I am remiss in mentioning Joe’s offer: Buy a rifle and ammo for Boomershoot and I’ll give you a free entry into Boomershoot 2009.

Staggering number.

Ya know, Obama is a scarier candidate than Hillary. Honestly, he’s almost a commie. But I still get a kick out of Hillary losing.

Update: Almost the exact same thought.

England is fast becoming the Orwellian nightmare that George Orwell prayed would never happen. It has now passed France as the one of the worst places for free people to live. In fact France is quickly changing and stepping away from the social democracy of the French past.

In England there are cameras everywhere and never a cop in sight. Citizens cannot own a gun or a knife for personal protection but criminals can. The insanity of social democracy has created criminal zones where the law abiding don’t stand a chance.

Now shop keepers are using sonic devices to drive away teenagers they don’t want as patrons.

There are people in America that believe this is the model for our country. They must be fought each and every time they try to take our liberties from us.

They have a statement here:

This brief by the state Attorneys General comes on the heels of last week’s congressional brief, having the largest number of co-signers of a congressional amicus brief in American history, with 250 House Members, 55 Senators and the Vice President of the United States, acting in his capacity as President of the Senate.

If you’re the Violence Policy Center (who may have a special on GLOCKS) that’s gotta hurt.

31 states filed briefs in support of Heller. Tennessee’s Attorney General Robert E. Cooper, Jr. is not among them. Shame on him. [Update: No, shame on SayUncle for jumping to conclusions. Turns out, Robert E. Cooper is one of the good guys. Here’s his recent opinion on the right to arms in Tennessee:

But farther than this, it must be held, that the right to keep and bear arms involves, necessarily, the right to use such arms for all ordinary purposes, and in the ordinary modes used in the country, and to which arms are adapted, limited by the duties of a good citizen in times of peace; that in such use, he shall not use them for violation of the rights of others, or the paramount rights of the community of which he makes a part.

So, apologies to Robert E. Cooper and hats off to the guy.]

Here’s a map of the states for it. 14 states are neutral (that would include Tennessee’s Attorney General Robert E. Cooper). And only five pro DC states.

Academics for the Second Amendment has submitted their brief. You can find it here. Hats off to David Hardy for his hard work. I’m not done reading yet. Sebastian is and says it’s devastating to DC’s arguments. Of course, from what I recall of DC’s arguments, Junior could devastate them.

Law enforcement comes out in support of Heller. Including the Fraternal Order of Police, who supported the assault weapons ban (which is why I don’t give them money any more).

Update and bump: SAF has a brief too.

I’ve been taking my hat off to lots of people today. A Florida student newspaper; Tennessee’s Attorney General; Al Gore and his internets; a Blount County Commissioner; the US Senate; even Bob Corker.

Seems like today is going well. This much good stuff can’t happen at once. I suddenly find myself preparing to be disappointed by something big.

Background here. Hats off to them for issuing one helluva correction:

On Thursday, Feb. 8, we ran an article based on a report from the Gainesville Police Department about guns painted to look like toys. GPD provided us with a photo, which we ran in the paper and online. As far as we knew, the entire issue was about disguising guns in order to confuse law enforcement.

We were wrong.

This story should have been about gun laws, gun-owners and the concerns voiced by law enforcement, not just the perspective of law enforcement on this trend. We should have asked GPD where they got the photo of the rifle and followed up to make sure we could use it. (Turns out, the whole thing was handed down from New York.)

The owner of the Hello Kitty rifle contacted us and asked us to remove the photo. Still under the impression that he was manufacturing the guns, we edited the article with an editor’s note: “As per a request from the company that is making the Hello Kitty rifle, we have taken down the image.”

In the mornings, I take the kids to school. My job is to get them ready and all that. This got considerably easier once Junior learned to dress herself.

Occasionally, I get it wrong. See, the other day, I sent The Second to school with two left shoes on his feet. In other news, why do we have two identical pairs of shoes?

Also, Junior likes to wear her pants backwards. I don’t know why. She swears they’re not backwards when you point it out to her. Not sure why she does that either. The other day, she dressed herself. I informed her that her pants were on backwards. She argued a bit and then turned them around. We get in the truck and (as she does almost every morning) she decided she had to go pee. So, unstrap her from the car seat so she can run inside. She gets back to the truck and off we go.

I pick her up after school that day and there’s a note saying her pants were on backwards. So, she tricked me. She swapped her pants when she went to the bathroom and I didn’t think to check.

The school must think I’m retarded.

Ryan asks:

Is anti-gun group’s FFL illegal? It appears so

Seems they don’t comply with zoning.

He knows vote buying when he sees it:

“I think it’s short-sighted,” Corker said. “This economic stimulus plan costs over $150 billion and will have a negligible effect on the situation. All it does is create favor for politicians.

Since the Violence Policy Center is a Merchant of Death, Thirdpower called there and asked about transferring a gun. Anyone else have any luck?

A few questions on the VPC’s FFL: Are they in the business of selling firearms? If not, that usually warrants a knock on the door from ATF.

Is having an FFL in DC legal? Do they comply with local zoning and business ordinances? If not, that usually warrants a knock on the door from ATF.

Do they have business hours posted?

Inquiring minds want to know. Someone should ask them. Or the ATF.

Seen at Michael Silence’s place: How long does it take to launch an innovative new feature on a newspaper site? About 48 hours.

It’s only racism when your side does it.

1/3rd of evangelicals vote Democrat.

And, as reported here before, voters still hate gay cooties and Godless heathens.

But it’s apparently a liar.

I mentioned the bit yesterday but Mike sets the Commercial Appeal straight on gun laws.

Cardplayer.com reports:

A Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) study revealed that the United States has the potential to collect at least $8.7 billion and up to $17.6 billion in the next 10 years if it would tax and regulate online gambling, including poker. And those figures don’t include potential sports wagers.

The study was commissioned by the UC Group, an online payment service provider that currently doesn’t do business with U.S. customers. The UC Group specifically asked PWC to determine how much tax would be generated if two separate bills addressing online gambling in the U.S. were passed: Barney Frank’s H.R. 2046, “Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007” (which would regulate and license online gambling in the U.S.) and Jim McDermott’s H.R. 2607, which would impose a 2 percent licensing fee on online gambling companies who want to operate here. Both bills remain in committee.

Instead, however, your government has decided to sign an agreement to pay billions of your tax dollars to countries that allow online gambling for violating WTO agreements. But you can’t get a copy of the agreement because then the terrorists will win.

Not a buyback but police-assisted destruction of evidence. No questions asked.

Kinda scary:

In the first counter-terrorism strategy of its kind in the nation, roving teams of New York City police officers armed with automatic rifles and accompanied by bomb-sniffing dogs will patrol the city’s subway system daily, beginning next month, officials said on Friday.

Actually, they’re not new. The Hercules team has been around a while. The patrols are new. And here they are in one of their finer moments:

Yes, that’s a member of this tactical team with his weapon sight mounted backwards.

Blount County Commissioner Mike Walker:

I know what property owners in my district are saying, in short “another government regulation that is not only placing more restrictions on property that I own, but also requiring financial expenditures by me and then taxing me for the improvements”

Ya think?

Cool, another blogging local politico.

Now, 51 senators have signed on to the change of policy on firearms in national parks:

As part of the ongoing NRA-ILA effort to change the National Park Service rules to allow Right-to-Carry in our national parks and wildlife refuges, four additional Senators have written to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne urging him to remove restrictions on the carrying and transportation of firearms by law-abiding gun owners. Senators Kit Bond (R-MO), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent the letter to Secretary Kempthorne on February 11.

We’re winning.

Did you know that Josh Sugarmann, of the Violence Policy Center, has a Federal Firearms License? And that the business address is that of The Violence Policy Center? You do now.

Also, given the ATF’s recent crack down on FFLs, I wonder when the VPC’s last inspection was? And how many transfers they’ve done. If none, then that could mean they’re not a business and, per ATF, that is bad. If they have, they’re hypocrites.

Said FFL exempts them from the DC handgun ban, as well.

Thirdpower addresses the anti-gun American Hunters and Shooters Association’s Heller brief:

Well, they decided to file an Amici brief in support of Heller. Sounds good right? They want to have the ban overturned. They have lots of former military big wigs that supposedly wrote it and we must support the military.

The problem? They oppose it only because the way it is worded, not because of its intention

So, where do I get one of those cars with a 130 gallon gas tank? Or does it run on groceries?

Asshat sounds a lot like Asset.

No, Bob, I was just talking about what a huge asset to the company you are.

Complete with creepy pictures of police playing ball with children

In Boston:

As Boston police prepare to go into some of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, knock on doors of private houses, and ask if they can search for illegal guns without a warrant, officials are trying to pitch the idea of the plan as friendly cooperation to residents who still see it as a threatening intrusion.

A friendly looking logo – a drawing of a house surrounded by the sun – adorns the brochure police have drafted to explain and promote the initiative, “Safe Homes.” Photos of officers playing baseball with children and chatting with teenagers dot the pamphlet. Twice, police have taken calls from listeners on a black radio station in Roxbury.

Fiocchi ammo any good? If so, this looks like a great deal on 1,000 rounds.

David Hardy on Brady Campaign Rankings:

The Rapid City Journal, for instance, runs the story S.D. GETS LOW MARKS FOR GUN RESTRICTIONS. Yup, a dismal F, 6 points out of 100 possible.

Strange that in 2006, the State, whose population is 150% that of the District of Columbia, had a whole 9 homicides. Homicide rate of 1.2, about 25% the national rate.

Joe is coming to the Second Amendment Blog Bash! Sadly, I neglected to follow my own advice of booking a room early. Need to do that today.

Update: Ok, reservations made.

Seems there’s a push to say that we should make it illegal to alter the cosmetic features of guns because it makes them more dangerous. Sound familiar?

They want to ban black guns. And pink guns:

The sole purpose of these guns is to fool the observer, said Lt. Rob Koehler of GPD’s Tactical Impact Unit.

Or, you know, people like to decorate things. More:

“If you saw this, your initial impulse would be, ‘This is a toy,’” Koehler said.

Koehler said these types of guns are especially dangerous to police because they can prevent officers from taking appropriate action, such as using force or avoiding danger.

That moment when an officer first sees someone with a gun could mean everything in terms of how he or she responds, Koehler said.

“It gives the advantage to the carrier,” he said. “That moment the person sees it could mean everything.”
Although guns have been customized with camouflage print for quite some time, hot pink and neon green paint jobs are relatively new, according to the release.

Next, they’ll think this is really a camera.

Just curious, as of today, how many police officers have been killed with a pink gun?