EPA's Gun Control

IBD Editorials ^ | August 26, 2010 | Investors Business Daily staff

[Kaslin]

Regulation: The U.S. Supreme Court says Americans have an individual right to keep and bear arms. The EPA says the bullets for those guns may be banned as an environmental hazard.

The endless power grabs by the federal leviathan know no boundaries of law, science or even common sense. The Environmental Protection Agency of Lisa Jackson is seriously considering a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, a leading anti-hunting group, to ban all traditional lead ammunition under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976.

If the EPA approves the petition, the result will be a ban on all ammunition containing lead-core components. Bullets made of material other than lead are often considered armor-piercing by law and are banned. So this amounts to gun control by stealth. Where permitted, it increases the cost of gun ownership and use.

The comment period on this proposed ban has just opened and will last until Oct. 31.

The EPA must accept or reject the petition by Nov. 1, the day before the midterm elections. As if Democrats don't have enough troubles, the Obama administration risks provoking all those townsfolk bitterly clinging to their guns.

There are a couple of problems, the first being that when Congress passed the law it specifically exempted ammunition. So what the EPA proposes to do is illegal. The second is that there is no scientific basis for restricting lead ammunition on the basis of protecting the health of humans or wildlife.

[Squantos]

Local dive shop..... Some still have old cast weights for belts vs new weight bags for BC’s....

[300winmag]

There are a couple of problems, the first being that when Congress passed the law it specifically exempted ammunition. So what the EPA proposes to do is illegal. The second is that there is no scientific basis for restricting lead ammunition on the basis of protecting the health of humans or wildlife.

So? When have trivial loopholes like that stopped liberals, especially after The One has declared, "yes, we can"?

[Lazamataz]

We will come for you in the worst way through the courts.

(Maybe)

[BCR #226]

No maybe about it. There are those of us who were waiting for a case like McDonald. We’ll bankrupt the enemy if that’s what it takes. We’re tired of these people infringing on our rights with impunity. Now, they are going to risk something.

[oyez]

We may be secure in our 2nd Amendment rights but but the Left will try other avenues to try to end the intent of number two. Ban certain metals. Ban certain chemicals. Ban certain domestic policies. Do any thing to make gun ownership difficult.

Decades ago many states had Poll Tax which was designed to make voting difficult, but Poll Tax has been declared unconstitutional. So should all of the above be unconstitutional.

[Lazamataz]

Not what I was (maybe)-ing about.

[neverdem]

You can't post The Army Times.

Temperature issues arise for lead-free slug

The 62-grain bullet for the new M855A1 ammo is a completely new design. While it may appear to have a plastic “ballistic tip”, that’s deceiving. The new bullet created for M855A1 ammo has a bismuth-tin alloy core with a steel “stacked-cone” penetrating tip. The photo at right shows the version from last year; the final production version may be slightly different (e.g. the final version tip is a different color). Apparently the latest bullet design is a winner. During testing, M855A1 ammo performed better than current 7.62mm ball ammunition against certain types of targets.

Hard target penetration is supposed to be better than the lead-core M855. I just hope it is effective in combat and not just adopted because these days lead bullets are considered by some to be politically incorrect.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/07/02/u-s-army-issues-new-green-m855a1-ammo/

[BCR #226]

???

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

We have to pressure the next Republican president, house and senate to hamstring the power of the EPA. We need to FORCE the Republicans to limit the EPAs role to an advisory capacity to the Legislature. Make it so the EPA can perform studies and make recommendations, but has no power to pass rules. None.

On the same topic, we need to bombard the new Republican majorities to eliminate useless, expensive agencies like the Department of Education. We should make a list.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

I like the sound of that. The states all have their own environmental agencies. We should push the coming Republican majorities to simply disband the federal EPA.

I like it.

At the very least, reduce it to an advisory capacity only. Of course, if you leave it with that, the Democrats could restore power. I like the idea of dismantling it and letting the states monitor their own environmental rules. Nobody is going to be polluting their lakes and rivers again.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Get rid of Fed OSHA while we are at it, and let the states deal with worker safety.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

You will bankrupt the Fed EPA? You mean the one that is bankrolled by the $13 trillion national debt? In a pigs eye.

[BCR #226]

Don’t know much about 1983 suits do you? The Government cannot bankroll the defense. It’s a personal lawsuit against the person, not the Government. They aren’t protected under statute and are actually prohibited from being protected when it’s a civil rights suit.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

No, I am not a lawyer. Explain it to me.

How can you personally sue the Director of the US EPA? I’m all ears. Under what statue? What damages do you claim? What immunity does she have? What authority does she have? Who decides all these questions before the Supreme Court eventually takes up the case? How does Congressional oversight play into the issue.

Please explain. I’m all ears.

You see, I would love to sue the Director of the California Air Resource Board into personal bankruptcy. Go ahead, show me how it is done.

[BCR #226]

I’ll look up the exact code tomorrow for you... it’s 2 am here now.

But, in a nutshell, the McDonald case made the 2nd Amendment a fundamental right. This is a step above a simple civil right.

Under 1983 statutes a person engaged in the violation of a persons civil rights may not use government compensation if they are personally sued for these acts. This applies even if the person is making the alleged violations in the scope of their job.

This all stems from the civil rights acts that were passed through in the 60’s. Basically, liberal law is now being used against the liberals.

A suit must meet certain criteria to be considered a 1983 suit. You can bring any suit forward under 1983 auspices but the suit must address an infringement upon a legally recognized civil or fundamental right. Prior to the McDonald case this year, we didn’t have a leg to stand on. Now however, the game has changed.

I’m beat, I’m crashing. I’ll look the code up for you in the morning. Until then, have a great evening.

[lentulusgracchus]

You are a rare freeper/conservative who advocates using the courts (something many conservatives loathe) to fight liberals.

Wouldn't it be awesome if a bunch of conservatives up and sued every liberal NGO (think: Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, NAACP, NARAL, Greenpeace, Lambda Legal) that has used the law to harass conservatives, property owners, or any other "outgroup" in the last 10 years, and just pushed a tsunami of litigation at them?

Turn about is fair play.

[lentulusgracchus]

In other words, if they try this, it will be lawsuit time. A slam dunk lawsuit, at that.

And maybe the lawsuit shouldn't be confined to injunctive relief, cease & desist orders, etc. Maybe it would be time for some "official oppression" or "oppression under color of authority", which is always good enough for cowtown sheriffs accused of harassing fine, upstanding drug dealers of color. Maybe it might be time for some heavy-duty, universe-class payback for all the left-wing barratry of the last 60 years?

[lentulusgracchus]

I prefer tungsten with a copper jacket.

Wonder what you'd get if you alloyed tungsten with vanadium and titanium, to harden it?

Would that be "Krell metal" of the old sci-fi movie?

[lentulusgracchus]

we need to bombard the new Republican majorities to eliminate useless, expensive agencies like the Department of Education. We should make a list.

Okay, let's start here:

• Department of Energy. Return to pre-departmental status. "Minerals Management Service" back to Interior Department. Bust up and RIF the rest of it.
  
• Department of Education. Terminate on the spot and RIF 100%.
  
• ICE. Bust up and return identifiable pieces to pre-9/11 agencies. RIF the rest.
  
• HUD. Terminate and RIF 100%! NOOO PRISONERSSSSS!!!</Lawrence> Use the residue of their budget to resuscitate Interior Department and NASA, two departments that have had their budgets slashed by political suckerfish and lampreys from Chicagoland.

That should at least start the discussion.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

It’s all about sectional density, lighter bullets in proportion to physical size don’t retain enough energy. You may be able to push them faster but they slow down faster too, Without sustained velocity you get a trajectory shaped like a rainbow and accuracy is a guessing game. The current non-lead .22 ammo is 50 yard plinking ammo only.