POLITICS - Olofson Convicted

ole pizen slinger · Post by **ole pizen slinger** » Wed May 14, 2008 6:48 pm

Just saw in the news that Olofson lost his case in Wisconsin and was sentenced to 30 Months in Prison. This is just a taste of what's in store for gun owners in the days and years ahead.
ole pizen slinger

Post by **Hobie** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:08 pm

You can find a lot of links on the topic. Here's one...

http://www.liberty-belles.org/articles/ ... lbatfe.htm

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:10 pm

What ever you say...do not say anything derogatory...you'll be next!!!

After reviewing this case and calling my local NRA rep to ask why no support from the NRA, I have not renewed my membership. I discussed this with GOA and they actually sent lawyers to assist. I don't think that Olofson would be on my party invite list, but how this all came down is wrong, how the feds used their power to not allow equal justice, and by not allowing evidence to by presented or disputed is just wrong!

Post by **Hobie** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:19 pm

Did you not read the post in another topic where it was stated that prosecutors are there for convictions and nothing more. Justice is not a goal, prosecutions arre. Something wrong with that.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:38 pm

What was the old saying .... kangaroo court. This poor guy was railroaded.

Joe

Jeeps · Post by **Jeeps** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:12 pm

Makes my stomach turn, where did America go?

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:34 pm

IIRC he was "helpful" to the police too.

5th amendment. It's there for a reason.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:49 pm

This whole things smells of fish. I am NOT in no way going against this guy but any 10 cent lawyer would be able to show the facts to the jury about the defective parts.

After the little cheese eater at the gunclub hears a "quick burst"and informs the cops, then that is enough to get a warrant?

There's more to this-----------Sixgun

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:54 pm

Yeah, there is. The "cheese eater" was actually in possession of the gun and had been for a while. He was the one it slamfired on.

He turned "States Evidence" for cash and no charges and claimed that he didn't screw with the gun while he had it, pinning the blame and assorted other fabrications on Oolfson.

Check out the extensive thread over on ar15.com - especially the info on the "cheese eater".

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:19 pm

OI---Whats this world coming to? People rattin' out other people just so they can have a little excitement in their petty lives. Its probably why I am down to two very good friends. Next to a liar, a cheese eatin' rat is on my hate list.---------Sixgun

bunklocoempire · Post by **bunklocoempire** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:05 pm

From Mr. Olofson (Bladerunner) on another forum on trial/sentence. 5-14-08

Ok. On to the sentencing phase. Judge commented on the following things.
My knowledge of the different jurisdictions we have sovereignty. Knowledge of weapons and military training that make me particularly dangerous. Claims I knew the weapon was a MG as per testimony, even though the testimony was recanted and the only statement from me to the local Pd was I know what a MG is and that is not it. Claimed I have ties to vigilantly militia groups. Points to a email between me and the minute men discussing stopping down and helping out someday as proof of the allegation. Points to pdf manual of conversions as proof I somehow meant this to happen. (Thought this was about a malfunctioning gun?) As addition proof I meant this to happen says I wanted Mr. Kerniki to shoot it as an auto, why else would I give him 100 rounds every 2 weeks. Adds that I admit knowledge of FA to the LEOâ€™s. Leaves out the part where I added I donâ€™t have the skill for machining. Talks about a CCW case that was tossed after I produced a video of the gun in the open and a 911 tape with the caller saying it was open carry. Said it didnâ€™t matter if the charge was dropped and that it was openly carried (legal in WI), anyone who carries a gun in public is endangering public safety (LEO anyone?). Especially if children are around. Points to a mystery document supposedly a letter of reprimand from the army. No proof of service was included with this document. ATF says they did not get it from the Army, but found it in the data on one of the hard drives taken. Document claims I destroyed data on military computers, sold or transferred military data to outside militia or terrorist groups, and was AWOL. I have JAG looking into this BS now. Will know more later. Interesting to note this happened at the same time I received an Honorable discharge and AAM for maintaining Army computers and improving unit data processing. Not sure how I can supposedly be doing both things at the same time, but I will find out. Brings up the giving of ammunition is evidence of some kind of illicit profit making on my part somewhere and that I must have been ignoring the law somewhere to do that. Claims all of the above is proof of less than honorable service in the military and willful disregard of the law. Goes over cases showing people who had real MGâ€™s on a first offence and were either given 12 months probation of let off with a deferred prosecution agreement. Says just because itâ€™s done doesnâ€™t mean it should be done in this case, and that an example must be set to deture others from committing the same crime.

End result is a sentence as follows:
30 months confinement (26 served with good behavior).
2 years probation with 30 hours community service each year.
Give DNA
No guns or drugs
$100.00 Special assessment
Points out importance of submission to federal system
Puts on the record that He has no reason to believe I am a flight risk or that I would misbehave in anyway. Says I have been polite and co operative throughout the entire process. As such I am not remanded to custody, but will self report when noticed at my expense.
Notice of appeal was put on the record.
Judge would not issue a stay of execution of sentence at his level; one is being put in for at the next level.
Some other paperwork is being done, not clear on it all yet. When I know more I will post it.

Anybody still voting for the lesser of two evils?

Thanks, Bunkloco

Mich Hunter · Post by **Mich Hunter** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:48 am

Even Lou Dobbs on CNN could not figure out how any jury could convict in this case. The BATF has been overstepping alot in the last few years. The NRA needs to put out some pressure on this or they will see their membership numbers decline. By one atleast

Jaguarundi · Post by **Jaguarundi** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:18 am

Horse hockey and really scary.

PaperPatch · Post by **PaperPatch** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:13 am

On the matter of Olofson, here is a transcript of the closing arguements.

http://cache.search.yahoo-ht2.akadns.ne ... 1&.intl=us

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:27 am

Yep. The GOVERNMENT has just stated, in court, that no matter what happens, if your gun breaks they anc and will send you to jail

Under federal statute, under the statute thatMr. Olofson is charged with violating, Section 922(o) of Title18, a machine gun is defined as:Any weapon which shoots, isdesigned to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot,automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by asingle function of the trigger. That is, if you have a gun, you pull the trigger onceand more than one shot is fired, that firearm is a machine gun.

Note too that one of the things tha Hanged this guy was talking to the BATFE and admitting t "knowing" things... specifically "how to convert"... somthing any competent gunsmith knows.

Jeez. I'm doomed. I "know how" to build varietiy of WMDs, and I've got guns that can break.

Post by **Hobie** » Thu May 15, 2008 10:45 am

Let us point people back to the advice to get a lawyer and say nothing.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:16 pm

See sig.

Jason_W · Post by **Jason_W** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:34 pm

I'll make sure I never buy an SKS. Those often slam-fire

rbmcmjr · Post by **rbmcmjr** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:17 pm

That is, if you have a gun, you pull the trigger once and more than one shot is fired, that firearm is a machine gun.

This statement makes me worry for all of those older shotguns that sometimes double under recoil.

Rick

bogus bill · Post by **bogus bill** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:26 pm

I havent read all the facts in the case. But I get the feeling this guy is one of those argumentive type, probley egotistical and thought he could win without useing a darn lawyer etc.
I dont know him as he is a generation younger, but I was raised right there and went to high school in berlin. I used to have contacts and knew the cops there to get the real skinney, but they are all gone. The current police cheif is a brother to a shirt tail relative of mine, maybe I can get some feed back soon.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:34 pm

I don't know of a 10-22 that HASN'T double or triple fired often

Talk about tyrany by Fiat

Jason_W · Post by **Jason_W** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:37 pm

This is a complete travesty. The very fact that the ATF admits the full auto fire was due to a malfunction should have gotten the case thrown out.

Someone really needs to take the jackbooted thugs (and that's what they are) at the ATF down a peg or two. We need to rabidly get on our representatives to limit their power.

Also, no knock warrants need to go.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:50 pm

bogus bill wrote:I havent read all the facts in the case. But I get the feeling this guy is one of those argumentive type, probley egotistical and thought he could win without useing a darn lawyer etc.

He had a good lawyer, and even had Len Savage as an Expert Witness..

But I was unaware that (outside of the 5th Amendment issues mentioned on the other thread) being an egotistical type (he was on AR15.com after all) was grounds for prosecution/persecution.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Uh... how 'bout... "Don't Loan Guns."

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Jason_W wrote:This is a complete travesty. The very fact that the ATF admits the full auto fire was due to a malfunction

... and using soft primered, non commercial "test ammo" after it didn't double during the first tests...

shouldld have gotten the case thrown out....

Jason_W · Post by **Jason_W** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:52 pm

What about the president?

Isn't the end of a president's last term where they start going pardon-happy?

Why not toss one at someone who actually deserves one?

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:55 pm

Griff wrote:Uh... how 'bout... "Don't Loan Guns."

Yeah, 'cause the next thing you know it will be a crime to hand one to someone else without a 4473.

This isn't about the legal act of loaning someone a gun, it's about a railroad that has, for now, set the precedent that a broken gun can get you a Federal "Gun Conviction".

Jason_W · Post by **Jason_W** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:59 pm

I posted the reports on this case on a non-gun forum, and even the anti-gun people there think the case is a travesty.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:10 pm

Broken guns are now Machine Guns... Where was our 800lb gorilla?

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:14 pm

Old Ironsights wrote:Broken guns are now Machine Guns... Where was our 800lb gorilla?

Banging Sarah Brady.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:15 pm

Written by Jeff Knox, on 02-02-2008 23:26

Links to CNN, Lou Dobbs report on this case:

First Segment click here.

Second Segment click here.

Note: This is a longer format than our normal Knox Reports. This was written for general public consumption so forgive some of the rudimentary explanations, etc. A shorter, more concise version was produced for Shotgun News and other "gun media," but we felt it was best to post the full version here.

Here is a link to an image library containing dozens of documents from the case - Click Here. The library also contains a few photo's of military gear that has nothing to do with the case. Those interested in the details of the case can also read a long-running forum discussion on AR15.com which includes scanned immages of the case documents and comments on the case from Olofson himself. Olofson is known as Bladerunner2347 and posted this information himself as the case was developing. To read the entire 40+ pages of the discussion, click here .

The Accidental Felon

By Jeff Knox

(January 29, 2008) There are several ways for a person to unintentionally commit a felony, but most of them are looked at by prosecutors, judges, and juries as the accidents they are and dealt with accordingly. Such is not always the case however, especially when firearms are involved; for the past 2 years David Olofson has been learning that the hard way. Olofson is a regular guy who happens to be fond of AR15 style sport-utility rifles. He loaned a rifle to a friend. While the friend was shooting it he moved the safety switch to a point beyond the Fire position. The rifle fired a couple of short bursts and jammed. Someone at or near the club called the police to complain about machinegun fire. The police notified the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and David Olofson was subsequently charged and convicted of illegally transferring a machinegun.

Neither Olofson nor his friend was charged with possession of an unregistered machinegun or with illegally manufacturing, modifying, or otherwise making a machinegun. Obviously ATF did not believe they could convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Olofson or his friend had intentionally altered the rifle to fire full-auto so they prosecuted on the easier charge of transferring. Everyone agreed that the gun belonged to Olofson and that he had loaned it to his friend. That meant that the only issue in question in the case was whether the gun was a machinegun. Since ATF is the final arbiter in determining whether a gun is a machinegun, and the law defining machineguns tends to be selectively interpreted by them, the government had a distinct advantage.
As a matter of fact, when the ATF Firearms Technical Branch (FTB) examined the rifle they concluded that it was not a machinegun. They did find that if the Safety switch was moved beyond its normal range of motion, the gun would fire once and jam, leaving a loaded round in the chamber. They determined that moving the Safety in such a way interfered with the trigger disconnector causing the hammer to follow the bolt as it returned to battery rather than being stopped by the sear; a fairly common malfunction known as hammer-follow.

At the request of the local ATF agent, the FTB tested the gun a second time using a brand of .223 ammunition known for having sensitive primers. Those tests resulted in intermittent, unregulated, automatic fire and jamming due to hammer-follow, but this time the FTB concluded that, under strict interpretation of the law, the gunâ€™s malfunction did make it a machinegun.

The cornerstone of this charge is the governmentâ€™s contention that it doesnâ€™t matter whether a gun fires multiple shots as a result of malfunction or modification because the law defines a machinegun as; â€œâ€¦ any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.â€

bunklocoempire · Post by **bunklocoempire** » Thu May 15, 2008 7:00 pm

Interesting commentary from Len Savage expert witness for defense. At about 33:50. http://www.radioamerica.org/POD_ggl.htm

Thanks, Bunkloco

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Thu May 15, 2008 7:12 pm

From a fellow named "jarvis" over at MarlinOwners.com:

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/inde ... 724.0.html

jarvis wrote:I know that the gun blogosphere has been giving this a lot of press (in addition to CNN), but the facts show that this was a deserved conviction.

The defendant here was indicted by a grand jury, and convicted by a jury of his peers. Looking at the docket shows that he employed the service of private lawyers, as well as the Federal Public Defender. And, they look to have done a thorough job, filing numerous motions to supress incriminating statements made by Olofson to the police, as well as evidence (including the tools necessary to modify the gun in question to fire on full auto, as well as a manual describing how to do so).

Nor is it true that Olofson is being convicted because of a "malfunction," on the theory that any gun that fires two shots is a machine gun.

The Court instructed the jury "To obtain a convicton the government must prove that the defendant knew of the features of the gun that made it a 'machine gun' as defined by federal law when he transferred the gun. You may not conclude that the defendant had knowledge if he was merely negligent in discovering the truth." The Court continued:

"A machine gun is any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot . . . by a single function of the trigger. To sustain the charge . . . the government must prove the following propositions: First, that the defendatnt knowlingly transferred a machine gun; and Second, that the defendant knew, or was aware of, the essential characteristics of the firearm that made it a machine gun."

And the evidence that the jury heard, and to which it applied the Court's instructions, was damning. From the public record of the trial:

For example, Robert Kiernicki testified that Olofson made comments to him â€“ both before and after law enforcement officers seized Olofsonâ€™s firearm â€“ acknowledging that Olofson had himself fired the gun automatically in the past. Moreover, Firearms Technology Officer (FTO) Max Kingery testified that Olofsonâ€™s firearm fired automatically because, although it was a semiautomatic AR-15, it had M-16 fire control components installed in it. Kingery also testified that the particular M-16 components â€“ the trigger; the selector; the hammer; and the disconnector â€“ in Olofsonâ€™s firearm were not installed by the manufacturer. Someone had to have modified the firearm to include those four components. And e-mails and other documents on Olofsonâ€™s computer showed that he had ordered M-16 parts. Olofson also had a manual that described how to convert a semiautomatic AR-15 to an automatic M-16 by substituting the very M-16 parts that were in Olofsonâ€™s gun.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 15, 2008 7:29 pm

jarvis is talking through his Gooberment issued hat.

Technical Branch declared it to be a malfunction. There is a PDF of the letter that declared it so.

That wasn't good enough fot the attack dogs, so they fudged the second test. This is also documented - by the ATF.

Where this goob gets off with his Guberment Uber Alles brownnosing I can't figure...

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:14 pm

Maaaybe that is why the NRA didnt get involved. I am sorry but paranoia by gun people have always bothered me. I love guns and own them but I am a cop and think for myself. NO, I do not think the government is infalible or is above lying. I do however know that people (defendants) are not above lying either. I guess we will see when the truth comes out in the court records.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Thu May 15, 2008 10:04 pm

I guess you have to decide if "shall not be infringed" means the govt can infringe just a little, declare certain things illegal, and throw you in prison. You either believe in "shall not be infringed" or you dont. If you think having a machine gun should be illegal and someone should go to jail, then you do not believe in "shall not be infringed", and you have no right to call yourself a defender of the 2A. I am not advocating owning a machine gun without the proper paperwork, or modifying a weapon to make it a machine gun. I am saying that declaring it to be illegal is unConstitutional and a violation of the 2A, and we should all be decrying this tyranny. Mr Jarvis is just another phony 2A supporter and a backstabbing turncoat.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Thu May 15, 2008 10:16 pm

Old Ironsights wrote:
Griff wrote:Uh... how 'bout... "Don't Loan Guns."
Yeah, 'cause the next thing you know it will be a crime to hand one to someone else without a 4473.
This isn't about the legal act of loaning someone a gun, it's about a railroad that has, for now, set the precedent that a broken gun can get you a Federal "Gun Conviction".

My comment had nothing to do with this case or other any other, no underhanded motives, other than to point out that once you "loan a gun" it leaves your control and can be manipulated by persons unknown to you with consequences that may be attributed to you by those persons in trying to absolve themselves of their misdeeds.

I have and will likely continue to loan my guns to folks that I know and trust, or have them used within my presence where I can oversee their operation and maintain some semblence of control over them.

My comment was cautionary in nature to advise those on this forum I consider reasonable folks to do likewise. Without a comment on the legal merits of the case or specific facts or theorems thereof, one criticism I will make is that, in my not so humble opinion, this guy was an idiot to allow a "potential buyer" who was identified as a "casual acquaintance" to take possession of his gun and operate it in any manner he so desired, thereby giving up any control of the situation to this "buyer".

I may not be correct in my understanding of those basic facts, I've been known to have make a mistake before; but let's save some of the rhetoric for other venues.

Jeeps · Post by **Jeeps** » Thu May 15, 2008 10:28 pm

505stevec wrote:Maaaybe that is why the NRA didnt get involved. I am sorry but paranoia by gun people have always bothered me. I love guns and own them but I am a cop and think for myself. NO, I do not think the government is infalible or is above lying. I do however know that people (defendants) are not above lying either. I guess we will see when the truth comes out in the court records.

Not to bust your rocks Steve, but that paranoia is well deserved and very
much needed. There are thousands of people who wish to see the day we
can no longer put our hands on our guns.

If people around the block said they are going to steal my car, and have been
talking openly about making a key to enable them to do so.

I'm gonna get awful paranoid about someone taking my car.

_____________________________________________________________

I am a firm believer that there has always been since day one a semi "cold war"
between those who govern and those who are governed everywhere since
the beginning of civilization. It has been seen countless times over the centuries
that when a government has nothing to fear from those it governs it gets
pretty messy from there on out. Every time a gov. seeks to disarm a populace
it eventually works and terrible things happen after that.

EDIT: I forgot to add that what the BATFE is doing seems a prelude and a
chess-like setup to disarming "the people". No oversight, almost like giving
a three year old a squirt gun with acid in it. A lot of people are gonna get burned.

Paranoid? I would be silly to be anything else.

The worst possible thing to be said is "it can't happen here"

bunklocoempire · Post by **bunklocoempire** » Fri May 16, 2008 2:44 am

505stevec wrote:Maaaybe that is why the NRA didnt get involved. I am sorry but paranoia by gun people have always bothered me. I love guns and own them but I am a cop and think for myself. NO, I do not think the government is infalible or is above lying. I do however know that people (defendants) are not above lying either. I guess we will see when the truth comes out in the court records.

Apparently the appeal is being handled by the NRA

(Olofson) Bladerunner2347 wrote:
Appeal is being done with th NRA.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum4/9809-5.html

Bunkloco

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri May 16, 2008 8:38 am

bunklocoempire wrote:
505stevec wrote:Maaaybe that is why the NRA didnt get involved. I am sorry but paranoia by gun people have always bothered me. I love guns and own them but I am a cop and think for myself. NO, I do not think the government is infalible or is above lying. I do however know that people (defendants) are not above lying either. I guess we will see when the truth comes out in the court records.
Apparently the appeal is being handled by the NRA

(Olofson) Bladerunner2347 wrote:
Appeal is being done with th NRA.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum4/9809-5.html

Bunkloco

'bout time. They allowed a bad precedent to be set by their inaction.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Fri May 16, 2008 8:59 am

505stevec wrote: I am sorry but paranoia by gun people have always bothered me.

The fact that concern over gun rights bothers anyone, and the fact that they feel it neccessary to throw around an unwarranted label shows thier spots. People thought Randy Weaver was paranoid. He was set up, and his dog, son, wife, and unborn child were executed by the govt over half an inch on a shotgun barrel.

For some folks the dog would be enough to wage a war.

Post by **Hobie** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:36 am

505stevec wrote:Maaaybe that is why the NRA didnt get involved. I am sorry but paranoia by gun people have always bothered me. I love guns and own them but I am a cop and think for myself. NO, I do not think the government is infalible or is above lying. I do however know that people (defendants) are not above lying either. I guess we will see when the truth comes out in the court records.

And we all know that witnesses aren't always truthful either and not always intentionally but often because they are ignorant and simply put what they saw/heard into the context of their own experience.

Jason_W · Post by **Jason_W** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:47 am

I think this case was a tactic to scare honest Americans away from buying the sorts of guns that the ATF doesn't like. Call me a coward, but it's working on me, because, let's face it, the imprisonment part isn't the actual punishment you get.

What do you all think? Is it worthwhile to write our congressmen about this case? What about trying to get the ball rolling to either limit the power of the ATF or dissolve them completely? waste of time?

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:48 am

The fact that they showed the Tech Branch letter saying the AR was NOT a "machine gun" on CNN then proceeded to change the rules and convict him anyway should scare the hell out of people.

Jason_W · Post by **Jason_W** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:53 am

Old Ironsights wrote:The fact that they showed the Tech Branch letter saying the AR was NOT a "machine gun" on CNN then proceeded to change the rules and convict him anyway should scare the hell out of people.

Exactly. It amolst seems like they convicted him on the grounds of "just cuz we don't like you."

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:56 am

I am surprised they did not have an anonymous call saying that Olofson might have issues with DV because he made one of his children go to their room as punishment for breaking the rules. Just think, that's all it takes! No we have the feds making rules and laws as they go....what is the name of this country again????

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:07 am

bunklocoempire wrote:[
Apparently the appeal is being handled by the NRA

That is not a good thing. If they get this case overturned, I will renew with a life membership. I'm not holding my breath.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri May 16, 2008 3:21 pm

On the NRA & BATFE:

-----------------------------

Americans today are drowning in an ocean of lies. Virtually everything they think they know -- about history, about economics, about the Constitution and the law, about a hundred other things -- is wrong.
The shameful truth about the National Rifle Association, for example, is that there seems to be some kind of mutually beneficial -- symbiotic -- relationship between that group, which would like you to believe it was created to protect the Second Amendment right of the people to keep and bear arms, and the agency that enforces federal gun laws, the notorious Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Neither could exist without the other to prop it up.

The BATFE needs the NRA to keep resisting its agenda (or at least appearing to do so) so it can whimper to Congress that it needs more money, more manpower, more machinery, and most of all, more leeway with regard to its habitual violations of its victims' Constitutional rights.

Similarly, the NRA needs the BATFE to frighten its membership with (not to mention prospective members), using the violent and corrupt federal agency as a bogey-man, and its well-known illegal depredations and terror tactics to extract more money from those who foolishly believe the NRA can protect them -- or even has an interest in doing so.

From time to time, both sides go through the motions of holding well-publicized Congressional hearings so that the NRA and its pet politicians can pretend to shock and horror at what BATFE does (something they must actually hear about on a daily basis), when their real purpose is to enhance its evil image as a credible threat to gunowners.

In 1968, the NRA "signed off" on Thomas Dodd's Nazi-inspired Gun Control Act, a story of deceit and treachery we've told here before - as covered in the book "Gateway to Tyranny". (JPFO discovered this nasty connection, and that Dodd requested a translation of Hitler's gun laws from the Library of Congress.) And never forget how the NRA actually helped resurrect the Brady Bill (the whole story is told at http://www.rmgo.org/brady.shtml ) -- under which you must now beg for and receive the government's permission to buy a gun -- after it was considered to be as dead as a doornail in Congress.

The very existence of the BATFE, and therefore everything it does, violates the Second Amendment, and is therefore illegal. And yet, at http://www.jpfo.org/pdf/nraletter.pdf you can see for yourself, in the NRA's own words, how and why it defends the existence of this criminal gang, and what the more highly principled Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, has to say about that. Vin Suprynowicz, columnist and assistant editorial page editor at the Las Vegas Review Journal simply calls the NRA "the world's oldest and largest gun control organization".

While it often calls publically for BATFE reforms (that turn out to be empty rhetoric because the agency's value as an NRA fundraising device must never be compromised), the NRA has never called for -- and will never call for -- abolition of this unconstitutional agency, repeal of the tangled mass of unconstitutional laws it enforces, or even such badly-needed interim reforms as standardized, published firearms testing procedures, and fully recorded tests, accessible to public review, crucial issues over which perfectly innocent, law- abiding Americans are presently wasting huge chunks of their lives in prison.

Read that letter again: http://www.jpfo.org/pdf/nraletter.pdf and see the terrible truth. The NRA doesn't care at all about the Second Amendment, the Constitution, the rights and safety of its members, or even the individuals rotting in jail thanks the NRA indifference and inaction. All the NRA cares about is membership money, tax-free contributions, expensive advertising in its magazines from cowardly, compromising corporations (as opposed to smaller gunmakers who truly believe in the Second Amendment), benefits packages and "golden parachutes" for its executives, and its obscene relationship with the BATFE.

And now Thomas Jefferson's "long train of abuses and usurpations" -- it's an express, these days -- has blasted past yet another set of warning signals. The latest in the NRA's seemingly endless catalog of insults and injuries to gun owners and to the Bill of Rights in general occurred when a concerned individual wrote to them about a court case in which an extremely dangerous precedent has recently been set.

The concerned individual was Len Savage, gun designer, firearms expert witness, and the proprietor of Historic Arms LLC. What he said was:

"Yesterday the government ... redefined what a machine gun is: any firearm that malfunctions and fires more than one round before jamming."

[The court case in which this happened is US v. Olofson; trial transcipts are now available at http://www.jpfo.org/pdf02/olofson-trial-tran-2-0f-3.pdf and http://www.jpfo.org/pdf02/olofson-trial-tran-3-0f-3.pdf. You may also want to listen to Len Savage discussing related legal issues on "Talkin' to America"].

"Judge Clevert (I am told) stated that it does not matter what ammunition, or what error rate ATF testing has, or that a malfunction occurred, or even if it required ATF to modify the firearm, just that more than one round be fired per function of the trigger.

"Every firearm in possession of your membership is a 'machine gun' under this narrow interpretation. This is scientific fact, not my opinion. For example:

* A double barrel shotgun firing both barrels with a single trigger pull;

* A Colt single action loaded with thin-primer ammo (the pierced primer will 'fan' the hammer with gas pressure). Look up Georgia machine gun statute, they exempted it by stating a machine gun must fire more than 6 shots per function of the trigger;

* The ATF Firearms Technology Branch can test a rifle 100 different times; if they can manipulate it just once out of 100, you're indicted.

"The NRA's Jason Ouimet has been aware of this situation at ATF since before the congressional hearings on 'the Virginia gun show incident'. I was supposed to testify at the hearings about the ATF testing issues at that time. Much to my frustration, the hearing I was supposed to testify at was canceled. According to Jason, it was [the] NRA who pulled the plug on me.

"Now that the whole of the NRA membership is in jeopardy just by owning a firearm, [are] Wayne LaPierre, Chris Cox, and the NRA board going to do something about this during this week's convention?

"Please pass this on to them:

* Words will not be sufficient. If this gets "unplugged", [if] the NRA refuses to address this issue, I will [have] no choice but to go to the media with documents and e-mails from [the] NRA that were generated during the last round of hearings. I will pull back the rug and show the world where [the] NRA swept this mess under [it] to hide it.

"Please forgive my abrupt and obtuse attitude. It is born of frustration [with the] deaf ears of the NRA leadership. I am there if I can to help the NRA, thus to date the NRA have refused to address this.

"My question to NRA leadership:

"Is this weekend's convention going to be your finest hour, or will this be noted in history as the beginning of the end of the NRA?

"Respectfully,

"Len Savage "Historic Arms LLC"

Len's letter was answered by somebody named Jason Ouimet (be sure to write to him at JOuimet@nrahq.org -- for as long as that e-mail address remains good) described as the NRA "federal liaison":

"Len, "You sent me an email not long ago titled 'olive branch' where you indicated that you wanted to be able to have an open dialogue with me and keep me posted on relevant firearms, issues, cases, etc. and I agreed. However, in this email you took a nasty, blatantly FALSE swipe at me and the NRA, and sent it to other people I don't even know. So from this point forward consider our relationship terminated. Do not call or email me again in the future. "Jason"

Again, Ouimet's address is JOuimet@nrahq.org -- until he changes it.

Len wrote back:

"Jason,

"Swipe?

"By the way those 'unknown people' are on the NRA legislative action committee. As a Federal liaison you don't know them?

"Cut the stuff, Jason, when is the last time you took my calls or answered a voice mail to call me back?

"Len Savage

Clearly, this desk-warming, chair-polishing flunky needs to be reminded of his proper place in the scheme of things. Every gun owner -- this means you -- is in grave danger as a result of this ruling, which makes it extremely risky even to get caught taking a broken gun to a gunsmith for repair. He is not permitted to treat the individuals who write to him -- especially those who are attempting to help him -- like unruly peasants being disrespectful to their feudal Lord and Master.

At least not yet. I disagree with Len Savage about "the beginning of the end of the NRA". Their future looks pretty darned sunshiny to me.

High on the list of Things I Know But Cannot Prove is that this court ruling -- which we'd otherwise be inclined to dismiss as insane or corrupt -- is deliberately intended to achieve a larger purpose. If any gun can suddenly and mysteriously become a machinegun, then new regulations will be required to force gun owners to bring their guns in for an annual inspection to make sure they haven't been up to no good.

And when these annual inspections, to make sure your single action sixgun hasn't mutated into a machinegun, exhaust the resources of the BATFE, you can bet the inspection will wind up being done by bright- eyed and bushy-tailled volunteers from the NRA. Just as when our guns all have to be stowed in lockers at the local gun club we're required to become members of, they'll be NRA lockers at an NRA-sanctioned club.

What can be done? At this stage, plenty. CNN's Lou Dobbs has been covering this mess. Catch up with the latest by Googling him and Olofson. Then write thanking him for his principled stance on this issue.

Learn who your representative on the NRA board of directors is and write to him or her demanding the same kind of principled behavior -- and, of course, that Jason Ouimet be fired. Copy the entire NRA leadership. Make everything you send to them an open letter and, together with whatever reply you get, spam it out as far and wide as possible.

Perhaps you'd even like to take these issues up with the NRA's leadership in person, at their 137th Annual "Meetings and Exhibits" in Louisville, Kentucky, but you'll have to hurry -- the event begins May 16th.

See http://www.nraam.org

Stop feeding the fraud. If you're an annual NRA member, or your membership is up for renewal, withhold your money until the vile, corrupt collusion between the NRA and the BATFE, this disgusting mutual love-fest -- and the dire consequences it has for every gun owner -- comes to an end. Make no more contributions until the NRA stops making excuses and the BATFE is abolished. Work to remove any board member who does not actively strive to abolish the BATFE. Demand that they stop endorsing politicians who are not true Second Amendment supporters.

If you want to help abolish the BATFE yourself, get a copy of The Gang http://www.thegangmovie.com/, the JPFO documentary exposing its long history of irresponsible, malicious, and criminal action. Study it, show it to your friends, at gun club and other meetings. Likewise, at http://shop.jpfo.org/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=8, the message of Innocents Betrayed encourages a greater understanding of how evil "gun control" -- and the acts of genocide it makes possible -- truly is. Learn how governments have historically deprived their own people of firearms -- and then wiped them from the face of the earth.

Undoubtedly the most effective way, in the long run, to deal with entities like the BATFE is a program we call "Take Your Money Back" which will abolish the federal income tax and federal regulatory agencies would be defunded. The obvious place to start is with those agencies that -- like the BATFE -- are a violation of the Constitution. Go to www.TakeYourMoneyBack.com and see.

Finally, as an NRA Life member for the past 35 years, I find that I have several membership cards that have been practically screaming to be ceremonially burned for the benefit of YouTube. I can only imagine -- and savor -- the reactions by various segments of the press and public (not to mention the NRA) if I am joined by even a hundred other angry NRA members, let alone perhaps thousands or tens of thousands.

Watch who steps forward to defends this incestuous NRA/BATFE affair. They are neither your friends, nor friends of the Second Amendment. Could be it's time for a little of that revolution Jefferson wrote about.

-- LNS

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:54 pm

It just seems that everyone is always advocating "run for the hills" "My cold dead fingers" etc... Here everyone seems to be against the NRA. Whe the Liberal Media bashes guns owners its the NRA they fire at first. What ever happened to the feeling : "if we dont all hang together we will surely all hang separately". All I ever hear is head to the woods or some other such nonsence. If this guy is indeed a stand up guy then right will prevail. Somehow the word will get out. If he is a nut case then why bother to defend him. Isnt that the kind of person we dont want to have guns anyway? Lets say this is not a case of 2nd ammendment. but he is a cop being tried for excessive force. Many of you would have hung him out to dry just on the basis of him being a cop. I have read several diferent postings that show him as not all that innocent. why waste breath on him. The court documents are public record what do they really say about what happened. In my experience the truth of the matter ussually lies somewhere in the middle of the fight. IMHO

Jeeps · Post by **Jeeps** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:58 pm

Sad part is, I can really imagine the treasurer of the NRA wringing his hands
together saying "good job letting that sucker get convicted, the cash will be
rolling in now".

Once they appeal and get him off they will appear mightier than ever.

They have after all been dealing with politicians for quite awhile and have
more than likely picked up bad "greedy" habits.