Do Gun-Free Zones Attract Terrorists?: Foreign and domestic terrorists
have one common denominator: they want their attack to succeed. To that
end they often spend weeks, months, even years planning their assault.
They watch for holes in security learning the patterns of police and
security guard patrols and response times. They make plans to avoid
metal detectors and other screening procedures. But they cannot prepare
for what they cannot see. One of the biggest threats to a terror attack
is a defender they cannot identify. This can be a plainclothes or
off-duty law enforcement officer or an armed citizen. One obvious means
to counter the possibility of a premature end to an attack is to simply
look for a place that bans weapons...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d25-Do-gun-free-zones-attract-terrorists
---
Second Amendment March Seeks Volunteers: As you know, the April 19 date
for the D.C. march is fast approaching. There are many things that need
to be accomplished before and during the event. We need your help! Below
are a few of the volunteer opportunities we have identified so far... We
are looking for volunteer EMT's who will be at the march in D.C. We are
required to have a certain number of licensed EMT's working the event
(based on size of the crowd). If you would like to volunteer for this,
please let us know. We need 6-8 people to man a petition table (petition
is available on our website) to gather signatures at the D.C. March.
This can be divided into shifts if we have enough volunteers. Volunteers
needed to direct people to the rally location (Washington Monument) from
various points within the city. During the rally, circulate amongst the
crowd to answer questions and provide assistance as needed...
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/01/24/second-amendment-march-needs-volunteer-help/
---
A Victory in Connecticut: The CCDL, Inc. has taken action to help
Connecticut citizens applying for gun permits! Many issuing authorities
in Connecticut have for years taken it upon themselves to ask for
"EXTRA" information from applicants applying for their permit to carry
pistols and revolvers. These intrusive bits of extra information include
things such as 3 letters of recommendation that may need to be
notarized, signed forms allowing the issuing authority to do financial
credit checks, and some even request applicants to sign waivers so
authorities can check your medical/mental health history records. This
extra information has never been required by any state statute. Members
of the CCDL have asked that the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners
(BFPE) make a Declaratory Ruling on whether all of this extra
information is needed when applying for a permit. Many people applying
for their permit are not aware of what is deemed necessary by the State
of Connecticut. Some have supplied the extra information to get their
permit; others have considered it an invasion of their privacy and
decided against applying for their permit on principle, thus
compromising their Second Amendment rights! The official ruling from
BFPE is that anything not specifically called out in the CT state
statues is NOT necessary when applying for a permit. They will be
sending a copy of their ruling to each and every issuing authority in
Connecticut... (Connecticut residents are first required to obtain a
local permit, which they then use to apply for a state permit.)
http://www.ccdl.us/
---
Washington "AWB" Bill Likely to Fail: After 2009 ended in a hail of
high-profile gun violence, Washington state's gun-control advocates are
frustrated by an apparent lack of political support for an assault
weapons ban, warning that the state will likely face more deadly
shootings without it. The bill comes just weeks after a spate of deadly
police shootings, and proponents of the ban say those killings should
force politicians to confront gun violence... Similar bans have not
fared well in the state Legislature in the past, and in an election
year, supporters face a battle to even get the bill out of committee...
Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, said she is mobilizing with other lawmakers
against the bill. Since it was announced, her office has received more
than 1,000 e-mails asking the Senate to defeat it, Roach said. "We're
going to do everything we can to make sure (Kline) doesn't diminish the
Second Amendment right," she said. The National Rifle Association and
the Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are also
lobbying against it. Alan Gottlieb, the director of the Citizen's
Committee and the Second Amendment Foundation, said he is confident the
bill will fail. Not many Democrats, especially those in more
conservative districts, want to come out against gun rights in an
election year, he said... (How can people honestly believe that banning
the sale of large-capacity magazines and firearms with certain grip
configurations will prevent whackos from trying to kill police officers?)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010879346_apwaxgrguncontrol.html
---
NRA's CCW Bill Not Filed Yet in Iowa: The Iowa Legislature started their
brief 2010 election year session last Monday and fortunately, as of
Friday, January 15th, NRA had still not filed their concealed carry
reform bill. The NRA proposal first surfaced last November as a
revolting collection of sloppily worded amendments to Iowa's atrocious
weapons laws. Thanks to the efforts of rights groups, including The
Firearms Coalition and GunVoter.org, NRA made several revisions,
improving their first proposal, yet still falling far short of a good
bill. NRA's current offering could be a barely tolerable fallback,
assuming a good bill wasn't possible, but the current political
situation argues for stronger demands. While the latest version has a
number of very good provisions, it also contains things that simply
shouldn't be there. It boils down to something simple: how much poo
should Iowa GunVoters eat? ...Part of the Republican strategy was to
push the Iowa Gun Owners' Alaska-style carry bill, forcing the Democrats
into a hard up or down vote before November. Many observers believe that
if the IGO bill ever actually came to the floor, it would have full
support of the Republicans and enough Democrats to put it over the top.
Democrat leaders realize the pressure is on and they are going to have a
tough time shutting down all pro-rights bills this year without
incurring significant damage from GunVoters in November. Desperate to
find an out, they needed some political cover. Enter the NRA....
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/01/24/the-iowa-concealed-carry-controversy/
---
Maryland Empty-Holster Rally Deemed Success: Our first rally during the
General Assembly session was a success thanks to the 100 Maryland gun
owners who took time out of their day to take our message directly to
the legislature. While we'd obviously have liked to seen 1,000 people
there, we realize that every initiative must start somewhere and we look
forward to seeing the rest of you there next year. The speeches
delivered by Delegate Smigiel, Delegate Dwyer and Larry Pratt were very
inspiring and covered a great deal of ground as it pertains to our
rights. We thank them for taking time out of their day and urge you to
do so as well. Delegate Eric Bromwell (D - District 8, Baltimore County)
and Delegate Wendell Beitzel (R - District 1A, Garrett and Allegheny
Counties) also stopped by to visit with members... (I remain perplexed
at the choice of the term "open holster." In case you didn't figure it
out, the rally was for shall-issue CCW.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/01/24/maryland-open-holster-rally-a-success/
---
Indiana Bill Would Require Training to Purchase Firearm: A recently
introduced Indiana bill would greatly restrict the ability of residents
to purchase firearms. Senate Bill 304, sponsored by Senator Connie Sipes
(D- New Albany), would, with limited exceptions, prohibit anyone from
purchasing, renting, or obtaining a firearm by transfer without
completing a new firearms safety course administered by the state police
department. The measure only allows those that have their concealed
carry licenses, are current law enforcement officials, or are current
and former members of the armed forces to be exempted from the safety
training mandate. Sportsmen who are licensed hunters and have fulfilled
their hunter education requirements, would still be prohibited from
purchasing a new or used firearm without first taking the state's
mandated safety course... (Curiously, Indiana does not require training
to issue a license to carry a handgun. I get the impression that some of
the bill may have been copied from an older California law requiring
training to purchase a handgun.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/01/24/indiana-bill-creates-hurdles-for-legitimate-gun-owners-requiring-safety-course-to-purchase-firearms/
---
Indiana Parking-Lot-Storage Bill Advances: Former factory manager Phil
Pflum says he'll never forget the time a laid-off worker pointed a gun
at his car. Pflum, now an Indiana state representative, told his fellow
lawmakers about the experience to explain why he cast the sole committee
vote against a bill that would prohibit employers from banning guns in
people's locked cars on company property. The full House could take
action on the bill as early as Monday, the panel's chairman said. The
House Natural Resources Committee voted 10-1 to advance the bill last
week amid strong support from the National Rifle Association and
opposition from business interests and domestic violence advocates.
Pflum, a Democrat from the eastern Indiana town of Milton, likely
realized he wasn't going to sway the committee's decision. But his voice
quivered as he described how in the 1980s he had to tell hundreds of
workers at a Richmond factory that they were going to lose their jobs,
and how when he drove up alongside one of those workers later the man
pointed a gun at his car before Pflum sped away. "This bill scares the
hell out of me," Pflum said. "What if he'd had a weapon on the company
property?" he asked... (What if? Already breaking the law, the employee
chose not to shoot. Would he have been more likely to do so on company
property?)
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20100124/NEWS06/100124008/1002/NEWS01/Rights--safety-in-debate-over-Ind.-guns-bill
---
The Beat Winds Down?: Dealers at a gun show in Idaho Falls this weekend
said gun sales have flattened following a banner year in 2009 that they
attribute to fears by many conservatives that President Barack Obama and
a Democrat-controlled Congress would move quickly to limit Second
Amendment rights... While some people would argue the gun lobby is
whipping up those fears, gun dealers at the Idaho Falls show are
confident Obama is the reason for 2009's massive increase in gun
sales... According to data recently released by the FBI, background
checks for gun purchases rose significantly during the first half of
2009, and that doesn't include sales by private individuals, who don't
need to conduct background checks in most states. "There are tons of
private sales going on," Tiffany said. "I guarantee you the first part
of the year (last year) gun sales were up probably 25 to 50 percent, if
not more. I had shows where I had two or three times more sales than I
did during the same weekend the year before." ... (I think we can assume
that a high proportion of NICS checks involve the purchase of new
firearms. Private party transfers involve previously purchased firearms,
of which a small proportion may still be new, from a collector
standpoint. It's very difficult to guess how many of these transfers may
be to a first-time gun owner. I would assume that the majority are
transfers between existing gun owners, typically of firearms considered
"surplus" by the vendor.)
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/article_2bea839e-097e-11df-bc02-001cc4c002e0.html
---
Meanwhile, in North Carolina...: Hundreds of people from Craven and
nearby counties came to the Craven County Fairgrounds this weekend for
one of five annual gun and knife shows sponsored by a Pamlico County
businessman. They are among 25 shows Sherwood Caraway of Merritt has
been holding east of Raleigh for two decades because "people in Eastern
North Carolina hunt and are taught gun safety as a way of life." Sheriff
Jerry Monette said he had issued between 80 and 100 permits to purchase
guns by early afternoon Sunday... A gun permit wasn't required for the
ammunition Steven Teague of New Bern or Charlie Wilton of Newport bought
after paying their $7 entry fee. Teague, retired after 20 years in the
Marine Corps and 20 years in civil service, said he was mostly looking
for toys he didn't have. Both men said they hunt a little but mostly
target shoot... One of the 75 vendors at the show, Bill Wishon of
Stately Pines near New Bern, is a certified National Rifle Association
and North Carolina handgun instructor for the eight-hour course required
of people who want to carry a concealed handgun. Wishon said the number
of people wanting the training is growing.
http://www.enctoday.com/news/hundreds-62246-nbsj-fairgrounds-county.html
---
Tough Competition?: Winchester Ammunition presented the 2009 Distributor
of the Year Award to Jerry's Sports Center headquartered in Forest City,
Pennsylvania during the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Each year,
Winchester Ammunition recognizes a distributor who sets a high standard
of service to dealers and loyalty and support to Winchester Ammunition.
Jerry's Sports Center has exemplified these high standards in 2009 and
for many years. Jerry's opened for business as a regional distributor in
Pennsylvania over 50 years ago and has added four additional warehouses
through acquisition over the past 20 years... (With ammunition virtually
selling itself in 2009, I'm curious what the criteria were for this award.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/01/24/winchester-ammunition-distributor-of-the-year-jerrys-sports-center/
---
More on the Austin Gun-Show Tempest: We've been following the Texas Gun
Shows story out of Austin (see "Related Articles" link). Attorney Paul
Velte has sent out an email to his Peaceable Texans for Firearms Rights
list that's being circulated among gun owners regarding his
investigation into the matter. It's based on his "review of the law and
speaking to the promoter and an individual that had his private
collection confiscated Saturday." Some of the highlights: "On Tuesday
APD attempted to deflect public attention by implying that multiple
arrests at the location gave the city grounds to prosecute the landlords
for nuisance. I am attaching a copy of the nuisance statutes* to this
email and as anyone who can read can see - they clearly do not apply
here. But what is really ridiculous about such a claim is that if
arrests alone constitute grounds for nuisance, then every mall and HEB
in the state would be nuisances since arrests for shoplifting occur at
these locations constantly. ...The individual who was hassled and had
his half dozen firearms seized Saturday was a private citizen there to
sell his collection. According to him, APD and/or ATF had a man approach
him and offer to buy a gun; the man displayed a Texas Driver's License
to prove he was over 21. The sale was made and later APD officers
roughly grabbed the shirt of the seller and marched him outside and
accused him of selling to an illegal alien. This apparently is the
latest tactic to entrap the unwary citizen in the ATF's snare. As if
anyone could possibly know the immigration or citizenship status of
anyone else. Yet ATF seized all his firearms and told him the matter was
'under investigation.'" ...(It will be interesting to see the next
posting from Austin's Gun Rights Examiner, who has made an effort to
present APD's, F Troop's and HEB's sides of this dispute.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d24-An-attorneys-perspective-on-Austin-gun-show-controversey
---
And in Ohio...: As hundreds of people swarmed to a gun show at the
Sharonville Convention Center Saturday, a group gathered across the
street, asking city leaders to impose mandatory background checks on all
gun sales. "There are more regulations over an adult buying cold
medicine at your local drug store than a person buying a gun at a gun
show," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio, a
statewide liberal advocacy group. Current gun laws require licensed
dealers to conduct background checks but private sellers - hobbyists,
collectors, or "occasional sellers" - are exempt, so long as they don't
knowingly sell to those who are restricted from buying guns. This is
commonly referred to as the "gun show loophole." ProgressOhio took the
issue head-on after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched an
undercover investigation in several states last year. The sting revealed
some private unlicensed sellers at gun shows, including one in
Sharonville, sold weapons to buyers who admitted they would not pass a
background check... (My next-door neighbor once sold me a handgun he no
longer wanted. Is that the "next door loophole"?)
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010301230008
---
Oops, Wrong House, Missouri Version: St. Louis Police say a man trying
to break into a north St. Louis city home had the tables turned on him
and is now dead. It happened just after 4:30 a.m. Monday in the 1900
block of East College. Police on the scene say the man was trying to
break into a home when the homeowner shot and killed him. There is no
word on whether or not charges will be filed. (Does Missouri have a
statute that makes it illegal for a homeowner to repel a home invasion?
The video clip gives a better report, consistently referring to the
deceased as the suspect.)
http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-college-homicide-home-invasion-012510,0,573879.story
---
Oops, Wrong House, Ohio Version: Police said a would-be robber was shot
Saturday while trying to hold up a family on the city's west side. The
shooting happened at a home in the 900-block of Harris Avenue at about
11:30 a.m. The homeowner said two acquaintances held his family at
gunpoint, demanding cash and prescription painkillers, 10TV News
reported. The homeowner said that's when his mother came out of a room
with a handgun and opened fire, hitting one of the men. The man, whose
identity was not immediately released by police, was taken to Mount
Carmel West Hospital. There were no details on his condition. The other
alleged robber was later apprehended, police said. He has yet to be
identified. No other injuries were reported.
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/01/23/story-columbus-harris-avenue-robber-shot.html?sid=102
http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m1d24-Armed-woman-saves-relatives-from-violent-home-invaders
---
Oops, Wrong Motorcycle: Road rage apparently led to a confrontation
involving two men in a pickup and a motorcyclist, police said.
Christopher Conrad, 33, was shot and killed at about 8:30 p.m. Friday
during a fight outside a Brookside bar. Police say Conrad and his
passenger, Chester Shadwick, began yelling derogatory statements about
Harley Davidson motorcycles and "wannabe bikers" at the motorcyclist,
Daniel Kitchens, 48, as both vehicles were heading west on 41st Street.
The men in the pickup followed Kitchens to the Slo Ride Bar, 4133 S.
Peoria Ave., police said. Conrad and Shadwick exited their truck and
assaulted Kitchens, who in turn shot Conrad in the upper torso with a
38-caliber revolver, according to police. Conrad was pronounced dead at
the scene. Kitchens suffered a laceration to his mouth, police said...
Meanwhile, Marion Rowe, 45, was shot and killed at 6912 E. Fifth St.
after being involved in an argument with Joey Mike, 22, who police have
identified as a suspect in the shooting. During the dispute, Rowe used a
large kitchen knife to threaten Mike, who then retrieved a handgun and
shot the victim, according to police. Rowe was pronounced dead at the
scene, police said.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100124_11_A23_Police188572
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
The tactics and skills to use a firearm
in self-defense don't come naturally
with the right to keep and bear arms.
http://www.spw-duf.info
