They don’t even hide it now. Note in the right-hand column, a one-point change in “for ban” opinions gets a much longer change in the length of the bar than a two-point change in “against-ban” opinions.
Not to mention that 44% for a ban is somehow longer than 51% and 53% against.
Strange times, indeed, when a Saiga-12 shotgun (for which in Cali a reasonable price would be $1200 or less, but which was recently on sale for the eye-gouging amount of $2400) was just taken off the market because somebody’s trading a $6k car for it.
Saw the Saiga in question myself at the gun shop today. Its owner’s quite happy about the whole situation, as you might guess.
One patron mentioned that his “uncle” had just moved to Cali from Nevada with a Colt AR, and when a chorus of voices informed him that said firearm (being a listed banned weapon in Cali) was illegal to possess, and he asked what the “uncle” should do, folks started in about how they were stripping their lowers and selling ’em on Gunbroker out of state for big chunks of change. Prices inflating as you watch.
80% unfinished lower blanks (valued in Cali because 1. unregistered and 2. you can legally make a pistol with them) are going for close to two bills. Dayum!
(Also got to drool over John Bagakis’ oh-so-sweet .510 Whisper bolt gun, but that’s another thing entirely. This may be the cartridge for my next Encore barrel….)
Best part was the cute grandma buying Glock mags who asked the clerk, “why are people buying guns if they’re going to have to turn them in?“
“Well, they’re not going to turn them in,” was the reply.
“Really?” she said, looking surprised.
“Yes, if the government wants my guns they can take them bullets first, and I mean that wholeheartedly.” To which a chorus of voices added their assent.
“Well!” she said. “I’m glad some people feel that way!”
“Oh, I think most of us do, ma’am,” I smiled.
Bear in mind, with respect to turning guns in, in Cali, our in-store gun purchases are all registered, one way or another, with the State Bureau of Firearms. They know we’re buying them, and we know they know. In free states, buying guns now is an act of forethought. In California, it’s an act of defiance.
Hello.
My name is Erik, although I comment here under the name “Mollbot.” I used to have my own blog (What Hath I Wrought?), but abandoned it years ago. Phil more than once over the years mentioned to me the possibility of contributing at RNS, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to blog any more.
However… I recently read a blog post that made me want to respond, and responding in the comments wouldn’t have been… enough. Phil graciously offered me a platform, but I had to provide my own soapbox. Introduction aside, now on to the post:
I discovered the “Depleted Cranium” blog through a link here from Mad Rocket Scientist, I think. The site is primarily about skepticism, pointing out bad science in the news and popular culture. The author styles himself “Dr. Buzzo,” although he makes it clear that he isn’t really a doctor. His real name is Steve Packard, and he made an unsuccessful bid for US Congress in Connecticut’s 3rd District in the most recent national election. He ran as a Republican, although he doesn’t appear to be particularly conservative. I disagree with a number of his views (but then I disagree with a lot of people). I had almost no income this last year that wasn’t set aside for a specific purpose, so I couldn’t support him monetarily. I planned, however, to do so in 2014 since he announced that he would run again.
I no longer plan to give him a red cent.
In this blog post, he begins with a complaint about both sides of the gun control argument using the shooting in Newtown as a political tool to drive their own views. All right, fine. I feel similarly about most “disaster” style stories in the news these days, the news is far more likely to push for a change in policy than just report the facts. I understand his feelings being stronger than mine in this case as he is connected tangentially to several families who lost children there.
In the comments he eventually lines out his own conception of how gun control should operate in the US. It was more than enough to turn this particular right-leaning libertarian (lower case l) away from his East-coast statist… posterior permanently. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more complicated proposal for gun control, based on governmental scrutiny of every single model and variety of firearm and assigning a level of “threat” to each type, then instituting a six-tiered licensing scheme with progressively (yes I used that word with malice) more difficult bars to obtaining a license as the perceived “danger level” of the firearm rises.
Here is the link on the comment in question. He prides himself on honest debate, and has refused to remove controversial comments in the past, so I think it unlikely he will remove the comment.
My objection to such a scheme is based on the difficulty, cost, and intrusiveness of such a proposal, over and above the obvious point that there are between 250 and 300 million firearms in civilian circulation in the United States already. He doesn’t indicate a plan for confiscation if you already own a firearm in a tier for which the government deems you unfit, but that is a flourish I would expect to appear if any such plan made its way anywhere near Washington DC. Indeed, without Federal confiscation his plan is utterly unworkable; for it to be even slightly effective we’d have to start from a clean slate and that simply will not happen.
The unworkability of the plan, though, is immaterial. If that is the sort of solution he proposes, it is clear that his mindset is ultimately statist, no matter how rational his viewpoint when it comes to questions of science. We have far too many of those types in DC already.
In particular, the absurdity of Gun Control and its language.
This has turned into an uber-post of sorts, but do be patient and stick with me. It has many parts, but it concludes eventually.
Plus, there are cool pictures! (click them to enlarge)
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When those who have an irrational fear or hatred of firearms get in front of a camera or speak to a reporter, they lose their ability to speak intelligently. They begin spouting phrases such as “Assault Rifleâ€, “Cop-Killer Bulletsâ€, “Large Capacity Clips†and even “Spray Firing Bullet Hosesâ€. This always charges the conversation with emotion, possibly with the hope that in doing so those using this odd language will be able to confuse people’s logic center and win them over to the irrational side of the argument.
For a moment, please take a look at the three comparisons I am going to make between sets of objects, then read a little bit further as I explain the reasoning behind the comparisons.
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This is an acoustic guitar. More correctly, it is an Epiphone FT120 built in 1974.
This is a “Grand Concert” style guitar. It has a D shaped neck and short, narrow frets. The Mahogany and Spruce in the neck and body have dried with age to the point of near perfection.
This guitar is perfect for chord work. I have been playing it and had to stop for just a moment in appreciation of the sounds emanating from the guitar because they were so very nice. I cannot wait to record with it.
This is a rifle. More specifically, it is a lever action Winchester 1894 in 30-30 Winchester caliber.
While this is a modern example of the rifle, the model number 1894 itself comes from the year it was patented. This rifle is so synonymous with the “Old West†that all rifles of this type, no matter their manufacturer, are generally called “Winchesters†by the uninitiated.
It is also generally regarded within firearms circles as one of the most deadly of all rifle designs and calibers because of its ubiquitous nature and use in hunting of medium to large game. To assume that this rifle is any less capable at taking care of what ever job is at hand because it is an old design is folly.
Food for thought. Parallels with the vulnerabilities of systemic firearms regulation I will leave as an exercise for the reader.
For the last six weeks of 2012, the Drum and Bass electronic music group, Rudimental, were kicking my ass regularly. You can buy their tracks here, and I suggest checking out some of the remixes as well (especially the Gorgon City mix \m/).
If you ever wondered how well electronic music could be pulled off in a live setting, let your worries cease here. And yes, I got a little Rick Astley flashback wondering how that voice comes out of that guy.
I would like to hope that “Not Giving In” is what the pro-civil rights members of Congress do when it comes time to vote against bills such the one Senator Feinstein has at the ready.
Over at the Huff-a-ton Post, Michael Bader shows us that he has (at least) one.
In his post, he attempts to lay out a case in which he proves the NRA’s to be hypocrites for their call for better detection and treatment for the mentally ill. His central argument is that the only way to make detection and treatment better is through a massive increase in government’s involvement in the daily lives of Americans, and that “the cost would make the War on Poverty and the Great Society look like a walk in the park and their cost mere chump change.”
And since the NRA is more in favor of individual liberty than a massive nanny state, he concludes that the NRA and those who agree with them are hypocrites.
Mr. Bader is actually Dr. Bader. His degree is in the realm of “Medical Humanities”, a social science and not a hard science, so he has been likely inoculated from the idea that there are other solutions to problems besides the government.
Bader has probably never even though of making the guideline for the involuntary commitment of the violently insane more navigable to mere mortals such as family members. It is also highly unlikely that he has pondered the idea that violent schizophrenics and those who suffer from psychotic delusions should be retained under supervision for more than a few weeks before they are “released and monitored”.
His “Medical Humanites” degree has bent his idea of what a “human right” is. Your right to self defense does not exist in his world of free roaming psychopaths currently on the outside of the revolving door of American psychiatric treatment. To him, those who are barely able to care for themselves or even recognize reality should have more rights than productive members of society.
And if you disagree with him, then you must just be an idiot. Because he is a psychotherapist with an opinion.
The Seattle Times figured they’d be cute and come up with list of “Headlines We’d Like To See” for their first edition editorial of 2013.
From their list:
Seahawks win Super Bowl
Well duh. Wouldn’t we all?
State unemployment falls below 4 percent
It’ll never happen under our current President. Unless he attempts to run for a third term, in which case the media will gladly swallow and reprint whatever statistics his Labor office releases.
Congress adopts amendment calling for two-thirds vote of both houses for war
I could enjoy seeing this one as well. Especially if they attach a tax increase requirement to each declaration. No more fudging the budget.
TSA to stop X-raying travelers’ shoes
Again, this will never happen. The Security Theater Show must go on!
U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage across country
This one might become reality. But I would much rather prefer to see the headline “U.S. Supreme Court tells government to get out of the marriage business” and be done with all the bullshit.
And so on and so on. But then they get into stupid ideas for headlines that strum the strings of the Statist Progressive hearts with suggestions such as:
Run on gun safes on eve of tough new state law
Won’t happen. Not only because it is both morally wrong and unconstitutional to force people to lock their firearms away where they are of no use to someone who needs them for self defense, but because it a stupid idea.
There is also:
Tea party supports assault-weapons ban
Which TEA Party? There was no “Tea Party” in any of the Voter Pamphlets I received this last year. If they’re thinking of the lobbying groups/PAC’s that abound in the movement, I can guarantee that’ll never happen because an “assault weapons ban” is a stupid idea put forth by stupid people, and TEA Party people know this.
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For people who “write the news” they sure do seem a bit naive and uninformed.
