From the government that brought the American War of Independence...

This is from an actual British Government website (http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/talkaboutknives)...

"Kids face all sorts of pressures and it may be that your child is in contact with friends who carry knives. The chances are your child has talked about knives with friends or heard a story about the kid who carried a knife. Whilst many young people do not carry knives – it is still a conversation worth having with your child.

"You have a role to play in helping your child make the right choice on this subject. If there is one person your child will listen to, it’s you. They respect you more than you think.

"These pages hold practical advice for parents/ carers on what they can do to reduce the likelihood of a child carrying a knife. We aim to give some pointers on what to look for, how to raise the subject and who to contact if you need more help."

They'd be thrilled to know that my seven year old daughter owns her own knife, and by the end of the summer will have her own bolt action .22 single shot rifle. She'll be learning responsible ownership and the skills she needs for safe operation. :) Why? Because it is an inalienable right.

Next UK government website when the knife problem is licked? If there's a sharp pencil in your child's hand, it's in your hands to stop it.

Then it will be: If there's a loose rock in your yard, turn it in or go to jail.

May God help the neutered society of the U.K.!

UK: ANYONE caught carrying a knife will be jailed under a Tory Government, David Cameron vows today.

The Conservative leader declares automatic jail terms for carrying a dangerous knife is the only way of smashing the current epidemic gripping broken Britain...

“The Government should say not just there is a presumption you will be prosecuted if you carry a knife, but that there will be a presumption you will go to jail.

“It is not a minor offence. There is no excuse for carrying a knife when you walk out of your door.”

The Oral Arguments on the DC Hand Gun Ban

For those interested, here's a link to the SCOTUS transcipts.

Government Gun Control and Genocide

I'm not suggesting that there should be NO control or regulation at all, but with the SCOTUS not having released their sure-to-be-controversial one-way-or-the-other decision on the Second Amendment, I am a little concerned.

Strict gun control has always been the domain of the elitist...those who wish to rule over others. (I've highlighted in red the one consistent target that all of these genocides have in common.)

Below is a simple chart that suggests the possibility of an historical link between strict government gun control and eventual genocide. Here's the basics. Do your own research and draw your own conclusions. You can do the math yourself:

The math? 114+ Million dead because they had no means to physically protect themselves from an abusive government who came to kill them.

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Graph taken from "Shooting Back: The Right and Duty of Self-Defense," by Charl Van Wyk, WND Books, ISBN - 13:978-0-97-904511-0

Things to consider when choosing a handgun...

I know there are a lot of things to consider when looking at a handgun purchase - especially your first one! I started with a Beretta 92 FS (9mm) and moved to a Glock 23 (.40). I started with the 9 mm based on it's availability and cost effectiveness, but later moved to the more expensive .40 as my skills matured. I don't think that you can over-think your purchase, though I do think you need to avoid paralysis by analysis. There's a point where you simply need to "pull the trigger" and get something, knowing that you may sell it and move to something else later on. (Handguns are like tattoos: the first one is a bit scarey, but then once you have it, you're always thinking about the next one.) :)

A friend of mine came across this .pdf at FirearmsTactical.com (which I think he said he found threw the Glock Talk Forums). I don't know anything about them (I'm loyal to my Front Sight Team), but the document is really interesting. It's an F.B.I. study called "Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness." It objectively weighs out the pros and cons of several different calibers and gives you some of the science behind them, so even if you've already settled on size, you'll still find this something for your brain to chew on.

Having given you that, even with all the great information available in that study, the bottom line is this - a bit of wisdom given from Dr. Piazza: "Any gun will do - if you will do." Whatever weapon you choose, you need to also choose training and practice. I can't give enough kudos to Front Sight and their training. I did the Four Day Defensive Handgun Class. Check out some of these Front Sight testimonies!



If you're not gonna get the training, if you can't afford to practice regularly, if you're not gonna take this seriously, I'd encourage you to go to the hardware store and get a claw hammer instead of a handgun.

At least claw hammers are cheap, they're easily replaced, they don't fire due to negligence, and they don't need to be kept locked up. In fact, you can leave a claw hammer laying on the table near your kids all day long. However, if you're gonna spend the money and purchase a weapon, please understand that with that kind of purchase comes A LOT of responsibility. If you're not up to it, don't even start it. If you're up to it, you owe it to yourself and the rest of us to get training and keep your proficiency honed!

What a difference a year makes.

Before my friend Mike took me on my Front Sight Pilgrimage in December 2006, he took me shooting. I was shooting my Beretta 92 FS (9mm), and I could hit the paper of the target, but not so much the target. Then I shot Mike's Glock 23 (.40), and I was even worse. I was so bad that I doubt that I could have even killed myself with Mike's weapon. I probably would've missed.

I put about 2000 rounds through my Beretta last year, and with my Front Sight training, I was confident I could use it in an emergency and not need to be embarrassed. Mike slowly and patiently converted me to the Glock.

A couple weeks ago, I finally got to go out and start shooting my new Glock 23 (.40 - just like Mike's). I was seriously pleased. This target was at about 7 or 8 yards. A little over a year ago, that target would have been the safest place down range with my shooting, but my constant reviewing of what I learned combined with dry practice and actual practice have finally given me some targets I can be proud of.

I still have a tendency to pull a little left (as you can see), so I probably need a little more finger in the trigger. Mike's at Front Sight this weekend, so when he gets back, I'll have him do a little more indepth training with me. I full expect him to be a Distinguished Graduate this trip. :)

Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Handgun In-Service Qualification

I am told that the following is the new minimum shooting requirement for CCW Permit qualification in Iowa.

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Pistol, Revolver, Off-Duty Weapons, Backup/Secondary Weapons, HR218 Minimum Qualification, 80%, 50 Rounds, Target FBI "Q"

3 Yard Stage:

6 Rounds: Strong hand only. 2 strings of 3 rounds. 3 seconds per string. On command, shooter draws and fires 2 strings of 3 rounds each in 3 seconds, strong hand only, holstering after each string.
6 Rounds: 3 rounds strong hand only and 3 rounds support hand; 8 seconds total. On command, shooter draws and fires 3 rounds strong hand only and 3 rounds support hand only in 8 seconds.

5 Yard Stage:

12 Rounds: On command, shooter draws and fires 4 strings of 3 rounds in 3 seconds; holstering after each string. Two hand shooting.

7 Yard Stage:

8 Rounds: 2 strings of 4 rounds; 4 seconds per string. On command, shooter draws and fires 2 strings of 4 rounds in 4 seconds, holstering after each string. Two hand shooting.
8 Rounds: 4 rounds - reload - 4 rounds; 8 seconds total. On command, shooter draws and fires 4 rounds, combat reloads and fires four rounds in 8 seconds. Two hand shooting.

15 Yard Stage:

6 Rounds: 2 strings of 3 rounds; 6 seconds per string. On command, shooter draws and fires 2 strings of 3 rounds in 6 seconds, holstering after each string. Two hand shooting.

25 Yard Stage:

4 Rounds: 2 rounds standing and 2 rounds kneeling barricade; 15 seconds total time. Shooter starts standing away from the barricade. On command, shooter draws and moves to cover behind barricade, fires 2 rounds standing barricade and 2 rounds kneeling barricade. Two hand shooting.

Scoring: 2 points per hit; total possible - 100 points.

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I am told that the 25 Yard Stage is not new for law enforcement, but is a new requirement for civilians wishing to qualify for CCW Permits.

I strongly support all of our local law enforcement agencies, yet as a law-abiding citizen, it leaves me with a conundrum: As everybody knows, when seconds count, law enforcement is only minutes away.

Iowa's state motto - "Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain" - is becoming only an empty slogan.

37 states issue concealed handgun permits on a “shall issue” basis – meaning you either qualify, or you don’t based upon objective criteria. While Iowa has a minimum standard it requires CCW Permit holders to meet, it allows the local sheriff of each county to arbitrarily tighten those restrictions should they choose to do so for any reason - real or imagined. In other words, Iowa stands alone in the Midwest in allowing Sheriffs to arbitrarily deny concealed handgun permits to law-abiding, "clean" citizens.

(See Radio Iowa article: Sheriffs across Iowa have objected to any possibility of loosening their grip on the ability to deny permits to anyone.)

I am 100% in support of some form of classes and shooting competency/proficiency test for a CCW Permit. I do not want to have someone decide to shoot a bad guy at a restaurant and accidentally kill one of my kids in the process. However, by their own law-enforcement statistics, the average gunfight takes place at a range of 10 feet or less, so the question arises in my mind: Why would a qualification include shooting at 75 feet? 75 feet would most likely place you outside of most restaurant or businesses in Iowa, or several car lengths away.

At this moment, I honestly question whether it has more to do with the power to add more restrictions than about safety or competency - though I'd be very willing to listen to a reasoned explanation with statistical evidence. Unlike the unspoken suggestion made by increasing the restrictions, many of us who love our law-enforcement friends are capable of understanding the facts when presented, and believe that the facts and our personal rights are compatible.