Firearms purchasers must provide state-issued photographic identification, fill out as many as seven forms, sign three affidavits attesting to the veracity of the information provided and wait until the government has checked into their background before taking possession of any firearm.
How can all of this be considered unregulated?
I mentioned earlier that the DOJ was asking the Supreme Court to review the Stewart case. Jed has much more on the impact of this, including a link to this tidbit:
If Stewart is overturned by the USSC then all laws based on the constitutional authorization to regulate interstate commerce will become easy targets for overturning. The only “out” the USSC will have here is the very narrow reading of the constitution and applying it’s provison to the origin of the materials used by Stewart to manufacture his machinegun. (sic)
[snip]
If the 9th’s decision is upheld then congress will have to open up the NFA to revision. Furthermore, people all across the country will NOT be FEDERALLY prohibited from building their own machineguns. State laws will remain unaffected until they are challenged based on the Stewart ruling. This will seriously jeopardize the power of the congress.
Read the whole thing. Both of them.
John Ross has some new posts, too.
If he maintains his latest pattern, he probably won’t post again until sometime in January.
Two men were caught on a mall’s security camera as they chased a woman through a parking lot, then grabbed and stuffed her into the trunk of a car, authorities said.
Even more tragic:
Shoppers nearby seemed to notice the incident Sunday night, but none attemped to stop it. (sic)
That’s pretty terrible.
Patterico called on readers to create (well, I’ll let him say it) a new version of the Bill of Rights, rewritten to show in plain English what rights we actually hold today — now that the courts have reinterpreted the various amendments beyond all recognition. This reminded of Jeff’s The Bill of a Few Remaining Rights from a while back.
XRLQ chimed in with his rendition, which I think pretty much nails it. I would add:
Amendment I
Congress shall make laws regulating speech as it relates to congress. After all, we have incumbency to think about.
Amendment II
Keep it moving, nothing more to see here.
Amendment IV
This amendment doesn’t apply with respect to drugs or your own private automobile. Yet strangely, may apply to abortions because a right to absolute privacy is meant by papers and effects. Technological advances such as indoor plumbing render that whole knocking thing inconvenient.
Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall be mandatory. We can’t have potentially dangerous poor people running amok, now can we.
Amendment IX
Hah, yeah right.
Amendment X
Powers not delegated to the states or people will be curtailed because local folks want Free Federal Funding.
Is it just me or was this a really long week? Everybody at work is celebrating the arrival of Friday, and this morning when the alarm went off, I was trying to force it to be Saturday.
Anyway, the reason I was asking about house rental techniques earlier in the week is because we accidentally found a house we want to buy (that’ll teach me to go for sunny Sunday afternoon drives in the Miata during Open House hours). So this week, we’ve been negotiating and finally came to terms yesterday. We’re trying to close before Thanksgiving. Anybody want to rent a little bitty, fully rennovated house with a huge newly fenced-in back yard, on a main road in West Knoxville? 
So hopefully within the next few weeks, this will be our new backyard:
Gotta love a tri-level cascading fish pond that somebody else built.
Hale DeMar used a banned handgun to defend himself. This prompted a bill that stated essentially that if an unregistered or banned handgun was used in self-defense that the court could clear the charges for the violating the ban. The Illinois senate passed the bill but the governor vetoed it. Now, the senate has overridden that veto:
Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed the measure, saying “each individual municipality should determine which affirmative defenses apply to a violation of its own ordinance,” but the Senate voted 40 to 18 to override him.
It’s not over yet:
The bill now heads to the House, where it must get at least 71 votes in order to become law in spite of the governor’s objections. It got 90 votes in the House in May.
It looks like it will pass. Of course, the obvious solution is to pass a bill repealing unconstitutional bans on gun ownership. That probably won’t happen in Illinois any time soon. However, these baby steps are reassuring.
We’re winning . . . slowly.
A Veteran’s Day Salute and one of the greatest guns ever invented. It’s over at the Shooters’ Carnival.
An update to their lawsuit against Bushmaster and H&K:
A federal lawsuit filed against Windham-based Bushmaster Firearms Inc. will now be heard in Maine.
The lawsuit, filed by Colt Defense of West Hartford, Conn., alleges Bushmaster Firearms Inc. copied Colt’s M-4 carbine rifle. The M-4 is standard issue for all branches of the U.S. military.
Colt also is suing Heckler & Koch GmbH, a German company with a plant in Sterling, Va. The firearm manufacturer claims both companies have engaged in trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.
I assumed Colt was suing for the designation of M4. It seems, however, they are suing for copying the rifle. The basic AR15 design has been around since the 1950s when Eugene Stoner developed it for Armalite. I’ve never used Colt parts because they’re not compatible with most things so I find it odd. I prefer MilSpec.
A letter to the editor regarding the Connecticut assault weapons ban (which was basically a copy of the federal one):
I find it ludicrous that a manufacturer can produce and own hundreds or even thousands of assault weapons, but a Connecticut citizen cannot. If the weapons are so dangerous, why is the state allowing them to be manufactured? Are they less lethal as soon as they cross the Connecticut border? Perhaps it is time the state legislature realizes the folly of this ban and the hypocritical nature of its language.
Zell Miller on gun control in the NY Times:
Being for gun control, Miller said, was like telling Southerners, “You’re too stupid to understand these types of issues but we’re smart, so vote for us.”
There is a legal challenge in the works for the Pit Bull Ban in Council Bluffs:
A motion will be filed in about a month for a temporary injunction to block Council Bluffs’ ban on pit bulls from taking effect, a spokesman for the American Canine Foundation said.
Glen Bui, the ACF’s vice president, said Wednesday the filing will be in Pottawattamie County District Court and that a trial date would be set to determine the legality of the ordinance approved Monday night.
Today is Veterans’ Day. I tried all day to think of something worthwhile to post to mark this day, but I realized that no words of mine could match what has been said in the past and said today in other places. So I will say only this:
Thank you, and may we never forget.
Yesterday, I linked to the virtual bartender (which may be the coolest website ever) and the suggestions for commands can be seen in comments. It apparently updates based on entered commands. Yesterday, I entered the command macarena, and she gave the I don’t get it gesture. Today, macarena works.
Via Alphie, comes Tennessee Gun Talk. What is it? Glad you asked:
Thanks for visiting Tennessee Gun Talk, where visitors from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky & Louisiana can discuss gun ownership & other relevant issues. Even if you don’t live in one of those states, feel free to drop in anyway and voice your opinions!
Man says he shot hitchhiker to death
Someone is going around capping hitchhikers? That’s terrible. What the headline should be:
Man says he shot robber to death
Violating my own don’t blog about work rules: Sorry for the late start. I had to spend the morning in one of those hippie, tree-hugging, talk about your feelings, change management seminars discussing why I am a valuable team player with valid contributions to shifting the paradigm and leveraging my ass or some shit. It should, therefore, be no surprise that I am filled with profound and visceral hatred for all things, particularly mice. Time I’ll never get back. The SayUncle method of motivational speaking:
Cowboy up, you sniveling little whiner. No one cares what you think and it’s happening whether you like it or not. Grow a pair and shut the Hell up about it. You know where the door is.
As you were.
Bill Hobbs notes that Nashville is robbing the poor to pay the rich:
Nashville’s Metro Development and Housing Agency is threatening to use its condemnation powers under “eminent domain” to take property from two property owners, destroy two small businsses on the properties, and give the land to a well-heeled real estate developer. (sic)
Issues like this are why Kelo vs. New London is such an important case pending before the Supreme Court. Sadly, I don’t have much faith in the SCOTUS to do the right thing.
Lobbygow emails this story about Mikhail T. Kalashnikov turning 85 years old. I read somewhere once that one in six guns in the world is an AK47. I have no doubt that is true. The impact of the Kalashnikov rifle has been huge.
Female readers, look away. For anyone who remembers subservient chicken comes the virtual bartender, which is a hotter version. Type a command and see what happens. My favorites: do push ups and eat a banana.
Update: kiss is a good one too.
Update 2: You must enter fight! Now!
In case you’re wondering how technology has changed over the past 200 years or so, the following “quote of the day” puts it into perspective:
“We live in a society of high tech that’s built over time. We went from the horse and cart to scramjets in 200 years.”
I wonder if I can get one of those for my Miata?
Stocks will probably slide today on the news that Colin Farrell may star in a remake of Miami Vice, along with Jamie Foxx.
It’s not a comedy at all. It’s cool,” said Farrell in an interview. “Michael Mann wrote it and when he writes it’s good and it goes pretty deep.”
Farrell said he wasn’t sure whether his Crockett would have the three-day growth of beard that Johnson turned into an ’80s fashion statement, but he would definitely have an updated wardrobe.
“I don’t think I’ll be wearing a silver shiny suit,” he said.
Ashcroft will be out. Any ideas on who the new guy/girl would be?
It is often noted that we evil red state residents get a lot of free federal funding. Moreover, we get more in federal dollars than we pay in taxes. I tend to think this is more like incumbent syndrome, but I don’t have time to compare incumbents in red vs. blue states.
However, it seems that since we get all this free federal money, we are more charitable. That seems to affirm the Libertarian notion that if you’re not taxed ’til it hurts, you give some back.
Also, why are the blue staters so fond of pointing out that their tax dollars go to red states when they supported a candidate who was wanting to raise their taxes? Seems like they wouldn’t mind, since it’s for the common good and all.
Update: One of the Brutal Huggers (I can’t tell them apart) says it’s a sham. Gee, I wonder if the folks who did the study are trying to motivate wealthier folks to give more?
I think it’s worth pointing out the incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid opposed extending the Assault Weapons Ban.
Via Bubba (is it sad that I read Bubba before reading the local newspaper?), comes this:
He was armed to rob a bank and ready to wage war with terrorists. But he fainted at the sight of two FBI agents.
Ronald Eric Myers, self-appointed president of a paramilitary group bent on protecting the homeland and accused mastermind of a plot to rob a LaFollette bank, contends he was so spooked when agents showed up to arrest him that he fainted and bumped his head.
Factor in “learning disabilities,” and Myers insists in court records that he was in no shape to waive away his rights and confess.
And why was he robbing banks? To get money to fight terrorists of course:
In his confession, authorities say, Myers told the FBI that he was president of the American Independence Group, a paramilitary organization Myers said he founded to protect his homeland in the event of another terrorist attack.
FBI agent David Bukowski has testified that the group, with its handful of members, was too broke to adequately arm its members with weapons and survival kits so Myers concocted a plan to rob the bank to get cash.
Spoons reports in from the Front Sight. I’ll be in Vegas in January, maybe I should sign up.
Haven’t talked much about Arafat’s health or lack of. One minute, he is reported dead. Then he’s reported not dead. And this seems to repeat itself every so often. We know you couldn’t live with dignity but at least your cronies should let you die with some.
Via everyone, it seems that Ashcroft is resigning. I don’t think most folks will miss him.
The Justice Department is asking the SCOTUS to overturn the Ninth Circuit’s ruling that said the Feds had no authority to regulate homemade machine guns, which I discussed here.
Update: Since the Congress and the Executive Branch have acknowledged an individual right to arms, this could be a vehicle for the Supreme Court to do the same. However, I wouldn’t count on it.
Nope, no hysteria here:
But that doesn’t diminish ominous reminders of a vulnerability posed to everyone, particularly police officers, by Dugan’s easy acquisition of a military-style, semiautomatic, high-powered rifle to execute his plan, police believe. A weapon powerful enough to rip through bulletproof vests worn by most police officers.
If they’re semi-auto, they are not military-style. They are military-looking. And any rifle cartridge will penetrate a vest.
The FBI said last week that Dugan purchased a ROMARM assault rifle. The semiautomatic, a Romanian-built knockoff of the more widely known AK-47, fires a 7.62 x 39-caliber round, the FBI said, the same shell made for the AK-47. The FBI had originally reported that Dugan purchased an AK-47.
No matter the nomenclature, it’s a gun with a lot of firepower “that broadens the risk to people as well as police officers,” Chandler Police Chief Sherry Kiyler said.
The type of weapon used in many military arsenals, including those of terrorists, according to news reports.
Militaries use machine guns, which this weapon (probably a Robarm, not ROMARM) is not. And I’d like to see a cite on terrorists in this country using AK clones. Last I checked, they used fertilizer and box cutters. Meanwhile, it seems that military personnel are importing real AK47s.
Also, Peter Hamm (the resident liar for the Brady Campaign) issued a press release that uses the word extreme or extremist in reference to the NRA seven times. Sorry Peter, but the extremist is the group that must continually lie in an effort to convince people of their point of view. And that would be you.
What to do with that property that you supposedly took for public use but then later change your mind about? Sell it, of course:
Three years after using eminent domain to take possession of a 24.7-acre parcel in Kearny Mesa, the San Diego Unified School District is selling the vacant land to Home Depot for $11.2 million more than it paid.
Looks like the ban on politically incorrect dogs passed. The mayor may veto it and a group is challenging the ban:
The city’s Health Board recommended a ban on pit bulls earlier this year because of increased attacks on humans. The ordinance would allow current licensed pit bull owners to keep their dogs as long as they met various requirements. Once their dogs die, owners will not be allowed to have another pit bull.
Despite Monday’s council action, the issue is not over, ban opponents said.
“We will not give up,” said spokeswoman Charlotte Skokan. “We will continue to fight.”
The American Canine Foundation will file a suit on behalf of the ban opponents, she said.
“They have committed that they will,” Skokan said.
A fund to pay for the foundation’s legal action has been set up at US Bank, she said.
Skokan supplied the council with what she said were 2,200 signatures of people who opposed the ban.
The final reading of the ordinance brought another full house to the council chambers, and the testimony got more heated than the previous meetings.
Somebody paid $41,000 for a fungus. Is it just me, or is that insane? At least the money went to charity.
On the Culture War, Phelps illustrates that Chuck Schumer doesn’t get it:
That last line was dripping with sarcasm, because I think in that moment, Jon saw that Schumer still didn’t get it after he spelled it out to him. Jon is on his way to not being part of the problem, and it frustrates him that the Titanic has hit the iceberg, and Schumer is still wrenching the helm into the floe.
It isn’t that people don’t get what you are saying, Chuck, they just don’t agree with you. They have figured out that when they are having trouble stretching a paycheck, the solution isn’t to have you take more of that paycheck and spend it for them.
First, I despise Chuck Schumer for his role in trying to turn the Waco hearings into an opportunity for a gun control screed instead of dealing with the real issue, which was whether or not the government got a little out of control. Now, as it was in the past, he doesn’t get it. It’s a good thing. Chuck is an old-school, regional Democrat and I’d like nothing more than to see him go the way of Daschle but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Additionally, Phelps writes:
Here’s the deal. You can take someone from Sugerland, Texas, and plop him down at the airport in NYC, or Chicago, or Atlanta or Dallas or any big city, and he’ll do fine. I wonder sometimes if you could do the same with a New Yorker. We get New York culture, even if we don’t accept it. I don’t think that the average New Yorker even gets any culture outside New York and Hollywood.
Indeed. If you watched TV, you would think there was only New York. How many TV show story lines are based in New York? We need a Maryville sitcom, but I digress. I think Phelps nails it. We middle-Americans get the Media Elites (to use Jon Stewart’s term) we just don’t like it. However, they absofuckinglutely do not get us. At all. Period. And apparently have no desire to.
Why did Kerry lose err Bush win:
John Kerry was not defeated by the religious right. He was beaten by moderates who went — reluctantly in many cases — for President Bush. This will be hard for many Democrats to take. It’s easier to salve those wounds by demonizing religious conservatives. But in the 2004 election, Democrats left votes on the table that could have created a Kerry majority.
Consider these findings from the network exit polls: About 38 percent of those who thought abortion should be legal in most cases went to Bush. Bush got 22 percent from voters who favored gay marriage and 52 percent among those who favor civil unions. Bush even managed 16 percent among voters who thought the president paid more attention to the interests of large corporations than to those of “ordinary Americans.” A third of the voters who favored a government more active in solving problems went to Bush.
True, 22 percent of the voters said that “moral values” were decisive in their choices. But 71 percent picked some other issue . . .
Doesn’t he know it was those pesky, homo-hating, gun-toting, middle American Southern baptists?
Heh:
Taking to heart the credo that friends should never let friends drive drunk, a man shot out two tires on his pal’s car to keep him from driving under the influence.
I’d have done it but:
Alas, the move backfired when the incensed driver got out of his car, pulled a knife and attacked his friend, according to a report by Bloomington police.
Pity. Then, of course, owning guns is apparently illegal (or so the press would have you believe):
Authorities said they expected to file charges within a few days against the other man, whose identity was not released, after officers found two handguns and an assault-style rifle in his home
Unless he’s a felon, he would not be arrested for having those two items as the article implies. I imagine he was arrested for illegally discharging a weapon.
When I was at UT, I remember on occasion having to go to campus during a late night sporting event or concert and being told that I couldn’t park in a space that I paid for because of said event. Now, it seems UT football fans are going through the same thing:
Some University of Tennessee football fans are angry after being booted from their parking spaces so state legislators and other V.I.P’s can park free on game days.
The university says people displaced from the 80 vehicle Lot 9-A are still among the 10,000 who receive a parking pass on campus. Some even have more convenient spaces than before the reshuffling.
When I was a student, my anger never got press coverage and I was, you know, trying to learn and stuff.
Congrats to XRLQ for leaving the 10,000 comment to this blog. Well, 10,000th since converting to MT a while back. Probably lost a few thousand when I transferred from Blogger.
And these typically all end with the same conclusion: illegally.
A female pit bull is found near death – no food or water, too weak to walk, chained to a tree in the back yard of a James City County house that her owner had moved away from.
An emaciated pit bull is found frozen to death outside a Hampton home.
A pit bull breeder already on probation in Hampton for cropping the dogs’ ears without a veterinary license moves to Gloucester, where she is charged with the same crime and with raising pit bulls for illegal dog fighting.
A male pit bull is found in Richmond chained in a yard with little food or water and with feces covering the ground. He dies soon afterward from heartworm infestation and internal parasites.
All happened this year and, according to some local animal control officers, it’s no coincidence that all involved the same kind of dog.
Despite their fierce reputation – or because of it – pit bulls are especially vulnerable to becoming the victims of humans.
It’s good to see this mentioned in the paper. The fact is, pits attract people who shouldn’t own any dog. If pits are banned, they just pick another breed. Some pretty scare figures regarding abuse:
They represented the “overwhelming majority” seized in Hampton and Newport News, said Gene Falls, former executive director of the Peninsula SPCA.
Isle of Wight Animal Control Officer Waverley Traylor said all six dogs he’s seized so far this year – and probably about 50 to 60 percent seized last year – were pit bulls.
“The wrong people get them for the wrong reasons,” said Shirley Anderson, supervisor of Animal Control for James City and Williamsburg.
Her office seized 43 dogs last year because of abuse or neglect, and she estimates 70 percent of them were pit bulls. Most of the rest were breeds used for hunting, such as hounds and beagles, she said.
The article also mentions pits being at drug raids. It’s almost like someone is reading my site. One other thing is that pits and other bully type dogs require lots of training and socialization. Someone who isn’t willing to do that but once a butch dog will have a problem dog on their hands. All too often, such a person abuses the dog, turns it loose, or mistreats it.
Fifty-four percent of those surveyed Oct. 11-14, one month after the Clinton-era ban on the sale and ownership of certain types of so-called assault weapons expired, said laws covering the sales of firearms in the United States should be “more strict.” Eleven percent said they should be “less strict” while 34 percent said the laws should remain as they are now.
Also of note:
Sixty-three percent of the 1,012 adults over the age of 18 polled said they did not think there should be a law banning “the possession of handguns, except by the police and other authorized persons.” Just 36 percent said there should be such a law.
It seems that pundits, the media and bloggers are going out of their way to analyze why Kerry lost. The operative question really is why did Bush win? I do think the framing of the question in that manner denotes a bias towards Kerry as it infers an expectation that he would win. And the media expected him to win, after all everyone they know voted for him. The Democrats are going to go through a change. Some are upset. Some are strategizing. Some are insane. The big question is why and where do they go from here.
Some are crowing that it was gay marriage, even to the point where they have issued marching orders to repeat the claim even if it is false. However, Bush does seem to be pushing this federal marriage amendment thing again. Bush supports letting the states decide on civil unions. I personally can’t quite figure out why it’s important whether you call it marriage or civil union or Reginald for that matter. The majority seems to support civil unions.
Some are crowing that it was God, or evangelicals, or the radical Christian right. I’m sure there is some truth to this because the red states tended to be protestant. Blue states were predominantly Catholic.
Some crow about the youth vote. First, it didn’t show up. Then we find out it did. Now, it seems that it did but other demographics showed up to. I should point out that some under 30 voters, you know, vote Republican. My wife did.
And, of course, the dreaded South, illustrated in excruciating detail here by someone who doesn’t understand adjective modifier rules. People like this guy, who want to paint red America with such a broad brush, are why liberals would lose again. And his guy has essentially affirmed the belief commonly held that the rest of the country doesn’t care what we southerners think.
Kurtz on let the explaining begin:
“Bush did a very good job of creating some wedge issues on the moral values front,” says CBS correspondent John Roberts. “That was a real surprise, something we didn’t catch on to until late in the game. We all kind of missed the boat on that.”
So, did Bush win because he created wedge issues? I can’t say. However, he did have a message and stuck to it.
Journalists “don’t understand red-state America,” says Newsweek’s Howard Fineman. “I’m an indicted co-conspirator. . . . Most people in what is left of the big media live and work in blue-state America, and that shaped our view of the election.”
There it is. The allusion to the media elite. The culture war. Middle America vs. the fringes (fringes of America, not political fringes). Us good ol’ boy, beer drinkin’, gun totin’, pick up truck drivin’ inbreds vs. the snooty, Hollywood loving, pseudo-intellectual and probably Jewish upper crust.
All the talking heads seem obsessed with this red America v. blue America when most states are actually shades of purple. There is a divide and it is regional. However, it’s not absolute and it seems to be only a few issues in number but pretty major issues. Democrats seem to be becoming a regional party due to these few issues.
The Republican party (at least this administration) seems to have given up on a few of its ideals (namely small government and fiscal conservatism). And for some reason it worked for them, which I find amazing. I suppose if given the choice between big spending liberals or big spending conservatives, America picks conservatives.
The fact is that if you asked 100 people why they voted for who they voted for, you’d get dozens of answers. There is no one thing. And that’s what scares the Democrats. They have to change several things, not just one, to get back in the game.
The question now is does the machine keep wallowing in the past or does it try to move forward? How long will the Democrat blogs, for example, lick their wounds? Are they retooling their message? Beats me. Manish has some advice for them and I think he’s right. If the Dems became the party of fiscal responsibility and realized that gun control is a political loser at the national level (that damn South!), they could probably turn a few libertarian leaning Republicans.
I’m a b-boy standin in my b-boy stance
Hurry up and give me the microphone before I bust in my pants
The mad author of anguish
My language, Polluted
Onyx is heavyweight
And still undisputed
TennCare, Tennessee’s doomed from the start socialized healthcare scheme, is back in the headlines:
State lawmakers may call an emergency meeting as early as this week to review Governor Bredesen’s suggestion to scrap the TennCare health program.
The TennCare Oversight Committee wants to study the plan.
Bredesen said last week that he will decide this month whether to cut nearly 400,000 TennCare enrollees from the insurance program.
Doing so would effectively return TennCare to a basic Medicaid program.
Those cut from the TennCare rolls would be forced to pay for health care services on their own
TennCare was to serve about 400,000 people at the start. Now it serves 25% of the state population. Also, it is riddled with bureacratic bungling and fraud (some people in the Ukraine are on it!). The calls from local politicos will soon be that they need an income tax to save it.
Do any of you own rental houses in the Knoxville area? I’d be interested to hear your experiences, including legal issues. Where do you get a good lease agreement? How do you run a credit check? What about lawn maintenance (do renters mow)? What is maintenance like (is wear and tear accelerated)? Do you allow renters to paint the walls? Pet deposits? How do you check on the house while renters are in it to make sure they aren’t destroying it?
Man, this one pulls out all the lies, misrepresentations, and hysterical nonsense. Kirby Smith on how dysfunctional and lacking in common sense American society is regarding firearms:
For the first time in 10 years, U.S. citizens are allowed to keep powerful assault weapons in their home, despite the fact that polls showed the majority of Americans supported the ban and several police chiefs expressed concern over its repeal.
Actually, citizens were allowed for the ten years during the ban, as long as the weapon was made before 1994 and there was no shortage of them. So, lie number one. Many Americans supported the ban because they thought the ban affected machine guns, which it does not and many police and police organizations also opposed the ban.
What reasonable debate could there possible be regarding the purchase of military assault weapons by U.S. civilians? These weapons should be banned, period.
Lie number two: Military assault weapons (machine guns) have been regulated since 1934. The assault weapons ban banned semi-automatic weapons that looked like military weapons. Since this idiot doesn’t even think there’s a debate on the case for purchasing military assault weapons (which this ban he covets doesn’t even address), I won’t bother making the case.
One may recall that in 1994 in San Francisco, Gian Luigi Ferri killed nine people and injured six in 20 minutes. His weapons of choice were two 9mm TEC-DC9 assault weapons with “Hell-Fire” trigger systems and a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with explosive Winchester Black Talon bullets.
When this incident occurred, California already had an assault weapons ban. Didn’t work, did it? And, you hysterical twit, Black Talons do not explode. The only problem with Black Talons was how they were marketed. In a country fueled by soccer mom hysteria, you don’t advertise that ammunition is made to kill people, apparently. Black Talons are still available but Winchester changed the name and the marketing strategy.
Five years later the TEC-DC9 assault weapon was among the weapons used by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold during their Columbine killing spree, which left 15 persons dead.
And when Columbine occurred, there was a federal assault weapons ban, which, like California’s, didn’t stop this crime.
The Brady Bunch, who spent the last several months issuing releases against Bush and endorsed Kerry, calls on Bush to support sensible gun policy. I agree. It should be illegal to shoot people. Sounds sensible to me but they think banning cosmetic features and guns that look like military guns is sensible. I don’t know that Bush changed his mind but the votes aren’t in the House and, after the congressional shake up, I doubt the votes are there in the senate.
Meanwhile, a real assault weapon was stolen from a policeman’s pick up.
A police commissioner in Boston obviously hasn’t bought a gun in a while:
Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin P. Clark remarked that “nobody seems to be regulating guns.” Unfortunately, his comment is all too true.
Well, let’s see. Last gun I bought, I underwent a background check that cost me $10 and filled out some paperwork. That seems fairly regulated to me.
Kenneth Burgan sets Name withheld upon request straight regarding his lying or misrepresenting the assault weapons ban. Don’t papers fact check letters to the editor?
Apparently, a judge has ruled that the city of Denver can prohibit the carrying of arms even though the state has implemented concealed carry:
District Judge Joseph Meyer has ruled the city may continue to ban the carrying of weapons even though the state has authorized them.
Meyer said that because Denver is a home-rule city it can pass ordinances limiting assault weapons, Saturday night specials and the open display of weapons.
Home rule? Additionally:
Under Colorado law, cities can have state statutes define their laws or choose to have home-rule charters. Those who opt for home-rule can define their own powers as long as they don’t violate the state constitution.
And what does the Colorado constitution say about arms:
The right of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall be called in question; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons.
So, there you have it. I don’t like it but it is the law.
Meanwhile, the court also upheld bans on assault weapons and Saturday night specials, whatever those are. I’d say that definitely calls the rights to arms in question.
You want gay marriage? Sounds fine to me; I don’t really understand what’s so bad about it anyway. Tell you what, I’ll trade you straight up:
You get gay marriage, and we get a repeal of ALL gun restrictions. We go back to pre-1934 at the federal level, and the Second Amendment gets “incorporated” or whatever the word is that describes how the First Amendment (which says “Congress shall make no law”) applies to all levels of government down to the county dog-catcher. We get to own machine guns, “assault weapons”, “Saturday-night specials,” “sniper rifles,” you name it. No waiting periods, no background checks, no registration, no licensing, open carry, concealed carry, whatever we want. No federal, state, or local restrictions, ever again, as long as the wind blow, and the grass grow, and the sky is blue.
Any takers?
It’s rare anybody comes to Knoxville I want to see in concert, but after browsing through the KNS Preview section this morning, I discovered that Badly Drawn Boy is going to be at Blue Cats on Monday, November 15. The downside is that even though the concert starts at 9, I know from experience it won’t get underway til after 11 (once the opening act starts and ends and the stage is reconfigured). Which is late for a Monday night, but this should be a good show. If you’re looking for some interesting British music, you might want to check him out. He did the entire soundtrack to About a Boy, so if you’ve seen the movie, you’ve heard Badly Drawn Boy. Some good songs of note are All Possibilities and Something to Talk About (the video for this song ties nicely with the bread-duck incident in About a Boy). Not sure what category, but “mellow accoustic rock” comes to mind, although he uses keys and horns sometimes.
Another all too common incident of paper protection failing:
An argument ensued, probably because Bazzel had a court order of protection against Scribner, and he was violating it by speaking to her, according to Maury County Chief Deputy Ashley Brown.
Scribner pulled out a .38-caliber handgun and shot Bazzel several times, then turned the gun on himself. He died on the scene. Bazzel was taken by emergency medical helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died a short time later.
Truly sad. Of note:
”She didn’t carry a gun, even though I had recommended it,” Brown said. ”She was just too kind and good to do that.”
Via Kim, those nice folks at the Violence Policy Center have provided a good list of 22 rifles and some shotguns that are marketed for children.
I think I’ll just let Junior have one of these.
I hope some factions of the wacky left get the sand out of their collective vagina so that we can get back to discussing the issues a bit more politely and seriously. After all, 30% of the homo haters voted for Kerry.
When will the Democrats get serious and relegate these fruit loops to the Green Party or a room with tin foil hats and rubber walls? There is also rampant this notion that the Bush administration is going to declare martial law, overturn Roe v. Wade, give Jerry Falwell a cabinet position, invade France, and generally bring about the apocalypse all at the urging of evangelical Christians. Sure, there are probably a few radical Christian elements that voted for him for those reasons but probably no more than the radical blood for oil, selected not elected, he knew about 9/11 in advance leftists voted for Kerry. To me the idea that they think the average Bush voter thinks that way is kind of sad. Of course, the right wingers that paint all leftists with a broad brush aren’t much better. The fact is both parties need to stop pandering to the radical minority groups that are, quite frankly, insane. But that won’t happen.
Bush, like a lot of Republicans, probably catered to the Christian faction of the right wing a bit to get their votes and will likely not really push the issues (rather like Democrats do with the gay and black vote).
From NYT’s Krugman:
President Bush isn’t a conservative. He’s a radical – the leader of a coalition that deeply dislikes America as it is. Part of that coalition wants to tear down the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, eviscerating Social Security and, eventually, Medicare. Another part wants to break down the barriers between church and state. And thanks to a heavy turnout by evangelical Christians, Mr. Bush has four more years to advance that radical agenda.
If you think Bush is a right wing, extremist radical then you have no idea what a radical really is. Or you’re further to the left than you think and you really think moderates think like you.
And who created this Moral Values buzzword? And who associated that phrase with opposing gay marriage. Or even as being anti-gay? John Kerry said that he and Bush had the exact same position on the gay marriage issue. Besides, it’s not like there aren’t gays who lean to the right.
Maybe the Democrats should take the rest of the month off to relax, retool, rethink and re-emerge as a better player. Or, as this guy says:
When you lose you suck it up and try again next time. It’s not the end of the World, and I think most people realize that. The only ones who really need a shoulder to cry on are the minority of dems on the angry left.
Via Alphie, comes this post by TFS Magnum stating that the CDC should target dogs:
If the issue was preventing deaths and preventing injuries to children, the CDC would be concentrating on the 400,000 injuries sustained by children from dogs.
But that is not the issue for the CDC. The issue for the CDC is to demonize guns. Maybe we need to have dog control.
Many people are pushing dog control and I oppose it just as I oppose gun control.
Also, TFS fact checks Factcheck.com.org.
What would you call Bill Clinton? You couldn’t very well call him the first lady, now could you?
And, yes, I do find it odd that people are speculating her 2008 run so soon.
HL notes that the NRA is having contests to give away lots of guns. He notices that they are not giving away any evil black rifles:
But not a single AR-15, FAL, M-1A, or AK clone to be found. Why not? I’d think including a post-sunset AR with collapsible stock, bayonet lug, and flahs suppressor would be a great way to celebrate one of the NRA’s political successes of the year. (sic)
Indeed it would be. The NRA still clings to the old flintlock for public appearances. As I’ve said before, if Charlton Heston had held aloft an M4 when he muttered from my cold dead hands, the NRA would have had my respect.
Speaking of contests, Gunner (sporting a new blog look) has links to contests to win guns.
Junior started eating veggies recently (or rather veggies mixed with water and put in a blender and ground to paste). Here’s the aftermath. I think these were peas:
She seems to like them. She also started fruit a couple of days ago and seems to really like that.
This time in Israel:
The law’s regulations determine for the first time a list of breeds that may not be imported and those already here must be neutered by the end of the year. The Ministry of Agriculture is expecting that breeds such as the Rottweiler, the Amstaff and the Pit Bull will vanish from the Israeli landscape.
Groan. And the criteria for the ban:
The law calls for the establishment of a national registration center for all canine breeds, and not only dangerous ones. It is this provision that has delayed the law’s implementation so far. Over the next few years, an electronic chip will be inserted into every dog that comes to a veterinarian to receive an inoculation or other treatment. Responsibility for this procedure will fall on the veterinarians of the local authorities. This will make it possible to fight the ugly phenomenon of owners suddenly tiring of their pets and abandoning the unfortunate dogs on street corners.
Implementation of the law in a manner that would ensure that it does not become a dead letter in the legal code, is highly dependent upon the veterinarians, local authority inspectors and police. The law makes it possible to easily define and locate a “dangerous” breed, but on the basis of the law, the veterinarians are expected to warn the citizens and also report to the Ministry of Agriculture about mixed breeds that have the same characteristics as those of dangerous breeds.
For example, a dog that is a mix of Rottweiler and German shepherd. The neighborhood vet is supposed to assess if the dog’s characteristics answer to the definition of a dangerous dog, and explain to the client that the dog must be neutered.
Will veterinarians report clients that own such dogs and who refuse to have them neutered to the Ministry of Agriculture? The ministry is threatening that if a dog bites a person and it develops that a certain veterinarian had seen it and failed to report it as a dangerous dog – measures will be taken against the veterinarian. It is doubtful that this threat would sufficiently persuasive to veterinarians who could lose clients as a result of said report.
Appearance based characteristics are largely useless. Additionally, it seems pretty easy to subvert the law.
The truth in right and wrong
The boundaries of the law
You seem to miss the point
Arrested for a joint?
You seem to wonder why
Hundreds of people die
You’re writing tickets man
My mom got jumped — they ran!Now I’ll play a public servant
To serve and protect
By the law and the state
I’d bust the punks
That rape steal and murder
And leave you be
If you crossed me
I’d shake your hand like a man
Not a god
Tennessee state troopers have been ticketing dead people? The article doesn’t say why but there’s some sort of audit going on. Do troopers get paid extra for writing tickets?
Wanda Allen, who I mentioned here, gets to keep all of her property:
State law allows cities to acquire property by eminent domain, if it will better the community, but residents and neighbors opposed the idea, and Wednesday night, the Mansfield City Council agreed to look for another place to build.
Good.
Just reviewing my life while sitting here at work and realize that I’ve suddenly become useless. I’ve been remodeling my house and restoring a car for so many years, now that I’m done with those projects I don’t have anything else to do but work and watch the dogs shed. Although sitting around on the couch watching HGTV with the wife has its high points, that just isn’t very fulfilling.
So, as I do most falls, I’ve caught a case of the “gotta shake things up.” I bought my project house in the fall. Bought my project car in the fall. Bought my MX5 in the fall. Both started back to school and graduated twice (AS & BS) in the fall. Proposed in the fall. Changed jobs last fall.
So now I need a hobby, or to do something else to shake things up a bit. Any suggestions?
Off and on, I offered to bet one cold beer that Bush would win re-election. So, the following people owe me a beer:
One of the Brutal Huggers (I can’t tell them apart), committed here
Pay up, suckers. I like Guinness, Sam Adams, Miller High Life and Hefeweizen.
Jump to the jam, boogy woogy jam slam
Bust the dialect I’m the man in command
A Pennsylvania state law against weapons of mass destruction is being tested for the first time this week in the trial of a Kensington man and his two sons, who are accused of stockpiling guns, ammunition and grenades to protect their alleged marijuana-distribution business.
Johnnie Bellmon, 61; Harry Bellmon, 41; and Benjamin Bellmon, 30, are charged with a host of weapon and drug charges, including possessing weapons of mass destruction and prohibited ammunition, risking a catastrophe, and conspiracy.
If convicted of the weapons of mass destruction charge – which became law after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks – each man faces a maximum 20 years of prison time in addition to the standard sentence.
Sounds pretty scary. What did they have?
In addition to large bags of marijuana and packaging equipment, investigators seized four loaded handguns; more than 20,000 rounds of live ammunition; an ammunition-making machine; sniper suits, which are designed to blend into vegetation; three grenades; an artillery rocket; an inoperable World War II-era machine gun; and disassembled rifles.
Handguns: Not illegal.
Live ammunition: Not illegal.
Ammunition-making machine: AKA a reloader and not illegal.
Sniper suits: They had camo colored pants? Not illegal.
Three grenades: Later in the article, we find the grenades were decommissioned war trophies that are legal to own. In fact, you can buy them online for about $5.
Artillery rocket: The article doesn’t say but I assume, given that the other stuff was legally purchased decommissioned stuff, that this was too. Again, not illegal.
Inoperable World War II-era machine gun: Again, not at all illegal.
Disassembled rifles: Not illegal.
Unless they can prove these guys were somehow converting these things into actual weapons, this should be a drug case and nothing more. The hysterical press ate it up, though.
The WaPo has posted numbers of votes for all candidates. The third party break out is interesting:
Ralph Nader (I) 394,578
Michael Badnarik (Lib.) 377,940
Michael A. Peroutka (CST) 129,842
David Cobb (Green) 105,525
Badnarik was within about 16,500 votes of Nader. Badnarik, of course, was on more ballots than Nader. And Badnarik got more votes than the Greens and the Constitution Party combined.
The Libertarian party (which has different numbers than the WaPo) points out that Badnarik drew more votes than Browne in 2000. Not bad for a looneytarian. You Libertarians would do better if you nominated someone that is less crazy. After all, no one wants to hear your plan for dismantling the Department of Education.
And, interestingly, the Prohibition Party (yes, that prohibition) got 122 votes nationwide. That’s a lot.
Tinner said the board would impose eminent domain, “a friendly condemnation” which gives the owner some tax breaks, if the landowners cannot come to terms with the district. “Hopefully this will end up friendly,” he said.
A friendly condemnation? You’re taking someone’s land.
Every so often, we hear the report of some large dog (usually a pit bull, which is actually a medium sized dog) killing a small dog. A few weeks back, a pit bull killed a Maltese and, in Australia this week, a pit bull killed a man’s Pomeranian (a man has a Pomeranian?). I’ve often wondered if large dogs confuse smaller dogs with prey animals.
Dogs typically have a fairly sophisticated method of communication that includes butt sniffing, play bows, submission signals and a variety of other things that let other dogs know whether they want to play or whip their ass. Granted, an 8 pound Maltese may not get a chance to submit quickly enough.
It seems to me it would be pretty easy for a large dog to confuse a small, furry dog with a bunny or a rat or something. Dogs rarely just attack other dogs without some sort of warning.
And, full disclosure, Politically Incorrect Dog has a Pomeranian girlfriend. She weighs about 12 pounds and he weighs about 75. The play, chase balls and generally have a good time.
This election has been an interesting one, bringing with it several lessons that I picked up on.
I guess the 2008 campaigns should be ramping up here shortly, but at least we should get to have a month or two of relief first.
We watch a lot of TV with the CC enabled so that we don’t have to have the sound up too loud. It’s interesting to note the difference between shows with pre-typed captions and those done “on the fly.”
I actually don’t know much about the process involved in the latter. There’s a small delay between the audio and the CC, and so I assume that someone with good transcription skills, like a court stenographer, is listening to the audio and typing real-time. I suppose a computer could do it, but from what I’ve experienced with that kind of technology, it’s unlikely.
Occasionally some words are transcribed oddly. For example, I was just flipping past NBC news, and Brokaw said something about “Dukakis.” But the CC said “Duh Cawkiss.”
If only it had been “Duh Caucus.” That would be a great political epithet, wouldn’t it?
The Supreme Court considered Wednesday whether people convicted of a crime overseas can be barred from owning a gun in the United States, with the argument at times centering on how the absent Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist might rule.
[snip]
U.S. law forbids felons from owning guns, with a few exceptions for antitrust and trade violations. At issue in the case is whether Congress meant to include foreign convictions when it criminalized firearm possession by anybody convicted in “any court.”
Not a particularly important gun case in my opinion (after all, what about voting rights for the same?) but it would be the first gun case they took up in a while.
Dave Kopel says the Second Amendment triumphed this election day. I don’t agree wholeheartedly but his round up is worth the read. However, as Andrew said in comments:
I’ll tell you, Unc, this pretty much forecloses the Dems from running – nationally – on any kind of gun control. They dropped W.Va by, what, 13%? TN by 11? you don’t make that back in 2008 running on gun control.
Now, if we could get some prominent Republicans to stop stumping for the useless assault weapons ban, I’d sleep easier.
This also leads me to thoughts about the future of the Democrat party. What of them? What will happen? The Republicans swept the senate, the presidency and lots and lots of judges will follow. Was it guns, God or gays? Could be. Judges aren’t fond of any of those three.
Will the Democrats be an effective force in national politics? Are they done? Is it a lull until the Democrat revolution? Will we see a return to Clinton era fiscal conservatism and social liberalism (hopefully, without the gun control stuff)?
The Democrats could likely hibernate and come back later as a force to be reckoned with with a popular sort of message.
Some choice comments from Atrios comments section. This stuff plays really well with swing voters, I hear. Not for the feint of heart, you’ve been warned. The good news is that I am glad to see some liberals willing to arm themselves. The bad news is that it’s liberals who frequent Atrios’ comment section.
If you have a pre-ban fixed stock that looks like a telescopic stock for your AR15 and want to convert to a telescopic stock, the guys at AR15.com tell you how.
Yup, he’s done. Kudos to Kerry for not dragging this election through the mud.
Bush win official now.
Sorry, guys, but if your source is DU, you’ve lost me. The obvious reason is that, you know, exit polling is useless. My theory on why it’s useless has to do with early voting. People who early vote and absentee vote (i.e., have jobs – yes, that statement is crass but there’s a ring of truth to it since elections are decided by only a few percentage points) are more likely to vote in the R column.
global standards? who gives a shit about that? if we were into global standards, we’d be metric.
Heh!
There is this common knowledge that high voter turnout is good for Democrats. That wasn’t the case this time:
Driven by an intense race for the presidency, a greater percentage of Americans voted Tuesday than at any time in more than three decades.
About 120 million people cast ballots, or just under 60 percent of eligible voters — the highest percentage turnout since 1968, said Curtis Gans, director of the nonpartisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. He expected more detailed figures later Wednesday.
It has not been officially called for Bush, but it may as well be. I personally find that surprising as I would think high turn out (i.e., getting the youth vote) would have been good for the Democrats. Also, six states reported record turnout: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Wait, those are southern states.
The Dems lost this on their own. Kerry was not the best candidate. Period. It has been said that Not-Bush would beat Bush, and that is probably true. I guess Kerry wasn’t Not-Bush enough.
10 states voted for bans on gay marriage. Both parties have essentially the same position on this issue, anyone who says otherwise is a Democrat trying to justify why Democrats are better on gay marriage. As Les says, gays have a lot of work to do. I say that as someone who supports gay marriage.
Our favorite easy to make fun of partisan hack says:
Even if Ohio is litigated, it shouldn’t be this close. We’re telling the world that we endorse the last four years, and give thumbs up to more evil.
Now, I didn’t vote for Bush or Kerry but I don’t think either one is evil. Both are incompetent, pandering shills. But they’re not evil.
King of the moonbats seems silent as of now.
Kos blames the big ol’ evil media. Screw ‘em.
Kathy (not a lefty blog) links to the moonbat playground err Democratic Underground.
Bubba is upset. His commenters are using phrases like Nazi and AmeriKKKa. Oh dear.
The election may be cause for liberals to arm themselves.
Crime may be dropping in US, but gun possession is rising
Are they implying that increased gun possession reduces crime? No. Are they implying that gun possession is equivalent to crime? Probably:
By focusing on largely local gun-possession cases, federal prosecutors and bureau agents are increasingly less likely to investigate and prosecute federal gun offenses that target corrupt dealers and traffickers, records show. Law enforcement officials say the results are everywhere: Criminals are obtaining guns more easily.
”The gun problem in this city seems to me to be completely unchecked,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin P. Clark.
Ashcroft declined to comment about the growth in violent, gun-related crimes, according to Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo.
The Bush administration, the Justice Department, and the ATF, which Justice oversees, have thrown their weight behind a controversial antigun crime initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods, which took effect in 2001.
The program upended a decadelong focus on curtailing illegal gun dealing before the weapons reach the hands of criminals. It is the result of lobbying by the National Rifle Association and others, which have had easy access to top policymakers in the Bush administration. That includes meeting with ATF’s new director, Carl J. Truscott, he said in an interview.
Criminals don’t obey the law, by definition.
The most important result from yesterday is that restaurants in Alcoa, TN will now be able to sell liquor by the drink.
We learn from Alphie that Daschle is out. Thune is in. Good.
In Tennessee, Bill Hobbs tells us that Republicans have taken the senate for the first time in 140 years.
And it looks like the Republicans picked up seats in Georgia, NC, SC, and Louisiana. And maybe Florida.
Update: Oh yeah, it was closer than I thought it would be. Of course, the total count isn’t in yet. But I was more right than Zogby.
It’s all over but collecting the beer.
Forgot who said it, but a while back a blogger wrote that if the election didn’t go well for Kerry that Katie Couric would be wearing black. Well, she’s wearing black today.
No hard feelings over in the Fark forums:
fark this country, and fark the horseraping inbred braindead rednecks who are taking it over. When I drive through Texas, I’m spitting on every person I see.
David Price, who represents me in the House, has been elected to a ninth term. His wife is Executive Director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, a local gun-bigotry group.
However, Mr. Price assures me he supports the rights of hunters and sportsmen.
UPDATE: On the plus side, it appears that Richard Burr has won the Senate seat vacated by John Edwards—he’s giving a victory speech on TV right now. Mr. Burr has A-ratings from the NRA and the GOA. His opponent, Erskine Bowles, had C and F ratings, respectively.
Some East Tennessee election coverage:
Jamie Hagood is decimating her opponent.
Surprisingly, the wheel tax passed in Knoxville (what were you suckers thinking?).
And, more importantly, you will soon be able to get liquor by the drink in Alcoa.
I’m over in the WBIR chatroom hearing that the wheel tax vote is going to be defeated. Looks like property tax hikes for Knoxvillians.
Update: Surprisingly, the wheel tax passed.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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