Victories For Gunnies

Here are a couple of recent developments which are going to make gun-controllers go

 1)  The Ninth(!!!) Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that in terms of the Second Amendment, Americans have the right to bear arms for self-defense:  

Analyzing the text of the Second Amendment and reviewing the relevant history, including founding-era treatises and nineteenth century case law, the panel stated that it was unpersuaded by the county’s and the state’s argument that the Second Amendment only has force within the home.
“We do not take lightly the problem of gun violence,” Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain wrote in Tuesday’s ruling. “But, for better or for worse, the Second Amendment does protect a right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense.”

I know, for us of the gun-owning persuasion this may seem like a duh!  conclusion, but let’s not forget the socialists among us who (mistakenly) think that only gummint agencies should be allowed to carry guns in public.  So buy that judge a drink.  Here’s the killer of the two victories, however:

 2) Government Admits AR-15s Are Not Weapons of War

In its settlement with Cody Wilson’s Defense Distributed, [the State Department and the Department of Justice] admitted that semi-automatic firearms below .50 caliber are not weapons of war.
The amended regulations proposed in the settlement show the government will no longer look at semi-automatic firearms below .50 caliber as “military equipment” or weapons of war.

Saith Alan Gottlieb (PBUH):

“The federal government now saying semi-automatic firearms below .50 caliber are not inherently military means that they are admitting that rifles like the AR-15 are civilian in nature.”

I know, once again duh!  for us gunnies, but as Gottlieb adds:

“Gun rights organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation will now be able to use this government admission in debate and courtrooms from New York to California.”

Waddya think, folks?  Is it that time?  I believe it is.

About Damn Time

If you look at examples in history when ordinary Americans suddenly flipped out and killed government agents, you will find that most of these incidents occurred when the government took someone’s land without regard for the owner’s welfare, or “for the public good” without proper compensation.  When you consider that one of the few government functions that everyone can actually agree on is that government primarily exists to protect private property from the predations of others, it’s small wonder that people freak out and go to the guns when it’s government that turns into the predator.

Then we had the disgusting Kelo v. City of New London ruling by the Supremes, which basically said that Gummint could take your property and give it to a commercial developer, because his future development would result in tax income for the local authority.  (I’m still furious about this piece of unmitigated statist sophistry.)

Finally — and far too late — Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has done the right thing, and his bill will go to the Senate where it will likely pass by a massive majority (if it doesn’t, it will be time to warm up a few barrels of tar and empty a few down pillows) and be sent to the Oval Office for the finishing touch.  (I bet Trump will sign it into law with gritted teeth;  but sign it he’ll have to.)

Read the entire article, and feel free to break out into applause at the end of it.  As I suggested earlier, it’s just a shame this gross injustice wasn’t rectified thirty seconds after the Kelo ruling, but I’ll take what I can get.

Then And Now

I spoke a couple of days back about how England’s Green & Pleasant has turned into Brown & Hellish (and no, I’m not talking about their immigration problem, but their equally-problematic weather this year).

What many people seem to have forgotten is that earlier in the year Britain was gripped by an incredible winter storm — the so-called “Beast from the East” which practically froze the entire country solid.

So I invite you to go here and swipe the pictures right to left and vice-versa, just to make the comparison.  (I like the feature, by the way.)

And for the before & after pics of Britain’s recent heat wave, here.

Read more

Planning

When I first glanced at this pic, I thought, “How cool.  People are already starting to prepare for Nikki Haley’s presidency.”

Then I looked closer and saw the date on the shirts, and laughed my ass off.