Star Wars Conspiracy: Does Fear Cost Us Our Liberty?

Jacob Sullum: "Autonomous Terrorism Calls for Autonomous Defense"

Columnist Jacob Sullum had an excellent article at reason.com about how armed citizens are a logical defense against the type of diffused terrorist attacks we're seeing.  Writes Sullum:


"There is not much the government can do about the sort of terrorist threat that President Obama described in his speech on Sunday. It will always be difficult to stop self-radicalized jihadists, operating under no one's instructions, from carrying out attacks on soft targets too scattered and numerous to secure.


"The only viable alternative, self-help, is one that Obama seems ideologically incapable of considering. His proposals for new restrictions on firearms move in the opposite direction, based on the assumption that the problem is too many guns in too many hands.


"Gun control supporters generally dismiss the notion that armed citizens can help stop terrorists and other mass shooters. They argue that unbadged amateurs will be frozen by fear, that they will accidentally shoot innocent people, or that police will mistake them for bad guys.


"These possibilities do not negate the lifesaving potential of encouraging greater self-reliance in situations where waiting for police to arrive means waiting for coldblooded murderers to kill and kill again. We know from experience that intervention by people already at the scene can make a crucial difference."


Read the entire article HERE.

Have Your Health Insurance Premiums Dropped Under Obamacare?

Obama promised that Obamacare would lower health insurance premiums for American families by about $2,500. Here's a video montage of Obama saying it again and again.





Do you know anyone who has seen their premiums go down since Obamacare was enacted in 2010? My premiums and deductibles went up yet again this year. Judging by the chart from the Kaiser Family Foundation below, I'm not alone.

Marion Robbery Foiled By Armed Citizen

Although local news doesn't always report positive gun uses, (see my post Iowa News Shows Its Anti-Gun Bias) in a case this week they did.


KCRG-TV9 reports:


MARION — A Burlington man was caught in the act of robbing two people in Marion by an armed citizen.


According to the Linn County attorney’s Office, 66-year-old John R. Barnett assaulted two people outside an apartment building in the 1400 block of Grand Avenue in Marion on Tuesday. An accomplice was with Barnett at the time of the assault, police said. A wallet was taken from one victim.


Authorities said that during the robbery, a witness intervened and held Barnett at gunpoint until officers arrived. The accomplice was able to flee with the victim’s wallet.


The Marion Police Department said if a person feels threatened, they have the right to use force. Barnett was arrested and has been charged with two counts of second-degree robbery.


You can watch a more in-depth news video HERE.

Pentagon Gun Ban Is Getting Brave Men Killed

Five military service members lay dead in Chattanooga after a gunman, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, opened fire on a recruiting center and a naval reserve center. They're dead from a lack of shooting back. They're dead because of longstanding policies that leave stateside military members (except MPs and the like) unarmed and leave our military facilities exposed to terrorist attack.


In 1992 the first Bush administration signed into effect Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5210.56. This directive sought to “limit and control the carrying of firearms by DoD military and civilian personnel," and states that only “DoD personnel regularly engaged in law enforcement or security duties shall be armed.”  Army Regulation 190-14 was implemented in 1993 and further tightened the carrying of firearms on Army posts. According to the Washington Times this reg forbids "military personnel from carrying their personal firearms and [made] it almost impossible for commanders to issue firearms to soldiers in the U.S. for personal protection."


If these regs made sense when they were implemented, they sure don't now. Thirteen years into the "War on Terror" and after seeing the 2009 Fort Hood shootings, the 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shootings, the 2013 Washington Navy Yard shootings, and 2014 Fort Hood shootings it makes no sense that soldiers are better able to defend themselves off duty and off base than on (thanks to right-to-carry laws now in nearly every state) and that many military facilities remain soft targets for terrorists.


Two years ago Marine Corps commandant Gen. Jim Amos proposed arming certain duty and staff NCOs for this very reason. Unfortunately, the DoD didn't act on the proposal and now there's four dead Marines in Chattanooga. Perhaps the Chattanooga shootings will be the final straw that will change DoD policy.


Gun Owners of America (GOA) has announced that it is working with several congressmen to introduce legislation to repeal the military gun ban. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) plans to introduce a bill early next week. Former Marine Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) plans on introducing a bill to allow military recruiters to carry firearms. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) is working on similar legislation in the Senate.


GOA has set up an action center where you can send a pre-written message to your Representative urging them to cosponsor the DesJarlais and Hunter bills.


Let's get this ban lifted before more brave service members die in the name of bureaucratic apathy.


Update 7-25-15: Fox News reports that one Navy officer and a Marine at the Chattanooga naval facility may have armed themselves against regulations and in violation of federal law and may have actually  killed the Islamic shooter. While these brave men may have cut the shooting spree short, probably saving additional lives, our service members shouldn't have to jeopardize their careers and law-abiding backgrounds in order to defend themselves and their comrades.

Flag Battle over Battle Flag

Achtung Baker

Sorry, I know this didn't show up worth a hoot. I tried to make it clearer. You can see it better here on Facebook. It's probably a sign from the computer gods that you should "like" Cold Hard Cashner on Facebook.

In Honor of Tax Season

Iowa's Omnibus Gun Bill Needs Help

The Omnibus Gun Bill (HF527/SF425) passed with overwhelming support in the Iowa House but appears to now be languishing in the Democrat-controlled Iowa Senate. Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC), one of the state's leading pro-gun groups, has been counting votes in the State Senate and believes the bill would pass easily, if only it would be released for a vote by the Senate's anti-gun leadership.

In addition to legalizing silencers in the state (for those who undergo the requisite federal procedures), the Omnibus Gun Bill would also:

• Update Iowa’s concealed carry law to move the retraining requirement to every 10 years instead of every 5.
• Simplify the concealed carry permit renewal process and allow a 60 day window to renew.
• Exempt military veterans from having to get training before applying for a Permit to Carry.
• Remove the “permit to acquire” mandate for handgun purchases (FBI NICS program would still be used for purchases).
• Clarifies that online training is acceptable for a concealed carry permit.
• Remove the age restriction on minors shooting while supervised by a parent or guardian.
• Make it illegal to share any identifying information about any of Iowa’s concealed carry permit holders.
• Make all permits across Iowa uniform in appearance.

Not only have the NRA and IFC endorsed the bill, but the Iowa Peace Officers Association, Iowa Police Chiefs Association, and the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association as well. Despite this wide-ranging support, the bill now risks being sabotaged by a very small handful of anti-gun State Senators.

What can you do to help?  IFC is urging everyone to take the following three simple steps (in their words):

Petition

If you haven't already, please sign and share our petition calling on the Senate leadership to stop playing games and bring SF425 to a vote.

The anti-gun crowd has submitted a petition to block the Omnibus Gun Bill. They got a paltry 1,600 signatures. We're betting we can top that pretty easily. Please take 30 second to sign and share this!!

Email

Contact your Senator, and the Senate leadership. Tell them you want to see SF425 brought to a vote AS IS. It's time for a vote! Keep your messages brief, respectful and on point. Here's a great example of an email to the Senate leadership. Send your emails to:mike.gronstal@legis.iowa.gov, steve.sodders@legis.iowa.gov, pam.jochum@legis.iowa.gov, joe.bolkcom@legis.iowa.gov, &
your Senator.

Don't have your Senator's email address? Not sure who your Senator is? Find who represents you and their contact info using our Legislative Action Center.

Call

NOTE: The Senate switchboard is only operational while the Senate is in session. The next time you can call and leave a message will be when the Senate returns to work on Monday at 1 p.m.

When you call the Senate switchboard - 515-281-3371 - on Monday leave a message for the Senate leadership: "Listen to the people of Iowa. Listen to Iowa law enforcement. Bring SF425 to a vote AS IS." Ask that the message is delivered to Senators Gronstal, Sodders, Jochum and Bolkcom.







Pro-Freedom Bills In Des Moines- Feb. 2015

There are some good bills floating around in the Iowa legislature this year that could use our support.

Gun Rights Bills

First up are four pro-gun owner bills and the synopsis for each one provided by the Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC).

House File 45 - Emergency Powers This bill guarantees that Iowan's Second Amendment rights remain intact during times of public emergencies, when the ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones is needed most. In short it would keep Hurricane Katrina style confiscations from happening here in Iowa.

House File 59 - Preemption Clarification
HF59 amends IA Code 724.28 which says local municipalities and governing bodies shall not preempt or supersede state firearms law. Iowa has had a preemption law for almost 25 years, but every year many local municipalities continue to try to work around this law and illegally in fringe on Iowan's rights. This bill would strengthen the current code and provide citizen's rights greater protections from over zealous governing bodies.

House File 92 - Stand Your Ground
This legislation would remove a person's "duty to retreat" from an attacker in any location.  This would allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves or their family anywhere they are lawfully present.  This legislation would also expressly enhance the protections against criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits when justifiable force is used.

House File 99 - Repeal the Youth Shooting Ban 
Currently anyone under the age of 14 is strictly prohibited from holding or shooting a handgun in Iowa - regardless of whether or not that minor is under parental supervision. HF99 would amend the state code to allow a person under 14 to lawfully shoot a handgun, with proper supervision, as long as their parent, guardian, or spouse who is 21 years of age or older has provided consent.

IFC maintains an Legislative Action Center site where you can send a pre-written message to your Iowa representatives urging them to support these bills.

Contraband Bills

If polls are right, about 38% of you reading these words have tried marijuana. Most of you did NOT end up living in a van down by the river or murdering your parents with a pitchfork as pot alarmists would have everyone believe. And although fireworks have been illegal in Iowa since the 1930's, many Iowans bootleg them in and light them off.

There are three bills that seek to lessen the nanny state's grasp on these relatively harmless, yet illegal activities. Reducing penalties for pot would free up jail space for violent bad guys, saving the state money. Legalizing fireworks would supply the state with an additional source of tax revenue.

House File 60

Reduces marijuana possession penalties involving up to 28.5 grams of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor (punishable by up to six-months in jail and a $1,000 fine) to a simple misdemeanor punishable by a $300 fine. 

Senate File 1121

 Reduces marijuana possession penalties involving up to 5 grams of cannabis. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13 to 1 in favor of this legislation, which now moves on to the full Senate for debate.

You can go to the NORML website to send a pre-written message of support for these bills to your Iowa legislators here.

Senate Study Bill 1135

This would legalize certain retail fireworks for purchase by Iowa consumers.

Freedom of Movement

Senate File 213

This bill would raise the speed limit to 75 on some of Iowa's rural interstate highways.

Senate File 208

This bill would prevent Iowa counties and cities from adopting ordinances barring 19- and 20-year-old adults from bars. This would most notably shoot down Iowa City's 21-ordinance. I wrote about why denying these legal adults their rights to liberty, peaceable assembly and pursuit of happiness was fundamentally wrong here.

Be sure to let your Iowa State Representative or Senator know how you feel about any of these potential  laws above.



Starting Year 5 of 'Shall Issue,' Iowa has More Guns, Less Crime

As Iowa begins its fifth year as a "shall-issue" state it's a good time to reflect on the fact that we now have a record number of law-abiding Iowans carrying firearms in public and lower violent crime rates than we did five years ago.


Iowa's shall-issue weapons permit law was signed into law by then-Governor Chet Culver (D) on April 29th, 2010. It went into effect on January 1st, 2011. The new law tweaked the civilian permit to carry weapons in several ways, but most importantly it required sheriffs to issue permits to Iowans who passed a criminal background check and met several other criteria. Prior to this, sheriffs could arbitrarily deny permits for any reason known only to themselves, essentially leaving Iowa with 99 different permit laws and the potential for personal discrimination.


So where do we stand now?


A recent Fox News article notes that in 2010, before the new law, Iowa had not quite 40,000 permits to carry in force. Last year the number hit 220,000, five and half times what it was in 2010. That means about 7% of Iowa's population currently has a permit to carry. With all those folks toting guns, what about all those predictions of increased carry causing "havoc and mayhem?"


Well, if Iowa has descended into bloody turmoil it sure isn't reflected in our violent crime rates. According to FBI statistics in 2008 and 2009 Iowa averaged about 284 violent crimes per 100,000 population. In 2010, when the shall issue was signed, our violent crime rate was at 268.5 crimes. In 2011, the first full year the law was in force, the crime rate fell to 255.6. In 2012 it rose a bit to 265.6. Then in 2013 (the latest year I could find stats for) it fell again to 260.9.

I don't if every hill and valley in these numbers can be ascribed to Iowa's permit law, but the fact remains that their are many more lawful guns on the street and violent crime rates are lower than before the law went to effect. At any rate it proves that more law-abiding gun owners carrying in public does NOT cause Old West shootouts and chaos as we were warned. This experience puts us inline with most of the other 40 states who have seen crime rates drop after passing shall issue laws.


Most of the critiques of the law I see nowadays don't rely on predictions of bloodbaths by deranged permit holders over fender benders but just on the fact that the idea of other Iowans carrying concealed weapons makes the critic feel "icky." (Here's one recent example.) Not the best argument to deny a constitutional right.


All in all I think we would have to rule Iowa's shall issue a success. Iowa's law-abiding gun owners have proven themselves to be a responsible lot. Now, about Constitutional Carry...

IA Reps Blum and King Vote Against Commissar Boehner

Two of Iowa's three Republican U.S. representatives voted against the existing power structure on Capitol Hill as personified in John Boehner. 25 total Republicans voted against House Speaker Boehner, a Republican, which the Washington Post called “largest revolt against a House speaker in more than 150 years.” Unfortunately, Boehner was still re-elected to his speakership.


Freshman Representative Rod Blum of Iowa's 1st District explained his vote thusly on his Facebook Page:  "I was elected by Iowans to stand up to the status quo in Washington, DC, and I refuse to turn my back on them with my first vote. While I know Speaker Boehner is a good man and I respect the job he has done as Speaker, I must follow the will of the Eastern Iowans who rejected politics as usual in November and are calling for change in DC. With Congressional approval ratings at historic lows, it's time for our elected officials to listen to the people and rethink business as usual so we can move our country forward together."


Representative Steve King (IA-4) said of Boehner in a recent Breitbart column:  “I know the pattern of his strategy and actions for the past 12 years to the point where I can predict the results. I am convinced Congress will not be allowed to restore its Constitutional authority under his Speakership and by refusing to do so, cannot call upon the courts to do so. How then, can I take an oath to the Constitution and put up a vote for John Boehner, almost in the same breath?


“We need a Speaker who will help us all keep our oath, including his own, to the Constitution, not one who has consistently blocked our efforts to keep ours. I will vote for an alternative candidate for Speaker. I can’t vote for John Boehner again.”


Blum and King's opposition to Speaker Boehner seems to put them in good company with a good many of rank and file of their own party if not with ruling elite. A recent poll by Caddell Associates showed that "a stupefying 60% of Republicans who voted in the November elections either definitely or probably want someone other than Ohio Congressman John Boehner to be the Speaker of the House."  Two-thirds agreed with the statement that “John Boehner has been ineffective in opposing Obama.” When Republican voters were asked, “Is John Boehner for average Americans in his heart, rather than for special interests?” Only 44% said yes, and 43% said no.


"The GOP leadership, the lawyers, the lobbyists, the consultant class of the Republican party, and all the big donors don’t understand that these people are angry," said pollster Pat Caddell of polling data. "They are saying that John Boehner doesn’t care about them, and all he cares about is the special interests. I’ve never seen anything like this in the base of a party."


While I don't have a lot of faith in Steve King, I'm hopeful that Rod Blum will continue to stand up to the corrupt two-party oligarchy in Washington D.C.