Virginia passed it’s anti-texting law to try to be tougher on people who are driving distractedly and texting. As I’ve said before, this law is unnecessary. And after seeing it in practice for a few years, it’s actually letting people off the hook for traffic violations. The problem is that a lot of officers write […]

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St. Michael the Archangel,defend us in battle.Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,and do thou,O Prince of the heavenly hosts,by the power of God,cast into hell Satan,and all the evil spirits,…

While I’m not as avid about it as I was a few years ago, I still try to get in some dry fire practice once or twice a week. I generally use my shot timer to start each practice string. However, since the timer doesn’t pick up the hammer fall from the u…

I’m talking about the 3 defenses that potential clients think are good for reckless driving charges. Do they really work? Find out. Call me about your VA reckless driving case today. I Was Going With The Flow It Wasn’t Me I Was Going Downhill © marketing for Andrew Flusche, 2016. | Permalink | No comment […]

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IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America 

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. …

So many people today seems to have forgotten the reason these words were written. On this Independence Day, I’ve been reflecting on the ongoing and ever-increasing attacks on freedom by the obama administration and comrades over the years. The left’s ongoing war to strengthen their hold over free Americans has reached a level of oppression unmatched in recent history. We find ourselves fighting yet another war against tyranny.

The president and his conspirators — some willing, some just useful idiots — have recently pulled out a favorite tool of oppressive regimes throughout history. In the past weeks the enemies of freedom have shown their true colors through an unabashed promotion of secret “lists” to which they can add Americans, with no due process, or even knowledge, by the affected citizen. Not content with failed and ineffective attempts to track terrorists, those in power now seek to use their secret lists to deny Constitutional rights to law-abiding citizens. Of all this administration’s attacks on the Constitution and our freedom over the years, none could be more dangerous than this. It’s telling when we realize that this latest attack on freedom is opposed by both the NRA and the ACLU.

Let’s celebrate our nation’s history, and the liberty and prosperity it provides. This is still the greatest nation that has ever existed. God had blessed us for over 200 years. Unfortunately there are those who seek to destroy what has been built. Many in and out of government seem to forget, or choose to ignore, the Founding Fathers’ precept that they gain their authority “from the consent of the governed.” So as we celebrate our first break from an overbearing government two hundred and forty years ago, we must be ever mindful of the threat we face today from within our own government. Today’s holiday serves as a warning as much as a celebration. We’ve had reason to be concerned for years, but to still deny the threat now is both foolhardy and ignorant.

Enjoy the celebrations. And pray for the future.

I got to spend part of this Independence weekend shooting a fun IDPA match, though it was somewhat ironic to be doing it in the less-than-free state of Maryland. This was the first time I attended the monthly match at the Sanner’s Lake Sportsmen’s Club in Lexington Park, MD. I was a little concerned about the two hour drive and early morning alarm clock setting, but as it turned out, the day was more than worth those minor inconveniences. Excepting the early morning sun that stayed in my eyes most of the trip, the drive was scenic and I arrived with time to spare.

The match consisted of six stages, requiring about 90 rounds to complete. That’s a relatively high round count for most local matches I attend, so that was a bonus and made the drive time even more worthwhile.

The first stage our squad shot started with the loaded gun in an IDPA box on a table, along with the magazines. Beginning the stage with a short run to the table to retrieve the gun, we then engaged six targets in tactical sequence. The placement of the targets behind non-threats and in small ports in a wall pretty much made head shots a requirement. Finishing the stage -0 was a great way to start the match.

The next scenario started seated at a table, with the unloaded gun and all needed mags on the table. Loading the gun, we engaged targets on either side while seated. The grabbing a magazine — most folks did a tactical reload here — we moved to engage five targets that were behind a wall of barrels.

Next up was a “standards” stage with three targets at seven yards. All the targets had parts of the bodies and heads painted as hard cover. A total, and limit, of eighteen shots was required; two on each target freestyle, then strong hand only, then support hand only, all in a single string. At least two head shots were required on each target. I felt I dropped too many points on the stage, but still finished well.

Following that challenge, we moved to a stage shot entirely on the move. There were three open targets downrange beyond three barrels arranged in a triangle about 7 yards apart. We were allowed three magazines loaded to six rounds each. Two shots were put on each target, while moving around the barrels in three directions; across, forward, then backing up, with a reload at each direction change.

The fifth stage shot had us starting behind a barrel, then engaging three target while advancing to a wall. At the wall there were three more targets engaged from cover. Then we made a fast spring to find the final two targets hidden low behind a row of barrels. It was a fast, fun stage and I finished down just 2 points.

The last stage simulated shooting over the hood and through the window of a car, with six fairly open targets, though with at least one head shot forced by hard cover. Some low shots found me -5 for the stage.

There was a lot of variety found in the courses of fire. (Photos of all the stages can be found here.) There were head shots, close and far targets, shooting on the move at both open and partial targets, loaded and unloaded starts, as well as holstered and table starts. It was quite an enjoyable match, and an awesome start to the holiday weekend. I was very pleased with how I shot, placing very well in the division, classification and overall stats. As always, there was a thing or two to improve on, but if there wasn’t, what would be the point?

Since it was a new venue for me, I didn’t know anyone on my squad (nor I believe, anyone at the match) but the folks were all friendly and a very enjoyable time was had. The well-organized match moved smoothly and quickly. We started shooting around 9:00 AM and were finished by 11:30. As suspected, the drive home took longer than the morning drive. A combination of accidents and holiday traffic added about 30 minutes to the drive. Despite the drive time, I am glad I made the decision to make the trip. I’m looking forward to getting to another Sanner’s Lake IDPA match soon.