A Flawed Gun Ban And Ethically Compromised Officials

I am writing to express my utter shock at the Attorney General and Democratic party's current push for an "assault weapon" ban and to highlight some troubling ethical implications that attend this process.

The Attorney General has produced the attached request document with the intention of using it to promote his sales ban. Here are the some reasons why this request is profoundly troubling. He is using misleading and/or irrelevant numbers to encourage support for this egregious attack on our civil liberties.

• The claim that "assault weapons" are 11x more likely to be used in a mass shooting than a handgun is irrelevant. Mass shooting events are extremely rare and have involved handguns to deadly effect many times. The bottom line though is that rifles are very rarely used to commit murders. In 2016, the FBI noted 7,105 murders with handguns and only 374 murders using *any* kind of rifle, semiautomatic or manually operated. 1,604 murders were committed with knives, 472 with blunt objects, 656  without any weapon other than their fists and feet. Rifles are not a significant crime problem. The hand-wringing claim that "assault rifles"...all rifles... are deadlier than handguns is thus irrelevant.
• The claim that "assault weapons" are more likely to kill law enforcement involves sleight of hand by the Violence Policy Center, the most extreme gun ban advocates in the US. These are the same people who first promoted banning these guns by confusing the public into thinking they were machine guns. Why is the AG quoting such compromised resources? In any case, it is more likely that law enforcement (who overwhelmingly support responsible gun ownership) would be HURT by banning them. Most developments in this type of gun have been made by citizen innovation, e.g., for competition.
• The claim that only 2% of Americans own "assault weapons" is specious at best. First, it includes populous areas with low gun ownership, as opposed to Washington state where ownership is 33% to 50% of the population. Second, nobody knows how many guns of this type are owned because they are generally understood not to be criminal weapons....while they are also the most popular rifles in America. Finally, using that 2% as an excuse for attacking gun owners' rights because "there aren't that many of them" is a disturbing line of thought, coming from a state Attorney General.

I have alluded to the deeply flawed logic, misleading sound bites and opportunistic targeting of the population the Attorney General is meant to serve, in his communications to the legislature. Now let me highlight some profound ethical question which these actions raise.

• Why is AG Ferguson distributing this misleading document at the behest of Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire on the other side of the country...and attacking the rights of Washington state gun owners? How much more blatant does this conflict of interest need to be before it produces some investigation and possible reprimand or removal from office?
• Why is AG Ferguson sending this communication in the form of a professionally produced gun control mailer (included below) and  how much has this cost the state? Why does the state tolerate such gross misuse of its scant resources as this marketing type presentation and the Attorney General's raft of frivolous lawsuits against President Trump? Is this being looked at by state accountants and justified?
• Why was AG Ferguson so obsessively interested in attacking the rule of law by promoting initiative 1639...again, with Bloomberg funding...when 1639 was so blatantly an illegal initiative? At the same time, he turns the other way and ignores Seattle's declaration as a "Sanctuary City". 

This apparent contempt for state law and the rights of state gun owners...the double standard as to which legal violations will be winked at and which group of honest citizens who have had (up to this point) extreme motivation to be law abiding cannot lead our state down a good path.

I urge you to reject this deeply flawed attack on our rights and to consider whether AG Ferguson's conduct is as grossly unethical as it appears and what negative legal consequences that conduct should incur. If you do not, we will be forced to consider why you desire to be complicit in unethical activities and spurious attacks on the civil liberties of Washingtonians.

 

Washington I-1639: Dumbest Gun Control Initiative Ever

1997 ballot initiative writers: Let's put together a huge intrusive ballot initiative which will severely impact gun culture in Washington state if it passes. But even if it doesn't, it is so extreme it will kill gun control efforts in the state for 20 years.

2018 ballot initiative writers: Hold my beer.

I moved to Washington state in 1997, just in time to join the fight against I-676. 676 tried to enact a handgun licensing scheme which would have drastically impacted the gun culture of Washington state. As a previous blog post noted (link), Washington state is a politically moderate but VERY gun friendly state. I moved here in the expectation that I-676 would fail and it did, losing by a 71% to 29% margin.

21 years later, an even more obnoxious gun control initiative is on the ballot. As in 1997, proponents are trying to sell the restrictions in this initiative as "modest" and "not intrusive". And again in 2018, we can see through their dissembling.

Typical signature gatherers for this initiative. Not at all deceptive. Look away

I-1639 is an incompetently written initiative, apparently created by randomly cutting and pasting from a handful of legislation REJECTED by a Democrat-controlled legislature this year. It was promoted by Washington's so-called "Attorney General," who smugly admits that he spends a lot of his time at work looking for flimsy reasons to sue the Federal government....apparently because his budget is excessive and he doesn't work for the state or something? The format of I-1639 is so blatantly illegal that a judge in Thurston County removed it from the ballot. Unfortunately, the state Supreme Court decided that its job is not to adjudicate the law and put it back on the ballot.

Here's a news flash, guys: maintaining respect for the rule of law and its impartiality is actually pretty damn important. You have compromised that severely.

Let's look at all the problems with this bloated, incoherent initiative:

It classifies ALL semi-auto rifles as "assault weapons", rendering them susceptible to future legislative attacks. Every single rifle. That will get the hunting crowd's attention, especially when they go to buy a Browning BAR or pedestrian .22 and there's a 10 business day waiting period.

OK, now say you're a hunter concerned about being made to wait two weeks to take possession of a rifle, for no good reason. You might think that your Concealed Pistol License might allow you to bypass the waiting period, like it does for handgun purchases. No such luck.

Here's one subtle and very ugly bit that isn't being talked about very much. I-1639 also requires that you complete an approved safety class before you can buy that hunting rifle. However, the content and availability of that course are not spelled out in the initiative. It could take months or even over a year for the courses to be approved and made available. So there could be an indeterminately long complete ban on the sale of ALL semi-auto rifles throughout the state.

Does that still sound like a moderate law to you?

Then there's the part where buying that rifle means that the state can invade your health privacy for the rest of your life. When I call older folks, that REALLY gets their attention. It also worries a lot of people who have been treated for PTSD or depression.

Then there's the small matter of denying 18-20 year olds who may be living on their own the right to effective self defense weapons. Remember that they already can't buy handguns.

The initiative purports to enact safe storage requirements. That means that either you will be expected to keep your gun locked up at all times (and therefore useless for purposes of self defense) or be held criminally responsible if Joe Recidivist Felon steals your gun and uses it in a crime.

And what is the whole alleged point to this incoherent jumble of bad ideas? Controlling "assault weapons", which are so rarely used to commit violent crimes (link) that people with knives are more of a threat to you. Or people with hands and feet.  

Gun owners realize how toxic this initiative is and oppose it. The gun community hasn't been this motivated and pissed off since 1997.

The large state law enforcement organizations all oppose this initiative:
Washington State Patrol Troopers Association
Washington State Sheriff’s Association
Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs
Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association

I think I-1639's advocates have bitten off a lot more than they can chew.

Why I-1639 Must Fail

If I-1639 Vote is No	If I-1639 Vote Is Yes
Bob Smails, a repeat felon, buys a semiautomatic rifle and uses it to kill a clerk and a customer while robbing a convenience store.	Bob Smails, a repeat felon, buys a semiautomatic rifle and uses it to kill a clerk and a customer while robbing a convenience store. Nothing changes here. Criminals do not obey gun laws.
Disabled 20 year old veteran Latisha Robbins lives in an area with a significant crime problem due to persistent financial difficulties. Too young to purchase a handgun, she purchases a light AR15, a firearm with which she became familiar during her military service. When drug addict Jerry Randall breaks into her home, he hurriedly flees when Latisha points the rifle at him and click off the safety.	Disabled 20 year old veteran Latisha Robbins lives in an area with a significant crime problem due to persistent financial difficulties. Too young to purchase a handgun or an effective rifle for self defense, she is forced to hope that police officers respond in time to her 911 call. When drug addict Jerry Randall breaks into her home, what he does to her causes the responding officer to cry in his wife’s arms, after finding Latisha's body.
Retired bookstore owner Jerry Rodriguez has been planning for a hunting trip across the country for over a year. Two weeks before departure, he is sighting it in at the range and accidentally drops it, badly damaging the action. Chagrined at this misfortune, he is still able to purchase a used Browning BAR hunting rifle from a store that conducts a background check before selling it to him. The rifle is sighted in and his hunting trip is saved.	Retired bookstore owner Jerry Rodriguez has been planning for a hunting trip across the country for over a year. Two weeks before departure, he is sighting it in at the range and accidentally drops it, badly damaging the action. Chagrined at this misfortune, goes to his local gun store and tries to purchase a used Browning BAR hunting rifle from a store. Despite his clean background and possession of a Concealed Pistol License (which would exempt him from a handgun waiting period, though not a redundant background check), Jerry is unable to purchase the BAR. I-1639’s 10 BUSINESS DAY waiting period does not exempt CPL holders. It also requires proof of having completed a training course….without specifying the contents of that course, who will offer it and requiring that it be reasonably prices an accessible to all. Law enforcement officers are also governed by this completely undefined process.
Bob Kowalski loses his 70 year old mother to cancer, just before Christmas. It has been a hard year for Bob, who is recently divorced, and he finds it difficult to keep depression at bay. However, he finds solace in competitive shooting and finds a good therapist who has Bob use a mild dose of an anti-depression medication for a year. Fortunately, he ultimately overcomes the depression.	Bob Kowalski loses his 70 year old mother to cancer, just before Christmas. It has been a hard year for Bob, who is recently divorced, and he finds it difficult to keep depression at bay. However, he finds solace in competitive shooting and finds a good therapist who has Bob use a mild dose of an anti-depression medication for a year. Fortunately, he ultimately overcomes the depression. Unfortunately, a couple years later the state legislature adds every person who has ever used any amount of anti-depression medication to the list of persons unable to legally own any firearms. Bob’s purchase of a rifle under I-1639 gave the state the means to circumvent HIPAA’s privacy protections and access his medical records at any point in the future. As a result of his brief anti-depressant use, all of Bob’s firearms are confiscated. Another consequence of this is that a large number of people battling depression avoid seeking help to deal with that depression and even suicidal thoughts. Some end up taking their own lives.
Anne Holms is a former single mom whose kids have grown and moved away. She keeps a pistol for self protection and is conscientious about keeping it locked when she is not using it. Unfortunately, the locked container is stolen from her home during a break-in while she is away.	Anne Holms is a former single mom whose kids have grown and moved away. She keeps a pistol for self protection and is conscientious about keeping it locked when she is not using it. Unfortunately, the locked container is stolen from her home during a break-in while she is away. Under I-1639, Anne is guilty of community endangerment and is prosecuted as a criminal when her gun is stolen and used in a robbery where a clerk is shot.
Washington state continues a precarious financial juggling act, not helped by an Attorney General and Governor repeatedly engaging in spurious, contrived lawsuits against the Federal government.	Washington state continues a precarious financial juggling act, not helped by an Attorney General and Governor repeatedly engaging in spurious, contrived lawsuits against the Federal government. Making matters worse the Attorney General and courts will be untangling this initiative in the courts for decades. For example, the storage requirement is clearly overruled by the storage findings of the landmark Heller case of 10 years ago. It will cost the state millions....paid for by peeved taxpayers.
Cabelas hires 10 additional seasonal employees from early November until just after Christmas.	Cabelas hires less seasonal employees during the holiday season and lays off 2 permanent employees due to the financial chaos wrought by this overly broad and clumsy initiative.
The state legislature continues to occasionally consider firearms laws. As has become virtually a tradition, gun control activists are given prior notice of hearing dates and are bused in and issued color-coordinated orange shirts by out of state financier Michael Bloomberg. They are still outnumbered by gun rights activists who manage to take off days from work on short notice. Little changes.	The state legislature continues to occasionally consider firearms laws. As has become virtually a tradition, gun control activists are given prior notice of hearing dates and are bused in and issued color-coordinated orange shirts by out of state financier Michael Bloomberg. They are still outnumbered by gun rights activists who manage to take off days from work on short notice. However, some things have changed. -          Democrats have decided that it is now open season on gun owners and begin constant efforts to enact ever stricter gun laws, like California does. Washington state gun owners, used to a fairly stable set of laws, are left uncertain from one year to the next which of their guns will remain legal -          Some legislation is passed without real feedback over a weekend, as was attempted in 2018. -          At the same time, the gun owners who up to now have had a huge stake in obeying all laws conclude that there is no point in doing so.
A Note About Washington State Gun culture Washington state is a very moderate and VERY gun friendly state. We have more concealed carry permits per capita than a lot of red states. This is a healthy gun culture, which tolerates moderate background checks (despite their questionable effectiveness), with a strong record of promoting safety and trying innovative approaches to reduce suicides. By not enacting punitive and ill-considered laws, the system that works and works well is maintained.

Washington State Law Enforcement Instructors Association opposes I-1639!

(Shared Post)
IMPORTANT NEWS! This was just released from the Washington State Law Enforcement Instructors Association. They are the the professionals tasked with training all of the other law enforcement officers:

"WSLEFIA Opposes Initiative 1639

Initiative 1639 is being promoted as a public safety measure; those actually working law enforcement know that IT WILL DO NOTHING TO STOP A SINGLE CRIME. This initiative has nothing to do with "assault weapons" and is directed only at our good citizens who already pass multiple background checks before owning a firearm.

The Washington State Law Enforcement Instructors Association (WSLEFIA) opposes Initiative 1639. I-1639 harms law enforcement officers and all citizens of Washington:

I-1639 creates a new crime of "Community Endangerment" and there is NO law enforcement exemption. If a law enforcement officer should fail to secure either a personal or duty firearm as prescribed by I-1639 then that officer may be subject to felony criminal charges. Even a department-issued firearm must be secured with a trigger lock or in "secure storage." The trunk of a patrol car is not specified as secure storage.

I-1639 requires a 10 day wait for law enforcement officers who wish to buy a semiautomatic rifle, whether for personal or duty purposes. There is no exemption for either a commissioned officer or a Concealed Pistol License.

I-1639 requires that law enforcement officers attend a "safety" training class before purchasing any semiauto rifle. There is no exemption for law enforcement commissioned personnel and no recognition of either department or BLEA academy training.

I-1639 would require that a law enforcement officer who sells a semiauto rifle to another officer go to a firearm dealer and pay fees. The purchasing officer must wait 10 days, pass additional background checks, and show proof of "safety" training.

I-1639 targets law-abiding citizens--not criminals--by creating a new law that would make the innocent victim subject to CRIMINAL charges if his firearm is accessed by a prohibited person. The ugliness of shaming and blaming the victim of a crime should never be made law. I-1639 ignores the criminals while attacking the victims of theft.
Law enforcement officers will be made to investigate the victims of crime rather than pursuing the perpetrators of crimes.

I-1639 falsely demonizes all semiautomatic sporting rifles as "assault rifles"--the rifles they wish to deny to the public are the most common sporting and hunting firearms--the type of firearms LEAST likely to be used in crimes--this fact is supported by both FBI and Washington State crime statistics.
Youth rifles, plinkers, collector firearms, hunting and self-defense rifles--if they are semiautomatic, I-1639 will re-classify them as "assault rifles."

I-1639 strips adults under age 21 of their right to self-defense. Law-abiding young adults will no longer be able to possess any modern defensive firearm, neither handgun nor rifle.
I-1639 attacks our safest and best-trained firearm users--licensed and safety trained hunters--by prohibiting the use of modern sporting rifles by those age 18-20.

I-1639 would unlawfully seize semiauto rifles already owned by those under age 21 by prohibiting any possession or use of these rifles at target ranges and for hunting.

I-1639 creates both a literacy test and the equivalent of a poll tax--they call it a fee--to exercise a right guaranteed by both State and Federal Constitutions. You wouldn't accept this for voting or any other right and neither have the courts.

I-1639 delays the LAWFUL purchase of a rifle by 10 days--even after all background checks are passed! A right delayed is a right denied.
I-1639 impairs a citizen's defense their home by requiring that the most effective defensive firearms be locked and inaccessible by the homeowner.

I-1639 creates an unnecessary, costly and ill-considered requirement for government-mandated training that is already adequately addressed by Washington Arms Collectors-provided training, National Rifle Association safety instructors, WDFW Hunter Safety training and private clubs and ranges.

I-1639 creates yet another huge unfunded bureaucracy that will only duplicate the background checks already Federally required. Don't be fooled--the background check system already exists and all semiauto rifle buyers already are required to pass background checks.

I-1639 will prohibit legitimate sales of rifles to fully background checked and Federally-approved purchasers from other states, thus harming all State and Federally licensed firearm dealers.

I-1639 will not stop a single crime or shooting. Criminals are not subject to any of the requirements; only law-abiding citizens go through background checks and they already do so.

I-1639 wrongly burdens our most law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.

"The WSLEFIA finds that I-1639 is an attack on civil rights and is an attempt to marginalize all firearm owners, including law enforcement officers. I-1639 will impair public safety, embolden criminals and impose burdensome restrictions on our most law-abiding citizens."

The GOP Needs To Grow A Backbone Fast Or We're Screwed

The screen shot above is an actual Tweet posted by Chuck Grassley on Friday. In my opinion, it also painfully captures the GOP's worst problem at this point in time: it is trying TOO hard to be nice. It is so afraid of being dishonestly branded a Nazi that is capitulating pointlessly to the Democrats at every turn.

Chuck Grassley is channeling Jimmy Carter while Carter is still alive.

Make no mistake, I do not like or have any tolerance for Nazis. That is why I decided to #WalkAway from the Democratic party, a party fanatically devoted to a ruthless enforcement of orthodoxy and intolerance of different opinions. It's just outrageous to me that the Republicans tolerate being branded fascists, when this is what passes for Democratic anti-fascist activism in 2018:

 

Maybe an infusion of #WalkAway people is what it will take to invigorate a moribund and tremulous GOP so that it actually plays to win. You are in a street fight with the Democrats and trying to fight fair in a street fight will only doom you. #WalkAway members did not leave the Democratic party to watch Republicans cave in to their demands, our civil liberties meekly given away and capitulation granted to new, idiotic taxes. We left a party that expresses only contempt for people who think differently: for people who are religious, for people who are responsible gun owners (including modern rifles and concealed handguns), for people who see the extreme social justice movement as just another venue for racism and segregation.

We're furious and you'd better start thinking like us if you intend to win.

Interested in a Political Diversity Book Club?

The political landscape of this great nation is rapidly devolving into a trivial and dangerously simplistic mess, composed of meme exchanges and rote recitation of talking points at each other instead of sincere dialogue. If we are going to prevent American from descending into the chaos of a third world banana republic, it is more critical now than ever that we the people learn how to really engage each other over issues again, rather than just emote and shout at each other.

Perhaps the worst part of all this is its futility. Most of the groups shouting at each other actually make up part of the solution for making this country even better than it already is. Liberal and conservative, red state and blue state, atheist and religious person...if they could learn to discuss their differences constructively and without fear of the accusations that doom many political conversations...what could we achieve?

What couldn't we achieve?

So what I am suggesting here is that we begin using the internet constructively to READ about a variety of viewpoints and discuss them freely and openly. If others are interested in this project, I will set up a discussion group (e.g., at goodreads.com) and we can begin nominating books. I am including a few contemporary books that are well worth reading. Depending on interest, we may also look at some classics like Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" or Thoreau's essay on civil disobedience.

I hope you will join us!

Here are a few initial book ideas ordered by publication date:

1. Free for All: Defending Liberty in America Today (link)
   By Wendy Kaminer, published in 2002, ISBN 0807044113 / 9780807044117
   
   Wendy Kaminer is an author I just discovered a couple years ago. She is sort of the Ben Shapiro of the left, fiercely principled (so much so that the ACLU drove her from their board of directors) and utterly committed to preserving freedom in America. This book looks at a number of topics from that perspective at a time when the government was  beginning to curtail freedom just after 9/11.
2. Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of Evil (link)
   By James Bovard, published in 2003, ISBN 1403963681  / 9781403963680
   
   This book was published a year after Kaminer's book and offers another look at the the immediate post 9/11 period but from more of a libertarian than classic liberal perspective. Like Kaminer, Bovard is fiercely principled and points out anti-freedom government actions without regard to party affiliation.
   
   (Passing another anniversary of 9/11 is an excellent opportunity to contemplate whether we have sacrificed too much freedom for illusory promises of safety. I was reminded of this when listening to SOFREP Radio's 9/11 commemoration (link). SOFREP Radio is a podcast produced by members of the the military special operations community. Their comments about fighting terrorists overseas and returning home to find the civil liberties infringements we had grown to tolerate back home were a painful but necessary listen.)
3. The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting up a Generation for Failure (link)
   By Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, published in 2018, ASIN B076NVFT5P
   
   This book was published this year and examines the growing political partisanship in America and the dangerous extent to which we now isolate ourselves from alternative viewpoints. It was reading this book which inspired me to see if this political diversity book club could be part of the solution to America's growing tribalism...and violence.
   
   In terms of political perspective, I would classify this book as non-partisan. It examines both right and left sided orthodoxies and points out their dangerous tendencies.
4. Republican Like Me: A Lifelong Democrat's Journey Across the Aisle (link)
   By Ken Stern, published in 2017, ISBN 0062460781 (ISBN13: 9780062460783)
   
   "The former CEO of NPR set out for conservative America to find out why these people are so wrong about everything. It turns out, they weren’t."
   
   This excellent book shows how Americans can learn to understand and appreciate people who aren't like them, instead of merely treating large groups of people as the enemy. Highly recommended in this painfully Balkanized era in which we live.

 
 

If We Don't Fight, We Can't Win. And we CAN win!

The NRA is taking the fight against I-1639 into high gear now (link). Yesterday, I spent a few hours at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup handing out information about this madly overreaching initiative. The Democratic party's booth had a life size Barry Obama cutout, which offered whimsical selfie opportunities. 

Working the booth offered some great opportunities for interacting with other gun owners, some of whom weren't aware of all the awful parts of this law: classifying all semiautomatic rifles as "assault weapons", 10 day waiting period for purchase (even with CPL), lifetime surrender of HIPAA protections to the state, vague storage requirements which will make gun owners criminals if their home is burglarized.

While most visitors left fired up to vote this initiative into oblivion, the response of one baffled me. He said that he just doesn't believe in voting anymore and refused to consider even the limited step of registering to vote against this initiative. Even odder, this middle aged guy was wearing a t-shirt with the Star of David on it: if there's one group of people who can articulate what "Never Again" really comes down to, it's the population of Israel who have grown up in the company of Holocaust survivors.

Make no mistake: if a good percentage of gun owners show up and vote, we can beat this awful initiative down even harder than we beat I-676 21 years ago. If we don't even try, if the voting percentage is as lame as it was in the August primaries, the corrupt Olympia government can mount a very serious and devastating attack on what is now a very healthy and safety-oriented gun culture.

The choice is up to you. PLEASE make sure you are registered to vote right away and commit to getting your friends out to vote too. We can beat this initiative decisively but if we don't even bother fighting it, we can't win.

Why would people without the guts to fight a political fight even own guns anyway?

After Parkland: Why Nothing Changes After A Shooting Event

People wonder why steps aren't taken to improve public safety after a public shooting?
It's been nearly 7 months since the Parkland shooting. What has happened?
We found that the armed Parkland deputy specifically who was on site to keep students safe from such an event simply ran away.
We found that several other Parkland deputies stayed under cover outside while the murders continued.
We found that the killer had been investigated by the Parkland sheriff for around 40 incidents implying dangerous mental derangement and threats to others. The FBI was informed twice that he wanted to be a school shooter. He was not disarmed or taken in for psych evaluation.
Who does the Parkland sheriff blame in a CNN town hall hatefest? Dana Loesch and the NRA. People like me. The focus becomes not public safety but banning the most popular rifle in America.
Continuing through the year, a few Parkland students are lauded by the media non-stop and flown around the country to promote gun bans. Parkland survivors and parents of killed students who are less interested in gun control and more interest in a comprehensive safety approach are ignored. Even when when one student, Kyle Kashuv, helps get a comprehensive safety bill including expanded background checks passed.
How is the insanity of the blame dodging sheriff still being employed and the exclusive focus on preventing sane people from getting guns not blatantly obvious?
Is this really a pattern you want to continue repeating?

Time For Sleeping Washington State Gun Owners To Wake Up And Face 3 Active Threats

Politics can be an arena of tiresome hyperbolic fearmongering. This has caused Washington state gun owners, who are a moderate, non-partisan bunch (see previous blog post), to tune out. But there are movements afoot in Washington state which gun owners will dearly regret ignoring. Please consider that we are facing at least three active threats and take what steps you can to defend your rights.

1) Attempts to weaken and eliminate state firearms preemption in King, Snohomish and possibly other counties. 

Washington state has a firearms preemption law in place. State laws says that individual cities and counties cannot enact their own gun control laws...all gun controls have to exist at the state level. This law provides the benefit of making it easy to comply with gun control laws.

For example, imagine you have a Concealed Pistol License and are driving from Lynnwood to Federal Way. If preemption was revoked, you could end up having to obey different gun laws in multiple cities in between or face criminal charges that remove your gun rights. Does Seattle now ban concealed carry? Does Edmonds ban having loaded guns in your car or magazines that hold over 8 rounds of ammunition? Is there another city in between with some other rule?

Preemption is one of those laws that quietly prevents gun ownership from being a maze of easily and unintentionally violated capricious rules. King County has already stated that they will enact an "assault weapon" ban if preemption falls. (link)

2) Initiative I1639 - a 30 page ballot initiative and gun control smorgasbord

This initiative is an incoherent mashup of a number of gun control laws rejected during the 2018 legislative session. The initiative itself is 30 pages long. According to state law, that makes it illegal because signature gathering forms have to include the full text in a readable font with relevant existing legal text marked up with strikeouts and additions. Washington state courts and the Secretary of State have chosen to ignore that little fact.

This site (link) gives a really good overview of what this initiative covers. The high points are:

• Requires safe storage of firearms without defining what that is
• Defines ALL semiautomatic rifles as "assault rifles"
• Enacts a 10 business day waiting period when purchasing them (even if you have a CPL)
• Bans 18-20 year old from purchasing these rifles
• Enhanced background check with registration during purchase
• Appears to require firearms training every 5 years, possibly a de facto licensing scheme

I1639 is currently being challenged in court by the NRA and Second Amendment Foundation but it could easily appear on the ballot. Incidentally, a large number of law enforcement groups have already expressed opposition to this initiative.

3) Washington state may join New York state financial attacks on the NRA

New York state's Andrew Cuomo is financially attacking the NRA over its Carry Guard Concealed Carry Insurance. Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the state's Insurance Commissioner said this week that they want to join this effort. Do you want your tax dollars used to attack the NRA? I mean, beyond Bob Ferguson's use of state resources to lobby for gun ban legislation and ballot initiatives.

So now...

I've spelled out the significant attacks currently pending against our rights. We Washington state gun owners have actually had it fairly easy, in terms of serious threats. This is not California, which makes the deliberate, malicious baiting of gun owners a legislative sport. This is not New York or Illinois, with frequent serious gun control attacks.

But gun owners in California, New York and Illinois know how to have an unflinching gut fight and wage war to protect their rights. Do Washingtonians have the heart and guts to do the same? Or are we weaker than other states and too timid and polite to fight for the freedoms we exercise responsibly every day.

At the very least, join gun rights groups and register to vote before the first week in October. If you are ready to do more, there are many options, including writing or calling your legislators and volunteering the campaigns of gun rights supporting legislators.

Making Information Available Without Bias Or Agenda (Concerned Comments for a Favorite Book Store)

I'm thinking carefully about what I want to say here because it's going include critical comments about a bookstore where I really enjoy shopping. On the other hand, they appear to have some stocking policies that do their customers a disservice and I want to strongly urge that they consider adjusting those policies.

Today is #IndieBookstoreDay and, being huge book lovers, my wife and I went to one of our favorite bookstores today, Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. Some fun browsing was done and we did bring home some books. However, I also noticed something that actually bothered me a lot given contemporary trends in American politics.

This is an admirable sign.

However, the sign is posted all over a Political Science section with all the ideological diversity of a Berkeley Trump effigy burning contest. There are literally dozens of books about confronting the dangers of President Trump and Fascism (at least they don't completely conflate the two). I spotted exactly one book in the entire section that was not left-oriented in its political focus.

Why is this important? Because our country is outrageously fractured along political lines rights now and I think it is critically important for us to start working together instead of treating each other like enemies. Part of that includes coming to understand each others' perspectives better, which to me seems infinitely preferable to a catastrophic continued social deterioration.

An alternative view is that expressed by Jack Dorsey of Twitter recently, when he tweeted his praise for this article:

The Great Lesson of California in America’s New Civil War
Why there’s no bipartisan way forward at this juncture in our history — one side must win (link)

I sincerely hope that is not the policy of Third Place Books. Here are some quick pictures of the Political Science section. I will follow them with some suggestions for books to consider adding.

Here are some books that would make excellent, informative reads for that Poli Sci section and give it some much-needed variety. 

"Attention Deficit Democracy" and "Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty" by James Bovard. Mr. Bovard is an impassioned and consistent critic of governmental forces when they attack our civil liberties, regardless of party.

"Free For All: Defending Liberty in America Today" and "Worst Instincts: Cowardice, Conformity and the ACLU" by Wendy Kaminer. An unflinching and deeply principled liberal, Ms Kaminer was on the national board but found her uncompromising civil liberties positions unwelcome there.

"Flyover Nation" and "Hands off My Gun" by Dana Loesch. Mrs. Loesch is an impassioned and intelligent conservative and these books are packed with useful information.

"Republican Like Me (How I Left the Liberal Bubble and Learned to Love the Right)" by Ken Stern. The former CEO of NPR takes look and discovers some affinity for...and understanding of...the non-liberals who make up half of our country.

All of these books would serve the political diversity that Third Place Books claims to want and make a better variety of information available to the store's clientele.

"Give up your guns, America!" America: "Nuts!"

Gun rights have been on the upswing in recent years and now it seems a little odd how quickly gun control seem to be back on the offensive. Maybe it's because gun owners have gotten a little complacent and thought that things would always be going our way. Maybe it's because the gun controllers are running such a coordinated campaign with the aid of legacy media talking heads...possibly a campaign that was planned to coordinate with a gun-hostile White House whose election was forestalled.

In any case, we're in the middle of one of the most ferocious gun control battles I've seen in the past 30 years.

But I can't help but think that there's an air of desperation to this battle. The gun control movement really hasn't been doing so well in recent years and there's been every sign that their fortunes were going to decline past the point of no return. Concealed carry has gotten so widespread in recent years that a number of states have just decided to allow the carrying of concealed pistols without any license. AR15s that were moderately popular around 1990 before the Clinton Assault Weapons ban are now everywhere....they are called the most popular rifle in America for good reason and they have been flying off the shelves. Factors which could render gun control completely toothless are the increasingly diverse demographics of the gun owning public and the likelihood that we aren't very far off from completely untraceable 3D printed guns (not to mention magazines).

In fact, it strikes me that this isn't so much the sign of gun control taking over again as their last, desperate attempt to render themselves relevant. It reminds me of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, when Hitler threw the bulk of his remaining forces into a last ditch offensive. It certainly did some damage but in the end it was futile.

Determined, unflinching resistance stopped that offensive cold and I have no doubt that gun owners have the ability to fight back decisively and stop this offensive cold too. Support gun rights groups, contact your representatives, talk to friends and family....and if you can, attend gun rights rallies and use your fury at being called potential criminals and murders as fuel to stuff those words right back down their throats.

This Saturday (April 21), Washington state is holding a gun rights rally that could be big. Expectations are for good attendance and it could be the largest gun rally Washington state has seen in recent years. I'm going, of course, and have been wondering whether to open carry a rifle this time instead of just the usual concealed pistol.

But instead of bring an AR15, I'm thinking I may just bring the M1 sold to me by the government 20+ years ago. It may have even been at the Battle of the Bulge, so the idea of bring it Saturday is fitting.

Bloomberg and his new little muppets are telling us to give up our guns. A furious America is answering, "Nuts!"

N.B. The M1 actually loads with clips...8 rounds of .30-06 that make AR15 rounds look anemic.

Gun rights alliance interview #3: Bonnie Stecher of the Well Armed Woman

Bonnie Stecher is a friend who works in a place where I occasionally shop. We ended up talking about guns one day and I was delighted to find that she is a founder and instructor of the Snohomish County chapter of the Well Armed Woman organization (link).

Bonnie kindly let me ask her a few questions about her experiences in the shooting community.

"How did you get started in shooting?"

Bonnie said that her dad got her started, fishing and shooting as a kid. She raised a family and, after her kids were grown, found herself looking for a hobby. She returned to shooting and then heard about the Well Armed Woman organization. She founded the Snohomish County chapter just over 5 years ago and is pleased with the turnout of ladies who shoot. Though there is an element of turnover, with some people joining, learning a little bit and then moving on.

"What have your interactions in the gun community been like? Do you feel that you have been welcomed as a shooter?"

The community mixed when it comes to how welcoming it is. Norpoint Range in Arlington (where Bonnie's group shoots) is good. There was a training facility on Whidbey that was so-so.

"How can the gun community reach out to a variety of shooters?"

That gets challenging but we've got to organize and stick together. A common shooting facility would help...there's been one in the works in Sky Valley for some time.

But the political side of it is a tough one.

"Are there any other things you would like to say?"

Bonnie indicated that she has found her work with the Well Armed Woman organization to be rewarding. The dynamic when a woman gets a gun often is that a husband wants his wife to be able to protect herself so a gun is purchased, stored in a dresser drawer, forgotten.

It is better when people take the initiative and get trained because they can then have the knowledge and experience needed to use that gun to keep her safe. It is better to be an alert sheepdog than a defenseless sheep. Being a victim is not good and so many people just do not stay aware of their surroundings, walking around with their eyes on their phone.

Peak Gun Rights? Not Even Close!

Reason.com recently published a very good article, asking whether we have already experienced peak gun rights and will experience a sharp decline in those rights (link). While there is good reason to be concerned about the torrent of gun control posturing and coverage in the media...and the civil liberties wimps in in legislatures doing their bidding...I have thought about the matter a lot recently.

My answer is a definite NO.

It is true that we have a fight on our hands but I am really starting to think that it could be more like a desperate Battle of the Bulge type fight than an unstoppable blitzkrieg. Will we lose? Nuts!

1. There aren't that many dedicated gun control activists. The NRA has close to 5.5 dedicated members and many supporters.
2. The NRA is the part of the gun rights movement that is willing to compromise. If they ever shut down (e.g., a recent attempt to extend Russian collusion investigations to the NRA), the next organization to take their place would probably not bother compromising.

That's the thing that gun control fans don't understand. We have been compromising and attempting to work with you and it's gotten us nowhere. The AR15 *is* the gun rights compromise. We have abided by a lot of really stupid laws for decades and all it's gotten us is more demands and hysteria.

Ironically, it may be the anti-Trump "Resistance" which is showing us the way to advance gun rights further. Attorney Generals like Washington state's Bob Ferguson have defied Federal law in opposition to immigration and travel restrictions. If extreme gun control attempts take away gun owners' motivation to continue abiding by arbitrary  and virtually unenforceable laws.

That Reason article hints at the outcome, in mentioning the growing non-compliance with gun laws. People are declining to turn in bump stocks or standard capacity magazines, even in states with a history of gun control compliance. If you ban AR15s or revoke the Second Amendment (nearly impossible but some unwise people have suggested it), almost no one will comply. Home firearm builds, many of them untraceable, will be ubiquitous. People will start figuring they have to violate the law anyway, so why comply with laws banning/restricting machine guns or suppressors. How long until people start 3D printing durable firearm receivers....or drop in autosears?

Prohibition, enacted with the intention of improving society and reducing domestic violence, served only to increase violence, create America's 100 year organized crime problem, *increase* alcohol abuse and foster corruption in government and contempt for laws. The chaos and justified contempt for legal fairness which would result from enacting worse gun control laws than we already tolerate would probably make Prohibition look like a church rally by comparison.

I hope that some gun control advocates and legislators have sufficient judgement to understand that. I do not want our country to look like Syria in 10 years.