comments in () by Stephen P. Wenger
Are Democrats Abandoning "Gun Control"?: Last week, 27 Senate
Democrats joined Republicans to pass an amendment that allows
concealed weapons in national parks. This week, the Senate could take
the first step toward overturning a gun control bill passed by their
own Democratic brethren more than a decade ago… The Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee is expected on Thursday to advance the Veterans
Second Amendment Protection Act, which is being co-sponsored by Sens.
Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The legislation would
overturn a section of the law that prohibits veterans who are unable
to manage their finances from obtaining a firearm. The bill maintains
a 1990s gun restriction on veterans found to be a danger to themselves
and others… Several political forces are driving the Democratic gun
control conversion. The most obvious one is that gun control turned
out to be a losing issue for dozens of Democrats…
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22685.html
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NRA – New Face of the American Right?: When Kirby Warner, a trusty
Ruger pistol strapped to his hip, sat around and shot the breeze with
his fellow gun owners here at the National Rifle Association's annual
meeting this weekend, they weren't just chatting calibers and
cartridges. Nor did they stop at other tried and trusted fare, such as
President Obama and gun control. This year, taxes, bailouts, and the
general direction of the country was all on the docket. He remembers
reading a sign at one of the national tea parties: "If First Amendment
fails, see Second Amendment." … The 47,000 gun-loving Americans who
attended the 138th NRA Convention bore the hopes of many disgruntled,
mostly white Americans who seek to check what they see as Washington's
liberal trajectory. They represent one of the most organized and
entrenched groups opposed to the Obama administration and the
Democratic-controlled Congress, so it's no coincidence that Sen. John
McCain (R) of Arizona, potential Republican presidential hopeful Mitt
Romney, and GOP chairman Michael Steele all spoke Friday at a
leadership forum here…
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0518/p02s04-ussc.html
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San Francisco Sued over Gun-Storage Law: The City is being sued by gun
owners and gun-advocacy groups because of a local law that says
firearms have to be locked up or kept disabled. The lawsuit, filed in
federal court Friday afternoon, challenges a local restriction that
forces handgun owners to either store their guns in a locked container
or disable them with trigger locks. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the law
into effect in August 2007. National Rifle Association attorney Chuck
Michel, who filed the case, said the locking restriction interferes
with citizens' rights to immediately defend their families. Plaintiffs
include a group of San Francisco gun owners, retired police officers
and the NRA… The suit also tackles The City's ban on the sale of
fragmenting bullets, which break apart upon impact, and names Newsom
and police Chief Heather Fong… (Yes, firearms should be secured when
they are not in use; a firearm that is kept in a condition of
readiness in event of the need for self-defense is in use. A firearm
left behind when one leaves his home is no longer in use.)
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/San-Francisco-slapped-with-gun-lawsuit-45374737.html
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Tennessee Senate Votes to Expand RKBA: People with handgun carry
permits could bring their weapons into all state and local parks in
Tennessee, under a bill the Senate passed on Monday. The chamber also
approved a bill to allow people with carry permits to transport
ammunition alongside rifles or shotguns in the passenger compartment
of their vehicles. The parks measure sponsored by Republican Senate
Judiciary Chairwoman Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet passed on a 24-8 vote.
"The point of this bill is to give law-abiding and responsible permit
holders a fighting chance when confronted by a rapist or a murderer
while within a local or state park," Beavers said… Since both bills
differ from the versions earlier passed earlier by the House, the two
chambers would have to iron out differences before they could head for
the governor's consideration.
http://www.pddnet.com/news-ap-senate-votes-to-change-gun-laws-for-parks-cars-051809/
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Florida Judge Rejects Stand-Your-Ground Defense: A towing company
owner must stand trial for fatally shooting a man who was trying to
reclaim his wife's towed car, a judge ruled Monday. Hillsborough
County Circuit Judge Robert A. Foster said the state's Stand Your
Ground law does not give Donald Montanez immunity from prosecution.
"It is inherently dangerous to pull a firearm and is best left to well
trained individuals who have a duty to serve and protect," Foster
said. "Citizens carrying firearms, whether licensed to do so or not,
proceed at their own risk subject to the laws of the state of Florida,
which are very clear. "Montanez was not justified in firing his
weapon," he said… (Note the importance attached to the shot being
fired through a side window of the vehicle.)
Florida Governor Urged to Use Veto: As more people in Florida seek
concealed weapons permits, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson
wants Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a $6-million raid on a fund that pays
for the program. Bronson's request presents a timely opportunity for
Crist to score political points with gun owners just as he's embarking
on a race for the U.S. Senate. In a letter to Crist, Bronson cited
"unprecedented growth" in applications for gun permits that has
created a "tremendous backlog" of cases to be processed. All
applicants are subject to criminal background checks. To balance the
$66.5 billion state budget that takes effect July 1, legislators swept
nearly $600 million from dozens of accounts known as trust funds. Most
funds are sustained with fees that pay for specific programs…
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/gubernatorial/article1002099.ece
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Oops, Wrong Store: A shop owner allegedly shot and killed a burglary
suspect at a Carmichael shopping center early Monday, the Sacramento
County Sheriff's Department said. Officials said 65-year-old Bill
Dunbar, who runs a coin and jewelry shop at Marconi and Walnut
avenues, opened fire on two burglary suspects shortly after 4 a.m.,
sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said. One of the burglary suspects was hit
and died in the parking lot. The other suspect, identified as
21-year-old Sergio Antonio Arauza, got away but was found nearby and
arrested, Curran added…
http://www.ksbw.com/news/19494251/detail.html
http://www.sacbee.com/crime/story/1872730.html
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Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A 26-year-old Phoenix man accidentally
killed himself early Sunday while explaining gun safety to two Sierra
Vista residents. Samuel Benally Jr. was at an apartment on West Tacoma
Street when he said guns should be kept unloaded because people could
point them at their heads, said Sierra Vista police Sgt. Brett
Mitchell. Benally then demonstrated by putting his own 9mm Ruger,
which he believed to be unloaded, to his head and firing it, Mitchell
said… (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule Two: Don't let
the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/293333
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Rule Five Reminder: Police said a Northwest Side shooting death Sunday
night could be justified in self-defense. Witnesses told police that
26-year-old Boanegres Najera broke into a friend's home in the 9600
block of Timber Laurel after he was kicked out of a bar for causing a
disturbance. Najera allegedly stole a gun from the home. Later in the
evening, the owner of the gun confronted Najera in the 5200 block of
Northwest Trails. The men struggled over the weapon before a third
man, the gun owner's brother, shot the suspect about 10:45 p.m.,
police said. Najera died at the scene, while the shooter fled. Police
said the shooter likely would not face charges because he was
defending his brother… (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/45325657.html
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Suspected-burglar-shot-after-allegedly-pulling/6p7unJzvIEukGFWvlF79PQ.cspx
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Paul Valone's Self-Defense Series: This is part two of a five-part
series. As mentioned earlier, many of my views on this topic are
already articulated on my own website, which I consider worth
re-reading from time to time, much like my book. I will comment on the
Eddie Eagle program. I consider it a starting point for younger kids
but, as kids become stronger and more responsible, it is wiser to
demystify firearms by teaching them to handle them safely, under
supervision. This can also be used to teach them how to render them
safe, for scenarios such as a friend saying, "Look at my dad's gun!"
Merely trying to walk away from such a scenario may not be adequate.
Wait and See: Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is pleased to
introduce the new Ruger SR-556 autoloading rifle - an innovative
two-stage piston driven rifle. The SR-556 offers Ruger's legendary
rugged reliability, redefining the AR platform with piston driven
performance. The piston driven SR-556 runs cleaner, cooler, and is
easier to maintain than gas driven rifles, offering significantly
improved reliability. The patent pending two-stage piston driven
operating system in the Ruger SR-556 provides a smooth power delivery
stroke to the action and vents combustion residue out of the bottom of
the gas block. The four-position adjustable gas regulator allows the
operator to tune the rifle to specific ammunition and rifle
conditions, minimizing recoil and maximizing reliability and long-term
endurance. Reliability is further enhanced by a one-piece bolt carrier
with an integral transfer key… (Ruger has had to recall its SR-9 and
LCP pistols – newly introduced firearms are best given at least one
year to evaluate and let the manufacturer work out all bugs.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2009/05/18/ruger-ar-sr-556-autoloading-rifle/
