Free Republic

Sheriff Joe Arpaio now rests near the top of those chief peace officers who vocally support defense of self and others, and exercise of Second Amendment rights.  Not only did he ask concealed carriers to protect themselves and each other, but open carriers as well.  From fox10Phoenix.com Surrounded by his posse, Sheriff Joe Arpaio asked armed citizens to help protect malls this holiday season. Arpaio says nearly 250,000 Arizonans carry concealed weapons and many more are carrying in the open. "I'm asking for that group to make sure that if some violent activity occurs that they take action to...

Arizona State Senator Kelli Ward announced Wednesday that she will resign from the state senate. Senator Ward, who represents Legislative District 6 and the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, will step down on December 15. Ward's focus will be on the on the Republican Primary challenge against current five term Ariz. Senator and former Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain.

The incident widely reported as a rampage 'school shooting' in Arizona at the Flagstaff campus on October 9th may have been legitimate self defense.   If you look closely at the photograph, it is clear that Steven Jones suffered some blows to the head.  His lower lip is swollen, and you can see abrasions on it and one to the his right below the lip.  There is also a abrasion just to his left and above his left eyebrow.  It appears that Jones had legal possession of the Glock pistol.  It would have been legal for him to have...

Arizona Democratic State Senator Carlyle Begay announced Monday he is leaving the Democratic Party and becoming a Republican. Senator Begay is a Navajo Indian and represents an area of Arizona which encompasses the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Begay told the Arizona Republican, "the Republican Party better reflects the values of self-determination and self-empowerment that he holds and wants to emphasize to his district." To announce his decision, Begay released a two-minute video entitled "Change Must Happen Now" explaining his reasoning. Citing the failing education system, high dropout rate, crumbling infrastructure and unemployment rates "as high as 80 percent" in parts...

I attended the first gun show of the season in Yuma.  I paid $60 to rent a table and give away free .22 ammunition.  I have more than I will likely shoot in my lifetime, purchased when the prices were much lower.I could sell it, but the Bible says that generosity is a virtue.  I am curious about human nature. and the lingering lack of .22 on store shelves prompted me to give away some bulk Remington golden bullets.   I used the event to promote the blog where I do most of my writing, Gun Watch. I gave away...

I regularly open carry around town in Yuma, Arizona.   A couple of months ago, my Doctor recommended that I undergo a series of tests, mostly as a precaution.  My Doctor and I get along quite well.  She has never offered any complaint about my open carry in her office, and it has become something of a joke with the receptionist that I have to remove a considerable amount  of gear, including pistol, knife, phone, keys and other items before I weigh in.My first personal physician in Yuma never had a problem either; he is a competitive shooter and worked...

Intrepid Explorer: The Autobiography of the World's Best Mine Finder, by J. David Lowell 496 pages, Published by Sentinel Peak Press, University of Arizona, 2014 J. David Lowell is a hero directly out of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, but in real life.  This little promoted book is an inspirational account of a life built on the American dream, a questioning and active mind, physical courage and achievement that enriched the entire world.  The book is a true life adventure novel.  It was hard to put down.  I read longer into the night than I should have. It was impossible...

Pinal County, AZ Sheriff and Congressional candidate Paul Babeu (R) said, “67,000 criminal illegals, the violent ones, have been released into our community” and that GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s deportation plan is “logistically very difficult” in addition to stating, “we’re not going to build the great wall of Mexico” on Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360.”

I stopped to fuel up at a local gas station. The price was $1.93 a gallon.  I was open carrying my old Glock 17.   As I came out the door, the biker was standing beside this beautiful Indian motorcycle.  I said "Nice bike", and he replied, "What are you carrying?"Glock 17, I said, and he pulled open his vest to show me his S&W M&P.  He was an armed biker.   His vest proudly proclaimed that he was a Vietnam Vet.  I said that while I had been in service during Vietnam, my tour was in California, at...

I was on Security detail at my church again.  They keep the temperature cool, so I was wearing a jacket.  One of the difficulties of open carry is that it becomes awkward when you are wearing clothes to keep warm.  So I was carrying casually concealed. Glocks are popular I did not mind the temperature.  I am acclimated to warmer temps; but it is easier to for me to put on a jacket than it is for someone who likes it a bit cooler to remove their skin. I noticed five open carriers, and at least one other concealed...

A number of outlets have criticized Randy Pullen, a former Arizona Republican Party Chairman who tweeted on black crime and guns during the Democrat debate. It was one of quite a few tweeted by Pullen during the Democrat debate.  It simply echoed the prescription put out by the infamous disarmist, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, over seven months ago.On February 6th, 2015, the former Mayor of New York City said essentially the same thing.   From aspentimes.com: Bloomberg claimed that 95 percent of murders fall into a specific category: male, minority and between the ages of 15 and 25. Cities need to...

I arrived at the 2015 Gun Rights Policy Conference on Friday afternoon, 25 September, at about 1600 (4 p.m.).  I was openly carrying my old Glock 17, as I usually do.  It was an unseasonably warm late September day, with the temperature at 103.   There had been some Internet rumors about the Sheraton Crescent banning open carry; I had not seen anything in my contract with them or any sign on the door.  When I was there a few years ago at the Arizona Citizen Defense League annual meeting, the room had been full of open carriers. I had...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) will be the next target of conservatives frustrated with party leadership, according to one of the conservative representatives who pressured House speaker John Boehner in the weeks leading up to his resignation. “Next guy in the crosshairs will probably be McConnell,” Representative Matt Salmon (R., Ariz.) said in a text message to Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah), ... That fits a theory of Boehner’s struggles that is common among the outgoing speaker’s friends and foes alike — that his unpopularity among the grassroots stems more from McConnell’s failure to take advantage of the...

The Pentagon has responded to a globally-released ‘Kill List’, asking law enforcement to give extra protection for military personnel whose personal information was released,News Channel 10 reports. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the Pentagon spent the weekend notifying the soldiers who appeared on the list, and urged city police departments and military police to increase patrol in the neighborhoods where the targeted live. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published the list days ago, a report that contained names, photos, and home addresses of U.S. Armed Forces personnel, causing alarm in cities potentially at high-risk....

I have been a customer of the UPS Stores in Yuma for years.  I used their services to prepare targets and handouts for the concealed carry courses that I taught.  They have always been open carry friendly and have been very helpful.  A few days ago, I was having a few copies made.   I had purchased their pre-paid copy cards, and had enough left over to last me for quite a while.  Lupe Paz was behind the counter and asked me if I was carrying a Glock .40.  I said no, it was a 9 mm.  We had a...

Thursday, September 10th, the Moms Demand Action organization, held a rally in Phoenix.  A little over 20 people showed up.  At least three people present were Second Amendment supporters. Two of the Second Amendment supporters carried large signs that made the rally appear to be in support of the Second Amendment. Dr. Peter Steinmetz was one of the Second Amendment supporters that was present.  He reports: One of the leaders initially asked us “respectfully, to please go across the street and demonstrate there”. I noted that this appeared to be a public street and that we were there to support...

This High Point Carbine was taken from a home defender in Arizona. Long guns offer a lot of advantages as defensive arms.  They are easier to hit with, offer increased practical ranges, and can have more power and deterrent value.  They have disadvantages;  it is easier to take a long gun from a person than it is to take a handgun.  Disarms of armed defenders are rare.  Cases where the disarmed defender is shot with their own gun, much rarer.  It happened in Arizona a week ago.  From trivalleycentral.com: APACHE JUNCTION — Pinal County authorities say an Apache Junction-area...

Tucson City Council leaders voted unanimously to support stricter gun control with a memorial resolution Wednesday night, and are asking licensed gun dealers to abide by the Brady Bill code of conduct. The bill includes the following: •Asking gun dealers to work to prevent sales to straw purchasers, or those buying guns for others. •Asking dealers not to sell guns until results of a background check are in - right now a loophole allows dealers to sell at will if the results come back as "delayed." •Asking dealers to train workers to spot risky buyers. •Working with police to prevent...

I was on the security detail at The Vertical Church on Sunday.  I noticed that Jeremy was open carrying, so I asked him if I could take a picture after the service.  He was kind enough to wait with his lovely wife until I handed off to the next volunteer.  Then we stepped outside to take the picture.  The lobby was fairly crowded.  We are having record numbers attend for August in Yuma! The can in his left hand is non-alcoholic, they are sold in the Church lobby.  The pistol is a Sig Sauer P220 in .45 ACP.  Carrying...

The pistol range at the Ranch needed some trimming, so I stopped at Harbor Freight to pick up some inexpensive tools.  That is a bow saw on the counter.  The couple behind me were gracious and volunteered to take my picture. Hispanic? Black? Caucasian? Mixed?  I could not tell, but they were the type of people that a civilization needs to thrive.  I thought they might be immigrants, but their English was perfect and colloquial.  Yuma is a pretty cosmopolitan place.  They were polite, helpful, and friendly. Courtni, the clerk at the counter, was also helpful and friendly.  She...