I received this in a message from the Second Amendment Foundation today:

In the last 15 days, supporters of the 2nd Amendment pledged nearly $15,000 for support of the important new film “Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire” that exposes California as the front line in the civil rights battle between public safety and the 2nd Amendment.  The Second Amendment Foundation and the Calguns Foundation have each contributed $5,000.00 to get this project off the ground. 

Please go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/assaulted/assaulted and make your pledge now.

The SAF and CALGUNS have been at the forefront of the gains we’ve seen in gun rights during the past few years.  If you’ve got a few dollars that need a home, please consider giving them a hand.

• When it comes time to buy a 9mm, I need to consider the Beretta 92FS.  My BIL brought his and it was very nice.
• The failures I had with the new pistol the other day seem to have been due to a lack of proper lubrication.  A little Remoil spritzed into the magazines and onto the bolt appears to have fixed it.
• I really like my .357, but a .44 Super Blackhawk like the one I shot today would be a nice addition to my collection when I’m in the mood to start stocking a new caliber.
• I need to get more ammunition.  No, I don’t have a problem.

I was talking to a friend who is interested in shooting the other day, and he asked me to put the things I enjoy about shooting into terms he could understand.  He’s big into other sports, so I picked one and went with it.

Shooting is like golf.

When you go to the driving range, you take a large amount of inexpensive balls and try to hit them for distance and accuracy.  To me, that is going to the range and putting lots of inexpensive ammunition down range.  You strive to increase both your accuracy and the range at which you can hit.

Guns are like clubs.  You can buy ones that are inexpensive but serviceable and be completely happy.  Even a small investment can bring years of enjoyment.

When you want to go to the next level of equipment, you can spend as much as you want to and get pretty much whatever you want.  You can spend 5 dollars apiece on a golf ball or on a match grade round of ammunition.  You can buy sets of custom-made clubs forged out of virgin unobtanium, just as you can buy a custom-made rifle or pistol.

As for the actual shooting, the many ways you can go shooting count for all the different ways you can play golf.  Like I said before, you can go to the range and practice either driving or shooting.  IDPA, IPSC, or Cowboy Action are analogous to playing a few rounds of golf on the weekend.  There are even professional ranks among shooters, with our own Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

Heck, we even have our own debate clubs that argue ad nauseam about tactics, gear, personalities, and the like.  When we’re not arguing, there’s nothing we like better than sitting down with our friends, enjoying an adult beverage or two, and arguing.  If that doesn’t sound like the 19th Hole, I don’t know what does.

So, what do y’all think?

Two shootings have been in the national news this week.

In one, a private citizen took responsibility for his own safety and the safety of those around him.  Where others were confused or cowered, he stood up and drove off two miscreants intent on robbery and mayhem.  He delivered aimed and deliberate shots at threats until they stopped being a threat.

In the other, a whackjob planned and executed an ambush of innocent men and women for no apparent rational reason other than the fact that it was in his power to do so.  He fired indiscriminately into a dark theater with no thought as to the suffering he was causing, and destroyed the lives of many.

In both instances, a gun was the tool used to achieve a goal.  The gentleman in Florida used that tool to protect innocent life, including his own.  In Colorado, guns were used to bring harm to the innocent.

The difference between the incidents was that the person with the gun was a good example of a human being in one, and was a waste of protein in the other.

When we choose to own and carry a gun, we assume a responsibility that, to be honest, frightens me sometimes.  By saying “I am responsible for me and mine”, I am stating that if push comes to shove, I am willing to bring violence in a rather explosive manner upon anyone who either harms us or makes me believe that they are about to.  I also have the responsibility to never make a mistake with that tool.  There are no do-overs, no excuses, and no repayment for the harm a mistake can make.  I do not fear my guns, but I do respect the obligation using them places upon me.

The trash who shot up the theater in Aurora completely shirked his responsibility as a gun owner and as a human being.  He caused pain and suffering among his victims and their families that will linger for a lifetime, and he has reinvigorated the anti-gun debate for months to come.  Some will use this as a cudgel to beat down gun-rights advocates, others will use it to wave a bloody shirt for a very long time.  Some sick individuals will even begin to think that violence against the innocent and undefended is a perfectly fine way to spend an evening.

Either we own guns to defend life, or we own guns to take it.  As gun owners, we have to decide which side of the argument we want to fall on.  Pick your side.  I’ll be over here ready to defend what is dear to me.

Irish Woman had an interesting thought last night:

What if there was a company like Pampered Chef or Mary Kay that had parties about guns, accessories, and ammunition?  You meet with a group of friends, probably at a range, and a representative demonstrates the latest doo-dad to hang off of your AR-15 or the latest gun from KelTec.  Door prizes could be things like boxes of ammunition or tee shirts with the brands in the show on them.  Snacks are served, questions are asked and answered, and maybe a few rounds are sent down range to entice people to place orders.  Heck, maybe they do the latest Internet shooting match as the party game.  You could have monthly themes, like home defense, hunting, Tommy Tactical, or Sammy Sniper.  The person hosting the party gets points towards something out of the catalog, like the latest Blastomatic 2000.

I could see this working.  The company would have to be an FFL holder, and there would have to be some vetting to make sure party participants weren’t prohibited persons, but wouldn’t it be cool if the Avon lady came over to demonstrate the new Benelli shotgun instead of a perfume that ought to be titled “Indecent Proposal”?

Seriously, she’s a genius.  If only she had better taste in men.

The Second Amendment Foundation, which I am a card-carrying member of, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms have scheduled their annual Gun Rights Policy Conference for September 28, 29, and 30 in Orlando.  These organizations have been at the forefront of the legal fight to restore and protect our rights as gun owners and shooters.  The conference will include discussions on legal cases, the upcoming election, and efforts to expand the freedom of arms that we all cherish.

Attendees are not going to be charged a dime to attend, and will only have to pay for their own travel and accommodations.  I won’t be able to attend this year, but if you can make it, please do.  More information can be found by clicking on the banner above.