Category: Gun Rights

I’m Losing Count

It seems Wyoming and New Hampshire aren’t the only new states pushing permitless concealed carry legislation. Montana has now jumped onto the band wagon. Montana’s is a bit different though as it would require people who carry to still receive training:

Republican Rep. Krayton Kerns’ House Bill 271 cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday. The bill was amended to require completion of a training course to carry without a permit.

This seems unenforceable. How is an officer going to determine if a person carry a firearm received training? Is the person supposed to carry their training certificate at all times? In that case there is little difference in requiring a permit. Still it’s progress.

ATF Reform Bill

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has a write up on H.R. 1093, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Reform Act of 2011. Sadly the bill doesn’t take the only correct measure that would ultimately fix most of the problems crated by the ATF as it doesn’t abolish the ATF. There are a couple nice clauses in this bill but none of them prevent the ATF from smuggling or allowing somebody else to smuggle guns into other countries and then claim the need for more funding to fight arms smuggling.

Most of the things the NRA listed on their site are very good I’ll admit. For instance is bars the ATF from establishing a long gun registry and from creating a centralized electronic index of gun owners. The bill would also require the ATF to establish clear guidelines for their investigations although I think that would be better done by an outside party.

Granting Government Privileges to Unions

It appears the state of Illinois has determined people who are members of a union are somehow safer with firearms. As Thirdpower at Days of our Trailers points out there is an exemption in the Illinois carry bill allowing union workers to ignore ‘No Guns’ signs.

This seems like an odd exemption. There really exists no justifiable reason why union works could gain an exemption while non-union workers can’t. I guess union works are just better then the rest of us.

On the “Assault Weapon” Ban of Yore

In a conversation I had elsewhere on the web the topic of the 1994 “assault weapon” ban came up. The accusation made by the person whom I’ll simply refer to as Mr. Dipshit stated:

Of course, the “assault weapons ban” was anything but; it was actually just a subsidy to the American gun industry. Several American weapons which were nearly identical to foreign ones were not classified as assault weapons, while the foreign equivalents were.

I’m bringing this up because I’ve heard this before and for the life of me can’t figured out where this bullshit originated from. The 1994 “assault weapon” ban was not a subsidy to the American gun industry. How can I say that? Because the 1994 “assault weapon” ban had nothing to do with importation of foreign weapons… at all.

If you read the text of the bill [PDF] that established the “assault weapon” ban you’ll notice it first establishes a list of firearms that are outright banned:

`(i) Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models);
`(ii) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil;
`(iii) Beretta Ar70 (SC-70);
`(iv) Colt AR-15;
`(v) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC;
`(vi) SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12;
`(vii) Steyr AUG;
`(viii) INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and
`(ix) revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12;

I’ve emphasized a rifle on that list, the AR-15. Why? Because it was a popular rifle produced in America. After listing these firearms specifically criteria was given to establish what qualifies as an “assault weapon” (as the term is made up they had to create rules for it):

`(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of–
`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;
`(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
`(iii) a bayonet mount;
`(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and
`(v) a grenade launcher;

`(C) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of–
`(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;
`(ii) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;
`(iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;
`(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and
`(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and

`(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of–
`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;
`(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
`(iii) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and
`(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.’.

None of these listed features were in any way specific to foreign firearms. Likewise many of these features were common to popular American manufactured firearms. Hell this law banned the production of M-14 pattern rifles because they had a flash suppressor and a bayonet lug (the ban was avoided by taking the bayonet lug off).

If there is an argument of a gun control law that established a subsidy to the American gun industry it would be the Gun Control Act of 1968 [PDF] (the last starts on page 4 of the linked document) which established import restrictions:

(4) The Attorney General shall permit the conditional importation of a firearm by a licensed importer or licensed manufacturer, for examination and test- ing to determine whether or not the un- conditional importation of such firearm would violate this subsection.

This granted the Attorney General authority to determine what can and can’t be imported into this country. There are also various parts of the legislation that talk about the concept of “sporting purpose.” The Gun Control Act of 1968 is the law that established restrictions on what can and can’t be brought into this country. If you want to whine about a government subsidy to the American gun industry this is the bill you need to bitch about. Likewise if you want to remove this government subsidy please talk to me as I’d love to help you out by getting the entire law abolished.

The bottom line is if you’re going to bitch about firearm laws then you better fucking know them. Actually this goes for both side because if you’re pro-gun and referencing the wrong, or worse non-existent, laws you’re not helping us. Research before you go on a rant about something because if you don’t do your research nobody is going to listen to you as you’ll be spouting bullshit. Nobody likes bullshit except for dung beetles.

Placing Carry Instructor Requirements into Minnesota Law

The Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance (GOCRA) is pushing to establish the requirements of Minnesota carry instructors into Minnesota law. I’m not a carry instructor so I’m not 100% what is all involved but I do know the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety gets complete authority to determine what is required to become a carry instructor.

Like most government agencies granted authority by the legislator the commissioner can also change the rules on a whim without justification. The legislation GOCRA is proposing would place the current requirements for a carry instructor into law and further establishes a requirement for the Department of Safety to prove cause for revoking an instructor license.

I’m always a fan of taking the establishment of requirements from the hands of government departments and placing them into law (I’m even a bigger fan of completely abolishing such things but alas that won’t be an option here). That way no single person has ungodly authority and everybody can be somewhat assured changes won’t be established on a whim.

Obama’s Gun Speech

After two years of being in office I think Obama and I finally found something we can agree on. In his little gun control speech is said the following:

“I’m willing to bet,” he says, “that responsible, law-abiding gun owners agree that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few – dangerous criminals and fugitives, for example – from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.”

As a responsible law-abiding gun owner I can agree on this, we need to keep government from getting their hands on a gun in the first place. I firmly believe that the only way to stop the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from smuggling more guns into Mexico is to bar them, and any other government agent, legal access to firearms.

Now that I think about it maybe that’s not what Mr. Obama meant.

Minneapolis Police Chief Dolan Seems To Think Police Have a Duty to Kill

Somehow the anti-gunners came strolling through my neck of the woods and I completely missed it. Mayors Against Illegal All Guns strolled through Minneapolis with their big truck. Either way Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan has signed on to demand civilian ownership of standard capacity magazines:

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan spoke out Friday in support of federal legislation that would ban ammunition magazines that hold a large number of bullets.

“Law enforcement should not be outgunned by criminals: it’s just common sense,” Dolan said Friday, according to remarks prepared in advance for an event to draw attention to loopholes in the nation’s gun background check system.

Wait,the police, who have access to fully automatic rifles, body armor, urban assault vehicles, and a legal authority to use force, are somehow outgunned by criminals who have access to standard capacity magazines? What? That makes no fucking sense.

You know what Mr. Dolan as a law abiding person I would like to not be outgunned by criminals. Can I have a machine gun, some body armor, an urban assault vehicle, and a legal authority to use force? Hell I’ll just settle for being able to continue purchasing standard OEM equipment magazines for my firearms.

It seems Mr. Dolan buys the anti-gunner’s party line that the only reason standard capacity magazines exist is to kill and many people as possible in a short span of time. He’s advocating for the prohibition of civilian purchasing of these magazines yet is advocating no such prohibition for the police force. It would seem Mr. Dolan believes it’s the duty of police officers to kill as many people as possible in a short span of time.

If I lived in Minneapolis I think I’d want a Police Chief who had a slightly less grim view on what the duty of a police officer is.

Since this attempted ban is being pushed by Mayors Against All Guns I think it’s important to remember which Minnesota mayors are members of this atrocious group. According to their website (not directly linked to due to a policy of not linking to anti-gun groups but can be copy and pasted: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/members/members.shtml) the following Minnesota mayors are members of Bloomberg’s Posse:

Mayor Don Ness of Duluth, MN
Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, MN
Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul, MN

These people are against your right to defend yourself and should be elected out of office. Hell if you can recall a mayor it would be a good idea to recall these three bozos.

Another Reason For the Right to Bear Arms

The right to keep and bear arms doesn’t only allow us means to protect ourselves from other people but it also helps ensure something like this doesn’t happen here:

Police in Saudi Arabia have opened fire to disperse protesters in the eastern city of Qatif, a day before planned countrywide anti-government protests.

Witnesses said police also beat demonstrators with batons injuring at least three people.

When the government has a monopoly on arms the citizenry are at their mercy. Peaceful protests are great right up to the point where the government decides to start shooting the protesters. This is the point where peaceful protests no longer work and the need to take up arms to defend yourself against the government arise.

As it sits the chances of something like this occurring here are much lower as the government realizes many American citizens can shoot back. This mutually assured destruction helps keep things civil. To quote a Heinlein novel, “An armed society is a peaceful society.”

How’s That Gun Control Working

Apparently even France’s strict control on firearms isn’t enough to prevent people from shooting each other. An 78 year-old man shot shot three people in France:

A man of 78 shot dead two council workers and a passer-by on a street in the southern French town of Rivesaltes before trying to take his own life.

Obviously France isn’t banning guns hard enough. We must remember the golden rule, if something doesn’t work you just have to try again only harder.

More Government Officials Running Guns

Bad news for several public officials in Columbus, New Mexico. It seems their plot to run guns into Mexico has been discovered:

The police chief, the mayor and a local politician of a small town on the American side of the US-Mexico border have been charged with gun running.

Prosecutors say the officials from Columbus, New Mexico, bought some 200 guns which they allegedly planned to sell to drug cartels in Mexico.

Explain to me again how enacting laws to restrict the rights of American citizens is going to stem the flow of guns into Mexico? It doesn’t seem that plan of action is going to work so well when it’s the government smuggling the guns. Maybe we should enact laws restricting access to firearms but the government instead.