Libercontrarian

Wednesday, 31 August 2005

Are They Victims Or Just Dopes?

I am guaranteeing that this post will cause a ruckus, assuming that anyone reads it.

What I am making such an inflammatory statement about is the situation of the "victims" of Hurricane Katrina, the killer storm that has swamped New Orleans and rendered hundreds of thousands homeless, and possibly, thousands dead.

Many in and out of the Blogosphere have called for aid for the victims of this tragedy; indeed, even the German government has declared support, and my own employer has opened the bidding for your compassion at $250,000, with matching funds from its 80,000 employee base.

Very generous!

My only concern is the worthiness of the victims. The people who were slaughtered by the killer tidal wave in S.E. Asia were true victims of the aforesaid tragedy, having had no warning or method/idea of preparation for what is, in all likelihood, a one-in-a-million event. The people of New Orleans had not minutes or hours' warning of what was considered to be a likely event even in my lifetime, they had about two days warning - as much as had the millions of survivors of Hurricane Andrew some 13 years ago. Yet, it appears as if they are dead in the THOUSANDS, whereas the victims of Hurricane Andrew numbered in the tens.

Why?

Did they not accept the idea that the City of New Orleans rested some 6 feet under the level of the sea? Was it not part of their understanding of the Way The World Is that if you live in a risky environment, you might suffer the hard result of taking said risk eventually? Why didn't these people prepare themselves for a possible move away from submersible New Orleans when the city was under its likeliest threat?

The reason they failed to look out for their own welfare is because they were self-assured that "it couldn't happen here." No expert told them as such, it was just that they could not discipline their minds and spirits to the idea that they were "hangin' it out on the edge," living in a place that was located in a hurricane zone 6 feet under sea level.

Should we feel sorry for them that they didn't understand the risky situation they put themselves in?

Probably. I don't want to sound ingenerous, after all. Nevertheless, aren't you really responsible, ultimately, for your own safety? Why did (potentially) thousands of New Orleanians perish in this tragedy?

I am sure that I will get viciously attacked for my hardness of views. That's OK. I am not suggesting that survivors not be helped. That would be both un-american and un-christian. I would just love to engage in a spirited debate about what extent people are responsible for their own safety, especially when they are duly warned about the dangers that lay in front of them by the governmental authority.

posted by: underwhelmed at August 31, 2005 17:23 | link | comments (6) |

Tuesday, 30 August 2005

Feds At Their Property-Confiscating Best

Well, people, they're at it again - the Federal Gummint wants your gold.

' "What we appear to have is yet another example of the U.S. government overstepping its boundaries, further alienating American citizens from conducting free trade of personal property," said Kevin Lipton pf Kevin Lipton Rare Coins in Beverly Hills.'

These guys just aren't happy unless they're stealing your property, or empowering some MegaCorp to steal it because MegaCorp will pay them more ransom in taxes.

This is how democracies turn from "from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacence to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage." We let the .gov chip away at our personal property rights, (they always start with gun rights, 'cause once they've got them, it becomes markedly harder for the citizenry to actively resist the ever-increasing tyrrany), then they start telling you messages they engineer for your consumption to "get you to believe," and things just spiral downward from there.

So, what do you do about it?

Since the situation is like Claire Wolfe said, "too early to shoot the bastards," can we find an answer in the law for arresting the efforts of intrusive government?

posted by: underwhelmed at August 30, 2005 18:21 | link | comments |

Thursday, 25 August 2005

Go To A Gun Show, And The ATF Will Tell Your Wife

It seems like the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) wants wifey to know how much of the family dollar you are blowing at the gun shows. A gunshow promoter unexpectedly had the ATF set up a checkpoint at her show, and they drove out all her business. When patrons tried to buy a gun, the BATFE were, in an unprecedented move against good governance, dispatched to PERSONALLY CHECK THE APPLICANTS RESIDENCY:

"...officers were dispatched to the homes of the prospective gun buyers to speak with family members, asking for example: 'Gee, did you know your husband was going to a gun show today? Do you have his cell phone number? Did you know he was buying a gun?

'If people weren't home they, in some cases, went to neighbors' to ask the same questions, Van Cleave said.

'I'm not an attorney but, I'll tell you what, in my opinion that would be a violation of federal law,' Van Cleave said. 'To go off on a fishing trip with that information, much less sharing information like that with neighbors, there's no way that's legal.' "

I like that. So this is what the face of intrusive, fascistic government looks like, huh? Causing domestic strife and scaring people's neighbors is now the business of Our Beloved Federal .gov, as Citizens go about legal, federally-regulated acts of commerce? Why?

Makes me want to go to Virginia the next time the promoter organizes a show and attend... with 20,000 of my closest friends. There'd be a waiting line 500 yards out the door, and the ATF would be so flummoxed that they wouldn't know what to do.

posted by: underwhelmed at August 25, 2005 18:53 | link | comments (2) |

Monday, 22 August 2005

Small Arms Caused Peace To Break Out

Apparently, the appearance of small arms caused nearly a 400,000 year vacuum of war in humankind's existence, says this article.

Brings new meaning to the saying, "An armed society is a polite society." Of course, we all know that weapons can't have any advantageous effects upon mankind, since they tend to go around killing schoolchildren all on their own, at least according to the Leftist brainiacs running government schools.

posted by: underwhelmed at August 22, 2005 16:38 | link | comments (3) |

Thursday, 18 August 2005

BloggerShoot 4.0

The Time of Lead-Flinging is upon us again.

Of course, I am speaking of BloggerShoot 4.0 to be held this Saturday. We will meet at my house at 0900 to make the longish, but scenic drive up to the intersection of Hwy 7 and 72 West of Lyons. I encourage any and all who wish to join us in our own, personal Carnivals of Cordite to email me so that I can tell you either how to (a.) get to the Sergeant Major of the Armchair Commando Brigade's humble manse, or (b.) instruct you in the most wily fashion to arrive efficiently at the shoot-site later.

Bring: Guns and ammo (not necessary, to be sure, as there will be many death-dealin' targets of Liberal Paranoia out there, and you'll surely be able to borrow one), sundry snacks and drink, fun things to shoot that clean up easily (we'll be walking down the range to collect the trash, so bring bags), like cans and Tannerite, and some protection for your skull. A camera would be a great idea, too, as it's always fun to revisit the madness that is BloggerShooting later on.

From our last excursion:

Yes indeedy, my friends, it will be a good ol' fashioned Plinkfest!

posted by: underwhelmed at August 18, 2005 21:28 | link | comments (3) |

As Promised, Range Report With CZ-52

After work on Tuesday, I couldn’t wait to haul the new Old Bold Cold Warrior, my CZ-52, out to the range to take an evaluation shoot. I have promised a few readers that I’d give them the low-down on this pistol’s shooting performance, and was eager to see what all the hubub was about. I jammed the seventy-round box of Russkie 7.62 x 25 ball ammo into my range bag, grabbed the CZ and a Kel-Tec .32 that’s a pocket-sized playtoy and I stormed off from my house, leaving a confused and angry wife standing in a cloud of dust and swirling bobby pins.

I met my friends Steve and Brendon at the range, and warned them that the first shot I would take with this old gun should be done with them standing well away from me [snigger], because God knows how the frightening combo of 50 year-old guns and 50 year-old ammo would mix. I cranked the target out, a B-29 Reduced Silhouette, to 25 feet and fired off the first round – BOOM! The muzzle flip is rather wild, and the report… it’s pretty darned severe. I was right; you could roast a chicken off the muzzle flash.

I would not like to be standing on the other side of this handgun.

I discovered as I shot the CZ that I was shooting the handgun to the left of center of the target – this was some sort of weird anticipatory behavior I was applying to the gun, but I quickly learned to avoid moving the gun around while squeezing. The sights are the typical military affair, too skinny and black to be of any use in a gunfight. It took a long time to line them up on a black target in an indoor shooting range.

Somewhere in the fourth magazine (they only hold eight rounds, how quaint!) I got a Failure to Fire. I re-struck the cartridge by drawing the hammer back ( felt no need to go through the “Tap Rack Bang” drill taught by Gunsite, since I wouldn’t expect to get failures like this from ammo made after my parents were married), and got function again on the handgun. Old hard Russian military Berdan primed brass made reloading a non-starter, so after determining the brass was a throw-away, I just enjoyed propelling rounds downrange at staggering velocities and scaring the bejeesus out of the kiddies in the Hunter’s Safety Course behind us.

The handgun is damnned accurate, as you can see. The first target was slow-fired offhand @ 25 feet while I was still learning how the gun shot, and the second shows some slow-fire headshots and two magazines + four spare rounds that were shot as quickly as I could reasonably pull the trigger. You will notice that the groups are all well placed. I did not shoot as accurately with my DAO Kel-Tec at a far shorter range (15 feet) later in the evening.

This is easily the most accurate pistol I have ever owned. My Glock 23 is a fine handgun that I have shot exceeding well, but I’m a better shot with the CZ on the first magazine than I am with either of my two other handguns, but then again, since I really started shooting rifles again, my handgun skills have degraded immensely.

I can’t wait to shoot this thing again at Bloggershoot #4 this Saturday!

posted by: underwhelmed at August 18, 2005 21:06 | link | comments (2) |

Monday, 15 August 2005

Watch What You Say 'Bout Dem Judges

Remember Kelo vs. New London Township, the landmark SCOTUS ruling that magically did away with 5th Amendment rights whenever a Government body can stand to collect more tax dollars?

Remember when I posted about this guy, who decided to place a claim on Judge Souter's home in New Hampshire so as to make him feel the pain he's causing the Citizenry in a very personal manner? I laughed at the appropriateness of the act.

Turns out, it's not a good idea to piss off a judge. In Ohio, a judge is "feeling threatened" by people he claims are "harassing him:"

"Former Ohio attorney Elsebeth Baumgartner and the editor of a news blog, Bryan DuBois of Sandusky, Ohio, have been charged with intimidation and retaliation because a judge filed a complaint against them, claiming that he was intimidated by them and their charges of judicial corruption."

To allay his feelings of persecution, this "Jurist" has had the pair incarcerated, and has barred any communication with the outside world or with one another. Forget that silly ol' Constitution thingy - "that don't apply if'n you're a-talkin' 'bout me!" What, is this guy Judge Roy Bean? Is he on Indian Territory, or not otherwise subject to U.S. Code?

"According to published reports, both Baumgartner and DuBois have been kept incommunicado from the outside world, with Baumgartner in particular being denied mail, phone use and visitors. A call by Erie Voices to the Cuyahoga County Jail produced this published recorded conversation:

EV: Hello. I’m calling to find out if Elsebeth Baumgartner is able to have visitors.

Officer: Pardon me?

EV: I’m wondering if Elsebeth Baumgartner is able to have visitors.

Officer: Ok….I’ll check.

Officer: Let me see……(long pause)……huh!

EV: “Huh!” what?

Officer: Well, there’s a note here. It says that she is not permitted to have visitors, phone calls, or mail.

EV: Hmmm. Is that standard? I mean, is that typical? Is this what usually happens?

Officer: No, ma’am, I’ve never seen anything like this before.

EV: I mean, I could understand MAYBE if she were a serial rapist or something!

Officer: Yeah, I know. This is unusual.

EV: Can you tell who made the note? Was it Dan Kasaris?

Officer: No, it just says that it is ordered by the court that she is not permitted to have visitors, phone calls, or mail.

EV: Well, thank you very much.

Not only have the officials seriously infringed upon the First Amendment rights of Baumgartner and DuBois and their right to seek public redress of grievances, but now with the help of the court they are allegedly compounding their crime and engaging in egregious violations of prisoners’ rights."

Did you know that you can simply ignore the Constitution if you're a judge? I guess it's kinda like a cop being able to carry a weapon in a city where the Second Amendment is freely repressed by the thugs who sit in governance there - "only OUR private gang-for-hire is allowed to defend themselves." Kinda like Denver, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and about twenty others.

Really, go to this page and read every word of this article; you'll leave the room shaking your head in disgust - if you indeed had any thoughts the Constitution isn't merely already a frustrating abstraction for The Lawgivers, you will know it when you finish the article.

posted by: underwhelmed at August 15, 2005 16:41 | link | comments (1) |

Thursday, 11 August 2005

Fun Show Lives Up To Its Name

Finally, a gun show that was enjoyable! The Denver GunBlogger Meetup at the Tanner Gun Show, held at the Merchandise Mart on Sunday, August 7th, was one to remember - new and used friends, new and used guns, and a hearty discussion of the rights and responsibilities of Free Men.

Jed from Freedom Sight, Combs from Combs Spouts Off, Zombyboy from Ressurection Song, Steve from Wadcutter (I didn't catch it the first time when he told me he was "in school" - he's a Certified Genius!) Zig from the Tyrrany Response Team, and easily ten other fellows showed to feel up old steel, stare down inadequate sights from 19th century-designed battle rifles, and prod one another into overspending on our credit cards.

I was not immune to the lures of the Show. I spotted a Nazi-proofmarked, 100%-condition metal, 80% wood K98k with a bore that's as mirror-bright as my new PTR-91 - it was $223. I waved off, but circled the find like a shark eyeballing a downed Navy Airman. It wasn't what I came in there for, I gamely told myself, and I had to be strong.

That's when the trouble started. I had wandered off, but met up again with Jed, Steve, and Zig - and found myself again at the seller's table. Bravely I forced myself to leave; and then Steve showed me his find - a CZ50, which is the old Czech government's version of a Walther PPK in .32 ACP. I exclaimed that I have desperately wanted a CZ52, as it fires such a powerful round that, if you missed your intended target, the fireball from the barrel was sure to ignite him. Steve responded with, "There's some guy selling two, but he wants $200 for each gun. However, there's another at this table over here... and it's only $159!"

My will was broken. I could not resist this last push - it's almost like offering a recovering alchoholic "just one... to steady your nerves."

Here's my new baby:

MMM. 1950's Commie goodness. I love the angular lines, the über-clever design, and the roller-lock action. It's a total oddball.

Go here to find out more about this unique gun.

I still can't get that Kraut rifle out of my head, either. Can my credit card take the pounding?

posted by: underwhelmed at August 11, 2005 16:37 | link | comments (4) |

Saturday, 06 August 2005

They're Just Hard-Working People, Lookng For A Job

There's no problem with the illegal importation of workers into these United States, and we're winning the War On Drugs:

"EAGLE COUNTY - Police arrested nine people Wednesday and are searching for four others who are believed to be selling cocaine.

The Eagle County Drug Task Force underwent a three-month undercover investigation, including multiple purchases of cocaine, before the arrests were made, according to a statement from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office.

Arrested Wednesday were Sergio Miguel Nunez, 23, of Avon; Salvador Escalera, 19, of Avon; Cosme Rodriguez Ruiz, 26, of Avon; Carlos Humberto Rodriguez, 27, of Avon; Carlos Omar Salasar Mondosa, 24, of Avon; Anthony Ray Smith, 19, of Eagle; Enrique Itduralde, 23, of Gypsum; Victor Fernandez, 20, of Edwards; and a 17-year-old juvenile male from Edwards. Each suspect has been charged with multiple counts of possessing and selling cocaine. Both crimes are felonies.

Bond was set at $20,000 for each suspect. All are believed to be illegal immigrants, and federal officials have placed an immigration hold on them.

Police are still looking for Orlando Tena, 30, of Edwards; Manolo Osomio Ruelas, 44 of Avon; Gilberto Varela Hernandez, 20, of Avon; and Javier Gutierrez, 33, of Edwards.

Anyone with information about the case, or about drug dealing in Eagle County may make an anonymous report by calling the task force at 328-8500 or Eagle County Crime Stoppers at 328-7007. Anyone leaving a tip may be eligible to receive $1,000. "

Nii-iice. It seems that the illegal trade in both humans and pharmacological contraband are some kind of a challenge to the law-givers. Whooda thunkit? But wait - I thought that illegal aliens are just hardworking people, "doing the jobs that even Blacks won't do?"

Resolution? Guard the borders and MAKE THE DRUGS LEGAL FOR THE IDIOTS THAT WANT TO POISON THEMSELVES.

Really, it's not rocket science. Any 14 year old who 1. Speaks English or Spanish with reasonable competency and was 2. Paying attention in Mrs. Addleson's 9th grade History Class last week will understand that: a.) We're being invaded and we're too stoopid to realize it and 2.) The "War On Drugs" will be as equally effective as the Vietnam Conflict was in preventing Pol-Pot from spreading Communism and murdering 3 million of his countrymen unless we fight to win, or quit.

We should quit the War On Drugs (the profits from contraband drugs fuels our enemies and degrades our abilites to fight a valid "war," the War on Terror, where we are fighting a measurable threat to domestic American security) and simply guard our borders against invasion from the south by removing the incentives to come to America. Let's start with subsidies - should any Mexican citizen be permitted any subsidy before any American citizen? Should we give free healthcare, child education, citizenship, or defacto rights to foreign nationals that couldn't care a whit if America lives or dies, when Americans are in need? Should we fight a "War On Drugs" or a "War On Terror" where both drugs AND terror can cross our borders by SIMPLY WALKING?

Here - lemmie answer that for ya - NO.

Hat-tip to the previous un-named commenter, who identified this story from the Vail Daily News.

posted by: underwhelmed at August 06, 2005 19:54 | link | comments (3) |

Friday, 05 August 2005

Rocky Mountain Blogger Bash 4.5

Coming to a town near me - insobriety! Fortunately, I understand the dynamics of drinknin' and drivin', a small detail which has passed completely over the heads of the four idiots who have struck my car while inebriated, so I will be sober. Perhaps I'll take a cab and not have to worry about insobriety...

Anyway, it's the 20th, and I get to see my ol' compadres again.

Here's the link.

posted by: underwhelmed at August 05, 2005 20:48 | link | comments (2) |

Thursday, 04 August 2005

BloggerShoot #2

Well, as was promised decades ago, I got with Jed of FreedomSight and we put some lead downrange. I have visual evidence below.

Many Bothan spies died to bring us this information. ;-)

Jed with his SKS:

More SKS shooting:

with my Garand:

Another:

Me with the Garand:

One more, I'm making a goofy expression:

Fun was had by all. Many cans of peas and beans were brutally sacrificed for our enjoyment; and we plan on doing it again with the inimitable Richard G. Combs of Combs Spouts Off on Saturday, Then, we have the great Colorado Gun Bloggers Meetup on Sunday, August 7th at 1230 at the Denver Merchandise Mart, where we will be attending a gun show and will likely purchase massive quantities of ammo and gun parts. Fun, I am assured, will be had by all.

P.S. Don't tell my wife!

posted by: underwhelmed at August 04, 2005 21:25 | link | comments (1) |

Monday, 01 August 2005

Zetas Back In The News... AGAIN

Remember my earlier posts about the Zetas? These men, U.S.- trained Mexican commandos that have defected to the employ of the drug lords of Nuevo Laredo, are killing hundreds of people - just as predicted.

I had quoted a TV news station's story about the subject, and now the Washington Times has brought the story to the forefront:

"Since Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year, there have been 196 assaults on Border Patrol agents in the Tucson sector, including 24 shootings. During the same period last year, 92 assaults were reported, with five shootings. The sector is the busiest alien- and drug-trafficking corridor in the country."

Keep your eyes open for these jokers if you live in Texas. They're apparently some pretty tough customers, but I guess we'll be OK since the Republican Party tells us that they're just hard-working people looking for a job.

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