Time for a Well Regulated Gun Lobby
In Alaska, many of us need guns to fill our freezers, but if you need a 30-round clip I’d say you’re a pretty poor hunter. If you are hoarding automatic (yes, they are legal) or semi-automatic weapons, you need Viagra. Oh, that’s right, it’s about the “well-regulated militia.” The Second Amendment was written by men who had fought alongside men who didn’t survive their revolt against tyranny. They had the assistance of the French government. They used muskets. If you think it is your right or duty to overthrow the government at this point in time, you’re going to need…
2nd Amendment Overreach
Regulations are killing my freedom to blow myself up with a gas container. When I was a kid, gas containers were not much more than red buckets with a spout and a usually missing black cap. Yeah, some gas sloshed out when you carried the can in and out of the boat or off into the woods with the chainsaw, but that was just the way it was. No big problem. These days, I need nuclear codes to get the spout to open enough for a dribble of gas. And the spout has some kind of magic slot that apparently…
NRA Chooses Trump – Photos from the Convention Floor
This year TheMudflats returned to the NRA with a much smaller crew, namely just me. Unlike in 2015 when nearly every single one of the Republican primary candidates made a speech this time there was only one big name at the show – The Donald. The presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican Party took to the stage with a standing ovation from a crowd of thousands of gun lovers that packed the Freedom Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The somewhat non-surprise surprise was that the National Rifle Association was to endorse Mr. Trump. National Rifle Association executive director Chris W. Cox with…
More Guns, Less Budget in Juneau
Last month a woman took her own life on the steps of the Courthouse in Juneau. The Legislature went on lockdown — after ushering aides and press out of the room. As a result, the Legislature is considering new protocols to keep their own precious souls safe from any gun violence that might befall them while at work. I get it. The Capitol building is a no-gun zone. But what I find truly remarkable is that Sen. Pete Kelly will even go to work in a “gun-free zone.” According to the “logic” in his op-ed on SB 174, the Legislature…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska The Guardian – Record high Arctic temperatures in 2015 having ‘profound effects’ on region The Arctic experienced record air temperatures and a new low in peak ice extent during 2015, with scientists warning that climate change is having “profound effects” on the entire marine ecosystem and the indigenous communities that rely upon it. Newsminer – Near-hurricane force winds expected near Delta, Alaska Range Two storms packing winds of 50 to 90 mph are aiming for Delta Junction and Alaska Range passes today through mid-week. AP News – Alaska’s Inuit link steady food supply to environment health Alaska Inuit hunter John Goodwin for…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska MSN – Powerful Alaska Storm to Rival Strongest on Record A potent storm that will cross the Aleutian Islands of Alaska this weekend could become the strongest recorded storm to impact the region. Audubon – The Inside Story of Shell’s Arctic Assault A months-long investigation shows how the energy giant pressured the Interior Department during the company’s gung-ho Arctic push—and got most of what it wanted (except oil). ADN – Fairbanks couple’s Internet-controlled Christmas lights are back (even I need some light hearted news now and then) For six years, Ken and Rebecca-Ellen Woods have set up Christmas lights at their home in…
Photos: The NRA Takes Nashville
Three days in the center of gun country celebrating the Second Amendment – we saw big rifles, small handguns, Presidential candidates and so much more. Here’s a selection of photos from myself and Jeanne Devon of our time at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting – this year in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Oath Keepers in Ferguson
Standing on top of a boarded up beauty shop, silhouetted men look out over the street. I can faintly see the outline of a rifle, an AR-15? M-16? I don’t know guns well enough to make a guess. I walk carefully over to the building, hands half raised. The weather in Ferguson has turned cold, and as I get closer I can see their breath in the night air. I’m trying to think of what to say. There’s lots of stories about these guys. People down the street are connecting them to the rumors that the KKK is in Ferguson. Some…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska The Blaze – Take a Gander at America’s Most Heavily Armed Counties. The Ones That Aren’t on the Map Might Surprise You Maybe Texans don’t like guns as much as stereotypes have led us to believe. A map, posted Saturday by Reddit user Ramesses_Deux, purports to show the 30 U.S. counties with the highest rates of gun-owning residents. NY Times – Shift in Alaska Helps Republicans Retain Senate Edge The Senate battleground remains broad and competitive, with 10 races within six percentage points, according to the second wave of data from the New York Times/CBS News/YouGov online panel of more…
TX Armed Group Indentified & Running for Congress
[This is a followup to a previous story, which you can read here.] The Mudflats has dug up some interesting tidbits about the group of 2nd Amendment proponents that have been protesting outside the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense meetings in Texas. The problem that the Mom’s had wasn’t necessarily the protest, but that the group was openly carrying rifles – something they saw as an intimidation tactic. The group, now identified as the Tarrant County Texas chapter of national group called “Come And Take It” by the Moms Demand Action, has an interesting leader. The leader of the…