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From CCRKBA: The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear
Arms today said a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Jon Tester
and John McCain that would repeal most gun laws in the District of
Columbia "would not be necessary if District officials had lived up to
the 2008 Supreme Court ruling in the Heller case." Tester (D-MT) and
McCain (R-AZ) unveiled the Second Amendment Enforcement Act Tuesday.
It would overrule the District's deliberately complicated registration
requirements and would also prevent enactment of regulations that
prohibit the carrying of firearms in public places. The bill would
further reign in the police chief's discretionary power to deny carry
licenses to law-abiding citizens. Companion legislation was introduced
in the House by Reps. Travis Childers (D-MS) and Mark Souder (R-IN).
"District officials have stubbornly refused to adopt rational gun
regulations that include the right-to-carry for self-defense, even
after they were essentially told to do so by the Supreme Court," said
CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "The city's resistance to change has
been both obstructive and childish, and it is time for grown-ups in
Congress to stop this nonsense…"
Their foot-dragging and obstructionist approach to adopting rational
firearms ordinances that allow carrying firearms for personal
protection has already gotten officials in the District of Columbia
sued by the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, and the
National Rifle Association… The SAF lawsuit forced the city to "amend"
its original handgun law, originally limited to allow only revolvers
in private ownership but now open to the registration of
semiautomatics as well. At every step, D.C. officials have had to be
dragged along, kicking and screaming… Some people on Capitol Hill have
had enough. On Tuesday, Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John McCain
(R-AZ) introduced the Second Amendment Enforcement Act. Companion
legislation was unveiled in the House by Reps. Travis Childers (D-MS)
and Mark Souder (R-IN). This measure, if passed, would undo onerous
registration requirements, prevent the city council from adopting
other "designed-to-discourage-ownership" gun laws, and prevent the
police chief from denying carry permits essentially on a whim…
Seen from the Left: Facing a primary from ultra-conservative former
congressman J.D. Hayworth, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been veering
far to the right. He went as far as to claim that he never called
himself a "maverick." McCain has reversed his positions on a host of
issues, from climate change to immigration, in an attempt to appease
right-wing voters; he is now doing the same on gun control… As
Jonathan Cowan, president of the center-left think tank Third Way,
noted, McCain's sponsorship of the bill will "go down as the most
spectacular and blatant reversal in Senator McCain's political
career." In the early 2000s, McCain was a spokesperson for Americans
for Gun Safety, a campaign headed by Cowan that encouraged states to
enact stricter regulations. McCain cut ads on the group's behalf,
urging states with pending legislation to close the so-called gun show
loophole, which allows people to purchase guns without a background
check… McCain's pandering to the far right doesn't seem to be helping
him much, and his campaign opponent keeps calling out his flip-flops.
So, McCain may end up losing the election along with his integrity.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/04/28/mccain-dc-guns/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-cowan/de-mavericking-mccain_b_555503.html
---
If at First You Don't Succeed…: Six years after the state Supreme
Court dismissed his $433 million lawsuit against the gun industry,
Mayor Daley today called for a change of venue - to the World Court
normally reserved for disputes between nations and crimes against
humanity. Wrapping up the sixth annual Richard J. Daley Global Cities
Forum, Daley convinced more than a dozen of his counterparts from
around the world to approve a resolution urging "redress against the
gun industry through the courts of the world" in The Hague. "This is
coming from international mayors. They're saying, 'We're tired of your
guns, America. ... We don't want those anymore because guns kill and
injure people,' " Daley told a news conference at the University of
Illinois at Chicago… Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard Casauban noted
that the Mexican government is waging a brutal war against drug
cartels that get "85 percent" of their weapons from the United States…
(And to hell with any oath to support and uphold the Constitution of
the United States. This is just one more reminder why we need to
reject nominees to the federal bench – who may eventually find their
way to SCOTUS – who believe that this nation must look beyond its own
constitution, to international law. And give me a break with that
phony 85% figure…)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/2206864,daley%1Egun%1Elawsuit%1Eworld%1Ecourt%1E042710.article
Related Commentary:
Missouri House Approves Parking-Lot Storage: Missouri businesses would
have to allow properly licensed people to carry concealed guns in
their parking lots under a bill approved by the House. Businesses can
currently choose to ban concealed weapons on their property. House
members approved the bill Thursday by a 113-40 vote. The legislation
now goes to the Senate. Under the bill, businesses would not be
responsible for injuries or attacks on their property, unless a
similar incident had happened in the previous two years…
http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=201046
---
More on Arizona's Constitutional Carry: …The usual anti-gun rhetoric
has been spewed about how this law is only going to make Arizona a
more dangerous state. John Thomas, lobbyist for the Arizona
Association of Chiefs of Police, spoke against the legislation before
it became law, saying: "[It] will take Arizona back to the Wild
West... with no consideration of officer safety.'' Does Thomas really
think criminals have been waiting for this law to be passed so they
can now carry weapons to do things like rob people and shoot at police
officers? On the contrary, this law was needed because criminals will
carry guns regardless of what the rules are, while law-abiding
citizens will go to work or the gas station or a restaurant unarmed,
in order to keep from violating the law. Such a scenario clearly gives
the advantage to the criminal. The legislation Brewer signed changes
that. Now the criminal in Arizona intent on robbing law-abiding
citizens while they pump gasoline into their cars or walk out of
Wal-Mart could very well come away from the exchange with a 10mm round
in the chest instead of the victim's wallet in hand. And the criminal
won't even see it coming because Arizonans are under no obligation to
carry the gun in a way that makes it visible to the naked eye…
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36743
---
Arizona Extends Preemption to Knives: The Arizona Legislature has
passed the nation's first Knife Preemption Law, sponsored by Knife
Rights and national grassroots knife owners organization based in
Arizona. By bipartisan votes of 36-19 in the Arizona House and 19-9 in
the Arizona Senate, SB1153, Knife Rights' Knife Law Preemption Bill,
has been sent to Governor Jan Brewer for her signature, which is
anticipated next week. It will take effect 90 days after the
legislature adjourns and not only prevents political subdivisions from
enacting new ordinances and rules, but voids all existing restrictive
knife ordinances. In combination with Arizona's recently enacted
constitutional concealed carry law, knife owners in Arizona will enjoy
the most accommodating knife laws in the country… (The legislature is
expected to adjourn today, starting the 90-day clock for the
implementation of the new laws.)
http://www.sonorannews.com/archives/2010/100428/ftpgKnifeLaw.html
---
Why People Should Invest in Training: A physician friend relates the
story of a man who appeared at the doors of his hospital ER with a gun
shot wound. The hapless man had left his loaded gun on the seat of his
truck, where it discharged when he sat on it. "Guns don't kill
people," argues the NRA. Perhaps "stupidity kills." Remove the
proliferation of firearms and many fewer would be injured or die. The
U.S. gun lobby's myth of "more guns, greater safety" is belied by the
sheer numbers of accidental shootings. Last October a concealed carry
permit-holder in Jacksonville, Florida ignored signs prohibiting
firearms and accidentally shot and killed a woman in a Cyber Café.
Witnesses reported the woman was shot in the back when the permit
holder's concealed handgun fell from his belt. A similar accident in
an Indianapolis Planet Hollywood Restaurant in 1997 sent two women to
the hospital when a man bent to pick up something from the floor and
his gun fell out of his pocket and discharged… (Clearly, this posting
seeks to exaggerate the exceptional incidents as an argument for the
infringements of the RKBA. Nonetheless, these incidents point out why
gun owners should invest in professional training on their own
initiative, not because the state may require a small dose of it in
order to receive a carry permit.)
http://www.news4jax.com/news/21390817/detail.html
---
More Exceptions That Don't Prove the Rule: Let's start with a basic
premise: Unless you are in police work, security or the military,
there is no reason to openly display a handgun in a public place. It's
called "open carry," and debate on the subject - which hangs on the
second amendment right of the U.S. Constitution to keep and bear arms
- is raging hot and heavy. Intimidation, whether admitted or not, is
the motivation for packing a pistol or, more formally, wearing a
sidearm. The sidearms are also useful for nourishing a superiority
complex. This is no longer the Wild West. It hasn't been that wild for
a century at least, even though reruns of the movies "High Noon" and
"Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" are still playing and fun to watch. Guns
are used to kill people. Guns scare people. They have no public role
in the lives of ordinary, law-abiding citizens, and certainly should
not be flashed in locations such as Vancouver… (When you start with an
erroneous basic premise, the rest of your argument suffers. I am not a
big fan of open carry but recognize that, like most things in life,
there are right and wrong ways to do it.)
http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/28/no-need-to-brandish-guns-in-public/
---
Meanwhile, in Oklahoma…: Oklahomans licensed to carry a gun would be
able to display them openly in most public places if a proposed bill
makes it through the Legislature and is signed into law. Supporters of
the legislation say it simply extends already guaranteed Second
Amendment rights, while opponents say open carry intimidates other
citizens and wastes law enforcement resources. The state already
allows people who complete a background check and receive training to
carry a handgun as long as it is concealed from plain view. The
proposed law would not relax permit requirements and guns would still
be banned from bars, government buildings and schools. The measure
passed the Senate last week by a 33-15 vote and now awaits action in
the House… (As a resident of a state where I have the option of
carrying discreetly or openly, the major advantage I see in the latter
is that I am not violating the law if my handgun is uncovered
unintentionally or I choose to remove the covering garment for comfort
or convenience.)
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100429_11_A1_RonBoe413399
---
While in California…: California lawmakers are pushing a bill that
would criminalize the open-carrying of firearms in public places, with
a few exceptions. The legislation, authored by Democratic
assemblywoman Lori Saldana of San Diego, is designed to relegate the
open carrying of weapons to "trained" professionals. Opponents argue
that their only lawful means of possessing a firearm, along with their
2nd Amendment right to bear arms, are under unprecedented attack by
the proposed amendment to the state's penal code. Under current law,
it is generally legal to possess a firearm in the state of California
as long as the weapon is holstered and not loaded. Restrictions have
been imposed around school zones. This could all change if Saldana's
bill makes it to the Assembly floor. "What I'm concerned about is
people who have no training can carry a gun for no other purpose than
to make a public statement," said Saldana… (Hogwash, Ms. Saldaña, most
are carrying openly because they can't obtain CWP's. Why not make CWP
issuance mandatory if the applicant is not legally disqualified, and
get your reassurance that they have at least taken the mandated
training to qualify for the permit?)
http://caivn.org/article/2010/04/28/california-legislation-taking-open-carry-gun-rights
---
Campus-Carry Demonstration in Alaska: A highly-anticipated protest by
Anchorage gun advocates on the campus of the University of Alaska
Anchorage Wednesday turned out to be more of a media circus than
anything else. On Wednesday four armed men walked onto UAA's main
quad, where journalists outnumbered guns by about five to one. A swarm
of reporters and photographers documented the University of Alaska
Police Department filling out Notices of Violation to the four men and
politely asking them to step off campus. (The usual detail of three
on-duty UAPD officers had been upped to seven for the occasion.) … The
protesters were led by George Hines, a journalism student in his 40s
who carries a Springfield .45. Hines is president of the Alaska
Chapter of the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. (In other parts
of the country SCCC stages "Empty Holder Protests.") Hines
orchestrated Wednesday's protest to draw attention to his message:
People have a right to carry guns legally on UA campuses. In mid-April
he argued his position (PDF) before the university's board of regents
at their meeting in Dillingham, saying the state constitution
prohibits a political subdivision of the state (in this case, as Hines
sees it, the UA system) from restricting Second Amendment rights…
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/5091-gun-advocates-cameras-descend-on-uaa
Dozens of protestors advocating concealed carry of guns on campus
spoke out at UAA Wednesday. Organizers say the University of Alaska
regents' policy prohibiting concealed guns on campus should be
changed. The groups involved were the Anchorage Second Amendment Task
Force and Students for Concealed Carry. They advertised the gathering,
bringing together several people - many of them with guns, which is
against university policy…
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=12394790
---
Oops, Wrong Carport: A Northport [AL] man was charged with murder
Wednesday after his friend was shot and killed by a would-be victim.
Investigators say that the actions of Rashad Drakkar Hayward, 20, led
to death of Christopher Antonio Collins, 18. Police said that Hayward
and Collins tried to rob and shoot a man who ended up shooting Collins
with his own gun on Tuesday night… Police say that Gerald Bertrand,
23, shot Christopher Antonio Collins after Collins, 18, robbed and
threatened to kill him. Bertrand arrived at his home at 3405 18th
Street at 9:35 p.m., Green said. He was walking inside with a pizza
when two masked men ran toward him from across the street, he said.
One of the masked men blocked the side carport door to the house and
pointed a gun at Bertrand, Green said. They got into a physical fight
that spilled over into Bertrand's front yard. He was able to break
free and run to a neighbor's house, where he knocked loudly on the
door and yelled to call the police. The man with the gun approached
him a second time and demanded money. Bertrand handed over $70. The
gunman pointed the gun in Bertrand's face and said that he was still
going to shoot him, and indicated that he was angry because Bertrand
had had sex with one of his relatives, Green said. Bertrand's mother
opened the door to their house and distracted the gunman, giving
Bertrand a chance to grab the gun and shoot Collins in the chest, he
said… (While it is extremely rare for someone defending himself to
have his own firearm turned against him, it is not that rare for it to
happen to an assailant.)
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100428/NEWS/100429508/1007?p=1&tc=pg
---
Layered Defense: Weeks before Teri Lee and Timothy Hawkinson were
killed in her second-floor bedroom, she spent $2,405 on an intrusion
alarm system to protect herself against the murderer. But when Steven
Van Keuren, a jealous and disturbed former boyfriend who had already
violated several orders for protection that prohibited him from
contacting Lee, cut the phone lines outside her Washington County
house in the early morning darkness of Sept. 22, 2006, nothing
happened. When Van Keuren shattered a glass patio door with a crowbar,
a sensor stayed silent because it had been installed too far away,
alleges attorney Bill Harper of Woodbury, who represents Lee's sister,
Vicki Seliger Swenson. The deaths, Harper contends, raise questions
for thousands of Minnesota homeowners who rely on their intrusion
alarms to protect them. ADT officials declined to discuss the case,
but in court filings they criticized local police forces for failing
to arrest Van Keuren before the attack… (No single device is an
adequate defense, we must have layers, which ultimately include
firearms. I rely on an electronic alarm primarily for when I am away
from home and my German Shepherd Dog to supplement my own senses when
I am home. What intrigues me about this article is that when I did
have an alarm system based on a land-line telephone, it would trigger
if the phone line was cut. My current system uses a cell-hone link.)
http://www.startribune.com/local/east/91775814.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr
---
New Lead Warning: How much lead gets eaten along with wild-shot game?
Enough to poison regular eaters of some wild birds, thanks to
fragments of lead too small to be picked out during a meal. Debbie
Pain of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge in
Gloucestershire, and colleagues, bought wild-shot birds from
supermarkets, game dealers and butchers across the UK. After X-raying
them, they cooked them either in wine or cider or a pH-neutral
preparation such as a cream sauce. As is traditional with game, only
then did they pick out the larger, visible lead fragments. Subsequent
analysis of the deboned, pulverised meat revealed that just over three
meals of woodcock in a week would take a 70-kilogram person over the
lead-threshold set by United Nations bodies for most farmed animals.
Red grouse, partridge and pheasant hit the limit with about 10 meals
per week. Wood pigeon and mallard fans can rest easier, unless they
eat 24 to 30 servings per week (PLoS ONE, DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0010315). The X-rays suggest the blame lies with
small unnoticed pieces of shot… (I recall only eating game bird once,
duck and dove at the same meal, and did spit out several pellets of
shot during the meal.)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627583.500-lead-poisoning-risk-for-frequent-game-eaters.html
---
Guns as Investments?: …The biggest drawback to guns as investments is
the regulatory aspect. By and large, trading an ounce of gold among
people in the US is fairly benign…you can sell it to convicted felons,
ten-year-olds, or pretty much whomever you'd like, wherever you like.
Guns, on the other hand, come with a whole bunch of regulatory strings
attached. The longest string and the one likely to wind up choking off
your daylight is that if you sell enough guns or make enough money you
might come under the BATFE's definition of being 'in the business'
which means they will expect you to have a license. Now, every one of
us has at some time or another picked up a gun at a gun show for a
song, walked to the other side of the show and sold it to someone else
and pocketed a good profit. Seems reasonable to me but I saw a fella
at the Helena gun show get in trouble with ATFE for that sort of
thing. I don't have all the details, I just know that they paid him a
visit and while he didn't go to jail it pretty darn near wiped him out
and shaved a few years off his warranty… Are firearms a good
investment? If your goal is to spend 100% of 'x' on firearms and a
year later get 125% of it back, no. It might happen but the risk and
opportunity cost probably isn't worth it. If your goal is to have some
sort of high-value ace-in-the-hole for the day you need to bribe
someone, get desperately needed [medicine/food/fuel], or equip a
trusted friend…then, yeah, it's a good idea.
http://commanderzero.com/?p=1561
---
Winchester Reports Record First Quarter: …Joseph D. Rupp, Chairman,
President, and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Winchester achieved the
highest level of first quarter earnings in its history, and the second
best quarterly results ever, reflecting the continuation of the
stronger than normal demand that began in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Winchester first quarter 2010 sales were $131.4 million compared to
$132.9 million in the first quarter of 2009. This decrease primarily
reflects lower sales volumes. Commercial sales decreased during the
quarter which more than offset increases in military, law enforcement
and industrial sales. Winchester's first quarter 2010 segment earnings
were $19.5 million compared to $17.0 million in the first quarter of
2009. The increase in segment earnings reflects the lower material and
bad debt costs, which more than offset lower commercial volumes.
Tangentially Related: I'm starting to fall in love with Arizona. And
I'll give you three good reasons:
Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth is about to upset Sen. John McCain in a
Republican primary bid. If you can't move to Arizona to vote for him,
send him some money right now.
The Arizona House has approved a bill that will require future
presidential candidates to prove they are constitutionally eligible
for office before getting on the ballot, beginning in 2012. May
Arizona be the first of 50 states to take such a logical, rational,
unassailable approach to avoiding future electoral debacles like 2008.
The state legislature has also approved a bill that permits police
officers to ask for identification from anyone they reasonably suspect
to be an illegal alien.
Arizona rocks! Don't you agree? … (And Farah hasn't even addressed our
ongoing recovery of the RKBA. We can use all the right-thinking voters
we can get.)
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=146889
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
The tactics and skills to use a firearm
in self-defense don't come naturally
with the right to keep and bear arms.
--
Jason Baird
214-495-9858
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