Month: December 2008

Book Bomb A Success

Just got an e-mail from The Independent Institute, where Steven Halbrook is a research fellow, on the success of the Second Amendment Book Bomb so far:

As an update, our book THE FOUNDERS’ SECOND AMENDMENT: Origins of the Rights to Bear Arms, by Independent Institute Research Fellow Stephen P. Halbrook, has skyrocketed to the following rankings at Amazon.com:

#1: Law
#1: Civil Rights and Liberties
#1: Constitutions
#1: Constitutional Law
#1: Revolutionary and Founding History
#12: History
#11: Professional and Technical
#26: Nonfiction (all)

The book has soared to an overall ranking of #140 at Amazon.com and #105 at Barnes&Noble.com. (With the enormous response, Amazon.com temporarily sold out of the book and is now being restocked.)

By any measure this is a pretty stunning success for a special interest, academically oriented book.  If we keep buying, and encouraging other people to buy, this book could rocket even higher.  I am pleased so far.  I was worried that we Internet warriors have become much better at tearing other people down, than building people up.  This shows that we can do both, which encourages me.

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More on One-Gun-a-Month

NRA reports that the New Jersey one-gun-a-month bill was indeed pulled from a floor vote.  It will remain a pending bill in the legislature for the next thirteen months remaining in the term, and could have a floor vote at any time.  But NRA does mention:

While this legislation will remain in a position to be posted for a vote by the full Senate for the rest of the 13 months remaining in the term, this development can only indicate a softening of support for this dangerous bill.  Overwhelming effort on the part of the grassroots networks of a variety of gun rights groups in New Jersey must be credited with this apparent reversal of fortune for the anti-gun crowd.

There are people who deserve credit for this.  Scott Bach, who is an NRA Board Member and President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle Pistol Clubs, Andrew Jennison, who is the NRA state liaison for New Jersey, and probably more than a few other people who I’m overlooking.  But really, none of these people are scary to politicians without grass roots who are involved and engaged.

This is a minor, and possibly short lived victory, but it wasn’t too long ago the anti-gun forces in New Jersey could steamroll us whenever they wanted to.  That might be changing, but we must keep up the fight.

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New Jersey Sportsmen Get Representation in Trenton

It looks like a few lawmakers have decided it’s still okay to publicly support hunters in Trenton.

New Jersey’s nearly 1,000,000 anglers, hunters and trappers are claiming a historic day. They are referring to the creation and first official meeting of the New Jersey Angling and Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJAHCC), a bipartisan assembly of political leaders and recreational outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to advancing the state’s conservation interests.

The NJAHCC was initiated and organized by Senator Stephen M. Sweeney (Democratic Majority Leader) at the suggestion, and with the cooperation, of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. The Caucus is comprised of a total of 26 senators and assemblypersons.

Hopefully these lawmakers will also vote the right way on gun issues.  I haven’t looked up their grades or voting records yet.  If they aren’t gun-friendly yet, this is one way gun owners can approach them.

Unfortunately, gun owners in New Jersey have a long way to go because 26 lawmakers in both chambers isn’t very many when there are 120 legislators in total.

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Pittsburgh’s Illegal Gun Law to go into Effect Soon

It looks like it will be your Christmas gift, Pittsburgh residents.

A controversial gun-control law passed by Pittsburgh City Council will take effect within 10 days without Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s signature.

Whether it will be enforced remains to be seen.

The law, which many believe violates the state Constitution, requires gun owners to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours of noticing it’s gone. The measure is designed to stop the flow of guns into the streets through straw purchasers — people with clean records who buy guns to sell to criminals.

Pittsburgh: Where the Constitution is optional.

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Stupid Inventions

Loaded chamber indicator.  I agree, they are highly stupid.  They are also dangerous.  Remember the original Mk.III’s that could go off if you dropped them on the LCI? You can’t make guns that are safe in the hands of the ignorant.  The key is educating the ignorant.

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Damned Kids Wouldn’t Stay off His Lawn

So he resorted to fox urine to repel the trespassers.

A 50-year-old man told authorities he was fed up with teens toilet-papering his house during homecoming week. This year, he decided to defend his property — with a squirt gun filled with fox urine.

Now, Scott Wagar is in trouble with the law. He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in Kandiyohi County District Court to misdemeanor assault and other charges. He was released on personal recognizance.

What I don’t get is why he’s being charged.  I don’t know about Minnesota, but in Pennsylvania you can use force to defend property.  Not deadly force, but force:

§ 507. Use of force for the protection of property

(a) Use of force justifiable for protection of property.–The use of force upon or toward the person of another is justifiable when the actor believes that such force is immediately necessary:

(1) to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry or other trespass upon land or a trespass against […]

[…] (1) The use of force is justifiable under this section only if the actor first requests the person against whom such force is used to desist from his interference with the property, unless the actor believes that:

(i) such request would be useless;

(ii) it would be dangerous to himself or another person to make the request; or

(iii) substantial harm will be done to the physical condition of the property which is sought to be protected before the request can effectively be made.

I can’t imagine Minnesota can be all that different.  But it seems to me if kids are TPing your property, you’re justified in squirting piss on them if they won’t leave you alone.

UPDATE: Yep, Minnesota law is similar:

Sec. 609.06. Authorized use of force. Reasonable force may be used upon or toward the person of another without his con-sent when the following circumstances exist or the actor reasonably believes them to exist:

[…]

(4) When used by any person in lawful possession of real or pet-sonal property, or by another assisting him, in resisting a trespass upon or other unlawful interference with such property; or

I guess the charges will hinge on fox urine not being “reasonable” use of force.  Good luck finding a jury who’s going to convict on that.  I sure as hell wouldn’t.

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Second Amendment Book Bomb

Spread the word far and wide, today is the day of the Second Amendment Book Bomb.  We’re trying to get Steven Halbrook’s new book “The Founders Second Amendment” ahead in the rankings for Amazon, in order to prmote the Second Amendment.  Please, if you don’t have a copy already, I highly recommend getting one.  If you already have a copy, it makes a Christmas Gift.  Click on the link for more information.

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