A List Member Responds: In response to my comments about the South
Carolina bill that would allow "stowing" a handgun under the seat of a
vehicle:
As usual, the media stories on this particular issue are somewhat
confusing. The "stow under the seat" phrase is desirable as an
addition to the current statute language so that persons who are
armed, and wish (or are required) to disarm after or upon leaving
their vehicle, can stow their handgun in a below-the-seat storage
compartment - many pickups and vans are so equipped. The idea is
that someone who has stepped down from a tall vehicle can more
easily reach the under-seat box than the in-dash glove box or center
console box. The proposed change is not really about quick
emergency access to a handgun that has been sliding around under a
car seat for the last fifty miles. The SC statute is pretty
specific about where loaded handguns can be stored in vehicles, and
the proposal is intended to avert unduly zealously specific law
enforcement action down the road.
---
CCRKBA Blasts Hypocrisy over Rights for DC: The Citizens Committee for
the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today accused Congressional Democrats of
"world-class hypocrisy" for pulling a voting rights bill for Washington,
D.C. residents because Senate Republicans added an amendment that would
strengthen their gun rights, as affirmed in the June 2008 Heller ruling
by the Supreme Court... "Once again," he said, "Democrats are revealing
themselves as the party of restrictive gun control. If the citizens of
Washington, D.C., have a right to full congressional representation,
they also have a right to own the firearm of their choice. For Democrats
to argue that one right is more important than another - especially
after last year's Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment - they
are engaging in world-class hypocrisy." ...
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/ccrkba-blasts-dem-double-standard-district-voting-rights-v-gun-rights,738567.shtml
..Unlike the Senate, House leaders were fully prepared to pass a
version of the bill without the gun amendment, enabling a conference
committee, tasked with resolving differences in House and Senate
versions, to keep the measure out of the final bill ... that is, until
the NRA quietly hinted that procedural votes related to the measure
would be considered "test votes," potentially placing Democrats' NRA "A"
ratings at risk. Now the bill is on hold, and its advocates are
decidedly unhappy: Said D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),
"Members are reacting in knee-jerk fashion to the NRA." House Majority
Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) pronounced the tactic, "not appropriate." ...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d4-Reports-of-gun-lobby-death-are-greatly-exaggerated
---
Ignorance, Racism and "Gun Control": ...So when President Obama says
"what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne," demographics must not
be excluded from the factors he thinks make Chicago and Cheyenne
dissimilar enough to warrant recognizing different rights. It's time to
speak plainly about this and stop being, as AG Holder recently called
us, "a nation of cowards" when it comes to race. It's a subject I'll be
exploring in the coming days and as I feel it is warranted...
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d4-Ignorance-racism-and-gun-control
---
Why Gun Confiscation May Be Good for You: Let's take a look at the
silver lining in the cloud that is gun confiscation. Try to remember:
nothing is all bad. Economics are a big consideration. Black market guns
will likely be cheaper than they were at the gun shop or sporting goods
store. And no more serial numbers on guns or any of that silly paperwork
to fill out. There will be a market driven "trickle down" effect on the
end user's price. To your benefit. Doncha see? There are at least 65
million gun owners in America today. That's probably as large a percent
of the nation as ignored alcohol Prohibition. 65 million potential
customers for black market guns is an awfully attractive business
opportunity. And used-to-be gun owners will be seriously motivated
buyers. Having someone disarm you is a little more edgy than being told
you can't have a beer. Well ... that may be stretching it. But you get
my point...
http://www.jpfo.org/kirby/kirby-confiscation-good.htm
---
From the Website of the L.A. Times: Last week's announcement that 730
people across the United States had been arrested during a 21-month
investigation targeting Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel underscored the
scope of a simply-described cross-border problem that cannot be easily
solved. Cartel members smuggle drugs into the U.S., where demand is
insatiable and worth billions, and smuggle high-tech weapons from the
U.S. into Mexico to protect their interests against rival drug leaders
and Mexican authorities. About 6,000 deaths in Mexico during the last 13
months have been attributed to the narco-war, and it's feared a
similarly high level of drug-related violence will spill into the U.S.
But is reinstating a ban on the sale of so-called assault rifles in the
U.S. part of a solution? Probably not...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/03/obama-should-no.html
---
The Real Story on "Assault Weapons": What has erroneously been termed an
"assault weapon" is a semi-automatic firearm that fires just one bullet
with each pull of the trigger (versus a fully automatic firearm --
machine gun -- which continues to shoot until the trigger is released).
Specifically, legislation has incorrectly defined an "assault weapon" as
a semi-automatic firearm that can accept a detachable magazine and has
two or more of the following cosmetic features (it is these cosmetic
features that distinguish the firearm from other "non-assault
weapons.")... (Linked page includes the old Leroy Pyle video from the
time when California's first Assault Weapon Control Act was being
debated - worth watching.)
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-the-real-story-on-so-called-assault-weapons
---
Don't Worry, Be Happy: The National Rifle Association warned in a
campaign ad that if Barack Obama were elected president he would try to
take away hunters' guns and ammo. But with pro-gun Democrats a powerful
force in Congress, it's already pretty clear there will be no messing
with Americans' right to bear arms. Twenty-two Democrats, including
Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, joined Republicans last week in a
Senate vote to negate the District of Columbia's tough gun registration
requirements and overturn its ban on rapid-fire semiautomatic weapons.
More than 80 House Democrats voted for a similar measure last year. "It
was a pleasant surprise, but it's not a huge surprise that elected
officials are listening to their constituents," said Chris W. Cox, the
NRA's chief lobbyist... (This article, credited to Associated Press, is
remarkably similar to one linked yesterday, from the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, which lacked such a credit. Is there an effort to
lull gun owners into relaxing their vigilance?)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1457929,w-nra-gun-control-durbin-reid030309.article
---
Gillibrand Denies Change on RKBA: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is denying
a flip-flop on the issue of gun rights, but gun rights advocates are
furious with her. Now, I should say I loathe the term "flip-flop,"
because politicians ought to be free to change their mind or evaluate
new conditions or information. But in this case, gun rights advocates
say Gillibrand "flip-flopped" on guns because they believe she's
changing her position for political convenience. Gillibrand's office
says she's not changing her position at all... read Senator Gillibrand's
statement to Ken Mathison of SCOPE (Shooters' Committee On Political
Education) today. He was not impressed...
http://www.13wham.com/content/news/political/story/Gillibrand-Denies-Change-On-Guns-But-SCOPE-Fumes/8Iy1PmWbrUu_X53-4LwsfA.cspx
---
Incrementalism - The Latest Step: First it was "plastic guns" that
critics, including perennial anti-gun Senator Edward M. Kennedy,
hysterically claimed could become the weapon of choice of terrorist
because they did not show up on x-ray machines. But the "plastic gun"
turned out to be a myth, and the pistol once called a "terrorist weapon"
for its use of polymer components around a steel frame - the Glock - is
now the choice of American police officers. Then it was the
"semiautomatic assault-weapon," pilloried in the press because it looked
like a military firearm and had some cosmetic features some people
didn't like, and this allowed the fear-peddlers at the Violence Policy
Center (VPC) an opportunity to confuse people and gull them into
supporting a ten-year ban that accomplished nothing, especially when it
came to protecting the lives of police officers. One law enforcement
expert debunked claims by the gun prohibition lobby that these
semiautomatic firearms - which function identically to grandpa's
Remington or Browning shotgun he used to hunt ducks and geese - are "the
weapons of choice" of criminals...
http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d4-At-it-again-Antigunners-trying-to-demonize-yet-another-class-of-firearms
---
The Ongoing Campaign Against Lead Bullets: Three years ago, Phillip
Loughlin made a choice he knew would brand him as an outsider with many
of his fellow hunters: He decided to shoot "green" bullets. "It made
sense," Loughlin said of his switch to more environmentally friendly
ammo, which doesn't contain lead. "I believe that we need to do a little
bit to take care of the rest of the habitat and the environment - not
just what we want to shoot out of it." ...Some firing ranges are banning
lead for safety reasons. Lead bullets contaminate military training
grounds across the country and are the subjects of many environmental
cleanups... The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources followed with
its own study, which found that when lead bullets explode inside an
animal, imperceptible particles of the metal can infect meat up to a
foot and a half away from the bullet wound - farther than previously
thought... (Military "green ammo" uses sintered tungsten bullets;
tungsten may prove to be a more troublesome toxin than lead. I was
unaware that lead bullets explode inside game.)
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/03/04/green.bullets/index.html
---
What Stimulated the Gun-and-Ammo Market?: Since Obama's victory in
November, Smith and Wesson and Ruger, the only two publically traded US
gun makers, have experienced major increases in their stock prices. Ammo
manufacturers are running 24/7 attempting to keep up with demand.
Military-pattern semi-automatic rifles, including AR-15's and AK-clones
are expensive, stocked-out, or both. Are these price increases
"gouging," as some would say, or are they a natural response to the
forces of supply and demand? If these prices are elevated over normal
conditions, will they continue to soar upwards? To both questions I say,
"No, there is no gouging, prices will probably fall in the future."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mattis1.html
---
Ammunition Shortage Analyzed: ...The real fact of the matter is that the
military got the bulk of its small arms (pistol, rifle, machine gun)
ammunition from one contracted ammunition plant, and that plant wasn't
even running near capacity. The military's consumption clearly wasn't to
blame, and anecdotal evidence and statements from ammunition
manufacturers strongly suggested that police departments themselves
caused the 2007 ammunition shortage by purchasing far more ammunition
than they had in the past. But what is causing our current ammunition
shortages here in 2009? Much of the demand comes from continued high law
enforcement demand, the same demand that led to shortages two years ago.
Police agencies around the nation have become more militarized in recent
years and two trends within this militarization have led to greater
police ammunition demand...
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/nationwide-ammunition-shortage-hits-us/
---
West Virginia Capitol-Carry Bill Explained: ...Given several
inaccuracies in recent media reports, I want to clarify some of the
things the bill does and does not do. The bill repeals one statute that
generally prohibits weapons on the state Capitol Complex. Second, it
amends a separate statute prohibiting weapons in courthouses so that the
ban will apply only to those portions of the Capitol in which the
Supreme Court and its offices are located. Senate Bill 147 is hardly
revolutionary. As in Oregon, New Hampshire, Virginia and several other
states that respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners, the bill would
permit us to exercise our right to keep and bear arms around and inside
our Capitol in the same manner as most other public places...
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/LetterstotheEditor/200903030089
---
Campus Carry Supported in Texas: In June 1975, every indicator predicted
a good summer for America's seaside tourism industry-the oil embargo had
been lifted, the Vietnam War was over, and the stock market was
recovering. Instead, coastal tourism declined that summer, primarily due
to growing concerns about shark attacks. Ironically, there were no fatal
shark attacks in the U.S. in 1975. The national epidemic of galeophobia
(fear of sharks) originated not from any real-life incident but from the
June release of the movie "Jaws". A terrifying fantasy caused otherwise
rational people to lose sight of reason and ignore the laws of
probability (you're almost twice as likely to pick the winning Powerball
numbers as to be killed by a shark in U.S. waters). A similar epidemic
of baseless paranoia now grips Texas. But the perceived threat isn't
sharks; it's concealed handgun license holders...
http://media.www.ntdaily.com/media/storage/paper877/news/2009/03/04/Opinion/Guns-Protect.Students.On.Campus-3658531.shtml
---
Oregon Student Loses Appeal, Will Sue: A Western Oregon University
student who had trouble with the police over a gun he was carrying has
learned that he is not welcome back on campus. Jeff Maxwell appealed the
university's decision to suspend him - and has just learned it was
denied. But as Rob Manning reports, Maxwell's allies plan to bring legal
action. 30 year-old former Marine Jeff Maxwell was arrested in late
January when police found him carrying a handgun on Western Oregon's
campus. But charges were quickly dropped, when the District Attorney
learned Maxwell had a concealed weapon permit. The university, though,
suspended Maxwell. He appealed, but was just rebuffed...
http://news.opb.org/article/4422-wou-student-loses-appeal-allies-sue/
---
Liberty University to Remain Gun-Free: Liberty University will remain
gun-free, trustees at the Baptist school founded by the late Jerry
Falwell decided March 3. Last year, Liberty's chapter of Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus asked university officials to change the
school's firearm policies to allow people with concealed-handgun permits
to carry weapons on campus. "Liberty University prides itself in not
adhering to 'political correctness' and is obligated to consider the
facts instead of simply adhering to politically popular policies," the
group appealed in an online petition. The petition said current rules
banning firearms on campus "only deter the honorable" and that anyone
intending to commit violence "would have no concern for breaking a
university rule." ...
http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3900&Itemid=53
---
Ohio DOT Has Removed All "No Guns" Signs: Last fall, Buckeye Firearms
Association was pleased to report that the Ohio Department of
Transportation (ODOT) had ordered all "NO GUNS" signs at state rest
stops and visitor centers to be removed. This action was in response to
passage and implementation of Senate Bill 184, which included several
major fixes to Ohio's concealed handgun licensure (CHL) law, including a
change designed to allow patrons of rest stops to use the facilities
without having to disarm. The law took effect September 3, but people
who carry concealed weapons (CCW) in Ohio continued to report seeing the
problematic signs at highway rest areas and visitor centers... Buckeye
Firearms Association has now received word from ODOT Assistant Legal
Counsel Heather Sullivan that "the districts have reported all of the
signs are down", and in fact that the last signs were removed earlier
today...
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6553
---
Reprieve in San Diego: They received a reprieve Tuesday, but Elizabeth
Avalos and Monica Cedano know they probably won't get more. The duo,
award-winning shooters for San Diego High School's air-rifle team, are
relieved that the school board will allow them to compete through the
end of the school year, rather than immediately putting an end to all
campus marksmanship training. But happy? Not really. "Just a little
bit," said Monica, 16. The teammates are part of the district's Junior
ROTC marksmanship program, which the board eliminated two weeks ago in
response to criticism that air rifles, like other guns, shouldn't be
tolerated on campuses. The students and coaches who participate in the
program say the activity has been unfairly maligned by critics who
associate it with school and street violence...
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/feb/28/1cz28shoot214749-young-marksmen-say-opponents-pain/?zIndex=59896
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
