Snowflakes in Hell

My friend Brad will soon be back to blog about football.  But for now, I leave you with this.

I just ordered two Red’s Trading Post hats for myself and Bitter. Show your support of Ryan, in his battles with the ATF, by getting one yourself. If you’re in the Twin Falls area, be sure to stop by and get some ammo next Tuesday.

I should state as a disclaimer that I firmly believe that pigeons are rats with wings.   But here’s another reason to stoke my, perhaps irrational, dislike of pigeons.

An important component to the ATF data, in addition to where the firearms trace to, and the time-to-crime, is exactly how many traces don’t resolve to any particular state. There are a few reasons this could happen. The firearm could have been smuggled into the country from overseas. The firearm could have been purchased prior to 1968, when the feds started requiring dealers to keep form 4473. Dealers are only required to hold 4473 for twenty years. A gun that gets sold, but stays with its legal owner for twenty years before being stolen or sold might fail to trace. Let’s take a look at Pennsylvania and some of the other surrounding states, and states of note, and see exactly how many traces don’t go anywhere.

• Pennsylvania traced a total if 9092 firearms in 2006. Only 5607 guns were traced back to a specific state of origin. 38% of firearms traced failed to trace back to a state of origin.
• New York traced 11893 firearms in 2006. Only 6085 traced back to a state of origin. 48% of firearms traces identified no state of origin.
• New Jersey traced 3543 firearms. Only 1878 traced back to a state. 46% of firearms traced identified no state of origin.
• Delaware trace 1023 firearms in 2006. 585 identified states of origin. 42% of firearms traced in Delaware had no identifiable state of origin.
• Maryland trace 7025 firearms in 2006. 4156 identified states of origin. 40% of firearms traced in Maryland had no identifiable state of origin.
• West Virginia traced 984 firearms in 2006. 628 traced to a state. 36% of firearms traced had no identifiable state of origin.
• Ohio traced 8627 firearms in 2006. 5695 traced to a state. 33% of traces could identify no state.
• Massachusetts traced 1644 firearms in 2006. 974 traced to a state. 40% of all traces could identify no state of origin.
• California traced a whopping 21223 firearms in 2006. States were identified in 11274 of them. 46% of all traces in California failed to identified any state.

These aren’t small numbers folks. In very significant numbers of cases, firearms are not being traced back to a legal source. Remember, the ATF tells us not to draw any conclusions from this, but when the anti-gunners start talking about what a huge problem trafficking is, such a huge problem, in fact, that we must pass one-gun-a-month, show them this. And if that doesn’t work, tell them this:

• Pennsylvania’s time to crime average is 9.50 years. 16% in first year.
• New Jersey’s time to crime average is 11.52 years. 10% in the first year.
• Maryland’s time to crime average is 10.95 years. 11% in the first year.
• West Virginia’s time to crime average is 9.29 years. 16% in first year.
• New York’s time to crime average is 12.00 years. 8% in the first year.
• Delaware’s time to crime average is 11.45 years. 14% in the first year.
• California’s time to crime average is 12.70 years. 12% in the first year.
• Virginia’s time to crime average is 8.34 years. 22% in the first year.

We’re told what a huge problem straw purchasing is by the anti-gun crowd. So much so, in fact, that they suggest we need to ration gun purchases. Virginia has one-gun-a-month, and has one of the highest time-to-crime rates of any state. What this would indicate is that the black market in guns is fed largely by existing supply, which has been in the black market for quite some time. It would suggest that more laws restricting the legal market in firearms would not have much of an effect on the black market supply of guns.

Today from Target Rich Environment:

When I saw the Headline “Student Suspended for Drawing Gun,” (link) I first thought “he should keep it holstered during the schoolday”. I didn’t realize that by drawing they meant he doodled a picture of a gun and got suspended for it…

I’m familiar with the neighborhood Dock Street Brew Pub is going into.  A former girlfriend of mine lives at 48th and Baltimore.  I will definitely pay it a visit when it opens.

I agree with Joe that we can’t slow down because we’re winning, but as gun owners, we have a tendency to do that.  Now is the time to begin attacking them on their “secure” territory.

Though, I would have used the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement as my example, rather than the KKK or neo-nazis.  The gun control movement, while wrong headed, often dishonest, certainly not respecting of the entire Bill of Rights, doesn’t even begin to approach the level of those types of groups on the totem poll of evil.

What we’re looking for is to destroy them as a political movement, and let them settle out on the fringe.  The only thing from preventing that from happening is a gun control friendly media culture, which keeps the issue alive for them even when its at death’s door.

I’ve turned on the subscribe to comments feature.  If anyone wants to use it, it’s there.  If not, no biggie.  I find it useful when I comment on other blogs, because I don’t have time to spend all day revisiting.  This will probably drive my hit count down, which upsets my inner traffic whore, but oh well.  I think it’s a nice feature.  Let me know if you notice any problems with it.

OK, Idaho Progressives. This is how you disagree with someone without calling them names or becoming hysterical. Clayton wonders why more homosexuals can’t free themselves from the bondage of their sin. I think because for some of them it’s not a conscious choice, and they can’t simply reject it and hope to lead a normal life. Ask my friend Andrew, or any of the other gay people I know, and they’ll tell you that he is just plain not attracted to the opposite sex at all.

How many of us have known people growing up, who we meet later in life and have them tell us they are gay, and end up saying to ourselves “Well, that’s not a shocker.” because even from the time we were kids, it was just kind of obvious that something was not quite “normal” with them?

Does this mean there’s a genetic cause of homosexuality? I don’t know. If there is a “gay gene”, evolution is going to demand that it be rare. Mutations that prevent organisms from successfully reproducing don’t get passed on to subsequent generations, and eventually work their way out of the gene pool. This is the reason childhood cancers are relatively rare. It is possible that social pressures have contributed to the passing on of a “gay gene”, which, ironically, would mean greater societal acceptance of homosexuality will cause the there to be fewer gays in subsequent generations.

To what extent sexual orientation is or isn’t a lifestyle choice is important to consider, because that hinges on whether or not it’s appropriate for the government to prevent discrimination on the basis of it. I think for many people, it’s not a choice. They can’t simply get therapy, and become straight. They could refrain from having intimate relationships, sure, but that seems hardly fair if it’s something they have no real control over. I have no beef with someone who wants to give up homosexuality for a life of religious fulfillment, but I don’t think most homosexuals I know could make that choice and be happy. I’ve seen too many people who struggle with sexual identity, who take years to accept that they don’t feel right with heterosexual relationships, to believe that it was entirely a lifestyle choice.

I meant to post this yesterday along with my trace data post, but Dave Hardy did some more analysis at Arms and the Law.

I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a pass ladies and gentlemen. My apologies to Carnaby Fudge, who is hosting this month’s match. My club doesn’t allow targets to be placed as close as 7 feet, so it’s just not going to be possible.

I really like the subscribe to comments feature, so I’m going to work on getting that added.  My system isn’t set up to send e-mail, so it complicates things a little bit, as I have to get postfix set up and working.  I got part way through it last night, but still have a bit to do.  I’ll announce when it’s finished.