Russian s-AK-tions

 



Russian AK that has sanctions against it.

According to FoxNews, gun enthusiast and AK fanatics buy up as many AK platform rifles as they can before the American sanctions against Russian firearms make all those firearms disappear in America. After the Russians invaded the country of Ukraine, many Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia. America's sanction involved the firearm world. Due to these sanctions, many gun enthusiasts in America have been buying AKs and Saigas in great value until they become unavailable in America. Many companies that sell, or even specialize in AK platform rifles, such as Atlantic Firearms, find themselves running out of stock. However, AK platform rifles and pistols are allowed to be manufactured and sold in America if they are created in any other country. A great example of this is the American company known as Krebs Custom, stationed in Las Vegas, that is being sold in abundance and Century Arms, which is known for selling Romanian semi-automatic AK rifles. This import ban has created difficulty for companies to get certain products out and many people feared that companies like Krebs Custom and Arsenal, both companies that build their firearms off of Russian receivers with custom parts built on afterwards, would go out of business, but this is not true. Unfortunately, they will just have to look for new receivers or parts kits to build off of. I cannot help but see an underlying agenda of just another way of banning firearms in all of this. Of all the sanctions that could have been imposed, Obama chose to ban the importation of firearms. Obama has already displayed anti-gun feelings. It would not be surprising to see the sanctions of Russian firearms as an excuse to chip away at the amount of guns in America. The crisis in Ukraine is a tragedy, but I just do not understand why firearms needed to take a hit when there were many other things that could have done more damage to Russia.

American-made Krebs Custom KV-13 AK platform rifle
that is still perfectly legal to sell.

The Berlin Wall: 25 Years After the Fall

The tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

According to USAtoday, Germany celebrates the 25th anniversary after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, personally spoke to those who celebrated the day long anniversary. Germany was not the only country to celebrate the event. The Vatican City also was found to be celebrating. The Pope gave a speech to the people of the Vatican in reference to the great pride it gave the world when the Berlin Wall fell and that, with the help of all men, all barriers may fall. Gorbachev joined in as well. Gorbachev went to Berlin to be involved in the celebration and ask the West to remove the sanctions implemented on Russia due to the conflict with Ukraine. The celebration was not only speeches, however. Approximately 8,000 balloons were released to mark the anniversary of the 25th year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The balloons were released one by one as a symbolic gesture to represent the disappearance of the Wall and Soviet Union. The collapse of the Berlin Wall had brought forth all new changes in the world. Many of the former Soviet Union's countries became independent and 11 of those nations claimed statehood. However, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been attempting to reclaim Russia to its former glory of the Soviet Union by invading the formerly Soviet country of Ukraine. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought great change in both East and West Berlin, as well as the rest of the world.

East Berlin soldier standing guard at the Berlin Wall.

Colt: The Gun Manufacturer, Not the Horse

 According to CNN, the gun manufacturer Colt has been stationed in Connecticut for more than 175 years. That branch can be found approximately 50 miles away from the scene of the Newtown shooting. Other states have continuously pleaded with Colt to move out of Connecticut, as gun control makes more of a presence in more and more states.  However, Colt continues to maintain a presence in the area and still manufactures top notch firearms to this day. Colt has struggled with public opinion in the past too, but they faced it with a different approach. In 1999, Colt faced a surge of lawsuits for wounds caused by gunshots. The Connecticut branch had faced approximately 28 lawsuits. The lawsuits had caused Colt to consider shutting down the production of their handguns. Obviously Colt did not follow through on that consideration, as their legendary semi-automatic handguns and revolvers still have a massive following to this very day. I am personally a huge fan of Colt Manufacturing. The M1911 .45 ACP handgun is one of my favorite handguns ever designed. I personally find people suing a company for injuries that they did not commit absolutely ridiculous. That would be like someone tripping and suing the company that created their shoes for "not making them properly." The Colt Manufacturing Company has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs, but it has prevailed through as one of the most notable gun manufacturers in history.

A beautifully engraved Colt M1911 .45 ACP handgun.

Neutral Switzerland and Guns: The Best Combination

According to USAtoday, Switzerland has earned its reputation as a nation that is full of firearms, yet has some of the lowest crime in the world. In Switzerland, there are approximately 46 firearms per 100 people, which is less than America, but it must be remembered that Switzerland is a much smaller country than the United States. It is estimated that there are around 3.4 million firearms in Switzerland, a country with a population of roughly 8 million. The firearms are given to the Swiss citizens by the government, due to the need for militias to protect the small country. The firearms are not given to unprepared and untrained civilians, however. All males, from the age of 18 to 34, receive military training. After the training, every citizen may take their true, military-issued, fully-automatic assault rifle or semi-automatic handgun back home with them if the need ever rises for citizen soldiers to aid the government in protecting the country. It is believed that these facts caused Hitler to reconsider invading Switzerland. Switzerland's citizenship used to also be issued ammunition as well, but that has changed in recent years. Many Americans will cite Switzerland in gun control arguments, as the country is filled with firearms, yet there is extremely low crime compared to the United States. This reference has aggravated many of Switzerland's citizens, as the firearms are meant to protect the country, not personal property or families. I personally do not understand this because, if I heard someone breaking into my home, that firearm would become loaded and ready to protect my family before anything else was done. However, the facts cannot be denied, Switzerland does have many firearms and extremely low crime. Most criminals would think twice before committing a crime in Switzerland, simply for the fear of being killed.

Apparently Food is a Weapon

Arnold Abbott: The Founder of "Love Thy Neighbor, Inc."

According to CBSnews, three men, a 90 year old man and two pastors from South Florida, are being accused of breaking the newly introduced law of Fort Lauderdale. The new ordinance states that the public feeding of the homeless is banned. The three men, Arnold Abbott, Dwayne Black, and Mark Sims, refused to follow the law and continued to feed homeless people in the city. However, when the police had stopped Mr. Abbott for feeding the homeless, one officer said, "Drop that plate now," as if it was a firearm, knife, or other such weapon. Now, I have great amounts of respect for the police, but telling someone to drop a plate when they are trying to help someone just seems absolutely ridiculous. Not only were the men approached by the police and told to stop feeding those who cannot feed themselves, but the three men are facing jail time for 60 days and a fine of 500 dollars. It is believed that there are approximately 100,000 homeless people in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Abbott plans to continue feeding the homeless through his non-profit organization called "Love Thy Neighbor, Inc." The organization was dedicated to his wife, who had, sadly, passed away in car accident. I respect Abbot for his continuous fight, even in the face of incarceration. Unfortunately, Fort Lauderdale is not the only city to ban the public feeding of homeless people. Twenty other cities across America have also passed legislation that restricts homeless feeding. I just do not see the problem with someone wanting to help someone who does not have the ability to help themselves. If anyone wishes to help the helpless, they should be able to.

Finally, Something is Done About "Fast and Furious"

According to FoxNews, actions were finally placed against Eric Holder, the man responsible for the idiotic gun running scandal known as "Operation: Fast and Furious." The court action stated that Holder must hand over documents pertaining to the operation, otherwise he would face contempt. If he refuses to hand over the documentation, Mr. Holder will deal with fines and possibly time incarcerated. He had refused to hand over the documents, so the judge was asked to personally find Holder and to acquire the money and documents. If he did not pay the required amount, then he would be thrown in jail. The documentation that Holder refused to hand over tied the White House and the Justice Department to the operation. The "Fast and Furious" scandal was created in an attempt to draw out high ranking cartel members by giving them weapons that are illegal in America, such as RPG-7s, fully automatic RPKs, and fully automatic AK platform rifles. Now, fully automatic firearms are legal in America, but a Class III license is needed, but Holder just gave these weapons to known criminals in an attempt to draw them out. It did not work at all. Many people lost their lives, including an American Border Patrol agent. I personally think that these recent actions against Holder took too long. In my opinion, the funny thing is, Holder had just resigned recently, but now he may possibly go to jail. Also, another ironic thing is, he said his greatest regret was not "...[passing] any responsible and reasonable gun safety legislature." His influence in "Operation: Fast and Furious" had given criminals extremely dangerous firearms, yet he states that he wishes he had limited the gun rights for law abiding citizens in the United States. Eric Holder must be held responsible for his actions, just as any normal American would be.

Eric Frein Caught At Last

According to BBC, after 48 days of searching for the elusive suspect, Eric Frein, police arrested him at an abandoned airport hangar. When he was arrested, pictures were released to the media. The images showed Frein with a broken, bloodied, and swollen nose, bruises, and a cut above his eye. Eric Frein had been accused of opening fire on two police officers in front of a police barrack on September 12 of this year (2014), killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and putting the other in critical condition. Hundreds of police were involved in the search for the one "survivalist," as many came to know him. When he was finally caught, he was restrained with the handcuffs of Cpl. Dickson. Some would call this poetic justice and I agree with them. The prosecutor in the trial has said that he is seeking the death penalty for Frein. It will most likely be difficult for Frein to get himself out of the situation he has dug himself into, as he did evade arrest, fire at police in multiple gunfights, and he faces first-degree murder and two counts of possession of weapons of mass destruction. Eric Frein is a terrible man who deserves any of the punishments he gets, even death.