Sebastian – Page 84 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Unintended (Or Perhaps Intended) Consequences of Terror Watch List

I wanted to elevate this commentÂ from Divemedic the other day to a full blown post, so folks could understand how this could end up playing out if the Dems, Toomey and Bloomberg get their way:

My son is on [the Terror Watch] list. He is listed as a suspected terrorist. He was even visited by DHS agents, and his passport was revoked.

Now, I raised my son better than that, and he is most certainly not a terrorist, so how did he wind up on that list?

My son is a travelling nurse. He flies all over the world, treating and transporting patients from one place to another. It pays very well. He recently got paid for a 4 day trip, escorting a patient to Australia, and was paid $4000 for 4 days’ work. This week, he is in Milwaukee, and is being paid $12,000 for ten days’ work. In between trips, he works at the local trauma centers, and was one of the nurses on duty this past weekend in the Orlando area.

Now that you have the background, here is how he wound up on the terror watch list:

A known terrorist was arrested, trying to enter the country with my son’s passport. Well, not his actual passport, but a forgery with all of his information on it.

In all of his travels, he once had to go to the Dominican Republic to bring a patient home. While he was there, a government official photocopied the passports of the entire crew: 3 members of the flight crew, a respiratory therapist, and my son. Those photocopies were sold to people who make forged identity papers, and that information was used to create fake papers.

My son received a visit from DHS, they revoked his passport, and he had to apply for a new one. His name, birth date, and other information is now on the suspected terrorism watch list, because that information is now known to be used by terrorists.

This proposed law would prevent my son from buying a firearm, even though he has not broken a single law, nor is he likely to.

And remember, the Dems don’t want there to be any way for you to get off the list. They rejected the Coburn/NRA bill because it would provide for that. That’s because the goal is not to protect us from terrorists. The goal is to make as many people prohibited as possible so gun ownership becomes more burdensome and legally risky than it already is.

Weekly Gun News – Edition 40

I know we had a round-up earlier in the week, but gun news is a flowing, as you might expect. Given the huge surge in traffic (though not quite so huge as post Sandy Hook), I feel like I should welcome back readers who may have been on hiatus for a bit. We’ll do our best to keep up with the happenings.

For all the crap federally licensed dealers get from gun control folks, they are our first line of defense, and unlike the FBI, they care a lot more about not selling guns to nut jobs than they care about political correctness. This shop deserves kudos for calling it right.

Roberta X: “More Guns Won’t Stop This –A Rant”

Speaking of whack jobs, that shooter was quite a piece of work. I seems everyone had concerns about him. Well, everyone except the FBI. I get there needs to be a crime, but threatening people is a crime. Jim Geraghty notes, “And government officials wonder why people think they should to own a gun to protect themselves!”

Guards at nuclear plants just got the OK to use “assault rifles.” That’s odd, I thought the feds had rules for that which overrode state law.

The current terror watch list before Congress wouldn’t have stopped this mass shooter because he was taken off of it in 2014. Funny how it always work out that way.

Joe Huffman: “A question about NEED” Some good tips for talking to people about the topic. Ultimately, we don’t win this issue in Congress. We win it through millions of conversations like this.

We need to hope they deny cert in this. A 4-4 ruling upholds the lower court, though I don’t believe it’s president setting.

Larry Correia: Ask Kuntzman. Funniest thing I’ve read all week.

West Hollywood inundated with pro-gun signs. Whoever did this is brilliant.

ThinkProgress: “The Problem With Banning Guns From People On The Terrorist Watch List” Yes, really, ThinkProgress. The GOP has no excuse for caving on this. None. The more principled lefties still hate watch lists.

Gun Control defeated in the House.

The Billionaires Who Back Gun Control. They are the only reason this issue is back from the dead, and all that’s keeping it alive.

Charles C.W. Cooke: “Slate Goes All In On Second Amendment Trutherism”

Gun Control Groups Targeting Last Remaining Pro-Gun Dem Senator

The gun control folks are targeting Heidi Heitcamp, the onlyÂ pro-gun Democrat left in the Senate. Holding out the possibility that Everytown thinks attacking Heitcamp helps her (which it probably does in North Dakota), they would be foolish to weaken her, and here’s why:

This is what the 2018 Senatorial Elections look like. You have potential Dem pickups, if they are very lucky, in Nevada. The rest the GOP has a solid lock on. But the potential GOP pickups are pretty astounding, assuming the GOP doesn’t blow it, which I have full confidence they can do! But some of those pickups are probably a given, even if the typical suck sets in.

The main reason I’m not dumping on Toomey too much, even though he’s pissed me off and lied to us, is because I need his R ass in that seat, and even though he’s a worm, if he wins he’ll keep the Dems from picking up that seat.

The Dems just need to pick up 5 of those, and we’re defending a lot of purple states this time. We don’t really have any plausible pickups except for maybe Nevada, but probably not, unless we’re very lucky, and the GOP is not usually lucky. We have a whole lot to lose. Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Florida. Do you feel good about that map? I don’t.

If the Dems were to pick up the Senate in 2016 and the White House, the Second Amendment is almost certainly dead, since the Heller and McDonald decisions would either be reversed or limited to their specific facts (which is pretty useless unless you live in Chicago or DC). If we lose the Senate, and win the White House, we’re more likely to get another Souter, since the Dems are certain to block all but the squishiest nominee. So the GOP has to hold the Senate in 2016 if we’re going to hold the line.

Since We Know the Media Are Liars …

… I have to assume they are lying about this and taking things out of context in order to proffer their preferred narrative. You have to be pretty sick vultures to call up the descendants of a guy who’s been dead for nearly 20 years to get a statement about something they had nothing to do with. If it were me, I would have told them to fuck off and die in a fire. The family is quoted:

“Our father, Eugene Stoner, designed the AR-15 and subsequent M-16 as a military weapon to give our soldiers an advantage over the AK-47,” the Stoner family told NBC News late Wednesday. “He died long before any mass shootings occurred. But, we do think he would have been horrified and sickened as anyone, if not more by these events.”

Our friends at the New York Daily News, who can fuck off and die in a fire, ran this headline:Â “Inventor of the AR-15 would be ‘sickened’ by mass shootings.” Isn’t everyone horrified and sickened by mass murderers? I think that’s a natural reaction. Without hearing more from the family, I’m not willing to say anything against the family. Pretty clearly the media is perfectly willing to insert things between the lines that twist a statement into whatever advances the preferred narrative.

That Eugene Stoner designed the AR-15 and subsequent M16 for the military is a fact. But no military in the world has ever fielded an AR-15. In fact, the semi-auto AR-15 platform was quickly sold into the civilian market by Colt, and I don’t recall ever reading of Stoner ever having objected to it.

Double Tap Range Responds, and Gresh Kuntzman is a Liar

Double Tap Shooting Range Responds:

Yesterday the man in this video from the NY Daily News called and asked if he could come and interview us about the basic principles of how an AR-15 works. We acknowledged his offer so that we could prove that an AR-15 is indeed a great and safe weapon as stated in the video. After the video was filmed there was another Q&A type conversation on how things work in other countries, what are some of the things others believe would be a step into the right direction of gun control. To our knowledge we did not know that Mr. Kuntzman would completely turn things around and make our establishment look like one of anti-gun advocates. We have received dozens of phone from all over the country in regards to the article. Many of these callers expressed disgust with the article and told us to stay away from the media. I can assure everyone that we do not support mental health screenings like they do in Europe and we don’t think that government officials should take away guns from people as it was portrayed in the article. Currently we are doing everything we can to take this article down because after reading it we are just as disgusted about it as all of you are. Our team here at Double Tap would like to sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding and report that we are doing everything in our power to get this article removed. I implore all of our supporters to share our apology with everyone in-order to help defend ourselves from the media who is doing anything in their power to blemish the face of all gun owners and attempting to add more rule to the fire of the attempt of the liberal gun-grabbing agenda.To those that are writing negative reviews about us, please understand we had no intentions of having this article cause such an issue, nor intentions of us looking like anti gun advocates but, to educate which in turn did the complete opposite due to Mr. Kuntzman. If anyone has anymore questions or concerns please feel free to come in or call us we will gladly discuss this issue with you. And for the record, if you get a bruised shoulder or PTSD from shooting an AR-15 you may be a Katie Couric, liberal with ought testicular fortitude.

Never talk to the media unless they are known friendly. That goes triple for known hostile media like the New York Daily News. In fact, it’s probably a good idea that if the dude is arrives with New York plates it’s going to be a hit piece. Seriously people: don’t talk to the fucking media.

Vote Could be Held Today

The Dems decided they needed to strike while the iron was hot, and to capitalize on the raw feelings of the public after the terrorist attack. Politico is reporting the vote could be happening as we speak. It looks like Toomey is floating his own proposal separate from Cornyn, which the NRA is OK with. Keep in mind we haven’t seen any language yet. I’m thinking they believe a big mistake they made after Sandy Hook was taking enough time so that we could actually read the bills and find out we (or rather Senator Toomey) were being hoodwinked.

Both failed in December and are likely to fail again, senators and aides said. Universal background checks also stand no chance of passing the Senate. Conversations between Cornyn and Feinstein on a middle ground broke down on Wednesday after the NRA endorsed Cornyn’s bill, and Democrats loathe the bill written by Toomey that he developed while speaking to Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-control group led by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

I really want to nail Toomey in a primary. I don’t honestly care if it throws the seat to the Dems at this point. Both Casey and Toomey got into office by lying to gun owners, and then screwing us. I’m very interested in how the Junior Senator from Pennsylvania votes. I will also be paying close attention to the bill he wrote with Bloomberg.

Gersh Kuntzman is Just Trolling for Clicks

Gersh Kuntzman, writing in the New York Daily News, doubles down on the article he wrote about his bizarre AR-15 experience. I give him credit that at least he’s fired an AR. Spend a week listening to people blather about ARs who have never fired a gun in their lives makes you start wanting to go “Oh, so you’ve never fired a gun, let alone an AR-15. Well, then shut your ignorant pie hole!” I give kudos for Kuntzman for at least trying it, even if I’ve seen eight year olds handle the experience better than he describes.

But reading his latest article, I think both Kuntzsman and the New York Daily News are just trolling for clicks at this point. It may be shameless, but it works. Those eyeballs are no doubt coming from “Hey, check out this pansy,” as people of the gun spread the link around. But none of that is going to matter to advertisers. So perhaps Kuntzman is willing to endure pot shots at his masculinity for the sake of clicks:

To summarize, this line of argument suggests that I’m not a real man because I am frightened by the awesome power of an AR-15, which, despite however you willfully misread my story, can discharge dozens of rounds in mere seconds.

If you can fire dozens of rounds in mere seconds on semi-automatic, and actually hit what you’re aiming at, having no prior shooting experience, I’ll eat my hat. That is likely a fabrication, or the adrenaline was warping his sense of time. I’d struggle to do that, and I’ve been shooting a lot longer than he has. The AR is easy to use and easy to learn on, but it’s not that easy. I’ve been wondering if the shop owner set him up with a rental M-16 rather than an AR-15.

Yes, this weapon scared the crap out of me. And it should scare the crap out of all of you, too. An AR-15 is a weapon of mass destruction, a tool that shouldÂ only be in the hands of our soldiers and cops, as Rep. Seth Moulton wrote in the Daily News on Tuesday. I don’t think there’s anything unmanly about pointing out this fact.

Kuntzman’s fears are his own problem, not mine, and he shouldn’t make his issues the world’s issues. It also begs the question of why cops should have a weapon of mass destruction? They carry guns for the same reasons we do: self-defense. If it’s useful for police to protect the public and themselves with an AR-15, why is it then not useful to me? Just because he can’t handle it doesn’t mean he should project his inadequacies onto others.

As far as the challenges on his masculinity go: when he ridiculouslyÂ claimed shooting an AR gave him PTSD, heÂ insulted a lot of people who actually have or have had PTSD from experiencing things far far worse than firing a rifle in a safe and controlled environment. And he gets indigent that people then fling insults? He cheapened what those folks went through, and he should get over himself.

Personally, when I started shooting, especially on indoor ranges, it took a bit of conditioning to get over being jumpy at unexpected loud noises. Even when I would get used to the basic din of a range, some dude would show up with a hand cannon, or large rifle and *jump*. Some people struggle with that more than others. I suspect most of us took a bit to get used to a range, especially if we weren’t raised as shooters (which I was not).

Here it Comes

The Dems end their filibuster while the GOP agrees to hold a vote. We also have word that Pat Toomey is working with gun control groups again on “producing a bill that could pass Congress.” Hopefully this time, the good Senator won’t get hoodwinked by Chuck Schumer into gutting the FOPA safe travel provision.

Next time Toomey is up, it’ll be an off year, and his ass needs to get primary’d.

This better be one of those “we give up almost nothing and get something in return,”Â or “we have the votes to beat this and just want to get some more lawmakers on record.” If not the GOP majority in Congress is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

This is the time to start calling. No more gun control. Period.

Our Allies: Know Who They Are

It’s not just crazy gun nuts who have serious concerns about ~~using~~ abusing the no-fly or terror watch lists, we have allies in unexpected places.

It’s good to know there’s still good old fashioned liberals out there who still share thatÂ passÃ© concern for civil liberties. Cristian Farias over at HuffPo: “The NRA Has Actually Got Something Right On Gun Control.”

The ACLU has been an ally against the terror watch list for a while now.

I know this will be controversial for some of my readers, but any chair in a bar fight will do: CAIR is against the terror watch list.

Pink Pistols are an LGBT gun-rights group, andÂ they have an excellent release on the attack at the pulse night club. We will definitely need their voice as this train starts moving.

Tom G. Palmer (yes, that Palmer) in the New York Daily News: “In wake of Orlando, gays should arm themselves: Otherwise, in gun-free zones like the Pulse nightclub, we’re sitting ducks to maniacs and terrorists.”

A Sign Things May Not Be Going Well on Capitol Hill

From NRA:

We are happy to meet with Donald Trump. Â The NRA’s position on this issue has not changed. Â The NRA believes that terrorists should not be allowed to purchase or possess firearms, period.Â Anyone on a terror watchlist who tries to buy a gun should be thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the sale delayed while the investigation is ongoing. Â If an investigation uncovers evidence of terrorist activity or involvement, the government should be allowed to immediately go to court, block the sale, and arrest the terrorist.Â At the same time, due process protections should be put in place that allow law-abiding Americans who are wrongly put on a watchlist to be removed.Â That has been the position of Sen. John Cornyn (R.-Tex.) and a majority of the U.S. Senate.Â Sadly, President Obama and his allies would prefer to play politics with this issue.

The thing that worried me from the get go is when you start arguing on constitutional grounds, people either don’t understand or their eyes glaze over. That’s why it’s always, “Politician is going to take X from you.” It’s a sad state of affairs, but most people are not ideological. They don’t care about higher principles. What motivates them is whether their ox is going to get gored by this or that. That’s why Trump has done well among non-ideological voters in the primary. People will burn down phone switches if they think their ox is getting gored. Abstract principles appeal to fewer people. So it is incumbent among us who do get and do care about due process to call our Congressmen and Senators and tell them no new gun control laws. Keep it that simple.

Both the ACLU and NRA are opposed to the Terror Watch List, but don’t expect that to get in the way given that civil liberties are out of fashion among progressive lefties, and “law and order” populists have never been very concerned.