Ben says:

State Election Commission overturns a unanimous decision of the Davidson County Election Commission

The Tennessee State Election Commission has overturned a unanimous decision of the Davidson County Election Commission and years of precedent by ruling that a short, easily readable, one sentence summary of a charter amendment may NOT appear on the November Davidson County ballot.

This summary was to be for the Charter Amendment requiring a vote of the people of Davdison County on property tax rate increases. Only the full text of the amendment will appear.

From the department of things not smart to say outloud:

Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

The object is basically public relations. Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions from others about possible safety considerations, said Secretary Michael Wynne.

“If we’re not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation,” said Wynne. “(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press.”

Alrighty.

At Subguns on HR 5005:

Firearms Corrections and Improvements Act

– Amends firearms provisions of the federal criminal code to:

(1) lift restrictions on the possession, transfer, and importation of machineguns, and certain other shotguns and rifles, for contractors providing national security services for the United States and training related to such services, and for:*** manufacturers for testing, research, design, or development purposes;***[in other words: LE demo letters no longer needed for 07/SOT’s]

(2) prohibit the Attorney General from charging any tax or fee for any background check by the national instant criminal background check system;

(3) permit juveniles to possess and use a handgun or ammunition for certain activities without written parental consent if the parent is present when the juvenile is using the handgun;

(4) eliminate certain reporting requirements for multiple handgun sales (more than one sale within five days) by dealers to state police and law enforcement agencies;

(5) prohibit the Attorney General from electronically retrieving records of gun dealers who have gone out of business by name or any personal identification code;

(6) limit disclosure of trace records; and

(7) ***allow importation of barrels, frames, and receivers for firearms other*** than handguns for repair or replacement purposes.[In other words: The ATF barrel ban goes back to previous status quo].

Via Les (in comments) here‘s the text of HR 1086, which Harold Ford introduced. It says that:

To reform the manner in which firearms are manufactured and distributed by providing an incentive to State and local governments to bring claims for the rising costs of gun violence in their communities.

Les says:

since Ford introduced that anti-gun bill then it’s perfectly fair to say he’s anti-gun.

I would concur. Perhaps he learned his lesson since voted for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (which the media mischaracterizes as the gun immunity bill). Talk about a flip-flop, literally one extreme to the next. But it’s more likely political opportunism.

So last night on the TeeVee, there were wall to wall Ford and Corker commercials. Each candidate bad-mouthed the other. Yawn. Then, a commercial blasting Ford as the most liberal congressman in Tennessee came on. The commercial was put out by some Republican organization (I can’t recall which). I thought McCain-Feingold prohibited that. Or is there an exception for political parties?

HR 5092 (see prior coverage here) is drawing the ire of some pro-gun groups:

“- Unlike HR 1603 … HR 5092 does not require the videotaping of BATFE firearm tests, which would ensure these tests are conducted fairly and competently.”

“- HR 5092 does not require the BATFE to establish standardized, written procedures on how firearms are tested”

“- HR 5092 does not address the BATFE’s policy of arbitrarily reclassifying firearms or firearm accessories as illegal … nor require the BATFE to give notice of such reclassification”

“- HR 5092 does not address the situation of gun owners who may have been unfairly convicted through faulty firearms testing or arbitrary firearms reclassification” …

All valid points but I think it is an incremental step to modernizing firearms laws. Here‘s the bill. Here‘s NRA’s take on it. The Brady Campaign says:

H.R. 5092 Protects Corrupt Gun Dealers And Gun Traffickers And Weakens Federal Gun Laws

Well, it can’t be all bad if it gets their knickers in a bunch.

Times Free Press:

The National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund has endorsed Republican Bob Corker for U.S. Senate.

“I am pleased that NRA members and gun owners in Tennessee really have a high-caliber candidate on Nov. 7,” Chris W. Cox, chairman of the NRA’s victory fund, said today during a conference call.

Mr. Corker, who faces Democratic U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., in the election, praised the group’s backing during the conference call.

“I’ll be a consistent voice for the Second Amendment and against any attempt to weaken our rights,” he said.

We’ll see.

Update: The Tennessean has more:

The National Rifle Association endorsed former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, while opponent Harold Ford Jr. claimed he had a better record on guns.

Corker, a Republican, said Ford has received two NRA “F” ratings and asserted that as a U.S. House member Ford once proposed a bill to encourage trial lawyers to sue gun manufacturers for damages on behalf of criminals.

Ford, D-Memphis, said he has a “B” rating from the NRA for votes last year. “I support the Second Amendment, and the NRA knows that.”

Ford said he supported the two most important votes to gun owners in recent years: lifting a ban on gun purchases by District of Columbia residents and granting immunity to gun makers from lawsuits.

As to why Corker got the nod:

Chris W. Cox, chairman of NRA’s political-action committee, said Corker’s record of halving Chattanooga’s crime rate over three years, aggressive prosecution of criminals and hunting background earned him the endorsement.

Alrighty, then.

A pit bull, no less. A homeless man’s dog was shot by the police after charging the officer. Witnesses do not back up the officer’s story. I think it’s safe to say dogs (particularly politically incorrect dogs) should not be running loose.

Received via email, this came from TN GOP:

THE TRUTH ABOUT CONGRESSMAN HAROLD FORD JR AND GUNS

(Nashville) – On the campaign trail, Congressman Harold Ford Jr. (D-Memphis) appears to be a supporter of Second Amendment rights, but the truth is he is quite the opposite and his record proves it.

“Congressman Ford says he supports our 2nd Amendment rights, but how in the world does Mr. Slick explain to the people of Tennessee his lifetime rating of an ‘F’ with the NRA, not once but twice. The question is, can we trust Ford on protecting gun owners’ rights? Without a doubt, the answer is no,” said Bob Davis, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.

THE TRUTH ABOUT CONGRESSMAN FORD’S RECORD ON GUNS

The NRA has twice given Congressman Ford an “F rating.” (Project Vote Smart, accessed 9/11/06)

Congressman Ford Introduced H.R. 1086 in 1999, The “Gun Industry Responsibility Act,” Which Allowed Firearms Manufacturers To Be Sued For Damages. (H.R. 1086, Introduced March 11, 1999)

* H.R. 1086 Had 25 Co-Sponsors, All Democrat. (National Journal 2004 Vote Ratings, February 12, 2005; H.R. 1086, Introduced March 11, 1999)

* According To National Journal, The 14 Original Co-Sponsors Of H.R. 1086 Had A Composite Liberal Score Of 83.3 In 2004. (National Journal 2004 Vote Ratings, February 12, 2005; H.R. 1086, Introduced March 11, 1999)

Congressman Ford’s Legislation Was Supported By Handgun Control, Inc. And Was Intended To Counter An NRA Supported Bill. “Last week, Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., backed by the National Rifle Association, introduced a bill to block the lawsuits. Thursday, Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., backed by the National League of Cities and Handgun Control Inc., countered with a bill to increase the potential damage awards if cities file the lawsuits. ‘They started this,’ said Ford. ‘What we want to do is ensure that this cause of actions is protected for local governments.’” (James W. Brosnan, “Congress Ponders Pro And Con Gun Lawsuit Bills,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, March 12, 1999)

The Bill Sought To Allow Cities To Sue Manufacturers For Damages And “Hold Gun Manufacturers To A Standard.” “Ford’s bill would raise the amounts cities could collect in damages by allowing them to recover gun-related medical costs from gun manufacturers. The bill would direct one-third of the recovered Medicaid damages to the federal government for crime prevention programs. The remainder would go to the city, divided one-third to local police, one-third to the families of policemen killed in the line of duty and one-third to compensate victims of crime. Barr said Ford’s bill would ‘vastly expand the potential fees for the trial lawyers involved in these suits, as well as increasing the amount cities could squeeze from the companies they are suing.’ Ford said the purpose is not to raise money or outlaw guns ‘but we should hold gun manufacturers to a standard.’” (James W. Brosnan, “Congress Ponders Pro And Con Gun Lawsuit Bills,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, March 12, 1999)

It is, obviously, biased.

Just wow:

A nurse returning from work discovered an intruder armed with a hammer in her home and strangled him with her bare hands, police said.

Terry Frank:

I just don’t think Corker was ready for the prime time.

Ayup.

AC emails a link to a new blog (another WKRN joint) called The Road Less Graveled:

I grew up with my dad hunting and fishing and am now passing it on to my son and daughter. People say there are other ways to spend time with them and they are right. I chose to spend time this way and they like it.

Jeff at Alphecca looks at the recent report that says violent crime is down but gun crime is up:

So as federal funds dry-up for municipalities’ crime fighting efforts, less police mean more crime. But that’s only half the story. Remember, I said there were two causes of the problem and the second one is — again only hinted at — in that second quotation. Here’s a hint: “…mostly young people and mostly killed by guns…”. Street gangs. I’ve been harping on it here at Alphecca for almost four years now.

John Lott looks at it too:

Does one year make a trend? Could be, but it is really hard to see any pattern in robbery rates over the last five years. The same is true for gun crimes. Because of the comparisons drawn in the piece regarding the Clinton administration, I have put down some numbers for violent crime. Just so that you can see that since the last full year of Clinton’s administration, the violent crime rate has fallen by 23 percent (15 percent since 2001). Since so much weight is put on robbery, it has fallen by 19 percent since the end of Clinton (7 percent since 2001, though again I think that it is hard to see any pattern since 2001).

Not sure why Clinton administration is the starting point but it looks like overall crime has been down and likely due for an upswing. Or, you know, it’s all that blood in the streets from the expiration of the ban on weapons that look like assault weapons that we were warned about.

Stray cats are something that should not be encouraged to hang around. But one man’s article has drawn an investigation:

Police in Red Bank are investigating after a man wrote about launching a “feline jihad” to rid his Chattanooga suburb of stray cats. Max Gerskin wrote a two-part series in the Chattanooga Pulse weekly publication.

In his commentary, Gerskin said the strays fed by someone in the neighborhood have brought filth and disease to his home, and local Humane Society officials haven’t been able to stop it.

As a result, he wrote, in these words, “I’ve officially become a trapper and it’s time to take a walk to the river.”

The people of the Thorn Grove community in East Knox County have filed a lawsuit to protect their community autonomy. This is the way business must be conducted in Knox County when the local government refuses to represent the people. One of the developers that owns parcels which will be used for the Midway Industrial Park is Harry Sherrod. The same Harry Sherrod who threatened Gary Seller’s during the Wheel Tax petition and who was a key figure in Mayor Ragsdale’s efforts to stop the Wheel Tax petition.

One of the key requirements for the Development Corporation was that the land have no more than 6 degrees of slope. This site in Thorn Grove is some of the most rolling land in Knox County. But only four Knox County Commissioners actually visited the site. The vote was pure politics. Commissioners voted for the Industrial Park because County Mayor Ragsdale told them to.

The 11 million dollars needed to purchase the 370 acres meant no money was left to keep the County Mayor’s promise of fully funding the Hardin Valley High School. Mayor Ragsdale is doing everything in his power to build this High School for only 1,300 students. The result being that there will be no relief for school overcrowding for Karns, Bearden, and Farragut until 2011, well into the administration of the next Knox County Mayor.

Which is more important, to help a friend with a business deal, or to keep a promise to solve school overcrowding? Mayor Ragsdale has given his answer and only a court case can stop him.

Read the rest of this entry »

Volunteer Voters reports:

Chattanooga, Tenn. – The National Rifle Association, America’s leading Second Amendment rights grassroots organization, today formally endorsed Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bob Corker in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race.

I don’t know that Corker has a record on gun rights, really. I’ve covered Harold Ford and guns before. I wonder what the NRA saw that they liked? Well, other than that he’s not Ford and there’s an R after his name. Perhaps they should have listened to Insty’s podcast, which Countertop summarized in comments as:

Helen asked him about nationwide concealed carry – specifically, would he support legislation that allowed an individual with a permit in one state to carry their gun in another state. Very clear, straight up .

He paused. Said, he thought so, but didn’t know. Said, he wasn’t prepared for such in depth questions. Then said he would have to look at the issue and get back to them.

She followed it up with a question on legislation preventing the confiscation of firearms in situations such as Katrina. He again gave a weasly answer.

Now, I guess if the NRA had to pick someone, it’d be Corker. But I just don’t see much there.

It seems like once a week, I hear Harold Ford on the local talk radio. This morning, he had an entire hour. He’s really talking the talk. Based on addressing the issues and speaking to the public, he’s beating Bob Corker like like he owes him money.

A few notes in the time I listened:

Harold is all about his Christianity. He said he supported the 10 commandments displays and started some sort of religious caucus in the congress.

He also says the separation of church and state is important.

He chided Corker for his ties to big oil, which is kind of a silly claim. Even the host said that comparing a retailer like Pilot Oil to Exxon/Mobil is not a fair comparison.

He made a claim (and I can’t recall how he worded it exactly) that Corker supported a measure in the senate. I don’t recall Corker ever being a senator.

Blasted Corker for raising taxes as mayor.

Blasted Corker’s ad in the Republican primary stating Hilleary and Bryant voted themselves a pay raise.

Again, called Corker out for not engaging the public or Ford more.

Harold is trying to out-conservative the Republican.

Even though I’ve stated that I’ll likely vote for Corker merely due to Harold Ford’s ties and loyalty to the big government, nanny statists like Schumer, Clinton and Kennedy, Ford is running a better campaign. Corker is losing ground and it’s Corker’s fault.

Update: Dr. Helen and Glenn have a podcast interview with Corker. I’ve not listened to it but they apparently ask him about gun rights. If you’ve listened to it, what does he say about them?

Seattle PI:

A former neo-Nazi told a jury Monday that he sold machine guns to a federal informant because he knew he’d be arrested and that his trial would provide a forum for challenging gun control laws – a claim that drew quiet chuckles from prosecutors.

“It was something I could do for my country, something my children could remember me by,” Keith D. Gilbert testified as his weeklong trial concluded in U.S. District Court.

Gilbert, 66, once an aide to Aryan Nations founder Richard Butler, is charged with 12 counts of gun violations, including possession of machine guns and dealing in firearms without a license. He allegedly sold two automatic and two semi-automatic weapons owned or built by friends to a government informant, and he had dozens of guns in his home – some registered, some not – when agents raided it in February 2005.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Friedman told jurors that Gilbert was a small-time gun trafficker whose motive was making at least a few hundred dollars from each sale. The claim that he was trying to make himself a “Second Amendment martyr” was a surprise, Friedman told Judge Marsha Pechman.

Not the best case to try to make a second amendment claim with. In fact, the claim sounds like something he made up after he was caught.

The SKS, being an affordable rifle, is often under fire from anti-gun groups because of its popularity. But it is not an assault weapon by any definition, including the made up definition under the expired assault weapons ban. But there’s still a lot of misinformation about them in the press:

A man looking for aluminum cans in school trash cans found a backpack bulging with guns on Monday, a discovery that triggered a campus lockdown while authorities searched for more weapons.

According to Merced County Sheriff’s Deputy Ed Katen, a man found a backpack containing one SKS automatic weapon and three hand guns just after 9 a.m. Monday.

The unidentified man found the bag on the edge of the Delhi Educational Facility, a combined high school and middle school with about 1,000 students.

The SKS is a semi-automatic weapon.

Check out the Ultimate Lego Chaingun:

Sweet

Update: More here.

As I’ve said before, I love to read conspiracy theories. Not because I believe them but because they’re entertaining.

With the 9-11 anniversary, I see various conspiracy theories are the flavor again. I now offer my own conspiracy theory: See, a complex cabal of people in power invent these conspiracy theories to keep conspiracy theorists busy. Otherwise, the conspiracy theory sorts would find out the true conspiracies, which are much less complex.

Well, unless they resign. The Tennessean:

Officials work to calm fears after police force quits

Officials here are working to rebuild a police department and a degree of public confidence in the wake of the recent resignation of the town’s entire police force.

Police Chief Jim Baker and both of Alexandria’s full-time officers left the city at the ends of their shifts on the night of Aug. 23.

Town officials said the force quit over a controversial proposal to save taxpayer money by limiting police activity in Alexandria to the nighttime hours. That idea has since been scrapped, Mayor David Cripps said.

But the possibility of days without police officers, as well as the media attention the police resignations received locally, rattled several residents and business owners in the tiny DeKalb County town.

Via NJCSD.

Gunner notes:

The city has given itself the right to seize its residents’ personal property for public use in an emergency.And although commissioners say it would use its new law only in “an exceptional disaster,” some residents are furious

It may well be that odd opportunity to assert a third amendment claim.

Michael Silence has a piece in the local news about blog demographics.

I’ve said before that I thought Wisconsin would go CCW soon, as it is one of two states with no provision. Looks like one gubernatorial candidate is pushing the idea:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, said that without concealed carry legislation law-abiding hunters are having their rights infringed upon.

“The fact is, that we have a tremendous amount of sportsmen in this state, including myself, who are law-abiding and feel safer with guns,” said Green. “As long as we have a conceal carry law in effect, we will be able to help educate people more about guns and we will be able to provide more training.”

Green also said that a law allowing citizens to carry firearms would benefit people living in urban areas such as Milwaukee, because in case someone is attacked, the worst case scenario is the victim can defend themselves.

Green shared his befuddlement with the crowd of about 40 people on how Wisconsin is only one of two states in the country that does not have the conceal carry law.

IIRC, Governor Doyle has vetoed CCW twice. And once an override was almost successfully done. I thought this was odd and out of place:

Green recounted an exchange with a reporter during a press conference he and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani held in Milwaukee last month.

“A reporter asked about why New York doesn’t have a conceal carry law and tried to drive a wedge between us,” Green said.

“I answered the question for Rudy, when I informed them that New York has had a very successful concealed law for years that has dropped crime drastically.”

Successful concealed law? What are you talking about?

Five years has passed. I don’t have much to say, really. Sorry. I tried to write this post many times but I got nothing. Not sure what that means. So, I’ll look to posts of 9-11 past:

2002:

It has been a year. To sit around and mope is to concede to the enemy. Please, America, continue doing what you do. Go to work, tell your family you love them, go shopping, but never forget.

2003:

The firefighters above hired a lawyer (who appeared on the O’Reilly Factor) to claim intellectual property rights to this image.

Also, families of victims are holding out for a bigger chunk of money in a potential lawsuit than they would get from the government’s settlement.

The airline industry began taking advantage of their customers after 9/11 after the taxpayer funded bailout by offering more expensive service that was worse.

…

And the office jerk still takes the last of the coffee without making more.

It seems like we’re back to normal again. Don’t forget 9/11 but more importantly don’t forget America.

2004:

I have nothing particularly prophetic or poetic to say about the third anniversary other than don’t forget it. If you are a words person, go here. If you are a picture person, go here.

2005:

It was four years ago today. What’s changed? Well, we’re actually worse at dealing with a national tragedy, evidenced by Katrina. And quicker to trample liberties.

Looks like we learned very little.

Wow, am I really that cynical?

Over at publicola’s joint. He’s building an AK.

The Carnival of Cordite is up for your gun blogging pleasure.

Colt CCO is blogging again and has some gun and range porn.

State Senator Raymond Finney, who is my rep, is blogging. The format is hard to follow but I’ll give it a read later. Via The Rep.