Brace Built Modern Carbine MC6 AR-15 rifle
America's favorite rifle. (JWT for TTAG)

By Dennis Petrocelli, MD

On the same day that Nancy Pelosi requested crew-manned, belt-fed machine guns to “defend” the militarily-occupied Capitol leading up to the inauguration, President-Elect Joe Biden appeared with Brady gun-confiscationists holding “BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS NOW.” banners. This should tell you all you need to know about their near future of gun control intentions.

At the same time politicians insist that you don’t need an AR-15, a “weapon of war,” or an “assault weapon,” they are willing to deploy actual weapons of war against you, while wanting to assault you with re-education and de-programming because your political leanings make you no different than actual terrorists who commit murder.


When I first got involved with firearms just shy of two years ago, I couldn’t have imagined that last paragraph becoming reality. I thought that the two revolvers I purchased — a long-barreled .357 magnum for home defense and a snub-nose .38 special for concealed carry — covered all realistic threats.

Although they are fine guns for those purposes, there are more effective options. Police departments had long retired revolvers for higher-capacity pistols with better ergonomics, and there was no reason for me not to follow suit.

Even though I acquired a number of semi-automatic pistols I still didn’t think I had a need for an AR, and wasn’t convinced of a civilian right to ownership.

AR-15 Church Shooting Gun Debate
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Kamala Harris cured me of my confusion and convinced me that there was no moral or ethical justification for a government monopoly on that weapon or its capabilities. Harris’ security team sported AR-15s at the same time she threatened to ban them by executive order. It was Animal Farm’s “some animals are more equal than others” made real, without apology, embarrassment or obfuscation.

“Guns for me, none for thee” was exactly what I needed to hear and I’m grateful to her for it.

Relieved of my misguided reticence, I tried out an AR-15. The first time shooting it with iron sights from a standing position, I managed a 2.5-inch grouping at 25 yards and a 5-inch grouping at 50 yards. It’s lightweight, has low recoil, and even for a not-mechanically-inclined person like me, easily taken down for cleaning.

People are passionate about having access to this gun and guns like it because it’s an even greater equalizer than most guns. My 50-year-old eyes and joints couldn’t manage those groupings with other firearms. These advantages are the reasons it’s the most popular rifle in America, with tens of millions owned by citizens throughout the country.

My reticence was the product of the disinformation campaign waged by Brady, Mom’s Demand Action, and similar civilian disarmament groups that seek to supplant our direct experience of reality with their lies. “Assault weapon” is a made-up term intended to malign the gun and its owner and, sadly, it is terribly effective.

Who would want an “assault weapon?” Clearly only a murderous extremist, not a mild-mannered libertarian like me. Yet at the same time, the reality is that hammers, fists, and feet are used to commit more assaults than all rifles combined. AR-15s are ideal tools used by civilians for sport and to defend themselves, and they are ideally suited for these purposes.

ar-15 assault weapon rifle ban
JWT for TTAG

The “weapon of war” canard is another false flag. AR-15s deliver one round per trigger pull while the Army’s similarly constructed M16s and M4s can fire multiple rounds per trigger pull (if so selected), so AR-15s are clearly not weapons of war. But I’m not convinced that this distinction is very meaningful. There is no such thing as a unique “weapon of war.” In war, everything is a weapon.

I’m no longer shy about saying that there is no moral or ethical basis for a government monopoly on “weapons of war,” especially when its contemplating aiming them at us. This makes it clear that our Founders correctly constrained the government from violating our natural rights by way of a set of checks and balances, with the final check against government violence being an armed populace. Venezuela and Hong Kong are recent illustrative and horrifying examples of what happens when civilians are disarmed.

Avoid Rookie Mistakes With Your AR-15 Rifle
John Boch for TTAG

Finally, here’s an AR-15 vignette that puts the confiscationists to shame. The Virginia Citizens Defense League staged its annual Lobby Day on January 18 as a car caravan through the city of Richmond to demonstrate support for gun rights while complying with COVID restrictions and rally permit requirements. At the same time, other groups small enough not to be covered by the local gun ban ordinance — Black Panthers, BLM757, Last Sons of Liberty, Proud Boys, and the “Ron Paul Militia” — gathered publicly and marched through the Capitol carrying AR-15s.

Politicians called them “provocateurs,” claimed they were “intimidating” and said they should “go home before someone gets hurt.” But those groups peacefully coexisted in the public square, many of the participants armed with AR-15s. So it’s not the guns or their enthusiasts that are the problem.

The truth is that wielding an AR makes you tougher to kill, which shouldn’t intimidate anyone except those contemplating killing you. Given all of the above, government officials need to take a step back and acknowledge that any attempt to restrict access to these guns is without any merit.

 

Dennis Petrocelli, MD is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist who has practiced for nearly 20 years in Virginia. He took up shooting in 2019 for mind-body training and self-defense, and is in the fight for Virginians’ gun rights.

This article originally appeared at drgo.us and is reprinted here with permission. 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

91 COMMENTS

    • It’s a clever marketing tactic. Once you own one of them, it’s constantly reminding you that you should buy ‘another rifle’. Very insidious subliminal messaging.

      I’m just worried that one of these days a brewery is going to name one of their beers “AB”.

    • I had an awakening similar to the author… I’ve had guns (lots of them), been hunting and shooting for almost 60 years. While I supported the RKBA, I just didn’t see a need to personally own an AR. It’s too much gun for rabbits and, not enough gun for deer. I don’t plan on shooting people.
      Some years ago, my FFL (a fairly young, ex-military, retired cop with a trashed shoulder) told me “If you think you’ll ever want one, you better buy it soon!” I thought long and hard about what I would do with it and came to the conclusion that, to add function to my arsenal, it needed to be useful for game …mostly deer.
      So, I bought a S&W for my girlfriend and started building a “dream” 100yd deer gun in 300BLK for myself. Then, of course, I had so much fun building and shooting the first one, I used the spare parts, a few sale items and, slapped together my “junk” gun in .223. It’s accurate as hell, painted in camo (what else would I do with the black “junk” furniture from the S&W) and fun to shoot …I reload so, it’s also cheap.
      Then, I thought about my grandchildren (yet, unborn) and, how they would learn to shoot. My own daughters started with my dad’s Remington bolt .22 (discontinued in 1932), progressed to .38spl, 9mm, .45ACP, etc. Both of my parents came from farms.
      In the era of the foaming at the mouth, idiot gun grabbers… how would they learn the skills that had been passed down through countless generations?
      I built my daughter an AR. I spared no expense…didn’t go crazy but, didn’t go cheap either! It’s “great grampa’s gun” and, I expect it to last for generations as my father’s gun did. My daughters can still produce a quarter sized group at 25yds with that old gun (I can’t).
      The fight now, is to make sure my great-grandchildren have the opportunity to learn to shoot and respect guns, wildlife, etc. after I’m gone. The junk gun lays on a chair next to my desk in the office. I have no plans to shoot anybody but, it looks like the socialist left is planning to “disarm and dominate”…. they talk about “re-education camps” …this reminds me of something the Germans did in 1938… Things don’t seem to be going well…. hundreds of thousands put out of work, doubling or tripling taxes, persecution of conservatives…. socialist agendas.
      If the courts and congress can’t stop this …what are we left with. The junk gun is sweet! So is my .308.

      • Hey, wait a minute…. this has happened before! A bunch of farmers who were sold on the idea of freedom. Let’s hope it doesn’t have to happen again.
        Then again, we now have “big tech”…. anybody remember how to build a guillotine?

        • Best part is, the Left would cheer at the spectacle without the slightest clue what was going on. Need to have a lot of inertia and a very rough blade.

        • I have the 1860 Colt .38short black powder revolver issued to an ancestor in the Civil War. My family has never missed a good war.

  2. AR. Americas Rifle

    The only way to defeat the Communists is massive resistance. Never surrender.

    And Americas Rifle, the AR-15 is the modern equivalent of the Long Rifle used by the Colonial Freedom Fighters against the Red Coats

  4. “…No one needs an AR-15. Period. We have to get these weapons of war out of our communities….”
    Creepy Joe

    The answer is NO!

    • I’ve been struggling with how to best deal with that exact point. When someone refers to any small arm as a “weapon of war”, it leads to two distinct questions / arguments in my opinion.

      1. Should small arms, even those cosmetically similar to weapons issued to military personnel, be considered “weapons of war”?

      2. Should small arms considered “weapons of war” be owned, maintained, and deployed by civilians?

      Now that those two questions are out there, here are my typical responses.

      1. Yes, semi-automatic rifles are “weapons of war”, just as handguns, bayonets, fists, feet, and improvised everyday objects can become “weapons of war”. Just because a semi-automatic firearm resembles a military-issued weapon doesn’t mean it is any more deserving of this label than other weapons.

      Additionally, not every fighting force can afford to supply the same weapons systems to all of its fighters. Any conflict that involves guerilla fighting can include civilian owned arms and improvised weapons. These end up becoming “weapons of war” just like those of more sophisticated forces.

      As a final point, yesterday’s weapon of war is today’s antique. Do we still issue muzzleloaders to soldiers in modern conflicts? Of course not, because more effective modern alternatives are available. When man- portable energy-based weapons become available, cartridge firearms will likely become the equivalent of what muzzleloaders are today.

      2. Yes, civilians should most definitely be allowed to own “weapons of war”, even those identical in function and features to those used by our military. As a historical example, the American Revolutionary War would not have turned out the way it did had civilians not fought as the militia using arms mostly equivalent to those of our English adversaries. In this way, history has proven that civilians can effectively resist tyranny through the use of weapons equivalent to those of an organized military opponent.

      I feel that with these two arguments, “weapon of war” is such an inclusive term that it is practically useless in productive discussion. I look forward to some constructive criticism of my position. How would you argue these questions?

      • I agree. Civilians should ABSOLUTELY be allowed to own “weapons of war.” The whole point of the 2A is for civilians to have the ability to wage a war against a tyrannical government, should that become necessary, so it only make sense that we have the tools necessary to do that. Don’t get sucked into a “hunting” or “self defense” debate and an anti-2A person. That’s not what the 2A is for, so there is no point.

        Where I have a little trouble is when it turns into the “slippery slope” conversation…if I can have an AR, can I have a grenade? a rocket launcher? C4? A Tomahawk missile? A tactical nuke (ok, so it’s a theoretical discussion here, but still…)? Is it more beneficial for civilians to have these weapons “just in case” or is the risk of someone clacking off a nuke not worth it?

        • Yup. The only weapons I’m opposed to the average civilian owning are weapons that who’s damage cannot be controlled or directed. Big difference between a grenade or RPG and a biological agent dropped into a water supply.

          You want a tank or an F-16? You should be able to buy one.

        • ” if I can have an AR, can I have a grenade? a rocket launcher? C4? A Tomahawk missile? A tactical nuke ”

          Well, the nuke might be a problem unless you have the technical skills and proper storage facilities to deal with radioactive materials, but the rest of the stuff… why not?

          Here’s the crux of the matter … Possession is not proof of intent. If you want all that stuff in your basement for show-and-tell, go ahead. Just make sure it stays there, and if you use it, do it in a way that nobody gets hurt and the only stuff that gets blown up is your own.

        • I see NO POINT in engaging in any discussion of which relatively powerful weapons are contemplated by the word “arms” in the 2A. The typical question is: ‘Do you think a nuclear bomb is an arm which the 2A contemplates as a right of the People?’

          PotG, who are bated into engaging in such a question, imagine that their fellow voters will immediately agree that a nuclear bomb is an arm protected by the 2A. They don’t recognize that their fellow voters are NOT convinced. So, it’s a LOSING argument. After FAILING to persuade on the nuclear bomb, they don’t understand why their fellow voters don’t immediately agree that May-Issue laws in 8 states are UN-Constitutional.

          We ought to be smarter about our rhetorical strategy. Why debate nuclear bombs? We ought to debate why it is that a law-abiding adult woman can’t get a permit to carry a handgun in NYC.

          Either we succeed – or we fail – to persuade our fellow voters that such a woman ought to be able to get a NYC permit on a Shall-Issue basis. If we fail, we wouldn’t win the nuclear bomb argument either. IF we SUCCEED on the woman and her Shall-Issue NYC permit, then we can move on to the next argument. Why shouldn’t she have an AR-15 with a 30 round magazine if she pleases. And so forth.

          The hand-grenade example is a rather curious one. First off, under Federal law a civilian has every right to own a hand-grenade. All she must do is pay a $200 tax per grenade and wait 9 – 12 months for her tax stamp. (Some states still prohibit Destructive Devices, so she might have to move to another state to take delivery).

          It’s perfectly clear that a hand-grenade is a weapon which can be borne by a single individual; it’s not “crew served”. And, it is suitable for militia service purposes. Thus, the Heller doctrine of borne by a single individual isn’t very illuminating. Likewise, the common-use doctrine isn’t particularly sensible. Once MACE or pepper-spray was NOT in common use; then, it CAME TO BE in common use. We can’t have a Constitutional right which can be pre-empted each time the legislature/Congress acts faster than the market develops for a newly invented protected object (a type of printing press or arm).

          If we can maintain the debate in the “debate hall” where our argument is: understood; and matters; and can make a difference in defending the 2A; THEN we can succeed. If we can’t resist taking the bait: to talk about things such as nuclear bombs, F-16s, artillery, etc. then we are choosing to fight the battles the gun-controllers want to distract us with. Just keep nipping at the shiny object the controllers want to dangle before us. They know how to make us lose.

          • “We ought to debate why it is that a law-abiding adult woman can’t get a permit to carry a handgun in NYC.”

            That “debate”, and others like it, is over; dead, done. The reason is that the average person is not highly trained in using a weapon in self-defense, not is it necessary to be armed because police are supposed to protect us (at least however many police we allow to exist), and if a woman is attacked, it is a failure of the government, not the failure of the woman to be armed.

            Point is, there is no “debate” to be had on the Second Amendment. It is all hardened opinions, unalterably opposed opinions (the unicorns that may be persuaded, either way, are just that: unicorns). When we have a nearly 50-50 split between pro and anti gun politics, the “debate” is not going to move the needle enough to make meaningful, long-lasting change. The anti-gun forces have moved the battle, and the pro-gun forces are still following the NRA playbook: lobby the national politicians. If the 2A defender movement cannot compete at the very grass roots, we will ultimately lose everything.

            As we have discussed so many times, we are facing a battle of emotions, and pro-gun forces have yet to find a strategy for presenting the Second Amendment in a manner that is emotionally persuasive. We are at the mercy of the media. We are at the mercy of the media. We are losing the culture.

      • …As a final point, yesterday’s weapon of war is today’s antique…

        True, my M1 Garand and 03 Springfield are antiques, but in front of younger eyes they can hit hard and accurate… my old eyes suck these days without a scope.

        For some reason non-POTG fear black plastic. I dunno, it’s always been odd to me. A wood stock vs plastic and people shiver at the plastic, but wood is ok…just one of those weird things.

      • Just look at America’s fight against other country’s citizen shoulders a/k/a guerrillas!! Without “weapons of war” they never would have been able to hold off the most powerful military in the world!! Just ask the Vietnamese and the Afghans!!! We lose our ability to own these weapons and we are just skid marks in Pelosi, Schumer, and Biden’s collective rearview mirror!!!

      • Spent my time in war. I love my AR rifles, but I would not take one of them over my beat up issued M-4. Most rounds I fired in combat were on semi-auto, but when there was a compelling reason, I was thankful for “full-auto”.

        I have no problem with the civilian ownership of “full-auto” firearms (other than the potential result of more ammo being expended during a shortage).

  5. It’s Armalite Rifle…Period. Don’t bastardize the work of Eugene Stoner et al even if it is to make a point. It’s disrespectful.

    Unless those mealy mouth Jim Crow Gun Control Race Baiting democRats want to provide everyone with 24/7 armed security for the rest of their life like those hypocrites have then they can go pound sand.

    Frankly it’s hard to tell the difference between murders, rapists, kidnappers, home invaders, perverts, child molesters and Jim Crow Gun Control zealots…They all have one thing in common: They want you to be unarmed so they can have their way with you. To the aforementioned sicko list…Me and my AR15 do not discriminate.

    • So with demorats in power, we will, for the first time since the Civil War have permanently garrisoned troops guarding these a$$holes. A government that is popular with the people does not need such things to include a permanent fence with razor wire around the Capital. What this tells me is that these a$$hole intend a full-on assault against 50% of the population and need to be protected by our military because of it!! They already know they are not in power by a favorable electoral vote but by other nefarious means which also insures their unpopularity much akin to a dictatorship of the elites and super-wealthy elites looking to further loot our treasury!! Is there going to be a shooting war? I certainly believe so and in that regard will gladly stand as a 3%er much like our guerillas that beat the British

  6. “Yet at the same time, the reality is that hammers, fists, and feet are used to commit more assaults than all rifles combined.”

    Here is the inconvenient truth we must deal with, and yet continue to ignore: We have zero report of one or more persons using “hammers, fists, and feet” to commit mass murder (however you want to define that) in this country.

    The anti-gunners know that firearm related deaths are about number 100 on the CDC/FBI list of causes of death. What anti-gunners (the plebes) fear is someone using an “assault weapon” (which apparently is now any semi-auto firearm) to shoot and kill a multitude of people innocently going about their daily business. The general public has no concern that a martial arts expert will go berserk and run through a school, killing children left and right, using only their bare hands. Also, no one using only hands and feet and hammers can kill at a distance.

    We can scoff all we want at those who maintain a primal and visceral fear of being randomly killed by someone (read, “law abiding gun owner”) using a “weapon of war”, but this is the driver for gun control (for the plebes). We must fight the war the enemy is fighting, or hope that somehow things will just work out. Hope is not a strategy.

  7. Guns are our culture as Americans
    that is a part of our spirit that resides
    within our DNA. It is this culture we
    courageously take to the battlefield,
    whether foreign or domestic, to defend
    our country and to protect our freedom
    from all enemies, including protection from
    so-called Americans who want to ban
    and destroy our great culture and traditions.
    The truth is firearms cannot be taken away
    from Americans without destroying that culture
    and the spirit of freedom that comes from God
    whose desire is for us to be free. Firearms have
    served us well as a tool to maintain freedom in
    America, and we will not surrender any firearm,
    AR-15’s included, under any circumstance, to anyone,
    governments included, whose intent and purpose
    is to gain power and control of Americans by killing
    and destroying the human spirit. God is a peaceful
    warrior, and even he has his own mighty warrior
    at his right hand, who is St. Michael the Archangel,
    to assist him in fighting evil. We too must follow his
    great example in fighting the evil that is intent on
    destroying our spirit within our DNA to gain power
    and control. We will stand firm as God stands firm
    and not allow it to happen.

    • And to either restrict private ownership of surveillance tech or to mandate a “back door” into it so that the state may use it against you.

    • Don’t see any problem with that… just following instructions as provided by Sleepy Joe…. “just let loose a couple of blasts through the door ! “

  10. Excellent article. Well done, ‘TTAG Contributor’, whoever you are. Good points and perspective.

    As one who has been shooting, armoring, building, training, etc. for three decades and am now also in my 50s, however, I am better now than at any time in the past. So don’t offer up any apologies for your age or think that it’s all somehow downhill from here. You can improve your skills and ability at any age. Train, train, and train.

    • Once the eyes start to go dim and focusing requires some concentrated effort, there’s not much can be done about it. I agree it’s not the end, but it does require some mechanical interventions… we’re lucky we have scopes and red dots to take up the slack. In my 50s, my eyes were in pretty good shape, like yours. Now that I’m on the brink of my 70s, it’s a whole different picture… literally.

      • I’m 68, myopic, presbyopic and have astig. I also write vision testing software for hospitals, clinics, practitioners and the military. One of my customers is the optom. for many of the U.S. Olympic shooting team.
        He will center an adjusted correction for your condition in the lenses and, has the olympic shooters bring their guns in for the refraction. He had me put the 50′ NRA competitive pistol target on his system.
        I use scopes and red dots. I shoot handguns with my left eye and rifles with my right.
        I had an embarrassing moment at the range with an iron sighted AR…. I could see the sights but, not the target or, the target but, not the sights.
        I can still easily pass the “color deficiency” test for military pilots (it’s NOT easy) but, have to use a red dot or scope to shoot. I also paint the front sight on my carry guns “bright white”. It works well.
        I can shoot well if I don’t ignore my limitations and concentrate on technique. The worst problem is fretting over my vision and getting sloppy with technique.

        • “I had an embarrassing moment at the range with an iron sighted AR…. I could see the sights but, not the target or, the target but, not the sights.”

          Happiness is a belt-fed weapon.

          • “I reload. How much time in the basement would it take me to feed a belt-fed weapon?”

            Wouldn’t that depend on the amount of sustained automatic fire you intend?

        • I could sustain a few bursts! I just paid about $0.30//ea. for primers. My avg. inventory cost is about $0.13 but, how long will it have to last? I’m good for about 10K rounds but, although I shoot fairly regularly, I’m not into “mag dumps”. I think aiming is important!

          • “I’m not into “mag dumps”. I think aiming is important!”

            Aiming with a belt-fed weapon may be more suggestion than reality.

  11. Center X? Gun Control is not sugar and spice as Jim Crow Gun Control BAWN wants milquetoast gullible Americans to believe. Gun Control is Rooted in Racism and Genocide therefore Gun Control in any shape or form is a Racist And Nazi Based Agenda. What else needs to be said?

    .

  12. One of the worst failures of the “gun community” is its outright refusal, to defend the mass private ownership of, full auto and select fire weapons, by the regular Jane or regular Joe gun owner.

    Given the chance to defend the ownership of the bump stock the “gun community” failed miserably.
    In fact a TTAG writer actually used the term “range toy” on a national news program. If I could have found the Link I would have posted it. The Second amendment has nothing to do with “range toys”. It has nothing to do with hunting. In fact the second amendment has nothing to do with daily self defense.

    The second amendment is there to protect you against a tyrannical government. And in order to do that, you need the SAME or BETTER FIREPOWER than the government has. And historically that has been the case. And we were a free country because of it. Civilians had repeating rifles and machine guns decades before the government was buying them. Also artillery pieces were in private hands by the thousands.

    The Obama/Biden administration made sure police departments who could never have afforded to buy select fire weapons, got them for “free”. The democrat party changed the power balance in this country. And the Obama/Biden administration also supplied guns to the Paris terrorist’s who murdered nearly 200 people. And obama/biden supplied guns to the Mexican drug gangs through the Fast and Furious program. It seems the democrats have become very good at running guns.

    I really don’t need a real machine gun. A bumpstock on an AR-15 cost about $1000 total is just fine. You always train with what you have. Instead of a real MG for about $25,000. The public education on MG ownership should have happened decades ago. Along with a in depth education on the Second Amendment in the schools. Finally a Libertarian Republican (KY) Rand Paul, is asking why there is a “Standing Army” in the nationals capitol.

    I would much rather have Trump as President. Because there would not be a “Standing Army” in the nations capitol now. And over 12,000 American oil pipe line workers would still have a job now. Those of you who are glad Trump is gone just make your case why you are so happy now. As a former bump stock owner I have no problem supporting Trump over any democrat. And I can dig up all the negative comments from so called “defenders of the 2A” about bump stock ownership on TTAG. I was told its just a “waste of ammo”.

    Ya, right. And the democrats now control and have crew served weapons guarding them. Machine guns pointed away from the capitol and pointed at the voters.

    • If a bad cop in California can take an AR-15, and murder other cops with it? Then you need an AR-15 for self defense. And they are not range toys. I got sucked into that thinking once.

      • Speaking of cops murdering people, have they named the officer that shot unarmed Ashli Babbitt at the Capitol? Have the protests started yet or are we over police brutality now that Joe’s in office? He shot her in the neck. Where’s the “aim for the leg” crowd? Have they finished scrubbing his social media yet? Are they going to make Ashli into a martyr? *crickets*

  13. I thought we’d already went through this “assault rifle” thing back in 94. I’m pretty sure the AR15 was deemed it is not an assualt rifle, aong with the MAK90. Now “they’re ” back to calling an AR an assault rifle, that’s no good.
    As far as me taking on a belt fed machine gunm with an AR, no thanks, maybe with a squad and some sachetel charges and a couple volunteers. Oh what the hell, does anyone have Male Concubines number, he could do it all by his lonesome.

  14. Liberal AR = “Assault Rifle”
    Conservative AR = “Another Receipt” *

    *2021 Because ammo is now becoming more expensive than the actual gun.

  15. “get these weapons out of our communities”

    This way, we are defenseless against those who are “allowed” to carry them. GREAT PLAN! /s

    Come and take them.

  16. 2020 was our last chance to vote our way out of whats coming
    thousands of soldiers at the capital is ample proof of that

    • “2020 was our last chance to vote our way out of whats coming
      thousands of soldiers at the capital is ample proof of that.”

      With crew-served, belt-fed automatic weapons pointed outward, at the voters.

    • Unfortunately, there are still a lot of idiots in the general population, and even a lot of people who are on our side, who believe that everything is fair and all we have to do is win the next election.

  17. Somewhere, an intrepid lefty New York newspaper reporter/aspiring muckraker is wandering around with a bruised shoulder and PTSD…

  19. Yup. If you pay attention they tell you what they’re up to.

    An inquisitive person might look at that tweet and ask “What do an AWB, expanded background checks and industry oversight have to do with ‘strengthening our democracy’?”.

    If one writes it as “Democracy” or speaks it aloud and uses air quotes the reasoning become immediately obvious.

    Take the guns, strengthen “Democracy”.

    The Left’s constant use of the term “dog whistle” is one of their more obvious projections.

  20. I don’t own assault weapons. Not a single one at all. I own defense weapons.

    Our current population does not seem to realize that civilians during our Revolution had better weapons than the standing Armies of the time. Most Armies used smooth bore muskets, civilian and rifled muskets, slower to load but more accurate and able to shoot farther. This is known as ballistic advantage and when used properly you can engage further than your adversary can minimizing their effectiveness against you.

    The Founders of course were well aware of this fact, as was everyone else. The did not write the 2A in a vacuum.

    • “The did not write the 2A in a vacuum.”

      Nor did they begin with a bunch of raggedy assed-cadets, isolated, unknown to each other, without military training and regular drills. The political leaders of the militia were well known, as were members and leaders of the militia. The founders did not rely on an uprising of the faceless.

      The founders could not have even begun, unless they knew who could be trusted with secrets. Messages were passed clandestinely, not via the town crier. The founders did not rely on an uprising of the faceless mob.

      The reason for the Second Amendment still applies, but effective use of it is no where near what it was in 1775. When government reaches the place where “truth” commissions, and squelching of unwelcome speech are being seriously considered, we have already gone well beyond what the founders would have tolerated. Armed revolt is not a realistic answer.

      • Hi Sam. TechGuy.
        Point well taken. Yet, things are not looking good. We’re in a really bad place. 2022 is our next chance. TX, FL and a few other states have fought back but, we’re up against massive fraud in elections, Dem majorities, etc. The impeachment will be an embarrassment for the Dems.
        I’ve donated to ISRA, GOA, NRA, VCDL and several Rep. campaigns.

        We won’t be fighting this with our guns. In fact, it would be better if they didn’t know.

        The worst thing we could do is “fight to lose”.

        Any ideas? I respect your opinion.

        • “Any ideas? I respect your opinion.”

          Respecting my opinion is not only misguided, but dangerous; you could get hounded off this blog/forum.

          As to the other matter, it is a very long term proposition: reclaim the education system from the Left and the people who engage in silly walk. To reclaim the education system likely requires reclaiming the culture, as well. Selling personal responsibility and respect is a tough go. Everyone likes Santa Clause, no one likes the Grinch.

          Dennis Prager, today, noted that the average German under Nazi rule had death hanging over their heads for bucking “the system”. Americans have yet to experience anything like that, and seem to be accepting authoritarianism as a natural result of living.

          We have two mutually unalterable visions of the future. Yes, my neighbor, Louie the Leftist, and I enjoy old cars, and the musicals of the thirties and forties. However, politically, we have no common ground, on anything. Neither major party can reliably form a coalition on anything, nor can the voters themselves.

          Many people think the second American Revolution was some sort of aberration, unconnected to anything in the make up of the nation. They are wrong. The second American Revolution was the result of the initial ideological fight that dogged the founders: people can best govern themselves; only a government of elites can properly govern a nation (Jefferson/Hamilton). Eventually those elements chose to settle matters with deadly weapons. It took about seventy years for the first eruption. We have gone about double that (155yrs), and here we are again.

          Some here clamor for the “cartridge box” solution to the impasse, but conditions today, all along the line, are not anywhere near the same as in “olden days”.

        • Many on the right are now feeling that we’re approaching the “cartridge box” solution. Who, exactly, would anyone shoot? Your neighbors? Your friends? Your relatives? …..

          The French in 1789 had half of the right idea. They beheaded most of the right people but had absolutely no coherent plan for the follow up…. hence, Napoleon. How’d that work out?

          Although not original, Winston Churchill observed “anyone who was not a liberal at 20 years of age had no heart, while anyone who was still a liberal at 40 had no head.”

          Although I could come up with a long list of people who could stand beheading, I think this will be a fight for the courts, the ballot box and, the checkbook or debit card. (if the Dems would stop feeding piles of xeroxed ballots into the Dominion). Also, alternative forms of “soap box” would be a big help …the “sheeple” eat up everything they see on TV and inexplicably BELIEVE IT!

          • “Many on the right are now feeling that we’re approaching the “cartridge box” solution. Who, exactly, would anyone shoot? Your neighbors? Your friends? Your relatives? …..”

            Ultimately, there is some hope that the Dimwitocrats, Leftists, Statists, Authoritarians (when you get old, you are often repetitive) will overreach so enormously that even the untermensch are too horrified to allow it to continue. If there is not a veto-proof majority on the right in 2022, well…..

        • Let’s hope the lights come on before 2022! I would think putting several hundred thousand energy workers out of work, raising taxes, vaccinating criminals over citizens, releasing as many criminals as possible, kissing China’s ass, throwing the borders wide open, sending more troops into Afganistan, ignoring CCP aircraft over Taiwan, student debt, boys on girls sports teams …and on, and on, and on…. would have some impact on those that are not “brain-dead”.

          Unfortunately, the avg. IQ is 100. Two std. dev. +/- puts …95% of the population somewhere between severely retarded and …not extraordinarily bright (includes most of Congress). It is depressing!

          • “Let’s hope the lights come on before 2022! ”

            The Dims have proven they will endure any hardship, any deviation from the party line, so long as they get something more important. Think Bill Clinton being forgiven for all his sexual misbehavior simply because “he was right on abortion”. All of them have something they value over everything else.

        • Hence, the Electoral College…. The framers felt that the common man (on avg.) was far too stupid to select a president.
          Don’t get me wrong… I’ve played chess with masters and, years ago, the Pres. of the U.S. Chess Fed. They would chuckle and make notes in their little books if I ever made an intelligent move. Humiliation is a lesson that lives with you long after you’ve forgotten how to solve a quadratic equation….

          • “The framers felt that the common man (on avg.) was far too stupid to select a president.”

            Holy crap; your aren’t even supposed to know that, much less publish it.

            Now, take that back.

        • Duuhhhh…. ure rite! Wear a demoncracie. weare sposed to vote demoncratsie. weare not a replublics so wea not spossed to vote republician…. Gott it!!!! Sure wont sae that agin!

        • that donne lemonaid guy on CNN is relly smart an hes funnie too ….jus lik my frens at the instutushon he laffs all the tim!

        • the boss took all or balots so we wudnt mak a mistak! I got for or fiv! They took my mommies blalots to. she died in octuber…. we got a lot of blalots!

        • …the thing about my mom dying in Oct. is true. She was 2 months short of 99. My brother has been living in her condo…. he has stage 5 Parkinsons and, Parkinson’s dementia… He watches CNN all day long.
          I would have intervened but, where FL has mail-in ballots under control, IL has ballot fraud under even better control. Mom (a staunch republican) joined the untold millions of dead voters voting democrat in IL.
          Sorry, but ….I can’t wait to move!

      • In IL, Sean Casten won over Jeanne Ives by a tiny margin. IL uses Dominion machines. Do I think it was fair? Not likely. Every Casten sign in my neighborhood was plastered with obscenities. (I didn’t use any obscenities). He’s the guy that said “Having small genitals is no reason to own a gun”. Mysteriously, signs appeared with “Having small genitals is no reason to run for Congress”… and, “Having small genitals is no reason to own a gun …40% of new gun buyers are women. Are small genitals a good thing?”

        Oddly, my black lab showed a strong preference to peeing on Casten signs. I gave him treats every time.

        Jeanne was ex-military, conservative, 2A. We lost …or did we just get f#%ked?

        Of course, I didn’t participate but, I did send Jeanne money. I do what I can.

        • I don’t do political yard signs. I even cover the letters on my old NRA cap with duck tape. However, there is one sign I keep pondering…Gun Free Zone —>, one pointed left, the other right, pointing at my neighbors homes. But that would indicate my refuge is a place where guns are available, and some might become unpleasantly curious.

        • I sent Sean Casten an email. Told him I voted for Ives, objected to every single item on his agenda and, would do everything in my power to defeat him in the next election.
          He sent me a nice email, assuring me that he would ban possession of “assault rifles”, promote “universal background checks”, ban high capacity magazines and make my neighborhood a safer place.
          I live in a tiny house (just me & my girlfriend), in one of the richest towns in IL and, top 100 in the U.S. We get the occasional burglary, of course. The average house price is about $2M.
          If he wanted to make me safer, he’d kill my ex-wife…. she has a $1M policy on my life and, a bunch of nasty boyfriends. That’s why I divorced her…. I carry 24/7 and an extra snubbie in my coat pocket when I walk the dog. It’s cold in IL!

          • “…she has a $1M policy on my life ….”

            I feel ya’, bro. Every time I don’t carry out the Colonel’s orders, she reminds me I am worth more to her dead, than alive.

        • Oh, and the sights on the 856 are ordinary revolver “post & groove” but, they’re black. Good luck seeing them. I painted the front sight with “bright white” nail polish and the sights are great. There’s no gap but, the white sits nicely in the rear sights and lines up quickly. It’s not a 10mm 1911 but, I wouldn’t want to stand in front of it.

        • Sam, This one really wants me dead. I’ve been in court for 10 years. The next thing I’m going to do will not make her happy. We have competing businesses. I’ve sued her in Fed. Ct. for copyright infringement, patent fraud. If I’m dead, the Fed. suit goes away and she gets $1M. Otherwise, I get the proceeds from her sales + punitive damages. This is not about $1M…. she needs me to be dead. I’m not planning on being easy to kill. Her problem is figuring out how to do it….
          This would make a great TV show but, it’s not much fun to live it…. One thing I can tell you, it really tunes up your situational awareness. I’m never more than 36″ from a gun.
          The sad thing …I’ve been living like this for so long, it no longer bothers me.

          • “If I’m dead, the Fed. suit goes away and she gets $1M.”

            Can’t create a trust to stand for you, or convert your standing such that a suit would continue?

      • Sam,
        I don’t have a hat, t-shirt, bumper sticker, sign, etc. I don’t give any indication to anybody, ever that I have guns. I would be a target, my girlfriend (who works for me out of the house) would be a target, my office would be a target, my car (truck, actually) would be a target. Nobody needs to know anything. Concealed is CONCEALED!
        Chicago is nasty and, we’re only 20 miles west. We’re in the safest possible place but….. bad has a way of seeping, like a slime.
        I was walking the dog at midnight about a year ago… car with dark tinted windows followed me for 2 blocks. When they stopped, I took off one glove and put my hand on the snubbie in my pocket. They took off like a bat out of hell. Was it BG’s looking for an easy mark or, was it one of my ex-wife’s military …boyfriends. I’ll never know. Would a BG read the subtle clues or, was it a hit? My ex knows I have guns, take courses and hit the range regularly.
        I talk to you guys, I don’t put stickers on my truck!

          • “Wish it had been a 1911…I’m OK with the snubbie but, …wish it’d ben a 1911.”

            Saw in the movies that with the right kind of snubbie, you can shoot through a coat pocket; not so with a 1911 (well, maybe first shot).

        • BTW, Sam, I have a 1979 S&W Mod. 10-10 4″ with a trigger job and custom walnut target grips. The odds of ever getting it back from my girlfriend are zero and, it’s kinda big. So, I bought a Taurus 856 Lite for a pocket gun. I hated the rubber grips so, I replaced them with Pachmayr wood. The trigger pull was 16/9… that’s not a gun! I replaced the trigger and hammer springs, gently took a tiny ceramic stone to the rough edges… 6lb DA/3lb SA. With the light springs, it works with CCI, Winchester primers and every factory round I’ve tried. I shoot my carry gun and pocket gun every time I go to the range. It’s pretty nice looking with the Pachmayr grips and works like a champ. The recoil is a bit much with factory but, I load light with 110g for range. I really like my cheap little gun…. and, winter in Chicago… I’d have to dig through 4 heavy layers to get to my carry gun. I’d be dead before I could draw! I paid $234 at Bud’s… it’s a lot higher now… if you can find one. The 85 is identical but, 5 rounds. The 856 is 6.

          • “…and, winter in Chicago… I’d have to dig through 4 heavy layers to get to my carry gun.”

            Body armour, man. Body armour.

          • “AR’s are fun!”

            The only AR I am allowed is, “AR you going to take out the trash soon”? Etc.

        • “Chicago is nasty and, we’re only 20 miles west.”

          Once had a coupla consulting gigs in and around Chicago. I liked Napierville the best. The The tiramisu at The Round House was just marvelous. Managed to avoid bad weather during any of the assignments, so the gigs were always pleasant. Does the Midway Airport still look like a prison from one of those 1930s movies?

  21. I like the comment “in war any and everything is a weapon”. So true. Is it that hard for some people to understand. So many examples. If its not AR’s, its cars, knives, hands feet and fist. Since the begining of time the creation of fire….some stayed warm cooked food, at the same time there are others who used fire to burn down the fellow humans shelter. Theres not anything that be used as good that cant be use as evil. Even just thoughts, words……shall we ban thinking or speaking…….even just ones thoughts can destory ones self……a wise man once said ( i think that Confucious fella’) the man that says “i can” and the man that says “i can’t”, both are correct most everytime.

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