Records

I went out and got me a Mac mini to use until I can fix my Windows XP 64 desktop. I enjoyed getting used to this Mac. It runs pretty well consider only on 1Gb of memory.

I was out walking for Randy today and there was this lady, who opened the door after I rung her door bell and just started spilling all the expletives at me. I guess she must have been sleeping. Anyway, I apologized, got the door shut in my face, and moved on to the next house. She came back out, started yelling at me and asked if I have a solicitor's permit. I said no, what I am doing is protected political speech. She threatened to call the police. I again patiently explained to her that I wasn't selling anything and that it's protected political speech, my first amendment right. It's just crazy!

My desktop went dead. I woke up one morning, sat down in front of the computer, moved the mouse, clicked on something but nothing happened. I tried rebooted the machine, that didn't help. Now Windows XP 64 just kept rebooting by itself. Sometimes things are all mangled up on screen. I think my video card just went bad. Will find sometimes to get a new one and put in to see what happen. Until then, my computer use at home will be limited to necessity, not so much surfing on this tiny little laptop screen as I would have on my 24" flat screen LCD monitor. Granted I could hooked up the laptop to the monitor but I am too lazy. Plus, I still need to help Randy with the runoff so no surfing equals more time to help with the race until April 8th. And I am serving in Senatorial District 8 nominations committee so that takes some times too.

Caught the tail end of oral argument in the case of Dick Anthony Heller vs. District of Columbia.

Here is the gist of the D.C. ban:

First, D.C. Code § 7-2502.01(a) generally makes it unlawful for any person to possess an unregistered firearm within the District.

Second, D.C. Code § 7-2502.02(a)(4), which was enacted by the D.C. City Council in 1976, generally bars the registration of any “[p]istol,” which is defined as “any firearm originally designed to be fired by use of a single hand.”

Third, D.C. Code § 22-4504 prohibits carrying a pistol without a license.

Fourth, D.C. Code § 7-2507.02 requires that all lawfully owned firearms—both pistols and long guns—must be kept “unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock or similar device unless [the] firearm is kept at [the registrant’s]
place of business.”

Number 1 & 2 basically bans ownership of hand gun.

Number 3 limits to security & law enforcement personnels only.

Number 4 is the most grievous of all. What used is it if you are under tremendous distress, imminently fear for your life and limbs, and for the life of you cannot remove the trigger log, or for heaven's sake, be able to assemble and load your gun in the dark.

What's interesting is the argument by the proponent of the ban, now they want to leave it in the hand of the legislature(s) instead of the court(s) to make law. It's also interesting to note what the chief counsel for the District of Columbia had to say: "the law is reasonable regardless of constitutional right." Now that's scary! What happens to the protection of minority? Is this now mob rule? The majority can pass whatever reasonable legislation without regard to the minority? Remember the words of Benjamin Franklin said, we are given a constitutional republic if we can keep it.

What puzzled me is the fact that the counsels for Dick Heller kept stressing the fact that the right to keep handgun at home. Heck, I have a constitutional right to self defense, subject to reasonable regulation such as federal building, secure area at the airports, ..., places where I can be sure no one has gun. If I go down to Oak Cliff, you betcha I want my concealed carry piece on my person because there is no cop to cordon off the entire area around me at all times to make sure no one else has a gun either. And for small guy like me, a six foot five three hundred pounds guy can do me serious harm even without a gun so I still need some means of self defense that is immediately available to me unless I have a bodyguard with me at all times.

Sure, if you ask all the cops, every one of them would agree that if nobody else has a gun, their job would be so much safer. But reality is that you cannot prove a negative, ie. it is not possible to guarantee that no one else possesses a gun. Do the criminals care to obey the ban, you betcha not.

Congress already has put plenty of law in the book, let's strictly enforce those:

The most frequently applied provision generally prohibits the possession of firearms by any person “who has been convicted in any court of[] a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.” 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1).

: this is already ridiculous, what if it's non-violent crime, like tax evasion?

Section 922(g) also generally prohibits the possession of firearms by fugitives from justice; unlawful users of controlled substances; persons who have been adjudicated as mental defectives or committed to mental institutions; aliens illegally present within the United States; persons dishonorably discharged from
the armed forces; persons who have renounced their United States citizenship; persons subject to restraining orders that include a finding that the individual is a credible threat to the physical safety of an intimate partner or child; and persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence (unless such convictions
have been expunged, etc.). 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(2)-(9).

In addition, Congress has prohibited the private possession of firearms at particular locations. See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. 930 (2000 & Supp. V 2005) (federal government facilities); 40 U.S.C. 5104(e)(1)(A) (Supp. IV 2004) (Capitol Grounds and Capitol Buildings); 49 U.S.C. 46505(b)(1) (“concealed dangerous weapon” “when on, or attempting to get on, an aircraft”).

ISI put together an event for supporters in the Dallas area Thursday night. We heard from general Josiah Bunting III, who served as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute during the time when the US Supreme Court ruling came down forcing VMI to accept women. He talked about what a classic liberal arts education should be, so different from what we see now in America's colleges and universities. He talked about negative learning at the Ivy League schools such as Yale, Princeton, .... Problems with the board of trustees being overwhelmed with liberal professors who have many Ph.D. degrees and not standing up to them when they try to impose their views on their students instead of teaching the students to critically think for themselves. But that problem is starting to be addressed, thank God!

Spent most of Saturday and Sunday afternoons walking and knocking on doors for Randy Dunning, who is in the Republican Primary Runoff election on April 8th, early voting begins March 31st.

I was in Austin Friday afternoon and Saturday morning for the Republican Party of Texas quarterly SREC meeting. Then went on to Gunsmoke in Columbus, Texas for the ATF day, hosted by the Austin YRs. I personally don't smoke or drink but do shoot and I celebrate everyone's right to do so. Government should have no business telling us how to live our lives. I think I am falling in love with the Marlin Model 1894 Cowboy lever action and will have to buy me one that shoots .357 Magnum / .38 Special. We camped out last night and had Cowboy church on site this morning. It was so much fun.

I along with five other guys helped my friend Kelly moved her piano this morning. Then I went home for lunch and then picked up the election judge supply. Afterward walked a precinct for Randy Dunning before heading home to clean up and got ready for the Dallas GOP Lincoln Day dinner tonight.

It's scary during the discussion tonight I discovered that a candidate for National Committeewoman for Texas, telling me that my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are given to me by the US military and US government. I was like, NO, I was endowed by my Creator, the US military and US government secure, preserve and protect those rights. Nobody gives me those rights but my Creator. The constitutional republic form of government and our brave men and women in uniforms and patriots through the ages have shed blood and laid down their lives to make sure evil men like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse-tung, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro and the likes do not infringe on my rights. She must not have read the US Declaration of Independence, the part that read as follow: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ...."

Talking about government, Carrollton mayor Becky Miller hates my guts, even comment I posted on an article in the local newspaper got removed but thank God for the internet, here is a cached version.

I've been practicing my guitar pretty consistent, ten minutes a day, not skipping any day, even if it means from 2:30 to 2:40 am before I hit the sack. Proud of myself!