Hempstead, N.Y.: All across the country, millions of unemployed Americans expressed relief and gratitude that Obama finally addressed their most important issue at last night’s Presidential debate: assault weapons.
“I’m glad Obama is finally tackling assault weapons,” said Barbara Rheems, taking a brief pause from brushing her teeth in the 1998 Honda Civic that has been her home for the last three years. “I think that’s the greatest concern facing our country.”
“Thank God Nina Gonzales had the courage to ask about assault weapons,” said Richard Smith, an unemployed construction worker, speaking from the cot in his mother’s basement. “I can’t think of a single more pressing issue.”
“Assault weapons terrify me,” said mother Gladys Castle, who was busy preparing an “Obama soup” made from pilfered ketchup packets for her three hungry children. “I’m afraid that at any moment they might burst out of closets and gun safes and start shooting people.”
“Well it’s about time someone dealt with America’s biggest challenge, which is reinstating the Clinton-era assault weapons ban,” said Tom Feller, who spoke to us from behind his homemade cardboard WILL WORK ANY JOB/HAVE CHILDREN TO FEED/GOD BLESS sign. “The fact is that Americans just don’t need a weapon that has any two of a folding stock, a pistol grip, a bayonet mount, or a flash suppressor, and it’s high time we moved to disarm ordinary Americans citizens who purchased such weapons in a completely lawful manner.”
A CNN poll of America’s unemployed showed that assault weapons were far and away the most pressing issue this election, with 78% citing them as their biggest concern, while those who said that their top issue was forcing Catholics to pay for contraception were a distant second at 19%.
Journalist shocked that all his fellow journalists are suddenly spewing vitriol at him and calling him a traitor because he’s decided to vote for Romney. Also confirms the overwhelming liberal bias in the newsroom.
Police arrest members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang across the state, including one police officer in Houston who was providing them guns.
I got my CHL in the mail today. (When I have time I’ll try to do a post on the process of getting one for those who haven’t.) I currently have a Kimber .45, which I think is a bit heavy to use as a carry gun.
My instructor was big on the Glock, which I know a lot of people use as a carry gun and has some improvements over the M1911. So I thought I would ask my CHL-holding rreaders: 1. What concealed carry gun do you favor, and why, and 2. What experience (if any) have you had using a Glock?
Quick followup to last week’s story on the auction of three of Elvis Presley’ guns, which went under the gavel yesterday. The results (all prices include buyer’s premium):
This was not a random shooting, it occurred while officers were serving an eviction notice, so it’s not a classic “spree shooting” like Aurora.
It did not occur on Texas A&M campus, but rather a few blocks away (despite which, the active Twitter tag is #tamushooting).
Multiple other people have been shot; I read six, but that might not be accurate.
The shooter is in custody.
More details when they occur.
In the meantime, as Dwight has already implored CHL holders to do, “Carry your damn guns, people.” Also, here’s firearms instructor Karl Rehn on what to do when faced with an “active shooter.”
Update
We now have the name of the dead office: Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann was killed in line of duty while attempting to serve an eviction notice.
Seeing reports of a second civilian death.
Update 2
Seeing reports that a third person has died, and also that the suspect has died. Not sure if those are one and the same. News reporting that the third person dead is the shooter.
Update 3
Sgt. Jason James, spokesman for the Bryan Police Department, confirms to The News: Three were killed during today’s shooting, including, as mentioned below, Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann. Also killed, he says: a male civilian and the shooter.
Right now, James says, another female bystander is hospitalized at the College Station Medical Center; her condition is unknown. Also, says James: “An officer injured during the gunfight is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.” Two more officers, he says, were injured — “but not through the initial contact” with the gunman.
Update 4
The bystander killed was Chris Northcliff, 43. Suspect killed was Thomas Caffall, approx. 35, divorced.
I’m not particularly an Elvis Presley devotee, but this Heritage Auction’s offering of Elvis memorabilia is pretty interesting. I linked to that page because it has three of Elvis’ guns, including his .357 Magnum Colt Python double action revolver. “Elvis was well known in the area as a gun shopper. Also included is an Affidavit and Certificate of Authenticity signed by Presley’s friend Joe Esposito stating, in part: “One of Elvis Presley favorite guns to target practice in the backyard of Graceland with the ‘Old Smokehouse’ as a bullet stop was this Colt Python, 357 magnum, CTG Serial # E 13450. He liked it because the gun didn’t have a big kick.'”
All the Elvis auction lots go under the hammer Tuesday, August 14.
Accused Plano bomber Anson Chi was denied bail at a hearing at which he testified on his own behalf. I don’t see anyone placing any sort of credibility on his claims that some of his wounds were due to being tortured by police while in the hospital. Various testimony adds a lot more to the “walking time-bomb” file:
[FBI agent Brian] Carroll described Chi as “anti-government, anti-technology, anti-big business, pro-environmentalist (and) slightly anarchist.”
“He said he was tired of armchair activists and wanted to have this in the bank to prove he was a real activist,” Carroll said.
One wonder what sort of “activism” Chi thought he was displaying. Anti-gas-pipeline activism? I fail to see how blowing up a pipeline would fight the Federal Reserve, the IRS, or genetically modified food (all noted Chi concerns).
Testifying for the defense, Chi’s parents said they were OK with him living at home if the judge agreed to release him and would notify police immediately if he broke any rules.
But the testimony also seemed to backfire.
His father, Swia Chenn Chi, said he often fought with his son and was so afraid of him he once called the police.
“If we don’t agree, he usually goes wild,” the father testified. “I was so afraid he would take the gun and point it at me … I wished the police would (have taken) his gun away, but they never did.”
The FBI said agents recovered two pistols and three shotguns from the family’s Plano house, in addition to bomb-making chemicals and hardware in a search hours after the explosion.
Chi’s father said he was upset with his son because he hadn’t worked for several years.
“He’s such a grown-up man,” Swia Chenn Chi said of his 33-year-old son. “He’s not handicapped but he doesn’t work so he makes me disappointed.”
An adult refusing to look for a job fits the Occupy mold a lot more than your typical Ron Paul supporter. It also fits in with Chi’s posting the “Disappointed Asian Father” images on his Facebook page, like this one:
In addition to the bomb-making materials and instructions, agents found three shotguns and two 40-caliber semi-automatic handguns at the Chi home. They found books on domestic terrorism and technological slavery. They also found $2,000 hidden in a spray can with a false bottom, as well as euros and Asian currency.
Carroll detailed Chi’s extensive travel in recent years, including trips to Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Records show that Chi crossed into Mexico 20 times on foot and that he was denied entry into Canada last year, Carroll testified.
I’m not a big fan of the IRS, and as a fan of small government I have a bit of sympathy for tax protestors. But that sympathy is tempered by the fact that the theories by which they deduce the federal income tax is unconstitutional range from the almost certainly wrong to the completely ludicrous. And further evidence that they’re mistaken is the frequency with which they end up in prison.
Chi also posted a copy of this well-known video depicting soccer fans overwhelming police over their excessive use of violence. I’m all for exposing and punishing police brutality, but when Chi comments “Watch the police (pigs) get what they deserve—oink!” once again he gives that Occupy-tainted whiff of throwback 1960s radicalism. Not everyone who called police pigs in the 1960s built bombs, but virtually 100% of the 1960s bomb builders (The Weatherman Underground, etc.) would be found among their ranks.
He also links to a 9/11 Truther video, which does not speak well of his credulity.
“Most members of the urban workforce don’t actually have any plan if they came in contact with a mountain lion.”
You don’t say.
Actually, in Texas, a CHL holder would have one more action available: shoot it. Of course. this wouldn’t do you any good in California, or if you’re unfortunate enough to work in an office that has a “Gun Free Zone” policy, since there’s no chance the mountain lion will heed the “Mountain Lion Free Zone” policy…
Although I’ve frequently talked about various Heritage books auctions on my other blog, I think some of my readers here will be interested in hearing about their firearms auction coming up on April 30 as part of the NRA Firearms for Freedom program. I’m not enough of a gun collector to tell you what’s notable, but the gyrojet pistol looks interesting, and they have several vintage Winchester rifles and a couple of flintlocks.
