O-day+ 165: Rose Colored Glasses

MikeB made a comment on Obama's 4th of July Speech:

Thirdpower, You're right, of course. I'm concerned about all the unkept promises, and even more than them, I'm concerned that the planned buildup in Afghanistan is quickly turning into a shit-awful mess.

Yet, when I hear him speak, I get that rose-colored-glasses kinda feeling. You gotta admit, he can deliver the patriotism, Founding Fathers line with the best of 'em.

Others that fell for his 'Cult of Personality' are having those glasses removed:

Colin Powell, who broke ranks with the Republican Party last year to endorse Barack Obama, now worries that the president's agenda is increasing the size of government and the federal debt to alarming levels.

He continues:

"And I never would have believed that we would have budgets that are running into the multi-trillions of dollars, and we are amassing a huge, huge national debt that, if we don't pay for in our lifetime, our kids and grandkids and great grandchildren will have to pay for it."

That EXACT SAME THING WAS SAID DURING THE ELECTION. Perhaps people should have done a little critical thinking back while the campaign was still going on.

But the majority of the public preferred "that rose-colored-glasses kinda feeling". They wanted him to wrap them in a soft, warm blanket and be soothed by his words while the economy and the nation fell to ruin around them.

Yet even after all the lies, broken promises, and kowtowing to some of the worst dictators in the world, his most ardent supports still respond, hands clasped and eyes closed, with a heartfelt:

"I believe him."

While you celebrate the Independence Day, read these words and contemplate what they really mean.

Happy 4th of July folks. Keep your powder dry.

"Common Sense" Gun Control

Letting criminals out on the streets and full gun registration.

This coming from a candidate for district attorney.

He's mad because the NRA didn't like his proposal to 'encourage' people to let the police search their homes for 'illegal' firearms. "No charges would be filed" he says. So a person who wants the job of upholding the law is willing to let criminals roam free? All because he doesn't like guns? And if that gun comes back traced to a murder? Still no charges or will they just drop the 'possession' charge? That makes sense. I'm sure the parents of every 'good boy' out there will open their doors for this.

He's also upset that the NRA opposes his bill on firearm tracing. But let's look at the nuance:

trace a gun used in a crime, even if the gun wasn't left at the scene.

Even if it wasn't 'left at the scene'? How would that work?

His bill would mandate that guns sold in New York include a new microstamping process that imprints a serial number on every bullet fired.

Oh, right. Microstamping. So he's not calling for firearm tracing. He's calling for full registration of firearms in the state. We all know how well that's worked out for firearm owners in the past. Nevermind the facts that the SCOTUS has ruled that criminals don't have to register since that would be self-incriminating, that the technology is easily defeated and that it is nowhere near mature.

But that's just 'common sense'.

My Heller/July 4th gun.

I would like to thank everyone who commented on my Ammunition Anonymous post.

It looks like Rick wins the day.

I went and bought the Taurus Judge Magnum today after work and I'm having a hard time typing this and fondling it at the same time. It is "previously owned" so I need to get it up to my cleanliness specs before I sleep tonight. I swear if I ever lose my current job I'm going to apply to all the gun shops to hire me to clean their swaps and trade-ins for them. If used car lots have the sense to wash-n-wax their trade-ins and vacuum up the resident mouse turds, I think gun dealers could find a bit of use in someone who likes to clean dirty guns. I even built an uber-cleaning kit which wieghs about 10lbs, all in a convienent carry case. It has everything, plus a spare.

I've been buying a new gun for each July 4th for at least 10 years now. I also usually buy myself a new toy for my birthday each year. I don't have the cash flow to buy any real collector items, but that's part of the beauty of gun collecting. Most of my guns have left some stamp on history, which means they were mass produced on some level.

I have the gun which Germany used in WW1 and WW2(Mauser). I also have the Garand which bested the Germans. I gots the gun the Koreans used against us. I gots the gun the Viet Cong used against us. I gots the guns we used to best them all. My fancy of late has been guns of "The Wild West." The way I look at it is that if I posses the equipment used, I also have a short-cut to the spirit needed in those times.

Even If I flushed all that down the crapper with so much diarrhea...

I have my father's .22 rifle
I have my father's 30.06 rifle
I have my Grandfather's .22 pistol
I have my Grandfather's .22 rifle
I have my Grandmother's .410 shotgun

My collection is more than the sum of its parts, It is history.

Enjoy the 4th of July, and stay safe.

Reasoned Discourse on the Examiner

A few days ago I posted a link to a rambling collection of words on the Examiner site.

This idiot, name of Clifford Bryan, thinks that crime in NOLA is a conspiracy by 'whitey' against blacks. Clifford Bryan is also a firm believer in Reasoned Discourse. After denying that he (Clifford Bryan) plagiarized Brady Campaign lawyer Dennis Henigan, he (Clifford Bryan) then deleted the majority of my posts including the one showing the comparison:

Clifford Bryan's post:

In defense over 80% of gun owners support extending Brady Act background checks to private sales at gun shows. Even most self-identified members of the National Rifle Association support handgun registration and mandatory safety training before purchasing a firearm.

Written 4 days after this:

But it is also true that over 80% of gun owners support extending Brady Act background checks to private sales at gun shows. Even most self-identified members of the National Rifle Association support handgun registration and mandatory safety training before purchasing a firearm.

Yet he (Clifford Bryan) states:

@Third Yes I deny it and I am upset you would call me out like that.I leave links to any material I use.

So he's upset he got caught. Wonder how much else of his 'writing' is original? This guy is the epitome of gun control activism. We need more like him.

Update: Seems he's finally recognized (at least partially) the error of his ways. After initially denying he'd done so, he linked to Henigan's blog post.

Minors and Firearms

Kurt over at Armed and Safe/St Louis Examiner looks at the issue of a case dealing w/ minors and firearms:

The question thus becomes one of whether or not the Second Amendment protects a minor's possession of a firearm. Readers might guess that I'll have difficulty finding a way of reconciling shall not be infringed with a lack of protection for such a right. Those readers would be correct.

Here's the comment I left:

As a parent, I'm mixed. Do we go down the slippery-slope and say it's OK for grade school children to walk around w/ handguns unsupervised? Drop the age to 16? 12?

With parents legally responsible for youth under the age of 18, who becomes responsible/accountable should something happen?

It's a legitimate debate that needs to be examined for not only Constitutional issues but safety issues as well.

Initially I think we should look at getting the handgun/long-gun ages at all levels dropped to age 18.

Kurt also notes that the state is ignoring the fact that the 9th Circuit (of which WA is a part of) ruled for incorporation.

No Legitimacy

One measure of the stability of a nation or state is how the citizenry perceives its government. Whether all the rules are followed, elections are held, etc. all come into play.

This legitimacy has been declining in the United States, once considered the most stable of countries.

This is just one more example of why:

As state Democrats convened around noon to hold a one-party session, Republican Sen. Frank Padavan of Queens walked through the chamber on a hunt for the soda machine -- a caffeine quest that would later result with him being tallied as voting with the Democrats.

Padavan reportedly claimed he was taking a short-cut to the members' lounge, but the 31 Democrats seized the opportunity to count him as their 32nd vote and unanimously passed 125 bills in three hours with Republicans absent -- the latest attempt to break the 3-week-old stalemate that has caused a power struggle in Albany.

Yep. These idiots tried to pass over a hundred bills by lying about the numbers of legislators in the 'meeting'. I'm sure their supporters are clapping their hands in glee over pulling a fast one on the 'Rethugs'. The governor, on the other hand, is showing some integrity by stating he will sign NONE of the bills.

This kind of stupid crap needs to stop. Our republic is in enough danger of collapsing from the mountain of debt that our dear leaders have generated, bills designed to destroy the remains of American industry, and the systematic dismantling of our education system raising generations of lazy, ignorant couch potatoes.

Will they be held accountable in the next election? Doubltful. The media will run front page editorials glorifying them every day while the only reporting of their opponents will be damning accounts of them having scratched their crotch once in public.

And the band played on.

Illinois Residents, Call Your Governor.

HB 182, the bill decriminalizing having a firearm outside of your home, is on the Governor's desk. He now has 60 days to sign or veto it.

By Phone or Mail:

Springfield
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-0244
TTY: 888-261-3336

Chicago

.gov/Office of the Governor
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, 16-100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-814-2121

By E-mail:

http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm

Whores

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton have converged on Michael Jackson's family since the King of Pop's sudden death last Thursday, acting as semi-official spokesmen and advisers.

Why ANYONE continue to listen to these pieces of garbage is beyond me.

Trashing the Bill of Rights

It's comforting to know that the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership doesn't just oppose the Second Amendment but also has issues with the 4th and 5th. Or at least they have no problems violating them in order to continue to try and ban guns.

Dennis Henigan of the Brady Campaign, a supposed constitutional lawyer, supports the Lautenburg bill, a bill that strips rights from people who have not been charged with any crime. He openly admits that tens of thousands of innocent people are on these secret lists and that innocents will continue to have their rights stripped from them but that's OK he claims. They can get it fixed later. You know, after the fact.

If the Lautenberg/King approach were to become law, there would no doubt be some mistakes made, in which gun sales are blocked due to incorrect information, mistaken identities, or other problems. Recognizing that no public policy applied in the real world is perfect, the Lautenberg/King legislation provides for mechanisms to correct such mistakes while making it harder for terrorist suspects to arm themselves.

So to answer his question: Are these problems with the existing list a good reason to oppose closing the "terror gap" on gun sales?

Yes Dennis. It is. For you to think otherwise shows just how desperate your organization and people like you are to do anything you can to disarm the public.

Now answer my question. If all these people are considered so dangerous that they can't board aircraft or own firearms, why aren't they in custody?

DC Voting Rebirth

From the DC council:

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)submitted a detailed proposal to House and Senate leaders for passage of the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act earlier this week, and has since had conversations with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “I am very encouraged by the response of our two leaders and by their assurances,” Norton said. Understandably, however, the Congresswoman has not made public the details of the proposals while they are being considered.

Basically their desire to keep the citizens of DC stripped of their rights to own firearms is MORE important to them than the getting right of their citizens to vote.

Of course this 'Congresswoman' also thinks legalized discrimination is A-OK.

One Step Backward, One Step Forward

Yeah, we took a hit in NV. Today we recover in KS.

Fairfax, Va. --- Kansas Attorney General Steve Six today concluded that the State of Kansas will now recognize ‘non-resident’ right-to-carry permits issued by any of the 22 states already recognized.

Of Course You Do Ray

Washington, D.C. - Ray Schoenke, the President of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), expressed support for Judge Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court Nominee. Schoenke made the endorsement in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

No real surprise there.

“Based on the available case history, it appears that Sotomayor honors precedent. Now that D.C. v Heller is precedent, gun-owners should feel secure that their rights are safe.

Guess what Ray? 'Precedent' would have had Heller fail. 'Precedent' would rule against 2A incorporation.

Then the traditional hit line against the NRA:

After sending the letter, Schoenke stated, “As with most issues involving the Second Amendment, concerns about Sotomayor are being stoked by groups who benefit financially from the politics of fear.

At AHSA, we believe strongly that the Second Amendment is an individual right, as determined in the landmark case, D.C. v. Heller. We know are gun rights are secure and look forward to the expansion of those rights to the states.

No you don't.

Schoenke noted, “In a recent Second Amendment case, Judge Sotomayor simply followed precedent in cases involving Second Amendment rights as it applies to the states. Other conservative judges in the Seventh Circuit took a similar position. What we should be focusing on is making sure that, Heller, through the 14th Amendment’s process of incorporation guarantees Second Amendment freedoms in all states.”

But Ray, once again that's not what 'precedent' would have them do now is it? Basically what you're doing is condemning the 9th Circuit court for ruling for incorporation. By your own argument above, the SCOTUS should rule against incorporation of the 2A. Is that what a 'strong supporter of individual gun rights' would do?