Ten Years After Columbine, It’s Easier to Bear Arms

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In the decade since, massacres perpetrated by deranged gunmen have continued – including the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre in which Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people and wounded many others. But something odd has occurred. Whatever momentum the Columbine killings gave to gun control has long since petered out.
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But efforts like Woods’ are up against powerful headwinds – and not just because of the powerful gun lobby that often strangles gun-control laws. Americans in general have cooled significantly to the idea of restricting gun rights. A poll released last week by CNN showed that support for stricter gun laws was at an all-time low, with just 39% of respondents in favor. Eight years ago that number was 54%.

The author blathers on about how this makes no sense at all, and that people who oppose gun control are obviously confused. However, while gun control advocates like this author continue along in their willful ignorance, a growing number of people are recognizing two important facts:

1. Crazed gunmen almost always strike where the lawful population has been disarmed (schools, etc), reducing their ability to fight back;
2. When a shooting starts, seconds count. A personally carried pistol is one second away, whereas police are hundreds and hundreds of seconds away. Further even if the police show up within 300 seconds, they might sit outside with their thumbs up their butts for another 3600 seconds before moving inside.

We can talk about getting help and treatment for those who carry out these attacks, and that’s all well and good. But we must also face reality: when the shooting starts, the single best thing to do is to fight back, and the best tool for the job is a personally-carried gun.

Those of us who oppose new gun control and advocate the private carry of arms see reality. It’s the gun-control crowd that is confused.

Venezuela’s Chavez calls Obama “ignoramus”

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama was at best an “ignoramus” for saying the socialist leader exported terrorism and obstructed progress in Latin America.

Heh.

BMW, in their infinite wisdom, positioned the E36’s power steering fluid reservoir under the engine. This means that, to service the power steering fluid, the engine must be cold, you need a long funnel, and you need a long arm. You also need paper towels to wipe your hands, as the cap will be covered in grime.

None of that is really a big deal, it’s just annoying. I successfully checked the fluid level (dipstick was dry), and topped it off with the help of a long funnel. Before screwing the cap back on the reservoir, I decided to wipe the grime off. That’s when I saw the letters “ATF” — which usually stands for “Automatic Transmission Fluid”. Crap: I just put the wrong fluid into my power steering.

Fortunately, there’s a happy ending here (”happy” meaning $0 spent). I stopped by the mechanic and was ready to have the power steering drained and refilled, when I was told that power steering fluid is ATF — just with a generic label and a higher price.

Apparently, the Hope and Change has even reached the Civilian Marksmanship Program:

ORDER BACKLOG

Normally, we average receiving 2,000 – 3,000 sales orders per month and ship an order in 2-3 weeks. However, these are not normal times. Since October, 2008 we have been receiving 5,000 – 10,000 orders per month, which is several times normal. As a result, we are very backlogged and running several weeks behind on processing orders. Our staff is working up to 12 hours per day 7 days a week, and only today finished the 4,000 orders we received on 1 December alone (except for those 1 Dec orders with credit card or other problems). Customers with outstanding orders should expect orders to ship approximately 100 days from the date the order was received by CMP. We expect to recover from this surge in another 3-4 months (assuming the number of orders being received drops somewhat).

I’m already making plans to get my hands on one of those nifty government Garands before our new President tries to shit-can the entire program. Obviously lots of other folks are thinking the same thing. Obama: the best salesman the firearms industry has ever had. Hope and Change!

Mexican government officials have complained that the availability of sophisticated guns from the United States have emboldened drug traffickers to fight over access routes into the U.S.

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“Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades,” the warning said. “Large firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico, but most recently in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez.”

So, what you’re saying is that automatic weapons and grenades are available on the US market? Damn, and all this time I thought I couldn’t own those. I guess I’d better get down to Big 5 and pick up a Stoner & Pineapple special!

If that hasn’t gotten your blood pressure high enough yet, check out this additional ABC buffoonery. Amazingly, even when something is illegal (straw purchases, smuggling, possessing firearms in Mexico, trafficking and using drugs, etc. ad nauseum), people still do it. According to ABC, that is somehow my fault.