Guns

PR FAIL

/ hsoi / 12 Comments

Wow. This isn’t just how to lose customers, it’s how to alienate an entire segment of the population.

Chiappa Firearms is going to embed RFID chips in their guns.

On the one hand, that can make some sense from a manufacturing standpoint. But on the other, it’s a massive blunder… especially when your US importer — MKS Distributing — decides to mock customer concerns.

You would think they would understand their customer base. Yes, there are gun owners that are paranoid about being tracked and do get all tin-foil-hat about things. Consider as well how such behavior plays into tracking and registration schemes and other anti-gun and gun-banning politics. There’s just so much about this that is a problem. Have we forgotten Bill Ruger?

But what really made it into a problem was the PR handling. If Chiappa wanted to use RFID to help manufacturing and inventory, that’s one thing. All they had to do was issue a simple statement:

We’re using RFID chips. Note that there is one embedded in the frame. If you wish to remove it, simple remove the grips and pry out the chip (it’s just hot-glued in there).

As simple as that. It allows Chiappa to do what they want, and for those that care, there’s a simple solution. That’s called knowing your customers and customer base.

But to so openly mock, like MKS did…. that’s just insulting.

Sorry Chiappa. I’ve been curious about your Rhino and nearly bought one a time or two (if not for other financial priorities cropping up). But now? Not going to happen. You did this to yourself.

Updated: as you could see in the comments, I started to soften my stance… thinking that this was probably just an honest mistake, a miscalculation.

Have to take their word for it that it was.

Lead: effective in preventing rape.

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Carson’s intent was not only to rob the motel, but also to rape the clerk. “There’s no doubt that was his intent,” said Lott. “Not only was he going to rob her, but he was going to sexually assault her.”

Full story. (h/t TXGunGeek)

How did she survive?

…the motel clerk… fought back and killed him….

Investigators said when her attacker slipped the knife into his pants pocket to begin tying her up with plastic ties, the woman pulled a handgun from under her shirt, turned and fired into the man’s chest at point blank range.

She fought back.

She had a gun.

 

The victim was about 100 pounds lighter than Carson and stood at least a foot shorter than him, investigators said.

 

I’ve often said that a gun is a force equalizer. Seems this same scumbag also robbed an elderly couple at another motel. See, predators like easy prey… or at least, until they fail the victim selection process, as this scumbag eventually did.

So remind me again why you wish to deny people the right to defend their lives? Tell me again why you think it’s acceptable for women and the elderly to be at the mercy of those that wish to bring them harm?

 

Here we go again.

/ hsoi

The same old thing (h/t Mike Cox)

Pinecrest is repealing its ban on guns in public parks because a new state law would subject the village to fines if the prohibition remained in place.

It’s called preemption.

“I am angry, disgusted and horrified that they put us in this position. This is a public-safety issue,” [Mayor Cindy] Lerner said in an interview. “This is not the wild, wild west.”

That’s called “pants shitting hysterics”

Lerner doesn’t think guns and parks mix. “What if someone leaves or drops their gun in a park and a child finds it?”

That happened here in Austin a couple of years ago. A gun was found in a local park. Some kids found it, told their parents, who notified police. Gee Mayor Lerner, do you think so little of the children, that they cannot act responsibly? This is why programs like Eddie Eagle were created. By the way, that gun in the park? It belonged to an Austin police officer, K-9 unit. He had taken his dog to the park, and while playing his gun somehow came out of his holster. What if a police officer leaves or drops their gun in their park and a child finds it? Well, seems in this case they stop, don’t touch, leave the area, told an adult. Hrm. Maybe the solution is police shouldn’t have guns either… or maybe we should ban police from parks… or maybe we should teach children about firearms safety and how to be responsible… no no, that’s just silly.

[Village attorney Cynthia] Everett agreed, adding: “If you can’t have it in a school, then why in parks?”

I agree. We shouldn’t be prohibiting the lawful carrying of weapons in schools, or anywhere. Good people are good people. Bad people are bad people. Bad people are not stopped by imaginary lines and boundaries. Bad people are stopped by good people willing to fight and not tolerate bad behavior. Yes, we’ve got the data to back this up.

Mayor Lerner, Ms. Everett, no… we’re not living in the wild, wild west any more. But it does seem you’re still stuck in the past.

Seek (more) training. Seek (more) education.

/ hsoi

I had some mixed reactions after reading the following article and felt it’d make a good blog post.

To note a bit of context, KRGV is in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, which is basically the southern-most tip of Texas, right on the border with Mexico.

Crime and spillover violence is forcing some people to take safety into their own hands. They are carrying weapons out of fear. Law enforcement says arming themselves for protection doesn’t guarantee safety.

[…]

Armed robberies, carjackings, home invasions, violence from across the border spilling into our back yards, [concealed handgun license instructor, Roy] Balli says a lot of the people he deals with feel like they need to protect themselves.

Understandable. Good people wish to live their lives unharmed. To be at the mercy of evil people is no way to live your life.

“There are so many responsibilities that come with a person being armed,” says Hidalgo police Chief Vernon Rosser.

This is true. However, the statement sounds like it’s about to be followed by a “but…”.

Rosser says he’s not against people arming themselves. It’s their right, but he worries about the implications.

“What my fear is is that if a person sees something or hears something, rather than pick up the phone and call us so that we can be on our way that they may feel like. I will just get my gun and go check it out. I don’t know that they would have the training. I don’t know that they would be mentally prepared of what to do in a situation if it became confrontational,” says Rosser.

This gives me mixed emotions.

I will agree that if there is a potential for danger, should you go walking into it? Generally no, but circumstances will dictate. If I hear my child screaming, I’m not going to dial 911 and wait. If I heard the sound of my back door being kicked in, I’d be more wont to hunker down, arm myself, dial 911, and start shouting commands. It takes too long for the police to arrive. In a city like Austin, 5 minute response time is about the best you could hope for (if you’re lucky), and a lot can happen in 5 minutes.

Nevertheless, I do agree with Chief Rosser. A gun is not a talisman that will ward off evil. It is a tool, and like any tool you need to know how to use it properly. This necessitates education and training.

The chief says if you carry a gun, you better be prepared to use it. That weapon could cause more harm than protection.

“You always have to be faced with one thing. What am I gonna do when it comes time to do it?” says Rosser.

It goes beyond simple marksmanship. Yes, being able to hit your target is fundamental, but you must move beyond that level. You need to be able to shoot under pressure. You need to be able to shoot one-handed. You need to be able to shoot targets at a distance greater than you are comfortable with. But again, we’re still talking marksmanship. After laying this foundation, it’s important to learn about greater skills towards keeping you safe: mental skills, mindset, tactics. Classes that emphasize use of your brain more than your fists or gun, that’s what you ultimately should seek. These are the sorts of things that could keep you out of a dangerous situation in the first place, to recognize it before it happens. The sooner you can bail out, the better for you.

Police do have their place, and there are times when calling them is the best response. But the police cannot always be there and cannot protect us at at moment’s notice. Ultimately self-preservation is your personal responsibility.

Why [insert tragedy here] means we must support my politics

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Many people will use this terrible tragedy as an excuse to put through a political agenda other than my own. This tawdry abuse of human suffering for political gain sickens me to the core of my being. Those people who have different political views from me ought to be ashamed of themselves for thinking of cheap partisan point-scoring at a time like this. In any case, what this tragedy really shows us is that, so far from putting into practice political views other than my own, it is precisely my political agenda which ought to be advanced.

Not only are my political views vindicated by this terrible tragedy, but also the status of my profession. Furthermore, it is only in the context of a national and international tragedy like this that we are reminded of the very special status of my hobby, and its particular claim to legislative protection. My religious and spiritual views also have much to teach us about the appropriate reaction to these truly terrible events.

Countries which I like seem to never suffer such tragedies, while countries which, for one reason or another, I dislike, suffer them all the time. The one common factor which seems to explain this has to do with my political views, and it suggests that my political views should be implemented as a matter of urgency, even though they are, as a matter of fact, not implemented in the countries which I like.

Of course the [insert tragedy here] are a uniquely tragic event, and it is vital that we never lose sight of the human tragedy involved. But we must also not lose sight of the fact that I am right on every significant moral and political issue, and everybody ought to agree with me. Please, I ask you as fellow human beings, vote for the political party which I support, and ask your legislators to support policies endorsed by me, as a matter of urgency.

Taken from here, and the original appears to be here. I modified it slightly, removing “World Trade Center attacks” in place of “[insert tragedy here]”.

It’s a well-written piece and it’s exactly what goes on every time some sort of tragedy happens. The latest is the bombing and shooting in Norway.

Being as there are guns involved, it perks my interest a little more. As expected, those that wish to ban guns aren’t even waiting until the dead are buried before they work to dance about with their political agendas. And as expected, the pro gun people are pointing out how the gun-banners are being disgusting political opportunists. But I also see the pro gun people making comments like “and if their gun laws were better” or “if they had concealed carry”… and frankly folks, you’re doing the same thing, working to push your political agenda. But of course, we never see it that way because we’re fighting for the greater good, blah blah blah.

My point?

We cannot use every tragedy as justification to push politics. Take this line of reasoning to the logical extreme and it will destroy the very civilization that this short-sighted behavior claims to preserve.

Also, if you find it reprehensible to use tragedy to push politics, make sure you’re not being a hypocrite.

Lessons learned, from today’s Basic Pistol 1 class

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

Just returned from another day at KR Training, assisting with a Basic Pistol 1 class. The class had 15 people, 9 of which were female — a slightly higher number than usual. But due to this, we were able to really demonstrate the importance of gun fit as well as dispelling some myths about guns, especially ones that tend to get directed towards women.

What is gun fit? It’s not just that the gun has this nebulous “feels good” in your hand. To “feel good” is quite subjective: I had some folks in class that thought the big heavy .357 Magnum revolver felt good, and some that thought the little lightweight .38 snub felt good… at least, until they shot it. 🙂  Gun fit is ensuring the gun actually fits well and proper in your hand for your hand size, so you can properly grip the gun and reach the trigger. There’s much involved in selecting a first handgun, and this guide goes in-depth on the topic. The key I want to make is you must try guns and be willing to keep trying more guns until you’ve exhausted a good deal of them to find what actually fits you and allows you to shoot successfully. There was one woman in class whose hands were so small she could not reach the trigger on the .357 revolver. Double-stacked semi-autos could be an issue for her as well due to their thick grips. But a slim, single-stack 1911 with a proper trigger would be no problem.

Another problem that tends to get directed towards women is “small guns”, where the guy at the gun counter suggests they get a little snub revolver, or even the woman chooses the snub because it’s small and cute. Yes, one woman told me that she liked the snub, at first, because visually it was small and cute. What I’ve started doing in the BP1 classes is having everyone that comes up to my station shoot a big, heavy, .357 Magnum revolver: it’s heavy, it’s steel, it has big rubber grips — it’s a pleasure to shoot. I then have them shoot an airweight snub revolver. Both shoot the same ammo, .38 Special practice ammo, but even with “light loads” like that, the snub is still painful to shoot, stinging their hands. The intent is to show them that while little guns have their place, they are not ideal as a first gun. Now they know first-hand, and nothing the salesguy at the gun counter says or does will get them to buy one. Good. 🙂  It also shows them what a difference a heavy gun makes, and while their initial feeling may have been to avoid the heavy gun because it’s heavy, the heavy guns are actually what you want to shoot because they are a lot more pleasant to shoot. If they are fun to shoot, you’ll keep shooting them. If it hurts to shoot, you won’t shoot, you won’t go to the gun range to practice, you won’t take classes to learn and improve your skills… and what good is that? Finally, shooting these revolvers demonstrate another aspect of gun fit, because those triggers are long and heavy, and if you can’t reach them with a proper grip, they’re not for you.

I do hope to see the folks back for Basic Pistol 2 and beyond. From the questions they were asking, it sounds like we had a lot of people interested in learning more about firearms and how to safely and effectively deploy them in a self-defense context. That’s what we’re here for, and we look forward to seeing you at a future class. 🙂

A good day.

Even Imaginarily Armed Gays Don’t Get Bashed

/ hsoi

I’ve thought a lot about the turning point of the situation — the fact that one of them thought that I might have a gun. None of them said, “There’s a law against antigay hate crimes!” That wasn’t the deterrent. It was the possibility that I might have had a gun that saved my life Friday night.

Jimmy LaSalvia is gay. He was attacked by 8 thugs for being, as they called him, a “fucking faggot”. Laws, restraining orders, police, none of that did any good to prevent this assault from happening. The only thing that kept Jimmy alive and unharmed was the fact his attackers thought he had a gun. Full story. (h/t Cato)

While there are exceptions (Jimmy himself being one of them), in general you find the same people who want rights for minorities — like women and GLBT — to also hold anti-gun and gun-banning positions.

A weapon is a force equalizer, they allow the user to overcome disparity. When because of their minority status someone repressed and held in a lower and more vulnerable regard, why would those that claim to fight for their rights, that claim these groups deserve equal status, wish to deny them means to overcome disparity?

If you want rights and equality for all, remember the right to life and dignity is the essential first step. There are those in this world that seek to deprive good people of those things — don’t be one of them.

When society breaks down…

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

I was reading this Quip from John Farnam where a friend of his in the Chicago area told of how thunderstorms hit, the power went out, and some uh… “enterprising youths” decided that the extra darkness afforded to them by the power failure made for an excellent opportunity to break into homes. John’s friend — due to his vigilance, dog, and gun — allowed him to not be a victim. Unfortunately, many others in the area were robbed.

This was something rather typical and mundane — a power outage.

Look at how quickly and easily “society” broke down and failed. What a thin veneer civilization really is.

There are those that question the need for guns, especially “big scary guns” (e.g. AR-15, AK-47). Consider Hurricane Katrina. Consider the L.A. riots of 1992. No, we may not have massive uprising (yet), we may not have war on our soil (yet), but we certainly do have bad things happen, be they on the scale of Katrina or just a neighborhood power outage. Either way, good people need a way to stand strong against those bent on bringing injury and harm. We all appreciate technological evolution (how did we ever manage before smartphones, right?), and when it comes to being able to stand strong, guns are the best technological evolution of tools for this purpose.

There’s an app for THAT?!

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Well, maybe not yet, but apparently there will be: (h/t Breda)

Today the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with the Department of Health and Human Services, announced a contest to develop a smartphone app to help students better protect themselves in risky situations. The effort is dubbed Apps Against Abuse.

The competition calls for developers to build an app that lets women designate friends or emergency contacts and check in with them during at-risk situations. The app would also provide fast access to information and resources for dealing with sexual assault or dating violence.

Um… OK. Sure. I guess that’s not horrible. But it also doesn’t seem to be that effective in stopping anything. This app would only be good after the fact and uh… that’s of little comfort in my book.

“Everyone has a role to play in the prevention of violence and abuse,” Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. secretary of health and human services, said in a prepared statement. “This application can be another way to encourage young women and men to take an active role in the prevention of dating violence and sexual assault.”

My role?

I teach women how to shoot guns and effectively defend themselves. I teach them how to recognize potential bad situations and get themselves out of them or avoid them in the first place. Taking classes like this, getting a concealed handgun permit and always carrying, that’s a more effective active role in the prevention of violence and assault.

Somehow I think 124 grains of 9mm hollow point is a lot more effective at preventing rape than an iPhone app.