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Bill Seeks Wider Competition for Military Contracts: In an ongoing
political battle that involves states and corporations vying to win
lucrative U.S. military contracts, the area's firearms manufacturer
and congressman are hoping to add to their arsenal. U.S. Rep. Michael
Arcuri, D-24, held a press conference at the Remington Arms plant in
Ilion [NY] Friday, unveiling legislation that, if passed, would allow
the Herkimer County manufacturer to compete for military contracts
worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Arcuri plans to introduce the
Small Arms Competition and Innovation Act next week to the House of
Representatives. He described his proposal as a way to change the
language of current legislation that limits competition for federal
small arms critical parts contracts to three companies - Colt, General
Dynamics and FN Herstal. But opening up this group of defense
contracts to other arms manufacturers, including Remington, may meet
stiff opposition from politicians looking to keep the business in
their states… (Recall that Remington is part of the Cerebrus Capital
Freedom group, which also includes Busmaster, DPMS and Advanced
Armament, to name a few. The latter manufactures suppressors.)
http://www.herkimertelegram.com/news/x932354456/Remington-Arms-Arcuri-look-to-reload
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New York County Opposes Further Infringements: The Ontario County
Board of Supervisors waded into the Second Amendment debate last
night, voting to oppose various state gun control measures after a
lengthy discussion. The resolution may not have any impact on the
state's gun regulations, but supporters of the measure said it sends a
message… The resolution voiced the board's opposition to more than 20
bills coming out of the Assembly and Senate. Many of the bills would
place restrictions on gun sales and licensing, though a few deal with
defining and controlling assault weapons and restrictions on
purchasing armor-piercing bullets. The measure passed on a weighted
vote of 2,766 to 1,326, but not before a vigorous debate among the
supervisors on the necessity of gun control legislation and the role
of the county board in discussing such matters…
http://www.mpnnow.com/ontario_county/x932352522/Ontario-County-Board-votes-to-oppose-gun-legislation
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Open Carry Rallies: Hamburgers, hot dogs and baked beans weren't the
only items on hand at a Sunday afternoon picnic in Vandercook Lake.
The rainy weather didn't prevent more than 20 gun-rights supporters
from gathering in Vandercook Lake County Park for an "open-carry"
gathering. The picnic was sponsored by the nonprofit organization
Michigan Open Carry. Organizers said they aimed to educate people of
the legality of openly carrying a handgun in Michigan. A similar event
was last summer at Sparks Foundation County Park… In Michigan, any
person over age 18 without a criminal record may openly carry a
registered firearm while holstered in most public places. Exceptions
include banks, churches, courthouses, hospitals and businesses that
sell alcohol. No alcohol was served at Sunday's event. The Jackson
County Sheriff's Office did not have to interact with the picnic and
received no calls regarding it, said Sgt. Christopher Kuhl…
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2010/04/more_than_20_gun-rights_suppor.html
About 75 gun rights supporters - most of them wearing side arms -
gathered in a public park to exercise their Second Amendment rights
Sunday, enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs as joggers trotted by and a
small group of demonstrators gathered nearby. Shane Belanger, a
University of Southern Maine student who organized the display of
guns, which included a machine gun mounted on a jeep, said the aim
wasn't to frighten anyone. Instead, he said, the goal was simply to
show that people have a constitutional right to bear arms… Dave
Nelson, of Gorham, brought his restored olive drab 1951 Willys jeep
with an operable .30-caliber machine gun mounted in the back and a box
of ammunition. He said he doesn't like what's happening in the country
when it comes to work ethic and government intrusion into people's
lives… Maine has fairly liberal gun laws, and the Legislature doesn't
let municipalities regulate guns. Nonetheless Dan Skolnik, chairman of
the City Council Public Safety Committee, said he'd like to see the
city have the right to require permits for people to display their
guns in public… (Okay, I think the guy with the jeep one gets the
open-carry prize.)
http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Gun.rights.advocates.2.1655047.html
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Meanwhile, in Virginia…: Philip Van Cleave wants every Virginian who
has a permit to carry a concealed handgun into a bar to be able to
have a drink - or he wants no gun carrier to be able to drink. That's
the choice that Van Cleave, the leader of the pro-gun Virginia
Citizens Defense League, wants to offer state lawmakers next year when
the General Assembly reconvenes. He said he is going to find a
legislator to submit two bills to the body representing both
positions. His aim is to force lawmakers to expand the rights of
concealed-handgun owners in bars or rescind the current exception that
allows law-enforcement officers and commonwealth's attorneys to carry
concealed weapons and consume alcohol… Van Cleave said one proposed
bill would allow no one but an on-duty officer doing undercover work
to drink alcohol while carrying a concealed weapon. The other bill
will say that anyone can carry a concealed gun and drink if they wish,
"as long as they are not drunk." … (I believe it is still legal for
those who carry openly to consume alcohol in Virginia's bars and
restaurants. Personally, I would not wish to be found outside my home
or lodging with a measurable blood-alcohol level but, for those
jurisdictions that feel that they must regulate the combination of
guns and alcohol, I think it makes the most sense to focus on carrying
under the influence.)
In Case You Missed It: New Mexico is no longer recognizing Utah's
concealed carry licenses in New Mexico, saying Utah's license
requirements don't meet New Mexico standards. Utah licenses require
significantly less training than New Mexico licenses do, state Public
Safety Secretary John Denko said. New Mexico's concealed carry
requirements are designed to protect public safety while ensuring
Second Amendment rights, Denko said. New Mexico won't recognize
another state's license unless its rules allowing people to carry
concealed weapons, including training and other provisions, are as
stringent as New Mexico's. The Department of Public Safety said
questions over licenses obtained by New Mexico residents in Utah also
are making it necessary to evaluate which states' licenses will be
recognized as valid. New Mexico is reviewing licenses of 18 other
states it now recognizes on an informal basis. The state intends to
enter into written agreements with other states to ensure compliance
with New Mexico law. States being reviewed are Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming. New Mexico officials say a written
reciprocity agreement with Texas will not be changed. (Like Nevada's
sheriffs and chiefs, I guess New Mexico's DPS does not consider
tourism to be an important source of income for the state.)
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=10525481&nid=148
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Some Pennsylvania Sheriffs Overcharge: It appears that a few sheriffs
in Pennsylvania are adding charges to the maximum fee authorized by
the state for Licenses To Carry Firearms. I have not read the entire
thread but it starts getting interesting at comment #223. Other abuses
are also cited. Pennsylvania is a shall-issue state.
F Troop "Mishandles" FOIA Request: It was only a month ago that a
bizarre story broke in the Pacific Northwest, as Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) officers trumpeted their seizure of what they claimed
were more than two dozen machine guns disguised as toys… But instead
of admitting they can't tell a toy gun from a real one, CBP turned
these Airsoft rifles over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives (ATF), and the agency agreed that these pot-metal made,
plastic BB-shooting plinkers were honest-to-God firearms… The ATF's
written response to the FOIA request was less than helpful. Instead of
providing information about the WE Tech rifles seized from Airsoft
Outlet Northwest at the Port of Tacoma, Washington, ATF responded with
what appeared to be a clumsy bait-and-switch… Pajamas Media has been
in contact with Averill P. Graham, chief of the ATF's Disclosure
Division. We have communicated that the FOIA information they provided
"about an entirely unrelated incident in the desert Southwest" did not
answer the questions about Airsoft Outlet NW's WE Tech rifles, or
about any of the other Airsoft toys and accessories purchased by the
company being held hostage by the government. Chief Graham has asked
us to return the documentation they sent, and promises to pull their
file on our original request and "see what happened." Perhaps this
additional attempt will bear more fruit … but I wouldn't suggest
holding your breath…
Creative Police Work?: Lake Charles police say a man who allegedly
threw a gun out of a car at a traffic stop has been booked with
littering. The American Press reports that police also booked
30-year-old Kenneth Charles Barker on Saturday on a more serious
charge of possessing a gun after a felony conviction. Sgt. Mark Kraus,
a police department spokesman, says Barker was a passenger, and the
driver was not arrested… (I don't know what the fine is in Louisiana
for littering but it seems like a minor charge, compared to being a
felon in possession of a firearm.)
http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12371962
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Oops, Wrong Tire Store: Miami Police conjured up images of the wild
west when they said the owner of a Miami business showed
"tombstone-like courage" when he shot and wounded two young men as
they allegedly tried to rob his auto tire business. Now those two are
in the hospital and police are on the hunt for a third young man…
Police say initially three robbers targeted Okay Auto Tire Service at
Northwest 2nd Ave. and 42nd Street sometime before noon Friday. Four
people were inside the shop at the time: the owner, the owner's son
and two employees. Police say the owner, identified as Omar Rangel,
was being held at gunpoint by 17-year-old Joseph White, who ordered
Rangel and his employees to the ground. According to an arrest
affidavit, White passed a silver revolver to 27-year-old Dwayne
Hudson. Hudson continued to threaten Rangel with the gun while White
rifled through the victims' pockets. A third, unidentified young man
"kept going in and out of the business to make sure nobody was
coming," the arrest affidavit reports. When the robbers weren't
looking, 45-year-old Rangel of Miami, who was carrying a handgun in
his front pocket, pulled his gun out and shot four times. Police
originally reported that White or Hudson fired the first shot, but
missed. The arrest affidavit makes no mention of a possible first shot
fired by the robbers… (Unfortunately, most readers of this article
will not appreciate the appropriate choice of the verb in "conjured up
images of the wild west." "Conjuring" is what illusionists [magicians]
do. The Wild West was largely conjured up by the dime novels and
Hollywood and was usually tamer than most of today's major cities.)
http://cbs4.com/local/okay.auto.tire.2.1652541.html
http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m4d23-Tire-store-owner-shoots-armed-robbers
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The Lowly .22: Buried in this report of perseverance by a woman who
was paralyzed by a gunshot while serving as an LAPD officer, is the
account of the shot that was responsible: "…Ripatti chased McNeil onto
the porch of a four-plex at the corner of Leighton and LaSalle avenues
and grabbed him from behind. He pulled out a .22-caliber revolver and
fired. One round went beneath her protective vest, through her left
armpit, severing her spinal cord at the second thoracic vertebra.
McNeil shot her twice more in the right arm and was aiming at her head
when Meyer shot him dead…" While I do not recommend .22-caliber
handguns for self-defense, I'm not volunteering to stand in front to
one either.
An Interesting Point: In reply to a question about hanging accessories
on firearms, Massad Ayoob replies, "Dann, hanging everything but a
blow-dryer on your rifle does reach a point of diminishing returns. I
like to see the illumination option, though, and the flashlight
protruding from the bottom of the service pistol (or home defense
pistol) keeps the slide from going out of battery if you have to jam
it against your would-be killer's body and fire at belly to belly
distance. I don't think a flashlight, for example, hurts the officer
in a struggle for the weapon, either." My caveat: To retain the option
of not searching with the muzzle, use the weapon-mounted light to
supplement, not replace a handheld flashlight. In my headboard, at
night, is a SureFire Aviator A2 flashlight on a lanyard; on my AR-15
clone, which "sleeps" next to my bed, is a different SureFire light.
If I must travel to an environment where I am unsure of the security
of my accommodations and cannot take the carbine, I have a Glock 17
with a SureFire light on the rail. I had never thought of the light as
a reliability aid. In fact, Glock 22's have had reliability issues
with lights mounted and I'm not sure if Glock has corrected the
problem.)
http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2010/04/23/more-on-cops-and-armed-citizens/
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Tangentially Related: So where, exactly, is the "judicial monastery"
that Washington keeps talking about these days? And why do so many
people want President Barack Obama to steer clear of it when picking a
replacement for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens?
…Invoking the likes of O'Connor, Earl Warren and William Rehnquist -
all noted justices who joined the Court with no federal judicial
experience - politicians, academics and others say the current Court
needs to be leavened with justices who bring different experiences to
the bench… Since the day Stevens made his announcement, two of Obama's
three putative frontrunners have been federal appeals judges — Diane
Wood and Merrick Garland. The third frontrunner, Elena Kagan, has
never been a judge, so is not from the monastery. But as former
Harvard Law School dean and now solicitor general, Kagan certainly
lives nearby. And as the list has grown, some of the names added -
Sidney Thomas and Ann Williams, for example - are federal appeals
judges. The leading candidates besides Kagan who are not federal
judges may be Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Michigan
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Kagan's successor at Harvard, Martha Minow.
Why do modern-day presidents reach out to the federal bench so often
for Supreme Court nominees, and what's wrong with it? …
