Category: Guns

Well, maybe one-and-a-half. Or three-and-a-half.

First, Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation made the feds blink. In essence, the feds conceded that DD has a First Amendment to distribute CAD plans for 3-D printed gun parts, including parts to assemble an entire gun. RKBA activists often say that the Second Amendment protects the First, and this proved the reverse is also true. Another tidbit out of this agreement is that the feds stated that semiautomatic arms under .50 cal are not considered military arms – including platforms like the AR-15. That could have some downstream ramifications.

Second, is a 9th Circuit ruling that the Second Amendment extends to carrying weapons outside of the home. Since the Ninth previously said that states can prohibit concealed carry, that means that open carry is fully allowed for those states that fall under the Ninth’s jurisdiction. This is kind of a half victory, because I fully expect this to be overturned by an en banc ruling. OTOH, that just might be the impetus to kick it up to SCOTUS, who with a new judge might be willing to add to Heller.

No matter how you tally the results, we’ve scored some wins.

So, the big news over the weekend was a “shooting over a parking spot” where the shooter “got off because Stand Your Ground.” And the shooter was known for “being a problem and using racial slurs.” In short, the local news is spinning this for all its worth.

Let’s go to the film!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9nFtxkJ7ywg%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent

The shooter is probably an asshole. He may have used racial slurs in the past. He also did not initiate the attack. He was shoved to the ground and facing at least one attacker (man) and maybe two (man & girlfriend). Enough to make a disparity of force. Essentially, almost anyone in that position would meet the criteria for a self-defense shooting.

Shall we tally up everyone’s mistakes?

1. Girlfriend shouldn’t have parked in the handicapped slot. Really? You were in such a rush that you needed to park there?
2. Getting into a shouting match over a parking spot. Exactly what did you think shouting at someone over parking in a handicap spot will do? Prove your superiority?
3. Physically attack someone because he’s shouting at your girlfriend. Your first instinct is to attack? Exactly what was going through your head when that decision was made?

What is the common theme?

Check your damned ego!

There seems to us no doubt, on the basis of both text and history, that the Second Amendment conferred an individual right to keep and bear arms.

Seemed appropriate since this week marks a decade since the decision.

Reason posted an article asking of the NRA is too Republican. Here’s where I have to do some prep work to properly discuss this topic. First, yes, I am a member of the NRA and donate to the NRA-ILA (the political wing of the organization). It’s also important to remember that the NRA is not some monolith out of 2001. There are six million dues-paying members. They represent a wide variety of views, including on the Second Amendment. For this post, if I’m saying NRA, I’m going to be talking about the current executive leadership. The one that makes the day-to-day decisions.

Because, the NRA may not be too Republican, but it’s definitely too conservative. I don’t mind that when fighting for my Second Amendment rights, but the NRA has been stepping out into the wider debate on societal issues. (I despise using the term culture war.) To be fair, some of it was foisted on the NRA by the media and political players, but some of it appears to be playing to the large part of the base.

Except, I’m not in that base. I’m too liberal on social issues, too atheist, and too indoorsy. Or at least it seems that way when I look at who the NRA chooses to put in front of the cameras.

Here’s why I’m bitching. We exhort the vast majority of gun owners to join the NRA. Why should they when the NRA refuses to represent them? We castigate anti-gunners for lumping all gun owners with criminals, but then the NRA goes and does the same thing to anyone on the left of the political spectrum.

And can the NRA please just shut the fuck up about violent video games? There’s no good evidence that such a popular medium drives people to murder. What it does is alienate many of the people who would join us.

I am an NRA member, but there are days when I wonder if my limited money would be better spent.