It's not Big Oil.

It's not the Gay Agenda.

It's not even the Slightly Grim and Dour Agenda.

It's a shadowy organization far older and more powerful.

It's the Habsburg Nobility, gang.

Seems like everybody's got a petition these days.
I ask that you halt consideration of all pending judicial nominees from the Bush Administration who are hostile to reasonable gun control laws until a new president is sworn in next January. The American people don't need any more Second Amendment extremists from this lame-duck president.
The left is running scared because it looks as if one of their sacred cows is about to be taken away.  Screaming for stricter gun control is their way of "raising awareness," "doing something for the children," or even, "making a difference."  Once they've vented their spleen and chanted their slogans (preferably in a medium where all their friends can see them doing it), they can go back to their neighborhood coffee house, listen to not-too-weird jazz, and bask in the satisfaction of having been a "part of something important."

Essentially, it's a way of looking concerned without having to actually do anything.  A Supreme Court ruling in support of the 2nd Amendment as written is going to deal a swift blow to their pet cause, and they're just a tad bitter about it.

Normally, such behavior would only be an annoying exercise in self-promotion, but the gun-control lobby has some serious money, and some crafty ways of hiding it.

…and frankly, I like kicking hypocrites when they're down.

I've recently been made aware that a bunch of folks from a local group plan to open carry into restaurants on July 1st, when House Bill 89 goes into effect. This is a stupid and ultimately destructive idea.

Let's get one thing straight, folks: open carry spooks the sheep.

It may be common in rural areas, but that’s not the way it is in suburbia. People aren’t used to seeing guns, and many associate them with crime and mayhem. I know it stems from ignorance, but if it’s going to change, it’s going to take awhile.

If someone’s uncomfortable about guns, being stuck in line next to a guy carrying one isn’t going to change that. It’s just going to make them suspicious and nervous. People in that state are unpredictable, especially in groups.

Don’t give me arguments about “educating people.” It’s ego, and that's all it is. Somebody's got something to prove, and whatever excuses they choose to make, it all comes down to alpha-male chest pounding. If you want to be the center of attention, run for office or get a record deal. If a firearm is a means to boost your self esteem, you need therapy, not a gun.

The bill has passed, but we’re not out of the woods yet. We can likely expect litigation against the “parking lot” provisions of HB 89, something Governor Perdue alluded to when he singed the bill.

Workers at MARTA have gathered 1000 signatures on a petition demanding “bulletproof shields” on buses, and I expect the Georgia Restaurant Association to do some serious kicking and screaming on the issue.

The editorial board at the AJC has been contributing to the furor, and Mayor Shirley Franklin has made her opinion known:

“The presumption needs to be, in order to have a safe city, that there are no concealed weapons. And only those who are acting criminally might have them.”

Yeah, go ahead and read that again.

It bears mention that Franklin is a member of the Mayors against Illegal Guns coalition (everything’s a “coalition” with the Left), and of course, their funding comes from a $175,000 Joyce Foundation grant. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (who knows all about disarming the populace and leaving them at the mercy of criminals) is also a member of the organization.

Perhaps all that time and money would be better spent fixing the Atlanta’s $140 million deficit. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a lowly taxpayer.

I got the phone call about 3:15 this afternoon, and at 3:30, local news confirmed it. Sonny Perdue signed HB 89 into law.

Bear in mind, this does not go into effect until July 1st.

Frankly, I hadn't expected him to sign it. It seemed most likely that he'd let it run to midnight and pass quietly into law without his intervention.

Sorry to sound negative, but he's not exactly been our friend in the past. He has a habit of dictating things based on what he thinks is "right." He's refused to take a stand on gun rights either way, and letting the bill pass without his signature would have been a way of saying, "I didn't support it, but I didn't oppose it either."

Sam Walton would be ashamed at what his company has become.

Not content to mistreat their employees, Wal-Mart has now decided to insult and alienate a significant portion of its customer base. They've caved in to New York Mayor Bloomberg's crusade to ban guns and established a policy that really gives me pause.

AT&T news has an interview with Marek Edelman, the last living leader of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during German occupation in 1943.

Edelman has written about his experiences several times, but they are worth revisiting. …

April 5th, the Georgia Legislature passed HB 89. It is important to remember that it does not go into effect until signed by Governor Perdue. Many people are assuming that it's already in effect, and I'm having to remind them several times a day.

Assuming it is not vetoed, it has until July to be signed into law.

HB 89 (full text) makes several important changes to Georgia’s rather nebulous and contradictory firearms laws. Once signed, the following provisions will take effect:

While I'm ecstatic to see the unanimous opinions of the Supreme Court supporting individual rights, the question remains: how far and deep will the effects be felt?

Does it mean we'll see every gun regulation on the books wiped tomorrow? I'd love to be able to order guns from a catalog. I should be able to buy a silencer for $100 so I don't have to worry so much about my hearing. Drop-in auto sears should be $20 and legal.

In short, I should be allowed to own whatever I want, and I should not have to justify it to the government. That's the way our system was intended to work.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Oral arguments in DC vs. Heller took place this morning, and though the Supreme Court may not have made up their minds, their inclinations seem quite clear:
(…) the right to keep and bear–I'm sorry. It's one right: to keep and bear, not two rights, to keep and to bear.

Justice Stevens to General Clement, DC vs. Heller, Oral Arguments 03/18/08, p. 38
Audio has been released and is streaming (rm) from CSPAN. A transcript (pdf) is available here.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

The Supreme Court will hear DC vs. Heller starting at 10:00AM on March 18th. Petitioner and Respondents will each have 30 minutes to make their arguments.

What's interesting is that they will be releasing the audio of the proceedings (Souter has forbidden video cameras in the courtroom) on the same day. Check with Oyez, where it should be available for download.

If you're just tuning in, 31 state-level Attorney Generals have filed a brief [pdf] in support of individual rights, and Dick Cheney has signed on to Congress' brief, indirectly breaking ranks with the President, who'd tasked Solicitor General Clement to call for "closer scrutiny" in the Court's deliberations.

It's somewhat disappointing that Clement will get 15 minutes to argue his point, irrespective of the time limits imposed on Petitioner and Respondent.

But, I guess that's politics. Still, we've now got 46 briefs in our corner, while supporters of the DC ban have 20.

As of today, their FFL is renewed:
License Number:
1-54-XXX-XX-XX-00725

Expiration Date:
03/01/2011

License Name:
SUGARMANN, JOSHUA ALAN

Premise Address:
1730 RHODE ISLAND AVE NW #1014
WASHINGTON
DC - 20036
I received a message back from Lee Brown at the Virginia office. The reason it took the ATF so long to get back to me is that there are no FFLs registered in Washington DC, and my query had to be transferred to the Virginia office (the 154 prefix is for VA, 158 is GA).

It is effectively impossible to get an FFL in DC. DC Code Ann. §§ 7-2502.01-7-2506.01 bans possession, sale, transfer, manufacture, purchase or repair of handguns, and it is forbidden to sell ammunition within the District. I'm trying to find the relevant statutes, but you must have a "retail dealer" license to sell any goods in DC, and no license can be given for selling things that are banned.

It is possible that he stores the weapons off site in Virginia, and I am checking the validity of that.