RKBA

Guns in bars and restaurants

/ hsoi

Courtesy of Brillianter, I find a useful business card.

Of course, the owners/managers of such establishments just will likely continue to have their fingers stuck in their ears and nothing will come of it, but still it’s an interesting way to spread the word and may just open a few closed minds. No harm.

The thing folks have to realize is that folks with concealed handgun licenses are not the sort of folks that go into bars and start shooting. These are the sort of folks that do. Compare and contrast.

Now they’re coming for knives

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Now they’re wanting to work to ban knives.

More here.

Methinks some folks have never used a knife in their life, apart from maybe buttering their toast, if they think this is a sound thing to do. Like all tools, most are used in good hands by good people for good purposes, but hey… one person fucks it up and that’s enough to take it away from everyone, right? (let’s ban cars then for that matter). Knives are even more handy than guns, as I think most people tend to go through their day cutting at least one thing (food, especially). My Leatherman is quite a handy tool, and the ability to open the blades one-handed is an important feature. If you’re a person that does work with your hands, very often you need to hold, stabilize something with one hand then cut with the other… you must have a folding knife you can open with one hand.

Permission

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Just as Mr. Saxton and I do not need to be professional journalists to exercise our First Amendment rights, responsible civilians should not require official permission to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

– Alan Tong

(h/t to SayUncle)

 

Low powered rifle

/ hsoi / 8 Comments

While reading this article over at SailorCurt’s, it hit me.

We don’t see many “low powered rifles” … not many “medium powered rifles”. How about “extra-high powered”?  “medium-high powered”? “medium-low”? “extreme high powered”?

Of course, would the main-stream-media and hoplophobes know the difference?

Review: Four Hundred Years of Gun Control

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Last month when I went out for my AT-4 class I met Howard Nemerov. I bought directly from Howard a copy of his book: Four Hundred Yeard of Gun Control… Why Isn’t It Working?. I finally cleared it off my reading list and wanted to write down my thoughts on the book. Note that the following is my own opinion. I only met Howard the once, do think he’s a nice guy, but I’ve no vested interest one way or the other regarding his book.

It’s important to remember that Howard originally was a tried and true gun control supporter, but converted. In his own words:

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Smart guns aren’t so smart

/ hsoi

Tam is usually full of snark, but this was a surprisingly snark-free and reason-filled posting from her (not that her postings aren’t reason-filled, just usually a healthy dose of snark goes with it). Anyway, here’s her posting about smart guns. The choice quote:

But if you look at a firearm as a piece of emergency equipment, then Authorized User technology is a no-go. A cop’s partner may need to use her gun; my roommate may need to use mine. It needs to work right the first time, every time. It cannot malfunction or, if it does so, it must “fail-dangerous“, in such a way as to leave me the ability to use the gun to defend myself, even if the Authorized User function no longer works.

Look at it this way: Would you put fingerprint recognition sensors on a fire extinguisher? How about a biometric sensor on a reserve parachute? No, you wouldn’t, because it needs to be as easy as possible for anybody to operate, even under duress and in harsh environmental conditions.

Cops and military don’t want this technology because they know the dangers of it. So why should we allow it or even force it upon the rest of the citizenry? It won’t stop bad guys from doing bad things, only good people from doing good. Why do this? And please don’t tell me it’s for the children.

TSRA Highpower Rifle Championship

/ hsoi

Courtesy of SayUncle and Robert’s Blackfork blog we have some pictures from the Texas State Rifle Association’s Highpower Rifle Championship. The winner. More pictures.

Notice all the rifles they’re shooting? No sporting purpose to them, of course.

Why does anyone need one of those?

/ hsoi / 5 Comments

This is something that’s been rolling around in my head for a while, but after this, I figure it’s time to move some electrons.

The catalyst is a comment in an opinion piece by Robert F. Green at the Fallbrook Bonsall Village News titled “Gun ownership has brought lawnessness”. I’m focusing on this passage from Mr. Green’s article:

Single-shot rifles and shotguns for bona-fide hunting is okay, but handguns, assault weapons and the like are a no-no! Come on, America, let’s grow up! This is not cowboys and Indians.

What caused the following thoughts to begin rolling around in my head was a comment made by a relative. This relative is no stranger to guns, a hunter. A few weekends ago Wife attended a large gathering of family (I regretfully was unable to attend). My understanding is a discussion came up between the relative and another at the gathering, Wife overheard something to the effect of “I don’t understand why anyone needs one of those” referring to your modern rifles with black plastic parts. Wife kept her mouth shut because it wasn’t a conversation she wanted to get into. Wife told me about it afterwards and it stuck in my craw ever since. You see, I own some of “those” and I’d like to explain a few things about them and why I choose to own them… or rather, why someone would want and/or need one of those.

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Hoplophobes and National Parks

/ hsoi

Since the “credit card bill” was signed into law, that meant the amendment allowing concealed carry in national parks also became law. As expected, the hoplophobes are out in force. Courtesy of The Volokh Conspiracy, we get a piece in the New York Times presenting various opinions on the matter.

Why do I want concealed carry in national parks (well, I’d like it everywhere I’m allowed to go, but let’s keep this discussion on national parks)? Because there is no magical line or barrier that keeps evil folks out of certain places. The only thing that, until this law was passed, that kept concealed guns out of national parks was law — and only law abiding folks obeyed it; criminals, by definition, still toted their concealed guns and always presented a danger to you. Just because you were unaware of this doesn’t mean it’s not true. While national parks are filled with beauty, they are also filled with other things: criminals. From marijuana growers to meth labs, to rapists and assaults, to illegal aliens crossing the border and not wanting to get caught, these things are very much alive and well in national parks. National parks aren’t just the small little areas that visitors tend to frequent, but hundreds or thousands of acres of “unimproved” land, all to easy for illegal activity to occur and for those undertaking it to want to keep it that way. Hiking through the back-country, the last thing you want to stumble upon is some meth lab and the cookers wanting to ensure you don’t tell anyone what you found. We also can’t forget that large animals exist, and while attacks are rare they are not out of the question. Being able to carry  your .44 magnum revolver or a 10mm Glock is like most any gun carrying: you hope and want to never need it, but if the time comes that you need it you’ll be thankful that you have it be the predator 2-legged or 4-legged.

So they say this will increase poaching. How so? Fact is poaching occurs as it is. It’s terrible, it’s already illegal. In fact, in many places poaching is a felony. Guess what? If you’re a felon, you cannot legally own guns and that certainly means you must give up your concealed handgun license. If you want to keep your license, you’re not going to poach. Most if not all people that get their licenses wish to keep them. Data shows that folks with concealed carry licenses are more law abiding than your average citizen. Law says no poaching, concealed carry folks won’t be poaching.

The streets park hiking paths will flow with blood. This was trotted out years ago, and in the many years we’ve had licensed concealed carry in this country it just has not happened. Again, folks that go through the trouble of getting a concealed handgun license are also very interested in keeping it. Take a look at what it takes to get a license and consequently what it takes to keep it. We’re not out looking for blood and to settle any score. We’re only out to preserve our life should someone decide to endanger it. If you’re a good person, then you have nothing to worry about because we’re good people too.

Folks, all the things you’re afraid of already happen. There are already laws on the books prohibiting that behavior. Allowing law-abiding citizens to go about their business will not make things worse. In fact, the intent is to make things better. Now that guy cooking meth or sneaking over the border, he’s going to have to think twice about shooting you because after 22 February 2010 he’s going to know that you just might shoot back.