Sebastian – Page 1479 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Ed Rendell at It Again

Ed Rendell is crapping all over Keystone State gun collectors again:

Speaking on a day when Philadelphia recorded its third gun killing in 24 hours, Rendell said that if lawmakers’ terms were limited, they might be less fearful of the gun lobby and more likely to support a long-stalled proposal to limit handgun purchases to one a month.

“That law should be passed,” Rendell said. “No one who is sane and rational would vote against one handgun a month.”

I guess I’m crazy them, because as a collector, this law will affect me. And I still ask “How is this going to help things?”. They’ve been completely unable to demonstrate that this kind of straw purchasing is a major source of crime guns. Straw purchasing is already illegal, and multiple gun sales are tracked by the ATF and County Sheriffs. If we’re not going after these types of gun traffickers now, how is adding an extra law going to help anything?

I should also point out that term limits will ensure that Ed Rendell does not serve a second term as Pennsylvania’s governor. I guess they are useful for something then.

h/t: Jeff Soyer

Not Sure Whether to Be Upset

I won’t really say anything more about the Webb incident, because now that the details are coming out, we’re missing a key bit of information to determine whether this is something I really should be upset about or not.Â Initial reports made it seem like Webb was bringing a gun into the Capitol, and mistakingly handed the bag with guns in it off to a staffer.Â This would upset me, because I don’t take kindly to politicians privileging themselves with activities they’d throw me in the slammer for.Â I can’t carry in DC without risking jail time, it should be the same for Senators.

If Webb was boarding a flight, he may not have been breaking any laws, as the airports are both in Virginia, except BWI, which is in Maryland.Â If he handed a bag off to the staffer without telling the staffer there was a gun in it, he was an idiot, but it’s not something I’m going to get too worked up over.Â It’s politicians holding themselves above the law that I get worked up over.

So I’ll reserve my indignation from the time being, and just leave it at this: I still won’t be impressed until I see Webb carrying a P90 under a trench coat.

More Info on Webb’s Weapon

It looks like Webb handed the bag off to his staffer because he was boarding a flight. The question of who is the idiot will therefore hinge on one piece of information: did the staffer knew there was a firearm and two extra loaded magazines in the bag? If so, the staffer is the idiot. If not, Jim Webb is the idiot.

There’s also the distinct possibility that both are idiots.

Not Quite As Susceptible

Somehow I think our particular branch of the blogosphere is probably less likely to encounter these types of problems than others.

Some Advice for Jim Webb

So it looks like the good Senator from Virginia had three loaded magazines worth of ammo snatched off his staffer. My main question for Senator Webb is: are you expecting that much trouble? If you are, them I might suggest you reconsider throwing a handgun in your bag, as we all know that handguns are really weapons of last resort.

For Senators who might be involved in a last ditch shootout with potential attackers, after the attackers have made their way through all the Capitol Police, I think we can all agree that this firearm is an excellent compromise between a pistol and a full sized rifle:

Of course, it’s a short barreled rifle, but you should have no problem with the NFA process as a Senator. (After all, it appears you have no problem getting around bans in federal buildings and in the District that apply to the rest of us peons.) It’s small, compact, and will even fit in a duffel bag, much like the one negligently handed off to your staffer.

I don’t want to discourage you from your gun nuttery, Senator, but if you’re figuring on two extra magazine’s worth of trouble, why not really be prepared? Besides, I’d be a lot more impressed if your staffer got caught with a P90 in you duffel bag going through the x-ray machine. We gun nuts are watching, Senator, and we don’t want you to let us down. If you’re going to get your staffers in trouble with the law by being careless about where you put your guns, at least make sure the gun is worth it!

Because He Was Just a Staffer

From Instapundit, we discover that Congressmen’s lives are apparently more valuable than their lowly staffers.

Thompson was booked for carrying a pistol without a license (CPWL) and for possessing unregistered ammunition. According to congressional rules, congressmen and senators, not staff, are allowed to have a gun on federal property.

If I can’t carry a gun on federal property, Congressworms shouldn’t be allowed to either.

Curious Observation

Clayton Cramer blogs about Penn and Teller’s “Bullshit”, but makes a rather curious observation:

This particular program is laced with vulgar language, but I suppose if you are trying to appeal to a vulgar audience–and one that is naturally prone to gun control, because they think Jon Stewart’s Daily Show qualifies as a news program, then this is probably quite effective.

Gun nuts, in my experience, tend to be more vulgar on average than your average college educated suburban liberal.Â I think the demographic that Penn & Teller appeal to is young libertarians, who do, as a whole, tend to be pretty vulgar, but wouldn’t be inclined to support gun control. Â I don’t know if I qualify as a young libertarian anymore, but while I can keep in clean when social decorum demands it, it’s certainly not a natural state.

Why We Say “No” to Licensing

Armed Canadian has a good screed on why gun owners need to fight licensing:

Personally, I find the idea of a license to possess a gun to be a bad idea. Solely for the prospect of abuse over time. Licensing a gun owner for the carry of a concealed weapon and licensing a gun owner for mere possession are the same thing to me. Both depend on the benevolence of the government and require absolute care in crafting such licensing rules to ensure they do not get cut off or be used to create a defacto denial of rights in the future.

The first problem with licensing is the tie to competency. Many people proposing such a scheme want owners to show they are competent. Ok, who makes the rules for competency? Who gets to evaluate them? Who has the authority to change them?

Read the whole thing.

Interesting Observations from Bitter

Bitter noted to me that, despite her predisposition toward dating gun nuts, she has done more shooting with me in a few short months than all the previous Bitter Boys combined.

This is a trend I intend to continue, because I love to shoot, and get unhappy if I’m not shooting enough. Â If anyone from Remington and Federal are reading this, I expect Christmas cards this year ;)

Happy Friggin Birthday (To Me)

I’m past the age where I really care anymore, which would be 33 as of this morning.Â Thirthy three is one of those ages where you’re not sure whether you can say you’re in your early thirties, or have to start saying mid thirties.Â I think I’m OK with a rule that says 33 is early thirties, and 34-37 are mid thirties.Â Having late 30s be only two years sounds rather acceptable.