Let's Talk Numbers

Why doesn't anyone challenge these people when they start talking about guns and gun violence? Where are the homicides, what are the circumstances surrounding those homicides? Who used the gun? Where did they get it? Should they have been in possession? Anyway, check out the current field of candidates for the Democratic nomination for President and think about those questions while you read about the fight Cory Booker says he's going to bring to the NRA if he becomes president. Go Read It

Shedding Some Light on Fast and Furious

America's Misguided Children is telling of a positive move by the Judicial on the Executive.

A Federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committe against Attorney General Eric Holder may proceed.

'Bout time.
Go read it.

Politicians Put On Notice

Recalled. Start passing ridiculous laws and it could some negative political outcome, just ask some lawmakers in Colorado.

The issue came to a head in Colorado after gun-rights activists accused Democrats of ramming through the gun control legislation in the aftermath of a series of shootings which included the killing of 12 people in a suburban Denver movie theatre last year.<br>Angered by the gun control push, gun rights advocates had sought the recall to send a message to current and future legislators that the bills had gone too far with efforts to curb firearm access. Opponents viewed the recall effort as a bullying tactic and not the proper way to handle a policy dispute.

It's a bullying tactic? I'm sorry, but when it comes to politics a recall is the best non-violent way to force politicians to listen to their constituency. Funny that it turns out the people with the guns chose the polite way to get their point across. Recalls can work both ways. Unfortunately when one elects to come down on the side of gun control they have chosen a highly emotional topic and should expect fierce opposition. They should know they will face tough opposition because the fighting spirit still exists in a large portion of Americans. I foresee more of this in the next few years.
Go read it.

When Your Foreign Policy Isn't Working Out

Let's say that your grand idea to drop some bombs in Syria aren't being received well. What should you do? You should just go and bomb someone else. Pakistan is always up for a little thrill. But have your mouthpiece go around saying it could all come to and end soon.

“The program will end as we have eliminated most of the threat and continue to eliminate it,” Mr. Kerry said at the time in an interview broadcast on state-run television. “I think the president has a very real timeline, and we hope it’s going to be very, very soon.”

I'm Secretary of State and I think, I think, my boss might'a could, maybe, just possibly have a timeline to stop it in Pakistan and start it here at home. Ooops, wasn't supposed to say that last part. 

Madness.
Go read it.

Annoyed With Illinois

Will they ever get it right? I seriously doubt it.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn invoked his amendatory veto power to modify the state legislature’s high-profile concealed carry bill that was approved last month with a bipartisan consensus.

The really stupid stuff he's adding:

Signage: Under the bill, loaded guns would be allowed in stores, restaurants, churches, children’s entertainment venues, movie theaters and other private properties, unless the owner visibly displays a sign prohibiting guns. As a matter of property rights, the legal presumption should always be that a person is not allowed to carry a concealed, loaded gun onto private property unless given express permission.

Oh ho! A mandated opt-in for signage. Good one. And then there's this:

Number of Guns and Ammunition: The bill provides no cap on the number of guns, or on the size or number of ammunition clips that may be carried. Instead, it allows individuals to legally carry multiple guns with unlimited rounds of ammunition, which is a public safety hazard. In the interest of common sense and the common good, it should be clarified so that a license will permit an individual to carry one concealed gun and one ammunition clip that can hold no more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

That's right, one gun and one magazine. Clown.
Go read it over at guns.com.

This is Just Downright Scary

I could scream "Treason!" or somesuch, but this is way beyond that point. Why would anyone in our government be able to work/request a deal like this? Why does no one seem to be paying attention?

I usually pull a quote from stuff I link to, but this one is summed up by the headline. Obama Requests 15,000 Russian Troops For “Upcoming” Disaster -- Go read it.
Scary stuff. 

So many other tinfoil hat things are turning out to be real, do you want to take a chance on this one? Be ready, be prepared. 

Pay No Attention to The Man Behind The Curtain

Don't fall in too much love with your suburban home because Barack Obama has his eye on it...and your money.

Krulig’s Agenda 21 Building One America group proposes the creation of a regional tax-base sharing revenues in which suburban tax money is directly redistributed to nearby cities and economically depressed concentric zones of inner-ring suburbs. Building One America also seeks to move the poor out of cities by imposing mandatory low-income housing quotas for middle-class suburban developments. 

Go read it.

U-Turn! Or Maybe Just Kinda Veering Off a Little

Hey Bub, we goofed. We know we're supposed to do things a certain way, but if we do it like that people will get wise and won't let us continue to do it the way we want. So, we'll keep doing it like this (which is to say, poorly) and just back a few things up, but only a little. Connecticut just can't get it right.

In response to the December murders of 20 school children and six educators at a Newtown elementary school, the legislature passed a bill in early April containing a number of new gun control restrictions. The bill was drafted by lawmakers from both parties through a special committee process which took place outside the traditional legislative process.

Critics of the law have filed lawsuits seeking to have it declared unconstitutional. Some opponents have alleged that portions of the new law are too vague for residents, gun shop owners, and firearms manufacturers to apply.

When will people--read that "the voting public"--learn? Go read it.

Don't Sign Mr. President

We're in trouble if the UN Arms Trade Treaty goes through. Two-thirds of those voting in the Senate is possible if some Republicans aren't in school the day the vote is arranged. Apparently the president plans to sign (though the Senate has passed legislation negating it already) on Monday, Jun 3.
A few people in the comments on the story were pointing to the harmlessness of the treaty concerning the effect within the borders of the U.S. To them I said, "Yes, some of us have read the treaty. It does not technically "clash with the Second Amendment." The most concerning things are between the lines.
Where do your Glocks, Springfield XD's, some Taurus's, Rock Island, most AKs, Mosin Nagants, etc., etc. originate? Correct, from outside this country. If the U.S. Government can go after/try to financially ruin Gibson Guitars for importing a relatively small amount of wood used in their production based on a treaty signed by a nation outside this country what do you think is going to happen with this treaty in effect? How many firearms importers wil be financially roughed-up or even bankrupted by this administration as they take advantage of the treaty?"
No matter how harmless Snopes or anyone else may try to make it sound it's a taking a step down a road that we don't want to travel. All legislation is to be considered an incremental step toward some larger goal, whether by direct route or flanking maneuver. Wake up, it's not all rainbows and sunshine.
No matter how harmless Snopes or anyone else may try to make it sound it's a taking a step down a road that we don't want to travel. All legislation is to be considered an incremental step toward some larger goal, whether by direct route or flanking maneuver. Wake up, it's not all rainbows and sunshine.
Go read it.

Well Doc, It's None of Your Business

To pediatricians, gun control is a public health issue, not a political one. But they're treading a fine line, and they know it.

If it's a public health issue, why is the American Academy of Pediatrics not pushing their members to educate and instead asking for: 

"an assault weapon ban, mandatory background checks and waiting periods before all firearm purchases, a ban on high-capacity magazines, handgun regulations and requirements for safe firearm storage under federal law."

A safe storage act I could understand them pushing to pass, but all the rest smacks of plain ol' garden variety politics.
Go read it.

Time For a Reverse Tongue Lashing

GOP Lawmakers May Revive Gun Debate After Receiving Tongue Lashing From Constituents

If your GOP Legislator is waffling, give them a call and get them back on the right side of the fence.

Pay No Attention

to the man behind the curtain, says President Obama at Ohio State. Here are a few of the juicy tidbits

And that’s precisely what the Founders left us — the power, each of us, to adapt to changing times. ...
To conquer fascism and disease; to visit the Moon and Mars; to gradually secure our God-given rights for all of our citizens, regardless of who they are, or what they look like, or who they love.

why does he get to say, "secure our God-given rights" when he's the one trying to take them away? Oh, that's right, he has the bully pulpit and we're just the peons who dare to challenge him.

The founders trusted us with this awesome authority. We should trust ourselves with it, too. Because when we don’t, when we turn away and get discouraged and cynical, and abdicate that authority, we grant our silent consent to someone who will gladly claim it.
So you can’t give up your passion if things don’t work right away. You can’t lose heart, or grow cynical if there are twists and turns on your journey. The cynics may be the loudest voices — but I promise you, they will accomplish the least. It’s those folks who stay at it, those who do the long, hard, committed work of change that gradually push this country in the right direction, and make the most lasting difference.

Amen to that. Wait, he meant the opposite of what I mean. Go back and reread that paragraph. It's quite telling. Silent consent and claimers of power have gotten us to this point. Rugged individualism will only serve to sink us deeper into the rights-stripping quicksand. Standing united we can regain the rights we have lost.

I think about how we might perpetuate this notion of citizenship in a way that another politician from my home state of Illinois, Adlai Stevenson, once described patriotism not as “short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” That’s what patriotism is. That’s what citizenship is. 

Defenders of the Second Amendment need to remember all these words. Go read the full transcript.

Break Out The Popcorn

This is about to get good.
AG Holder: Feds Will Ignore State Laws and Enforce Gun Grab

From Inside the Limousine

In another "Let them eat cake" moment, Michael Bloomberg declares we need to change our interpretation of the Constitution.

“What we (sic) cant do is let the protection get in the way of us enjoying our freedoms,” he said. “You still want to let people practice their religion, no matter what that religion is. And I think one of the great dangers here is going and categorizing anybody from one religion as a terrorist. That’s not true … That would let the terrorists win. That’s what they want us to do.”

Here's another case of someone speaking, but not listening to what they are saying. Practice your Creator-given right to your choice of religion, but don't practice your Creator-given right to keep and bear arms. Moron.

“It really says something bad about us that we have to do it. But our obligation first and foremost is to keep our kids safe in the schools; first and foremost, to keep you safe if you go to a sporting event; first and foremost is to keep you safe if you walk down the streets or go into our parks,” he said. “We cannot let the terrorists put us in a situation where we can’t do those things. And the ways to do that is to provide what we think is an appropriate level of protection.”

Says something bad about you, sir, for sure. The "we" you mention, law enforcement, who are supposed to protect us have no legal responsibility to protect us as individuals, only society as a whole. I could be safe to walk down the street or go to a park if I am armed or if there is a possibility I am armed. Would not a criminal or terrorist think twice about committing a crime against another if the victim may be armed? Let the people decide on their own how they choose to defend themselves when law enforcement won't or can't protect them. How's that for an interpretation?

Go read it.

Things Are Different Now Chuck, That's How

I hope these things don't pass and we never reach an "I told you so" moment. Despite Alan Gottlieb being involved in their crafting (don't like that man like I used to), it isn't a good idea to give up something really important to get something else you never should have lost in the first place.

"How were we able to pass these bills in 1994? The broad middle rose up and said 'we want rational laws on guns.' Why? Because crime was ripping apart America," Schumer said. "Rightly or wrongly, those two bills were blamed for Democrats losing control of the House and the Senate and for 20 years, not much happened. And these mass shootings have caused the broad middle to rise up again."

Knee-jerk reactions rise again. Go read it.

This One is Entertaining

Obama Reacts to Gun Control Loss (with subtitles)

It's super annoying when Senators listen to their constituents.

That pretty much sums it up. It's worth the four minutes.

Manchin Meme

This, from over at the Freedom Feens blog, is full of awesome.

No time to Sigh With Relief

Democratic leadership aides said the effort could be revived if a public groundswell demanded it. “The world is watching the United States Senate, and we will be held accountable,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, who helped lead the gun control effort.  

I can tell you, Senator Blumenthal, that the rest of the world doesn't have such a good record for following the will and protecting the rights of their people. Not that we're a shining example, but this is a step in the right direction. Defeat of this bill was just the reasoned response of those who realize what is really at stake. So, take your whining and go home.
More will come, bet on it. Go read it.
In the meantime, call your senators and tell them to vote against cloture on Harry Reid’s bill (S. 649) so it can die in the Senate rather than hold out 'til later. The number to the capitol is 202-224-3121, the switchboard will hook you up with your folks to oppose cloture. 

Turning Left, Literally

Officials announced last month that the NRA will be the title sponsor for the April 13 Sprint Cup race at TMS, igniting a firestorm of controversy among some because gun rights have been a nationwide issue since the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown, Conn., which left 20 children and six educators dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School....
Now Clint Bowyer will drive a car at Texas Motor Speedway with the message "With Rights Comes Responsibility. Secure Your Firearms," in the April 13 race. Bowyer's sponsor, Gander Mountain, also has an online campaign underway encouraging responsible gun ownership.

Go read it.

Wow. Just Wow.

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO): "I will tell you these are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now they’re going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available." 

Found here at Sipsey Street.
Then the follow-up from her mouthpiece:

“The Congresswoman has been working on a high-capacity assault magazine ban for years, and has been deeply involved in the issue; she simply misspoke in referring to ‘magazines’ when she should have referred to ‘clips,’ which cannot be reused because they don’t have a feeding mechanism,”

So, I guess he doesn't undertand that clips are reusable, too? Oh, that's right, they don't know anything about guns, but they want to ban them anyway. Wow.