More Firearms, Policy Ignorance at CNN

Not that I'm at all surprised, but CNN does it again. Uncle has the details.

This time implying that it is somehow incredibly simple to go into a gun store and buy a bazooka for shipment to Mexico. Right . . . like anyone can just go do that.

CNN should be renamed the "Useful Idiot Network (look it up if you don't recognize the reference) . . .

Obama/Clinton State Department To Stick Its Nose Into Sales of Imported Ammunition?

This comes from the Shooting Wire in an email to me via Marlin Arms. This is a problem if even parts of it are true. Vigilence is what got the shooting sports community through the Clinton years. The Obama years will be no difference.


Read this and PASS IT ON!

State Department Floating Ammo Import Ban

It looks like those who said the Obama Administration would strike while the iron is hot may have been correct, and the Administration may be doing it in a way that does not require them to even get a vote in Congress. In this morning's edition of the Shooting Wire, Jim Shepherd writes that Canadian officials have it on "good authority" our State Department may be on the verge of cutting off all imports of certain calibers of ammunition.

Ammos listed for this rumored ban include the .50BMG, 7.62x39mm Soviet, 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester, 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington. Additionally, we're hearing that an expansion of this proposed ban might be broadened to include the 6.8mm SPC, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP- among others. In other words, State Department officials may be floating a trial balloon to see if there are howls of protest, or whimpers of compliance. Canadian elected officials who have directed this information to me say the move seems to be motivated by "emboldened" anti-gun officials who think they have a kindred spirit in President Obama.

Shepherd continues that there may also be a plan to ban exports on certain firearms to Canada from the US, resulting in the State Department hammering gun manufacturers, distributors and exporters in the United States while simultaneously making firearms -and ammunition - ownership and acquisition more difficult for Canadians.Many in the pro-rights community have said since the election that Obama could circumvent Congress by using regulations in his various cabinet departments to attack gun owners. It appears that it may have already begun.

Regards,

Tom Smith
Mfg Engineer - Lever Rifles
Marlin Firearms Co.
100 Kenna Drive
P.O.Box 248
North Haven CT 06473-0905
Tel 1-203-985-3216

tsmith@marlinfirearms.com

One hell of an alert. Folks, you need have no doubt that the powers that be are testing the waters to see how the American public will react . . .

h/t to Jude Cuddy

Ohio Senate Battle Shaping Up

UPDATED: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 2:38 pm -- Yeah, I know. I goofed. Lee Fisher has only resigned from his Ohio Department of Development position, not as Lt. Governor. My mistake. I did not read all the way down through the story, but relied on two radio news reports I heard that both said he was stepping down from being Number Two in the guv's office. Wishful thinking on my part, perhaps . . .

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On one side, take a congressman with an A rating from the National Rifle Association from conservative southwest Ohio.

On the other side, a primary battle between a former national board member of Handgun Control Inc. (now benignly known as the Brady Campaign) and the state's sitting secretary of state, whose decisions in last year's elections raised some eyebrows.

The goal? 2010 and the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by George Voinovich.

Read it here.

One good thing has come out of this. Lee Fisher, the former HCI board member, this week resigned his post as Ohio's lieutentant governor. At least if something tragic happens to pro-gun democrat Gov. Ted Strickland, the virulently anti-gun Fisher won't be waiting in the wings to ascend to the big chari in our governor's office.

But Gov. Ted, please stay on that high fiber diet I recommended some time back. We want you around for a while.

And on that note, Strickland will likely be running for re-election that same year. One of his possible opponents is republican John Kasich. If it comes down to that matchup, Strickland will have my vote. He has been pro gun in Congress and in the governor's office. He has never wavered. Republican Kasich, when he was in Congress, was a deciding vote in 1994 that passed the widely ridiculed 10-year "Brady Ban."

Bottom line: Ohio gun owners are highly unlikely to support a gubernatorial bid by Mr. Kasich.

Newly Appointed New York Senator Moves Guns After Newsday Spills The Beans

Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, the New York democrat appointed to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate, was forced to move her firearms in her upstate New York home after Newsday newspaper disclosed in its publication where she keeps them hidden.

The senator, a pro-gun pol in a party well known for its anti-gun, anti-safety rhetoric, mentioned in a lengthy interview with the newspaper that she keeps two rifles for self defense under her bed. After the paper printed this fact, she very smartly moved them to a new undisclosed location in the home.

It is NO ONE'S BUSINESS where a law abiding firearm owner keeps their guns. Printing such was bush league on the part of Newsday, and put the senator and her family in danger by telling the bad guys where her self defense firearms are kept.

Kudos to sen. Gillibrand for not apologizing for exercising the basic human right of self defense.

Today, Tens of Thousands of Americans Stimulated The Economy

Today I witnessed something our president has been hoping -- praying -- would happen. Ordinary Americans, working together in concert to stimulate the economy. Individually, and in groups large and small. To go out and buy things with confidence.

To spend their hard-earned dollars in a way that supports merchants, which helps prop up manufacturers and keep our economy humming as best it can in these hard times.

Even more? Today was Valentine's Day. A day when people came out to buy things for those they love. To purchase items they know will make a difference in their loved ones' lives -- perhaps even save a life.

In fact, what I witnessed today took place all across the United States. People by the tens of thousands came out and spent money. A lot of money, as they do every weekend somewhere in America.

Yes, today I -- and tens of thousands of women, men, grandmothers, asians, african-americans, caucasians, hispanics and pretty much people of every color and creed imaginable . . . spent the day at a gun show.

And working the NRA recruiting table at the C&E/ShowMasters gun show in Columbus, Ohio today, I saw people of every economic category imaginable (urbanites, suburbanites, 20-somethings, elderly, etc.) walking out of the show with their very own economic stimulus packages. Cases containing items of chrome, others blued, some fit in your hand and are concealable for self defense, others were long and suited for sporting competitions, hunting and self defense.

And again . . . it was Valentine's Day. Truly, nothing tells your special something you love better than a personal protection sidearm for their safety. Or some extra ammunition, particularly at a time when city police departments are cutting back on services because of budget constraints, leaving the bad guys thinking they will have a little more leeway when they go about their business.

President Obama, we listened. We did what you asked. The next time you give an interview, please thank gun owners for going out and doing everything they can to stimulate the cconomy. We do it every weekend in America. And when we're not at weekend gun shows, we stimulate the economy through the week at retailers.

Even better, the economic stimulation I witnessed today won't even bump up inflation. Which is what economists fear most. I mean, it's the right thing to do. And you can't disagree with that, Mr. President. Can you?

Pick Up A Love Gift At The Big Ohio Gun Show This Weekend

If you are in or near Ohio this weekend, you might want to travel over to Columbus for the Big BIG Valentine's Weekend gun show at Westland Mall. Sponsored by C&E/ShowMasters Gun Shows, this is the perfect place to stop by and pick up a gift of love for your sweetie.

I mean, think about it. Nothing says you love your mate more than picking up something that will keep them safe.

I will be at the show working the NRA membership table on Saturday and maybe part of Sunday. Stop by and say hello!

For directions, and more information on the show, click here.

One Of The Good Guys, Cornell McCleary, Is Gone

UPDATED: Sunday, February 15, 2009, 6:34 pm -- Dirk Thompson, radio personality at WTVN-AM, posted a tribute to Cornell that is worth listening to. He also reminded everyone of one of Cornell's most powerful posts on his American-Experience.us blog . . . a look at what is ahead and a suggestion for a national conversation in the wake of the November 2008 presidential election. Cornell truly captured the essence of the discussion that needs to take place. Please read it to understand the kind of thinker this man was.

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Cornell McCleary, a gentleman who enjoyed getting under the skin of the political elite in Central Ohio, died yesterday at his home in Columbus. He was 55.

Nothing else need be said but the following words: He was one of the good guys.

But I will say a bit more. I first met him more than 10 years ago at some function. I don't even remember exactly when or where. More than once I wound up on his radio show with a colleague, talking about personal safety, concealed carry and the Refuse To Be A Victim crime avoidance program.

One night, my closest friend and I were in the studio with Cornell talking about RTBAV, along with Tom Rice who had just been named head of TSA for the Columbus airports, and another guy whose name I can't recall. It was a rousing, fascinating, interesting couple of hours with a lot of callers asking great questions and sharing their opinions on safety, personal safety, self defense, and what government was going to do to protect the citizenry in the months after the brutal 9-11 attacks.

Over the years we would bump into each other at different functions and talk about the Second Amendment, and outreach to various constituencies throughout the Central Ohio community. We always had a great time and enjoyed bantering around ideas.

Cornell had been in declining health for some time. A diabetes problem and heart issues had slowed him significantly in recent months. Even so, he still loved posting controversial stuff, information that made people think, to his blog, AmericanExperience.us. He had a very successful weekend radio show on WTVN-AM for nearly a decade, and his mantra in everything he did was "power to the people." His pride and joy was the successful private police training academy he founded about five years ago.

One of the most memorable times with Cornell was in Columbus City Council chambers, when the powers that be were discussing competition rifles. The discussion was on a ban of these so-called "assault weapons." Cornell and I were sitting together watching the proceedings when one of the council members made a particular statement. I don't even remember the detail of what was said, but I do remember this; it was so startling that he and I looked at each other out of the corners of our eyes, asked each other, "Did she say what I think she just said?" . . . and agreed that we needed to get a videotape copy of that night's hearing to ensure that what had been said would forever be on the record.

Cornell was involved in everything. A high-profile republican, he spent a year or so as outreach coordinator to the african-american community. He ran unsuccessfully for Columbus City Council, and was one of the movers and shakers behind the Community Relations Council in Columbus. He never liked the way the Council ultimately was used, but he was proud that he was on the ground floor of its founding. During the time he was a vice president at the NAACP, he even helped author local anti-intimidation language that was some of the strongest in the nation when passed in the late 1980s.

Just a few weeks ago, he and I were bantering back and forth on email regarding a new post he had put together for his blog, and he was looking for feedback. Ever the champion of freedom, he was getting tired of people saying the fix is in regarding the Obama administration and looming firearms restrictions. We agreed that pro-gun advoctes need to stay on the offensive and not merely dig in for a defensive battle.

I share this text of our final conversation, in the order in which it unfolded. I want you to read this for it shows who this man was, and in my book, will always continue to be. A thinker, a philosopher. A couple of times he joked that he liked to bounce these things of people who were smarter than he. I had used the same words to describe Cornell once or twice, myself. He thought a lot of me, and the feeling was mutual. For your consideration, here is the text of the the online conversation:

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Please review link

http://www.american-experience.us/2009/01/28/he-might-not-want-to-but-advocating-an-article-v-constitutional-convention-will-prove-to-be-president-obamas-most-effective-means-in-addressing-americas-many-ills/

Thoughts

Cornell

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Cornell:

Oh...my friend.

Very, VERY well written. I do not argue with a single point.......except......

I cannot advocate for a Constitutional Convention. For EVERYTHING will be on the table. And I am concerned that there might be enough folks on the other side of the firearms debate that we might wind up watering down what already is a tenuous agreement that the 2A guarantees an individual right. Even today there is the caveat from so many that "well it is an individual right, subject to restrictions..."

Contradictory statements. And undefined.

I understand there are issues that should be addressed. But there are so many sheep in this nation.....so very many......

Can we fill the room with enough free people to talk common sense to federal lawmakers nowadays? Will they listen? So many people who have been "taught" to fear guns could rule the day..... and that is not what the fathers of the nation could ever have envisioned....

Your thoughts?

Brent

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Brent

Thanks for the great comments my friend. This nation was not built on fear but on opportunity and true grit. The wolves are many but so are the bears. Bear on baby Bear on.

Cornell

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It is not out of fear that I question a CC, but out of an understanding of the reality. The bears and wolves out there on the other side of the 2A argument don't like the toys you and I keep for our protection and safety.

The idea that we don't depend on government...that we are individuals who believe we are responsible for our own safety and well being, that we do NOT want to burden an already over-burdened system -- particularly during a time of crisis.

But in the name of "public safety" the very real possibility exists that it could be taken away.

Why do you want to open up the entire bag of goodies for discussion and change, rather than focusing -- like good marksmen -- on particular changes that need to be made? Can you expand some on your thinking for me? Would love to continue this conversation....maybe we should do it over lunch or coffee sometime soon!

Respectfully,

A Bear

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That's not a bad idea. Where you and I mostly disagree on is the degree that the public has come to distrust the government. The election of Obama was a "throw the bumbs out" action on the part of the public. There is going to be a Convention its just a question of who is going to be at the table. If all the good people hang back for whatever reason they are going to cause the very thing that they fear to happen. My thinking, load the room with advocates of the people.

Cornell

. . . And that final note from my friend, on Jan. 28, was the last time we chatted.

Cornell was absolutely right on this account -- whenever these gatherings occur, whether they be hearings at a Statehouse, City Hall or in the halls of Congress, we need to continue to fill these rooms with "the people."

Cornell McCleary wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but he had his finger on the pulse of this city like few people. Hardly an elitist, he cut through a lot of crap with his own version of "straight talk" and reveled in his reputation as a "former radio bad boy." Even his appearances on WOSU television's weekly "Columbus On The Record" was criticized by some because they didn't like his blunt criticism of city government. Here was this black man, who successfully walked both in the suit-and-tie world and the world of the streets, taking on the administration that so many in Ohio's capital city felt was doing them good.

He hated suck-up politicians and their "weenie factor" (I love that phrase he made up to describe the phenomenon of politicos being so afraid of offending someone that they do nothing). That is what made him a refreshing presence on the airwaves, and a shit-stirrer extraordinaire.

Rest In Peace, my friend. You are already missed.

More Insanity In Illinois

All I can say is . . . how can people stand to live there?

The latest proposals from state lawmakers in Illinois include a requirement that if you own something as simple as a single shot, .22 rifle, you must buy a $1 million insurance policy.

Crazy you say? It can't get any worse? Get this -- how about the proposal that if your Firearms Owners Identification Card (FOID) expires -- even after you have sent in the renewal and the state hasn't gotten the new papers back to you yet -- that you could be evicted from your home by the state's attorney if you are a renter.

Idiocy.