"Lord Governors, the peasants are revolting!"

The revolting currently under discussion is in Connecticut and New Effing York.
According to Hugh McQuaid at CT News Junkie:

As of mid-November, the state had received about 4,100 applications for assault weapon certificates and about 2,900 declarations of large-capacity magazines.

Michael Lawlor, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s criminal justice advisor, said that so far fewer people than expected have registered weapons under the new law.
Well, they're looking at what New York Effing City is doing, and thinking "Make it easier for you bastards?  No."
Over the years, officials in New York City and California used registration records to confiscate guns, in violation of their own promises. That's a lesson that firearms owners have taken to heart in this country (and elsewhere), probably permanently dooming the enforceability of such laws.
So a lot of people are doing the quiet standing-up of "I'm not your serf, and I'm not doing it."  I'd imagine there are a lot of very concerned people in .gov offices wondering what the hell they're going to do.

Down in NeffingY, it's bad enough that they're hiding the numbers:
...While Nutmeg State officials publicly lament the slow trickle of registration forms, New York officials refuse to reveal their numbers at all. To keep their secrets, Governor Andrew Cuomo's troopers rely on an odd legal interpretation, with which even the state official who oversees government transparency strongly disagrees. Given the unbroken history of failure demonstrated by firearms registration schemes, and the organized campaign of resistance in that state, that's almost certainly because New Yorkers are defying the law.
...
Well...Let's take a wild guess at why the state might be reluctant to release registration numbers. New York gun owners vowed to defy Governor Andrew Cuomo's pet law. Many county sheriffs in the state say they won't enforce it. Some county governments not only call for the law's repeal, but refuse to even let their official seals be associated with its implementation.

Could it be that compliance is...less than impressive?
Add to all that the drop Howler Cuomo has taken in the polls over this, and I'd imagine there's even more people wondering 'What the hell are we going to do?'


On the subject of self-defense, pointed to by Tam,
Today we listen, watch, and are entertained not by ourselves or our peers but by people who get paid to do those things: the professionals. I’m sure you can think of other examples from your own experience. Is it any surprise, then, that people delegate their safety to professionals rather than learn why they need to do it themselves?


Translation into plain language: You're either a liar or incompetent; which is it?
A top lawyer at the Internal Revenue Service told congressmen quizzing him over the tea party targeting scandal 'I don't recall' a 'staggering 80 times in fill or partial response to the committees questions', a letter revealed today.

The letter was sent to Chief counsel William Wilkins by two powerful House Republicans who gave him until December 10 to 'amend' his statements.

The stinging letter from House Oversight Committee chair Rep. Darrell Issa and regulatory subcommittee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, read: 'Your memory consistently failed when you were asked about information you shared with the Treasury Department', adding his testimony 'suggests either a deliberate attempt to obfuscate your involvement in this matter or gross incompetence on your part.'
Connections, connections:
Wilkins was one of two IRS lead attorneys appointed by President Barack Obama. Before serving in the administration, he represented the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. That church was run by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the president's longtime Chicago pastor whose controversial sermons once threatened to derail Obama's White House run.


Thirdpower points out some good things about Bateman:
Yes, I said it.  I appreciate the LTC more than you can imagine. Why?  Because his article is some of the best PR for firearm rights there is.  It's just a few steps below the President calling for more gun control.

When he rambles on about how many guns he wants to ban, the next thing that happens is all the anti-gun groups start reposting his words saying how he's 'reasonable' and how right he is.  Gives plenty of screenshots and quotes for us to use when they later claim to not want to ban guns and we get a giggle out of watching them dance around trying to explain their words.

Going on about how much of an 'authority' he is reduces the effectiveness in future military veterans using their creds to try and ban guns due to his extremist, uneducated and ridiculous assertions.

So thank you LTC Bateman.  You've just sold more guns and NRA memberships than a dozen gun shows.


I didn't even know there WAS a hexagon on Saturn; damn, that's some interesting stuff.


I now need to, among other things, clean up the broken butter dish lid I dropped; hasn't been one of my more graceful mornings.