Department of Interior Extends Deadline for National-Park-Carry Ruling:
..Rather than closing the proscribed comments period as scheduled and
moving toward finalizing this federal regulation, U.S. Senator Daniel
Akaka (D-Hawaii) and U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona),
succeeded in delaying the implementation of the final rule by bullying
the Department of the Interior (their respective congressional
subcommittees have oversight of national parks) to extend the deadline
for comments an additional 30 days! In a letter to Secretary Kempthorne,
Senator Akaka and Representative Grijalva asked that the public comment
period be extended, citing the recent decision in the District of
Columbia v. Heller...Please submit your comments on-line at:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=090000648066022a
Or in writing to:
Public Comments Processing
Attn: 1024-AD70
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222
Arlington, VA 22203
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=4074
---
More from Larry Elder on Heller: The New York Times, in an editorial
condemning the Supreme Court case, says: "Thirty-thousand Americans are
killed by guns every year - on the job, walking to school, at the
shopping mall. The Supreme Court on Thursday all but ensured that even
more Americans will die senselessly." Really? The 30,000 number includes
17,000 suicides. But a person intent on suicide finds a way - gun or no
gun. In Japan, for example, more than twice as many people per capita
kill themselves, yet that country bans handguns...As the city's former
Mayor Marion Barry once put it, "Outside of the killings, Washington has
one of the lowest crime rates in the country." So there.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/LarryElder/2008/07/10/why_do_we_keep_and_bear_arms_part_2?page=full&comments=true
---
Medical Journal Opposes Heller Ruling: The landmark Supreme Court
decision that struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns
"has launched the country on a risky epidemiologic experiment,"
according to the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine. The
editors, who have long been on record as supporters of gun control laws,
published the editorial online today ahead of the journal's July 31
print edition. "If there is a widespread loosening of gun regulations,
we learn over the next few years - in a before-and-after experiment -
whether the laws we had in place had a significant impact in mitigating
death and injury from handguns," wrote Jeffrey M. Drazen, M.D.,
editor-in-chief of the journal, and colleagues.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/tb/10067
---
Misusing Kids for Political Ends: The death of a child is horrible and
painful, and any decent person would do whatever it takes to save that
life. How could an organization called the Children's Defense Fund (CDF)
possibly have an agenda that could result in more child fatalities? A
recent report by the CDF leads with: "Firearm Deaths Among Children and
Teens Increase for the First Time Since 1994: 3,006 in 2005." Insisting
this ties into the now-defunct Clinton "assault weapons" ban, CDF says...
http://www.newswithviews.com/Nemerov/howard4.htm
---
Chicago Suburb Initiates Repeal of Handgun Ban: Quietly, in the wake of
last month's Supreme Court decision on gun ownership, the village board
in north suburban Wilmette has taken the first step toward repealing its
handgun ban...Introduction of the measure that would repeal the
19-year-old ban was in stark contrast to the intense debate that marked
its 1989 passage and subsequent enforcement. Tuesday night, only 15
people attended the board meeting, none indicated a desire to speak on
the ban, and because introduction was part of the consent agenda, no one
else mentioned it, either...
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/2565672.php?
---
Philadelphia Sets Fine for Not Reporting Gun Loss: City leaders are
moving ahead with their effort to crack down on guns despite the U.S.
Supreme Court's recent ruling that blocked citywide handgun bans. The
city plans to start imposing fines of $1,900 or more for not reporting
lost or stolen guns within 24 hours, one of five gun ordinances the city
council passed earlier this year. Mayor Michael Nutter believes last
month's Supreme Court ruling left room for cities to enforce gun limits
even as it rejected Washington, D.C.'s 32-year-old handgun
ban...However, all five ordinances, including the reporting
requirements, are already the subject of a pending legal challenge by
the National Rifle Association. Lawyer C. Scott Shields, who represents
the NRA in the case, said he will seek a temporary injunction blocking
the reporting requirement. The NRA argues that only the state
Legislature can enact gun laws in Pennsylvania...
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20080709_ap_phillysets1900finefornotreportinglostgun.html
---
Anti-RKBA Politician Lies About Carry Permit: The Tennessee Republican
Party has unearthed a potentially damaging bombshell regarding House
Speaker Jimmy Naifeh. The party accuses Jimmy Naifeh of lying in a press
release describing himself as a concealed carry permit holder nine days
after catching heat from the gun rights community for engaging in some
inspired parliamentary maneuvering in order to to scuttle a piece of
legislation which would have concealed the identities of concealed
permit holders. The Tennessee Firearms Association asserts that Naifeh's
"boast" on April 11 that he had become a permitholder was a lie. Naifeh,
according to public records, did not officially apply for the permit
until April 21 and thus could not legally have received his permit until
at least a month later...
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2008/07/09/naifeh-fudges-on-gun-permit-claim-in-wake-of-controversy/
---
Ohioans Defend Open Carry: The Chief of Police in Willowick has followed
through with his promise to help us effect change at the statewide level
by writing a letter to Ohio Attorney General Nancy Rogers. His letter
echoes the concern of our own, that there are misconceptions among many
in law enforcement regarding the legality of open carry. We hope AG
Rogers will help resolve the problem and ensure all law enforcement
agencies in Ohio are aware of the fact that open carry by law-abiding
citizens not otherwise restricted by law is perfectly legal...
http://www.ohioccw.org/content/view/4025/83/
---
Gun Sales Rise in Florida County: Gun shop owners in Lee County say
sales are up and they attribute the increase to home invasions.
Officials with the Lee County Sheriff's Office say at least 15 home
invasions have been reported this year. In Cape Coral, police say they
have investigated five and have solved most of them...Cape Coral
resident Jocelyn Erickson warns criminals to stay away from her
property. "I can only say one thing: God help anyone who comes into my
home if I didn't open the door first," she said... (Some of my CWP
students may recall the story of Sammie Foust, read from The Best
Defense, which took place in Cape Coral.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25612650
---
Roll Over, Bark and Beg: ...The other day I glanced at the web site of
the Lake Chapala Society, a social club of sorts for expats around
Mexico's Lake Chapala, an hour south of Guadalajara (where I live).
Clicking on "Safety," I found a long list of reasons why you should
never, ever use a firearm to protect your home and family. No. See, you
might miss, or be scared, or the intruders might take it away and shoot
you, and they might be all mad and hurt you when all they wanted was
your television. No, the best thing is to let them do what they want,
and then maybe they won't do anything bad to you. This supposedly was
written by a retired cop but, if so, he (or quite possible she, judging
by the tone) doesn't sound like any cop I have known, which is whole
lots.. Anyway, his, her, or its advice, is "Leave the guns to people who
are trained and prepared to use them." Which he says he is...
http://fredoneverything.net/FOE_Frame_Column.htm
---
Oops, Wrong Shopper: A Staten Island ex-con whose thug brother blew away
an aspiring actress in cold blood was killed yesterday by a man he was
trying to rob, sources said. Bloods member Grant Fleming, 21, was shot
in the chest three times after he sneaked up behind a man walking into
his Jersey Street apartment with a bag of groceries. The targeted victim
grabbed Fleming's gun and opened fire...
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07092008/news/regionalnews/killers_robber_bro_shot_dead_119095.htm
---
Man Shot by Neighbor Had Extensive Criminal Record: A 29-year-old man
who was shot to death by a neighbor during a domestic disturbance in
Mesa had an extensive criminal record, with three criminal convictions
and a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Abraham Mariscal spent 10
months behind bars at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Florence after he
pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misconduct involving weapons,
according to Arizona Department of Corrections and Maricopa County
Superior Court records. Mariscal's prison sentence stemmed from a series
of two drive-by shootings at the same east Phoenix house on Sept. 24,
2003, in which witnesses gave police conflicting reports about whether
he was the driver or the shooter...Officers reported that Mariscal had
been swinging a pool cue inside the house and causing damage. They said
Mariscal then went outside and continued to cause a disturbance. Police
arriving on the scene found that he had been shot to death by a
neighbor, identified as Sheldon Randolph, officials said. Randolph was
not arrested as police continue to investigate the case...
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/07/10/20080710ev-poolcue0710.html
---
Rule Five Reminder: State Police Lt. Richard R. Bolduc was placed on
restricted duty and reassigned last Wednesday after his 12-year-old son
gained access to his unloaded gun, pointed it at a neighbor's 5-year-old
daughter and pulled the trigger, police said. On June 25, the boy
brought the unloaded gun to his neighbor's house after having a beef
with children there, Sandwich Police Chief Michael Miller said. He
carried the gun in his belt, pulled it out and after a dispute over
whether the weapon was real, the boy pulled the trigger, Miller
said...When Sgt. Terence Murphy went to the boy's house to question him,
the 12-year-old led him to an unlocked bureau where the gun was stored
with a loaded magazine next to it, Miller said... (Rule Five: Maintain
control of your firearm.)
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/NEWS11/80707015
---
Utah Police Chief Surrenders Instructor Credentials: Riverdale Police
Chief Dave Hansen, who accidentally shot himself while teaching a
concealed weapon-permit course in May, has resigned as a firearms
instructor. Hansen "voluntarily surrendered" his teaching credentials
before the Bureau of Criminal Identification weapons review board took
up the issue of his competency as an instructor this week, Rep. Curtis
Oda, R-Clearfield, said Tuesday. Oda asked the agency for an
investigation into Hansen's ability as a firearms instructor after the
veteran police officer shot himself in the ankle May 3 while teaching a
concealed weapon-permit course inside a classroom...
http://origin.sltrib.com/news/ci_9817818
---
Safety Warning: A Mendocino County woman who was trying to kill mice in
her trailer with a gun ended up shooting herself and another person. The
43-year-old woman pulled out her .44-caliber Magnum revolver after she
saw the mice scurrying across the floor of her trailer on Highway 20 in
Potter Valley, sheriff's officials said. But she accidentally dropped
the gun, which went off as it struck the floor. The bullet went through
the woman's kneecap, bounced off the keys sitting on the belt loop of a
42-year-old man in the trailer and grazed the man's groin before ending
up in his coin pocket. Authorities did not release the shooting victims'
names. The mice escaped the shooting unharmed. (I could be mistaken but
it sounds as though the revolver was an older Ruger Blackhawk, without
the transfer-bar safety. The latter is designed to prevent such
discharges of dropped guns.)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,378142,00.html
---
Britain Relaxes Pistol Ban for Olympic Shooters: The British government
relaxed gun laws Tuesday to allow shooting teams to prepare for the 2012
London Olympics. Britain banned handguns in 1997 after the massacre of
16 children and a teacher at a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland. The
law includes a ban on guns for licensed sports, preventing domestic
pistol events. But Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has invoked special
exemptions in England and Wales. A similar exemption allowed pistols for
the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Sports Minister Gerry
Sutcliffe said the government would make sure that competitors and
officials can "possess their special competition pistols for the
duration of the games and for any special warm-up events."
http://www.buffalonews.com/nationalworld/international/story/388015.html
---
There's a Reason God Put Those People on an Island: A pensioner who used
a piece of wood to chase away a gang of teenagers who had been throwing
stones at his home is facing a jail term after being arrested and
charged with possessing an offensive weapon. Sydney Davis, 65, a
father-of-two, dialled 999 when his home in the Pinehurst area of
Swindon, Wilts, came under attack. But when police failed to turn up
over the next two hours he decided to take action himself. He grabbed a
section of wood from a broken-up sofa lying in his front garden and
chased the youths down the street - just as police officers finally
arrived. Mr Davis, a retired builder, was astonished when police
arrested him while allowing the gang to run to safety...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2269229/Pensioner-arrested-for-chasing-away-youths-with-plank.html
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
