Pledge
ATF
The ATF is changing its secret rules regarding gun sellers to make it easier for the government to strip firearms dealers of their FFLs.
More from Chipmunk
“The frustration is in the United States the freedom of speech and to say things is largely cannot be regulated… …We have to do more to monitor hate speech on the internet. But we also have to do more to curb that same speech being presented by our president and other elected public officials. The FBI, other federal agencies, have a tough job responding to these threats when they don’t currently have the authority to remove weaponry just because people are saying hateful things.” – David Chipman, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the ATF, in 2019 on BBC TV.
Word now is that Chipmunk’s confirmation, or even a confirmation vote, isn’t likely. A “no” vote would be better. Heaven help us on the next nomination.
And in related news, Joshua Geltzer, the deputy homeland security adviser at the National Security Council said, “I think tackling things that feed into the domestic terrorism challenge is an imperative, and there are a lot of things that feed into it. Easy access to certain types of firearms feeds into it.”
Legislation
The FY22 Interior Appropriations bill, if passed, will include a blanket ban on permitting trophy imports with appropriated funds from a legal sport-hunted elephant or lion from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, or Zambia and have a devastating impact on African communities and species conservation.
You can take action here.
Litigation
Federal appeals court: 2A not applicable for illegal aliens. Illegals are prohibited by statute, but not by the Constitution, from gun possession. The ruling has other flaws as well.
The bankrupt old Remington has offered some of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victims’ families nearly $33 million to settle their lawsuit over how the company legally marketed the firearm to the public. (The rifle was stolen by the perpetrator after he killed its owner, his mother.) That settlement offer is likely a mistake. Although the bankrupt former company has nothing to lose, the rest of us do. Remember that the old Remington in this lawsuit has no connection to the new RemArms gun maker or to new Remington-branded guns or ammo. (See the link for new Remington stuff under “Products” below.)
NRA updates
Rock musician Ted Nugent has resigned his long-held seat on the NRA Board of Directors, citing “schedule conflicts.” Although Nugent has long been a passionate and outspoken advocate for the Second Amendment, he was up until very recently apparently clueless about the Board’s duties or the management fiasco at the NRA. I suspect that’s the real reason for his departure, but we also learned that Nugent says he resigned because he has accepted a position as the national spokesman for Hunter Nation, and his contract allegedly requires exclusivity. Hunter Nation is not a 2A group, but admits “The Founding Fathers understood this right [to keep and bear arms] extended beyond the need to hunt…” We also hear that Nugent never donated anything beyond his dues to the NRA, and in fact charged the group for public appearances and fund-raising autographs.
Your tax dollars at work, for good and evil
In 25 major U.S. cities across the country, officials have already cut – or have proposed cutting – funds from police budgets, and in 20 of those same cities, mayors and other city officials enjoy the personal protection of a dedicated police security detail costing taxpayers millions of dollars per year.
The Utah County, Utah, Sheriff’s Office is offering a 20-hour course for school faculty that covers “critical skills needed in an active shooter incident.” It’s already full. Why isn’t EVERY sheriff’s office offering this stuff?
The Only Ones
North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Jay Norman, 47, has been charged with a federal felony for knowingly selling multiple firearms to a convicted felon. The felon is someone Norman had known since they both graduated from basic LE training in 2010, and who was convicted of felony assault back in 2016. Norman is facing a possible 10 years in prison.
Enemies
The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), an anti-gun outfit, lists legitimate defensive gun uses and officer gun uses against criminals as “gun violence.” It also rejects the long-accepted FBI criteria of four fatalities in one incident for a mass shooting. Instead, the GVA will list four injuries in one incident as a mass shooting, then report the massively inflated numbers (about 1000%) as fact. ABC “News” is using their garbage.
Not a DGU
Actual headline: “Crowd stones Texas gunman to death after he kills 1, wounds 3.”
There might have been fewer victims had they been armed with guns. The people who threw the stones are unlikely to face charges, according to legal experts, because their actions appear to fit within all the legal parameters of self-defense.
Gun-banning former U.S. senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was assaulted and robbed in Oakland, CA this week. Well, she pretty much literally asked for it with her pro-criminal and anti-good-guy politics.
Misc. Items
- Defending against dog attacks
- The Rangemaster August newsletter is out (.pdf link).
Olympics
Team USA winning gold, breaking records.
This year the USA Shooting, the governing body, announced a partnership with Hillsdale College, an ultra-conservative Christian institution in Michigan that accepts no government funding on principle. The college will invest $15M to become the home of USA Shooting, according to the Wall Street Journal, in a deal that includes competitions and training camps being held at upgraded facilities.
Did you know?
General George Patton competed in the Olympics.
Products
- New Remington update. No warranty.
- MidwayUSA has the Cold Steel Recon Tanto knife on sale for $30. This is a good heavy-duty knock-around blade.
- Exothermic Pulsefire LRT Flame Thrower. “The safest and most effective way to apply fire at a distance.” $650.
- Norma’s ECO Speed .22LR has an advertised muzzle velocity of 520 m/s (1706 fps) with a 25 grain zinc bullet.