The Arrogance Of Youth

I saw a tweet today that just made me roll my eyes. It was from Lauren Hogg who is the younger sister of David "Camera " Hogg.

NRA TV is dead because of a couple angry teenagers with Twitter. Never underestimate the power of some “kids” with goals.

— Lauren Hogg (@lauren_hoggs) June 26, 2019

I think if there is one thing that Wayne LaPierre and Revan McQueen might agree on, it would be that Miss Hogg and her older brother had nothing to do with the demise of NRATV.

Great Twitter Thread On April 19th

I didn't get to post this on April 19th as I was helping take care of my granddaughters while their parents were away. If you turn your head on a one year old who has learned to crawl, they are into everything!

April 19th was the 244th anniversary of the "shot heard 'round the world" or the Battle of Lexington and Concord. We should never forget that the battle began when authorities tried to confiscate firearms from men who decided they'd rather be citizens than subjects.

Anyway, this Twitter thread is brilliant. I'll only excerpt a part of it but I'd encourage you to read the whole thing.

On this day in history, the 19th If April, 1775, a group of radical far right nationalists made up of mostly white cis males, likely radicalized by hate groups liberally utilizing printing presses to publish inflammatory anti-government rhetoric fired upon international peacekeepers. pic.twitter.com/d6qlpRoavY

— Sam-flammatory Rhetoric (@AsianJ86) April 19, 2019

The results of the initial skirmish resulted in 8 Lexington men killed and a dozen wounded. One international peacekeeper suffered an injury, a light wound to the thigh. The right wing activists should have know you cant stand up to the gubment, they have warships and cannons.

— Sam-flammatory Rhetoric (@AsianJ86) April 19, 2019

Right wing militia leaders having gotten their ducks in a row, advanced on the international peacekeeping force plundering Concord. With the peacekeepers disbursed throughout the city and the Right wing death squad acting en mass, they outnumbered the peacekeepers they encountered

— Sam-flammatory Rhetoric (@AsianJ86) April 19, 2019

The rest is history. Literally. The moral of the story being that even the most technologically advanced, disciplined, and powerful army in the world was successfully and soundly defeated by a force made up entirely of armed citizens.

— Sam-flammatory Rhetoric (@AsianJ86) April 19, 2019

Learning that their fellow citizens were being attacked by British forces, the right wing militia grew exponentially. British and American leaders were equally stunned by the numbers and enthusiasm of those who’d take up arms and resist rather than lay back and think of England.

— Sam-flammatory Rhetoric (@AsianJ86) April 19, 2019

Sam Cooke Must Have Been Singing About This Guy

I came across a Tweet today from a rapper named Taleb Kweli Greene.

So, you’re unaware of the fact that nazi Germany had a wall called the Berlin Wall that was torn down in 1991 in order to foster humanity and diversity? Walls didn’t work for Nazis so why build them here? Build bridges not walls Nazi lover. @thefeltyperro @jabbawa78 https://t.co/h3djzlRi4j

— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) December 21, 2018

I'm kind of speechless over this abject ignorance of history. It made me wonder where he was edumacated.

According to his Wikipedia page, he started high school at Brooklyn Technical HS which requires an entrance exam. After being "academically dismissed", he finished at Cheshire Academy which was founded in 1794. Cheshire boasts of a 6 to 1 student-teacher ration and class sizes of 12. The 10th oldest private school in the United States, Cheshire has a robust history department for a school its size.

All I can say is that Greene is either being intentionally obtuse or really is that dumb despite the best efforts of some of the best teachers that money could buy.

A New Word For The Political Lexicon - Feinsteined

Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for Pres. George W. Bush, has come up with a new word for the political lexicon. It is Feinsteined. This is when an anonymous letter from an anonymous source with an unknown allegation is supposedly sent to the FBI in an effort to derail the nomination of a judicial candidate. In this case, the nominee is Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the allegations may or may not be something non-sexual he did at a party with a girl when he and she were 17 years old.

First came getting “Borked.” Now there is getting “Feinsteined.” A secret source. An unknown allegation (from high school) and an FBI referral. This isn’t advice and consent. It’s attack and burn. https://t.co/YKWlox1klo

— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) September 14, 2018

In the interest of full disclosure, I may or may not have gotten drunk at a New Year's Eve party when I was 17 and may or may not have kissed a girl at the stroke of midnight who was another guy's girlfriend and may or may not have gotten in trouble with my mom for coming home drunk from a party.

Twitter Factoid Of The Day

John Tyler was born in 1790. He was both the 10th President and 10th Vice President of the United States. He served from 1841 until 1845 after assuming office on the death of President William Henry "Old Tippercanoe" Harrison.

Here's where it get incredibly interesting. His grandsons Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. and Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the children of his son Lyon, are still alive. Lyon was born in 1924 and Harrison was born in 1928. Their father Lyon was born in 1853 to Tyler's second wife Julia Gardiner (1820-1889).

John Tyler, America’s tenth president, was born in 1790. He has two living grandchildren.

Yes, grandchildren. pic.twitter.com/ZHrXrEBJr1

— Matt Smethurst (@MattSmethurst) January 10, 2018

As Matt Smethurst joked in a follow-on tweet:

Another way to think about this: There are people who could look at you today, in 2018, and say: “Yeah, my dad was 8 years old when the war started.”

“World War 2?”

“Ha, nope.”

“Oh wow, World War 1?”

“The Civil War.”

Think of it - you have three generations of one family spanning parts of four centuries. That is just incredible.

The Truth Or Wishful Dreaming On His Part

I saw a note that firearm company stocks were up today on rumors of a deal on gun control. What spurred it was a tweet by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) who is one of the most ardent gun prohibitionists in both houses of Congress.

Big news: super close to a bipartisan breakthrough on gun legislation. Stay tuned...

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 15, 2017

This leads to the question as to what gun legislation. Will it be merely a ban on bump stocks, a bill to improve NICS, or is it something more? Therein lies the question and I just don't have a good answer to that.

I do know that the Senate Judiciary Committee was supposed to hold hearings yesterday on "Firearm Accessory Regulation and Enforcing Federal and State Reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)." However, that hearing has now been postponed to December 6th.

Tweet Of The Day

I haven't said anything on my blog about the shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Part of it because there is more and more coming out. Part of it is because I don't believe in instant analysis. Finally, part is that I spent the whole weekend taking Massad Ayoob's MAG-20 Classroom - Armed Citizen's Rules of Engagement and I am decompressing from that intense experience.

I saw this tweet a bit ago. Former Bush speechwriter David Frum is calling for a lifetime ban on those who "raises a hand against a woman or a child".

Wow yeah and we could even call it the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban and codify it at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) https://t.co/ix7qPbJylH

— Matt Bramanti (@mattbramanti) November 6, 2017

The anti's are saying some of the stupidest stuff. They are calling for new laws when the laws that would have prevented the church murderer from legally obtaining a firearm were already in place. The problem was that someone in the US Air Force screwed up and didn't report the results of the general court martial in 2013 to the FBI's NICS check system. Note that this screw up occurred during the Obama Administration.

#2A Selfies

Among the many things President Trump is known for include his use of social media and his use of his three oldest children as advisors. A number of weeks back I remember Mr. Trump telling 60 Minutes that he had 28 million followers of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

This got me to thinking about how we in the gun culture at the grassroots could use this to advance our Second Amendment rights. Mr. Trump owes us in the gun culture for our support throughout the general election campaign in return for his promises of supporting the Second Amendment. I'd wager, though I haven't seen any hard statistics, that Mr. Trump's pro-gun stance helped him eke out wins in the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

My idea is to use social media and in particular Twitter and Instagram to communicate our grassroots message to Mr. Trump and his kids. For it to be effective, it has to go viral.

Simplicity is the key. While I have a whole list of things I want, picking 2-3 is more effective. It is also more readable in a picture which I have found out by experimentation. See the difference below. The first is my laundry list and the second is the top things I want.

Large List

Highlighted List

Shadows or not, I think the second picture is more effective as it shows that a person is standing behind it and has a limited list.

All you need to participate is a phone with a camera, a Twitter account, and/or an Instagram account. I would urge you to do both. The photo doesn't need to look professional and indeed I think it is better if it didn't. Post the picture with this hashtag -  #2ASelfie.

Your post needs to include your selfie, the hashtag, and the following addresses:

For Twitter:

• @potus
• @whitehouse
• @realdonaldtrump
• @donaldjtrumpjr
• @erictrump
• @ivankatrump
• @(fill in your Representative's Twitter handle)

For Instagram:

• @whitehouse
• @realdonaldtrump
• @donaldjtrumpjr
• @erictrump
• @ivankatrump
• @(fill in your Representative's Instagram name)

Remember that Twitter has an 140 character limit. Instagram, to the best of my knowledge, doesn't have a character limit.

Forward this post to your friends and family who support the Second Amendment. Unlike the stuff that comes out of Bloomberg's Everytown or the Brady Campaign, this really is a grassroots effort. Again, we need this to go viral. If it goes viral, it will have more of an impact than any Change.org petition.

The Hobbyist Exemption?

I just learned of an exemption to the NICS check when purchasing a firearm from a FFL. This is over and above the exemption for those that have CCWs from states where it is recognized as a substitute background check.

It is called the "hobbyist" exemption and I learned about it from a Demanding Mommy from Texas with whom I have been going back and forth with on Twitter.

Another law-abiding gun owner who doesn't even know the law. Don't need FFL if you're a "hobbyist". #DisarmHate https://t.co/GDXxqMZa1R

— Tricia (@212degreesnow) June 19, 2016

This was in response to a tweet that noted a background check is required when purchasing a firearm from a Federal firearms licensee. "Tricia" said earlier you could buy an AR-15 without a background check in Texas because the state didn't require it.

Yeah the guy who held a Type 7 FFL doesn't know the law. Pull the other one it's got bells on it. https://t.co/NEYYT1R5is @212degreesnow

— Adam Pierson (@AdamPiersen) June 19, 2016

This shows just how little our opponents know about Federal firearms law and what is required.

Tweet Of The Day

Our problem as mere peons is that we just don't have the mental wherewithal to comprehend the sheer genius of President Barack Hussain Obama. Fortunately, the Iowahawk explains it for us.

Obama proposes gun control => gun sales skyrocket => murders go down #seeitworks

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) January 5, 2016

And Now You Know The Rest Of The Story

The late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey used to have a feature called, "The Rest of the Story". He'd end the feature with the tagline, "And now you know the rest of the story." I saw the tweet below from Shannon Watts of Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors yesterday. Just like Al Sharpton demands "Justice!", Shannon demands "Gunsense!".

Man Steals AR-15 From @Walmart in #Asheville #NorthCarolina http://t.co/eT0GlYjVF6 @MomsDemand #gunsense
— Shannon (@shannonrwatts) November 30, 2014

This is not just some Walmart store. This is my Walmart store. The one that is a five minute or less drive from my house. The one at which I buy ammo if it is in stock. In other words, I know the store and I know the gun counter. Both ammo and firearms are kept in a locked case and only certain employees have the key.

The story as reported involved the theft of an AR-15 and 150 rounds of ammunition from the locked case on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The thief purportedly shoved the rifle down his pants and just walked out.

And now for the rest of the story.

Donald Alan Skelton, 33, was arrested on Thursday as he went back to the same Walmart. According to records from the NC Department of Public Safety, Skelton was released from prison in February. His criminal record goes back to at least 2008 and includes convictions for felony breaking and entering and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.





For this theft, Skelton was charged with larceny of a firearm, misdemeanor larceny, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is being held in the Buncombe County Detention Center under an $11,000 bond.

Watts got 28 retweets and 7 favorites from this tweet. How the theft of a firearm by a convicted felon relates to "gunsense" and the call for universal background checks is beyond me.

Felon Repulsion Lever

Larry Correia - Mr. Monster Hunter himself - has forever changed how I will perceive the trigger on any firearm that I own. In an exchange with a sci-fi blogger who is both anti-gun and a lawyer for the Federal government, Larry had this to say on Twitter:

I find that when a bad guy tries to take your gun away you should pull the Felon Repulsion Lever. @AaronPound @Fuelneve
— Larry Correia (@monsterhunter45) June 19, 2014

Larry does have a way with words.

Tweet Of The Day

The tweet of the day comes from California gun rights attorney Don Kilmer. I think we know the answer to his question.

Ask the fathers of the Nigerian slave-girls if they wish they had an American father's access to guns. @HollyRFisher @jpr9954
— Don Kilmer (@donkilmer) May 8, 2014

Sheer Arrogance

There is a Twitter hashtag campaign called #ObamacareInThreeWords. The campaign was started by conservatives. So you have stuff like "IRS meets Kevorkian" and "Premiums will double".

The White House is trying to fight back. One of their many Tweets is below.

It's. The. Law. #ObamaCareInThreeWords, twitter.com/whitehouse/sta…
— The White House (@whitehouse) May 16, 2013

It is an arrogant and authoritarian response in my (not so) humble opinion. Just because a bill is rammed through Congress, doesn't make it then ensuing law any good.

Twitter Push For HB 111 - You Can Help!

Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun blog has set up a quick and easy way to send Tweets to both the NC Senate Republicans and NC Senate Democrats. All you have to do is click on it, put in your Twitter log-in, and it will post a Tweet to them.

We really need to pass this and everyone can help regardless of whether you live in the Tar Heel State or not. If you have a Twitter account, you are good to go.

Sean's post with the link is here. Now let's go flood their Twitter feeds!

Tweet Of The Day

Emily Miller of the Washington Times has the tweet of the day. Bearing in mind the cost and trouble she went through to finally be able to own a handgun in DC and keep it in her home, this tweet just about says it all.

Interesting Question

Alwin Roe who Tweets at @TheButterZone had this interesting question and observation a few minutes ago:

If most gas stations have defenseless cashiers, why not have an ATM for armed robbers to fire a shot into it? It'll save lives, evidence ;-)

He has a point.

Do You Twitter?

Do you use Twitter to follow the news and blogs? If so, you may want to consider adding me to your Twitter follow list.

I leave Friday for the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Chicago. I intend to both blog and Tweet extensively from the conference. Given the lineup of speakers, signing up for Twitter would be a great way to follow the action if you can't be in Chicago.

If you look in my sidebar, you will see a section near the top that says "Subscribe to this blog". Among the methods for subscribing is Twitter. You click on the button that looks like the one below and it will take you to my Twitter page. My Twitter ID is @jpr9954.

Thanks and I hope to have lots to report from Chicago in the never-ending fight for gun rights.

Twitter Has Its Uses

With the White House all atwitter over Twitter yesterday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa took advantage of it. According to The Hill, Issa used Twitter to deliver a letter to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

The tweet was a response to a question about the letter asked in the White House press briefing on Tuesday.

Carney told reporters at Tuesday's briefing that he had not seen the letter. "I'm not aware of it," he said.

The letter addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder is signed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the chairman of the committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). It details their concerns following the testimony of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) acting director Kenneth Melson regarding the ATF operation "Fast and Furious."

A picture of the tweet in question is below.

It is nice for once to see a Congressman using Twitter for something other than Tweeting pictures of his privates!