01-27-11

 by permission from Stephen P. Wenger

comments in () by the same

http://www.spw-duf.info
 

BOHICA: Staffers from the House Judiciary Committee will meet with Obama administration officials Thursday to examine the effectiveness of federal laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, according to a Republican aide with the panel. The closed-door gathering will focus on whether a federal system of background checks is working to block gun sales to the mentally ill and others barred from owning firearms, the aide said Tuesday. Staffers from both parties will attend, as well as officials from the FBI and possibly the Justice Department, the aide added… Staff at Thursday's meeting will consider whether the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is effective. The system is an FBI-run database created by the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act – a law named after former President Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, who was seriously injured during the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan… Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a staunch Second Amendment defender, has also indicated recently that there might be room for Congress to bolster efforts to keep guns away from the mentally ill…

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/140411-house-judiciary-republicans-to-examine-background-check-system-for-gun-sales?page=1
--

John Kerry, Hunter: In the aftermath of the Arizona shooting rampage, Senator John F. Kerry said yesterday that he was cosponsoring legislation that would ban the possession or sale of high-capacity magazines, and close what he called a loophole that allows criminals to buy weapons at gun shows without a background check. The action by Kerry puts the state's senior senator and his Republican counterpart, Senator Scott Brown, at odds over reinstating parts of the federal assault weapons ban that was allowed to sunset in 2004… "As a lifelong hunter, I know that no one is going to mess with the constitutional right to bear arms, but rights come with responsibilities, and criminals and the mentally unstable do not have a right to avoid background checks or carry military style assault weapons," Kerry said. "There is no legitimate reason not to close a loophole that allows criminals to get a gun with no background check or to allow dangerous individuals access to military style assault weapons." …

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/01/26/kerry_signs_on_to_gun_legislation/
--

F Troop "Bewildered and Keenly Disappointed": The White House, facing fierce criticism from the gun lobby, has delayed approval of a proposed rule that federal law enforcement officials say could help them stanch the flow of U.S. assault rifles and other high-powered weapons to Mexico's drug cartels. The proposed rule, announced by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms acting director Kenneth Melson on Dec. 20,  would require U.S. firearms dealers in four southwest border states to report multiple sales of long guns, such as semi-automatic assault rifles which are frequently purchased by so-called "straw buyers" for the cartels. Melson had said he expected the proposed "emergency rule" would receive approval in early January 2011. But the announced deadline date for White House approval, Jan. 5, has come and gone, leaving ATF officials bewildered and keenly disappointed. Some officials had expressed hopes  that President Barack Obama might even address the issue during his State of the Union speech Tuesday night as a positive step the administration was taking to address the issue of gun violence…

http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/26/5929361-amid-gun-lobby-criticism-assault-weapons-reporting-rule-delayed

F Troop Backs Off?: Guns America is reporting that F Troop has agreed to let Taurus proceed with the marketing of its Taurus Judge revolver in 28 gauge (0.55" bore). Whoopee! Now you have another impractical way to throw away several hundred dollars to impress your friends at the range. Anyone who thinks a donut pattern of birdshot is the best way to deal with an angry rattlesnake should consider that the preferred tool for that in rattlesnake country is a hoe. When Elmer Keith was queried about loads for snakeshot capsules for revolvers, he replied that he preferred his regular bullet loads – he would fire one in front of the rattler, scattering gravel onto it and prompting it to coil, after which he could take an aimed shot at the head. Any place else on a snake a gunshot will not produce reliable results.
--

The Wheels of Justice Grind Slowly: …From Texas' U.S. v. Emerson to the country-wide Heller v. District of Columbia and McDonald v. Chicago, to Chwick v. Mulvey in Nassau County, but affecting all of New York State, legal challenges are being brought to unConstitutional and unjust firearms regulations… and succeeding as never before. The most recent successful chanllenge occured this week in firearms-unfriendly California when the Fresno Superior Court issued an Order of Permanent Injunction in the National Rifle Association – California Rifle and Pistol Foundation-funded legal challenge to AB962, Parker v. California. The order permanently prevents the state and its agents from enforcing the provisions of AB962 (Penal Code sections 12060, 12061, and 12318), the statute that would have banned mail order ammunition sales and required all purchases of so-called "handgun ammunition" to be registered! Rulings like these won't stop gun-haters and hoplophobes like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his grand-standing group of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, but it's been the signal of a sea change in how the American justice system is putting legislatures on notice that the Constitution is still in effect across the land.

http://www.thegunzone.com/TGZBlog/2011/01/25/theyre-not-exactly-dropping-like-flies/
--

The Sky Is Falling in New Hampshire: A New Hampshire teachers' union is defending its cancellation of a traditional Dr. Seuss reading at the State House, saying the recent removal of a ban on guns there raises safety concerns for participating fourth-graders. The decision involves the Read Across America program that the National Education Association-NH has held with state senators for 12 years. It's a one-day event, unrelated to the several thousands of school children who visit the State House every year. "We lock down schools if there is a gun within the neighborhood," NEA-NH President Rhonda Wesolowski said. "But to send them to a place where they specifically are allowed is a bit of a different story. We keep children, our most precious resource, safe in the school system. Why would we take them to a place where they say it's OK to have guns… (New Hampshire has been a shall-issue state for discreet carry since the early 20th century and is also an open-carry state. When I visited there in the early 90's it was estimated that 50% of adults carry firearms routinely. Why does a Dr. Seuss reading put the kids at greater risk? Is it the inflammatory rhetoric?)

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Guns+put+end+to+student+visit+at+State+House&articleId=b118b972-6abd-47e0-a01c-53685b16101d
--

The Sky Is Falling in Arizona: Two weeks after a shooting incident that left six people dead outside a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz., two new bills remain in the Arizona Legislature that would loosen gun controls, specifically on college campuses. Neither proposal sits well with the heads of the state's public universities. Guns and college campuses simply don't mix, the presidents of Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona say. If the measures pass, Arizona State in Tempe would follow the law but "it's a bad idea," President Michael Crow said. "The creation of a safe environment for high-intensity learning doesn't permit guns on campus, besides the police," Crow said. Arizona House Bill 2001 which was filed mid-December would allow faculty to "possess a concealed firearm on the grounds of a community college … a provisional community college … or a university … if the faculty member possesses a valid permit." A second bill, House Bill 2014, introduced in late December would effectively stop the governing board of any university, college or community college to "enact or enforce any policy or rule that prohibits the possession of a concealed weapon by a person who possesses a valid permit…" …

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/university-presidents-speak-arizona-gun-bills/story?id=12751437

From murders to suicides, Arizona is consistently among the most deadly states in the nation for gun violence, federal records show. Over a nine-year span, the state's rate of gun deaths of all types ranked seventh in the United States and sixth for gun-involved slayings, according to an Arizona Republic analysis of death reports compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rankings are based on data from 1999 to 2007, the most recent statistics available from the CDC. Overall, violent-crime rates in Arizona are not far from rates for the U.S. as a whole, but the rate of deaths specifically tied to guns surprises national experts. Crime-victimization patterns that measure factors such as age and racial demographics suggest that Arizona would figure to be among the states with a lower risk for violent crime… (Oh really? How many of those deaths involve people that not only have Spanish surnames but also are in the state – and country – illegally?)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/01/27/20110127arizona-gun-death-rate-nations-worst.html
--

Common Sense in Florida: The shooting deaths of four police officers in Florida over the last week should not prompt lawmakers to consider tougher gun laws, according to the president of the Florida Senate. Sen. Mike Haridopolos said the tragedies in St. Petersburg and Miami remind everyone about the dangers police officers face on the job every day. Haridopolos, whose father is a retired FBI agent, said the officers' deaths should not result in gun control legislation because the killers were criminals and they never should have had guns in the first place. "Putting restrictions on people who actually abide by the law would be a mistake," he said. "I'm a firm believer in the Second Amendment and I think people have the right to carry a gun and we need to be more vigilant against folks who break the law. These people were hardened criminals and unfortunately guns get in the wrong hands." …

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=188612
--

Interesting Case in Michigan: A Novi judge has dismissed a weapons charge against a former Michigan House speaker, saying the case violated his Second Amendment rights. The decision Wednesday by 52-1 District Judge Brian Mackenzie ends a case brought against Craig DeRoche last year, when police arrested him at his Novi home and charged him with possession of a firearm while intoxicated. "The Second Amendment bars prosecution of an individual who is intoxicated merely because he legally owns a handgun," Mackenzie said… Police were called to DeRoche's house June 27 based on a complaint that he was carrying a gun around while he was intoxicated. According to a summary by Mackenzie, DeRoche's mother-in-law allowed officers into the house to secure the handgun. They found the gun unloaded with the clip next to it on the first floor while DeRoche was upstairs…

http://www.freep.com/article/20110127/NEWS03/101270424/1001/news/Weapons-charge-against-ex-Mich-House-Speaker-Craig-DeRoche-tossed
--

Kansas May Loosen Long Gun Restrictions: Gun-rights advocate Patricia Stoneking wants to take the safety off restrictions on shotgun and rifle sales by Kansas dealers to people living outside this state and the four contiguous states. Stoneking, president of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said the 2011 Legislature should repeal prohibitions on sales of these weapons by adopting House Bill 2013… Not articulated in the bill is an explanation of reasons for repealing laws forbidding purchase of rifles and shotguns from Kansas merchants by folks living in the other 45 states. "If I was traveling in Texas and should come upon a rifle or shotgun that is rare in nature, or of collector value, currently I could not purchase the firearm and would lose the opportunity to add that firearm to my collection," Stoneking said. She said Kansas law also inhibits purchases by people who stay in Kansas for a few months each year, but are legal residents of non-contiguous states… The Republican-led House Federal and State Affairs has yet to act on the bill, but is likely approve the measure. (Federal law prohibits the purchase of a handgun outside one's home state but the legality of a long-gun purchase usually depends on the laws of the buyer's home state. For example, A California resident may not purchase most long guns in Arizona because California law requires most long-gun transfers to go through a state-mediated waiting period and bans many long guns as "assault weapons.")

http://cjonline.com/blog-post/tim-carpenter/2011-01-26/kansas-rifle-shotgun-sales-may-go-national
--

New Mexico Expanded-Carry Bill Introduced: A bill that would expand New Mexico's concealed-carry firearms law was introduced in the legislature Wednesday. The bill would allow people with concealed-carry permits to bring their guns into bars, schools, university classrooms, and onto public transportation. Supporters of the bill point out that those permit holders are people over 21-years-old, with clean criminal records that have passed a gun safety class. Representative Zach Cook said that the bill was not designed to allow kids to carry arms to school, and that he wouldn't support the legislation if that happened. "This is for parents and other responsible, law-abiding adult citizens," said Cook. Last year the legislature passed a bill that didn't go as far as this one. The state law now allows those with concealed-carry permits into restaurant that have beer and wine licenses… (A poll is available on the linked page.)

http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/story.aspx?list=195065&id=572622
--

Permits = Revenue?: A gun permit holder recently found an easier way to keep carrying his weapon without renewing his Minnesota permit. Instead of paying $100 and taking a class to renew the license for five years, he found out he can get a nonresident gun permit from Utah. That state requires only a one-time training class, a $65 first-time fee and then $10 every five years to renew. Utah gun permits are recognized in 33 states, including Minnesota. "I bring this to your attention because I feel the state of Minnesota is losing out on a bunch of revenue because their permit policies cost the end user too much," the gun permit holder wrote. Revenue from gun permits goes to counties, not the state, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Doug Neville. A Utah permit holder can't do everything a Minnesota permit holder can do either. A Minnesota permit serves as a permit to purchase a firearm, while a Utah permit does not, Neville said. To see a list of out-of-state permits that are valid in Minnesota, click here…

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/114652084.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUq9_b9b_jEkP:QUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUoD3aPc:_27EQU
--

Georgia Church-Carry Ruling to be Appealed: A Thomaston minister who wants his pistol at the pulpit was among the plaintiffs appealing a lost federal case Wednesday. The plaintiffs, led by the group GeorgiaCarry.org, filed the notice of appeal in the U.S. District Court in Macon, where the original case was dismissed Tuesday. John R. Monroe, the Roswell attorney for plaintiffs suing the state, said he expects the first briefings to come in March. Monroe said the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals may send the case to mediation, but mediation rarely works in cases involving constitutional law. Monroe's case is centered on the First and Second amendments. Monroe's clients say state law shouldn't prevent people from carrying firearms in church. Among those suing are the Rev. Jonathan Wilkins and his church, The Baptist Tabernacle of Thomaston. Wilkins said he should be able to protect his flock. Former GeorgiaCarry.org president Edward Stone, another plaintiff, is a former police officer who said the Bible requires him to "obtain, keep and carry a firearm wherever I happen to be," including during church services. A state law bans weapons from places of worship as well as government buildings and some other locations…

http://www.macon.com/2011/01/27/1425677/plaintiffs-appeal-guns-in-church.html
--

Oops, Wrong House: Two suspected burglars got more than they bargained for when a homeowner caught them in the act and shot at them. It happened on Upper Station Camp Creek Road in Sumner County [TN]. Homeowners Jeff and Tammy Gibson were returning home from an evening church service when they came face-to-face with the suspects. "I got home first, pulled in the garage, and noticed the garage door was open," said Jeff Gibson.  "When I went to look to see what was going on, I saw a black car pulling out of the carport." He says that car took off down the driveway and appeared to be headed straight for Tammy, who was at the end of the driveway checking the mail… Jeff pulled out the handgun he almost always carries on his hip, and fired eight shots at the suspects' vehicle.  Then, he got in his own car and began chasing them…

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/13916455/gallatin-homeowner-shoots-at-would-be-burglars
--

Oops, Wrong Store: An Orland [CA] store owner shot at two masked suspects who reportedly robbed his business, Moe's Market, about 5:25 a.m. Monday. One man allegedly held owner Musleh "Moe" Zokari, 53, at gunpoint while the other emptied the cash register and safe at the store at 234 Sixth St., the Orland Police Department reported in a press release. Police said the safe happened to be open when the robbers entered, about 25 minutes after opening. Zokari reportedly fired at least one shot at the men fleeing the store. Officials don't know if a suspect was hit… (Fortunately, Orland is located in rural Glenn County, which may explain why no issue is being made of the store owner firing at fleeing suspects.)

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_17191688?nclick_check=1
--

Oh Canada!: A Canadian man has been charged with multiple weapons violations after he used his revolver to defend himself from firebombers who tried to destroy his home. And it was all caught on camera. Ian Thomson is a 53-year-old former mobile crane operator from Southwestern Ontario. He's also a devoted student who's using his years after 50 to study environmental geosciences. And he's even a former firearms instructor. But this fall he became a criminal in the eyes of the law. It all began in late August of last year, when Thomson woke up to the sound of three masked men tossing at least six Molotov cocktails at his house… In response, Thomson grabbed his Smith & Wesson revolver and ran out of his house in his underwear and "fired his revolver two, maybe three times, we're not sure," his lawyer, Edward Burlew, told Canada's National Post. Thomson's security cameras captured the attack. But when he turned the footage over to the local police, Thomson couldn't believe what happened: he was charged with careless use of a firearm, and his collection of seven guns, five pistols, and two rifles was seized, along with his firearms license. More charges were added later, including pointing a firearm and two counts of careless storage of a firearm. Prosecutors are recommending jail time…

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/canadian-man-charged-after-using-gun-to-defend-his-home-from-firebombers/
--

Spec Ops Marines Seek .45's: The competition to provide Marine special operators with new .45-caliber semiautomatic pistols is beginning to take shape, with at least three companies submitting samples to the Marine Corps and others bowing out. Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., and Springfield Armory of Geneseo, Ill., sent samples of their latest 1911 pistols to acquisition officers this fall, company officials said Jan. 18 during the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, known as SHOT Show, in Las Vegas. The Corps is expected to seek proposals from the defense industry soon. The M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol is modeled after earlier versions of the semi-automatic 1911 pistol used since the 1980s by Force Reconnaissance units. The Corps could buy between 400 and 12,000 as part of a contract worth up to $22.5 million, according to Marine Corps Systems Command… (Restricted to ball ammo, I'd want a .45 too.)

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/01/marine-marsoc-pistol-45cal-012511w/
--

Meanwhile, in Utah…: Rep. Carl Wimmer's bill to designate the Browning M1911 handgun as a state symbol shot through the House on Wednesday, though it did generate strong debate from opponents who felt it was insensitive in light of the mass shooting in Tucson. The Herriman Republican, however, said it was simply about honoring John Moses Browning, a Utah native who invented the handgun still used today. "It's an appropriate and fitting tribute to a Utah icon," Wimmer said. "This firearm has defended liberty and freedom." … The bill passed 51-19 and will now move to the Senate for consideration.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51128137-76/advice-bill-browning-debate.html.csp
--

Tangentially Related: Lost in the hubbub over President Obama's State of the Union speech was the quiet death of liberal Democratic hopes to "reform" the Senate filibuster.  Those hopes officially expired at 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, as lawmakers prepared the leave the Capitol after the president's speech, when the Senate adjourned for the first time this year. For months, some Democrats had been working on a plan to use a parliamentary maneuver called the "nuclear option" to put an end to minority Republicans' ability to block Democratic initiatives.  Under that scenario, on the first day of its session -- and only on the first day -- the Senate would be able to change its rules regarding filibusters with a simple majority vote.  Normally, it takes 67 votes to change the Senate's rules, but on the first day, Democrats believed, they could kill the filibuster with just a 51-vote majority…

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/congress/2011/01/senate-quiet-death-filibuster-reform

--  

01-25-11

by permission from Stephen P. Wenger
comments in () by the same
http://www.spw-duf.info

The Usual Suspects Pressure Big Brother: New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, the son of Martin Luther King Jr, and a string of shooting
victims entered a burning national debate over gun rights Monday with
a call for stricter controls. "Every day, 34 Americans are murdered
with guns – and most of them are purchased or possessed illegally,"
Bloomberg said at the City Hall event, where he was also joined by
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. "The time has clearly come to finally
fulfill the intent of the common sense gun law passed after the 1968
assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr, and Bobby Kennedy, by
creating a loophole-free background check system," he said. A
long-running national debate over gun control has flared up again with
this month's wounding of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona
and killing of six bystanders. President Barack Obama is under
pressure from advocates to use his State of the Nation speech to
Congress on Tuesday to press for restrictions on the most dangerous
weapons. Bloomberg said the most essential fix Obama needs to target
was proper screening of gun purchasers…

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.ae92b0aa2b694ca3182261c1f11bfc1a.1c1&show_article=1

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tapped the intern credited with
saving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's life to help bolster his campaign for
greater gun control measures. University of Arizona student Daniel
Hernandez will be in New York on Wednesday to support Mayors Against
Illegal Guns, Bloomberg's coalition, in his latest attempt to use the
Tucson, Ariz., shooting as an argument for more widespread and
effective background checks. Bloomberg will also congratulate
Hernandez for his actions in the moments after Giffords was shot
earlier this month…

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/48142.html
--

WaPo Continues Its Assault: More than 62,000 firearms have disappeared
from the inventories of licensed U.S. gun dealers in the past three
years, according to a study to be released Tuesday by the Brady Center
to Prevent Gun Violence. The study says that the dealers did not have
records of legal sales for the guns - an average of about 56 missing
firearms per day… More than 21,000 firearms were missing in 2010, up
from 18,323 in 2009 but down from 22,770 in 2008, according to the
study, which was compiled using data from the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The federal agency could not account
for the guns during its compliance inspections of dealers… The Brady
Center thinks the actual number of unaccounted-for guns is far higher
because ATF inspects less than 20 percent of the nation's dealers
annually… The agency has about 600 inspectors responsible for 60,000
retail gun dealers around the country. Dealers on average are
inspected once every eight years. An estimated 10,500 compliance
inspections were done last year. The agency revokes about 110 licenses
a year, and dealers facing revocation voluntarily surrender their
licenses in an additional 160 cases annually… (Why do I get the
impression that this is an attempt to head off the Project Gunwalker
investigation?)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/25/AR2011012500867.html
--

As Does The New York Times: In the wake of the shootings in Tucson,
the familiar questions inevitably resurfaced: Are communities where
more people carry guns safer or less safe? Does the availability of
high-capacity magazines increase deaths? Do more rigorous background
checks make a difference? The reality is that even these and other
basic questions cannot be fully answered, because not enough research
has been done. And there's a reason for that. Both scientists in the
field and former officials with the government agency that used to
finance the great bulk of this research say the influence of the
National Rife Association has all but choked off funds for such work…
Chris Cox, the N.R.A.'s chief lobbyist, said the group had not tried
to squelch genuine scientific inquiries, just politically slanted
ones. "Our concern is not with legitimate medical science," he said.
"Our concern is they were promoting the idea that gun ownership was a
disease that needed to be eradicated." …The dearth of money can be
traced in large measure to a clash between public health scientists
and the N.R.A. in the mid-1990s. At the time, Dr. Rosenberg and others
at the C.D.C. were becoming increasingly assertive about the
importance of studying guns as a public health phenomenon, financing
studies that found, for example, having a gun in the house, rather
than conferring protection, significantly increased the risk of
homicide by a family member or intimate acquaintance… (Needless to
say, this quarter completely ignores the research of John Lott, whose
findings are summarized in the title of his book More Guns, Less
Crime.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/us/26guns.html?ref=us
--

More Fuel to the Fire?: A spate of shooting attacks on law enforcement
officers has authorities concerned about a war on cops. In just 24
hours, at least 11 officers were shot. The shootings included Sunday
attacks at traffic stops in Indiana and Oregon, a Detroit police
station shooting that wounded four officers, and a shootout at a Port
Orchard, Wash., Wal-Mart that injured two deputies. On Monday morning,
two officers were shot dead and a U.S. Marshal was wounded by a gunman
in St. Petersburg, Fla. On Thursday, two Miami-Dade, Fla., detectives
were killed by a murder suspect they were trying to arrest."It's not a
fluke," said Richard Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of
Police Associations. "There's a perception among officers in the field
that there's a war on cops going on." With the Florida deaths, the
nation is on track in 2011 to match the 162 police officers killed in
the line of duty in 2010, said Steve Groeninger, spokesman for the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the Washington,
D.C.-based nonprofit that tracks police casualties. In January this
year there have been 14 deaths, the same number as in January 2010,
the fund posted on its web site…

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41235743/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
--

How About More Criminal Control?: Once again a senseless loss of life
has befallen those whose job it is to protect us. This time it was two
brave law-enforcement officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
And as predictable as daylight, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., blamed
the murders on relaxed gun-control laws. My grandmother used say,
there is such a thing as "throwing the baby out with the bath water."
And that's exactly what legislators and anti-gun lobbies move to do at
every opportunity. There are over of 22,000 gun laws on the books.
Which of them protected those officers? Pursuant to firearms, there
are restrictions upon restrictions, elaborate safeties, gunlocks and
mandated gun-cabinets. Which of them protected those officers? We
don't need more gun control – we need more criminal control. It's a
shopworn maxim that cannot be repeated enough – guns don't kill,
people do. You can leave a duffle bag full of loaded AK-47s on the
busiest sidewalk in the city or town of your choice, and I guarantee
you that not one of those assault rifles will take themselves out of
the duffle bag, point themselves at a passerby and pull their own
triggers… (Alcee Hastings, for those unfamiliar with the name, holds
the dubious distinction of being of one fifteen federal judges –
including one Supreme Court justice – to be impeached and one of seven
to be removed from office – as opposed to resigning – as a result.)

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=255205
--

F Troop Waffles on Mexico Gun Numbers: In personal conversations at
the SHOT Show with four high-level Justice Dept. officials, including
knowledgeable BATFE experts speaking on condition of anonymity, it
became apparent that a commonly cited figure used by the "news" media
to attack American gun stores and gun rights is a complete
fabrication. No method exists to obtain the information. The agency
has no mandate or desire to do so. Even if the information could be
obtained or deduced from what few records exist, they would be
reluctant to release it to the public and anger their superiors, they
say. From the head of the State Dept. to the heads of various
departments within the agency, the 90% gun-running stat has been
standardized despite it being completely false. Hillary Clinton, the
current Secretary of State has publicly repeated the remark, made by
Mr. Obama, who said at a Mexican press conference, "More than 90
percent of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States,
many from gun shops that line our shared border." …

http://www.ammoland.com/2011/01/24/batfe-in-the-dark-on-mexican-drug-gun-facts/
--

Meanwhile…: Will .22 rimfires fall under new reporting controls? Will
CA bullet button system be classified as detachable magazine? The
following was provided to me by a source who has proven reliable over
the years. It was given to him by an ATF insider with the specific
request to be forwarded to me. I am reproducing it here unedited and
in its entirety as I received it… The business about .22s being caught
up in the new oversight proposal is something I've been discussing
with others, just the other day with fellow Gun Rights Examiners
Liston Matthews and Kurt Hofmann, and earlier with a reader and
correspondent  who uses the screen name "W3", himself a retired Texas
peace officer… This new information preempts any intent I had about
just sitting back and watching, particularly with the California
bullet button development.  What it, along with today's anticipated
Saiga ruling point to are back door gun control measures being
implemented with no accountability or oversight… (As I understand it,
California allows private ownership of some specific variants of
AR-15's, one feature of which is a reduced magazine release that
requires the tip of a bullet or a similar tool for activation.)

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/atf-technical-classifications-create-back-door-gun-control
--

Connecticut Congressman Co-Sponsors Magazine Bill: U.S. Rep. Jim Himes
(D-4th) has introduced legislation that would restore the prohibition
on high-capacity gun magazines, such as those used in the tragic
shooting in Tucson, Ariz. The Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device
Act (H.R. 308) was cosponsored by more than 40 Members of Congress and
is supported by a wide variety of leading national advocates for
reducing gun violence, according to Himes's office… (Ironically,
Hartford, Connecticut's capital, is home to Colt, the primary
manufacturer of M16's and AR-15's. Connecticut is also one of the few
states to have an  "assault weapon" ban for its won residents.)

http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/ncadvertiser/news/localnews/83654-himes-introduces-legislation-to-ban-high-capacity-ammo-magazines.html
--

Open Carry to Get Second Shot in Oklahoma: Two state lawmakers said
they will introduce bills this year for a second time to allow the
open-carry of guns in the state. Similar legislation passed the
Republican controlled legislature last year but was vetoed by the
governor at the time, former Gov. Brad Henry. But with a new
Republican governor, supporters of open-carry laws said they expect a
different outcome. "It's a Second Amendment right and there shouldn't
be any restrictions at all on the Second Amendment," said Rep. Paul
Wesselhoft, R-Moore. Wesselhoft is one lawmaker who has decided to
draft legislation that will allow Oklahomans to openly carry their
guns in public. Wesselhoft pointed to other states as reason why it
necessary. "In states that have passed open-carry, it has not been a
cowboy atmosphere where everyone has got guns strapped on. That's what
opponents would like to portray," Wesselhoft said…

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=13893498
--

New Mexico Bill Would Expand RKBA: Adults with a permit can carry a
concealed handgun in the state Capitol, but not on a bus or in a
school. State Rep. Zachary Cook says the restrictions are arbitrary
and contrary to the U.S. Constitution. So Cook, R-Ruidoso, said he
will introduce a bill next week to broaden the number of places where
permit-holders can carry concealed handguns. They would include
K-through-12 schools, colleges and universities, buses, licensed
liquor establishments, and state parks and recreation areas. Cook said
he had hoped to introduce the measure Thursday, but spent part of the
day researching whether the provision for allowing guns in elementary
and high schools conflicted with federal law. He said it does not
because any applicants for a concealed-carry permit must be at least
21… (Actually, the reason that there would be no conflict with the
federal Gun Free School Zones Act is because it contains an exemption
for possession of a loaded firearm within 1,000 feet of a school zone
if the carrier has a carry permit issued by the state in which the
school zone is located and issuance of that permit required a
background check. The law [18 USC § 922(q)(2)(B)(ii)] does not specify
that the permit holder must be at least 21 years old. Unfortunately,
subsection 3, which prohibits the discharge of a firearm within 1,000
feet of a school zone, lacks an exemption for self-defense or defense
of others.)

http://www.demingheadlight.com/ci_17152067
--

Idaho Law Student Sues University: A law student at the University of
Idaho has filed a lawsuit challenging the school's rules that prohibit
him from storing firearms in his on-campus apartment. Aaron Tribble,
36, contends the university's policy is unconstitutional and last week
filed a civil suit in Idaho's 2nd District Court. The university bans
firearms on campus, but students are allowed to store and check out
their guns at a police substation on the Moscow campus in northern
Idaho. Tribble, a second-year law student who lives in campus housing
designated for students who are married or have children, wants to
store his guns in his apartment. Tribble claims the university is
exercising power it doesn't have over the U.S. Constitution's 2nd
Amendment right to bear arms. In an effort to keep his legal case
streamlined, he is asking a judge to block the university from
enforcing the weapons rule in his apartment complex only…

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/01/25/1501337/idaho-law-student-sues-university.html#storylink=omni_popular
--

While in Arizona…: A proposal by a state Legislator to allow anybody
21 and older with a concealed carry permit to bring their gun to
college campuses has been met with moderation and resistance at
Northern Arizona University. Senior Cody Newport said he supports guns
in general, off-campus. But he's a hard-liner against guns on campus.
He recognized that people bent on a shooting at NAU would not be
deterred by a ban. But the campus is just too crowded for guns around
campus to be safe… Blake Schritter, a graduate student in criminology
who has undergone concealed-carry training in Arizona and Utah, said
he'd be in favor of allowing students who have a state-issued permit
to carry a concealed weapon to bring their firearms to NAU. But he
lamented the timing of the legislation as making Arizona look bad, not
long after last year's divisive anti-illegal immigration law that has
caused people outside Arizona to look at the state askew… (NAU is
located in Flagstaff, perhaps the most left-leaning city in Arizona
and possibly because of that relationship. Thus, the bias in this
article is no surprise.)

http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/education/article_abf28d0c-46d4-5b69-8eb6-7e86e0f6d37a.html
--

West Virginia to Consider FFA: A handful of state lawmakers are
pushing for new laws saying if you build it or dig it up in West
Virginia, and if it doesn't cross state lines, then the federal
government can't regulate it. Three bills have been introduced that
would exempt guns and coal from federal regulation if both are
produced and used in the state. Both are based on the premise that the
federal government's authority to regulate goods stems only from its
constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce, so if the goods
don't leave West Virginia's borders, the government has no
jurisdiction… Montana was the first state to pass a Firearms Freedom
Act in 2009. Shortly afterward, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives sent a letter to all Montana firearms
licensees stating that federal law supercedes state law, so
regulations concerning licensure, identification of firearms and
background checks still applied… Advocates for stricter gun control
laws also are not amused by the recent trend of states "exempting"
their guns from federal regulations… As for the West Virginia bills,
no dates had been set for committee hearings for either bill as of
Jan. 24. The coal bill is House Bill 2554. The gun bills are Senate
Bill 84 and HB 2705. (I don't live for the "amusement" of the Brady
Bunch and its buddies.)

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=93161
--

WVCDL Challenges Local Gun Bans: A West Virginia gun rights advocacy
group has gone to federal court to fight handgun laws in Charleston,
South Charleston and Dunbar. Members of the West Virginia Citizens
Defense League filed a civil complaint in U.S. District Court on
Monday challenging handgun laws in the three Kanawha County cities.
Attorney Jim Mullins, who filed the complaint, alleges the cities'
laws violate the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment right for
citizens to keep and bear arms. All three cities ban the carrying of
handguns on city property. Charleston also has a city ordinance
requiring a three-day waiting period before someone can buy a gun
within city limits, and limits gun purchases to one per month. "No
criminal or deranged lunatic is going to be deterred from committing a
crime on public property by the prospect of a whopping 30 extra days
in jail for violating a municipal ordinance prohibiting guns on city
property," Mullins, a Beckley attorney, said in a prepared statement.
"Neither will a criminal wait while his intended victim goes through
the three-day waiting period Charleston imposes on buying a handgun,"
he said. "And if you happened to have bought a handgun recently and it
was stolen? Well, that same criminal also won't wait for you to become
eligible to purchase another handgun under Charleston's one handgun
per month rationing ordinance." …

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201101240608
--

From Iowa: I received a copy of the Iowa State Sheriffs & Deputies
Association ("ISSDA") 2011 Legislative Priorities & Policy Statements
from an anonymous source this afternoon. Some of my readers might be
contributors to the ISSDA when they come knocking on the door for
fund-raising efforts, so I figured it might be a good idea to let
folks know what the ISSDA feels are important topics for discussion
with lawmakers in 2011 – at least as it pertains to gun rights in
Iowa. According to the list, the Sheriffs are working with the Iowa
Department of Public Safety (DPS) to implement the new law. This is a
good sign, and to be honest, we've only seen a handful of counties
that have been stretching the law to some questionable limits. That
said, the document says that there are some "unintended consequences
of SF 2379" that the ISSDA would like to see addressed. They are as
follows… Requiring proficiency training to exercise a right is wrong.
No other basic human rights require any sort of proficiency training,
and the right to self-defense by using the most effective tool
available should not be any different…

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-des-moines/the-issda-lists-their-priorities-for-the-2011-session
--

Wrong Game for Cops: The Southern California city of San Fernando and
its Police Department will pay $44,000 for negligence because an
officer did not know the rules and regulations for individuals or law
enforcement officers to lawfully carrying a firearm. The City of San
Fernando agreed to pay approximately $44,000 to San Fernando former
Coast Guard Reserve maritime law enforcement Officer Jose Diaz. The
city must also implement new policies and procedures for the improper
arrest and seizure of Coast Guard Reserve Diaz, according to the San
Fernando Police Department. The police department also agreed to a
"Finding of Factual Innocence." Diaz contends that a police department
contest was a driving factor in this case. "The San Fernando Police
Department give's out awards to officer's that 'achieve benchmarks in
firearm confiscations,(YouTube video)" said Jason Davis an attorney
for Calguns. "But this contest encourages the illegal confiscation of
lawfully possessed firearms by officers who do not understand the laws
themselves." The monetary settlement wasn't the only thing the
plaintiff was after, Calguns, a state and national gun rights advocacy
group, says the lawsuit also sought to ensure San Fernando properly
trains its officers to deal with law-abiding gun owners…

http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/a-police-contest-to-seize-guns-results-lawsui-after-a-coast-guard-officer-is
--

Rules Reminder: A judge dropped the charges against a California
University of Pennsylvania student who was accused of accidentally
shooting a female student at a fraternity party in Oct. Police said
Dustin Ryan Fuller, 20, of Waynesboro, accidentally fired a shotgun
through the floor of the off-campus, Second Street fraternity house,
grazing Raylynn Porco, 19, of Pittsburgh. Fuller said the reckless
endangerment, underage drinking and tampering with evidence charges
were dropped because he completed alcohol awareness and gun safety
classes. Porco was not seriously hurt in the shooting. "I'm just going
to try to drive on with my life. I'm working on a weapons safety
program to implement in the Greek system at Cal U right now. So that
should be completed by the end of the semester," said Fuller… (The
Rules are posted at http://www.spw-duf.info/safety.html. If you do not
yet have them memorized, check them out and decide which were violated
in this incident. Generally, down is a relatively safe direction but
that is not necessarily the case if you are indoors with another story
below you. This is the fourth case I recall in which someone was shot
through the floor above and the third one in which the shooting was
unintentional.)

http://www.wpxi.com/news/25270444/detail.html

…These rules apply any time there are firearms present. They apply
when unloading your weapon to clean or store it, as well as when
training and practice. They also apply if you find yourself involved
in a violent confrontation… Under stress, moving in an environment
containing bystanders or threats around every corner, it's important
to make sure your muzzle stays pointing in a safe direction. And since
there are times when your muzzle will cover someone, if you pay
attention these times should be rare, that's why we keep our finger
off the trigger unless the sights are on the threat, meaning you've
made the decision to shoot. When the sights come off the threat, or
your eyes come off the sights, your finger comes off the trigger.
(Exception is firing from a retention position.) I recommend keeping
the trigger finger high, somewhere on the frame or slide, and indexed
well above the trigger guard. Always identify your threat. Be sure you
have a clear angle of fire so any errant rounds that miss the threat
or punch through them don't end up injuring anyone else. In times when
you can't predict where your bullet will end up you shouldn't be
pressing the trigger. Memorize these rules, and make them laws. These
laws are used anytime there are firearms present. When forced to
fight, remember you still have to fight safe. The only way to fight
safely is with training and practice. Make sure you're ready. (In my
curriculum the exemption for the eyes off the sights extends to the
other point-shooting positions as well.)

http://www.thetacticalwire.com/archived/2011-01-25_tactical.html
--

Interesting Video: Alan Korwin responds to CNN talking heads regarding
the Tucson incident. The discussion turns to training and whether it
should be mandatory to own a firearm (as it is to purchase a handgun
in California). See what you think of Alan's response, admittedly to a
question he did not know in advance. My own view is that it is
unconscionable to require training to exercise the most basic human
right. On the other hand, I have always offered more training than
Arizona has required in order to qualify for a CWP and have found that
the forced consumers generally opt for the shortest course that meets
the requirement. As it says below, "Firearm safety - It's a matter for
education, not legislation." The challenge is getting people to
appreciate why they need the training and why they need it on an
ongoing basis. Alan and I differ over his apparent emphasis on
marksmanship over tactics but that approach seems to work in
Switzerland.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/01/14/ps.gun.law.arizona.cnn?iref=allsearch
--

Oops: California Highway Patrol officers across the state –I ncluding
those in North County – were ordered last week to return potentially
defective rounds of ammunition, officials said Monday. CHP
headquarters issued the directive on Friday as a safety precaution
after receiving a handful of reports that a batch of shells failed to
fire, CHP spokeswoman Jaime Coffee said. Coffee said all the rounds
that reportedly misfired were being used in training and had not
caused problems in the field. The rounds that failed to fire were not
a threat to officer safety, she said, but could potentially damage
weapons… Most officers probably didn't have rounds from the suspect
batch, but there was no way to know because inventory numbers only
appeared on boxes – not individual cartridges, she said. As a result,
all officers had to turn in any "Golden Saber" .40-caliber shells they
were carrying. The ammunition will be shipped to the academy for
inspection and used in training, she said. The ammunition was produced
by gun and ammunition manufacturer Remington, she said. She said CHP
will continue using Remington rounds, which have proven safe and
trustworthy in the past… (The 165 gr. .40 S&W Golden Saber has been
the star performer of that design although the 125 gr. .357 Magnum
load – often described as a ¾ Magnum – is popular in some quarters for
use in short-barrel revolvers.)

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_7c5285e8-463f-5405-9aee-3874c87c672b.html
--

Tangentially Related: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wasted no time
using the Tucson shooting to financially benefit his 2012 reelection
campaign. From his email: "In terms of this savage shooting rampage,
several points need to be made.  First, this horrendous act of
violence is not some kind of strange aberration for this area where,
it appears, threats and acts of violence are part of the political
climate. Nobody can honestly express surprise that such a tragedy
finally occurred." Sanders continued by implying that Republicans and
their business interests are set to benefit significantly in the 2012
elections… For the 2008 election cycle, all business sectors gave
Democrats a record 54.7% of total campaign contributions. Since 1996,
business has been finding more friends in the Democratic Party,
increasing contributions from a record low of 40.4% to 51.2% in 2010.
The Democrats became the party of Big Business in their own right…

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/bernie-sanders-doth-protest-too-much/?singlepage=true

It's unlikely that Howard Dean intended to expose one of his party's
greatest weaknesses in August 2009 when he explained why Obamacare
could not include a tort reform provision that experts said could save
up to $400 billion in health care costs. Speaking at a Northern
Virginia town hall meeting, the former Democratic presidential
candidate and Democratic National Committee chairman stunned many in
the nation's capitol with these unexpected words… Dean's admission was
especially shocking because for years study after study has shown that
doctors are forced to practice defensive medicine – ordering unneeded
tests and procedures in case they were sued by trial lawyers looking
for deep pockets and big paydays that come with multimillion-dollar
settlements. Tort reforms that put limits on such unrestrained
class-action medical lawsuits by trial lawyers would save $40 billion
annually, and up to $400 billion over a decade…

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/special-reports/2011/01/special-report-examiner-special-report-plain-truth-about-who-owns-de

01-24-11

by permission from Stephen P. Wenger <spwenger@spw-duf.info>

The New York Times Lies – Again: In his New York Times column "Obama's
Gun Play," Charles M. Blow lays out a familiar but inaccurate talking
point: we need increased gun control laws because the United States is
the murder capital of the planet.  Mr. Blow writes: "[T]he U.S. is in
a league of its own, and not in a good way. We have nearly 9 guns for
every 10 people, and about 9 out of every 10 of our homicides are
committed with one of those guns. No other country even comes close."
A column is accompanied by a large graphic which illustrates American
gun violence as an enormous ball by itself way up at the top, while a
dozen other tiny spheres representing OECD countries are clustered at
the bottom. New York Times readers, however, ought to hesitate before
scurrying to speed-dial their Congress reptiles and demand an end to
this preventable epidemic of gun ownership.  To begin with, that
repeated phrase "9 out of 10" has a euphonious ring, but Blow's data
is simply inaccurate.  I was unable to find any U.S. homicide
statistics in the source cited, the United Nations Small Arms Survey,
which for the most part discusses the proliferation of guns in places
like Timor and Yemen.  According to the Department of Justice, the
percentage of homicides for guns in the U.S since 1977 has risen
slightly from 62% to 68% -- less than seven out of ten, not nine out
of ten…

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/01/cooking_the_gun_homicide_numbe.html

The Column: President Obama is under renewed pressure from his base to
demonstrate that he is, indeed, a principled man of unwavering
conviction rather than a pliant political reed willingly bent and
bowed by ever-shifting winds. This time the issue is gun control.
Pre-presidency, Obama had been a strong supporter of gun-control
initiatives. Since then, however, he has remained curiously quiet on
the issue in general and following the Tucson shooting in particular.
The question now is: which Obama will show up at the State of the
Union? … (The Brady Bunch recently e-mailed its supporters, begging
them to urge Big Brother to pressure Congress to pass the McCarthy
bill to limit magazine capacity.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/opinion/22blow.html?_r=2&ref=opinion
--

Then There's Bloomberg…: [NYC] Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Monday
used a parade of relatives and friends of victims of several
high-profile shootings, including the recent killings in Tucson, to
urge Washington to strengthen existing federal gun control laws to
prevent guns from falling into the hands of buyers with a history of
violence or mental illness. Mr. Bloomberg, who has sought to make
stricter gun control a national issue, said a law passed in 1968 after
the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. intended to
prevent certain people from having guns has never lived up to its full
potential. The law was supposed to apply to convicted felons, drug
abusers and the mentally ill, among others. The Brady Bill, which was
adopted in 1993, was intended to enforce the earlier law by creating a
national background check system. But the system, Mr. Bloomberg and
others who joined him said at a news conference at City Hall, is
flawed because it does not have records on millions of people who
should be disqualified from buying or possessing guns. Ten states have
not submitted any mental health records to the background check
system, and 18 states have provided fewer than 100 mental health
records, according to Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group that Mr.
Bloomberg helped found…

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/nyregion/25bloomberg.html?ref=nyregion
--

Curious Timing: A gunman opened fire inside a Detroit police precinct
Sunday, wounding four officers including a commander before police
shot and killed him, authorities said. Police Chief Ralph Godbee said
along with the commander, two sergeants and an officer were wounded,
but none appeared to have life threatening injuries. Sgt. Todd Eby
told the Detroit Free Press newspaper that he was sitting at his desk
at the precinct when the gunman walked in around 4:20 p.m. local time
with a pistol grip shotgun and opened fire. He said officers shot back
at the gunman, killing him… (In light of an anticipated administrative
ruling by F Troop listing several shotguns, including the 28-gauge
Taurus Judge, as destructive devices, this may go down as one more of
those mysterious cases of a nut crawling out of the woodwork at a very
convenient time. Longer-term list members may recall cautions that F
Troop, at different times, has issued administrative rulings that
could be interpreted jointly so that any shotgun with a bore larger
than 0.5 inches and without a buttstock could be considered a
destructive device, subject to NFA registration. The speculation has
included claims that this ruling is being timed to divert attention
from Project Gunwalker.)

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/23/detroit-police-department-respond-sto-precinct-shooting-reports/#ixzz1BuhObXU5
--

Speaking of Timing…: Nothing spurs talk of gun-control legislation
quite like a highly publicized crime committed with the aid of a
handgun. Such was the case 100 years ago this month, when a brazen
murder committed near Gramercy Park led to the enactment a few months
later of New York State's landmark Sullivan Law, which required
police-issued licenses for those wishing to possess concealable
firearms and made carrying an unlicensed concealed weapon a felony
(pdf). The Sullivan Law, still on the books as section 400.00 of the
New York Penal Law, became a model for gun-control legislation enacted
throughout the country. On Jan. 23, 1911, a novelist, David Graham
Phillips, was shot by Fitzhugh Coyle Goldsborough in a brazen early
afternoon attack on East 21st Street (or, as it is known today,
Gramercy Park North). After firing six shots, Goldsborough put the gun
to his temple, killing himself. Phillips survived until the next
evening… (While Sullivan may have used this shooting to push his bill
over the line, I have always been under the impression that the true
motive for the bill was to keep NYC's non-English-speaking immigrants
from arming themselves against strong-arm extortion by Sullivan's
buddies in the established Irish gangs.)

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/100-years-ago-the-shot-that-spurred-new-yorks-gun-control-law/?partner=rss&emc=rss
--

Speaking of Project Gunwalker…: One of the concerns my colleagues and
I have been mindful of in the unfolding "Project Gunwalker" story is
the concern that attempts will be made to discredit ATF insider
sources speaking to Senate staffers. I received an email yesterday
from an attorney with notable Second Amendment credentials who offered
some advice, including being able to produce hard, targeted data to
compel both politicians and the media to do their jobs. He also made
this key observation: "Agencies are experienced in dealing with agents
and others who criticize them, and legislators know that. A few leaks
to the Washington Post about how this guy was unreliable, from sources
who declined to be named, make sure there are derogatory memos about
him in his file that can be leaked, that sort of thing." Ad hominem
ploys are to be expected. Readers following this story will recall its
genesis in posts on CleanUpATF.org, a website where street agents have
been leveling allegations of bureau incompetence and corruption, and
we should assume serious conflicts first manifested themselves on the
job, and then assume management has made note of them. I would also
expect those of us advancing this story to be dismissed if our part in
doing so is even acknowledged…

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/project-gunwalker-investigators-watch-for-smears-focus-on-leads
--

What Have I Been Telling You?: U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today
announced that next week she will introduce the Common-Sense Concealed
Firearms Act of 2011, which would require all states that allow
residents to carry concealed weapons in public to have minimum
standards for granting permits. Senator Boxer said, "The tragic events
in Tucson earlier this month are a reminder of why we need
common-sense gun laws. This measure will establish reasonable
permitting standards for Americans who wish to carry concealed
firearms. According to a recent poll, more than 60 percent of
respondents believe there should be a reasonable permitting process
for those who wish to carry concealed firearms." Senator Boxer's
legislation would require all states that allow residents to carry
concealed weapons to establish permitting processes that would include
meaningful consultation with local law enforcement authorities to
determine whether the permit applicant is worthy of the public trust
and has shown good cause to carry a concealed firearm… (This is
precisely why I have not supported federal legislation to mandate
nationwide recognition of carry permits. Once in place, it can be
easily amended to impose federal standards for issuance. A
free-standing bill to do the same will be much harder to pass.)

http://yubanet.com/usa/Boxer-to-Introduce-Common-Sense-Concealed-Firearms-Act-of-2011.php
--

Maryland May Go Reciprocal with Bordering States: …Delegate Mike
Smigiel's carry permit reciprocity bill will be heard by the House
Judiciary Committee in Room 101 of the House Office Building. If
passed, this bill will cause Maryland to recognize concealed carry
permits issued by Virginia and Pennsylvania. This is the first step
toward having full reciprocity which will make Maryland concealed
carry permits valid in these states. Click here to read or download
HB9 (Note: West Virginia was omitted by Legislative Services and will
be added to the scope of the bill by way of amendment when Delegate
Smigiel introduces his bill before the Committee.) Your support is
needed to advance this bill. Last session, this same legislation
failed in a 10-10 tie vote. Please focus your efforts on the following
members of the committee (remember to keep your communications polite
and respectful)…

http://www.ammoland.com/2011/01/23/carry-permit-reciprocity-bill-on-the-move-while-senator-frosh-steps-up-attacks-on-gun-owners/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ammoland+%28ammoland%29
--

New York Likely to Ban More Guns: That rifle you use for hunting maybe
labeled an assault rifle if a New York bill is passed. Assembly Bill
1479, introduced by Democrat Linda Rosenthal, changes the state's
definition of "assault weapon." The new definition would classify
firearms commonly used for hunting, such as semi-automatic shotguns
that have a thumbhole stock or a pistol grip, as assault weapons.
Currently, possession of assault weapons in the state is generally
prohibited. Even more dangerous to sportsmen and gun owners, the bill
gives the Superintendent of State Police the authority to regulate and
classify additional firearms as "assault weapons" simply by finding
that a firearm feature or modification is "particularly suitable for
military and not sporting purposes." The Superintendent also can
designate specific firearms by make and model to be considered assault
weapons. Ultimately, the bill gives the Superintendent vast powers to
determine which firearms citizens can and cannot own… (The first
thumbhole stocks I every saw, back in the late 60's, were intended for
scoped, bolt-action hunting rifles.)

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/ny_bill_takes_aim_at_hunting_rifles_6XctSxPr738TCnqXgNZYYO
--

And Your Point Is?: …But as with much of the Wild West, myth has
replaced history. The 1881 shootout took place in a narrow alley, not
at the corral. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday weren't seen as heroic
until later; they were initially charged with murder. And one fact is
usually ignored: Back then, Tombstone had far stricter gun control
than it does today. In fact, the American West's most infamous gun
battle erupted when the marshal tried to enforce a local ordinance
that barred carrying firearms in public. A judge had fined one of the
victims $25 earlier that day for packing a pistol… Arizona's love of
guns is rooted in its rugged rural history and enshrined in the
state's constitution, drafted in 1910. "The right of the individual
citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be
impaired," it reads. The state celebrates its independent spirit and a
culture of individual rights and distrust of government. Given its
lurid past, Tombstone may not be a typical community. But it provides
vivid evidence of what state law allows in practice… (In fact,
Tombstone continued to ban the carry of firearms for several decades,
in clear violation if the state constitution, until someone finally
sued. And speaking of myth versus history, even the most cantankerous
Western towns were safer than many large cities today.)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-tombstone-20110123,0,7161951.story
--

Rule Four Reminder: Sheriff's deputies found themselves dealing with a
man whose curiosity got the best of him after watching the television
show MythBusters. According to Wayne County [OH] officials, the man
shot his neighbor's home on Ruble Drive three times while testing the
ballistic stopping power of telephone books. He is accused of setting
phone books on his fireplace mantle and firing at them with a 9mm
pistol. Only one round hit the phone book. All three rounds penetrated
the wall and continued into the neighbor's home. The suspect in this
case faces felony charges of discharging a firearm into an inhabited
dwelling. (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond
it.)

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-man-shoots-neighbors-home-mythbusters-txt,0,6326531.story

01-17-11

By permission from Stephen P. Wenger

http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by the same
 

Reason in the Face of Grief: …Not even the president, however, could match the goodness, dignity, and large-heartedness of John Green, whose 9-year-old daughter, Christina, was the youngest victim of suspect Jared Loughner's rampage. Speaking through tears as he was interviewed on NBC's "Today" show and on the Fox News Channel, Christina's father refused to pin his daughter's murder on the "climate of hate" and "vitriolic rhetoric" so many others were eager to indict. Unlike the local sheriff who seized the moment to smear Arizona as "a mecca for prejudice and bigotry," John Green said the killings were "such a rare thing to happen in Tucson, Arizona, which is a wonderful city – and the northwest side is a wonderful community." The chattering class spent much of the past week calling for new laws and tighter regulations. There were proposals for (among other things) a ban on carrying guns within 1,000 feet of a member of Congress, resurrecting the long-discredited broadcast Fairness Doctrine, funding more outpatient clinics to treat the mentally ill, and prohibiting ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. John Green endorsed none of them. "We don't need any more restrictions on our society," he said. "New laws and limitations cannot prevent every horror, and if we want to live in a country like the United States, where we are more free than anywhere else, we are subject to things like this happening." …

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/01/16/voices_of_patience_and_wisdom/

I found Mr. Green's remarks somewhat reminiscent of the 1999 Congressional testimony of Darrell Scott, a father who lost two children in the massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School.

http://www.nrawinningteam.com/scotttext.html
--

F Troop Hits a Hurdle: The Obama administration's plan to force new reporting requirements on thousands of gun dealers near the Mexico border is under fire from members of his own party. At least three Democrats in the Senate and several more in the House are voicing opposition to a proposed regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that would require about 8,500 gun dealers in four states – California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas – to report gun sales of two or more high-powered rifles sold within five consecutive business days… The new regulation would cover semiautomatic rifles greater than .22 caliber with detachable magazines. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, has asked the ATF to withdraw its request to the White House for emergency authority to enact the regulation… (By ".22 caliber" I assume they mean .22 rimfire as I know they want to cover .223 rifles such as the AR-15 family.)

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/15/obama-administrations-new-proposed-gun-regulation-border-states-met-bipartisan/?test=latestnews
--

Meanwhile on the Republican Side…: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) this weekend called on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. Lugar is the first GOP senator to call for increased gun control following the Tucson tragedy that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. But Lugar, who supported the initial 10-year-long assault weapons ban when it passed in 1994, said he's not optimistic about the chances for passing gun control legislation this Congress. "I believe it should be, but I recognize the fact that the politics domestically in our country with regard to this are on a different track altogether," Lugar told Bloomberg Television's Al Hunt Jan. 14. Lugar also noted the increase in ammunition sales since the shootings, which he suspected was out of fear that Congress might pass far-reaching gun control legislation in wake of the tragedy…

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0111/Lugar_pushes_to_renew_assault_weapons_ban.html
--

Schumer Concedes – Sort Of: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Sunday that Congress lacks the necessary votes to stiffen gun laws, dampening the hopes of various gun-control bills proposed in the aftermath of the Arizona shootings. "Let's be honest here – there haven't been the votes in the Congress for gun control," Schumer said on NBC's "Meet the Press," calling it a "hard" issue. Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, nevertheless spoke out in favor of "smart, rational gun control laws that protect the right to bear arms, but have reasonable limits." "There is a right to bear arms. It's in the Constitution. And you can't ignore it, just like you can't ignore the others," he said. "But like all the other rights, it's not absolute." Schumer did, however, propose stronger sharing of communication between the military and the FBI, which he argued would have turned up a red flag on Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner when he attempted to buy a gun… (Yes, Senator, there are restrictions on other rights, such as freedom of speech, but not generally in the form of prior restraint.)

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/schumer-congress-votes-gun-control/
--

Conflicting Rallies in Virginia: … The gun-rights and gun-control crowds are two of a large number such groups set to hold their lobby days Monday, with citizens from around the state crowding the hallways of the General Assembly Building and the visitors gallery of the State Capitol. A historic bell tower just down a hill from the Capitol – a traditional spot for rallies – is booked through the day… In the morning, the bell tower will be the spot for a rally by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a group that supports gun rights. The group's rallies are often attended by gun owners who openly carry holstered weapons. Capitol rules allow concealed weapons permit holders to carry guns into the General Assembly Building and Capitol building. Del. Patrick Hope (D-Fairfax) has filed a bill that would ban firearms in the two legislative buildings--a likely target of ire from the VCDL. The first-term delegate says he was taken aback the first time he road the elevator with a man wearing a handgun strapped to his leg. In the afternoon, members of the Virginia Center for Public Safety, Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws, and the Virginia Chapters of the Million Mom March will hold a prayer vigil and "lie-in" at the same bell tower to urge tighter gun laws in Virginia. Among their top priorities is changing a law that allows some weapons to be sold without background checks at gun shows…

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2011/01/advocates_for_and_against_gun.html
--

Meanwhile, in Arizona…: Arizona has become a national leader in the gun rights movement in recent years as the state enacted law after law to protect the people's right to bear arms nearly anywhere, at anytime. The shooting rampage that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a former legislative colleague, has done nothing to slow down the Legislature. Gun rights bills were introduce d in the days after the shootings last week, and more proposals are to come… Arizona Republicans remain adamant that the shooting will not dissuade them from pushing their pro-gun agenda. They want new laws allowing college and university faculty members to be able to carry concealed weapons on campus, an issue that gained attention after the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech University. Only Utah has a law allowing concealed weapons on college campuses while 24 states have bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures… Bills already introduced this year in Arizona in the Republican-controlled Legislature include barring landlords and homeowner groups from restricting the right to bear arms in self defense, and expanding the current law that allows gun owners to display a weapon in self defense. And Wentling said his group's priority bill, which he wouldn't discuss, hasn't been unveiled yet…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/17/AR2011011701787.html
--

Utah May Get Constitutional Carry: A Utah lawmaker wants to allow all state residents who can legally have a gun carry and conceal it without a permit. Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, said he plans to introduce a bill to eliminate the requirement for a state concealed weapon permit to carry a loaded gun. People who do not live in Utah would still need a permit issued by Utah or another state [emphasis added]. The measure is being drafted for the legislative session that begins Jan. 24. Wimmer said it wouldn't change laws about who can legally have a gun. Felons, people who have committed a violent crime and illegal residents are now prohibited from carrying a gun. "If you're a law-abiding, upstanding citizen, you can protect yourself by carrying a gun without a permit," Wimmer said. Alaska, Arizona and Vermont already have similar laws, he said… (To my knowledge, none of the other three states cited requires a permit of non-residents.)

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700100439/Utah-lawmaker-Guns-should-be-legal-without-permit.html
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51038808-76/permit-concealed-utah-weapons.html.csp
--

Californians Prepare for Ammo Restriction: While the holiday shopping season is long gone, some Humboldt County residents are stocking up on ammunition for fear of a new California law that goes into effect next month placing restrictions on the purchase of bullets. Under the law, those buying handgun ammunition will be required to provide vendors with their thumbprint, address and photo identification, with the idea that it will make the task of investigating and preventing gun-related crime easier for law enforcement. Convicted felons who are already barred from owning a gun, for example, can still purchase bullets under the current law. But for some, the restrictions are another example of an infringement on gun rights protected by the Second Amendment… Already home to some of the strictest gun laws in the country, California will add to the list beginning on Feb. 1, when people will no longer be able to purchase ammunition via the Internet or by mail order. Instead, buyers will need to pick up their ammunition at licensed vendors, like Pro Sport Center in Eureka… (This is just one more newspaper that does not understand the difference between bullets and cartridges or ammunition.)

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_17118022?nclick_check=1
--

Open-Carry Confrontation in California: … In June of last year, the US Supreme Court held that this Second Amendment right to "possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation" applies to all states and local governments, as well as to the Federal government. But not in the City of Long Beach it seems.  Not only is the exercise of ones Second Amendment Right disregarded in that city, so are ones First and Fourth Amendment rights as well. Attached to this article is the first of a two part video encounter between a person who was simply exercising his Second Amendment right at Shoreline Village in Long Beach, California only to find himself unlawfully detained by Long Beach Police officers who proceeded to violate many long established U.S. Supreme Court decisions…

http://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/complaint-filed-against-long-beach-police-over-open-carry-incident-part-1
--

Alaska Gun Laws Summarized: The shootings in Tucson, Ariz., that killed a federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and several others and wounded many more, including an Arizona congresswoman, have brought renewed attention to state and federal firearms laws. The states have a variety of laws governing who can buy a handgun or rifle, what permits are required, and where firearms can be present. Alaska is one of a few states to have firearms laws that are widely regarded as the least restrictive in the nation. If you're thinking of buying or using a handgun or rifle in Alaska, here's a brief look at the laws of the Last Frontier…

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/11029232/article-Gun-laws-and-Alaska--The-ins-and-outs-of-firearms-in-the-North?instance=home_most_popular4
--

Non-Citizen Sues for South Dakota Permit: … A British citizen who lives in Sioux Falls sued the state earlier this month after he was not allowed to renew his concealed-weapons permit. The Legislature changed the concealed weapons law in 2002 to only allow United States citizens to obtain permits… The American Civil Liberties Union, which helped bring the case on behalf of British national Wayne Smith, says all legal residents in the state are required to have the same opportunity to get a permit. It says the current law violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection of laws. "The Fourteenth Amendment extends to non-citizens as well as citizens and generally prohibits states from passing laws that treat protected classes of people differently," Robert Doody, executive director of the ACLU's South Dakota chapter, said in an email. National gun-rights advocates said they agree with the ACLU, even though they question the group's involvement in the case… (The plaintiff is obviously a Permanent Resident Alien and not a prohibited possessor.)

http://www.necn.com/01/16/11/State-concealed-weapons-law-gets-nationa/landing_nation.html?&blockID=3&apID=55d419b16e474ea69f1f29eeb7407cdd
--

New Jersey Governor Ducks CWP Question: Gov. Chris Christie isn't going to share his position on allowing licensed concealed weapons in New Jersey, he said this morning. At a town hall meeting in Paramus, Christie was asked about his views on creating a process to allow residents to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon. His response: The legislation is never going to pass out of the Democrat-controlled Legislature. Christie said if someone was supporting a a concealed weapon law change, they should talk to their lawmakers. "I'm not going to bang my head against the wall on issues that there are absolutely no chance will get posted for a vote in the Legislature," Christie said… Christie, who once chided a political opponent for opposing the assault weapon ban, has been quiet on his weapons positions. He granted a sentence reduction for Brian Aitken, who had been charged with illegally possessing a firearm he bought legally elsewhere, but Christie wouldn't divulge his own thoughts on gun regulations at the time…

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/gov_christie_wont_share_opinio.html
--

Rule Five Reminder: Homicide detectives from the Jacksonville  [FL] Sheriff's office are investigating a Panama Park neighborhood after they said a 6-year-old girl was shot in the chest. The shooting occurred in the 7100 block of Nelms Street near North Main Street and the Trout River. Police said the girl got a hold of her father's gun and shot herself in the chest. They had not made any arrests, but are questioning the father. The father admitted to police that he left the gun laying around the house unsupervised. Police have not released what charges may be given… (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.)

http://www.news4jax.com/news/26512047/detail.html

Lake City [FL]  police investigating a report of a shot fired inside the Walmart on U.S. Highway 90 on Friday night said it appeared a customer's gun went off when it fell on the floor. No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred about 10:30 p.m. Police said customer L.J. Johnson had a concealed gun and holster, which fell out of its concealed area. The gun discharged one round through the holster when it landed. The area was searched for evidence of where the bullet had traveled, but it was never found. The gun was placed into evidence and Johnson, 59, was arrested and booked into the Columbia County Jail for culpable negligence and improper exhibition of a firearm. (This sounds as though the gun was being carried in some sort of pocket holster. Aside from the other shortcomings of pocket carry for a primary gun, guns carried in this manner may slide out of the holster and pocket or may take the holster with them as they slide out of the pocket. My guess is that the incident occurred in a restroom. Most modern handguns are designed to greatly reduce the risk of firing when dropped. Derringers are a notorious exception, as are some inexpensive pocket pistols. I don't know if the single-action mini-revolvers are safe to carry with a round under the hammer.)

http://www.news4jax.com/news/26509909/detail.html