A bill to make the Colt Single Action Army revolver the symbolic state firearm of Arizona has stalled in the Arizona House of Representatives. Naming a state firearm won’t cost the state a dime, but it is an important element of Arizona’s history as it relates to the Arizona Centennial celebration. This is a one time only opportunity to celebrate our first 100 years of statehood. As noted by the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission, the Arizona’s Centennial provides Arizona and its citizens an opportunity to showcase the “state’s beauty, history and future”.
Colt SAA in Nickel - ASRPA 2011 Meeting raffle prize.
How was the Colt SAA Selected?
The Colt Single Action Army revolver (Colt SAA), also known as the
Peacemaker, was suggested by the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA), after a survey of more than 3,000 respondents chose the Colt SAA as the gun most representative of Arizona’s history. ASRPA’s Arizona lobbyist, Todd Rathner, then contacted Colt to see if they would support and help achieve the official designation.
What Is ASRPA?
The Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association was founded in 1909 to oversee competitive shooting and firearms training in the state. ASRPA has played a crucial role in Arizona’s history, that continues to this day:
In 1910, The Arizona Rifle Team designed and used a flag when they attended the National Matches at Camp Perry. This flag was adopted as the state flag in 1917.(source ASRPA presentation)
Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association Rifle Team early 1900s
Does This Firearm Represent Arizona?
One of two guns widely acclaimed for winning the West, the Colt Single Action Army revolver was widely used by settlers, farmers, ranchers, miners, and the Arizona Rangers for self-defense and law enforcement. It was also carried by the Arizona Rough Riders*. It has been suggested that a Ruger product would be appropriate, since Ruger has a significant manufacturing presence in Prescott. However, Ruger’s Old West style guns began production in the 1950s and are actually based on the Colt Single Action Army design, which leads us back to having the Colt Single Action Army revolver designated as the state firearm.
What Will It Cost the State?
It won’t cost Arizona a single copper penny. It’s really hard to imagine how passing a no-cost bill like SB1610 would be too much for some lawmakers, when you consider the controversial bills that have been passed this year. Speaker of the House Kirk Adams pushed through a structurally balanced budget, a rollback of the state’s excessively spendy health insurance program (ACCCHS), as well as major pension reform. The House tackled contentious issues that desperately needed to be addressed, led by someone willing to take the heat.
What Now?
The Arizona House has worked many late nights this session, tackling difficult, contentious, and controversial issues for the State. Hopefully, with the busy schedule, they just haven’t had time to update the voting calendar with the date SB1610 will be heard on the House floor.
We’re hoping they will pass this bill on Monday, so the passage can be applauded at Senator Sylvia Allen’s Patriot’s Day celebration at the Arizona Capitol on Tuesday.
The film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged: Part 1, was a jam packed theater experience. Our Cliff Notes review of the movie is: let go of your expectations, open your mind, and go see it! Now! What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for the theater to open? Go now! Okay, okay, please go see this movie at your earliest convenience.
Back to the short-attention-span review, you could read a poncy, pretentious movie critique, or you can take our word. Atlas Shrugged is a good, dramatic movie, with a message based on your choosing. If you’ve read all 1,350 plus pages of the book, you will no doubt notice some deviation from the original story. There’s a bit of a love interest that should keep a slightly vapid date absorbed. There are numerous political themes playing out that should keep your armchair political quarterback friends riveted. Subtle, but important, details are revealed constantly to keep your thinking friends engaged. Finally, there is some great imagery to keep your visually amused friends hanging on for the next camera shot. Make no mistake, this is a sentient person’s movie, unlike Spider-Man 3.
Here’s a clue, take a look at this video of Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. trashing the Apple iPad . Unfortunately, you can only understand the gravity of the vilification of Steve Jobs and Apple if you see Atlas Shrugged.
Whether you think Big Business is evil and we should be protected from greed, or you think that phony conservatives in D.C. will protect you from socialism, you need to see this movie to grasp the consequences of the fashionable merging of Crony Capitalism with the warm hugs of business regulation, done for the Greater Good™.
Very few movies can motivate an entire theater to applaud, but Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 managed to do just that.
Finally, the phony threat of a government shutdown has been avoided.
Congratulations, you lose!
The news media and politicians droned monotonously about how severe the impact of a government shutdown would be. Children would die, women would lose their rights, the elderly would go hungry, and our soldiers would go unpaid while they risked their lives. Even after the deal, the Associated Press (AP) said that we were, “perilously close to a government shutdown”.
Not to worry, your government professionals are still on the job, well, not on weekends, holidays, after 5:00 PM or during vacations…
You may have heard the President’s speech tonight about an historic deal to avoid a government shutdown! He even went so far as to proclaim the budget deal as “the biggest annual spending cut in history.” Sounds great doesn’t it? Or, does it sound like Bravo Sierra?
Who wins?
House Republicans – They made it sound like the country would spend less this year due to their tireless efforts
Senate Democrats – Senator Reid wants you to know he stood up to those mean Republicans, and the Cherry Blossom Festival will go on.
President Obama – He wants you to think his bold leadership led to this historic reduction in proposed spending.
China – China will probably continue to finance our debt, growing rich from the interest payments.
Who Loses?
The American people – While you were sleeping, eating, working, or looking for work, a big pony show went on in D.C. to fool you into thinking they were “doing something” about spending. You might think they reduced spending (the news told you so), but they will still have a budget bigger than they’ve ever had before!
Democrats were tricked into believing their sacred institutions were threatened, when they’ll get more money than ever before. Republican politicians make it sound like they took a stand, when they made a deal to spend more than ever before. President Obama wants you to think he kept his promise from his State of the Union address to reduce spending. Your tax bill will continue to grow, as will the record deficit, and the gargantuan National Debt.
Yes, you have been swindled! A “historic budget cut” is a $228 billion dollar increase over last year’s budget.
Ah-ha-ha. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Good night!*
* Jonny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols, after playing one song at a San Francisco concert, then walking off stage, ending the show prematurely.
