Seems the blogspot blogs are down. Or is it just me?

I dunno but I think I’d rather actually be safer than feel safer.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership:

Brady Center Lawyers Assail Appeals Court for Endorsing An “Armed Populace” over “Well Regulated Militia” of the Second Amendment

Now, I know I’m just an uneducated, ignorant hillbilly but my copy of the second amendment says nothing about an “Armed Populace”. It says that a well-regulated militia is necessary to a free state. And then says the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It doesn’t say pick one or the other.

The ATF has released trace data by state. Unsurprisingly, most traced guns originate in the states where they are traced (who knew? all this time, I blamed Virginia).

Speaking of Virginia (which seems to be the front line in the war on guns these days), Sebastian notes some irony:

If this ATF data is to be believed, then Virginia is still a major source of traced firearms. Maryland is too. It’s useful to note that Maryland has some rather restrictive handgun laws, and that Virginia has one-gun-a-month. One gun a month, folks who support gun control tell us, is critical to stopping illegal gun trafficing (sic).

More analysis of the trace data here and here.

Apparently, Massachusetts is exporting it’s criminals to New Hampshire too.

Seen at DAMIT’s:

This is such a divisive issue. I’m a little surprised that the third option didn’t get more votes. It seems that gun control is SO divisive, people can’t be rational about it.

Seems to me that according to recent surveys and your own poll (with only 3% calling for gun control) that it’s not so divisive at all. And the only folks who seem to be incapable of being rational are the gun controllers. We pro-gun sorts have, time and again, made our case and, as a result, keep shutting down the comments sections of anti-gun blogs. They simply can’t stand up when there is actual discourse. We win, they lose. The want only echo chambers. So, as I keep saying, we’re winning.

DAMIT is also having the spouse on guns problem and notes:

I know my wife and I have very different opinions about firearms. I want to teach the children about them so that I don’t have to worry about them. She wants to keep the children insulated from them. My thought on that is that we don’t know what they’ll face in life at other peoples’ houses, and kids are naturally curious. If they don’t know how to handle a firearm safely, then they and everyone around them is in danger. She’d rather scare them silly about the subject (much as she is). She can’t listen to anything relating to guns rationally.

Well, scaring kids and feeding them misinformation works so well on kids when it comes to complex issues. This strategy is doing a wonderful job of keeping kids from having sex or doing drugs, right? Oh, wait . . .

Now, look, kids and guns don’t mix. It’s a given. I’ve written about it before and what my plans are. And it’s never too early to start teaching young-uns.

US Citizen has some advice on this subject as well. And there’s a discussion at AKAA45.

As to why have a gun, it’s simple. Time and time again, active resistance with firearms in the face of violent crime has been shown to be the most effective to reducing injury to the victims. Period. Reason enough.

And, of course, you should get your kid active in shooting because:

The study was conducted from 1993-1995 by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Child psychologists tracked 4,000 boys and girls aged 6 to 15 in Denver, Pittsburgh, and Rochester, N.Y. Their findings?

— Children who get guns from their parents don’t commit gun crimes (0 percent) while children who get guns illegally are quite likely to do so (21 percent).

— Children who get guns from parents are less likely to commit any kind of street crime (14 percent) than children who have no gun in the house (24 percent) — and are dramatically less likely to do so than children who acquire an illegal gun (74 percent.)

— Children who get guns from parents are less likely to use banned drugs (13 percent) than children who get illegal guns (41 percent.)

— Most strikingly, the study found: “Boys who own legal firearms have much lower rates of delinquency and drug use (than boys who own illegal guns) and are even slightly less delinquent than non-owners of guns.”

I guess if you don’t log into your old blogger account after a while, then your old site becomes available again.

What he said.

And we’re every where:

Americans are being closely and constantly watched, carefully scrutinized and meticulously monitored as never before. From government wiretapping, to Google cameras that offer up street-level views of private houses around the world, to mighty digital data banks that record and store everything from real-estate-loan applications to pizza purchases, the machinery of observation and analysis has become powerful and pervasive.

What I find bizarre is that, generally, Americans seem mostly unconcerned by the whole thing.

I’ve never heard anything good about the 25ACP. But someone is doing some testing on the mousegun round.

Seems the public is not for more gun control:

A recent Zogby International poll question conducted for Associated Television News found that 66% of the American voting public in a recent poll of 1,020 Americans from August 8-11, 2007 (margin of error of +/- 3.1%) found that the American public rejects the notion that new gun control laws are needed.

We’re winning.

However, most of the public probably doesn’t even know what current gun laws are.

Fred File:

While this attack by New York City on the Second Amendment reinforces the importance of appointing judges who apply the law as written, there is another important legal point. Federalism, though usually seen as a protection of the states from the federal government, actually grew out of the need to protect states from other states that interfered in free commerce beyond their borders – as New York is doing today. In this case, we need Federalism to protect states from a big bully in New York City.

The future of bullet proof vests and home insulation may be “frozen smoke”, also know as Aerogel. It is 98% air. The Brick Brigade Team, a group of eight 11 year olds, has more.

A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man to fly to Mars.

Aerogel, one of the world’s lightest solids, can withstand a direct blast of 1kg of dynamite and protect against heat from a blowtorch at more than 1,300C.

Scientists are working to discover new applications for the substance, ranging from the next generation of tennis rackets to super-insulated space suits for a manned mission to Mars.

An electric Mini?

The company has successfully converted a Mini into an electric vehicle (EV) with four direct-drive wheels, each with an electronic hub motor of 160 break-horse-power. This combined 640 bhp allows for an acceleration of 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 150 mph (240 kph).

A small 250cc petrol engine charges the car’s battery while the car is being driven. In this mode it will run for up to 900 miles before needing to re-fuel, while in pure EV mode it will run for 200 miles. Previous electric models barely managed 60 mph (100kph) and had a range of less than 100 miles.

Seen at KABA:

“ABC 7/Newschannel 8 has learned the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority have charged Democratic Representative Robert Filner of California with assault and battery following an incident at Dulles International Airport Sunday night.” …
——-

Submitter’s comment
Filner:
— Voted NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. (Oct 2005)
— Voted NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. (Apr 2003)
— Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)
— Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record. (Dec 2003)

It’s easy to see why he’s so anti-gun. He thinks we all have as little self-control as he does.

In other news, his party affiliation was a mystery but I’m not sure how. Could’ve guessed when I got to the word California.

I am remiss in mentioning that the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Ownership and Jesse Jackson are having some sort of protest on August 28. After all, media whoring is cheaper than lobbying and we know they suck at lobbying. Of course, their methods are stupid:

You are also welcome to organize your own event on this day. Think about what you could do on this day to bring attention to the problem of illegal guns in your community. There is a lot of flexibility in what you do. It could be a

* candlelight vigil or bell ringing for victims of gun violence
* press conference on an issue in your city or state
* protest outside a gun shop known for selling guns that end up being used in crime
* prayer gathering
* ProtestEasyGuns lie-in
* rally or march

Because that will stop violence! Any way, that said, David Codrea is proposing that on that day we buy ammo. See here and here.

I also propose that, if you can, take someone shooting who has never gone before.

Update: I was perusing the internet trying to see if any protests would be close by so I could go point, laugh, and play some games. But no dice. Nothing. I fired off an email to a contact who might know such things asking if he’d let me know if he hears of anything and told him that I would go. And he said: And see three people protest? Heh!

Reasoned Discourse^TM will soon be a gunblogger meme along with PSH.

Update: BTW, pro-gunners meet pants-shitter. This is funny:

As anyone who has spent five minutes browsing it knows, the Internet is filled with people who cannot be bothered with facts, who know almost nothing, and yet who insist on throwing their lack of knowledge around as widely as possible as though it were valuable.

Hence, your blog. It’s like a bio not a political statement.

On purchasing a Yugo SKS.

Michael Bane notes that Bushmaster is buying Cobb Manufacturing, a maker of high end rifles.

Yeah, I don’t get it either.

Boneheaded idea: TN schools could create their own police forces. Don’t they already have access to local police? Aren’t there DARE officers stationed in a lot of schools already?

No one wants to take our guns away. Right?

Be on the look out. Someone stole Elvis’ gun. From a museum.

Gist of story: Drunk driving deaths are down in most states. Headline: Drunken driving deaths up in 22 states.

It’s always Virginia’s fault:

Law enforcement authorities traced more than 10,000 guns recovered in Virginia, Maryland and the District last year — and nearly half came from Virginia, according to federal data released yesterday.

But, you know, if you look at the stats on the sidebar then Virginia doesn’t really stand out so much. Well, unless you’re in Virginia.

Via insty, it seems that the reasons for the ammo price increase are different from what we’ve been told:

According to two spokesmen for the world’s largest ammunition manufacturer, which runs the military’s ammunition manufacturing plant and separately, is a major supplier of law enforcement ammunition, it is a massive and unexpected increase in law enforcement ammunition demand that is causing delays in law enforcement ammunition delays, not the war.

Odd. I had heard it was the increase in metal prices coupled with war demands.

With Uncle back from vacation, my “services” are no longer needed. It’s been fun, even if posting was light.

I suppose to counter the PSH of Bryan Miller, NJ.com now has a pro-gun blogger, Scott Bach. You’ve probably heard of him. I have.

Get thee hence.

We’ve played this game once before.

Alleged law-breaker and alleged journalist Steve Bailey (background here) has hit another snag. Seems the gun dealer involved refutes his claim to have engaged in a straw purchase (though Steve, evoking sixth grade playground rules, has since called a do-over):

Gun Week has learned from a source close to the investigation that the columnist and/or his companions at the Lebanon gun show in late 2005 apparently approached more than one dealer with inquiries about buying firearms. The dealer who finally sold them the gun asserted that he was not aware that the buyer was with Bailey—as both Bailey and Rosenthal have alleged—until about three months later, after reading a copy of Bailey’s Nov. 30, 2005 Globe column that circulated around the gun show. He promptly alerted New Hampshire state police to what he thought may have been a crime.

So, Steve, what gives?

Less crime Err, has no real discernible impact on crime whatsoever:

Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy Confirms that Reducing Gun Ownership by Law-Abiding Citizens Does Nothing to Reduce Violence Worldwide

By now, any informed American is familiar with Dr. John R. Lott, Jr.’s famous axiom of “More Guns, Less Crime.” In other words, American jurisdictions that allow law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms are far safer and more crime-free than jurisdictions that enact stringent “gun control” laws.

Very simply, the ability of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms has helped reduce violent crime in America.

Now, a Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy study shows that this is not just an American phenomenon. According to the study, worldwide gun ownership rates do not correlate with higher murder or suicide rates. In fact, many nations with high gun ownership have significantly lower murder and suicide rates.

In their piece entitled Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide? A Review of International and some Domestic Evidence, Don B. Kates and Gary Mauser eviscerate “the mantra that more guns mean more deaths and that fewer guns, therefore, mean fewer deaths.” In so doing, the authors provide fascinating historical insight into astronomical murder rates in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and they dispel the myths that widespread gun ownership is somehow unique to the United States or that America suffers from the developed world’s highest murder rate.

To the contrary, they establish that Soviet murder rates far exceeded American murder rates, and continue to do so today, despite Russia’s extremely stringent gun prohibitions. By 2004, they show, the Russian murder rate was nearly four times higher than the American rate.

More fundamentally, Dr. Kates and Dr. Mauser demonstrate that other developed nations such as Norway, Finland, Germany, France and Denmark maintain high rates of gun ownership, yet possess murder rates lower than other developed nations in which gun ownership is much more restricted.