An interesting look at the NRA’s international record over at the NYT (yes, that NYT):

Around the world, the N.R.A. is finding that a rights-based approach translates into many languages. As the N.R.A.’s executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, says: “They made the rights argument [in Brazil.] They made the argument that this was being taken away from the people.” He pauses. “It caught Iansa” — the International Action Network on Small Arms — “by surprise. They already had the Champagne on ice.” In the mid-1990’s, the N.R.A. became a nongovernmental observer at the United Nations and helped form a global coalition of pro-gun groups to match disarmament coalitions.

Ayup.

No one, apparently:

Public access to records used in police disciplinary proceedings will be cut off after a recent decision by the California Supreme Court.

The high court’s Aug. 31st ruling means that the County of San Diego Civil Service Commission does not have to give newspaper reporters tape recordings and documents related to the administrative hearing of a local police officer who had appealed a termination notice.

In the long term, the ruling will likely thwart the public’s ability to access administrative appeals by law enforcement officers who have been disciplined, including such basic information as the name of the officer involved.

In a 6-1 decision, the Supreme Court held that the records are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act. The court, in an opinion written by Justice Ming Chen, seized on a statute that exempts from disclosure law enforcement personnel records held by the officer’s “employment agency.”

I can see keeping some info (address, ss#, etc.) confidential but disciplinary action of those entrusted with public safety should not be secret.

Heartless Libertarian discusses them:

The thing that really got my attention in the article is something that I’ve been looking for for a while: hard comparison data for the various currently existing potential replacement, and for both 20″ and 14.5″ barrels. I have yet to see an article in a gun magazine comparing the 6.8 SPC to the 6.5 Grendel, for example. And I had never heard of the 6x45mm and 6.5x42mm rounds. The only round I’d be interested in knowing more about that isn’t on the table is the new 5.8x42mm Chinese round, which Mr. Crist states “by any objective standards, must be considered the best assault rifle cartridge currently in service.” He urges the Army to take “similarly bold action” to what China has done and “adopt a new, more capable rifle cartridge” to better equip our troops for the challenges of the COE.

Garm Howling tells about the $10 Glock over at The Gun Blogs.

Update: The post title was in jest, I don’t really plan on buying 50 tickets.

Odd case in New Mexico:

Police warned Las Cruces residents that they’ve received two letters threatening random shootings if city leaders fail to hand over a “substantial” ransom.

Corker, who was endorsed by the NRA, doesn’t have a hunting license. I’m more concerned about whether he has a concealed carry permit or a wall full of AR-15s. I don’t have a hunting license and I’m as pro-gun as they get.

Sean Braisted says:

Here is my question; if a candidate in Tennessee really wants to get the support of Gun nuts (and I use that term with heartfelt affection), shouldn’t they forget about the hunting crap, and instead go for a carry permit? I’ve been in Tennessee for over 5 years now, and all the gun people I have run into care more about Tactical Shotguns, Glocks (or other handguns), and Assault Rifles…not some WalMart shotgun used to shoot birds. To them, the test of true gun nuttiness is not their ability to shoot clay pidgeons (sic), but their ability to hit a target at center mass while on the run.

Not bad for a liberal. He also has some advice:

Now, Corker being a Republican by default has the gun group endorsements in the bag, but if Ford wants to peel some of the gun voters off, here is my advice to him. Take a day out of your schedule and take a class for a carry permit. Brush up on your gun lingo, for instance make sure you know the difference between a Glock and a Kimber, and the positives and negatives of each.

Or Mr. Ford, you can go bust some caps with yours truly if you feel the need. One note though: The NRA endorsement does not, by default, go to Republicans in Tennessee. Ask this guy.

Of course, Ford has that whole introducing an anti-gun bill thing hanging over his head.

Just got back from Japan, the archetypical country of low crime and no weapons.

Japan has the anti-2nd Amendment, a law that starts “No-one shall possess a fire-arm or fire-arms or a sword or swords”. The ban excludes only shotguns kept for sporting purposes. Shotguns require a whole bunch of hoops, including a mental screening.They must be kept locked separately from ammo, which must also be locked. Shotgun licenses are easily and arbitrarily lost. Handguns and rifles are completely banned.

On top of that, the police there are super nosy. Citizens have relatively few of the freedoms and protections from government intrusions we Americans enjoy. Search and seizure protections, for example, are scant and routinely ignored without penalty.

I normally carry a knife or two for utility purposes. I left them all at home because I couldn’t find any good information on what blades are legal in the various cities I visited in Japan. I walked around for a couple weeks, a disarmed man in a disarmed society.

The complete lack of crime there made it thoroughly enjoyable. I carried large amounts of cash late at night in industrial neighborhoods. I had no worries about my gf being of on her own in a strange country where she doesn’t speak the language. I never felt threatened. It’s easy to see how trading one’s rights and freedoms for that kind of daily comfort can be seductive.

In America, we are taught to love our freedom and individuality. It is a core value that is sometimes at odds with day-to-day safety and stability. Politicians are paid to keep things safe and stable, which is why they are forever trying to take our freedom and fight individual expression. It’s good to be home.

Existing wants advice on which gun to buy.

Here’s a flash presentation on the many, many, many ways the .gov tracks info about you.

Via Ben.

Last night, the Mrs. was researching some products online. She said she couldn’t find any satisfactory reviews or info. She said something to the effect of:

It’s hard to find reviews of products online because when you Google a product, the results are always somebody’s blog. Blogs make it hard to find real information. Err, no offense.

What do you think? Are blogs causing traffic jams on the information superhighway?

Update: BTW, I went and looked at her search results and what was popping up were a few spam blogs. I explained to her what splogs were.

I’ve been trying, in vain, to summarize my thoughts about Tennessee’s senate race. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it and put it into words. But #9 did just that in the comments here:

I see this as more than a race between two candidates. As much as I like what Harold Ford says I see the faint image of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid standing directly behind him. I don’t see anything when I look at Corker, not even Corker himself. His image is gossamer thin.

I listen to every ad from Harold Ford. I mute every ad from Bob Corker. I thought this was a Hobson’s choice but after seeing Pelosi and Reid during the 9/11 ceremonies it is clear to me that you just hold your nose and do what you have to do.

He finishes with:

I may throw up a little but I will vote for Corker.

I think so. See, here’s the deal: I don’t fear or dread Harold Ford as a Senator. I fear the majority of Congress having Ds after their names. In the same comment thread, Rich says:

One the one hand we have Bob Corker, a candidate without a platform, and on the other we have Harold Ford, who evidently will say anything in order to get elected.

I think so. Bob Corker’s platform seems to be Harold Ford Sucks. But Ford’s ads, mannerisms, balls out media appearances, lack of fear, and conservative/populist message appeals to folks.

Rich took my bet. He also says:

I’ll go on record right now and say that Dems will win control of the House, Senate, and White House in 2008.

Could be.

D&C:

Federal and local law enforcement authorities will unveil a new anti-gun-violence billboard and telephone hotline at a news conference in Rochester today.

The billboard and number will encourage people to report illegal gun activity, said District Attorney Michael C. Green. The campaign is part of Project Exile, a state and local program to curb gun violence in Rochester.

I imagine it won’t have much success. And people could call the police.

A new ad over there on the right says:

Congress is debating altering mortgage interest deductions, putting your homeownership at risk. Under U.S. tax code, mortgage interest on your home is currently deductible. If Congress changes or removes mortgage interest deductions you could be paying many thousands of dollars more each year.

Update: In comments, sailorcourt is unimpressed.

The murderer in Canada apparently used a Beretta CX Storm (said rifle wasn’t banned under the now expired Assault Weapons Ban). The weapon is a pistol caliber (40S&W, 9MM or 45ACP) semi-automatic carbine that accepts the appropriate handgun magazines from Beretta handguns. Bruce notes that the Storm has, overnight, become:

a “huge”, “automatic”, “rapid-fire”, “sniper’s”, “assault weapon”.

The Canadian government’s Canada Firearms Center issued an alert about them two months ago:

* Some Beretta CX4 Storm rifles are being manufactured with prohibited magazines.

* The classification of a firearm magazine depends on the type of firearm the magazine was designed to be used in, not the type of firearm it is actually used in.

* The new 10-cartridge magazine designed for the Beretta CX4 Storm rifle is prohibited unless it has been permanently altered so that it cannot hold more than five cartridges .

* The 10-cartridge pistol magazine used on many Beretta CX4 Storm rifles is still legal, regardless of the type of firearm it is attached to.

Even though the magazines are the same. Guess it depended on which gun you put it in. Actually, it doesn’t. It depends on which gun the magazine was made for. If a magazine was made for a handgun, it’s OK. If it was made for a rifle, it is not. Of course, the magazines are the same. And I thought US gun laws were arbitrary.

The Beretta is also the gun used on the new Battlestar Galactica.

R. Neal (can you I call you Randy or SKB because R. Neal is a pain in the ass to type?) takes a look at third party candidates in the Governor and Senate races here in Tennessee. I like Bo because, err, well, just because. But his picture scares me.

When did 56 years-old mean granny?

John Lott on the wheelchair-bound lady who shot a would be robber in New York City:

But this attack ended differently than most crimes in New York City. As her attacker grabbed her “violently” and “choked” her, Johnson pulled out a handgun and shot once, hitting the criminal in the elbow. Johnson was fortunate that she was able to defend herself.

The city obviously wasn’t there to protect Johnson. A police officer could have handled it, but cops can’t be everywhere, and they virtually always arrive after a crime has occurred.

Nor does it appear that the city was doing a particularly good job of keeping the criminal off the street to begin with. Johnson’s attacker had been previously arrested nine times, primarily for the violent crime of robbery, and he had served time in prison for selling illegal substances. One can only wonder how many times he was never caught.

Even worse, if Mayor Bloomberg would have enforced New York City’s gun-control laws, it’s Johnson who would be in jail. Her license only allows her to carry a handgun that is unloaded and in a locked container to and from a firearms range. With an attacker choking her, there is no way she could have unlocked and loaded her gun.

Denise says:

. . . her permit doesn’t allow her to carry a loaded gun. Instead, the gun must be empty, locked up, and the ammo must be separate. Obviously she didn’t have time to unlock a case, load her gun, and take a bead on her attacker. Besides she had her little dog with her and who takes a dog to a gun range (well, it is New York after all, so who knows).

New York PD obviously knows the value of public relations. Prosecuting this woman would make no sense. I applaud them for their rare show of common sense.

See, I don’t applaud them for it. The law applies to everyone. And prosecuting this lady would show just how dumb some of these laws are. That is not to say that I hope they do prosecute her (I don’t think that at all) but that I don’t applaud them for it. And the only reason they’ll not prosecute her is due to bad publicity.

Showing just how silly some gun laws are is necessary.

Yeah, I ain’t goin’ out like that either:

Whether it’s some Columbine wannabe who’s heard the backward-masked messages on his Marilyn Manson discs, distressed daytrader off his Prozac, homegrown Hadji sympathetic with his oppressed brothers in Baghdad, or a bugnuts whackjob picking up Robert Frost quotes transmitted from Langley on the fillings in his molars, I am going to do my level best to smoke that goblin before my carcass goes on the pile. I am not going to go out curled into a fetal ball and praying for help that won’t arrive in time.

I said before:

If you read the Internets and the blogs, you’d think this race was going to be a close race between Bryant and Ford. But you’d be wrong. It’s going to be Corker with Ford jumping up and down in the background saying pick me, pick me like the slow kid who always gets picked last when choosing dodge ball teams in the fifth grade. I say that based on the backing of the local political machine and who business is backing. I’ll bet a beer on it.

I have a history of betting beers on political contests. And I’ve never lost on political outcome bets (though I did lose once on a beer bet over American Idol, but that doesn’t count). But Rich says Corker Will Lose. I don’t think Rich drinks beer but I’ll buy him a Coke or something.

David Kopel:

Advanced Topics in Human Rights Law. Exam, Spring 2010. Question 4: One day, a woman goes to a gun store in Florida. She provides picture identification to the store owner, who then, pursuant to the National Instant Check System, uses his telephone to contact law enforcement, and ensure that the woman has no criminal record. The woman then purchases an expensive double-barreled shotgun, manufactured in the United Kingdom. She plans to use the gun for all lawful purposes, but primarily for sporting clays. In accordance with Florida law, she did not need to obtain a government license to possess the gun.

Two years later, a man breaks into her home at night. The woman reasonably (and correctly) believes that the man intends to rape and torture her. She also, correctly, believes that there is absolutely no possibility that the man will kill her. She shoots the man and kills him.

Summarize the human rights violations

The answer is frightening.

Colt CCO reports:

Colonel Cooper – Major Heart Attack

I had been worried before, and according to Pat Rogers, The Colonel has had a massive heart attack and has signed a DNR order. He is apparently not long for this world.

Best wishes and prayers to the Colonel.

We should repeal the second amendment because, gosh darnit, it’s too hard to debate. And who cares what a bunch of old dudes wrote 200 years ago, anyway?

Update: Regarding the author’s (Chris Kellerman) threat to punch people in the face when they quote these old dudes, Tam says:

Let me clue you in on something, Chris; the threat of being punched in the face by strange young men with violent urges is what causes some folks to carry guns.

The Commercial Appeal:

A Piperton police officer with a previous felony conviction has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of illegally possessing a firearm.

Patrolman Robert Schmidt of Memphis had worked one day in Piperton before he was indicted, said Piperton Police Chief Carl Hendricks.

U.S. Atty. David Kustoff announced the charge on Wednesday.

It is illegal under federal law to possess a firearm after a felony conviction.

Looks like there is no exception in the law for law enforcement officers.

Fûz at Weck Up To Thees (who I thought had stopped blogging) expands on some pro-gun strategery:

It will readily become clear to the gun rights activist that he or she ought to be fighting for other rights anyway, because the infringement of those other rights makes gun control that much easier—standing the old bromide “the Second Amendment is the right that guarantees the rest” on its head.

There’s a lot there, go read it. Now, I know some readers here are absolutists and talk like it’s their way or the highway. Well, that’s not gonna convert anyone. Sorry, that’s the truth. As I said before:

I am somewhat of an absolutist but, as a matter of policy, it’s not the best means to an ends. So, I guess I’m an incremental absolutist, meaning I’ll take the smaller victories with a goal toward said absolutism.

So, don’t go giving your pro-gun buddies an unnecessary amount of shit. They may agree with you. Their ends could be the same but their means are different. And those means are more effective.

I delete mine. Always have. But Knoxviewer metulj doesn’t. He recounts 15 years of email:

# First spam — July 11, 1993
# First Nigerian scam — May 10, 1995

ABC13:

His name is Jim Pruett and he formed half of one of the most outrageous duos in Houston radio history — Stevens and Pruett — back in the 1990’s. He’s raising controversy on the airwaves again — this time as a gun shop owner. He says Houstonians must arm themselves, because of the rise in crime. But, as you would imagine, some Katrina evacuees say they are being publicly called out.

“The sale of handguns are up 50 percent in this store,” Pruett told Eyewitness News.

Gun shop owner Jim Pruett says Houston’s growing crime problem has brought a boom in business. It’s a trend Pruett ties in part to the arrival of Katrina evacuees. This is his latest radio advertisement:

“When the Katricans themselves as saying the crime rate will go up if they don’t have more free rent, then it’s time to get your concealed weapons license.”

I have some friends in Houston. They’ve said crime has gone up quite a bit, including two murders nearby and that had never happened that they remember.

Funny stuff from Field and Stream’s The Gun Nut:

How to Write an Anti-Gun Editorial

…

Rule Number One is: Identify yourself as a gun owner and user; it gives you credibility

…

Rule Number Three: Any pro-gun law cannot be the will of the people, but must be due to the infernal machinations of…THE NRA.

There’s more. Pretty spot on if you ask me. Though, as I said, I would add:

Get substantially all facts wrong regarding legislation

And blatantly misrepresent firearms (i.e., draw minimal distinction between semi-automatic and automatic; referring to weapons that look like assault weapons as military-style firearms; etc.)

WBIR:

A fundraising letter signed by state Senator David Fowler states individuals and groups opposed to a ban on gay marriage will spend up to $6 million to influence the issue in Tennessee.

Voters will choose whether to approve or reject an amendment to the state constitution on November 7.

Randy Takington manages the group Vote No On One — a group working to defeat the proposal. He calls Fowler’s claim ridiculous and says it’s an effort to scare up money.

Fowler wrote the letter as executive director of Family Action of Tennessee. The group registered on August 2 as a campaign committee to raise money promoting passage of the anti-gay marriage amendment.

I don’t think anyone whose webpage is on My Space is gonna be raising $6,000,000.

I will be voting No on in November.

Anti-gun Britain is getting it’s illegal gun supply from anti-gun New Jersey. How’d that happen?

In the 1990s, Canada toughened it’s gun laws as a result of a school shooting that occured in 1989. They had one shooting in 1992 and one yesterday. Gun laws rarely stop crazy people.