One never knows how things will shake out, but this seemed like a major step forward in California for the average law abiding citizen. Here’s how the Sheriff in San Diego released the news:
The Sheriff in Orange county California stated that she was going to abide by the decision immediately.
To the east in Connecticut, a little civil disobedience is taking place much to the outcry of some of the areas most liberal newspapers calling for the arrest and imprisonment of those who refuse to turn in their guns to a government that fails to respect the 2nd amendment.
Connecticut may have bite off more than they can chew with 300,000 gun owners and about 6,000 law enforcement . The smart thing would be for the police in Connecticut to drop the enforcement of such a poorly considered law… but then, I have never seen good judgement in anything political in the east… I am still shaking my head in wonder at the banning of 64 ounce sodas in NYC.
With all of this talk about gun control, I have to ask this simple question: WHO are we really trying to protect? According to a recent survey of police officers… it seems that if we are really trying to protect people then we should allow law abiding citizens the right to carry.
Speaking of insanity, have you noticed that it is always the places that guns are forbidden that have the most violence. It doesn’t matter if it is a city, a school, a theater or a university ( the latest was a crazy with a knife)… but if someone is looking to hurt others they look for safe, unarmed, soft targets.
So then, who is really being protected when the majority of Americans become disarmed? The answer is quite simple… those with guards and guns.
There are bottle openers and there are bottle openers. One type of opener I have admired is a simple 50 caliber shell turned into one. Simple, convenient and always raises a smile or opens someones eye. Some folks actually ask me if it is dangerous or will explode? I have to remind myself that I live near a university where ignorance abounds.
Here are a couple of places to buy such a great opener:
Last night, I attended a Friends of the NRA fundraising event in Paso Robles. There were a fair few folks who happened to drop by for a tri-tip, bbq’d chicken or ribs dinner. I didn’t win or successfully bid on anything this year, but I did walk away with a couple of bottle openers… which pleased me. Fun times!
I was looking for a little ammunition and I was a bit curious as to what — if any- rifles would be available at the Gun show this year. The truth is that they had a wide assortment, a lot of old ‘collectable’ pieces and some new hunting rifles and shotguns… even a few pistols from the 1860’s were on display. If you are familiar with a ‘Broom handle’ gun from the turn of the 1900’s (made better known by the last Sherlock Holmes movie)… there were even a few of these. Prices overall were high, but understandable given the high demand.
Contrary to what you might see at elbow throwing Costco or at Target’s grab bag… people at the gun show were polite, courteous and respectful and open to conversation. This stirred a question in my mind… Were these just good people or did the fact that various guns were hanging about keep them well mannered? Pardner, it was probably a little of both.
So, I decided to do a little scanning of history and it seems that the most violent and dangerous places on earth were the cities where existing prohibitions against self defense made life difficult for the common person. This encouraged opportunistic groups of men to prey on the unarmed. After a time folks looked for ways to even the odds, firearms were called an ‘equalizer” a way one person could defend themselves from multiple or stronger assailants. Women today are the biggest growing group purchasing handguns… one little lady can make a mess out of a few men attempting to do dastardly things to her person!
I also ran across a quote by Mark Twain that raised a smile:
“I have carried a revolver; lots of us do, but they are the most innocent things in the world.” — Mark Twain
It doesn’t take a genius to see where the most dangerous places in America exist; they are where firearms are most restricted.
So, was it really safer in the old west? I think so… when the bad guys have to worry about whether or not you are armed… bad things just don’t happen as much. So, if we are trying to make American’s ‘safer’, then the past can give us a suggestion… I mean we are trying to make people safer, aren’t we?
It’s truly hard to start a discussion on how to address the problems of our economy or national defense of our country when those in authority at all levels are working so desperately to distract the citizenry with various contrived ‘crises.’ Nowhere is this more evident that the continued attacks on the 2nd amendment… that really should be a non issue.
In any event, since folks keep wanting to discuss our right to bear arms, there seems to be a lot of discussion. Nothing has brought people together more than the threats of an overzealous confiscatory government.
Here are a few of the recent issues that have caught my eye:
1) There have been many companies targeted by governmental agencies for their either neutral or pro-gun views. I particularly was amused at how the support began to swell when anti-second folks tried to boycott Starbucks!
2) President Obama has turned over his grassroots campaign to bring his fervent message of gun control and confiscation to the masses in the so-called “Gun Grabber’s Appreciation Day!”
3) Day of Resistance 2.23
The “Day of Resistance” was designed to defend the ownership of the American AR-15 rifle, which was coined as an ‘Assault Rifle”… whatever that is? The caliber is .223 so I guess they thought February 23rd was a good day to get together to support this famous rifle.
A underlying and disturbing tremor is running through the discussion with the federal government buying up every piece of ammunition and rifle they can get their hands on and passing them along to not only homeland security but also social security and the tax man… and I am sure among others.
One dark forecaster said that our federal government has enough firepower to shoot every American 100 times. Should we be concerned?