Oliver North On Heller: ... The case has generated a flurry of
unprecedented action in both the executive and legislative branches of
government. On Jan. 11, the Department of Justice filed an egregiously
weak amicus - friend of the court - brief in the case. The argument,
submitted by U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, essentially urges the
Supremes to waffle on the issue and send the case back to the lower
courts. The DOJ softball didn't sit well with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
R-Texas. On Feb. 8, she filed an amicus brief on behalf of Heller and
the exercise of his individual rights under the Second Amendment: "A
well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/OliverNorth/2008/02/15/the_2nd_amendments_day_in_court
In Senator Hutchinson's Own Words...:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-hutchison_14edi.ART.State.Edition1.4549744.html
---
The New York Times Supports Microstamping: In October, California Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a smart new law that will help police
apprehend violent criminals and deter the gun traffickers who supply
them. The measure requires that all new semiautomatic pistols sold in
the state starting in 2010 be equipped with technology known as
microstamping, which will allow police to quickly match empty bullet
casings to the weapon that fired them. Legislation that would extend
that requirement nationwide has just been introduced in both houses of
Congress. It deserves full support from lawmakers of both parties, and
both sides of the gun control debate...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/opinion/15fri3.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
---
The New York Times vs. Richard Cheney: The political power of the gun
lobby was formidably displayed this month when a majority of the
nation's lawmakers - 55 Senators and 250 House members - signed on to a
legal brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down the District of
Columbia's ban on handguns. The gun lobby scored an even bigger coup
when Vice President Dick Cheney signed the same brief - a remarkable
move that put him at odds with the administration's own position before
the Supreme Court...
http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/mr-cheney-the-noted-gunslinger-goes-to-court/
---
Sullivan's BATFE Nomination Still Blocked: The confirmation of US
Attorney Michael J. Sullivan as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms, and Explosives was thrown into further doubt yesterday, when a
Republican senator who is blocking the nomination renewed complaints
that Sullivan has refused to loosen licensing rules for guns. The
development means that the future leadership of the US attorney's office
in Boston will remain cloudy for the foreseeable future, because the
Bush administration has been unable to nominate a replacement...
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/14/sullivan_atf_confirmation_blocked/
---
Iowa Sheriffs Oppose Shall-Issue Bill: There was an outcry at the
statehouse Wednesday from county sheriffs objecting to a bill they say
would make it harder for them to deny permits to carry concealed
weapons. The bill changes Iowa law to say the sheriff shall issue a
permit except for a limited list of reasons, including felony
convictions and drug addiction. If a permit's denied a written
explanation would be required. Representative Clel Baudler, a Republican
from Greenfield, says there needs to be more consistency statewide in
issuing the permits. Dubuque county Sheriff Kenneth Runde said that
won't work. He said if he knows someone in his community has assaulted
his wife but never been convicted, he wants to be able to deny a permit.
(I guess Sheriff Runde is either not capable of writing a coherent
letter citing his reason or simply feels that he is better empowered to
judge his constituents than a jury of their peers.)
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=18A2DB76-9E46-6F58-896E7F0ED16A5DFB
---
Colorado Debates Firearm-Storage Bill: In the wake of Columbine, state
lawmakers rejected a proposal requiring gun owners to safely store their
weapons to keep them out of the hands of children. Eight years later,
they're considering a scaled-down version that doesn't say how people
have to store their firearms but would still hold them accountable if a
child ends up bringing the gun to school or hurting or killing
someone... The bill is supported by the American Hunters and Shooters
Association but opposed by other gun groups, including the National
Rifle Association, the Firearms Coalition of Colorado and the Colorado
State Shooting Association...
http://www.aurorasentinel.com/main.asp?SectionID=8&SubSectionID=8&ArticleID=18383
---
Some Exemptions For New York Licensing Requirement: A New York lawmaker
is dropping a plan that would have required museums, historical
societies and living history re-enactors to obtain licenses to own
antique guns and muzzleloading weapons...Gianaris' new plan still
requires purchasers of antique firearms to undergo a background check
the same as they would for handguns. But his new proposal includes an
exemption for museums, historical societies, historic sites, and groups
conducting re-enactment, living history, educational or interpretive events.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--antiqueguns-regul0214feb14,0,716455.story
---
Arizona Sticks With Voluntary Lead-Bullet Restriction: Citing increasing
participation, state officials have extended a voluntary program that
combats lead poisoning among California condors by encouraging hunters
to use nonlead ammunition. Wildlife advocates pressing for a statewide
ban on lead ammunition acknowledge the program's successes but say it
still isn't enough to protect the endangered condors, which can ingest
lead fragments in piles of deer and elk entrails hunters leave in the
wilderness.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/76927.php
---
Florida Teacher Fired For Gun In Vehicle: A Central Florida teacher has
been fired because he kept a handgun in his truck in the school parking
lot. The Polk County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to fire
51-year-old Phillip Bradley. He taught truck mechanics at the Ridge
Career Center in Winter Haven when the 9mm handgun was found in his
truck in the school lot last spring. A hearing officer had recommended
just a 90-day suspension, but School Board members said that would have
set a bad example for students.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/417603.html
---
Oops, Wrong House: Police said one man is in the hospital after an
elderly North Texas man took action into his own hands when confronted
by two armed brothers inside his home Saturday night. Police said they
believe the brothers went to 80-year-old James Pickett's home with the
intent to rob him, and even possibly kill him. However, Pickett - a
World War II veteran, former fighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee -
wasn't about to let that happen...
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080213_mo_fightingback.bd009f6a.html
---
A Tale Of Two Interventions: Pittsfield Township police arrested three
people accused of attacking a man in traffic after he earlier tried to
intervene in a dispute. The victim was outside Falsetta's Market at 2200
Pittsfield Blvd. at about 4 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a man loudly
arguing with a woman and trying to push her into a van, said Detective
Lt. Steve Heller. The victim said he asked if everything was OK and told
the woman she didn't have to get into the vehicle. He said the man told
him to mind his own business, and they left in the van... Two women,
including the woman he tried to help, got out of the van and began
hitting and stomping the victim while he was on the ground, Heller said.
A passing motorist stopped his car, pulled a gun and demanded the trio
stop beating the man, Heller said. Police responded to several calls
reporting a man holding people at gunpoint. Officers determined the man
with a gun had a legitimate concealed weapons permit and was trying to
help, Heller said. (Generally, if you would be allowed to use deadly
force if you were the victim, you can use deadly force to defend a third
party. However, you'd better be absolutely sure you know the whole story
before intervening.)
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/02/daily_police_beat_32.html#more
---
Rule One Reminder: An auxiliary police officer accidentally shot and
killed his son as the two were examining a sniper rifle at their central
Ohio home, police said. Michael Hopkins shot 22-year-old Kyle Hopkins in
the chest with the .308-caliber rifle Tuesday in Marysville, about 25
miles northwest of Columbus, Marysville police said. Michael Hopkins is
an auxiliary officer with the police department in Kenton, about 30
miles to the northwest, assistant police chief Glenn Nicol said. Kyle
Hopkins was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital of Union County. An
autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday. No charges have been filed. Police,
prosecutors and the coroner were investigating.
http://www.policeone.com/off-duty/articles/1660877/
---
Rule Two Reminder: A firestorm of controversy ensued after Mayor Ray
Nagin, sporting a broad smile, seemed to aim an assault rifle at Police
Superintendent Warren Riley in a Times-Picayune newspaper photo...The
Times-Picayune would not comment when contacted on its publication of
the photo. But, Thursday morning, following its review of the video, the
newspaper published the following statement: "A photo in some Metro
sections and on NOLA.com on Wednesday showed a laughing Mayor Ray Nagin
pointing an M-4 rifle at Chief of Police Warren Riley at a news
conference to announce new crime fighting equipment purchased by the New
Orleans Police Department. A review of a video taken at the event shows
that the mayor momentarily pointed the gun at the chief as he was
lowering it but he did not deliberately point it at Riley."
http://www.wdsu.com/news/15301432/detail.html
---
Which Rules Were Violated?: A Deschutes (OR) County sheriff's patrol
deputy of eight years has been placed on "modified duty" after his
service rifle discharged as he was driving on U.S. Highway 97 and the
bullet hit a building... "(The rifle) was in its holder, but he heard it
rattling up there and was trying to put it back," Blanton said... The
rifle was mounted behind Brown's head, Blanton said, with the barrel
pointing at the driver's side window. The rifle was mounted in a patrol
car assigned to Brown, but other deputies are allowed to use it, Capt.
Marc Mills said.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080207/NEWS0107/802070394/1001&nav_category=
The Rules:
http://www.spw-duf.info/safety.html
---
NIU Shooting Another Gun-Free-Zone Failure: The tragic shooting at
Northern Illinois University late Thursday is another failure of the
"gun free zone" mentality that has created a false sense of security on
college campuses and other public venues across the country, the
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
"Gun-free zones have given us nothing but body counts," said CCRKBA
Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb. "This giant loophole in public safety is
becoming a national disgrace and it is time to dramatically change our
perspective on self-defense in this country. This incident is
particularly distressing because it happened in Illinois, one of two
remaining states in which anti-gun state lawmakers and equally-anti-gun
governors have repeatedly thwarted common sense efforts to put
law-abiding citizens on a level playing field with criminals and crazies
by adopting right-to-carry laws," Gottlieb stated. "Illinois and
Wisconsin lawmakers have chosen to leave their citizens at the mercy of
killers who have no mercy.
http://www.ccrkba.org/pub/rkba/press-releases/NorthernIllinoisShooting.htm
---
Related Articles:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/NATION/210707420/1001
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3372540.ece
---
From The Firearms Coalition:
There was another tragedy at a school yesterday. It might have been
preventable. It might have been stoppable. An armed citizen might have
ended the killing. But not in Illinois. The Illinois government
doesn't trust its citizens with guns.
After the tragedy at Virginia Tech I wrote the attached piece. It makes
some good points, but there was a major flaw in it. As mentioned in the
article, one of the primary motivators for this kind of senseless crime
is the public recognition that the murderers receive. They post
pictures and videos on FaceBook and MySpace that they know will be
plastered on the evening news and they write nonsensical diatribes about
the unfairness and depravity in the world as if they are some sort of
messiah or avenging angel. The truth is that they are just demented
cowards seeking attention. The flaw in the attached article was that I
mentioned the names of some of the murderers.
The media figured out long ago that it's a bad idea to show streakers
and unruly fans at football and baseball games. When some idiot runs
out onto the field in his birthday suit the cameras cut away and the
announcers just comment that there's an idiot screwing up the game.
They never publicize the moron's name or discuss his actions because
they know that the publicity will just encourage some other moron to
play copy-cat. For some reason they can't maintain that kind of
standard when mass murder is involved. They seek out the murderer's
family and friends, they publish their rants and photo's and they give
the bastards exactly what they want - fame.
I'm just a little-bitty corner of the media; a small voice crying out in
the wilderness, but I will never again name a murderer or play a role in
keeping his memory alive. I hope that others in the media will grow a
conscience and do likewise. I don't expect it, but I will continue to hope.
You can help by supporting our work, reposting this and our other
writings widely on the internet and at gun clubs and shops, and by
supporting Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) at
www.ConcealedCampus.org. They are organizing another of their "Empty
Holster" protests for the week of April 21 through 25. Students around
the country will strap on empty holsters that week as a visible protest
against being denied the right to defend themselves. SCCC is looking
for students and student groups on campuses nationwide to participate in
the protest and for gunowners to help out by spreading the word,
donating or loaning holsters, and of course helping to pay for the whole
thing.
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of this
selfish, cowardly monster. My actions and writings will continue to
focus on restoring the basic human right of self-defense in an effort to
give future victims a fighting chance. These tragedies can be prevented
and stopped. It's time to end imaginary "Gun Free Zones" and stop
disarming victims.
Yours for the Second Amendment,
Jeff Knox
The Firearms Coalition
Ending Massacres for Good
By Jeff Knox
(Manassas, VA, April 17, 2007) Thirty two students and faculty members
of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University were brutally
murdered on April 16. The story attracted massive media attention all
over the world. Not the worst school massacre in U.S. history, but the
most deadly school shooting (the worst used bombs not guns). In the
aftermath, a serious concern is that history says such highly publicized
criminal acts generate copycat crimes; the greater the media coverage,
the more copycats - and they may take years to act. Every parent of
college students in the United States, and every student, needs to be
thinking about that fact and devising action plans.
No gun control law, no campus alert system, no increased police
presence, buddy-system walking plan, or emergency call-box can stop a
killer committed to the idea of immortalizing himself through murder.
The only gun law which might have mitigated the carnage at Virginia Tech
was a law rejected at the urging of school administrators in the past
two sessions of the Virginia Legislature: a law forbidding state
colleges and universities to prohibit lawful firearms possession on
their campuses.
If concealed weapons permit holders were not prohibited from bringing
their guns onto the campus, would one or more of them likely have been
in a position to abbreviate this latest tragedy? That's hard to say,
but there can be no argument that the school's policy of disarmament
guaranteed that there would be virtually no chance of any of the victims
mounting an armed response.
The previous "worst shooting in U.S. history" was almost stopped by a
young woman who happened to be in Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas
having lunch with her parents when XXXXXXX drove his truck through the
front window and began methodically executing people.
Suzanna Gratia (now Suzanna Hupp), had been convinced to carry a gun by
a prosecutor friend and she had done so without incident for quite some
time, but had recently begun to worry about the legal ramifications of
being caught with the weapon. Texas did not have any provision for
legal concealed carry of firearms at that time and Suzanna was worried
about losing her chiropractic license. She had left the gun in her
glove box rather than carrying it in her purse.
When the shooting started, Suzie instinctively reached for her purse
before realizing that it would do her no good. In the next few minutes,
23 people were murdered, including both of Suzie's parents, and many
more were wounded. Throughout the ordeal, no matter how desperately she
wanted it, Suzanna Gratia was unable to psychically transport the .38
S&W Chief's Special from her locked glove box back into her purse where
it could do her and the others in the restaurant some good.
Another friend, Jacquie Miller, had her gun with her in spite of
Kentucky law forbidding it. Unfortunately, retrieving her gun took just
a second too long. XXXXXXX shot her just as her hand wrapped around the
butt of her Charter Arms revolver.
Both of these women suffered greatly and both went on to champion the
cause of legal concealed carry laws. Both of their attackers took their
own lives after snuffing out the lives of many others. Both of these
women knew that they could have dramatically abbreviated these deadly
sprees. As Suzanna likes to say, having a gun might not prevent an
attack, but it certainly will make one end quicker.
Unfortunately, from a PR standpoint, shooting sprees that are cut short
by armed citizens don't break any death-toll records and therefore don't
receive much media attention. In 1997, after XXXXXXX had stabbed his
mother to death and shot and killed his ex-girlfriend as well as
wounding several other students in Pearl, Mississippi, Assistant
Principal Joel Myrick used a .45 Auto to apprehend XXXXXXX and hold him
for police. XXXXXXX still had a lot of ammo and police suspect he was
on his way to another school to continue his rampage. Joel Myrick, and
the illegal gun he had retrieved from his car, cut those plans short.
As students and parents take a closer look at college security and think
about the inevitable copycat attacks that will occur over the next year
or two, personal security must be carefully considered. A firearm and
training should be a part of that consideration.
Carrying a gun is like wearing a seatbelt. You don't wear a seatbelt
because you expect or hope to get into a car wreck. You wear it because
you never know what might happen and wearing it could save your life.
Permission to reprint or post this article in its entirety is hereby
granted provided this credit is included. To Receive the Firearms
Coalition's bi-monthly newsletter, The Hard Corps Report, send a
contribution to The Firearms Coalition, PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108
or visit FirearmsCoalition.org and ShotgunNews.com �Copyright 2007-2008
Neal Knox Associates
---
From AzCDL:
SB 1214, an AzCDL requested bill, will be heard in the Senate Judiciary
Committee on Monday, February 18, 2008:
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/agendas/0218011086%2Edoc%2Ehtm
