The Packetman

Should Republicans ...

2012-02-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... embrace libertarians?

I think that the GOP would be better served to decide if it stands for limited government, less spending and individual rights or not before it starts to try to woo libertarians.

Because in my experience, Republicans will vote for anyone who sounds like he knows what he's doing, as long as he's got an R next to his name.

pm

Wins in NH, FL and NV - inevitible ...

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... wins in MO, MN and CO:

Why, of course not. The only victories that matter, when we’re dealing with an “inevitable” nominee, are those he wins. Which number is less than the wins by at least one opponent whose victories don’t matter. His not being inevitable and all — and so can be dismissed as a one-off winner who has now won one-off victories in more states than has the frontrunner.

I left Iowa out since it was a statistical tie.

Of course, I won't even mention that in MN Romney was third to ... Ron Paul.

Go figure.

pm

All in all ...

2012-02-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

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we're just bricks in the wall:

Voting for my inanimate left sneaker for President may be a vote against Obama’s statism. But voting for any living, breathing, animate political figure because he’s a softer Socialism — which I think is entirely too polite a term — cannot but worsen the condition of essential but vanishing American classical liberalism.

Doing so as a “pragmatic” recourse in a formulation of progressive-era “electability” is to promote a bald-faced lie.

This is a PS at the bottom of the post (RTWT), but I think it's important to note that a vote for Romney is not an end to the struggle (and I feel, a strategic mistake). Rather, the establishment of the GOP must move to the right, and electing Romney will not do that.

It will make things not as bad, but still worse.

No thanks.

If you claim to be a Conservative ...

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... why would you vote for a Liberal?

Chalk up another victory for Mr Inevitable — marking the latest in a string of primaries or caucuses where the GOP primary voter has come out for the Republican candidate who supported the Obama stimulus and whose team worked with the Obama Administration on government-run health care and cap and trade; the Republican candidate who supported TARP and federal bailouts rather than allowing for the market system to work; the Republican candidate who believes in a government-run command-and-control economy — at least with respect to low-wage workers — through support of mandatory increases in federal minimum wage laws, and so stands at odds, from the perspective of basic economic theory, with free market capitalism; the Republican candidate who told one of his competitors that a government takeover of 1/6 of the economy against the will of the electorate was “nothing to get angry about”; the Republican candidate who has supported gun control and lied about an NRA endorsement; the Republican candidate who rejected Reagan and embraced the help and support of his friend and collaborator Teddy Kennedy; the Republican candidate who, while in Massachusetts, decided that the procedural niceties of a top-down state run health bureaucracy supersede First Amendment protections for religious freedom; the Republican candidate who believes capitalism exists to create jobs for the working man — and who therefore has decided to concentrate his campaign, as Obama has, on the “middle class,” in essence, accepting the Marxist framework for dividing up the citizenry into economic interest groups.

Sorry for the long quote, but it's that good ...

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

2012-02-08T17:24:00.001-05:00

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... firearms giveaways!

JPFO alert

2012-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

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In defence of the Catholic church.

Well ...

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... at least he gets it half right:

College leaders and administrators are once-again lining up in opposition. In doing so, they run out a parade of horribles to illustrate the harm pistol-packing students and teachers will cause. Why, it will be Armageddon – drunken college students shooting up dorms and fraternities, running gun battles in the halls; mass hysteria.

Except it won’t happen. Four states – Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Mississippi- already allow guns on campus and so far nothing bad has happened. Nor is it likely to happen.

Where he gets it wrong is when he says that students won't be any safer for having armed citizens around. They may not, until the next active shooter shows up - then, at least,they'll have a fighting chance, instead of curling up so that they can be shot four times.

The Cato Institute ...

2012-02-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... is starting to document DGU:

In a new Cato Institute paper, Clayton Cramer and David Burnett review the controversy over how often Americans use guns in self-defense each year. Estimates range from about 100,000 to more than 2 million, and the surveys used to generate the numbers are subject to weaknesses that plausibly lead to undercounting or exaggeration. Cramer and Burnett's contribution, an analysis of defensive gun uses reported in the press during an eight-year period, does not resolve this issue.

Of course, one of the weaknesses in their work is that in cases where the brandishing of a weapon stops the crime, most people don't call the police, therefore the documented cases are likely far below what is actually happening.

And that's good news for our side.

pm

This ...

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... is awesome!

Don't worry, it appears to be France so I'm sure nothing ... physical ... happens to the prankster!

pm

It's silly when gun grabbers use the phrase ...

2012-02-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... it's stupid when our side does:

Colorado takes pride in its Western entrepreneurial spirit — and that extends to the belief of some lawmakers that business owners should be able to use deadly force against anyone who tries to take what's theirs.
It's an idea that conjures Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, and its supporters have taken liberties with the hardboiled character's famous line in naming their measure "Make My Day Better."

The NRA really needs to school some folks ...

pm

Just remember ...

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... my meanderings take me strange places:

People choose vegetarianism for tons of different reasons. Some for the health benefits, some for the environmental reasons, some just don’t like meat. Some because they don’t want animals to die so that they can eat. Which I could respect if it really meant that animals don’t die so they can eat.

Those who choose vegetarianism for this particular reason are (I hesitate a bit here because I want to respect people and their choices) fooling themselves. Animals die whether you choose to eat their flesh or not.

There is no cushy retirement home for cows who are done milking. For hens who are done laying. For the calves who happen to be bulls instead of heifers. For the chicks who happen to be cockerels instead of pullets.

Those animals are killed. Period. They die. Animals die when a person chooses to eat any animal product. When a person chooses to wear an item made of leather. No matter how you slice it, an animal’s life is used and ended when it is no longer useful.

While taking life, we do our best to honor it. We use every part of the animal we can. I won’t get into detail, but the parts that we don’t eat are given to the Audubon Society for their two rehabilitating birds of prey, our 11 chickens (who are not vegetarians!), and our 2 dogs and 3 cats. We have given the hides to a friend to tan. We compost the rest.

We make more than one meal out of a rabbit. One 3 lb rabbit makes a little over 2 meals for 3 people (one growing boy and two active adults). The rabbit’s one life is taken and it benefits 22.

This post is by a lesbian, living in Portland, OR,. who raises her own meat, and is then taken to task by an activist vegetarian (God, I hate those busy-bodies). Read the whole post, because I think it lays out the most reasoned arguments for eating meat, and raising it yourself.

I, too, have a dream ...

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... Dante articulates for me:

I have a dream.

I have a dream that one day, my grand-children will witness the wholesale rejection of anything that comes out of the mouths of people employed by the state.

I have a dream that all little children everywhere will mock, curse and alienate those foolish and defective humans who falsely believe that telling lies and then backing it up with violence will endear them to the public.

I have a dream that one day, all of the drug warriors will be on the receiving end of a midnight raid which terrorizes their children and kills their dogs. Any resistance, even verbal, will be met by gunfire.

I have a dream.

A comment about the new chainsaw entry tool ...

Pop some popcorn ...

2012-02-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

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... this could get interesting:

In a 65-page complaint, served on the government on Wednesday, attorneys for the family claim ATF "wrongdoing" in Operation Fast and Furious.
“ATF's failures were not only negligent but in violation of ATF's own policies and procedures," the complaint claims.

The family has also filed a claim against the Lone Wolf Trading Company seeking unspecified damages for negligence in selling the weapons to the purchaser and aiding and abetting in Mexican drug cartels’ conduct.

I think it's a good thing that the family included Lone Wolf in the suit, since that will get them facing off with the ATF (and they'll learn that the ATF will throw you under the bus faster than Obama).

Of course, the family won't get anything from the ATF, since they're the gubmint ...

pm

Ignore this ...

2012-02-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... at your peril:

I have been telling anyone who’d listen that Social Media is a huge game changer in the criminal justice system.

The lawyers especially those older warhorses that are not so computer savvy are incredibly ignorant. They don’t see the major influence that bloggers, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube has on prosecutors, judges and jurors.

In the real world judges controlling the reading and television habits was a losing battle. Jurors lie about what and when they read especially when they are admonished. Human nature requires people touch the wall when they see the wet paint sign.

I don't have any facts about the truth of this, but I can see this fellow's point.

pm

Trust me ...

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... there is nothing conservative about Mitt Romney:

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney renewed his support Wednesday for automatic increases in the federal minimum wage to keep pace with inflation, a position sharply at odds with traditional GOP business allies, conservatives and the party’s senior lawmakers…

You know who supports automatic minimum wage increases?

Democrats.

But Romney will be the nominee, and I'll write-in Ron Paul ...

pm

I've seen this a couple of places ...

2012-02-02T09:36:00.001-05:00

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... but I'll link to protein wisdom:

Sugar is so harmful to public health it should be controlled like alcohol and cigarettes, US scientists claimed.

I think these 'scientists' need to be ... encouraged ... to mind their own fucking business!

pm

Why this isn't SOP ...

2012-02-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... anytime Westboro Baptist shows up:

I don't want to encourage violence, but I would warn Occupy: If I'm on the jury? No way the guy who beats the shit out of you gets convicted. And I imagine I'd have four or five like-minded people on the panel.

Ace is specifically talking about the Occupy movement, but if the shoe fits ...

pm

The more of this I read ...

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... the more I realize that police are just poorly-trained:

The officers, who were standing in the road, said the dog started to circle the three officers and "bumped" into one of the officer’s legs, police said. The first officer deemed the dog a threat and fired a shot toward the animal. A second officer fired two more shots.

The dog "bumped" into an officers leg and so deserves to be shot?

I'm not that up on the deputies in my area, but I just can't imagine any of them being scared of even a pit bull that circles and bumps into a leg.

I wonder if there's any dash video of this incident, because if there is, I'll bet the behaviour of the dog is not really all that threatening.

pm

Good analogy ...

2012-02-01T18:18:00.002-05:00

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... but it won't help:

Third Parties Are to “Parties” What Near Beer Is To Beer. Let’s be honest; if you are a conservative or a libertarian, the GOP is the only chance you have to actually affect policy for real.

At least someone admits that republicans aren't conservative ...

pm

I'm not sure they understand ...

2012-02-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... that work-product belongs to who paid for it:

This is about access to peer-reviewed scientific information—research that we pay for with our tax money. If this bill passes, Americans who want to read the results of federally funded research will have to buy access to each journal article individually—at a cost of $15 or $30 apiece. In other words, as the New York Times recently noted, taxpayers who already paid for the research would have to pay again to read the results.

I'm not a lawyer, so I can't really speak to work-product rules but the way I see it is if the gubmint paid for it, I need to be able to see it.

I'd even extend the idea that if the government pays, then all the raw data, the processes and everything else gets put online for downloading.

Only sounds fair to me ...

pm

Seems like a can of spray paint ...

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

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...would take care of this one:

Tania Ouaknine is convinced the police are watching her.

She's not paranoid — it says as much on the red sign painted along the side on the hulking armored truck that's been parked in front of her eight-room Parisian Motel for several days.

"Warning: You are under video surveillance," reads the bold message on the side of the truck.

From the front bumper of the menacing vehicle, another sign taunts: "Whatcha gonna do when we come for you?"

Yeah, that last part is particularly pithy ...

So the po-po take a converted armored car, load it with streaming cameras and park it where they want to catch someone doing something bad. Like taggers, who now have a new game.

pm

I can't wait ...

2012-01-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

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... until Mike gets his Praxis site up:

Even more embarrassing than a student discovering your GPS tracking device on his car, as the FBI found out last year, is having to ask him to give the expensive piece of equipment back.

So security researcher Brendan O’Connor is trying a different approach to spy hardware: building a sensor-equipped surveillance-capable computer that’s so cheap it can be sacrificed after one use, with off-the-shelf parts that anyone can buy and assemble for less than fifty dollars.

That will play merry hob with your sensors ...

Is this guy ...

2012-01-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... ever going to go away?

“We haven’t had time to do a real analysis of the Romney race in South Carolina, but once we break that down, there was some element of anti-Mormonism in that vote,” McCain asserted. “I’m not saying all of it, but there were elements there.

A few words for ya, John - with all due respect to your service, it's time you shut the fuck up*.

As distasteful as it may be, people still have the right to judge a candidate on whatever irrelevant yardstick they choose to use (and believe me, you don't what to hear my views on private property rights). If a citizen chooses not to vote for Mormons, well that's that ... smile and thank them for participating in the process.

pm

* You might want to apply some duct tape to that daughter of yours while you're at it.

You know ...

2012-01-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... I applaud you when you talk sense about gun safety:

A shooting involving a child in Durham Friday brought gun safety into the spotlight, a place Rick Franks says it should stay. Franks has worked for more than a decade at Raleigh's Personal Defense & Handgun Safety Center, Inc., a retailer and shooting range that offers classes in basic handgun safety, competitive shooting and self-defense.

I fold up my hands when you tout something that isn't in your control:

Every weapon he sells comes with a gun lock.

As an FFL retailer, federal stupidity requires you to have locks (or safe security devices) for every firearm you sell. Don't make out like you're a saint ... I'll start to question your motives.

I've heard retailers talk about a lot of problems about firearms, most of them which can be solved by buying from said retailer.

The thing I have never heard (save for Commander Equipment) is a retailer talk about how the 2nd amendment is for everyone, no matter where you buy.

pm

In which I proffer ...

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... a completely new tax system:

No corporate taxes - corporate earnings are eventually paid to someone
First year of program, tax rate will be 2% on all income, no matter what the source, no matter the payers' tax bracket - no deductions, no exceptions!
Second year, tax rate will go down to 1%, and withholding by employers will end. Taxpayers will write a check by April 15 for taxes owed for previous year. No extensions!

We'll try that out for a decade ... nah, politicians would never go for it.

pm

JPFO alert

2012-01-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

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Meeting JPFO people.

Like you and me ...

2012-01-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... only better:

Knox County prosecutors will not file charges against two off-duty Oak Ridge police officers accused of pulling a handgun on a motorist during an alleged road-rage incident last month.
Brock Estep, 31, of Knoxville, alleged that two men in a Toyota Avalon attempted to cut him off in traffic as they pulled out of the Waffle House parking lot at the corner of Weisgarber Road and Papermill Drive on Dec. 15.

They flipped him off with their middle fingers, Estep returned the gesture, and soon enough all three men had exited their vehicles, according to Estep. The Toyota's passenger drew a handgun on him and, when Estep threatened to call the police, the two men said they were the police, Estep alleged.

Knoxville Police Department investigators later confirmed that the two men were off-duty Oak Ridge Police Department officers.

Sorry for the long quote. I know where that Waffle House is (and I'm sure Say Uncle doews too), not that it matters.

I am glad to know that, apparently, I can cut people off in traffic, flip them off and when they return the favor, I can then brandish a firearm and I'll be perfectly fine.

Oh, wait ...

A interesting discussion ...

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... about castle doctrine:

The woman pointed it at the intruder as he stood with his back to a wall, according to police. The woman's friend helped her steady the gun and point it.

"I told you if you came back, I was gonna kill you," she said before fatally shooting him, according to police reports.

St. Louis police sought second-degree murder charges against the woman and the man. But prosecutors declined to file them, citing the castle doctrine.

That's because prosecutors know when they've got a lemon on their hands. I know I wouldn't vote to convict, and if I were on the grand jury, I'd No True that sucker quick.

This seems to be more of a rural vs urban thing to me. Where I live (rural) there would be hardly a tear shed if a man, having twice violated a protective order, was put down (yes, I said Put Down).

Up here on the mountain, we understand the concept of logical consequences; if you fuck with someone, there's a possibility that they may fuck with you right back, only harder. Urban dwellers don't seem to see things that way, expecting the police to magically 'be there in time'. I understand that the deputy sheriff may be pretty far away and I will be expected to handle things myself until he gets there.

I won't want to, but I will if I have to ... up to and including deadly force.

pm

The devolution of America ...

2012-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... continues:

"I find and conclude that the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents of the Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop computer,"

Vox says it best:

It's always interesting to see the logical contortions through which America's corrupt judges go when they are determined to reach a conclusion that flies directly in the face of the Constitution. Given that Americans have "the right to remain silent" as well as the right to be "secure in their papers and effects", there is no way that a judge can legitimately order any American to cough up a passphrase.

This is just one more piece of evidence demonstrating that the federal government is corrupt, lawless, and unconstitutional.

This is the result of this case.

America is dying ...

pm

I know I'm late to the party ...

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... but I've been waiting for this:

All of these things were done in your name. On your behalf. To help you, protect you, take care of you. Each time you gave them more power and gave away more of your freedom. Each time you believed them when they said they were protecting you, or helping the less fortunate, or sticking it to “the rich” who “aren’t paying their fair share”.

Each time you applauded their efforts. Mocked those that were concerned. Called them uncaring or racist or alarmist or stupid. Each time you asked for more. You begged them to take care of you, protect you, right wrongs, enforce equality.

But now that your Internet porn and bit torrents are threatened, NOW you care?

Larry Correia's co-author Mike Kupari wrote about how firearms owners have been putting up with the gun-equivalent of SOPA for a long time, and nobody helped.

Welcome to the party, pal!

JPFO alert

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

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For my Christian friends.

Radley teases ...`

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... but I don't think anything good will come of this:

Florida Governor Rick Scott has ordered a new investigation into the jailhouse death of Nick Christie.

The only hope is that the family gets a ton of money from the sheriff to help their suffering, but I'm sure they'd like to have their father/grandfather back instead.

pm

Whaa, whaa ...

2012-01-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... whaa:

Tennessee is among 34 states that don’t require any background checks for private sales of firearms, even if the sale is handled by an online site.

Here we go again ...

pm

This ...

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... is what governments do:

Back when the smoking bans were spreading across the country, those of us opposed to them made the point that you could make many of the same arguments about perfume and cologne that ban proponents were making about second hand smoke.[...]

But you can’t really make a reductio argument for too long before someone embraces it.

That's right ... some are wanting to make it illegal to wear too much perfume.

Can we start shooting yet?

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Trying out the meme ...

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... overheard in the living room:

Wife: I've got a first-world problem over here ...

Me: What, is Freecell not dealing the cards fast enough?

Like David said ...

2012-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... if you only read one thing today, let it be this:

In the end, Terry, Diaz and Meyer found themselves on the sharp end of the stick for their efforts: the US Department of Justice, agencies like DHS and the Department of State, and the usual entourage of corporate and political underwriters, including the government of Mexico, all had a hand in creating scenarios designed to transform good guys into villains, narratives that ended in Terry’s death at the hands of a cartel gunman, Diaz’s imprisonment for ‘exercising excessive force’ during the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker, and in Meyer’s case, the loss of a high-paying job with a multinational defense contractor, and blowback that now has this decorated young veteran on the ropes in the court of public opinion.

Consider–if Terry, Diaz and Meyer had ‘occupied Wall Street’ instead of the killing zones along our SW border and in Afghanistan, they might have been poster boys for the March of History, and on top of it all, alive, free, and gainfully employed.

This essay is long but believe me, it's worth your time. h/t David and Mike

Yes ...

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... we are winning:

State Sen. Ron Gould is pushing a state law that would allow Arizona citizens with permits to carry concealed weapons on college campuses.

That's fine with me.

The columnist is apparently a liberal, since he goes on to mention that the reader is likely waiting for his "zinger" disputing what he's just said, but overall he is looking at reality. Gun laws don't stop anything.

And I think it's about time we started calling a spade a spade when we debate these things.

Toaster says it ...

2012-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... pretty well:

Totally and completely Kooky! Listen to what he would do...
Go read what I think, but said much better!

Schadenfreude ...

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... it's what's for breakfast:

if this heart-warming story of a self-righteous activist being beaten to death in his sleep by seals doesn't put a little spring in your step this morning, you simply cannot be considered to have evolved sufficiently claim membership in homo sapiens sapiens.

Authorities initially thought that the activist had been done in by the fishermen he tried to thwart ...

pm

Help defeat tyranny ...

2012-01-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

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... go here and support TJIC.

Radley Balko ...

2012-01-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... can really get your blood boiling:

A 66-year-old Melbourne man with dementia spent a month in the hospital after he was violently arrested in October 2011 by officers from the Melbourne Police Department in Melbourne, Florida. The officers who arrested Albert Flowers charged him with battery on a police officer, but a dash-cam video obtained this weekend by WFTV Channel 9 News in Central Florida shows that Flowers did not assault either officer before being kicked in the stomach, punched repeatedly, choked, and Tasered.

You'll have to follow the links to view the video, since it's not embed-able.

One thing I noticed was that, as the officer was trying to gain control of the suspect, there was ample opportunity for a bystander to pull a small handgun and cap the cop in his Brain Housing Group.

I fear that's where we're going to end up.

pm

JPFO alert

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Violence solves a lot.

Some common sense ...

2012-01-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... coming from (formerly) Great Britian:

Every good mum in Great Britain needs a gun. Law-abiding citizens should have full power and ability to protect themselves against criminals and evildoers. Despite America’s current failing economy and self-obsessed political leaders, the United States of America is blessed with a Constitution and subsequent Bill of Rights. There is one right that is exceptionally practical; and that is the Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms.

At least I think it's coming from Great Britain.

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Take this quiz

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I need some work ... only 67%.

Cop or Soldier?

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Progressives ...

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... really don't get it!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Some have wondered if Harrop was in on the joke ... I can't see how she couldn't have been. Then again, they are somewhat dense aren't they.

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This kind of law ...

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... needs to be universal:

The state will pay a Longview man nearly $123,000 almost exactly two years after he was acquitted of assault after waving a gun at employees of a downtown Longview nightclub. Most of the money will go to his lawyers.

It only helps if the citizenry keeps up with how often DA's are losing ...

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JPFO alert

2012-01-14T08:01:00.000-05:00

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Moses and the righteous use of force.

The Hillbilly Bone ...

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... you know you've got it!

You know what they say ...

2012-01-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

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... about broken clocks:

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has urged a federal court to side with a Howard County man in a lawsuit over his cellphone being seized by Baltimore police at the Preakness Stakes after he filmed officers making an arrest.

I forget what the other one was, but this is the second thing I agree with the executive about ...

pm

This ...

2012-01-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

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... is what governments do:

In this episode, a New York restaurant that earned a top grade of “A” barely five months ago was shut down after the owner made a recording on his iPhone of an inspection by the city health department.

I guess it doesn't pay to not pay ...

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They keep using that word ...

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

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... I don't think it means what you think it means:

Fifty-nine percent of self-identified conservative Republicans say they find Romney acceptable

Because Romney is not conservative.

If Obama claimed to be a conservative, would anyone believe him?

pm

The Hughes amendment and what do we do about it

2012-01-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

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It seems that Sebastian and I have a disagreement, although I feel that we're probably closer than we think. Sebastian wrote a post about the NRA and the Hughes amendment, one that gave the NRA credit for trying to get Hughes reversed (which I disagree with). The failure of the NRA to reverse Hughes apparently rests on the political climate, ignoring the fact that the House voted against the amendment.

My intial comment on the post was that the argument in the case Higgins v Farmer was weak, whether the NRA helped out or not. Relying on the ATF to interpret a law in a citizens' favor is a fools' errand. I also noted that the decision in US v Rock Island Armory is a much better argument against 922(o).

On this, Sebastian and I agree.

Where we start to go apart is that to me, the defect of 922(o) is fatal, while Sebastian merely notes that prosecutions for possession will simply go on under 922(o) (1) [possesion prohibited].

I believe that the court in US v Rock Island addressed this in passing, but didn't mention it specifically since it wasn't the question before the bar.

The court in Rock Island Armory made several references to the passage of the National Firearms Act, as well as it's re-enactment in 1968, and the constitutional questions that came up during deliberations. Repeatedly, the legislature conceded that that they had no police power to ban machineguns, but only the power to tax them:

In the 1934 hearings, Attorney General Homer S. Cummings explained in detail how the NFA would be based on the tax power. National Firearms Act: Hearings Before the House Committee on Ways and Means, 73rd Cong., 2d Sess., 6 (1934). Cummings denied that machineguns could be banned, because "we have no inherent police power to go into certain localities and deal with local crime. It is only when we can reach those things under ... the power of taxation, that we can act." Id. at 8.

When Congressman Harold Knutson asked "why should we permit the manufacture, that is, permit the sale of the machine guns to any one outside of the several branches of the Government," Congressman Sumners suggested "that this is a revenue measure and you have to make it possible at least in theory* for these things to move in order to get internal revenue?" Id. at 13-14. Cummings agreed: "That is the answer exactly." Id. at 14. The following dialogue ensued:

Attorney General CUMMINGS.... If we made a statute absolutely forbidding any human being to have a machine gun, you might say there is some constitutional question involved. But when you say, "we will tax the machine gun," ... you are easily within the law. [emphasis added-pm]

So there at least was the recognition that machineguns could not be banned outright, lest the constitutional question be raised. The NFA '34 was constitutional only under congress' authority to raise revenue (tax).

Additionally, the court noted that upon re-enactment of the NFA with the passage of the Gun Control Act of '68, congress explicitly declined to enact a measure that would affect powers held by the states under the 10th amendment:

The National Firearms Act was reenacted as Title II of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Congress rejected a proposal that would not have been based on the power to tax. Fred B. Smith, General Counsel of the Treasury Department, noted that the proposal "would make it unlawful for a person under 21 years of age to possess a National Firearms Act firearm." Federal Firearms Act: Hearings Before the Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency, Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senate, 90th Cong., 1st Sess., 1088 (1967). Smith stated:

It seems doubtful that the ... provision can be justified under the taxing or commerce powers, or under any other power enumerated in the Constitution, for Federal enactment. Consequently, the Department questions the advisability of including in the bill a measure which could be construed as an usurpation of a (police) power reserved to the states by Article X of the United States Constitutional Amendments.

If the reader will remember, US v Miller hinged on the falsehood that short-barreled shotguns were not in use by the military (or related to the militia), and so was not entitled to 2A protection. This is demonstrably not true of machineguns as they are in common use in every military and militia the world over.

Therefore, it is my humble laymans' opinion, the absolute ban on machineguns could not withstand judicial scrutiny, and that at least 922(o) should be repealed and machineguns go back under regulation under the NFA.

Your comments are welcome.

pm

*This passage indidcates me that the intent of the NFA was to make it as hard as possible to own machineguns and other NFA weapons by placing a confiscatory tax on the weapons.

Hey, it's a feature ...

2012-01-12T07:59:00.000-05:00

.
... not a bug!

Thinking of getting a penis tattoo? Apparently, they come with the risk of a permanent erection. Let's see if we can get through this one without a Jason Stackhouse joke... Nope!

That all I'm gonna say ... h/t Ace's headline sidebar

pm

A bit on my disdain ...

2012-01-11T11:23:00.003-05:00

.
... for the media and the inevitability of Romney.

I just cobbled together a spreadsheet that tallies the primaries and totals the votes garnered by the candidates in total. Here's how they stack up:

Romney 34.4%
Paul 22.3%
Santorum 14.4%
Gingrich 10.7%
Perry 3.9%
Huntsman 11.4%

Notice that after two primaries, the media would have us believe that Romney is the presumed nominee, and that the closest Not-Romney is [anybody but Paul].

I suppose SC will be the real test, since that's where Romney might falter first. It really doesn't matter, since Romney is the most 'electable', and to me a Romney candidacy means four more years of Obama (whether it's actually Obama in the seat or not).

It all academic ...

Update: I rest my case.

pm

One step forward ...

2012-01-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

.
... two steps back:

Some residents at Danville Park Apartments are outraged over police firing at two dogs on the walkway outside their front doors.

The residents said the shooting killed one animal, injured another and put the tenants in danger of gunfire that left bullet holes in doors, walls and a wooden deck around 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

Witness accounts of the shootings contradict the reports of officers and a supervising sergeant.

Witness accounts contradict ... surprise, surprise.

I'll grant that an 80lb boxer is a formidable animal, but when police bust into an apartment (did they have a warrant?), what do you expect a large dog to do? h/t Radley

Sheriffs standing up ...

2012-01-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... against the federal government. Be sure to follow the links, and pay special attention to Sheriff Gil Gilbertson's treatise. Some are paying attention ...

pm

These are my people ...

2012-01-10T10:04:00.001-05:00

.
... you really need to go read. This is one of the most moving things I've read in a long time.

pm

It's not the size of the cat in the fight ...

2012-01-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... it's the size of the fight in the cat:

h/t Ace's Friday video dump

Encryption geeks ...

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... look out:

In 2010, authorities took Ramona Fricosu’s Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop with a warrant in a case investigating real estate fraud. But the laptop really couldn’t provide authorities with any information: it was encrypted.
Now, Wired reports, a U.S. District Court Judge is set to rule on whether Fricosu should be forced to open up her computer. It’s the first time such a case will be decided in federal court.

Back when I first heard about PGP and was looking at the tips on passphrases, I saw one tip that mentioned that a person might choose a passphrase that admits to a minor crime, so that he could legitimately claim 5th amendment protections. h/t Ace's headline sidebar

The picture ...

2012-01-09T23:25:00.003-05:00

.
... gets clearer:

This one, from the Standard-Examiner is headlined “Suspect had a bomb,” and repeatedly, explicitly refers to a “bomb” that police detonated in Stewart’s closet. Meanwhile, this one, from the Salt Lake Tribune, quotes an ATF spokesman.

The ATF spokesman said that to characterize what was found to be a bomb was inaccurate.

Two stories, two very different conclusions. I urge you to rear the whole article at Radley's.

pm

Big SCOTUS case ... Updated!

2012-01-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

.
... today:

But the arguments are scheduled to be heard Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court, where Damien Schiff, of the Pacific Legal Foundation, will be arguing that the EPA must be subject to the rule of law and the agency cannot simply issue orders violating others’ property rights without giving the owner his or her day in court to argue that the agency is wrong.

This is the case of an Idaho couple who bought property in a subdivision (amongst other houses) and were told by the EPA that they had to un-do the foundation work and restore the land because it was a 'wetland'.

The big issue is that the EPA decisions are not subject to court review, and that's a big deal. I'll be watching the SCOTUS blog to check for a transcript.

Upedate: From SCOTUSblog:

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this case, as it goes to oral argument, is that the Court reached out to take it despite the complete unanimity in the lower courts on the absence of court review of the EPA’s compliance orders before they actually are enforced, under the various laws that the agency enforces. It is quite rare for the Court to step in under those circumstances, and the temptation is strong to conclude that the Court has granted review in order to reverse.

Updated! - Transcript here
pm

In keeping with the meme ...

2012-01-09T10:34:00.002-05:00

.
... here's my candle.

It's an FEG PJK-9HP riding in a Bianchi 82 Carry-Lok (I'm thinking about a paddle holster). The candle is a plumber's slow-burning candle, used for non-bump-in-the-night emergencies!

pm

JPFO alert

2012-01-09T08:00:00.003-05:00

Firearms freedom can be habit-forming!

JPFO alert

2012-01-08T11:27:00.001-05:00

Reflections on a terrible day.

Anxiously awaiting ...

2012-01-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

.
Update - looking like a Jose Guerena case:

Stewart's father, Michael Stewart, said his son works a night shift at a local Walmart and may have been sleeping when police arrived.

And he's obviously dangerous, driving around with no insurance ....

... details about the shooting in Utah.

Because I suspect it's a case of someone not lying back and taking it.

pm

Corky Jewell ...

2012-01-07T11:10:00.002-05:00

.
... is my new best friend:

Corky Jewell with Hutcheson Medical center says this is the first incident the hospital has faced of this nature. Officials say the hospital acted according to their disaster plan.
But it still poses the question of how someone can get into the hospital with a gun.
“if you get someone who is of a mindset to do someone harm they will find a way to do it. So I don't feel that that's an issue of this place being unsafe,” says Jewell. [emphasis added]

Common sense, though there will be many who can't grok ...

pm

Aaron's monthly opportunity ...

2012-01-06T17:50:00.001-05:00

Here!

Give it a shot!

pm

Don't let anyone ever tell you ...

2012-01-06T08:45:00.002-05:00

.
... that Tai Ji is a low-impact exercise!

Went to my first class last night, and the warm-up kicked my ass. I'm much more out of shape than I realized.

pm

The sad thing is ...

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... she'll probably win:

Despite the fact that she's already accepted a class-action payout, she'll not get laughed out of court (it being Kalifornia).

But then, what do you expect?

pm

Here's how I see it.

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
Chicago FOP supports this:

Officials with the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago have said the union supports the law because it prevents people from making baseless accusations against officers by recording them and then releasing snippets th
Officials with the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago have said the union supports the law because it prevents people from making baseless accusations against officers by recording them and then releasing snippets that don't reveal the full context of the incident.

But Kutnick counters that people should have the right to record public police activity and that officers who perform their duties properly shouldn't mind the scrutiny.

at don't reveal the full context of the incident.
But Kutnick counters that people should have the right to record public police activity and that officers who perform their duties properly shouldn't mind the scrutiny.

This regarding Illinois' stupid eavesdropping law. Everyone in puiblic should be able to record anyone else in public. If you end up in court, you play your recording and I'll play mine.

May the most accurate account win.

Why libertarians (and gunnies) ...

2012-01-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

... should be on board with Ron Paul re Iran.

One of the biggest things that libertarians in general (and gunnies in particular) hate is the idea that you can stop bad behavior by passing a law (or a resolution). Firearm owners for years have had to put up with the most onerous regulations imaginable, and yet, crime still happens. History shows that even those who are 'prohibited' from owning firearms just don't care and get them anyway.

Why should it be any different for nation-states and nuclear weapons?

You'll get no argument out of me that Iran is a bad world actor, but so what? There are lot's of bad actors in the world, but we don't threaten military action on them all, do we? The US developed nuclear weapons first but we didn't bomb China or the Soviet Union when they started developing theirs.

Like firearms, bad nation-states will get nuclear weapons ... one way or the other. And one day, a bad actor will use a nuclear device on another country, maybe even us. The only thing we can do is promise so much retribution that the bad actor is afraid to use his nukes.

pm

I'm sure if he's called to account ...

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... he'll say he mis-spoke:

Thirty-seven-year-old Billy Joe Moiser Jr. resigned after pleading guilty last Wednesday to a misdemeanor Stalking/Harassment charge; however, Jefferson County District Attorney Jason Hicks says the charge is not about stalking.
"I think it's disappointing to see a law enforcement officer to engage in this type of conduct," Hicks said. "You know we pride ourselves on being above the law and anytime you see somebody engage in this type of conduct it's bad, but when it's a law enforcement officer I think it makes it that much worse." [emphasis added]

I believe that Mr Hicks needs to be heartily invited to resign, immediately.

Starting the New Year ...

2012-01-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... right!

When your kids hurt himself doing something dumb, explain that "Pain is just God's way of saying 'Next time think.'"

Add your own parenting hint @ #parentinghint.

pm

Be safe ...

2011-12-31T18:04:00.001-05:00

.
... I don't want to hear any bad news about you guys!

Happy New Year!

pm

I'll go out on a limb ...

2011-12-30T11:07:00.002-05:00

.
... and advocate a bit of not-so-civil disobedience:

A tourist from Tennessee waltzed into one of the most secure sites in the city — and politely asked a cop if she could check her weapon.
Instead, she was dragged out in cuffs.
Now, Meredith Graves, 39, is facing at least three years in prison for thinking New York’s gun laws are anything like those in the Bible Belt.

I would suggest that Mrs Graves lawyer up hard, and give serious consideration to telling the NY courts to go fuck themselves. I'd also suggest that Tennessee gun owners start putting major pressure on TN's attorney general to tell NY courts the same thing, and to refuse extradition. It's time a state started standing up for its' citizens.

The only problem with that is that, being a registered nurse, Graves will have problems with a conviction, and it shouldn't be so.

Truth ...

2011-12-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... Living in Babylon haz it:

Q: "Why do you NEED high capacity magazines?"
A: "Because sometimes you have to kill a whole bunch of motherfuckers."

It goes downhill from there!

But then again, why should we lie about why we "need" anything? The only reason I own a battle rifle is the kill motherfuckers before they get within 300 yds ...

pm

JPFO alert

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Aaron Zelman and the NRA.

I need to ...

2011-12-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... try to keep up with internet memes:

You just got told bitch … welcome to the real internet check kotaku in 2 weeks when they are reviewing free PS3 Avengers we send them as well as G4 and all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way you think you speak for billions son your just a kid you speak for yourself no one cares what you think that’s why were growing and moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month.

That was Ocean Marketing CEO Paul Christoforo as he was on his way to internet meme-dom.

This is the kind of stuff I'd expect to hear from a 20-something, not a 38 yr old "PR" exec. h/t Ace's sidebar.

pm

Radley proposes ...

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... a new rule:

I propose a rule for cases like these: Any time a police officer inappropriately turns off his dash cam, turns off his uniform microphone, or illegally confiscates other audio or video of an incident which then ends up missing or destroyed, the courts will begin considering any disputed facts about the incident with a presumption that the citizen’s account is the correct one.

I'd go him one (or two) better: a citizens' account should be assumed to be true until that version is proven to be untrue.

And any LEO who disables any audio or video recording device that would prove (or disprove) his side of the story goes directly to jail ... period.

pm

Nomenclature ...

2011-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... I think we need to see to it.

Robb Allen has a post up about a not-really-consequential incident among family this Christmas, where otherwise sympathetic family members latched on to a media-driven narrative - namely the evil semi-automatic pistol.

I replied that, even though semi-auto is correct to us, it's just a small step below full-auto to those who aren't familiar with firearms. And it made me think ...

In my writing, I don't like using the the term 'gun', mostly because of the gutteral 'g' sound that it begins with. I prefer to use the term firearm, rifle and handgun (handgun isn't as bad as 'gun'). Think about how easy it is to marginalize the word 'gun' ... 'Are you compensating with your guuuunnn?' 'Oh look, he's got a guuunnn.' 'He's gonna play with his big bad guuunnn!'
guuunnn
This is much like my wife mocking me when she plaintively states 'But I have riiiggghhhttsss!'.

Compare that to 'firearm'. Firearm is much harder to trivialize, IMHO, along with 'rifle' and 'handgun'. This thinking applies to the method of operation, such as self-loading vs semi-automatic and military-pattern semi-automatic vs 'assault weapon'.

I also think that it's going to be a hard thing to get folks to change.

Listen to how police officers describe their actions on the witness stand: 'I confronted the suspect and issued a lawful order to drop his weapon while presenting my department-issued Taser. After utilizing my department-issued Taser and it having no effect, I transitioned to my primary service weapon to engage the suspect.'guuunnn

Almost clinical, that. And I have a hard time talking to my primary LE source because that's how he talks!

Anyhow, I was thinking, and thought I'd commit it to paper. Discuss.

pm

Another warrior ...

2011-12-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... is at peace:

I’m saddened to learn this morning that Siobhan Reynolds died over the weekend in a plane crash.
I met Reynolds several years ago when I attended a forum on Capitol Hill on the under-treatment of pain. Her story about her husband’s chronic pain was so heartbreaking it moved me to take an interest in the issue. I eventually commissioned and edited a paper on the DEA and pain treatment while I was working for Cato.

Reynolds was fierce and tireless. She ran her advocacy group the Pain Relief Network on a thin budget, and often used her own money to travel to towns and cities where she felt prosecutors were unfairly targeting a doctor. And then she’d fight back. And sometimes she’d win. And the DEA and the federal prosecutors she fought weren’t really accustomed to that.

She tried to get the government out of the doctor-patient relationship as it regards pain management, and they fought her tooth and nail.

Bastards. May peace be upon you, Siobhan.

Craftsmanship

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

.

This is all the more impressive to me now that I'm mostly incapable of this kind of work.

pm

My newest ...

2011-12-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

.
... email signature:

...the freedom to own and carry the weapon of your choice is a natural, fundamental, and inalienable human, individual, civil, and Constitutional right -- subject neither to the democratic process nor to arguments grounded in social utility.

h/t Bruce (RTWT)

Police are brave ...

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... only when they're toeing the line:

Not surprisingly, men that exhibited no trepidation at pulling over carloads of armed men proved reticent to speak candidly in offering in-house dissent.

Reticent because if you speak ill of a core mission, you don't have a career-you have a job.

pm

JPFO alert

2011-12-25T09:30:00.001-05:00

Rev Kenn Blanchard (through the JPFO site) wishes gunny's a Merry Christmas.

A Christmas message

2011-12-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

.
I sincerely hope the morning is full of joy and hope for you and yours today!

As I look back over the last year, I am thankful for many things ... the least of which is this blog (even though the blog has gotten more traffic since Labor Day, and for that I thank the reader). I still have relative good health, I have a beautiful and loving wife, and two beautiful children. I live in a country that is still far and away a better place than any other I can think of (save Heaven).

So this holiday season, I want to leave you with the story of the birth of Jesus, from the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 2

¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,^[a] who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold,^[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”^[c]

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

God bless you all ... pm

Holy shit!

2011-12-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

.
I dropped out of school way too early!

I had no idea ... h/t ONT at Ace's.

pm

More common sense ...

2011-12-23T08:02:00.000-05:00

.
... about how to handle dogs:

Police officers in Gulfport are learning what to do when they encounter aggressive or dangerous dogs. An expert instructor from Texas spent the day Monday teaching officers how to avoid using deadly force when dealing with such animals.

Found this in a Google search when the link at Radley's sent me to a sign-in page. In that incident, the dog was in a house, chained but was shot anyway, and in front of a three-year-old child. Of course, the animal was not killed outright so the owners were left to euthanize their pet.

pm

More common sense, Pt Deux ...

2011-12-23T08:01:00.001-05:00

.
I almost couldn't contain myself:

As a producer of raw milk, though, Hochstetler — operator of Forest Grove Dairy south of Middlebury — finds himself at the center of controversy. He’s faced repeated inspections by federal regulators, apparently, and his situation prompted Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers to intervene, advising the feds to watch their step or face arrest by his department. [emphasis added]

Yee haw! It's about damned time a sheriff told the feds to pound sand!

Note also that Sheriff Rogers plainly told the feds to stay away unless they had a warrant, signed by a judge and clearly showing probable cause or be arrested.

Damn ... I mean, damn!

pm

damn it, damn it, damn it ...

2011-12-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... it seems so, but I know the world is not coming to it's senses:

IF you are ever on a jury in a marijuana case, I recommend that you vote “not guilty” — even if you think the defendant actually smoked pot, or sold it to another consenting adult. As a juror, you have this power under the Bill of Rights; if you exercise it, you become part of a proud tradition of American jurors who helped make our laws fairer.

So says a former prosecutor about jury nullification. h/t Radley

I think I need to lie down ...

pm

I may get in a LOT of trouble.

2011-12-22T19:55:00.003-05:00

.
I support Ron Paul, and I don't care if he's a racist, anti-semitic isolationist.

It really doesn't matter to me.

Because in the time I've actively followed Ron Paul, I've never heard him say that blacks should ride in the back of the bus, or that the US should wipe Israel off the map, or that we should never trade with any other country again.

What I have heard him say is that the US has to stop spending money it doesn't have, and will never get save to print it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you solve the spending problem, the rest takes care of itself.

pm

Hee hee hee ...

2011-12-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

.
... moose hunting!

Of course ...

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
the charges against a former Only One were dropped:

Kari Abbey was accused of shooting a[sic] killing Rita Elias in September 2010. Initial reports said the two got into a fight about rent payments. Witnesses said Elias had a BB gun, which caused Abbey to open fire with a real gun.

The shooting was initially ruled as self defense, but a few weeks later other witnesses said Abbey was attacking Elias.

Of course, the charges of marijuana growing, counterfeiting and child endangerment are still pending.

So much fail, so little time to repair ...

The Hobbit

2011-12-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

.
It haz a trailer:

Coming in December 2012. I'm afraid my daughter won't be quite up to reading it before then ...

pm

JPFO alert

2011-12-21T17:05:00.002-05:00

JPFO remembers Aaron Zelman.

It was a year ago today that Aaron left the struggle much too soon. Hope to see in better times.

I missed this ... L Neil Smith eulogizes.

pm

Is it any wonder ...

2011-12-21T09:46:00.004-05:00

.
... some see there's no point in voting?

Conservatives and Republican elites in the state are divided over who to support for the GOP nomination, but they almost uniformly express concern over the prospect that Ron Paul and his army of activist supporters may capture the state's 2012 nominating contest – an outcome many fear would do irreparable harm to the future role of the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Because there's one thing we can't let happen is the people nominating who they want to run, is there?

pm

JPFO alert

2011-12-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

A Chanukah greeting from Rabbi Bendory.

So, who is ...

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... the gun lobby?

I am the gun lobby, and my power does not derive from my personal wealth nor financial support from the industry that serves me. My power comes from the fact that I am one of many who understand that individuals have the right and the obligation to protect themselves from criminal assault, and that no one – not the government, not the media, nor anyone else, has the right to decide what, when, where or how I responsibly exercise that right and obligation.

Uh oh, sounds like Jeff Knox is one of those carrying-a-Draco-around-a-state-park-while-dressed-in-camo-scaring-the-white-people types.

Sounds like he's my kind of guy ...

pm

The time ...

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... she gets closer:

... here’s a ruling from the D.C. Court of Appeals demonstrating just how powerless citizens are when accosted by police officers—even when the cops themselves are clearly in the wrong. What’s most troubling about the ruling is its mundanity. The law is established here. There’s really nothing to debate. It’s just a matter of the government rattling off the appropriate precedents.

You really need to read the whole post.

John Bad Elk was exonerated by the Supreme Court for killing a reservation officer who tried to arrest him for no reason. How far we've sunk ...

pm

Now this ...;

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

.
... is funny!