Tag: OddStuffing

National Reciprocity – The Holy Grail Adjacent

One of the most significant goals of Second Amendment rights groups’ today is nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permit holders. It’s not the Holy Grail, which would be nationwide constitutional carry, but it most certainly lives next door to it. Imagine an entire country where you can exercise your right to bear arms without having to worry about some line on a map.

Two bills in the United States Congress mean to address this, one in the House and one in the Senate. Both very similar in that they allow a permitted concealed carry holder to carry in all states and that they must adhere to the laws of the state they are in. The one major difference is the permitting authority. One version says the permit must be issued by your home state, the state where you permanently reside. The other version says reciprocity includes any state’s permit, so an out-of-state permit would be valid in all states, including your home state. Constitutional carry states just need their driver’s license. Lucky stiffs…

Neither of these options are acceptable to the gun control elitists and states where they determine who may legally carry a firearm based on nebulous and secretive criteria, and permits are only issued to the rich, famous or well connected. Political hacks posing as law enforcement heads are also up in arms about this. They contend this will allow people from all across the country with little to no training to come in to their state with firearms, putting the lives of their officers and every citizen in the state at risk. There will be ‘blood in the streets’ they say.

Of course, the visions of anarchy, Wild West shootouts and ‘blood in the streets’ have never come true, even as more and more states adopt permitless carry. Undeterred, the elitists keep pushing their false narrative to keep the people afraid while pushing for even stricter gun control laws. The truth is, law-abiding, concealed carry citizens are among the most law abiding in the nation. They carry not to cause problems, only to defend their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.

If one of the currently stalled national reciprocity bills eventually makes its way to law, we can expect a flood of legal challenges from the nanny states, propelled by activist jurists who are ready and waiting to issue their pre-planned rulings. We can also expect these non-permissive states to radically alter their own carry laws to make it as difficult and complicated as possible to comply with for anyone who dares come into their state with a firearm.

As anyone who currently has more than one concealed carry permit already knows, each state’s laws have subtle differences that must be strictly adhered to. Then of course there are municipalities who’ve decided they need to jump on the gun control bandwagon and further regulate firearms for their little slices of turf.

Among the many different regulations such as duty to inform on traffic stops, some jurisdictions ban so-called “high-capacity” magazines or anything above 10 rounds. In New York you can only put seven rounds in your ten round magazines, unless you are on a firing range. Some jurisdictions ban “enhanced lethality” bullets, a.k.a. hollow point self defense rounds, or other specific types of ammunition.

If you want to get a taste of how national reciprocity would be treated, there is one already we can look at. It’s called the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), also known as HR218. This national law allows qualified current, former and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm in any state. The NRA Law Enforcement Division has a good resource page on LEOSA. See the link below for more details.

So you would think this would be easy, right? Sadly it is not. Not only are many officers not aware of the law, some jurisdictions feel free to outright ignore it. Current and former officers lawfully carrying under this Act have been harassed, had their firearms confiscated and been arrested. Even when charges are later dropped, this type of enforcement follows the good ol’ days concept of “you can’t take back a night in jail”. It is designed to send a clear message that unless you are permitted by THEIR jurisdiction, you cannot carry there.

Consider if this is how law enforcement, a supposedly close-knit nationwide community, treats it’s own in non-permissive states, image how they’ll treat the average out-of-state concealed carrying citizen?

Nationwide concealed carry reciprocity is long overdue in our country. Your ability to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones shouldn’t be determined by the next dotted line on the map, controlled by someone who doesn’t believe your life is worthy of Constitutionally protected rights in THEIR jurisdiction.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #NationalReciprocity, #SecondAmendment #BillOfRights, #LEOSA, #HR218, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

NRA Law Enforcement Division / LEOSA – http://le.nra.org/leosa.aspx

Race, The Final Frontier

We live in a wondrous age with more personal rights than any time in history. No longer are we bound by the circumstances we are born into. More than any other nation, we are the land of opportunity and anyone can become anything they aspire to be. We can change everything about ourselves with one notable exception, our race.

Just think about the options you have in your life here. You are not bound by your geography, you may move about freely. You are not bound by your social class, you may rise to any status you desire. You can learn any skill, vocation or trade that you want. You are free to choose your religion. You may change your physical appearance. You may change your name. You may change your gender and your sexual preference. Physical or mental disabilities do not determine what you may do or accomplish in your life. Yet somehow, our race is the one attribute seen as forever fixed in place.

Again, we have marches and protests for the rights of <insert race>, where others are not allowed to join and support them in the name of unity. We have schools purposefully re-segregating education, facilities and ceremonies by race. It is considered “cultural appropriation” for any race to use another’s traditions, fashions, symbols, language, food or music in their own lives.

All of this is completely opposite of what our nation has grown to become. People have come here from every other region, every other country to make this nation, this melting pot, their home. In doing so, they have brought their culture and their way of life with them. They adopted portions of what they found here and the nation adopted portions of what they brought with them. This exchange and integration of cultures is what has made our society as strong, rich and vibrant as it is.

Yet when arguing about race and that newest, uber-politically correct craze “cultural appropriation”, we hear it is not appropriate for certain individuals to do ‘something’. They are either not the right race, or not <insert race> enough. In reality, unless you are from one of the few remaining uncontacted tribes, your DNA is likely made up of a number of different cultures. Whether determined by some arbitrary geo-political line on a map, continent or hemisphere, we are all a combination of peoples.

So what is the appropriate level of racial purity to allow you to partake in a cultural tradition? Is it 50%? 75? 90%, 99.99%? What if your physical appearance is from the lesser percentage of your DNA? Are you still allowed to participate in the majority DNA culture? Do you need to get a ‘cultural acceptance’ license that proves you are the race you claim to be?

In 2008 when the first African-American United States President was elected, I honestly believed this would finally move our country past race as a determining factor for anything. But instead we have seen the opposite. It is sadly ironic that this President who – on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – spoke from the very same location as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr did during his “I Have a Dream” speech – significantly contributed to the reversal of those 50 years of racial acceptance and progress as a nation.

I parodied the Star Trek quote here as the show is credited with the first interracial kiss on American television between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura in 1968. For the time, this was considered both shocking and ground breaking. Today, when this episode plays in reruns; we just see two people kissing.

For the crew of the Enterprise, space was that final frontier to conqueror. For us, it is race and not only have we not conquered it, we have managed to move backwards in time. I don’t know what the answer is, but I know what it is not. It is not segregation and calling for special rights, privileges and areas based on race. EVERY race deserves to be proud of the heritage and celebrate it openly, but never, EVER at the expense of others. If we truly want to be a nation of equality for all, we all need to pull our heads out of our collective asses and dismiss race as a consideration for anything.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #nodiscrimination, #notculturalappropriation, #equalityforall, #alllivesmatter, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

Memorial Day

Memorial Day, the time for our nation to pay tribute to the members of our armed services who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

This year, I am very honored to have my mother, a military veteran and member of the American Legion Henry L. Danforth, VT Post 53, reading my Memorial Day post from last year along with the poem, In Flanders Field, during my hometown’s Memorial Day activities.

“In Flanders Fields” was written by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae in 1915 after presiding over the funeral of a friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres during World War I. The poem, and the red poppies it mentions, has become important remembrance symbols throughout the world as nations honor their lost service members.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

There are numerous opportunities on Memorial Day to pay tribute to our fallen heroes. You can attend one of the many parades or other organized activities occurring in large cities and small towns across our nation. You can visit one of our nation’s 134 national cemeteries, a state veteran’s cemetery or a local cemetery and witness the flags posted at the graves of our veterans. You can pause at 3 p.m. local time for the National Moment of Remembrance, a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. However you choose to do so, I encourage you to include your family so they too can learn about and understand the sacrifices given by so many for our freedom.

For all of us who live free because of your service, we celebrate your memory, we honor your sacrifice, we thank you and we shall never forget.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #memorialday #honorourvets, #AmericanLegion, #InFlandesField, #thankyoumom, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

Gun Safety Laws – IT’S A TRAP!

Every time I hear about another round of so-called “gun safety” laws, I tend to go full Admiral Ackbar. What is it about gun control, gun confiscation and gun elimination groups coming up with “gun safety” laws that make me nervous? Perhaps it’s that they have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with control, confiscation and elimination.

A recent case in Massachusetts highlights the issue. Massachusetts law requires all firearms to be secured in a locked cabinet or with a trigger lock when not “carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user.”

Based on a tip, police obtained a search warrant for the house of a 65-year-old male who lived alone and had “dozens of improperly secured firearms inside”. 98 mostly vintage firearms including shotguns, rifles and pistols, including Mauser bolt-action rifles and lever-action Winchesters, were seized during the search along with cases of ammunition. According to police, “Most of the items were improperly stored, strewn about his home”. Also seized were five “military grade ordnance shells” reportedly from a Naval Depot that closed in 1962 and several brass grave markers from the cemetery across the street from the residence. Following the seizure, the town’s police chief proudly boasted, “All the weapons are out of the house, the neighborhood is safe,”

For the sake of today’s argument, let’s skip over the grave markers and the so-called “military grade ordinance” which were reported to have gun powder in them, but didn’t have to be disarmed before being removed, a.k.a. probably demilitarized collectables with a little bit of residue, and deal with the subject of the search, unsecured firearms.

How did this happen? Most likely someone visited this person, obviously a collector of classic arms, and reported it to police who obtained the warrant. Seized were all the “improperly secured” firearms as well as those that were properly secured AND all ammunition on the property, secured or otherwise. Note: Massachusetts law also places restrictions on the amount of ammunition you can legally possess, with and without a special storage permit. None of the reports I’ve seen indicated he had more than the allowable amount of ammunition, just “cases” of ammo.

So what is a properly secured firearm in Massachusetts? Apparently one that is stored in a locked cabinet, has a trigger or gun lock on it or is under the person’s direct control. Typically direct control means being in the same room with it. Your firearm on the kitchen table would not be under your direct control if you are upstairs in a bedroom. It doesn’t seem to matter if your house is a locked, alarmed, has 24-hour video surveillance or otherwise inaccessible to anyone but you, the house itself is not considered “secure”.

The theory behind the so-called “gun-safety” storage laws is that they prevent thefts and suicides. Well, yes and no. Having a state-approved trigger lock or cable on a firearm isn’t going to prevent its theft since you just take it with you. Even full sized safes can be cut open or, as they are in many cases, moved out of the house to be opened later, even if they are bolted down. Trigger locks or cables may slow down the curious toddler, but any age above that is going to figure out how to get it off. And if you already have access to the firearm and locks, well… how is this going to prevent suicide?

Many states mandate some form of locked storage. More recently, municipalities have jumped on the gun control bandwagon and mandated their own stricter versions, including requiring firearms be unloaded with ammunition stored separately.

First off, proper firearm storage is critical for everyone who owns firearms; it is the single most important aspect of responsible firearm ownership. Those who rely on their firearms for self-defense inside their home are especially acute of this.

One of the things we discuss in basic firearms classes is safe storage in the home, but most importantly is that it is not a one size fits all solution. What constitutes “safe” may be look radically different for someone who has children vs. someone who lives alone. There are a wide variety of security products designed for rapid accessibility combined with high safety, but these options become progressively expensive as the features increase and may be out of reach for everyone.

We often think of our homes as our castles, our private domain where we are protected from the outside world, including government interference. We believe that as long as we are safe within our walls, nobody will bother us. However this case in Massachusetts, and many others like it, illustrate otherwise. Under the guise of “gun safety”, it is just another tool to be used to take firearms from the otherwise law-abiding citizen.

 

Whenever you hear someone proposing more “gun safety” laws, rules to “make you safer”, think about what happens when you don’t measure up to someone else’s one-size-fits-all standard, even if it doesn’t make any sense in your situation. You might want to think about whom we allow inside our castle walls as well.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #SecondAmendment, #billofrights, #firearmsafety, #guncontrol, #gunconfiscation, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

National Peace Officers Memorial Day

May 15th is National Peace Officers Memorial Day, part of National Police Week. Throughout this week we take time to honor those men and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty. An estimated 20,000 officers, family and survivors will attend the candlelight vigil and ceremonies this week at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Many more will honor their fallen in personal ceremonies all around the country.

Established by a joint Congressional resolution in 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week that it falls as National Police Week. Dedicated in 1991, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. consists of two 304-foot blue-gray marble walls with the names of 21,183 federal, state and local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Beginning with Sheriff Cornelius Hogeboom, the first known officer’s death in 1791 through today, new names are added to the memorial each spring.

During the past 10 years, an average of 151 officers have been killed in the line of duty, a rate of about one every 63 hours. As of May 14th, 2017, 49 officers had lost their lives this year, as compared to 36 in the same time in 2016.

Where most people’s natural, and justifiable instinct is to run from the sound of gunfire, the law enforcement officer’s job is to run towards it. Where others seek shelter, the officer goes out to put an end to the danger. Where there is no one else to help, the officer is always there.

Those who enter this profession do so for a variety of reasons, but all commit to the difficult job of serving their community. They work shifts around the clock, in all weather conditions, in all situations; dealing with the worst our society has to offer, with ever-increasing public and media scrutiny, where their life is literally on the line every single day. Overwhelmingly, they do so with pride, integrity and honor.

Many current and former officers like myself know one or more of the names engraved on those memorial walls. We remember them not only for their service and sacrifice, but for the individuals they were. They were our friends and family. They were children, spouses, parents and grandparents themselves. They were the smile, the helping hand and the kind word when it was needed the most. They were much more than someone wearing a badge; they were a part of our lives.

This week we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of safety, protection and justice of others. We also pray for those who continue to live a life of service in their communities, and thank them for their ongoing commitment.

You can learn more about the Memorial and ceremonies this week at the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund at: http://www.nleomf.org.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #nleomf, #nationalpeaceofficersmemorial, #nationalpoliceweek, #bluelivesmatter, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

Beards, Tattoos and Other Tactical Crap

It’s long been known by shooting industry insiders that certain personal attributes give you a distinct tactical edge over your opponent. These items in combination can turn someone with even minimal skills into a full-fledged operator. At the top of the list are tactical beards and tactical tattoos, followed closely by a whole litany of tactical kit. As we explore these secrets in greater detail, please note this is for tactical operating only. Competitive shooters have a whole different list of crap to make them shoot better.

Take a look at some of the biggest and baddest in the tactical industry and you’ll start to notice some subtle differences about these uber-badass shooters. It’s not just that they can shoot the eyes out of an ISIS terrorist at 100 yards, one handed, while riding a Harley down a cobblestone street, that’s a given. It’s those secret personal pluses they bring to the game.

Starting with the most obvious, it’s the tactical beard. A full and glorious beard, the fuller the better is a key element for tactical operations. Note that mustaches only, unkempt stubble and those little strands that dangle delicately from the bottom of the chin provide no tactical advantages, even if it did take you a lifetime to grow it. On the other end of the spectrum, tactical beards do NOT flow to your beltline or resemble anyone in ZZ Top. If you hide your jug or store your lunch in it, it’s not a tactical beard.

Next in line are tattoos. Generally the more the better, but it’s got to be the right kind of ink to make you a better shooter. Teddy bears, unicorns and Disney characters are out. Weaponry, gun logos (except Hi-Point, that’ll just get you fragged) and anything Spartan are good. These tactical tattoos don’t have to be completely visible, but they have to show enough in public to be effective. Unless you only plan on fighting on a nude beach, keep the good stuff out of the crotch region. Face tattoos while very visible only help if you’re shooting gangsta style. Hey, I don’t make up the rules.

Then there’s the other stuff, most commonly know as “kit”. Having the right kit is critical for tactical superiority. Leather used to be in, but scientific research has proven it only beneficial to cowboy action shooters now. Kydex is good, but it will only get you so far. To reach the highest level, you’ve got to have heavy-duty nylon and molle gear, lots & lots of molle gear. And on that molle gear you’ve got to mount everything in your armory. Yea, that’s right, you have an armory and you carry it with you as your EDC.

So what if you can’t quite pull off the tactical trifecta of beard-tattoo-kit for some reason. Maybe you just can’t grow a beard, are allergic to ink or can’t afford the right kit. Is there any hope for you or are you just going to be a sucker waiting to get picked off drinking a Unicorn Frappuccino? Well good news! There’s one last chance to make you a better shooter.

GET YOUR ASS TO THE RANGE AND PRACTICE!!!

Seriously, did we have to go through all of that to get your attention? Facial hair, tattoos and accessories may get you extra tacti-cool points, but beyond that mean diddly-squat. Stop looking for shortcuts!! What you really need is practice, practice, and more damn practice.

Go shoot already!

Bob

#oddstuffing, #tacticalbeard, #tacticaltattoo, #tacticalkit, # tacticaltrifecta, #SecondAmendment, #RightToBearArms, #PRACTICE, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

A Tale Of Two Guns

Two unassuming firearms start out their lives together, one right after the other on the assembly line. They are nearly identical, but they are very, very different. The first one, serial number Nug667, is a good gun, destined for a life of service and protection. The other one, serial number Nug666, is a bad gun. It is pure evil and desires only to cause pain to innocent lives. Their lives take very different paths until the night they come back together again.

It is a day like most others at the factory. Firearms coming together from the various pieces and parts until they take their final functional form. At the end of the line, they are test fired and boxed, awaiting shipment to a distributor, then retailer and their new owners. Nug667 performed admirably in all the tests, as did Nug666. But even the highly experienced assembly and test workers couldn’t figure out what was off about it, so it was readied for shipping.

Once at the gun shop, Nug667 is pulled aside for a new hire at the local police department. They chose it because the serial number would match the new recruit’s badge number, 667. It would be a good omen. The recruit takes his new service weapon and attends the police academy. He is taught marksmanship, use of force and maintenance with it. He excels in all the shooting courses and takes impeccable care of his new firearm. Upon graduation, officer 667 and Nug667 hit the streets together.

Like most officers’ firearms, they are rarely fired in the course of their work. This was the case of Nug667. While it was drawn on a number of felony stops and arrests, the offenders chose to surrender instead of shooting it out with the police. Still Nug667 saw plenty of use during required police training and officer 667’s own practice. As it was in the academy, it was well cared for, dutifully cleaned and parts replaced when needed.

Nug666 was different. Customers at the gun shop could tell something wasn’t right with it and all passed it over. It sat for months and months, far longer than any like it. When it was finally bought, the purchaser ‘looked’ normal, but had other intentions. All of the forms were filled out and the questions answered correctly. Identification presented was genuine and the background check on the purchaser came back clear. By outward appearance and demeanor, the purchaser did everything right. Nug666 was packaged up and delivered, nobody realizing it had committed its first crime. For this was a straw purchase, someone with a clean record buying a firearm for someone else. In this case, the “someone else” was a convicted felon who would not be able to legally buy or possess a firearm. Later that evening Nug666 was handed over to the felon in exchange for a quantity of drugs, the felon’s preferred method of commerce. With the exchange, Nug666 commits more crimes and becomes involved in the community’s drug trade.

Over the next several years, Nug666 accompanies its felon owner on many drug purchases and deliveries. It is carried into numerous burglaries and used to rob several stores, being aimed at defenseless clerks. Beyond the initial few rounds the felon took to the woods and fired into the trees, Nug666 wasn’t fired at all. Still, it amassed a huge list of crimes where it was used for intimidation. It looked much older since it was never cleaned and often times stored loose under car seats, in trucks and even for a while in a ditch when the felon thought he was going to be stopped.

Then late one night, a store in this city was robbed at gunpoint. The frightened clerk doesn’t move fast enough and is shot. Nug666 now adds murder to its long list of crimes. The felon jumps in his car and takes off. A short distance away Officer 667 pulls the car over and orders the felon out of the car, Nug667 pointing at the driver. The felon jumps out of the car and pulls Nug666 out of his waistband as he charges towards the officer. A single shot rings out.

Of course all of the above is nothing but a fable. Not because of the actions; these play out every day in cities and towns across our country. It is fiction because there is no such thing as a good or evil gun. Every firearm ever made is nothing more than a mechanical object. It has no soul, no will and no intent of its own. It is simply a tool to be used by a human. It can be used by an officer or law-abiding citizen to protect and preserve life, or it can be used by a criminal to take an innocent one.

Many in our society blame the gun, the inanimate object, for the crime, violence and death. They say if it weren’t for availability of guns, these things would go away. What they forget is evil intent will always find a way as it always has. In areas where guns are not allowed, criminals can always get and use them. And when they can’t, they use knives, hammers, bats, vehicles, bombs or their own fists and feet to commit those crimes, violence and death.

Guns are not the problem; criminals are the problem. Until we stop blaming an object and hold criminals fully accountable for their actions; crime, violence and death will never go away.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #SecondAmendment, #RightToBearArms, #CrimeAndViolence, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

Is California Too Far Gone To Save?

I met up with a very good friend a short time ago and we began discussing the current state of affairs in California as it relates to firearms. As optimistic as we tried to be, the outlook for law-abiding firearms owners here is dismal. Even with the shift in leadership at the national level and a new Associate Supreme Court Justice, can we reasonably expect anything to change here?

California, better known to us behind enemy lines as Kalifornistan, is infamous for infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens while simultaneously granting more rights to those who break the law. For firearm owners and Second Amendment supporters, it’s the worst of the worst. New laws targeting “dangerous loopholes” in public safety inexplicably impact only the law-abiding and do absolutely nothing to reduce crime or punish criminals.

Perhaps you’ve seen the latest NRA ad for the West coast: Don’t Give Up On California—The NRA Hasn’t. The accompanying photo shows a massive NRA banner strung across the Golden Gate Bridge. Photoshop of course since this state would literally explode if that ever happened. The point of the promotion is that the NRA is fighting to restore our Second Amendment rights in the state. Sadly, the key word here is “restore”. So many of our firearm rights are already gone, whittled away bit by bit by fringe politicians, gun grabbing elitists and activist jurists who have no regard for the rule of law or the Constitution.

Many Californians are justifiably upset with the NRA and other national advocacy groups for seemingly abandoning the state in the run-up to the 2016 elections. Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely understand the need to focus on national races for the good of the entire country. It’s just a little hard for us living in occupied territory to feel the joy when nothing seems to trickle into our state. We see strong Second Amendment support all over the country including more states adopting constitutional carry and fortifying firearm ownership rights. Meanwhile, we can’t buy the latest and safest firearms, use or keep our standard capacity magazines and will have to surrender our modern sporting rifles or bastardize them beyond recognition in order to not register them on the pre-confiscation list. Never mind that soon we’ll need an ammunition-purchasing license for in-state only ammo purchases and point-of-sale background checks.

We are at a severe disadvantage in this state since we as firearm owners can’t seem to come together as a group to stop the laws before they are created. Those who wish to see every California resident disarmed (except the government, the elitists’ bodyguards and the criminals) own a super majority in the both the chambers of the state legislature as well as the Governor’s mansion. Opposition to any measure of gun control/gun elimination is dealt with swiftly and decisively. Rules and procedures are changed as needed to keep dissent – and accountability – out and ensure the party platform is enacted.

Our only recourse now is through the courts. As history has shown us, fighting a law AFTER the fact is always going to be more difficult, more time consuming, more expensive and far less certain than stopping a bad idea before it becomes law. Even the most egregious, Constitutionally infringing law is going to take years to wind its way through the state and federal courts. Each appeal costs more and more with no guarantee of even being granted a hearing much less a favorable outcome with the Supreme Court, no matter who sits on it.

The result is what you would expect. Just as more companies are leaving this state due to the unfavorable tax and regulatory environment here, Second Amendment supporters are leaving as well. And quite honestly, who can blame them? Why live in a state that treats you like the next mass killer in waiting – while apparently rewarding criminals for breaking the law? Even worse than losing their vote, we’re losing their ability to be a positive Second Amendment supporter role model in their community.

Is California too far gone to save? I certainly hope not. This isn’t some theoretical ideology from a bygone era we are fighting for; it’s about our ability to protect our lives and the lives of our loved ones, in a state that doesn’t care about our rights or our lives.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #2A, #SecondAmendment, #RightToBearArms, #GunRights, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

 

Twenty-Seven Words of Freedom

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution is a mere 27 words long, yet it is unquestionably the most intensely debated, contested, misinterpreted and abused of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights. Recklessly maligned as being out of date in our modern times, it remains one of the fundamental protections for our nation, now as it was then.

Adopted on December 15, 1791 with the other nine initial Amendments, the Second Amendment reads:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

One of the most widespread misconceptions about the Second Amendment is that it grants the right to bear arms. In reality, it does nothing of the kind. It merely protects that right. The right to bear arms is considered a natural right, one that is not dependent on the laws or customs of any culture or government. Rights of this kind are also called inalienable or even god given rights, inherent to all persons.

If you read the text of the Bill of Rights, you will find that all of the Amendments are there to protect the individual rights, not to grant them. And, just as critical is who they protect these rights from; the government. The Bill of Rights are not a limitation on what the “people” can do, but on what the government cannot do.

The concept of the protection applying to the “people” is where the Second Amendment is often attacked. Since the prefatory clause says “A well regulated Militia”, it is argued the operative clause protecting the right only applies to the militia. However, as with the rest of the Bill of Rights, the rights protected are all individual – the people – rights.

It is also said that the Founding Fathers could never have foreseen the power of modern weaponry and that they only intended individuals to own muskets for hunting. In reality, muskets were the modern ‘weapons of war’ issued to the military and far more advanced firearms were already available. And just as our First Amendment protected rights today are not limited to what is expressed with a quill and inkwell or a hand-operated press, the Second Amendment is not limited to what was available at the time it was written.

My argument for the Second Amendment in modern times centers on the context of when it was written. Otherwise known as originalism or textualism, it is that the interpretation should be based on what the common understanding of the text to be at the time it was written. Naturally this view is hotly debated. Judges, lawyers, politicians, professors, legal scholars and even our own Supreme Court are not united on this view, much less how the Second Amendment protections should be applied.

I at least choose to believe the Founding Father’s vision for the nation and that for over 225 years, the Second Amendment protection of the right to bear arms, whether or not formally recognized by a court ruling, has applied to the individual, to the people.

The debate and the struggle over the Second Amendment will likely go on long after I am dead and buried. I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. As each new generation comes forward, it’s important to have a contemporary recap of the principles that brought us to this point as well as a reminder of how protecting these rights is essential in modern society.

We cannot take for granted the rights that our ancestors fought and died for. We cannot let our rights be stripped away by politically correct thinking or by the elite who are willing to sacrifice the populous so that they can have more power and control. We cannot let our lives or the lives of our families to be offered up to those who would do us harm without a fight.

This is why I fight for those twenty-seven words of freedom known as the Second Amendment.

Bob

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Law Abiding Victims

As law-abiding firearm owners, we relentlessly monitor the law in order to keep ourselves on the legal of the fence. That’s no easy feat in places like California where the steady influx of new laws, updated old laws, and changing administrative rules flow faster than our tax dollars down the drain. But what happens to our law-abiding status when the laws specifically target us instead of the criminals?

The political types like to say they are tough on crime and are all about “public safety”. The problem is, what they SAY is completely opposite from what they DO. While espousing public safety, California has decreased the penalties for breaking the law. Proposition 47 reclassified many crimes as misdemeanors and as a result put more criminals back on the streets and increased the crime rate in every city and town in the state. Proposition 57 redefined crimes such as assault with a deadly weapon, rape of an unconscious person, human trafficking involving sex act with minors, drive-by shootings and assault with a deadly weapon on peace officer as “non-violent” felonies eligible for early release.

So that’s how the State treats criminals. How do they treat the law-abiding citizenry? Proposition 63 makes it a crime to import ammunition into the state, creates a licensing and background check system for every ammo purchase and takes away grandfathered standard capacity magazines, all perfectly legal today. The 2016 Gunmageddon Laws also redefined currently legal firearms as so-called “assault weapons” that must be registered or disposed of.

What impact will these laws have on criminals? To people who don’t obey the law, the new laws will have zero negative impact. It will only make it harder for the law-abiding citizens to defend themselves from criminals who aren’t following the law anyway.

Since the government is taking away your ability to defend yourself, they will protect you, right? Not exactly. While many police departments have a motto similar to the Los Angeles Police’s “To Protect and To Serve”, the truth of the matter is they have no duty to protect you.

In 2005 the United States Supreme Court ruled in Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748, that the police did not have a constitutional duty to protect a person from harm. This case involved a woman who had obtained a court-issued protective order against a violent husband, making an arrest mandatory for a violation.

Now I can tell you as a former law enforcement officer, I most certainly considered it my solemn duty to protect the public and I did absolutely everything in my power to do so. Of the officers I worked with over the years, I am confident they would say the same. However the harsh reality of the police work is that but for the one in a million fluke of incredible luck, you will not have an officer there to protect you when you need one. There simply can never be enough law enforcement presence to accomplish that. The absolute best the police can do is respond AFTER the fact.

See the previous Odd Stuffing post on law enforcement response times: When Seconds Count at: http://oddstuffing.com/archives/53

So where does that leave us? If the police can not be there to protect you, and have no legal duty to provide protection to you – the very same agencies who will not grant you a concealed carry permit because they deem your need for self protection to not be greater than what is met by current police services – the law-abiding become a by-product of gun control with no means of redress.

Gun control’s inevitable end result is just one thing, law-abiding victims.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #secondamendment, #righttobeararms, #guncontrolvictims, #lawabidingvictims, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com