Welcome back to another installment of the Watercooler, RedState’s daily Open Thread! Today, we’ve got…

A Shoutout

I’d like to extend a special shout-out to my friends visiting from NorthwestFirearms.com–for us Constitutionally-minded sorts in the Occupied Northwet one of the few “safe spaces” to be had. TRIGGER WARNING: Firearms Content Ahead, you Butthurt Little Snowflakes out there in La-La Land are advised to leave OUR Safe Space and go back to your own.

Gun Rights Roundup

• A start to eliminating Victim Disarmament Zones? Maybe–the Congresional Second Amendment Caucus is back, and leader Thomas Massie’s Safe Students Act, HR34 would roll back the controversial and ineffective Gun-Free School Zones Act.
• The Hearing Protection Act is back for another go at deregulating sound suppressors. We put mufflers on cars, why not guns? Seriously… between this and the safety features they hate and define as “assault weapons,” why do liberals want to prohibit safer firearms and increase injuries from them?
• Nationwide reciprocity? HR38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, is in play too–I have some reservations about this, but with the Left Coast and Damnyankeestan’s gun-grabbing antics it sadly appears that Federal preemption may be the only way to stop the Commiefornia Cancer from further metastasizing.
• Speaking of… Ferguson’s still at it here in Washington, wanting if he can’t get a ban at least draconian licensing and “safe storage” requirements–his latest Full Court Press has been introduced in the Republican-led State Senate in what appears to be more Failure Theater. The guy has to know that with GOP Coalition control of committees the odds of it getting out of Senate Law & Justice Committee aren’t good, so having his pets introduce it there is probably just a prelude to another Bloomingnazi Bought Initiative. Local gun-rights advocates are planning a demonstration at the Capitol this Friday–if you know anybody here, please encourage them to attend.

This Week In History

• Sunday, 1/8: First State of the Union address, 1790; Battle of New Orleans, 1815; Crazy Horse’s last battle, 1877; Hollerith patents punch-card computing, 1889
• Monday, 1/9: Paine publishes Common Sense, 1776; Battle of Bear Valley ends Indian Wars, 1918; MacArthur and 6th Army re-invade Luzon, 1945
• Tuesday, 1/10: Siege of Dunlap’s Station (near Cincinnati), 1791; Spindletop gusher sparks modern petroleum industry, 1901; Army bounces radio signal off Moon, 1946
• Wednesday, 1/11: CSS Alabama sinks USS Hatteras, 1863; Grand Canyon made National Monument, 1908; American League owners adopt Designated Hitter rule, 1973
• Thursday, 1/12: Kenesaw Mountain Landis elected first MLB Commissioner, 1921; Hattie Caraway first woman elected to Senate, 1932; Operation Chopper starts US combat in Vietnam, 1962
• Friday, 1/13: Great Fire of New Orleans, 1830; Treaty of Cahuenga ends Mexican-American War, 1847; Marines invade Hawaii, 1893; Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison concert, 1968
• Saturday, 1/14: Congress ratifies Treaty of Paris, 1784; Casablanca Conference between FDR and Churchill, 1943; Huygens probe lands on Titan, 2005

Today’s Birthdays: Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, 1755; Western Union founder Ezra Cornell, 1807; racer-engineer Carroll Shelby, 1923; WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg, 1984

Holidays Around the World: It’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Also, Albania celebrates Republic Day, Japan has Kagami biraki, Morocco has Independence Manifesto Day and Tunisia observes Children’s Day.

This Week In History is compiled with assistance from History.com and Wikipedia. Something interesting not listed here? Please share in the Comments section–this is an Audience Participation Encouraged featurette.

Gratuitous Gun Giveaways

• *American Handgunner magazine, for an EAA Witness Pavona .380 or Rock Island .22TCM/9mm 1911 pistol package: http://americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
• *Guns Magazine, for a Navy Arms 1892 Coyote Killer lever-action rifle, Magnum Research BFR .30-30 revolver, EAA Witness Pavona .380 or Diamondback Firearms DB9 micro-9mm pistol: http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Davidson’s Gallery of Guns, for one of two SCCY CPX-1 compact 9mm pistols: https://ggg.galleryofguns.com/
• *Aero Precision, for a custom AR15: http://gvwy.io/x2jx78y
• GrabAGun, for (list): http://grabagun.com/giveaway

*Note: FMG Publishing giveaways require you to provide an FFL dealer’s info at entry. Aero Precision giveaways give me one entry each for the first ten people who use my referral link. The author has no personal or business relationship with Diamondback Firearms.

Quote of the Day

 
Politeness, n. The most acceptable hypocrisy.–Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

As always, the Watercooler is an Open Thread. Now that you’ve sampled from my modest tray of offerings, the breakroom table’s wide open to offer your own tasty morsels…

#NoQuarter #TheParty’sOver