From: Stephen P. Wenger http://www.spw-duf.info>
comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
======================================
comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
======================================
From GOA: An amendment to repeal the National Park Service (NPS) gun ban is headed to the floor of the U.S. House on Wednesday, March 25. The massive public land bill, which has bounced between the House and Senate in recent weeks, has sidestepped the issue of your right to self-defense. Several pro-gun representatives tried to amend the bill so that it offers real protection of Second Amendment rights, but they were prevented by the anti-gun leadership. Repeal of the gun ban takes on added urgency after a federal appeals court issued an injunction last week to stop changes made by the Bush administration to allow concealed carry on NPS land from taking effect. When the bill comes to the floor on Wednesday, pro-gun Representatives Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Rob Bishop (R-UT) plan to offer an amendment to repeal the onerous NPS gun ban. First, a procedural vote, known as "Ordering the Previous Question," will be voted on. A "no" vote is the pro-gun position on that motion. If we are successful on that vote, there will be a vote on an amendment to repeal the NPS gun ban. Urge your representative to vote IN FAVOR of the Hastings-Bishop amendment…
http://gunowners.org/a032409.htm
(The Take Action tab on the site can be used to generate an e-mail to your representative.)
After several false starts, the House is expected to take up a long-delayed bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness. The House rejected the bill two weeks ago amid a partisan dispute over gun rights, but the measure was brought up again in the Senate and approved last week. Because of a parliamentary maneuver adopted in the Senate, the House is likely to take up the bill Wednesday under a rule that blocks amendments or other motions to derail it. The bill would confer the government's highest level of protection on land in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/25/house-to-take-up-stalled-wilderness-bill-1/
A federal judge ruled there must be a full review of the possible environmental impact of allowing citizens on national properties to carry concealed guns in holsters rather than locked cases. The decision comes from U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who issued a preliminary injunction banning implementation of a rule that had been adopted just before President Bush left office. It would have allowed citizens who have concealed-carry permits to follow the appropriate state laws in carrying weapons on national park lands. The judge cited "the almost universal view among interested parties that persons who possess concealed, loaded, and operable firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges will use them for any number of reasons, including self-defense against persons and animals." …
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92754
---
DC Ads Target Congress: D.C. voting rights advocates have launched an ad campaign urging Congress to give the city a full vote in the House without also repealing its gun restrictions. Ilir Zherka, executive director of the group DC Vote, says the ads are running on local and national blogs, radio stations and Capitol Hill newspapers. One online ad includes an image of a gun and reads, "D.C.'s rights held hostage." The Senate passed the D.C. voting rights bill last month with an amendment that would repeal most of the city's strict gun-control laws. A vote in the House has been postponed while Democratic leaders strategize on how to move forward. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, told reporters Tuesday he hopes to have a vote before the House takes a one-week break April 4.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/25/metro-briefs-71282725/
---
Oakland Shootings Could Trigger Infringements: If history repeats itself, the fatal shootings of four Oakland police officers on Saturday afternoon will become the next benchmark in the national debate on a federal law to ban assault weapons. If there is a grain of hope to be gathered from a loss so tragic, it's that last weekend's horrific events will help end the debate on an unresolved policy issue that has resulted in thousands of deaths and helped sustain veritable demilitarized zones in some of our nation's largest cities. In Oakland, a city already struggling with high crime and gun violence, the deaths of two officers gunned down with an AK-47 qualify city officials to lend their voices to any national debate on the issue. While the tragedy in Oakland lacks the scale of the shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Columbine High School nearly a decade ago, the deaths of four officers in a single incident is a significant event that sends shock waves across the nation…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/23/BAVF16LQ9U.DTL
At the law enforcement symposium, the issue of banning assault weapons could not be avoided. Susan Manheimer, police chief for the city of San Mateo, says no equipment can really protect officers from the high powered weapons. "It is something we feel very strongly about is a ban on assault weapons and you need only look at what happened in Oakland to understand the power and the danger of those type of weapons," Manheimer said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has said she plans to introduce legislation to bring back the weapons ban. President Clinton signed it into law in 1994, but it expired in 2004. Monday, she stayed clear of talking about the specifics of such a ban…
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=6724902
Oakland Shootings Show Uselessness of "Gun Control": …See, that's the thing. Being a "prohibited person," it was illegal for Mixon to touch any gun. It was illegal for him to have a handgun, to carry it, to kill with it. And California has "assault weapon" bans that cover not only the model Mixon used, but also the characteristics… One of the bits of disinformation used to justify banning semiautomatic rifles is that the ammunition they fire can penetrate police vests. The truth is, the AK and variants fire a round that is hardly high-powered by rifle standards - so while the gunhaters are quick to assure people their hunting rifles are safe, any such rifle will penetrate body armor designed to stop handgun rounds. But note in this case, vest penetration was not a factor - so why even bring it up? …
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d24-Oakland-shootings-show-uselessness-of-gun-control?cid=exrss-Gun-Rights-Examiner
Would You Know an "Assault Weapon" if You Saw One?: …Looks are the only thing these firearms have in common with real assault rifles. No army or terrorist group in the world would limit themselves to such weapons as they are primarily suitable for sporting purposes and civilian self defense, not the battlefield. A study done by the US Department of Justice found that these kinds of guns are used in less than 1% of all gun crimes. And yet, these unscrupulous individuals have absolutely no qualms about lying to the public in order to sell their agenda…
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d24-Would-you-know-an-assault-weapon-if-you-saw-one
---
Seattle Gun Ban Will Be Challenged: Once again when faced with a controversy, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is reviving his plan to ban legally-carried firearms from city property, and the Second Amendment Foundation today promises once again to immediately take him to court. "This time around," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "Mayor Nickels needs to raise this issue to distract public attention from the political smell arising from the snow-plowing investigation. We remind the mayor that his office has been warned by Attorney General Rob McKenna that neither he, nor the city, has the authority to enact such a ban under state preemption. Mayor Nickels thinks he can enact this ban merely by executive order," Gottlieb observed. "He's not even thinking of putting this before the city council as a proposed ordinance, because he knows it would never pass. Greg Nickels is the mayor of Seattle, not the emperor of a city-state." Nickels' plan was revealed by the Seattle Weekly Tuesday morning. A spokesman for the mayor's office told the newspaper that the ban "is expected to begin sometime in May." Gottlieb said SAF expects to be joined in a legal action by other gun rights organizations…
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-24-2009/0004993949&EDATE=\
Mayor Greg Nickels is going forward with a controversial executive order which would ban "dangerous weapons" - including firearms - on Seattle owned parks and properties. An exact date has not been set yet for when the ban will go into effect. However, a spokesman for the Mayor's office said the ban is currently expected to begin sometime in May. Coincidentally, this places the time somewhere around the one-year anniversary of the freak shooting incident at Folklife, last year, that left two people injured and was the casus belli for the order. The move also comes in spite of legal concerns questioning whether the city can unilaterally prohibit firearms owners, particularly those possessing Concealed Pistol Licenses, from exercising their legal rights…
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/03/mayor_nickels_moving_forward_w.php
---
Wisconsin Open-Carry Primer: This is the first in a series of three articles I will write concerning your newly restored right to go armed in public. In this article I will cover the very basics that you must to know – this is just the beginning. The next article I will explain the judicious use of lethal force when the law says you may use lethal force to stop a threat. Finally I will address the handgun wounding factors of a human as a target and what you may expect to happen to you and to the attacker if shots are actually fired. I doubt that anyone would argue that including an owner's manual with safety instructions when you purchase a piece of equipment that could harm you if used improperly, is a bad idea. If you think about it, most safety rules are defensive and written to help keep you out of trouble. Your decision to follow the recommended safety precautions or not will have a great influence over your future happiness… (I don't know if Gene plans to mention this but I recommend that those who carry openly use holsters with retention features, such as straps or trigger-guard lugs.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-5103-Wisconsin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d23-If-you-open-carry--Wisconsin-laws-you-must-know?cid=exrss-Wisconsin-Gun-Rights-Examiner
---
Arkansas Open-Carry Bill Withdrawn: Yet another weapons bill hit committee this afternoon as the House Judiciary Committee considered Rep. Mark Martin's legislation to allow people to carry firearms in plain sight. The bill's lack of provisions for training and its apparent permissiveness toward the open-carry of machine guns was too much for the committee. Though Rep. Martin did not agree with these criticisms, he pulled the bill down for amendment to ensure that it would not be legal for children to wield a gun. Several legislators suggested they might vote for the bill if it required some sort of permit or training for open carry, but Rep. Martin firmly resisted making a change. He argued that such a requirement would place a financial burden on impoverished people. The poor who couldn't pay would be unable to exercise what Rep. Martin considers a constitutional right to bear arms in the open. In response to the comment that anyone who owns a gun can also afford a training course, Rep. Martin responded that a gun might be inherited or earned from some sort of program…
http://arkledge.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/open-carry-bill-meets-skepticism/
---
Ohio Man Sues over Open-Carry Arrest: A city resident claims Englewood deprived him of his constitutional rights to carry a firearm and that police officers falsely arrested him during the 2007 Fine Arts Festival. According to his lawsuit filed March 19 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Kent Maynard claims he was stopped and questioned by police for openly carrying a 9mm pistol during the festival at the city's Centennial Park. At the time, the city had an ordinance prohibiting weapons in any city park. Maynard contends that recent state law superseded the city's ordinance…
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/03/23/ddn032309gunsuitweb.html
---
Kansas RKBA Referendum Clears Senate: Voters may get to decide next November whether Kansas should amend its constitution to clarify that the right to bear arms is an individual right, not a collective right. A measure placing the issue on the 2010 general election ballot cleared the Senate by a 40-0 vote Tuesday. A similar resolution is awaiting action in the House. It's a response to a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision that says the federal Constitution's Second Amendment grants individuals the right to bear arms. The Kansas Constitution says: "The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security." But a 1905 Kansas Supreme Court decision says it's a collective, not an individual, right. The proposed amendment would give the right to each person.
http://www.ksnt.com/news/state/story/Kansas-gun-amendment-advances/_7SACbeO00KWVq2SSVpSxQ.cspx
---
Oops, Wrong Burger King: An afternoon shootout at a busy Burger King restaurant in Miami left a potential robber dead and the customer who shot him seriously wounded. The bloody event unfolded about 4 p.m. Tuesday at the restaurant at Northeast 54th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. It was a time, employees said, when it is usually crowded with schoolchildren and people getting out of work early. The robber entered wearing a ski mask. He approached a clerk, showed his gun and demanded money, said Miami police spokesman Jeff Giordano. A customer eyed him and the two started arguing. The customer had a concealed-weapons permit and his gun - and the two exchanged gunfire. The robber crumpled to the floor and was pronounced dead at the scene. The customer, with several gunshot wounds, was in serious but stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center…
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/966133.html
---
Oops, Wrong Shoppers: Three people have been arrested after a would-be victim stopped a robbery attempt on a Wal-Mart parking lot in Little Rock Monday night. It happened around eleven o'clock at the store at 19301 Cantrell Road (Highway 10), when a woman was loading groceries into her car and was approached by a man holding a handgun. When the man grabbed her purse, the woman struggled with him before her husband pulled a weapon of his own from a holster and shot at the man four times. The suspect then jumped into a waiting car with two other people inside and sped away. Within minutes, police located the man at UAMS in Little Rock, where he and two others were arrested.
http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=203751
http://gunowners.org/a032409.htm
(The Take Action tab on the site can be used to generate an e-mail to your representative.)
After several false starts, the House is expected to take up a long-delayed bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness. The House rejected the bill two weeks ago amid a partisan dispute over gun rights, but the measure was brought up again in the Senate and approved last week. Because of a parliamentary maneuver adopted in the Senate, the House is likely to take up the bill Wednesday under a rule that blocks amendments or other motions to derail it. The bill would confer the government's highest level of protection on land in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/25/house-to-take-up-stalled-wilderness-bill-1/
A federal judge ruled there must be a full review of the possible environmental impact of allowing citizens on national properties to carry concealed guns in holsters rather than locked cases. The decision comes from U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who issued a preliminary injunction banning implementation of a rule that had been adopted just before President Bush left office. It would have allowed citizens who have concealed-carry permits to follow the appropriate state laws in carrying weapons on national park lands. The judge cited "the almost universal view among interested parties that persons who possess concealed, loaded, and operable firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges will use them for any number of reasons, including self-defense against persons and animals." …
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92754
---
DC Ads Target Congress: D.C. voting rights advocates have launched an ad campaign urging Congress to give the city a full vote in the House without also repealing its gun restrictions. Ilir Zherka, executive director of the group DC Vote, says the ads are running on local and national blogs, radio stations and Capitol Hill newspapers. One online ad includes an image of a gun and reads, "D.C.'s rights held hostage." The Senate passed the D.C. voting rights bill last month with an amendment that would repeal most of the city's strict gun-control laws. A vote in the House has been postponed while Democratic leaders strategize on how to move forward. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, told reporters Tuesday he hopes to have a vote before the House takes a one-week break April 4.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/25/metro-briefs-71282725/
---
Oakland Shootings Could Trigger Infringements: If history repeats itself, the fatal shootings of four Oakland police officers on Saturday afternoon will become the next benchmark in the national debate on a federal law to ban assault weapons. If there is a grain of hope to be gathered from a loss so tragic, it's that last weekend's horrific events will help end the debate on an unresolved policy issue that has resulted in thousands of deaths and helped sustain veritable demilitarized zones in some of our nation's largest cities. In Oakland, a city already struggling with high crime and gun violence, the deaths of two officers gunned down with an AK-47 qualify city officials to lend their voices to any national debate on the issue. While the tragedy in Oakland lacks the scale of the shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Columbine High School nearly a decade ago, the deaths of four officers in a single incident is a significant event that sends shock waves across the nation…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/23/BAVF16LQ9U.DTL
At the law enforcement symposium, the issue of banning assault weapons could not be avoided. Susan Manheimer, police chief for the city of San Mateo, says no equipment can really protect officers from the high powered weapons. "It is something we feel very strongly about is a ban on assault weapons and you need only look at what happened in Oakland to understand the power and the danger of those type of weapons," Manheimer said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has said she plans to introduce legislation to bring back the weapons ban. President Clinton signed it into law in 1994, but it expired in 2004. Monday, she stayed clear of talking about the specifics of such a ban…
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=6724902
Oakland Shootings Show Uselessness of "Gun Control": …See, that's the thing. Being a "prohibited person," it was illegal for Mixon to touch any gun. It was illegal for him to have a handgun, to carry it, to kill with it. And California has "assault weapon" bans that cover not only the model Mixon used, but also the characteristics… One of the bits of disinformation used to justify banning semiautomatic rifles is that the ammunition they fire can penetrate police vests. The truth is, the AK and variants fire a round that is hardly high-powered by rifle standards - so while the gunhaters are quick to assure people their hunting rifles are safe, any such rifle will penetrate body armor designed to stop handgun rounds. But note in this case, vest penetration was not a factor - so why even bring it up? …
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d24-Oakland-shootings-show-uselessness-of-gun-control?cid=exrss-Gun-Rights-Examiner
Would You Know an "Assault Weapon" if You Saw One?: …Looks are the only thing these firearms have in common with real assault rifles. No army or terrorist group in the world would limit themselves to such weapons as they are primarily suitable for sporting purposes and civilian self defense, not the battlefield. A study done by the US Department of Justice found that these kinds of guns are used in less than 1% of all gun crimes. And yet, these unscrupulous individuals have absolutely no qualms about lying to the public in order to sell their agenda…
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d24-Would-you-know-an-assault-weapon-if-you-saw-one
---
Seattle Gun Ban Will Be Challenged: Once again when faced with a controversy, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is reviving his plan to ban legally-carried firearms from city property, and the Second Amendment Foundation today promises once again to immediately take him to court. "This time around," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "Mayor Nickels needs to raise this issue to distract public attention from the political smell arising from the snow-plowing investigation. We remind the mayor that his office has been warned by Attorney General Rob McKenna that neither he, nor the city, has the authority to enact such a ban under state preemption. Mayor Nickels thinks he can enact this ban merely by executive order," Gottlieb observed. "He's not even thinking of putting this before the city council as a proposed ordinance, because he knows it would never pass. Greg Nickels is the mayor of Seattle, not the emperor of a city-state." Nickels' plan was revealed by the Seattle Weekly Tuesday morning. A spokesman for the mayor's office told the newspaper that the ban "is expected to begin sometime in May." Gottlieb said SAF expects to be joined in a legal action by other gun rights organizations…
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-24-2009/0004993949&EDATE=\
Mayor Greg Nickels is going forward with a controversial executive order which would ban "dangerous weapons" - including firearms - on Seattle owned parks and properties. An exact date has not been set yet for when the ban will go into effect. However, a spokesman for the Mayor's office said the ban is currently expected to begin sometime in May. Coincidentally, this places the time somewhere around the one-year anniversary of the freak shooting incident at Folklife, last year, that left two people injured and was the casus belli for the order. The move also comes in spite of legal concerns questioning whether the city can unilaterally prohibit firearms owners, particularly those possessing Concealed Pistol Licenses, from exercising their legal rights…
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2009/03/mayor_nickels_moving_forward_w.php
---
Wisconsin Open-Carry Primer: This is the first in a series of three articles I will write concerning your newly restored right to go armed in public. In this article I will cover the very basics that you must to know – this is just the beginning. The next article I will explain the judicious use of lethal force when the law says you may use lethal force to stop a threat. Finally I will address the handgun wounding factors of a human as a target and what you may expect to happen to you and to the attacker if shots are actually fired. I doubt that anyone would argue that including an owner's manual with safety instructions when you purchase a piece of equipment that could harm you if used improperly, is a bad idea. If you think about it, most safety rules are defensive and written to help keep you out of trouble. Your decision to follow the recommended safety precautions or not will have a great influence over your future happiness… (I don't know if Gene plans to mention this but I recommend that those who carry openly use holsters with retention features, such as straps or trigger-guard lugs.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-5103-Wisconsin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d23-If-you-open-carry--Wisconsin-laws-you-must-know?cid=exrss-Wisconsin-Gun-Rights-Examiner
---
Arkansas Open-Carry Bill Withdrawn: Yet another weapons bill hit committee this afternoon as the House Judiciary Committee considered Rep. Mark Martin's legislation to allow people to carry firearms in plain sight. The bill's lack of provisions for training and its apparent permissiveness toward the open-carry of machine guns was too much for the committee. Though Rep. Martin did not agree with these criticisms, he pulled the bill down for amendment to ensure that it would not be legal for children to wield a gun. Several legislators suggested they might vote for the bill if it required some sort of permit or training for open carry, but Rep. Martin firmly resisted making a change. He argued that such a requirement would place a financial burden on impoverished people. The poor who couldn't pay would be unable to exercise what Rep. Martin considers a constitutional right to bear arms in the open. In response to the comment that anyone who owns a gun can also afford a training course, Rep. Martin responded that a gun might be inherited or earned from some sort of program…
http://arkledge.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/open-carry-bill-meets-skepticism/
---
Ohio Man Sues over Open-Carry Arrest: A city resident claims Englewood deprived him of his constitutional rights to carry a firearm and that police officers falsely arrested him during the 2007 Fine Arts Festival. According to his lawsuit filed March 19 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Kent Maynard claims he was stopped and questioned by police for openly carrying a 9mm pistol during the festival at the city's Centennial Park. At the time, the city had an ordinance prohibiting weapons in any city park. Maynard contends that recent state law superseded the city's ordinance…
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/03/23/ddn032309gunsuitweb.html
---
Kansas RKBA Referendum Clears Senate: Voters may get to decide next November whether Kansas should amend its constitution to clarify that the right to bear arms is an individual right, not a collective right. A measure placing the issue on the 2010 general election ballot cleared the Senate by a 40-0 vote Tuesday. A similar resolution is awaiting action in the House. It's a response to a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision that says the federal Constitution's Second Amendment grants individuals the right to bear arms. The Kansas Constitution says: "The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security." But a 1905 Kansas Supreme Court decision says it's a collective, not an individual, right. The proposed amendment would give the right to each person.
http://www.ksnt.com/news/state/story/Kansas-gun-amendment-advances/_7SACbeO00KWVq2SSVpSxQ.cspx
---
Oops, Wrong Burger King: An afternoon shootout at a busy Burger King restaurant in Miami left a potential robber dead and the customer who shot him seriously wounded. The bloody event unfolded about 4 p.m. Tuesday at the restaurant at Northeast 54th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. It was a time, employees said, when it is usually crowded with schoolchildren and people getting out of work early. The robber entered wearing a ski mask. He approached a clerk, showed his gun and demanded money, said Miami police spokesman Jeff Giordano. A customer eyed him and the two started arguing. The customer had a concealed-weapons permit and his gun - and the two exchanged gunfire. The robber crumpled to the floor and was pronounced dead at the scene. The customer, with several gunshot wounds, was in serious but stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center…
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/966133.html
---
Oops, Wrong Shoppers: Three people have been arrested after a would-be victim stopped a robbery attempt on a Wal-Mart parking lot in Little Rock Monday night. It happened around eleven o'clock at the store at 19301 Cantrell Road (Highway 10), when a woman was loading groceries into her car and was approached by a man holding a handgun. When the man grabbed her purse, the woman struggled with him before her husband pulled a weapon of his own from a holster and shot at the man four times. The suspect then jumped into a waiting car with two other people inside and sped away. Within minutes, police located the man at UAMS in Little Rock, where he and two others were arrested.
http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=203751
