Free In Idaho!

In the afterglow of the Supreme Court Heller decision, it might be easy to miss the latest developments in the story of David Olofson.  He is the gentleman who was convicted of “illegal transport of an automatic weapon”, for a malf at a range while he was teaching another shooter.  If you Google search on this case you can find enough on this story to make you wonder about many aspects of the case, which we “here on the couch” have no real way of sorting out.  There is no question about the heavy hand of government however.

Two days before the Fourth, Mr Olofson surrendered himself to begin serving his 30 month sentence.  That ought to be a wakeup call to all of us that one Scotus ruling does not change all that much, and that gun owners are at risk of running afoul of a cranky government for many seemingly harmless things. 

I noticed a letter from the Olofson family posted over at David Codrea’s blog.  Go read it, and if you’re so inclined, put one up for him and his family.  And if you’d like to write him, because behind bars you can never get enough mail, the address is

David R. Olofson
08632089-K1
Federal Correctional Institute
PO Box 1000
Sandstone, MN 55072

Sunday Music today is an instrumental version of Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy”, which is the music used by Henry van Dyke for his hymn “Joyful Joyful, We Adore Thee”

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.