AUGUST IS NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS MONTH

While many of us practice our Second Amendment right through regular shooting, hunting, reloading and other gun-related fun each month, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) established August as National Shooting Sports Month in 2016.

Originally created as a promotion for retailers and ranges to attract new customers during the traditional summer slump, it’s become a celebration among gun owners with an emphasis on introducing new shooters to the industry, teaching firearms safety and sharing a collective love of shooting sports. Continue reading “”

Poll: 82% of U.S. Parents Are Considering Homeschooling Their Kids This Fall

As the school year begins around the country, a recent study has found a shocking 82% of parents are at least considering keeping their children home through 2021.

OnePoll surveyed 2,000 parents as to their choice between open or closed schools, and found that one in four said they would not be sending their children back to classrooms regardless.

Although 81% of those considering homeschooling point to worries over COVID-19 spread as the motivating factor, much of the concern seemed focused less on fears about the precautions taken by schools and more on the personal responsibility of their own children. Nearly 6 in 10 said they do not think their children would properly wash their hands while at school.

U.S. sees fewer than 50,000 new COVID-19 cases for 2nd straight day.

Aug. 4 (UPI) — For the second day in a row, researchers say new COVID-19 cases in the United States have numbered under 50,000.

About 45,400 new cases were recorded Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, the first time since late June with two straight days under 50,000. There were about 47,500 on Sunday. U.S. cases averaged about 60,000 per day in July.

The university has recorded 4.718 million U.S. cases since the pandemic began and 155,400 deaths. Continue reading “”

The long way home: a 2,000-mile road trip in an untested ’79 Pontiac Trans Am

All photos by Mike Musto

The Great American Road Trip is a wonderful thing. It allows you to meet people you’d never otherwise encounter, see things you’d never otherwise see, and experience this great country of ours in ways that only open-road travel can provide.

Today’s new cars are forgettable. They’re roving jellybeans connected to the world via technology that most owners will never understand. They’re tracked by all manner of computer, recording our every moment and location. In short, new vehicles remove the one thing that the automobile was meant to provide from its inception: Freedom. Some will say it’s foolish to run 2,000 miles in an untested classic, but I disagree. In my mind, it’s about the adventure of doing something few are willing to attempt and getting lost in a vehicle that can’t be found.

Gun Control Myths: How politicians, the media, and botched “studies” have twisted the facts on gun control

Lott blows away one false myth about gun ownership after another.
As Andrew Pollack’s Foreward notes; “Learn the actual facts that debunk them.” From myths about mass public shootings to suicides to gun ownership rates and crime to gun free zones, Lott addresses the claims you frequently hear in the media and explains what is wrong with those claims.
“John Lott has been giving us the facts about guns for decades. Finally clear to all that one party in America has an anti-Second Amendment platform and wants to disarm you. Now you need to arm yourself with the Truth.

“When citizens see images of social breakdown and violence on television or out their windows, it changes them,” added Tom Kubiniec, CEO of gun safety and storage company, SecureIt Tactical. “Those who have supported strict gun control or confiscation have argued that only the government can provide safety and security. That argument appears to have collapsed.”

Will first-time gun buyers sway political support for the Second Amendment?

The year 2020 has brought with it unrest and uncertainty – from the coronavirus pandemic to the wave of nationwide protests and riots that have resulted in a push not only to enact police reform but to defund and abolish entire departments.

Amidst these developments, gun store shelves are being wiped bare, and more than two-and-a-half million Americans are estimated to have made the purchase of a firearm for the very first time in their lives.

Data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has found that at least 40% of their sales have come from first-time buyers. Typically, this group accounts for about 25% of buyers.

The glut of new owners has ignited a debate as to whether it will solidify a more pro-gun voting bloc and whether it will bring about more of a “middle ground” in the debate over gun legislation. Continue reading “”

This is real a question? Of course they are.

The Concealed-Carry Revolver: Is It Still Relevant?

Examples of small-frame revolvers

 

For no really good reason, there seems to be an attitude among prospective handgun buyers that holds the revolver in low esteem. In a majority of jurisdictions, Americans are legally permitted to carry firearms for personal defense and have long gravitated to the small, light, short-barreled revolver to play this role.

But times have changed and continue to change as I hunt and peck my way through this story. Shooters look into hideout guns of a different sort, largely because we now have hideout guns of a different sort. The short, light, flat, powerful and reliable defensive semi-automatic pistol is now a practical reality. They’re selling a lot of them, and they are crowding out the wheelguns. Continue reading “”

Marine Corps identifies 8 Marines, 1 Sailor killed in amphibious vehicle accident

The identities of the seven presumed dead U.S. Marines and one Sailor were identified early Monday, along with an eighth U.S. Marine who died on the scene following an amphibious assault vehicle accident on Thursday.

The eight missing service members’ identities are as follows:

Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of Corona, California, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California, a hospital corpsman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Oregon, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California, a rifleman with Bravo Company, BLT 1/4, 15th MEU.

The ninth service member — who died on the scene and was the first reported casualty — was identified as
Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, Texas. He was a rifleman with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/4, 15th MEU. Continue reading “”

Henry Issues Safety Warning and Recall Notice of Henry Single Shot Rifles and Shotguns

Henry H015

Henry announced that it is voluntarily recalling all H015-series Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns manufactured prior to July 1, 2020.  Henry has recently discovered a potential safety issue wherein, under certain conditions, it is possible that some of these models may discharge without the trigger being pulled if the hammer is partially cocked and released. To prevent the possibility of death or serious personal injury, you should immediately stop using all H015-series Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns and not load or fire them until they have been upgraded.

The safety issue leading to this voluntary recall was discovered internally while testing the existing fire control system for a trigger pull upgrade.  This is the first product safety recall in the company’s nearly 25-year history.  Although not every Henry H015-series firearm may be affected, Henry Repeating Arms is requesting that all Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns be returned to be upgraded free of charge pursuant to this recall to prevent the possibility of the firearm discharging without the trigger being pulled.  All H015 owners should visit the Henry H015 Recall website at HenryUSA.com/recall, email recall@henryusa.com, or call 1-866-200-2354 (M-F, 9AM ET-5PM ET) to obtain additional information and begin the upgrade process.

Henry Repeating Arms will upgrade all returned Single Shot Rifles and Single Shot Shotguns in the order in which they are received.  Henry Repeating Arms is ready to begin performing the upgrade as the firearms are received.  Information on the current turnaround time for firearms returned to be upgraded will be provided at HenryUSA.com/recall.  Henry Repeating Arms will make every effort to minimize the amount of time required to upgrade and return your firearm.  As a sign of appreciation to its customers, Henry Repeating Arms will also perform an unrelated performance upgrade to improve the trigger pull on all firearms returned pursuant to this recall free of charge.

For privacy-minded people who are skeptical of public health arguments in favor of face masks, the pandemic may prove to be less of a reason to wear face coverings than an excuse to do just that. And we may as well throw in sunglasses and a hat, just to be sure………

Face Masks Confuse Facial Recognition Technology

Americans can’t agree on whether face masks are a good way to reduce the threat of transmitting COVID-19. We’ve even turned mask-donning into a symbol of partisan affiliation; those who would make them compulsory everywhere face off against those who refuse them under all circumstances. But we should at least be able to agree that face coverings are a great way to defeat the surveillance state—especially now that the U.S. government has conceded that masks confuse the hell out of facial recognition technology.

“Using unmasked images, the most accurate algorithms fail to authenticate a person about 0.3% of the time,” the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a federal agency, reported last week. “Masked images raised even these top algorithms’ failure rate to about 5%, while many otherwise competent algorithms failed between 20% to 50% of the time.”

Notably, the NIST test focused on one-to-one matching of a face against a single photo, as you might do to unlock a cellphone or at a passport checkpoint. One-to-one systems are carried out under conditions of near-ideal lighting and camera placement, and so are more reliable than one-to-many matches of faces against databases that are conducted during surveillance of public places. Masks should be expected to be even more effective at increasing failure rates of one-to-many facial recognition systems.

“The more of the nose a mask covers, the lower the algorithm’s accuracy,” the NIST report adds of the digitally simulated coverings used in the study. “The study explored three levels of nose coverage—low, medium and high—finding that accuracy degrades with greater nose coverage.” Continue reading “”

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” – Santayana

They have an agenda, a narrative to support it, and want to destroy the competition. What’s amazing is that they’re so open about it.

Chicago-Area Leaders Call for Illinois to Eliminate History Classes

At a news conference, State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford said current history teachings lead to a racist society and overlook the contributions of women and minorities.

Ford and other leaders have asked the ISBOE and school districts to immediately remove history books that “unfairly communicate” history.

“It costs us as a society in the long run forever when we don’t understand our brothers and sisters that we live, work and play with,” Ford said.

The state representative is sponsoring a bill that would require elementary schools to teach students about the civil rights movement

Antifa Is the Natural Product of Our Educational System.

*************

Antifa is an excruciating public manifestation of a very deep infection that has metastasized throughout our society from the schools.

It will only get worse if we don’t change our educational system—pronto.

Ironically, the beginnings of this change are one of the few, perhaps the only, good things to emanate from the pandemic.

With schools shut or online, many are evaluating whether the system serves our young people, practically (in terms of careers) or ideologically.

What kind of education is it when 95 percent of college professors vote Democrat, and mostly left Democrat at that?

Viewpoint diversity, anyone? Shall I home school my child? Shall I send him or her to college so they can come back Thanksgiving in an Antifa t-shirt and accuse me of being a capitalist pig when I just spent fifty grand for their tuition?

Something is wrong with this picture.

Change is undoubtedly coming. As a wise man once said, “Faster, please.” I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of mush brains throwing fire bombs at police stations.

 

Waiting for the Umbrella Man or someone like him.

Who can take a city, burn it to the ground? The Umbrella Man can, at least according to the search warrant affidavit filed by Minneapolis police officer Erika Christensen last week.

The Star Tribune’s Libor Jany told me he came across Christensen’s affidavit in a routine review of new court filings. He reported on the allegations of Christensen’s affidavit in “Minneapolis police say ‘Umbrella Man’ was a white supremacist trying to incite George Floyd rioting.” The story has made waves around the world.

According to Officer Christensen, Umbrella Man is a white supremacist who set off the week of riots and arson throughout the Twin Cities by knocking out the windows at AutoZone on Lake Street at Minnehaha Avenue in south Minneapolis on May 27. Did Umbrella Man also burn the AutoZone down? I can’t tell from Libor’s story, but it was in fact torched.

* * * * * * * *

Officer Christensen’s affidavit superimposes a mythical narrative over the events as we saw them unfold. Cockburn adds, by the way, that it took him “just a single minute on Google to discover rioting and destruction from May 26 — the day before Umbrella Man supposedly kicked everything off.” Spectator USA has made Cockburn’s column freely accessible at our request.

Officer Christensen, perhaps coincidentally, is “a frequent letter-writer to the Star Tribune” and the Minneapolis police department’s “rare ‘out’ liberal,” as she described herself in this Star Tribune column last year. See Christensen’s letters to the editor here (May 8, 2017) and here (March 25, 2019).

And now something of interest for our friends south of the border

Sao Paulo Police Select the Steyr AUG SMG in .40 Caliber

Brazil’s Military Police of São Paulo State (PMESP) have selected the Steyr AUG in its submachine gun configuration to fulfil an order for 1,000 submachine guns. The Steyr AUG A3 in submachine gun configuration, feeding from a .40 caliber extended Glock magazines was the winning bidder for the contract. The Steyr beat out competition from B&T and Shield Arms. In the negotiation phase, Steyr offered the lowest final bid, $2,580 per weapon.

What you won’t see on the national news:
Standard operational criminal extortion, just like the mobsters and their ‘protection’ rackets, which is all BLM is, a bunch of marxists formed into a criminal mob.

Cuban community plans rally at NuLu restaurant in response to Black Lives Matter demands

Members of Louisville’s Cuban community plan to gather Sunday in support of a NuLu restaurant owner who says he was threatened by Black Lives Matter protesters during a recent demonstration.

Fernando Martinez, a partner of the Olé Restaurant Group, was one of dozens of business owners in the downtown Louisville district who recently received a letter from protesters laying out demands that aim to improve diversity in the area, which is known for its locally-owned shops and restaurants.

Martinez has publicly denounced the demands on Facebook, calling them “mafia tactics” used to intimidate business owners. And on Thursday, a small group of protesters confronted him outside his newest restaurant, La Bodeguita de Mima, on East Market Street.

“There comes a time in life that you have to make a stand and you have to really prove your convictions and what you believe in,” Martinez wrote in his Facebook post. “… All good people need to denounce this. How can you justified (sic) injustice with more injustice?”……..

The demands and an attached contract, which were created by local organizers and activists, ask NuLu business owners to:

Adequately represent the Black population of Louisville by having a minimum of 23% Black staff;
Purchase a minimum of 23% inventory from Black retailers or make a recurring monthly donation of 1.5% of net sales to a local Black nonprofit or organization;
Require diversity and inclusion training for all staff members on a bi-annual basis;
And display a visible sign that increases awareness and shows support for the reparations movement.

Presidential Message on National Shooting Sports Month 2020

During National Shooting Sports Month, we commemorate our Constitutional right to bear arms by celebrating America’s cherished past time of recreational and competitive shooting sports.

Our great Nation has a rich history of fostering responsible gun ownership.  In the early days of our Republic, turkey shoots encouraged community engagement and brought families closer together.  As our country grew, these local events developed into large regional and national events and competitions that drew thousands of spectators.  By the late 19th century, sharpshooters such as Pawnee Bill and Annie Oakley established popular shows with Wild West and other themes, touring the country with acts featuring their talent with firearms.  These pioneering American folk heroes demonstrated the courage, skill, and persistence necessary to excel in shooting sports and that reflect our founding values.  Today, we continue to promote interest in such social pastimes that celebrate our rich and unique history of shooting sports.

As we encourage our fellow Americans to take part in learning more about firearms this month, including safety and proper instruction, we also pledge to continue doing our part to ensure that our rights are never infringed upon.  Enshrined in the Bill of Rights, our Second Amendment protects the individual liberties of Americans to keep and bear arms.  Since my first day in office, I have made clear that my Administration will always protect and defend the Second Amendment.  We will continue to oppose those individuals and policies that attempt to tread on this essential and cherished liberty.

This National Shooting Sports Month, I ask those Americans who currently participate in shooting sports to share this cherished tradition with others.  Together, we can proudly ensure that the next generation knows how to safely and responsibly enjoy their Second Amendment freedoms.

Wilford Brimley, star of ‘The Natural,’ ‘Cocoon’ and Quaker Oats ads, dead at age 85

LOS ANGELES — Wilford Brimley, who worked his way up from stunt performer to star of film such as “Cocoon” and “The Natural,” has died. He was 85.

Brimley’s manager Lynda Bensky said the actor died Saturday morning in a Utah hospital. He was on dialysis and had several medical ailments, she said.

The mustached Brimley was a familiar face for a number of roles, often playing gruff characters like his grizzled baseball manager in “The Natural.”

Brimley’s best-known work was in “Cocoon,” in which he was part of a group of seniors who discover an alien pod that rejuvenates them. The 1985 Ron Howard film won two Oscars, including a supporting actor honor for Don Ameche.

Feast or Famine, it seems.

Brownsville Woman Shoots, Kills Intruder Climbing Through Her Window

Miami-Dade police are investigating a shooting that left one man dead early Friday morning. He was shot by a woman who says the man was climbing into her apartment through a window.

Wentzville man killed after stabbing driver in the neck in Lincoln County

ELSBERRY, Mo. (KMOV.com) — An investigation is underway after deputies said a man shot another person to death after being stabbed in the back of the neck in Lincoln County.

The sheriff’s office said three people were in a car driving along Highway W just west of Elsberry on July 28. Around 9 p.m. the car stopped and the two passengers got out.

Law enforcement said when the driver tried to get out of the car, one of the passengers allegedly stabbed the driver in the back of the neck. Deputies said the driver then grabbed a gun and fired one shot at the passenger who stabbed him.

The man who did the stabbing, who law enforcement later identified as 54-year-old Stephen Johnson, of Wentzville, died at the scene. The driver was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The prosecuting attorney will review the case.

Security guard shoots, kills knife-wielding man in midtown Saturday

TUCSON, Ariz. — Police say a man is dead after he was fatally shot by the security guard of an apartment complex in midtown Tucson over the weekend.

According to the Tucson Police Department, it happened at a building on the 3800 block of Fort Lowell Road, between Dodge and Alvernon.

Officers arrived at the scene just before 9 p.m. There, they came to an apartment where they found 49-year-old David Reed, who had been shot. Officers rendered first aid to the man before Tucson Fire Department responders took over. They took Reed to the hospital, where he later died, Police said.

Police say they later learned an armed security guard hired by the apartment complex was conducting a check of the building when he heard noise inside a vacant apartment. He spoke to two people inside — Reed and a woman. As he was detaining the woman, police say Reed took out a knife and the guard shot him. The security guard also suffered minor injuries.

Detectives have not made an arrest in the case and are continuing their investigation.

Off-duty Troy cop fatally shoots man to stop stabbing, victim in critical condition

TROY NY (WRGB) – An off-duty Troy police officer jumped into action Thursday night, attempting to stop a stabbing in process, according to Troy PD’s Deputy Chief Dan DeWolf.

According to police, the officer was off-duty Thursday night at his home on 17th Street in Troy, when he heard a domestic incident upstairs. He went to investigate, and discovered a 26-year-old man in the process of stabbing a 25-year-old woman.

Police say the officer repeatedly told the man to back off, before eventually firing a shotgun, stopping the stabbing.

Police say multiple people called 911 for reports of the stabbing.

Read the whole thing at your convenience

4 French Revolution Trends That Have Started In The United States
The bloody and terrible French Revolution featured attacks on religion, rewriting history, toppling statues, and abandoning tradition. Sound familiar?

Many recently celebrated Bastille Day, the day French radical revolutionaries stormed a prison, released its prisoners, and brutally murdered the warden. That fateful day, now more than 200 years ago, set in motion a revolution that led to bloodshed and a devastating loss of liberty in France. It also set the precedent for many future revolutions that took an unbelievable toll on human life.

Contemporary British politician Edmund Burke lamented that French Revolutionaries could have repaired the walls of their government and society instead of tearing them down. In an attempt to found an egalitarian utopia, the French Revolutionaries tore down almost everything that was traditionally French. An eerily similar purge is taking place in America.

To found their society anew, the French Revolutionaries created a new education system, a new calendar, a new system of measurement, and a series of new public symbols and festivals. Most forebodingly, they did their best to cleanse France of religion in all of its forms, opting instead to pay homage to the god of Reason.

1. Taking Control of the Calendar and Holidays
…….Now, there are calls to cancel Independence Day, change the name of Thanksgiving to “Thanks-taking,” and eliminate Columbus Day. Presidents Day, which is George Washington’s birthday, may also be on life-support. But don’t worry, new holidays such as “Non-Binary Day“ are being ginned up………….

2. Tearing Down Statues
All across the country statues of American historical figures have lost their heads. In Boston, a statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded, as were four Confederate statues in Portsmouth Virginia……….

3. Seizing Language and Education
It’s a dark omen when language itself starts to be canceled. Classic children’s books are being banned because some on the left don’t like their language………….

4. Violent Hostility Towards Religion
Traditional religion in the United States has also come under attack by the modern radical left. And, while things haven’t yet got to the level of the French Revolution, the current anti-Christian climate does not bode well for the future……………..