Tag: #EditorOnHoliday

Sig Sauer – It’s Not Over Yet

With the recent death of a United States Air Force Airman in what is being reported as an “uncommanded discharge” of a M18, Sig Sauer is facing even more scrutiny for safety issues with its firearms. Defiant and unapologetic up to now, Sig Sauer is may finally have to publicly address a flaw they’ve denied existed for years. Unfortunately, it appears a service member’s life may be what finally gets their attention. 

At issue is Sig Sauer’s civilian P320 and its military counterparts the M17 & M18, known as the Modular Handgun System. 

For years the Sig P320 has been the subject of ridicule for being prone to discharge when dropped. More recently reports began coming in from law enforcement agencies and civilians around the country of different pistols in the series going off by themselves in holsters. Numerous officers have been injured as a result. The latest involving the Airman was a discharge from within a holster. 

The P320 was first introduced in 2014. Sig Sauer offered a “voluntary upgrade” in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other safety features. There is no word if these upgraded models are still an issue. 

In what will likely become a business school case study in how NOT to handle a consumer product issue, Sig Sauer has denied their firearm has any issues and blamed the users. 

Sig Sauer’s response to these reports may be most bluntly referred to as denial and deflection. Their May 7, 2025, statement posted on their official website and social media (link below), the company flatly denies the accusations, calling them “baseless allegations” driven by individuals looking to “profit or avoid personal responsibility.” The post, titled The Truth About the SIG P320, asserts that the firearm “CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull.  It concludes with: “Today, for SIG Sauer, it ends.”

While Sig Sauer has been successful in several lawsuits, they have also lost numerous lawsuits for injuries caused by their P320 line to the tune of multimillion-dollar awards each. 

Sig Sauer recently filed suit in Washington asking a judge to reverse the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission’s decision to ban police recruits from carrying the P320 model handgun. It also asks the judge to stop the training commission’s executive director from making public statements about the P320. 

Sig Sauer also quietly updated their P320 user manual to include: “THE MOST EFFECTIVE SAFETY IS TO CARRY YOUR PISTOL WITHOUT A ROUND IN THE CHAMBER, AND TO LOAD A ROUND IN THE CHAMBER ONLY WHEN READY TO FIRE”. 

A report by the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility recently made public was based on their tests of a Sig Sauer M18 that experienced an “uncommanded discharge” while in the holster of a Michigan State Police officer. While the tests were inconclusive, it’s important to note they only tested this one pistol. 

With the denials to date, it’s hard not to think of the Ford Pinto. In 1968, two years before the Pinto hit the streets, Ford’s knew of the danger and their internal analysis considered what it would cost to repair the expected sales of 11 million units at $10/each vs. the anticipated accident rates, including deaths, serious injuries and burned-out cars. They decided the settlement costs would be roughly $50 million or half the cost of repairing all the cars and chose the cheaper option. 

I would sincerely hope Sig Sauer is not approaching this from a financial cost analysis point of view. Their statement following the Airman’s death was significantly softer than their actions to date. But then, while the Air Force has only stopped using these pistols in the Global Strike Command, it could impact their prized U.S. Military contract. 

While some ranges had already banned the P320/M17/M18 series pistols, the latest fatal incident appears to have caused most ranges to now do the same. Firearm trainers and training sites, local, county and federal law enforcement agencies are also banning use by their sworn members. 

In addition, gunsmiths are refusing to work on them, and respectable firearm retailers are no longer willing to sell them. Some retailers are taking them in on trade, at a HIGHLY discounted price, and locking them away in back of the vaults under the belief that someday Sig Sauer will step up to the plate by admitting this is a flaw, issue a mandatory recall to repair them and return them to the expensive and sought after firearms they have always been. 

Let’s make no mistake about what is involved. The military M18 Modular Handgun System is simply a government issued variant of the commercial P320. It is not a novel and highly complex weapon program that military members need to become accustomed to. It’s a semi-automatic firearm not dramatically unlike those that have been produced for over 100 years. There is absolutely no acceptable loss of life for service members, law enforcement, or civilians using it. 

Yes, this firearm ‘system’ (because the military loves calling things systems) passed the grueling torture testing program before being accepted. Thousands and thousands of rounds were pumped through test firearms to make sure they would survive military level use. However, I’m going to take a wild ass guess that program did not include daily use in and out of security holsters of the type used by the military and law enforcement. Why would they? That’s not something that would ever be considered a wear measure of firearms. Yet inside holsters is exactly where these firearms have been self-firing without human interaction. 

The fact that these uncommanded discharges did not begin showing up immediately or at the same time as the drop discharges leads us to believe this is a wear issue. It also does not appear to be every firearm, in every situation, even for firearms of similar age and usage. Is it one in 1,000? One in 10,000? One in 100,000? We just don’t know and even the experts who have examined the ones which have discharged themselves can’t definitively say. But who in their right mind would want to roll the dice every day when they put this firearm into their holster? If you wouldn’t feel comfortable appendix carrying this firearm, then it needs to be stored until definitively fixed. 

Let’s hope Sig Sauer is up for the challenge. 

Bob

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The Second Amendment in 2025

I’ll be honest, I did not expect this outcome from the elections. Like many people, I knew the “official polls” showing the candidates in a dead heat going in the final days of the campaign were bogus. I figured these poll numbers were being used as ‘target totals’ for them to hit when the voting started. While the election results, a Republican House, Senate and White House are a very positive thing for the Second Amendment community, it doesn’t mean all our hopes and dreams will come true. We need to look at reality and remain focused in our efforts. 

The good news first. The current administration, and its subsequent extension had the Democrat candidate been victorious, was openly hostile towards Second Amendment rights. While publically claiming  “We’re not taking anyone’s guns away”, they also supported “a mandatory buyback program” (literally confiscation/taking guns away), a national so-called “Red Flag” law (taking guns away without due process) and the desire to search private residences of law-abiding citizens without a warrant for gun control compliance checks, “Just because you legally possess a gun in the sanctity of your locked home doesn’t mean that we’re not going to walk into that home and check to see if you’re being responsible and safe in the way you conduct your affairs.”

But that’s only part of what has happened. The ATF’s focus was shifted from partnering with the firearms industry to targeting dealers for inconsequential administrative omissions, closing record numbers of Federal Firearm Licensee dealers each year. An “Office of Gun Violence Prevention” was created at the White House and staffed it with the most biased, extremist, anti-gun activists in the country, to attempt to bribe and influence states into adopting their radical gun control positions. 

Let us not forget about the current administration’s signature gun control achievement, the dubiously titled “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act”.  Supported by the Democrat party and a handful of their most favored RINOs, it is a collection of horribly written and ill-defined laws which can be interpreted any way the gun control community desires. 

So, for the Second Amendment community, getting the administration out of power is a very good thing. But will it bring a reversal of attitudes in D.C.? 

The former President/President-elect’s comments offer hope for what he will do. 

“In my second term, we will roll back every Biden attack on the Second Amendment – the attacks are fast and furious – start the minute that Crooked Joe shuffles his way out of the White House”. 

“Every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated on my very first week back in office, perhaps my first day”.

“I will protect the right of self-defense everywhere it is under siege, and I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your 2nd Amendment does not end at the state line”. 

However, we also must remember some of his record from his first term. 

Banned bump stocks (since reversed by the United States Supreme Court).
Signed “Fix NICS” to expand prohibited persons faulty database.
Supported Red Flag gun confiscation laws.
Supported raising the minimum age to purchase firearms. 
Supported TAPS Act, government monitoring of social media for firearms statements. 

We also must consider the Republican majority in the House and Senate is absolutely razor thin and there is already a concerted effort by the Democrats and RINO members of both houses to thwart any and all of the President/President-elect’s agenda, no matter what it is. Just as a President cannot create gun control laws solely by executive order, a President cannot reverse gun control laws by executive order.  

One of the biggest areas where the President can have an impact is with house cleaning and reforms in the Department of Justice, FBI and ATF. The selective targeting of Americans based on their political ideology must come to an end. 

Will it be easy? Absolutely not! The corruption in these departments runs deep and it will take some very determined leadership to make a difference. Let’s not forget that some of the people in these very organizations who worked for the President/President-elect during his first term, were the same ones who set up the false flag operations to get him out of office and prevent him from ever winning the office again. 

Going into the new year with the new administration, we need to remain focused on influencing not only our federal representation, but our local and state ones as well. Far too many of them have lost all accountability to their constituents and are more interested in their own political power. If they are not willing to follow their oath of office and represent our interests, it’s time to recall them or vote them out. 

Then of course, there are the court cases. Your unlimited tax dollars will be used to argue against your rights while your donations will be used to argue for them. Lawsuits and appeals go on for years and years in the hopes of reversing an unconstitutional law. Meanwhile the lawyers on both sides are the big winners and your rights are on hold. 

The ONLY way to keep more gun control laws from being passed is to STOP electing people who will not protect our natural, constitutionally protected rights.

Bob

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Presidential Election 2024 Ballot Prediction Results (Political Post)

The Democratic National Convention has concluded, and the candidate has officially been nominated. That means it time to pull the mayonnaise jar from where it has wintered since last November in the darkest depths below Funk & Wagnall’s back porch* and see how I did on my predictions.  You can see my original prediction post at: https://oddstuffing.com/archives/1128.

The results are mixed. While I was correct as to who WAS NOT going to be the candidate, I missed on who WAS going to be the candidate. 

Quick review: Back in November 2023 I predicted the physical and mental health of our current President, Joe Biden, would have declined to the point where he could no longer be a valid candidate. It’s not that his condition in 2020 was that much better, it’s just that by now it is to the point where it can’t be covered up, denied, or explained away anymore. Everyone points to his disastrous performance in the first debate with former President Donald Trump as the reason he stepped aside. I’m sticking with the notion this was planned all along and the performance was not only anticipated, but necessary to make the move. 

As to the replacement candidate, I predicted either Gavin Newsom or Hillary Clinton. Yup, I missed on this part, and I can only think of a hundred million reasons why. The money. 

The current President’s campaign war chest at the time he stepped away from campaign was more than 100 million dollars and, since the Vice President was on the reelection ticket with him, she gets to use the money. Obviously, there are some MAJOR questions about that from a legal standpoint, but with the Federal Elections Commission, a notoriously pathetic slow to react agency in the first place being part of the Executive Branch of the current government, well guess what… it’s going be ruled as “legal” sometime in the next few years, just in time for the 2024 elections. 

The choice of Vice President Kamala Harris is an absolute surprise, not only for me but for the Democrat party. This is someone who when the President announced his reelection bid, even the party loyalists were openly calling for him to replace her on the ticket because she was dragging him down in the polls.

Vice President Harris has consistently ranked as the least popular Vice President in recent history, potentially all of time. Her patented word salad answers, to her maniacal nervous cackle when she doesn’t have an answer, to the fact she hasn’t accomplished anything she has been tasked with, all add up to someone who is in no way, shape or fashion ready to lead the country. 

Let’s also recall that in her first presidential run in 2020, she was forced to drop out BEFORE the first primary because her performance couldn’t rally enough support, despite having the funding and connections from the Clinton dynasty. When the current President announced his support for her candidacy, in an all too mysterious fashion, I was skeptical if it was the real thing. But then we started to see key campaign staff from the Clintons, Obamas and Bidens start to migrate to her staff. I had to conclude it was true. 

So how is the most unpopular, least productive Vice President going to compete as a candidate? Lots and lots of help. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC): Through all the primaries, the Democrat party ran a candidate they knew was not going to be on the 2024 ballot, as well as viciously kept any potential primary opponent off the primary ballots. When the President stepped aside and endorsed the Vice President, all the President’s delegates magically transformed to Harris delegates. We now have a Presidential candidate who was not primaried in two election cycles as the Democrat Presidential candidate. 

If you’re thinking the Democrat party can’t simply select who they want regardless of the primaries, recall Bernie Sanders lawsuit against the DNC for unfairly biasing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race. His case was ultimately dismissed when the Federal Court ruled the DNC could select their own candidate, period. Primaries mean absolutely NOTHING and your vote in a primary is nothing but a popularity contest so the major parties can evaluate the general election support for whomever they choose. 

The media: The media have been repeating the popular myth the Vice President has “grassroots” support across the nation. The LEAST popular Vice President, potentially of all times, whom nobody wanted to stay on the current President’s ticket, suddenly has nationwide grassroots support. Social media, the tech giants as well as traditional television and print media have been effectively erasing inconvenient facts and articles from the internet, as well as substituting complimentary articles. Searches have been altered to show only the side they want you to find. 

The polls: Polling from the day the Vice President announced show her leading the former President in all the battleground states. Yet we recall in the days, weeks, months and years leading up to this, the Vice President was polling at the bottom of the list of people who could potentially replace the current President. 

The courts: The lawfare against the Republican candidate and those who have supported him continues and we can expect ramped up efforts to muddy them up even further in the coming months.  

New voters: Over the past three and a half years, this country has seen a tsunami of unlawful residents flowing into our country, to the tune of an estimated 10 to 20 million, costing our country billions and billions of dollars to provide housing, food, clothing, transportation and medical care. How many of these so-called “asylum seekers” or “migrants” will end up on the voting rolls is unknown, but their being registered as voters is well documented.

The October surprise: We should all expect at least one, likely more, September, October and even first few days of November surprises. It may come in the form of an escalation or US brokered resolution in one of the multiple wars we are financing, a “terrorist” attacks on our own soil, political lawfare accusations, charges or sentences, a new pandemic, or even the current President resigning so the Vice President will be considered the incumbent candidate. 

Voting “season”: Our country used to have a single day when people went to the polls to vote, or had to have their absentee ballots in. Votes were tabulated then and there and the results, even if contested, were announced at the end of the night. Just about every other country in the world still does that, but not us. Our highest technology driven “safest and securest elections ever” require days to weeks or longer of extra behind closed doors counting to come up with the ‘right’ number, especially in the battleground states. 

The puppet masters: Just as I’m thoroughly convinced someone else was running our government for the past three and half years, I’m convinced a different someone else would be running the country under a President Harris administration. The same forces that originally planned to replace President Biden with Vice President Harris are doing it again. Follow the money to figure out who. 

As someone who has witnessed the current Vice President in action in her home state of Kalifornistan as well as her performance in the Senate and as Vice President, I can only shake my head in disbelief. I keep thinking we as a nation can come up with better candidates for office at the local, county, state and federal level, but it just doesn’t seem to happen. 

This is OUR fault folks. We allow the political parties to pick our representatives for us and we wind up with people who do nothing but give the public lip service while they do the bidding of those who put them in place. 

This election is going to be difficult for a lot of people as the lies and smears are going to try to convince you to make an emotional decision. All I can say is vote for the future you want for your country and godspeed. 

Bob

*Okay, it’s really Odd Stuffing’s back deck, but it’s still a valid ceremonial place to let these kinds of things properly age. 

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Vote Early, Vote Often… A Santa Cruz Story

It’s been five years since I escaped the People’s Republic of Kalifornistan, so imagine my joy at receiving yet another notice from the Santa Cruz County Elections Board to validate my address for my absentee ballot in the upcoming general elections. The notice had my residence address listed as my old Scotts Valley address, with the mailing address of my previous address in New Mexico. The new owners of the property were kind enough to forward it on to Maine for me. 

Now keep in mind, in the past five years, I moved to New Mexico, where I obtained a driver’s license, registered to vote and voted while I was there, then moved to Maine, where I obtained a driver’s license, registered to vote and voted since I’ve been here. According to this notice I received, either of these should have triggered them removing me from the voting rolls in California. But apparently not. 

An unscrupulous person might say, screw it… if they want to send me a ballot, I’ll vote there too. It wouldn’t be a vote they’ll like, but I could send it anyway. But that’s not only dishonest, but illegal. So, one more time, I returned the notice saying I was no longer at either address.

For a while I thought about sending back a notice saying I had died thinking that might give them the hint to clear me off their list, but then I really didn’t want to join the Democrat party. 

Not to be outdone, every year the City of Scotts Valley sends me a reminder that my business license has expired, and I need to renew it promptly to avoid a late renewal penalty. Being the persnickety person I am, I cancelled everything before I escaped the iron grip of Kalifornistan, but again, it doesn’t seem to have taken. Although at this point, I admit to getting a little nostalgic when I read these notices. It’s kind of like getting a Christmas card from an ex. You can appreciate the thought but really wish they’d stop.

Voting integrity is serious problem in this country, as witnessed by the last few general elections. The explosion of mail in ballots (thanks covid), lax to zero validation, purposely signing up unlawful residents or the dearly expired, and unaccountable counting has caused many, myself included, to lose faith in our electoral system. 

How can we consider ourselves a first world nation, a leader in technology, economics, trade, law, medical care, morality and living standards, but we can’t manage to accurately tally the votes for a general election on the same day as the election. Just about every other country on the plant can do it, from the biggest and most advanced countries down to the most rural, remote and destitute third world countries. 

You have to wonder, is it our highly advanced, saftest and securest voting systems ever that cause us to take days, weeks and months to count votes (but only in the battleground states) and can’t be fully audited or is it the people running them? 

While the left leaning of our nation pushes universal mail in voting, the same left leaning companies who support them demand in-person voting for things such as union organizing. Why? Because they don’t have faith the elections will be free from fraud otherwise. Go figure. 

Elections are arguably the biggest civic obligation we as United States citizens have, yet we have a dismal voting participation rate of 66% in the last elections – up from 59% in the previous general elections – placing us as 73rd out of 198 nations. 

As for the imaginary barriers to voting that discriminate against otherwise eligible voters, well, those just don’t exist. They make great campaign fodder and news stories, but they simply do not exist in real life. Anyone who wants it is fully capable of obtaining proper identification documents needed to legally cast a ballot anywhere in the country, but saying some can’t and will be disenfranchised is a great way to keep the voting rolls as open and malleable as possible. 

So, on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, I encourage you to get out and vote early, but vote only once. 

Fun side note: I wanted to check the date for the general elections this year, so I typed “what date are the general elections in 2024” into a popular search engine. Along with a list or articles and the date, over on the right side of the results page was the picture and article on the candidacy for the current Vice President, and ONLY the current Vice President. Subtle…

Bob

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Ammunition Vending, The Latest Gun Control Outrage

The latest outrage from the gun control extremists comes to you in the form of a vending machine, a vending machine that dispenses ammunition. Ammo vending machines are starting to appear at grocery stores and other locations across several states. How can they do this!?! Making deadly bullets available like it was candy or snacks! The outrage!

I wasn’t even aware of this until I saw a news report from my own wicked northeastern state. Granted it was from a station down in the radically liberal SOUTHERN part of the state next to Tax-achusetts, but sadly still from my own state. It took just three sentences before it associated the vending machines with the rise of so-called “gun violence” in the United States.  <deep sigh> Really? 

Ammo vending machines aren’t a new idea. Vending machines have been dispensing ammo for years. There’s even been the occasional gumball machine filled with .22 available with the turn of the knob. What these previous iterations had in common was they were installed in controlled environments such as gun clubs, ranges or firearm retailers. This meant access to them was restricted to those who already lawful access to firearms and met the minimum age requirements.

The reaction from the gun control zealots has been swift and as nonsensical as you would expect.  Giffords, the California based gun control authors and legal resource provider for the gun control community said “Only in America is ammo as easy to buy as candy.”

Marla Bautista declared the “idea of vending machines dispensing ammunition in the same stores where we buy diapers and bananas seems unreal, like something out of a dystopian novel.”  We can only assume Marla has never shopped at a rural grocery store or someplace like Walmart. 

This new version ammo vending machine is from Dallas, TX based company American Rounds. The approach is high tech and arguably more secure than a face-to-face retail or internet transaction. While the legal age to buy rifle or shotgun ammo is 18, with pistol ammo available if you are 21, American Rounds sets their baseline age at 21 for all purchases. To purchase ammo through one of their machines, you must present a state ID which American Rounds checks to make sure it is valid. It also does a 360 degree facial scan to compare the person purchasing to the ID that was presented. 

What the gun control zealots would prefer is a nationwide implementation of the ammo control laws and systems like those based in Kalifornistan. There, every purchase of ammunition must be made in person, by California residents only, with proper, current and correct state issued identification, from a state certified “ammunition vendor”, with an ‘instant’ background check performed. No bringing in ammo purchased out of state, no ordering ammo online and having it delivered to your house, no purchasing, bartering, trading or giving ammo to a friend at the range. 

Keep in mind what the California system was designed to do. Right now, it’s only tracking purchases and doing background checks for buyers. Built into the system is the ability to deny purchases based on home much ammo has been bought, a quota system. Example: If you’ve already bought 100 rounds this month, you can’t buy more until next month. It also has the ability to deny purchases for calibers which do not match a firearm registered to the purchaser. Example: If you don’t have a 9 mm caliber firearm registered with the State, you can’t purchase 9 mm ammo. It can also deny purchases of ammo with lead, hollow point bullets, +P or any caliber the State decides is no longer acceptable for the citizenry to own. It can also shut down all ammunition purchases in a town/city/county or region during a riot or other ‘emergency’. 

Never mind that the system, the same one California uses for its firearm background check and registration system, has a significantly high rejection rate of 16% of lawful purchases while it only identified 0.03% of prohibited purchasers. Add to this the significant delays brought on by issues with the system and it’s no wonder U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez declared the law unconstitutional and struck it down. Undeterred, California got a three judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the ruling while the appeal played out. 

What the gun control extremists don’t tell you is their desire to control access to ammunition is a testament to the failure of gun control. Think about it. They tell you that gun control laws are effective. Yet each year they must add more gun control laws to be effective. Now they must have ammunition control because the people who aren’t supposed to have firearms keep getting them, but THIS will stop them from using the firearms they aren’t supposed to have because of the effective gun control laws. 

Remember, gun control does absolutely nothing to increase public safety and the answer to fix that shortcoming is always to implement more gun control.

For me, I like the idea of ammunition vending machines. Will it ever replace traditional firearm shops or other retailers? Absolutely not. Vending machines will provide access outside normal store business hours or when other options are a prohibitively distant. However, they will only be able to carry a limited number of calibers and options as compared to a brick and mortar or online store. You can also expect this convenience at a premium price point. 

My only concerns are from the security point of view. Not so much for the machines themselves, but from the data they contain. Knowing they utilize and validate state issued identification and associate it with a purchase, makes these machines a prime target for malicious hacking as well as warrant searches by local, state and federal authorities. Given the federal government’s willingness to create and maintain a searchable database of firearms and owners in the country, against federal law, this seems like a great place for them to start tracking ammo sales too. 

Of course, I’m going to try one the first chance I get. Because, ‘Merica!

Bob

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Our Nation Can Do Better

If you haven’t been convinced our once great country has degenerated into a third world nation, Saturday’s attempted assassination of the former President and current presidential candidate should seal the deal. It’s bad enough our own government has been using coordinated public/private lawfare of the most dubious legalities to pursue political enemies and harass, bankrupt and imprison them. And now we have this. Congratulations, we are now officially a banana republic.   

Let’s be absolutely crystal clear about one thing. There is ZERO place in this country for political violence towards any candidate or office holder from any party. 

Yet someone, we’ve deteriorated to a place and time where it’s okay to make wild, baseless accusations against individuals, organizations and ideologies, as long as it targets the right one. 
It’s okay to make comparisons to genocidal maniacs, as long as it targets the right one. 
It’s okay to say that there will be no more elections, no more civil rights, no more equality, no more democracy and no more freedom in our country if one person wins, as long as it targets the right one. 
It’s okay to burn, loot and destroy property in the name of your own beliefs, as long as it targets the right one. 
It’s okay to persecute and prosecute individuals and groups based on their religious or political beliefs, as long as it targets the right one. 
It’s okay to make physical threats and encourage others to harass, intimidate and assault a candidate, as long as it targets the right one.

Interestingly, the same folks preaching inclusivity and acceptance are the once who are promoting the most violent rhetoric. That’s okay as long as it targets the right one. 

There is also a significant number of this same crowd who are jumping on the absolutely sickening bandwagon of the hashtag howcouldyoumiss. But again, that’s okay as long as it targets the right one.

There are an enormous number of questions about how this occurred and more importantly, how it was not prevented, even as more evidence comes to light that there were warnings and interactions with the individual responsible leading up to the shooting. It will be interesting to see where this goes, if it goes at all. 

The investigation itself is being led by the country’s former premier law enforcement agency. Given their current reputation, history of open hostility towards anything connected with conservatives or the former president/current republican candidate, as well as their recent history of instigation, disinformation and obfuscation, I can’t say I’m feeling confident the public will ever hear a full accounting of what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania.

I suppose the good news is there seems to be a resurgence in independent press as of late, and despite the best efforts of the media, tech companies and government agencies, they are getting more and more information out. A free press is protected by the First Amendment, and we’re seeing why more and more every day. 

There but for the grace of god, a slight head turn resulted in a grazing wound to the ear instead of a fatal shot. But let’s not forget one individual in the crowd of attendees did suffer a fatal wound and two others were critically injured. These innocent people and their families deserve our love and support. 

Does this incident damper my support for the Second Amendment or my opposition to the restriction of ‘whatever the hell they come up with this time’? Absolutely not. Our individual rights and the freedom of our nation will NOT be dictated by the actions of lunatics, psychopaths, fanatics, criminals, terrorists and thugs. 

How can you protect your rights and help our nation do better? Vote. Every seat on every board in every community is important. If we are not showing up, we are ceding control of our communities, our states, and our nation to those who may not share our interests. 

Bob

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Human Authored Since 2015

As the world embraces more and more artificial intelligence (AI) over the work of humans, it’s important to recognize some things are better left to the old fashioned human mind. 

A recent “State of the Internet” report showed that 42% of all internet traffic is now attributed to AI bots and 65% of those bots are malicious. Scraper bots are commonly used for competitive intelligence and espionage, inventory hoarding, imposter site creation, and other nefarious schemes. 

Are there drawbacks to human works? Of course! Humans are subject to influencing factors such as age, illness, injury, sleep disruptions, family emergencies, shifting priorities, schedule conflicts, torrential rains, heat, humidity, blizzards and wicked cold, as well as good old fashioned writer’s block. 

AI doesn’t have those problems. It might have a little susceptibility to power outages, but that only comes into play if someone’s data center backup power fails. You just plug in your parameters, and it spits out the results based on its programming and the information it’s been fed to ‘learn’. 

While many businesses are embracing AI for the operational efficiencies it creates, allowing them to reduce their reliance on human employees, the benefits to the creative industries such as art, music and writing are less impressive. AI gaffs on American history and images of people, objects and places have been nothing short of epic. 

The problem is the human factor in encoding and teaching the various AI programs. While the introduction of a little bias is probably expected, programmatically introducing woke ideology, one extreme wing of the political spectrum, and fabricated works of cultural fiction are inevitably going to produce radically one sided results presented as “fact”. 

Does this mean all writers should go back to using a manual typewriter to avoid any technology bias? Oh hell no! Word processors, spell check and grammar checking tools are definitely the writer’s best friends. Tools like this are merely applying simple structure rules against the writer’s creative thoughts. Of course, I don’t always take that advice anyway since many times the ‘proper’ way doesn’t always sound like something I’d say or write. 

Why do I bring this AI BS up? Because I could produce many more articles in a timelier fashion if I embraced AI. If I fed all my previous articles in, along with my research from c:\OddStuffing folder, I could simply request a two page article on say ‘The Importance of the Second Amendment Today’ and be done with this week’s post. 

But that wouldn’t be me. That wouldn’t be what I’m thinking, the emotions I’m feeling on the topic at that moment in time, recent interactions I’ve had with others or my passion (a.k.a. expressed as rambling) for the topic, all things that shape not only what I write but how I write it. 

There is a side of me that would like to try using AI for a pro Second Amendment article if for no other reason than to see how badly it would turn out, but that’s not where my interests are. 

So if I don’t post something for a while, it doesn’t mean my enthusiasm for the Second Amendment has faded, I’ve given up writing about the threats we are facing or I simply don’t care anymore. It only means that one or more of the aforementioned human influencing factors has occurred and my attention was temporarily required else ware.  

We all need to pay attention to what is going on and do our part to make the situation better. We also need to understand that outsourcing the things that are most important to someone or something else may not produce the desired results. 

Bob (?)

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Knee-High By The Fourth of July 

Happy Birthday America! On this Independence Day In 2024, our country celebrates its 248th birthday as a sovereign nation, winning her freedom from Great Britian in the Revolutionary War. 

The saying “Knee-high by the Fourth of July” was used by corn farmers as a measure of success of their crops on Independence Day. It was said that knee-high stalks by the fourth of July would mean a good crop yield. Today, through advances in agricultural technology, farming techniques and genetic improvements, stalks in the Iowa corn fields are typically eight feet tall by now. Those of us in the northern most parts of the country who experienced hard frosts into June this year can still be happy with knee-high corn today.

Corn stalk growth is one of many things that have improved in the 248 years of our country. The quality and longevity of our lives, our standards of living and our recognition and protection of rights have all made great strides. We are a better and stronger nation not in spite of our diversity, but because of it. Peoples from all around the world coming together, united in the common belief that freedom is worth fighting for and protecting. 

Yet progress has not always been easy. Our civil war tore us apart. International enemies have attacked us. Internal turmoil, propagated by those who would profit from the chaos and division, cause our citizens to fight among themselves instead of working together.  

The general elections are coming up and the partisan rhetoric, slanders and lies are flying fast and furious. Money is flowing not to convince you that someone is the right candidate, but that the other candidate is wrong. A very sad state of affairs. 

In the 2020 general elections, 66% of the eligible voters participated, the highest turnout since 1900. This was up from about 55% in 2016. (The number of actual vs. fictious voters is still debated, but that’s a different topic.) But while the 2020 numbers are a good, our nation still lags far behind other so-called developed nations. Our voting participation seems to have peaked in 1876 when approximately 82% of eligible voters cast their ballots. I guess voting was cooler back then. 

Of course, election participation doesn’t always equal quality elections. Free and fair elections are subject to the whim of whomever is running them, a fact well known around the world. We’ve also learned that more technology doesn’t make voting better or more accurate, it just makes it more vulnerable. 

Consider also that in just about every other country, all the votes are tabulated, even with millions cast and counted by hand, and the winners announced at the by the end of the actual election day. It wasn’t so long ago we used to be able to do that in our country. So much for a technological advantage. 

Sometimes the old ways are the best ways, even in our high tech, AI driven, hyper politically correct society. Just because there is a new technological solution to a problem, doesn’t mean it should be done that way. 

I’ve said it before. Every seat on every board in every community is important. If we are not showing up, we are ceding control of our communities, our states, and our nation to those who may not share our interests. 

It used to be very common for Americans to have home gardens. Many had chickens or other small livestock, even in cities. While technology has helped increase the quality and yield of many crops, someone still has to plant it.  


United States citizens used to vote a lot more too. We used to think of our voting rights as our civic responsibly. Now far too many are content to let others handle things while they sit back and complain. 

There’s still time to plant some seeds and grow some wonderful fresh veggies this year. While you’re at it, register to vote and grow a great country too. 

Bob

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Patriots’ Day

Today is Patriots’ Day here in my home state of Maine, as it is in five other states. It commemorates the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy which were among the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. While we remember those who fought for our freedom, it seems like the perfect time to take note of what modern day citizens are doing to protect our liberty. 

As of February 2024, the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) reported background checks of more than ONE MILLION adjusted background checks in a single month for the 55th consecutive month in a row. 

It is important to note that according to the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) this does not translate into a one-to-one number for firearm sales. Twenty-four states have at least one qualified alternative permit, which, under the Brady Act, allows the permit holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include these legal transfers based on qualifying permits, and the NSSF does not adjust for these transfers. It also does not include private, party-to-party sales not conducted through a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). 

However, based on these latest numbers, it is now estimated there are over 500 million firearms owned by private individuals in the United States.

But what, there’s more!

NSSF’s most recent Detachable Magazine Report estimates a total of 963,772,000 ammunition magazines in circulation. Of those, an estimated 717,900,000 have a capacity of greater than ten rounds. The data shows what the gun control zealots term a so-called “large capacity magazine” is in fact a common and ordinary standard capacity magazine in the United States and most often used for lawful defensive and sporting purposes. 

When it comes to ammunition, even the most conservative estimates put the number in the trillions. 

These numbers are clear and convincing evidence that Americans are rejecting the disarmament regime and the idea that law abiding people are ‘safer’ when they are disarmed.

If you’re wondering why, let me quote you the recent exchange between a Lily Tang Williams, a Chinese immigrant and candidate for office and perpetual gun control prop David Hogg. The link to this exchange is below.

Lily Tang Williams question:

“Hi, my name is Lily Tang Williams”, “Welcome to my ‘Live Free or Die’ state. Actually, I am a Chinese immigrant who survived communism, and under Mao, you know, 40 million people were starving to death after he sold communism to them and 20 million people died… murdered during his Cultural Revolution. So, my question to you, David, is can you guarantee me, a gun owner tonight, our government in the US, in DC, will never become a tyrannical government? Can you guarantee that to me?”

David Hogg’s response:

“There is no way I can guarantee that any government will not be tyrannical,” 

Lily Tang Williams reply:

“Well, then, the debate on gun control is over because I will never give up my guns, never, never. And you should go to China to see how gun control works for dictatorship, for the CCP.”

This folks is why the Second Amendment is just as relevant today as it was at the founding of our nation. There is no guarantee our government, now or any time in the future, will not become a tyrannical one.  Not only are firearms in the hands of law abiding private citizens critical for the self-defense in the home AND in public for you and your family, but to keep our own government in check.

Today we remember those who began our fight for freedom, and to secure it so we would never have to fight for it again. Let’s try to keep it that way. 

Bob

Williams vs. Hogg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khAWldEPdyA

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California Ammunition Freedom Gone and The Curse of Blue Slips

As was expected, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted California’s request on Monday, February 5, 2024 and issued a stay in Rhode v. Bonta, the ammunition background check ruling which was ruled unconstitutional just six days ago by Federal Judge Roger T. Benitez. Ammunition background checks now continue, preserving the State’s precious status quo during the appeals process. Not preserved are the constitutional rights of Californians. 

Of course, the ‘status quo’ the state wanted to preserve is not the one which was in place since ammunition was invented, or the founding of our nation in 1776, or since California joined the union in 1850, but that time honored tradition ushered into place in 2016 with Proposition 63 and the bait-and-switch Senate Bill 1235. 

The short order did not offer any explanation or the rationale behind it, however it did contain the dissenting opinion from one judge on the three-judge panel.

“I would deny the motion for a stay pending appeal. I do not believe appellant has met his burden of showing a likelihood of success on the merits or that irreparable injury will occur absent a stay.”

Whenever there is a decision like this, everyone always looks at who appointed the judges involved as an indication of their political bias. AGAIN, I’ll point out that political leaning in a constitutional court should be given absolutely ZERO consideration, but that’s not the reality we live in. In this case, two of the judges were appointed by republican George W. Bush and one was appointed by democrat Joe Biden. But does that really matter?  Guess what, it doesn’t, and that’s where Blue Slips come in. 

Blue slips are a quaint partisan tradition in the United States Senate which ensures a judge with an ‘acceptable’ political ideology to the home state senators is appointed to the court. It is a slip of paper the home state senator returns to the Senate Judicial Committee to show their approval of a federal judicial nominee. 

While it is the President of the United States who appoints federal judges, the Senate must give them a hearing and approval. Depending on the majority party of the Senate, the President must choose a candidate not based on their legal prowess or judicial integrity, but one that will be acceptable to the home state senators and the majority in the Senate. Even in the case of majority representation in the Senate, the home state Senators can withhold their blue slip and thereby deny the nominee a hearing and vote. 

What this archaic Senate rule means is only liberal leaning judges are ever going to be appointed in a liberal state. The result is what we now see in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a supposedly independent judicial body which functions as a rubber stamp for liberal legislatures in the Ninth Circuit. 

By the way, this is the same logic used in the argument to pack the Supreme Court with five new liberal justices in order to remove political bias. 

Rhode v. Bonta now continues its appeal process with unconstitutional law left in place. One thing we can be absolutely certain of at this point, the case will be slow walked, delayed, stalled and motioned to death until the current 5-4 conservative majority of the Supreme Court flips to a liberal majority, either by the replacement of a justice or packing of the Court. Meanwhile, only the lawyers will be benefiting. 

Sorry California. Ammunition Freedom Week was great, but it is over now and the constitutional right to bear arms has been relegated to second-class right status once again. 

As for you in the rest of the country, are you paying attention? Do you really think it doesn’t matter who you vote for? 

Bob

https://crpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/24.02.05-Stay-Granted.jpg

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