“The man accused of setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence Sunday indicated he was motivated by his views on the Israel-Gaza war and believed Shapiro needed to stop the killing of Palestinians…”

“… a newly unveiled search warrant says. Cody Balmer, 38, made the declarations in a 911 call after he left the property, in which he reported his own attack to dispatchers…. Balmer — who reportedly struggled with untreated mental illness — said the governor needed to stop having [Balmer’s] friends killed and said ‘our people have been put through too much by that monster,’ according to the affidavit. He also said, ‘All he has is a banquet hall to clean up.’ Balmer allegedly identified himself by name and told the dispatcher he would “confess to everything that I had done…. Shapiro has expressed support for Israel, and last year pushed for the University of Pennsylvania to disband a pro-Palestinian encampment….”

From “Suspect who targeted Shapiro cited views on Palestinians, warrant says/Cody Balmer, 38, described his views in a call to 911 reporting the attack. His brother said that Balmer suffered from mental illness” (WaPo).

We’re told that Cody Balmer’s brother Dan says Cody “was diagnosed with bipolar disorder” and has expressed the belief that his sister-in-law is a witch. And: “Dan Balmer also said Cody Balmer was politically independent and had urged his family to vote for Donald Trump in November.”

Just my opinion, but the homeowner likely doesn’t really need time on a range to practice his marksmanship, but simply a reconsideration of whose lives he values more.

GA Sheriff Issues Warning After Armed Citizen Stops ‘Deranged’ Man From Climbing Through Child’s Window

A sheriff in Georgia is praising the actions of an armed homeowner who stopped a would-be intruder from gaining access to a child’s bedroom, while also issuing a warning to other criminals in the county.

Butts County Sheriff Gary Long says a man named Abdul Aquil is in custody in connection with the break-in, and is lucky to be alive after his encounter with the armed citizen. Aquil allegedly first tried to gain entry to the home through a bedroom window with a child on the other side, but the child’s father heard the commotion and interrupted the burglar as he was crawling inside.

Long said the father of the child “challenged the intruder and the suspect exited the window.”

According to Long, the father then went to his room and got a gun as Aquil busted the living room window, trying to get inside.

The father fired his gun, missing the suspect, but causing the suspect to run away.

Long said in a Facebook post, “The shot fired by the homeowner was UNFORTUNATELY about 8 inches too high, missing the intruder, which would have resulted in his death.”

Thankfully the errant shot didn’t hit anyone else either, but it did cause the suspect to turn tail and run away. Deputies caught up with Aquil a short distance away and took him into custody after what the sheriff’s office calls a “brief altercation” with law enforcement, and at last report he’s cooling his heels in the Butts County Jail.

Long, meanwhile, has two messages for residents of Butts County. In that Facebook post he “strongly” encouraged citizens who can legally possess a firearm to get their hands on one and attend a gun safety class hosted by the sheriff’s office, adding that “if the homeowner last night was not a gun owner, I am afraid the outcome could have been much different.

The sheriff’s message for those in Butts County who might be thinking of engaging in a little late-night burglary, on the other hand, is a warning that they should be aware they may very well come across a homeowner who won’t miss.

“To the criminals, listen up and pay close attention, if you decide to break into a home in Butts County, make sure you are ready to meet your maker. My staff and I will spend as much time as it takes to make sure the citizens of this County are well-trained, educated and capable of making great shots to protect their family and homes. So, unless you are prepared to die, I would highly recommend you to find a home in another County to burglarize, because this is not the one.”

Aquil is currently facing a litany of charges; including burglary, home invasion, terroristic threats, first-degree cruelty to children, and second-degree criminal damage to property. If convicted, Aquil could spend the next decade or more behind bars. In fact, Georgia’s home invasion statute has a mandatory minimum ten-year sentence, so Aquil is guaranteed to live out the next few years in custody if he’s found guilty on that charge alone.

The armed homeowner who defended their family isn’t facing any charges, and it sounds like it didn’t take investigators long at all to figure out that his errant shot was a justifiable use of force. Some range time might be in order, but thankfully the shot he fired didn’t need to strike its intended target to stop the threat posed by the would-be intruder.

Trump Snubs NRA Convention

For the first time since 2015, President Donald Trump won’t be speaking at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting.

On Tuesday, the NRA confirmed President Trump would not be attending the event in Atlanta, Georgia, at the end of the month. It also said it had canceled the Leadership Forum, the part of the conference where Trump and other politicians usually address NRA members. It cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for Trump’s absence.

“Though President Trump is unable to attend the NRA’s 2025 Annual Meeting, he is always welcome on our stage to address our members and has done so on nine occasions over the last decade,” the NRA told The Reload. “As an NRA Life Member himself, President Trump remains a steadfast advocate for NRA members and a champion for the right to keep and bear arms. Considering the high level and pace of work being done by his administration on many fronts to make America great again and put America first on the world stage, we can understand that he has a complex, ever-moving schedule.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on President Trump’s decision not to speak. However, this is not the first NRA event he has canceled in recent months. At the end of the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump canceled a planned rally with the group in the swing state of Georgia.

The abrupt end to Trump’s streak of speaking at the NRA’s biggest gathering of the year, which draws tens of thousands of visitors, comes as his administration has taken a slower approach to gun policy reforms than most other areas. The White House left gun policy off its list of priorities, and Trump skipped it altogether during his record-long speech to a joint session of Congress in March. The decision to skip the NRA speech also reflects his diminishing relationship with the organization as it has struggled to pull out of a half-decade-long tailspin, resulting from former NRA leader Wayne LaPierre’s long-running financial impropriety.

In 2016, the NRA was one of the only major national groups to spend big on Trump’s candidacy. It poured over $50 million into that election, and its membership rose to all-time highs under his first term. It had direct access to Trump during much of his first term as well, with LaPierre and former-NRA lobbyist Chris Cox having Oval Office meetings with him.

However, shortly after Trump spoke at the 2019 Annual Meeting, news of LaPierre’s misuse of NRA funds caused a brewing leadership battle to boil over into public view. That fight lasted years and ended with the firing of Cox, loss of millions of members, as well as the ouster of LaPierre and a court finding he was liable for millions in damages. It also took a toll on the NRA’s ability to fundraise and spend in elections, with the group spending less and less through Trump’s subsequent presidential runs.

Still, the gun-rights group has remained a strong backer of Trump throughout that time. It has rarely publicly disagreed with him. The only notable times the NRA has criticized Trump came after he declared he wasn’t beholden to the group in the wake of the 2018 Parkland shooting, backing unrealized new gun restrictions, and he unilaterally banned bump stocks after the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting–which the Supreme Court eventually found unconstitutional.

The NRA also backed Trump during the 2024 Republican primary, despite Florida Governor Ron DeSantis initially positioning himself to the right of Trump on guns. They brought Trump in to speak to NRA members at multiple Annual Meetings during his numerous criminal prosecutions, one of which ended in a felony conviction that bars him from owning guns. During his 2023 Annual Meeting speech, Trump even claimed he and the NRA were facing similar legal persecution at the hands of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D.).

“The very same raging radical left lunatic attorney general that is coming after me in New York state is also waging war on the NRA, shamefully trying to destroy this legendary organization that’s been an American institution since 1871,” Trump said at the time. “They better endorse me again or they’re going to have some explaining to do.”

The NRA also invited Trump to speak to members in Pennsylvania before he had wrapped up the nomination. Trump made a series of promises to undo President Joe Biden’s gun rules during that February 2024 event. The NRA formally endorsed him a short time later.

Still, a source familiar with the discussion about canceling Trump’s speech to the NRA, who asked to remain anonymous to speak candidly, said the group has “fallen out of favor.” Although reformers have gained control of NRA leadership in the wake of the ruling against LaPierre and the group has already instituted some changes with more promised, the moves haven’t yet left a positive impression in the White House. That’s at least in part because the President “doesn’t even have any idea who runs NRA anymore or what they do.”

While Trump has put gun policy on the back burner and is well behind his own timetable to implement pro-gun reforms, the NRA has yet to criticize him during his still-young second term. The group has instead focused on the policy moves the Trump Administration has announced thus far. While it’s behind schedule, Trump did order the Department of Justice to review executive branch gun policies–which recently led to the official elimination of the Biden-era “zero tolerance” ATF policy toward gun dealer malfeasance or mistakes.

“In just over 80 days since he took office, President Trump has already made critical changes to safeguard the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” the NRA said. “This includes rolling back radical administrative rules instituted by the Biden-Harris administration and ordering the Attorney General to expose work by various government agencies and bureaus that limit the gun rights of lawful citizens.”

The NRA doesn’t appear to be changing tack despite Trump’s decision not to speak. Instead of complaining about Trump skipping its meeting, the NRA chastised Congress for not sending a reciprocity bill to his desk.

“President Trump has pledged to sign national concealed carry reciprocity into law,” the group said. “Congress should deliver this bill to his desk. We look forward to continuing our partnership with President Trump and his administration to further strengthen Second Amendment freedoms.”

The Senate version of concealed carry reciprocity currently has 46 co-sponsors, none of whom are Democrats, putting it well short of the 60-vote threshold likely needed to make it to President Trump’s desk.

The NRA’s 2025 Annual Meeting will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center from April 24th through the 27th. It’s not clear what, if anything, will replace the Leadership Forum.

“The quintessential exercise of free speech in a culture supposedly built on that concept and dedicated to it, the Internet’s development is as historically important to humanity perhaps even more so as Gutenberg ’s invention of the printing press.”
— L. Neil Smith

1775-

Isaiah Thomas -revolutionary patriot and printer of the Boston newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy, most influential for spreading revolutionary news in New England – on the advice of John Hancock, disassembles his printing press and under the cover of darkness, on the evening of April 16 moves it out of Boston, ferrying it across Boston Harbor to Charlestown, where his friend Timothy Bigelow hides it in the basement of his home in Worcester.

Republican Lawmaker Takes Aim at IRS Guns

Today is tax day for most Americans. Some of us have extensions due to natural disasters, but most of you who haven’t already are probably working on your taxes today, and you’re probably thinking about how much you dislike the IRS.No one likes them.

But something that I’ve always found perplexing is that they have armed IRS agents.

I get that they’re in charge of enforcing the tax code, but they’re still the IRS. They’re not a law enforcement agency, but a revenue collection agency. Their job isn’t to kick in doors and make arrests, so why do they have so many guns?

Well, one lawmaker has introduced a bill to fix that.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) introduced the Why Does the IRS Need Guns Act on Monday.

The bill:

  • Prohibits the IRS from using appropriated funds to purchase, receive, or store any firearm or ammunition
  • Requires the IRS to transfer to the GSA any firearms or ammunition owned or under the control of the IRS
  • Within 30 days of transfer, GSA must initiate the sale or auction of any firearms to licensed dealers and the auction of any ammo to the general public

Moore told 1819 News on Monday, “We’re going to try to force them to get rid of the ammunition and weapons they’ve bought since 2020.”

That’s a solid start.

However, there are a lot of federal agencies that have guns when they probably shouldn’t. I recall one story years ago where a tactical team from the Department of Education showed up at someone’s house regarding student loans. I don’t recall the specifics, but the fact that the Department of Education has a tactical team is more than a little troubling.

NASA and the Department of Energy have those, too, but I get why they have them. Rocket fuel would be beneficial to terrorists, as would sabotaging a nuclear reactor. Having heavily armed personnel on site makes sense for those two agencies.

For most other agencies, though, I don’t see why they need any such thing. If they need a door kicked down, that should fall to the FBI or some other relevant federal law enforcement agency.

So disarming the IRS is a good start, and I hope this bill passes, but I’d rather it be a bit more expansive than that.

While the federal government has spent years trying to disarm the American people, it’s been arming just about every governmental entity it can, which is not how the balance of power is supposed to work in this country. The militarization of federal agencies–agencies that are not law enforcement agencies–is a troubling phenomenon that no one should ever be comfortable with.

Like the man in the comic turned movie said, “People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” That’s a lot harder to make happen when even the Department of Education has a heavily-armed tactical team. Especially when our own arms have been neutered by a century of gun control laws.

Starting with the IRS is fine, but the line cannot be allowed to be drawn there. More needs to be done.

Here’s hoping, though.

Missouri House Votes to Allow Guns on Public Transit, Lower Concealed Carry Age

The Missouri House just sent a clear message: gun rights shouldn’t stop at the bus stop.

In a 106-45 vote on Thursday, lawmakers passed House Bill 328, a measure that would legalize concealed carry on public transit and lower the minimum age for a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18. The bill now heads to the Missouri Senate for consideration.

Currently, even Missourians with valid concealed carry permits are barred from bringing firearms onto public transportation. But that could soon change if HB 328 becomes law.

“It’s about time that we allow those people who use public transportation to exercise the same rights as everyone else in our state,” said Rep. Tim Taylor (R-Bunceton), the bill’s sponsor. For many gun rights advocates, the current law forces permit holders to disarm just because they choose to ride the bus or train.

Opposition to the bill was sharp, with critics arguing that expanding where guns can legally go won’t improve public safety.

“More access to guns does nothing to improve public safety,” claimed Rep. Yolanda Young (D-Kansas City).

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) also criticized the measure, especially the portion lowering the permit age to 18.

“That means high school kids could legally carry concealed weapons,” she said. “What could go wrong with that?”

But under current Missouri law, 18-year-olds serving in the military can already obtain a concealed carry permit. This bill would expand that access to all 18-year-olds, not just those in uniform.

Supporters argue that if an 18-year-old is legally an adult and can vote, sign contracts, and serve in the armed forces, they should also be trusted to carry concealed—especially in environments like public transit where law enforcement may not be readily available.

As the bill moves to the Senate, it’s expected to generate even more debate over where the line should be drawn between public safety and Second Amendment rights.

Gun Rights Group to Bondi: Target 2A Violations in 12 Specific States

Six days after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced creation of the Department of Justice “Second Amendment Task Force” to protect Americans’ gun rights, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms sent a letter urging her to immediately focus the task force’s attention on 12 specific states where alleged “egregious violations” are occurring.

Those states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington. The common denominator in all these states is a Democrat-controlled legislature and governor’s office.

As reported earlier by Ammoland, activists energized by Bondi’s announcement are calling for action in their states, many of which coincidentally happen to be on the above list.

Continue reading “”

Senator Rand Paul Launches an Investigation Into NICS Monitoring

Senator Rand Paul is launching an investigation into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) use of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

“This kind of backdoor surveillance of American citizens—without due process or public disclosure—should alarm every single person who values the Bill of Rights,” said Dr. Paul. “The ATF and FBI have no business creating secret watchlists for law-abiding Americans seeking to purchase firearms. It’s unacceptable, and I intend to get answers.”

In 2021, AmmoLand News discovered through a leak that the ATF was using the FBI’s NICS to monitor certain Americans’ gun purchases. These Americans were not wanted for any crime, but the ATF expected they might commit a crime in the future. Some people were monitored because they were associated with groups and people that the government didn’t like. The monitoring period for the ATF target is 30, 60, 90, or 180 days.

Recently, it was determined by a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) filed by Gun Owners of America (GOA) that the ATF was using the NICS monitoring program to watch Californian gun owners who might purchase guns that violate state law. It is legal to buy long guns out of state, but not all those long guns are legal in California, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Continue reading “”

Why Do I Have Guns? Because of People Like Taylor Lorenz.

Former New York Times and Washington Post “journalist” Taylor Lorenz is not a very good person, but I want to start by making it very clear that the headline is not a threat against her. I wish her absolutely no physical or even psychological harm from any kind of violent encounter.

No, I carry a gun because of people like her, but not so much because I’m looking to hurt them.
I’m looking to make sure me and mine don’t get hurt by the kind of people who want to impress people like her.

As you may have heard, Lorenz embarrassed herself by fawning over UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s alleged killer. Luigi Mangione reportedly shot Thompson with a privately made firearm with a privately made suppressor on the streets of one of the most anti-gun cities in the country.

Mangione is someone that, apparently, many women find to be a good-looking guy. He doesn’t do it for me, but then again, dudes never will.

Lorenz, however, celebrated the murder from the start, and in her latest comments during an interview with CNN, she literally called Mangione “moral.”

Yes, the guy accused of killing another, who Lorenz believes did it, was the moral one. A lot of people agree with her.

This is sick and twisted, especially as this kind of celebratory attitude encourages others to kill people they disagree with or simply don’t like because they did something “bad.”

Yet Lorenz isn’t exactly my biggest fan, apparently. She blocked me on X shortly after I criticized what one might laughingly call her work. I said she sucked at her job and she got bent out of shape over it. It’s safe to say, at least at that moment, that she probably thought I was a bad person.

And now we know what Lorenz wants to see happen to “bad people.”

In this day and age, there are a ton of people who think like this. They’re the people firebombing Tesla dealerships or plotting to kill President Donald Trump or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro because they don’t like what they believe these people represent.

So why would anyone believe those deemed “bad” won’t become the target of people who want to be seen as “good” by their side, by people like Lorenz?

While I don’t think I’m likely to ever be the victim of any such thing, I’d be stupid to act like I’m impervious. That’s true of just about everyone out there, even those of us who don’t have a particularly high profile. I mean, despite being a health insurance CEO, Brian Thompson wasn’t that well known, all things considered.

People like Lorenz celebrate the murder of people they don’t like, which feeds into the idea that the ends justify even the most violent means. It doesn’t matter whether there are non-violent means available; they still support violence.

Taylor Lorenz will likely never act violently herself. Not for her politics and not for much of anything else, except maybe in her own defense.
But her and people like her celebrating and swooning over a killer and pretending he’s a hero has the potential to result in a whole lot more deaths than Luigi Mangione could have possibly carried out himself.