Caution On Heller: ...But beware of courts when they decide to hand down
a definitive decision about a long-debated principle of constitutional
law. That's what happened in 1857 when Chief Justice Roger Taney decided
that the Supreme Court over which he presided was going to clear up the
cloudy legal issues hanging over the South's peculiar institution...It
happened again in 1973, when the Supreme Court in its wisdom installed
abortion as the law of the land rather than leave so morally troubling a
question to the several states. Instead of resolving the issue once and
for all, the high court ignited it. The acrimony over abortion now has
been mounting for decades and shows no signs of abating. That tends to
happen when courts lose the sense of restraint that ought to mark
prudent law...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/COMMENTARY/111300019/1012/COMMENTARY
Contrasting View: Timing is everything, and the Supreme Court's
acceptance of a case regarding the constitutionality of a handgun ban in
Washington, D.C. could become the most critically-timed examination of a
civil right in the nation's history. A decision will come in the middle
of the 2008 presidential campaign, galvanizing gun rights activists who
will demand more than lip service about "support for the Second
Amendment" from whoever are the front-runners in both parties by that
time. An affirmative ruling by the high court that the Second Amendment
protects an individual right to keep and bear arms - beyond membership
in a militia - will crush a cornerstone of gun control extremism, that
the Amendment is protective only of some mythical "collective right" of
states to organize such militias. It won't put the gun control lobby out
of business, but they will have to re-write their rhetoric...
http://www.lagrangenews.com/articles/2007/11/28/opinion/editorials/edit01.txt
---
David Kopel On Heller: ... Millions of Americans own firearms and use
them responsibly, and that right is guaranteed under the Second
Amendment. The D.C. handgun ban is a very rare, extreme and
unconstitutional prohibition. If the Supreme Court were to affirm the
lower court's decision against the handgun ban, it would end the shame
of our nation's capital city depriving its citizens of a right that
legislatures and courts have protected almost everywhere else in the
United States. (Scroll down to "Ban the Ban?")
http://techcentralstation.com/
---
NICS Doubles Listing Of Mentally Ill: The number of mentally ill people
named in a federal database barring them from buying guns has more than
doubled since the Virginia Tech shootings, the Justice Department said
yesterday..."As the Virginia Tech tragedy made clear, it is vital that
[the database] have accurate and complete information on persons
prohibited from possessing firearms because of mental health history,"
Mr. Mukasey told the National Association of Attorneys General. "Several
states have begun submitting records that previously had not, or have
worked to increase the number of records they submit." ...Despite Cho's
gun purchases, Virginia traditionally has submitted far more names of
mentally ill people to the federal database than other states, Justice
data show...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071130/METRO/111300072/1004
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112901238.html
Some States Wary Of Privacy Violation: U.S. states have put more names
of mentally ill people into a database for gun-purchase background
checks since April's Virginia Tech shootings, but some remain reluctant
for privacy reasons, U.S. officials said on Thursday...Another six
states are moving in some way to submit names, officials said. But other
states remain reluctant, a department official said, often because
mental-health status has "traditionally been considered pretty private
information, and stigmatizing information."
http://www.newsmax.com/us/mental_records_gun_buys/2007/11/29/53361.html
---
Minnesota Church-Carry Battle: In Minnesota, the media's getting it all
wrong in their coverage of a Right-to-Carry case. WCCO-TV reports that
a couple of churches are trying to exempt themselves from Minnesota's
Right-to-Carry law. But that's not really what's going on here. These
churches can already nullify Right-to-Carry on church property if they
want, just by posting the legally required signage...One church has
posted a sign that says, "Blessed are the peacemakers. Firearms are
prohibited in this place of sanctuary." I'd suggest that church read
David Kopel's excellent article for America's First Freedom, "Is the
Best Defense a Good Book?" They could also read Kopel's "The Torah and
Self-Defense" as well. These church leaders might realize that there's
no religious reason to be defenseless.
http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=340
---
North Dakota College Contemplates Gun-Free Zone: ...This year NDSCS
revised the firearms policy, which does not allow firearms on campus
without written permission from the Director of Student Life. If a
person receives written permission, they must keep their firearms cased,
unloaded and locked in their vehicle. The new variation allows students
in skeet-shooting classes to fill out a registration form with the
Student Life office. Students who hunt are allowed to register their
firearms only during the season and as long as they have a valid
Minnesota or North Dakota license...Schmitz has also been pushing for a
weapon-free zone for the campus. With many claiming Second Amendment
rights and a large population of hunters attending the school, the
campus police department received resistance to the idea.
http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2007/11/29/news/news02.txt
---
Cook County May Limit Gun Shops: Citing the senseless loss of life
resulting from random gun violence, Cook County Commissioner Larry
Suffredin took a giant step today toward reducing the number of handguns
on the streets of Chicago and Cook County by introducing an ordinance
that would restrict the location where gun shops in suburban Cook County
can operate. "I am tired of business as usual. I am tired of picking up
the paper or turning on the news to see reports about innocent children
gunned down in cold blood, because some gang member bought a gun at
their local gun shop, "Suffredin said. "For nearly thirty years, I have
fought for sensible gun laws. Whether it was against the NRA or
legislative leaders, I fought to pass laws to keep guns off our streets."
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS52166+29-Nov-2007+PRN20071129
---
Age And Determination Beat Youth And Replica Gun: Thinking the gun
pointed at him was real - and believing he might be shot - 72-year-old
Reinaldo Herrera said he somehow found the strength to overpower a
21-year-old gang member allegedly sent by his own nephew to rob him at
his home Tuesday afternoon in Westbury (NY)... "I just take the gun,"
Herrera said. "I don't know how I get the power."
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-ligang1129%2C0%2C4973637.story
---
Shooter Banned From Gym: The man shot in a fight at a Northeast
Knoxville fitness center and the man who police say pulled the trigger
won't be welcome there anymore...Police said Kristopher Kitts, 29, shot
Erik Knight, also 29, once in the stomach Wednesday night with a
22-caliber pistol during a fight in the locker room of the Rush Fitness
Complex, 3001 Knoxville Center Drive...DeBusk said Knight attacked Kitts
about 6:30 p.m., knocked Kitts down and was choking him when Kitts
reached into his pocket and pulled out a pistol. DeBusk said Kitts has a
carry permit for the weapon.
http://knoxnews.com/news/2007/nov/29/gym-shooter-wont-be-charged-police-say-victim-star/
---
European Union Votes For Stricter Firearm Laws: The European Parliament
has voted to tighten laws on obtaining and possessing firearms. The age
at which a firearm can be bought or owned will be raised to 18, unless
it is for hunting or target shooting under adult supervision.
Blank-firing guns that could be converted will also be made illegal...EU
governments are expected to approve the reforms by the end of the year
and the directive is due to come into force in January 2008. Member
states will then have two years to put the changes into practice.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7118719.stm
---
Massive Firearms Raid In Britain: Nearly 120 people were arrested and
1,300 guns and imitation firearms seized in a major police crackdown, it
was announced today. Raids in hotspots which account for more than half
of Britain's gun crime - Manchester, London, Liverpool and Birmingham -
involved more than 1,000 officers yesterday. The operation seized 10
handguns and �5,900 in cash. Officers also confiscated six imitation
handguns, 1,290 other realistic imitation firearms, three CS gas
canisters, a stun gun and four air weapons.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=497368&in_page_id=1770
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
