May 2012 – Page 3 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Zimmerman Update from TalkLeft

Jeralyn at TalkLeft has a very detailed and interesting assessment of what happened in the George Zimmerman case. It’s well worth a read. I had not found anyone speaking of this issue, as to whether Zimmerman’s attorney would even want to try for an immunity hearing under the SYG law:

If Zimmerman Attorney Mark O’Mara believes the Judge will find some way to wriggle out of ruling in Zimmerman’s favor at a Stand your Ground hearing, the question becomes, should he even try for it? It would give the state a free preview of his defense case at trial, giving the state additional time to find specific arguments and witnesses to refute it. On the other hand, it gives the defense a free test-drive on cross-examination of the state’s witnesses.

The idea that a judge is going to want to toss this hot potato as soon as it lands in his lap seems pretty reasonable to me. It’s going to be very interesting to see what happens from here.

The Narrative Slips Out of Control for Josh Horwitz

Josh Horwitz, the Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, throws in a pinch of worry in the debate over Marissa Alexander in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, with a dash of outrage:

Third, and most disturbing, the current debate over Marissa Alexander serves only to further the interests of the National Rifle Association. They must be sitting in their high-rise offices in Fairfax, Va., marveling at how they created a country where even political moderates are now arguing for a wider application of their “Kill at Will” philosophy.

I can’t speak for the folks in Fairfax, but I’m certainly marveling over how thoroughly organizations like CSGV and Brady have lost this debate. Even Bloomberg is afraid to drag MAIG directly into it, and is instead attacking Stand Your Ground under his own auspices.

I ultimately agree with Horwitz’s conclusion that Alexander’s motion for immunity was properly denied, and will even go so far as to join them on the ridiculousness of the mandatory minimum. But it still bowls me over that, in the wake of failure after failure, guys like Horwitz just keep wanting to recycle the same tired arguments, and the same, overheated, over-the-top rhetoric. This was a tragedy practically custom made for them, and they still got no traction on it. Public support for Stand Your Ground is still pretty high.

Our opponents were used to a media environment where they could grab hold of the narrative and drive it as far as they like, but that does not work in the world we live in now. The funny thing is, no one can control it for long, not even us. But for some reason that’s strengthened our hand, and severely weakened theirs.

Memorial Day in New Jersey

From Ian:

“The Memorial Day Parade was led off by a drill team firing blanks, and the empty brass was in demand by the children watching, and I saw the team handing them out.”

This is one particular instance where New Jersey is still a bastion of freedom. When this same thing happened a few years ago in Massachusetts, a school bought the hammer down, and fortunately, law enforcement did not, though they could have, since it’s a felony to do what was done here in New Jersey in Massachusetts.

There are plenty of people still out there who have no respect of concern for the freedom they died protecting.

Why They Serve

The Wall Street Journal is running an article by Tom Manion, who lost his son in Iraq. It’s well worth a read this Memorial Day. Tom Manion was the GOP candidate who went up against Patrick Murphy in 2008, and unfortunately lost. I think the idea was that he was able to neutralize Murphy’s anti-war position, due to the fact that he had lost his son in Iraq, but in 2008, the was fighting the last election.

The Zombies are Coming

I’ve been of the opinion that the whole Zombie thing has pretty much jumped the shark, but then you end up with a naked guy chewing someone’s face off in Southern Florida. The Obama campaign has immediately launched a task force figuring out how to corner this important, and soon to be growing, constituency.

The Onion Descends Into Tastelessness

The Onion has put out some funny stuff over the years, even on our own issue. I can have a pretty good sense of humor about these things. This bit of parody of the NRA, for instance, is hilarious. But this latest bit from them isn’t even parody. It isn’t even funny. in fact, it’s pretty sick, if you ask me. It’s one thing to parody NRA, it’s quite another to make humor out of mass murder.

Trap Shooting in the Olympics

Our only athlete competing in this year’s Olympic Trapshooting games is a woman, Corey Cogdell. I have to agree with Wyatt, that Olympic Trapshooting will definitely be worth tuning in this year. Best of luck to Ms. Cogdell.

Hat Tip to Mr. Hippiesmite, who’s friend’s with my neighbor — the person that tipped me off to my bird-roosting-in-the-house woes.

Pointing and Laughing

Thirdpower has a hilarious troll of CSGV’s Facebook page. I don’t know who this Chris Conmy guys is, but if he is a reader, well played, sir. Well played.

Good News for RKBA from Louisiana

Sorry for the lack of posting today. In the office for a meeting today to discuss the plan for the final push on my project. But in other news, looks like Louisiana is on track to have the strongest right to keep and bear arms language yet. The bill is now cleared the house, and Governor Jindal supports it. It’s on to the people of Louisiana next.

â€œThe right of each citizen to keep and bear arms is fundamental and shall not be infringed. Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.â€

This is in response to the Louisiana Supreme Court essentially gutting their own state right to bear arms provision which currently reads:

The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged, but this provision shall not prevent the passage of laws to prohibit the carrying of weapons concealed on the person.Â

I consider projects like this important for a couple of reasons. For one, it reminds the courts what the people think their right means. Two, it’s batting practice in the event we end up having to do this federally because Obama manages to replace one of the Heller Five, and the Second Amendment is essentially read out of the constitution entirely, or narrowed into effective meaninglessness. Three, it demonstrates to our opponents that we can indeed do this, putting to rest any argument that this is an antiquated right which is unimportant to the people.

Winning! But Not Quite.

The Daily Caller, a conservative leaning news outlet, is giving away one gun per week up until election day, in an effort to get people to subscribe to their newsletters. The fact the the DC is using firearms to promote their business is rubbing the right people the wrong way, such that Soros has his minions poring through everything the owner of the company that makes the gun ever wrote, looking for things to use against the guy. Sadly for the owner, they don’t come up empty, since he seems to have written several race-laced diatribes over at his blog on the topic of Obama.

They paymasters who are bankrolling Media Matters have to understand that mainstreaming of guns in America puts them on a road to utter defeat on this issue. That’s why they are quick to dig to try to discredit those who undermine their agenda. What would be really nice is if people on our side didn’t make their job so easy. I’m not of the opinion that race discussions are never to be had, but I do indeed question someone who seems hung up on Obama in the race department. I’ve never been of the opinion the man’s skin color really needs to be an issue in this debate. That particular fever swamp is really best left to the left.

But I don’t believe this ought to reflect badly on the Daily Caller, who I doubt had the time or inclination to pore through everything the owner of the company ever wrote to see if they could find anything to use against him. I guess the folks over at Media Matters are upset that the owner of that company never offered to give away a gun to David BrockÂ so he could have an assistant illegally tote it around D.C.