We’re not into Twitter, but sometimes we read the latest about interesting events like the NRA Convention currently underway in Charlotte, NC. The 2A Blog Bash website has a sidebar on their web page with tweets from some of the bloggers in attendance. Use the scroll bar to view recent tweets from the convention.

We were part of the Bash at last year’s convention in Phoenix. Sadly, we’re involved in a land purchase deal here in both California and Arizona at the same time and couldn’t get away for this one. Next year, we hope we can attend again in Pittsburgh in 2011.

I was looking through the gunnies’ sites this morning and noticed a link to the Second Amendment March to be held in Washington, D.C. next April. What caught my eye was the poll they posted on their site.

Our Mission

The mission of the Second Amendment March is to galvanize the courage and resolve of Americans; to petition our elected officials against establishing anti-gun legislation; and to remind America that the Second Amendment is necessary to maintain our right to self defense.

It is the one right that protects all others.

We will accomplish our mission by a peaceful march in Washington DC, the United States Capitol, supported by satellite marches to State Capitols and smaller cities all across America.

The march in D.C. will take place on Monday, April 19, 2010 on the grounds of the Washington Monument.

Interestingly, fat Rosie gets about four percent of the vote.

Earlier this week, Alan Gura and associates filed the Petitioners “On Writ Of Certiorari To The United States Court Of Appeals For The Seventh Circuit.” I downloaded the Petitioners .pdf document yesterday and started looking through it for a little light reading.

The document contains a ‘Summary of Argument‘ which I have summarized even further here. Disclaimer: this summary in no way intends to profess anything other than a citizen’s interpretation of the contents of the summary.

Section 1 states that the Court has never directly addressed the question of the Fourteenth Amendment’s incorporation of the Second Amendment. It claims confusion is the result of inaction and the Court now has the opportunity to set straight the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment in the context of gun owners civil rights.

Section 2 speaks to the Fourteenth Amendment’s ‘Privileges or Immunities‘ clause which forbids the States from abridging civil rights including, unambiguously, the right to keep and bear arms.

Section 3 brings up The SlaughterHouse Cases of 1873. SlaughterHouse transformed the Framers’ broad protection of individual liberty, commonly understood, into a clause securing only the most obscure rights.

Section 4 speaks about The Fourteenth Amendment’s requirement that no person be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. Accordingly, most of the rights secured in the first eight amendments have been deemed incorporated as against the States.

The States ratified the Fourteenth Amendment during reconstruction. The amendment sought to restore civil rights that some of the states had stripped away from blacks and abolitionists after the Civil War, including the right to keep and bear arms.

Now is the time for SCOTUS to restore those civil rights to the citizens of Chicago and, indeed, to all Americans.

Also, here’s another chance to weigh in on Sonia Sotomayor:

It’s been about a year now, that ammunition has been scarce here in California, and, indeed, the entire nation. In particular, handgun calibers are not only difficult to find, but when you do find them, they’re expensive.

We have tried to stockpile enough ammo to be able to take any of our guns to the range. We’re not hoarding the ammo, but keep enough on hand that when a particular caliber is unavailable, we can still shoot some, and restock the pile when the caliber again becomes a available.

The last few months, there has been a greater availability, mostly at our shooting range, but not so much at retail outdoor and sporting stores in the area. Again, the range has some but you pay about 50% more than over a year ago.

In the image (click to enlarge), top left shelf, we have handgun calibers .45 ACP, .357 magnum, .38 special and 9mm. Below that, we store magazines and holsters. The bottom two shelves are where we keep the shotgun ammo, 12 and 20 gauge.

It was almost a religious experience. The grandeur of a giant department store devoted to all things outdoors and shooting. Damsel wanted to camp in the parking lot. Her eyes glazed over with the faraway look of a shopaholic who sees something shiny. Me? I was drooling on the seemingly endless display cabinet of hand guns with lower-than-expected pricing. Oh, and there was that S&W M&P 15-22 that flirted with my brain - I had to avert my glance to avoid being totally mesmerized.

California needs stores like this, but we know the creeps in Sacramento and the idiotic Governator will drive stores and revenues like this away from the Anti-Midas state government - everything they touch turns to sh*t. The “Golden State” paradigm is now a fond memory from the past.

I logged into http://gov.ca.gov/interact this afternoon to express my frustration at the Governator’s signing of California anti-ammunition bill AB 962. Click image below to magnify the fine print.

You can send him a note also. You don’t have to live in “Kullyfoania” to express your disappointment with “Ahnold.” Please - let him have it.

After I finished signing the various and sundry agreements required when checking out of the workplace on my final day as an employee, I went home and commenced enjoying retirement.

One of the perks is that I can now watch the Glenn Beck Show, which is scheduled at a time I would have been at work. Well, I watched the show today and I was surprised to see Alan Gura’s face on the screen. It turns out that the SCOTUS decided today to hear the Chicago Gun Case and Beck was interviewing Mr. Gura on the topic.

Of course, we had the great pleasure of meeting Alan Gura at the Gun Blogger Rendezvous earlier this month. Mr. Gura was kind enough to autograph Damsel’s “Heller Kitty” T-Shirt, which she just advised me is a collector’s item to be framed - she NEEDS a new one to wear now.

In the image are (L to R) Mr. Completely, yours truly and Alan Gura enjoying a discussion in the hospitality room at the Silver Legacy.

Here’s an excerpt from the Beck/Gura interview today:

GLENN: Okay. So I know that the NRA didn’t want — I mean, they were afraid of the D.C. handgun bill. They were like, you know, I don’t — we don’t know how they’re going to come out. Why, why were both of you, you and the NRA, as soon as you won the Heller case in Washington, why did you both run to file this case? What is it that gives you confidence in this?

GURA: Well, first of all, it’s inevitable. I mean, you can’t really avoid these questions. And this is why we filed the D.C. case, too. We realized that the way things were developing in the law that the Court would answer the Second Amendment question very soon, and we wanted the question answered in a good case on behalf of law-abiding, decent people instead of the usual way that Second Amendment cases had gone up through the court in cases like U.S. versus crackhead, U.S. versus bank robber. Those are not really the greatest cases to take when trying to vindicate individual rights. The reason we went immediately after Chicago is Chicago has an identical handgun ban. It’s a crazy set of gun laws. And it’s fairly obvious that now that we know the Second Amendment applies to the federal government, the next big question is, okay, does it apply to state and local governments. Because most gun laws live at the state and local level. And let’s face it, Glenn: If congress can’t take a gun away and President Obama can’t take a gun away but the mayor takes your gun away, you still don’t have a gun.

And there are too many mayors willing to do that, Bloomberg being the foremost.

This is a slideshow recapping our great time at the GBR-IV in Reno. We met so many nice folks and made new friends. It was truly a great experience for us, and we have already been in touch with some of our new buddies. Thanks to Mr. C and Kee Wee for throwing one of the best events we’ve been fortunate enough to attend.

Major Chuck Ziegenfuss did a presentation for Project Valor-IT, so we included a tribute to that in the slideshow. If you want to learn more please visit About Project Valour-IT on-line.

Blogs and others represented at GBR-IV:

Thanks also to the event sponsors: Para USA, Hi-Point Firearms, GLOCK, Dillon Precision, Lucky Gunner Ammo, The Silver Legacy, Brownell’s, Natchez Shooters Supply, Midway USA, Remington, Crimson Trace, Bison Armory, Cheaper than Dirt, National Rifle Association and the National Sports Shooting Foundation (thanks Bill!)

If I missed anyone, please tell me, so I can make it right.

Photo credits (most of ‘em) - Damsel.

Would you buy a car from this man? I’m thinking I would . . .

Check out the CNN ‘authorized journalist’ - a smirking, opinionated, air head if ever there was one.

Hat Tip Planet Gore

When I’m puttering around the house and yard, I have this little ensemble clipped inside my waistband. It’s my little S&W 442 .38 caliber J-frame (loaded with plus-P anti-personnel* rounds) in a Bianchi leather clip-on holster.

When the weather is a little warmer, she rides in a special holster on my leg under the sun dress. Either way, she is light enough that you just might forget you’re packing and venture somewhere you shouldn’t under such circumstances - not that I’ve ever done that, of course.

* One of our commenters described hollow-points as “limited penetration” rounds. He says that description is less apt to get a reaction from liberals than “anti-personnel.”

Our independence was bought and paid for with lives and lead. Independence is insured by the Bill of Rights and, in our opinion, the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.

According to Mr. Completely, you should “Get Your Registration and Reservations in ASAP.” They have blocked out rooms for Wednesday the 9th, through Sunday the 13th. Damsel and I have already made our hotel reservations and continue to plan the trip. We’re going to drive from the Los Angeles area and plan to make some touristy stops going and coming.

As for the GBR-IV event, we’re looking forward to meeting other attendees, participating in the events and activities, and, of course, winning one or more of the door prize drawings. Ride Fast and Shoot Straight has a rundown on some of the events and prizes.

A quick update to getting a Nevada CCW permit: We won’t have enough time to get through all the hoops required for a permit - however, we think that open carry may be do-able. I’ll continue to do the research, but this is on the OpenCarry.org website:

Nevada is a traditional open carry state with complete state preemption of firearms laws. However, Clark County (Las Vegas) is grandfathered so as to continue a “Deadly Weapons” registration scheme. Fortunately, Nevada law exempts travelers to and through Nevada from these registration requirements for 60 days.

Open carry seems to be allowed in vehicles and on one’s person as long as the weapon is visible. We’ll continue to evaluate this option.