So many Useful Idiots, So Little Time ...

Gilbert and Sullivan, in "Pirates of Penzance", suggest that "A Policeman's Lot Is Not A Happy One".

I submit that "A Gunblogger's Lot Is Not A Happy One", either.

In support of that thesis, I give you H.R. 1022 - To reauthorize the assault weapons ban, and other purposes."

And while I was writing about "Bad Boys in the Outhouse" and other significant IPSC-related stuff, our Congress was hard at work retaking another first step toward taking YOUR legal firearms (when you bought 'em) away from you ... using a legal tactic which was empirically determined to have absolutely NO effect in "reducing gun violence".

Since I don't have a television and don't read newspapers regularly, and since I don't even usually read the internet news in the Friday-through-Sunday period because I'm focused on preparing for, competing in, or whining about IPSC matches I completely missed the new news that the Democ-Rats have resurrected this most infamous of egregious encroachments on the Second Amendment.

In fact, if I hadn't formed the habit of reading Gun Bloggers on Sunday Evenings, I still wouldn't know about the February 13, 2007, attempt of Rep. Carolyn McCarthey (D-NY ... duh!) to demonize what can only be characterized as 'ugly rifles and carbines'.

(Hat Tips too numerous to mention, but just for starters include Michael Bane, LawDog, and Jim Shepherd of The Shooting Wire.)

Here's a short memory course:

• Remember how in 1994 the Democ-Rats established an Assault Weapons Ban, and the Republicans introduced a Sunset Clause stating that, essentially, "We'll try it, but if after 5 years it doesn't do any good, we'll drop it?
• Remember how after 5 years it was proven to have absolutely no value in the sense of having reduced crime?
• Remember how it was dropped like a big brown turd in a Cloistery punchbowl?
• Remember how, when the Democ-Rats ascended to power in the 2006 elections, they promised that they would work for concensus?
• Well, they lied ...
• ... and it's back.

Let's talk about what this bill proposes:

• A long list of specific rifle and shotgun makes & models would be banned, with a 10 year prison term imposed for their possession (including, for example, the M1 carbine)
  
• ten-round magazine (detachable or otherwise) capacity limitations
• banned semi-automatic rifle with the ability to accept a detachable magazine with features including a folding or telescoping stock; a threaded barrel; a pistol grip; a forward grip; barrel shroud
• A semi-automatic pistol with the ability to accept a detached magazine, and has a second pistol grip; a threaded barrel (so much for compensators); the capacity to accept a detachable magazine at a location outside of the pistol grip; a fixed magazine of more than 10 rounds
• A shotgun with a revolving cylinder
• A conversion kit
• A semi-automatic rifle or shotgun originally designed for military or law enforcement use or a firearm based on the design of such a firearem, that is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, as determined by the Attorney General.

Further restrictions impose a penalty for transfer of such firearms except through a licensed firearms dealer, including a 'high-capacity magazine" during the sale of an "Assault Weapon", in importation of a "high-capacity magazine".

And there is no sunset clause.

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Essentially, all of the bad parts of the original 1994 AWB have been re-proposed, even though the original law has been proven to have had NO EFFECT ON "GUN VIOLENCE" or any other measure of felicitous effect on public disorder. This is not a test; they really mean it this time, and there are no trappings of supposing to have a beneficial effect on public order. The bill is simply a "you can't do this because I say you can't do this, and what I say goes because I say so, dammit!" law.

A gunbloggers lot is not a happy one, because if we didn't bring this to your attention almost immediately, it implies that we're not paying attetention to the priorities of our readership.

Well, I'm not really a gunblogger. I'm a USPSA Competition blogger, and all I want is to be allowed to go to a Practical Pistol match on at least 3 weekends a month and have a good time.

In other words: I'm not causing any problems and neither are my friends, so leave us the heck alone and I'll leave you alone.

Unfortunately, those dimwits in Washington with their newly acquired majority are going power-mad, and this is just an early entry into their heady presumption of authority. The only surprise is that this re-enactment of a bad idea, ill-conceived and poorly executed, arrives so early in their power-curve.

I don't really expect it to pass, but the mere fact that it is number two on their agenda (coming right after the "Get Out Of Vietnam Iraq NOW" movement) is indicitive of their cockey confidence. They really believe that they can make sweeping changes in the culture of their Country, just because they are in the CatBird seat.

As in the 1975 C.W. McCall novelty song, "Convoy", the Democ-Rats are "in the Rocking Chair" and in their rebellion they can do whatever they want because there are too many rebels for the Smokies of civil rights to fight all of them. The Democ-Rats are counting on the weakness of their Republican opponents; the Conservatives can't win all of their fights, so they will pick the fights they can win. Hopefully (for the Dems), this is not a fight worth the effort as the Republican try desperately to regain a small modicum of their previous influence. They will figure that the Republicans are too weak, too frightened, and all too aware that they must husband whatever influence they retain to 'waste' it on what must appear to them to be a niche issue.

We have to help our representative realize that the RKBA issues were central in the 2004 Presidential election, and our determination were based on our core values, not on the personalities of the candidates.

Speaking objectively, the Dems may have chosen a win-able issue, however inadvertently. A small infringement of your 2nd Amendment rights may be the perfect issue to get a toe in the door of Republic self-assertion.

If you don't write to, or phone your representative TODAY with the message that this bill is completely unacceptable to a significant and vocal portion of their constituency, you don't have a dog in this hunt and you haven't established the fact that you care about your civil rights.

And when they come to take your firearms away, when they throw you in jail because you have 14-round magazines, there will be nobody left to speak for you.

I'm writing my congressman tonight with that message. You may think your voice won't be heard. But if you don't speak up, my voice alone won't be enough to protect your rights.