Heller and "Public Health": Public health gun-control activists are
getting palpitations over District of Columbia v. Heller, now before the
U.S. Supreme Court. The only Second Amendment case to come before the
court in nearly 70 years will soon settle the question of whether that
amendment affirms an individual right to own guns...The New England
Journal of Medicine was the great spin factory for public health gun
prohibitionists in the 1990s. But history proved them wrong, as deadly
gun accidents continued to decline to almost insignificant levels, and
state right-to-carry laws didn't result in the bloodbaths they
predicted. Now after a very long silence, the NEJM can't resist jumping
into the political arena again, with a new article sounding the alarm
that gun rights may actually be upheld...
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080407/news_mz1e7wheeler.html
---
Obama Backpedals on "Bitterness" Remarks: Barack Obama struggled
yesterday to fend off a barrage of criticism for saying small-town
voters were "bitter" and clinging to guns and religion - remarks that
the senator's opponent, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, harshly denounced
as elitist and demeaning. Mr. Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic
presidential nomination, apologized for choosing his words poorly at the
closed-door San Francisco fundraiser, and he somewhat backed off his
characterization of gun owners and churchgoers.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080413/NATION/383838523/1001
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1116676020080412?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Hilary Takes Advantage: ...For the third time since Mr. Obama's remarks
were made public Friday night, Mrs. Clinton criticized him at length,
saying his comments seemed "kind of elitist and out of touch." ...She
described herself as a pro-gun churchgoer, recalling that her father
taught her how to shoot a gun when she was a young girl and said that
her faith "is the faith of my parents and my grandparents." (And I have
a nice beachfront condo in Tucson that I'll sell cheap.)
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/clinton-portrays-herself-as-a-pro-gun-churchgoer/
---
Rule Five Follow-Up: A Prescott police officer who left his pistol in a
grocery store bathroom last month now has it back. Police Lt. Ken Morley
says an anonymous caller directed officers to a mail box in Prescott
Valley Thursday and they found the .40-caliber Glock handgun
inside...Morley says police were worried that a child or teenager had
found the gun and reviewed security store tapes but saw only adults.
(Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.)
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/82339.php
---
Even Toy-Gun Bans Don't Work: ...A zero-tolerance approach to replica
guns and other toy weapons is active in a large number of nurseries
across Scotland and superhero-style play, where children imitate their
favourite film characters, is also unpopular among staff as it can lead
to fighting and aggression. But Cath Livingstone, a nursery teacher at
Abernethy Primary School in Perth and Kinross, found that the "ban"
drove the pretend weapons underground, rather than halt interest in them
altogether, and children became deceitful and broke nursery rules in
order to play their favourite games...
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2192138.0.Ban_on_youngsters_playing_with_toy_guns_can_backfire_study_finds.php
---
From John Farnam:
10 Apr 08
Incompetence by choice. This from an LEO friend in the UK:
"In the UK, when an officer displays the slightest interest in firearms,
he is automatically disqualified from all armed assignments. In
addition, his career is toast at that point, as knowledge of firearms,
let alone shooting and gun-handling skills, constitutes a permanent bar
to promotion.
One of our officers, who was armed, was subsequently disarmed (removed
from our Armed-Police Group) because of his 'unhealthy interest' in
developing individual skill with weapons!
Over here, the more competent you aspire to be, the less suitable you
are to be armed. Only dithering buffoons need apply!"
Comment: During the decline of any civilization, we have the requiem
"Incompetence-is-a-Virtue" stage, where the skilled, dedicated, and
heroic are habitually punished and marginalized, while unqualified,
incapable, pandering pretenders unfailingly ascend to high positions.
The British proudly remind us that their Island has not been
successfully invaded since 1066. They better pray the next invaders are
imbeciles, because they'll have only blundering bunglers standing in
their way!
/John
(Britain began disarming its population in earnest in the early 20th
century. Come WWII, they begged for weaponry for their Home Guard. Many
Americans donated personal firearms, often family heirlooms. In turn,
many of these firearms were subsequently destroyed as the disarmament
campaign accelerated in the latter part of the century. Recall a recent
article about how frequently Britain's armed offic ers shoot themselves
or each other.)
10 Apr 08
A note on the fabled Kalashnikov Rifle, from a friend currently in
Afghanistan:
"Close examination of chronically malfunctioning rifles invariably
reveals that they are filthy. Even the legendary Kalashnikov has its
limits! Carbon from Russian ammunition builds up behind, and under, the
extractor, making it progressively more difficult for the extractor claw
to properly grab cartridge rims. This leads to 'soft-extraction,' which
is manifested by empty cases remaining in the receiver instead of being
ejected. M-4s with broken extractor springs routinely display the same
symptom.
Our rifles see much rough treatment and heavy use, and, if they are to
run when we need them to run, they have to be continuously, rigorously
maintained. Of course, the foregoing is no great revelation, but, when
in active, continuous fighting, having reliable equipment is far more
than just a casual request. Over here, one can get hurt for all kinds
of reasons, sometimes no reason at all, but getting hurt on account of
faulty emergency equipment is stupid, and something of which I, for
one, never intend to be guilty!
We've used Kalashnikovs manufactured in Russia, any number of Eastern
European countries, China, even Egypt. All run well, except those
manufactured in Pakistan. Pakistani AKs are trash. I've seen no
exceptions!"
Comment: In most parts of the world, for most of recorded history, human
life has been, and continues to be, amazingly cheap! All who intend to
live through the coming chapter of world history need to have good
equipment and be dedicated to its maintenance. Even the best weapons
don't clean themselves!
/John
(The most important area to clean on a double-action revolver is the
mating surfaces under the extractor star. Arguably, the most important
area to clean on autoloading firearms may be under the extractor claw.)
10 Apr 08
Firstlight Tomahawk LE:
I first saw the Tomahawk flashlight at the SHOT Show earlier this year.
I liked it immediately for its compactness and the logic and convenience
of controls, a Firstlight hallmark. I've used Firstlight's Liberator
for some time. I like it too, but carrying it, along with all my other
concealed equipment, is inconvenient.
The Tomahawk, due to its compactness, solves the carrying issue, as it
conveniently clips on to its belt carrier. I've been carrying my copy
for two weeks. With the Tomahawk secured in the belt clip, I'm able to
illuminate the area in front of me, without tying up my hands. The LE
version is loaded with features, all easily accessible via only one hand.
The 120 lumen light is extremely bright. It also has red and blue LEDs
that can be set to flash much like a beat-car overhead. Intensity is
adjustable, and a strobe feature is built in. I can use it to
illuminate, disorient, or signal. I can conveniently use it in
conjunction with my pistol and rifle, without physically attaching it to
the gun
I'm carrying it constantly now, as it is a consummate personal-security
tool. Recommended!
/John
(I have to wonder about the wisdom of mounting a light on the belt.
Sometimes it is as important to be able to turn off a light quickly as
to turn it on quickly and it's hard to imagine that this is as easily
accomplished when the light is not in the hand, unless one keeps a
remote switch in the hand.)
11 Apr 08
Not just in the UK! This is from a friend with a large federal agency:
"The 'incompetence-by-choice' mantra is not confined to the UK! In our
Agency, it is okay when special agents achieve high scores during
qualification with 'standard' weapons. But, when any of us acquirers,
and trains with, personal, military rifles, or attends private-sector
instruction on his own dime, we are instantly marginalized and sternly
told that such 'dangerous knowledge' is not conducive to our next promotion!
Those punching a ticket, rather than training for a fight (which
constitutes the bulk of our upper 'management') will predictably retort,
'Only counter-assault-team members need to know how to operate rifles
and SMGs,' or "Only counter-snipers need to learn how to shoot at long
range.'
Thus, those of us who consider ourselves true Operators keep our
interests and skills to ourselves when we're at the office. This is not
good for the Agency nor individual agents, but it is necessitated by the
enforced ignorance that always attaches to anti-gun politics.
The enthusiastic, unapologetic assertion that all Agents need to
thoroughly learn any weapon system they can and to operate it with
technical/tactical proficiency should be our creed. But, it's an
election year, and predictably, "Don't give up the ship" has been
replaced with "Don't rock the boat!"
Comment: Once again, "dangerous ignorance" will deal a death blow to
any organization much faster than will "dangerous knowledge." When,
within an
agency, (1) truth is confined to nervous whispers, when (2) truth is so
corrosive and frightening that it cannot be discussed openly, and when
(3) we are supposed to solve a "problem," but the "problem" can never
be mentioned, then the agency in question is doing little more than
running in place.
Heroic Operators, like my friend in the foregoing, are making a bold
comeback, and none too soon! But, we will always make frightened mice,
in high positions, nervous. Expect it. Don't become a victim of it.
When your actions and ambitions threaten them not, you are simply
striving after the insignificant!
/John
11 Apr 08
America's future, from a friend and Operator in PA:
"What we often refer to as 'anti-gun sentiment' is actually just a
symptom of the real disease. The real malady is personal cowardice,
manifested in 'anti-fighting,' the (Woodrow) Wilson view that the
unilateral decision to fight, to confront evil with righteous force, is
the worst of all possible eventualities, far worse than even violent
death of the innocent. This Wilsonian thinking made its debut in
American jurisprudence in the mid-20th Century, having been written by
timid souls in America's 'halls of ivy,' never places known as 'home of
the brave.'
Thus, the currently-discredited concept of 'fleeing-to-the-wall' was
deliberately designed, not for anyone's protection, but for the
convenience of politicians and bureaucrats. When decent, law-abiding
citizens are mandated to meekly accept violent death at the hands of
VCAs, never forcefully resisting, there will surely be murders, but
there will not be 'fights.' Murders are easy for government to deal
with, and, in fact, give them 'something to do.' Fighting, on the other
hand, is unthinkable! Cowards were thus granted the patently fraudulent
view of themselves as 'morally superior' to those who would boldly
defend their own magnificence.
Many politicians have not yet noticed, but America's populace has made
it well known that we do not abide such tripe. State legislatures are
responding with citizen CCW
laws, inter-state reciprocity, and re-instatement of
'no-duty-to-retreat.' Much to the dismay of tyrant wannabes, adscripted
cowardice has an unhappy future in the USA!
The police community too has largely cast aside institutionalized
impotence. Trainers of principle now prepare officers to do their sworn
duty to protect the weak and helpless by fearlessly entering the mayhem
without delay, even when alone. This, despite the nauseating,
disdainful references to 'John Wayne' and
'taking-the-law-into-your-own-hands' which are designed to mask the
arrogant snobbery entrenched within academia, the news media, and
elected officialdom.
America is boldly passing through this imposed period of the
Franco-German political model, and the true nature of the American
Spirit is now ineluctably re-emerging!"
Comment: When it comes to a choice between a war and a massacre, cowards
will always choose massacre. To them, death is preferable to
repentance. For too long, emasculates in officialdom have insisted that
everyone be legally compelled to be as pusillanimous as they are. As my
friend says, real Americans consistently reject such rubbish every time
they're given a chance.
Justice has been rerouted
From present to future tense;
The law is so in love with the law
It's forgotten common sense.
Does man now serve the law, I ask,
When law was made by man?
Or, law still serve its rightful task:
protecting men from Man?
Ogden Nash
/John
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
