Brady Center Dives in to Hain Case

The Brady Center is offering legal aid to the Lebanon County sheriff, in a one million dollar lawsuit that Ms. Hain plans to file against him.  I have not seen the case, but given that it’s being filed in federal court, I’m guessing it’s a section 1983 suit.

One could easily dismiss this as a desperate ploy for attention by the Brady Center, but I don’t think so.  Based on commentary I’ve seen in local news articles surrounding this suit, the communities are rather outraged about the suit.  This was an opportunity for them to be seen in a positive light by folks in what normally is a part of the state not entirely warm to their cause.  Their involvement is strategic, and I think this was smart for them.  They see an opportunity to benefit themselves, and damage us, and I think that opportunity is there.

Taking a 1983 suit into federal court, based on the Second Amendment, and relating to concealed carry, is an incredibly unwise move at this point in time.  This could possibly set precedent for the entire Third Circuit, and possibly the entire country if it’s willing to go far enough.  If we’re going to challenge arbitrary licensing, I think there are better examples of that than Pennsylvania’s concealed carry law.  A mom openly carrying to a kids soccer game would also not be my first choice of plaintiff for the case.  We also don’t even have definitive incorporation of the Second Amendment at this point in time.

If this case goes forward, it’s likely to end badly for us, and will stick us with bad precedent that could be very difficult to overcome.  Keep in mind that New Jersey is also in the Third Circuit, and has a number of very bad and arbirary licensing guidelines, even relating to guns in the home.  I’d hate to screw future cases over a lawsuit where I don’t think the issue is ripe.

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Obnoxious Reloads

The Arizona Rifleman talks about problematic reloads, namely loads made from demiled components.   You see, the United States government is forbidden from surplussing ammunition these days, thanks to our last gun hating Commander-in-Chief, Bill Clinton.  But it’s not illegal to dismantle surplus into their components and sell those.  I’ve been using such lake city brass for a while now.  You have to be careful, because as he mentions, the components can get damaged or deformed as they are demiled.

UPDATE: Fixed the link.  But the article on Depression Porn by Virginia Postrel was pretty good.

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Situational Awareness

I discovered my situational awareness is a bit better than Bitter’s.  One Thai restaurant we like to go to is found in a mostly vacant, out of the way shopping plaza in Newtown.  Approaching the restaurant, I notice two other vehicles out front, one with Pennsylvania tags, and an early model Ford Explorer with New Jersey tags.  We park behind the Explorer.  Go in to the place, and find two other couples there.  Not unexpected or unusual, since this doesn’t tend to be a busy place on a Sunday.

Bitter and I go in, enjoy our Spicy Drunken Noodle (with chicken).  In the mean time, couple one leaves.  Couple two, who were sitting rather cozily next to each other at the table also leaves, but gives me a funny and not entirely friendly look on the way out.  Enough to make me think “Jesus woman, what did I do to deserve the evil eye?”

Bitter and I take about 20 minutes to finish our meal.  On the way out I notice that New Jersey tagged Explorer is still in the parking lot, and the engine is running.  Condition orange.  Something is not right with this picture.  We’re the only other ones in the parking lot, and they left the restaurant 20 minutes ago.  Had the Kel-Tec in the jacket pocket.  Put my hand in my pocket just in case.  I figure that maybe they had too much to drink, and are waiting to feel OK to drive. Understandable.  But I didn’t notice a bottle on their table (it’s a BYOB), evil eye, our car the only other one around, so yeah… condition orange.

As we approached the Explorer, I heard the soft din of Bryan Adams “Heaven”.  A little closer, and noticed the vehicle shaking a bit.  At this point my eyes are fixated on the windo …. holy beast with two backs batman, those two are going at it like a couple of crazed spider monkeys.  I mean, how does that go?  “Come on baby, the food was hot, you are hot, and the massaman curry just makes me too crazy.  I can’t wait to get home!  I must have you now.”  Back to condition yellow.  Evil eye was because they wanted to get all Evil Jungle Princess in the back seat, and we created a problem for their plans when we arrived.

I am not one to call the cops for something like that.  We were the only other people around, and while I generally tend to think you should be done sex in the back of a car, in a public parking lot, by the time you’re, say, 16, if I had called the cops, it would be for the sin for being from New Jersey, and in my state, playing Bryan Adams at a decible level where I could hear it.  But it’s a useful lesson in observing what’s going on around you.

Get in the car, turn on the headlights and drive off.  Noticed that the movement inside and outside stopped when the headlights went on.  I hope they both managed to finish after our rude interruption.  Nonetheless, I think I will have to talk to my new state rep about making it illegal to play Bryan Adams loudly while being from New Jersey.  We need to have decent standards for public behavior in this state.

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Great Editorial, but Wrong

The Dickson Press is disappointed that North Dakotans won’t be able to protect themselves in National Parks:

Unfortunately, an expansion of the Second Amendment right to possess and carry arms will not touch North Dakota.

On Friday, an Interior Department executive order was passed which allows people to carry concealed weapons in some national parks and wildlife refuges. North Dakota does not qualify because it does not allow guns in its state parks.

Except that the rule that was eventually adopted differs from the original proposed rule, in that the state in question must specifically prohibit carry in National Parks, or federal lands.  North Dakota bans carry in state parks in the same way Pennsylvania did (before it goes away on 12/16) which is through administrative rules.  There is no blanket ban on public parks or on National Parks.  Once the new federal rule on National Parks goes into effect, you’ll be able to carry in National Parks in North Dakota.

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Cold December Morn

Last IHMSA match of the year today.  A dusting of snow on the ground, temperature hovering right around freezing.  The trailer we keep all the animals in and use to haul them down range had a flat.  Found a spare, put that on, but turns out that leaked air, so no go with that.  Found enough tools between four gun nuts to re-inflate the original tire and put it back on.  We were late getting the animals put out, which was just in time for the temperature to drop and the wind to kick up.  I wasn’t hitting much of anything.  Got a whopping 8 for field pistol, and 18 for smallbore.  The battery in my red dot is low to begin with, but lower it’s temperature to around freezing and I couldn’t really see the thing.  Spent time between relays keeping the battery warm.  Shot a round with rifle (which isn’t sanctioned) just so I could feel like I knocked over some animals for the day.  Only got 21 with rifle.  Wind and cold is a bitch.

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Philadelphia Police Abandoning Europellet

Looks like the Philadelphia Police are getting rid of the 9mm Glocks and going with .40 or .45 caliber Glocks.  The Pennsylvania State Police recently adopted the .45GAP line of Glocks.  Ramsey must be reading my blog :)

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Kim? Spineless?

A lot of people have said a lot of things about Kim du Toit over the years, but it takes a special kind of person to tell someone who spent time in prison for opposing Apartheid that he:

has been so spineless over the years, and sneered his own derision at good principled men, that he deserves a slap in the face for dropping in here and loosing more of the same himself.

Kim is never someone I would accuse of not having the courage of his convictions.

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