A little diversion here for what I’m calling my inflation pants. No, I’m not talking about G-Suits or MAST pants (kudos if you are old enough to know what those are), I’m talking about the good old fashioned pants Bob wears to work and to work around the house & property. I recently ordered a new pair of pants and the price had increased from $52 to $74.50 in just one year. That’s an increase in price of more than 43%.
As you can tell from the price, these are not fancy, dress up, fashionista type pants. Like I would even wear something like that. They are basic, tough work pants. If you’ve met me anytime in the past decade, I’ve probably been wearing a pair of these pants. Made in Vietnam for an American company, I’ve been wearing them for years. But I’m tough on all my clothes and even tough pants wear out so I occasionally need to replace them.
Honestly, I don’t blame the clothing company for the price increase. Their cost of business has increased and, like every other business including my own, they have no choice but to raise prices. It all trickles down to the little guy at the bottom who can’t work any more hours and simply can’t make ends meet.
I blame our country’s administration for the policies that have led to massive inflationary price hikes. Unless you live under a rock or work for the federal government, your life has been severely impacted by the runaway inflation.
No, it’s not Putin’s fault, COVID 19, systemic racism, global warming, or the former President, it’s the out-of-control and reckless government spending and fiscal policies of those who are running our government, and our country into the ground.
With the exception of the elite at the top of the economic pyramid, and our so-called representatives in government who write the laws that take care of themselves more than anyone else, the rest of the country is getting weaker and weaker financially. Everything costs more and salaries are not, and never will keep up.
Bob’s inflationary pants are just one of a million things that cost more, but really shouldn’t. They are a reminder that the people who are causing this are supposed to be working for US, representing US, working on OUR behalf, but are not.
Perhaps it’s time to get new representation before none of us can afford new pants.
Bob
#Oddstuffing, #Constitution, #BillOfRights, #SecondAmendment, #2A, #Inflation, #InflationaryPants, #GunControlFails, #GunVote, #medium, #mewe, #parler, #gab, #gettr, #Telegram, #truthsocial, #oddstuffing.com
Tag: #mewe
A Government of the People
A friend of mine, who sadly I have not seen for far too long, recently ran for a local precinct position during the primaries. Of the 14 seats available, only two names were listed, my friend’s name plus one more. The rest of the spaces on the ballot were blank for write-ins. THIS right here is why we have lost control of our government. Nobody is showing up to the table.
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.
… and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Excerpt from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Nobody realized how important their local school board was until they found out they were indoctrinating our children with racist content, hate and age inappropriate sexually explicit material. Nobody realized the control they have given up until school boards began having parents arrested for speaking out about non-educational content, boards covering up sexual assaults and teachers sexually grooming students.
Nobody cared about planning commissions and zoning boards until they realized these were the people responsible for making sure no firearms or ammunition retailers could operate in their cities and towns. Nobody noticed they had rewritten the bureaucratic processes against the small business lifeblood of the community until they learned there is no way for them to fairly appeal a board decision. Nobody thought their local town or city council was important until they found out they were implementing their own nonsense gun control ordinances, while at the same time handcuffing and defunding local law enforcement.
While most people pay attention to the national political puppet show, they tend to ignore the state and local levels, not realizing the actions of these legislative bodies impact their day-to-day lives more than national level politics do.
An article I recently read tried to explain that because Republicans are more focused on families and religious activities, they tend to not get into political or civic offices as much as Democrats. The explanation seemed to backhandedly imply Democrats were godless, family haters as opposed Republicans. Not exactly what I’d call a logical political theory, but we definitely have a problem with conservative voices showing up.
I believe a more rational explanation is that more conservatives / Republicans share a Ron Swanson (Parks & Recreation) view of government. Government should be as small and as limited as possible. Period.
A Ron Swanson view of government: “My idea of a perfect government is one guy who sits in a small room at a desk, and the only thing he’s allowed to decide is who to nuke. The man is chosen based on some kind of IQ test, and maybe also a physical tournament, like a decathlon.”
The problem with this approach is without representation from all points of view, only the people who are actively trying to shred our Constitution and Bill of Rights and transform our country into their utopian socialist nation are in the government and making decisions for the rest of us.
To quote The West Wing; “Decisions are made by those who show up.”
The good news is conservative voices are now fighting their way back to the table. Responsible, concerned parents are reclaiming their school boards. Conservative members of the communities are recovering seats on local and county boards. But while there is success and momentum in the right direction, it is also a time to be cautious.
Lifelong Democrats are registering as Republicans for local, state and federal posts. Funded by the Democratic Party, they are put in as spoilers to siphon off votes for actual Republican candidates. If they do win, they vote as Democrats. In some areas, the Democrats are hand selecting their Republican opponents. The local liberal press then run stories about how they are “the only Republican who can beat X”. Of course, they are the candidates who have absolutely zero chance of beating anyone, but it keeps viable candidates out of the race. The lesson to learn here is to get to know who is running.
Who is the best candidate? It’s someone you already know. It’s your neighbor, your friend, your local business employee or owner, or maybe it’s that person you see in the mirror every single morning.
Not everyone has the time and inclination to serve, but I’d rather have someone who is willing to take on a position and serve their community for a short period of time than someone looking for the entrance ramp to the swamp.
Remember, the best way to stop unconstitutional laws is to prevent them from being enacted in the first place. It’s time to fill that ballot with people who will represent YOU.
Yes, it does matter who you vote for.
Bob
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Today Was A Good Day For The Second Amendment
Today is truly a good day for free, law-abiding people in our country. The United States Supreme Court has struck down New York’s “May Issue” concealed carry permit law which prevented ordinary citizens from bearing arms to defend themselves in public. While the case was specifically about the New York law, it applies to all other states which also demand applicants to provide “proper cause” to receive government permission carry a firearm for self-defense outside their homes. This historic ruling also updated standard courts must follow when deciding Second Amendment cases.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the Constitution protects “an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”
Today’s ruling (linked below) is 135 pages long and is still being read and digested. While most everyone is focusing on the positive, constitutional aspects, the gun control community is digging in their heels. Rather than accepting the ruling and working towards compliance with the new law-of-the-land, they are actively looking for loopholes or workarounds to circumvent it.
Here is a sampling of statements from some of the biggest proponents of unconstitutional gun control:
The Governor of the State of New York:
“It is outrageous that at a moment of national reckoning on gun violence, the Supreme Court has recklessly struck down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons.”
“I would like to point out to the Supreme Court justices that the only weapons at that time were muskets. I’m prepared to go back to muskets.”
The Mayor of the New York City:
“Nothing changes today… It ignores the presence (sp) and it endangers our future.”
The Governor of the State of California:
“A dark day in America. This is a dangerous decision from a court hell bent on pushing a radical ideological agenda and infringing on the rights of states to protect our citizens from being gunned down in our streets, schools, and churches. Shameful.”
The United States Department of Justice:
“We respectfully disagree with the Court’s conclusion that the Second Amendment forbids New York’s reasonable requirement that individuals seeking to carry a concealed handgun must show that they need to do so for self-defense. The Department of Justice remains committed to saving innocent lives by enforcing and defending federal firearms laws, partnering with state, local and tribal authorities and using all legally available tools to tackle the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our communities.”
And finally, from the President of the United States:
… “I urge states to continue to enact and enforce commonsense laws to make their citizens and communities safer from gun violence. As the late Justice Scalia recognized, the Second Amendment is not absolute. For centuries, states have regulated who may purchase or possess weapons, the types of weapons they may use, and the places they may carry those weapons. And the courts have upheld these regulations.”
There are of course many, many more rants from politicians, activists, actors and your average, everyday alt-left lunatic fringe. All reveal that they have absolutely zero intention to comply with the Supreme Court’s rulings and will do everything in their power to circumvent the decision by implementing more unconstitutional, draconian gun control laws that have NEVER done anything to prevent violence or death.
Today was a good day for the Second Amendment, but it is only the beginning. May Issue laws in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia must be challenged under the new standard and repealed, along with a host of other gun control laws implemented under flawed standards by activist judges in prejudicial courts.
Anyone in New York or any other “May Issue” state thinking they will be able to run down to their local police or sheriff station tomorrow and get their brand spank’n new conceal carry permit is mistaken. In contrast to the lightning speed they implement new restrictions on firearms from other court rulings, this new ruling from the highest court in the nation is going to be slow walked to death before they are forced to give up that gun, and people control.
Remember, it shouldn’t take 100 years to reclaim your Second Amendment protected rights. Only you can prevent unconstitutional gun laws from being enacted in the first place.
Yes, it does matter who you vote for.
Bob
Full text of ruling: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf
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Washington’s Starter Magazine Ban
Following in the footsteps of other anti-Second Amendment states, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed three new gun control measures last week. The bills include a ban on so-called “ghost guns”, further bans on carrying firearms in public places and of course, banning magazines over ten rounds. With this, the Evergreen State joins nine other states who have restricted magazine size in the unfounded claim of public safety.
In the Governor’s announcement, Inslee boasted, “The NRA’s stranglehold on this state has been broken. And the reason is because of the courage of the parents, and the courage of legislators, too …” Here we see the Governor evoke the past reputation of the NRA. Like all politicians who want to sound a little tougher than they really are, he adopted the ‘I took on the NRA and won’ lie.
In a further ridiculous move, the Governor attempted to imply a threat of violence from law abiding firearm owners, closing the state capital for several hours before and after the bill signing. The Washington State Patrol said there was no specific threat, but the closure was a “prudent precaution”.
News stories of the signing attempted to link the new laws to increases in public safety by noting the completely unrelated information that robberies with a firearm in Los Angeles, California, are “up 44 percent from 2021” and “57 percent from 2020. Missing from the story is California’s decades old ban on so-called “high capacity” magazines (the enforcement of which is being held up pending the resolution of Duncan v. Becerra) or that California has the “strongest gun control laws in the United States”, boasting a Gun Law Scorecard Grade of A.
Have you ever wondered why magazine bans are at 10 rounds? There really isn’t any rhyme or reason to it. 15 was apparently too many and seven as implemented and ruled unconstitutional in New York was too few. There certainly isn’t any science or research to support it. If you read the explanation from an extremist gun control, think tank/quasi law center, you see how careful wording is used to justify it. It explains how few self-defense shootings “needed” more than 10 rounds and how many firearms from unlawful shootings were found with “large capacity magazines”. No mention of the fact that more rounds HAVE in fact saved the lives of law-abiding citizens or the ACTUAL number of shots fired by criminals, just the capacity of their magazines. Facts matter, unless you’re trying to infringe on constitutionally protected natural rights.
Limiting the ability of law-abiding citizens to effectively defend themselves under the guise of making everyone safer implies everyone who buys a firearm with a standard capacity magazine is the next mass shooter in waiting. The vast, Vast VAST majority of the 400 million plus personally owned firearms in this country are owned and utilized lawfully. They prevent crime and defend their owners an estimated one to two million times per year in the United States, with defensive uses of firearms outnumbering felonious uses between 30 and 80 to one.
In the title I referred to Washington’s new law a “starter: magazine ban. I call it this because it includes a grandfather clause. Grandfather clauses are a popular way to get gun control legislation to pass. It’s illegal now, but since you already own it, you won’t have to give it up. This makes it easy to sell the ‘nobody is coming for your guns’ line when you don’t have to give up what you already have. But there’s a lot more to it than many realize.
One of the biggest problems with the grandfather clause is your property can never be passed along to your family. How many of us have been bequeathed a firearm or accessories from a parent, grandparent or other relative? Other than the actual monetary value, those items represent a passing of heritage from one generation to the next. Except now, your too-dangerous-to be-in-your-civilian-hands magazine will never see the light of day again. Hopefully your descendants will be satisfied with what they are allowed to own in the future.
The other, less publicized consequence of a grandfather clause is it is nothing more than words on a piece of paper. At some point, a gun hating politician is going to look at all those grandfathered items out there and simply say – let’s get rid of them. The grandfathered exemption is taken away and your property, the property they promised you could keep for as long as you lived, is now illegal for YOU to own and you must turn it in or be criminally charged for possession of illegal items.
Think it can’t happen? Way back in 2000 California outlawed so-called “high capacity” magazines. Anything over the arbitrary 10 rounds was ruled as too-dangerous-to be-in-your-civilian-hands unless you already owned them – the grandfather clause. Then in 2016, they changed their minds and removed that exemption. Go ahead and turn them in please.
Grandfather clauses are nothing more than deferred confiscation notices. It may not be for a few years or a few decades, but that grandfathered item is going to be taken and destroyed.
Washington absolutely will update their so-called “high-capacity” magazine law one day and possession of any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds will be made illegal. Count on it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s a fool’s errand to believe that once a law has been enacted, it can successfully be drawn back. Of the thousands of gun control laws passed around the country, precious few are successfully appealed and reversed. The only ones who win from this are the lawyers. The best way – the ONLY way to stop them is to prevent them from being enacted in the first place. And the only one who can do that is you.
Bob
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Constitutional Carry in Alabama!
On March 10, 2022, Alabama became the 22nd state to eliminate the need to obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm.
Fun fact: On March 1, 2021, I wrote about Utah and Montana joining the ranks of constitutional carry states, making for a new total of 18. I like the way this is heading.
Alabama now joins Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming in recognizing citizens right to concealed carry a firearm for self-defense.
As the gun control / anti-gun zealots have done every time legislation is considered to allow permitless carry for firearms, they put their propaganda machine into overdrive. Alabama was no exception. Wild stories spread about how there will be shoot-outs over minor issues, blood flowing in the streets and cities turned into the wild, wild west.
Among those who spoke against constitutional carry was the Alabama Sheriff’s Association, who worked with the ultra-anti-gun group Moms Demand Action to attempt to defeat the bill. When asked if he would support an amendment to the Constitution explicitly limiting Second Amendment rights to the home, Alabama Sheriff’s Association director Robert ‘Bobby’ Timmons said, “Oh yeah…I’d be in favor of that. But, I mean, it would never get passed.”
Mobile Sheriff Sam Cochran even made the often used false suggestion that constitutional carry would create an environment where a criminal who currently cannot carry a gun would be able to do so.
Many contend being able to carry a firearm outside your home is a privilege and subject to any form of “reasonable” regulation, control, and fees the government decides to impose. The most frequently used comparison – and used again in Alabama – is to that of a driver’s license. Of course, the ability to operate a motor vehicle on a public highway isn’t a constitutionally protected natural right, it is a privilege. But that’s what the gun control lobby want you to believe, that driving a car and carrying a firearm are the same thing. They have always wanted to restrict or revoke your rights and turn them into privileges they can control and restrict.
If you have to ask for permission to exercise a right, it’s a privilege.
If you have to pay a fee to exercise a right, it’s a privilege.
If you have to take training and tests to exercise a right, it’s a privilege.
If you have to carry a license or permit to exercise a right, it’s a privilege.
If you can be denied exercising a right, it’s a privilege.
They point to “emerging data”, self-funded “academic studies” and “research” showing how violent crime will increase when permitless carry is allowed. They allege that only strong, “may issue” carry laws are appropriate. Only laws where persons applying for permission to carry a firearm in public must prove they have “good cause” or “justifiable need” to carry a firearm as well as demonstrate they are of “good character”. This is usually combined with significant mandatory training, substantial license fees and the ability of the issuing authority to deny their permit for any reason, or no reason at all, is the only way to allow a precious few the privilege of being able to carry a firearm outside their homes.
What really happens when more people are allowed to carry concealed firearms? Violent crime goes down. That’s all. No gun fights in the streets, no people shooting up the town or duels at high noon. Maine’s experience is typical. The state went from the third safest state in the nation to the safest state in the nation following their move to being a constitutional carry state.
Note that I mentioned the anti-constitutional carry Sheriffs and Sheriff’s Association here by name because it is important for the citizens of Alabama to understand where their elected officials stand on protecting their constitutionally protected rights. Reserving rights for themselves and those they determine worthy of being able to defend their lives and the lives of their families falls far short of their oath of “… support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Alabama…”. Hopefully the citizens of Alabama will remember this the next time they see these names on a ballot.
Congratulations Alabama!
#Oddstuffing, #Constitution, #BillOfRights, #SecondAmendment, #2A, #ConstitutionalCarry, #Alabama, #SelfDefense, #GunControlFails, #medium, #mewe, #parler, #gab, #gettr, #truthsocial, #oddstuffing.com
Can You Hear Me Now?
Borrowing the catch phrase from an old TV commercial, this the question those of us in the Second Amendment community have. Censorship of the firearms industry or anyone advocating for Second Amendment protected rights is nothing new, although it has gotten exceedingly worse in the past few years. But now that censorship has expanded to include those who choose to hold and speak out on conservative held values or simply question the government narrative. Although many are speaking out, the message may not be getting through.
Censorship of the firearms and 2A community by mainstream news outlets and social media companies has been going on for years. Shadow banning, the practice of partially blocking or restricting the content and comments online to limit visibility is commonplace. Pages and commentators with thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of followers have found their messages only reaching a tiny percentage of them. Why? It’s simply because those who own the platform don’t like their message. That’s all.
Then there are fact-checkers. Our nation’s free and independent press used to be our fact-checkers since they had an interest in the truth and exposing those who didn’t speak it. But with free and independent giving way to biased and prejudiced reporting, the press simply isn’t trustworthy anymore. Besides, traditional news organizations weren’t set up to handle a 24/7 immediate response model. Enter the fact-checkers.
These so-called fact checkers have emerged as anonymous, unaccountable, supposedly third-party organizations, often directly funded by the very same companies they are “independently” fact-checking for. It should come as no surprise that the sponsoring organization’s ideology and biases towards those they don’t agree with are mirrored in their checks of facts. All the fact-checkers need to do is find an article with an alternate version of “truth” and that becomes the basis of YOUR facts being wrong. Once tagged with a fact-check, even if the fact-check indicates your article is true, its visibility is further reduced.
And let’s not forget Terms and Conditions of Use or Community Standards, the ultimate restriction on content. Social media companies can define anything they want as being “otherwise objectionable” and completely ban it and the users who share it. They don’t have to justify it any further than that and they don’t have to apply the standards equally across the board. They get to decide all by themselves what is true, what is false and what is acceptable for YOU to experience on their platform. These convoluted documents are supposed to make you think they are applying their ideology in a fair manner in your best interest. They are not.
What kind of power do they have? They can ban the sitting President of the United States of America and a member of the United States Congress for so-called offensive content. Yet, at the same time, they permit those who advocate acts of violence against others, target members of political parties or those of a certain race. They also allow actual, bona fide terrorist organizations. Simply questioning an official government narrative or presenting actual / factual information that may cause others to question it, is enough for a permanent ban.
Of course, there is the argument that the social media platforms are private property you use for free. As such, First Amendment speech protections do not apply, and you are perfectly welcome to start your own social media platform. Well…. There are some problems with that logic.
First is the direct connection between one side of the United States government and the news and social media companies. If the White House, members of Congress or members of a political party are contacting these companies and asking them to limit or remove certain content, then you’re damn right the First Amendment applies. The government doesn’t get to do an end run around the Constitution and claim no free speech infringements when they are the ones directing the private companies to do it on their behalf.
Second, let’s not forget the case of Parler, the free speech alternative to Twitter. Liberal talking heads complained the platform was nothing more than a conversative “echo chamber” that attracted and encouraged extremists. In reality, it was simply getting too popular and didn’t employ the same nanny-level liberal fact-checking the other social medial platforms did. So, using the tenuous at best association with the events of January 6th, Google, Apple and Amazon conspired to take down the platform. Yes, it’s back online now with a new infrastructure and management, but the damage has already been done.
I’ve seen dozens of my favorite firearms related businesses and commentators have their content removed and the owners banned over the past few years. All their content was 100% legal, but none of that matters. Of course, they can appeal, but it’s a byzantine system of anonymous company drones who have the final say, and it should be no surprise it doesn’t go in your favor very often.
Keep in mind, banned content doesn’t let people have information that might help them in their own lives. Banned content can’t inspire someone else to speak out in support of a position. Banned content doesn’t allow people to unite around a cause. Banned content can’t question the only “facts” allowed to be shared. Banned content doesn’t exist, at least as far as you know.
There are some new platforms and more coming out soon which may help shift the tide of information sharing to those who have been censored. I believe their success will largely be dependent on the ability to attract the big-name content makers and get them to leave the current social media and news platforms behind. That should start a cascade of others who will be willing to leave and never look back.
For now, we’re all going to have to be creative and spread our message the best we can. There are a lot of us out there, and that’s exactly what they are afraid of.
Can you hear me now?
Bob
#Oddstuffing, #Constitution, #BillOfRights, #SecondAmendment, #2A, #GunControlFails, #Censorship, #medium, #mewe, #parler, #gab, #gettr, #truthsocial, #TheScore, #oddstuffing.com
The Only Thing Necessary…
The Only Thing Necessary For the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing. While this quote is generally misattributed to Edmond Burke, even directly by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the meaning and intent remain, as does the call to action for people like you and me.
I’ve been on a little break to deal with some geography issues, and still am, but that’s a story for another day. During this time, a lot has transpired impacting our constitutionally protected rights, and specifically the Second Amendment. As with most consequential things, it’s important to understand what has happened to guide us to the future.
It’s safe to say that over the past two years, our individual rights have taken a savage beating. In the name of ‘what is best for society’, we have seen our rights to free speech, religion, press, association and to petition our government for redress of grievances stripped away. Our right to keep and bear arms, highly restricted in many places, has been even further regulated and ‘put on hold’. We have been subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures, been denied bail, subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, and denied the right to a speedy trial.
For the new year, I’m going to need to play catch-up on some past events in order to move forward. While my focus is, and always has been, the Second Amendment, we can’t ignore some other abuses of our rights. We don’t get to pick and choose what rights we want to defend and those we don’t care as much about. For most certainly if we allow rights in one area to deteriorate, then how long will it be for all of them to be nothing more than words on old pieces of parchment.
If you doubt that by banding together with other like-minded individuals has no chance of success, let me drop another quote on you from cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
If you still have an open slot on your resolutions list, let one of them be getting involved in your local, county, state and federal politics. For far too long we’ve let others serve and be involved and we now see the result of that.
The Odd Stuffing crystal ball tells me 2022 is going to be a bumpy ride. It’s time for patriots to hop in and buckle up.
Bob
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Independence Day 2021
Today we celebrate the publishing of the Declaration of Independence proclaiming us no longer subject to Great Britain’s rule in 1776. This year it comes at a time when our nation is being shamed by those who supposedly represent us for not living up to our potential or being a racist, evil capitalist society. Some are offended by the mere sight of the American flag, the sound of the National Anthem or the words in the Pledge of Allegiance. What a crock!
For those who wish to malign our nation and way of life, to say we are a systemically racist and oppressive society, I support your freedom to do so as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. But don’t expect me or anyone else to promote your lies and indignation while exercising the same guaranteed rights you are trying to deny to others. Your ability to say these things without legal repercussions is due to the very system YOU are trying to destroy.
Our nation is the shining beacon of freedom it is today because 245 years ago today, patriots from the original 13 colonies decided it was better to live dangerously free than under the relative safety of an oppressive government that no longer represented their interests. Our Bill of Rights, those inalienable Rights unique to the United States of America, have never been duplicated anywhere. Why is very simple. Free people with guaranteed and protected rights are difficult for the government to control. And that my friends, is the whole idea.
Last week I had the occasion to spend some time in several small, rural towns. What struck me was the level of patriotic spirit being displayed in preparation for the Fourth of July. Not only was Old Glory proudly displayed on nearly every home, but also on every single utility pole along the main streets of the towns. Most of these towns will be celebrating with their own small parades and community get-togethers, proudly and respectfully.
Patriotism is not dead or even declining. It is as strong as it ever was and getting stronger every day. The more we are told to be embarrassed by our patriotism and national pride, the more people are waking up to the words written by our Founding Fathers.
Independence Day is for every American, even those who are too foolish to realize it. Be proud of our nation and don’t be afraid to show it. You are the majority, and you are among a nation of patriots.
If you haven’t read the Declaration of Independence lately, today is a good time to do it. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Libertatem diu vivere!
Bob
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A Direct Threat To Public Safety
This quote was part of the California Governor’s response to the ruling from U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez declaring the state’s 32-year-old ban on so-called “assault weapons” unconstitutional. While this matter is nowhere close to being final, the June 4, 2021, ruling in Miller v. Bonta is a substantial step forward in the restoration of Second Amendment protected rights in the State of California, as well as the rest of the country.
The first part of this ruling is:
“Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle, the AR-15 is the kind of versatile gun that lies at the intersection of the kinds of firearms protected under District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) and United States v Miller, 307 U.S. 174 (1939).”
Of course, the Governor and State Attorney General Rob Bonta immediately attacked this ruling:
“Today’s decision is a direct threat to public safety and the lives of innocent Californians, period. The fact that this judge compared the AR-15 — a weapon of war that’s used on the battlefield — to a Swiss Army knife completely undermines the credibility of this decision and is a slap in the face to the families who’ve lost loved ones to this weapon.”
By attacking the analogy used by Judge Benitez instead of the facts of the case, then continuing to perpetuate the “weapon of war” lie, it showed how little understanding the Governor and Attorney General really have about firearms, crime, violence and the Constitution.
The comparison is apt as the iconic Swiss Army Knife is universally recognized as an indispensable, multi-function, multi-use tool. The Judge could have just described the fact that the AR-15 is an indispensable, multi-function, multi-use tool, but he decided to use the common analogy to make the point. Thinking it compared lethality or anything else is absurd.
Of course, the “weapon of war” lie is one of the most popular myths among the gun control extremists. It attempts to portray the AR-15 as the exact same firearm used by military forces. Naturally it is not, and the incredibly HUGE difference is military firearms that ‘look’ like the AR-15 are select fire; having the ability to fire multiple rounds per trigger pull, either in a burst or fully automatic. The AR-15 has NEVER been used by our military or any other as a “weapon of war”. It is simply a semi-automatic firearm, just like any other semi-automatic firearm without the so-called “evil” cosmetic features. But you already knew that.
While the full ruling is 95 pages long, I encourage you to take some time and read it. Like all of Judge Benitez rulings, it is extremely well thought out and documented with verifiable, factual evidence, even if the State of California ignores it. The link to it is below.
The big question is of course, what happens now? Judge Benitez stayed the ruling for 30 days within the ruling itself, ironically expiring on the 4th of July. The State will appeal, as they have promised in their public statements.
California is the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, well known for its hostility towards and rulings against anything Second Amendment related. Cases in the Ninth tend to be decided by the political ideology of the judges assigned to the case rather than facts or Constitutional issues.
The success in this case was made possible thanks to generous donations and the member supported organizations behind it. The cost has been significant and will continue to grow as it goes to the next stage.
Now realize the State of California has unlimited resources to fight this case. Why unlimited? Because they are fighting this with YOUR tax dollars. The highly exorbitant tax dollars you pay to the state not only pay for their socialist agenda items, but to litigate cases like this to protect their ability to strip your rights away from you. If the State needs more money for the effort, they simply shuffle money from one account (like the DROS fund) to another. If they run out of money, well guess what, there’s more of that where it came from, YOU.
And let’s not forget the billionaire funded anti-gun “grassroots” groups and lawyers who do not want this case to become precedent for the entire country.
With the ruling stayed pending appeal, the State has everything to gain and nothing to lose by dragging out their appeals. The longer the case go on, the more resources are drained from firearm rights organizations. More dollars spent on this case means less dollars spent in other cases. All they need to do is drag this case out long enough for the 5-4 conservative majority on the United States Supreme Court to be reversed, or the Supreme Court to be packed by liberal appointed Justices, whichever comes first.
This case is FAR from over and it is going to be years before it makes it to the Supreme Court. Even so, there is no guarantee it will be granted a writ of certiorari OR be heard by a Court supportive of Second Amendment protected rights OR be adjudicated in our favor. Even in the absolute best of circumstances, it’s a crapshoot. The chances of getting any law reversed, even a bad one, is slim at best and the only ones who are certain to win are the lawyers.
I will repeat what I have said time and time again, the ONLY way to prevent these kinds of idiotic, non-sensical gun control laws from going into effect is to STOP electing people who are promising to take away your rights.
Bob
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/firearmspolicycoalition/pages/5381/attachments/original/1622850515/Miller_v_Bonta_Opinion.pdf
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If Gun Control Works, Why Hasn’t It?
If gun control works, why are parts of our country with the strictest gun control laws the ones with the most violence and crime?
If gun control works, why are the parts of our country with the least restrictive gun control laws the ones with the least violence and crime?
If gun control works, why are they always telling us we need more gun control?
If gun control works, why are they always telling us there are “loopholes” in the gun control laws they created that need to be filled in with new gun control laws?
If gun control works, why do the gangs, terrorists, criminals and thugs always have guns?
If gun control works, why are American citizens buying firearms to protect themselves and their families in record numbers?
If gun control works, why are the areas with the strictest gun control blaming the areas without strict gun control for the crimes and violence committed in the strictest gun control areas, when the areas without strict gun control don’t have the same level of crime and violence?
If gun control works, why are more and more cities, counties and states doing away with gun control laws and passing laws to further protect our natural right to keep and bear arms?
If gun control works, why hasn’t it?
Bob
#OddStuffing, #BillOfRights, #Constitution, #SecondAmendment, #2A, #GunControlFails, #medium, #mewe, #parler, #gab, #oddstuffing.com