The Storyteller

An old friend stopped by last night.

My wife brought him to me as I was sitting down in front of the fireplace - its winter now and the nights are much colder on these old bones.  It was great to see him, his smiling face and twinkling eyes, open and friendly, just as I remembered him.

I poured myself a little taste of heaven, two-fingers worth, and we sat together in front of the fire, just like the old days, the house quiet, the night close and soothing as we reminisced, just the two of us, deep into the evening.  The stories, his stories, though shimmering with nostalgia, were once again fresh and new, holding me mesmerized as if I was the wide-eyed child he once enthralled.
  
I laughed out loud when he spoke of his childhood buddy Elick O’Bannion and their baseball team, the Circle Nine Club out of Kansas City.  My friend’s team was so bad they once recruited his Grandfather to play first base, while Elick had a penchant for visiting the mound, a roll of nickels tucked into his massive fist, menacing opposing pitchers if they threw anything but the “soft hanging stuff.”  
  
And if that didn’t make me laugh hard enough, there was always their football team, the Circle Nine plus two.

As the evening progressed he once again whisked me away to far off destinations, where sparkling dreams are held close and lived to the fullest, where the glimmering silver of a tarpon explodes from the deep blue sea in a spray of water that gleams like diamonds in the hot sun of the Caribbean or to the mysterious continent of Africa where a lizard, “small and frightened, and rather a harmless little fellow,” shared his shower stall in the heat and dust of Zaire.  He captured my imagination, touched my yondering heart and let me tag along to long forgotten haunts on secluded tropical isles gently kissed by the trade winds, far from my everyday world, where the scotch was smoother, the women lovelier, the nights warmer and the stars more beautiful than any I ever hoped to dream of.

  

He spoke fondly of his old friend George Halas and the glory of the Chicago Bears and I saw him smile when he remembered Abe Gibron, the jovial, lovable, friend-of-all-foods bear of a man who coached Mr. Halas’ football team.  He had met them all, from legends Muhammad Ali and Vince Lombardi to a seemingly insignificant young man phoning his Dad from an NFL training camp, telling him “I’m still here.”  To my friend no one was insignificant - to him, everyone's life was intertwined with his, their adventures, their dreams , were his adventures and his dreams, and by living them out loud he touched us all.

  

But it wasn’t always about sports.  My friend was open and honest and in front of the fire he continued on, speaking in low tones about the “big hurt” that fell upon the lives of him and his Son – The Big Guy - and though it saddened me that my friend and his Son must go through this, my friend never looked for pity, even when, in the end, his own body betrayed him.

  

And so, into the night it went, my friend gladly spinning his yarns, for this is what he has always done best, what he enjoyed most, and as the hour grew late he finally came round’ to those stories that he knew delighted me most, recounting his late night ruminations with his roommates and close friends, the cantankerous Big Charlie and the shy Little Charlie, red belly piranhas both, while Barry the Barracuda (who was so downright mean he was forced to live down the hall in the dining room aquarium) took great glee in antagonizing them all.  There is nothing quite so funny as the time that Big Charlie escaped the bath tub on aquarium cleaning day, terrorizing the neighborhood and those trying to recapture him while Barry egged on his finned brethren from down the hall, screaming at the top of his lungs - or how those three sets of meat eating teeth might help solve my friends pigeon problem.

  

And then, all too soon it seemed, it was time to say goodnight.

  

As I bid goodbye to my dear friend, it saddened me to realize it’s been thirty-nine years since we last talked, thirty-nine years since he last regaled me with new stories, thirty-nine years since the Big Man upstairs called him home to the greatest adventure of all.  But Jack Griffin, the Chicago Sun-Times “sportswriter,” my friend, will live on in his words, his stories and the lives that he so deeply touched with every keystroke on his battered typewriter.

I was a young boy when I began to read Jack Griffin’s column and each day my Father came home with the Sun-Times I would spread the paper on the floor, anticipation welling up, and let my good friend take me away to wherever he was in the world that day – from tarpon fishing in Parismina, Costa Rica to taking birds on the wing in Minnesota to fighting peacock bass in South America or covering a Heavyweight Championship fight in Africa – and all stops in between, spanning time and imagination.  It seemed to me the term “sportswriter” was much too bland for a man who wrote on a much bigger stage, as did Jack Griffin... no, he was an outdoorsman, an adventurer, an explorer, a modern day voyager and though I never met Jack Griffin in person, I never doubted that I knew him, for he was kind enough to bring me with him daily, letting me peek over his shoulder from the comfort and safety of my own home, into the other side of the world, his world.  I was seven when I met him, twenty when he died and after thirty-nine years more, he is still my friend.

   
Late last night with the winter wind howling and my mind far away on a sun bathed boat in the middle of the Sargasso Sea, reel screaming,  I put the book – his book - back on the shelf, gently turned out the light and whispered a promise to my friend that we would talk again soon.
  
A short while after Jack Griffin’s death from cancer in March of 1976 at the too young age of 58, his son – The Big Guy – Woodson Jack Griffin, gave his Father’s many friends a special gift, a book of his Father’s columns, compiling a lifetime of storytelling into 178 pages.  My Mother bought that book for me and it sits on my shelf still.  The book, titled – GRIF – was published by Great Lakes Living Press and can still be found in online used bookstores.  
  
You should pick up a copy.  If you love the outdoors, sports, adventure and life,  Jack Griffin would love to entertain you with a story… and please, when you see him, tell him his good friend says hello.  

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If you enjoyed this article, you might like my new book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - It is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice Christmas present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"

My new book "I'm Married... Shoot Me!"  The harrowing tales of your average Husband. Children, insanity and manly cowardice, all wrapped up in love - is now available through Lulu.com 

Random Thoughts from the Shadow Factory, Fat Man's Holster, The Priest and the Gun

Cold out today so I'm sitting around, letting my mind wander - the Shadow Factory is open for business - so let the random thoughts flow like Cask 16 by the pool at sunset.

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After a year of carrying here in the great State of Confusion (Illinois) the biggest problem most of us face is the need to disarm before entering a posted site.  As anyone in the lifestyle understands, accidental discharges happen most often while un-holstering and re-holstering your weapon - this fact was obviously lost on those writing the legislation and it would seem, flies in the face of the Shepherd ruling by the 7th Court - that we, as citizens are allowed to carry in public in defense of our lives.  The Court found that restrictions can be made on where we carry, but in my mind, those restrictions should never take place where public tax money is used to fund the site.  Parks?  Schools?  Rest Stops?  Are you kidding me?  I hate to tell everyone, but those places couldn't get more "public" and we should never have to disarm there.

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I carry a Taurus TCP .380 IWB with a DeSantis pocket-tuk, which is a reversible holster that can be worn in pocket or IWB.  This is an exceptionally comfortable setup and makes carrying a joy... right up until I have to re-holster while sitting in my car. 

The black leather at the top of the holster holds the mouth of the holster open, but only the mouth.  The rest of the holster collapses against my body.  Now, being one of the "bigger kids on the block" makes this a chore that takes my full attention to accomplish.  Certainly, anytime you are handling your firearm, nothing else should be on your mind, but adding this inconvenience to the mix just compounds the possibility of an accidental or negligent discharge. 

For some, pulling the holster with the gun intact is an option, thereby allowing the much safer handling of a gun with the trigger covered.   For those of us who are not so skinny, this really isn't an option - as trying to force the holster between our bodies and our belt is like watching a man trying to kill a cobra in a phone booth.  It ain't pretty.

As a side note, this particular holster has a clip that surrounds the belt, making it nearly impossible to take off while sitting - or standing for that matter - as can be seen in the picture.

So?

I would love to see a holster maker design an IWB holster that was essentially a kydex holster within a kydex holster.  You would place your gun into a kydex shell that surrounded the gun, then take the shell and slide it into a kydex holster, the shell then snapping into place.  You would still be able to draw your firearm as the shell would lock into the holster.

Now you need to disarm to go into a school?  You press a snap - maybe along the front of the holster on top of the slide - and you then draw your gun and the shell out of the holster and store in the car.  When you return to the car, you take your gun, still protected in its shell and slide it into your holster, hearing the positive "click" as it snaps securely into place. 

The kydex holster would stay wide open allowing the shell to slide in easily, and with the shell completely surrounding the gun, the trigger stays covered, allowing a safer transfer.

I know I would buy one.

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Gun, Firearm, Piece, Gat, Pea Shooter, Chicago Bang Stick, Hardware, Blaster, Rod, Saturday Night Special, Sidearm, Heat, Heater, Burner, Chopper, Pocket Rocket, Roscoe, Chrome, Problem Solver, Ratchet, Steel, Hand Cannon, Banger,  Iron, Regulator, Widow Maker, Jammy, Hog Leg, My Girlfriend, Biscuit, Equalizer, Pocket Warmer, Ventilator, Bug, Mouse, Snake Charmer, Pistola, Thumper.

And my two favorites?

Smoke Wagon and Plan "B"... Definately Plan "B"

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The Priest and the Gun

A priest was delivering a sermon entitled "Stand Still and let the good Lord Fight your battles", on the topic of not fighting but letting God vanquish evil himself. As he was delivering the sermon, a gust of wind lifted his garment and the congregation noticed he was carrying a gun.

After the service a congregant asked him, "I understood your sermon, but aren't you contradicting yourself by carrying a gun? You did say you are supposed to let the Lord fight your battles for you?"

"I do", said the priest "the gun is just to hold them off until the Lord gets here".


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The Shadow Factory is now closed... Have a nice day!

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly
Hipshot

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My new book "I'm Married... Shoot Me!"  The harrowing tales of your average Husband. Children, insanity and manly cowardice, all wrapped up in love - is now available through Lulu.com

America In Distress - Have We Reached The Tipping Point?

The 2016 Presidential Election may be the single most important election in the history of this once great Nation.

The Liberals of this Country are chomping at the bit to push the voting Citizenry over the edge and forever tip the scales towards their Socialist ideology. 

What exactly does that mean?

It means once this Country's voting populace reaches a demographic that exceeds 50% Liberal, Conservatives and Libertarians alike are doomed to spectate as this Country is turned into the next Socialist undertaking; the R & D of Marxism and its values, while using a veritable Petri-dish of humanity to grow the experiment.

How is this done?

If you have the time, read Saul Alinsky's book "Rules for Radicals" and the Cloward-Piven Strategy.  If not, read on...

Alinsky's book hinges on the ideology that there are three classes of people - The Haves (the money elite and corporations) - The Have Some Want More (essentially the middle class) - and the Have Nots (the poor).  By aggressively organizing at the grassroots level of the Have-Nots (Obama was a community organizer while he and Hillary are both followers of  Alinsky) you can create an us against them voice, using the weak, poor, uneducated, and downtrodden to turn against The Haves.  By agitating and pitting The Have Nots against the other socioeconomic groups, he believes you are able to exploit the poor, feeding them an enemy to fight, while emotionally manipulating them to further political gains - which in the end is the overthrow of The Haves.

In many respects, Alinsky's thought process is to take those who are enslaved in poverty and oppress/subjugate them to his ideology of "us against them."  His constant barrage of militaristic words - Enemy, tactics, kill, obey, weapons, attack, opposition - brings home that this is a revolution, one meant to overthrow The Haves at all costs and as he says in his book over and over -  "the ends justify the means."  Oddly, Alinsky never touches on the most obvious question - What happens when The Have Nots become The Haves and a new threat to his utopia is the newly downtrodden Have Nots?

Saul Alinsky’s 12 Rules for Radicals

Here is the complete list from Alinsky - with conservative political commentator Glenn Beck's take in parenthesis.

* RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)

* RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.” It results in confusion, fear, and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don’t address the “real” issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)

* RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.” Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

* RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)

* RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)

* RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)

* RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)

* RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover, and re-strategize.)

* RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

* RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)

* RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)

* RULE 12: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism, and ridicule works.)

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The Cloward-Piven Strategy, written in 1966 by two professors at Columbia University School of Social Work, is a guide to over-burdening the welfare system to the point of collapse - both at the State and Federal levels - forcing the Government (Democrats and Republicans alike) to step in and save the day, guaranteeing jobs and minimum salary for everyone, thereby creating a Socialist economy/Government, wiping out poverty in one fell swoop.

How is this done?

The concept hinges on the idea that not all those who are eligible for welfare use it.  According to Cloward-Piven (in 1966), only 1 of 2 poverty level citizens apply for welfare, and the number may have been higher.  By organizing, going into the neighborhoods and if necessary, taking the citizens by the hand to the welfare office, they believe the welfare system of the U.S. Government can be brought to collapse, not just by the need for taxes to support the sudden explosion of welfare recipients, but by overwhelming the system itself, from the people taking applications, to overworked social workers to pencil pushers all over the country. 

CP feels it is right and just to pit race against race, socioeconomic class against socioeconomic class and one ethnic class against another, again, the ends justifying the means, which leaves us with a Socialist government and enslaved citizenry.  By creating these pitched battles among the constituents, CP believes the Democrats would go "all-in" with new ideas to not only handle the welfare recipients but to keep their constituency in a cohesive, organized group that supports the welfare state.  The end result would be replacing welfare with guaranteed monthly income - ending poverty - and thus becoming a socialist state.

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What does all this have to do with the 2016 Presidential Elections?

Obama has spent the last eight years adding Trillions to our National Debt, edging us closer to bankruptcy.  Scandals have plagued us at an alarming rate - IRS, Benghazi, NSA, Snowden, Fast and Furious, Solyndra, Operation Choke Point, The VA, AP Wiretapping, Drones, ObamaCare, Monsanto / FDA appointment, Recess appointments... and on and on.

Why are these scandals significant?

These "scandals" are right in the wheelhouse of someone who studied Saul Alinsky, as Obama did.  Keep the populace off balance, never letting them dig in their heels or set their feet.  Use the bait and switch, keep them moving from one scandal to another, one crisis to the next, never allowing them to do more than momentarily dance on the head of the pin, before forcing them on to the head of another pin, another crisis.  By creating this constant attack, he attempts to exhaust the Country's voters, never letting them concentrate on just one item.

When you add in his constant belittlement of political opponents, his divisive nature, his fear mongering, his attacks on those who ask questions, his ridicule of those who oppose him, his constant use of buzzwords that when used enough times, become truth, and you are reading right from the Saul Alinsky playbook.  Can you say Net Neutrality?

Now add into the mix, the Immigration problem.  Why is Obama working so hard to bring illegal immigrants into America, give them citizenship, welfare, healthcare and voters rights?  Why is he so willing to go against the law?  Why is he stubbornly holding on to an ideal that has no validity given the consequences of his actions?

Well, as someone who studied Cloward-Piven in school, Obama would realize the need to flood the welfare system with 5-8 million new citizens, not only creating a heavier burden on the welfare system, overwhelming it as Cloward-Piven planned, but forcing higher taxes, more debt and higher unemployment - which in turn puts more people on welfare - but the cherry on top of the Cloward-Piven Strategy is securing an additional 5-8 million voters for the Democratic Party, ensuring the scales of this Country are significantly pushed past the 50 /50 balance of voters... The Tipping Point.

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How do we stop this?  How do we turn the tide?

One of the problems staring us in the eye is the size of the Government.  It is high time we impress upon our Legislators (through voting) that it's time to repeals laws and dismantle big Government while we still can, while we still have the juice as voters.

Democrats and  Republicans have been adding to the weight of Government, and our taxes, one step at a time.  What laws and Government excess could be taken down?

1) ObamaCare.  The free market should prevail.  No one should be forced, under penalty of fine, to buy something they don't want.  No one should be forced to allow someone to reach into their pocket and take their hard-earned money and give it to someone they deem in need.

2) Repeal the Patriot Act.

3) Get rid of the TSA.  How many agents work for the TSA?  47,000.  How many of those agents have been caught stealing from the public.  Over 400.  How many terrorists have been caught.  ZERO.  How much money has been spent over the years?  $7.5 Billion.

4) Remove the Department of Education.  Education is the Constitutional realm of the individual States.  Budget this year?  Discretionary spending is set at $69 billion.

5) A flat tax rate.  Politicians push this idea during an election year, but let the idea die on the vine after taking office.  With a flat tax rate, no exceptions, no breaks, you could cut the size of the IRS down to nothing.

6)  Start moving new workers off of Social Security and into their own 401k and IRA.

Why aren't these things being done?

Because those people employed by the Government are never going to vote for someone who will take away their livelihood.  They are part and parcel of the plan, again, to overburden the Government machine, to make it crash.

With Hilary Clinton a devotee of Alinsky (read about her correspondence with Alinsky HERE) 2016 may be our last chance.  It may be our one and only hope. 

Number one with a bullet is VOTE.  Get out there and make a difference.  If people in your neighborhood need a ride to the polls - drive.  Help your candidate, put signs in your yard, go to town hall meetings.  

Don't be afraid to voice your opinion.  Standing by silently while some buffoon is talking drivel about what a great job Obama is doing, set them straight.  Do it nicely.  Do it quietly.  Do it with intelligence, but do it.  Let the other guy look like a pontificating, loud, overwrought fool.  When everyone walks away, at the very least, they will be impressed by your ability to maintain an even strength, that you were calm and insightful, while wondering what the heck the frothing idiot was going on about.

Educate yourself on candidates, vote for those that have ideals that align with yours.

Call or email your Congressmen and women and let them know where you stand.  Truly, these people want to get re-elected, they listen.

And lastly, don't listen to the mainstream media - they tell you what they want you want to hear.  At the very least, watch newscasts from both sides of the aisle, it will give you a better idea of the slant of their coverage.

Do your own research - everything is on the internet - all you have to do is look, read and use that one thing so many people think they have but don't... common sense.

Be vigilant and diligent.

And to quote a friend of mine - "Those that take the time to read and familiarize themselves with these socialist strategies will understand and learn. Those that don't, never will.  The uneducated and inattentive zero liability voter is the greatest threat to the Country and more and more are being indoctrinated into this class every day."

My friend is right...  it's time to go to work and whenever possible, put your thumb on the scale...

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly

Hipshot

My new book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - is now available at Lulu.com, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice Christmas present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"

Cop Shoots Off His Own Finger - Lawsuit Claims Its Not His Fault

We've all been there.  You've just sat down with a triple-Decker sandwich and the Game of the Week when somewhere off in the farthest reaches of your house there is a crash, a lot a yelling, trampling footsteps, heated whispers and the sound of the back door slamming shut as the neighbor kid makes a hasty exit.  Finally your children walk nonchalantly into the room and with subdued and overly calm voices proceed to tell a rather involved and fantastic story about whatever terrible thing has happened, never admitting any responsibility or accepting any blame for this thing they have done.  As you sit there chewing your sandwich, watching their shuffling feet, downcast eyes and furtive glances, your first thought is "Hey!  Dinner AND a show!"  Second thought?  Make sure everyone is safe and unhurt.  Third thought?  Teachable Moment.

I used to say to my kids, "The difference between an explanation and an excuse is that the former describes what happened, while the latter describes what happened and why it's not my fault!"  The italicized part of this statement was always said with a loud, wailing, plaintive voice.

My Wife and I worked hard to teach our children about Personal Responsibility, which goes hand in hand with Integrity, Honor and Character.  With rare instances, I think we've done a fairly good job.

Now comes this story out of Kentucky of former Glasgow Police Officer Darrell Smith who went to Barren Outdoors gun shop to check out a Sig Sauer Copperhead .380-caliber handgun.  As seen in this video, the clerk selects the gun and hands it over to the Officer.  The Officer then cocks the hammer and after a few moments racks the slide and then... Bang!  The Officer is now missing a digit.

He's lucky this was all that happened.

This video should be used in every gun safety class as a step by step textbook look at what not to do when handling a firearm.  Every safety rule is broken with stunning stupidity and glaring nonchalance.

To start with -

1. The Clerk picks up the gun and does not check and or clear the weapon.
2. The Officer takes the gun and does not check and or clear the weapon.
3. The Officer, after just a couple of seconds puts his finger in the trigger well.
4. The Officer points the gun in an unsafe direction.
5. The Officer muzzles (sweeps) four people at the end of the counter.
6. The Officer cocks the gun without clearing.
7. The Officer then racks the slide without clearing.
8. The Officer places his hand over the end of the gun.
9. The Officer then pulls the trigger.

The complete and utter incompetence is beyond comprehension.   The fact he was an Officer of the Law, who anti's believe are the only ones deemed capable of carry guns, is a punch to the gut of anyone who has ever had to defend himself and the Second Amendment in a debate with frothing, emotional, fear filled, clueless Liberals.

And now we read that this irresponsible Officer has filed a lawsuit that - in a nutshell -
describes what happened and why it's not my fault!

Officer Darrell Smith broke every rule. Every One.  And then blamed it on anyone in sight - and in the case of the "unknown Defendant" - some who weren't in sight.

As we are all taught from the first time we decide to own a gun -

• Always treat every gun as if it is loaded. Always.  FAIL
• Never put your finger on the trigger until your target is acquired and you have made the decision to shoot.  FAIL
• Never muzzle (sweep) anyone.  FAIL
• Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction at all times.  FAIL
• Personally check and clear every weapon you handle, even if the gun was cleared in your presence before it was handed to you.  FAIL 

This Officer is very lucky his complete ineptitude with the gun didn't compound the Clerk's negligence with a wounded or dead bystander.  

The lawsuit alleges that "an employee handed the gun to Smith without performing safety checks."  

But why didn't the Officer do his own safety check?

The lawsuit further claims Smith was “exercising reasonable care and due diligence for his own physical well-being” during the time described in the document.

What?!  How was this Officer exercising "reasonable care and due diligence?"  What Attorney could write this with a straight face?

It also alleges that "As a result of the defendants alleged negligence, the Plaintiff has suffered irreparable harm and damages, including past, present and future physical and mental pain and anguish; past, present and future medical expenses; and lost income and future loss of earning capacity."  

Yeah, right... As a result of the Defendants alleged negligence - which, again, sounds a lot like "and why it's not my fault!"

There is also "an unknown Defendant,” because “an unknown person may have also negligently caused a loaded weapon to be placed into the display case at Barren Outdoors.”

So, literally, everyone and his Brother is at fault, but not a whiff of negligent, incompetent behavior from Officer Darrell Smith.

The Clerk lost his job, which is only right.  Who ever left the mag in the gun should also be terminated.  But neither one of them pulled the trigger.  Neither one of them racked the slide that chambered the round - without locking the slide back to check the weapon. Neither one forced him to put his hand in front of the muzzle.  Neither one of them put his his finger on the trigger and certainly neither one of them told him to pull the trigger.  That level of moronic behavior was reached only by the Officer and nothing, absolutely nothing absolves the Officer from his own irresponsible, neglectful and derelict actions.

If the Judge is a responsible gun owner, Officer Darrell Smith is going to be out of luck.

I hope.

Stay Safe and Carry Responibly
Hipshot

My new book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - is now available at Lulu.com, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice Christmas present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"

My new book "I'm Married... Shoot Me!"  The harrowing tales of your average Husband. Children, insanity and manly cowardice, all wrapped up in love - is now available through Lulu.com

Fighting For The Second Amendment - One Calm, Rational Voice At A Time

This past week brought news of a new and very secretive association - “American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention” or ASLGVP.  This is a group of allegedly 200+ Legislators who have joined together to work for gun control at the State level, bypassing Federal avenues in the hopes of starting a more grass roots line of attack.

The problem?  These Legislators - who work for you - aren't telling you who they are.  For now, or until someone discovers who they are through the Freedom Of Information Act, these Legislators who you voted for, may be working against their constituents wishes and undermining your Second Amendment Rights, sticking a knife in your back while wearing a Cheshire cat grin.

But I had to wonder if all of this anti gun rights, gun control, bleeding heart, Obama stained garbage hasn't helped us in the long run.

A recent Pew Research Center Poll which shows growing public support for gun rights - now at 52%, up 7% from January 2013 - certainly sheds light on the fact that Americans have said... "Enough!"

But really, why is this percentage going up?  Why are we winning? What is the real reason?

I would like to suggest that it's Education.  Simple. Plain. Education.

Liberals brought this fight to our doorstep relying on raw emotion, badly twisted facts, shyster numbers and blatant lies.  Using the compliant main stream media, they expected Americans to bow their heads and nod solemnly as those in power attempted to take away the one Amendment that protects all others.  Liberals, lead by the King Obama, thought it was their time, their destiny, their legacy... and they couldn't have been more wrong.

The fact is they opened Pandora's box!  They released the Kraken!  Their conceited belief in their own omnipotence opened up debate where they expected fealty, it acted as a lighting rod on both sides, it called into question motives and means, but what it really did was bring light to a debate many didn't know we were having. The bright spotlight on this new found controversy allowed average Americans everywhere to have a meaningful conversation with one another, real and honest discussions, and this is where we win.  This is our grassroots line of attack.  This is where we excel.  This is where we have the advantage. This is where we provide the rebuttal to the hand wringing lies.

In the last couple of years I have had more thoughtful, calm, rational and convincing talks with people - who range from Anti, to scared, to confused, to concerned, to interested - than I can count.  From friends and family to co-workers and casual acquaintances, I try to pass on the word on in a matter-of-fact, how ya' doin', "Say hey to Gomer" kind of way.

People sitting at picnic tables, by the pool, at kids baseball games, at Churches and family get togethers... wherever regular people meet up - they are having this discussion.  And we are winning!

I don't engage the Anti's who are frothing at the mouth, I let them spit and blather while I stay calm and relaxed and nod as if talking to a two year old having a tantrum.  When they leave, I am the one who looks like the trustworthy source of information, I am the one who seems knowledgeable, I am the one who seems rational and I certainly don't look anything like the stereotypical crazy ass, cold dead hands, selfish uncaring gun nut that they've been hearing about.

But here is the key... We don't need to turn anti's into gun people, but what we do need to do, is to turn them into people who aren't afraid of those who carry.  That's where we as a group can make the most of who we are.  That's where keeping your cool, knowing your facts, calmly rebutting the Liberal lies and being able to discuss them in a forthright, honest and casual manner makes the deepest inroads.

No matter where the dialogue takes place, no matter what they think, no matter if I've changed their mind or not, when I leave a discussion, I want them to believe that I'm a level headed, normal, intelligent and caring individual who knows the rules and regulations, who is well trained, who has educated himself on the lifestyle, who shall do no harm unless it's visited upon me and mine.  I want them to walk away knowing I would never pull my sidearm unless there was no other way out, that the situation is dire and that I am about to die.  I want them to walk away believing that I am a trustworthy individual and that I am not to be feared.  I want them to know that I really am one of the Good Guys!

This is how you win this fight.  This is how we make a difference.

Stay Safe, Carry Responsibly and have a Merry Christmas!
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My book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - is now available at Lulu.com, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"

My new book "I'm Married... Shoot Me!"  The harrowing tales of your average Husband. Children, insanity and manly cowardice, all wrapped up in love - is now available through Lulu.com 

From Paranoid To Comfortable - The First Six Months Of Concealed Carry In Illinois

January 5th, 2014.
That's the day the clouds broke open, the sun shone down in streaks of Golden Grandeur and I submitted my application for a State of Illinois Concealed Carry License (CCL).  It had been a long year of practice, education, more practice and money - $250 for my 16 hours of training (most hours of any State in the Union), $150 for the application (One of the highest fees of any State in the Union), $60 for my fingerprints, $575 for my ATI FX 45 1911, $500 in ammo and $250 for countless hours at the range, but now, with the application on file with the Illinois State Police, the possibility of Concealed Carry had become very real.

As the days rolled along and the anticipation became unbearable, I began checking the Illinois State Police website incessantly, over and over and over, several times a day, hoping to see my application change from "Applied" to "Under Review" - meaning the application would then be vetted by not only the State Police (thru an FBI background check) but also under a finer microscope by local Constabularies. Then finally, about three weeks in, right around the first week of February - Bang!  "Under Review."

Closer yet!

Early March came round and as the CCL's started going out, the "Pucker Factor" became an uncomfortable way of life!  The suspense grew and I was now checking the ISP website every 30 minutes, waiting... waiting... waiting... until with a rather hushed and unceremonious page refresh, the header on my ISP account changed from "Under Review" to "APPROVED," and just like that I was legally allowed to exercise my Second Amendment Rights - those taken from all of us in Illinois so many years ago - and carry a concealed gun on my person for the purpose of self-defense of me and my family, right here in bass ackwards Illinois.

Six days later, following a new and very well worn path to my mailbox, my brand new shiny CCL arrived, crisp and unused, and after looking at it's every detail, I gently slid it into my wallet, headed to my bedroom, strapped into my Crossbreed Super Tuck IWB holster, carefully took my ATI 1911 FX GI Commander length sidearm out of the safe and slid it into its new home on my hip.

It was damn near as satisfying as losing my virginity!

I put on a loose fitting shirt, stood in front of the mirror and checked to make sure I wasn't printing, gathered up my nonplussed Wife and went on a Wally Walk - a walk through Wal Mart that many who are carrying for the first time do as a sort of ritual, a Right of Passage, one that when completed, stamps the walker as a newly minted and confirmed CCL holder.

The rules for the Wally Walk are as follows...

1)  You must park 50 yards away from the store.
2)  Do a threat scan upon exiting the vehicle.
3)  Move towards the store, continuing threat scan.
4)  Spend at least 45 minutes in the store.
5)  Use the restroom.
6)  Pickup a product from the lowest shelf and the highest.  Test to make sure you are not printing, or accidentally uncovering.  If Police show up, you have failed.
7)  Make at least one full circuit of the store.
8)  Buy something to eat or drink.
9)  Pick the busiest checkout line.
10) Exit the store, continue threat scan in the parking lot.

The Right of Passage was completed, but not without the paranoia of thinking others were certainly going to see my pistol under my shirt.  I was sure customers were going to notice a bulge on my hip then gasp, squeal and point, like Donald Sutherland in the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"

But none of that happened.
I've carried everyday since, except for the day my Son was married (though he wanted me to be "Master at Arms" and collect his groomsmen's sidearms at the wedding... I nixed that idea).  I carry from morning till night, at home or out, and the one aspect of Concealed Carry that I just can't get past is this...

No one cares.  No one.

It's obvious that even with all the anti-gun rhetoric, no one looks, no one notices, no one gives me a second glance.  People bury their noses in their IPhone, their tablets, a book or just gaze up at the sky like a child watching an airplane.

I quickly went from nonchalantly touching my gun through my shirt, gently hitching up my jeans, making sure to grab both sides of my belt so as not to bring unwanted attention to the fact only one side had slid down lower than the other to just getting dressed and going out.  Paranoia quickly became comfort, fear of printing became just another rumple line in my clothing.  I stopped grabbing my shirt to make sure it was down in place when walking or sitting down.  I stopped looking around to see if anyone was "making" me.   Again, no one cared.

I am now fully convinced that I could walk out the door wearing a pair of black jeans with a tucked in black shirt, a black belt, a black leather IWB holster and a black gun... and I'm quite positive no one would notice.

No wonder people find themselves in such dire situations, none of them pay any attention to what goes on around them!

Now, six months later, I feel naked when I am forced to disarm in the car due to a posted business or when entering an anti's home.  I feel vulnerable and exposed while missing the weight of the 2.75 lb gun.  So odd.  I would never have thought I would become so accustomed and at ease while armed.  It's not a feeling of nonchalance or complacency, but one of assurance and comfort.

A long strange trip indeed...

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly
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My new book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - is now available at Lulu.com, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice Christmas present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"

Also available -  "I'm Married... Shoot Me!"  The harrowing tales of your average Husband. Children, insanity and manly cowardice, all wrapped up in love - is now available through Lulu.com 

California State Senator Proves Gun Control Doesn't Work

With the arrest of Democratic California State Senator Leland Yee, his campaign aid Keith Jackson and 26 other defendants, gun control activists are rushing to find someone to step into Yee's place as a leader on the gun control issues.  At the same time they are desperately attempting damage control, looking like the 'Little Dutch Boy' trying in vain to plug the ever growing holes in the gun control dike, with not only their fingers, but their toes.

They are fast running out of digits.

"Ironically, while he's [Yee] being charged with gun trafficking, next to (U.S. Sen.) Dianne Feinstein he was probably the second most outspoken gun control advocate. This really leaves us scrambling for someone to pick up that mantle," said Paul Song, executive chairman of Courage Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group. "If it wasn't so sad it would be comical. But what we're really worried about is that this will further destroy the momentum for gun control here in California." 

We're not sure what 'momentum' Mr. Song is referring to, as recent decisions by the notoriously Liberal California courts have handed gun control advocacy groups defeat after humiliating defeat in their quest to stamp out the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
  
Senator Yee allegedly sought campaign contributions in return for introducing an undercover FBI agent to an arms trafficker while at the same time, according to an FBI affidavit, Yee spoke with the undercover agent about acquiring weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles worth $500,000 to $2.5 million, from a Muslim separatist group in the Philippines.

What I have found profoundly odd, is the comments from either side of the Second Amendment issue.  It would appear that neither Pro Second Amendment groups or Gun Control advocates are upset that a State Senator is alleged to have been trafficking in illegal guns, but are only concerned with how this will affect their fight.

If either side would take the time to - as my Sainted Mother would say - "Close their mouths and opened their ears," they would quickly realize that this single instance of grand hypocrisy proves once and for all that legislation against guns, against the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, against the Second Amendment, against freedom and liberty, doesn't work.

PERIOD.

Look at it this way...

Did the laws against illegal guns or gun control in general, stop Senator Yee and Jackson from allegedly attempting to acquire and traffic in illegal guns?

Would a background check have stopped Senator Yee and Jackson from allegedly attempting to acquire and traffic in illegal guns?

Would gun registration have stopped Senator Yee and Jackson from allegedly attempting to acquire and traffic in illegal guns?

Would the Bills that Senator Yee had proposed stopped him from allegedly attempting to acquire and traffic in illegal guns? (Bills SB47 and SB108 would prohibit the use of bullet buttons and other devices that allow for quick reloading of supposed 'assault weapons,' and require the state Department of Justice to study methods for safe firearm storage.) 

Would laws prohibiting concealed carry have kept Senator Yee and Jackson from allegedly attempting to acquire and traffic in illegal guns?

The answer to each of these questions is, unarguably, no.  As has been said over and over, none of these laws stop criminals from lawlessness.  None of the legislation that is already in place nor those pieces of legislation being pushed through State and Federal Houses is going to stop criminals from doing what they do.  Criminals don't care about laws!  Only the law abiding care about laws!

How much more obvious can it be?  Apparently, not very.

"I feel very dismayed and upset," said Amanda Wilcox, an advocate for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and whose daughter was a victim of gun violence.  But, "his actions don't make what is good policy any less good policy," she added.

Yes Ms Wilcox, yes it does.

This is what the NRA and Pro Second Amendment groups should be pounding home like John Henry and his steel driving hammers.

This is proof!

Proof provided for us on a silver platter by not only a leader of gun control, but a Senator for Pete's sake!  Solid, positive proof that anti gun laws only work against the lawful - not the criminals.  Don't let the anti gunners set their feet.  Don't give them a moments rest to spin this atrocity against the lawful citizens of this Country into something they can use to attack the Second Amendment.  Keep them on the defensive and don't give them room to breath.

As veteran firearms instructor Gerald Vernon said, "Legitimate self-defense has absolutely nothing to do with the criminal misuse of guns."  The arising situation with Senator Yee has proven this beyond a shadow of a doubt, after all, when he was writing the gun control laws and voting for the gun control laws, he knew they wouldn't stop him.

Now, what does that tell you?

UPDATED 2/27/2017
Former Senator Yee was sentenced to five years in prison for accepting bribes and arms trafficking.  Read the story HERE

UPDATED 9/5/2020

Former Senator Leland Yee was released from prison on June 26th, 2020, after serving just four years of his five-year sentence for bribing a federal official, and trafficking in illegal weapons, including fully automatic weapons and shoulder-launched missiles price from $500,000, to two and a half million.

My book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - is now available at Lulu.com, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly,
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