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Once Again, the Mexican Tack: A binational task force on U.S.-Mexico border issues will call Friday on the Obama administration and Congress to reinstate an expired ban on assault weapons and for Mexico to overhaul its frontier police and customs agencies to mirror the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The recommendations are among a broad set of security, trade, development and environmental proposals that come as President Obama and his Mexicans counterpart, Felipe Calderón, move to deepen engagement on issues including economic recovery, climate change, illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking… In Mexico City in April, Obama pledged to push the Senate to ratify an inter-American arms-trafficking treaty but backed away from a campaign promise to reinstate a ban on assault weapons that Congress let expire in 2004. Obama said that it would be too difficult politically to enact new gun legislation soon [emphasis added] and that enforcing existing measures would have a more immediate effect. Mexican officials want a ban, saying that 90 percent of guns seized in drug crimes in Mexico and submitted for tracing to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives originate in the United States, including most assault rifles… (If Mexico wants to limit the weaponry of its drug gangs, it would do better to ensure that the weapons of its own military did not change hands so readily. It is Mexico that decides which firearms to submit for BATFE traces so the 90% figure is meaningless. The full-auto AK-47 rifles [known in Mexico as cuerno del chivo for their curved magazines] that are the trademark of the Mexican drug gangs are not readily available in the US and come into Mexico from points south.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/12/AR2009111211331.html
But That Doesn't Stop F Troop: ATF agent Jessie Summers tried to deal with misconceptions before he talked about the illegal gun trade in Central Washington. "We're not here to take anybody's guns," he told a group of city and law enforcement officials from across the state gathered at the Yakima Convention Center. "The image of us being jackbooted thugs doesn't hold water." Not that Summers is worried so much about public image of federal agents. He and fellow ATF agent Steve Foreman said Thursday they were much more concerned about the so-called "gun show loophole" that allows unlicensed firearm dealers to circumvent background checks. Two days before a gun show at Central Washington State Fair Park, Summers and Foreman warned that a large percentage of guns that are smuggled into Mexico come from gun shows in Eastern Washington. According to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Washington state is the No. 4 source in the country for illegal guns in Mexico…
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/11/12/gun-show-loophole-has-some-weapons-smuggled-into-mexico
Speaking of Which…: … Please ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, why are they disclosing names and addresses of law abiding American gun owners to the most corrupt Mexican police? Why are they are training and allowing corrupt Mexican police to use the BATFE eTrace system? Why have they created a massive gun registration system in violation of the Gun Owners Protection Act of 1986 (18 U.S.C. 926(a))? BATF's eTrace system does not distinguish between legitimate, erroneous, false, fake, fraudulent or phony traces, and reveals names and addresses of innocent Americans who legally bought a firearm some time in the past - even years ago. This is a grave disservice to Americans. BATFE has created a huge centralized Firearms Registration System (called the Firearms Tracing System) containing over 100 million records of firearms, firearm owners, firearm transactions and firearms dispositions in direct violation of the Gun Owners Protection Act of 1986 (18 U.S.C. 926(a)). eTrace has full access to those records. BATFE claims they only trace "crime guns", but this is false. They trace any gun chosen by ATF or other law enforcement whether used in a crime or not, and have no control over traces by Mexican or other foreign police…
http://www.jpfo.org/articles-assd/etrace-letter.htm
---
From GOA: He has been called "extreme" by some. But to others, he's beyond extreme... he's a "Radical's Radical." Whatever he is, he could become President Obama's next choice for the federal judiciary. This radical is Judge David Hamilton, and he's been nominated for a position on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Hamilton has made many political enemies on the right, seeing that his politics are to the far left of the political spectrum. Oh yes, judges aren't supposed to be political, but this one has engaged in quite a bit of leftist activism. His biggest opponent on Capitol Hill is Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Based on his analysis of Hamilton, gun owners should be very concerned about a judge who is all to willing to "amend the Constitution." …Certainly any judicial nomination put forth by our anti-gun President is suspect, but it's interesting to note who his chief backer is in the U.S. Senate. It's none other than Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, who holds an "F" rating from Gun Owners of America… (The link will generate an e-mail to your senators, asking them to oppose confirmation.)
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=14338386&PROCESS=Take+Action
---
Firearm Freedom Acts Debated: New Hampshire attorney E.F. Nappen writes that the Firearms Freedom Acts being introduced and enacted in various states are subject to "The Achilles Heels of the Firearms Freedom Act." He argues that the inclusion of NFA (National Firearms Act) items (e.g., suppressors or short-barreled rifles) in the asserted exemption from federal authority will cause the Acts to fail in court because the NFA regulates under federal tax power, not federal commerce clause power. Of course Nappen is correct to assert that getting the permission of federal judges in approval of the Acts will be a difficult exercise. The federal government (including its judicial branch) doesn't surrender power readily… Addressing Nappen's concern about NFA items, it is true that the NFA purports to be founded in the power given to Congress in the Constitution to tax. However, there are two sorts of taxes: 1) Those enacted and implemented primarily to raise revenue, and 2) those enacted and implemented to affect commerce. The federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition is clearly the former sort, since it raises millions of dollars the feds dole out to the states for wildlife management. The various firearms freedoms acts do not challenge or affect this genuine revenue raising. It is expected that if litigation under the MFFA is successful, it will still leave the excise tax on state-made and state-retained firearms and ammunition in place, and makers will likely remain liable for this tax…
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d12-Dont-surrender-so-quickly-on-Firearms-Freedom-Acts
---
Daley Bemoans Court Ruling: Mayor Richard M. Daley is questioning the legal ramifications of an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that allows drivers to carry unloaded [emphasis added] firearms in the glove box, arm rest consoles and other storage areas built into their cars. Daley said city attorneys are looking into what effect the ruling would have on city gun control ordinances, such as Chicago's ban on handguns. The mayor said the ruling could put police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders at risk. "What does a police officer do when he stops a car?" Daley asked "What does he say to you when your glove compartment is open with a gun there?" The mayor said emergency crews could be in danger if a car with several guns inside is involved in a crash that causes a fire… (If Chicago cops believe that Chicago and Illinois gun laws keep violent criminals from carrying loaded guns, they are stupider than their mayor. Any decently trained cop assumes that everyone he encounters is armed.)
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/daley.guns.cars.2.1308481.html
---
November 19, National Ammo Day: The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Not hard to do considering the recent Ammo Shortages but lets make your support of the Second Amendment known – by voting with your dollars! There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America. If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, that's 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens! The gun and ammunition manufacturers have been taking the brunt of all the frivolous lawsuits, trying to put these folks out of business. Well, not if we can help it! And we CAN help it by buying ammunition on November 19! … (Let's see – the handgun shelf in the ammo section at the local Walmart is virtually empty anyway; that would leave little more than hunting ammunition, mostly for rifles in chamberings I don't own.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2009/11/12/national-ammo-day/
---
Non Sequitur Award for the Month?: The one thing holding D.C. back from having Congressional representation seems to be a debate on gun rights. The D.C. Voting Rights Act, which would give our city an official representative in the House, has stalled for the past nine months. In February, it passed in the Senate - but only after being stamped with additional language that would abolish many of Washington's already depleted gun laws. The House seems unsure of what to do, with an influential pro-gun lobby splitting the Democrats while D.C. residents wait. Thank you for helping the nation's capital, National Rifle Association… But don't you think there's something wrong when a man like Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood suspect, can go into a Texas gun shop and easily buy a semi-automatic FN Herstal pistol recommended for combat use by NATO? What if he then uses it to massacre unsuspecting soldiers at an Army base? … (And how well have DC's draconian gun laws reduced the homicide rate there? Let's not even get into the Constitutional issue of DC lacking Congressional representation because it's not a state.)
http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/11/12/Opinions/Tom-Braslavsky.Representation.Or.Revolvers-3830361.shtml
---
Response to Yesterday's Student Editorial: First of all, let me begin by saying that Elilta Habtu submitted a well-written and well-researched article in Thursday's paper. I was impressed at her determination to go through the process of obtaining a concealed carry weapon permit for the sake of the column. I do, however, wish to dispute some of her findings… If Habtu were actually planning on carrying and wished to actually know what she was doing, she would take the initiative to attend a classroom version of the CCW permit class. I will agree with her that the online class requirement seems easy to pass. This is a new amendment to the requirements. People who wish to do harm usually do not go through the process to become CCW permit holders. Habtu failed to mention the real deterrent to a criminal in receiving a permit, something that makes it much more difficult to obtain one than she admits to. The permit requires you to submit fingerprints and have a background check, something that a typical criminal would not submit to. In my opinion, the online class makes it easier for legal, eligible, upstanding citizens to mark off one step of the process. Those who wish to do harm to others wouldn't bother to go through the process of obtaining a permit or taking classes. Denying responsible permit holders from carrying does nothing to stop the gun violence of criminals…
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14664/statistics-show-concealed-carry-saves-many-lives-takes-few
The Earlier Editorial:
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14652/concealed-carry-permits-are-too-easily-obtained
---
Pennsylvania Representative Pushes Illegal Ordinances: State Rep. David Levdansky worries about an all-too-familiar and sometimes lethal scenario: People who pass criminal background checks buy handguns for criminals - who are legally prohibited from possessing them - in what is called a "straw buy." When police trace the handgun back to the original purchaser, the person claims it was a lost or stolen, and the investigation stalls. "This ordinance is designed to take the alibi away from the straw purchaser," said Mr. Levdansky, D-Forward, on his efforts to get local governments to adopt legislation requiring notification of lost or stolen firearms within a set time frame. The legislation he wants would have fines and/or imprisonment for violators… In April 2008, his effort, with others, to adopt a statewide ordinance did not pass the House of Representatives. Legislators intend to bring up the issue for a vote again next year. Mr. Levdansky is hoping the passage of local a lost/stolen handguns ordinance in various communities will convince lawmakers this is what the people want… (This is the California strategy – if you can't pass a bill at state level, pass several local ones, knowing that they are illegal because regulation of firearms has been preempted by the respective states.)
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09316/1012625-55.stm
---
Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version: A 25-year-old man was shot to death on Orlando's west side while apparently trying to break into a home. WDBO's sister station, Channel 9 Eyewitness News, is identifying the dead suspect as Mark Clark. He was found outside the front door of 5369 Botany Court, near Kirkman Road, around 7:30 Wednesday night. The Orlando Police Department has not provided any details other than that they're working a death investigation. The homeowner's mother said her daughter heard three men trying to break into the house and opened fire. The other two suspects ran away.
http://wdbo.com/localnews/2009/11/apparent-home-invader-shot-to.html
http://www.wesh.com/news/21590856/detail.html
---
Oops, Wrong House, Nevada Version: Police say a Las Vegas homeowner shot and killed an intruder during a home invasion. Lt. Lew Roberts says the intruder and an unknown number of others kicked open the front door of the home near Rancho and Vegas drives Thursday night. A struggle ensued and the elderly man got a gun and shot the suspect, who died at the scene. Identities were not released. Police did not have anyone in custody and did not provide descriptions of other suspects.
http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=11497715
---
Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: A man accused of breaking into a Houston-area home was taken to a hospital in critical condition after a Texas homeowner fired several shots at him during an apparent home invasion. Police in the Houston suburb of Missouri City say the 20-year-old homeowner grabbed a pistol Wednesday afternoon and began shooting after two men broke into his home and demanded money. A third suspect waited outside in a car. Police say two of the men got away, but one collapsed in the homeowner's driveway after being shot several times. That man was flown by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition. Police say the homeowner was treated for minor injuries…
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2009/nov/11/bc-tx-robber-shot/?news®ion-state
http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2009m11d12-Texas-homeowner-shoots-home-invader-in-self-defense
---
Rule Four Reminder: A woman driving in rural Cass County [MO] was randomly struck in the face by a bullet from a hunter more than a mile away. Lisa Long said she is grateful to be alive after the unexpected jolt of being shot in the face on a quiet rural road. "The bullet went through the cheek, all the way through, came in between my gum and knocked some teeth," Long said… The conditions for the shooting had to be perfect. Long's window was rolled down just enough and the bullet went through the open window to hit her in the cheek. Long said she was driving down the road at 60 mph and at first didn't realize she had been shot. "I thought a rock had been kicked up from a tire, I couldn't figure out what it was," Long said… Long said she might never figure out who fired the bullet that hit her, but she hopes her story will help people realize the dangers of firing a gun. (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it.)
http://www.kctv5.com/news/21559216/detail.html
---
Brits Advised on Shotgun Investments: Vintage British shotguns can be a sure-fire investment winner for country sports lovers. Over the past couple of decades the value of collectable firearms has as much as doubled thanks to a growing interest in the sport. There are now more than a million enthusiasts nationwide who participate in shooting sports, claims the British Association for Shooting and Conservation… He says a good second-hand shotgun can be bought for £200 to £300, but pay £5,000 to £6,000 and you are able to invest in a true classic. "The big three that can make the best investments are gunsmiths with blue-blood heritage – Purdey, Holland & Holland and Boss," Mr Harriman says, The British set the world benchmark for quality due to know-how and attention to detail that has been passed down through generations… Mr Harriman said: ''The quality of finish by top gunsmiths from about 1880 to 1920 was fantastic and you can pick up some superb hammer guns that hold or grow in value. From just before the First World War to about 1935 is a golden era when top hammerless firearms were made – £15,000 buys a cracking investment.'' … (Curiously, no mention is made of Britain's onerous licensing process. At today's rate, £15,000 is almost $25,000. I know someone who once paid six times that for a Purdey and the dollar was worth a lot more back then.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/6554922/Collecting-vintage-shotguns.html
On the Other Hand…: A former soldier who handed a discarded shotgun in to police faces at least five years imprisonment for "doing his duty". Paul Clarke, 27, was found guilty of possessing a firearm at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday – after finding the gun and handing it personally to police officers on March 20 this year. The jury took 20 minutes to make its conviction, and Mr Clarke now faces a minimum of five year's imprisonment for handing in the weapon. In a statement read out in court, Mr Clarke said: "I didn't think for one moment I would be arrested. I thought it was my duty to hand it in and get it off the streets." The court heard how Mr Clarke was on the balcony of his home in Nailsworth Crescent, Merstham, when he spotted a black bin liner at the bottom of his garden. In his statement, he said: "I took it indoors and inside found a shorn-off shotgun and two cartridges. I didn't know what to do, so the next morning I rang the Chief Superintendent, Adrian Harper, and asked if I could pop in and see him. At the police station, I took the gun out of the bag and placed it on the table so it was pointing towards the wall." Mr Clarke was then arrested immediately for possession of a firearm at Reigate police station, and taken to the cells…
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Ex-soldier-faces-jail-handing-gun/article-1509082-detail/article.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/12/AR2009111211331.html
But That Doesn't Stop F Troop: ATF agent Jessie Summers tried to deal with misconceptions before he talked about the illegal gun trade in Central Washington. "We're not here to take anybody's guns," he told a group of city and law enforcement officials from across the state gathered at the Yakima Convention Center. "The image of us being jackbooted thugs doesn't hold water." Not that Summers is worried so much about public image of federal agents. He and fellow ATF agent Steve Foreman said Thursday they were much more concerned about the so-called "gun show loophole" that allows unlicensed firearm dealers to circumvent background checks. Two days before a gun show at Central Washington State Fair Park, Summers and Foreman warned that a large percentage of guns that are smuggled into Mexico come from gun shows in Eastern Washington. According to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Washington state is the No. 4 source in the country for illegal guns in Mexico…
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/11/12/gun-show-loophole-has-some-weapons-smuggled-into-mexico
Speaking of Which…: … Please ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, why are they disclosing names and addresses of law abiding American gun owners to the most corrupt Mexican police? Why are they are training and allowing corrupt Mexican police to use the BATFE eTrace system? Why have they created a massive gun registration system in violation of the Gun Owners Protection Act of 1986 (18 U.S.C. 926(a))? BATF's eTrace system does not distinguish between legitimate, erroneous, false, fake, fraudulent or phony traces, and reveals names and addresses of innocent Americans who legally bought a firearm some time in the past - even years ago. This is a grave disservice to Americans. BATFE has created a huge centralized Firearms Registration System (called the Firearms Tracing System) containing over 100 million records of firearms, firearm owners, firearm transactions and firearms dispositions in direct violation of the Gun Owners Protection Act of 1986 (18 U.S.C. 926(a)). eTrace has full access to those records. BATFE claims they only trace "crime guns", but this is false. They trace any gun chosen by ATF or other law enforcement whether used in a crime or not, and have no control over traces by Mexican or other foreign police…
http://www.jpfo.org/articles-assd/etrace-letter.htm
---
From GOA: He has been called "extreme" by some. But to others, he's beyond extreme... he's a "Radical's Radical." Whatever he is, he could become President Obama's next choice for the federal judiciary. This radical is Judge David Hamilton, and he's been nominated for a position on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Hamilton has made many political enemies on the right, seeing that his politics are to the far left of the political spectrum. Oh yes, judges aren't supposed to be political, but this one has engaged in quite a bit of leftist activism. His biggest opponent on Capitol Hill is Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Based on his analysis of Hamilton, gun owners should be very concerned about a judge who is all to willing to "amend the Constitution." …Certainly any judicial nomination put forth by our anti-gun President is suspect, but it's interesting to note who his chief backer is in the U.S. Senate. It's none other than Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, who holds an "F" rating from Gun Owners of America… (The link will generate an e-mail to your senators, asking them to oppose confirmation.)
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=14338386&PROCESS=Take+Action
---
Firearm Freedom Acts Debated: New Hampshire attorney E.F. Nappen writes that the Firearms Freedom Acts being introduced and enacted in various states are subject to "The Achilles Heels of the Firearms Freedom Act." He argues that the inclusion of NFA (National Firearms Act) items (e.g., suppressors or short-barreled rifles) in the asserted exemption from federal authority will cause the Acts to fail in court because the NFA regulates under federal tax power, not federal commerce clause power. Of course Nappen is correct to assert that getting the permission of federal judges in approval of the Acts will be a difficult exercise. The federal government (including its judicial branch) doesn't surrender power readily… Addressing Nappen's concern about NFA items, it is true that the NFA purports to be founded in the power given to Congress in the Constitution to tax. However, there are two sorts of taxes: 1) Those enacted and implemented primarily to raise revenue, and 2) those enacted and implemented to affect commerce. The federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition is clearly the former sort, since it raises millions of dollars the feds dole out to the states for wildlife management. The various firearms freedoms acts do not challenge or affect this genuine revenue raising. It is expected that if litigation under the MFFA is successful, it will still leave the excise tax on state-made and state-retained firearms and ammunition in place, and makers will likely remain liable for this tax…
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d12-Dont-surrender-so-quickly-on-Firearms-Freedom-Acts
---
Daley Bemoans Court Ruling: Mayor Richard M. Daley is questioning the legal ramifications of an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that allows drivers to carry unloaded [emphasis added] firearms in the glove box, arm rest consoles and other storage areas built into their cars. Daley said city attorneys are looking into what effect the ruling would have on city gun control ordinances, such as Chicago's ban on handguns. The mayor said the ruling could put police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders at risk. "What does a police officer do when he stops a car?" Daley asked "What does he say to you when your glove compartment is open with a gun there?" The mayor said emergency crews could be in danger if a car with several guns inside is involved in a crash that causes a fire… (If Chicago cops believe that Chicago and Illinois gun laws keep violent criminals from carrying loaded guns, they are stupider than their mayor. Any decently trained cop assumes that everyone he encounters is armed.)
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/daley.guns.cars.2.1308481.html
---
November 19, National Ammo Day: The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Not hard to do considering the recent Ammo Shortages but lets make your support of the Second Amendment known – by voting with your dollars! There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America. If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, that's 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens! The gun and ammunition manufacturers have been taking the brunt of all the frivolous lawsuits, trying to put these folks out of business. Well, not if we can help it! And we CAN help it by buying ammunition on November 19! … (Let's see – the handgun shelf in the ammo section at the local Walmart is virtually empty anyway; that would leave little more than hunting ammunition, mostly for rifles in chamberings I don't own.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2009/11/12/national-ammo-day/
---
Non Sequitur Award for the Month?: The one thing holding D.C. back from having Congressional representation seems to be a debate on gun rights. The D.C. Voting Rights Act, which would give our city an official representative in the House, has stalled for the past nine months. In February, it passed in the Senate - but only after being stamped with additional language that would abolish many of Washington's already depleted gun laws. The House seems unsure of what to do, with an influential pro-gun lobby splitting the Democrats while D.C. residents wait. Thank you for helping the nation's capital, National Rifle Association… But don't you think there's something wrong when a man like Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood suspect, can go into a Texas gun shop and easily buy a semi-automatic FN Herstal pistol recommended for combat use by NATO? What if he then uses it to massacre unsuspecting soldiers at an Army base? … (And how well have DC's draconian gun laws reduced the homicide rate there? Let's not even get into the Constitutional issue of DC lacking Congressional representation because it's not a state.)
http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/11/12/Opinions/Tom-Braslavsky.Representation.Or.Revolvers-3830361.shtml
---
Response to Yesterday's Student Editorial: First of all, let me begin by saying that Elilta Habtu submitted a well-written and well-researched article in Thursday's paper. I was impressed at her determination to go through the process of obtaining a concealed carry weapon permit for the sake of the column. I do, however, wish to dispute some of her findings… If Habtu were actually planning on carrying and wished to actually know what she was doing, she would take the initiative to attend a classroom version of the CCW permit class. I will agree with her that the online class requirement seems easy to pass. This is a new amendment to the requirements. People who wish to do harm usually do not go through the process to become CCW permit holders. Habtu failed to mention the real deterrent to a criminal in receiving a permit, something that makes it much more difficult to obtain one than she admits to. The permit requires you to submit fingerprints and have a background check, something that a typical criminal would not submit to. In my opinion, the online class makes it easier for legal, eligible, upstanding citizens to mark off one step of the process. Those who wish to do harm to others wouldn't bother to go through the process of obtaining a permit or taking classes. Denying responsible permit holders from carrying does nothing to stop the gun violence of criminals…
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14664/statistics-show-concealed-carry-saves-many-lives-takes-few
The Earlier Editorial:
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/14652/concealed-carry-permits-are-too-easily-obtained
---
Pennsylvania Representative Pushes Illegal Ordinances: State Rep. David Levdansky worries about an all-too-familiar and sometimes lethal scenario: People who pass criminal background checks buy handguns for criminals - who are legally prohibited from possessing them - in what is called a "straw buy." When police trace the handgun back to the original purchaser, the person claims it was a lost or stolen, and the investigation stalls. "This ordinance is designed to take the alibi away from the straw purchaser," said Mr. Levdansky, D-Forward, on his efforts to get local governments to adopt legislation requiring notification of lost or stolen firearms within a set time frame. The legislation he wants would have fines and/or imprisonment for violators… In April 2008, his effort, with others, to adopt a statewide ordinance did not pass the House of Representatives. Legislators intend to bring up the issue for a vote again next year. Mr. Levdansky is hoping the passage of local a lost/stolen handguns ordinance in various communities will convince lawmakers this is what the people want… (This is the California strategy – if you can't pass a bill at state level, pass several local ones, knowing that they are illegal because regulation of firearms has been preempted by the respective states.)
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09316/1012625-55.stm
---
Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version: A 25-year-old man was shot to death on Orlando's west side while apparently trying to break into a home. WDBO's sister station, Channel 9 Eyewitness News, is identifying the dead suspect as Mark Clark. He was found outside the front door of 5369 Botany Court, near Kirkman Road, around 7:30 Wednesday night. The Orlando Police Department has not provided any details other than that they're working a death investigation. The homeowner's mother said her daughter heard three men trying to break into the house and opened fire. The other two suspects ran away.
http://wdbo.com/localnews/2009/11/apparent-home-invader-shot-to.html
http://www.wesh.com/news/21590856/detail.html
---
Oops, Wrong House, Nevada Version: Police say a Las Vegas homeowner shot and killed an intruder during a home invasion. Lt. Lew Roberts says the intruder and an unknown number of others kicked open the front door of the home near Rancho and Vegas drives Thursday night. A struggle ensued and the elderly man got a gun and shot the suspect, who died at the scene. Identities were not released. Police did not have anyone in custody and did not provide descriptions of other suspects.
http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=11497715
---
Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: A man accused of breaking into a Houston-area home was taken to a hospital in critical condition after a Texas homeowner fired several shots at him during an apparent home invasion. Police in the Houston suburb of Missouri City say the 20-year-old homeowner grabbed a pistol Wednesday afternoon and began shooting after two men broke into his home and demanded money. A third suspect waited outside in a car. Police say two of the men got away, but one collapsed in the homeowner's driveway after being shot several times. That man was flown by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition. Police say the homeowner was treated for minor injuries…
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2009/nov/11/bc-tx-robber-shot/?news®ion-state
http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2009m11d12-Texas-homeowner-shoots-home-invader-in-self-defense
---
Rule Four Reminder: A woman driving in rural Cass County [MO] was randomly struck in the face by a bullet from a hunter more than a mile away. Lisa Long said she is grateful to be alive after the unexpected jolt of being shot in the face on a quiet rural road. "The bullet went through the cheek, all the way through, came in between my gum and knocked some teeth," Long said… The conditions for the shooting had to be perfect. Long's window was rolled down just enough and the bullet went through the open window to hit her in the cheek. Long said she was driving down the road at 60 mph and at first didn't realize she had been shot. "I thought a rock had been kicked up from a tire, I couldn't figure out what it was," Long said… Long said she might never figure out who fired the bullet that hit her, but she hopes her story will help people realize the dangers of firing a gun. (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it.)
http://www.kctv5.com/news/21559216/detail.html
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Brits Advised on Shotgun Investments: Vintage British shotguns can be a sure-fire investment winner for country sports lovers. Over the past couple of decades the value of collectable firearms has as much as doubled thanks to a growing interest in the sport. There are now more than a million enthusiasts nationwide who participate in shooting sports, claims the British Association for Shooting and Conservation… He says a good second-hand shotgun can be bought for £200 to £300, but pay £5,000 to £6,000 and you are able to invest in a true classic. "The big three that can make the best investments are gunsmiths with blue-blood heritage – Purdey, Holland & Holland and Boss," Mr Harriman says, The British set the world benchmark for quality due to know-how and attention to detail that has been passed down through generations… Mr Harriman said: ''The quality of finish by top gunsmiths from about 1880 to 1920 was fantastic and you can pick up some superb hammer guns that hold or grow in value. From just before the First World War to about 1935 is a golden era when top hammerless firearms were made – £15,000 buys a cracking investment.'' … (Curiously, no mention is made of Britain's onerous licensing process. At today's rate, £15,000 is almost $25,000. I know someone who once paid six times that for a Purdey and the dollar was worth a lot more back then.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/6554922/Collecting-vintage-shotguns.html
On the Other Hand…: A former soldier who handed a discarded shotgun in to police faces at least five years imprisonment for "doing his duty". Paul Clarke, 27, was found guilty of possessing a firearm at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday – after finding the gun and handing it personally to police officers on March 20 this year. The jury took 20 minutes to make its conviction, and Mr Clarke now faces a minimum of five year's imprisonment for handing in the weapon. In a statement read out in court, Mr Clarke said: "I didn't think for one moment I would be arrested. I thought it was my duty to hand it in and get it off the streets." The court heard how Mr Clarke was on the balcony of his home in Nailsworth Crescent, Merstham, when he spotted a black bin liner at the bottom of his garden. In his statement, he said: "I took it indoors and inside found a shorn-off shotgun and two cartridges. I didn't know what to do, so the next morning I rang the Chief Superintendent, Adrian Harper, and asked if I could pop in and see him. At the police station, I took the gun out of the bag and placed it on the table so it was pointing towards the wall." Mr Clarke was then arrested immediately for possession of a firearm at Reigate police station, and taken to the cells…
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Ex-soldier-faces-jail-handing-gun/article-1509082-detail/article.html
