Update on my dealings with the Southern Poverty Law Center

Got a letter from the Southern Poverty Law Center today. I thought it was the long-awaited answer to the question I posed to them six months ago ("When did I go from being an ally to an enemy just for standing up for everyone's right to bear arms?") but it was not. They want my donation. I just resent my question along with a link to my earlier blog post about asking them in the first place.

I'm not expecting an answer and I hope they dont need my money.

EDIT:  I did get a response after asking why I didn't get a response earlier.  They thought it was odd that I was taking offense at this since they didn't specifically name ME in their article, but didn't say much after I poitned out that I am an RKBA activist, a group they specifically called out and that I felt betrayed by them for this.  They had no repsonse nor appology.  I am done with the SPLC.

AR pistol build is done...for now.

Here's where my long journey has basically finished.  The last things I will add this month are polymer backup sights which I should have by 12/19.  I do have the laser that is mounted on the bottom in front of the MagPul AFG2 sighted in to be 1.5" low at 25 feet.  With luck, I will be able to get to a range to get it properly sighted in over this coming weekend.

Current parts breakdown is as follows:

• Smith & Wesson M&P 15 stripped lower receiver
• CMMG Lower Parts Kit
• MagPul polymer trigger guard
• Pearce Grips 1911 grip frame adaptor and low profile grips
• 'mil spec' sized six position buffer tube with Velcro loops cemented on
• Standard mass Carbine buffer
• Mark's Armory coated Carbine buffer spring
• 1.25" cane tip cemented onto the end of the buffer tube
• CAA Saddle with Velcro hooks cemented on
• Sling attachment secured to end plate
• Aero Precision stripped upper receiver
• Detroit Gun Works bolt carrier group (will get changed out for a better carrier but it works ok)
• Standard charging handle
• S&W M&P labeled 10" free float rail
• 11.5" 5.56 barrel (unmarked) with carbine length gas port
• ICE Arms Carbine gas tube
• Cut-down front sight base gas block (barrel drilled for the tapered pins on this, very sturdy)
• Standard A2 flash hider
• MagPul Angled Forward Grip model 2
• Green laser that runs on C123 batteries (extras stored in Saddle's battery tubes)

At this point, adding a red dot and probably a x3 magnifier will be done at some point this spring.  The barrel had 'rifle cuts' in the barrel extension and the upper had 'M4
 cuts', so I carefully expanded the barrel extension's cuts to meet the upper receiver's.  This has greatly increased the feeding of 'dummy' rounds after the first as the tips are no longer getting hung up.  I will know for sure after I get to shoot live rounds out of it as to whether or not I will still have failures to feed, a problem that occasionally cropped up with the previous upper receiver.

ICE Arms will be where I source my next bolt carrier from and quite probably my next barrel for a rifle build.  Please check them out here via my affiliate link.

This build has always followed the answers I received back in July of 2012 from the ATF Tech Department Chief.  Feel free to ask any questions on any part of my build. 

Range Report #1 - it did not blow up!

Got out to a friend's private range on Saturday to both verify my build and my hand loaded ammunition as well as to teach my son to shoot.  It was an excellent day, 100% accomplished.

I am now addicted to the immediate response from shooting at AR500 steel targets.  Paper and shoot-n-see plastic bullseyes are boring in comparison.  When you hit, you hear it.  When you miss you see the dirt cloud from the berm.  Bowling pins are almost as fun.  ;)

I also got to use my new optic, an EOTech EXPS3-0.

I got my new optic in a weird way for me.  I won it.  Field and Stream is working along with EOTech to celebrate EOTech's 1 millionth manufactured optic milestone by giving away one set of EXPS3-0/G33 magnifier per month to a lucky entrant to their mail-in sweepstakes.  I am the March 2012 winner.  Since I currently have an A2 upper the magnifier is not something I needed right now, so I sold it for a bit less than retail but was able to use the money from it's sale to finish paying off the 2000 Impala.  Win/win!

I had a forward mount that attached to the carry handle and put the red dot somewhat co-witnessed with the iron sights but the rail is way out of spec and the EOTech will NOT mount to it.  I have a new/used mount on it's way to me from an eBay purchase which should work MUCH better.

I had hoped to get pics of the kiddo shooting, pics of my wife shooting and video of my AR but the phone ran out of juice and I forgot to pack our camera.  Fortunately, my friend was gracious enough to give us an open invitation to return at any point.

My son is eagerly awaiting his 10/22, which I hope to have purchased for him before the end of summer.

Note sent to Southern Poverty Law Center

Hi Daniel, I'm not sure if you remember myself or my wife W. but we are concerned about the 'Patriot' report. 

Do we fit your current definition of Domestic Terrorists?  We do not feel that the federal government has any right to say who I can sell my private property to and have been working to increase the enjoyment of folks' Natural Rights to self defense.

I am an advocate for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  Much like the rest of our Civil Rights, minority access has historically blocked either by force of law or by the cost of entry.  While I do not fit their demographic, I agree 100% with the Deacons of Defense and the Black Panther Party for Self Defense (the old school one, not the recent hate group) that everyone who has not separated themselves from their rights.

Backing gun restrictions is saying that Bull was right to block MLK's application for a concealed carry license.

Please think carefully about any response you have on this issue.

Thanks,
'Armed Liberal In Missouri'  (I did use my real name)
Former Asatruar, current gun rights advocate.

______

Years ago, my wife and I were actively supporting the SLPC.  Now, they have released a paper on 'domestic terrorism' which defines Second Amendment supporters as teh same as John Birch Society or other Right Wing groups.

They may have just lost my support.  I am awaiting their response and will post it here.

Book of Grudges

A long time ago I had a different hobby.  It was Warhammer Fantasy and I played the Dwarf Kingdom.  GW Dwarves are a surley lot and their High King is transported around on a special throne.  This throne was made of a book, the Book of Grudges.

This is my Book of Grudges.

Over the past year of building my AR pistol, I have run into several companies that just did not want to take my money.  Either they would say something stupid and I'd get into a 'FaceBook/Email Rumble' with them or they would have something negative on their website that I took issue with or else esposed some political belief outside of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms that I just could not support.

Today, that was Molon Labe Industries.

There is a graphic going around stating that the major mass murders of the 20th century were Liberals.  They put this up on their site and I stated an objection to it.  I made the statement that this is not the time to try and divide the RKBA community by Conservative/Liberal lines.  Their supporters continued that screed and I ended up unliking their page after I suggested that they post their anti-Liberal bias directly on their website and that I had helped close to 40 AR's be started to be built via a group buy of stripped lowers.

I will not be buying any of their 2.5 million projected polymer magazines on the primary market.  I may buy them on the secondary market but even that is in doubt.

They are now on my list of Traitors to RKBA.  We need to bring all of the activists that feel that our civil rights include the Right to Keep and Bear Arms together to keep the pressure on Congress and our state assemblies or else the bullshit laws that will accomplish nothing but the loss of control to the GOP at all levels. 

Any company that espouses a love of firearms ownership need to either be clear about not wanting Liberals to support them or any of their causes or else they need to play nice.  We Liberal gun owners catch enough crap from our 'fellow' liberals that feel that we should die due to our enjoyment of firearms or wanting to have effective tools available for our self defense. 

While the Conservatives are doing a great job of voicing their dissent, Democratic elected officials tend to listen more to their base.  If we fall silent on this issue, there is a good sense that it would be seen as 'consent'.  With no Liberal support, the war to retain our Right to Keep and Bear Arms will be a lost cause.

Just something for anti-Liberal Conservatives to consider.

You need us as much as we need you on this issue.  Help us be able to be good example to others who have not considered the reasons why we are fighting for this issue and you will have our support.

Assault wepons bans are bad ideas.

Many folks have been moved by the events of last week and rightly so.  They were horrific and they were preventable, just not in the ways that Senator Diane Feinstein from California would have you believe.

In 1994, a ban was put in place to restrict the ownership of military-style 'assault weapons' from civilian hands.  This was based upon certain exact models as well as some ergonomic features that some folks saw as 'dangerous' or 'scary'.  They included the Colt AR-15 (named directly in the ban) as well as the following items along with others:  pistol grips, detachable magazines, barrel shrouds, flash hiders, collapsible stocks, and bayonet lugs.  Also banned were any magazines that could hold 30 or more rounds of ammunition.  This ban had zero effect on any items made before 1994, ex post facto laws are prohibited by Article 1 Section 9 of the US Constitution.  Those items are called 'pre-ban' as several states - including New Jersey and Connecticut -  still have active bans on these items.

This ban expired in 2004, despite President George W Bush stating publicly that he would sign any bill that came to his desk that would extend this ban.  Thankfully, no such bill came his way.

There are several reasons for this.  First, no appreciable increase in the decline of violent crime under the AWB was found by either the CDC or the FBI.  The one thing that did increase under the AWB was the number of crimes committed with magazines that were larger than 30 rounds in capacity.  Also, the Democrats took a severe beating in elections from 1994 through 2008 in no small part to their support of this ban.

Now, I have blogged about Diane Feinstein, the DNC's plank on Firearms and other things that the Dems have done in the past year to try and get the ban back in place so I won't cover those here.

Diane Feinstein has written a bill to reinstate the AWB with no provision for currently legally owned firearms to be allowed, total ban on production of parts for these firearms and a magazine capacity limit that would be accompanied with destruction of any 'high capacity assault clips'  (her words, not reality) held in civilian hands.  I have three words for the Distinguished Senator from California:  ex post facto.  Congress has no right to take anything away from me that is currently legal today to possess without fair compensation.  Looking at the current price of complete AR platform pistols and rifles, this would mean I would be owed $5000+ for my rifles/pistols and $300 for my magazines.

But wait, the battle has just begun!

United States v Miller in 1939 established that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms 100% covers military-grade firearms (Mr Miller's sawed off shotgun sans short barreled shotgun tax stamp was not fitting the court's description as no short barreled shotgun was in use by the military at that time) which means that 'assault weapons' under Diane's plan ARE PROTECTED.  Several jobs done in the US military use the semi-automatic AR-15 as an active part of their jobs, they do not require select-fire M4 rifles to conduct their duties.

This so far prompted the following letter to be sent to my Representative and Senators from Missouri:

Dear Sen. Roy Blunt, Sen. Claire McCaskill, and Rep. William Clay:

I oppose Sen. Feinstein's New Version of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban because it attempts to stop crime by making some 'features' on modern firearms illegal. This will not work.
During the previous ban, crime rates for violent crimes went unchanged from previous rates of decline as outlined in the FBI's Unified Crime Report from 1986 to 1994 and again from 2004 through 2011.
Also, Senator Feinstein's call for making existing firearms illegal to possess or transfer is in direct conflict with Article 1 Section 9 of the US Constitution. Ex post facto laws are a waste of time and resources as they are patenly unconstitutional.
The judicial review issued in United States v. Miller (1939) clearly states that Mr Miller's sawed off shotgun was not protected by the Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms as it was not a military style firearm. The semi-automatic civilian versions of the M16A2 and M4 MBR fall under this decision as they are semi-automatic versions of current main battle rifles in use by our military today.
Please, work on actually funding the mental healthcare initiatives that were unfunded in the 1980's by the same group that is calling for them today.

Signature seen by Members of Congress:
Mr. Armed and Liberal in MO
My street Address
SAINT LOUIS, MO 63xxx
Missouri’s 1st district

The call for additional healthcare funding for mental health assistance grew out of this article:  http://www.sociology.org/content/vol003.004/thomas.html.  In it, it reminds us that the Conservatives under Reagan fought back against the 'welfare state' put in place by the New Deal.  This very same group of politicians - some even the same Senators who as Representatives worked to de-fund this system -  are now rightfully calling for these intiatives to be refunded instead of enacting meaningless bans.  I agree with them, spree killers are the issue, not the tools that they use.

Please, craft letters similar to  the one I copied above and send them to your local, state and federal representatives.  We need common sense mental health care, not 'common sense' gun restrictions.  There are already laws against murder, we need fewer plea bargains and no new gun restriction laws.

Update to AR Pistol build

Here's where my build stands now.  All I need is a bolt carrier group, barrel and gas tube.  Not bad for 6 months and a lot of help from other folks.  I didn't build this on my own.  ;)

Parts so far:
Smith & Wesson M&P15 stripped lower  - Bud's Gunshop, transfered through M&M GUns, St Peters, MO
Cerro Forge A2 upper - Kurt in Russellville, MO
Carbine buffer tube - eBay
Carbine buffer & spring - Mark's Guns, MO
Magpul MOE handguard - eBay
Magpul AFG2 - eBay
Magpul 5-slot rail - eBay
Cerro Forge A2 front sight base - Kurt in Russellville, MO
Noveske KX-3 muzzle device - Kyle in Iron Mountain, MI
CMMG lower parts kit - Cabela's mail order
Pearce 1911 Grip Frame and hard rubber stocks - M&M Guns, St Peters, MO
Ambi rear plate - eBay
Charging Handle - Equipment Exchange on ar15.com
Round hand guard cap - Equipment Exchange on ar15.com
Delta Ring group - Equipment Exchange, ar15.com
Barrel nut - msc used gear seller at St Charles, MO gun show

Once I get this finished, I will get video of me shooting it.

Obama Operatives are invading gun forums!

It seems that either the fevered brain of Joe D'Alessandro has snapped or some NRA-ILA memo is being sent around to 'out' the 'operatives'.  I have been unable to dig up anything on this aside from realguns.com facebook page.  I thought he was kidding, so I put it out there that I must be an Operative since I fit the bill that the NRA-ILA is putting out there.  The above was the response I got.

The truth is, I love guns.  I go to a lot of forums where there is a tendency to blame Liberals for all the anti-gun laws that are out there.  Since I refuse to vote for a former Governor who made MA 'Assault Weapons' ban permanent, I have to back the guy that signed the NDAA and whose AG is a slime bag.

Within minutes of the exchange I grabbed in a screenshot, all of my Facebook posts on RealGuns.com's page were deleted.  I don't know if that was a function of my 'unFriending' the site or if Joe D'Alessandro edited them out.  Frankly, I don't care either way.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is something that I am passionate about.  I'm not too big a guy to admit that my feelings were hurt quite a bit when I was told that all the work and effort I have personally put in to get more Liberals to at least consider going to a gun range was a waste and driven by a politician that I barely tolerate.  It really sucks when a site that claims to want to extend RKBA ends up being nothing more than someone that says 'sorry, that's not for you due to your politics'.

If folks like D'Alessandro want to ignore the rapidly growing segment of gun owners that do not fit in the ILA's narrative then they will not have us as allies in the fight to keep our guns where they belong, in our hands and not the shredder.  

An email that was sent to the Democratic National Committee

Since the Platform has now been amended to include God and Israel, why not make some more changes?
In an email that we sent to the DNC, the following changed verbiage was suggested:

"Firearms. We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans' Second Amendment right to own and use firearms. We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation, much of which is already in place. We understand the terrible consequences of gun violence; it serves as a reminder that life is fragile, and our time here is limited and precious. We believe in continuing the honest, open national conversation about firearms. We will focus on effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background check system, and we can work together to enact commonsense improvements—like exploring the use of a BIDS-type system, encouraging responsable gun ownership and proper storage options—so that the number of guns falling into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few can be reduced or eliminated."

Information on BIDS can be found here: http://www.gunlaws.com/BIDS%20v.%20NICS.htm One concern is that the BIDS list would be handled like the TSA's "no fly" list, but that can be avoided by utilizing the current methods of resolving NICS inaccuracies on a Deny result.

As a party, we have come a LONG way from where we were in '94 on this issue. Removing the Right to Keep and Bear Arms as a wedge decisive issue would remove the teeth from anti-Liberal groups such as the GOA and NRA-ILA. The '94 Assault Weapons Ban did nothing to stem the tide of gun related crime and in fact caused a plateau of crime while it was in place based upon a study of the FBI UCR data from '94 through '04 which then has declined steadily again after the expiration.

I have CC'ed other Gun Owners' Caucuses from OR, AZ and TX to keep them appriased of our suggestions from here in Missouri.

Thank you for placing Firearms in the Civil Rights portion of the Platform where it is a much better fit."





Yours for a Democratic Victory,
Erik Olsen
Interim Chairman

This is the text of a blog post that I put up on the Democrats.org site for the DGOC of MO.  The message was CCed to the other Gun Owners' Caucuses around the country and they were in agreement.  

If GOP pundits and Israeli S-PACs can change things from the outside, perhaps Democrats on the inside can make changes as well.  Diane Fienstein will object, but she is but one voice in the party.  Her lack of willingness to learn about this issue is a splinter in the eye of responsible gun owners everywhere.

Democratic Gun Owner's Caucus of MO is GO!

After several months of trying to figure out how to get a Gun Owner's Caucus set up, it's done.  Here in MO it is easy, just start a group and get members, no formal decree from the state Democratic Party is needed.

Democratic Gun Owner's Caucus of MO on Facebook is the facebook presence, we already have a few Missourians and several other folks from other states as well.  While we may not have time to really throw our support in favor of specific candidates for November, I have personally reached out as Interim Chairman of the Caucus to the Democrats in the State Senate and have the full support of Marie Chappelle-Nadal who is the Senator from my home district.

If you or anyone you know who owns firearms in Missouri, is a registered voter and tends to vote Democrat please tell them about this group. 
Feel free to email any ideas, comments or questions to democraticgunownersofmo@gmail.com

The DNC has dropped gun restrictions from the national platform, let's make sure that pro-gun Dems get elected in our state.  The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is neither a Conservative nor a Liberal right, it is a human one.

NRA-ILA ice cream social

On August 4th I was invited to go to an Ice Cream Social at the new NRA-ILA office in St Charles, MO. I signed in but did not take the 'Vote Obama Out' sticker that they were using to track who had signed in. They now have my name, address and the new email address for my volunteer position with the LGC.

There were some very earnest folks there. I did hear terms bandied about that I had anticipated hearing such as "socialism", "anti-gunners" and "Liberal" used as negative terms.

What I did learn was that despite being told the contrary, my perception of the NRA-ILA being vocally Republican was correct. I don't think that there has been a Democrat (non-DINO) in a place of leadership since the
ILA was formed.

When the NRA-ILA is willing to allow non-Conservative views to be expressed as part of their platform or at least not spending members' money on Conservative issues, I will consider joining.

So, who is the new Director of Merchandising for the Liberal Gun Club?

This guy! 

The Club President has been swamped for over the last year with things more important than t-shirts, bumper stickers and coffee mugs.  "How can that be?" you might ask.  Well, sometimes you have to ask for help to get things done, and he did.

What this means is that I get to find places that are either using 'Made in the US' swag, union workers to put designs on things or both.  With luck, I can find a Print on Demand company that does both or the result will be that only our custom orders will fill that goal.  I'm trying to not have a metric assload of swag being stored at my house with the LGC emblems on them.

If anyone has any leads on businesses that could be used, I'd appreciate it greatly.

Buffer tube installed

I fixed the issue I had with the front pivot pin detent without having to buy anything new or fancy.  I found a steel nail that was 3/32" in diameter and cut a length of it that would work as the detent.  Installation of this improvised detent pin went far better than the one supplied by CMMG.  Front pivot pin is now working as designed.

At this point, the last bits I need for my lower is the buffer (going with an "H" carbine buffer to start with) and the buffer spring.  Once I have those, I'll get a few cans of Rust-Oleum 'nutmeg' and 2-3 cans of clear flat enamel.  After the paint dries, I'll be wrapping the buffer with coyote 550 paracord.  I may add some red paracord into the mix to show off the weave pattern, not sure at this time.

Current plan for the upper will go one of two ways.  Either I'll drop $350 + S/H on a DSArms 11.5" flattop upper w/bolt carrier group or I'll part an 11.5" upper together.  It just depends on finances.  Odds are that I'll be parting one up with parts from Surplus Ammo which would cost more in the long run but would mean less money put out at once.  Since I have the vice blocks for the upper assembly as well as a good armorer's tool from ATI, I'm not worried either way.

Post LPK update

Ok, got my parts on Saturday to get the lower 75% finished, just need a carbine length buffer assembly and then it's on the parts that touch bullets.

Also, the M&P15 logo will end up being covered up by Flat Dark Earth epoxy paint.  I will possibly get that section engraved with either a replacement M&P logo or else go with the Minuteman from the Liberal Gun Club instead.

Next step is the buffer assembly and then on to the upper receiver!

After the whole build is done and I have function tested the pistol, I'll consider cutting down the LGC custom grips I have, but those will probably just get installed on the Rock Island Armory Tactical .45 I plan on getting instead.

                                              build as it stands on 6-11-2012

AR Pistol build

Finally got the partial funding to move a bit forward with my pistol build.  Yep, I said pistol.  I know, I know, Missouri allows Short Barreled Rifles to be owned by anyone that gets their Form 1 returned successfully from the ATF, but I am not ready for that just yet. 

Many of the folks mentioned in my will are not MO residents, so taking possession of an NFA firearm is tricky to say the least.  Also, who knows what the laws will be or where he will be living when my son is old enough to take possession.  On top of that, just handing the SBR off to someone that may want to shoot it is potentially an NFA violation which carries a felony charge and $25,000 fine.  So, no SBR until I get an NFA Gun Trust set up and approved.

Anyway, back to the build.

Previously, I showed my lower and Pearce Gripframe.  Now I have gotten some Magpul goodies that will go on the firearm along with the colorscheme I plan on using.  After getting a Magpul case for my iPhone, I found I like Flat Dark Earth (Magpul Urban Dark Earth is the Duracoat color I'll need to order for the metal bits) and it should make the firearm a bit better for use in hunting.

Parts shown:
Ambi-mounted sling backplate
Front and rear MBUS
Angled Forward Grip (ATF approved for pistols)
S&W stripped lower
Pearce 1911 grip frame
Magpul enhanced trigger guard



I have a CCMG lower parts kit and vice blocks to allow me to clamp down my firearm for assembly on order with Cabela's and will have them on 6/14.  After that, all I need is the carbine buffer assembly and the lower is done.  I also have a gas block/front sight heading my way from a friend in Russleville, MO.  Also I have an attachable m1913 rail coming in for the AFG to be mounted to whatever handguard I go with.

For the upper assembly, I am planning on a 10.5" 5.56 M4 barrel with standard front sight attached to an M3 'flat top' receiver.  For handguards, I plan on either a Magpul MOE foregrip or else a free-floated foregrip with top and bottom rails from Midwest Industries.  If I go withe the free floating handguard, I can mount the front MBUS without issue but it would cost more and require me to cut off the front sight tower from the gas block.  If I go with the Magpul handguard, the AFG would look almost like it was molded onto the guard and I would not have to cut off the front sight tower.

Once I get the buffer tube, then the temptation will be to get the Duracoat 'quick use' set so I can get everything the same tone of FDE. 

More pics and updates to follow!

Why not in Missouri.

Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Texas.  What is it that these states have that Missouri does not have?

A Democratic Gun Owners' Caucus.

Traditionally, Missouri is a red state largely due to the wedge issues that seperate the Conservative 'hinterland' from the Liberal urban areas.  Gun ownership (the individual right to bear arms) should not be one of the wedges used to keep this state's Democrats from public office.

I have been in contact with several of my elected officials.  It troubles me that I hear the familiar 'whistle words' of 'gun show loophole', 'assault weapons' and so forth.  These are just buzzwords made popular by pro gun restriction forces such as the Brady Group and Mayors Against Illegal Guns.  These terms need to be removed from the lexicon of OUR elected officials as they are code words for 'no private sales of personal property' and 'modern firearms'.

So far, my efforts have not produced much traction but I am digging in and will continue to post up when I have more information on the Missouri Blue Steel Democrats.

Merry Christmas

In my quest to no longer be a non-firearm owner, I now have a Smith & Wesson M&P15 stripped lower on lay-away with Bud's Gunshop in Lexington, KY.

Once that along with a few bills are taken care of, my wife's SIG 238 Rainbow and my Rock Island Tactical .45 will go on lay-away.  breaking up gun payments over 90 days means taht you don't ahve to settle for guns you don't want.

Starting to get worn down

For months I've tried to be the 'Liberal Outreach Person' for the 'Right to Keep and Bear Arms' issue.  I think that I am no longer going to attempt to 'reach out' to the more conservative gun owners to try and bridge the gap on this issue.  They seemed determined to marginalize all Liberals into the 'gonna grab our guns!' camp.

I feel that my efforts on this front have been wasted.  Yes, I have met several folks who are able to comprehend that RKBA is NOT just a 'conservative' voice but many many more just don't 'get it'.

I am going to focus instead on reaching my fellow Liberals on this issue to show that this is a Civil Liberties issue and not just a bunch of gun-crazy xenophobic rednecks.

Greetings from the Armed Left

Greetings!

Armed Liberal?  Lefty Gun Worshiper?  What is this all about?

Well, as the old adage goes, an anti-gunner is a gun owner that just hasn't been mugged yet.  Let me tell the story about how this 'almost-Progressive' Liberal became a 'gun nut'.

I grew up and lived in Illinois most of my life.  I've had an interest in guns and gun culture from a very young age, thanks to my older brother who enjoyed shooting guns, reloading his own ammo and lived at home with us.  As a Boy Scout (made it to Life but not Eagle) I got to shoot .22 rifles and .410 shotguns.  When I tried to get into the Army for Operation Desert Shield, I was looking at getting $2000 in signing bonuses due to my high ASVAB score (94, woot!), getting several buddies to enlist and wanting to go into EOD (the guys who survived ended up mostly training the guys that explode IADs in Iraq and Afghanistan today).  This money was going to go to either a .50 Cal Desert Eagle, a Colt .45 or a few things of the nature along with my FOID card.  Well, thanks to a Navy Dr, I never made it into the Army and my life unfolded the way it did.  The only regrets that I have is not getting those pistols somehow anyway or at least getting my FOID card and stocking away VERY cheap pre-1994 ammo.

Fast forward several years.  I've been married to a Canadian Resident Alien and have a nine year old son.  We've moved from Illinois to the wilds of St Louis, MO.  My hobbies at this point include tabletop war gaming, paintball and woodworking.  No guns, they are very much against what my wife is comfortable with.  I hadn't been shooting since my days as a DEPP (Delayed Entry Program Participant, my pre-Army time). 

Then, December 1 2010 everything changes.

At 4:05pm I get a call at work.  My wife is panicked.  Our house got broken into while she was picking our son up at school.  She came home, unlocked the front door and saw that the back door had been kicked in, our big screen TV and Wii were gone and it was still warm in the house.  The cats are both ok but hiding.  the thieves also kicked in the service entrance to the garage but didn't take anything from there.  the police were on their way, she called me second.  There were footprints in the snow leading to the abandoned house behind ours.

At this point, discussions on what we could do started up after a co-worker drove me home.  First, I got three 2x4's, screwed two into the baseboard and one along side the door jam to hold the back door closed until the landlord could get the door jam fixed and the service entrance to the garage replaced.  Then we decided that it was time that we look into increased home and personal security.

Over the next few months, I find out that MO has some of the most nonrestrictive gun laws in the nation and also has a CCW permit that has reciprocity with several other states.  There are issues, however.  In MO you need to be a US Citizen in order to exercise your Natural Right to self-defense.  Thankfully, my wife is very nearly a US Citizen so this is not too large an issue, especially since I was born in IL.  One thing that was instilled in me during my Scouting days was a LOVE of the Constitution, which continues unabated today.

I checked out some gun stores in our area such as Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop, Rural King (well, in IL so no pistols w/o paying shipping and an FFL transfer...pesky interstate commerce regulations!) and a couple of Local Gun Shops.  Most places were semi-friendly and mostly helpful.  I did get a strong 'he's not MY POTUS!' and 'Liberals are Scum' vibe off of some of the gun shops so I don't go back there.  Then we found a new range that had opened recently in the next county over.  I figured I'd give them a shot, so to speak.

I went there on a Saturday.  $20 per hour of lane time, $10 for access to their rental guns and moderate prices on the ammo that can be put into the rentals.  The range doesn't own the rentals, they are on loan from the manufacturers to assist in sales so what goes into the guns is regulated to ensure no harm comes to the guns.  They are fairly busy but make the time to make sure I have everything I need and to show me the proper operation of the guns I picked (some .380-based handguns as self-defense was my interest).  I did pretty well, and found that I still REALLY enjoyed putting holes in paper and also found that I was pretty good with even unfamiliar pistols at 30 feet.  After shooting a box of 50 .380 Auto cartridges, I had 50 holes in the black silhouette target most inside the 9 ring.

Also around this time, States Attorney Lisa Madigan of IL was calling for the Illinois State Police to release the names of all of the FOID card holders in Illinois.  This sparked my desire to see the 2nd Amendment and the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution protected as much as I had worked to keep the 1st Amendment safe.  The release of that information would give criminals a veritable menu of peoples' homes to burgle while they were not home to get guns fairly easily.

Over the years I had considered joining the NRA but was massively put off by the NRA-ILA's portrayal of all Liberals as Gun Grabbing 2nd Amendment haters that want to keep everyone disarmed.  There were some other groups that were less anti-Liberal, but then I found the Liberal Gun Club (http://theliberalgunclub.com/).  It took me less than an hour of reading what they were about and some of the forum posts to decide that this was the group for me.  I signed up on the spot.  The only issue - a hotly-contested one by 99% of the active membership - is that of high-capacity magazines.  Otherwise, they are right along with what I believe.

Now I have started two main things, to expand the CCW permit in MO to legal immigrant aliens and to be a champion of RKBA (the Right to Keep and Bear Arms) as not a conservative-vs-liberal issue but an issue of Natural Rights vs. Gun Restriction Laws. 

While I do believe that those who commit violent felonies have chosen to give up access to their rights by proving that they can not exist in society, I do not feel that guns should be restricted from any other group.  Someone who has been found guilty of a non-violent Felony or a misdemeanor non-violent crime with a sentance over a year should have some method to repeal the blockage of their rights under the Contitution.  Likewise, non-Citizens that are in the US as permanent residents who may or may not be heading twards Citizenship should have access to their Natural Rights as well.

While I do get some level of acceptance from conservatives when I explain my stance on being a Liberal and a RKBA activist, I have gotten a lot of pushback on the Resident Alien CCW issue.