Blowing Gunsmoke: I live in a fairly typical American family when it
comes to guns. Let's just say my wife and I have different views. My
wife doesn't hunt. She doesn't even like guns. But, she does appreciate
my love for hunting and guns - and we share a deep commitment to
preserving our environment. And, I accept that she was a financial
supporter of the Brady Campaign. And, I also support her and respect her
opinions. On guns, we're like James Carville and Mary Matalin - happily
married, on different sides, but still respectful of each others'
views... (I would not say that the phony AHSA is at odds with the Brady
Bunch, even though its purpose is to give that impression.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ray-schoenke/a-typical-american-family_b_125665.html
---
AHSA's Choice for President: ...Perhaps the most telling example of his
rabidly pro-forcible citizen disarmament voting record can be found
here. Yep - any shotgun larger than .410 (28 gauge shotguns have a bore
diameter of about .550 inches) would be banned, and there would be no
"grandfather clause." If you owned a shotgun for dove hunting or trap
shooting, Obama voted for legislation that would require you to turn it
in. So much for "I'm not going to take your guns away." What I would
like to know, though, is what the American Hunters and Shooters
Association has to say about this. The AHSA has, you'll remember,
endorsed Obama, and have gotten their little knickers in a twist over
the fact that some nasty folks would dare claim that Obama is a threat
to private gun ownership...
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/09/so-would-this-attack-on-senator-obamas.html
---
The Real Role of AHSA: Apparently, the Second Amendment is leading some
to support Republican John McCain for president, as evidenced by a
recent rally for gun rights and John McCain in Grand Junction, Colo. I
generally vote Democratic, but the right to bear arms is an essential
constitutional right, and I'd be concerned if Barack Obama opposed the
Second Amendment. He doesn't. Obama, a former constitutional law
professor, is on record numerous times affirming that the right to bear
arms is "an individual right." He acknowledges the importance of hunting
to America's sportsmen and women and the need to conserve wild lands and
the outdoors. The American Hunters and Shooters Association, which
supports common-sense gun policy and the right to bear arms, endorsed
Obama. AHSA President Ray Schoenke said Obama would be "a strong and
authentic voice for America's hunters and shooters..."
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_10430816
---
Vote Nears on Repeal of DC Gun Ban: ...In response, the U.S. House of
Representatives is expected to vote soon on legislation to simply repeal
the DC gun ban - a vote that could come as early as today. HR 6691,
introduced by Rep. Travis Childers (D-MS), would repeal much of the gun
control in the District - including the ban on semi-auto pistols and
rifles, and the registration requirements which require residents to get
permission from the city council before they can own a
weapon..."Although the bill is expected to pass in the House, possibly
as soon as this week, its fate is less clear in the Senate," reported
The Washington Post this past Tuesday. "It has won the backing of 48
[House] Democrats, many facing reelection in strongly pro-gun areas, and
is expected to pick up broad support among Republicans." Remarkably, the
Post is right. (A stopped clock is also right twice a day.) The
Democrats are trying to "have their cake and eat it too" by protecting
Democrats from rural districts - allowing them to vote pro-gun - but
then letting the bill die in the Senate. That's why GOA is encouraging
members to contact their two senators at this time...
http://www.gunowners.org/a091108.htm
---
House Committee Supports DC Infringements: A House committee approved a
bill yesterday that would allow D.C. officials to write their own gun
laws, as D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and others tried to forestall
more drastic congressional intervention. But Norton (D) acknowledged
that the real showdown on the District's gun laws will come on the House
floor, probably next week. There, a tougher bill that would eliminate
most D.C. gun regulations probably will be offered as a substitute for
Norton's measure. The full House will probably approve the tougher
measure, according to congressional sources...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091002040.html
---
Some Cities to Fight for Handgun Bans: Some communities have moved
quickly to repeal handgun bans since the U.S. Supreme Court in June
established an individual right to gun ownership, while others plan to
defend their bans in court battles with the National Rifle Association.
The NRA filed at least five lawsuits after a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling
struck down a handgun ban in Washington, D.C., and said for the first
time that the Constitution's Second Amendment gives individuals the
right to keep guns at home for self-defense. Washington is a federal
district, so the pending cases will determine whether the Supreme Court
decision also applies to state and local governments, says Wayne
LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president...
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/UPDATES01/809110409
---
Senate Committee Supports National-Park Carry: With solid bipartisan
support, a Senate panel approved legislation on Thursday to allow loaded
guns in national parks. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee
approved, 18-5, a draft bill by Sen. Jim DeMint , R-S.C. It would allow
people to bring loaded guns into national parks and wildlife refuges
unless state laws bar them from doing so. Park Service regulations now
allow guns only if they are unloaded and stowed. "The purpose of this
bill is to protect innocent Americans from violent crime in national
parks," DeMint said...
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1&docID=cqmidday-000002948759
---
Portland Airport Rescinds Illegal Gun Ban: After a battle stretching
back to 2004, the Port of Portland has finally rescinded its illegal
ordinance against CHL holders at the Portland Airport. As you may know,
since 1996, the Port had a regulation forbidding persons with concealed
handgun licenses from being in the Portland Airport. There was one
small problem. The ordinance was unlawful. Needless to say, the Port and
their lawyers did everything they could to justify this violation of the
law. Their bizarre interpretations of the law would have made a
contortionist jealous. But they were wrong... (In all honesty, I believe
the ban was against carrying a concealed handgun, not simply being
licensed to do so.)
http://oregonfirearms.org/alertspage/09.10.08alert.html
---
Armed Killings Cost Billions: The United States leads the world in
economic loss from deaths caused by armed crime, according to a global
survey released Friday. The U.S. registered an estimated loss of up to
$45.1 billion in terms of economic productivity because of violent
crimes, said the report by the U.N. Development Program and the
Geneva-based Small Arms Survey...The report did not give a
country-by-country breakdown of the numbers of people killed in armed
crimes. But the report said that Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Jamaica and South Africa are among the countries with the highest
numbers of recorded violent crimes in the world... (It would appear that
more people die from violent crimes in other countries but that the
financial loss is higher in the US because American workers are more
productive.)
http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/sep/12/armed-killings-cost-nations-billions-of-dollars/
---
NYPD Shootings at Three-Decade Low: As New York City's crime rate
continues to drop, police officers are using their weapons less, and
last year they fired the fewest times since the police department began
recording the statistic three decades ago. According to a report
released Wednesday, in 2007 there were 111 incidents in which firearms
were discharged, including shots fired at animals, in suicide attempts,
in accidents and at crime suspects. The figure was down from 127 in 2006
and 253 a decade ago. There were 45 cases in which officers
intentionally fired at crime suspects, down 25 percent from the year
before. The majority of the 80 officers involved fired to defend
themselves or others from the threat of injury or death, the police
report said...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ia23zjAls-9rUe5F9z6iF_wbE1DgD934F0D00
---
Oops, Wrong House, Kentucky Version: Lexington police have made an
arrest in a burglary that turned fatal Wednesday morning at an apartment
complex near Hamburg Pavilion. Reginald Laron Jones, 24, of Lexington
has been charged with first-degree burglary. Police say he was one of
three people, including a man who was killed by a male resident in the
apartment and a female, who charged into the apartment Wednesday
morning...Investigators were told the couple who lives in the apartment
answered knocks at the door and were "rushed by several people,"
Gutierrez said. The intruders had handguns, she said. One of the
occupants in the apartment got a handgun and shot one of the men. He was
found dead inside the apartment when police arrived...Gutierrez said
police are looking at whether a 2006 law, commonly called the castle
doctrine, applies to this case...
http://bluegrassbeat.bloginky.com/2008/09/10/lexington-police-coroner-investigating-shooting/
---
Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version: A would-be thief got an unexpected
surprise early this morning when one of his victims greeted him with a
gun and held him on a patio until deputies arrived. Deputies say Timothy
Kendal Vanhohenstein, 21, of Jensen Beach, was trying to break into a
house on Fiesta Court just after 1 a.m. when the couple sleeping inside
was startled by the sound of him trying to open the door. The husband,
59, took out a gun and confronted Vanhohenstein on the back patio,
according to arrest reports. He held him there at gunpoint while his
wife, also 59, called 9-1-1. When they arrived, deputies said
Vanhohenstein admitted trying to break into the house and said he had
burglarized cars the neighborhood that night... (Personally, I don't
think I'd have gone out to the patio.)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/treasurecoast/content/tcoast/epaper/2008/06/24/0624mcrobbery.html?cxntlid=inform_artr
---
Oops, Wrong Woman on the Street: Four times Italian women's [karate]
champion Lara Liotta, 29, was on a street in broad daylight in central
Rome when the man, a Romanian immigrant of no fixed abode, approached
her and asked her for a cigarette. When she told him she did not smoke
he allegedly lunged for her and grabbed her around the neck. Miss
Liotta, who works as prison officer, immediately put her black belt
training to good use, delivering two swift jabs to the man's face which
sent him crashing to the ground. The karate champion was fortunate she
could rely on her skills to fight off her attacker because there was no
assistance from passersby, despite the attack happening shortly after
rush hour on Monday...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2776841/Female-karate-champion-defeats-mugger.html
---
Purchasing a Handgun in California: As of last Thursday, I, a
21-year-old female college student, have exercised my Second Amendment
right to bear arms. I must say, as the only female at Turner's
Outdoorsman, I felt somewhat out of place; however, I was confident that
my decision to purchase a gun was a necessary and responsible choice.
Having shot a firearm before, I passed the Handgun Safety Test, missing
only a question pertaining to the age you must be before you can
purchase a concealable weapon (I learned it is 21, not 18 as I had
thought). After half an hour of paperwork and a handgun demonstration, I
was on my way to the 10-day waiting period. I must admit, I had a
feeling of self-assurance and confidence that I had made a move to
protect myself because I understood the process I had just completed and
what it means to be in possession of a firearm...
http://media.www.laloyolan.com/media/storage/paper803/news/2008/09/11/Opinion/Happiness.Is.A.Warm.Gun-3422898.shtml
---
The Call for "Green" Ammunition: It's been 17 years since the federal
government banned the use of lead shot in shells used to hunt waterfowl.
Back in 1991 the number of ducks and geese turning up dead from lead
poisoning was on the increase, not so much as a result of being hit by
lead pellets but as a result of ingesting pellets as they bottom fed in
ponds and marshes. Swans and other non-game bottom feeders were also
impacted. Hunters initially complained about the poor performance of
non-toxic steel shot compared to lead, but it wasn't long before a
number of non-toxic alternatives to ordinary steel appeared. Bismuth,
Hevi-Shot, various tungsten alloys and others offered hunters a more
effective, but also more costly, alternative to steel shot... (Not
discussed is the potential toxicity of some of the lead substitutes,
such as tungsten.)
http://www.bhpioneer.com/articles/2008/09/12/opinion/doc48c93bb582d8b393359161.txt
---
BATFE Authorizes Electronic Record Keeping: Following discussion with
the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association
for the firearms industry -- and many industry members, the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced yesterday a
major new ruling authorizing federal firearms licensees to use
electronic (computerized) acquisition and disposition records provided
the software used satisfies certain ATF requirements set forth in the
ruling signed by Acting Director Michael Sullivan. FFLs will no longer
need to seek a variance from the Director of Industry Operations to keep
a computerized A&D book...
http://skinnymoose.com/camogirl/index.php/2008/09/09/major-atf-ruling-authorizing-electronic-ad-books/
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
