“When dealing with guns, the citizen acts at his peril.”

This is the second post I’ve given this same title. The previous one also dealt with the state of New Jersey, and referenced an earlier case, State v. Pelleteri from which the quote originated. In that case, an instructor, gun collector and avid shooter was found to be in possession of a Marlin Model 60 tube-fed semi-automatic .22 rimfire rifle with a magazine capacity that exceeded the arbitrary limit of fifteen rounds as established by the New Jersey legislature. That made it an “assault weapon,” and verboten to possess in that “dark and fascist state,” as ex-New Jerseyite GeekWithA.45 has characterized it.

The New Jersey Superior Court proclaimed, as it upheld Mr. Pelleteri’s conviction, “When dealing with guns, the citizen acts at his peril.”

Many residents of the dark and fascist state have learned that lesson since.

The most recent is 72 year-old Gordon Van Gilder, arrested for transporting a pistol without a concealed-carry permit. A 300 year-old flintlock pistol. An unloaded 300 year-old flintlock pistol that not even the BATFE considers a “firearm.”

Someone on Facebook posted the graphic below. I think it needs to be tattooed on the foreheads of every member of the New Jersey legislature and every sitting judge in the New Jersey court system:

 photo flintlock-arrest.jpg
It’s not about guns. It’s about control.

UPDATE:  As of 2/25 the prosecutor in question used “prosecutorial discretion” to drop the case.  So they’re not completely insane there, just close.

THIS Promises to be Interesting

Just got a new follower over at Quora:

Michael J. McFadden

Author, “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains” & “TobakkoNacht — The Antismoking Endgame

Grew up in Brooklyn, lives in Philadelphia. Background in Peace Studies, psychology, physics, basic statistical and propaganda analysis, writing, editing, nonviolence theory/training/organizing, transportation and bicycle activism, social activism in general, conflict resolution/moderation, vocal pest-control (one hour of me singing will clear most houses of all living things), and cultivating cobwebs.

I can see (obviously) massive parallels between the anti-smoking and anti-gun movements, but I have to admit that I wonder if Mr. McFadden has a blind spot when it comes to “non-violence” and guns.

Time will, I suppose, tell.

Dancing in the Blood of the Slain

Why are anti-gunners so…vile?  In a reply at Quora.com to the question “How many Americans own a gun?” one Jay Bazzinotti answered:

I’ve read stats that there are over 300,000,000 firearms in private possession in the US. Essentially, you can find a gun in every other household, and chances are that if you break in any empty house at random, there’s a 50/50 chance you will find a gun, probably in less than five minutes, either under the mattress, in the dresser or in the couch cushions, fully loaded and ready for you to use it to rob a 7/11. Over 500,000 guns are stolen each year — maybe more, since gun owners are loathe to report gun theft. 30,000 people are killed, about 1/2 by suicide, and over 100,000 are wounded by guns every year. I particularly like the gun death in Massachusetts where a Sheriff gave a full-auto Uzi to a 9 year old who pulled the trigger and shot himself in the head — a dozen times. The best part is that the Sheriff got off. So did the dad who brought the kid to the gun club and encouraged him to fire an unfamiliar machine gun. It’s absolutely hilarious to see the NRA nutbags say there is no gun problem in America, especially when they are paying for the defense of “responsible” officials and parents like these two love bugs.

(Bold my emphasis.)

I love the caring he shows for the dead child. The Other Side™ is always so concerned about the children, unless, of course, it’s a child of The Other. Then they can chortle to their heart’s content when one dies. He was talking about this incident in gun-control paradise Massachusetts.  It wouldn’t surprise me if he wanted a copy of the video of the incident so he could … nope – not going there.

When people tell you “nobody wants to take your guns away!” point them at Jay Bazzinotti.

Quote of the Day – Cultural Conflict Edition

In response to this question over at Quora.com:

How many victims of a mass shooting would there have to be before an actual discussion of gun laws would be an appropriate reaction?

Comes this answer I wish I’d written myself:

When the number of gun deaths approaches the number of deaths by abortion, then gun owners will take anti-gun people as seriously as pro-choice people take pro-life people. Which is to say, not much.