Ed: We are delighted to welcome to DRGO a precociously “woke” medical student, Tyler Watson, who has given his permission for us to post his recent article from The DO.
If we are going to advocate for restricting access to items for health reasons, let’s start with those that cause more deaths and aren’t as legally protected.
Recently, the Student Osteopathic Medical Association announced that it was joining with the Giffords organization to lobby for gun death research funding. The announcement compared gun deaths to “threats like car accidents, smoking, and sudden infant death syndrome,” along with an accusation that policymakers are “prioritizing firearms over patients.”
It is hypocritical to call for research and political intervention on firearms when we have not yet conquered these other issues. In fact, banning cigarettes would, applying the same theory of gun control, save 12 times as many lives.
Extending this same reasoning to alcohol and automobiles, banning these items would save three times as many lives as banning firearms. Although “car control” may not be as popular as gun control, it would arguably save more lives.
The legal factor
With gun control, there’s also the legal factor to consider. The Second Amendment states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Further, the Supreme Court has held that “private citizens have the right under the Second Amendment to possess an ordinary type of weapon and use it for lawful, historically established situations such as self-defense in a home, even when there is no relationship to a local militia.”
The government has an obligation to protect Americans’ rights to own and use firearms. No such right or obligation exists for cigarettes, alcohol, or automobiles. If we are going to advocate for restricting access to or banning items in the name of public health, let’s start with items that cause more deaths and that aren’t as legally protected.
Federal dollars unnecessary
The campaign to bring in federal dollars isn’t entirely necessary either. The Giffords Law Center has done research without federal finding. It has established a rating criteria where each state gets a scorecard based on that state’s gun laws — A for tight gun regulations, F for few gun laws, and ranked each of the 50 states by the strength of their gun laws.
However, this rhetoric fails to address a basic premise: access to guns will necessarily increase gun death rates, but murder and overall death rates are more important factors to consider than simply gun death rates.
Urban areas have higher access to subways, leading to higher subway deaths—that doesn’t mean there is a subway problem, and focusing on “subway deaths” would neglect the fact that rural areas have higher mortality rates than urban areas. Similarly, focusing on “gun deaths” ignores the more basic issues of murder and death rates.
To look at the data, I compared the Giffords Law Center’s state scorecards and ranks to each state’s gun death rates and then compared Giffords’ state grades to factors that the organization cites in its campaign: suicide, murder, gun ownership (measured by NICS federal gun background checks), and death rates.
The only factor that correlated strongly was suicide (-0.7 Pearson coefficient); murder, gun ownership, and death rates were weakly correlated (ranging 0.15 to -0.22). To investigate further, I compared gun ownership to each of those rates, and found weak correlations to murder (0.07), gun deaths (0.23), suicide (0.14), and death (-0.05). This seems to indicate that states with higher gun ownership rates have little correlation, positive or negative, to any of these undesired effects.
Further searching showed some abnormalities that might be of interest: several states with “F” ratings actually have lower-than-average gun death and murder rates. These states also have a murder rate lower than the national average.
If it is evidence from research we need, we should start with the evidence from research we already have!
.
.
— Tyler Watson, OMS II, attends Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mr. Watson’s article reflects his own opinions only, and not necessarily those of The DO or the American Osteopathic Association.
The Knight’s Armament M110 Semi Automatic Sniper System (SASS) was the formal acknowledgement by U.S. Forces that a semi-auto rifle was an effective and accurate precision platform with a great deal of utility.
The system, first fielded in 2008, has received a number of variants and upgrades but the core rifle is still a precision KAC Stoner AR-10/SR-25.
Accurate under sustained fire and with an effective range of 800 meters the SASS and rifles like it are filling a critical niche in precision weapons. Conventional wisdom said that only the sealed and unmoving lock up of a bolt action rifle could produce precision. While a good bolt action is incredibly accurate the SASS is allowing those slower fire precision systems to push the bounds with extreme distance calibers. Where rapid engagement is not nearly as critical a factor as first round engagement success is, the rifles have gone big bore while the SASS is filling the role where older 7.62x51mm bolt rifles once sat.
The increase in available sustained precision firepower inside the half mile envelope is incredible with the M110 and peer systems.
And if you would like your own just ask over at Operation Parts and get one on the way
Ladies and gentlemen, a PSA from your humble editor..
Please check your firearms at the door while traveling.
You cannot fly while carrying a firearm or with one in your accessible carry-on baggage.
According to the TSA, in 2018, a record-setting 4,239 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags across the country.
Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only.
Firearms parts, including firearm frames and receivers, are prohibited in all carry-on baggage and must also be placed in checked baggage. – YourErie.com
Nighthawk Custom, Wilson Combat, Guncrafter Industries, and STI Back Jordan McNair in His Battle With Cancer
Jordan and family
Titans have stepped into the ring.
Today they stand together as one to back their friend, Jordan.
“That these highly competitive companies have joined together is a testament to Jordan’s character and his place in our hearts. Jordan has impacted our lives and it’s our combined goal to show the world that, people helping people, is still the American way.” -Mark Stone, CEO Nighthawk Custom
The Jordan McNair: “No One Fights Alone” Fundraiser is a one-of a kind collaboration and cooperation between some of the biggest names in the firearms industry. Nighthawk Custom, Wilson Combat, Guncrafter Industries, and STI have teamed up to each build and donate a unique firearm that has been engraved with the tagline “No One Fights Alone”
Jordan McNair is a 34 year-old young man from Berryville, AR who very recently found out that he has an inoperable form of cancer. He is a bright, hard working, and kind person who is known and liked by everyone in the community. Jordan is loving husband and father to a beautiful 1 year-old daughter. He and his family are still learning about the diagnosis and treatment plans, and during this time, he has been unable to work.
Jordan is a friend of many throughout these companies and we wanted to build unique guns that could be auctioned to help support him and his family through this trying time.
These guns all have matching engraving and paint finishes donated by Hillbilly223. This is truly a unique opportunity to have a one-of a kind firearm or collection that will help a good man and his family.
All four of these items are one of a kind and exclusively available from these Gunbroker auctions.
All purpose built by the company teams to help Jordan.
If you were ever considering buying one of these fine firearms, now is the time to possess a truly unique piece and support a young man’s family as he tackles the fight for his life.
A shared post crossed my social media feed this week. The post was from the Fresno, CA Police Department of a , and as of this writing the post was shared 25,000 times. The main reason it was shared so many times was because of the volume of humor and snark in the comments section related to the pictured kid’s appearance.
While the comments and snark about his age and size are funny on the surface, what isn’t funny about this is the fact that this kid is ALREADY a gang member and was ALREADY in possession of a stolen and loaded firearm.
It is kids like this that drive the “child death by firearm” data that Demanding Mommies, Bloomberg Inc. and Hoplophobes everywhere use to beat us over the head with.
It is kids like this that Organized Medicine use as an excuse to invade our privacy and agitate for unconstitutional firearms laws.
It is kids like this that the “DO SOMETHING” crowd really need to focus on, because this is where adolescent criminal behavior starts, and it is kids exactly like this that end up murdering each other and innocent bystanders in street and drug crime.
So while everyone’s busy making jokes, the Bloomies and their ilk are busy eroding OUR rights in the name of this kid and others like him who drive that child death by firearm data.
They blame US for that kid getting his hands on a “stolen” gun. (We’re all supposed to go through “Universal Background Checks” while a probably 15-year old juvenile criminal totes a revolver around in his pocket?)
They blame US and our lawful pursuits for that kid’s criminal activity. And they will most assuredly blame US when that kid shoots some other kid on the school yard over a drug deal gone bad in 2 or 3 years. Whereupon the press will most assuredly spread THIS photo far and wide showing this baby-faced kid and using emotional manipulation to imply his innocence. Any of this sound familiar?
Meanwhile we’re all still the “bad guys”. Still laughing?
Ed: This column was first posted at Pravda’s English site in 2012, and again at Hacienda Publishing. We present it by permission. Mr. Mishin has a unique perspective, but the core message is for all.]
(from pinterest.se)
These days, there are few things to admire about the socialist, bankrupt and culturally degenerating U.S.A., but at least so far, one thing remains: the right to bear arms and use deadly force to defend one’s self and possessions.
This will probably come as a total shock to most of my Western readers, but at one point, Russia was one of the most heavily armed societies on earth. This was, of course, when we were free under the Tsar. Weapons, from swords and spears to pistols, rifles and shotguns were everywhere, common items. People carried them concealed, they carried them holstered. Fighting knives were a prominent part of traditional attire, and those little tubes criss-crossing on the costumes of Cossacks and various Caucasian peoples? Well those are bullet holders for rifles.
Various armies, such as the Poles, during the Смута (Times of Troubles), or Napoleon, or the Germans even as the Tsarist state collapsed under the weight of WW1 and Wall Street monies, found that holding Russian lands was much, much harder than taking them, and taking was no easy walk in the park but a blood bath all its own. In holding, one faced an extremely well-armed and aggressive population Hell bent on exterminating or driving out the aggressor.
This well-armed population was what allowed the various White factions to rise up, no matter how disorganized politically and militarily they were in 1918, and wage a savage civil war against the Reds. It should be noted that many of these armies were armed peasants, villagers, farmers and merchants, protecting their own. If it had not been for Washington’s clandestine support of and for the Reds, history would have gone quite differently.
Moscow fell, for example, not from a lack of weapons to defend it, but from the lying guile of the Reds. Ten thousand Reds took Moscow and were opposed only by some few hundreds of officer cadets and their instructors. Even then the battle was fierce and losses high. However, in the city alone, at that time, lived over 30,000 military officers (both active and retired), all with their own issued weapons and ammunition, plus tens of thousands of other citizens who were armed. The Soviets promised to leave them all alone if they did not intervene. They did not and for that were asked afterwards to come register themselves and their weapons: where they were promptly shot.
Of course being savages, murderers and liars does not mean being stupid, and the Reds learned from their Civil War experience. One of the first things they did was to disarm the population. From that point, mass repression, mass arrests, mass deportations, mass murder, mass starvation were all a safe game for the powers that were. The worst they had to fear was a pitchfork in the guts or a knife in the back or the occasional hunting rifle. Not much for soldiers.
To this day, with the Soviet Union now dead [30] years, with a whole generation born and raised to adulthood without the SU, we are still denied our basic and traditional rights to self defense. Why? We are told that everyone would just start shooting each other and crime would be everywhere….but criminals are still armed and still murdering and too often, especially in the far regions, those criminals wear the uniforms of the police. The fact that everyone would start shooting is also laughable when statistics are examined.
While President Putin pushes through reforms, the local authorities, especially in our vast hinterland, do not feel they need to act like they work for the people. They do as they please, a tyrannical class who knows they have absolutely nothing to fear from a relatively unarmed population. This in turn breeds not respect but absolute contempt and often enough, criminal abuse.
For those of us fighting for our traditional rights, the U.S. 2nd Amendment is a rare light in an ever-darkening room. Governments will use the excuse of trying to protect the people from maniacs and crime, but in reality, it is the bureaucrats protecting their power and position. In all cases where guns are banned, gun crime continues and often increases. As for maniacs, be it nuts with cars (NYC, Chapel Hill NC), swords (Japan), knives (China) or homemade bombs (everywhere), insane people strike. They throw acid (Pakistan, UK), they throw fire bombs (France), they attack. What is worse, is, that the best way to stop a maniac is not psychology or jail or “talking to them;” it is a bullet in the head. That is why they are a maniac, because they are incapable of living in reality or stopping themselves.
The excuse that people will start shooting each other is also plain silly. So it is our politicians saying that our society is full of incapable adolescents who can never be trusted? Then, please explain how we can trust them or the police, who themselves grew up and came from the same culture?
No, it is about power and a total power over the people. There is a lot of desire to bad mouth the Tsar, particularly by the Communists, who claim he was a tyrant, and yet under him we were armed and under the progressives disarmed. Do not be fooled by a belief that progressives — leftists — hate guns. Oh no, they do not. What they hate is guns in the hands of those who are not marching in lock step to their ideology. They hate guns in the hands of those who think for themselves and do not obey without question. They hate guns in the hands of those whom they have slated for a gun barrel to the back of the ear.
So, do not fall for the false promises, and do not extinguish the light that is left to allow humanity a measure of self respect.
.
.
— DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Is anybody else getting tired of this shopworn trope? It was trotted out again last week by a politician seeking a 50% tax on ammunition.
I’ve had the same line used on me for years in internet arguments with clueless anti-gunners. The line is invariably thrown into the discussion like a hand grenade. It destroys further discussion, because if you disagree with whatever they are proposing, then that must mean that you are in favor of needless death. It also paints the proposer in the saintly light of “savior” of whoever it is they think is in danger.
But let’s look more deeply at this sentiment, shall we? What other useful tools can cause death if used improperly? Sometimes even used properly there are accidents with commonly used items.
Let’s completely ban automobiles – because if we can prevent just one death it will all be worth it.
Furthermore, let’s completely ban travel by horse as well – a fall from a horse has killed many, many people over the millennia.
Bicycles? Nope – people die on those too.
Let’s ban bathtubs – adults slip and die and many children drown yearly in them.
Ban televisions and bureaus – because toddlers have been known to pull them over on top of themselves and be crushed to death.
Ban Tylenol – an overdose can cause slow death by liver failure.
Ban aerosol cans – because teenagers huff the propellant and asphyxiate themselves.
Ban lawnmowers – both children and adults are horribly killed by them every year.
That’s just a tiny sampling. Pointing this out to the “ just one-ers” can cause angry flouncing from the conversation however. But it illustrates an important point. Life is fatal. Just breathing can be dangerous. So the “Just one life” trope is virtue-signaling garbage. Millions of people use the above items safely every single day. Just like firearms.
The hoplophobes would have the public believe that firearms are somehow a special case of concentrated death, when in reality many commonly used items cause more accidental death and injury than firearms do.
As far as “intentional” death and injury goes – are we taxing nails at a 50% rate to prevent hammer murders? Just asking. If we could prevent just one death you know…
There are those who are entirely against the use of guns because they could cause violence in the wrong hands. On the other hand, there are people in favor of using guns as a means to protect themselves from criminals.
But there are also self-identified non-violent people who have guns. Why do they, if they are against violence in the first place? Here are four possible reasons:
Protection – The Main Concern
When you ask people why they own guns, one of the most common reasons given is for protection–and rightfully so. Although they may never be attacked, they could better defend themselves with one and that makes them feel generally safer.
The world we live in is not as peaceful as we would like; crime always seems on the rise, and nobody feels safe. While violence should not always be fought with violence, owning a gun could be the only way to keep you and your family safe.
In the event that you are attacked or a thief enters your house, a gun might come in handy even if the owner is usually not an exponent of violence. Firing it could prevent tragedy. Not only could you prevent the criminal doing something terrible to you, but you could also prevent him/her from doing it to other people.
Gun Bans Increase Murder Rates
This might come across as really weird considering it is “gun violence” we’re talking about, but it’s actually true. If guns were banned, murder rates would rise. The thought that a potential victim might have a gun can make criminals reconsider committing the crime. After all, they care about their own lives, so they wouldn’t take risks as readily if they knew you could protect yourself.
Having said that, if guns were banned, some people would be happier than ever, because they could more easily commit violence with much less risk. That would encourage them to commit crimes, as they are not at risk of being shot.
People Are More Likely to Die of Other Causes
People are too often afraid that guns increase violence, that everyone would just start shooting to solve their conflicts. They think guns increase the death rate.
However, this is not true. People are more likely to die from falls than by being shot. In 2007, there were 613 fatal firearms accidents, which was just one-half of 1% of all fatal accidents. You are much more likely to die by poisoning, drowning, falling or driving than being shot. [Must reference the statistics. Of course there are shootings every day somewhere, it’s homicides that are far rarer than MVA deaths; all gunshot deaths (including suicides) approach the number of all car accidents.] Shootings are not a common cause of death by a (pardon me) long shot.
Guns Stop Burglars
If you were a thief, would you continue packing that huge amounts of money and jewelry if someone in the house pointed a gun at you? Everyone fears for their lives, and bad guys don’t want guns pointed at them either. Some years ago, the CDC estimated that Americans used guns for almost 500,000 times to scare away thieves attempting to break into their homes. [Must have the reference for something so specific.]
Note that people don’t necessarily have to fire the guns–pointing them is enough to scare away most criminals, although you have to be ready to fire.
It’s Not the Gun That Is Dangerous
One of the things you’ve probably heard is that it’s not the gun that’s dangerous, but the individual holding it. Guns don’t fire by themselves. The person who owns the gun is the critical factor. If that person is nonviolent, then he/she won’t use it unless a dangerous situation leaves no other choice.
Gun Control Laws Don’t Increase Safety
There are people who are trying really hard to convince us that gun control laws will necessarily increase our protection. But that’s not actually true. Gun control laws can restrict the number of privately held firearms. Gun ownership discourages criminals while banning them would dramatically increase the frequency of crime.
Final Thoughts
Having firearms doesn’t mean that people will use them wrongfully. Guns may just make them feel safer, and even prevent something bad from happening to them. Nonviolent people are the least likely to use the guns in a bad way, because guns are only dangerous when they’re in the wrong hands. Being non-violent does not dictate being unprepared to defend against others’ violence.
.
.
—Jay Chambers is a Texas business owner, archer, shooter and survivalist. He believes in free speech, resiliency and self-sufficiency in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Walther has introduced an innovative program that shows how confident they are in their flagship model, the PPQ series of handguns. This program is called Shoot It. Love It. Buy It.
There are essentially two parts to this program.
First, a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. Wherever you decide to buy a new PPQ, online or in- store, it is covered with this guarantee. If you don’t love it within 30 days, visit ShootItLoveItBuyIt.com and go through the “return your gun” process. Walther will provide the shipping label to have it sent back. Once received at Walther and inspected, they will issue a check for a full reimbursement of what the buyer paid for the PPQ. Including tax.
Second, a Try Before You Buy. At select dealers across the United States, which are listed on their website, you can take home a PPQ for 30 days with no money down. All you need to do is visit ShootItLoveItBuyIt.com and apply for a voucher. When you apply for a voucher, Walther will pre-authorize your card for $1000.00. This is not a charge, only to make sure you have a valid card. Once this happens, you will be emailed a voucher number. Take the voucher number to the closest participating dealer near you, pick out the model PPQ you want to try out, and give the dealer the voucher number. You will still need to fill out the standard 4473 background check paperwork. Once completed, you can take home the PPQ and shoot it as much as you like! If you love the PPQ, you will automatically be charged the dealers sales price 30 days from purchase. If you don’t love it, return the gun back to Walther through the ShootItLoveItBuyIt.com portal and your card will not be charged.
Chris Carlberg, VP of Sales for Walther Arms, Inc. says “This program will drive sales of Walther PPQ’s for our dealers to a whole new level. We’re excited to the first manufacture in our industry to offer a program that builds confidence in our brand via a 30-day money back guarantee and a try before you buy.”
Shoot It. Love It. Buy It. Is open from February 15 – June 30, 2019.
It is far past time for many in our country to take a stand on those things that are important, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
There are many, many folks out there who seem to love to exercise their freedom of speech and freedom of religion, even though their religion may be “none”. It is still their belief and they have the right to exercise it just as you and I do–whatever their “religion” may be or not be.
It has long been said that all that is required for evil to happen is for good people to do nothing. Perhaps too many of us have not been doing enough. There is huge pressure by “progressive” politicians in many cities and states for our country to go in a direction where almost all the people I know will not like where we end up .
We dearly value our freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but too many people, even those who are speaking contrary to what I think is right, do not understand that these two rights are hinged upon the presence of the Second Amendment–the right to keep and bear arms.
It is hard for me to understand people who do not seem to have ever heard about what plagued the world throughout most of the 20th century. Hitler, Stalin, Mao and others like them, were responsible for slaughtering scores of millions of people. In every situation of which I am aware, disarmament of civilians preceded all such tyrannical governments, making them unable to defend themselves against any aggressor.
It is especially challenging to my mind to try to understand why so many Jewish people are in favor of more restrictive firearm ownership and seem to have amnesia related to their ancestors, who were slaughtered by the millions in Europe less than one hundred years ago.
So now, even though we hear about “sensible laws for firearm safety”, the real goal of people like Bloomberg and the Gifford organizations are to make the entire country’s gun laws as restrictive as are the state of California’s. The majority of current legislators in California would like to make ownership of all firearms and ammunition illegal for essentially all people except those who are identified as “law enforcement”.
It is a fact of life that “Power corrupts. Absolute power absolutely corrupts.” So, when only law enforcement has access to firearms, who is left to prevent those with power and corrupt minds from becoming the “tyrannical government”? The answer is: “No one.”
A significant fact not mentioned by anyone of Leftist ideology and the Left-focused media, is that Mexico has among the highest violent crime, murder, homicide, and firearm death rates compared to any other country in the world. Mexico has gun controls in place that resemble those of California and New York. On the other hand, citizens of Switzerland have one firearm for every two people and they have virtually the lowest rates of violent death, murder, homicide, and deaths by firearms in the world.
Except for one event, all mass shootings since 1992 have occurred in areas, or zones, that were clearly identified as “gun free”. Texas has allowed school teachers to be armed for several years and there has not been one mass shooting in a school in which the school officials and or teachers were armed.
It is also very clear as more and more laws are passed, that the criminals and those who are insane and create mass homicides, do not have any concern about violating any of the massive number of current laws related to firearms purchase, possession or use. There are no mass shootings in which the shooter did not violate one or several of the laws currently in effect where he lived or where he killed people.
A statistic that is never promoted by anyone who leans even a little toward the left is that there are an estimated two million plus defensive gun uses per year in the United States. These events do not make the news, as few would be interested in a report saying “Four people were not injured today when the robber approaching them ran away on seeing that his intended victim was armed.” An event in which an armed citizen thwarts a criminal act is unlikely to make the news when there is generally no reason for a police report to be filed.
It is not rocket science to know this fact: “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.”
Many of those high positions and in power are protected by armed body guards, but are opposed to you and I being armed. Is this hypocrisy or is this duplicity?
Shouldn’t we prioritize instead reducing the 110+ deaths every day in the United States due to exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke, or the 1,400 deaths every day due to the direct effects of cigarette smoke?
Another great place to focus would be to reduce the 200,000 to 300,000 deaths every year in the United States that occur in hospitals due to accidents, poor judgement, erroneous medical care, or the wrong drugs being given to people.
We physicians do need to heal ourselves, and stay out of the lane of knowledgeable Americans exercising their right to keep and bear arms.
.
.
—Cris McBride, M.D. is retired from a busy practice in rural Arizona. He purchased his first firearm at age 11 from a Sears catalog for $12. Dr. McBride is adamant about shooting for fun and self defense, and to prevent a tyrannical government from taking away our God-given rights.
From the Editor: Washington’s Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, has issued a ‘cautionary warning’ to the Chief LEO’s of the state. The public declaration by many of the state’s top cops, especially of the rural counties and municipalities who overwhelmingly didn’t support Initiative 1639 and felt dragged along by ignoramus urbanites, has caused legal pressure to come to bear in a civil disobedience light. The AG’s message is clear, enforce I-1639 or you’re on your own, liability wise.
Here’s the AG’s letter
In November 2018, Washingtonians overwhelmingly adopted Initiative 1639.
Numerous sheriffs and police chiefs have stated that they will not implement or enforce the initiative. I want to share my thoughts on this important issue, which affects both the safety of our communities and respect for the rule of law.
Like all laws passed by the people of Washington and their representatives, Initiative 1639 is presumed constitutional. No court has ruled that this initiative is unconstitutional.
I will defend Initiative 1639 against any legal challenge. My office defeated the legal challenge to the previous gun safety initiative passed by the people, and I am confident we will defeat any constitutional challenge to Initiative 1639 as well. Local law enforcement officials are entitled to their opinions about the constitutionality of any law, but those personal views do not absolve us of our duty to enforce Washington laws and protect the public.
I would like to focus on one component of Initiative 1639 in which you play a vital role, and have a legal obligation. Effective July 1, Initiative 1639 requires enhanced background checks for the purchase of semiautomatic assault rifles, which are identical to the enhanced background checks currently required for all handgun purchases in Washington state. Just like handgun purchases, local law enforcement officials are required to perform these background checks.
Local law enforcement has been performing these enhanced background checks for all handgun purchases in Washington state for many years. These enhanced background checks keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who lawfully cannot own firearms because of a mental illness or criminal record. As far as I know, no Washington sheriff or police chief has refused to perform these enhanced background checks for handguns. Why refuse to perform them for semiautomatic assault rifles?
I am deeply concerned that the failure of local law enforcement to perform Initiative 1639’s background check requirement will jeopardize public safety in our state by allowing the sale of semiautomatic assault rifles to dangerous individuals not lawfully allowed to own a gun.
State law provides immunity to local law enforcement officers who run these checks “in good faith.” However, in the event a police chief or sheriff refuses to perform the background check required by Initiative 1639, they could be held liable if there is a sale or transfer of a firearm to a dangerous individual prohibited from possessing a firearm and that individual uses that firearm to do harm. In short, the taxpayers of your city or county assume the financial risk of your decision to impose your personal views over the law.
Outside your legal obligation to perform the background checks, you have discretion, of course, to prioritize your resources. This is a trust placed on you by the Washingtonians you serve. Enforcement discretion, however, cannot subvert the rule of law. All Washingtonians, including those of us in government, are equally subject to the law.
Analogies to marijuana and immigration law enforcement are misplaced. This is not a situation where the federal government is trying to force the state to enforce federal laws. Rather, Initiative 1639 was submitted to the people of Washington and was adopted as state law by nearly 60% of the people. No action by a city council or county commission can change this state law or the responsibilities and duties that the law vests in Washington’s law enforcement agencies.
I am personally deeply opposed to the death penalty, and have maintained reservations about its constitutionality for many years – but my personal feelings about the death penalty did not impact my duties as Attorney General. Last October, our State Supreme Court unanimously ruled in State v. Gregory that Washington’s death penalty was applied in an arbitrary and racially biased manner. Until the Gregory decision, however, my office continued to defend the death sentence in federal courts when death row inmates filed appeals, even after the Governor announced his moratorium. I did this out of respect for the rule of law. At the same time, I proposed legislation to the State Legislature to abolish the death penalty. If you personally disagree with Initiative 1639, seek to change it. Or file a lawsuit challenging it. But do not substitute your personal views over that of the people.
Under Article 1, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution, “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.” As public officers, our duty is to abide by the will of the people we serve, and implement and enforce the laws they adopt. I encourage you to do so.
Sincerely,
BOB FERGUSON Attorney General
The AG placed most of his emphasis on the new enhanced background check provision for assault weapons. He gives a concession of acknowledgement that if the LEO heads don’t use any of their discretionary resources to pursue other provisions of I-1639 that is their prerogative.
But any failure on the part of the LE organizations to properly complete background checks would not be protected by or backed by the AG and/or state from liability in the event someone chose to pursue a lawsuit against a municipality or county for an improperly completed background check that led subsequently to the commision of a crime.
Don’t ask me how that trail of liable logic works. Unless they somehow bring out evidence of a LE chapter just flatly refusing to run a NICS check when someone brought it to them, it seems to me that liability will nearly universally fall on the seller and not that municipality.
New for 2019, the SAINT Victor series of rifles and pistols from Springfield Armory are designed to give you everything you need on a premium defensive firearm, right out of the box.
Weighing in at 6.9 lbs, the lower receiver on the SAINT Victor rifle is Accu-Tite tension-bonded to a flat-top forged upper receiver and features a 16” CMV barrel that is Melonite® finished inside and out for the ultimate in corrosion resistance. The rock-solid, patent-pending M-Lok free-float 15” handguard protects the mid-length gas system and provides plenty of space for accessory attachment.
At the heart of SAINT Victor rifles is an M16 bolt carrier group that is also Melonite® finished, HPT/MPI tested, shot peened, and houses a 9310 steel bolt. With a fit, finish and feel superior to that of much higher priced AR options on the market, the SAINT Victor rifle is also available in a California-approved model for 2019, with a Strike Industries Featureless Grip and Magpul MOE fixed stock. An 11.5” SBR configuration is also available for LE and civilian use.
The SAINT Victor pistols are the most compact in the lineup, with many of the same features of the rifles, but in a stock-free, non-NFA pistol form with a 7.5” barrel in 5.56, and a 9” barrel in .300 BLK.
The 7.5” SAINT Victor pistol is equipped with an SA Forward Blast Diverter muzzle device, and the 9” pistol features an A2 flash hider, easily removed for suppressor use.
Built for CQB, the compact design of the SAINT Victor Pistol is an ideal choice for home defense and delivers rifle power in a small, fast-handling package. The rugged SB Tactical SBX-K forearm brace reduces size, stabilizes recoil, and enhances accuracy.
Just like the SAINT Victor rifles, the M16 bolt carrier group is precision-machined from 9310 steel, shot peened, HPI/MPT inspected and finished in super-hard Melonite®, as are the barrels, both inside and out. A staked receiver end plate features a QD mount for sling attachment.
The SAINT Victor series of rifle and pistols from Springfield Armory set a new standard for what you should expect from a defensive firearm.
The Victor is replacing the free float line with an upgraded feature set
I realized something startling in December while I was trudging alone through the woods on a solo deer hunt. I realized how “small” I really am. I’m only a novice hunter, but am a member of a tiny minority.
According to this article, the percentage of total U.S. population that hunts was less than 4% in 2016
According to the same article, 70% of those hunters are male.
If females make up 30% of the less than 4% of the population that hunts, that means that we female hunters are hovering in the 1%-and-change zone of the total population.
Only 1% -ish of the entire American population are female hunters. Think about that. One. Percent. Talk about being a “minority”. No wonder we find it hard to be taken seriously and find gear that fits us – we are virtually unicorns! And I’m just a novice. The experienced women hunters are an even smaller minority. Doing the mental math really puts things in perspective.
I’ve discovered from personal experience that learning the hunting arts mostly by myself can be a challenge – not impossible – but a definite challenge. I’m wondering how these other women manage it.
You see all these online videos of female hunters, and “some” are working solo, but many of them have audible voices of the male “support staff” in the background. It sure must be nice to have a husband or boyfriend available to help you install a heavy tree stand, to scout with you (or for you?), or to range for you while you are drawing back on that prize buck in the video. Meanwhile, there I was hanging out there all by myself during deer season.
The writer hunting alone, captured by her own trail cam.
Don’t get me wrong – I actually enjoy my “alone time” in the woods – but I do admit to feeling tired and discouraged at times. It makes me think that maybe if I had some help or more lady hunter friends it would be easier.
The NSSF has recently introduced a new website called Let’s Go Hunting with tips on how to get started. In my experience though, reading up is the easy part. It’s the logistics that are the killers. Things like having a place to hunt and knowing the boundaries, obstacles, and habitat of that place; having a vehicle suitable to get you there in all weather and to haul your game out; having the proper gear and proper firearm and ammo; having the time off work on the right days of the season; knowing the intricacies of the game law for what you want to hunt – all are part of the learning curve and logistical considerations. For details like that, having a knowledgeable mentor can be really helpful.
To assist in that mentoring department, there are now some “Women Hunter” websites that are popping up, there are state Becoming an OutdoorsWoman programs, and some organizations offering women-only hunts. Three of the women-only hunt groups that come immediately to mind are Calibered Events (my personal and local favorite), LACE (by Babes with Bullets), and Sisterhood of the Outdoors.
Admittedly, these ladies’ hunts aren’t cheap. In a perfect world, we could all learn to hunt on our own property from our own grandfathers without spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars in the process. Hunting was originally about feeding your family “free” meat, after all. Alas, the world doesn’t work that way much anymore.
Nowadays it costs money to hunt – sometimes a LOT of money. And mentors can be difficult to find. I’m personally trying to find the happy medium. At this point, learning how to hunt deer, squirrels, and turkey seems much cheaper than coughing up $5000 (that I don’t have) to go on a guided “Ladies Alaskan Bear Hunt”. (That’s not even counting the specialized gear/clothing I’d need to buy.)
We’ll put that adventure on the “someday” list and concentrate for now on what I can learn to hunt locally in my Walmart men’s camo. The good news is that one of my daughters has made noise about wanting to learn about squirrel hunting WITH me!
I’m not even there yet myself, and already have my “plus one”! Yay!! Now to pick some of my mentors’ brains!
The latest version of ASP’s lightweight, all-weather polymer duty light ups the performance ante again, putting out 525 lumens with a range of over 200 meters. The polymer housing is molded around an aluminum core, for added strength and thermal management. ASP’s “Double Tap” feature drops the light down to a 15 lumen low setting, with just a quick second press of the tail switch. The “DF” designation stands for Dual Fuel—meaning the light can be powered by either the included 18650 rechargeable battery, or by two optional CR123A primary (disposable) cells. ASP’s trademark 3-position rotary tactical tail switch offers constant, intermittent and locked modes, and in-light recharging is monitored by an onboard charge status indicator. Finishing touches include an exclusive foamed-vinyl grip surface, flexible weather-sealed charge port cover, and removable pocket clip. The Poly DF is also compatible with ASP’s optional hands-free, rotating Tactical Light Case, available separately.
Although she is a deputy with the Boulder County (CO) Sheriff’s Office and a member of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League (AG & AG), Teri Javes does not describe herself as a firearms enthusiast. She is a mom to two daughters, a wife (they met in jail; he’s a deputy, too, not an inmate), a daughter, an animal lover, and never planned on working in law enforcement. She enjoys competing, so her husband encouraged her to try additional shooting sports. Teri could not have predicted that 3 Gun would one day help her survive an officer-involved shooting.
Intro to 3 Gun
In 2015, Teri and her oldest daughter attended AG & AG’s 3-Gun University in Raton, NM. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office provides good firearms training; however, Teri recognized the value of the additional trigger time. “Our department shoots once every other month in addition to qualifying twice a year,” says Teri. “That translates to approximately 450 rounds in our handguns and 450 rounds through our rifles in a year, which is not much.”
Teri Javes learned 3 Gun strategies at the 2015 AG & AG 3-Gun University.
Teri competed in only three 3 Gun matches before her shooting skills were tested in the utmost way.
The Call
On August 10, 2016, at approximately 1700 hours Teri was clearing a call. She was getting ready to head back to the Sheriff’s Office headquarters to finish some paperwork and end her shift at 1800 hours. A call was aired about a man walking northbound on the southbound side of Hwy 287 with a gun in his waistband making threatening gestures to the oncoming traffic. Although Colorado is an open carry state, dispatch had received several calls about the aggressive and threatening behavior this man was demonstrating and there was significant concern.
“It wasn’t my district, but I was the closest unit on duty so I took the call,” Teri recalls. As she approached, she was flagged down by a passerby who told her that there was a man on the side of the road with a gun in his hand and he was flashing it while yelling at the cars that were driving by. Teri says, “The fact that he now had the gun in his hand instead of in his waistband told me he was getting more agitated and could be getting ready to use it.”
The last reported location of the suspect was much further south of Teri’s position. She drove forward and notified dispatch of this new information. She saw him about 60 yards away with a pistol in his hand. She updated dispatch with her location and that she was in contact, automatically activated her lights, and stopped approximately 50 yards from the subject.
“I opened my car door while pulling my handgun out of its holster. Exiting the vehicle I saw the man bring the gun up, point it at me as he continued walking towards me, and fire the gun,” Teri remembers. “The bullet from his gun shattered my driver’s side window as I stood behind it. I was able to fire one shot from my handgun as I ducked down taking cover and calling out ‘shots fired’ on my radio.”
Gunfire shattered Teri Javes’ driver’s side window as she stood behind it.
Teri looked up and saw the man still walking towards her, firing his gun at her again. She fired twice more, and then ducked down again, taking cover. She quickly peeked over the driver’s side door and through her shattered driver’s window, and discovered that the man was gone.
Teri was parked southbound on Hwy 287 on the shoulder of the road, so the only direction the suspect could have traveled was to the west or north. She could see that traffic was congested, but still flowing, and she could also see approximately two miles to the south in front of her vehicle. A farmhouse and barn, the only structures for miles, were to the west of where she was parked. She was afraid the suspect was continuing to move around to the west side of her vehicle to shoot her from behind.
“I moved to the back of the vehicle in a crouch to keep some sort of cover between us while I tried to locate him by looking through the bottoms of my vehicles windows,” says Teri. While moving she performed a tactical reload placing the partial magazine in her back left pocket. She was carrying a single stack 1911 .45, with mags that only held 10 rounds. “While backing up, I watched in front of me to make sure he didn’t pop up from hiding in front of my vehicle. Then I looked behind me as I cornered the back of my vehicle to make sure he didn’t circle around my vehicle. I peered out from the back of my vehicle on the passenger side, and saw the man was hiding behind a pillar in the driveway of the house approximately 45 yards from me.”
The suspect leaned out from behind the pillar and shot at Teri again. She was able to fire another shot before taking cover again. She tucked behind her vehicle and called out more information into her radio to dispatch. She peered out again and fired two more shots at the suspect, who returned fire and then ducked back behind the pillar.
Teri thought, “This is not working for me.” It was time to transition to her rifle.
She worked her way back to the driver’s side of the vehicle, in a crouch, telling dispatch that she was going to deploy her rifle. While trying to keep an eye on the assailant’s location and maintaining some sort of cover, she pulled her AR from the rifle mount located from between the two front seats of her patrol vehicle. She worked her way back around to the rear of the vehicle in a low crouching position to the passenger-side quarter panel of the unit. With her rifle at a low ready as to not telegraph her position, Teri peered out to the location where she last saw the suspect. He was no longer in sight.
Teri began loudly calling out commands, “Come out with your hands up!” “Show me your hands!” “Drop the gun!”
She kept looking to the west to make sure he was not coming around to her. After several commands and not getting any response Teri wanted to make sure he was still behind the pillar. She was concerned that he may have gone into the house, which could have created a whole different set of problems. She decided to use the scope to look for him, so she brought the rifle up, with a hasty C-clamp braced on the “D” pillar of her vehicle.
“I saw what looked like the heel of the suspect’s foot move from behind the pillar,” Teri recalls. At this point he had fired numerous (later determined to be six) rounds at her and towards one of the three busiest highways in Boulder County during rush-hour traffic, and disregarded her attempts of getting him to comply with her commands.
“I took a shot at his heel. This shot did not hit the suspect, but it did make him back up exposing his torso from his shoulders to his hips. I loudly called out more commands for him to come out with his hands up. He did not comply and was a continuing threat.”
Teri took two quick shots with her rifle braced off the “D” pillar of the patrol vehicle. One of the bullets hit the assailant in the lungs, nicking part of his heart, and the other shattered his pelvis. This caused him to lose all balance, falling backwards. Teri watched as the gun flew out of his hand and away from his body.
“With my rifle up and on target, I told him to keep his hands up,” says Teri. “While watching his empty hands in the air, I advanced on him giving further commands to keep his hands up and get on his stomach. While moving forward I contacted dispatch advising that the suspect was down, had been hit twice, and to send medical.”
The man eventually complied by rolling onto his stomach. Teri angled around him near his feet, keeping him at rifle point. She picked his handgun up off the ground and secured it. She told him to put his hands behind his back. She held her position as her backup arrived, screeching to a stop, and jumping out of his vehicle to assist her in handcuffing the suspect. Shortly after, the man was taken into custody and transported to the hospital, where he died due to his injuries. After a comprehensive investigation, the Boulder District Attorney’s office determined that the shooting was legally justified.
From start to finish the incident lasted only six minutes.
Skills Implemented
“My experiences in 3 Gun helped me survive my officer-involved shooting,” acknowledges Teri. “My comfort with my weapons, knowing their capabilities and mine, kept me calm and focused.” She credits 3 Gun competition with her ability to make efficient magazine changes because she was able to process that she had shot multiple rounds, knew that she would need a full magazine while moving to the next contact, and was able to perform the reload automatically.
Teri was also easily able to transition to her rifle after making the mindful decision that the handgun was not her best option at that distance, knowing that her rifle with a scope was needed for an accurate snapshot at a fleeting target at 45 yards. She credits Denise and JJ Johnson from Rocky Mountain 3 Gun for their training at AG & AG’s 3-Gun University on searching for small targets with her optic so that her sight picture was instinctive.
“Moving and shooting kept me alive,” says Teri. “The ability to see a threat/target and a secure brace against my patrol vehicle to make quick, accurate shots was imperative.”
The lessons learned from 3 Gun competition reinforced her mechanics and mindset, so that Teri was able to concentrate on the problem at hand, keep calm, communicate effectively with dispatch, and most importantly, stop the threat.
In 2018, Teri was awarded the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery by the U.S. Attorney General in recognition of her courageous acts in the line of duty.
Teri participated in the 2018 AG & AG Back the Women in Blue Training Event.
