Paul Helmke, in a bit of irony that’s so obvious anti-gunners can’t see it, says:

It’s easy to mobilize people for political purposes if you scare them into thinking that their rights are about to be taken away. Inventing urgency and injustice can create a mob on the streets or on the blogs. Time and again, we’ve seen such mobs try to impose their will on the majority of citizens. In politics, the vocal minority often helps make the rules.

This, from the organization that gave you cop killer bullets, assault weapons, blood in the street, gun show loophole, etc. In other news, Helmke can’t even get a mob in the gun control capitol of the world. Or on the internet. Hell, his blogs comments are about 10 to 1 pro-gun.

Boy, that’s not shocking at all.

At one of the local blogger get togethers, I told Dr. Helen (who, by the way, doesn’t like to be called Dr. Helen) that I often had to fight the urge to comment at her site. Here’s one such post. Nothing I wanted to say was OK in polite company. As you were.

Awkward:

A prominent Illinois gun control advocate found himself tongue-tied after he was caught telling something other than the truth about a popular brand of target rifles. The gaffe came during a Wednesday press conference hosted by Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-33) in support of several gun control bills.

In his address, Kotowski pointed to a rifle staged as a prop for the event and described it as being a “military” weapon. What Kotowski did not know was that Mr. Mark Westrom, President of Armalite, Incorporated, was in the audience. Mr. Westrom rose to inform the attendees that his company manufactured the rifle in question, and that his company has never sold the rifle to the military. Westrom continued by pointing out that the rifle is purchased primarily by civilian target shooters. Westrom’s revelation changed the course of the press conference, to say the least.

B-b-b-but it’s black and evil looking. It must be.

A gun shop in Idaho is getting shut down by the ATF for clerical violations that don’t exceed a percentage point. The shop, Red’s Trading Post, has set up a website to document its case. They also have a petition here.

It even hits the movie scene:

The best movie so far of 2007 is one in which Rose McGowan, best known to TV audiences as a kind witch on “Charmed,” has her leg chopped off and replaced by a snap-on semi-automatic machine gun.

No such thing.

Alan Gura has a podcast about the case here. Also, his comments from last week are here.

See prior posts here and here. Yesterday, we recieved the waiver in the mail. And I swear to Jebus I am not making this up: they mailed it to the wrong address. Fortunately, we’re the only house on our block of the road so the postal worker got it to us.

And that concludes this lesson of fun with licensing agents.

I dig it:

U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey today introduced H.R. 1791, the Fairness in Firearms Testing Act. This legislation improves consistency and accountability in firearm testing by giving U.S. gun manufactures access to video documentation of their products’ testing at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). Video documentation will give firearm manufactures the right to contest and review BATFE testing decisions, which are highly inconsistent.

“Currently, BATFE lacks written procedures and clear guidelines for firearm testing,” Gingrey said. “How can we expect firearm manufacturers – or any industry, for that matter – to comply with moving target regulations? The Bureau’s rulings are so inconsistent that BATFE threatened to prosecute one gun manufacturer in Heard County, Georgia not even a year after sending written approval for that company’s product. This runaround is a waste of time and resources. My legislation will help restore accountability to the BATFE testing process and help restore the words ‘made in America’ to our firearms.”

In the past five years, 85 percent of American firearm manufactures have gone out of businesses, largely due to complex and ever-changing regulations. H.R. 1791 is a step toward the goal of formal, written firearm testing guidelines, and helps ensure a level playing ground for both BATFE agents and manufacturers.

A to the Men. The ATF has pulled some real boners. For example:

I, for one, support the ideas of standards, accountability and consistency in government agencies.

So, this weekend, me and the Mrs. planted roughly 300,000 plants and trees. That wasn’t enough so she’s off today to buy roughly 300,000 more. Egad.

And I wish all the trees would stop their massive orgy already. There’s tree-sperm everywhere and my truck looks like the star of some tree bukkake movie. And my allergies are beating me senseless.

No, I do not think that Sarah Brady broke the law when she bought her son a high-powered sniper rifle as a gift. But, if she had her way, it would be.

In response to The Funky Bunch possibly illegally handling a gun, Chris says not so fast:

In MA, if one does not receive a sentence of 24 months or more, in a prison not a jail; no matter the crime, one is not necessarily counted as a felon.

I recently was educated about all of this a bit back. See, there are many factors and they all boil down to pissing matches between the feds and the state. The fact is, it’s at the discretion of each level. In MA, it seems, he’s in the clear. But the feds can still press charges. However, as a general rule, the feds will often look the other way unless said felon is charged with something else. That is to say, if he gets arrested again, the charge could come back. And there’s also the issue of traveling state lines. A felon in one state could have his firearm rights restored in that state. However, if said felon crosses state lines (i.e., moves), it’s completely at the discretion of the federales.

Speaking of the Funky Bunch, me and the Mrs. caught The Departed this weekend on pay per view. Excellent movie, I thought. If there’s one thing more annoying than a Boston accent, it’s a bunch of actors faking Boston accents. But once you get passed that, it’s quite good. Did not end at all how I thought it would.

In this film, the Funky Bunch is in possession of a Beretta 92 and a sound suppressor. That would be two crimes.

Homemade bubble recipes.

More proof:

A flight attendent (sic) accidently (sic) carried a gun on board an airplane. She apparently went right through security with it. If they can’t defend against people accidently carrying weapons on board then they sure as heck can’t defend against people that deliberately attempt to get them past security.

Good thing she didn’t have nail clippers or try to check some ammo.

TNR:

It’s true that repealing the Second Amendment is politically impossible right now; that doesn’t bother me. It should be hard to take away a constitutional right. And it is certainly easier to pretend that’s not what we’re proposing–that the Founders never created the right and that our values and theirs (except, of course, concerning slavery, women, Native Americans, and a few other odds and ends) are more or less congruent. It’s a lot simpler to pretend that Silberman–but not, of course, Tribe, Amar, or Levinson–is a dangerous radical. But it’s not healthy. We should seek gun control and a Constitution that means something.

Kyle from South Park:

Yeah, it just proves we need to learn not to profile just one race of people. Because, actually, most of the world hates us.

A felon with a gun. I wonder if the ATF will come by my house to ask me if I witnessed this one?

M1A. A Scout Model, I believe.

Well, The Second just had his first, err, well . . . let’s just say his lipstick was out.

Sarah Brady is blogging. Be nice. You can make your smarmy, witty retort without being a jerk, you know.

Via PGP.

Update: oh yeah, details on the straw purchase of a high-powered sniper rifle here.

Update: Numerous reports of comments going down the memory hole.

Context.

go to jail. Though there is no evidence he drew down, the man probably should have kept the weapon holstered.

Last nights South Park introduces the newest terrorist weapon, the snuke.

Has to be seen to be believed.

I am speechless.

Here, I wrote of the bill to repeal the DC gun ban:

I would not want this bill to interfere with Parker heading to the supreme court.

Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky, PLLC (or at least someone claiming to be confirmed via email that it is him) comments there:

We urge everyone to contact Congress and urge your Representatives and Senators to REJECT the Huchison and Ross-Souder bills.

These bills will destroy the Parker case, plain and simple. They are totally unnecessary — if we win, they will be pointless, and in the unlikely event that we lose, there is plenty of time to respond legislatively.

There are many ridiculous and harmful laws on the books that were not addressed in our case which Congress can and should repeal to fully implement the Parker decision. We have suggested language, which may yet be introduced, that would enable Congress to vote on the D.C. gun bans without hurting Parker.

Anyone who believes that mooting Parker will avoid a Supreme Court showdown on the meaning of the Second Amendment is delusional. Inaction by our community has led to losing the Second Amendment right at the federal level in 47 out of 50 states, because nobody controls the criminal defense bar.

Considering the aggressive way in which criminal defendants are now making Second Amendment claims, the circuit split, the DOJ’s pro-individual rights position, the level of debate in the legal academy, and the seven decades of Supreme Court silence on the topic, it is just a matter of time — and not much of it — before the issue goes to the high court.

It is Parker, or the next case. Plain and simple. You’re not going to like the next case.

It is nice that Sen. Huchison and NRA have expressed a desire to be supportive of Parker. Let’s see some conduct that is consistent with that position. This bill doesn’t cut it.

If you agree, then call Sen. Huchison, call your Senators and your Representatives, and by all means call NRA, and let them know that you understand this issue.

Thanks,
Alan Gura
Lead Counsel, Parker v. D.C.

P.S.: As for en banc, it will probably be a few months before we find out. We will probably be ordered to respond to the en banc petition. We’re confident of prevailing at any en banc rehearing and after that, if need be, at the Supreme Court.

Update: BTW, for you locals, Corker and Alexander are co-sponsors of the bill.

Some folks take issue with the gun snobbery over at Insty’s:

I do take exception to the gun snob comments about the Beretta 92. That’s the civilian version of the M9. I could not hit squat with the service .45 I carried in the 1970s while on duty in Germany. The weapon was a rattle trap, which was no doubt part of the problem. However, a couple of the NCOs told me my accuracy problem “isn’t entirely the weapon’s fault.” Hah. Well, I agreed. I was adequate with a rifle, but the pistol? Yes, I can see the barn’s broadside. No, I cannot hit the barn’s broadside — not with my service .45.

But the Beretta I had in Iraq was something else entirely — I managed to qualify sharpshooter with it. I know, the superior gunfighters out there will dismiss that as the sorry effort of a chronic poor shot. However, I came within two rounds of qualifying expert. That’s a huge change. I had confidence I could hit a target.

I don’t particularly care for Berettas. They’re fine guns (assuming you don’t have an 1980s model – there was a defect in the slide causing it to crack). But I just don’t dig them. The cool thing about the Beretta compared to, say, Sigs/Glocks/H&Ks is that it has a fixed barrel. So, you don’t need a Linear Inertial Decoupler (fancy gun nut term for spring in a tube) to cycle the action when you put a suppressor on it.

My preference is for Sigs and Glocks. Here they are:

I like Glocks because they are indestructible, reliable, low maintenance, and, honestly, I could care less if I scratch one. I like Sigs because they are reliable and they simply feel good in my hands (they’re slightly less indestructible and low maintenance than a Glock).

And, you JMB diehards, I just don’t like how 1911s feel. They’re fine guns. But, in my hands, they feel like I’m shooting a brick. Well, except that new Sig GSR. That’s one fine 1911.

Via Sebastian, who says: It all comes down to what works for you.

Update: And how could I forget the Kel-Tec:

Another Update: Dr. Strangegun sets me straight in comments:

92s don’t have fixed barrels. They stay aligned with the frame because the 92 uses the locking block system.

In VA, they passed a law that prohibits anyone but law enforcement officers from trying to make an illegal gun purchase from a firearms dealer. More here.

AC has an analysis on the negotiated bill to prevent taking guns during disaters.

Looks like Stacey Campfield’s tax on masturbation is heading to committee:

This bill will tax porn and porn items (things you have to be over 18 years old to view or purchase),strip clubs and escort services. The tax would raise 50 million dollars and would be dedicated to allow the state to drop the sales tax on whole foods (Foods that are more healthy, fruits, vegetables, non processed meats and non processed canned goods,ect.) down to one percent in year one and down to zero in year two. The estimated drop in porn sales is only 3%.

I’m gonna go ahead and call the $50M bogus. Did someone do a porn study? A strip club study? Show me the numbers, man. Estimated drop of 3%? Want to bet?

And, you know, porn is free on Al Gore’s Internets.

I like Newt Gingrich. He, like Fred Thompson, reminds me of a time when Republicans were cool. You know, back before they were just big spending democrats who happened to cater to the religious right instead of the coo-coo-banana left? Remember those days? I do.

Anyhoo, Newt on guns. He says the AWB was crap (he’s right) but citizens shouldn’t be allowed to own machine guns and tanks. Well, Newt, citizens can own both of those.