GRNC-PVF TweaksThe Blue Noses (Updated)

blue·nose

ˈblo͞onōz/

noun

informal

plural noun: blue-noses

1. 1.

   US

   a priggish or puritanical person.

   "the most restrictive, bluenose standards"
2. 2.

   a person from Nova Scotia.

 Grass Roots North Carolina - Political Victory Fund is holding a fund-raising raffle to support its efforts to defeat anti-gun candidates in the November election. The winner gets a Palmetto State Armory M-4 configured AR-15, 1,000 rounds of high quality ammunition, AND a free portrait of Hillary Clinton. Tickets are $10 each, 3/$25, 7/$50 or 15/$100.

GRNC-PVF says of the Clinton portrait, "Of course, we won’t tell you what to do with the photo, but when we ran a picture of Hillary on the front of our newsletter, we heard it was very popular at the range." They note that if Hillary is elected on November 8th, panic buying will go into full swing on November 9th.

As you can imagine, the blue noses in the media are wailing and gnashing their teeth over this raffle.

CBS News ran a short feature on the raffle.




As to NC Policy Watch, which bills itself as the "the progressive pulse" and who suggests North Carolina legislators should emulate the recent California "gunpocalypse", they said:

In the name of all that is decent in our country, the terribly troubled souls behind this need to take it down immediately and apologize as well. What’s more, Donald Trump, Gov. Pat McCrory, Senator Richard Burr, Sen. Buck Newton and all other conservative politicians who have attempted to make gun ownership an issue in their campaigns should disavow the group ASAP.

In an update, WRAL-TV Raleigh ran GRNC President Paul Valone's response as well as the response from the executive director of Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC.

Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots NC, tells WRAL News that ticket sales are coming in "briskly." He said attention the group has received over the past 24 hours from writers for national media outlets who perceive the fundraiser as an implicit threat against Clinton is unwarranted.

"No reasonable person with a basic understanding of the English language could possible construe any sort of threat or encouragement from that basic message," Valone said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Peter Ambler, executive director of Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC, which was formed by former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, said the raffle is ill-conceived.

"This dangerous stunt just further degrades the debate on gun safety that our country needs," Ambler said in an email. "North Carolina voters and law-abiding gun owners everywhere deserve a lot better."

If I didn't know better I'd say Paul Valone has been reading Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. This raffle is right out of Rule No. 6 - “A good tactic is one your people enjoy." The hyperbole from the other side is right up there with the suggestion that Donald Trump wants Hillary Clinton assassinated because he suggested she go without armed protection like the average citizen.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some raffle tickets to buy.

UPDATE: It looks like this story is starting to go viral...as are ticket sales. According to Sean Sorrentino on Facebook, the GRNC server is in meltdown status from all the ticket orders.

The Demanding Mommies

Puffington Host

New York Post

(London) Daily Mail

Daily Beast

Talking Points Memo

Daily Kos (which calls GRNC a "Republican gun club" which they are not)

Sacramento Bee

News 1 Korea

International Business Times UK

NY Daily News

The Independent (UK)

Policy.MIC

Cue the outrage machine so GRNC-PVF can keep selling raffle tickets to defeat Deborah Ross, Roy Cooper, and Josh Stein.

My Presentation At GRPC 2016

I was invited to be a speaker at the 2016 Gun Rights Policy Conference that was held this past weekend in Tampa, Florida. Like last year, the panel topic was using New Media to Advance Gun Rights.

Below is the draft that I planned to present before I had to start cutting for time.

Hi. I'm John Richardson.

I blog at the gun blog No Lawyers – Only Guns and Money and have done so since 2010.

Last year when I spoke on using new media to advance gun rights, I told about how my blog got started and then gave examples of how bloggers and citizen journalists had used new media to advance gun rights. This year I want to speak to you about how you can use new media to advance our civil rights and freedoms.

By a show of hands, how many people here have a Facebook account? Or a Twitter account? Or both?

(That’s great! We’re getting there!)

We are in a political and cultural war to save our civil rights and freedoms from the gun control industry. This used to be merely the Brady Campaign and a few under-funded splinter groups.

That was then, this is now.

The gun control industry has morphed into an unholy alliance of academia, left-wing politicians, big media including Hollywood, pro bono lawyers from mega firms, progressive foundations and think-tanks, and so-called gun safety groups. The gun control industry has gotten smarter, savvier, and definitely better funded thanks to anti-freedom billionaires like Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates among others.

Add into this mix the Democrat’s nominee for president who considers us a “basket of deplorable” and irredeemable. Hillary has declared war on us and on the gun culture – both versions 1.0 and 2.0.

This unholy alliance seeks to marginalize us. To say that we are on the fringe and that the numbers of gunowners are declining. To portray us as toothless, uneducated white rednecks. That we are not Mainstream America. So how do we fight these well-funded forces that want to strip us of our freedoms?

We take the battle to them! We can’t afford full-page ads in major newspapers or on television but we can wage an effective guerrilla war using the tools of the Internet and New Media. We must become like the Mujahideen against the Soviets or the French Maquis against the Nazis. We hit them hard and we hit them fast. Like in judo, we use the weight of their money and their Establishment ties against them. This past Sunday, Tom Gresham on Gun Talk Radio said everyone should have four tools – Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and email. The Missouri Firearms Coalition told how they used Facebook Live to keep pressure on politicians to override Jay Nixon’s veto of constitutional carry. It worked and Missouri now is the 11th state with constitutional carry.

I agree with Tom on the use of those tools but I wouldn’t limit myself to just those four. I’d add in Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, and Google Plus. Pick one or two of these tools and teach yourself how to use them. If you have trouble learning them, ask your kids or grandkids for help!

When you take a new shooter to the range, post pictures of the trip on Facebook and Instagram. If you happen across a funny meme that skewers anti-gunners, post it on Tumblr or Pinterest. When you view an interesting gun related video on YouTube, post it to Facebook, to Tumblr, to Pinterest, to Twitter. If you feel like you can share your expertise, then become active on Reddit or one of the many Facebook or Internet gun forums. You don’t have to be an author – you just need to like, share, and repost what others have written. Take is a step further and follow Shannon Watts on Twitter and then contest her lies.

What we are doing as individuals when we do all of this is normalizing the ownership and use of firearms for recreation and self-defense. When a non-gunny coworker who is a Facebook friend sees us having fun shooting, they may ask you to take them to the range. That more than anything will inoculate them against the lies of the gun control industry.

I want to recognize my friend Erin Palette and her Operation Blazing Sword. After the murders at the Pulse nightclub, she went on Facebook and offered to take any LGBTQ person who wanted to learn to shoot safely to the range. For free. Trainers, ranges, and mere gun owners deluged her with offers to take people to the range on their own dime. They didn’t ask about sexual orientation. They only saw good people being attacked. Using Google Maps, she posted their contact info and how a LGBTQ person could get training. As of this week, Operation Blazing Sword has 1270 trainers across the country on that map.

One final thought on using New Media to advance and protect our gun rights. Learn the left’s playbook aka Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and use those guerrilla tactics against them. Especially Rule No. 4 – Make the enemy live up to its own rules.

Thank you for your time today.

Now here is what I actually said. Like I said, I had to edit it down for time. I also tried to add some things that I had heard on Saturday of the conference.

Hi. I'm John Richardson.

I have the gun blog No Lawyers – Only Guns and Money.

Last year when I spoke on using new media to advance gun rights, I told about how my blog got started and then gave examples of how bloggers and citizen journalists had used new media to advance gun rights. This year I want to speak to you about how you can use new media to advance our civil rights and freedoms.

We are in a political and cultural war to save our civil rights and freedoms from the gun control industry. This used to be merely the Brady Campaign and a few under-funded splinter groups.

That was then, this is now.

The gun control industry has morphed into an unholy alliance of academia, left-wing politicians, big media including Hollywood, pro bono lawyers from mega firms, progressive foundations, and so-called gun safety groups. The gun control industry has gotten smarter, savvier, and definitely better funded.

This unholy alliance seeks to marginalize us. To say that we are on the fringe and that the numbers of gunowners are declining. To portray us as toothless, uneducated white rednecks. That we are not Mainstream America.

So how do we fight these well-funded forces that want to strip us of our freedoms?

We take the battle to them! We can’t afford full-page ads in major newspapers or on television but we can wage an effective guerrilla war using the tools of the Internet and New Media. We hit them hard; we hit them fast. Like in judo, we use the weight of their money and their Establishment ties against them.

This past Sunday, Tom Gresham on Gun Talk Radio said everyone should have four tools – Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and email.

I agree with Tom on the use of those tools but I wouldn’t limit myself to just those four. I’d add in Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, Google Plus, and whatever else is out there. Pick one or two of these tools and teach yourself how to use them. If you have trouble learning them, ask your kids or grandkids for help!

When you take a new shooter to the range, post pictures of the trip on Facebook and Instagram. If you happen across a funny meme that skewers anti-gunners, post it on Tumblr or Pinterest. When you view an interesting gun related video on YouTube, post it to Facebook, to Tumblr, to Pinterest, to Twitter. You don’t have to be an author – you just need to like, share, and repost what others have written. As Tom Gresham told me yesterday, you need to become an amplifier.

What we are doing as individuals when we do all of this is normalizing the ownership and use of firearms for recreation and self-defense. When a non-gunny coworker who is a Facebook friend sees us having fun shooting, they may ask you to take them to the range. That more than anything will inoculate them against the lies of the gun control industry.

You heard from Rick Ector yesterday on the power of social media to reach out to women. My friend Erin Palette used it after the Pulse nightclub shooting to reach out to the LGBTQ community. Her Operation Blazing Sword now has 1,270 trainers on an interactive Google Maps doc who have offered to take a gay person to the range for firearm familiarization. For free!

One final thought on using New Media to advance and protect our gun rights. Learn the left’s playbook aka Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and use those guerrilla tactics against them. Especially Rule No. 4 – Make the enemy live up to its own rules.

Thank you for your time today.

Charles Heller of Liberty Watch Radio recorded the whole conference and has posted them here.

The link to the MP3 of the New Media panel is here. It is self starting.

If anyone would like to make suggestions on things I should have considered, please (please!!!) leave comments.

Additional research and editing on for this provided by Barb Richardson.

Why We Fight To Get Rid Of Pistol Purchase Permits

It looks like things are starting to settle down in Charlotte after the recent violence. You may have noticed some of the stories that referenced local citizens rushing out to buy firearms. Of course my readeers know that you should have the means to armed self-defence before the SHTF.

According to a spokesperson for Hyatt Gun Shop most of the purchases were for 12-gauge shotguns and buckshot. What was never mentioned in these stories is the purchase of a handgun in North Carolina requires either a pistol purchase permit or a NC Concealed Handgun Permit. Absent one of those two documents, you were legally restricted to purchasing a long gun. This is true even if it was a private sale.

While the Alan Gura's win in Bateman overturned the previous restrictions on possession of a firearm outside the home during a state of emergency as well as the restriction on firearm sales, we are still stuck with the Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit.

Grass Roots North Carolina has been fighting the battle to get the permit system repealed for a number of years. They sent out the following alert yesterday afternoon requesting people contact both Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) and his Democratic opponent Attorney Gen. Roy Cooper (D-NC) urging them to support repeal of this system.

DELAYS IMPERIL CITIZENS

As Charlotte burned, the Jim Crow-era bureaucracy denied gun purchases to the terrorized . . . Aficionados of Natural rights know that free citizens should not be forced to obtain permission slips from the bureaucracy before exercising their protected rights. In fact, it has always been GRNC’s position that archaic and shameful laws designed to deny citizens their rights, like the Jim Crow-era Pistol Purchase Permit (PPP), must be eradicated. With all of GRNC’s moral arguments and its unceasing effort to eliminate the PPP system, never before has the need to discard this old-fashioned and embarrassing legality been so obvious—and so critical. A Right Delayed is a Life put in Peril As you may be aware, several counties around the state, including Mecklenburg County, have been using bureaucratic loopholes and high-demand for guns as an excuse to severely delay the issuance of PPPs and Concealed Handgun Permits (CHP).  Indeed, it is true that, “a right delayed is a right denied.” However, in the context of a city ravaged by violent rioters, it should also be said that, a right delayed is a life put in peril. As a small but deviant portion of Charlotte’s populace, reinforced by out-of-state agitators, attempted to raze Charlotte, law-abiding and rightfully terrified citizens lined up to purchase much-needed handguns to protect their families, only to be told, “no.” These citizens were told that they would be barred from purchasing defensive handguns until the weeks-long, and now often delayed, PPP and/or CHP process could be completed. The Sheriff and other law enforcement officials are paid to protect and serve the citizens, and thank goodness for the officers on the street. However, it is ironic that the law enforcement bureaucracy has been weighted to keep these same citizens from protecting themselves, particularly when the need is so immediate, and the situation so dire. In the context of riots, where citizens are at more risk than ever and law-enforcement is overwhelmed, laws delaying the citizen’s access to defensive weapons serve only to empower the thugs, thugs who seek to hurt these citizens and their livelihoods. This must end! Below, see how you can easily contact NC’s two contenders for governor. Remind them that you have not forgotten about this critical issue. Let them know that, even outside of the legislative season, this is an issue that is worthy of great attention, and gun owners will continue to monitor their actions on this; and actions after November will speak louder than words spoken before November. Remind them that, ultimately, the requirement for PPPs and CHPs (government “permission slips”) must be eliminated as a step toward genuine rights-recognition for law-abiding citizens in North Carolina.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
PHONE GOVERNOR McCRORY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL COOPER: Use the phone numbers provided below, and tell them: I am calling to inform [The Governor / Mr. Cooper] that, at the same time deadly riots raged in Charlotte, frightened citizens were denied their right to obtain defensive handguns. This happened due to our state’s outdated Jim Crow-era Pistol Purchase Permit system and the weeks-long process to obtain a concealed handgun permit (CHP). This denial of civil rights has the potential to cost innocent lives, and it is entirely unacceptable. We must end these archaic and dangerous PPP and CHP systems, which only serve to put citizen’s lives in peril. I insist that this be addressed in the upcoming legislative session, and that [The Governor / Mr. Cooper] prioritize the repeal of these shameful and dangerous systems. Governor Pat McCrory:              (919) 814-2000 Attorney General Roy Cooper: (919) 716-6400 (Candidate for Governor) EMAIL GOVERNOR McCRORY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL COOPER: Use the links to their web forms provided below, and the text provided under ‘Deliver this Message’ to send a message. Governor McRory’s Contact Web Form: https://governor.nc.gov/contact/email-governor Attorney General Cooper’s Contact Web Form: http://www.ncdoj.gov/getdoc/d1ba7632-eced-41be-945f-8c2015756efe/ContactNCDOJ.aspx
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: "Riots: PPP/CHP Permit Delays Imperil Innocents"   Dear [Governor McCrory]   /   [Attorney General Cooper]: I am writing to inform you that as deadly riots raged in Charlotte, frightened citizens were denied their right to obtain defensive handguns. This denial of rights, which clearly put untold numbers of law-abiding citizens in peril, was due to our state’s outdated Jim Crow-era Pistol Purchase Permit (PPP) system, and the weeks-long process required to obtain a concealed handgun permit (CHP). In this context of civil unrest, it seems fitting to remind our state’s gubernatorial candidates that voters have not forgotten about this critical issue. Even outside of the legislative season, this is an issue that is worthy of great attention. The peaceful and law-abiding, who clearly have reason to fear for their safety, will continue to monitor your actions on this issue. You must work to put an end to these archaic and dangerous PPP and CHP systems, as it is your duty to protect the rights of North Carolina citizens, and not least among these is their right to protect themselves. As we saw last week, these PPP and CHP systems only serve to empower the unlawful and put innocent lives in peril. I insist that the repeal of these embarrassing throw-backs be a priority of yours in the upcoming legislative session. And please be aware: actions after November will speak much louder than words spoken before November. I will be watching your actions on this topic through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina. Respectfully,

If You Get The Outdoor Channel...

If you subscribe to the Outdoor Channel (or have a friend who does), you will want to see the Best Defense tonight. It will feature their mass casualty event reenactment modeled on the Paris music hall terrorist attack. The goal was to find ways for you to survive such an event.

I don't have the Outdoor Channel but I understand that the show will eventually be rebroadcast on their new My Outdoor TV (Shooting Gallery Online) digital network.

From Michael Bane:

THE BEST DEFENSE: MASS CASUALTY EVENT TO PREMIER THIS WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER, ON OUTDOOR CHANNEL, 8:00 PM Eastern

Link to video teaser: https://www.facebook.com/downrangetv/videos/10157497065140635/?pnref=story

Masonville, CO — The two scariest words in the English language are “what it?” There have been a dozen terror attacks in the United States in 2016; “what if” you or your family are trapped in the worst case you can imagine?

Award-winning producers of THE BEST DEFENSE, Michael Bane and Jeff Murray, decided to tackle that question head on in a compelling, and terrifying, special premiering on OUTDOOR CHANNEL at 8:00 PM ET Wednesday, September 28, encoring November 2 (Time to be announced).

“‘What if’ is a simple question with a hellish answer,” said Bane. “Literally days before the San Bernardino attacks, Jeff and I began discussing an idea to create the most realistic terrorist attack simulation possible, then use the tools we’ve developed in THE BEST DEFENSE over multiple seasons to help people survive.”   

The producers’ number one goal was to create a scenario so realistic that it was hard to turn away. Working from the basics of the Paris concert hall attacks, Bane and Murray reached out to both law enforcement and military counterterrorism experts and trainers who studied mass casualty events, THE BEST DEFENSE training team of Mike Seeklander and Michael Janich, paramedics specializing in first response and even renowned mental health experts to build the scenario and capture as much as possible the reality of being trapped in a mass casualty attack.

“We made the decision to use FX to make the scenario more realistic,” Bane said. “We were lucky enough to have the help of the Larimer County (CO) SWAT team and local paramedics. The Mass Casualty Event is certainly the most complex sim I’ve ever been involved with.”

A film team headed by award-winning documentarian Brandon Green shot the whole event in ultra-high resolution 4K. Green worked with the FX team to make every shot fired as realistic as possible.

“Essentially, this is the most ‘vetted’ scenario we could build. Every move, every action taken is based in reality and run through some of the most knowledgeable experts in the world,” Bane said. “Even the crowd reaction is based on cutting edge research from Dr. William Aprill…as each ‘extra’ arrived, that person was given a card explaining how he or she should react when the attack started. We were lucky enough to have Michael Janich’s highly trained cadre of martial arts experts to create an even more realistic sim. In fact, our main ‘terrorist’ served in the Israeli Defense Force as a sniper and Master Breacher, and is an expert in counterterrorism techniques.” 

On-screen experts, in addition to the TBD Team of Seeklander and Janich, include Ken Hackathorn, considered one of the top firearms trainers in the world; Gabe Suarez, probably the most experienced trainer in studying and dissecting mass casualty events and teaching civilian response; Dr. Dan Olesnicky, SWAT team physician, a first responder in terrorist events and one of the leading trainers of tactical medicine; Dr. William Aprill of Aprill Risk Consulting, considered the national expert on criminal and terrorist mindset; former SEAL Jimmy Graham, who also served as Lead Instructor for elite Federal Government Protective details in high risk environments and presently heads up the Active Shooter Response Training Center in the Denver area.

“Our team is tremendously proud of this effort, and we thank OUTDOOR CHANNEL for putting this information in front of so many people,” Bane said. “Since we began planning for this special, there have been 12 terrorism events in the United States and literally one a day around the world. We believe this information is critical, and we hope our viewers never have to use it.”

We Need Hand Registration!

If you were a kid growing up in the Sixties (or maybe any era), there were always playground myths. One of the ones I remember was that if you had a Black Belt in Karate you were required to register your hands with the police. I think earlier generations may have had something similar about champion boxers.

Of course this was just a myth based partly on the unknown. Karate was considered strange and foreign and imbued with super-human effectiveness. You didn't have karate as an Olympic sport then and you certainly didn't have dojos on every corner training little kids in the martial arts so as to teach them self-discipline.

I bring this up because I saw an article by AWR Hawkins on the just released 2015 FBI Uniform Crime Reports.

According to the FBI, approximately 252 people were killed with rifles in 2015. Nearly twice that figure–approximately 595–were killed with “hands, fists, or feet, etc.”

These numbers are not unprecedented. Breitbart News reported that the FBI’s 2014 Uniform Crime Report showed the number of people killed with a rifle that year was approximately 251. Over twice that figure–approximately 670–were killed by being beaten to death with “hands, fists, or feet, etc.”

Looking at the individual states, you see places like New York, California, Massachusetts, and Maryland which highly regulate "assault weapons" with ratios as high as 20:1 of deaths by hands or feet when compared to deaths where a rifle was used. I suppose the gun prohibitionists would make the argument that you see such high ratios because of how these states regulate these "killing machines".

This argument fails when  you see that virtually unregulated shotguns are used just as often as the murder weapon of choice as a rifle in those states. It has similarly high ratios when compared to deaths by hands and feet.

A quick glace at the state by state murder statistics tells me two things. First, the total number murdered in a state is highly dependent on the population of the state. Second, there are going to be states like Louisiana which are just outliers. They have a murder rate that is much greater proportionately than many other states. I don't know Louisiana law but I'm thinking that great Southern rationale of  "he needed killing" might be a valid defense to the charge of murder there.

Forget 1984 - I Feel Like It's 1964 Again

I was seven years old and in 2nd Grade when Barry Goldwater and Lyndon Johnson faced off against one another. As historians and political junkies will remember, the campaign featured the famous (or infamous) "Daisy" ad which implied a vote for Barry Goldwater might result in nuclear war.

Fast forward 52 years to now. I watched an ad attacking Donald Trump that was eerily like that Daisy ad. It was produced and paid for by the pro-Clinton Super-PAC Priorities USA.

As much as things have changed over the last 52 years, there are some things that haven't changed. Democratic presidential nominees and their surrogates just can't help themselves when it comes to accusing Republicans of being warmongers. As things turned out, we can thank God that we didn't have nuclear war despite the wide escalation of the war in South Vietnam under LBJ.

"Don't NYC My Maine Gun Rights"

My late father lived in Maine for many years after he retired from the Army. Even though he was a born and bred Tar Heel he was accepted by the locals. He lived in Medomak which is on Muscongus Bay.

I spent my (first) honeymoon in the Rangeley Region at a camp on Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Rosanne and I gave serious consideration to moving to Maine. We joined the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine and took a local paper. We never did make the move but I still love the State of Maine. I guess that is why I am so afraid for them with Bloomberg's money trying to buy gun control there.

Ginny Simone does a good job of showing how Bloomberg and his money is trying to buy the election. I'm glad that there are organizations like the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine. politicians like Gov. Paul LePage, and others like my friend Genie Jennings who will be speaking at GRPC fighting this tooth and nail.

Agenda For 2016 Gun Rights Policy Conference

The Gun Rights Policy Conference starts tonight in Tampa, Florida. It will really swing into action tomorrow morning with the call to order at 8am. Below is the agenda for the conference. You can use it as your "channel guide", so to speak, for the livestreaming of the conference.

I will post my full presentation after the conference.

2016 GRPC Agenda

Livestream Of 2016 Gun Rights Policy Conference

The Polite Society Podcast will once again be Livestreaming the content of the Gun Rights Policy Conference. Not only will each session be featured but there will be interviews with many of the speakers. The conference begins tomorrow in Tampa at 8:30am. Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) will be giving a welcome around 9am according to the preliminary agenda.

We will be using YouTube for the streaming video of the event. The links for Day 1 and Day 2 are below. Paul Lathrop, Rob Morse, Rachel Malone, Gary Daugherty, and myself will be handling the hosting duties.





Sponsors of the livestream include the Firearms Policy Coalition, Ammoland.com, LFD Research, and Geeks Gadgets and Guns.

I will be again presenting at the Gun Rights Policy Conference on using new media to advance gun rights. That session begins at 10:20am on Sunday. I've written my presentation and will be practicing and editing it a few more times before Sunday.

An Example Of How Universities Waste Money

I decided this spring to enroll in a graduate certificate program at Kansas State University related to financial planning. I thought the four classes in the certificate program would allow me to provide my clients with better planning advice.

After I started the first class, I got the following note that said I had to take a 45-minute, online "course" dealing with sexual violence and healthy relationship.

Hello John,

Course Due Date Think About It: Graduate Students 7/22/2016

We know you're excited about being at Kansas State University. To help create a safer global, online and on campus environment for you and other students, you must complete an online alcohol and sexual assault course referred as Think About It: Graduate Studentsfrom CampusClarity. YOU HAVE 20 DAYS FROM TODAY'S DATE TO COMPLETE THIS TRAINING. Think About It: Graduate Students is an innovative, engaging, and informative online course, created with students for students. In the course, you will examine the interconnected issues of sexual violence and healthy relationships through a variety of interactive, realistic scenarios and guided self-reflection. The course promotes a healthier and safer university environment for all global, online and on campus students. Think About It: Graduate Students takes about 45 minutes to complete. You can work at your own pace from any computer. You can leave and return to the course at any time, and when you return, it will open to the page where you left off. You may visit www.ksu.edu/asap for more information about ASAP or call the KSU Health Promotion Department at (785)532-6595. The content of the sexual violence education portion ofThink About It: Graduate Students may be triggering for some individuals. Please direct triggering concerns and requests for alternative student training options to the KSU Center for Advocacy, Response and Education (CARE) at (785)532-6444 or email KSUCARE@ksu.edu prior to the first day of classes in the upcoming semester.

Please bear in mind while reading this that I live literally 1,000 miles from campus and am doing all the coursework online. I am also 59 years old, happily married, don't binge drink, act respectfully towards both men and women (politicians excepted), and have a wonderful 19-month old granddaughter along with two equally wonderful stepdaughters. My Fortune 50 company requires me to take annual sexual harassment training which I believe trumps anything dealing with binge drinking and hook-up sex.

The KSU Center for Advocacy, Response and Education (CARE) had a prior name. It was the KSU Women's Center. I would love to know how much it cost to develop this "course", how much it costs to administer, and how much it costs the university to nag me about it.

I respectfully declined to take this "course". I was referred to the Associate Dean and Director of Non-Violence Programs. This dean is the person who can make an exception to this federal mandate and works with "these students" as I was referred to in the e-mail chain.

I have made my request and am waiting to hear from the Associate Dean. In the meantime I received another missive stating that a "no enrollment hold" has been placed on me until I complete this "course" which has utterly no relevance to me or how I lead my life. To make sure I got the message, they included this all-caps line.

THIS HOLD WILL PREVENT YOU FROM REGISTERING FOR FUTURE CLASSES UNTIL YOU COMPLETE THE REQUIRED TRAINING.

I have already registered and paid for the fall course so this would only impact the final two courses for the certificate.

Frankly, I do not plan to cave or kow-tow to these social justice warriors in bureaucratic garb. Since this is a "federal mandate", I figure a letter or call from the offices of my senators and congressman might make them back off. It doesn't hurt that Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) is on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee or that Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) is the Chief Majority Deputy Whip. I would hate to have to resort to that but you have to do what you have to do.

UPDATE: I discussed an exemption this morning by phone with the dean in question. My request for an exemption was summarily dismissed. I have made the decision to withdraw from the program, get my money back, and raise all holy hell over this nonsense. I entered the program as I wanted additional training with which to help my clients. It looks like any additional training will be on my own.

I Have No Words

I first saw this on PJ Media and couldn't believe it. Then I found it on Chris Hayes' Twitter feed.

The anti-gun left has lost its frigging mind!

We're also very very lucky that the attackers tried to use explosives rather than guns.

— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 19, 2016

US Sniper Rifles From WWI And WWII

Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has recently published a series of videos on the sniper rifles used by the US Army and US Marine Corps in World Wars One and Two. One of the more interesting observations was that the Army had to start from scratch in WWII while the Marine Corps, who supposedly never throws anything away, pulled stuff out of storage.

From his WWI description:

The United States had two primary types of sniper rifles during World War One, although both were based on the M1903 Springfield rifle.

The most common optic used was the Warner & Swasey "Telescopic Musket Sight", a rather clumsy prismatic optic mounted on the left side of the rifle, on a detachable rail. The model 1908 W&S offered 6 power magnification, which was reduced to 5.2x in the 1913 model in an effort to increase field of view. These optics were also used on the M1909 Benet-Mercie light machine gun.

The second type is the Winchester A5 scope, an excellent commercial scope available at the time. Although usually associated with the US Marine Corps, several hundred of these were also issued by the Army. The A5 was a much more tradition type of optic, mounted centrally above the bore and preferred by competitive marksmen.

The third rifle we are looking at in this video is a very interesting example of a competitive rifle from the pre-WWI period. It is a 1903 Springfield fitted with a commercial A5 scope and Mann bases. This is the sort of rifle that would have been used by the career military shooters for competition, and would likely have accompanied many such men overseas in the American Expeditionary Force. Woe to the German who found himself in the sights of such a man with a rifle like this!

From the bolt-action sniper rifles of WWII:

The primary sniper rifle used by the United States in World War II was the M1903A4 Springfield, a version of the exisiting 1903A3 with the iron sights removed and replaced with a Weaver 330C scope (adopted by the military as the M73B1). This was a low-power optic, but was centrally mounted on the rifle to avoid and of the windage issues caused by prismatic scopes.

The 1903A4 was the US' first truly mass-produced sniper rifle, with more than 28,000 being manufactured during just two years of the war (1943-44). The rifle was taken out of production when the M1C sniper adaptation of the Garand was formally adopted, although production of the M1C would be delayed until the end of the war. The 1903A4 would remain in service after WWII, with later scopes being approved as replacements for the M73B1 (in this video, we will take a look at one equipped with an M84, the optic adopted for the later M1D).

The US Marine Corps, of course, had to be a bit different, and adopted their own sniper rifle variant in 1941, a 1903A1 fitted with an 8 power Unertl scope. These scopes were a tradeoff, being significantly more fragile than the M73B1, but also being much better for long range precision shooting. The USMC, taking much pride in their culture of marksmanship, was happy to make that trade, and the rifles served well throughout the war.

While the Army did adopt the M1C Garand semi-automatic rifle for sniping in 1944, according to Ian it never saw action during the war. It would make its debut in action during the Korean War.

Thanks to Ian for doing these histories of US sniping rifles as used during the world wars. If you want to help support the work he does, he has set up a Patreon account which can be found here.

This Ad Was Obviously A Failure

I came across this video from Bloomberg's Everytown this morning. I thought in light of the Missouri General Assembly overriding Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of constitutional carry, it would be fun to show this waste of advertising dollars. It is obvious to me that the legislators listened to their own constituents rather than to Bloomberg.





Given that Shannon Watts (then Shannon Troughton) got her start after graduating Mizzou working for as a PR flack for Gov. Mel Carnahan (D-MO), you might be forgiven for thinking she would have a better feel for politics in her former state of residence.

Every Picture Tells A Story, Part VI

With the Show-Me State becoming the 11th state to adopt some form of constitutional carry, Rob Vance has updated the graphic we've been publishing since 2011. The latest graphic shifts Missouri from shall-issue concealed carry to constitutional concealed carry. They already had open carry.

Back in April, I said that I might have to update what I said a few years ago. To wit, that shall-issue is the new norm. I concluded that I might have to change this to constitutional carry is the new norm. I think that might be going a little far but one can always hope.

My fellow co-host of the Polite Society Podcast Rachel Malone is very active in Republican politics at the state level in Texas. She said in our last podcast that the Texas State Republican Executive Committee had adopted constitutional carry as one of their key legislative priorities in 2017. Imagine how the blue area would expand if the second largest state by both size and population adopted constitutional carry!

To illustrate how much things have changed since the original graphic was published, I am reposting the graphic. No issue (the red area) has gone to virtually nil and unrestricted (blue area) has grown exponentially.

Missouri Goes Constitutional Carry On January 1st

The Missouri General Assembly overrode the earlier veto by Gov. Jay Nixon (D-MO) of Senate Bill 656 which now allows any person legally entitled to possess a firearm to carry that firearm without a permit. SB 656 also created lifetime carry permits, expanded both the castle doctrine and stand your ground protections, gave military members a longer period of time to renew their permits, and limits the cost of a permit to $100. The bill did not do away with permits but made the need for one pretty much irrelevant.

The override vote in the Senate was 24-6 and 112-41 in the House of Representatives. The official roll call vote breakdown of the Senate override has not been published as of yet.

The provisions of SB 656 with the exception of constitutional carry become effective in 30 days. Constitutional carry will not become effective until January 1, 2017. SB 656 rewrote Section 571.130 of the Missouri Revised Statutes which previously made it a crime to carry a weapon including a firearm concealed without a permit. The revision now makes it a crime to carry a concealed weapon in places where it is forbidden by Section 571.107. These places include correctional facilities, police stations, polling places on Election Day, court houses, and the like.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gov. Nixon and other Democrats contend this will make the state less safe:

Nixon has said the bill would make the state less safe by taking power away from local law enforcement, who under current law issue permits to citizens who have completed a firearm safety training course and passed a background check.

Getting weapons without training raised a red flag even for gun-friendly Democrats.

“I don’t think it’s a burden to take an eight-hour course to understand the dos and the don’ts, the shoulds and the shouldn’ts, of carrying a loaded firearm,” said Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, who waved his own concealed carry permit while speaking on the Senate floor.

St. Louis lawmakers said the lack of training would make the city more dangerous.

“We’re putting citizens in the place of law enforcement who have training and skills and experience,” said Rep. Kim Gardner, a Democrat who is set to become the next St. Louis circuit attorney.

Sponsoring Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, said the bill would give law-abiding Missourians the right to conceal and carry in places that already allow permitless open carry. It will take effect in 2017.

The video below from KMOV St Louis shows some of the debate over the bill's override in the House. St. Rep. Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis), the reigning poster girl of Mayor Bloomberg's Demanding Mommies, says "the bill we just passed will ensure, guarantee it, more gun deaths."


KMOV.com

Some Of My Fellow Deplorables

Donald Trump is speaking in Asheville this evening.

I happened to be at my nearby Lowe's Home Center which overlooks the Asheville Regional Airport when I noticed a number of people on one end of the parking lot. It turns out they were hoping to see Trump's plane land. After I finished my shopping I joined them.

There were young deplorables there.

There were old deplorables there.

There were even some of my fellow middle aged deplorables there.

These pictures don't capture the total number of people that had been there. I'd estimate it was over 50 during the course of an hour. Unfortunately, Trump arrived earlier than expected and most people missed seeing him arrive including me.

I did get to watch Trump's speech over Livestream. He was introduced by former NYC Mayor Rudy Guilani. He started by having an assortment of folks on stage speak which included both whites and blacks.

The elderly black couple who had a "huge" number of combined years in education said it would be hard for them to be racist and sexist. It was kinda funny. Hillary is going to regret her description of a segment of Trump voters are both "deplorable" and "irredeemable". They are already coming back to haunt her.

2016 Gun Rights Policy Conference

Just a reminder from the Second Amendment Foundation that the Gun Rights Policy Conference will be held in less than two weeks.

BELLEVUE, WA – Virginia attorney Alan Gura, who won both the 2008 Heller case and the 2010 case of McDonald v. City of Chicago before the U.S. Supreme Court, is slated to be one of the highlight speakers later this month at the 31st annual Gun Rights Policy Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Tampa, Fla., an event that will also feature several national gun rights leaders.

More than 75 speakers will participate in a wide range of panel discussions ranging from this fall’s elections to state legislative activities, working with the press, and other important Second Amendment issues including personal protection.

Also scheduled are Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), Mark Walters, host of the national radio show Armed American Radio; Tom Gresham, host of nationally-syndicated Gun Talk radio; nationally-recognized firearms instructor and self-defense authority Massad Ayoob, and Professor John Lott, author of The War on Guns and a Fox News.com contributor. The full roster of speakers is not yet finalized.

In addition, SAF and CCRKBA leaders will be joined by representatives from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Gun Owners of America, the National Rifle Association, Breitbart.com, the Washington Times, Washington Free Beacon and Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, who will also be speaking.

The weekend event typically attracts more than 700 gun owners, activists and experts from across the country. Attendance is free, and on-line registration is available at http://www.saf.org .

WHO: National gun rights leaders
WHAT: Speaking at the 31st annual Gun Rights Policy Conference
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 24 & Sunday, Sept. 25
WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton, 4500 W Cypress St, Tampa, FL 33607

On Sunday morning, I will be presenting along with Paul Lathrop of The Polite Society Podcast about the uses of new media to advance gun rights.

The Polite Society Podcast will be livestreaming the event on both days. We will also have interviews during the breaks with many of the speakers. Even if you can't make it down to sunny Florida in person, you can still participate in the Gun Rights Policy Conference. More details on where we will be livestreaming the event as we get closer.

Monthly Gun Contests

Aaron at the Weapon-Blog has released his monthly list of contests in which you can win firearms, accessories, etc. There are some nice handguns on the list including a couple made by Wilson Combat.

Handguns

• Heckler & Koch VP9 Tactical
  Deadline: September 13, 2016
  Added to list: September 7, 2016
  https://www.facebook.com/NationalRifleAssociation/app/143103275748075
• Heritage Rough Rider
  Deadline: September 13, 2016
  Added to list: August 8, 2016
  https://americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
• Heckler & Koch VP40
  Deadline: September 13, 2016
  Added to list: August 8, 2016
  https://americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
• Wilson Combat 1911
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: August 26, 2016
  http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/bapid=475/ClientPage/2016-Wilson-Combat-1911-Giveaway
• Remington 200 Year Celebration
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 7, 2016
  http://www.impactguns.com/sweepstakes.aspx
• Heckler & Koch VP9
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://grabagun.com/giveaway
• Glock 17
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: July 7, 2016
  https://www.secondamendmentgiveaways.com/
• FNS-40
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://www.guntalk.com/site43.php
• Glock 19
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.calgunsfoundation.org/contest/glock-19-giveaway-rules/
• Springfield Armory 1911
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://www.gunwinner.com/contest/springfield-armory-1911-package-giveaway
• EAA Corp 1911 Polymer
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: July 12, 2016
  http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Wilson Combat Hackathorn 1911
  Deadline: October 3, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.gunsforacause.org/karashope/hackathorn/
• Dream Gun Giveaway
  Deadline: October 31, 2016
  Added to list: August 8, 2016
  https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/freegungiveaway/2016aug-oct/index.html?id=MediaBuy2016-08&sid=WeaponBlog
• RIA TCM Rock Target FS HC
  Deadline: November 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 8, 2016
  http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Shooters Arms 1911
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: April 5, 2016
  http://www.contests.gunownersofcanada.ca/2016---1911-giveaway.html
• NRA 24-Gun Collection
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: September 4, 2015
  https://www.nra.org/sweepstakes/
• NRA Crack The Vault
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: June 13, 2016
  https://www.nrailadonate.org/CrackTheVault/prizes.aspx
• Glock 19
  Deadline: 3,573 Followers
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  https://www.instagram.com/p/BI8_qECADOR/

Rifles

• Remington 700VTR
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://ggg.galleryofguns.com/
• Remington 700
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: August 19, 2016
  https://premium.easypromosapp.com/p/309821
• Spike’s Tactical Crusader AR-15
  Deadline: September 16, 2016
  Added to list: August 8, 2016
  https://nagr.org/2016/716CrusaderGW6.aspx?pid=fb3a
• Daniel Defense M4V7
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.firearmspolicy.org/contests/dd4/
• Colt AR-15
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://www.chooseliberty.org/aug-gg-S.aspx
• CORE-15 AR-15
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8e35e2d413/
• Bergara B-14
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://bergarausa.com/bergara-contest.php
• Rock River Arms LAR-15 Predator Pursuit Rifle
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://ontargetmagazine.com/gun-giveaway-contest/
• DRD Tactical AR-15
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://pages.rmgo.org/drd916-gw/
• Henry Long Ranger Rifle
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://app.viralsweep.com/sweeps/full/24cf2e-4754
• Mk-18 Mod 0 Mjölnir
  Deadline: October 14, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.gunownersca.com/news/gun-giveaway/
• Sig Sauer SIG716
  Deadline: November 8, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://americanhandgunner.com/fmg-surveys/47756/
• Smith & Wesson M&P AR-15
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: October 7, 2015
  http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/win-free-gun
• Thompson/Contender Compass
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: July 19, 2016
  https://tcarms.com/dreamtruckgiveaway
• Remington 200
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://200sweepstakes.remington.com/
• Mauser Karabiner 98 Kurz
  Deadline: 300 Contest Entries
  Added to list: July 7, 2016
  http://zelmanpartisans.com/?p=3454
• Savage MK II BTV
  Deadline: 5,000 Group Members
  Added to list: January 7, 2015
  https://mewe.com/join/pray_hard_shoot_straight
• Xena-15 GEN4
  Deadline: 100,000 Subscribers
  Added to list: February 18, 2016
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFY0jhhMw54
• CVA Muzzleloader
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: January 1, 2015
  http://www.cva.com/CVA-Contest.php

Shotguns

• Remington 870 200th Anniversary Commemerative
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://ggg.galleryofguns.com/

Air Rifles

• Beretta Air Pistol
  Deadline: September 7, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.umarexusa.com/pages/win-a-beretta-airgun

Ammunition

• $1,000 Freedom Munitions Gift Certificate
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://www.nagr.org/ammo-giveawayfb.aspx?pid=fb090
• 5,000 Rounds of Aguila .22LR
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.facebook.com/AguilaAmmo/photos/a.1534353410211642.1073741830.1534020623578254/1653994818247500
• 5,000 Rounds of .22LR
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 19, 2016
  http://media.patriotoutfitters.com/shoppingspree/

Knives

• Kershaw Launch 5
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://www.gunwinner.com/contest/kershaw-launch-5-knife-giveaway

Constitution

• None this month

Gun Rights Organizations

• None this month

Accessories

• CarbonTV Summer Survival Sweepstakes
  Deadline: September 7, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://www.carbontv.com/NWTFSpringStrategiesContest
• Dock Days of Summer
  Deadline: September 8, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://aliengearholsters.com/contest
• Yeti Tundra & Yeti Tumbler
  Deadline: September 8, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://woobox.com/zq7sqp
• O2 Octane Camo
  Deadline: September 14, 2016
  Added to list: August 17, 2016
  http://www.outdoorhub.com/cabelas-o2-octane-camo-giveaway/
• MidwayUSA Hunting Clothing Package
  Deadline: September 14, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://woobox.com/v6f85z
• Custom Coonan Inc. Range Bag
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://www.facebook.com/coonan357mag/app/515720611858523/
• HSS Hanger Harness & Lifeline
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://averagehunter.com/hss-hanger-harness-lifeline-giveaway/
• NRA Truck Raffle
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: May 13, 2016
  http://truckraffle.nra.org/default.aspx
• Umbrella Corporation Rifle Grip
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: August 30, 2016
  http://reloadone.com/mid-september-giveaway-umrella-corp-rifle-grip/
• Concealed Storage Tribute Flag
  Deadline: September 16, 2016
  Added to list: August 26, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.absoluterights.com/c/dq6xorkl
• Gold American Eagle
  Deadline: September 29, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.billofrights.com/c/sd/yifcrbbspa6q
• Colorado 9' Pontoon Boat
  Deadline: September 29, 2016
  Added to list: August 26, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.billofrights.com/c/ow6sk2lb
• Raptor Razor
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0M4ag1viXRk-vfjKTqHSRdLaQf8nlVGZWLal8jaKHQkjeFw/viewform
• USWarFighter Signature Camo
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  https://www.facebook.com/uswarfighters/app/112053162216760?brandloc=DISABLE&app_data=from-hijnj0,chk-57bca74ecd7e0
• Ultimate Skre Gear Giveaway
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: August 26, 2016
  http://www.skregear.com/giveaway/index.html
• WHISKEY5 3-15x44mm Hunting Riflescope
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://www.sigsauer.com/TeamSig/Sweepstakes.aspx
• Big Game Giveaway
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 7, 2016
  https://www.facebook.com/outdooredgeknives/app/143103275748075
• Barnett Ghost 415
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 7, 2016
  http://woobox.com/fbthyt/htyyln
• 3-Month Emergency Food Supply
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://preppersupport.com/content/3-month-emergency-food-supply-giveaway-0
• Vortex VHS-4305 Riflescope
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://opticsfreak.com/content/vortex-vhs-4305-riflescope-giveaway
• BulletSafe Body Armor Package
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://www.gunwinner.com/contest/bulletproof-vest-combo-package-giveaway
• Holosun HS515C Optic
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://www.gunwinner.com/contest/holosun-hs515c-giveaway
• Holosun HS403C Optic
  Deadline: October 1, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://opticsfreak.com/content/holosun-hs403c-giveaway
• FireFly Solar Kit
  Deadline: October 3, 2016
  Added to list: August 16, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.pioneersettler.com/
• Parker Thunder Hawk Crossbow
  Deadline: October 17, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://web.parkerbows.com/10crossbows.html
• Barska Biometric Safe
  Deadline: October 21, 2016
  Added to list: August 12, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.guncarrier.com/c/klgfxskp
• Range Master Kit
  Deadline: October 28, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.guncarrier.com/c/fuqkwmeh
• 230cc 4 Stroke ATV
  Deadline: October 29, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.survivallife.com/c/w4cljmaw
• Ultimate Hunter's Bundle
  Deadline: October 29, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://sweepstakes.survivallife.com/c/ek2vsw4h
• $2,500 5.11 Tactical Gift Card
  Deadline: October 31, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://tacticalgear.com/sweeps
• Otis Clean Start
  Deadline: November 25, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  http://www.cleanstartgiveaway.com
• Trip To Taurus Headquarters
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://www.taurus-judge.com/tour/index.html
• $250 2A Shooting Supply Gift Certificate
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: August 25, 2016
  https://2ashootingsupply.com/giveaways/
• Mossy Oak Rock Starz
  Deadline: January 4, 2017
  Added to list: August 30, 2016
  http://www.addictionattractants.com/rockstarzphotocontest.html
• Rusty's Rags Cleaning Cloths
  Deadline: Recurring Weekly
  Added to list: February 11, 2015
  http://www.rustysrags.com/retailer_Info.html
• Dead Air Armament #MuzzleBrakeMonday
  Deadline: Recurring Weekly
  Added to list: June 9, 2015
  https://www.facebook.com/DeadAirSilencers/photos/a.574740122637686.1073741828.567415350036830/682580115187019/
• Patriot Ordinance Factory Drop-In Trigger
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  https://pof-usa.com/monthly-contest-giveaway/
• Relentless Tactical Gun Belt
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: August 16, 2016
  https://relentless.leadpages.co/relentless-tactical-belt-giveaway/
• ATN SHot Trax-HD
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: April 4, 2016
  http://lauraburgess.com/clients/american-technologies-network/ATN_VideoContest_0416.pdf
• Parker Compound Bow
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: February 11, 2015
  http://www.parkerbows.com/giveawaynew.html
• Parker Crossbow
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: February 17, 2016
  http://www.parkerbows.com/giveawaynewxbow.html
• Trailboss
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: July 13, 2016
  http://www.trailbossguns.com/signup.html
• $100 60X Gift Card
  Deadline: Recurring Monthly
  Added to list: August 8, 2016
  http://www.60xcustomstrings.com/giveaway/

Raffles

• NRA Truck Raffle
  Deadline: September 15, 2016
  Added to list: March 7, 2019
  http://truckraffle.nra.org/default.aspx
• 556 Tactical & 3 Doors Down Charity Raffle
  Deadline: September 30, 2016
  Added to list: September 6, 2016
  https://556tactical.com/product/556-tactical-3-doors-down-charity-raffle-citizen-soldier-ix/
• NRA Banned Guns Raffle
  Deadline: October 22, 2016
  Added to list: August 13, 2016
  https://nraraffle.nra.org/entry
• Outdoor Mentors Gun A Week
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: January 6, 2016
  http://outdoormentors.org/content/2016-gun-week-drawing
• Hart's Fort Rifle
  Deadline: December 31, 2016
  Added to list: February 8, 2016
  https://www.youcaring.com/homeless-and-at-risk-military-veterans-516369
• 2016 50 Gun Fundraiser
  Deadline: Only 500 tickets sold
  Added to list: January 28, 2016
  http://www.pitstopbbq.org/#!2016-50-Gun-Fundraiser/cp5g/i2l12v0s1

Training

• Tactical Training Adventure
  Deadline: 60,000 Contest entries
  Added to list: August 17, 2015
  https://freedomfightersfoundation.org/sweepstakes/

Hunting

• Cajun Whitetail Dream Hunt
  Deadline: October 24, 2016
  Added to list: August 23, 2016
  http://www.buckmasters.com/contests/hunt/c/cawt16/s/2

Big Win In The 3rd Circuit

Alan Gura won a big one in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Amendment. In an 8-7 en banc decision, the court found that some people who had non-violent misdemeanors and/or felonies could get their Second Amendment rights restored. The court combined the cases of Binderup v. Attorney General and Suarez v. Attorney General for their hearing.

Only three judges agreed on the court's rationale for restoring the gun rights of  Mr Binderup and Mr. Suarez. Another five judges concurred in the outcome but for different reason while seven judges dissented. The court's governing opinion found:

Binderup and Suarez have presented unrebutted evidence that their offenses were nonviolent and now decades old, and that they present no threat to society, which places them within the class persons who have a right to keep and bear arms. Accordingly, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) is unconstitutional as applied to them.

The court's opinion, concurrences, and dissent total 178 pages of somewhat confusing logic as to the restoration of gun rights. Professor Eugene Volokh presents a good summary of it here.

The Second Amendment Foundation is very pleased with the result. It is a good win going into the Gun Rights Policy Conference later this month.

BELLEVUE, WA – The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that individuals convicted of certain non-serious misdemeanor crimes do not lose their fundamental rights under the Second Amendment in a decision involving two separate cases brought by the Second Amendment Foundation.

The unanimous ruling came from an en banc panel in the combined cases of Binderup v. the U.S. Attorney General and Suarez v. the U.S. Attorney General.

In 1990, Julio Suarez was stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. At the time he was carrying a handgun and spare ammunition without a permit. He pleaded guilty in Maryland state court to the charge and received a 180-day suspended sentence and $500 fine. Daniel Binderup pleaded guilty in 1996 to a misdemeanor charge related to a consensual relationship he had with a 17-year-old female employee and received three years’ probation and a $300 fine. Neither man was ever incarcerated.

However, in both cases, the crimes could have resulted in jail time for which the federal gun law blocks firearms possession. Binderup and Suarez petitioned the Pennsylvania court in 2009 to remove the state prohibition against firearms possession, but federal law “continues to bar them from possessing firearms because their convictions have not been expunged or set aside, they have not been pardoned, and their civil rights have not been restored,” the court noted.

“Where the Second Amendment’s guarantees apply, as they do for Binderup and Suarez, ‘certain policy choices’ are ‘necessarily’ taken ‘off the table.’ Forever prohibiting them from possessing any firearm is one of those policy choices,” the appeals court said in today’s ruling.

“Today’s victory confirms that the government can’t simply disarm anyone it wishes,” stated SAF attorney Alan Gura. “At an absolute minimum, people convicted of non-serious crimes, who pose no threat to anyone, retain their fundamental rights. That this is even controversial is a matter of some concern.”

SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb cheered the ruling, adding that, “In an era where government officials want to disqualify as many people as possible from gun ownership, this ruling is monumental. This case will lead to the restoration of people’s civil and constitutional right to own a firearm that is long overdue.”

Gottlieb noted that today’s victory once again reinforces SAF’s long-stated mission of “Winning firearms freedom, one case at a time.”

Professor Volokh is of the opinion that if the Department of Justice decides to appeal the case it will most likely be taken up by the Supreme Court. If they do, it will be interesting to see where the Court's liberals who are anti-gun come down on this. While they are anti-gun, they tend to be more supportive of rights for those who have broken the law in the past. Given that both Mr. Binderup and Mr. Suarez were convicted of non-violent misdemeanors for which they served no actual jail time and that they kept their noses clean after that, saying that there is a strong governmental interest in prohibiting them from possessing firearms would be a stretch.

The 2016 Presidential Election In A Nutshell

Ed Friedman, editor of Shooting Illustrated, has captured this election in a nutshell. The comment below was in reference to something Tam wrote about Hillary's lies about not knowing about classified emails.

The GOP's problem is that people want their free shit, and will vote for a lyin, cheatin, murderin, stroke-havin, bribe-takin, becankled harridan and reinforce the failed policies of a feckless beta-male/manchurian-candidate president simply because the other guy is a white blowhard who says mean things.

 As I approach age 60, this is what scares the hell out of me. It makes me want to buy a huge ranch in west Texas, put up a big fence, plant Claymore mines all over the place, and say the hell with the rest of the world. The only problem is that I hate really hot weather and I don't have enough money to do it.

You Know You Are A Gun Nerd When...

You know you are a gun nerd when the thing you notice in a story about the G-20 economic summit in Hangzou, China is that the Chinese honor guards carry Type 56 SKS rifles.

Getty Images - from the Wall Street Journal

That picture then sets you off on search of more pictures of the event so you can see even better pictures of the chromed Type 56 SKS rifles. The photo below is from Getty Images. If you click on the image, you can enlarge it.

Embed from Getty Images