Pennsylvania House Stalls Ammunition Bill: Pennsylvania gun owners
dodged a bullet when lawmakers failed to enact legislation that would
have levied a 5-cent tax on each shell and required encoding ammunition
with serial numbers and registering those numbers in a statewide
database. Introduced in February, the bill remains in the state House
Judiciary Committee and will die at the end of the session on Sunday.
But it could be reintroduced in January, and gun advocates expect to
fight it again next year. It's part of a growing effort nationally to
target ammunition as one way to stem gun violence...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_600510.html
Tangentially Related: Comedian Chris Rock once said that if bullets cost
more money, say a couple thousand dollars each, there would be no stray
bullets or accidental shootings. It's funny for a few minutes because it
is so true. Although, certainly not a laughing matter, gun control laws
are about as ridiculous as the people who cling to them. Instead of
worrying about public safety, gun owners are worried about their right
to bear arms. But there are some laws that need to be adapted with the
times to suit the needs and well-being of the people. The problem is how
easy it is to purchase a gun and how easy it is to get out of trouble if
you are irresponsible with that gun. Most gun owners don't carry them in
their back pocket. So they are out of sight and out of mind... (That
last sentence sounds like a good argument for more CCW.)
http://www.berksmontnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly;!1303466337?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=%2FBMN%2FOpinion&r21.content=%2FBMN%2FOpinion%2FContentTab_Feature_2599150
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Texas Continues Debate on Campus Carry: North Lake College professor Tim
Gottleber fears for the safety of his students if an active shooter were
to arrive on campus. Gottleber, a registered concealed handgun license
holder in the state of Texas, said that current Texas law would prevent
him from effectively protecting his students. "The best thing I've been
told to do was turn off the lights, have kids turn off their cell
phones, and sit in the dark and wait and hope he doesn't pick you,"
Gottleber said. "That's unacceptable. That's not protecting my students;
especially when I have the means to protect those students, and the
skill to protect those students, but I'm not allowed to protect those
students because I'm not allowed to have the means to do that on
campus." ...
http://media.www.newsregisteronline.com/media/storage/paper1342/news/2008/11/24/News/Handguns.On.Campus-3560286.shtml
---
More Guns Under the Christmas Tree: One of the hottest retail gifts for
this year may be a new gun. Snohomish, Washington, like many small towns
in America felt that many of their voices went unheard on November 4th
and now they are worried about eroding constitutional rights... The
national buying trend on guns is showing a rush on military style
weapons and handguns. There are many reasons for this latest upswing in
sales, one is that most Americans think that the Second Amendment right
to keep and bear arms will be greatly restricted when the new
administration takes over...
http://www.snohomishtimes.com/snohomishNEWS.cfm?inc=story&newsID=159
---
California Dealers Struggle to Meet Demand: Fresno gun dealers are
spending a lot of time on the phone these days, trying to find pistols,
shotguns and military-style semiautomatic rifles to sell to anxious gun
owners. By early next year, Democrats will be in control of the White
House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and some believe
that means new gun restrictions, or even bans, are on the way. It's the
talk in gun stores, at shooting ranges and on firearm-related Web sites.
President-elect Barack Obama tried to reassure voters throughout his
campaign that he respects the right to own guns... But many aren't
convinced...
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1040558.html
---
Elsewhere in California...: Local residents concerned that the election
of Barack Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress will translate into
stricter gun laws are buying more guns. But sales are not as brisk as in
other states, possibly because California already has some of the
strictest gun laws on the books. "I'd say we're up in the sales of guns
about 30 percent," said Paul Berezay, store manager of Big 5 Sporting
Goods in Salinas. "People evidently think because of the election, guns
are going to go away. They don't seem to know that California is already
one of the strictest states when it comes to gun laws." California has a
ban on assault guns and automatic weapons, and requires a 10-day
background check before a person can buy a gun. Such a ban existed
nationally during the Clinton administration in the 1990s, but has since
expired. Democrats are talking about reinstating the law, for which the
newly-elected Obama has expressed support...
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_11093225
---
And in Missouri...: Franklin County is following a national trend of
sharp increase in sales of guns, ammunition and accessories since around
Election Day. "We've had a very large increase in sales because there's
a fear that the 1994 gun ban act will be reinstated," said Steve Walsh,
co-owner of Ruby's Guns in Sullivan. In 1994, under the Clinton
administration, Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law
Enforcement Act, also known as the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which
prohibited the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons to civilians. The
ban expired in September of 2004. Some shops have experienced a rise in
handgun sales, which were not impacted by the ban... (Handguns were
affected by the 1994 ban, primarily in the restriction of magazines to
ten rounds.)
http://www.emissourian.com/site/news.cfm?dept_id=33068&PAG=461&newsid=20209419
---
Oops, Wrong Jeweler: The suspect in a Tuesday break-in at a Corinth
business has died from a gunshot wound inflicted by the business owner,
police say... Lancaster said the business owner reported he heard a
noise at the front of the store and took his handgun when he went to
check it out. When he saw a man coming through a window, he ordered the
intruder to stop, but he did not. Instead, the suspect came inside the
business, reached up and ripped down the video surveillance equipment.
The owner said he again told the suspect to stay where he was or get
out, but the suspect charged toward him and he fired one shot, which
struck the intruder in the abdomen, Lancaster said. The case remains
under investigation, but no charges have been filed.
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=282618&pub=1&div=News
---
Murder Charge Dropped in Self-Defense Shooting: Murder charges have been
dropped in a fatal shooting in Windsor County. Kyle Bolaski, 24, of
Springfield, was charged with second-degree murder, for killing Vincent
Tamburello, 32, of Springfield, in August during a fight at a park in
Chester. Bolaski claims Tamburello was chasing him with an ax, so he
shot him twice. A grand jury agreed the shooting was self-defense.
Bolaski will face aggravated assault charges for allegedly hitting
Tamburello with the gun after the shooting.
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=9417395&nav=menu183_7_6
Background:
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?s=8856167
---
British Mayor Bans Christmas Gunfire: A 400-year-old custom of firing
muskets to mark Christmas has been banned - in case it scares children.
Historic re-enactment buffs in full 17th-century militia garb
traditionally fire blanks when the festive lights are switched on in
Wimborne, Dorset. But deputy mayor John Burden, 62 - in charge while the
mayor is away - has now banned them. He said: "Last year there were kids
who were very upset and crying." Town crier and militia volunteer Chris
Brown, 53, said: "Loud shots make you jump but we give plenty of notice.
"It was originally to scare off evil spirits but now it adds a bit of
pomp. Most people enjoy it." Chris and his pals plan to boycott the event.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1981257.ece
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
