Federal Interstate Handgun Sales Ban Ruled Unconstitutional!

Breaking Now!

Federal Interstate Handgun Sales Ban Ruled Unconstitutional

"...[T]he Court found that strict scrutiny was the proper standard of review for the type of burden on Constitutionally-protected conduct..." The more that Strict Scrutiny standard is applied to restrictions on the Second Amendment, the more that the anti's ineffectual restrictions will be struck down.   

Thank you, Alan Gura and the CCRKBA. 

Huzzah!!!

HT: Firearms Policy Coalition

Local Newspaper The Oregonian Calls for Governor's Resignation [UPDATED]

Gov. John Kitzhaber (source: Fox News)

In a surprising development, the editorial staff at The Oregonian, Oregon's largest-circulating birdcage-liner, is asking that recently-reelected Governor John Kitzhaber resign from office, over the scandals concerning his and his fiancée's apparent unethical conflicts of interest.

Via Fox News:

Kitzhaber, a Democrat in his fourth term as governor, has been under attack since revelations that his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, was being paid to lobby on behalf of the clean energy industry while at the same time holding the title of Oregon's first lady and filling the role of unpaid policy adviser in the Kitzhaber administration. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is investigating whether Hayes' consulting work was a conflict of interest, but the Oregonian says the evidence is clear.

"Whether through gross inattention or complicity, Kitzhaber has broken faith with Oregonians. His career in Oregon politics is one of great accomplishment, but his past success does not excuse the mess he has made of the office with which Oregonians entrusted him. He is now less a governor than a source of unending distraction," The Oregonian wrote. (emphasis added)

KGW reports both how much Cylvia Hayes made from her unscrupulous side work, and also how the "jobs" were lined up:

The call for resignation follows an earlier Oregonian report that associates of Kitzhaber helped create jobs for Hayes, work that influenced state policy on energy.

Her calendar shows Hayes held the paid posts simultaneously as she served as an unpaid energy adviser inside Kitzhaber's office, The Oregonian reported.

One of the jobs paid her $5,000 for five months after Kitzhaber started his third term. A current Kitzhaber aide, Greg Wolf, was key in creating the position and in suggesting Hayes take the job, the newspaper reported.

The second was a two-year fellowship created by Dan Carol, a Kitzhaber campaign advisor who later joined his staff. It paid $118,000 over two years.

The Oregonian reported that both jobs involved foundations and organizations with direct interest in state policy making.

And in a move that surprises precisely nobody, Gov. Kitzhaber responds that he's not going anywhere (via the same Fox News article):

"I'm not going to consider resigning," said Kitzhaber. "I was elected by the people of this state to do a job, and I intend to do it."

This whole mess is shocking for several reasons, not the least of which is that Gov. Kitzhaber was re-elected despite these scandalous concerns, but also that The Oregonian editorial staff endorsed his campaign!

If this were happening in any other state, the ironic schadenfreude would be delicious. But because this is my state, I weep for our future.

[UPDATE:] A "prospective petition" has been filed to recall Gov. Kitzhaber, and needs to gather at least 220,000 signatures in 90 days. As petitioner Arin Marcus says, "Two hundred twenty thousand people in Oregon are upset with the governor so it shouldn’t be that difficult." The election was pretty close, so I'd say there's a lot more than that. The hard part will be finding them all and getting them to sign in time.

If Gov. Kitzhaber resigns or is recalled, the Oregon Constitution says he will be succeeded by the Secretary of State, which in this case is Kate Brown, a Portland-area Democrat. I'll admit I don't know too much of her personal political leanings, but: She's a Portland-area Democrat (Strike 1); she's a career politician, holding office for more than half her life (Strike 2); her educational background is in Environmental Conservation, Women's Studies, and law (Strike 3); and she's received various awards and distinctions from groups like Basic Rights Oregon (LGBT-rights advocates), Oregon Commission for Women, the American Mental Health Counselors Association, and the Oregon Psychological Association (Strike 4?). It's a safe bet that gun owners' rights aren't high on her priority list, but maybe we'll get lucky and she won't be a fully-committed anti-gunner [*snerk*]. [/UPDATE]

Stay safe.

Defending the Home On the Range

"For the female of the species is more deadly than the male."

                          Rudyard Kipling

     Brigid, of the Home on the Range blog, is a renaissance woman. Her curriculum vitae includes wife, mother, military officer, jet pilot, dog lover, hunter, best selling author, shooter, Gumby fan, real science Doctor, Secret Squirrel, home renovator, gourmet cook, bacon aficionada, and... redhead. <shudder> 

     She can go from waxing eloquently about hand soap scented with <two seconds of guy static> to discussing handguns suitable for shooting off an attacker in contact. All with thoughtful reasoning, intelligence, experience, veracity and clarity. 

     So, when she writes about Self Defense in the Home, it's something that needs to be read Right Damn Now. Go there. Now.

     Highly Recommended.  

Quote of the Day — JohnC (February 4, 2015)

In the top comment on an article over at Legal Insurrection — "Eric Holder: Justice Dept Not Politicized":

Holder insisted that “there’s been no politicization of this Justice Department” and said such an accusation is “totally inconsistent with the facts.” Holder then stated with a wave of his hand that these were most certainly “not the droids you’re looking for.”

KUDOS, sir! To what location would you like your Internets delivered?

Stay safe.

Super Nannybowl

     Anyone else a little off-put by all the preachy ads during the Superbowl? 

     When the wife orders pizza, she's not being beaten. Our nieces and nephews are not snacking on poison or shooting-up heroin. The extended family cheers the kidlets on in softball, where they certainly do not throw like a girl. Their harried fathers are continuously involved in their lives. In short, they live normal lives. Along with the majority of Superbowl viewers.

     So why all the angst?
 

Could it be... Nannies?
 Dana Carvey as the Church Lady (SNL)

     It seems the old-fashioned, stogy, tragically unhip, nuclear families are doing pretty well by the ads' measures. As they have for centuries. There's the answer - one that's been sneered at for years by the intelligentsia. 

     So... go bother someone else.

. 

Quote of the Day — S. Michael Fort (2000)

Buried in this post over at The Captain's Journal, I found this link to an article from way back in 2000:

As a group, the pro-gunners must stop arguing the issue on the terms of the other side. We must make this a worldview issue and not lower it to a level of who has the better facts and figures. We must stop worrying about the number of gun owners who have joined pro-gun organizations and start focusing on how faithful we are. We must remember the lessons taught through Gideon (Judges 7); the Lord fights our wars for us and our greatest weapon is the strength of our faith. Fight relentlessly and work to build that which God desires for us. In the end, we will be vindicated.

Amen to that.

While I strongly encourage you to read the whole thing, I must make a small counter-point to one argument: In quoting Exodus 22:2-3 (NIV) — "If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed." — the author defines it as a question of knowing the thief's intent: as in, during daylight hours, his/her intent is more readily known and he/she may not be willing to bring harm/death to you and yours.

In my Bible studies, we used the English Standard version ("If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him.") or the King James Version ("If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him...."). In our studies, it was generally understood that "the sun risen upon him" meant that the thief broke into the home, left, and then the homeowner tracked him down and killed him later, i.e. the next day. That would be murder; it has nothing whatsoever to do with the time of day the actual break-in occurred — rather, it's a matter of whether the thief is struck down during the commission of his crime (self-defense) or later on (vigilante murder).

And thus ends my minor quibble. On the whole, still a great article.

Stay safe.

The Corruption of Diane Feinstein

Senator’s Husband Stands To Profit Big From Government Deal

     How big? One Billion dollars of big. 

     One of the obvious dichotomies in the political process is the amount of money spent to win an elected position that only pays pennies on the dollar. Not so apparent is the steady increase in many politician's wealth as their power and influence grows. Many pols retire extremely wealthy. The Divine DiFi (Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-CA) is now one of the 50th wealthiest women in the world; her personal net worth is an eye-opening $70 Million. Interesting, as she started as a lawyer in bathhouses of San Francisco. She largely amassed that fortune during her decades of  public service (a term definitely used advisably.)

Senator Dianne Feinstein
(bp.blogspot.com)

      She stands to get even richer, as her husband Richard Blum, of Blum Capitol Partners, is a recipient of a sweetheart deal to sell government buildings. As the sole negotiator for 54 USPS buildings, his company would rake in commissions averaging $18.5 Million a building. That's a damn fine payday. Or payoff.

      It would seem this is a fine example of the "soft" corruption that is endemic in our nations political class. Deals are cut and slotted to those with connections to the leaders. It a relatively small group, known to us as the "Elites". Money flows from the People, to the Government, and then to their friends and compatriots. The Government benefits not the People, but the elite class.

     To the focus of this blog, our leaders jealously accumulate not only money and wealth, but power too. The arms owned by the populace are a significant power not controlled by the elites. Which may explain why DiFi hs for so long been adamant about removing arms from the hands of the populace.

(humanevents.com)

    Read the above link and decide for yourself. Guard your money -- and your rights.

HT: Drudge and NY Post

BREAKING: Leftist CA AG Kamala Harris Running For U.S. Senate

California Attorney General Kamala Harris
Photo by Jason Merritt
(Source: Examiner.com article)

... to fill the seat soon-to-be vacated by Senator Barbara Boxer (Dimwit–CA). Charlie Foxtrot covered Boxer's retirement the other day.

Dave Workman reports on this new development:

California Attorney General Kamala Harris is “all in” as a candidate to replace retiring Senator Barbara Boxer as the next anti-gun Democrat to represent the Golden State in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting this morning. (link in original)

I can't honestly say I'm surprised. A young(ish) anti-gun "Progressive" Democrat moonbat is running to replace an old anti-gun "Progressive" Democrat moonbat. As Mr. Workman also notes, I guess we should be thankful former CA State Sen. Leland Yee (Dunce–8) isn't running? Or worse yet (in my opinion), current CA State Sen. Kevin deLeón (Dolt–24)?

The question is: What can/will California's gun owning population do about it?

Stay safe.

Quote of the Day — Gov. John A. Kitzhaber, M.D. (January 12, 2015)

From his (unprecedented*) fourth inaugural speech (transcript here):

I have learned that the role of government is not to fix things but to create the space in which people can fix things themselves.

Truer ideas are rarely spoken, but in this instance, it is a lie. Not the part about the role of government — he's 100% correct there — but the part where he says, "I have learned...."

If he had learned this, he wouldn't be trying his hardest to use government as a tool to fix things, as he's still trying to do. If he had learned this, he'd be getting the government out of the way, and letting people fix things themselves.

I could say more — and might later — but it'd turn into a rant.

Stay safe.
------------
* - Every news channel is calling Gov. Kitzhaber's fourth term "unprecedented". Every. Single. One. While it's true that no other person has held the governor's seat for four terms, it's getting monotonous.

The New Tactical Reality - Michael Bane

Michael Bane has long been a noted thinker, nae - a philosopher, in the field of self-defense. He stands out in an discipline dominated by the "Shoot 'em - with cool moves and cool stuff" crowd." When he opines about a new form of terrorism and it's impact on an individual's self-protection needs, you best listen - hard.  

Michael Bane
(Outdoor Channel)

The Paris jihadi attacks illustrate a new phase in the war against Western Civilization. The extremists have learned to democratize terror: now, anyone can be a terrorist, and everyone can be a victim. As those at the French magazine, supermarket and print shop found, the new face of terrorism can appear at any place, at any moment, in any guise. You best be ready. A damn good first step would be to read Bane's blogpost: 

The New Tactical Reality

Then, hit the Stratfor, Rand and Gabe Suarez links he provides. 
 
You should note the resemblance of the new jihadi tactics to the Alinsky-tinged ones being employed by the Hands Up - Don't Shoot activists. Food for thought - and worry.  

HT: saysuncle.com

Quote of the Day — Kemberlee Kaye (January 8, 2015)

From her post over at Legal Insurrection, "Heartbroken for Charlie Hebdo":

We will always battle those who hate truth, and those who hate truth will always try to extinguish it. It is incumbent upon those that speak the truth to do so bravely, unabashedly, especially in the face of evil. Truth is what Charlie Hebdo chose. The price was twelve lives.

My hope is that in their bravery, we find resolve. And in that resolve, we awake to a fresh realization that freedom is never free. Should the day ever arrive, are we willing to pay the price Truth too often requires?

I hope I am.

Amen.

The outpouring of support we've been seeing has been downright inspiring, especially that from fellow cartoonists, who but for the grace of God could have been targeted, too. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then more free expression and grief has been put to paper than I have space to write.

From resident Legal Insurrection cartoonist A.F. Branco:

From illustrator Lucille Clerc:

(retrieved from The Independent)

From The Independent's cartoonist Dave Brown:

From Rob Tornoe (posted on Twitter):

From Satish Acharya (posted on Twitter):

From David Pope (posted on Twitter):

Cartoonists the world over, creating thousands of images in solidarity and protest, unwilling to allow the terrorists to win more than a temporary, fleeting victory.

Amen to that, too.

Stay safe.

BREAKING: Barbara Boxer (Leftist California US Senator) To Retire!

One of the most virulent anti-gun, reliably hard leftist - and not coincidentally, perhaps the dumbest of all senior California politicians - has announced that this will be her last term as a US Senator. 

Heil Babs Boxer
(timesunion.com)

California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer won't seek re-election in 2016

Although her retirement from national politics is a cause for celebration, the thought of what will replace her is gut-wrenching. 

BREAKING: Terrorist Attack/Shooting at Satirical Newspaper in Paris, France [UPDATED: IT'S (not) OVER!]

At least 12 dead, five seriously injured, and a manhunt is on for the three terrorists.

[UPDATE 1: Jan. 7, afternoon] Via the live feed at the Mirror Online, the suspects have reportedly been identified and apprehended 100 miles from the massacre site, but thus far there has been little in the way of confirmation. I won't do them the honor of naming them here.

The suspects were reportedly identified from an ID card one of them left in one of the stolen cars they used and abandoned. They also reportedly initially tried to break into the wrong building, but were told by two maintenance workers that Charlie Hebdo was located two doors over. The terrorists then killed one of the workers for the trouble.

Finally, in a twist that surprises precisely no one, at least one of them has a criminal record that would preclude him from legally owning firearms, and that involved sending jihad fighters to Iraq.[/UPDATE 1]

[UPDATE 2: Jan. 8, 9:25 am PST] Checking the live feeds again, The Guardian is reporting that one of the suspects has turned himself in to police after seeing his name published. He's maintaining his innocence, claiming he was in school at the time (he's 18 years old; it's both plausible and easily verified or discredited).

Several other people have been arrested in connection with the massacre, but the other two masked killers who actually did the shooting are still at large.

The Guardian rotates its live blogs periodically. The link above is still active, but is no longer being updated. Current live-news-blogging as of this update is here, but I'll still be posting updates. Stay tuned. It's going to be a bumpy ride, I think. Continued thoughts and prayers to all those involved, and all of us. [/UPDATE 2]

[UPDATE 3: Jan. 9, 8:50 am PST] No big changes yesterday afternoon, so I didn't post an update as I had intended. The Guardian rolled over their live updates to here, but there was little new information. Suspects still at large, they have links to al-Qaeda, they were born in Paris to Algerian parents (didn't I predict they were Frenchmen?).

Continuing live updates here at The Guardian. I'm typing this as I'm reading through the latest, but as of this posting it looks like French authorities had them pinned down in a printing shop in Dammartin-en-Goele, and they had at least one hostage. Another hostage situation with another set of suspects — linked to the slaying of a policewoman — developed at a kosher market in porte de Vincennes.

At last update, it appears the Charlie Hebdo terrorists died in a police raid at the print shop, and the other suspects have been "neutralised" (reports differ on what this means) in another, seemingly-coordinated raid moments later. The print shop hostage is safe, and five market hostages were freed (no report yet on how many there were). [Addendum, Jan. 9, 11:00 am PST] It's now confirmed that four hostages were killed before the police action, out of a total of 16 taken before the police arrived (some were later released). These are the only confirmed deaths so far, other than the suspects themselves. Also, the kosher market was reportedly targeted because "it was Jewish". [/Addendum]

So it appears to be over, thank God. As much as I would have liked to see the suspects arrested and forced to stand trial, justice has been served. Unless something else big happens, this will be the last update at this site (and if something that big happens, it will probably deserve its own post).

If you've stuck with me so far, thank you for reading, and stay safe. [/UPDATE 3]

[UPDATE 4: Jan. 9 3:25 pm PST] OK, so it's not entirely yet. The girlfriend of the hostage-taker in the kosher market is still at large, wanted in connection to the policewoman slaying, and considered armed and dangerous. This, along with the other suspects' families and close associates who are still being detained, appears to be the last loose end before it truly is "over".

Again, thank you for reading. [/UPDATE 4]

Via the New York Times:

(source: Mirror Online)

PARIS — Three masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people, including its editor, before escaping in a car. It was France's deadliest postwar terrorist attack.

Security forces were hunting for the gunmen who spoke flawless, unaccented French in the military-style noon-time attack on the weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, located near Paris' Bastille monument. The publication's caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed have frequently drawn condemnation from Muslims.

President Francois Hollande called the slayings "a terrorist attack without a doubt," and said several other attacks have been thwarted in France "in recent weeks."

[…]

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which also left four people critically wounded, and was condemned by world leaders as an attack on freedom of expression, but praised by supporters of the militant Islamic State group.

Clad all in black with hoods and carrying machine guns, the attackers forced one of the cartoonists arriving at the office building with her young daughter to open the door with a security code.

The staff was in an editorial meeting and the gunmen headed straight for the paper's editor, Stephane Charbonnier — widely known by his pen name Charb — killing him and his police bodyguard first, said Christophe Crepin, a police union spokesman. Minutes later, two men strolled out to a black car waiting below, calmly firing on a police officer, with one gunman shooting him in the head as he writhed on the ground, according to video. (underline emphasis mine — we'll go over those parts below the fold)

Terrorists about to execute a police officer
(source: CBS News)

Before we go into the details, let me first offer my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those killed or injured in this cowardly and obscene attack. May God grant them His comfort and peace.

Because initial reports for events like this tend to be … not 100% accurate, I'll be correcting any inconsistencies as I get more information. However, this much seems perfectly clear: 12 people — journalists, cartoonists, editors, and police officers — are dead, all because of some "controversial" cartoons of the devil-worshiping child-rapist "prophet" Mohammed.

12 people dead. For a satirical cartoon.

There's something fundamentally wrong with a world view that not only forbids having a sense of humor about yourself, but also forbids you from allowing others to have a sense of humor, on pain of a brutal and violent death.

To that end, I applaud the staff and editors at the Charlie Hebdo. They've received threats before, and the building has been firebombed over previous cartoons of the devil-worshiping child-rapist "prophet" Mohammed, but they've stuck to their proverbial guns. Their commitment to their satirical art and writing is absolute.

They are paragons of free speech and free expression. As always, the answer to a challenge against free speech — or a demand of censorship — is more speech, not less.

May we all be so bold and steadfast in our beliefs.

(Click through for the political/tactical analysis)

Quote of the Day — Kevin (January 5, 2015)

From a post where he, in turn, is quoting Mike Rowe (yes, THAT Mike Rowe):

As others have observed, "Democracy works for those who show up." Making sure as few as possible show up … is not a coincidence. It's a strategy.

If you're not involving yourself in the political process(es), you're part of the problem. I've been hearing a lot of "I didn't like either candidate so I didn't vote" kinds of excuses. That's all they are: excuses. Staying home as a form of "protest" doesn't work.

It's really very simple: The powers-that-be do not hear your silence as "protest" — they hear your silence as "consent".

And that is why getting involved in the political process is one of my resolutions for the New Year.

Stay safe.

Videos: This Math Stuff is Hard!!!

If you're travelling at 80 mph, how long will it take you to go 80 miles?

Tough question?

Yea, not really. But you couldn't tell that to some people:

10 minutes? No. 80 minutes? No. 8 minutes? No.

America's education standards, broadcast for the world to see. But at least she gets it in the end.

Unlike others asked the same question:

Note that the video cuts off before they come to the correct answer.

Sometimes, I fear for the future of America's youth. Other times, I'm positively terrified for it.

But then, I find another example that give me hope:

"1 hour." No hesitation, no uncertainty. Amen, brother.

Stay safe.