NY Times Continues The Honest National Debate On Gun Control

The flailing NY Times wonders whether the US could be more like Australia, which famously banned semiautomatic rifles in 1996:

An Australian Model on Guns? Trump and Turnbull Reject Comparisons

The Australian PM gave the safe answer:

“It’s a completely different context, historically, legally and so forth,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said when asked about his country’s example during a news conference. “We are very satisfied with our laws,” he added. “But we certainly don’t presume to provide policy or political advice on that matter here. You have an amendment to your Constitution that deals with gun ownership. You have a very, very different history.”

The Times then provided a bit of context:

Australia embarked on one of the world’s most expansive efforts to rid a society of gun violence after a mass shooting in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur on April 28, 1996, left 35 dead and many other injured. At that time, it was Australia’s 13th mass shooting in less than two decades and the deadliest such incident to date in the Western world. Even in the United States since then, only two episodes have eclipsed that death toll, the massacres in an Orlando gay nightclub in 2016 and at a Las Vegas concert last year.

In response to the 1996 shooting, John Howard, then Australia’s conservative prime minister, moved quickly, introducing a federal law to officially make guns a privilege, not a right. Gun owners were forced to provide a valid reason for owning a weapon, such as farming or hunting. Licensing rules were tightened, a 28-day waiting period for gun purchases was imposed and a national gun registry was established.

Semiautomatic rifles, like the one used at Port Arthur in 1996 and in Parkland last week, were severely restricted, and Australia engaged in a buyback program that took more than 650,000 firearms off the streets and generated attention around the world.

Gun control advocates in the United States regularly point to Australia when the other side says that new laws would not make a difference. President Barack Obama cited Australia as a model after a shooting in Oregon in 2015 and Hillary Clinton, running to succeed him against Mr. Trump, said the Australian approach was “worth considering.”

13 mass shootings in less than two decades and none afterwards. OK, impressive. But left unasked and unanswered is this: in the US we have had plenty of mass shootings with handguns (e.g., Giffords, VA Tech). How did the Australian ban on rifles end those, or why do we think a ban on rifles would end mass shooting here? 

The answer is that unlike the US, Australia had very strict handgun controls for years prior to the 1996 semiautomatic rifle ban. I haven't run down all 13 mass shootings mentioned above but per Wikipeda, four infamous ones - Milperra, Hoddle Street, Queen Street, and Strathfield -  involved shotguns or rifles, not handguns. So sure, banning semiautomatic rifles would be expected to make a major impact.

But don't take my word for it! Jerry Ratcliffe is a crime prevention authority who Tweeted this last fall:

Gun crime in the UK and Australia was already low because of strict gun control. Emphasis on strict gun control, not banning. Key.

I probably shouldn't single out the NY Times. This sort of omission helps bolster their narrative but even John Lott failed to make that obvious point in a recent Fox News column titled:

US gun control advocates exaggerate benefits of Australia's gun restrictions

Well. Plenty of people on one side of the debate grasp that "assault weapons", semiautomatic rifles and pistols are all deadly and that often one could substitute for another. For example, many people believe that if Nikolas Cruz had been obliged to carry a semiautomatic rifle with a wooden stock and no mount for a bayonet or grenade launcher it would not have been a fearsome "assault rifle" but seventeen people would still be dead. On the other side of the debate are folks like the NY Times editors fulminating that since he used an "assault weapon" we need to ban those.

Now, the Las Vegas shooter was firing at long range and needed a semiautomatic rifle. Cruz, at Parkland, probably could have killed a lot of people with handguns, which also seems to be the case for most of the recent shootings. Per the Mother Jones mass shooting data base going back to 1982, of 97 incidents involving 143 weapons, over half were handguns.

Banning semiautomatic rifles, if the Times wants to back that, may well reduce the number of mass shootings and reduce the casualties. Just for example, the four shameful cops at Parkland might have entered the school with pistols drawn if they heard handgun, rather than rifle fire. However, a reduction on the number of mas shootings similar to that in Australia seems utterly implausible.

PILING ON: Slicks Versus Hicks: As an illustration of the rural/urban divide The Times says that the rifle ban "took more than 650,000 firearms off the streets", although most of those mean street were in rural areas where people were hunting.

And do note the absence of terrifying 'assault weapon' among the stacks of semiautomatic rifles turned in.

Finally, a companion piece contrasting Australia and the US also fails to note the pre-1996 handgun rules.

Comments

[sbwaters]

Anyone have a pointer to how the Olympic light show drones’ navigation was controlled?

[Man Tran]

Henry,

No clue about the new round, but I think they may be using a faster burning powder and some exotic slug that is lighter and has turbine like flutes that spin it up resulting in serious impact results. Looking forward to someone reporting on the details.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Clarice,

Thanks for linking that "Ancient Aliens" piece from The Federalist. It's a perfect description!

[jim nj]

This really isn't about the Parkland shooting. Parkland just happened to be a random event, but it was the first one to come along after Everytown, or whomever, completed their war plan. This is all spinning out too quickly to be a truly organic reaction.

They had all the talking points ready. Names of all the "experts" willing to support them by talking to the media. A means to get that out quickly. Implying an existing list of recipients of sympathetic "journalists" and sister organizations.

They knew that their target was the NRA. So it's reasonable to assume that they had a media campaign planned out to attack it. Maybe CNN was already on board. Maybe it wasn't, but they sure took the bait. The "town hall" event was biased, hateful and out of control.

Since this was planned out, secondary targets would have been pre-selected. Who best to target? Anyone aligned with the NRA, even if all they did was offer discounts to NRA members. So they would have collected contact information on all the board members and PR contacts of those corporations that offered discounts. They touched off that campaign before it even went public.

I don't know what's next in their playbook, but there is no way they could have planned out all the contingencies and circumstances.

The FBI fallout. The Broward County Sheriff anti-hero. The deputies on site doing nothing. Because of these circumstances law enforcement, or armed school guards, have been seen to be useless solutions. So all that's left is to grab guns.

[lurkersusie]

Special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigators resemble axe-wielding firefighters frantically stomping through a house and not finding so much as a lit birthday candle. Meanwhile, the home next door burns to the basement.

Team Mueller’s never-ending hunt for reds in October 2016 has found zero evidence of Russian collusion among Team Trump. In contrast, Russian collusion among Democrats has been as hard to miss as a California wildfire. And yet they still miss it.

Team Mueller did find Russian interference in the 2016 election — and how! The February 16 announcement of federal criminal indictments against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies was a Cold War flashback. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told journalists that Russians close to the Kremlin infiltrated the last presidential campaign “to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy.”

https://t.co/7xVoDGi1IS?amp=1

[lurkersusie]

David Hogg again, the media star

The Hill
✔
@thehill
Florida survivor defends officer who did not enter shooting scene: Who wants to go down the barrel of an AR-15? http://hill.cm/le7qE0d

https://t.co/7xVoDGi1IS?amp=1

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Because I have been absent today, I see that I missed a lot of President Trump's tweets, as well as the fact that he was going to be interviewed on Judge jeanine's show, which is just ending. I will post the tweets and see if I can find the video of the interview.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
8h8 hours ago

Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) love our students and will protect them. Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again - a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
7h7 hours ago

Democrat judges have totally redrawn election lines in the great State of Pennsylvania. @FoxNews. This is very unfair to Republicans and to our country as a whole. Must be appealed to the United States Supreme Court ASAP!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
6h6 hours ago

Unemployment claims are at the lowest level since 1973. Much of this has to do with the massive cutting of unnecessary and job killing Regulations!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
6h6 hours ago

Dems are no longer talking DACA! “Out of sight, out of mind,” they say. DACA beneficiaries should not be happy. Nancy Pelosi truly doesn’t care about them. Republicans stand ready to make a deal!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
5h5 hours ago

BIG CPAC STRAW POLL RESULTS: 93% APPROVE OF THE JOB PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DOING (Thank you!). 50% say President Trump should Tweet MORE or SAME (funny!). 79% say Republicans in Congress should do a better job of working with President Trump (starting to happen).
==================

This is my particular favorite as I imagine Bill Kristol sitting in his study gnashing his teeth in impotent rage.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
4h4 hours ago

The Democrat memo response on government surveillance abuses is a total political and legal BUST. Just confirms all of the terrible things that were done. SO ILLEGAL!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
4h4 hours ago

Dem Memo: FBI did not disclose who the clients were - the Clinton Campaign and the DNC. Wow!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
3h3 hours ago

“Russians had no compromising information on Donald Trump” @FoxNews Of course not, because there is none, and never was. This whole Witch Hunt is an illegal disgrace...and Obama did nothing about Russia!
==========================

Is he calling the Special Counsel illegal? That's an interesting thought!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
2h2 hours ago

“Congressman Schiff omitted and distorted key facts” @FoxNews So, what else is new. He is a total phony!

[GUS]

Lurker Susie. You are on fire as usual. Mueller was given free reign to go where ever the Russia investigation led. It didn't lead to Manafort or Gates being IRS scofflaws. The investigation sought out a crime for MANAFORT, Flynn, and Gates to be guilty of. It also gave the FULL COMMIE portion of America cover and talking points. Steele, Simpson, RODHAM, and Perkins Coie, are OBVIOUS TARGETS for MUELLER. Mueller was installed basically at the BEHEST of CURTAINS COMEY. Curtains Comey, FIXED the RODHAM ISSUE. LYNCH FIXED the RODHAM issue.
For MUELLER to reopen IN ANY WAY, an investigation into RODHAM, would take down the entire 7th floor of the FBI, including COMEY, and also tainting MUELLER himself.
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

[Janet 🚬 - I wish my family had a poncho]

"If you think the attacks on the NRA are only about the 2nd Amendment, then you haven’t been paying attention. These people are totalitarian in nature, and that nature is on full display."

https://legalinsurrection.com/2018/02/i-renewed-my-nra-membership-because-attacks-on-2nd-amendment-rights-never-stop-there/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LegalInsurrection+%28Le%C2%B7gal+In%C2%B7sur%C2%B7rec%C2%B7tion%29

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Mark Meadows
‏Verified account @RepMarkMeadows
9h9 hours ago

The Broward Co. Sheriff, in front of a nationwide audience on CNN, lectured the NRA and millions of law abiding gun owners when all along it was his department that did nothing after 39 calls, multiple threats, and failed to fully engage the shooter.

Astounding. We need answers.

===========================

I believe President Trump referred to Rep. Meadows as one of the"warriors" yesterday. Glad to see him taking to Twitter and going after that Broward County sheriff.

[gentlejim]

What such practices are good for is helping people realize continuous, repeated practice matters.

Posted by: Sbwaters | February 24, 2018 at 08:19 PM

Amen, brother. Shooting well is not easy. Do you shot IDPA, IPSC or general defensive pistol?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/browardsheriff/status/967593892492271617

This links to a super-defensive letter that evil Sheriff sent to Representative Hagar. LOL!

[GUS]

Hey!! Gentlejim!! Mrs Gus was trying to arrange a new date for our trip to John Carroll. Apparently my bride wants a "ride along". I'll keep in touch with you, I certainly want to meet up on our way through. Did you see my post about Jr's 92/100 trap practice from today. He turned 17 a week ago, and he is quite a Trap Shooter. It's a VARSITY SPORT at Marquette High School.

[DebinGA]

Hard to believe Israel hasn't been fired, especially as he keeps providing new examples of his poor judgment.

[narciso]

In the bizarro world of broward county. Where the local Jewish weekly asked for understanding with hamas its little surprise.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.wired.com/story/how-trump-conquered-facebookwithout-russian-ads/

[Buckeye]

GUS

What shotgun does Jr. use?

[GUS]

Bingo Lovely Miss Marple. As the brother of 2 law enforcement officers, one who was swat at Columbine, I am not quick to blame law enforcement.. This Israel dude, is a POLITICIAN. He's dishonest/disengenuous. He's a nut. Actually, he's a FULL COMMIE LIBTARD, trying to save his own skin. He's ON THE RECORD changing his story and playing political games. It occurred to me, that is was not proper for him to NAME and HANG OUT TO DRY, the COP, who "apparently" was derelict.
It's not professional, nor did he have enough info/facts, to shit on the guy.
The guy may well be the coward it appears, but the Sheriff, is worse.

[gentlejim]

GUS,
Keep me posted. Great job by Jr.

Deb,
Israel can’t be fired it’s an elected position.

[GUS]

No shit Buckeye. He has a 1956 Browning Belgian Superpose, OVER/UNDER 12. It's worth THOUSANDS, and is MINT. So far!!!
His Grandfather bought it from HIS uncle's store in Milwaukee in 1956 for $100.00

I got my buck FRAZIER with a REMINGTON 308.
I want JR to get one of HENRY'S bucks, on Henry's farm, next year, with a wad and the Browning.

[GUS]

Buckeye, are you still in AHIA??? We could have a nice meet up sooon. Capn' promised me BEER and MORE BEER.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

There is a problem with kinetic energy as well.
A light bullet traveling at extreme speed often has more kinetic energy but less momentum than a heavier slower bullet.
Below is a valuable comment on the difference;

Many decades ago, the firearms industry began rating ballistic performance in energy (ft lbs). This was a marketing ploy to make firearms appear more powerful than they really are. The formula you quoted (Energy = 1/2 m v^2) is the standard physics formula but the firearms industry modified it to get bigger numbers and uses Energy= velocity in fps squared, times bullet weight in grains, divided by 450,240. Of course by not using the standard physics formula, very misleading energy levels result.

Because the entire firearms industry uses ft lbs of energy as a measurement of power, you would think if two different cartridges produced the same energy, they would have equal terminal results ... but they don't. Here's a classic example: a 45 ACP with a 230 gr bullet @ 850 fps produces 369 ft lbs of energy. A 9mm with a 115 gr bullet @ 1200 fps produces nearly identical energy of 368 ft lbs. Now for the experiment .... place bowling pins at 10 feet and shoot them "center mass" with both guns. The 9mm will barely wiggle the bowling pin whereas the 45 ACP will knock it over soundly. The above "Alaskan bear" example is also very valid. A 30-'06 rifle with a 150 gr bullet fired at 2910 fps has 2820 ft lbs of energy. A 45-70 with a 300 gr bullet fired at 1880 fps has a mere 2355 ft lb of energy. Ask any Alaskan big bear hunter which gun they prefer and you would get a unanimous agreement for the 45-70.

BTW, in the above 45 ACP vs 9mm example, the 45 ACP has a momentum of 27.9 lb-f/s and the 9mm has a momentum of 19.7 lb-f/s. The 30-'06 has a momentum of 62.4 lb-f/s and the 45-70 has a momentum of 80.6 lb-f/s. That alone should tell you something .... ft lbs of energy is very misleading, momentum is not.

Since the late 1800's, genius gun designers like John Browning, Paul Mauser, and George Luger used momentum to rate a gun's power. Professional ballisticians also found momentum was the most fair way to rate terminal ballistics because it had the same effect in all firearms and could be used directly for an apples to apples comparison. The reason why momentum is not used by ammo companies is because it is a relatively small number. Which sounds more powerful? .... a momentum of 30 or 300 ft lbs? It's all in the scheme of marketing!

Think of this ... in theory, if you shot a 100 lb deer with a rifle that delivered 2800 ft lb of energy and the bullet did not exit, the deer would absorb all the energy and should be picked up and thrown 28 feet. Other than some fictional TV show, that just doesn't happen. I have shot many deer that did nothing more than flinch when hit with a 7mm rifle bullet. Yes, they died but they sure weren't blown back 28 feet, in fact they weren't blown back at all.

Yes indeed, bullet design plays a big roll in terminal performance. Using energy or momentum as a rating does not consider bullet design for a couple of sound reasons. First, bullets designed to expand (ie: hollow points) don't always expand or they expand prematurely. This will have a dramatic affect on terminal performance.

[Janeprobably about 10 minutes after getting there]

JLP ,
I want to know the motive of the Las Vegas shooter, big time. I think Cruz is a mentally ill kid who was bullied and seething with hate. I'm not sure he even knows what a motive is.

Ed,

I you can curl forever. If you are up north find a place and try it. After every game the two teams sit down at a table together and have a beer. It's great. The guy on the winning American team said guys on the Sweden team and Norway team, went to his wedding.. It's a great sport.

[GUS]

Ig, does that take into account how SCARY the gun looks?? Kind of like CARS. The one with the RACING stripes PROLLLLY goes faster???

[Buckeye]

Wow GUS, I've had a 50s Superposed in my hands, but never fired one.

Lucky young man, and sounds like he is putting it to good use.

My dad was a competitve trap shooter. I am cross eye dominant, and is enough of a challenge that I never have shot as well as him.

[jim nj]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/delta-united-stop-giving-discount-tickets-nra-members-article-1.3839436

" Business and corporate ethics professor at the University of Texas, Timothy Werner, said boycotts rarely harm companies financially, but firms must weigh the social implications of their association with the NRA.

“Somebody is going to be mad at them no matter what they do,” he said. “They can’t come out on top so they are mitigating the damage.”

Werner said that he was impressed with the speed of the boycott effort.

“The pace of it is surprising,” he said. “The speed with which firms are withdrawing are reflection of our changing times, because of social media.”

“The pace of it is surprising,” Yeah, Right. When this was all pre-planed.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/967540601917968386.html

This is an unrolled thread by Rising Serpent. He did some digging on why this anti-NRA stuff sprang up, and it is just as we expected, only worse.

[GUS]

Ignatz, my legendary take down of Deer Frazier in November was at 50 yards. From the porch of my best friends cabin, I set out to a tree stand. At least, that was the plan. I stepped out onto the porch, I looked to a small trail west and saw a BOY standing too close to be true. He put his head down to chew, and I verified he had antlers.
308, one shot, down he goes, didn't move an inch.
Dropped like a sack of potatoes. I actually took off my glasses to make sure I saw, what I saw.
I hit him square in the heart. No damage except the heart and one lung.

[DebinGA]

Oh yeah, gentlejim ... Recall an option?

I've never fired a weapon, but hubs has shown me how to "activate" the Remington shotgun in an emergency. Ditto the point and shoot handgun.

[GUS]

Btw, the best tasting deer I ever ate. I got about 20lbs of sausage, and I probably have 4lbs left.
Steaks??? Why yes, I have steaks. If only I could get Henry to come by or invite me to his ESTATE!!!!
A 2 year old male, healthy, pretty large, and never got his adrenaline running, makes for great tasting meat. He never knew what hit him, and never got scared.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Used to have a couple of Superposeds.
Nicest one was a prewar Pigeon grade with original wood and metal finish and an uncut stock.
Sold it when I needed the dough and the imbecile who bought it promptly cut the stock down and put a recoil pad on it and then put it back up for sale.
Coulda killed him.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Biggest buck I ever shot was also my best shot. Only about 100 yards but it was offhand and the bullet severed the aorta right at the base of the heart like a scalpel. Out like a light and my mom still got the heart. [blech]

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Thomas Paine
‏ @Thomas1774Paine
Feb 23

In under 4 days -- Anti-Gun School "kids" get:
Websites
Little Blue Check Mark
Millions in GoFund Me cash
Hundreds of Thousands Social media Follows
Sure ... they never even ran a lemonade stand but Instant Millionaires & Stars.
Not coordinated whatsoever.

[GUS]

Buckeye, I was not a hunter in my youth. Jr, is an EAGLE SCOUT, and I live in the most beautiful place on earth. Clarice can tell you. I became a nature boy, by leaving the city, and because my life long best friend, (same last name as Clarice), showed me the way. My son's Browning double barrell over and under SUPER POSE,1956 just by happenstance, is the last shot gun, John Browning ever made. 1956. My brides Dad, will be 85 in May, and he had the gun, for 60 years. It's mint. I mean, I've had it checked out, and so has my son's coach. It's a paradox. Should the boy use it or sell it for a fortune and get another more modern shot gun. He used it again today, and I think he will continue.

[DebinGA]

Deer at Berry College, "Berry has the world’s largest contiguous college campus, spanning more than 27,000 acres of woodlands, meadows and streams." Driving on campus at dusk is done very slowly.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Superposeds are extremely durable.
BTW, John Browning did not complete the design of the Superposed before he croaked. His kid finished the trigger design IIRC.

[jim nj]

Washington Post head line: How the NRA came to demonize the media

No link cause the article is clueless.

But I guess this means that the media has to play fair except when you have attacked them first.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Long John Baldry;
Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll [with intro]

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Should note the intro is called "Conditional Discharge".

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

This tweet has the link to the phone interview with Judge Jeaniine.

Pam 2
‏ @Pam216384429
5m5 minutes ago

New Phone Interview with President Trump. https://youtu.be/jE1pPk35o2g via @YouTube

[GUS]

How the NRA came to demonize the MEDIA??

Why on EARTH, would the NRA be demonizing the MFMing MEDIA???
The FULL COMMIE is on FULL RETARD squared.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

School shooters are pussies. That is why they attack gun free zones.

Having a school cop on site should have been enough deterrent. Having a few armed teachers would have sealed the deal.

These scumbags may or may not be suicidal, but if they know someone is going to fight like a tiger I doubt they will be very eager to try.

When one looks at the homicide map, the hot spots are all of the blue zones. Easy pickings.

Except when some guy in Texas has his M-4 or AR and guns the shooter down.

We have to accept that there may be collateral damage, much as we hate that. It is far better, though, that someone shoots the shooter before they get started.

Combat shooting is a popular sport. People run around in the woods shooting at sometimes moving targets. There are a lot of families that do this and are pretty good at it. Fire discipline is critical. So if mom and dad can do it, so can a few teachers.

More to the point, why aren't we hoisting that sheriff and that deputy up the nearest power pole by their necks until dead? This was on them.

Screw that idiot who apologized for the deputy. That is in their job description. You sign those papers with your life, just like the military and if you fuck up you should go before a court for cowardice in the face of the enemy.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Time for me to head to bed.

Nytol!

[GUS]

Matt, this FREAK Nikolas Cruz, said on SOCIAL MEDIA, what is PURPOSE was. He was going to be the GOLD STANDARD of SCHOOL MASSACRES.
Clearly any OPPOSITION to his DESIRES, would have fucked up his PLAN. There WAS NO OPPOSITION.
He stated his intent and what EGO gratification he sought. AND NOTHING WAS DONE, despite several dozen police contacts, and warnings from students at PARKLAND. He did not fear INTERVENTION and a bullet to his BRAIN. And what happened. There was no PLAN for his attack, it wasn't taken seriously, nor was any other attack. The over paid COP on SITE, was SKEEEEEEEERED.
Who is to blame.

THE NRA. You and me. Who is strutting, clicking their tongues? Who is tut tutting???
Joe Scarborough, Mika the whore Brzezinski, et al.
NONE OF THOSE, who want to DISARM US, did THEIR JOB.

[Janet 🚬 - I wish my family had a poncho]

Btw, which rental car companies haven't yet identified?

Yeah. We're gonna need a rental car over Easter. What companies are not virtue signaling losers?

[Man Tran]

Iggy,

Good stuff. Always another layer to peal back. If you thumb through the last couple of AmRifl, they show a block of gel blown out with that new round. Certainly doesn’t look like what a std 9mm would do.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

One of my favorite memories from college days was entering the original Abercrombie & Fitch store in Manhattan and visiting the gun room.

Holding some of those big game rifles and getting a sense of their power was very educational.

Having read Robert Ruark when I was a kid I had a small idea of what big game hunting was about, but when you see a .400 Express shell or some of the other massive rounds these things fired one gets a real sense of the power necessary to ensure a clean kill on large and very dangerous animals.

Later visits to Purdy and Holland & Holland were amazing as well. Such incredible craftsmanship. I have been lucky enough to see and fire a lot of beautiful firearms over the years.

Me, I had a ported Beretta off the shelf semi-auto that I shot competition with for years with and was very happy with.

My sentimental favorite shotgun still is a $200 Remington 870 duck gun from Big 5 Sporting Goods. It is a pump, but hangs up every now and then, so not good for competition. But it was incredibly comfortable and accurate in the field.

[gentlejim]

Deb,
A quick check looks like FL has a recall process. I didn’t dig into details to see if a Sheriff is eligible. No recall here in IN.

[GUS]

Something to remember about these pathetic LIBTARD SJW, virtual signaling ass holes, is that they are trying to ride the crest of a non-existant wave.
HOW MANY OF THEM ARE GUN OWNERS. HOW MANY OF THEM ARE NRA members. These professional blood suckers....USE their customers. The NRA has some CACHE for the COMPANIES to offer EXTRA'S.
Do these LIBTARD COWARD ASS-HATS, believe that TRANNIES and CHELSEA MANNING are their REPLACEMENT customers???? They haven't thought their foolish policies THROUGH logically, because FIRST and FOREMOST they are not ACCOMPLISHED BUSINESSMEN.

[Man Tran]

Matt,

About a dozen yrs I convinced the Mrs that we should start up doing sporting clays, so we were going to buy a pair of Barettas with 20 and 28 bbls. The shop only had one, so they twisted my arm and forced, forced me, I tell you, to buy a Guerini 20. Well the Baretta clearly had to be fitted, so we spent a day with the master out on Flathead Lake where they started with a chunk of walnut root and whittled it to shape.

The really fun part was breaking them in at Ben Avery’s at Black Canyon north of Phoenix. That’s when we got to hang out with Tammy and her gal pal. I still think the Tams hadn’t been exposed to shooting before and her pal was actually the instigator. (I had initiated the shoot as an afternoon activity over a David Horowitz weekend.)

[GUS]

Man Tran that is a very cool story. KISMET in a couple ways.

[Porchlight]

Janet, I don't think I've seen Alamo's name mentioned yet. Enterprise, Avis, Hertz, Budget are all on the NO list.

[Threadkiller]

http://therightscoop.com/emergency-medical-responder-says-cops-totally-botched-the-florida-shooting/

[gentlejim]

2nd vote says Alamo is owned by Enterprise.

[jim nj]

Antifa wanted to arm itself. AntiNRA wants us to disarm.

[GUS]

Cowards and dipshit company EXECS. New age pathetic ASS-HOLES. I guarantee YOUNG EXECS, have GOLDEN PARACHUTTE separation agreements. Not responsible for their own MALFEASANCE to stock holders.
TYPICAL

[jim nj]

I must be deplorable. I love "westerns" and "war" movies.

I love the concept of heroes who go beyond normal limits.

Do I need to be removed to a re-education camp?

Is it wrong of me to worship the concept of "heroes", or must I now content myself with "Broward's Cowards"?

[GUS]

Jim nj. As I have been saying for several years..
A war is coming. You and I can be COWARDS and FUCKWADS, or we can FIGHT THE WAR.

I am ALL in.

[GUS]

Jim nj, it's beyond ridiculous. THE NRA is demonizing, the MFM???? Wow. Lock and load brother

[jim nj]

I think the Democratic Party has lost the ability to create a cohesive strategy to win the the 2018 mid-term elections. Their special interest groups are driving the narrative now. DACA and gun control are divisive issues.

I don't know which other special interest group will pop up next, but the message so far is:

We need to protect all Illegal Aliens, including an armed subgroup known as MS-13, and Legal Americans must be denied their 2nd Amendment rights, in order to De-escalate any possible confrontations. And we need to restore Obamacare.

Let's have more special interest groups add their demands.

[GUS]

Jim Nj, you get it. The FULL COMMIE LEFT, is ALL IN. There is no debate. The truth is not relevant. It's complete us v them WARFARE.
I do not intend to lose.

[jim nj]

Yeah Gus,

The media demonized the NRA, but it was "honest", "unbiased" coverage, right?

So the NRA goes after the media narrative and the media classify the push-back as demonization.

So since the NRA has called we, the media, as "Demons", we no longer have to "play fair."

[GUS]

1956 Browning OVER/UNDER superpose BELGIAN made, 12 guage. Double barrell......MINT.

[GUS]

DEMONIZATION. These fuckers are BIASED beyond belief.
It's sick and bizarre. The MFM is so LEFTIST, CRADLE to GRAVE, it's Silly.

[jim nj]

I hate to admit it, but as a 17 year old, I was a gun runner. I wanted to own a .22 rifle, walked into a North Carolina gun shop, while visiting a friend of mine stationed at Camp Lejeune. Picked out an inexpensive Remington w/4X scope. Gun shop owner sees my NJ ID as says no deal. Crestfallen. Says your Marine buddy here can buy it right now and I don't care who has it after you leave the store. Sold. Kevin, here's the one I want, here's the money. Cost about $50.

Went on to visit another friend in florida with the .22 and 3(100) packs of ammo in the trunk of my 68 Camaro.

Drove back to NJ. Voluntarily registered it as a gift from a friend. Used to bring it to a basement range in a gunshop on Rte. 46 in Lodi. Working as a photographer at the time it often took several attempts to get a primo photograph off a negative. Brought the rejects to the range. Didn't have to buy targets. And the photos were more fun to shoot at.

One guy at the range was like can I have some of those. Sure. Gun shop was robbed. Owners closed down.

Last I used it. Sold it at a police buyback some 40 something years later. Got $75, for a rifle with a jammed action (I think I may have put too many rounds through it) that never would have been pointed at a human.

Never wanted a handgun. Thought I might be tempted to carry it.

And even though I just kept the unused .22 in my closet all those years. I felt empowered. I never would have shot a citizen. Had the Russians invaded, I would have had a field day, working as a sniper under cover.

There are a tremendous number of Americans who have never joined the NRA, but believe in it's goals. A defiant defense of the right to bear arms. It's not only "whackos" who fear an intrusive intervention, but "patriots" who fear an invasion of the country a la "Red Dawn".

I can't imagine a more difficult a more difficult country to invade than the USA. The "irregular" militia would rise again.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Ouch. That's possibly a classic strawman sale jim nj, though possibly the dealer squeezed through a loophole.
It is prohibited to make a sale to a straw buyer, who is buying it for another.
I can't remember if the other person has to be a prohibited purchaser or not to make it a strawman sale. IIRC, not.

[jim nj]

And I know that there are people out there who consider "Red Dawn" some kind of abomination of a film, but it seems to capture, for me, the American spirit.

We fought a "Revolutionary War" that divided families. We fought the "War of 1812" with divided opinions. We fought a "Civil War" that divided families.

If forced to confront a foreign invasion, now or in the future, I can not imagine the USA being defeated.

What was it that Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"

I'd probably revise that, given the number of civilian controlled weapons, "Give them death for our liberty."

And people want to take away our guns?

[Davod]

"And I know that there are people out there who consider "Red Dawn" some kind of abomination of a film, but it seems to capture, for me, the American spirit."

The first Red Dawn is better than the replacement of a couple of years ago.

[jim nj]

Ig,

Yes that was a straw man purchase. The rules were looser in the 1970's, but that's also why I categorized myself as a gun runner. I sought to defraud.

OTOH, when I got back to NJ, there was no compulsory reason to register a long rifle. It was all voluntary. I had a legally registered firearm in NJ once I filed. And the form even had a checkbox for a gift from a friend.

Once I was back in NJ, and voluntarily filed, I was legal.

On the trip to Florida and back, I probably would have been let go if I had been stopped and shown that a Marine had signed the bill of sale over to me.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/16/epa-end-obama-era-sue-and-settle-practice/

Wih all that's going on, this didn't get noticed. Announced on Monday.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/cpac-speaker-mona-charen-stuns-with-fiery-rebuke-of-trump-marine-le-pen/article/2649965

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/01/12/obama-rips-fox-news-viewers-are-living-on-different-planet.html

This also has a clip of Newt on Hannity which is pretty good.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://saraacarter.com/republicans-refute-point-point-democratic-memo-dossier/

This includes Nunes' complete point-by-point refutation of the democrat memo.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://pagesix.com/2018/02/24/megyn-kelly-is-a-loose-cannon-and-tarnishing-the-nbc-brand/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow

While I doubt the NBC brand can be tarnished further, it's nice to see that Kelly continues her slide into oblivion.

Apparently she was nasty while at Fox, too.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://kron4.com/2018/02/24/oakland-mayor-mayor-libby-schaaf-warns-residents-of-possible-ice-raids/

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/02/24/omb-director-mick-mulvaney-cpac-discussion/

This is a 17-minute video and is really good.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/25/california-democrats-feinstein-leon-423452

California democrats decline to endorse Feinstein.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Russia-calls-for-talks-with-US-on-North-Korea-543494?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Janet 🚬 - I wish my family had a poncho]

YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING: Boycott The NRA Boycotters. I switched from Enterprise to Sixt several years ago anyway, as you get better cars.

https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/289516/

Sixt - https://www.sixt.com/

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Janet asked about Alamo. They are a subsidiary of Enterprise, according to a list I saw on Twitter.

Wikipedia lists them as an Enterprise subsidiary:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_Holdings

[Buckeye]

Clarice's latest.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/02/exposing_the_deep_rot_in_the_deep_state.html

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

EllenDegeneresWorld‏ @EllenD_world

Tomorrow on @TheEllenShow 📺

Stoneman Douglas survivors @Emma4Change, @cameron_kasky, and @JaclynCorin .

Video of "grief-stricken" survivors at the link.

[Janet 🚬 - I wish my family had a poncho]

An interesting old article from 2013 - GOP lawmaker: Obama using fake Twitter messages in fight over gun control

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/284679-gop-lawmaker-says-obama-using-fake-people-to-flood-twitter-with-gun-control-messages

"As evidence, he said these 10 tweets use default graphics and names, and have not engaged in any interaction with other people. Two of the tweets were sent at nearly the same time, and both follow just one person: Brad Schenck, Obama's former digital strategist."

[Extraneus]

Excellent piece, Clarice. I hadn't taken the time to read CTH and appreciate the summary.

[Janet 🚬 - I wish my family had a poncho]

also on my On This Day feature for Feb. 2013 -

February 25, 2013 at 8:19am ·

via Instapundit ~ "REPORT: 'Obama Organization To Bus Protesters To Albany To Promote Gun Control'. Well, the turnout at antigun events to date has been minuscule, so I guess it’s time to bus in the rent-a-mobs."

The same crap cycles through the MFM over & over. The leftist organizations don't just go away after a fail.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/02/24/chairman-devin-nunes-cpac-discussion-dueling-memos-and-fisa-court-abuse/#more-146253

This is Nunes' appearance at CPAC. Video runs nearly half an hour.

[F Hudson]

To have an honest discussion on gun control and what type of weapon should be protected under the second amendment, we should discuss the purpose of the amendment. As Henry implied in an earlier post it is not in there to protect us against varmints or to allow us to hunt them or to hunt ducks. It is no even in there to provide for our personal self defense. It is there to provide a means for citizens to shoot groups of humans who are attempting a hostile take over of our government when all other safeguards have failed. What the guns look like is irrelevant.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://cbs4indy.com/2018/02/23/mayor-to-address-deteriorating-roads-potholes-around-indianapolis/

You guys have no idea of how bad the roads are around here. You cannot drive down ANY street, including major arteries, including sections of the interstate, including downtown, without hitting potholes, some of epic proportions.

There are a couple of areas that honestly look like bombs have been dropped on them.

As an aside, when I was a kid they were called "chuckholes." Was that a local name? I remember hearing the term "potholes" in some stories about them from the east coast, but now we have the term used here.

[Clarice Feldman]

Good morning JOM!!

[rse]

Clarice-I am guessing you did not read my most recent post, which tracks the Broward policies through the Restorative Justice tracks that the PROMISE Program is tied to. It has more recent and comprehensive links, including the page that Israel signed as sheriff.

This also came up at the Classroom to Prison pipeline program I attended in atlanta that was full of police departments and school district employees and it is in the Global Happiness Policy Report that was issued February 10, 2018 laying out the planned mental health template that is tied to new education practices. The idea is called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and it would create on-line virtual reality experiences that will supposedly change behavior by changing the student's belief system. At the Atlanta program it was being pitched as a solution that would create rehabilitation with no need for incarceration at all.

[Janet 🚬 - I wish my family had a poncho]

This terrorist killed New Yorkers with a rental truck from Home Depot - https://nypost.com/2017/10/31/8-killed-truck-pedestrians-downtown-nyc-terror-attack/

"A terrorist in a rental truck sped for nearly a mile down a popular bike-only path in lower Manhattan on Tuesday — killing eight people in the shadow of the World Trade Center and then shouting, “Allahu Akbar.”"

Where was the CNN town hall?
Where were the attacks on Home Depot?...or ALL rental businesses?

Actually to mimic what is going on with the NRA...the attacks should be against organizations that support motorized vehicles & organizations that teach people how to drive.