Snowflakes in Hell

Traction Control has a cross between an American 180 and an AR-15, called the AM-15, that looks like a fun toy.  Check out how long it can sustain fire on the video.

Dave Hardy informs us that a 21 year old man in Richmond, who shot a fleeing armed robber, won’t be facing charges.  The grand jury refused to hand down an indictment in the case.  Said the prosecutor:

“When the adrenaline is pumping and you’re scared, you weigh fear differently than when you’re behind your desk,” he added.

Still, the prosecutor said he had no regrets about presenting the case.

“This is an indication that the system works,” he said.

Pennsylvania doesn’t use grand juries, except in cases where the crime spans more than one county.  It bothers me our state is lacking this key check on governmental power.  I agree with the prosecution that this is an indication that the system works; the grand jury did the right thing.

I think it’s worth it for me to put up another post tomorrow discussing the defense of property issue, as it generated some good comments, and I want to clarify a few things.  I do believe crime victims should be given a wide benefit of doubt when it comes to defending themselves from criminal attacks.  I’m glad the jury was understanding.

I decided to head over to the club tonight for the weekly trap tournament. My first time shooing trap formally. I did 21 the first round, and then gutter balled the second round with a 14. I’m not sure what I did on the second round. Clay shooting is one of those things where if I get out of my zone, I just start sucking. Second round started off bad when I was in front of a mic that wouldn’t throw the clay unless I practically screamed into it. Two, even three shouts of “pull!”, and I was off. When I start thinking too much about the shot, I start getting behind the bird and missing. When I relax, and just do it, without worrying “you gotta hit this one,” I do much better.

Hopefully next time I can score in the 20s both times.

Looks like Ace is back blogging again, and is now hitched.

I congratulate Ryan on his new computerized A&D system:

On top of that we have modified our system to fit the specifications of the ATF Seattle Field Division. ATF Director of Industry Operations Richard Van Loan had earlier stated that if we would have gotten a computerized system that he would have never revoked our license.

And the bad news:

The ATF is still moving forward on revoking our license.

Can you hear the cah-ching of your tax dollars being flushed down the toilet?

Jeff Soyer responds to a statement by Peter Hamm of The Brady Campaign on the Castle Doctrine law in Mississippi: “Do we want to kill every 16-year-old kid we find stealing a car stereo?”  Jeff’s response:

Actually, yes we do. Here’s why: Because after a few of these teen thugs are removed from the scene, their peers will get the message that stealing is wrong. They’re not getting that instruction from their parents or prosecutors or judges so it’s left to us — the law abiding members of society and the victims of these criminals — to educate them ourselves.

Further, if they (the miscreants) don’t get that message, they continue to steal and emboldened by toothless laws tend to move-up to more serious crimes such as assault, muggings, and home invasions — often resulting in the death of their victims (us!).

This isn’t something I can get behind.  Even under castle doctrine laws, it’s illegal an immoral to execute someone (and that is what you are doing, make no bones about it) for stealing your property.  I am entirely in favor of people being able to use, and using deadly force to protect themselves and others.  If you confront a car stereo thief, and he threatens you with a weapon, you are within your rights to use deadly force on your attacker.  If he runs away with your car stereo, that’s a job for the police.

In order to enjoy the benefits of living under government in a peaceful society, we largely agree to surrender our right of retribution to the state, and to rely on it to punish people who take our property.  We retain the right and means of self-defense as a people.  Seeking retribution for petty crimes is the proper role of the police and the court system, not of individual citizens.  I admire Jeff’s clear thinking on a great many issues, but if we are to convince our fellow citizens that castle doctrine is not “vigilantism”, then we must not feed that fire by actually advocating that.

I noticed Uncle linked to this piece in the Seattle PI.  It’s worthwhile to remind everyone exactly who Richard Feldman is.  As it mentions at the end of the article, Feldman “became too close to ‘the enemy’ and was sacked as a lobbyist.”  Feldman was canned because he was more interested in cutting deals with anti-gunners, and seeking out media attention than he was fighting for gun rights.

Now, before anyone goes “But Sebastian, you always say that sometimes you have to make a deal?”  That’s true, but there’s a difference between brokering a deal that makes something that would be really bad a bit less awful, which sometimes you have to do, and actively trying to make deals you don’t need to with the anti-gunners and hope they go away happy.   We all know that won’t work.   Feldman is the latter type.

It’s worthwhile to remember why he was forced to resign from his position at American Shooting Sport Council.   After a series of disastrous appeasements of the Clinton Administration, Feldman became an advocate for settling the lawsuits that were brought by various cities against the firearms industry instead of fighting them.  Feldman poorly understood when it was smart to cut a deal, and when you should fight.  NRA chose to fight, and the industry quickly got together on that and showed Feldman the door.

So it’s worthwhile to remember that Feldman has an axe to grind.

The NRA, he says, would love to see Hillary Clinton in the White House, because once again it would have an adversary in power. “In the endless struggle, it is always better to fight than to win,” he said last week. “For the NRA, losing is winning.”

And the NRA will spend large sums of money trying to defeat Hillary, just like they did Al Gore, even though Feldman also claims Al Gore would have been better for fund raising.  If they are in it merely for the money, it would seem that they don’t know what’s good for them.

The gun issue ain’t going away folks, and there will never be a time when we can stop fighting and NRA can go back to being a shooting sports organization.  I doubt highly that Chris Cox lies awake at night worrying he might be so successful that he’ll be out of a job.

Armed and Safe talks about why he’ll never vote for Rudy.  I have to say, it’s a compelling reason.  You know, if Fred doesn’t pull it off, even I might have to vote for Ron Paul.

Looks like the Philadelphia Police have a suspect.