Australian Trash

A new study conducted by researchers from Australia's Monash University and Britain's Manchester University suggests "symbolic racism [is] related to having a gun in the home and opposition to gun control policies by [U.S.] whites."

I once met some Australians and some Brits at a conference in New Zealand, over 10 years ago. Funny, we were all very sociable, having dinner one night...when somehow the conversation turned to gun ownership.

One Brit kept dumping on the U.S., for our backward love of firearms.

So...it is with no surprise that some "eggheads" in Australia ...a nation that has done much harm to gun owners there in the recent past.....would come out with Brit supported research that trashes the U.S. - and somehow now brings "race" into the issue.

So...I must be a racist...since I love firearms...and have ever since I was a kid. I must be a racist since I watched all those WWII movies and cowboy movies growing up....and couldn't wait until I could one day shoot a gun.

I must be a racist since I have been shooting ever since I was 16 and never have hurt anyone with a gun - even though I am very capable of defending myself and my own family if need be.

So....this kind of trash comes from some institute of "Higher Learning". It is a pity that such dribble is allowed to be published. You would think that some peer review would point out the fact that millions of gun owners...at least in the U.S. are not "white", but black, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, etc.

No wonder that most people consider "academic studies" as pure bull these days....especially....since most academic researchers are by their own special order of natural selection....(Darwin's Survival of the Ass Kissers)...likely to be left leaning, feminized, emasculated wimps.

Well...because of this study.....I will simply refuse to eat Australian lamb or British kidney pie.

When Will The Pacifist Die

There is a growing discussion in this country that threatens to drown out the insipid pacifism that permeates the upper and middle layers of the liberal establishment.

The voices now being heard are shouting...."enough!"... defenseless victims in shopping malls and schools. We the people of these United States have the unalienable right to life, liberty and to defend ourselves.

Despite the surrender to violence crowd, more Americans are agreeing that students and just plain shoppers, should have the right to protect themselves from the crazies in our midst.

John Stossel's view is enlightening.

Guns on Campus

Kentucky is considering a bill to allow guns on Campus...as long as they stay locked in a car.

This is the latest in the growing debate which was spawned by the Virginia Tech killings.

Frankly, I don't see how a gun locked in a car is going to protect the owner when things get bad. Pepper spray would be a better deterrent.

A better approach would allow those with Concealed Carry Permits to carry on campus. CCW folks are already the least likely to mis-use their weapons and most have had at least some certified training.

The liberal establishment that rules most Colleges in this country won't move towards a liberal approach on this issue....until....perhaps....another tragedy occurs. Even if more defenseless students are killed....I don't see anything changing.

What the People Believe

As I write this, a USA Today, un-scientific poll on the WEB reflects that 97% of the approximately 200,000 respondents feel the Second Amendment gives an individual the right to keep and bear arms.

This should be your litmus test for the coming Presidential election.

A candidate that does not pro-actively support this view can't have my support.

That leaves almost all the Democrats out. Hillary Clinton included. She would mouth support while working to undermine my rights....Duplicity is in her blood....as well as her husband's.

Register your opinion....who knows, someone may actually take notice in the vast liberal media to what the average American really feels.

Ladies First

More females are taking up the shooting sports, and this is good. What better way to protect our right to keep and bear arms than to promote their use by women. That is the trend in many areas of the country including Arizona.

So, next time you go to the range, that a Lady.

Military Needs a Better Gun

Some in Congress are concerned with a recent move by the Pentagon to purchase 500,000 more M-4 Carbines. Is this the gun our troops deserve?

Gonzales Should Resign

Well, I am now convinced that the Attorney General should resign. Not because he fired some US Attorneys, but because he speaks before he thinks.

His latest remarks about guns on College campuses makes it clear that this man is no supporter of the peoples right to defend themselves.

Mr. Gonzales, its time to go!

HR 297 - GOA ALERT

Gun Owners of America (GOA) is alerting folks about the dangers of HR 297, a Democratic proposal that would require submission of state data to the FBI to improve the NICS background investigation process.

After the VT incident, it's promising that some sort of tightening of rules that require states to submit mental health histories to the government will be passed.

Most gun owners agree, but perhaps HR 297 goes too far.

The danger claimed by GOA is that this bill would happen without a recorded vote.

Lets hope that doesn't occur and last I heard no bill can become law without the Senate also approving and the President signing.

Fix the Gun Check Database

Privacy Advocates your time has come.

Now eyes are on the bastions of the almighty protectors of privacy that have encouraged states to limit the data they provide to the gun check database.

Will one preventable massacre be enough to diminish the influence of the Privacy police?

NRA's Smart Strategy

The NRA is now widely reported to be working with Congress on tougher legislation that would help ensure mentally ill prospective gun buyers are prevented from obtaining firearms.

It's clear that the VT killer could have been stopped at many levels.

• the campus police did not effectively act to limit student exposure
• the campus administration did not act to warn students earlier
• the state of VA failed to allow students to protect themselves by allowing CCW on campus
• Counselors failed to be aggressive in this case, political correct thinking stopped them from trying to expel this student.
  
• Legal cases acted to inhibit the expulsion of students.
  
• Legal liability trumps safety in the minds of school administrators
• The killer's parents did not intervene effectively

This list is going to grow, but I already see one positive outcome of this tragedy.

The Anti-Gun media, interest groups and left leaning folks will have a harder time trying to marginalize the gun lobby.

Now even the Washington Post, a key bastion of left leaning thinking is waking up to report that the evil NRA is trying to help tighten gun control laws when it comes to this kind of case.

While this may horrify the more extreme pro-gun groups, it is welcome to the vast majority of gun owners and non gun owners alike.

This common sense approach will win new support for the NRA and strengthen its hand with Congress on preventing "stupid" gun control measures from seeing the light of day.

The NRA is smart to help. The Assault Weapons legislation now pending in Congress and other key issues require a strategic alliance with Congress that shows moderation where moderation is required. The gaping holes in the mental illness reporting process require tough legislation to mandate the reporting of any confinement to a mental institution and I hope it even goes further than that. I think we need to legislatively fix responsibility for reporting to schools administrators, counsellors, and mental health providers.


Anyone who is prevented from acquiring a firearm through the background investigation should also be provided with Appeal rights so they can challenge the decision if in fact they are erroneously included in the database of those who don't qualify for gun ownership.

This is a real opportunity for increasing public awareness of gun owners civic minded positions and improving support for the NRA among prospective members, Congress and even the media.

So before some go ahead and try to crucify the NRA for "getting in bed" with gun control advocates, they should think hard about what is to be gained by a reasonable approach to gun control.

Mental Illness and Guns

How best to deal with the crazy who has not yet acted crazy enough to be locked up in a mental institution?

The VT killer was under some psychiatric care and was considered suicidal, yet health care professionals felt there was insufficient reasons to admit him to an institution for care.

The current ATF rules requires self identification of the potentially mentally ill on the questionnaire that is required with the purchase of a gun.

Some of the state databases may actually have mental confinement data. Many do not or they are just not up to date.

Why not require health care professionals to report any individual to the state police who comes into their facilities and exhibits evidence of a willingness to harm themselves or others without any rational justification.

Banks are required to report cash transactions to the government that exceed $10,000. Why can't doctors be required to report sick people who may kill themselves or others. Failure to report would be a criminal offense.

If these folks are concerned about they're potential liability for criminal sanctions they would opt to report. Worse came to worse the gun purchaser would be denied the chance to purchase. They should be provided with an appeal process by an independent body (not ATF) as part of this solution. I see this as very reasonable gun control. No doubt others will disagree.

This is just one of many types of remedies that need to be discussed.

Foreign Aid

In the last 48 hours the media is dancing with post mortums on the VT killings and some of the gratuitous crap is flowing from our enemies and friends oversees.

I just love it when the Brits, Germans, Aussies, French etc., jump on the bandwagon to claim that this tragedy is the fault of American culture.

I would remind them of the aspects of English, Middle Eastern and European culture that brought the world such events as the recent London bombings, the Madrid bombings, the French riots and the list can go on and on. Violence is not the sole purview of the US.

I will remind them who saved their asses numerous times in the last 100 years with our American values and culture, including are willingness to bear arms in their behalf.

So dear allies, enemies and do-gooders - stay the "F" out of our business - look to the weaknesses in your own societies that perpetuate ignorance, crime, and create a fertile ground for terrorism.

VT Gunman was legal

Today's news reports make it clear that from a Federal and State Firearms perspective, it appears that the killer at VT bought his guns legally.

Resident Aliens are allowed to purchase handguns. In VA the killer also had to comply with a one handgun per 30 day rule...and did so.

Also, ATF regs require a purchaser to certify that they have not been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution.

The killer may have been under treatment for depression, but that does not equate to being adjudicated mentally defective etc.

So while the Anti Gunners will spew venom about this incident, what we have here is a nut case who did not set off enough trip wires to get himself declared a nut case before he was able to do damage.

Now all the civil liberty protectors who hate guns but love to coddle the sickies of society are not going to want proactive efforts to declare folks mentally incompetent prematurely.

So once again we must face reality. Bad thoughts, evil writing, or evil words do not make a crime.

This country correctly loves freedom too much to start putting potential nut cases away until there is some concrete act that shows they are a threat to themselves and others.

Seems like the answer to the problem here is what the Second Amendment is all about. Being able to pro-actively defend your and other lives.

Sadly, that right comes at a high price, but a price we all must be prepared to pay. Some crazies and other evil folks will use their ability to get guns to the detriment of us all, but unless we can factually show that they intend to harm or have harmed others, there isn't much we can do.

A higher degree of proactive security measures in public places would help. Proactive is a word that VT officials need to study. They might also think about the realty of CCW as an aid to the security of students, staff and visitors at colleges and universities.

Virginia Tech

So far it seems clear that University culture may have contributed to this tragedy.

It was an open campus. So the President of the University has no ability to lock down the place when the first shooting occurred and the culprit was not captured?

This is the kind of timidness that I would think would not exist in this day post Columbine and post 9/11. Time will reveal what the campus police did and when...or rather what they didn't do and why.

This tragedy could have been avoided. It is not about just the killer. Its about a mentality that places other concerns above the most basic of rights....the right to live.

Firearm Manufacturing Trends

ATF reports that in 2005 with 79% of gun manufactures reporting:

• 1,090,798 handguns were produced.
  
• 75% of these were pistols and 25% revolvers.
  
• Only 47,000 of these handguns were exported.

Of the pistols 32% were 9mm and 36% were of a larger caliber.
Of the revolvers 27% were in a caliber greater than .22 or equal to .32.

• .38 caliber production exceeded .357 mags

ATF's statistics confirm the trend to larger calibers.

• 23% of revolvers were made in .44 to .50 caliber.

In the prior year 2004, 74% of manufacturers reported.

These statistics imply:

1. ATF statistical reporting requirements are either lax or not enforced since almost 1/4 of manufactures didn't report in the last two reporting periods.
2. Overall handgun manufacturing volume has not changed much in the last two reporting periods.
3. At the current rate of handgun production we will have added a couple of million more by the time the 2008 presidential election occurs.
   

We don't know if these numbers closely correlate with sales. But if we can assume that half the buyers are first time buyers we might be talking about several hundred thousand new handgun owners who might be influenced by Second Amendment issues in the 2008 election.

Considering that a lot of new gun owners buy rifles (one million more added to the market each year), seems like gun folks might be able to gain some allies if we can market to these new gun owners.

I wonder if gun rights groups like the NRA ever buy the new gun owner lists maintained by manufacturers (when you mail in your warranty card). Seems like direct outreach would be a smart thing.

Costs might prohibit the NRA from doing large mail outs but I would think gun manufacturers should be sending something out to their known customers to help push Second Amendment support.

Come to think of it...I never get anything mailed to me from the gun manufactures who I have sent product registration cards to. Wonder why?

Available ATF statistics can be found here

Can a Russian Pistol Be Sexy?

One of my favorite little pistols is the Makarov in 9x18 Makarov. It's just got the right combination of style and function and I love how it fits my hand. It's a cold war piece that can still be had for under $350 and its eight round capacity is sufficient for most CCW needs.

I recently did a little practice with an East German Model.

It was made in 1963 and has a Pierce rubber grip. The little 9x18 Mak. round is just a little more comfortable to handle with this grip.

It's an old fashioned gun in that the magazine release is on the heal of the grip. It's got a decocker. The first round can be fired double action. If the gun is cocked their is no manual safety other than to use the decocker.

On my recent visit to the range I used stock imported 9x18 Mak ammo (at around $7.50) a box, at 25 yards using a standard two hand hold in the standing position. Accuracy was more than acceptable. The Makarov comes with a small front sight which does not aid in rapid target acquisition, however at most gun fight distances it may not be a real liability. Even if you get one just for fun, its a classic piece of firearms history, inexpensive to own and shoot.

These guns are available. A lot of information on the Makarov is on the Net. Here are a couple of places to research if you are interested.

General Information

Makarov.com

The Elimination of Firearms in America

Sadly, I can foresee the end of all firearm ownership in the United States. It won't come soon, but within 50 years, technology will render the need for a tool that fires a projectile with great accuracy obsolete. Once the technology is available and affordable the ownership of firearms as a class of weapon will be targeted for elimination save collectors and museums.

Weapons that immobilize rather than kill will create the excuse for government to finally agree that the right to bear Arms is protected by using this technology even though the means of bearing Arms will become non lethal but effective deterrent technology.

The US Army is now using sound technology in Iraq to immobilize with sound waves. They have recently demonstrated a microwave weapon that can cause people to feel like they are on fire without causing any lasting physical effect. British authorities are also working on similar technology.

In time these techniques will be perfected to be the size of a handgun or rifle. When citizens can with accuracy focus a microwave at a potential assailant most will come to agree that firearms for self protection are no longer needed.

Hunters, if there are any left fifty years from now, may receive an exemption from the firearms ban - but it is likely that hunting handguns will be outlawed.

If you think this all sound like science fiction.....think again.

What to do about Bloomberg?

Well, the good Mayor of NYC is still at it. Looks like the Justice Dept. won't stop him. The Gun Manufacturers are trying.

Perhaps we should try.

• Boycott everything NYC
• Don't watch Letterman
• Don't buy clothes with NY displayed
• Don't watch Yankee or Met games
• Don't see any movies about or made in NYC
• Don't eat corn beef or pastrami sandwiches
• Don't read magazines published in NYC
• Stop reading the Wall St. Journal
• Don't hold business meetings, conventions or pleasure trips to NYC

or

• Set up a sting operation
• try to buy cigarettes in Manhattan with underage stooges and then initiate suit against store owners
• try to find a hooker at a Manhattan hotel and then sue the hotel for promoting prostitution

Of course the most effective thing in this battle is the kind of legislation VA recently passed that makes it illegal to "conduct sting operations" if your not a LEO.

Some Simple Steps to Make Us All Safer

In a just issued earth shaking report we all learn that the new gun to fear is not the assault weapon or the Saturday night special. No...it's the Nail Gun.

Well taking a page out of the progressive gun abolitionist's handbook, I have a couple of remedies that deal with the problems of dangerous weapons (things that kill most people) in our society.

• All hammers and nails must require a safety training certificate before they can be purchased. Nail guns must not be larger than 12" and must be registered.
• All butcher knives must be sold with a plastic sheath. The knife must emit a high decibel alarm if the sheath is not placed on the knife within 15 minutes of its removal from the knife.
• All rope sold in lengths under 3 feet must be registered as potential strangulation devices.
• All baseball bats not made of foam rubber must be certified to break into at least three equal pieces if they strike an object weighing more that 10 pounds.
• All sales of scissors, axes, letter openers must be hit with a 10% potential weapon tax.
• All blunt objects that can be held in the hand and potential thrown or used as a weapon must be be taxed at the rate of 5%.
  
• Cars, Trucks, Buses and any other motor vehicle must have a collision detector installed that automatically applies the breaks and stops the engine if an object is detected within 100 feet of its forward direction where the object is determined to be larger than 1 cubic foot in size.
• Liquor, wine and beer can only be sold if the purchaser certifies that they will not be driving a vehicle or operating any heavy equipment within 3 hours of ingesting the product.
  

Now I think we are making some progress!

CCW Permits Info - Only Journalists Need Apply

In some jurisdictions CCW Permit holder information can only be provided to journalists. Sounds like nobody was thinking of the implications when these laws were passed. Now one Sheriff is suing the state to determine if he must comply with the law.

The more I hear of these stories the more it is obvious that a federal law is needed to prohibit the release of CCW data to LEOs and only for law enforcement purposes.

Read about the suit here.