Restoring Honor

In case you missed it, you can watch the 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally via the C-Span Archive:

Restoring Honor 8/28

I'll be in Washington DC tomorrow on Saturday 8/28 to attend the Restoring Honor Rally. I'm really looking forward to being surrounded by fellow Patriots. If you're going to be there with us, send me an e-mail & let me know. If you can't be there in person, you can watch the event live over the Internet from 10 AM to 1 PM EST (7 AM to 10 AM PST). Zero cost for attendees - all funding came from donations and charitable auctions. All proceeds left over go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a foundation that benefits the children of Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for the freedoms we all enjoy.

Restore Honor!

Update 1: It is estimated that over 500,000 Patriotic Americans showed up to the rally. See photos of the crowd, and watch the entire event archived on C-Span.

AZ: More People Armed for Self Defense

When I went in to my Doctor's office for my yearly blood work and EKG this week the nurse asked me to take off my shirt so she could attach the electric probes, which exposed the gun holstered in my IWB Holster. Last year the very same nurse seemed rather nervous while she told me she did not like guns, but this year she simply asked me if I had a CCW permit or if I was taking advantage of the new Constitutional Carry law here in Arizona that went into effect last month.

I told her that I do have a CCW permit, and that I plan to maintain it so that I can continue to receive reciprocity when I travel out of State, at least until we get Constitutional Carry instituted across the Country. She then revealed to me that she has seen a marked increase in the number of people bearing arms for self defense since the new law went into effect, many of whom have told her that they had avoided going through the process to get a CCW permit for various reasons, but were glad to finally be able to exercise their right to bear arms without asking the government for a special permission slip.

The observations of a single nurse are not a sound basis for a scientific study, but it is still very encouraging to hear that the Constitutional Carry law appears to be making a positive difference in the lives of many Americans finally free to enjoy more of their constitutionally guaranteed liberties while here in Arizona. As an added bonus, any thugs wanting to find easy targets in Arizona will now have to deal with many more potential targets being prepared to defend themselves and their loved ones. Many crooks will likely soon choose to move to a State where the local government ensures more of their potential victims are unarmed and defenseless.

The icing on the cake: she revealed to me that although she didn't even like guns a year ago, she has pulled a complete 180: She & her husband went through the process to obtain CCW permits earlier this year. I always love to see more Americans preparing themselves for self defense against treacherous thugs!

Police Budget Cuts: We Won't Come

Residents of Oakland California have been told that if they come home & find that their home security has been compromised - in other words their door has been kicked in - don't bother to call the Police. Why? Because the Police won't come unless there is proof that the thugs are still inside. How they expect you to know that before the thugs hiding inside bash your brains in with baseball bats I don't know, but I do have some friendly advice for such residents.

I highly recommend that you don't walk into a compromised home without your gun, and you should definitely have a buddy with you to back you up. Training on how to enter safely as a team and clear rooms is important too, so make sure you and your backup get plenty of training.

Definitely don't just wander in calling "is anybody still here?" - that is a good way to get your brains bashed in. Of course this advice won't be very helpful to my friends in Oakland California, since few California Subjects are even permitted to bear loaded weapons on their person. In Oakland I imagine only the politically well connected or wealthy are able to get a California "May Issue" CCW permit.

Update 1: It occurred to me this morning that although in California it is often difficult to obtain a CCW permit for self defense while away from home, it is perfectly legal to store an unloaded firearm in a locked case in your vehicle. Once you arrive at home you can load it up & carry it on your person in a holster for self defense. That way if you have any unpleasant surprises on the way into your home you won't be defenseless.

NC: Open Carry Restore the Constitution Rally

My kind of rally!

The Warrior Song

The Warrior Song - Hard Corps - available on iTunes - proceeds go to support the Armed Forces Relief Trust:

TrainMeAZ.com

TrainMeAZ.com is a new one stop resource to find places to shoot, competitive events, and places to train in Arizona. In the future it will include additional information as well, such as firearms dealers and upcoming gun shows. Definitely worth a visit.

Alan Korwin: Gun Limits Lifted

As you are no doubt aware, Americans in Arizona are now enjoing expanded freedoms due to the fact that additional unconstitutional infringements of our right to bear arms were removed a week ago on July 29th when a number of new laws went into effect. Alan Korwin wrote an excellent article in celebration of our expanded freedoms, definitely worth reading.

AZCDL PAC Candidate Endorsements

The AZCDL PAC has info on Arizona 2010 Political Candidates, which is also available in pdf format. We must only support and vote for candidates who have an A or better if we want to continue along our current path of restoring freedoms! Also be sure to check out gunvoter.org and the NRA PVF for candidate info nationwide.

Attempted Rapists Given Lead Instead

Two Thugs followed a woman into her Oklahoma apartment late one evening when she was returning from some errands, and demanded that she remove her clothing. Not only did she fail to comply with their demand that she disrobe, she gave them lead instead.

She's a hero in my book. Not only did she save her own life, she also took two thugs off the streets that will no longer be free to search for new victims. One is resting 6 feet under, and the other is in critical condition while facing a murder charge for participating in a Felony where someone died. Her reasoning for having decided to carry: "I choose to carry a concealed firearm, because even though I am immensely grateful for the protection from our police departments, I realize they're not God, so they can't be everywhere at once." A wise decision indeed- a choice she's no doubt doubly grateful for now.

As we can clearly see, a gun in the hand is infinitely more valuable than a 911 dispatcher on the phone. The Police do the best they can with the resources they have, but when seconds count, the Police are still going to be minutes away.

John R Lott Jr: Gun Control Advocates Make Stuff up?

John R Lott Jr wrote an excellent article titled "Gun Control Advocates Make up Facts about Concealed Handgun Laws"

Ammunition

I'm still having difficulties finding many types of ammo at my favorite local retailers. For example, I'm not finding any self defense .380 ammunition at any of them. I'm only finding it online at this point, and some brands are often on backorder. What are your favorite online retailers for ammunition? Let me know in the comments section.

I feel sorry for my friends in California who are facing the upcoming online ammunition sales ban of AB 962 in Feb 2011 unless the NRA/CRPA lawsuit is successful.

Update 1: Good news: Lucky Gunner has Lots of JHP Self Defense .380 ammunition.

Tactical Pants Review

Tacticalpants.com has a great side by side comparison of 9 different brands of Tactical Pants, including Blackhawk, EOTAC, Kitanica, LA Police Gear, Propper, Tru-Spec, Vertx, Woolrich, and 5.11 Tactical.

AB 1934: Open Carry Ban in CA

California Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña claims that she introduced California AB 1934 to ban Open Carry of unloaded firearms because she believes Police Resources are being wasted due to "man with a gun" phone calls to the Police. Even if that were true, you can't infringe a constitutionally protected right just to save Police Resources. Imagine a ban on free speech on public sidewalks to prevent wasting the Police Resources often utilized for crowd control or traffic redirection.

Even so, one Californian decided to test Saldaña's theory by calling the Police on himself:

Top Shot Season 2 Casting Call

Would you like a chance to participate in the second season of Top Shot, and have a chance to win up to $100,000.00 in prizes? The deadline to apply is August 12th, 2010. If the second season ends up being half as good as the first season of Top Shot, you won't want to miss it.

Krista Branch: I Am America

Great song by Krista Branch: I Am America

The NRA Responds to Chicago's New De-facto Gun Ban

From the NRA-ILA:

Fairfax, Va. -- The National Rifle Association is supporting a lawsuit against Mayor Richard Daley and the City of Chicago's newly adopted gun control ordinance, which violates the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago. Last Friday, the City Council rushed through passage of this ordinance in response to the Court's June 28th decision rendering Chicago’s draconian handgun ban unconstitutional.

“The Supreme Court has now said the Second Amendment is an individual freedom for all. And that must have meaning,” said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. “This decision cannot lead to different measures of freedom, depending on what part of the country you live in. City by city, person by person, this decision must be more than a philosophical victory. An individual right is no right at all if individuals can’t access it.”

Just four days after the Court struck down the nearly 30 year-long handgun bans in Chicago and Oak Park, Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago enacted the most restrictive anti-gun ordinance in the United States. In the words of Corporation Counsel Mara Georges, the top attorney for the City: “We've gone farther than anyone else ever has.” The so-called “Responsible Gun Ownership Ordinance” provisions include: a prohibition on all gun sales inside the City; a prohibition on possession of firearms for self-defense outside the “home” -- even on a patio or in an attached garage; a prohibition on more than one assembled and operable firearm in the home; and a training requirement to obtain a Chicago Firearm Permit. However, range training would be impossible since it will now be unlawful to operate a shooting range inside city limits.

“The Supreme Court told Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago that it has to respect the Second Amendment. By enacting this ordinance, their response is 'Make Us',” said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “The NRA will not rest until Chicago's law-abiding residents can exercise the same freedoms that our Founding Fathers intended all Americans to have.”

Recent statements from some of Chicago's city officials reflect their complete lack of respect for the Supreme Court decision. Alderman Daniel Solis stated, “the decision made by the Supreme Court is not really in the best interests of our citizens.” Alderman Sharon Denise Dixon denounced what she called the Court’s “blatant… misreading of the law.” And another city council member even went so far as to say, “[w]e’re here today because of their poor judgment."

The case is Benson v. City of Chicago.

-- NRA - ILA --

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

John Grady: Essay on Constitutional Carry

John Grady was kind enough to share with us an essay he wrote for his College Class on the topic of Arizona's new Constitutional Carry law:

Arizona Concealed Carry

Arizona has much history involving the “Wild West”; Doc Holiday, Wyatt, Vigil, and Morgan Earp, “gun-slinging”, and the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. On July 29, 2010, many believe this day will be ushering in the reincarnation of the Wild West. From this date forward, any US citizen in the state of Arizona, age 21 and older with no felonies on record may carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This new law has raised many questions, and is in many ways controversial. Is it a bad idea? What kind of change will we see in society, if any? Will we see more crime or less? Let us analyze the concept of carrying a concealed firearm, potential scenarios where this new law may come into play, and our Second Amendment rights.

You may be asking yourself, “What is the definition of ‘Concealed Carry’?” Concealed carry is when an individual carries a firearm, specifically a handgun, on their person in a manner that is unseen by the public eye. Before this new law, it is an illegal act to carry a firearm in a concealed fashion without a license, punishable by incarceration for up to six months, and a fine of up to $2500. To obtain this license, one must be at least 21 years of age and go through an 8 hour course that includes subjects on use of force, legality, concealing techniques, and shooting qualification at the shooting range. Additionally, one must be able to pass a background check.

The requirement of a license has kept a very small amount of control over criminal activity in which a concealed handgun was involved. As we see in society today, gun laws never effect the “bad guys”. Many individuals involved in crime, organized or not, are obviously not concerned in upholding the law, but rather breaking it and thus not concerned with taking the time or paying the cost of getting a concealed carry license... Not to mention the fact that most have at least one felony on their record, disqualifying them from being able to receive a license in the first place. This means that when one of these individuals are caught with a concealed firearm, they are put behind bars. But what happens when one of these jailbirds gets out of prison? A recent study by the Criminal Justice Reform Coalition shows that over half the individuals that get out of jail go right back to committing crimes and end up being thrown back in prison again. As many of you who watch the news and read the newspaper can see, this is just an endless cycle. The majority of these gangsters carry a firearm in an illegal, concealed fashion on a daily basis.

Where does this leave the citizens who uphold the law, but don’t have the time or the money to go through the course? Where does this leave the gentleman who is just buying a pack of smokes when an armed gunman decides to hold up the Circle-K? He can’t exactly defend himself or others with a box of Marlboro “Reds”. What about the woman who is just walking to her car in a dark parking lot at night when a potential rapist corners her? What happens when her pepper spray isn’t enough? Maybe she owns a pistol but doesn’t have it in her purse to protect herself with because she is in a situation in which she doesn’t have the money or time to get her license. This, in my opinion, is a violation of our Second Amendment right to bear arms and to protect ourselves. Many people find themselves in similar situations. Many people own a firearm, but don’t have a concealed carry license. Now, with this new law, a law-abiding citizen may conceal a firearm on their person without the once required license, and have a chance to defend themselves, should they find themselves in a less than favorable situation.

Could this new law create a safer environment? I most certainly believe it can, and will. An armed and ready public can discourage a vast majority of criminal acts, from robbery, to violent crimes and rape. In Arizona, you will see a drop in crime rates, because now there is the “Unknown Factor” that the crook has to worry about. Before the individual commits a crime, s/he will have to consider that many of the people present could be carrying a concealed weapon. The whole room could be concealing a firearm, which makes for some very unfavorable odds if you are about to rob the place.

Kennesaw, Georgia provides a perfect example of what this law can do for the public. In March 1982, the small town passed an ordinance requiring each head of household to own and maintain a gun. Since then, despite similar predictions of "Wild West" showdowns, increased violence and accidents we are hearing now, not a single resident has been involved in a fatal shooting. That’s 28 years murder-free, as compared to Morton Grove, Illinois, who adopted a gun ban for everyone other than police, and witnessed their crime rate go up 15.7% despite predictions of the opposite occurring.

This new law, in my opinion will employ the “Sheepdog Concept”, as Lt. Col. Dave Grossman puts it in his book “On Combat”. The Sheepdog Concept is where the “sheepdog”, or protector in this scenario, sees a “sheep”, or victim, suffering an injustice or a violent crime by a “wolf”, or perpetrator. The sheepdog cannot just stand by and watch, but must step in to protect the sheep from the wolf. The sheepdog cannot abide with injustice. Don’t confuse the Sheepdog Concept with vigilantism. We aren’t talking about the Boondock Saints here. The sheepdogs of society don’t go looking for trouble, but are ready, should they encounter it. For instance, a man who is carrying a concealed firearm under this new law, witnesses a woman being robbed at gunpoint. The man decides to step in and use his firearm to save the woman, and possibly preserve her life. Now that people may carry concealed, I believe it will give many a feeling that they can have an impact and actually make a difference in a similar situation because they have the tool at their disposal to do so with.

In December 2007, Matthew J. Murray, an armed gunman, killed multiple individuals at a youth center in Arvada, California. He then proceeded to drive to New Life Church in Colorado Springs to do the same. When he arrived at the church, he pulled out his firearm and open fired in the parking lot and the foyer, killing two people and wounding three. Out of hundreds of people present, Jeanne Assam had a concealed carry license and a pistol in her purse. She drew it from her purse and shot Murray multiple times, wounding him so severely that he ended up taking his own life. This woman was prepared for a day that she probably thought she would never see. This woman was a sheepdog and she could not abide with the injustice this gunman was inflicting. She saved lives that day. Imagine if a large portion of the population was prepared in such a manner. Would the gunman have even considered pulling this move with the “Unknown Factor”? Even if he did, he most likely wouldn’t have made it out of the Youth Center he shot up.

With the new law, we are seeing support of our Second Amendment right that hasn’t been in play since the early 1900’s. This law is a major restoration of our principal right to defend ourselves and the lives of others. It is pertinent that we exercise our right to bear arms, now that a huge portion of it is being given back to us. I encourage everyone who is going to utilize this new law to be responsible, and to educate yourself on the legal aspects on use of force, as well as the types of establishments in which you can and cannot carry your weapon. You can find this information on Arizona’s Department of Public safety website. I also encourage you to go out to the shooting range and practice, so if you ever see a day in which you may have to use your weapon (and I pray you never see that day), your shots will be precise and well placed. Don’t be afraid to carry a concealed weapon!

Ray Stevens: Global Warming Song

Ray Stevens on the The Global Warming Song. If you do decide to invest in some frozen farm land in the Arctic, be sure to bring your firearms with you. Polar Bears consider humans to be a tasty snack. If you invest in frozen farm land in Antarctica on the other hand, you'll only need your firearms for hunting and to protect yourself from predators that have two legs: