by Colion Noir dissects the gun prohibitionists’ call for “compromise”. He’s quite correct that it has been our side that has been doing all the compromising over the years.
Month: August 2013
Not Just Famous For Country Music
Nashville, Tennessee is justly famous as being the center of country music. It is home to both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. And, if the rumors being reported by The Tennessean are correct, the future home to a major Remington Arms manufacturing plant.
One of the nation’s largest gun manufacturers, Remington Arms, has looked at sites around Nashville for a potential corporate relocation or expansion that would likely include hundreds of manufacturing jobs.
The Madison, N.C.-based company, which is part of the nation’s largest firearms company and has its largest plant in Ilion, N.Y, has scouted sites near Nashville’s airport, Lebanon and in Clarksville, Tenn.
Why Nashville?
According to the story, a plant in Middle Tennessee would place it between their plants in Lonoke, AR and Mayfield, KY. Moreover, it would only be a 2 hour drive to their technical and research center in Elizabethton, KY. They also have a distribution center run by a third party in Memphis.
An expanded article in today’s Tennessean notes that owners of industrial locations are having their properties scouted.
Reports about Remington’s search for sites come as owners of large tracts of land and economic development officials said they’re seeing more corporate relocation and other prospects in Middle Tennessee. Within the past two months, local real estate investor and developer Bert Mathews has encountered unidentified prospects at his 180-acre Buchanan Point site near Nashville International Airport off Interstate 40.
They include a 50-acre user, a 10-acre user and other users that had sought space for a 250,000-square-foot building. “Everybody’s looking at Nashville,” said Mathews, also a past chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Local and regional economic development officials were mum when asked about Remington’s search. “It is the policy of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council to refrain from discussing business recruitment projects, whether they be rumored or real,” said spokeswoman Robin Burton.
If Remington chooses to relocate operations from New York, it would add to the list of companies doing or planning to do so in part to protest stricter gun laws.
I should emphasize that these are only rumors but I doubt The Tennessean would have run a story specifically naming Remington Arms unless they had a solid source confirming the visits by Remington.
On the face of it, Middle Tennesse makes sense. You have engineering programs at Vanderbilt and Tennessee State along with engineering programs at Tennessee Tech, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Memphis which are within easy driving distance. You have a transportation hub with the intersection of Interstates 24, 40, and 65 and a good airport. And you have a gun-friendly, business-friendly right-to-work state.
What’s not to like about all of that if you are in the firearms industry?
Clearing Out Some Tabs
Need a new Smith & Wesson revolver? Here is one for sale at auction.
This is not just any Smith & Wesson Revolver. It is No. 2 Old Model Army revolver owned by Wild Bill Hickok and carried by him when he was slain in Deadwood, SD. According to the auction company, Bonham’s, the provenance is proven and the revolver is expected to fetch somewhere between $300,000 and $500,00.
An appeals court in Florida has determined that the state’s stand your ground applies to middle school students in Florida. The case involved a male student in Broward County who had been attacked on a school bus by a female student, defended himself, and ended up charged with battery. The school bus driver corroborated the student’s story as being the one attacked. The 4th District Court of Appeals ruled that:
“In this case, T.P. (the male student) had the right to assert a defense under Stand Your Ground. He was not engaged in an unlawful activity, and he had the right to be on the bus going home from school. He had no duty to retreat and, despite the trial court’s misgivings, had the right to ‘meet force with force.’”
There is no word yet if the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton plan demonstrations nor has there been any comment from Attorney General Eric Holder that DOJ is looking at the case for violations of civil rights.
If you want to get a concealed carry permit in Maine, you better be prepared to wait. There is a 5 month delay in processing the requisite background checks. The Maine State Police are supposed to permit applications for those who have resided in the state for over 5 years within 30 days. It has gotten so bad that the legislature is planning hearings to discuss the matter.
The DoD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working on a nanotechnology that can destroy guns.
The technological system, known as a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), utilizes tiny devices that are implanted in guns and other weapons. These devices are more than chips; they are actual mechanical processes created by precision engineering that can affect the weapon’s operations. Media reports reveal the devices include miniature GPS systems designed to make guns easier to track and self-destruct systems that could cause them to explode if they receive a wireless signal.
MEMS is intended for weapons given to groups like the Syrian rebels in their fight against the Assad regime. That said, I’m sure the gun prohibitionists are studying this very closely.
Smith and Wesson employees pack Massachusetts hearing on proposed gun laws held by the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. You have to wonder if they will be listened to any more attentively than the Connecticut Legislature listened to the employees of Colt, Stag, Mossberg, and Ruger. While one would hope so, I’m not holding my breath.
Is This What They Mean By “Outside Interests”?
One of the false accusations that Colorado State Senators John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) and Angela Giron (D-Pueblo) have made against those calling for their recall is that it was instigated by out-of-state interests. Of course, by this, they mean the NRA and other gun rights organizations. This is rich coming from two politicians who are being financially backed by Mayor Bloomberg and who have done his bidding.
Pueblo Freedom and Rights takes this issue on headfirst in one of their two TV ads running. As Colorado Peak Politics notes:
The first spot pushes back against the lies coming from Giron’s campaign that her opponents are somehow out-of-state interests, or “extremists from Denver.” It features the three plumbers from Pueblo who initiated and ran the recall effort speaking direct to camera earnestly about their grassroots effort.
The ad has a charm about it — far from a slickly produced spot, it’s a raw, amateurish ad that underscores the grassroots nature of the recall effort. No political professionals are they, but everyday citizens fed up with their rights being violated by a Senator who won’t listen.
Look at the ad below. These three guys certainly don’t appear to be big money, out of state interests.
In their second ad, they ask Sen. Giron if she will protect the Second Amendment rights of her constituents. She replies that it isn’t a yes or no answer.
If you are a voter in either of the two Senators’ districts, you need to remember you must check “Yes” for recall as well as voting for the replacement. Jim Geraghty of National Review has a great guide to the recall here.
Airborne Leads The Way
Today is National Airborne Day. It was officially designated that by Congress in 2001 to commemorate the first official Army parachute jump on August 16, 1940.
Just like Airborne leads the way, so too, do Airborne vets and gun bloggers Sean Sorrentino, Kurt Hofmann, and David Cole when it comes to the fight for the Second Amendment.
So a big thanks to them for their service and to all who served in the US Army Airborne.
Behind My Sporadic Blogging
You may have noticed that my blogging has been a little less frequent and a bit sporadic lately.
Blame it on ObamaCare.
In the budget tightening that is going on throughout the healthcare world due to ObamaCare, the hospital at which the Complementary Spouse works cut her position. Or in the parlance used by her department’s director, they will not be funding her position in the new fiscal year that starts October 1st. Of course,
This means she has until the end of September to find a new position within the hospital or she is out after 25 years with the same organization.
Thanks, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and every other fucking idiot who voted to pass this abomination of a “tax” as Chief Justice Roberts has decreed it to be. Your efforts will not go unappreciated.
As you can imagine, the Complementary Spouse is grieving. She is grieving not only the loss of her nursing position but the negative impact on the patients and their outcomes as a result. She needs my support and attention during this trying time. Fortunately, we live frugally and are big savers so the financial impact will be minimal for the immediate future.
I wasn’t sure if I should share this or how much to share but decided to go ahead with it. I guess I just wanted you to know that I wasn’t getting tired of the blog or of you but that the Complementary Spouse needs me and my attention a bit more than you until the dust settles.
It’s More Than Official Now
While Ruger made their official announcement that they intended to open their third plant in Mayodan, North Carolina back in early July, it became really official yesterday with an announcement ceremony involving Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC), numerous state and local officials, and Ruger CEO Mike Fifer.
From the Rockingham County’s local paper, the News-Advance:
The busy atmosphere outside Unifi’s former dye plant on Cardwell Road in Mayodan on Tuesday morning was only a small indication of things to come. More than 150 people gathered under a tent beside the 221,000-square-foot building to hear Gov. Pat McCrory make the official announcement that Sturm, Ruger & Co. would locate the company’s newest manufacturing facility in Rockingham County.
McCrory said the new plant would create more than 450 new jobs and invest more than $26 million in the Mayodan location by the end of 2017.
Video of the event from the Winston-Salem Journal can be seen here.
Included in the incentives to Ruger from the State of North Carolina is a Job Development Investment Grant that could be worth as much as $9.6 million according to the press release from the Governor’s Office.
The project was made possible in part by an award to Ruger from the state Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program, as voted by the state Economic Investment Committee. Receipt of the award is based on proof of job creation and other performance requirements. JDIGs are awarded only to new and expanding businesses and industrial projects whose benefits exceed the costs to the state, and which would not be undertaken in North Carolina without the grant.
Under the terms of the company’s JDIG award, Ruger is eligible to receive up to twelve annual grants equal to 75 percent of the state personal income tax withholdings from the eligible new jobs created since the date of the initial award. Receipt of each annual grant is based on state-certified proof that the company has fulfilled incremental job creation requirements. Over twelve years, the JDIG award could yield aggregate benefits to Ruger of up to $9.46 million upon creation of 473 new jobs.
This report from WFMY-TV2 in Greensboro discusses more about the grants. Rockingham Community College will receive $700,000 for workforce training with another $372,000 going to Ruger for employee training. In addition, people and businesses in the Town of Mayodan are quite excited about the possibilities that the new Ruger plant will bring to that town.
Other anecdotal evidence that the people of Mayodan and Rockingham County are on board with the Ruger expansion comes from Perry Hughes who is the chairman of the career and technology education department at Rockingham Community College. Registration for fall classes began yesterday at 10am. He had a student who arrived before 7:30am to be first in line for a slot in their machining program.
“We’re starting to look at ways to expand our machining program capacity and Ruger hasn’t even arrived yet,” Hughes said.
The final day registration for courses at RCC opened, Hughes said he arrived at his office at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for the 10 a.m. registration. One young man was already sitting outside the door when Hughes arrived.
“He said he had already been there for a while, but wanted to make sure he was first in line,” Hughes said.
It was fortunate the young man made that decision. Hughes said he only had two slots left in the machining program.
“Education is a supply and demand industry and right now our demand is much greater than the supply,” Hughes said. “With industries like Ruger coming to the area, we’re going to have to find ways to work with these companies and expand our programs to meet the demand. We’ve even considered the possibility of having day and night classes to allow for more students.”
RCC has an associate’s degree program in computer-integrated machining which I’m sure will be sending a number of graduates to Ruger over the coming years.
UPDATE: More on the official announcement as well on how the RCC computer-integrated machining program will tie into Ruger’s plans from WGHP-Fox8 in High Point.
An Introduction To A Dying Art
When you think of the exploration of the United States and Canada in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, you have to think about trappers in their quest for beaver and other fur bearing animals. Names like Kit Carson and Jeremiah Johnson come to mind along with companies like the Hudson’s Bay Company. Likewise when you think of the adventure literature of an earlier time such as the works of James Fenimore Cooper or Jack London, the heroic figures they portrayed were often trappers. If you go back to earlier issues of Outdoor Life or Field & Stream, you will see short stories about trappers in Alaska or the Yukon and their battles against both the elements and grizzly bears.
While there are still trappers and you can still get a trapping license from every state (I think), I’d wager that there are few, if any, of us who have actually trapped or know anything more about it than what we’ve read. That is why this post in today’s Outdoor Wire about a trapper education class being held in Indiana caught my eye.
Salamonie Lake will host a free trapper education course, Oct. 5 and 6, at the Salamonie Interpretive Center.
The program is open to all ages, though youths are especially encouraged to attend. Registration is open now, and those interested are encouraged to register well in advance. The registration deadline is Sept. 30.
The program will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, with education on trapping issues, ethics and regulations. The program is sponsored by Salamonie Lake, the Indiana State Trappers Association and Indiana Conservation Officers.
Saturday afternoon, participants will set traps under supervision. Traps will be checked Sunday morning. Furbearers caught will be used in skinning and fleshing demonstrations by ISTA instructors.
Free camping is available for all course attendees on Friday and Saturday nights at the Lost Bridge West Youth Campground, within walking distance of the interpretive center.
Lunch will be provided both days. The program will end by 4:30 pm each day. Participants do not need a trapping license. Property entrance fees will be waived for participants.
To register or to get more information, call Upper Wabash Interpretive Services at (260) 468-2127.
Trappers must attend both days to receive the DNR Trapper Education Certification.
Salamonie Lake (stateparks.IN.gov/2952.htm) is at 9214 West-Lost Bridge West, Andrews, 46702.
If I lived closer to Indiana, I might just attend this course. I doubt I’d ever trap on a regular basis but would want to know some of the skills. It sure wouldn’t hurt to have these skills from a prepping standpoint in a TEOTWAWKI situation.
Quote Of The Day
Jim Shepherd, publisher of the Outdoor/Shooting/Tactical Wires, has been doing a series of road trips this summer for his MyTime2Stand project. Currently he is on his western swing visiting many western states on his way out to the Crimson Trace Midnight 3-Gun event.
One of his stops was in Oklahoma City at H&H Shooting Sports Complex. Miles Hall of H&H likened his complex to a mall experience with its variety. This led Jim to write:
Later, while Hall gave me a tour of a bustling shooting complex he likens to a “mall experience” (more on that in a later column) I couldn’t help but believe the levels of interest in shooting, hunting, reloading, archery and almost any aspect of shooting sports was an indication of why many mainstream media outlets were concentrating so hard on negative stories about firearms: shooting is gaining in popularity-across the classic demographic lines. The mix of customers in H&H very closely resembled a typical Saturday crowd at the mall: all shapes, colors, and sizes.
If anyone understands the mindset and narrative of the mainstream media it is Jim. In another life he was one of the founders of Ted Turner’s CNN and served as their VP for News.
Dick Durbin Might Not Approve Of It But The Florida Sheriffs Do
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is on a political jihad against so-called Stand Your Ground laws. These laws state that a person does not have a duty to retreat if faced with great bodily harm or death and can meet force with force. Durbin has recently been sending letters to a number of non-profits and corporations who may have been involved with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council asking them if they support Stand Your Ground laws. The Chicago Tribune calls the recipients of the letter Durbin’s enemies list.
Now, though, Durbin has changed tactics. Rather than accusing political enemies of flouting federal law, he’s suggesting that he may publicly expose them to public outrage over the killing of Trayvon Martin. The editorial page of Thursday’s Wall Street Journal reported that the senator has sent letters to corporate and nonprofit supporters of the American Legislative Exchange Council, asking them to disclose their positions on “stand-your-ground” legislation that ALEC supported in Florida in 2005.
Some of the groups that have received this letter have told Durbin where he can stick his letter. The Goldwater Institute called Durbin’s attempted intimidation “disgraceful and not worthy of the title you hold.” Cato Institute President John Allison called Durbin’s actions “a subtle but powerful form of government coercion” and that his letter symbolized an “unconstitutional abuse of power”.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, by the way, says that they based their model Stand Your Ground law upon the state of Florida’s law and not the other way around. The Florida statutes on justifiable use of force including Stand Your Ground can be found here.
Against this backdrop of attempted political intimidation, it is quite interesting to note that the Florida Sheriffs Association voted unanimously this week to continue their support for Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. This is the same group of law enforcement officers that has opposed open carry laws supported by gun rights supporters in Florida.
From the FSA press release:
FSA President, Sheriff Grady Judd, today announced, “The right to self-defense is well-established in law. The Florida Sheriffs confirmed this position by voting unanimously, at the 2013 Florida Sheriffs Association Summer Conference, to support the Stand Your Ground law as it is currently written. Our current judicial system is comprised of multiple checks and balances to ensure fair and equitable application of all laws, including Stand Your Ground.”
Let’s be brutally honest about this. Dick Durbin doesn’t give a big rat’s ass about Stand Your Ground laws one way or another. What he does care about are only two things: denying resources to conservative political groups and keeping African-Americans safely ensconced on the Democrat’s plantation. His letter and hearings are expressly intended to do exactly this.