Wyoming Antelope and the Texas Neophyte

Back in the late 70's and early eighties, my father and I hunted antelope.

We hunted and killed antelope in Oregon (another story or two), but this is when we were lucky enough to draw antelope tags in Wyoming.

South Eastern Oregon is  ... or was .. a great place to hunt Antelope.  And I'll talk about that area another time.  But this time, we were hunting out of Rawlins, Wyoming.  One of my favorite places!

There's nothing like finding a small herd of antelope, picking the best buck out of the herd, and busting him.

This is a story about ... not finding a buck, but finding a doe.

My father (here-after "Pop") and I had been hunting antelope for several years after I got home from the army, and I had already got over the angst about killing game.

Rawlins was (as said before). our favorite place to hunt for a couple of reasons:

(1)  there's a lot of open range just a short drive from Rawlins, and:
(2)  there's a lot of antelope on BLM land, where there's no restrictions because (at the time) Pronghorn Antelope were considered .. what's the term?  Oh yeah .. "varmints".  (Landowners objected to them eating the haystacks they had  created to feed their cattle.  Antelope eat hy?  I had never realized that.  Go figure .. but at least it was easy to get permission from landowners to hunt Pronghorns on their land!)

, .. and since we had been there in previous years, we were comfortable with the region.
On this day, we were just kind of working a small area which seemed a reasonable place to find pronghorns.

I had, by then, become fairly proficient in spotting the white-tail of a Phongie, and when we found a mesa with a lot of tracks leading to it, I was reasonable confident that we could find antelope there.

We were right,
but we were wrong at the same time:

,,, the antelope HAD been there, and a fairly large herd.
But by the time we got there. we discovered that the herd had been scattered by another hunter.

My father stayed back wile I move up onto the mesa (which is a misnomer ... it was just a small hill with a flat top) and I found a lot of 'antelope sign', but no antelope.

What I found was, another hunter.

We met, exchanged names, and he told me that a small mixed (male and female) herd had just run off.

I wasn't surprised that it was a "mixed:" herd:  Antelope usually depend on the dominant female to lead the others.  When she signals that they should leave, the take their most delightful PRONG PRONG hopping leaps past all obstacles (especially barbed wire fences, though which the oddly choose to crawl through) and evacuate the area.

On this day, I arrived on a hilltop where I expected to find a small herd, and instead found a texan with a motorcycle.

Okay, the hilltop was a bit smaller than is suggested by the term "MESA", although I'm not sure what the correct nomenclature applies.  And it wasn't really a Honda 50, but close enough to make no never mind.  Cut me some slack here, okay?

So I asked the Texan what had happened, and he told me that he had jumped the small herd which I had expected; he got one shot off, didn't hit anything, and was disappointed that the herd had left the area.

HELLO?

"Flock Shooting"?

He had shot at "A Herd", not hit anything, and they left?  I didn't believe him.

(Would You?)

So I checked the ground and found a couple of small strings of gut; indicative that SOMEONE had shot SOMETHING, but he didn't tell me about that.

If you're like me, you don't like the idea of leaving wounded game;  a closer examination of the ground revealed more gut, and a blood trail leading vaguely off to the East .. down off the hill and (later) toward a small draw.

Antelope like high ground; but when hurt, they seek a hide.  They go DOWNHILL.
This is obviously what had happened.

I talked to the Texan with the Honda, and he eventually (shame-facedly) admitted that he was shooting at the Bull of the herd, but perhaps ... perhaps ... at the last minute an ewe had move between him and his target .. and he may (maybe, perhaps) have hit her instead.  At any rate, the Bull and the rest of the herd got away and he was hot to trot to go after his target!

Walking the ground, I found some more gut (suggesting that the female had been hit harder than the Texan wanted to accept), and a small (dainty) blood trail leading East of the high-ground.  There was a small swale over there, so I suggested to the Texan that he leave his moped behind and come with me while we followed the trail.

He was reluctant.

I flipped the safety of my .25-06 (built by my father on a 1903-A3 Action a few years earlier) and offered a more  friendly suggestion that, since he had shot the ewe, he might have a vested interest in following up the consequences of his bad judgement.

After a short (seconds) period of reflection, he allowed as if perhaps that was the right thing to do.

I pointed him in the direction of the blood trail, and we preceded down-hill to a small swale which was not obvious from our original vantage point.  I walked behind him.

There we found a very small doe, gut shot, not bleeding much but lying on her side and not able to stand.

I told the Long Tall Texan to finish her off, which he did with a single shot to the head at 20 yards through his 7x Leopold.  I was impressed, considering that he was over-scoped for that kind of a shot.

Then I asked him to display his hunting license and tag, which he did.  At my direction, he tore out the 'date' portion of the tag (the 23rd, IIRC) and signed it using a lead-tipped bullet from my .25-06 as a pencil.

*(he claimed he didn't have a pencil; we've dealt with this before, Pop and I.)*

Fortunately for him, we were both hunting on an "Either Sex" tag, so he was the proud possessor of 50 (probably 35)  pounds of antelope meat with no trophy horns to display in his den.

But it was a legal (if reluctant) kill, so he faced no expectation of criminal/game charges being posted on him.

Baby you can drive my car ...

Saudi Arabian Women Love Bumper Cars (But Not for Bumping) - WSJ:

Joudi al-Omeri drove in circles. And when cars came in her direction, she swerved. These were electric bumper cars, but in Saudi Arabia, the ride doesn’t always live up to its name. “I come here to drive,” said Ms. al-Omeri, a 27-year-old homemaker still giddy from the roughly five-minute, mostly crash-free ride in her red-and-green two-seater. “It’s much better than bumping against others,” she adds.

Saudi women are not allowed to drive.  But they can drive bumper cars on special "women only" nights.   I'm glad for them that they have the opportunity to make believe, if only for a few minutes, that they are "people":

"I Am outraged about what you do to Germany, and how disrespectful you are"

16 y/o German girl talks about muslim immigration, destruction of her own country (Engl. subs) - YouTube:

(Presented without comment: all text below is from the youtube context.)



(January 21, 2016)

THE FACEBOOK ACCOUNTS WHERE THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN ORIGINALLY POSTED HAVE BEEN DISABLED: https://www.facebook.com/Freiheitlich... (name of 2nd account withheld for girl's safety)
 Germany and Facebook censor users in order to suppress statements that oppose German mass immigration, islamisation, rape and murder of Germans, mostly by muslims. Censorship has been outsourced to the Bertelsmann company Arvato. Most German politicians, incl. socialist Heiko Maas (SPD) and chancellor Merkel are behind its introduction in early 2016.
 OPEN MIKE CAUGHT MERKEL ASKING ZUCKERBERG FOR CENSORSHIP, HE AGREED:

I Support Universal Background Checks!

I am an experienced, highly trained firearms owner and I support Universal Background Checks.

Most Gun Owners Say the NRA Is Off Target | Mother Jones:

A new survey of gun owners finds widespread support for universal background checks and provides new details on who does and doesn't support the National Rifle Association.

But I do support the NRA, and I consider Mother Jones is anathema.  (THOSE people have their collective heads firmly entrenched in their personal nether regions.)

It's all about definitions.

I like background checks, but it has to be under MY terms, not Mother Jones'!  (What a horrible website name!  I gave up mothering when I learned to drink from a bottle!  Preferably, a smooth Rye Whiskey.)

Here are my terms for a reasonable definition of "Universal Background Checks":

(1)  The Federal Government is NOT a part of it!

Oh, sure, they should be a resource of information ... for my convenience, as an taxpayer.  But they should not be interfering in any lawful commercial exchange between two CITIZENS!  I don't want the Feds to be using any of their 'arbitrary rules-of-the-day' to decide whether or not I should be selling my guns.  I don't care how they view the person I'm dealing with.  I'm not a Licensed Dealer, and all of my private transactions are PRIVATE!

You may say that this would result in a lack of control over firearms.

That's what I'm talking about.  It's part of that whole "Shall Not Be Infringed" thingie.  I'm not selling firearms for personal gain.  I determine from time to time that I own guns which are no longer important to me, and I just want to find them a good home.

(Bear that in mind; exceptions follow!)

(2) All transactions should be processed through the NICS database.

Notice what I did there?  The word "SHOULD" is a lot better than "MUST".   It's not what Uncle Sam's Idiot Minions require; it's what *_I_* require!  (Exceptions noted below.)

I want to know that the person who intends to buy my "cast-off" guns is not a crook, a felon, a terrorist or a Really Bad Guy!   If the potential buyer doesn't meet MY personal perquisites, then I'm not going to sell him the gun.  
That's MY decision .. it's my gun.

 So the Feds have set up this really convenient NICS (National Instant Check System) database where anyone can go to it with the name and address and SSN and stuff, and find out if that potential buyer is legally entitled to own a firearm.

The exceptions are conviction of a felony, and .. uh .. who knows what else.

But the problems are two-fold:

(A) it costs money to do the NICS check, and I'm living on Social Security so I can't afford to pay the fees (no, I don't know if there is a fee attached; I just wanted to get that disclaimer in before some crank accuses me of being cheap.  Which I am, but that's a matter of circumstances, not a character flaw.)   And why should the Buyer expect to pay another $x for a background check?   That's your problem, not ours.
If he (the buyer) has a choice of buying a gun from someone who requires a background check, and someone who does not ... if the background check costs him money, he'll go for the irresponsible gun owner every time.

(B) the NICS check is not currently available to Private Citizens!Why Not?  If we private citizens are required to vet purchasers of our guns, they why should we be required to depend on someone else to do that for us?  They may lie to us, and then we (private sellers) are responsible for the consequences!
No, if the Feds want firearms transfers to be based on their records (which they do) and they want to hold sellers responsible (which they do) then they need to give us the ability to vet our buyers.
Note the word 'give' in the preceding sentence.  That's right; don't charge us for this, fellas, 'cause it's your idea.  Not mine.
(If you can't afford to staff your call center, then cut the pay of Congress-critters by 10% and cut the budget for their staff by 70%.   Those folks are only sucking on the federal tit anyway, and 90% of the laws they pass are not necessary.  They're the ones who are proposing laws to infringe on our constitutional rights, anyway. Maybe if they don't get paid so much or staffed so deeply, they'll be less inclined to make new laws to mess up their constituents.  It's a Win/Win deal!)

(3) The Government Should Not Be Involved ...
... other than their duty to respond promptly to requests for verification (via NICS) that a prospective buyer is not a felon or otherwise ineligible to purchase a firearm.

They should just give the information, and whatever warnings which may seem appropriate.

This seems ... odd to you?

Keep in mind that only law-abiding citizens are going to use this facility.  Folks who don't care if they're selling guns to a felon are not going to bother accessing the legal check system.

Folks who DO use the system, need the information to guide them in their determination to only sell to people who are legal firearms owners.  (Even if they don't have a firearm the, they are legal firearms owners if they are not mentally ill or a felon.  Or perhaps if they're on the "Terrorist Watch List", or whatever other mode de jure the Feds are using to  to identify 'bad guys without guns'.)

(4) The Firearm Will Not Be Identified ...
... because when that occurs it constitutes REGISTRATION of firearms, which is NOT constitutionally acceptable because "abridged".   See Rule Two.

When a firearms transaction is contemplated, the only criteria is whether the receiver is legally 'permitted'  by law to purchase a gun.  It doesn't matter what gun, it only matters what person.   I don't want Washington to know what guns I own, because Federal Oversight is just another term for 'infringement' of my rights.  I have a right to own the gun, and as personal private property I have a right to sell it.  Just like a car .. except that a car must be licensed because its ownership is not Constitutionally protected.

If the feds have information about the FIREARM, they will record and track that.  NOT the purpose of the process.  The NICS was not (theoretically) established to track firearms transfers; it was established to keep the firearms out of the hands of felons.

Nobody who goes to the effort of checking with NICS is trying to sell 'crime guns'.  (Yes, I might be willing to discuss a 'different' set of rules for Firearms Dealers; we already know they're regulated to death, but they're in the business and have already accepted the regulations.  If they want to set up their own set of rules, fine;   these are MY rules for PRIVATE transactions of PERSONAL property.  They and The Feds can hash it out between them.  Just don't step on my rights as a private citizen, okay?)

(5) THE  FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW UP ..
on any proposed transaction which fails to certify the prospective purchaser from buying a firearms.
They must do that in person, by sending a law-enforcement officer to the residence and/or place of business of the rejected purchaser.

(As the seller, it's not my job to enforce the law; I need only tell the purchaser that his application to purchase a firearm has been denied, and I'm out of it.  I don't know why 'denied', nor do I care.   The only issue is if the purchaser decides to take it out on me because I won't complete the sale.  Let The Seller Beware!)

The Federal Government has the following obligations:
The (rejected) purchaser, having already provided proof of identity to the seller, should be advised of his/her rights, and a thorough review of the reasons WHY the purchase was denied must be reviewed.  The purchaser will be advised of his/her rights and provided the opportunity to contest the denial, in a court of law.  If necessary, if the purchaser cannot afford an attorney, one shall be provided.

This whole business of arbitrary alienation and abridgement of Constitutional Rights stops right there.

If the investigation disproves of the reasons why the purchase is contravened, then any records which indicate that future purchases will be denied will be expunged.

No, I don't care if the Feds have been 'watching' him/her for months.  If the government makes an accusation, it must show just cause .. if necessary, in a court of law.

No, I don't care if he/she is a 'suspected terrorist'.  Unless and until the matter has been adjudicated, the constitutional rights of the individual apply until they have been formally rescinded and the purchaser has been duly informed.  

If the federal government cannot allow the transaction to go through, then the purchaser should be arrested and charged with a crime.

 If the abridgement is contested by the purchaser, he/she has the right to a speedy hearing and either arrested, or the transaction allowed to go through.

If a trial before a magistrate must be effected to determine the status of the purchaser, then it should be 'speedy' as the Constitution requires.  The trial/hearing should take priority over any other cases before the local court, except for any cases which involve Constitutional Rights, or may result in the prosecution and arrest of the other cases before that court.  (If another court can be assigned the case, then that is an acceptable alternative compared to denying a citizen of his rights; non-citizens may not be afforded the same protections.)

Any Questions?

"The Most Transparent Administration In History"? Depends on

Apparently, if you want to live in a country free of corruption, you must move to Greenland.


The Most Corrupt Countries | FindTheData:

Though they didn't crack the top 30 list, Transparency International wrote in a report that the level of perceived corruption in Australia, Brazil, Libya, Spain and Turkey has risen dramatically. Also, note that these countries that made the list are all characterized by some sort of violent social or political conflict.

[Australia??? Really?]

The scale of the issue is huge. Sixty-eight per cent of countries worldwide have a serious corruption problem. Half of the G20 are among them.Not one single country, anywhere in the world, is corruption-free.

Which are the most corrupt (definition?) countries in the world?
(See the interactive 'world corruption map' here.)

Very large scale version of the map here.


From the (2015) report by Transparency, International:

Five of the 10 most corrupt countries also rank among the 10 least peaceful places in the world.In Afghanistan, millions of dollars that should have gone on reconstruction have been reportedly wasted or stolen, seriously undermining efforts to sustain peace.
Even where there’s not open conflict, the levels of inequality and poverty in these countries are devastating.
In Angola, 70 per cent of the population live on US$2 a day or less. One in six children die before the age of five – making it the deadliest place in the world to be a child. More than 150,000 children die each year. But not everyone’s suffering.
Dubbed Africa’s youngest billionaire, Isabel dos Santos made her US$3.4 billion fortune from the national diamond and telecommunications business. She’s also the president’s daughter.

NOTA BENE:
(I've tried to embed the map, but it just doesn't link to BLOGGER all that well;, which is why you may see a large blank space below.   It appears that even the original source is not quite as 'transparent' as one would wish.    I've carefully removed all embedded code which requires a security code to actually access the map by means other than going to the originating website.)

Why "Gun Control" is doomed to fail

Remember Jeff Goldbloom's annoying character "Malcom" in that dinosaur movie?



Goldbloom is still annoying, but the philosophy which the (brilliant) writers imposed on him is absolutely correct: Life Finds A Way.

And so do Armed Citizens:

Homemade submachine guns used in Tel Aviv shooting - The Firearm Blog:

Efforts by terrorists and rebel groups to produce homemade submachine guns isn’t anything new. Small workshops in Northern Ireland during ‘The Troubles’ churned out hundreds of crude but entirely functional weapons which were used in sectarian killings by Loyalist paramilitary groups.

In the 1970s various rebel groups across South America including Argentina’s Maoist ERP set up factories to produce homemade submachine guns including close copies of the Swedish K / M45. Security forces In Colombia have in the past closed down factories operated by FARC which produced versions of the British 9mm STEN as well as MAC-10 submachine guns. 

We’ll likely continue to see more attacks perpetrated with this type of weapon in future, especially in areas in which the smuggling of conventional arms may present difficulties, thus leaving a void for entrepreneurs with drills and hacksaws to fill.

It doesn't really matter whether you are "A Good Guy With A Gun" or  "A Bad Guy With A Gun".

If you want one, you will find a way.

Laws are only obeyed by honest people.

When dishonest laws are imposed, they make honest people criminals.
Witness  "Will Not Comply".


One wonders how the Diane Feinsteins of this world manage to delude themselves into believing that they can make laws which contravene the Constitution,and Free Citizens will meekly bow their heads and comply.

Well .. it may have something to do with the fact that the only people she actually TALKS to are Liberals.

In Defense of IDPA

Yesterday I had a lot to say about IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) competition, and while the intent was not to be insulting, the comments I made gave little or no credit to what is an increasingly popular form of firearms competition.

It's only fitting that I mention the parts of IDPA which I found ... interesting, and occasionally laudable.   (I'll try to resist the impulse to criticize the format and structure of the IDPA Rule Book, although it will not be easy to do.)

The first thing in the rule book is a clear statement of intent of the sport:

Founded in 1996, the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is the governing body for IDPA competition, a handgun-centric shooting sport based on simulated self-defense scenarios.
The IDPA competition format was designed to be enjoyable for all shooters of all skill levels, with a premium put on the social interaction and camaraderie of the members. Participation in IDPA matches requires the use of handguns, holsters and other equipment suitable for concealed carry self-defense.
With that in mind, and keeping the shooters' best interests in mind, IDPA's founders established equipment requirements that are based on commonly  available firearms and gear, allowing individuals the opportunity to compete with minimal investment.

By the way, the rest of this article is ... VERY LONG!
(coming up:  IPSC Abandonment):

Surprising sixty-second analysis by James Yeager: IDPA vs IPSC

I don't usually discuss commercial training websites (although I do look at them), but when someone says something thoughtful, my ears perk up.

Here's James Yeager talking about the difference between competition in IDPA vs IPSC.

"First of all, IDPA guys take themselves way too seriously.   It's not 'training'; a match is not training.
(And I can't get into the goddam vest, I'll be honest ...)"

... and ....

"I tried to get up to MASTER  (class in IDPA) shooting "Revolver", and I got dinged for leaving empty speed loaders behind. (How ridiculous can that be .. it just doesn't even make sense)".

video:



Ooooo-kay.  Here's MY personal opinion about IDPA, and understand I've never even SEEN a match;  I've just tried to read the rule book.   And here's the thing that turned me off:

There are too many rules.  
But "the one ring that rules them all .." is:  

DO THE RIGHT THING!

(Failure To Do Right)

WHA .....?

What does that mean?  Nobody seems to be sure.
I'm torn between interpretations:  Either (1) Karma, or (2) Kumbaya, or (3) "Michael Row The Boat Ashore!"

Isn't there some kind of "Constitutional thingie" that applies here?

Dems abandon 'innocent until proven guilty' to push gun ban | Washington Examiner:

People whose names appear on a federal terror watch list or no-fly list shouldn't be presumed "innocent until proven guilty" for purposes of buying a firearm, according to Democratic lawmakers. "I don't think that innocent until proven guilty is the standard that applies here," Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., told the Washington Examiner. "We're talking about owning a gun, not being convicted of a crime."

Watchlists:

There are a lot (perhaps too many) of "WatchLists" in America today:

• No Fly Watchlist
• Terrorist Watchlist
• No Gun Watchlist 
• Inane Watchlist

Well, that last perhaps is not presumed by  Representative Alan Grayson. ... who urges his colleagues to Ban Assault Weapons.

He must understand that clerical errors can occur in the compilation of any list of names

"Watchlists" are commonly accepted to have been composed willy-nilly by

1. People who are not required to justify their selections;
2. .... and who do are not required to document the reasons for their selections;
3. and the residents of these watchlists have not necessarily been allowed to contest their membership on said watchlists in a court of law.

There is a presumption of innocence in English Law, and Grayson is saying that if a prospective firearm purchaser is on one of these watchlists, he/she should NOT be permitted to purchase a firearm.

Rather, Grayson supposes that a person whose name appears on a 'watchlist' should not be allowed to purchase a firearm.

Period.

The problems are:

• There is no way to find out if your name is on the on The List, until you try to (for example) buy a gun;
• There is no way to appeal the appearance of your name on The List;
• Nobody knows just how 'specific' the identification of individuals is; does it include your social security number, or other identifying information?

For Grayson (et al) to presuppose that simply because your name is on an 'anonymous watchlist' for a good reason is to suppose that everyone's name is ultimately unique; more than that, it presupposes that the anonymous agency which composed the watchlist is perfect in its accuracy.

A better solution would be to be more public in the reasons why people appear on the list; to provide a process by which your name might be removed (or at least be more specific); and/or to be more public in announcing the contents of the list.

Certainly, when we are presented with a list of names without individual identifiers, it performs no public service if it is not extremely careful that it might inadvertently include individuals whose civil rights have not otherwise been otherwise abrogated by trial in a civil court.

To do less is to undermine the rights of honest citizens.

Surely, Representative Grayson did not intend this sort of mischief.

The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon their sons

I'm a procrastinator.

My idea of  'timely' is to start a project the day before it's due.  I've told myself that I was a 'fast worker', and "I work better under pressure".  I'm not sure NOW, but back in 'the day' it was an acceptable excuse for me.

Unfortunately, the procrastination gene seems to be dominant.

I got a "Happy Fathers' Day" phone call from my son ("The Squid Kid") at 10:30 on Father's Day.

Uh .. that was PM.

It's hard for us to talk on the phone.  Both of us like talking on the phone almost as much as we like chewing razors and washing them down with rat poison.  So it's a compliment to Squid Kid that he actually phoned.

I didn't expect it; but I was delighted to hear from him, because he phones on my birthday and on Father's day .. and he missed my birthday this year.

(Not that I've phoned him lately*; he has odd work hours, I never know when he'll be home, and that's excuse enough for ME!)

* ["lately" = "in the past year"]

There are a couple more complications; his diction doesn't come across clearly on the phone, and I don't hear so good.  So our conversations are often punctuated:  "What?  What did you say?  I can't understand you!"   That doesn't make for an open, free-flowing exchange of information and ideas.

Here's the funny thing.

Give us five or ten minutes on the phone, and we discover we have so much to say to each other that we just can't find a way to stop the conversation.  A five-minute phone call usually takes an hour to complete, as it did again last night.

The Squid Kid finally said "Dad, I hate to go, but I've got to get up in the morning and go to work" (it was nearly midnight by then.

I said: " I understand. Thanks for the phone call.  I have missed you.  I love you, son."

He said "I love you too, Dad."

I've waited all year to hear that.

It was worth the wait.

Women and Self Defense:

Today I Shot Guns with my Teenager - The Organic Prepper:

Guns are the greatest equalizer. On Friday night, the very night before a man with a gun took lives in a horrific mass shooting, a woman with a gun was safer because of having it. 

 It was after supper when the dogs in the back began barking. A car had come down my long private driveway and pulled to a stop. I live way down a long country road, and my driveway is the last one on the road. Uninvited visitors are extremely rare. We’re too far out there for the usual smattering of Jehovah’s Witness, little girls selling cookies, and neighborly drop-offs of homemade jam. I looked outside and saw that two men had gotten out and approached my daughter while one waited in the driver seat of the car. My daughter, 15, was doing some of the after dinner chores. I had a bad feeling immediately. I knew it, because I was adamantly told by that gut instinct that doesn’t hint something is wrong, but pounds your heart like a drum to get your attention, and screams it inside your head. I stopped for just long enough to grab my loaded Glock 19 and for the first time since purchasing it, I racked the slide and chambered a round for a reason other than target practice. For the first time, I did so because of another human being. I did so because there were 3 men out there with my child and they were bigger than both of us. They were undoubtedly stronger, and we were outnumbered, and I knew that there was the potential for something bad to happen. I stuffed the gun into the side pocket of my hoodie and hurried out. I asked the men brusquely, “Can I help you?” One was the talker. He was bearded, over ,,,

Go read the original.

If YOU ARE THE NRA ... then you ARE a member of a Terrorist Organization!

MoveOn Petitions - Declare the NRA a Terrorist Organization:

To be delivered to The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama The National Rifle Association needs to be listed as a Terrorist organization for their promotion of guns and that gun violence is the only way to solve the nations problems. The NRA has become the problem for their promotion of weapons.

H/T: comment * by DIVEMEDIC at PAGUNBLOG
* (follow this link for reference)

Because it's not English?

DHS Report Calls for Rejecting Terms ‘Jihad,’ Sharia’:

A new Department of Homeland Security report urges rejecting use of Islamic terms such as “jihad” and “sharia” in programs aimed at countering terrorist radicalization among American youth.

Because "Words Hurt"??

  The Homeland Security Advisory Council report recommends that the department focus on American milliennials by allocating up to $100 million in new funding. It also urges greater private sector cooperation, including with Muslim communities, to counter what is described as a “new generation of threats to the Homeland related to the threat of violent extremism.” The funds would be used for hiring experts and new social media programs and technology to influence young people not to join terror groups. “The department’s CVE efforts are an attempt to protect our nation’s young people from extremists who prey upon the Millennial generation,” the report says.

Wasn't it only "So Last Year!" that DHS was warning us about the threat from "disaffected American Veterans" and "Radical Conservative Americans", who then were the focus of their attention?

(So, now we're going to pay $100,000,000.00 to talk young muslims into not killing us?
If I convert, can I get in on that scam?)

We're counting on you, DHS-Boyz, to protect us from all the radicals of every stripe and variety, regardless of Creed, Color or National Origin.

But  not regardless of Religion, because that would be hurtful ...

,,, and Democrats get an automatic pass.  Of course.  Who doesn't love a Liberal?

(Huh?  Whats that you say about that guy in Orlando?  A Democrat?   Black?  Muslim? Oh, no, you must be wrong.)

Well, that explains a lot

Orlando Shooting -- Gun Control as Left-Wing Identity Politics | National Review:

Do you know what kind of crime illegal possession of a firearm is in the state of Illinois? It is a misdemeanor. A 2014 study conducted by the Chicago Sun-Times found that in most cases, Cook County judges handed down the minimum sentence for gun possession, and in most cases, the criminals ended up serving far less than that, doing only a few months. Those charged with simple possession had an average of four prior arrests; those charged with the more serious crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm had an average of ten previous arrests.

It's obscene. Horrifying.

Today, I read Helen Ubinas' screed on how repulsively easy it was for an American citizen to purchase a firearm:

I bought an AR-15 semi-automatic Rifle in 7 minutes

That's how long it took me to buy an AR-15, the type of semiautomatic rifle used in the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
Seven minutes.  From the moment I handed the salesperson my driver's license to the moment I passed my background check.
It's likely it will take more time than that during the forthcoming round of vigils to respectfully read the names of the more than 100 people who were killed or injured.
It's obscene.
Horrifying.

I wondered what one could say to her, to help her understand the people who own guns.

Then I read her follow-up article which described the reactions of her readers:

WHILE THE rest of us are mourning the horrific loss of life in Orlando, and trying to come up with actual solutions that might make our nation safer, gun fans are dancing in the streets over the fact that the high-capacity, semiautomatic, military-style rifle wielded by Omar Mateen was not built on the AR-15 platform.

"Hey stupid. You got the wrong gun. It wasn't an AR-15. Get your facts straight you lib-hole," read one email in response to my column describing the seven minutes it took me to acquire an AR-15 rifle.

If I were a hard-core "gun enthusiast" - I don't mean those who occasionally hunt or target-shoot, but someone who truly worships these deadly weapons - it might matter to me that Mateen's rifle used gas-piston technology rather than the direct impingement process traditionally used with AR-style rifles.

... and I realized that there was nothing to be said which would ameliorate her hatred of the "Evil Gun".   Or the "Obscene, horrifying" Second Amendment.

Well. She doesn't support my Second Amendment Right to " ... keep and bear arms ...", but I understand her First Amendment Right to express her opinion.

 She gets her information from the Huffington Post, and she has been radically converted.

IN HER ARTICLE, Ubinas makes a couple of salient points:

FIRST:

If it wasn't so easy to get a gun in this country, the 29-year-old gunman who went on a shooting rampage in a popular gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday wouldn't have been able to buy the weapon he used to kill 49 people and injure 53.

Well, the shooter WAS a licensed Security Guard, and had passed every test which the Liberal Left wishes to impose on firearms owners.   If the Liberals has been able to define even more restrictive limits on the vetting of Armed security Guards, I'm sure they would have told us.

SECOND:

If it wasn't so easy to get a gun in this country, another gunman who came before him wouldn't have been able to use the same kind of firearm to kill elementary-school children in Newtown, Conn.

The-person-who-shall-not-be-named murdered his mother to gain access to her gun safe (in which all of her firearms were safely stored.  Does the author consider fire-proof safes to be less than adequate receptacles for the safe storage of firearms?)

Back to the story: The author attempts to find a REASON for this creature to kill so many people:
Homophobia?  Not proven, and perhaps just the opposite (shame) was a part of the justification.
Radicalism? Proven, in his call before the murders, to declare his allegiance to Islamic Jehad.
Mental Illness?  Geez, anyone who willingly shoots 100 people is some kind of a nut.

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE GUN SHOW?

And yes, guns. Insane, nonsensical access to guns. So pick whatever reason or narrative matches your politics or agenda. Have at it, because the truth is that while they all play a part, what's really destroying this country is fear and hate. A festering fear and hate that we better think about when it's time to vote for our next president, because the fear and hate is not all coming from the outside. It's not all from some unnamed foreign bogeyman. Increasingly it's from within, from down the street, the next state over, the next potential leader of this country.

Ms Ubinas has stepped through her logic and proven (with delicate finesse and fine attention to detail) that the Orlando shooter was an aberrant exemplar of firearms owners.

However, she is absolutely correct when she says: "...what's really destroying this country is fear and hate."

BLOGMEAT: Too Many Topics To Itemize

Things I didn't want to explode my head.

(1)

Obama Didn't Like The First Amendment During Last Campaign

By Matt Cover | August 30, 2012 | 2:11 PM EDT

(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama endorsed a constitutional amendment that would restrict the free-speech rights of political activist groups by overturning the Supreme Court decision in the landmark Citizens United v FEC case that granted First Amendment rights to corporations ...

Yea, like THAT'S  gonna happen!

(2)
Bill O'Reilly ... This Is The Key To solving The Gun Problem

“My solution to the gun problem is this: ...
“So President O’Reilly would be open to the idea that AR-15-like weapons or AK-47s could be limited?” Colbert asked....

Oh, wait ...  this is the unreported side-story to the article I just published.

(3)
From "Shall Not Be Questioned: A modest proposal for a racing car ban ... 
... cleverly phrased to parallel proposed "reasonable gun control laws".

(4)
Say Uncle chronicles Travels With Sulu ....
.. in which George Takai gets all hissy-fitted about Gun Control and Orlando because LSMFT or something.
YOU should go read it, then come back and tell me what it said, because I don't want to go there

(5)
Joel the Hermit  ...   has some good advice for people who think they're safe because their political representatives are Republicans, too.   It's not always good to not remember that Republicans are politicians, too.

(6)
Speaking of Which, JDZ at "Never Yet Melted" reminds us that The Donald is also a Politician.
So, you really thought he was going to be as concerned about your Second Amendment Rights as you are?  Hmmmmm ?

(7) 
The ultra Liberal "DAILY BEAST" has a one/two knock-out punch for you.

           First: Gun Control ISN'T The Answer!

Then: (fair and balanced?): The GOP Just Might Hate Gun Control More Than Terrorists

(8)
Borepatch says that just because NSA is looking at spying on  monitoring implantable medical devices, that doesn't mean they're gearing up to remotely disable your Smart Gun when The Day Comes when that's the only kind of firearms you may legally own..

(9)
Joe Huffman (Mister Boomer-Shoot) quotes the ineffable Michael Z Williamson (one of the premier Military Science Fiction authors of the decade ... and BTW Michael when are you going to publish your next book in the series?  I think Tom Kratman is drawing into the Publishing Lead and John Ringo is kicking his ....)   sorry, I digress when it come to SF;

Anyway, Michael Z haz a couple of thingz to zay about gun lawz:

First, that people with no knowledge of the subject shouldn’t be attempting to create legislation.
Second, that all those laws should be repealed.
Every single one.

(apologies for the cutzy .. "Z" .. thing .. but I find it too hard to rezizt!_

(10)
Finally ... you've all been waiting for this one ... Conan O'Brian sez says that nobody should be allowed to pozzezz an Azzault Rifle!

He described semiautomatic rifles as “weapons of war” that “have no place in civilian life.”

“I simply do not understand why anybody in this country is allowed to purchase and own a semiautomatic assault rifle, it makes no sense to me,” O’Brien said. He added that he tries to keep his “opinions” to himself, but on the matter of banning semiautomatic rifles he chose to speak his mind.

We realize you're a Talk Show Host, Conan, and an illiterate idiot as well.  But you must have known the answers to The Constitution questions to qualify for your Naturalization Test, so surely you have read and memorized the Second Amendment?

Or is it that you don't understand the phrase "... will not be infringed".

"Heavy Weapons"

The only good thing (for various values of 'good') I can say about politicians is that they make News Commentators look good ... by comparison.

In his June 14, 2016,  "Talking Points Memo", Fox News Commentator Bill O'Reilly segues from his original topic to Gun Control.

Acceptable losses | Fox News Video: 

Jun. 14, 2016 - 8:20 - 'The O'Reilly Factor': Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points 6/14

In this eight minute session about half-way through (03:30 minutes) O'Reilly begins to talk about the "Right Wing Responsibility".

From this point on, he should have stopped the "Acceptable Losses" mask and started another 'memo', called "Heavy Weapons".   And no, I din't know what that means.

The following is a portion of the transcript (which was not made available to viewers): note that most of the text was printed on the backdrop, but O'Reilly's signature off-the-cuff comments varied.  His verbal comments are highlighted when they vary from the background text. Words which were listed on the background text but which he did not voice are lined out.   I wrote down his comments as he talked, and I may have missed a few words.

[begin direct quotes]

There is much gun crime in the USA and High Powered weapons are too easy to get.  That's the point! So let's deal with it!

We all have the right too keep and bear arms, but we don't have the right to buy and maintain mortars even if you feel threatened by gangsters or a New World Order.  No bazookas, no Sherman tanks, no hand grenades.
That's because the Second Amendment clearly states that the government has oversight powers ... the right to regulate militias, made up of individuals.  They have that right in the name of Public Safety.
Therefore, Congress should define the kind of weapons for public sales.  And the states should decide what kind of carry laws are good for their people.

(excise a few paragraphs on identifying terrorists, and acknowledging current laws regulating firearms dealers, etc.) Continue quote:

None of the above

Would it be SO BAD if we just didn't elect a president this time around?
Couldn't we do without one?

Not as a permanent solution.  
But everyone who seems to want the job is absolutely, totally unqualified for it.

Both Hillary and Donald (if I may be so familiar) are the sort of people who, if they moved into the house next door, I wouldn't want to be outside while they are feeding the crocodiles in their moats.

And, if that wasn't enough ... ("Here's Don and Hill!") are certifiably frightening people.

Remember LURCH from the Addams family?   And Uncle Festus?

You gotcher presidential presence and you gotcher VP right there, folks.
(I'm thinking LURCH for PRESIDENT and Uncle Festus as his running mate.)

And they are a LOT less scary than The Hillary and The Donald.

Write in candidates?

Politician Uses Massacre to Pursue Political Agenda

It all began with a shoot-out in a gay bar in Orlando.

Now, thanks to Senator Bob Casey, it has expanded to an attack on the Second Amendment by a United States Senator.

People are using "Hate Crimes" to further their personal bigotry against firearms ownership.  Unfortunately, at least one of these people is a U.S. Senator, with powers and influence beyond most of we common citizens:


Sen. Casey unveils new gun legislation in Pittsburgh | WPXI:

“We may not be able to extinguish all hate, but we can take action to limit the damage so we don’t have to have these types of press conferences in the future,” Peduto said.  

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act denies the use of a gun to anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime under federal, state or tribal law who are found to be motivated by hate or bias against a victim's race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Pittsburgh, PA - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he is introducing legislation that would keep guns out of the hands of those who commit criminal acts based on hate. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act would prohibit the purchase, possession or shipment of a firearm by anyone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime or who received a hate crime sentence enhancement, and prohibit the sale of firearms to anyone reasonably suspected to be guilty of a misdemeanor hate crime. Casey also called for other actions to prevent gun violence, including a ban on military-style weapons, limits on clips and magazine sizes, a ban on those on the terrorist watchlist from purchasing firearms and universal background checks

  “That’s going to prevent you from getting a weapon you can use to continue your hate,” Casey said.

For a 'misdemeanor'?

I do not have any objection to penalizing folks who are assertively protecting people who are attacked because of their sexual orientation.

But I DO have a problem with folks who arbitrarily decide that the best way to punish those attackers is to deny their constitutional rights.

Senator Bob Casey deserves credit for protecting his constituent; but when his solution involves abrogation of the Second Amendment Rights of another, I say .. he has gone too far.

As far as I can tell, there are very few legal cases before the Supreme Court which involve one Constitutional Right which may be considered to contradict another.

But Casey's proposal to punish someone by depriving him of his Constitutional Rights is carrying the concept of prejudice much too far.

Can you say: "Never Happened Yet", Brother?"

(I knew you could.)

Orlando

Some thoughts and comments on the massacre in the Orlando nightclub.

Means:  Gun shot
It could have been worse.  See: "Happy Land"

The Happy Land fire was an arson fire that killed 87 people trapped in an unlicensed social club named "Happy Land", at 1959 Southern Boulevard in the West Farms section of the Bronx in New York City on March 25, 1990. Most of the victims were young Hondurans celebrating Carnival,  largely drawn from members of the local Garifuna American community. Unemployed Cuban refugee [other mass murderer], whose former girlfriend was employed at the club, was arrested soon afterward and ultimately convicted of arson and murder.

Motive: Hatred for Homosexuals?

ORLANDO, Florida — Years before he shot up an Orlando gay club in what became the largest mass shooting in American history, [this murderer] regularly picked up lunch from a drag queen at Ruby Tuesday’s. He may have even gone to see a drag show or two, a former high school classmate told The Daily Beast.

(I'm guessing that he was "A nice Guy" .. other than his recent proclivity to murder strangers.)

Opportunity:  Gay Nightclub

This was possibly the most vulnerable target for a man intent on mass murder.  No firearms allowed, presumably, because even legal firearms carriers are usually prohibited from carrying in a bar and the customers may have even been "wanded" before entry. (Has there been any discussion on security precautions at this club?)

 Which would have presented no challenge to the armed murder because he intended to shoot his way in if necessary.   So, there was almost no chance that anyone would be armed and would defend themselves from attack in this "Gun Free Zone".  

Does anyone question that his choice of people to shoot was "a target of opportunity" rather than "a violent statement against homosexuality"?

Commentary: Evil

This has happened before, in variations too numerous to mention.  And it will happen again.

Nothing that our President says or does will stop it.  Not in America, not in any other nation.

Surely, we can pass laws against aberrant behavior .... and we have.
Surely, we can pass laws against access to guns by criminals and insane people; violent behavior; murder ... and we have.

We can pass laws against anything; but the only effect will be on law-abiding people.

Evil people exist, and nothing we can do or say will stop them from wreaking their vengeance on an unsuspecting, vulnerable populace.

In the weeks to come, you'll see people .. and politicians (not necessary the same group) trying to find ways to intercept this sort of thing.

But it will have no effect, will not stop the deaths; because anyone who would do THIS has no respect for life, laws, rules, regulations, "common decency", or the rights of others.

They just want to kill people.  Preferably, a lot of people.

They are carbuncles on the buttocks of humanity, and the only thing that you and I can do is to grit our collective teeth and remove them from society as soon as we can identify them.

That's all I have to say about this.

[NOTE: the names of murderers will not be displayed in 'original content' here, because they are anathema and should not be given the publicity which they so pathetically need.]