Of PSH.

CounterTop tells us, once again, why we should question GOA’s credibility.

Rich:

It’s more than 60 days out from the general election, so I guess I’m legally allowed to answer that question, according to McCain-Feingold.

Leads to confiscation. In Japan, authorities seeking to put a big giant bandaid over the sore caused by a mass shooting there (which is unpossible), started going through their gun owner registry and deciding who was unfit:

Ninety gun owners were ordered to return their gun licenses and 145 firearms as of Jan. 31, after being judged unfit to possess them under police inspections conducted in the wake of a shooting rampage in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in December, it has been learned.

The inspections were conducted nationwide by prefectural police headquarters on people who possess hunting guns–shotguns and rifles–and air guns.

The number of people ordered to turn in licenses is expected to increase as about 60 percent of gun owners have yet to be inspected.

There were about 305,000 legally permitted shotguns and rifles and 34,000 air guns in the nation as of Jan. 31, 2006. The National Police Agency is compiling a list of problems with the current license system and says it will work to revise the law if necessary.

Seems some of our congress critters are filing briefs. David Hardy notes:

DC had an Congressional amicus brief supporting it, signed by, I forget, 16 or 17 House members.

According to this article, there is a Heller brief incoming, supporting the individual right position, signed by 250 House members and 57 Senators. A majority of both Houses. And from that, necessarily bipartisan.

And he notes that four times as many Democrats support Heller (the good guys). Even the Democrats are mostly getting on the right side of this issue. Somebody should tell Barrack Hussein Obama because he thinks DC’s outright gun ban is constitutional.

Anyone got a list of the congressmonkies on the wrong side?

Update: Thanks to Carl in comments, the reps are:

Representative Robert A. Brady (PA-01)
Representative John Conyers, Jr. (MI-14)
Representative Danny K. Davis (IL-07)
Representative Keith Ellison (MN-05)
Representative Sam Farr (CA-17)
Representative Chaka Fattah (PA-02)*
Representative Al Green (TX-09)
Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07)
Representative Michael Honda (CA-15)
Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-16)
Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04)
Representative Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Representative James P. Moran (VA-08)
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)
Representative Bobby L. Rush (IL-01)
Representative Maxine Waters (CA-35)
Representative Lynn C. Woolsey (CA-06)
Representative Albert R. Wynn (MD-04)

Real gun safety works.

So, you’re a would be crazed psychopath who’s been wronged by The Man^tm. So, you’re gonna get all Cho(desmoker) on us and kill some innocents who had nothing to do with it. Your plan is that you’re gonna get yourself and evil black rifle and shoot up the Super Bowl (note: SayUncle is not licensed by the NFL to use the phrase Super Bowl and given his audience size might be in violation of the NFL’s rules. But, frankly, SayUncle couldn’t give a flying monkey butt less). So, being the dedicated death dealer you are, you get your press kit ready and ship it off to the media. After all, the media, being sensationalist boobs, eat that sort of stuff up and if there’s one thing we learned about psychos with press kits, it’s that the media will practically fellate them. Only trouble with this plan is you can’t quite go through with it and back out at the last minute. But you’ve already sent the presser.

Oopsie.

ETA: Changed wording lest it be thought I’m condoning violence.

Since he’s going to be the next President, let’s review his website. His general statement:

John McCain believes that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect. We have a responsibility to ensure that criminals who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest, rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens. Gun control is a proven failure in fighting crime. Law abiding citizens should not be asked to give up their rights because of criminals – criminals who ignore gun control laws anyway.

A good start. I like it. As to some issues:

John McCain opposes restrictions on so-called “assault rifles” and voted consistently against such bans. Most recently he opposed an amendment to extend a ban on 19 specific firearms, and others with similar characteristics.

Good.

John McCain opposes bans on the importation of certain types of ammunition magazines and has voted against such limitations.

Still good. Wish he’d come out against import restrictions of politically incorrect self-loading rifles. He’d probably get the gun vote with that move. Just saying.

He has supported legislation requiring gun manufacturers to include gun safety devices such as trigger locks in product packaging

Not so good. Not horrible and easily forgivable.

As part of John McCain’s defense of Second Amendment rights, he cosponsored legislation to lift a ban on the law abiding citizens of the District of Columbia from exercising their Constitutional right to bear arms.

Good. Another thing I’d do if I ran his campaign is maybe file a brief in Heller.

At a time when some were trying to shut down gun shows in the name of fighting crime, John McCain tried to preserve gun shows by standardizing sales procedures. Federal law requires licensed firearm sellers at gun shows to do an instant criminal background check on purchasers while private firearm sellers at gun shows do not have to conduct such a check. John McCain introduced legislation that would require an instant criminal background check for all sales at gun shows and believes that such checks must be conducted quickly to ensure that unnecessary delays do not effectively block transactions.

Another not good. Seems to me he’s trying to woo supposed moderates.

If it comes down to it, I’d have to support McCain over the two gun banners being pimped by the Democrats. I don’t like McCain on a great deal of issues but on guns, he’s more pro-gun than either George Bush ever was.

Only one taker so far. And he only took half the bet.

The Ruger LCP is, in fact, not a Kel-Tec.

M4 Shotgun. Sweet. I’ve never been a shotgun guy but now that I can make one all tacticool, that might change.

What’s 3822? Why, 1911 + 1911 of course.

Taurus “Slim”

Story here. Via SIH.

Update: Seems to address the Justice Department’s brief by stating gun laws should be subject to strict scrutiny. Still reading.

That’s the word.

Your wheelbarrows full of cash should start arriving soon.

McCain. Because you suck, and I hate you.

Via AC, comes this hysterical Nashville Scene piece by Jeff Woods on Tennessee’s reaction to Virginia Tech:

The annual low comedy that is the Tennessee legislature is well under way, and the shenanigans again this year include bills letting supposedly law-abiding citizens carry pistols into saloons, state parks and all sorts of other new places. The Second Amendment is paramount at the Capitol, which behaves like an adjunct of the National Rifle Association. No one mentions the inconvenient truth that any of these thousands of Tennesseans exercising their right to go strapped could have been wearing a straitjacket in a mental institution a few hours earlier.

I love me some hysterical qualifiers like supposedly and could have been instead of actual cases. I mean, Jeff Woods could have been taken for credible. But, as is evident, he supposedly prefers pants-shitting hysterics over, you know, factual statements to advocate. Anyhoo, on to what got his pretty little panties all bunched up:

Yes, even lunatics apparently have the right to buy firearms in Tennessee.

An utter and complete falsehood. Federal law and Tennessee law prohibit the sale of firearms to those adjudicated mentally defective. Once so adjudicated, you lose your right to arms. So, I can presume that you could have been doing some research and know that is false, which makes you a liar. Or you don’t know any better, and are supposedly ignorant.

Almost 10 months after the massacre at Virginia Tech, where the young killer could buy guns even though he had been found mentally unsound, no action has been taken in Tennessee to prevent such a tragedy here.

Quite misleading. Cho unlawfully purchased his weapons. Cho had been adjudicated mentally defective. The issue is that when congress passed the national instant check system (NICS) back in the 1990s, there was no provision requiring states to report such records. And there was no funding provided to the states to cover the costs of that. Because, you know, it’s illegal for the feds to require states to administer their programs. The NICS Improvement Bill recently passed by Congress and endorsed by the NRA provides funding to states that keep their NICS records up to date. And the bill seeks to clarify (though some argue poorly) what is meant by adjudicated mentally defective. And the bill requires participating states to submit quarterly info to the NICS.

As the Scene reported last May, Tennessee can’t be troubled to send the names of even the dangerously mentally ill to the FBI’s national instant background check system.

Yes. Because some people are concerned about this little concept known as privacy. What does the governor say:

The governor is thinking about doing something, but hasn’t yet. “If someone had a reasonable way and was willing to provide the funding to aggregate that data and if the data gave some reasonable protections to the privacy of the individuals…then I would think that would be a reasonable thing to do,” Bredesen told reporters recently. “I don’t know how to do it in the current system.”

Well, Phil, you’re in luck. What ace reporter Jeff Woods didn’t mention to you is that (as mentioned above) the federales have offered to pay for it. And you can thank the NRA, who Mr. Woods appears to hold in such contempt. And the NICS bill allows reporting of, basically, yes or no. No requirement to divulge medical info.

Crazy as it may sound, even mentally ill people who have been involuntarily committed to institutions as a danger to themselves or others can go to a gun store on the day of their release, pass the background check and walk out with a firearm in Tennessee, just like that.

And when they do, they’re breaking the law.

So, let’s review. Mr. Woods is factually deficient. However, I’ve made his point for him in a manner that doesn’t involve bringing up the narrative that crazy people are running into gun stores and arming themselves to the teeth. My method is a better pitch and doesn’t require lying. Or the purchase of new underwear.

Try that, instead of scaring people. It’s not hard.

Also there is, of course, the issue that in Tennessee, gun sales are verified by our own instant check system called the TICS. The TICS runs potential buyers through the NICS system, as well as other systems maintained by the TBI and others. Seems if I were someone commenting on Tennessee’s stupid gun laws, I’d make at least a slight effort to know what those gun laws are and I’d know who administered background checks, particularly when addressing those background checks.

Update: Ok, one more thing:

What happened at Virginia Tech caused Congress to pass a law that was supposed to strengthen buyer background checks, but didn’t.

Yes, it did. Even voluntary compliance can improve a system

The law, signed by President Bush in January, doesn’t require states to report to the system, but merely offers as-yet-unspecified financial incentives for those that choose to do so.

Yeah, because such a requirement is illegal. Remember?

And before Congress could vote, the NRA hijacked the bill and added requirements that those states give back gun rights to one-time lunatics who can prove they aren’t crazy anymore—a procedure that could easily cost more than any federal funding that might eventually arrive.

OMG! You mean people can petition the government for a redress of grievances? Or address that they may have lost a right without due process of law? Why, that’s just awful.

I mean, really dumb. Seems Florida wants to pass a law that makes it a more serious offense to kill someone with a gun that has certain aesthetic features as opposed to just killing them with a gun that doesn’t look a certain way. That’s a really stupid idea for a law.

Additionally, they want to pass mandatory minimum sentences.

Heading to the 2A Blog Bash to hang out with your favorite gun bloggers? You should be. And if you are, you need to know Kentucky’s carry laws. Kentucky got the best score on the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Ownership’s ranking of violent crime. Info provided by GBW.

Not sure the big deal about using your Handgun Carry Permit as ID to vote. A state issued ID is a state issued ID. I’ve used mine many times when two forms of ID are required.

Ben reports that 4 of 5 Tennessee counties rejected wheel tax hikes. And Tennesseans also defeated 5 of 6 sales tax hikes.

In Tennessee, an O’Charley’s was robbed and an assistant manager was fatally shot while complying with the robber. It’s a good thing Tennessee law prohibits the carrying of weapons where alcohol is sold for on-sight consumption or someone might have gotten killed.

In Japan, shooting deaths are on the rise. We all know that is unpossible because Japan has strict gun controls.

Update: Another shooting in a gun free zone.

We gun nuts say one of the reasons for gun ownership is to defend against invaders. I never suspected we’d be invaded by Georgians. B-Ho, who makes it a habit of emailing everyone whenever the TN GOP sneezes*, tells me that:

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen should move quickly to defend Tennessee’s southern border against a new plan by Georgia to claim a mile-wide stretch of Marion County.

As reported in various media including the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Associated Press, Georgia policymakers are preparing to claim that Tennessee’s legal southern border through Marion County is one mile north of where it is currently marked – for the purpose of moving the Georgia border to include a piece of the Tennessee River and the Nickajack Reservoir.

Georgia wants access to water from the Tennessee River. The drought that has impacted many counties in Tennessee has been severe in Georgia, and the population explosion, especially around Atlanta, and poor planning regarding infrastructure has resulted in Georgia politicians eyeing their neighbors’ natural resources.

Now listen up, Georgia. Tennesseans are a charitable people. And we’ll happily share water and water access with you. But if you think you’re going to come lay claim to some of our land, you’ve got another thing coming.

* Note: Last time he emailed me something, it was about how the TNGOP was getting all tough on drunk drivers by pushing some laws. I replied back that maybe we should just make drinking and driving illegal. I didn’t get a response.

Update: Via AC, a link to the bills.

New Iraqi Law Requires Waiting Period For Suicide Vest Purchases

See how stupid that sounds?

Supposedly, debuted at SHOT. I recall linking to it a bit back. But Kel-Tec’s High Efficiency Rifle looks pretty darn sweet. Design allows for a 24 inch barrel in a 32 inch rifle. Cool. Via Rivrdog.

A gun in a gun-free zone.

For voting the bums out:

Republicans repudiated the officials directly involved in the year-long political upheaval in Knox County on Tuesday, turning out all but two of those who had opposition in the county primary.

I dunno, but I think when my AK caught fire, I’d stop shooting it.

In 1976, I was five. I was in kindergarten and Dad was stationed in Fort Benning, GA. I decided, based on what I was being taught about presidential races at school, that my parents should vote for Jimmy Carter. My reasoning was simple enough: he had some shiny white teeth. It’s true. I’m not making that up. I pestered them about it. I recall him being charismatic on TeeVee. My parents did. And they’ve regretted it ever since. Coincidentally, 1976 was the last year my parents ever voted Democrat. To this day, my dad blames me. I’m not making that up either.

So, despite how stupid it sounds, kids can have an influence on their parents voting habits.

A recurring theme here at the old blog is a simple question Why are anti-gunners so violent? I know the answer. Both Egregious Charles and Ride Fast know the answer too.

It’s quite simple, really. People who are either violent or think they can’t trust themselves assume you can’t either. So, they damn sure don’t want you armed.

In NY, the Post Star requested the info and haven’t done any story on it. And the readers went ballistic without the story being published. Gee, I wonder why readers might be concerned with that? They say:

We listened to those concerns and want to assure each and every person that we would never, ever do anything to endanger private citizens or make information conveniently available that might lead to a safety concern.

Good for them!

Via Michael Silence.

It’s Glad It’s Over Wednesday.

So, McCain is the big winner. Huckabee hit some momentum. And Mitt is toast. Mitt being toast is a good thing. Like Bitter, I was definitely anti-Mitt. The God Squad came out and represented Huckabee. God is apparently telling Tennessee how he feels about that. Ron Paul came in second once more.

The Democrats are reportedly in a tie. I noticed that in TN about 600K Dems turned out to vote compared to 500K Republicans. I think now that a good chunk of red states are out of the way, Obama will soon pull ahead.

I’m sticking with my beer bet. And I’ve decided that Obama looks more like a funeral director. So, I’m calling it for McCain in ’08.