Good news. Given this has passed in a few other states, I think we may be able to officially declare this a movement. Of course, not that many states restrict suppressors. I now have hope that maybe we can get them unregulated federally. I can tell you that this would be a huge boon for suburban outdoor ranges which have noise problems.
Month: April 2011
Why Newsweek is a Rag
Articles like this, about just how much Japan can take, is one of the many reasons I find Newsweek an insufferable publication:
The simple fact is that the Japanese archipelago is no stranger to cataclysmic events. Over time, the Japanese have endured more than their share of devastating natural disasters. As a people, they have always coped remarkably well—so well, in fact, we are left wondering if there isn’t something especially resilient about them. In fact, the Japanese are the only people on this planet to fully confront the horror of nuclear destruction, and to survive it. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki near the end of World War II has become the archetypal nightmare of our time. Strangely, those events share some striking similarities with the recent compound disaster.
And what is the alternative? Has there ever been a situation in the history of mankind where a people have just declared “F*** it!” and collectively hurled themselves off cliffs? We survive because it beats the alternative. It’s a pretty simple equation and there’s nothing magical about it.
I suppose in the Newsweek world, they could all just up and decide to move somewhere else; that perhaps national despair need not rise to the level of seppuku. But can they name any land mass that doesn’t float on a sea of molten rock? Any place where mother Gaia isn’t regularly hatching schemes to screw the human race? I don’t know if anyone in the Newsweek newsroom has noticed, but we live on a planet that’s been trying to kill us most of our evolutionary history. How much can the Japanese take? How much can anyone take? People will survive because they want to live. Only Newsweek could make news out of something this trite.
Shooting “Un-Dutch”
As if they are supposed to somehow be immune to the predations of whack jobs:
Dutch churches held memorial services for the victims on Sunday as the media analysed the “un-Dutch” nature of the shooting, which they said was more common in countries like the United States.
“An un-Dutch drama,” the NOS public broadcaster labelled the killing.
But disaster management professor Eelco Dykstra told the station: “This type of thing can happen anywhere.”
If one counted the number of mass shootings proportional to country size, Europe “is more affected than America,” he said.
They seem surprised their gun laws didn’t work. To tell the truth, if there was any type of crime one would think gun control would have any logical possibility of stopping, it would be this type. Unlike gang members, mobsters, and drug dealers, random whack jobs aren’t likely to have too many black market connections, and one would think are more likely to need to rely on legal channels. But yet we have seen this is not necessarily the case. It happens countries with very strict gun laws, as in Brazil, Germany, and now the Netherlands.
Nonetheless, my prediction is that the Dutch will restrict firearms even further, and pretend to have dealt with the problem. The mass delusion that these laws work will continue until the next incident, when the ratchet will be tightened even further.
Castle Doctrine Possibly Delayed
Since it’s passage is largely inevitable, we’re probably going to be delayed a bit why everyone tries to get their due credit for getting the legislation passed. I’m generally fine with this, as long as it gets done. Some of our friends in the legislature who have gone out on a limb for this bill shouldn’t feel shut out of the final passage.
The Brazil Shooting
I’ve been watching our opponents work themselves up over the whole mass shooting in Brazil, and beating the cause of gun control. The problem is that if that incident says anything, it’s that strict gun control laws don’t stop this kind of thing. Brazil completely prohibits semi-automatic rifles. Pistols must be a caliber of no greater than .38 Special. Handguns are strictly licensed and registered. Owners must be 25 years old or older. There are limits on how many guns you may own. You can see a summary of Brazilian laws here.
Yet to some this means we need to try more gun control here. Brazil’s laws are a gun control advocates dream. They are well beyond anything that would be politically achievable in the United States. But yet we must still try something. Because if we do, the unicorns will fart a few more rainbows and surely less people are going to die by gunfire. Take their word for it. Ignore the fact that there’s no evidence it works.
Lucky Gunner Blogger Shoot
The fine folks at Lucky Gunner seem to have quite the event planned. I am told there will be tanks and artillery. This should be a good time. Apparently interest in this event among gun bloggers is quite high. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I am planning to go.
Posting Will Be Light Today
Bitter was in an accident on the way home from dropping me off at work (I left my car there for the weekend. Long story). She’s fine, but this will be the second tailgate we’ve replaced on this vehicle:
Unfortunately, my coworkers and I have to give a very important, potentially company saving presentation today, and so I can’t exactly just go home. But I plan to as soon as it’s all over so we can get the car into a shop and get the repair process started. I guess we’re also going to need to rent a car too.
BTW, what a strange world we live in when I can get a live pictorial update from the accident scene. Apparently someone switched lanes without checking, causing Bitter to slam on her brakes to avoid hitting him, and in the process a truck hit her from behind. Truck is at fault for following too closely, but the cop said the trucks insurance will probably blame the guy who switched lanes without checking. I don’t care who’s to blame as long as someone else pays for the damage.
UPDATE: I have taped up the window, and stuffed as much plastic material into the area around the broken door seal as I could. Hopefully it’ll keep the majority of the water out of the interior if it rains. Seems she was hit by a fish truck, which is kind of ironic since she was on her way to stock up on fish for our freezer. I should call the fish company and tell them I won’t sue if they send me some.
Important Victory in Illinois
The Illinois Supreme Court has declared an out of state permit it equivalent to an FOID card for the purposes of Illinois gun laws. They invalidated the felony conviction of a man for having a pistol in the rear console of his vehicle. The case is here. Note that this isn’t allowing carry, just transport according to Illinois law, as if you had an FOID. I would imagine this could complicate a case brought by the Mountain State Legal Foundation, because there were some reports that she had an Ohio license to carry. If that’s the case, I’m not sure they will still have a case after this ruling.
Falling Down on the Job of Gun Rights
While working on a Pennsylvania-version of news from NRA-ILA about the national reciprocity bill, imagine my surprise when I found some key names left off of the sponsors list. These are the members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation who support the bill:
- Rep. Jason Altmire (D)
- Rep. Mark Critz (D)
- Rep. Charlie Dent (R)
- Rep. Tim Holden (D)
- Rep. Mike Kelly (R)
- Rep. Tim Murphy (R)
- Rep. Todd Platts (R)
- Rep. Bill Shuster (R)
- Rep. Glenn Thompson (R)
These are the members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation who sought & received NRA’s endorsement in 2010 against anti-gun opponents who are not on that list:
- Rep. Jim Gerlach (R)
- Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R)
- Rep. Pat Meehan (R)
- Rep. Joe Pitts (R)
These are the members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation who sought NRA’s endorsement in 2010 and received high grades while running against a friendly incumbent, but who have not stepped up to support gun owners on this issue:
- Rep. Lou Barletta (R)
- Rep. Tom Marino (R)
Notice a trend with the party affiliation of those who wanted our support for the election, but who aren’t even sponsoring a bill for us? Every single one of the pro-gun Democrats who survived the 2010 elections has come through. Only half of the Republicans with previous endorsements and high grades have been willing to lend their names to the cause.
Tax Cutting I Heartily Approve Of
Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA-06) has proposed cutting the federal beer tax. His district has a number of microbreweries. If you haven’t tried any of the breweries mentioned in the article, I would recommend it. Victory and Sly Fox are particularly stellar breweries.