“Gun Violence” in America

Stormbringer points us to a Pew Research Center study, which shows that…well you can read…

Recent Pew Research of Gun Violence in America found gun violence has dropped at an incredible level between 1993-2010, however, in spite of these FACTS, 56% of American’s believe gun violence is higher than 20 years ago.

The primary findings of the research center on these salient points:

1. Homicide rates are down 49% using a time-series analysis between the years of 1993 and 2010.

2. Victimization rates for violent crimes with a firearm are down 73% during that same time period.

3. Despite incredible decline of gun-related violence, 56% of those surveyed (which was a scientific representative sample) 56% of American’s believe gun crime is higher than 20 years ago.

GEE, how did THAT happen?

Public mass shootings are rare crimes that account for less than one percent of gun homicides. They are a matter of great public interest and concern. The mass shootings in Newtown, Conn., Aurora, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz., were among the public’s top news stories in recent years.

And, of course, the number of States with licensed concealed firearms carry or Constitutional Carry have increased.  And the Clinton Assault Weapon Ban went away.  Then how could this perception be?

Can you say there’s an agenda in the mainstream media (sorry Biff).  Sure you can.  Visit his link and read the rest.  If you dare0

The issue is NOT gun violence – the issues are crime and terrorism.  And Constitutional rights.

h/t Sean Linneane

“Gee (child’s name), do your friend’s parents own a car?”

Dr. John Lott may be familiar to some of you.  He’s an economist and political commentator, most famous for debunking gun control as effective crime control, through the use of statistics.  He recently posted some stats on his blog, after the NYT did another hit piece regarding a woman’s concerns about her child visiting a home of gun owners.

The statistics speak for themselves:

What is the risk of a six year old dying from an accidental gun shot?

Lisa Maxbauer recently wrote a piece in the New York Times worrying about her six-year old visiting homes of gun owners.  Here are some numbers from the CDC for both six year olds and those under age 10.

For other ways of accidental deaths, the numbers are as follows:

This just in…(about the new buy-back)

(an addendum to the post below…)

Phoenix police plan to destroy guns from buyback

PHOENIX — Three months before a new state law goes into effect requiring police to sell any weapon they receive, Phoenix officials plan to destroy as many guns as residents bring them.

Those efforts begin Saturday with a gun buyback at three churches in the city, and two more events are scheduled later this month.

After that, gun buybacks coordinated with Phoenix police will likely cease.

(The Arizona Republic)

Sounds like previous post commenters had a good idea – offer the City some healthy competition across the street!

AZ House Bill 2455

has passed and has been signed!

Arizona cities and counties that hold community gun buyback events will have to sell the surrendered weapons instead of destroying them under a bill Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Monday.

The bill was championed by Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature who argued that municipalities were skirting a 2010 law that was tightened last year and requires police to sell seized weapons to federally licensed dealers. They argued that destroying property turned over to the government is a waste of taxpayer resources.

Democrats who argued against the bill said it usurps local control and goes against the wishes of people who turn over their unwanted weapons to keep them out of the hands of children or thieves.

As if purchasers from licensed dealers consist of children and thieves – both of who must pass a  federal background check – Guffaw

Buybacks are popular among some police and elected officials who either pay cash or hand out gift cards in exchange for weapons. Tucson and other Arizona communities destroyed weapons from the events, arguing that because the guns were voluntarily surrendered, the laws concerning weapons seized by authorities didn’t apply.

Read the rest of the article: http://www.startribune.com/nation/205333731.html

h/t The Weapon Blog

Dream ‘Weaver Stance’

American Mercenary shares with us a dream he had.  His conclusions?

Shot placement shot placement shot placement.  A good hit with a 9mm is better than a poor hit with a 45.

Trouble comes in threes, and you have to deal with them all.

Hesitation equals death.  If you have a gun on someone and they disobey your orders it is only to cause you harm.  Pull the damn trigger.

Now, I’ve had dreams involving shooting, but they rarely did they involve philosophy and Jeff Cooper-isms.  Or truths.

Take them as you will.

Guns & Ammo Brings It!

(click to embiggen)

I am SO GLAD to reside in the Free State of Arizona! – Guffaw

h/t Facebook

Training, Shooting and Fashion

Cornered Cat|Scratching Post always presents such well-reasoned wisdom.  You should read this link in particular, if you’re not already reading her blog.  Then you should remedy the situation by reading it, regularly.

Kathy Jackson walks us through the thought process of the new female shooting student.  After all, generally women are more concerned with fashion dictates.  (Yes, I know, Brigid, not every woman!  )

Some student concerns:

One person expressed it very well when she wrote, “[The Cornered Cat] course requires a holster type I have no intention of ever using. So that means even more money spent on a holster and clothing that would only be used the days of the class.”

Another person wrote something similar: “I’d have to invest in pants with belt loops, belt, and holster that I would probably never use again just to take one or two classes.”

Kathy intones:

Putting a loaded gun into a holster is the single most dangerous thing anyone ever does in a professional firearms training class.

I remember Jeff Cooper poo-pooing fashion with regard to its dictates versus the need to carry safely.  An  no one would have ever called The Colonel a fashion plate.  After all, what’s more important?

And men, don’t gloss over going to Kathy Jackson’s link because it’s aimed at women.  Her above quote applies to you, as well.

Both in training and (daily) carry, safety should be our foremost concern.  We are dealing with lethal instrumentalities, after all.

Fashion should come second.  Or even farther down the list.

As I’m on disability, my daily wear is usually a colored T-shirt, a long-sleeve over-shirt, Wrangler jeans, a belt from The Wilderness and my diabetic orthopedic walking shoes, with my right one built-up (aka ‘Ed’, the really big shoe).  On more formal occasions, I’ve been known to substitute a polo shirt.  George Clooney eat your heart out!  (I know – your bodyguards probably dress better!)

My shooting wear isn’t much different, except for the addition of my Tilly Hat and eyes/ears.  And sunglasses.

If you need to purchase (or perhaps borrow?) some clothes or holsters to meet the requirements of a particular class, I say go for it.  More training is always better.

h/t Kathy Jackson, Jeff Cooper

It’s March 6, Again!

…and I cannot believe I’ve been blogging for TWO YEARS!

Two years ago, today, I began writing this blog.
I’d been on disability, and passed the time on the Internet reading blogs.  I was frankly looking for some female friends who liked guns, and found some female gun bloggers.  Unfortunately, these were in Ohio, Indiana and Idaho.  They became my blogmothers.  (Note-to-self:  find female gun bloggers in AZ!)
I had no clue what I was doing.  Some would say I still don’t.
In the past two years I’ve learned to write in paragraphs, write about those things I know, and to be disciplined. (sometimes)
I’ve written at least one blog post daily (sometimes two, occasionally three, once or twice four) every day.
And I’ve included a cartoon, a tasteful photo of a beautiful woman and a You Tube clip of my choosing, every day, as well.
And a quote of the day.
I told a couple friends locally I was writing a blog, and, before I knew it, I had followers (!)
Follower number 10 was North , the first person not actually known to me at the time.  Since then he and many others have become friends!
As of this post, I have 89 followers, including a female blogger in Pakistan.
Over 164,821 pageviews! (if we include the 84K from the first year’s BLOGGER version)  5,397 comments, (some of which weren’t even from me!)
I’ve written 1,146 posts, about 2/3 of which were of my own authorship (not stolen borrowed or expounded upon from another blog).
And I’ve made many friends in the United States, and around the World.
I’m proud to say I’ve actually met some of these folks, and spoken with others on the telephone.  Some have regularly communicated via email.  A few have become close.  One even gifted me ammunition!  I’m both proud and humbled.
And still amazed.
One of my early followers was my good friend Mark Bell, who passed away February 1, 2012.  He told me one of his first stops every morning was Guffaw in AZ.  I like to think he still stops by.
I will continue to strive to report the facts and truth as I know them, for as long as I am able, and I care to.
And perhaps a few more PI stories.
I’ve tampered with amended The Usual Suspects to add those who have been friends and contributors and delete those who have stopped blogging.  Sadly, some have passed away.
My thanks to all of you for your support.
I remain,
Your obedient servant,
Guffaw

(for St. Valentine’s Day*) The Millionaire – a remake (kinda)

When I was growing up, there was a television show called The Millionaire.  In the show, personal representative of millionaire J. Beresford Tipton (Michael Anthony) doled out one million dollars to a worthy nobody every week.  Of course, the plot revolved around how this windfall affected their life.  At the time, one million dollars was a lot of money.  The only caveat was the recipient was to agree never to reveal the source of their new wealth.  I suspect the IRS wasn’t involved in this agreement. 

Today is St. Valentine’s Day*, a day I loathe, as I’m alone.  Obviously, if there was someone in my life, celebrating it would be terrific.  But alas…

I was preparing dinner last night, when the doorbell rang.  It was the UPS guy.  He presented me with a small, heavy package.  I hurriedly opened it and discovered a surprise!

NO, it wasn’t one million dollars, but rather a serious amount of ammunition in the calibers I own and shoot!  Accompanying the ammo was a note.  Obviously someone reads this blog, read I am ‘ammo poor’ and took it upon themself to send me a gift of reloads!  How cool is THAT?

I don’t know how soon I’ll be able to go shooting, again, but it’s nice knowing people whom I’ve never met are kind enough to send me gifts.  I’m quite moved and humbled.  And now more sufficiently armed.

And as I’ve no way to thank them personally, I’m posting about it.  And, I’ll never reveal the source.  Part of my agreement.

You never saw a happier worthy nobody!

W.O.P. Guns – Are They Safe?

In Jennifer’s Head recently wrote about it having been the fifth anniversary of her first gun purchase!  Congratulations!

One of the commenters brought up the issue of private versus licensed dealer sales.  And that got me to thinking.

Back when I had a gun safe (with a small arsenal collection, therein) I kept my licensed dealer guns in one part of the safe, and my W.O.P. guns in a separate part.  (In politically-incorrect slang a wop was an illegal alien – it stood for With Out Papers!)  The firearms I purchased legally, but privately.

Now that this has become an issue, yet again (the whole fictitious gun show loophole) and as Senator Feinstein’s Further Remove Your Natural Rights Assault Weapon Ban bill includes a measure requiring documentation of private, personal sales,  I thought it appropriate to mention.

If indeed legislation is passed banning private, undocumented transfer of firearms, and all become ‘registered’, and ‘they’ come for them, do we really think ‘they’ will just take those in the register?  Or will they use metal detectors to look for ‘illegal’ guns secreted in the walls or buried in the yard?  Or detain individuals until they give up their stash?  (See the War on Drugs and Prohibition for historical context.)

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun – Mao Tse Tung

‘They’ (many local governments) now require you to present ID to vote, have a social security number, file your taxes, maintain your home and yard to an arbitrary standard, put your kids in school, have them vaccinated, not have church meetings in your home-if not so zoned, not sell unpasteurized milk-without a license, separate your recyclables, have your auto emissions tested for license, get a permit to carry your gun, get a safe to secure it unloaded in your own home.  Ad infinitum, ad nauseum 

And most of these rules, if disobeyed, will eventually result in a confrontation with armed government authorities.  Government is force.

Of course, in the coming socialist utopia, that would never happen.  Or we’d never read about it in the socialist-utopia controlled media, if it did.