Gun Control Never Sleeps

While President Obama is taking a valedictory tour of Europe, his minions in the Justice Department are still hard at work trying to establish his gun control legacy. The National Institute of Justice released their final baseline specifications that outline the minimums required for a “smart gun” (sic) if it is to be used by law enforcement. Their efforts on this were in response to a Presidential Memorandum that President Obama issued to the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice in January 2016 ordering them to promote “smart gun” technology.

The new release from DOJ is below:

November 16, 2016
For more than two decades, the federal government and the private sector have grappled with a basic question of firearm engineering:  Can modern technology make guns safer—or “smarter”—without sacrificing the reliability, durability and accuracy that owners expect from their firearms?
In January 2016, as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to combat gun violence, President Obama directed the Departments of Justice (DOJ), Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DOD) to answer that question.  Three months later, in April 2016, the three agencies submitted a report to the president outlining a multi-pronged strategy to expand and encourage the development of advanced gun safety technology.  Today, the Administration is taking a significant step forward to implement that strategy: by releasing a final version of “baseline specifications” that outlines, for the first time, a detailed description of the minimum technical requirements that law enforcement agencies expect from smart gun technology.  
The baseline specifications were drafted by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) – DOJ’s research, development and evaluation agency – in partnership with a team of firearms experts at DOJ and DHS.  Throughout the development process, NIJ sought input from a wide range of stakeholders, including federal, state and local law enforcement, firearms manufacturers and technology experts.  Among other steps, in July 2016, NIJ published a draft version of the specifications in the Federal Register and invited feedback during a 60-day public comment period.  In addition, in August 2016, NIJ hosted a two-day conference in Washington, D.C., with representatives from law enforcement agencies to discuss smart gun technology and review the draft document.
As the April 2016 report to the president made clear, this project was designed to spur the growth of enhanced gun safety technology—and not to mandate that any particular individual or law enforcement agency adopt the technology once developed.  These voluntary specifications serve several purposes:  they provide clear guidance to potential manufacturers about what government purchasers require in their firearms; they serve as a standard against which existing technology can be measured, making it possible to identify what research and development gaps remains; and they allow federal, state and local governments to demonstrate that demand for smart guns may exist—if certain operational requirements are met.  By engaging law enforcement experts in this process, NIJ has produced a final document that both reflects the exacting demands of law enforcement officers and advances the goal of expediting the real-world deployment of smart gun technology.

The final 25 page report can be found here.

Take this as a reminder that we need to remain hypervigilant in the waning days of the Obama Administration. The only reason that this popped up on my radar is that I got an email from the Brady Campaign applauding this move (and asking for money).

Come the afternoon of January 20, 2017, this is one of the many Executive Orders and Memorandum that needs to be discarded. Let the market forces decide whether or not to proceed with so-called smart gun technology and get government out of it. Moreover, we need to work in the states to repeal those laws that mandate the sale of such firearms.

The Fine Print: A History of Camouflage, Episode 1

I have been a fan of Professor Roy Behrens and his blog Camoupedia since I first stumbled across it. He has been researching the links between camouflage and art for the last 45 years. Some of that work is highlighted in this recently released video which features interviews with him and with LTC Tim O’Neill who is considered the father of digital camo.

His studies on the dazzle camo first found on ships during World War One can be found in his book Ship Shape, a Dazzle Camouflage Sourcebook: An Anthology of Writings About Ship Camouflage During World War I.

Wayne LaPierre On Trump’s Win

The NRA released this video yesterday. Wayne LaPierre congratulates the 5 million men and women members of the NRA and outlines some of the things they intend to push President-elect Trump to sign once he is in office.

Here is the transcript of the video:

Transcript

On November 8, you—the 5 million men and women of the National Rifle Association of America, along with the tens of millions of gun owners all over this country who followed your lead—achieved a truly extraordinary, historic, even heroic, accomplishment. In northern Florida and Pennsylvania, throughout Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan, in small towns and communities all across America, you were the special forces that swung this election and sent Donald Trump and Mike Pence to the White House.


You did this. Don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise.


In the wake of this historic event, the same disgraced group of so-called experts, talking heads, pundits and pollsters that got everything wrong before the election are trying to deceive you once again. So let me remove all doubt: gun owners made this election happen. Hillary Clinton made her hatred for the Second Amendment a central issue of this campaign and as a result of that fatal mistake, she’s on permanent political vacation.


Your determination to defend individual freedom, joined with the other issues at the very heart of this race, ensured that only one candidate could receive the approval of the American people: Donald Trump.


The disgraceful media attempted to manipulate your emotions. They tried to suppress your enthusiasm, your speech, your vote. But you would not be distracted from the core freedom that was truly at stake—and for that, you deserve the gratitude of the entire nation. You proved the founders right: that the ultimate check and balance in this country is the American people.


I joined this quest to restore Second Amendment freedom almost 40 years ago. Many of you were there with me. Together, we have restored, expanded and protected the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution—and are prepared to pass it forward to the generations of Americans who will take up this cause.


Our victory in this election is a monumental step toward securing the future of this freedom. Soon, President Trump will nominate a constitutionally sound justice to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Make no mistake: that will be a generational victory for Second Amendment freedom—and you made it happen.


But we must also face the reality that still confronts us. For eight straight years, Barack Obama flooded the appellate courts and the federal judiciary with judges who truly despise Second Amendment freedom. More than 300 Obama-appointed anti-gun judges represent an infection for which there is no cure, other than time and vigilance. They will pose a threat to our gun rights for decades to come.


We also face a growing group of anti-Second Amendment elitist billionaires, led by George Soros and Michael Bloomberg. By pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into state and local elections, they have succeeded in confusing many voters into believing clever labeling like “universal background checks” and so-called “common sense” schemes will make a difference in the safety and security of our communities.


The truth is, the anti-gun billionaires have only one goal: the absolute eradication of the Second Amendment freedom for the average American citizen. Not for their security forces, their families and themselves. But for you: the everyday American who stormed the polls in an act of ultimate defiance of the elites. They will continue to enjoy the support of an openly dishonest media that truly hates your right to speak, your right to worship and your right to vote. And most of all, your right to keep and bear arms.


In the face of the bitter hatred and elitist condemnation, this is our historic moment to go on offense and defeat the forces that have aligned against our freedom once and for all. The individual right to carry a firearm in defense of our lives and our families does not, and should not, end at any state line. I call on Congress and the president-elect to pass National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity as quickly as it can be written and signed.


And it is time, once and for all, to end the absolute fallacy of gun-free zones. Not one more American serviceman or woman should be murdered on a military base because the government denied their right to defend themselves with a firearm. We revere the men and women in uniform who defend our freedom, and their rights must be restored immediately.


I also call for protections that stop the tyrannical erosion of gun rights in states and cities where corrupt leaders use their political power to abuse the rights of American citizens. I’m talking about a deceitful web of gun bans, ammo bans, magazine bans, exorbitant fees and taxes, and registration schemes—all designed to undermine the meaning of the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court decisions that uphold it.


The Court’s Heller decision recognized the right of Washington, D.C. citizens to own a firearm in their home for personal protection. But eight years later, it is still almost impossible to legally buy a firearm in that city. If the anti-gun forces can get away with sanctuary city-type exclusions where they unilaterally defy the rights of American citizens, then your Second Amendment protections only exists if your local government recognizes them. It must be illegal for corrupt, bureaucratic elites to deny law-abiding Americans their full measure of Second Amendment freedom.


These goals and more are now possible because of the historic work that you have done. It is only because of your sacrifices that we have this unique opportunity to defend the one freedom that protects all the others: our Second Amendment. But before we can say that it has been secured and is intact for us to pass on to the next generation, we must face these very real challenges with the strength, courage and purpose you have proven to possess.


Our time is now. We must approach the coming fights with the same urgency and determined action that ended the political future of Hillary Rodham Clinton. That’s why I need you to renew your membership, upgrade your membership, join this organization and be part of the hard work and the victories that are yet to come. You have proven to be ready for the challenge.

He Beat Us To It

Many in the gun rights community have been coming up with our wish lists now that Donald Trump has been elected President. Given the support from the NRA, other gun rights organizations, and the gun culture was critical in his win, it’s payback time.

Among the things I’ve been hoping for is national concealed carry reciprocity, removal of suppressors from the NFA through passage of the Hearing Protection Act, overturning previous executive orders by Presidents George H. W. Bush and Barack Obama, and the elimination of the sporting use test from the Gun Control Act of 1968. This is in addition to appointing judges and justices that will will uphold and expand Heller and McDonald. Of course that is just a start.

Well it looks like President-elect Trump (has a nice ring to it!) has beat us to the punch on national reciprocity and the elimination of gun free zones on military bases.

From a position paper released today:

GUN AND MAGAZINE BANS. Gun and magazine bans are a total failure. That’s been
proven every time it’s been tried. Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary
sounding phrases like “assault weapons”, “military-style weapons” and “high capacity
magazines” to confuse people. What they’re really talking about are popular semiautomatic
rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of
Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice.
The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people
are allowed to own.



BACKGROUND CHECKS. There has been a national background check system in
place since 1998. Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer
– which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases – they go through a federal
background check. Study after study has shown that very few criminals are stupid
enough to try and pass a background check – they get their guns from friends/family
members or by stealing them. So the overwhelming majority of people who go through
background checks are law-abiding gun owners. When the system was created, gun
owners were promised that it would be instant, accurate and fair. Unfortunately, that
isn’t the case today. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health
records into the system – and it should go without saying that a system’s only going to
be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system
we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken
system.



NATIONAL RIGHT TO CARRY. The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of
your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of
Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works
in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every
state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can
do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.



MILITARY BASES AND RECRUITING CENTERS. Banning our military from carrying
firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to
safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless. To
make America great again, we need a strong military. To have a strong military, we
need to allow them to defend themselves.

The position paper also notes that Trump himself has a concealed carry permit.

This is a great way to end the week!

I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit

The Competitive Enterprise Institute produced a wonderful short film called I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit. The film shows how the commerce of whiskey creates human connection.

“I, Whiskey is about freedom, the freedom to connect and create,” said I, Whiskey Executive Producer Richard Morrison. “It tells the story of entrepreneurs, scientists, and bootleggers and celebrates their rebel spirit and colorful history. The Competitive Enterprise Institute loves to show how commerce helps build a flourishing civil society, and telling the story of whiskey is a fun, approachable way to do that.”

“Whiskey is science, chance, time, risk, ingenuity, love, intensity—it’s all in a glass when it’s done right,” said Rick Wasmund, owner of Copper Fox Distillery, the featured interviewee in the movie. “My name’s on the bottle, but I’m not the inventor of whiskey. I’m just a little guy trying to bring something new to the world that people will enjoy. It takes a lot of people and systems to make this work– bottle makers, the label people, the whole sales process, the retail operators – I love the connections that I have all over the country and the world.”

They have now released the film on YouTube and I have embedded it here. It is worth eight minutes of your time to watch.

To find out more about the film and those who brought it together, follow this link.

I enjoyed whiskey tonight in a very Carolina meets Kentucky way – I mixed bourbon (Very Old Barton) with Cheerwine. To me, it is much better than bourbon and Coke.

Kudos To Brownells

Many companies are offering discounts on this Veterans Day. However, in my opinion, Brownells and these companies are doing something even better. They are donating a portion of their sales from today to an organization that helps those from the Special Operations community that have been wounded. While all of our military veterans deserve help, few have been called upon as much over the last two decades as those in special operations.

Brownells & 11 Industry Partners Join Forces to Support Veterans

GRINNELL, Iowa (November 10, 2016) – Brownells is proud to announce it has formed a coalition of industry partners to donate sales dollars on Veterans Day – Friday, November 11, 2016 – to Special Operations Wounded Warriors(SOWW).

On Veteran’s Day 2016, Brownells will donate five percent of its total sales to SOWW. In addition, the following companies have agreed to donate five percent of their Veterans Day sales at Brownells to SOWW:
  • Magpul
  • DoubleStar
  • Faxon Firearms
  • JP Enterprises
  • Midwest Industries
  • Wilson Combat®
  • Leupold
  • Trijicon®
  • Otis Technology
  • LifeStraw®
  • XS Sight Systems®
Earlier this year, Brownells partnered with Magpul to donate a percentage of sales on Memorial Day to SOWW. The Veterans Day donation event, with 11 industry partners participating, represents a significant increase in support for SOWW.

“We could not be more appreciative and grateful for the outstanding and continued support of Brownells, its Senior Management, its employees, and its customers,” said SOWW Vice President Joel Pellicci. “As a Tier One level sponsor, our highest level of support, Brownells is a major contributor and supporter of our mission to provide thanks, fellowship, and therapeutic retreats to wounded members of the U.S. Special Operations Communities. Brownells’ aggressive support of SOWW has positively affected the lives of many people in need over the last five years.”

Customers can learn more about the Veteran’s Day promotion by visiting the Brownells/SOWW Veterans Day page.

About SOWW
Special Operations Wounded Warriors (SOWW) is a not-for-profit group that provides outdoor experiences and therapeutic retreats, as well as assistance with medical, physical and mental therapies for both veterans and active-duty members of the Unites States Special Operations Forces who have been wounded in action.  For more information, visit www.sowwcharity.com.

Happy 241st, USMC!

I want to wish a happy 241st birthday to the United State Marine Corps.

Since “virtue signaling” is all the rage with millennials, I want to recognize that group of millennials who get it done day after day in the harshest of conditions. If you think about the definition of millennial – those born after 1980 – then the bulk of the US Marine Corps, both enlisted and officers are indeed millennials. I just wish we had more like them.