My LibertyCon Panels

So, I'm going to be a panelist at LibertyCon next week. If you don't already have tickets, it's too late; they went on sale in March and sold out in a day, and I didn't know for certain I'd be a panelist until late in May. 

For those of you who are attending, I hope you will be able to attend one of my panels. Here's my schedule: 

I was curious who was on these panels with me, but I had received no information to that end. It took me longer than I feel comfortable admitting to realize that I could just click on the even name on the website and I would see who is presenting!

The following is a reconstruction of my thoughts as I read each entry. 

• Opening Ceremonies: OK, I'm a presenter for the convention several panels, it makes sense that they want me in the opening ceremonies. Not a big deal, this is likely just going to be a "smile and wave after being introduced" kind of thing. I expect a lot of people to be there, and there will be. 
• Meet and Greet the First Timers: Again, this makes sense. I have no idea what's expected of me, nor who any of the other people are, so I'm going to be clueless and without backup. 
• The Basic Survivalist: All right! This is solidly within my wheelhouse. I don't know most of the people, but I know Cedar Sanderson and Jason Cordova and they like me, so this ought to be a fun panel. 
• Building a Bug Out Bag: ...it's just me. 

Now to be clear, this is not a problem. While I wouldn't consider myself the foremost authority on building a BOB, I know that I can give a practical presentation and speak with experience on the subject. I'm just stunned that I'm running a solo presentation at my very first LibertyCon as a panelist! I mean, I know that I won't suck, but how does the convention committee know that?

Also, it's a really good thing that I checked, because otherwise I would have just shown up on Sunday morning all herp-de-derp, thinking I was on a panel, and then be in for a terrible surprise. I had planned to bring along a BOB for a demonstration, but that's now gone from a "Nice to have" to "Must bring along". 

Also, I'm up against some pretty hefty competition: autograph sessions, author readings, and the Kaffeeklatsch where people can have coffee with no less than Timothy Zahn and David Weber!

So if you're at LibertyCon next weekend, please come by and say hi! If you like hugs, I enjoy hugging so be sure to collect one from me. 

State of the Sword 2023

Seven years ago yesterday, an atrocity occurred.

Seven years ago today, a diverse group of people banded together to claw hope from the wreckage of that atrocity, and through their efforts Operation Blazing Sword was born.

Seven years later, and we have accomplished so much:

• We have 1,560 volunteer firearm educators in every state of the USA, along with volunteers in Canada, Australia, and Europe.
• Our volunteers educated a reported number of 82 people, or just under an average of 1.6 people per week. However, understand that we do not require our students to out themselves and so this data is voluntary; the actual number is higher, although we cannot know by how much.
• We have filed numerous Amicus Curiae briefs opposing firearm prohibitionist legislation, most notably in NYSRPA v. Bruen. This landmark Supreme Court case shifted all states into "Shall Issue" concealed carry, and the origin of the Pink Pistols was quoted in the concurring brief of this decision.
• We are the largest pro-gun queer group in the nation, if not the entire world, and we continue to grow through the creation of new Pink Pistols chapters and new volunteers signing up to be  Operation Blazing Sword instructors.

We still have much work to do, though. Even though we live in a post-Bruen world, many legislators seek to make the lawful carry of defensive firearms as difficult, as expensive, and as restrictive as possible, and we will continue to file AC briefs to oppose those laws. One only needs look at the Club Q shooting last year to see a reflection of the 2016 Pulse massacre, albeit one with a mercifully smaller body count, and so we must continue our quest to teach everyone who wants to know how to defend themselves.

We are Operation Blazing Sword – Pink Pistols, and we teach everyone how to shoot. And then we tell the world that we have done so, because armed queers don't get bashed.

Assorted Calibers Podcast Ep 253: Get All Your Ducks in a Row

 

In This Episode

• Erin and Weer’d discuss:
  • The massive non-compliance with the ATF pistol brace ban;
  • a Federal Court ruling that it is unconstitutional to be denied a firearm because of  Marijuana use;
  • Maryland attempting to pass more gun control laws, and the people protesting them.
• Weer'd finally brings us the final installment of his Fisk of the Brady Campaign podcast about common pro-gun talking points;
• Oddball talks about the best way to back up your computer data;
• and David talks about reactive targets on a budget.

Did you know that we have a Patreon? Join now for the low, low cost of $4/month (that’s $1/podcast) and you’ll get to listen to our podcast on Friday instead of Mondays, as well as patron-only content like mag dump episodes and our hilarious blooper reels and film tracks.

Show Notes

Main Topic:

• Abducktion Game
• ATF Says a Quarter Million Guns Registered Under Pistol-Brace Ban
• Larry Correia on Pistol Brace Amnesty
• Another Federal Court Rules That Banning Marijuana Consumers From Possessing Guns Is Unconstitutional
• The cost of carrying a gun legally versus criminals carrying guns
• Armed citizen battles with Governor Wes Moore about Senate Bill One
• The Africa Carry | Field & Stream
• Criminal Law - Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting Firearms - Restrictions (Gun Safety Act of 2023)

Weer’d Audio Fisk:

• 186: Brady in Brief: We Respond to Common Arguments Against Gun Violence Prevention
• Cordy Galligan Linkedin
• G+D Washington DC FFL
• Weer’d World: Look at Their Reactions
•  ‘Zero Tolerance’: The Biden Admin Is Allegedly Shutting Down Gun Stores For Minor Clerical Errors
• The Next Big Question About Church Shooter’s Background Check
• ACP Bonus: The Bloomberg Conspiracy
• Bloomberg Stuffs Bucks Into Maine And Nevada Ballot Initiatives
• Mike Bloomberg’s gun-control group just vastly outspent the NRA to help Democrats win in Virginia
• Safest States in America
• Sandy Hook families reach $73 million settlement with gun manufacturer Remington

Oddball’s Corner Pocket:

• Carbonite data backup
• EaseUS data recovery
• Windows Installation Media
• Erin’s Blue Collar Prepping post on Data Recovery

Gun Lovers and Other Strangers

• Assorted Calibers Podcast Ep 190
• Steel Targets
• Tannerite
• Paper Plates
• Alaska pizza place has boxes that double as targets for shooting
• DIY Clay Target Stand
• Plinking
• Thingiverse
• Peeps
• IraqVeteran8888
• Brena Bock Author Page
• David Bock Author Page
• Team And More

Proud of Pink Pistols Atlanta

Over the past six months, the Atlanta Chapter of the Pink Pistols has been doing amazing things for its members. 

While everyone was still reeling from the Club Q shooting in November of 22, Pink Pistols Atlanta held a Stop The Bleed class in early December, which was taught by local firefighters and paramedics from the organization Frontline Medical Defense. 

The current average response time of emergency services in the city of Atlanta is 9.5 minutes, yet traumatic blood loss can render a victim unconscious in less than a minute. Stop The Bleed, designed by the American College of Surgeons and promoted by the Department of Homeland Security, follows the principle of "You Are the Help Until Help Arrives" by teaching the medical skills associated with bleeding control and stabilizing victims of violent trauma prior to emergency services arriving. 

18 members of the Atlanta chapter were taught how to apply a tourniquet, when to pack a wound versus when to ventilate it, and what order of operations to follow when stabilizing patients to prevent blood loss. This class empowered those members with the skills and knowledge necessary to protect themselves and others in an increasingly dangerous word. 

 

In January, the Atlanta chapter relaunched its annual Introduction to Pistols class, which has been on hiatus due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Last offered in January 2020, this class provides a safe and low-cost environment for members and guests to learn firearm safety and the principles of pistol shooting by certified instructors. 

Conducted at the Quickshot Shooting Range in Buckhead, GA, this course consists of three hours of classroom time covering the safe handling of pistols, instruction of the mechanical components and common faults within handguns, pistol marksmanship techniques, and the consideration which must be made prior to arming oneself.

Following the classroom portion and practice with simulated firearms, participants were provided with one hour of structured range time to practice what they learned, and get comfortable with a few types of pistols and revolvers.

This past April, Pink Pistols Atlanta offered a private Everyday Carry class for its members, focusing on lawful concealed carry with an emphasis on techniques for those that intend to carry a handgun daily. The instructor, Edgar Mills of Osprey Shooting Solutions, has worked with Pink Pistols members in the past, but this was the chapter's first formal partnership with him for private instruction.

This course included two hours of classroom time, which covered safe handling, variations in carry holsters and positions, changes to traditional safety rules when handling a firearm outside a gun range, and legal considerations for concealed carry and drawing a firearm in self defense. Following the classroom portion, participants were provided with five hours of structured range time at a private facility to practice what they learned, with a focus on drawing from concealment and engaging threats with their own firearm.

Both Stop The Bleed and Introduction to Pistols were financially sponsored by Operation Blazing Sword, Pink Pistols' parent organization, making these classes free to attend by members of the Atlanta chapter. Osprey Shooting Solutions offered a discounted rate for its Everyday Carry class, with additional financial support from Operation Blazing Sword. 

If your Pink Pistols chapter is interested in hosting classes like these, please do the following:

1. Find an instructor and venue.
2. Contact Erin Palette, President of Operation Blazing Sword, with the  class invoice(s) for approval. 
3. If approved, Operation Blazing Sword will pay the invoices. 
4. Conduct the class. 
5. Submit a written report of the event, ideally with pictures. Please ensure that consent to be photographed is given. 

When considering a class, first talk to your members. It may be that one or more of them are already instructors, and someone may be able to provide space for the class.

Assorted Calibers Podcast Ep 252: The Second Amendment Is For All Arms Round Table

 

In This Episode

It’s an ACP Round Table!  Join Wee'd,  Erin, Oddball, David, and Xander as we discuss:

• The injunction against the ATF Pistol Brace Ban;
• A Chicago "Peacekeeper" who was arrested for a violent robbery, and how it reflects on the Peacekeeper program;
• Gun-Prohibitionist attacks on shooting ranges and training facilities;
• A report that calls forensic ballistics into question;
• The Second Amendment becoming a strong issue in the 2024 Presidential election,  and it's not looking good for gun control;
• Hawaii losing the court battle over the carrying of batons;
• and a review of the book Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson.

Did you know that we have a Patreon? Join now for the low, low cost of $4/month (that’s $1/podcast) and you’ll get to listen to our podcast on Friday instead of Mondays, as well as patron-only content like mag dump episodes and our hilarious blooper reels and film tracks.

Show Notes

• Fifth Circuit Panel Says Pistol-Brace Ban Block Extends to Gun Group’s Members, Gun Company’s Customers
• No bail for Chicago ‘peacekeeper’ charged with beating, robbing man in Little Village
• The Trace Author admits on an agenda to ban training facilities
• Devil in the grooves: The case against forensic firearms analysis
• Trump’s Call to ‘Take the Guns First, Go Through Due Process Second’ is Unconstitutional
• Approval of Biden Gun Policy Down to 31 Percent
• Hawaii Drops Baton Ban After Losing Court Fight
• Knife Rights raffle
• Them: Adventures with Extremists

OBS-PP Liability Disclaimer

The head of the Triangle, NC Pink Pistols chapter came up with the fantastic idea of having a disclaimer indicating that Pink Pistols is not any kind of militia or armed security, and that if any of our members makes the decision to use deadly force in defense of themselves or another, it is 100% their personal choice and that Operation Blazing Sword - Pink Pistols has not asked, and would never ask, any of our members to do such a thing.

This position has been made clear in the Pink Pistols Utility Manual, but not everyone reads that. Given the recent increase in anti-queer sentiment and that our members may very well be armed at Pride events, we felt it important to have such a disclaimer drawn up.

If a Pink Pistols chapter plans to have a presence at Pride, please make sure that everyone who is attending as a Pink Pistol — working a booth, handing out information, or just wearing our logo in an official capacity — reads and signs this.

Thank you for helping us stay safe.

Erin Update

No pithy title for this post, as I'm operating in that gray area of "I would rather accomplish this than waste time being clever" and "I don't want to jinx this" at the moment. 

Things are looking cautiously positive at the moment. After two months of the house being a shambles due to the mold problem I discussed earlier, it seems like we have finally filled out enough paperwork, jumped through enough hoops, and lit enough fires under people that the insurance company is finally thinking about getting around to possibly paying to have dad's old bedroom - bathroom - closet suite made habitable. Neither mom nor I know when this will be -- knowing my luck, they'll want to begin when I'm out of state for LibertyCon -- but like my tummy after eating too much Taco Bell, I feel rumblings which presage future motion. 

Speaking of LibertyCon, not only will I be there (June 23-25, Chattanooga TN) but I will also be a panelist for the first time! I even have a Guest Page like a big shot. Here is my schedule:

I've talked about this over at Blue Collar Prepping, but I have been taking nightly walks around my neighborhood pretty much every night since December of last year as a way to lose weight and get in better shape. I am overweight like pretty much all Americans, and I have arthritis in my back that has diminished my quality of life, so I started walking as a low-impact form of exercise. Most importantly, it doesn't feel like exercise to my body, which is pretty much essential to insuring I do it. The weight loss has been... well, I'm down six pounds since I started, but that's basically just a pound a month? But please keep in mind that I had to get through Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter, so that walking helped keep weight off when I was stress/depression eating. (My favorite carbohydrate is sugar.)

Perhaps more importantly, though, my back is getting better. Usually it would start tightening up halfway through the 1.1 mile loop, and by the time I made it home I would have to limp into a hot shower. Tonight, however, I did two loops, my back didn't even begin to get sore until 3/4th of the way through the second loop, and I'm typing this now before I take a shower. This is an absolute win for me in terms of flexibility and quality of life!

Finally, in related news, I think I've figured out why my brain has felt so sluggish for months: I didn't take my nightly dose of melatonin, and when I got up the next morning I actually felt well-rested and not sluggish in the brain. Apparently my body is super-sensitive to melatonin, because 5mg (half the recommended dose) is like anti-ritalin for me in that it basically makes thinking difficult! Imagine if your body is awake but your brain just wants to take a nap, regardless of how much coffee you drink... and believe me, it's a WEIRD feeling to have my body wired on caffeine while my brain still refuses to go any faster than first gear. 

I truly hope that between the exercise, the weight loss, and quitting the melatonin I will be able to return to what feels like normalcy. I've missed writing and I hope to do more of it soon.  

Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to you again soon.