Karn v. U.S. State Department found that computer code is protected speech. But this judge decided that, because cad files can communicate with the machines directly, they are not protected…really.

Ahhhh. So does that mean ASCII files are no longer free speech after some judge realizes they can be sent directly to an inkjet printer?

These old, activist judges will learn quickly that you can’t stop the signal.


Federal Judge Rules Gun CAD Files are Not Protected Speech

A federal judge in New Jersey ruled that computer code that lets someone produce firearms is not protected speech under the First Amendment.

In the case, Defense Distributed v. Platkin, Federal District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp dismissed the lawsuit that Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation ( SAF) brought against New Jersey’s law banning the sharing of gun computer-aided design files (CAD). Even before the law was passed, New Jersey issued a cease-and-desist letter to the company in early 2018, demanding it stop publishing firearms information that New Jersey residents could access. Defense Distributed has been posting CAD files on its Def Cad website that allow users to print firearms using 3D printers. New Jersey claimed publishing these files broke the state’s public nuisance and negligence laws.

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A Flawed Case Against Black Self-Defense
In the face of state failure, neglect, and overt hostility, black Americans need the right to bear arms.

The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, by Carol Anderson, Bloomsbury Publishing, 258 pages, $28

Carol Anderson claims the Second Amendment is rooted in the goal of suppressing slave insurrections and therefore is irredeemably racist.

This is part of a new historical revisionism that tries to paint the 2nd Amendment as some slave patrol scheme. However this nonsense is disproven by the very evidence used to try and prove it. Like the aptly named Dr. Bogus whose revisionist history “The Hidden History of the Second Amendment” includes Section 1, part K literally titled: “The Absence of Direct Evidence”.

Advocates of such false history also try to misconstrue the statements of Patrick Henry before the Ratifying Convention in Virginia from June 5th, 1788.

You can read the full speech here.

You’ll see none of what suggest regarding the 2nd Amendment being for slavery is present there.

Meanwhile gun control’s history is firmly based in racism with the specific aim of keeping people of color and non whites disarmed.

Slave Codes, Black Codes, Economic-Based Gun Bans Used To Prevent The Arming Of African Americans, 1640-1995

Diversity has been increasing in gun ownership for awhile now.

“Diversity in gun ownership nothing new to firearms industry”

“Gun ownership among Black Americans is soaring”

And it’s not gun owners that are offended by this, but gun control advocates like the VPC.

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October 6

1066 – Apparently unaware of the size of the invading force that landed in the south, King Harold Godwinson leaves most of his badly mauled army at York, England as he marches the rest south in an attempt to surprise Duke William’s forces as he did Harald Hardrada’s at Stamford Bridge earlier

1536 – Bible translator William Tyndale is executed for heresy in Belgium.

1539 – The Spanish expedition of Hernado DeSoto takes over the Apalachee tribe’s capital of Anhaica, near modern day Tallahassee Florida, for their winter quarters.

1683 – German immigrant families found (you guessed it) Germantown, Pennsylvania.

1777 – To create a diversion to split the American forces of General Gates defending the Hudson River valley, British forces under the command of General Sir Henry Clinton capture Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery, and dismantle the Hudson River Chain.

1884 – The Naval War College of the United States is founded in Rhode Island.

1898 – Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the largest American music fraternity, is founded at the New England Conservatory of Music.

1908 – Austria-Hungary takes the opportunity to formally annex Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Ottoman Empire as Bulgaria declares independence from the Ottomans causing a diplomatic crisis due to both events being seen as violations of the 1878 Treaty of Berlin between Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire.

1927 – The Jazz Singer, the first feature length movie with both synchronized music and speech, opens at Warner Brother theater in New York

1942 – American troops complete operations to force Japanese troops from their positions east of the Matanikau River on Guadalcanal.

1973 – Egypt and Syria launch coordinated attacks against Israel, beginning the Yom Kippur War.

1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated at a military parade in Cairo, by members of Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya

1993 – A mortar attack on the U.S. compound at Mogadishu, Somalia kills 1 Delta Force soldier, Sergeant Matthew Rierson and wounds another 12 U.S. service members.

1995 – The first planet orbiting another sun, 51 Pegasi b, first named Bellerophon, but later officially Dimidium is discovered.

2007 – Jason Lewis aboard Moksha completes the first human powered circumnavigation of the Earth.

2010 – Instagram is founded.

2018 – Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed as a Supreme Court Associate Justice.

I’m sorry, I hold no compassion for them. Call it what you wish- spiritual,  metaphysical -there are consequences here on Earth for what we do.

TWO MURDERS—AND THE COST OF LUXURY BELIEFS

The death of two progressive activists shocked the nation. And that says everything about crime and class in America.

Recently, two high-profile supporters of “justice reform” were murdered.

At 4 a.m. on Monday, Ryan Carson, a 32-year-old social justice and climate change activist, was walking with his girlfriend in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, when he was stabbed to death by a stranger. Only a few hours earlier in Philadelphia, activist and journalist Josh Kruger was shot and killed in his home.

And two Democratic lawmakers who voted to “redirect funding to community-based policing reforms” have been recent victims of violent crime.

On Monday night, blocks away from the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Congressman Henry Cuellar was carjacked by three armed men. (The lawmaker survived the incident unscathed.) In February, Angie Craig was attacked in an elevator at her apartment building in Capitol Hill. A homeless man demanded she allow him into her home to use the restroom, then he punched her and grabbed her around the neck. She escaped after throwing hot coffee on him.

Of course, these people did not deserve harm because of their support for soft-on-crime policies. But I’ve long argued that many people who hold “luxury beliefs”—ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class, while often inflicting costs on the lower classes—are oblivious to the consequences of their views. Support for defunding the police is a classic example.

Luxury beliefs can stem from malice, good intentions, or outright naivete.

But the individuals who hold those beliefs, the people who wield the most influence in policy and culture, are often sheltered when their preferences are implemented.

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Dick Butkus dead at age 80: NFL legend ‘dies after medical emergency at home’ as tributes pour in for Chicago Bears icon.

Emergency crews reportedly rushed to the former linebacker’s home in Malibu around 12.51pm, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Butkus was found unresponsive by a friend who went to check on him, reported TMZ.

In a statement released on Thursday night, Butkus’ family confirmed the Chicago Bears icon had died “peacefully” overnight, going on to thank his fans and loved ones for their support.

“The Butkus family confirms that football and entertainment legend Dick Butkus died peacefully in his sleep overnight at home in Malibu, California,” they wrote via the Bears account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The Butkus family is gathering with Dick’s wife, Helen.

A Restraining Order Didn’t Stop This Assailant, a Woman’s Gun Did

On September 28, a woman found herself in a domestic violence situation and was forced to take drastic measures to defend her life. The incident, which occurred at her apartment in Wilmington, North Carolina, further illustrates how important it is for women to be armed – especially when it comes to situations involving domestic violence.

Anthony Parker, the woman’s estranged husband, physically assaulted her, but lost his life when she used her gun to stop him.

Wilmington police continue to investigate a suspected domestic violence-related shooting that claimed the life of Anthony Parker on the night of Sept. 28.

Parker was killed after what police say began as a domestic dispute at around 9:26 p.m. at 34 North Apartments.

A WPD representative said on Monday, Oct. 2, that a woman suspected of involvement in the shooting was granted a temporary restraining order against Parker on the day of the shooting.

In the 911 call obtained by WECT, the woman says that she has a restraining order against a man, but that he came to her house. The WPD representative said Monday that Parker took her phone likely the day before the shooting, and that she tracked her phone and met with police at the location she tracked the phone to. They said that he wouldn’t come to the door, so she was advised to take out warrants.

She told the dispatcher that she fired on shot from a weapon registered to her and that he ran.

The woman was attempting to bathe her child when Parker confronted her. When the situation escalated, the woman shot Parker before he fled the scene. “I shot one shot, and he ran,” she told reporters. He was later found dead in a parking lot.

This incident highlights multiple important issues. For domestic violence victims, it is even more important to be armed. In this case, the woman had already placed a restraining order on her assailant. We can see how much protection that piece of paper afforded her. When faced with immediate violence, her only line of defense was her quick thinking and her firearm. There is no telling how this incident would have turned out if she had not been armed.

This is one of the biggest problems with the anti-gunner lobby. They insist that making it harder for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms makes the nation less dangerous. In reality, it helps people protect themselves from those who hold no regard for the gun control laws the left claims will keep people safe. It is why I’m such a big proponent of women becoming gun owners. Firearms are an effective equalizer, when you’re faced with someone who is physically stronger and faster.

There are several cases in which women have used guns to protect themselves from domestic abusers. Unfortunately, there are too many who become victims because they did not possess the means by which they could defend themselves from their attackers. It’s a heartbreaking tragedy.

While society works to find additional solutions for domestic violence, the firearm, for many, remains a crucial ally, especially when law enforcement is unable to arrive quickly enough to diffuse the situation. The bottom line is that a restraining order cannot protect against an attacker like a firearm can.

Why America is Still Great: More People Own Guns and Dogs Than Cats.

When something makes you smile.

According to the latest researdch, about 45% of American households have guns. With some fluctuation. that number has been fairly steady for decades. That, of course, dependent on people actually answering honestly when a stranger tries to find out if they own guns (so the actual number is likely more than 50%).

There are about 46 million households with pet cats in the United States, or about 37 percent. That’s a lot of murder kittehs running around. Bear with me here.

As for man’s best friend, about a 65 million households have a dog living with them. That’s about 52 percent of the total.

So what do I get out of this? Gun owners have good taste because more Americans households own dogs than cats. I suppose cat ownership might increase when you can train cats to retrieve birds and flush pheasants, but until then….. There’s nothing quite like the loyal habits of a 90-pound Lab lapdog.

Go team dog! Oh, and guns, too.

How about you? Team dog or team cat? (Because of course you own guns, right?)

[Florida AG] Ashley Moody Releases Legal Opinion, Insists ATF Infringed on Gun Rights

This week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody released a legal opinion regarding the use of stabilizing braces for handguns in Florida.

Moody issued the opinion in response to a request from state Rep. Shane Abbott, R-DeFuniak Springs, to provide clarity on Florida law following a recently released Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) interpretation of a federal law. The ATF interpretation subjects handguns with stabilizing braces to National Firearms Act controls. Moody issued an opinion on a similarly worded provision of Florida law concluding that stabilizing braces are not short-barreled rifles.

“The Second Amendment is alive and well in Florida and our state laws protect the gun rights of law-abiding citizens. We issued this important legal opinion to provide clarity about our state law as the federal government continues to overreach in an effort to over-regulate certain firearm accessories,” said Moody.

The opinion deals solely with Florida state law and has no bearing on the ATF’s action. The opinion states: “Unless and until judicially or legislatively clarified, I conclude that the definition of ‘short-barreled rifle,’ which the Legislature enacted in 1969, does not include a handgun, such as a pistol, to which a person attaches a stabilizing brace, because the use of such an optional accessory does not change the fundamental characteristics of the handgun.” Separately, the state of Florida is challenging the ATF interpretation.

GOV. NEWSOM SENDS GUN CONTROL RUBBER STAMP TO U.S. SENATE

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is ensuring that his gun control agenda is in safe hands with the appointment of Laphonza Butler to serve in the U.S. Senate following the passing of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Sen. Butler was sworn in this week, a Democrat who until the announcement was residing in Silver Springs, Md., and has spoken little on gun control issues. However, her progressive track record and history of working for liberal causes assures that she will pick up the gun control mantle.

Sen. Feinstein was the longest-serving female senator at the time of her death on Sept. 29. She was also the matriarch of the Senate’s gun control agenda. She helped author the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That law lasted 10 years and was not reauthorized in 2004. Since then, Sen. Feinstein introduced legislation in every Congress to revive the ban on America’s most-popular selling centerfire rifle. In fact, if she had it her way, gun control would have gone much further.

Sen. Feinstein told 60 Minutes in a 1995 interview, “If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban picking up every one of them, Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in,” she said. “I would have done it. I could not do that. The votes weren’t here.”

Sen. Bulter’s selection to fill the remainder of Sen. Feinstein’s term promises that not much will change. Sen. Butler is deeply tied to gun control politicians and causes that will surely seek to expand efforts to deprive law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment rights.

Who is Laphonza Butler?

Gov. Newsom heaped praise on Sen. Butler for shattering glass ceilings in the Senate. He noted that she is the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate, first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress and third Black woman to represent California in the Senate following Vice President Kamala Harris.

He also noted that Butler will pick up where Sen. Feinstein left off with gun control.

“As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.”

Sen. Butler grew up in Magnolia, Miss., and attended Jackson State University. Her father died when she was just 16. She worked in the labor movement for 20 years and at 30, was elected president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015. She was also SEIU international vice president and president of SEIU California’s state council.

Sen. Butler also ran political campaigns and was part of Vice President Harris’ campaign for the vice presidency. She was previously a senior advisor to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. She has been president of Emily’s List, a national political action committee dedicated to electing abortion rights-supportive women candidates to office.

Political Pals

While little in her personal or professional career points to gun control, the list of supporters lining up to congratulate her is telling.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her endorsement, saying, “A great choice for California and the Senate. Congratulations Laphonza Butler!”

That was echoed by twice-failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, as well as former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, the Democratic National Committee, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and California Democratic U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu, Jimmy Gomez, Ami Berra, Ro Khanna, Sara Jacobs, Mark Takano, Brad Sherman, Gloria Johnson, Nanette Barragán and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. All are ardent gun control supporters.

Even Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) offered congratulations, despite the fact that he’s thrown his hat into the ring for the seat she’s filling until 2024. He’s facing a crowded Democratic field including California Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter – and Sen. Butler if she decides to compete for election.

Gleeful Gun Control

It’s not just gun control politicians that are gleeful at Gov. Newsom’s appointment of Sen. Butler to fill the Senate seat. It’s also gun control groups too.

President of Everytown for Gun Safety’s (and its mouthpiece The Trace) John Feinblatt, the gun control group bankrolled by antigun billionaire Michael Bloomberg, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Laphonza Butler is an advocate’s advocate and we’re thrilled with her history-making appointment to the Senate. We look forward to working alongside her to keep communities safe from gun violence.”

The Everytown-affiliated Moms Demand Action got in on the action too. Executive Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala wrote on X, “Laphonza Butler is an incredible leader and a fierce advocate for women and girls. I’m thrilled to watch her make history as the first Black lesbian senator to openly serve in Congress. Moms Demand can’t wait to work with her to continue California’s leadership on gun safety!”

Gov. Newsom’s appointment of Sen. Butler is a calculated move to ensure his gun control agenda – including his maligned 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – is preserved. This is his attempt to export California gun control to the rest of the country and potentially pave the way for his own White House bid.

Chicago shooting: CCL holder fires back at gunman who shot CTA employee in Archer Heights

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Concealed Carry License holder fired back at a gunman who shot a CTA bus supervisor on the city’s Southwest Side on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Chicago police said the drive-by shooting happened around 2 p.m. in the Archer Heights neighborhood. Chopper 7 was over the scene, where police squad cars surrounded a CTA bus under an overpass near West 47th Street and South Archer Avenue.

ABC7 spoke with Lorenzo Hernandez, who was caught in the crossfire while heading to work in his SUV. He is thankful to be alive after a bullet from the shooting, still lodged in his SUV, stopped short of hitting him and a nearby tow truck driver.

Hernandez, who spoke to ABC7 in Spanish through a translator, said he was sitting at the 47th and Archer when he saw a crash involving a CTA bus and at least four other vehicles.

“I saw the bus crash happen as I was stopped at the light,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said after the crash, more than a dozen people got out of the bus and impacted vehicles when someone inside a white Dodge Durango shot at them.

Police said one of the bullets hit the CTA bus supervisor, a 55-year-old man, who was responding to the crash.

Hernandez was sitting in the driver’s seat when one bullet hit his SUV, stopping short of hitting him. The engine blocked the bullet from continuing through.

“The bullet looked like it was headed in my direction, but got stopped by the car,” Hernandez said.

At the same time, a tow truck driver, who was helping to move the vehicles, was standing by Hernandez’s SUV when he dropped down.

Hernandez initially thought the tow truck driver was hit, but then saw him jump back up and run around the front of his SUV, where he fired two shots at the gunman. That tow truck driver, who didn’t want to go on camera, told ABC7 he saw the shooter take aim at him before he fired his own gun.

Hernandez said you never know what can happen at any moment, and he is grateful to have his life.

“The shooting happened so quickly, I didn’t have time to react,” Hernandez said. “In Chicago, you go to work not knowing if you will come back home. This happens everywhere. I thank God that I didn’t get hit.”

At the end of the chaotic ordeal, Hernandez said the tow truck driver came over to him to thank him.

“The tow truck driver thanked me. He said if my SUV wasn’t there, he would have gotten killed,” Hernandez said.

Police were speaking with the tow truck driver at the scene, and he was asked to stay behind as part of the investigation. CPD also confirmed a witness with a Concealed Carry License fired back at the shooters.

Police said the CTA worker, struck in his thigh, was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. A CTA spokesperson said their bus supervisor was not the shooter’s intended target.

The investigation has forced a shutdown of many roadways in the area.

Largest EV Charging Station In World Powered By Diesel-Powered Generators.

The Harris Ranch Tesla Supercharger station is an impressive beast. With 98 charging bays, the facility in Coalinga, California, is the largest charging station in the world. But to provide that kind of power takes something solar can’t provide — diesel generators.

Aerial photo of supercharger Tesla station at the Harris Ranch in California.

The Harris Ranch Tesla Supercharger station is an impressive beast. With 98 charging bays, the facility in Coalinga, California, is the largest charging station in the world.

In 2017, Tesla CEO said that all Superchargers in the automaker’s network were being converted to solar.

“Over time, almost all will disconnect from the electricity grid,” Musk posted on X, formally known as Twitter.

Superchargers charge vehicles up to the 80% sweet spot in as little as 20 minutes, but to provide that kind of power for nearly 100 bays takes something solar can’t provide — diesel generators.

Investigative journalist Edward Niedermeyer discovered that the station was powered by diesel generators hidden behind a Shell station. Reporters at SF Gate tried to find out how much of the station’s electricity was from the generators, but couldn’t get a response from Tesla.

The station isn’t connected to any dedicated solar farms, which means that absent the diesel generators, the station is powered by California’s grid.

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October 5

1143 – Under terms of the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognizes Portugal as a separate Kingdom.

1813 –During the War of 1812, the Army of the Northwest defeats a British and Native Canadian force threatening Detroit.

1869 – The Eastman tunnel built under the Mississippi river in Minnesota,  collapses during construction, causing a landslide that nearly destroys St. Anthony Falls.

1877 – The Nez Perce War in the northwestern United States comes to an end as Chief Joseph surrenders to Brigadier General Nelson Miles.

1905 – The Wright brothers pilot the Wright Flyer III in world record flight of 24 miles in 39 minutes around Huffman Field, Ohio.

1914 – During World War I, French pilot Sgt. Joseph Frantz and his mechanic/gunner, Louis Quénault, flying a Voisin biplane,  shoot down a German Aviatik biplane near Reims, the first confirmed aerial combat victory.

1921 – The World Series between the New York Giants and the New York Yankees, is the first to be broadcast on radio and is also the last to use the best-of-nine games format

1938 – In Nazi Germany, Jews’ passports are invalidated.

1943 – 98 American prisoners of war are executed by Japanese forces on Wake Island.

1947 – President Truman makes the first televised address from the Oval Office

1966 – At the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station near Detroit, prototype reactor 1 suffers a partial meltdown.

1970 – The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is founded.

1982 – Tylenol products are recalled after bottles in Chicago, laced with cyanide, cause 7 deaths.

2003 – Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard are eaten by a bear in the Katmai National Park, Alaska.

Chief of Staff of Pentagon Counterterrorism Office Served [the] Iranian Government

In 2016, Ariane Tabatabai co-wrote an article arguing that the United States should ally with Iran against ISIS. The Iranian immigrant suggested the United States Air Force could “provide air cover for Iranian-backed militia” and “the US and Iran can share intelligence on targets”. Finally she warned that “excluding Iran, the region’s major Shia state, from the international coalition built to fight ISIS worsens the regional sectarian conflict, ultimately playing into ISIS’ hands.”

Tabatabai’s bio now describes her as the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. Up from a Senior Advisor last year. The ASD(SO/LIC) office advises the Secretary of Defense on counterterrorism and it’s hard to think of a better place for a woman accused of being an Iran regime apologist to find herself in.

Almost as good as her former role representing the United States in the Iran negotiations.

In 2021, when the State Department had brought in Tabatabai as a senior adviser to the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, a congressional letter urged that her security clearance be pulled. The letter stated that Tabatabai “has echoed Iranian regime talking points and has made excuses for Iran’s oppressive government.

“Why would we hire someone… who has access and security clearance to some of the most sensitive and important issues there [and] who obviously has had a relationship with the administration in Iran?” Rep. Van Drew asked.

Biden’s State Department Spokesman Ned Price claimed that she “was thoroughly vetted and investigated before being granted the position. Any suggestion of security-related concerns about Dr. Tabatabai are baseless and illegitimate.” He fumed that, “we will not sit idly by as our employees—dedicated public servants—face personal smears and slander.”

Now a Semafor article by former Wall Street Journal chief correspondent Jay Solomon based on materials gathered by Iran International’s dissident media channel has revealed emails showing Tabatabai’s participation in a secret Iranian government to influence the United States.

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