The bill Joe highlights here in the Montana Legislature would run into problems with the Supremacy Clause, but it shows how states can take measures to resist federal encroachments on fundamental rights. If the state of Montana were very serious about such a measure, to the point where it would be willing to arrest federal agents sent to enforce unconstitutional gun laws, things would get interesting. I’ve discussed this in more detail here, about how state governments resisting laws they find intolerable can up the ante, so to speak, and serve to draw a line in the sand that is an alternative to what others advocate. States like Montana, Wyoming and Idaho already seemed primed for such action, even if under the current circumstances, these bill are merely symbolic.
Category: Guns
15 Pages
Gun P0rn
Thompson M1, Full Auto – Traction Control has much better toys than I do.
Different kind of Thompson – Looks like a decent big bore silhouette pistol.
Cannons at TAMU’s Firearms Museum – I wish my college had a firearms museum.
Sad Story About a Gun Accident
This woman’s son was killed in a gun accident, and she’s become an advocate for safety training:
She’s convinced that gun-safety courses, especially for teenagers, can avert tragedies such as the one that forever changed two families.
The foundation is circulating an online petition — about 440 people have signed — asking for mandatory safety training. Stein plans to send the petition to Barack Obama.
”People who don’t have bad intent should at least be taught how to handle guns,” Stein said. “You don’t let [teens] behind the wheel without knowing how to drive . . . This is not about taking people’s rights; it’s about keeping people safe.”
Morris Stein bought a gun after graduating from Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School. It was a choice more whimsical than ominous: an antique French rifle.
”I’m allowed to have a long gun,” he told his mother. “I’m an American citizen . . . No one knows where the clip is but me.”
Mandating gun safety training in high schools is a proposal I would gladly stand by Robin Stein and advocate. I think everyone should know how to safely handle a firearm, including not pointing it in unsafe directions, or keeping firearms gratuitously loaded and unsecured. But I won’t get behind any proposal to make training a prior restraint on purchasing a firearm.
Religion in the wrong hands can be quite deadly, yet we do not require training in peaceable religion before purchasing Bibles, Torahs or Korans. We do not require people first read The Gulag Archipelago before purchasing a copy of The Communist Manifesto, or the Diary of Anne Frank before buying Mein Kampf. I agree that we need more education on firearms, but that education cannot be a barrier to the exercise of a constitutional right.
Great SHOT Pictures
Take a look at some of the great photo coverage of SHOT over at Gun Pundit. Just keep scrolling.
Two Virginia Gun Bills
Two Virginia gun bills will be given a hearing tomorrow in subcommittee. One of the bills will allow people with concealed carry licenses to carry into restaurants. Hopefully this will pass this time around. The relevant section in the bill is below. Additions are in italics, while the struck out sections are being removed:
J3. No person shall carry who carries a concealed handgun onto the premises of any restaurant or club as defined in § 4.1-100 for which a license to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption has been granted by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board under Title 4.1 of the Code of Virginia ; however, nothing herein may consume an alcoholic beverage while on the premises. A person who carries a concealed handgun onto the premises of such a restaurant or club shall inform a designated employee of the restaurant or club that he is carrying a concealed handgun. A person who carries a concealed handgun onto the premises of such a restaurant or club and consumes alcoholic beverages is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. A person who becomes intoxicated while carrying a concealed handgun on the premises of such a restaurant or club is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, nothing in this subsection shall prohibit any sworn apply to a federal, state, or local law-enforcement officer from carrying a concealed handgun on the premises of such restaurant or club or any owner or event sponsor or his employees from carrying a concealed handgun while on duty at such restaurant or club if such person has a concealed handgun permit while actually engaged in the performance of his official duties.
It seems like an eminently reasonable bill, though I would prefer it not have the requirement to inform the restaurant of the fact that I am carrying. If you’re going to require this, I might as well just open carry, which is already legal.
Philadelphia Gun Show
Went to the gun show today at the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory. Got there an hour before closing, and things were pretty well picked over. Was looking for someone selling .308 ammunition, but there was none to be had. The ammo dealers were picked to the bone. Found one guy selling CCI .22LR Standard Velocity for $27 bucks a brick. That’s 8 bucks cheaper than Midway right now, so I bought 1000 rounds.
Crowd was pretty good for getting close to closing on a Sunday. Not much in the way of AR-15s that weren’t 1400 bucks and up. Lots of Mosin-Nagants left over at the end of the show. One thing is magazine prices don’t seem to be spiking too much in price. I didn’t notice any shortage of those at the show, at least there were plenty of AK and AR magazines left toward the end. Magazine prices never spiked very much during the assault weapons ban, because supplies were never really short, except for a few brands (15 round Glock 19 magazines being among them).
“Easy Access”
David Codrea takes on the notion that youth today are violent because of “easy access” to firearms over at the Cleveland Examiner.
Holder Vote Scheduled for January 21st
The hearings are finished at this point, with the vote scheduled to take place on January 21st. If you’re going to write, call or e-mail your Senator, be sure to do it before then.