Great Satan, Inc.

We’ll be joining the entire crew of Phoenix talk radio station KFYI 550 for live coverage of election results at the Montelucia Resort’s new CENTRO Lounge in Paradise Valley, Arizona.   You can find us among the guest panel of political bloggers KFYI has invited to join in the coverage.  The political bloggers include:

The lovely and talented Page from Religion Press

The lovely and talented Suzanne Sharer from Conservative Patriot Revolution, Twitter: @blondeandsmart

From a secret bunker, the lovely and talented Vox (Bridget), Twitter: @VoxAZ

The lovely and talented Katie Wick of Katie Wick’s Conservative Cut, Twitter: @KatieWickUSA

Exurban Kevin and Exurban Doug from Exurban League.com, Kevin’s Twitter: @ExurbanKevin

Conservative political analyst Thomas Purcell, Twitter: @LotusTom

As well as Jacqueline and I from Great Satan, Inc and Team Gun Blogger Twitter: @GreatSatanInc

KFYI will feature our live blogging on the air, as well as a live stream on their website, and spreading the love via the KFYI Twitter page and hashtag #KFYI2012.  You can also listen live through the I HeartRadio network.

Mike Broomhead and Andrew will begin broadcasting live at 4:00 PM (6:00 PM EST).  You may have heard Mike filling in for Glen Beck on Beck’s radio show.  There will be surprises and guests, including Rep. John Shadegg and Democratic political consultant Mario Diaz.  KFYI morning personalities Jim Sharpe and John McJunkin will join in, as well as the rest of KFYI’s crew.  Join us for insightful, and possibly inciteful, commentary, political humor, and straightforward political analysis throughout the night.

Listen in!

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Robb Allen has a great post about citizen engagement in legislation and how you need to be involved to get good laws, specifically good gun laws.  He notes that legislators aren’t experts on the issues they legislate.  That’s where you, the engaged and informed citizen, have a duty to write, call, or visit your elected officials.  Deeply flawed bills can be derailed by investing a little of your time in the process.  Stopping bad bills from becoming law is cheaper, easier, and safer than trying to overturn a bad law in our court system.

For instance, a politician trying to “do something” might be extremely uninformed about the standard magazine capacity for a firearm.  For the ambitious legislator, limiting magazine capacity might sound like a great way to “do something” about crime.  Making it a felony to possess a magazine that can hold more than ten rounds will prove that the politician is really serious when he/she/it is trying to do something about crime.  A courteous meeting with your politicritters could educate them about the range of standard capacities available, how the law will unjustly criminalize their voting base, negatively impact the poor, minorities, and women.

The alternative is; bad laws, a loss of rights, and hours wasted on internet forums complaining about how NRA let you down because they didn’t airdrop a team of lawyers and lobbyists in to rescue you from the city council/legislature/Governor your fellow citizens elected.  At the local and state level, it’s your job to engage your representatives!

Even if NRA has a lobbyist in your state, that lobbyist doesn’t have as much influence as large numbers of constituents calling a state senator, flooding a representative’s inbox with email, or overloading the governor’s phone system.

The NRA is the 800 pound gorilla for Federal gun legislation and elections.  At the state level in Arizona, the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) and the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA) are our 800 pound gorillas when it comes to gun rights.  If your state has an NRA affiliate like ASRPA, or a comparable Citizens Defense League, you should join immediately.  In California there is CalGuns and Florida has Florida Carry.  Just about every state has a group fighting for their resident’s rights.

After you’ve joined a group that protects your rights, you need to participate as well.  These groups get a reputation as 800 pound gorillas because their members demonstrate that they are watching, voting, and dethroning bad politicians.

If you don’t interact in the process, you are dependent on a few dedicated volunteers and a generous individual or two to protect your rights and interests.  If you aren’t gaining ground in your state, it’s probably time for you to get involved.

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NRA Executive Vice-President, Wayne LaPierre, was at Scottsdale Gun Club today to announce NRA’s endorsement of Congressman Jeff Flake for U.S. Senate.  Representative Flake is running for retiring Arizona Senator Jon Kyl’s seat.

NRA’s endorsement is vital in a pro-gun state like Arizona.

Jeff Flake’s Democrat opponent, Richard Carmona, was personally recruited by President Obama to run for Jon Kyl’s senate seat.  Carmona supports gun control and does not view the Second Amendment as an individual right, in spite of two Supreme Court rulings to the contrary, and his own defensive gun use:

We want to make sure that anybody who owns a weapon legally has the appropriate training, education, and that we can be assured that society is safe with a person who owns a weapon.  We do the same thing for automobiles or any other technology, if you will, that the average citizen gets to use.  We ensure that they can use it safely, because we have to look at the greater good of society. – Richard Carmona to Democracy Now, Jan 11, 2011

Would Richard Carmona’s “greater good of society” approach lead to encroachments on rights?  Absolutely!

An aristocratic, megalomaniac mindset convinces the holder that he is the final arbiter of determining whether an “average citizen” gets to exercise a fundamental right.  Mr. Carmona doesn’t seem to understand the fundamental basis of  our nation – a government of the people, by the people, for the people.  We do not select politicians to run our lives for us or determine if we are worthy enough to protect ourselves from criminals.  What’s next for Carmona?  Internet access permits?  Privacy licenses?  Birth control permits?  Big Gulp possession licenses?

Representative Flake has an excellent record on gun control issues, along with his adoption of the Republican Liberty Caucus position statement in 2000.   The endorsement of Jeff Flake by NRA should go a long way towards reassuring Arizona voters that they can trust Flake to oppose infringements on our Second Amendment rights.  Vote for freedom, not “free” handouts.

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We are saddened to learn Cochise County sheriff, Larry Dever, died in a single-vehicle crash in Northern Arizona last night. Sheriff Dever’s county shares a border with Mexico and he was an outspoken defender of Arizona’s attempts to reduce the crimes associated with illegal immigration and lax border enforcement. Dever also stood with nine other Arizona sheriff’s to demand accountability for those involved in Operation Fast and Furious.

Sheriff Dever was running unopposed for his fifth and final term as Cochise County sheriff.  Our condolences go out to Mr. Dever’s family and friends, who were already dealing with the loss of his Mother to cancer less than a week ago.  Sheriff Dever devoted 34 years of his life to law enforcement in Cochise County and he will be greatly missed.

R.I.P. Sheriff Larry Dever

Update: Please read Jim Sharpe’s farewell essay about Larry Dever.

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It’s time for the annual Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA) dinner on Saturday June 2, 2012.   If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, you have until early Wednesday afternoon on May 30th to get your tickets to this very special Arizona Centennial dinner.

You can purchase dinner tickets online at www.ASRPA.com.

Dinner, raffles, speakers, and festivities will be at:

Crowne Plaza Hotel
2532 W. Peoria Ave
Phoenix, AZ  85029
(888) 444-0401

Event Schedule:

5:00pm       Social hour
6:00pm       Opening Prayer, Pledge, and Introductions
6:10pm        Dinner
6:30pm        Special Arizona Speakers Jack Harper, Matt Salmon, Sylvia Allen, Col. (ret) Costa Tzavaras
7:15pm        High Achievement Awards for ASRPA Junior Shooters.
7:30pm        Special Guest Speaker Nick Adams
8:00pm        Raffle Ticket Winners
8:15pm        Alison’s 27th Annual  Auction
9:00pm’ish   Adjournment

ASRPA has a great list of speakers lined up, including former Congressional Representative Matt Salmon, Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen, Arizona Representative Jack Harper, and Col. Costa Tzavaras and a special guest speaker from Sydney, Australia, Nick Adams. The evening’s theme is American Excellence and a celebration of our 100th year of Statehood.

There are also some great raffles where you can win:

The Arizona Rangers Firearms set.  An authentic Charcoal Blue and Case colored .45 Colt Peacemaker (Cimarron/Uberti) with 4 3/4″ barrel and holster PLUS the “Gun that Won the West”, the 1873 .45 Colt lever action rifle with 24″ barrel, Charcoal blue and case colored.

The “Tip Top Mine Armored Coach Package.  A 12 guage 3inch double trigger, exposed Rabbit Ear Hammers, 20” barrels, canvas sling with shell loops, and canvas duster case.

A special Nick Adams Downunder edition of a Sharps Long Range Rifle.

Support safe recreational and competitive shooting in Arizona.  Go to the ASRPA website and get your dinner and raffle tickets right now.

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As noted in Tyler Montague’s post on Sonoran Alliance, there is quite a bit of debate about Arizona Senate Bill 1474.  SB1474 would allow Arizona concealed weapons permit holders to carry on state college campuses, rather than leaving their weapons in their cars, where the risk of weapons theft is high. The bill even allows campuses to prohibit firearms in buildings. If colleges wish to prohibit carry by law abiding citizens, they must provide a safe storage locker and appropriate signage.

ASU President Michael Crow, who opposes the bill, has threatened to waste millions of dollars on needless lockers, signs, and additional security if SB 1474 is passed. Wasting $13 million for a false sense of security might be a good reason to replace the president of a university, but Arizona should not allow itself to be blackmailed by threats of retaliatory wasteful spending.

A Warped Imagination

President Crow wants people to, “imagine a crowded college lecture hall in which one student pulls a handgun and fires a shot, then a dozen more students untrained in the use of firearms and how to handle potentially deadly situations all pull out their guns.”

Mr. Crow asks you to imagine, because such a tragic event has never happened. He also wants you to suspend reality and imagine that training is not required in order to qualify for a concealed carry permit. Despite Mr. Crow’s imagination, Arizona requires permit holders to have a minimum amount of training in weapons use and how to respond to, or avoid deadly encounters.

Mr. Crow also wants people to imagine that police SWAT teams will be shooting innocent students in order to “take out everyone with a gun.” This is an extremely absurd scenario! Arizona Department of Public Safety officers, Phoenix Police officers, Arizona Game and Fish officers, and virtually every law enforcement department in the state of Arizona regularly deals with armed, law abiding, Arizona citizens without killing “everyone with a gun.”

Campus Police Chiefs

Campus Police Chiefs were even willing to denigrate their own officers during testimony before an Arizona Senate committee. Some chiefs explained that studies show that 85% of shots fired during officer involved shootings miss their intended targets, while reinforcing the view that officers will recklessly kill innocents. I hope those Campus Police Chiefs were merely supporting their campus management’s hyperbolic opposition. Otherwise, those chiefs should be replaced and funds should immediately be allocated for training campus police so they have the same level of competency as the rest of Arizona’s Peace Officers.

Nationwide, more than 26 colleges with more than 70 campuses already allow concealed carry on campus. None have reported the problems that the opponents of SB1474 imagine.

Imagine Reality

Police cannot be everywhere, you are your own first responder.

Even ASU has noted a Department of Justice study that found: “About 3% of coeds are raped during each academic year. Over the course of 5 calendar years, including summers and vacations, 20-25% may be raped.” Even with this level of victimization, ASU President Michael Crow lobbies to keep students defenseless. Surely, rape disrupts the educational process more than a law-abiding gun owner ever could.

During the most recent school shooting at Chardon High School, an hour elapsed before the Lake County SWAT even arrived on scene.

At the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, the murderer’s spree went unchallenged for two and a half hours. As a result of “gun free zone” policies on the Virginia Tech campus, the murderer was able to kill students for 2.5 hours. He even had time to return to his room to reload, then go across campus to continue his spree completely unchallenged.

In December 2011, the first call to police about the most recent Virginia Tech shootings was made at around 12:30 PM. The SWAT team deployed to the student center at 2:34 PM and the campus was declared clear and safe at about 4:40 PM. Helpless and defenseless students waited fearfully for over four hours.

As Virginia Tech English Professor, Lucinda Roy noted after the December 2001 shootings in VT’s gun free zone:

“I feel our campuses are still vulnerable. Anyone can wander onto our campus at any time. I’ve had people wander into my classes I have no idea who they are, even since 2007.”

Is a Concealed Weapons Permit Good Enough?

DPS data shows that there are currently 163,425 concealed weapons permit holders in Arizona. From September 8, 1994 to February 26, 2012 only 1,115 permits have been revoked for any reason. Even if those revocations were just for the last year, the revocations would only amount to 0.68 percent of current permits. These revocations do not represent actual mishaps, and in some cases, a revoked permit may be reinstated.

When traveling outside of Arizona, an Arizona concealed weapons permit is recognized and accepted by 35 other states. This level of concealed weapons permit reciprocity suggests that our current permit training requirements are more than adequate to address public safety concerns, while allowing the individual the choice to pursue additional firearms training that fits their time, financial constraints, and training needs.

Clarity

President Crow’s imagination is unsupported by facts, which is why he cannot provide any incidents that substantiate his fears. Despite the claims to the contrary, Senate Bill 1474 allows people to protect themselves while addressing legitimate safety concerns.

People have a right to self-defense and a right to bear arms. Imaginary events are a completely inadequate reason to deprive law abiding adults of their constitutional rights. In this bill, Senator Ron Gould has addressed the concerns that were expressed about similar legislation last year. Senate Bill 1474 merely allows adult citizens, over 21, who have had firearms training, submitted to fingerprinting, and passed a criminal background check to qualify for, and obtain, a valid concealed weapons permit to lawfully carry when they set foot on the soil of a college campus. The same right they already have elsewhere in the state.

I hope you will join me in supporting S.B. 1474.

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Welcome to M14 National Monument, please keep your head down and stay with the group.  We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you while you visit Organ Pipe National Monument, where the border is more secure than ever.

Liz Goodwin recently wrote about her visit to Organ Pipe National Monument.  About 69% of the park has been closed since 2002, when Park Ranger Kris Eggle was murdered by drug runners.

As Ms. Goodwin notes, things have improved at the park.  Since 2009, you can take a van tour to the springs in the park, but you’ll be escorted by Park Rangers protected with bullet proof vests and armed with M14 Battle Rifles.   Oh yeah, there will be more officers in the hills keeping watch for cartel members that may ruin your day.  Due to increased law enforcement presence, on March 1st, 2012, around 46% of the monument will be open to visitors.  Let that sink in.  You can’t visit 54% of your national monument because, it’s just too dangerous.

The danger to visitors in Organ Pipe National Monument is even higher than Saguaro National Monument and Coronado National Memorial.   The Mexican drug trade to the United States is at least $39 billion per year, and the thousands of weapons trafficked South by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives remains unquantified.  We need to evaluate the loss of access to parts of the U.S. and the increase in wealth of certain political elites who fight to make more of our borderland “protected environmental areas”.   Certainly, gun control wasn’t the only motivation for the criminal Operation Fast and Furious.

For some perspective, the DMZ between North and South Korea is a safer place to visit.  Just remember when Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and President Obama claim that “border security is better than ever“,  it all depends on what the meaning of the word “is” actually is.

If you think the porous border isn’t a serious issue, just remember, when you eat a cheap burger, admire your inexpensively manicured lawn, or snort a line of cheap cocaine, there is a enormous price paid by some Americans (and Mexicans) for that little luxury you enjoy, while you smugly pine that you are looking out for those less fortunate than you.

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