Illinois' Bonehead Legislation Attempt

Illinois Rep. Kenneth Dunkin (D- Chicago) introduced a bill to require that LEGAL firearm owners in the state carry a $1 million dollar insurance policy covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the firearm.

A funny thing about this proposed requirement, there isn't an insurance company in the country that will issue such a policy. Now what kind of moron makes the decision to introduce a bill that 1) impossible to comply with and 2) only impacts those that try to stay within the law? The answer is apparently the boneheads in Illinois, land of Lincoln and some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country.

To any of my readers from the state of Illinois: How long are you going to keep tolerating this from your public servants?

Minnesota tries new gun control law

I see that Minnesota legislators are now looking at a bill to close the mythical gun show loophole that is supposedly responsible for all of the gun related crimes in the U.S. . According to a story by The Star Tribune, "The bill would close the so-called "gun show/Internet loophole." It would prohibit private sales of pistols or assault weapons unless the buyer or seller was a federally licensed dealer, or used a licensed dealer to transfer the weapon. That includes sales at garage and estate sales and over the Internet, which are currently exempt from background checks."

We have a winner for today's bonehead legislation contest. Let's take a look at the comment above piece by piece.

The mythical "gun show loophole" has some new brothers, the Internet, garage sale and estate sale loopholes. First, my personal experience at most gun shows I attend is that the "guns show loophole" is a myth. Yes there are a few private sales of some weapons at guns shows but the vast majority of the tables I have approached are run by those who are FFL dealers and DO require that you abide by existing laws by filling out the paperwork and going through the mandatory background check. The private sales at guns shows eliminate the need of me inviting God knows who over to my house if I want to sell a gun. I can take the gun to the show, others that may be interested in it can view it and make an offer, and a deal can be made.

The Internet loophole is something completely new and unusual. Under existing laws, a transfer of a gun across state lines already requires the services of an FFL for a legal transfer. Even within the Republic of Texas, I cannot legally ship a gun to another person. So where is the loophole? Is there some mystical site on the Internet that will allow me to purchase a firearm without abiding by the local laws? If so, please point it out to me as I am sure the boys at BATF don't have an idea it may be out there.

Now one of the key points of the bill according to the article is that it will outlaw the private transfer of the dreaded and evil "Assault Weapons". I am anxious to see what the definition of an assault weapon turns out to be in this bill.

Now a quiz for my readers...

Which one of the firearms pictured below is an "Assault Weapon"?





Answer: Neither, it is a trick question. They are both Ruger 10-22 rifles. One of the most common of the .22 plinkers that millions of people have used to learn the proper use of firearms.

The second picture is merely the same gun with a different set of stocks, guards and other accessories. Both are still .22 caliber semi-automatic rifles with no difference in functionality, only how the weapon looks. The bottom picture even dispalys the standard 10 round magazine sold with the gun.

Some Words of wisdom

An old grandpa once said, "Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' knee caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin'."

He goes on to say the following:

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs I am inadequate.

I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Police Protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.

Tennessee Gets It

The "it" here is that the lawmakers of Tennessee have filed 18 bills to loosen existing restrictions on firearms. An additional 4 bills have been introduced to restrict access to the database that houses information on CHL holders.

Hats off to Tennessee!

Say it ain't so...

I was handed a news story tonight at a motorcycle club meeting mentioning the little town of Tenaha, Texas. Tenaha is a small town with a population just over 1000 people less than 20 miles from the Texas-Louisiana border.

According to the article, it appears that the law enforcement officers of both the town and Shelby County have been accosting motorists that pass through the area. The law enforcement officials have been coercing motorist to turn over money and property in return for free passage through the area.

These so-called officials are performing what amounts to highway piracy on a regular basis. They have confiscated numerous automobiles, jewelry, cash and other property from 140 motorists between 2006 and 2008. All of this without filing criminal charges against less than half of the motorists. The motorists were threatened with arrest and/or jail time unless they waived their rights to the property.

I am appalled at this lack of respect for the Fifth Amendment rights of these motorists. The Fifth Amendment clearly states that a person shall not be, "...deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

One of the "law enforcement uses" for the confiscated property included a beer and margarita party for officers.

Please explain to me how this is justified in any way, shape or form?

The Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee is looking into this matter but only after ten of the motorists filed a suit against both the town of Tenaha and Shelby County.

I'll be following this story and the associated lawsuit to see how the state reacts to this fiasco and will keep you posted.

To quote an oft used phrase from the movies, "Looks like you are in a heap of trouble, boy."

A March on the Texas State Capitol

A good portion of this blog deals with Second Amendment rights but all of my rights are important to me. As any reader of this blog is aware, I am proudly outspoken when it comes to our elected officials and will gladly point out each of their infractions against my rights.

The picture above is me and about 3,000 of my closest friends marching on the Texas State Capitol on January 16th . Although the picture is a bit small, I am the guy under the big red mark on the photo.

The purpose of this gathering was to inform our legislators that we are aware of the bills they are attempting to pass that limit our rights as motorcyclists as well as citizens of this country. Plain and simple, we have had enough and are not going to take the continued erosion of our rights and liberties sitting down.

I am a patch holder in a local motorcycle club (name withheld to protect the innocent and guilty) and am active in the Texas Confederation of Clubs (TCoC). I am also one of our two club representatives and the DFW area secretary for the Texas Defenders program.

The Texas Defenders program was commissioned by TCoC State Chairman Bandido Gimmi Jimmy in the early fall of 2007 and has taken on a force of its own. This program was presented to the attendees of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) this year and is spreading like wildfire across the country. The same program is also known as the US Defenders across the country as the various CoC's climb on board to protect their rights.

Another portion of the program is the Coalition of Independent Riders (COIR). The COIR works in conjunction with the CoC's to bring non-patch holding riders into the fold to make sure they are both aware of the legislation that may impact them and to make sure that their voices are heard by our legislators.

The march this year on the state capitol was a very moving experience for me. It was quite something to hear 3,000+ voices raised in unison on the capitol steps as we recited the Pledge of Allegiance before going inside to visit with our legislators.

If you are a patch holder, check with your local CoC and see if there is a similar program in place in your area. If you are an independent rider, join the COIR and make sure your voice joins ours in protecting your rights.

If you need help in setting up a similar program in your area or do not know who to contact, let me know and I will get the information for you.

To read a bit more about the Texas Defenders program, check out the Texas CoC page.

Ride Free!

Definitions of terms used in this blog.

I have been asked a few times what some of the phrases I use in this blog mean. This post is an attempt to explain these terms to newer readers. I will edit this entry and add more definitions as the need arises.

Unarmed Victim(s) - These are members of the populace who do not understand that the Second Amendment is not about hunting but about personal protection from criminals and tyranny. Unarmed victims typically live with the misunderstanding that all guns are evil pieces of machinery and can act on their own accord to cause harm. They have no desire to protect themselves and are happy to allow the government to dictate what is good for them.

An unarmed victim can also be a member of the populace unfortunate enough to live in a police state that does not recognize the Second Amendment rights of their citizens. Citizens in areas such as Chicago and all of California are, by legislation, unarmed victims.

Bonehead(ed) Legislation - This is one of the nicer terms I use to describe legislation, either proposed or in place, that does nothing to actually help the citizens and actually harms them by ignoring their rights and ability to protect themselves. Examples of boneheaded legislation are HR45, the original AWB and most "gun laws" currently on the books.

I first encountered the term "bonehead legislation" in the title of a book about outrageous laws called 'The Trenton Pickle Ordinance and Other Bonehead Legislation" by Dick Hyman. I enjoyed this book and for some reason the descriptor for the legislation has stuck with me over the years.

The Second Amendment or 2A - “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” These are the most important 27 words in the U.S. Constitution. This phrase acknowledges our inalienable right to protect ourselves, our property and our family against the criminal element or, if necessary, our government.

Republic of Texas - To the uninitiated, this is also known as the Great State of Texas. On December 29, 1845, Texas agreed to be annexed by the U.S. and joined the Union as the 28th state. Texas is the only state that was a sovereign nation prior to joining the Union. While not a native Texan, the ideals and feelings I have for my home state for the last 15 years are as strong as any native-born son of the Republic.

Below are a few interesting tidbits from the Texas Constitution. It clearly states:

“Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States...” (note that it does not state “...subject to the President of the United States...” or “...subject to the Congress of the United States...” or “...subject to the rest of the United States...”)

And

"All political power is inherent in the people ... they have at all times the inalienable right to alter their government in such manner as they might think proper.”

Unfortunately, Texas citizens like most in the U.S. have meekly allowed the government to slowly erode the rights that made this country so great.