As I have stood in the crosshairs of those who target Second Amendment freedoms, I’ve realized that firearms are not the only issue. No, it’s much, much bigger than that. I’ve come to understand that a cultural war is raging across our land, in which, with Orwellian fervor, certain acceptable thoughts and speech are mandated.
— Charlton Heston

Concealed Carry Corner: Self-Defense Ammo Options

Welcome back to another episode of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about self-defense ammunition and why it’s important along with a few things to keep in mind. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to take a further look at some great options for self-defense ammo and what each type of ammo offers. Let’s take a closer look at some of the top self-defense ammo options.

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Reminds me of stories of snake oil salesmen

AI Gun Detection System Blows It In Nashville School Shooting

A school shooting in Nashville made a lot of headlines, but it wasn’t quite what a lot of people think of as school shootings these days. Yes, it was a shooting and two people died–one of which was the shooter, apparently–and one person was injured, but it also wasn’t quite Uvalde or Virginia Tech. It was, however, awful for everyone present that day and an innocent person lost their life.

It wasn’t the first school shooting in Nashville in recent years, either.

After a shooting at the Covenant School, a lot of places stepped up their efforts to fortify schools. This is something I’ve personally been an advocate for.

The problem is that we need to use proven strategies or, if we’re going to rely on new technology, we need proven backups as well. One of those unproven technologies we’ve talked a lot about here at Bearing Arms is AI gun detection systems, such as those deployed on the New York City subway.

I’m just not convinced they’re ready for primetime.

In Nashville, it seems that, once again, we know the skeptics were right.

The technology system meant to prevent school shootings failed to detect the Antioch High School shooter’s gun, an official confirms.

A Metro Nashville Public Schools’ spokesperson says based on the camera location and the shooter in relation to the camera, it did not detect the weapon.

MNPS adds the camera did activate an alarm trigger when law enforcement and school resource officers arrived with their weapons.

The technology, Omnialert, is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) gun detection used in all Metro Schools.

Look, I like being right as much as the next guy, but I hate seeing the proof that I was right unfold like this. I’m not alone in my skepticism, either, but I’m pretty sure everyone else who had concerns feels the same way.

Omnialert is, of course, just one company. However, Evolv was the company in the NYC subway system, and it also had major problems.

A third company called ZeroEyes has been engaging in state lobbying efforts to restrict tax dollars to only go to companies with certain credentials, which coincidentally only they have. I don’t like the practice they’re undertaking, but it’s possible theirs would work better.

What people call AI today isn’t really artificial intelligence. Most of it is just software with a bunch of if/then statements that winnows down the possibilities and does so very quickly. Yet, like any software, garbage in, garbage out. It’s only as good as the programmers themselves, and while large language models can learn from the inputs they receive, there’s no indication this software can.

Or maybe it does.

What we do know is that in a key moment, the very moment this system was designed to prevent, it failed spectacularly.

It also seems that guns had been found on campus previously, according to one parent who voiced security concerns regarding the school, and begging for metal detectors to be installed.

That’s right. It seems the schools decided AI was all that was needed and not something tried-and-true like metal detectors.

Technology is great, and while I may be skeptical of taxpayer dollars going toward experimental technology, there’s nothing inherently wrong with trying new things. However, relying on these unproven technologies almost exclusively, as seems to have happened here, isn’t the answer.

The only backup seems to have been two school resource officers who were in a completely different part of the school when the incident happened and who arrived after the killer took his own life.

But I can’t help but wonder how things would have gone if the Nashville schools respected teachers’ right to keep and bear arms and an armed staff member had been present. Sure, the shooter would have probably still died, but no one else would have.

Wildfires in California Reinforce the Importance of Gun Rights
You are your own first responder

Wildfires have once again devastated California, reducing vibrant neighborhoods and close-knit communities to piles of ash in a matter of days.

The death toll continues to climb as firefighters and search teams recover the missing, and estimated damages now exceed $250 billion. Many residents are grappling with the heartbreaking reality that their homes—and priceless family heirlooms—are gone forever.

It is apocalyptic and utterly heartbreaking. My prayers go out to those mourning the loss of life, property, and their way of living.

But amidst the flames and destruction, another crisis has emerged: opportunistic criminals are preying on those who are at their weakest, looting homes, and businesses. They are targeting neighborhoods with high property values, exploiting this chaos for personal gain.

In Mandeville Canyon, a gang of looters stole over $200,000 worth of electronics and jewelry. In Altadena, another group was caught with an actual Emmy Award. More than 40 individuals have been apprehended by Santa Monica police alone and countless others remain on the loose.

Reports have emerged of armed residents having to patrol their neighborhoods at night to protect what little they have left. It is a stark and troubling reminder that in times of crisis, you cannot rely on someone else for your safety.

This moment, where a state of emergency has overwhelmed law enforcement resources, is a sobering reminder of why our Second Amendment rights are so vital. The ability to possess and carry a firearm could be the difference between life and death for residents in Southern California.

As a former California State Patrol officer, I served my community, region, and state for 13 years. We sacrificed life and limb to uphold our mission to “Protect and Serve,” and even deployed in 2017 (Tubbs Fire) and 2018 (Camp Fire) to protect devastated communities from criminals.

But despite our best efforts, there were many times when we arrived too late. Theft had already occurred, a victim was already dead, or property had been irreparably destroyed. The harsh reality is this: you are your own first responder. It is a difficult truth, but it is not up for debate. There are simply not enough law enforcement officers – especially during a national emergency – to protect everyone, everywhere, at all times.

That is why, in the years since my retirement, I have dedicated myself to Second Amendment advocacy. People need to understand the importance of the right to “keep and bear arms.” In moments like these, lives truly hang in the balance.

Following this disaster, there must be a robust conversation about accountability – who is responsible for the destruction, and how can justice be served? But equally important, we must address the dangerous impact of restrictive gun control policies that hinder Californians from protecting their loved ones. Taking firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens undermines public safety and emboldens criminals who know they will face little resistance.

We may never fully recover from these wildfires, but we can learn from them. History repeats itself unless we are willing to make meaningful changes. Government leaders must prioritize the safety and security of their citizens over political agendas.

In times of crisis, self-reliance is not just a virtue – it is a necessity. The ability to protect yourself, your family, and your community is a right worth defending

Colorado Supreme Court Rules Elephants Are Not Human and Must Stay in a Zoo.

One of these days, one of these animal rights nutcases will come before an equally nutty judge and win a case that frees some wild animal from a zoo.

Fortunately, that day has not yet arrived. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled 6-0 on Tuesday that six elephants in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo cannot be transferred to an elephant sanctuary based on the legal theory that they have the same rights as human beings.

The court said the decision “does not turn on our regard for these majestic animals.”

“Instead, the legal question here boils down to whether an elephant is a person,” the court said. “And because an elephant is not a person, the elephants here do not have standing to bring a habeas corpus claim.”

You have to admit that it’s a very clever fundraising strategy by the Nonhuman Rights Project, which has sued a dozen times over the last decade trying to free elephants and chimpanzees from various zoos. They haven’t once been successful, but that doesn’t matter as long as the cash keeps coming in.

The elephants — Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou and Jambo — had no intelligible comment.

That doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. Researchers have discovered an incredible number of sounds that elephants make at an amazing number of frequencies. We don’t know what they’re saying, of course, but that it’s a sophisticated example of cognitive thinking is undeniable.

However, until elephants can submit a legal brief on their own, they are out of luck in American courts.

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