June 29, 2018 Newsletter by Jeff Pittman

Patriotism

Independence Day is next week. Be independent.

Litigation

The landmark D.C. v. Heller decision by the US Supreme Court turned 10 years old this week. We’re still waiting for the government and lower courts to comply.

Federal Appeals Court Panel Upholds NYC’s Unconstitutional Gravity Knife Arrests – Knife Rights to Seek Rehearing by the Full Court

SCOTUS

This week the longest sitting US Supreme Court Justice, Anthony Kennedy, 81, announced his retirement effective July 31, after over 30 years on the Court. We noted back in April 2017 that Kennedy might retire soon. Kennedy is the unpredictable swing vote on today’s Court, between the Court’s four liberal justices and its four more-liberal justices, making his replacement perhaps the most important one of the Trump presidency and perhaps of several generations. Kennedy gave us the Heller decision, but is by no means conservative.

Mr. Trump noted that when he ran for office, he presented a list of 20 possible Supreme Court nominees and added 5 more names last fall, stating that they are “in the mold” of Gorsuch. He said the successor to Kennedy will come from that list of 25. The linked article contains the list. Mike Lee and Brett Kavanaugh are rumored to be front runners.

Expert observers note that the new justice likely will tilt the Court far enough back toward the Constitution that it may again start accepting Second Amendment cases, which it has scrupulously avoided since the McDonald case was decided eight years ago yesterday, and will probably move Chief Justice John Roberts to the swing vote position.

THIS is why we held our noses and voted for Trump.

“This is truly a generational opportunity to restore the judiciary to the role envisioned by the Constitution.” — Andy Gipson

Legislation

Newly-appointed interim US Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) has introduced S.3135, a bill that would make it illegal for the federal government to help pay for state gun registries. The NRA-backed Gun-owner Registration Information Protection, or GRIP Act, would extend the current prohibition on the use of federal funds for the maintenance of a full or partial gun registry to money allocated to state and tribal governments.

I suspect this will put Smith over the top in the November election for a full term, and further suspect that her introduction of the bill was orchestrated by the NRA for that purpose. Whatever works.

Senator Smith reportedly has an enhanced-carry permit and is a Life member of the NRA.

“A Reasonable Compromise”

• HA! The Illustrated Guide To Liberal Gun Control [Liberty Park Press]
• A repost [The LawDog Files]

Now, let’s start compromising with YOUR cake!

Rambo

A British SAS soldier took on six Taliban members in a tunnel in the dark and killed three Taliban fighters with a hammer after his Glock pistol failed.

FBI Study on Active Killers

Legal guns
Weeks of planning
75% NOT diagnosed mentally ill
Recognizable warning signs, noticed by at least one person
Gun free zones
Acting on an actual or perceived grievance

US Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) Triggers Calls for Trump Aides to Arm Up, Receives Her Own Threats

Legal and gun experts are calling on top Trump aides to get their concealed carry permit and carry a weapon after threats were made in the wake of Waters’ calling on supporters to harass Trump administration workers.

Rep. Waters also said Thursday that she has canceled events in Texas and Alabama after she received “hostile mail” and a “very serious death threat.” No word on why she was going to Texas or Alabama in the first place.

More Guns

The leftists are whining this week over reports that the US now has more guns than people. That’s kinda like complaining that there are more shoes than people. Except guns are cool.

The Only Ones

It turns out that the Air Force machine gun missing from Minot AFB in North Dakota was found at an unidentified airman’s off-base house. MAFB Security forces chief Col. Jason Beers was fired on May 23 “due to a loss of trust and confidence after a series of events under the scope of his leadership, including a recent loss of ammunition and weapons,” but Beers got a new job at Air Force Special Operations Command just a few weeks later.

Shreveport Police Cpl. Marcus Hines remains on duty under an administrative investigation after he accidentally fired his department-issued Glock while “teaching two summer interns about gun safety.” Hines reportedly claimed he removed the magazine and then the round from the chamber before the gun just went off. I doubt it.

An unidentified Stafford County, VA, jail officer accidentally shot himself in the leg at the courthouse this week. That’s the whole report. My educated guess says this is a case of “cop leg” probably from holstering a gun with a finger on the trigger. Why the gun was out of the holster in the first place was not reported.

Six policemen in Mainpuri [India] were injured by bullet and/or floor fragments when their colleague “accidentally” pulled the trigger of his service pistol after it was issued to him from the armory this week.

An unidentified off-duty Chicago police officer was arrested in Rosemont, IL, after reportedly pulling out a pistol during a confrontation outside a suburban bar. Rosemont police said the Chicago officer was attempting to help bouncers escort people from the bar early on June 24 when an argument broke out and the officer drew the handgun and pointed it in front of him before he was disarmed by another patron. The officer was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a firearm and later released on bond.

The entire police force of 28 officers in the town of Ocampo, Mexico has been arrested in connection with the murder of a mayoral candidate.

Rookie East Pittsburgh, PA Police Officer Michael Rosfeld has been charged with one count of criminal homicide in the shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old male who fled a traffic stop on June 19. The officer is white and the deceased teen was black, and some say race is an issue here, though we’ve seen no evidence yet of race being a factor. Our report indicates that Rosfeld had already worked at “several” other police departments over the last seven years. Such job-hopping may indicate a problem, and there are allegations of a problematic history with this officer.

Kingsland, GA, Police Officer Zechariah Presley has been jailed and fired after being charged with voluntary manslaughter and violating his oath of office, after state investigators said he fatally shot a man who was running away from him on foot at a traffic stop on June 21. Presley was hired last year despite admitting that he had physically fought with his wife, had bought or sold marijuana, repeatedly shouted at people, was involved in “2-3” accidents and had been arrested for “reckless, eluding, speeding.” (I wouldn’t hire that guy for ANY job.) Presley also chalked up nine “incidents” during in his year in the police department. Presley is white and the victim was black, and again race is claimed to be a factor. Some of the previous incidents tend to support that allegation.

YOYO

A police/self protection blogger did an informal poll of his 5000+ Fakebook followers last week in which he asked all the police readers to comment on the tactics and security precautions their police agencies were utilizing to specifically combat terrorist vehicle attacks. The single most common response received was “NOTHING.”

You’re on your own.

Maryland

A man with a grudge opened fire in the newsroom of The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, MD yesterday, killing five employees (four dead at the scene) and gravely injuring several others. He reportedly used an evil duck gun that sprays multiple projectiles with each pull of the trigger.

1) I suspect that it is a “gun free” zone.
2) The killer shot through a glass door.
3) The killer apparently stopped and hid under a desk without his gun when armed cops showed up. Meanwhile, employees hid under desks and pleaded for help on social media in hopes that someone else would save them.
4) Police reportedly showed up within ONE minute of the shooting (but 5 people still died).

Then, over in NYC, the NYPD sent officers to guard New York media outlets, which were presumably formerly gun free zones. So I suppose they’re saying send guys with guns to protect the folks who don’t want you or me or your kids’ schools to have armed protection. Because they’re more special-er, you know.

Influx of Democratic Anti-Gun Voters

We have a report that there are nine US Consulates and one US Embassy in Mexico, where non-US citizens can apply for asylum without any risk of being separated from their children, dying in the back of a truck or out in the desert, or arrested by the Border Patrol. But instead, US Democrats encourage dangerous, illegal border crossings for political reasons, now using children as poker chips.

Meanwhile, down on the border…

NRA Membership Sales

NRA is again offering its friends & family referral membership sale, with Annual Memberships priced at $25 (regular $40) and Life at $500 (regular $1500). $500 is mighty cheap for a lifetime of fighting for you in Washington and nationwide.

Ruger also has NRA memberships priced a bit higher than the F&F referral deal.

NRA has announced a dues increase this August.

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(Today’s the day!)

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Products

Thompson Auto-Ordnance (Kahr) now has a 9mm 1911A1 pistol with brown checkered plastic grips, a 5″ barrel and 9-round magazine. $673.

AR with folding stock and folding barrel.

Savage has some Troy Landry Signature Series rimfire rifles with alligator camo.