June 28, 2019 Newsletter by Jeff Pittman
My favorite patriotic video, in observance of Independence Day.
Litigation
The US Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors have to prove that an individual alleged to have illegally possessed a firearm must know that they are part of a group banned from having the gun in the first place.
SCOTUS also ruled that a part of the Gun Control Act that adds extra penalties to sentences for “crimes of violence” committed while in possession of a gun is unconstitutionally vague. The case, United States v. Davis, involved two men who were convicted of several counts of robbery. They were also charged under a separate federal statute which “authorizes increased penalties for using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in connection with any federal crime of violence or drug trafficking crime.”
A three-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit has ruled (.pdf link) that the common police practice of tire-chalking to determine parking violations is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, equivalent to an illegal search without probable cause. Interesting and likely correct.
Church security
Protecting the Flock articles
- Private effort seeks to build resiliency at houses of worship
- Brighton Rabbi Asks Congregation to Bring Guns to Synagogue
FBI warning
- Faith Leaders, FBI Collaborating to Keep Religious Institutions Safe From Attacks
- FBI warns of foreign actors trying to ‘sow discord’ in the wake of mass shootings
Meanwhile in Alabama, a megachurch is starting its own police force. Really.
Another twist on those court-ordered gun bans
An alleged domestic violence victim in Florida was arrested for armed burglary after she took her estranged husband’s weapons from his apartment and went to the Lakeland Police Department to turn them in, because, she said, he wasn’t going to follow a court order to not own or possess any guns.
Media coverage sells guns
Allegedly for the first time, researchers have shown a causal link between print news media coverage of US gun control policy in the wake of mass shooting events and increases in firearm acquisition, particularly in states with the least restrictive gun laws.
I don’t know why this is considered “first time” news, since I learned it nearly 40 years ago in freshman economics.
NRA
In the ongoing NRA mismanagement debacle, the NRA has shut down production at NRATV, and NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch, who is apparently actually employed by Ackerman McQueen (which operated the NRA’s live broadcasting), is out. The New York Times reported that the channel will continue to air past content.
The NRA’s suspended second-in-command, Chris Cox (head of NRA-ILA) resigned this week after a lawsuit alleged he was part of former NRA President Oliver North’s effort to oust NRA EVP Wayne LaPierre. The NRA-ILA gave the NRA proper a substantial loan circa 2017 that has not yet been repaid so that they could cover their bills. (The NRA is hemorrhaging money.) Now it is rumored that LaPierre came back to ILA asking for a loan in the $15 million range and Chris Cox said no. The other person who had the authority to say “no” on behalf of the NRA-ILA was Scott Christman. Cox and Christman were then suspended. The interim head of the NRA-ILA is expected to be the former ILA head of state affairs who has been working for the NRA proper for the last few years, and it is also rumored that he will not say “no” to Wayne.
Mark Alexander sums it up pretty well.
CCW in TN
Tennesseans can now get a concealed carry permit by taking a firearms course online instead of in-person. In order to get a permit, people have to take a 90-minute online course. Previously, the state required people to take an eight-hour, hands-on course to receive a concealed carry permit. Although many folks, including pro-carry advocates, think that in-person training should be required, studies on the matter have not found any statistically significant difference in outcomes between states that impose any training requirement and those that don’t. Further, we are aware of no other constitutionally guaranteed right which comes only with government-mandated training and permission slips.
Dept. of Idiocy
The Fresno (CA) City Council has voted 3-2 to give City leaders 90 days to evaluate the controversial Advance Peace program, which would, among other things, pay stipends to gang members to curb gun violence.
Audit reveals that gangs are in charge at Mississippi’s Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville, MS. Management & Training Corp. is the private company Mississippi pays to manage Wilkinson.
Friends
An Alabama Ford dealership was offering a free American flag, Bible, and shotgun (gift certificate) to vehicle buyers, but Chatom Ford said they were forced to end the promo early at the request of Ford Motor Co. after the dealership received overwhelmingly positive public feedback. The dealership originally partnered with a local Chatom dealer, Andrews Ace Hardware and Seed Store, and the Athletic Locker in Waynesboro, Miss., for the giveaway.
Kentucky gun-rights supporter and firearms training business owner Michael Paul Wolfgar Lewis sided with Kentucky lawmakers when they relaxed gun laws to let people carry a concealed firearm without a permit or training. Lewis said that even though he expects the law to “completely cripple” his business — which offers firearms safety classes as well as produces and sells gun holsters — “Rights are rights. It’s somebody’s right to carry a gun.” THAT is a man of principle.
Enemies
List of country music artists making news again this week for their pro-gun-control positions:
- Roseanne Cash
- Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line)
- Lady Antebellum
- Dierks Bentley
- Tim McGraw
- Faith Hill
- Maren Morris
- Reba McEntire
- Eric Church
- Taylor Swift
- Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town)
- Jimi Westbrook (Little Big Town)
- John and TJ Osborne (Brothers Osborne)
- Sturgill Simpson
- Margo Price
- Lee Brice
- Lori McKenna
- Cam (Camaron Marvel Ochs)
- Kristian Bush (Sugarland)
- Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland)
- Caleb Keeter (Josh Abbott Band)
- TasteofCountry.com
Carrie Underwood? Maybe not.
Shotgun Joe Biden suggested a “Brass Knuckle Fight” and “Physical Revolution” against Republicans. Bring it on, old man.
Biden also said gun manufacturers are the country’s “enemy” and that “I’m the only guy that got assault weapons banned, and the number of clips in a gun banned.”
The New York Times recently asked 21 Democratic presidential contenders a question about firearms, and they all called for “commonsense gun safety,” a euphemism for unconstitutional gun control laws. The Second Amendment allows no “commonsense” infringements. Clearly none of the donks in this week’s debate has even a remote grasp of the Second Amendment, and what separates constitutionally-enumerated rights from government-regulated privileges. Or maybe they do, and they are evil people. You decide.
The Bible warns us about false prophets such as these.
The Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard facility in Pennsylvania regularly hosts tours for Boy Scout troops and other organizations, but Trail Life boys were told they could not participate because they belonged to a Christian scouting organization.
Buzzard report
FWIW, while vultures are “federally protected,” we see no constitutional authority for the feds to regulate the taking of migratory birds. But in the words of Henry Kissinger, “The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.”
Mississippi politics
The Mississippi Municipal League, an organization of the municipalities in the state, held its annual conference this week. One issue of note there is that cities want more “home rule,” where they can decide some issues without going to the state legislature. We can only presume that illicit local gun control is included in the wish list.
Left-wing liberal former Mississippi Governor and US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, who ran an anti-gun administration, has endorsed fellow liberal Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood in the Mississippi Governor’s race.
50% of Mississippians polled preferred Shotgun Joe Biden to the other 23 listed Democrat presidential candidates.
MS Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves polled 50% of the vote over former Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr., who got 19%, and State Representative Robert Foster with 9%. 27% of the voters were undecided so far in the governor’s race.
SCOTUS
President Trump said this week that he would make a nomination to the Supreme Court if there’s a vacancy anytime before the 2020 presidential election.
Amen.
You’re on your own (YOYO)
Gen. Seare Mekonnen, Ethiopia’s army chief, has been killed in his residence by his own bodyguard, apparently as part of a coup attempt.
Something to think about if you’re trusting anyone else to take care of you.
Are cops good shooters?
The Only Ones
Broward County, FL, Sheriff Gregory Tony said deputies Edward Eason and Josh Stambaugh were fired Tuesday for their inaction following the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL., essentially for running away from the scene.
An unidentified pretrial services coordinator employed by Community Corrections in northeastern Indiana shot himself in the leg at the Auburn Police Department’s training center during a training exercise this week.
Why I don’t like purse (off body) carry
On range safety, by Farnam
My $0.02:
It’s a minor burn. Way better than serious or fatal injury. Suck it up. I learned to do that during decades of fooling with welders, torches, steam cleaners and the like, all of which burn WAY worse than hot brass.
“My Father’s Gun,” by Michael Bane
A good read. I am so blessed.
Home-made mortars
“If your particular locality has an ordinance preventing such stuff as this you should move to someplace less lame.”
Products
CZ-USA has improved and upgraded the CZ 457 family of rimfire rifles with an American-style push-to-fire safety, shortened the actions by almost an inch, changed from a 90-degree bolt rotation to 60-degrees, and added a trigger adjustable for weight, creep and overtravel. The 457 family also has a detachable magazine system (5, 10, 25 rounds, with a single-shot adapter available for .22 LR), and a nitride finish, an 11 mm dovetail milled into the receiver, and the stocks can be interchanged among the various CZ 457 rimfire rifles.
The new CZ 457 Pro Varmint Suppressor-Ready .22LR rifle has a 16.5″ heavy barrel threaded 1/2×28 TPI and a black painted laminate stock. $588.
The Speer Gold Dot G2 line of hollow-point ammunition that has been available to law enforcement for three years is now also available for the commercial market. The G2 line is very similar to the original Gold Dot ammo, but with the following significant features:
- Shallow dish nose cavity filled with elastomer
- Extremely uniform upset and penetration
- Exclusive Gold Dot construction virtually eliminates core/jacket separation
- Structural-plated, pressure-formed core
- Highest-scoring performance in FBI testing protocol
The G2 will be offered in 9mm 147gr., .40 S&W 180gr., and .45 ACP +P 230gr., for around $30 per 20 rounds.
We note that the G2 was previously issued by the FBI in the 147gr. 9mm version, but they are now using Hornady’s 135 gr. Critical Duty load; the original elastomer-filled HP. So perhaps Speer is just trying to make up for lost LE sales.
Anybody else notice the similarity between pictures of expanded Sig Sauer V-Crown and PMC Starfire defensive hollowpoint pistol bullets?
Ed Brown’s new KC9 is a single-stack 4″ lightweight bobtail 9mm 1911, starting at just $1895.
Bond Arms has a new economy line of pistols called the Rough Series, featuring two models — the Roughneck™ and the Rough N Rowdy™. The Roughneck™ is a single-action double barrel 9mm pistol while the Rough N Rowdy™ is a single-action double barrel pistol chambered for .45 Colt and 2½” .410 shells. They have a stainless-steel finish and black rubber grips. The “rough” term comes from the cost saving measures, which involve minimal finishing work. The Roughneck™ retails for $269 and the Rough N Rowdy™ has an MSRP of $299.
Tuxedo Vest Armor from Dongrun Safety
Quotes
“Bureaucracy is the art of making the possible, impossible.”
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” — Charles Addams
“It’s incredible. I used to have to drive to San Antonio for a course this nice. Now I have one right here in my backyard.” — local shotgunner, about the MDWFP/Winchester McIlvor Shooting Facility near Sardis, MS.
Our courtrooms, airports, banks, and elected officials (including anti-gun elected officials) are protected with guns. But our kids’ schools? Not so valuable.
