Free Republic

Picture courtesy 12news.com A house fire in Gilbert, Arizona, appears to be a rare case of a reloading accident getting out of hand.  No one has determined the cause of the accident.  I hope that smoking was not involved.  One of the things forbidden to reloaders is to smoke while engaged in the hobby.  The reloader suffered burns to his face and upper body.  That is likely why the fire got out of hand.  It would not have taken much to get the three vehicles out of the garage.  Their loss was certainly a substantial percentage of the total...

Things aren’t looking good for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), as leaked data from two polls shows his 33-year congressional tenure may not survive the 2016 election cycle. "Senator McCain's key fundamentals are all very poor," reads a polling memo leaked from an anonymous pollster in the Grand Canyon State. "His ballot, his image, his job approval and his hard re-elect all suggest that he is an incredibly vulnerable incumbent as we head into 2016." A memo regarding accompanying polling data gathered between January 56 explains McCain's weaknesses in detail, referring to majority negative opinions on both job approval and personal...

You don't have to be a supporter of Warren Jeffs to object to the Federal Government prosecuting "The Creek" - Colorado City and Hildale, for denying basic municipal services to non-believers of the Fundamentalist LDS. Their personal crimes will be punished eventually. Why don't the feds go after the criminal governments of Flint and Chicago?

Donald Trump holding a campaign rally in Mesa, AZ at International Air Response NOW. Live streams below: http://rsbn.tv/watch-live-donald-trump-holds-campaign-event-in-mesa-az-12-16-15/ shift.msnbc.com

I have previously written about the Northern Arizona University 'School Shooting' and that it may have been a legitimate case of defense of self and others.    It was clear that the 'school shooter' had been attacked, had been pursued, had articulated a fear for his life, had cooperated with the police, and that the people that he shot all belonged to the same fraternity.   In that article, I hoped that toxicology tests had been done for everyone involved. Blood should have been drawn from Jones and the others involved to determine blood alcohol levels or the presence of...

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...