In comments to an article by Megan McArdle (the article itself is interesting):
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Category: Current Events
A modest proposal for a “Racing Car Ban”
Imagine, if you will, a politician’s press conference transcript, reproduced below
In light of recent tragic street racing deaths caused by youths recreating closed circuit road racing in street-legal cars that look like NASCAR vehicles, I have a modest proposal that we ban these cars that are similar to cars of racing.
A car should be considered a “racing car” if it meets the below-listed criteria:
A 4-seat car with an automatic transmission and the ability to be refueled from a portable tank and has at least 2 of the following:
- A driver’s seat that adjusts in height or can be moved forward and back on rails
- A shift level mounted in the center console
- A “Bull bumper” or a “ramplate”
- A 2″ or greater exhaust pipe or a muffler designed to accommodate a 2″ or greater exhaust pipe
- A weapon mount
A 2-seat car with an automatic transmission and the ability to be refueled from a portable tank and has at least 2 of the following:
- A fuel fill port behind the license plate
- A muffler capable of accepting a 2″ or greater exhaust pipe
- A steering wheel grip cover
- A manufactured weight of over 5000 lbs with an empty gas tank
- AÂ street-legal copy of a track-only vehicle
A SUV with any number of seats that has an automatic transmission and at least 2 of the following:
- Â A driver’s seat that adjusts in height or can be moved forward and back on rails
- A shift lever mounted in the center console
- More than a 15-gallon fuel capacity; and
- the ability to be refueled from portable containers.
Turning Point: Election 2016
Despite Sebastian’s early read that, as an unambiguously terroristic act, the massacre in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando would not cause the same level of blame as Sandy Hook, my Facebook feed this AM tends to disagree. While that’s a pile of anecdotes rather than data, the blood was still warm when the dance started, and it started with the old classic tune of “This Was The NRA’s Fault,” and the chorus is “AR-15s should be banned and all other firearms strictly restricted, because nothing less will work.” They’re either attacking the BG check system because the shooter was allegedly a wife-beater and mentally unstable and still was able to get a firearm, or ignoring that he passed a BG check in the first place. And pointing out that he was investigated by the FBI for terroristic ties (without mentioning that the investigation was dropped for lack of evidence).
(All are ignoring that he passed separate BG checks to become a licensed armed security guard – a BG check that should have been more in-depth than the NICS check, I would expect. OTOH, I don’t know FL law and company policy there; perhaps all they do is a NICS-equivalent check. Which seems sloppy).
The result is that the Democratic Party has increased their bet on “gun control is a winner!” By doing so, they’ve put defenders of the Second Amendment on deadly ground. My gut read is that Trump’s chances just got better.
France Not a Developed Country?
Shannon Watts is such a horrible Public Relations person, I’m surprised Bloomberg was impressed with her. Everyone and their mother knows about the shootings in Paris and Belgium, unless they live in caves:
Dear Congress: This isn't happening in any other developed nation. DO YOUR JOB! #PrayForOrlando #MassShooting #Orlando
— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) June 12, 2016
The attack by Muslim terrorists at Le Bataclan in Paris which killed 130 and wounded hundreds more is off of Shannon’s radar because it doesn’t fit her gun control narrative. France, by the way, had very, very strict gun control laws as does Belgium where many of those terrorists obtained their weapons.
Terrorists are going to kill people. It is what they do …
Shannon was beating the drum for terror watch list legislation even before all the facts were in.
Terror Attack in Florida
Last report I saw was more than 50 dead. Being that this is unambiguously a terrorist attack, we’re probably not going to suffer being blamed the same as after Sandy Hook. People view terrorism differently than random attacks. It would appear the shooter was a “known wolf,” and had previously been under FBI investigation. Early on I was wondering why the police took so long to go in. After Columbine, the doctrine stopped being “wait for the SWAT guys to show up.” It appears in this case he may have been wearing a suicide vest or facsimile.
Meanwhile, in LA, “terrorist,” or “careful when you leave America?” Indiana plates with a trunk full of guns and tannerite? Sounds like the latter to me.
We will undoubtedly fall under attack and get the finger pointed at us for this. The media is already doing it. The obvious threat coming is the “terror watch list” bill, because it would be most relevant to this case. Make no mistake, they will attempt to blame us for this and get whatever they think they can get, but “terror watch list” is the obvious line of attack. Remember, the courts don’t think this is a right, and will likely ignore the serious due process issues with denying people fundamental constitutional rights based on being on a secret government list. We’ll have to fight. Don’t depend on the courts to save us here.
Not all news from New Jersey is bad
Scott Bach wins one in New Hampshire for out-of-staters.
All That Matters is the Narrative
Charles C.W. Cooke asks the relevant question about the UCLA murder-suicide: “What law — specifically — would have prevented yesterday’s shooting?â€
Typically, those who favor more gun control argue that America’s “patchwork quilt†of rules and regulations help those who would do harm to slip through the net. Furthermore, they contend that adding further barriers would prevent young men with evil intent from getting hold of lethal weaponry in the first instance. But it is hard to see how such criticisms can apply here, in response to a crime that could have been carried out with a double-barreled shotgun from 1872.
Good thing California recently decided to ban guns on college campuses, or someone might have gotten hurt. Like many mass shooters, the gun was legally purchased by someone who had a clear background. Notice how the media dropped the mass shooting in Houston like a hot potato and then gravitated to the ULCA shooting? Probably because the Houston story quickly defied the preferred narrative, and the narrative is what’s most important to the gun control operatives with bylines.
Twilight of a Republic?
Sebastian expressed his amusement over the news that a Clinton staffer was offered an immunity deal as part of the email brouhaha. I can’t say I didn’t feel some schadenfreude when I heard the news, but I’ve had time to think it over since. And now I’m actually a little worried. This ups the ante for Ms. Clinton. Someone on her team believes not only that a crime occurred (Pagliano has already invoked his 5th amendment rights in testimony before Congress), but that there is a substantial risk the FBI can prove he himself was involved. The thing is, though, the FBI would only offer immunity if they believed he can tee up someone bigger. There aren’t a whole lot of bigger frogs in the pond, though. Ms. Clinton is very close to a scenario where she either becomes president or suffers a catastrophic disgrace when the whole mishandling of classified information scandal crashes down on her inner circle, and herself.
That worries me, if there is no graceful exit option for her. The underlings now have one – negotiate a deal with the FBI (while they still can, anyway). But that’s not available to the head of the organization. Neither is resigning to avoid prosecution. Accepting a pardon from this or a future non-Clinton administration is barely an option, I suppose, but it still leaves her “brand” badly tarnished. I don’t really want to see what Ms. Clinton might do on deadly ground (to quote Sun Tzu).
One of the Heller Five Gone
Word is just breaking that Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead this morning in Texas. Thoughts and prayers go to his family.
Politically speaking, this really shakes up the Supreme Court on the issue of the right to keep and bear arms. In 2012, Sebastian blogged about this potential in terms of the odds that all Heller Five make it to the end of 2016. The numbers weren’t good, and they proved to be accurate.
Oregon Situation Developing
It’s not clear yet all the details, and there’s a lot of conflicting stories, but it would appear the feds have arrested the leaders of the occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, killing one in the process, after the man charged police, or was peacefully surrendering, with his hands up, depending on whose story you believe. I hope there is dash cam footage so the truth can be ascertained. The feds need to be very careful about the remaining protesters.
OregonLive has pretty timely coverage of what’s going on. Glenn Reynolds spoke about this issue a few days ago, noting “I believe that Baker v. Carr was incorrectly decided.” Of course, this is a federal problem, where we do still have geographic representation in the higher house.