Check out Michael Bane’s blog for the time; going to be covering some stuff with Crimson Trace and the new Ruger LCP.
HB 89 still alive in Georgia
The concealed carry reform bill in Georgia, which had been shipped off to negotiators where many assumed it would die seems to have had some new life breathed into it; “insiders” say that it may come out of negotiations today.
Despite it being gutted by the Senate, the amendments added on to the bill would be a good start in reforming concealed carry in Georgia. During previous discussions, I had it pointed out to me repeatedly how messed up Georgia’s carry laws are. The passage of HB 89 would definitely be a boon for CCW holders in Georgia.
Also in the linked article, there is discussion about HB 257, which would allow carry on MARTA trains and in restaurants where alcohol is served, provided the CCW holder doesn’t imbibe. It looks like HB 257 stands a decent chance of passing as well; if all goes well Georgians are looking at some serious improvements to their concealed carry laws.
Straw Purchases
A woman in Baltimore was arrested for making an actual straw purchase.
In the court documents, Brzezenski admitted to signing the forms for the purchase of the Taurus but that her boyfriend selected the weapon and paid for it on his credit card.
The woman’s boyfriend is a drug dealer, hence why said straw purchase is illegal. It’s illegal to purchase a firearm for someone who would be prohibited from owning said firearm, that’s the very definition of a straw purchase.
Once again, it seems that actually enforcing the laws that are on the books seems to be a lot more effective than passing more laws.
I don’t care who you are
That’s pretty funny.
I’m not really into the whole “bashing Hillary” thing, because I think that her record as a Senator is more than enough reason to dislike her; but come on – that’s pretty funny.
Vapor Lock
Websites like this are why I love Oleg Volk’s work so much; because the simple message conveyed with an image often causes hard left people’s minds to go into hard vapor lock as their favorite tool (propaganda) is turned against them with brutal efficiency.
From Tam
Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence
I am so happy, I found an Indiana-based anti-gun group that actually has a website, instead of just some crazies handing out fliers outside a gun show.
I’m not that happy though, because unlike the CeaseFire groups or AHSA, they don’t appear to have updated their web page since December of last year, which is too bad. Really, they appear to be rather light on substance as their home page only has three Indiana specific “facts” and everything else is just parroting the Brady Campaign’s line.
But, it’s been a kind of slow couple of weeks, and I’m feeling like handing out a good fisking.
Did you know that, in Indiana, there is no limit to the number of guns that an individual can purchase?
Did you know that in most states, this is true as well? The best part about this “fact” is that it’s true, but it’s so broad that I can’t even tell what they’re hysterical about. Are they worried about people stockpiling guns? Are they worried about people buying a lot of guns and selling them on the black market? Who knows? It’s so broad that it becomes meaningless.
Are you aware that, in Indiana, there is no minmum (sic) age to own a rifle or shotgun?
Actually, that’s not true. According to state law it is unlawful for an adult to provide a child a firearm or for a child to posses a firearm unless one of the following conditions is met:
- attending a hunter safety or firearms safety course and an adult is supervising the child during the course;
- target shooting at an established range or in an area where the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited or supervised by a qualified firearms instructor or adult while at the range;
- engaging in an organized firearm competition or practicing for a performance by an organized group that uses firearms as a part of a performance;
- lawfully hunting or trapping with a license;
- traveling with an unloaded firearm to or from an activity described in this section;
- on real property that is under the control of the child’s parent, an adult family member, or legal guardian and has permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian to possess a firearm;
- at the child’s residence and has the permission of the child’s parent, an adult family member or legal guardian to possess a firearm.
So, while I suppose technically there is no minimum age, all the activities above require the supervision and consent of an adult. So it’s not like 8 year olds are running around with handguns.
If you live in Indiana, think about the impact that our very lax gun laws could have on your safety and the health and safety of those you love.
I think about that every day as I check my home defense gun, and thank God that I live in a state which doesn’t prevent me from providing for my own safety and the safety of my family. You see, because I understand that if I ever had a home invasion, the cops will take at least two minutes to get to my house – which might be two minutes too long.
Polls show that the overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of stricter gun laws, yet our legislators tend to hear only from the powerful lobbies and interests that oppose laws that restrict the availability of guns.
Which polls? You mean the Gallup poll that shows that 73% of Americans believe that the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms? Or the Zogby poll that shows that more Americans value the political endorsements of NRA than Bill Clinton? I am not sure which polls it is that you are reading.
One of the big reasons that HCGV hasn’t updated their website since last December and generally appears to be kind of a third-rate gun control group is because Indiana is an extremely pro-gun state. We have lifetime carry permits, state park carry, and a relatively pro-gun legislature. Outside of Gary, Ft. Wayne (Paul Helmke’s old stomping grounds) and certain parts of Indianapolis, gun control is a losing fight in Indiana. I would like to keep it that way.
Wintermute is back
With an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. On the one hand, it’s better written than his full-of-holes article about gun shows, but that’s about all the good that I can say about it.
His article rambles in subject from concerns about the health care cost associated with shootings in the US, to talking about the dangers of gun related suicides, and finally getting around to ill-informed commentary on DC vs. Heller.
He spends a lot of time talking about how the gun-suicide rate in DC is really low, and completely glosses over the extremely high crime rate in that city, as well as in Chicago – which he uses as another example of an area with “good” gun laws.
He closes his article with the following statement:
A Supreme Court decision broadening gun rights and overturning the D.C. statutes would be widely viewed as upholding such [pro-gun] policies. By promoting our sense of entitlement to gun use against one another, it could weaken the framework of ordered liberty that makes civil society possible.
You really have to view this through a lens of ignorance for it to make sense, and yet the more and more I work on the pro-gun issue, the more I understand how anti-gunners think. They actually believe that any kind of gun use is bad, even if it’s justified for defense of human life; any situation where the individual is empowered is undermining their view of a “civil society”. To people like Garen, a “civil society” isn’t enforced by individuals who will not allow their right to life to be infringed upon by criminals; but rather by the police and the “authorities.”
Garen still wants to be protected by people with guns, he just doesn’t want you or I to be one of those people. There are many, many other holes in Garen’s most recent article, his focus on the medical costs of firearms doesn’t address the fact that the medical costs related to alcohol far outstrip firearms – but you don’t see him calling for a new prohibition. That’s the great thing about being in the real grassroots, I know that every point I don’t address will get nailed by someone else.
Update: Thirdpower does exactly that. Uncle notes that this whole anti-gun thing is kind of a big circle-jerk (my words), and Sebastian notes that our adversary is often a lot more politically connected than we are.
HondaJet
Check out the over-the-wing engine mounts; very unusual, but according to the website is actually more efficient.
I can’t help my fascination for semi-odd aircraft, I grew under the flight line for Edwards Air Force base, in the heart of aviation country. So I was innudated with aircraft with forward swept wings, super fast race planes, and of course all the aircraft built by the Rutans.
LOLGuns
Looks like the VPC is trying to attact kids to their cause. As well as people who love internet memes.
What did you do?
Yesterday, for April Fool’s day? I completely disassembled a co-worker’s desk who was traveling on business, and then this morning when he called I acted like there was a theft and suggested he call the police. I did point out the prank before he called the cops though.
How about you?