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Jerry Ahern, RIP

July 26, 2012 by 10 Comments

If you are into post-apocalyptic fiction like I am, you know Jerry Ahern. He wrote a very popular series of books called The Survivalist which dealt with life after the US was nuked by the Soviets. This 27 book series began with Total War which was published in 1981.

Jerry was a gun guy and you knew it if you read any of his work. His protagonist in The Survivalist series, Dr. John Thomas Rourke, didn’t just carry a .357 Magnum. He carried a Colt Python .357 Magnum that had been given the MetaLife treatment and was MagNaPorted. Rourke’s favorite pistol was the Detonics CombatMaster 1911. He didn’t just carry one of these in a shoulder holster but two of them along with his A.G. Russell Sting stilletto.

Jerry must have really liked the Detonics because he became president of Detonics in their third iteration, Detonics USA. He ran the company from 2004-2007 and introduced the StreetMaster which was a full-size slide on the compact CombatMaster frame.

Jerry also wrote a monthly gun review article for Dillion Precision’s The Blue Press. His last one appeared in the June 2012 issue. He also blogged occasionally at Downrange.tv.

Shortly after I began this blog I asked Jerry to read over it and give me his opinion of it. He very graciously did so. He thought it looked good and called it “eclectic” which I took to be a great compliment. Encouragement from writers like Jerry is vital in the early days of a blog and I’ll always remember his kindness in giving it.

Jerry died on Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was only 66. His family released the following statement on Facebook yesterday.

FROM THE FAMILIY: We just wanted to let all of Jerry’s friends know that their kind thoughts and wishes over the last few months have been greatly appreciated. Jerry wrote about how to survive most of life’s disaters, but, unfortunately he was unable to survive cancer. He put up a very strong fight, as we all knew he would, but on Tuesday morning he was overpowered by the disease and passed away. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers and please always remember Jerry as the wonderful Husband, Father, Grandfather, and friend that he was.

Evan Funeral Home in Jefferson, GA, Jerry’s home, posted this obituary.

Mr. Jerry Ahern, age 66, of Jefferson, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2012. Mr. Ahern was born in Chicago, ILL, a son to the late John and Arline Ahern. Jerry was an award winning, internationally known author of over 80 novels, including The Survivalist series, numerous non-fiction books as well as thousands of magazine articles. In recent years Jerry served as an editorial consultant. Additionally, Jerry was a strong supporter of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. Jerry had a strong Christian faith and led a vigorous and healthy lifestyle until a recent and aggressive cancer took his life. His positive and never give up attitude, as well as a good sense of humor, were a part of his day to day throughout. Jerry was deeply cherished and loved by his family; all those that knew him loved him. He had a strong devotion to his family.

Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Sharon Ahern, Jefferson, children, Samantha and Robert Akers, Commerce, Jason and Tracy Ahern, Buford, grandchildren, Olivia Akers, Alec, Aidan, Emily and Addison Ahern, nephew, George R. Smith, Hartwell.

A private family Memorial Service will be held on a later date.

With Jerry’s passing, we have lost another one of the good guys. Please keep his wife and family in your prayers.

UPDATE: Another remembrance of Jerry from Survival Weekly. 

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SAF Reacts To Lifting Of Stay In Woollard

July 26, 2012 by

The Second Amendment Foundation issued a statement yesterday saying that they were “delighted” with Judge Legg’s ruling lifting his stay in Woollard v. Sheridan. Judge Legg found his stay was not warranted.

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation is delighted that the judge in a Maryland case that challenges the constitutionality of that state’s handgun permitting scheme is ready to lift a stay on his original order for the state to process carry permits without a citizen having to provide a “good and substantial reason.’

U.S District Judge Benson Everett Legg will lift the stay on his original order in two weeks because, in his opinion, the stay “is not warranted.”

“There is no good reason for the state to continue violating the constitutional rights of its citizens just to maintain this burdensome and arbitrary system,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “As Judge Legg originally observed, the Second Amendment’s protections extend beyond the home.”

While it is possible that the state may file a motion with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to impose a stay of Judge Legg’s order, the trial court precedent is an important one. It established that the Second Amendment right to bear arms does not stop at the door of one’s home.

“No citizen should be required to give a good and substantial’ reason in order to exercise a constitutionally-protected civil right,” Gottlieb observed. “In his order today, Judge Legg noted that the state has pointed to little in the way of truly irreparable injury that is likely to result should their request for a stay be denied’.”

The judge also noted, “If a stay is granted, a sizeable number of people will be precluded from exercising, while the case is argued on appeal, what this Court has recognized as a valid aspect of their Second Amendment right. In the First Amendment context, the Supreme Court has stated that loss of First Amendment freedoms, for even minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury’.”

“It is time for the State of Maryland to understand that government cannot, and must not, be given blanket discretion in its perceived authority to interfere with the exercise of a constitutional right by law-abiding citizens,” Gottlieb said.

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Maryland Shall Issue On The Lifting Of The Stay In Woollard Decision

July 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

With US District Court Judge Benson Legg’s lifting of his temporary stay in Woollard v. Sheridan, the Maryland State Police will have to start processing carry permit applications without regard to the “good and substantial reason” requirement.

Maryland Shall Issue has released a 5-point analysis of what the lifting of the stay will mean for Marylanders.

  • On August 8th, MSP will begin to process carry permit applications without regard to the “good and substantial reason” clause that was ruled unconstitutional back in March. Please bear in mind that the state of Maryland may ask the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (CA4) for an emergency stay of the Woollard ruling. If they ask for a stay and it is granted, MSP may decide to “sit” on applications until the appeal is decided.
  • The appeal of the Woollard decision itself remains before CA4. They may side with the state and overturn the lower court’s ruling, or they may uphold the decision. While the order lifting the stay is unquestionably good news, appeal itself is far more important.
  • We anticipate that MSP will receive another flood of carry permit applications. While the law requires that MSP process permit applications within 90 days, the sheer volume of paperwork involved will make that deadline very difficult if not impossible to meet. The court system is inclined to give an entity like MSP some leeway if they are processing applications in good faith. MSI will be monitoring any delays to ensure that it is good faith delays.
  • Remember that while the appeals process plays out, it is possible that permits could be denied or revoked if CA4 or the Supreme Court rules in the state’s favor. To that end, we encourage you to avoid spending money that you cannot afford to lose in the process of applying for a carry permit.
  • Expect that Anti-2A forces in the Maryland General Assembly will press hard to find new ways to deny your rights.

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Touching The Third Rail

July 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

As Sebastian noted, President Obama is going for “gun bans and sales restrictions” with his speech to the National Urban League meeting in New Orleans.

In his speech, he made the obligatory dig at Congress and then said they had implemented things so that “background checks are now more thorough and complete.” I guess that is the reason BATFE just redid Form 4473 to ask a buyer’s ethnicity – Hispanic or Latino or Not Hispanic or Latino.

As to AKs, I prefer my Bulgarian AK-74 to the AK-47 that Obama thinks is more suited to the military. Not that the US military uses the AK-47, mind you.

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Arms Trade Treaty Catches The Attention Of Fox News

July 26, 2012 by

The major media outlets have been rather quiet about the Arms Trade Treaty talks going on at the UN in New York. This short report from Fox News seems to be the first one that I’ve seen on it outside of NRA News.

As part of the the story they interview Chris Cox of the NRA-ILA. Cox pointed out that shotguns, pistols, and rifles are what’s meant by “small arms”.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

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Wisdom From Noted Outdoorsman Steny Hoyer

July 25, 2012 by 1 Comment

In an effort to steal a page from Jim Zumbo, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) opined that he didn’t know any Maryland hunters using AR-15s to hunt deer, ducks, or geese. His remarks came at a media breakfast organized by the Christian Science Monitor.

“Assault weapons have one purpose and one purpose only, to kill a lot of people quickly, no other purpose. I don’t think anybody hunts deer, quail, geese, in Maryland with an assault rifle. And if they do, they shouldn’t be,” he said, though conceded that there is not enough support in Congress to revive the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

Perhaps one reason Mr. Hoyer doesn’t know anyone hunting ducks and geese with an AR-15 is because it is against Maryland hunting regulations. The only firearms allowed for hunting migratory game birds in Maryland are shotguns. Moreover, much of Maryland – and it seems all of Hoyer’s district – restricts the use of rifles in hunting deer and only allow shotguns. In those place that do allow centerfire rifles, it must have a cartridge that generates 1,200 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Many 5.56 or .223 rounds fall short of this requirement.

Now if Mr. Hoyer knew any woodchuck or coyote hunters he’d know that an AR-15 is not only suitable but ideal for hunting them. Frankly, I think that even if Steny Hoyer was confronted with the facts about the use of ARs in hunting, he’d still make the same stupid and outrageous comments.

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Blood Dancing Bloomberg-Style

July 25, 2012 by

Within hours of the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was on the air demanding more gun control. On Monday night on CNN, he went further and made the ludicrous statement that the police should go on strike until more gun control is enacted.

Now Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors has gotten into the act with a full page ad in USA Today, a brand new website, and a petition demanding “a plan” to stop “gun violence” (sic). They are using some of the survivors of the Tucson shooting to push the message. Moreover, the gun prohibitionists from VPC and CSGV are going full tilt on Twitter pushing Bloomberg’s new efforts.

Interestingly enough, Bloomberg’s call to have the police strike may violate New York State’s Taylor law which says “no public employee or employee organization shall cause, instigate, encourage, or condone a strike.” Hmm, isn’t the mayor of New York City a public employee? Unfortunately, just like with his efforts at gun shows in Arizona where he hired private investigators to make straw purchases, he’ll probably skate on this as well.

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CCRKBA – Bloomberg Should Go On Strike

July 25, 2012 by 3 Comments

In response to Mayor Bloomberg’s incredibly stupid remarks suggesting that police nationwide should go on strike in the name of more gun control laws, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms had this response:

BELLEVUE, WA – Anti-gun New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s call for American police officers to “go on strike” in an effort to force Congress and state legislatures to push his gun prohibition agenda is “a new low in demagoguery,” the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“Mayor Bloomberg has gone from bluster to blackmail with his extremist gun ban campaign,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “He would have police officers quit their posts and abandon their public safety missions in what would amount to an exercise of national extortion.

“Perhaps he believes it would be better,” he noted, “for cops to walk off the job than to engage in illegal gun and drug transactions, as some of his own New York City police have done lately.”

Bloomberg was on CNN Monday speaking to Piers Morgan when he encouraged police officers stage this strike. Gottlieb noted that by even making the suggestion, Bloomberg might be close to violating a New York statute known as the Taylor Law. Under that 1967 law – officially titled the Public Employees Fair Employment Act – public employees and employers are prohibited from encouraging strikes by public employees.

“If Bloomberg is violating the law, it would not be a first for a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the anti-gun organization he founded,” Gottlieb added. “At least 18 members of that group have been prosecuted for various crimes, which is not a track record I’d be proud of.

“Obviously,” he observed, “Mayor Bloomberg did not think things through before he suggested this preposterous course of action. If the nation’s police were to walk off the job today, by tomorrow, American citizens would be flocking to gun stores to purchase firearms for personal protection. All his stupid statement will do is increase gun sales.

“Maybe Bloomberg wants to replace Barack Obama as the unofficial gun salesman of the year,” Gottlieb concluded.

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Laptop Bleg

July 24, 2012 by 6 Comments

I’m in the market for two laptops.

The first is for the Virtual Stepdaughter who is going back to grad school to get her masters in education. Her current Dell laptop is a 2005 vintage from her freshman year in college. It is more than a bit outdated.

Her non-negotiables are built-in DVD/CD-Rom, Intel (or AMD) based, and decent battery life. She will need to carry it to class sometimes so weight is a major secondary consideration. While her classes will meet only one day a week in person, she’ll have additional work to do through Blackboard and/or WebCT.

My consideration on this laptop is that it not cost more than $600 or so.

The second laptop is for me. I’m in the market for an ultrabook or something light, thin, and MacBook Air-like. I’m torn between the MacBook Air and an Intel Windows 7 based ultrabook. I plan to use it for blogging from the road and the like. Battery-life and weight are my major considerations. I’d like it to be under 4 pounds. I don’t have any preference between a solid-state drive vs. a more traditional harddrive.

I can get employee discounts on HP and Dell through work and because I’m adjunct faculty at a local university I’m eligible for higher ed pricing.

My goal is to purchase these during North Carolina’s tax-free weekend of August 3-5.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

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Yellow Journalism At Its Worst

July 23, 2012 by 3 Comments

The Mormon Church sells unregulated guns

That was the title on an opinion piece published yesterday afternoon in The Detroit News. The author, Libby Spencer, uses the tagline “separating fact from fiction” and describes herself as a “social media maven whose political commentary has been published on a wide variety of websites”. I think a yellow journalist would be a better description.

What she is referring to is the website for KSL-TV and KSL-Radio in Salt Lake City. The stations are owned by the Deseret Media. This company is a for-profit enterprise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints aka the Mormons. On the site, a large and active classified section where individuals are selling everything from cars to livestock and everything in between. Among the categories is firearms. This is just like many newspapers and trading post type newspapers also do on a daily basis. Locally here in the mountains, we have Iwanna which does the exact same thing.

Ms. Spencer doesn’t even have the decency to accurately quote the source for her story. That source is none other than gun prohibitionist Mayor Michael Bloomberg who, by the way, was one of the first to start dancing in the blood of the Aurora shootings. Bloomberg’s office issued a “report” which was featured in the British newspaper The Telegraph back in February. Bloomberg criticized KSL.com for allowing firearms classifieds and said that the Mormon Church “owns (a) unregulated gun sale website”.

That is a far cry from saying the Mormons are selling “unregulated” guns.

Most Americans and probably most Michiganders think of Mitt Romney nowadays when they hear the words “Mormon Church”. With his presidential run, Romney has become the most prominent Mormon in America. This, in my opinion, is why Ms. Spencer ran with the headline she did. She wanted to tar Romney with her absurd claims about private gun sales in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado shooting. Mind you, the shooter there legally purchased all of his firearms at big box sporting good stores and underwent a FBI NICS background check.

As I said in the headline, this is yellow journalism at its worst.