Back before Sugarmann sold his epiphany on assault weapons to the gun control movement, we used to just call them rifles. Caleb points to a rant about just calling an AR and AR. I’ll add my two cents to the cause too. The need to do PC re-branding is a reaction to our opponents taking semi-automatic rifles and calling them assault weapons. Let’s just go back calling them rifles and be done with it.
New Campaign Tactic
Dave Adams is pointing to a tactic similar to the one I inadvertently stumbled upon earlier in the week. It seems that the DCCC and Democrats across the country, are busily attacking third party candidates in their races as dangerous tea party conservatives. This obviously raises the profile of the third party candidate, and, if the plan works out, draws enough die-hards over to the candidate to split the vote sufficiently to allow the Democrat to come out on top.
I’d put this in the category of a dirty trick, but if it works, I can promise you’ll see more of it, on both sides.
NSSF Backs Microstamping Study as Well
More Stomping Video
Thanks to a commenter who pointed to this Redstate video that reveals the moments leading up to the “stomping” incident:
So this pretty much confirms my view that Valle was no passive protester. She was actively out to make trouble. This tends to make me more forgiving of the guy that tried to restrain her, since he could have legitimately believed she was a threat to the candidate. The guy that stomped her shoulder when she was down on the ground though is still an ass. You don’t get forgiven just because the person you were stomping on is a bigger ass.
Also, is anyone creeped out by people chanting a candidate’s name at the top of their lungs? I would have thought libertarianish type people would be more immune to the whole cult of personality attraction, but I think the Ron Paul campaign, and now the Rand Paul campaign has disabused me of that notion.
Beware the libertarian fascists! They want to take over the country and leave you alone!
Hysterics from VPC Over the Bushmaster ACR
Josh Sugarmann is wetting his pants because Bushmaster is recalling the ACR. Based on the fact that Bushmaster describes this problem as dangerous, I’m going to guess something like a hammer follow. Unfortunately for Josh, all semi-automatic firearms can malfunction in this way, not just evil assault weapons. The venerable M1 Garand (that’s still not an assault weapon right? Oh wait, no, it is) can certainly do it as well.
But Sugarmann seems to think this is some kind of gotcha “See! See! Assault weapons really are machine guns!”
Patrick Murphy Tied to Voter Fraud
The Courier Times is doing a story about Patrick Murphy’s campaign allegedly engaging in voter fraud. Will 8th District voters be able to overcome the margin of fraud? This kind of election year accusation is common, but I would point out that the Courier Times is hardly a friend of the GOP or the right.
Poll Standers
Looks like everyone needs poll standers this year. What is a pole stander? Basically, someone who hands out literature to folks coming into the polls. Yes, there are people who are walking into the voting booth, that aren’t firm on who they are going to vote for, or who can’t quite remember the name of that person, running for some office, who they are planning to vote for.
The purpose of the poll stander is to get those few extra votes as folks head into the polls to make their small contribution to the future of our Republic. The unfortunate thing is campaigns always need them, and the even more unfortunate thing is I can never find people willing to do it when I ping my volunteer list. I can understand why no one wants to phone bank, because a lot of people hate getting phone calls, and don’t want to do it to other people, or just plain hate talking to people on the phone. Poll standing generally just requires handing out campaign materials people can peruse while waiting in line to vote. It may involve talking to people some if they have questions, but that’s not the majority of the job.
I think I’d have better luck recruiting poll dancers some days. Maybe I could do that for heavily Democratic areas, and then hopefully a lot of the men at least would never make it in to vote.
Anschutz Responds
A few months ago The Firearms blog reported that Anschutz was working with people out to destroy our rights. I mentioned I’d not buy their products, despite the fact I compete in an area I could use one. The Firearms Blog publishes today, a response from Anschutz that convinces me my decision to never purchase one of their products is absolutely the correct one. I will not do business with a company like this.
You guys were planning to sell us out. You even pretty much admit it. Don’t get pissy with us because we caught you. He closes with:
At the same time, we can assure that the market and the demand determine the products of a company. And ANSCHUTZ has an inquiry from the Biathlon federation to have a look in that topic. In Germany and Europe we have complete different gun laws than in the US. Please keep that in mind.
Yes, you do, so why cooperate to destroy yourselves even further? You don’t notice the noose tightening every time there’s a mass shooting in Europe? You think if you give just a little more they are going to be happy and stop trying to destroy these sports? You’re fools if you believe that.
You want to be a European gun company and only sell neutered guns to Europeans, that’s your prerogative. American shooters take a very different view of companies who sell them out. Smith and Wesson’s near destruction should have taught you that.
Raking Leaves Sucks
The deciduous trees, which are now in full fall color, are beginning to shed their leaves. When I was growing up in Delaware County, the annual ritual involved blowing the leaves onto a large tarp and hauling them out to the curb, where the Borough would come along and suck them up with a giant vacuum truck. The job could be done in an hour or two. That was also practice when I lived in Chester County, judging from the piles of leaves I’d see in fall. When I got to Bucks County, it was tough to believe we were back in the dark ages where leaf collection involved having to bag them and put them out at the curb.
Bucks Right is mocking Southampton Township managers for making lame excuses as to why the Township won’t switch to leaf vacuuming, which is a far more efficient way to do leaf collection. They do cite cost, which I think is a legitimate issue. I wonder why we have to make this a debate about taxing and spending. I’d gladly pay the Township a Jackson or two to bring a giant suck-o-matic over to my house so I don’t have to bag. Why not do it as a fee for service rather than funding it with tax dollars?
Lancaster Online Coverage of “Run and Gun”
It’s really the new trend in shooting, and this coverage is positive. Unfortunately, my club will never run matches like this because it involves drawing from holsters and running with guns, two things which traditional shooters believe is unsafe. Yet clubs and ranges all over the country are running these matches safely.
I’ve done only a few of these matches myself, and while they were a lot of fun, the main thing that keeps me from returning is the amount of time spent sitting around watching other people shoot, which to me is like watching grass grow. Not many clubs in the area are running these, and they are crowded matches. I suspect if our club ever took up some of these newer sports, I’d be more of a Steel Challenge guy than an IPSC/IDPA guy, but I’d like to be able to shoot a match every once in a while without having to go to Central Jersey, which are the closest sanctioned matches.
The latest thing I’m considering starting is Field Target, which is one new sport our club is doing, and looks interesting. Something I should try, I think.