The Smallest Minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. – Ayn Rand
Great. Juuuust Great.
Here I am, in the running for Best New Blog of the Week, and, once again, Blogspot either won’t let viewers in, or only shows them part of the page.
Oh frabjous joy.
I know that anything free is worth what you pay for it, but still….
Godwin’s Law Does Not Apply
Dave Kopel and Richard Griffiths have an excellent piece up on National Review Online, entitled Hitler’s Control: The lessons of Nazi history
Acquainting a new generation of television viewers with the monstrosity of Hitler is a commendable public service by CBS, for if we are serious about “Never again,” then we must be serious about remembering how and why Hitler was able to accomplish what he did. Political scientist R. J. Rummel, the world’s foremost scholar of the mass murders of the 20th century, estimates that the Nazis killed about 21 million people, not including war casualties. With modern technology, a modern Hitler might be able to kill even more people even more rapidly.
Indeed, right now in Zimbabwe, the Robert Mugabe tyranny is perpetrating a genocide by starvation aimed at liquidating about six million people. Mugabe is great admirer of Adolf Hitler. Mugabe’s number-two man (who died last year) was Chenjerai Hunzvi, the head of Mugabe’s terrorist gangs, who nicknamed himself “Hitler.” One of the things that Robert Mugabe, “Hitler” Hunzvi, and Adolf Hitler all have in common is their strong and effective programs of gun control.
Simply put, if not for gun control, Hitler would not have been able to murder 21 million people. Nor would Mugabe be able to carry out his current terror program.
That’s simplistic, in my opinion. Simply having guns does not mean that they will be used with effect. There’s a cultural / philosophical aspect to the question as well. For example, I think the philosophy of self-defense has been stripped from the English through decades of government propaganda. But without the means with which to defend yourself, there’s not a philosophy out there that will save your ass, or your people’s, when the excrement hits the rotating air impeller.
Go read.
Welcome to Visitors
Truth Laid Bear has started a New Weblog Showcase, and I’m in the running. With links to the showcase from both InstaPundit and The Volokh Conspiracy, I expect I’ll get at least, oh, six new visitors. So welcome. Spend some time. Leave a comment. (Please. I’m begging.)
Oh, and a link would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much. Come again soon!
Grieve for the Fallen
Grocery shootout ends in death (Nod to Publicola for the link.)
Lena and Ralph Casey telephoned their daughter, Teresa, at 4 a.m. Saturday with an urgent message: A burglar was rustling through the community grocery they own next to their home.
Teresa and her husband, Ricky A. Thompson, arrived within minutes, armed. Ricky Thompson confronted the intruder inside the store, authorities said.A gunfight broke out. The two men fired across the small aisles, moving around the store as bullets ricocheted.
Thompson, 43, a well-known mechanic and firefighter in Seven Springs, was struck in the chest and killed.
The burglar was hit at least four times. He fled the store, carrying a canvas duffel filled with batteries, a loaf of bread and other goods. Outside the store, Ralph Casey fired a few shots as the man ran from a side door and darted between parked vehicles.
Then, Teresa Thompson jumped into a Monte Carlo, plowed through a wooden fence in front of the Caseys’ home and knocked the intruder down, injuring his legs.
She said in an interview later Saturday that she jumped out and, with her adult daughter, Nita, grabbed pieces of the broken fence and beat the man on the head.
“He still had the gun in his hand,” Mrs. Thompson said. “He tried to shoot, and I think it went off, but it missed. Then I took the gun. I tried to shoot him with his own gun. But it was jammed up.”
She asked the man why he was there, what he was doing.
“He said he was hungry,” Mrs. Thompson said. “My husband’s dead, and he said he was hungry.”
Go read the rest. My condolences to Mrs. Thompson and the rest of their family.
A recent BBC News “Talking Point” question was How can guns be made less accessible? Well, seeing as they’ve made damned near everything illegal, and what is left legal is under draconian restriction, I was quite interested in what the Brits had to say. Let’s sample a few, shall we?
The problem isn’t the guns, it’s the total inability of the police to police the streets! If people carrying illegal thought the might get stopped and arrested it might deter them. But the chances of them being arrested are about zero. We don’t need more laws we just need to enforce the very strict ones we already have. We need less “sound-bites from Ministers and more Police on the streets. After all, when did you last see a Police Officer on the beat?
Andy, UK
Someone else who believes that the government is responsible for his safety.
This Government’s standard response to such problems is to launch a spin campaign to convince the public that they are taking action – it is far easier than doing something effective.
Chris, UK
A cynic! But he doesn’t give any suggestions for “something effective.”
The new legislation should offer an amnesty for those who surrender their weapons to police within a time frame. We have seen this policy of amnesty in parts of Africa such as Angola and Sierra Leone.
Namabanda Mubukwanu, UK
And those are such safe places to live, aren’t they? I mean, Sierra Leone lifted their curfew just last year!
We should also ban toy guns for children. I can’t think of a sicker, more twisted ‘toy’ and corrupting influence on a child. And the age limit should be raised for movies that feature an excessive use of guns. Never mind 18, we should introduce a 21 certificate for violent films. And maybe the BBC could help by not showing as many war films at Christmas and on Sundays. Drop the violence completely.
Iain Harrison, UK
I’m rendered nearly speechless at the inanity of Mr. Harrison. Way to go, Iain!
Ban gun shop websites! I just put in gun shop in a search engine and came up with at least 700 results. This is too much.
Helen, UK
Well, hell, while we’re at it, let’s ban pornography and news sites, too!
Are these people naturally morons, or is it something in the water?
The latest figures prove that the government’s current legislation on firearms is not working. Will making this legislation tougher solve the problem? In a word – no. The people that are obtaining these weapons are the kind of people that have no respect for the law or their fellow citizens. Why not stop wasting money on actions that are all show and no substance and tackle the real problems like how are these weapons getting here in the first place and why aren’t they getting destroyed the moments they are impounded?
Ian, UK
Apparently this Ian drinks bottled water occasionally. But not enough.
Gun crime is hugely related to how guns are portrayed in the media, especially the music industry. Some gangster rappers glamorise guns in their music. If that can be tackled, then gun crime will fall.
Daniel, UK
I thought it was toy guns and violent films?
If Steve:
How about prison for the rest of their natural lives with hard labour and no chance of parole if a gun is used in any crime? Make the punishment a good deterrent!
Steve, UK
and Warwick
Deterring crime with severe sentences is a very ineffective measure. Unless one lives in a police state, criminals just assume that they won’t get caught. A more effective method would be to extend the weapons amnesty concept by offering a reward for weapons that is set higher than their street value. Of course, this has to be handled carefully to avoid fuelling demand. It would also face opposition from the tabloid reading types, but if it works, so what? Fighting crime shouldn’t be the crude popularity contest that it is.
Warwick, UK
were to meet, would there be a particle / antiparticle annihilation?
Oh, and offering more than “street value” for street weapons? First, where would they get that much money, and second, why would they want to fuel gun smuggling by the containerload? Warwick, I suggest you start drinking Evian. Perrier in a pinch. I understand the French economy needs a boost.
One obvious solution is to make them illegal. If that doesn’t work then, er, make them more illegal. Oops, sorry, I forgot, the government tried that and it didn’t work. How about banning people from wearing clothes, so they can’t hide a gun if they have it?
Dave Tankard, UK
Cynic, cynic, cynic. That last idea? I shudder to picture it. Most Brits don’t look like Page3 girls. And aren’t British winters brutal? Dave Tankard, eh? I bet he’s not drinking water.
I doubt that tougher penalties alone will work. The government should go for a complete ban on the import of all replica guns, and a ban on air guns, except in licensed clubs. If it puts a few gun shops out of business, then I would rather my taxes be used to buy them out than see the current trend in shootings continue.
Nick, UK
Yeah! You need more gun laws! Er, weren’t the recent shooting deaths of two young women committed with a machine gun?
Once again the government, with the backing of various police chiefs are looking at bringing in new laws to “control gun crime”, despite having the most draconian laws in Europe which they appear singularly unable to enforce! I take it the law abiding will suffer as usual?
Gordon, UK
Gordon seems to take offense at your suggestion, Nick.
Funny isn’t it – the government announce all kinds of things they’re going to do about gun crime, and then days later we find out that the rate has doubled since they came to power. You don’t think they’re cynically managing the news (and you) do you? No, perish the thought!
Andy Edmonds, UK
More cynicism. Tsk, tsk.
Five years for every round possessed and 10 years for every round fired, that would be a deterrent. An Uzi clip being fired would put someone in jail for 450 years, that would deter all but the most hardened criminals.
Drb, UK
Well, that’s an idea. One of the few actually presented. I don’t think it would work, but it’s an idea. And I have no idea where they’d put all those criminals. I understand that their jails are already full to bursting.
Guns will become inaccessible to law abiding citizens. Criminals however will still be able to get their hands on weapons.
Doug, UK
“Will become”, Doug? They’re close enough to that now as to make no difference. According to the Home Office there were, in England & Wales, 125,363 firearm certificates on issue at the end of 2000, and 600,733 shotgun certificates. That’s down from 133,600 firearm certificates and 623,100 shotgun certificates in 1997. Assuming a complete overlay between firearms certificate holders and shotgun certificate holders that’s about 600,000 people out of a population of 52 million who possess at least one gun. At most, with no overlap, that’s 725,000. That’s 1.1 to 1.4% of the population. Oh, wait, that’s legal owners. Jebus only knows how many illegal possessors there are. The last amnesty netted a reported 40,000 weapons – but almost none from the crime-ridden areas. And I doubt a single one of those 40,000 were on a certificate.
Makes you wonder just how many “off certificate” weapons there are, doesn’t it?
Besides, it doesn’t matter how many guns the law-abiding permit holders have. They can’t use their guns for defense of self or society anyway, under current UK law.
Why I Still Have Hope for America
Cub Scout crawls grave to grave, honoring the dead
“Pivoting his body with his right arm and holding a neon-green ruler in his left hand, James Milam, 10, crawled from grave to grave at Nashville National Cemetery yesterday morning, carefully placing an American flag exactly one foot from each gravestone.”
Go read it.
And if you have a single cynical thought while reading it, don’t ever come back here.
Our Collapsing Schools
Seems they’re not just collapsing.
Mrs. du Toit has a MUST READ post up on her site, on…
No. Just go read it. It’s too important to miss.
Go. NOW!
And read the comments, too.
Yesterday we celebrated my daughter’s 24th birthday by having a picnic in the park in the afternoon, but I spent the majority of the morning working on “The Blog that Ate Poughkeepsie”.
I got home about 9:00 PM and was up until 12:30AM last night finshing it. Then I had to get up at 5:30 this morning so I could run my IHMSA pistol match. (Every 4th Sunday of the month at Tucson Rifle Club.) I got back home about 2:00 PM and took a nap. Right now, my wife, daughter, and grandkids are over at my in-laws. The silence is nice. I’ve been catching up on my reading.
Steven Den Beste has a post up concerning England joining the EU that I find worrying. Hell, I find the EU worrying, because as far as I’m concerned there are no checks and balances to restrain the power of the EU government with relation to the member countries, nor the individual citizens of those countries. A “United States of Europe” it’s not.
Rachel’s grandfather died. Drop her an e-mail with your condolences, if you would.
Michelle’s prepubescent husband had another birthday. What is he now? 16? :^)
Emperor Misha is on a roll with his continuing phillipics concerning the Islamofascists™
The Volokh Conspiracy has moved. Change your bookmarks.
Instapundit has links to two articles concerning Germany – one on the political ramifications of its opposition to the war in Iraq, and one on Germany’s collapsing economy. And, Glenn, I’m no econoblogger either – but it worries me too.
Kim du Toit has contributed again to the American economy by finding a reasonably priced M1 Carbine. And lots of ammo for it. (Why couldn’t I have married Connie? Ah, well, I don’t think it’s possible to have done better in the wife department than I did. I’ll just have to envy Kim’s gun collection.)
Clayton Cramer hasn’t posted since Friday, but what he lacks in quantity he makes up in quality.
Ravenwood has some good stuff up. Scroll down to “Government Schools at Work.” Then weep for our lost children.
Acidman is on hiatus. He’s gone to illegally fish for trout. (At least he’s not using dynamite.)
Comments are still open over at Bill Whittle’s Eject! Eject! Eject! for his most recent post Magic. He has over 300 now on just that one post. I will not envy, I will not envy, I will not envy…..
Frank at IMAO is offering the really cool “Nuke the Moon” T-shirt.
And finally, Courtney has a truly evil plan to stuff Acidman’s e-mail while he is gone fishin’ with – and I quote – “every annoying e-card, pics of cuddly kittens, and e-hugs we can find. Want to join in?”
BUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Um, no. No I do not. Really. No, I’m not kidding…..
I’m off work tomorrow, but I’ll have honeydo’s to get done. Hopefully I’ll get some blogging in. And I can’t WAIT to see what Jack will have to say in response to my last two posts to The Commentary. Hopefully I didn’t blow one of his frontal lobes.
The Blog that Ate Poughkeepsie, concluded:
I’ve finally finished my response to Jack over at The Commentary. It’s up
Damn that was a lot of work.
Somebody go read it.
I referenced their web site in the last post, and I took a couple of minutes to peruse the site. I found this press release for their latest report: The Enforcement Gap: Federal Gun Laws Ignored. I haven’t had a chance to read the report in detail yet. (Disclosure: I do not trust AGS, as I said in an earlier post. If you missed it, Isntapundit has a post detailing AGS’s founder, funder, and leader Andrew McKelvey explaining why.)
Regardless, I don’t think they’ve played too fast or loose with the numbers here, and those numbers illustrate my earlier point about the BATF not doing its job. Well, to be fair, I don’t know if the BATF is at fault or if the Department of Justice is, but the fact remains that suing the gun manufacturers because some dealers are bad is the wrong thing to do.
One example from the summary page:
“The report points to the Washington, DC-area snipers as an example of corrupt gun dealers escaping prosecution. They obtained their murder weapon from Bulls Eye Shooters Supply, a Tacoma, Washington store that failed three audits and could not account for 238 missing firearms, including the sniper’s gun. The owner has kept his firearm dealer license, and the store remains open.”
Hey, I’m a gun nut, and even I find that difficult to believe. Not that they failed three audits and not that 238 weapons are missing (the Bushmaster was one of the missing), but that the store still has a license. What the hell is the BATF for? “Stomping kittens” can’t be in the jobscope.
The report further details that only about 2% of federal gun crimes actually get prosecuted. (“That law didn’t work! Let’s pass a new one we won’t enforce! And when that one fails, we’ll blame it on the NRA and then we’ll pass some more!” That’s how it’s been working up until just recently.)
The one really interesting statistic that I’ve had problems hunting down is this one:
“From 2000 through 2002, roughly 450,000 applicants were rejected from purchasing a firearm after signing the ATF form certifying that they had no record that would deny them a firearm. The denied applicants included:
260,000 who were denied because of a previous felony conviction.
60,000 who were denied because crime of domestic violence or a restraining order.
25,000 who were denied because of an outstanding arrest warrant.
Yet, only 1,594 charges were brought by federal prosecutors…”
But we’re told constantly that the Brady background check prevented these “prohibited persons” from buying a gun. No it didn’t. It just forced them into the black market. The black market that, by all appearances, the government isn’t using the tools it has been given to combat. Don’t you think it would have been a good idea to comb those applications and pick up at least the known violent offenders who were stupid enough to sign their names to a felony confession?
Thank you, AGS.