Mike and I woke up bright and early this morning to make progress on two fronts: He, to take the LSAT, and I, to complete my Idaho hunter education field day.

The field day wasn’t too horrible - though ‘field day’ is kind of a lie. It’s actually about 5% shooting, 5% safe handling of dummy rifles (like how to best carry when on line with hunting partners), and 90% classroom stuff that is totally redundant with what was already covered in the bookwork portion of the course. I was afraid I was going to be the only person in the room over the age of 12, but since it was a field day for folks who had taken the bookwork portion online, it actually turned out to be all adults.

We shot break-action pellet rifles - 25 yards, 20 rounds per person, five rounds in each of the four major shooting positions. Fortunately, I’m not so pregnant that prone was impossible - though it was a little uncomfortable. After my sitting shots, the instructor walked downrange to squint at two of the targets - mine and the guy next to me. I was convinced I’d managed to embarass myself that horribly. But nope! He walked back behind the line and I heard him tell one of the other instructors “I have a hard time seeing them when they’re all in the black.”

*smirk*

I ended up ‘winning’ an Idaho hunter education canvas bag thingy for being a top shot. I’m thoroughly stoked to use said canvas bag thingy as a reusable grocery bag at the hippie food co-op.

Anyway, I passed everything and am now an officially educated Idaho hunter, complete with a super-awesome ‘Idaho Hunter Education Graduate’ blaze-orange trucker cap. Since I needed to pick up some .22LR while in Lewiston, I went ahead and got my license and whitetail tag at the same time.

It is so on, Bambi.

—

As for Mike’s LSAT - he’s scored between 154 and 167 on practice tests over the last couple of months (I think his average has been ~160) so he was relatively confident going into it. He also swore up and down there was no way the logic games - his worst section - could be the extra/experimental section on the test. I told him not to be so sure. GUESS WHAT THE EXTRA SECTION WAS! Anyway, he said he feels like he probably scored somewhere in the range he’d seen on the practice tests, but he really didn’t have a feeling about how high or low.

He said a chick behind him at the test had a t-shirt on with a giant Obama face on it, which kind of freaked him out. I asked, “Like one of those Che Guevara looking ones, the Latin American communist propaganda kind?”

“Yep,” he said. “I wanted to thank her for the extra motivation, but didn’t really feel like getting into it in the middle of the LSAT.”

—

Last but not least, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Idaho’s newest residents: The wonderful, freedom-loving Ellie and Barry (and their pups, Gus and Raisin). They just relocated from southern California to Boise; Ellie has accepted a position at Boise State. (I’m going to let that part slide.) Neener-neener, California - we’re taking all the good ones! Y’all are so screwed.

Welcome to free America, friends!

I was just checking out a forum that is populated primarily by crunchy parents, mostly women. Depending on which sub-forum you’re in, they range from raving Obama liberals to preparedness homesteaders. Anyway, I was perusing the financial forum (which seems to lean toward the conservative prepared types), and came across a thread about buying gold. The author was asking whether it’s better to save money by buying in 1-ounce increments, or spend extra to get 1/10 ounce coins that would be more spendable in times of need.

Someone replied:

“In an economic depression, you are better off having goods to trade (food, clothing, gas/oil, etc), and weapons to protect your cache of goods. If people are starving, it won’t matter how much gold you have on hand - people can’t eat gold.”

Then the original author replied, and here’s part of what she said:

“thanks for the heads-up guys!! good point about stockpiling other goods! we’re not allowed to bear arms in australia… “

As the title says: Count your blessings… and keep your powder dry.

In case you haven’t heard, Ron Paul endorsed… well, anybody but the major party candidates:

Earlier, Paul called the presidential elections a charade and said voters are faced with the “lesser of two evils.”

The majority of Americans, about 60 percent, are unhappy with their choices in the race, Paul said. He urged the three third-party candidates to bring all their supporters together to vote against the “establishment candidates.”

Mike just came in and pointed out something totally obvious that hadn’t yet occurred to me in this context: While Ron Paul may be pretty fringe-y, HE IS A FRIGGIN’ REPUBLICAN!

Obviously RP wouldn’t have been an “establishment candidate” had he won the (R) nomination, but it is a little ridiculous that he’s been playing the GOP game all this time and is now temper-tantruming against the two-party system.

Sorry, Ron. This is one time I can safely say you’re part of the problem.

John Stossel has a great article up on Townhall.com about the importance of the oft-misunderstood speculator in the economy.

An excerpt:

The prices of commodities often change unexpectedly, making business risky. The speculator brings a degree of certainty to otherwise risky ventures. When supplies of a commodity are plentiful and prices low — but speculators expect the price to rise later — they buy — cushioning the collapse of prices. When supplies become scarcer and prices rise, they sell — easing the shortage and lowering the price. Also, speculators may agree to buy a commodity in the future for a price locked in today. This reduces the risk for an oil producer or farmer who fears investing because he doesn’t know what price his product will sell for next year.

Make sure to read the whole thing - it highlights John McCain’s admitted lack of understanding of economics, which scares the hell out of me. 

1. I realized (a bit late) that not everybody knows that Patriots’ Day is celebrated on the anniversary of April 19, 1775 - the day the shot heard ’round the world was fired at Concord bridge. If you’re unfamiliar with the significance of Lexington and Concord, educate yourself here. (My dear Inconvenience would argue that the war began long before April 19, perhaps with the Boston massacre or HMS Gaspée affair - but we celebrate Patriots’ Day all the same!)

April 19 also marks the anniversary of the siege at Waco (1993) and the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), neither of which I find occasion to commemorate. I believe both of those events were clashes between two sides generally lacking in sympathetic characters.

Anyway, we observe Patriots’ Day with shooting and festivities to honor the American traditions of independence and marksmanship. Last year, the Inconvenience proposed (on a bridge!) and we followed it up with shooting. This year, we happened to have access to Tannerite, so we had a bit of fun with the effigy of a Redcoat. I of course have no intention of blowing up any actual subjects of the Queen. :)

2. I really hope you’re all watching John Adams, or making arrangements to procure the DVDs. It is simply incredible. I dare you to watch this - just the intro - and try to avoid coming away inspired:

The casting is brilliant, the script is excellent… it’s truly history come alive. It’s also caused me to have a bit of a crush on Thomas Jefferson (as if I didn’t already), played perfectly by Stephen Dillane. The Inconvenience has been pleading Hamilton’s case for months, but it’s falling on deaf ears… And the miniseries isn’t helping. I hate that sleazy little self-serving parasite. I’m totally on Team Burr.3. In addition to spending copious amounts of time fangirling over the founding fathers, I’ve also:

• Continued on in my position at the ice rink, with new and improved summer duties.
• Helped found the Palouse Sons of Liberty.
• Organized a team for and participated in the Relay for Life - for which, by the way, I also owe late donation thank-yous to JJ and Brody. :)
• Kept an eye on Heller, the elections, and other news and current events with the potential to affect our lives profoundly. Idaho Republicans will finally get around to holding the primary on May 27th (when it totally matters, hurrr…) - but there’s still an ongoing pissing match about the closed primary rule, so who knows - maybe I won’t even get to vote.
• Gotten rather involved in a potential lawsuit and am developing a cursory involvement in another… Don’t worry, I’m not in any trouble, nor is the Inconvenience. I’m just a fan of putting my time and money where my mouth is, and as much as I’d like to elaborate at this time, I can’t. Trust me… they’ll be intriguing stories sooner or later.
• Started talking about an entrepreneurial opportunity with a friend. This, too, is in the works, with more details to come once I have a clue what they are!
• Been running here, there and everywhere with this friend’s party and that friend’s shower and on and on… May is only going to be worse. Out of nine weekend days in May, I currently have plans for eight. *thud*

So anyway, those are my lame excuses for severely neglecting the politics, guns, and politics-as-pertaining-to-guns portions of this blog lately. Forgive me?

4. Don’t forget, those of you who have occasion to be on a college campus this week - the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus Spring 2008 “Empty Holster Protest” is currently in full swing. You can find details here, along with guidelines for safe, effective participation.

5. On a personal note, I’d like to congratulate Mike - my dear Inconvenience - on his new job, which he started today. He’s also preparing to graduate on May 10th with his B.A. in History, with a Political Science minor… and a 3.5 GPA! ‘Bout damn time one of us graduated. ;)

US Dollar Goes to Pot

A choice excerpt:

Second, it is essential that we peg our currency to some commodity that is universally recognized as valuable. Sure, gold or silver would work, but the fact is that precious metals are a little old school. After all, we’re running a 21st century economy here, not a pirate ship. We need a commodity that is sufficiently rare, and yet considered valuable by today’s sophisticated and educated citizenry. We suggest marijuana.

I LOL’ed at the pirate ship part!

Somebody needs to explain to me the legal or moral justification for the following series of events:

1. I’m born into a system of taxation I did not consent to. I consistently vote against taxation and against candidates who will perpetuate this system. I continue to not consent and yet I have no legal way out of the system.
2. I am raised to take as little as possible from the public coffers. Some of it is unavoidable: I have no alternatives to transit other than traversing the public roadways. I am, by default, protected by the United States Military. Other things, though - seeking public healthcare, or taking an unemployment check, I’m taught to avoid. As I grow older, I grow even more radical about this, and do what I can to be as self-sufficient as I can.
3. When I come of age to have a job, the system I have never consented to now turns a gun on me and confiscates a portion of every paycheck. Some of it goes to those common goods which I cannot avoid. Some of it goes to a system of socialist redistribution of wealth.
4. Currently, I work. I pay taxes. I rent a home because I cannot currently afford a mortgage. I’ve looked into mortgages - but a cursory look at options and rates was enough to show me a sub-prime mortgage was only a valid option if I would be re-selling the house before the rate increase, and if I was reasonably sure the housing market would stay level enough I could recoup my investment. I have never even been close to entering into a sub-prime contract, yet I know this.
5. Now, the government, funded by a system I have not consented to and taxes stolen from me at the point of a gun, wants to bail out people who entered into contracts without comprehending (or caring about) the terms of those contracts. The government has confiscated money I could be paying a mortgage with in order to fund a bureaucracy-driven rescue of people who are more irresponsible than I.

This is pure socialistic redistribution of wealth. It is another step in the direction of the slave state. The government is seizing any opportunity available to create a new class of dependent children - we have social security recipients, and welfare recipients, and Katrina victims, and now - sub-prime mortgage-holders who won’t have to face the consequences of their irresponsible actions.

We are through the looking glass, people. If you’re responsible and work hard, the government takes your property and offers very little in return. If you’re irresponsible or lazy, the government will provide for you. The people in the first class are growing fewer, while the people in the second class are legion - and their votes are increasingly for a system that perpetuates their entitlements. Don’t worry, young ones, Big Brother will be there to bail you out if you get in over your head. He only asks a few things in return…

This is evil, and I feel it’s a harbinger of far worse things to come.

This is old news by now in the libertarian blogosphere, but I’ve just gotta hit on it.

The arrest was definitely unlawful. That’s a slam-dunk, in my opinion.

Righi’s refusal to show his receipt and subsequent exit from the store, however, I really can’t get behind. I have a lot of respect for private establishments and their rights to set pretty much any policy they want. That’s why I don’t shop at the Moscow, Idaho Rosauer’s, Tri-State, or Wal-Mart. All three have demonstrated to either my husband or myself via personal experience they have anti-gun policies. I use the power of the purse to avoid said policies by taking my business elsewhere, and it’s worked out just fine.

I don’t believe Michael Righi automatically has what amount to 4th Amendment rights in a Circuit City any more than he has 1st or 2nd Amendment rights, at least when it pertains to Circuit City policies and employees.

What Michael Righi should have done, if he felt so strongly about avoiding what he saw as an unreasonable search of his purchase, was inform the “doorman” he would present his receipt but was now going to return the merchandise. Why would he want to patronize a company that has policies he opposes, anyway? Michael Righi is preaching sacrifice and civil disobedience - but he wants to have his cake and eat it too.

I’ve walked away from an armful of intended purchases before because I learned of an anti-gun policy. I’ve inconvenienced myself because I can’t just run down to Wal-Mart and pick up some mascara, or check the ammo prices at Tri-State, or get sushi from Rosauer’s. The whole sacrifice and civil disobedience thing has two parts: making your stand, and sticking by it by voting with your dollars, even when it is a pain in the ass.

The only thing I ask of private establishments is a clear, visible posting of their policies at their entrance, so I can avoid even entering the store if I don’t want to comply with said policies. If their policies are posted and I refuse to comply with them, I’m instantly trespassing. If their policies aren’t posted, I believe they owe me a verbal warning and a chance to exit the premises before calling the police or taking further action.

There are eleven Gold Star open carry states in the country. They are, in no particular order:

• Alaska

• Idaho
• Montana
• Wyoming
• South Dakota
• Arizona
• New Mexico
• Kentucky
• West Virginia
• Virginia
• Vermont

Mike and I think our search for a future hometown will be restricted to said states. Now, right off the bat we can eliminate Alaska, because as much as I realize it’s a beautiful place full of rugged individualism, I would kill myself if I went through winters with literally no sunlight. Also axed is Vermont, because… Really? Vermont? The location sucks and I think their carry laws (open and concealed) are the only things they do right.

Also out are Arizona and New Mexico, because we don’t like the desert, nor the high desert, nor desert mountains, nor the unbearable summer heat, nor… Pretty much anything about being in that region. This is regrettable, since I’ve heard Arizona actually has a very healthy gun culture - I just don’t care to live there, though.

I don’t know a lot about West Virginia, but I don’t think it’s the kind of place I’d relocate across the country for. Neither is Kentucky.

South Dakota is also not really our cup of tea, Wyoming for the same reasons - the landscape is a little too barren, the weather a little too harsh, and there’s just not a whole heck of a lot going on. I’ll can them for now, though they may be re-visited in the future.

This means we’re down to:

• Idaho

• Montana
• Virginia

Frankly, I like Idaho. I just don’t know that I want to stay where we’re at forever, and I don’t want to go anywhere south of here, because… well, no thanks. I don’t like southern Idaho. At all. I think Coeur d’Alene will go on the list of greater metropolitan areas to check out.

I am steadily warming up to Montana. It seems like they value a lot of libertarian ideals there, and I’m really enjoying some of the things coming out of their state house. I also know that the city of Missoula offers domestic partner benefits - this is a good thing because a) it means people, even if it’s just Missoulans, are receptive to such a thing - which might mean it exists outside of government, and b) I’d actually consider working for government at a city/county/maybe state level, and since Mike and I don’t plan to get legally married, it would be nice to have benefits that actually covered us both.

Lastly, Virginia is still in due to it’s proximity to politics, lobbying, and William & Mary. Not high on my list, but not ruled out by decree of the Mike.

That concludes this episode of the Hometown Shopping Network, as I’m now being told to get off the computer and go to bed. :)

D.C.’s Ban On Handguns In Homes Is Thrown Out

This Washington Post article is a comprehensive run-down of what exactly happened with regards to the long-standing D.C. gun ban. (If it tries to get you to register, visit BugMeNot for a login/password you can bypass registration with.) Some notable excerpts are as follows:

…Legal experts said the conflict could lead to the first Supreme Court review of the issue in nearly 70 years… — Well, it’s about damn time!

…The ruling was the latest development in four years of litigation waged by six D.C. residents who said they wanted to keep guns in their homes for self-defense. Alan Gura, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said, “This is a tremendous victory for the civil rights of all Americans.”… — Six people. It took six people to step up and push this thing to the forefront of the courts - think about that next time you don’t vote because one voice doesn’t make a difference.

…Silberman [majority], a staunch conservative, was nominated to the appellate court by President Ronald Reagan, and Griffith was nominated by President Bush [majority]. Henderson [dissenting] was nominated by President George H.W. Bush. … — I’m not a Bush 41 fan, but good god his dad SUCKS!

…Of last year’s 169 homicides, 137 were committed with firearms, D.C. police said. … — This just boggles my mind. If guns are banned, how in the world were over 80% of D.C.’s homicides committed with guns!? This is like saying that criminals are law-breakers and don’t care if guns are banned! Who would have ever thought of such a thing?! [/sarcasm]

…If the District appeals, the first step would be to seek a review by the full D.C. Circuit. After that decision, the Supreme Court could be asked to review the case. Constitutional scholars said the case is ripe for an airing before the Supreme Court no matter who might prevail in an appeal. However, some scholars said that a D.C. loss in the high court could create a stronger precedent against strict gun laws. … — This is basically “where we go from here.”

If I hear of any action items freedom-loving individuals can take up, I will post them here. Since this is in the court system, it doesn’t seem like there is a lot we can do aside from being vocal about our support for Second Amendment rights, and our support for justices interpreting the Constitution as it should be.

In the meantime, have you written to your elected officials about your staunch opposition to H.R. 1022 yet? I will be honest - I haven’t, but it’s on the agenda for this next week. …By the way, does anyone else find it ironic that the bill’s number is, um, 1022?

PATRIOT Act abuses

Nobody saw this coming, right?

Oh, except all the people who know if you give the government an inch of your liberties, it will take ten miles. Seriously, folks, this is what happens when you sacrifice your freedoms in the interest of a little temporary security - an action criticized most eloquently by both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Neither of them were perfect, but I think they’d both be rolling in their graves right now if they knew we were freely handing over this kind of power to the government so it can “make us safe.”

I certainly feel safer knowing my friend couldn’t open a savings account the other day without providing his physical home address (which is not his mailing address, a privacy measure he intentionally undertakes) thanks to the USA PATRIOT Act. I also feel safer knowing all the fedgov forms I had to fill out when I got my job had “Department of Homeland Security” on top. This is similar to the feeling of security I get when I can’t take more than three ounces of shampoo in my carry-on luggage, or how I have to remember what to take off, what to leave on, what to close and what to open as I go through the TSA line, lest I get the cavity search and be late for my plane.

Now, excuse me while I go dim my telescreen and go to bed.