These gun nuts—er, "rights activists"—have a special message for you!

"We're idiots!"

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Gun owners display their weapons in the upper gallery of the House chambers, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The House was not in session when this photo was taken. These individuals are expressing their opposition to the state's Initiative 594, which requires background checks on all gun sales and transfers."

If Allah is great, why does he need Muslim fundamentalists to "defend" him?

I'm shocked—but not surprised—to hear of the attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine by Muslim extremists. Gunning down unarmed cartoonists is so woefully pitiful...

Drawing by David Pope.

Atheists find amusing/horrifying the degree of passion others have over the comparative virtues of competing nonsensical theories.

— Gene Weingarten (@geneweingarten) January 7, 2015

Is that a pocket pistol in your bathrobe, or...? Oh, it is. Never mind.

To preserve one’s sanity, it’s best to side-step the right-wing media. However, today I made an exception for The Daily Caller (run by the less-than-charming Tucker Carlson and the always-vile Betsy Rothstein). It ran a piece yesterday titled"Concealed Carry Tactics to Neutralize a Home Invasion."

How does one avoid such a nightmare? By having a gun on one’s person AT ALL TIMES:

This very realistic photo ran with the article.

Small, lightweight and extremely convenient, pocket pistols can be carried in many different ways and adapted to practically any style of dress, from your normal street clothes to a bathrobe. For maximum comfort and speed of access, they can be openly carried in a belt holster. If family “sensitivities” don’t allow that, the holstered pistol can be covered with a sweater.

Also, consider these factors when looking at your home:

“Wargame” your [house]. Take a hard look at the angles of fire available to you and identify areas where your rounds might endanger family members or neighbors. Look for solid backstops that will contain rounds that might miss or over-penetrate. At the same time, look for shooting positions that offer you the advantage of cover or concealment, or look for obstacles that would restrict an invader’s access to you. When you identify these prime defensive locations, consider stashing an extra magazine or speedloader there so, if practical, you can have extra reloads available if you need them.

And THAT, boys and girls, is why I have an arsenal in my pantry. (Right next to the Triscuits.)

This is how gun enthusiasts say "Happy Mother's Day"

"Not a bad grouping!" 

As YouTube commenter Mick Bronson said, "Smell the diabetes." And to see how gun nuts bully women, check this Mother Jones article. And to see the evolutionary cycle of a gun nut, check this:

If there were a Hell, it'd have a special place for Oregon's GOP

Oregon's GOP really is a piece of work. Take its latest "gun raffle" idea. The GOP recently announced a dinner to honor Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln. And said party will award an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to the lucky gun raffle winner.

Er, but weren’t Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln both killed by assassins using guns? Yes, they were, huh? Anne Marie Gurney, the GOP party's vice-chair, explains: 

"Every time we do this we get asked if we are trying to be provocative, and honestly we are not."

According to the Oregonian, Gurney “said it didn't even occur to the county party leaders that King and Lincoln had been killed by guns.  It's simply the time of year that the legacy of the two leaders is celebrated, she added.”

So we have two possibilities: either the GOP leaders are morons or lying morons.

But after a heap of negative attention, the gun raffle was called off! Now here’s my favorite part—get a load of the GOP’s “apology” for this boondoggle:

In our enthusiasm for celebrating Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Constitution, our Multnomah Republican Party issued a press release that was unfortunately easily misunderstood. The GOP stands for individual liberty, lower taxes, smaller government and individual responsibility. We apologize if people were hurt by the message being marred by insufficient wording and/or cynical misinterpretations by those who disagree with us politically.

Richard Venola is the Small Mind of the Day

Richard Venola is a former editor of Guns & Ammo magazine. What’s his nuanced position on gun control in America?

“The time for ceding some rational points is gone.”

Oh. It should be pointed out that Mr. Venola was charged with murder last year. It seems he got into an argument with a neighbor, so Venola shot him to death.

If you're a Tea Partier, this is hysterical

Ah, but since you're appalled, I guess you're a human. Steve Stockman (Republican senatorial candidate, Texas) is selling these bumper stickers.

New Hampshire state Rep. Dan Dumaine said the Stupidest Thing of the Year

"A holstered gun is not a deadly weapon... But anything can be used as a deadly weapon. A credit card can be used to cut somebody's throat."



That's Dan Dumaine (Republican), opposing a move to ban guns on the chamber floor (!).

“BEHIND THE BLOODSHED: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICA’S MASS KILLINGS”

USA Today has a remarkable in-depth look at guns and murder in America. While the government is hobbled by the shackles that the National Rifle Association and its minions have fastened upon it, journalists have unearthed some astounding statistics about firearms. For example, 75% of mass murders are committed with handguns. Check it!

"Gun & Ammo" publishes thoughtful essay on gun control—and the writer and editor get tarred and feathered

Dick Metcalf penned an essay on gun control in Gun & Ammo. It was the last thing he'll ever write for the magazine, though. He's fired! His editor is fired! They suck!

Typical reader response: “Anyone who says 'I believe in the Second Amendment but...' are not friends, they are not frenemies, they are enemies of The People of the Gun.”

"The People of the Gun"? What's wrong with the simpler "Batshit People"?

Here's Dick Metcalf's piece. Warning: It contains inflammatory passages like this:

Way too many gun owners still seem to believe that any regulation of the right to keep and bear arms is an infringement. The fact is, all constitutional rights are regulated, always have been, and need to be.