Articles by Herschel Smith

News from Santa Cruz.

A gun owner himself, Benitez has made rulings that have taken aim at California’s decades-old attempts by lawmakers and voters to toughen gun laws. He deemed the state’s assault-weapon ban — signed into law in 1989 by Republican Gov. George Deukmejian — a “failed experiment.”

California’s assault-weapon ban violates the 2nd Amendment in part because militias could be forced to settle for “less than ideal” weapons rather than the “ideal” AR-15 rifle, Benitez wrote. (“That may not be a severe burden today when the need for the militia is improbable,” he wrote. “One could say the same thing about the improbable need for insurance policies.”)

“That was a new and deeply disturbing line of thinking,” said Ari Freilich, the California policy director for the Giffords Law Center. Benitez, he said, seemed to suggest that the 2nd Amendment protects the right of “average people in a civilian militia to make war against their government.”

“If we take that seriously, then there’s no limiting principle on the types of firearms that people should be allowed to possess, including tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and machine guns,” Freilich said.

New, he says.  Perhaps he could go back in time a bit and recall what the founders did to King George.  And then ponder the fact that the very second amendment he’s calling unserious was written by men who had just made war on their government.

Informed consent.  They know what it means, but the news isn’t so good and they know it, so they just ignored it.  Even back in December of 2020 they knew that Antibody Dependent Enhancement was a thing, and yet they drove ahead.

And this will be the most important watching you’ll do this week.  Yes, I know it starts slowly, and he speaks in a monotone for a while, but this will be mesmerizing, I promise you.  There is nothing at all novel about this virus, and they knew everything about it, and they released a patented “vaccine” for it a mere three days after patent of the virus.

The CDC/NIH made this thing.  It’s their fault.  They did this.  And they are doing the vaccine injuries too.

The Post Millennial.

A large group of Antifa carrying shields and melee weapons attacked a group of Evangelical Christians congregating for a prayer and worship event at the waterfront in downtown Portland, Ore. Video recorded at the scene showed children and families running away as black-clad Antifa militants tore apart the sound equipment and assaulted attendees with pepper spray and projectiles.

The event was announced last month by a Christian ministry featuring firebrand Canadian preacher Artur Pawlowski. The Calgary pastor gained notoriety earlier this year for speaking out against lockdown measures that targeted places of worship. In response to the announcement of the worship event, Portland Antifa groups and activists on Twitter organized a direct action.

Via Michael Yon, Stars and Stripes.

WASHINGTON — The Navy could include service photos in promotion packages again after data suggested minorities are less likely to be selected blindly in some situations by promotion review boards, the service’s chief of personnel said Tuesday.

Diversity among leadership dropped after photos were removed last year from Navy promotion packages, Vice Adm. John Nowell said during a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference.

“I think we should consider reinstating photos in selection boards,” he said. “We look at, for instance, the one-star board over the last five years, and we can show you where, as you look at diversity, it went down with photos removed.”

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper directed all services in July 2020 to eliminate photos from promotion and selection boards to support diversity in the ranks. But Nowell said adding them back could do more to build a more diverse leadership force.

“It’s a meritocracy, we’re only going to pick the best of the best, but we’re very clear with our language to boards that we want them to consider diversity across all areas,” he said. “Therefore … I think having a clear picture just makes it easier.”

This guy is a professional liar.  Anyone who can say a proposition in the first clause of a sentence, and then deny it in the second clause without so much as a flinch or hint of embarrassment, is good at his job, which is lying.

I’ve said it months or even years ago.  If there are any patriots left in the U.S. military, get out.  Actually, it may be too late now.  If you don’t want to deal with this, or don’t choose to take an untested jab for a disease that isn’t all that deadly, or don’t wish to waste your life on an unnecessary war designed to benefit only the corporations and bankers, you may have to settle for a general discharge now.  I’m sorry.  That will haunt you the rest of your life.

I told you long ago to get out.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world laughs.

TTAG.

New gun owners are filling up gun ranges and classrooms to learn to use their firearms. It’s a rebuke of David Chipman’s portrayal of them. Chipman, of course, is President Joe Biden’s nominee for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and he reduced new gun buyers to rubes who are clueless about the responsibilities of gun ownership.

David Chipman mocked first-time gun buyers in 2020, likening them to Joe Exotic, the “Tiger King,” and saying they more closely resemble zombie apocalypse preppers.

During his U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Chipman was drilled about his statements bemoaning new gun owners who, “went out to the gun store and bought a gun with no training whatsoever.” He said they were likely to “hide their guns behind the cans of tuna and beef jerky that you’ve stored in the cabinet, and only bring that out if the zombies start to appear.” When pushed by senators, he sheepishly walked it back.

That’s because he’s a coward who’s afraid to say what he really thinks – and we all know what he really thinks.

But let’s dismiss the stupidity for a moment.  No gun will fit inside a can of tuna or a bag of beef jerky.  It’s a good thing to get training, and to be capable of use of the tool you’ve purchased.  As regular readers know, I’ve recommended range, training, pulling the machine apart to see how it works and to perform maintenance on it, and on and on.

But here’s the problem with all of that.  I don’t really care about stereotypes or especially what Chipman thinks.  So let’s say that some elderly couple did purchase a firearm and stuff it in a bag of jerky.

So what?  It’s their God-given right.  They spent their money on it, it’s there machine to do with as they see fit, and Chipman cannot tell them what to do.

The gun community doesn’t owe Chipman or anyone else an explanation of how we spend our time or whether we’re getting enough range time.

Because.  And that’s the end of that.

I’ve wanted to post this for a while, but just didn’t get around to it.  This is a double burger from Fletcher’s in Gastonia, N.C.  A full pound of beef.  It was awesome.  What a good day.

From several of you, it isn’t good enough that they have to send us their poor – whom they cannot care for because of corruption – and their gangs.  Mexico is saber rattling over guns.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government sued United States gun manufacturers and distributors Wednesday in U.S. federal court, arguing that their negligent and illegal commercial practices have unleashed tremendous bloodshed in Mexico.

The unusual lawsuit was filed in U.S. federal court in Boston. Among those being sued are some of the biggest names in guns, including: Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.; Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.; Beretta U.S.A. Corp.; Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC, and Glock Inc. Another defendant is Interstate Arms, a Boston-area wholesaler that sells guns from all but one of the named manufacturers to dealers around the U.S …

The Mexican government argues that the companies know that their practices contribute to the trafficking of guns to Mexico and facilitate it. Mexico wants compensation for the havoc the guns have wrought in its country.

The Mexican government “brings this action to put an end to the massive damage that the Defendants cause by actively facilitating the unlawful trafficking of their guns to drug cartels and other criminals in Mexico,” the lawsuit said.

It’s not that the police are owned by the cartels.  It’s guns.  Sure thing.

But it may be more than saber rattling if the current administration or some pagan, collectivist judge gets her way.

This sort of thing is bound to increase as time goes by.

Via David Codrea.

News from S.C.

Openly carrying a firearm will be legal in South Carolina starting Aug. 15, and the State Law Enforcement Division is trying to make sure gun owners and law enforcement officers understand this upcoming change.

[ … ]

“Anything as far as protecting our Second Amendment rights, I’m all for any time it comes up,” said state Rep. Cal Forrest, R-Saluda, one of the bill’s early sponsors. “I think what is lost on most people is that it makes South Carolina a Second Amendment sanctuary state.”

Deescalation techniques?  Why would they need to learn about deescalation techniques?  Do they intend to harass open carriers?  In spite of the fact that S.C. isn’t a stop and identify state, and the fact that the open carry bill contains no proviso for being stopped by LEOs while openly carrying, do they intend to making unlawful demands of open carriers?

If so, then there will be problems, and they’ll end up in court.