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Behold the Lunacy of “Zero Tolerance” Policies!

When I was a little boy, which wasn’t all that long ago, we’d run around the playground with our fingers in the universal “kid” sign for a gun and go, POW! POW! BANG! BANG! That was what you did when you played Cops ‘N’ Robbers, or Army vs. Aliens, or similar stuff. We’d even do it in the lunch room (POW! BANG!). No harm ever came of this.

However, that was before the era of so-called, “Zero Tolerance” policies that a lot of schools have nowadays.

That game of Cops ‘N’ Robbers that I used to play all the time as a boy is now getting children SUSPENDED from school. The schools are claiming, “we have ZERO-TOLERANCE policies against any sort of weapons, either real or imagined.”

We’re going to address these “ZERO INTELLIGENCE” policies, as I call them, and show you why they are just that–zero intelligence policies. Apparently if you play like my Dad did as a boy, or like I did as a boy, you’re now a terrorist threat.

Common sense in our schools used to be just that–pretty common. It was at my schools. But I guess it’s not so common anymore, though. And that’s a shame. I’m starting to understand why more parents are home-schooling their kids, especially if this is how the schools are treating children now. You won’t believe your own ears.

Just…wow….

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This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Last time, we talked about the true origin of today’s proposed gun bans. Ironically, it’s being done by the very people who by rights should be totally *against* gun bans.

This time, we talk about how the effects of that gun-ban mentality still affects us today. The antis don’t want you to know this side of the story. It’s not in their agenda.

So, I will tell you. And I’m going to tell you from a Liberal’s perspective. That’s what you’re going to hear in this episode–today’s ongoing ramifications of gun bans.

Folks, the Second Amendment has nothing to do with “hunting” or “sport”. Rather, it has everything to do with defense against tyranny. And it always has.

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Howdy folks. Sorry to be gone so long, but we’re back in action, and yes, we’re in this for the long haul.

I’ve had the chance to do some reading over the past couple of months regarding the origin of these proposals for gun restriction–what the antis keep antiseptically trying to call, “gun control”. They say it’s about “improving public safety” and even “preserving national security”, like Sen. Barbara Boxer of California just recently put it.

What these antis don’t want to tell you is the true origin of these gun-restriction laws. Seems they don’t want you to know.

Well, then…*I* am going to. The Liberal’s Gun Corner is as much about education as it is advocacy; the two go hand in glove.

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series. I’m going to explain to you all just what that true origin of today’s proposed gun-bans is. It really shouldn’t surprise you, given the history of this country…but it still does surprise some people when I mention it to them. If you don’t know, it’s important that you learn.

Black Americans especially should take notice.

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Leverguns, leverguns…well, sometimes we just gotta talk leverguns, right?  🙂

Well, the Cast Boolits forum sure thinks so, because that’s one of their quotes.  And we’re going to do just that.

Seems some of you have noted just how much fun I’ve been having with the .44 Magnum lever-action rifle recently, and you asked for an episode about it.  To that end, here it is.  Our specific focus is going to be on what I’ve found to be the benefits, and the compromises that come with it.  Depending on where you are, you may find a levergun in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44-40, or .45 Colt to be useful for your situation or not.

I suggest that if you’re in the thick woods and taking shots at an absolute maximum distance of 150 yards, a levergun chambered for a revolver cartridge becomes a very useful tool.  They also have good home-defense characteristics.  It turns out that the Magnum handgun cartridges take on entirely new levels of power when shot out of a rifle-length barrel, either nipping at the heels of the classic .30-30 or even equaling it.

Saddle up, pardners, for a journey into the past, but with today’s modern twist!  (pun intended)

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This is the second part of a two-part series primarily aimed (pun intended) at someone looking to purchase his or her first firearm.  Since there are so many options, a lot of people just don’t know where to start.  Here, we offer some suggestions on what to consider as a first firearm choice.  We also provide some ideas on how to narrow down your myriad options.

Last time, we talked about handguns–revolvers and semi-auto pistols.  This time, our focus is on long guns–the rifles and shotguns. My cameralady from the reloading videos, “Miss B.H.C.”, also weighs in a bit on this.

As in Part 1, here our focus remains the city or suburban resident, mostly out of necessity.

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This is a two-part series primarily aimed (pun intended) at someone looking to purchase his or her first firearm.  There are so many types out there that it can be kinda bewildering.  As a part-time Range Safety Officer, I see a lot of new folks who would like to shoot, and would like to own a gun, but they don’t even know where to start.

Here, we offer some suggestions on what to consider as a first firearm choice.  We also provide some ideas on how to narrow down your myriad options.

In this episode, we discuss handguns–both revolvers and semi-autos–as a candidate for a “first firearm”.  Next episode, we’ll do the same thing for the long guns–rifles and shotguns.  In both episodes, our focus is the city or suburban resident, mostly out of necessity.

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Shortly after the first episode, a few people asked me why I don’t just call myself a “Libertarian” now, given that the term “Liberal” means “Democratic Party Progressives” to so many people.  To them, the word “Liberal” conjures up images of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.  These folks and those like them are not Liberals, but rather, “Progressives”.  It is true that the Libertarian Party was formed out of a direct response to that misuse of the noble word, “Liberal”.

Back then, I promised to address that in a future episode.  That time has arrived.

This is defiintely an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” episode.  It’s sure to tick somebody off.  I try not to, but it’s probably unavoidable when one takes on a topic like we do here in this case.

Here is my view on the difference between Liberalism and Libertarianism, and why I continue to refer to myself as a Liberal.  I don’t share all of their beliefs, and I consider that the philosophy doesn’t account for certain real-world problems–problems that my Dad, Colin Powell, and Oscar Robertson know well–but there is definitely some overlap.  We Liberals need to start hanging out with the Libertarians more; while we disagree on some points, still, in a lot of ways, they are our natural allies.

Libertarian listeners, my understanding of Libertarianism is by necessity less than encyclopedic.  I am willing to revisit this topic if you can give me a good case to do so; fair is fair.  This episode is to help start that conversation that really should’ve been taking place years ago.

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The Dangers of Banning So-Called “Assault Weapons”

At the present time, there is a bill that recently got introduced in the Senate.  It’s called the “Assault Weapons Ban of 2013”.  It was introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, along with twenty or so other Democratic Senators, but chiefly by her.  This is basically a repeat of the first Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, which expired in 2004.

My Dad was on the previous episode.  He and I agree on some topics, and we have different views on some others.  The notion of “assault weapons” is one of the latter ones.  We presented his views on the subject for your consideration last time.  This time, I present mine for your consideration, and you’ll note that they are considerably different.

We also discuss in this episode where these “one step at a time” gun bans eventually end, what the end-goal of the antis really is, and the reason why that must be their end-goal–why it cannot be any different from what it is.

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This is a special occasion for me.  My Dad was in town two weeks ago for the Presidential Inauguration, and since I’d been wanting to do an episode with him, we took the opportunity to do that as well.  This is the man whom I’ve been talking about being alive precisely because he had his gun with him that day.

We discuss a number of subjects, virtually all of them related to firearms policy.  He and I share some views, and we don’t share certain others.  That’s part of the Liberal’s Gun Corner.  You don’t always just hear my own views ’round these here parts.  We discuss the aftermath of the Newtown, CT shooting, “assault weapons”, gun registration, tracking, general firearms safety, and even the notion of confiscation and what to do about it.

This man has been around a lot longer than I have and is very wise.  Whether you agree or not, his counsel is worth hearing and considering.  Next episode, I’ll present another point of view for your consideration.

Music notes:  the intro and ending music is “You Are My Sunshine”, from Dad’s album.  He’s on piano, I’m on drums.  🙂