I’m kind of wondering how ATF is doing this if they are destroying NICS records like they are supposed to be doing under the law? Is e-trace really a database? Or is it just an electronic means of submitting a trace request to ATF? I can’t find good information on how this works exactly. It’s not like the press is going to bother getting details.
UPDATE: Dave Hardy has some information here.
I guess the Pennsylvania State Police got jealous of TBI’s outage of Tennessee’s instant check system and decided to do one themselves.
WBIR has a blurb about the TICS outage.
Like, literally a blurb.
WSMV has a little more – an interview with a dealer.
WVLT steals their news from WSMV. Or maybe vice-versa.
Yes, that was a joke.
So TICS is on a temporary server until tomorrow, when they’ll apparently move to a new server entirely.
There’s been some chatter about the new bill passed by the TN .gov concerning self defense, what many people call a “Stand Your Ground” bill. I wrote about it here.
There’s a lot of assumptions going on, so I’m going to post up the summary (found here, thanks to Jesse.)
I took the liberty of breaking it into readable chunks, seeing as no one in the state knows what an Enter key is. It’s below the fold:
Dave Hardy is saying that some police chief organiations are worried about the new “lady taser” being used against police:
“If a police officer or a civilian is stunned with a Taser there are a whole array of things that can happen and most of them are very bad,” said Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police in Washington, D.C.
Pasco, whose group represents 325,000 police officials nationwide, said the immobilizing devices should be limited to well-trained law enforcement professionals.
“There’s a tremendous amount of respect and accountability that goes along with a police officer using a Taser,” he said. “This Taser is no more regulated than a hair drier.”
If you want to know why I won’t give any money to the FOP, ever, despite a desire to support folks in law enforcement, crap like this is why. At some point, we’re going to have to expand this debate such that arms encompasses much more than just guns, because in the end, it’s not really about guns. It’s the fact that there’s a large large segments of our political class that don’t care if ordinary people are effectively unable to defend themselves from criminals.
They are willing to sacrifice the safety of ordinary citizens on the alter of a desire to bloat their egos by giving law enforcement a special status, and elevating their position above that of other civilians. I have a tremdous amount of respect for people who wear the badge and carry the gun. It is a difficult, stressful and thankless job, that we don’t often appreciate because it’s taken for granted. But police leadership is becoming generally atrocious. The sooner we return to the idea of police being civilians, that we hire to keep the peace, solve crimes, and arrest criminals, the better off we’ll all be.
Sort of:
Makes the perfect gag gift for the gun guy who’s got everything. I also have a Hawk for sale:
Contact me if you’re interested.
P.S. I guess I lied. I actually do own a couple of Evil Black Guns. 🙂
Robb Allen points out that our friend Robyn Ringler is twisting up logic like tornado through a trailer park:
Twelve babies have died in America so far this year by [heat stroke] in a parent’s car. Distraction, inattention, the simple fact of being human can result in the most tragic, devastating consequences.
We can all say this would never happen to us, but how do we know?
Just like there is no such thing as a parent who will never be negligent and never make a mistake, there is no such thing as a responsible gun owner who will never make a mistake.
Given the number of gun owning households in the United States, and the relatively low number of children who are dying in gun accidents, I think it’s safe to say that most gun owners don’t, in fact, make that sort of mistakes, just as most parents will never forget their kid in the car, and have it die of heat stroke.
Careless people will sometimes make careless mistakes. If you go down the path of taking away anything that people could be careless with, that could possibly hurt their children, then pretty soon you no longer live in a free society. Everyone will have their lives controlled so they no longer are free to make errors.
Robyn has come to this conclusion because she believes there is no good in having people possessing firearms. I strongly disagree with her on that. This is a classic example of trying to shift the debate into the realm of emotions, without serious consideration as to the consequences of following a certain line of thinking. Every can be guilty of it sometimes, but it is the stock and trade of the gun control movement.
UPDATE: Linoge in the comment says she’s participating in some good old fashioned reasoned discourse by deleting comments from pro-gun folks.
My newest acquisition.
I decided yesterday that I wasn’t going to pick the gun up until tonight, when I was planning to go to the range with a friend, anyway. But, being me, I couldn’t wait. And since I didn’t have any more work to do, I decided to cut out an hour early, buy the gun, shoot a few (yes, a few) boxes of ammo, and call it a night.
I have to download the manual, because whomever had it before didn’t include it, but that’s not a huge deal. Then I can field-dismantle it and give it a thorough cleaning, rather than the piddly once-over I gave it last night.
Sorry for the crappy picture. There are more on my Flickr page. You can go check them out if you want, but they’re not much better. More photos will follow after range/cleaning time tonight.
🙂
I swear, I just saw this article a month ago, but now a new verion, with more pants shitting hysterics, has popped up in Forbes. The gist of it is that guns from the United States are the source of most of the guns used in crime in Mexico. Link to article here.
Authorities are sounding the alarm about an influx of assault rifles, armor-piercing pistols and fragmentation grenades from the United States, weapons that they say are increasingly being used to kill police and soldiers fighting drug cartels.
The entire article is littered with statements about the “US Gun Industry” and “funneling weapons”, etc. A “government report” issued to the Mexican senate estimated that 99.4% of the guns in the hands of criminals in Mexico game from the US.
I would really, really like to see that report. Because to say that 99.4% of the illegal guns in Mexico came from the US would mean that people in the US are supply Mexicans with full-auto Kalishnikovs and other weapons that aren’t easy to get your hands on here.
The article even trots out the “Five-SeveN boogeyman” – I’m sure you’re familiar with this. It’s where the 5.7mm cartridge from FN will cause the streets to run red with blood.
There are a couple of statements in the article that seem accurate. A Mexican official pointed out that the illegal gun trade in their country is linked to the narcotics trade. I guess that means he gets the “No shit, Sherlock” award for his fabulous dective work on that one.
Near the end of an article, a “Mexican firearms enthusiast” opines on how easy it is to get a gun in Mexico, provided you know the right people. I agree, it probably is pretty easy to get armed down there – but I just have a hard time buying the accusation that America is supplying 99.4% of Mexico’s illegal guns.
Especially since I can’t see the report that they used to come to that conclusion.
I have to go up to Milwaukee to watch the Brewers lose. If the weather forecasts are accurate, it will also be about 40 degrees cooler there than it is here. But I’ll enjoy that part.
I’ll be at The Gun Blogger Rendevous now barring a major catastrophe. The question is, since there’s a shooting event, what guns to bring? Two rifles and a pistol is the limit I’m willing to take on an airline where I’m connecting. I’m thinking the 16″ AR-15 and AK-7 plus Glock 19.
Also, does anyone know whether open carry is accepted in Reno? I’m disappointed Nevada doesn’t have any recprocity with other states, but open carry is legal. But I don’t know whether I’ll be eating sidewalk for doing it. Hell, if I’m open carrying, maybe I should bring the S&W 629 Classic. You can never carry too much gun 🙂
While we were at the range the other night, TB (“the boyfriend”, for those who aren’t regular readers on my blog) and I saw a news story on the “Stand Your Ground” legislation that passed here in Tennessee.
Jesse writes about it so much more eloquently than I could. He needs some more readers to encourage him to write more frequently, anyway.
The basic premise: if you don’t have a license for your gun, and you shoot someone outside of your home, you are a criminal and are not allowed to say “omgz it was self-defense”. Nor are you allowed to sue an individual who shoots you if you threaten them with your illegally-owned weapon.
This is FABULOUS news. Encourage people to register for their license by telling them that if they don’t, they’re basically screwed. Obviously criminals still aren’t going to register, but more law-abiding citizens might be encouraged by this. I know I am.
And more armed law-abiding citizens? NEVER a bad thing.
Now, if TICS could just start working, we’d be in business. What’s up, TBI? Are you going to fix your damned system this week?
Looks like the Zombie Apocalypse has finally come to the attention of our Commander in Chief
I don’t care who you are, that’s funny right there.
Over at my blog I address some of the problems with TICS, and background systems in general. Sqeaky has been having some problems getting her Springfield XD because the system has been down. In this case, I’m glad she’s just getting a gun because she wants one, and not because she needs one. If the anti-gun folks want to have some reasonable dialog, let’s talk about how infringing even instant background checks are if you are a law abiding person who suddenly finds themselves in a situation where they need to provide for their own security in a hurry, and the systems are down.
I’ll be the first to agree that instant background checks are much preferred over a waiting period, but let’s not pretend there’s no argument at all as to the degree they are infringing on people’s fundamental rights. The background check is a prior restraint, after all.
The Gun Blogger Airways flight crew assignments have been posted. I’m not sure what a Flying Low Coordinator does, but having a good high powered rifle on hand can’t hurt, so I’m getting one ready for the Gun Blogger Rendezvous in October.
Or more accurately, “Say it ain’t so, Bitter“. One of my favorite blogs, and probably the 2nd or 3rd blog I added to my little blogroll, is calling it quits.
I understand quitting for personal reasons – people have to have their priorities and I respect that.
I feel like most of you read enough other blogs that you’ll hardly notice.
Well, now that’s just untrue. Your writing and your presence will be missed by more than just me.
Fair winds and following seas, Bitter.
He should have served time. But at least he can’t hurt anyone else.
When young people ruin their lives they ask, “Would you like fries with that?” When older people ruin their lives they ask, “And this living room really lets the light in, doesn’t it?”
AUGUST 15–In a pathetic end to the Mike Nifong saga, the disgraced North Carolina prosecutor who handled the Duke rape investigation has turned in his law license, noting that he never framed or displayed the document because it had been damaged “by a puppy in her chewing stage.” Additionally, in an August 7 letter to the North Carolina State Bar, Nifong noted that the law license also contained a misspelling of his middle name (which is Byron).
Nanny Government isn’t happy with bottled water. Good little proletariates drink their water from the tap. They know better than to incur the wrath of the all knowing all seeing Goracle and his dominion over the Church of Gaia Mother Earth.
Nanny Government thinks for you. Life is better when your choices are restricted. You should not be allowed to make complex choices like drinking bottled water. Those bottles are made from oil. Then they are shipped to market which burns more oil and releases the Earth toxin C02 which causes forest creatures to die.
Plastic bottles should only be used for important things like Coca Cola. Nanny Science says so and Nanny Government complies because it is for the children.
The Journal Review posts an editorial about Zumbo’s screw-up, his apology, and their opinion of all of the above. (Article by Brent Wheat)
The point of the article?
I think the class was a big success, measured by the grin on Zumbo’s face as he stood ankle-deep in smoking shell casings after shooting a machinegun. I honestly believe he walked away with a better understanding that no one in the shooting world should be thrown off the bus when it comes to gun control issues.
I believe in Jim’s conversion. Hopefully now, instead of wasting time kicking a dead horse on internet chat boards, some of the critics can spend a few minutes flexing their political muscle in support of the Second Amendment.
So we have a guy who started out demonizing “black rifles”. He then realized what a faux pas he made and apologized (likely because he lost his job). Then he decided to go out there and actually shoot the gun to find out what the fuss was about. Now he’s converted.
I’d say that’s a good ending to the story, wouldn’t you?
It doesn’t change what he said or did, but let’s just give the guy the benefit of the doubt and accept him into the ranks. When you make that many public apologies, you’re doubly-screwed if you ever turn your back again.
Paul Helmke is pimping Jackson’s national day of protest on August 28th. The Brady Campaign keeps telling us they don’t oppose legal gun ownership. Yet the shops they are protesting are operating legally, with a licensing and regulatory oversight by the BATFE. If they are violating our nation’s and the state of Illinois’ gun laws, why haven’t they had their license revoked by the ATF?
Look, Paul, you either support legal gun ownership, or you don’t. If you do, then protesting gun shops which are complying with the many many gun laws your organization supports is disingenuous, because if they are complying with federal law, they are doing their duty to the public. If it’s federal law you have a probelm with, that’s something to take up with Congress, and not a reason to harass licensed gun dealers.
But lobbying Congress is expensive, we know, especially when you have to deal with the NRA. It’s a lot easier to stage publicity stunts, to get the camreas focused on you and your organization. It will certainly help with fund raising efforts wont it?
Jeff reports that Ted Kennedy and Rep. Xavier Becerra want to introduce a federal microstamping bill. I think we can defeat this bill if it rears its ugly head in Congress. An effective legislative strategy should be to encourage the senior Senator from Massachusetts to drive the piece of legislation home with him, and if all goes well, we’ll never hear of it again. Jeff points out:
What’s important to remember is this: If all guns have to stamp a unique code on bullets, that means there has to be a central database of those gun codes — and the gun owners. Sounds like nationwide registration to me.
Yep
BobG has the letter. He is correct that they don’t mention the legislation. Mostly because they probably wouldn’t want supporters looking it up and finding all the information out there that says HR2640 isn’t much of a gun control bill. They might also find that several other anti-gun groups are opposing the measure because it’s too pro-gun.
As to why they need money, it’s because paying lobbyists is expensive. And because their finances these days aren’t looking so good. Getting HR2640 passed, and spinning it as gun control, is going to cost the Brady Campaign. If this “victory” doesn’t create more donations for them, they will be in serious trouble.
“Municipal building in Peoria equipped with gun lockers”
Holy crap! Illinois .gov being nice to gun owners?
Then I went to the article.
Peoria, Arizona.
It’s cool that they’re doing it, though. More places should consider this.
Thirdpower has the scoop. I am with him on my lack of sympathy for this shop. As much as I can understand feeling strong-armed, and believing a settlement is in the best interest of your business, it’s really not. This is a perfect example of gunowners being wary of manufacturers, distributers and dealers that sell out to bullies like Bloomberg. By giving in, he put every other dealer in his state, and in other states, at risk from Bloomberg’s publicity stunts.
But as much as I might be angry at this gun shop for not fighting, it doesn’t even compare to my anger at Mayor Bloomberg, for ultimately, being the person responsibile for driving this shop out of business, when it had committed no crime or offense.
Cam Edwards points out a new anti-gun blog. I’m half tempted to put up a blog called “Why Was This Criminal Roaming the Streets?”. It would appear that this blog has not yet been introduced to Paul Helmke’s “reasoned discourse”. In other words, comments are open. Be nice!
UPDATE: Thirdpower mentions in the comments:
Actually, the comments are “moderated”. Just like Robyn Ringler’s, the author seems to be deleting the majority of the pro-gun comments. I posted several polite ones questioning the accuracy of other posters w/ evidence and they never showed.
So I was incorrect. This blog uses a different kind of discourse from Paul. They use “reasoned echo chamber”, it seems.
Faced with escalating gun violence, the Sacramento City Council […] voted unanimously to require gun owners to report thefts of firearms within 48 hours […] and to require firearms dealers to thumb-print […] record the names and addresses of people who buy ammunition.
Um, OK.
Similar measures enacted in other cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland, have not reduced gun crimes.
If even you say it won’t affect the problem, why do you support it?
The Tiahrt Amendment, named after U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, the Kansas Republican who first tacked it onto a Justice Department appropriations bill in 2003, bars law enforcement officials from sharing information about gun trafficking trends.
Oh I see it now, this really about blaming Congress for the local police not stopping all gun violence.
The next time someone in California is killed by a criminal using an illegally obtained firearm, their survivors should contact Congress, including Reps. Lewis and Calvert, to ask them to explain why they voted to deprive police of the tools they need to combat illegal gun sales.
There we go. Except local police can get trace data on stolen firearms, just like they could before, simply by asking for it. What I think the Sacramento Bee is not saying, is they can’t use trace data for anything except tracing stolen firearms. No politically inspired data mining. No agenda backed fishing expiditions. No vendetta’s. Just stolen firearms traces.
A couple of recent DVD releases you might be interested in. For fans of the 1980 Sci-Fi cult classic with the glorious Queen soundtrack, be sure to check out Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe Edition. It’s especially relevant, given the recent launch of the not-very-good SciFi Channel series.
Also, The Tick vs. Season Two is now available, albeit with one episode missing (as was also the case with the Season One DVD). Sadly, the missing episode this time is “Alone Together,” the Omnipotus episode, one of my favorites from that season.
Go forth and support our economy! 🙂
Cross-posted at Lean Left
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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