Gun Free Zone

B.L.U.F.
Brady’s amici curiae is extremely weak, replaying old, disproved arguments.
(900 words)

It gets tiring reading the same old arguments from the state, state actors, and state supporters.

Heller tells us that if the plain text of the Second Amendment is implicated by the proposed conduct, then it is the burden of the state to prove a history and tradition of analogous regulations.

I propose this simple test to see if the plaint text is implicated: If Everytown, Brady, or Giffords files an amici brief, then the proposed conduct implicates the Second Amendment.

After Bruen we saw the standard infringers jumping in. The state with their sycophants tossed every regulation that they could find that might, possibly, support their argument for civilian disarmament. We’ve seen 1000s of pages of electronic ink spilled telling us the horrors of guns and how this particular infringement requires a nuanced view of history and tradition.
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On the RHLSTP podcast, director Rob Reiner revealed that the upcoming ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ sequel will include appearances by Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Garth Brooks. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer will all reprise their roles in the fictional metal band, who will be the subject of another documentary from Reiner’s filmmaker character Marty DiBergi 40 years later. Production begins in February.

Paul McCartney, Elton John, & Garth Brooks Will Appear In ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Sequel (stereogum.com)

If they offer that T shirt, they will sell a boatload of them. I will want it for sure.

This is several days old, but barely got mentioned:

Gov. Bill Lee has announced that he will not ask state lawmakers to pass an extreme risk protection order during the upcoming legislative session. That proposal would have allowed a judge to temporarily prevent people found to be a danger to themselves or others from possessing firearms.

Tennessee governor gives up on push for extreme risk protection order | WPLN News
That does not mean Red Flag bills will not be brought back by the Libs in the Legislature, but they no longer have the “moral” support of the Governor’s bully pulpit.

Of course, that does not mean the Republicans are going to pass any significant Pro Gun legislation, but what is new, right?

If we could just start by eliminating posted locations, it would mean a great deal for the community.  They tried something last year, but it was a dumb convoluted bill that did not make sense.

I just contributed and signed on to lay a wreath at Stones River National Battlefield on December 16.

The missus and I attended last year, and it was a moving and satisfying experience.

If you want to sponsor a wreath (or several), you can click here [Wreaths Across America] where you can also sign in to be part of the ceremony if you choose so.

There was a stabbing in a high school in North Carolina.

Student, 15, killed by younger peer in caught-on-camera brawl at North Carolina high school

A 15-year-old student was fatally knifed by a 14-year-old classmate on Monday during a wild, caught-on-camera brawl inside a North Carolina high school.

The melee inside the gym at Southeast Raleigh High School also landed a second student, 16, in the hospital with a non-life-threatening stab wound, according to local reports.

The teen accused of stabbing two of his peers was arrested and charged with murder on a juvenile petition, WRAL reported, citing authorities.

Part of the fight caught on camera shows two students face to face before a youngster in a black jacket throws a punch at a student in a red jacket, who responds with his own punch.

Sherelle McLaughlin told WRAL that her son, who is the alleged stabber, was only defending himself.

The video became publicly available.

“Footage shows the moment a mass brawl broke out at a #NorthCarolina high school, leaving one student dead and another in hospital.” pic.twitter.com/Ktv1sSM4CQ

— The Daily Sneed™ (@Tr00peRR) November 28, 2023

I have to say, I agree with the mom.  This looks like self defense to me.

The kid was backing away from the kid in the blue hoodie, when the kid in the blue hoodie threw a punch.

The kid retreated and was followed.

He was thrown to the ground where he was stomped on and kicked by a mob.

He then stabs his attackers and runs away.

Getting knocked down and stomped on is often a death sentence.

This kid stabbing his way out of getting his head kicked in.

I think he was justified in using lethal force against a potentially lethal attack.

When he was down, he stabbed his attackers in what what available to him.

I’m going to assume he hit the femoral artery on the kid he stabbed in the thigh.

The kid in the blue hoodie looks like he got stabbed in the asshole a bunch.

Good.

I agree with the title “Reaffirming the State of Israel’s Right to Exist” and much of the language, but I’m voting No on the resolution because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Antisemitism is deplorable, but expanding it to include criticism of Israel is not helpful. pic.twitter.com/YWBDKDCGZB

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 29, 2023

Once again, Massie is the only Republican to vote with the Squad 100% of the time on the topic of Israel.

His excuses are becoming more bullshit at each iteration.

Nothing in this billsays disagreement with the Israeli government is antisemitism.

It affirms that denying Isreal’s right to exist is antisemitism.

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. Six times isn’t Libertarian principles, it’s Jew-hatred.

I’m getting really fucking tired of his shtick where he votes no on something that takes a moral stance and costs no money, and then acts like he’s smarter and more principled than everyone else because he’s above the fray.

It’s peak Libertarian bullshit.

This!

OldNFO added this as a comment on one of my posts.

It used to be said that what separates us from the animals is our ability to use tools. They no longer say that, as there are some animals that do use tools, it is still a good differentiator.

It is all well and good to have a tool, but if you don’t know how to use it, it is just about worthless.

My mother gave me a reproduction “coffee grinder” many years ago. It was based on a brass coffee grinder from the area of Turkey. It is a brass cylinder about 10 inches tall, 2 inches in diameter. There is a crank on the top with a grind adjustment nut.

The reason it is a reproduction is that they didn’t have coffee bean burrs but instead pepper burrs. At the time, most people either had expensive coffee grinders or electric grinders. Almost nobody was grinding coffee manually.

On the other hand, it was, and is, a beautiful pepper grinder. For the last 20 years ago, it was forced into service as a coffee grinder. About 15 years ago, it was taken out of service because we had some superb manual coffee grinders.

All of which takes us to Thanksgiving. I make a wild rice, sausage, and Cognac soaked raisin dressing. It needed some pepper. We have a nice pepper grinder for the table, but it is slow to use. I had cleaned the “coffee grinder” a year or so ago.

It was time to put the tool back in production. I did, it worked perfectly. The family was informed that it was ready to use.

The next day, my wife went to make breakfast and grabbed the “pepper grinder” and cranked. The pepper doesn’t come out because there is a catch cup in place.

She can’t figure out how to take the catch cup off. She ends up using the black pepper from a can.

She didn’t know how to use the tool.

I’m willing to bet that each and every one of us have tools we don’t know how to use. There is only one way to know that you know how to use a tool. That is, to use it for the purpose for which it is intended.

I have a suture kit. I don’t know how to use. I could learn. That tool isn’t for me, it is for properly trained medical personnel that don’t have gear.

There is a MIG wielder in the shop, as AvE says, “a grinder and paint makes me the wielder I ain’t”. I should run beads for a few hours, but I never take the time to do so.

I have an internal threading tool I’ve never used. I really should, just to prove to myself I can cut internal threads.

Please take the time to put some tool you own that you don’t know how to use (well enough) in the comments. Maybe take a moment to decide to learn how to use some tool.

It is always better to know how to use something and not need to do so, than to need to know how to do something and having to learn when time is tight/short.