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Frank Tait Just Needs 50 More Signatures

November 9, 2021 by

Frank Tait is gathering signatures to be a petition candidate for the NRA Board of Directors. He is at 94% of the amount needed and is down to gathering the last 50 petition signatures to get above the “Margin of Wayne”.

If you are a voting member of the NRA, you are eligible to sign his petition. A voting member is any one of the various classes of life members and any annual member with five continuous years plus of membership. Any break in your annual membership and the clock restarts.

Frank alone won’t be able to change the mindless direction of the Board if elected. You know it, I know it, and he knows it. However, it would give him legal standing to intervene in the NY Attorney General’s dissolution lawsuit as it has Rocky Marshall.

As Frank’s note below makes clear, time is of the essence. He needs those signatures now.

Many thanks to the Montgomery County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs Trapshooting League and the members of Lower Providence Rod and Gun Club for their signatures. Over 240 signatures have come in from social media contacts. This brings me to 94% of my target with 1 week to go. I need 50 more signatures to get to my target.

I need your help to get over the top and beyond the “Margin of Wayne” Last year, I had almost 300 signatures disqualified for various reasons and was not on the ballot. As a write-in – I only got a few thousand votes – on the ballot in 2020, I got over 55,000 votes. If I got that total in 2021, I would be on the board now working for reform.

The petition is here: http://cxoservices.com/images/NRA_Petition_Blank.pdf

The NRA requires “wet” signatures, so you have to print out the petition and physically mail me the petitions.

Mail to: Frank Tait, 425 W. Wayne Ave. Wayne PA 19087

I have to submit the signatures to the NRA no later than November 16. Please mail any completed petitions to me no later than November 10.

I ask that anyone interested in getting a reformer on the NRA Board print out the petition and legibly fill out the information. If you don’t know your NRA member number, I can get it from the membership office if I can read your name and address.

We need a person like Frank on the ballot. As I noted when I published the list of official nominees, it is full of “Friends of Wayne”. There is not one damn person on that list who will challenge the status quo. The Nominations Committee made sure of that. They are worse than the captain of the Titanic who ordered full speed ahead in iceberg-laden waters. At least, Capt. Edward Smith realized he was in trouble after they hit the iceberg. I can’t say the same for the Nominations Committee or the majority of the Board.

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OMG! Another LaPierre?

November 7, 2021 by 2 Comments

We were driving through Travelers Rest, South Carolina last week when we saw this.

The Complementary Spouse snapped this quick picture through the windshield of our truck at a stop light.

It seems that a Michael LaPierre is running as a conservative Republican for Congress in the Upstate of SC. He had previously run in the Republican primary in 2020 against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). LaPierre founded and heads the Christian Leadership Worldview International organization which offers Christian leadership training.

The seat that LaPierre is seeking has been held in past by Jim DeMint and Trey Gowdy. It is currently held by Rep. William Timmons who I presume will seek re-election.

I do not know if there is any familial relationship between this LaPierre and the one running the NRA. That said, this LaPierre is at least for constitutional carry. I think it is safe to say that Michael LaPierre, age 60, is not the unknown love child of Wayne LaPierre.

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Cook County Reinstitutes Gun And Ammo Tax

November 6, 2021 by 3 Comments

The Illinois Supreme Court struck down Cook County’s tax on firearms and ammunition as a violation of the Illinois Constitution’s uniformity clause with respect to taxation. The case, Guns Save Lives v. Ali, was decided on October 21st. The court noted that a special tax such as that on firearms and ammunition must be substantially “related to the object of the legislation.”

They continued:

In applying that standard to the firearm and ammunition taxes, we recognize that the uniformity clause was “not designed as a straitjacket” for the County (Arangold, 204 Ill. 2d at 153) and acknowledge the costs that gun violence imposes on society. Nevertheless, the relationship between the tax classification and the use of the tax proceeds is not sufficiently tied to the stated objective of ameliorating those costs.


Under the plain language of the ordinances, the revenue generated from the firearm tax is not directed to any fund or program specifically related to curbing the cost of gun violence. Additionally, nothing in the ordinance indicates that the proceeds generated from the ammunition tax must be specifically directed to initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence. Thus, we hold the tax ordinances are unconstitutional under the uniformity clause.

Since our holding disposes of this case, we need not address plaintiffs’ additional challenges to the ordinances.

The additional challenges included that this firearms and ammunition tax violated Article I, Section 22 of the Illinois Constitution which states, in part, “the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. However, Justice Michael Burke, in his concurring opinion recognized that this tax did violate Article 1, Section 22 and warned that it “leaves space for a municipality to enact a future tax—singling out guns and ammunition sales—that is more narrowly tailored to the purpose of ameliorating gun violence.”

He reiterated this in his conclusion disagreeing with the grounds upon which the majority of the court held the tax invalid.

Again, I believe that the majority’s analysis wrongly leaves the door open for a municipality to enact a future tax on firearms or ammunition that is more narrowly tailored to the purpose of ameliorating the cost of gun violence. The only problem with that approach is that it would still violate the Illinois Constitution.

Justice Burke knew Cook County and what they would do in response all too well.

On Thursday, November 4th, the Cook County Board of Commissioners reinstituted the “gun violence tax” with a 12-2 vote which amended the ordinance that was invalidated. Previously, the proceeds were sent to the Public Safety Fund. Now it will go to the “Special Purpose Equity Fund”.

The text of the amendment reads:

Effective November 4, 2021 revenue generated as the result of the collection and remittance of the firearm tax and the firearm ammunition tax set forth herein shall be directed to the Special Purpose Equity Fund to fund gun violence prevention programs as well as operations and programs aimed at reducing gun violence as determined by the Justice Advisory Council.

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle thinks the amendment will allow the ordinance to pass muster with the Illinois Supreme Court. After rattling off stats on “gun violence” (sic) which encouraged her to push for the reinstitution of the taxes, she said:

The cost of a bullet should reflect, even if just a little bit, the cost of the violence that ultimately is not possible without the bullet.

What utter nonsense!

I am sure some of this money will be funneled to her favorite anti-gun organizations for “gun violence reduction programs” (sic). I imagine some will also go to Preckwinkle’s favorite academicians to produce more statistics showing “guns are bad”.

Perhaps if the money was aimed at cracking down on the Gangster Disciples, the Latin Kings, and the Four Corner Hustlers and their activities then it might do some good. However, in doing so, it would interfere with the unholy alliance between politicians and gangs in Chicago.

When famed Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. wrote, “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society”, he could never have imagined modern-day Cook County and their “gun violence prevention tax”.

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Carry Case Oral Arguments Today

November 3, 2021 by 1 Comment

The oral arguments in NYSRPA v Bruen will start this morning at 10am Eastern. If you can set aside 70 minutes of your morning, I think it will be well worth it. Remember this is the first major Second Amendment case that the SCOTUS has taken since McDonald v. Chicago in 2010.

I suggest having a nice relaxing place to listen as undoubtedly the attorneys for the State of New York as well as the Biden DOJ will make arguments that we peons don’t have any right to carry outside the home.

Here is what my view will be like.

If you go to www.supremecourt.gov and scroll down to the bottom of the landing page, you will see a button marked “live” that allows you to follow along in real time as the audio is livestreamed. You can also follow along at C-Span here.

Paul Clement, former US Solicitor General, will argue the case for the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. He will have 35 minutes. Opposing him will be Barbara Underwood, the Solicitor General of NY, who will have 20 minutes to defend New York’s good cause requirement. Another 15 minutes is set aside for Brian Fletcher, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, who will argue in favor of keeping New York’s requirement. A few votes here, a few votes there, and it would the US would be arguing in favor of the NYSRPA.

In the past, I would not have added this link to TTAG for post-argument analysis. However, Robert Farago is long gone and they do have an all-star cast. It will feature Joseph Greenlee of the Firearms Policy Coalition, David Kopel of the Independence Institute, Eugene Volokh of UCLA, and Cody Wisniewski of the Mountain States Legal Foundation’s Center to Keep and Bear Arms.

It is important to bear in mind that we probably won’t see a decision until just before this October Term closes in late June 2022. Also, a win won’t change things immediately in places like New Jersey, Hawaii, and the like as it will take more litigation. However, a win would provide the basis for challenging those states’ restrictive carry laws.

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TacticalPay Podcast, Episode 80

November 2, 2021 by 1 Comment

I was a guest on the Tactical Pay Podcast with Dr. Brett Grayson. We recorded the episode back in late August.

The podcast episode has now been released and it can be found here.

Brett and I discussed a number of things including the NRA and its troubles, the NRA Annual Meeting postponement, and curios and relic collecting.

Give it a listen.

I want to thank Brett for having me on as a guest.

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Media Is Out Of Touch

October 31, 2021 by 5 Comments

If the following tweet posted yesterday evening by National Public Radio is accurate, the mainstream media is more out of touch than previously believed.

As “Mike” points out below in response to “Dayna”, the saying, the meme, the epithet, or whatever you want to call it of “Let’s Go Brandon” is everywhere. I get over 9 million hits on Google for that phrase. Moreover, the rapper Bryson Gray’s YouTube banned version of “Let’s Go Brandon” is the number one hit on Apple iTunes and has beat out Adele.

The number of breathless stories from the AP and other about the meme substituting for “F@$k Joe Biden” is hilarious. It is interesting that they have all appeared at virtually the same time. It is almost as if they have decided that reporting on us vulgar, unwashed conservatives, libertarians, and other non-Joe lovers being vulgar will distract from the reality of the abomination that is the Biden Administration and their policies.

Feel free to post your favorite Let’s Go Brandon meme in the comments. I have mine for sure.

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Big Trouble For Moose And Squirrel

October 27, 2021 by 1 Comment

Boris Badenov aka Grief Gang aka Russian hackers have targeted the NRA with ransomware.

From Fox News:

A ransomware gang believed to operate out of Russia says it hacked the National Rifle Association, the most powerful gun–rights group in the United States.

The gang, which calls itself Grief, published a handful of what appear to be the NRA files on a dark web site. The files, reviewed by The Associated Press, relate to grants the NRA has awarded. Ransomware gangs often post a victim’s files publicly in hopes of spurring them to pay out a ransom.

The Record posted the following screen shot of some of the items the Grief Gang supposedly has stolen from NRA servers. Grief Gang is reported to have posted 13 files from the ones that they illegally downloaded.

NBC reports that this is the same gang that are under sanction by the US government.

While paying any ransomware hacker is a risk, Grief is particularly tricky. Cybersecurity experts widely believe Grief is a rebranded effort by a group of Russian cybercriminals who previously used the nickname Evil Corp, which is currently under sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department.

“It’s the same group,” said Allan Liska, a ransomware analyst at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Liska went on to say that given the troubles the NRA faces right now that he suspects their cybersecurity team is probably in disarray.

The only official response from the NRA is a tweet.

I think this photo of Wayne from the South China Post pretty much sums it up.

Somehow I don’t think Bill Brewer is going to get him out of this one.

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Happy St. Crispin’s Day

October 25, 2021 by 1 Comment

As you put on your shoes this morning, remember St. Crispin who is the patron saint of shoemakers as today is the feast of St. Crispin.

You may know the name Crispin for another reason. It was the eve of St. Crispin’s Day when Henry V delivered his band of brothers speech to the English before the Battle of Agincourt. That is, at least according to William Shakespeare.

I think of the battle for the Second Amendment and the fight to secure our God-given rights. When you get down to it, those of us down in the trenches fighting for your rights are like the English before Agincourt. They were facing the French who had just had reinforcements. Likewise, we face anti-rights groups who are flush with cash provided by billionaires with their own armed security details. So if you are in the battle for the Second Amendment, you are my brother (and sister).

H/T David C.

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Hippos Are Not People

October 24, 2021 by

If you are of a certain age, you may remember the drug lord Pablo Escobar. He founded and ran the Medellin Cartel in Colombia. His cartel monopolized the cocaine trade in the US during the 80s and early 90s. The profits from his illicit activities made him a billionaire which funded his extravagant lifestyle. Part of that lifestyle included a private zoo with four illegally imported hippopotamuses.

Escobar with his hippopotamuses

After his death, these four hippos “went native” and have reproduced. Their numbers have grown to 100 plus. As a non-native invasive species, they have caused issues for both native plants and animals. Scientists at the University of California-San Diego have documented their impact on water quality.

“This unique species has a big impact on its ecosystem in its native range in Africa, and we found that it has a similar impact when you import it into an entirely new continent with a completely different environment and cast of characters,” said UC San Diego Biological Sciences Professor Jonathan Shurin. “It’s clear that this effect might include negative consequences for water quality and water resources by fueling harmful algae and bacteria.”

There have been calls to have these hippos eradicated as a non-native invasive species. As you might surmise, this has upset some animal rights activists. They much prefer that the hippos be put on birth control or sterilized to control their reproduction. Attorneys in Colombia have gone to court there to save them from being killed. A quirk of Colombian law gives non-humans such as the hippos legal status to bring lawsuits.

Attorneys in Colombia wanted to depose two American wildlife scientists who are experts in non-surgical sterilization of animals. The courts in Colombia cannot compel them to provide depositions so animal rights activists went to court in the United States. US law allows “interested persons” in a foreign litigation to go to Federal court seeking permission to take depositions for use in their case. The key words are “interested persons”.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund brought suit in US District Court for the District of Southern Ohio on behalf of the hippos. However, the ALDF was not the plaintiff. The plaintiffs were “Community of Hippopotamuses Living in the Magdalena River”.

Applicant Community of Hippopotamuses Living in the Magdalena River (“Community”) hereby apply to this Court ex parte for an order pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 (“Section 1782”) granting the Application to serve Dr. Elizabeth
Berkeley and Dr. Richard Berlinski with the deposition subpoenas annexed to the Flint Decl. as Exhibits A and B.

Remarkably, US Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz granted the ex parte application by the hippos and authorized their attorneys to serve subpoenas compelling the depositions.

If the claims by the Animal Legal Defense Fund are correct, this marks the first time that non-humans were recognized as “legal persons.”

ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells said:

“Animals have the right to be free from cruelty and exploitation, and the failure of U.S. courts to recognize their rights impedes the ability to enforce existing legislative protections,” says Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells. “The court’s order authorizing the hippos to exercise their legal right to obtain information in the United States is a critical milestone in the broader animal status fight to recognize that animals have enforceable rights.”

This is a dangerous ruling. While probably not precedential, it will be used by animal rights and anti-hunting groups in the future.

Will hunters be arrested for killing deer, doves, or any other animal? Will it lead to hunting being banned in its entirety?

Will meat packers be sued by cattle and swine to avoid being made into steaks and bacon?

What about fish? Will a suit be brought by the Community of Rainbow Trout Living in the Madison River to compel the testimony of fisheries biologists?

The list goes on. As I said, it is a dangerous ruling. To give standing and recognition to non-human species is opening a Pandora’s box. I don’t know if a magistrate judge’s ruling in an ex parte order is reviewable by the District Court Judge to whom the case was assigned. It should be and these subpoenas squashed. If the scientists in question wish to give a deposition in the case on their own, that is fine and their choice.