Separating the Wheat from the Chaff: On the surface, it looks like it's
been a bad month for gun-rights groups. First, the Senate narrowly
defeated an attempt to allow Americans with concealed-weapons permits to
carry their firearms across state lines. Then Second Amendment advocacy
organizations pressed senators to oppose Supreme Court nominee Sonia
Sotomayor, only to see more than a dozen gun-rights backers support
President Barack Obama's choice. Despite the setbacks, however, there's
little gloom among gun-rights advocates. And the reason is simple: These
tough battles are helping them separate politicians who are merely
strong supporters of gun rights and those who are 100 percent allies...
With the 2010 election season under way, gun-rights groups are ramping
up the pressure on lawmakers to side with them on every vote. By telling
senators that a vote for Sotomayor was a vote against gun rights, the
National Rifle Association and other leading Second Amendment advocates
forced a handful of conflicted legislators to choose between their
long-standing support for gun rights and their potential support for the
first Hispanic justice in U.S. Supreme Court history... (My take is that
the vote on the Thune amendment was a charade in which the NRA
participated and that the NRA machine was pressured into announcing that
the Sotomayor vote would be counted. Nonetheless, we have now exposed
several of the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots.)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6570562.html
---
BOHICA: High-ranking U.S. and Mexican government officials signed an
agreement in San Antonio on Thursday they say provides an unprecedented
level of cooperation between the two countries in fighting cross-border
drug crime. The letter of intent recommends a joint strategic plan in
weapons and ammunition trafficking investigations. The letter was signed
during the last day of a convention for Border Security Task Force
(BEST) teams, which are led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The conference also was attended by senior Mexican officials. "This will
leverage the investigative capabilities of both governments and launch a
more unified effort in investigating weapons smuggling cases," Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. Mexican Attorney General
Eduardo Medina-Mora said the deal recognizes shared responsibility for
the gun-trafficking problem. "Mexico is very, very respectful of the
legal constitutional framework in the U.S.," he said. "But the Second
Amendment was never meant to arm foreign criminal groups, and we should
go after the criminals that are illegally shipping weapons into the
criminal hands of groups based in our country." ... (At least we finally
know the identity of Mexico's advisor to the US on the interpretation of
the Second Amendment.)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/mexico/53192117.html
Officials from the United States and Mexico have announced they will add
more agents in South Texas to catch gun smugglers. Officials from The
Alchohol, Tabacco, and Firearms department say the new agents will
arrive in the next four months. These agents will be inspecting about
one-thousand licensed gun dealers. The A.T.F. director says some gun
shops have not been inspected in six or seven years. Federal officials
want to make sure gun dealers are keeping the required paperwork so guns
recovered from crimes and raids in Mexico and along the border can be
traced.
http://www.krgv.com/news/local/story/400-A-T-F-Agents-Coming-to-Valley/jh2KyzcdVkOIem18s-oaWQ.cspx
---
The Beat Goes On: The manufacturing and sales of firearms has been a
booming business since November 2008 when Barack Obama was elected
president. Based on the numbers of people rushing out to buy guns and
rifles, one might think Obama had his sights set on some major piece of
gun control legislation. But that's not the case. Health care reform,
economic recovery and climate change - these are the types of critical
issues of the day that have the attention of the White House and
Democratic-controlled Congress. The fear of gun owners that their
constitutionally protected right to bear arms is under attack appears to
be unfounded... One can't help but wonder, how many of the 7
million-plus firearms purchased from licensed gun dealers so far this
year were purchased based on politics and fear? (I seem to recall that
Dianne Feinstein promised to reinstate the federal ban on semi-automatic
firearms at a time of her own choosing and AG Eric Holder being told to
keep his mouth shot on the same topic because the time was not ripe. Why
then is this Washington newspaper so concerned if citizens are voting
with their wallets?)
http://www.theolympian.com/109/story/938346.html?storylink=omni_popular
Self defense class enrollment and sales of self defense products have
both seen a spike in recent months around our area. At B and J Guns on
Central Avenue in Colonie, the purchases of guns have doubled and
purchases of pepper spray have quadrupled this year. At the same time,
just down the block at Empire Martial Arts, there has been a surge of
enrollment in their self defense classes. "Women are definitely a
spike. A lot of the adults are getting their kids involved in the
program," Empire owner Alan Condon tells us. Most people would assume
that these trends would come as a result of a rise in crime. Statistics
given to us by local police departments, however, show that crime is
actually down in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy. So what is the main
reason behind this rise in self-defense awareness? Condon tells us that
often in tough economic times, people become more concerned about
self-defense...
http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/self-1265541-defense-class.html
--
Missing the Point: Do you find it necessary to take a handgun when you
go to the park? Memphis is ranked as one of the top five worst cities in
America for it's crime rate. So it is understandable how someone might
want some form of protection, when walking the trails in one of the
state parks or watching their children play on the playground. Does the
protection necessarily have to be a handgun? Mace, tasers, and learning
self-defense are always good options and far less deadly. There is also
a lesser chance of a child being injured or killed in the process of one
of these options being used... Both sides of this controversial issue
make very valid points and they are very adamant about their views, but
there are important questions you should ask yourself. Do you trust
others with the decision on how your children, as well as, yourself
should be protected, while visiting a park or playground? Do you trust
that those same people will have you and your children's best interest
at heart? (Why is it that the hoplophobes are always more concerned with
the trained, law-abiding citizens carrying in places such as parks
instead of with those who make Memphis "one of the top five worst cities
in America for it's crime rate"?)
http://www.examiner.com/x-18506-Memphis-Elementary-Years-Parenting-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Guns-in-the-park-Are-your-children-safe
---
Appeals Court Rules for NYC Gun Shop: The United States Second Circuit
Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a Bronx gun shop owner who claimed
her constitutional rights were violated in a search and seizure of her
store following a post-9/11 security crackdown by the New York City
Police Department. Angela Spinelli, the owner of Olinville Arms, Inc.,
appealed the case to the Second Circuit after a federal district court
granted the City of New York and the NYPD officers' motion for summary
judgment dismissing her case. In the overturned ruling, the district
court held that Spinelli failed to demonstrate that the city had denied
her Constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment, her rights to Due
Process of Law, or tortuously interfered with her business, when they
confiscated her entire firearms inventory and suspended her dealer's
licenses. While the Appeals Court determined that the lower court had
properly dismissed Spinelli's Fourth Amendment claim because the City's
warrantless search of Olinville Arms was objectively reasonable and
performed pursuant to established regulations, the Court found that the
City and its police officers violated due process by denying Spinelli
the constitutionally required notice and post-deprivation hearing...
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-14-2009/0005077577&EDATE=
---
Wisconsin Open-Carry Movement Grows: ...In case you thought nothing much
has been happening since JB Van Hollen issued his open carry memo last
April, maybe you need to get off the couch. A group of citizens lead by
three of my AACFI certified firearms instructors who were armed with the
law and the facts, successfully stopped new local gun ordinances being
proposed in Greenfield and South Milwaukee this spring. Many other
communities were watching these cities to see just how far they were
willing to go. One lone person was successful in stopping a local police
chief who wanted the city of Milton to ban open carry. If you think one
person can not make a difference, you are wrong. This citizen is now off
to visit other nearby communities to educate them and keep them from
making the same mistake. This person also happens to be one of my
students. Are you beginning to see a pattern? It was only a matter of
time before Madison got their governmental boob in a wringer. Although
seemingly not quite as egregious as West Allis, the Madison police chief
is apparently making an attempt to compete with West Allis for the "what
were we thinking" award...
http://www.examiner.com/x-5103-Wisconsin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d12-The-open-carry-fight-moves-on-to-Madison
Man, "open carry gun picnics" seem to be all the rage these days. Never
heard of them? Basically, people looking to educate the public on Second
Amendment rights organize a good ol' fashioned cookout where everyone is
encouraged to attend, and hey, if you own a gun, bring 'er along! There
was one in Onalaska back in May. I'm assuming the more important goal of
these events is to combat negative perceptions of gun owners. At any
rate, it's just kind of a whacky concept, and much to organizers'
delight, grabs a lot of attention.
http://volumeone.org/blogs/The_Daily_Shakedown/post/1044/Trendy_small_town_gun_picnics_are_all_the_rage.html
A community picnic - could anything be more American? "They're very
proud citizens around here," says Annette Olson of her neighbors in
Glenwood City, Wisconsin as she hangs picnic posters around town. But
this isn't the church or 4-H gathering some might expect in a small
rural Western Wisconsin community. This is a picnic of a different
caliber. "The poster talks about our 'open carry' picnic which is on
Sunday August 23rd," Annette explains. "Open carry," as in firearms.
Annette is planning for 500 people at the St. Croix County Fairgrounds,
proudly displaying their guns on their hips. The Glenwood City picnic
will be modeled after others held earlier this year near Milwaukee,
Green Bay, and La Crosse. The picnics have been held in part to send a
message to Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, who has twice vetoed conceal
and carry legislation...
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=822024&catid=391
The organizer of an "Open Carry Picnic" to be held Aug. 23 at the St.
Croix County Fairgrounds in Glenwood City says he is planning another
event in Hudson in a few months, according to a report in the Eau Claire
Leader-Telegram... Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued an
advisory on April 20 saying that it is legal to openly carry a gun in
public. Wisconsin has a law that prohibits the carrying of concealed
weapons, but state statutes don't say anything about openly carrying
guns. State law does require that guns be kept in cases when they are
transported in vehicles, and prohibits firearms in taverns, schools and
other public buildings...
http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/35431/
Glenwood City Police Chief Robert Darwin said he's not overly concerned
about hundreds of people coming to the St. Croix County Fairgrounds on
Aug. 23 armed with loaded sidearms. "I don't have a problem with what
they want to do," he said. "They have the lawful right to do that. "My
concern is how the general public will respond," Darwin said Wednesday.
"I hope they will respect it, since it is lawful. The people coming to
this are not the kind of people we need to worry about." ...
http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-news.asp?id=BKS7JU5R0B2
---
Oops, Wrong House: A 59-year-old man admitted to police he fatally shot
man who held a knife to his throat and tried to rob him Wednesday
morning in Chicago's Englewood community. Maurice Willis, 36, was found
in a trashcan at 1244 W. 61st St., the Cook County medical examiner's
office said. Police said they responded to the 1200 block of West 61st
about 9:30 a.m., where the victim was found dead with multiple gunshot
wounds... The man and the officer entered the basement apartment where
the 59-year-old showed the officer the weapon he allegedly used, a Smith
& Wesson .38-caliber revolver, and the dead man, who had multiple
gunshot wounds to his face and chest and was sticking halfway out of a
city garbage can... The arrestee said words to the effect of, "OK, don't
hurt me, I got money here in the mattress," according to police, who
said when he went to the mattress he produced the revolver and shot
Willis. Police said he apparently panicked and tried to hide the body in
the bin, which he planned on rolling back out into the alley. Police
said the incident may be reclassified to self-defense...
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1714904,englewood-shoot-0813.article
---
Oops, Wrong Car: Police do not expect to charge a Jackson homeowner who
shot and wounded a man he found breaking into his car early Sunday
morning. The name of the homeowner was not released. About 5 a.m., a
homeowner in the 200 block of East Ash St. saw two men breaking into his
Chrysler Sebring parked in front of the house, Jackson Assistant Chief
Lee Vance said. The homeowner got a gun and shot one of the suspected
burglars, Vance said. Michael Evans, 26, was shot in a thigh while still
inside the Sebring, he said...Jackson police will turn the findings from
the investigation over to a Hinds County grand jury, which will
determine whether the homeowner will be charged. Vance would not say
whether the case falls under the Castle Doctrine but said "the homeowner
has a right to protect his property." A number of people in Jackson have
been shot or killed since the Castle Doctrine went into effect three
years ago. The Mississippi law allows property owners to use deadly
force when they believe they are in imminent danger...
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090810/NEWS/908100324/Robbery+suspect+shot+in+Jackson
---
Oops, Wrong Store, Georgia Version: A 19-year-old man has been charged
with aggravated assault and armed robbery in connection with a Saturday
night robbery at a Fort Hill neighborhood store, Macon police said.
Laadrian Javonte Wilson is being held at the Bibb County jail without
bond, according to jail records. Three men entered the store at 406
Woolfolk St., at about 10:30 p.m., according to a police report. One of
the men pointed a gun at a store worker. A second store worker picked up
a shotgun. He and the alleged robbers fired shots at each other,
according to the report. The three men ran north on Woolfolk Street.
Minutes later, police received a radio call about a man with a gunshot
wound at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, according to the report.
Sgt. Melanie Hofmann said Wilson was shot in the buttocks and was
arrested at about 4 p.m. Monday upon his release from the hospital...
http://www.macon.com/198/story/799517.html
---
Oops, Wrong Store, NYC Version: They strode into the restaurant supply
store in Harlem shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday, four young men intent
on robbery, one with a Glock 9-millimeter pistol, the police said. The
place may have looked like an easy mark, a high-cash business with an
owner in his 70s, known as a gentle, soft-spoken man... Watching it
happen, Mr. Augusto, whom neighborhood friends call Gus, rose from a
chair 20 to 30 feet away and took out a loaded Winchester 12-gauge
pump-action shotgun with a pistol-grip handle. The police said he bought
it after a robbery 30 years ago. Mr. Augusto, who has never been in
trouble with the law, fired three blasts in rapid succession, the police
said, although Vernon McKenzie, working at an Internet company next
door, heard only two booms, loud enough to send him rushing to a window,
where he heard someone shout: "You're dead! You're dead!" The first shot
took down the gunman at the front. He died almost immediately, according
to the police, who said he was 29 and had been arrested for gun
possession in Queens last year and was the nephew of a police officer.
Mr. Augusto's other two blasts hit all three accomplices, who stumbled
out the door, bleeding... A law enforcement official said that the
district attorney was considering a possible misdemeanor weapons charge
against Mr. Augusto, indicating that he did not have a permit for the
shotgun...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/nyregion/14shoot.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all---
Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A man was rushed to Miami Valley Hospital
by CareFlight today, Aug. 12, after he reportedly shot himself while
cleaning a handgun. The helicopter was called to the 600 block of W.
North Street in Piqua [OH] earlier this afternoon. Piqua firefighters
reported the 44-year-old victim had apparently been cleaning a loaded
gun when it discharged, hitting him in the abdomen. His condition is
unknown. (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule Two: Don't let
the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot. Those with
pistols that require the trigger be pressed as part of the disassembly
process need to have a backstop available that could stop any round the
gun could fire.)
http://newstalkradiowhio.com/localnews/2009/08/piqua-man-shoots-himself-while.html
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Caution-reguired-while-cleaning-guns-to-prevent-accidents
A Pasadena [TX] police officer was hospitalized after he accidentally
shot himself in the stomach on Sunday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Investigators said the shooting happened at the 46-year-old officer's
apartment on Space Center Boulevard near NASA Parkway at about 1 a.m. A
child at the home helped the officer call 911, police said. The officer
had surgery on his abdomen and intestines. He is in serious condition at
Memorial Hermann Hospital. The officer has been with the Pasadena Police
Department for 20 years.
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/Texas-Officer-Accidentally-Shoots-Himself/1$47916
---
Rule Five Reminder?: A 13-year-old boy playing with a handgun in Carson
was killed Thursday afternoon when the weapon accidentally discharged,
authorities said. Homicide investigators from the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department were investigating the shooting and a second,
unrelated fatal shooting that occurred a short time later in Maywood. In
the Carson case, the boy and a friend, also 13, were playing with video
games when they discovered a locked closet, broke in and found the gun,
said Sheriff's Deputy Aura Sierra. "It accidentally discharged," Sierra
said. The incident occurred about 2:45 p.m. in 21400 block of Orrick
Avenue. The names of the youths were not released... (It would seem as
though the owner of the gun made a reasonable effort to secure it if the
closet was locked. "It accidentally discharged" sounds like LASD-speak
for we don't want to file charges; guns do not discharge on their own.)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/08/13yearold-playing-with-gun-in-carson-dies-man-fatally-shot-in-maywood.html
---
Tangentially Related: Soldiers recruited to be "Internment/Resettlement"
specialists by a series of National Guard ads concerning "civilian
resettlement" locations would have assignments overseas, not within the
U.S., says a National Guard spokesman who reports members pledge to
follow the U.S. Constitution and take orders from American civilian
authorities. The response came several days after WND submitted
questions to the National Guard about the advertisements for
"Internment" soldiers who could operate in a "civilian resettlement"
center. As WND reported, the ads were raising alarm because of a series
of other government moves, including the recent Department of Homeland
Security report describing those who oppose abortion or support
third-party political candidates as "extremists" and the Department of
Defense's own categorization of protesters as "low-level terrorists."
.. (Had the National Guard been more honest in its advertising, it
might have included some reference to foreign-language skills as it
seems difficult to provide the services described without being able to
communicate effectively with the "clients." I guess the Guard prefers to
let people think that their service will be mostly on weekend and that
they will remain stateside.)
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=106742
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
