Limits of the Second Amendment, Part II

Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American… The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state government, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.

Tench Coxe




A few weeks ago I expounded on the historical and legal context of the 2A.  In this post I want to lay out what I see as the logical consequences of that context.

The founders were clearly comfortable with the idea of individuals possessing military style small arms and with communities being able to raise a company of infantry or battery of artillery or even a privateer warship.  Contemporary legal understanding makes it clear that the 2A protects arms in common use which are appropriate for militia purposes or self defense.

With that in mind, I think that "common usage" must look at arms in common infantry and police usage.  I think it is simple to draw divisions between classes of weapons and apply appropriate legal
scrutiny to regulations purporting to control them.

STRICTEST SCRUTINY:  PERSONAL ARMS
Personal arms -- defined as those either used by the typical patrol police officer or infantry squad member -- clearly have the most protection under the 2A either from a militia or self defense point of view.  Regulations on these types of arms should have to meet strict scrutiny, as such regulations strike at the core of the legal and historical purpose of the 2A.

Arms in this category would include common police equipment such as modern semiautomatic sidearms with standard capacity magazines, "patrol rifles" (the AR-15 or whatever is used in the jurisdiction), "patrol shotguns" (such as the Mossberg 500), tasers, and pepper spray.  Also included would be anything on an infantry squad's TO&E, including the M4/M16 assault rifles, low and intermediate power optics (such as those used for squad designated marksmen rifles), light machine guns such as the SAW, and light grenade/flare launchers such as the 40mm.

Also included should be arms especially useful for training purposes such as 22 rimfire versions of the above arms.

An appropriate regulatory regime for these arms would be something like the current "constitutional carry" process.


INTERMEDIATE SCRUTINY:  PLATOON ARMS
Arms utilized by an infantry platoon or SWAT team should be protected but perhaps less rigorously than personal arms.  Intermediate scrutiny is probably most appropriate, although some sort of "intermediate plus" might be better.

Arms in this category would include common SWAT equipment such as sniper rifles with high powered optics, submachine guns, and flash bangs/incendiary tear gas grenades.  Also protected would be light infantry platoon-level arms such as the M240 medium machine gun.  Also included might be ancillary equipment such as communications gear, night vision, target designation devices used by forward observors, and so on.

An appropriate regulatory regime would be something like the current "shall issue" CCW process.


INTERMEDIATE SCRUTINY:  COMPANY ARMS
Arms utilized by an infantry company or specialized police team should also be protected but perhaps less rigorously than personal arms.  Intermediate scrutiny is probably most appropriate because rational basis has become a complete joke.

Arms in this category would include common riot police gear such as tear gas bombs, specialized police gear such as EOD materials, and light armored vehicles such as MRAPs or M113 APCs with 50 cal machine guns.

Also protected would be light infantry company-level arms such as the 60mm mortar, antitank rockets, 50-cal heavy machine guns, and high powered optics for special-purpose rifles.

An appropriate regulatory regime would be something like the current C&R FFL process.  As a note, this process requires informing the local chief law enforcement officer; I am actually ok with that, as your county sheriff is similar to the old militia colonel of the 18th century.  Company level arms were intended to be operated as part of a community-based organization under responsible command.

NON-LIGHT INFANTRY ARMS AND EQUIPMENT
The above classifications should apply to mechanized, armored, naval, and air equipment as well.  For example, one could look at what sort of vessels are commanded by an O-3 and manned by ~100 personnel as an idea of what naval equipment would be included as a "company level arm."


RATIONAL BASIS:  OTHER ARMS
Non-military arms not particular useful for self defense are clearly not protected as a core part of the 2A.  30-30 lever guns, single shot 410 shotguns, and similar arms can be heavily regulated.

Likewise, arms above the company level may not necessarily be protected to the same degree.

One question arises with legacy military arms and with foreign arms.  For example, how should an M1 Carbine or an AK-47 be treated?  I would err on the side of granting such arms greater preference than mere hunting or sporting arms, but could see an argument for dropping their protection to rational basis alone.


"...and bear..."
I believe in Constitutional Carry.  Heller has established that certain places can be designated as "sensitive."  In keeping with Heller, I am ok with optional concealed weapons permits that allow access to "sensitive" places for armed citizens.  I think that "sensitive places" should be required to implement real security before being declared gun free zones.

CONCLUSION
The above may be seen as a pipe dream.  Indeed, the fully automatic M4 receives more protection under such a scheme than the 30-30 deer rifle.  However, it is good to have goals and know where we are going.  I think the above regime is internally consistent, meets the intent of the second amendment, and allows for reasonable regulation in the context of a community militia.  I doubt we will ever see such a regulatory regime in my lifetime but it is good to have a sound philosophical underpinning.

Appleseed & Marlin: The 795LTR

Wow!

Marlin is releasing a ready-to-go Liberty Training Rifle as a special variant of the 795.  I need another .22 LR rifle like I need a hole in my cranium but I may have to check one of these out.  It looks like a very solid, affordable option for the new rifle owner, especially as it includes a coupon for free rifle training.  Other features include decent sights and a decent canvas sling.  I'm interested to see the price point.

Victory! Alaska CWPs NICS Exempt Again

More good news from Alaska!

We have Constitutional Carry.  When we adopted CC a few years ago, the ATF decided that our CWPs would no longer make us NICS-exempt, probably because they hate freedom.

That issue has been corrected.  If Alaska CWP holders fill out one more quick form certifying that they aren't a prohibited person they can get a NICS exempt CWP.  Here's the notice from DPS:

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has reaffirmed that valid Alaska Concealed Handgun Permits (ACHPs) marked "NICS Exempt" qualify as alternatives to the NICS background check required by the Brady Act when FFLs transfer a firearm to an unlicensed person. The Alaska Department of Public Safety has begun issuing permits with the "NICS Exempt" annotation. 

An initial or renewal applicant for an ACHP who wishes to have their permit marked "NICS Exempt" must complete and sign the NICS EXEMPT CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT SUPPLEMENT (form 12-299-89) along with their initial or renewal application and supporting material. 

The holder of an existing valid permit that becomes lost, stolen, or destroyed may request a replacement permit. To have the "NICS Exempt" notation on the replacement permit, the permit holder must complete and sign the NICS EXEMPT CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT SUPPLEMENT (form 12-299-89) along with the request for replacement (form 12-299-85), the $25 replacement fee, and a photograph taken within the last 30 days. The replacement application must be presented in person to an office of the Alaska State Troopers. 

The department must give priority to first-time applicants in accordance with AS 18.65.700(b) and to expiring permit holders seeking to renew their permits. Replacement requests will be processed as quickly as possible but can only be done after other priorities are met. Existing permit holders who are expiring shortly will probably save time and expense by simply waiting until the time to renew their permit to get the "NICS Exempt" notation added.

Floor it!

...and its like a trainwreck.

What happens when you combine the latest WND/InfoWars conspiracy theories and a former Governor of Alaska?

I present to you:

If we can’t stomach modest cuts that would lower federal spending by a mere 0.3% per year out of a current federal budget of $3.6 trillion, then we might as well signal to the whole world that we have no serious intention of dealing with our debt problem. 

If we are going to wet our proverbial pants over 0.3% in annual spending cuts when we’re running up trillion dollar annual deficits, then we’re done. Put a fork in us. We’re finished. We’re going to default eventually and that’s why the feds are stockpiling bullets in case of civil unrest.

That rant opinion piece is kind of like a troubling car wreck.  The problem is that while we're rubbernecking, we're still hurtling down the highway at 90 MPH towards an economic cliff.

Alaska Legislative Update: HB69

The Alaska House just passed HB69.

• Bill Text and Actions
• ADN

HB69 strengthens the Alaska Firearms Freedom Act.  Currently the Act protects only firearms totally manufactured in Alaska which remain in the state.  The new version expands that protection to any firearm or accessory such as a magazine possessed in the state.  It makes federal enforcement of new gun control laws an Alaska crime (misdemeanor).  Finally, it allows the State Attorney General to defend an Alaskan accused of violating new gun control laws.

 

This is also a symbolic law.  While it does strengthen the protections of the untested FFA -- there are pending court cases on Montana's version -- it may weaken them in court by expanding the protection to any item "possessed."  There is likely an interstate commerce nexus that allows federal regulation of items that travel in interstate commerce  like a PMAG from Colorado shipped via Washington State to Alaska, as the commerce clause is currently interpreted.

 

This law passed the House with 31 yeas, 5 nays, and four abstentions.  Two democrats crossed the aisle to vote for it, and one of the abstentions was a pro-2A democrat on an approved absence who wants a recount so he can vote for it too.  The bill now goes to the Senate and then the governor.

Alaska Legislative Update: SJR6

The Senate has passed SJR6.

• Full Text
• ADN Story
• Legislation Update

 

SJR6 is a non-binding resolution addressed to our Congressional delegation and the President.  It lays out the historical and philosophical basis for the second amendment and calls for the federal contress to oppose gun control.  While primarily symbolic, it does put some pressure on our Senators.  It passed the Senate 19-1 on 20 February and is now awaiting action in the House.

Here's the final text:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Congress to not relinquish to the office of the President of the United States the legislative duty of the United States Congress to safeguard our most fundamental right; and be it FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the President of the United States to refrain from any further efforts to restrict firearms ownership. 

The whole thing is worth reading, it is pretty strongly drafted.

Now, if it weren't for that 17th Amendment thing the legislature would have more effect on Sen Begich (former member of Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns gun-control group) and Sen Murkowski (waffling on the issue)...  Because of the 17th Amendment, "we the people" of Alaska need to be proactive about contacting them.  Let Sen Murkowski and Sen Begich know that you have read Alaska SJR6 and urge them to honor the will of the Alaska legislature.

I expect this to sail through the Alaska House but it does not hurt to contact your state senator and representative and thank them for their support of SJR6.

Appleseed - Rainyseed

Seven patriots braved the pouring rain for Saturday's portion of Appleseed - including a soon-to-be 10 year old celebrating her birthday!  Fortunately for all, the hard rain stopped about the time we finished setting up the line, but the weather remained cold and misty the rest of the day.  The fire-hose of instruction was on full-force though, both on the line and back under cover for the history portion.  We were also fortunate enough to have a reenactor come and talk to us about Kings Mountain.  A batch of hot chocolate revived everyone for the afternoon and at the end of the day we were pleased to welcome a new orange hat into the instructor ranks!

On Sunday one brave shooter returned and was rewarded for his efforts with bright sunshine and 60 degree temperatures!  His determination, attention to detail, and good nature in the face of six instructors all trying to help further rewarded him just before lunch with a Rifleman's score on the AQT.  I cannot imagine anything better for my first official act as a red hat than shaking his hand!

There are a lot of upcoming shoots in the South East!  Please come out an join us at an Appleseed, Ladyseed, or Libertyseed near you!

SEIU Deploying to Counter Pro-Gun Rally in Albany

The SEIU is deploying to Albany, NY to counter a pro-2A rally and lobby day organized by the NYSRPA on 28 February.  SEIU is perhaps best known for, erm, strongarm tactics during the Tea Party movement in the health care debate.  Their MO is to bus in large crowds that push things to the edge of a riot.

Governor Cuomo and our legislature passed the "NY SAFE ACT." It will reduce gun violence in our state. Predictably, it is under attack by the National Rifle Association and allied groups. :::We are joining with the SEIU 1199 to lobby in Albany. This free bus trip will last from 8:00 to 4:30 with breakfast and lunch included. Meet up at 250 S Clinton St. Park in the M Lot at the corner of W Fayette and S Clinton Sts. (Parking in that lot may be validated. No sure yet.) Show your determination to keep our excellent new law!:::You must call this number to get a seat on the free bus. 315-424-1743 Ext 110 Ask for Nekeia:::Also sign up here.

There are three things to highlight here.

First, the gun control movement is now being pushed by the entire far-left coalition.  If this was not yet obvious to you it should be now.  The SEIU are the shock troops brownshirts rational polite debate team of the far left on a nationwide basis.  If you live within a three hour bus ride of any major city dominated by liberal antigun people, you are at risk for these sorts of tactics.

Second, this puts the pro-2A rally in a difficult position.  Obviously there will be media coverage issues; if 2000 pro-2A folks turn out for NYSRPA and 100 SEIU folks show up, the media will say that there were "several thousand gun control supporters and a few baby killing tea party extremists."  Next, I would have a significant concern about political violence.  SEIU would be happy to start something; the media and their handlers on the left has been falling all over themselves for a "violent gun-totin redneck tea partier" to shoot someone and a bunch of thugs threatening violence on a lawful CCWer will lead to a Zimmerman-style media frenzy (if it doesn't result in a mob riot first), even if it was a good shoot.  I wouldn't even put it past the professional left to have some agitators mixed in among the NYSRPA folks.  Imagine the chaos/riot that would erupt if an leftist agitator touched off as much as a starter pistol in the middle of the protest?

Third, if you need free bus fare and a meal to the rally, SEIU will provide it.  Signing up on their website is quick and easy.  You can even reserve several seats on the bus for your friends who will be attending the rally.  Be sure not to oversleep on 28 Feb and miss the bus; it would be a shame if SEIU reserved a bunch of buses for nothing.

If you don't want to get SEIU spam forever in your mailbox, you can sign up with a disposable email account and RSVP your seat.

Finally, in a now-standard ritual, SEIU has embraced the New Civility of the National Conversation by Reasoned Discoursing the facebook page for this event out of existence.


UPDATE:
SEIU has posted this on their facebook:

"Feb 28th Rally...has been postponed..."

The other sites have been scrubbed of notices & details as well.  I suspect that after they got swamped with many infiltrators they shut it down.  I'll be interested to see if they just moved coordination behind closed doors or called it off altogether.  Even forcing them to collaborate behind closed doors removes social media from their collaboration arsenal and forces them to move at the speed of telephone/union boss meeting, as opposed to the speed of twitter/facebook.

It is a pity, I suspect Mr. & Mrs. Alex Hamilton from 1775 Heart of Oak Street in Brooklyn and their three friends were looking forward to attending.

Expect to see this tactic again if you or your legislature are within two or three hours (bus ride) of a major urban area!  Keep your powder dry and your ear to the ground!

Rumor: NICS Exempt for Alaska CCW

American Shootist (a great veteran owned source for E.A.R. earpro in the Anchorage area, by the way) is passing along some juicy RUMINT:

Attention: I just got word that all new Concealed Carry Licenses will be issued with NICS EXEMPT ***IF*** you opt in for it AND fill out the ADDITIONAL forms when applying for your license. That's GREAT news. If you already have a license, stay tuned as the state will be rolling out a program to update your card, GUESStimation... 30-45 days.

That is great news if true.  Alaska CCWs lost their NICS-exempt status in 2006-2007 because the ATF got pissy with the State.  Probably because we passed Constitutional Carry and the ATF hates freedom was unhappy with technical aspects of the new law; I heard one thing they brought up was being upset about the new CCW process not requiring fingerprints for renewal (which seems silly, as they already have your prints on file).

NICS exempt would be great to get back.

NRA Lays Smack in Illinois

The NRA's rep starts laying the smack at 2:59.  This is a discussion regarding Illinois' concealed carry, which, as I figure, goes to Constitutional Carry in about 136 days.

After Todd's testimony, an anti-gun rep goes in on a long line of questioning for around 8 minutes that can summarized as, "The FOID process is messed up, our state sucks at reporting mental health records, and we shouldn't pass a law until everything is perfect."

Todd replies at 3:12 by pointing out that NRA has been pushing for funding and auditing for two years.  He goes on to say, "I can't be responsible, nor our organization, for the financial mismanagement of the state by the governor.  I can't make the circuit clerks do their job...  but if the clerks of the courts, the courts, and state's attorneys, and the governor won't do their jobs, how do you expect me to fix that?"

Another zinger:  "You're right, Chicago is special -- especially abusive to gun owners."  No compromise on pre-emption.

Constitutional carry on June 9th.

"I'm sorry, but that mail box is full"

NRA sent out a phone call roster of vulnerable US senators to push on gun control votes.  The good news is that about a third of the phone numbers hit a dead end:  "I'm sorry, but that mail box is full."  That means we're nuking the phone.  Keep it up.

For Alaskans, I would add Sen Murkowski to the call list:  202-224-6665 / fax 202-224-5301.

Here's the note from NRA-ILA:

If your senator's mailbox is full, you can go to their website and start calling district offices.

There are 20 U.S. senators, in particular, who hold the fate of your freedom in their hands.

These senators represent states where gun ownership is respected and our Second Amendment freedoms are revered.

But right now, they're facing huge pressure from the gun ban lobby and Barack Obama to support Obama's extreme gun control agenda!

So please, call each of the senators below and tell them to vote NO on any gun ban...NO on any magazine ban...NO on criminalizing private firearm transfers...and NO on any gun registration scheme.

	Sen. Max Baucus	202-224-2651
	Sen. Mark Begich	202-224-3004
	Sen. Susan Collins	202-224-2523
	Sen. Joe Donnelly	202-224-4814
	Sen. Kay Hagan	202-224-6342
	Sen. Martin Heinrich	202-224-5521
	Sen. Heidi Heitkamp	202-224-2043
	Sen. Tim Johnson	202-224-5842
	Sen. Tim Kaine	202-224-4024
	Sen. Angus King	202-224-5344
	Sen. Mary Landrieu	202-224-5824
	Sen. Joe Manchin	202-224-3954
	Sen. Claire McCaskill	202-224-6154
	Sen. Mark Pryor	202-224-2353
	Sen. Harry Reid	202-224-3542
	Sen. Jeanne Shaheen	202-224-2841
	Sen. Jon Tester	202-224-2644
	Sen. Mark Udall	202-224-5941
	Sen. Tom Udall	202-224-6621
	Sen. Mark Warner	202-224-2023

Spread your calls out over several days if you need to.

And remember: It doesn't matter if you do not live in these senators' states - YOU NEED TO CALL THEM. After all, the votes they cast will affect you no matter where you live!

Update on Nathan Haddad

Nathan Haddad is an honorably discharged veteran who was recently arrested and charged with seven felonies for possession of a box with a spring in it (standard capacity magazines) by NY.

His legal defense fund has released an update on the case:

"I have not yet begun to fight!” – John Paul Jones 

Yesterday’s court proceedings clarified things! The Jefferson County District Attorney’s office is more interested in political expediency than justice. THAT IS A MISTAKE!\

Consultations between Nathan’s attorney Seth Buchman and a team of attorneys specializing in the 2nd Amendment and Constitutional law have already occurred. In addition, outside organizations including the NRA and The 2nd Amendment Foundation are aware of and involved in this action. Strategy is being debated, planned out and implemented.

I want to add a special thanks to Emily Miller at the Washington Times for her careful, fair and accurate reporting. In a time when most reporters simply carry water for the government Emily truly stands out as wanting to find "truth." 

We will continue to raise funds and are prepared to take this as far as necessary to obtain justice. Nathan did not choose this path but he is on it. If this path takes him to the Supreme Court of the United States that is where we will go! 

We will be sharing additional information in the coming days including actionable steps you can take.
“An unjust law is no law at all”—Augustine of Hippo 

Please send interview requests, comments, or suggestions to: americans4the2nda@gmail.com

Thus far, Mr. Haddad has raised almost $40K from 978 donors (about $40/donor).  It looks like the Jefferson County, NY DA's office is refusing to settle or drop the charges, but on the plus side, SAF & NRA are getting involved.

Of note, there are well over 50,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the state of New York.  I keep being told that individual officers support the 2A and don't like the SAFE Act.  If that is the case, how come a sworn LEO enforced a bullshit victimless crime on Mr. Haddad?  How come all those pro-2A cops aren't dropping Mr. Haddad $10?  I would think that if NY cops were actually pro-2A they'd be happy to support such a cause.

Or, maybe they just want their LEO exemption to SAFE act and will gleefully harass serfs tax slaves residents of New York who dare to load up more than seven rounds in a mag or have an undocumented rifle.

Outgunned

For your meme pleasure.  Info extracted from this DHS show and tell video.  Feel free to share on social media or elsewhere.

I don't understand why ICE needs this vehicle because I am told that the borders are more secure than ever before.

Maryland Contact

While we juggle multiple pro-2A pots, trying to keep them from boiling over, Maryland is moving forward with some draconian stuff.

One of their pro-freedom reps was kind enough to email me a useful tool which lets you fire off a message to the whole MD Senate Judiciary Committee.

Here's a sample letter for you to cut and paste:

Ladies & Gentlemen, 

I understand that in the near future, your committee will be taking up draconian gun control measures which infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens. 

If your state passes these measures, I will be forced to cut off all of my spending in Maryland. 

Your state's gun laws are already very strict, especially with regards to concealed carry reciprocity.  The new bundle of laws under consideration demonstrate the disregard which which the legislature considers their constituents while doing nothing to enhance public safety, and I will not support such a state with as much as a nickle. 

I have already cut all financial ties with New York and am willing to do so in Maryland.
Finally, I am actively contributing to pro-2A organizations and will be happy to help educate your constituents as to how you chose to vote on this important issue. 

Very Respectfully,
[Chris from Alaska]

Inflation

Ryan at TSLRF mentioned inflation.  I went and pulled some old info to see how bad it has been for certain categories of goods.

OFFICIAL CPI

The official CPI figures are available online.  From the last ten years the average CPI has been about 2.5% each year.  According to the rule of 72, that means prices should double every 30 years or so.

GASOLINE

I drove over to GasBuddy.com and pulled ten years of data for retail gas prices in Anchorage and the USA average.

In 2003, gas prices peaked at around $2/gallon and bottomed at $1.43, with an average around $1.75.  Prices in Anchorage averaged a bit higher but were within those ranges.

In 2012, gas peaked at $4.44 (Anchorage)/$3.84 (US), bottomed at $3.24 and averaged around $4 (Anchorage)/$3.75 (US).  Those averages are just WAGs from looking at the charts.

An increase from $1.75 to $3.75 over ten years is about a doubling.   That works out to an annual increase of more like 8% per year.

GROCERIES

I dug out my old college budget.  I used to budget $100 per month for groceries.  I did not eat a ton of ramen and easy cheese in college.  We did a pasta meal once or twice a week, and I was pretty religious about finishing leftovers, but I cooked and ate normal homestyle meals, shopped at a super walmart, and didn't clip coupons.  Heather had a similar budget.

Today, we go through about $300/month in groceries for the two of us.  While we do buy a few things at Whole Foods, most of our shopping is done economically and in bulk.  That is an increase of 50% in less than a decade.  It works out to an average of ~5% every year, or double the reported CPI numbers.

CONCLUSIONS

Compounding the above, my credit card used to offer 5% cash back on Gas & Groceries.  Now it offers 1% back. So my bill for these items has actually gone up even more then the above estimates reflect.

I don't think I really believe the CPI numbers are reflecting the reality of costs for many consumers.

Ryan asks what we're doing.  That's a tough question.  I am staying the course on my long term & retirement savings.  In a moderately inflationary environment, stocks will do better than cash in the mattress (or savings account).  I have a fair stack of precious metals.  I'm paying a lot of attention to tax planning, in particular to avoid capital gains taxes on illusory paper gains that don't mean squat due to inflation.

We have a decent amount of collectibles & tangibles which will hold their value well.  We are squared away pretty well for ammo, food, and other consumables.  We have no debt and a healthy emergency fund.

There's really not much else one can do, I think.  I guess now might be a good time to take out a mortgage at a low interest rate to pay back with inflated dollars, but I don't want to buy a home that I'm not prepared to live in forever; given the market, I could get stuck underwater in the future.

They Hate You and All Your Rights

The committee chair in NJ slamming through unconstitutional gun control tried to hold the vote before hearing witness testimony.  They don't give a shit about your First Amendment right to petition the government.

"Everyone that applied to speak on all the bills will speak at the end."  After they vote, that is.

The crowd got unruly, and a Republican rep with some backbone called out the chair on the tactic.

Do not think you can compromise or appease such people.  They hate all your rights, they do not even want to pretend to listen to you, and they detest your very existence.

Obama wants your gun violence stories

This is what I sent him:

She confronted me in a dark parking lot light by a few hazy lights in North Las Vegas.  I was picking up some dinner "to go" late at night at a great BBQ joint that is in a neighborhood which has sadly gone down hill over the last few years.  She asked if I could help her get on welfare, babbling a bit, while walking towards me. 

I began to offer to buy her a sandwich and give her an MRE as charity.  Drug abuse is a problem in North Las Vegas and I don't feel good giving junkies money.  When she was about two parking spots away, I noticed she had her hand on a folding knife in her front right pocket. 

My training kicked in; I bladed away from her, put my hand on the butt of my semiautomatic pistol with 15 round standard capacity magazine, and ordered her to "STOP RIGHT THERE."  She sputtered, her eyes got wide, and she left quickly.  She had brought a knife to a gun fight. 

I reported the incident to a law enforcement officer at a checkpoint about a quarter mile away, and he was uninterested.  No report was ever taken and she still needs help, I guess.  I got to go home safely to my family because I had my defensive sidearm and nobody was hurt.

Share your stories.  Sure, maybe Dianne Feinstein will print out the pro-gun stories to use as TP -- but more likely, they're being read by bright-eyed bushy-tailed underpaid DC interns.  You might get through to a few.  They are email-address harvesting to I'd use a a "spam email."

Ban State Boycott: Primary Weapons Systems

Primary Weapons Systems has weighed in on the Ban State Boycott.

TL; DR summary:

• PWS tells customers to screw themselves.
• PWS receives seven pages of cancelled orders.
• PWS tries to hedge and weasel out of original statement.
• PWS pinned down by angry mob of internet customers.
• PWS grudgingly and tersely says they will not sell to LEOs in ban states.

First, they tell a customer (not me) to go screw themselves:

Thank you for contacting us with your concerns and to communicate your opinions and stance on the current political situation and attack on the second amendment that we are all engaged in. We also greatly appreciate all of your past and hopefully continued support due to the excellent function, performance and quality of the PWS weapons you already have.  

In the weeks since Sen. Feinstein’s push for new Gun Control first started, many of the employees at PWS have been repeatedly contacting various political leaders via email and Facebook to voice our wish to see them uphold the Constitution rather than undermine it. We agree that taking a stance for what one believes in is part of what makes this country great. We believe other factors in that greatness are the freedom from oppression and political bullying guaranteed by our Bill of Rights and economic wherewithal brought to us by the Free Market Economy.  

PWS supports the US Soldier, Law Enforcement and Armed Citizen with the same priority. Just as you have a choice in what firearms you purchase and trust, so do they. They are exercising their free will in the free market just as you or I would. They are not the boogeyman, they are our parents, siblings and friends. At times, we may be at odds, but we are still ALL Americans. There is a small but vocal crowd that seeks to further divide this nation instead of lead it. Unfortunately, they control the Whitehouse right now......but that will pass. The last thing a conservative response should be, is too cleave and divide ourselves even further from all Americans instead of working together as a united people. This saddens us that is the typical response.  

We personally know many men serving as LEO in the states you wish us to refuse business to, men who we consider brothers who have served this nation overseas and continue to serve their communities as Law Enforcement. These men have actually fought for the rights you purport to support as you try to threaten a position and statement out of firearms manufacturers using misguided fear tactics that are already in heavy use by the liberal leadership in this nation. They are as ardent of defenders and believers in the Constitution and 2nd Amendment as ANYONE. I will not betray their service and sacrifice or their friendship any more readily than I would betray yours, yet that is exactly what you are demanding.. 

What you have done in this message to PWS is give an ultimatum reinforced with threats. This is also known as an "initiation of force”. I cannot tell you how much this disappoints me on a personal level. We have spoken on the phone numerous times and instead of reaching out and asking how to help each other in this fight, you instead use the same tactics of those on the other side by giving an ultimatum engineered to solicit a response in line with your demands, leaving no room for anything else. You did not ask us as a brother American, instead you treat us as an adversary you wish to threaten and force to bend to your will. You have voiced your stance and what the repercussions are for us if we don't submit to your will but just as our forefathers believed….. I submit to NO MAN sir and I expect no one to submit to me.  

PWS will not be submitting to your ultimatum and if us standing up for our right and our beliefs is counter to your wants, needs and desires and your punishment upon us is to not use or endorse or purchase our products from us, that is your choice. In closing, I believe you need to reflect on the tone and tactics conveyed by your email.  

Cordially,  

MR. STACEY NAGY Dealer Development/Sales PRIMARY WEAPONS SYSTEMS  208.344.5217 x 206  208.344.5395 fax http://www.primaryweapons.com/ 

Then, after seven pages of forum responses telling them orders are being cancelled, they walk the dog back:

Good Morning All,  

I wanted to take a moment to clarify a point that started this entire situation. In my discussion with Mr. Nagy, the point that I took the most from is this fact –  

There is a small but vocal crowd that seeks to further divide this nation instead of lead it. Unfortunately, they control the Whitehouse right now......but that will pass. The last thing a conservative response should be is too cleave and divide ourselves even further from all Americans instead of working together as a united people.  

I believe the point Mr. Nagy was trying to make was that we must work together – all of us – to fight this legislation, not simply react once it has been pushed through while we stand idle and allow it.  

PWS will always defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign AND domestic. As a company, we value our customers and do indeed understand that the civilian market is our bread and butter. The law enforcement officers that we support are our friends, and they have taken the same Oath of Enlistment that I have and through many discussions I have had with them on this topic, they will not bow to tyrannical government and nor will we.  

We will not support agencies that wish to weaken or destroy the rights we are granted from the 2nd Amendment, but we will do everything we can to support the ones that will stand and fight with us to ensure our freedoms remain. THAT is the stance of PWS.  

Todd Tuttle
Vice President
Primary Weapons Systems 

They are then asked for clarification:

• So would you sell to individual LEO's in New York State?
• So please clarify, will PWS be selling to NYS/Local/individual LEO's products that civilians that are not allowed to own? Simple question. Be clear. Yes or no. 
• Will you arm those that would disarm us? Will you sell to ban state agencies?

The response:

No, we will not.

I was going to order some PWS stuff for an AR pistol.  When I heard their original statement I decided to go with Spike's instead.  I may reconsider depending on what actions PWS takes.  If they truly follow through with their new policy then I will consider their product again.

They can be taught.

A Time for Choosing

"Now let's set the record straight. There's no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there's only one guaranteed way you can have peace—and you can have it in the next second—surrender.

Admittedly, there's a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson of history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face—that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight or surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand—the ultimatum. And what then—when Nikita Khrushchev has told his people he knows what our answer will be? He has told them that we're retreating under the pressure of the Cold War, and someday when the time comes to deliver the final ultimatum, our surrender will be voluntary, because by that time we will have been weakened from within spiritually, morally, and economically. He believes this because from our side he's heard voices pleading for "peace at any price" or "better Red than dead," or as one commentator put it, he'd rather "live on his knees than die on his feet." And therein lies the road to war, because those voices don't speak for the rest of us.

You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. If nothing in life is worth dying for, when did this begin—just in the face of this enemy? Or should Moses have told the children of Israel to live in slavery under the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots at Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard 'round the world? The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn't die in vain. Where, then, is the road to peace? Well it's a simple answer after all.

You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, "There is a price we will not pay." "There is a point beyond which they must not advance." Winston Churchill said, "The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we're spirits—not animals." And he said, "There's something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.

We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.  - Ronald Reagan, 1964

Maybe it is because I'm a young 'un, but I had never before heard this speech by Ronald Reagan.  I came across it with a random link from a forum.  It is powerful.  I'll admit it got a bit dusty in the room at 1:25 and the sequence at starting at 1:40 and culminating in the bold text teared me up.  I don't agree with all of Reagan's policies and as a millenial, his policies did not directly affect me but now I see why he was called "The Great Communicator."  I had the honor of attending his funeral procession in DC and I am now starting to understand why so many people were so affected by him.

The context of this speech was a campaign fundraiser by a young Ronald Reagan for Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign.  This excerpt is actually part of a larger speech, "A Time for Choosing," which I think personally resonates very strongly with today's challenges.  It is worth reading the whole speech.

FOREIGN POLICY

I don't agree with all of Barry Goldwater's foreign policy.  His idea to give tactical control of nukes to forward commandrs, to employ nukes in Vietnam, and so on seem dangerous in retrospect.  Then again, Lyndon B. Johnson didn't exactly pursue a policy of pacifism and de-escalation, and who knows, maybe massive bombing and overwhelming force in Vietnam would have resolved that quagmire sooner rather than the "rolling thunder" hell Johnson got us mired in.  Who knows.

Philosophically, I struggle between Ron Paul's extreme isolationism and Barry Goldwater's extremely muscular foreign policy.   I think we can pursue a more measured set of policies and still attain US strategic objectives more efficiently, so I suppose I am a moderate -- with regard to execution.  In philosophy, however, I very much agree with Ronald Reagan.

THE PRICE WE WILL NOT PAY

This speech highlights a very fundamental truth for me:  "There is a price we will not pay, there is a point beyond which they cannot advance."  From a personal self defense point of view, people who choose concealed carry have established that boundary.  I will not be kidnapped, I will not be murdered, I will not stand by while an innocent is violated.  I'm sure you have lines in the sand too.

I suspect that some people have no lines in the sand.  They will be victimized and rationalize it while they bargain with their rapist or murderer.  They will allow others to invade their boundaries and personal space.  For them there are no boundaries.  These people cannot understand why we dig in when they suggest a little reasonable common sense "compromise;" it isn't rape after all, its just the tip!

I am increasingly of the mind that those Americans who believe in constitutional government must establish a price that will not be paid, a line that will not be crossed.  We must strengthen ourselves spiritually, morally, and materially.  We must drown out those fuddish voices calling for appeasement, for they only encourage the extremists who want to hasten the day when an ultimatum is delivered.

"There is a price we will not pay, there is a point beyond which they must not advance."

Intolerable Acts

TSA assaults a 3 year old with spinal bifida in a wheelchair and tries to tell the parents they cannot record the interaction.  Good for the mother standing her ground.

More Tactical Advice from Uncle Joe

VP Biden suggests getting a side by side shotgun for home defense then shooting wildly at noises in the yard.


1)  Do not follow VP Biden's use of force suggestions.  His suggested course of action is a felony in all 50 states.  You will likely go to jail if you shoot wildly into the darkness at suspicious noises.  Get good training from someone who knows what they are talking about.

2)  I'll take VP Biden's tactical advice seriously when his personal security detail ditches their MP-5s and AR-15s for double barreled shotguns.  I suspect I will be waiting a long time.

3)  I suspect that DOCTOR Jill Biden is capable of learning how to use most any simple tool she wants to learn how to use.  How patronizing is it to suggest that women can't figure out how to use simple tools?  Indeed, an AR is much easier for smaller people to use because of the adjustable stock, shorter barrel, and lighter recoil.

4)  If you do choose a double barreled shotgun for home defense, get one of these because I heard rails and black plastic are intimidating enough to make Tories wet their pants and you won't even have to shoot randomly at them because they'll run away in fear.

NRA-ILA Moneybomb Day

Today is President's Day!

In Honor of the formal introduction of Esteemed Senator Dianne Feinstein's Revolutionary War II Citizen Disarmament Gun Control Bill of 2013, today is also NRA-ILA money bomb day.

Consider giving if you can.

DisArmalite Funnels Arms to Chicago & NY Law Enforcement

Like many other firearms manufacturers, Armalite has been hit with requests that they sell gear which is compliant with the law for civilians to law enforcement officers and LE agencies in states which ban their citizens from having AR-15 rifles.  That is, one set of sales policies for citizens and for civilian police officers.

This is Armalite's original response (not to me--but reported from confirmed source):

Dear concerned gun owner,  

First of all I would like to say thank you for filling my email with all this spam email.  

Second, I am not sure where you got this blanket email from to send out as spam, but please stop it.  

Third, The manufacture is not the one you need to convince.  

You need to convince the law enforcement agencies and the common people about their mistake in electing these officials and have them removed. Again NOT the manufacture.  

AR Stands for ArmaLite…  

Respectfully,  

Pat Raley
raleyp@armalite.com
Master Armorer / Sales Rep.
ArmaLite, Inc.
P.O. Box 299
Geneseo, IL. 61254

Well now.  That's a big serving of "shut the hell up, you stupid serf!"

AR then released a statement from their president:

Thanks for posting this email. I just received a concerned telephone call about it, an email from the staffer who stimulated the mail.  

I think a bit of clarification is in order.  

The root of the matter is a HUGE series of inquiries by both email and telephone asking ArmaLite to cut off sales to New York and other states which deny its citizens the right to own our rifles, as several other firms have done. Some of the contacts have been duplicates of others and some were so redundant that they appeared to be spam. Many of them have been rude and I'm afraid one of my staffers thought that he was responding to a spammer and was more terse than he should have been. Once he realized what happened he came to me and apologized.  

My purpose here is to pass on his apology from the corporate level and to answer the initial question: What is ArmaLite going to do?  

ArmaLite is continuing a policy put into place when California first banned our rifles. That policy remains:  

1. We will not sell to those states which deny it's honorable citizens the right to own ArmaLite's.  

2. We do not halt sales to individual officers even in problematic states. I am a former Police Officer myself, and the staffer who stimulated the recent anger is a currently serving one. We are well familiar with the fact that most rifles serving Police Officers are purchased by the officers themselves, and that they shouldn't be punished for the actions of their political elite. 
We consider sales to those sate subdivisions which are not engaged or potentially engaged with disarming its citizens. DNR and Forestry Departments, for instance, sometimes serve in remote areas that conceal drug farms and their officers deserve good hardware.  

3. We will not sell to those lower political subdivisions that deny their honorable citizens the right to own ArmaLite's. Chicago, for instance, prohibits its citizens from owning ArmaLite's within the city limits so we make no effort to sell into that city. We have many friends on the Chicago Police Department and have continued to sell to them individually.  

Our observation is that most County Sheriffs disagree with banning sales of our rifles and many publicly refuse to enforce such laws. We sell to those departments and to their Deputies, but will not sell to those County departments headed by Sheriffs who would deny their citizens the same rights.  

In short, Americans need not worry that ArmaLite is selling to those who betray them.  

As you can see by reading posts on the topic, some readers have been harsh with their criticism of ArmaLite. It was in response to this atmosphere that my staffer reacted harshly. He's come to me and apologized and I personally am passing my own apology along with his.  

But don't be mistaken, ArmaLite is strongly involved with both personal, corporate, and political efforts at the State, National, and International level to protect our civil rights. And we'll continue to support your shooting needs as the situation moves forward.  

Respectfully,
Mark Westrom
President,
ArmaLite Inc.

I strongly disagree with Armalite's policy.

When an otherwise law abiding citizen in upstate NY is safely shooting his undocumented AR-15 with undocumented standard capacity magazines on private property, he could be confronted by a DNR or Forestry Department officer with an ARMALITE rifle.

When a NY LEO kicks in a door to raid a house containing undocumented AR-15 rifles, that LEO could be carrying a personally procured ARMALITE rifle.  He may use that ARMALITE rifle to shoot an innocent dog and terrorize a family.

When a NY LEO arrests a good man for possession of a box with a spring, he could have an ARMALITE in his trunk equipped with identical mags to the ones he is confiscating.

Armalite perpetuates the idea that our civilian law enforcement officers are for some reason better than the civilians who they ostensibly serve.

I oppose ALL individual officer sales to ban states.  If seven rounds or a duck gun is good enough for a citizen, it is good enough for the CIVILIAN police force.  The only exception I would approve of would be the idea of selling rifles to sheriffs who openly pledge to defy State laws at the county level.  Otherwise, Armalite is simply arming agents of the state who will enforce draconian gun laws on Armalite's own (former) customers.  That is like a gun smuggler in 1774 selling muskets to Tory loyalists while denying sales to Whig Sons of Liberty in occupied Boston; you can't have it both ways.

I bought an Armalite lower parts kit with national match trigger recently.  I was planning on purchasing more parts but not anymore.  I asked Armalite if I can return it, and explained why.  If I cannot do the return, it will not hurt Armalite to sell it on the secondary market, but I will negatively review their product at all times and steer people to companies that actually respect their customers.

What should we call Armalite?  Disarmalite?  ArmaCop?

UPDATE:

• The source for the above information was AR-15.com, including posts by the manufacturer.  As a sidebar, they initially tried a tactic of suppression by deleting threads in their industry forum and closing down their Facebook page.
• I have still not personally received a response from Armalite regarding my attempt to return my LPK.  I will probably take it up with the distributor.

Hey! Let's try it in Afghanistan!

Colorado Rep Salazer pointed out some really great ideas about self defense.

“It’s why we have call boxes, it’s why we have safe zones, it’s why we have the whistles. Because you just don’t know who you’re gonna be shooting at,”

It just struck me!  That's why Afghanistan isn't pacified yet!  All we need to do is declare the violent areas to be "safe zones," put up some blue lights with call boxes every 200 meters in Kandahar City, establish gun free zones and send out unarmed patrols to build rapport with the violent opium smugglers and suicide bombers, and issue rape whistles to children and goats.

Brilliant!  We'll be home by Easter.

On a more serious note, I hope the Democratic caucus in Colorado is held responsible for any rapes, aggravated assaults, or murders that occur on Colorado campuses.  Any blood will be on their hands.  There are bad people out there and the only thing that will deter them is two rounds, center mass, repeated as necessary.  I am not aware of ANY problems with concealed carry on campus in Colorado.  The democrats just banned a safe, lawful practice exposing many people to the threat of death or serious bodily injury.  The contempt they show for their constituents is amazing--apparently they don't even think women know when they're being raped.

I went to college with veterans on the GI bill.  I've taken CWP classes with professors who were threatened in their classrooms.  Not all people on college campuses are 18 year old idiots with drinking problems.

FIREMISSION! Colorado House of Representatives

Colorado is on the verge of passing serious gun control measures.  Most likely to pass:

• Mag ban (15 round capacity limit--would prohibit transferring mags as well, even for a few minutes to a friend)
• Private Sales Ban (draconian in scope, as it would forbid "transfers" such as teaching a student how to clear a firearm in a safety class)

If we can stop the gun control push in Colorado we will halt a lot of momentum.  Joe Biden has visited Colorado to twist arms.  Everyone expects NY, NJ, CA, and CT to crap on gun owners.  That is what the Tories in those states do.  Colorado is the Tory bridgehead into the American West and middle America.  What happens in Colorado has implications for everyone else, including Alaskans.

Please drop a quick email to the Colorado House:

john.buckner.house@state.co.us; perrybuck49@gmail.com; kathleen.conti.house@state.co.us; don.coram.house@state.co.us; 

lois.court.house@state.co.us; brian@briandelgrosso.com; tim.dore.house@state.co.us; crisanta.duran.house@state.co.us; 

justin.everett.house@state.co.us; thomas.exum.house@state.co.us; mferrandino@yahoo.com; rhonda.fields.house@state.co.us; 

randyfischer@frii.com; mike.foote.house@state.co.us; leroy.garcia.house@state.co.us; bob.gardner.house@state.co.us; 

cheri.gerou@gmail.com; joann.ginal.house@state.co.us; millie.hamner.house@state.co.us; chris.holbert.house@state.co.us; 

dl.hullinghorst.house@state.co.us; rephumphrey48@yahoo.com; janak.joshi.house@state.co.us; repkagan@gmail.com; 

reptracy29@gmail.com; jeanne.labuda.house@state.co.us; lois.landgraf.house@state.co.us; polly.lawrence.house@state.co.us; 

steve.lebsock.house@state.co.us; pete.lee.house@state.co.us; claire.levy.house@state.co.us; jenise.may.house@state.co.us; 

beth.mccann.house@state.co.us; mike.mclachlan.house@state.co.us; jovan.melton.house@state.co.us; diane.mitschbush.house@state.co.us; 

dominick.moreno.house@state.co.us; murrayhouse45@gmail.com; clarice.navarro.house@state.co.us; dan.nordberg.house@state.co.us; 

dan.pabon.house@state.co.us; cherylin.peniston.house@state.co.us; brittany.pettersen.house@state.co.us; 

dianne.primavera.house@state.co.us; kpriola@gmail.com; bob.rankin.house@state.co.us; paul.rosenthal.house@state.co.us; 

su.ryden.house@state.co.us; lori.saine.house@state.co.us; joseph.salazar.house@state.co.us; sue.schafer.house@state.co.us; 

ray.scott.house@state.co.us; jonathan.singer.house@state.co.us; jerry@repsonnenberg.com; amy.stephens.house@state.co.us; 

spencer.swalm.house@state.co.us; libby.szabo.house@state.co.us; max@maxtyler.us; edvigil1@gmail.com; mark.waller.house@state.co.us; 

angela.williams.house@state.co.us; james.wilson.house@state.co.us; jared.wright.house@state.co.us; dave.young.house@state.co.us

It can be very simple.  Here's an example.

Ladies and gentlemen,
I urge you to oppose HB1224, HB1229, and any other gun control measures pending in the Colorado House.  These measures have zero track record in preventing crime.  They will have a guaranteed economic impact on Colorado; businesses will leave taking hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars out of the economy and many tourists have said they will take their vacation money to other states.  More importantly, the bill infringes on the rights of law abiding citizens who have done nothing wrong.
Oppose HB1224.  I suppose organizations such as the NRA and the Colorado State Shooting Association, and will donate money to groups which oppose the election of any elected official who votes for this law.
Very Respectfully,
Chris from AK

Voting could occur TOMORROW.  Send email NOW.  Cut and paste is fine!  The goal is to blow up their email boxes and make it clear that opposition is strong.

Better yet, throw $30 to the CSSA or Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, or add to the NRA-ILA Money Bomb.

They Hate You

In New York, it is (or soon will be) a Class D felony to possess a single standard capacity mag of new production greater than 7 rounds capacity.

This is a list of crimes that the legislature of NY feels is less serious than possession of a box with a spring in it:

120.70 - Luring a child | E Felony
121.11 - Criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation | A Misdemeanor
125.10 - Criminally negligent homicide | E Felony
130.20 - Sexual misconduct | A Misdemeanor
130.25 - Rape 3rd degree | E Felony
130.40 - Criminal sexual act 3rd degree | E Felony
130.52 - Forcible touching | A Misdemeanor
130.53 - Persistent sexual abuse | E Felony (repeat child molester, must be caught and convicted in two separate cases before the charges even reach this level)
130.65A - Aggravated sexual abuse 4th degree | E Felony
130.85 - Female genital mutilation | E Felony
135.05 - Unlawful imprisonment 2nd degree | A Misdemeanor
135.10 - Unlawful imprisonment 1st degree | E Felony
135.45 - Custodial interference 2nd degree | A Misdemeanor
135.50 - Custodial interference 1st degree | E Felony
135.55 - Substitution of children | E Felony (switched at birth)
135.60 - Coercion 2nd degree | A Misdemeanor
150.01 - 5th degree Arson | A Misdemeanor
150.05 - 4th degree Arson | E Felony
178.10 - 4th degree Criminal diversion of prescription medications and prescriptions | A Misdemeanor
178.15 - 3rd degree Criminal diversion of prescription medications and prescriptions | E Felony
220.28 - Use of a child to commit a controlled substance offense | E Felony
240.05 - Riot 2nd degree | A Misdemeanor
240.06 - Riot 1st degree | E Felony
240.08 - Inciting to riot | A Misdemeanor 240.10 - Unlawful assembly | B Misdemeanor
240.15 - Criminal anarchy | E Felony
240.20 - Disorderly conduct | Violation
240.61 - Placing a false bomb or hazardous substance 2nd degree | E Felony
250.45 - Unlawful surveillance 2nd degree | E felony (Hidden cams for sexual gratification)
255.25 - Incest 3rd degree | E Felony
263.11 - Possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child | E Felony
263.16 - Possessing a sexual performance by a child | E Felony

The anti-gun zealots HATE YOU.  They see the gun owner as more vile than a child molester, more dangerous than the kiddie porn peddler, more dangerous than a rapist or kidnapper or arsonist.  The very act of owning a gun makes you "the other" to them.

It is tough to realize that someone actively hates you and wants to sic a SWAT team on you to kill your dog, terrorize your family, and arrest you for what could be a very long prison sentence (if they don't just shoot you during the raid or torch your home).

Once you realize that, what do you do about it?

H/T to NE Shooters.

Murder Suspect Arrested in Kodiak Double Slaying

A few months back we wrote about a tragic slaying of two Coast Guardsmen at Kodiak.  I was on the island at the time and able to attend the memorial, which was very moving.

An arrest has been made.

What kind of person is arrested for such a heinous crime?

Courtview says the suspected perp has a long record in Alaska.  It is a common name and I can't tell if the guy is one and the same with the Court View records, but there's a good mix of DV and minor offenses throughout there.

I'm glad they finally cracked the case, I just hope that they got the right guy.

Gun Company Boycott of LE

This is a good idea.

I wrote all the major manufacturers and told them I'm buy four to eight handguns and several dozen mags if they made this call.

Alaska HB 24 -- NRA Alert

NRA just put out an alert about HB 24:

On February 8, House Bill 24, important self-defense legislation introduced by state Representative Mark Neuman (R-10), passed unanimously in the House Judiciary Committee. This bill now goes to the House Finance Committee where a hearing has not yet been scheduled. 

Under existing state law, there is no duty-to-retreat if a person is in their home, business, or on their own property.  HB 24 would extend this to recognize the right to use force, including deadly force, for self-defense to include anywhere a person has a legal right to be. 

If your state Representative serves on the House Finance Committee, please contact him or her TODAY, and respectfully urge their support for HB 24.  To determine your state Representative, please click here.  Contact information for members of the House Finance Committee is provided below.

This isn't the most pressing issue with Alaska gun laws that I'd like to see changed.  I would much prefer a clarification of pre-emption with regard to UAA, or a law allowing people with a "CWP" to carry in "sensitive places" now off limits like schools like Utah has allowed for a decade.  That said, HB 24 is good legislation.  It died last session in the aftermath of the George Zimmerman media circus but I think it has a good chance of getting through right now given the current gun control push.  Time to push back in pro-2A states!

Dominoes

States with awful gun laws:

• Illinois (getting better due to CCW ruling)
• New York
• New Jersey
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• California
• Rhode Island
• Maryland
• DC
• Hawaii

States considering awful gun laws with decent probability of passage:

• Maryland, Connecticut, California, NY, and NJ are all going off the edge with draconian stuff
• Minnesota
• Colorado
• Washington

"Pack up and move" seems to be a dwindling option at the rate the infection is spreading.  Colorado?  Really?  I love Colorado.  It is a great easy going mix of hippies, cowboys, and fundamentalists where somehow everyone gets along.  Until now, apparently they are Californicated.

I am concerned about the long term future of states like Pennsylvania, Nevada, Vermont, and Oregon.  Heck, even Montana, Idaho, and Alaska are being Californicated.

Balkanization continues.

Legislator Contact: Postcards

I am taking a break from frequent emailing to avoid getting put on even more of a "kook list" by a staffer and have shifted my strategy to post cards.

I am now mailing out a post card every day.  I am of course hitting up Sen Begich, Sen Murkowski, and Rep Young.  I am also sending postcards to other key Senators (blue dogs and Sen Coburn, for example) as well as Rep Boehner.  I bought a stack of post cards, jot a quick message, and drop 'em in the mail.  I'm sending them to the DC office but also hitting each and every district office.  I wrote out a stack of cards the other day and am hitting every address at least twice over the next few weeks.

Postcards are great as they are quick.  Here's an example message:

"OPPOSE ALL GUN CONTROL -- NO CRIMINALIZATION OF PRIVATE SALES, NO MAG BANS, NO ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN -- NO COMPROMISE ON OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.  I VOTE!"

You can even keep it simple and write:  "VOTE NO ON ALL GUN CONTROL!"

It takes about two minutes to scrawl out a card with address so this is very effective.  Plus, when sending to legislators who I don't vote for, there is no place for a return address so that can leave 'em guessing as to where exactly I vote.  Sure, they may see an out of state post-mark...  But maybe I vote absentee, eh?

Every Congressman and Senator's website has their mailing address.  A quick google search will get you the data.

Quote of the Day

A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the art lab where new workers are mastering the 3-D printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything.  There's no reason this can't happen in other towns.

President Obama, SOTU

[Comment:  Why, yes, yes we can make almost everything in other communities.]

Rules of Engagement: California vs. Afghanistan

It is being widely reported in the news now that rogue cop Christopher Dorner was cornered and killed in a fire in California.

To be clear, I am not sad to see him dead.  He targeted innocents and murdered several people.

I am concerned about the tactics used by the police.  As I understand the chain of events, Dorner holed up in a cabin, had a firefight with some LEOs (possibly game warden types) who were wounded, got pinned down, and then was surrounded by overwhelming law enforcement assets and air assets.  The firefight continued.  The police called in more air and armored vehicle support and executed a medevac for the downed LEO (one of whom has died of wounds).

The police started pumping gas grenades into the structure.  Then we get into a troubling chain of events.

The police were talking on the radio, which has been captured through the magic of the internets.  At this point, Dorner is barricaded, the police have moved in with armored vehicles, and he is not going anywhere.

• 0:12 - "Tear that whole window down..."
• 1:00 - "We're gonna go forward with the plan, with the... with the burn. The one that, uh... like we talked about."
• 1:27 - "Seven burners deployed, and we have a fire."
• 1:31 - "Copy, we have seven burners deployed with a fire."
• 2:32 - "We have fire on the front side, he might come out the back...  Fire on the 'four' side" [Note:  It is a common tactic to designate walls with numbers, colors, or letters]
• 3:06 - "Sounded like one shot fired inside the residence." [not ROE related but interesting; suicide?]
• 3:38 - A supervisor addresses all perimeter units and tells them to maintain their discipline.  The police have a solid cordon established with dismounted paramilitary SWAT, mounted armor units, and air assets.
• 3:45 - "Corner fully engulfed."
• 3:54 - "Number four side fully involved...  fire moving to three now...  number two and four fully engulfed..."
• 4:35 - A supervisor is asked if they are ready for the fire truck staging nearby.  They are told negative as (1) the whole building is not burning yet and (2) ammo is still cooking off.
• 5:17 - They realize the cabin has a basement.

From another perspective, news reports had a scanner going in the background:

• 0:17 - "Burn that mother [f'er] out..."
• 0:22 - "Burn that [f'ing] house down"
• 0:40 - "Get going right now - [f'ing] burn this mother [f'ing]..."

So, to summarize, it looks like the police had a secure perimeter, had the suspect contained and barricaded, then decided to deliberately torch the house.  When the decision to torch the house was made, they did not have a team or sensor inside and they didn't know that there was a basement.

This video shows the officers pouring full auto gun fire into the structure while it is on fire.  Target identification is impossible with all that smoke.

WAR ZONE ROEs

Let's look at the current ROEs in Afghanistan, shall we?

Presume...
- every Afghan is a civilian until otherwise apparent; that:
- all compounds are civilian structures until otherwise apparent;
- in every location where there is evidence of human habitation, civilians are present until otherwise apparent.

If Afghanistan, ISAF forces must assume that every structure is occupied by civilians until they can prove otherwise.   If ISAF forces are engaged by the enemy from a structure the preference is to withdraw and cordon or go through a series of escalating force measures before destroying the structure in order to minimize the risk of civilian casualties.

The Army's training vignettes actually cover the "Dorner" situation.  Vignette 17 is especially relevant and argues that calling for fire on a structure is not an approved course for action in the scenario.  Many of the other vignettes encourage asking "Can you do X...  and if the answer is 'yes,' should you?" 

As is often reported in the news, these ROEs result in US casualties.  They also decrease civilian casualties.  Part of being a hero is accepting personal risk to protect innocent life.

These principles apparently do not apply to law enforcement in California.  LE had the suspect contained and barricaded and decided to forge ahead with an aggressive plan to demolish the structure without any intel on what the layout of the building was or understanding of who was inside.   One can imagine how the decision to torch Dorner's cabin could have been a bad one.  What if he had hostages in the basement?  What if the homeowners were hiding inside a closet?  Given that the place was cordoned off with dismounted paramilitary SWAT, armored vehicles, and air cover I don't see why the place couldn't be besieged for some time rather than jumping right to the "burn the structure down" plan so that the situation could be resolved before the State of the Union address.

Dorner was clearly a douchebag.  However, I think we can all be very concerned that the ROEs in Afghanistan are stricter than those in California.