All posts by Chris Knox

Reports

Issa Threatens BATFE Head With Contempt Citation

Issa Threatens BATFE Head With Contempt Citation

Congressman Darrell Issa (R. CA) threatened Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives has threatened acting head Kenneth E. Melson with a contmpt citation for his failure to comply with a Congressional subpeona. 

“Let me be clear … we are not conducting a concurrent investigation with the Department of Justice, but rather an independent investigation of the Department of Justice – specifically, of allegations that the reckless and inappropriate decisions of Department officials have created a serious public safety hazard.”

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in a letter yesterday to ATF Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson, threatened to bring contempt charges against him for refusing to produce documents subpoenaed by the committee last month. The subpoena was issued in response to ATF and DOJ officials stonewalled the “Project Gunwalker” investigation.

Continue reading Issa Threatens BATFE Head With Contempt Citation →

The Knox Update

History of Gun Control – Part 2

The History of The Gun Rights War

Part II

As noted in Part 1 of this series, the history of The Gun Rights War is actually a history of vain attempts to control behavior by regulating things, and it actually pre-dates the invention of firearms, probably going back to the very beginning of human history.  But here in the US, the roots of The Gun Rights War were planted in the soil of racism.  


The right to arms was firmly ensconced in the American system and psyche as a fundamental aspect of liberty – distinguishing citizen from subject and master from slave.  It is ironic that, as another group broke the bonds of slavery and strove for recognition as free men and citizens, this same fundamental principle of liberty should cause citizens to compromise their own rights in an attempt to limit the rights of others.

Continue reading History of Gun Control – Part 2 →

Chris's Blog

Chris Pokes NPR

Chris Pokes at NPR’s Bias

Last month I happened to see a piece in The Hill about then-NPR CEO Vivian Schiller facing the National Press Club and asking with a straight face, “What bias?”  If you’ve been following the story, you know that Ms. Schiller’s “Moi?” was followed by the Ron Schiller (no relation), the head of fundraising, who let his mouth run about the Tea Party.  Between Ron’s up-front hatred and Vivian’s ham-fisted firing of Juan Williams, the network is now down two Schillers.  Both were encouraged to move on.  The weekly show “On the Media” followed the events up with three weeks of navel gazing (they called it soul searching, but they didn’t seem to find much).

I listen to NPR quite a bit.  I take it with a large grain of salt.  What I know that they mis-report on the gun issue leads me to question what they report on other topics, such as the economy, health care, and the federal budget.  Nonetheless, I have yet to find any radio or television coverage that provides as high a signal to noise ratio.  I have on occasion contributed to my local station, being sure to make the pledge during their music programming, and accompanying my check with a note complaining about the bias of NPR’s news coverage.

Dear OTM:

I know one area where NPR is biased. I spend a significant amount of my time thinking and writing about the positive aspects of guns. I have quite a bit of knowledge in this very narrow field (enough that I’ve been interviewed on ‘All Things Considered’), and the bias at NPR is palpable.

My bet is that Brooke, Bob, and Ira have not shot a firearm in the past year, if ever. I’ll risk stereotyping to speculate that their views, as well as the views of their friends and colleagues are probably better represented by organizations like the Violence Policy Center or the Brady Center than the National Rifle Association or some other pro-gun group.

I commend to you the work of Jonathan Haidt (http://people.virginia.edu/~jdh6n/postpartisan.html). The issue of guns is a “tribal-moral” issue in the sense that Dr. Haidt uses it. According to that view, Brooke, Bob, and Ira are of the Northeastern Media tribe, while I am of the Southwestern Gun-Owning tribe. The Northeastern Media sometimes refers to my tribal group as “gun-toting” — any hint of bias in that language?

Not only do I hear stories that portray guns and gun owners in a negative light, I don’t hear stories that mention the positive aspects. I can’t recall any mention on NPR of successful civilian defensive uses of guns. It happens, but I’d never know it if I only listened to NPR.

I can’t recall ever hearing an NPR report on competitive shooting except maybe for a rare Olympic story. The National Matches held every summer at Camp Perry, Ohio typically draw thousands of participants, yet I’ve never heard coverage. I suspect you might cover a golf tournament of that scale.

In the narrow field of firearms, I have enough independent knowledge to know that the NPR bias exists. On other topics where I have less knowledge, I can only assume that the same bias is present.

Chris Knox

I sent a similar note directly to their letters address, but saw no response to this or that direct note.

The Knox Update

History of Gun Control

 

The History of The Gun Rights War

The history of the gun rights war goes back as far as anyone wants to dig.  I would not be surprised if someone were to uncover a lost chapter from the book of Genesis describing how Eve and a coalition of mothers from the land of Nod instigated a rule requiring weapons-grade stones to be cleared from fields and work spaces in hopes of preventing crimes of passion such as befell Able.  Throughout history there are examples of governments and people of power attempting to control the peasants by restricting their access to weapons.

Here in the US the history of gun control is integral to the creation of the nation.  It was when British troops marched from Boston to seize militia arms in Lexington and Concord that the people drew the line in the sand and the war for independence began in earnest.  For the better part of the following century the right to arms was clearly understood and recognized in the United States.  Debate over the Second Amendment revolved not around whether the right existed, but whether such a clearly understood and unquestionable right needed to be reiterated in the Constitution at all.

Continue reading History of Gun Control →

The Knox Update

Mistrust in Oklahoma

ORA Doesn’t Trust You

According to the Oklahoma Rifle Association (ORA) and a good many state legislators from both sides of the aisle, people in Oklahoma are less responsible, less sensible, and less trustworthy than the people of Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and 39 other states.  Or so it would seem based on the arguments they have been voicing against proposals that the state recognize citizens’ right to bear arms out in the open.

The primary proposal, SB129, carves out exceptions to Oklahoma’s firearms carry restrictions for persons carrying their firearms in plain view as long as they are holstered, sheathed, or slung.  Like open carry laws in many states, the Oklahoma proposal would lift restrictions for anyone 18 or older and would not mandate a license or training class.  But, as seems to happen every time a state legislature begins entertaining legislation to broaden recognition of their citizens’ right to arms, the debate over open carry in Oklahoma has been conducted as though this is a new and untested idea.  There has been much hype, speculation, and hypothetical anecdotal postulating from both sides of the issue.  All of this non-evidence is presented as though the state is an isolated island nation with little or no contact with the rest of the world, much less the rest of the US.

Continue reading Mistrust in Oklahoma →

The Knox Update

Save Shotguns

Take Action to Stop Gun Ban

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is seeking public comment on their recent “study” on the importability of certain shotguns.  It is critical that rights supporters express their objections to this “study” and its pending implementation in no uncertain terms.  A strong showing of opposition can help to stiffen the spines of members of Congress and a poor showing will absolutely be pointed to as proof that people support expanded importation bans.

Comments need to be clearly opposed to expanding import bans and, most importantly, they must be submitted in a timely fashion.  Intending to send a comment, but never actually getting around to it, does no one any good.  The comment period is open now through the end of April.  Comments can be submitted via email to shotgunstudy@atf.gov or by fax to (202) 648-9601.

Below is a sample comment you can paraphrase or simply cut and paste into your own email:

Subject: I Oppose Further Restrictions on Shotgun Imports.

I strongly oppose further restrictions on the importation of shotguns and disagree with the findings in the ATF shotgun study.

Continue reading Save Shotguns →

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The Knox Update

From the Firearms Coalition

 

Interpreting the Second Amendment

 

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.

 

By Jeff Knox

 

(February 5, 2009) It has been famously said and often repeated that the Constitution means what the Supreme Court says it means. While this statement is generally true, it is incomplete. Regardless of what the Supreme Court says, the Constitution ultimately means what the People believe it to mean.

So far in our history the Supreme Court has refrained from any interpretation of the Constitution that was so flagrantly at odds with the beliefs of the People that a serious, violent uprising ensued.  But they may have come perilously close in last year’s decision in DC v. Heller. In that case the Court unanimously agreed that the Second Amendment refers to an individual right to arms, but disagreed in a 5 – 4 split as to whether the District of Columbia’s virtual ban on handguns violated that individual right. Even in the prevailing opinion, the justices expressed positions which are completely at odds with the understanding of those of us in the Second Amendment community.

The Second Amendment exists to ensure that the government does not trample the rights

Reports

NRA 2011 Board Elections

NRA Board Endorsement

Each year 25 of the 75 regular director seats comes up for election to 3-year terms along with the 76th director, who voters attending the Annual Meeting select for a one-year term.

There is little chance of any injection of new blood in this year’s election. The candidate list is a bit larger than usual, but it includes 26 incumbent directors, including the current 76th director, vying for the 25 seats. The Nominating Committee nominated all 25 of the current 3-year directors plus an additional six candidates. Additionally, six more candidates nominated exclusively by petition of the members. Historically we can expect that at least 23 of the 25 incumbents will win reelection. Since the NRA uses a cumulative total election – the 25 highest total vote getters win – the real race is always between candidates at the bottom of the list.

Continue reading NRA 2011 Board Elections →