Archive for the 'Second Amendment' Category

I was with family at a gun show in Greenville, S.C., today, and I’ll leave my comments on show itself out of the discussion.

I did manage to meet up with Mr. Matt Wavle of SCCarry.org, and got his contact information.  I had never met the group before, and Matt was a super nice guy and they are very much on top of the legislative goings-on in South Carolina.  I’m impressed with the organization.

If you’ve a resident of South Carolina and aren’t a member of this group, you should encourage them with a note and join the organization.

Their web site is here, and they have a nice page that links and outlines all of the current pending legislation in South Carolina that pertains to the RKBA.

From ThiccBoogLine Facebook.

Never heard of them, but you’ve got to hand it to them.  They’re showing spine and fortitude.

Dean Weingarten writing at Ammoland.

Many who fight hard to infringe on the rights to keep and carry firearms have been allies in the right to keep and carry knives. This creates momentum and precedent to remove infringements on the right to arms generally.

SB 96 in West Virginia has been referred to the House. If it passes a House vote,  it will need to be signed by Governor Jim Justice to become law.

I think Dean meant to say “Many who fight hard against infringements of the RKBA …”  The statement would make better sense that way.

He’s right, we’re natural allies, knife rights and gun rights folks.  But until West Virginia deals with the crooks in its midst, the people are under tyranny.  It’s just local tyranny, not state.  But the state is complicit if they do nothing.

Where is the state AG on Sheriff Steve Deweese, sdeweese@putnamwv.org?  He and his deputies are the crooks I’m talking about.

David Codrea is responsible for this great find, from David Kopel writing at Reason.

Did the Framers of the Second Amendment consider the possibility that Americans might own firearms with a capacity greater than 10 rounds? Certainly yes. Such arms had been invented two centuries before the Second Amendment, and by 1791, repeating arms, including those capable of firing more than 10 rounds, were well-known in the United States. The history is explained in a Third Circuit amicus brief I coauthored last week.

[ … ]

Earliest repeating arms: A  repeater is a firearm that can fire more than one shot without having to be reloaded. The first known repeating firearms date back to between 1490 and 1530, with guns that fired 10 consecutive rounds. A 1580 gun could fire 16 shots. Once the user pressed the trigger, these guns would continue to fire until the ammunition was exhausted.

Seventeenth century: By the 1640s, major improvements in repeating arms had been developed. Now, the user could fire just one shot by pressing the trigger, and then fire more shots by pressing the trigger repeatedly. Danish rifles invented by Peter Kalthoff had ammunition capacities ranging from 6 to 30 rounds. During the seventeenth century, Kalthoff repeaters were copied by gunsmiths from London to Moscow.

For the case background and additional discussion on David’s research, consult the article.  He’s done a magnificent job of cataloging all of this.

And he does get to the storied Girandoni air rifle, which I think it would be cool to hold and fire.

So enough from the know-nothing naysayers about how the founders couldn’t have possibly imagined this, or imagined that.  Anyway, consider how ridiculous it would be for the founders, who risked their lives, fortunes, families and reputation, to have rejected whatever they had at their disposal to defeat King George!

And consider how ridiculous is the claim that the founders didn’t intend for citizens to keep and bear arms for the amelioration of tyranny, when that’s exactly what they did and how they managed to do it.

Finally, in my estimation, Kopel’s work goes not just to magazine capacity, but something other than single shot firearms as well.  Read again.  Repeaters.

There is lots of movement in the second amendment sanctuary front.  First up, It’s nice to see Virginians still in high spirits.

Spoiler Alert: this story has a happy ending with Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign bus veering off into a political ditch at its final stop in Virginia on Sunday night.

That’s because members of my Patriot Picket crew joined forces with the Virginia Citizens Defense League and others to give the arriving Bloomberg team a Second Amendment welcome—one that absolutely undercut the boisterous gun-control festivities that they had planned for the evening.

[ … ]

In addition to the VCDL members that mixed in with our Patriot Picket squad, we were also supplemented by the ArfCom Regulars, who made their own entrance.

With a drummer at the front, they marched up the sidewalk in formation with banners held high—and bullhorn blaring—to rendezvous with us.

“We will not comply.”  Video at the link.

Second up, it’s nice to see the states thinking more regionally.  Mississippi House Bill 753 involves an authorization to enter into a compact of southern states for the purpose of being a second amendment sanctuary.  The language is strong, and the other states listed in the bill are Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky and Oklahoma.  Whether they have been in contact with these states isn’t stated.  If the language is actually enforced, it means something.  It isn’t toothless.

Third, a number of states have pending second amendment preservation acts.

In order to help the dumbfounded public understand and accept the changes that will be coming their way, these are small but necessary steps.  The changes are coming whether we we want them to or not, as the collectivists do not sleep, but are ever vigilant to trample God-given rights.  They won’t stop, so people must eventually take sides, including all of the pols and LEOs, state, county and city.  This will become apparent to them as we go, but I say again, these are necessary first steps, baby steps if you will.

News from Spartanburg County, S.C.

However, Spartanburg County Chairman, Manning Lynch says he does’t believe it’s necessary because of the support lawmakers have for the second amendment and gun rights in the area.

“I think we’re strong in both the state legislature, the local county council as well as the sheriff of Spartanburg County,” Lynch said.

He says there’s nothing Council can do to strengthen or weaken the protection of the constitution.

“If we got in a situation where we felt like our second amendment rights were under attack, county council would do whatever they could by any means necessary to protect those rights,” Lynch said.

In other words, I’m just not willing to do it right now.  Even though a different Sheriff could be in place later, I won’t live forever, and the board won’t be in place forever, there is nothing we can do right now to strengthen protection of your rights.

Or said differently, I’m a coward and don’t really believe what I’m saying right now, I just want all of this to go away.

Hey, do I have any readers in Spartanburg, S.C.?  I think you might want to take note of what your board of commissioners is saying.

Hey, and another thing.  How’s that campaign to legalize open carry going in S.C.?  Any progress?  I’m being sarcastic.  It’ll never be legalized in S.C.  Or California.  Or Hawaii.  Or New York or New Jersey.  How do South Carolinians like being lumped in with those states?

News from Kentucky.

FRANKFORT – State Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, has drafted a bill to prohibit deadly weapons and masks in the state Capitol, responding to an incident in the building last week that made national headlines.

Following a gun rights rally outside the Capitol on Friday, roughly a dozen men with rifles entered the building and gathered in the rotunda, many posing for photos while wearing masks and with guns raised above their heads.

McGarvey told The Courier Journal on Wednesday he has already drafted a bill to prohibit anyone from wearing a mask or bringing a deadly weapon into the Capitol, including guns, and expects to file it by the end of the week.

“There’s no reason to have people with masks walking around the Capitol with assault rifles when we’re confiscating nail clippers from teachers,” said McGarvey, referring to accounts of teachers who say such items were taken by Capitol security in recent years.

Then don’t confiscate nail clipper from teachers, idiot.

What he really doesn’t like is the optics of armed citizens to whom he has to report, all of whom had good muzzle and trigger discipline while they were in the building.

It goes against the narrative.  You know, the narrative that the pols are kings, and that gun owners are bumbling morons who have NDs.  He’s confusing us with the cops.

As they say, this is a solution in search of a problem.

News from Lumberton, N.C.

LUMBERTON — A resolution in support of the U.S. Constitution and the Second Amendment right to bear arms was approved by the Robeson County Board Commissioners Monday by a vote of 6-1 after hearing from state Sen. Danny Britt Jr. and Rep. Brenden Jones.

“The Second Amendment right to bear arms is under attack,” said Britt, a Republican from Lumberton. “Illegal use of guns is not a reason to take away the legitimate constitutional rights of citizens to bear arms.

“I have heard from many folks in Robeson County on this issue. We ask that you oppose any efforts to restrict those rights and to reject any law that adds a burden on the Second Amendment.”

Rep. Jones, a Republican from Tabor City, said pending legislation in Virginia to ban assault weapons and require background checks on all gun purchases is a part of the “war” on the Constitution. He said Robeson will be the first county in Southeastern North Carolina to adopt the so-called gun sanctuary resolution, and Columbus and Bladen counties are poised to follow.

“Once a right is lost, we can never get it back,” Jones said. “We are one election, one court decision away from losing those rights.”

Presented with four options, the commissioners selected the first. It includes language to support the denial of access to a gun by court order, County Attorney Rob Davis said.

Commissioner Jerry Stephens was the lone dissenting vote. He said the commissioners already have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the state of North Carolina, and this resolution makes it seem like the commissioners don’t uphold the Constitution.

“Why did you come without public in support of this resolution?” Stephens asked Sen. Britt. “How may folks contacted you, two or three or 20?

“I have not gotten the first call. You called it a war, but I haven’t heard about any war.”

Commissioner Pauline Campbell asked why there is a “rush” to adopt the resolution.

“You should not feel rushed if you support the Second Amendment,” Britt said.

Campbell replied, “I fully support the Constitution and the laws of North Carolina and swore an oath affirming that.”

The resolution is a symbolic one, as Davis noted that if North Carolina passes a law on gun ownership, Robeson County has no option but to enforce it.

“This board is not a judicial body that can reject a law on constitutional grounds,” Davis said.

“All this means is we are going to support the Constitution,” Commissioner Raymond Cummings said.

What a weak-kneed, panty-waist statement by a bunch of quisling cowards.

“Symbolic.”  Backpedaling as he goes.

“This board is not a judicial body that can reject a law on constitutional grounds.”  Or in other words, “We’re not the almighty’s judiciary high priesthood in black robes and we can’t reject something our betters and superiors did.  Excuses not to do it.

“All this means is we are going to support the Constitution” (more watering down), so finally they found the gumption to pass a watered down resolution that, listen closely, “includes language to support the denial of access to a gun by court order.”

So in other words, their very 2A resolution includes support for “red flag orders,” the most unconstitutional of all gun control laws.

As I’ve said, these resolutions hold all of the power that the commissioners, Sheriffs and various county and local militias vest in them and are willing to back up with force, not one iota more, not one iota less.

In one case, a county may restrict their own budgets from being used for enforcement of these laws, combined with intent, determination, training, organization and willingness to prevent agents of the state and FedGov from enforcing those same laws.  This is the strongest example.  It’s for real men, those with spine, spirit and character.

The next is a mealy-mouthed statement of support combined with directions not to use county funds to enforce said laws.  This is the next strongest resolution, a weak one at best.  This is for the weak and terrified among us.

The third case is a statement of support, combined with an acquiescence to red flag laws right out of the gate, with an understanding that the whole thing is merely symbolic.  This is for communists.

So Robeson County declared itself to be a 2A sanctuary, but we know it’s a lie, so the good thing about this is that the good people of that county now know who to throw to the curb, and how to do it.

One of the great things about this whole process is that the communists have a chance to self-identify.  They can hide their intentions, but in this case they’ve made no attempt whatsoever at hiding the fact that they are quislings and traitors.

When a state senator and representative speak in such stark and honest terms and a board of local nitwits can’t even bring themselves to show backbone, it’s time to tell them to get lost.

Do I have readers in this AO?

Rolling Stone is shocked!

“I walked in, [and security acted like], ‘Cool, come on in. Enjoy the capitol.’”

And not even a negligent discharge.  Don’t you know the progs hate it?

This is becoming a habit among patriots.  You know, that good muzzle and trigger discipline thing.

Gaston County, the most recent N.C. county to become a second amendment sanctuary.  Like I said it would.