Michael Silence:

If a local government were to start a blog, what would be your top three, four or five suggestions for it?

I concur that comments and addressing them are key if they really want to get input.

Drug testing in schools:

And with the full weight of the federal government pushing mandatory random suspicion-less drug testing in schools as being nothing more intrusive than a health inoculation, it’s almost surprising that anyone is willing to step up and discuss the real facts about student drug testing.

So it’s heartening that, despite the losses, there are school districts all over the country who are standing up to the drug czar, that are listening to SSDP and DPA and NORML representatives at drug testing summits, and that there are newspapers willing to editorialize (even if not perfectly) against a massive testing regime.

Good. This kinda got me to thinking about my kids. They’re gonna have it rough, I think, growing up in a world where, increasingly, schools are becoming authoritarian and they’ll have a father not afraid to tell a school administration when it crosses the line. No, you’re not drug-testing them. No, they’re not wearing a uniform. No, you will not arbitrarily search their personal belongings without good reason. Etc. I wonder at what age I should have the little l libertarian conversation with them. And explain to them that, no, daddy isn’t just a contrary prick. He just doesn’t like to see public officials cross the line and has no problem telling them when to knock it off. I wouldn’t be trying to convert them as much as letting them know where I came from.

Conversely, I wouldn’t want my kids to take my views so much to heart that they generally become oppositional to authority just for the sake of being oppositional.

And some gun porn.

Some future destructive devices, that is. Someone is making 19 round drums for Saiga shotguns. Everyone has pics and is blogging about them, including The Idiot’s Blog, Colt CCO, ExistingThing, and James.

In the past, the ATF has reclassified some shotguns with as destructive devices, which effectively makes them the legal equivalent of machine guns. These weapons were subject to NFA regulations. One such shotgun was the DAO-12 (or Street Sweeper). Here’s some history on the reclassification, which boils down to someone deciding that they were not generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes. Whatever that means, since it functions like any other semi-auto shotgun. I’ve known a few folks who use the Saiga to shoot trap and to hunt. And some folks use it in three gun competition.

I think the combination of the Saiga and these aftermarket magazines could have the effect of getting the Saiga reclassified. And, of course, the fact the Saiga is based on the Kalashnikov makes it even more scary.

Some nutjob decided to shoot up a courthouse with an SKS. It happened in Joe’s town. He went to the press conference and took some pictures. He has a video from the conference where he asks about the SKS being automatic.

Rachel Lucas is back, for all your gun-loving, Gore-hating, Clooney-bashing needs.

The Second Amendment Carnival is up.

Good to see the NRA addressing that various states think libertarians are terrorists. They mention me *blushes*

Here’s how to. And don’t forget this one.

Before you complain please note the category this was filed under.

Via Instapundit, guilt free carbon lifestyle. FREE CARBON OFFSETS.

Over at Michael Silence’s blog on the Knoxville News Sentinel is a post from News Sentinel On-line Editor Jack Lail that is from my perspective over the line. Mr. Lail is responding to a post on Charlie Daniels blog where Mr. Daniels questions the coverage by the Main Stream Media of the brutal murders of Channon Christian or Christopher Newsome of Knoxville. You need to read Mr. Daniels post and Mr. Lail’s post to have the whole story.

This is my response to Mr. Lail.

Mr. Lail, is it possible you have misunderstood what Charlie Daniels meant? You seem to be very defensive about this. Mr. Lail, you also wrote, “Daniels should be ashamed of his own involvement in seeding lies and nurturing hate.” Let’s examine your calling Charlie Daniels a liar.

Are you suggesting that since “several stories and photos” were distributed by AP that Charlie Daniels is wrong? Mr. Daniels wrote, “But have you seen anything on the networks, The New York Times, The Nashville Tennessean? I haven’t.”

Isn’t what Mr. Daniels suggests is that this story was not reported to the level of fluff stories carried by the AP and the Main Stream Media? Also, Charlie Daniels did not mention the Knoxville News Sentinel did he?

So where does your outrage come from sir? Is it not clear to you Mr. Lail that Charlie Daniels is not talking about your newspaper the Knoxville News Sentinel?

Simply put Mr. Lail, has this story had the column inches on AP and the MSM that the Paris Hilton DUI case has? Britney’s haircut? Anna Nicole Smith’s death?

Of course it hasn’t. And that is exactly Charlie Daniels point.

So please explain Mr. Lail how that is a “heinous falsehood” and why “Daniels should be ashamed of his own involvement in seeding lies and nurturing hate”. Your defense of the Main Stream Media makes no sense what so ever. And you wonder why people are not reading newspapers. Look in the mirror. It’s not about you Mr. Lail, it is about your sorry industry. Get your own house in order before you call others liars.

I think you owe Charlie Daniels an apology.

Hey, Deb’s back. Good. But her feed seems on the fritz.

But guns are essentially banned in Mexico and Japan. See:

Gun ownership in Mexico is an exclusive club. You must be either wealthy or a criminal, or both. Permits for firearms can be obtained, however, after much bureaucratic nonsense that can only be avoided by those with connections or a monetary favor, a.k.a., mordida.

Tromix Saiga 6 and 8. W00t!

Side by side with hammers.

Say it ain’t so! Here’s hoping it’s temporary. If not, I’ll miss that guy.

I think it was the early 90s, maybe late 80s, when Tennessee passed its first seat-belt law? They said no one would ever be pulled over for it but if you were stopped for something else, you’d get a ticket for not wearing one. They assured us of that. They were full of shit.

More from R. Neal:

State Sen. Jimmy Kyle (D-Wartburg) got an amendment to the “guns in parks and public places” bill to also allow guns in the State Capitol building, including the House and Senate chambers and the Legislative Plaza, where guns are currently prohibited.

Sounds reasonable to me. After all, CCW promoters keep telling us they are the safest, most law-abiding people in the whole state of Tennessee. If families in state parks would be safer with CCW guns around, so would our elected officials, right? What’s the big deal?

Apparently it’s a big deal to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville). He withdrew his bill rather than allow it to pass with the amendment.

Nicely breaks bad:

In a bit of crafty maneuvering, state Rep. Frank Niceley says he will try to amend his latest “Wild West” gun bill to force the state to begin reporting mental-health records to the FBI’s national instant background check system. “If they vote against it now, they’re voting against sending the names of lunatics to the feds,” Niceley says.

Meanwhile, Jeff Woods over at some Nashville weekly gets his full-fledged gun hating rhetoric on with terms like: Wild West, supposedly law-abiding handgun permit holders [they have to be or they don’t get permits – ed], and hard-core gun nuts. He says:

Even hard-core gun nuts would have a hard time voting for handguns on playgrounds.

Err, no. We wouldn’t. No different than a mall or Shoney’s.

Also, why would they report it to the FBI NICS? Tennessee uses its own system for gun purchases. I assume they’re connected in some way.

A while back, I got a phone call. It went something like this:

Me: Hello

Person calling: This is blah blah from the Fraternal Order of Police. You have been a regular contributor for a number of years and we were hoping you’d continue that this year.

Me: I would. But it seems your organization supports renewal of the assault weapons ban.

Person calling: Sir?

Me: Yeah, your brass has decided to support gun control and I don’t appreciate that, particularly when the bill in question is so stupid and has not been shown to have any impact on crime of any kind. And the rank and file officers don’t support it.

Person calling: I don’t understand what you’re getting at.

Me: Well, I am not and will not ever again donate to your organization unless it retracts its position and apologizes.

Person calling: But your contribution . . .

Me: Sorry, not happening. Good bye.

And I have not given one dime to them since, which annoys my dad who was a cop for years. Anyway, given that position on guns, I find Bloomberg’s comments about the Fraternal Order of Police odd:

At one point during the session, Bloomberg took a swipe at the Fraternal Order of Police, which claims 308,000 members and supports a federal measure the mayor says would make it almost impossible to trace illegal weapons.

“It is one fringe organization,” charged Bloomberg.

“I would say resident within the Fraternal Order of Police is far more expertise with the administration of justice than Mayor Bloomberg’s limited experience in that area,” shot back James Pasco, the group’s executive director.

The FOP asked Bloomberg to knock off his illegal sting operation because it was interfering with legitimate law enforcement investigations. For that, they are a fringe group. Of course, for Bloomy, anyone who isn’t rabidly anti-gun must be fringe. PGP says:

Snippets like this should be the exclamation point on what I’ve been saying for a while–media bias in general is a tired, overwrought topic, but the bias against guns is plainly visible. If it were any other topic, a politician would be drawn, quartered, and excoriated instantly for suggesting that an organization representing the men and women who risk their lives daily in the law enforcement field is a “fringe group.”

Ayup.

Update: The FOP responds.

Heh.

Shorter version: they put their fingers in their ears and say lalalala I can’t hear you. Via David, who notes:

Hmm. The Parker decision is “fantasy,” not to mention “inconsistency, flawed reasoning, distortion of binding precedent, and misunderstood historical materials”? Then DC should be rushing to file a petition for cert., rather than agonizing over the call.

Update: Xrlqy Wrlqy brings the Snarkenremarken.

In Baltimore:

A city council leader, alarmed by Baltimore’s rising homicide rate, wants to give the mayor the power to put troubled neighborhoods under virtual lockdown.

“Desperate measures are needed when we’re in desperate situations,” …

…modeled his plan after an approach advocated by Philadelphia mayoral candidate Michael Nutter, who won the Democratic nomination Tuesday. Nutter has called for declarations of a “state of emergency” in high-crime neighborhoods, where police would conduct aggressive stop-and-frisk searches and impose curfews.

WATE:

Legislation that would require mandatory sentencing for violent offenders who commit a felony involving a firearm has moved out of the House Judiciary Committee.

The bill sponsored by Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis is one of several recommended by the Tennessee Public Safety Coalition to curtail violent crime and make the state’s communities safer.

Under the legislation, a person who possesses a firearm while committing a felony would have to serve a minimum of three years in prison.

More of what we’re up against.

Pretty scary quote:

“Just because you legally possess a gun in the sanctity of your locked home doesn’t mean that we’re not going to walk into that home and check to see if you’re being responsible and safe in the way that you conduct your affairs,” [District Attorney] Harris said.

Sounds like a good way to get shot to me. And another:

It’s focused on making it as inconvenient and as difficult as possible for people to possess guns in a way that people will be harmed

Remember, these are reasonable restrictions.

Oh, sure we don’t see eye-to-eye on much. I mean, I thought his porn for corn bill was just about the dumbest and poorly thought out thing ever. But this is beautiful:

Representative Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) announced today that he refused to submit his request for pet pork projects in his district. The House Democratic leadership proposed that $20 million be spent on pet pork projects in each House member’s district. Democratic leadership is giving each member until 4:30 p.m. today to submit a proposal on how to spend the $100,000 allotted to his district for so-called “community enhancement grants.” Rep. Kelsey instead submitted to the Democratic leadership an envelope of bacon, saying, “I’m not going to take the pork. I’m giving the pork back today.”

Sorostitutes. My wife was one and she gets mad when I use that word.

From the Bloomberg gun giveaway.

Update: More here.

So, is it odd that this disclaimer:

It should be noted that I took this picture myself using the self-timer on my camera. You should never, EVER point a gun at anyone*—even if you just want to take fun pictures—even if you’re 100% certain it’s unloaded. It’s a very bad and dangerous practice to get into.

Shows up on a pic? Probably not since you don’t want to make the list.

Over in Progressiveville an interesting conversation is going on about “Whatsa Progressive Blogger to do?” It sounds a little religious but it is an interesting read.

What caught my eye was this, “That’s what’s so frustrating about intellectual frauds like #9. They engage in discussion in bad faith. They’re not out to learn; they’re out to proselytize their disinformation to the credulous. And see, that’s where this whole bargain breaks down – because it’s *their* mission to spread *their* version of events, or whatever, and it’s completely at odds with your mission. That’s an irreconcilable collision.”

If you have ever engage “progressives” ie “liberals who can’t really admit they are liberals” in any kind of discussion you may appreciate the Pot calling the Kettle black meme here.

I don’t know what brought this about, maybe the specter of Fred Thompson getting into the Presidential race, but there is no joy in Mudville Progressiveville.

When you have had discussions with “progressives”, do you feel they engage in discussion in good faith?

Pretty pictures. Scroll for more.