Via Der Commissar, I have decided to call out you lurkers. A lurker is someone who frequents the blog but never comments. And I know you are there because I get the occasional email from you and my referral logs tell me you’re there. So, if you’re a reader of this blog and have never commented or just generally don’t, please leave a comment. No need to identify yourself really (nicknames are OK) but I wouldn’t mind if you told me where you were from. Just want to know.

Update: And if you still don’t want to leave a comment, email me at:

Update 2: Thanks for the comments and emails.

Alphie notes that some votes are coming into question in the recent state senate election:

The 12-vote victory afforded to Democrat Ophelia Ford for state Senate is looking shakier all the time. According to a press release from Terry Roland, voting records indicate that 31 voters failed to sign the polling sheet (as required by state law).

This is an election in which all the voting cartridges were delivered except one which was mysteriously left behind in a precinct that, when the cartidge (sic) was eventually pried out of the hands of the poll workers in the heavily-Democrat station, miraculously went 101 to 5 for Ophelia.

The ATF has the TSA’s fact sheet on transporting firearms and ammunition on commercial aircraft. It’s also advisable that you contact your airline as rules vary for different companies.

Stacey Campfield addresses the black caucus issue at his blog.

A while back, Florida got rid of the duty to retreat provision in its self-defense law. Even though this brought Florida in line with the majority of states, there was much ado made about blood in the streets and other such nonsense. Like the predictions of the same when the assault weapons ban expired, none of that has happened, of course. Now, Michigan is attempting to do the same thing and the anti-gun folks are unhappy:

Earlier this year, gun control advocates failed to block a Florida bill allowing people to use deadly force in the street to defend themselves.

The advocates vow not to let that happen in Michigan.

The battle in Michigan over the so-called deadly force legislation is important for both sides in the gun debate. It could open the doors to similar laws across the country — a top priority for the National Rifle Association — or stop the effort in its tracks.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Million Mom March are sending out news releases criticizing the legislation and are calling lawmakers in an attempt to keep the bills from getting out of the House Judiciary Committee.

“This is a byproduct of having missed the boat in Florida,” said Peter Hamm, director of communications for the Washington-based Brady Campaign. “We have been watching like a hawk for this to surface in other states.”

No, Mr. Hamm, it’s a byproduct of being on the wrong side.

There’s this new gun blog by The Gun Guy, who I’ve never head of. It’s good, as though he’s been doing it for years.

Local Rep. Stacey Campfield, who blogs here and is white, may want to become a member of the Tennessee Legislature’s Black Caucus:

The chairman of the state Legislature’s Black Caucus has questioned the motives of a white Knoxville lawmaker who asked to become a member of the group and sought a copy of its bylaws.
Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Jackson, denied both requests from Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, according to separate interviews with the two men.

They differed on some details of their conversation, which for now has ended in something of a stalemate. Campfield said he might take further steps in the next legislative session.

“I think he just wanted to mess with somebody,” said Shaw. “Stacey Campfield is a strange guy. That’s the best I can say. He would never say why he wanted the bylaws or what he was trying to do.”

Campfield said he was “just curious” about operations of the Black Caucus and decided to ask Shaw for a copy of the bylaws. He said Shaw at one point asked for a copy of Republican Party bylaws and Campfield had a copy of the GOP document sent to Shaw.

“I have my questions” about the Black Caucus, Campfield said. “How is their money spent? What are membership requirements? A lot of things are contained in the bylaws. I haven’t decided how far to push it.”

In the course of their conversation, the possibility of Campfield becoming a Black Caucus member came up.

By Campfield’s account, Shaw replied in a staunch negative.

I think it’s hysterical. It’s also amusing to watch Campfield repeatedly poke the establishment with a stick. Now, who said this:

“We still want to make sure the black community gets the representation it needs,” he said. “But it’s not just the black community. We represent people as a whole. When you start dividing people up into race, if you’re not careful you can get yourself into a lot of trouble.

Not Campfield but Shaw. Maybe they do get Campfield’s point.

Two riders were attached to the senate version of the Protection of Lawful Commerce In Arms Act. The first requires all handguns be sold with trigger locks, which is kind of pointless since just about every handgun you buy these days comes with one. The second is a bit more troubling:

The second anti-gun provision — offered as a compromise by Sen. Craig — strengthens the “armor-piercing bullet” restrictions of federal law. At its core, the Craig language does two things:

* It gives impetus to adopting a “penetration standard” for armor piercing bullets by commissioning a Justice Department study of the issue. If a “penetration standard” were adopted, a gun-adverse administration could use it to ban virtually any ammunition.

* It establishes a fifteen year MANDATORY MINIMUM PRISON SENTENCE for anyone who carries a single armor piercing bullet during the commission of a “crime of violence” — or who “possesses” such a bullet “in furtherance of… such crime…”

This legislation scares me because of the potential for abusing the penetration standard.

The NRA still supports the bill in total.

Michael Silence notes that the Knoxville Titty Council may approve a red light camera contract in October.

Legislatures and courts keep scrapping the cameras and that the cameras correlate with an increase in traffic injuries. Also, the company that makes the cameras may be motivated to make a little extra money my monkeying with the settings. And they are not 100% accurate.

And, the cameras can be used by the police for harassment.

Joe Huffman reports that the NRA and SAF will be filing a motion in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana seeking a temporary restraining order to stop authorities in and around the City of New Orleans from seizing firearms from private citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Good. It is a start. As Publicola said:

CNN filed a lawsuit within hours of being told their reporters would have limited access to the searches for dead bodies in New Orleans.

Where were you guys on September 9th?

Looks like the Pentagon blocked those associated with Able Danger from testifying before the Senate.

This is getting ugly.

Via the Geek, The Nation of Riflemen forums are back.

Best wishes and thoughts go to gun blogger Head, who is in the path of Rita.

A few of the Nashville bloggers had lunch with Senatorial candidate Ed Bryant. Blogging for Bryant was there and rounds up the lunch. Sharon Cobb has a partial transcript.

In the event there’s interest in doing one in Knoxville, let me know.

There’s a reason airlines don’t hire blind air traffic controllers or traffic policemen. How is this different:

A Swedish labour court fined Ford’s Volvo Car Corp 40,000 Swedish crowns (2,891 pounds) in damages on Wednesday for refusing a woman a job on an assembly line on the grounds she was too short at 160 cm (5.2 ft).

The woman, then 27, applied for a job at a Volvo car plant in Gothenburg three years ago to be told assembly line workers must be between 163 and 195 cm tall for safety reasons.

A local blogger named David Garrett is running for a Tennessee House seat. Here’s his campaign website. He hopes to be the Libertarian Party Nominee. He would be vying for the seat held by Stacey Campfield, who also blogs.

NY’s war against gun shows took its first casualty:

A federal judge Friday tossed out a significant portion of New York state law regulating firearms sales at gun shows.

U.S. District Judge Charles Siragusa determined that one of the statute’s definition of a gun show is so broad that it “infringes on … constitutionally protected rights to free speech, assembly and petition.”

Good.

Captain Holly has some harsh words for Gun Owners of America and a defense of the NRA:

Not without justification, of course. The NRA has often “gone along to get along”, especially when the Congress was controlled by the Democrats. Back then their philosophy seemed to be “we can’t stop it, so let’s make it as gun-owner friendly as possible”. Since 1994, they’ve stiffened their spine somewhat but their reputation as compromisers has lingered.

The GOA has exploited this to portray the NRA as perfidious turncoats and they themselves as the only “true” defenders of the Second Amendment. While it is true the GOA never compromises, they also never advance. The GOA will often kill a good pro-gun bill because it isn’t “pure” enough. They seem to be under the delusion that the only reason all gun control laws were not repealed years ago is because of the spinless Republicans and their greedy NRA masters. An exaggeration, to be sure, but not far off the mark.

Read it all. While I have leveled my criticism of the NRA regularly, the fact is all gun nuts should work together for the greater good of gun rights. Maybe the NRA isn’t pure enough and maybe the GOA’s no-compromise approach does more harm than good. But there’s a good middle-ground to be had and there are some things that they can agree on. But one memo to the NRA sportsman-only types:

If they come for your hunting rifle, I can’t help you because it means they’ve already taken my battle rifle

The Geek obtained word that the firearm confiscation is continuing in New Orleans. He’s asking for more verification:

If ANYONE has folks down there willing to directly verify with me that systematic confiscation of firearms persisted AFTER the forcible evac order was rescinded around 9/10, email me.

Nolan Finley of the Detroit News:

Hurricane Katrina might end up being the best friend the Second Amendment ever had.

There’s more. Read it.

I’ve covered the Tyler, Texas shooting before. You can get some background here. The long and short of it is that David Hernandez Arroyo, Sr. loaded up with body armor and guns, then killed his wife. As Arroyo attempted to shoot his son, a local CCW holder named Mark Wilson intervened and was killed. Mr. Wilson saved the life of Arroyo’s son and perhaps many others.

Reader Robert obtained access and took some photos. Here is a picture of Mr. Wilson’s Colt:

Below the fold are pictures of Arroyo’s MAK.
Read the rest of this entry »

Busy. But you can go read about unfunded mandates and pork regarding ATF paperwork at Tam’s.

And the NRA is asking people who’ve had their guns confiscated in New Orleans to call them at (888) 414-6333. Guess they were reading my take on this.

The latest RINO sightings is up.

Insty is taking on pork barrel spending. Good. Also, NZ Bear has set up a page to track pork. Says Insty:

How are we going to mobilize the blogosphere in support of cuts in wasteful spending to support Katrina relief? Here’s the plan.

Identify some wasteful spending in your state or (even better) Congressional District. Put up a blog post on it. Go to N.Z. Bear’s new PorkBusters page and list the pork, and add a link to your post.

Then call your Senators and Representative and ask them if they’re willing to support having that program cut or — failing that — what else they’re willing to cut in order to fund Katrina relief. (Be polite, identify yourself as a local blogger and let them know you’re going to post the response on your blog). Post the results. Then go back to NZ Bear’s page and post a link to your followup blog post.

The result should be a pretty good resource of dubious spending, and Congressional comments thereon, for review by blogs, members of the media, etc. And maybe even members of Congress looking for wasteful spending . . . .

Folks are battling pork after Katrina. I wonder why not many tried to battle it before? Oh yeah, the money.

Delaware Online:

The predictions were dire. The expiration of the 10-year-old federal assault-weapons ban would flood the streets with AK-47s and other weapons of war.

With the one-year anniversary of the expiration of the ban passing quietly last week, the reality has proved much less grim. The assault-weapons ban went out with a whimper, not a bang.

Although precise figures are not available, police in Delaware have not reported an increase in crimes committed with previously banned weapons.

And area gun dealers say they have not seen an increase in demand, possibly because so many guns that had been legally manufactured before the law remained on the market through the decade-long ban.

Six position, M4 stock for $52.50. Shipped.

Kim du Toit has disappeared without so much as a thanks or even a fuck off to his readers. Countertop said he quit but immediately blogged again. Have no fear. As I said in comments at CT’s:

You can check out any time you like but you can never leave.

You’ll be back. They always come back.

Like me, Ravenwood is no quitter and, like me, has time for it.

And Joe chimes in with:

The last few months have had a very sobering effect on me. Think about this:

Q: How many gun bloggers openly use their real names?
A: Not many.

Q: What percentage of those have had “problems” of some sort because of that?
A: A lot.

Q: How many anti-freedom bloggers do you know of that have “had problems?”
A: None that I know of. But I don’t “travel in those circles.” Anyone that you know of?

I think quite a few use their real names. I use a pseudonym merely because I don’t want this stuff interfering with my work. Also, I don’t want some wackjob reading and deciding to rob me because I have guns.

Oh, and I ain’t quitting either. But blogging may be light as, when this posts, I’ll be in the air headed out for business and returning later in the week.

David Hardy:

Second Amendment Fdn. has announced that, in cooperation with NRA, it’s investigating legal action over the NO gun seizures. They request that anyone who was on the receiving end email safalert@liberty.seanet.com with name, address, phone no, and date of seizure and number of guns taken. (I’d assume that many who were on the receiving end presently have no address or phone, let alone ability to access the internet, but it’s worth trying.

If you’re one of those folks or know of one, let them know.

I subscribe to the NRA’s newsfeed. Typically, it is overly concerned with whatever Hillary Clinton is doing and bashing the UN. Occasionally, they post some gun news there. Like these items:

A press account of the lack of balance on the gun issue.

This account of the Montgomery, AL mayor telling folks to buy guns:

Mayor Bobby Bright is unapologetic and stands firm behind comments he made this week about the need for residents to buy guns and learn how to use them to protect themselves from criminals.

It is a solid concept for people to protect themselves since the criminal justice system is not working, Bright said.

And, lastly, this account again telling us that gun sales are surging

Natural disasters typically jump-start gun sales, and Hurricane Katrina was no exception.
Evacuees who had lost guns, law enforcement officials needing additional firepower and locals fearing riots helped fuel a surge in gun sales in Katrina’s aftermath, local gun sellers said.

And one day in particular — Sept. 1 — spawned a frenzy after false rumors swirled about riots and looting in downtown Baton Rouge.

It’s like they’re reading this site or something.

Carnival of Cordite 30 is up. 30 and I haven’t hosted one?