comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
Is Heller Insignificant?: Has the Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller – which affirmed the Second Amendment and declared the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional–been of almost no significance? So claimed the New York Times in a recent article by Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak. Unfortunately, Liptak's article followed in a long New York Times tradition of credulously reporting the claims of one anti-gun professor, without conducting sufficient research to see if the claims hold up. Let's start with the most obvious facts which the Times overlooked. On the day that Heller was decided, the citizens of five Chicago suburbs, and of Chicago itself, were prohibited from owning guns. Residents of apartments provided by the San Francisco Housing Authority were prohibited from owning any gun. Within 24 hours of the Heller decision, gun rights organizations - including the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) - filed lawsuits against the gun bans. Today, the residents of San Francisco public housing can own guns in their homes. In four of the five Chicago suburbs (Morton Grove, Evanston, Wilmette, and Winnetka), the handgun bans have been repealed. Yet according to the Times, "So far, Heller is firing blanks." …
http://newledger.com/2009/03/gun-rights-and-the-constitution-was-heller-insignificant/
---
Don't Blame RKBA for Mexico's Drug Wars: Here's a summary for the time- or attention-challenged: Never surrender freedom for laws that can't affect criminals; they disobey laws for a living. Nobody is surprised that Attorney General Eric Holder wants to make good on his promise to ban guns. We just didn't know whose tragedy he'd seize to advance his agenda. Now we do. It's the drug-driven death and violence in Mexico at the hands of ruthless criminal cartels. Barely a month on the job, Holder cited the Mexican cartel killings as the excuse to resurrect the Clinton gun ban. Though a new face to some, Holder is a rabid Second Amendment foe from the Clinton administration who helped orchestrate the 1994 Clinton gun ban. America has made this mistake already. So let's learn the lies that led to their gun ban…
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/26/lapierre.guns.mexico/
Will War on Drugs Become War on Guns?: The state, Mexican authorities and their US propaganda arm, known in most circles as the Mainstream Media, have recently embarked on a huge disinformation campaign to demonize the American gun owner as the supplier of weapons to the Mexican drug cartels. Everyone in the media, with the possible exception of Lou Dobbs, has joined in the campaign of lies. Shown here, on a CBS special, is video proof of the lies and disinformation by CBS, US and Mexican authorities. Anderson Cooper and Janet Napolitano are either ignorant or complicit in the myth that M-203s, RPGs and hand grenades are readily available to the American gun consumer. Most intelligent folks, and those without a state sponsored agenda, realize these weapons are usually only available to the military… The fact is: the Mexican authorities have refused to release the serial numbers of weapons confiscated from drug cartel members. Releasing the serial numbers would implicate the corrupt governments of the US and Mexico and their involvement in arming the drug cartels…
http://www.lewrockwell.com/gaddy/gaddy54.html
Holder Reined In: After fierce resistance from the gun lobby and its allies in Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder has dialed back talk about reimposing a federal assault weapons ban to help curb the spiraling violence in Mexico… Speaking at a Feb. 25 news conference announcing a roundup of Mexican cartel members in the United States, Holder endorsed reinstituting the ban on assault weapons - a position that President Obama himself supported during last year's campaign. A federal ban on high-powered, semi-automatic assault weapons, originally passed by Congress in 1994, expired five years ago… When Holder was asked about the assault weapons issue again at another press conference on March 25, he steered away from even mentioning a new weapons ban. "Well, I mean, I think what we're going to do is try to, obviously, enforce the laws that we have on the books," Holder said, adding that he planned to discuss the flow of illegal arms with "our Mexican counterparts" during an upcoming trip to Mexico…
http://www.newsweek.com/id/191037
---
Black Man with a Gun: "Law enforcement trainer, author, and grassroots activist of color" (and not to forget, a pastor), Kenn Blanchard has been a voice of reason in the Second Amendment movement since the early Nineties. His book, "Black Man with a Gun," was written "to provide people in the African American Diaspora a resource to learn about gun safety and personal responsibility from one of their own." A founder of the Tenth Cavalry Gun Club, "derived from the famous 9th and 10th Army Horse Cavalry's, better known for their Native American given name 'Buffalo Soldiers,'" Blanchard has also started The Urban Shooter Association to promote and support his weekly podcast. I approached Pastor Kenn and asked if he'd like to do an online interview, and was very happy to receive the following reply…
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d26-Black-man-with-a-gun-interview-with-Kenn-Blanchard
---
NPS Backs away from Lead Ban: The National Park Service has stepped back from a plan it announced earlier this month to ban lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle by 2010, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The proposed lead ban triggered a fierce counterattack by gun groups that has put into doubt the pledge to eliminate lead ammunition from the park system by 2010. On March 4, 2009, Acting National Park Service (NPS) Director Daniel Wenk sent out an internal directive that the agency would outlaw the use of lead in firearms, fishing and hunting by "December 31, 2010 or sooner." Wenk wrote that he had issued instructions that a "Special Regulation" be drafted "prohibiting the use of lead in hunting and fishing activities for those parks that authorize such activities". Hunting is permitted in 60 NPS units and fishing in widely allowed throughout the national park system. Reaction from hunting groups after the lead ban was publicly announced was immediate and sharp. For example, National Rifle Association chief lobbyist Chris Cox said on March 12th…
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/03/26-1
---
Background on Kansas RKBA Amendment: A proposed state constitutional amendment favored by gun rights advocates Tuesday targets a century-old court case originating out of Salina. The Kansas Senate voted 39-1 in favor of a resolution that would clarify that individuals have a right to keep and bear firearms under the Kansas Constitution. The House is scheduled to debate the proposal today. Should that chamber also pass the proposed amendment with at least a two-thirds majority, a simple majority of Kansas voters could approve the change in the November 2010 general election. The proposal springs from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that determined that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual right to gun ownership. The decision came in a case where the court overturned a Washington, D.C. ban on handguns. But state Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, said gun rights advocates soon learned that the Kansas Supreme Court had a 1905 ruling on the books conflicting with that decision… (I had been wondering if the 1905 date was correct and it appears to be – the summary seems to bolster the dictum that bad cases make bad law.)
http://www.ottawaherald.com/story/032509gunrights
---
Illinois House Rejects Private-Party-Sale Ban: For the second time in a year, an attempt to toughen state gun laws fell short of passage in the Illinois House. The proposal, which failed on a 55-60 vote Wednesday, aims to close the so-called private-sale loophole. Under state law, people buying firearms from private sellers at gun shows must undergo a background check. But, other private handgun sales are not subject to background checks. Supporters say current law allows guns to get into the hands of criminals who would otherwise not be able to buy firearms. "We're not trying to penalize responsible gun owners," said state Rep. Deborah Graham, D-Chicago. A majority of lawmakers, however, doubted additional gun laws would stop the violence… Downstate lawmakers argued that Chicago-area lawmakers are trying to impose stricter gun laws on the rest of the state when the problems of gun violence are primarily limited to within the state's largest city…
http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2009/03/25/breaking_news/doc49cad30fcc13c264567385.txt
---
Former Sheriff Supports Illinois CCW: During my 23-year law enforcement career, I have developed a good sense of the character and nature of the people who commit violent crimes. With very few exceptions, the perpetrator is not the father who is taking his children to a ballgame. It is not the mother walking into a dark parking lot after a long shift at work. It is not the college student walking home after a study session with friends. Sadly, these persons are often the defenseless victims of violent crimes. In Illinois, it is the "solid citizen" who is precluded from possessing the tool that he or she needs for self and family protection - a firearm. While many Illinois lawmakers and law enforcement administrators scoff at the notion that honest, hard-working citizens should be granted their constitutional right to protect themselves and their families, this misguided and dangerous attitude serves only to empower and embolden the violent thug…
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2009/03/25/opinions/guest_columns/28803699.txt
---
South Dakota Drops Waiting Period: Gov. Mike Rounds has signed a bill that eliminates South Dakota's post-purchase 48-hour waiting period to buy a handgun. The House passed the bill 67-1 on Tuesday. The Senate had passed it unanimously in January. A federal law requires an instant computer check of gun buyers through the FBI. Currently, only those with a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon in South Dakota are exempt from the waiting period. The new law will mean that anyone who wants to buy a handgun and passes the federal check can walk out of a licensed dealer's shop with the weapon. Handgun owner Matt Johnson of Viborg says he has no problem with the law change.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/03/26/news/legislature/2008_stories/doc49bbec9832112709497505.txt
---
Arkansas Governor Opposes CCW Confidentiality: HB1623 The Concealed Carry Privacy bill had a partial hearing today. If you followed us on Twitter you know that the hearing abruptly ended because the full Senate was about to convene. The bill will be reconsidered Tuesday the 31st. We feel good about the bill in the committee but David Bailey, Managing Editor of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and member of the Arkansas Press Association (APA) wasted no time in hyping the supposed "dangers" of the bill. I guess he doesn't consider violating the privacy of an undercover police officer "dangerous." He mostly brought up issues centered around people who applied for CHL's in our state and been denied a permit. Which actually makes our case for us that, the system works. They claim that they should have access to the information as a matter of a check against the government. But then we distributed the original blog post that Max wrote which contained the permit list and it pretty much dashed the idea that it was done in an ethical, journalistic manner. When committee members saw the blog posting, their reaction seemed to be one of amazement. The latest development is that Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe finally picked a side, I am sad to say that it was not the side of law abiding gun owners…
http://www.arkansascca.org/blog/?content=detail&id=328
---
Palin Names NRA Director as AG: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has picked an Anchorage lawyer and National Rifle Association director as the state's new attorney general. Palin named Wayne Anthony Ross to the post on Thursday. Ross twice sought the Republican nomination for governor. He is a former NRA vice president and current director. Ross replaces Talis Colberg, who resigned Feb. 10 amid what Palin called a "harsh political climate." …
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/alaska_attorney_general/2009/03/26/196561.html
---
Arkansas Instructor Profiled: The decision to exercise one's Constitutional right and seek a concealed-carry license for selfdefense purposes in the state of Arkansas is a serious one, and certified instructors like Todd Brakeville of Siloam Springs do their best to ensure that license applicants know the laws pertaining to concealed carry and are safe when they do so. Though some law enforcement officers and agencies frown on licensing private citizens to carry a concealed handgun to defend themselves, Brakeville, a certified NRA firearms instructor and a certified law-enforcement firearms instructor, supports the idea…
http://www.nwanews.com/hl/News/27239/
---
Firearm Ownership Keeps Getting Safer: The United Sportsmen of Florida have compiled two fact sheets that provide a wealth of insight into the safety of gun ownership, hunting and shooting. Citing data sources including the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Safety Council, the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and firearms industry reports, the 2009 Fact Sheet on Firearms Accidents proves that despite a doubling of our country's population since 1930, and a quintupling in the number of privately owned firearms, the annual number of accidental firearms deaths has decreased 75%. In fact, the fatal firearm accident rate has decreased 92% since the all-time high recorded in 1904…
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6597
http://newledger.com/2009/03/gun-rights-and-the-constitution-was-heller-insignificant/
---
Don't Blame RKBA for Mexico's Drug Wars: Here's a summary for the time- or attention-challenged: Never surrender freedom for laws that can't affect criminals; they disobey laws for a living. Nobody is surprised that Attorney General Eric Holder wants to make good on his promise to ban guns. We just didn't know whose tragedy he'd seize to advance his agenda. Now we do. It's the drug-driven death and violence in Mexico at the hands of ruthless criminal cartels. Barely a month on the job, Holder cited the Mexican cartel killings as the excuse to resurrect the Clinton gun ban. Though a new face to some, Holder is a rabid Second Amendment foe from the Clinton administration who helped orchestrate the 1994 Clinton gun ban. America has made this mistake already. So let's learn the lies that led to their gun ban…
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/26/lapierre.guns.mexico/
Will War on Drugs Become War on Guns?: The state, Mexican authorities and their US propaganda arm, known in most circles as the Mainstream Media, have recently embarked on a huge disinformation campaign to demonize the American gun owner as the supplier of weapons to the Mexican drug cartels. Everyone in the media, with the possible exception of Lou Dobbs, has joined in the campaign of lies. Shown here, on a CBS special, is video proof of the lies and disinformation by CBS, US and Mexican authorities. Anderson Cooper and Janet Napolitano are either ignorant or complicit in the myth that M-203s, RPGs and hand grenades are readily available to the American gun consumer. Most intelligent folks, and those without a state sponsored agenda, realize these weapons are usually only available to the military… The fact is: the Mexican authorities have refused to release the serial numbers of weapons confiscated from drug cartel members. Releasing the serial numbers would implicate the corrupt governments of the US and Mexico and their involvement in arming the drug cartels…
http://www.lewrockwell.com/gaddy/gaddy54.html
Holder Reined In: After fierce resistance from the gun lobby and its allies in Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder has dialed back talk about reimposing a federal assault weapons ban to help curb the spiraling violence in Mexico… Speaking at a Feb. 25 news conference announcing a roundup of Mexican cartel members in the United States, Holder endorsed reinstituting the ban on assault weapons - a position that President Obama himself supported during last year's campaign. A federal ban on high-powered, semi-automatic assault weapons, originally passed by Congress in 1994, expired five years ago… When Holder was asked about the assault weapons issue again at another press conference on March 25, he steered away from even mentioning a new weapons ban. "Well, I mean, I think what we're going to do is try to, obviously, enforce the laws that we have on the books," Holder said, adding that he planned to discuss the flow of illegal arms with "our Mexican counterparts" during an upcoming trip to Mexico…
http://www.newsweek.com/id/191037
---
Black Man with a Gun: "Law enforcement trainer, author, and grassroots activist of color" (and not to forget, a pastor), Kenn Blanchard has been a voice of reason in the Second Amendment movement since the early Nineties. His book, "Black Man with a Gun," was written "to provide people in the African American Diaspora a resource to learn about gun safety and personal responsibility from one of their own." A founder of the Tenth Cavalry Gun Club, "derived from the famous 9th and 10th Army Horse Cavalry's, better known for their Native American given name 'Buffalo Soldiers,'" Blanchard has also started The Urban Shooter Association to promote and support his weekly podcast. I approached Pastor Kenn and asked if he'd like to do an online interview, and was very happy to receive the following reply…
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d26-Black-man-with-a-gun-interview-with-Kenn-Blanchard
---
NPS Backs away from Lead Ban: The National Park Service has stepped back from a plan it announced earlier this month to ban lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle by 2010, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The proposed lead ban triggered a fierce counterattack by gun groups that has put into doubt the pledge to eliminate lead ammunition from the park system by 2010. On March 4, 2009, Acting National Park Service (NPS) Director Daniel Wenk sent out an internal directive that the agency would outlaw the use of lead in firearms, fishing and hunting by "December 31, 2010 or sooner." Wenk wrote that he had issued instructions that a "Special Regulation" be drafted "prohibiting the use of lead in hunting and fishing activities for those parks that authorize such activities". Hunting is permitted in 60 NPS units and fishing in widely allowed throughout the national park system. Reaction from hunting groups after the lead ban was publicly announced was immediate and sharp. For example, National Rifle Association chief lobbyist Chris Cox said on March 12th…
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/03/26-1
---
Background on Kansas RKBA Amendment: A proposed state constitutional amendment favored by gun rights advocates Tuesday targets a century-old court case originating out of Salina. The Kansas Senate voted 39-1 in favor of a resolution that would clarify that individuals have a right to keep and bear firearms under the Kansas Constitution. The House is scheduled to debate the proposal today. Should that chamber also pass the proposed amendment with at least a two-thirds majority, a simple majority of Kansas voters could approve the change in the November 2010 general election. The proposal springs from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that determined that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual right to gun ownership. The decision came in a case where the court overturned a Washington, D.C. ban on handguns. But state Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, said gun rights advocates soon learned that the Kansas Supreme Court had a 1905 ruling on the books conflicting with that decision… (I had been wondering if the 1905 date was correct and it appears to be – the summary seems to bolster the dictum that bad cases make bad law.)
http://www.ottawaherald.com/story/032509gunrights
---
Illinois House Rejects Private-Party-Sale Ban: For the second time in a year, an attempt to toughen state gun laws fell short of passage in the Illinois House. The proposal, which failed on a 55-60 vote Wednesday, aims to close the so-called private-sale loophole. Under state law, people buying firearms from private sellers at gun shows must undergo a background check. But, other private handgun sales are not subject to background checks. Supporters say current law allows guns to get into the hands of criminals who would otherwise not be able to buy firearms. "We're not trying to penalize responsible gun owners," said state Rep. Deborah Graham, D-Chicago. A majority of lawmakers, however, doubted additional gun laws would stop the violence… Downstate lawmakers argued that Chicago-area lawmakers are trying to impose stricter gun laws on the rest of the state when the problems of gun violence are primarily limited to within the state's largest city…
http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2009/03/25/breaking_news/doc49cad30fcc13c264567385.txt
---
Former Sheriff Supports Illinois CCW: During my 23-year law enforcement career, I have developed a good sense of the character and nature of the people who commit violent crimes. With very few exceptions, the perpetrator is not the father who is taking his children to a ballgame. It is not the mother walking into a dark parking lot after a long shift at work. It is not the college student walking home after a study session with friends. Sadly, these persons are often the defenseless victims of violent crimes. In Illinois, it is the "solid citizen" who is precluded from possessing the tool that he or she needs for self and family protection - a firearm. While many Illinois lawmakers and law enforcement administrators scoff at the notion that honest, hard-working citizens should be granted their constitutional right to protect themselves and their families, this misguided and dangerous attitude serves only to empower and embolden the violent thug…
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2009/03/25/opinions/guest_columns/28803699.txt
---
South Dakota Drops Waiting Period: Gov. Mike Rounds has signed a bill that eliminates South Dakota's post-purchase 48-hour waiting period to buy a handgun. The House passed the bill 67-1 on Tuesday. The Senate had passed it unanimously in January. A federal law requires an instant computer check of gun buyers through the FBI. Currently, only those with a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon in South Dakota are exempt from the waiting period. The new law will mean that anyone who wants to buy a handgun and passes the federal check can walk out of a licensed dealer's shop with the weapon. Handgun owner Matt Johnson of Viborg says he has no problem with the law change.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/03/26/news/legislature/2008_stories/doc49bbec9832112709497505.txt
---
Arkansas Governor Opposes CCW Confidentiality: HB1623 The Concealed Carry Privacy bill had a partial hearing today. If you followed us on Twitter you know that the hearing abruptly ended because the full Senate was about to convene. The bill will be reconsidered Tuesday the 31st. We feel good about the bill in the committee but David Bailey, Managing Editor of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and member of the Arkansas Press Association (APA) wasted no time in hyping the supposed "dangers" of the bill. I guess he doesn't consider violating the privacy of an undercover police officer "dangerous." He mostly brought up issues centered around people who applied for CHL's in our state and been denied a permit. Which actually makes our case for us that, the system works. They claim that they should have access to the information as a matter of a check against the government. But then we distributed the original blog post that Max wrote which contained the permit list and it pretty much dashed the idea that it was done in an ethical, journalistic manner. When committee members saw the blog posting, their reaction seemed to be one of amazement. The latest development is that Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe finally picked a side, I am sad to say that it was not the side of law abiding gun owners…
http://www.arkansascca.org/blog/?content=detail&id=328
---
Palin Names NRA Director as AG: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has picked an Anchorage lawyer and National Rifle Association director as the state's new attorney general. Palin named Wayne Anthony Ross to the post on Thursday. Ross twice sought the Republican nomination for governor. He is a former NRA vice president and current director. Ross replaces Talis Colberg, who resigned Feb. 10 amid what Palin called a "harsh political climate." …
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/alaska_attorney_general/2009/03/26/196561.html
---
Arkansas Instructor Profiled: The decision to exercise one's Constitutional right and seek a concealed-carry license for selfdefense purposes in the state of Arkansas is a serious one, and certified instructors like Todd Brakeville of Siloam Springs do their best to ensure that license applicants know the laws pertaining to concealed carry and are safe when they do so. Though some law enforcement officers and agencies frown on licensing private citizens to carry a concealed handgun to defend themselves, Brakeville, a certified NRA firearms instructor and a certified law-enforcement firearms instructor, supports the idea…
http://www.nwanews.com/hl/News/27239/
---
Firearm Ownership Keeps Getting Safer: The United Sportsmen of Florida have compiled two fact sheets that provide a wealth of insight into the safety of gun ownership, hunting and shooting. Citing data sources including the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Safety Council, the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and firearms industry reports, the 2009 Fact Sheet on Firearms Accidents proves that despite a doubling of our country's population since 1930, and a quintupling in the number of privately owned firearms, the annual number of accidental firearms deaths has decreased 75%. In fact, the fatal firearm accident rate has decreased 92% since the all-time high recorded in 1904…
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6597
