Memorial Day

Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy.

Billy Ray Cyrus - Some Gave All:

Self Defense in Chicago?

An Elderly man in Chicago defended his family from an intruder with a handgun, which is rare in Chicago since handguns are currently banned there. Hopefully the Supreme Court will decide to incorporate the 2nd Amendment this summer and declare the Chicago Gun Ban unconstitutional, so that we can have more happy endings like this in the windy city going forward.

More Guns equals Less Crime.

Gun purchases are up, crime is down, just as we would expect from the research John R. Lott Jr shared in his book: More Guns, Less Crime. Good news for Americans. Bad News for the anti-gun Violence Policy Center.

To the NRA: I Propose We Celebrate our Rights Where we can Actually Exercise Them!

While I'm sure Charlotte, NC was a beautiful location for the 2010 NRA Convention, the 2010 NRA Annual Meeting attendees who recently traveled there to celebrate the very freedom our Second Amendment protects were not actually free to exercise them. That's right, due to NC State law, convention attendees were met with Gun Free Zone signs at the doors, forcing them to either leave their guns in their hotel room if they were not unfortunate enough to have been staying at a Marriott, or leave them hidden away in their vehicles.

NC State law defines at least 10 different types of so-called "gun free zones" - places only criminals will be armed. In such government created gun free zones, all law abiding citizens are forced to become disarmed sheep ready for slaughter by any criminal armed with a knife, sword, gun, sling shot, broken bottle, or box cutters. In addition to preventing attendees from exercising their basic rights, the choice in location also provided unfortunate fodder for the anti-gun Violence Policy Center who never misses an opportunity to stretch anything they can into a far fetched lie.

Due to the fact that our freedoms are being restored throughout the United States at a rapid pace, would it be too much to ask the NRA to choose only locations for conventions where we can actually exercise our freedoms while we celebrate them? Why not reward the States with our tourist dollars that actually respect our rights? I believe the absolute minimum freedoms we should require at any location for an NRA Convention would be the freedom to bear arms openly & concealed in areas not serving alcohol, and either openly or concealed in areas where alcohol is served. I make that distinction only because some states require open carry where alcohol is served, while other states may require concealed carry in such locations.

Next year, the convention will be held in Pittsburgh, PA, a state with laws that do not create any gun free zones other than in court houses and elementary schools, which wouldn't directly impact an NRA Convention. I'm looking forward to my visit to Pittsburgh PA in 2011.

I'm a little worried however about the 2012 convention planned to take place in St. Louis, MO, as MO law defines 18 different gun free zones including bars, as well as Arenas and Stadiums seating over 5,000 people. Does a Convention Center count as an Arena if more than 5,000 people can walk in?

May I be so bold as to suggest Arizona for a return visit by a future NRA Convention? Starting on the 28th of July 2010 you won't even need a permit here to exercise your right to bear arms either concealed or openly, so long as no alcohol is served at the venue. If alcohol is served for on-site consumption, you can still carry concealed if you have a valid CCW permit issued by any State in our Country, so long as you don't drink while you carry, thanks to our restaurant carry bill that was signed into law last year.

Now that my friends, is freedom worth celebrating!

NSSF Response to Mexican President's Call to Ban the Modern Sporting Rifle

The NSSF has responded to Calderon's Call to Ban the modern sporting rifle:

NEWTOWN, Conn -- Following calls by Mexican President Felipe Calderon that the United States re-institute a ban on modern sporting rifles, or so-called "assault weapons," the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for America's firearms industry -- issued the following statement:

"While we respect the work of President Calderon to willingly take on his country's powerful drug cartels, we are disappointed that he, in the name of security, would urge our Congress to reinstitute a failed ban on so-called 'assault weapons.'

"Let's be clear, semi-automatic rifles, demonized as so-called 'assault weapons,' are not machine guns but modern sporting rifles that are used every day by law-abiding Americans for the shooting sports, hunting and home protection. Since 2004, when the Clinton/Gore 'assault weapons' ban expired, modern sporting rifles have fast become one of the most popular types of firearms for law-abiding Americans to purchase.

"Firearms that Congress would label "assault weapons' are functionally no different than any other semi-automatic civilian sporting firearm. They shoot only one shot per trigger pull, no spray firing as some allege, and use the same ammunition as other guns of the same caliber. What differentiates modern sporting rifles from other guns is cosmetic; for example, the type of stock on the firearm.

"According to the Department of Justice, so-called "assault weapons" are rarely used in crimes (less than 2 percent). Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established that banning firearms and ammunition have no effect on crime levels.

"Some 29,000 firearms were recovered in Mexico in 2008, of which approximately 5,000 were traced to U.S. sources. That means more than 80 percent of the firearms recovered in Mexico were not traced to the United States. Furthermore, according to the ATF, those firearms traced were originally sold at retail not recently, but on average 14 years earlier. This is completely inconsistent with any notion that a flood of newly purchased firearms are being illegally smuggled over the border into Mexico. And let's not forget, no retail firearms sale can be made in the U.S. until after a criminal background check on the purchaser has been completed.

"In recent years as many as 150,000 Mexican soldiers, 17,000 last year alone, defected to go work for the drug cartels - bringing their American-made service-issued firearms with them. It has also been well documented that the drug cartels are illegally smuggling fully automatic firearms, grenades and other weapons into Mexico from South and Central America. Such items are not being purchased at retail firearms stores in the United States.

"Even more, investigations and regulatory compliance inspections by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into firearms trafficking along the Southwest border have confirmed that firearms retailers are law-abiding businessmen and women who are playing a key role in detecting and deterring illegal purchases of firearms. As part of a Project Gun Runner Impact Team firearms trafficking operation, more than 1100 firearms retailers were inspected by ATF. Of these inspections only one retailer license was revoked. One.

"Members of the firearms industry take seriously the criminal acquisition and misuse of their products. This is why our industry supports the Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2009, sponsored by Sen. Bingaman (D-NM) and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), and will continue to work cooperatively with law enforcement. For nearly a decade our industry has partnered with the ATF in a national campaign called Don't Lie for the Other Guy that makes the public aware that it is a serious crime to illegally straw purchase a firearm. The program also helps ATF to educate firearms retailers to be better able to detect and prevent illegal straw purchases. It is our hope that Don't Lie will once again receive grant funding from the Department of Justice – a move that would allow NSSF and ATF to further expand this worthwhile program. For the last year, Don't Lie has been financed entirely by members of the firearms industry.

"Again, we applaud President Calderon for taking steps to stop the cartels when past Mexican administrations paid only lip service and allowed rampant corruption to fester. Still, it is wrong for anyone to blame the Second Amendment and America's firearms industry for the problems Mexico is currently facing.

"Sacrificing the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans will not make Mexico safer – especially when the sacrifice is rooted in unfounded allegations and hyperbole. President Calderon would be doing both his country and ours a favor if instead of pushing for already failed crime-control measures, he used his time in the United States to call for proven methods to combat criminal acts, such as putting more cops on the street and more prosecutors in the court rooms.".

Satire: Ray Stevens on Illegal Aliens

Ray Stevens explains what happens to illegal aliens who sneak into various Countries. The obvious conclusion: Come to the USA!

Free Ben Avery Shooting Classes

Ben Avery has a host of free introductory shooting classes. One of their programs, Desert Roses, is a clay target shotgun class exclusively for women. I have a friend who has attended a number of the Desert Roses classes and really enjoyed them. As an added bonus, the Ben Avery Clay Target Center is world class. AZCentral recently wrote an article about the Desert Roses program, and below is an embedded video about the Desert Roses program aired on Fox 10 news.

My boys and I LOVE the Ben Avery sporting clays courses. Sporting Clays is a bit like golf for shotguns, only much more fun than plain old golf. You walk from one target stand to the next, each with a unique method of throwing the clay targets. One of our favorite stops along the course is the bunny rabbit stand - a clay target bounces along the ground, simulating a bunny rabbit on the run. It is so much fun to hit that orange rascally rabbit and watch it explode. If you don't yet own a shotgun, they have a limited number of free shotgun loaners available, and additional shotguns are available for rent if their free loaners are all in use. You really have to try it to find out for yourself how much fun you've been missing!

Glenn Beck at the 2010 NRA Freedom Experience

Definitely a must see:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Also available from the NRA.

Buz Mills: Stand up for Arizona and 2nd Amendment

I really like this message from Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Buz Mills:

Buz Mills is an NRA Board Member and will be attending the 2010 NRA Annual Meeting this weekend. He is inviting everyone to stand up for Freedom and the Second Amendment by signing his petition.

AZ: 2010 Legislative Summary from AZCDL

The May issue of the Arizona Citizens Defense League newsletter has an excellent summary of the strides to restore freedoms that were made this year in the 2010 session of the Arizona Legislature.

RIPT Apparel: Chicas Pistolas

For today only (Tuesday May 11th), RIPT Apparel is offering $10 T-shirts with "Chicas Pistolas" artwork by artist Drive for Something Real of San Diego, CA.

My Ruger LCP

After spending a lot of time researching to determine which pocket pistol I wanted to get for myself for use as my backup gun, along with many trips to my local gun dealer to try the feel of competing pocket handgun models in my hands, I finally made the plunge this evening & purchased a Ruger LCP. It only set me back $299.00 plus tax so I feel that I got a lot of bang for my buck. I also picked up a pocket holster: the DeSantis Nemesis.

The fellow I spoke with while making my purchase this evening mentioned that the Ruger LCP is by far and away the hottest thing right now in pocket pistols. He said they're flying off the shelf more quickly than any other make or model of pocket gun. It makes sense to me, as it is a very nice pocket handgun. I'll be heading to the range next week to try it out and I will give you all my report.