Is Big Brother Now Free to Attack the RKBA?: The news these days is
dominated, of course, by Sunday's Congressional passage of, and today's
presidential signature on, the massive health care reform bill. It is
beyond the scope of this piece to attempt a detailed analysis of the
pros and cons of such legislation, although National Gun Rights Examiner
David Codrea has discussed one threat it poses to gun rights, despite
provisions intended to assuage gun owners' concerns (not to mention the
problems inherent to playing fast and loose with Constitutionally
delegated powers). Today, though, we'll look at another potential effect
of HCR becoming law. Those who support more and more restrictive gun
laws, although disappointed with the Obama administration's apparent
disinterest - so far - in aggressively pursuing such restrictions, have
generally been willing to cut the president some slack, because he has
had such a "full plate." With a health care reform bill now signed into
law, though, one of the biggest items on that plate is now gone. Does
that mean the anti-gun heat comes on now? Probably not immediately.
The administration has made pretty clear that the next big priority is
immigration reform...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d23-Does-having-health-care-reform-out-of-the-way-move-gun-control-up-on--administrations-agenda
---
MSNBC Re-Examines CCW: ...Jim Corley became an unintentional spokesman
for a burgeoning movement of millions of Americans who secretly and
legally pack pistols in waistbands, under jackets, strapped to ankles,
stashed in purses or - like Corley - tucked in hip pockets. From its
beginnings in the 1980s, the "right-to-carry" movement has succeeded in
boosting the number of licensed concealed-gun carriers from fewer than 1
million to about 6 million today, according to estimates from gun-rights
groups that are supported by msnbc.com's research. And while hotly
debated, the effect of this dramatic increase is largely unknown. Gun
enthusiasts claim a link between more private citizens carrying
concealed weapons and the nation's dramatic decrease in violent crime.
Gun-control activists argue that concealed-carry permits are being
handed out to people who should never get them, sometimes resulting in
tragic, needless shootings... But such data is not collected by most law
enforcement agencies and not compiled nationally, said Rand of the
Violence Policy Center. Her group would like to see nationwide reporting
of the number of concealed-weapons permit holders, a "systematic
collection of arrest and conviction data" for them as well as hard data
on the number of justifiable homicides they're involved in. But "the NRA
and the gun lobby would never allow that," Rand charged. "The gun lobby
is trying to keep all this data secret. ... They know it's not going to
go well for them." ... (At this rate, I expect that VPC will soon be
marketing their own brand of steer manure. VPC tries to turn every
arrest or grand-jury hearing into evidence of wrongdoing, despite the
fact that these may be routine procedures in some jurisdictions.
Statistics on defensive gun uses are scarce because there is no
provision for them in the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, not because the
NRA lobbies against keeping them.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34714389/ns/us_news-life/
---
Poll - RKBA Gains Support: ...Half of the public (50%) says that state
and local governments should not be able to pass laws barring the sale
or possession of handguns in their jurisdictions, while 45% say they
should be able to pass such laws. Previous Pew Research surveys have
found broad opposition to a law banning the sale of handguns. In April
2008, 59% said they opposed a law banning handguns while 36% favored
such a law. There was less opposition to a law banning handgun sales in
2000 and the late 1990s. In March 2000, 47% opposed a law banning
handgun sales while the same percentage favored it. The latest national
survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted
March 10-14 among 1,500 adults, finds the public is evenly split over
whether it is more important to protect the rights of gun owners (46%)
or to control gun ownership (46%). That is largely unchanged from April
2009 (49% control gun ownership vs. 45% protect gun rights). But from
1993 to 2008, majorities had consistently said it was more important to
control gun ownership than to protect the right to own guns...
http://people-press.org/report/599/handguns
---
The Role of Firearms in Society: ...I suppose that's why firearms are so
important. They are the equalizing force, available to all free people
everywhere. They tell the 200-pound sexually aggressive male that he
must not rape the 120-pound female, who is alone on the street at night
with no one around to protect her. The firearm gives her the ability to
kill the stronger male. Firearms tell the sociopath that he must not
break into your family's home at night and kill your family as you
sleep. There is always the chance that you will awaken, get your firearm
and shoot him until he dies. Dead sociopaths and dead rapists. That's a
good thing, a necessary thing for society to function in an orderly
fashion... Look at the present situation in America. Many say we are on
the brink of economic collapse. Our elected officials exude an
unprecedented arrogance, totally ignoring the will of the people,
hell-bent on dragging us into a world we neither want for ourselves nor
our children. In short, the pecking order has been established, and it's
180 degrees out of phase. They are the ruling class and we are
subservient to them. Or are we? I hear the clank of metal on metal in
the distance...
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36108
---
Georgia May Centralize Permit Applications: David Boatright orders guns
for customers from his Claxton hardware store. He just recently renewed
his own concealed weapon permit at the Evans County Courthouse. He
called the process quick and efficient... He has followed the debate
over Georgia Senate Bill 308. The changes to the state's concealed
weapon permit regulations would allow Georgians to carry a weapon in
some places and restrict them in others. What Boatright didn't know
until Thursday was his next license would come from the Secretary of
State's office if the bill is passed. "The system is already in place on
the local level. To move it to Atlanta and open new offices or whatever
that entails. It makes no sense to me," he added. Probate Judge Darin
McCoy says judges around the state are shaking their heads too... Judge
McCoy said the change would take away a lot of work for probate offices,
but not much money. The state already gets $40 of the $60 charged to
process a request. The $20 that goes to the probate office covers state
and federal criminal history reports and digital fingerprinting.
Lawmakers have suggested the state could process permit requests faster
than local judges. McCoy wondered if the Secretary of State will make
gun owners come to Atlanta to get their permit. David suspected other
motives for the switch...
http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12193329
---
Oklahoma May Extend Self-Defense Law: The State of Oklahoma has one of
the strongest gun rights laws in their "Make My Day law. It may grow
even stronger, if state senator Joe Sweeden of Pawhuska has his way.
Senator Sweeden penned SB 2257 this year to enhance business owners
rights in protecting themselves and their property. He was prompted to
write the law by the robbery incident involving Oklahoma City pharmacist
Jerome Ersland. Ersland currently faces first degree murder charges for
shooting a 16 year-old robbery suspect in his place of business.
Following is video of that robbery and the pharmacist retrieving
firearms and fighting back... Representative Gus Blackwell of Goodwell
is sponsoring the bill in the House. He believes this bill will clarify
what a business owner's rights are when being robbed or attacked. You
may contact senator Joe Sweeden for more information at (405) 521-5581.
http://www.examiner.com/x-33857-Fort-Smith-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d22-Oklahoma-law-will-extend-Make-My-Day-Law-to-businesses
---
Park-Carry Bill Heads to Mississippi Governor: The Mississippi Senate
unanimously passed a National Rifle Association (NRA) backed pro-gun
bill on Tuesday that will allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry
a firearm in Mississippi public parks. Senate Bill 2862, authored by
Senator Gray Tollison (D-Oxford), was amended to include stronger right
to carry language. The bill will now go to the Governor's desk for his
signature. "Citizens should be able to exercise their Second Amendment
right, and this bill will broaden the locations where they can do so,"
said Senator Merle Flowers (R-Olive Branch). "I applaud the work of my
colleague Sen. Tollison, and his leadership on this very important
issue. While Federal and state public parks will be mandated to allow
firearms, counties and municipalities will have the option for their
local parks. This bill simply allows folks to protect themselves and
their families." ...Flowers, a lifetime NRA member, has long been a
pro-gun advocate. He co-authored the Castle Doctrine Law in 2006 that
allows citizens to use deadly force if the feel their life is in danger.
http://yallpolitics.com/index.php/yp/post/22252/
---
Meanwhile, in Kentucky...: Some lawmakers pressed Tuesday for a ban on
people openly carrying guns into the state Capitol. State Rep. Jim
Wayne, D-Louisville, raised the issue Tuesday, a day after an
unidentified man wore a holstered gun into the House chamber and sat
through the afternoon session. "I can tell you that when people have the
types of external pressures on them that we are now experiencing in this
nation, that people who are mentally fragile can take desperate
actions," Wayne said in a floor speech. Wayne and state Rep. Mary Lou
Marzian, D-Louisville, urged House Speaker Greg Stumbo to take quick
action "to ensure the safety of the members so we're not sitting ducks."
"We should not be living in fear as we debate issues that are so vital
to this commonwealth," Wayne said... (Perhaps if legislators
concentrated more on representing their constituents they might not be
so worried about becoming sitting ducks.)
http://www.fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=12192586
---
Colorado Court Hears Campus-Carry Arguments: Attorneys argued Tuesday
whether the University of Colorado's weapons ban is constitutional, and
allowed by state law, in front of Colorado appellate court judges. The
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is challenging a 1994 policy that
bans guns on CU campuses, while CU says it's within the rights of the
Board of Regents to set rules that concern safety. Attorney Jim Manley,
who represents Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, said CU's gun ban
violates the Concealed Carry Act of 2003. The act says no local
government can adopt an ordinance to limit state concealed carry rights.
At the very least, Manley said, those on the CU campus who have
concealed carry permits should be able to keep guns in their cars --
which is now against university rules. Manley says CU is violating the
constitutional right to keep and bear arms...
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_14743257#axzz0j3VW0xYD
---
Washington Prosecutor Weighs Open-Carry Charge: Vancouver's city
prosecutor says he hopes by Thursday to make a decision in the
controversial case of a man whom police ticketed for openly displaying a
holstered, loaded gun outside a strip mall. "At this point I want to
make sure I have all the information and have reviewed all the relevant
case law," Kevin McClure with the City Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
McClure said his options are to dismiss the gross-misdemeanor case or
send it forward in Clark County District Court. The defendant, Kurk
Robert Kirby, 26, stood outside stores at the strip mall at 5000 E.
Fourth Plain Blvd. for 10 to 15 minutes on Friday afternoon, openly
displaying his .45-caliber Springfield Armory XP [sic] pistol in a
holster. A store owner called 911, saying he was concerned for his
customers including small children. An Albertsons is among the stores in
the strip mall... Although Kirby made no menacing statements or
movements, and cooperated with police, officers took his gun as evidence
and issued him a ticket alleging he committed the crime of unlawful
carrying of a weapon... (Mr. Kirby should have some extra money for more
guns and ammo before this is all over. Open carry is legal in Washington.)
http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/mar/23/prosecutor-decision-in-open-carry-case-near/
---
The Plot Gets Even Thicker: The gun used to kill three people during a
faculty meeting at an Alabama school was bought for the suspect's
husband two decades ago when he said he was having problems with a
neighbor, an investigator testified Thursday. The investigator told a
judge that an acquaintance bought the gun in New Hampshire for Amy
Bishop's husband to skirt a waiting period where the couple lived in
Massachusetts... During the hearing, Mr. Gray testified that the gun
used in the shootings was purchased in 1989 for Ms. Bishop's husband,
James Anderson, by a man in New Hampshire identified as Donald Proulx.
He said Mr. Proulx told federal agents that he thought he purchased the
gun in Troy, N.H. Mr. Gray said Mr. Proulx told federal agents that Mr.
Anderson, who was living in Massachusetts, asked him to buy the gun
because Mr. Anderson was having problems with a neighbor and New
Hampshire didn't have a waiting period for gun purchases. Mr. Anderson
was not in the courtroom for the hearing. He previously told the
Associated Press that he knew about the gun and joined Ms. Bishop in
target practice. Mr. Anderson declined to comment when reached at the
family's home Tuesday afternoon... (As I recall, Anderson initially
stated that he had no idea where his wife had gotten the gun as they did
not own one.)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/24/world-scene-41464692/?page=3
---
Prosecutors Seek Three-Month Sentence for Arenas: Prosecutors say NBA
star Gilbert Arenas should go to jail for three months for bringing guns
into the Washington Wizards locker room. His lawyer says the appropriate
punishment is probation and community service. Both sides filed
sentencing memoranda Tuesday, three days before the Wizards point guard
is to be sentenced for a felony gun charge. Arenas pleaded guilty Jan.
15 to one count of violating the District of Columbia's gun laws. As
part of the plea deal, the government said it would not seek more than
six months, although the judge can give Arenas anywhere from probation
to the charge's maximum term of five years...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/23/prosecutors-want-3-months-jail-arenas/
---
Former Blackwater Officials May Face Weapons Charges: Federal
prosecutors are considering filing weapons charges against former top
officials of the Blackwater Worldwide private security company over
allegations they illegally stockpiled automatic rifles at the company's
North Carolina headquarters, The Associated Press has learned... Any
indictment, even of former executives, would be unwelcome news at a
company beleaguered since a 2007 shooting involving Blackwater guards in
Baghdad left 17 people dead. Under a new name, Xe, the firm is trying to
win Defense Department approval to train police in Afghanistan. The
contract could be worth up to $1 billion but has drawn the ire of some
in Congress. The potential charges stem from a raid conducted by federal
agents in 2008 that seized 22 weapons, among them 17 AK-47s. Multiple
law enforcement officials familiar with the case said investigators are
trying to determine if Blackwater obtained the official letterhead of a
local sheriff to create a false justification for buying the guns. The
officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to discuss the investigation. Federal law prohibits private
parties from buying fully automatic weapons registered after 1986, but
does let law enforcement agencies have them. Xe spokesman Mark Corallo
said the company has "fully cooperated with this investigation and we
will have no further comment." ... (Blackwater contracts reportedly
saved the US government huge sums of money. This case points out the
absurdity of the additional 1986 restriction on the availability of
machine guns, a last minute amendment that was tacked onto the Firearm
Owners' Protection Act.)
http://crimewatch.gaeatimes.com/2010/03/23/ap-exclusive-sources-say-charges-eyed-for-blackwaters-ex-president-others-in-nc-gun-case-18577/
---
Oops, Wrong House: A Marianna [FL] burglar was shot as he was breaking
into a home Friday night on Myles Street. He was apparently shot in the
foot by a resident there and then fled. Marianna Police a short while
later arrested the suspect, Ben Thomas, who was found in front of a home
on Old Cottondale Road. Hayes Baggett, Marianna Police Chief, told
NewsChannel 7 that Thomas was taken to Jackson Hospital for treatment of
the gunshot wound and he was then taken to the Jackson County Jail.
Baggett says Ben Thomas was jailed on charges of burglary of an occupied
structure and battery.
http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/88722957.html
---
Oops, Wrong Junk Yard: The owner of a Jackson [MS] auto salvage business
said a man trying to steal from him charged with a sling blade, so he
shot him. Masoud Bayati, the owner of M&B Auto Sales on Country Club
Drive, said when he went to get a part Tuesday at about noon, he saw the
man on his property. When Bayati told him to leave, the man charged him
with the blade. Bayati said he picked up a shotgun he had hidden in the
grass and shot the man. "He didn't know I had a shotgun. He just came to
me. He used his ax and came toward me and I told him not to come toward
me, and he was so sure I couldn't protect myself, so he got closer and I
picked up my shotgun that was laying behind the car," Bayati said...
Bayati said he also had a pistol hidden in the grass near the shotgun.
He said he kept it there because of the crime problems he's experienced
during the 15 years he has owned the business. Bayati also owns a
similar business on Northside Drive... (Hiding loaded firearms in the
grass strikes me as a pretty risky proposition.)
http://www.wapt.com/news/22921774/detail.html
---
Oops!: Journalism must really be dead in America. A basic story tells
us who, what, where, when, and why. This story is 56 hours old and we
only know what happened in the most general terms. "A gun went off and
somebody got hit in the chest and is recovering in the hospital." Please!
* Who owned the weapon that was loaded?
* Which vendor table was involved and why was a live round anywhere
near the chamber of a gun on the show floor?
* Who pulled the trigger (guns don't just go off), and what is the
name of the victim?
* Did the shooter and the victim know each other? Did the vendor
know the shooter or the victim?
* Are there any charges filed? Was anybody arrested?
* What is the current condition of the victim? ...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2944-Denver-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d22-56-hours-and-still-no-news-about-shooting-at-the-Tanner-Gun-Show-in-Denver
As Seen from Australia: Man shot dead at gun show... The victim is
recovering at Denver Health Medical Center... (I don't know if they
believe in Australia that American health care is already that great or
that ObamaCare is already in effect.)
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/man-shot-dead-at-gun-show/story-e6frfku0-1225843419634
---
Rule Four Reminder- Follow-Up: A judge dismissed all remaining charges
against a Williamson Valley [AZ] man acquitted after a third trial on
charges related to firing about 70 rounds with an AK-47 rifle that some
equestrians alleged might have injured them. The Yavapai County
Attorney's Office had re-indicted Steve Solomon, 53, in January for
assault and endangerment and added three stalking charges. Days after a
Yavapai County jury acquitted Solomon in less than an hour on March 4,
prosecutors asked Superior Court Judge Warren R. Darrow to dismiss the
case. Darrow signed the order on March 11. Trials for Solomon twice
ended in mistrial after prosecution witnesses misspoke. The seven
horseback riders told Sheriff's deputies that Solomon shot toward them
as they rode near his property off Mint Wash. Solomon testified that he
did not know the riders happened by when he fired at targets that
Sunday...Solomon, meanwhile, paid nearly $100,000 for his legal defense.
"So I'll be working for the next 20 years instead of retiring," Solomon
said... (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it.
Some people prefer the wording "what's around it." Mr. Solomon may now
fall in the latter group.)
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1086&ArticleID=79099
---
When Guns Are Outlawed...: A former medical worker allegedly stabbed to
death eight young children and wounded five others Tuesday in a bloody
rampage outside an elementary school in eastern China. The attacker
struck in the morning as students arrived for classes, mingling with
parents at the school gates before suddenly pulling out his knife and
slashing children, according to witnesses interviewed on local
television. In the aftermath, doctors treated small children and bodies
lay covered in bloody sheets after the attack at Nanping City
Experimental Elementary School in Fujian province. Police officers
manned a cordon around the school. Some comforted distraught parents...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100323/ap_on_re_as/as_china_students_killed
---
Remember the M21?: Last year, the U.S. Army, noting the success of U.S.
Navy SEALs with rebuilt M-14 rifles (the EBR, or Enhanced Battle Rifle),
converted 5,000 7.62mm M-14s to the EBR standard. This costs $3,000 per
rifle, and involved using a high quality aluminum chassis, an adjustable
stock, pistol grip, and standard rail for mounting scopes, plus other
tweaks. The resulting EBR comes with a ten power scope, but any other
can be mounted. Designed for sharpshooters and snipers, the EBR weighs
six pounds more (unloaded) than the standard M-14, and 8.5 pounds more
than the M-4 assault rifle. But the EBR is much more accurate than
either of those weapons, and since last year, each army infantry squad
in Afghanistan has been issued two EBRs. Thus the nine man squad in
Afghanistan has two 5.56mm machine-guns, five 5.56mm assault rifles
(some with 40mm grenade launcher attachments) and two M-14 EBRs. The
hitting power and accuracy of the 5.56mm round rapidly declines beyond
300 meters, while the EBR is still accurate and effective at 800 meters,
and beyond (depending on the skill of the shooter.) Previously, many
snipers have had success using tuned up M-14s as sniper rifles. While
semi-automatic and rugged, the M14 wasn't designed to be a sniper rifle.
But the M-21 version of the M-14 (with a heavier barrel and other
tweaks) served as the standard sniper rifle from the 1960s until 1988...
(Color me cynical but I have to wonder if Springfield Armory could not
furnish a brand new EBR for less. This rifle certainly does not need the
full-auto selector, which is normally blocked in an M14 anyway.)
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20100324.aspx
---
Tangentially Related: As expected, 13 states filed a federal lawsuit
today in the hopes of striking down President Barack Obama's health-care
overhaul. The states' attorneys general filed their complaint in the
Northern District of Florida, declaring that the federal government has
violated the states' rights as "sovereigns and protectors of the
freedom, health, and welfare of their citizens and residents." Click
here (PDF) to read the full 23-page filing, which lists Kathleen
Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, as the lead
defendant... Also as expected, Virginia's attorney general filed a
separate federal lawsuit on behalf of his state. Click here (PDF) for
that seven-page filing.
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2010/03/13-states-file-suit-to-stop-health-law.html
---
From AzCDL:
Congratulations! All your emails paid off. SB 1108 passed out of the
Senate COW with Senator Pearce's amendments to tweak some of the
language, not related to Constitutional Carry, that the Governor's staff
requested.
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1108o.asp
As expected, Senator Cheuvront tried to add his amendment to discourage
private gun sales, but this time it failed. Imagine that?
SB 1108 will now be calendared for a Third Read vote in the Senate where
a formal vote will take place (and no amendments can be added). This
may be as early as tomorrow, but we won't know until the calendar is
posted. When we find out we'll probably update the Action Center
letters and send out a formal Alert so you can let your Senators know
you expect them to vote for SB 1108.
Stay tuned...
--
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
