Recently, a man in Michigan was arrested after he flashed a card identifying him as a CIA employee.  Apparently Mr. Flint isn’t really with the CIA, and he showed the card to allay any concerns brought on by him carrying a pistol, ammunition, and body armor at a movie theater.  Now, instead of enjoying popcorn and a beverage while being entertained, he’s going to be introduced to the guys over at Club Fed for a while.

If you’re going to carry a gun, your actions need to be as pure as the driven snow, or at least as close as you can get.  I understand carrying a gun to somewhere in public like a restaurant or a movie theater.  I do it all the time.  I also recognize that some property owners don’t want legal carriage of firearms in their establishments.  I recognize it, I don’t agree with it, but it’s their property.   I avoid these establishments as much as I can, and I try to scan the doors of businesses to see if they have posted a sign asking that I keep myself and my firearm out.

In this case, the movie theater may have had a posted policy against bringing weapons on the premises, and this guy thought he’d ignore it.  In a lot of states, that act itself isn’t illegal.  As I understand the law here in Kentucky, if a property owner notices that you’re carrying and asks you to take your gun and leave, you have to go, but so long as you comply, no harm, no foul.

But flashing phony ID and claiming to be something you’re not so that you can enjoy watching “The Chipmunks VII:  Theodore’s Sacrifice” is pretty much the opposite of what you should do.  It only leads to more complications, as in this case, where our subject will probably be losing a few of his God-given rights because of a moment of stupidity.

To sum up:  When you’re carrying, obey the law.  Doing anything less puts yourself at risk legally and makes the rest of us look bad.

And for those who need to reach for smelling salts because a man was carrying 34 bullets and had 111 more in his car, that’s called having your range bag in the trunk and having two reloads in your pocket.  You might as well gasp loudly when a golfer has his clubs in the back of the minivan and a couple of extra balls in his pocket.

How many of you have attended a hunter’s safety course or had their kids attend a gun safety program?  Maybe your child participates in a shooting team at school or an after-school organization.  Maybe you’ve attended a shooting clinic or gone to a nice, well-built and run shooting range?  Chances are, if you’ve done these things or a myriad of others, the NRA has helped to make that possible.  In a lot of ways, the NRA Foundation works to provide the resources we need now so that we and our children can enjoy the shooting sports in the future.

One of the ways that the NRA Foundation raises funds for these and other programs is through the Friends of the NRA program.  The FNRA is basically a coalition of local groups that put together fund-raising activities that fund firearms education, youth shooting teams, and many other activities that help to ensure the longevity of the shooting sports.  Half the money raised by the groups in a given state are guaranteed to be spent in that state through grants, while the other half is used to fund activities with a more national scope.

In Louisville, the local FNRA group has been busy setting up their annual banquet, but they’ve also been holding drawings for guns and gear, as well as manning a “Wall of Guns” booth at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot.  The drawings and such are an important way to raise money for the program, but the big-ticket item is the annual banquet.  For a relatively low cost, you get a good dinner, entertainment, access to a silent auction and drawings, and get to have a great time.  The bonus is that all of the proceeds go to the Friends of the NRA, with at least half of it being spent right here in the Commonwealth.  You can buy individual tickets, but there are usually great deals on group packages, where you get admitted to the banquet, tickets for the games and silent auction, and possibly even a bonus such as a firearm or other gear along with it.  If you’re not close to Louisville, there are FNRA events all over the country, so I’m pretty certain there’s a banquet somewhere near you..

So, if you’re of a mind to have a good time, take a chance on getting some great guns and gear, and want to help out a good cause, please buy yourself a ticket or three to the banquets, buy some drawing tickets, and help the Friends of the NRA pay for programs that plant the seeds of our future in the shooting sports.  Even better: contact your local committee and get involved.

Yesterday, a man in Wisconsin was convicted of murder in the killing of his 13-year-old neighbor.  The man, who from all reports is pretty much a life-long scumbag who abused his family and had ‘anger issues’, argued at trial that he believed that the boy had been breaking into his home and stealing things, and that he didn’t mean to kill him.  So, rather than calling the police, he confronted the boy and his mother, pointed a gun at both of them, and fired two shots, hitting the boy in the chest with one.  The child died in his mother’s arms moments later.

To his excuse of not wanting to kill the boy, I say, and I hope that you all will excuse my language, horseshit.

If you use a firearm against another human being, you meant to kill them.  Period. Dot.  The use of deadly force to stop a threat must come with the understanding that it is quite likely that whomever you are shooting is going to die because of it.  Sometimes this use of deadly force is justified, such as in defense of yourself or an innocent.   But it is never justified because you say you wanted to warn someone, or scare someone, or whatever you have in your mind except “If I don’t try to kill this person, they are going to harm or continue to harm me or someone else RIGHT NOW, and I can’t let that happen.”.

This filth admits that he shot a 13-year-old child in front of his mother, and tried to do so again when he fired the second shot.  I’m glad the jury saw through his transparent excuse of “I didn’t mean to kill him.” and I hope his excuse of “I have anger issues” is disregarded as well.

Look, I inherited an Irish and Norwegian temper, and I have, at times, had a lot of trouble controlling it.  Guess what?  I never beat my wife or shot a kid because I was pissed off.  There are definitely times when I can buy the “not guilty due to insanity” defense, such as the deranged piece of crap that shot up the movie theater in Colorado, but this isn’t one of those times.  This isn’t a person whose psyche is so damaged that he can’t control himself.  Rather, this is an individual who chooses to not control himself, and who finally crossed that line where his ‘issues’ irrevocably hurt someone else.

Wisconsin doesn’t have a death penalty, so the most this jerk is facing is the rest of his life in a small room with someone making sure he has food and medical care.  I have issues with the death penalty, but if any case deserves it, it’s this one.

For the sake of the argument, let’s say that his issues went beyond just being unable to control his temper, and that they extended to periods where he lost track of what was and was not real.  If he was, in fact, in that condition, why didn’t he seek help?  Why did he continue to own firearms when he had such a condition?  If he knew he had times when he was dangerous, yet did nothing to mitigate that danger, then he should be held responsible for what he did during one of his less lucid periods.  By the way, I feel the same way about people who are under a doctor’s care for psychiatric issues, choose to stop that treatment, and then hurt someone during the inevitable swing back into mental illness.

People, I’m begging here.  If you have problems to the point where you can’t take a rational look at yourself and say that you’re sure you won’t do something horrible with your guns, quit owning them, even if it’s only for the time you need to get help.  If you have loved ones who have these issues, get them help, even if it means forcing them to do it.  The impact on gun rights when a mentally ill person uses a gun to harm others is beside the point.  Our love of human life needs to be greater than our love of not making waves and our love for not hurting the feelings of someone we care about.  One person harmed because someone didn’t seek or get the help they needed, even if that help would not be welcomed, is too many.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that one of our local gunshops was holding a drawing for a Henry Rifle to raise money for the family of a police officer that was ambushed and murdered while on duty.

The Kentucky Gun Company sent this to me today:

_________________________

Friends of KYGUNCO

We thank you for the overwhelming response to our Rifle Raffle.  We feel blessed to have been a part in this fundraiser for the Office Ellis Memorial Fund.  We have drawn a winner from the 12,000+ chances sold.  Click the link below to watch the winner announcement! (DaddyBear note – Allergy alert on the linked video)

                                    Thank You for your Time and Support

Patrick Hayden, Owner KYGUNCO

_________________________

No, it wasn’t me, darn the luck.  But at $5 a chance, that’s over $60,000 for the family of a fallen officer.  If you bought one of those chances, thank you.  And thanks to all the people at the Kentucky Gun Company for doing something so noble.

PS – Edited to embed video due to bad link.

The first trial of George Zimmerman is over except for the verdict and the shouting.  If he’s convicted of either second degree murder or manslaughter, Mr. Zimmerman will probably spend the rest of his life in prison.  If he’s found not guilty, I expect civil rights prosecution by the federal DOJ to follow quickly, as well as civil litigation from Trayvon Martin’s family that will dog him for years.  That’s not to mention the danger that Zimmerman faces from irate twits who believe that justice can be gained in the streets if they can’t get it in the courtroom.

Here’s what I’ve taken from this mess:

• Don’t go looking for trouble.  Zimmerman was completely within his rights to follow Martin down that street, but his life has basically been ruined because he cared about whether or not his neighborhood was targeted by criminals.  Call the police, be a good witness, but look out for yourself and your own future first.
• Your race will be considered, no matter what.  If you’re of African descent, no matter how decent a person you are, you’re going to be viewed in the same light as gangbanger.  Same goes for those who are Hispanic.  If you’re white, no matter how many civil rights causes you’ve championed in your life, you’re a Grand Kleegle until proven otherwise.  Zimmerman is probably best described as multi-ethnic, but he’s still described as a “white Hispanic”, whatever that is.
• Cooperate with the police, but have a lawyer present.
• Let your lawyer talk to the press.  Nothing good can happen from you going on the record with a reporter.
• Be prepared for the worst.  This was originally called a justified shoot by the police, but they were overruled by politicians.
• Zimmerman’s discussions with the police, at least the ones I’ve seen, showed that this was pretty cut-and-dry self-defense, and are backed up by other witnesses, but he’s still going through all this. Be prepared to have someone look over every iota of data you give looking for lies and inconsistencies that will be used to put you on a gallows.
• Know the laws and follow them.  Don’t give a crusader an excuse.
  • Also, even if I’m in a place that allows it, I’m not going to have a beer while I’m carrying.  Having to prove that alcohol didn’t impact my decision to use my gun to defend myself is just another complication I wouldn’t need.
• Be prepared for evidence that you got training or just took the time to learn your rights and responsibilities to be used against you.
  • It’s going to be a catch 22.  If you learn how to be a responsible gun owner and CCDW carrier, you’re going to be a gun nut who learned how to manipulate the system.  If you don’t, then you’re a loose cannon who didn’t know what they were doing and killed somebody with their ignorance.
• Watch what you say now so that it can’t be used against you later.  Making statements about how you will slaughter anyone who ever breaks into your house or tries to attack you or yours, either in meatspace or on-line, will be used against you.

Anyway, here’s hoping that the jury does its duty and comes to a verdict based on the law and the facts, not based on fear and emotion.

In reference to my post the other day about the New Black Panther Party member who was arrested for wearing body armor and carrying a revolver in New York City, Jay made a good point:  Whether or not it is just or unconstitutional, the law is the law, and when we break the law, knowingly or unknowingly, we have to be prepared to pay the consequences.  I have to agree.

But I do have some follow-up questions:

Do we, as people who value our rights and the rights of others, have an obligation to follow an unjust or unconstitutional law?  If we are willing to take the consequences for breaking such a law, are we wrong to break it?  From another angle, are we bound by duty and honor to break them in order to bring attention to the injustice?

My opinion, and remember, I’m just a schlub from North Dakota, is that we have a duty to bring attention to unjust laws, up to and including inviting our own arrest in order to bring them down.  Martin Luther King went to jail for breaking an unjust law, and history is rife with people who broke laws for the sake of breaking them in order to bring them down.   Of course, when we get caught breaking them, as Jay pointed out, we have to be willing to face the consequences for our actions.  Even if we are breaking the laws on purpose, we have to be willing to chance decades in jail.  No “It’s not fair!” or “I didn’t know!” defenses should come from our side.

I know, I know, put up or shut up, DaddyBear.  I’m not at the point of being ready to put a gun in a holster and walk into a bar in Chicago, mainly because the mechanisms for changing their onerous gun laws are grinding their slow justice.  But if those mechanisms should fail, one of the more honorable ways that we can fight these laws is through civil disobedience and by supporting those ensnared by them, even if they knowingly broke the law.  In the extreme, we can become the ‘test case’ that is used to bring injustice before the courts.

Now, Shabazz isn’t exactly Rosa Parks, and I doubt that civil rights lawyers are leaping at the chance to take his case through the judicial system.  But a case like his will eventually come along, where someone with an exemplary record is picked up because she chose to put a gun in her purse rather than a rape whistle when she went to the Navy Pier, or who used a gun to defend his family in Brooklyn rather than cower and wait for the police.  Will we, even acknowledging that they willfully broke the law, support them?

I’d love to hear your responses. This one has me puzzling and muttering to myself.

Like a lot of Americans, especially those who opposed the election of Barack Obama, I was shocked by images of Black Panthers standing at the doors of a polling place in Philadelphia with a club.  I was appalled by what looked to be voter intimidation, and applauded when the Department of Justice brought up King Samir Shabazz on charges related to the incident.  I was also outraged when the Obama administration walked away from those charges.

The other day Mr. Shabazz was stopped by police in New York because they saw that he was wearing body armor under his clothing.  I wasn’t aware that it was illegal to wear body armor in New York City, but now that I see it in the news, I’m not surprised. Police officers patted Mr. Shabazz down, and found an “unlicensed” revolver on him.  Now, he faces years in jail for the crime of not having permission from the state to keep and bear arms.

Now, I don’t agree with Mr. Shabazz on most things.  He has openly called for racial violence and is alleged to have intimidated voters in the 2008 election.  I doubt that he and I could have much of a civil discussion about anything of substance.  But you know what?  That doesn’t matter at all, or at least it shouldn’t.  He is my equal before the law.  The highest law in the land, our Constitution, states that we are born with the right to keep and bear arms, and he has been arrested for doing so.  He is not under investigation for a crime of violence, but merely for not having begged for permission to exercise the rights that were granted to him as he took his first breath, and we should stand with him.

If we really mean what we say about gun rights, it’s time to put up or shut up.  A fellow citizen is threatened with loss of his liberty for exercising those rights, and we need to stand with him.  It’s easy to support someone who looks like you, or believes the same things you do.  Do we have the courage to support someone who we disagree with, who actively spouts hatred our way, when he is prosecuted for exercising those rights?

I hope we do.

The Firearm Blog is reporting that Thompson Center Arms is recalling all of their Icon, Venture, and Dimension rifles:

Thompson/Center Arms™ has identified a condition that may cause the safety lever on certain ICON®, VENTURE™ and DIMENSION® rifles to bind, preventing the safety from becoming fully engaged.  In this situation, closing the bolt may move the safety to the fire position.  The rifle will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.  However, out of an abundance of caution, we are taking this action to recall the rifles so that the firearm can be inspected by our technicians to ensure that the safety lever functions as designed.

This recall applies to all ICON, VENTURE and DIMENSION rifles manufactured by Thompson/Center Arms prior to June 13, 2013.

STOP USING YOUR RIFLE AND RETURN IT TO THOMPSON/CENTER AT ONCE.

Because the safety of our customers is our utmost concern, we ask that you stop using your rifle until we have an opportunity to inspect the safety lever to ensure its proper function.

To facilitate the inspection and repair, if necessary, of your rifle safety lever, please contact Thompson/Center’s customer service department to receive instructions and a pre-paid shipping label for the return of your rifle to Thompson/Center.  Thompson/Center will repair the rifle at no cost to you, and return it to you as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Additional information will be available shortly on our website at www.tcarms.com.  In the meantime, if you have any questions about this recall, please contact Thompson/Center at (800) 713-0355.

 

Pass it on.  Safety is our foremost concern as gun owners.