Once again, “the Cat’s away, so the mice will play!” Our illustrious President, Dave Funk is burning the candle at both ends working at the Iowa State Fair these days, so I’m on tap for this week’s President’s Message. You’re going to get a veritable stew, if you will — there’s a lot going down these days.
Laws for me but not for thee! Can you think of a current case where this applies? (Can you think of one where it Does NOT Apply?!)
First, in today’s news, Hunter Biden’s attorneys are arguing that the sweet diversion deal on the gun charge (you know, the one that DOESN’T send him to jail?), yeah…Anyway, his attorneys are arguing that even though the entire plea deal fell apart in court under the judge’s scrutiny in late July, the deal on the gun charge is separate and still binding. Really?
Specifically, a Fox News article reports:
Hunter Biden’s legal team said in a Sunday court filing that federal prosecutors reneged on a plea deal reached by both parties in June, and an agreement reached on a felony gun charge against the president’s son still stands.
The article goes on to report:
The filing says “the Defendant intends to abide by the terms of the Diversion Agreement that was executed at the July 26 hearing”…
Of course, this filing came two days after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed David Weiss as special counsel to lead investigations into Hunter Biden. This is the same U.S. Attorney for Delaware who led a very slow and lax prosecution into the tax and gun charges eventually levied against Hunter Biden and who crafted the original “sweetheart deal” on both that came apart in court last month. (Funny, I seem to recall that when the judge clarified with the prosecutors that immunity from additional crimes would not apply to Hunter, HIS attorneys declared – in court – that the entire agreement was “null and void”). Here is a link to the full article, if you care to read it: Hunter Biden’s Attorneys Argue Gun Deal Still Stands
Growing up as a military brat, I learned ALL the acronyms — including RHIP (Rank Has Its Privileges)! Indeed.
Nothing to see here folks. Moving on…
School Districts Arming Staff & Employing More Security
In the aftermath of Uvalde, Texas conservative lawmakers have been pushing for more teachers to be armed. Although many teachers have voiced opposition, “the strategy is catching on with more and more isolated school districts, like Harrold, where the nearest officer is miles away”. In this article (now over one-year-old), Harrold Independent School District Arms Half of its Staff, this very remote small rural school district on the Texas/Oklahoma border has armed fully one-half of its staff to thwart any would-be active shooter threats. Cody Patton, Superintendent of Harrold Schools, says:
I have two daughters in this school…But basically every kid who walks in that door is my child, and I’m responsible for their safety and make sure they get home to mom and dad at the end of the day. So we want to give our employees whatever they need to protect our kids.
So how does the general public feel about this idea? In this 26-minute YouTube video from Bearing Arms, Cam & Co. Research Shows Armed Teachers Save Lives, Cam interviews Dr. J. Eric Dietz with the Homeland Security Institute at Purdue University about effective measures to save lives. Dr. Dietz says that “so much of what’s going on, isn’t accomplishing that”. Dr. Dietz says that, based on their research, an on-site school resource officer who responds without delay can reduce casualties by about 70%, but stated that when you add just 5% of teachers with concealed carry, you can have even better casualty reductions. He went on to say that if armed teachers were focused on just protecting the kids in their classrooms, they could further reduce casualties by another 5-10%. The video also discusses the reality of police response time, saying in most places in the country it ranges between 5-10 minutes, and sometimes more.
Public attitudes toward this idea are changing: A poll by the Trafalgar group polled 1,091 general election voters and found that 57.2% of the respondents said they felt a school shooting situation would be more dangerous without armed teachers. The video is worth listening to and the link is above.
Meanwhile, here in Iowa…IFC Educators Academy Begins!
IFC is launching its first-ever Educator Academy beginning this morning. For the next three days, selected scholarship applicants — all of whom are employed by an Iowa school — will be getting intensive training on Active Shooter Response. The premier trainers (Lt. Col. Ed Monk (U.S. Army Ret.) & owner Last Resort Firearms Training) and Adam Winch (Former Law Enforcement and Military Policy Officer with duties including SWAT, Quick Reaction Team, and trainer for Colorado National Guard) and John McLaughlin (Chair of Iowa Firearms Coalition, Active Self Protection and NRA certified firearms trainer) will review the statistics and realities of active shooter events, discuss in-depth what works (and what doesn’t) to counter an active shooter, put the participants through the paces with safe gun handling, dry fire practice, drawing from concealment and then on to live fire drills, then timed live fire drills. Participants must shoot qualifying scores to pass. In addition, there is a trauma medicine segment. This is not for the faint-hearted and I guarantee you the participants will be bone tired when this event concludes. Stay tuned next week for a recap!
Guess I better close. Dave will never turn me loose again! 🙂
Join the fight for our Second Amendment rights. Join IFC. We need every body! The threats are increasing every day.
IFC was at Brownell’s GunCon Saturday and what a blast! Lots of vendors showing off cool guns, suppressors, gadgets, gear, tech, dry fire systems, and ammo, among other things. Even the tornado watch alerts added to the excitement. There were several panel discussions throughout the day by social media influencers who responded to audience questions — [Click HERE(and scroll down) to see a list of the participants & sponsors]. A few of the panelists were sharing the broadcast on their YouTube channels. Folks who were streaming the event remotely were also able to submit questions. There were other ad hoc presentations throughout the day as well — for example, they had an emergency first aid session, a reloading demonstration, and so on.
The atmosphere was upbeat and most of the vendors participated in a raffle prize giveaway. Lucky winners won guns, holsters, ammo, suppressor cans, scopes, an air rifle, optics, muzzle flash suppressors, and on and on! A meal ticket and five raffle tickets were given to each participant with their admission. If you didn’t make it this year, keep a close eye out for future GunCon announcements because the tickets this year sold out in three days!
Thank You Brownell’s – A Great Event!
Brownell’s facility is top-notch! It is immaculate and well-constructed. I was impressed by their warehouse, their cafeteria, and the obvious importance they place on integrity, ethics, and workmanship. Everything about the day was flawless. It was clear that Brownell’s put tons of effort into putting together a great event. There was a whiteboard with squares for ‘sticky notes’ where employees could anonymously and quickly share suggestions for improvements. The atmosphere reminded me of a software firm where I used to work. IFC is proud to have Brownell’s as a Trusted Partner!
The IFC team was there to spread the word about the work being done by the Iowa Firearms Coalition, our upcoming events, our effectiveness at getting 2A-friendly legislation passed since inception, and also at preventing bad gun bills from seeing the light of day. We sold some hats and shirts, but mostly we talked and responded to questions from current and new members. We signed up several new members and spoke with anyone willing to stop for a moment. Our location was phenomenal: we were set up just to the side of the seating area where everyone came to listen to the various presentations.
Stephen Willeford, “The Barefoot Defender”
And this brings me to what turned out, for me, to be the most impactful part of the day. Next to us, the only other gun rights organization present was Gun Owners of America. They have hired Stephen Willeford, “The Barefoot Defender”, as their national spokesperson. Iowa Firearms Coalition had invited Stephen to be our guest speaker at our 2022 Lobby Day and also to attend and speak at the IFC-PAC Dinner that evening. I remember being gobsmacked by his story. He is well worth listening to…this ordinary human being who was called to do an extraordinary thing when the Sutherland Springs Church in Texas was attacked, resulting in 26 deaths. If not for Stephen, there would have been many, many more.
I am one of those people who might react immediately but I “think slow”. By that I mean that I often find myself reflecting on what I learn, or hear, or see, for months and sometimes even years after an event. Gradually, it fits in its own niche, somewhere deep in my psyche. Such has been the case with hearing Mr. Willeford speak in February 2022 — it’s taken me some time to process his message, and the events of that day. So, I took the opportunity to talk with him a bit more on Saturday, and bought another copy of his book, A Town Called Sutherland Springs, which he autographed for my son.
Sunday, I re-read my own copy, fresh from talking with him. It is not an easy story to read and I was even more deeply moved, reading it for a second time. He’s a regular guy. No military or law enforcement experience, but an experienced marksman and passionate Second Amendment supporter nonetheless, who found that his prior training drills – friendly competitions with friends – and hunting experience served him, and his community, very well — when he most needed it. Very religious, very humble, very funny and very much in love with his large family. He showed me a photo of his growing family on his phone and proudly told me that all of his adult children, their spouses and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren, have chosen to build homes and live on his family’s land, together. He said that the shooting at the church and its aftermath has brought his close family even closer.
Now…It’s Up to Each of Us
I’ll leave you with this thought: Volunteering for Iowa Firearms Coalition has been personally rewarding for me and has afforded me opportunities – like GunCon – that I would probably not have experienced…or would have experienced differently. I have no special skills, but am an ardent supporter of our RKBA and other rights granted by God and enshrined in our U.S. Constitution. There is NO reason that any of you cannot become more involved.
If you ARE a member, volunteer to do just ONE thing. I first volunteered to work at gun shows.
If you care about your Second Amendment rights (which are under severe threat by the current administration and the alphabet agencies), for heaven’s sake, GET INVOLVED! Our collective voice is our strength and we’re going to need all the strength we can muster. Membership is just $35 per year.
As the saying goes, while the cat’s away, the mice will play! IFC’s illustrious President, Dave Funk, who normally pens this message, decided he needed a little vacation. Reluctantly, we let him go. (Hope you’re having a good time, Dave!) So, this message is a look back at the year so far and a couple of things to come.
Legislation
2023 has already been quite a year for IFC members. Granted, the legislature did not deliver for us, but it was not for lack of effort! Our volunteer Lobbyist, Richard Rogers, spent every day at the Capitol impressing on the legislators the importance of the bills we were supporting and trying to garner the votes needed to pass them. Michael Ware, also on the Board of Directors, put in countless hours, and others wrote pieces explaining the purpose of each bill and why it was important, drafted information pieces for our members, and wrote letters for our members to submit via Action Alerts. (If you haven’t used our Action Center yet, take a look here.)
All to no avail…I can tell you that IFC is not used to this! Historically, IFC has helped to get many 2A bills ‘over the finish line’ (and “killed” many bills that never should see the light of day). If you want to see just how effective IFC has been over the years, look here. But you can’t win them all, unfortunately, and we now have information about the opposition to these bills so will be better able to position them for success next Session. As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “I’ll be back!”.
2A Lobby Day 2023
Then, in February, there was 2A Lobby Day. Of course, it snowed and it WAS windy and cold, but that did not stop folks from trekking to the Capitol. If you missed it, I’m sorry. Kris Paronto “Tanto” of legendary Benghazi fame, talked straight from the heart to the attendees in the Rotunda.
He and his team were the victims of red tape, indecision, politics and bureaucracy — delays and bad decisions that cost Ambassador Stevens his life. Tanto and his team were absolutely caught out, seriously outgunned. No one came to their rescue–all night long. Since no one (on the other side) was in uniform, one of the biggest challenges was identifying the friendlies from the terrorists. His retelling of the story was detailed, heart-wrenching, and raw. It was clear that his life, and the lives of his team, were irrevocably changed. If you did miss the event, be sure to watch 13 Hours.
2A Lobby Day 2024
In the meantime, SAVE THE DATE! January 18, 2024, at the Capitol for the 2024 2A Lobby Day. Gabby Franco (competitive shooter previously featured on Top Shot, and Walther Firearms representative) moved to the US from Venezuela and is now a US Citizen. Her story is compelling and a cautionary tale about what can happen if we don’t protect our Second Amendment rights. More information to come!
First Responder Training April 2023
Now rewind to April and a day of First Responder & Self Defense Training in Newton. Organized by Michael Ware, and John McLaughlin (who conducted the training), this event was held in a church in Newton. 172 people attended and they learned about situational awareness, concealment, and cover, how and when to apply a tourniquet, or use a chest seal or pack a wound. They also learned “Firearms 101” and practiced with pepper spray (inert cannisters). It was a fantastic day. Many church security folks were there. Several farmers and farmers’ wives, and their kids, also attended. One shared with me that she wanted to come because, “If he’s out on the tractor and one of the kids gets hurt, I need to know what to do”.
On The Border 2023
Just this past week, I had an eye-opening trip (not affiliated with IFC) to the Yuma sector of our border in Arizona. Our group heard from the Mayor of Yuma, the recently retired Chief of the Border Patrol/Yuma Sector, farmers and educators and health care providers working in the area, the Sheriff, and other Border Patrol agents on the job. I have actually spent 25 years of my life living along the border (not in the Yuma sector), so I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the situation but “Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore!” Things have definitely changed since the last administration and now that Title 42 has expired, the situation is even more grim. The impacts to public safety, hospitals and other medical facilities, and to the schools is horrendous. The number of apprehensions is staggering and the amount of fentanyl (and other drugs) coming across is unfathomable.
The border wall — where it exists — really is a great big beautiful wall (as shown in photo below)…with gaps that are as wide as two tour busses end-to-end in some places. This “gap” wasn’t quite that large. Perhaps only as wide as a single tour bus.
We were told that apprehensions over the past year were from 140 countries, with apprehensions from Mexico ranking 8th or 9th.
They are seeing more people attempt border crossings from Russia and China; the highest number of apprehensions was single Adult Males. It was an informative, astounding and disheartening trip. The need for border security and for immigration reform is paramount.
Next Up: IFC Educator Academy
Looking forward, IFC is hosting the IFC Educator’s Academy August 15-17 for eighteen very fortunate Iowa school employees who will spend three jam-packed days learning from experts about Active Shooter situations in schools and being trained on how to effectively counter that threat. IFC is not only putting this program together and bringing in the experts, but is sponsoring $1,000 scholarships for those fortunate school employees, to cover the cost of the program. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, or to learn more about the program, check out the link above.
Join IFC!
Yes, we are that busy! Keep in mind, IFC is an all-volunteer organization. If you want to get involved, JOIN IFC! We are always looking for new talent to help out with these events and at gun shows…(Oops! I forgot to mention the numerous gun shows!) Oh, and I forgot to mention the weekly vlog from John McLaughlin “Warrior Wednesdays“! There is indeed a lot going on at IFC. We could really use some help with those gun shows, with graphic design, event coordination, and to help further develop our Trusted Partners program, which is one of the ways we are adding value to your membership.
Thus ends the “surrogate President’s Message” for the week! 🙂
IFC is embarking on a new venture – one designed to keep Iowa’s school children safer. IFC is offering a part of the SOLUTION when evil walks through the doors of our schools. Gun-free zones, like schools, are attractive to active shooters because they will not encounter armed resistance to their assault, until the police arrive. And our children’s bodies stack up.
IFC is offering eighteen $1,000 scholarships to cover the cost of the Academy for the selected participants. Several scholarship applications have already been filed. If you are employed by Iowa schools, have a Permit to Carry (or can obtain one prior to the Academy), and want to be prepared to protect the students in your school, you can file a scholarship application HERE.
Listen to Michael Ware of IFC talking with Simon Conway on an iheart.com podcast about this opportunity.
ACADEMY INSTRUCTION
The training will feature three renowned instructors:
Adam Winch / military veteran and police trainer, of Defenders-USA
John McLaughlin / Chair of the IFC Board & Certified Instructor
The 30 hours of training begins with an in-depth review of the history of active shooters in school situations, and the necessity of having Present, Trained and Willing defenders at the school, to protect the children. This premise is the foundation of the course and is derived from over twenty years of research on mass shooting incidents, by Lt. Col. Ed Monk. He provides a compelling narrative and breaks down the statistics, drawing a mathematically derived conclusion that ONLY by having Present, Trained and Willing defenders on-site will casualties be reduced. This portion of the training will be live streamed to Iowa educators wishing to watch remotely (watch for future information on how to access), and will also be recorded for future training sessions.
The remainder of the training focuses on building skills through dry fire, then live fire at a variety of distances and speeds, repetition, incorporating basic tactical movement, and focusing on accuracy and firing under pressure. Participants will have a baseline assessment before the training. Additional blocks of training include Trauma Medicine, Deep Concealment for Educators, and What to Do When the Shooting Stops.
Three indoor ranges at CrossRoads will be used for the training. Six participants will work with one of the instructors and each range will have a Range Safety Officer to assist. There will be a second skills assessment prior to the end of the Academy.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
This is an opportunity to become part of the solution. To seek individual training like this at your own expense would be very costly. This is an immersive experience featuring modern learner-centric educational theory and data-driven analysis of real world threats. Our response to active shooters at schools cannot be the simple offering of thoughts and prayers. We must counter the active shooter threat.
For a compelling breakdown of this topic, CLICK HERE to hear Michael Ware of Iowa Firearm Coalition discuss the ATF Pistol Brace rule on “The Newsline”, NewsTalk 1540 KXEL radio, yesterday. It is well worth a listen, as he brings to light the more insidious potential effects from implementation of this rule which may not have occurred to you.
THE BACKGROUND
Back in November of 2012, a Federal Firearms Licensee submitted the first forearm stabilizing brace to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), asking if affixing this device to an AR-style pistol would change the pistol’s classification under Federal firearms rules. The submitter explained that the purpose of these stabilizing braces is to assist shooters with disabilities or those with limited strength to fire heavy pistols.
The ATF reviewed the submission and determined that pistol braces did not change the classification of the firearm (i.e., did not make it a regulated firearm and no NFA Tax Stamp or registration of the firearm was required).
Over the course of the next decade, many manufacturers devised pistol braces to assist shooters with control and improve their ability to shoot accurately. Many returning wounded veterans would not be able to shoot a firearm without these braces. Over the course of more than ten years, countless shooters purchased these – some for multiple firearms, to improve accuracy and stability. While the ATF estimates that there are approximately three million of these braces currently affixed to firearms, industry experts think that number is exceedingly low.
“At least three million guns with stabilizing braces are in circulation in the U.S., according to the ATF. Estimates by the Congressional Research Service indicate there are currently between 10 million and 40 million stabilizing braces in circulation.”
Whatever the number, the point is that these braces were added to firearms after the ATF held (for more than ten years), that they are perfectly legal.
HOWEVER, and without ANY legal action taken by Congress, the ATF made a new determination that because these braces being affixed to AR pistols lengthened the firearm and were intended to be shot from the shoulder, NOW those braces did, in fact, change the classification of the firearm to one falling under the NFA (requiring registration).
This new rule was eventually signed by U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, (who was coincidentally sworn into office in March of 2021). The rule became effective on January 31, 2023. The ATF unilaterally proclaimed that “Previous ATF classifications involving “stabilizing brace” attachments for firearms are superseded and considered null and void effective January 31, 2023”. Meaning that, since January 2023, a stabilizing brace has been illegal and owning one makes you a felon. The ATF did allow a “grace period” for firearms owners to comply: Compliance with the new rule was extended to May 31, 2023.
This means that owners of firearms with stabilizing braces must either submit their firearm(s) with a stabilizing brace to the ATF for consideration to register the firearm (remember, there are millions of these in use today) OR destroy the firearm (because it is now—after ten years in common use—illegal) OR become a felon.
Are YOU a FELON? Who knows? There have been court challenges, of course, to this new rule and just yesterday, the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals filed an injunction preventing the ATF from enforcing its new rule – but the injunction appears to only apply to those who filed the appeals case.
“The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday enjoined the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from enforcing its new rule against gun owners and Second Amendment groups who filed a lawsuit challenging the regulation [emphasis added]. The temporary injunction comes days before a deadline for individuals to register their pistol braces with ATF, destroy them, or remove the accessories from their weapons. Those that do not comply with the regulation by May 31 will be forced to pay a fee.”
This is yet another example, in a long line of federal agency overreach. Alphabet agencies, like the ATF, are essentially making laws affecting the American people, without Congressional action and without the checks and balances established in our form of government.
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So how does the general public feel about this idea? In this 26-minute YouTube video from Bearing Arms, Cam & Co. Research Shows Armed Teachers Save Lives, Cam interviews Dr. J. Eric Dietz with the Homeland Security Institute at Purdue University about effective measures to save lives. Dr. Dietz says that “so much of what’s going on, isn’t accomplishing that”. Dr. Dietz says that, based on their research, an on-site school resource officer who responds without delay can reduce casualties by about 70%, but stated that when you add just 5% of teachers with concealed carry, you can have even better casualty reductions. He went on to say that if armed teachers were focused on just protecting the kids in their classrooms, they could further reduce casualties by another 5-10%. The video also discusses the reality of police response time, saying in most places in the country it ranges between 5-10 minutes, and sometimes more.
IFC is launching its first-ever Educator Academy beginning this morning. For the next three days, selected scholarship applicants — all of whom are employed by an Iowa school — will be getting intensive training on Active Shooter Response. The premier trainers (Lt. Col. Ed Monk (U.S. Army Ret.) & owner Last Resort Firearms Training) and Adam Winch (Former Law Enforcement and Military Policy Officer with duties including SWAT, Quick Reaction Team, and trainer for Colorado National Guard) and John McLaughlin (Chair of Iowa Firearms Coalition, Active Self Protection and NRA certified firearms trainer) will review the statistics and realities of active shooter events, discuss in-depth what works (and what doesn’t) to counter an active shooter, put the participants through the paces with safe gun handling, dry fire practice, drawing from concealment and then on to live fire drills, then timed live fire drills. Participants must shoot qualifying scores to pass. In addition, there is a trauma medicine segment. This is not for the faint-hearted and I guarantee you the participants will be bone tired when this event concludes. Stay tuned next week for a recap!
He and his team were the victims of red tape, indecision, politics and bureaucracy — delays and bad decisions that cost 
They are seeing more people attempt border crossings from Russia and China; the highest number of apprehensions was single Adult Males. It was an informative, astounding and disheartening trip. The need for border security and for immigration reform is paramount.
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