The value of a piece of paper

David Codrea at his Examiner column yesterday, briefly listed some of the laws that didn't help a victim of a shooting. A restraining order being one of them. What didn't stop a killer and what did

When our attorney general Tom Miller praised the state senate on Friday:

I am elated that the Senate passed the bill, and passed it by a wide, bipartisan margin.

This law will help prevent women, men and children from being terrorized, maimed and killed by violent domestic abusers. It will only remove guns from domestic abusers.

This is a big victory for public safety, and I strongly urge the House to move quickly to make this the law of Iowa. A.G. Miller: Comment on passage of SF2357

They keep repeating the line that "only domestic abusers will have their guns removed" line. (see Domestic Abuser Gun Bill Reaction)

I'm sure no abuse of this law will ever take place. I trust my government, don't you?

What David writes about and what is apparent to most people is that a piece of paper, a law, does not prevent one event from happening. Never has, never will.

If the women's groups that lobbied in favor of SF2357, could possibly put some effort into making it easier for women to purchase and carry firearms for their protection, maybe a few less abusers would be stalking their victims.

I've been exercising this weekend

Am I training for a marathon? Nope

Trying to shave off those winter pounds? Not really (even though I should).

No, I've been exercising my rights. Among those are:

The freedom to assemble and to be with people of a like mind (as long as they put up with me).

The freedom of speech - to speak my mind without fear of a government crackdown.

The freedom of exchanging money for goods and services that were provided to me. In other words - Capitalism

And most importantly, the freedom to keep and bear arms.

I attended the first day of Hi $ sportman's auction, Feb 27th & 28th and exchanged my wages for firearm related goods. (Bullets and brass).

If I plan on keeping what I can bear, I need to get to work on my reloads.

On Sunday, over 250 firearms are up for auction along with ammunition and a few odds and ends. I hope to come home with a few bargains.

Rep Ryan: "Hiding spending doesn’t reduce spending"

Wisconsin Representative, Paul Ryan takes Obama to task.



It doesn't seem like Mr Happy is enjoying getting schooled.

SPLC: Iowa Rep. King advocates MURDER

Douglas Burns gives us another thoughtful editorial, this time about Iowa Representative Steve King. King has advocated the abolishment of the IRS for years, but Burns takes him to task over these remarks:

ThinkProgress: “Do you think this attack, this terrorist attack, was motivated at all by a lot of the anti-tax rhetoric that’s popular in America right now?”

King: “I think if we’d abolished the IRS back when I first advocated it, he wouldn’t have a target for his airplane. And I’m still for abolishing the IRS. I’ve been for it for 30 years and I’m for a national sales tax. [...] It’s sad the incident in Texas happened, but by the same token, it’s an agency that is unnecessary, and when the day comes when that is over and we abolish the IRS, it’s going to be a happy day for America.” (Found at King Justifies Terrorism)

So in Burn's and this "progressive" web site's eyes, abolishing the IRS is terrorism? Well others share that view:

"What Steve King said is extremely close to an apology for murder,” said Mark Potok, the intelligence project director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups in the United States.

In an interview with the Daily Times Herald, Potok added, “Words have consequences.”

(Oxymoron of the day: intelligence and SPLC)

Rep. King is complicit with a crazed murderer because he wants to get rid of an agency that is responsible for the collection of taxes from hard-working citizens?

Am I missing something here?

Why am I reading this guy's crap?

Hyberbole abounds at: A smirking King justifies domestic terror, murder

SF2357 passes Iowa senate

SF2357 passed the Iowa senate 36 to 11 with my senator in the yea column.

2. A person who is subject to a protective order under 18 U.S.C. { 922(g)(8) or who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under 18 U.S.C. { 922(g)(9) and who knowingly possesses, ships, transports, or receives a firearm, offensive weapon, or ammunition is guilty of a class "D" felony.

Conceivably, one round of ammunition and you're a felon.

"Due Process" died a little today.

I'm sure this will never be abused.

Iowa Gun Owners 2/24/10 Alert

Iowa Gun Owners alert posted at AmmoLand:

Iowa Gun Bill Takes Away Your Guns, Charges You For Doing So & Denies You Due Process, All In One gives us a review of what's in the state senate:

SF2357 An Act relating to prohibiting a person who is the subject of a no=contact order or a protective order or who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing, transferring, or selling firearms and ammunition or offensive weapons and providing penalties.

According to IGO's position the bill could do the following:

If passed this bill would:

•Allow virtually anyone who knows you to apply to the court for a no-contact order – even if no physical contact has ever occurred between the two of you. As condition of this no-contact order you would be required to hand over all of your firearms and ammunition.
•Not require that you even be present at the court hearing. This bill does not even ensure that you have the right to even have legal counsel present or a chance to confront your accusers in a court of law.
•Allow an anti-gun court to decide who is qualified to take possession of your firearms should they decide to take them from you.
•Allow this same court to decide that no one is qualified to take your guns and order the sheriff’s department to seize them, and make you pay the sheriff for the right to lose your guns! Yeah, you get to pay the government $50 per gun that they seize from you!
Declare you a felon, and unable to ever own guns again, if you fail to turn over so much as a single .22 cartridge.

Today 2/24, Sen. Hartsuch has been filing amendments to help soften the blow of the bill. Hopefully this could kill the whole thing.

One part of this bill would prevent a person from selling their guns. So if I was under a protective order, I would be required to turn any guns and ammunition I own in to the local law enforcement agency. I wouldn't be able to sell them for legal expenses? My property cannot be sold? So much for Due Process...

Caliber Wars II: Bawb's Analysis

Bawb posts a second installment in his rifle caliber analysis giving us a glimpse at what might have been:

If there's any 5.56mm fans I have failed to offend, I apologize.

Second best line I've heard so far this week.

Part history lesson, part technical, Bawb describes the intermediary calibers (between .223/5.56mm and 7.62mm)

Since we've established beyond a doubt by now what caliber(s) I don't like and those that I do, I thought we could examine the possibilities of other calibers which might have been or may be. Such rifle calibers perhaps could have pleased most of us, thus stopping the endless 7.62mm vs 5.56mm debate so we can get on with the .45 vs. 9mm cat fight.

Read more at BETTER THAN THE 5.56MM? PLENTY OF GOOD CHOICES.

Since this lowly blog is labeled there in the Friends, acquaintances, and co-conspirators category, I'm going to have to step it up a notch.

Thanks, guys.

Sheriff Runde likes things just as they are

During the gun show in Dubuque, IA this weekend, Dubuque County Sheriff Ken Runde gave a few comments about the gun laws in Iowa to a reporter.

In a display of obfuscation:

"I'm not going to set up the guidelines for them. If they have a good need, and they can explain it to me, I'll support that," he said. Runde rejected 24 percent of applicants last year.

In an effort to show off his Constitutional knowledge:

Runde said he thinks some people might have the right to purchase a gun and the right to carry a concealed gun confused.

To me it seems that he's the one confused about the right to keep and bear arms. That "bearing" equal to "carrying" and all.

12. to carry; bring (from Dictionary.com "bear")

And to show off his elitist attitude:

"Do you want everyone to carry a gun? No. We've got to think about the reality of what's going on here," he said.

The reality is that criminals aren't going to ask his permission to carry, just the law-obeying people.

And the money-quote from someone who has their permit and to hell with everyone else:

Adam Eilers, 22, carries a permit from Clayton County, where the sheriff is known to grant them to most applicants.

"I think it should be the sheriff's discretion, because he can see what kind of person you are, especially if it's a small county," Eilers said.

So it's who know (or who knows you), and you're in like flint.

Read more at: Show fires up 'conceal' debate

Use enough gun

Bawb at Ben and Bawb's Blog has given his analysis of the various battle rifles currently used by our armed forces.

With plenty of snark interspersed with ballistics and a comparison of the calibers used by our forces and our enemies, Bawb.

Yeah but…yeah but…yeah but 5.56mm rounds are smaller, so soldiers can carry a lot more of them, and the various models of M16-series fire bursts or full-auto, so the men can spray ‘n’ pray a whole lot of un-aimed rounds downrange and just suppress the living hell out of the enemy. Well, not according to a British Royal Marine veteran of Afghanistan: “The Taliban ignore 5.56 mm, are worried by 7.62 mm and fear 12.7 mm rounds.”

Read more at Use Enough Gun

Iowa gun shows for March 2010

Mar 5-7 Des Moines, Iowa State Fairgrounds
Mar 5-7 McGregor, McGregor's Landing Event Center
Mar 6-7 Jefferson, Greene County Fairgrounds
Mar 6-7 Marshalltown, Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum
Mar 12-14 Clarinda, Page County Fairgrounds
Mar 12-14 Davenport, Mississippi valley Fairgrounds
Mar 19-21 Iowa City, Sharpless Auction Center
Mar 19-21 Marshalltown, Marshall County Fairgrounds (Added, 3/13/10)
Mar 20-21 Greenfield, Adair County Fairgrounds
Mar 20-21 Lakeview, American Legion Bldg
Mar 20-21 Mason City, National Guard of Iowa Armory
Mar 26-28 Cedar Rapids, Hawkeye Downs
Mar 27-28 Le Mars, Plymouth County Fairgrounds

*** I get this list from the link below and other searches and I can't guarantee the accuracy of the list. If anyone notices a show that needs to be corrected, please let me know in the comments.

For more details go to Iowa Gun Shows

Half of Iowans want sheriffs to decide their rights

According to the Des Moines Register:

Half of Iowans oppose changing the state law on concealed weapons to ensure that applicants are denied permits only for a limited set of reasons, an Iowa Poll shows.

I would contend that half of the people of Iowa don't even understand the true issue regarding the permit process in this state. The sheriffs of each county have free-reign of power to deny anyone their right to carry a firearm (concealed).

In their push for more standardized rules, one gun advocacy group is resorting to some fiery tactics, which some lawmakers — Democratic and Republican — denounce.

(That would be Iowa Gun Owners.)

In a "I've got mine, so why should I care about yours" attitude:

Poll respondent Rebecca Gillette, 59, of Casey said she and her husband drive a 25-year-old car. They don't own a cell phone. But when they go out, they usually take a gun with them.

"We're big, big gun advocates," Gillette said.

Gillette said her husband, who doesn't have any criminal background, easily obtained a concealed weapons permit from the Guthrie County sheriff.

But not everyone should get that kind of permit so easily, said Gillette, who usually carries a small knife in her pocket. Sheriffs should have the right to deny a permit for a concealed gun for any reason, say if someone's been "in and out of trouble" but doesn't have a conviction, she said.

That "due process" gets in the way of everything, doesn't it? And Casey isn't in Dubuque, Johnson, Jasper, Des Moines, or Louisa counties or else her husband would have had a tougher time if not impossible effort getting his permit.

Some politicians don't appreciate some of the efforts of Iowa Gun Owners

"Bullying tactics are thug politics," [Rep. Clel] Baudler said. "They think with these tactics they can force people into doing what they want them to do."

Iowa Gun Owners' executive director, Aaron Dorr, responded: "It's sad that professed pro-gun (lawmakers) refuse to take action to support pro-gun legislation."

Not "sad", it's criminal. Maybe Baudler, Gronstal and others should be out of office next election.

Go to Iowa Poll: Half of Iowans want to leave gun law alone

So much for due process

I received this alert from Iowa Gun Owners: An Imminent Threat to Your Gun Rights but Iowa Patriots posted it first.

Basically SF2357 as introduced in the Iowa Senate would eliminate due process by allowing the confiscation of your firearms and ammunition if you have been placed under a no-contact order (and other offenses) by the state. Not turning in your firearms could result in being charged/convicted of a class D felony.

There's more, read North Bridge's analysis at Iowa Patriots An Imminent Threat to Your Gun Rights

Another state closer to freedom

After Arizona's bill to remove the permit process for concealed carry: Freedom to carry bill introduced in AZ, Maddmedic posts about Wyoming's possibility to join Alaska and Vermont. One small step for Wyoming

Wyoming is on the verge of passing two key pieces of gun rights legislation.

HB-95, The Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, and HB-113 “Alaska-style” permit-less concealed carry, are facing an up-or-down vote before the Wyoming State House of Representatives.

With Iowa's chances slipping away, maybe Wyoming has a chance.

Don't fear, Obama won't take your guns

Douglas Burns, of the Carroll, IA, Daily Times Herald, opined that since Obama hasn't made an effort to take guns away from citizens, the unwashed masses have nothing to fear from Obama.

Whose fault is that? Is it actual policies (which based on the record just don’t exist)[sic] or hysterics being drummed up by Republicans?

That's right, the hysterical masses buying guns because of an irrational fear. I'm surprised he didn't throw in the race card.

In order to win Senate seats and the presidency the Democratic Party has to third-rail the guns issue. This lack of action may mean more dead black kids on the streets of Newark and Baltimore, but Obama and his party’s princes have long since reconciled themselves to that.

Those murdered with firearms are because of honest law-abiding citizens purchasing a firearm during the Obama-rush of the past year or so?

In a prime example of hyperbole:

[Iowa Gubernatorial candidate] Republican Bob Vander Plaats sought to play the role of the detached anthropologist this week in Carroll when he advanced one of the ugliest and spectacularly irresponsible narratives in America today: people have cause to “fear” President Barack Obama and arming themselves to the hilt is an understandable reaction.[emphasis mine]

It seems to me that VanderPlaats was trying to explain a historical phenomenon in America today. Neither advocating nor condemning what has been going on.

It also seems like Burns is conducting himself in the same manner he's accusing VanderPlaats of.

Read more at: Vander Plaats: Scared of Obama? Buy guns

Licensing, in history

David Codrea at The War on Guns and Kurt Hofmann at Armed and Safe gave a few examples awhile back regarding the reconstruction period and licensing of blacks to possess firearms.

1865 Mississippi
Blacks require police approval to own guns, unless in military. Mississippi Statute of 1865 prohibited blacks, not in the military "and not licensed so to do by the board of police of his or her county" from keeping or carrying "fire-arms of any kind, or any ammunition, dirk or bowie knife." [reprinted in 1 Documentary History of Reconstruction: Political, Military, Social, Religious, Educational and Industrial, 1865 to the Present Time, p. 291, (Walter L. Fleming, ed., 1960.)] (GLJ, p. 344) [emphasis mine]

And another example:

1865 Louisiana
Blacks require police and employer approval to own guns, unless serving in military. Louisiana Statute of 1865 prohibited blacks, not in the military service, from "carrying fire-arms, or any kind of weapons...without the special permission of his employers, approved and indorsed by the nearest and most convenient chief of patrol." (Fleming, p. 280)(GLJ, p. 344)[emphasis mine]

Source: Racist Gun control You can find more examples there.

I reflect on the current bills that were before the state legislature this year where one bill would remove the whole permit process and another would still require a citizen to receive permission to carry from the state.

And I wonder: Where did the state get the whole permit idea from?

House bill now on calendar

In the interworkings of the statehouse a bill was placed on the calendar today 2/16, HF2439 (formerly HSB 721) which reads:

Section 1. WEAPONS PERMITS == ISSUANCE. It is the intent of
the general assembly to enact a law relating to the issuance of
permits to carry weapons and to provide for related matters.
EXPLANATION
This bill expresses the intent of the general assembly
to enact a law relating to the issuance or permits to carry
weapons and to provide for related matters.

No other bill for reformation of concealed carry laws in Iowa made it out of committee before the Friday 2/12 deadline. This bill was created to allow one of the other house bills to be attached later (or so the theory goes).

This states that the house intends to pass something (although not obligated) regarding our concealed carry laws. There doesn't appear to be a recorded vote by the house on this.

Iowa Rep. King defends home

(From a raccoon)

Representative King is receiving heat from PETA of his raccoon kill after he boasted on Twitter:

"Desert Eagle 1, Crazy Raccoon 0," King wrote, revealing the pistol he used to kill the raccoon.

I would have done the same thing but not with that particular firearm. Always one to provide a good line:

"That crazy coon ran up against 'a man's home is his castle' and this man's castle won. But if it had been PETA volunteers outside in the middle of a blizzard, I'd like to think they would have rang the doorbell, instead of trying to claw into the house. And I would have given them shelter for the night and served them bacon and eggs the next morning," he said in a statement.

Iowa Lawmaker Tells PETA Not to Have a Cow Over Raccoon Kill

Iowa's Second Amendment March

Robert Fowler of Robert's Guns Shop is the state coordinator for the upcoming Second Amendment March, to be held on April 19th in Des Moines (and possibly other sites in Iowa).

For more details go here: Second Amendment March

Hi $ sportman's auction, Feb 27th & 28th

2 DAY SPORTSMAN’S AUCTION
Saturday & Sunday, February 27 & 28
East edge of Sigourney, Iowa on Hwy 92/149
OPEN HOUSE on Friday, February 26, 2:00 – 7:00 PM
641-622-2015

Auction held on site and using Proxibid.

Hi $ sportman's auction, Feb 27th & 28th

New addition: Iowa Patriots

Fellow Iowa blog Iowa Patriots has started up.

We fellow Iowans have got to stick together.

H/T to David at War on Guns

Fort Dodge Gun Show 2010

I've had a few people stop by searching for a gun show in Fort Dodge. My links to gun shows in Iowa didn't have one for that town, so I did a quick search and found it.

FEBRUARY 27 & 28, 2010, Fort Dodge, Iowa
38th Year - Original R & P Club Show, Sponsored by the Rifle & Pistol Club
WEBSTER COUNTY FAIR GROUNDS
Hwy 169 - 2 miles South of Jct. Old 20 & 169
Saturday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Food & Beverages Available, Admission $5.00, Free Parking

I found this from The Shooter's Outlet in Arcadia, IA.

What Gronstal thinks of some Iowans

Gronstal (on the left) throws Iowa Gun Owner petitions to the floor without reading them. Aaron Dorr, Executive Director on the right.

From Aaron:

His actions spoke loud and clear on what he thinks of your 2nd Amendment rights. He thinks its trash - not even worth looking at!

Further, he made it very clear what he thinks of your right to petition the government for redress of grievance when he threw your wishes on the floor without even looking at them.

From Iowa Gun Owners alert: More Information on Senator Gronstal

How did I get 10,000?

As Bob would call another "idiotic post", let's look at the 10,000 number I came up with in my previous post: NRA to make money off gun bill Just Wondering in the comments questioned my numbers.

I'm going to use numbers from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the keeper of the data for gun permits in the state. In 2008 there were 29,601 non-professional permits issued with a population of 2,988,046 (Census Bureau figures), that gives us 9.91 permits per 1,000 citizens. Looking at county-by-county the median permits per 1,000 citizens is 12.43. Forty-nine counties are above that number and forty-nine are below.

Why look at this county-by-county? Because each county is unique with each sheriff issuing permits differently.

What if the number of permits increased only in those counties below either the median or average permits per 1,000 ratio? The counties above the median or average would stay the same.

Using the Median:
Those counties that fall below the average ratio of 9.91 permits per 1,000 citizens had 14,233 permits issued to a population of 2,341,500 = 6.08 per 1,000. Increase the permit ratio to the median ratio of 12.43 and we have 29,104 (rounded down). That gives us an increase of 14,871 (so my number is low).

Using average:
Those counties that fall below the average ratio of 9.91 permits per 1,000 citizens had 8,140 permits issued to a population of 1,800,224 = 4.52 per 1,000. Increase the permit ratio to the average ratio of 9.91 and we have 17,840 (rounded down). That increases the permits by 9,700 (my number is a little high)

I don't think my prediction of 10,000 additional permits is that far off. (Your mileage may vary). If anyone can come up with their own predictions, be my guest.

About that $100 - yeah, I pulled that out just as "what if?" and I clarified this in my post as well.

Some examples of class fees:

The range fee in Linn County is $25
Story County charges $35 for the class
Sioux and O'Brien Counties require attendance at a class at a local community college, $45

So averaging $35 per class, while small for each person, the aggregate could potentially be a good sum of money. Add in existing permit holders that may have to go through the training (Sioux county, regarding the training "This requirement may be waived on an application for renewal of a permit;"[emphasis mine]) and you have an additional 29,601 permit holders attending training.

Would the proposed classes be hosted by the NRA? Probably some.
NRA certified instructors would more than likely be involved in all of the classes (the wording of the bill leans towards this - and most police instructors are NRA certified). Would the state require additional certified instructors (most likely NRA certified)? Probably.

I'll stand by my statement that the NRA will be making money on this. We can argue over how much(and I've admitted that I don't know, and no one else does either). And I'll stand by my opinion that pushing a bill when you have a vested interest to make money (no matter who it is, or how much $ you make) is BS.

NRA to make money off gun bill - updated

With any legislation, I try to look at who is going to make money off of it.

Well look at HF 2255 in particular, section

724.9 Firearm training program.

1. An applicant shall demonstrate knowledge of firearm safety by any of the following means:

a. Completion of any national rifle association firearms safety or firearms training course.

b. Completion of any firearms safety or firearms training course available to the general public offered by a law enforcement agency, community college, college, private or public institution or organization, or firearms training school utilizing instructors certified by the national rifle association or the department of public safety or another state's department of public safety, state police department or similar certifying body.

It may not be much, but say $100 for each of 10,000 gun permit carriers in the state and it makes that $500 investment in Gronstal look pretty good.

Edit - To clarify something here: a couple of guys in the comments try to take me to task for my post. (I appreciate your comments, even from Bob the mud-thrower.)

Did I make a statement?: "The NRA is charging $100 per class!!!" - No, I did not.

When I wrote: "It may not be much, but say $100..." that was a proposal as in "let's suppose, for the sake of argument...". People sometimes use that in an argument to make a point. A point that seems to be missed by some people.

The argument I want to make here is that the NRA is pushing a bill that it has a vested interest to make money on, and no one can deny that. It doesn't matter to me if it's $1.00 or millions, but more than likely it will be somewhere in between. While not the only method, one is to take a NRA class, by certified NRA instructors, which means the NRA will make money off of this bill. How much for certain? I don't know, but I predict it will be a good chunk and this kind of politics stinks in this state. Maybe not as much as a hog confinement lobby, though.

I don't care if it is the NRA, ADM, or Suzie Citizen down the street. Using the state to pass a bill that they will make money on is immoral (in my opinion.)

I have more in the comments.

The contemptible Senator Gronstal

As I was listening to Steve Deace this afternoon, it was revealed what Iowa Senate majority leader Mike Gronstal - (D, Council Bluffs) thinks of the people he supposedly represents.

Aaron Dorr, Executive Director of Iowa Gun Owners disclosed that after Aaron presented Gronstal with hundreds of signatures that were collected from Iowans in his district, petitioning Gronstal to get SF 473 out of committee for a vote on the senate floor, Gronstal in a magnanimous and statesmanlike manner threw the petitions across the senate floor.

This "dignified" action apparently silenced those in the chamber and brought much deserved attention to this political hack who is the majority leader of the senate.

Many of you have who read my postings can get the impression that I really don't care much for the political class, but I have absolutely no respect for this putrid a-hole who thinks he runs the state. With his lips puckered up to the backside of every liberal activist or union boss, this putz treats ordinary citizens who dared to tell him to do his job to uphold the Constitution as insignificant specks to be ignored.

No matter what issue that was presented, to treat Iowans that are in his district (many of whom are democrats) in such a manner, I ask: Is tar and feathering legal, yet?

Second question of the day: Which political candidate did the NRA give money to in 2008? Hint: He was the only candidate in Iowa they gave money to.

Answer - $500 to Gronstal (Follow the money)

Gun bill analysis from Cold Hard Cashner

Ben posted his analysis of the gun bills in Iowa Analysis of Iowa Weapons Bills

It looks like he's done his homework over a busy weekend and came to the same conclusion many of us have arrived at.

I won't spoil it for you, but he's looked at almost every angle on the bills before making his decision.

I appreciate other viewpoints regardless of whether they agree with me, especially if someone has taken the time to truly think about the issue before coming to a conclusion.

Ben has done that.

IGO table at CR gun show

After the rousing time #1 son and I had at the NRA workshop, we moved on to the gun show at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids where Iowa Gun Owners hosted a table. We assisted in getting signatures that would be presented to the Iowa Senate in the next couple of days, petitioning them to vote for SF473.

Some highlights included:

When asked to sign, one gun owner replied he already had his permit. My response was what if the next sheriff comes in and says "no more renewals"? He thought about that for a minute and signed our form.

A few other gun owners stated they already had their permit so what did they have to worry about. Another response I had was, "What about the gun owners in counties where their sheriff refuses to issue a permit?" Most of these gun owners signed. This showed that some gun owners will think of the other guys as well.

We had one guy wearing an IowaCarry shirt who spoke with us for several minutes about the rift that seems to be among the gun groups right now. We had a good conversation but I don't recall him signing our form. Nevertheless, I appreciated his thoughts.

One woman asked me why the NRA didn't mention our bill at grassroots meeting. My response was "That's a good question, why don't they support the IGO bill." She seemed angry that this bill wasn't mentioned and after a few minutes of conversation, she signed our form.

Another woman asked if all the fighting going on is nothing more than an ego trip among the gun groups. I told her that I couldn't speak about the motivations behind any group, but I thought SF473 was a better bill that allowed more freedom. After some more conversation, she signed.

There was only one horse's hind-end during the 5+ hours we spent there. After asking one gentleman if he would sign our petition his response back was "I'm a member of IowaCarry" and turned and walked away. A nice reflection of his group there.

Many NRA members signed our petitions and a few of the gun show patrons didn't want to.

Overheard at the IowaCarry table: (Regarding Iowa Gun Owners) "They're kooky, but I think they're on to something."

I've been called worse.

My day with the NRA

It was more like a couple of hours.

Number One Son and I spent some time at a NRA's grassroots workshop that was held in Cedar Rapids on the 6th. Advertised as:

At these FREE Workshops, NRA-ILA Staff will discuss how you can take on an even more active role in your community in our fight to advance and protect our freedoms in this very busy year! We will provide you with the materials and strategies needed to educate, empower, and engage your fellow gun owners as well.

It was a basic course on contacting your representatives in government and then morphed into recruiting volunteers to put on a face for the NRA in the state. There was nothing new for me.

They also spoke about the NRA/IowaCarry bill and some in the audience didn't seem to have a clue that there was any new legislation introduced at the statehouse.

What struck me was Brent Gartner(sp?) from the NRA kept stating that the bill would restore the "right to carry" by requiring a citizen to get a permit to carry. "Right"? I think he's confused.

But featured speaker, Iowa's Senator Chuck Grassley, managed to embarrass himself with a clumsy, rambling speech thanking the NRA for his initial election to the Senate in 1980. I thought it was gracious of him to thank the organization, but I expected more from someone who's been in the senate for almost 30 years and in politics for years more. I thought it sad, really.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: comedian

Don't quit your day job, Ahnold.

“No matter where you go in the world, people still want to come to California,” Schwarzenegger said. “There’s no one screaming like, ‘I can’t wait to get to Iowa.’ That I can guarantee you. They want to come here to California.”

We dumb hicks are missing out on tourists. And I'm disappointed?

But if there is a choice of where to live? Who wants to live in a high-tax, over-regulated, corrupt politicians everywhere... Wait a minute.

Maybe neither Iowa nor California is such a good choice.

Gov. Schwarzenegger takes a stab at Iowa

Bank robber sentenced to 10 years

Jodie Monroe Johnson, the bank robber I spoke about at John Rumley kicks ass was sentenced to 10 years after being convicted of 2nd degree robbery. Johnson gets 10 years for bank robbery

My friend, John, a vice president of Farmers Savings Bank, prevented the robbery by grabbing Johnson to stop him from entering the bank. Others joined in and held Johnson until police arrived. One of the others went to retrieve a firearm to assist in the incident.

A classic example of a free people doing the right thing and having to spring into action because the cops can't be everywhere.

A couple of Waterloo's finest?

Our first officer:

[Michael Charles] Dobson entered an Alford plea - not admitting guilt but agreeing he would likely be convicted if the matter went to trial - to a charge of first-degree harassment for allegedly threatening to kill his wife and simple assault for allegedly shoving one of his children during the incident, said Assistant Tama County Attorney Michael Marquess.

He was given a deferred judgment, meaning the harassment charge will be removed from his criminal history if he completes a year of probation. He was fined $65 plus court costs and surcharges for the assault charge.

If any consolation, this guy will never be able to legally possess firearms in Iowa.

Next:

Another officer, Randall Hammitt, remains on unpaid leave after his operating while intoxicated charge was reduced to reckless driving.

Black Hawk County Sheriff's deputies were called to a report of a car in a ditch on Moline Road July 27 and found Hammitt with the "odor consistent with those persons known to have been drinking," court records state. He declined sobriety and breath tests.

Officers plead to reduced charges

You all can decide if the punishments fit the crimes.

Here comes the bills

The legislation is now set for the bills in the statehouse:

The NRA/Iowa Carry bill HF2255

The Iowa Gun Owners bills HF2241 and SF473

A big thank you to Ben at Cold Hard Cashner

Another Iowan's look at our gun bills

Ben over at Cold Hard Cashner adds his perspective to the competing gun bills we have here in Iowa this legislative session.

As Ben is an IowaCarry member, I thought he would have been supporting the NRA/IowaCarry bill.

I think that he gives a balanced and reasoned post: Dueling Gun Bills (not because we agree) with comments from a heavy-hitter in the gun community.

I'd also agree that this is going to be a hard fight to get a good bill passed in Iowa. Not because of the competing organizations that are fighting for their respective bills, but we have some pure politicians in Des Moines that want nothing more than for both of these bills to go away.

This isn't an Iowa Gun Owners vs. Iowa Carry fight, this is a gun owners vs. politicians fight.

Freedom-to-carry bill introduced in Arizona

February 2, 2010 Yuma, AZ -- A new gun bill would allow every adult in Arizona to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Supporters say the bill would make everyone safer, but critics disagree. The Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police has already spoken out against concealed carry without a permit. Gun Bill Allows Concealed Carry without Permit

The usual figures are blathering against this bill.

I wonder if the NRA has introduced a competing bill to derail this effort, just like in Iowa.

Iowa Gun Owners at AmmoLand, 2/2/10

To repeat and update a release from the Iowa Gun Owners at AmmoLand.com

Iowa Gun Owners Update on the REAL Right-to-Carry Bill

Iowa Gun Owners -The REAL Right-to-Purchase Bill

If it works in Cuba

One of the provisions in the NRA/Iowa Carry bill at the statehouse, is mandatory (presumably NRA instructed) training.

But I just read this today:

HAVANA (AP) - Cuba has declared a two-month amnesty for citizens to register unlicensed guns, and says those passing aptitude and psychological tests will be allowed to keep their weapons.

Cuba Gives Its Citizens 2 Months To Register Guns

So once the aptitude tests are in (state mandated instruction), the next step would be the psych tests.

I can't wait.