June 09, 2004
Triumph For Free Trade
I never really know how I feel about free trade agreements since the US is usually the only country to honor those agreements. But here's a story I like that seems to validate the idea of it... From the Detroit Free Press:
BEIJING -- China got an official introduction to the icon of American capitalism Monday, as General Motors Corp. launched the Cadillac luxury brand in a ceremony worthy of Hollywood.GM and joint-venture partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. plan to begin selling the CTS luxury sedan, SRX crossover and Corvette-based XLR luxury roadster within a year in the world's most populous nation and fastest-growing auto market.
This was not a moment to pass unnoticed or unheralded. The automakers marked the occasion at the imperial Tai Temple of the Forbidden City -- now the Labor People Palace of Culture -- in an elaborate presentation staged by filmmaker Ang Lee...
...
...Aside from China's incredible growth, Cadillac has two advantages in coming to China now, said Stuart Pierce, the Cadillac brand director for Shanghai GM. One is that a new generation of young entrepreneurs is "not afraid to flaunt their success" with a bold-looking car. The other is that while Chinese know of Cadillac's rich history as a car favored by U.S. presidents and the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, they never had to bear witness to underpowered or uninspired Caddies, such as the Catera...
...
...The aim is to position Cadillac favorably against BMW and Mercedes, so it can be strong in a few years, when GM believes China will surpass Japan and become the world's second-biggest auto market. Murtaugh and others expect more vehicles to be sold in China than in the United States by about 2025."By 2010, China could represent 15 to 20 percent of our total volume," LaNeve said Monday night.
One thing can certainly be said for free trade and such: Business and economic matters often have far more impact at turning a tyrant led nation into -- if not a democracy -- at least a freer, more prosperous and world savvy country, and jobs are created, too, both here in the US and there -- in this case, China.
There's another story yesterday predicting that 1 in 4 Chinese will have a cell-phone by the end of the year.
The Chinese government can try to restrict access to the internet (or some sites, anyway) but with cell-phone technology being what it is, the access will be there anyway.
Often it is the business world and industry that works fastest to start the movement towards freedom! To hell with the politicians and activist groups.
Really Gross...
Driving the highways of Northern New England, large splotches of dried blood are common where cars and trucks collided with deer and moose. But 9000 gallons of blood? From Reuters:
A German motorway was flooded with 34,000 liters (9,000 U.S. gallons) of pig's blood on Wednesday after an accident that caused a 20 km (12 mile) tailback, police said.
Imagine the line of cars at the car wash waiting to clean the blood off?
Now go back to your lunch...
Don't Holster That Gun!
Normally, for safe carry you want to put your pistol in your holster. If you have a Glock and a Fobus, read this USA Today story:
A Pennsylvania company is recalling about 3,200 gun holsters because the strap can catch the trigger and cause the weapon to fire accidentally. Eight incidents of accidental firing have been reported, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.The Fobus USA Holster Division of First Samco, of Southampton, Pa., is recalling its Fobus GLT holsters, designed for Series 17 and Series 19 Glock handguns fitted with a laser-sight light. There have been eight reports of guns discharging as they were inserted into the holster. One person injured a finger.
Brought to you as a public service message...
Disarmed, Brits Wait Hour For Cops
Yup, disarming it's subjects, England certainly has made the country safer -- for criminals. And of course the idiot excuse the government makes is that people don't need guns, the police will protect them. From the Guardian:
Tory MP Boris Johnson has called for a review of procedures after police took more than an hour to reach a woman shot at a barbecue in his Oxfordshire constituency.The 27-year-old mother was fatally attacked in front of her two children at a family party in the village of Highmoor Cross, near Henley-on-Thames, on Sunday afternoon. Two other women were shot during the incident. Police are understood to have stopped emergency crews tending to the victims despite assurances from neighbours that the gunman had fled the scene...
...
...It is understood that when the gunman burst into the garden, the victim locked her children and two other relatives inside their house, only for the man to break in and shoot the adults at point-blank range.The mother died at the scene, while a second woman died in hospital, and a third was last night critically ill in hospital in Reading with wounds to her upper body.
I don't claim that all attacks will stop if citizens are allowed to own and carry firearms, nor do I claim that if someone at this party had a gun, she might be alive. But at least it sends a message to the mutants that we won't be "easy pickings" for them and possibly some of the deaths and injuries could have been curtailed.
The cops explain the delay in rescue and response as follows:
A Thames Valley police spokesman said firearms incidents had to be dealt with in a "controlled" manner to protect the public as well as the emergency services.
It just goes to show that they (Thames Valley Cops) are incompetent whimps who have no idea what their job is supposed to be. (As an aside, compare that to the response of the NYC cops and firefighters who on 9/11 didn't wait until the World Trade Centers incidents were "controlled.")
I feel for my brothers and sisters in England and Australia... Those two women are probably dead because of the Thames Valley Police Department and their policies.
Reagan To The Rescue
It's no secret that the late President Reagan and Nancy owned guns and believed in the Second Amendment. From KCCI TV in Iowa, here's an interesting anecdote about him:
Melba King was a 22-year-old nursing student in Des Moines in 1933. She was walking home one autumn night when a mugger came up behind her with a gun and demanded her money.At that moment, Ronald Reagan -- who was a Des Moines radio sportscaster at the time -- came to her rescue. Reagan pointed a .45-caliber revolver at the robber from the window of his second-floor rented room.
"And he said, 'Leave her alone or I'll shoot you right between the shoulders,'" King told KCCI. Reagan scared the man off and calmed King's nerves. Then, the future president said he would walk King home.King didn't see Reagan again until 1984, when Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad heard her story and invited her to an Iowa caucus campaign event (pictured, above left).
After King and Reagan hugged on stage, Reagan laughed, and said to the crowd, "This is the first time I've had a chance to tell you the gun was empty. I didn't have any cartridges. If he hadn't run when I told him to, I was going to have to throw it at him."
Great story!
June 08, 2004
Around the Neighborhood
While Jay Manifold was trying to look up, Michael McNeil at Impearls has been looking down. Nice (with photos) geology piece about California's Klamath Mountains.
Lana at Live From the Guillotine collects things we wish we'd said.
James R. Rummel of Hell In A Handbasket encounters some Kerry Aliens.
Speaking of which, has the Space Alien from Weekly World News endorsed anyone yet?
You Can't Make This Stuff Up...
I'm sometimes actually afraid to read Walter Olson's Overlawyered because of what I'll find out is happening in our insanely litigious society. I was right...
A Transsexual who spent £60,000 on surgery to become a woman is suing her doctor after claiming that he misdiagnosed her with gender dysphoria.Samantha Kane, 44, had the operation to change her gender seven years ago but now claims that the sex change was a terrible mistake.
After living as a woman since the surgery, Ms Kane, who lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, says that she was misdiagnosed and wants to find a way to restore male genitals to her body.
She is suing Dr Russell Reid, a consultant psychiatrist, for £186,442 personal injury compensation. She alleges that he negligently allowed healthy male organs to be removed and failed to properly advise her once he found out her medical history.
Maybe doctors should cut off Kane's head since that seems to be the source of all her problems...
From what I understand, it's a rather indepth and long procedure including a lot of psychoanalysis before these "changes" are made. It's not like on the first visit the doctor said, "oh, you're a little depressed? Let's cut-off your dick..."
Over at Tarazet:
Over at my other blog:
PC software that translates what your dog is saying to you.
Also, a boycott against Iams?
Be there or be square...
Once Again The Left Wishes Death
Once again, it's those "kind, concerned feeling" folks on the left wishing death on someone. This time it's the performer Morrissey:
Thousands of fans at Dublin Castle, in Ireland, cheered when the ex-Smiths frontman made the announcement that the former American president, who had battled with Alzheimer's Disease, had passed away.And an even bigger cheer followed when Morrissey - who is no stranger to controversy - then said he wished it had been the current President, George W Bush, who had died.
Well, they do say that what comes around goes around. Isn't it interesting that the lefty/liberals are always saying how conservatives are the ones lacking care and compassion yet it is always one of their own who are wishing death on someone...
June 07, 2004
Memorial Day Project
Here's a really nice and moving web site dedicated to our veterans and to Memorial Day:
I don't refer you there because a quote of mine was put on the first page, but because if you take the time -- the site is in the form of a "slide-show so just keep clicking "next" -- this is a very moving site dedicated to our fallen heros in the armed services and there are much better essays, commentaries, pictures, beyond mine.
Please consider mentioning and linking to it. Our brave soldiers, our dedicated defenders deserve at least that much! We only enjoy our freedoms because of them. God bless them forever and beyond. God bless those of you who keep their valiant deeds and memories alive. God bless America.
More Crushing Of Dissent
Please read the following two posts from Medienkritik:
Actually, as I've said before, this is a blog you should always check out for information on what the leftists in Germany are doing. Thank God for David Kaspar.
Here's A Stupid Editorial...
Wafting out from the socialist country of California comes yet another anti-gun editorial from SF Gate:
AN INEXPLICABLE, and so far inexhaustible, flow of large and menacing guns continues to find its way onto America's streets, causing the sound of gunfire to become common -- almost expected -- in too many neighborhoods.
Really? "Inexplicable?" Go ahead, gasp in astonishment that criminals are stealing and using guns. But apparently only the "large and menacing" ones. The small and benign guns haven't reached this SF Gate writer's attention. Folks, a gun is a gun is a gun. Mostly, it is used for good or defensive purposes. Knives too. Cars also. Baseball bats... Well, you get the idea. It isn't the inanimate object, it's the mis-use of the object. No doubt (although they never write about it) the editors at SF Gate are also amazed at the "inexplicable" supply of illegal drugs out there. And don't even think of asking them about the "inexplicable" supply of stolen cars...
Never mind. A DA in California has decided to actually enforce the laws concerning mis-use of guns by criminals. Well there's a shockingly new concept:
Noting that guns were used in 26 of the city's 39 homicides this year, [San Francisco DA] Harris has created a team of prosecutors to focus on gun issues, and will try all assault-weapons cases as felonies."I'm sending a message: Gun violence won't be tolerated,'' she said.
No doubt, criminals will hear her -- and if they don't, they can contemplate the consequences behind bars. We just hope politicians in Sacramento and Washington do their part to keep these weapons off the streets.
Look, I have NO problem with a law enforcement official suddenly deciding to enforce the law. But listen to the (I guess) 12-year-old who wrote this silly editorial saying, "No doubt, criminals will hear her..."
I think the key word there is "criminals." "Criminals" don't listen to anything and they certainly don't obey any laws -- that's what makes them "criminals." They don't give a rat's-ass about gun laws.
And that is what really sums-up the problem with gun control: It presumes that criminals will suddenly become non-criminals and start following the letter of the latest silly law that comes down the pike. And in the meantime, these laws place unfair burdens on the law-abiding citizen who wants to DEFEND themselves against that same -- law-ignoring -- criminal.
Like the popular bumper-sticker in my neck-of-the-woods: Criminal control, not gun control.
But here in Vermont, as it is in most of the country, violent gun-toting criminals receive a slap-on-the-wrist and a minimal sentence. Even murderers receive "life sentences" that actually translate into maybe 15 years in jail and then they are turned loose amongst us innocent, law-abiding folks once again.
*Sigh.*
Good For Kerry
He's shown a lot of class by cancelling two fund-raising concerts this week and taking the week off from campaigning. And this was a nice comment he improvised at a commencement speach:
"Because of the way he led, he taught us that there was a difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship," Mr. Kerry told the 372 Bedford graduates and their friends and relatives. "He was our oldest president, ladies and gentlemen, but he made America young again."
Good for John Kerry. And I must say, listening to all of the reminiscences from friends and foes of Reagan, all of them agree -- even if you didn't like his policies, it was impossible not to like the man (Reagan) himself.
By the way, on the Today Show this morning, excerpts (from People Magazine) by daughter Patti Davis about the final moments of Ronald Reagan's life were read and they are quite moving. I will probably buy this particular issue but I will not subscribe and unfortunately, you cannot access any content on their site without being a subscriber. It would have been nice if they had at least shared the daughter's beautiful series of writings on the web but it's not to be. So sorry, no link to give you... (And Today @ MSNBC offers no quotes or links either.)
June 06, 2004
Tomorrow...
I have another social engagement tonight. Therefore, my "Weekly Report" will be up sometime tomorrow afternoon... So check back around 2:00 PM tomorrow for that...
Update Monday 6/7: I just can't get into anything today. I keep thinking about Ronald Reagan. It's odd, but I haven't thought about him in many years -- naturally, since he's been out of the news for ten years except for his tragic condition. Now, seeing all of the remembrances on TV, I just feel more depressed for his passing but I also feel some joy over the wonderful life and the important contributions he made to our country -- not the least of which was bringing the Soviet Union to it's demise...
I think I'll just do some random posts today. Anyway, Yahoo only had one new link about gun-control and I'll give that a mention in it's own post.
A Visit From Arcturus
It would be cool if I lived in some heavily populated area where bloggers tend to congregate. But I don't. I live in the middle of nowhere. So it was a pleasure this morning to have a visit from Jay Manifold of A Voyage To Arcturus. Of course, most people who meet me tend to run away. Fortunately, I trapped Jay on this dock so he was forced to listen to me:
Nowhere to run, nowhere to escape to except into the cold waters.
Seriously, while he knew what I looked like from my photo on the "old Alphecca" I had no idea what he looked like. He was nothing like I had imagined... He's very erudite, witty, layed-back, and not at all "geeky." Actually, he's much like his excellent blog, just an enjoyable, intelligent fellow. The weather had been predicted to be lousy but fortunately, it turned out to be really nice, partly sunny and warm.
We spent a very pleasurable 3 1/2 hours on the shore of Lake Morey talking about everything from blogging (natch!) to politics and much more. Thank you, Jay, for being the first and only visitor to AlpheccaLand... I truly enjoyed your visit and I hope I meet you again. I would also welcome visits from others of you -- readers and bloggers -- and hey, there are worse places you could hang-out than in Vermont...
June 05, 2004
Reagan Deteriorating Fast -- Update: Rest In Peace
Unlike John Kerry, who made fun of President Bush when he took a spill on his bike, I generally don't gloat or make fun of people or politicians I disagree with who have had accidents, are seriously ill, etc., nor do I wish for their untimely demise.
By now, most people know that former president Ronald Reagan -- already suffering from one of the terrible afflictions of our age -- has suddenly begun deteriorating rather rapidly and it's suspected that his end is near. In this case, his death will probably bring some relief to his family and especially his wife Nancy Reagan who has so valiently stayed by his side and protected him during his final years. Indeed, it would probably be a blessing at this point. I was quite moved when she said this:
"Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him," she said. "Because of this I'm determined to do whatever I can to save other families from this pain. I just don't see how we can turn our backs on this."
Now, I rarely read leftist/neoliberal bloggers because quite frankly I just can't stand the sound of all that hysterical whining and noise. I would think that maybe they'd just say something nice like, "Our prayers go out to his family" or such. Let's see what some on the left are saying:
From AmericaBlog:
Oh man, get ready for the Reagan-was-a-god orgasm. They are going to milk his death for all it's worth - partly to benefit Bush's campaign, and partly to help enshrine Republicanism in the national consciousness. I sincerely hope "our side" is ready to respond with the facts. The last four years - Republican White House, House and Senate - are the true face of republicanism. The country wanted to see what happens when Republicans get their wet dreams fulfilled? Well, now we have the answer.From Hullabaloo:
I've been worried about this. When Ronald Reagan dies, the Right and its media handmaidens are going to go into a fit of maudlin masturbation the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be non-stop GOP triumphalism from dawn to dusk. JFK's funeral will look like a trailer park trash $2,000 special compared to the spectacle we are going to endure for days on end. Lay in a supply of pepto-bismol. It's not in their DNA to handle this with any grace, restraint or class.
From TBogg:
Actually I find this surprising. I expected Reagan to take that long lonely walk into the sunset in late October when it could have an effect on the election. In fact, Dick Cheney has been practising smothering Lynne with a pillow, and it's not their usual Saturday night autoerotic asphyxiation sex games...
Charming, huh? On second thought, I think I'll just stay on the sane side of the blogosphere in the future.
Update:
Former president Ronald Reagan has passed away. Folks, I have no idea where my own "spiritual feelings" are. And I was rather young at the time President Reagan was in office and frankly, I wasn't paying much attention.
But here is what I believe: Ronald Reagan was a decent man who held some principles dear to his heart. He led our country accordingly. I don't agree with all of those principles but I never for a second believe that President Reagan made decisions based on political expediency; he "stuck to his guns" on his principles. He was (thanks to his Hollywood training) a brilliant speaker but I -- maybe naively -- felt that HE believed in what he said and the policies he implemented. I feel the same way about GW. I disagree with much of it, but I will never accuse him -- unlike Kerry -- of shaping his ideals to fly in the prevailing winds.
I rarely speak of my family or work here. That's intentional. But I do come from a very liberal based family. I don't think they approve of my current politics.
I used to be a "liberal." I grew up. I won't go into all of that now. Let's just remember Ronald Reagan as a decent man who really wanted to make America the best it could possibly be. He absolutely believed in democracy and in America. It was contagious. It was real. It was wonderful and optimistic.
May God, if he exists, give this honerable man, this gentle man -- this gentleman -- some peace in heaven. May God (please) comfort Nancy and the rest of the family. May they know that Ronald Reagan really did make a difference, he did matter, he did speak and act on his objectives. He was an American original and a true patriot. Oh, how I wish we had people of his caliber in politics today...
Ronald Reagan, rest in peace. God bless you, and from all of us, thank you.
Michael Badnarik
The Libertarian Party candidate for president, Michael Badnarik will be interviewed during the first hour tonight on Coast to Coast AM. I understand he's not the most media-savvy of people but it will be interesting to hear what he has to say during an indepth interview.
I've made my own thoughts known -- I'm not committed to any candidate but just as a vote for Nader could be one less for Kerry, so too a vote for Badnarik could cause a loss for Bush.
In a perfect world, we'd have a batch of Good, Thoughtful, Moderate candidates to choose from. This election shows we're quite distant from that paradise...
No Hablo Englise...
...Or something like that. My spanish is a little rusty. Anyway, Ken Summers is wondering if Kerry is speaking english?
It's the nuance thing, Ken, just the nuance thing...
Outrageous!
What would happen to an ordinary citizen if: He gets behind the wheel of his SUV and drives drunkenly through the streets of a city, brandishing a gun, firing off shots at another driver, sends a stray bullet through someone's home, and then lies about the incident to the police? via KABA comes the story of a cop who did just that. From the Detroit Free Press:
The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners backed the chief's decision to suspend an officer suspected of shooting seven rounds while driving drunk through neighborhoods in southwest Detroit.One shot went through a 75-year-old woman's home, knocking down her walker.
The department also said that Officer Frankie Sanchez of the 9th (Gratiot) Precinct lied about what happened.
Police said Sanchez left the Diamond Motel on Fort Street about 1 a.m. May 12 in a silver Ford Expedition. Neighbors nearby, on Falcon Street, saw someone in a Expedition chasing a red pickup, firing several rounds.
One of those bullets went through Betty Sryniawski's home in the 9100 block of Falcon. The bullet hit a walker leaning against another wall, knocking it down...
... An officer near Springwells and Cahalan told department investigators he heard several rounds and then saw someone running through a vacant lot.
The man later told police that he abandoned his truck and was trying to get away from Sanchez. Police found Sanchez and took him to the 4th (Fort-Green) Precinct. Sanchez's blood-alcohol level was 0.14 percent, nearly twice Michigan's legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Look, most cops -- as with any segment of the population -- are good, hard working people who simply wouldn't do this. But when you have a rotten apple that breaks the law -- I can actually think of about 14 charges that could be brought against him -- he should be IN JAIL. He hasn't even been charged yet! A suspension? Sanchez should have gotten a termination and his one phone call! Outrageous!
June 04, 2004
A Restraining Order Isn't Enough
A tragic story we've heard before. From KLAS TV in Nevada:
Eyewitness News has learned that a woman found died over the weekend had an active restraining order against the man police say murdered her. So why is a restraining order not enough it sometimes?It was near Lake Mead Drive and Pabco Road that 38-year-old Ana Outcalt's body was found on Saturday night. It is 49-year-old Joseph Suggs who allegedly killed her and then dumped her body in the desert.
Police say Suggs and Outcalt were in a violent relationship. Suggs had been arrested for domestic violence only five weeks before Outcalt's body was found in the desert. After Suggs was arrested for domestic battery on April 20, Outcalt filed for and was given an emergency restraining order against him on the next day.
Metro Sergeant Tom Wagner says although most people do obey restraining orders, there are those who break them.
Sergeant Wagner recommends if you have a restraining order but you still feel unsafe there are other actions you can take -- like changing the locks in your home and making sure someone's with you when you leave your home. If you still feel unsafe, you should go to a women's shelter.
What Wagner should recommend is that the poor woman get a firearm to protect themselves from mutants. Criminals don't obey social norms such as abusing a woman, why would anyone (such as the Brady Bunch) think they would obey legal norms such as a restraining order?
June 03, 2004
Now About the NFA...
Heartless Libertarian discusses the AWB and has some thoughts about the National Firearms Act of 1934. Check it out.
Minnesota Carry Law Under Fire
There's a hearing today in Ramsey County District Court to have last year's concealed carry law voided. Here's the "press release" from Citizens For A Safer Minnesota:
The religous institutions’ motion for summary judgment asserts that the Conceal & Carry Law was passed as part of a bill that includes more than one subject, in violation of the Minnesota Constitution. The Minnesota House of Representatives improperly attached the Conceal & Carry Law to a Department of Natural Resources bill already passed unanimously by the Minnesota Senate, says the motion.“Our motion papers contend that the Minnesota House hijacked a non-controversial bill and used it as an unlawful vehicle for conceal-and-carry,” said David Lillehaug, one of the attorneys for the religious institutions. “If the motion is granted, the Conceal & Carry Law will be null and void.”
The motion also alleges that the Conceal & Carry Law’s provisions regarding parking areas and tenant spaces are unconstitutional. The Law prevents owners of parking areas and tenant spaces from banning gun-carriers. The motion contends that this violates the rights of private property owners under both the Minnesota and the United States Constitutions.
The religious institutions making the motion represent the Jewish, Unitarian, UCC, Eckankar, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, and Catholic faiths. They all contend that the Conceal & Carry Law infringes on their right to control their religious properties. That issue is also part of the motion.
So now they're arguing that because the bill was attached to another bill, (something that's done everyday in every statehouse and in the US congress) that it is somehow illegal.
I guess they're also trying to argue that tenents in apartment buildings shouldn't enjoy the same Bill of Rights as homeowners -- such as being able to conceal-carry.
The anti-gun crowd will try anything, any dubious strategy to use the courts to nullify laws that enable citizens to protect themselves.
By the way, churches and other houses of worship need only post a sign that says "No Guns" and make a brief announcement at the start of the service that weapons are not permitted in the church, and they are then able to "ban" concealed carry in their church. So their rights are not being infringed at all.
Oddly, since there has been no "Wild West" effect in Minnesota, I wonder what all the fuss is about.
I'm Not The Only One...
Posting has been lighter than normal here because one of my teath cracked and broke off Monday. Part of the "socket" is exposed and got "dry socket" or some such thing. Then, the whole gum started hurting. Yesterday night, I ate ice cream and purposely chomped it into the socket. That seemed to help. But now it feels like the jaw bone below that tooth is "swollen" or under pressure.
I'm not whimpy about many things but going to the dentist is one of them. I just hate it and besides, I can't afford it. I'm hoping the pressure, or infection in the jaw goes away on it's own... Yah, sure...
So I feel an intense kinship with and commiseration with Acidman right about now.
June 01, 2004
Slow Loading...
I've had an unusually large number of photos on Alphecca this week. I realize that most of you (65% according to the latest statistics) visitors are --like me-- on modem. I apologize for the slow loading this causes. I hope you found it worth it, but I promise that it isn't (doesn't occur) that often. I really do appreciate your visits and I try to make Alphecca a "fast load." My Memorial Day post -- which I think is pretty good -- is slowing things down with so many photos and all. Sorry about that. Please visit again and give me another chance.
That Lamp...
Do you know, I've already had an offer of money for the buckshot lamp I showed in the previous (My "Weekly Report") post?
I no longer accept donations here at Alphecca, but there ARE things I would like...
I don't actually need the lamp, and it would certainly look good in any gun-afficionado's den or study. Or club-house. I am broke and haven't bought a new gun in over a year. If one of you wealthier folks out there would like that lamp, how about a trade? I'd like to have a good-quality .45, such as a Kimber, Springfield, Para-Ordnance, etc. pistol to enjoy and use. In recognition of my contributions to the pro-Second Amendment cause, how about giving (donating) me a nice .45 I can be proud to own and enjoy, and in return, I'll send you that rare (I hope but don't know) buckshot lamp for you to enjoy in your home or clubhouse?
Wouldn't it look cool in your space? Email me if you are interested...
Update: A very kind and generous reader is sending me (in trade) a new, in box Para-Ordnance P-14! How cool is that??? My special thanks to him.
Weekly Check on the Bias
You know... I had a really good rant planned and half written for this week's edition of the Alphecca "Weekly Check on the Bias" by media against guns and the Second Amendment. But in hindsight, people expect a little more (and better) of me in this report. So I scrapped it and instead will give you the condensed, cleaned-up version:
This past holiday weekend we've been celebrating and honoring the men and women who have given their lives defending our nation. By extension that means the Constitution and Bill of Rights as well. Yet there are many among us, state legislaters, senators and congressmen, as well as presidential candidates who would make those sacrifices meaningless by limiting or scrapping many of our hard-fought and defended rights. Whether it is the right of free speach, the right to not be subject to unreasonable searches, or -- as is the mantra of this weekly post -- the right to bear arms, all of them helped to form, nurture, and build our democracy.
I'm in the furniture business so how's this for an analogy: Think of our free country as a table and the Bill of Rights as the legs holding it up. Lose one of those amendments -- legs -- and the table starts to wobble and becomes unstable. ["Brilliant, Jeff, just brilliant!" --ed. "Thank you, I knew I could count on you." --js]
For instance, there was this SF Gate editorial from last week:
On any given day, the rumble of traffic and city clatter on Geneva Avenue is subject to being interrupted by the sound of gunfire.The neighborhood is not far from the Cow Palace, which for 18 years has hosted gun shows -- sometimes twice a year -- at its exhibit hall.
To at least one California senator, it makes no sense for a state that is struggling to prevent and prosecute gun violence to be sanctioning gun shows that add to the proliferation of deadly weapons in society. Guns, even if originally sold legally, sometimes are lost, stolen or resold and end up in the wrong hands...
...[Sen.] Speier's bill cleared the Senate and now sits in the Assembly as a community's desperate call for help and respect. Legislators should heed that call and send it on to the governor for signing.
Well, cars are "originally sold legally" and are sometimes "stolen or resold" and often wind up in the hands of drunks and crack-heads. Perhaps car shows should be... Well, you know. Obviously Speire and the (unsigned) editorial writer imply that a state owned space shouldn't be used or rented out for gun shows. This would seem to shake two of the legs of our table by violating the right of lawful people to view and purchase firearms, as well as practicing free speach.
We see this often in our high schools where students aren't allowed to even mention guns or soldiers or what have you in their reports and essays.
Sometimes when the anti-gun crowd can't achieve their aims with legislation, they resort to the civil courts instead. From Reuters:
The chief Western U.S. federal appeals court stood by its decision on Friday allowing a wrongful death lawsuit to proceed against a gun manufacturer.The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to have a larger en banc panel of judges reconsider its 2 to 1 November ruling that allowed a lawsuit against Glock Inc. and gun sellers. The suit alleges negligence for using a distribution scheme that made it likely their guns would end up in the hands of illegal buyers.
Believe it or not, although using the word "scheme" might lead you to believe otherwise, this Reuters story was fair enough to include this:
"The potential impact of the panel's decision is staggering," Consuelo Callahan wrote for the dissenting judges. "Any manufacturer of an arguably dangerous product that finds its way into California can be hauled into court in California to defend against a civil action brought by a victim of the criminal use of that product.""Thus General Motors would be sued by someone who was hit by a Corvette that had been stolen by a juvenile," she wrote.
"The plaintiff would allege that General Motors knew that cars that can greatly exceed the legal speed limit are dangerous, and through advertising and by offering discounts, increased the attractiveness of the car and the number of Corvettes on the road and this increased the likelihood that a juvenile would steal a Corvette and operate it in an injurious manner."
We pro-2A writers are fond of the car analogy. At this point, the Brady Bunch would jump up and say, "Aha, gotcha! We register automobiles and license drivers!" True., but slow down, Sherlock. Auto registration started in 1906 (Illinois I believe) as a "tax." And registering cars and licensing drivers hasn't prevented drunk driving deaths or other accidents. What has is enforcement of drunk driving laws.
I could also argue that registering and licensing are done on a state -- as opposed to national -- basis but if following that logic, than a person licensed to carry in one state ought to be able to carry in all 50 states. Clearly that isn't the case. I could carry this further by declaring that driving a car is a privilege whereas bearing arms is a right.
The basis of many of the lawsuits targeting gun makers -- especially those filed by cities -- is that their products place a financial burden on a municipality in fighting gun related crime. This argument is specious because -- carrying my auto analogy even farther up the road -- those costs pale in comparison to the expense and manpower of policing our streets and highways in traffic enforcement, investigating traffic accidents, the cleanup afterwards, and on and on. Indeed, just maintaining our roads (building, paving, etc.) requires massive expenditures by city, state, and federal government agencies.
Anti-gunners would do well to (ahem) steer clear of the auto analogy...
Another way that the gun control crowd has tried to loosen the Second Amendment leg is to come up with "tax" schemes. Sometimes subtle ones. I discussed this story last week about a proposal in the California House to require people who buy ammunition to give, amongst other things, a thumbprint:
Senate Bill 1152 passed the California Senate last week by a vote of 22-16 and now has been sent to the Assembly.The bill requires that "all vendors of ammunition maintain specified information" on ammunition buyers, including: (1) the date of the transaction; (2) the name, address, and date of birth of the buyer; (3) the buyer's driver's license or other identification number and the state in which it was issued; (4) the brand, type, and amount of ammunition bought or transferred; (5) the buyer's signature; (6) the name of the salesperson who processed the transaction; and (7) "the vendor shall also at the time of purchase or transfer obtain the right thumbprint of the purchaser or transferee."
The information would have to be recorded on a special form provided by the State Department of Justice.
I won't repeat everything I said. Rather, I'll just point out that any such program by the state will incur a lot of costs which will (of course) be passed on to the law abiding purchasers. This is an "end-around" to more blatent schemes (see, I can use it too) of simply taxing bullets.
Hey, could you use some GOOD NEWS about now? Via KABA, the legs of the table are still strong in someplaces -- even in California! From Redding.Com:
In Los Angeles, it might be cause for concern.But the shotgun club at West Valley High School is a tradition that's been in place since the school was built in 1984. In fact, the shooting range and skeet launcher are on school property.
For club adviser and shop teacher John Fickes, nothing could be more natural.
"It's a good sport for the kids," Fickes said.
Aside from learning to be better shooters, club members, both boys and girls, learn gun safety, discipline and camaraderie. He also mentioned, on a more basic level, that getting together as a club to shoot and compete is fun.
Riflery clubs in high schools used to be common. Amazingly, in those days, there was no wanton mayhem! Go figure... Maybe it was because kids learned to respect and safely handle firearms. These days, kids are only taught fear, both at school and at home.
The Second Amendment is also alive and well in Anderson, South Carolina. From The State.Com:
Prosecutors say they will not charge a man who shot and killed an ax-wielding intruder in his bedroom.Lance Myers of Anderson acted in self-defense when he shot 41-year-old Ernest Leroy Miles, Prosecutor Druanne White said.
Myers told police he pulled a handgun from his nightstand and shot Miles in the neck after spotting an intruder coming at him with an ax on March 7.
The Brady Bunch would no doubt have preferred that Myers simply dial 9-1-1 with an axe sticking out of his head...
Now here's something you don't see everyday: I found this lamp (because it's all about me) at a flea-market:
Your first glance was correct:
It looks as if it's riddled with bullet holes. As best as I can tell, they must have "splattered" the glass with bb's or buckshot while it was being blown. Neat, huh?
So here's what's happening over at some of the other pro-2A blogs:
The Countertop Chronicles takes a trip south for guns, bbq, and sweet tea. And a good time was had by all.
Kevin at The Smallest Minority has been mixing it up with Tim Lambert. Haven't we all, at one time or another. Kevin's got the statistics.
James at Hell In A Handbasket comments on the fracas above.
Say Uncle reports that eBay is restricting gun part sales even more... Hard to believe?
Naturally, Les Jones has his always excellent Gun Links up.
Triticale reports on some of the results of his "what if" gun survey.
Publicola has his own set of gun links up.
The Backroad Blog says there's discussion of Utah dropping permit requirements for concealed carry. He's skeptical. I don't blame him. We saw what happened in N.H.
While not exactly about guns, I think most of my readers would agree with The Acidman about being a free man.
Kim du Toit follows up on a justified (defensive) shooting. And he has advice for folks who carry 9mm's.
Bitter Bitch reports that some parents consider fish shaped water pistols a "weapon." God help us all!
And lastly, because it's still really all about me... According to my friend Craig at Lead and Gold, the Summer issue of Outdoor Life Magazine has me listed under "web sites we love." Naturally, possessing the massive ego that I do, plus being a link-whore, I delayed this week's edition even more and rushed to the supermarket. They don't carry it. I drove up to the drug store in the next town but they still have the May issue. Now I'm going crazy. Guess I'll have to subscribe... But I am flattered.
Anyway, I guess this is a wrap. Thanks for stopping by!
