Off to the Show

I'm running a table at a Gun Show in Arcola, Il this weekend. Mostly I'm attempting to fill niche of a lack of regular surplus in this area. I'm also putting up for sale one of my collection:

Thompson 1927-A1 .45ACP SOLD!

Includes 2 30 rnd stick mags, 1 50 rnd drum, fitted case, and '3rd hand' adaptor for drum.

For more information or to purchase, contact me at:

Thirdpower at Hotmail dot Com

All Federal, State and Local laws will apply.

Gun Debate Update.: Levy v Henigan

Levy's opponent on WGN tonight will be Dennis "I forgot 'of the people" Henigan of the Brady Bunch.

Via the Charlotte GRE.

The Debate:

Opening w/ Levy giving a brief of Heller.

Henigan tries for an emotional appeal w/ Brady's history and claims of 'sensible' gun laws.

"Brady Campaign does not support handgun bans".

"Localities need to make 'tough' decisions". Which is why they keep supporting national gun bans and legislation.

Levy gives history of modern gun control (ie. Miller) "Focused on weapon, not the people". Discussion of Heller and Scalia's views of militia and clauses.

Rosenburg quotes Madison and Adams.

Henigan claims Madison is talking about militia use only. "Out of Context".
Scalia separates clauses. Coming from one who can't even quote it properly, that's laughable.

Rosenburg asks about CCW data. Lott study mentioned.

Henigan dismisses Lott. Cites Donahue. "CCW causes uniform increase in crime".

Levy defends Lott. Cites CDC and NAS studies. DC banned handguns and crime skyrocketed.

Henigan states NAS study shows no correlation vis a vie Lott study. "1.6 million prohibited purchasers stopped by Brady Law". Claims causality to crime decrease.

Rosenburg asks Levy view on Brady Law (NICS etc).

Levy: DC doesn't follow Brady Law.

Henigan: Universal Background Checks next step. Urban areas can pass 'stricter laws'.

Levy: NICS good. Only 2% crime guns from gun shows. Rejections don't stop criminals. 1/4 False positives. Only 294 convictions. DC creates to many hoops for ownership.

Henigan: Brady Law 'modest'. Need stricter laws. DC regulations nearly exactly same as cars. Fingerprinting good idea.

Rosenburg: Access to driver info? Should Gun Ownership info be available?

Henigan: No one is arguing for lists. Registration good.

Levy: NICS retains failed check data. Potential for abuse if data retained.

Henigan: Destroy tax returns?

Rosenburg: Officials abused law.

Henigan: Doesn't mean lists shouldn't be kept.

Rosenburg: What do you want?

Levy: Away from felons, unsupervised kids, no WMD's. "Jurisditionally sensitive laws".

Rosenburg: NRA?

Levy: They're closer to me than Henigan.

Rosenburg: Campaign against this program.
ISRA sent out e-mail. All over blogosphere. Lots of calls/e-mail. ISRA misinformed. *Reads ISRA e-mail*. "I'm a serious conservative including gun laws"
"Is debate a violation?" *Reads E-mail* "I support Levy's view".

Henigan: "Welcome to my world" "Tactics of intimidation". "Callers don't represent gun owners" Cites usual Joyce foundation survey numbers. "Extremists"

Levy: ISRA not extremists. "Director a little bit hasty".

Henigan: Extremism on both sides. Quotes " blood running in the streets"

Rosenburg: Level of gun control?

Henigan: Weak. Guns travel easily across state lines.

Levy: BOR only applies to Fed's until 14th Amendment. 2A unincorporated. Chicago about incorporation. Thinks it will eventually apply. But by which method?

Henigan: Heller allows 'host of restrictions'. Brady campaign agenda constitutional. Claims 'complete prohibition" allowable.

Levy: DC about 3 issues. Will overturn Chicago.

Rosenburg: Gun ban overturned cause crime to decrease?

Levy: Difficult to say but most likely yes.

Rosenburg: Europe?

Henigan: Stronger laws. Little gun crime. Less lethal. "Guns trafficked into Mexico".

Rosenburg: "Gun ownership criminalized, Only criminals will have guns"

Levy: Cites Russia, Mexico, etc.

Henigan: Rambles about # of guns and gun control. Claims you need to limit data to make comparisons work. Of course you do Dennis.

Rosenburg: *Phone calls*.

Caller 1: Balance debate. Saw UK crime increase after gun confiscation. Got CCW when came back to states.

Caller 2: Where does Federalist state militias only? Police not there to protect individual, what to do?

Henigan: Read full passage. Militia purpose.

Levy: Standing armies v Militias. No dispute about hunting or self-defense.

Caller 3: NJ restrictive. Miller misrepresented. Brady website shows explosives/RPG's while blaming US gun shows.

Henigan: "Nothing in the report suggests that". Cites trace data as statistics. Weak gun laws. All the NRA's fault.

Caller 3: *Reads passages around picture* "Inflammatory and misleading"

Caller 4: Very Balanced. Bans on colored guns 'reasonable'?

Henigan: Problem w/ toy looking guns.

Caller 4: California laws 'common sense'?

Henigan: Safety standards.

Levy: DC making mockery of Heller decision.

Rosenburg: *Reads E-mail from Australia 'police officer'* The regular one passed around

Levy: We'ld see the same thing.

Henigan: Noone's talking about disarmament. AU etc. rates lower than US. Strict laws lower crime.

Levy: Due to failed War on Drugs.

Henigan: "Innocents caught in crossfire"

Levy: Guns already banned

Henigan: Trafficking.

Levy: Narcotics Illegal nationwide. Doesn't work.

Henigan: No bans. "reasonable regulations"

Levy: Brady Heller brief claimed ban reasonable.

Caller 5 (1st female): to Levy "If Reagan had been killed, would your views have been changed?"

Levy: His death would not have modified COTUS.

Henigan: Reagan supported Brady Bill. Pass more laws.

Caller 6: "What is Brady Campaign doing to restrict criminals instead of legal gun owners?"

Henigan: Guns make crime more lethal. Pass more laws.

Levy: NY, Chicago, DC not 'sensible' laws. Brady Campaign supported those.

Rosenburg: Brady view on Chicago?

Henigan: We don't support handgun bans. Heller decision endorses 'sensible gun control'.

Levy: Heller found 3 laws unconstitutional. Brady Campaign avoiding incorporation issue because they know they'll lose.

Henigan: DC gun regulations reasonable. Same as cars.

Rosenburg: Original intent?

Henigan: We'ld disagree to original meaning.

Levy: Madison supported militia only.

*End of Debate*

Were you called? Take the poll.

CHICAGO, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (ICPGV), a project of Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), released the results from a new statewide, bipartisan poll on gun violence prevention.

Voters statewide expressed overwhelming support for closing the "private sale loophole" by requiring background checks for all gun sales, with 90 percent in support and 76 percent strongly supporting such a measure. Support for universal background checks was strong among Republicans (85%), gun owners (79%), and NRA members (70%). Women, voters residing in the suburbs of Chicago, and Hispanic voters had the highest levels of support for the measure, each at 96 percent.

Is this why there where over 5,000 progressive firearm rights supporters present in Springfield on March 11th 2009 in comparison to a few hundred anti-gunners the next week? Is that the kind of support they're talking about?

Who are these people they're calling? Certainly no 'NRA members' I'm in contact w/. Or even anyone they know for that matter.

Perhaps this 'poll' is similar to the one endorsed by Ceasefire PA/NJ showing overwhelming support for 'gun control' yet opposition to the various bills was 100:1?

Private Sales Ban Fails in Illinois

HB 48, the bill banning all private sales of firearm in Illinois went down today 60-55-1. This was THE big push by the Brady Campaign, ICPGV, and ICHV in the state.

From the ICHV:

Meanwhile, HB 0048, which would require background checks on all handgun sales, is closer to being passed than it was last year. This bill appears as if it is going to pass or fail by one or two votes in either direction. etc.

Not even close. In fact, IIRC, it did WORSE than it did last year.

Edit: I remembered correctly. Last year was 58-58 so they lost 4 votes and we gained 2.

Grassroots efforts at its finest.

More from the ISRA.

Teaching Firearm Safety = Selling Drugs

So says our favorite violent religious figure Father "Snuffy" Pfleger on a suggestion to teach firearm safety in schools:

"That's like saying we might as well sell drugs legally..we don't want access to guns. We have children dying in this city. We're talking about teaching gets kids in grammar school how to shoot guns? That's crazy."

Yep, that's right. Now he's gone from threatening politicians and business owners to stating that teaching safety is morally equivalent to selling illegal drugs.

Ignorance is bliss.

GUILTY!! Because We Say He Is

That's the mentality of the Brady Campaign in their quest to end legal firearm ownership. They, with their infinite levels of 'common sense', consider even a 'Not Guilty' due to lack of any evidence not enough to stop demonizing firearm dealers:

“Existing laws are so weak that even one of the most notorious dealer supplying the cartels, the owner of X-Caliber gun shop in Phoenix that allegedly supplied 700 guns to Mexican drug gangs, had all criminal charges brought against him dismissed recently. As the X-Caliber case shows, ‘enforcing the laws on the books’ will never be enough: we need stronger laws, and strong enforcement of those laws.”

Get that? He's 'notorious' because of those 'over 700 guns' he 'allegedly' sold, the prosecutors could not find a single one that was sold illegally in any way.

Since the shop retains all those records, one would think that the BATFE would be able to find some sort of pattern in the people he sold them to and would bring them to trial and in some instances they have. But pursuing that line of thinking wouldn't promote more restrictions on firearm owners so the Brady's want nothing to do w/ it. Much better to enact more laws that have been proven to have no effect on actual criminals.

More at Armed and Safe.

New Illinois State Police Director

Gov. Pat Quinn on Sunday appointed a 29-year-old war veteran who finished in the top 1 percent of his West Point class to direct the Illinois State Police.

"I will work tirelessly," Jonathon Monken said. "My ultimate goal is to serve with distinction."

During a news conference Sunday afternoon at the Thompson Center, Quinn praised the former U.S. Army captain's leadership on the battlefield. Monken led more than 100 tank combat missions in Iraq without losing soldiers or equipment, Quinn said. He also has served in Kosovo and as a recruiter for the Illinois National Guard.

The increasing role of the state police as the local liaison to the federal Department of Homeland Security makes Monken's military experience even more important, Quinn said.

Monken said not having a law-enforcement background should not affect his credibility within the state police ranks. He has not yet decided whether to wear a state police uniform.

29 years old? No police experience? Wanting to make the ISP closer to Homeland Security? Anecdotal evidence shows he could go either way on gun control.

I definitely have my misgivings on this one.

Anti-gun media debate

Via ISRA:
ANTI-GUN RADIO DEBATE – MARCH 26TH

Anti-gun Chicago talk show host Milt Rosenberg will be hosting a radio debate on the repeal of the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution on WGN Radio, AM 720, on Thursday March 26th.

Defending our Constitution will be Bob Levy, Chairman of the Cato Institute.

The debater who will be attacking our Constitution has not been named as of yet.
1. Mark your calendar to listen to WGN Radio, AM 720, on Thursday, March 26, 2009 beginning at 9 PM. If you cannot receive WGN in your area, you can listen to the program live on the Internet at www.wgnradio.com

2. No matter where you live, please be sure to call the radio station's call in line at (312) 591-7200 and ask to speak your opinion on what has been said. It would be best if you voice support for the 2nd Amendment and Mr. Levy's statements rather than personally attacking whoever the antigunner is.

Wrong Way "Only Ones"

Three EIU students were killed over the weekend.

State troopers said the car that hit them was driven by an off-duty police officer going the wrong way. The officer was speeding and possibly drunk, investigators said.

Miller was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Dougherty Ferry Road
when her Mitsubishi Eclipse struck the passenger side of Adusumilli's Honda,
which was turning right onto the road, police said.

Sgt. Al Nothum of the Missouri Highway Patrol said Miller's car was "obviously
traveling at a high rate of speed," based on the damage to the two vehicles. He
said police had reason to suspect alcohol involvement but had not made that determination.

Lasers, Railguns, and Robots! Oh My!

We've all seen the prototype Cylon that was unveiled in Japan last week. Prototype Railguns are already being delivered to the US Navy. Now heavy lasers are reaching a level that can be of practical use on the battlefield.

Huge news for real-life ray guns: Electric lasers have hit battlefield strength for the first time -- paving the way for energy weapons to go to war.

In recent test-blasts, Pentagon-researchers at Northrop Grumman managed to get its 105 kilowatts of power out of their laser -- past the "100kW threshold [that] has been viewed traditionally as a proof of principle for 'weapons grade' power levels for high-energy lasers," Northrop's vice president of directed energy systems, Dan Wildt, said in a statement.

Boom Baby.

Another Shooting by a "Parolee"

OAKLAND, Calif. – A police officer was battling for his life and three more were dead after a parolee with an "extensive criminal history" opened fire at a routine traffic stop and hours later gunned down members of a SWAT team searching for him.

So another violent career criminal with a gun already prohibited by law murders police officers. Now we just wait for the calls to make guns more illegaler while nothing is said about keeping violent criminals in jail.

And another interesting note:

People lingered at the scene of the first shooting. About 20 bystanders taunted police.

Hmm. How many of those individuals know where 'community guns' are stored or have told the police "I know nothing" when it comes to criminal activity in their neighborhood?

ISP Director Resigns.

Another anti-gun Blago appointee gone.

A spokesman says Illinois State Police director Larry Trent has resigned.

Sgt. Luis Gutierrez says Trent stepped down Friday, effective immediately.

He did not have further details, including whether a replacement for Trent has been named.

Trent served with the Illinois State Police for 22 years before former Gov. Rod Blagojevich chose him as director in 2003.

Trent is an Army veteran who served in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

This is the same guy that compared firearm rights supporters to criminals:

"There isn't really any middle ground on this issue," State Police Director Larry Trent said at a news conference Tuesday. "You either stand with the gun lobby or you stand with law enforcement."

But at the same time refused to enforce the laws.

Good riddance Larry. Don't let the door hit your @ss on the way out.

UPDATE: Potential reason. Rehabilitated? Have a court order to expunge or seal your record? Like the ISP cares.

Wayne Lapierre on Glenn Beck

O-Day +58: Insults and Media Silence

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has apologized to the chairman of the Special Olympics for his late-night talk show quip equating his bowling skills to those of athletes with disabilities.

The reaction by the media? Virtual silence.

The reaction by the Obamabots? Apologetics.

Can you imagine what the response would have had Bush made a similar statement? It would have been front page news for a week.

But there's no media complicity. No, none at all.

Kalishnikitty 2009

Via SmallestMinority:



Kalashnikitty time! Eric is doing another run of that popular classic.

OK, guys and gals, I have gotten a lot of emails in the past few months about people wanting Kalashnikitty shirts and have decided to do up another run.

I will be taking orders until Sunday, April 12 and the order with my shirt maker will go in on Monday April 13. I should have the shirts in my hands and shipping out by the last week of April and they will ship out immediately by Priority Mail. Occasionally things get delayed or sped up depending on his inventory, workload, shipping issues, etc. - but I'm giving myself enough time this time to hopefully get around these occasional issues.

Here's the procedure for getting the shirts (this makes it a LOT easier for me to track and ship these things ASAP)

Email me, erickelly1@verizon.net with the following:

1 - Number and sizes you want - sizes are Child's Medium, Child's Large, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large, Adult XL, Adult 2XL, and Adult 3XL.

2 - Your name and address

3 - How you would like to pay for them (Check, Money Order, Paypal)

TWO color choices this time around! - the classic light ash grey (very nice) - shirts are high-quality, do not fade or shrink, long lasting, very soft. Image is screen printed, NOT iron on or transfers. I've never gotten an email from any of my previous customers saying, "The shirt shrunk, faded, looks horrible after 3 months, etc." - these really are quite nice shirts.

I talked to my shirtmaker and he said he might be able to do this on a BLACK shirt - this has been requested by a lot of you over the years. He's working up a graphic for me (since the current outline of the graphic is black and wouldn't look right on a black shirt) - I think we may got with a white outline that will be a little wider and slightly different looking than the current white inside the graphic. As soon as I know and have an idea as to how it will look I'll let you know.

The extra cost of a black shirt will be $2.50 - this is due to the shirt "shells" in black costing more and the initial new setup of doing another plate for these.

Let me know if you would like your shirts in regular (ash-grey) or the new black.

Pricing - I have, in the past 7 years, never raised the price, even though my cost has gone up. I'm STILL not raising the price yet - even though shipping has gone up, I'm going to eat that since you all have been so great to me over the years and I want to make these available to as many people as I can.

Any size up to XL is $20, 2XL is $21.50 and 3XL is $22.00. As noted, black is $2.50 extra, regardless of size.

Shipping via 2-3 day Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation is $5.00 for 1 shirt, and an extra $2.50 per shirt after that.

Check, MO, or Paypal is good for payments. If using Paypal, add 4% to the total payment, including the shipping.

** When you email me your order, include your full name and mailing address. I will email you back with the total.

Below are some pictures of the graphic and some happy customers wearing them. Thanks again to everyone and spread the word!

The Man behind the Scenes.

Literally.

The "Look" is Gone

Charlie Manson then:


A sociopath with an ability to mesmerize people w/ his words and glare.

Charlie Manson today:


Just a tired old man.

Common Sense Gun Laws Won, The NRA Lost

That's what the Brady Bunch told us a few months ago.

Maybe not.

Today in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, 65 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR), expressed their opposition to the reinstatement of the failed 1994 ban on semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines. These congressmen cited numerous studies that proved the 1994 ban was ineffective, and they strongly urged Attorney General Holder to stop his effort and instead focus on the enforcement of existing gun laws.

NRA would like to thank Congressman Ross for his leadership on this effort. We will continue to work with Members of Congress from both parties on this important issue.

Two of those Democrats were Jerry Costello and Debbie Halvorson from Illinois. Special thanks go out to these individuals from all the law abiding folk in Illinois.

No Confidence in Chicago PD Leadership

The Fraternal Order of Police joins the rest of the city residents in a "No Confidence" vote.

Officers Issue Vote Of No Confidence In Weis
FOP President: 'I've Never Seen Morale This Low'

"I think the message that's being sent from the membership by their votes is that they want to see change, and whether it's a new superintendent himself, or the overall administration of the department, something's got to change to put their men and women in a better frame of mind; a more secure frame of mind so they do their job as they know how to do it," FOP President Mark Donahue told CBS 2.

Not really a surprise. Not a thing has changed since he took over (at $310K/year) except that crime has skyrocketed and Daley has cut their numbers down to replace them with cameras that don't work.

Chicago Area Appleseed

From my associates at the McHenry County Sportsmen's Assoc.
With help from our friends at various 4-letter organizations such as
MCSA, ASSA, SLRA, CCKC, we've done it: We're going to hold an
Appleseed event about an hour north of Chicago!! (That's the closest
possible range, BTW...)
 
Won't you help me spread the good word? (If you can, please plug the
event as the "Chicago" Appleseed...)
 
Here's the link: http://www.mcsa56.org/mcsa/entry/the_chicago_appleseed_event
 
Cheers, I'm going to go collapse in a heap now...
Les K

The McHenry Co. Sportsmen's Association, in conjunction with the State Line Rifle Association, Action Shooting Sports Association, present the APPLESEED Program at the Conservation Club of Kenosha Co (Bristol, WI) on August 14th and 15th, 2009. Mark your calendars now... Registration information coming soon!