Another Browning.

Stephanie Mencimer has a stupid bit at Mother Jones (but I repeat myself) on how the second amendment existed to, and I am not making this up, keep the slaves down:

Last week at an American Constitution Society briefing on the Heller case, NAACP Legal Defense Fund president John Payton explained the ugly history behind the gun lobby’s favorite amendment. “That the Second Amendment was the last bulwark against the tyranny of the federal government is false,” he said. Instead, the “well-regulated militias” cited in the Constitution almost certainly referred to state militias that were used to suppress slave insurrections. Payton explained that the founders added the Second Amendment in part to reassure southern states, such as Virginia, that the federal government wouldn’t use its new power to disarm state militias as a backdoor way of abolishing slavery.

They cite the appropriately named Bogus, who we’ve had fun with before on this issue because his alleged research relies primarily on the discredited work of Bellisiles.

See, this is a bit silly because if you look at the actual history of gun control and not the made up version of the second amendment perpetuated here, the first gun control schemes came into being specifically to disarm freed slaves. And these two bits are interesting:

In an interview, Bogus says that polls consistently show that African Americans support gun control in much higher numbers than white people do, and probably for good reason: They’re usually the ones looking at the wrong end of the barrel. As the NAACP points out in its brief on Heller, in D.C. in 2004, there were 137 gun-homicide victims. All but two of them were black. If the Supreme Court invalidates the city’s handgun ban, any ensuing uptick in gun violence is likely to have a disproportionate impact on African Americans, particularly young men.

And who was on the, I guess, right end of the barrel? And this:

Back in 1988, the African American syndicated columnist shot an unarmed, 18-year-old white kid from Chevy Chase who’d gone for an unauthorized dip in Rowan’s swimming pool. Rowan, who shot the kid in the wrist as he tried to flee, claimed he’d feared for his life and was only defending himself. Nonetheless, the columnist was prosecuted for illegally possessing a handgun. The trial ended with a hung jury and Rowan escaped punishment (though the teenagers were sentenced to community service), but the incident fueled a tremendous amount of racial tension in the city that might have been avoided if Rowan had just, say, called the cops.

You mean, strict gun control advocate Carl Rowan? I mean, you could not possibly have picked a better example. Why are anti-gun activists so violent?

Via reader JKB who emails:

Seems, they contend citing the NAACP, that the 2nd Amendment was incorporated in the Bill of Rights to permit Southern slave owners to keep the slaves down. Oddly, to me that would support a desire for a self defense interpretation rather than banning guns as they ague. I suppose they missed the whole abolition of slavery and skip right over the history of gun control as a way to keep guns out of the hands of freed slaves. If it was as they contend a racist effort then what would be a better slap in the face to racists than to use the amendment to allow a black man to arm himself?

They also seem to miss that Pennsylvania and New Hampshire both put forth a right to bear arms right. If my history is remembered correctly, those weren’t states that supported slavery. In fact, I believe they actively worked against it.

So, last weekend me, Junior and her cousin attended Michael’s daughter’s birthday party. Les Jones was there too. It was at Sprout Studio. It’s a neat place for small kids with lots of activities. Now, I’m not sure who came up with it first but Michael and I thought the place needed beer. And hot wings would be good too.

Deadliness!

The story so far: some state politico goober decided to sue a gas station for price-gouging. Seems said station owner had the audacity to put up a big sign advertising his price and people agreed to pay it. You know, capitalism. Some smart ass blogger decided to, well, be a smart ass. Prompting another smart ass blogger to opine on the issue thusly in comments:

Funny. You say “reach an agreement on a price” as though there’s some sort of negotiation that went on, beyond “take it or leave it.”

Now, I dunno where Tom shops, but most retail establishments operate under that principle. I mean, they usually have signs that say something like Crocs $39.99 or my Sam Adams that I bought yesterday had a sticker on it that read $8.49 or something similar. I decided to test negotiating on the way home yesterday. The Mrs. calls and asks me to pickup a bale of straw so we can seed a portion of our lawn. I walked into Lowe’s and said I’d like one bale of straw. The cashier uses her ray gun to scan a bar code. She says: that’ll be $4.49.

I say: I’ll give you $3.

Her: Sir, it’s $4.49.

Me: You drive a hard bargain. $3.50.

Her: Sir, do you want the straw or not?

Me: Yes. But some hippie told me to oppose your take it or leave it approach to retail sales. So, I’m here to tell you I’m not gonna take it anymore. And, you know, speak truth to power and give peace a chance and all that. $4?

Her: [speaking into the microphone] I need management assistance to lawn and garden.

Me: Does he have the authority to negotiate price?

Her: [rolls eyes]

The line is getting backed up at this point.

Manager: May I help you, sir.

Me: Yes, I’m trying to negotiate a price for this bale of straw. $4.49 is too much. And I am tired of bourgeoisie having the gall to expend its capital and resources to dare bring me desired goods and services at a price that’s, well frankly, a few cents too high in my opinion. I mean, I don’t really know anything about straw production and its associated cost. But, dude, it’s dried grass. And you have some nerve trying to make a profit and do things in the best economic interest of your shareholders while providing your employees wages and benefits and stuff. It’s evil!

Manager: Sir, that’s the price.

Me: Take it or leave it, eh? Well, I guess I’ll take it or my wife will be mad and probably send me back under orders to pay the full price. I knew that woman was in with the bourgeoisie. Damn you, capitalism, you got to her too! Do you take Visa?

I paid and left.

OK, some of that might be made up. But I don’t know of many establishments other than car lots and maybe some mom and pop appliance stores where you negotiate a price any more. So, take that head of lettuce for $0.99 or leave it.

And Tom continues:

If you think predatory pricing and/or price gouging are bad, then you’re a dirty communist. Just thought you might like to know.

When you stop businesses from taking advantage of people and/or ripping them off, you’re destroying the American Way, comrade!

But it gets more amusing. Seems everyone plugged the addresses into Google Maps and, funny story, right next door was cheaper gas. And the original alleged price gouging was a mistake over diesel prices. So, obviously, we need to bring the power of the state government down on this evil price gougers! I mean, it’s not like customers could have gone elsewhere. Because that would be hard.

Man, that free market can be hard work. Clearly, we need government involvement when you’re too stupid to go across the street to save a buck.

Update: Related: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that part of the problem is that at some time in our past, manufacturing jobs became considered “middle class”. It’s one thing for a job to provide a “living wage”, the term so beloved by the collectivists on the other side of the aisle. It’s another thing to think that putting bolts in holes all day should pay enough for a bass boat, two cars, a used Harley, and a time-share in Destin.

Illustrated.

And there is the fact that the cartoon is inaccurate with respect to past court cases.

Bane says we should work to remove restrictions from them. Charles talks about it and incrementalism. The suppressor thing can be done legislatively. After all, it’s good hearing protection for you and your neighbors. And if some ranges required suppressors, then those people who are upset because they bought a house next to a rifle range might be happy.

Well, let’s not count chickens or anything. Heller is still officially undecided. So, as for what’s next, I don’t know. But I do recommend that you consider monetarily supporting organizations who may gear up to fight gun restrictions, such as your state associations. I think that, post-Heller and assuming it goes for the good guys, quite a few laws can be challenged successfully, like NYC, Chicago, California, NJ, and MA laws.

JimmyB cancer free!

He who shall not be middle-named on the fact his passport info was recently viewed without authorization:

This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an Administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years. Our government’s duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes. This is a serious matter that merits a complete investigation, and we demand to know who looked at Senator Obama’s passport file, for what purpose, and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach,

Kinda funny though how he thinks that right to privacy business goes out the window when one chooses to exercise their right to keep arms.

Via Billy Beck.

In Cali, they want to require a permit to purchase ammo.

Various places with draconian gun laws aren’t happy with Heller. In NY:

New York City’s law isn’t as strict as that of the Columbia district, but it’s close. In New York City one needs a permit from the police department to keep a handgun at home. The problem is that the permitting process is entirely at the discretion of government officials. Mayor Bloomberg could instruct his police department to draw up a lawful licensing system that gives law-abiding, mentally sound adults with good vision the right to keep and bear a handgun.

I found this amusing:

In most places in this country there are few impediments to an individual keeping and bearing arms. Many states allow residents to walk into a sporting goods or other store, attest that they aren’t felons and are over the age of 21, and drive home with a pistol out in the open on the seat beside them, no license needed. That is even the norm in America.

You New Yorker should come visit America some time. And in Chicago:

If the Supreme Court strikes down the ability of municipalities like the District of Columbia to regulate guns, Chicago and other cities with handgun bans would see a return of gun stores and an upswing in crime, Mayor Richard Daley said Tuesday.

A blogger/reader banquet! You are going, aren’t you?

the police are on the phone:

A woman was asking a 911 dispatcher for help when her pleas were interrupted by gunshots, then silence. She was shot to death.

The woman told the dispatcher someone was trying to break into her home in upscale West Covina, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Dan Rosenberg said. “Deputies heard gunshots followed by silence and an open phone line,” he said.

Browning.

Kevin serves Fenty his ass with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

In India, if you get a vasectomy, they’ll speed up your gun license application.

Pro Gun Progressive was on Al Jazeera debating Rebecca Peters, direct of International Action Network on Small Arms. He has a report here. Video of the debate is here and part 2 is here. Rebecca Peters is not the sharpest tool in the shed and, basically, reiterated various falsehoods (like the US is the most violent nation on earth; more guns = more crime; and the US is the largest exporter of illegal weapons). And Sebastian pretty much served her ass like John McEnroe.

John Lott debates Paul Helmke. I can’t get the video to work but will check back later. It’s working now.

At subguns.

Well, new to me.

You’ll recall my Deathmatch in which I called the battle between the EOTech and Aimpoint for the EOTech. Well, Aimpoint has a new one that addresses some of the issues I had with it: The Aimpoint Comp M4. This one comes with an integral mount (which functions better and saves you the cost of a quality $150 mount). And it is now submersible to 150M, not that that would ever come up but it is cool.

The battery lasts for over eight years. A huge advantage over the EOTech.

It’s still spendy compared to the EOTech. The Aimpoint comes in at just shy of $800.

The internet is an amazing place. I mean, where else can you see a walrus and a hot chick dancing to Smooth Criminal.

I lost it in all the Heller stuff. But did anyone else find it odd that Barrack “He who shall not be middle-named” Obama decided to have a real conversation about race in this country? I mean, a guy whose campaign implied it was bigoted to reference his actual name came out and talked to Americans about race like they were adults.

Funny.

BTW, it was a good speech. And he made some fine points. But I find it hard to buy what he’s selling.

I told you Naifeh would kill all the pro-gun bills. And he did.

The most important thing to remember: Heller is the First Case, not the Last

The first guy in line: An Arfcommer of course. With pics. Press coverage here.

Here’s a video of Washington DC’s reasonable gun laws in action.

Joe on what’s next.

Liberals and guns: More like this please.

Did Gura concede too much? I can see people thinking that but Gura’s scope was limited to two things: There is an individual right to arms and a ban on handguns violates that right. All else (MGs, CCW, whatever) was not relevant to what he was getting at. By offering some concessions, he got those issues off the table. It was strategy.

TriggerFinger addresses more of that.

Alphie has a round up and predictions.

Anti-gunners and the press who take their dictation think you cannot do math.

Federalism, schmederalism.

Round up of SCOTUS Blog coverage.

Clayton Cramer on bear arms.

Quit your whining.

GOA issues harshly worded press release.

So, two parties reach an agreement on a price in exchange for goods and services. Communism ensues.

I uphold the fine American tradition of not really giving a fuck what other countries think of the US. I can’t really figure out why those other countries spend so much ink discussing what’s happening here. But in case you wondered what they thought of the Heller stuff, Ahab has a round up.

Bob Ricker of the American Hunters and Shooters Association is commenting on blogs. Says he of the American Hunters and Shooters Association’s target audience:

I think it should be clear from my comments here and on other “whacko” blogs that AHSA is reaching out to a more educated, sophisticated and straight thinking hunter and shooter demographic.

Let’s see:

Educated – check. I have a degree or two. And several professional certifications.

Sophisticated – check. I mean I do drink my natty light* from a bottle.

Straight thinking: Check. definitely not gay.

Hunter: Ooh. No. I don’t really like killing things. Even spiders.

Shooter: Check.

I don’t hunt so I guess I’m not the target demographic.

He continues:

Unfortunately, a “bitter” female with a gun and a chip on her shoulder probably would not find AHSA’s message of civic responsibility much to her liking.

Your misogyny is showing.

* note: I really do not drink natty light. Ever.

FBMG is now doing them. No pics?

In the Army.

There are rumors floating around that the US Army is taking HK416 upper receivers from troops and giving them Colts.

Journal Gazette:

But Helmke said the tenor of the questions from the eight justices who spoke suggested they were leaning toward a decision that would find the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to own a gun.

Even Helmke thinks so.

Chris tells you how to pan fry a steak. On occasions when I cannot grill, I’ve found that a broiler pan and the broil setting on the oven works quite well.

While we’re discussing food, Loubie Bzeit looks very good though unpronounceable.

Tam sets them straight.

Australian Man Gunned Down in Driveway by Killer Robot

I’m trying to figure out why this chick even had an anti-gunner on her show since she was playing the part of anti-gunner so well. And every one of her statistics was either wrong or misleading. For example, she appeared to reference the misleading Kellermann study.

So, here’s my question to you PR types: Why do speakers from our side not address that? In other words, when this young lady says that it is fact that most deaths from guns are in the homes and involve children, why not respond with something like: I’m sorry but that is incorrect here’s why and there’s not much point in debating a factually deficient point.

Quoting JKB from comments:

Read this hit piece on Slate and think about how it would have been exploited if it had been argued that MG might become less regulated.

More from Sailorcurt.

access to the site is hit or miss.

David Hardy:

I think EVERYONE associated with this case who knows anything about appellate argument — and I’ve talked to many in that class — agreed that if you cannot come up with a 2nd Amendment test that lets the government do a lot of things with full autos, you lose.

I don’t think it will be a losing issue forever but for now it is.

Nashville blogger has a run in with the police because he was taking a picture:

You wanna be charged with somethin’? I’ll charge you with disorderly conduct, if you wanna be charged with somethin’.

Via MCB.

By Randy Barnett.

What it’s all about:

At that point, a reporter interjected: “the Mayor (DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty) says the handgun ban and his initiatives have significantly lowered violent crime in the District. How do you answer that, Mr. Heller?”

The initial answer certainly wasn’t expected – Dick Heller laughed. Ruefully.

Pointing at the Mayor who was making his way across the plaza, surrounded by at least six DC police officers, Heller said, “the Mayor doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“He doesn’t walk on the street like an average citizen. Look at him; he travels with an army of police officers as bodyguards – to keep him safe. But he says that I don’t have the right to be a force of one to protect myself. Does he look like he thinks the streets are safe?”

There was no follow-up question.

What, I’m running out of post titles

Extreme Mortman’s Give ‘Em Heller: Here’s a proposal: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton should be asked their thoughts about the case. A simple question: Which way do you hope the case is decided?

Well, Obama has already said he supports DC’s gun ban.

Ilya Somin: experience in other areas of constitutional law suggests that any victory for individual rights will be a hollow one if the Court defers to the government in determining how broad the right should be.

We’ve seen it with Kelo. However, if the court says specifically that banning handguns is out of line, that is good. And, of course, it will open up discussion on types of arms.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership has a statement. Strangely, it consisted of more than Waaah.

From Alan Korwin.

From Ahab.

To ColtCCO! He’s getting hitched.

There are 26 gun bills the TN legislature is looking at today. Quite a few good ones. Contact your state reps.

Les Jones on the Baby Daddy Bill: There’s no ethical principle by which a man should have to pay parental support for children that aren’t his.

A video of the fifty caliber in action.

Another mass shooting has occured in the state that the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership ranked as number one in gun control for having the nation’s strongest gun laws.

In addition to threatening David Codrea under color of law, they’ve also threatened JPFO.

Jay on activism: The lesson I learned is that I can’t just preach to the choir.

Ok, this thing really creeps me out.

Technology: Stop it before it kills someone.

Via Squeaky.

Too much to do multiple posts. So, here you go:

Xrlq has a prediction.

Countertop does too (more discussion in comments).

NRA has updated their Heller page. Anyone got the arguments in MP3 or some useful audio format? Seriously, who uses Real Media? (no, not blaming NRA because that’s how the files comes) ETA: Ask, and ye shall receive. MP3 here. Thanks Justin.

Quotes from after.

Leibowitz comments. I love this quote (paraphrase):

I’m a federal guard. I carry a gun at work to protect the politicians. When I go home, though, they’ve decided that my life is not worth as much. They’ve decided I can’t use a gun to defend myself at home.

Lots of audio commentary at DownrangeTV.

Best line from oral arguments: After Dellinger said trigger locks could be removed quickly:

So then you turn on the lamp, you pick up your reading glasses…

It’s always fun to watch the Brits.

Another prediction.

Heh. A prediction guaranteed to be true.

You can’t make this stuff up:

George Nation, professor of law and business at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., argues in the April issue of the Baylor Law Review that manufacturers of guns should be required to bear vicarious financial liability for the harm suffered by innocent bystanders who have been injured by the criminal use of their products.

And people thought congress was overreaching with the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms act.

David Hardy took some notes while he was there.

Don’t make Petey angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. He might shoot you.

In other news, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership and The American Hunters and Shooters Association were sitting in a tree.

And someone I know who watched the Heller argument said Fenty looked like someone shot his dog. Apparently, he thought it went badly.

Are all law students this dumb?

I was reading the transcript and read the machine gun stuff. Twice. I think Gura was talking about crew served weapons. In that context, his comments on lineal descendants make sense. Thoughts?

Every one calm down. Breath.

Ok, my thoughts are thus:

Gura was arguing for the first time in front of the Supremes. He was nervous. He said too much. And he gave too much to the bad guys. I don’t understand why he felt the need to bring up machine guns and talk in detail about them or why he talked about handguns in that light. He seemed to be willing to throw too many bones to the bad guys.

And to all you yammering on about throwing machine gun owners under the bus, deal with it. This case wasn’t about machine guns. This case is an incremental approach to winning the long war on gun control. You were thrown under the bus in 1986. Speaking of buses, if you drive one 20 miles in, it’s still 20 miles out. And this case represents the first couple miles of that trip back out. Cowboy up and accept that or scream ‘SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED’ at passers-by if you must. But it’s not helping. I think Gura’s move on MGs was small ball. They are not at issue and the whole point was to get the court to affirm a right to arms. Bring up MGs was good strategy on the anti-gun side as they knew that MGs 1) scare white people; and 2) will piss off the GOAers. Divide and conquer.

Anyone who expected Gura to walk in and demand M4s for all of us wasn’t paying attention.

If we go in demanding all or nothing, we’ll get nothing.

The Solicitor General did a good job of arguing the individual rights stuff but his standard of review is too much. I’m guessing there were some talks in the administration prior to the case.

Sebastian has more here and here.

Here:

Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on District of Columbia v. Heller, a landmark case for all Americans who believe as I do that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. I am proud to have joined in an amicus brief to the Court calling for a ruling in keeping with the clear intent of our Founding Fathers, which ensures the Second Amendment rights of the residents of District of Columbia are reaffirmed

.

Nothing yet from Hillary or Obama.

via email:

Joint Statement from Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox Regarding Oral Arguments

Before the Supreme Court Concerning the Second Amendment

Washington, D.C.’s ban on keeping handguns and functional firearms in the home for self-defense is unreasonable and unconstitutional under any standard. We remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will agree with the overwhelming majority of the American people, more than 300 members of Congress, 31 state attorneys general and the NRA that the Second Amendment protects the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms, and that Washington, D.C.’s bans on handguns and functional firearms in the home for self-defense should be struck down.

Update: Link.

Countertop is optimistic.

Update: Seen at ScotusBlog RE: strict scrutiny: Alito asks how the DC law could survive under any standard of review when it bans the weapon most commonly used for self defense.

BTW, Scotus blog is still live-blogging. Opposition is arguing the same thing we’re used to hearing. Interesting are the comments on the Solicitor General.

Here.

Earliest report indicates lots of us may have been wrong on Kennedy:

The Supreme Court’s historic argument Tuesday on the meaning of the Constitution’s Second Amendment sent out one quite clear signal: individuals may well wind up with a genuine right to have a gun for self-defense in their home. But what was not similarly clear was what kind of gun that would entail, and thus what kind of limitations government cut put on access or use of a weapon. In an argument that ran 23 minutes beyond the allotted time, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy emerged as a strong defender of the right of domestic self-defense.

Update: AP has a bit here:

The Supreme Court has heard arguments about the meaning of the Second Amendment and the Districts of Columbia’s ban on handguns.

A majority appears to support the view that the amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns, rather than somehow linking right to service in a state militia.

But it is less clear what that means for the District’s 32-year-old ban on handguns, perhaps the strictest gun control law in the nation.

“Does that make it unreasonable for a city with a very high crime rate…to say no handguns here?” Justice Stephen Breyer said.

On the other side, Chief Justice John Roberts asked at one point: “What is reasonable about a ban on possession” of handguns?

Note: I’m just gonna put all the Heller stuff in this one post. If you get any info, leave it comments.

First of all, Godspeed and good luck Messrs. Gura and Levy.

The NRA has lots of information on it here.

Levy has a piece in the Globe.

SCOTUSBlog will live blog it. They have a a round up commentary here.

Joe has an email from Alan Korwin, who is in line too.

TriggerFinger: Will an individual-right ruling in Heller disrupt criminal law? Chris Casteel says yes.

59% of Violence Policy Center Staffers support restrictions identical to Washington, DC’s gun laws! What? If they can make shit up, I can too.

Kevin reminds us that no matter how it turns out, there’s always plan B.

Update: More in the WSJ.

Update 2 (and bump): Keep and Bear Arms has a round up.

John Lott has a bit at NRO.

Update 3: Glenn has a piece here.

Update 4: Sebastian tells us pro-gun representation is low outside the court and that Petey Hamm and Paul Helmke are there. And NRA no where to be found?

Update 5: My sooper seekrit sources tell me all the NRA folks aren’t there because they’re inside the court room.

Update 6: Speaking of Plan B, Fenty and crew are already pondering ways to circumvent the court’s ruling if the good guys win.

Update 7: Live blogging has started at ScotusBlog.

The NYT: Our readers are stupid.

Update: based on comments at SCOTUSBlog, there may be hope for Kennedy, which is who I worried about.

Update: Interesting: There was a seemingly broad consensus that the right would not extend to machine guns, plastic guns that could evade metal detectors, and the like. Well, one of those is made up.

Lots of links at TriggerFinger.

Update: C-Span says arguments have concluded and they’ll have the audio soon.

Michael Silence: Perhaps I’m too simply minded but it seems to me if you don’t have the First Amendment, you don’t have the Second Amendment. And if you don’t have the Second Amendment, you don’t have the First Amendment. Any assault on one is an assault on the other. Any assault on either is an assault on all the Amendments.

I have a favor to ask of the press and people who write commentary. Stop the bad puns. You guys do this all the time. You say something like shoot straight or jump the gun. Some of them show your bias, such as CNN’s front page right now:

Gun ban decision: This time, it’s personal

Really? Action movie references? Your bigotry is showing. Or Gun Rights Showdown? I mean, come on people.

Ambulance Driver needs your help:

I’m going to cover all the standard stuff – velocity, bullet expansion and fragmentation, sectional density, penetration, wound channels (temporary and permanent), cavitation, yaw, tumbling and all that noise – while at the same time trying to dispel some of the common firearms myths out there.

Ok, what is it?

Via Ridefast.

Countertop is there.

The American Hunters and Shooters Association is getting press coverage again, this time in the Washington Post. No mention of their Executive Director Bob Ricker calling us non-hunting self-defense types Whackos. And they call NRA too absolutist. Of course, I am shocked that the article mentions that the American Hunters and Shooters Association is an anti-gun shill group:

The NRA also asserts that Schoenke’s association is a thinly veiled front for gun-control advocates, and offers as proof Schoenke’s $5,000 donation to Handgun Control Inc., predecessor to the main anti-gun lobby, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Schoenke rejects the assertion; he says he was only trying to help a cause important to his wife.

Unfortunately for Schoenke, the Brady Campaign basically agrees with the NRA. “I see our issues as complementary to theirs,” Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign, says about Schoenke’s association. “They’re a positive group.”

Helmke even contends that the two organizations are not far apart in approach.

First press mention of that I’ve seen. They don’t mention that it’s a shill group designed to make Democrats look pro-gun while being anti-gun so that they can get elected.

Bitter throws down the gauntlet.

And Heller is argued today? How convenient!

Squeaky Wheel Gun.

Michael Bane emails that DownrangeTV will have streaming audio as it’s available.

Like Chicago, only this time in Atlanta. Seems the anti-gunners decided to do a lie in. 32 showed up. Press coverage and a photo gallery in the AJC. Meanwhile, about 200 gather to support gun rights and nothing.

Robert made a video.

I’m a gun owner but . . .

Ahab has more.

In what has to be another joke, they’re looking at banning fire extinguishers because (and I am not making this up) they are a fire hazard:

Fire extinguishers could be removed from communal areas in flats throughout the country because they are a safety hazard, it has emerged.

The life-saving devices encourage untrained people to fight a fire rather than leave the building, risk assessors in Bournemouth decided.

I weep for the Brits. They’re just in one giant cage that they can’t see the bars of.

Here.

I just ain’t feeling it today. Hence, the linky and not much thinky.

You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a gun blogger in Knoxville. Here’s a new one: Ready on the Right.

Via KAG.

Tennessee is the sixth most dangerous state to live in. Well, we have Memphis.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Pic from a couple of weekends ago of a future Triangle of Death member:

FedEx bans gun on its premises.

Historical results from gun surveys

It was widely reported that the Violence Policy Center had a federal firearms license. Looks like they renewed it.

And it’s like a big concert with people lining up 40 hours in advance.

Says the Geek: With grotesque rulings such as Kelo in our recent history, there’s certainly some cause for trepidation.

Sebastian took some of the good guys out for dinner. Pics here.

The court will release the tapes.

Interesting times for gun rights ahead.

Man with a raised ax approaches another man in a store parking lot. Man without ax introduces the ax-wielder’s insides to the outside.

In England:

Gun injuries soar as police ‘experts’ blast themselves and colleagues by mistake

The number of armed police officers accidentally shooting themselves – and other colleagues – has soared in the past five years.

Now, nearly half of all injuries caused by police shootings are the result of officers blasting themselves or a colleague, often during bungled training and demonstrations.

Learn and follow the rules, guys.

Via reader Michael.

We must close the restaurant loophole!

Reader Tim emails his snazzy new Kahr 40:

Video is here.

Once again, caught part two of the show. Pretty good bit, I thought. Noted ATF lacks testing standards and that all tests of firearms are not videotaped. They mentioned a bill (HR1791??) that seeks to establish standards and require videotaping of ATF testing. Said that next week, they’d talk to NRA and a couple of Congressmen. Good.

Heh. I win. Even deleting my comments that thrash his point. But I’m the paranoid one!

Oh, and my ISP is charter.com. But, just like his government, it’s inconvenient so he shuts it down. The difference between citizens and subjects, I guess.

I called the wife yesterday and tell her that we left the front door open all night. I happened to walk by and saw it was unlocked. She asks when we would have opened it last night. And I said I thought her and Junior came in that way yesterday. They had not. We figure it had been open since Tuesday morning when the Mrs. talked to our lawn maintenance guys.

But remember, I’m paranoid.

Reader ELB Online emails this link with a report on the shooting. The police were there and left just before the shooting. And the shooter used smoke bombs?

AC got fired from his blog at WRKN. Between this and Brittney’s resignation, WKRN is useless to me.

Hopefully, he’ll pick up at his own site.

BTW, AC’s blog was the best source for local political info.

Mentioned here. The ammo maker said it was their fault:

The company that manufactures the ammunition for the .45-caliber GAP Glock Model 37 is taking responsibility for guns exploding during two separate training incidents, slightly injuring a Winter Haven police officer and a former police cadet.

A spokesman for Speer Gold Dot, the manufacturer of the ammunition, said Thursday that a batch of bullets sent to the Winter Haven department was defective.

Speer Gold Dot said after the first incident in January 2007 it recalled the bullets sent to Winter Haven but that some of the ammunition remained at the department and was used when the second incident occurred earlier this year.

Winter Haven Police Chief Mark LeVine confirmed Thursday that Speer Gold Dot had recalled the bullets after the first failure. He said some of the ammunition was kept unknowingly and a bullet from that batch was involved in the second explosion.

Tam in the comments section at the aforementioned Aussies crapping their pants about guns in America:

I don’t really feel particularly threatened by anything; statistically speaking, I’ve pretty much experienced all the crime I’m ever going to experience if I stay away from bad neighborhoods after dark. So I don’t feel the need to own a gun for protection from baddies or terrorists or invading armies.

I feel the need to own guns because my doing so bugs the hell out of hippies halfway around the world so much that they write essays about it.

Cheers, mate!

Heh. And their beer sucks.

He’s out of the race so I no longer have to use 1337!

Per the Politico:

Recently we’ve been told that this increase in the already intolerable invasion of our privacy was justified because the purpose was to apprehend terrorists. We were told that the massive amounts of information being collected on Americans would only be used to root out terrorists. But as we can see today, this monitoring of private activities can also be used for political reasons. We should always be concerned when the government accumulates information on innocent citizens.

Spitzer was brought down because he legally withdrew cash from a bank–not because he committed a crime. This should prompt us to reassess and hopefully reverse this trend of pervasive government intrusion in our private lives.

We need no more Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act! No more Violent Radicalization & Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Acts! No more torture! No more Military Commissions Act! No more secret prisons and extraordinary rendition! No more abuse of habeas corpus! No more PATRIOT Acts!

Indeed.

And, now watch closely, as I will quickly pull a Spitzer pun from thin air:

Spitzer pulls out!

Via AC.

It must be true! Else world views shatter. And your bigotry is showing. Via Rusty, who addresses the various projections.

KAG asks if Elliot Spitzer was local:

Where would he have gone for his “needs?” Magnolia Avenue? One of the “spas” on Alcoa Highway? Do “high end” call girl services exist in the greater Knoxville metropolitan area?

Well, they shut down the spa on Alcoa highway. I always got a kick out of those when I traveled a lot for business. I’d get in from a late flight at the airport, start the drive home, look over and see that the spas were open. At 2:00 in the morning. And I’d laugh. Rumor was, authorities looked the other way even though they knew what was happening there. Then something happened and they got shut down.

Then, I recall in college, a friend of mine telling me that there was a brothel in The Fort. No idea if that was true or not.

But I don’t think either of those qualified as “high end”.