Tag: Gun Rights

The Irony is Almost Too Thick

I’m as much a fan of irony as any one man can be but sometimes it’s just too much. The Examiner has an article up that talks about Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy’s claim that “loose” federal gun laws are akin to racism:

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy earlier this month told parishioners at St. Sabina’s Church that federal gun laws are akin to “government-sponsored racism.”

“I want you to connect one more dot on that chain of African-American history in this country, and tell me if I’m crazy: Federal gun laws that facilitate the flow of illegal firearms into our urban centers, across this country, that are killing black and brown children,” he said according to an WMAQ-Channel 5 story that aired Thursday.

Of course anybody who has studied the history of gun laws in the United States knows that guns laws weren’t put into place for “public safety” but to keep newly free blacks from obtaining firearms. Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership (JPFO) put together a video sometime back that explained the racist roots of American gun control. The video can be freely viewed on YouTube:

We’re the Only Ones Forgetful Enough

Anti-gunners want to ban private ownership of firearms but are perfectly OK with the police having guns. This is because the anti-gunners claim that the police are extremely well trained and responsible unlike us lowly peasants. Well as Jay points out the police aren’t nearly as responsible as the anti-gunners believe:

The Seattle Police Department is apologizing for an assault rifle left unattended on the back of a patrol car Monday night, and has launched an investigation into the matter.

[…]

In addition, after an officer got back into the patrol car, it was driven away with the rifle still on the trunk. A woman also saw the rifle and followed the car to try to get the officer’s attention.

I’m unaware of any gun owner who would be so irresponsible as to not only leave an expensive firearm on their trunk but then drive off leaving that firearm on the ground. Unlike the police we who are not members of “the only ones” actually have to pay for our firearms thus we usually take some care of them. Nobody who plunked down $700.00 for a rifle wants to leave it lying on the ground somewhere.

Demonstration such as this make me not only question why anti-gunners aren’t clamoring for a prohibition on police having firearms as well. After all from what I’ve seen the average police officer is no more responsible with a firearm than the individual and oftentimes the police are far less responsible.

Another Murder Linked to Project Gunwalker

Not surprisingly another murder has been linked to operation Gunwalker:

CBS News has confirmed that ATF Fast and Furious “walked” guns have been linked to the terrorist torture and murder of the brother of a Mexican state attorney general last fall.

Two AK-47 variant rifles were found at the scene of a shoot-out with the murder suspects. Sources say the weapons were part of the controversial ATF program in which agents allowed thousands of guns to fall into the hands of suspects trafficking for Mexico’s drug cartels.

Results like this are typical when government agencies get bright ideas. As government agencies don’t have to obey the same laws that they’re tasked with enforcing they often get ideas that involve allowing criminals to perform illegal actions unhindered. This wouldn’t be so bad if the agency didn’t then turn around and claim the criminal activities they allowed are justification for giving the agency more power.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) really fucked up here. Not only did they allow firearms to knowingly be sold to members of Mexican drug cartels but these same firearms are also being linked to murders. To top it off the ATF has nothing of value to show for these antics making it hard for them to make excuses when inquired. If the United States were a just country the ATF would be disbanded and the heads of the agency would be brought up on charges of breaking numerous American gun laws.

So Long Helmke

Uh oh it appears the Brady Campaign president, Paul Helmke, is finally stepping down:

According to an article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Helmke said he’s leaving the Brady Campaign on good terms after what he considers “five years of positive work to promote its platforms as moderate, reasonable approaches to gun control.”

The article went on to say that Helmke hasn’t figured out what his next step will be. “I’m going to take some time to figure things out,” he said.

I’m betting money that Helmke has seen the writing on the wall and realizes his sweet Joyce Foundation money is likely to dry up soon as the ineffectiveness of the Brady Campaign comes more and more blatantly obvious. Not to mention nobody shows up for the Brady Campaign press releases anymore so he can’t even get his name out there by remaining president of the failing organization.

There isn’t much else to say besides good riddance and I wish it was the entire organization that was leaving, not just the president.

Arizona ATF Documents

Lulz Security recently started going after the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) which has lead to their releasing a large amount of confidential information related to the AZDPS. A torrent of the release can be found here but note that the download comes in at 446MB.

I haven’t had any real time to sift through the information but there were some documents that were obviously related tot he Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that I’ve singled out and uploaded for your viewing pleasure. There are four documents which include an ATF intelligence summary [PDF], a document dealing with drug cartels buying grenades from Central American countries [Microsoft Word Document], a document dealing with outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) [PDF], and a document related directly to project Gunrunner [PDF].

When I get time to sift through these I’ll post up any relevant information but in the meantime you’re more than welcome to download and view the files. There are probably some juicy details to be discovered.

More Anti-Gunner Whining About Wisconsin’s Imminent Passing of Carry Legislation

The hysterics presented by anti-gunners would be funny if they weren’t so pathetic (by they I mean both the anti-gunners and their hysterics). Take for instance this article warning that Wisconsin’s (hopefully) soon to be enacted carry legislation will allow people to carry in parks and at the Milwaukee County Zoo:

“Milwaukee will be like the wild wild west,” Said State Rep. Elizabeth Coggs. “To think that you can take a gun to a park, a bar, a daycare center, the zoo … it’s ridiculous.”

Coggs is correct in that the bill could turn Wisconsin into the Wild West, but it would be like the real Wild West [PDF] not the Hollywood portrayal most anti-gunners seem to have. Of course the anti-gunners are panicking because law abiding citizens will be able to carry at several venues that they like to frequent:

Under the bill, any free outdoor festival without gates does not have the ability to prohibit concealed weapons. That means guns could be present at events like Bastille Days, South Shore Frolics and the Locust Street Festival.

The inability to prohibit concealed weapons would also affect lakefront fireworks displays.

I’m sure Wisconsin will have the same trouble with people being able to legally carry concealed weapons at their open air festivals as the other 48 states who allow some form of carry have. That is to say Wisconsin won’t have any trouble at all.

Here’s the thing Wisconsin, you’re the late comer to the party. Although it has sucked for your citizens it does offer one advantage; you get to see the affects of enacting carry legislation in other states. When you look at each state that has continued to liberalize (the classical definition of the word) their carry laws you’ll notice a pattern of zero increase in violent crime and in many cases a decrease. You will also notice that there have been no apparent cases of arguments between somebody legally carrying a firearm and a third party that escalated to a shooting fight (at least if there has been such a case the anti-gunners haven’t reported on it).

I’m just glad that fewer and fewer people listen to whining anti-gunners. They’ve been crying wolf so long that people no longer take their prophecies of gloom and doom with and amount of seriousness. The difference though is unlike the kid who cried wolf the anti-gunners’ prophecies won’t come true.

You Keep Saying These Things

Wisconsin is on the verge of passing right to carry legislation into law which means the anti-gunners are out screaming that blood will flow through the streets and other such nonsense. As I said before these people are harmless and will lose interest quickly as people stop listening to their prophesies that never come to fruition. Until they lose interest though we’re going to have to listen to the ramblings of crazy people such as this dumb ass:

After the bill was approved by most Republicans and some Democrats, the Assembly will send the bill to Walker to become the law of the land. The move is being hailed as a major victory by those who believe concealed carry provides a much-needed safety net for law-abiding citizens who can now feel free to summon up their inner Clint Eastwood on demand to defend their loved ones.

Of course, that’s a crock.

Many law enforcement officers will tell you how difficult it would be for a regular citizen – even with the required training – to use a handgun in a confrontation with a criminal. No matter how many action movies you may have watched, it’s just not that simple.

More often than not, people would face more danger of having the weapon taken and used against them during an unexpected encounter with a criminal.

The anti-gunners toss around so many lies that it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all. One of them is the myth that you’re more likely to have your gun taken from you and used against your person than to use it to successfully defend yourself. He’s the thing though, every time the anti-gunners make this claim that are unable to back it up with any examples. It’s basically a non-issue. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen but the frequency is so rare that the anti-gunners can’t even pull out examples of it happening.

Also I like how he states that law enforcement officers like to tell people how difficult it is to defend yourself with a firearm. You know what’s even more difficult? Getting raped in a back alley while waiting 15 minutes for the police to not arrive because they have no legal obligation to protect you. Anybody who has participated in a shooting sport knows how difficult it become to property utilize a firearm when your adrenaline begins pumping but that’s why we advocate training so strongly. On top of that having a gun, regardless of your capability with the device during a self-defense situation, is still going to increase your odds of surviving much more than not being armed at all.

The bottom line though is the simple fact that none of the claims made by anti-gunners have been proven true. No blood has been flowing through the streets because every street corner turned into a Hollywood version of the Wild West (because the real Wild West wasn’t so wild [PDF]). Violent crime hasn’t gone up, in fact just the opposite has happened. This is why nobody really pays much attention to what the anti-gunners are saying, none of their boogeymen have come out from under their beds to reign terror down upon us.

Wisconsin Assembly Passed Right to Carry Legislation

Things are looking good in Wisconsin. Both chambers of the state legislature have voted in favor of the current carry legislation which means all that’s left is for Governor Walker to sign it into law (which he’s expected to do).

I appears as though Wisconsin will be joining the majority of the Union in allowing its citizens to have a means of self-defense outside of the home. The only state remaining with a complete prohibition against carry is Illinois which will likely take quite some time. Anyways those of you living in Wisconsin please note that the anti-gunners are going to be crying about blood in the streets and other such nonsense but they’ll lose interest very quickly so you can safely continue to ignore them.

Family of Murdered Border Patrol Agent Want the ATF Prosecuted

Things have heated up for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). An investigation has been called for and the head of the ATF may have to resign and everybody else will likely get a congratulations and complimentary pat on the pack for their work in suppressing our rights. But as Uncle points out not everybody is happy with simply giving the ATF a slap on the wrist:

The idea was that once the weapons in Mexico were traced back to the straw purchasers, the entire arms smuggling network could be brought down. Instead, the report argues, letting the weapons slip into the wrong hands was a deadly miscalculation that resulted in preventable deaths, including that of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Terry was killed last year north of the Mexican border in Arizona after confronting bandits believed to be preying on illegal immigrants. Two weapons found near the scene of the killing were traced to Fast and Furious.

“I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t believe it at first,” Terry’s mother, Josephine, said when she learned the ATF may have let some of the guns used in the attack slip through its fingers. Terry’s relatives said they want all those involved in his killing and who helped put the weapons in their hands to be prosecuted.

“We ask that if a government official made a wrong decision, that they admit their error and take responsibility for his or her actions,” Robert Heyer, Terry’s cousin and family spokesman, said in a hearing last week by the House panel.

I wish Terry’s family the best of luck but alas I’m guessing they’re more likely to receive a lesson in the evils of statism than receive any compensation for the murder of their family member. The government has a habit of protecting their own which has lead to many government agencies literally getting away with murder without so much as an apology.

Iowa Sheriff Intimidating Businesses in Attempt to Get Them to Ban Guns on Their Property

Iowa’s law involving the issuance of carry permits changed and now people living in that state are able to obtain a legal means of self-defense without requiring permission from their local sheriff. One local sheriff though is pissed that the state has usurped his authority and is trying to intimidate business owners into banning firearms from their property:

A letter to approximately 600 Marion businesses along with “no weapons allowed” stickers is kicking up a fuss with one conservative group.

The letter to businesses in Marion last week was sent by Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty. It referred to changes in Iowa code that no longer allow sheriffs to mandate concealing weapons when a permit holder is out in public. That change in gun permit policy took effect January 1st.

The letter from Chief Daugherty urged businesses to ban weapons from private property to “make both (business and police) our jobs easier.” The chief also included two “no weapons allowed” stickers for businesses to place on the front doors if they agreed with his recommendation.

It seems Sheriff Daugherty believes that his life and lives of his officers is easier if people are defenseless. I guess this makes sense if he believes his job is to force the citizenry to comply with his demands and being he’s acting like an authoritarian asshole I’m pretty sure that’s what he believes his job to be. But here’s the kicker:

But Chief Daugherty argued what he authorized was education and not politics. The chief said unless businesses post a “no weapons” notice in a visible location police can’t enforce any trespassing rules against anyone bringing a weapon inside.

According to Daugherty if somebody is carrying a weapon the police can’t enforce any trespassing laws against him or her. The implication I get from this is if somebody is being unruly the police will not remove that person if they’re carrying a firearm. That’s a great little intimidation factor if I’ve ever seen one.

So where Daugherty get the money to print these stickers? At first I thought it was the taxpayers which would have been ironic as Daugherty would have been using violence in order to supposedly prevent violence. Well he didn’t use tax money but the source of his money is through violent means:

And Daugherty also said the $600 cost of the printing and mail wasn’t tax dollars. Rather, the chief used money confiscated in drug raids and other seizures to pay the cost. Those dollars typically go for purchases not on the department’s budget.

Will you look at that, the drug war at work paying for yet another authoritarian power trip. Obviously second amendment supporters are talking about boycotting any businesses that put up those stickers and it appears as though some business owners don’t recognize how strongly many of us like our right to self-defense:

But Rich Foens, owner of Smitty’s Shoe Repair, said he wasn’t that concerned when he posted the sticker from Marion Police.

“I don’t see anybody so strong on the other side they’re going to boycott your business because of it,” Foens said.

As an advocate of the ability to defend yourself I do feel strongly enough where I’ll boycott a business because they don’t respect my life enough to allow me to carry a means of self-defense onto their property. I respect your property rights enough that I’m willing to do business with your competitors should you chose to bar me my rights though so you’ll not have to worry about my patronage or the patronage of many gun owners.