Bitter – Page 33 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Liberals Who Accept Guns – The Horror!

I found this AP article in the San Francisco Chronicle a highly amusing read because it’s clear the reporter is simply horrified that a gun-related company expanding in a college town hasn’t faced mass protests from the “social justice”-minded students.

The statement from the head of the college’s Center for Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice that students are more interested in addressing issues like poverty and hunger than restricting people’s Second Amendment rights seems to leave the reporter baffled. The claim from the single gun control group contacted for comment that Brownell’s “is not a fit” because there is a college nearby that is known for a decent education is never challenged on how it’s not a fit if there wasn’t any opposition from the campus to this expansion. It’s just repeated as thought it was a fact.

The entire article centers around the baffling idea that there are people in Iowa who would be considered liberals, but who aren’t making gun control an absolute top priority. It’s a priority for the media, so clearly it should be a priority for these liberals…

Gun Advertising in Tennessee

I find it funny that you can’t drive 10 miles in the Nashville area without passing a billboard for some kind of gun shop or seeing a gun shop from the road.

Even if many of them are very simple with their graphics and their messages, it’s entertaining. It certainly reflects that the gun culture is healthy even in an urban area.

However, there’s one that drives me up the wall in all of the years I’ve been driving through from the East Coast to Nashville area. It’s Outdoor Junction at exit 290 off I-40. In all of the years they have been advertising on billboards along I-40, they have only catered to men. They bill themselves as a place to buy “Men’s Toys” with a picture of a handgun. It would be one thing if, somewhere in their advertising corridor, they included a billboard catering to women. They don’t. They have multiple billboards to promote how they appear to only sell things to men. I can tell you right now that I would never be willing to walk in because their advertising sends a message that they simply don’t even acknowledge women as customers shopping for themselves as opposed to shopping for their men.

When I see some stores so obviously go out of their way to embrace the shooting culture as being only meant for men, it makes me wonder how long places like this will manage to hang on and stay alive in the evolving community. I’d be curious to know if those of you in other parts of the country see these kinds of gun shops that go out of their way to frame their products as only appropriate for men sticking around. Do they manage to pull of a bustling business in spite of ignoring outreach to the largest growing portion of the gun owning community?

Kalashnikov Dies at 94

Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the famed AK-47, has died at 94.

The story highlights that he was self-taught, never finished high school, and was a tank mechanic before inventing the rifle. They also report he invented a lawnmower. He also made several adaptations to tanks that were eventually adopted by the entire Red Army.

The New Helicopter Moms

Moms Demand Action may become Bloomberg’s Helicopter Mommies Merged with Illegal Mayors with the news that Bloomberg is merging the two groups now that he’s leaving office. Now the gun control women won’t just be known for anti-gun antics, but they carry the weight of Bloomberg and his attempts to control everything you eat and everything you do – just like a helicopter mom.

The Political Power of Gun Owners

Right now, if all goes according to schedule, Sebastian and I are likely in the National Archives looking over the Civil War pension applications from two of his ancestors and one of mine. This new genealogy hobby has opened the door to new political issues for us since, as you might expect from an overly expansive government, there are efforts to shut down resources utilized by genealogists. Since someone, somewhere might possibly misuse data, we must ban the estimated 80 million genealogists in the country from access to vital information!

What I found interesting and relevant to post on this blog was a peek at the influence of NRA on the political process compared to some other interest groups.

Back in 2012, there was a hearing held on the uses and value of the Social Security death records, and genealogists were not even on the witness list. In fact, it goes further than that:

No genealogist has ever been permitted to testify at a hearing regarding the SSDI. Melinde Lutz Byrne, at that time President of the American Society of Genealogists, sat in the hearing audience when Commissioner Astrue uttered his remarks. Her in-person testimony was banned by Chairman Sam Johnson.

Can you imagine a situation where Congress would refuse to listen to any pro-gun group at all on any major gun issue? Let’s face it, even if they only invite NRA to try and pick on them, even anti-gun lawmakers tend to want to hear from the opposition for at least political points. That doesn’t mean they take the pro-rights arguments seriously, but at least they allow a voice to be heard. The genealogists can’t even be heard – not even once.

I just found that to be an interesting little perspective on how hard gun owners have worked to be taken seriously. Now we just need some 2014 election wins to help remind lawmakers why they should keep listening to us.

DC Changes Law, Threatens Jail to Registered Gun Owners

The District of Columbia has changed their registration law, and they estimate as many as 40-50,000 gun owners may face up to a year in jail if they don’t make an effort to learn about the change in the law.

On Jan. 1, DC gun owners will have 90 days to jump through the entire gun registration process all over again. This means in person stops at the police department and all sorts of bureaucratic headaches. However, not jumping through these hoops (all over again) will mean that in 180 days, they are illegally possessing firearms and will face jail for it.

The media is highlighting that there are concerns that not all gun owners will learn about this change in the law, and that could cause unintentional non-compliance with extreme consequences.

California Handgun Roster Challenge

The oral arguments on this challenge were held this week, and Gene Hoffman has an update.

Congratulations, Florida!

According to law enforcement, Florida is on track to reach 1 million background checks for gun purchases in 2013. The brisk holiday gun-buying season has already driven them over the total number of background checks run last year.

It’s Not about Background Checks

You’d think that pro-gun control folks would be happy any time a gun is purchased through a federally licensed dealer because it means there was a background check conducted and records will be kept.

But, no, that’s not good enough. The fact that someone is able to buy a gun at all is a problem for them.

That’s the message sent to us with a bill introduced in Virginia to ban all FFLs from selling rifles and shotguns to out-of-state residents who pass the background checks.

Not Every Tactic Works All the Time

After the Colorado recall success, I got the impression that some gun owners online thought that pro-Second Amendment forces could tackle any anti-gun effort anywhere. As any reader of this blog knows, we’re fans of political reality, so cheering on a recall effort should be done only after careful consideration.

There was a minor recall attempt in Exeter, RI that went badly for gun owners there, and now the leaders feel vindicated.

This is just one more reminder that it’s absolutely vital that activist gun owners get involved in their local communities so that they can factor in feelings on the ground about lawmakers and consider all of the details that may make a difference between victory and defeat that might embolden anti-gun forces.

We were both pretty cautious about the latest Colorado recall effort, but then a state resident pointed out important factors (like the length of her term and district makeup) that made the case for recall. And, even though the Democratic replacement is still anti-gun, we won that since it still sent a political message that just like your healthcare plan, you can’t keep your seat.

While being tuned into the gun debate around the country is handy to see what other people do to successfully promote the Second Amendment, it’s more important to be involved locally so that you remind your own lawmakers that you are watching their votes before there’s a need to recall them.