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Just Rubs Me The Wrong Way

September 11, 2011 by 4 Comments

I’m not ethnocentric nor do I believe the United States has always been right in everything it has done pre and post-9/11. I think the Patriot Act has become an assault on civil liberties under color of law and I think the TSA is an abomination.

Still this tripe by a Canadian business and current affairs columnist just rubs me the wrong way. David Olive of the Toronto Star wrote a column entitled “I’m already nauseated by the 9/11 memorializing” a few days ago which included this.

After all, it was a panicked response to 9/11 that conflated that terrorist attack into the nation-defining episode Osama bin Laden intended, unleashing the dogs of war on innocent people, stripping Americans of basic civil rights, degrading America’s military prowess and its public finances, and exposing the U.S. to the world as maladroit, mendacious and belligerent in diplomacy; incompetent at military occupation; inept in the gathering and interpretation of intelligence; and having only a lip-service commitment to the eradication of torture from the world. (I assumed, cynically, that the U.S. would at least bring its own WMDs to plant if it couldn’t find any of Saddam’s, in the manner of a trigger-happy LAPD equpped with “drop guns” for use when accidentally making widows in South Central LA.)

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Issa-Grassley Letter Demands Info From White House On Project Gunwalker

September 9, 2011 by

Sharyl Attkisson reported a few minutes ago that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have sent a letter today to National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon requesting e-mails and other information from three current or former White House staffers.

The staffers are: Kevin O’Reilly, former Director of North American Affairs, National Security Council; Dan Restrepo, Special Assistant to the President, National Security Council; and Greg Gatjanis, Director for Terrorist Finance and Counternarcotics, Counterterrorism Policy, National Security Council.

The information requests were made after revelations that ATF’s Special Agent in Charge of Phoenix during Fast and Furious, William Newell, “provided regular updates to Kevin O’Reilly” at the White House…”as early as the summer of 2010.” The emails indicate O’Reilly asked to share information about Fast and Furious with Restrepo and Gatjanis.

In addition to the new documents request, the Congressional Republicans also requested to interview O’Reilly by the end of this month.

The White House is denying all prior knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious according to a statement from an “unnamed” White House official.

“As has already been reported, the emails referenced in this letter affirm that no one at the White House knew about the investigative tactics being used in the operation, let alone any decision to let guns walk. To the extent that some NSS staffers were briefed on the toplines of ongoing federal efforts, so were members of Congress. The Washington Post reported that House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa received a Fast and Furious briefing in April of 2010. These types of top-line briefings would not include a discussion of the investigative tactics like gun-walking. These e-mail exchanges show nothing more than an effort to give local color to a policy initiative that was designed to give more resources to help with the border problem. They don’t even contain the name “Fast and Furious” until February 2011, after the indictment was unsealed.”

If you have been following Mike Vanderboegh’s reports on Sipsey Street Irregulars, you know that he has had Dan Restrepo in his sights since the Spring. Today he gave some more background on him from his time as a staffer for former Rep. Lee Hamilton. As Mike notes about Restrepo’s reputation,

He has been described by sources who know him as “ruthless,” “amoral,” and a “f-cking political thug” who would “sell his mother or stab his father” if he thought he could thereby get ahead.

Just the kind of loyal political functionary to carry out a sensitive, secret operation like the Gunwalker Plot.

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House Judiciary Committee Schedules Hearings On HR 822

September 9, 2011 by 1 Comment

The House Judiciary Committee has finally scheduled hearings on HR 822 – the National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.

9/13/2011

Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

10:00 a.m. in the 2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing on: H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011”

By Direction of the Chairman

The bill introduced in February by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) has 242 co-sponsors. The text of the bill and more info can be found here.

The recent campaign by the NRA-ILA to get people to call their Congressman seems to have had an impact. The bill has languished for months now without a hearing. This could also mean there is enough support in the Senate to get it passed this time. If so, it will be interesting to see what will happen if it gets to the President’s desk.

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Beretta Joins The Micro-Nine Club With The Nano

September 9, 2011 by 4 Comments

Beretta has joined the micro-nine club with their new pistol, the Nano. I am a bit surprised that a pistol from an Italian company has such Austro-Germanic lines. It has none of the traditional Beretta soft lines or “curviness” of either the Model 92 or the PX4.

From Beretta’s press release:

ACCOKEEK, MARYLAND — Beretta USA confirms recent internet rumors regarding its entry into the pocket 9mm pistol category with the introduction of the Beretta BU-9 Nano. Initial shipments of the much anticipated American-made pistol are slated to leave the Accokeek, Maryland factory beginning late October, and with a suggested retail price of $475, this next evolution pocket pistol will be hard to resist.

Unlike traditional pistols the serial number on the Nano is found not on the frame, but on the stainless steel sub-chassis. This distinct difference makes the BU-9 Nano truly modular, providing customers the opportunity to easily change the techno-polymer grip frame from a full size pistol, to a compact, to a sub-compact or to a color other than black, all with a single serial number. The modularity of the Nano provides the option of customization and extends beyond the frame to its interchangeable sights and ambidextrous magazine release button. Owners no longer need the services of a gunsmith to change the front and rear sights, a simple hex screw allows for a host of sight options and adjustments; while left-handed shooters will appreciate the Nano’s ambi mag release, an exclusive feature in the pocket pistol category.

Second to customization, the Nano’s modularity provides for simple disassembly and easy cleaning. Safely disassemble the pistol by first engaging the striker deactivator, a patent pending safety mechanism that eliminates the need to pull the trigger prior to disassembly. A low-profile, snag free design completes the Nano and makes it easy to carry, draw from concealment and holster, mandatory features for any pocket pistol.

Launching simultaneously, the new Nano microsite showcases the distinct features and benefits that make this pistol the perfect handgun choice for everyday conceal carry. As the BU-9 Nano family grows, customers will find the latest news, model comparisons, informational videos and the latest advertising campaigns, all contained in one easy to navigate website. For now, visit www.berettanano.com to learn what makes the Beretta BU-9 Nano an instant contender in the pocket 9mm category.

H/T Outdoor Wire

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Knife Rights Report On Boston Hearing

September 9, 2011 by 1 Comment

The hearing on a proposed requirement that business that sell knives have a special license was held last night. Knife Rights was represented by Jim Wallace, Executive Director of the Gun Owners’ Action League.
The report on the hearing is below.

Boston City Council Holds Knife Control Hearing

On Thursday, September 8, 2011, the Public Safety Committee of the Boston City Council held a public hearing concerning the potential licensing of businesses that sell knives. According to the supporters of the proposed license, the action is needed as a means to address the “ever increasing knife violence in Boston.” Knife Rights was represented by Jim Wallace, Executive Director of Gun Owners’ Action League, who was also representing his own organization.

The politicians attending were clearly firm in their conviction that action must be taken, some scapegoat must be found. There were grieving parents and their genuine heart wrenching stories of lost loved ones. Public safety officials offered supportive testimony for the proposal. For anyone who attended the infamous Gun Control hearings here a decade ago, the only difference was that the word “guns” was replaced with “knives.”

The testimony and statements during the public hearing were frighteningly reminiscent of past gun control hearings. “Why would we allow any corner store to sell these dangerous weapons (knives).” “Selling knives does not support families.” “We must do everything we can to restrict access to these dangerous weapons.” “Why would anyone need a knife with a blade more than two inches long.””Knives are fine if you need them for work, but employers should require they be left on the job.”

To anyone who has been involved in the Second Amendment battle in the last few decades it sends a shiver up your spine, because this is exactly how gun control efforts were initiated. To make matters more frightening, law enforcement officials testified that “the modern way of approaching these issues is to go after the source of the items rather than the criminals themselves.”

Wallace urged the City Council to take careful and meaningful steps in addressing the problem of violent crime. “I urge the City Council to review what it is about to do and reflect on the failures of gun control,” said Wallace. “Over a decade ago I had to testify before committees in the state house with grieving families in the background. Now I sit before you a decade later with grieving families behind me again. If you proceed down this path and get it wrong again, ten years from now we will likely repeat this scene yet again.”

Wallace also reminded the councilors that these stores are already licensed by the city, for which they pay a fee and are subject to city oversight as to their compliance with the law, and that there is already an ordinance on the books that makes it illegal to sell a knife with a blade two inches or longer to anyone under age 18. He reiterated that there is no need for new regulation.

Even in high security of prisons rudimentary knives (shivs) are readily available, which shows the futility of trying to control the source of a such an easy to make weapon, as opposed to penalizing law-abiding citizens and making it more difficult for them to obtain the versatile tools used by millions every day at work, home and while recreating.

The City Council took no action on the matter during the hearing. It is likely that it will be some weeks before a draft ordinance is presented to the City Council as a whole.

In the meantime, we will work to try to ensure that history does not repeat itself. We have an unusual advantage in this situation to know what the future will bring if we follow this path of knife control proposed by Boston. We know without any doubt that citizens’ rights will be trampled. Most certainly grieving families will still be burying loved ones because politicians would appear to prefer going after the source of an inanimate object rather than the human criminal element – the source of the crime. The solution offered up today is no solution at all.

If you are a Boston citizen, here is a link to the councilors’ webpages where you can find a link to contact them and POLITELY express your outrage: http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors

We urge all Boston area Knife Rights members to contact the Boston City Council and express their opposition to this measure.

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Dave Kopel On The Origins Of The Bogus Collective Right Theory

September 9, 2011 by

The gun prohibitionists love to say that the Second Amendment is a collective right and that is what the Founders meant. Unfortunately for them, history is not on their side. Dave Kopel, the Research Director of the Independence Institute, in an interview with Cam Edwards discusses his article showing the origins and bogus nature of the collective rights argument.

Here is a link to his article that was published in America’s 1st Freedom.

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Weapon Linked To Fast And Furious

September 9, 2011 by

Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich backtracked last week and said only three weapons have been found at violent crime scenes in the U.S. that could be linked to Operation Fast and Furious. Unfortunately, two of those were found at the scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s murder.


Lori Jean Gliha seems to be a rather tenacious reporter in Phoenix and she filed the report below. She has also linked almost 50 Project Gunwalker firearms to other crimes in Arizona.

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Brady Bunkum

September 9, 2011 by

From Wikitionary:

Noun

bunkum (countable and uncountable; plural bunkums)

  1. (slang) senseless talk; nonsense; a piece of nonsense (countable)
  2. (Washington circa 1828) any bombastic political posturing or an oratorical display not accompanied by conviction; speechmaking designed for show or public applause. 

As the word bunkum derives its origins from the western North Carolina county of Buncombe, I think it is the perfectly appropriate word to apply to the nonsense that the Brady Campaign put out today.

As Sebastian at Snowflakes In Hell observed:

You’d think the anniversary of 9/11 would be above political posturing, and should be about remembering the victims, rather than pushing a political agenda, but pretty clearly the Brady Campaign does not think so. Have they no shame? Pushing bills after a high profile tragedy is standard operating procedure for the Brady folks, but it’s hard fathom anyone could think attempting to usurp the tenth anniversary of 9/11 for political gain is anything other than disgusting.

What Sebastian so appropriately called disgusting is the Brady Campaign’s attempt to use the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 Terror Attack to push Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) S. 34 and Rep. Peter King’s (Rino-NY) HR 1506 which would ban the sale of a firearm to anyone on the FBI’s secret Terror Watch List. Both bills are of dubious constitutionality and both would abrogate your right to due process under the law.

One of the examples cited by the Brady Campaign is the case of Major Nidal Hasan who perpetrated the massacre at Fort Hood. They cite his case as an example of someone who would have been prevented from purchasing a firearm under either bill. To think that a serving Army Officer and Physician would have been placed any sort of a terror watch list is utter nonsense. As it was, his commanding officers at Walter Reed had ignored his comments and behavior and just wanted to pass on a problem to another base.

Paul Helmke was a politician. He was not above using a tragedy to push an agenda. That said, with Helmke gone and Dennis Henigan in charge, I think the Brady Campaign has gone off the deep end. Even Paul Helmke wouldn’t have put out the bunkum below.

A Fitting Tribute To 9/11 Victims: No Easy Access To U.S. Weapons For Terrorists
“That Congress is willing to allow persons on the Terrorist Watch List to stockpile military-style firepower suggests an extraordinary lapse of common sense and political will.”

Sep 8, 2011

Washington, D.C. — A decade ago on 9/11, al Qaeda terrorists shocked the world by hijacking commercial airliners and using them to kill 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

While federal officials have since taken extraordinary steps to prevent planes from being turned into incendiary devices or loaded with bombs, our congressional leaders have repeatedly failed to deny suspected or known terrorists access to assault guns and large-capacity clips in this country.

“As a lasting tribute to the Americans and others who lost their lives so tragically on 9/11, Congress should close the gaps in U.S. gun laws that make it easy for terrorists to purchase weapons that can then be turned on our families and communities,” said Dennis Henigan, Acting President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

After the Norway Massacre, President Obama in a CNN interview identified the “lone wolf terrorist,” someone with a single weapon being able to carry out a wide-scale massacre, as the most dangerous terror threat in the United States.

“The risk that we’re especially concerned over right now is the lone wolf terrorist, somebody with a single weapon being able to carry out wide-scale massacres of the sort that we saw in Norway recently,” (the president) said, according to an AP report of the interview. “You know, when you’ve got one person who is deranged or driven by a hateful ideology, they can do a lot of damage, and it’s a lot harder to trace those lone wolf operators.”

We could not agree more with the president, and a University of Maryland Global Terrorism study indicates also that terrorists with guns are the greatest threat. In the 10 years since 9/11, the majority of deaths from terror attacks have come from attacks with guns. Most notable is the attack by Army Major and Psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who is accused of the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood Massacre in which 13 people were killed.

Because of the gap in our laws that allows suspected and known terrorists to buy guns, Hasan, was able to walk into the heart of the Fort Hood military base and shoot down the men and women working to protect this nation from such threats.

This brutal irony did not persuade a House Judiciary Committee led by Republicans to vote for an amendment to the Patriot Act in May that would have blocked people on the FBI’s Terrorist Watch List from purchasing firearms or explosives. The bill, offered by Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, was rejected on a party line vote, with 21 Republicans opposed to it.

Recently, Illinois Rep. Robert Dold became one of the few Republicans to publicly support a bill (H.R. 1506), which could close the terror gap. A companion Senate bill (S.34) sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg also awaits action.

In an April 27 letter to Sen. Lautenberg, the Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Eileen Larence, said her department found that from February 2004 through December 2010, more than 1,300 people on the Terrorist Watch List were able to purchase a gun because they were not disqualified under state or federal laws.

An earlier department report indicated that some on the Terrorist Watch List appeared to be making multiple attempts to purchase guns. Some 1,228 purchase attempts through February 2010 were by just 650 individuals. Nearly 70 percent of the individuals (450 of 650) were involved in multiple transactions and six were involved in 10 or more transactions.

In June, a month after the House Judiciary Committee rejected closing the terror gap in federal gun laws, one of al Qaeda’s terrorist recruiters – American-born Adam Gadahn – explained how easy it is to acquire assault weapons in the United States:

“America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle without a background check and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?”

It should matter to Congress that potentially dangerous individuals, encouraged by al Qaeda, are able to buy firearms with no questions asked.

“Our government has put forth remarkable effort to prevent another 9/11 attack with planes, as it should have,” said Henigan. “But the failure to close the terror gap in U.S. gun laws risk even more American lives to terrorist attacks with guns. That Congress is willing to allow persons on the Terrorist Watch List to stockpile military-style firepower suggests an extraordinary lapse of common sense and political will.”

One last thing – the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism or START puts out the Global Terrorism study. Here is what they said in assessing the impact of 9-11:

Terrorists’ weapons of choice within the United States remained incendiary devices (used in 51% of pre-2001 cases and 56% of post-2001 cases) and explosives (27% and 28%, respectively). In the post-9/11 era,though, terrorists in the United States were far less likely to use firearms in attacks than they had been in the pre-9/11 era, with the rate of terrorist firearm usage decreasing from 18% to 6% post-9/11.

Not only is the Brady Campaign run by shameless ghouls but they are liars as well. Go figure.