SayUncle notes that previously the ATF has declared a shoestring to be a machine gun, now it seems that if you have a Chore Boy copper cleaning pad, and some insulation, it could be an unlawful suppressor. This is “constructive possession” taken to a level of utter absurdity. It all really comes down to whatever a US Attorney thinks he can get a jury to buy. If you end up on his bad side, that could be a lot more than you might be comfortable with.
Year: 2011
Let Them Eat Venison!
Hunters have done more to provide healthy meals for the nation’s poor than Michelle Obama’s crusade for Whole Foods arugula on every table. According to NSSF, hunters donated nearly 2.8 million pounds of game (mostly venison) to hunger programs in 2010. That provided more than 11 million meals for those less fortunate.
Ever since the early days of the recession, local news outlets have covered stories of food banks in desperate need of donations. Hunters have stepped up to help meet that need. The White House garden? That didn’t make 11 million healthy meals. I also bet that the carbon footprint of the average hunter taking to the woods is far smaller than that of the First Lady flying in her tax-funded plane with her entourage to Hawaii and traveling all around Oahu to find an organic arugula farm.
As an interesting side note, NSSF estimates that if they could account for all direct donations – those hunters make directly to friends & family in need without going through a food program – these numbers are easily doubled.
HSUS Training Game Wardens
In California. Apparently the extreme animal rights group Humane Society of the United States is a certified law enforcement training agency in California, being certified by the Butte College Academy. Sportsmen need to be on the watch out for this in other states. HSUS would love to get their fangs into state game agencies, and in a whacked-out state like California, the odds are better than in most others. I’d keep an eye out for this in New Jersey too.
Let Them Eat Steak
Looks like our First Lady has had her Marie Antoinette moment:
Visiting an organic farm in Hawaii on Saturday, First Lady Michelle Obama said that “arugula and steak†was her “favorite†meal and expressed her view that American children need to “get their palates adjusted†so they will begin eating properly.
Having been hoped and changed out of a job, it’s been a while since I had a nice steak. And have you seen the price of arugula at Whole Foods lately? Most people can’t eat as well as Michelle Obama because they simply can’t afford it. But I’ll be honest, what problem would you rather have? Our poor people starving because they can’t afford to buy food? Or our poor people getting fat because they eat too much inexpensive, processed food? This country tends to have a problem more with the latter, and I think that’s a good thing.
For Michelle, the problem really seems to be that the poor can’t afford to shop at Whole Foods, because those poor neighborhoods, after all, aren’t even likely to have a Whole Foods. What a tragedy. Are there really neighborhoods in America that don’t have a single place to buy fresh food? Even Wal-Mart has fresh food, though I know some cities have made a concerted effort to keep Wal-Mart out. It’s an evil corporation, after all.
Obvious News of the Day: Press Manipulated in F&F
Emails between senior Justice Department officials and investigators in the office of Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley show that congressional staffers leading the investigation into Operation Fast and Furious requested information about Operation Wide Receiver — a Bush administration program – and other similar cases, more than a full month before the DOJ leaked information to selected media outlets on October 31.
Manipulating the press is pretty easy when the outlets are already in the tank. Outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post have only been happy to help deflect the blow of this scandal.
Debate on HR822
It can be watched here. The anti-gun folks in Congress are using NAGR’s opposition in attempt to defeat the bill. Many of them are saying they have never heard from their constituents on the issue. Make sure that’s not the case. Call your member of Congress here.
UPDATE: I really have to wonder all these gun control supporting Democrats, including Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Hank Johnson (D-GA), will be open to “states rights” arguments the next time they come forward with a federal law that restricts firearms. Using “states rights” arguments against HR822 is the height of hypocrisy for these people.
UPDATE: Democrats keep saying we need to concentrate on the economy, and that people keep telling them they want the focus to be on jobs. Funny, the Democrats were never that concerned about people wanting the focus on jobs when they were busy shoving an expensive, job-killing health care monstrosity nobody wanted down all our throats.
UPDATE: The rules under which HR822 will be considered on the floor are being voted on now. Looks like Don Young wants to attach some Coast Guard museum amendment to it. Earmark? Now it looks like the Coast Guard reauthorization is to be attached? I believe these amendments aren’t being voted on right now, we’re just trying to establish which amendments may be considered under the rule.
UPDATE: I think they are considering rules for another bill now. I didn’t quite follow what became of the rule on HR822, because C-SPAN decided to cut out.
UPDATE: Looks like the rules vote will be at 2. The debate on the underlying bill and amendments will be tomorrow.
A Handy Map
I have to thank Mother Jones for coming up with this handy map for us, even though the intent of the article it is attached is some good old fashioned fear mongering ahead of the vote on HR822. My state not only allows carry in restaurants, you can have a glass or two of wine with dinner without anyone getting bent out of shape. It’s been that way since 1988 too. While you’re likely to lose your license if you get caught carrying drunk as a skunk, or staggering down main street with a pistol in your hand shooting at the street lamps, generally speaking PA law has treated people like responsible adults. I don’t think we have any serious problems with drunk toters above and beyond other states that do restrict carrying in establishments with liquor licenses, or with very strict laws about drinking.
Winning on Lead Bullets
A group called the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in 2009 asking the courts to prohibit the use of lead bullets on Bureau of Land Management property in Arizona. It contended that California condors were being poisoned by scavenging game killed by hunters using lead ammunition.
A federal judge has thrown the lawsuit out, however.
Threats to lead based ammunition is one of the biggest problems we’re facing today. Had this suit been allowed to proceed, it would have been really bad news.
“Chicks With Guns” Appears in Time LightBox
I spoke about the “Chicks with Guns” display at the Beretta Gallery in New York a few days ago. Now it’s appearing in Time Magazine. You can buy it on Amazon, and if you ask me, it would make a great holiday gift. I’m surprised to see it in Time, which has traditionally been quite anti-gun. It has to drive our opponents nuts to see guns getting mainstream play like this. It’s basically more messaging to women that it’s OK to own guns.
Bloomberg’s Justice
Having failed to obtain the conviction of a woman who killed her husband who had threatened to kill her, they apparently decided to go after her for using her abusive husband’s gun. And Bloomberg wonders why we’re committed to dismantling New York City’s gun laws.