manner than modern rifles and shotguns, but New Jersey’s antique cannon laws alone are several pages. The laws, taken as a whole, are so complicated even most lawyers don’t understand them, let alone police. The complexity of it is part of the reason I won’t compete there, even though there are ranges that are still very active, and run good matches.
A Thank You to President Obama
From Evan Nappen. As much as I find humor in trying to tie Obama to putting his signature on a pro-gun bill, I have little doubt what the result would have been if the bill had passed on its own, separately. He signed it because it was tacked on to a must pass bill for the Democrats.
Making It Harder
Robb Allen notes that it’s getting harder for the anti-gun message to find a safe haven. It’s about time, I think.
Post Heller Crime in DC
It’s going down. Who would have guessed?
Defining Trespassing Down
If the Inquirer’s editorial board had their way, we’d call tresspassing overstaying your welcome:
The members of Heeding God’s Call also intend to bring their message to the pulpits of legislators’ home congregations. They hope that building grassroots support across the state will change some minds in Harrisburg.
The dozen activists who are scheduled to go on trial today may have overstayed their welcome at a gun shop. But their movement is decidedly welcome in this city and state.
What kind of people are these folks, who can’t get what they want from the legislature, so they go and disrupt a man’s business and try to destroy his livelihood. How is Colosimo’s to blame if a gun that was sold from his stop later turns up in a crime? Is a Ford dealer responsible for cars that later end up in a drunk driving accident?
Colosimo’s is a scapegoat — a convienent way for the powers that be who run Philadelphia keep deflecting blame for the fact that they are unwilling to remove criminals. The Philadelphia Inquirer is apparently only too happy to help.
Obama Signs National Park Carry Reform
Those are words I never thought I’d ever write, but it’s been signed. Unfortunately, the text of the credit card bill says its provisions and amendments don’t go into effect for another nine months, but I don’t yet know whether or not that applies to this as well. I suspect it does. So we’ll have to wait until February 22nd, 2010.
UPDATE: PSH already coming in. People will carry guns on the White House lawn! Quick, hide the water dog!
UPDATE: Obama’s signing statement contained no mention of guns, though it was briefly mentioned beforehand.  Sorry Bradys!
UPDATE: NRA’s presser is here, and confirms this does not go into effect until February 22nd, 2010.
Notice What’s Missing?
The President is speaking about signing the Credit Card Bill that’s on his desk this morning.  Here’s the excerpt from the speech:
And later this afternoon, I’ll sign bipartisan legislation that protects consumers from the unfair rate hikes and abusive fees levied by many credit card companies.
This is, by his past record, the most anti-gun president in our nation’s history. Will the Bradys even get a signing statement out of him?  An acknowledgment that there’s at least something in this bill that doesn’t meet with his approval?
This might be a two bottle three day weekend for the Brady folks if his statement here is any indication of what he might say when he signs it. Because as someone in the comments over at SayUncle pointed out, the Brady’s would have been better off if they had just left the existing rule alone. Now it’s legislation, and more liberal than the original rule. That’s much harder to undo.