2nd Amendment Alive and Well in Austin

 I see the anti-gun crowd is upset with Texas again…poor babies!!!
 According to an article by Associated Press writer Jay Root, when they installed the brand-new, first-time-ever metal detectors at the state capitol building on May 21st, they set up an alternate line for concealed-carry license holders that bypasses the metal detectors.
 That’s right, boys and girls, you can STILL carry your concealed handgun into the capitol building. That has always been true…God Bless Texas…and it’s good to see nothing is changing in that respect.
 Of course, the usual suspects are all twitterpated over this—including Root himself, apparently. In his article, he uses some of the typical phraseology favored by anti-gun zealots...“pack heat,” “gun toting citizenry,” “lock-and-load culture,” “gun-packing visitors.” And no article on handguns would be “complete” without a statement from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
 According to Root, Brady Campaign spokesman Peter Hamm said, “If you’re planning on perpetrating something in the state capitol, you should simply get a concealed handgun license and show your gun on the way in. It’s just ludicrous.”
 No, Mr. Hamm, your theory is ludicrous. If someone is planning to perpetrate evil inside a secured area, they will find a way, gun or no-gun. Any truly disturbed individual will find a way to get something inside…or more likely, use something already inside.
 As for getting a license solely for the purpose of bringing chaos and havoc, let’s look at what the requirements are:

1. Paying a $140 fee to the state;
2. Submitting info on where you’ve lived and worked for the past 10 years;
3. Submitting two sets of fingerprint cards and passport photos;
4. Paying approx. $100 (+ ammo) for a lengthy, mandatory class on Texas law concerning concealed carry, non-violent conflict resolution, and lethal force usage;
5. Surviving an extensive background check to determine if you:
   
   • have any felony convictions,
   • have any Class A or B misdemeanor convictions within the past five years,
   • are currently charged with or fugitive from an offense,
   • have had any felony-level “delinquent conduct” within the last 10 years,
   • are ineligible to purchase a handgun under state and Federal law,
   • are delinquent on any state, county, or local taxes,
   • have ever been hospitalized for mental illness,
   • are chemically dependent,
   • are delinquent on child support,
   • are under a restraining order/protective order related to domestic violence.

FAIL ANY ONE OF THESE TESTS, and you aren’t getting a concealed handgun license in the State of Texas. Period. Add to that the fact that getting your license back from Austin can take anywhere from four weeks to four MONTHS, we aren’t talking “crime of passion” here.
 No, as has been proven time and again, restrictions on handgun possession mean nothing to criminals — by definition, they could care less about the law and are going to do whatever they want. And as has also been proven time and again, armed citizens can and do interrupt and/or prevent criminal activity by their very presence.
 So, next time you visit the Texas State Capitol, don’t worry about leaving your pistol unattended in your easily-stolen car while you’re inside. Just make sure you have your license ready to show to Security at the front door. God Bless Texas. God Save America.

New Rifle!

 Well, I guess I’ve ignored this site long enough — so much for “keeping it current.” Sorry, guys, but I’ve been a little distracted lately...by my new AK-47!!! [OK, you’re right, it’s actually a semi-auto clone of an AKML, but let’s not get picky.]
 Yes, I have officially entered the world of the “evil bad-guy gun.” Even went so far as to [shudder!!] sell my Bushmaster AR-15 to get it.
 WHAT!?! You sold the most popular rifle in America today to buy a...a...a GOON GUN!?!?!?! I thought you were an AMERICAN, dude!!!! What in the world would you want with a Commie rifle?!?!?
 OK, do we have that out of our systems now? Good.
 I could go into a long, drawn-out discussion about the pros and cons of AK vs. AR (and I probably will when I’m done with this paragraph), but the deciding factor for me was this: my personal defense carry gun is a Springfield Armory XD pistol (XD stands for “eXtreme Duty”). This pistol can take whatever you can throw at it — mud, sand, water, ICE, trucks running over it — and when you pick it up and squeeze the trigger, it goes “BANG!” I finally figured out I need a rifle that can do the same thing.
 Loaded AKs have been found buried in the Iraqi desert (in the SAND mind you, not a box) and, after a few shakes to clear the barrel and receiver, have fired full-auto without a problem. I double-dog dare you to try that with any AR-style weapon.



 Please don’t get me wrong, I do not HATE the AR…after all it was the first rifle I purchased and it's full-auto big brothers, the M-16 and M-4, have served our country for almost 50 years. As long as you treat it well, keep it clean, and feed it its favorite ammo, it will serve YOU well…just don’t drop it in the mud or neglect it’s upkeep or try running cheap ammo through it. (That “nasty” lacquer-coated steel-cased Russian ammo that makes ARs choke and puke? AKs eat it like CANDY and ask, “Please, sir, may we have MORE?”)
 And, yes, the change in ammunition WAS a major selling point. The AK-47’s 7.62x39mm round is the rough equivalent of the .30-30, most often seen in lever-action rifles. The AR-15 are traditionally chambered for the military 5.56x45mm cartridge [the civilian .223 caliber round works, but don’t try using a 5.56 in a gun designed for .223…bad idea.] Now I might be wrong, but it seems to me that a 126-grain, .30 cal. bullet at 2,450 feet per second has a little more stopping power than a 55-grain, .22 caliber bullet at 3,250 fps. It is said that the .223 is a more lethal cartridge, but quite frankly we’re not looking to kill anybody — we're just trying to stop them from continuing their attack on us. That takes PUNCH. And from what I’ve read so far, the AK does that better than the AR.
 I am not “done” with ARs. I imagine I will someday buy another one to stand beside my AK. But right now, I can’t afford both. And with what I got for my old rifle, I will be able to trick out my new rifle and buy LOTS of ammo and magazines...got to feed the baby.

P.S.: "Thanks!" to my nephew, Jerry, for leaving his AK with me while he was busy at Basic Training in San Antonio...shooting it kind of “iced the cake,” as it were.

Christianity and Self-Defense

 A lot of people think that there is a disconnect between owning and using firearms (or guns or weapons or bang-bangs or whatever you choose to call them) and being a committed, God-fearing, Bible-believing Christian. “After all,” they say, “aren't guns used to kill? Doesn't the Bible say, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’? Aren't Christians supposed to trust in God to protect them?”
 My first response is to remind them that the Hebrew word rendered “kill” in Exodus is ratsach, which is more accurately defined “murder” — ’nuff said.
 Second, when someone questions my trust in God, I remind them that Christians are also to rely on God for all provision...from food to clothing to shelter. Are you trusting in God when you go to work to earn money to buy food and clothing and shelter? Of course you are; you are relying on His wisdom and providence in providing you the skills and opportunity to work. Paul admonished the Thessalonians in 2Thes 3:6-15 that Christians are to work while awaiting Christ's return and that “if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2Thes 3:10). [OK, fight urge to go off on rabbit trail about welfare state...fight it...phew!]
 Sounds to me like trusting in God is making good use of the tools and skills He provides us. I have found nothing in the Bible that contradicts this where self-defense is concerned, with a notable exception:

If someone (individual, group, government) persecutes us or ridicules us or threatens our very lives because of our refusal to deny Christ, we are NOT to respond with force and are to be thankful we have been counted worthy to suffer for His sake (Acts 5:41, Philippians 1:29, 1Peter 3:13-17). This is the teaching of "turn the other cheek" in Matthew 5:39.

 BUT, we are obligated to protect and defend the precious gift of life that God has granted us from any that would take it for any other reason. (If you feel you have found scripture that says otherwise, please present your case...I'm all for open, honest debate.) In Luke 22:36, at the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, “...But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” [emphasis added]
  There are only two legitimate, designed uses for a sword — attack and defense. By the way, the sword of Christ's day was the ancient equivalent of an AK-47 or M-4 carbine...the BEST weapon available at the time. But I digress.
 I'm sure there are other verses of scripture that could be called-on to answer the criticism (Nehemiah 4:17-18 describe what could arguably be considered the predecessors of the Navy Seabees), but I've already run WAY too long on this first posting. I'll be back soon.