comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
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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
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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
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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:
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…
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
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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
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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/
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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…
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
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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…
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
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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
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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§ionId=10506
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