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GRPC Reports: The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms held the 25th Annual Gun Rights conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel near San Francisco airport starting on Friday evening, going through today Sunday 26th of September. The event was sponsored by CalGun Foundation, and the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Saturday saw about 400 attendees from various clubs and organizations in California and other grass roots activists turn up to listen to the speakers… Stronger alliances with local and national gun rights organizations have developed, as well as many new alliances with traditionally very liberal and even anti gun people such as Gay and Lesbian groups…
http://www.examiner.com/hunting-in-san-francisco/25th-annual-gun-rights-policy-conference-held-san-francisco
It was off to a roaring start, and it ended with more bang for the buck than one might imagine; the 25th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference generated excitement, lots of networking, and a reminder and warning that the Second Amendment is not just about guns. Sunday's program opened with a presentation by the folks at Knife Rights, a fledgling group that is now doing battle with a prosecutor in New York over the Draconian knife rules he has imposed. The organization got full support from those attending GRPC, when its founder, Doug Ritter, told the audience, "It is our Second Amendment, too." Whatever else a knife is, he noted, it is an "arm" in the most basic sense, even though most people who regularly carry knives think of them as utilitarian tools. He's got a point, no pun intended. Crack open any gun magazine, from the National Rifle Association's American Hunter or American Rifleman to other publications including Combat Handguns, American Handgunner, Gun World (where my byline appears occasionally), Shooting Times and Guns & Ammo, and you will find advertisements for "tactical" knives, and sexy-looking folders that open with one hand…
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/arms-are-not-just-firearms-knives-and-the-2a-wrap-up-grpc
…Today, we had the opportunity to listen to, meet, and photograph 2nd Amendment/civil rights litigation attorney Alan Gura, who, with his District of Columbia (D.C.) v. Heller and McDonal v. Chicago wins, has been instrumental in reaffirming the 2nd Amendment as an individual right, not a collective right. In DefenseReview's opinion, based on just those two U.S. Supreme Court decisions alone, Mr. Gura deserves to go down in history as one of the most important civil rights lawyers in the history of the United States. And, he's not even close to done, yet. He's still out there working and fighting to restore our Second Amendment rights around the country and federally. Lately, he's been working with California lawyer Donald Kilmer on some important California Second Amendment cases… It was a pretty inspiring day. The National Rifle Association (NRA) may have the numbers and the name, but the SAF/CCRKBA (led by the formidable Alan Gottlieb) and Alan Gura appear to be initiating and engaging in the most important Second Amendment/civil rights litigation in the country.
http://www.defensereview.com/defensereview-dr-attends-the-2010-gun-rights-policy-conference-grpc-in-san-francisco-san-francisco-values-get-a-serious-upgrade/
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He's Baack: Nearly 600 mayors nationwide, led by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and other city leaders, are mounting a new campaign to identify states with lax gun laws and push for tighter restrictions to prevent the trafficking of guns used in crimes. A study due to be released this week by a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns uses previously unavailable federal gun data to identify what it says are the states that most often export guns used in crimes across state lines. It concludes that the 10 worst offenders per capita, led by Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky, supplied nearly half the 43,000 guns traced to crime scenes in other states last year. The study also seeks to draw a link between gun trafficking and gun control laws by analyzing gun restrictions in all 50 states in areas like background checks for gun purchases, policies on concealed weapons permits and state inspections of gun dealers. It finds that, across the board, those states with less restrictive gun laws exported guns used in crimes at significantly higher rates than states with more stringent laws. An advance copy of the study was provided to The New York Times…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/politics/27guns.html?hpw
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DC RKBA Update: D.C. police have started a campaign asking residents to tell them about any illegal firearms that might be in their neighborhoods. Fliers that say, "Got Guns?" are being distributed thought the city. Anyone with information about an illegal firearm can call 888-919-CRIME. Residents who give a gun tip can get up to $1,000, police said. (What if DC Metro PD were to put this much effort into facilitating the lawful ownership of firearms in the District?)
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/Police-start-_Got-Guns__-campaign-985804-103737284.html
---
Deadly-Force Law in West Virginia: When faced with an intruder this week, a Lavalette man used immediate and deadly force to defend himself, his girlfriend, a 2-year-old child and their house… Wayne County Sheriff Greg Farley called it a "good Second Amendment case," and Bartram's actions seem to line up with state's Castle Doctrine passed in February 2008. That legislation, Senate Bill 145, sets forth conditions and legal protections for which a person can use "reasonable and proportionate force, including deadly force" to protect one's self, one's residence or others in danger. It states such force can be used when one believes the intruder or attacker intends to commit a felony offense inside the resident's home or that assailant may inflict serious bodily harm to the resident or others. Such action also can be used outside of the home, provided that the person protecting one's self or others has a legal right to be at the location. Legislation states that person also must believe self or others to be in imminent danger of death or serious injury and that "he or she or another can only be saved by the use of deadly force against the intruder or attacker." In neither instance does the endangered party have a duty to retreat, according to the legislation…
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x857725668/The-use-of-deadly-force-OK-in-W-Va
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Open-Carry Showdown Nears in California City: …And so, next Saturday at 1:00PM, Open Carry advocates will gather in Manhattan Beach and attend the Hometown Fair. One of them will be a lobbyist from Sacramento who was instrumental in defeating the Democrat's attempt to ban Open Carry, AB1934, which died in the Assembly at literally the Midnight Hour on August 31st. It was killed by a vote of 54 to 11. A 180 degree reversal of its support the first time it passed the Assembly. The latest tactic by the city has been to redefine what constitutes a school ground under California's Gun Free School Zone law of 1995. California Penal Code 626.9 prohibits the possession of firearms on public property within 1,000 feet of a school ground. There is a Catholic school, well over 1,000 feet from where the Fair will be held. As a religious school, the students attend mass in church and occasionally receive instruction at locations off of the school grounds. The City is taking the position that these buildings, which lie within 1,000 feet of the Fair are part of the school grounds under PC 626.9. It doesn't seem to matter to the Police that the buildings are not zoned for schools, they have not conducted fire drills for schools in conjunction with the Fire Department which is required under the law and they do not have a license to operate a school at these locations. The California Department of Education has no record of a school operating at any of these locations, nor do these locations appear on the affidavit filed by the school…
http://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/open-carry-showdown-manhattan-beach-california
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New York – Fudds versus EBR's: The controversy started this summer with the posting of new rules at the Elbridge Rod and Gun Club. The rules addressed club members' concerns about disturbingly loud and in some cases unsafe shooting by members owning semi-automatic, military-type rifles – such as AK-47s or AR-15s. "We had members who were mag dumping – shooting 30-round magazine clips with their AKs. You can't shoot like that here," said Ron Rosen, president of the 800-member Elbridge club located off Laird Road. "They shoot their guns, we shoot ours. But we tried to put practices and policies into place. They resisted and we asked them to leave," he said… Both sides have their versions of the events that led to the final vote. The incident has reverberated across the local rod and gun club scene, in addition to creating traffic on websites and chat rooms catering to the owners of these firearms, particularly ar15.com… ("Fudd" is a derogatory term – from the shotgun-toting cartoon character Elmer Fudd – for gun owners who believe that the RKBA is safe so long as one does not push it beyond traditional hunting and target shooting. "EBR" is an Evil Black Rifle.)
http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2010/09/debate_heats_up_over_elbridge.html
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South Carolina – the Beat Winds Down: Vendors at the land of the sky gun and knife show have mixed opinions about this weekend's gun sale. However, they all agree that they don't come close to profits they were making two years ago. "We're starting to see a slowing of that now and I think you're seeing much larger inventories that the guys are having," Mike Kent said, promoter for the Land of the Sky Gun and Knife Show in Florence. Gun shop owners across the country reported record sales when President Obama was elected to the White House. Gun owners feared he would pass legislation that would limit gun rights. Now that the controversy has cooled down, vendors say sales are dropping back to what they were before. "The numbers are beginning to drop off so obviously our profits drop off as well." Kent says the weakened economy has significantly impacted the sale of firearms and ammunition as well. While people have more limited funds with which to purchase guns, he suggests an increasing interest in personal safety maintains a steady number of guns purchased… (While I still expect Big Brother to use an executive order to ban the import of firearms and ammunition from Russia, before he leaves office, I would hope that most gun owners understand that it is Congress, not the president, that passes legislation.)
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/13220126/local-vendors-say-gun-sales-not-what-they-used-to-be
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He Said, She Said, in Las Vegas: The fourth day of testimony in the coroner's inquest into the police shooting death of Erik Scott was filled with Costco customers who saw the shooting, but not all of their testimonies matched. Police responded to the store after a Costco employee called 911 to report a man acting erratically, possibly on drugs, damaging merchandise and carrying a pistol in his waistband. Some witness accounts of what transpired outside the store have conflicted with Metro's version of events and with the versions explained by other witnesses… Rodriguez was with his wife, Jo Ann, and his mother-in-law at Costco. Both husband and wife described Scott as a "man who was frozen in time," like a deer in the headlights. Rodriquez said he didn't understand the shooting because Scott didn't appear to be threatening. "I saw a man that was not crazy, who was not insane," he said. And Rodriquez said he didn't see Scott with a gun… Dain Szafranski, another customer who saw the shooting, had a different view of the event. Szafranski was at Costco with his mother and 2-year-old son when they saw officers outside the store with their guns drawn. He heard one officer command Scott to "get on the ground" three times; the instructions were loud and clear, he said. Szafranski said Scott was standing with his arms to his side, raised between his waist and his shoulders, and was talking, but Szafranski couldn't hear what he was saying. Scott looked combative, like he was mad and was arguing with the officers, he said. Scott suddenly "snapped," Szafranski said. He demonstrated how Scott quickly moved his leg back to take a shooting stance while moving his right arm to his waist as if to draw a gun… Pahrump resident Eileen Nelson was just about to check out at Costco when she was told to evacuate… While Nelson was waiting outside, she saw officers with their guns drawn, ordering someone to get down on the ground. She saw Scott raise his right hand toward the officer with something in it, she said. An officer then shot Scott, and the item dropped out of his hand. It was then that she saw it was a gun holster, she said…
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/sep/25/witnesses-give-conflicting-accounts-costco-police-/
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Tangentially Related: It is a situation we have all witnessed or experienced firsthand. The make-or-break moment arrives. The decisive at-bat, the well-rehearsed concert performance, the public speech. Then suddenly - aaarggh. It all goes wrong. The ball whistles past, the fingers slide all over the keyboard, the voice becomes an inarticulate mumble. You are now a choker. You have failed in the clutch… Both Mr. Sullivan and Ms. Beilock insist on the importance of facing the truth about one's abilities and yet not paralyzing oneself through analysis. In some cases, choking is just a question of not being good enough. Here what is needed is more practice and discipline. But one has to forgo one's pride to admit as much. In other cases, individuals can start to worry too much about the effects of an important moment rather than focusing on what needs to be done in the present. Alex Rodriguez's troubles, Mr. Sullivan writes, came down largely to his excessive fear of criticism and his constant mental comparisons of himself with the greatest legends of baseball. It was only in 2009, after his marriage had dissolved and he had spent months recovering from an ailing hip, that he discovered the humility needed to be a clutch player. As Mr. Rodriguez put it: "For me, with no expectations and trusting my teammates and taking the walks and doing the little things, you end up doing big things." … (As my former teaching partner used to put it, at the moment you take the shot in a fight, you have to shift from the goal orientation of the entire fight to the task orientation of making that shot.)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703499604575512392562368732.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
GRPC Reports: The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms held the 25th Annual Gun Rights conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel near San Francisco airport starting on Friday evening, going through today Sunday 26th of September. The event was sponsored by CalGun Foundation, and the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Saturday saw about 400 attendees from various clubs and organizations in California and other grass roots activists turn up to listen to the speakers… Stronger alliances with local and national gun rights organizations have developed, as well as many new alliances with traditionally very liberal and even anti gun people such as Gay and Lesbian groups…
http://www.examiner.com/hunting-in-san-francisco/25th-annual-gun-rights-policy-conference-held-san-francisco
It was off to a roaring start, and it ended with more bang for the buck than one might imagine; the 25th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference generated excitement, lots of networking, and a reminder and warning that the Second Amendment is not just about guns. Sunday's program opened with a presentation by the folks at Knife Rights, a fledgling group that is now doing battle with a prosecutor in New York over the Draconian knife rules he has imposed. The organization got full support from those attending GRPC, when its founder, Doug Ritter, told the audience, "It is our Second Amendment, too." Whatever else a knife is, he noted, it is an "arm" in the most basic sense, even though most people who regularly carry knives think of them as utilitarian tools. He's got a point, no pun intended. Crack open any gun magazine, from the National Rifle Association's American Hunter or American Rifleman to other publications including Combat Handguns, American Handgunner, Gun World (where my byline appears occasionally), Shooting Times and Guns & Ammo, and you will find advertisements for "tactical" knives, and sexy-looking folders that open with one hand…
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/arms-are-not-just-firearms-knives-and-the-2a-wrap-up-grpc
…Today, we had the opportunity to listen to, meet, and photograph 2nd Amendment/civil rights litigation attorney Alan Gura, who, with his District of Columbia (D.C.) v. Heller and McDonal v. Chicago wins, has been instrumental in reaffirming the 2nd Amendment as an individual right, not a collective right. In DefenseReview's opinion, based on just those two U.S. Supreme Court decisions alone, Mr. Gura deserves to go down in history as one of the most important civil rights lawyers in the history of the United States. And, he's not even close to done, yet. He's still out there working and fighting to restore our Second Amendment rights around the country and federally. Lately, he's been working with California lawyer Donald Kilmer on some important California Second Amendment cases… It was a pretty inspiring day. The National Rifle Association (NRA) may have the numbers and the name, but the SAF/CCRKBA (led by the formidable Alan Gottlieb) and Alan Gura appear to be initiating and engaging in the most important Second Amendment/civil rights litigation in the country.
http://www.defensereview.com/defensereview-dr-attends-the-2010-gun-rights-policy-conference-grpc-in-san-francisco-san-francisco-values-get-a-serious-upgrade/
---
He's Baack: Nearly 600 mayors nationwide, led by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and other city leaders, are mounting a new campaign to identify states with lax gun laws and push for tighter restrictions to prevent the trafficking of guns used in crimes. A study due to be released this week by a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns uses previously unavailable federal gun data to identify what it says are the states that most often export guns used in crimes across state lines. It concludes that the 10 worst offenders per capita, led by Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky, supplied nearly half the 43,000 guns traced to crime scenes in other states last year. The study also seeks to draw a link between gun trafficking and gun control laws by analyzing gun restrictions in all 50 states in areas like background checks for gun purchases, policies on concealed weapons permits and state inspections of gun dealers. It finds that, across the board, those states with less restrictive gun laws exported guns used in crimes at significantly higher rates than states with more stringent laws. An advance copy of the study was provided to The New York Times…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/politics/27guns.html?hpw
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DC RKBA Update: D.C. police have started a campaign asking residents to tell them about any illegal firearms that might be in their neighborhoods. Fliers that say, "Got Guns?" are being distributed thought the city. Anyone with information about an illegal firearm can call 888-919-CRIME. Residents who give a gun tip can get up to $1,000, police said. (What if DC Metro PD were to put this much effort into facilitating the lawful ownership of firearms in the District?)
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/Police-start-_Got-Guns__-campaign-985804-103737284.html
---
Deadly-Force Law in West Virginia: When faced with an intruder this week, a Lavalette man used immediate and deadly force to defend himself, his girlfriend, a 2-year-old child and their house… Wayne County Sheriff Greg Farley called it a "good Second Amendment case," and Bartram's actions seem to line up with state's Castle Doctrine passed in February 2008. That legislation, Senate Bill 145, sets forth conditions and legal protections for which a person can use "reasonable and proportionate force, including deadly force" to protect one's self, one's residence or others in danger. It states such force can be used when one believes the intruder or attacker intends to commit a felony offense inside the resident's home or that assailant may inflict serious bodily harm to the resident or others. Such action also can be used outside of the home, provided that the person protecting one's self or others has a legal right to be at the location. Legislation states that person also must believe self or others to be in imminent danger of death or serious injury and that "he or she or another can only be saved by the use of deadly force against the intruder or attacker." In neither instance does the endangered party have a duty to retreat, according to the legislation…
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x857725668/The-use-of-deadly-force-OK-in-W-Va
---
Open-Carry Showdown Nears in California City: …And so, next Saturday at 1:00PM, Open Carry advocates will gather in Manhattan Beach and attend the Hometown Fair. One of them will be a lobbyist from Sacramento who was instrumental in defeating the Democrat's attempt to ban Open Carry, AB1934, which died in the Assembly at literally the Midnight Hour on August 31st. It was killed by a vote of 54 to 11. A 180 degree reversal of its support the first time it passed the Assembly. The latest tactic by the city has been to redefine what constitutes a school ground under California's Gun Free School Zone law of 1995. California Penal Code 626.9 prohibits the possession of firearms on public property within 1,000 feet of a school ground. There is a Catholic school, well over 1,000 feet from where the Fair will be held. As a religious school, the students attend mass in church and occasionally receive instruction at locations off of the school grounds. The City is taking the position that these buildings, which lie within 1,000 feet of the Fair are part of the school grounds under PC 626.9. It doesn't seem to matter to the Police that the buildings are not zoned for schools, they have not conducted fire drills for schools in conjunction with the Fire Department which is required under the law and they do not have a license to operate a school at these locations. The California Department of Education has no record of a school operating at any of these locations, nor do these locations appear on the affidavit filed by the school…
http://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/open-carry-showdown-manhattan-beach-california
---
New York – Fudds versus EBR's: The controversy started this summer with the posting of new rules at the Elbridge Rod and Gun Club. The rules addressed club members' concerns about disturbingly loud and in some cases unsafe shooting by members owning semi-automatic, military-type rifles – such as AK-47s or AR-15s. "We had members who were mag dumping – shooting 30-round magazine clips with their AKs. You can't shoot like that here," said Ron Rosen, president of the 800-member Elbridge club located off Laird Road. "They shoot their guns, we shoot ours. But we tried to put practices and policies into place. They resisted and we asked them to leave," he said… Both sides have their versions of the events that led to the final vote. The incident has reverberated across the local rod and gun club scene, in addition to creating traffic on websites and chat rooms catering to the owners of these firearms, particularly ar15.com… ("Fudd" is a derogatory term – from the shotgun-toting cartoon character Elmer Fudd – for gun owners who believe that the RKBA is safe so long as one does not push it beyond traditional hunting and target shooting. "EBR" is an Evil Black Rifle.)
http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2010/09/debate_heats_up_over_elbridge.html
---
South Carolina – the Beat Winds Down: Vendors at the land of the sky gun and knife show have mixed opinions about this weekend's gun sale. However, they all agree that they don't come close to profits they were making two years ago. "We're starting to see a slowing of that now and I think you're seeing much larger inventories that the guys are having," Mike Kent said, promoter for the Land of the Sky Gun and Knife Show in Florence. Gun shop owners across the country reported record sales when President Obama was elected to the White House. Gun owners feared he would pass legislation that would limit gun rights. Now that the controversy has cooled down, vendors say sales are dropping back to what they were before. "The numbers are beginning to drop off so obviously our profits drop off as well." Kent says the weakened economy has significantly impacted the sale of firearms and ammunition as well. While people have more limited funds with which to purchase guns, he suggests an increasing interest in personal safety maintains a steady number of guns purchased… (While I still expect Big Brother to use an executive order to ban the import of firearms and ammunition from Russia, before he leaves office, I would hope that most gun owners understand that it is Congress, not the president, that passes legislation.)
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/13220126/local-vendors-say-gun-sales-not-what-they-used-to-be
---
He Said, She Said, in Las Vegas: The fourth day of testimony in the coroner's inquest into the police shooting death of Erik Scott was filled with Costco customers who saw the shooting, but not all of their testimonies matched. Police responded to the store after a Costco employee called 911 to report a man acting erratically, possibly on drugs, damaging merchandise and carrying a pistol in his waistband. Some witness accounts of what transpired outside the store have conflicted with Metro's version of events and with the versions explained by other witnesses… Rodriguez was with his wife, Jo Ann, and his mother-in-law at Costco. Both husband and wife described Scott as a "man who was frozen in time," like a deer in the headlights. Rodriquez said he didn't understand the shooting because Scott didn't appear to be threatening. "I saw a man that was not crazy, who was not insane," he said. And Rodriquez said he didn't see Scott with a gun… Dain Szafranski, another customer who saw the shooting, had a different view of the event. Szafranski was at Costco with his mother and 2-year-old son when they saw officers outside the store with their guns drawn. He heard one officer command Scott to "get on the ground" three times; the instructions were loud and clear, he said. Szafranski said Scott was standing with his arms to his side, raised between his waist and his shoulders, and was talking, but Szafranski couldn't hear what he was saying. Scott looked combative, like he was mad and was arguing with the officers, he said. Scott suddenly "snapped," Szafranski said. He demonstrated how Scott quickly moved his leg back to take a shooting stance while moving his right arm to his waist as if to draw a gun… Pahrump resident Eileen Nelson was just about to check out at Costco when she was told to evacuate… While Nelson was waiting outside, she saw officers with their guns drawn, ordering someone to get down on the ground. She saw Scott raise his right hand toward the officer with something in it, she said. An officer then shot Scott, and the item dropped out of his hand. It was then that she saw it was a gun holster, she said…
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/sep/25/witnesses-give-conflicting-accounts-costco-police-/
---
Tangentially Related: It is a situation we have all witnessed or experienced firsthand. The make-or-break moment arrives. The decisive at-bat, the well-rehearsed concert performance, the public speech. Then suddenly - aaarggh. It all goes wrong. The ball whistles past, the fingers slide all over the keyboard, the voice becomes an inarticulate mumble. You are now a choker. You have failed in the clutch… Both Mr. Sullivan and Ms. Beilock insist on the importance of facing the truth about one's abilities and yet not paralyzing oneself through analysis. In some cases, choking is just a question of not being good enough. Here what is needed is more practice and discipline. But one has to forgo one's pride to admit as much. In other cases, individuals can start to worry too much about the effects of an important moment rather than focusing on what needs to be done in the present. Alex Rodriguez's troubles, Mr. Sullivan writes, came down largely to his excessive fear of criticism and his constant mental comparisons of himself with the greatest legends of baseball. It was only in 2009, after his marriage had dissolved and he had spent months recovering from an ailing hip, that he discovered the humility needed to be a clutch player. As Mr. Rodriguez put it: "For me, with no expectations and trusting my teammates and taking the walks and doing the little things, you end up doing big things." … (As my former teaching partner used to put it, at the moment you take the shot in a fight, you have to shift from the goal orientation of the entire fight to the task orientation of making that shot.)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703499604575512392562368732.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
-- 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. http://www.spw-duf.info
--
Jason Baird
214-495-9858
jasongbaird@gmail.com
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