Sunday's Blog of The Week

This is not the first time that I highlighted The Law Dog Files as Blog of The Week, and with the way Law Dog writes, it probably will not be the last. When he gets around to writing his book, I am sure it will be featured on my sidebar also.

This week Law Dog has written probably the most down to earth and realistic commentary on what to do after you have assisted a goblin into his next incarnation.

Meditations on aftermath

If you carry a firearm for self defense, or have a firearm in your home, the above article is a must read.

'nuff said, go read it!

Gun Show Report

I apologize for not posting yesterday, but we ran out of day before we ran out of stuff to do. Most of the day was spent at the Dallas Market Hall Gun Show, followed by dinner at Mercado Juarez and an evening of taking down the Christmas Tree, putting away the indoor Christmas decorations, changing out the Christmas dishes with the regular ones and watching both the Cowboys and the Dallas Stars lose in the last minutes of their respective games.

It was a good day, just me and V.

Did I mention that we went to a gun show? The Market Hall Gun Show is the most popular gun show in North Texas. It generally has good crowds and a wide variety of dealers. We arrived a bit before noon, and the line to get in was the longest I have seen at this venue. The line moved along quickly, they had plenty of folks to take your money and check weapons at the door.

The larger vendors (Bachman Pawn, Schrams and the like) had people lined up to fill out paperwork and take home firearms. I did hear one smaller vendor complaining about all the people and no buyers, but he was way to proud of what he was trying to sell, and his prices reflected that. One table had several Martini's/BSA's, they were in very good condition but priced just a tad high. I use a Martini for long range .22 silhouette shooting and really like those rifles. It was good seeing them at the show.

T.J. from Tiger Valley had a booth as did a few CHL instructors. There were also a few custom knife makers showing their wares and doing good business. One good thing about Market Hall is the number of Black Rifle related dealers that are there. They give you a good variety of configurations to look at and ideas to take home.

V has decided that she just, might, maybe be ready to think about getting her CHL. So our goal for this gun show was to find the pistol/revolver that was the best fit for her hands. I had a good idea of what I thought would work for her, but I did not let her know what I thought until after she had tried them out herself. We let the vendors know what we were doing, and that we probably were not going to make a purchase today. The dealers were very helpful, even with the large crowd, and let her handle anything that caught her eye. V quickly decided that revolvers were out, I had her try several different grip configurations during the day, but they were a no go. We fairly quickly determined what she liked and didn't like and were narrowing it down to what was best for her grip.

One of the first handguns she tried was a Browning Hi-Power, it fit her like a glove and I could tell it struck a nerve with her. The Hi-Power became the one that all the others were compared against. Two isles down, she said "Let's go back and see that Browning again". So back we went. She fondled it some more, looked at the price and decided it was too much. Two more isles and probably 30 handguns later, she said "Let's go, I'm getting the Browning".

It is kind of hard to work a better deal on a gun that your wife has been salivating over for 4 hours. The guy knows that he has set the hook and you are getting that gun. That being said, we did get a very good deal on this 1989, safe queen, Browning Hi-Power.

It may have had a box or two of ammo through it, no more. We took care of that today. About half way through writing this post, we received a call from a friend and off to the range we went. The club president was out there so I could renew my membership, and it was a great day for shooting. V put about 120 rounds through her new pistol, and a friend and I put another 30 through it. I have a feeling my life partner has just become my new shooting partner. Going to have to start doubling up my orders at Ammunition To Go.

All in all I would have to say that this has been a great weekend.

"THE PROTEST IS ON"

Curtis of Captain of a Crew of One is announcing that the Virginia Citizens Defense League (A very pro-active RKBA organization) is sponsoring a rally and protest to raise awareness of the antics of Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York.

If you can be in Washington D.C. on January 23rd, please be there.

More information can be found here and here.

Tilting at Windmills

There are times that I am humbled by other people's abilities, and this is one of them. This past "Blog of The Week" featured Kevin of The Smallest Minority. The post I highlighted was The Other Side. In this post Kevin dissected an editorial written by an Emergency Room Physician from Philadelphia, and he did a very good job of it.

The Doctor emailed a response to Kevin's comments that was short and full of fluff. Kevin's answer is a work of art and an education in how to represent our side in the gun control debate.

You can read it here.

The Peace Lover, the Peace Maker and the NRA

Keep and Bear Arms led me to this interesting article on News By Us (not news bias).

The Peace Lover, the Peace Maker and the NRA

Lauren McLean

So how does a peace-loving, anti-war female wind up with a Smith and Wesson .38 Special and a membership in the National Rifle Association? Partly because I’m a country-girl at heart and partly because I believe in Americans’ rights to defend themselves.

Interesting commentary that is worth the read.

Would Be Burgler Gets More Than He Anticipated

When I read this article in the Dallas Morning News earlier today, I had to laugh.

Note: I would not recommend the actions taken by the homeowner in this instance to anyone. The altercation ended well this time, but the situation would have been much different with a more seasoned goblin.

Red Bird: homeowner Takes Burglar's Weapon, Uses it to Pound Him!

By TANYA EISERER

A Red Bird-area homeowner turned the tables on a gun-toting burglar Wednesday night, taking the weapon away from him and beating him up with it.

The suspect, identified by police as 21-year-old Marquis D. Anderson, ended up in a local hospital.

This was not the goblins first home to burglarize that night, but it sure was his last.

"When the police got him, he wasn't able to talk," said Steven Flowers, a neighbor whose home was also burglarized. "He got beat bad. I wish it had been me [who delivered the beating]. I would have done the same thing."

Mr. Flowers, who lives on Greenspan Avenue near Interstate 35E and Camp Wisdom Road, arrived home shortly after 6 p.m. to find that his home had been burglarized. The burglar had kicked in a rear door and stolen jewelry and a handgun.

"I noticed the lights on in my house," said Mr. Flowers, who has lived there about eight years. "I could see a silhouette, peeking out of the window of my den. I left and called 911."

Mr. Flowers did what many would recommend to anyone coming home to find it being burglarized. Leave the area and call the police. It is the safest plan of action to ensure you do not come to harm. Some might suggest that you do not leave, just move down the block aways to keep an eye on the house and the goblin while you call 911.

When the goblin knew he was made, did he stop "working" for the night? Nope.

Police records show that the suspect fled that home and broke into a neighboring home in the 7600 block of Woodspan Drive. That homeowner, Prentice McKinney, arrived home to find his front bedroom light on, his front window busted out and a man looking out the window at him, records state.

Same scenario as before, but a much different ending for the goblin:

Mr. Flowers said that Mr. McKinney went into the home through the window and confronted the burglar. Police said the suspect fired a shot at Mr. McKinney, but it hit a wall instead.

"He said by the time the guy realized he was in the house, he had already pounced on him and beat him up pretty bad," Mr. Flowers said. "He can't remember how he got the gun from him. He said he just had so much adrenaline pumping, he just kind of lost it."

The burglar had tried to steal two handguns and jewelry from that home, a report said.

When police arrived, they found the unconscious burglar in a pool of blood on the hallway floor.

Mr. McKinney had a cut to his right arm and was treated at the scene but told police he would take himself to the hospital to be checked out.

I would never recommend an unarmed person enter a house knowing there is a goblin inside. But... you gotta like the end results of this incident.

Just for the record, this was not the goblins first rodeo:

late November, Mr. Anderson was arrested on suspicion of burglary of a habitation. He was released from the Dallas County jail on $2,500 bail.

Women Who Hunt

In the recent Dec/Jan issue of Field and Stream, editor Sid Evans made the following request:

There are more than 3 million female hunters in the United States, according to a new estimate by the National Sporting Goods Association. I don’t know exactly how many women read this magazine--I suspect more than a few are stealing it off their husbands’ nightstands--but I’d like to ask for your help.

In 2007 we’re going to publish a special section on women and hunting, and our hope is to answer some basic questions: What’s it like to be a female hunter today? How is hunting different for you? How did you get started?

Please e-mail your thoughts and ideas to...

The women hunters have responded and Field and Stream has 40 of their stories posted in the online magazine. Here are a few of their stories:

Women Who Hunt: True Stories and Photos From Field & Stream's Female Readers

Dear Field & Stream,
My name is Carli Ausmann. I am 14-years-old and live in Wyoming. My Dad is an avid hunter and loves the outdoors, so I took a hunter's safety course last spring so I could go hunting with him. Although I had been turkey hunting with him when I was younger, I had never hunted big game. That is until I drew a Wyoming elk permit this fall. I went out and target practiced until I could hit clay pigeons on the ground at 100 yards. My Dad and I were hunting just two days when we came across a 5X6 bull elk, and I dropped him with one shot! I love to hunt and I don't think that hunting is any different for me than it is for a guy. As a conservationist, I understand the importance of hunting and harvesting. I like being a female hunter, mainly because I enjoy learning about the outdoors, and it is a great family adventure. My male classmates gave me a little static for outdoing them, but that's their problem.
Sincerely,
Carli Ausmann

Hello Field & Stream,
Greetings from Ontario, Canada. I have to tell you I don't read my husbands issues of your magazine, the subscription is all mine. I have been fortunate to be able to have hunted most of my life.

My dad and granddad raised my sister and I, and most of that time was spent in the bush. I have carried my own gun since I was a kid. My dad and granddad built our deer camp about 45 years ago. It is still used to this day and sits on 400 hundred acres of secluded, private land. It was here my lessons were learned, valued, respected, and above all loved.

I hunt deer, moose, turkey, bear, and upland game bird. My favorite store in the whole world has to be Cabela's, and I do spend most of my money there. My family knows never to plan a family event in hunting season, or I won't be there, and my honeymoon was spent moose hunting in Northern Ontario...

...I have never hunted harder or tried to fit in because I was a woman. I stay quiet, humble, and do what I love. Let your ability speak for itself and it will. I have come across women hunters that have this chip on their shoulder about being a woman hunter. They feel they have to defend their right to hunt and to be treated as an equal. You don't! Earn that respect and you will be a respected, accomplished hunter. I don't automatically respect every man that has a gun in his hand either. It comes from what his capabilities and knowledge of hunting, safety, and the outdoors.

Hunting is a passion and a way of life for my family and myself. I feel very fortunate and thankful that I have been able to have the greatest memories in the world as a hunter and outdoorswomen.
Thank you,
Jean Rapson

Hello Field & Stream,
Let me tell you what it's like to be a female hunter today. As a sophomore at Lake Superior State University, there couldn't be a better time or place to be a hunter. Nestled in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it is one of the best colleges for outdoor recreations, such as hunting. I never really hunted much before going to college; only a few squirrel hunts here and there. Once I got to college, though, I realized it was inevitable, and that I would have to learn to hunt if I was planning on spending four years here. My father, being a little worried about me hunting knowing he had not taught me how, took me out on my first deer and turkey hunt during my freshman year of college. This year, I brought the gun to school and got a major kick out of walking across campus carrying a gun case. I had quite a few guys stop and tell me where I should go and what techniques I should use...

...Females hunting are not that different than males hunting. The only difference may be the looks we get! We go out to have a good time, get away from the real world, and enjoy the outdoors. It just so happens that it is not stereotypical for women to hunt. I can see a change taking place though, especially in the younger generations. People are becoming more aware of our changing gender roles and there are a few good men and women who are beginning to get females involved in hunting. We don't know what we are fully missing until we try. I believe that many women would love hunting for many of the same reasons that men do, it's just a matter of getting them out there. I only hope to someday see my own sons and daughters learning to hunt from not only my husband, but myself as well.
Thank you,
Jamie Ellio

These are just three of the stories you will find on Field and Stream. Go and read them all for yourself, or click on one of the pictures above to read the associated story in full.

This increase in woman hunters is both good for the sport, and good for our right to keep and bear arms. If you hunt, invite the women in your life to join you. You could be creating memories and strengthening bonds that last a lifetime.

Time is Running Out!

Donate $10 and you could win this custom gun, knife, and holster package worth $12,000!

Louder Than Words has donated the custom prize package.
LTW is a collaboration of some of the country's finest craftsmen in custom guns, knives, and holsters, who donate their work to charity.

Learn more about the organization and the raffle here.

All proceeds will benefit The Jimmy Fund/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

(This is a re-post for new traffic)

Quote For the Day.

Our own history--although embracing a period less than a century--affords abundant proof that most if not all of our domestic troubles are directly traceable to violations of the organic law and excessive legislation....

President Andrew Johnson, Washington, December 9, 1868

From GunShowOnTheNet.

Reducing Violent Crime.

Quite often we hear that the way to reduce violent crime is to regulate and ban the tools used by the violent criminals. This course of action has been proven over and over again that is is not effective, and does not work. So, what does work? Obviously one of the best ways to reduce violent crime is to isolate the violent criminal from the populace. If the violent criminal is locked up or dead, he can not be assaulting anyone at the mall. Currently, our criminal justice system does not do a very good job of isolating the criminal from society. Our jails and prisons are overcrowded, and our court system is overextended. Plea bargains with reduced sentences are the norm. Many violent criminals never serve their full sentences due to lax parole boards and prison overcrowding.

How can a city, working within the current criminal justice system and without creating new laws, get more violent criminals behind bars and reduce it's violent crime rate?

The answer appears to be an easy one, go back to "old school" policing.

Richmond California is the second most violent city in the nation. Compton, another California city, ranks #1 in violence (Note that the two most violent cities are in a state with very restrictive gun laws). Over this past year, Richmond has made good progress in arresting violent criminals and reducing violent crime.

From the L.A. Times:

A hire that's a cold contrast

By Rone Tempest, Times Staff Writer

RICHMOND, CALIF. — By the summer of 2005, the murder rate in this rough refinery town across the bay from San Francisco had reached the point where the City Council debated declaring a state of emergency.

Richmond's undermanned Police Department had trouble just getting witnesses to come forward, particularly in the tough Iron Triangle neighborhood, where many of the killings took place. In 2005, police made arrests in only 13% of the homicide cases they investigated.

"Somebody got shot and killed and 50 people were watching but 'nobody saw nothing,' " recalled City Councilman Tom Butt, a Richmond architect. The city of 103,000 people was very close to being a place where murder went unpunished.

The city brought in a professional, the police chief of a city with pretty much the lowest violent crime rate in the country, Fargo North Dakota. Fargo has only one homicide in 2006.

A year later, even his initial detractors give credit to the blond son of a university art professor and a piano instructor, whose first act when he moved to Richmond was to buy a home in one of the city's rougher neighborhoods.

Violence continues to plague Richmond, a once-vibrant World War II shipbuilding center with affluent fringe neighborhoods but a deeply depressed central core.

But city officials say Magnus' personal approach has built public trust and dramatically reversed the dismal homicide clearance rate. In 2006, arrests were made in more than half of the city's 40 homicides.

"We still have a long way to go, and we are still very dissatisfied with the amount of violent crime in the community," said City Manager Bill Lindsay. "Having said that, I think Chief Magnus has initiated a turnaround."

Since he took the job in December 2005, Magnus has won broad support for his efforts in identifying individual officers with specific neighborhoods. Citizens are encouraged to call or e-mail officers directly with their problems, which can be as minor as an abandoned car or a broken window.

In July, Magnus reintroduced a classic geographic beat system, dividing the city into three districts and six beats. He made senior officers more personally accountable for what happens on their turf.

"The chief gave us voice mail, e-mail and cellphones," said Police Lt. Mark Gagan. "Instead of calling 911 or the dispatcher, people have started calling us. We've had several cases recently where there has been a shooting or a killing and officers got phone calls from people on their beats telling them who did it or just what people are saying on the street. Some of that information may not be usable in court, but it is enormously helpful in our investigations."

The chief put the cops back on the beat where they belong. Police officers interacting with the community, getting to know the folks on the street, and creating a good bond with the folks. All policing used to be like this, and a return to this method of policing will do a deal of good. Maybe folks like Kathryn Johnston would not be killed by the police if they knew their neighborhoods better. No new gun control laws, no new fancy toys and SWAT teams, just better policing.

The full article is four pages long and can be read here.

Sunday's Blog of The Week

I generally use this feature to highlight a different blog each week. The highlighted blog is usually from my sidebar and not always firearms related. This is the first time that a blog has been my "Blog of The Week" more than once, but this is a great article that everyone should read.

For the second time, the Blog of The Week is... The Smallest Minority.

The Other Side

Whenever I write an essay or argue a point about "gun control," I always consider what the other side believes. While I've always had an individual-rights understanding of the topic, it took me the better part of a decade to construct what I believe is the logically defensible ideology to support that position. I have tried to repeat those logical points, sometimes ad nauseam, in order to reach a broad audience. After three and a half years that audience has about reached its maximum here, I think, but I'm not quite done yet. The other side certainly isn't.

A long time ago I came across an anonymous quote:

"Simply put, gun control cannot survive without an accompanying sea of disinformation".

Kevin goes on to tackle a small portion of the "sea of disinformation" in a very well written essay. It is well worth your time.

Finally, a Police Spokeswoman Gets It!

I think I am going to have to add the Albuquerque Tribune to my often read newspapers list.

While looking around for this afternoons topic, I found Alphecca had commented on a WorldNetDaily article titled "FIGHTING BACK 3 home intruders shot dead in Albuquerque". This article quoted the Albuquerque spokeswoman making some very interesting comments. These comments are not what I have come to expect to hear from police spokes-folks, so I decided to dig a little deeper and came up with this great article in the Albuquerque paper:

Using deadly force is legal

By Michael Gisick

The car in which Raymond Gabaldon died, according to Albuquerque police, had been reported stolen on Dec. 7, Gabaldon's 40th birthday.

Two weeks later, on Dec. 22, Gabaldon drove the car onto Desert Drive in southwest Albuquerque, where he chose a house in the 600 block and broke in, police say.

He'd done stuff like that before: twice in 1986 and again in 1992, 1996, 2005 and 2006. Burglary, robbery, auto theft, aggravated burglary, weapons, drugs. Jail. Probation.

There was a warrant out for his arrest Dec. 22, for violating his probation on a previous burglary charge, when police say he broke into the house on Desert Drive and got himself shot by the homeowner.

Gabaldon retreated outside, but made it only as far as the stolen car, where police found him dead.

He was the third man in the past month shot and killed after reportedly breaking into an Albuquerque-area home. Authorities say that's more likely a coincidence than a trend.

"Hopefully this is going to send a message to people who are breaking into homes," Albuquerque police spokeswoman Trish Hoffman said Tuesday. "They're engaging in very dangerous behavior, not only to the people they're robbing, but to themselves."

"Hopefully this is going to send a message to people who are breaking into homes..." Now that is what I like to see, a police spokeswoman supporting the right of citizens to protect themselves, and sending notice to the goblins that the police stand with the citizenry on this issue.

I do have to note that this particular incidence would not have taken place if the criminal justice system had done it's job. This goblin had a long history of similar crimes and should have been segregated from society long ago. The criminal justice system failed to do it's job, a homeowners life and well being was jeopardized, and the goblin was killed. I guess we can chalk it up to "all's well that ends well".

Things We Can Learn From the Daily News

In looking for interesting topics to comment upon each day, I read through several news papers. I generally start with the major Texas papers, then on to the Denver Post, the LA Times and the Seattle Times. I find articles in the smaller papers via Keep and Bear Arms and Google. There is a lot to learn from articles on the use of firearms for self protection. Today we have a couple of good examples.

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Two dead, one injured in shooting near Packwood, Lewis County

PACKWOOD, Wash. -- Gunfire that killed two people and injured one exploded near this Lewis County community Wednesday, when a homeowner found a visitor from Las Vegas breaking into his gun safe, the sheriff's office reported.

The homeowner said a male friend from nearby Morton arrived in the morning for a visit, along with two women and a man from Las Vegas, Nev., whom the homeowner did not know, said sheriff's Chief Criminal Deputy Joe Doench.

The homeowner told investigators he became suspicious he was being distracted by three of his guests, Doench said. Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, he directed the visitors to another part of the house.

There, he said he found one of the women had broken into his gun safe and was removing weapons, Doench said. She then shot the homeowner once in the ear with a rifle, giving him a superficial head wound.

The homeowner returned fire, killing the woman.

In these four short paragraphs we learn some valuable lessons. It is very likely that these "visitors" planned on stealing the firearms from the get-go. It appears to be the whole purpose of the visit. This leads us to lesson number 1.

1. Do not advertise the quantity and type of firearms that you own. Lots of folks know that I am a firearms advocate, very few know the extent of my small collection. Just as you would probably not inform a casual acquaintance that you have $20,000 worth of jewelry in your home, don't brag on your firearms.

(Note: The tornado sirens have just gone off)

2. "...he said he found one of the women had broken into his gun safe and was removing weapons" That was not a real gun safe. It sounds like it is one of the gun lockers made by Stack-On and others that are made to keep firearms out of the reach of children, but are not a deterrent to thieves and fire. If you have a quantity of firearms, protect them with a decent safe (also a good place to put that $20k worth of jewelry).

The first two lessons are common sense to many that read this blog, the third lesson is a habit that is not practiced by many.

3. "Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, he directed the visitors to another part of the house." The homeowner had a firearm at hand and at the ready, even when he was secure in his own home. This topic comes up for discussion fairly often on the gun boards, being armed in your own home. This incident shows that having a firearm handy at all times could save your life. Is there any doubt what the outcome would have been if the homeowner had not been armed and taken action?

Another incident with a good lesson occurred here in Texas and is reported in the Houston Chronicle:

Camera tips off men to robbery

By RENÉE C. LEE

CROSBY — Startled by a loud noise in the middle of the night, Jay and Russell Jefferies stumbled from their beds early Wednesday to view the monitor of their home security camera to see what had interrupted their slumber.

What they saw jolted them awake.

According to authorities, four heavily armed men were outside their small house in the 3900 block of Crosby Barbers Hill Road trying to kick in the front door about 2 a.m.

The Jefferieses, whom investigators think are brothers, rushed to grab their shotguns and opened fire as the intruders burst through the door shooting, said Harris County sheriff's Sgt. N. Araguz. One brother managed to call 911 in the midst of flying bullets, he said.

By the time Harris County sheriff's deputies responded to the weapons-disturbance call, two suspects had been fatally wounded.

This lesson is an easy one, install cameras at the entrances to your home or apartment. Basic two camera systems that interact with your television are inexpensive and easy to install. Motion sensor porch lights and cameras in addition to your alarm system will go a long way towards securing your home.

It could be said that another lesson learned form the above incident is that a shotgun makes a fine home defense weapon, sure seemed to do the trick this time.

As you can see, news articles can be a source of ideas for what works, and what may not. Most times the author is not very knowledgeable about firearms, but you can still glean some good stuff between the lines.

(Tornado update: A funnel formed and touched down not far from here. It did not last long and now all is well in this area. The radio reports that so far 18 tornadoes have formed in this storm system and there have been a couple of fatalities)

More Christmas Firearm News!

Guns, and gun owners are being portrayed by the media in a good light more often than I can recall happening in recent history. There is still a very large amount of anti-gun news being reported, but small stories like this are becoming more common:

From News 4, KXLY:

Trying out Christmas gifts on the gun range

Jeff Humphrey

SPOKANE -- With all the unwrapping and holiday dinner left behind on Tuesday a lot of people who didn’t have to work had some time to sit down and enjoy playing with their presents. Or, as the case was with many people, they took their new presents to the gun range.

The Sharp Shooting gun range in Spokane was closed on Christmas Day so Tuesday morning there was quite a crowd of new gun owners anxious to try out their gifts.

One of them was Ryan Evans, who must have been very good husband this year. His wife, with a little help from Santa, went out and bought him a .44 Magnum – a hand-held cannon that’s known as the weapon of choice for Hollywood's Dirty Harry – that’s surprisingly accurate.

Now I am getting a tad bit jealous...

Shooting is actually a family sport and respect for guns is something passed down from generation to generation. A lever action rifle is Kyle Graham’s first weapon and with a little help from his dad Butch is already familiar with some very important safety concepts.

"Always keep the muzzle pointed down range ... you always treat it like it's loaded," Kyle said.

Now for my favorite quote from the article:

Kids will always be curious about guns but experts say you can safely satisfy that interest at your local gun range, which can also be another way for parents and children to spend time together.

After the first of the year, I will be taking the sons of another blogger out for their first session at the range. I am really looking forward to this opportunity to introduce these guys to firearms and work with them on safety (maybe we will end up with a couple new 4H shooters by the time the day is done). I will introduce the basics, and be the last word on safety, while dad will be working with them on marksmanship. It is going to be a good day.

This article was found on Keep and Bear Arms.

Children learn gun safety

I do not have good data on the number of BB/pellet guns and firearms that were given as Christmas presents this year, but from the numbers I saw being purchased over the past month, I would say that there were quite folks waking up Christmas morning to a wonderful present. Many of these folks will be first time or otherwise inexperienced shooters who will require training in how to safely handle a firearm. That responsibility usually falls upon the giver of the gift or another experienced person close to the family.

The Sheriff's Office of Caddo County in Louisiana offers additional training for those with their first gun.

From The Shreveport Times:

Children learn gun safety

By Adam Kealoha Causey

The pops of .22 rifles firing and the pings of shells hitting concrete a second later filled the brisk air on a recent Saturday.

A row of five boys -- all about 8 to 10 years old -- faced shooting targets with parents, grandparents and Caddo sheriff's deputies directly behind or beside. The group braved the 30-degree temperatures for one purpose: learning the safe use of firearms.

The youngsters attended the first of three offerings of the Caddo sheriff's office "First Gun" courses for the fifth consecutive year at the Sheriff's Regional Training Academy in southern Caddo Parish. The classes are aimed at providing basic instruction for children who have never fired a gun.

This is a great idea, and I applaud the Caddo County Sheriff's for taking on this project.

I found this article on Keep and Bear Arms.

Fighting For Our Second Amendment Rights!

It has been awhile since I have had the time to do much reading on the gun forums listed on my sidebar. With work, family and researching for this blog, I just kind of run out of time in the day. So earlier today after the family that had stayed over Christmas night left, I spent some time on the gun boards, getting caught up and just in general seeing what all was going on. I found several things that interested me enough to comment upon here, but one thread in particular had a subject that is very important.

How do we go about making sure that our Second Amendment freedoms are not further infringed upon by the upcoming congress? How do we keep our successes in place (such as the sunset of the AWB), and prevent future failures (such as the .50BMG ban in CA)?

This thread on WarRifles.com linked to an article found on the Buckeye Firearms Association site.

15 Ways To Fight For Our Second Amendment Rights

By Chris Chumita

The fight to keep our Second Amendment rights has had some impressive victories lately. In the past few years, we have seen more states begin to allow citizens to carry concealed firearms, the repeal of the “Clinton Assault Rifle Ban,” and the recent passage of the “Lawful Commerce In Arms Act.”

Despite these victories, now is not the time for us to become complacent about our Second Amendment rights. In fact, it is under attack in ways that we have only feared. For example, we have seen the passage of an “Assault Rifle Ban” in Columbus, Ohio, a voter approved gun ban in San Francisco, and the confiscation of firearms from law abiding citizens during a natural disaster in Louisiana.

Now, more than ever, we have to fight to protect out Second Amendment rights. Below are 15 easy things that you can do to help. You do not have to do all 15 to join the fight, but if everyone could just do one of them, it would help gun owners everywhere.

1. Join The NRA (If you don't like the NRA, just skip this step):

The NRA (National Rifle Association) is without question, the most powerful pro-Second Amendment organization. I think that it would be safe to say that if it weren’t for them, we would have lost our Second Amendment rights a long time ago. The NRA has been there for every national Second Amendment victory for over the last 100 years. With over 4 million members, they are a consistently ranked the most powerful lobbying organization in Washington. The politicians in Washington DC know that when the NRA speaks, they are speaking for over 4 million people. So if you are not a NRA member, join today. If you are a member, renew it today. Better yet, become a life member. If you are financially able to do so, donate to the ILA (Institute of Legislative Affairs) and the PVF (Political Victory Fund). Personally, a majority of my donations go to the NRA. Make it a goal to sign up three new NRA members a year. During the holiday season, remember that NRA memberships make great gifts. In a way, you are giving them the gift of freedom. In addition to their political work, the NRA provides firearms education and publishes several excellent magazines. The magazines are a great way to get someone who does not support the NRA to learn what they really stand for.

2. Support Other National Second Amendment Organizations:

There are several other Second Amendment organizations that deserve our support. These organizations may have a slightly different approach than the NRA, but they are fighting for the same goal. These organizations include the Second Amendment Foundation and the USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association). However, some people argue that the NRA and other Second Amendment organizations compromise too much. That is one of the reasons I would recommend also supporting a “No Compromise” Second Amendment organization. These organizations generally refuse to surrender any of our Second Amendment rights for any reason. If you want to support a “No Compromise” organization, I would recommend the “GOA (Gun Owners Of America). You can investigate the different organizations by visiting their websites.

3. Support “Special Interest” Second Amendment Organizations:

Sometimes, it can be very hard to get some people to listen to pro-Second Amendment organizations. Many people blindly assume that the NRA, GOA, and other organizations are just crazy gun nuts. However, they might listen to a “Special Interest” Second Amendment organization before they would listen to the NRA or GOA. Many of these organizations are based on minority status, or some other special interest. In most cases, you can join one of the “Special Interest” Second Amendment organizations even if you are not a minority or fall into whatever special category they represent. For example, I am not Jewish, but I support the JPFO (Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership). The JPFO is a “No Compromise” organization that tries to make people understand that gun control often leads to genocide. I also support the LEAA (Law Enforcement Alliance of America). The LEAA is a police based organization that supports the Second Amendment for police officers and citizens. They were instrumental in getting the National Carry For Police passed. There are women based organizations such as the Second Amendment Sisters and the Liberty Belles. One organization that people are surprised to learn about is the Pink Pistols. They are a pro-Second Amendment homosexual organization.

4. Support Your Local Second Amendment Organizations:

Many people fail to realize the importance of state level organizations. Because of their nature, they are usually more in touch with the grassroots than the big national organizations. Their power is derived from their ability to organize many individuals, like yourself to deliver a unified message to the legislature. They are also effective in taking many individual suggestions to national organizations like the NRA, who can lend immense political pressure. It is not a one or the other- you need to be involved in several organizations today. A good state organization will work together with the NRA. Unfortunately, the state and local organizations are easily neglected, because the national organizations can seem to take a greater precedence. Sometimes, the national organizations are often too busy on the national level to fight at the local and state levels. This is where your state or local organization comes in. Find out who your local organizations are and support them. For example, I have recently become active with the Buckeye Firearms Association. They are an Ohio-based organization that is solely concerned with the interests of Ohio’s gun owners. The local organizations are always in the need of volunteers to hand out information, make phone calls, or campaign for local pro-Second Amendment politicians, and other activities. Campaigning for a pro-gun candidate is probably the area where the local or state level organizations need the most help. Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, states, “If you have a person who is willing to go to the statehouse and fight for your rights for two years, you owe that person two days of your time for his/her campaign. Everyone is busy, but you make time for the important things. This is important. Contact your NRA EVC or a good statewide organization and help their endorsed candidates. Your help gives power to the organization, and builds respect in the legislature. Each new person makes a difference."

5. Contact Your Local, State, and National Representatives:

Write to your local, state, and national representatives and let them know how you feel about the Second Amendment. Send them a letter thanking them or asking for their support. If they are against the Second Amendment, write them a letter to ask them why. Challenge them. Frame your argument in terms of why are you against my (or my wife/sister/mother/grandfather’s) right to defend ourselves from a killer/rapist? Discuss the benefits of gun ownership by giving them the facts, and use that information to discredit the anti-gun arguments. However, make sure that you are polite and DO NOT make any threats. All gun owners should consider campaigning for pro-Second Amendment candidates and vote on election day!

6. Get your Concealed Handgun License:

It may have a different name in the state that you live in, but it’s vitally important to get as many law-abiding citizens to get their CHLs as we can. If you support the Second Amendment, you should get your CHL even if you never plan on carrying a firearm. It’s sad to say, but it’s a numbers game. The more people who have the permits, the more powerful our voices become. In the rare circumstance that a CHL-holder commits a crime with a firearm, the media most likely make it sound like every CHL-holder is a future felon. The more law-abiding CHL-holders we have, the easier it becomes to show that the criminals are a rare exception. If you do decide to get your CHL, make sure you do it legally, and get the proper training.

7. Buy A Gun:

If you can afford it, help keep a firearm company in business by buying a new gun (or three) this year. Whenever you buy a gun, make sure that you know how to use it, and how to properly store it.

8. Support Your Local Shooting Ranges:

It is one of my dreams to own a shooting range. During my research, I was amazed to learn how expensive they are to build, maintain, and to manage the day to day operations. It is amazing that the commercial ranges make enough money to stay in business and still make a small profit. One thing to think about is how many shooting ranges in your area have closed due to financial reasons, lawsuits, or eminent domain. We need to help keep commercial ranges open for the future of the Second Amendment. It may be cheaper to legally shoot on private land, but don’t forget about us unfortunate people who live in the city. The commercial ranges are often the only place for us to shoot. Good places to shoot are getting harder to find. If you find one, help keep it in business.

9. Support Your Local Gun Store:

This may be the most surprising of all of my suggestions. Instead of saving money by buying a gun on the Internet, buy them at a local “mom and pop” gun store. Granted the stores can’t meet the prices of an internet gun warehouse, but they give you the opportunity to handle firearms. They are also great places to “talk guns” and be surrounded by like minded people Hopefully, their customer service will make up for the extra money that you spent on the item. However, the gun stores have to take some responsibility here too. Too often, firearm businesses employ way too many “Ex Navy Seal Commandos” who chase away more customers than they keep. Employees and owners must be sensitive to the customer who is interested in learning about guns and becoming a gun owner. Too many times, gun store employees tend to make “rookie” gun enthusiasts feel incompetent and are unwilling to educate these potential customers in a friendly, welcoming manner. If a customer is treated right, they are often loyal. For example, I continue to buy all of my guns at the same small gun store. I still buy off of them despite the fact that I can buy them cheaper on line. They have a customer for life, because they treated me great when I bought my first gun. Keeping good stores in business helps us recruit new gun owners which are crucial in protecting our Second Amendment rights.

10. Support Gun Shows:

You don’t know what you are missing if you haven’t been to a gun show. They are often packed with table after table of guns, and other gun related merchandise. They are a great place to try to find a rare firearm, and to look at a large number of firearms that you don’t get to see everyday. If you have been paying attention to the fight for our Second Amendment rights, you know that gun shows are under attack. Some counties and cities are banning them or doing their best to make it an unpleasant experience for attendees. Start supporting the gun shows in your area or they will become a thing of the past. You may also bump into a pro-gun legislator. Is there a better time to talk to him/her about Second Amendment issues?

11. Share Your Gun Magazines

I am a compulsive reader and I often horde my old magazines. Every once in awhile (to keep the fiancée happy) I end up throwing away a bunch of my old Second Amendment, and gun related magazines. After dumping my last batch I thought of a better way to dispose of them. How about leaving them in the waiting room of various places that you visit? Hopefully, someone will thumb through a copy of a magazine like Concealed Carry Magazine and it will spark an interest. If the magazine is from a subscription, don’t forget to cut off your personal information before leaving it behind. Another way to share your magazines is to donate a subscription to the library. Some Libraries will gladly accept subscriptions to magazines. If yours does, donate a subscription to Concealed Carry Magazine, the various NRA magazines, or another gun related magazine such as “Guns and Ammo.”

12. Advertise Your Right:

Buy and wear some outfits that tell others that you support the Second Amendment. The NRA has a great selection of high quality clothing. However, you should be careful not to wear any pro-Second Amendment clothing that has what can be perceived to be sexist, racist, or threatening. Avoid T-Shirts that have sayings such as “Trespassers Will be Shot, Survivors Will Be Shot Again” or similar messages. They may funny to some, but they do nothing but add to the violent gun owner stereotype.

13. Write To Your Local Papers:

Don’t let anti-gun biases go unchallenged. Write a letter to the editor when ever you see an anti-gun article or bias. Also, write letters to the editor explaining the benefits of CCW laws and the Second Amendment.

14. Stay Informed:

There are too many gun owners who do nothing to help fight for our Second Amendment rights. Before you can act, you have to know what is going on. Probably the best magazine to be informed of what is going with the Second Amendment politics is the NRA magazine “America’s First Freedom.” In addition, read magazines such as Concealed Carry, Combat Handguns, and American Handgunner. Frequent pro-gun websites such as Packing.org, and Keepandbeararms.com. Don’t forget to listen to the NRA news show, Cam & Company, on Sirius Satellite radio. Cam & Company can also be heard on line at NRAnews.com. And, of course, subscribe to Buckeye Firearms News. All of these will help keep you informed of the different firearms, accessories, tactics, and other safety information.

15. Introduce Someone To The Shooting Sports.

Make it a yearly goal to introduce at least 3 people to the shooting sports and firearms every year. The most important area to concentrate is women and children. Women only make up a small percentage of shooters. Women are now the fastest growing segment of gun ownership. Educate the women in your life about using a gun for self-defense. It may save their life. Also, going to the range can be a great bonding experience for you and your significant other. I really enjoy the time I spend on the range with my fiancée (even if she can almost outshoot me after only 3 trips to the range). In addition to women, we need to teach children about their Second Amendment rights. I don’t think I need to explain how the schools and media are brain washing our children to be anti-gun. I know it’s an over used cliché, but the children are our future. One of the best ways to secure our Second Amendment rights for the future is to introduce firearms and shooting to children at an early age. Supervised trips to the range help teach marksmanship and responsibility.

Every gun owner should be doing as many of these suggestions as possible. Many do all of them, and more. Decide what you are capable of doing and start expanding your involvement from there. The anti-gunners do not have the power to beat us, but we are fighting back from losses suffered as a result of our complacency in the past.

It’s up to each of us to never again give up ground to those who would disarm us. We only have to look to the events that happened a few months ago to see that we have to worry about losing our Second Amendment rights. I was horrified when I saw the reports of the gun confiscation in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and the passage of the handgun ban in San Francisco. Litigation may have stopped the gun confiscations in Louisiana, but we can’t forget that it happened. If it happened there, it can happen in your home town. Its time to get serous about your Second Amendment rights before it’s too late.

I personally do not strongly agree with step 1. Although I am a member of the NRA, they do compromise on Second Amendment issues for political gain and have become too large a bureaucracy to be passionate. They are a good organization for introducing folks to firearms and shooting, but can not be counted upon when push comes to shove. Steps 2 and 3 mention other organizations that are more focused upon the Second Amendment that are worth supporting, and I have organizations that I am a member of listed on the sidebar.

Firearms owners have the potential to be the largest voting block in the United States. If all firearms owners would take this list to heart, and become active in fighting the soft war to secure our freedoms, then we would be an unstoppable political force, even in California. Yes, it is time to get serious, it is time to write those letters to your representatives, your political parties and your newspapers letting them know your thoughts about upcoming legislation and the Second Amendment.

Merry Christmas

As we approach Christmas Day and finish each of our preparations for the celebration of Christ's birth take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

Mary Did You Know - 2006


Thanks to The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth

Win a Piece of History - Update

We Have a Winner!
(and no, it was not me)

I have been plugging the Fifty Caliber Institutes drawing for a Browning M3 Heavy-Barrel in Semi-Auto.

Drawing has been held.
The winner of the Browning M3 is:
Doug Campbell
Frankfort, IL

Congratulations Doug! Tiger Valley is hosting an open shoot on January 13th and 14th. Their 1000 yard range would be a great place to put your Browning through it's paces (and give me the opportunity to watch).

For more information on the Fifty Caliber Institute, visit their website here.

A Christmas Story

The Rifle

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered
their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors.

It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.

It was Christmas Eve 1881.

I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted so bad that year for Christmas.

We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

So after supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible.

I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures.

But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though; I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see.

We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens.

Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled.

Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up the big sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me.

I wasn't happy.

When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me."

The high sideboards!

It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards on.

When we had exchanged the sideboards Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood--the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting.

What was he doing?

Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" "You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked.

The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight.

Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "why?" "I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips.

They're out of wood, Matt."

That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him.

We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand.

"What's in the little sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too.

It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing.

We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to
saw into blocks and split before we could use it.

We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy?

Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us. It shouldn't have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door.

We knocked.

The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?"

Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all.

Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children---sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully.

She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. "We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said, then he turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring enough in to last for awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up."

I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and, much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too.

In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks and so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy filled my soul that I'd never known before.

I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people. I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared.

The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord himself has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go.

I could see that they missed their pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow." The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals.

We'll be by to get you about eleven.

It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell. I was the youngest.

My two older brothers and two older sisters were all married and had moved away.

Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, "'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough.

Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that.

But on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do.

So, Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children.

I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it.

Just then the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities.

Pa had given me a lot more.

He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood,

I remembered,

and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night.

Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

By: Rian B. Anderson

That story is an oldie, but a goodie. For me it is worth reading at least once each Christmas Season.

I wish for each and every one of you the happiest of Christmases, and a very blessed New Year.

Mayor to push for ban on military weapons

Last week, a goblin entered the Foxy Lady (a strip club in New Bedford MA) with the intent of killing two people over a romantic rivalry. He was successful, this goblin killed two people, held off the police for awhile, then killed himself (cliff notes version).

For those of you who may not know what an AR-15 looks like, here is one version:

This incident has prompted the Mayor of New Bedford to call for a new assault weapon ban in the State of Massachusetts. I would say that this is a knee jerk reaction by this mayor, but it is not. He has made this attempt once before, with no success.

From South Coast Today:

Mayor to push for ban on military weapons

NEW BEDFORD — Mayor Scott W. Lang is asking the city's legislative delegation to push for a statewide ban on the sale of military-style weapons — including the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle used by a gunman last week to kill two employees and himself at the Foxy Lady SouthCoast.

"I'd like our local delegation to sponsor a bill that takes that type of weapon out of civilian hands ... any type of military weapon," he said. "This is not an appropriate weapon for a civilian to have.

"It's a killing tool. ... It's a weapon that's used to destroy an opposition army. We don't need a battlefield in the middle of our city."

The article continues on to describe the capabilities of the AR-15, some factual, some exaggerated. According to this article, one individual with an AR-15 is pretty much invincible. This mayor would like Massachusetts to enact a gun ban similar to California's, a ban that would make citizens like myself felons.

"...This is not an appropriate weapon for a civilian to have."

Statements like the above are proof that U.S. history and civics are not being taught in schools, and have not been taught in quite awhile.

The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states:

...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...

Our creator has endowed us with the unalienable Rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. If we have the unalienable right to Life, then we also have the unalienable right to protect that life. If we have the unalienable right to Liberty, then we have the unalienable right to protect that liberty. The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting or gun collecting. The Second Amendment is to ensure that the people have the ability to enforce their right to "...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government..."

This goblin was a legal gun owner in Massachusetts. He had the proper permit and before this incident was a law abiding citizen. This incident was a fluke, a very low percentage occurrence. The vast majority of shootings that occur in incidents similar to this one are performed by violent criminals with illegal firearms. mAss Backwards has good commentary on this aspect of the issue here, here and here.

The Mayor of New Bedford is asking not only the state of Massachusetts, but the federal government to further infringe upon our rights to keep and bear arms based on this isolated incident.

He also noted he has strong ties with federal legislators from the area and may discuss the idea of a ban with them.

This mayor is a traitor to the constitution, and to the people who elected him.

The solution to a vast majority of violent crime in America is a simple one. Remove violent criminals from society and stop criminalizing victimless adult behavior. Focus the attention of the police on violent criminals and violent gangs, and leave Joe Accountant who wants to smoke a joint, pay for bootie or play some cards to the preachers and the IRS.