October 14

1066 – Having been informed by his scouts of the approach of King Harold Godwinson’s army in an attempt at a surprise attack, Duke William of Normandy marches his troops and the armies engage a few miles northwest of the town of Hastings, resulting in a costly, but overwhelming, victory by the Normans.

1322 – The army of Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeats the army of King Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland’s independence.

1586 – Mary, Queen of Scots, goes on trial for conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth I of England

1656 – The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony enacts the first punitive legislation against the Religious Society of Friends

1774 – The First Continental Congress denounces the enactment by Parliament of what they term The Intolerable Acts in response to the ‘Boston Tea Party’ and demands British concessions.

1863 – At the Battle of Bristoe Station, Confederate troops under the command of A. P. Hill are repelled by Union rear guard troops under the command of Gouverneur K. Warren, failing in the effort to drive Union forces out of Virginia.

1884 – George Eastman receives a U.S. patent for strip type photographic film.

1908 – The Chicago Cubs defeat the Detroit Tigers, 2–0, winning the World Series, which would be the last time until the 2016 World Series, the record so far for the longest time between winning a World Series championship.

1943 – Prisoners at the NAZI Sobibor extermination camp in Poland covertly assassinate most of the on duty SS officers and then stage a mass breakout.

1944 – Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is forced to commit suicide due to his involvement in an attempt to assassinate Hitler

1947 – Piloting the Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis rocket plane over Rogers Dry Lake in California, Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to exceed the speed of sound

1949 – Leaders of the Communist Party USA are prosecuted under the Smith Act with all 11 defendants convicted of conspiring to advocate the violent overthrow of the federal government.

1962 – The Cuban Missile Crisis begins when an American reconnaissance aircraft takes photographs of Soviet ballistic missiles being installed in Cuba.

1968 – The first live TV broadcast by American astronauts in orbit is performed by the Apollo 7 crew.

1982 – President Ronald Reagan proclaims a War on Drugs.
(really been successful, hasn’t it?)

2004 – Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701, a Bombardier CRJ200 crashes near Jefferson City, Missouri, while the pilots, the only people aboard, try to perform an emergency landing due to engine failure, being killed in the attempt

2012 – Felix Baumgartner successfully jumps to Earth from a balloon from an altitude of 127,852 feet, setting a new world record at the time.

2021 – 10,000 American employees of John Deere go on a labor strike, the first in over 30 years, lasting a little over a month before being resolved.

The Review That Motivates Me Every Day

I recognize that it is probably not healthy to be motivated by negative emotions, but almost every time I sit down to work on my book on American gun culture, I am motivated by a review of my book proposal by someone who works as a public librarian in the United States:

While the author is an excellent academic and writes very well, it remains impossible to recommend this work.
I can appreciate how the author is seeking to break new ground in this field, but I cannot think of a more irresponsible premise.
The United States had 40 mass-shootings by January 24th this year (more shootings than days of the year).
Additionally, the author ignores the consistent research which continues to prove that not only does gun ownership has [sic.] “zero evidence of protective effects,” but also increases the odds that one will be shot to death (this includes those not owning guns, but merely living with someone who does).
I mean no.
The views put forth here are repressible; built on the backs of the grade school children who continually forfeit their lives.

The “irresponsible premise,” of course, being that guns are normal and normal people use guns.

This way of seeing drives me every day to try to hold a different mirror up to the reality of guns and gun culture in America.

 

The Transformational Journey

Featuring — Founder of Jim Rohn International, Marketer, and Speaker Kyle Wilson, Iconic Speaker and Author of Seeds of Greatness Denis Waitley, 3x Grammy-Winner, Songwriter, and Producer Seth Mosley, NFL Player, Shark Tank Guest, and Founder of Ice Shaker Chris Gronkowski, Speaker and 2x USA Memory Champion Ron White, Relationship Coach, Speaker, and Podcaster Dr. Stormy Hill, Creator of 20 #1 Hit Songs, Singer, and Producer Latino — and many more!

With foreword by Brian Tracy, The Transformational Journey brings you story after story of striving, overcoming, and growth from entrepreneurs, professionals, thought leaders, real estate investors, speakers, and more! You will be inspired and uplifted!

Fans of Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Darren Hardy, Les Brown, Brian Buffini, Mark Victor Hansen, and Zig Ziglar, and will discover stories full of applicable strategies and real-life lessons to help you move through obstacles, experience personal transformation, and realize your ambitions.

Compiled and created by Jim Rohn’s 18-year business partner, marketer, strategist, and founder of Jim Rohn International Kyle Wilson alongside book editor and writing coach Takara Sights.

Each author and everyone behind the scenes has put great effort into creating this book to make a positive ripple in the world. We are honored by you taking the time to read these stories and by you continuing to make waves as you live your transformational journey!

From all of the authors: Denis Waitley, Dr. Stormy Hill, Landon Schlabach, Gina Shin, Bill Malchisky, Steffany Boldrini, Patrick Murray, Kimberly R. Faucher, MD, Ron White, Dean Shupe, Mandy Junge, Dustin Reichert, Jana Hubbs, Dale Young, Shelly Slocum, Adebayo Fasanya, MD, Deanna Bone, George C. Ozoude, MD, Heather Roxburgh, Wagner Nolasco, Latino, Vish Muni, Ena Hull, Dan Faulkner, Robin Binkley, Greg Zlevor, Steve Trent, Joell Mower, Pete Schnepp, Seth Mosley, Jackie Marushka, Ben Buzek, Jin Wang, Dominic Lagrange, Lydia R. Essary, MD, Mark Hasebroock, Cindy Aronstam, Derek Dombeck, Chris Gronkowski, Tyler Vinson, Christie Frieg, Chad Zdenek, and Kyle Wilson — THANK YOU.

Frog, meet scorpion

 

House GOP launches inquiry into Biden ATF gun sales rule: ‘Universal gun registry’

EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), chairman of the House Small Business Committee, is launching an investigation into a new rule from the Biden administration making single-sale gun sellers subject to gun dealing licenses.

In September, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives proposed a change to the definition of “engaged in the business of selling firearms” to include anyone who sells a firearm with the “predominant purpose” of profit.

A letter from Williams to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner, notes the proposed rule would force nearly 25,000 new persons to legally register for a Federal Firearms License, “functionally turning them into a small business.”

“The ATF’s new rule would force thousands of gun enthusiasts to register as Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers,” Williams told the Washington Examiner. “Criminals will simply ignore this new requirement while law-abiding citizens will be forced to submit their information to the ATF as another backdoor attempt to make a universal gun registry. This ridiculous new requirement will do nothing to improve public safety and only shows the Biden Administration’s contempt for the Second Amendment.”

The new rule would require a gun owner who wishes to sell only one of their firearms to register as an FFL if they plan to make a profit, the letter states. It also notes that many gun owners do not wish to become businesses and are also not prepared to do so.

“ATF has determined that this proposed rule would impact unlicensed persons who would now have to become licensed dealers to lawfully operate as a small business,” the proposed rule states. “Because some of these unlicensed persons may transact in low-volume firearms sales to predominantly earn a profit, the costs to become an FFL could have an impact on their overall profit from firearms transactions.”

Williams and the committee are demanding answers from the ATF on the rule’s effect on small businesses, much of which was left out of the rule, the letter launching the inquiry states. One item requested is the cost in fees from small businesses to the ATF imposed by the new rule.

It also states that the Regulatory Flexibility Act requires government agencies to consider less costly, suitable alternatives to regulations on small businesses, for which Williams is requesting a detailed audit of their considerations as well as an explanation as to why the ATF did not include this analysis in the proposed rule.

The committee is also requesting an accounting of how many of the 25,000 new persons the ATF believes will stop selling firearms altogether due to the new rule.

The ATF declined to comment but confirmed it received the letter from Williams.

October 13

54 – Roman emperor Claudius dies under mysterious circumstances and is succeeded by Nero

1775 – The Continental Congress establishes the Continental Navy

1792 – The cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion is laid by President Washington.

1812 – During the War of 1812, Sir Isaac Brock’s British and native forces repel an invasion of Canada by General Rensselaer’s United States forces.

1884 – The International Meridian Conference establishes the meridian of the Greenwich Observatory as the prime meridian.

1885 – The Georgia Institute of Technology is founded in Atlanta, Georgia.

1892 – While on staff of the University of California’s Lick Observatory,  Edward Emerson Barnard makes the first discovery of a comet, Barnard 3 – later renamed 206P/Barnard–Boattini – by photographic means.

1903 – The Boston Red Sox win the first modern World Series, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth game.

1976 – The first electron micrograph of an Ebola virus is taken at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Dr. F. A. Murphy.

1983 – ‘Baby Bell’ company Ameritech Mobile Communications launches the first cellular network in the U.S. in Chicago.

2012 – U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Ryan Savard is killed in action in Konduz Province, Afghanistan.

This is ‘news‘, as in something unexpected?
Well, to look at it from a cynical point of view, since the Israeli goobermint didn’t trust their people enough to 1, codify RKBA and 2, have gun laws that made it easy for people to possess arms, it was either unexpected or the goobermint considers the losses  acceptable.

Hamas’ atrocities are every bit as ghastly as described.

ABC News reporters were allowed into the kibbutz on Tuesday to witness the full scope of the atrocities exacted by Hamas fighters, who stormed through a security fence at the edge of the town, shooting indiscriminately at residents, burning homes and killing entire families.

“You’re seeing the slaughter here. It’s very important to see,” Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, told ABC News during a ghastly tour of the shattered community. “They [Hamas militants] came in and they killed civilians.” …

“You see the babies, the mothers, the fathers in the bedrooms, in the protection rooms and how the terrorists killed them,” Veruv said. “It’s not a war, it’s not a battlefield. It’s a massacre.”

Describing the gruesome discoveries soldiers made in the houses, Veruv said, “They burned the apartments, then they shoot the babies, they cut their heads.”

[There continue to be deniers on social media, who apparently didn’t think to check the videos that Hamas posted of their own atrocities. Ben Shapiro has spent part of his day posting grisly photos to Twitter that back up the witness accounts of these atrocities. I’d prefer not to embed them, but if you really need proof, you can start here and here, and then keep following Ben. — Ed]

“Is there honor in being a Poe’s Law Criminal?”

Poe’s Law:
Poe’s law is an adage of internet culture which says that, without a clear indicator of the author’s intent, any parodic or sarcastic expression of extreme views can be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of those views.

I know people who can use sarcasm like Michelangelo used a chisel

CDR SALAMANDER: Gaza COA Decision Brief.

“Like I said … [Israel’s promise that ‘Gaza will never return to what it was’] had me ditch two of the my three COA [Course of Action] from this weekend. If you wanted to know how it shifted, my most dovish COA is gone, and my most harsh COA is now the center of my Overton Window. A planner must try to align with CI and D&G as it is understood – not how he wishes it to be.”

Here they are:

COA-A: Germany 1945

• The Gaza Strip will be segmented and block by block, field by field, be demilitarized. Person by person will be identified biometrically with the primary goal to “de-Hamas” the entire population. Responsible leaders will be found to administer civil requirements. Zero tolerance for breaking the peace. Peaceful civilians can stay. Violence will result in non-subsidized exile or imprisonment followed by exile. (NB: the voluntary or involuntary exile of Gazans is a problem in all COA. If you look from London, to Sydney, to NYC, the West does not need to import any more of those who want to bring their sectarianism to the West. Any of these highlighted nations will suffice.) After appropriate security environment is achieved, transition to home rule for all but military or diplomatic areas can continue.

COA-B: Danzig 1945

• As with COA-A, the Gaza Strip will be segmented, etc. The exception here is the humane (as opposed to the rather brutal 45-47 depopulation of Danzig (now Gdansk)) depopulation of the Gaza Strip. As German Danzig is now Polish Gdansk – and Danzig will never be the same as it was – so too could Gaza no longer be non-Israeli. As German excesses (understatement) in WWII opened the window for otherwise unacceptable exile of an entire population, Hamas Gaza’s beheading of infants and Einsatzgruppen LARPing through neighboring kibbutzim has opened that window for Gaza. Israel suffered for decades terror from Gaza and in 2005 gave them a chance to be self-governing. Instead, they became a nest of death squads. An Israeli-annexed Gaza would not have that problem. COA-B is the entry level response if you want to make a statement to enemies that will last generations, while still maintaining humanity – especially if exile is subsidized. Per capita income in Gaza is $2,764. Upon exile with no right for return, each will receive $3,000 in three installments over three years; $9,000 total. Cost: ~$6 billion a year for three years, $18 billion total.

COA-C: Carthage

• Segmentation and subsidized exile as per COA-B, but no immediate Israeli settlement for 50-years. Inventory World Heritage Sites, religious sites that existed prior to 1950, and cemeteries. Protect and preserve. Level every other building in the Gaza Strip except for needed infrastructure and national security related locations. Allow the strip to rewild and turned to a nature preserve. Allow for a reevaluation of Gaza’s status in 2073. Want the lesson to be remembered? Want to make sure the threat does not return? Want to make Gaza unlike it was? That will do it, yet allow the nation of Israel to maintain its humanity.

If A) seemed too harsh for most people’s tastes on Sunday and C) seemed impossible, just remember that once an Overton Window begins to shift, it can move far, rapidly.

Less than a month later, Bearing Arms story feels far darker

I write a lot of stuff here at Bearing Arms. More than one-third of all the content on this site has my name on it, and I haven’t exactly been here from the beginning.

As a result, I often write a story, and then forget it after a week or two. It’s impossible to remember everything I wrote unless something sparks my memory and not necessarily even then. It’s a lot to remember.

Yet it’s all there in the archive, waiting to remind me.

Most of the time, that’s not newsworthy. I’ll take a look at a story I forgot about and read it, then go back to the rest of my day. Yet looking for one on the site yesterday, I came across something that, at the time, wasn’t that big of a deal. It didn’t deal with American gun control or anything that would impact us. It was a group of people voicing their support for gun control.

I’ve literally written thousands of those stories.

What makes this one weird in the here and now is just who it was arguing against guns.

If you’re a gun owner and haven’t actively done everything you could to keep that on the down low, there’s a good chance someone has referred to you as some kind of domestic terrorist. After all, some people think the very act of owning a gun is a terroristic act.

These people are demented, of course, but they exist. Let’s also not forget that the NRA was called a domestic terrorist organization despite no evidence of an act of terrorism carried out by an NRA member.

Yet Hamas is a terrorist organization, according to the US State Department. They’ve been linked to all kinds of terrorist acts over the years.

And guess where they stand on people carrying guns?

The issue was a suggestion that Jewish settlers should carry guns. Hamas called it “incitement to murder” and denounced it, apparently arguing that settlers doing so would create a danger.

Well, now we know what that danger was.

I wrote that here on Bearing Arms on September 18th, about a day or so after the initial response by Hamas.

Now, understand that what we saw wasn’t the result of a two-day planning session. It wasn’t the result of something that just cobbled together over a lunch meeting. Hamas’ attack on Israel was a well-coordinated assault that probably took months to plan.

Including the month in which Hamas told Jewish settlers that they didn’t really need guns and that saying so was “fascist.”

Here at Bearing Arms, we are one of many sites dedicated to preserving our Second Amendment rights. Israel had no such protections, either from their constitution or sites like ours or our friends across the internet. They were relatively disarmed, even with calls to carry guns.

And Hamas capitalized on it.

It’s kind of hard not to now wonder how many of the groups that are calling for gun control here in the US have similar designs. Hamas knew what it was planning even as it denounced calls for settlers to carry guns because they preferred to have less resistance when they invaded. How many American groups of people also would like to carry out vile attacks on their opposition and want gun control so as to help facilitate that?

Well, they’re not going to find easy prey here and there are a whole lot of us who stand ready to make sure they don’t.

New Jersey faces challenge to ‘assault’ weapons ban

(The Center Square) — New Jersey is facing a challenge to its ‘assault’ weapons ban, with Second Amendment groups asking a federal judge to strike down the law.

In a new filing in U.S. District Court, the plaintiffs in three related lawsuits challenging New Jersey’s ban and other firearm restrictions argue that the gun control measures are unconstitutional and request a summary motion in favor of their claims.

The lawsuits were filed by the Association of New Jersey Rifle, Pistol Clubs and Firearms Policy Coalition and others on behalf of gun owners who argue the state’s ‘assault’ weapons ban violates the Second Amendment and a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision “upholding the right of honest citizens to carry firearms for personal protection.”

“The common thread tying them together is the righteous claim that, at its core, New Jersey’s regulatory scheme blatantly violates the fundamental rights of the state’s law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in common use for self-defense and other lawful purposes,” plaintiffs wrote in the motion.

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