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July 2020
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July 2020

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Good afternoon bikers, patriots and Second Amendment supporters. I hope your week is off to a good start. But where do the weekends go? I was able to get about 300 miles in over the weekend, but it was hot and humid here. In fact, sultry probably describes it best. This Thursday I will be heading to the Smoky Mountains with a group of buddies to ride. I will work on a destination blog post when I get back.

In an article my article on Home Defense Basics, this past week, I promised to provide some additional information on Castle Doctrine. This article really could be a companion to that post as Castle Doctrine definitely ties to defending one’s home – or castle. Castle doctrine tends to be fairly similar from state to state, but some states are much more restrictive or have no Castle Doctrine provisions. Additionally, your state may allow you to not only protect yourself with deadly force while in your home, but also if you are in your vehicle, garage, car, hotel, motorcycle or even at work. But there are limitations:

Common Castle Doctrine Limitations:

  1. Anyone that lives in the residence would be excluded from Castle Doctrine
  2. A spouse or significant other would be excluded from Castle Doctrine
  3. An invited guest would be excluded from Castle Doctrine (unless they attempt to bring lethal or maiming force against you – at which point the Five Components of a Self-Defense Claim apply)
  4. You may be in legal jeopardy if you shoot someone who is trying to flee the house after encountering them

We will review each state individually, but it might be good to review a case in which the castle doctrine defense was not allowed and the home owner was convicted.

Byron David Smith

Byron David Smith was a resident of Little Falls, Minnesota. He had become alarmed about a rash of break ins and robberies in his neighborhood and had experienced it at his residence. In order to lure the criminals into his house, he parked his car down the street so it would appear he was not home. The bait was offered and on Thanksgiving 2012 two teens broke into his home through a window. Smith had barricaded himself in his basement and was armed with a Ruger Mini-14 and a small caliber revolver. The first teen, Nick Brady came down the basement stairs and was shot three times with the Ruger Mini-14. The third shot was a lethal shot to the head. The second teen, Haily Kifer, would come down the stairs several minutes later. Smith shot her six times with the final shot being taken nearly at point blank range, under the chin and into her head. Smith did not call 9-11 but his neighbor did after Smith told him he solved the robbery problem.

He was arrested and booked on first degree murder charges. A jury of twelve convicted him of two premeditated murder charges and he will spend the rest of his natural life in prison. The unanimous verdict was largely driven by him moving his car from his home which they considered to be premeditated.

Castle Doctrine By State

StateCastle DoctrineState Gun Laws
AlabamaYesAL Code
AlaskaYesAK Code
ArizonaYesAZ Code
ArkansasYesAR Code
CaliforniaNoCA Code
ColoradoNoCO Code
ConnecticutYesCT Code
DelawareNoDE Code
District of ColumbiaNo
FloridaYesFL Code
GeorgiaYesGA Code
HawaiiNoHI Code
IdahoYesID Code
IllinoisNoIL Code
IndianaYesIN Code
IowaNoIA Code
KansasYesKS Code
KentuckyYesKY Code
LouisianaYesLA Code
MaineYesME Code
MarylandYesMD Code
MassachusettsNoMA Code
MichiganYesMI Code
MinnesotaNoMN Code
MississippiYesMS Code
MissouriYesMO Code
MontanaYesMT Code
NebraskaNoNE Code
NevadaYesNV Code
New HampshireYesNH Code
New JerseyPartialNJ Code
New MexicoNoNM Code
New YorkNoNY Code
North CarolinaYesNC Code
North DakotaYesND Code
OhioYesOH Code
OklahomaYesOK Code
OregonNoOR Code
PennsylvaniaYesPA Code
Rhode IslandNoRI Code
South CarolinaYesSC Code
South DakotaYesSD Code
TennesseeYesTN Code
TexasYesTX Code
UtahYesUT Code
VermontNoVT Code
VirginiaNoVA Code
WashingtonNoWA Code
West VirginiaYesWV Code
WisconsinYesWI Code
WyomingYesWY Code
State-by-State Castle Doctrine Codes

Closing

I am not an attorney. And I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Nothing in this blog post should be construed as legal advice. I recommend you speak with an attorney if you have questions about Castle Doctrine.

Until next time, keep the shiny side up, your knees in the wind and carry often!

The Grey Beard Biker™️
gbb@TheGreyBeardBiker.com
@Biker4Life on Gab

Greetings and salutations bikers, Second Amendment advocates, Patriots and God Fearing Americans! Unless you live under a rock – or a bunker in the mountains – you are aware of the #Marxist #Anarchists taking to the streets of America. These assnozzles do not care about your safety or your personal property. While they have typically stayed in the downtown urban areas of our larger cities, there have been cases of them wandering into neighborhoods to create chaos and fear. While it is unlikely you will ever experience a Black Lives Matter (#BLM) or #Antifa riot near your castle, you may well experience a home invasion or robbery. Have you done all the things you can do to protect yourself and your home? There are plenty of things everyone should do to secure their bunker.

The Second Amendment in Action – but firearms aren’t always your best option!

Firearms are not your only protection

Secure your home with the simple things first. Use your firearms only as a last resort.

  1. Make sure all of your windows are locked – especially those on the ground floor
  2. If you have sliding glass doors, use a heavy doll rod, cut to proper length, in the lower channel of the sliding glass door to prevent it from being forced open
  3. If you don’t already have them, install commercial grade deadbolt locks on all exterior doors (the deadbolt locks sold by big box hardware stores are not commercial grade)
  4. Install adequate security lighting around your home’s exterior – most bad guys prefer to work in the dark
  5. Invest in a canned-air horn, like what is used by pleasure boaters (a couple of quick blasts of one of these horns will probably scare a home intruder away)
  6. If you do not have a home alarm system, consider having one installed. Besides securing your home more completely, you may also save a fairly significant amount of cash on your homeowner’s insurance

Once your home is secure, you need to consider your home defense plan in the event a bad guy is inside. The most important thing is for your family to come together in one place. My house is a two story structure with all of the bedrooms on one level. The meeting place, if I had other people living here, would the master bedroom. By having everyone assemble in one location, in the event of an emergency, a headcount can be quickly taken – insuring that everyone is accounted for. Once everyone is accounted for, barricade your family in the room. I have a dresser I can slide in front of the doors. Call 9-1-1. Remember, there is no need to search out danger. Stay put and protect your family.

Now that my children are adults, and are out of the house, I keep a pistol on my night stand beside my bed (cocked and locked with one in the pipe), an AR-15 with 208 grain subsonic loads next to my nightstand (cocked and locked with one in the pipe and 30 extras in the magazine) and a loaded shotgun under the bed. There are other pistols in a small gun safe in my master bedroom closet. But is a pistol the best choice for protecting yourself, and your family, within your home? My suggestion is to consider having a shotgun close by. Once you’re barricaded in your family’s gathering area, there is nothing that will cause the bad guy to turn and run like the sound of a shotgun being cycled. If you have done your job, up to this point, when the shit bag is trying to get through your barricade, he may well have an epiphany when he hears you cycle a round into the chamber of your shotgun. At this point, he may just turn tail and run into the police, who you recently called.

There has been a lot of debate about what type of load you should use in a shotgun for home defense. I prefer something with a lot of pellets for the first couple of rounds. #6 or #7.5 shot is a perfect choice. In the heat-of-the-moment, if you were to need to engage a bad guy, there is plenty of energy in this type of load to quickly stop an intruder and give them second thoughts about staying around. From close range it is quite lethal and the blast pattern is effective. But, in the event that this does not stop the bad guy, the last couple of shells in my shotgun are #00 buckshot. If it gets to this point, one of these rounds will stop the most strung out zombie in its tracks. And in the event that it is an actual zombie apocalypse, I still have my trusty AR-15 nearby.

In summary, have a plan for you and your family. Make sure all of your family members know where the gathering place is in the event of a break in. Once all of your family members are sheltered together, call 9-1-1. Give a couple of blasts on your canned-air horn. Do not search out the bad guy – let him come to you. Practice your plan a couple of times each year so your family instinctively follows the plan.

My next blog post will take this article as step further with a discussion of what you need to know about the realities of Castle Doctrine – there are some limitations. Don’t miss it.

Until we chat again, keep the shiny side to the sun and never leave your cave without your club – you know no smart caveman would ever do such a thing!

The Grey Beard Biker™️
gbb@TheGreyBeardBiker.com
@Biker4Life on Gab

This is an exclusive Grey Beard Biker opinion piece. All opinions are his and his only. If you do not agree with them, please hop on your girly Honda Grom and motor away. – GBB

What the hell is going on with the America I grew up in? I mean, really? The shit we are seeing today is beyond unprecedented. It would literally be unfathomable, a scant seven months ago. And I am beyond pissed off. I am seriously pissed off. And all proud Americans should feel the same way I do. We are losing our identity so quickly I actually wonder if this proud republic will ever look the same. Our current state of affairs is not what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they drew up the Declaration of Independence 244 years ago. Many of them are probably rolling over in the graves right now thinking WTF?

A Brief History of 2020 – So Far

Here we are six months into a new decade. The things we have witnessed this year are unique, to say the least:

  1. An illegitimate presidential impeachment
  2. A worldwide pandemic
  3. Total anarchy in the streets of America

Friends, bikers and fellow patriots, you just cannot make this shit up. And I have a lot of opinions on why it’s happening. And you know me, I am about to share the full skinny with you. And it ain’t the least bit pretty,. Consider this post as being unsuitable for children, soy boys or little girls who can easily get their panties in a bunch. It will definitely melt the #snowflakes.

This entire year has been a well planned cabal to remove a legitimately elected president from office. Before the 2016 general election was finalized, the electoral college electors cast their votes and Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president, the #Leftists were calling for his impeachment. Coincidence? Hell no. They knew they were beat as soon as Wisconsin was called for DJT. So, let’s look at these three seemingly disconnected events from 2020.

The Impeachment of Donald John Trump

When representatives Nadler and Schiff, with Speaker Pelosi, drew up articles of impeachment, they obviously had a desired outcome. They wanted to remove a duly elected president because they were ideologically opposed to everything our president stood for. Hell, representative Maxine Waters has been calling for Trump’s impeachment since Trump won the election in November 2016. Let’s take a look at the many things the Democrats have made into scandals:

  1. Russian collusion
  2. James Comey firing
  3. Ukraine collusion
  4. Obstruction of impeachment proceedings
  5. Mishandling of Coronavirus

Obviously, #3 led to the drafting and eventual vote for the articles of impeachment. And now, they are still wanting to continue investigations into things they could use to impeach, or at least impugn, the character of Donald J. Trump ahead of the 2020 general election.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In what I prefer to call either the #CovidHoax or the #ChinaVirus, the Democrats believed they’d found the proverbial golden egg. In late December, while the House of Representatives were working on article of impeachment, word of Coronavirus was making its way around the globe. We knew people were dying in China but the entire picture of its severity was unknown.

In late January, Trump with input from his top advisors, announced a travel ban from flights originating in China. The left immediately latched on to this, calling him a xenophobe, and attempted to make another scandal out of it, saying it was a ploy to distract the American people from the impeachment. Nothing, of course, was further from the truth. He was trying to prevent unnecessarily bringing COVID-19 into the country. But, it did come.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus a pandemic. Travel restrictions between European countries, China and the Middle East quickly were put in place. This was, of course, after major U.S. airlines had already canceled flights between China and the U.S. and the Federal government had placed restrictions on travel. Trump’s decisions proved prescient and necessary but the leftist socialists in congress still called him a xenophobe. And worse yet, they called his response to COVID late and unmeasured. Wait, how could this be? He wanted travel restrictions earlier. He had taken to the podium, during the impeachment proceedings, to warn Americans that COVID was a threat to the United States. But they cannot have it both fucking ways. Trump proved correct in everything he proposed and did.

Now, over six months into this “pandemic,” we know Coronavirus is dangerous. It is real. But it is blown totally out of proportion. Early predictions from the CDC and the WHO were way the hell off. At one point we were told 100 million Americans would be infected and millions would die. What a damn bunch of hooey. We now know that the WHO and China colluded on COVID – holding back the magnitude of the infection.

Today, we find our states rolling back phases to combat what we all hear are huge increases in diagnoses. This is playing into a narrative that the Leftists need. But what we do know now, unequivocally, is that while cases are going up, death rates and overall mortality rates are declining rapidly. Forcing masks on us, rolling back into stronger social distancing requirements and closing businesses will do nothing to shrink increases in COVID cases. Period. End. Of. The. Damn. Story.

For me, the #ChinaFlu hit so much closer to home. Through God’s loving Grace, I met a beautiful, caring, intelligent woman. Online, of all places. I never dreamed I would meet such an amazing gal online, but it happened. And to say I love her may well be the biggest understatement I could ever make. I fell in love with her. We had been making plans to meet for some time. The timing proved problematic for us. But we had hoped to be together over a month ago. And THEN it happened. She was diagnosed with the #WuhanVirus. So, yes, because this damn thing hit so close to home, I know it is real. And I am pissed off. So pissed off that I want to get a nonstop flight to China and throat punch the son of bitches responsible for bringing this thingy onto the world – and infecting my lifetime love. But she and I will persevere – I can guarantee this. #ChinaIsToBlame and #ChinaMustPay.

#BLM, #Anitifa and the dismantling of our values

The Leftists are always looking for a crisis or calamity to use for their desired outcomes. The most explosive crisis was delivered to them on a silver platter with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This was a tragic event. It was unnecessary. But it was the kindling the anti-American left needed to stoke a fire which had legs enough to engulf America in a cauldron of destruction.

Within days, the protests started. Black Lives Matter quickly joined forces with Antifa and rioted in the streets of major cities across the country including Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Nashville. Pallets of bricks and bottled water magically appeared. Lodging and food was provided for the anarchists. Everywhere, destruction was left in their wake. People were injured. People died. Businesses were torn apart – many of which will never open again. Innocent people are continuing to be blindly attacked and young black children are dying in places like Chicago and Atlanta. Statues of America’s Founding Fathers, abolitionists, war heroes, Abraham Lincoln and Confederate officers are being torn down. Flags are burning. Chaos is in places you’d never expect. And the goal of the anarchists? Not one of them is intelligent enough to tell you. The assnozzles obviously don’t even know what the fuck they want. And most of the protesters are inevitably clueless to the overarching desires of #BLM and #Antifa. They seem to be in it for a good time.

Innocent man is executed in NYC while walking his daughter

We Must Unite, We Must Do Our Duty as Patriots

The majority of you reading this are inevitably bikers, patriots and God-Fearing citizens of this great Republic. We all recognize what is going on. It is clear as the writing in this post. The Leftists are attempting to use anything they can to create fear. To create uncertainty. To create doubt. They want us to bend to their will. When the Russian collusion narrative failed, they looked for something else. It came in a now defunct narrative of Donald Trump colluding with Ukraine to undermine his political rivals. It led to a failed impeachment. Then the #ChinaFlu fell into their laps – during the impeachment proceedings. Yet another crisis which Donald Trump is responsible for. Fresh calls for congressional hearings. Now, we have the #AnarchyCrisis delivered to them with a pretty bow wrapped around it. The death of George Floyd is being used by them. What a damn gift it is. The hits keep rolling, patriots. But we can take control. We must take control.

Today, we have to commit to each other that we will fight all enemies foreign and domestic. The biggest threat to us are homegrown terrorists. We must use every available resource to call out the crimes and treason the Leftists are using to tear us apart. They want us to bleed. We must not ever let that happen. Go to Twitter, Facebook and Parler. Call them onto the carpet. Get involved in counter protesting. Don’t let the anarchists’ voices drown out the voices of Patriots. March on state capitols and demand they take their cities back. Write your state and local representatives and demand action. Tweet to @realDonaldTrump and urge him to send in the National Guards of the states where anarchy rules major cities. We either take our country back or lose it. The choice is ours.

The Grey Beard Biker™️
gbb@TheGreyBeardBiker.com
@Biker4Life on Gab

Greetings fellow bikers and Patriots! I just got back two weeks ago from a fantastic ride through the North Georgia Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Over three days, I rode 950 miles of some of the most scenic country in the United States. Some of the major motorcycle routes I rode were GA Route 60 through the Suches area, the vaunted Moonshiner 28, the Blue Ridge Parkway and New Found Gap Road. These roads are all quite different, but one commonality on each route was that I was carrying concealed. I rarely leave home without a sidearm. And I mean rarely. In fact, I had my trusty SIG Sauer 1911 We The People on my side, with a spare seven-round magazine on my left side. That is 15 rounds of .45 ACP power! But carrying a concealed pistol in the summer – when the temperatures can cook an egg – can be uncomfortable.

Summer Carry

During the summer months, you need to be cognizant of how you carry. When you are dressed in lighter weight clothing, it is much easier to have your firearm “print” through your clothing. While I have noticed a lot of people open carry over the past year, this is just not for me, as I do not want to become a target for someone wanting to score a new firearm. Plus, I firmly believe that surprise is the essence of self-defense. If you are open carrying, and you are unfortunate to be in the same place as a thug committing and armed robbery, you will be the first person the shit-bag aims at.

I am not a small guy at 6′ tall and 205 pounds. This allows me to typically carry outside-the-waist band (OWB). While I own several great inside-the-waistband (IWB) holsters, most notably Crossbreed Holsters Super Tucks, I typically wear tighter jeans when I am riding. Carrying OWB inevitably leads to its own set of issues as doing so makes your sidearm more likely to print through your clothing – especially given the fact that I prefer full-sized or commander sized pistols. That being said, I always wear shirts that would be a bit on the large size for my frame when I am carrying OWB. This helps to conceal my pistol, but because the shirt is a bit larger, it can make it more difficult to draw the pistol. If I decide to wear a shirt that is a bit tighter, I carry my compact SIG Sauer P365 SAS in a small OWB holster made by Crossbreed. It certainly is easier to conceal than my larger frame semi-autos but I also like to carry larger caliber pistols like my P226 SIG Sauer Legion and my P229 SIG.

This is my Crossbreed (OWB) holster with my P365 SAS SIG Sauer pistol – it is great for riding

My suggestion for you is to carry the pistol you are most comfortable with, in a holster that makes it comfortable to wear. The optimum rig would be an IWB holster as they make concealing your firearm easier. A lot of people I know also use an ankle or pocket holster. There are certainly some quality rigs for both type of carry, but neither works well for me. I find ankle holsters uncomfortable and pocket holsters only work for compact pistols which are not my preferred firearm since I do not shoot them as well as larger pistols. You, however, may find one, or the other, a very viable solution.

Know The Carry Laws Where You Travel

Traveling outside your home state can present a dilemma if you prefer to leave your humble abode with your pistol. Before any of my out-of-state trips, I always review the concealed carry laws for the states I will be traveling to. Because I travel to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia regularly, I know my Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit (HCP) is valid in each state. But if I were to venture into Maryland concealing a pistol, I would be subject to arrest and incarceration. If there is any chance that you may change your return ride mid-trip, make sure to check out the laws for each state. (Note: This author never recommends illegally carrying a firearm in states which do not have reciprocal reciprocity with your state. Doing so can result in arrest, expensive legal fees and incarceration.)

If you are planning a trip this summer, consider planning your ride to include only states you are legally allowed to carry in. This September, my beautiful lady and I are heading to The Race of Gentlemen in Wildwood. New Jersey. I definitely will not be carrying during this trip as New Jersey has some of the toughest gun laws in the U.S., and possessing a firearm there is a serious felony which inevitably would require time in their penal system. Something I am just not willing to risk. Some of these anti-gun states do allow you to carry an unloaded pistol, in a lockbox, but may only allow you to do so if you are not staying there – in other words – interstate travel.

Below is a map highlighting states Tennessee have reciprocal concealed carry arrangements with. The states in yellow are good. The states in brown are not so good. The states in black are plain evil and will not get any of my business on long trips on two wheels.

Concealed Carry Reciprocity Map from United States Concealed Carry Association

If you are going to conceal carry, carry your pistol in a rig which is comfortable for you. If you are traveling this summer, you should consider only going to states you can legally carry in with routes that take you through states that honor your right to self-protection.

Until next time, brothers, sisters and Patriots, keep the shiny side up, carry often and live like there is no tomorrow.

The Grey Beard Biker™️
gbb@TheGreyBeardBiker.com
@Biker4Life on Gab