Register Poll: Iowans don't want more gun laws

They have a different headline.

The poll results state only 33% of Iowans want stricter laws, but at the same time want new laws to restrict magazine size and background checks for all gun sales.

How does that work out?

If people can be confused (or manipulated) into giving such differing answers, should this be a good method to affect laws that restrict citizens?

I'm trying to figure out why rights should be limited based on the opinions of my neighbors.

Lead shot allowed for dove hunting

The continuing controversy over lead shot apparently put Iowa in the middle of a quiet war. The naturally occurring metal is somehow a danger to the environment when it's used as a projectile from a firearm.

Okay...

The Natural Resources Commission, whom the Des Moines Pravda reports are experts in all things concerning the environment, wanted to ban lead shot for dove shooting, but they were overruled for this year's season.

Apparently the Red-gister isn't happy with lawmakers exercising their oversight of a commission that they created.

Lawmakers who blocked a lead shot ban by the Natural Resource Commission now have the option of allowing the ban to go into effect next year by taking no action on the issue during the 2012 session. They should do one better: They should ban lead shot for all hunting.

And:

Iowa lawmakers have an opportunity to take a debate that has been narrowly focused on dove hunting and use it as a springboard to enact a law that would have a long-term, positive effect on Iowa’s environment. Ban all lead shot. We know too much about the toxic effects of the substance to allow hunters to continue spraying it all over.

By using the royal "We" the editors of the Register apparently are including themselves in the "expert" category.

Biting into lead shot is no fun, but do you think steel shot would be enjoyable? Lead is a toxin in high doses. Maybe if I didn't eat wild game as a kid, I could have gone to some high-fallutin' university instead of a community college (financing had nothing to do with it, trust me).

The solution is to ban all lead ammunition because an animal could ingest it and get lead poisoning before you shoot it.

At least that's what the experts say.

Will it play in Peoria?

At the very least, it plays in the Quad City Times and that's close enough.

Every kid who ever has played cops and robbers knows that the good guys try to keep guns away from the bad guys. The last thing you'd do is sit around and watch crooks sell each other weapons then sit back and wait for the carnage.

But that's exactly what leadership within the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are charged with doing, in an apparently harebrained ploy to get close to Mexico's drug cartels.

The plan was dubbed Operation Fast and Furious. Foolish and Fatal might be more accurate.

But he lost me when he promoted the "review the nation's gun laws" theme.

The meaning of the phrase "Will it Play in Peoria?"

"We are strong supporters of the Second Amendment"

But not always.

“We are members of the NRA. We are strong supporters of the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms). We are members of Pheasants Forever and Wild Turkey Federation, but our belief is guns and alcohol don’t mix,” said Mike King, part owner of Elm’s.

Because no crime has ever been committed inside a bar.

If you are out with your buddies and sip a Pepsi proprietors like this guy would rather you not protect yourself or your friends. (Besides being able to defend the business.)

It's an owner's right to restrict their business however way they want and it's a customer's prerogative whether they wish to enter that business, armed or otherwise.

Iowa State University carry permit advice

Editorial: Feel free to carry a gun, but educate yourself first

You need to take advantage of your ability to exercise your constitutional rights, don't let them stagnate. There will be those that turn their nose up at you if you decide to use your First Amendment right and defend the civil rights of the LGBT community. Likewise, there will be those who act shocked if you decided to take up arms.

You are your own person; make your own decisions whether or not you will exercise your rights. They are yours, no one else's.

What? No blood on the streets editorial?

Hmmm...

Coordinated Illumination's ruminations on healthcare

And do you honor the oath, or follow the laws?

Damn them for forcing that choice upon the nation.

From Coordinated Illumination

Find out the choice he is talking about The greatest health care system in the world - Destroyed.

My congress-crook refuses to hear from anyone dissenting from his opinion. During the summer he shut down any town-hall meetings after they weren't going his way. Then he declared that he traveled his district and everyone he heard from wished for this steaming pile of crap. That's because he only listens to people who agree with him.

Bawb reports what's going on 3/18/10

Bawb gives us his state of the union for today.

Regarding the Constitution and the feds fulfilling their duties under it:

It does say they're supposed to deliver the mail, and we all know how that's turning out.

And regarding the 10th Amendment (one I think is dear to his heart):

Unfortunately, nobody on Capital Hill seems to give a fat rat's ass about "...the States respectively, or...the people." We need to remind everyone of this at election time.

Mild? Yes, but read more at: BIG BROTHER IS ALIVE AND WELL

The human costs of big government

President Obama recently informed a crowd of young people — to thunderous applause — that under his health care plan, they could stay on their parents' coverage till age 26. Voters 18-21, of course, went for Obama by a 2-1 margin, but given that he is a 'post-partisan' president, we can't chalk that up to politics, now can we?

Obama-care proponents contend that his proposal is only an option and not a mandate (though a handful of states have enacted mandates). But then so are junk food and cigarettes, and no one hesitates to address their dangers. Under our Constitution, whether or not parents choose to provide coverage for their grown children is not the concern of President Obama. As columnist Mark Steyn has noted, however, the details of Obama-care pale in importance next to the overall concept of nationalizing yet more of our private lives. Forget the minutiae for a moment and consider our culture.

Teenage girls in Seattle recently beat one of their own senseless while a group of security guards watched. Where was law enforcement, everyone asked, when the pertinent question was where were the MEN?

Indeed.

Read more from David Bozeman, former Libertarian Party Chairman at
The human costs of big government

To Chris Rants - I apologize for the name calling

Iowa Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Rants stopped by to leave a comment at my post State Pol calling for gun right amendment and first off, I'm surprised and humbled that he took the time to chastise an insignificant blow-hard like me.

I'm anonymous by choice and those who know me understand that. Chris Rants prefers that you can't see his profile. I intended to send an email to him, and since this started in "public", we can leave it here and hope he comes back to read it.

I will admit that my contempt for politicians sometimes gets the best of me and I reduce myself to name-calling and for that I apologize. It was unprofessional of me to do that. Mr Rants, please accept my apology. Please note in my reply to straightarrow that I hoped I was wrong about you.

And now for the "but":

"County club" is a term that's been around for decades and I think we know what it describes, and I'm not talking about your golf swing. I threw McCain in there because he's a lefty-moderate, and quite frankly, support for Romney isn't helping. His creation of Mass-care is Obama's model for the nation. But let's not go there.

Let's stick with the guns. "I'm gun-friendly because I have friends with guns" is similar to someone saying "I'm cool because I have African-American friends." I'm not trying to be flippant about that analogy. Owning a gun isn't just about exercising a right, it's a responsibility, and should be taken very seriously. And I hope you know that. Since you aren't a gun-owner, I doubt if you fully understand what it means to be one. You may in a philosophical sense, but not in a real sense.

Since you admit to never owning a gun, that means you've never filled out a 4473 form where you have to give your place of birth and race. You've never gone to your local sheriff and asked his permission to purchase a handgun or permission to carry concealed. You've never been turned down by a sheriff for no reason except you weren't his friend. (I know people who have.)

You and I both know how hard it is to get an amendment added to the State Constitution. But let me ask you this: If you're so pro-gun, why haven't you introduced an amendment in your years in the legislature? That's where this starts and you could have done this years ago before your campaign started. Have you introduced a Vermont-style carry bill? How about reciprocity with other states or open-carry? How about shall-issue, so that permits don't depend on the discretion of local sheriffs? Mr Rants, please go here and complete this: David Codrea's Gun questionnaire

If you've done this, please point this out to me. I would like to be wrong about you on this.

The people of Iowa deserve a leader and we are searching for one. But when you don't have a "pro-gun" history, your announcement (in my opinion) comes across as pandering. And trust me, if Brandstad or Gov. Chester had done this I'd have written the same things about them (or worse, because I really don't like them).

If you don't become governor, would you still introduce this amendment? You put the conditional of "When I'm elected" on there. Please show us leadership and introduce it anyway as soon as you can. Don't wait.

If you do, I will shake your hand, introduce myself and support you as much as I can.

I promise.

Also, I'm glad you won't do the pheasant hunt because seeing Kerry out here in his brand-new pressed orange vest was just unsettling and angered a lot of hunters.

The near future?

Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars links to a NY Post article: The Four Horsemen Approach and I must say I'm as pessimistic as he is.

I've tried to follow the philosophy of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. I think those of us that are resilient, resourceful and independent-minded will survive (for the most part) any coming storm. Will all of us survive? No, but a goodly sized group will have the opportunity to restore our Republic.

Prepare for anything, because chaos will come. We need to be ready when the wheels fall off the government leviathan.

I hope we can correct our path as a nation before it's too late.

The War on Guns: Our Love of Guns is Nutty

David Codrea scoops me in my own back yard! The War on Guns: Our Love of Guns is Nutty

The Nutty professor's opinion:

As long as handguns are so readily available, America's exceedingly high murder rate will continue -- plain and simple. Our love of handguns is just plain nutty!

What did General McAuliffe reply when the Germans asked him to surrender at Bastogne?

Oh yeah, "Nuts"

Small-town editor whips out.

Small-town newspaper editor, John Speer, gets all ironied up at Guns and irony

In the same short period of time Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme is released from prison and it's widely reported "about a dozen people carrying guns, including one with an assault rifle" were outside the Phoenix convention center where President Obama was speaking. Fromme was reported released on Sunday, Aug. 16, after 34 years behind bars for attempting to shoot President Ford. She was a follower of Charlie Manson. The gun-toters were reported outside the convention center on Monday, Aug. 17. It is explained Arizona is an "open carry state" and you can openly whip out your weapon.

So Arizona is where anyone can "whip out your weapon"??? What's the guy trying to say? But commentor fontinel beat me to the point

I believe the irony is making money whipping out the 1st ammendment while bashing the 2nd one!