All posts by Claire Wolfe

Poll

Poll: If the ATF expands FFL requirements, will you apply?

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This week’s poll requires a little background explanation. So read this first please, then go v*te!

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Obama released a white paper that effectively reverses the Clinton-era policy that reduced Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) from approximately 250,000 in the ’90s to 50,000 today. The reduction was accomplished by denying licenses for people deemed not to be doing enough business, or doing business from home. Those who had licenses strictly for gun show sales saw them revoked, and the ATF will not issue an FFL for gun show-only sales. Now Obama says those “dealers” must be licensed again.

If FFLs are again opened up for show-sellers, collectors, hobbyists, low-volume sellers, and people who simply want the convenience of interstate transfers without paying another FFL dealer, would you apply for a license?

The poll is here. There are v*ting options even for those who might never imagine themselves being in a position to need or be legally required to hold a license.

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Last week’s poll on the biggest threats to gun rights in 2016 is open through tomorrow evening at 6:00 CST — and still going strong.

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mindset, Political philosophy, spirit of rebellion, Uncategorized

Be Careful Who You Make Your Heroes

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Guest commentary
Exclusive to The Zelman Partisans
By PigPen51

Heroes have existed seemingly for all eternity, in nearly every culture. From Native Americans with tales of great bravery by men with names like “Eagle Feather” or “Bear Claw” to tales of heroes from ancient Israel like David vs Goliath to more modern times with real-world heroes like Audie Murphy, we all are familiar with the stories of those who inspire us to courage and faithfulness.

Often, however, we in America have created heroic images around people who have actually harmed us rather than benefitted us or society. Many men have been written into the history books as heroes not by virtue of anything positive they have done, but instead because of circumstances that chose them.

One such man is John F. Kennedy. He did nothing to deserve the title of hero. In fact, realistically, a strong case could be made for him as a horrible example of a leader, and one who was unfit for the office of president. From his disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion to his adultrous affairs to his escalation of the Vietnam war to his possible ties with Mafia leaders, he definately had feet of clay.

Of course, we can’t forget honest Abe Lincoln. His abuse of power is legendary. Even before the Civil War, he suspended the Writ of Habeus Corpus, then imprisoned the leaders of the pro-slavery movement from Maryland. This ensured a win in the next election in that state, which kept it from going to the south, thus landlocking and isolating Washington, D.C. Eventually, Lincoln would imprison as many as 14,000 people for political reasons. Many were held for the entire war. He also censored the mail and the telegraphs and shut down up to 300 newspapers for varying lengths of time.

We don’t have to go that far back in history to find “heroes” who have in fact been nothing but the same political self serving, freedom-stealing murderers that have been around for years.

The obvious candidate for first place is George W. Bush. For many conservatives, he is a paragon of freedom, second only to the great Ronald Reagan in modern times. And yet for those of us with any common sense, who can forget the Patriot Act, or the torture committed in our name?

A controversial one could be Edward Snowden. Many believe that by coming forward and releasing the documents he did, he is a hero. He did, after all, bring to light the many abuses of the NSA. However, the possibility remains that by his reckless release of these documents he caused many U.S. human assets to be put in danger. Whether or not this resulted in actual death remains a matter of contention.

I could go even further. I could go to other countries. Perhaps the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela. The man who united a nation. The communist leader who also was a ANC leader, the group who popularized the execution method called necklacing. Let’s just say it involved gasoline and an automobile tire. That narrative isn’t politically expedient, so we will just sweep it under the rug and call Mandela an unalloyed hero. It is the same for many others.

Someone can of course be a hero to one group while being hated by another. Even worse, in our case, many publicly extolled “heroes” rob our freedom while other genuine heroes go unsung or are even villified.

I am sure most people who are reading this are familiar with many freedom-movement activists. You have probably read their blogs, or seen their names in the comment sections of other writers. They all have the same thing in common with the heroes that I remember from the Vietnam war. They never thought they did anything heroic. They always said, if asked, “I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t do.”

I think our country is certainly in need of heroes. We face a growing threat from without in the form of terror and financial attack. Perhaps more significantly, we face a threat from within, which, if left unchecked could rival that seen 150 years ago. It will take courage — and dare I say heroism — to lead our country back to where our founding fathers, and yes, mothers, meant for us to be.

However, as we consider this, I urge caution before making anyone into a hero. Think of all the different leaders of the past, especially those who ran for office with good intentions. Some probably genuinely thought they could make a difference. In my own state, many times “good” politicians swore, “Only two terms, and then I will not run again.” They quickly abandoned such promises, claiming they didn’t realize how long it took to get the feel for the job and to build relationships. We passed an amendment to our state constitution limiting them, and they continually bitch and moan about it, wanting to change it back.

Perhaps money and power are disqualifing factors for being a hero.

As I write this, I realize the question is not how can we make anyone into our hero but rather how can we become our own hero?

I think it would be great to try to become a hero myself. That way nobody loses. I don’t have to wait for someone else to act. And being a hero doesn’t mean waiting for some big event to sweep me up. I can start with the everyday things. I don’t have to wait for someone else write a letter to the editor. I don’t have to wait for someone else to take a new shooter to the range. I don’t have to wait for … fill in the blank.

Give up your heroes and work to become a hero by your own actions. Once you do, freedom can’t be far behind.

It has often been said, “be the change you want to see.” The same can be said for freedom. Be the freedom that you want to have. Don’t want to feel like the government owns you? The change comes first not on the outside, but on the inside. Fill your mind with the idea that first and foremost, you own yourself. They can only take away what you let them.

We must stop waiting for our heroes to do anything for us. Once we truly get that, really get that deep down in our heart, and start to actively do the things that the free people do, we will see our nation, or at least our communities, turn around. But just as we musn’t look for others be our heroes, we can’t stop to wonder if we are making any difference. A hero doesn’t look back. A hero doesn’t worry if what they are doing will be perceived by others as right or not. Heroes just act the best way they can, and count on someone else to be there for them later if they stagger or fall.

Freedom once tasted, can never be taken away, but can only be given up. We will never let each other down if we simply stand on our own.

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Ed. note: This commentary appeared first on TZP’s weekly email alert. If you would like to be among the first to see new commentary (as well as to get notice of new polls and recaps of recent posts), please sign up for our alert list. (See sidebar or, if you’re on a mobile device, scroll down). Be sure to respond when you receive your activation email!

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genocide, hatred of Jews, Jewish history, mindset, resistance, spirit of rebellion

Ask the Jews of Warsaw

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Guest commentary
Exclusive to The Zelman Partisans
by Historian

My wife and I attend get-togethers of her extended family, a fairly large clan, almost all of whom are urban or suburban Reform Jews, many with non-Jewish spouses. Her family is pleasant, intelligent, fun to talk to, and polite. And largely liberal. While there is little overt criticism of my libertarian politics, or my stance in support of the Second Amendment, few of her family are comfortable talking about guns; they used to view my JPFO pin more than a little askance. ( I no longer wear it, for reasons every TZP reader understands.) At one of these gatherings some years back, I was privileged to be seated next to one of my wife’s aunts, a beautiful and bright woman who converted to Judaism when she married.

As soon as she was seated next to me, she turned and said, “ Historian, did you know that there are instructions on how to build bombs, and make poison gas, and MACHINE GUNS on the Internet?”

“Well, yes, Aunt Marie, I do; there are books published on all those topics and more besides, and I own some of them.”

“That’s outrageous,” she spluttered, “absolutely outrageous!”

“ Aunt Marie,” I began diplomatically, ‘We’re Americans, and we have the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Besides which, lots of people already know how to make those kinds of things. You can’t repress the knowledge even if you tried.”

“Ridiculous,” she snorted,”Nobody needs to know to know how to build weapons!”

A bit nettled, I leaned toward her and said, “Aunt Marie, why don’t you tell that to the Jews in Warsaw?”

She looked puzzled, and said “The Jews in Warsaw? Historian, I’ve been to Warsaw, and there aren’t any Jews in Warsaw!”

Her gun-owning Jewish husband leaned over to her and very quietly murmured into her ear “Dear, I think you had better quit while you are behind.”

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Starting in the Middle Ages, Poland was a refuge for Jews, being the most religiously tolerant European country up until the 17th Century. Even after the Russian takeover of Poland, and the rise of anti-semitism, Poland generally and Warsaw particularly were still friendly to Jews; while estimates vary, over 300,000 Jews lived in Warsaw ( about 3.3 million in Poland) before the start of World War II.

After Poland was invaded by the Russians and the Germans, and divided between them, Warsaw became the site of the largest of several ghettos, where Polish Jews were confined before being shipped to extermination camps. Hundreds of thousands of people were sent from Warsaw to the East for ‘resettlement’ in 1942. In reality, these people were sent to Treblinka and murdered, but since the government controlled the press, few knew.

In April of 1943, the SS again entered the Warsaw Ghetto to send more Jews to Treblinka for extermination, but this time, the Jews knew where they were to be sent, and with death as their only alternative, they resisted. Estimates vary widely, but according to the sources I have read, there were almost certainly fewer than a thousand guns in the Ghetto, probably less than three hundred, most of which were small caliber pistols and revolvers with just a very few rifles, probably less than a couple of dozen all told.

In the event, after a month of fierce resistance, dozens to several hundred German troops were dead, and the Warsaw Ghetto was burnt to the ground. Few of the about 60,000 Jews left in Warsaw in April 1943 escaped the Nazis, and fewer still survived the war. In 1938, there were as many as 330,000 Jews in Warsaw. Today, in 2015, there are about 2,000; just after the War, there were perhaps 150 or 200 Jews left.

It is impossible to truly comprehend the magnitude of this horror, but the following is just one tiny taste.

My two nephews read their Bar Mitzvah text from a rescued Polish Torah scroll recovered after World War II and sent here to these presently united States. I asked the rabbi whether she knew exactly where the scroll came from, or anything about the history of this Torah, and she did not. So many were lost, and so much was lost with them. It was deeply moving and wonderful to see this beautiful handmade three hundred year old scroll inscribed with the words of Torah, and at the same time it was heartbreaking to realize that no living person would ever know how it came to be, who scribed it, how it survived, who hid it, or how it survived to be brought here to these presently united States. It was enough to make an Historian weep. One Torah, from the thousands that existed in prewar Poland, from one of the thousands of Jewish congregations that are no more.

I wonder, if we could ask them, what the Jews of Warsaw would say to us about needing to know how to make and use weapons. I wonder, if the dead could speak, what they would say about the wisdom of allowing those who seek power over others to take your weapons from you. I wonder whether they would protest against people having books on marksmanship, or ammunition reloading, or on making bombs. I wonder whether they came to understand that it is not the weapon but the wielder that is good or evil.

It has been said that history does not exactly repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Today, Europe is again under attack. Collectivism is again on the march. One has only to watch the online video and read the eyewitness reports to understand that. My understanding is that in Europe today, there is not a gun or ammunition to be had; reports I have read online say that there is a 12 week backlog for rifles and shotguns in those places, such as Austria, where (some) guns may legally be purchased. Yet those who resist can protect themselves only by permission, not by right. Those who protest this invasion are persecuted, thrown into jail for telling the truth.

I wonder, if we could ask them, what the Jews of Warsaw circa April 1943 would say about this ongoing Islamic invasion? I wonder what the Jews of Warsaw would say about free people being imprisoned for their opinions, about being kept helpless in the face of those who would destroy them? What would the Jews of Warsaw say about these insidious attacks here in these presently united States on our Bill of Rights, on our right to free speech, freedom of the press, and especially about our right to own, carry, buy, sell, trade, or loan weapons and ammunition? What would the Jews of Warsaw say to those who refuse to criticize their government?

My curiosity must remain forever unsatisfied, for as my aunt unknowingly said, those Jews are dead. They cannot answer my questions, and their stories will remain forever untold; I can never know what they might say.

But I do know what I say. I say that government exists to protect the rights of individuals, and for no other purpose. I say that all of the powers that legitimate government wields come from the individuals governed, and with their consent. I say that violations of our rights, including but not limited to our rights to free speech, a free press, the right to own and carry weapons of all sorts must be resisted by any means necessary.

To the forces of tyranny, in memory of the dead Jews of Warsaw, I say “Never again.”

What do YOU say?

With regard to all who serve the Light,
Historian

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Historian is a middle aged grouchy engineer, who writes about the history of liberty and politics. His web log may be found at www.libertyhollow.weebly.com.

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Ed. note: This commentary appeared first on TZP’s weekly email alert. If you would like to be among the first to see new commentary (as well as to get notice of new polls and recaps of recent posts), please sign up for our alert list. (See sidebar or, if you’re on a mobile device, scroll down). Be sure to respond when you receive your activation email!

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Poll

Poll: ‘Tis the season for gifting …

For most of us, whether we celebrate Hannukah, Christmas, or Yule*, this is the season of gift giving. Our latest poll asks whether you gave or received firearm/self-defense-related gifts this year.

Two things to know about this poll: It will be up until after the end of the year and it allows you to v*te more than once. So if you haven’t finished all your celebrations yet, you can answer now then come back and answer again later.

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Through tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. CST, you can also still v*te in last week’s poll, which has drawn lots of responses and plenty of creative comments (love the one about writing articles for TZP!)

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*I can’t imagine that anybody here observes that dutiful celebration of collectivism, Kwanzaa. But if you do, then Heri za Kwanzaa to you.

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Uncategorized

The Partisans are looking for a few good writers

Would you like to write guest commentary for The Zelman Partisans? We’re looking for eloquent writers who have interesting things to say about guns, gun rights, or self defense. This can be a one-time thing or a regular (e.g. once a month) gig. It can be commentary on the news, a personal story, or a sharing of your expertise. You don’t have to be Jewish. You do have to be uncompromising on gun rights and able to meet a deadline.

We are an all-volunteer organization and cannot pay (sorry). But your work will go out in our weekly alert, then be posted on The Zelman Partisans blog under your byline.

Interested? Contact us: tzpstore-at-zelmanpartisans-dot-com.

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authoritarian swine, gun control, hoplophobia, Politics

Executive Orders, Watchlists, and Rights Violations — Oh My!

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So in the wake of the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Obama’s curiously limp Oval Office speech, the latest call — by everyone from (pardon me while I laugh) “conservative” Donald Trump to “progressive” Big O himself — is to deny gun rights to anyone on the no-fly list.

Or is it the terrorist watch list? Even the politicians screeching most stridently in favor of this latest political fad don’t seem to have any idea that the no-fly list and the terrorist watch list are two different things.

Two very similar things, granted. Two lists created arbitrarily out of the fears and fantasies of bureaucrats. Two lists filled with flawed, incomplete, and often irrational data. Two lists that often produce laughably awful injustices.* Two lists it’s nearly impossible to get removed from. Two lists that are maintained in undemocratic secrecy. Two lists that are worlds removed from the due process protections of the Bill of Rights.

But different. Really.

One state governor — unsurprisingly it’s Dannel Malloy of Connecticut — has even vowed to issue an executive order ensuring that none of those pesky terrorists in his state can buy guns. Which list of terrorists he plans to use remains muddled.

Malloy is, of course, not the only one promising to sling orders about. Valerie Jarrett reports that Obama is finalizing his long-awaited executive order on guns. That should be exciting. And ineffective.

Because that’s the thing

All these faddish measures won’t work. You know that. But it’s the ways in which they won’t work that are fascinating.

They won’t work to prevent terrorist attacks of course. (The San Bernardino murderers weren’t on these lists, and the female of the pair had even been vetted and passed by immigration officials despite the fact that she and her future hubby were already merrily chatting away about jihad and mayhem before the fedgov welcomed her to the USA.) But they also won’t work for their real purpose, which is to keep us from buying guns.

AND — most telling of all, I think — they won’t even work for their political/PR purpose, which is to display the peacock feathers or sound the rooster crows of politicians.

Other than a few diehard fanbois and grrls is anybody — anybody? — the least bit impressed with Obama or Malloy? In your wanderings about town (or about the Internet) do you hear anybody saying, “Yeah, boy, they’re really gonna stop those dirty, rotten gun owning terrorists now?” or do you hear gun owners lamenting, “Oh no, this time my guns and I are really done for! I’m so scared!”

Riiiight.

Sure, all this order-slinging is anti-constitutional, dictatorial, and in violation of both the letter and the spirit of the Bill of Rights. Sure, arbitrarily putting people on government lists to be punished is creepy. Sure, using those lists to deny basic rights is everything bad you might ever want to say about it. And potentially dangerous.

If politicians get away with this, it will inspire them to treat us even more ill. Conceivably, there would be very little, at some future moment, to stop an anti-gun politician or bureaucrat from data-dumping the whole U.S. census into some list and declare in the fashion of the Soup Nazi, “No rights for you!”

All true. And effectively already in process.

But they’re only doing it because they’ve already lost. Not only lost the gun-rights battle (because, if nothing else, 3D printers are about to nullify every gun law on the planet). But because they’ve lost us. Our respect. Their credibility. Our belief that governments “represent” us or even can represent us. Their power to control us. This is increasingly true on both right and left. It’s been true in the libertarian center for decades.

We are watching not political peacocks displaying their grand feathers or roosters strutting about the chicken yard. We are watching political fish flopping about on a dock, hooks in their mouths, eyes wide with panic.

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* Although it’s sadly not true that 72 employees of the Department of (Achtung!) Homeland Security are on the lists. Because surely thousands of these agents are a greater danger to both our liberty and our security than many of the people who actually are on the lists.

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Ed. note: This commentary appeared first on TZP’s weekly email alert. If you would like to be among the first to see new commentary (as well as to get notice of new polls and recaps of recent posts), please sign up for our alert list. (See sidebar or, if you’re on a mobile device, scroll down). Be sure to respond when you receive your activation email!

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Administrivia, shooting

Ammo winners

Congratulations to MCR and CW*, the two winners in our drawing for 9mm ammo from Ammunition to Go.

Ammo to Go was kind enough to offer us two codes, each good for 100 rounds of Magtech 9mm with free shipping. We held a drawing last Tuesday among all our Premium members. Sorry we’re late making the announcement, but it took a week to track down one of the winners. All’s well now, though, and the ammo will soon be in good hands.

Thank you for supporting The Zelman Partisans!

* A different CW; not me. I wasn’t eligible.

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