From the Survey of American Fears . . . The psychology of why 94 deaths from terrorism are scarier than 301,797 deaths from guns – “According to the New America Foundation, jihadists killed 94 people inside the United States between 2005 and 2015. During that same time period, 301,797 people in the US were shot dead, Politifact reports. At first blush, these numbers might seem to indicate that Donald Trump’s temporary ban on immigrants from seven countries—a goal he said was intended to “protect the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States”—is utterly misguided. But Trump is right about at least one thing: Americans are more afraid of terrorism than they are of guns, despite the fact that guns are 3,210 times more likely to kill them.”
Your V8 forehead slapper of the day . . . Despite tough Canadian rules, illegal guns within reach – “Canada’s gun control laws ban dozens of assault rifles, but some permitted firearms are easily modified for greater damage, and more lax regulations in the United States make smuggled weapons accessible, experts said after a rare Canadian mass shooting on Sunday. A man was charged on Monday with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder with a restricted weapon in the shooting at a Quebec City mosque. Police have not commented on the type of gun used, but sources said it was a semi-automatic weapon.” The gist: it’s America’s fault.
Making Tennessee’s parks great again . . . NRA Applauds Vreeland v. City of Knoxville Settlement – “The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) applauds the settlement reached in Vreeland v. City of Knoxville. This settlement strikes a reasonable balance between the right to carry firearms in public parks within Knoxville, as guaranteed by Tennessee law, and the city’s use of Chilhowee Park as a secure facility for private or ticketed events. At its core, this settlement reaffirms that individuals have the right to defend themselves with lawfully possessed firearms throughout Tennessee.”
Walther Arms, Inc. Launches 2017 USPSA & IDPA Contingency Program – Walther Arms, Inc. has a rich history steeped in competition shooting with our rimfire and airgun competition rifles and pistols. Now Walther is also targeting practical shooting competitions. The PPQ and the new Q5 Match have become serious contenders for practical shooters in the production and carry optics categories because of the ergonomic grip and top of the line factory triggers. To further support practical shooting disciplines Walther Arms is offering a contingency program for USPSA and IDPA top matches, putting $400,000 on the line for competitors that win with a Walther. Walther has made it incredibly easy for shooters to participate in the program, and will be rewarding top placement in specified divisions.
No more dish pan hands!
The Russian Military’s Super Weapon of Choice: The ‘Big Guns’ – “The heavy use of artillery reflects the fact that Russia models its army to be artillery-centric, and it shares that doctrinal philosophy — not to mention the weapons themselves — with its proxies in Eastern Ukraine. It’s also a doctrine that derives from the particular environments in which Russia fights its wars, and is a tradition that developed first in Imperial Russia and honed by the Soviet Union during World War II, when the Red Army carried out the largest artillery bombardments in history in the Seelow Heights and the Karelian Isthmus.”
