Tag: OddStuffing

Beware The Old Man

Men (and women) generally peak physically and mentally somewhere between 25 and 35 years of age. After that everything from eyesight, muscle mass, flexibility and mental ability tend to slowly decline. So does that mean that anyone over the age of 35 should be cast aside since they are past some generalized peak performance measure? Hell no!

My rant comes from a conversation about training and how it was supposedly better to go with a younger trainer than with someone who is older with outdated skills. I still haven’t decided if that was directed towards me – someone who is a bit older – or just older people in general. Either way, it caused those two still functional grey cells in my head to start thinking and ya know what, it doesn’t work that way.

Saying that someone, anyone, is out of date because of their age dismisses most of what age brings to the table with one big stereotyping statement. Certainly there are those who are out of date because they have stopped learning. But what about the professionals who continue to learn and improve their skills their entire life? What value do we assign to someone who has seen and experienced the evolution of techniques, practices and technology?

While I’m specifically speaking about one thing, the principle of experience applies across all physical or mental skills. When we learn something new, we learn from someone who already has that knowledge or skill. It is generally someone a bit older who has experience in that area. And they learned it from someone else in the same way.

Passing on what we know used to be a lot more common than it is today. It is still prevalent in the trades where apprentices work with masters, learning one step, one skill at a time until they become full-fledged tradesmen. Hopefully they too will someday pass along what they learned from their master, and from their own experience, to the next generation. By doing this each successive tradesman becomes better than they were in the past.

The whole premise of this is those in the profession never stop learning. Each time they utilize their skill, they have the opportunity to figure out how to do it better than it was taught to them. They learn from their own experience as well as tapping into the experience of others. Ongoing education and collaboration is key since the experience of a community will progress faster than the experience of just one person.

We tend to dismiss the idea of experience quickly since experience seems to equate to age, and age of course is bad. Tech companies are notorious for this. They’d rather bring in someone fresh out of college with all the latest skills than invest in their current employees. The decision of course is economic since employees who have been with a company longer are higher up in the pay scale than those who would come in off the street. You also have to invest in on-going education for your employees, another cost. When you replace the more experienced you also lose the institutional knowledge of what has been done before.

What does experience do for us? It gives us points of reference for things we are doing now. When we do a task, any task, we search our memory for how we’ve done it before. The more times we’ve done it, the more variations we’ve seen, the better our ability to perform that task or improvise a different way of approaching it. Knowing what has previously worked, as well as what has failed, gives insight to what may work the next time. A favorite quote to add some perspective: “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” – Edmund Burke

There is an old warrior proverb that says: ‘Beware the old man in a profession where men die young.’ Age is only a number that comes from surviving another birthday. Wisdom drawn from experience is the key to expertise. Dismissing what someone past their “prime” has to offer because you believe they are no longer relevant is a quick and easy way to make yourself feel good, right up until the old guy hands you your ass on a platter because he knows how to play the game a whole lot better than you thought he did.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #oldwarrior, #experience, #wisdom, #oldguys #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

That New Gun You Can’t Have

We all do it. We get a new hunting, sporting or firearms magazine and lo and behold, there is a new gun we simply HAVE to have. It’s newer, has better ergonomics, improved safety features, more reliable, more comfortable to shoot, more accurate, now available in the caliber we always wanted and in a color or texture we had only dreamed of. We MUST have it!!

But wait… We can’t have it. We live in a state where there are restrictions on what we can own. Restrictions put in place by people who disagree with our right to bear arms and who will use everything in their power – and paid for by our tax dollars – to make it more difficult for us to purchase firearms and ammunition while working to eliminate the ones we already own.

In California, one such restriction is the Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale. Reportedly initiated to protect the California consumer from unsafe “Saturday Night Specials”, it is fast becoming a defacto ban on handguns in California. Beginning in 2001, so called “safety standards” for handguns were adopted by the State and have been steadily added to over the years. The required features are supposed to enhance safety because California consumers can’t be educated or trusted to safely operate a firearm without them. Requirements for the Roster include drop testing, magazine disconnects, loaded chamber indicators, melting point tests and now, micro-stamping. It is of course okay to own non-roster guns if you had them before or you move into the state with them. Those are safe enough for California.

The trend started in California and has now spread to Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and the District of Columbia. All have very specific requirements and none are the same. All are said to be for our own safety when in fact they are doing the exact opposite.

California’s requirements are now the most stringent with the addition of micro-stamping. For those who are not familiar with it, micro-stamping is the process of laser engraving a unique code, which is not the serial number, on the firing pin and chamber of a semi-automatic pistol. The intent is this code will then be transferred in two places on the ejected casing and can be used to trace the pistol that fired it. The technology is extraordinarily expensive and has been shown to be ineffective. It is unreliable, easily removed with a 30 second application of a light abrasive material, wears out quickly and can simply be replaced by a non-engraved part. There are no firearms using this technology and no firearm manufacturer has adopted it or has any plans to. But the State of California is not deterred by any of these facts. It is now required for all new handguns added to the Roster, none of which will ever be made.

They tell us the good news for consumers in California is firearms that are currently on the roster that don’t meet the requirements can remain as long as the submission fees are paid. However if just ONE component changes, the entire firearm must be recertified to the new requirements.

How specific is the Roster? Make, model and caliber, but also any variations such as color are considered a separate firearm. Some models are specified to the exact product SKU. Change the grip panel and it’s a different SKU. A Gen 3 Glock 19 in OD, on the roster. A Gen 3 Glock 19 in FDE, not on the roster. Of course none of the Gen 4 models are approved nor are the exact same Gen 3 models manufactured from the exact same parts in the USA vs. Austria.

California’s current Roster contains 736 models. Of this, over 200 are simply variations such as color, which further reduces the number of models available for purchase. And the list is declining each and every month as obsolete, no longer manufactured firearms are dropping off. Combine this with California’s ban on so-called “assault weapons”, restricting the type of long guns that can be owned and the subset of firearms that can be legally purchased in the state is dwindling fast.

Of course law enforcement is exempt from the Roster. And not just for work related handguns, but for all handguns. Something they want to buy for the family to go plink with? A-Okay! It’s almost as if the State purposely wants to put law enforcement families in danger by allowing them to purchase known unsafe handguns (massive sarcasm implied).

Why do I bring this up today? This week begins the annual NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) SHOT (Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade) Show in Las Vegas. Manufacturers, wholesalers and dealers from around the world will be showing off the latest and greatest technology in all things firearms and the shooting sports. Even though they will be showcasing the latest, greatest and safest firearms ever made, most won’t be available to you in your gun-restricted state. You’ll just have to settle for the few remaining outdated models – until they don’t make those any more.

Then what will you do?

Bob

#oddstuffing, #secondamendment, #righttobeararms, #unobtainium, #NSSF, #SHOTSHOW, #mewe, #medium, #oddstuffing.com

The Gun Free Zone Trap

This past Friday a former military member flew from Anchorage, Alaska to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his handgun legally secured in checked luggage. After picking up his bag at the luggage carousel, he reportedly went to a restroom, retrieved his firearm and came out to the baggage claim area – a gun free zone – and began shooting. Five souls lost their lives, six were injured and dozens more hurt in the panic to escape the terminal.

While his motives for flying all the way to Florida to perpetrate his act of violence have not been disclosed yet, it was clear he experienced mental health issues, committed domestic violence, had recent contact with law enforcement including the FBI and may have been influenced by radical ideology.

Immediately following this incident, the kneejerk reactionists around the country were coming to the rescue. Interviews with air travelers abound who were shocked to learn that you could bring a gun on a plane. Pundits were arguing about what must be done now to close this dangerous loophole. Clueless newscasters paraphrasing the law into a narrative of how easily you can take dangerous weapons on airlines.

Among the recommendations: Not allowing any firearms in checked baggage. Allowing firearms but no ammo – since you can just order it online and get it mailed to you in a day or two (obviously not from a California politician), having the airlines give firearms “special handling” and having the secure zone extended to every entrance of the airport building.

What the airlines and TSA don’t tell you is the backside of the airport is less like the sterile high-security zone they claim it is and more like Obi-Wan’s description of the Mos Eisley Spaceport.

Those of us who are a little older will remember the way unloaded firearms used to be checked in at the airport. On declaring it and signing the form, a big-ass red tag that said FIREARM(S) UNLOADED was placed on the outside of your bag. Why is this tag now on the inside? Because that big-ass red tag was a magnet to thieves and the “special handling” meant your firearm got stolen. It is now against federal law to mark containers that contain a firearm.

Airport security is always a huge problem and we’ve consistently shown how to do it wrong. Every time you put in a new security checkpoint or perimeter, you create a queue of soft human targets on the other side. Airports around the world who extend the security ring further out have learned how vulnerable these locations become. In response, they just move the queues, and targets, further out.

What nobody has mentioned is this is another case where someone with obvious mental health issues and criminal intent fell through the cracks. All of the warning signs we as citizens are told to be on the alert for were there. Acts of violence, evidence of radicalization, contacts with law enforcement including him going to the local FBI field office himself, having his firearm – the very firearm used in the attack – confiscated by the FBI and later returned and being referred for mental health screening. Yet somehow, nobody felt it was important enough to investigate further. A very sad commentary on what might have been prevented.

What will happen next? You can be sure the elitists and politicians in gun-hostile states will be demanding more restrictions on the legal carriage of firearms if not an all out ban. All of it is of course just more security theater and will only impact the law-abiding citizens who choose to legally transport their firearms with them. Two-bit thug terrorists and criminals will find a way around the security measures. They always have and they always will. Meanwhile, an unarmed and vulnerable public will be waiting there to be their next victims.

Simply put, gun-free zones do not work. They are a magnet for anyone who wants to commit acts of violence with impunity. Honest, law-abiding citizens will follow the rules and will be caught in a trap. Criminals – who by the very definition of their existence do not obey the law – will not. And the result will be more sacrifices in the name of ‘public safety’.

Only by putting the fear of being put down immediately by one of many unidentified legally armed citizens who are willing to protect their lives and the lives of their loved ones will these thugs be deterred.

Yes, it really is that simple.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #secondamendment, #concealedcarry, #gunfreezoneskill, #mewe, #medium, #oddstuffing.com

Firearm Owners’ Resolutions for 2017

The New Year is finally offering firearm owners hope for the survival of the Second Amendment. With an incoming administration and Congress who are NOT actively looking at repealing, restricting or otherwise minimizing the Bill of Rights, firearm owners are taking a deep sigh of relief. This is good. A lot of people worked very hard to make this happen. But the celebration and rest time is over and it’s time to get back to work.

Whereas we may be feeling more secure at the national level and with the prospect of a Constitutional jurist being seated on the United States Supreme Court, the gun-grabbing elitists are now shifting their fight to a different battleground. They are now working on local and state infringements by spreading their misinformation campaigns in the traditionally liberal population centers.

As the usual rhetoric continues and we are labeled as domestic terrorists and haters by those who destroy private property and attack our law enforcement officers in the name of peace, tolerance and inclusiveness, we need to rise above. We must be better than the prejudiced stereotype they manufactured for us and show the nation what we stand for.

Here are some New Year’s resolutions:

The Four Rules

Live by the four basic firearms safety rules like your life and everyone else’s depends on it. Live them everywhere, everyday in every situation.

  1. Treat all firearms as if they were loaded.
  2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
  3. Never place your finger on the trigger until your sights are on target and you have made the decision to fire.
  4. Know your target, what is in front of it and what is beyond it.

Take the High Road

Be polite, respectful and non-emotional whenever you discuss firearms and the Second Amendment. It is an emotional topic for many but a screaming, name calling match never accomplishes anything. Remember, only the part with a Second Amendment supporter losing control will be seen in the evitable viral video.

Join

If you haven’t joined one of the state or national organizations fighting for your Second Amendment rights, do it now. These organizations are critical to protecting and furthering our rights and there are many battles to be fought this year.
2. Donate

For each firearm you purchase during the year, donate to one of these state or national Second Amendment groups. Pick a percentage that works for you or simply donate the value of a box of high quality ammo for the firearm you purchased. If everyone gives a little, we can make a huge difference.

Training

Take a firearms class. It doesn’t matter how high speed-low drag you are; firearms skills are perishable. If you haven’t done actual training with a qualified instructor for a while, it’s time to get back on the firing line. Anyone can pick up a firearm and pull the trigger. We must clearly demonstrate we are the ones who take our right to bear arms seriously and responsibly.

Take a medical aid class. Likewise, if you haven’t taken first aid, CPR or trauma care since you were in the Scouts, it’s time for a refresher. Times have changed and your life or the life of someone you care about could very well count on you knowing what to do in an emergency.

Take a friend to the range.

We all have friends that shoot and friends that don’t shoot. The shooters will always go, so ask one of your non-shooting friends if they’d like to come with you. Instruct them on safety and the mechanics of shooting and help them with their first shots. You’ll help to break down some barriers to understanding and you might just get someone else hooked on the shooting sports.

Volunteer

Get out in your community and lend a hand. There are opportunities all around us for needs large and small. It doesn’t have to relate to firearms. In fact doing something other than firearms is actually a positive thing. When the community wants to know what kind of people we are, it shouldn’t always be about firearms. We are all well rounded, complete people interested in travel, food, art, the environment and international politics (etc. etc. etc.) as well as being gun nuts. The more everyone sees us as a part of the everyday community, the better off we all are.

The fight for our rights will be shifting closer to our homes and will involve our family, friends and neighbors like never before. More than anything else in the coming year, we need to be the best example of what a law-abiding, safety conscious, firearm owning, Second Amendment supporter really is.

Let’s make 2017 a year where we lead by example.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #constitution, #billofrights, #secondamendment, #2A, #FirearmOwnersResolutionsfor2017, #2017, #leadbyexample, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com

They DO Want To Take Your Guns!

The gun grabbing elitists’ favorite saying is always “Nobody wants to take your guns”. These are the same folks who also say, “I support the Second Amendment”. The problem is, it’s just not true.

Before we dive into the latest set of lies and infringements on our rights, let’s take a look at what they want to take away… all firearms they do not personally control. In other words, any that are not owned by the government or their personal protection details. They simply do not believe the civilian population should own firearms.

A little preface about firearms. They are not consumable products. They are finely crafted, complex and durable machines. They are designed to reliably and accurately propel a projectile towards its target. The target is solely based on the intent of the person using it. A firearm has no will of its own. It can be used for hunting, sport, recreation, self-defense and enforcing the law – as well as for evil.

I make the special note that firearms are not consumable goods as many of us have firearms that have been passed down from father to son or daughter for generations. It’s not at all uncommon to have firearms well over a hundred years old that are still operational and as mechanically sound as they were on the day they were created. Firearms destined for the next generations can be individual specimens or part of considerable collections. It is very common for an owner to expect to pass on his or her firearms to their children when the time is right.

Let’s also take a look at the trend in firearm ownership. The most conservative estimates say there are roughly 350 million personally owned firearms in this country. For the past 19 months, inquiries to the NICS background check system have set new records. While not an actual count of the number of firearms sold, it is the best indicator of consumer demand for firearms. While some of this may rightfully be attributed to fears about the 2016 Presidential election, the Black Friday background checks – AFTER the elections – also set a new record. Americans are not rejecting personal firearm ownership; they are choosing to buy more.

Now let’s look at the newly enacted laws in California. Previously safe and legal firearms are no longer safe or legal to own – unless you pay a fee and register them as a so-called ‘assault weapon’. Among the list of draconian regulations your new ‘assault weapon’ must comply with, you will no longer be able to sell, transfer or pass it down to your descendants. Of course, you can alter it to remove the cosmetic features that make it too deadly to own and de-register it, making it transferable – at least for now.

Since the rules for ‘assault weapons’ have changed numerous times already, there’s nothing to guarantee your featureless rifle won’t be considered a nontransferable ‘assault weapon’ next year. Oh, and that firearm you built yourself and dutifully placed a new state issued serial number on? You can’t sell, transfer or pass that one down to your descendants either. There’s no deregister path there. It’s just plain nontransferable.

What are your options for your non-transferable firearms? Sell them to someone out of state OR take them to your local police department and turn them in for destruction. And no, they won’t pay you for them. Simple right?

So how is this not taking my guns away? Until the State of California changes it’s mind and says I can no longer posses my so-called ‘assault weapon’ or self-built firearm, I can keep them myself. But I can’t sell them, I can’t transfer them and I can’t pass them down to my children. These are not pieces of property that are used up and discarded; they are pieces of our American heritage and family heirlooms no different than grandfather’s pocket watch or grandmother’s thimble collection. Why does the State of California have the right to determine what is passed on to the next generation and what is not?

The gun-banning elitists are continuing their long con game on the American firearm owner. But continuing to impose incremental ‘common sense gun safety’ laws that do nothing to improve safety and only take rights away from the law-abiding, they are working to eliminate firearm ownership within a single generation.

As optimistic as we are, California may be a lost cause. So many rights have been taken away for so long that it will be very difficult, if not impossible to get them back. The only hope rests with the next Supreme Court striking down some of these constitutional infringements.

Of course, appeals are the hard way. We need to stop these laws from being passed in the first place. Every elected seat at every level counts, now more than ever because they really do want to take your guns.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #2A, #SecondAmendment, #Constitution, #BillOfRights, #nobodywantstotakeyourguns, #theyreallydowanttotakeyourguns, #mewe, #oddstuffing

No Need To Have A High-Capacity Magazine?

Fresh off the razor thin victory (50.45% to 49.55%) of Question 1 – universal background checks for firearms in Nevada, the anti-gun forces are ready to start the new year with their next gun control push, banning so-called ‘high-capacity’ magazines.

It’s worth noting Question 1 was sponsored by the national anti-gun / anti-rights groups at the cost of over $20 million. It was passed by one county and one county only, Clark County; the home of Las Vegas. Like so many areas around the country, a densely populated urban area has claimed the moral high ground for senseless laws.

What exactly is a ‘high-capacity’ or ‘large capacity’ magazine? According to the anti-gun elite, it’s any magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds. Why 10? There really doesn’t seem to be any logical rational behind it. They point to the revolvers that typically held six rounds and say semi-automatic firearms are just a new deadly phenomenon.

Of the states that currently have bans on ‘high-capacity’ magazines, most have the limit set at 10, a couple at 15. New York, in a late night knee-jerk reactionary legislative session, set theirs to seven. You can still purchase and possess a 10 round magazine in New York, but you can only put seven rounds in it – unless you are at a shooting range.

What the fringe call ‘high-capacity’ magazines, the rest of the world knows as standard capacity. Standard magazine capacity has increased over the years as technology has improved. An original standard capacity Colt 1911 magazine holds seven .45 ACP rounds. Today a standard capacity Glock 17 magazine holds 17 9 mm rounds. Standard capacity for rifles and shotguns ranges from as little as three to 30, or more. Standard capacity depends on the size of the ammunition and the firearm it is made for. Just as technology has advanced cars, telephones, printing and every other aspect of our lives, firearm technology has advanced too. Capacity increased a whopping six times from the single shot muzzleloader to a six shot revolver. Today, semi automatic, magazine fed firearms are by far the most popular firearm for sport and self-defense.

Back in Nevada, the anti-gun elitists, emboldened by their victory in November are queuing up their next Second Amendment rights infringement. Clark County, Nevada’s Sheriff Joe Lombardo is now leading the fight to ban ‘high-capacity’ magazines in the state. Commenting: “I’m a very avid hunter, I was in the military myself, and there’s no need to have a high-capacity magazine for any practical reason,” He also came up with a new gun control fallacy: “It’s also not uncommon for guns to jam during magazine change-outs.”

It is very unfortunate that a veteran law enforcement officer and former US Army Lieutenant would take a stand like this. Instead of working to protect the rights and security of the residents of his state, he is working to make life safer for criminals. But as we are seeing more often these days, many chief law enforcement officials are politicians first, law enforcement officers last.

The photo that accompanies this article is from a Fremont CA home invasion burglary on August 28, 2016. It shows five armed men coming into the house, one carrying a handgun with a magazine extending below the pistol grip. Fortunately, the residents were not home at the time. Even if the resident was armed with a California 10 round magazine, he would most certainly have been killed in this encounter. In this burglary the homeowner was able to call the police while watching the burglary on the home cameras. Unfortunately they left before the police arrived and were not caught.

Burglaries and robberies with multiple armed attackers are far more common than ever. Yet the anti-gunners say you have no need to have a ‘high-capacity’ magazine. Apparently you have no need to stay alive either.

So exactly how will a ban on law-abiding firearms owners having standard capacity magazines make everyone safer? It won’t. Shockingly, criminals get the tools of their trade by criminal means. If it’s not available here, it’s available from somewhere else in the world. Everything from drugs, watches, handbags, cars and people are smuggled into this country every single day. Yes, guns are smuggled into this country too.

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 350 plus million 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 outweighing felonious uses by 30-80 to one.

Nevada has only to look at what has happened in California to see their future. A ban on ‘high-capacity’ magazines with a grandfathered clause for currently owned ones will only be the first step. Then, a little time in the future, a new law will outlaw those grandfathered magazines as well. It will be just one in a long series of ‘common sense’ gun control measures which will do nothing to stop or prevent any crime, just systematically eliminate firearms from the law-abiding community.

Despite the ongoing optimism of the few remaining patriots in the state, California may be a lost cause. But Nevada doesn’t have to be. It’s still early in the game and if the Second Amendment supporters there get their act together now, they may be able to save their rights from being flushed down the toilet.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #SecondAmendment, #2A, #gunrights, #standardcapacitymagazines, #highcapacitymagazines, #Nevadagunrights, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com

A New Hope

At the risk of serious reprisal from the Empire (Disney) as the new Star Wars movie is about to be released, today I present – A New Hope.

Firearm owners around the country have been living in dark times. Self-proclaimed ‘gun safety’ elitists have been attacking the very foundations of our freedom, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They have been slowly but surely whittling away our Second Amendment rights in the name of “common sense gun safety measures”.

Nowhere has this been more evident than here in California. Every year, new draconian legislation is pushed out upon the citizenry with the promise to make them safer. Every year the rights of law-abiding firearms owners are restricted a little bit more. Every year Second Amendment rights are eroded a little further. Yet every year the rights of criminals are expanded, more criminals are released early from prison, crime gets worse and we are less safe in our homes and communities.

But now there is a new hope. While the 2016 general elections were a mixed bag of results for many, firearm owners are feeling a little safer knowing an outright repeal of the Second Amendment, or having it effectively gutted by executive order, legislative action or judicial activism is NOT the priority of the incoming administration.

One of the most critical elements of hope will be the appointment of a new Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, replacing Justice Antonin Scalia. Justice Scalia, who advocated originalism in constitutional interpretation, wrote the majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller. This ruling found an individual right to own a firearm under the Second Amendment. This ruling, which simply confirmed the right Americans have understood and exercised since the founding of our country, is based on the original meaning of the words at the time the Bill of Rights was written. As such, Justice Scalia’s replacement with a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights is a critical appointment in the struggle to retain our rights.

But with hope comes caution. The Heller decision was only 5-4 in favor and still left many questions unanswered. The Supreme Court has also been reluctant to take on new Second Amendment cases since District of Columbia v. Heller and the related McDonald v. City of Chicago. Even with the strongest case there is no guarantee the Court will either accept it or rule in a way firearm rights advocates hope for. Each case is heard and decided on its own merit and could pass or fail at any time regardless of the makeup of the Supreme Court.

We must also realize the United States Supreme Court is the final stop, the last court of appeal. Appeals here mean cases have already been through all other courts and this is the absolute last chance for them to be overturned. What we should be doing is stopping the laws before they are implemented in the first place. Repealing a law, ordinance or regulation is ALWAYS going to be more difficult, more costly, more time consuming and more risky than stopping it in the first place. Once our rights have been stripped away, it is much harder to get them back.

During this last election, a group of elitists took advantage of a contentious national election to put their money into vulnerable states where they could spend millions creating a false narrative to further their agenda. With this they gained important ground to base their next level of infringements upon. Each gain they make costs law-abiding citizens their rights.

So while we have hope with the incoming national administration, legislative branches and with the highest court, our rights in some state and localities are being systematically eroded. Each one of these infringements need to be fought, and fought vigorously. At the same time we need to stop the flood of new and diabolical ways that are being devised to strip away rights and make us all more unsafe.

Every elected seat, at every level, in every jurisdiction counts. Every race is local and every vote counts. If you don’t think the people who have been taking away your rights aren’t already working on the next elections, you are wrong. They most certainly are and we should be too.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #anewhope, #constitution, #billofrights, #secondamendment, #2a, #pleasedontdeathstarmyhousedisney, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com

Odd Stuffing Star Wars Parody

California’s New Assault Weapons

With the stroke of a pen, California’s Governor turned all bullet button firearms in the state into so-called “assault weapons”. I say so-called since the “assault weapon” definition was manufactured by the gun grabbing elite and it is subject to change based only on the whim of whatever administration owns it. What was just a normal rifle is now too dangerous and deadly to own – at least not without an additional license and registration fee paid to the State.

For those of us in California, we know an “assault weapon” is just a semi-automatic, centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine and one or more “evil features” like a pistol grip or adjustable stock. Of course, the exact definition changes depending on your geography. In the now defunct federal “assault weapons” ban, you needed two or more evil features, and bayonet lugs were considered evil as well. (I’m guessing the media just never reported on the ravages of gang drive-by bayonetting.) New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts all have their own versions; with Massachusetts recently updating their definition to include firearms with parts that are interchangeable with previously defined “assault weapons”.

California firearm owners now face a dilemma for 2017. Register their bullet button firearms as California “assault weapons” or go featureless. Some are eager to register with the understanding this will allow them to finally remove the bullet button and run their firearm like it was intended. The problem is, that may not be the case. Nothing from the State so far has positively confirmed what will be permissible or even which of the newly invented add-ons will be allowed. What we do know for sure is registration comes with far more draconian restrictions on storage, transportation, use and the inability to sell or hand your firearm down to a descendant. As of now, there is a path to de-register it, make it featureless and as such, transferable – but we’ll come back to that later.

Going featureless means swapping out those dreaded “evil features” and making your modern sporting rifle look a little less scary and more like any other rifle. After all, its just cosmetics and does nothing to impact the actual operation of the firearm. While this avoids the dreaded “assault weapon” registration, it gets really expensive, really quick. Featureless parts or modifications can easily add $100 to $500, or more to each firearm you own. But then, you will be able to take off that foolish bullet button.

Assembly Bill 1663

One of the bills that didn’t make it into law in 2016 was AB1663. This bill removed the “evil features” criteria for centerfire, detachable magazine fed firearms. This would have redefined rifles such as the vintage M1 carbine and Mini-14 Ranch Rifle as “assault weapons”. Good news for now, but you can be absolutely certain this will be back in 2017 or 2018 or 2019 or until it is passed. Note: These firearms are already defined as “assault weapons” in some other states.

Remember that part about de-registering your “assault weapon” to make it featureless and transferable? Once all featureless rifles are considered “assault weapons”, there will be no more de-registering and no more transferring of featureless rifles.

Rimfire

One of the few safe havens of California firearms has always been the rimfire, the most common being the lowly little .22 LR. To date, California’s “assault weapons” laws have always specified only centerfire. Rimfire firearms have been exempt and can have all the “evil features” their older cousins cannot. The question you need to ask is how long will this be true? Consider that the word “centerfire” has already been removed from other states’ “assault weapons” descriptions. Also consider the firearm reportedly used to kill five people in the September 23, 2016 shooting at the Cascade Mall in Washington was a simple wood stock Ruger 10/22. The fact that the shooter used a 25 round magazine will be irrelevant to the gun banners here in California.

There have been calls to outlaw all registered “assault weapons” in California on more than one occasion. That call will come around again, but most likely not until every possible firearm is already included in that classification. At that point, one more signature makes them all go way and turns their previously legal owners into felons.

So where does it end? The answer is it never will. There is one and only one end goal of the gun grabbers; the elimination of private firearm ownership. The elitists in California like to believe they have the higher moral obligation to lead the nation on creating pointless laws that only restrict law-abiding citizens from owning firearms and ammunition.

Each of us must choose how we respond to the new “assault weapon” laws by registering, going featureless, taking our firearms out of the state or turning them in. None of the options are ideal and all just put off the eventual total ban that is unquestionably in our State’s future.

We can only hope that the upcoming United States Supreme Court will help strike down some of these anti law-abiding citizen laws.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #2ndAmendment, #2A, #CAAssaultWeapons, #featureless, #registration, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com

21st Century Policing – Part II

As you may recall I foolishly accepted a Facebook challenge to write an essay on what the most important part of 21st Century Policing is and why. The prize for the two winning authors was to have lunch with Santa Cruz County Sheriff Hart. Much to my surprise, my essay was one of the two selected. It took a while to get scheduled but I finally had lunch with Sheriff Hart and Danielle, the other winner, at Café Cruz.

Before you ask, even though I am a very vocal advocate of Second Amendment rights and write about them often, there is a time and place for that conversation and this was neither. I still hope to have that conversation with the Sheriff sometime, but this wasn’t the time for it. We talked about the 21st Century Policing program in Santa Cruz County as well as our own experiences and feelings towards law enforcement in the community. Long story short, I was encouraged by the Sheriff’s motivations, commitment to transparency and the steps he has taken to date. Of course there is still much to do.

Let me back up a little to the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. President Obama put the Task Force together in response to the protests and riots in Ferguson, Missouri following the fatal shooting of a black man by a white police officer in August 2014. No charges were brought against the officer, however the U.S. Department of Justice did find fault in the Ferguson Police Department’s policies. The Task Force’s final report came out in May 2015.

If the fact that this study was done as a consequence of Ferguson causes you some concern, you’re not alone. Political responses to violent incidents tend to be knee-jerk and one-sided, something we in California are very accustomed to. Combine this with the fact it was commissioned by an administration with less than stellar support of law enforcement in racially charged incidents and you get a little suspicious from the get-go. As such, a lot of the report’s content focuses on racial and community relations. That of course is fair. Regardless of how any racial tensions were initiated or escalated in this country or who was responsible for it, the fact that they are here means that they need to be addressed.

As I expressed in the previous article, the concept of community policing isn’t new, it’s been around for decades as a formal program and forever as a concept, with the origin dating back to the “Peelian Principles”. Developed by Sir Robert Peel in 1829 to define an ethical police force, it is commonly known as policing by consent. The key element in all of this is cooperation between the public and the police.

Fast forward to today. Public perception of law enforcement is not always positive, occasionally justified, most often times not. The evolving nature of law enforcement and the massive expansion in responsibilities and duties of officers everywhere places a huge demand on them and the system. The focus shifts away from cooperation with the community, and that relationship, the basic foundation of the function, suffers.

Of the 21st Century Policing criticism I’ve heard is it focuses more on the touchy-feely stuff and not enough on fighting crime. I get that. Given a choice between kicking down doors and putting the habeus grabus on bad guys and spending the afternoon talking to residents and small business owners, most officers are going to take the bad guy every time. But modern, as well as traditional and historic law enforcement is much more than that. It’s the bond with the community that makes the job successful.

It is important to note that the 21st Century Policing pillars are not a policy manual for a law enforcement agency. They are only recommendations and they are voluntary. What works in one community may not work in the next. It does not mean codling criminals or less assertive enforcement. It does mean working with the community to tailor the mission to the needs of the community. And if you take a look at the diversity of Santa Cruz County, that’s not an easy task.

I’ll say it again; the key to effective law enforcement is the community. It always has been and always will. Effectively reaching the community is best done one-on-one, one person at a time. It doesn’t happen over night and there are times when you take one step forward and two steps back. It’s a long-term commitment, but it is the right way to do it.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department’s Final Report is online and linked below. If you live or work in Santa Cruz County, I strongly encourage you to read it for yourself. As you do, you should be questioning whether or not it makes sense to you. If you see something encouraging, acknowledge it and get involved if you can. If you see something that sounds like a load of BS, let the Sheriff know. After all, YOU are the community and the Sheriff is accountable to YOU. None of this works unless you speak up.

Finally, my thanks to the law enforcement professionals who are out there day in, day out, each and every day, working to keep us safe. Never has the job been more visible, more challenging or more dangerous. While it may not always feel like it, the community really is there behind you.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #21centurypolicing, #peelianprinciples, #scso, #santacruzcountysheriff, #bluelivesmatter, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing

http://21stcenturypolicing.us/Portals/22/pdfs/FinalReport-21stCenturyPolicing.pdf

Gun Control Discrimination Part II – May Issue

A while back I wrote about how those who believe in Gun Control also believe in discrimination. Now I want to take that one step further and discuss an even more flagrant discriminatory practice, May Issue.

I am referring to the issuance of concealed carry permits, also known as CCW, CCL, CPL, CHL or other TLA’s. They are government permission to carry a concealed firearm in public and are issued by either a state, county or local entity. This is the opposite of Constitutional Carry, which refers to the view that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution permits no restrictions or other regulations on gun ownership or possession. It is also referred to as permitless carry or “Vermont carry”

Having grown up and lived a considerable portion of my life in a constitutional carry state, I’ve always viewed the need to obtain a permit to carry a firearm with a certain level of disdain. The Second Amendment has always seemed pretty clear.

“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.”

However governments always have and always will insert themselves into places where they don’t exactly belong, and licensing the carrying of firearms is a good example. After all, it’s my life and my family’s life – and if you’re not going to be there to effectively protect it 24/7, why shouldn’t I be able to?

Shall Issue vs. May Issue

Shall Issue jurisdictions require a permit or license to carry, however the applicant generally only has to meet certain objective criteria, such as submitting fingerprints for a background check, to be free of disqualifying criminal or mental health issues and passing a firearms training class or qualification. Note that there are fees for all of these steps.

May Issue jurisdictions on the other hand impose additional, non-objective criteria, which include justifying the ‘need’ to carry a firearm beyond that of simple self-defense. Applicants must show this ‘good cause’ is above and beyond the level of protection currently offered by law enforcement in the area. In addition to training classes and qualifications, May Issue jurisdictions also typically impose additional psychological testing requirements. These add to the cost and time commitment required to obtain the permit and serves as yet another barrier to those who cannot afford it.

May Issue criteria tends to be more arbitrary than not. Since the determining authority has the full, ultimate and non-appealable discretion of who gets a permit and who does not, the deciding factors are purposefully nebulous. What is ruled a valid reason for one person, may not be considered for another. Many May Issue jurisdictions liberally issue to some but not to others. Even the most restrictive jurisdictions, the ones where the normal citizen is flat out told no before they even apply – or who won’t even accept an application – do in fact issue to a select few. Typical among these are the wealthy, famous and close family and friends of the issuing authority.

So what is the difference between a simple self-defense need and a ‘good cause’ self-defense need? That is usually the million-dollar question. The ONLY reason why anyone, including law enforcement and everyone other than criminals, carries a firearm is for self-defense. The average citizen can be a victim of violent crime at any time, in any place and their expected response under May Issue is to call local law enforcement that may be minutes away, at the absolute best, and only if someone else is able to call them.

Then there is the argument that having more people carrying firearms will make all citizens less safe and put law enforcement in more danger. Having been a citizen and law enforcement officer in a Constitutional Carry state I can tell you flat out that this is not true. The only impact is the criminals don’t know who is and who isn’t able to defend themselves. In other words, it’s a deterrent to crime.

It boils down to who is entitled or is privileged enough to be able to defend their lives. The wealthy, famous or connected justify it by saying they are more of a target for crime than others. While they may attract more attention to themselves, they are also in a position to have more personal protection barriers than the average citizen and are actually less of a potential target.

The most likely target of crime is always going to be the most disadvantaged in the community. Without the financial or political clout to obtain a permit, they are denied the most effective means to defend their lives and their family’s lives.

Denying that a basic right to self-defense exists in the name of ‘keeping everyone safer’ separates the haves and have-nots. You don’t have a higher level of ‘need’ simply because of who you are, what you do or whom you know. Personal safety and security is everyone’s right and May Issue is simply another discriminatory system to keep the privilege in the hands of a select few.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #self-defense, #2ndamendment, #constitution, #Vermont-carry, #discrimination, #mayissue, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com