Justices, Historians Differ over History: ...In the other case, District
of Columbia vs. Heller, the justices wrote about 150 pages of opinion
and dissent on whether the 2nd Amendment was intended to preserve a
"well-regulated militia" in each state or to protect an individual's
right to keep a gun for self-defense...Scalia also cited studies by UCLA
law professor Eugene Volokh and others showing that some Colonial-era
state constitutions spoke of a right "to bear arms for the defense of
themselves and the state." This suggests that the right to bear arms
extended beyond service in the state militia. In dissent, Justice John
Paul Stevens said Scalia was looking in the wrong place. James Madison,
the author of the Bill of Rights, rejected broader proposals and focused
on preserving "a well-regulated militia" and a right to "bear arms" in
military service, Stevens contended...
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus13-2008jul13,0,2283584.story
Related Commentary:
http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=315405
http://www.slate.com/id/2194999/?from=rss
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/248050
---
Rule Five Reminder: A jury has cleared Pennsylvania state Sen. Robert
Regola of any wrongdoing in the death of his neighbor, a 14-year-old
boy. The Republican lawmaker was charged with perjury, reckless
endangerment and allowing a minor to illegally possess a gun. The teen
used the handgun, which was registered to Regola, to shoot himself in
July 2006. He had been in the Regola residence, in Hempstead, the night
before, caring for the family dog, while the state senator was out of
town. A coroner ruled the death a suicide. (Rule Five: Maintain control
of your firearm.)
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/247979
---
When Guns Are Outlawed...: ...The Sunday Telegraph has obtained data
from 33 of the 43 forces in England and Wales, covering more than
four-fifths of the population. The figures show that 20,803 serious
knife crimes were recorded in the year to March, or 56 per day. Allowing
for forces that did not provide figures, the nationwide total is
expected to be about 25,000. If Scotland and Northern Ireland attacks
were included, it would be even higher. The count includes only murders,
stabbings where blood is spilt, and knife-point muggings. If
less-serious crimes such as threats or illegal possession were included,
the figures would be much higher.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/2298646/Knife-crime-claims-60-victims-a-day.html?DCMP=EMC-new_13072008
---
7 July 08
>From a friend and Instructor in IL:
"The issue within the twisted reality of Chicagoland politics is the
fact that there are some really decent people, dear friends of mine,
living in the middle of ceaseless, major crime-zones, who don't want to
become victims, and who thus want to become armed and trained.
A courageous friend in this very position recently confronted a
fleeing, violent felon who was desperately trying to escape from CPD
officers during a foot-chase. The felon tried to find refuge in a
neighbor's tool shed, but experienced a sudden mind-change when
confronted by my friend, pistol in hand, who instructed the felon that
it was time for him to move on!
The felon was captured minutes later, without incident, hiding in
another property down the street.
All well and good, but this dauntless, armed homeowner knows full well
that, had he held the perp at gunpoint and subsequently presented him to
police, an act which he considers his civic duty, the police would have
arrested him on a preposterous weapons charge, along with the felon.
Of the two, the felon would have been out of jail sooner!
The incident would have cost my friend thousands of dollars and consumed
hundreds of hours of work time. He may well have spent significant time
in prison, and would end up with a felony record himself!
After all that, the Mayor wouldn't even say 'Thank you!'
These good people have been given no viable choice by the State of IL
and the City of Chicago. They must either nonchalantly allow themselves
to be maimed, murdered, raped, and terrorized by violent criminals, or
they get to be arrested and go to prison for resisting effectively.
Yes, they need to move to a better neighborhood. Don't we all? I'm
sure most wish they could! But, economic realities compel them to live
where they do. They are still good people, and desperately want to live
honorable and productive lives, but City officials, and violent
criminals, have united in a 'War on Decency' against them, and good
people everywhere."
Comment: This is the pathetic plight of so many living within the
confines of major metro areas, where any species of effective
self-defense is prohibited by detached, paranoid city officials who
perpetually lust after power and care about little else. And, this is
the sad state of affairs the recent Heller Decision was specifically
designed to remedy.
It can't happen too soon!
/John
10 July 08
SIG's M556 Rifle
I finally have an opportunity to train with SIG's military rifle, in
223. Like everything SIG makes, it is well put together, weighty, not
as compact as my XCRs nor even my ARs. I'm doing an Urban rifle Course
in OK next week, so I'll have the opportunity to use it there.
Controls are AR-like. The rifle itself is rugged and obviously designed
for heavy fighting. Trigger is precise. Link is quite distinctive.
This rifle is surely set up for serious use.
It takes AR-15 magazines. I'm sure there was loud and acrimonious
discussion over this subject deep within the bowels of SIG-dom. SIG
makes a wonderful, proprietary plastic magazine, for its earlier
550-series of rifles, which were imported under LE-only restrictions.
The decision was made that this "general" version of the Rifle, the
current M556, would be modified to accept commonly-available AR-15
magazines and not the former, proprietary ones.
I'm sure many in SIG anticipated magazine-related "problems" to thus
develop with this new rifle, over which the manufacturer, of course, has
no control. We'll see!
I've developed a preference for steel AR-15 magazines (over aluminum),
and the ones made by Fusil an C-Products run just fine.
I don't like the ambidextrous safety levers, and the SIG rifle has one.
When I operate the lever with my right thumb, my trigger-finger (right
index-finger), which is correctly in the register position, interferes
with the safety's movement. Happily, the right-side extension is pinned
in place, and I anticipate simply removing it, leaving the lever on the
left side intact.
My copy of the 556 has full-length rails on all sides, and I have a
Micro-Aimpoint, forward mounted, on Mark LaRue's wonderful quick-detach
mount. The Rifle comes with crude, but wonderfully compact, iron sights.
At $1,500.00, the SIG Rifle is at the high end, as SIGs always are.
But, there is a lot to like here.
More later!
/John
11 July 08
LaserMax and Training:
My nine-year-old grand-daughter and I were shooting prairie dogs last
week at a ranch in WY, and she was, as all new shooters do, having
difficulty simultaneously keeping sights aligned while pressing the
trigger. In order to assist her in visualizing the concept of
trigger-control, I invited her to dry-fire my LaserMax-equipped SA/XD/40S&W.
As a target, we used a staple in a fencepost ten feet away. I asked her
to hold the pistol as she watched the pulsating, red dot, and to hold
the dot on the staple- all as she smoothly pressed the pistol's
trigger. I added that the red dot needed to stay on the staple all the
time the trigger moved and especially after the hammer dropped. Any
precipitous movement of the dot during trigger movement indicated a
missed shot.
I was astonished at the speed at which she picked up the concept with
the aid of this visual reference! After this impromptu lesson, her
rifle shooting instantly improved dramatically.
As I have indicated, I now regard laser-equipped pistols to be useful
tactical devices, and I satisfied myself of the validity of that opinion
at this year's NTI in Harrisburg, PA in May. However, I now also see
the laser's exceptional usefulness as a training tool for young shooters
as it shows them visually the striking effect of even slight muzzle
movement during trigger manipulation.
Confirmation of the ancient principle of learning theory: "What I hear,
I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand!"
/John
(I have always been more comfortable with the laser as a teaching tool
than a tactical one - when teaching there is usually time to wonder
where the red dot has vanished, without putting oneself at risk while
wondering. I routinely use a revolver with LaserGrips when teaching.
Among the advantages, the students don't have to put on hearing
protection for my demonstrations and their targets don't get filled with
bullet holes that are not of their own making.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
