About That Secession Petition You Signed…

In the aftermath of the election, secession petitions for all fifty states (and maybe for the rest of the 57 as well) have sprung up on the White House’s petition website and over 800,000 signatures have been collected. There is also a counter-petition asking that anyone who has signed such a secession petition be declared a traitor and then be hung, drawn, and quartered with the remains scattered to the four corners of the earth. Actually, I’m kidding about that last little bit but the true believers are asking for signees to be declared traitors.

In the midst of all of this has come the Department of Defense’s Defense Security Service. They are the agency at DOD charged with managing the Secret, Top Secret, and other such security clearances for defense contractors. A few days ago, they issued a notice regarding the secession petitions and whether signing one would be considered a reportable event for contractors.


November 16, 2012

DSS personnel have recently received questions from security personnel at cleared contractors about whether contractors should file adverse information reports pursuant to NISPOM paragraph 1-302 regarding cleared persons who sign petitions to allow a state to withdraw or secede from the United States.

It also appears that erroneous statements have been made to the effect that DSS is directing contractors to treat the signing of such petitions as reportable adverse information.

Please note that DSS has not provided any approved direction or guidance. DSS is not directing any contractor to file adverse information reports regarding persons who have signed secession or withdrawal petitions. This issue is under review and DSS will provide information to contractors when that review is complete.

So while they aren’t requiring defense contractors to report employees who has signed such petitions yet, they are still studying the situation. David Martosko of The Daily Caller has more on this story.

David Codrea has written on some of the implications for gun owners of signing these secession petitions at the National Gun Rights Examiner. His advice is to not sign any of these petitions. While it may not equate with renunciation of your citizenship which is a disqualifying event for gun purchases, I wouldn’t put anything past the Obama Administration. When it comes to being vindictive and petty, they could have given Richard Nixon lessons.

A Couple Of Blog Meets Of Note

A few days ago Kevin of Misfires and Lightstrikes wrote me about a blogger meet-up at the 2013 SHOT Show. One of these days, I’ll get there again but not this coming year. Here are the details as sent by Kevin who asked that I post this:


As another SHOT Show approaches, (is it REALLY only 60 days away?!!), it’s time for another SHOT Show gunblogger meetup!

As the evenings during SHOT are dedicated to awards dinners and the like, this year, we’ll be meeting on Thursday, January 17th at 11:30 am for lunch at the Grand Café Lux restaurant in the Venetian Hotel and Casino.

If you can’t make it, I’d appreciate a post letting people know that it’s not just for bloggers; Vloggers, podcasters and blog visitors are all invited, too.

Please RSVP via email  (Kevin AT Exurbanleague.com) or join the event on Facebook.

Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog and Borepatch are trying to set up blogger shoot in the Raleigh-Durham area of central North Carolina either before or after Christmas.

From Borepatch:

Who’s up for a Christmas blogshoot in the Carolinas?


Some of us have been emailing for a bit, and so let me toss out a
question to the gunblogging community: who would be willing to get
together for a meet ‘n shoot sometime around the Christmas holiday?

I know that there are a bunch of folks in the Washington DC area, and
there are a surprising number of us here in Atlanta.  It seems like
Charlotte/Raleigh/Durham NC is about splitting the driving distance.

Please leave a comment if you’re interested, along with preferred date
and location.  Also, if anyone knows a range in any of those areas that
could accommodate a decent size group, please leave that info as well.

Gun Owners Against Illegal Mayors Project



Given that yet another member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors was convicted on theft charges just last week, I’d say this new project coming from the Second Amendment Foundation is quite timely. The “Meet the Mayors” ad is quite interesting. Make sure to click the link to it below.


BELLEVUE, WA – Inviting Americans to “Meet the Mayors” who have been involved in the anti-gun-rights Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the Second Amendment Foundation is launching a campaign in newspapers, magazines and on the Internet that exposes the criminal and ethical wrongdoings of many members of that organization.

The “Meet the Mayors” ad can be seen at: http://saf.org/images/maig.pdf

“Michael Bloomberg created this group to further his personal agenda of public disarmament,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “But within the ranks of his organization, our research has found several politicians who have been convicted of various serious crimes, thus making it impossible for them to finish their terms.

“We discovered,” he continued, “one mayor convicted of perjury and embezzlement, another who was convicted of attempted child molestation, and yet another who was convicted of assault and racketeering. There was one who was convicted on bribery, fraud and money laundering, and another who was convicted of domestic violence.

“In short,” Gottlieb explained, “many of these elitist politicians can no longer own firearms. The crimes they were convicted of suggest they are public enemies rather than public servants. No wonder they want to take guns from law-abiding citizens!”

“Perhaps Bloomberg should worry about background checks on his colleagues, rather than law-abiding gun owners,” he suggested.

Gottlieb said SAF research discovered a far higher rate of criminal activity within the ranks of the MAIG than among the ranks of more than 8 million citizens who are licensed to carry concealed firearms in 49 states.

“While Michael Bloomberg has been campaigning to turn gun owners into criminals,” Gottlieb said, “the criminals in his own ranks were engaged in such activities as tax evasion , extortion, accepting bribes, child pornography, trademark counterfeiting and perjury. One was even convicted of assaulting a police officer.

“And these people have the audacity to smear law-abiding gun owners as potential criminals, simply because they exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” he concluded. “He should pay more attention to what his friends are up to than worry about the gun owners he’s been trying to demonize.”

NC General Assembly Speaker Pro-Tem Race

It appears that there is a three-way race among Republicans in the North Carolina State House to be elected Speaker Pro-Tem which is the number two position. The race is between House Majority Leader Paul Stam, Rep. Bert Jones, and Rep. Julia Howard. Stam was instrumental in attempts to weaken the Castle Doctrine passed in the last session among other things.

Grass Roots North Carolina has issued an alert on the race and is asking that people write Speaker Thom Tillis to urge his support for Rep. Bert Jones who is strongly pro-gun.


As you will recall, House Majority Leader and current candidate for the Speaker pro tem position, Rep. Skip Stam (R, GRNC **) earned “Weasel” status last year by undermining pro-gun legislation through outright opposition and support of weakening amendments. His attempt to gut Castle Doctrine and successful removal of HB 650 language that would have allowed guns in locked vehicles at places of employment will not be forgotten.

Fate has smiled upon NC gun-owners in the form of Pro-gun challenger Rep. Bert Jones (R, GRNC ****) who vies with Stam for the No. 2 position in the NC House: Speaker pro tem. Also in the race is Rep. Julia Howard (R, GRNC ****) who is also a better choice than Stam.

All NC gun owners should urge House Speaker Thom Tillis to support Jones’ bid for the pro tem position.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

Email NC House Speaker Thom Tillis

Urge him to support Bert Jones for Speaker pro tem.

CONTACT INFO

Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Support Bert Jones for Speaker pro tem”

Dear Speaker Tillis,

As a North Carolina gun owner I am pleased that a pro-Second Amendment Representative is seeking the position of Speaker pro tem.

I urge you to support Rep. Bert Jones in his effort to win election to this important leadership position.

Sincerely,

Deer Versus Plane

In the battle between a whitetail deer and a Department of Homeland Security jet, neither won. The deer is dead and all that remains of the jet is part of the cockpit and nose.

Just before noon on Saturday, a plane identified as a Cessna C550 (Citation II) jet hit a deer with its left wing as it was landing at Greenwood (SC) County Airport. After hitting the deer, the plane burst into flames. Fortunately, the pilot and the sole passenger were able to exit safely.

It appears the plane belonged either to DHS or to the Border Patrol. The news stories are somewhat conflicting on this. However, Greenwood County Sheriff Tony Davis did say that it carried surveillance equipment.

Davis
could not identify the type of plane or where it came from, but said
that it carried sophisticated surveillance equipment that can be used in
a variety of operations — including border control and marijuana
eradication operations.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/abbeville-greenwood-news/Plane-burns-after-colliding-with-deer/-/9654572/17457632/-/31jbgt/-/index.html#ixzz2CcOQg5sy

 Davis could not identify the type of plane or where it came from, but said that it carried sophisticated surveillance equipment that can be used in a variety of operations – including border control and marijuana eradication operations.

Now I wonder just what they planned on “surveilling” in the Upstate of South Carolina. Maybe they were looking for the moonshine still of Bill and Josh who star on the Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners. Or maybe they just happened to be landing at the wrong airport at the wrong time. I guess we’ll find out when the FAA who are reported to be investigating the crash release their report.

Davis
could not identify the type of plane or where it came from, but said
that it carried sophisticated surveillance equipment that can be used in
a variety of operations — including border control and marijuana
eradication operations.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/abbeville-greenwood-news/Plane-burns-after-colliding-with-deer/-/9654572/17457632/-/31jbgt/-/index.html#ixzz2CcOQg5sy

Davis
could not identify the type of plane or where it came from, but said
that it carried sophisticated surveillance equipment that can be used in
a variety of operations — including border control and marijuana
eradication operations.

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/abbeville-greenwood-news/Plane-burns-after-colliding-with-deer/-/9654572/17457632/-/31jbgt/-/index.html#ixzz2CcOQg5sy

#15seconds

The Israel Defense Forces have put out a YouTube video entitled #15seconds. 15 seconds is about the amount of warning Israelis living near the Gaza Strip get as they seek shelter from the Katyusha rockets being fired on them by Hamas.

I’d say this is a pretty powerful video that gets the message across very effectively. It is a shame that those on the Left and within the Obama Administration lean more towards the terrorists than towards the citizens of the only real democracy in the Middle East.

I anticipate it will only get worse given the continued diplomatic failures of the Obama Administration and the State Department led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Quote Of The Day

I don’t always agree with Peggy Noonan, former Reagan speechwriter and current columnist for the Wall Street Journal. However, she does have a way with words.

In her column yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, part of the discussion was about the other woman in David Petraeus’ life – Paula Broadwell.  After pointing out all the attributes that Broadwell ascribed to herself including author and biographer, Noonan has this to say.

She calls herself a biographer, but biographers actually do something arduous—they write biographies.

Broadwell, for those that aren’t aware, used a ghostwriter for the book All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.  If you think about it, Paula Broadwell was nothing but a highly-rewarded research assistant while Vernon Loeb, the ghostwriter, is the actual biographer.

Clay Logan On The Possum Drop

The Possum Drop in Brasstown, North Carolina has been in the news a lot lately due to the suit brought by PETA to stop it. Cam Edwards of NRA News interviewed Clay Logan, owner of Clay’s Corner and the organizer of the Possum Drop, about his plans now that Administrative Law Judge Fred Morrison, Jr. ruled in PETA’s favor.

In a rather humorous interview, Mr. Logan noted that in all the years that they’ve had the Possum Drop not one opossum get scared or traumatized enough to “play possum” or act dead. I believe that says something there.

While the New Year’s Eve festivities will continue in Brasstown, Mr. Logan said he didn’t know what the guest of honor would be. He was noncommittal on whether or not they will just ignore the judge’s ruling and use a live opossum.

Frankly if they aren’t allowed to use a live opossum, I think they should put Ingrid Newkirk in the cage and use her. I’m sure she wouldn’t object as it would be a human in the cage and not a four-legged critter.

Update On S.3525 – Sportsmen’s Act of 2012

The Senate will vote on S. 3525 – Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 – on Monday, November 19th. Today’s Senate calendar listed the motion to bring the vote as having unanimous consent.

S. 3525 (ORDER NO. 504) 1.—Ordered, That at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 26, 2012, all post-cloture time on S. 3525, a bill to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes, be deemed expired, and the Senate vote on the motion to waive the Budget Act point of order, if raised; provided, that if the motion to waive is successful, Amdt. Nos. 2876, 2877, 2878, and 2879 be withdrawn, en bloc, and substitute Amdt. No. 2875, offered by the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Reid), be agreed to; provided further, that no further amendments or motions be in order prior to a vote on passage of the bill, and the Senate vote on passage of S. 3525, as amended, with no intervening action or debate; further, that if the motion to waive is not successful, the Majority Leader be recognized.


Ordered further, That on Monday, November 26, it be in order for the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Sessions), or his designee, to be recognized to raise a Budget Act point of order against substitute Amdt. No. 2875; provided, that it be in order the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Reid), or his designee, to make a motion to wave the point of order. (Nov. 15, 2012.)

The text of S.Amdt.2875 can be found here. It is just too long to try and publish in the blog. Scroll down to No. 2875 and go from there.

As Sebastian pointed out yesterday, while this bill supported by both the NRA and the NSSF, the Gun Owners of America (GOA) has come out in opposition to the bill due to concerns about private land being taken by the Federal government using non-Federal funds. Read his post and the comments.

For an opposing view, I suggest reading this guest analysis that David Codrea posted on his WarOnGuns blog today. It seems the concern is over the National Fish Habitat Board and the impact it could have on wetlands and their use.

I would be the first to agree that the definition of wetlands leaves much to be desired and that some bureaucrats have defined mud puddles (for lack of a better word) as a wetland. That said, I think any move to undercut the EPA’s coziness with the radical environmentalists at the Center for Biological Diversity is good. Until they were called out on it, the EPA through its General Counsel was actively giving advice to CBD on how to bring a petition to ban lead ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. This bill if passed would remove lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle from the EPA’s purview.