Utah Adopts Official State Firearm

Don't worry, they're not making ownership mandatory. Let's give it time.

Until this week, Utah had 24 state symbols, from tree (the blue spruce) to insect (the honeybee) to even cooking pot (the Dutch oven).

Now it's added an official state firearm -- the John M. Browning-designed M1911 pistol, becoming the first state in the nation to have one, according to the state legislator who sponsored the law.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed the new symbol into law this week.

State Rep. Carl Wimmer, a Republican who was a police officer and SWAT team commander, came up with the idea for a state firearm last year after hearing about how Pennsylvania lawmakers wanted to make the Pennsylvania long rifle its official state firearm, Wimmer told CNN on Friday.

That measure eventually failed, he said.

Wimmer selected the semi-automatic M1911 because gun maker Browning was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, and was the son of Utah pioneers who crossed the plains in the 1800s, Wimmer said.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of when the U.S. military chose the M1911 to be its standard-issue sidearm for all branches of service, Wimmer said. That's how the pistol got its name: "M" for military and 1911 for the year that the military began issuing the gun to all its servicemen and women, Wimmer said.

In a state more known for its strong Mormon traditions and breathtaking national parks, the creation of an official state firearm raised controversy, especially when the measure was pursued even after January's mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that killed six persons and wounded 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The bill was introduced just before the horrific shootings, Wimmer said.

"People say the timing is terrible, and I admit the timing is terrible," Wimmer said. "We have a part-time legislature in Utah, and we are only in session for 45 days. Certainly meaning no disrespect to the tragedy in Arizona, we moved forward in doing this because it's the only opportunity that we had."

Other critics have said the new state symbol implicitly condones gun violence.

If anything, it means self protection to me. Maybe some day the left will realize that.

ARGGGGH!!! Republican Pressures Obama To Investigate BCS

Well I guess congratulations are due to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Looks like all of the heavy lifting is done in Washington now and he can turn his attention to the really important things in life like pressuring Obama to open an investigation in the BCS (Bowl Championship Series).

Hatch asked the president to launch a Justice Department investigation into the way the BCS — a complex system of computer rankings and polls that often draws criticism — crowns its national champion.

Ahh remember the good 'ol days when it was just a subjective call based on the AP, UPI and coaches polls? Never was any dispute back then was there? Why it seems like only yesterday my precious Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-0-1) had to share the National Title with the Colorado Buffalos (11-1-1). That was in 1990.
Mr Hatch's beloved University of Utah got bypassed last year in spite of having an unbeaten record. Not like that has ever happened before.
And I swear to heaven above if anybody mentions anything about it being fair I will absolutely have blood spurt out of my eyes.

Seething Gay Activists Urge Boycott of Black People

Oh, sorry, I meant against the state of Utah. Conveniently omitted from this story is the fact 70% of the black voters in California rejected gay marriage at the ballot Tuesday, but going after the base of the party wouldn't help the cause, so it's time for a diversion. Since these bigots hate Mormons, they make a convenient target.

Nice to see the Washington Post use an angry far-left blogger as a source here.

Utah's growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its aggressive promotion of California's ban on gay marriage.

It could be a heavy price to pay. Tourism brings in $6 billion a year to Utah, with world-class skiing, spectacular red-rock country and the film festival founded by Robert Redford among popular tourist draws.

Gay rights activist John Aravosis, whose well-trafficked AmericaBlog.com is urging the boycott, is unapologetic about targeting Utah rather than California, where voters defined marriage in the state Constitution as a heterosexual act.

Utah, Aravosis said, "is a hate state," and on this issue, "at a fundamental level, the Utah Mormons crossed the line. . . . They just took marriage away from 20,000 couples and made their children bastards. You don't do that and get away with it."

Typical leftist intimidation tactics. When the little babies don't get their way, they flip out, make threats and blackmail an entire state.

Meanwhile, one of the dumbest people on the planet said California voters were too stupid to understand what they were doing. She has a point. They did vote for her.

Thanks to Gateway Pundit for the link.