Great Satan, Inc.

If you can’t figure out what makes the United States so exceptional, read The Declaration of Independence.  If you understand and cherish what makes us so great, read The Declaration of Independence as a reminder.  Happy 4th of July, everyone!

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

text from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

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Gunblogger Bob Owens, a writer for Bob’s Gun Counter and Confederate Yankee blogs, has put his money-where-his-mouth-is for what is right. Like many of us, Bob has been following the Congressional hearings into the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE, also known as ATF) critically flawed and “unconventional investigation” into weapons smuggling into Mexico. The “investigation” is known as Operation Fast & Furious, Project Gunrunner, and a few other names that obscure how broad the investigation’s failures actually are. Congressman Darrell Issa has referred to Operation Fast & Furious as “felony stupid”. Bob believes, like many others, that the operation wasn’t just stupid.

How unconventional was the investigation?

ATF, with the cooperation of the Department of Justice and other Federal agencies, decided that the best way to stop the flow of smuggled weapons from the United States into Mexico was to ship more weapons. A few thousand more weapons!

If you want the Cliffs Notes version, checkout John Stewart’s coverage of the Congressional hearings into Operation Fast & Furious, as his Daily Show assessment is far more honest than the outright partisan distortions by Arizona’s newspaper of record.

How did Bob Owens lay it on the line?

Bob has extensively covered scandals like the death of Marine veteran Jose Guereña at the hands of the Pima County SWAT team, as well as extensively covering Operation Fast & Furious, Project Gunrunner. This time, he has filed a written request with the Federal Government’s Office of Special Counsel, requesting the appointment of an independent Special Prosecutor to investigate the failed operation that lead to the deaths of at least three U.S. law enforcement officers, as many as 150 Mexican law enforcement officers, and possibly thousands of Mexican citizens.

Why would you call that laying it on the line?

Well, Bob is presumably a gun owner, who is certainly in the United States, petitioning his government to seek redress in a case of government wrong-doing. A wrong-doing that at a minimum is:

• Negligent “felony stupid” that deserves jail time for responsible parties.
• A blunder caused by an abuse of political power used to pursue an anti-gun agenda “by any means necessary”
• Or at worst, corruption of U.S. government officials that we could only imagine happening in Mexico.

Whatever the level of corruption, it is so important that Attorney General Eric Holder and other high ranking officials have risked Contempt charges by refusing to turn over documents and otherwise cooperate in the Congressional investigation.

Our hats are off to you!

We here at GreatSatanInc.com salute Bob in taking a stand against this horrific injustice, perpetrated by government officials who allegedly serve the citizens. When the stakes are this high, it takes courage to stand up for what is right. May God bless you and keep you safe, Bob. You are doing the right thing!

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It’s time for the fun to start at the LuckyGunner.com blog shoot, at an undisclosed location, just outside Knoxville, Tennessee.

We made it to Tennessee, and our firearms did too. The TSA check on our luggage was a bit of a nail biter as we watched the TSA agent swabbing the contents of the bags (like holsters and gun belts – think there might be some gunpowder residue on there?).

The bags passed the test, and while there was no “bad touch” for either of us, we both were directed to the “enhanced” millimeter-wave machine. After getting an unknown dose of radiation, we made it to the gate, arrived in Tennessee and jumped into the rental car just in time to drive through a ginormous super-cell thunderstorm.

We arrived a couple of days early so we could check out some of the sights. It’s green beyond imagination!

The jungles of Eastern Tennessee

We’ve had a lot of biscuits since the International Biscuit Festival is underway in Knoxville. Picked up some extra radiation during an educational visit to the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge (as in Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge Boys). Now, it’s time to meet celebrity gun bloggers we read on a regular basis and hang out with some old friends.

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LuckyGunner.com is honoring the best gun bloggers on the internet and they want your help choosing the winners! Go to the Gunnie Awards page to vote for your favorites.

A partial list of categories and nominees:

Best Gun Blog – Entertainment – Nominees include Say Uncle, Sharp as a Marble, and The Smallest Minority

Best Gun Blog – Female – In Jennifer’s Head, Politics, Guns, & Beer, View from the Porch, and other great ladies.

Best Gun Blog – Law – Dave Kopel, John Lott, and Of Arms & the Law (Dave Hardy).

Best Gun Blog – Politics – No Lawyers – Only Guns and Money, NRA Blog, Snowflakes in Hell.

Best Gun – Forum – 1911 Forum, AR15.com, and The High Road.

Best Gun – Podcaster – Handgun Podcast and The Urban Shooter Podcast.

Again, this is a partial list, you’ll have to go to the Gunnie Awards page to see the rest of the nominees and cast your votes.

Get your vote in by Friday, May 27th, 2011. The winners will be announced & presented with their 30mm replica round trophy from Technoframes on Saturday night, May 28th at the LuckyGunner.com Blogger Shoot held in Knoxville, TN this Memorial Day Weekend.

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PETA is demanding that San Francisco change the name of the slummy Tenderloin District to some kind of cruelty-free food product. This is a shocking request, mostly because I didn’t know there was a far leftist group trying to hijack the acronym of the well-known People Eating Tasty Animals group. This trademark thieving group would like everyone to eat Tofu and other synthetic foods, like Soylent Green.

In an effort to help make this ghetto area of San Francisco more appealing to tourists, I’ve assembled a list of suitable alternative names, in no particular order:

1. The Bacon District – Vegans can claim it’s named after Kevin Bacon, the rest of us can appreciate the cured pork goodness of an area named after America’s favorite meat.
2. Foie Gras District – Renaming the area the Foie Gras District will lend an air of French sophistication and appeal to those who wish to remake America using Europe’s failings.
3. The Veal District – This name would create a vibrant image for a younger crowd.
4. Tuna Safe Dolphin District – This could become the hub of great sushi in the San Fran area, while making a statement against dolphin fisherman who don’t care about how many tuna die in the cove. Think of the tourist dollars this would bring to the area!
5. Can’t Lift Heavy Objects District – A name accurately reflecting the fruitopian reality they seek.
6. Youthanasia – A name that reaches the core of PETA’s mission to eliminate pet ownership, while feigning care.
7. Kobe Beef District – Named for a pampered breed of cattle that is fed lots of beer and receives daily massages. It doesn’t get anymore ethical than that!
8. Bob Parsons District – Bob Parsons, the charismatic CEO of GoDaddy.com, recently created a controversy by stopping a rogue elephant, while feeding the village he saved from the trampling beast. This would be a great way to recognize a man who spared a large number of people from starvation.
9. TurBaconEpic District – Words cannot describe the beauty of TurBaconEpic, just watch the video at the link (Rated ER – viewer discretion advised, watching may cause a coronary) .
10. Feel free to leave your best suggestion in the comments below!

Hat Tip to Sea to Shining Sea aka on Twitter, DesertGardens

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Today, we posthumously thank those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for this country.  Tomorrow, many of us will go back to our daily grind and not give much thought to those that are either currently fighting, or those who have fought and died for our freedoms until Memorial Day comes around next year.

Uncle Ted has another idea.   Make every day Memorial Day

As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we owe it to America’s finest to educate the youth of the United States that many brave Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Teach them that freedom isn’t free. Teach them that the American military has freed more people from the shackles of tyranny and slavery than any other force in the history of the world. Teach them to remember this not just on Memorial Day, but every day.

Organizations like Soldiers’ Angels make remembering our military and showing our thanks throughout the year easier than ever.  Soldiers’ Angels is a “volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit with hundreds of thousands of volunteers providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, veterans and their families”.

They offer dozens of ways to get involved in making a difference in a soldier’s life – none involving a sacrifice as great as the one our military proudly and selflessly provides to us each day.

Happy Memorial Day 2010, Day 1.

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Day 2 of the 2010 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Charlotte proved to be a packed day, just like the first day of the NRA convention. Staying in the center of town made for a short walk to Charlotte Convention Center and the few panhandlers I saw didn’t pester me. I should note that Charlotte’s panhandlers did have the newest and cleanest clothes I’ve seen on beggars anywhere, the Charlotte Observer should be proud.

Honored American Veterans Afield, also known as HAVA, has a booth in the main lobby area. We’ve written about the great work HAVA does, backed by the outdoor industry, to help injured and disabled soldiers transition back to civilian life. I participated in their fund raising raffle and happily departed with a few HAVA branded Smith & Wesson lockback knives. We hope you’ll support their efforts too. Despite the large attendance at the show, I was able to get a photo of the HAVA booth in main lobby area.

(Click on the pics for a larger version)

Even though the lobby was fairly easy to navigate, the show floor was very active and crowded around the popular booths.

Lauer Weaponry, maker of Duracote gun paints, had a display of custom painted firearms. I looked at the graffiti laden Manhattan paint scheme momentarily before this brightly painted AR-15 with a rail mounted .45 caught my eye, then apparently blinded me.

But wait, there’s more, click here to see

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