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This weekend, the governor of New Mexico said some astonishing things. Her exact words were: "no constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute."
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What?! What can possibly be more absolute than an oath of office? It's like a signature on a legal document. If you or I were to violate an oath to the government or a signature on a government document, we would be charged with perjury or treason and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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If a right isn't absolute, it isn't a right. It's a privilege, and the US Supreme Court has ruled that "where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rulemaking or legislation which would abrogate them. The state may not convert a secured liberty into a privilege, and issue a license and fee for it." Ergo, rights are absolute, they aren't granted by the government, they are acknowledged as rights in the Constitution.
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Governor Grisham's statement essentially indicates she believes the United States Constitution doesn't exist in New Mexico and that citizens have no rights, only government-granted privileges that can be rescinded at whim with the stroke of a pen.
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About now, someone will bring up the stale strawman that you can't yell "fire!" in a crowded theater. That's not exactly true, you can yell "fire!" in a crowded theater, if indeed there is a fire and you are raising a legitimate alarm. However, we don't duct-tape people's mouths shut before they enter theaters just in case someone might yell "fire!" No, we punish the inappropriate behavior of the individual. This argument, probably first made in the Schenck vs. United States case of 1919, stated: "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. ... The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree." The Schenck decision was partially overturned in 1969 in the Brandenburg vs. Ohio case, in which the Supreme Court held "the constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action." How ironic it is that Governor Grisham helped incite the Covid panic of 2020 and which I am sure future generations will judge as one of the worst criminal conspiracies ever perpetrated upon the citizens of the US - and indeed the world.
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Most of you are aware that the Governor's emergency health order prohibits the open or concealed carry of firearms in Bernalillo County (I'm sure the drug dealers and gang members and other criminals will only be too happy to comply), but in addition requires the state’s Regulation and Licensing Division to conduct monthly inspections of licensed firearm retailers to ensure compliance with all sales and storage laws. This is just another way to prosecute and close down firearms businesses but there's only one problem: STATE LAW DOES NOT PERMIT IT!
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Further, following the gun confiscation by authorities in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, 42 USC 5207 was enacted which basically prohibits the government, or agents of the state, from using a state of emergency to confiscate firearms, require the registration of firearms, or prohibit the carry of firearms by those with a lawful right or privilege to do so.
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Her tyrannical actions are nothing short of criminal. Section 241 of the National Penal Code states: "If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same… they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both."
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In my personal opinion, not only should she be removed from office for violating her oath, she should be under arrest.
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One last thought on this for now, then I'll leave it alone: this should show why rhetoric about everything the government doesn't like (guns, cars, private farms...) being a "public health crisis." We have already seen what the government is prepared to do in the name of "public health."
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"So what does that mean for the New Mexico Pistol Class this month?"
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We are still holding class in Moriarty, New Mexico on September 30th. Moriarty is in Torrance County and is not affected by the Governor's public health emergency declaration (at the moment). For those of you living in, staying in, or traveling through Bernalillo County, you will have to make your own decision on risk tolerance. Whether or not you decide to comply with the governor's order, I recommend you maintain a low profile and not make yourself a target. It would be useful to think of yourself as an operative in hostile territory attempting to blend in in order to accomplish an important mission. After all, what can be a more important mission than protecting yourself and family?
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For those of you who will be attending, I will be sending out an email with class information and a map to the range later this week. Be on the lookout and be prepared!
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There is room for one or two more in this class, get training while you can!
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AMMUNITION
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Ammo prices continue to hold stable at a plateau. Considering inflation, I believe this is as cheap as we will see it for the foreseeable future. If you need ammo for class, order it now!
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www.sgammo.com and www.wideners.com are still my first choices on ammo providers. As always, I strongly recommend staying away from steel-cased and steel-jacketed ammo brands unless you are feeding a Warsaw Pact firearm like an AK or Tokarev.
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In addition to practice ammo, make sure you have a good supply of quality defensive ammo, Federal HST and Winchester Ranger-T are the top choices in law enforcement.
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UPCOMING CLASSES
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Defensive Pistol Elements
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This is our standard 1-day defensive pistol class which will be held in Moriarty, New Mexico September 30th. We have one more spot available in this class (we could also make room for one more if needed).
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Intro to Precision Rifle
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This one-day intro to precision rifle shooting is for anyone who wants to get more proficient with scoped rifles, and a great tune-up for hunting season. St. Anthony, Idaho October 7th.
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Check out our classes page for more information.
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GAS BLOCKS
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As of today, the completed gas blocks are in Arizona receiving Nitride treatment. I should have them back ready to go early next week. The made-in-Idaho prototype has been tested on several gas system and barrel lengths and it is good to go. This has been a long road, but barring further chaos, we are a week away from having a product ready to ship. These will be sold with our Adaptive Defense Armory free-floating handguards, available in carbine, midlength, and rifle-length. They will come with complete mounting instructions.
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PREPARING FOR CLASS
If you are attending our Defensive Pistol Elements class, make sure you have 500 rounds of good quality practice ammo. I strongly recommend against steel jacketed ammo like Wolf and Tula. Not only does it present a ricochet hazard on steel targets, but they spark on steel targets and create a fire hazard. On top of that, I have seen multiple reliability issues with ammo of this kind.
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Make sure you have a good holster and belt, something rigid that stays open when the pistol is drawn. Nylon fabric holsters are not a good choice for concealed carry, or for classes of this kind. They encourage bad habits and that will sooner or later lead to safety issues. Make sure you have extra magazines; 2 is bare minimum, 4 is good, 6 is better. You can throw extra mags in a pocket, but a magazine belt-pouch is optimum.
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For our scoped rifle class, make sure your optics and mounts are level and tight - follow factory torque specs for your scope, over-tightening scope rings can damage scope tubes. You will need 100 rounds of ammunition and I highly recommend match-quality ammo rather than hunting or "ball" ammo. Typically match ammunition will have an open-tip projectile, such as a Sierra Match King, or a polymer-tip projectile like a Hornady VMAX, AMAX, or ELD-M. Heavier bullet weights are preferable, such as 168 or 175 grain for .30 caliber or 69 grain for .223.
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Precision rifle class is shot primarily from the prone position. If you aren't used to shooting prone, I might advise getting started practicing the position now.
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The correct prone position is straight behind the rifle, with the spine parallel to the barrel, not angled or "bladed" off to one side or the other. If you aren't accustomed to it, it can cause you some pain in the lower back, neck, and shoulders. Preparing with some stretches and practicing the position before class can help.
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A shooting mat or ground pad to lay on is a must for precision rifle class. I always bring a few moving blankets to use, you can get these at Harbor Freight, they are inexpensive and serve admirably as an improvised shooting mat.
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Lastly, if you intend to sight-in your rifle before class, do yourself a favor and use a 100 yard zero.
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September 11 Anniversary
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Everyone commemorates this date in different ways. I don't really have much to say about it that hasn't been said elsewhere. 22 years later, do we feel like we have avenged these attacks? Are we a better, safer nation today than we were then? Did the blood and wealth sunk in our response to these attacks create a safer world? We gave our enemies in Afghanistan untold American lives and topped it off with a $7 Billion gift of advanced US armaments. We gave our own people widows, orphans, FISA courts, and the Patriot Act. As a patriot, I mourn this day as marking a major change in what it means to live in America.
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"The means of defense against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people."
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