Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Another Historic Day for U.S. Skeet Shooters
You can watch the finals and the Medal Ceremony here.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Lautenberg, McCarthy, Go After Online Sale of Ammunition
Lautenberg had this to say at the press conference announcing the proposal:
“If someone wants to purchase deadly ammunition, they should have to come face-to-face with the seller,” said Lautenberg. “It’s one thing to buy a pair of shoes online, but it should take more than a click of the mouse to amass thousands of rounds of ammunition. This legislation is a simple common-sense step that would put safeguards in place to detect suspicious activity, helping to prevent the sale of ammunition to a terrorist or the next would-be mass murderer.”McCarthy had this to say:
“The Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act pulls ammunition sales out of the shadows and into the light, where criminals can’t hide and responsible dealers can act as a line of defense against the planning and stockpiling of a potential mass killer,” McCarthy said. “Law-abiding gun owners and shooters should support this legislation because it hinders criminals from abusing the Second Amendment right that our nation promises and could save innocent lives in the process.”I didn't know that ammo sales were in the shadows. Does that mean because people purchase clothing, movie tickets, dog food, and books online they are doing that in the "shadows" too?
Here are the details of the proposal:
The Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act works through four components:Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has already said there is no time on the Senate schedule to take up gun control. However, it won't hurt to let Senator's Webb and Warner know you don't support this legislation.
- It requires anyone selling ammunition to be a licensed dealer.
- It requires ammunition buyers who are not licensed dealers to present photo identification at the time of purchase, effectively banning the online or mail order purchase of ammo by regular civilians.
- It requires licensed ammunition dealers to maintain records of the sale of ammunition.
- It requires licensed ammunition dealers to report the sale of more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition to an unlicensed person within any five consecutive business days.
Friday, July 27, 2012
DGIF Taking Applications for Quota Hunts
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Another Reason for Campus Carry
The New MAIG Poll and NRA Member Support for Commonsense Gun Laws.
- I don't know too many gun owners, NRA members, or VSSA members, who want criminals to have a firearm.
- One of the questions dealt with background checks for employees of gun dealers. Many of us go through background checks for jobs these days.
I'm not a pollster or a statistician so I'll just give you the sample information and let those who know more about polling and random sampling pick it apart.
Luntz surveyed "945 gun owners" (a pretty reliable sample size from what little I know about polling), but here is where this poll challenged commentator begins to raise red flags:
The sample was divided evenly by gun owners who were current or lapsed members of the NRA, and non-NRA gun owners.The NRA does not rent its list, so the only way the pollster knows if someone is an NRA member (or lapsed member) is if the respondant self identifies. I also would like to know how they found a random sample that only contained gun owners, and then wound up being split 50-50 between NRA Member/lapsed NRA Members and non NRA members. The MAIG web site does not have this information and the poll cross tabs are not currently available on the Luntz website.
Gun Sales Increase in Colorado
Background checks for people wanting to buy guns in Colorado jumped more than 41 percent after Friday morning's shooting at an Aurora movie theater, and firearms instructors say they're also seeing increased interest in the training required for a concealed-carry permit.Sebastian suggests this may be driven by a combination of things, including the fear more gun control could be a response to the shootings or a basic desire for self preservation (i.e. if some wacko is going to be running around committing mayhem, I want something to protect my self).
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Results of the State High Power Rifle Championships at Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club
Congratulations are in order for fine shooting and a well run match!
Charles Krauthammer Knows What the Gun Ban Lobby Doesn't
The problem for [Joe] Lieberman is the gun lobby is the majority of the American people. It's not a lobby that is stopping all of this. The reason that the lobby is strong is because it represents overwhelming opinion in the United States. How do we know that? The president of the United States, who had this tremendous opening if he wanted to push the use of guns after a tragedy of this magnitude could easily have done it and he has assiduously stayed away because he knows it's a losing political proposition.The gun lobby is not that beautiful shinny building on Rt. 50 in Fairfax County, VA, with the letters NRA on the top, it's you and me.
Hat tip to Real Clear Politics.
Monday, July 23, 2012
CQ Roll Call Daily Briefing Infers More Control Would Stop Mass Shootings
STATUS QUO: The nation got its first glimpse of the suspected movie theater mass murderer a few minutes ago, when James Holmes walked into a Colorado courtroom to hear the charges against him. His prosecution is expected to take months. But at no time during that process will Congress come even remotely close to taking any action designed to prevent such massacres.You see, even though both presidential candidates have a history of supporting gun control, no one has the guts to take on the NRA.
Obama was a gun control advocate as a state legislator and an Illinois senator. As a candidate four years ago he called for reinstating the assault weapons ban, and after Giffords was almost gunned down last year he promised to propose legislation that would “keep those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.” But he has never fulfilled that promise, and yesterday the White House made abundantly clear that no such proposal was coming. “We need to take steps that protect Second Amendment rights of the American people but that ensure that we are not allowing weapons into the hands of individuals who should not, by existing law, obtain those weapons,” Jay Carney said as the president flew to Colorado to visit with families of many of the victims of Friday's Batman-movie melee. “The president’s view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law. And that’s his focus right now.”Mitt Romney doesn't escape critisim either.
Mitt Romney also has evolved on gun control. As a Senate candidate in 1994 he said he didn’t want the backing of the gun rights lobby, and as governor of Massachusetts he signed legislation to indefinitely extend a ban on assault weapons sales in the state. He also came out for a waiting period for gun purchases. But as a presidential candidate this year he told the NRA essentially the same thing as what the president’s spokesman said yesterday: “We need a president who will enforce current laws, not create new ones that only serve to burden lawful gun owners.”
To it's credit, Roll Call does note that it's not like Congress is ignoring a public outcry for more gun control.
In part, recent polling supports that reticence; in the most recent annual Gallup poll on the topic, 55 percent said the laws should stay the same or be made more lenient, while 43 percent said gun control should be intensified (that's a 35 percentage point drop in two decades).Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had it right when he told Meet the Press yesterday thatwhen it comes to incidents like the Aurora shooting "the problem here is with the people and not with the tools."
Bloomberg, Aurora Congressman, Call for Reinstating Assault Weapons Ban
Perlmutter was appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation" immediately after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who called for presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to "stand up" on gun control. But the Colorado lawmaker said Congress needed to take action on the issue.And based on Congressman Perlmutter's comments, we may want to brace for calls for controlling ammunition:
"The mayor is saying this is all on the president's back, or the presidential candidates' back, Romney or Obama — I think this is a congressional issue that has to be dealt with," Perlmutter said. "Should we reinstate the assault weapons ban? I think we should, and I think that's where it starts."
"We ought to be taking a look at how this guy was able to accumulate so much ammunition," Perlmutter said. "He had enough ammunition for like a small army. There's something wrong about that. So I think the mayor is correct, but he's putting the finger on the wrong spot, it should be on Congress."I probably know a number of people who have enough ammo "for a small army" because they regularly compete. A lot of folks buy large amounts when their local gun shops or other suppliers run sales since the cost of ammo is about twice or more than what it was five year ago.
Friday, July 20, 2012
So If You Don't Know if The Person You Are Naming is the Right Individual, Why Bring It Up?
Stephanolpoulos: I'm going to go to Brian Ross. You've been investigating the background of Jim Holmes here. You found something that might be significant.So, the first place an ABC investigative reporter looks for a name is a Tea Party web site? Pollak notes turns out the James Holmes (the name of the suspect) mentioned on the Tea Party web site is in his 50's, and the description of the suspect, who is now in custody, is in his 20's. We are to believe that an investigative reporter could not have determined this before mentiong the tea party James Holmes?
Ross: There's a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea party site as well, talking about him joining the Tea Party last year. Now, we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes. But it's Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado.
Stephanolpoulos: Okay, we'll keep looking at that. Brian Ross, thanks very much.
As usual, it took no time for the gun ban lobby to post links on their web sites using the shooting to raise money and pushing their agendas. The Brady Campaign has a graphic that gives the impression that they have a link to a statement expressing sympathy for the victims and their families, and a separate link explaining how "guns enable mass shooting" that actually is one hyperlink that takes you to a place to make a contribution.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Presidential Race Dead Heat in Virginia
Romney has erased Obama's five-point advantage in the June poll, and the GOP nominee continues to lead among men in Virginia, 46-42 percent, and trail among women, 46-41 percent. Independent voters are split 40 percent for Obama and 38 percent for Romney.Now is the time for gun owners to go "All In" to defeat Obama.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Scholastic Clay Target Program Nationals
Ft. Lee Clay Dusters Sporting Clays Team 2012 Ft Lee SCTP Shooting Team
John Mootz, Colin Lewis, Austin Chinault, Alex Murray, Libby Wells, Zachary Wells, Christian Pinney
and Kevin Turner Jr.
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Camp Perry National Pistol Championships
Team VSSA Gold competed in the Master Class Local Club/State Association .22 Caliber Team Championship and finished 1st with a score of 1114-27. The shooters were:
MA - 6191 – Joe Fisher 261 - 5
VSSA Gold Team finished 1st in the Master Class State Association Centerfire Team Championship with a score of 1126-30.
MA - 6384 - Brent Obenour 272 - 6
SS - 6148 - LTC Michael Lewis, USA REG 267 - 7
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Interesting Post on Presidential Election Outcome
That leaves the 2nd and the 10th Districts. The second district is currently represented by Republican Scott Rigell and has traditionally voted Republican. But in 2008 it went for Obama and could do so again this year. The 10th is also represented by a Republican, Frank Wolf, but it includes a small portion of Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County, all of which are part of Northern Virginia and full of federal employees. So, even if the two Republicans were to vote for the other party's nominee because that is the way their constituents voted, Romney would win the delegation 6-5.
But, what happens if the 4th once again goes for Obama as it did in 2008?
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Ruffed Grouse Society James River Chapter Shoot July 14
Why Gun Owners Need to Keep An Eye on the UN Arms Trade Treaty
(Daryl) Kimball says the regulation of domestic gun possession is totally outside the scope of the treaty. Sarah Parker, senior researcher with the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey and an adviser to the Australian delegation to the ATT talks, agrees. "There is no attempt in the Arms Trade Treaty to control the internal regulation of weapons, only international transfers," she says.But in the next breath, proponents say we have to include civilian arms because different countries classify the same type of arms differently:
"You have a very big problem making a firm distinction between military and civilian in a legal context" because different states define and regulate arms differently, Parker says.And they say we have nothing to worry about.
For example, in the United Kingdom, only military personnel are allowed to have handguns, while in the United States an individual may even own a semiautomatic rifle. Parker says it would be impossible to come up with a universal definition for military arms that would be comprehensive or effective in preventing irresponsible transfers—the ultimate goal of the treaty.
Public Not Buying Story That Holder Contempt Vote About Politics
According to a CNN/ORC International survey released Monday morning, 53% of people questioned say they approve of the House vote a week and a half ago to hold the attorney general in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents related to a controversial program called Operation Fast and Furious, with one in three saying they disapprove of the move and 13% unsure.The public also wants the President to pull back his claim of executive privilege and come clean on the scandal known as Fast and Furious where the ATF allowed guns to walk into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels.
Nearly seven in 10 say the Obama administration should answer all questions, with 27% agreeing with the move to invoke executive privilege.Holder's retort after the vote that it made for "great political theater" once again shows he has a tin ear.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Beware Internet Warnings of UN Arms Treaty
With the United Nations deliberating what is known as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the Internet and our email inboxes are full of warnings about Obama signing the treaty. But as Sebastian notes over on Shall Not Be Questioned, there is more to these stories than the subject at hand.
Groups and individuals will use the ATT to raise money, but as with any information circulated via email and the Internet, we should consider the source and whether they actually have access to factual information.
One group that has covered these proceedings since 2000 has been the NRA. And since 2004, NRANews has covered the proceedings and interviewed those who are actually engaged in the discussions as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). So, follow what is going on at the ATT deliberations, but before forwarding those "sky is falling" emails or writing that check, dig a little deeper and get the facts.
Friday, July 6, 2012
DGIF Opportunities for Public Comment
Draft Black Bear Management Plan, 2012–2021
Hunting & Trapping Public Input Period
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Virginia Outdoor Conventional Pistol Champion Crowned
Top Three Shooters:
Each will receive a plaque from VSSA.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Their Lives, Their Fortunes, and Their Sacred Honor
Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create is still intact.As we celebrate today at the pool, at family and neighborhood cookouts, and firework shows, let us remember those who came before us, and those who still fight today, so that we may live in freedom.
And, finally, there is the New Jersey signer, Abraham Clark.
He gave two sons to the officer corps in the Revolutionary Army. They were captured and sent to that infamous British prison hulk afloat in New York Harbor known as the hell ship Jersey, where 11,000 American captives were to die. The younger Clarks were treated with a special brutality because of their father. One was put in solitary and given no food. With the end almost in sight, with the war almost won, no one could have blamed Abraham Clark for acceding to the British request when they offered him his sons' lives if he would recant and come out for the King and Parliament. The utter despair in this man's heart, the anguish in his very soul, must reach out to each one of us down through 200 years with his answer: "No."
The 56 signers of the Declaration Of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
Happy Independence Day! Happy Birthday America!