comments in () by the same
http://www.spw-duf.info
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Who Is This Guy?: We've talked about the "Mexican crime gun" excuse
for enacting further citizen disarmament laws on many occasions. And
how. It doesn't matter how many times their lies are exposed - the
people who want to see you disarmed keep coming back with more. Now,
the Associated Press tells us "US-Mexico groups urges new US assault
weapons ban"… Seeing as how Mr. Bonner's qualifications appear to be
presiding over two major efforts that have totally failed in their
respective missions, exactly why we should listen to him remains
unsaid. Let's learn more about the guy: Before ingratiating himself
with the Bush II administration, he was a Bush I appointee. What a
surprise. And more recently, he's been a devotee of Giuliani and
McCain... RINOs...now there's a group we can trust. OK, so what about
Bonner's Super Friends group, the "Binational Task Force on the United
States-Mexico Border"? They're part of The Pacific Council on
International Policy…
The United States should reinstate a Clinton-era ban on assault
weapons to prevent such guns from reaching Mexican drug cartels,
former officials from both countries said in a report released
Tuesday… "Improving our efforts ... will weaken the drug cartels and
disrupt their illegal activities, and make it easier ultimately to
dismantle and destroy them," said Robert Bonner, co-chairman of the
group and former head of both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
and Customs and Border Protection agency…
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-world-latinamerica/20091014/LT.Mexico.US.Guns/
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To Talk or Not to Talk: … David Olofson took the "nothing to hide"
approach. When the police confiscated one of his firearms from a
friend he had loaned it to, Olofson freely chatted with police about
how many guns he had, how many he has built, how he helps people to
buy and assemble their own AR-platform rifles, and quite a bit more.
David Olofson's loquacious ways probably helped to put him in prison
for 30 months for illegally transferring an unregistered machine gun –
that was actually just a malfunctioning semi-auto – and his case has
set a very dangerous precedent which threatens all gun owners. On the
other side of the coin is Albert Kwan. A Seattle Class III firearms
dealer and collector, Kwan followed the path of minimal cooperation.
When agents asked him about a pair of Makarov barrels they thought he
might have bought and asked to examine any Makarovs or Makarov parts
he might have, Albert told them he had only purchased one barrel and
that they should get a warrant if they wanted to examine it or
anything else he owned. Kwan says he wasn't trying to hide anything;
he just wanted to make sure his rights were respected and his privacy
protected. Unfortunately, under-cooperating can be as problematic as
over-cooperating… (Click this link if you click no other ones – it's
an article you should read in its entirety.)
http://www.ohioccw.org/200910144641/prosecution-as-punishment-the-troubling-case-of-albert-kwan.html
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Brady Bunch Shenanigans: Previous articles examined the possibility
that the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence may intentionally, or
unwittingly, be aiding and abetting violent criminals via Brady's push
for "sensible" gun laws. Now there is evidence that the Brady Campaign
may feel they are above federal law… Recently, we examined the Brady
Campaign 2008 score card, which showed the same results as the study
of the 2007 score card. Almost immediately after this last article,
readers reported that the link to Brady's 2008 scorecard was dead.
Searches performed since have indicated that all the Brady report
cards dating back to 2001 (the first) have been removed from their
site. (Is this because every year's report card showed the same
results as those found in 2008?) Today's search turned up a link at
the Brady site that contains an article by this author, copied in
toto…
Journalism Student Takes on Bloomberg: … I typically don't solicit
"guest editorials," but I'm always happy to do what I can to encourage
interest in the right to keep and bear arms by the next generation -
and the chance to see this kind of thought introduced in a college
journalism class is too good to pass up. These students will, after
all, be tomorrow's "Authorized Journalists." Here's "A Worm in the Big
Apple," by student Race Hochdorf… (I am unable to copy and paste from
the embedded editorial. When you view it, it will be easier to read if
you click "Fullscreen.")
The Beat Winds Down?: Booming ammunition sales across the United
States have made it slightly harder for area hunters and target
shooters to find the ammo they need. According to a recent Firearms
and Ammunition Excise Tax Report from the Department of the Treasury,
firearm and ammunition makers paid more than $109.8 million in taxes
in the first quarter of 2009, a 43 percent jump over what was paid in
the same period in 2008. Manufacturers pay the 10-11 percent tax,
which helps fund wildlife conservation, on all firearms and ammo
manufactured… "We are starting to catch up now. The orders are
starting to come through," said Ron Singer of Mullen Gun and Archery
sales, Oakwood [OH]. Singer said rounds like 9 mm, .22, .38 and .40
caliber were hard to obtain, but said most of his outstanding orders
are now caught up. He said shotgun shells were never in short supply.
At Cleland's Outdoor World, Swanton, co-owner Theresa Cleland said
supplies of some rounds are still hard to obtain, but explained that
most supply shortages are easing. "There is still some shortage. The
.380 has been particularly hard to get," Cleland said… (Handgun ammo
is still very scarce at my local Walmart but I suspect that I may live
in an area where residents have a greater appreciation of the need to
build up a long-term supply of ammunition.)
http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/4688726
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Congressmen, Senators Defend Lead Bullets: A letter signed by members
of the U.S. House of Representatives' Second Amendment Task Force
raising important questions about the National Park Service's intent
to ban the use of traditional ammunition in parks that allow hunting
has been sent to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The
letter, which follows a similar message sent to Salazar by U.S.
senators, was applauded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation,
trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting
sports industry. A bipartisan working group dedicated to defending the
Second Amendment rights of American citizens, the task force wrote
that "the rationale for such a ban is not based on sound scientific
analysis and it would greatly restrict the ability of sportsmen to
engage in hunting and fishing activities in the national parks that
permit those activities." …
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6920
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Indianapolis Paper's CCW "Exposé": One Indiana man pressed the barrel
of a loaded handgun into the chest of a woman holding her 1-year-old
son. Another's handgun was confiscated by police three times - twice
for shooting in public. A third man was arrested for allegedly dealing
crack cocaine and later was accused of beating his girlfriend. But
it's not merely those actions that concern law enforcement officials
and others on both sides of the polarizing handgun debate. It's what
happened next. In each of these three cases, the person later applied
for a permit to carry a handgun in public. And in all of these cases -
and hundreds of other questionable ones uncovered by The Indianapolis
Star - the Indiana State Police granted that request, often over the
objections of the local police department and even though, in some
cases, it appears the State Police had a legal obligation to deny the
permit. Even worse, many of those people committed subsequent crimes,
some with the guns they were legally permitted to carry… (Would those
who committed subsequent crimes have not committed them if they had
not had the permits to carry?)
http://www.indystar.com/article/20091011/NEWS14/910110365/
… State police gave several explanations, including that those
recommendations had factual errors or were incomplete. In a few cases,
a felony charge - automatic grounds for rejection - had been reduced
to a misdemeanor; but in another the felony charge hadn't been
reduced. In that case and some others, state police acknowledged the
permit shouldn't have been granted… (As far as I know, Indiana, which
has had shall-issue CCW for longer than most states, does not have a
statistically significant problem with its permittees. Looking at the
array of photographs, I have to wonder whether political correctness
may have figured into some of the laxity reported.)
http://www.indystar.com/article/99999999/NEWS14/91009032
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Wisconsin Renews CCW Debate: Two powerful Milwaukee leaders on
Wednesday floated the idea of allowing concealed-carry gun permits in
Wisconsin as part of a larger package of gun law reforms - marking a
departure with Mayor Tom Barrett on the hot issue. Police Chief Edward
Flynn and District Attorney John Chisholm said allowing
concealed-carry weapon permits must be coupled with other changes such
as requiring background checks on all gun purchases in Wisconsin.
Currently, only federally licensed gun stores have to do such checks
in the state… Appearing before a Common Council Public Safety
Committee hearing, Chisholm and Flynn said that, if concealed carry
were allowed, there should be a tough permit process and anyone caught
carrying a concealed gun without a permit would face a felony. Under
current law, carrying a concealed weapon is a misdemeanor in
Wisconsin. Unlike other crimes, it never becomes a felony, no matter
how many times a criminal is charged with it. Wisconsin is one of only
two states that do not allow residents to obtain concealed-carry gun
permits. The Legislature has passed bills allowing such permits, but
Gov. Jim Doyle has vetoed them…
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/64262272.html
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Seattle Mayor Proceeds with Illegal Gun Ban: A controversial new rule
banning guns from several public areas around Seattle went into effect
Wednesday. Mayor Greg Nickels says guns will be prohibited at
designated Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities where children and
youth are likely to be present, such as playgrounds, community and
environmental learning centers, sports fields and courts, swimming
beaches, pools, water play areas, skateparks, and golf courses. Anyone
who enters one of the posted facilities with a gun will be asked by
Parks personnel or Seattle police officers to leave the area. If they
refuse, they could be cited or arrested by police for trespassing…
Officials with the Second Amendment Foundation have said the rule is
illegal and planned to sue the city once the law went into effect. But
Nickels doesn't believe the city is acting beyond its power, saying he
is asserting the same rights private property owners have…
http://www.komonews.com/news/64301302.html
… The ban has been criticized for months by supporters of the second
amendment, and last month, Attorney General Rob McKenna, who had
previously said cities can't pass gun ban laws, said Nickels' plan
won't fly. "...As Mayor Nickels is aware, the Attorney General's
Office issued an opinion in 2008 which found that state law preempts
local authority to adopt firearms regulations, unless specifically
authorized by law," said McKenna's spokeswoman, Janelle Guthrie.
"Mayor Nickels is welcome to request legislation to change state law,
but current state law preempts a city's authority to pass local laws
prohibiting the firearms possession on city property or in city-owned
facilities." …
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/182099.asp?from=blog_last3
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Californians to Seek Repeal of Ammo Bill: Outrage! That's the reaction
that CRPA and NRA members in California are understandably having to
the news that the Governor signed AB 962 into law on October 11, 2009.
AB 962 is slated to go into effect February 1, 2011. But we are not
going to just stand by and wait. CRPA and NRA have already started the
legislative wheels turning to halt AB 962 before the 2011
implementation date. CRPA and NRA members want this bill reversed, and
that is what we are going to do! Assemblyman Curt Hagman (R- Diamond
Bar) has stepped up and agreed to carry legislation on our members'
behalf. Earlier this year Assemblyman Hagman introduced AB 373 which
proposed to streamline the sale of handguns. He has now agreed to
amend AB 373 to call for the repeal of AB 962. NRA and CRPA will be
cosponsoring AB 373, and we will need your help immediately in this
effort. The bill is currently being amended and will be introduced in
January 2010…
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/index.php/article-archives/157-repeal-of-ab962-in-the-works
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Florida Shooting, More Details: Authorities today released the names
of the suspects who were shot by two residents during a burglary late
Tuesday in Orange County. Suspected burglar Brandon Martinez, 17, was
found dead inside the home at 6732 Rubens Court. His alleged
accomplice, Jonathan Rodriguez, 25, was found in the driveway of 6825
Windstream Terrace - about a block away - with a gunshot wound…
Martinez allegedly pointed a handgun at one of the residents, who had
entered his home and was confronted by at least two, possibly three
intruders, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "The victim, who
had armed himself with a handgun prior to entering his residence,
fired at Martinez and at least one other suspect before fleeing his
home and calling the Sheriff's Office,'' the statement said.
Investigators think that both residents fired at the intruders… (All's
well that ends well but there's room to debate the wisdom of entering
your home when you suspect that there is an intruder inside.)
Toledo Bar Shooting – the Background: One of the suspects in a bar
shootout is a cook who works there and investigators have a good idea
about the names of other shooters, police here say. Video of the
shootout has generated tips revealing the street names used by several
of the gunmen. No one has been arrested yet… The fight apparently
began when a bar employee asked a man who was trying to sell marijuana
to leave, Deputy Police Chief Don Kenney told the Toledo Blade…
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33292932/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Tuesday called for the closing of the Route
66 Bar and Grill in West Toledo where a gunfight occurred last week.
The mayor said he would use assistance from the city's health and
building inspection departments to force the closure of the
establishment. A video of the gunfight has been shown on national news
outlets. Mayor Finkbeiner said there have been 14 calls for service in
2008 and 2009 to the bar. He didn't specify the nature of those calls…
(This is clearly not a family restaurant that happens to serve beer
and wine with meals.)
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091013/NEWS02/910130387
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Rule Five Reminder: A 12-year-old was shot in the head this evening in
an apparent accident at his home, police said. The boy, who suffered a
single gunshot wound, was rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. His
condition was not disclosed, the Gardena Police Department said. A
14-year-old cousin was serving as the sitter for the boy and two
younger siblings when the shooting occurred in the 14600 block of
South Berendo Avenue about 5:45 p.m., police said. When officers
arrived, the boy was in an upstairs bedroom. Officers began
administering CPR while they waited for an ambulance to arrive. Police
did not disclose how the boy was shot, other than to say that it
appeared to have been an accident. (Rule Five: Maintain control of
your firearm.)
Tangentially Related: Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a
defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of
accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops,
including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an
analysis… Mr. Wheeler said that senators took most of the cash for the
projects from the "operations and maintenance" or O&M accounts. "These
are the accounts that pay for troop training, repairs, spares and
supplies for vehicles, weapons, ships and planes, food and fuel," Mr.
Wheeler said…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/15/troop-funds-diverted-to-pet-projects/
