Following up on the prior article I wrote today, Utah Valley University – Open Carry Incident, I decided to email Nick Moyes.  He got back to me with the following:

Trolley Square, Utah, Virginia Tech, Columbine, Northern Illinois University, University of Alabama, University of South Florida, Dawson College: Montreal, Canada, Fort Hood, and Ohio State University just yesterday.

For some reason, mass shootings like to occur on college campuses and other “Gun Free Zones”. Perhaps it is because bad people go to where they know they will have the least resistance in carrying out their diabolical plans. I believe this to hold true from a petty thief all the way up to a fascist dictator.

I did not break any laws nor did I disrupt school activities as is evident from the videos I recorded. A student called in to campus police and asked if I was legally allowed to carry a gun. The student did not call in panic or to report a crime, it was simply a question, and I believe it should have been handled as such.

When the officers approached me and I realized that it was not going to be a simple check to see if I had a Concealed Firearm Permit, and I when I realized that it was going to be my word and Utah law against the opinions of two law enforcement officers, I pulled out my iPhone and pressed record. I did so, not to make the officers look unintelligent but to have a personal record of the incident. My reasoning to press the matter beyond that is explained in great detail throughout dozens of posts on the following website: http://www.utahconcealedcarry.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=7775&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I have been open carrying for a long time, well before I had a CFP, as it was and is allowed in the State of Utah. I do not believe that the gun laws of Utah and the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution are no longer applicable to me while attending my accounting classes. I refuse to be a victim. There is not a uniformed officer outside of each of my classrooms, nor do I expect there to be. It is not their duty legally or otherwise to protect me, I am the only one responsible for me.

I have never open carried to make a point, to be “cool”, or because I have some sort of “Napoleon complex”. Those that know me, know that this has never been the case. I choose to open carry because I am legally able to do so and because it simply works better for me.

A right unexercised is a right lost. Opencarry.org

I ALWAYS go about open carrying in a quiet, dignified, and polite manner. I am always respectful of those around me who have never seen a gun before, by being approachable to have a conversation about Utah gun laws, to talk about why I choose to carry, and talk about the responsibility that goes along with carrying. People that know me and attend classes with me repeatedly thank me for carrying in their classrooms and for being willing and able to carry a gun at my side. It just sits there, it does not move. I do not remove it from its holster; I do not touch it. It is just an object that sits discreetly by my side.

And that is where my gun stays; unless I am, or God forbid my fellow classmates, are ever in danger of losing our lives at the hand of another who wishes to take our lives before law enforcement can arrive. I will refer you back to the growing list of colleges that have to deal with this kind of tragedy. I am not paranoid, simply aware of my responsibility, and mine only, to protect myself. I carry a gun as a safety precaution, just like wearing a seat belt in a moving car. Please think about all of the parallels that are applicable to that analogy.

Thank you to those that have an open mind and understand this logical approach. I am not an activist nor did I intend for this to go public beyond my campus or utahconcealedcarry.com.

This has not been easy to handle and I sincerely thank those who are supporting me and thank you to all of those who also carry legally and quietly everyday. God bless you.

———

Thanks Nick!

I think it is great that Nick was able to get his iPhone out and record the video so we could actually see what happened, rather than just hearing about it 2nd hand.  I think everyone that carries, both openly or concealed, should have some sort of recording device on them (preferebly both video and audio) in order to document any incidents that occur.

Anyone have any comments? Or a similar story to share?

P.S. – The photoshop I did is a play on words with UVU’s motto “Success Starts Here”

OREM, Utah – A Utah Valley University student says he is within his rights openly displaying a gun while carrying a concealed gun permit, even while on campus. And that is what student Nick Moyes did Friday morning when he was stopped by the campus police and was told to put the gun away. As president of UVU’s Republican Club, Moyes was hanging posters for an event when he was detained.

Full Story – Here

So the law says he can open carry, but some campus cops don’t like it?  Wow.. great…

If you are questioning how Nick handled the situation, you can see the entire video of the confrontation below in 2 parts:

I honestly don’t think Nick could have handled himself better.  He was polite, he knew the law, asked intelligent questions, and stuck to his beliefs.

It’s stories like this that I find really irritating.  If open carry on campus in Utah is legal according to the law, then why did this incident ever happen?  I don’t care if some of the students, or the police, don’t feel comfortable that someone without a uniform has a gun.  Nick Moyes was doing nothing wrong and should not have been harassed.  If you go to a university in Utah and you don’t like Utah state law, then I suggest looking into attending university in one of 49 of our other states.  As far as I am concerned, same goes if you are a police officer in Utah.  If you aren’t interested in enforcing the law AS WRITTEN, then that is not the job for you.

I say this again and again, but there NEEDS to be some accountability in law enforcement when it comes to situations like this.  A police officer should not be able to harass someone for doing something within the limits of the law.

The bullet went through a table before it hit Frauman, said Kristy-Lee Lawley, the church’s communications director. She said Frauman, a member of the church, was “recovering well” and the bullet didn’t break any bones.

The NRA has a rule against bringing ammunition into a class, said Tom Wagner, a NRA instructor in Orlando who was not involved in Saturday’s shooting. He said the association has “no problem yanking a certification if the rules are being broken.

I’m glad to hear that guy will no longer be instructing.  There is no room for error when it comes to safety with firearms.

Once again… If the four BASIC rules of gun safety mentioned in my previous post would have been followed, this would never have happened.

Full story at Orlando Sentinel – HERE

Hat Tip: SayUncle

If there is one person that cringes every time an incident like this surfaces in the news it would definitely be Lee Paige.  Paige was making a “drug education presentation” in April 2004 to a group of kids in Florida when he put a round from his .40 caliber Glock through his foot (or leg according to different press coverage).

“I’m the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of, to carry this Glock .40″

Those words, and the couple of seconds following them, will live forever on the internet.

Check out the video below:

I don’t agree with incidents like these being called “Accidental discharges” (AD).  When it is human error that causes them the correct term is “Negligent Discharge” (ND).

Too bad there wasn’t a video of the NRA instructor shooting the student.  That way he could try and sue the NRA for embarrassing him like Lee Paige tried on the DEA.

This video has been going around the blog world lately and people are saying “Bill O’Reilly supports gun confiscations during weather emergencies OMG OMG WTF”.  Not once does he say that in the video,  he simply asks questions that would imply he supports the idea.

I have watched the video twice now, it it looks to me like he is just being his regular antagonist shit disturbing self.

This chart was in Newsweek magazine a few weeks ago:

It’s kind of hard to read the list on the graphic, so I retyped it:

1. Don’t be a hero: Accept the situation and prepare to wait.
2. Do what you’re told – and remember: the first 45 minutes are the most dangerous.
3. Don’t speak unless spoken to, and then only when necessary
4. Get comfortable, but never turn your back on your captor
5. Don’t make suggestions: you’ll be blamed if the idea goes wrong.
6. Don’t try to escape, unless your sure you’ll succeed and even then think twice.
7. Let medical needs be known – but in a matter-of-fact way.
8. Be observant: memorize captors’ names, identifying marks etc…
9. Answer only “yes” or “no” if you end up fielding questions from authorities
10. Signal the police if your captors are listening in on the line.
11. Don’t be argumentative: treat your captors like royalty.
12. Hit the floor: when help comes, stay down with your hands on your head.

Probably all good advice if you are willing to take the chance of dying at the hands of your captor.  Often though, you are going to have some pissed off captors on your hands once they figure out they are not getting all that they demand.  This has the potential to turn sour real quick and that’s when hostages start disappearing.

This is why I offer then 2 step solution to dealing with captors:

I know some of you are going to jump on me saying its not feasible in all situations, and I agree.   I’d rather take responsibility for my own life, rather than rolling the dice on whether or not Law Enforcement is going to surgically remove the scumbags before innocent people start dying.

A 22 year old woman gets pulled over by an unmarked vehicle (2001 silver BMW).  A man not wearing a uniform approached her car and flashed what appeared to be a badge and then asked her for identification.  The woman got suspicious and asked the man to have a marked vehicle respond.  The man became uncomfortable and drove away.  The woman called the police.

Police identify 29 year old Benjamin Phillip Canon as a suspect after the woman driving identified him as the man who pulled her over.  Police set up surveillance on Cannon and arrest him at his home and allegedly find a police scanner, a strobe light, handcuffs, and a siren inside his car.  Cannon was booked in to jail, and has since posted $10000 bail.

Source : ABC News – HERE

There is an outpouring of support for him on Calguns.net, where he is treasurer and director.  In the first post on that thread Mr. Canon also claims the allegations are untrue and that he hopes this will all blow over quickly.

My Thoughts:

• I hope he is innocent, but if he isn’t then I hope he gets all he deserves.  We definitely don’t need creeps pulling women over and pretending to be cops.
• Who did he piss off to end up in a police lineup?  I find it odd that a business man would be on the sheriff’s violent crimes unit radar.  Did he have any sort of past run ins with the law for something serious?
• Although some members on Calguns would disagree, it seems to me that having all that police related equipment in his car is not going to help his claim of innocence.  I agree though, just like the media often does.. those alleged items they said Canon possessed could actually be other everyday items that they just embellished the name on to make the story more interesting.

The quality is bad, but it reads:

“100 members of the Open Carry movement with holstered but unloaded weapons met in Walnut Creek”

It’s pretty sad to see that lumped in with SERIOUS issues and incidents that could affect safety in our country.

Source: War on Guns Blog

Hat Tip: SayUncle

Looks like he is suing for “Damages”:

As a direct and proximate result of Ward’s unconstutitonal actions, Embody was subjected to arrest in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights and subjected to mental anguish, humiliation and embarrassment, because, the events described in this Complaint were published widely in the Nashville area by the local news media.

If he is so embarrassed, then why does he showboat around on all the forums?

I’ll hold the constitution above personal opinion any day of the week, but if he expects to win a case like this, I bet any lawyer would have told him to keep his mouth shut, and lay low on internet forums.

Here is the Complaint itself:

Case # 3:10-cv-00126 , Middle Tennessee District Court 6th Circuit

Read the rest of this entry »

You have already heard my point of view on the incident HERE and HERE.

Josh from Iowa, who frequently comments on this Blog, has this to say:

In response to the news about the lawsuit filed by the owner of the AK-47 pistol, we may have to agree to disagree. I think this guy got exactly what he was asking for. Notice that I said “asking for.” I believe this guy went out with the intention and the hope of provoking a reaction from the public and a response from the authorities. Let’s not forget he was dressed in camouflage clothing. I imagine dressed in woodland camo with an AK-47 (pistol or not) slung across his body he looked more like an Afghan militia member than the upstanding, law-abiding citizen he will be portraying in court. Worth noting also is that he had painted the end of the barrel blaze orange, seemingly in an attempt to make it look like a harmless toy. At the very least I think that he demonstrated a lack of maturity and showed a sense of irresponsibility that law-abiding gun owners and gun rights activists should be ashamed of. This is not the image of gun owners I want popping into peoples’ minds when they pause to think about the second amendment.

Admittedly, whether or not he was trying to provoke a response from the authorities, and regardless of the fact that in doing so he may not have been acting in the most responsible and civilized way, it seems that nothing he did was illegal. Let’s examine that though. It seems that his weapon is legal by the slimmest of margins. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, section 479.11, defines a pistol as:

“A weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having (a) a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore(s); and (b) a short stock designed to be gripped by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore(s).”

It seems to me that it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to argue that his weapon was originally designed as a rifle, not a pistol, and therefore does not meet the requirements to be classified as a pistol. I know this isn’t the case, but I think this weapons classification as a pistol is a bit shaky. I have yet to see one of these things being fired from one hand either; that certainly seems improbable, and certainly not how it was intended to be fired. Its legitimacy as a pistol is, I think, questionable to begin with.

All of that aside, let’s look at why he’s filed a lawsuit. I haven’t seen the actual lawsuit, but according to the story that was linked to, his civil rights were violated by, “detaining him on Dec. 20, 2009 without probable cause and for longer than was necessary to determine he was not committing a crime.” The officer acted in good faith while performing his duties in stopping him to determine whether he was acting within the law or not. As a combat veteran infantryman, I’ve spent enough time in Afghanistan to recognize an AK-47 (or its variants) when I see one. I certainly would not have thought this to be considered a pistol by any means. He had probable cause to detain him, that’s clear. To release him without verifying the legality of a weapon that does not appear to be a pistol would have been irresponsible on the part of authorities. The only real question seems to be whether or not he was detained for an unreasonable amount of time. It seems that will be left for a judge to decide. I’ll say this though, if I were the authorities detaining him, once I determined that it was technically a pistol, he would remain detained while I determined whether or not he violated any laws by painting the end of the barrel orange to make it look like an airsoft toy. I believe that’s illegal in some jurisdictions, and I think rightfully so.

In the end I think (and hope) that this case will be dismissed; nothing awarded to the plaintiff.  I feel no sympathy for his predicament. I do, however, feel sorry for the fact that he must go through life operating with a sub-standard level of maturity, and am regretful that he feels compelled to act out in ways that bring negative attention to the firearm rights he purports to hold so dear.

—-

What do you guys think?

Residents in King were fumed over the weekend after a state of emergency declaration because of bad weather restricted the sale of alcohol and the carrying of firearms in vehicles.

Under North Carolina law, statute 14-288.7 automatically went into effect. And that law which goes into effect when there’s a state of emergency prohibits the transportation, purchase sale and possession of firearms other than on one’s own premises.

HUH? Why?  Any particular reason? such as fear of looting etc..?

“We did find some people on the streets,” May said. “We didn’t take any enforcement actions. We spoke to the people driving and helped them to get to where they needed to be.”

Wow, how noble of them.

One question on my mind is, how is everyone supposed to find out about this “emergency deceleration”?

My guess is that it’s broadcast on the Radio and on the TV, but since I never listen to the radio and don’t have satellite or cable, how would I find out about it?  In fact, I don’t even currently own a cell phone.  I use the internet for everything.

If there was some snow on the ground and a few fallen trees, and I thought I could make it to where I was going,  I wouldn’t hesitate to go.  Why should I have to consult numerous sources for the O.K.?  If they ever expect these notification systems to even partially work, they need to broadcast the warning across every type of communication device.

That said, no one likes being told what to do.  Especially when it involves having their rights taken away, even temporarily.

I hope that Police Chief Paula May is ready for the:

Original Article – HERE

Hat Tip: SayUncle

Beretta logo.. Made In USA… Riiiiiiiiiiighhhht….

That thing is atrocious!

Rough translation of key points from the article:

Police said 19-year-old gang brother Zhuangren dimension, usually in the mountains more than 10 hotels Wai things put in charge possession of force, at any time ordered to carry weapons to parts of the scenes; within the lake precinct office yesterday morning to Linsen North Road, Suite A search in 7th floor “gun room” seized wheel and 6 rounds of canister-type shotgun, as well as four pistols, one a standard for the Beretta, and the other three for the transformation of the gun, and 15 bullets, blanks 19 made. The initial inventory, guns from the nickname “God pig” man.

This is the very large wheel shotguns, can be filled with 6 rounds of shotgun, the gun body are all constructed of steel, a short gun, weighing more than 3 kilograms, there is no rifling, can also be fitted sight, external trigger is not Buckle have no insurance, fill out bombs loaded on the mean, believe it or mistakenly pulled the trigger will fire, very dangerous.

black market prices have risen 200000-300000 yuan.

According to currency converters that is equivalent to approximately $6200 – $9300 USD (Thanks for the correction Bill)

Guns must be incredibly hard to get there if that is the going price for a piece of crap like that.

Original Chinese Article – HERE

Google Translated Version – HERE

East Palo Alto, CA Detective Roderick Tuason advocates killing law abiding gun owners on facebook.

I’m very surprised that Law Enforcement agencies allow their officers to have anything to do with social networking sites.

Egos get in the way, personal opinion shines through and stuff like this happens.  Oh.. but its an isolated incident right? *sarcasm*

Some info if you want to file a complaint:

Detective Roderick Tuason
650-853-7244 / 650-853-5957 / PD’s anonymous tip line at 650-853-8477

More info:

DAVID E. WOODS – MAYOR
1058 Weeks Street, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone No: (650)804-2125
davidwoods01@yahoo.com

RUBEN ABRICA (COUNSEL MEMBER)
15 Newell Rd Apt 5, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone No: (650)321-4001
rubenxl@aol.com

If this guy has a career even in mall security after this incident, it is really an injustice to us all.

Hat tip: KevinThomason

Discussion on AR15.com – HERE

I thought this video deserved its own post, because of its awesomeness.  I can’t imagine anything cooler than shooting at things out of a helicopter.

The DVD comes out in February.

Hat Tip: SoldierSystems

This video looks absolutely incredible.

That would be one course I would definitely want to take, more so than even the tactical carbine courses they run.

At the very least I will definitely be buying the DVD set when it comes out in Feburary.

Hat Tip: SoldierSystems

(Picture not from scene, but still relevant)

I’m not one to take anything FOX writes as gospel.. but I found this interesting:

He turned to face authorities one last time, firing two rounds from his Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun before a bullet to the head ended his rampage. Police said Wicks fired a total of five shots during the shootout, while officers fired 81 shots.

Source – Fox5Vegas

81 shots?!?! Isn’t that a bit excessive? Did a few police officers do mag dumps? Maybe there were a lot of police shooting a few rounds each?

Video of event captured on iphone

A one-minute, 13-second video clip posted on the Web site YouTube includes at least 45 gunshots, many in rapid succession. Nicholas Gramenos, who recorded the clip, said he was leaving the courthouse when the shooting erupted.

Source – CNN

Chances are the iphone video didn’t start the instant the shootout started, so that 81 shot report from FOX might be valid after all.

That screenshot is straight off the white house website – HERE

Explanation of it all at BarkingMoonBat – HERE

Pretty scary stuff…

Hat Tip: Cmblake6

December 19th, WASHINGTON D.C. – Things started to turn for the worse when the crowd — some carrying anti-war signs and dressed all in black with masks — began to pelt passing cars. A plain clothes D.C. police detective emerged from a Hummer — it’s unclear whether it was his personal vehicle or an unmarked police vehicle — after it was struck. The detective began yelling at the gathered crowd. At one point, he pulled back his jacket, exposing his service weapon — it’s unclear if he did this intentionally. That’s when things took a darker turn.

Bit of an overreaction I’d say

Full Store – HERE

at the Scottsdale Gun Club for

ONLY $1250 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I realize that not everyone can buy these, which is why the price is so low.  The price is reasonable enough though that if you did meet the qualifications then it would be stupid NOT to have one.

This item is a Post 1986 Dealer Sample, available only to Class 3 dealers with a Law Enforcement demo letter. All NFA rules apply.

This item is a Select Fire (Semi Auto / Full Auto) Glock 17.  It uses a conversion device to allow fully automatic operation.  The host pistol is a 3rd Generation Glock 17.  On full-auto, this firearm operates at approximately 1200-1300 rounds per minute.

The conversion device was manufactured by The Armory of Scottsdale Arizona and the model number is GLK18.

That, or an actual Glock 18 is my dream gun!

Someday…  Someday…

Scottsdale Gun Club Product Page – HERE

MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va.

a Marshall County officer was shooting at the range Tuesday morning when his service weapon literally blew up in his hand during a round of fire.

“The weapon went to the ground, the range officers were yelling for cease-fires,” he said.

Cecil says it was the first time the .45-caliber pistol had ever been used.”All that energy blew out on the top of his hand. And that’s where his injuries are,” Cecil said.

The deputy is now recovering at home. He’s still undergoing testing to find out the severity of his injuries.

The chief believes bad ammunition caused this bizarre accident, but he’s looking into it further.

Full story – HERE

Screenshots from the video:

Hat Tip: SaysUncle Blog for the story

Saudi special forces display some of their skills and equipment during a ceremony as they prepare for the influx people to participate in the Hajj, in Arafat 15 kms outside of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Issa Mohammad)

Wow.. These guys look like they are from the future with those googles.

Lets see… HK G36C rifles, handguns likely Glocks or HKs in the drop leg holster by the looks of it, Optics.. Aimpoint comp M4 with the 3x magnifier.  Elbow pads, but no kneepads.

The best part is that the guy right in front obviously didn’t get the memo about putting your pant stirrups inside your shoe not outside, so he managed to break one of his