Month: January 2013

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The NSSF State Of The Industry Speech

January 16, 2013 by

Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, gave the State of the Industry speech yesterday in Las Vegas at the SHOT Show. His speech which lasts about 17 minutes is well worth a listen. He doesn’t shy away from talking about the Newtown shooting which occurred in the NSSF’s hometown. I like his ending where he is repeating what an elderly man said to him about punishing the good people.

Sanetti was the President and CEO of Sturm, Ruger before he became head of the NSSF. He has been through many of these battles before and is a good man to have on our side.

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At Least One Mega-State Governor Gets It

January 16, 2013 by 2 Comments

Unlike Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, there is one governor of a mega-state that actually gets it. That governor is Rick Perry of Texas. His comments today on the calls for more gun control make a lot more sense that the hysteria we hear from the gun prohibitionists in and out of DC.


“The Vice President’s committee was appointed in response to the tragedy at Newtown, but very few of his recommendations have anything to do with what happened there.

“Guns require a finger to pull the trigger. The sad young man who did that in Newtown was clearly haunted by demons and no gun law could have saved the children in Sandy Hook Elementary from his terror.

“There is evil prowling in the world – it shows up in our movies, video games and online fascinations, and finds its way into vulnerable hearts and minds. As a free people, let us choose what kind of people we will be. Laws, the only redoubt of secularism, will not suffice. Let us all return to our places of worship and pray for help. Above all, let us pray for our children.

“In fact, the piling on by the political left, and their cohorts in the media, to use the massacre of little children to advance a pre-existing political agenda that would not have saved those children, disgusts me, personally. The second amendment to the Constitution is a basic right of free people and cannot be nor will it be abridged by the executive power of this or any other president.”

I know he bombed on the primary trail when running for president which is a real shame given his economic record in Texas and his strong support for the Second Amendment. I hope he’ll be one of the speakers at the NRA’s Annual Meeting in Houston.

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Sen. Richard Burr’s Response To Obama’s Call For Gun Control

January 16, 2013 by 7 Comments

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) is the senior senator from North Carolina and has been on the correct side of gun rights for years. He released the statement below rejecting Obama’s call for gun control. It is short, sweet, to the point, and unequivocal. I’m glad to see at least one senator from the Tar Heel State stands behind the Second Amendment.

I will fight any effort to further infringe on the Second Amendment rights of American citizens, whether it is legislation or executive action by the President. I am open to having a conversation about ways in which our nation can address mental health issues and reduce violence, but I will not stand by while the President and others try to restrict the rights of law-abiding American citizens.

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This Move By Cabelas Is Going To Cost Me Money

January 16, 2013 by 6 Comments



Cabela’s announced today that they were going to be opening a store in Greenville, South Carolina in the spring of 2014. They also say in the announcement they are going to open one in Bristol, VA.  Having been a customer of Cabela’s for years now, I can see that these moves by them is going to cost me some money. It is one thing to have one of their destination stores hundreds of miles away and another thing to have not one but two within an hour’s drive!

SIDNEY, Neb.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 15, 2013– Cabela’s Incorporated (NYSE: CAB), the World’s Foremost Outfitter® of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, announced today plans to open a store in Greenville, S.C., bringing Cabela’s extraordinary retail experience to customers in Greenville and the surrounding area.

Cabela’s expects to open the store – its first South Carolina location – in spring 2014. The 100,000-square-foot store will be located in Magnolia Park, a newly redeveloped shopping center located at the junction of Interstates-385 and -85 on Woodruff Road. Magnolia Park, being developed by Menin Development, already includes Costco, Regal Cinemas, Rooms to Go, Cheddar’s and other retailers and restaurants, with plans for additional expansion.

“South Carolinians are part of an exceptional outdoor tradition and share the Cabela’s lifestyle and values. We wanted to build a store in the Greenville area to recognize that,” said Cabela’s Chief Executive Officer Tommy Millner. “We are also excited about the opportunity to expand our retail footprint in the Southeast.”

The store is expected to employ approximately 235 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, and most will come from Greenville and the surrounding area. Cabela’s typically attracts as staffers experienced outdoor recreationalists, who join the Cabela’s family of employees known for their passion for and knowledge of the outdoors as well as excellent customer service skills.

“We are excited that Cabela’s has chosen Greenville for its first South Carolina location,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White. “Cabela’s unique retail experience is a great fit for Greenville and will complement other unique retail offerings in Magnolia Park. We welcome Cabela’s and look forward to their opening.”

The building’s exterior will reflect Cabela’s popular store model with log construction, stonework, wood siding and metal roofing. A large glass storefront will allow customers to view much of the store’s interior as they approach the building. The inside will feature the company’s next-generation layout, designed to surround customers in an outdoor experience, including museum-quality wildlife displays and trophy animal mounts displayed on a mountain. The store will also feature a Gun Library, Bargain Cave, Fudge Shop and indoor archery range. The start of construction is still to be determined.

“We are pleased and proud that Cabela’s has chosen Magnolia Park as their point of entry into the Southeast.” said Craig Menin, President of Menin Development. “The fact that Cabela’s, with all of the various options available to it, chose Magnolia speaks directly to the quality of our market and of our project. We welcome Cabela’s to Magnolia and join everyone in the area as we eagerly await the opening of their store in 2014.”

Also today, Cabela’s announced plans to build a store in Woodbury, Minn., opening in 2014. Cabela’s has previously announced plans to open stores in Saginaw, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; Grandville, Mich.; Louisville, Ky.; Green Bay, Wis.; Thornton, Colo.; Lone Tree, Colo.; Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Kalispell, Mont.; Anchorage, Alaska; Bristol, Va.; and Christiana, Del. It also will relocate its Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, store. Currently, Cabela’s operates 40 retail stores across the United States and Canada.

Cabela’s stores showcase thousands of products, including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating and wildlife-watching gear, as well as clothing and outdoor-themed gifts and furnishings. The company is famous for its strong brand and world-renowned reputation for delivering quality merchandise, value and legendary customer service.

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Undercover Feds At SHOT Show?

January 16, 2013 by 11 Comments

In today’s The Outdoor Wire, there was a report that undercover Federal agents from BATFE, the FBI, and the USAF Office of Special Investigations were spread out amongst the crowds at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. They were leaving cards that said to “report suspicious activity”.


As the industry poises for the Obama administration, word spread through SHOT Show that undercover agents supposedly from a variety of different agencies, from ATF to OSI, were wandering around the show floor, passing out business cards that bore an official-looking seal and the words “Suspicious Activity Reporting: 702-690-9142”

Curious, one industry insider called the number. After several rings, a recorded message thanked him for reporting the suspicious activity, and asked for a callback number. Instead, he hung up. Only a few minutes later, their cellphone rang and a caller identified himself as an FBI agent following up on the “suspicious activity report”.

When questioned about the supposed federal agents wandering the floor, the caller said that despite the fact that OSI was a military agency, breaches of security when it came to the “kinds of equipment displayed at SHOT Show” gave them full domestic arrest powers.

Many attendees at the SHOW have received these cards, raising questions of the legitimacy of the supposed agents and the possibility that SHOT was under far closer federal scrutiny than normal.

This report doesn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy about President Obama’s claims that responsible gun owners have nothing to worry about from him.

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I Think My Congressman Might Actually Get It

January 16, 2013 by

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC-11) is a freshman Republican from western North Carolina. He replaced Rep. Heath Shuler (D) who retired to become a lobbyist for Duke Energy in Washington. After Obama’s gun control speech this morning, he released the statement below. I just spoke with his office in Washington and I think they get it.


Washington, D.C. – Representative Mark Meadows (NC-11) released the following statement after President Obama announced that he is moving forward with sweeping gun control measures.

“The recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut will never be forgotten. However, it is shameful that rather than having a serious discussion about the root of the violence behind the shooting, President Obama is using this tragedy as a vehicle for his own political agenda. He made his motives clear today when he used innocent children as the backdrop of his press conference.

“I am dedicated to preventing horrific incidents like the Newtown shooting from ever happening again, which is why I am committed to enforcing existing laws, examining issues like mental health and bolstering safety precautions in schools. We need to put politics aside and have meaningful conversations about the tragedy in Connecticut, but the president circumventing Congress and implementing his own rule of law is not the way to proceed. I encourage the president to change his course and sit down at the table with both political parties so we can prevent future tragedies.”

 While the release doesn’t mention the proposed AWB or magazine bans, the impression I got from staff was that he opposed it. I’ll just have to make sure that he gets a weekly call along with a letter for the foreseeable future. I think this is what we need to do with all our representatives in Washington.

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CCRKBA Responds To Obama’s Proposals

January 16, 2013 by



Alan Gottlieb and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms have issued a quick response to the legislative proposals and executive actions coming from the White House on gun control.

OBAMA MISSES TARGET DELIBERATELY


WITH ANTI-GUN AGENDA, SAYS
CCRKBA



BELLEVUE,
WA — President Barack Obama has deliberately missed the target with his
proposed gun control scheme, announced today at the White House,
because it is now clear he wants to blame law-abiding gun owners for the
actions of criminals and madmen, the Citizens Committee for the Right
to Keep and Bear Arms said.

“Suddenly Mr. Obama wants to get more criminal and mental
health records into the NICS background check data base and get a
permanent director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,”
observed CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Where has he been for the last
four years?”

Gottlieb noted that these proposals have been suggested in
the past and supported by the firearms community, but they have
repeatedly fallen on deaf ears. But now, as he exploits the Sandy Hook
school tragedy, these items are high on his anti-gun agenda.

“Perhaps he was too busy during his first term, while his
administration was running thousands of assault rifles, millions of
rounds of ammunition and countless high capacity magazines to violent
criminals and drug cartel thugs through his administration’s Fast &
Furious program,” Gottlieb observed. “Now he wants to take away our
Second Amendment rights when he and his friends have put more assault
weapons in the wrong hands than all of organized crime?

“These firearms have been used not only to kill a Border
Patrol agent, but also hundreds of people including women and children,”
he added. “This policy has resulted in more deaths and carnage than all
the mass shootings in the United States in last ten years.

“The measures being proposed by the president will not
prevent a repeat of the Sandy Hook tragedy, and he knows it,” Gottlieb
continued. “The initials ‘B. O.’ stand for more than Barack Obama. They
stand for the bad odor of his blame game.”

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Executive Actions Obama Plans To Take

January 16, 2013 by 6 Comments

FoxNews has published a list of the executive actions that President Obama plans to take regarding gun control. This list is as released from the White House to the media. It is not yet published on the White House’s website.

Looking over it quickly, No. 14 on the list – directing the CDC to investigate the causes of “gun violence” (sic) – has been prohibited by Congress in their appropriations bills if I remember correctly. No. 18 on the list – hiring more school resource officers – is interesting given Obama’s criticism of the NRA’s proposal for more armed guards. With regard to health care privacy, Obama is opening a big can of worms that will have many unintended consequences. People will be less likely to seek help for mental health issues such as depression. Moreover, I see many strained physician-patient relationships over guns. If my own internist were to ask, I’d tell her to mind her own business unless she were trained in gun safety. 

The list includes:


1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

11. Nominate an ATF director.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

UPDATE: Sebastian at Shall Not Be Infringed examines this list and gives his response to some of these proposals. I would tend to agree this is not as bad as we foresaw but a lot will depend upon how it is implemented. Never forget that implementation is policy.

UPDATE II: Daddy Bear gives his response to the list including a good fisking of many of them.

UPDATE III: Here is a PDF from the White House that gives the entire list plus the legislative proposals as well as their rationale for it.

UPDATE IV: The Everlasting Phelps translates the list of Obama’s executive actions into plain English and SayUncle gives his take on the list.

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NRA’s Stand And Fight

January 16, 2013 by 3 Comments

The NRA has started a new campaign this week called Stand and Fight. If you look in the lower right corner of my blog page, you will see that I’ve replaced my “Join the NRA” logo with their “Stand and Fight” logo. It links to the NRA’s Stand and Fight page where you can sign up to receive email alerts, join the NRA, renew or upgrade your membership, and get more information.

The campaign has released two videos. The first shown below is part of what I presume will be an ad campaign airing on television.

The second video examines the issue of armed guards in schools as a means to protect school children. It points out the proposal from Wayne LaPierre, the vehement media denunciation of that idea, the hypocrisy of both the President and David Gregory on the issue, and the fact that many schools and legislators are now actually considering this idea.

UPDATE: Obama gets very prickly when criticized. He had press secretary Jay Carney fire back at the first ad almost immediately according to the Wall Street Journal.

“Most Americans agree that a president’s children should not be used as
pawns in a political fight. But to go so far as to make the safety of
the President’s children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and
cowardly,” said Jay Carney, the White House press secretary.