It's been a while since we've had an edition of Cheers and Jeers. Actually, it's been too-long since any of the stories we've seen have inspired anything other than a severe temptation to hide "until things get better". We decided to be part of the cure rather than another symbol of the syndrome.
First....a double-tap of jeers to....the dim-bulb customer and even dimmer dealer who managed to fire a handgun at a Mount Clements, Michigan gun show this weekend-twice. According to sheriff's reports, three people (total) received minor injuries when a customer discharged a semi-auto he was examining. The 64-year-old dealer took the gun from the customer and promptly managed to fire it a second time. As of last night, officials hadn't decided on whether to file charges - or against whom. The gun show, however, was more decisive. The dealer has been barred from all future gun shows. Hopefully, this is a planetary ban....
...Another jeer to a former celebrity waterfowler, hunting guide, video producer and call maker who's admitted multiple Lacey Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act violations. Springfield, Illinois prosecutors say they're seeking a 13-month prison sentence and $100,000 fine when Jeff Foiles faces a September sentencing. Now, he faces similar charges in Canada....
...Since we're jeering in Illinois, here's a quick raspberry to the legislature of the only state in the country without a law permitting some form of concealed carry...Now, lawmakers have introduced HB3794, legislation which would allow individual counties to set their own concealed carry rules. It sounds good - in theory- but it's a pretty safe bet that Chicago's anti-gun/individual rights mindset will continue to prevent concealed carry.
And speaking of gangsters (nice seque, huh)...a Cheer to Christies of London for offering up a piece of Chicago's history over the weekend. A 1929 .38 special Police Positive Colt that belonged to one of Chicago's most effective leaders, Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone brought over $100,000. It went to a private collector, but we're betting it won't go to Chicago. Too-many rules...
...And a couple of cheers...to Nick Anderson of Kinston, North Carolina. Nick's first cheer is for his record 143-pound blue catfish that appears headed to the record books as the IGFA's all-tackle world record catch. He gets a second cheer from us for being a good sport about our accidentally telling everyone he was from Virginia. His fish is from Virginia's Buggs Island Lake (a/k/a John H. Kerr Reservoir) and we first heard about it when the VGFD notified us about his having smashed the Commonwealth's blue cat record. And no, it was not their mistake about Anderson's state of residency, it was ours (jeers to us).
If you have an outdoor story you think is worthy of either a cheer or a jeer, send it on to editor@theoutdoorwire.com.
