Second Amendment Bits And Pieces - Honk Honk Edition

The clown show of 2022 continues. The Honkening up north, progressives thinking America’s frontier is on the Dnepr, and various sundry goings on. It’s pretty chaotic out there, but the usual litany of forces have been making their moves for and against the Second Amendment while most have been distracted by the circus…

Despite the chaos and portents that aybe we should be giving our AR-15s a little extra TLC, there’s good news…

Alabama On Track For Constitutional Carry

Finally, it seems those Second Amendment Radicals who can make moves at the government level are taking a page from the enemy playbook, i.e. getting things passed at the state and local level. While noncompliance with regards to unjust laws is a moral duty, having your rights recognized in a body of law is preferable, of course. So it’s rather nice to have things like Constitutional Carry codified into law.

Along those lines, the Alabama House voted 65-37 to pass House Bill 272, which further restores the right to keep and bear arms in the state by enacting Constitutional Carry and doing away with the age-old racially-motivated carry permit scheme.

This marks the first time that constitutional carry has passed the Alabama House. It will now move on to the Alabama Senate, which has passed similar legislation before, and the GOP majority has signaled it will ratify a companion bill authored by State Senator Gerald Allen.

For reference, in a bicameral legislature, in order for bills to reach the desk of the executive, both chambers have to draw up similar legislation. Complicated, yes, but it does sometimes prevent bad laws reaching the desk of the governor or President.

So, if all goes well, a reconciled Constitutional Carry bill will reach Governor Kay Ivey’s desk soon, where it is likely she will sign it. The odds are good, since last year she signed into law a “lifetime concealed carry permit” scheme, doing away with the concept of renewing a carry permit.

Again, even though Constitutional Carry does away with the requirement for a carry permit, this doesn’t mean you should just strap on a GLOCK and go about your business in the world. You should definitely seek out training above and beyond the basics. Besides, training with a firearm is fun!

Remington’s Insurers Pay Out In Court

In more sobering news, the insurance companies responsible for the leftover remnants of the classic Remington entity reached a settlement on February 15th with several families whose children were victims of a mentally-defective young man in the notorious Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012.

Since the aggressor cowardly took his own life in the process, the legal actions focused on diverse other routes, including (surprisingly) that Bushmaster (Remington owned them at the time…) used marketing imagery and copy that ran afoul of statutes in Connecticut that apparently restricted the content of advertising.

Since Remington as we knew it is no more, the case of Soto vs Bushmaster et al fell to the insurance companies for the defunct Remington entity to handle. Insurance companies are risk-averse as insurance only really works if the payouts are rare and infrequent. The devil is in the details, as they say.

In the end, the insurers chose to collectively pay out $73 million dollars to the plaintiffs. Of course, money won’t bring back the dead. The children of Sandy Hook cannot be resurrected, even if a hundred times that amount were to be paid out. The parents’ grief will still remain the same. Ironically, most of the money will be gobbled up by the federal government and the government of Connecticut since it counts as income, and of course notorious scold, pettifogger, and shyster Josh Koskoff will receive a rather nice chunk for services rendered.

Now, a settlement is not an admission of guilt. In essence, the money is basically a “If I pay you will you shut up and go away?” move. However, the anti-2A movement in this country senses the resurrection of an opportunity.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, firearms manufacturers were being sued by the families of shooting victims and gun control groups. The tactic was the same as if a victim of a DUI sued Ford because the drunk driver drove an F150. Now any sensible court would dismiss the case, but in order to dismiss, court proceedings must happen, which costs money for all involved. Most firearms companies don’t have much in the way of discretionary income, so one or two lawsuits could sink them, even though they are innocent of any wrongdoing. So, in 2005, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) was ratified, which provided a legal shield to firearms manufacturers so they couldn’t be sued just because a violent attacker used their product.

In a rare case where a law helps, PLCAA deflected and continues to deflect lawsuits against gun companies. So, the anti-2A groups in our nation scanned and probed for another angle of attack. And they found one in the text of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. Attorney Koskoff alleged that Bushmaster’s advertising, which supposedly promoted that the firearm was suitable for killing.

If one views Bushmaster’s advertising, there’s an appeal to the utility and reliability of the XM-15E2 AR-pattern rifle, and the promotion of duty to self, family, and country - themes that resonate with the target market of people looking for a reliable firearm for defense of self, family, and property.

Nowhere does their advertising copy even suggest the weapons are to be used for offensive violence. There’s no firearms ad, anywhere, that says “Buy this and kill a bunch of people, easily!”. To be blunt, such an ad would run afoul of even the First Amendment, as it would be a direct incitement to offensive violence.

Toeing-the-line copy could be - “Kill Home Invaders With The Bushmaster XM-15E2”. While that mode of speech is legal, since it describes a legal use of the firearm, it’d most certainly draw the ire of gun control groups and invariably result in similar lawsuits. Thus, there isn’t anything even close to that in Bushmaster’s advertising copy.

Sidebar: I’m not a graphic artist by any means. I take way better photos ;) - but anyway, the phrase Ultima Ratio Populi means “The Last Argument Of The People” in Latin. A firearm is truly the last argument of a free person. Armed, we can say “no” to those who would seek to use force against us. And by “no”, I mean everything up to and including utilizing that firearm in defense. Using a firearm in defense of self or those you care about is morally correct, no matter what the law says. Using the phrase in advertising copy appeals to something any good person can get behind. If someone wants to make a court case out of it, they are truly repugnant and indecent.

Anyway…

Even before this madness of jurisprudence, firearms companies have always played it safe with their ad material and copy. They will allude to themes and values, rather than direct descriptions of use cases. Outside of the firearms industry this is common practice as well. Booze companies don’t say - “It’ll get you drunk!”, but instead allude to parties, bars, nightclubs, etc - things that drunk people do.

Unfortunately though - it does cost money and time to defend against this sort of thing, and in the end, the settlement was reached. No admission of guilt, but to attorneys like Koskoff and hostile government entities, that doesn’t matter.

Expect more and more lawsuits of this nature, where the goal won’t be for the plaintiffs to win, but to force a settlement.

It’s a chilling effect on not only the Second Amendment, but the First Amendment as well. Easier said than done, but the firearms industry should pool their resources and stand up to these frivolous grifters and ghoulish anti-2A fiends. Truth be told, it may come to the point where playing hardball is required, i.e. going on the legal and reputational offensive against attorneys like Koskoff and anti-2A groups. Sling mud, jam up their systems with garbage, fight dirty. The courts are no longer fair and we have to fight to win.

Why Ukraine Matters

Well, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, things finally came to a head in the Russia vs Ukraine debacle. Putin’s forces swept into the country this past Wednesday evening, ostensibly to secure the peace of ethnic Russians living in disputed territories and lay claim to ancestral lands, but in reality targeting the nation for it’s natural resources and industrial base, among other things.

Ukraine is fighting the good fight, with the fervor and motivation of those people who are protecting their homes and families. From the Ghost of Kyiv to the Snake Island defenders, they’ve actually done a helluva job considering the Russian Bear is definitely awake.

However, the regular Ukraine forces are small in number, and Russia is attacking on multiple fronts. So, in a last-ditch attempt to bolster the odds, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decreed that the nation’s military arsenals were opent to all residents, and they would be provided with rifles and other weapons so they could defend themselves and their neighborhoods.

Yes, your average Ukrainian resident is being issued a uncrippled, fully-automatic AK variant of some sort, at the bare minimum. Belatedly, Zelenskyy realized that the right to keep and bear arms is to defend against all threats, foreign and domestic. Trained or not, Ukrainians now have a leg up against the rampaging Russian hordes bearing down on their cities and towns.

As an aside, the Ukrainians are hedging their bets, in that the war may shift from a conventional one, to a long-term guerrila affair. Zelenskyy may come to the barganing table and strike a deal with Putin, but now there’s tens of thousands of armed Ukrainians, who have no specific motivation to lay down their arms. Russia as an occupying force is going to have some problems.

This should serve as a wake-up call to the coddled and sheltered nations of Western Europe, and those of us here in the United States who look askance at the right to keep and bear arms. For the Europeans, there isn’t much stopping Putin if he decides to redline the Red Army and push west. Surely, there’s American and allied forces in the way, but a combination of ‘rona overreactions and low morale have reduced the effectiveness of those forces. The Russians were preparing for a fight, while our military was standing down because of Pepe the Frog memes and the January 6th witch-hunt. While those in harms way will fight a valiant fight, I’m sadly concerned it won’t be a cock-sure rout by NATO forces against the Putin menace. And the resident population of Western Europe, not knowing major warfare for over 80 years, is woefully unprepared. In a similar vein a significant minority of Americans are unarmed, even willingly, thinking it can’t happen here.

Well, it can. While oceans do separate us from the red menace of China, and the rampaging Russians, there’s other methods by which force can be applied to the American homeland. Attacks on our electronic infrastructure could destabilize the relative domestic peace of our nation. With services, both essential and non-essential, disrupted, some people would be liable to commit acts of violence out of desperation and opportunity. And speaking of opportunists, our own government, as was so plainly evident during the ‘rona pandemic, would use the situation to further enact restrictions on the population, in the name of an “emergency”.

An armed population of citizens can say “no”, and have a fighting chance. If for some reason you are reading this and not armed, you should make haste to rectify that situation. While prices still trend a little high, the inventory is there, especially compared to this time last year. You can sort yourself out with a solid defensive rifle, ammunition, and training. Don’t wait until it’s too late, and you’re having to scramble. The right to keep and bear arms is to secure your life against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Ukraine is realizing it, and they don’t even have anything resembling a Second Amendment or a “gun culture”. In the US, we have no such excuse.

Ukraine matters since the situation shows the importance of armed citizens.

Why Canada Matters

On the flipside, the trucker protests in Canada seem to be coming to a close. For weeks, Canadian truckers against the mandatory vaccinaton policies pushed against their profession by the Trudeau regime, took to the streets of Ottawa and peacefully blockaded the Downtown zone for weeks. For reference, most Canadian Federal buildings are located in that area. Trudeau, who was at his residence at the time (The Canadian Prime Minister has his office in a separate building) fled for his version of Camp David due to the protests.

Eventually, the threat of lethal force had to be employed to push back against the protestors. Heavily-armed Ottawa police and extremely well-equipped Royal Canadian Mounted Police showed up, and forced the bulk of the protestors to leave, or face arrest, and by implication, death. Injuries were reported even as Canadian forces broke up groups using less-lethal means and tactics.

You don’t pull up armed to a group of unarmed protestors unless you plan on maybe having to use those guns.

That being said, it’s shaping up to be a “draw” in Canada right now. Provincial premiers have rescinded vaccine mandates on truckers, and some have brazenly even lifted most of the general COVID restrictions. However, the Canadian government has engaged in a backhanded war agains it’s own subjects. Those who donated money or services to the truckers are being subject to increased scrutiny, with some having their accounts frozen. Unfortunately the GiveSendGo system being used for donations was hacked, probably at the behest of Trudeau, and the data became public. Trudeau, using emergency powers granted to him by Canadian law, ordered this move as retribution. As Canadian banks exist at the pleasure of the Crown, they had no choice but to comply.

This is all very interesting, but you might be asking: “Regular Guy, that’s Canada, not the US - who cares what the hosers do?”

Well, sure. But let’s look at it from above.

To start, with a few variations, most of Canada and Canadian culture closely resembles the US. Sure, there’s strange obsessions like mayo on French Fries, Timbits, Don Cherry, and poutine, but overall, the Canadian cultural landscape is a close analog to ours. One could be blindfolded, dropped on Yonge Street in Toronto, and your first impression would be that you were dropped into an American city. Same brands, language, music, and other cultural markers. You’d only realize you were in Canada once you glanced at some road signs or dialed in on the “oot and aboot”. Sorry Canadians, but it’s true.

Secondly, their municipal, provincial (state), and federal law enforcement agencies are equipped to the same level as American agencies. They work off of our playbook too. Other than the leaf flag on their shoulders, a Canadian cop looks and acts just like an American cop.

So, the Canadian law enforcement response can be viewed as a sort of free-preview version of what the American law enforcement response would be to a mass protest, one of which is potentially descending on the National Mall this Tuesday as the Biden regime holds it’s State Of The Union address. To be fair, COVID restrictions in the US have mostly been lifted or are being ignored, but there’s still a cadre of truckers heading to DC.

Anyway, keeping on topic, the Canadian response is worth studying. Law enforcment will show up armed to the teeth. Law enforcement, after due time, will attempt to break up the protest. Arrests will be made, and in the case of the regime being put on blast directly, participants will find their lives under a microscope. The nitty gritty tactics of kettling, isolating, and using less-lethal devices will be employed. Movements will be the same.

Obviously the wildcard, of course, is guns. Down here in the USA, we’re armed. Some protests invariably have an overt or covert armed component, and the police plan appropriately. One has the absolute right to protest under arms, though in some cases it may not be lawful. FYI - being armed at a protest on the National Mall is very much illegal. You do you, but just know you’re likely to be arrested or injured/killed in the proceedings if you bring a gun to a DC protest. Law and morality rarely cross paths, but those are the breaks.

Anyway, despite the armed citizen component of a similar American protest, the overall broad strokes on both sides of the Canadian protest are worth the analysis.

Asshole Of The Month - Abby Broyles Of Oklahoma

One of the challenges of these monthly wrap-ups is finding someone to be the Asshole Of The Month. Not that there’s a lack of them, but that there’s so many of them. It seems to be a job requirement that one must be a sociopath or at least a higher pay-grade asshole to be a mover and shaker in the “gun control movement”.

They all run off the same playbook of death threats, insinuations of retribution, and other sundry moves, so it’s really difficult for one specific asshole to stand out every month. However, there’s a few things that can push your garden-variety “gun sense” asshole over the top into the Winner’s Circle, and that’s being mean and nasty to children.

So, without further ado, the February 2022 Asshole Of The Month is none other than Ms Abby Broyles of Oklahoma. Yes, suprisingly there’s gun control supporters in Oklahoma. Weird, huh?

On paper, Ms Abby seems to be a carbon copy of every generic white woman that the gun control movement trots out for PR purposes. Generic professional background, shows up to a few AstroTurf-ed gun control events, and mouths the right words from the Everytown playbook. Abby checks the boxes for your prototyical “gun sense” harridan.

But, as first reported by the amazing crew over at Mom At Arms, Abby Broyles checks off a few boxes of Franzia, drug abuse, and racism, leading to her intoxicant-fueled tirade at a girls’ pre-teen sleepover this past Valentine’s Day Weekend. I’ll let MAA describe it in detail:

A Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives in Oklahoma allegedly swore at tween girls and puked on a child’s shoes during a slumber party where she got drunk, according to parents speaking out after the bizarre sleepover.

Abby Broyles, who is running against Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice in Oklahoma’s fifth congressional district, allegedly berated some of the 12- and 13-year-old children attending the gathering over the Valentine’s Day weekend.

According to multiple accounts of the evening, Broyles cursed at the children, calling several girls “Hispanic fucker,” “acne fucker,” and “judgy fucker.”

At one point during the night, an intoxicated Broyles vomited into a laundry basket and onto one of the girl’s shoes, the parents of the kids are now alleging.

In vino veritas, I guess.

But wow, just wow. Par for the course for the prime movers in the gun control movement is an even mix of racism, alcohol abuse, and drug addiction. It’s no surprise that Abby Broyles is a drunk and a drug addict. However, since most gun control lies rest on the “for the children” trope, it’s actually a little shocking that she chose to unload, in more ways than one, on a group of children. Listen, it’s a pretty brash world out there, and our kids look to us for reassurance. Even pre-teens and early teens seeing an adult in that state shatters that reassurance.

It’s one thing to be a prime mover in the gun control movement. That’s an automatic induction into the Asshole Army. However, if you bring children into the mix as Abby Broyles has done, that’s an instant bump from Private Asshole to Major Asshole.

Abby Broyles, come on down - you’re the Regular Guy Guns Asshole Of The Month for February 2022. Your prize includes being eternally mocked and scorned throughout the land, with occasional dashes of denigration.

Abby - you really took the cake here - and apparently threw it up on the floor. Enjoy - asshole!

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