At this time 68 years ago, paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the 101st Airborne Division were stumbling around in the dark in the Normandy countryside trying to find their comrades. Despite being dropped in the wrong areas and having their units scattered about, these brave men had already begun the battle to drive the Nazis out of France.
Below is some archival footage of the 82nd All-American Division as it prepared to take off for France.
Chris Cox and the NRA-ILA are celebrating what looks to be an overwhelming victory by Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin recall election. They released this statement a short while ago.
Thanks to your votes and efforts, Scott Walker has won the recall election for Governor in Wisconsin defeating rabidly anti-gun Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
Scott Walker has proven his dedication to the Second Amendment by signing into law right-to-carry legislation, castle doctrine legislation, and the Hunting Heritage Act during his short tenure as Wisconsin’s chief executive. Scott Walker also supported statewide preemption of firearm laws and an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution guaranteeing the individual right to keep and bear arms. In contrast, Tom Barrett has a career-long “F” rating from NRA-PVF and has supported bans on commonly owned firearms, supported exposing hunters to prosecution, and has consistently opposed common sense self-defense legislation.
Your NRA was fully vested in this race with a comprehensive campaign that included tens of millions of online ads and hundreds of thousands of television, radio and print ads before today’s recall election. The media campaign was also supplemented by a concentrated advocacy and get-out-the-vote phone and mail program. All-in-all, almost two million pieces of advocacy mail were sent and phone calls made in this remarkable victory for freedom.
The NRA’s media campaign was complemented with a strong grassroots effort, utilizing field coordinators to conduct literature drops, canvassing and volunteer efforts across the state in the months before the election.
Together we made a difference in this race. But, as always, what mattered most in this race was your vote. Thanks to gun owners in Wisconsin, one of the strongest pro-gun Governors in the country will continue working to support our fundamental, individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
I bet the managers of those two Gander Mountain stores which refused to let the NRA-ILA hold their previously scheduled grassroots training sessions are feeling a little stupid right now. I still plan to shop elsewhere given Gander Mountain’s actions.
Katie Pavlich of Townhall.com goes into detail about the wiretaps approved by Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer. The wiretap applications had to give significant amounts of information about the operation as they are not commonly used and are only approved at the highest levels.
Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) was a guest of Cam Edwards on NRA News this evening. The topic of conversation was the revelations today that senior Justice Department officials were well aware of the details of Operation Fast and Furious much earlier than previously thought. The information comes from released applications for wiretaps.
Farenthold, based on his conversations with Chairman Issa, said that “there is enough in there that should not only have had a red flag raised but red flashing lights and a siren.”
More details on the wiretaps can be found in the letter sent today by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) to Attorney General Eric Holder.
The CBC reported yesterday afternoon that Canada has “modified its controversial position on a United Nations arms control treaty.”
In a new position paper submitted to the UN, the federal government has dropped its proposal to exclude all sporting and hunting firearms from the international Arms Trade Treaty, an agreement that seeks to regulate the import, export and transfer of all conventional weapons.
Last summer Canada surprised many and attracted heaps of scorn from countries such as Nigeria, Brazil, Mexico and Australia, when it changed its stance on the treaty and advocated for the exclusion of so-called “civilian” firearms.
The Mexicans were particularly critical of Canada’s stance according to the CBC. The Mexicans allege that the narco-terrorists are taking “hunting and sporting” firearms and converting them into “assault weapons.” As one commenter on the story said, he had never seen full auto bolt or lever action rifles but he supposed a genius gunsmith might be able to pull it off. I don’t think even a genius of the order of John Moses Browning could do that.
While I cannot find the position paper in question on Canadian government websites, here is the position that they do put forward on the Arms Trade Treaty from the UN Mission’s website. They note elsewhere that they support “in principle” the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty.
The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons has had a devastating impact on people throughout the world. There are currently in excess of 600 million small arms and light weapons in circulation. Small arms and light weapons alone are instrumental in the deaths of more than 350,000 people a year. The proliferation and misuse of small arms pose a serious threat to human security.
Combating the illicit trade in small arms effectively requires a comprehensive approach which focuses primarily on the humanitarian impact of the proliferation and misuse of small arms in terms of conflict prevention and the protection of civilians, while recognizing the existing and legitimate interests of firearms owners, producers, brokers, and retailers.
Canada supports full implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and remains active at the international, regional and sub-regional levels to tackle the problems stemming from the proliferation, excessive accumulation and misuse of small arms.
A group called Project Ploughshares is applauding the Canadian Government’s change saying they are pleased that it “toned down its call for exemptions on certain classes of firearms.”
One of the two Canadian gun rights organizations, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, is said to be pleased with the language submitted by the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the Arms Trade Treaty.
Tony Bernardo, executive director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, is also pleased with the changes.
“We would support this version of the Arms Trade Treaty document from Canada as it empowers independent nations to set their own discretionary policies regarding civilian-owned firearms within their borders.”
Bernardo said his take on the preamble is that Canada does not want “civilian” firearms included within the scope of the treaty.
In its position paper, Canada says it supports the inclusion of small arms, light weapons and ammunition within the ATT, “in keeping with the principle of national discretion.”
The CSSA, however, doesn’t have anything posted on their website. The other Canadian gun rights organization, the National Firearms Association, has not posted anything about this on their website nor was quoted by the CBC for their story.
As to why many governments around the world are pushing for the Arms Trade Treaty, I don’t think you need to look further than Chavez’s Venezuela where civilian ownership of firearms was just effectively banned.
The Democratic National Convention is going to be in Charlotte, North Carolina just after Labor Day.
North Carolina has state-run ABC Stores. For those living in more enlightened climes, ABC Stores are our liquor stores and not something with teacher supplies. Though, on second thought, a case could be made for that near the end of a long school year.
The ABC Stores are closed on Sundays and five holidays including Labor Day. Bars and restaurants in Charlotte are afraid they might run out of booze with all the Democrats in town so a bi-partisan group of Mecklenburg County legislators are seeking an exception.
A bipartisan coalition of Mecklenburg County legislators introduced a bill to the N.C. House making sure visitors to the Democratic National Convention can guzzle with gusto after getting off the plane.
The bill would keep the Alcoholic Beverage Control stores in Mecklenburg County open on Labor Day Monday for this year only.
The holiday exception means local stores wouldn’t be closed for two days in a row – so restaurants, hotels and caterers could stock up on spirits ahead of thousands of convention arrivals. The DNC runs Sept. 4-6.
“Whatever we can do to make the process smooth for members of the national media and members of the national political community visiting Charlotte,” said Rep. Bill Brawley, a Republican from Matthews and one of the sponsors of the bill. “I think good manners require us to do that.”
Keeping Democrats drunk is something I think we can all agree on.
If I were Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D), I’d have done my damnedest to keep Jesse Jackson out of Wisconsin and not there campaigning for the recall of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI). Because with Jesse, it is all about him and his agenda.
Attending a rally of “workers” in Milwaukee on Sunday, he shows up in a two-car cavalcade consisting of a Mercedes S550 and a Cadillac Escalade ESV. The combined price of those two vehicles is about $175,000. The best you can say about that is at least one of the cars was from Government Motors.
I’m guessing he got to Milwaukee after his rally in Racine where he called for a march on gun shops in Kentucky. Remember, this is about recalling Gov. Scott Walker and replacing him with his 2010 rival Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
If Jesse is trying to say that the guns traced to crimes in Wisconsin are coming from Kentucky, he needs to try a bit harder. The BATFE just released a state-by-state analysis of traced firearms for 2011. Kentucky was tied with Arizona for next-to-last in the top 15 states for traced firearms in Wisconsin with a total of 11. The number one state after Wisconsin itself was Rev. Jackson’s home state of Illinois.
Now I have a shameful admission to make. In 1988, when I was young, stupid, and a Democrat, I actually voted for Jesse Jackson in the North Carolina primary as a protest against Al Gore. I did come to my senses in November and voted Republican.
I agree with Miguel that when Chris Muir of Day by Day Cartoon puts you in his cartoon strip, you’ve arrived as a blogger! And then some!
Now to figure out which revolver Tam is carrying.
Courtesy of Chris Muir at Day by Day Cartoon
May marked the 24th straight month in which the NSSF-adjusted NICS checks were greater than the same period in the year before. While not a perfect correlation with gun sales, the NICS checks are indicative of the direction of the firearms market and the associated sales. The NSSF adjusts the gross NICS checks by dropping out the checks from Michigan, Kentucky, and Iowa that are used for CCW permit application purposes as well as those from checks on active CCW permits.
The May 2012 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 840,412 is an increase of 20.6 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 696,947 in May 2011. For comparison, the unadjusted May 2012 NICS figure of 1,305,392 reflects a 7.0 percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,219,872 in May 2011.
May 2012 also marks the highest number of NICS checks for the month of May over the last 13 years. It is almost double what is was in the year 2000.
One often cited reason for the growth in NICS checks – and presumably gun sales – is the fear of an Obama re-election. However, I tend to agree with Michael Bane who has argued that the growth in sales is more a reflection of the growth of Gun Culture v.2.0 and the new entrants to gun ownership especially for personal defense.
While the presidential election is rather tight, it is not a runaway in favor of Obama and the latest Rasmussen daily poll actually puts Romney in the lead. Nonetheless, if it looks like Obama is solidly in the lead come September and October, I think then it will be Katie bar the door for gun and ammo sales. I really hope it doesn’t come to that.
Two California gun rights organizations, the CalGuns Foundation and Cal-FFL, released statements on the 9th Circuits decision (finally after 13 years) in Nordyke v. Alameda County. That case challenged the ban on gun shows by Alameda County at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. The decision can be read here.
The response from CalGuns Foundation:
San Carlos, CA (June 4, 2012) – In an astonishing eleventh-hour about-face, the County of Alameda’s “sweeping concessions” in open court to allow gun shows at the Alameda County Fairgrounds was accepted by the Ninth Circuit in its opinion for Nordyke v. King, released on Friday.
As was noted in a concurring opinion by Circuit Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, the County’s representation at oral arguments that Plaintiffs could, in fact, now hold gun shows at the Fairgrounds, “change the game.”
“While it’s certainly fantastic that the Nordykes are once again able to have gun shows on Alameda County property, it’s clear to us that the County was willing to stop at nothing to dodge the Second Amendment bullet,” explained Calguns Foundation chairman Gene Hoffman.
“The Calguns Foundation is eager to see gun shows – long standing in our history and protected under the Constitution – at suitable public venues across the state of California. We stand ready to ensure that the rights of gun owners to gather and trade in self-defense arms are respected in every locale. California state law already severely regulates gun shows and these additional local requirements are solely an attempt to go beyond regulation into prohibition.”
And from Cal-FFL which is a newer organization representing California firearms dealers, range owners, collectors, and training professionals:
Madera, CA (June 4, 2012) – In a decision holding that “the County now concedes that [gun shows] can be held with firearms present and available for meaningful physical inspection by potential buyers,” the Ninth Circuit has settled a thirteen-year lawsuit between the County of Alameda and plaintiffs Russell and Sallie Nordyke, owners of TS Trade Shows, who operated gun shows at the Fairgrounds until the County enacted the gun show ban ordinance in 1999.
“Gun shows are important opportunities for firearms dealers, manufacturers, and buyers to connect with each other under one roof,” said Cal-FFL president Brandon Combs. “These events offer people the chance to browse thousands of products in the fast-growing self defense marketplace at one time, rather than being limited to the inventory of one or two area stores.”
While avoiding the question of how the Second Amendment might apply to gun shows, the court said in its opinion that “[s]hould the County add new requirements or enforce the ordinance unequally…. Plaintiffs or others similarly situated may, of course, bring a new Second Amendment challenge.”
“California gun dealers and manufacturers rely on gun shows to educate thousands of people over the course of a weekend,” Combs explains. “Cal-FFL looks forward to helping the Nordykes, other promoters, and our federal firearms licensee members succeed in holding gun shows at county fairgrounds and similar public places throughout the state.”
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