While people were concerned about the holidays, it would seem the New Hampshire legislature secretly ran through a ban on firearms in the state house. Any legislation passed this time of year is done in the hopes that people are too busy with the holidays to pay any attention. Seems that’s been happening a lot lately. Also out of fashion: reading bills, debating bills, and transparency with the public.
California Body Armor Statute Tossed for Vagueness
Via RideFast, it looks like the California ban on possession of Body Armor by convicted felons has been tossed out by a California appeals court. Â You can find the ruling here. It’s largely a problem of how California defines the term “body armor.” Â The federal standard is probably better for those purposes, which can be found in 18 USC 921:
(35) The term "body armor" means any product sold or offered for sale, in interstate or foreign commerce, as personal protective body covering intended to protect against gunfire, regardless of whether the product is to be worn alone or is sold as a complement to another product or garment.
Now, in this case, the federal law might not apply, since the jacket in question was a flak jacket, and stated clearly it didn’t protect against small arms fire. But the federal definition only hinges on how the product is marketed, not on its actual capabilities. This would prevent an absurd result, such as possession of boiler plates by felons being unlawful, under the theory that they can stop some bullets, and could possibly be worn underneath clothing.
More Fourth Generation Glock Info
SayUncle explains a bit about the recoil system and the backstrap in the 4th generation models. I’ve never had an issue with recoil in the Glocks, but I have a Model 19, and Glocks really were designed to be 9mms.
Give Them a Target …
A Gun Nut Merry Christmas
You know you’re a gun nut when you decide to decorate your tree in the theme of the federal agency we all love to hate. I bring you, the ATF themed Christmas tree:
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The real fun will be drinking the tree when we’re all done.
Law & Order: Pennsylvania 2010
It would seem that prosecutors are the big theme of Pennsylvania GOP races in 2010:
It’s interesting to hear that ex-U.S. Atty Tom Marino (R) is again considering a run against Rep. Chris Carney (D-PA). Besides the fact that he’d be a top-rate challenger to Carney (the GOP has yet to find any high-profile takers), he’d also be the third Bush-era U.S. Atty to consider a Cong. bid in PA this cycle.
Pat Meehan (R), who had been a GOV candidate, dropped out of that race earlier this year and opted to run for Rep. Joe Sestak’s (D) open seat. Meanwhile, Mary Beth Buchanan (R) was reported to have been considering a bid against Rep. Jason Altmire (D), but that talk has died down as of late. …
But all of these candidates would be formidable challengers, and with AG Tom Corbett (R) the early leading GOP GOV contender, ’10 could be a very law-and-order contest up-and-down the ballot in PA.
I think we both fall on the side of Jason Altmire in the 4th. He has consistently been willing to stand up to Pelosi, unlike the fake Blue Dog in our district. (Patrick Murphy has supported every big spending bill & amendment he could find since he’s been in office, yet he still claims he’s a moderate.) Plus, Buchanan has a less-than-stellar reputation for going after doctors when treating patients with chronic pain. I don’t want a law-and-order type whose view of upping her conviction record is just to make more crimes.
A solid challenge to Carney would be interesting. He’s not horrible and he’s not great as a so-called Blue Dog. Since he hasn’t been completely consist on the gun issue, I’d be fine in seeing him go. (I wouldn’t call him inconsistent as far as unaware, at least based on my own observations. For his district, unaware isn’t good enough.)
Contribute What You Have
Sometimes it’s not about opening your wallet to fight a political fight. Â And you might not be great with people for purposes of going door-to-door for a candidate. Â While those things have to happen, I couldn’t help but think about how many other skills people have to offer a movement that they don’t contribute after listening to this song by a conservative performer.
Legal issues aside, no one can doubt that Shepard Fairey’s work make a huge impact for the Obama campaign. According to Edelman, Obama supporters put more than 400,000 user-created videos on YouTube. While an activist shouldn’t spend all or his/her time on these types of activities, they are relevant if you have an avenue and plan to get them out to broader audiences.
What I know I’m tired of seeing are people who are just angry and fuming. Turn that anger into motivation to do something. I know I have a few ideas for some independent outreach projects come election time, but until then I’m going to do things like contact the declared candidates and make sure they contact NRA to get a questionnaire and let them know there are pro-gun voters in the district.
I’m not exactly full of artistic talent, nor do I have much in the way of video skills, but I have been amassing a collection of stock videos, images, and songs that could come in handy someday for either a project of mine or those I know who do have more skills and talent.
With the very un-merry Christmas gift we’re getting from the Democrats in the Senate this year, use some of your time around the holidays to get a little creative in what you can give to fight for freedom.
(Song found via Ravenwood who should consider a holiday gift of giving the world more of his blogging talents.) :)
Top Conservationist
Dave Hardy is asking folks to go have a vote over at Outdoor Life for his friend Lowell Baier. Looks like you get entered to win a Leatherman knife. Â I voted.
Bloomington Times-Herald Losing Advertisers
NRA is reporting:
In a press release issued December 10 from Bloomington Harley-Davidson the business states, “Harley-Davidson of Bloomington believes in freedom and is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights … We believe the decision of the Herald-Times, a valued business partner, to publish a searchable database of gun permit holders in the state of Indiana by street, is an unnecessary and dangerous practice.â€
“I want to sincerely thank Harley-Davidson of Bloomington for their strong support of Indiana gun owners. Gun owners appreciate their principled denunciation of the Bloomington Herald-Times’ reckless action of publishing a database of law-abiding right-to-carry permit holders,†said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA-ILA. “Our freedom is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we are grateful to have businesses like Harley-Davidson of Bloomington on the side of the Second Amendment.â€
Good news. Maybe some of their other advertisers will respond as well.
Interesting Accidental Death Statistics
Accidental death statistics someone sent me are interesting, mostly because it gives total lifetime odds. Â You have higher lifetime odds of accidental death from the following sources more than guns (which are 1:5981):
- Drowning in a swimming pool (1:5501)
- Drowning in a lake or other natural water (1:2384)
- Being struck by or striking against an object (1:4555)
- Contact with machinery (1:5189)
- All types of falls, including falling from furniture (1:4238)
- Plane crash or spacecraft explosion (1:5862)
- ATV accident (1:3579)
- Being a pedestrian (1:623)
It’s not an excuse to get lax about safe gun handling or education, but in the realm of ways to die accidentally, guns are not a problem. When you consider how many households have a gun in them, it’s really not a problem. Fewer houses have swimming pools, and overall lifetime odds of dying from a swimming pool are more than guns, and this is whether you own a pool or a gun or not.
When we talk lifetime odds of being killed by criminal action rise to 1:207, which is roughly on par with a lot of transport accidents. Yet someone who wears a seat belt is sensible, and someone who carries a gun is crazy.