Tag: QotD

Quote of the Day

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There is a very strong possibility that the Court of Appeals will rule against us, not on the merits of the case (which is very strong), but because finding that the Second Amendment is incorporated through the Fourteenth Amendment against the states is a decision above their pay grade. – Clayton Cramer in his post Chicago Gun Case

And I think he’s more than probably right. I’m reminded of 9th Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski’s dissent in the denial to re-hear en banc the Silveira v. Lockyer case, specifically this part:

As an inferior court, we may not tell the Supreme Court it was out to lunch when it last visited a constitutional provision.

Even when it was.

There exists Supreme Court precedent that says that the right of ‘bearing arms for a lawful purpose’ is not protected against state infringement, but only against infringement by Congress – i.e.: the Federal government (U.S. v. Cruikshank, 1875). Cruikshank was decided after ratification of the 14th Amendment, and while it violates the specific, written intent of that amendment, it has never been overturned by the Supreme Court, and it has been used as precedent in an 1886 case, Presser v. Illinois.

And inferior courts may not tell the Supreme Court it was out to lunch when it last visited a constitutional provision.

So don’t be surprised if the 7th Circuit finds against us; be stunned if they don’t. Because that will force the Supreme Court to revisit Cruikshank, and I doubt seriously the 7th Circuit has the testicular fortitude to do that.

Quote of the Day

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Quote of the Day

15. Where would you retire to? Retire? I will probably get killed in the early battles of the coming revolution. – Dale at Mostly Cajun from his post Potpourri

There were a lot of good ones to choose from, but that was the winner.

Here’s a Shocker

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Here’s a Shocker

An op-ed from the Richmond Times-Dispatch (via Instapundit):

Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: January 24, 2009

Recently, the state Crime Commission deadlocked over whether to recommend closing the so-called gun-show loophole. The issue has become a perennial at the General Assembly, which is considering the matter once again this year. Once again, legislators should vote no.

Licensed firearms dealers — those who buy and sell guns as a business — are required to conduct background checks on prospective buyers.

The “loophole” in question refers to the fact that individuals selling guns from their own private collection do not have to — either within gun-show venues, or in the parking lot, or in their own homes.

Which is no “loophole” at all, but . . .

Gun-control advocates often muddy the issue by referring to “unlicensed dealers” at gun shows, of which there are indeed many. They sell holsters, flashlights, hunting knives, T-shirts, books, gun safes — even jewelry. But an unlicensed dealer who sold guns as a business would invite felony charges under federal law.

And some have. That’s part of the BATFE’s job – and one they don’t seem to do very well.

Gun-control advocates also suggest, albeit with scant evidence, that gun shows supply a significant share of the weapons used in crime.

Federal data indicate otherwise. (My emphasis.) According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report, “Firearm Use by Offenders,” only about 1 percent of guns used in crimes come from gun shows. (Again.) In fact, most crime guns — 57 percent — come from just 1 percent of licensed dealers. Federal and state law-enforcement agencies should come down on those renegade dealers like a ton of bricks.

It would appear. Another thing the BATFE is tasked with, but they’d rather pursue companies like CavArms for technical violations that were A-OK on Wednesday, but verboten on Thursday. This is another topic unto itself, but to continue:

Another study, by the FBI concerning attacks on law-enforcement officials, found that 97 percent of the offenders had procured their weapons through illegal means. (Again, my emphasis.)

Private sales among the hunters and target-shooting enthusiasts who frequent gun shows are simply not a significant source of weapons used in crimes. Gun shows, then, are not the real issue — except to those who recoil viscerally at the sight of large numbers of firearms in one place.

Referring to a “gun-show loophole” muddies the issue by implying, falsely, that individuals can sell or buy guns freely and without background checks only at gun shows. In fact, they can do so many places.

The real issue, in fact, is incidental firearms sales by private individuals — whether at gun shows or anywhere else.

Now there is an argument to be made that any such sales should be more tightly regulated, perhaps even recorded and reported to the authorities — just as home and car sales are. Over time, that would amount to de facto firearm registration. Some gun-control advocates say that is not their wish.

But given the weaknesses in the case for closing the gun-show loophole, one has to wonder.

No we don’t. Not any more.

Remaining emphasis is also mine. And there’s your QotD in bright red. Kinda shocking to read in an MSM outlet, but it is Richmond, VA.

Quote of the Day

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Quote of the Day

From Thomas Sowell:

What are the Beltway politicians buying with all the hundreds of billions of dollars they are spending?

They are buying what politicians are most interested in — power.

In the name of protecting the taxpayers’ investment, they are buying the power to tell General Motors how to make cars, banks how to bank and, before it is all over with, all sorts of other people how to do the work they specialize in, and for which members of Congress have no competence, much less expertise.

There’s much more at the link. Go read.

Quote(s) of the Day

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From the comments to this post, the Geek with a .45 layeth the smack down:

And then I think of General Clark’s quote.

“If ordinary citizens want to carry assault weapons, then they can come and see me. I have a job for them.”

I’ll see your Genl. Clark quote, and raise you three:

———————
They {Obama and Biden} also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

-Whitehouse.gov

————–
There is no right to have access to the weapons of war in the streets of America.

For those who want to wield those weapons, we have a place for them. It is the U.S. military. And we welcome them.

-John Kerry, Senate Floor, 3/5/2004

———–

And Finally:
———–
“Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA — ordinary citizens don’t need guns, as their having guns doesn’t serve the state.”

— Heinrich Himmler, WWII

—But here’s the big whopper quote of them all:

Quote:
———-
The problem I have with this one is not the guns…it’s Americans.

Markadelphia

And I’ll see you, Geek, and raise you one Rev. Donald Sensing:

More than anything else, big-government activism is the New Deal’s legacy, and IMO, has come to define the governing philosophy of both parties today. The rising tide of big government has swamped us, held only temporarily at bay by the levees of the Reagan years. (And not really even then, since non-defense spending rose during the Reagan administration.)

Because the present-day Republicans and Democrats are both big-government activists, they have a foundational philosophy that is the same:

America is a problem to be fixed, and Americans are a people to be managed.

There are a lot of great comments in that thread, but the Geek’s takes the prize.

It’s Official: You May Now Panic

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It’s Official: You May Now Panic

Found via PDB, another very disturbing (in a weirdly sick way) graph:

That’s the U.S. money supply, according to the web site of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Also per PDB, from an earlier post, the Quote of the Day:

In FY2007, the federal government spent more money than it had at any time in its history. More than in WWII, more than it took to go to the moon during the height of the cold war, more than under Reagan rescuing our military from Carter’s neglect. This massive amount of spending was unable to avert a recession. Why is more federal spending suddenly now going to mitigate the effects of this recession?

We are so screwed.

Happy Birthday, Tam!

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Happy Birthday, Tam!

Today’s Quote of the Day:

Really, could it get any better? I mean, short of having Charles Schumer picking up my brass and carrying my shopping bag full of ammo while toadying obsequiously? – A birthday slathered in awesomesauce

You mean he didn’t? Dammit! I have to talk to my credit card company about reversing the charges, then!

And they say an honest politician is one who stays bought . . .

When Obama Says This Stuff, I Don’t Think He Really Means It

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“When Obama Says This Stuff, I Don’t Think He Really Means It,”

“. . . and that gives me hope.”

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http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:216538

It’s the only reason the Left’s collective (in all meanings of the word) heads haven’t exploded.

Found at Anarchangel‘s.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy another gun . . .