Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Link: Recalling the Tragic History of Gun Control

Murderers with poisonous ideologies have taken the lives of innocents once again. And the response is the same as it always is: Politicians turn to the proven solution of creating yet more felonies to criminalize law-abiding gun owners. . . .



Read this article by Stephen P. Holbrook at The American Spectator HERE.

h/t David Hardy

Friday, August 23, 2019

Link: Handgun carry permit class lesson more than guns

Dickson Detective (Galesi 6) 25 ACP - EXCELLENT  Guns
Dickson Detective 25 photo credit GunsAmerica
Lindsay McReynolds, Managing Editor at the Cookeville Herald-Citizen recently wrote an interesting editorial piece on guns.

This may be different from what you would expect.

Read McReynolds's description of her venture HERE.






She concludes with the hope of everyone who carries a defensive firearm, "And while I hope I never have to use it in a situation where someone is trying to harm me or someone I care about, I'm grateful to know more about another tool I can use to defend myself."

NOTE:  From the context of the article, I believe she shot a different gun while taking the class. The Dickson Detective pictured here is similar to one she owns, a hand-me-down from her grandmother.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Ballistic wampum: buy now

Money has historically been a medium of exchange and store of value. Hard currencies, such as gold and silver have been used for centuries as money. Paper money has been substituted for gold and silver in times past. Paper can be more convenient and is easily transportable. Paper Silver Certificates, for example were issued until 1963, when they were replaced with Federal Reserve Notes, which have no backing except for the “full faith and credit” of the issuing (US) government.

Wampum was a currency used by North American Indians made of beads of polished shells.
The late Jeff Cooper in his book Fireworks (limited supply), discusses the abstract concept of money, and the good faith necessary for a currency to have value. In Chapter 20, Ballistic Wampum, he states,  
"A trustworthy entity (king, nation, company, bank) which promises to redeem its paper in gold, on demand, can issue pretty good money. Obviously when an untrustworthy entity does not so promise, what it issues as "money" has no value at all apart from a sort of social momentum."
These words, published in 1980, are as true today as then. Cooper, at that time noted a commodity conspicuously lacking from lists of things to stock in case of a disaster. He, of course, was speaking of ammunition. As he states, it is more valuable than paper, and even more valuable than minted coins in the event of a monetary collapse. Cooper says ammunition can be used to shoot to “stock your larder,” and in his unique prose, “keep the ill-disposed off your back.”
But also, ammunition can be used as a medium of exchange and store of value, money. When he wrote this book, a round of 22 long rifle was worth about 3 ½ cents. Today (August 2019), accounting for inflation, it is much less expensive, available for less than 3 cents per round (and free or low cost shipping with some suppliers). “Clearly the 22 long rifle is the big item,” said Cooper, since everybody has a 22. He also advised that you buy some of other calibers.

It may be that supplies of ammo and guns become severely limited as politicians are heating up their rhetoric against guns. Now may be a good time to hedge your bets.
So go buy some ammo, and when you do, buy an extra box or two. Don't buy out the store, though, leave some for your neighbor. Date the ammo, and after you have accumulated enough, rotate you old stock out (shoot it), and replace it with new.
For more info: Jeff Cooper

Monday, July 15, 2019

Marion hammers dissidents

Marion Hammer, former president and ye olde guarde leader, takes dissenters to task at the NRA.

She says, "Those who didn’t get an assignment might want to consider whether or not they want to help us save the Second Amendment or continue on a course detrimental to NRA and our mission. "

Read John Richardson's commentary and Hammer's full diatribe HERE.

I will comment only on the statement quoted above. The way it is written as an either/or statement implies that if you are not with them, you do not support the 2A.

To the contrary, I want to restore the 2A as originally intended. Not retreat while feigning victory.

No red flag laws
No more bans
Yes national reciprocity

Marion, NRA will change. Either self directed, or imposed from outside.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

FSNB Bank changes gun policy



When we moved to Cookeville, TN, we decided to open an account locally. One option was the FSNB branch located in Walmart. But, there was a problem. FSNB was posted. We decided to bank with another local bank.










Each time I walked by the FSNB in Walmart there was that sign, so I decided to write to FSNB about their ban-

Thursday, June 06, 2019

John Davis, Chairman of the board, President, and CEO, FSNB Bank

Dear Mr. Davis:

I recently saw your sign at the FSNB branch in the Walmart in Cookeville, TN. That sign prevents honest, permitted citizens from doing business with you. Many of us do business with Walmart each day. We (permitted citizens) have, at significant personal expense, gone through training, had criminal background checks done, and been issued a permit by our respective states.
I would hope that you will reconsider this policy. If you keep your properties posted, I hope that you are providing armed security. If not, you are placing your customers and employees at a greater risk, for by posting, you are notifying the criminal element that there are probably not any armed citizens in your bank branch. You thus create a risk-free workplace for the armed felon.

There is a lesson to learned from the attacks in schools,  government buildings, etc. The lesson is that felons will be happy to see your signs if they decide to target your branch. The odds will be in their favor.

Again, I urge you to reconsider this policy. I would like to be able to tell all my friends and readers that they are welcome at your bank.

Respectfully,

Liston Matthews
Cookeville, TN


Here is the positive response I got the next day from Mr. James Cerrone of FSNB:

Mr. Matthews,
Shortly we will be removing the sign and following Walmart’s lead.  Bottom-line we will comply with whatever standard they require since we are inside the WM.   Thanks for your input.


. . . And Here is a photo taken today, Thursday, June 13. Note the absence of the NO FIREARMS sign.

Thanks so much to the folks at FSNB for this very good change in policy.