guns – Ratburger

Defense Distributed Declaration

In the ongoing litigation between Defense Distributed and state attorneys general over the distribution of three-dimensional models of firearms and components thereof over the Internet (which has been approved by all federal regulatory agencies), I was asked to submit an affidavit in support of the Defense Distributed case. I have previously described this case here in my post “Code is Speech”.

Here is what I drafted which, after consultation with others whose efforts are much appreciated but will remain unnamed, will be submitted into the public record. This is exactly what was submitted, less my signature: why make it easy for identity thieves? This was submitted, as is done, in gnarly monospaced text with no mark-up. If it shows up in your browser with awkward line breaks, try making the browser window wider and it should get better. If you’re on a tablet or mobile phone, try it when you get back to the desktop.... [Read More]

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NY v NRA

The State of New York is playing dirty in an attempt to put the National Rifle Association out of business. They are going after their insurers. This ought to be prevented. I am sure that we do not want a State to decide to kill off a company for political reasons, which is what is going on here.

“Simply put, Defendants made it clear to banks and insurers that it is bad business in New York to do business with the NRA,” the lawsuit says. “As a direct result of this coercion, multiple financial institutions have succumbed to Defendants’ demands and entered into consent orders with DFS that compel them to terminate longstanding, beneficial business relationships with the NRA, both in New York and elsewhere.” …... [Read More]

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Code Is Speech

There is a fundamental principle at stake in the current controversy, ignorantly reported and heavily spun, over the recent U.S. State Department settlement with Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation in which Defense Distributed essentially won the case it had been pursuing since 2015, clearing it to distribute design files for the manufacture of firearms and components which can be used to produce them via additive manufacturing (“3D printing”).

This principle is much simpler and more fundamental than the cloud of confusion and ignorance spread like squid ink by the slavers who prefer a disarmed and dependent population at their mercy. It goes to the heart of free speech, and we’ve been here before.... [Read More]

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Closer to a Fracture

In discussing the firing of Kevin Williamson a few days ago, @1967Mustangman closed the post with the observation, “…America inches closer to a fracture.” A District Court in Massachusetts may have just moved us several feet closer thereto, in ruling that the Second Amendment permits a ban on possession of many categories of the most popular guns in the country. That the Judge, William G. Young, had a political axe to grind is suggested by his gratuitous observation in the opinion that Justice Scalia would have been “proud” of it. Such commentary in district court opinions are, let us say, unusual.

The law bans virtually all semi-automatic weapons, calling them “assault rifles.” As such, the court says (straight out of gun-banners’ talking points) they are useful to the military, therefore not protected by the Second Amendment. This, itself, is a non sequitur.... [Read More]

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TOTD 2018-03-11: “Weapons of War”

On Friday, February 23rd, 2018 former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice appeared on the Hugh Hewitt radio program. In a rambling discussion, she said the following about gun violence.

I will say this, Hugh. I think it is time for us to have a conversation about what the right to bear arms means in the modern world. I don’t understand why civilians need to have access to military weapons. We wouldn’t, we wouldn’t say you can go out and buy a tank. So I do think we need to have that conversation.... [Read More]

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Dana wins …

OK, I’ll sit down. Dana wins.

https://ricochet.com/498252/dana-lashes-little-george/... [Read More]

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New Leftist attack on the NRA

Brought to us via a George Soros project, of course. The newspaper that soiled my driveway this morning held a gloating article from the USA Today Network about all sorts of big companies severing ties (loose ones at that) with the NRA. I had heard NPR gloating over it on Friday:

As a groundswell grows against the National Rifle Association in the aftermath of last week’s school massacre in Parkland, Fla., several businesses say they are ending their partnerships with the gun advocacy group.... [Read More]

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Assault rifles age limit helps Christmas shoppers

I saw a bunch of articles in the past few days that mentioned one initiative proposed to help forestall future mass shootings by mentally troubled youths. The proposal is to raise the age limit required for a youngster to attain before he is allowed to purchase an “assault rifle” on his own.

In their rush to press forward any and all limitations on guns, eager beaver journalists rushed to state capitols all around to get soundbite quotes from politicians. In red states they tried to buttonhole Republicans, looking for quotes that could be used during electioneering later this year. In my state, they raced around the Tennessee capitol and got a number of GOP officials to opine on some proposals that they might be willing to consider or at least permit debate on. I was amused, sort of, by some of the Surrender Caucus saying their usual weaselly things.... [Read More]