Well, it’s not the guns that are the problem. It’s the hands the guns are in.

When Gun Laws Don’t Prevent Gun Crime

On Monday, in the city of Highland Park, Ill., a deranged goblin of a man opened fire on a July 4 parade, killing seven innocent people and wounding three dozen others. After an intense search, the culprit was apprehended and taken into custody. Yet again, a mass shooting has sullied America.

And, yet again, it is unclear what lawmakers can do to prevent the next one. Just weeks ago, the Senate passed a gun-control bill that Chris Murphy described as “the most significant piece of anti-gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years.”

Today, posturing as if nothing has been done recently, Democrats are asking for more. But what, exactly, does that mean? A red-flag law? Illinois already has one. A permitting system for the purchase and ownership of guns? Illinois has that, too. “Universal” background checks? That’s already Illinois law. What about “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines? Highland Park has banned both since 2013. Concealed carry?

That was prohibited at the parade under an Illinois law that renders it illegal to carry firearms at “any public gathering held pursuant to a license issued by any governmental body.” Straw purchasing? That’s already illegal, and, besides, the gun was obtained legally. Can the courts be blamed, perhaps? They cannot. In 2015, the Seventh Circuit upheld Highland Park’s ban on “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines, and the Supreme Court then declined to take up the case. As for Heller, McDonald, and Bruen — thus far, nothing that has flowed from them even intersected with this case.

California added Montana to a list of states banned from state-funded travel in 2021.
Because they are, relatively speaking, so rare and so unpredictable — and because America is so free — mass shootings remain one of the most intractable forms of crime. The ubiquity of firearms all but guarantees that a person who wishes to obtain one will do so before too long. The breadth of the First Amendment makes it tough to track threatening or unusual conversations. Absent a set of reforms that would gut the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, there is no way for American authorities to keep tabs on everyone who comes across as a little weird.

But if states are going to institute systems designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, it is not too much to ask that they use them. In the aftermath of almost every mass shooting, we learn that the suspect was “known to authorities” — which, in almost every case, means that the shooter was known to his community, too.

And so it was here. The Highland Park shooter did not spring ex nihilo from the shadows; he repeatedly telegraphed his intentions. In one video, uploaded in August 2021, he foreshadowed his attack on the July 4 parade. In another, he dramatized a school shooting. In a third, he fantasized about getting into a shooting war with police. Per officials in the city, local cops had interacted with him twice in 2019 — once when he attempted suicide, and once when he threatened to “kill everyone” and had 16 knives, a dagger, and a sword confiscated as a result. Illinois has a broad “red flag” law in place, and it requires gun buyers to have a current permit. Why, we must ask, did these incidents not trigger prophylactic action?

We would put a similar question to the press. Study after study after study shows that mass shootings are highly “contagious,” and that, as NPR put it in 2019, “intensive media coverage seems to drive the contagion.” This is a free country, and its media must be free to act as they see fit. But perhaps they could see fit to take that into account? As of Tuesday afternoon, every major press outlet in the United States remains fixated upon the shooter. In our fame-drunk culture, this indulgence can be deleterious. A little less of it would be welcome. As a matter of course, we ask gun owners to be responsible, and we ask citizens to be vigilant. Is it too much to ask the press whether the need to squeeze a few extra clicks out of a story is worth the risk of encouraging the next shooter?

And beyond that? Beyond that, Americans would do well to set incidents such as this one in their proper context. Random acts of violence are, indeed, terrifying, but they are terrifying because they are so rare. When allocating our limited time and resources, we ought to remember that while the most spectacular criminals garner all the attention, a devastating attrition continues unabated in the background. On the day before the shooting in Highland Park, 15 people were killed in Chicago.

Thus far in 2022, there have been 250 murders in Philadelphia, 175 murders in Los Angeles, and 102 murders in Washington, D.C. Bringing down those numbers will take hard work, intelligent policing, a willingness to enforce the laws already on the books, and a commitment to engaging with the problem in its most common form — and not just when it provides clicks, outrage, and a chance to poke one’s political enemies in the eye.

Why the Second Amendment Applies Especially to Travelers

The United States Supreme Court has defended and restored the bear half of the right to keep and bear arms, in the recent Bruen decision.

Much work remains to be done. It is clear that the people have a right to bear arms outside the home. One of the major purposes is for the defense of self and others.

An area left undefined in Bruen is the right to bear arms in defense of self and others while traveling, particularly while traveling across state lines.

There was no prohibition on carrying arms at the time of ratification in 1791. Carrying arms for defense, while traveling, was common and accepted. Even the strictest colonial restrictions on the bearing of arms, the East New Jersey law, enacted in 1686, had an exception for people who were traveling. The colonial law, which was in effect for about six years, was cited by both sides in the Bruen decision: From  P. 6 of amicus curiae briefs on Bruen. 

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Hmmmm. Pritzker is wrong. I guarantee, with near metaphysical certitude, he knows he’s wrong too and is simply lying because he thinks that most people are too stupid to realize he’s lying.

Their swords and every terrible implement of the soldier are the birthright of Americans…. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments but where, I trust in God, it will always remain, in the hands of the people  —Tench Coxe ( a member of the “second rank” of this nation’s Founders and a leading proponent of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, wrote prolifically about the right to keep and bear arms

Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker: Founding Fathers Would Not Support ‘Constitutional Right to an Assault Weapon’

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) reacted to the Highland Park parade attack during a Monday press conference by suggesting America’s Founding Fathers would not support a “constitutional right to own an assault weapon.”

Pritzker tweeted a video of his comments on the attack, saying, in part, “Our Founders carried muskets, not assault weapons, and I don’t think a single one of them would have said that you have a constitutional right to an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine.”

In another portion of his comments Pritzker said, “It does not have to be this way, and yet we as a nation, well, we continue to allow this to happen. While we celebrate the Fourth of July just once a year, mass shootings have become … our weekly American tradition.”

The muskets used by the Founding Fathers–the muskets they used to defeat the British military and secure freedom–were very much like the military-issue muskets British Redcoats used when shooting at colonists and members of George Washington’s forces.

U.S. House candidate and former Navy SEAL Eli Crane reacted to Pritzker’s statement on muskets vs. “assault weapons” by telling Breitbart News, “The gap between the firepower of U.S. citizens and the military now is far greater than the gap that existed between colonists and the combination of regimented and ad hoc military forces that had just defeated Britain.

“Think about it. The military has Predator drones–that can drop a Hellfire missile and erase your home without you even knowing it was above you–and they have nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers. Now compare that to what we’re allowed to own today. There’s just no comparison. The American people are greatly outgunned by the 21st century military, far more so than were the colonists in the 18th century.”

Los Angeles public schools training teachers that ‘merit,’ ‘individualism’ rooted in ‘whiteness’
Los Angeles teachers told ‘the idea of meritocracy’ must be challenged in schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is training teachers and staff that “merit” and “individualism” are concepts rooted in “whiteness” that must be challenged in schools.

LAUSD required all employees to undergo “implicit/unconscious bias training” guided by Tyrone Howard, a critical race theory (CRT) advocate and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, prior to the 2021-2022 school year.

The training materials, which were obtained by Fox News Digital through a California Public Records Act (PRA) request, instructed educators to work toward being “antiracist” by challenging whiteness at school, which Howard argued exists in the concepts of “merit” and “individualism.”

“This idea that white is the standard, white is the norm, white is our default has to be challenged,” Howard said in the training video.

Merit, or meritocracy, “assumes that each person operates and achieves based on his or her own personal capacity,” the training handout reads. “It incorporates the notion that the work put forth, the effort invested, explains why some groups and individuals do well and others do not. It does not consider historical factors or account for opportunities, advantages, and privileges to which some groups have access both historically and in the present.”

“The idea of meritocracy,” Howard said in the video, “I think we have to challenge that because we have to recognize that some groups have had much more opportunities, some groups have had far more advantages, and some groups have certain types of privileges that other groups have not had.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) required all employees to undergo "implicit/unconscious bias training" prior to the 2021-2022 school year.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) required all employees to undergo “implicit/unconscious bias training” prior to the 2021-2022 school year. (Screenshot / Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD))

 

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The original version is still a very good bullet

Tipped Triple-Shock X Ammo:
TTSX Bullets Explained

See the source image

The Tipped Triple-Shock X is an updated variation on Barnes Bullets’ popular Triple-Shock X (TSX) that debuted in 2003, as a premium hunting bullet. TSX was – and still is – extremely popular with a relatively large following, but this tipped version aims to improve upon it with the polymer tip and redesigned nose cavity.

These features offer better rapid expansion and a mushroom effect that splits uniformly into four “petals.” These petals spread away from the center of the bullet on impact, creating a massive wound channel and extreme damage if the shot is in or near any vitals on the target. This effect is similar to a hollow point, but more predictable and consistent due to the features explained below.

Tipped Triple-Shock X Features

  • Lead-Free: Like the standard Triple-Shock line, the tipped version is 100% lead-free. The entire bullet is made of copper, which is very corrosion resistant. And though lighter than lead, it has some benefits that lead and hybrid bullets simply don’t have. One of these is almost complete weight retention, leading to more uniform performance in flight and upon impact.
  • Grooved: Like other bullets from Barnes, these feature grooved rings that help performance at lower pressures. The grooves expand as the bullet passes through the barrel, creating a better connection to the rifling in the barrel. Because of this, accuracy is greatly improved. This is especially appreciated by reloaders, as they have specific uses in mind when creating their perfect ammo for hunting, defense, and target shooting.
  • Polymer Tip: Anyone familiar with aerodynamics knows that a tipped bullet will fly faster and flatter than one with a hollow tip, round nose or other “non-tipped” style. Most shooters describe this as a ballistic coefficient. While this is true, another vital role of the the polymer tip is that it actually acts as a “trigger” of sorts to initiate expansion on impact. When the bullet hits its target, the tip is driven back into the bullet, forcing the bullet to expand. The tipped TSX bullets have a wider and deeper hollow cavity that the tip rests in, so you get an even larger wound cavity with the tipped version. This is great for hunters who want to take down the largest game.

Tipped Triple-Shock X Uses

While this particular bullet is used almost exclusively in big-game hunting ammo, you can also use it for smaller critters – as it has the accuracy to devastate most critters at extreme range, which is good for skittish varmints that won’t let you get anywhere near them.

This bullet shines in the wolf, boar, deer, goat, moose and bear area – and with calibers like .300 Win Mag and .30-06, you will have plenty of knockdown power. If you live in an area with limited tags each season, you want every shot to count and this bullet in most calibers is going to get the job done beautifully.

Whether you’re a reloader, buying various ammo from Barnes directly, or know someone who uses these bullets in their own stock, this is going to be a favorite hunting ammo for you and people you hunt with. There’s quite a following for the TSX and most have jumped over to the tipped style, simply because it outperforms the standard in many ways.

We’ll have the shooting at Highland Park – just to the north of Chicago- blared loud for who knows how long, but just to the south? Nah.

Chicago shootings: 71 shot, 8 killed in 4th of July weekend violence

CHICAGO — Seventy one people were shot , eight fatally, in 4th of July holiday weekend shootings across the city, Chicago police said.

Last year, 19 people were killed and more than 100 people were shot over the long Fourth of July weekend.

The toll was lower that last year, when 19 people were killed and more than 100 people were shot over the long Fourth of July weekend. In 2020, 79 people were shot, 15 of them fatally; in 2019, 68 people were shot, 5 of them fatally.

Nine of the wounded were shot in two attacks on the West and South sides: Four people in West Garfield Park Friday evening, and five men in Parkway Gardens on the South Side early Monday.

At least 16 people were shot, two fatally, in a violent eight-hour span late Saturday into early Sunday in the city, according to Chicago police.

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Private Purchasers Clean Up at Fort Worth Gun Buyback

A few days ago, this correspondent wrote about the upcoming gun turn in event scheduled for Fort Worth, Texas. Police were offering $100 gift cards to people who turned in working firearms. As predicted, the police quickly ran out of gift cards. The event, scheduled for four days, ended in three and a half hours.

The private buyers did not run out of cash. They got some pretty good deals. C.J. Grisham, who founded Open Carry Texas spoke to a reporter.

From cbsnews.com:

“So we wanted to come out here and get some good deals,” Open Carry Texas President and Founder, CJ Grisham said.

Right outside of the event there was a group of people who were able to offer cash and buy guns themselves.

“We offered them $100 in cash, instead of one hundred in gift cards,” Grisham said. “And if they were just going to take it in there we might increase it a little bit but I think the average price we paid was maybe $150 today.”

Grisham said majority of the people they approached accepted his offer. CBS 11 asked Fort Worth police about guns they hoped would be taken off the street, remaining in the community.

The police said the private buyers were within their rights to make offers and purchase guns themselves. The private buyers purchased about 30 guns, according to Grisham, at an average of about $150.

From the image shown on the video, the private buyers did well. The firearms purchased appear to include an SKS rifle, a double barreled shotgun, a Freedom Arms mini-revolver, a Remington semi-automatic centerfire rifle, an Explorer II .22 pistol,  a Smith & Wesson Scandium revolver, and many more.

The police showed an image of 107 firearms they accepted in exchange for gift cards. Included in the guns turned in was a classic model 12 Winchester shotgun, a Colt revolver, and numerous other rifles and shotguns. As expected, there was the usual assortment of inexpensive pistols, single shot shotguns, and .22 rifles. One of those appeared to be a Marlin lever action model 39 in good condition.

Most of the guns turned in were worth more than $100. The Model 12 Winchester usually goes for over $400. A model 39 Marlin would easily bring $400. There appeared to be an antique Smith & Wesson model 3 top-break revolver. It might have been worth over a thousand dollars.

There was at least one air rifle. Air guns and blank pistols may help account for a slight discrepancy in the reporting of the number of firearms turned in. Some reports state 112 guns were turned in to the police.

Guns turned in to Fort Worth Police (courtesy of Fort Worth Police Department)

From wfaa.com:

“Maybe was inherited, maybe just lying around. They had no use for and they didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands or the hands of a child,” said Carabaja. “We respect everybody’s rights, everyone that
came in here voluntarily and they got something out of it.”

Officers planned to collect weapons for four days. But they run out of gift cards within hours, collecting 112 handguns and rifles of almost every make and model, according to police. 

None of the funds used to purchase the gift cards came from taxpayer money. The program uses confiscated monies for gun buyback events.

One of their goals is to keep weapons like these out of the wrong hands. 

The academic response to these sort of events is uniform. They do not work to reduce crime or suicides. The only plausible effect is propaganda, to send a message to the public: Guns bad. Turn them into the police. The private buyers countered that message with another: Guns are good. We pay Cash.

T.J. Grisham and the other private purchasers had a good day. The guns brought in were “taken off the streets” and into the hands of the police or into the hands of responsible private citizens.

Some AmmoLand readers were considering attending the Fort Worth event. Comments from those who attended would be a welcome addition to our information about what happened at the event.

Your; Hypocrisy O’ The Day

Crosby, Stills & Nash Back on Spotify After Failed Joe Rogan Boycott

Crosby, Stills and Nash have decided to return to Spotify, following their boycott of the streamer that began in February to protest podcaster Joe Rogan’s content. That boycott failed to oust Rogan from the streaming platform.

According to Billboard, the group’s music returned as of Saturday. CSN will reportedly donate proceeds from streams to Covid-19 charities for at least one month……………

Greenwood homeowner shoots, kills alleged burglar overnight
Seattle police said the homeowner reported the alleged burglar had climbed a fence in his backyard sometime before 2:30 a.m. Saturday and that he confronted him.

SEATTLE — A homeowner shot and killed an alleged burglar in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood early Saturday morning, according to the Seattle Police Department.

At around 2:30 a.m., a resident near the 900 block of North 101st Street called 911 and reported a disturbance at a neighbor’s house and that they heard someone say to call 911.

Arriving Seattle police officers found a man with a gunshot wound in a backyard and gave first aid. Seattle Fire Department medics also arrived and gave first aid but the man was eventually transported to Harborview Medical Center.

The man later died from his injuries, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Seattle police said the homeowner reported the man had climbed a fence in his backyard and that he confronted him. The alleged burglar refused to leave once confronted, according to the homeowner. The homeowner then shot the alleged burglar, Seattle police said.

Seattle police said homicide detectives will continue to investigate the shooting. Investigators were at the scene Saturday morning collecting evidence.

Seattle police did not say whether or not there will be charges related to the incident. No arrests have been made.

Intruder shot in chest after attempting to break into home in central Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Update: WPD confirmed that around 5:15 p.m. Saturday a man attempted to break into a house near east 12th street and north Broadway. The homeowner then shot the intruder leaving him critically injured.

The intruder was transported to a nearby hospital, but his current condition is unknown. The homeowner was uninjured.

The Wichita Police Department (WPD) confirms that one man was shot multiple times in the chest just after 5 p.m. near east 12th street and north broadway.

He is in critical condition but is expected to survive. He was transported to a nearby hospital for his injuries.

No, We Don’t Want Women to Have the Same Rights as Guns

Nearly every time the pro-life movement achieves a significant legislative or judicial victory, progressives create either memes or protest signs riffing on conservatives’ commitment to gun rights. These takes were out in full force after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, both because of the magnitude of that ruling and because the previous day, in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Court struck down a New York law that required individuals to demonstrate a need to carry guns outside the home.

Leftists on Twitter said they wished that “women in America had the same rights as a gun.” They must have tweeted these wishes in fits of passion without really thinking about them, because putting women on the same legal footing as guns would be pretty sexist. If Democrats had their way in Bruen, women would have to demonstrate to the government a need to leave their homes. Here’s what else would happen if we were to treat women like guns:

Men would need a permit to bring women outside the home. While Bruen made it unconstitutional for the government to require people to demonstrate a need to carry guns beyond their doorstep, most states in the union require gun-owners to possess concealed-carry permits. The requirements for these permits vary from state to state, but most require applicants to be a minimum age (usually 18 or 21) and take a class on firearm safety. Putting such regulations on women going beyond their doorstep would seem more fitting for a country like Afghanistan than for the United States.

Women would not be allowed to attend school. We often hear about gun-free zones after school shootings. The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 criminalizes the possession or discharge of a firearm in a school zone. If we were to treat women like guns, K–12 schools would become “woman-free zones.” Similarly there are many college campuses that do not allow students to carry on campus. There were times in our country’s history when men and women were not allowed to attend school together, and those were not good times. Progressives describe the decision in Dobbs as “going backwards,” but that would be more apt if we treated women the same as guns.

Women could be bought and sold. If we are worried about objectifying women, calling to give them the same rights as literal objects is not helpful.

In short, this idea that “women should have the same rights as guns” would be more like The Handmaid’s Tale than any pro-abortion caricature of pro-life legislation ever imagined. Our political slogans are not meant to be the height of discourse, but we should expect them to be minimally coherent.

Biden advisor on Thursday:
Americans Need To Pay More for Gas To Defend ‘Liberal World Order.’

Today, from the senile clabberhead

Fatal shooting near Cave Junction investigated as self-defense

CAVE JUNCTION, Ore. — One man is dead after a shooting near Cave Junction Thursday morning.

According to State Police, Josephine County Sheriff’s deputies responded to shooting around 3:30 Thursday morning at a home on Browntown Road near Cave Junction. When deputies arrived, they found 42-year-old Jacob Benson dead. Investigators say 47-year-old William Illingworth had shot Benson when Benson entered Illingworth’s home after a verbal argument.

The OSP Major Crimes Team was called in who are investigating the incident as a self-defense shooting.

OSP was assisted by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, Josephine County District Attorney’s Office and the OSP Forensic Lab.

 

Hmmmm. Didn’t know they had one. Oops! I been a baaaad boy.

The Second Amendment Isn’t Only Guns: Virginia’s Switch Blade Ban Died Today.

Knife Rights’ Virginia Switchblade Ban Repeal Bill, SB 758, is effective today (July 1). The possession, carry, sale, purchase and manufacture of automatic (switchblade) knives will be legal in the state.

NOTE: The concealed carry knife bans in Virginia, including of switchblade (automatic) knives, will still remain in effect: “If any person carries about his person, hidden from common observation, (i) any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, … or (v) any weapon of like kind as those enumerated in this subsection…”

Holding a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit doesn’t allow concealed carry of an automatic (switchblade) knife.

Knife Rights will never stop until all archaic knife restrictions in Virginia are repealed.

With the repeal in Virginia, only five states remain with a complete ban on civilian possession of switchblade (automatic) knives. Knife Rights has led the effort to repeal switchblade bans or restrictions in 19 states, starting with New Hampshire in 2010. Repeals have since been enacted in Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Altogether, Knife Rights’ efforts have resulted in 39 bills repealing knife bans in 25 states and over 150 cities and towns since 2010.

Poll finds opposition to SCOTUS’ Second Amendment ruling

The reason the Supreme Court is appointed for a lifetime term is so they won’t have to consider public sentiment on controversial issues like, say, guns. Once they’re confirmed, they can’t be removed simply because their findings aren’t popular.

Yet that won’t stop some from looking to see how people feel about rulings made by the Court.

In a recent poll, there appear to be some interesting takes regarding guns.

The Monmouth poll shows just what restrictions people favor, including 60 percent saying they support a national gun registry, as one example.

It also found 83 percent support, to some degree, universal background checks.

Now, in the past, I’ve been critical of how these questions are asked, but Monmouth phrased it as, “Do you support or oppose requiring comprehensive background checks for all gun purchasers, including private sales between two individuals?”

That, at least, removes any ambiguity, so while I oppose the policy, I can at least accept the number.

The poll also argues that most disagree with the Bruen decision.

They asked respondents, “Do you agree or disagree that individual states should be allowed to limit who can carry a concealed handgun by requiring permit applicants to demonstrate that they need the weapon for their work or for protection?”

It found that 56 percent agree that states should be able.

On this, though, there is some ambiguity. The problem is that the phrase “for protection” isn’t quite how things worked. You had to show a specific reason why you needed to be able to protect yourself, as opposed to everyone else.

I suspect at least some of that 56 percent are supportive of a more general idea of “for protection” than the now overturned law allowed.

But not all of the poll’s findings are distinctly anti-gun.

Meanwhile, they also found that 63 percent feel that the law will either make them safer or have no impact on public safety, with just three percent saying they don’t know.

As for the subject of mass shootings, Monmouth asked, “Do you think the number of recent mass shootings in the U.S. is due more to the ease of getting guns or due more to a mental health crisis in the country?”

55 percent said it was the result of a mental health crisis compared to just 33 percent who blamed easy access to firearms, with 9 percent saying it was both.

The poll also looked at why those who admitted to having a gun decided to have one, with “personal safety” and “protect my property” both being a major reason for most of the respondents.

“[D]efend again possible government tyranny” was only a major reason for 28 percent. Yet it was noted as a minor reason for another 23 percent.

So what does any of this mean?

Well, for one thing, we haven’t done a good enough job educating the general populace about the benefits of firearm ownership, nor of the fact that gun control simply does not work. We also haven’t done a very good job of educating people about the importance of their rights as a whole. Far too many are apparently willing to deal their rights away for the illusion of safety, not recognizing that the illusion masks something far more sinister.

We all–and I’m looking at myself–need to do better about that.