Balancing Security vs. Liberty

Security vs. Liberty
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Benjamin Franklin once said, “Anyone that gives up essential liberty for momentary safety deserve neither.”  It is amazing how this once commonplace sentiment has changed over the years.  In today’s America it is almost considered required to exchange liberty for safety.  It is important to realize that neither option is a right, nor can it be guaranteed.  In most of Europe, violence is never considered morally justified.  This thought leads to slavery.  If there is nothing worth fighting for, then nothing is worth having.  This trend of choosing security over liberty is becoming more accepted in this country than the founding fathers ever believed possible.

In America we have gun-free school zones.  We also have school shootings.  Jesse Ventura was forced to apologize when, after the Littleton Colorado School shooting, he commented that, “If someone in that school had a gun, they could have saved a lot of lives.”   His statement was considered outrageous.  It might be a distasteful subject, but the idea merits thought.  In Israel guns in school are commonplace; they also have little if any violence in the education system.

An American citizen cannot sue the police for failing to protect them.  They have no right to constant protection by the police.  They also face prejudice, up to and including incarceration if they protect themselves.  States of this country do not allow lawful citizens to carry firearms in pubic.  Many businesses in right-to-carry states disallow firearm possession in their stores.  Do any of these stores hire full time security whose sole job is to protect their patrons?  Do criminals intent on mayhem follow these laws?  If given a choice, would an armed criminal chose a location where firearms where allowed or disallowed?

Is the idea of violence so terrible that we as Americans should give up out Constitution in order for a measure of fleeting safety?  How important is the Bill of Rights to you?  Should we allow police unrestricted accesses into our personal lives for the sole purpose of protection?  Should we allow the trend of the government to dictate who is dangerous to us, without question.  This trend was seen in Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, China, and other countries where people lost the right to protect themselves.  Have we as Americans lost the will to do what is needed?    Do we have to delegate the distasteful to others?  If you as a responsible person feel violence is evil, what is your justification to give over your power to someone else to use violence on your behalf?

Government is needed.  Without it there would be chaos.  However, government is not always right just because it exists.  President Washington said, “Government is like fire; it is a wonderful servant but a fearful master.”  Government should serve the people, but it has a tendency to have the people serve it.  Before you blindly accept what is presented to you as your best interest, decide for yourself if it truly the case.  Our country was founded by men who chose liberty over security.  Should you do any less?

Renaissance Republican

Renaissance Republican
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I am a Renaissance Republican, another one of the silent majority of Americans who are too busy working on taking care of myself and fulfilling my own responsibilities to do much beyond vote and watch in disgust at modern politics.

But it has gotten to the point where I am tired of watching the contract our government has with me being rewritten without my consent.  I am tired of wondering what gives that Washington bunch the authority to take my taxes to increase their own power.  Have they not read the 10th Amendment of our Constitution?

They speak about charity and fairness but they don’t pay for their schemes with their dollars, they steal mine.  I don’t want to bail out bankers and then watch them use the money to buy up smaller banks that followed the rules.  I don’t want to give money to car companies that for years used their influence to shut-out innovative startup car manufacturers.   I don’t want to pay other people’s mortgages while my own home equity disappears.  I don’t want to pay for health care for criminals who have been breaking our laws from the day they invaded our borders.

Most of all I am tired of being forced to subsidize the ideas of those that dismiss my personal beliefs and rights.   Why is the 2nd amendment considered outdated while the 1st is being perverted to protect pornographers.  Why am I ridiculed for my beliefs, when others get federal dollars to expand theirs?  Why does their discomfort at the idea of a man that can and will protect himself and his family, outweigh my right and duty to be able to do so.

I believe that in this country, people have the right to believe as they want, to love who they want, and pray to whoever they want.  And while I may believe my way is better (at least for me), I don’t have the right to force my beliefs on others.  I believe they do NOT have the right to force their beliefs on me either!

I believe in our Constitution as it was written.  I believe that if the 1st Amendment protects more than printing presses and quill pens, then the 2nd protects more than muskets.  We don’t get to pick and choose; the law applies to everyone, WITHOUT prejudice.

I believe that it as an American I have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that if I should fail in my pursuit, I don’t have the right to ask the government to steal from others to make it “fair” for me.

I believe that our government does not listen to my demands for justice.  That the system works for those who have their hands out, while ignoring the vast, silent few that work every day to support the system.

But mostly, I have a deep belief in this Country.  I believe deep in my being that the majority of citizens feel as I do.  I believe people are tired of being told that their beliefs don’t matter.  I believe that most of us submit to taxation but don’t get equal representation.

Now for the question…

What do you believe?

Email me.  I want to know what you think.  Am I wrong about the middle class?  If you agree, tell me, if you don’t tell me why…

Firearm Suppressor Basics

Firearm Suppressor Basics
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There are many misconceptions about firearm suppressors or “silencers”.  That is a shame since suppressor information is very easy to find if you just look.  This post is about firearm suppressor basics.

Suppressors were one of the items that became regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934. This means that suppressors are classified as a restricted “firearm” and each has its own serial number.  As with all gungs the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) is tasked with enforcing suppressor regulations in accordance with federal law.

While the federal government regulates suppressors, they do not outlaw them.  That is a state action.  Therefore, depending on what state you live in, you may or may not be able to own a suppressor.  Since a basic tenet of common law is that everything is legal until it is made illegal, I will give a list of what states currently outlaw suppressor ownership (if the state allows ownership, but narrowly defines who can own one to special classes of people I consider that to be outlawing them).

Suppressors are outlawed in:

  • California
  • Delaware
  • Hawaii
  • Iowa
  • Illinois
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington (You may own, but you cannot use it on a gun).

If you live in any other state, and are willing to navigate the NFA regulations then you can own a suppressor.

As the video below shows, a suppressor does not “silence” a firearm.  It just makes it quieter, which makes shooting safer and reduces friction with the neighbors.  I think it makes shooting more fun.  They are the most effective plash suppressor you can buy, and if shooting from the prone, they reduce dust being raised by the muzzle blast.

Suppressors reduce audible sound to differing degrees.  They do this by diffusing the gas released at the muzzle so that it is diffused.  It is kind of like opening a champagne bottle or popping a balloon.  High pressure and a single opening make a loud noise, but slower release of the pressure, or multiple openings make a much quieter sound.  A suppressor has openings that are 20-30 times the size of the muzzle which allows the gas to be released in a more controlled manner.

Of course, the reduction in sound only occurs at the muzzle.  If you are shooting a semi-automatic some sound will escape at ejection port, the mechanics of the gun (such as bolt cycling) are not dampened, and projectiles still make noise on their way to the target.   If you are shooting supersonic ammunition, no matter how well you suppress the gun, the bullet will create a loud “crack” when it breaks the sound barrier.

Some suppressors are designed to be used “wet”.  This means the shooter has the can fill the baffle cavities inside the suppressor with water or possibly manufacturer specified oil.  While not very practical in the field, firing a wet suppressor will provide more sound suppression than when dry.  If you have a “wet” suppressor, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.  Water does not compress, and improper suppressor filling can break your expensive gun into large non-repairable pieces.

Suppressor sound reduction is usually expressed as sound pressure level (SPL). SPL is measured in decibels.  Most manufacturers publish SPL either as a reduction from the unsuppressed sound or as a total decibel measurement.   Differences in the type of sound meter used, microphone placement, calibration, weighting scales, ground surface and many other factors can change the actual reading, so take the numbers with a grain of salt and use it more as a comparison rather than as a firm number.

There are several different popular suppressor designs, and a quick patent search will show you hundreds more.  But for the recreational shooter, I feel the material a suppressor is made of is more important.  Due to the high heat of the muzzle gas, and how it circulates inside the suppressor body suppressors are exposed to a lot of wear.

Suppressors are rated for with semi-auto or full auto fire based upon the alloys used to create them. All things being equal, a fully auto rated suppressor is made of materials that better handle heat.  If you use a full auto rated suppressor on a semi-auto you will enjoy a much longer suppressor life.  However, if you reverse this and put a semi-auto suppressor on a full auto firearm you could melt the darn thing.

As with gun in general, suppressors are tools, and all tools have specific purposes and problems.

When you attach a suppressor to a gun, you will increase the pressure inside the barrel.  This is especially true in centerfire, semi-auto rifles.   A semi-automatic that relies on gas to drive the operating system only needs a specific amount of that gas to function properly.   The excess gas normally expands out of the barrel’s muzzle after the bullet leaves the gun.   When using a suppressor, some of that gas remains in the bore, expanding back into the gas system, which can result in malfunctions.

Any semi-auto rifle intended for regular sound suppressor attachment will benefit from an adjustable gas block or regulator. Many of the piston-driven semi-automatics have adjustable gas systems that allow for some modulation of pressure.  By contrast, AR type rifles are typically nonadjustable.  Just you need to find out what type of ammo your particular gun likes to eat the best; it is a good idea to several ammunition types to see what your gun works with best when it is wearing a suppressor.

The world of suppressors is much like the world of guns, how deep you want to delve into the specifics depends on your personality and end goals.  But they are useful and useful tools.  It’s a shame that, in the United States, suppressors have such a negative stigma and are seen as tools of the hit man.  In many European countries, suppressors are seen as polite hunting accessories.  It was really interesting, as the guys helping me in the suppressor video came down for a class, and brought several suppressed guns.  While running the class at the indoor range we got lots of looks from the other shooters.  I could just feel the side conversations wondering who we were and what we were doing.  But, when offered the chance to shoot the guns, there were a lot of very excited guys enjoying shooting such neat tools.

The guy in the video is Terry Hassler from http://www.rockinguns.com/.  He is a very knowledgeable guy, as well a registered firearm manufacturer.  I want to thank him for helping me put this information out to you, and if you are in the Cookeville or Crossville TN area and are looking for a gun, you ought to check them out.

Perspective on National Debt

Perspective on National Debt

Perspective on National Debt
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The wife and I were talking about the “government shutdown” and she said she needed a visual reference to make the connections.

Certainly, It is not easy for hourly individuals that deal in tens and hundreds to visualize spending billions and trillions.

Consequently,  so I quickly did some math to break it down and give some perspective on National Debt

Here is our problem:

$113,000,000,000,000 Unfunded Liabilities
$14,000,000,000,000 National Debt

That is:

$1,000,000 Unfunded Liabilities per Taxpayer
$128,000 National Debt per Taxpayer

Our government has to pay that with:

$2,000,000,000,000 Annual Tax Revenue

Loans cost money, so we pay:

$3,500,000,000,000 Annually on Interest

Which is $1,500,000,000,000 more than our Countries annual tax receipts, so we have to borrow that each year to pay interest (Which increases our debt, which increases our interest, which increases how much we have to borrow to pay interest)

Even Dropping off 6 Zeros Still show as heck of a problem.

$113,000,000 Unfunded Liabilities
$14,000,000 National Debt

That is:

$1 Unfunded Liabilities per Taxpayer
0.19 National Debt per Taxpayer

Our government has to pay that with:

$2,000,000 Annual Tax Revenue

Loans cost money, so we pay:

$3,500,000 Annually on Interest

Which is $1,500,000 more than our Countries annual tax receipts, so we have to borrow that each year to pay interest (Which increases our debt, which increases our interest, which increases how much we have to borrow to pay interest)

For Perspective

If a two income family brought home $80,000 a year, and the Government took the entire amount, it would take 25 Million families to equal the total amount of tax revenues that the US Federal Government receives in taxes….

However, it would take 42 Million, 750 thousand such $80,000 Families taxed at 100% just to pay the interest on the 14 trillion dollar debt.

It would take 175 Million Families with an income of $80,000,000 to pay off the debt, (or 350 million individuals with a $40,000 dollar a year income. That is 50 million more individuals than the total US population.)

A families share of those mandates is 1 billion, 412 million, and 500 thousand dollars with a $80,000 a year income as a family.  If you made $80,000 a year, and owed over 1,412,500,000 and had to borrow money just to pay the interest, what kind of promises would you have to make to get someone to give you more money?

Add in Unfunded Mandates

Say you think its unfair to add in unfunded mandates (say you don’t want to pay for Granny’s medicare, or Mom’s social insecurity)  We can just look at the national debt.

Similarly, for a family with an $80,000 a year income you would have to owe 175 Million dollars to owe the same ratio as what the US Federal Government owes in relationship to its income…

Finally, the Fed says the combined housing market value is 10 Trillion, since we owe 14 Trillion in National Dept and another 100 Trillion in unfunded mandates, it seems like I am not the only one upside down on my mortgage.  The difference is, I like what I spent my money on, and no one forced me to take out my mortgage.

I DO NOT like what my tax dollars are being spent on, and I have long begged them to stop mortgaging my future.

The music is about to stop on our Countries game of hot potato, and those in Washington still refuse to stop playing games…

Note:

This is a low estimate, as the numbers keep growing as Congress keeps spends, and the President keeps starting wars….

Source US Census, and the US National Debt Clock