Serial numbers on bullets – the new plan to ban guns

So, a day after I published my article on the proposed gun ban by the new Congress, I started to receive messages from readers who had no idea that this was a possibility.  They believed that if it were a real threat, the National Rifle Association would be at the front of the crowd beating the drums and rallying the troops against this travesty.

The NRA’s “top story” on their Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) page is about an absurd idea that for some strange reason is gaining support.  Even more shocking, some of the states where it’s beginning to become popular are states that have concealed carry laws and are considered “gun friendly.”

Ammunition Accountability is a company that states they have the solution to gun crime.  By laser micro-etching a serial number on the base of the projectile that matches with the serial number on the inside of the cartridge it’s fired from, they plan to sell ammunition in boxes with unique codes that can be tracked and recorded by law enforcement.  They admit that they won’t be able to identify “who pulled the trigger” but “will provide law enforcement with a valuable lead and a starting point to quickly begin their investigations.”

They also are pressing legislation which would require an ammunition code database.  The database would hold the barcode of each box of ammunition sold along with the state-issued ID of the person who purchased it.  Where will the mainframe that stores all this personal information be located?  Conveniently, they haven’t answered that question yet.

You might be thinking, “But if the bullet will be able to identify where it came from, wouldn’t that be a good thing?  We could finally catch everyone who uses a gun illegally!”  Wrong!!  That’s what they want you to think because they believe you’ll blindly assume that people who commit crimes with guns purchase their own ammunition at retail outlets like law-abiding gun owners do.  If you own some of the newly serialized ammunition, you won’t be able to reload your own ammo; you won’t be able to share with your friends; and you won’t be able to resell your surplus ammunition as you can now.

Ammunition Accountability has done their homework.  They know that ammunition is most typically sold in boxes of 20 or 50 rounds per box.  They know that there are 12 common handgun and assault weapon calibers — and they’ve not said what they plan to do for those “uncommon” calibers.  They’ve shown that even ammunition as small as .22 caliber and 12-gauge shotgun pellets can be etched and will be required as well to carry the marks.  They also know that it will cost each manufacturer between $300,000 and $500,000 for each etching unit set.  You should know where the money to pay for the cost comes from; and I can guarantee the incoming administration isn’t going to offer a stimulus package to fund it.

So instead of eliminating the firearms themselves, they want to eliminate the ammunition.  If the cost becomes prohibitive and the hassle too great, most consumers won’t bother to buy what they need and will go without.  And if you don’t have ammunition, your firearm becomes either an unwieldy club or an expensive paperweight.

Again I hear those saying, “But you don’t get it!  People will just stock-up on ammunition before any legislation takes effect.  And those who reload their own ammunition and blanks will just keep doing it.  So what’s the problem?”

Well, if you look at the sample legislation proposal, you’ll see where they want “all handgun and assault weapon ammunition manufactured or sold in the state after January 1, 2009, to be coded by the manufacturer” along with a list of calibers required to have the codes.  That’s a little hard to enforce at this date if the individual state hasn’t adopted the proposal yet, but what’s some correction fluid and a date change to those who want to oppress gun owners?

But the biggest part that thwarts the stockpiling and reloading theories above is the next section.  “No later than January 1, 2011, all non-coded ammunition for the calibers listed in this chapter, whether owned by private citizens or retail outlets, must be disposed.”

So….  No more stockpiling currently made ammunition.  No more reloading.  What ammunition company is going to make projectiles and casings with matching codes that some hobbyist could mix up and have non-matching numbers found at a crime scene?  The liability and threat of lawsuits will quickly squash any idea of them catering to those who’ve been reloading for years.

“And while you’re standing in line to turn over your newly contraband ammunition, you must certainly own a firearm that it fits, so why not surrender that to us as well?” the uber-liberals will chant.  Thousands upon thousands of legal gun owners who are tired of the hassle and can no longer afford to buy the ammunition they need will blindly hand them over just to be rid of the hassle, especially if a monetary “reward” is offered as is currently done in many areas today.

So let’s recap:  You’ll only be allowed to purchase the ammunition that has been coded and you’ll be required by the government to surrender all non-coded ammunition, cases, and projectiles.  Criminals who steal guns will be sure to pilfer longer through your personal belongings looking for every last coded round so they’ll be able to pass blame on you since they (well, most anyway) won’t be stupid enough to purchase their own.

You’ll have to ensure that you pick up every shell casing you arrived with at the gun range and hope some unscrupulous person doesn’t pocket one of yours to use in illegal reloading.  Plastic ammunition casings, such as those used in shotguns, can’t be etched so many crimes will be committed with shotguns, for which the desire will increase and more will be stolen.  Yes, the metal bases of the shotgun cartridges can be etched, but for now the individual pellets can’t — but I’m sure they’re working on that as we speak.

It will take up to three weeks to produce the amount of ammunition made daily when the etching system is added.  No imported ammunition will be allowed because it’s not etched — so there goes firing some of your collectible firearms more inexpensively or if no American companies make that caliber.  You’d be required to keep meticulous records if you buy, sell, or loan ammunition even with friends and family members.  Oh, and they quietly tuck in a five cent-per-round tax for good measure.  It’s not only effective when your originally purchase the rounds but if you transfer them as well, which will be properly documented in your paperwork for every individual serial number registered in the official database, right?

Don’t think you’re safe if you’re a black powder enthusiast/re-enactor/hunter.  It’s only small stretch of the imagination to know that if they won’t allow you to make your own projectiles for cartridge ammunition they won’t allow you to cast your own or even purchase black powder itself.  Besides, they’ll write it under environmental legislation because lead is bad for you anyway and get away with it.

So let’s get back to the question of “Where is the NRA?”  It’s my personal belief that because HR 1022 which would ban several types of firearms isn’t a huge media sensation they’ve decided not to worry about it.  And because Ammunition Accountability is working on a grassroots platform and dealing with the states instead of a national audience, The Ammunition Accountability Act isn’t seen as a national threat and, therefore, not something they can raise big wads of cash with yet.  Oh sure, they’re an organization that is there to help gun owners protect their Second Amendment rights — but they’re in it for the money too.  That’s what runs this country.  If we depended on human love and kindness we’d all be in a lot of trouble these days.

The Democrats, Bradys, and other anti-gun organizations are working feverishly to prevent anyone from privately owning any type of firearm.  They prey on the sheep-like quality of the typical citizen to blindly follow whatever the government says and to give up easily.  It’s up to each individual to decide where they stand on this issue.

So this is how democracy dies? Democrats plan new gun bans.

Here we are a week away from the inauguration of the first African-American president.  While this can be either an exciting or upsetting time, depending on your point of view, the Democrats have already leaked their scheme to keep the general populous down and in submission towards the elite, criminal, and, of course, themselves.

Recently posted on the Internet and passed through emails was the proposed gun ban list created by the Democrats in Congress who knew there was no way they could pass it while a Republican sat in the White House.  Now, the radical left sees its opportunity to take guns from law-abiding owners and collectors in the same way that Australia, Great Britain, and Canada have done.  Oh…and their crime rates spiked after legal guns were surrendered to the government, in case you missed that.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this summer after the Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia’s restrictive gun ban:

I think it still allows the District of Columbia to come forward with a a law that’s less pervasive.  I think the court left a lot of room to run in terms of concealed weapons and guns near schools.”

I think we can all agree that guns near schools is a bad idea.  We don’t want our children in danger.  That begins with responsible parents and adults ensuring their guns are secured and that their children are educated in gun safety!  And if she’s grasping at straws to reinstate a law that was clearly struck down by the highest court in the country, you can bet Pelosi is ready to team-up again with Sarah Brady to ensure no private citizen can legally own a firearm within our boundaries.

Notice the emphasison “legally” since most gun crimes are committed with an illegally-owned or stolen firearm….but they don’t want me to tell you that.

As a “bitter, clinger to my guns” type of person, I’m not terribly happy about this.  You would think that the Democrats had learned from past mistakes — losing their majority control during Bill Clinton’s tenure because of the outrage over the assault weapons ban, for example.

Surveys conducted show that between 1.5 and 2.5 million Americans report every year that they have used a firearm for defensive purposes and that 1-in-6 believe that it saved their life.

With the proposal that the Democrats have leaked, the U.S. Attorney General would have the power to add “any semiautomatic rifle or shotgun originally designed for military or law enforcement use, or a firearm based on the design of such a firearm, that is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, as determined by the Attorney General.”  Wow — they’re just vague enough to encompass every type of firearm ever designed!  And remember, President-elect Obama’s pick for Attorney General is Eric Holder.  He wrote a brief in the Supreme Court case supporting the position that private citizens have no right to own a working firearm in their home.

If you’d like to read the entire proposed bill (HR 1022, 110th Congress) you can find it here.  Oh, sure, many will point out Section 4, the “grandfather provision” to those who legally own or collect these firearms.  However, if memory serves me correctly, she once said she’d have every gun turned-in and no one would privately own a firearm if she could find a way to make it legal.

What happens to veterans’ organizations and reenacting societies if they can’t legally own firearms?  I don’t think funeral services or historical tributes will have the same panache as guys stand around saying, “Bang! Bang!”

What happens when the rogue military member or police officer, who is allowed to have a weapon in their possession by the nature of their career, decides to commit an illegal act with that firearm?  The citizen being threatened would have no recourse to defend himself.  And don’t even try to tell me that military and law enforcement personnel wouldn’t commit a crime like that….read your local news for examples.

Criminals will have weapons regardless of what laws and restrictions the Democrats propose.  They don’t care about laws; that’s why they’re criminals.  Law-abiding citizens will have no way to defend themselves if their Second Amendment rights are infringed.  And don’t suggest that they should call the police to let them deal with it — in December, St. Louis Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe told his constituents to acquire guns and learn how to use them because the city’s police can’t protect them.  Ever wonder why it’s got one of the highest crime rates in the nation?

Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.  The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” (1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334)

Oh, I’m misinterpreting that you say?  How about this one….

Adolf Hitler said, “The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered Eastern peoples to have arms.  History teaches that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so.” (April 11, 1942)

Am I advocating the overthrow of the government?  Hell, no….don’t be stupid.  But even Mao Tse-tung in 1938 said, “Every Communist must grasp the truth, ‘Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.’”  That’s why they’re not allowed to own any.  However, I strongly believe that my right to legally own and use a firearm has prevented me in the past from becoming a victim instead of being able to be here to excercise my First Amendment rights.

String him up! Babysitter uses child in porn film.

This is almost too disgusting for words!!  A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to using a child in a porn film after answering an online ad for babysitting services.

Aaron J. Lemon admitted this past Wednesday to producing the video.  Police state that this scumbag used Craigslist to answer a legitimate ad requesting a babysitter and coerced a 2-year-old girl into explicit acts.  He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.

That’s all??  A predator like this faces only up to 30 years??

This is part of what really, really disgusts me about people.  This man explicity used an online resource to seek out a victim who couldn’t possibly begin to give any type of consent, much less the fact that it’s completely illegal!  Not to mention absolutely disgusting.  Many predators try to excuse their actions because they say the victim “told them it was okay” and understood what was happening or they “wanted it to happen.”  But to seek out a 2-year-old???

String him up!  And you can guess which part I’d like the rope around….  Our children need to be protected from perverts like this.  Many, many thanks go out to the police and U.S. Attorney’s office who stated that Lemon was caught through a project that encourages agencies to investigate sexual exploitation of children over the Internet.

This is a time where my usual rant of parental responsibility and ensuring your children are safe isn’t warranted.  The parents hired a babysitter on the premise that he was going to actually do his job, not molest their child.  Maybe they could have requested more references and/or background checks.  And maybe they did and this guy passed them all.  The bottom line is he sought-out his victim.  He is the one who filmed it.  And he is the one responsible for all of this.  We need more people making sure these sickos don’t harm any more kids.

McOops! McDonald’s omits Western Sahara from Happy Meal maps

Whoops!  Another McMess for McDonald’s to clean up!

This time, Happy Meal toys in Morocco have the borders incorrectly drawn in Rabat.  Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco in 1975 and sparked a war with the Polisario Front.  The battle raged on until a UN-brokered cease fire took effect in 1991.  As if things weren’t already tense enough there….

A joint Moroccan-Sahara association filed the complaint.  McDonald’s has stated that they plan to replace the toys and regret the mistake.

Here’s an idea for them:  You’re a multi-billion-dollar corporation — how about hiring at least one person who can proofread!

Kids ask Santa for economic help this year

In an earlier blog post this week, I mentioned how hard it is for people this year at Christmas because of the economy.  And just as I said would happen, children are asking Santa for help.

Joe Jackson, a Santa in Columbia, SC, said this:

You see things behind the beard that nobody else will ever see or hear. I’ve had children just literally tear my heart out.

Parents are helping their children through tough times by trying to keep traditions alive.  Many know that their children desperately want the latest and greatest toy from Santa this year and that it just won’t happen.  Sadly, many don’t realize that the kids know this as well regardless of how much Mom and Dad try to hide it.

Children this year aren’t asking for as many toys as before, the article says.  They’re asking for warm clothes and personal care items — things most people would be offended to receive as a present.  In days gone by when people were happy to receive simple homemade presents, a pair of socks or a hastily-knitted scarf was the highlight of someone’s holiday.  Now, if it doesn’t have a memory card or isn’t the latest model of something they already have, people don’t want it.  To many, if you can’t prove you spent a quarter of your annual salary on their present then you’d be better off not buying anything at all.

Civic organizations are scrambling to help families provide a simple Christmas for children this year.  With more families signing-up for services and less people donating money, it’s going to be thin all around.

Having to cancel Christmas breaks the hearts of parents everywhere.  And it’s not only Christian families that are hurting this year.  Those who celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and no specific holiday at all are also in need.  It’s not just during the winter non-denominational holiday season that people need assistance.

Is shopping worth your life? Wal-Mart employee killed during Black Friday store rampage

Just how much is your life worth?  Shoppers at a Long Island, NY, Wal-Mart felt that anyone standing in their way was worth less than saving a few dollars.

A clerk at the store was trampled after the crowd broke the doors off the hinges.  A pregnant woman has been taken to hospital for observation and may have lost her unborn child.  Many others sustained injuries from the riot and the store had to be closed.

The Bentonville, AR, headquarters stated the store had to be closed for a “medical emergency” but has yet to confirm or deny the rampage by its customers.

So, are your kids just that spoiled that you’ll threaten the life of another person for a stupid toy?  Are you that greedy that you can’t wait until the store opens to plunk down money you can’t afford to spend on an HD TV?  And have we all become so blind to the plight of others that people will actually step on others in pursuit of material goods that no one notices someone has been hurt until it’s too late?

What does that say about the state of the world today?  True, people want to continue their holiday traditions and provide presents for family members but can’t afford to spend as much as years past.  We’re all out looking for a way to save some money.  But instead of living within the means they have now, there are many who find the after-Thanksgiving sales as the only way to appease their spoiled children, guilty conscience, or greedy desires.  Every year we hear about someone getting hurt in a shopping rush.  Every year we hear people complain about how they overspent on holiday gifts because “it was on sale” or “they just had to have it.”

So how much is your life worth?  I’d like to think we could all agree it’s worth more than anything that comes wrapped with a bow.

Citi too big to fail? Fed employees owe them money, too.

There are tons of news articles and blogs out there about how Citibank is too large to fail.  President Bush said it yesterday.  The new economic team being brought together by President-elect Obama seems to agree.  Does anyone know why?  Here’s some food for thought….

Most of it has to do with consumer spending and the crashing economy.  But it’s not all because of main street spending or the irresponsible banks.

A close friend of mine works with a government disaster agency.  They recently were told that their government travel cards for hotel and travel expenses only were going to change from Citi to JP Morgan Chase.  Everyone who was eligible by their employment and credit ratings to receive a new card got one almost a month ago.

Remember when Hurricane Katrina hit?  Remember when everyone was screaming for people to show up and help in New Orleans?  And remember when FEMA recruited people off the streets to fill those positions?  In that article it mentions that the lady couldn’t get her government travel card — something required by all employees in order to be able to work.

Many of those people were given credit cards to use for “travel only” that were issued from Citi.  Just in April of 2008 the Department of Homeland Security had to accept the Government Credit Card Abuse Act of 2007 that requires actions to be taken against employees who misuse card.  Many were fired because the credit cards could be used anywhere and these temporary “surge” employees bought computers, leather handbags, jewelry, and “entertainment” with their cards.  They weren’t supposed to, of course, but the checks-and-balances of reviewing all purchases never happened.  Many who were fired, as well as many who were not, never paid-back the money they owed.  So who owes it now?

You may be thinking, so what if they changed from Citi to JP Morgan?  Well, the government is still responsible for clearing those accounts with Citi.  Also, my friend told me that he got a memo stating that JP Morgan isn’t ready to take over the accounts yet and that government employees will need to continue to use their Citi cards into 2009.

So of course the government thinks Citi is too big to fail!  If the government itself is depending on that credit to keep itself going, then it absolutely would believe it’s important to save it.  I haven’t been able to figure out where the money is going to come from to pay the old bad debts.  I’d be willing to be they don’t get a dime out of the people who charged the bills in the first place.  That leaves it falling back on the taxpayers, of course.  We’re already bailing out everyone else.  What’s one more bailout at our expense?

Do the punishments fit the crime? Youths and bad behavior…

What the hell is up with kids these days?  Is there nothing they’ll do for attention?  And are the punishments adults mete out appropriate for the offenses?  Shouldn’t we be a little more creative?

In Stuart, FL, a student was arrested for “passing gas.”  The 13-year-old had been accused of continually disrupting classes by intentionally breaking wind and then turning off computers other students were using.  He was released to his mother after being charged with disruption of a school function. 

Arrested??  Seriously??  What ever happened to in-school suspension?  Or how about some good old-fashioned corporal punishment?  Oh…that’s right…the U.S. has been trying to ban it for years even though South Korean schools use it with effective results, though I don’t totally agree with all their methods.

I do really like this video of how a judge in Ft. Lupton, CO, deals with noise ordinance violators.  I don’t really consider myself a fuddy-duddy person, but I can’t stand it when someone drives by with their radio so loud I can feel the beat in my teeth.  How can they stand that?

Judge Paul W. Sacco has gotten tired of parents just paying the fines for their children’s violations of the noise laws.  I can agree with that.  If the parent pays and there are no repercussions directly affecting the violators, then what have they learned?  Absolutely nothing other than “money talks.”  So Judge Sacco has started sentencing them to a one-hour session of music.  Of the music he likes — Barry Manilow and Barney the Dinosaur.  They, among other artists and music genres, are usually not going to be found on the iPods of the offenders.

Now that’s creative punishment!  And is it effective?  I don’t have any statistics on it, but one of the teens said he didn’t think Manilow was all that bad after hearing it.  Hmmm….maybe a Ray Coniff jubilee or Lawrence Welk marathon would be better?

Santa shortage in Germany? What about kindness everywhere?

In these trying financial times, people are losing their jobs and life savings in the worldwide economic crisis.  Some are hoping to simply put a little food on the table or perhaps have one item for Father Christmas to leave in a stocking hung by the chimney with care.  For the Germans, they can’t find enough people to be Santa.

No, they’re not talking about “being Santa” as in showing charity and helping those less fortunate.  They’re looking for more than a few good men willing to put on a red suit and have snotty children scream in terror when placed on their lap.  A lot of people aren’t willing to go through that torture.  Maybe they’ve read this book!

Santas in Germany can make 60 euros per hour.  That’s about $75 per hour!!  In one thought, I think it’s way too much.  I would love to have a job that paid like that.  However, upon reflection, with the hazard pay you would need to provide to get some people to just consider being the jolly ol’ elf, it’s about right.  I mean…look at the working conditions!  You’ve got kids who are terrified of you.  You’ve also got overbearing parents who believe their little angels are entitled to whatever their sweetums begs for and are looking for the perfect photo to put in their Christmas letters that no one ever reads.

Then you have the parents who shyly stand on the sidelines and weep quietly to themselves because they know there’s no way they could possibly provide even one of the smallest items their kids are whispering into Santa’s ear.  Or the kids who sit on your knee and tell you they just want Mommy or Daddy to come home again, or stop drinking, or visit them from Heaven.

The Germans say that they’re actively recruiting Santas because people want to cling to their traditions to get through trying times.  I can see that.  Telling a child they can’t talk to Santa this year because no one can afford Christmas would bring tears to anyone’s eyes.

But do we really need a Santa on every street corner?  What about taking some of that salary and donating it to organizations that will ensure children can simply have a small present under the tree?  Or using it to help provide food for those who are in need and might go hungry this holiday season, regardless of whether it’s Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or even a non-religious celebration?

It’s supposed to be the happiest time of the year.  For many, even sugarplums won’t be dancing in their heads because the suffering of the real world has finally hit home.  What a shock to many it is to have gone from granting any wish their heart desired to wishing someone else had a heart large enough to help.