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More Opinions From Teddy: Teddy Jacobson continues his series of brief
comments.
http://actionsbyt.blogspot.com/2006/01/to-z-part-3.html
---
From NRA-ILA:
NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 13, No. 3 01/20/06
WISCONSIN "PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT" UPDATE
The State Senate gave final approval to the 2005 Personal Protection Act
(PPA) and is sending the bill to Governor Jim Doyle (D) for his promised
veto. It will be his second veto of the PPA in as many years. He is
committed to his distrust of law-abiding Wisconsinites and to keeping
the state as one of only four that strictly prohibit trained, licensed
citizens who pass a criminal background check from carrying concealed
firearms for self-defense.
Once again, there are a sufficient number of supporters in the Senate
and Assembly to override the veto, but only if past supporters stay
steadfast in their support of the bill. In 2004, the Senate easily
overrode the veto, but the Governor was able to convince a fellow
Democrat in the Assembly and a one-time supporter of the PPA to change
his vote for partisan political reasons, thus killing it by a single vote.
This time around, the Governor and other opponents are once again hard
at work trying to find a Democrat who will play politics with
Wisconsinites' personal safety by changing his vote. All six Assembly
democrats who voted for the bill in December must stay steadfast in
support of the bill in order for the override to be successful. Four of
the six have publicly committed to voting in support of overriding the
Governor's veto. Clearly, the two who have not are in the Governor's
sights.
Representative John Steinbrink (D-65), from Pleasant Prairie, has voted
in favor of the PPA four of four times since 2002, including the veto
override in 2004. Now, he reports that he is considering reversing his
long-time support in order to sustain the Governor's veto.
Representative Steinbrink has been a consistent supporter of the Right
to Keep and Bear Arms, specifically for self-defense.
Representative Terry Van Akkeren (D-26), from Sheboygan, has voted for
the PPA all three times that it has come before him since 2003. Like
Representative Steinbrink, he is also considering a change of position
on the very piece of legislation that he voted to support only a month ago.
Of all things, the right to self-defense should trump partisan political
games. Please contact these two representatives and ask them to remain
consistent in their support of Wisconsinites' right to protect
themselves and their loved ones from violence by voting to override the
Governor's veto of the PPA, as they both did in 2004.
You can reach Representative Steinbrink by phone at (888) 534-0065, or
by e-mail at
[email protected].
You can reach Representative Van Akkeren by phone at (888) 529-0026, or
by e-mail at
[email protected].
The FBI reports that over 24,000 Wisconsinites have been the victims of
violent crime--murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault--since the
last failed override in 2004. These citizens deserve the opportunity to
defend themselves. PLEASE ACT NOW!
NRA-ILA "MIX N' MINGLES"
How often do you get the opportunity to mix n' mingle with NRA-ILA
Headquarters staff and fellow NRA members in your area, to earn FREE NRA
items, and to assist with the efforts of candidates seeking office in
your area? Well, in preparation for the 2006 elections, you will have
the opportunity to do just that.
This election year, NRA-ILA will be hosting FREE NRA-ILA Mix N' Mingles
across the country. These events will provide NRA members with training
on what they can do locally to propel candidates to victory this
election season. The meetings also provide attendees the opportunity to
meet and socialize with lawmakers, candidates, their staffs, NRA-ILA
Headquarters staff, and fellow area NRA members--and to earn FREE NRA
fraternal items like hats, pocketknives, buttons, etc. Mix N' Mingles,
including materials, food, beverages, and NRA items are FREE!
The first-ever Mix N' Mingle is scheduled for:
-San Antonio, TX--2/25/06
NRA members who have access to the Internet can go to
www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line. NRA members
are encouraged to check this website address frequently to see if any
upcoming Mix N' Mingles are scheduled in their area. NRA members may
also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683)
for details and to reserve their seats.
D.C. PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT-- A TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
As we continue to note, one of NRA-ILA's top legislative priorities in
Congress continues to be the passage of S. 1082 and H.R. 1288--the
Senate and House versions of the "District of Columbia Personal
Protection Act." This legislation seeks to restore the
constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights of the residents of
the District of Columbia.
The need for this corrective legislation is obvious. Since 1977, the
District has banned the possession of all handguns not acquired and
registered before that year. D.C. law also prohibits keeping an
assembled rifle or shotgun in the home, effectively outlawing the use of
firearms for lawful self-defense. And despite these Draconian gun
control laws, Washington, D.C., consistently has one of the highest
homicide rates in the nation.
Please be sure to contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and ask
them to cosponsor and support S. 1082 and H.R. 1288.
For a list of Senate cosponsors, please visit
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01082:@@@P.
For a list of House cosponsors, please visit
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR01288:@@@P.
You can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or your U.S.
Representative at (202) 225-3121.
HELP NRA-ILA FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IN THE COURTS!
With NRA engaged in various legal battles to protect our Second
Amendment rights across the country, we are asking NRA members to
contribute to NRA-ILA as we fight for freedom in the courts. Please
encourage your friends, family, and other Second Amendment supporters to
stand with NRA-ILA by making a financial contribution to help us fight
for freedom. You may contribute by mail (please make checks payable to
NRA-ILA, and send to: NRA-ILA, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA
22030); by telephone at (800) 392-8683; or via our website at:
https://secure.nraila.org/Contribute.aspx.
Thank you for your continued support in our efforts to further the cause
of freedom.
[Contributions to NRA-ILA are not deductible as charitable contributions
for Federal income tax purposes.]
A LOOK AT THE STATES
(****For all of the action items below, you can find contact information
for your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at
www.NRAILA.org. As always, thank you for your support.****)
HAWAII
A coalition of law enforcement groups has proposed a ban on the sale and
possession of .50 caliber rifles and ammunition. While a copy of the
legislation has yet to be made available, it is likely to look very
similar to the California legislation signed into law in 2005. As you
know, these rifles are used for legitimate sporting purposes, but have
been demonized in the press and by anti-gun groups looking for the next
gun control scheme. It is vital that NRA members and friends in the
pro-gun community call their state legislators at (808) 587-0666 and ask
them to oppose this proposed gun ban BEFORE it gets a hearing.
ILLINOIS
Governor Blagojevich (D), with the support of anti-gun Chicago Mayor
Daley (D) and extremist gun-ban organizations, continues his assault on
our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The anti-gun Blagojevich-Daley duo are
promoting passage of HB 2414, a gun ban bill that failed to pass last
year in spite of several amendments that were little more than weak
attempts to gain support by pretending to water down the bill. On
Wednesday, during his State of the State Address to the Illinois General
Assembly, Blagojevich renewed his call for HB 2414's ban on many
semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, as well as .50 caliber rifles, all
of which are widely owned by law-abiding citizens. The governor
claimed, "No law-abiding citizen needs (the firearms affected by the
ban) to be safe or to hunt." But such a statement intentionally ignores
the fact that many of the firearms Blagojevich would like to ban are
commonly used for protection from violent criminals, and re both legal
and regularly used for hunting. The day before he spoke to the General
Assembly, Blagojevich joined with Daley, who has advocated banning all
firearms from law-abiding civilians, in a joint news conference to
launch their anti-gun assault. Among the firearms targeted by the
governor and the mayor are .50 caliber rifles--large, expensive firearms
prized by collectors and competitive shooters that are rarely, if ever,
used in violent crimes. Nonetheless, Blagojevich implied the only
reasons a law-abiding citizen would choose to own one would be to "act
as a terrorist and be a criminal and a gangbanger." This attack on gun
owners could be because the governor is faced with dismally low approval
ratings and a tough bid for reelection in the Fall. He has apparently
decided that declaring open season on all law-abiding gun owners will
somehow help with his campaign. In contrast, during his campaign for
governor in 2002, Blagojevich tried to win over gun ownes by pledging,
"We will not raise (the cost of) the FOID card." He failed to tell
those same gun owners he would work to ban firearms, making FOID cards
irrelevant. And speaking of FOID cards, the governor has recently been
at the center of a controversy regarding their renewal process.
Blagojevich has induced staff cuts at the Illinois State Police, which
has led to serious delays in the processing of FOID card renewals. What
this means is, through no fault of their own, law-abiding gun owners in
Illinois who apply for the renewal of their FOID card run the risk of
becoming de facto criminals due to bureaucratic bungling should their
card expire while waiting for its renewal. A process that should take
no more than 30 days is now taking up to 50 days, if not more. An
unsympathetic spokesman for the state police told the Bloomington, Ill.
Pantagraph that FOID card holders whose cards expire while awaiting
renewal "are technically in violation at that point." He went n to say
that anyone to whom this happens is at the mercy of any police officer
who finds someone in "violation." The spokesperson stated, "Just like
when you are speeding, it's one of those situations that you are in
violation (of the law)." "But," he continued, "the officer has the
right (sic) to decide exactly what action he's going to take at that
point." There are two major problems with such a statement, however.
First, police officers have powers and authority, not "rights," to
enforce laws. Second, when you are speeding, your actions are what led
to violating a law, while the state police created the problem with the
FOID card. Based on the FOID card problem he helped create, and his
efforts to ban guns in Illinois, Governor Blagojevich seems to have
decided he does not need a single gun owner to vote for him in order to
win reelection. Perhaps he expects members of the General Assembly to
hold the same position by supporting his ban. Please contact yor
legislators at (217) 782-2000, to let them know their vote on HB 2414
will be remembered come Election Day in November. A vote on this bill
could take place in the House of Representatives any day, so it is
critical that Representatives hear from the pro-gun community
immediately. Tell them to oppose any efforts to ban lawful firearms in
Illinois, and to vote against HB 2414. Be sure to let their colleagues
in the Senate know your feelings, as well.
MISSISSIPPI
This week, the Senate passed SB 2426, the NRA-backed "Castle Doctrine"
and self-defense reform bill sponsored by Senators Charlie Ross
(R-Brandon) and Ralph Doxey (R- Holly Springs), on a 35-9 vote. The
House has approved a similar version of the legislation--HB 882. Each
bill now moves to the other chamber for consideration. Please contact
your State Senators at (601) 359-3770, and your State Representatives at
(601) 359-3360 (during normal business hours), and urge them to pass
legislation reforming Mississippi's self-defense laws this session!
NEBRASKA
On Thursday, January 12, LB 454 known as the "Concealed Handgun Permit
Act," advanced from General to Select File, after a successful cloture
vote of 34-7. LB 454 will continue to a second round of debate in the
coming weeks. Thank you to all who called their State Senator and
helped advance LB 454 through this important step. Please continue with
phone calls to your State Senator requesting his or her further support
of LB 454 and your Second Amendment Rights! The contact number for the
Nebraska legislature is (402) 471-2271.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
HB 1369, a bill prohibiting New Orleans-style confiscations of
lawfully-owned and carried firearms, will be heard on Tuesday, January
24, at 1:30 p.m. HB 1369 also bars posting of "no firearms" signs by
government agencies or officials without legislative authorization. If
you are unable to attend, please call your State Legislator at (603)
271-2111 and ask him or her to support HB 1369.
NEW YORK
Speaker Sheldon Silver's (D-64) anti-gun package remains in the hands of
the State Senate. The package includes bills that will put licensed
dealers out of business (A 9280), ban many popular sporting firearms by
expanding the ban on so-called "assault weapons" (A 2466A), outlaw .50
caliber firearms (A 4471), and ban types of ammunition commonly used by
sport shooters (A 2837). Also included in the package are proposals to
criminalize the failure to lock up firearms (A 673A), and ban the sale
of firearms without "childproofing devices" integrated into the design
of the firearm. Please contact your State Senator today at (518)
455-2800 and ask him or her to oppose these bills.
OREGON
Oregon Hunter License and Tag fees will be used to pay agents of the
Federal government to kill mountain lions if the Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission approves the draft "Cougar Management Plan" on
February 9, at the Commission meeting in Salem. Commissioners heard the
draft plan on January 5. The draft recognizes the dramatic adverse
impact that increasing cougar populations are having on Oregon big game
herds and proposes a proactive approach to reducing cougar populations
using agents of the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services Division. This action
is being proposed due to the inability of the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife to control cougar populations as a result of the passage of
Measure 18 in 1994. Measure 18 prohibited the use of dogs by sport
hunters to hunt cougar and bear. Without this proven management tool,
cougar numbers have exploded, resulting in increased attacks on
livestock and domestic pets and depleting big game numbers.nbsp; Cougar
populations need to be reduced. The conflict arises in using license
and tag fees to hire federal agents using dogs to kill Oregon's big
game. The "public" has voted to prohibit the use of dogs by hunters.
The "public" defeated a ballot measure to overturn Measure 18. The
"public" should pay to correct what they have voted to do. We urge you
to contact the Fish and Wildlife Commissioners at (503) 947-6000, and
tell them that any increase in the use of hunter dollars to fund the
cougar plan is unacceptable and that funding should be obtained from the
state's General Fund. You can view the Plan at
www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/cougar/. Comments on the plan may be sent
to
[email protected]. Deadline for comments is February 8, 2006.
VERMONT
The NRA-ILA is pleased to announce the up-coming 2006 Spring Candidate
Forum. This event is being sponsored by NRA-ILA, The Vermont Federation
of Sportsman Clubs, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Vermont
Trappers' Association, National Association of Shooting Ranges and the
National Association of Firearms Retailers. More sportsmen's groups are
expected to join the ranks of this coalition soon. The date for the
event has yet to be set, but as soon as it is determined we will be sure
to let you know.
WASHINGTON
A meeting is scheduled for Senate Bill 5343, on Tuesday, January 24, at
3:30 p.m., in the Senate Judiciary Committee (located in the John A.
Cherberg Building, Hearing Room 1). The bill prohibits non-licensed
individuals from buying, selling, or trading firearms from their private
collections at gun shows without conducting the exchange through a
licensed firearm dealer. The NRA opposes this restrictive legislation
and encourages you to attend this meeting and voice your concern to
legislators. Please check www.NRAILA.org for future updates on SB
5343. If you are unable to attend this meeting, please call your State
Senator at (800) 562-6000 and strongly urge him or her to oppose SB 5343.
From John Farnam:
16 Jan 06
The Problem with Denim:
At a recent pistol course in PA, I witnessed a penetration demonstration
in which a variety of pistol rounds were fired into gelatin blocks. In
bare gelatin, all high-performance pistol bullets, from virtually every
major manufacturer, expanded fully and symmetrically, penetrating
between ten and fourteen inches. It all looked good to me!
That is, until we placed four layers of denim on the front surface of
the gelatin block, so that bullets fired into gelatin had to pass
through the denim first. In nearly every case, the cavity defined by
the bullet's hollow point plugged with fiber from the denim. The result
was that most hollow-point bullets failed to expand at all and
subsequently passed through the gelatin essentially like hardball.
Notable exceptions were Cor-Bon Powerball and Cor-Bon DPX. Both
expanded monotonously, no matter what they had to penetrate first.
Amazing stuff!
This was an eye opener for all of us. Clothing worn by felons really
does make a difference, far more than I would have expected.
/John
(How many people wear four layers of denim?)
18 Jan 06
I'm at the ASLET (American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers)
Convention in Albuquerque, NM right now. Some notes:
Dick Davis is now running Armor Express out of Central Lake, MI and is
aggressively marketing his kevlar body armor. The first body armor was
made by Dick Davis, and he is back in the driver's seat at his new
company. He is making a copy for me right now!
Ka-bar has a new knife mounted in an ankle holster! Slim and slick.
I'm getting a copy.
I finally got my hands on S&W's new M&P pistol. Being produced now in
40S&W, 9mm, 357SIG will follow shortly. I'm sure there will also be
compact versions and eventually versions in 45ACP, probably even 45GAP!
I like the gun! The copy I handled was the same size as a 1911
Commander and nearly as slim. Interchangeable grip panels are a
wonderful feature. Vicki was able to grasp it and easily reach the
trigger, with the smallest grip panel installed. Slide release lever is
on both sides. Magazine release button can be switched from one side to
the other, without tools and without additional parts. Trigger is short
and breaks at seven pounds. Reset is mushy but useable.
Field stripping is similar to Glock's, but a little tedious. One must
push down an internal lever as the slide is locked to the rear. Dry
firing the pistol is not necessary.
LE guns will come with, or without, a magazine safety. Commercial guns
will all come with a magazine safety, but it can be easily removed.
I'll have a copy for testing shortly. Mine, of course, will not have a
magazine safety!
Matt Graham was there with an elaborate display of his three-dimensional
ITC targets. Now equipped with foam weapons and non-weapon artifacts
and standing at normal height, Matt's targets come in every imaginable
ethnicity, hair style, and gender. hese targets lend a degree or
realism to training not available before. I like them!
More later!
/John
(I would wait at least one year, to allow the bugs to be worked out,
before even considering the purchase of an M&P pistol. Reports I have
seen elsewhere indicate that the trigger stroke may vary from one
specimen to another.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
