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Would Founders be ‘horrified’ by today’s firearms technology?

 Reposted Examiner column    June 13, 2011 Gun Rights Examiner       Submit reddit Print Email Report “Triple-barrelled cannon found in Croatian fort is 'machine gun' forerunner designed by Leonardo Da Vinci,” the UK’s Mail Online reports . “The cannon was discovered in a Croatian fort, but only now has it been confirmed it was designed more than 500 years ago by the artist and inventor,” we are told.  “He was the first to invent a breech-loading machine gun with several cannons in rotation which meant soldiers could be firing one, loading another and cooling the third.” The report includes a sketch from 1480. OK, cool history.  And yeah, da Vinci was one of the greatest geniuses from history.  But what has this to do with the right of the people to keep and bear arms? One of the arguments the gungrabbers use ad nauseum is that the Founders would not approve of the Second Amendment today because they could never have foreseen technological a...

America.gov AI Stonewalls Just Like the Real Thing

 Record of complete dialog to be cited for an upcoming Firearms News article: America.gov AI Stonewalls Just Like the Real Thing ‘One front door for every single question’: Watch Trump tout A.I. push with launch of America.gov – ‘We’re putting power and control back in the hands of the people’ [ More ] I decided to give it’s invitation “to get simple answers only from official government sources” a try. I used a question raised in my recent AmmoLand article as a starting point. Here’s how it went: Where does ATF get the statutory authority from to limit proliferation of forced reset triggers? ATF administers the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act. Those statutes, not a separate “FRT law,” are what ATF previously used when it treated some forced reset triggers as machineguns. Statutes ATF cited National Firearms Act, 26 U.S.C. §§ 5801–5872 Machinegun definition in the NFA/GCA (a weapon that shoots automatically more than one shot by a single function of the trigger), admin...

Does Bill Cosby agree with Idi Amin henchman that 'brave' Somali pirates 'had no choice'?

  [From my 2009 Gun Rights Examiner article -- internal links may not work] It would seem that, like other predators preferring prey that can't hunt them back, pirates respond rationally to a show of deadly force : An Italian cruise ship carrying armed Israeli security guards successfully averted a hijacking attempt by Somali pirates late Saturday, according to multiple reports. The MSC Melody , which was carrying more than 1,500 people, opened fire on the speed boat when the six men armed with Kalashnikov rifles tried to put a ladder on the bow. Some of us have been saying this would work for some time. I first wrote about in in 2002 for Guns and Ammo magazine. But I went a step further and recommended armed crews, not just special security teams. And it appears some fed-up Somalis are bearing this out: Somali vigilantes captured 12 armed pirates in two boats after regional leaders in the coastal towns of Alula and Bargaal in Somalia’s northern Puntland region told the BBC that...

Dead men tell no tales

  [From my 2009 Gun Rights Examiner article -- internal links may not work] Har! Pirates there still be, and a scurvy, treacherous lot they remain. But forget the United States Senate and its confirmation of Eric Holder for a moment, and set sail with us to the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA, where: [P]rofessor Donna Nincic teaches two courses on piracy. Students learn where the piracy hotspots are and how they have shifted over the years. Shoot, Donna, you don't need a course for that. All you need is a Google News search . So what's an able-bodied seaman to do? Emily Rizzo, a student at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Mass., worked aboard a 760-foot cargo ship last year as part of her training. As the vessel sailed the Malacca Straits in Southeast Asia, she served on "pirate watches," learned to use hoses and took part in drills with alarms indicating the ship had been boarded. Hoses? Wielded by coeds against seasoned armed cutthroa...

Red Teeth the pirate...I mean, environmentalist

 [From my 2009 Gun Rights Examiner article -- internal links may not work] In a crushing blow to environmental and social justice, imperialist foreign mercenaries on the corporate warship Maersk Alabama have opened fire on activist Somali sea stewards. At least that's how a leading local "conservationist" describes things. From The New York Times : “We have been told over the phone today that four of our colleagues were killed and two were injured,” said a Somali pirate boss known as Red Teeth. “We will keep attacking on foreign vessels until illegal fishing and toxic dump is stopped,” he added. Yeah. No justice no peace. And what better way to stop fishing than to attack container ships? Still, you can bet the reported $3.5 million paid to release the crew of the fishing boat Alakrana, which did not possess the means to repel pira...uh... animal rights activists/environmental champions will be heavily invested in future ocean "clean-up" activities. And that t...

SAVE THE DATE: NRA at the Stark County Fair, September 1st–7th

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  David -- SAVE THE DATE and connect with your Ohio NRA-ILA FrontLines Activist Leader (FAL) at this year’s 177th Anniversary Stark County Fair ! The Fair will be held—fittingly, and per usual—at the Stark County Fairgrounds , from Tuesday, September 1st through Monday, September 7th . Make no mistake, this is one Fair you do not want to miss! Drop by and find out how you can get involved in protecting and promoting the Second Amendment in Northeast Ohio! Enjoy complimentary NRA gear and crucial information, plus learn about volunteer opportunities with your Ohio NRA-ILA Grassroots Team. Special NRA Membership discounts for those who want to join or extend their memberships will be available. 2026 will be a massive year, and Northeast Ohio will be ground zero—we need your help and support! And remember, you will be doing these things at the Stark County Fair , a family-friendly community event with something for everyone. If you do not know about the activities and entertainmen...