Free In Idaho!

I love this song… “Grace Alone“.  Here is a big choir version for our Sunday hymn this morning.

Grace Alone

Every promise we can make
Every prayer and step of faith
Every difference we can make
Is only by His grace.

Every mountain we will climb
Every ray of hope we shine
Every blessing left behind
Is only by His grace

Grace alone Which God supplies
Strength unknown He will provide
Christ in us, our cornerstone
We will go forth in grace alone.

Every soul we long to reach
Every heart we hope to teach
Everywhere we share His peace
Is only by His grace.

Every loving word we say
Every tear we wipe away
Every sorrow turned to praise
Is only by His grace.

©1998 Maranatha! Music.
Words and Music by Scott Wesley Brown, Jeff Nelson

Today was the 9th Annual Frozen Chosin M1 Garand Match presented by the Nampa Rod and Gun Club in Nampa, Idaho.  This end of January event is one of those “start the new year” matches that many of the high power and CMP shooters look forward to, since there haven’t been any matches since the fall.  This year’s event drew a great crowd of battle rifle enthusiasts out to the frozen, windswept sagebrush to see if they remember how to shoot.

The match consists of two stages, both shot prone (no rests) at 200 yards with Korean War era rifles with iron sights.  M1 Garands, a couple of carbines, a 1903, an SKS or two, an AK, and a  couple of Mosins made for a diverse field.  Stage one was 16 full sized E type targets all raised at once.  Each four shooter team had 2 minutes to put as many rounds down range as possible, with the goal of hitting every target as many times as possible (but at least once per target).  1 point for each hit, and minus 10 for each target missed.  Stage two was more difficult in that the targets were prone F type silhouettes, raised in pairs, four pairs at a time.  These were exposed for 30 seconds then dropped, with the other four pairs raised for 30 seconds.  Lather, rinse, repeat, for 2 minutes, sending as many rounds down range as you can.

Oh.  I forgot to mention the walking target.  During the prone targets’ exposure there was a constantly “walking” E type target, worth 2 points per hit (or minus 20 for a total miss).  Needless to say, this walking target figured prominently in most team strategies.  Each team member was limited to 100 rounds for both stages, and to make things interesting there was a roughly 12 mph cross to quartering wind “complimenting” the very flat lighting.  Actually, these are pretty good conditions for this match.  Every “old-timer” had a story about the year it was 20 degrees, or the one it snowed all day, or the time it was so foggy nobody could see the target line.

Our team didn’t win, although we managed to shoot better than some of the teams.  I’m not sure that we expected to place high, considering the very generous prize promised to the match winners… a K98 Mauser redone by the Israelis to 7.62 Nato, one for each member of the team.  The really good shooters didn’t stay home today with those on the line.  17 teams turned out and the competition at the top was fierce, and it was tied for much of the match. 

I didn’t see who the winning team was, but we did get to see them shoot.  All the teams took their turn in the pit working targets.  Sometime during our shift in the pit the winners took their turn, and it was evident watching the targets from down below.  “Wow, look at the guy on target 5!”  followed by “yeah, and his buddy on 9 and 10 is putting on a clinic!”   I’ve never worked the hot end of a rifle match from the pit.  The *crack* of the bullet going overhead, followed by the thump into the dirt berm, then the distant report of the shot from the line was a new experience for me.  And I have to admit, even with a scope I have a difficult time watching the targets from the spectator area 220 or so yards away.  But watching the holes appear from directly below the targets was fun.  And being out of the wind for an hour or so was wonderful.

Good job, Nampa Rod and Gun Club, it was a great saturday of shooting!  Lord willing, I want to shoot it again next year.  And we’re already talking about how to change our stategy!

You can find all the SOTU morning after you’d like somewhere else.  I’m sick of the man and don’t feel like talking about him.  Instead, I pass along a picture.  Today’s picture of the day is perfect, and shamelessly lifted from Theodore’s World. 

What’s truly sad, and telling, is that everyone will recognize this (whether they’ll admit it publicly or not).  And for all that we might complain about GW and how terribly off track his Presidency went the last few years, nobody would think this about him… nor did we fear what it might mean for the country.

State of the Union?  Deep in debt, nothing in the bank, and living way beyond rapidly declining means.  Hmmm…. sounds like a lot of Americans.

ObamaNomics is built on the assumption that politicians are better stewards of economic resources than the millions of individuals and business enterprises who created those resources.  The Democrats’ plan is to dramatically increase taxation to fund programs through which government can exert greater control over our lives.

But these data show that the private sector’s ability and willingness to generate wealth for government to seize through taxation is rapidly diminishing.  These data show that Obama’s own actions are are literally killing the goose that lays the golden eggs he needs to fund his agenda.

The drop in individual income tax revenue in fiscal 2009 was the steepest since 1939.  As the chart shows revenue continues to plummet in fiscal 2010.

Thank goodness we’ll never get worse than 8% unemployment because we’ve passed some of Obama’s policies. Oh, wait. It’s over 10% now… well, just think how bad it would have been if we didn’t have him in office? We’re so lucky that he’s in there fighting for us. (And that, my dear reader, is the capsule summary of his State of the Union speech.)

Good Sunday morning to you all.  This morning’s music is “Wonderful Merciful Savior“.

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and friend
Who would have thought that a lamb could
Rescue the souls of men
Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we hopelessly lost the way

[Chorus:]
You are the one that we praise
You are the one we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we’re falling before Your throne

[Chorus:]
You are the one that we praise
You are the one we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

I wonder if this is the policy at all Walgreen’s, or if this is just a, you know, NEW JERSEY kinda thing?  I can’t imagine it here in Idaho, but then, I don’t shop there anyway so I don’t know.

The brother recently took photos of his collection for insurance purposes, and emailed them to Walgreens to have them printed.

When the brother’s wife went to pick up the prints, she was told by the cashier that Walgreens did not print them because they were deemed “offensive”.

Our member’s brother returned to the store and spoke to the manager, who told him that he personally found the pictures offensive, and so did his staff. When the brother asked if it was Walgreens’ policy not to print pictures of guns, he refused to give a straight answer.

I’ll be curious to hear the answer to his letter.

UPDATE:  Bob shares the reply he got from Walgreens in the comments.  Sounds like an over zealous employee with GFW derangement syndrome.

   I am not a Republican.  And Michelle Malkin reminds me why.  Palin promoting McCain?  Stupid elephants.

  With all due respect to McCain’s past noble war service, it’s time to head to the pasture. As the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, he was wrong on the constitutionality of the free-speech-stifling McCain-Feingold campaign finance regulations. He was wrong to side with the junk-science global warming activists in pushing onerous carbon caps on America. He was on the wrong side of every Chicken Little-driven bailout. He was wrong in opposing enhanced CIA interrogation methods that have saved countless American lives and averted jihadi plots. And he was spectacularly wrong in teaming with the open-borders lobby to push a dangerous illegal alien amnesty.

People better stop the giddiness over Scott Brown and pay attention to what really happened. The Republican party has not changed from the party that lost in 2008, and Brown isn’t the “perfect candidate”. Brown won for the same reason Ob+ama won… he’s not that other guy. I’m glad he’s not, and I’m happy to see the Dems drop a seat, but hey, this is real life and we’re still in deep poo. Campaigning for the king of the stupid elephants isn’t a strategy, it’s the same old loser’s playbook, with America the biggest loser. 

I received an email with the schedule for this year’s CMP Rifle Match schedule.  This is a standard CMP match, consisting of four targets at 200 yards.  10 rounds slow standing, 10 rounds rapid sitting or kneeling, 10 rounds rapid prone, and 20 rounds slow prone, with 2 sighters on each stage.  Match Rifles or Service rifles with iron sights (Garands, ARs, and M1As are most common, but hey, it’s casual so bring what you have, all shooters are welcome).

The matches will be on the first Tuesday of each month, beginning in April, except the second Tuesday in July and August due to schedule conflicts.

April 6th

May 4th

June 1st

July 13th

August 10th

September 7th

Matches take place at the Black’s Creek Rifle Range and registration starts at 5:30PM, with shooting starting at 6PM. Cost is only $12, bring your own ammo.

I made it to half of the matches last summer and I really enjoyed it. This year I will be trying to make the whole series. And don’t be intimidated if you’ve never shot a competion before, just come on out. Sure, there are some great shooters in the match rifle class, scoring in the high 400’s, but the scores in the Service Garand class range from the 300’s down to the 100’s. This is a great opportunity to shoot your first competion in a very casual atmosphere with some great company at a great range.  Shoot a lot and just enjoy yourself. Come on out and try it!

By all means, go to Robert Spencer’s and read Geert Wilders’ speech at his trial yesterday.

It is not only a right, but also the duty of free people to speak against every ideology that threatens freedom. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States was right: The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

Freedom of speech is also about truth, and who will control it. 

I wonder how far away from that road America is?  No, don’t pooh pooh me… does the growth of “hate crimes” legislation not concern you?

“It is actually a thought-crimes law,” Stanley said. “There is no difference between, say, an assault that is already punishable, and an assault that is punishable as a hate crime, other than the belief of the perpetrator.” 

Hate-crimes laws are never enacted to help prosecutors put felons away, Stanley said. They are placed on the books to “send a message.” 

“One of the primary motivations for hate-crimes laws is to send a societal and a governmental message of disapproval of certain beliefs that are held by people,” Stanley told CNSNews.com. 

There is not a very wide gap between hate crimes laws and the kind of restraint on free speech we’ve seen in the Netherlands and in Canada.  Pay attention folks.

Robert Menendez, Democrat Senatorial Campaign Commitee Chairman, said this about last night’s win by Scott Brown in Massachusets.

But it is important to keep in mind that today’s special election in Massachusetts was just that: a special election, with a whole host of circumstances that are unique. I would caution against taking a single unique election and extrapolating what it means for the midterms ten months away.

Stunningly clueless.

I think BOTH parties better take a hard look at what happened yesterday, and they’d better be darn careful how they proceed in the Fall elections because I don’t think it was simply a “unique situation”…  I pray the rest of America has the stuff it takes to hold both parties accountable for the awful mess we’ve got right now.

From a bill introduced today in the Idaho Legislature, H0391

39-9003.(1) The power to require or regulate a person’s choice in the mode of securing health care services, or to impose a penalty related thereto, is not found in the Constitution of the United States of America, and is therefore a power reserved to the people pursuant to the Ninth Amendment, and to the several states pursuant to the Tenth Amendment. The state of Idaho hereby exercises its sovereign power to declare the public policy of the state of Idaho regarding the right of all persons residing in the state of Idaho in choosing the mode of securing health care services.

(2) It is hereby declared that the public policy of the state of Idaho, consistent with our constitutionally recognized and inalienable rights of liberty, is that every person within the state of Idaho is and shall be free to choose or decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty.

Gotta like that. (my bold, by the way)