Two unrelated but nonetheless telling bits of information came to me today.

First, the Irish, being as they are not team players, just had to run the Lisbon Treaty past their citizens, even though every other EU nation was smart enough to limit the decision to their respective elite Eurocrats. It turns out the Irish, upon reflection, aren’t too keen on ceding their remaining sovereignty to Brussels, as the treaty ratification was voted down with extreme prejudice.

As an American, albeit an unusually politically active one, I don’t have a very firm grasp on European politics, but I can’t help but compare the EU with the formation of my own country back in the late 18th century. The thirteen colonies were all pretty independent, and our first attempt to organize into a nation, the Articles of Confederation, failed due to an excessive lack of cohesion.

A while back I noted the appallingly tone-deaf BATFE procurement of “Always Think Forfeiture” leatherman tools. Today I received an unsolicited email from the offices of Congressman Bill Sali of Idaho, containing a press release announcing Congressman Sali’s success persuading BATFE management to stop distributing the coveted “Always Think Forfeiture” Leathermans. I don’t know anything about Congressman Sali or his politics, but anyone who reality-checks the BATFE is OK in my book.

Well, news of the open carry dinner has finally hit the AP wire. Considering it’s an AP story it’s astonishingly balanced, with no obvious bias either way. As usual, State Senator Dick “Banjo” Saslaw (D) was quoted in full Prick mode:

Saslaw said he’s not necessarily surprised that VCDL found restaurants in the region that would allow them to dine while armed. But he said that carrying guns is simply not normal behavior in this area.

“What normal person walks around with a gun on your hip? Something’s wrong in your life” if you feel compelled to carry a gun as part of your daily routine, he said.

So over 150,000 Virginians with concealed handgun permits are not “normal” and have something “wrong in [their] live[s]”? God, but that Saslaw is a real dick!

Rebecca and I went to the VCDL’s Saslaw dinner today at Champp’s in Reston. Sadly, Senator Saslaw was unable to attend, but I suspect he’ll get the message anyway. Roughly 50 people showed up, openly carrying, and there were no police cars, helicopters overhead, or hysteria. In fact, it was downright boring.

It turns out the general manager at Champp’s is strongly pro-gun and welcomes open carry at his restaurant. He spoke to the group for a few moments and welcomed all of us back. I, for one, will never set foot in TGI Friday’s again; Champps will be my preferred casual dining facility now.

A while back I mentioned Vern McKinley’s 10th district congressional bid. He’s gathered enough signatures to make it on the ballot for the Republican primary, and is gearing up to fight the Feckless Wonder, congressman Frank Wolf, with whom I am not amused.

If you would like to see Frank Wolf turned out and replaced with a small-government, go-to-hell-I’m-keeping-my-guns Republican, contribute to Vern McKinley for Congress. I just did. Even Dick Heller of Heller vs. DC fame is supporting him.

Don Reisinger at CNET posted an angry blog entry yesterday titled “A tech lover’s call to arms”. It’s the usual hand-wringing over various and sundry attempts to regulate/control/limit technology, ranging from the RIAA’s and MPAA’s feckless crusade against the scourge of piracy to the seemingly endless procession of politicians banning violent video games “for the children”.

Since Timmy Kaine vetoed legislation that would have allowed gun owners with concealed handgun permits to carry in restaurants licensed to serve alcohol provided they don’t drink themselves, those of us who carry must carry openly in such establishments (unless of course we’re members of the privileged caste, such as Commonwealth Attorneys).

Interestingly, during the Virginia Senate debate on the bill to allow concealed carry in restaurants, Dick Saslaw claimed:

In most urban areas, you walk into a restaurant with a gun on your hip, they’re going to tell you to get out…You’re not going to get any meal or any drink.

The Post article also noted:

Saslaw said in an interview that he and his wife dine out “all the time” and that they have

I just read about the negligent firearm discharge by a commercial airline pilot, then I ran across this video which demonstrates the combination of holster and padlock design which led to the event.

I’ve embedded the video below; it’s short and well worth watching. Apparently TSA bureaucrats have managed to develop a way to secure a firearm that is both ridiculously inconvenient and frightfully unsafe. The Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which TSA administers, requires pilots who would be armed to keep their guns locked and unusable when not in the cockpit with the cockpit doors secured. Moreover, the TSA prescribes a specific holster, and a specific lock attached to the holster.

There’s a procurement order from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) making the rounds on the gun boards which is sufficiently egregious as to piss off citizens across the political spectrum. I first learned of it from this arfcom post dated 19-March, but there are now angry threads on other Internet gun boards and at least a few left-liberal forums as well.

Apparently, the ATF have a unit dedicated to asset forfeiture, which is the tough-on-crime practice of seizing the assets of citizens if government agents suspect said assets were acquired with the proceeds of illegal activities.

Every year for the last 13 years, the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League (VCDL) has worked with the Virginia General Assembly to pass legislation fixing Virginia’s ridiculous ban on concealed carry in restaurants that serve alcohol. Alot of the Virginia media completely misunderstand the issue and indulge in all manner of hyperbole and theatrics.

First, some background: In Virginia, there exists no law prohibiting a law-abiding citizen from carrying a gun openly, in public.