On November 5th, These Become Target Stands

If your neighborhood or town is like mine, you are seeing political yard signs everywhere. Some are for candidates you like, some are for those you despise. They are generally made of heavy paper or, if the candidate was really spending some money, a corrugated plastic. If you look closely at the two in the foreground, you can see the ribbing from the corrugation. These signs usually are attached to wire stands.

Now, in most places, it is illegal to take these signs before Election Day unless some schmuck puts it on your property without asking permission.

However, after the polls close on November 4th, all of these signs can have a new life as target stands. You can tack your paper targets on the face of these signs and shoot away. While they aren't at the height of many target stands, I think they'd do just fine for rimfire stands or for just plinking.

Think of it this way - the price is right, you are cleaning up the roadsides, you are "repurposing" them, and, if you hate the candidate in question, it will give you plenty of perverse pleasure in blowing away his or her sign.


UPDATE: I'm guessing this husband of a Delaware Democratic incumbent just wanted to get an early start on gathering some target stands.

I Got Me Them Hickenlooper Blues

Thanks to National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea and his co-writers Cyd Lantz and David Simpson we have the lyrics to The Hickenlooper Blues. They along with their producer Peter Gould have created this great parody of Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and his various excuses for bringing gun control to Colorado.

Share this with your friends. David suggests other places to share this video. This is an extremely close election - too close really - and Hick needs to be sent back to his brew pub.

Last Refuge Of A Liberal Scoundrel

If patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, then accusations of racism must be the last refuge of a liberal scoundrel. Accusations can come in both overt and covert forms.

For example, coming out and saying that Senator X is a racist or that some act that he or she committed was racist in intent would be an overt accusation. At least these accusations are forthright.

Covert accusations are much more insidious. They rely upon code words. Code words like Trayvon, Ferguson, and stand your ground.

So it is with the latest ad from Sen. Harry Reid's Senate Majority PAC. Listen to the radio ad that they are playing in North Carolina aimed at African-American voters. Pay attention to the segment starting at 0:24 to 0:30 as captured from the airwaves by well-known North Carolina conservative blogger Sister Toldjah.





You heard correctly. The ad says, "Tillis even led the effort to pass the type of stand your ground laws that caused the shooting death of Trayvon Martin." It doesn't matter that Florida's stand your ground law was not invoked in George Zimmerman's trial nor that they confuse passage of the castle doctrine with stand your ground laws. It is still using covert accusations of racism to encourage black voters to turn out for Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).

And to be honest, Speaker Tillis did not lead the effort to pass HB 650. It was Rep. Mark Hilton (R-Catawba) and Sen. Buck Newton (R-Nash). The best you can say is that Tillis did not impede the efforts to pass this omnibus bill that reformed North Carolina's gun laws. Moreover, HB 650 was signed into law by Democrat Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) should repudiate this racist ad but we all know she won't. She needs the "black vote" and Harry Reid will go as low as he needs to in order to secure it for her.

North Carolina Judicial Races

North Carolina has a non-partisan electoral system for all levels of judges. Prior to 1996, judicial elections were partisan. Appellate level judgeships - Court of Appeals and Supreme Court - were the last to go non-partisan making the transition in 2002.

Given that, how can you figure out who is conservative and who is liberal? Or who is pro-gun and who is anti-gun. We recently saw what a difference it can make when Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens blatantly ignored the black letter law and allowed Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler (R-NC) to ban guns at the NC State Fair.

The State Board of Elections does put out a Judicial Voter Guide which includes a short statement from each candidate, gives their education and work history, and provides a link, if any, to their websites. To be frank, it is of little use other than to tell you some of their work history and educational background.

Fortunately, the candidates' websites tend to be of more value. For example, Judge Bill Southern, who is running for the NC Court of Appeals against Judge Lucy Inman, tells you he is a member of the NRA and is part of the conservative/libertarian John Locke Foundation's candidate development program. By contrast, Supreme Court Associate Justice Robin Hudson touts her endorsements from the Durham People's Alliance, NC chapter of NOW, and the NC AFL-CIO. You can be pretty much assured that she is not a conservative.

The North Carolina Republican Party has issued their endorsements at the state level as has the Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund. With the exception of the "Martin seat", they agree. The North Carolina Democratic Party also made endorsements which are 180 deg. from those below.

From the GOP:

Supreme Court Chief Justice
Judge Mark Martin

Supreme Court Justice (Martin seat)
Judge Bob Hunter

Supreme Court Justice (Hudson seat)
Judge Eric Levinson

Supreme Court Justice (Beasley seat)
Mike Robinson

Court of Appeals (Hunter seat)
Judge Bill Southern

Court of Appeals (Martin seat)
Judge John Tyson

Court of Appeals (Stroud seat)
Judge Donna Stroud (unopposed)

Court of Appeals (Davis seat)
Judge Paul Holcombe

Perhaps more important to gun owners is this list of endorsements from the GRNC PVF:

GRNC-PVF Judicial Candidate Recommendations:

Supreme Court (Chief Justice): Mark Martin
Supreme Court (Martin seat): Bob Hunter
Supreme Court (Hudson seat): Eric Levinson
Supreme Court (Beasley seat): Mike Robinson
Court of Appeals (Martin seat): Marion Warren
Court of Appeals (Hunter seat): Bill Southern
Court of Appeals (Stroud seat): Donna Stroud
Court of Appeals (Davis seat): Paul Holcombe

What is called the "Martin seat" is to fill the vacancy left open when Chief Judge John Martin retired. There are, believe it or not, 19 candidates for that open seat. In addition to the two people endorsed for this seat by the GOP and GRNC-PVF, Elizabeth Davenport Scott and Valerie Johnson Zachary are also worth a look. Both are Republicans. Zachary has been endorsed by Conservatives of Guilford County and touts herself a conservative. What makes her somewhat unusual is that she has a law degree from Harvard and practices in Yadkinville, pop. 2,818.

I did a blog post earlier this month regarding Judge Mark Davis who is seeking a full term on the Court of Appeals. Unless he is just a hired gun who will say anything to win a case, he is no friend of the Second Amendment. For that reason, Judge Paul Holcombe has my vote.

Early voting started on Thursday, October 23rd. To find out where you can vote early (assuming you are a registered NC voter), go here. The one thing to remember is that voting a straight ticket won't impact these races. You have to vote for each race and each judge.

SAF Files Suit Against Illinois Over CCW Residency Requirements

The Second Amendment Foundation, Illinois Carry, and the Illinois State Rifle Association filed suit today against the state of Illinois in US District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The suit was filed on behalf of 10 individual plaintiffs who, because of their state of residence, are not eligible to apply for a non-resident Illinois concealed carry license. The Illinois State Police have interpreted the statutes regarding non-resident licenses so narrowly that it only applies to residents of four states. Those states are Hawaii, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Virginia.

This isn't an abstract restriction to me. Paul Lathrop, the host of the Polite Society Podcast, is a resident of South Dakota. His work often takes him to and through Illinois. He had signed up to take the Illinois CCW class but was forced to cancel at the last moment due to this interpretation.

Illinois attorney David Sigale is representing the plaintiffs. He has handled a number of cases for the Second Amendment Society and was second chair in the McDonald case.

The case is entitled Culp et al v. Madigan et al. The lead plaintiff is Kevin Culp who is a resident of Pennsylvania. He is an Air Force colonel stationed on orders at Scott Air Force Base in O'Fallon, Illinois and is the holder of a Pennsylvania carry license. Col. Culp also is certified as a NRA Basic Pistol Instructor.

Below is the release from the Second Amendment Foundation on this case.

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Illinois, challenging that state’s concealed carry statute that restricts otherwise qualified non-residents the rights and privileges of carrying concealed firearms based solely on their state of residence.

Joining SAF in this legal action are the Illinois State Rifle Association, Illinois Carry, Inc., and ten individual plaintiffs, all residing in other states and who are licensed to carry in those states. Under the restrictive Illinois statute, only residents from states with “substantially similar” requirements to obtain a carry license are allowed to apply for non-resident licenses.

Only four states currently qualify under that provision. They are Hawaii, New Mexico, South Carolina and Virginia. None of the individual plaintiffs reside in those states.

According to SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, this situation is not simply unfair, it is untenable and we believe unconstitutional.

“Our plaintiffs have qualified for carry permits or licenses in their own states,” Gottlieb said, “which means they have gone through background checks and other requirements that show they are responsible, law-abiding citizens. Yet, because of the current Illinois statute, their self-defense rights are suspended immediately after they cross the Illinois state line.”

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau and Jessica Trame, bureau chief of the State Police Firearms Service Bureau. Plaintiffs are represented by attorney David Sigale of Glen Ellyn, Ill.

“This lawsuit,” said Sigale, “is brought because it is unfair that otherwise qualified people from states outside Illinois, who work and travel in Illinois are barred from obtaining means to defend themselves in public solely based on their state of residence. We expect to correct that.”

“We’re asking the federal court for a declaratory judgment on equal protection and due process constitutional grounds,” Gottlieb stated. “It makes no sense at all for Illinois to enforce such a narrowly-defined law that seems to recognize the rights of some non-residents, while dismissing the rights of most other non-residents. We can’t allow that kind of discriminatory situation to stand.”

NSSF #Gunvote Hits Back At Hickenlooper

The National Shooting Sports Foundation's #Gunvote campaign just released an ad nailing Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) for his lies and evasions. The ad doesn't pull its punches.

It's a good ad. I don't know whether this is just a YouTube video or one playing on Colorado TV stations. I hope it's the latter.

Gabby Does North Carolina

The title of this post is a play on that classic porn film Debby Does Dallas. Just like in the movie, someone is going to get screwed. In this case, it is the gun owners of North Carolina if Gabby (and the Space Cowboy) have their way.

Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic) has just dropped $330,168 into the US Senate race in North Carolina on behalf of Kay Hagan. The money is going towards Internet ads pushing Kay Hagan from an agency called Revolution Messaging. They bill themselves as a digital ad agency for progressive causes and their client list reads like a who's who of the left.

A couple of examples of their work are below.

The ads, which appear targeted towards either women or young voters, link to a site called Commonsense Voter that captures your name and email along with your promise to vote early.

As to Kay Hagan being North Carolina through and through, give me a break. She may have been born in Shelby but she grew up in Lakeland, Florida where her dad was the mayor. Even when she first ran for office in 1998, she called upon her uncle for help. Her uncle was former US Senator and Florida Governor Lawton Chiles.

UPDATE: I came across another of these ads in the most unusual of place. It was Sharyl Attkisson's new webpage involving a discussion of the 1,323 page list of the documents being withheld by Obama in the Operation Fast and Furious scandal.

Billionaires Aren't The Only Ones Pumping Money Into Washington State

I did a post last month detailing all the money being pumped into Washington State in support of the gun control initiative I-594. At that time, five billionaires and one very rich woman from an "old Seattle family" had cumulatively put in almost 75% of the monies in support of the initiative. Since then, Michael Bloomberg, through his Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors, has pumped another $950,000 into the effort along with at least $350,000 from the coterie of billionaires.

It looks like Gabby Giffords and the Space Cowboy (aka Mark Kelly) have gotten involved as well. Through their Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic), they have donated $229,091 for in-kind direct mail services. It is the largest in-kind donation of the campaign. The majority of the other in-kind services is coming from the Win/Win Network (a coalition of unions and left-wing groups) and the True Patriot Network which is run by billionaire Nick Hanauer.

I have to give Washington State kudos for their Public Disclosure Commission reporting system. It is much more up-to-date on contributions that the Federal Election Commission system.

From the Federal Election Commission

Cornell University Says Kill The Townies

In the battle between town and gown, Cornell University is going after the townies and they want them killed.

You can relax a little. Cornell isn't trying to kill local Ithaca conservatives though it may have crossed the mind of some campus radicals. The Ithaca townies in this case are not the two legged variety but rather the four-legged cloven-hoofed variety with flashy white tails.

It seems that Cornell University is overrun with whitetail deer. You need to remember that Cornell is a weird hybrid in that it is both a liberal arts Ivy League school and a land-grant university with many test farms. It is this latter part of the campus that is the great attraction to the deer combining as it does food, shelter, and lack of predators.

According to a report by Professor William Jacobson at the Legal Insurrection, the university came up with a two-part plan to control the great numbers of deer attracted to its campus. In a move that would warm the cockles of Sandra Fluke's heart, on-campus deer are given free, permanent birth control. They got tubal ligations. Meanwhile, off-campus deer were subject to a controlled hunting program with emphasis on killing does.

The plan was an expensive failure as Professor Jacobson describes in this interview with Cam Edwards.

Biggest Failures Of His Tenure?

Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder named as the biggest failure of his tenure - the lack of more gun control. Moreover, it "weighs heavily" on his mind.

“I think the inability to pass reasonable gun safety laws after the Newtown massacre is something that weighs heavily on my mind,” Holder said during an interview aired on CNN.

I can think of things that should weigh heavier on his mind like 300 dead Mexican nationals and 2 Federal law enforcement officer. And as Katie Pavlich reports, Project Gunwalker AKs were still being found at Arizona crime scenes as late as 2013.

Holder goes on to say:

“And the thought that we could not translate that horror into reasonable — I mean, really reasonable gun safety measures that were supported by the vast majority of the American people is for me something that I take personally as a failure,” he said, “and something that I think we as a society should take as a failure, a glaring failure, that I hope will ultimately be rectified.”

While Holder may look upon this as a failure, those of us who believe that 20,000 existing gun control laws is more than enough (and less would be better) would look upon it as one of the few accomplishments of his reign at DOJ. If Holder really wants to look at failures, he should look at how his tenure at Justice has politicized that department far and above anything that could have been dreamed up by Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell.

When Jerry Gives Advice, I Listen

If you are of an age, you'll remember the old TV ads for stock brokerage E. F. Hutton. The tag line of the ads was that when E. F. Hutton spoke, people listened. I'm like that when Jerry Miculek offers advice.

In the video below, Jerry offers pointers on how to hold your AR-15 for consistent and accurate shooting. Given Jerry's success at 3-Gun which requires both speed and accuracy, it is a given that he knows of what he speaks.

Sean Asks The Pertinent Questions

Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog attended Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler's press conference today held at the NC State Fairgrounds. Troxler used the press conference to defend his position that legal, permitted concealed carry holders would be barred from carrying at the fair.

Sean was not ready to let Troxler off the hook. He asked two very pertinent questions regarding personal safety.

First, he asked if Troxler hadn't just announced to every criminal that people going to and from the parking lots would be defenseless. Troxler passed that question off to the police chief of the fairgrounds.

Second, Sean then asked the chief if a person feels unsafe, will the police provide an escort. Here's the response he got.

There you have the Department of Agriculture’s Chief of Police, Joel Keith promising not only uniformed police patrols in the parking lots, but armed escorts for anyone who asks for one.

So there you have it. Chief Keith, backed up by the Wake County Sheriff, Donnie Harrison, will provide you an armed police escort back to your vehicle. After they’ve made it illegal to defend yourself, I think it’s the least they can do.

Thanks to Sean for asking the pertinent questions of the powers that be. Now if I were a fairgoer, I'd demand that police escort. They made a promise and they should stand by it no matter how inconvenient.

And Speaking Of Chris Cheng

Speaking of Chris Cheng, I got this release from his publisher yesterday. He's about to release a book entitled "Shoot to Win". The release is below and has links to his Facebook page where you can win swag!

I have requested a review copy of the book and will be posting a review after reading it.

Top Shot Winner, Chris Cheng, Releases “Shoot to Win” Book Enter to Win Cheng’s “Epic Giveaway” to Celebrate Book Launch San Francisco, CA. (October 14, 2014) – Chris Cheng, season four champion of History Channel’s Top Shot, and NRA NEWS Commentator, adds book author to his bio with the release of “Shoot to Win,” available now on Amazon, iTunes and TopShotChris.Com To celebrate, Cheng is hosting an “Epic Giveaway” on his Facebook page at http://Facebook.Com/TopShotChris with over $8,000 in “gun swag” from companies like Oakley, Vertx, Leupold, Glock and many more. New prizes will be given away daily.
 “I’m so excited to kick off my book launch with this epic giveaway for my fans,” said Cheng. “Shoot to Win is for everyone who wants to learn beginning marksmanship or improve their skills at the range with their friends. I offer the tactics – like stress management and breathing exercises - that led me to win Top Shot against all odds as the underdog. My success for thriving no matter what is placed in front of you is all spelled out in this book and I hope people can take away numerous tips to help them succeed at whatever they set their mind to.”
 Cheng has been promoting Shoot to Win at Bass Pro Shops stores around the country as well as holding interviews with radio personalities such as Dana Loesch and Cam Edwards. Last week, Cheng visited his previous employer, Google, to host “Authors @ Google.” That video is now available at: Chris Cheng: "Shoot to Win"Cheng also has developed shooting tips for beginner handguns via the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).  The tips will reach nearly 1.5 million email inboxes each month through NSSF’s Pull the Trigger e-newsletter and are available for download on iTunes via the NSSF Shooting Sportscast, a regularly updated HD video podcast. NSSF is launching the 20+ handgun video series today and plans to host rifle and shotgun series with Cheng in 2015.
Cheng won the title of “Top Shot,” a $100,000 cash prize, and a professional marksman contract with the show sponsor, Bass Pro Shops. How did a tech support guy who didn’t shoot a lot of guns beat out seventeen other competitors—including seasoned military veterans, law enforcement officers, and pro marksmen—in History Channel’s Top Shot season 4? Cheng covers his approach to staying calm under pressure, teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership. These traits contributed to his coming out on top and staying above the fray. Shoot to Win with Top Shot champion Chris Cheng provides fun and interesting insight into the Top Shot experience. Additionally, Cheng reveals very personal information about his life that never aired on the show, and he discusses how it was a key part of his Top Shot experience. With a foreword written by Top Shot season 3 champion Dustin Ellermann and an afterword written by the original Top Shot champion Iain Harrison, Shoot to Win is sure to please shooters of all stripes, but especially fans of History Channel’s program Top Shot. Learn more about Cheng at http://TopShotChris.Com and http://Facebook.Com/TopShotChris  

New Video Series From NSSF

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has launched a new video series featuring Chris Cheng. Cheng went from self-taught amateur working for Google to the winner of Top Shot Season 4. This new series is aimed at the new or beginning shooter. The new series will focus on the core fundamentals that allowed Chris to advance from being a self-taught amateur to the ranks of professional marksmen.

The first video is his introduction to the series.





The next video that has been released speaks to the most important thing to consider at the range: safety. In it he presents four rules of safety that are variants of Col. Cooper's famous four rules. While I prefer the phrasing of Col. Cooper's rules, these appear to be stated in a way that will be understood by the absolute rank beginner not coming from the gun culture.

Another NRA Ad On Local TV

Just after another Kay Hagan attack ad which, I, of course, muted, comes an ad featuring Natalie Foster. I'm like, wait, that's a NRA ad. Quick, unmute the TV. It was the one below on privacy which is a really good ad.

I'm really glad to see the NRA starting to run these ads featuring the new generation of commentators dealing with issues like neighborhood safety, privacy, etc.




Is anyone else seeing these ads in your states? I'd like to hear about it.

GRNC Responds To Judge Stephens' Ruling On Carry At The NC State Fair

Grass Roots North Carolina has responded to the denial of a temporary restraining order that would allow those with concealed handgun permits to carry at the North Carolina State Fair. While disappointed, they are weighing their options including whether to appeal.

From GRNC:

Judge in State Fair Case Legislates From Bench

Judge Donald Stephens’ decision in the GRNC lawsuit against posting the state fair against concealed carry can best be summarized in his own words: “If I can find a way to interpret the statutes to prohibit concealed handguns in the state fair, I will.”

It was evident to all that Judge Stephens had his mind made up long before the hearing began. When GRNC’s attorney argued, his attitude was nearly contemptuous, and when the Attorney General’s representative argued, Stephens was soothing and supportive as if talking to a pet dog.

The denial today of GRNC’s temporary restraining order was a classic case of legislating from the bench by, perhaps willfully, misinterpreting both the intent of the General Assembly in passing HB 937’s opening of assemblies to concealed carry, and the potential cost to crime victims of not being able to protect themselves against violent predators, as has happened repeatedly in other state fairs, the most recent being last weekend in Arizona.

GRNC is examining our options, including appeal, legislative action, and possibly an open holster demonstration at the fair. Allow me to say what I told conservative talk show host and GRNC supporter Bill LuMaye: “We don’t know yet how we will react to this setback, but I can tell you one thing: Whatever we do will be done to expand the rights of lawful North Carolinians and their ability to protect their families. The left has called it ‘the long march.’ This is our long march.”

GRNC’s operating philosophy: Never give up. Never give in. Never go away.

It is a long march. I'm reminded of a statement that Gene Hoffman of the CalGuns Foundation made at the 2010 Gun Rights Policy Conference. He said we lost our gun rights over a 40-year period of time and it will take time to get them back.

A Cool Bit Of History Found In British Columbia

Like so many "secret weapons" late in World War II, the Japanese fire balloons or Fu-Go (Windship Weapon) were a failure. Of the 9,300 hydrogen balloons launched with incendiaries attached, about 300 were found to have landed or been shot down in North America. The Japanese hoped that these balloons would have reached the forests along the Pacific coast and started massive fires that would divert resources from the war in the Pacific Theater.

The bombs did kill six people, a pregnant woman and five kids, in southern Oregon who were out on a church camping trip. However, no massive fires were started and no resources diverted.

Until this month, the last time a balloon bomb was found was in the 1970s. A forestry worker in Lumby, British Columbia discovered one last Thursday.

On Thursday morning RCMP in Lumby were asked by one of Tolko’s employees to come to an area off Thunder Mountain Forest Road. The employee suspected that he had found an unexploded Japanese balloon bomb. The bomb is partly embedded in the ground within the bush in the area east of Lumby. Officers photographed the bomb and the military disposal unit from Esquimalt is heading to the area to deal with the unexploded bomb.

The RCMP said that they hoped to be able to salvage parts of the bomb such as the aluminum ring seen in the picture below for display at the local Lumby Museum.

This is a cool bit of history. I hope they succeed in preserving as much of it as possible. Looking at Lumby on the map, it is in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. This means this balloon bomb, after crossing the North Pacific, drifted over the coastal mountains and about two-thirds of BC to land in Lumby. That's incredible.

Update On NC State Fair Injunction Request

Grass Roots North Carolina filed suit last week seeking a temporary injunction to keep the North Carolina State Fair from being posted against carry. HB 937 made changes to the law that should have prevented Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler (R-NC) from posting the fairgrounds. I say should have.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens refused to grant the temporary injunction in a ruling this afternoon.

Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens said he believed "it would be unwise and imprudent to allow firearms into the State Fair."

This is truly a case of the law being what the judges say it is despite the clear wording of North Carolina statutes. Given that Judge Stephens was re-elected in 2012, he won't be coming up for re-election again until 2020 as Superior Court judges in North Carolina serve eight year terms.

Ag Commissioner Troxler is happy about the decision saying, ""for upholding the longstanding policy banning weapons at the State Fair and for issuing his decision so quickly." Troxler has contended that the changes in the NC General Statutes brought about by HB 937 are "vague".

Troxler, who says he is a gun owner himself, argued that the law was badly-worded and legislators had not intended to allow guns at the fair. He said they didn’t belong there, citing the huge crowds and the potential for guns to fall out during midway rides during the annual rain of wallets, keys and change, and then go off.

At the press conference Monday, Troxler said that no matter which way the ruling went this week, there will be metal detectors at all the entrance gates. And after the fair, he said, he would go back to the General Assembly to ask legislators to be clear about what they think the law should say about guns at the fair.

“Either the legislature believes there needs to be concealed carry at the fair or not,” he said.

Troxler, it should be noted, is a practicing farmer as required by Chapter 106 of the North Carolina General Statutes. He is not an attorney. Thus, any claims to the law being vague should be taken with a grain of salt.

The State Fair Facebook page is getting lots of feedback on their announcement of the decision in which they said they are glad Judge Stephens didn't grant the injunction.

So the North Carolina State Fair will be a gun-free zone. As to the reality of gun-free zones, I'd urge you to listen to what Massad Ayoob said about the recent Gun Rights Policy Conference in Chicago. His comments start at the 1:14:45 mark and are well worth a listen.

Helga Glock v. Glock Et Al: A Soap Opera In 354 Pages

Helga Glock, former wife of Gaston Glock, Sr., has filed suit against him and his assorted companies. The suit was filed on Thursday in US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. She is seeking $500 million plus punitive damages. In the suit, she accuses Gaston Sr. of theft, money laundering, and racketeering. She is invoking RICO as part of the suit.

Paul Barrett, author of  Glock: The Rise of America's Gun, had an interview with Helga and the children from Gaston's marriage to her. It was the first time they spoke out about Gaston Sr., the divorce, and his remarriage to his nurse Katherin. From the story we learn that Gaston, who came from a simple family, married up when he married Helga. She came from a prosperous Bavarian family and traded a good job in Munich to marry him. She was part of his company from the start taking care of the accounting while raising the three children and being a good Austrian "hausfrau".

Prior to the divorce and Gaston Sr's stroke, all the children and Helga were part of Glock. Gaston Jr. worked in IT, Robert in marketing, and Brigitte ran human resources. It all changed in 2010.

In 2010, Gaston Sr. issued a three-page handwritten letter dictating his “unconditional wishes for a reorganization of the Glock Group.” Helga and the children were to cease their “operational” roles, he declared. “I thank my wife, Helga, for her support and wish her a carefree and good life in her deserved retirement.” The letter instructed: “There will be no harassment, spying, stalking, violation of human dignity, or scheming toward me and my environment.” Gaston Sr. “guarantee[d] the agreed-upon payments to the beneficiaries for a lifetime.”

Mrs. Glock's attorney, John Da Grosa Smith, is very familiar with Glock, Inc. He was the attorney for former Glock, Inc. (the US affiliate) CEO Paul Jannuzzo and secured the reversal of his conviction for embezzlement on appeal.

All I can say, it is going to be interesting. Glock lovers and haters alike will find tons of spicy details in the complaint below. My only fear is that the gun prohibitionists will also be combing it with a fine tooth comb to buttress their allegations against the firearms industry.

Helga Glock v. Glock Et Al

You Snooze, You Lose

Aaron at the Weapon-Blog has posted his monthly list of contests featuring firearms.

In the pistol category, there are 12 contests featuring pistols ranging from the Sig Sauer P320 to a Kimber Custom 1911. The coolest pistol, and I use that term loosely, is a Sig Sauer PM400 Elite Pistol with their SBX brace in .300 Blackout.

As to long guns, there are two shotguns offered and 20 rifles. I don't think I've seen that many in a long time. There are, as usual, a number of ARs in various calibers, a couple of IWI Tavors, the PTR-91, and a handful of hunting rifles.

I apologize for being a few days late with the list. Aaron let me know a few days ago and I've just gotten around to posting about it.

Reporters Such As These Are Unfortunately Extinct

Marshall J. Brown was a reporter from a time when reporters were reporters and not journalists. According to his obituary in the Buffalo News, he passed away yesterday after an extended battle with multiple system atrophy, a neurological disease. He was 78 and had spent much of his career as the police beat reporter for the old Buffalo Courier-Express.

Mr. Brown came from a newspaper family. His father and two uncles were editors with United Press International (UPI). He started out as a copy boy with the old NY Herald-Tribune, received a degree in journalism from New York University, and began his career at the Lockport (NY) Union-Sun & Journal.

His obituary states that he received a number of awards from the Associated Press for his reporting. These awards, however, were not his most prized awards. He reserved that for his James Madison Award For Journalism from the Second Amendment Society.

A fellow reporter from a competing newspaper had this to say about Mr. Brown:

“Marsh was a feisty, hard-nosed old-time newsman, like one of the characters you’d see in an old movie like ‘The Front Page,’ ” said Buffalo News reporter Dan Herbeck, who worked with Mr. Brown at Buffalo Police Headquarters in the late 1970s and early 1980s. “He carried a gun when he was on the job, sometimes beat the police to crime scenes. On more than one occasion, he conducted his own investigations and helped the police solve crimes.”

Herbeck said he will never forget the time he and Mr. Brown in 1982 – both police reporters for Buffalo’s two competing newspapers – decided to go out and have lunch together. They were walking toward a small diner when a waitress came running outside, spattered with blood and screaming, “Help, he killed Ellie!”

“Marsh grabbed his gun out of the holster and we went running inside. This poor waitress was on the floor, bleeding to death,” Herbeck recalled. “A mental patient who had recently been released from a psychiatric center had jumped over the counter, grabbed a knife and began stabbing this poor woman. Then he ran out of the place. Marsh and I ran outside, looking for the guy, but he was long gone. The police came and we told them what happened.”

Can you imagine any of the modern-day authorized journalists doing this?

Mr. Brown was a Life Member of the NRA and was a longtime vice-president of New York's Shooters Committee on Political Education. He also was a member of the Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the Holland Rod and Gun Club. He was a certified NRA firearms instructor as well as a three-time NY State pistol champion in various categories.

Rest in peace, Mr. Brown. The likes of you will almost never be seen anymore and more's the pity.

It Was CSGV - I Couldn't Help Myself

The gun prohibitionists at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic) must think the novel 1984 wasn't merely a novel but the playbook for a future American society. They see themselves as the Thought Police out to punish any and all "thoughtcrimes" or deviations from the party line.

Such is the case now in their petition attempting to get the Maryland State Police to revoke the instructor certification of Wicomico County (MD) Sheriff Mike Lewis. His "thoughtcrime" is his outspoken support for the Second Amendment. Sheriff Lewis has stated that he would refuse to let Federal authorities into his county if they wanted "to come in here and strip my citizens of their right to bear arms."

Inspired by a post by David Codrea on his War On Guns blog saying that all the "right people" were signing the petition, I decided to sign it as well using an appropriate pseudonym. I wanted to choose a name that would express my thoughts about their petition.

David chose Adolph Hitler. I went with Heinrich Himmler. Most people know that Himmler was the head of the Schutzstaffel (SS). Hitler named Himmler Chief of German Police in 1935 which included the Gestapo, the Criminal Police, the SD, and other police agencies. Given how the Gestapo sought out those who deviated from the National Socialist creed, I think he was an appropriate signatory to CSGV's petition.

Felix Dzerzhinsky who directed the All-Russia Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counter-revolution and Sabotage or Cheka would have also have been an appropriate pseudonym to use.

If you want to avail CSGV of your personal disgust at their actions, here is the link to their petition. I'm sure you can come up with a good pseudonym to use.

It's Not All Ads For Kay Hagan

If you watch television in Western North Carolina right now, it is about 2-1 in terms of campaign ads from Democrats and their allied organizations (NEA, League of Conservation Voters, Senate Majority PAC, etc.) It may be different in other areas of the state but I doubt it.

Thus, it was refreshing to see this ad from the NRA featuring Colion Noir on WLOS this evening. It was one of the few ads that I didn't immediately have me reaching for the mute button on the remote control.

Quote Of The Day

Students and faculty at George Washington Carver High School in Rancho Cordova, California are upset due to a new indoor gun range being developed near the school. According to the city's planning department, the land is zoned industrial and gun ranges are a permitted use. Translated from PlanSpeak, that means the gun range meets the previously established criteria to be located there and must be allowed to operate in that location.

So, you can guess what the students did next - they held a protest complete with what appear to be professionally made signs. They had slogans like "Legal? but WRONG WRONG WRONG" and "Way TOO CLOSE for Comfort". It appears from the news story that the "protest" was organized with the full cooperation of school officials. One has to wonder if the students really organized it or were given it as class assignment for a grade.

Reason.com comments on the story and the slant given to it from the reporter from CBS Sacramento:

The local news story spins this as a beneficial lesson in participatory democracy for the high schoolers. True enough, I suppose. If nothing else, they learned that when it comes to politics and governance, think-of-the-children paranoia trumps property rights every single time.

 So much for the Lockean rights of life, liberty, and property.

GRNC Seeks Injunction Against Posting Of NC State Fair

North Carolina's Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler (R-NC) is the official in charge of the State Fair held in Raleigh. This year, for some reason, he held a press conference announcing that it would be policy to post the State Fair against concealed carry by properly permitted CHP holders. His argument is that this is just a continuation of how things have always been.

The Criminal Law blog of the UNC School of Government has looked at this issue and it appears that Commissioner Troxler is on very shaky ground. The State Fair isn't a private business nor is it a unit of local government which might allow him to do it. As it is, the law is very specific that CHP holders are allowed to carry at assemblies where a fee is charged. Moreover, state law specifies which state government buildings that are posted including such places as the Executive Mansion and the State Capitol Building. The State Fair is not one of the buildings mention.

Given that state laws regarding firearms and where they may be carried legally has changed considerably in the last few years, this is an odd move on the part of Troxler. In response, Grass Roots North Carolina is going to court seeking an injunction to stop Troxler from posting the State Fair. The State Fair runs from October 16th through the 26th so time is of the essence.

Gun group to file injunction against state fair posting today

Due to an impasse in negotiations with North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Grass Roots North Carolina will today file  for a temporary restraining order in Wake County Superior Court with the intention of preventing the Department of Agriculture from posting the state fair against lawful concealed carry.

BACKGROUND

At the request of North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, GRNC representatives met with the commissioner and his legal counsel after his police chief for the state fairgrounds, Joel Keith, began telling people the North Carolina State Fair would be posted against all firearms, including lawful concealed carry. Although Troxler is not particularly anti-gun, he seems unwilling to take responsibility for doing the right thing, saying instead that as a member of the executive branch, he cannot interpret statutes and must follow the interpretations given to him (more on that shortly). 

Consequently, the commissioner and GRNC were unable to achieve a satisfactory resolution of the problem. GRNC is now preparing a filing for a temporary restraining order, through its sister non-profit, Rights Watch International, to prevent the fair, which starts next week, from being posted.

ORIGINS OF THE PROBLEM

Before passage of House Bill 937, which became effective on October 1, 2013, guns were prohibited at “assemblies of people for which admission is charged.” Since that section of NCGS 14-269.3 was changed to permit carry by those with concealed handgun permits, however, only private property owners hosting such assemblies may prohibit concealed carry. The state fairgrounds, of course, are not private property.

TROXLER’S DODGE

Although NCGS 14-269.3 specifically opens carry to permit-holders, Troxler claims “vague” language in the statutes enables the state to post under NCGS 14-269(a2), which says the state’s general prohibition on concealed weapons, “does not apply to a person who has a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with Article 54B of this Chapter, has a concealed handgun permit considered valid under G.S. 14-415.24, or is exempt from obtaining a permit pursuant to G.S. 14-415.25, provided the weapon is a handgun, is in a closed compartment or container within the person's locked vehicle, and the vehicle is in a parking area that is owned or leased by State government.”

THE TRUTH

1. The section above merely enables permit-holders to keep guns in closed compartments of locked motor vehicles in state properties where guns are prohibited. It does not create a prohibition in itself.

1. In fact, NCGS 14-269.4 lists the specific state properties – such as the State Capitol, Governor’s Executive Mansion” and courthouses – where guns are prohibited. That section does not include the state fairgrounds.

1. Even in the exceedingly unlikely event a court agreed that Troxler is allowedto post the fair, nothing requires him to do so. In short, his rationalization that he is just following what he has to do is false. Troxler is choosing to prohibit lawful concealed handgun permit-holders from protecting their families not only at the fair, but also in the parking lots outside the fair.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

As we’ve seen time and again, gun-free zones are dangerous places for law-abiding citizens. No family should be rendered entirely helpless should an event occur such as what happened at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2011. Dozens of teenagers and young adults attacked peaceful fairgoers as they left the fair. Eleven people were injured and thirty-one arrests were made. Criminals are always empowered when they know that their intended victims are disarmed.

I will keep on top of this to report on what the court's decide. It should be interesting.

#Gunvote - They Certainly Have It Correct

The latest YouTube video out from the National Shooting Sports Foundation's #Gunvote campaign nails it on the head. The 5-4 decisions behind both the Heller and McDonald decisions could be at risk if President Obama gets a chance to replace one of the "five" over the next two years. The only way to prevent it is with a Republican Senate.

The Polite Society Podcast Needs A Little Help

I noted a few days ago that the Polite Society Podcast in conjunction with Ammoland.com and the New Jersey Second Amendment Society will be live streaming the 2015 Gun Rights Policy Conference. In order to do so, Paul Lathrop will need to purchase some new audio and video equipment.

Paul has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise the necessary funds. The goal is a conservative $731 for the video camera, tripod, and additional audio equipment.

The live streaming project is being done with the explicit permission of the Second Amendment Society and will be using the official audio feed managed by Charles Heller.

Unlike the Demanding Mommies, we in the gun rights movement don't have a Sugar Daddy like Mike Bloomberg so we need your help. If you can help out with a donation of any size, please go to the GoFundMe page Paul has set up.

The live stream project will allow everyone to be able to follow the conference as it happens even if they can't afford to fly to Phoenix or there is another case of a suicidal pyromaniac taking down a FAA control center. I've made a donation and hope you will do so too.

Restaurant Carry In North Carolina Has Its First Anniversary And Carry Is Banned At The State Fair

The ability to carry concealed in a restaurant or eating establishment in North Carolina had its first anniversary this past week. The anniversary brings with it a measure of disappointment for the naysayers and gun prohibitionists. Blood didn't run in the streets and there weren't boozy shoot-outs on a regular basis. In fact, according to research by Grass Roots North Carolina, there wasn't even one shooting involving a concealed carry holder in a restaurant serving alcohol.

House Bill 937, which became effective on October 1, 2013, dramatically expanded North Carolina’s concealed handgun law into restaurants where alcohol is sold and consumed, assemblies of people for which admission is charged, parades and funerals, further into state and municipal parks, and even to a limited extent into educational properties.

‘Guns and alcohol don’t mix’?

As always when we expand concealed handgun laws, opponents and media naysayers predicted shootings in bars, guns stolen from vehicles at schools, and various other sorts of mayhem using platitudes like “guns and alcohol don’t mix.”

GRNC explained endlessly that concealed handgun permit-holders, by virtue of background checks and training, had proven themselves sane, sober and law-abiding since 1995, with a rate of permit revocation on the order of three tens of a single percent. We explained that permit-holders in restaurants would still be prohibited from imbibing alcohol.

But the dire predictions persisted. Editorials ridiculed legislators. UNC president Tom Ross sent UNC police chiefs to testify against the bill, claiming it would hamper their ability to protect students. Gun control activists pushed restaurants to post against concealed carry.

So what has happened?

It has now been one year since HB 937 became effective. So what has happened? Nothing. GRNC monitors clipping services for gun-related incidents. Just like Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee and other states which adopted restaurant carry, however, we have been unable to find a single instance of a concealed handgun permit-holder misusing a gun in a restaurant or educational property.

So when will the media naysayers apologize? Will the media acknowledge the anniversary and the absolute lack of negative impact?

NC State Fair: The latest battleground

In the latest battle, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler says he will post the North Carolina State Fair against concealed carry even though statutes adopted in HB 937 now prohibit him from doing so. He apparently believes that even despite passing concealed carry in 1995; Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground and expanded concealed carry into parks and elsewhere in 2011; and HB 937 in 2013 – all without the mayhem predicted by opponents – somehow, the state fair must be a different and more dangerous place than all the others.

So GRNC asks both Troxler and the media, “Where’s the mayhem?”

It is against this background that GRNC is taking NC Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler (R-NC) to task for trying to continue the ban on carry at the North Carolina State Fair. HB 937 which permits restaurant carry also permitted carry at assemblies where an admission is charged such as the State Fair. GRNC is threatening legal action to make Ag Commissioner Troxler and the State Fair to abide by the law.

Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog attended Troxler's press conference and questioned him about the decision to post the State Fair. Troxler replied that it was long-standing policy to post against carry and he'd leave it to the lawyers about the interpretation of the new law.

Paul Valone, President of GRNC, has met with Troxler last Monday. As Valone says, Troxler is not known as a liberal or anti-gun but that still doesn't make him right. GRNC will be going to court seeking a temporary restraining order before the fair opens in about a week.

Farmer's Okra Plot Gets Raided By Georgia Cops

I know some people don't like that Southern staple, okra. Still, it isn't any reason to launch a full force raid with cop cars and a helicopter on someone growing it. However, mistaking the five-leafed vegetable for marijuana might be.

A Bartow County, GA Sheriffs Department drug task force raided Dwayne Perry's garden in Cartersville last week after a spotter in a Governor's Task Force for Drug Suppression helicopter misidentified the okra for pot.



Mr. Perry is understandably upset by the whole incident.

"Here I am, at home and retired and you know I do the right thing,” Perry said. “Then they come to my house strapped with weapons for no reason. It ain't right."...

"The more I thought about it, what could have happened? Anything could have happened,” Perry said.

Perry said he's still getting calls about all of the deputy vehicles that responded at his home. He fears his reputation has been damaged.

Given the record of some Georgia police departments conducting SWAT-type raids, Mr. Perry was right to be worried. It was in Habersham County, Georgia that a toddler was critically injured by a stun grenade in a raid in which no drugs were found. And it was in Atlanta where 92-year old Kathryn Johnson was killed in a botched drug raid. That raid left the elderly woman dead and a number of cops going to Federal prison.

If I were Mr. Perry, I might be consulting a good attorney.

Now Where Have I Heard That Name Before

North Carolina judicial elections at all levels are officially non-partisan. The trend towards non-partisan judicial elections started in 1996 with superior court judges, continued in 2001 with district court judges, and culminated with appellate level (both Court of Appeals and Supreme Court) judges and justices in 2002. The North Carolina Board of Elections sends out the General Election Judicial Voter Guide to every resident.

I got the 2014 edition in the mail today. I'm reading through the candidates for the various seat on the Court of Appeals and I came across a name that struck a bell - Mark A. Davis. It noted that he was appointed to the Court of Appeals by former Gov. Beverly Perdue (D-NC) and had served as a Special Deputy Attorney General and General Counsel to the Governor. It hit me and a quick check showed I was correct.

Mark Davis was the lead attorney for the State of North Carolina in Bateman v. Perdue. He was the man charged with defending North Carolina's law that stated, during times of officially declared emergency, off-premises possession of a firearm was banned. Put another way, it was his job to keep North Carolinians defenseless when they were at their most vulnerable. Fortunately, he failed.

Davis makes note of all his endorsements by former judges and by groups such as the Advocates for Justice and the NC Association of Educators. Advocates for Justice used to be named the NC Academy of Trial Lawyers which is an organization of primarily plaintiffs attorneys. Davis notes that the judges that endorsed him are both Republicans and Democrats. Frankly, I don't care.

What I care about is not having a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals that wrote something so dismissive of my Second Amendment rights as did Davis in his Reply in Response to Motion. The State of North Carolina had filed a Motion to Dismiss which drew a Memorandum in Opposition from Alan Gura. Davis started off his response to Gura with this.

Plaintiffs’ Response Brief is most notable for its refusal to even acknowledge the substantial governmental interest in placing restrictions on the carrying of guns in public. Guns are designed to injure or kill, and possession of a gun poses a real risk of death or serious bodily harm to others – that is, in fact, the very purpose of a gun. Consequently, the State’s interest in imposing appropriate restrictions on the carrying of guns outside of one’s premises is even stronger than the State’s well-recognized interests in establishing reasonable limits on First Amendment and other constitutional rights, the exercise of which carry far less potential for death and destruction.

While Heller notes some similarities between the First Amendment and the Second Amendment, there is one major and obvious difference between the two. Unlike even the most hateful and offensive speech, guns are capable of inflicting violent bodily injury and death. In order to protect citizens from the risks of gun-related violence, States must be given reasonable latitude to set limits on the carrying of firearms in public, and this governmental interest is at its greatest during a state of emergency.

As most people know, Judge Malcolm Howard rejected the state's argument and declared the Emergency Powers statutes unconstitutional as they burdened the Second Amendment.

I can't say that Mark Davis was appointed by former Gov. Perdue to the Court of Appeals based upon this case. However, given that he served as her General Counsel during her last two years of office, I think it is safe to say his appointment was a reward for good service to her. His appointment came as she was about to leave office.

Davis says he will bring "good old-fashioned North Carolina values to the Court of Appeals." Working to suppress my Constitutional rights is not a North Carolina value insofar as I'm concerned. It is for that reason I urge a vote for his opponent Judge Paul Holcombe.

Why I Love People In The Gun Culture

Despite the stereotypes propagated by the gun prohibitionists, people in the gun culture are some of the nicest, most inviting people around.

My case in point. I had mentioned in a post early (very early!) Monday morning that I was headed to Phoenix for a business training conference. On Monday afternoon I got this Facebook message from Jaci J of Team Gunblogger.

Hey, I just read your post about the Gun Rights Conference. Will you still be in Phoenix tomorrow? If so, would you like to shoot IDPA with us? We can scrounge up a gun and equipment for you. It's at 5:30 at Phoenix Rod and Gun Club.

 While I couldn't take her and Robert up on that invitation as my conference extended into the evening, I was really touched by her invitation. It goes to show that the gun culture is full of really nice people.

And next time, I'll skip the steak dinner for a chance to go shooting!

You Could Say The Same For Kay Hagan

I'm not sure who Elbert Guillory is but I know one thing for sure about him. He has created a powerful ad indicting Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Much of what he says could be aimed at virtually any Democratic incumbent seeking the black vote.

Or, for that matter, at any incumbent, Democrat or Republican, seeking the votes of a reliable constituency.