Posted by
Mostly Genius – December 15, 2008
Guns, U.S. Parks: A Deadly Mix
Crime rates in the national parks are down significantly. Yet the international trade in animal organs may be pushing poaching to new heights. The National Parks Conservation Association reports poaching is partly responsible for the decline of at least 29 species of wildlife in national parks. Nineteen species — including grizzly bear, lynx and the desert tortoise — are in danger of being eradicated.
I think that people attempting to poach grizzly bears with handguns are going to be a self-correcting problem. I should ceased to be amazed by journalists who have opinions but no facts on which to base them.
Posted by
Mostly Genius – December 11, 2008
This is a classic example of a technical solution to a training problem. The loaded chamber indicator was obsolete before it was invented, because Jeff Cooper had already invented RULE #1: “All guns are always loaded.”
If we follow Rule 1, we could call it an “empty chamber indicator” but why would we want to put our faith in a mechanical gadget when we can confirm the state of the weapon with a much more exact manual procedure? (Check condition of readiness or “press-check”) I know that no gun manufacturers were clamoring to add this “feature” to their guns but were forced to either by contract requirements or gun “safety” laws.
This is one of the most dangerous safety features I can think of. By creating a mechanical widget (that can fail) for people to depend upon instead of good gun handling like Rule 1, situations become more dangerous. If Rule 1 is followed the loaded chamber indicator is irrelevant, and if Rule 1 is ignored then we are putting a lot of faith in a spring-loaded little nub.
Posted by
Mostly Genius – December 9, 2008
Gifts for guns
So people turn in roughly a 1000 guns and get roughly $1000 in gift cards for each one. Why is this supposed to be a good thing?
Most of the guns collected belonged to people who never used them, deputies say.
“We’re not naive enough to think that criminals will come in and give their guns,” Tellez said. But he said that because many crimes were committed with firearms stolen in home burglaries, getting guns off the street would help decrease violence.
Maybe if the city wasn’t fencing stolen property for greater than market value there wouldn’t be so much demand for stolen firearms. Creating an incentive for criminals to steal guns, use them in crimes, and then dispose of the evidence at a profit is just stupid. Instead of putting another police officer (or two) on the street they are wasting money on programs like this.
Along with the guns, deputies collected 80 pounds of ammunition and two grenades.
Grenades? Doesn’t somebody want to track down the source of those? Isn’t a hand grenade amnesty going a little bit too far?
Posted by
Mostly Genius – December 1, 2008
Standing their ground: More citizens enforcing the law themselves
I can’t even believe that there is a question about this being a good thing. Thankfully we have Helmke to obfuscate with extreme stupidity:
“The real question is do we respect the criminal justice system or do we go back to a vigilante, every-man-for- himself situation?” asked Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
A vigilante is somebody who bypasses the justice system. Active resistance, pursuit, or apprehension of criminals doesn’t constitute being a vigilante unless you aren’t planning on turning them over to the police. Vengeance and retribution are not components of self-defense. Capitulation and cowardice are not civic virtues.
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