The New York Times Supports National Parks Carry Ban: Forty-seven United
States senators recently wrote to the secretary of the interior, Dirk
Kempthorne, asking him to lift the ban on carrying ready-to-fire weapons
in national parks and wildlife refuges. Under current law, guns carried
into or through a national park or refuge must be unloaded, taken apart,
or cased in a way "that will prevent their ready use." According to the
senators' letter, this rule infringes on gun owners' rights and is
"confusing, burdensome and unnecessary." ... They also appear to have
forgotten that national parks and refuges are federal lands, set aside
as peaceful preserves for all the species that enjoy them, including
humans. Ready-to-fire guns have no place in them. (Unfortunately,
criminals, by definition, don't obey rules and laws.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/opinion/07mon4.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
---
Pizza-Delivery Shooting Spurs Debate In Missouri: Missouri's firearm
statutes gave the Domino's pizza deliveryman who shot and killed a
would-be assailant Dec. 28 every right to use a legal weapon to protect
himself and his property. By simply carrying the gun, however, the still
unidentified employee violated a company policy prohibiting Domino
workers from packing a weapon even if, as happened in Ferguson on the
night of the shooting, the employee was using his own car...Other
businesses that send workers on the road with cash have policies that
differ from Domino's. Deferring to state firearm law, the St. Louis Taxi
Commission leaves the decision about allowing drivers to arm themselves
up to the individual cab companies. St. Louis' Harris Cab Company, in
turn, leaves the decision to the discretion of the drivers.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/EEBC706507326DE3862573C7000EE454?OpenDocument
---
Virginia Tech Shootings Boost Mental-Health Budget: ...However, the
critical issue this year for state lawmakers and Gov. Tim Kaine likely
will be the aftermath of the massacre last year at Virginia Tech in
which a mentally unstable student fatally shot 32 students and teachers.
The proposed two-year cost of fixing the state's network of
mental-health services - roughly $40 million - is negligible in the
context of a $78 billion budget.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080107/METRO/199983404/1004
---
Virginia Tech Shootings Unlikely To Affect Virginia Gun Shows: ...
"Please," Goddard plans to tell legislators, "don't wait for another
Tech tragedy before you act." Pro-gun legislators, who have defeated
identical measures in each of the past three years, know how they'll
respond to the Tech parents. "They'll very likely be asked to explain
the connection between the gun show loophole and the massacre at Tech,"
said state Sen. Kenneth Stolle,
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/despite-tech-shootings,-gun-show-rules-unlikely-be-altered
---
Newspaper Opposes Georgia RKBA Bills: ...Bearden's legislation goes well
beyond a chicken in every pot; he wants a Colt in every pub. He
eliminates virtually all the existing limits on where weapons can
legally be carried in Georgia. His bill strikes the long-standing ban on
weapons at "public gathering" sites, including private schools, athletic
events, churches, colleges, political rallies, bars and public
buildings, such as libraries and city halls... (More than 20 states do
not ban firearms in bars and see no problems from the lack of such a ban.)
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/01/04/gunsed_0106.html
Rant From The Georgia Chamber Of Commerce:
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/010608/opinion_20080106027.shtml
NRA Response:
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/01/07/equaled_0107.html
---
Michigan Sees More Permits, Fewer Shooting Deaths: Six years after new
rules made it much easier to get a license to carry concealed weapons,
the number of Michiganders legally packing heat has increased more than
six-fold. But dire predictions about increased violence and bloodshed
have largely gone unfulfilled, according to law enforcement officials
and, to the extent they can be measured, crime statistics. The incidence
of violent crime in Michigan in the six years since the law went into
effect has been, on average, below the rate of the previous six years.
The overall incidence of death from firearms, including suicide and
accidents, also has declined.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/NEWS06/801060602/1008
---
While In Tennessee...: The number of justifiable homicides in Memphis
jumped from 11 in 2006 to 32 in 2007. No one is sure why, but one man
has a theory. "The thugs have started running into people who can
protect themselves," said Tom Givens, owner and instructor at the
firearms training school RangeMaster, 2611 S. Mendenhall in Memphis.
Police detectives and prosecutors don't think it's that simple, and they
acknowledge the spike could be a one-time occurrence. "It's hard to put
your finger on it," said police Lt. Joseph Scott. "There are more
handgun carry permits, there is more education, but you can't say that's
the reason."
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/05/justifying-homicide/
---
More Residents Of North Carolina County Take Up Arms: Don Le, owner of
Andy's Pantry on Grove Street, came under fire as he closed his store
last month. Mr. Le, no doubt to the disbelief of his attacker, returned
fire and escaped uninjured. Jennifer Vincek, a convenience store cashier
in Statesville, did not resist an armed man a few weeks ago. For her
cooperation, Vincek, a mother of three, was shot in the leg and in the
head... As store owner Don Le told a reporter last month, "The police
can't be here 24/7." (The gun owner's mantra: "Call for a cop, call for
an ambulance, and call for a pizza. See who shows up first.") Carl Abbe
made a similar observation, stating that the police department's "serve
and protect" motto can only be half-fulfilled. Law enforcement serves
fairly well, but only after the fact. Protecting every citizen is
impossible. Therefore, says Abbe, "We must be prepared to defend ourselves."
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/NRSTAFF/801060315
---
Pennsylvania Man Fights To Regain Permit: More than a dozen supporters
of gun rights are expected to attend a Franklin County Court hearing on
Tuesday when President Judge John R. Walker will hear arguments on
whether a Chambersburg man should get back his permit to carry a
concealed firearm...Wollyung revoked Rotz' concealed weapon permit after
an incident at the New Franklin voting precinct on Election Day (Nov.
6). A state constable challenged Rotz who was wearing a handgun in a
holster at his side. The constable cautioned Rotz to leave the gun in
his vehicle. Rotz asserted his right to open carry.
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_7893130
---
North Carolina Dealer Fights To Keep Licenses: Jim's Gun Jobbery of
Fayetteville and a sister store in Wilmington have been granted a trial
in their fight to keep their firearms dealer licenses...In 2004, the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked the gun
sales licenses of the Fayetteville store and Jim's Pawn & Gun of
Wilmington. The bureau contended that the stores were lax in keeping
records of their gun inventory and sales...His ruling notes that the ATF
sent a warning letter to Jim's that said, "it appears that you have made
a concerted effort to comply with the laws and regulations governing
firearms transactions."
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=282189
---
Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: A homeowner shot and killed a man as
he forced his way into a home in Copperas Cove on Friday afternoon,
police said. Police were called to 2204 Boland St. after shots were
fired inside the home. They discovered a man who had been shot several
times in the upper torso, Copperas Cove police said in a statement.
Through the investigation, police learned the man was an intruder who
had "entered the residence unlawfully and apparently used physical force
against the homeowner," police said.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/01/05/01052008waccops3.html?imw=Y
http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=21834
---
Oops, Wrong House, Michigan Version: An 82-year-old man on Detroit's
northwest side shot and severely wounded an intruder who walked into his
Collingwood Street home Sunday afternoon. Police said that the intruder,
a 44-year-old man from Redford, was visiting friends in the neighborhood
when he entered the home of Thomas Jackson, 82, and his wife... Police
are investigating why the man had entered the home, but a friend told
Local 4 that the intruder has a history of mental illness. "What he
does, he's been known to go into people's houses and just sit down,"
said friend Charles Smith.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14989659/detail.html
---
Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A Sikeston man was killed in what appears
to be a firearm accident Friday...Reed had been target shooting prior to
the incident, according to the DPS news release. He had purchased a
bottle of cleaning oil and taken it to the shooting area. There was
cleaning material, including the oil and cleaning pads on the counter in
the shooting area of the store. There was no one else in the area at the
time of the incident. (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule
Two: Don't let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot.)
http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/865/public/news866437.html
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
