Blog
Solutions
How long does it take to change a magazine?
The gun debate has drawn the anti-gun crowd out from behind their cover.
Based upon the rhetoric that I have been hearing from the anti-gun crowd, their logic regarding the best defensive tactic, against a psychopath with a gun, is to wait until the psychopath has to reload and then tackle them. Hence their proposed 'magazine limit' gives them a better chance, having more opportunities to tackle the murderer. Aesop's 'Belling The Cat' comes to mind when I think about that "solution."
Better to accept the fact that one bullet from an on-scene trained responder can end the threat before the murderer gets to the point of needing to reload — even when that murderer's magazine contains only 7 rounds.
-fl
The American Dream
Fiocchi USA
In 1876, a century after the United States had become an independent nation, Giulio Fiocchi founded Fiocchi Munizioni in Lecco, a city northeast of Milan, Italy. Giulio, and his brother Giacomo, began producing ammunition under the Fiocchi family name.
A little over a century later, in 1983, the Fiocchi family decided that the time had come to branch out and set up shop in the USA.
I was young, so much so that looking backward it seems to me it was another life. For me USA was literally love at first sight, I had been in the country before, but as a tourist, and being involved as a businessman was a totally different set of cards, an exhilarating one for that. The potential was inebriating, you only had to work hard and go get it... As a Family, we will pitch in all of our possible effort, both financial and intellectual to keep our business successful; we trust the American dream, it started for us in 1983! [Carlo Nelson Fiocchi]
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Fiocchi family's pursuit of the American dream, from their branch plant in Ozark, MO
Happy Anniversary! Let's hope and pray that the dream continues, and can be passed on to future generations of the Fiocchi family.
-fl
The above is based on information from the 2013 Fiocchi catalog, which can be found at the Fiocchi USA website.
Politics
The effect of hasty lawmaking
The old twentieth century dictate "do something, even if it's wrong" has been the cause of much anguish over the years. Expediency appeals mostly to those who don't care about results. Here is what that old dictate looks like from the perspective of some people employed in the firearms industry.
The enemy
Going for the guns
Have we ever fought a war where the enemy was not a hypocrite? A patent quality of everyone who hates freedom is the love of hypocrisy.
The anti-gun crowd tells us that they want more effective law-enforcement. Because of Operation Fast and Furious, we know for a fact that the people who are advocating more anti-gun laws are not above violating existing laws.
The anti-gun crowd tells us that they want better firearms safety. Because of recent comments made by the Vice President, we know for a fact that the people who are advocating more anti-gun laws are not above violating basic safety rules.
So, what are they really after? When you know for sure what they are, it's pretty easy to figure out the answer to that question.
If anyone tries to convince you that they are a firearms expert, ask to see their NRA membership card. If they cannot produce an NRA card, you can be assured that they are probably not an expert in, and probably know very little about, firearms. Being a member of the NRA will not make you a firearms expert, but membership in that organization is one of the common qualities of people who are.
The most recent comments from the NRA-CEO/EVP:
Where The Felons Roam
Oakland rapper 'Kenny Clutch' killed in Las Vegas Strip shooting
They said Cherry and the occupants of the Range Rover had left the Aria resort hotel and were heading north on Las Vegas Boulevard at 4:20 a.m., an hour when the casino marquees shine brightly but the gambling thoroughfare is largely empty. At Harmon Avenue, occupants inside the Range Rover opened fire on the Maserati, police said.
The newspaper reported that Cherry had several arrests in Oakland and Berkeley, many for gun charges. He was convicted on a gun charge in 2007, stemming from an arrest in Berkeley, sources told the Tribune, although details on that conviction weren't immediately available.
It's obvious that there are people who cannot, or will not, exercise the self-discipline or responsibility that the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution implicitly requires. I think that everyone would agree that people who behave thusly have voluntarily relinquished their civil rights — especially their right to bear arms. Why then is there even one 'lawmaker' insistent on burdening law-abiding citizens with more restrictions on their civil rights, while at the same time remaining silent on the proper enforcement of the laws that already exist?
-fl
Culture
Values
If you could throw all of the rhetoric concerning todays 'gun problem' into a big pot, boil it, and run the concoction through a distillery, this short comment from David Kopel would represent a purified sample of what would emerge from the distillation process. The problem is with individual responsibility and cultural values, not guns.
-fl
Crime & Punishment
'Knockout Game' perp shot, killed
Demetrius Murphy met the “Right Person” and he will not be playing the Knockout Game any more. Ever.
It's just a matter of time for thugs like Demetrius Murphy. But that time is going to get shorter as the cost of health care goes up. It is becoming increasingly prohibitive for elder citizens, and everyone else, to take a chance on being burdened with a major medical bill at the hands of a thug. The CPA (Closest Point of Approach) is going to be increased accordingly; and, with the proper use of defensive firearms, we will probably see a reduction in this "knockout game" type of crime also. It's too bad that some people have to learn the hard way.
-fl
The Girandoni Air Rifle
Peace through superior firepower
It's common knowledge that President Theodore Roosevelt turned proverb into policy with his "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." It's less commonly known that that was the policy of Lewis and Clark on their Expedition — a century earlier.
Domestic Policy
The Chicago Story
For anyone who wants to view an extrapolation of 'progressive-style democracy', and/or life without a Constitution, need only look at the city of Chicago. You will see what it looks like. As reported by the Illinois State Rifle Association:
Chicago's embattled police superintendent dug himself deeper into a pit of controversy today by claiming that lawful firearm owners are agents of political corruption. Appearing on a Chicago Sunday morning talk show, superintendent Garry McCarthy expressed his conviction that firearm owners who lobby their elected representatives or who donate money to political campaigns are engaged in corruption that endangers public safety. McCarthy went on to express his belief that judges and legislators should rely on public opinion polls when interpreting our Constitution.
You just can't be properly controlled when you are at liberty to make your own choices....
-fl
Culture
According to this guy: 'If you're a woman, you just don't know...'
....you don’t know if you feel like you’re gonna be raped, or if you feel like someone’s been following you around or if you feel like you’re in trouble when you may actually not be, then you pop out that gun and you pop, pop around at somebody.
It's obvious that this guy has never attended a firearms safety course. He typifies the widespread ignorance of the anti-gun movement.
Civil Rights
The "palladium of liberty"
During recent hearings dealing with criminal violence, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas points to the importance of the 2nd Amendment in safeguarding liberty. We see from experience that liberty, and/or security, does not exist for citizens when an inalienable right is forcibly stripped away by the government. He uses the examples of Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL to illustrate the increased vulnerability of citizens, as evidenced by crime rates, when they are stripped of their right to bear arms. In comparison, most jurisdictions that support the citizen's right to bear arms have shown a reduction in violent crime.
Citizen's Right to Bear Arms
One Good Reason
On Tuesday, February 12, 2013, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), helped defend Americans’ right to bear arms in a subcommittee hearing that explored proposals to reduce gun violence while protecting the Second Amendment. One of the witnesses to testify was former Texas Rep. Suzanna Hupp, a victim of the 1991 Luby’s mass shooting in Killeen, Texas. Below is a video clip of Suzanna Hupp’s comments. This is at least the second time that Suzanna Hupp has given testimony before the Senate on this same issue, and yet there are some people who don't seem to get the message.
Culture
Well, it should be easy for everyone to figure this problem out.
and
Whatever happened to pre-college IQ tests?
Politics
Duty Bound
Freedom loving Americans should consider themselves duty bound to reject lamebrained schemes like the Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act (H.R.226). This is the best that the liberal left can come up with. When was the last time that you talked to your congressman?
The Constitution
History, guns, and the Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified a long time ago — on December 15, 1791. And yet, as Professor David Kopel has stated, "the Second Amendment today is at an early stage of judicial exposition."
In 2008 and 2010, the United States Supreme Court, in the two landmark cases of District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago, stimulated a dormant interest and awareness of the reasoning behind the Second Amendment. As Kopel points out, "[u]nderstanding the United States Constitution requires understanding the British practices that drove the Americans to armed revolution." This is particularly important to understand for anyone who wishes to avoid another armed conflict.
Professor Kopel reviews the history and reasoning behind the Second Amendment in his article How the British Gun Control Program Precipitated the American Revolution, in Volume 6, Number 2 of The Charleston Law Review.
We can discern that broad attempts to disarm the people of a town, or to render them defenseless, are anathema to the Second Amendment; such disarmament is what the British tried to impose, and what the Americans fought a war to ensure could never again happen in America.
Any forced gun registration and/or gun confiscation today would likely provoke a sequel to that first war.
Today, several generations after the American Revolution, there still exists a steadfast 'culture of freedom' within the United States; a culture that remembers and appreciates the sacrifices made on the road to freedom, and one that insists on the discipline and individual responsibility that freedom requires. Not surprisingly, you will find the people of this culture are not only armed, but unwilling to compromise. If anyone would be so foolish as to start a war by trying to disarm the American citizen, let no one be so foolish as to ask why the war started.
-fl
NICS
January NSSF-Adjusted NICS Checks Up 94.4%
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reports that the January 2013 adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,790,154 is an increase of 94.4 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 920,840 in January 2012.
This marks the 32nd straight month that NSSF-adjusted NICS figures have increased when compared to the same period the previous year. The number reported for January 2013 is the second highest monthly figure ever reported for NICS, surpassed only by the previous high in December 2012.
Security
The Color of Violate[sic]
With the ongoing manipulation of innocent children, and gullible public servants, that we currently see being used by some politicians to push their agenda, it's a good idea to remember just how quickly things can get out of hand when it comes to tyranny — even in a so-called "free" country.
-fl
Civil Rights
Who else should be denied of their civil right to bear arms?
I think that everyone would agree that there are some people that should not be allowed access to firearms. Existing law is already pretty specific in describing who, and why. The problem that we are having with the violation of existing laws relate to the lack of enforcement of those laws. Granted, they are difficult to enforce, but adding more restrictions will not cure the problem.
Now, according to a video made during a presentation at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia, Eric Holder tells us that he has been instructed to investigate the possibility of adding more categories to the existing list. Since I am a concerned citizen, maybe I can help. Let's see, examination of the facts surrounding recent events reveals that virtually all of the miscreants involved in those recent mass shootings were Socialists and/or registered Democrats. So, there are a couple of prospective categories that can be added to the list.
And, who owns that phone in your pocket Eric?
-fl
Technology
Wave Gliders
I have the habit of briefly glancing through the Weekly Notice to Mariners for things that might pertain to safe navigation around here, with the hope of avoiding any surprises. The Weekly Notice is not known for going into great detail, and they were true to form with their notice about being on the lookout for a Wave Glider operating in the Gulf of Mexico.
We are gratefully familiar with the benefits of modern marine technology, including the real-time meteorological information that is available from NOAA and the Data Buoy's — especially during tropical storm season. And, it so happens that being neighbors to several Air Force and Navy Special Ops research facilities, we're used to having all kind of weird stuff being operated over, under, and on the surface of the ocean around here. But, what is a Wave Glider?
Well, it's a technology that has been around for at least 5 years; long enough to have made one 9,000 mile trip, plus a trip from Hawaii to California on its own power. On April 13, 2011, NOAA deployed their first Wave Glider. If you have the slightest amount of gear-head in your blood, you'll appreciate this thing.
The assembly consists of a floating hull (Float) with a submerged propulsion unit (Sub) on a tether that is about 23' below the surface. A rising wave lifts the Float, causing the tethered Sub to rise. The articulated wings on the Sub are pressed down and the upward motion of the Sub becomes an up-and-forward motion, in turn pulling the Float forward and off the wave. This causes the Sub to drop, the wings pivot up, and the Sub moves down-and-forward. This process is repeated again and again as long as there is wave motion on the surface, even the smallest amount.
The following video shows an underwater view of the "Sub" propulsion unit.
I've been around the ocean long enough to know that theory and practice don't always coincide when it comes to new technology. It will be interesting to see how the Crustacea, fish, algae. and other marine life will welcome this new techno-critter into their environment. We'll see.
-fl
Proposed Gun Bans
There are a growing number of people who agree with the fellow in this video. The American people have had to slap down liberal politicians before, and I think we are going to see history repeat itself come mid-term election time.
Safety
I have posted a few notes on Eye Protection under the Marksmanship category for the benefit of all. For anyone needing safety glasses, there are also some links to a source.
-fl
New Gear
Never be without a good tactical light.
I like the concept of this new 2211™ WristLight from Surefire. Having a light mounted securely on my wrist would be great for nighttime trips on the water. I'm going to have to settle for my G-2's with a lanyard though until they sell enough of these to offer a lower priced model. There was a time when I could justify a MSRP of $495 for a flashlight, but not today. For someone doing security work in a high-crime area however, it would be worth every penny.
-fl
History, how it lingers...
Adolf Hitler's memory is a 'constant warning', Merkel says on 80th anniversary
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that Adolf Hitler's rise to power 80 years ago should go on reminding Germans that democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted."Human rights don't assert themselves."
"Freedom doesn't preserve itself all alone and democracy doesn't succeed by itself," Mrs Merkel said.
Words worthy of constant note!
-fl