02-27-09

From: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spwenger@spw-duf.info
comments in () by Stephen Wenger
-----------------------------

RKBA Amendment Could Scuttle DC Congressional Seat: The Senate
approved the D.C. Voting Rights Act on Thursday, though an amendment
that would scale back the city's tough anti-gun laws complicated its
outlook…The bill would add two seats to the House of Representatives -
one from the largely Democratic District and one from
Republican-leaning Utah, increasing the number in the House for the
first time since 1913. But the bill's ultimate success was thrown into
question by an amendment attached to the legislation that would peel
back some of the District's strict gun control laws. The amendment was
sponsored by Sen. John Ensign, Nevada Republican, and passed the
Senate with a 62-36 vote. The House is expected to vote next week. If
a bill is passed in the House that does not include the gun-rights
amendment, which is likely, the House and Senate versions would go to
conference committee, where members of both houses would iron out
differences…

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/27/senate-passes-voting-rights-bill-for-dc/

The gun amendment is similar to a sweeping measure approved by the
House last year that was fought by the D.C. government. It would
remove the city's gun-registration requirements, limit its authority
to restrict firearms and repeal the District's ban on semiautomatic
guns… Ensign's measure may signal that he is the new go-to senator for
gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association. For years,
their champion was Larry Craig, who retired last month… Opponents of
the current bill said it violated the constitutional provision that
House representatives should be chosen by the "people of the several
states." Since the District is not a state, its inhabitants don't
qualify for representation, they said…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/26/AR2009022601678.html

…The measure is likely to end up in the courts, however, even if a
similar bill passes the House, as is expected next week. President
Obama has said he will sign the legislation. The gun amendment makes
the Senate measure significantly different from the bill in the House,
which could slow passage. However, some members of Congress said the
amendment was unlikely to survive the negotiations between the House
and Senate over a final version of the bill. The amendment was a major
victory for the pro-gun lobby, which has battled against the city's
tough gun laws…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/us/politics/27district.html?ref=us
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Big Brother Lied, Rights Died: As a presidential candidate, Barack
Obama deliberately and repeatedly lied to America's 90 million gun
owners across the country when he insisted that he would not try to
take away anyone's firearms, the Citizens Committee for the Right to
Keep and Bear Arms said today. CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, reacting
to yesterday's remarks by Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder that
the president will seek to reinstate the ban on semi-automatic
firearms, said Obama "knew he was lying to the nation because his own
Web site touted his plan to revive the gun ban and make it permanent.
We warned America that Obama's 'support' for the Second Amendment was
empty rhetoric," he stated, "and now Holder's disclosure has confirmed
it. Obama was lying, and now gun rights may be dying." …

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/02-26-2009/0004979742&EDATE=
---

The Mexican Excuse: Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama
wish to reinstate the assault weapons ban, a ban of specific types of
semi-automatic weapons imposed on Americans during the Clinton
Administration. Oddly, the types of weapons that were forbidden were
seldom used in the commission of crimes.  Despite President Obama's
campaign assertion that he is a supporter of the Second Amendment, the
new administration is predictably going after the freedoms law abiding
citizens are guaranteed in the constitution, using the excuse of
preventing violence. This time the violence is in Mexico, and the
excuse is that drug cartels are smuggling weapons from the US… While
guns are sometimes fraudulently purchased or stolen and smuggled
south, the cartels are not getting automatic weapons from the US.
Fully automatic M-16's and AK-47's (machine-guns) are against the law
here.  The automatic weapons favored by the drug lords come from a
more immediate sources, one is the Mexican army itself, which provides
the foot soldiers to the cartels, fully trained and willing to fight
for the high pay the cartels promise. Fully automatic Kalashnikovs,
RPG's and grenades come from other places, like Venezuela, who has
recently received a production license for the new AK variant from
Russia and has smuggled weapons to Mexican rebel groups in the past.
International arms smugglers are also contributing to the volatile
mix… (Fully automatic M16's and AK-47's are not actually against the
law in the US – they are just restricted so severely that straw
purchasers cannot just walk into border-state gun shops and buy them.)

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/02/the_mexican_excuse_stealing_fr.html
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Ban Will Reduce Jobs, Not Crime: Responding to Attorney General Eric
Holder's comment yesterday that the Obama Administration will attempt
to reinstate a ban against semi-automatic rifles, the National
Shooting Sports Foundation reminded Congress and all Americans that
such a ban would cause jobs to be lost in a difficult economy, have no
effect on reducing crime and would deprive millions of law-abiding
sportsmen and gun owners of their Constitutional right to own the
firearm of their choice… Holder's use of the inaccurate term "assault
weapons" is one that is deliberately used by gun-ban advocates to
create confusion between legally sold, semi-automatic rifles and
look-a-like, fully automatic military versions. While the civilian
version of these rifles may resemble their military counterparts, the
civilian rifle fires only one round with each pull of the trigger.
Additionally, these rifles fire ammunition calibers no more powerful
than traditional-looking sporting arms. Civilian access to fully
automatic machine guns has been severely restricted since 1934…

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/02-26-2009/0004979721&EDATE=
---

Pelosi Not Quite Ready: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tossed cold water
on the prospect of reinstating the assault weapons ban, highlighting
Democrats' reluctance to take on gun issues. Attorney General Eric
Holder raised the prospect Wednesday that the administration would
push to bring back the ban. But Pelosi (D-Calif.) indicated on
Thursday that he never talked to her. The Speaker gave a flat "no"
when asked if she had talked to administration officials about the
ban. "On that score, I think we need to enforce the laws we have right
now," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. "I think it's clear
the Bush administration didn't do that." Outside of the dig at the
recent Republican president, that phrase is the stock line of those
who don't want to pass new gun control laws, such as the National
Rifle Association. The White House declined to comment on Holder's
remarks, referring reporters to the Department of Justice. The DoJ did
not respond to The Hill's request for comment.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-tosses-cold-water-on-reviving-assault-weapon-ban-2009-02-26.html
---

Big Brother Boosts Firearm Stocks: The election of President Obama and
a Democratically controlled Congress has been a boon to U.S. handgun
makers, with sales of one pistol manufacturer climbing enough that an
analyst Wednesday upgraded its stock to "Strong Buy" from
"Accumulate." CL King & Assoc. analyst Jim Barrett upgraded shares of
Sturm, Ruger & Co. after the Southport, Conn.-based company reported
its firearm revenue soared 81 percent in the fourth quarter. "We are
raising our rating, recognizing that sales are benefiting from what is
clearly a one-time surge in gun sales due to the arrival of the new
Democratic administration," Barrett said. Since President Obama's Nov.
3, 2008, election, Sturm's shares have climbed more than 20 percent.
And shares of rival Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., based in
Springfield, Mass., have shot up about 40 percent…

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29389581/

Related Article:

http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/02/26/gun-sales-stocks-obama-fear/
---

Russian Arms Industry on Verge of Bankruptcy: Not sure if it's good
news or bad. If you shoot the relatively cheap Wolf or Barnaul ammo
this could be bad. If you don't trust Russians (and I don't), this
could be good. Anyway, one thing is for sure: if the Russkies want to
jump start their dying firearms and ammunition industry, the best
thing they can do is to elect Obama as President next time around. One
third of Russian armament manufacturers are almost bankrupt and the
industry is trying to obtain financial credit from Western banks as
the loans from Russian banks are too expensive…

http://transsylvaniaphoenix.blogspot.com/2009/02/russian-armament-industry-only-inches.html
---

Gillibrand Reverses Stance: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand made her
turnaround on a key gun-control issue official this week: She signed a
letter seeking repeal of the NRA-backed Tiahrt Amendments, even though
she sought to make them permanent just last June. The letter, made
public yesterday, asks Attorney General Eric Holder for his support
for the repeal of Tiahrt, an appropriations bill amendment that since
2003 has restricted use of federal gun-trace data. The letter was
written and circulated by Gillibrand's most outspoken critic: Rep.
Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), a gun-control activist whose husband was
killed in 1993 by a gunman on the Long Island Rail Road. Gillibrand
acknowledged backing Tiahrt's repeal by signing the letter, an aide
said, but denied making a 180-degree turn on the measure. Gillibrand
said instead that Tiahrt needs to be "fixed…"

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usgill266049715feb26,0,857834.story
---

Pro-RKBA Bills in North Carolina: While gun rights advocates
nationwide assume a defensive stance in response to the election of
Barack Obama and the stranglehold on Congress by Democrats, some state
legislators and state-level groups like Grass Roots North Carolina are
out of the foxholes and fighting for legislation to enhance lawful
self-defense. Within the last week, no fewer than five pro-gun bills
have been introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly thanks to
pro-Second Amendment legislators like Representatives Mark Hilton,
George Cleveland, Justin Burr, Jim Gulley, Tim Moore, Fred Steen, and
Laura Wiley; and Senator Andrew Brock. More gun legislation can be
expected to be introduced prior to the bill introduction deadlines of
March 25 for the Senate and April 8 for the House…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d26-Ambitious-gun-rights-agenda-introduced-in-North-Carolina
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Illinois Bill Would Restrict Private-Party Sales: Nearly 10 years
after former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong
was shot and killed in Skokie, his widow championed legislation aimed
at making handguns harder to buy. The proposal pushed by Sherialyn
Byrdsong would require background checks of people buying a handgun
privately from another individual. The background check and
transaction would be performed by a licensed firearm dealer… The
legislation advanced to the full House Wednesday after a 6-4 committee
vote, but faces a tough road to becoming law, if history is any guide.
Osterman's legislation is among a bundle of gun bills this session,
with other measures pitched that would allow people to carry concealed
weapons. The gun issue is a regional and ideological topic that
crosses party lines in Illinois, with many Chicago area lawmakers
wanting stringent gun laws and most Downstate lawmakers fervently
supporting the right to bear arms…

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/02/house-panel-approves-measure-making-it-tougher-to-buy-handguns.html
---

The Idiocy of Smart Guns: One of the fondest wishes of the forcible
citizen disarmament lobby is a legal mandate that all guns (or at
least all handguns) for private citizens be fitted with so-called
"smart gun" technology. At this point, such technology has not yet
even been developed, but that was not enough to stop New Jersey from
passing a law requiring the use of such technology whenever it does
become available. That was in 2002… At this point, almost seven years
later, the technology still isn't available… Interestingly, one
exception to New Jersey's "smart gun" requirement, whenever it goes
into effect, will be police officers' guns. That seems a little odd,
when one considers that although it is quite rare for people to be
shot with their own guns, after being disarmed by a criminal, when it
does happen, police are among the most likely victims - remember Brian
Nichols? …

http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d26-The-idiocy-of-smart-guns
---

New Hampshire Man Takes Permit Fight to Court: A year after he was
denied a license to carry a concealed weapon, Exeter resident Dan
Garand is taking his case to the state Supreme Court. His hired gun is
attorney Penny Dean, a Second Amendment specialist, NRA-certified
shooting instructor, hunting safety instructor and graduate of the
"Lethal Force Institute." "If you can lawfully own a gun, you should
be issued a license to carry," said Dean, who hopes to convince the
state's highest court that appeals of gun license denials should be
heard in superior courts. The case is scheduled for oral arguments
before the Court on March 17, when Dean and Exeter attorney Dan
Schwarz will each have ten minutes to make their arguments… (If memory
serves, Dean is the student who shot herself while reholstering during
an LFI-III course a few years back.)

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090226-NEWS-90226032
---

Oops, Wrong Meat Market: Mohammed Abu Sayed was wiping Lotto-card
scratchings from the counter of his Friendly Meat and Grocery when two
men in ski masks and hoodies dashed through the front door. One
pointed a revolver to Sayed's head as the other headed to the cooler
for a six pack…  It was the fourth attempted robbery of Sayed's
convenience store since it opened in May. This time, he was ready.
Sayed, 49, grabbed a .32-caliber pistol, crouched and aimed. The
robbers fled, firing behind them as they ran… "I didn't shoot them. I
didn't want to kill any people," he said. "But they wanted to kill
me." … (Pointing a gun you're not prepared to fire can be hazardous to
your health.)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article979497.ece

--

02-26-09

From: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
-------------------------------------------------------------

Big Brother Begins the Attack on the RKBA: The Obama administration
will seek to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004
during the Bush administration, Attorney General Eric Holder said
today. "As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are
just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among
them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons,"
Holder told reporters. Holder said that putting the ban back in place
would not only be a positive move by the United States, it would help
cut down on the flow of guns going across the border into Mexico,
which is struggling with heavy violence among drug cartels along the
border… "I think closing the gun show loophole, the banning of
cop-killer bullets and I also think that making the assault weapons
ban permanent, would be something that would be permitted under
Heller," Holder said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling in
Washington, D.C. v. Heller, which asserted the Second Amendment as an
individual's right to own a weapon…

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6960824&page=1
---

Arizona Dealer on Trial for Gunrunning: The Mexican agents who moved
in on a safe house full of drug dealers last May were not prepared for
the fire power that greeted them. When the shooting was over, eight
agents were dead. Among the guns the police recovered was an assault
rifle traced back across the border to a dingy gun store here called
X-Caliber Guns. Now, the owner, George Iknadosian, will go on trial on
charges he sold hundreds of weapons, mostly AK-47 rifles, to
smugglers, knowing they would send them to a drug cartel in the
western state of Sinaloa. The guns helped fuel the gang warfare in
which more than 6,000 Mexicans died last year… (I'm still waiting to
hear in which American gun store the Mexican drug gangs are purchasing
their grenades and mortars.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/26borders.html?_r=1&ref=us&pagewanted=all
---

DC Gun-Ban Repeal: Opponents of a bill that would award the District
its first seat in the House of Representatives fought back yesterday
with a blitz of amendments in the Senate, including one to repeal the
city's gun-control laws that appeared to have significant support. The
amendments were proposed during a day of fiery speeches about the bill
in the Senate and House, where it was approved by a key committee.
Supporters and foes disagreed on whether the bill would restore basic
democratic rights to D.C. residents or perform an end run around the
Constitution. The voting rights bill could come up for a final vote in
the Senate today if both parties agree to quickly move through the
five remaining amendments. In case they don't, Senate Majority Leader
Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) filed a motion last night to end debate. That
would probably push a final vote to Monday, officials said…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/25/AR2009022502007.html

From GOA: …Senator John Ensign of Nevada offered his amendment to
repeal D.C.'s draconian gun ban today. But Senators John Thune of
South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana have also stepped up to the
plate. They filed an amendment that would result in REAL national
concealed carry reciprocity - without adversely affecting no-permit
states like Alaska and Vermont. So now the battle lines are drawn!  By
the end of the week, the Senate will vote on whether to rule these two
pro-gun amendments out of order. The vote could come on a so-called
"cloture" motion to cut off debate (and thus kill the Ensign and
Thune/Vitter amendments). Moreover, if the underlying bill is then
passed, the virulently anti-gun jurisdiction of the District of
Columbia will be rewarded with a voting member of the House of
Representatives…

http://gunowners.org/a022509htm.htm

Related Commentary:

http://townhall.com/columnists/SteveChapman/2009/02/26/misstating_the_constitution?page=full

Brady Bunch Whines:

http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-brady-campaign-says-ensign-amendment-would-endanger-public
---

NRA Forms Congressional Task Force: U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, a board
member of the National Rifle Association, announced Wednesday he will
serve as co-chairman of a new task force on gun rights. "I am afraid
we could witness a significant tilt to the left on gun issues in the
current climate in Washington and that has me greatly concerned," the
Oklahoma Democrat said. "I believe members of the Second Amendment
Task Force will serve a critical role in preventing overreaching by
those who would seek to enact anti-gun policies." Rep. Paul Broun of
Georgia will be the group's Republican co-chairman. Boren said the
task force will be charged with monitoring legislation regarding the
Second Amendment during the 111th Congress…

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090225_11_0_WASHIN825829&allcom=1
---

Alaska Senate Opposes HR 45: The Senate State Affairs committee today
passed SJR 6, a resolution expressing the Alaska Legislature's
opposition to a bill introduced in Congress that would require federal
licenses for firearm users in the U.S. The resolution was sponsored by
Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, who said the congressional bill,
HR 45, is in essence a gun registration bill that assaults the 2nd
Amendment rights of Americans. "This bill in Congress would require
anyone who possesses a firearm to have a federal license to do so, and
makes it a felony to fail to report transfers, loss or theft of a
firearm," Therriault said. "As we have seen so often around the world
- in Germany, in England, and most recently in Australia - restricting
or taking away firearms from law abiding private citizens does not
reduce crime, but is followed by more crime." …

http://www.ktva.com/ci_11776232
---

New Jersey Senate Defeats "Feel Good" Bill: Two area Democrats who
cast key votes against gun legislation on Monday separately called the
bill "feel-good legislation" on Tuesday and said they will not change
their stances on the issue. State Sens. Jeff Van Drew and Steve
Sweeney were two of the three Democrats, along with Sen. Fred Madden,
who joined Republicans in voting against the measure… ith 15
Republican votes against it and two Republican abstentions, Senate
President Richard Codey suspended voting at 20-18. Bills need 21 votes
to pass the Senate. The measure cleared the Assembly last June 23, by
a 47-28 margin, with four abstentions. The law would allow people to
buy or knowingly sell no more than one handgun per month to a person.
It would exempt law enforcement and federally licensed collectors.
Violators faced up to 18 months in state prison and fines of up to
$10,000…

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/184/story/412095.html
---

Daley Calls for More Infringements: [Chicago] Mayor Richard M. Daley
is proposing new anti-gun legislation, while at the same time blasting
the federal government for what he says is a lack of focus in
combating violence in America… Daley is backing five new laws in
Springfield aimed at curbing gun violence. He is asking that gun
dealers be licensed by the state, not just by the federal government;
that gun purchasers be limited to one gun a month; that law
enforcement close the loophole wherein private sellers transfer guns
between each other; a new statewide ban on assault weapons; and
increased penalties for shootings on school property anywhere in the
state…

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29371580/
---

Three CCW Bills in Illinois: Every year the debate over gun control
returns to the legislature, as sure a sign of spring as robins
searching for food on the Capitol grounds. This year is no exception,
with well over a dozen bills introduced already dealing with various
gun issues. A couple of proposals would prohibit local communities
from enacting bans on guns. Another would let authorities revoke an
adult's Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card if a minor
illegally obtains weapons. Another would toughen standards for
transferring weapons between people. And there are no fewer than three
bills allowing Illinois residents to carry concealed weapons. Gun
advocates have tried without success for years to get a "concealed
carry" law passed in Illinois. Those bills are getting a renewed focus
this year in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding
the right to have guns in the home and the Illinois Sheriffs'
Association recent endorsement of concealed carry…

http://www.galesburg.com/news/news_state/x617065199/State-Capitol-Q-A-Concealed-carry-on-legislative-agenda
---

Oregon Sheriffs Withdraw Opposition to Recognition: Today in the House
Judiciary Committee, three bills of interest to gun owners were heard,
But without question, the one that most gun owners will want to know
about was HB 2463. This bill recognizes the concealed handgun licenses
of all other states. At the request of OFF, an amendment was drafted
that extended that recognition to Alaska and Vermont, which allow
their residents to carry concealed without a license. As you know,
this type of legislation has been introduced many times in the past
and has always generated resistance from the Oregon Sheriffs. At
today's hearing, the representative of the Oregon Sheriffs stated that
they no longer opposed recognizing the CHL's of other states. This is
a significant breakthrough in our efforts to have Oregon join the many
states that allow non-residents to be safe while visiting…

http://www.oregonfirearms.org/alertspage/02.24.09%20alert.html
---

Arkansas Senate Panel Kills Church-Carry Bill: A Senate panel on
Wednesday rejected a bill allowing concealed handguns in churches
after opponents complained that allowing firearms defied the notion
that religious buildings are sanctuaries. The Senate Judiciary
Committee stalled the bill on a voice. The measure would have removed
churches and other houses of worship from the list of places where
concealed handguns are banned in Arkansas. Only churches and bars are
on that list. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville,
told the panel after the vote that she may try again with the
proposal…

http://www.fox16.com/news/state/story/Guns-in-church-bill-dies-in-Senate-panel/H76yN3aBokyAL9SW-kMfjA.cspx
---

Disarming the Poor: One particularly insidious method employed by the
citizen disarmament lobby is banning so-called "Saturday Night
Specials," alternatively referred to as "junk guns" - inexpensive
handguns, in other words. Although the term "Saturday Night Special"
did not exist in 1879, the first law of this type was Tennessee's
"Army and Navy Law" of that year. The motivation behind such a law is
not hard to guess.  With laws explicitly prohibiting gun ownership by
blacks no longer feasible, because of the passage of the Fourteenth
Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1875, the racists had to be
(slightly) more subtle in their efforts to keep blacks disarmed, and
thus subject to domination…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d25-Disarming-the-poor
---

Oops, Wrong Party: A homeowner in the Providence neighborhood shot and
killed an armed man who may have been seeking retribution after being
kicked out of a party on Saturday night. The name of the dead man
hasn't yet been released, "pending forensic confirmation," the Fort
Bend County [TX] Sheriff's Office said in a statement issued Monday
morning. However, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case
said the dead man is believed to be "a pretty high-ranking member of a
gang," whom the homeowner appears to have shot while "defending his
property and his family." …

http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/02/23/35850
---

Smith & Wesson Recalls PPK, PPK/S: Smith & Wesson Corp. is recalling
certain pistols that could fire without the trigger being pulled. The
gun maker said it was recalling all Walther PPK and PPK/S pistols that
it manufactured from March 21, 2002, until Feb. 3, 2009. Smith &
Wesson posted a recall notice Friday on its Web site and offered
additional details in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing
Tuesday. The filing cited a problem in the affected pistol models that
"may permit a round to be discharged without the trigger being
pulled." …

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/02/24/ap6091197.html
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CustomContentDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&content=62303&sectionId=10506
---

02-25-09

From: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by Stephen Wenger
------------------------------------------------------

Hayes Loses at Supreme Court: In spite of its recent support for an
individual right to bear arms, the Supreme Court today adopted an
expansive reading of the federal law that bans possession of firearms
by those who have been convicted of felonies or of "a misdemeanor
crime of domestic violence." he meaning of the phrase about
misdemeanors was the issue in United States v. Hayes, decided by a 7-2
vote in a decision available here… Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
writing for the majority, said the 4th Circuit's approach would
"frustrate Congress' manifest purpose" in including domestic violence
crimes among the crimes that would result in loss of firearms. "If the
Fourth Circuit were right in its analysis of the controlling
legislation," Ginsburg said in announcing the ruling from the bench,
"Congress' enactment would have been a dead letter in the majority of
states from the very moment of its passage." Congress added the
domestic violence provision in 1996…

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/02/second-amendment-absent-in-supreme-court-gun-ruling.html
http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2009/02/24/court_upholds_conviction_in_guns_case?page=full
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200902240224
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022403423.html
---

From GOA: An amendment to repeal the onerous gun ban in the District
of Columbia may come to the floor of the Senate as early as tomorrow,
Wednesday, February 25. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) plans to file the
amendment to the so-called D.C. Voting Rights Act. After the landmark
Supreme Court ruling in Heller striking down Washington's gun ban as
unconstitutional, the city council passed a gun control law that was
almost as restrictive as the old one… In addition to protecting Second
Amendment rights in the District of Columbia, a vote on the Ensign
amendment is an important test for your two Senators.  Many of the
provisions in the existing D.C. gun law are also on the wish list of
the anti-gunners. A vote on repealing the D.C. gun ban will be a good
indication of how the Senate will vote on other gun-related issues… It
is vital that you contact your Senators in support of the Ensign
amendment because GOA is the only group that has announced it will
score this vote…

http://gunowners.org/a022409htm.htm
---

Advice to Gillibrand: What should Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand do about
guns? As a two-term U.S. representative from upstate New York, she had
a perfect pro–Second Amendment voting record. A week ago, she admitted
to Newsday that she kept two rifles under her bed for family defense.
This has not sat well with the gun-prohibition crowd, although when
Newsday put the question to a reader vote, 97 percent did not mind her
owning guns for this purpose… Before she makes further concessions to
the gun-prohibition lobby, she might consider what happened to the
last politician who caved in to McCarthyism. The 1994 elections were a
Republican landslide; afterwards, President Clinton observed that "the
NRA is the reason Republicans control the House." Among the freshman
Republicans of the NRA landslide was Dan Frisa of Long Island. He
campaigned and won as a pro-Second Amendment candidate…

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjYxMTZmMzI3OThiNGVlMzYxYmQ2Mzk2MGQ0Mjk5NDM=
---

The Microstamping Threat: Every so often a new buzzword strikes a
chord with the anti-gunners, and the one they're pushing now is
microstamping. Microstamping itself isn't new, it was developed over a
decade ago. But now, those seeking new avenues to restrict gun rights
are turning to it as a means to accomplish their goals. Microstamping
is a patented process of engraving a serial number on the tip of a
firing pin. When it functions properly, the number is stamped onto the
primer of a cartridge when it is fired. Gun control advocates claim
this will lead to making it easier to solve gun crimes and restrict
gun trafficking. They don't mind the myriad flaws with the technology,
only that it will help to discourage law abiding gun owners and drive
up the costs associated with firearms ownership…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d24-Microstamping-our-way-to-gun-control
---

Open Carry Defended: Recently, I was doing an interview with an NBC
affiliate in Texas regarding the initiative to decriminalize open
carry in that supposedly gun-friendly state. I was discussing the fact
that, despite Texas' nationwide reputation as a bastion of rugged
individualism, they are in fact, out of line with the vast majority of
states where individual gun rights are concerned. During the
interview, the anchor asked me the question "What do you say to those
2nd Amendment supporters who oppose open carry?" I have been asked
this question before and had always answered it by talking about the
political and public policy benefits of open carry. However, it
suddenly occurred to me that the question, as asked, made absolutely
no sense. My answer, paraphrased for brevity, was "If you are a 2nd
Amendment supporter then you are, by definition, a supporter of open
carry because open carry is the right that the 2nd Amendment is
enumerating!" …

http://www.examiner.com/x-3253-Minneapolis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d22-Open-carry-is-the-2nd-Amendment
---

Colorado State University to Clarifiy Policy: The Faculty Council at
Colorado State University recently announced it would reword the
student conduct policy to clarify that students with a valid permit
are allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. The current policy
states that CSU prohibits the, "use or possession on University
property of firearms or simulated weapons; other weapons such as
blades larger than pocket knives; ammunition or explosives; dangerous
chemicals, substances or materials; or bombs or incendiary devices
prohibited by law. Use of any such item, even legally, in a manner
that harms, threatens, or causes fear to others [is prohibited]." CSU
is one of 11 universities in the U.S. that allows students with
permits to carry concealed weapons on campus, along with Blue Ridge
Community College and public schools in Utah…

http://media.www.duclarion.com/media/storage/paper481/news/2009/02/24/News/Csu-To.Redo.Weapons.Policy-3645255.shtml
---

Alaska Senator Co-Sponsors Reciprocity Bill: In an effort to secure
the rights of individuals to lawfully carry concealed firearms across
state lines, Sen. Mark Begich is co-sponsoring the Respecting States
Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Currently, Sen. Begich is
the only Democrat of the 19 senators co-sponsoring the legislation
that allows an individual to lawfully carry a concealed firearm across
state lines if they have a valid permit or, if under their state of
residence, they are allowed to do so… (While the intent of this sort
of bill is noble, my fear is that it can open the door for federal
standards in the issuance of state permits.)

http://alaskareport.com/news19/x61981_weapons_begich.htm
---

Ohio Prohibitionists Continue Attack on Utah Reciprocity: If the
12-hour required class to get an Ohio concealed weapons permit seems
too burdensome, take the Utah course. It takes about four hours and
you don't have to leave Ohio or fire a gun. In 2004, Ohio signed a
reciprocity agreement with Utah so the two states honor one another's
CCW permits. Toby Hoover, of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence,
said Ohio's 12-hour training requirement is not too much to ask… Ohio
issues permits to Ohio residents, 21 or older, who pass a criminal
background check, complete 12 hours of training - including two hours
of shooting - and meet other requirements. Utah issues permits to
adults who pass a background check and complete a course, according to
Utah Department of Public Safety Lt. Doug Anderson… (Arizona was faced
with residents opting for three-hour Utah courses in place of 16-hour
Arizona course and changed its law so that out-of-state permits are no
longer valid or Arizona residents. Of note, when the Arizona mandate
dropped from 16 hours to eight hours, the application rate for Arizona
permits doubled.)

http://www.western-star.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/02/23/ddn022309ccw1a.html
---

Arkansas Bill Would Make CCW Confidential: ARCCA has learned that a
bill will be filed Wednesday by Representative Stewart to protect the
privacy rights of Arkansas Concealed Carry holders from further
abuses. The Bill will be modeled after the Tennessee Bill. This is a
good bill, it makes gun-carry permit records confidential and levies
fines for publishing them. As soon as we have a number for the bill
and a link I'll put it in this post as an update so you can read it…

http://www.arkansascca.org/blog/index.php?content=detail&id=277
---

California Grand Jury Supports Anti-CCW Sheriff: The Orange County
grand jury has a message for county supervisors, gun rights advocates
and everyone else who disagrees with Sheriff Sandra Hutchens' plan to
reduce concealed weapons permits: "Let the sheriff do her job." That's
the title of the grand jury report to be released today, according to
a confidential copy obtained by The Orange County Register. Hutchens
has spent months arguing with local lawmakers and gun advocates over
her plan to make it tougher to get gun permits…

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/permits-gun-policy-2316575-hutchens-grand
---

Rule Three Reminder: A retired St. Paul police officer was wounded
Saturday when a pistol belonging to an off-duty Minneapolis police
officer accidentally discharged at a gun show. Both men were working
security at the Minneapolis Gun Show at the Minneapolis Convention
Center when the accident happened about 1:15 p.m., said Minneapolis
police spokesman Sgt. Jesse Garcia. The semi-automatic pistol went off
when the holster got caught on a chair that the Minneapolis officer
was either leaning back on or getting off of, Garcia said… (Rule
Three: Keep your finger [and other objects] out of the trigger guard…
until your sights are on the target and you're prepared to fire.)

http://www.twincities.com/ci_11761848?source=most_viewed
---

Rule Five Reminder: Police in Florence are still investigating the
fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy and haven't concluded who shot him,
a spokesman said Monday. Florence Detective Walt Hunter said the boy's
father and a 2 1/2-year-old brother were in the house in north
Florence - about 45 minutes southeast of Phoenix - when the shooting
occurred. Hunter said no one else was injured. According to Hunter,
authorities received a 911 call about 10 minutes before noon Sunday.
Hunter said the children's mother was at work. The boy's identity was
not released immediately. Hunter also said family members have been
interviewed and the gun's origin was being investigated. (Rule Five:
Maintain control of your firearm. As the following articles point out,
it's not always black and white with regard to youngsters.)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/02/24/20090224florence0224.html
---

Protecting Children…: … "But surely," some might say, "you don't
oppose taking whatever measures are necessary to keep guns out of the
hands of children--do you?" Actually, I do. No--it's not that I want
to create an army of child soldiers, or even that I am any less
horrified than anyone else by school shootings, or by the rare but
horribly tragic incidents of children finding guns and accidentally
shooting themselves or someone else…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d23-Protecting-children----from-the-ability-to-defend-themselves

Yesterday, St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner Kurt Hofmann wrote a powerful
piece entitled, "'Protecting' children … from the ability to defend
themselves" in which he discussed the plight of the Carpenter family.
On August 23, 2000, Jonathan David Bruce broke into the Carpenter home
and, armed with a pitch fork, brutally attacked the four children at
home alone, killing two. Although the children were trained in the use
of firearms, the family's guns were locked away in compliance with
California law…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d24-The-Carpenters-From-tragedy-rises-heroism
---

Swiss Army Could Lose Home-Storage of Weapons: Switzerland's part-time
soldiers could lose their famous right to store their weapons at home.
A coalition led by the country's Social Democrat party and the Greens
has collected nearly 120,000 signatures to force a national referendum
on whether the weapons should be stored at military bases.  The
coalition of 74 groups says the weapons are involved in too many
suicides and murders in the country and tighter controls are needed.
Switzerland's armed forces consist of just a few thousand permanent
full-time staff, with the rest essentially a militia. Service in the
militia is compulsory for men aged between 19 and 31 and in between
call-ups they store their weapons at home. There are currently around
220,000 conscripts. However, a 2007 law change banned the storage of
ammunition in homes. The coalition is looking to extend this, control
the purchase of military weapons and set up a national gun register.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/24/switzerland.gun.army.referendum/index.html

http://www।cafepress।com/slashslash।360703876

02-23-09

From: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by Stephen Wenger
----------------------

Oh, Those Vicious, Inanimate Guns!: Philadelphia Police officer John
Pawlowski was not killed by Rasheed Scruggs - he was killed by the
.357 pistol that Scruggs was using. Take away that gun and Scruggs is
just another thug with his hands in his pockets. And good-looking
family man John Pawlowski might be alive today… This is a news flash
for that gun lobby: Back when they wrote the second amendment,
Americans were still burning women as witches; guns do, indeed kill,
just like that .357, and the main prey that is being hunted in
Philadelphia right now are human beings, especially police officers…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2301-Philadelphia-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2009m2d17-Lets-get-the-gun-lobby-furious
---

Arkansas Paper Posts CCW List: The Arkansas Times blogger and uber
leftist Max Brantly, gleefully put up a link to the excel file that
holds every Arkansas Concealed Carry License holders name & address.
The Times didn't even bother to scrub the address of the permit
holders, have they ever heard of identity theft? And what about my
privacy rights? As Arkansas Project Contributor and State
Representative Dan Greenberg notes, "Max's glee in communicating
public information wasn't in evidence a week or two ago, when my bill
to make the criminal records of public officials available to the
public came before the House Judiciary Committee. At that point, Max
said that that bill "simply has an aura of meanness." (Of course, he's
hardly the only person who didn't like the idea; the bill got voted
down by the House Friday.)What drives Max's shifting moods on the
freedom of public information? Is it just a matter of what he had for
breakfast that day?" Not only is Max obviously biased in his
intrepetation of freedom of public information he seems to have quite
a distaste for the privacy rights of lawabiding gun owners. Maybe we
should look at getting a bill through that keeps law abiding gun
owners personal information private? …

http://www.arkansascca.org/blog/?content=detail&id=275
---

Meanwhile, In Florida…: 347,350 in 2005. 540,991 in 2009. 95,000
applications waiting to be processed. Four of every 100 adult
Floridians now has a permit to carry a concealed gun, and 95,000 are
awaiting action on their application for one. But while the number of
concealed weapons permit holders has jumped 56 percent in four years,
no one knows their names. In 2006, the Florida Legislature exempted
the concealed weapons permit database from public view. Permit holders
may like that no one knows they may be carrying a gun. What about the
other 18 million Floridians? The right to carry a concealed weapon
should not trample the right to know who has a permit to carry one.
Those carrying guns might feel safer, but what about everyone else who
cannot know if their neighbor or co-worker is carrying one? Lawmakers
should remove the exemption from the public records law and make the
names of permit holders' public again…

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article977863.ece
http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/2009/02/22/the-anti-privacy-press/
---

Minnesota Bill Would Ease Case Requirement: …Dill is author of a bill
that would allow people to transport uncased and unloaded rifles,
shotguns and bows in their vehicles. The bill - which was approved
last week by the House Game, Fish and Forestry Division Committee,
chaired by Dill - was amended to require that the guns be unloaded.
Another amendment clarifies that handguns still would have to be
transported cased, unless the owner has a permit to carry a concealed
handgun. Under current law, the only time rifles and shotguns can be
transported uncased is in the closed trunk of a motor vehicle…

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/39871702.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUgOahccyiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
---

Oregon Campus-Carry Case Gains Momentum: Jeffrey Maxwell, a
30-year-old student at Western Oregon University who served in the
Marines, always carries a loaded two-bullet derringer in his front
pocket that's so small it looks like it could be his keys. He has a
license to carry and conceal the gun, but he never takes it out or
talks about it on campus because he doesn't want to scare anyone. It's
only for protection, he says. State law allows him to carry his gun in
most public places. But the university says he can't carry it on
campus - license or no license. Maxwell's case might finally settle
the long-standing conflict in court for all seven public universities
in Oregon…

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/oregon_universities_gun_ban_fa.html
---

Oops, Wrong Store: Minneapolis police say a store clerk thwarted a
robbery by swinging hammers at the would-be thief, according to a
report on KMSP-TV. Authorities don't recommend fighting back because
they say innocent people could be hurt. But police Sgt. Jesse Garcia
says some people are apparently tired of being crime victims. Police
say a man entered Bryn Mawr Market about 8 p.m. Thursday wearing a ski
mask. Garcia says the employee calmly asked him to remove the mask and
the man said, "This is a robbery, don't you know that?" When the man
grabbed the cash register, the clerk hit the man once with a hammer.
Then the clerk threw the hammer at the man, pulled out a second one
and chased the man away. The man dropped the cash register and fled on
foot. The employee suffered a cut on his arm. (I have long advocated
carrying more than one handgun. I'll have to think about a second
hammer.)

http://www.startribune.com/local/40026377.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr
---

Oops, Wrong Passenger: A 23-year-old visitor from the East Coast had
just gotten money from an ATM when he told his friend on a cell phone
that he had a bad feeling about two men approaching him at the
Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland. His worst fears were realized when
one suspect, Victor Veliz, 18, held a folding knife with a 5-inch
blade to his neck and the other, Christopher Gonzalez, 18, threatened
to shoot him Thursday night, authorities said. In a blind panic, he
lashed out at his attackers, grabbing the knife from one of them and
punching the other as his friend listened in horror on the phone.
Without realizing it, authorities say, the man stabbed Gonzalez in the
chest. Gonzalez stumbled to his family's home around the corner,
collapsed into his father's arms and died. Veliz, who is affiliated
with a gang, was arrested at Gonzalez's home after police allegedly
found him with the East Coast visitor's cell phone. He will be charged
with murder in the death of his accomplice, along with a robbery
count, prosecutors said…

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/21/BAI4161N0D.DTL
---

Pakistan Arms Militias to Fight Terrorism: Authorities in a Pakistani
border province plan to arm villagers with 30,000 rifles and set up an
elite police unit to protect a region increasingly besieged by Taliban
and al-Qaida militants, an official said Sunday. Stiffer action in the
North West Frontier Province could help offset American concern that a
peace deal being negotiated in the Swat Valley, a Taliban stronghold
in the province, could create a haven for Islamist insurgents only 100
miles from Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. Village militias backed
by the United States have been credited with reducing violence in
Iraq. The United States is paying for a similar initiative in
Afghanistan…

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/281317
---

Tangentially Related: If we had it to do all over again, would we
appoint Supreme Court justices for life? Allow the chief justice to
keep the job forever? Let the court have the final word on which cases
it hears and those it declines? A group of prominent law professors
and jurists thinks not, and the group says in a letter to
congressional leaders that there is no reason Congress should consider
the operation of the high court sacrosanct… For starters, the group
proposes a form of term limits, moving justices to senior status after
18 years on the court. The proposal says that justices now linger so
long that it diminishes the likelihood that the court's decisions
"will reflect the moral and political values of the contemporary
citizens they govern." …It would set up a regular rotation on the
court by providing for the nomination of a new justice by the
president with each new two-year term of Congress. If that results in
more than the current nine justices, only the nine most junior would
hear cases… (Sounds like a "living Supreme Court" to match a "living
Constitution.")

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/22/AR2009022201863.html?hpid=topnews

…In the first five weeks of his presidency, Barack Obama has acted so
rashly that at least 11 states have decided that his brand of "hope"
equates to an intolerable expansion of the federal government's
authority over the states. These states - Washington, New Hampshire,
Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, California, Georgia,
South Carolina, and Texas - have passed resolutions reminding Obama
that the 10th Amendment protects the rights of the states, which are
the rights of the people, by limiting the power of the federal
government. These resolutions call on Obama to "cease and desist" from
his reckless government expansion and also indicate that federal laws
and regulations implemented in violation of the 10th Amendment can be
nullified by the states…

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30807
---

02-22-09

From: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by Stephen Wenger
----------------------------------------

A Historical Comment: Today is the anniversary of the birth of George
Washington, who was probably our nation's truly greatest president.
When I was a child, it was still celebrated as a national holiday.
---

Support Builds for Oregon CCW Confidentiality: Sheriffs around Oregon
have been sending an unusual letter to holders of concealed weapons
permits with this message: If you don't want the public to know you've
got a permit, we'll try to help you out. The letter from the sheriffs
says newspapers and others are trying to get lists of people who have
concealed handgun permits, sparking a legal challenge that's pending
in the Oregon Court of Appeals. And as the appeals court mulls the
issue, Oregon lawmakers are pursuing legislation to take those records
completely out of public view by prohibiting their release under the
Oregon public records law. The bill to close those records has broad
support, with half of the members of the Legislature, both Democrats
and Republicans, signing on as co-sponsors… (Arguably, in
jurisdictions such as California, where issue of permits is
"discretionary," there is value to being able to evaluate who merits
the "privilege." I can think of no similar argument in a shall-issue
environment.)

http://www.katu.com/news/40034077.html
---

Who Picked This Scenario?: Following publicized reports that the Army
National Guard was planning a military training exercise on the
streets of a rural Iowa town, the commanding officers have called off
the mock "invasion." The Guard had planned a four-day urban military
operation in tiny Arcadia, Iowa, population 443, sending troops to
take over the town and search door-to-door for a suspected weapons
dealer… Kots described the original operation to the Herald as set to
begin on Thursday, April 2, with reconnaissance and exploratory
patrols. On April 4 convoys were to be deployed from the armory in
Carroll to nearby Arcadia, where soldiers would knock on doors,
showing a picture of the invented "arms dealer." …

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=89527
---

From Texas Gun Shops?: Across the border from McAllen, Texas, a war
has been raging in affluent Mexican neighborhoods, main streets and
shopping areas as cartels openly fire rocket-propelled grenade
launchers and assault rifles at law enforcement authorities… The
gunmen fired a variety of military-grade weapons, including grenades,
a 60 mm mortar and assorted small-arms ammunition… (So much for the
fiction that Mexican drug gangs would not be as violent if they could
not obtain firearms by straw purchases in American border states. As I
have said before, they have no trouble procuring weaponry from the
Mexican military.)

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=89460

Mexican police say assailants hurled two grenades at a police station
in the southwestern beach town of Zihuatanejo, wounding one officer
and four civilians. The Guerrero state Public Safety Department says
men in an SUV threw the explosive devices at the station Saturday.
Three taxi drivers, a woman and a policeman were hurt. Grenade attacks
have become a fixture of Mexico's brutal drug violence. Last week,
five civilians and an officer were wounded in a grenade assault on a
police patrol in western Michoacan state. Mexican police say they are
outgunned by drug gangs that attack them every day.

http://www.newsmax.com/international/lt_mexico_violence/2009/02/21/184207.html
---

"Russian Roulette" Killing – More Details: …Courtney L. Robinson and
Jason M. Brant, 22, were drunk and high on marijuana Sept. 6, 2008,
when they playfully pointed guns at each other at around 2 a.m. at a
home in the 800 block of East 30th Street, near South Park Avenue,
court documents indicate. Robinson knew his .45 caliber revolver had
two bullets in it, but fired it three times. Because no rounds were
fired the first two times, Robinson thought the next cylinder [sic]
would be empty, too… While there is no excuse for playing with a
loaded gun, Rosenbluth reminded the judge his client has cognitive
difficulties. After court, Rosenbluth said his client's IQ is 69…
(What a great combination – cognitive impairment, alcohol, marijuana,
an equally impaired friend and partially loaded firearms.)

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/281230
---

The Vaunted Head Shot: This video clip credits a hair weave with
stopping a bullet, fired by an estranged boyfriend, from penetrating a
woman's skull. No mention is made of the caliber of the bullet but, in
objective analysis, the bullet in question may already have been
slowed by the rear window of the vehicle.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29300905#29300905
---

--
Jason Baird
http://www.Weboutsourcing.com
214-495-9858

02-21-09

With permission from: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spw-duf.info
Comments in () by Stephen Wenger
-------------------------------------------------------

Post-Heller Sequels Move toward the Supremes: On a pace that very
likely will put them in the Supreme Court at its next Term, three
significant test cases on the scope of the Second Amendment - the "gun
rights" Amendment - are moving along in the lower courts. Briefing on
the core question of whether state and local governments must obey the
Amendment - and thus allow private ownership of handguns, for example
- will be completed in the Seventh Circuit Court by mid-March.
Argument and a decision by summer appear likely. The three cases were
filed swiftly after the Supreme Court, late last June, declared for
the first time that the "right to keep and bear arms" is a personal,
individual right — at least to have a gun in one's own home for
self-defense (District of Columbia v. Heller, 07-290). The Justices,
however, did not then settle whether the Amendment applies to state
and local governments, as well as the federal government and the
District of Columbia…

http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/heller-sequels-move-along/
---

A Libertarian Comments on HR 45 and More: …Will it turn out that we
enjoyed more liberty under Bush than we will under Obama? At least the
Republicans left us the Second Amendment. The Obama Democrats are not
going to return our other purloined civil liberties, and they are
already attacking the Second Amendment. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D, IL) has
introduced the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of
2009. As the British and Australians learned, once firearms are
registered, the government knows where they are. The government's next
step is to confiscate the firearms. Moreover, the Act would permit the
government to negate Second Amendment rights by refusing to issue a
license. Any parents who bequeathed family antique or historic
firearms to heirs would be in violation of the act, as it bans any
transfer of a firearm other than via a licensed dealer…

http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts263.html
---

The New York Times Lies, Freedom Dies: The Obama administration has
chosen to defend a bad rule rushed through during former President
George W. Bush's final days in office that allows concealed, loaded
firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. The rule is a gift to
the gun lobby… Although concealed, loaded weapons obviously have no
place in the national parks, the Justice Department brief asserts that
the rule "will not have any significant impacts on public health and
safety." We can only hope that the Justice Department's position does
not reflect a broader weakening of President Obama's stated commitment
to sensible gun control policies. Another early test of that
commitment is coming soon. It involves the so-called Tiahrt Amendment,
which is strongly supported by the gun lobby. The amendment denies
police and local governments access to essential information about
guns used to commit crimes. The question is whether Mr. Obama's
forthcoming budget blueprint will include language aiming to repeal
it… (There was an extended comment period on the NPS rule change. The
Tiahrt Amendment does not inhibit legitimate law-enforcement access to
data, it blocks cities from pooling statistical data for use in
harassment lawsuits against the firearm industry.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/opinion/20fri2.html
---

The Beat Goes On: … "I went from being anti-gun to pro-gun," says
Becky Pomaville, a former long-time Marco resident, now living in
Naples. "Before, I didn't want to touch a gun, didn't want a gun in
the house. But the way the world has become, I thought it would be a
good idea to be protected, but I knew I needed to learn how to shoot.
I really enjoy it now and shoot at Mobile Tactics twice a week."
Pomaville is learning self-defense and has several weapons with which
she's becoming proficient. She has applied for a concealed carry
permit, as well. Christoff says that about two-thirds of his new
shooters at Mobile Tactics are women. "Women are excellent students.
Most of them have no firearms experience, which is great, because they
don't have any bad habits like some of the guys do. I don't have to
retrain them." …

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/feb/20/gun-savvy-marco-island/?partner=RSS
---

Wyoming Recognition Boondoggle: Due to an overwhelmingly negative
response from gun owners both in and outside Wyoming, an attempt made
earlier this week to drastically limit Wyoming's Right-to-Carry
Reciprocity statute has been suspended for the time being, once again
restoring the original Right-to-Carry Reciprocity statute. This break
will allow the NRA to review the current statute and develop a plan to
bring a bill before the Wyoming State Legislature during the next
legislative session to ensure that this never happens again to
law-abiding citizens in Wyoming…

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=4445

By statute, Wyoming honors concealed carry permits from other states
that have laws similar to Wyoming's. The Wyoming Attorney General's
Office is undertaking a thorough review of the concealed carry
statutes of the 49 other states to determine which states have laws
similar to Wyoming's. Once that review is complete, this website will
feature a list of the states from which Wyoming will honor concealed
carry permits. Until then, the Division of Criminal Investigation
will honor permits from those states with which Wyoming had
reciprocity as of January 1, 2009. Accordingly, Wyoming will continue
to recognize concealed firearm permits from the following states. The
listing also encompasses those states that have indicated they honor
Wyoming permits… (The AG's website list 22 states for recognition.
Conspicuously absent is Arizona, which recognizes Wyoming's and all
other permits.)

http://attorneygeneral.state.wy.us/dci/CWP.html
---

Quirk Allows DC Resident to Apply for Pennsylvania Permits: In my last
column I highlighted the draconian nature of the DC City Council's
changes to the District's gun control laws quietly passed in December,
2008 amidst all the Presidential inaugural hubbub. But here's the
silver lining – the Council's repeal of the Police Chief's
discretionary authority to issue gun carry permits makes district
residents eligible to obtain mail order handgun carry permits from
Pennsylvania. Here's why: Pennsylvania requires non-resident
applicants to possess a home state carry permit, unless the home state
or district does not issue carry permits. Only Illinois, Vermont, and
now DC refuses to issue gun carry permits. At least Vermont has a good
excuse in that no permit is required to carry a handgun in Vermont,
even concealed… (Actually, Wisconsin also lacks any provision to issue
carry permits.)

http://www.examiner.com/x-2782-DC-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d15-DC-City-Council-enables-residents-easy-access-to-mail-order-handgun-carry-permits
---

Alabama House OK's Ban on Emergency Confiscation: A bill to prevent
state or local government from seizing lawfully owned guns during
emergencies sailed through the Alabama House on Thursday and now heads
to the Senate, where it was approved last year. Rep. Mark Keahey,
D-Grove Hill, said his measure is aimed at ensuring the chaos that
comes with disasters, such as hurricanes, is not made worse by
overzealous government officials. "The Second Amendment gives us a
constitutional right to bear arms, and this bill is just an effort, on
Alabama's part, to help us maintain that right," Keahey said. The bill
was inspired by the events following Hurricane Katrina, when New
Orleans police collected more than 1,000 firearms from residents,
according to a National Rifle Association tally. Law-abiding citizens
turned over their guns, but criminals kept theirs to use against
unarmed citizens, Keahey said…

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/12351249955120.xml&coll=3
---

Tennessee Bill Would Ban Microstamping: Sen. Doug Jackson, D-Dickson,
has filed legislation that would ban the sale of "microstamped"
firearms and ammunition, calling them an infringement on the Second
Amendment right to bear arms. California has passed a law mandating
microstamping of firearms, "and I predict that Tennessee will pass a
law banning it," Sen. Jackson said. Called the "Second Amendment
Protection Act," the bill would outlaw sale of firearms and ammunition
that are laser-engraved, or microstamped, to identify the buyer of the
firearm or ammunition after it has been shot… Microstamping would lead
to the establishment of a registry or database of gun-owners who are
guilty of nothing more than owning a gun, the senator noted. "A
firearm registry is a preamble to gun confiscation. And the
law-abiding American gun owner would have to pay the added costs it
would incur." …

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_145174.asp
---

South Dakota Mayor Opposes Preemption Bill: A controversial gun bill
making its way through the South Dakota legislature could shoot holes
in policies designed to protect the public. HB1278 says no town,
county or township can restrict where someone can carry a gun. And
that's not sitting well with some. The sign on the door at Sioux
Falls' City Hall says no firearms allowed. But if a new gun bill
passes in the legislature, this sign and others on city property would
have to come down. "To me, that's not good legislation," Sioux Falls
Mayor Dave Munson said. Munson calls it a ridiculous bill that should
be shot down. "My biggest problem is I really don't think people
should carry weapons on city property," Munson said… (If Munson is so
concerned about "guns going off accidentally," I have to wonder if he
also wants to ban his police officers from carrying them on city
property.)

http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6375.cfm?Id=0,80855
---

Some California Residents Don't Understand Preemption (or Criminals):
Why can't there be more stringent laws against guns in Salinas?
Salinas police Cmdr. Dino Bardoni was the first official placed in the
hot seat tonight as a townhall meeting kicked off at Sherwood Hall on
North Main Street. The initial question was posed by Peter Valdez of
Salinas, who wanted to know why gun locks couldn't be enforced in the
city – forcing gang members to lock their guns in order to transport
them. "Gang member are not going to adhere to the law," said Bardoni,
referring to how the criminals use illegal guns. "The problem is the
outlaw element that is carrying the guns that we can't control at this
point." He is one of six panelists participating in a townhall meeting
geared to community members who have concerns about the ongoing gang
problems in the city that have so far killed six people in 2009.

http://thecalifornian.com/article/20090218/NEWS01/90218032/1002
---

Nevada Bill Would Catalog Mental-Health Records: Lawmakers were asked
Friday to back a bill stepping up state record-keeping to help keep
guns away from the mentally ill, but were told by a critic of the plan
that it's a "stacked deck" targeting Nevadans' constitutional rights.
Assembly Judiciary Committee members were told by Deputy Attorney
General Kerry Benson that AB46 is required under a 2007 federal law
change and that federal funds could be lost if it's not approved.
Benson said Nevada must make a "reasonable attempt" to comply with the
federal law, approved after the 2007 mass shootings at Virginia Tech
that left 33 people dead, including the gunman whose prior psychiatric
treatment wasn't listed in records checked by gun dealers who sold him
weapons…

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/280/story/699760.html

Tangentially Related: Worried the federal government is increasing its
dominance over their affairs, several states are pursuing legislative
action to assert their sovereignty under the 10th Amendment of the
Constitution in hopes of warding off demands from Washington on how to
spend money or enact policy. The growing concerns even have a handful
of governors questioning whether to accept federal stimulus money that
comes with strings attached. The sentiments to declare themselves
legally independent from Washington have swept across as many as a
dozen states, renewing a debate over so-called unfunded mandates that
last raged in the 1990s. The states question whether the U.S.
government can force states to take actions without paying for them or
impose conditions on states if they accept certain federal funding…
(Some list members will recall that sheriffs Jay Printz [Ravalli
County MT] and Richard Mack [Graham County AZ] won a Supreme Court
ruling against the Clinton administration for an unfunded mandate in
the Brady Bill. A section of that bill required chief law enforcement
officers to conduct background checks for firearm purchases, pending
the establishment of NICS, but provided no funds for them to do so.)

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/20/states-cite-10th-amendment-in-effort-to-cut-stimul/
---

Minnesota Legislator Revives Gun-Show Bill: Gun control advocates are
taking another stab at changing a state law that allows people to buy
handguns and assault rifles without a background check from unlicensed
dealers. A similar bill got nowhere in the legislature last year, but
chief sponsor Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, said he hopes tweaks
in the bill's language will satisfy the measure's opponents. "It's a
good bill, a simple one designed to keep dangerous guns out of the
hands of dangerous people," Paymar said… (Now it's a "gun
show/Internet loophole" despite the fact that a firearm purchased over
the internet must be shipped to an FFL. What about common hunting
rifles, which generally fire more powerful rounds than either pistols
or "assault rifles"?)

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/39844612.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciatkEP7DhUsl
---

Hunting Rifles, The Next "Sniper Weapons": I wrote recently about the
forcible citizen disarmament lobby's desire to ban .50 caliber rifles.
In that piece, I pointed out that if such a ban were ever implemented,
the gun prohibitionists would soon discover that a sniper limited to a
.499 caliber rifle would not be seriously hampered by the loss of
1/1000th of an inch of bullet diameter, leading, no doubt, to calls
for the banning of that caliber as well. Of course, a .498 caliber
rifle would not really be noticeably less capable . . . etc. The
disarmament lobby considers it bad form for gun rights advocates to
bring up the "slippery slope," and decry the logic of that argument -
just as they pour some more oil on the surface, and jack the incline
up a few more degrees. In a comment responding to my piece on a
potential .50 caliber rifle ban, I was reminded about one potential
manifestation of said slippery slope… (When the USMC recreated its
scout-sniper program in Vietnam, the rifles were Winchester Model 70's
purchased through the Base Exchange system.)

http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d20-Hunting-riflesthe-next-sniper-weapons
---

Food for Thought: A thought experiment is one that can't really be
done because of cost, technology, or political practicality. The one I
propose is in the social realm. In your mind, select a zip code in the
Denver metro area with high rates of robbery and assault. It is
probably a residential area, houses or apartment buildings. If it is
houses it is probably largely rental, because I predict it isn't a
wealthy zip code. Now, go into this area and publicize a new program
that is going to teach gun safety and use. Any and all residents can
come learn how to safely handle a handgun. All comers are taken to a
range and taught range safety, gun safety, and given the opportunity
to shoot enough rounds that they feel confident in handling a gun
safely and accurately. Next, you offer any and all graduates of this
training who pass the Instacheck a free handgun and a lockbox bolted
to the wall or floor of their home. Add 50 rounds of ammunition. Next,
offer concealed carry classes to all who wish it from this set of
people. Pay for the costs of a Concealed Carry Weapon permit for all
who pass the class and pass the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and
Sheriff's department investigations. Their final gift is a good
holster for concealed carry…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2944-Denver-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d20-A-thought-experiment?cid=examiner-email
---

Open-Carry Demonstrations in Alaska: A growing group of Fairbanks gun
rights activists will show their support for the Second Amendment
today by openly carrying guns. "We're going to have an open carry
day," Schaeffer Cox, unofficial leader of the Second Amendment Task
Force, said Thursday. Members of the task force, which he called a
"movement" more than a group or organization, will be displaying their
firearms openly across Alaska's second largest city on Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays for the next two weeks, Cox said… Fairbanks
police Chief Dan Hoffman doesn't have a problem with gun owners
displaying their Second Amendment rights around town. "There's no law
that prohibits a citizen in the state of Alaska from carrying an open,
legal firearm," Hoffman said. "It's perfectly legal." Hoffman suspects
the movement is a result of the election of President Barack Obama, a
Democrat whom gun rights activists worry will crack down on gun
ownership… (I would guess that bare arms would still be a bit
uncomfortable in Alaska at this time of the year.)

http://newsminer.com/news/2009/feb/20/fairbanks-group-will-bare-arms-support-gun-rights/
---

Oops, Wrong House: A Fayetteville man's plan to rob a Sampson County
man's home went awry Tuesday when he got a surprise - an unexpected
meeting with the home's owner, complete with a .22-caliber rifle.
According to the Sampson County Sheriff's Office and the homeowners,
Richard Corderro Woods, 21, of Asbury Road in Fayetteville was
arrested Tuesday morning after Bryan Tew came home and allegedly saw
Mr. Woods coming out the back door of his home in the 600 block of
Eldon Store Road in the Mingo community. Mr. Tew, a local turkey
farmer, said he was driving his tractor down the road to fill it with
fuel around 11:30 when he noticed an unfamiliar Buick Roadmaster with
a burgundy top parked in his garage with the trunk open. He said he
parked his John Deere in front of the car, jumped down and was
reaching behind the seat of his pickup truck for his rifle when he
heard Mr. Woods kick open the back door, heard broken glass and saw
him step outside with an armload of electronics, Wii games and a jar
of change… (Challenging burglars [and other miscreants] with unloaded
firearms may be hazardous to your health.)

http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=104625
---

Dead Burglar Had Lengthy Rap Sheet: The home intruder gunned down by a
northeast valley resident Sunday was a registered sex offender with a
long criminal history, Las Vegas police said. The Clark County
coroner's office identified the dead man as Mark Clinton Vains, 42, of
Las Vegas. Vains died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest at a
residence on the 4600 block of Crystal Peak Drive, near Cheyenne
Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. Resident Paul Witte returned home
about 4:15 p.m. and upon entering, discovered Vains, who was carrying
a pellet gun, homicide Lt. Lew Roberts has said… He [Witte] told
KVBC-TV, Channel 3, that he knew something was wrong when he saw a
suitcase on the floor containing his possessions. He chambered a round
and fired at Vains, who rushed him holding what appeared to be a
.45-caliber handgun. Witte didn't know it was a pellet gun until
police told him later… (Carrying a bottom-feeding pistol without a
round in the chamber may be hazardous to your health.)

http://www.lvrj.com/news/39770977.html
---

Rule Two Reminder: A star Mississippi high school football player
accidentally shot and killed himself with his shotgun after he was
pulled over during a traffic stop, a grand jury ruled Thursday… George
County Sheriff Garry Welford said Thursday that his department's
investigation found that after Sullivan took the teen's license and
went back to his patrol car to check it, Johnson squatted down to move
the shotgun from underneath the seat of his truck. He grabbed the
barrel and the gun went off, said Welford, who did not know why the
teen was trying to move the gun. By the time other officers arrived,
Johnson was lying on the ground outside of the driver's side door with
a shotgun on top of him, the barrel pointing toward his head, police
have said. The grand jury report said the safety was off and one spent
round was in the chamber… (Rule Two: Don't let the muzzle cross
anything you're not prepared to shoot. This sort of incident is not
that uncommon, when people grab long guns by the muzzle and an
undetected object has gotten inside the trigger guard.)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqGBMRI69PDhzW14-LDvtS5H5s0AD96AB68G1
---

Stupid Is as Stupid Does: A Tucson man who killed a friend while
playing Russian roulette was sentenced Friday to eight years in
prison. Pima County Superior Court Judge Deborah Bernini imposed a
slightly mitigated term for a manslaughter charge against Courtney
Larsel Robinson, 22, for the September death of longtime friend Jason
M. Brant, 22. Robinson could have gotten up to 21 years in prison.
Robinson was charged with second-degree murder and weapons misconduct
in Brant's death, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, which
factored into Bernini's sentencing, she said. Bernini also sentenced
Robinson to a concurrent 1.5-year prison term for an unrelated
attempted forgery charge.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/110605.php
---

New Hand Wipes Remove Lead: Hygenall Safety Products, a division of
Mk-IX Technologies Corporation, today announced the availability of
Hygenall hand wipes. Leveraging an exclusive license for science
developed in the laboratories of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH), Hygenall is a breakthrough hand wipe that safely
removes 98 percent of trace lead particles as well as dirt and common
germs associated with children's toys, clothing, paint and other
common surfaces, from the hands. Compared to common soap and
alcohol-based hand sanitizers - which cannot remove lead - Hygenall
offers a much higher level of protection and prevention. Hygenall is
currently being sold via www.hygenall.com and amazon.com… (Ostensibly,
this product was developed after CDC discovered that soap and water
failed to remove all lead particles from the skin of workers at a
battery factory.)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29118933/
---

Canadian Province Targets Gun Owners: …In an effort to blunt growing
public outrage over the Lower Mainland's recent wave of gang
shootings, last week the provincial government released an 89-page
report titled "The Illegal Movement of Firearms in British Columbia."
The report slams local law enforcement ("There is no concerted
strategy to deal with illegal firearms in the province."), but also
targets law-abiding gun owners, who often face the scorn of government
regulators after criminals get trigger-happy… Sounds reasonable. As
gangland thugs scatter hot lead on city streets in broad daylight -
using illegal and unregistered firearms - Big Government turns on
Uncle Charlie and his 40-year-old Winchester bolt action…

http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/opinion/story.html?id=7606264c-0be0-4fb4-b813-9429381009f4
---

Canadian Cop Exploited Amnesty Program: A Calgary police officer who
was accused of abusing a gun amnesty program pleaded guilty Tuesday to
one charge of careless storage of a firearm. Dean Pankewicz, 43, was
also facing four other charges, including trafficking and illegal
possession of a firearm, but those were dropped after he pleaded
guilty to careless storage. The 18-year police veteran was charged
after an investigation into the sales of firearms that were supposed
to be destroyed in a provincial gun amnesty. The investigation alleged
Pankewicz bought 51 firearms that were supposed to be turned over and
destroyed during the 2006 amnesty. It was alleged that on about 20
occasions, Pankewicz convinced someone who had called police to turn
in a gun to sell it instead…

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=92fe857b-2ccf-486f-9c3b-a4d0d531e029
---

02-20-09

From: Stephen P. Wenger www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by Stephen Wenger

Tenth Circuit Reinstates Oklahoma Parking-Lot-Storage Law: An appeals
court said Wednesday that Oklahoma's law allowing employees to have
guns at work in their locked vehicles is valid. The Denver-based
court's decision overturns a ruling by U.S. District Judge Terence
Kern in Tulsa, who barred enforcement of the law. Gov. Brad Henry and
Attorney General Drew Edmondson appealed Kern's 2007 ruling. "It was
our opinion that the law is constitutional and the court agreed with
us today," Edmondson spokesman Charlie Price said. "We are thankful
for the assistance of the National Rifle Association and its counsel -
they provided great help." Starting with a 2004 lawsuit, several
companies challenged the law, including Weyerhauser Corp.; Whirlpool
Corp., which later dropped out; and more recently, ConocoPhillips…

http://www.newsok.com/court-allows-oklahoma-workers-to-have-guns-in-vehicles/article/3346987
http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/NewsReleases.aspx?ID=12135
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/news-nra-wins-fight-to-let-workers-keep-guns-in-cars
---

Utah Senate Committee Approve Parking-Lot-Storage Bill: A bill that
would allow gun owners to keep a firearm in their vehicles even while
parked in a private lot passed a Senate committee Tuesday. SB78,
sponsored by Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Eagle Mountain, has cleared House and
Senate panels in the past, but never has made it through the
Legislature. The measure would allow employees to keep a firearm in
their vehicles, but a business could prevent that if it has a secured
parking area, which needs a fence and a security guard. In that case,
it must provide a locker to allow gun owners to stow their weapons
before entering the secured lot…

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11723049
---

The Beat Goes On: The election of Barack Obama has been a boon for gun
dealers, and with more than 200 gun shows a year, few markets are
hotter than Florida. Floridians in record numbers want to carry
concealed weapons, a trend linked to a surge in crime, economic
anxiety and fears of stricter gun laws. And now the state is buried
under a backlog of 95,000 applications for concealed weapons permits,
and it needs to hire a lot more people to handle the paperwork. A
legislative panel Wednesday gave Agriculture Commissioner Charles
Bronson the okay to spend $3.9 million more so he can hire 61
temporary workers… The state reported a surge in applications in
November after the election of President Obama, who has advocated
stricter gun control laws but also campaigned as a defender of Second
Amendment rights. Florida received 75,679 first-time concealed weapons
permit applications in 2007 and 86,269 in 2008, in addition to tens of
thousands of renewal forms. About 541,000 Floridians are permitted to
carry concealed weapons…

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/feb/19/backlog-95000-wanting-concealed-weapon-permits-fla/
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/910739.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29278736/
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article976999.ece
---

More Coverage for SCCC: In the wake of the first anniversary of the
massacre at Northern Illinois University, which occurred last
February, gun advocacy groups are trying to persuade schools to allow
students to carry guns on campus. Organizations like Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus argue that allowing legal firearms at
universities could prevent tragedies like the one at NIU. They have
recently made inroads at several upstate New York schools, but have
met opposition at Syracuse University. Members of SCCC, such as
Midwest regional director David Burnett, said that the function of the
group is to dispel common myths about concealed carry and to push
state legislators and administrators to grant handgun license holders
the same rights on college campuses that they enjoy in most other
locations…

http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2009/02/19/News/National.Lobbyist.Group.Pushes.For.Weapons.Rights.On.Campus-3638220.shtml
---

Palin Supports National-Park Carry: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote the
Interior Department on Wednesday to express her support for a
last-minute Bush administration regulation that allows the carrying of
concealed weapons in national parks. Palin said the new measure
provides Alaskans with a means of self-defense in a state with vast
swaths of federally-protected wilderness. "As you know, my state
contains vast, pristine areas where the ability to carry firearms can
address a potentially life-threatening situation, enabling citizens to
respond to bear and other wildlife conflicts," Palin wrote in a letter
to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar…

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/19/palin-defends-rule-allowing-loaded-weapons-in-national-parks/
---

Wyoming Drops Reciprocity with 15 States: …The Wyoming Attorney
General holds that if a misdemeanor drug conviction disqualifies a
Wyoming resident, it also needs to disqualify an out-of-state permit
holder. Due to the difference in how each state handles controlled
substance convictions, Wyoming is also limited in our ability to
maintain reciprocity with states we may have previously. Wyoming
recognizes concealed firearm permits from the following states.
Accordingly, as of March 1, 2009, Wyoming can only honor concealed
firearm permits issued by the following states:

Connecticut
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Utah

(This is a good reason to obtain and maintain more than the permit
from your home state, particularly if you don't live in Utah.)

http://www.ohioccw.org/content/view/4268/53/
---

Illinois CCW Endorsed by House Panel: A state House panel is
recommending that the General Assembly give Illinois residents the
right to carry concealed weapons. The proposals are expected to garner
opposition from Chicago-area lawmakers, who have expressed concern
about increased gun violence. Supporters of a concealed weapon law say
the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last summer overturning a handgun ban
in Washington D.C., and an endorsement of concealed carry by the
Illinois Sheriffs' Association gives a boost to their efforts. House
Bill 245, sponsored by Marion Democratic Rep. John Bradley, would
allow the Illinois State Police to issue the permits. It was endorsed
Wednesday on an 11-1 vote, with Democratic state Rep. Julie Hamos of
Evanston the lone opponent. House Bill 462, sponsored by state
Harrisburg Rep. Brandon Phelps, would allow county sheriffs to issue
permits. (Considering the current state plice backlog in the issuance
and renewal of Illinois's onerous Firearm Owner Identification cards,
issuance by county sheriffs might be a better choice.)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-concealedweapons,0,5389135.story
---

Tennessee Fast-Tracks RKBA Bills: The legislature began fast-tracking
bills Thursday to let people with carry permits take guns into state
and local parks and establishments serving alcohol - all places where
they are currently banned. The House handgun study committee also
recommended making secret the list of Tennessee's 219,236 gun-carry
permit holders and to penalize any publication of their identities.
Shelby County has 32,934 permit licensees. The panel recommended four
bills on which Chairman Joe McCord, R-Maryville, said there is broad
consensus to approve. All four are set for the criminal justice
subcommittee next week and could reach floor votes in March… The new
Republican majority has made the bills' passage a virtual certainty
after years of defeat. McCord said The Commercial Appeal's posting of
a searchable database of permit holders on its Web site also prompted
swift action…

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/19/tennessee-house-advances-bills-dealing-guns/
---

Mexico's Drug Wars Not the Result of US Gun Laws: A gambit that has
become popular of late with the forcible citizen disarmament lobby is
blaming the violence in Mexico (which sometimes spills across our
Southwestern border) on "lax U.S. gun laws." Mexico, of course, has
extremely restrictive gun laws and extreme levels of violence. One
might think that this would be a pretty strong rebuttal to the idea of
trying to control violence by passing more and more gun laws (as if
using laws to try to rein in the behavior of the lawless makes any
sense). Such an expectation underestimates the stubborn determination
of gun law advocates, who somehow find the energy to perform the
rhetorical gymnastics required to argue instead that violence in
Mexico should be blamed on "weak gun laws" here, where violence is
much less pervasive…

http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d19-Mexicos-bloody-drug-war-is-not-the-fault-of-lax-US-gun-laws
---

Oops, Wrong House, Ohio Version: An elderly Jackson County woman who
was about to become the apparent victim of a home-invasion burglary
last Saturday afternoon was more than ready to stand up for herself
and protect her property. According to the Jackson County Sheriff's
Office, Ruth Dassel, 82, of 853 Camba Road, Jackson, in Franklin
Township, used a pistol to fire a single shot at an unidentified man
who had apparently just broken into her home at 12:34 p.m. The
intruder was not struck by the bullet, but investigators are
attempting to identify him in what is being categorized as an
aggravated burglary… Dassel immediately picked up a pistol that she
had in the pouch of her walker and pointed it at the intruder. He
said, "don't shoot," and he turned to run from the house. She fired
one shot in his direction, but did not hit him… (While the shot at the
fleeing intruder may not have been justified, the woman showed good
sense in keeping her pistol accessible, in the pouch of her walker.)

http://www.thetelegramnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=83&ArticleID=5311
---

Oops, Wrong House, Australia Version: An elderly man shot one of two
intruders at his Perth winery after they broke down his bedroom door
and backed him into a corner, police say. Sergeant Greg Lambert said
the 77-year-old owner of a small winery, in Herne Hill, in Perth's
east, heard someone forcibly enter his home about 9.40pm (WDT)
yesterday. "He is at home with his totally incapacitated wife, he has
heard noises in the house and has heard two men use extreme force to
break into his home through the rear security door and sliding door,"
Sgt Lambert told ABC Radio. "He was in his bedroom, he has armed
himself with his licensed shotgun and he's locked himself in his
bedroom with his wife." The man warned the two men not to enter his
room. "They have broken down his bedroom door and confronted the man,"
Sgt Lambert said. "A struggle has happened during which one round was
discharged from the shotgun, it's struck one of the intruders on the
left abdomen. The elderly gentlemen lost the firearm during the
struggle, one of the offenders has struck him to the head and
forearm…" (This account demonstrates why a handgun, which offers less
leverage for a disarm, is usually a better choice than a shotgun for
home-defense.)

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25076770-29277,00.html
---

Arizona to Host Cowboy Shooting Fest: The Old West will come alive
once again when more than 600 men, women and juniors gather for the
18th annual Winter Range hosted at the Arizona Game and Fish
Department's Ben Avery Shooting Facility from Feb. 25 through March 1.
Winter Range is an exciting "Old West" style, five-day event that
provides the backdrop for the Single Action Shooting Society's
National Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting. This annual event
traditionally draws thousands of spectators and Old West enthusiasts.
Cowboy Action Shooting™ is the fastest growing shooting sport in
America, and requires contestants to compete with firearms typical of
those used in the taming of the Old West: single-action revolvers,
lever-action rifles and old-time shotguns. Participants must also
adopt a "shooting alias" appropriate to a character or profession of
the late 19th century - a Hollywood Western star, or an appropriate
fictional character - and then costume themselves accordingly…

http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2009/feb/18/cowboys_show_their_sixshooters/
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Bill Would Scrap Canada's Long-Gun Registry: The Bill C-301, a Private
Greg Rickford MPKernoraMembers' Bill proposes to discontinue the
wasteful long gun registry that has not saved the life of a single
Canadian. "The registry has been a boondoggle since its inception. I
believe members of Parliament from all political parties will see
ample cause to shut it down," said Breitkreuz, "I doubt there has ever
been another government program that has gone 500 times over budget
and been such a miserable failure. I hope everyone here will agree
that our tax dollars should be invested in practical public safety
measures that really do save lives." On February 12th Rickford
seconded Bill C-301, a Private Members' Bill to scrap the decade-old
Canadian long-gun registry. "Gary has been working on this issue for
a long time and I'm very pleased to stand behind in support. We hope
to get the long-gun registry dismantled once and for all," said a
delighted Rickford…

http://lakesuperiornews.info/News/News2009/RickfordSecondsBillScrapLongGunRegistry/tabid/1026/Default.aspx