Shall Not Be Questioned – Page 1071 – The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State …

Lessons Learned from Mumbai

There’s been a RAND study on the issue.Â It would be harder to pull off here, and having more people running around who know how to handle guns is part of the reason why.Â I include police in that.Â Even in New York City, I would expect the police to do a lot better than the police did in Mumbai, who often had little to no weapons training.

The United States indulges in security theater quite often too, but in general, we have a healthy “gun culture” and we expect our police, and armed citizens, to know how to handle a firearm.

10 Things That Won’t End Well

Cracked.com takes a look, but are relatively ignorant on the firearms issues.Â It’s meant to be funny, and it is.Â I think they are largely right on the bear gun; it’s a silly marketing gimmick.Â But they don’t make fun of the right thing with the underwear holster, and disarming techniques are actually taught to police, the funny thing there is that someone would learn them by reading a book.Â That’s one of those things I’d prefer to be taught in a class.Â It could have been funnier if the folks writing it had more experience with guns than what you see in the movies.

Year Zero

More than a few totalitarian regimes have adopted systems of dating that essentially start counting their reign from year 0, and work their way up.Â Â Well, it seems that Pennsylvania State Representative Jewell Williams would line up to go along with such a scheme:

Perhaps B.O. & A.O. are not far off? Yesterday, Rep. Jewell Williams (D-Philadelphia) began a presentation on the House floor by stating it was â€˜2009, in the year of Obamaâ€™.Â The Republican side was stunned to say the least. House Minority Rep. Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) attempted to correct the record â€“ stating that the proper designation was Anno Domini 2009 â€“ in the year or our Lord.

To which Williams responded “And the difference is?”Â I kid, I kid, but you kind of have to wonder.

Quote of the Day

From a commenter, describing why 80% of the folding knives would be banned, over on Dave Kopel’s post on the proposed switchblade regulations:

Most modern folding knives have a finger thing that goes up.

A humourous reference to Carolyn McCarthy, speaking about the “shoulder thing that goes up” that she wanted to ban on guns.

Mass Police Strapping Some Serious Firepower

Apparently 82 police departments in Massachusetts have been accepting surplus M16s and M4s from the military.Â I don’t have a problem with the police having AR-15s, but I don’t think automatic weapons should have any place in ordinary police work.Â We’re told that machine guns and assault rifles are not needed for self-defense, but if that’s so why are the police arming themselves with them?Â Either they are useful for self-defense purposes, in which case my ownership is constitutionally protected, or they aren’t, in which case the police don’t need them either.

Brady Center Hails Losing Law Firm

The firm that lost Heller for the Bradys has accepted a place on their Honor Role. I have to admit, it’s a little amusing, but when a law firm donates a lot of pro-bono time to your cause, you kind of have to say thank you, even if they lose.Â They are being recognized at a ceremony taking place today with Dick Durbin, Carolyn McCarthy and other members of the Sad Panda Coalition.

ABC News Loses All Credibility

Drudge is reporting that ABC News is turning their organization over to the White House:

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care — a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

The media can’t finish circling the bowl fast enough for me.Â It’s a shame too, because I think journalism, real journalism, is still important and has a place in the world.

Quit Yer Whining

Apparently the people who administer Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky are upset because we legal gun carriers are clearly going to trap everyone in a cave and shoot them like ducks in a barrel:

Mammoth Cave has previously banned guns from the cave, saying it keeps everyone safe. McDougal says there aren’t many ways to escape once you’re inside on a cave tour.

Does McDougal really think the rule was preventing a mass cave slaughter before?Â Apparently in his world, mass killers were busy checking the Code of Federal Regulations to check first whether their gun possession would be legal before they go on a killing spree.

Either way, I have to accept that they might be a little challenged in the reading comprehension department, since they are waiting for “guidance from Washington on interpretation of a new law opening national parks and refuges to people with loaded guns.”Â Â All the guidance one needs can be found in the Coburn Amendment itself.Â It’s one of the simplest laws you’ll ever read:

The Secretary of the Interior shall not promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm including an assembled or functional firearm in any unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System if the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm and the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the State in which the unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System is located.

There’s your guidance.Â Guns are legal in Mammoth Cave according to Kentucky Law.Â Now quit your whining and deal with it.

Arizona Restaurant Carry Bill Defeated

Apparently one of the bill’s sponsors switched at the last minue and voted no.Â The bill tied 14-14 in the Senate.Â This passed before, and was vetoed by Napolitano, so it will probably pass at some point.Â Hopefully before NRA goes back to Phoenix.

Taunting Darwin

This unsafe shooting exhibition has been making the rounds.Â If it were me, I would have refused to fire until the cameraman got his ass off the range.Â No reason that shot couldn’t have been taken with just the camera downrange.