Episode 225, Polite Society Podcast Posted

Episode 225 of the Polite Society Podcast has been posted. You can find it here.

In this episode, we interviewed John Willett and Rich Petkevis of the Citizens for a Safer New Jersey. Their goal is to advance gun rights in the Garden State by educating people about firearms and self-defense especially in those communities where firearms are rare. They are in the process of applying for their 503(c)3 non-profit status from the IRS.

You can access their Facebook page here.

Using Sen. "Gun Runner" Yee's Arrest To Call For More Gun Control

Let me see if I have this straight. Federal law requires a license to deal in firearms. Federal law also requires both a license and permits to import firearms into the United States. Leland Yee was arrested and indicted on charges that he conspired to violate both these Federal laws. Therefore, we need an executive order banning the import of "lethal assault weapons" so says Yee's Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA).

From an email response Speier sent to Guns.com:

“This FBI investigation of Leland Yee reveals how easy it is to import lethal assault weapons that were previously banned,” said Speier in an emailed statement from the Representative’s office to Guns.com.

“This case should be a warning to us all that even the most trusted appearing among us are ready to do real harm,” she said.

Her solution to fix future instances of potential gun running such as in the Yee case? Call on the White House to ban the import of “assault weapons.”

“Since Congress can pass no meaningful gun-control laws, even after the mass killing in Newtown, President Obama should use his pen to slow the import of these weapons, which have no place in our homes,” wrote Speier.

Just when you think you've heard everything...

Strong State Preemption Bill Passes In Kansas

The Kansas State House of Representatives gave their approval on Saturday to HB 2578 which provides for state preemption of local ordinances and regulations regarding both knives and firearms. It also overturns restrictions on open carry by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City (KS).

The vote in favor of passage of the conference committee substitute was 102 in favor with only 19 opposed. On Friday, the Kansas State Senate approved the bill 37-2. The bill now goes to Gov. Sam Brownback (R-KS) who has traditionally been a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.

From the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Kansas law doesn’t expressly forbid the open carrying of firearms, and the attorney general’s office has in the past told local officials that some restrictions are allowed. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., has prohibited the practice, but the bill would sweep any such ban away, except to allow cities and counties to prevent openly carried weapons inside public buildings.

The measure also would prevent cities and counties from enacting restrictions on the sale of firearms and ammunition, or imposing rules on how guns must be stored and transported. Existing ordinances would be void, and local governments couldn’t use tax dollars for gun buy-back programs.

According to a summary of the conference committee report, the bill would also remove the arbitrary discretion from chief law enforcement officers to deny NFA transfers, it would forbid municipal governments from requiring disclosure of carry permits by their employees, and it extends the prohibition about carrying under the influence to all methods of carry.

The bill was strongly supported by the Kansas State Rifle Association, the NRA, and the American Silencer Association. As you can imagine, the gun prohibitionists are full of sour grapes over the passage of a strong bill that could be a model for other states.

But Jonathan Lowry, director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s efforts to defend gun control policies in court and oppose the lessening of existing regulations, called the Kansas measure “undemocratic.”

“The gun lobby likes to prevent people who believe in sensible gun laws from having a say in protecting their own communities,” Lowry said. “It’s cynical, and it’s dangerous public policy.”

No word on any organized opposition to the bill from (former) Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors or the Kansas Chapter of the Demanding Mommies.

Kudos to the Kansas State Legislature for passing such a strong bill that includes both firearms and knives under its preemption requirements.

Rest In Peace, Mr. McDonald

Otis McDonald passed away today at the age of 79. He was the lead plaintiff in the case of  McDonald et al v. City of Chicago who confirmed that the Second Amendment applies to the states as an individual right.

Dave Workman has more details at his Examiner.com column.

May his soul rest in peace. 

Time To Win Some Guns

It's that time of the month again. Aaron at the Weapon-Blog has released his list of gun contests and giveaways for April.

The pistol category is a mixed bag with Kahrs, Berettas, Rugers, and a Sig P226 *with* a silencer.

There are 8 AR-15s, a couple of Tavors, and a couple of Ruger 10/22s among the offerings. Shotguns are a bit sparse with a Remington 870 and a Mossberg 930.

If you come across a contest not listed, help out Aaron and everyone else by letting him know the details.

NRA News On Gun Runner Yee

You have to wonder if Sen. Leland Yee has a cool tong/triad nickname like Raymond Chow has in "Shrimp Boy". My suggestion is that he should now be know as Gun Runner Yee. That has a strong masculine ring to it and should fit in with his activities on behalf of Wo Hop To and the Hop Sing Boys.

Ginny Simone of NRA News takes a more serious approach to Gun Runner Yee than I do and interviews the NRA's longtime attorney in California, Chuck Michel, regarding his arrest.

Chicken Boxing?

When you read a story about "chicken boxing", you immediately check the date to make sure it wasn't April 1st. At least, that is what I did. Turns out it was a legitimate story about a bill going through the Louisiana State Senate that would ban possession of cockfighting paraphernalia such as razor spurs and leather spur covers. Louisiana was the last state in the union to ban cockfighting which it did in 2008.

Opponents of the bill such as State Sen. Elbert Guillory (R-Opelousas) said the bill would shut down the sport of chicken boxing, a non-fatal version of cockfighting minus the razor spurs. Guillory's opposition to the bill at a hearing before the Senate Committee for Judiciary C took its chairman State Sen. J. P. Morrell (D-New Orleans) by surprise as he was as ignorant of chicken boxing as the rest of us.

“Wait, wait, wait ... chicken boxing?” Morrell said.

“Yes, chicken boxing,” Guillory replied.

At that point, it took Morrell a few stops and starts before he could articulate his point. A moment later, he was able to muster: “I appreciate your passion for your constituents, (but) I have no knowledge whatsoever on chicken boxing, so I cannot speak to that.”

Morrell continued, “If chicken boxing ... I can’t even speak on chicken boxing. Honestly, I have never heard of that. It sounds like something to circumvent cockfighting.”

It was at that point that Guillory explained chicken boxing.

“No, no. Let me explain to you, senator,” Guillory said. “Just as dueling is a blood sport, two men fighting each other with swords is a blood sport that is illegal. Similarly, two men with boxing gloves on can box each other as a sport that is legal. This is the same distinction between chicken boxing and cockfighting.”

Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, was perplexed over the mechanics of chicken boxing.

“I would be very interested to find out how some chicken stands on two legs while it boxes,” Adley said. “I understand how humans do it, but I’m trying to figure out how it happens with a chicken. That would be interesting to determine.”

Chicken boxing notwithstanding the bill advanced to the full Senate on a 4-2 vote. I guess the majority just didn't have an appreciation for the intricacies of chicken boxing.

In Honor Of The Day

From Facebook by Closet Conservative

I wonder if her invitation to stay at her house in the Indy suburbs while I attend the NRA Annual Meeting is still open. Maybe it is the day but I think she might have been putting me on just like she has been putting on the media about being a stay-at-home mom from suburbia.