A Friend Is Down

Updated: Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008, 8:37 am -- News coverage says Mo "hesitated" and that is why he was shot. No, I doubt very seriously that he hesitated. I know the man all too well. He was not about to give this pathetic excuse for a human being his livelihood. This morning he is holding his own. Still in rough condition. But stabilizing.

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A man I have come to know quite well, an immigrant to this nation many years ago and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, was shot in his neighborhood market tonight. He is in critical condition in a nearby hospital. The police have not yet caught the scumbag who robbed him.


He always has believed in self defense, has kept a gun for protection in his home, and perhaps in his market. One of the things he always asked me . . . something that he could never understand . . . was why so many Americans will not rush to the aid of another. "Why do people here not stop a thief if I am yelling 'stop that thief?' " In the country he left, he has said, people think nothing of stopping a thief. For a thief affects everyone in the community.


Simply saying that so many people here are afraid to help another human being always has bothered me. Is it fear of "getting involved?" I don't know. This man would walk to mile to help another less fortunate person. A merchant with a heart.


His family waits and watches tonight. As do I. Please send good thoughts to this man tonight. I have come to know him as a friend. For he is good people.

A Joyous Christmas

To all Ready Line readers, Merry Christmas.

Peace on Earth, and in our communities is what we are about. Not fear. Not scare tactics. And the right to be left alone to spend our lives with those we love.

Enjoy your day! Sunny and cold here in Central Ohio. No snow, but then at least it isn't raining any more.

And for those good girls and boys who have received wonderful new "toys," have a great time at the range!

Has Anyone Else Noticed The Jargon Change?

Has anyone else noticed that the news media of late is misusing (as usual) the anti-gun reference to competition rifles?

Forever, they were called "assault weapons." Since the sunset of the ineffective Brady ban on competition rifles, the anti's have gotten little traction with the usual anti-gun politicians in their continuing quest to demonize SBRs.

But now, suddenly, on the rare occasion when a competition rifle is found or confiscated, it is being referred to as "an assault rifle." Which everyone knows is a full-out machine gun. And thinking people know that LEOs are not pulling machine guns off the streets every time they turn around. But someone is telling the media that "assault rifles" are being confiscated, when what they mean to say is semi-auto rifles (a phrase almost never used by police or the anti self defense crowd).

So what's up here? A deliberate change in tactic with reference to nomenclature? In order to scare a public that doesn't know the difference between your grandad's semi-automatic hunting rifle and a competition rifle?

Here's a lesson to those who do not know the difference -- there isn't any.

For example, here is a story out of Mexico from today. Another from Akron, Ohio earlier this week. Still another from Youngstown, Ohio. More on this in the days to come. I am going to start compiling references to "assault rifle" in media stories when they mean competition rifle. Trust me. I watch this stuff, and until now the herd/flocking mentality of most news media has been to follow that which they have been taught -- to use the phrase "assault weapon."

Either its coming from the anti's . . . or worse, LEOs who should know better. If you have an instance of this in your community, drop me a line with the details, the date the story appeared, and a link if you can get it.

Thanks in advance

Quote Of The Day

"Might I suggest, that the best way to deal with rapists is for their prospective victims to shoot them before the rapist can rape them?"

-- Comment on a Pink Pistols email discussion thread regarding the case of four men who are being sought in the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of a 28-year-old Richmond, Calif. woman who was left naked when they fled in her car. The crime, which occurred on Dec. 13, is being investigated as a hate crime because of comments the suspects made about the victim's sexual orientation, police said. The woman is openly lesbian and had a rainbow sticker on her license plate. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information on this crime.

All Is Not Peaceful In Sarah Brady Paradise

A glance across "the pond" in Sarah Brady paradise finds the government giving itself additional powers against the people, this time the lawful right to use force against debtors.

Take a read. Not a pleasant situation there.

But then, when the people are disarmed . . .

David Codrea has his own thoughts on the matter. Just leave your doors unlocked, as has been advised by city councils in the UK, so the thieves won't damage your property while getting in. That would make it easier for debt collecors, too, right?

Huh??????

Jury Nulificaton?

There is a self defense case that occurred here in Columbus that I am going to look into. Something about it just doesn't smell right, though the defendant who claimed self defense with his firearm, was found innocent by the jury.

Take a read. What are your first impressions?

The problem I have is that the defendant followed the deceased outside, when he should have bolted the doors on his house once the intruders were out and have been done with it.

My question. Did he escalate things? The jury said no. But . . .

Reducing Deaths With A 'Gun Tax?'

Scott Dixon is a retired engineer who lives in Ashland, Ore. He has some rather dangerous ideas about reducing violence and deaths.

His proposal? A gun tax.

While acknowledging the constitutional right to bear arms, I feel that there may be an economic method to persuade gun owners to part with their guns. Governments sometimes require citizens to collectively bear the costs incurred by a few. Society could say, "Fine, you can have your guns. However, we know that the private ownership of guns causes huge economic losses for our society. We want the owners of guns to collectively pay for those losses." I believe that if the owner of each gun had to pay the pro-rated share of the violence done by all guns, he would be inclined to dispose of the gun quickly."

Really? What about the overwhelming evidence that ownership of firearms helps reduce crime. Study after study after study by federal investigators has shown that the ONE thing criminals fear more than anything is the private citizen with a firearm.

Perhaps that is why Mr. Dixon needs to look at Britan and Australia, and chew a bit on how private citizens have seen violent crime skyrocket after the prohibition of pretty much all private firearm ownership.

h/t to David Codrea

Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out

"An Ohio agency director resigned Wednesday in the wake of a finding that she improperly used state computers to access personal information on the man who became known as "Joe the Plumber" during the presidential campaign.

"Two other officials who were suspended from their positions for their role in the computer search will not be returning to their jobs, an agency spokeswoman said. Department of Job and Family Services Director Helen Jones-Kelley said in a statement accompanying her resignation that she won't allow her reputation to be disparaged and that she is concerned for her family's safety.

"This decision comes after a time of pause, in which I realize that I continue to be used as a political postscript, providing a distraction from urgent state priorities," she said in her statement. She could not be reached for additional comment Wednesday night."

Uh huh. This woman did not write this statement. It was orchestrated to get her the hell out of the way and get the "Dem Machine Breaks Privacy Laws For Political Gain" story off the front page. Even national news organizations have continued to keep an eye on this story, much to the chagrin of President-elect Obama's team, which has faced two awkward stories resulting from this state administrator's actons -- comment on her illegal use of state databases for partisan political purposes, or comment on the forgotten story of how Obama says he wants to "spread the wealth around."

Ever since Ms. Jones-Kelley and her subordinates ordered another subordinate to try to dig up dirt on "Joe The Plumber" -- the blue-collar worker from Toledo, Ohio who asked Barack Obama an innocent question that put Obama on the defensive for weeks, she has been denying that she did anything wrong. Now she is playing the victim card. Somehow, she is the victim here. She isn't being used. She put herself in that position and now she's paying the price.

Ted Strickland isn't the worst of governors. But his suspension of Jones-Kelly without pay for a month was not enough. If I had gotten into state records for unauthorized purposes, I would be charged with a crime. She did the same, but thought her state job gave her a free pass. The intrusion was orchestrated, and so was the cover up story.

Good riddance. Don't let the door hit you on the way out of the building, Ms. Snoop.

Tennessee Denies Setting Up Gun Registry

The State of Tennessee is backpedaling furiously this week, telling firearms safety instructors there to pay noooooo attention to certain sections of a roster document mailed to Handgun Safety School Class directors.

At issue? Three sections that asked instructors to mark down the make and serial number of firearms brought to class by students.

Hmmm . . .

Someone had the idea though, and this document made it through the approval and printing process. And it was all a mistake? Really?

Me thinks some state officials thought no one would think anything of it. But it blew up in their collective faces.

Chicago Looking To Copy DC?

Word is that Chicago Mayor Daley, realizing the city's current gun ban is doomed to the same fate as that of the District of Columbia following the U.S. Supreme Court's Heller/Parker decision, is looking at adopting DC's new laws.

Of course the new laws recently passed by the DC City Council are almost certain to be challenged and overturned.

Jeff Soyer at Alphecca has the story.

DC WANTS To Be U.S. Crime Capital

Pretty much ignoring the historic, landmark, watershed, epic Heller decision by the United States Supreme Court this summer, the District of Columbia has pretty much flipped its residents the proverbial middle finger in their effort to find some safety in the dangerous streets that are my nation's capital.

DC has passed more draconian firearms regulations, making residents there -- sick of the crime and refusal by the powers that be to go after criminals, instead of blaming guns for the crime rate -- jump through more hoops in order to legally keep a firearm so that they may exercise their basic human right of self defense if need be.

Worse, just one day after the legislation was put in place, a reporter for MSNBC was mugged outside her hotel around 6 am. I'm not surprised, considering that muggers, thieves, murderers and rapists now know that it continues to be open season on law abiding women, men, grandmothers and coeds. And that realistic self defense continues to be denied by an out-of-touch DC city council that is so antiquated in its thinking it makes your head spin.

Sadly, this reporter seems non-plussed by the event. On air, she made excuses for this criminal, stating that he probably needed some money. Hey lady, in this economy, EVERYONE needs some money. But "everyone" isn't going out and robbing people.

Criminals should be punished, and the law abiding should be able to defend themselves with more than bricks and rocks. The DC administration, under Mayor Fenty, seems unable to understand that taxpayers are not the enemy. But by denying them that basic human right to self defense, or by severely restricting the ability to exercise this right to survival, they put targets on the backs of everyone, particularly women and the elderly.

To both Fenty and the MSNBC anchor I say this: Quit making excuses for criminal behavior. For one thing, because you now are excusing what I view to be the criminal acts of the DC city council members. These people are putting politics above public safety.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is a crime.

Have You Seen This Man?

Have you seen this man? He is missing and it is important that he be found!

Firearms owners, up in arms over a proposal by Seattle, Wash. Mayor Greg Nickels, descended peacefully last night on Seattle City Hall to discuss the mayor's planned gun ban.

Oh, and the man who is wanted? That would be Mayor Nickels. Who was nowhere in sight last night during the meeting. Finding it incredibly difficult to defend his irrational proposal, Nickels was MIA.

Nickels has proposed a ban on firearms in city buildings and in city parks. Of course, law enforcement would be exempted from the ban. Which is interesting. Why does Nickels fear city residents? As for parks, it is well known that if the law abiding are told not to carry their legally owned firearms into city parks, then only criminals will be doing so. Just as they do now. Just as they have always done.

Further, Nickels plan would violate Washington state law. But he doesn't care what the Washington attorney general has to say. People wonder if Nickels truly did not deem it necessary to attend the meeting. Ironically, in a 2006 letter he admitted that he did not have legal authority to do what he is doing now. If this ridiculous ban on the basic human right to self defense is ever passed, my thinking is that letter will be the first piece of evidence cited in the lawsuit against Nickels.

WOW! I just had a thought! Could someone be holding him hostage? Hmmm. . . .

Of course, the Second Amendment Foundation has another thought. Surely he wasn't so cowardly to avoid facing his constituents, whom he is attempting to deprive of their basic human right to self defense. No, he was probably out looking for his stolen pistol.

Regardless, if you have seen this man, please call Seattle Police. If you can get close enough to give him a message, hand him a piece of paper urging him, for his own piece of mind, to visit this site on the Internet.

He really needs to acquire some in order to preserve some dignity.

Happy Bill of Rights Day!

In honor of Bill of Rights Day here in the U.S., buy a book. Or order one -- TODAY!

Stephen Halbrook's renowned hands-down, end-of-the-debate work on the origins of the Second Amendment would be a good one. Actually, a number of people are working to push Halbrook's baby up the rankings at Amazon.com and elsewhere today.

To those old men who studied the classics, who understood (firsthand) tyranny, who worried about the dangers of big government . . . I thank you for the document you created. It has (mostly) withstood the sands of time. There are some who would change the meaning and intent of your words. But there are those who stand and fight to preserve that which you wrote.

So in 2008, we proclaim "Happy Bill of Rights Day!" And to celebrate, we buy books (one in particular)!

Homeowner Pranks Pranksters, Gets Charged With Assault

Now I've heard (or read) everything. Just when you think you've read the craziest of all court decisions, or felt that homeowners finally are being given rights equal to those to home invaders or even trespassers, a court has charged a homeowner with assault.

Just read it. You will be rolling your eyes . . .

The best comment was from Dave Hardy, who wonders how the homeowner got the fox to pee into the squirt gun to begin with. Inquiring minds DO want to know!

h/t to David Hardy

Your Car A 'Public' Place? Only In Oregon

A big debate over at Dave Codrea's place. One interpretation of an Oregon Appeals Court ruling suggests that your car is now considered a "public place." The implication being that possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle may be considered a crime if the locality in which you are traveling has a ban on open loaded carry. Others however, say the ruling has to do with "streets" being public places.

The debate in the comments section is interesting.

Anti-Gun Illinois Governor In Federal Custody

Updated: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, 9:59 am -- Blagojevich was released from jail early today after posting $4,500 bond. His attorney says the Illinois governor doesn't think he did anything wrong. Here is an analysis looking at how Illinois is sadly becoming "The Land of the Plea."

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Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents for what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called a "staggering" level of corruption involving pay-to-play politics in Illinois' top office.

At the top of the list, officials say, is the anti-gun governor's attempt to auction the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Read a copy of the indictment by clicking here.

Incredible, but then this is the Windy City and things in and around Cook County get done "The Chicago Way."

BTW, in case you are keeping score -- Blagojevich is yet another anti-gun mayor in NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's coalition of anti self defense chief executives to be arrested or indicted. Earlier this year, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was jailed on charges of violating terms of his bond while awaiting trial on eight felony counts. He later resigned as part of a plea deal.

Lots more to come on this one on this one folks!

Obama Says 'Don't Worry;' Hamm Calls Purchases 'Stupid'

President-elect Obama is telling Americans not to worry, he believes in the Second Amendment. There is no need, he says, to buy firearms ahead of his swearing in . . .

Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign (formerly Handgun Control Inc.), thinks it is "stupid" that so many more Americans are buying firearms prior to the January 20 transition of presidential power in the United States. Further he states in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times:

"Anyone who thinks they need to rush out and buy a firearm clearly has not
been paying attention to how quickly we make progress on this issue. We don't
think these are first-time buyers. We think they are people who already have
more than enough guns at their homes to protect themselves and are buying
more."

Listen Mr. Hamm. I have worked several gun shows in Ohio these past few months, signing up people who want to join the National Rifle Association. And I can tell you this first hand -- we are seeing an exponential increase at these family events of people who have never before owned firearms. It is evident to anyone who attends these events.

--Suburban dads in polo shirts and khakis
-- Housewives
-- College coeds

I have talked to a lot of these folks. I have asked them why they came out this day, and how they are enjoying themselves. Most will volunteer that this is their first gun show. Most have their kids in tow and realize it is an incredibly family-friendly event. Nearly every one of these folks has said they came out because they believe there will be additional intrusive restrictions placed on the purchase of firearms, and they wanted to go through the process now while it is still legal.

Now were these people influenced by the "Hockey Mom In Chief?" I seriously doubt it. No, they looked at Sen. Obama's record, and being thinking individuals, realized you judge someone not by their words, but by their actions. And Sen. Obama's record on firearms ownership has been abysmal.

Couple that with his recent appointments to his cabinet, and his closest advisers:

• Eric Holder -- incoming attorney general, and Janet Reno's point man on gun control in U.S. Justice Department during the Clinton administration.


• John Podesta -- transition chief, and Bill Clinton's point man on gun control in the White House. He coordinated federal extortionist lawsuits against the firearm industry and Clinton`s failed last-ditch effort to garner universal firearm-owner licensing.


• Rahm Emmanuel -- incoming White House chief of staff, engineered the takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives by democrats in 2006 by convincing rural firearms supporters to run for Congress. So while a liberal leadership spouts the anti-gun line, many rank and file "D" members of Congress who say they are pro-gun are worried they will be pressured to vote for anti-gun legislation. It would go something like this. "I know you support gun rights, but you know . . . if you really want federal funds for that job creation program in your district, you need to get on board and vote our way." You say that's paranoia? It happens every day in Congress.

Yes, Americans are judging President-elect Obama by the company he keeps. Not just by his words, but his deeds. And they are ignoring his suggestion that there is nothing to worry about.

When it comes to his plea not to go out and purchase firearms . . . that Americans have nothing to fear from him on gun control, reaction by ordinary law-abiding moms, dads, grandmothers, grandfathers and college coeds to President-elect Obama's position comes down to this:

He has been weighed, he has been judged, and has been found wanting.

Coyote Attacks Colorado Boy

Not a firearms story, but important nonetheless.

Boy is snowboarding on Colorado golf course directly behind his home. Coyote comes after boy. Boy is bitten, but successfully fends off coyote with his snowboard. Coyote continues to circle boy, but is rebuffed again. Coyote eventually wanders off but keeps eye on boys from a distance.

Why did this happen at all?

1) Voters in 1995 banned trapping in Colorado, despite objections by wildlife biologists and state wildlife officials, who recognized then (as most other state wildlife officials recognize today) that trapping is an effective means of control of these wild animals.

2) People in Colorado have begun feeding coyotes, either through carelessness or on purpose.

3) Coyotes are beginning to see people as food.

One of the many unintended consequences of taking important decisions out of the hands of experts. Here in Ohio we have coyotes mating with wild dogs, creating "coydog" packs that do not fear humans. A growing problem across the nation.

Unintended consequences . . .

How Will The Obama/Brady Administration Deal With This?

The heck with bayonet lugs . . . what happens when a chainsaw is affixed to a competition rifle? The incoming Obama/Brady administration is probably having kittens over what to do about this development in technology . . .

See the vid below.

Chainsaw Bayonet




Too funny.

National Parks Reform: Antiquated Ban On Concealed Carry Reversed

The U.S. Parks Service has decided to permit concealed carry in America's national parks. The decision came down today, according to an announcement from Virginia Citizens Defense League, which led the charge on this matter.

The 25-year-old ban on firearms for self defense in the national parks has been under review for more than a year now. During this debate a lot of shrill, nonsense-laden claims have been made about how such a change "might" be dangerous. The only danger would be to criminals in our national parks, who have no business accosting law abiding citizens and families who want to enjoy themselves in these jewels managed by the Interior Department.

The National Rifle Association has an announcement about this change, as well. Here is an excerpt from its statement:

"DOI announced the rule change today and will publish the new regulations in the Federal Register. The new regulations allow right-to-carry permit holders to exercise their Second Amendment rights on national park and wildlife refuges in
those states that recognize such permits. The move will provide consistency across our nation’s federal lands and put an end to the patchwork of regulations
that governed different lands managed by different federal agencies. In the past, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands allowed the carrying of firearms, while lands managed by DOI did not."

The downside is that the incoming Obama administration can change this with the stroke of a pen -- an executive order. Count on the usual suspects at the Brady Bunch, Violence Policy Center, et al to scream bloody murder on this quite reasonable reform of an antiquated ban.

You can count on much more to come on this decision . . .

A Cartoonist's Take On The Mumbai Massacre

The political left and right have differing views on gun control, and events in Mumbai demonstrate the unintended consequences . . . . .

From Right Left Center, available at comicstripclub.com

Nothing more needs to be said. This is one case where a picture (or a cartoon strip) says a thousand words.....

BTW, photographer/illustrator Oleg Volk has some new panels out decrying the attacks in India. Click here and scroll down a bit to see his latest work. The messages are POWERFUL

Remember A Service Member For The Holidays

There is a star that shines tonight
For all the world to see
So far away my lover is
Please bring him home to me

-- Sheryl Crow

The holidays are a tough time for anyone to be away from home, let alone members of the U.S. armed forces who are scattered aound the globe this year. Not not only for family members worried about loved ones, but soldiers, marines and sailors themselves -- many of whom are in harm's way as I write these words.

For those of you who are not aware, I want to introduce you to an organization that performs miracles year 'round. But at this time of year, you too can become a miracle worker.

The organization is AnySoldier.com. This group matches the needs of service people with interested folks who want to donate general goods and goodies. In the old days, you used to be able to send a box of goodies or a letter, simply addressed to "Any Soldier" at a military hospital, or to the Pentagon. They would forward such items to military men and women who were in hospitals, rehab, or even in active duty, front-line posts. It was a way to send a little message of hope and love from home -- anonymously, sometimes -- to remind those protecting us that they matter . . . that they are remembered, particularly during the holidays.

In recent years, such good deeds have been spoiled by the likes of people who hate. They say they hate war (who doesn't), but they also hate the present administration, and often hate our military men and women. In recent years, they expressed this hate (if this doesn't prove that hate is a sickness, I don't know what does...) by sending letters or packages addressed to "Any Soldier." But the contents were not messages of hope or encouratement. They would send hate letters, call service people "baby killers," and fill boxes with things you just don't want to see. Imagine lying in a hospital, your body ravaged by injury inflicted while protecting your country, and you receive a box -- supposedly from a well wisher -- filled with excrement, with a note calling you a monster for wearing a uniform. Just imagine . . .

So policy was changed stating that all letters and packages must be directed to specific military personnel BY NAME. AnySoldier.com matches the needs of real soldiers with the interest of people who want to send things that are needed.

Please take the time to check out this important organization. Be a miracle worker yourself, and make a difference for someone who is giving their time selflessly to protect us all.

Near the top of this post, I have included the first few lyrics of a brand new song written and performed by Sheryl Crow. Just released on her first collection of Christmas music, she wrote it as a tribute to U.S. military personnel serving all around the globe. Her words and music are memorable. But it wasn't written for me. It was written for men and women who stand in harm's way every hour of every day of every year. Thanklessly.

Please think about what YOU can do to make a difference in the life of a soldier. It doesn't have to be only at the holidays -- it can be year 'round. But the holidays would be a great time to start. And more importnatly, itt doesn't have to be someone you know.

It can be Any Soldier . . .

Thank you.

St. Louis Alderman Tells Residents To Arm Themselves

Considering what is going on there, I don't blame him. Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe's advice is sound.

In fact, here in Central Ohio women are buying firearms and taking firearms safety, marksmanship/CCW classes in far heavier volume than usual thanks in no part to the existence of a serial rapist. What is gratifying is that so many women are saying "enough" and stepping up to be responsible for their own safety rather than sitting back and complaining that government and the police don't do enough.

Trust me. This guy is going to get caught. Either by the police, or someone who is ready to "stop the threat." One woman I know told me by telephone today that her daughter-in-law brought a pair of limb pruners into their home, telling her husband that that would be just the right tool to "finish the job."

Heh . . .

Disaster Preparedness Means More Than Clicking A Button On Your Blackberry

I know they mean well, and some bean counters and marketing gurus probably think they have come up with one hell of new revene stream. But . . I am not impressed with the Terrorism Survival Bundle for Windows Mobile.

If you haven't heard about this yet, Microsoft is selling a new package. Here are the details from the online catalog. It appears not to be a joke:

"If and when there is another terrorist attack, you need to know immediately what to do, no matter where you are or what you are doing. Your chances of minimizing the danger and inconvenience are enhanced if you've made common-sense preparations in advance, as well as knowing what to do afterwards.

"The Bundle includes:
- Terrorism Survival Plan Database and Terrorism Survival Response
Database
- Planning & response for terrorist attack scenarios
- Full-color Cover Page, Storage Card Compatibility, Searchable Records"

I'm sorry. Disaster preparedness is too important to be left to "just-in-time training." The first thing we teach in safety and crime avoidance courses -- and would also be taught in any terrorist disaster drill program -- is simple . . . HAVE A PLAN. Depending on your Blackberry or i-Phone does NOT a plan make.

Click here to read what others have had to say about this product.

The bottom line -- as well meaning (or greedy) as the intentions might be, it is going to give users a false sense of security. Depending on this software to get you out of a jam in the middle of a terrorist incident, should one occur, is about as sensible as a parent believing government is here to protect their children from crime and we don't need to carry firearms for self protection. Thinking families know better.

Nice try, but no thanks. Well . . . actually . . . not even a nice try.

Barack Obama -- Employee Of The Month

Oh sure, he's the president-elect of the United States. But to the owners of most gun and sporting goods stores, he is singlehandedly responsible for record sales of firearms.

No wonder some stores are posting a photo of him, and naming him "Employee of the Month."

Here's one example.

Its not surprising considering that his record is one of abject distain for firearms and law abiding firearms owners, alike. I have been watching and playing a part in politics for too many years to ignore the basic tenet of governance oversight -- pay no attention to what they say . . . pay every bit of attention to what they do. And our incoming president is going to be a handful.

Gun dealers everywhere are thanking Sen. Obama for their good fortune. I also credit him for making our streets safer. There are far more suburbanites and inner-city grandmothers, both, who are out purchasing firearms before the president-elect takes office. Only one other president has been responsible for such growth in an armed populace in the U.S., and that was William Jefferson Clinton.

Who knows? Maybe Sen. Obama is good for citizen safety after all! Seeing as how he is influencing so many previously undecided people to tip toward recognition that an armed society is a polite society.

h/t to Sebastian

Critical 15th Ohio Still Undecided

While democrats hold a clear majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and Sen. Obama is headed to the White House, there still remain several undecided federal races. These seats are of great import to both the republican and democrat parties.

At issue in Ohio's 15 congressional district, which comprises western Franklin County (including part of Columbus, the state capital), most of Madison County, and a piece of Union County. This race was decided by just a few hundred votes two years ago, when challenger Mary Jo Kilroy, a democrat, took on incumbant Rep. Deb Pryce, then the number four republican in the U.S. House. Pryce squeaked by because she had reached out to firearms owners and 2A groups -- a constituency she had scorned shortly after taking office more than a decade ago, even though she had sought donations and support from gun owners for her initial bid to represent this district.

Firearms owners held their noses and pushed the button for Ms. Pryce, listening to her apologies that she had done them wrong in previous votes. But Pryce had had enough and decided not to defend her seat one more time.

On November 4, Kilroy again ran for the seat, this time against Steve Stivers a republican state senator who, despite his representing his district very competently, had the misfortune (some would say) of having been a bank lobbyist in his previous life. And today, with the mortgage meltdown, everyone hates bankers. Kilroy's campaign and the Democratic National Committee exploited that to their advantage with an onslaught of negative campaigning previously unseen by voters in this district.

Today, the race remains undecided. Stivers leads by nearly 600 votes out of more than 250,000 votes cast. The 19th Ohio margin is even slimmer, and is still undecided. There, democrat Marian Harris has a 40 vote lead over republican Brad Lewis.

At issue are provisional ballots that were improperly filled out, or envelopes that were improperly filled out by voters. One court case has been trumped by another, which has been trumped by another. The latest -- the case over how to count these provisional ballots -- filled out when a voter's registration could not be confirmed, or if they had moved and their address could not be confirmed -- will not go to federal court, but will be remanded to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Here's my take. Voting rules exist for a reason. If they are violated, the vote should not count -- NO MATTER WHO IS WINNING. That's why the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in in Florida during the 2000 election. They said the state could not change the rules of voting procedures during the election, which was attempted.

Just determine whether the voter is eligible. Decide if the voter followed the instructions, which are plain as day and could not be more simple. Children could follow the instructions -- why it is being suggested that adults be given a free pass for not following very, very, very simple instructions I do not know. Anyway, if the PB meets the other criteria, then make sure it can be proved that they did not vote more than once; and that they, indeed, exist. If that is met, count the damn thing. If not, don't.

For all the talk by both sides of "every vote should be counted," one should be reminded that there were attempts to quash the military vote because they were not postmarked on time due to a cumbersome military/postal snafu. One should be reminded that there were people here in Franklin County, staying here for a few months working on campaigns, that were very lucky the prosecutor didn't throw the book at them. For they had registered to during the open period where folks could register and vote on the same day. These people were planning -- PLANNING -- to vote in two places. The powers that be did not prosecute. Why is still a mystery to me. Yet there have been 13 cases of voter fraud filed in Franklin County. Many more could have been, just by reading the headlines.

Stivers vs. Kilroy was a campaign filled with vitriol and animosity. Tons of money was raised. And I mean boatloads! Voters mailboxes were filled with cards from various groups promoting both candidates, but if an election were to be decided by the weight and volume of such cards, the election would tip to Kilroy, a Franklin County commissioner. Mailers probably totalled 10 to one in favor of Kilroy.

One thing I find very interesting in all this . . . I have read many people either in blogs or on Facebook or MySpace pages who can't understand why people are still unsettled after the election. In their words, "The election of Barack Obama finally united the country . . . why are people still upset?"

I find it amusing that people believe this election united the nation. There have been more "undecided" federal Senate and House races in this election than in any other election in modern history. Think about that for a moment.... One key race is up along the great lakes. The U.S. Senate race in Minnesota remains undecided, a race that could give Senate democrats a filibuster proof majority. Numerous other races remain undecided, and others have only been decided in the past two weeks.

In the 15th Ohio, the margin is razor thin. And now it is up to the Ohio Supreme Court to decide, essentially, how ballots will be counted in this race.

Pittsburgh Council Decides It Is Above The Law

The Pittsburgh City Council has gone ahead and approved another feel-good anti firearm law -- this time aimed at supposedly doing something better about lost or stolen firearms. But it isn't the bad guys who are being penalized -- it is law abiding citizens.

One of the Council members even went so far to say -- on the record -- that they didn't care whether their measure might be unconstitutional.

Pretty flagrant disrespect for the rights of the citizens of that great city, wouldn't you say?

Read it here.

h/t to Sebastian

Quote Of The Day

"Cannons Don't Sink Ships . . . PIRATES With Cannons Sink Ships."

-- Words of wisdom as seen on a t-shirt

What Would You Do If . . . ?

Laurel, the Idaho-based intrepid author of the Politics, Guns & Beer blog, asked what I think is a rather mundane question: Would you ever own a gun?

One of the readers asked a more intriguing (well not in my book but for many apparently it was novel) question:

"I have an honest question for those that are opposed to any kind of guns except for hunting.
Say a bad guy breaks into your home with the intent to harm you or your children. What is your plan to protect them?"

The responses were varied, but tended to fall into a couple of categories:

That will never happen to me, or, I'll wait on help.

Read her entire post. It is enlightening, but not that unusual that so many sheep believe the meadow is perfectly safe, or have decided they will wait for a sheepdog rather than help themselves.

Serial Rapist, Coffee Shop Robberies Spurring Uptick In Handgun Purchases, Training

Here in Central Ohio we have a serial rapist on the loose. He is targeting women in their 20s, and seems to just pop into these women's homes. I don't know whether they are leaving doors ajar or what, but he is a crafty SOB.

The police have surveillance photos of him wearing a ball cap, and sporting a rather flashy watchy, taken from ATM machines where he is using bank cards stolen from his victims.

And women by the droves, instead of cowering and complaining that the police aren't doing anything, are stepping up. Handgun sales are up, but moreover, CCW, marksmanship and safety classes at pretty much all of the firearms training centers are full for the next few months.

Empowered women. Women who believe in choice . . . the choice to defend themselves and to choose their own means of doing so.

The Second Coming of Janet Reno?

Dave Kopel has some interesting things to say about the nomination of Eric Holder as U.S. attorney general in a Barack Obama administration.

He starts with the fact the Holder was among those who signed on to an amicus brief opposing changes to the District of Columbia's antiquated ban on handgun ownership. That was the Parker/Heller case in which the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the 2A guarantees the constitutional right for individuals to own firearms.

Read it here, and pass it on.

College Student Ignores 2A Court Precedent In Obama, Firearms Op/Ed

Cam Edwards tells the tale . . . well, actually he points us to the story . . . of a college student who wrote an op/ed piece for their student newspaper without ever mentioning the Heller/Parker decision. This student also subscribes to the "government will protect us" fallacy.

Be sitting down when you read this. And be ready for your brain to explode. If you didn't think professional journalists were out of touch now, look what is coming along the pipeline of the news business.

Obama Administration Applicants Asked About Gun Ownership

Older news but I had not gotten around to it yet. Question No. 59 on the 63 question document, under miscellaneous:

“Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.”

Details at the Politico.

I find it interesting that the assumption is that guns are registered. In most areas of the United States, thankfully, they are not. BTW, a message to the geniuses who created this quiz: Guns are not the cause of personal injuries and property damage. Rather, it is people.

Hmmm . . .

Toledo Mayor Wants to Charge A Fee For Plastic Grocery Sacks

Carty Finkbeiner, the esteemed mayor of Toledo, Ohio, has proposed that shoppers be charged a five cent fee (tax?) every time they take a plastic bag to sack their groceries within the city limits.

At issue? The waste plastic bags cause. Okay, I buy that. Not enough of them are recycled and they do clog landfills. And personally, when asked "paper or plastic?" at the grocery checkout my preference is always for the traditional brown paper sack.

But then he adds this in his letter to the Toledo City Council: He said the bags litter the streets, clog sewers, and take up valuable landfill space.

I have addressed the latter issue. Can't argue with the first. But that middle argument. They "clog sewers?" Who is flushing plastic bags down the toilet? Who in their right mind would do such a stupid thing?

Now at this point you are probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with firearms? Let me continue.

The only people who flush plastic bags down the drain are . . . drug dealers. When cops are at the door, that's where the evidence goes. So now we have the public being faced with the potential to be taxed because of what drug dealers do?

Doesn't that sound an awful lot like lawful firearms owners being penalized with bans on competition rifles, and efforts to restrict concealed carry? All because of the actions of CRIMINALS?

Duh!

"Many malls and workplaces also place signs at their entrances prohibiting firearms on the premises. Now tacticians believe the signs themselves may be an invitation to the active killers. The psychological profile of a mass murderer indicates he is looking to inflict the most casualties as quickly as possible.

"Also, the data show most active killers have no intention of surviving the event.
They may select schools and shopping malls because of the large number of defenseless victims and the virtual guarantee no on the scene one is armed. As soon as they're confronted by any armed resistance, the shooters typically turn the gun on themselves."

Duh, aka No Kidding, aka You're Just Now Thinking This Way?

Read the entire story. This is not from pro-gun, pro self defense sources. This is a story that appeared on a television station in Cincinnati, Ohio owned by E.W. Scripps Co.

Another Milestone For Self Defense In Illinois

Winnetka, Ill. has become the fourth city in Illinois to revoke its ban on handguns. Read it here at Dave Hardy's Guns And The Law site.

Connecting The Dots

I have often talked and written about how much I hate the "black helicopter" crap. A conspiracy theory behind every tree.

Recently one commenter noted that all this talk of Obama and firearms is so much paranoia. I don't write things in this blog to "get eyeballs." I write it to educate readers out there who want to understand the issues facing supporters of the Second Amendment in the United States. I have been doing this far too long to look and say, "oh there is nothing to this."

So with that said, it is old news now that President-Elect Obama's pick for U.S. attorney general is the guy who carried the water for the Clinton-Reno administration and the Brady campaign.

Eric Holder.

Lots of baggage with this guy. In lockstep with the Bradys, and smack dab in the middle of a questionable pardon in the waning days of the Clinton administration.

Click the stories below for various angles on this story.

Huffington Post
Fox News
Volokh Conspiracy
Chicago Tribune
Arms And The Law

Frankly, I think it is one more reason to be very wary of this administration. While it does not want a repeat of 1994, when the GOP took control of Congress due solely to the passage of the ban on certain competition rifles (both Al Gore and Bill Clinton said so), I have no doubt that the benefactors of the Obama win and certain alliances will want to push through as much gun control as possible. But it will come in small, "reasonable" bites.

Look for gun shows to be attacked first on the grounds of the so-called "loophole." Holder is the man who said gun shows are for terrorists. Dancing in the blood of whose who died in the 0/11 attack on the U.S., holder immediately said that the attacks on this nation demonstrated a need to enact more stringent gun regs -- starting with gun shows.

Sadly, those who wrongfully attack gun shows mistakenly believe that all kinds of guns used by criminals to commit crimes are coming from these places. They are not and federal crime stats ovewhelmingly prove this.

BTW, Sebastian at Snowflakes In Hell has a solid wrap up on why gun shows will be attacked. Its a First Amendment thing, you know. Read his observations here.

And as I have written in these pages before, if they want to go after used guns sold by so-called "non-licensed dealers," then they had also better be going after used cars sold by "unlicensed dealers." Because as everyone knows, cars kill.

Once more, this is not paranoia. It is connecting the dots. And following the money. It is child's play.

Soros Think Tank Becomes Obama Policy Font

Hmmm . . . is this news raising the hair on the back of anyone else's neck? The primary funding source for global gun control is behind the think tank that now appears to be taking the lead on policy for the incoming Obama administration?

Nah . . . of course not. It must be my imagination. President-elect Obama and the VP-elect Sen. Biden assured the American people they have no intention of taking anyone's firearms.

Moms, grandmas, college coeds . . . not to worry. Trust in the new president. Because there's a lot of hope out there. Hope is good. The president-elect surely wouldn't want to restrict your basic human right to self defense . . . all in the name of change, would he?

Nah . . but Mr. Soros on the other hand does tend to be a bit pushy with the politicians he has funded . . .

Parker/Heller Unveiled

The landmark Second Amendment case, which I will probably always think of as "The Parker Case," (though it is officially the Heller case), generally affirmed what the founders of the United States intended.

Reason Online has an in-depth look at the origins of the case, the stumbles along the way, and how opponents of self defense, hunting collecting and sports shooting could no longer, in the face of a very real opportunity before the highest court in the U.S., rely on pithy sound bytes to bolster their intellectually bankrupt arguments.

Very well written.

The NRA Turns 137

The National Rifle Association turns 137 years young today. Dave Hardy has some thoughts, and a link or two worth taking a look at.

Red Herrings

Thinking Americans know that we are seeing a repeat of the time when Bill Clinton took office as president of the United States. People were worried that the incoming administration might make mischief regarding firearms laws.

And they were right. During the runup to the election then, and in the one to two years after, Bill Clinton singularly armed America. His rhetoric about the evils of inanimate objects did much to push Joe and Sally Suburbanite to arm themselves. Before their ability to purchase the very tools that would help them exercise that most basic human right -- self defense -- was made illegal with the stroke of a pen. Many restrictions were passed, few were enforced. And generally, crime was unaffected by all the happy talk about restricting access to firearms.

Fast forward to the election of 2008. Americans once again, looking at President-elect Barack Obama's record on firearms, and his statements, are putting firearms and ammunition away for the future. Like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama has a record on this issue. And people are listening, and reading. And making an informed decision.

But some sociology prof out in Texas, sitting high atop an ivory tower and apparently terrified of the wide ownership of firearms in that most self reliant of states, has cooked up some ridiculous story that the uptick in firearms sales across the U.S. is due to -- get this -- a coming race war.

Too bad he's a sociology professor and not a professor of history. All he has to do is look back to the 1990s and learn about what I described above.

Of course, he also didn't factor in the appointment of John Podesta as Obama's transition chief. Remember that name? He led the gun control initiatives in the White House when he worked for Bill Clinton.

Anyway, take a look at the story, and draw your own conclusions.

Personally, the guy in Texas, IMHO, is a fearmonger. He's trying to inflame emotions far more than the National Rifle Association ever might be accused of.

Wondering About A 'Voice' On Veterans' Day

On this Veterans Day, as it is celebrated in the United States, I am reminded of an item that rests in my safe.

A small record, a recording, that is some 60-plus years old. It was recorded by my father in Hawaii, just before he shipped out to the Pacific Theater of operations during World War 2. In a faded cardboard sleeve adorned with a "Pepsi-Cola" advertisement, it was addressed to his folks -- my grandparents -- at the family farm in Southeast Ohio.

The record was a message of a minute or so from my dad to his parents. His voice preserved forever with some thoughts and a farewell to mom and dad just before he headed off to war.

Tech. Sgt. Eldon S. Greer

96th Infantry Division

In his later years, like so many others, he never talked about the war. Getting information out of him about his experiences was like trying to get blood out of a turnip. It just wasn't going to happen.

Dad was a medic. Like the other young men who carried a medical kit instead of a rifle, he did his best to patch together the wounded and the dying during two horrendous island battles -- Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. Becuase of his hours of service under direct fire he earned his combat medical badge. Even more, he earned a Bronze Star. He sacrificed his youth, like so many other millions of that greatest generation.

No one (alive) knows what is on the recording. Pieces of it are missing. The wax, or plastic, or vinyl (whatever it is) record is backed with paper. With age, this record, about the size of a 45 RPM disk, has a couple of small bits missing. Every few years I hope that recording technology has come far enough along to find a way to fill in the gaps (even if they are blank) in a manner that allows the majority of the recording to be played. I talk to people in the recording industry, but none so far has a solution for that one key problem -- literally filling small holes in a way that a needle will still playback what is recorded..

I wonder what his voice sounded like when he was in his early 20s. . . I wonder what he told my Grandma and Grandpa Greer, who were busy while the world was at war doing their best to eke out a living from the land in southeast Ohio . . .

Did he tell them not to worry? Did he ask them to look after something for him?

Dad, wherever you are, thanks once more for your service. We lost you 15 years ago Sunday. Nevertheless, thanks for being the best dad in the whole world. Happy Veterans Day.

And someday I WILL hear those words you recorded, not knowing whether you were coming back. I'm glad you did. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here.

Nightline Covers Boom In Gun Sales -- Fairly

A pretty balanced piece from ABC News on the sudden, and not unexpected boom in firearms sales across the U.S. in the wake of the presidential election.

Click here to see the Nightline report.

One of my local TV stations here in Central Ohio ran a piece last night on the 11 pm news talking about the sudden upswing of women buying guns and taking shooting classes at local ranges because there is a rapist running around assaulting women. At least six cases connected so far all over the north and west side of Columbus.

Illinois CCW Referendums Pass By 10-4

"Most voters in 10 Illinois counties said on Election Day that they think the state should pass a law permitting citizens to carry concealed weapons, but voters in another four counties rejected the idea.

Those mixed results reflected the outcomes in central Illinois, where Woodford County voters supported the advisory referendum and voters in McDonough and LaSalle counties gave it the thumbs-down.

The referendum question surfaced after Winnebago County Board members decided to put it on their ballot and then asked all other Illinois county boards to do the same thing. The referendum failed in Winnebago and Kendall counties in the north. The other counties where it passed were Saline, Ogle, Union, Jefferson, Jasper, Greene, Franklin, Effingham and Crawford."

Fascinating reading. Not that the Illinois governor nor his Chicago crony, Mayor Daley, care at all what constituents think. No, their world is about power and control, not enabling the electorate the basic human right of self defense. Details can be found at The Daily Journal.

Well These Are Interesting 'Friends' To Bring To The Party

In the business world, as in life, one is judged by the company he, or she, keeps.

Though I try to keep an open mind, it is with skeptical eyebrow raised that I look at the people President Elect Obama is bringing with him to the big White House party.

I was going to write on this, but Chad Baus over at Buckeye Firearms Association beat me to the punch. His recap is, shall we say . . . enlightening.

A Thought On So-Called 'Sensible' Change

While the Bradys are out of money, and have little in the way of support, they are thoroughly energized by the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. So is VPC.

This comes from Lucy, who writes on her blog about "sensible change." You know, the kind of change that these groups are saying needs to take place regarding current firearms regs.

Here's a taste:

"But I sure don't want some dimwitted law maker legislating what shoes are 'sensible' any more than I want them legislating what laws are sensible when it comes to the freedom to protect myself and my family and what tools I choose to use to do it with."

Read it here.