Due Process

The America-hating American president posed the question:
"What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semi-automatic weapon?"

I will tell you: Innocent until proven guilty.

If they are a suspect then they have not been proven to be bad.  If the evidence exists for said people to be arrested - then do so.
After a terrorist has been proven guilty, strip of his guns, his finances, his citizenship and dignity.

But not before.

Quebec Grave Dancing Day

The infamous killer, Marc Lepine was born Gamil Gharbi on October 26, 1964 in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Algerian immigrant Rachid Liass Gharbi and Canadian nurse Monique Lepine. His father, who was a mutual funds salesman, was travelling in the Caribbean at the time of his son's birth. During his absence, Monique Lépine discovered evidence that her husband had been having an affair. Gharbi [father] was a non-practicing Muslim, and Monique Lépine a former Catholic nun who had rejected organized religion after she left the convent.  Gharbi, by all accounts, was an angry man who's father left when he was 7.  This is what triggered his name change to Marc Lepine.  Most described Gharbi as a non-practicing Muslim but the cultural dislike of women must of made an impact.

As a person whose life was filled with failures he soon snapped and blamed femininism and women for his lack of success.  He made plans to go into Ecole Polytechnique and kill as many women as possible.
He started by modifying his gun, a Ruger Mini-14.  He wanted it to be fully-automatic but such a task is not for the average person; it is difficult and requires an advanced understanding of firearms.  He ended up breaking his gun so instead of being semi-automatic it became a bolt action; that is, every time he fired, he needed to manually cycle the action before he could fire again.  The whole argument that semi-autos are too dangerous is invalidated by the fact that the worst school shooting in Canadian history was done with a mechanically simple bolt action.

Lepine went in to the school and started shooting with his broken Mini-14, killing many.

Dec 6 is traditionally Quebec grave dancing day.  During grave dancing day, men and firearms owners get blamed for Gharbi's actions.  The coalition for gun control fear mongers and uses the tragedy to push its political objectives.

We insult the memory of the victims when we ignore one basic fact - they wanted someone with a gun to come and stop the killer.

But herein was the main problem; there was a lot of police armed outside the school, they formed a perimeter.  I remind everyone that the police are not obligated to protect you, only to catch those who break the law, after the fact.  They knew there was a dangerous shooter and opted to do the best thing to preserve themselves…. I don’t blame them.

If only one of those women were armed, Gharbi would of not killed as many.  A disarmed society creates a plethora of victims.  Tell me; how many mass shootings take place at a police station?  Where people can shoot back?  If the Supreme Court as well as the actions of the police, prove that the police do not, and will not protect you, who is left to take care of you?  Only you.

We ignore a basic principle of criminology when we allow people to espouse this silly utopian idea that guns are bad and getting rid of them will magically stop problems of violence.  Was violence invented at the same time as gunpowder or was it invented the first time a man picked up a rock with hate in his heart?

Did the Ruger Mini-14 make Gharbi a bad man or was an absent, angry father, culture and a life of failure to blame?

Helmets

I was asked a question today about helmets. I was unsure the requirements of the user so I did some research and wrote back.
After writing I felt that this material might be of use to others....

In the 90's Delta Force conducted operations in Somalia with the equivalent of bicycle helmets. The reasoning was that there is no helmet that will stop an AK round and even a grazing hit would still break your neck. But the threats of urban warfare, debris and melee attacks were still a major concern so they determined that a helmet was still needed; just not a ballistic one. The only ballistic helmet style they had available back then was the standard PASGT and it was considered too bulky for the rapid missions in tight areas and too limiting on hearing.

Later a type of helmet with the ears removed came into existence. It had a similar profile as the Pro-Tec Bike helmets but was made out of kevlar. This is the type that I use. It is not cheap, the "SF Cut" helmet can run from $300-$600 USD. There are airsoft versions of this helmet available but they will not even offer the protection of a bike helmet (and I would probably laugh at you for having one). 

The PASGT is your traditional helmet used by US and Canadian forces.  They can be bought for $100-$300 but I strongly recommend watching for a Canadian style chin strap. Older style American chin straps have a single anchor point which allows the helmet to flip about forward-backwards. The Canadian 4 point chin strap is infinitely better. So if you don't need ballistic protection, go with the Pro-Tec. If you are on a budget go with a surplus PASGT. Do not get any airsoft imitations.

Alberta and the NDP - Predictions for the Future

In Alberta The Taxpayers federation says that when the corporate tax rate was 15% (adjusted for inflation) the average AB produced a little under $500 for general revenue taxation.  Today with a tax rate of 10% the average Albertan produced $1400 in revenue.  A corporate tax increase will LOWER general revenue.  This is not rocket science; decrease the money corporations have to spend on employees and they will get rid of employees.  This is cause and effect that even a 6 year old can understand… yet the average Albertan voter does not.

Come next year when the general revenues are down, the NDP is not going to go against their doctrine and say “ooopps!  High taxes!”  They are going to introduce a PST.  In every province they have held power, their solution is always more taxes.

Lets think about that.  The NDP… the so called champions of the poor and downtrodden will create a PST.

Let’s assume the average Albertan eats $200 in food per month and buys $400 of whatever…gifts for kids, gas, home repairs etc so total of $600 on expenses that can be targeted with the PST consumption tax..  Let’s say that Albertan Y makes 1200 per month and Albertan Z makes 4500 per month.  A 5% PST would decrease income poor Albertan Y savable income by 2.5%.  It would decrease rich Albertan Z’s savable income by 0.6%.  Do you see how heavy taxation hurts the poor working family?

But a PST does not just hurt the poor (which I have proven the NDP don’t care about) it hurts small business and I speak from experience.  If a family has less money they have to buy less.  They can’t go to someone like me and support my business because they struggle to eat.  I in turn don’t make money either and then I stop spending causing the problem to spread.

NDP taxation is a cancer.  Why do you think most people in Alberta come from other provinces?  They have fled their homes like rats from a burning ship where left wing governments chased all the jobs away and made the cost of living so unaffordable with the remaining low paying service jobs.

I sure Hate the 7mm Magnum

My storefront is the gun show.  I must say I really enjoy gun shows.  I meet a lot of interesting people who have a lot of interesting things to say.  Over the years I have come to know a lot of the other vendors.. some by name, some by nickname.  I call them my gun show family.

But gun shows have a downside.  Hunters who own guns in 7mm.

“What do you need that for? “ they will say gesturing to any non-bolt action rifle.  “All I need is my seven millimeter Remington magnum.”  I hear that line (or a derivative of) spoken at nearly every single gun show I have ever attended (with the exception of Grand Prairie in 2014).

No one talks that way about their 30-06 or their .308 or their .243.  There is no other cartridge that makes its user so ignorant, and myopic as the 7mm.

I don’t know what it is.  Why do these people even bother to go to gun shows if all they want to see is row upon row of bolt guns in 7mm?

Green Eggs and Ham

Green eggs and ham is a delightful book about a dog-alien living in a parallel dimension who will not step out of his comfort zone and try something new.  Because he has never eaten green eggs and has no knowledge about them, he has decided that he hates them.  Throughout the book when another dog-alien named Sam tries to get him to try it he continues to refuse and even mocks Sam's speech impediment by calling him "Sam I am" through the book.  In the end, the dog-alien gives in and tries the green eggs and discovers that he likes it.

I was talking to the postal lady months ago and she told me she did not like guns or shooting.
"So you had a bad experience last time you went?" I asked.
"No I have never tried it"
"Then how do you know you do not like it?" Was my sensible reply.
"I am just not interested I it."
"So you don't like it because you have no knowledge or interest in it"

I wish I had thought to recommend the book "Green eggs and ham" to her.

I have never met someone that I had taken shooting who did not have a good time. I think I will have some eggs and ham now.

You Are Raising a Pussy

I was out with my son and he had his toy MP5K. "MP5 goes bang bang bang!" He yelled.
"I shoot bad guys!"

I got into a discussion with a liberal fart sucker who told me her son was not allowed to play guns.

When boys play with guns they are not playing "School Shooting" or "Assassinate the President" they are casting themselves into the heroic role of good guy who goes out and fights evil. In essence they are establishing the mindset of self empowerment, that they have the power to make the world a better place through their efforts.

Parents who do not let their kids play in a way that affirms their ability to do the right thing (standing up for others, being brave in the face of adversity) run the real risk of having a dis-empowered, disenfranchised child with no sense of duty, honor or community.  And those are the children that grow up and play "School Shooting" for real.