Parker/Heller, Again: ... Indeed, in the most authoritative explication
of our Constitution, The Federalist Papers, its principal author, James
Madison, wrote in No. 46, "The advantage of being armed, which the
Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation... forms
a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than
any..."
Alexander Hamilton was equally unambiguous on the importance of arms to
a republic, writing in Federalist No. 28, "If the representatives of the
people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in
the exertion of that original right of self-defense..."
Justice Joseph Story, appointed to the Supreme Court by James Madison,
wrote, "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been
considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it
offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power
of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first
instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them."
In other words, the right of the people to bear arms is the most
essential of the rights enumerated in our Constitution, because it
ensures the preservation of all other rights.
http://archive.patriotpost.us/pub/07-46_Digest/
---
Pro-RKBA Democrats Seek Power In Virginia Senate: The Virginia General
Assembly could become more friendly to gun rights advocates despite
gains by Democrats in state elections this month, several lawmakers and
advocates said... Democrats will control the state Senate with a 21 to
19 majority when lawmakers begin their new terms in January, but those
who support stricter controls on gun possession and purchases will hold
only a narrow majority in the Senate Democratic Caucus. Several
Democratic proponents of gun rights are seeking seats on the committee
that considers gun bills, and the possibility looms that the issue could
get greater attention in coming months than under the moderate
Republicans who had controlled the Senate and the committee.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701538.html
---
Utahns Exercise Open-Carry Rights: Most Utahns are aware their state
issues an easily obtained concealed-weapon permit. By passing a
background check and basic course in gun safety, anyone over 21 can
qualify to carry an undercover gun. But in how many places, outside
parts of Africa and the Middle East, can you legally stroll down the
street with a semi-automatic carbine slung over your shoulder, let alone
a handgun on your hip? "Any citizen over 18 can protect themselves by
openly carrying a firearm," says Brian Nelson, an emergency vehicle
equipment salesman who lives in Layton. Nelson is the spokesman for the
Utah branch of OpenCarry.org, a national network organization whose
motto is "A right unexercised is a right lost."
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_7496036
---
In Loco Parentis?: Boston police are launching a program that will call
upon parents in high-crime neighborhoods to allow detectives into their
homes, without a warrant, to search for guns in their children's
bedrooms. The program, which is already raising questions about civil
liberties, is based on the premise that parents are so fearful of gun
violence and the possibility that their own teenagers will be caught up
in it that they will turn to police for help, even in their own households.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/17/police_to_search_for_guns_in_homes/
---
More California Police Get Patrol Rifles: In Oakland, violent crime
skyrocketed by 1,870 incidents. To help crack down on this surge, more
police are upgrading their firepower. A recent poll conducted by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police found that all 20
departments randomly surveyed have either added weapons to patrol units,
or have replaced firearms with military-style guns. Our investigation
found that San Francisco Police will soon be part of this trend. Next
year, the police department will implement a patrol rifle program, where
assault-style weapons will be standard issue for street cops. (However,
they remain banned for private citizens who reside in that state.)
http://www.ktvu.com/station/14553769/detail.html
---
FBI Forensic Test Quietly Abandoned Two Years Ago: ... The science,
known as comparative bullet-lead analysis, was first used after
President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963. The technique used
chemistry to link crime-scene bullets to ones possessed by suspects on
the theory that each batch of lead had a unique elemental makeup. In
2004, however, the nation's most prestigious scientific body concluded
that variations in the manufacturing process rendered the FBI's
testimony about the science "unreliable and potentially misleading."
Specifically, the National Academy of Sciences said that decades of FBI
statements to jurors linking a particular bullet to those found in a
suspect's gun or cartridge box were so overstated that such testimony
should be considered "misleading under federal rules of evidence." A
year later, the bureau abandoned the analysis.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701681.html?hpid=topnews&sub=AR&sid=ST2007111701983
---
Rule Three Reminder: ...The suspect "was subsequently chased into a dark
alleyway in the 100 block of Locust Street," the statement said, adding
that he "would not comply with officers' commands to show his hands" and
"remained in a crouched position with his hands out of view." According
to the police account, officers tried to "pull him up" and take him into
custody. At that point, "there was an accidental discharge" from Officer
Howlett's weapon. (Rule Three: Keep your finger out of the trigger
guard, up on the frame, until your sights are on the target and you're
prepared to fire. The risk of a negligent discharge when the finger is
left inside the trigger guard is magnified greatly if the non-gun hand
engages in some sort of grasping action, prompting a sympathetic
response by the gun hand.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/nyregion/18shot.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
---
Rule Four Quandary: The two undercover police officers who got into a
shootout with a shotgun-toting robber at a Vietnamese restaurant during
lunch Wednesday also shot the three patrons injured in the melee, Denver
Police Chief Gerry Whitman said Thursday evening. Whitman lauded the
officers' quick thinking and credited them for saving lives, saying they
were in an "impossible situation" between deciding to fire at the gunman
or have him take a hostage...The chief said each officer fired six
times. The injured patrons were seated behind the gunman. (Rule Four:
Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it. We must always be
absolutely sure of our target but, in a fight, may not even perceive
what's beyond it - this is why it's crucial to select ammunition whose
bullet has a good likelihood of remaining within the intended target.)
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7477082
---
NRA-ILA Alerts: Alerts for the various states are posted on the NRA-ILA
website.
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/State/
---
From John Farnam:
14 Nov 07
On a History Channel presentation, entitled "Shootout-Iwo Jima," it was
revealed that, when the battle was supposed to be won and over, somebody
forgot to update the Japanese! While exhausted US Marines slept in
tents, having been assured that they were "perfectly safe," a group of
Japanese soldiers, armed only with knives, entered the tents and began
systematically butchering the sleeping Marines.
A Marine lieutenant awoke, saw what was happening, and fought back
boldly with his K-Bar knife. Because of his courage and audacity, he
lived through it. Many of his comrades didn't! Curiously, this
embarrassing chapter is customarily omitted from most Iwo Jima battle
accounts!
Someone up the food chain had withdrawn all ammunition and most weapons
from these Marines, afraid that they may have accidents, shoot locals,
etc. At least, that was the cover story. In the final analysis, a
general, whoever he was, didn't trust these men with guns. "Safety" was
used as a convenient, and innocent-sounding, prevarication, much as it
is today.
Something similar occurred forty-four years earlier at Balangiga, Island
of Samar, Philippines, again to unarmed Marines. And, again, it was the
direct result of arrogant, self-righteous officers, afraid of guns,
afraid of their men. The same thing happened to and entire battalion of
US Marines in Lebanon in 1982.
All that is needed to convert these pathetic massacrers into brilliant
victories is that soldiers and Marines be continuously equipped with
tools they need to accomplish their mission and protect themselves.
Yet, military "leaders " still casually put men and women in harm's way
without the necessary tools of their profession. It infuriates me every
time I hear of our brave servicemen and women who are ordered to disarm
in combat zones, so that they are all "safe."
The second point greened from the Iwo Jima incident is that, no matter
what the odds, victory is still within our reach, when we make it a
habit of always looking for a way to win. All true Operators need to be
able to instantly bring about a change in intensity and attitude, to
"switch" from defense to offense, and to make this switch in an instant,
accepting everything that comes after.
Operators must always be pessimistic, even cynical, with regard to their
"safety" at any place and at all times, accepting that deadly danger is
never more than a second or two away. Indeed, naive assurances of
"safety" are, and ought to be, objects of contemptuous laughter!
However, while always being armed and on guard, Operators need to be
simultaneously sanguine, confident in their own ability and will to do
what need to be done and accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
Having great faith in ourselves and none in circumstances, we go always
forward, boldly!
"Never give in to adversity. Never trust prosperity. And, never fail
to take full note of fortune's irritating habit of doing exactly as she
pleases!"
/John
16 Nov 07
Earlier this week, I shot a four-hundred-pound Red Deer Stag during a
hunting trip in the Midwest. Range was thirty meters, and I had a
profile shot. He was hit, as is my habit, on the point of the
shoulder. He took two steps and precipitously collapsed. Beautiful animal!
I used my DSA/FAL/Congo with a forward-mounted Micro-Aimpoint and
equipped with a Blue-Force-Gear/Vickers sling. Ammunition was Cor-Bon
168gr DPX.
The opportunity was sudden. We saw the animal standing there,
appearing, as it were, out of nowhere, and I was compelled to mount and
fire immediately, as the window was closing fast. The FAL/Aimpoint
combination is formidable! Fast and deadly, I was on him in an
instant. When my shot broke, I caught the link immediately as I stayed
in the sight, but decided against taking a second shot. It was my
judgement that another hit was unnecessary.
With the Micro/Aimpoint forward-mounted, I can shoot with both eyes open
and thus stay in the sight longer than would be the case if I were using
open sights or if the optic were mounted close to my eye. It is the
set-up I recommend.
The single DPX bullet did not exit, and we never recovered it, but,
judging from the behavior of the deer, I have no doubt it performed
well, as all Barnes bullets do!
Vicki shot a running ram at one-hundred meters with her M1-Carbine, also
using Cor-Bon DPX ammunition. Spectacular shot! One shot, and he was
down for the count. Bullet went through-and-through, penetrating twelve
inches of tissue. Iron sights still work just fine!
As an Urban/Fighting Rifle, the FAL/Congo is hard to beat! Fast, handy,
and relatively light, one can drive it to target in the wink of an eye,
particularly when it is equipped with the Vickers sling.
The M1-Carbine is an ideal car-gun. Short and light, with mild recoil
and muzzle blast, it still packs a wallop! DPX ammunition has made it a
legitimate weapon for both hunting and fighting. No point in using
anything else!
Great day!
/John
(John speaks of the Cor-Bon load making the M1 Carbine a legitimate
weapon. I have carried one in my truck for years, secured in a Waller
Soft Safe, whose magazine pockets allow me to pack a basic load of 120
rounds. For years all eight magazines were loaded with Winchester's very
dynamic "hollow softpoint" X30M1 load, of which Jim Cirillo spoke very
fondly. Since the advent of the Cor-Bon load for the M1 Carbine, I have
split my basic load into 60 rounds of each. John places a high priority
on being able to shoot through vehicle doors, which he claims the
Cor-Bon load will do. On the other hand, it will also exit after
penetrating 12 inches of living tissue. Since my Carbine is carried
without a magazine in place, splitting my basic load allows, indeed
forces, me to select the more appropriate load for the scenario - note
the case of the Denver officers, above.)
16 Nov 07
Comments on the History Channel Iwo Jima Presentation, from a Korean War
veteran:
"This is disgusting! While stationed in Korea in the 1950s, I was
always armed wherever I went, inside or outside the wire. Indeed, our
regimental commander had standing orders that anyone, no matter his
rank, observed going about without their weapon and basic-load of
ammunition was subject to disciplinary action by him personally.
In my company, most of us also had personal weapons, sent from home or
acquired locally, to augment our Garands, M1-Carbines, BARs, and 1911s.
In those days, personal weapons, pistols and blades, were not a
problem. In fact, we were encouraged to have and carry them.
One spring day we had a new lieutenant join us. This new lieutenant
noticed a PFC carrying a 1928 Thompson, slung over his shoulder.
Apparently wanting to mark his territory, the lieutenant informed the
PFC that his Tommy Gun was 'unauthorized' and that he needed to turn it
in. The lieutenant also wanted to know where he got it. The PFC
replied proudly and confidently that his father bought it for him and
that he knew how to use it and had, in fact, used it, with great effect,
only a few days previous. Our captain, a real warrior who always lead
from the front, got involved and countermanded the lieutenant's order,
explaining to him, in no uncertain terms, that the PFC in question was
a good man who didn't need to be screwed with! We never saw that
lieutenant again.
I never heard of any 'withdrawal of ammunition.' Even after the
'cease-fire' of 27 July 1953 we remained armed, and that included everyone.
Of course, we did have a few NDs, and a suicide or two, but considering
all those continuously-loaded guns, accidents were extremely rare.
Unlike today, our Colonel had no fear of his men, regularly showing up
in the lines, even personally inspecting our remotest of outposts, with
only one other man with him. I only met him once in-Country, and he was
carrying a personally-owned 357Mg revolver.
Forty plus years later we were to meet again. Same man, steadfast and
steady, even in old age. The Marine/Warrior spirit and bearing was
still there, in spades. Unmistakable!"
Comment: We've come a "long way" since then, eh?
/John
16 Nov 07
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, it is revealed "home-invasion"
burglaries are on the rise in the USA, particularly in high-rent
districts. Along with kidnappings, such home-invasions have been common
in Mexico for years. We're just now catching up!
The vast majority of burglary suspects will not break into any building
they believe to be occupied, wanting no confrontation with anyone who
might be in there. However, home-invaders" are a much more dangerous
breed, who actually seek confrontation with, and control of, residents
of homes, so that they can steal cars, wallets, and compel householders
to withdraw cash from banks, while holding other family members hostage.
The article goes on to give the usual, tired advice: Lower your personal
profile. Keep your mug off TV and out of newspapers. Install
electronic security in you home, and use it. Don't open your door to
people you don't know.
All good advice, but like professing "journalists" everywhere, the
author doesn't even mention the only strategy that is going to provide
any species of real protection: Householders need to be continuously
armed and eminently ready to repel criminal violence, with gunfire, at
all times. The rest is just window dressing!
In fact, arming oneself is referred to in the article as an "extreme
measure" that should only be attempted with "proper licensing and
training." Well, if any of these "journalists" ever set foot west of
the Delaware, they might discover that in Colorado, for example, we
don't have "licensing," except to carry concealed, and one may legally
own any number of guns, even military rifles, without "permission" from
any government agency. In Colorado, extreme risks thus attach to
"home-invasion!"
Once again, East-Coast elitists who author this rubbish are little more
than frightened VBCs, who, like most of their readers, cannot imagine
themselves ever taking decisive action in defending their homes and
families. Instead of making necessary lifestyle changes, they prefer to
remain apprehensive little cowards, huddling together in some Northeast
metro area, deluding themselves into believing someone else will protect
them.
.. and they call themselves "experts!"
/John
(For most of the 12 years that I spent as a volunteer with the L.A.
Sheriff's Department [1987-1999], my primary assignment involved
computer entry of Asian-gang-crime intelligence from the San Gabriel
Valley. It was during that period that we saw the growth of
home-invasion robberies, which became so numerous that they were
assigned their own section of the California Penal Code [PC 212.5 vs. PC
211 for most other robberies]. This trend was initiated by Vietnamese
youth gangs, who targeted wealthy Asian immigrant families, known to
keep large quantities of cash, gold, jade and even firearms in their
homes. Victims were typically located by observing women wearing
ostentatious gold or jade jewelry while shopping, then driving home in
luxury cars, which were followed. Homes were then staked out for a few
weeks and entry usually obtained by subterfuge, such as flower
deliveries on Valentine's Day. As the young Vietnamese began to be
convicted of these crimes, they apparently bragged of them while
confined, spreading the MO to other group of criminals. Another group
which came to be targeted are illegal aliens from Latin America, who
typically keep cash in the home for monthly rent payments and
transmittals back home. Some list members may recall a link to a video
clip from the first episode of Miami Vice, in which Jim Zubiena executes
a spectacularly fast draw from an apparent surrender position
[
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2Il86-38A]. What not everyone will
recall is that the episode contains an earlier scene of a home invasion
which is initiated with a phony flower delivery. I know not what course
others may take but I will not even look through the peephole in my
front door without at least one firearm on my person.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
