Outdoors in RI: Flashy jigs, Washington Bridge, 2A gigs – Jeff Gross

by Jeff Gross, contributing writer

Flashy Fishing Jigs

This past weekend The New England Fishing Expo took place in Marlboro, Massachusetts.  Due to a house move making attendance impossible this year, great photos supplied by Mike Wec caught attention as he and his colleagues were selling some very flashy Jigs which this writer hopes to use in Maine this summer.  Great job, Mike Wec and company.

Products – Leadfreebassjigs.com

A sportsman’s guide to dealing with Rhode Island drivers

We sportsmen want to get to our fishing holes or hunting areas rather quickly, and we don’t want to be held up by drivers that have no concept of basic driving skills.  I’m beginning to wonder if Rhode island’s definition of aggressive driver is someone who actually knows how to drive a vehicle and not intentionally or unintentionally get in the way of other drivers. Furthermore, if you’re going to do 15 miles an hour under the speed limit get the hell out of our way.  If you’re going to talk on your cell phone while driving, stay home. If you’re going to light up your bong while in the left lane, veering back and forth between two lanes, as you try to get stoned get out of my way. The trout are often on a schedule and they’re not going to delay their biting time to accommodate slow drivers, incompetent drivers, or the drivers that have that “oh, look, a squirrel, and will slow down or stop in traffic to see cute little squirrels or bunny rabbits on the side of the road!

If you’re going to be one of these maddening drivers on the Washington Bridge, on I-195, that causes traffic jams to be even worse, then stay home. If you feel the need drive at a crawl with your foot on the brake over the Washington Bridge area because you feel unsafe, those extra milliseconds it takes you to get over the bridge that could collapse with you on it, or so some of us are beginning to think, means some of us should stay home, or drive on the side roads, otherwise, or go the speed limit and try to stay out of everybody’s way.

The biggest problem with the Washington Bridge other than the legislators and officials badly fumbling the ball in allowing our infrastructure to fail is the fact that the people out in front refuse to keep things moving – go the speed limit. A person out in front doing 10 miles under the speed limit causes the traffic to back up. That’s been the experience traveling back and forth daily. And now, as of this writing, the state will be tearing up the Mt. Hope Bridge as well from March to May, ending just before summer, if they stay on schedule, and you know how that goes. Appears there’s a plan to divide us into East and West Rhode Island.

2nd Amendment Update

In the 2A court cases an Obama-appointed judge ruled that a convicted felon cannot be denied his 2A rights once his time is served. This is the 2nd Obama judge to correctly apply the Heller, McDonald, Caetano and Bruen decisions in less than 6 months.  Why doesn’t the RI legislature grasp that simple task? If there is not an analogous law in 1791, then the government’s law is unconstitutional. Full Stop.  There were no firearm bans in 1791. Someone needs to ask Jason Knight to grasp this very simple concept.

Since 1987 the Rhode Island legislature has tried in vain to pass an AR-15 ban.  2024 is no different. There are many AR-15 ban lawsuits around our nation, some of which have final judgement declaring the ban unconstitutional. Oregon is one such state. A district judge for Oregon ruled 2 weeks ago, in a final judgement, that AR-15 bans are unconstitutional.

Also an Illinois court granted an injunction in early 2023. This is the very same case that Jason Knight declared had been upheld when this writer stated that was a not true, and I am not a lawyer, but as I’m fond of saying, “I don’t lie!”

If felons can have their 2nd Amendment rights restored, what right does the government have to deny law abiding citizens, the right to keep and bear all arms?

See the link below and judge for yourself: zoom in at the 7:32:05 mark.

4-17-2023 House Committee on Judiciary (devosvideo.com)

This year, we in the national gun community are going to raise the ante at the hearings. The Democrats feel the NRA is defunct. All that happened was a multitude of national gun rights groups stepped up and banned together, sort of in a military-style next-man-up approach. More and more the gun rights folks are united. Stay tuned.

Writers note: as of the very moment of writing, 9:18 pm on Thursday, the Second Amendment Foundation WA, in conjunction with the Firearms Policy Coalition out of CA, has gone on the offensive and asked for a writ of certiorari in the MD AR-15 case that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is playing politics with.  If SCOTUS accepts the writ it will be very bad news for the 4th Circuit.  

Mark Smith, a constitutional attorney, author and podcast developer, follows 2A legislation here, there and everywhere, gives a great detailed analysis on why the left is “out of control” in their efforts:

US SUPREME COURT 2A NEWS JUST NOW: “ASSAULT WEAPON” BAN CASE GOES TO THE SUPREME COURT (youtube.com)

Stay tuned on the Maryland case as I hope to bring this up to the RI legislature.

This is writer is about to renew his memberships in the NAGR, SAF, FPC and GOA.  For the cost of a large pizza, as Jared of Guns and Gadgets always says, you can join each organization. Please seriously consider joining the mentioned groups as they will end nonsense legislation like what is going on in RI State House circus.

As a reminder to the ladies, during the hearings at the RI State House, the Capital Police offer a courtesy escort to your car if you feel unsafe walking to your car, alone and/or at night. I want to get the word out early as you ladies are the largest growing demographic in the 2A world.  If you cannot find a Capitol Police officer as they may be busy, ask me I’ll step up and be your Knight in Shining Armor for a few moments.

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Jeffrey “Jeff” Gross spent 21 years as an Analytical Chemist at the USCG R&D Center in Groton, Connecticut, Woods Hole Laboratories, and Helix Technologies. Changing careers is a “great learning experience for everyone”, Jeff says, and I’m an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, a student of the sciences, and the world. The US holds too many wonders not to take a chance and explore them”.

Jeff is the Model Train and Railroad entrepreneur. Proud Golden Retriever owner. Ultra strong Second Amendment Advocate and Constitutionalist. “Determined seeker of the truth”.  Jeff is a RIFGPA Legislative and Legal Officer, Freshwater Chairman, NRA Liaison.

His subjects include Outdoors, Second Amendment, Model Railroading, and Whimsical. He can be reached at: [email protected]