Emergency Planning Can Save Your Family’s Life: Part II

Published: Fri, 05/03/13

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In This Issue:
Vital Input on Gun Control from my Friend and Cato Institute Chairman Bob Levy By Richard C. Young
Emergency Planning Can Save Your Family’s Life: Part II By Richard C. Young
Breaking News In The Anti-Gun Wars By Richard C. Young
Shotgun Malfunction By E.J. Smith
Kicking the Syrian Hornet’s Nest By Richard C. Young
App Turns Your Smartphone Into A Shooter Location System The Editors
Bankrupting America the Lieberman /Kyl Way By Richard C. Young

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Vital Input on Gun Control from my Friend and Cato Institute Chairman Bob Levy

Common sense is often lacking in the gun control debate. Here is a great dose of common sense that can be embraced by all Americans.

Further Thoughts on Sensible Gun Legislation

Bob Levy

In an op-ed on the New York Times web site yesterday, I voiced my belief that the gun control bill authored by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey, if properly modified, can and should pass with the support of gun rights advocates.

In the interest of being as specific as possible, I’d like to expand upon the sentiments expressed in that piece.

When the Senate rejected the Manchin-Toomey compromise on gun background checks, opponents of the bill were condemned for ignoring polls signaling up to 90 percent public support. The stonewalling by gun rights supporters was indeed a mistake—not just on the politics, but on the substance as well. In exchange for the modest, reasonable, and constitutional augmentation of background checks, there was plenty in the legislation for gun rights proponents to embrace.

Manchin-Toomey may be re-introduced. Gun rights advocates can seize the opportunity to address some of their own priorities while avoiding being labeled as obstructionists once again.

Here are the parts of Manchin-Toomey that gun rights proponents should be happy about, with a few recommended changes:

First, the bill allows interstate handgun sales throughdealers—under roughly the same rules that now govern long gun sales. Current law does not permit buying handguns from out-of-state sellers. So the new provision represents a major development.

Second, Manchin-Toomey confirms that a firearms registry by the attorney general is prohibited, and adds a 15-year prison term for violators. The attorney general limitation should be broadened to cover all government agencies, the bill should clarify that data from all sources are precluded, and civil damages should be available for misuse of database records. Justice Department regulations (which should be codified in Manchin-Toomey) state that government records of approved applicants must be destroyed within 24 hours. Dealers retain the data much longer, but law enforcement agencies have access only during a criminal investigation. Registry prohibitions may not be foolproof, but Manchin-Toomey adds a layer of protection.

Third, the bill sets a 48-hour limit on performing background checks. That’s reduced to 24 hours after four years. Most gun shows are two-day events—incompatible with current law that allows up to 72 hours for checks. That’s one reason for fewer shows of late. Under Manchin-Toomey, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) would come closer to matching its name.

Fourth, Manchin-Toomey reinforces current law permitting interstate transportation of firearms and ammunition—unless a certain weapon or use is barred. Guns have to be unloaded and inaccessible or locked, but the re-write of existing rules helps. Most important, state laws against unlicensed possession are preempted.

Fifth, the bill immunizes sellers from litigation when a gun is used unlawfully, unless the seller knows or should have known that the buyer provided false information or was ineligible to get a gun.

Sixth, Manchin-Toomey improves NICS by expending $400 million over four years, withholding grants to states that don’t meet specified benchmarks, clarifying that mental health records in NICS do not violate the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and assuring due process for veterans facing loss of gun rights because of alleged mental illness.

Weighed against those pro-gun-rights provisions is a modest concession to gun controllers: Background checks—which already cover all sales through federally licensed dealers, whether at stores or gun shows, over the Internet, or by mail—would be extended to cover private sales at shows, over the Internet, and through published ads. Manchin-Toomey still wouldn’t cover non-commercial transfers such as gifts or bequests, in-person sales outside a gun show, or sales responding to postings on community bulletin boards. Moreover, buyers would be exempt from background checks if they had a carry permit issued within five years. Until NICS can function remotely, Manchin-Toomey should also exempt private sales to rural residents far from licensed dealers.

Finally, three suggested improvements: First, dealers impose fees for background checks ranging from $25 to $125. If those fees are deemed to promote public safety, the public (not just law abiding gun owners) should foot some of the bill. That could be accomplished by federal rebates of a stipulated amount to those who pass the NICS check.

Second, Manchin-Toomey instructs that NICS checks must prioritize gun shows over gun stores. As a result, backlogs could hamper stores during weekends when shows are held. That favoritism should be eliminated by increasing NICS personnel to expedite processing.

Third, existing law denies firearms to anyone who is “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.” The maximum sentence is ten years in federal prison. Thus every would-be gun owner who lies to NICS about marijuana use, and every owner who smokes marijuana, could spend a decade behind bars—an unconscionable punishment that must be rectified.

Manchin-Toomey is complex and controversial. Committee hearings are necessary and the public must have ample time to review the legislation. Still, considered as a package, a reworked Manchin-Toomey would offer substantial benefits to gun owners while imposing tolerable restrictions—none of which intrudes on core Second Amendment liberties.

The recent Boston bombings locked down one of America’s landmark cities for days. The disaster was perpetrated by just two relatively poorly equipped and prepared kids. At the same time, anti-Second Amendment liberals, led by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Mario Cuomo of New York and Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland, are attempting a full-scale rearguard action on the Second Amendment rights of Americans. It’s a dangerous time in American history. You and your family are going to need to know whom to rely on for both support and emergency planning.

When it comes to saving your family’s life, information is your strongest ally. You may not be familiar with the name Sheriff Richard Mack. On December 4 1996, along with Sheriff Jay Printz, Sheriff Mack appeared before the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court to attack the constitutionality of the Brady Bill (See The Magic of Gun Control ). Sheriff Mack maintained that the county sheriff did not work for the federal government, the U.S. Congress, or the president. Sheriff Mack believes that the rights of the people are paramount. “This is acknowledgment of state sovereignty and local autonomy.” Back on 21 January 1994, federal agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) marched into an Arizona Sheriffs Association meeting in Phoenix. The agents delivered to each sheriff a 20-page document obligating sheriffs to basically work for the Federal Government, and for free. Sheriff Mack alone determined that he was not going to comply with the Brady Bill.

Finally the big day of reckoning came for Sheriffs Mack and Printz. On 27 June 1997, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 split decision, ruled that the Brady Bill was unconstitutional, and that the Federal Government could not issue directives to the States or to their political subdivisions. The Federal Government was forbidden to compel the States “to enforce or administer a federal regulatory program…. Such commands are fundamentally incompatible with our constitutional system of dual sovereignty.” Your state sheriff, in many ways, is your last line of defense.

So, #6 on my emergency-planning list is information. For starters, I encourage you to order each of Sheriff Mack’s quick-read books: (1) The Magic of Gun Control, (2) The County Sheriff, America’s Last Hope, (3) From My Cold Dead Fingers . You also want Self-Defense Laws Of All 50 States . Next week I will continue my top 10 list for emergency planning.

>> read more

Breaking News In The Anti-Gun Wars

A friend in a rural, upstate New York has just emailed me intelligence that gun shops in his area have now entered the hoarding stage on even .22LR ammo. My friend reports that “dealers are breaking up 50-round boxes and selling the ammo in smaller 20-round lots in plastic baggies (just like drugs).” That is, when they even can get the ammo.

I have written often to you that ammo would be better than money and that you would be wise to load up. In that I have regularly emphasized .22LR ammo, my advice remains stronger than ever. The gun pictured is a Stevens12-gauge tactical, which my friend recently picked up new for the bargain price of $279. If you can do as well, I’d jump at the chance.

And by the way, my friend’s local gun shop will now sell only to locals who are known by the longtime owner. Out-of-staters and outsiders of any stripe can now forget it. The scenario I outline for you here is just a straw in the wind, which in coming years is likely to turn into a torrent. The government, as it now stands, is on the march. And your 2nd Amendment rights are in the crosshairs. Allies like Sheriff Richard Mack, Oath Keepers, and the NRA stand for your 2nd Amendment rights. Be certain your House member and senators are on the team. If not, work hard to get rid of each. I will be posting here at Richardcyoung.com those congressmen who will be in the midterm election, especially in need of your help.

Click here for pics of the Stevens 12-Gauge!

The Savage Combination Gun is Back

Tomorrow at 2:00PM Rhode Islanders will rally to protest gun control proposals being heard by the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee. The rally at the State House will be followed by hearings where second amendment supporters hope to convince representatives to vote against the bills.

Among the bills are proposals to ban certain aesthetic features on firearms, as well as the sale of new magazines that hold over ten rounds. One of the most egregious proposals is a registration bill that would force Rhode Islanders to pay $100 registration fee for each firearm they own today, and any new firearms they purchase.

Another bill would allow towns and cities to send their concealed carry permit applications to the Attorney General’s office, something that is not allowed currently. The move would infringe on Rhode Islanders’ rights. Under current law the towns and cities operate using “shall issue” rules. This generally means that unless a person has some negative factor affecting their application for concealed carry, they should be given the permit. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s office operates under a “may issue” law. This gives the AG subjective control over the permitting process, and would result in many more Rhode Islanders being denied concealed carry permits, even if they have done nothing wrong.

First the gun grabbers targeted New York, then Colorado and Maryland, then Connecticut, now Rhode Island. If the second amendment supporters in the Ocean State prevail, the dominos will stop falling and we can turn the tide. Get more information on the rally by clicking here.

>> read more

Shotgun Malfunction

You don’t want to find out the hard way that your shotgun doesn’t work as advertised. As you can see in this video, less powerful shells can jam. This happened to me numerous times at a shotgun training course. I had no problem when I switched to a pump action. Keeping it simple is always the way to go especially for self-defense.

>> read more

Kicking the Syrian Hornet’s Nest

Cato Institute’s Doug Bandow writes, “Like good trial attorneys who only ask questions to which they know the expected answers, statesman should only intervene in wars for which they know the expected outcomes. That may not be possible in a genuine war of necessity, but the last one of those for America, and the only one in the 20^th century, was World War II. Syria doesn’t come close.” Doug offers, ”War should not be just another policy choice for impatient internationalists and frustrated social engineers.” Bandow outlines nine reasons why America should “Stay out of Other Nation’s Civil Wars”.

Cato’s Chris Preble recently posted on the Weinberger/Powell Doctrine and how it had been overrun by the Obama administration’s foray into Libya. Use the WPD as your benchmark for military intervention, and call it a day. All the common sense any American requires is contained in the doctrine’s five key intervention questions.

Entering the Syrian conflict fails all five Weinberger/Powell Doctrine key intervention questions. Mr. Bandow correctly concludes, “The ongoing Syrian civil war is a tragedy. America should stay out.”

You are walking down the street with a friend. A shot is fired. The two of you duck behind the nearest cover and you pull out your smartphone. A map of the neighborhood pops up on its screen with a large red arrow pointing in the direction the shot came from.

A team of computer engineers from Vanderbilt University’s Institute of Software Integrated Systems has made such a scenario possible by developing an inexpensive hardware module and related software that can transform an Android smartphone into a simple shooter location system. They described the new system’s capabilities this month at the 12th Association for Computing Machinery/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks in Philadelphia.

For the last decade, the Department of Defense has spent millions of dollars to develop sophisticated sniper location systems that are installed in military vehicles and require dedicated sensor arrays. Most of these take advantage of the fact that all but the lowest powered firearms produce unique sonic signatures when they are fired. First, there is the muzzle blast – an expanding balloon of sound that spreads out from the muzzle each time the rifle is fired. Second, bullets travel at supersonic velocities so they produce distinctive shockwaves as they travel. As a result, a system that combines an array of sensitive microphones, a precise clock and an off-the-shelf microprocessor can detect these signatures and use them to pinpoint the location from which a shot is fired with remarkable accuracy.

Six years ago, the Vanderbilt researchers, headed by Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Science Akos Ledeczi developed a system that turns the soldiers’ combat helmets into mobile “smart nodes” in a wireless network that can rapidly identify the location of enemy snipers with a surprising degree of accuracy.

In the past few years, the ISIS team has adapted their system so it will work with the increasingly popular smartphone.

Like the military version, the smartphone system needs several nodes in order to pinpoint a shooter’s location. As a result, it is best suited for security teams or similar groups. “It would be very valuable for dignitary protection,” said Kenneth Pence, a retired SWAT officer and associate professor of the practice of engineering management who participated in the project. “I’d also love to see a version developed for police squad cars.”

In addition to the smartphone, the system consists of an external sensor module about the size of a deck of cards that contains the microphones and the processing capability required to detect the acoustic signature of gunshots, log their time and send that information to the smartphone by a Bluetooth connection. The smartphones then transmit that information to the other modules, allowing them to obtain the origin of the gunshot by triangulation.

The researchers have developed two versions. One uses a single microphone per module. It uses both the muzzle blast and shockwave to determine the shooter location. It requires six modules to obtain accurate locations. The second version uses a slightly larger module with four microphones and relies solely on the shockwave. It requires only two modules to accurately detect the direction a shot comes from, however, it only provides a rough estimate of the range.

The research was supported by Defense Advance Research Project Agency grant D11PC20026.

Source: Vanderbilt University

Former senators Joe Lieberman and Jon Kyl want to spend more money on the military than we already spend today. No mention is made about whence the money will come, but the former senators are itching to spend it. There are only three ways to get the money: (1) raise your taxes; (2) borrow the money, most likely from China; (3) turn on the Fed’s printing presses and create new money out of thin air. That’s it, one-two-three.

The federal government has a big checkbook, but no bank account or savings. Each and every spending spree necessitates one or more of the unpleasant options outlined above. Thanks to George Bush and much more so to Barack Obama, America, now broke, has lost its coveted AAA-credit rating. Since taking office, Barack Obama has rung up annual trillion dollar deficits. How he was re-elected mystifies me.

But back to the senators. Where do they want to spend on the military? We are not told but those who disagree are labeled isolationists. Cato Institute’s vice president for defense and foreign policy studies Chris Preble breaks down the whole Lieberman/Kyl isolationist theme in “What Some Call Isolation Others Call Common Sense.”