Chicago Could Mimic DC Handgun Ordinance: Chicago won Round 1 in its
defense of the city's long-standing handgun ban, but Mayor Richard Daley
said Thursday that he's looking at less sweeping gun-control measures in
the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision this year against such laws...
The NRA immediately appealed Shadur's decision, and attorney Stephen
Halbrook said the group is confident it will prevail in a higher court.
Daley has maintained the ruling striking down D.C.'s handgun ban cannot
be extended to states and cities not under federal control. The mayor
said he's looking at new D.C. laws requiring gun owners to go through
five hours of safety training, register their firearms every three years
and undergo criminal background checks every six years... (It sounds as
though Daley now recognizes that DC erred in its appeal to the Supreme
Court and that similar action by Chicago could result in the Second
Amendment being incorporated against that states.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-city-gun-ban-19dec19,0,7441463.story
---
Common Sense Is Not Very Common: Every time some anti-gunner proposes a
new gun control measure, they always want to call it a "common sense"
measure. As if anyone who didn't see things their way was stupid. "How
can you oppose this? It's common sense!," they claim. And they always
talk to you in their best Morgan Freeman voice, explaining how they have
no intention of infringing on your rights, they just want people to be
safe... Maybe I'm getting jaded, but every time I hear "common sense gun
laws", I start tuning people out. Because I know common sense has
nothing to do with the agenda at hand...
http://www.ohioccw.org/content/view/4171/53/
---
The Beat Goes On: Ernie Lyles has operated a gun shop in Northern
Virginia for 24 years, but he's never had a month like the one he had in
November... Lyles likens the recent buying spree to the 1994 surge that
preceded a 10-year ban on semiautomatic military-style rifles. Lyles
said most of this year's gun buyers are worried that President-elect
Barack Obama will re-impose that ban. "I lived through the Clinton
years, but a lot of others in this business didn't," said Lyles. "Two
out of every three gun shops in Virginia went under [during the 1990s].
You can only sell so many guns to police departments and federal
agencies." ... (For those who may be new to what used to be called "the
shooting fraternity," early in Clinton's first term there was a drive to
eliminate "kitchen-table FFL's," licensed dealers who conducted
part-time businesses, typically out of their own homes.)
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2008/dec/17/area-gun-stores-doing-brisk-business/
---
Give Her a Gun for Christmas: ...A lot of Christmas gifts end up as
bothersome clutter, such as goofy trinkets or unread books. A gift
certificate is a good sign that you don't know much about the person,
but aren't quite thoughtless enough to just send cash. But with a gun
you can give that person a new hobby, an ongoing lesson in
responsibility, peace of mind, and make the world a better place... So
get out there and give the gift that keeps on giving. Give a gun this
Christmas to the people in your life you care about. (And don't let them
settle for the training that comes in the box with the gun.)
http://www.independentpub.com/gray/articles/2008121803.htm
---
Castle Doctrine to Get Second Shot in New Mexico: A person who kills or
hurts a criminal while defending his or her property should be immune
from lawsuits, two Farmington lawmakers say. State law does not protect
home and property owners from lawsuits brought on by criminals injured
while committing crimes, state senators Bill Sharer and Steve Neville
said. Neville wants to pen legislation that would force those lawsuits
to be dismissed. He has not yet written the proposed law, but he hopes
to gauge support for it before the next legislative session begins in
January. A similar law was defeated by state legislators in the past...
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_11258011
---
Pennsylvania County Sued Over Confiscation: Delaware County was hit with
a federal lawsuit yesterday claiming that its policy of refusing to
return confiscated firearms unless the owners obtain a court order is
unconstitutional. The civil-rights suit was filed by C. Scott Shields, a
gun-rights attorney and small-town political firebrand who has been the
National Rifle Association's point man in fighting Philadelphia's
attempt to write its own gun laws. The plaintiff, Thomas DeOrio, 21, of
Glen Mills, argues that the county government, judges and Sheriff's
Department illegally retain confiscated guns - even if a crime hasn't
been committed - when the owner is entitled to retrieve them...
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20081219_Lawsuit__Delco_gun_policy_unconstitutional.html
---
Virginia Open-Carry Activist Gets $15,000 Settlement: A Yorktown
gun-rights advocate who sued Norfolk after his arrest at Town Point Park
for openly carrying a handgun will receive a $15,000 payout to settle
the federal lawsuit. Chester "Chet" Szymecki Jr. sued the city after his
arrest in June 2007 on a charge of violating a city ordinance
prohibiting firearms at Harborfest. The city later learned that the
ordinance is unenforceable because state law prohibits localities from
regulating firearms... City Attorney Bernard A. Pishko said the
settlement avoids the high price of going to trial. The city did not
admit any wrongdoing, he said... (The city later "learned" or "admitted"?)
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/12/norfolk-pay-15000-harborfest-gun-arrest-case
---
Raise in Ohio CHL Fee Thwarted: A fee increase for concealed-carry
licenses survived inside House Bill 450 through the entire day Wednesday
and even into early Thursday morning. But it's never too late for the
National Rifle Association to make things happen. The bill, which passed
the Senate by an overwhelming margin several hours earlier in the
evening, was called up for reconsideration just before 1 a.m. Thursday
morning, after the NRA and others contacted Republican lawmakers and
expressed concern about an amendment to the bill that would increase
fees for concealed-carry permits... The fee was stripped from the bill,
which was then passed again without the provision...
http://blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2008/12/nra_helps_spike_gun_license_fe.shtml
---
Oops, Wrong Car: ..."A lady was flagged over Sunday evening about 6 p.m.
on the interstate between Kelley Highway and the Arkansas river bridge."
Lt. Steve Coppinger with State Police says that two men in a car
signaled that the woman was getting a flat tire. "When she pulled over
to check her tires one of those person in that other car got out and
attempted to rob her at knife point." But what the thief didn't expect
happened next. Coppinger says the female driver pulled out her handgun.
"She pointed that at her attacker and he backed away, got in the car and
they fled." ... (Note that the photo depicts a person drawing a handgun
in a non-firing grip because the index finger is wrapped around the grip
frame, behind the trigger guard. Some of my students question why I
insist that they always grasp handguns in firing grips [with trigger
fingers up on the frame] unless they are performing maintenance that
requires an altered grip.)
http://www.kfsm.com/global/story.asp?s=9541680
http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/12/18/news/news07.txt
---
Oops, Wrong Dog Owner: A man walking his dog in Terrell on Wednesday
shot and critically wounded an armed 17-year-old robber, police said.
The incident happened at about 10:20 p.m. in Ben Gill Park in the 100
block of Lions Club Lane where, police said, a group of teen robbers
surrounded the man. According to investigators, when a boy in the group
pulled out a gun, the man, a licensed concealed handgun owner, fired
shots. The teen was apparently struck in the head and was listed in
critical condition at Parkland Hospital. His weapon was recovered at the
scene and later determined to be stolen during a separate offense in
Terrell, according to police...
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=8100189&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
---
Oops, Wrong Parents: A Franklin County man was killed by his mother
Sunday, likely in self-defense, after he reportedly pistol-whipped her
and his stepfather, authorities said. Cameron Utsler, 22, was shot to
death at the Prairie Street residence he shared with his mother and
stepfather, north of Charleston, according to Lt. Steve Coppinger of the
Arkansas State Police. "Right now it looks like a justified shooting,"
David Gibbons, Franklin County's district attorney, said on Monday...
http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/12/16/week_in_review/news/tuesday/news12.txt
---
Oops, Wrong Liquor Store: The co-owner of a Largo liquor shot and killed
a man during an attempted robbery Friday, police said. Bill Miles,
another co-owner of Kettering Liquors, was there. He saw the shooting.
He says the would-be robber came in with a gun and a struggle ensued.
Officers say it ended when Miles' business partner pulled out his gun
and shot the man. There were a lot of us in the tussle and so it didn't
work out too well for the other guy," Miles said. "It's tragic. Somebody
died today. Good news is, it wasn't one of us. It was the bad guy." ...
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1208/577329.html
---
Oops, Wrong Apartment, Kentucky Version: Lexington police were still
searching Thursday for one of two men accused of entering an apartment
near Shillito Park Wednesday night and attempting to rob a male
resident. The Lexington man who lives at the apartment complex at 3500
Beaver Place, near Nicholasville Road and Man o' War Boulevard, told
police he shot one of the intruders, who later died at the University of
Kentucky Hospital, after the men entered his apartment about 10:45 p.m.
The resident, whose name was not released, was armed with a handgun. He
was also shot during a fight with the two men. The alleged intruder was
identified by the Fayette County coroner's office as Anthony Bell, 27.
He died of a shotgun would to the chest, the office said... (So who
brought the shotgun to the gunfight?)
http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/630911.html
---
Oops, Wrong Apartment, South Carolina Version: The Newberry Police
Department is investigating a shooting over the weekend that left a
would-be robber dead. According to Newberry Police Chief Jackie
Swindler, the investigation started Saturday night when 35-year-old
Willie Hiller was found dead in the driveway of a home on 1st Street. At
about that same time, a man went to the police station and told officers
that he shot into a crowd of people as they attempted to rob his
apartment at the Palmetto Point Apartments. That apartment complex is
near the location that Hiller's body was found. The man who fired the
shots told investigators a group of people tried to rob him at his
apartment, and in self-defense, he fired into the group...
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9524085&nav=0RaPao87
---
Oops, Wrong House, Arkansas Version: It started out as a normal morning
for the Newborns last Thursday, but as Lester Newborn was getting out of
the shower he says his worst fears were realized as he heard his
daughter scream "There's someone in the house!" Lester Newborn adds, "I
have no idea what she was planning on doing all I know is she came in my
house." Newborn says the intruder probably walked through the
neighborhood looking for an open door or window and happened to find
theirs. "I was messing with Christmas lights outside and I left a window
unlocked and that's the window she came through." ...Brittney says as
she screamed for her dad she left the room and he walked in with a .357
hand gun...
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=77382&catid=2
---
Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version 1: A Bradenton man reported shooting
a man who came into his house and put a gun to his girlfriend's head
early this morning, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's Office
report. The 52-year-old homeowner said his girlfriend, 47, opened the
door to their home, in the 6500 block of Wellesley Drive, just before 2
a.m. this morning. The girlfriend told deputies a man at the door tried
to push his way in, while a second man with a gun got into the house and
put a gun to her head, according to sheriff reports. The boyfriend said
he came back from getting a gun and opened fire on the gunman when he
saw the gun to his girlfriend's head. The boyfriend, who claimed his
shot hit the gunman, said he only saw one person in his house, while the
girlfriend said two men were there...
http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1106004.html
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081218/BREAKING/812180265?Title=Bradenton_man_shoots_intruder__frees_girlfriend
---
Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version 2: Two masked, armed men broke into
an Orange City house but fled empty-handed after the homeowner went
after them with his own handgun, officials said Friday. The 36-year-old
husband and his wife, 37, whom officials did not identify, were watching
television in their bedroom at their Cedar Avenue home when they heard a
loud crash in another part of the house at 9:45 p.m. Thursday. When they
investigated, they were met by two armed men in their kitchen, Volusia
County sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. The couple ran back to
their bedroom where the husband grabbed a handgun and went after the
armed men, who then bolted through the front door, Haught said. No one
was injured in the incident, Haught said... (It's pretty risky to
investigate strange noises unarmed. It's much safer to keep your handgun
holstered on your person, even in your own home.)
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/wvlWEST02121308.htm
---
Rule Five Reminder: A thief cut through a fence at the California
Highway Patrol's Martinez office early Tuesday, broke into numerous
cruisers, and made off with a semiautomatic rifle and ammunition,
authorities said. The theft was discovered about 12:30 a.m. in the
locked parking lot of the Highway Patrol office at 5001 Blum St., said
CHP Officer Tom Maguire. The culprit cut through the fence, broke into
several Ford Crown Victoria cruisers, and stole the AR-15 semiautomatic
rifle and ammunition, Maguire said...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/17/BA7214PJB4.DTL
New Mexico Version: Whoever broke into five take-home police cars
overnight Tuesday made off with assault rifles after defeating the
locked brackets holding the weapons in place. Investigators said the
thieves knew what they were doing when they first broke patrol cars'
windows and then unlocked the doors, "And then that way the alarm
doesn't go off," Sandoval County Sheriff John Paul Trujillo said. Once
inside they went for one thing: AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles...
(Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm. Normally, one would think
that a locking bracket would be adequate control but it appears that
gang members are targeting police vehicles with knowledge of how the
deivces work.)
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/crime_krqe_rio_rancho_gun_thieves_raid_cops_cars_200812180045
---
Australia to Ban Imports of Evil Black Rifles: Guns resembling military
weapons and designed to appeal to young men will be banned from being
imported into Australia. The Federal Government will change import
regulations to tighten controls on firearms that have a "military-style
appearance". Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said handguns and paintball
markers resembling guns with fully automatic firing capabilities were
already subject to higher import controls. "Manufacturers have now begun
developing firearms that look more like machine guns in an attempt to
appeal to a younger market," he said... (At least they are honest enough
to admit that the issue is cosmetic down under.)
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24821135-5001021,00.html
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
