I’ve lived in a state of near-revolution, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. Want to go and visit your mother in the next town over? Imagine having to call ahead to the local police stations or military bases to see if the road is safe to travel on. (Add IEDs to this, and I think the picture becomes even clearer.) Has the Kmart been swept recently for explosive devices? Is anyone lurking over the road, waiting to shoot you when you come out to mow your lawn?

I think Kim’s clarity on this issue comes from the fact that he’s an immigrant, and has been much closer to actual civil unrest than any of us have been.  I would also imagine that people who grew up in a different culture also aren’t raised with all the American cultural myths.  Now, I’m not going to immediately bash on mythology.  Every society needs its mythology in order to define itself as a people.  But I think we do need to recognize when mythology starts getting its nose into the tent of reality.

One particular American myth is that of the clean revolution.  No one disputes that the American Revolution was just and necessary, but history tends to white wash the nastier bits.  One doesn’t have to look much farther than what happened to Loyalists both during and after the revolution to realize that it wasn’t clean. As Peter at Firearms and Freedom point out, even if you win your revolution, you’re still stuck with the same population that voted the original government into existence.  None of the ways to deal with that problem are pretty.

Our revolution was also risky.  The founding fathers, who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, would have certainly been executed if the revolution had been put down, but they also would have been in trouble had they lost control.  If it wasn’t for George Washington, we would be a backwater, just like many of the other American colonies.  History is not replete with men who willingly surrender great power.  Washington may not have filled the intellectual role in our nation’s founding that Jefferson or Madison did, and he might not have been the greatest general the world has ever seen, but Washington made his place in our history with these words:

Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.

That is, in my opinion, one of the greatest acts in the history of mankind.  Not only for what it said of Washington’s character, but because men like Washington are so utterly rare in history.

For the people today who think about affecting a clean revolution, remember that your revolution will not change the people of the United States, who elected the government that you so despise, and we’d be extraordinarily lucky to be lead by another Washington.  The only clean revolutions are those that happen by the ballot box.

That’s why Bitter is pissed off about this whole thread, since she’s worked most of her adult life on affecting a truly clean revolution on this issue by convincing her fellow citizens to toss out the bums who vote for gun control.  It’s also why I love people like Breda, who bring in passion for the issue, and are eagar to share it with others.  If we had a thousand Bitters and Bredas scattered around the country, gun rights would be an unstoppable juggernaut.  We’d get our clean revolution.  This is where I make my contribution in the here and now.  What about you?

Democrats have a chance to retreat here, and I’m glad that NRA is twisting blue dog arms.  They have to take a leadership position on this issue within their party.

UPDATE: Judging from the article, it looks like it might have been a BB gun.  In that case, getting the authorities involved wouldn’t have been inappropriate.

All of these things I have done for years to no avail. Do you think my stance has been crafted without experience, without thought? On the other hand, I have watched as you have used this blog to excuse ATF misconduct in the Olofson case, blaming the victim for his own framing. What then have you done to validate your brave words at the top of this blog? Diddly squat, I’d say.

You know, there are honestly some days where I don’t even know why I bother.  Expect posting to be light today.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Hat tip to Dr. Helen

I mentioned a client of Clear Channel Outdoor that threatened to put the rest of their planned campaign out to bid again unless pro-Second Amendment messages are posted in the area - with the same number and at the same cost (we don’t have it confirmed if production was also donated to MAG).

So far, the local affiliate they are working with is trying to work some sort of solution out.  I’m sure it is complicated by the legal issue the Philadelphia office has now created for itself.  I have not heard if they have returned their client’s calls or emails yet.

However, here’s the relevant fact.  The client Clear Channel is at risk of losing is spending as much on his ad account in only a few markets as the entire nationwide company has slated for their PSA work, at least based on the numbers provided to me by Clear Channel.  They could literally lose a client that would pay the equivalent of all of their donations in one year over this bad decision made through the internal biases of the Philadelphia office.

Money talks, so if you have a business, or can speak for a business, it would be useful to make your local Clear Channel Outdoors office understand this will mean they don’t get your business.

UPDATE: More here:

But admitted gun owner Joel Siegel said the National and Illinois State Rifle Associations were poised to file immediate suit if the repeal failed, and said any fight to save it would amount to  “beating a dead horse.”

He instead urged that Wilmette utilize NRA programs to train any child who wants gun training.

“Young people, when properly instructed, can be responsible and will not abuse a firearm,” he said.

Siegel, a retired teacher, said he came directly from a youth training session at a Kankakee firing range.

Joel Siegel, I wish there were a thousand more like you.  Five people showed up to offer opinions, and only one of them was a speaking for the pro-gun side?  Sometimes I think it’s a miracle our movement can accomplish anything.  I hope we can get a better turnout when Wilmette discusses The Legal Community Against Gun Violence’s proposed replacement.

I don’t know who that guy is, but I hear he has a really bitchin’ girlfriend, who has agreed to help him out with all the various EVC activities.  Why did this highly creative and smart individual decide to become an EVC?

You see, Congressman Patrick Murphy signed onto McCarthy’s assault weapons ban, HR1022.  That has consequences.  One consequence is that this new tall and handsome EVC will make sure every gun owner in in Bucks County, and there are a lot of us, have heard that they have a Congressman who likes to cosponsor gun bans in his spare time.

We may not unseat Patrick Murphy this time around.  We may not get him next time.  But if he continues to support gun control, we will defeat him… and his little dog too!

Some may want an armed revolution, but I don’t want to see it come to that.  It is not inevitable or necessary at this point in time.  I’d prefer to solve this problem politically, and guys like this aren’t helping.  We’re winning right now, both politically, and the hearts and minds.  Could we please not do stupid shit like this to fuck it up?  Thank you.

Remember, it’s safe to stay home in 2008!  The anti-gun democrats won’t do anything to us when they have the White House and a filibuster proof majority in the Senate.  They promise!

The responses from physicians who are registered members of the site was remarkbly evenly divided. Just over half (52%) said Yes, that gun control is a public health issue.

But for readers as a whole, it was another story — with 83% of the 2,023 respondents saying No. And as a further measure of interest in gun control, there were 36 comments posted with the poll. Some posters weighed in more than once to further the conversation.

This is a health care related site, so most of the folks reading could be expected to be health care professionals.

Just because Star Trek came up with the idea, doesn’t mean it’s a good one.

An outspoken Long Island gun owner’s home was raided by Nassau County detectives, who seized two dozen weapons he lawfully owns just one day after Rep. Carolyn McCarthy’s office made a 911 call about him.

Freeport resident Gabriel Razzano claims he was targeted in the spring raid for his “unpopular” political beliefs.

He’s now filed a $5 million federal lawsuit against the Nassau PD and McCarthy, charging they joined forces to strip him of his guns unconstitutionally.

I mean, if he threatened her, or made threats, I would imagine they can charge him with something.  If not, this he might have some grounds to his suits.  Tom King, President of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, is on Cam’s show right now saying this guy is outspoken, but not crazy, and definitely didn’t threaten anyone in McCarthy’s office.

So, ignorance is no excuse, right? I would agree with that to a point. We all have biases. What concerns me is how this got so far - 30+ freakin’ billboards (which Clear Channel did acknowledge were mostly donated by them since Interstate is a smaller company) - without someone raising an alarm. That, they agreed, needed to be investigated internally. That’s refreshing honesty.

But the real meat of it is this:

So the next step was for Clear Channel’s rep to call the lead Mom who, it turns out, is self funding the group. Only that conversation lead her to discover that the group isn’t registered as a charity at all. It’s registered as an LLC, and they have no intent of going for non-profit status.

This was a bit of a shock to them. Clear Channel was lead to believe they were doing a PSA for a charitable organization. Yet, instead, their donations have been used for political advocacy for essentially a business.  There will no doubt be more to come of this, and I know I am on their call list when they get it resolved.

But, for kicks, here’s another layer to this huge legal misunderstanding, I do actually know of a group that has a huge ad campaign with Clear Channel right now, though in another market. I think I’ll save most of that news for tomorrow in case there are developments to that story.

Read the whole thing though.  Bitter has done a fine job not only as an amateur journalist, but in wielding her influence and PR acumen skillfully.  We’re very much hoping that Clear Channel Outdoors pulls their advertising campaign for Moms Against Guns.  Getting pressure from the greater community certainly has helped in this case, so thanks to everyone who called or e-mailed.  If you haven’t already, feel free to call your local Clear Channel Outdoors office and inform them that you are unhappy.  Especially if you own a business that purchases outdoor advertising.  Let’s make sure they do the right thing here.

h/t The Volokh Conspiracy

“[NRA is against] anything that restricts the opportunity for a guy who gets cut off in traffic from pulling out a hand gun and almost assassinating an entire family, as was the case a few days ago in San Francisco, where three people were gunned down. That somehow that is appropriate and wonderful and that person celebrated his freedom to carry a loaded pistol.”

It should be noted that the illegal immigrant who murdered the family had two prior felony convictions.  But according to Mayor Newsom, it’s NRA’s fault.  It’s not his fault, for running a city that’s incapable of controlling crime.  It’s not the State of California’s fault, for making sure everyone except felons is appropriate disarmed from protecting themselves.  It’s certainly not the federal government’s fault for a failed immigration policy.  Nope, it your fault.  It’s my fault.  It’s anyone’s fault except for the people who’s fault it actually is.  It’s like a two year old who blames his little brother for breaking the expensive china.

That would lead me to believe that Clear Channel Outdoors and Interstate Outdoor Advertising are simply going out of their way to screw Pennsylvania gun owners in the November 2008 elections.

I would note from the Inquirer article yesterday:

The billboards will stay up through November’s elections - just long enough, the group says, for voters to elect candidates willing to crack down on illegal guns.

This is electioneering under IRS rules because they are trying to influence the outcome of elections.  Also from the article:

The group is working on getting 50,000 signatures for a petition on its Web site (http://www.momsagainstguns.org) urging state lawmakers to pass tougher gun laws. The petition has nearly 4,500 so far.

Petitioning the legislature would probably be considered lobbying by the IRS, which means the billboards are meant to get people to sign the petition, and fall under the category of lobbying.  It’s worth noting that the going market rate for these billboards is considered the amount of the donation being made to MAG on the part of Clear Channel and Interstate.  This means if this amount is in excess of about fifteen MAG’s total donations for the year, they are in violation of the tax codes.

This is important, because gun rights groups follow the rules on these matters, so MAG is abusing its tax status to get an unfair leg up in an election they, by law, should not even be participating in.  The IRS is currently cracking down on this kind of abuse under it’s Political Activities Compliance Initiative.  I’m going to ask everyone to please visit the IRS website that has the information required to report violations by tax exempt organizations, and report Moms Against Guns.

If MAG gets their 501(c)(3) tax status revoked, they will be forced to track down all their donors, and inform them that their donations for the year will not be tax deductible.  This is usually the kiss of death for a non-profit.  You have a chance here to contribute to killing off a gun control group, folks.  The gun control groups love to try to pass laws that subject the shooting community to poking and prodding by government agents.  When the IRS is probing into orafices MAG was never even aware they had, you can sit back and enjoy the fact that they’ve had a taste of their own medicine.

UPDATE: Hold on Folks.  We may have all been mislead here.   MAG seems to be incorporated as a business entity rather than a non-profit charity.

UPDATE: Yes, Moms Against Guns is a corporation, not a non-profit.

UPDATE: See this post.