Recent Shootings Produce No New Infringements, Yet: Fatal shootings in
Binghamton, N.Y., and Pittsburgh prompted renewed calls for stricter gun
control from traditional advocates such as the Brady Campaign to Prevent
Gun Violence and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. But such calls haven't echoed
in the halls of Congress or in statehouses across the country... In the
late 1980s and 1990s, gun-control debates were a staple of political
discourse. But in more recent years, the national Democratic Party -
intent on expanding the party's natural constituency - has essentially
abandoned efforts to impose new restrictions on gun ownership. "On the
national level, the issue is considered toxic by Democrats," said Ross
Baker, an expert on Congress at Rutgers University. "I think part of it
has to do with (the Democrats') remarkable success in capturing seats
previously held by Republicans. Many of these new Democrats ran on
platforms of not tampering with Second Amendment rights, and they don't
want to pull the rug out from under them." ...
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/42415
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Virginia Senate Fails to Override Veto: The Senate has upheld Gov. Tim
Kaine's veto of a bill that would have allowed those with concealed
carry permits to take handguns into restaurants as long as they don't
drink alcohol. The Senate came up three votes shy of the two-thirds
majority needed to override Kaine's veto Wednesday. It was the second
year the body upheld Kaine's objection to the bill on the grounds that
it puts the public at risk. Retired law enforcement officers likely will
be allowed to carry concealed guns into bars. The Senate voted 30-10 to
override Kaine's veto of that bill. The House had not taken up the
issue. Currently, guns can be taken into restaurants as long as they are
out in the open. (Yet the headline for this story refers to "guns in
bars," which have always been legal in Virginia.)
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0409/611600.html
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Meanwhile, in Tennessee...: The House on Monday passed a bill to allow
people with handgun carry permits to bring their weapons into
establishments that serve alcohol. The chamber voted 70-26 in favor of
the bill sponsored by Rep. Curry Todd, a Collierville Republican and a
retired police officer. "It's a matter of public safety," Todd said
after the vote. "It's a matter of them protecting themselves, which they
have a right to do. "And to make them leave their guns in the car is
just asinine," he said. Todd said his proposal is supported by the
National Rifle Association...
http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904070308
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Grand Canyon Gun Bust: A convicted felon from Yavapai County was
arrested in Grand Canyon National Park on charges he illegally possessed
three firearms. According to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office
in Flagstaff, a Park Ranger stopped the driver of a Dodge pickup truck
for speeding in a school zone in the park on April 6. During the stop,
Rangers found a .45-caliber pistol, a 30-30 rifle and a .22 caliber
rifle in the truck. The passenger of the truck, a man convicted for a
felony DUI, admitted the guns were his and that he was prohibited from
possessing firearms because he is a convicted felon. Donald A. Smith,
age not listed, was charged with three counts of illegally possessing a
firearm. (It sounds as though the key issue here was of being a
prohibited possessor, not of violating the NPS gun ban. It's hard to say
what triggered the search of the vehicle.)
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/04/11/news/local/20090411_local_194337.txt
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Weapon-Mounted Lights: A list member in the holster business comments:
I get many requests for us to build holsters for guns with lights
attached. We make special versions of our Silent Thunder
leather-lined holsters for some gun/light combinations but usually
for LEO's or military use... Here's a tactical flashlight that has
caught my attention. This may be a better choice than mounting a
light on the accessory rails of your prized pistol for home defense.
One advantage is that you can illuminate the scene without pointing
a loaded firearm at someone who may not be a threat... (If the only
tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
If the only light you carry is wedded to a firearm, you must either
search with the muzzle [Rule Two violation] or find a light-colored
surface off which to reflect the beam. Weapon-mounted lights are
adjuncts to, not substitutes for lights that can be operated
independently of the firearm.)
http://www.tuckergunleatherblog.com/
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Law Enforcement Must Adjust to Open Carry: You are tooling down Main
Street and see the...gentleman...pumping gas into his chopped Harley at
the Stop and Rob. Wearing a full beard and hair down to his shoulders,
dirty denim jeans, square-toe boots, a denim vest with some design
across the back, and a holstered Glock 21 on his right hip. As you pull
in and approach him, he nonchalantly continues to pump gas. As he
finishes and puts the nozzle away, you tell him to keep his hands out,
and that you are going to remove his pistol. He complies, even as a
back-up arrives. Politely, he provides his identification, registration,
and insurance card. As you prepare to hook him up, he looks at you, and
says "I am allowed to carry openly. It's the law." Nonetheless, you hook
him up and deliver him to lockup. A month later you are notified by the
prosecutor that they have dropped all charges because his attorney
pointed out eloquently that your state, to your and his bewilderment,
permits open carry of firearms. Oh, and Billy the Biker will see you in
federal court for his civil rights violation... (I believe that Larry
Smith and his fellow DPS officers are fortunate that they were not sued
for running serial numbers through NCIC without probably cause. His
comments surprise me as I believe that his experience largely predates
licensed CCW in Arizona. While I can't say that open carry is common
these days, I have never seen anyone attract undue attention or be
harassed for it. At least one student of mine told me that he preferred
to carry openly while riding his motorcycle as it dissuades "aggressive
driving" directed at motorcyclists by others in automobiles.)
http://www.lawofficer.com/news-and-articles/columns/Laska/carry_on.html
---
NRA-ILA Alerts: List members are encouraged to read the alerts for the
week, posted on the NRA-ILA website.
http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx
---
Free NRA Membership: To take a stand for the defense of firearms
freedoms and accept this offer of a one-year NRA trial membership,
please enter your information below... (In the event that you are not an
NRA member and may be reluctant to give scarce funds to that
organization, taking advantage of this free offer will at least increase
the membership ranks, a factor that gives the NRA a bit more clout in
the political arena.)
https://www.nrahq.org/nrabonus/accept-membership.asp
---
Tangentially Related: In wide-ranging remarks here, Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg defended the use of foreign law by American judges, suggested
that torture should not be used even when it might yield important
information and reflected on her role as the Supreme Court's only female
justice. The occasion was a symposium at the Moritz College of Law at
Ohio State University honoring her 15 years on the court. "I frankly
don't understand all the brouhaha lately from Congress and even from
some of my colleagues about referring to foreign law," Justice Ginsburg
said in her comments on Friday. The court's more conservative members -
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr.,
Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas - oppose the citation of foreign law
in constitutional cases... (For at least two centuries, our Constitution
was regarded as unique. Among other things, it includes protections,
such as the RKBA, which don't exist in most other countries.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/us/12ginsburg.html?_r=1&ref=world
---
From John Farnam:
8 Apr 09
NY Incident, from a friend close to the investigation:
"Without getting into data that is not yet in public view, I believe we
can take two key learning points from this terrible incident:
(1) This VCA scored an impressive KIA/WIA ratio. When handguns are
involved, the ratio is usually 20/1, or even less. When heaver weapons
are involved, and, as with the Columbine Incident in CO, police do not
respond aggressively, the ratio is much higher, as we see! Responding
officers did not make entry for forty-five minutes. That is a long time
in a one-way fight!
(2) However, even with the best of tactical plans, we police are rarely
in a position to save anyone from violent criminals. We are oh-so good
at chalking out bodies and collecting evidence. We positively excel at
figuring out precisely what happened, and who did what. All of which
is cold comfort for those at the pointy end of the spear, in the present
tense!"
Lesson: Be in a position to defend yourself, or suffer the
consequences. It's that simple!
Don't wait to be rescued, and don't worry about someone else's rules.
There are no "degrees of dead," and you won't get to change channels nor
go back to the beginning and reboot!
We're going to see this again!
/John
8 Apr 09
Effecti ve disengagement, from a friend in Western Europe:
"Last week, I was targeted, and actively probed, by a 'street-person'
while perusing inside a crystal shop in the 'high-rent' district.
The shop's clueless proprietor didn't notice that there was a predator
on the prowl in his establishment, but I did! The sleeze-bag identified
me as a foreign tourist, and started circling, trying to stay behind
me. I recognized immediately that I was the object of an active stalk.
He was apparently not prepared to confront me directly. Rather, I got
the impression he intended to get behind me and go for a quick,
hit-and-run job, snatching my wallet and whatever else he could get.
I made eye-contact and maneuvered to prevent him from accessing my
flank. That apparently disrupted his plan, and he left the shop, but
lingered outside.
Upon my exit twenty minutes later, he tried to take advantage of my
parting conversation with the proprietor and made a rapid approach,
again trying to get behind me. I stepped rapidly through his spiral,
thwarting his approach and orienting my body toward him, as I deployed a
blade covertly behind my right thigh and assumed the interview stance.
I was prepared to slash whatever limb he used to grab me.
Abruptly, his countenance fell! He precipitously changed direction,
and, at all but a run, departed rapidly, venting his frustration on a
nearby dumpster before disappearing all together.
Some might suggest that I should have left the area when I first noticed
this creep, but, at least in this part of the world, when one adopts
that SOP, getting any business conducted becomes just about
impossible! As you've noted, there are no 'safe' neighborhoods.'"
Lesson: All of us need to hone our decision-making routine with regard
to when to
break "stealth mode" and challenge overtly. It's your call, recalling
that "tactics" is just "the best of the worst."
Disengagement can usually be accomplished successfully through movement,
posturing, and verbalization. Higher levels of force are seldom
necessary, but you need to always keep yourself in a position to
escalate instantly when required. This response potential includes, of
course, lethal force.
When your adversary elects to go "all the way," you can never hesitate!
/John
(It is simply amazing how skilled "street people" are at reading body
language. Remember that Jeff Copper's color code is intended to
facilitate the shift into the preparedness to use deadly force. Somehow,
many instructors converted it into a code of awareness. While awareness
is crucial, it is not the same as overcoming all the things which
inhibit our use of deadly force on another human.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
