I have not listened to it myself, because it’s like when you were a kid, and talked into the tape recorder, played it back, and thought “That doesn’t sound like me, that sounds awful.” I wonder what kids today talk into. Though it looks like the old style machines are still around.
Category: Guns
Nobody Get Thrown Off The Lifeboat
I think sometimes it bears reminding, that this is a core tenet of protecting the Second Amendment. What does that mean? It means even though I do not shoot bullseye pistol, I respect people who participate in that sport and their right to do it. I believe their firearms are just as protected as mine. It means even though I do not hunt, I will support hunting and the right for individuals to own firearms for that purpose. And yes, even if I am personally wary of Open Carry as a method of activism, it means I support everyone’s right to do it legally, and will fight tooth and nail any bill to restrict it, and will support bills that repeal those restrictions. This means I will expend energy even fighting restrictions on shotguns in libraries. My appeal to those folks who are pushing that is, please don’t make me expend energy fighting restrictions on shotguns in libraries. We have better things to do than fight battles we don’t have to as a movement.
It’s fine for us to disagree about what is and what isn’t effective, but remember that nobody gets thrown off the lifeboat. As soon as we start advocating for laws that restrain each other, we’ve already lost.
Getting Your Wookie Suit On and Riding the Drama Llama
Robb has some worthwhile thoughts on the latest OC dustup:
There is a big difference though in carrying a firearm and going about your business and carrying a firearm because Dagnabbit! I want people to SEE ME! Riding on back of the Drama Llama does not help. Really. In my line of activism, the two results I want are people to see the pistol, but not become alarmed, or to miss it completely. What doesn’t help is having too many people getting upset. Our actions are cumulative. Upset enough people enough times, and eventually you can turn someone who was at best ambivalent toward us hostile.
The real concern should be that there are OC bills currently in Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma, all of which are jeopardized when our opponents are able to point out that passage is going to mean people showing up to the local library with a 12 gauge. It’s one thing for them to throw that out there hysterically, it’s quite another when they can point out examples to legislators.
We need these bills. If I ever go visit Everglades National Park, or Big Bend National Park, I don’t really want to have to conceal if I’m walking the trails. I doubt I’m the only one who feels the same way.
Steven Hunter Interview on NPR
Five Too Many
New Jersey already limits magazine capacity to fifteen rounds in magazines. Apparently some lawmakers think that having those five extra rounds is just too wild and crazy, and are proposing to reduce the arbitrary and ridiculous limit to ten.
Truth is, New Jersey is in the middle of the pack. Maryland is 20 rounds. New York is 10. New Jersey was in the middle. The even greater truth is these lines are totally arbitrary, and have nothing to do with public safety. This is just another opportunity for our opponents to get more law abiding un owners behind bars where they think we belong.
Good News for Illinois
Chicago has apparently been hemorrhaging population:
The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday that during the decade ended in 2010, Chicago’s population fell 6.9% to 2,695,598 people, fewer than the 2.7 million reported back in 1920.
This will mean loss of representation for the city, which strengthens the pro-gun position in Illinois, and weakens the anti-gun position.
Taking His Gun Control Act on the Road
Bloomberg, Gun Control Tour 2011 is beginning:
Displaying a tally of the number of Americans killed with guns since January’s Tucson, Ariz., shootings, the “National Drive to Fix Gun Checks” truck will spend two months driving across at least 25 states, Bloomberg said. That includes stops to meet with local leaders, law-enforcement officials and victims of gun violence — the first in Newark on Wednesday afternoon at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, for an event hosted by Mayor Cory Booker.
This is one area local activists can really make a difference. Bloomberg needs to be relentlessly protested everywhere he stops. Do not let him own the field.
UPDATE: Commenters are pointing out there’s not exactly a clear schedule. This, of course, makes taking action difficult, which is why I would imagine they are making it up as they go.
Too Far?
Just when I thought it was safe to start feeling better about open carry, the ante gets upped. If some guy walks into a restaurant with an AR-15, I’m going to have my hand on my own pistol, figuring there’s a very strong likelihood I’m going to have to draw it in self-defense. Why? Because I can’t think of any reason a reasonable person is walking into a restaurant with an AR-15. Even if the guy with the AR is wearing a police uniform, I’d be quite nervous, because police don’t generally walk into restaurants carrying AR-15s unless serious trouble is afoot.
UPDATE: OTOH, if the folks who are engaging in attention seeking behavior now need to up the ante to rifles, because pistols just don’t grab attention like they used to, maybe there is something to the OC theory.
Traveler’s Insurance Gives a Non Response
SayUncle has details. I do all my insuring through NRA’s ArmsCare, and Liberty Mutual, so I am happy I do not have to change my insurance company. If I had Traveler’s, I sure would.
NRA News on the Ung Case
I’ll be appearing on NRA News tonight tomorrow night (Wednesday) during the 9:40 segment to talk about the Gerald Ung case. Sirius 144 for those of you with Satellite Radio.
UPDATE: It’ll be tomorrow night, Wednesday 2/16 at 9:40. Sorry for the confusion… I misread Cam’s e-mail.