It’s Tough Being a Stray in Lebanon, Ohio. Seriously.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a dog person. Always have been. Their general goofy good naturedness makes most of them great family pets and a lot of fun. Some do important duty like shepherding, retrieving, guard detail or service work that makes them not only lovable but mighty handy to have around, too. And then there are the felines. Cats are OK, but they can be filling. And their inscrutable, imperious nature can be off-putting, especially to the more canine-inclined among us. But while I may find their appeal baffling, plenty of people can look past the hair balls and strange diseases and see the better aspects of their personalities. Somehow. And while I wouldn’t have one as a pet, I sure wouldn’t want to see anyone’s Mr. Mittens put down with a bullet for the crime of laying in a neighbor’s yard.
ATF Death Watch 65: Operation Fast and Furious Continued
The Mexican government is at war with Los Zetas drug cartel. And for good reason. The former military unit has the money, men, materiel and motivation to take over the entire country. A military junta would suit their needs perfectly, subjugating their enemies and assuring a stranglehold on the 30 billion dollar a year illegal U.S. drug trade. Not to mention a piece of everything else that passes for free enterprise in Mexico. This bloody conflict—Los Zetas and their allies vs. President Calderon and his military and political supporters—is increasing in ferocity ahead of the 2012 Mexican elections. Hence Operation Fast and Furious . . .
Bloods Bust. You Call That an Arsenal?
westwardpatch.com reports that cops have arrested Narik “Spaz” Wilson of Newark, NJ. The po-po tied the alleged leader of the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods street gang to drugs, weapons, ammo and ski clothes.” Acting on a tip, law enforcement officials searched an apartment on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on April 28. There, they found an assault rifle, a shotgun and a semi-automatic pistol, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a mask and heroin, according to the complaint. In a second raid July 18, conducted at a Spruce Street apartment, eight guns, including two assault rifles, two shotguns and other semi-automatic weapons were seized, along with more than 100 rounds of ammunition, two ski masks and cocaine, according to court papers.”
Jews, Nazis and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
I don’t know if Laci the Dog over at mikeb302000 is Jewish. I’m not sure it even matters. It does to me. The fact that I’m a Jew, I mean. It matters to me. I’m not what you’d call devout (unless Sponge Bob’s declared Opposites Day). But my father was a Jewish labor camp survivor whose parents starved to death in a Nazi concentration camp. It may be second-hand info, but I know what happens to defenseless Jews. They’re slaughtered. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, the pro-gun control blogger devotes an entire post to the proposition that armed self-defense wouldn’t have prevented the Holocaust. In fact, if German Jews had and exercised a right to keep and bear arms, it might have made things worse . . .
The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act Of 2011
In the myth of Sisyphus, Zeus punished the ruler in question by forcing him to roll a large boulder towards the top of a hill—only to have it roll down just as he approach the summit. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. For eternity. That said, there may come a day when the President signs a bill that creates national right-to-carry reciprocity. Where a concealed carry license would be just like a driver’s license: issued by one state, recognized by all. Where you could schlep your concealed carry gun from sea-to-sea shining without facing detention, arrest and the loss of your Second Amendment rights. Until then . . . the NRA will keep rolling that stone uphill and you, my friend, should contact your elected reps to help push that weight. It’s the right thing to do. Make the jump for the NRA’s 411 on this year’s attempt, HR822 . . .
Former Washington Wizard Player Javaris Crittenton Wanted for Murder
If you’re a fan of the The Ramblin’ Wreck, you’ll remember Javaris Crittenton. He’s the former Georgia Tech star b-baller. More firearms-oriented fans will recall that Crittenton was the Washington Wizards player who pulled and/or threw a gun at Gilbert Arenas. Both playas plead-out to a misdemeanor gun possession charge. Arenas returned to pro-ball. Crittenton? Not so much. But he didn’t lose his gun-totin’ ‘tude. Crittenton is now wanted for [allegedly] attempting to shoot a gentleman who [allegedly] stole some of Crittenton’s bling-bling. One of Crittenton’s retaliatory .22 caliber bullets struck the target’s companion, mother-of-four Jullian Jones, who later died of her injuries. If only we’d had more gun control! Oh wait . . .
Me, Myself and Irene
Hurricane Irene is making a bee-line for the New England coast. By all accounts, the massive storm will force parents to entertain their children non-electronically. For days. In other words, high winds will knock down power lines and disrupt communications. My internet connection is doomed. As Captain Oates famously warned, I may be gone for some time. During my absence, Dan, Brad, Nick, Chris and other TTAG writers will continue to provide firearms news, reviews and schmooze. Please cut them the same slack you cut me. In other words, none. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. In theory. In practice, I may be all wet.
Weekend Photo Caption Contest
These almost write themselves. Take a crack at it.
ATF Death Watch 64: The Gunwalker Cover-Up Continues
In ATF Death Watch 63, ATF Special Agent in Charge Dewey Webb and U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy bemoaned the loss of innocent life caused by smugglers sending American gun store guns to Mexican drug cartels. The same activity conducted by the ATF during Operation Fast and Furious. Here’s the punchline: the gun smuggling in question—involving Columbus, New Mexico police chief Angelo Vega [above] and 15 co-conspirators—may have been ATF-enabled . . .
Nothing’s Too Insignificant To Regulate In A Machine City
Strict gun control? Check. Dirt bike ban? Working on it. Hmmm…what to do next to become that violence-free nirvana everyone dreams of? A couple of Boston city councilors, Michael Ross and Tito Jackson, have hit upon just the thing. Knife control. Beantown’s thinkers of great thoughts and prognosticators of great prognostications know just what to do about knife crime – regulate the pointy little buggers. It’s worked well in the UK, right? “This is just something that’s not regulated,” as Councillor Ross noticed to his horror. Shall we help them with some logical next steps? Hardware stores selling lead pipes. Sporting goods stores pushing baseball bats. They’re not regulated either. Two more “public safety loopholes” that must be addressed. Good thing they haven’t restricted tar and feathers. Yet.