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Grass Roots North Carolina Honors Rep. Mark Hilton

April 19, 2012 by

Rep. Mark Hilton (R-Catawba) is retiring at the end of this session of the General Assembly. He has been the sponsor or co-sponsor of a number of the major gun rights bills that have passed the General Assembly over the last few years. To recognize this, Grass Roots North Carolina will honor him with their first Lifetime Freedom Achievement Award at their May 19th Annual Meeting and Dinner.

Sadly, a gun rights hero is leaving the North Carolina House: The Honorable Mark Hilton (R-Catawba, GRNC ****) will not run for re-election in 2012. First elected with GRNC Political Victory Fund support in 1996, Hilton has sponsored legislation for concealed handgun reciprocity, bypassing handgun purchase permits, parks and restaurant carry, Castle Doctrine and far more. He has been instrumental in GRNC’s success in killing scores of gun control bills.

GRNC ANNUAL MEETING & DINNER

At its May 19 annual meeting and dinner, GRNC will honor Rep. Hilton with the presentation of a Remington Model 1911 pistol as the organization’s first “Lifetime Freedom Achievement Award” recipient. Please join us in honoring this patriot.

The dinner will immediately follow GRNC’s annual meeting and board of directors election at the Clarion Greensboro Airport Hotel.

Reservations for the dinner are required and available for $37.50 by going to:

http://grnc.org/dinner/tickets.html

DETAILS

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012

Time: Annual Meeting: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM*
Annual Dinner: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Place: Clarion Greensboro Airport Hotel, 415 Swing Road, Greensboro, NC 27409, conveniently located off I-40 at Exit 213.

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Wisconsin Carry Sues Milwaukee Over Refusal To Return Firearm

April 19, 2012 by 5 Comments

Wisconsin Carry has filed suit in US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin over the failure of the Milwaukee Police Department to return a legally owned firearm that was used by its owner to stop a robbery. As Wisconsin Carry says in their release below, Mr. Al-Mujaahid used his legally owned and carried handgun to stop a robbery at an Aldi’s supermarket in Milwaukee. At the time, the police took his pistol, magazine, belt, and ammo as evidence. Later, the DA’s office cleared him in the shooting and even praised him.

Mr. Al-Mujaahid and Wisconsin Carry are suing under the 14th Amendment for a taking of his property without due process of law, a denial of equal protection of the laws due to the different policies for firearms versus other property, and finally for denying him his right to keep and bear arms as well as to “keep a functioning handgun in the home in case of confrontation.”

The attorney in this case is John Monroe who has handled a number of gun rights lawsuits over the past few years including cases in his home state of Georgia and Gray Peterson’s case in Colorado.

The release on the lawsuit from Wisconsin Carry is below:

On January 30th, 2012 a law-abiding Wisconsin concealed carry license holder, Nazir Al-Mujaahid, used his sidearm to shoot a shotgun-wielding armed robber who entered a north-side Aldi’s grocery store in Milwaukee and threatened the cashier and customers.

As is standard protocol, the armed citizen’s holster, gun, and ammunition were taken into evidence by the Milwaukee Police Department.

A few days later the Milwaukee District Attorney’s office cleared the armed citizen of any wrong-doing and declared the shooting justified.

Despite being exhonerated by the DA, making repeated attempts to obtain the return of his firearm from Milwaukee Police, and sending a letter to the DA’s office requesting assistance in the return of his property, Mr. Al-Mujaahid’s gun remains in Police possession.

Wisconsin Carry, Inc. has observed what appears to be a pattern of civil-rights infringing behavior from the Milwaukee Police Department. The Milwaukee Police Department appears to have a practice of concocting baseless reasons to seize any and all guns they come across in the City – even when those guns have never been used in connection with a crime.

The Police Department also appears to have a practice of refusing to return firearms or unduly delaying the return of firearms that were seized incident to an arrest despite the fact that no charges were brought or when the gun owner is exonerated by the court system.

WCI believes that these acts by the Milwaukee Police Department represent violations to law-abiding citizens constitutionally guaranteed right to be free from illegal seizures of their private property and their Constitutionally recognized right to keep and bear arms.

By seizing Al-Mujaahid’s property, refusing to return it to him, and refusing to allow him to file a petition for the return of his property, Nazir has been deprived of his property without due process of law.

On Friday, April 13th, Wisconsin Carry filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, Police, Clerk of Courts and District Attorney seeking the return of Nazir’s property or alternatively, an opportunity to challenge any claims that his property is needed as evidence. Furthermore, we seek a declaration that the Milwaukee Police Department’s practice of seizing firearms, even those never used in a crime, and requiring firearm owners to engage in formal litigation in order to recover their seized property, is unlawful.

A copy of this lawsuit is available here: http://www.wisconsincarry.org/pdf/Milwaukee/Doc1_Complaint.pdf

We encourage individuals who, despite facing no charges and having committed no crime, have had their firearms seized by the Milwaukee Police and been forced to go to court to obtain their return, to contact Wisconsin Carry, Inc.

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BY The Rude Bridge That Arched The Flood

April 19, 2012 by

While I might be accused of being an insurrectionist for remembering that today is the 237th anniversary of the stand that our forefathers took at the Lexington Green and the Concord Bridge, I think it is worth remembering their stand and the ultimate sacrifice paid by militiamen of Massachusetts.

One of the better ways of remembering them is to participate in the Appleseed Project of the Revolutionary War Veterans Association. For those that are unfamiliar with the Appleseed Project, it is dedicated to teaching both riflery and history. According to those who have participated such as Bob Owens and Sean Sorrentino, the experience is well worth the effort. As Bob notes, it is “affordable, enjoyable and empowering.”

To learn more about the Revolutionary War Veterans Association and the Appleseed Project, go here.

I saw a couple of their billboards in Illinois while attending the NRA Annual Meeting last week. One was at the base of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge and was co-sponsored by ISRA. The other was on Interstate 57 near Rend Lake. It was a pleasure to see both of them in a state which seeks to put up as many roadblocks to lawful firearm ownership as does Illinois.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and writer, commemorated the event with his poem Concord Hymn. Unlike many modern day intellectuals, Emerson was not ashamed to show his patriotism. The poem was first read on July 4th, 1837 to mark the erection of the Concord Monument.

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

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Remember, She Is More Important Than You Peons

April 18, 2012 by 9 Comments

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has placed a hold on the two Senate versions of national right-to-carry reciprocity, S. 2188 and S. 2213.  While she reportedly no longer holds a California concealed carry permit, at one time she held the only such permit issued in San Francisco. While there have been others who have obtained carry permits for San Francisco, you can usually count the number of permits outstanding on the fingers of your hand with a finger or two left over.

From the Huffington Post article on her move:

In putting a hold on both bills, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012,” and the “Respecting States’ Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012,” Feinstein is denying them the easiest avenue of passage: unanimous consent.

The hold does not eliminate the possibility of passing the bills through regular order, with 60-vote requirements to start and end debate. But it’s unclear whether enough support actually exists in the Senate. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), for instance, has said he would oppose the first bill, which cleared the House of Representatives in November with 43 Democrats supporting it and only seven Republicans voting against it.

Her move was quickly applauded by Mark Glaze, executive directors of Mayor Bloomberg’s Illegal Mayors, who said, “We hear regularly that senators of both parties are getting tired of being ordered around by the gun lobby, and forced reciprocity is exhibit a.”

I think these senators ought to remember that the “gun lobby” is you and me. Currently, Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) is in the process of learning this as he now trails Richard Mourdock according to some polls.

The full letter is embedded below:

Feinstein – hold – Concealed Carry Reciprocity Legislation

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My Nomination For The Citizen’s Medal

April 18, 2012 by 4 Comments

Thanks to a post by Sebastian at Shall Not Be Questioned, I was alerted to the opportunity to nominate a worthy individual for the Citizen’s Medal. It is the second-highest award for civilians awarded by the United States government.

The nomination form asks why my nominee should be awarded the Citizen’s Medal. Here is what I wrote:

Mr. Nugent would be an ideal choice for the Citizen’s Medal.

He has served for many years as a national spokesperson for Drug Abuse Resistance Program (DARE) and has consistently promoted a drug-free, alcohol-free lifestyle in his lifestyle and within his industry. His industry is beset by those who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

He is a strong proponent of healthy nutrition and has long promoted free-range grass-fed organic meat that is free from antibiotics as an alternative to industrially grown meat products.

Finally, Mr. Nugent is a strong civil rights advocate and is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the largest, membership-based, civil rights organization in the United States. Through his work with this organization, he has strongly promoted civil rights in those areas where oppressive governments have sought to limit a person’s freedom.

The nomination form that asks you to describe the impact of the nominee’s work.

Mr. Nugent’s service has had a profound impact on all of those with whom he has interacted but none so much as his work in field of civil rights.

By fighting for the civil rights of ordinary working Americans, he has stood up to faceless bureaucrats and oppressive state and local governments who would, given half a chance, suppress civil rights.

For this he has been vilified by the propaganda organs of these oppressive regimes and their followers. He has stood tall in the face of their calumny.

Mr. Nugent is a true American patriot who has dedicated his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor to fostering civil rights for all Americans.

If you haven’t guessed by now my nominee for President Obama’s Citizen’s Medal is none other than Theodore Anthony Nugent who is better known as Ted Nugent. The civil rights organization is the National Rifle Association.

You, too, can nominate someone for this award and I suggest Mr. Nugent is a fine candidate.The deadline for entries is April 24th. Given how Ted is being attacked by the ne’er-do-wells in the mainstream media as well as by the gun prohibitionists, I say overload them with Ted nominations.

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Meeting Friends

April 17, 2012 by

One of the great things about the NRA Annual Meeting is the chance to catch up with friends who you haven’t seen in a while. So it was with Kurt Hofmann, the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner, and me.

While Kurt wasn’t able to actually get to the America’s Center, we were able to meet at his “local” yesterday. Talk about having tons of great beers on tap! Global Brew has more micro-brews on tap than I’ve ever seen. I had the Hacker-Pschorr Maibach and it was really good.

As I said, it was great meeting an old friend again. Kurt does great work as the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner and we discussed a lot of stuff.

All good things must come to an end and so it is with our trip to St. Louis. We’re hitting the road in a few minutes to return to North Carolina. We had a great time and will have many posts about the NRA Annual Meeting and what we learned in the days to come.

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A Couple Of Numbers From The NRA Annual Meeting

April 16, 2012 by 4 Comments

The attendance for the NRA Annual Meeting was just announced. The final number is 73,740 which is an all time record. If I remember correctly, the last meeting in St. Louis set a record.

The other significant number coming out of the NRA Annual Meeting was the number of firearms sold by Ruger over the past four quarters – 1,253,700. This is an all-time number for firearms manufactured and sold within one year by any one manufacturer. This also resulted in a check for $1,254,000 to the NRA as a result of the Ruger Million Dollar Challenge. They presented the check to the NRA at Friday’s Leadership Forum.

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Wayne’s Speech At The NRA Members Meeting

April 15, 2012 by

As I reported yesterday, Mitt Romney’s speech at the Leadership Forum was received with a polite, if not enthusiastic, response. By contrast, the speech by Wayne LaPierre at the Members Meeting received a much more enthusiastic response. I’m not sure of how many people attended each event.

Both spoke of freedom and the Second Amendment but Wayne’s speech was much more pointed, more aggressive, and provided more “red meat” to his audience. As a result, Wayne got more standing ovations from the crowd. He also had better lines.

Some of them include:

“We are less free today than we were a decade ago”

“The UN doesn’t have a right to mess with our freedom. No way, no how!”

“We will never surrender our guns!”

“national news media is a national disgrace”

(In response to report’s of the NRA’s demise) “We’re still here and aren’t going anywhere but the polls on election day.”

The full speech can be seen below:

Bitter of Shall Not Be Questioned has more on Members Meeting here and here.

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Some Thoughts On Romney At The Annual Meeting

April 14, 2012 by

Mitt Romney spoke before the NRA Annual Meeting Leadership Forum yesterday. It wasn’t a great speech; it wasn’t a bad speech. It seemed like it was a variation on his basic stump speech with maybe a few additions for the NRA audience. I would say the overall reception was polite if not enthusiastic.

The theme of Romney’s speech was freedom which seems to be what we’ve heard before in his speeches. He spoke about freedom in terms of religion, economics, and limited government. With regard to the NRA, he noted that they were a single issue group. He that they should get “high praise (for being a single interest group) when the issue is freedom.” He used this line as the intro into the rest of his speech on freedom.

In what I consider the variations tailored towards the NRA, he acknowledged the role that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in pursuing Operation Fast and Furious. He then acknowledged the NRA for saying that Attorney General Eric Holder should be fired. Both statements brought good applause. He then said “I will protect the Second Amendment rights of the American people” which brought a lot of applause.

In general, I’d say Romney did OK but could have had a speech more tailored to his audience with more memorable nuggets. Overall, it was what it was. The speech won’t come back to haunt him with the Obama campaign using snippets of it in its ads. However, the speech can’t be accused of being a rousing stump speech to rally the masses either.

Thirdpower at Days of our Trailers blog did capture some of the misleading tweets from the Brady Campaign and CSGV during the Leadership Forum. You can read them here.

You can see the speech for yourself below:

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Some Pocket Pistols Seen At The NRA Annual Meeting

April 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

I looked at a number of the sub-compact pistols today at the Annual Meeting. Patrick, a reader of this blog, was interested in a comparison of the Sig P938 and the Sig P238 in terms of the difficulty of pulling the slide. His mother is disabled, wants a pistol – not a revolver – and has difficulty pulling the slide on many smaller pistols.

To make the test somewhat objective, I had the Complementary Spouse do the testing of the slides. She is a health care professional and has some understanding of the challenges that those with weaker hand and arm strength might face.

First, we tested the Sig P938 which is their sub-compact single stack 9mm pistol. She didn’t find it hard at all to rack the slide on the P938. It fit her hand well, had rear sights that allow the racking of the slide against a pocket, and decent 3-dot sights.

Next up was the Sig P238 Scorpion. It was easier than the P938 and was the easiest to rack the slide of all the guns tested today.  It is a single-stack, single action pistol in .380 ACP. The single action trigger pull of both pistols seemed about the same though I didn’t test it on a trigger scale.

You can see a size comparison of the P238 and the P938 below. They seem to be relatively the same size.

The third pistol tested was the Colt Mustang in .380 ACP. Many have said that the Sig P238 is merely a clone of the Mustang so it was an obvious choice for comparison. It seems to have a heavier spring than the P238 and is about equivalent to the P938. The sights are similar to a GI model 1911. To me, these sights were less user-friendly than those of the Sig P238 Scorpion.

Finally, given all the buzz about the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, we thought we should add this to the mix. It is the single-stack sub-compact 9mm (and .40 S&W) version of the M&P. The Complementary Spouse found this the hardest to rack of all the pistols we tested and wouldn’t recommend it to Patrick’s mother. She had some difficulty racking slide. It fit my hand well but I did find the trigger pull to be mushy and not crisp.