The ruling from Washington State Supreme Court yesterday which recognized the Second Amendment as incorporated, shows some promise when it comes to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms as applied to minors. It would seem to me that it’s correct to say minors can’t be outright prohibited from possessing arms, but that states may require adult supervision of the possession.
Month: February 2010
Bill O’Reilly More Anti-Gun Than Obama?
Not really a surprise really. Bill O’Reilly is strongly anti-gun, as Instapundit finds here, even more so than Barack Obama. O’Reilly has said radically anti-gun things before, so this certainly isn’t the first time. It’s one of the reasons I don’t watch Bill O’Reilly. The other reason is that Bill O’Reilly is a class A bozo. Bill O’Reilly makes me want to shoot my television if I see him on it. No other cable news talking head makes me feel that way, save maybe Olbermann. Glenn Beck I can take or leave (mostly leave, I tend to find he’s a bit of a drama queen). But in the sphere of pure loathing, O’Reilly takes the cake. I still remember him calling Dave Kopel a secular progressive.
More Hysterics
This time from the Washington Post, because Virginia is considering lifting its gun rationing law. They tell us to “get ready for mayhem” and say:
We hope reason prevails, and the state Senate kills the repeal. Because if Mr. Lingamfelter’s bill is enacted, here’s what police and prosecutors expect: Crack dealers in New York will pay 21-year-olds with no criminal records to buy dozens of Glock pistols at Virginia gun shops.
And to top it all off, we link to the queen of screaming, raving, mad hysterics, Abby Spangler.
Unbelievable Article in the Philly Inquirer
One of the sad facts, as we approach the day that the ban on firearms in National Parks expires, is that we have to listen to the hysterical machinations of the media. I’ve seen some bad ones, but this one from the Philadelphia Inquirer takes the cake:
Whatever the gun rights of law-abiding park visitors, having loaded firearms in the national parks certainly will change the experience for everyone.
Every day could seem like the start of deer hunting season with people strolling the parks armed. That has to be a frightening prospect for families and others who aren’t accustomed to being around guns. And there’s also the risk of accidental shootings.
Like the start of deer season? Because we’re just going to shoot our guns all over eh? Does the Inquirer staff not wonder why this isn’t a problem in state parks, where people can legally carry guns, and have been able to for a few years now? How many times do they have to make dire predictions, only to have them turn out to be gravely wrong? I think this more than anything has destroyed the credibility of the gun control movement in the eyes of the public.
Swarthmore Considering L&S
Now Swarthmore is considering this useless measure:
“This is a pro-cop measure, as those are the people who very often have to face illegal guns. This nationwide group with a strong presence is united in a common effort and has support of locally and beyond,†Lowe said.
That’s Mayor Richard Lowe, who is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Even if you accept that local municipalities can be “Laboratories of Democracy,” shouldn’t the fact that no one can name a single prosecution under this law prove that it’s a worthless, feel-good measure? At least, even in very liberal Swarthmore, we had at least one person show up in opposition. If you’re opposed to this, and live in the area, be sure to let them know.
New HSUS Sponsored Dog Food
Fresh from Uruguay, you too can turn your dog into a vegetarian. Nevermind that dogs are carnivores. Terrierman’s Daily Dose has the low down on the food, which is sponsored by the anti-hunting animal rights group Humane Society of the United States. If I were a dog, and my owners fed me this crap, I think I’d kill them in their sleep and eat them. I would argue a dog that did that ought not be put down. I’d understand.
The only real disappointment is, though it’s certified USDA organic, it is not, in fact, Vegan, since it contains vitamins found only in animal products. Good thing too, since I’m pretty sure Vegan dog food would kill your pooch. Hell, I think this stuff might too.
Time for a Federal Lawsuit in Lower Merion
It would seem to be that Lower Merion School District administrators are being sued. Why? They apparently were using integrated web cams in student laptops to spy on students at home. The lawsuit is a class action, and in addition to civil rights violations under Section 1983, they are going after a laundry list of other federal laws regarding communications, computer fraud, and wiretapping. Good. The people who thought up this scheme ought to have their lives ruined. In my opinion they should also face criminal charges.
Open Carry Deters Armed Robbers
People have always argued that openly armed individuals are a deterrent against crime, this case from Kennesaw Georgia would seem to bear that out. My opinion is that open carry would likely deter most armed robbers, who are more interested in cash than killing. Seriously violent individuals might just shoot first, but I believe those kinds of folks are a minority.
Roll Up For the Stimulus Tour
According to Capitol Ideas, Governor Ed is going on a magical stimulus tour of Western Pennsylvania:
Gov. Ed’s Magical Stimulus Tour wends its way through western Pennsylvania today.
At 10:25 a.m., he’s appearing at Carnegie Mellon University for a joint appearance with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, all the better to discuss the economic wonders brought on by The Stim.
At 11:30 a.m., Rendell’s off to a private residence in Carnegie, Allegheny County, to discuss how the feds have paid for weatherization projects. The homeowners, wrapped in plastic weatherstripping, are also expected to be on hand.
Touring through Western Pennsylvania to tout all the wonders the porkulus has wrought? One can see from the Center for Workforce Information Analysis, many parts of Western PA still stuffer from crushing levels of unemployment.
To exaggerate a bit to make a point, isn’t a tax and spend politician like Ed Rendell touring the state touting the the porkulus when much of PA is still at 9.5+ unemployment kind of like touring Berlin, circa summer 1945, speaking to its people about all the wonders the autobahn has brought to Germany?
The Brady Rankings – In Context
The Brady Campaign has officially declared itself to be a radical gun banning organization. There’s no other way to view them after reviewing their latest state rankings of gun laws released this morning.
The rankings are conducted on a 100-point scale. Their “best” state is California which comes in at 79 points – a C+. The second spot is secured by New Jersey with 73 points – a C-. However, I consider the most telling grade to be Massachusetts. Brady said they only scored a 54 out of 100 – or have an F in the gun control grade book.
Massachusetts is a state with discretionary license to own. If you walk into a police station and offend the police chief by wearing his least favorite color, he has the authority to deny you a license to even own a rifle or handgun in your home. Massachusetts is a state where the gun laws go so far that pepper spray requires its own firearms permit. If a new shooter wants to take empty shell casing home after a successful day at the range, they risk criminal charges for inert cases if they do not have a gun license.
This is what the Brady Campaign considers to be a failing grade?
There is no right to own arms in Massachusetts. That is still not good enough for the Paul Helmke. What is good enough? Confiscation? Would that get them up to maybe a B? What is an A for the Brady Campaign?