Month: February 2022

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Grassroot Psyops Against Russia (Updated)

February 27, 2022 by 14 Comments

Many people have seen or heard of the video of the little Ukrainian woman accosting a Russian soldier to give him sunflower seeds. She tells him to put the seeds in his pocket so they will sprout in Ukrainian soil as he lies dead.

Today I saw this post on Instapundit from someone who goes by Flight Er Doc.

Amazon has many varieties of sunflower seeds. There are Mammoth ones like these, assortments of various colors of sunflowers, and Dwarf Sunspots sunflowers.

Making sunlight liquid – a brief history of sunflowers

If you would rather go with something more traditional from wars of the past, you can get Red Flanders Poppies.

If you don’t want to send actual seeds, might I suggest a greeting card with sunflowers on it. The one below with a painting by Claude Monet might be nice. It would also allow you to send a personalized message to Vladimir Putin.

You are only limited by your imagination. The Russians and the Soviets before them have been fucking with us for years. It is time to return the favor.

As an aside, if you do order from Amazon with the links above, I do earn a small commission which goes to supporting this blog.

UPDATE: The sunflower seeds have been delivered. Too bad we can’t put them in Putin’s pocket.

According to one of the comments, Amazon does put your name on the return envelope or box. Might be time to get out the old Geiger counter. I doubt I’ll be getting a night time visit from the FSB. If I do, I can rest easy knowing North Carolina has the castle doctrine.

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NRA Endorsement: Frank Tait

February 26, 2022 by

In years gone by, I have done a round-up of various endorsements for the NRA Board of Directors. This year there is only one person who deserves your vote for election to the NRA Board of Directors. That person is Frank Tait.

I have gotten to know Frank fairly well over the past three years. He has the qualifications needed to represent the members of the NRA on the Board. These qualifications include being a NRA Training Counselor as well as an impressive business background in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Even more important, he has stepped up seeking intervenor status when it was obvious that neither the NRA leadership nor the New York Attorney General’s Office was looking out for the membership in the dissolution lawsuit. That took courage and that took initiative. If that was the only thing he ever did that would have been enough to secure my vote.

It should be noted that Frank Tait is on the ballot by petition. He is the only petition candidate. That means he was put on the ballot by the members. The remaining 29 candidates on the ballot were put there by the Nominating Committee. That means they were all vetted as people who wouldn’t rock the boat and who would be good loyal “friends of Wayne.” Anecdotally, I have heard that when Judge Phil Journey made his motion for an examiner in the NRA bankruptcy case there were board members furious at the Nominating Committee for failing to ensure he would be a faithful “friend of Wayne”. I think they probably learned their lesson – unfortunately.

With the death of John Cushman and the resignation of Todd Rathner plus the 76th Director elected at the Annual Meeting, 28 out of the 30 people on the ballot will be elected. To increase the odds that Frank is elected, you need to “bullet vote” for Frank.

Jeff Knox explains it below:

By casting a ballot with only Frank Tait’s name marked, it leverages that vote, improving the odds of Frank’s election, and reducing the chances that any votes I might cast for other candidates might help push Frank down in the overall rankings, costing him a seat.

The February issue of the American Rifleman and Shooting Illustrated had an article by Jason Ouimet, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. In big bold red letters it said “Your Vote Matters.” While he was talking about the Virginia gubernatorial election, the same could be said here. The average NRA Board election has a 5-6% turnout of the eligible voters. That is pitiful and is a primary reason the same old “friends of Wayne” get elected year in and year out. If you want to see change, you need to vote and encourage your friends who are voting members to vote. Of course, that vote should only be for Frank.

Frank Tait will be one of 76 on the Board. That in and of itself won’t give him much influence. However, if elected, he can resume his motion to intervene in the dissolution lawsuit. He would have a statutory right to intervene and this time he could not be denied by Judge Cohen for not being a board member.

It is time to elect someone who is going to look out for the members and not him or herself.

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Ukrainian Women Are Warriors

February 25, 2022 by 2 Comments

Ukrainian women are tough and are ready to stand up to the Russian invaders.

Yesterday, the news was running with story of an older Ukrainian woman giving sunflower seeds to a Russian soldier. As the story goes, she told him to take the seeds and put them in his pocket so that flowers would grow after he died on Ukrainian soil.

That is one brave woman.

So, too, is Kira Rudik who is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament. She tweeted out a picture of herself with her Krinkov (short-barreled AK) that she is ready, willing, and able to use.

If anyone is still unsure why the right to keep and bear arms is important, they need only look at Ukraine. Their parliament changed their gun control laws on Wednesday to allow citizens to carry firearms outside the home for the purpose of self-defense. I guess a little late is better than not at all.

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Safari Humor

February 25, 2022 by 1 Comment

Cameron Mitchell has a YouTube channel called Cam’s Wild Life. It features videos of hunts has had in the United States as well as Africa. He often pokes fun at himself as with the video below. I came across it on AfricaHunting.com.

The video below is entitled “Typical Arrogant US Hunter!”.

By the way, KMG Safaris is organizing two group trips in 2023 where you can hunt with him on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Use this link if interested.

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Is NRA Membership A Requirement Of Your Club?

February 22, 2022 by 14 Comments

I need your help.

NRA membership has been dropping. One reason is that some gun clubs have dropped the requirement that you be a member of the NRA. I am trying to get a handle on how widespread this is.

If you belong to a gun club or range that has totally dropped the NRA requirement, let me know.

If your club has changed the NRA requirement to either the NRA or another 2A organization, I’d like to hear that as well.

Finally, if your club is still 100% NRA but is considering dropping that requirement, that, too, is something I’d like to know.

If your club falls into any of these categories, please give me the details in the comments. Alternatively, you can send me an email at jpr9954 AT gmail DOT com. Let me know the name of the club, its website (if any), and what actions they have taken.

Many, many thanks.

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National Second Amendment Day

February 22, 2022 by

Officially or unofficially, today is 2A Day or National Second Amendment Day. That is because the date is 2/22/22 or all two’s when written that way.

Brownells has set up a separate website to celebrate the day. They suggest three ways to commemorate the day. They are to celebrate it by going out shooting, advocate for the Second Amendment by contacting legislators, and by joining 2A organizations. In North Carolina, they suggest Grass Roots North Carolina and I heartily endorse that suggestion.

Brownells is also putting their money where their mouth is.

The third element of the Inaugural National 2nd Amendment Day is a calling on gun owners to join a national and/or state-level gun rights organization. Brownells will promote Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and the American Suppressor Association (ASA) on its website. Brownells will also feature a clickable map of the United States visitors can use to find a state-level organization to join.

In the spirit of joining, Brownells will purchase FPC memberships for its employees, and donate $22,222 each to FPC, SAF, the ASA, and the Iowa Firearms Coalition.

As an aside, I would point out there is an organization missing from this list for which Brownells’ Chairman of the Board Pete Brownell used to serve as president. Just saying.

National Second Amendment Day is not just Brownells. The DC Project produced the powerful video below featuring Lucretia Hughes, Georgia delegate, and Mary Forgues, Connecticut delegate.

I know many of the women in the DC Project and this is another organization that is definitely worthy of your support.

If you do go to the range today or participate in a shooting sport, make sure to post pictures to social media and use the hashtag #2ADay.

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Two Openings On NRA Board

February 18, 2022 by 6 Comments

There are suddenly two openings on the NRA Board of Directors. The first one was due to death of John Cushman on February 15th in New York. He was 76 years old. John was the president and found of New York-based Sportman’s Association for Firearms Education.

The second opening was due to the resignation today by Todd Rathner of Arizona. He had been on the board for 23 years. As the email below from NRA Secretary John Frazer states Todd is leaving for a position with another Second Amendment organization.

From: John Frazer <John.Frazer@nrahq.org>
Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 5:34 PM
To: John Frazer <John.Frazer@nrahq.org>
Subject: Todd Rathner resignation

Dear Board and Executive Council members:

This note is to inform you that Todd Rathner has resigned from the Board to pursue opportunities with another Second Amendment organization.  Please join me in thanking Todd for his service to the NRA, and in wishing him well in his new endeavors.

Sincerely,

John Frazer

Secretary and General Counsel

Todd posted this letter announcing his resignation on Facebook a few hours ago.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I wanted to let you know that after almost 23 years I have resigned from the National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors.

America needs, and deserves a strong National Rifle Association, and I wish the NRA nothing but great things in the future.

My personal commitment to the Second Amendment has never been stronger, and I will continue my work to defend it as long as I live. I am still in the fight, I am still working EVERY SINGLE DAY to fight against those who would leave us defenseless. My advocacy will continue.

Thank you again for your years of support and encouragement, I am fully at peace with this decision.

Sincerely,

Todd J. Rathner

Since they didn’t fill the 76th Director spot, this means that there are effectively three openings. It also means that in the current election that 27 seats will be elected plus the 76th Director.

I have not heard if there are any plans to fill the spots in the interim.

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The Remington Settlement

February 17, 2022 by 2 Comments

You can hardly turn on either local or national news for the past couple of days without hearing that “Remington” settled with the Sandy Hook plaintiffs. The settlement was for $73 million.

For those that are ignorant of the business of the firearms industry, they will think that Remington Arms or Remington Outdoor Company decided to throw in the towel and make a settlement. The problem with this thought is that Remington Outdoor Company as we knew it is long gone. It was dissolved in a bankruptcy court in Alabama in 2020 and its various parts were auctioned off to companies like Ruger, Vista Outdoor, and Franklin Armory among others.

So if Remington as we knew it is gone, who settled?

From Tactical–Life:

Today, representatives for the plaintiffs announced they had reached a settlement with Remington Outdoor Company for $75 million. This number is the maximum amount that Remington’s four insurance carriers could fund. The list of insurers includes Ironshore, owned by Liberty Mutual, James River Insurance Co., Chubb Ltd. and Swiss Re.

Although a $73 million settlement isn’t as damaging as the potential $1 billion in damages could have been, it also represents a new development in the ongoing legal battles over gun ownership. Because of this case, there’s now legal precedent that manufacturers can be sued over their marketing practices. In fact, this is already happening. New Jersey is pursuing action against Smith & Wesson based on S&W’s marketing.

I would disagree that there is legal precedent as the case was settled before its final adjudication. I also disagree that the amount was the maximum that they insurers could fund. Rather it was the maximum amount of coverage that had been purchased by the former Remington Outdoor Company.

I think the insurance companies started looking at their legal fees and decided it was cheaper to cut and run. Moreover, it isn’t their name on the settlement.

As Stephen Gutowski of The Reload reports:

The firearms industry disowned the settlement. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents gun makers and dealers, said insurers made the decision to settle. The group said the settlement is only between the parties involved, does not create a legal precedent, and does not implicate the larger industry at all.

“The decision to settle in the Soto v. Bushmaster case was not made by a member of the firearms industry,” Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the group, told The Reload. “The settlement was reached between the plaintiffs and the various insurance carriers that held policies with ROC, which effectively no longer exists. We remain confident ROC would have prevailed if this case had proceeded to trial.”

While the advertising for Bushmaster may have been dumb as David Yamane puts it, it did not encourage a middle-aged woman to purchase the rifle, it did not cause a mentally ill young man to kill his mother in her sleep. and then take that stolen rifle to kill those school children and others.

It should be remembered that the only reason this case even continued is because the Connecticut Supreme Court said in a 4-3 decision that the case was about advertising. As a result, Remington could be sued for misleading advertising under state law.

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Intervention By Rocky Marshall Denied

February 16, 2022 by 1 Comment

Former NRA Director Rocky Marshall had filed a motion to intervene in the NRA dissolution case. His motion was filed in September 2021. He was still a director when he filed the motion to intervene. New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law § 720 b (1) gave him the statutory right to intervene.

Today a hearing was held on this motion in New York County Supreme Court. Unfortunately, Judge Joel Cohen denied Mr. Marshall’s intervention motion. I did not have an opportunity to listen to the hearing.

However, Stephen Gutowski of The Reload did cover the hearing and posted a series of tweets about it.

He wrote:

The hearing over former board member Rocky Marshall’s attempt to intervene in the New York suit against the NRA is happening. Marshall and others are trying to intervene as a way of providing an alternative representation of members. 

The judge seems skeptical of letting Marshall intervene without evidence he was illegitimately pushed off the NRA board. 

Marshall’s lawyers are noting they have different claims against the NRA than what New York has brought. They note that a big one is potentially trying to recover legal fees that the interveners believe are excessive. 

The judge says that sort of claim isn’t at issue in the New York suit and wouldn’t be decided there. So, an intervention isn’t necessary. Marshall’s lawyers counter that the NRA could be dissolved in this suit and they wouldn’t be able to make any claims at that point. 

The interveners argue NRA leadership, such as CEO Wayne LaPierre, has acted against the interests of NRA membership. They argue leadership has harmed the organization and they should be able to intervene on behalf of NRA members. 

The NRA’s lawyers are arguing, basically, what the judge had argued earlier. They say Marshall doesn’t have standing to intervene since he isn’t a director anymore. 

The NRA is arguing that because Rocky Marshall ran for NRA president during last year’s board meeting he has a conflict of interest in trying to invene (sic) in the case. 

The NRA is also arguing Marshall filed his intervention too late. The New York AG’s office also don’t want Marshall to intervene. They also argue he has no standing. 

The judge has denied former board member Marshall’s motion to intervene in New York’s case against the NRA. 

The judge says he does value the input of NRA members who don’t agree with how NRA leadership has run the organization, though. 

Judge says Marshall lacks standing because he is no longer an NRA board member. 

It will be interesting to see whether the judge has to decide this same intervention question for a third time if Frank Tait, who is another one of the interveners, is able to get on the NRA board. 

Well, crap! I thought Mr. Marshall had a chance to become an intervenor. As things stand now – and I hate to say it – the closest thing we as members have to someone representing our interests in the case is the NY Attorney General’s Office. That sucks.

Frank Tait noted in a post today:

Rocky’s attorneys made the point that the NRA is being bled dry and that this helps achieve the NY AG’s intent of dissolving the NRA.

That correlates with reporting in The Reload that analyzed the NRA’s finances and found that 20% of the budget is now going for legal expenses. Moreover, Wayne’s attorney Phillip Correll has billed the NRA approximately $175,000 in legal fees as of this past August.

One last thing that came out in the hearing today is that Susan LaPierre is also being represented by Phillip Correll. That leads to the obvious question is who is paying him to represent her – the NRA or the LaPierres?

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Social Media And ATF – A Match Made In Hell

February 14, 2022 by 2 Comments

Given how the government works, I am guessing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is paying their Manager of Social Media a six-figure salary. I have been reading their posts on Facebook and Twitter for a few months now. I continually am shaking my head. However, just when I thought it could not get any worse, it did.

The tweet below which is also posted to Facebook is asking the spurned ex to go full Stasi on the former boyfriend or girlfriend.

I’ve heard of being tone deaf but urging an ex to take retribution on someone with whom they had an intimate relationship on a day supposedly devoted to love is profoundly tone deaf.

The comments have run as you might well expect. They contain tons of pictures of Eric Holder and hashtags of Operation Fast and Furious.

David Codrea reminded them that they still have done nothing about Hunter Biden who lied on his Form 4473 about illegal drug use.

One of the better comments was this one:

Even if I did, my Ex’s dog doesn’t deserve to die.

On a more serious note:

Encouraging revenge based reports, many of which will be false to get Ex’s ‘SWAT’ed, while your own agency still has to answer for #OperationFastAndFuriousThat’s a bold strategy.

Way to use a Hallmark/Hershey’s holiday to turn people into your own personal, unconstitutional gestapo.

This post by BATFE gives new meaning to the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

UPDATE: Then there is this great response by @docboogie.