Category: RKBA

Revisiting RAND’s Gun Law Research Review

As with the initial report, the key takeaway is that there is no solid body of empirical evidence to support the common gun control wish list items such as bans on modern sporting rifles, magazine size limits, minimum age requirements for purchasing a firearm, universal background checks, licensing and permitting requirements or mandatory sales reporting and registration.

Also, the methodological quality of the existing body of research is low at best. As the report concludes, “the scientific literature we reviewed shows that many of the best recent studies suffer from important methodological limitations that should be addressed in future research,” and, “with a few exceptions, there is a surprisingly limited base of rigorous scientific evidence concerning the effects of many commonly discussed gun policies.” We know this already, of course.

Heritage Foundation’s online DGU database. Add it to your bookmarks.

Defensive Gun Uses in the U.S.

All of the law-abiding citizens featured in this database successfully defended their liberties, lives, or livelihoods with the lawful use of a firearm. These cases are not based on hearsay, but on verifiable reports found through public sources.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost every major study on defensive gun use has found that Americans use their firearms defensively between 500,000 and 3 million times each year. There’s good reason to believe that most defensive gun uses are never reported to law enforcement, much less picked up by local or national media outlets.

This database, therefore, is not intended to be comprehensive. Instead, it highlights just a fraction of the incredible number of times Americans relied on the Second Amendment—not the government getting there in time—to protect their inalienable rights. Despite the limitations on data, these confirmed cases of defensive gun use help prove that the “good guy with a gun” is not a myth, but an integral part of American society.

Columbine Survivor: Joe Biden’s Gun Control Empowers Criminals

Columbine shooting survivor Evan Todd warned Monday that Democrat presidential hopeful Joe Biden’s gun control push empowers criminals and leaves schools wide open to attack.

The Columbine attack took place April 20, 1999, and on April 20, 2020, Biden took part in a town hall marking the anniversary of the heinous assault via a gun control push.

Todd says he could not stay silent as Biden “utlitizes… tragedy” for “political gain.”

He said, “I hate to break it to you liberals but Joe Biden supports some of the worst gun control measures, that dis-empower law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves and protecting the ones that they love.”

Todd added, “Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of the Second Amendment more times than not over his multi-decade political career.”

First-Time Buyers Explain Why Coronavirus Drove Them to Gun Stores in Record Numbers

Aaron Eaton learned how to shoot in the Army back in 2006 but holstered a pistol for the last time when he left in 2009 and took a job as a technician for a sewer company. That all changed on March 26 when the father of four walked out of an Alabama gun store with a Beretta 92FS, the same gun he handled as a military policeman at the height of the Iraq war.

“Simply put: I wanted peace of mind when it comes to the safety of my family,” Eaton said.

Eaton’s pistol was one of 2.3 million firearms to fly off the shelves in March, the single busiest month for gun sales ever. The Washington Free Beacon spoke to half a dozen new gun owners who purchased a total of six handguns and two shotguns. All of the new gun owners provided proof of purchase, though some asked not to have their last names published because of potential career backlash.

“To me, it’s all about protecting my family, and if a gun makes that easier, so be it,” Scott, a California tech worker with a wife and daughter, said.

Many of the new gun owners cited concerns about personal protection as states began emptying jail cells and police departments announced they would no longer enforce certain laws. Jake Wilhelm, a Virginia-based environmental consultant and lacrosse coach, purchased a Sig Sauer P226 after seeing Italy enact a nationwide lockdown on March 9.

“[My fiancée and I] came to the conclusion in early March that if a nation like Italy was going into full lockdown, we in the U.S. were likely on the same path,” Wilhelm said. “Given that, and knowing that police resources would be stretched to the max, I decided to purchase a handgun.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry’s trade group, said new customers represented a large swath of new gun sales even as gun stores faced depleted stocks and shutdown orders from state and local governments across the country. “A large portion of the 2.3 million sales during the month of March were to first-time buyers is what we’re hearing back from our retailers,” Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the group, said.

Retailers told the Free Beacon they’d never experienced anything like the recent surge of new buyers.

The Bill of Rights Matter – Even in a Pandemic

The Founding Fathers realized one of the most important aspects of life – our rights are not granted by man, but by God. They understood that if any government is responsible for giving rights to an individual, those freedoms and liberties can be quickly taken away. Instead, when the Bill of Rights was composed, they agreed and recognized that God is the authority of our prerogatives. Whether an elected official likes the Bill of Rights or not, they must adhere to them at all times, not just when it is convenient for them.

New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy was on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight this past week for an interview on the condition on the state. During the conversation, Carlson mentioned the widely publicized incident of 15 men arrested at a synagogue after attending an orthodox Jewish funeral, accused of violating the governor’s edict against large gatherings. Carlson asked Murphy,” By what authority did you nullify the Bill of Rights in issuing this order? How do you have the power to do that?”

Murphy’s response is indicative of an authoritarian. He chuckled at Carlson’s question and said, “that’s above my pay grade Tucker,” but did not say who’s pay grade it was. Murphy is the governor of the state of New Jersey. He sits in the highest political office. His decisions affect every citizen and anyone who passes through while traveling or on business. There is no one else above him politically. Murphy rejected responsibility.

Also, did you notice Murphy’s reaction to the question about the Bill of Rights? He chuckled. That is what he thinks about your rights as a United States citizen. His response should not surprise anyone. The Democrats laugh at the Constitution daily – they hate it. They abhor the fact that it restricts them from doing what they want to accomplish full-blown socialism.

Murphy could not answer Carlson’s question directly. He made excuses and blamed an imaginary person who is making other executive decisions in the state of New Jersey. Why? He knows that he cannot answer the question truthfully – the Democrats are in a power grab.

Carlson’s question was necessary for this reason: we have seen too many Democratic politicians act like the Bill of Rights does not apply to them. Since we are amid a pandemic, certain governors are governing by executive edict.

There were congregants cited for attending a drive-in church service in Mississippi after the Democratic mayor issued an executive order against them. The mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, Democrat Greg Fischer, attempted to ban the same type of church service but failed after a judge overruled him. The Kentucky governor ordered the State Police to record all vehicle license registration plates of any vehicle in a church parking lot on Easter Sunday with the threat of forced quarantine.

It is ironic. Democrats are proponents for a more powerful federal government with less power handed to states, except now there is a Republican president in office. All of a sudden, they are enjoying States Rights, perhaps to the point of illegal decrees.

The Bill of Rights guarantees us individual freedoms in America. It gives power to the people and restricts the government from reaching too far into our lives. It is one of the most precious documents in the founding of our country – without it, there is tyranny.

The COVID-19 virus is dangerous. It is responsible for the death of thousands of people. Pandemics do not annul our Constitution, and Civil liberties are under assault by the left.

The Democratic Party does not care about liberties and freedoms as initially intended. They are more concerned with creating a victim mentality nationwide, making their victims feel entitled to certain rights, government checks, and social entitlement.

Pandemics are not new and have been around for thousands of years, causing countless deaths. The Founders did not place anything in the Bill of Rights about widespread illness, and there are no clauses in the Constitution about them. Freedom is inherently dangerous. Much less perilous than security granted by the government, however. 

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin

Army Corps of Engineers Considering Expanded Firearm Policy

The Army Corps of Engineers, which manages more than 400 waterways in the U.S. and many of the recreational opportunities found there—camping, fishing, boating, hiking and more—is accepting written comments on a proposal to modernize its firearm policy and better recognize the right to self-defense.

“This proposed revision would align the Corps regulation with the regulations of the other Federal land management agencies by removing the need for an individual to obtain written permission before possessing a weapon on Corps projects,” the announcement explains.

Hunting and fishing during authorized seasons, in designated areas with proper licenses—and law enforcement—are the only exceptions under the current regulation. Comments will be accepted through June 12, 2020.

The proposal explains, “…the revised regulation would permit an individual to possess a weapon and associated ammunition when the possession both complies with the Federal, state, and local law where the project is located, and the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the weapon.” Gun owners with a valid concealed carry permit at this time are required to secure written permission, although that would change if the new regulation is formally adopted.

The Army Corps of Engineers manages projects across 43 different states, with many home to extremely popular recreation areas. Camping facilities are well developed in many of them and often include the full hookups and amenities that attract expensive recreational vehicles. Ninety percent are within 50 miles of major metropolitan areas—convenient location for outdoor enthusiasts as well as opportunistic criminals..

Comments on the proposed change can be e-mailed to firearms@usace.army.mil or sent in writing to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-N, Steve Austin, 3F68, 441 G Street NW, Washington DC 20314-1000. Include docket number COE-2018-0008 in the subject line or letter.

Kopel: Gun rights being chipped away a piece at a time

Decades ago, the head of one the most venerable gun-control groups explained the long-term strategy: “The first problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns being produced and sold in this country. The second problem is to get handguns registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors-totally illegal.” (The New Yorker, July 29, 1976).

Some things have changed. The group quoted above changed its name thrice, most recently to “Brady.” Gun control no longer aims only at handguns. But the basic approach has been constant.

Starting in 1998, the Brady Campaign organized lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry. Allegedly, firearms manufacturers and retailers who complied with all laws regarding arms sales were responsible for the acts of gun criminals. In response, Colorado, most other states, and eventually Congress passed legislation forbidding such abusive lawsuits.

Democratic presidential candidates Biden and Sanders favor repealing lawsuit limits. In the meantime, gun-control organizations are working to convince courts to invent loopholes in the federal statute.  They have succeeded in the Connecticut Supreme Court.

In California since 2013, all new models of semiautomatic handguns have been prohibited. A California statute outlaws all new models unless they can double-microstamp ammunition cases. No technology exists to perform such a feat. Even the inventor of double-microstamping has been unable to demonstrate that his mechanism meets the impossible California standards.

Registration. 

Confiscating guns (step 3) is much harder if the government does not know who has which guns (step 2). The “background check” law enacted by the Colorado legislature in 2013 is also a system for gun registration. For example, if you go on vacation for three weeks, and store your guns at your cousin’s house, to reduce the risk of theft, you are supposed to first go to a gun store with your cousin. The store will fill out all the same registration forms as if your cousin were buying firearms from the store’s inventory. When you return from vacation, you and the cousin must return to the gun store, to repeat the paperwork. This time, you will be treated as if you were buying firearms from the store’s inventory.

The obvious purpose of this is to get as many guns as possible recorded on the federal gun registration forms that firearms dealers must keep for each gun they sell.

According to the head of the National Institute of Justice under President Obama, “universal background checks” are unenforceable unless the government already has comprehensive registration lists. So as political circumstances allow, the gun-control lobbies demand universal registration, to close the supposed “loophole” in background checks.

Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom used registration lists for confiscation — euphemistically called a “buy back,” even though the government never owned the guns. Such confiscation has been praised by many American gun-control advocates. Several months ago, Virginia Gov. Northam proposed confiscating so-called “assault weapons.”

While confiscation was not enacted in Virginia, it has been in New York City and California, where all guns are registered. Some confiscations are slow motion, allowing current owners to keep their arms until they die, but not to pass them on to their heirs. This is what Colorado does with magazines and New York City does with what it calls “assault weapons,” such as 6-shot bolt-action rifles.

Every inconvenience possible.

The more people who own firearms, the harder it is to pass anti-gun laws.  Reducing the number of people who possess firearms helps with step one (reduce production), and is necessary in the long run for steps two and three.

New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York City, the United Kingdom and Australia provide the model: First, enact a licensing system. Then, as anti-gun officials make applications arduous, people are discouraged from acquiring their first firearm. Over a generation, the system greatly reduces firearms ownership.

Another approach is the 2018 Bloomberg law passed in Washington state. If you own a Winchester Model 1903 rifle, which uses low-power .22 caliber ammunition and has a maximum capacity of 10 rounds, you supposedly have a “semiautomatic assault rifle.” You must waive your medical privacy and pay special fees, which fund a bureaucracy to inspect your medical records at least once a year. Naturally, many people will forego firearm acquisition rather than surrender medical privacy. Which is the point of the law.

Waiting periods that require two trips to a store to buy a single gun might not matter to someone who resides near the Cabela’s in Thornton. But for the busy rancher or farmer who lives hours away from a gun store, the additional burden is high enough to make firearms acquisition impossible, especially during peak periods.

Alternatively, California’s badly-administered new laws for background checks on ammunition is making ammunition purchases impossible for many lawful buyers.

Maximizing harassment of law-abiding gun owners is a feature, not a bug, of gun control. The fewer gun owners, the easier to constrict the remnant of clingers.

David Kopel, research director at the Independence Institute and a longtime Second Amendment scholar, attorney, and advocate joins Cam to talk about the history of the gun control movement, and why anti-gun activists are so terrified of the number of Americans exercising their right to keep and bear arms for the very first time.

4 TIPS FOR GUN OWNERS TO BEAT BOREDOM WHILE AT HOME

While the Coronavirus pandemic has left many of us stuck indoors, that doesn’t mean that we can’t still dedicate some time to our favorite activity — guns. We at Guns.com have gathered together a handful of activities for you to pass the time.

1. CATCH UP ON READING

Gun books

Brush up on some reading with gun themed books. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)

Practicing social distancing has given many of us time to catch up on reading we might perhaps ignore the rest of the year. If you’re 2020 goal is to be a bit better read, brush the dust off your favorite books or download some new ones to your preferred electronic device. Some of our favorites include The Dry Fire Primer by Annette Evans, Handgun Hunting by Kat Ainsworth and You’re Not Lost if You Can Still See the Truck by Bill Heavey.

2. INVEST IN DRY FIRE PRACTICE

Rob Pincus training

Using a laser pistol like a SIRT, pictured in the hands of trainer Rob Pincus, is a great way to train at home. (Photo: Jacki Billings/Guns.com)

Just because you can’t head to the range doesn’t mean those skills have to deteriorate. Break out that laser trainer pistol or unload your current firearm and put in some dry fire reps. Simple drills can include malfunction drills, reloads, drawing from concealment and trigger press — but remember, carefully inspect your gun prior to any manipulation to ensure it is unloadedand free from ammunition. We also suggest removing all ammunition from the training area just to be sure no rounds accidentally make their way into the firearm.

3. CLEAN YOUR GUNS AND ORGANIZE YOUR STASH

Glock cleaning

Caring for guns is a great way to maintain firearms and pass the time. (Photo: Jacki Billings/Guns.com)

Take advantage of the time home to do a little spring cleaning and organize your stash. Now is the perfect time to break out the CLP and ready guns for your next hunt or range visit. With a little cleaner, some gun oil and some spare cloth you can clean up any gunk and make sure your guns are functioning properly. Once your done cleaning, invest some time organizing guns and gear.

Whether you choose to focus on prettying up the gun safe or you want to rearrange a favorite range bag, take stock of what you have and make sure to organize it in a way that fits your range or hunting flow. You can even take it a step further by making a list of items you want or need in the future like ammunition, targets, extra mags and even guns that are on your mind.

4. EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY

According to the NRA, the Eddie Eagle program started in 1988 and has taught over 30 million youth the basics of firearm accident prevention (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

According to the NRA, the Eddie Eagle program started in 1988 and has taught over 30 million youth the basics of firearm accident prevention (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

If your family isn’t already on the up-and-up when it comes to gun safety practices, now is a great time to get them involved. For younger kids, the NRA’s Eddie Eagle or NSSF’s Project ChildSafe offers fun learning tools to educate little ones on the importance of gun safety. Making sure that everyone understands what to do if they see a gun in addition to covering safe handling practices keeps family members safe. While you’re at it, now is a good time to evaluate how you store guns and make sure that little ones don’t have access.

If you want to continue the education with fun books for the kiddos, check out some of our favorite gun oriented books for youth by some of our favorite authors.

Virus Shutdown Threatens Constitutional Carry Bills in Tennessee

U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- It seemed Tennessee would be the first state to join the Constitutional Carry club in 2020.  From an earlier article on Ammoland:

On 27 February, 2020, at 1 p.m., Governor Bill Lee announced he is proposing Constitutional Carry for Tennessee in 2020.

Both Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lampeth endorsed the idea of Constitutional Carry. A specific statute was not in place when the announcement was made. With all three leaders endorsing the popular idea of Constitutional Carry, a bill seemed almost certain of passage. From tn.gov:

“I applaud Governor Lee’s commitment to Tennesseans’ Second Amendment rights guaranteed by our U.S. and state constitutions. This proposal will reduce barriers to ensure citizens have the ability to protect themselves and their families, while imposing stiffer penalties against criminals who possess guns illegally,” said Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson.

“This constitutional carry package is historic because not only does it uphold the freedoms granted to us by our nation’s founding fathers, it also imposes mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines on bad guys who illegally obtain or use handguns,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth. “I want to thank the National Rifle Association for their work over the years in making today a reality, and I look forward to working with Governor Lee, as well as my House and Senate colleagues to get Constitutional Carry passed in Tennessee.”

The United States started 2020 with 16 states which have close approximations of Constitutional Carry.

Constitutional Carry is when residents are not required to have a government permit in order to carry loaded handguns in most public places, either concealed or openly. This was the state of the law when the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791. It wasn’t until a generation later that politicians started to infringe on Second Amendment rights, primarily with bans on carrying concealed weapons, then later, after the War Between the States, with requiring permits to carry.

In the 2020 legislative session in Tennessee, several bills were submitted, with considerable differences. Then, the Covid-19 virus, or Wuhan Flu, caught the attention of the legacy media and federal, state, and local governments.

On 19 March 2020, the Tennessee legislature temporarily recessed, stopping legislative action.

Constitutional Carry, which had been endorsed by the Governor, the majority leader in the House, and the Majority leader in the Senate, is dead in the water.

The legislature hopes to resume the session on 1 June. From tenessean.com:

Although lawmakers hope to return as early as June 1, the continued uncertainty of coronavirus has led some members to wonder when it might be safe to return to Nashville to continue their business for the year.

The Tennesee legislature was scheduled to be in session from 14 January, 2020, to 1 May, 2020. It is unknown how long the legislature may be in session after resuming the session on 1 June.

The legislature passed the budget on 19 March; there is little incentive for them to take up much work. 2020 is an election year, and legislators will wish to get out and campaign. Republicans hold supermajorities in both houses, so Democrats have the incentive to limit the session as much as possible. Actions on HB2817, and SB2671 were put on hold as of  18 and 17 of March, respectively.

This shows how events can derail the best-laid plans. No one planned for a pandemic to shut down the legislature for over two months.

How high a priority passage of  Constitutional Carry was to the legislature is unknown. If it had been a priority, it could have been passed rather quickly.

Tennessee Firearms Association has lobbied for the least restrictive version of Constitutional Carry, the Governor and legislative leaders version would include increased penalties for theft of firearms and possession by currently prohibited possessors.

It is possible a version of Constitutional Carry will be passed into law in 2020; if it does, it will be because of strong lobbying by Second Amendment supporters.

The Lies the Gun Control Industry Tells

By Will

Gun control might not be an oft-discussed topic recently, but I think that it is an important one. Why? Because the gun control lobby is lying to us. Still. Like with other “pandemics,” such as the topic of the moment, Coronavirus, our friends on the left use fear and very misleading numbers as the basis of their arguments.

Rather than objectively looking at the evidence, they cherry-pick data and then misuse or misrepresent it. The most distorted among these are gang violence and suicides.

Gang Violence

“Gun violence,” as it’s currently known, is a problem in America. I completely agree with that and think that there are potential solutions to it. However, law-abiding gun owners are overwhelmingly responsible individuals. Aside from an insignificant minority, they don’t commit crimes.

On the other hand, gun-related gang violence is a massive problem in America. Those (illegal) gun owners frequently use firearms to commit crimes. Those gang-related shootings, homicides, and other forms of violence show up in the general gun violence data. In response, many on both the left and the right propose gun control as a response.

But gun control won’t work. It’s only relevant to the law-abiding gun owners. The ones who don’t use their weapons to commit crimes. Gang members, on the other hand, don’t care about the law. They’re criminals. So it doesn’t matter to them that certain types and classes of weapons are made illegal. They’re breaking the law anyway.

Gun violence — crimes involving the use of firearms — could be limited by focusing on reducing gang membership. Education and policing reforms could be very effective at cutting down the number of gangs, and gang members in America. Then we would certainly see a drop in gun violence.

As the tweet at the top shows, many homicides are gang-related killings. So are many so-called “mass shootings.” While those incidents are tragic, including gang-related gun crimes with more traditional mass shootings and homicides is misleading.

Because most homicides are gang-related, gun control will be ineffective at cutting the homicide rate, and the only ones who think otherwise are people who don’t understand that the gun control lobby is lying to them. Instead, these laws will only punish law-abiding gun owners. That shouldn’t happen; the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding gun owners should be respected.

Suicide

Suicide is a horrible tragedy. I firmly believe that societies should do every reasonable thing that it can to cut down the suicide rate around the world. But gun control is not a rational response to suicide.

Most people who commit suicide are people who technically should be allowed to own a firearm. Although they are often depressed, they have done nothing wrong. It would be a gross violation of civil liberties to prohibit the sale of firearms to anyone who seems depressed. Not only would that be ineffective, it, like all gun control attempts, would punish the innocent along with the guilty.

Furthermore, it is not the role of government to get involved in the lives of law-abiding citizens. That is a cure worse than the disease because of how much it would limit individual liberty and our right to privacy.

Controlling the availability of firearms to law-abiding citizens is morally wrong and would most likely have a limited effect on suicide rates.

So, what can be done? The mental health system should be reformed. Concerned friends and family members should be able to report people who they think are struggling so that those people can be checked out.

Having a professional work with those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts could be effective, but the patient and doctor have to be connected. Setting up a report line and allowing concerned friends and family to submit names could be a great way to connect patients and doctors.

Additionally, those involved with treating patients who have suicidal tendencies should rely on more personal care and fewer pills. Medicines have their place. But many psychoactive drugs have dangerous and unpredictable side effects on the mental health of those taking them.

These are powerful tools, but can also be quite dangerous. Doctors and psychiatrists should work with their patients in person to help them through their problems rather than relying on pills.

Suicide is a complex problem. I don’t have all the answers; I probably don’t have any good answers or solutions. But what I do know is that gun control won’t work and that when people say it will, they only think that because the gun control lobby is lying to them.

As with gangs, those who want a gun will always be able to get one. We should focus on patient care, not restricting individual rights for society as a whole.

Conclusion

Suicide and gang violence are complex topics. They are also responsible for the overwhelming majority of firearm-related homicides. Too many people die from such “gun violence.” That is an issue that needs to be addressed in a variety of ways.

But gun control will not fix either problem, and restricting law-abiding citizens’ access to firearms is both unconstitutional and immoral. Gang members will always be able to get weapons. Those who really want to commit suicide will find a way to do so.

However, if more gun control is put in place to try and fix those issues, then everyone will be punished. That makes it not only an ineffective policy, but also an immoral one that will lead to the deaths of innocents.

We need to be on the lookout for these attacks by an emotional, reactionary minority on our Second Amendment rights. Gun control laws have proven to be ineffective time and again. To pretend otherwise is both dishonest and dangerous.

The gun control lobby is lying to us. It wants us to believe not only that gun violence rampant in America (it’s not), but also that gun control is an effective solution to the violence we do have. Don’t listen to the braying gun control crowd. Their ideas don’t work. They will only restrain your freedom and your liberty.

 

Antis Talk ‘Gun Safety’ During Pandemic, NRA Teaches It Online

Even before the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic panic, when people began rushing to gun stores—many for the first time—gun prohibition lobbying groups have been preaching against allowing such businesses to operate, and against buying firearms, while the National Rifle Association has taken a different, and decidedly proactive approach.

This NRA email says it all: “In response to the growing number of first-time gun buyers during the coronavirus outbreak, the National Rifle Association’s Education & Training Division is pleased to announce the launch of four new online gun safety courses.”

According to the NRA message, the courses include:

  • Gun Safety Seminar
  • NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course – Distance Learning
  • NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course – Distance Learning
  • NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course – Distance Learning

Each course, lasting from one to eight hours, is available at NRAInstructors.org.

In a recent statement, Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, welcomed all the new gun owners to the shooting fraternity.

“We encourage all new gun owners to seek competent training,” Gottlieb said. “Learn to handle your new firearms safely, and remember it’s up to all of you to protect your rights. It’s sad and at the same time uplifting that so many Americans will no longer be fence-sitters. They’re joining the ranks of gun owners and will soon understand, if they don’t already, why so many of their friends, neighbors and even family members have remained so zealous in their efforts to protect the rights you now hope to exercise and enjoy.”

Likewise, Joe DeBergalis, executive director of NRA General Operations, says in the NRA email, “The NRA recommends that all new gun owners seek professional training at the range, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a head start on learning the basics of firearm safety at home. New gun owners, old gun owners, it doesn’t really matter. Taking one of these classes moderated by a certified NRA instructor can only make you safer, and that’s our primary goal.”

“These courses will provide an option for first-time gun owners who don’t have the ability to take an NRA certified instructor-led class at their local shooting range at this time,” DeBergalis, continued. “While there is no replacement for in-person, instructor-led training, our new online classes do provide the basics of firearm safety training for those self-isolating at home.”

By contrast, the Michael Bloomberg-supported Everytown for Gun Safety lobbying group has been urging people to pressure the Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security to reverse course and declare gun stores “non-essential.” This, even after admitting in an email blast, “It has been reported that gun sales have been going way up…A flood of guns at this precarious moment compounds the risks of death and serious injury during this incredibly stressful time.”

But the NRA is doing something about that, and CCRKBA has counseled all of these new gun owners to take advantage of available safety training.

Second Amendment activists have frequently argued “If you’re not teaching gun safety, you’ve got no business preaching about gun safety.” Translation: Firearms instructors provide genuine gun safety training, while so-called “gun safety” organizations are gun prohibition lobbying groups in disguise.

There is a considerable difference between just telling people to lock up their firearms and support a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” and actually providing competent instruction on the safe handling of firearms, whether they are handguns, shotguns or semi-auto modern sporting rifles.

It is important for new gun owners to be able to tell the difference between the two.

I feel for Hobie and the rest of you in Virginia. While I liked working at Ft Eustis, I don’t miss living there one bit. At least the rally held in Richmond seems to have influenced the demoncraps enough that they dropped the magazine, suppressor and semi-auto ban…for now.

Gov. Northam signs red flag, one-handgun-a-month, other gun legislation into law

RICHMOND, Va. – New gun laws are coming to Virginia.

Gov. Ralph Northam signed multiple pieces of gun legislation into law.

These include:

  • Senate Bill 70 and House Bill 2, which require background checks on all firearm sales in Virginia
  • Senate Bill 240 and House Bill 674, which establish an Extreme Risk Protective Order, creating a legal mechanism for law enforcement to temporarily separate a person from their firearms when they represent a danger to themselves or others. This is more commonly referred to as a red flag law.
  • Senate Bill 69 and House Bill 812, which reinstates Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month rule
  • House Bill 9 requires gun owners to report their lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours or face a civil penalty.
  • House Bill 1083 increases the penalty for recklessly leaving firearms in the presence of children.

In addition to signing the above five things into law, Northam also proposed amendments to these bills

  • Senate Bill 35 and House Bill 421 allow localities to regulate firearms in public buildings, parks, recreation centers, and during permitted events. The governor’s amendments look to clarify the exemption for institutions of higher education.
  • Senate Bill 479 and House Bill 1004 prohibit individuals subject to protective orders from possessing firearms, require them to turn over their firearms within 24 hours, and certify to the court that they have turned over their weapons. The governor amended this legislation at the request of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance with the goal of enhancing safety for victims by allowing judges to hold the respondent in contempt of court if they fail to comply with the certification requirements.

This has got to be feeling just like a big fat burr under the saddle

Bloomberg to Gun Culture: “Help Me!”

Thank you, Michael Bloomberg, for finally admitting that gun owners are correct.

Oh, I’m certain that he didn’t mean to do it; after all, the non-opinion piece titled You Just Panic-Bought a Gun. Here’s How to Handle It Safely was written by Alain Stephens, not Bloomberg himself, but as it was published in Bloomberg’s anti-gun organ The Trace on March 20th, and as Bloomberg is its owner and publisher, that means he owns, in every sense of the word, what it says.

https://www.thetrace.org/2020/03/you-just-panic-bought-a-gun-coronavirus-safety/

I imagine that galls Bloomberg terribly, since he has told us for nearly two decades that no one needs a gun. Now, despite his best efforts, his anti-gun magazine is acknowledging the awkward truth that people want guns to protect themselves and their families in a crisis where the police may be late to arrive (if in fact they arrive at all, given how many city police departs are stretched to the breaking point with many officers out sick) and so in acknowledgement of that fact, The Trace is reluctantly giving these new gun owners advice on how to safely handle their new firearm.

The irony of this situation is that neither The Trace, nor any other anti-gun organization, nor even Michael Bloomberg himself has experience in this regard. His position has always been abstinence-only when it comes to firearm education, and like an abstinence-only parent who discovers that his child is having premarital sex, his choices have become “Ignore the situation and hope it goes away” and “Accept reality and seek advice from a professional.” As ignoring the situation almost always leads to unfortunate consequences like unplanned teenage pregnancies or negligent discharges which result in injury or death, Bloomberg, has decided – most likely unintentionally, and almost assuredly to his great gall – to take the mature course of action and seek the advice of experts.

Unfortunately for Bloomberg, those experts whose advice he has sought are precisely those people whom he and his various anti-gun organizations (Everytown, Moms Demand Action, March for our Lives, et al.) have vilified. After the article’s obligatory references to “numerous studies” about the inherent dangers of gun ownership, the first given piece of firearms safety advice are the Four Rules of Gun Safety:

  1. Treat all guns as if they are loaded.
  2. Never let the muzzle of the firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy.
  3. Don’t place your finger near the trigger until you are ready to fire.
  4. Always identify your target – and what lies in front of and behind it.

Accompanying these rules are a link to the blog of Springfield Armory, a manufacturer of semi-automatic weapons including the much-maligned AR-15 rifle, a firearm which Bloomberg would dearly love to make illegal.

https://blog.springfield-armory.com/four-cardinal-rules-for-handgun-owners-what-you-need-to-know

What’s more, in that same blog post Springfield Armory is quoting Colonel Jeff Cooper, the man who not only created the Four Rules but was also a member of the Board of Directors for the National Rifle Association. Yes, you read that correctly: an article in Bloomberg’s anti-gun The Trace just went to the NRA for help. Isn’t it curious that, after years of calling the NRA and its members awful people who value guns over safety, the very first piece of firearm safety instruction comes from the NRA? Thank you, Michael Bloomberg, for admitting that the NRA actually teaches firearm safety.

Oh, but the hits don’t stop there. Not only is there a link to an instructional YouTube video titled How to Use an AR-15 by Lucky Gunner (the ammunition drop-shipping company which was sued by the Brady Campaign after the Aurora, CO shooting), there are also links to other YouTube videos made by the Tactical Rifleman and Legally Armed America channels. Thank you, Michael Bloomberg, for endorsing the instructional content of  YouTube gun channels.

This whole article has been a parade of amazement, but the part of it which left me most amazed was that its paragraph on safe storage did not take the opportunity to state that firearms and their ammunition must be stored separately. I don’t know how this tacit admission that it’s a terrible idea to keep your self-defense firearm locked up separately from the ammunition needed to operate it ever made it past the editors, but it did, and I find myself worrying about the future career prospects of The Trace’s editor-in-chief.

Unfortunately this article, and therefore Michael Bloomberg, never actually took that final step of admitting that in a self-defense situation the time needed to retrieve ammunition kept separately from a firearm can result in the death of innocents, but given all of the other admissions in this article I’ll gladly forgive this oversight. I will also take this opportunity to state for the record that if your self-defense weapon is a pistol kept properly holstered on your body, not only can you keep it loaded and ready to deploy to defend yourself or loved ones, but you are also keeping it safe and out of the hands of your children, thereby negating the need to lock it up during the day.

Thank you, Michael Bloomberg, for admitting that guns keep us safe, that citizens can responsibly own the AR-15, that firearm education is necessary, and that gun owners were right all along. Now it is up to you to decide if you wish to keep to this new philosophy or revert back to your abstinence-only worldview once this crisis has passed. As you do so, please keep in mind that many new gun owners will be doing the same, and now that they have skin in this particular political game they may no longer be as receptive to your old views as they once were. Bear that in mind, lest you alienate a now-growing segment of your readership.

Why Owning A Gun Is A Completely Rational Insurance Policy Against Danger
Owning a gun is like keeping a spare tire in your trunk, a first aid kit at home, or an emergency savings account. We hope never to use them, but we’re glad we have them.

The social and economic uncertainty surrounding the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic has Americans understandably concerned about their personal safety. In March 2020, the FBI reported the highest monthly number of firearms background checks ever recorded: 3,740,688. Compared to March of the previous year, Americans bought 1.1 million more guns in a single month. Ammunition is also flying off the shelves, with sales in some states increasing more than 4,000 percent.

Many recent first gun-buyers are people who were previously either ambivalent or even opposed to gun ownership. Several such people have reached out to me with questions about which gun they should buy. Many fellow firearms instructors report the same experience.

It’s easy to see why Americans are worried. While we live in a generally high-trust society, catastrophes can easily disrupt the delicate social order on which that trust depends. As it is sometimes said, we are all only nine meals away from anarchy.

Desperate people do desperate things. Economic goods are human goods, and while the current lockdowns are necessary to contain the pandemic, they carry real human costs. Many of these costs — joblessness, homelessness, mental health issues, and drug abuse — lend themselves easily to criminal behavior.

Always Be Prepared

Am I saying society is on the brink of collapse? No, we are far from an apocalypse. The point is simply that the world is and has always been a risky place, so it makes perfect sense to be proactive and prepared. When things are peaceful and prosperous, we often don’t pay attention to danger because things are going so well. But in times of great social and economic stress, we are more attuned to things that might go wrong.

Having a disaster plan isn’t as foreign as some might think. We routinely make decisions aimed at mitigating risks. We purchase insurance, maintain emergency savings, and get flu shots. We keep spare tires, jumper cables, flashlights, and fire extinguishers handy, and buy extra supplies just in case we might need them.

Unless you happen to be naively optimistic, you’re already a “prepper.” Even if you’re relatively “lucky,” you can bet something catastrophic will eventually befall you sometime in your life. Better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.

Prepping for improbable events isn’t necessarily irrational; it is often wise. Consider this: In 2017, more than 2.7 million people were injured in 6.4 million car crashes. With 327 million people in the United States, this means the baseline probability of you getting injured in a car accident each year is slightly over 0.8 percent.

Now, a 0.8 percent chance might be perceived as pretty good odds. After all, that’s a 99.2 percent chance you won’t be injured. But .8 percent of 327 million still comes out to 2.7 million people each year, which is no small number. Are you willing to bet you’ll never be one of those unlucky few? Probably not.

Although your chances of getting into an accident are small, consider what you stand to lose if you do get injured. Making preparations, such as buying insurance or carrying road flares, isn’t irrational, despite statistical improbability.

The Odds of Violent Crime Are Higher than You Think

With that point in mind, let’s look at the odds of violent criminal victimization. In 2018, 3.3 million people ages 12 and older were victimized in 6 million violent crimes. There were 23.2 violent victimizations per 1,000 U.S. residents ages 12 and older, meaning 2.3 percent of Americans 12 and older were victims of violent crime in 2018. This is much greater than the baseline odds of injury from motor vehicle accidents, for which preparation is rational.

If you have a 1-in-50 baseline chance of being violently victimized each year, wouldn’t it be rational to take prudent measures to protect yourself? I think so.

That is exactly why millions of ordinary Americans own guns. Firearms are extremely effective in preventing injury and do not require a great deal of effort to use and keep around. Guns are a perfectly reasonable, cost-effective, safe, and convenient form of risk mitigation.

Owning a gun is like keeping a spare tire in your trunk, a first aid kit at home, or an emergency savings account. We hope never to use them, but we’re glad we have them. None of this indicates paranoia. Carrying a gun is similar to carrying insurance, except it’s better: You actually get to collect the benefits without having to incur serious harm.

Insurance against national catastrophe makes pretty good sense when you consider the past few hundred years of failed states, civil wars, and less-than-ideal regimes. Among other things, the track record of state-sanctioned citizen slaughter, vigilante violence, and racial conflict shows that when societies do go bad, they tend to go extremely bad. Think of the hundreds of sovereign nations that no longer exist due to war and internal strife.

Police, of course, serve a valuable public function. But most police responses come after crimes have already been committed. Less than half of all personal crimes are even reported to police. Moreover, in times of crisis, police are stretched thin. At the time of writing this, 17 percent of the New York Police Department is out sick, and many police departments are not performing arrests or even responding to “minor” crimes.

All this highlights the need to be self-reliant. Ultimately, we are our own last line of defense. We may delegate some of our protection to civil authorities, but the natural right to protect ourselves is inseparable from our humanity.

Gun Owners Aren’t Paranoid, They’re Smart

Some people believe you’re more likely to harm yourself or someone else with a gun than to use it in self-defense, but that isn’t the case. The findings of more than 19 surveys specifically designed to measure the number of defensive gun uses all confirm that defensive uses are vastly more common than criminal uses. A small sampling of these can be viewed on the Active Self-Protection YouTube channel, which has collected several hundred video clips of successful civilian self-defense encounters.

The often-heard charge that gun owners are paranoid and fearful is just naive psychoanalysis unsupported by credible research. Indeed, a recent study has found that gun owners report lower levels of fear and victimization than those who don’t own guns. If anything, there is a lot of irrational fear directed toward firearms as inanimate objects, something famed firearms instructor Jeff Cooper calls “hoplophobia.”

To all the new gun owners out there: Welcome to the Second Amendment community. We’re glad you’ve decided to take the protection of yourself and your loved ones seriously. Get training, be responsible, and be prepared.

Gun Law Reform in Bolsonaro’s Brazil, Homicides Drop Precipitously

In December, 2018, in an article published by the Wall Street Journal, this pronouncement was made. From the wsj.com:

Now, Brazil is set to embark on an experiment that will determine what happens when you loosen gun restrictions in a country battling an overpowering wave of gun crime.

Homicides in Brazil were at historic highs in 2017. They dropped a bit in 2018, as candidate Bolsonaro ran on reform of the gun laws to allow self-defense, and reform of the law to get tough on crime.  The homicide numbers dropped from 59,000 in 2017, to 51,000 in 2018. President Bolsonaro was elected in October of 2018.

After taking office on 1 January 2019, President Bolsonaro issued his first decree reforming some of Brazil’s extreme gun laws on 15 January 2019. The drop in Brazil’s homicide rate accelerated.

Gun control in Brazil has a long history. By 1997, restrictions on gun ownership were deemed as “severe” by the Wall Street Journal. From the wsj.com:

In Brazil’s violent cities, where 90% of the murders are committed with guns, ownership restrictions have become so severe that Taurus has branched out into motorcycle helmets, bulletproof vests, and auto parts.

(snip)

Brazil’s 1997 law, which requires gun owners to have unblemished police records and pass rigorous psychological and shooting-proficiency tests, has slashed Taurus’s sales to private individuals by more than 80% in the past two years, Mr. Murgel says. Taurus has sought to make up for that with an aggressive push into motorcycle helmets and increased gun sales in the U.S., where Taurus’s advertising spending is up threefold this year.

Early in the Bolsonaro presidency, a Brazilian lawyer predicted the homicide rate would drop. From ammoland.com:

César Mello, asked that I include information that early reports are showing a 25% drop in Brazil’s homicide rate, in the first quarter of 2019. If this trend continues, 16,000 lives will have been saved in the first year of President Bolsonaro’s time in office.

The rate reduction was not quite that high. Only 10,000 lives were saved.  From wtop.com:

Brazil had 41,635 killings in 2019, down 19% from the prior year and the least number of homicides since 2007, when the so-called Violence Monitor index was launched. It is a partnership between the non-profit Brazilian Forum of Public Security, the University of Sao Paulo’s Center for the Study of Violence, and news website G1, which published the data Friday.

“IN OUR GOVERNMENT HOMICIDES, VIOLENCE AND FALLACIES FALL!” an exultant Bolsonaro wrote on his Twitter account, sharing the G1 news report. “Our government extends a strong embrace to all the security agents of the country. Brazil continues on the right path.”

When translated to homicide rates, the rate dropped 17% in 2018, then 23% more in 2019. The population of Brazil in 2019 was 210 million. The rate of homicides per 100,000 was 19.83.  That is less than 2/3 of the homicide rate in 2017, which was 30.8.

Brazil has not had a homicide rate this low since 1995, before the highly restrictive gun law of 1997 was passed.

When the NYTs did an article on the reform of Brazil’s gun laws during the Bolsonaro administration, somehow, the reduction in the Brazilian homicide rate was not included.  The article was published on 31 March, 2020.   From the nytimes.com:

During Mr. Bolsonaro’s first year in office, the government issued more than 200,000 licenses to gun owners. The federal police, which issues licenses for self-defense, approved 54,300 permits in 2019, a 98 percent increase from the previous year. The army, which grants permits to hunters and collectors, issued more than 147,800 new licenses in 2019, a 68 percent increase.

The only mention of homicides in the NYTs article is this:

In Brazil, a country of more than 209 million that has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, the right to bear arms is not a constitutional guarantee, as it is in the United States. The gun rights movement has long been on the losing side of policy debates.

Will the Brazilian homicide rate continue to drop? We will find out over the course of the next few years. Leftist academics are already finding excuses as to why the reform of Brazilian gun laws made no difference.

They had predicted homicides would rise as the reforms were implemented.