Obama Should Seek "Outdoor" Vote: Sportsmen and women love October.
Hunting season is underway and, with winter coming, the fishing is often
the best of the year. October is also the busiest month of the political
year and, in a close presidential contest, campaign season and hunting
season share more than the calendar. With the election turning on states
like Virginia, Colorado, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, Sens. Barack Obama and
John McCain will be hunting hard for support among hook and bullet
voters. For Obama, making inroads with this group is one key to victory
in November...
http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2008/09/30/barack-obama-should-fish-for-votes-among-hunters-and-sportsmen.html
---
Judged by the Company You Keep?: ... The company a person keeps can tell
a lot about the person. Look at two of Obama's longtime friends and
advisers, priest Michael Pfleger and Jeremiah Wright, pastor of Obama's
Trinity United Church of Christ. Obama has said that friends and
advisers such as Michael Pfleger, who he has known for the better part
of 20 years, help him keep that moral compass set. Some moral compass!
.. Another radical action by Pfleger occurred May 27, 2007. Pfleger,
with hundreds of gun-ban supporters cheering him on and blocking
entrance to Chuck's Gun Shop and Range in Riverdale, Ill., screamed a
clear death threat to owner John Riggio. "John Riggio, R-I-G-G-I-O.
We're going to find you and snuff you out like a rat. We're going to
catch you and pull you out. Whatever it takes to shut this gun store
down, we're gonna snuff out John Riggio..."
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081001/OPINION/810010305
---
And a Good Letter...: On my way home from work recently, I heard a radio
ad from Ray Schoenke, the president of the American Hunters & Shooters
Association, supporting Barack Obama for president. I was intrigued.
Traditionally, Democrats have been the take-guns-from-people party. I
decided to do some research, and, thankfully, I found that tradition has
not changed. The AHSA is a two-year-old organization that, after
visiting its Web site, seems to exist solely to stand against the
National Rifle Association. Just so there's no confusion as to the
AHSA's stand on guns, Paul Helmke, the president of the Brady Campaign
(one of the largest anti-gun lobby groups in Washington) said of the
AHSA: "I see our issues as complementary to theirs... They're a positive
group." (Washington Post, March 18, 2008)...
http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/OPINION03/809300315/1014/OPINION
---
Will BATFE Shift Focus?: Illegal guns being funneled into Mexico through
Inland Southern California are arming a violent drug war that could
weaken the Mexican government, a top federal official said. Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Director Michael
Sullivan announced at the bureau's Southern California office in
Glendale last week that stopping the gun trade should be the agency's
top priority and an obligation of U.S. foreign relations. "If nothing is
done, it could severely impact Mexico's ability to maintain a stable
government. We're seeing a record number of (Mexican) law enforcement
agents killed," Sullivan said... (As long as the agency exists, this
sounds like a better focus for it than punishing dealers for accepting
an "N" instead of a "No" on a BATF 4473 form.)
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_guns29.214203b.html
---
Virginia Town Tries New Tactic: ...During the past two months, a
proposal that sounded obvious to the new police chief - prohibiting
Culpeper residents from opening fire on their own gardens - has brought
an unexpected uproar to this town at the far edge of Washington's
commuter diaspora...But word of the proposal made it to the Virginia
Citizens Defense League, a pro-gun group whose members have previously
attracted attention by eating lunch, en masse and openly armed, in
Northern Virginia restaurants. At least 15 of the group's members showed
up at Culpeper town council meeting, carrying guns both open and
concealed and wearing stickers reading "Guns Save Lives." ... So Barlow
changed tactics. Yesterday, he showed a council committee his new
solution: a revised permit, which only allows varmint-shooting on
properties larger than one acre. There were no armed protesters and no
objections from the council...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/30/AR2008093002734.html
---
Indiana Self-Defense Law Reviewed: The Indiana law that justifies use of
deadly force for people defending themselves, their home or others in
danger is seldom used, but this week's case involving a Northwestside
family brings it to the spotlight. Sunday, Robert McNally put a
chokehold on a naked intruder. The man died, and McNally faces no
charges. Law enforcement officials said McNally's actions were merited
by the law, which does not require people to back away before defending
themselves or someone else from serious bodily injury or a forcible
felony...
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081001/NEWS02/810010379
---
Brady Bunch Loses Supporter: "Jim and I were saddened to mark the
passing of Paul Newman this past weekend. He was the most humble human
being I ever met. Paul was a strong supporter of the gun violence
prevention movement. Personally, and through his foundation, he
supported the Brady Center and the Brady Campaign financially for many
years, and we couldn't be more grateful..."
http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=1025
---
Oops, Wrong Store: Three would-be robbers, one armed with a pair of
scissors, walked into a Woodbridge store on Saturday morning with
criminal intent. They left empty-handed and apparently more than a
little frightened. About 11:30 a.m. the three walked into Tienda Hispana
Esperanza. One rushed to the counter and pointed the scissors at the
owner's neck and another grabbed her son's arm, the family that owns the
store said Monday. But the owner, Esperanza Salazar, 36, reacted
immediately. She leaned back and reached for her handgun and pointed it
at the three unknown males, the Salazar family said...
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/crime/article/mother_fends_off_robbers_with_handgun/21884/
---
Oops, Wrong House: One suspect is dead and two others are on the run
after a deadly home invasion on Friday night. Houston police report that
the armed group pushed their way through the front door of the home on
Wycliffe. According to witnessed, the group got into a scuffle with the
homeowner's boyfriend, who had a gun. The boyfriend fired shots,
killing one of the suspects. Police said robbery was the motive. The
authorities do not plan to charge the boyfriend.
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080927_mp_deadly_home_invasion.ba966a38.html
---
Handgun Owners Warned: A new indoor gun range in Jamestown, N.Y. may
entice gun enthusiasts from Warren County to practice a few rounds.
However, taking a personal handgun could lead to jail time. Warren
County Sheriff Larry Kopko said handguns cannot be taken to the new
Genesee Outfitters shooting range because without a New York state
carrying permit, the handgun would be illegal. "The Pennsylvania carry
permit stops at the state line," he said. According to Kopko, a New York
carrying permit can only be obtained if the gun owner's primary
occupation or residence is in the state of New York. "I don't want to
see our people getting arrested," he said. According to Chris Shorts of
Genesee Outfitters, the range does rent guns so patrons from
Pennsylvania do not have to bring their own. "People really need to be
aware that they have no right to carry a handgun over state lines with
out the New York permit," Kopko said. Violation of carrying an
un-permitted handgun in New York carries a mandatory sentence of one
year in prison, he added.
http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/512827.html
---
When Walking Sticks Are Outlawed...: They must have known he was a
troublemaker the moment they saw him. With his white hair, wax jacket
and glasses, 78-year-old Philip Clarkson Webb clearly ticked all the
boxes any eagle-eyed policemen would mark as 'danger'. And as he
shuffled along the pavement towards them there was one thing above all
they deemed to pose a threat - his walking stick. The officers
surrounded the retired classics teacher and informed him the 3ft wooden
cane was an 'offensive weapon' and had to be confiscated...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1064338/Police-confiscate-walking-stick-retired-teacher-78-offensive-weapon.html
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
