I was lucky enough to be raised in an era that was host to a great many improvements, advantages, challenges, and triumphs. While it is true that this era also saw more than its fair share of injustices and tragedies, I think the positive things that came out of this ear far outweigh the negative ones.
I'm speaking, of course, about the '60s. Whenever I think of the '60s I immediately think of three things: the assassination of JFK, the Vietnam War, and the "Space Race" between the United States and the Soviet Union. In my humble opinion the space program takes center stage as the most important event out of that era. We as a nation accomplished so much in so short a time that it boggles the mind to think of it. And the advancements made during that ten year era are still having an impact on us today.
I don't remember much about the Mercury program because I either hadn't started school yet or had just started and the school thought that first and second graders didn't need to hear about it. But I vividly remember the Gemini and Apollo programs, mainly because of the attention that the news media in general and the schools in particular gave them. Every time there was a launch in the Gemini program, class would come to a stop as the teacher rolled in this big black and white TV on a metal rolling stand (the kind you only found in schools, and if you're my age you know what I'm talking about), plugged it in and turned it on, then adjusted the rabbit ears to get the best picture. We would then spend the next 30 minutes or so watching the launch or, later on in the program, the space walks the astronauts took.
Make no mistake about it, the space program was a hell of a big deal in the 1960s, and deservedly so. It was such a big deal that school came to a stop just to watch it, and in those days school didn't stop for anything short of a natural disaster. So for classes to be halted so we could watch it live on TV was a very big deal indeed.
And the more the program went on, the more media attention it got. Every time there was a significant advancement or achievement in the Gemini Program, that's all you'd hear about on the news and all you'd see on the front pages of the newspapers. America was in love with the astronauts and the space program, and it clearly showed.
America's heart got broken on January 27, 1967 when, during a routine procedures test, a fire broke out in the Apollo 1 capsule and killed Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. Gus Grissom was one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, and Ed White was the first American to walk in space. The fire caused some major changes in the space program, but the program recovered and a little more than two short years later there was an American walking on the moon.
The Apollo Program garnered just as much attention as the Gemini Program, maybe even more. I vividly remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard that the Apollo 13 astronauts had made it back safely. I had an afternoon paper route at that time, and I was at the drop off spot at Nine Mile Road and Mapleleaf Avenue, and the weather looked like it was going to dump a ton of rain down on me at any moment. The truck from the Richmond News Leader stopped and tossed out my bundles of papers, and the fist thing I saw was the huge black letter headline that said just two words: "THEY'RE BACK!" At that time the lot was a dirt lot with a big oak tree in it, and as soon as I saw the headline the rain started. I put the two bundles of papers under the big tree and got my poncho out of the basket on my bike, put it on, and then sat on the bundles of papers to keep them dry with my poncho while it rained. And brother, did it rain hard! Took about half an hour for it to stop, and by that time the lot was a muddy mess so I had a hell of a time getting the papers folded, put in the basket, and then getting the now-front heavy bike out of the muddy lot without dumping the papers all over the place. But the thing I remember most about that day is that big, black headline proudly and thankfully proclaiming that the three astronauts were home safe.
I also remember watching the moon landing live on TV. I was spending the night at a friend's house the next street over for the purpose of watching the moon landing together, and as I recall my friend didn't make it - he was fast asleep when Neil Armstrong took that first famous step on the moon and uttered those now historic words. I also remember not being able to see much since the video quality wasn't all that good, but I absolutely remember watching it.
The Apollo Program marched on after that, with a total of eleven missions being carried out with only Apollo 13 being classified as a failure because it never made a landing on the moon. NASA and the Apollo Program began accomplishing the impossible on a regular basis, setting the stage for future manned flights to the other celestial bodies that make up our universe. But the down side of this is that the public began to treat the fantastic as the routine, and by the time Apollo 17 took place the public was bored with space travel to the point where TVs weren't rolled into the classroom to watch the launch anymore, the newspapers didn't carry the missions on the front page anymore, and the budget for NASA was slashed by the short-sighted politicians who run our country. Apollo 17 became the last of the Apollo missions. There were three more scheduled, but they never took place. America was bored with space travel. It was 1972 and American had focused its attention elsewhere.
Five years later that attention was refocused on the space program with the launching of the first successful space shuttle program. For the first time in history a winged spacecraft that was capable of landing on an airstrip on dry land instead of having to splash down in the ocean successfully completed a mission. This marked a turning point in space flight because prior to this all of America's spacecraft were designed to be used only once; the space shuttle was designed to be reused over and over again, a first for any nation with a space program - meaning the US and the Russians. Once again America proved what it was capable of, and once again the American public fell in love with the space program.
But familiarity breeds contempt, and it wasn't long before America once again got bored with the space program. The space shuttle program proved to be wildly successful, with more missions being carried out so close together as to become fairly routine. With the notable exceptions of the "Challenger" disaster in 1986 and the "Columbia" disaster in 2003, America paid little attention to the shuttle program, and the program came to an end in 2011. Americans had once again gotten bored with the space program, and America's dreams for space travel pretty much came to an end.
And this is a huge mistake. The human species is born to explore, to venture out to lands never seen before, and to discover as much as we can about anything we can. There is no major project going on with NASA at the moment, and there's even been talk about doing away with NASA altogether. And that would be an even bigger mistake. If mankind is ever going to find out once and for all whether or not we're alone in the universe, then NASA and the space program need to continue. We would be cheating ourselves if we allowed otherwise.
But that's what happens when wonder turns to complacency.
Deo Vindice.
IHC
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Saturday, July 13, 2019
The Absurdity of Gun Laws
Anyone who knows me or who has been reading my blog over the past 8 years or so knows that I am a vehement supporter of the 2nd Amendment. And by "vehement" I mean that I believe in the literal definition of the Amendment, specifically "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED." To me, that translates into every single gun control law on the books is unconstitutional, I don't care what the SCOTUS says. When someone asks me if I support the 2nd Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms, I can guarantee you that my answer will NOT include the word "but" anywhere in it. Nothing rankles me more - well, almost nothing - than those charlatans who say "Yes, I support the 2nd Amendment, BUT..." and then proceed to tell you how it should be limited by background checks, training, licensing, restriction of certain types of weapons, etc etc etc. In my mind you either support the 2nd Amendment with NO "BUTS" or you don't. Period.
But I have to admit that I kinda like it when the "BUT" is followed by the statement, "I think we need 'common sense' gun laws." This gives me not one but two opportunities to make a monkey out of the person I'm talking to, and I will always jump right on it. The first thing I'll tell them is that "common sense" is not only a relative term the definition of which varies from person to person, but is also a flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden.
Then I hit them with the 2,500 gun laws that are already on the books and do nothing to stem the violence committed by the criminals in our country who choose to use firearms (You will NEVER hear me use the term "gun violence" because it's a bullshit libtard term I don't believe in) and ask them why we should add any more useless gun laws to the ones already on the books. And then, to make it even better for me and worse for them, I hit them with some facts about laws pertaining to AR-15 systems that I learned two months ago when I acquired my first AR-15. These laws are the perfect example of how the federal government will screw up anything it gets involved in, and just how absurd some of the gun laws out there are.
It goes like this: According to the Federal government, there are three types of AR-15s, those being a rifle, a short-barreled rifle (or SBR), and a pistol. Yes, that's right, a pistol. Just bear with me, it gets much better!
An AR-15 "rifle" is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder using both hands, has a barrel length of greater than 16 inches and an overall length of more than 26 inches. An AR-15 "short barreled rifle" or "SBR" is a shoulder-fired, rifled firearm, made from a rifle, with a barrel length of less than 16 inches or overall length of less than 26 inches, or a handgun fitted with a buttstock and a barrel of less than 16 inches length. In order to purchase an SBR you first have to purchase a tax stamp for the sum of $200. Why? Because the ATFE says so, that's why. An AR-15 "pistol" is a firearm designed to be fired with one hand, has a barrel length of less than 16 inches and an overall length of less than 26 inches, and doesn't have a stock. Since it's a "pistol" and not an "SBR" no tax stamp is needed.
So did you get the part pertaining to an AR-15 pistol, specifically the "designed to be fired with one hand" part?
It is beyond me why anyone would think for even a moment that an AR-15 can be accurately and comfortably fired using only one hand, but apparently several people do - specifically, the guy who designed it and the guys at the ATFE who approved it. I mean, yeah, it has a pistol grip and all that, but even with a 7" barrel you're talking some serious weight out there at the end of your arm. You also have to note that the firearm doesn't have a stock; rather, it has a tube that protrudes out of the back where the stock would be, and this tube is where the buffer spring is located and allows the bolt to move inside of the weapon itself.
Well, someone found a way to make the weapon easier to fire with one hand. They designed a "brace" which fits onto the pistol in the same location and in the same manner as a regular stock, and most of the braces out there kinda look like a stock as well. But they're not classified as "stocks" by the ATFE for one simple reason: they're made out of hard plastic and rubber, are spit up the middle of the stock so you can fit it around your forearm, and have a velcro strap on them that allows you to strap the weapon onto your forearm and fire it with one hand. (We won't talk about working the charging handle on the top of the weapon while it's strapped to your forearm.) And if that doesn't sound confusing enough, most of the "braces" out there are adjustable, meaning that you can extend the "brace" back to increase the overall length of the firearm and move the sights/optics further away from your face.
When the initial designs for the AR-15 pistol brace were submitted to the ATFE, they initially classified it as a "stock" and said you can't put it on an AR-15 pistol because it would allow the weapon to be fired from the shoulder, which moves it into the classification of an SBR and means you have to purchase a tax stamp for it. But when a second design for the brace was submitted, for reasons that are still not really clear to me the ATFE approved it and classified it as a "brace" and not a "stock." Never mind the fact that the "brace" is adjustable and can be extended just like a stock, or that it allows the firearm to be fired from the shoulder just like a "rifle." The ATFE says it's a brace and not a stock, so that's good enough for me.
Now for the absurd part of the gun laws pertaining to AR-15 pistols.
To be honest, I had no idea AR-15 pistols even existed until I acquired mine. It came with a brace and two magazines, and that was it. No sights, no optics, no nothing - just a bare-bones AR-15 pistol. So of course I hit the web sites and started making a list of all the things I wanted to put on it to make it a functional weapon, and at the same time I learned all about what you could and couldn't do with the weapon as far as accessories go. This is where it gets absurd.
The first thing I learned is that you can put whatever optics on it you want. Iron sights, red dot sights, ACOG sights, scopes, laser sights, whatever - the ATFE says you can go nuts with your optics and not change the classification of the weapon. So I chose a Firefield 1X magnification red/green optic for my AR-15 pistol. It does exactly what I wanted it to do without breaking the bank, and at $47 it was a very good deal. I also had a Crimson Trace laser sight that my son had given me that I wasn't using because the pistol wouldn't fit the holsters I have with the sight on it, but it would fit on the AR-15 pistol so I mounted it and zeroed it in, and it works like a charm. Now I have sights for both full light and low light conditions, so I'm good.
The next thing I learned is that you can't put a stock on an AR-15 pistol. You can put whatever brace on it you want, but you can't put a stock of any kind on it because that allows you to fire the weapon from the shoulder which changes the classification of the firearm from a "pistol" to an "SBR," and I ain't paying $200 for some bullshit tax stamp. I did manage to find a brace that I like and will allow me to do what I want to do and not break the bank in the mean time, so that's the last thing I'll get for the pistol come next payday.
The only other thing I wanted to put on the pistol was a vertical foregrip, which is basically a handle which sticks straight down from the underside of the foregrip. Not because it looks cool (actually I don't like the way it looks) but because it helps control the weapon and increases your accuracy. But nope, turns out you can't put a vertical foregrip on an AR pistol because that allows the weapon to be fired with two hands, and that changes the classification from a "pistol" to an "SBR." But you CAN, however, put an ANGLED fore grip on the pistol without changing the classification. But just what is an "angled fore grip" and what does it do? Well, it's a molded piece of polymer that attaches to the underside of the foregrip/barrel shroud and is angled downward at a 45 degree angle, and it improves your grip which allows you to better control the weapon and increases your accuracy.
No, you read that right. It does the same thing as a vertical foregrip, but the wizards at the ATFE say you can use one. Go figure.
So if you want a perfect example of just how inane and ludicrous the Federal gun laws can be, here it is. Couple this with the fact that there are, as I previously stated, more than 2,500 gun laws already in effect which have proven to be ineffective at stemming the violence being committed in our nation with firearms and you have the perfect example of why I am totally opposed to ANY kind of gun law.
And don't even throw that "for the sake and safety of our children" crap at me because I'm gonna turn around and throw the legality of abortion which allows you to murder a child in the womb at you. And that, my friend, will take you down a rabbit's hole that you absolutely do not want to go down.
Right now I'm headed to the range.
Deo Vindice.
IHC
But I have to admit that I kinda like it when the "BUT" is followed by the statement, "I think we need 'common sense' gun laws." This gives me not one but two opportunities to make a monkey out of the person I'm talking to, and I will always jump right on it. The first thing I'll tell them is that "common sense" is not only a relative term the definition of which varies from person to person, but is also a flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden.
Then I hit them with the 2,500 gun laws that are already on the books and do nothing to stem the violence committed by the criminals in our country who choose to use firearms (You will NEVER hear me use the term "gun violence" because it's a bullshit libtard term I don't believe in) and ask them why we should add any more useless gun laws to the ones already on the books. And then, to make it even better for me and worse for them, I hit them with some facts about laws pertaining to AR-15 systems that I learned two months ago when I acquired my first AR-15. These laws are the perfect example of how the federal government will screw up anything it gets involved in, and just how absurd some of the gun laws out there are.
It goes like this: According to the Federal government, there are three types of AR-15s, those being a rifle, a short-barreled rifle (or SBR), and a pistol. Yes, that's right, a pistol. Just bear with me, it gets much better!
An AR-15 "rifle" is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder using both hands, has a barrel length of greater than 16 inches and an overall length of more than 26 inches. An AR-15 "short barreled rifle" or "SBR" is a shoulder-fired, rifled firearm, made from a rifle, with a barrel length of less than 16 inches or overall length of less than 26 inches, or a handgun fitted with a buttstock and a barrel of less than 16 inches length. In order to purchase an SBR you first have to purchase a tax stamp for the sum of $200. Why? Because the ATFE says so, that's why. An AR-15 "pistol" is a firearm designed to be fired with one hand, has a barrel length of less than 16 inches and an overall length of less than 26 inches, and doesn't have a stock. Since it's a "pistol" and not an "SBR" no tax stamp is needed.
So did you get the part pertaining to an AR-15 pistol, specifically the "designed to be fired with one hand" part?
It is beyond me why anyone would think for even a moment that an AR-15 can be accurately and comfortably fired using only one hand, but apparently several people do - specifically, the guy who designed it and the guys at the ATFE who approved it. I mean, yeah, it has a pistol grip and all that, but even with a 7" barrel you're talking some serious weight out there at the end of your arm. You also have to note that the firearm doesn't have a stock; rather, it has a tube that protrudes out of the back where the stock would be, and this tube is where the buffer spring is located and allows the bolt to move inside of the weapon itself.
Well, someone found a way to make the weapon easier to fire with one hand. They designed a "brace" which fits onto the pistol in the same location and in the same manner as a regular stock, and most of the braces out there kinda look like a stock as well. But they're not classified as "stocks" by the ATFE for one simple reason: they're made out of hard plastic and rubber, are spit up the middle of the stock so you can fit it around your forearm, and have a velcro strap on them that allows you to strap the weapon onto your forearm and fire it with one hand. (We won't talk about working the charging handle on the top of the weapon while it's strapped to your forearm.) And if that doesn't sound confusing enough, most of the "braces" out there are adjustable, meaning that you can extend the "brace" back to increase the overall length of the firearm and move the sights/optics further away from your face.
When the initial designs for the AR-15 pistol brace were submitted to the ATFE, they initially classified it as a "stock" and said you can't put it on an AR-15 pistol because it would allow the weapon to be fired from the shoulder, which moves it into the classification of an SBR and means you have to purchase a tax stamp for it. But when a second design for the brace was submitted, for reasons that are still not really clear to me the ATFE approved it and classified it as a "brace" and not a "stock." Never mind the fact that the "brace" is adjustable and can be extended just like a stock, or that it allows the firearm to be fired from the shoulder just like a "rifle." The ATFE says it's a brace and not a stock, so that's good enough for me.
Now for the absurd part of the gun laws pertaining to AR-15 pistols.
To be honest, I had no idea AR-15 pistols even existed until I acquired mine. It came with a brace and two magazines, and that was it. No sights, no optics, no nothing - just a bare-bones AR-15 pistol. So of course I hit the web sites and started making a list of all the things I wanted to put on it to make it a functional weapon, and at the same time I learned all about what you could and couldn't do with the weapon as far as accessories go. This is where it gets absurd.
The first thing I learned is that you can put whatever optics on it you want. Iron sights, red dot sights, ACOG sights, scopes, laser sights, whatever - the ATFE says you can go nuts with your optics and not change the classification of the weapon. So I chose a Firefield 1X magnification red/green optic for my AR-15 pistol. It does exactly what I wanted it to do without breaking the bank, and at $47 it was a very good deal. I also had a Crimson Trace laser sight that my son had given me that I wasn't using because the pistol wouldn't fit the holsters I have with the sight on it, but it would fit on the AR-15 pistol so I mounted it and zeroed it in, and it works like a charm. Now I have sights for both full light and low light conditions, so I'm good.
The next thing I learned is that you can't put a stock on an AR-15 pistol. You can put whatever brace on it you want, but you can't put a stock of any kind on it because that allows you to fire the weapon from the shoulder which changes the classification of the firearm from a "pistol" to an "SBR," and I ain't paying $200 for some bullshit tax stamp. I did manage to find a brace that I like and will allow me to do what I want to do and not break the bank in the mean time, so that's the last thing I'll get for the pistol come next payday.
The only other thing I wanted to put on the pistol was a vertical foregrip, which is basically a handle which sticks straight down from the underside of the foregrip. Not because it looks cool (actually I don't like the way it looks) but because it helps control the weapon and increases your accuracy. But nope, turns out you can't put a vertical foregrip on an AR pistol because that allows the weapon to be fired with two hands, and that changes the classification from a "pistol" to an "SBR." But you CAN, however, put an ANGLED fore grip on the pistol without changing the classification. But just what is an "angled fore grip" and what does it do? Well, it's a molded piece of polymer that attaches to the underside of the foregrip/barrel shroud and is angled downward at a 45 degree angle, and it improves your grip which allows you to better control the weapon and increases your accuracy.
No, you read that right. It does the same thing as a vertical foregrip, but the wizards at the ATFE say you can use one. Go figure.
So if you want a perfect example of just how inane and ludicrous the Federal gun laws can be, here it is. Couple this with the fact that there are, as I previously stated, more than 2,500 gun laws already in effect which have proven to be ineffective at stemming the violence being committed in our nation with firearms and you have the perfect example of why I am totally opposed to ANY kind of gun law.
And don't even throw that "for the sake and safety of our children" crap at me because I'm gonna turn around and throw the legality of abortion which allows you to murder a child in the womb at you. And that, my friend, will take you down a rabbit's hole that you absolutely do not want to go down.
Right now I'm headed to the range.
Deo Vindice.
IHC
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