Left Rudder

NRA Life Member, supports terrorists and criminals.

Believes creationism should be part of public school curriculum.

Opposes abortion rights.

Opposes gay rights.

John McSame must have been having a ’senior moment.’

*Update:* It appears the Palins are multiplying faster than an Amish puppy mill. Must be all that shooting and listening to Ted Nugent.

Who’d have thought?

Citing studies by researchers in other states whose work is highly controversial at best, GeorgiaCarry.org maintains that concealed-carry permit holders are remarkably law-abiding and that more guns equals less crime.

Of course, Georgia law enforcement says otherwise:

“A blind person can get a permit in Georgia, since all you have to do is pass a background check,” says Bankhead. “And that person can be arrested the very next week for a felony, convicted of that felony the next month and still have that permit for the next five years.”

Before the GOP leadership expands the places in civilized society where guns can be carried secretly, lawmakers ought to find out whether sufficient safeguards are in place to protect the public. The state should be monitoring whether permit holders abide by the law and whether their permits are revoked when they don’t.

One relatively easy way to answer that question would be to compare a list of convicted felons against a list of Georgians licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Unfortunately, the General Assembly made that impossible by sealing the list of permit holders from public view, making it impossible to refute claims that all permit holders are law-abiding.

However, we do have some idea what such a comparison might reveal. In 2007, an analysis by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel found more than 1,400 Floridians holding concealed weapon licenses in the first half of 2006 who had previously pleaded guilty or no contest to assaults, burglaries, sexual battery, drug possession, child molestation and murder. Alarmed by that data, Florida legislators quickly made such information off limits to public view.

Unlike most states, Georgia doesn’t require firearms training to obtain a concealed-carry permit, which is issued by the local probate court judge after applicants undergo criminal background checks. The license is valid for five years; however, it’s supposed to be revoked if the carrier is convicted of a felony.

Under state law, however, there’s no way to enforce that provision. When police arrest someone for an offense that makes them ineligible to carry a concealed firearm, officers don’t have to alert the county that issued the permit. That’s because Georgia has no central database where an officer can check easily on whether a permit exists, says Bankhead.

Gun Loons want to arm teachers:

The 110-student district, 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth near Wichita Falls, made international news last week with a new policy that allows teachers to carry handguns if they have a state permit and permission from the district. The move appears to be unprecedented.

Not so fast:

“You cannot bring a gun onto school property whether you’re staff, a teacher or administrator regardless of whether you have a conceal-carry license,” said Clint Bond, a spokesman for the Fort Worth district. “The only people who are authorized to carry weapons on our campuses, in school district facilities, are police.”

By now, most everyone has heard or read of the senseless murder of Bill Gwatney, a successful Arkansas businessman and chairman of that state’s Democratic Party.

Turns out Gwatney’s assassin, Timothy Dale Johnson, was a member in good standing of the NRA.

Why isn’t this fact being reported in the press?

We’re often told by the gunloons that firearms have been an integral part of the US of A–now and since its inception. The gunloons will tell us of their prowess in shooting and all things gun-related.

With such a deep, rich history of hunting and shooting, we should be sweeping up all the shooting medals at the Olympics.

But noooooooo…

To date, the US of A has a gold (Walton Eller (Men’s Double Trap)) and a bronze (Corey Cogdell (Women’s Trap)). Meanwhile, China–often cited by gunloons as having no firearms–has four gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

Well, at least we’re keeping ahead of North Korea. Barely.

Meet Mike Vanderboegh:

Dear Editor:

Joe Bialek from Cleveland proposes the licensing and registration of all weapons currently in civilian hands. My question is, how exactly do you propose to do that, Joe?

There are some of us “cold dead hands” types, perhaps 3 percent of gun owners, who would kill anyone who tried to further restrict our God-given liberty. Don’t extrapolate from your own cowardice and assume that just because you would do anything the government told you to do that we would.

Are you proposing to come yourself, or do you want someone else’s son or daughter in federal service to take the risk? Are you truly prepared to stack up the bodies necessary to accomplish your plan? Seems a strange way to make a “safer society.” More to the point, are you willing to risk your sorry hide to do it? No? I thought not.

Then quit proposing the next American civil war. We’re done being pushed back from our natural rights without a fight. Be careful what you wish for.

Mike Vanderboegh
Pinson, Ala.

Now, I’m sure some gunloons wish to distance themselves from Vanderboegh. But he isn’t saying anything they themselves and their NRA masters don’t believe.

Ummm, no.

As of Friday, police said, 21 applications had been received and 11 approved. Among those who now have legal handguns in their D.C. homes is Dick A. Heller, 66, a security guard from Capitol Hill who sued the city over the 1976 handgun ban and won the Supreme Court case.

Heller filed another lawsuit against the District last week, alleging that the restrictions imposed by the District after the high court’s decision violate the letter and spirit of the ruling.

Of the 11 newly registered handguns, police said, eight had been stored outside the District by their owners while the ban was in place. The other three were kept illegally in D.C. homes during the ban and were registered in recent days under an amnesty program.

Police said three applications have been denied (and the handguns seized) because the applicants had criminal records. The other seven applications are pending.

From the Libertarian FAQ:

6a. Does this apply to prostitution also?

Every day millions of adult Americans agree to make love. There is no justification for throwing them in jail. These are peaceful voluntary agreements between consenting adults. A tiny fraction of these involve
money.

Criminal penalties do not stop prostitution. They just create real problems. One study showed it costs taxpayers two thousand dollars every time a prostitute is arrested. Let’s respect people’s right to control their own bodies.

Decriminalize sex, and let it be a private affair. [3]

What says Sebastian Sassi, Libertarian Candidate for Congress?

Black Ford Late Model F150, black male driver.

Dropped off Lisa and circled the block last night around 930pm. Didn’t catch the whole tag, but it appeared to 94T xxx. I’ll get it next time.

Johns tend to be 40-65 year old white dudes. Perhaps this guy is a pimp of some sort?

Let’s see; white dudes are johns and black guys are pimps. Got it.

I almost feel sorry for the Maryland LP. Almost.