Grouse

Well, we can see what Democrats have done during Biden's administration and analyze the consequences to all US citizens. I don't think you can defend any of it with facts or logic. What can you point to that would back up your accusations about the GOP or anything that happened during the Trump administration that had negative consequences for all of us?

This is quite common in many Democrat controlled states. Some even classify it as a "service" done for you. When they do that, they can even charge tax on it. NJ for example, taxes the NICS checks fee as a sale item, adding sales tax to the cost. That is like charging sales tax on your car inspection, which they don't do. Keep in mind these costs can be increased at any time, to any amount the state decides to charge. Voting for Democrats is tantamount to voting for your own demise.

From America's First Freedom (click on any underlined item for more detailed information) Anti-freedom politicians, (Saying Democrats would be redundant) want to price you out of your rights. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), along with more than two dozen co-sponsors, recently introduced legislation that, if passed, would impose a 1,000% excise tax on the purchase of “assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines. Beyer introduced similar legislation last year, stating at the time that “Congress must take action to stem the flood of weapons of war into American communities.” Of course, the ultra-wealthy would still be able to pay such a tax, but the most vulnerable would effectively be priced out. It’s a little like when anti-gun politicians, such as Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), want to take away your rights, but also want you to pay for their armed security. “Armed security for me, but not for thee,” is how America’s 1st Freedom contributor Charles C.W. Cooke put it. And law-abiding Americans have unfortunately become used to repeated, dishonest attempts at restricting their constitutional rights. Knowing that widespread gun control is unpopular and unconstitutional, anti-freedom politicians routinely seek other methods to get their way. Former President Barack Obama’s (D) disastrous Operation Chokepoint was an attempt to use banking regulations to choke off the exercise of Second Amendment rights, and Joe Biden may want to try to revive his old boss’s nefarious scheme. Last year, a group of U.S. senators sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission demanding it go after legal gun sellers under the most-spurious of rationales. And President Joe Biden’s (D) repeated calls for a repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act would lead to firearms manufacturers being put out of business thanks to the costs of countless frivolous lawsuits that would be unleashed if the law is ever repealed. In fact, it’s the one thing he’d ask God for, as he said in 2021. But it’s not just politicians, others in positions of power have tried similar things, such as when credit-card companies attempted to create a de-facto registry of gun owners—a plan NRA helped expose last year–by introducing a specific code for tracking firearms purchases. If gun-control groups had their way, credit-card companies wouldn’t even allow their cards to be used for the purchase of firearms. Thankfully, enough pushback caused these companies to rethink this plan. Though Rep. Beyer’s latest bill is unlikely to gain much traction, it shows the real goals of gun controllers: make the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms functionally impossible by any means necessary.

Great read. I can relate to this. The Gun Store By Stephen Hunter Some brilliant social scientist came up with the concept of the “third place.” This third place is a necessary and universal feature in American life. It’s the place we go that isn’t our house and isn’t our workplace, each of which require specific behaviors that may not feel quite natural. Work and home, after all, often involve dealing with the expectations of others and conforming to certain tribal patterns. I don’t know about you, but I hate the expectations of others and I loathe tribal patterns. The third place, then, is where we get to be who we are, without apology or remorse, without politics or prejudices. Mine, however, seems to exist more as a concept than a place. It’s where I go for surcease, relief, possibly even healing. It is gun culture. Does it exist as an actual place? Can one go to it physically? Or is it a psycho-spatial phenomenon like the internet, which manages to be everywhere and nowhere at once? To me, gun culture is ethereal, incandescent, even gossamer. And, with my concrete imagination, I do prefer a build- ing, an address, a zip code. Too much psycho-spatiality makes my head strobe hot purple and then I need a medicinal martini or six. I don’t like concepts. I like stuff. Therefore, I need to have a place I can touch, see and feel and of which I can say, “Here is the here that is gun culture. Here is home and, yes, I can go to it again.” Physically, I mean. Several localities come to mind. One might be certain quasi-religious cathedrals where the history of the gun maker’s art is celebrated. I think of the NRA Museum in Fairfax, Va., where the long cavalcade of steel genius and those who deployed it are on display. The same would certainly be true of other gun spaces, such as the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyo., the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum in Springfield, Mo., or the Gene Autry Peacemaker collection in Los Angeles. But, great as they are, such edifices are too ceremonial. Visiting is a special event, demanding formalized behavior; after all, one doesn’t visit the Vatican in flip-flops, even if one lives in flip-flops. I need a place ... of which I can say, “Here is the here that is gun culture. Here is home and, yes, I can go to it again.” You might argue, then, that any shooting competition is the thing and place called gun culture—but the thing is, at the highest level, no matter the discipline, the athletic skill is so refined it seems extra-terrestrial. What these folks can do! To watch is to be awestruck. It’s an inspiration and an aspiration, and the only small thing that keeps me from being a championship shooter is a complete lack of talent. At lower levels, the matches devolve into simple delight. When I get all dressed up as Pike Bishop (gang leader in the 1969 movie The Wild Bunch), I am having so much fun that … oh, wait, I would never do that. Like thousands of others, I’m too repressed for such shenanigans, too self-aware. Some can look in the mirror and see Pike; I just see Steve in a dirty black suit and a face broadcasting pie-faced goofiness. My loss, your gain. Instead, I think for many of us in the gun world, the third place, the actual brick and mortar location of our oasis, is the local gun store and range. Always significantly more than mere retail, the gun store has reliably offered acceptance, respect, camaraderie, good humor and an oasis of calm amid a life less calm by far. It isn’t just selling guns. It’s giving kinship. It is the cockpit of gun culture. Additionally, there’s no hangover the next morning. Yes, I know about gun clubs. I mean them no harm, but from scarred survivor testimony, I conclude that most are pits of discord, full of cliques bitterly defended, grudges fiercely held and, forever, coups and counter-coups, with pressures to conform under the threat of exile. Sounds just like an office! Plus, you have to pay to belong. Thanks, but no thanks. I will take the gun store any day. I was in fact the longest-serving member of my gun shop/range, having joined in 1983 when I bought my first gun, a Taurus PT-99. I spent 40 years there, longer than I’ve held any job, lasted in any marriage, lived in any house, followed any team, educated any child. I realize now I spent a significant part of my adulthood there and if I’ve enjoyed any success, who’s to say the gun store isn’t part of the reason? It is a place of many rewards. One of the keenest is empty bliss. People think we shoot out of power fantasies and homicidal impulses. Quite the opposite. We shoot for numbness. Being me has turned out to be complicated. Like the expectation of others and tribal patterns, I hate complications. Such is the charisma of the gun that complications are banished. Instead, one enters a world of micro-management of the components of the shot, from grip, to stance, to focus, to the nuance of the trigger. For a little while, at least, I don’t have to be me. It’s like a steam-bath in mental health. Of course, do not forget the people. The staff was generally terrific; I saw them come and go, all bright young people with a surpassing knowledge of firearms. Many were U.S. Marines and still affected by Marine discipline. Many were combat veterans, but none were boastful. For the past 10 years—maybe more—they were ruled over by a benevolent despot named Ed, who could fix anything and always had the disposition of the teacher you never forgot, and no one could guess he was a former First Sergeant and ‘Nam combat veteran. If you had to go to war, you’d want an Ed on each side of you. Danielle was one of those sly ones, always giving as good as she got. And guess what: super smart. I don’t want to over-romanticize the old place, along the familiar lines of a bitter old-man who claims it used to be better, even though I am a bitter old man and it used to be better. Yes, each of the 16 shooting positions had its own personality, when it had any personality at all. Sometimes the target lanes’ wiring system reversed polarity on you, so that “out” didn’t mean “out,” it meant “back,” and when it meant “back,” the target clip could smack you in the forehead. The lighting was indifferent, the linoleum faded, the temperature whimsical. The selection of firearms was never gigantic. Some of the rules were illogical. So what? Alas, my third place has just recently gone away. New owners have taken over, changed the name, shuttered it to remodel and restaff. They will open soon, and no matter how bright and shiny their enterprise is, it won’t be the same. Thus I mourn.

10 States People Are Fleeing #2. New York Moving out of New York has become trendy, it would seem. The skyrocketing cost of living and ever-increasing local, state and federal taxes are driving factors. Many technology and banking industry workers that had spent a great deal of time in the office have found that working remotely due to the pandemic better suits their desires, allowing them to leave the city and, perhaps, live closer to extended family members. New York saw a net loss of over 75 thousand families last year. https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/features/states-move-to-from/#scrollto_10_states_people_are_leaving_section

Government is good at everything it does.

Standard cap lock and flint lock muzzle loaders do not require an FFL transfer. You can buy one at a dealer and just walk out with it, no NICS required. You can have one mailed to your home as well. Black powder pistols require an FFL transfer, NICS and a pistol permit.

This is a common refrain from Democrats, but people aren't leaving red states to settle in blue ones.

More govt attempts to ban lead ammo:

The Honorable Sarah Strommen Commissioner Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Road Saint Paul, MN 55155 Re: DNR Order Banning Lead Ammunition on Some State Lands Dear Commissioner Strommen: Federal Ammunition has been in Anoka, MN for more than 100 years. We are the world leader in ammunition design and manufacturing, and we proudly employ more than 1,500 Minnesotans. These are high quality local jobs. The city, county and neighbors have historically supported what we do because of the social, economic, and philanthropic benefits we bring to the region. We are astonished by the recent Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) order banning the use of traditional ammunition on 56 Scientific and Natural Areas (SNAs) across the state. The order will affect thousands of hunters who pursue game within these SNAs each year, and greatly harms one of Minnesota’s economic engines; the firearms and ammunition industries. Federal's position on the use of lead ammunition is driven by science, therefore it must be concrete, not theoretic. We support science driven decisions by professional wildlife managers, which in this case is the consumer’s choice. Those same professionals have a responsibility to implement regulations backed by the integrity of facts. Wildlife managers who fail to follow the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation undermine the foundation of the most successful wildlife management paradigms. Minnesota DNR policy should focus on maintaining and growing hunting opportunities for all, not catering to the opinions of the extremes. This DNR decision was made in isolation – no alternative viewpoints or stakeholder perspectives considered. An issue as important as this should have full transparency as well as stakeholder input and should be determined through the legislative process and not via agency directives. Constituents have no recourse and therefore cannot hold anyone accountable at the ballot box. This action builds barriers to resident and non-resident enjoyment of our hunting heritage and the great outdoors. It will contribute to a price spike for Minnesota ammunition consumers. Alternative hunting ammunition (made of copper, tungsten, or bismuth) is significantly more expensive to manufacture and to purchase than traditional counterparts. It is our belief the action taken was done based on theoretic claims of population harm while Bald Eagles and other raptors flourish. In fact, the MN DNR states the eagle recovery is a “conservation success story” and that the population has exceeded its recovery goal and continues to grow by over 30 nesting pairs per year. There are significant negative environmental and economic consequences that follow this short-sighted policy. Traditional lead ammunition is almost entirely composed of recycled materials sourced here in Minnesota whereas alternative types of ammunition require mining or resource extraction imported from overseas or other states. Sourcing and employing locally is the right thing for Minnesota’s environment and economy. We are consistently the largest contributor in the nation to the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund (WRTF). We are an important stakeholder in Minnesota’s management of wildlife and wild places. We are proud to support conservation through the federal excise tax, an 11% excise tax on every ammunition purchase. In 2022, the firearms and ammunition businesses combined to generate more than $3.6 billion in economic output throughout the nation, putting Minnesota in the Top 10 for jobs, economic activity, and excise tax contributions. This policy undermines that support and dismisses industry input and ironically will hurt the very population it is intended to help. With less ammunition sold, there will be less money funding conservation through the Pittman-Robertson federal excise tax program. In summary, this decision is made in contradiction to the science as it creates no measurable wildlife benefit. It dismisses strong Minnesotan/American jobs while promoting unnecessary and intensive resource extraction. This is yet another razor’s cut at an outright ban of traditional ammunition, and ultimately, hunting as a scientific management tool. We respectfully request that this rule be withdrawn and request a meeting with you, your staff, and the Governor. This order did not include a legislative process, public comment period or industry dialogue and the only certain result is harming hunters, Minnesota’s work force, and the future of wildlife management funding in Minnesota. Sincerely, Jason Vanderbrink President and Chief Executive Officer Sporting Products, Vista Outdoor CCI, Federal, Hevi-Shot, Remington, Speer Ammunition

Lead ammo banners are looking for any way they can ban lead ammo. https://www.nrahlf.org/articles/2023/8/1/minnesota-dnr-bans-lead-ammo-on-some-public-hunting-areas-federal-ammo-issues-letter-supporting-hunters/?utm_source=newsletter

Does the Golden Eagle migration coincide with the firearm deer seasons? If not, hunting deer with normal ammo shouldn't be an issue. Also, how many states do they migrate through? Will all of the states be doing this study? Will they all ban lead ammo if a ban is proposed? Personally I'm all for not approving windmill farms and leaving hunters alone. But the one's with the deepest pockets usually triumph. The science doesn't matter. In fact, the scientific surveys often produce the results preferred by those who have paid for them.

I think they can just smell it coming.

Sounds to me like they are saying if they prove lead ammo kills eagles, they will ban it to allow eagles to be killed by windmills. They will call it a wash and it will be approved. No eagles will be saved, just the way they are killed will be regulated.

Nothing wrong with discussing politics, as long as the people discussing it can defend their positions with facts. Things get heated when people start throwing insults after they know they've lost the debate. I don't think you will find anyone who can have a discussion about Biden's Presidency and defend any of it with logic or facts. Good intentions and "feels" do not count when evaluating an administration. Results do.

If you look again, you will see this is not coming from me. Take it up with Mr. Giaconelli. Personally, I do not see your point here. A windmill farm was allowed and is killing Golden Eagles, so the DEC wants to push a study on lead ammo used by deer hunters? How do you connect those two? Aside from that, we all know lead ammo is on the radar for all anti-hunting groups across the nation and NY has been pushing a ban on lead ammo in the NYC watershed areas, even on private land. The nonsense being discussed is not coming from hunters who fear DEC oppression that is ineffective and meaningless regarding Golden Eagles.

NYS Hunters Only Tony Giaconelli Pay attention, first paragraph, where is the proof?? For example, let’s say if an eagle eats a rat or mouse that ate rat poison and the eagle dies, when they test the eagle for cause of death and they find a tiny bit of lead in its system, guess what? The eagle died from lead poisoning!! SOUNDS LIKE COVID STATISTICS DOESN’T IT??? The DEC is asking for cooperation from anyone with trail cam photos from gut piles or carcasses showing eagles etc. DO NOT send any photos of protected wildlife feeding on these piles. They will use this against us in the name of saving the Eagles!! They WANT TO BAN LEAD AMMUNITION!!! Wake up! Are coyotes, fishers and other predators dying from lead poisoning??? No, they aren’t. Eagles will get more public attention. That’s what they will use against the hunting community. Paragraph two, who is working at these organizations?? College grads who maybe (maybe) never hunted a day in their lives. Read it!!! Don’t buy into the rebate BS to get the rebate for non-lead ammo. If you do, you are helping them in their goal to ban lead bullets!! If they get zero cooperation, their research is inconclusive! I am a lifelong hunter and conservationist, retired NYS Hunting and Fishing guide. I have never seen so many Bald Eagles in all my years, and I enjoy the fact that there are so many around these days. DDT was the Eagles enemy years ago; they addressed the problem, and the eagles came back strong!! Lead bullets are not killing the eagles. There is strength in numbers, we must stick together. Open your eyes, spread the word, I’ll probably be on the radar now, but I’m a passionate when it comes to hunting and wildlife and play by the rules. Happy and safe hunting to all.