Troublesome Gap Times

You can download the latest files for the NC Firearms Freedom Act from:

http://www.montie.com/modules/info/nc_ffa.html

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Between July 30th and September 17 (Constitution Day) 2009 – I will be canvassing 100 counties and 100 county commissioners boards to resolve to support a North Carolina Firearms Freedom Act. Everything about this effort is on the Facebook group.

We just pushed a party sovereignty and 2nd Amendment resolution from precincts to state in the 2009 NC Republican Convention cycle, and won, overwhelmingly. Resulting in this Acrobat PDF document

So if you are just hanging out and want to help see North Carolina get a Firearms Freedom Act, connect on Facebook for now, or offer a better hosting solution quickly.

The 2009 campaign is specifically suited to ‘imported help’ for a point of fact, collecting 1000 signatures per county, in September you can go home and we will have a HUGE FFA network in place for the 2010 fight.

What I need is massive manpower, and funding for gas and lit.

I am developing the lit package now. The Carolina Resolves, a copy of H849 NC State Sovereignty, a copy of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act (plus an objective summary), and a request for signature on the petition. If we get well funded I can also include H849 stickers and NC FFA stickers.

The canvass is simple. ‘Hello, I am helping the North Carolina Firearms Freedom Act, and I have this material for you to look at, and a petition to sign supporting a North Carolina version of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act. Would you like to support this act now, or would you like to discuss the material first?”

Should build 1000 signatures quick no? Make signatures to 1/2 page transfer coupons, copy onto exactly 1 ream of paper for 1000 signatures per county delivered, hopefully with a county commissioners resolution on top of every stack.

Collect 10,000 signatures through the same process in 2010 and do the commissioners thing again, fitting 10 petitions on a page for 2 reams per county.

People need to be available July 30 through -> 17 Sept even if individuals only help in little bits at a time. contact me at constitutionalist@nc.rr.com to discuss volunteering, donating helping with the creation of materials etc etc etc

Information about Glenn at:

http://nchouse2010.glenbradley.net/Glen_Bradley_for_NC_State_House/Glen_Bradley_for_State_House.html

Information about the Firearms Freedom Acts across the country:

http://firearmsfreedomact.com/

Get involved in your county to make the NC FFA a reality:

http://ncffav.ning.com/

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The NC Firearms Freedom Act is based on version passed in Montana. Here is the current version that under consideration.

Model version (07/31/09), Firearms Freedom Act

There has been some helpful critique of the FFA since it was passed in Montana. The version below incorporates two effective language changes in the bill recommended by Gary Marbut, original drafter of the bill and President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association (the lead proponent for HB 246 before the Montana Legislature).

Note: Language to be deleted is shown as interlined (Section 2(3)). Added language is underlined (Section 5(4)). Other than this interlined and underlined language, and a couple of options at the end, this is the entire bill enacted in Montana. Other interested states are encouraged to otherwise tailor the language to make it appropriate for their state (e.g., changing “Montana” to “OurStateName” and other suggestions noted).

===========================

HOUSE BILL NO. 246

INTRODUCED BY J. BONIEK, BENNETT, BUTCHER, CURTISS, RANDALL, WARBURTON

AN ACT EXEMPTING FROM FEDERAL REGULATION UNDER THE COMMERCE CLAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES A FIREARM, A FIREARM ACCESSORY, OR AMMUNITION MANUFACTURED AND RETAINED IN MONTANA; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Short title. [Sections 1 through 6] may be cited as the “Montana Firearms Freedom Act”.

Section 2. Legislative declarations of authority. The legislature declares that the authority for [sections 1 through 6] is the following:

(1) The 10th amendment to the United States constitution guarantees to the states and their people all powers not granted to the federal government elsewhere in the constitution and reserves to the state and people of Montana certain powers as they were understood at the time that Montana was admitted to statehood in 1889. The guaranty of those powers is a matter of contract between the state and people of Montana and the United States as of the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by Montana and the United States in 1889.

(2) The ninth amendment to the United States constitution guarantees to the people rights not granted in the constitution and reserves to the people of Montana certain rights as they were understood at the time that Montana was admitted to statehood in 1889. The guaranty of those rights is a matter of contract between the state and people of Montana and the United States as of the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by Montana and the United States in 1889.

(3) The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under the 9th and 10th amendments to the United States constitution, particularly if not expressly preempted by federal law. Congress has not expressly preempted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition.

(4) The second amendment to the United States constitution reserves to the people the right to keep and bear arms as that right was understood at the time that Montana was admitted to statehood in 1889, and the guaranty of the right is a matter of contract between the state and people of Montana and the United States as of the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by Montana and the United States in 1889.

(5) Article II, section 12, of the Montana constitution clearly secures to Montana citizens, and prohibits government interference with, the right of individual Montana citizens to keep and bear arms. This constitutional protection is unchanged from the 1889 Montana constitution, which was approved by congress and the people of Montana, and the right exists as it was understood at the time that the compact with the United States was agreed upon and adopted by Montana and the United States in 1889.

Section 3. Definitions. As used in [sections 1 through 6], the following definitions apply:

(1) “Borders of Montana” means the boundaries of Montana described in Article I, section 1, of the 1889 Montana constitution.

(2) “Firearms accessories” means items that are used in conjunction with or mounted upon a firearm but are not essential to the basic function of a firearm, including but not limited to telescopic or laser sights, magazines, flash or sound suppressors, folding or aftermarket stocks and grips, speedloaders, ammunition carriers, and lights for target illumination.

(3) “Generic and insignificant parts” includes but is not limited to springs, screws, nuts, and pins.

(4) “Manufactured” means that a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition has been created from basic materials for functional usefulness, including but not limited to forging, casting, machining, or other processes for working materials.

Section 4. Prohibitions. A personal firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately in Montana and that remains within the borders of Montana is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of congress to regulate interstate commerce. It is declared by the legislature that those items have not traveled in interstate commerce. This section applies to a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured in Montana from basic materials and that can be manufactured without the inclusion of any significant parts imported from another state. Generic and insignificant parts that have other manufacturing or consumer product applications are not firearms, firearms accessories, or ammunition, and their importation into Montana and incorporation into a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured in Montana does not subject the firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition to federal regulation. It is declared by the legislature that basic materials, such as unmachined steel and unshaped wood, are not firearms, firearms accessories, or ammunition and are not subject to congressional authority to regulate firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition under interstate commerce as if they were actually firearms, firearms accessories, or ammunition. The authority of congress to regulate interstate commerce in basic materials does not include authority to regulate firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition made in Montana from those materials. Firearms accessories that are imported into Montana from another state and that are subject to federal regulation as being in interstate commerce do not subject a firearm to federal regulation under interstate commerce because they are attached to or used in conjunction with a firearm in Montana.

Section 5. Exceptions. [Section 4] does not apply to:

(1) a firearm that cannot be carried and used by one person;

(2) a firearm that has a bore diameter greater than 1 1/2 inches and that uses smokeless powder, not black powder, as a propellant;

(3) ammunition with a projectile that explodes using an explosion of chemical energy after the projectile leaves the firearm; or

(4) other than shotguns, a firearm that discharges two or more projectiles with one activation of the trigger or other firing device. (Note: Thanks to Minnesota for this improvement – GM.)

Section 6. Marketing of firearms. A firearm manufactured or sold in Montana under [sections 1 through 6] must have the words “Made in Montana” clearly stamped on a central metallic part, such as the receiver or frame.

Section 7. Codification instruction. (Any state-specific codification instructions – GM.)

Section 8. Applicability. [This act] applies to firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition that are manufactured, as defined in [section 3], and retained in Montana after October 1, 2009 (or immediate effective date – GM).
- END -

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Here is my review of the Ocean Grill (www.theoceangrill.com) on Salem Street in Apex, NC.  Let me start out by listing what we purchased for dinner:

Appetizer – one pound of shrimp ($15)
Drinks – two dirty martinis ($7.5 each)
Beef Medallions ($22) with asparagus and mashed potatoes
Fried Seafood (Scallops and Oysters) ($17) with fries, coleslaw, shrimp and sausage jambalaya
Creme brulee

The total before tip was $84.

Let me start with the good parts:

1) the batter for the fried scallops is very light and excellent
2) the batter for the fried oysters is different and not bad, it is a heavy batter and they manage to have a dressing type sauce inside the friend oyster
3) the first martini was very smooth (read on though)
4) the mashed potatoes were very good
5) they actually used real scallops
6) french fries were good and cooked an appropriate amount
7) asparagus was not over cooked like most places do
having the bar separate from the main dining area works out well from a noise standpoint

Now for the bad:

1) the first martini was very good and very smooth (i.e. a quality vodka), the second martini seemed to be made with a non-so-smooth and pretty rough vodka. We sent it back and the replacement martini was better but still seemed to be made with the non-so-smooth (i.e. cheap) vodka. We were wondering if they intentionally went to cheap alcohol as the night went on hoping no one would notice.
2) the service was pleasant, but not around much
3) they messed up my order (which is why I ended up with 4 side dishes, they brought me the ones I originally asked for)
4) the beef medallions were not impressive, we were wondering if they were made from london broil. My wife was expecting a more tender meat than that, especially for $22. The taste of the beef medallions with a very limited amount of sause (which was a surprise) was not impressive either
5) the fried oysters had an oyster taste, but I had difficultly finding much oyster inside the individual pieces, too bad when they have such a wonderful batter
6) the scallops were sliced thin (i.e. they probably had three or four pieces from the original scallop). I will admit that this is a good way to do scallops and they should continue this. However, I only had five pieces of scallop (which meant they only used approx. one and a half scallops for a $17 plate). That struck me as being cheap. If you are going to slice the scallops thin (which IMHO is a great idea) add a few more pieces so the diner doesn’t feel slighted.
7) the jambalaya was weak, i.e. it was mostly rice and spices. The pieces of sausage were tiny and I never did see a shrimp. I’ve had much better jambalaya from a box from the grocery store. There again cheaping out on materials
caramel creme brulee was tasty and in a wide bowl but wasn’t very deep, giving the impression of cheaping out on the amount of material.

The issues that I saw with The Ocean Grill are remotely similar to the things that I didn’t like about the Peak City Grill (which we have been to several times). Both left me with a feeling of pretention over substance.

Keep in mind that parking in downtown Apex is limited so give yourselves a few minutes to find a spot and walk. Most of the time the longest walk to a spot is under five minutes so it wouldn’t be an issue unless you had a mobility impairment.

On the flip side, I’m glad to see another seafood restaurant in Apex.

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