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.

Pumpkin Carving...With a Glock

Rest assured this is not how they carve up the pumpkins at Democratic fundraisers. They probably use knives.

Pansies!



Gotta hand it to the guy - that is one nasty scowl.

But I've seen scarier.

Via Viral Footage. Cross-posted here.

Great News! The Left Finally Love the Police

Sadly, it took the murder of three Pittsburgh police officers today, but the left has finally embraced the brave men and women of law enforcement today with an outpouring of affection and respect.

Oh wait, no they haven't. In fact, they haven't uttered a word about respecting the police or showing sympathy for the families of those killed by some nutcase.

Instead, they're blaming this on, um, Glenn Beck.

Funny, but when four police officers were murdered in Oakland a couple of weeks ago, I don't recall anyone blaming it on liberals, Air America or MSNBC.

Funny how that works.

Let's take a sampling from the fever swamps today, shall we?

At Balloon Juice, John Cole offers this subtle analysis, calling it Glenn Beck's America. I suppose when those four cops were murdered in Oakland we should have called it what, Jesse Jackson's America? Barack Obama's America? Ron Dellums' America?

Please, someone enlighten me.

Also piling on Glenn Beck is the very unstable John Amato, who also blames the NRA.

Again, we've had thousands of police officers murdered in the line of duty the past several decades, the overwhelming majority killed in urban areas. So I guess the kneejerk reaction to all of those homicides should be to blame it on failed liberal policies in cities controlled by Democrats, correct? Hey, if you want to play that game, let's assign blame for every murder to the killer's party affiliation and ideology, OK? You folks really want to go down that road?

By all means then, it's game on.

Meanwhile, there's a call for the right to lower the temperature a bit.

Funny, but for eight years of the Bush presidency, I don't recall similar pleas for the left to dial it down.

While I'm not one who ascribes to paranoid fears of an "Obama gun grab" or the notion that we'll wake up tomorrow without a Second Amendment, I can understand the fears of gun owners who've had to continue the vociferous fight to maintain gun rights over the years. Considering there are over 50 million gun owners out there in America today who did not commit a crime with their weapons, I believe reflexive reactions to pin the blame on a talk show host or to even suggest today's tragic events in Pittsburgh can be assigned to a political party are disingenuous at best and rather disgusting.

But if those on the left want to play that game, then by all means every time a police officer is murdered then we can play along.

As always, as someone with many relatives in law enforcement and who has seen friends killed in the line of duty, I express my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those killed in Pittsburgh today. Maybe those on the left who are pointing the finger at Glenn Beck can find the time to also pass along their sympathies.

If they actually have any.

Update: Apparently it's all our fault.

In the comments, a vicious far-left blogger, who apparently is also a racist, says we "own this". He apparently has a very short memory, especially from that time when he suggested shooting another blogger.

Classy guy, that T-Bag.

Thanks to Curt at Flopping Aces for the link. Image of the fallen officers added.

More on the perp here.

Records indicate that Mr. Poplawski was dishonorably discharged from the corps during basic training. Friends said he wanted out so he could rejoin his girlfriend.

When that relationship failed, Mr. Poplawski moved for two years to Florida where he worked as a glazier, helping to asemble and replace windows. He returned here in 2006 or 2007.

Mr. Poplawski collaborated with Mr. Perkovic on an Internet show that featured clips --- sometimes from local news broadcasts, other times video from around the town --- where they discussed politics.

Mr. Poplawski lived with his mother and grandmother in Stanton Heights. Friends said his parents had split years ago and that his father "was totally out of the picture."

Using the left's logic, we can now also blame the Marines, women, his mother and his grandmother, in addition to Glenn Beck. Of course we have no knowledge he's ever watched or listened to Glenn Beck, but why disrupt a good narrative?

Gun Sales Continue to Surge in December

Well, there's at least one sector of the economy doing very well.

Despite a weak economy, gun sales are continuing to increase amid concerns that incoming lawmakers will institute a new gun ban on law-abiding Americans. Data derived from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) shows a 24 percent increase in firearm purchaser background checks for the month of December 2008 (1,523,426 checks) over December 2007 (1,230,525 checks). This increase follows a 42 percent rise in NICS checks for the preceding month, the highest number of checks in NICS history. FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. These checks serve as a strong indicator of actual sales.

A recent poll of hunters and target shooters by Southwick Associates Inc., in which 80 percent of respondents said they expect it will become more difficult to purchase firearms under the incoming administration and congress, explains the increase in sales.

"Sales of firearms, in particular handguns and semi-automatic hunting and target rifles, are fast outpacing inventory," said NSSF President and CEO Stephen L. Sanetti. "It's clear that many people are concerned about possible gun bans under the incoming Congress and are reacting accordingly."

Fear of Democrats Helps Boost Economy

Through increased gun sales.

Go figure.

Austin-area firearms dealers may have the Democrats to thank for brisk sales this summer.

The prospect that the next presidential administration might favor new gun-control laws has gun enthusiasts bringing dollars and concerns to local firearms stores ahead of the November election.

Some Central Texans have been talking about laws from the 1990s — passed under a Democratic president and Congress — that restricted semiautomatic rifles, governed the sale of high-capacity magazines and mandated waiting periods before customers could receive handguns. Their worries have translated into higher sales at local gun stores, store owners say.

"I don't care if it's the iPod, the market wants what it thinks is limited and restricted," said Alice Tripp, legislative director of the Texas State Rifle Association. "If it's something you've been thinking about owning, you're going to go to some trouble, some expense to get it while it's still out there."

Before the 1994 federal assault weapons ban took effect, buyers sought to purchase the rifles and magazines that would soon be illegal to buy in stores, leading to limited supply and higher prices, Tripp said.

This summer, sales at McBride's Guns in Austin are 10 percent higher, compared with the same time last year, said store owner Joe McBride.

"Our regular client base is very concerned about anti-gun legislation if the wrong people get elected," McBride said, adding "what they see as the wrong people."

H/T DanThePainter.

Clinging to his Guns and Bible

I ran across this picture and just had to share it for all the Obama followers out there. Here is a man clinging to his guns and Bible from 1978. The full explanation of this picture can be found here.

Did I mention I have a radio show too?

Morning coffee break updates

Women and their guns. Whats not to like?

Good news from Iraq. A senior aide to Mookie, Muqtada al-Sadr, has been killed. Sadr best make Iran his new residence.

More evidence that the Dems are experts at making the wrong choice.

Well this all FUBAR.

Wedding announcement from Saudi Arabia.

HAIL, 11 April 2008 — In a move that some people think is a really good idea, a 10-year-old-boy married his 11-year-old first cousin in the village of Al-Ashqar, according to yesterday’s Al-Jazirah newspaper. The boy told the paper that he was thankful that God allowed him the privilege of being able to please his parents by fulfilling their wish to see their boy get married.

For those interested this is a nifty way of getting news from around the country. The Fox affiliates web sites all begin with MyFox and then a location. I have found out that visiting local news sites is a much better way of getting the news then relying on the big boys, who only repeat each others news stories and only push a select few headlines of their choosing. Use the search phrase myfox.

We're Locked and Loaded

Can't say for sure whether their stats are legit, but according to a new study out of Switzerland, the United States is the most heavily armed country on the planet.

Which I have no problem with. Though you're sure to see the quivering left whining about being "awash" in guns and basically badmouthing gun owners.

Charles Schumer will probably trip over his own ego running to the nearest camera calling for more gun control.

U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people

GENEVA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.

U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.

About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said.

"There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people," it said.

India had the world's second-largest civilian gun arsenal, with an estimated 46 million firearms outside law enforcement and the military, though this represented just four guns per 100 people there. China, ranked third with 40 million privately held guns, had 3 firearms per 100 people.

Germany, France, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil and Russia were next in the ranking of country's overall civilian gun arsenals.

On a per-capita basis, Yemen had the second most heavily armed citizenry behind the United States, with 61 guns per 100 people, followed by Finland with 56, Switzerland with 46, Iraq with 39 and Serbia with 38.

France, Canada, Sweden, Austria and Germany were next, each with about 30 guns per 100 people, while many poorer countries often associated with violence ranked much lower. Nigeria, for instance, had just one gun per 100 people.

"Firearms are very unevenly distributed around the world. The image we have of certain regions such as Africa or Latin America being awash with weapons -- these images are certainly misleading," Small Arms Survey director Keith Krause said.

"Weapons ownership may be correlated with rising levels of wealth, and that means we need to think about future demand in parts of the world where economic growth is giving people larger disposable income," he told a Geneva news conference.

Great news for gun manufacturers.

NJ Steps Up, Vows Crackdown on Illegals

Well, it's about time.

After the brutal murders of three Newark college students recently, New Jersey had decided to come down hard on illegals.

No, not illegal aliens, silly.

GOV. CORZINE, MAYOR BOOKER AND AG MILGRAM FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE

Mayor Cory A. Booker, Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Attorney General Anne Milgram were joined today by other mayors and elected officials to announce several legislative and policy measures to fight gun trafficking and gun violence in the City of Newark.

The four-point plan will be rolled out over the next three months and will allow the city to better police the guns within its borders and recognize the footprints of trafficking trends in the state.

“The recent events in our city only serve to highlight what we have known for some time; the guns that kill Newarkers are manufactured or sold within the borders of our state,” said Mayor Booker. “The problems with gun violence start long before the shot the kills someone is fired. Those that stand with me today understand the responsibility to protect all of New Jersey’s citizens. The creation of a broad Newark strategy that employs tools other than traditional policing strategies is necessary to tackle this problem.”

“We will aggressively prosecute and investigate those who use illegal guns in our state, but will also have another challenge - to stop people from using these weapons in the first place,” Gov. Corzine said.

Not a peep about illegal aliens who rape 5-year-olds and are then let out on bail by liberal judges appointed by Democrats.

More feel-good pap that does nothing to address the larger issues. These liberal politicans don't have the guts to go after the alien criminals. It's much easier to pay lip service and pretend you're tough by going after gun manufacturers.

Gun-free Delusions

Tracy W. Price makes a powerful argument against calls for more anti-gun legislation.

The phrase "gun-free zone" is the ultimate delusion. A more accurate expression would be "defenseless zone." Like most mass murderers, the Virginia shooter was smart enough to choose victims who could not fight back. The Virginia Tech "defenseless zone" policy that made bringing a gun on campus an expellable offense was like a neon welcome sign to him, offering very high probability that he could achieve a high body count. The threat of expulsion or firing was effective in preventing law-abiding students and faculty from bringing a gun to school to defend themselves, but it did not deter the perpetrator. That's the insanity of gun-control laws; the only ones who abide by them are the law-abiding citizens.

Well-intentioned people argue that we should restrict access to guns. However, scientific research has consistently shown that restrictions on gun purchases and carriage cause large increases in violent crimes like rape, murder and multiple-victim public shootings.

Read it all. Information like this won't be found on the evening news.

Webb Aide Busted on Gun Rap

Since Webb is a Democrat, this will blow over quickly. Just like the Macaca story.

WASHINGTON (AP) - An aide to Sen. Jim Webb was arrested Monday when he entered a Senate office building with a loaded pistol, Capitol Police said.

Spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said the aide was charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possessing an unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition.

The office of Webb, D-Va., identified the aide as Phillip Thompson and said he was "a former Marine, a long-term friend and trusted employee of the senator."

"To our knowledge, this incident was an oversight," the office said in a statement.

See, just an oversight. Let's move on.

My question is, does Webb have a permit for that rug on his head?

Also at Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Riehl World View, Wizbang!