The Beat Goes On: Data released by the FBI's National Instant Criminal
Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,243,211 checks in February
2010, ranking the month the second highest February (eighth highest
month overall) for most NICS checks. This figure, while being a 1.3
percent decrease from the 1,259,078 checks conducted in February 2009 -
the early stage of an ongoing surge in firearms and ammunition sales -
is an increase of 21.7 percent over checks in February 2008. The total
number of background checks reported since the beginning of NICS is
112,380,272.
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/7162
Walk into almost any gun shop these days and you'll likely find that a
large percentage of the customers are looking for a type of rifle that
was developed by the military and has been widely used since the Vietnam
war. Known as the AR-16 by the military and as the AR-15 in the civilian
world, this so-called "black rifle" has finally emerged as one of the
all-time favorites among hunters and gun lovers... While I enjoy the
more conventional bolt action, single or double barrel guns with
beautifully crafted wooden stocks, I do have to agree with the shooting
sports fraternity that prefer the AR-15 type of guns and the fact that
these guns are here to stay until something better comes along...
(Actually, the original Stoner selective-fire rifle was the AR-15. When
it was adopted by the US military, it was designated "M16" [note the
lack of hyphens in small arms designations]. At that point, "AR-15"
became the designation for the semi-automatic, commercial version.)
http://www.theapexherald.com/view/full_story/6608499/article-Sales-of-%E2%80%9Cblack-guns%E2%80%9D-increases-as-popularity-grows?instance=secondary_sports_left_column
---
That Tricky Word "Regulation": Yesterday, I speculated about public
reaction to some hypothetical gun maker problem analagous to Toyota's
out-of-control-cars. I contrasted that with Violence Policy Center
executive director Josh Sugarmann's . . . remarkable assertion that gun
manufacturers are "the last unregulated industry." ...Sugarmann is not
referring to shoddy manufacturing or poor design, rendering firearms
"more dangerous." Actually, improved metallurgy and other advances have
arguably made firearms considerably safer than many designs popular
decades ago. What Sugarmann objects to instead is the increased
capability of modern firearms - capability he does not believe should be
available to private citizens... It seems to me that if we want to talk
about gun regulation and gun safety, a decent case could be made for the
argument that over-regulation has decreased safety. A good example
would be the more the draconian regulation of suppressors ("silencers,"
in popular parlance) for the last 75 years, and the ensuing, otherwise
very avoidable hearing loss among many shooters. Another example would
be the 10-year sentence and quarter million dollar fine for adding a
second handle, to help stabilize a large pistol (particularly useful for
a paraplegic like me, with my limited trunk strength)... (I have spent
most of my adult life in the two most regulated arenas in American life
- firearms and lawful pharmaceuticals.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d12-Gun-safety-regulation-VPC-style
---
Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act Would Penalize Feds: Wyoming has joined a
growing list of states with self-declared exemptions from federal gun
regulation of weapons made, bought and used inside state borders - but
lawmakers in the Cowboy State have taken the issue one step further,
adopting significant penalties for federal agents attempting to enforce
Washington's rules... WND reported just days ago when Utah became the
third state, joining Montana and Tennessee, to adopt an exemption from
federal regulations for weapons built, sold and kept within state
borders. A lawsuit is pending over the Montana law, which was the first
to go into effect. But Wyoming's law goes further, stating, "Any
official, agent or employee of the United States government who enforces
or attempts to enforce any act, order, law, statute, rule or regulation
of the United States government upon a personal firearm, a firearm
accessory or ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately
in Wyoming and that remains exclusively within the borders of Wyoming
shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be subject to
imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, a fine of not more than
two thousand dollars ($2,000.00), or both." ...
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=127787
---
Illinois Gunners Push for CCW: In light of an upcoming Supreme Court
decision that might overturn the Chicago handgun ban, a gun-rights group
stopped in Elmhurst last week to tell residents that allowing concealed
carry of firearms in Illinois would be a proper next step.
IllinoisCarry, a southern Illinois-based offshoot of the Illinois State
Rifle Association that since 2004 has advocated for statewide permission
of concealed carry of firearms, hosted about 300 guests March 4 at the
Diplomat West Banquet Halls... IllinoisCarry participated with about
6,000 gun rights activists Wednesday for Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day
in Springfield. State Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-24th District, of Hinsdale
introduced legislation in 1995 that would have allowed concealed carry
with background check safeguards, but the measure failed in the Senate
by two votes. However, he said the attitude toward concealed carry since
has changed...
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/elmhurst/topstories/x673416304/Concealed-carry-activists-host-town-hall-meeting
---
Conflicting Rulings on Seattle Park-Carry Ban: On Thursday, a federal
judge ruled that Seattle's ban on carrying firearms in city parks and
community centers passes constitutional muster. But last month, a King
County Superior Court judge ruled that the city cannot ban firearms in
those areas. In this instance, the King County ruling takes precedent
[sic]. Despite Thursday's federal court decision, the city's gun ban is
still on indefinite hold... Last year, under the direction of then-Mayor
Greg Nickels, the city's Parks and Recreation department instituted a
new rule banning firearms on certain city property where children were
likely to be present... That same month, five people and several
gun-rights organizations filed suit in state court challenging the ban.
And in November, Robert C. Warden, a Kent attorney, actually tested it.
After announcing to the media and city officials what he planned to do,
he walked into Southwest Community Center with a Glock pistol under his
jacket. He was asked to leave and did so. Then he filed suit against the
city in federal court... (Warden claimed that his suit was better
structured than the SAF suit because, having been evicted from a city
community center, he could not be denied standing. It was never clear to
me why he chose to go to federal court. Arizona copied Washington's
constitutional verbiage, that "The right of the individual citizen to
bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be impaired..."
but the Washington Supreme Court has apparently set a rather high bar to
use Article 1, � 24 in court.)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011329010_gunban13m.html
Yesterday a federal judge rejected a constitutional challenge to
Seattle's ban on guns in city parks, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court
has not said that the Second Amendment applies to cities and states as
well as the federal government. That will almost certainly change after
the Court decides McDonald v. Chicago, the handgun ban case it heard
last week. But since McDonald involves a blanket ban rather than
restrictions on where guns can be kept or carried, the Court's ruling
still will not resolve the question of whether regulations like
Seattle's are consistent with the Second Amendment. Even the challenge
to the District of Columbia's ban on carrying guns in public, which I
discussed in my column last week, concedes that governments may bar guns
from "sensitive places such as schools and government buildings," a
policy the Supreme Court has indicated is "presumptively lawful." Are
parks "sensitive places," and does a ban on carrying guns in them
qualify as a reasonable limitation on the right to keep and bear arms?
Robert C. Warden, the Kent, Washington, attorney who challenged the
Seattle ban, argues that "the purported interest, to protect children
from gun violence, has no substance and no objective facts behind it." I
agree that the policy seems half-baked and gratuitous. But the Court has
not begun to address issues like this, and it will be interesting to see
how the case law develops: What level of scrutiny will the Court apply
to gun regulations, and what sort of justifications will it deem
adequate? ...
http://reason.com/blog/2010/03/12/how-sensitive-is-your-park
---
Colorado Gunners Endorse Sheriff Candidate: Today, Rocky Mountain Gun
Owners' PAC (the only pro-gun PAC in the state of Colorado) endorsed
Republican Carl Bruning for Sheriff of Larimer County. "The Sheriff is a
very important elected official, especially to gun owners, " said Dudley
Brown, Executive Director for RMGO, Colorado's largest gun rights
organization. "If you value your right to keep and bear arms, Carl
Bruning is the only choice for Larimer County Sheriff." Bruning is a
graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and was a USAF pilot and
commander in Operation Desert Shield. He was selected first in his unit
to deploy to the Middle East, and led his aircrew on the first mission
in theater. Following Desert Storm, Carl received his Masters of
Business Administration degree. Bruning has served as a Vice President
and senior executive, with proven leadership and management
experience... (Is Alderen retiring? He's the sheriff who has stated that
he will not book any students arrested for otherwise lawful CCW at the
local campus of the Colorado State University.)
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/03/12/rmgo-endorses-larimer-for-sheriff/
---
New Mexico Gunner Praise Restaurant-Carry Law: Locals praised a new law
that allows people with licenses to carry concealed handguns into
restaurants that serve beer and wine. Meanwhile, Gov. Bill Richardson
wants stricter regulations to accompany the law. Sponsored by Sen.
George Munoz, D-Gallup, and signed by Richardson on Wednesday, the law
takes effect in July. Under the new law, people could carry concealed
weapons into restaurants that serve only beer and wine unless an owner
or manager says it isn't allowed or a sign prohibits it. The sign must
be posted at each public entrance where it can be easily seen. Carrying
a firearm while under the influence of drugs and alcohol remains
illegal. Nor may people bring concealed weapons into a bar or restaurant
with a full liquor license [emphasis added]. But there's nothing
specific in New Mexico law that prevents a person from drinking alcohol
while carrying a concealed weapon in a restaurant that serves beer and
wine, according to the governor's office...
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_14661293
---
Maryland Legislators Call JPFO Anti-Semitic: A Maryland senator and
delegate are the targets of a flier that attacks them as "bagel brain
Jews" for their support of pending firearms legislation in the General
Assembly and accuses them of pursuing "racist policies to destroy your
gun rights." ...The flier was produced by group called Jews for the
Preservation of Firearms Ownership, whose executive director is Aaron
Zelman of Hartford, Wis... The bill sponsored by Rosenberg, a Baltimore
Democrat, and Frosh would set more stringent requirements for gun
ownership and for licensing of gun dealers, and would increase penalties
for violations of firearms laws. It would, among other things, include
gun trafficking violations on the list of suspected crimes for which law
enforcement officials can seek a judge's permission to use wiretaps. It
would also bar people with two or more drunken-driving convictions from
owning firearms. Zelman, who said he is Jewish, said the group has about
6,500 members around the country. The group's Web site includes
reproductions of handbills attacking Jewish and black politicians who
support various measures opposed by gun rights advocates...
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bal-md.flier13mar13,0,3259898.story
---
Unofficial California Poll: Our latest poll question is a tough one. If
you were given the opportunity to eliminate what you perceive as the
most rights-damaging gun law in California, which one would it be? We
originally placed the options of "None of the Above" and "All of the
Above" but eliminated those options. We want to know which law you think
just grates your nerves the most. You only get one selection and one
vote, so make it count. If we find one law does not stand above the
crowd, we'll narrow the field to the top two or three next weekend to
see if we can come up with a clear consensus... (I assume that the
purpose of this poll is to attempt to focus lobbying efforts.)
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/index.php/article-archives/321-californians-what-gun-laws-would-you-eliminate
---
Downright Scary: ...On the first day of November 2008 - and the first
day of Washington state's elk hunting season - Sjoberg headed into the
Lone Butte area of Skamania County with his Remington 760 Gamemaster
30.06. Sjoberg, 57, has hunted in the woods since he was 14 and grew up
in one of those rural Michigan towns where school is called off on the
opening day of deer season. About 10:30 that morning, after five hours
in his orange vest, Sjoberg took a shot at a bull elk 75 yards away and
missed. Minutes later, as he tracked the elk, Sjoberg ran into two other
hunters, Tim Michalek and Alison Schnelling, introduced himself and
described the near-miss. Six hours later, the body of Juan Rojas Cortez
was discovered almost a half-mile from where Sjoberg bumped into
Michalek and Schnelling. Cortez, who had been gathering bear grass in
the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, was dead of a gunshot wound... Two
weeks later, Sjoberg was arrested and charged with first-degree
manslaughter, underlining the county's contention that he "recklessly"
caused Cortez's death... Not only does the state present no evidence
that Sjoberg was responsible for the shooting, Thayer adds, but there is
no indication that Sjoberg acted recklessly...
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2010/03/skamania_county_shooting_case.html
---
Meanwhile, in Arizona...: A 12-year-old boy is being treated for a
gunshot wound after he was accidentally shot near the Ben Avery Shooting
Range in north Phoenix Saturday morning. Phoenix police say the boy was
wounded in the arm and the torso. A medical helicopter flew the boy to
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. No foul play is
suspected. The boy is reported in serious condition.
http://www.azstarnet.com/news/state-and-regional/article_a736ee7f-dd25-5048-abb9-972824feaec5.html
---
To Live and Die in Alaska: Hunters were combing the snowy brush around
Chignik Lake, Alaska, on Friday in an attempt to hunt down up to four
wolves that killed a 32-year-old special education teacher in the first
known fatal wolf attack in the U.S. in modern times... Candice Berner, a
special education teacher who traveled among several rural schools on
the Alaska Peninsula, 475 miles southwest of Anchorage, was attacked
while jogging and listening to her iPod Monday evening on the deserted,
3-mile-long road that leads out from the village to its small airstrip.
A native of Slippery Rock, Pa., she had been working in Alaska only
since August. Her body was found by snowmobilers a short time after the
attack. It had been dragged off the road and partially eaten, and was
surrounded by wolf prints... Wildlife attacks in Alaska are relatively
common. "Certainly we have bear maulings, we have people bitten by
wolves, we have people that are stomped by moose," Peters said. "Having
an incident where a human and animal cross paths and it doesn't end
well, that's normal. But we don't have any other case on hand that we're
aware of where someone was actually killed by a wolf." Peters said state
troopers had ruled out the possibility that Berner had died from any
other cause and was later dragged away by wolves. (I don't think many
native Alaskans go into the woods unarmed and obstruct their hearing
with iPods.)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-wolf-attack13-2010mar13,0,4711796.story
..You don't need to break through the Arctic Ocean or get in a bar
fight to die north of the Arctic Circle. Being outside will kill you
just fine. In February, the temperature is often -40� F in the middle of
the afternoon. Most people will never know cold like this. I grew up in
Minnesota, and once or twice it would get that cold, usually at night,
but Minnesota is humid. Minnesota has lights and trees and telephones
that always work. The Arctic is the world's second-largest desert. The
snowflakes are large and dry like the little paper circles from a
three-hole punch. You can't even eat them to stay alive. They will
dehydrate you. They will kill you faster than drinking no water at
all... You must attend safety training to be present on a natural gas
drill site. The section of the safety manual that covers polar bear
attacks reads... (I don't understand how eating snow can dehydrate you
but I've added this article to emphasize that Mother Nature does not
suffer fools kindly in her more extreme climes.)
http://thefastertimes.com/slowtravel/2010/03/11/is-your-workplace-as-rough-as-the-arctic/
---
Oops, Wrong Music Store: A store owner at the Allied Music of Ohio in
South Toledo shot a man Friday after the suspect held a gun to a clerk's
head, police said... Sgt. Phil Toney said the suspect entered the store
asking about getting a job there. He left but returned a few minutes
later and allegedly held a gun to the clerk's head. As the suspect led
the clerk to a back room, the clerk called out "I need help" and a
co-owner, Eric Bilger, appeared with a gun. Gunfire was exchanged. The
suspect, Steve James, 30, of Toledo, who was the only one shot, was
struck in the body and hand, Sergeant Toney said. The man then fled the
store and ran across Byrne Road to the Burger King parking lot, where he
collapsed. Police said he was transported to the University of Toledo
Medical Center, formerly the Medical College of Ohio Hospital, where he
was listed in serious condition...
http://toledoblade.com/article/20100312/NEWS02/100319821/0/RSS04
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d12-Toledo-robber-shot-by-store-owner
---
The Airsoft Bust - The Plot Thickens: When we first met ATF Special
Agent Kelven Crenshaw, he was telling KOINlocal6, Portland, that a
shipment of toy guns the agency had seized could be "easily retro-fitted
into dangerous weapons": "With minimal work it could be converted to a
machine gun," Crenshaw said. To prove his credentials as a professional
firearms expert, Crenshaw proceeded to insert a magazine backwards - on
video. Click here to watch and pay attention at the 1:17 mark. In my
March 9 follow-up on this story, I mentioned a related three-part series
at Pajamas Media by writer Bob Owens. Click the respective links for
parts one, two and three. The whole thing is just excellent, but
something he said in his last installment really caught my attention:
"This is apparently the same Special Agent Kelven Crenshaw that ATF
whistleblower site Cleanup ATF says is a former assistant director
demoted and moved for incompetence, reprisals against his own employees,
and regulation violations." ...
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d12-Why-do-ATF-employees-question-fitness-of-agent-in-toy-gun-seizure
---
A Brit Looks at McDonald, States Rights and Open Carry: The US Supreme
Court is due to deliver its verdict in June on the case it has just
heard (McDonald v City of Chicago) seeking to overturn the ban on
handguns in Chicago, Barack Obama's political base. This follows upon
the court's 2008 decision striking down a similar ban in Washington. You
cannot find a lawyer, politician, pro- or anti-gun activist in the
length and breadth of the Union who does not accept the high likelihood
that the Chicago ban will be reversed. Since hostility to the right to
bear arms, guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the American
constitution, was a characteristic of Obama's campaign, it seems ironic
that his administration should see a liberalisation of firearms laws.
So, why are the fanatics of the liberal/left not up in arms
(metaphorically speaking), marching, protesting and generally frothing
at the mouth over this reversal of their aspirations? Why, in fact, are
some liberals even supportive of the gun lobby's case? ... (While the
left likes to point out that there has actually been some recuperation
of the RKBA so far under Big Brother's regime, they ignore the fact that
this administration has peldged to seek ratification of the UN
small-arms treaty.)
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geraldwarner/100029699/has-the-us-gun-lobby-shot-itself-in-the-foot-by-unintentionally-undermining-states-rights/
--
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
