UN out of US: The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade
association for the firearms industry, has learned that the United
Nations has filed its first firearms trace request. The move by the
United Nations, which has long advocated for civilian disarmament,
raised concerns from the NSSF. "Firearms trace data is a law enforcement
tool to help aid in specific criminal investigations," said NSSF Senior
Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "Our concerns with
this trace request stem from UN-efforts to impose arms trade control
treaties that would lead to a ban on the civilian possession and
ownership of firearms, possibly even in the United States despite Second
Amendment protections and the recent Supreme Court decision (Heller v.
District of Columbia) reaffirming that Americans have an individual
right to keep and bear arms." Tracing a firearm is the process by which
law enforcement tracks the chain of custody of a firearm through the
licensed distribution system to the original (first) retail purchaser.
In this particular case, the manufacturer declined to provide the
information to the United Nations and instead advised UN officials to
make its request through proper international law enforcement channels.
This would ensure that ATF, the appropriate law enforcement entity
responsible for handling such requests, would be aware of the world
body's actions... Though this trace request appears to have been an
isolated incident, members of the firearms industry are troubled by the
precedent... (It's actually District of Columbia v. Heller - the
District was the unsuccessful appellant of the Circuit Court's pro-RKBA
ruling.)
http://www.gunreports.com/news/news/United-Nations-firearms-ban-trace-data-treaty-NSSF_1952-1.html?ET=gunreports:e678:183810a:&st=email
---
Americans Buy Firearms for Defense: A new National Shooting Sports
Foundation poll conducted by Harris Interactive found that more
Americans are target shooting now than six months ago, and that "home
and personal defense" were the main reasons Americans recently purchased
firearms. The poll also showed that 43 percent of respondents, which
equates to nearly 98 million people, expressed some level of interest in
participating in the shooting sports or hunting... The online survey was
conducted March 16-18 by Harris Interactive, which performs periodic
surveys for NSSF on shooting and hunting participation. The questions
were asked of general population adults 18 and over... In response to a
question about why Americans made their most recent firearm purchase, 40
percent of respondents said "home protection" followed by 36 percent
citing "personal protection." Target shooting (30 percent) and hunting
(28 percent) came next...
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103254132684&s=108949&e=001UuNEiWfTQ9deBRI-nLbuiinhtYElA1tWPyugjQR-lEEf8NzhxOr_rblr1ejHi7SSZ3lUho-Y7SB9ZxLVpsMskJYVte-7yn0zQe98CSHAGI4=
---
Oklahoma Open-Carry Bill Clears Senate Committee: A Senate panel on
Wednesday passed a measure that would allow those who have handgun
licenses to openly carry their weapons. House Bill 3354 was brought up
under "other business" on the Senate Rules Committee agenda after
originally being assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It passed
by a vote of 10-2 and heads to the Senate floor. The measure would also
allow judges on the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Court of Civil Appeals and
Court of Criminal Appeals and Workers Compensation Court to carry
weapons into the Capitol and into buildings in the Capitol complex that
have courtrooms or judicial offices. Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs,
and Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, are the authors of the measure...
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20100331_12_0_OLHMIY627141
---
Nebraska Registration Ban Heads to Final Reading: The Legislature
advanced a handgun bill Monday to final reading to ensure Omaha, or any
Nebraska city or village, could not force concealed carry permit holders
to also register their guns locally. A number of senators said they
thought they had put the issue to rest by passing legislation (LB430)
last year that no city could regulate ownership, possession or
transporting of concealed handguns. Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial,
who offered the amendment to the bill (LB817), received an opinion
Friday from Attorney General Jon Bruning that said any city, including
Omaha, requiring registration of a handgun by concealed carry permit
holders runs afoul of the state law. "For the city of Omaha to say that
its ordinance that provides for the registration of any handgun,
concealable or otherwise, is not subject to LB430 flies in the face of
the express current language of statute," said Omaha Sen. Brenda
Council. As much as she is philosophically opposed to carrying concealed
weapons, she said, Omaha should not need to have additional warning to
follow the law... LB817 would allow firearms dealers in Nebraska to
accept a valid state concealed handgun permit in lieu of a firearm
purchase certificate for the purchase of a handgun. (Nebraska has a
unicameral legislature.)
http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/article_7fee9a90-3b7c-11df-86ae-001cc4c03286.html
---
Missouri, Kansas, May Expand CCW: ...Missouri, like most states, allows
people to carry concealed weapons if they pass a training course and
register with a law enforcement agency. This week, lawmakers took steps
to extend that privilege into the corridors of the Capitol. On the same
day of the lawmakers' firearms class, the House gave first-round
approval to a bill that would expressly allow legislators, their aides
and employees to carry concealed weapons in the statehouse... The
measure was included in a broader firearms bill that would drop the age
limit for a concealed-carry permit from 23 to 21, and expand the "Castle
Doctrine" to allow people who rent their homes to use deadly force
against intruders... Kansas was one of the last holdouts in the nation
on concealed weapons, authorizing licenses in 2006 only after lawmakers
overrode a veto by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Now some lawmakers are
trying to relax the rules, arguing that worries about concealed weapons
have been proven false. Rep. Forrest Knox, an Altoona Republican, this
year pushed through the House a bill that would allow permit holders to
take their concealed firearms into any public building, including
university campuses and government buildings. The only exception would
be buildings with "adequate" security, including metal detectors and
armed guards. Because the Kansas statehouse has only a small security
detachment and a single metal detector at one of two public entrances,
its security would not qualify as "adequate," according to bill
supporters... (Sebelius now serves as Big Brother's Secretary of Health
and Human Services. She vetoed CCW legislation in Kansas more than once.)
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/31/1849619/missouri-and-kansas-move-to-relax.html
---
Change to Connecticut Appeal Process Opposed: ...Currently, Connecticut
residents who wish to own a handgun must apply to the state's Special
License and Firearms Unit (SLFU) for a permit. If an application is
denied or a previously granted permit is revoked, they are able to
appeal the decision to the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners (BFPE).
The SLFU, which is also responsible for oversight and regulation of
firearm sale transactions and the issuance of licenses to bail bondsmen
and private security companies, is part of the state Department of
Public Safety. The BFPE is an independent board consisting of seven
civilian members appointed by the governor... Part of Governor's Bill
No. 28, drafted in February during the current session of the General
Assembly and sponsored by State Rep. Lawrence Miller (R-Stratford),
proposes moving the BFPE under the umbrella of the Department of Public
Safety - the same entity that controls the State Police. If the change
is made, all aspects of firearms monitoring and permits - initial
applications and appeals - would be handled by the same overarching
entity. Ms. Lauretano, a longtime Salisbury resident and former state
trooper who is running in the 64th District against incumbent Democratic
State Rep. Roberta Willis (D-Salisbury), views the move as a "power
grab" by the State Police... (If memory serves, a member of the BFPE
recently won a lawsuit against DPS, involving a denial of his permit
renewal.)
http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2010/03/31/news/doc4bab650eddbcb185791992.txt
---
Charges Pressed in Washington Open-Carry Arrest: ...The city attorney's
office is now pursuing charges in a case that's getting national
attention from gun rights group. The law is straightforward saying open
carrying is illegal in Washington if it "...manifests an intent to
intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of other
persons." Some of the facts may be witness accounts of Kirby keeping his
hand on his weapon while in its holster. As one witness put it - "like
Wyatt Earp, ready to draw." Reports also indicate Kirby and his wife had
to be escorted out of a Vancouver mall the day before when employees and
managers complained about weapons strapped to their waists. Vancouver
city prosecutor Kevin McClure said this simply isn't a case of Kirby
carrying a gun into public. "The basis of the charge is not the fact
that there was a weapon being carried," he said."The issue is the manner
in which it was displayed that warranted an alarm for the safety of
others." Kirby should likely go to trial in the matter in May.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/89654912.html
---
Oops, Wrong House, Hawaii Version: Two suspected robbers were seriously
wounded Tuesday by a woman police said may have been defending herself
and her wounded boyfriend. The shooting happened on Kilea Place in
Wahiawa Heights at about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday. Police said two men armed
with guns and zip-ties approached the home, which was rented by the
couple and their two young children. One of the suspects' guns went off
during a struggle with the male resident. The resident was slightly
wounded. Police said the woman brought out a handgun and fired after she
said one of the suspects pointed his gun at her. Police said there was
an exchange of gunfire... Police said robbery suspects Shane Reginald
Flores, 38, and Floyd Orsborn, 23, were both hit more than once. Orsborn
was listed in critical condition Wednesday night... Prosecutor Peter
Carlisle says Hawaii law allows a person to use deadly force to defend
themselves or others, if they fear they are in serious danger. "You
cannot use a gun to defend property. It has to be in response to deadly
force," Carlisle said. He was not commenting directly on the Wahiawa
case. This was the second time the couple faced robbers in their home.
Last year, police reported two victims were tied up and robbed in the
house by four armed suspects. Neighbors said after that incident the
couple reassured them that it was a purely random incident, and nothing
like that would ever happen again. (Despite enabling may-issue
legislation, Hawaii does not grant carry permits. Both handguns and long
guns can be purchased lawfully by means of a permit system.)
http://www.kitv.com/news/23020567/detail.html
http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m3d31-Jewelry-store-robber-shot-by-armed-employee
---
Oops, Wrong Jewelry Store: A man armed with a handgun attempting to rob
a San Angelo [TX] jewelry store was shot and killed by a store employee
on Wednesday, police said. Gunshots were reported at Cano's Diamonds,
2705 Sherwood Way, about 1 p.m., said Lt. David Howard, a San Angelo
Police Department public affairs spokesman. "Police responded to the
scene and found the individual deceased inside the store," Howard said.
"It appears it was an armed robbery gone wrong." Police said the man,
who was not identified, died in the store. No other people were injured
or harmed, and the employee and the owner were the only people in the
store other than the robber. The employee was "a little shaken, and
understandably so," Howard said...
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/mar/31/man-killed-in-robbery-gone-wrong/
---
Rule Three Reminder: A shooting review board likely will be convened
next week to examine an apparent accidental discharge of a Kennewick
[WA] police officer's gun. No one was injured when Officer Jason
Harrington's gun went off as he and two other officers responded to a
disturbance call at an apartment complex at 722 N. Arthur St., Sgt. Ken
Lattin said Tuesday. Harrington was holding his gun near his chest, but
pointed at the ground as officers are trained to do in a high risk call,
when he apparently stumbled, causing his gun to discharge into the
ground, Lattin said... (Rule Three: Keep your finger out of the trigger
guard, up on the frame, until your sights are on the target and you're
prepared to fire. Note that the officer appears to have been using some
application of the safety-circle concept, which kept the bullet impact
in a relatively safe direction.)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/31/959240/shooting-review-likely-after-cops.html
---
Stolen Historic Revolver Returned to Chicago Museum: A gun used in a
defining moment of American history and stolen from the Chicago History
Museum in 1948 is now back in Chicago, thanks to the generosity of a
history buff from Pittsburgh. At a 1991 Pennsylvania gun show, Robert
Hassinger, 83, purchased the 1851 Colt "Navy" revolver used by Owen
Brown, son of famed slavery abolitionist John Brown... The revolver was
part of a group of artifacts donated to the Chicago History Museum in
1917 by Frank Logan, a memorabilia collector who bought the weapon from
Owen Brown's sister... Someone swiped the gun from a museum display in
1948, she said. The museum still owns the gun's holster and kept records
of Logan's donation and the gun's serial number, she said. A decade
after Hassinger bought the gun, he read about its history in Man at Arms
magazine. The article included the gun's serial number. Hassinger knew
instantly he couldn't keep the gun... He believed the gun should be
displayed, and he also didn't want to saddle his family with any sticky
legacy issues related to the revolver. But he didn't know whom to
contact or how to surrender the firearm. Ultimately, an acquaintance at
Pittsburgh's Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum connected
Hassinger and Chicago museum officials. Hassinger handed over the
revolver Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Mahoney and another museum staff member
drove it back to Chicago... (It would have been much more appropriate to
have transferred the gun on the day the McDonald ruling is handed down.)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2135155,cst-nws-gun01.article
---
Tangentially Related: Suppose I approached you with a request. I want
you to carry a small gadget that will automatically transmit your
location to the police, allowing them to track your every movement 24
hours a day, 365 days a year. Chances are you would politely decline.
Too late. You already accepted. That gadget, you see, is called a cell
phone. For years, the cops may have been using it to keep close tabs on
you without your knowledge, even if you have done nothing wrong. They
don't have to get a search warrant - which would limit them to
situations where they can show some reason to think you're breaking the
law. All they have to do is tell a judge that the information is
relevant to a criminal investigation and send a request to your service
provider... (As I understand it, you not only have to turn off the
phone, you have to remove the battery if you don't want to be tracked.)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/04/01/big-brother-on-your-trail
..Officers often say they have a unique perspective on the world, one
civilians understandably often miss or are simply unaware of. Many
police supervisors and managers - those with experience - try to teach
officers how to see things to keep them safe. These efforts are evident
in so-called Finest Messages, which are short internal communiqu�s that
are broadcast to the force every day via teletype messages to precinct
houses and other commands... (Maybe this article can help hone mental
awareness.)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/seeing-the-world-through-an-officers-eyes/
The Stone family, and the fiercely militant Christian group that
revolved around them at a ramshackle homestead outside of town here,
were best known by their neighbors for their active use of guns and
their increasingly heated talk about fighting back violently against the
government. But their biggest and most surprising adversary was
practically next door: the local branch of the Michigan Militia. From a
distance, the two might seem like peas in a pod: both wear fatigues or
camouflage, train in the woods with heavy weaponry and believe in
threats to liberty from Washington. But here on the ground the
distinctions were crucial. The Michigan Militia, which in past years had
links to extremist groups with neo-Nazi flavorings, has moderated over
the years, according to members and experts who track the organizations.
Meanwhile, the Hutaree (pronounced Hu-TAR-ay), as the Stone group was
called, was going the other direction, with increasing talk of violence.
The crucial moment of that tension came Saturday night when one of the
Stone family members - desperate and on the run from the law - called
the local militia commander, Matt Savino, and begged for help in getting
guns or shelter. Mr. Savino offered neither, not only refusing to help
but in fact calling the State Police, who passed the call to the F.B.I...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/us/01michigan.html?ref=us
An undercover federal agent attended training exercises with the Hutaree
militia for at least eight months before nine members of the militant
Christian group were arrested last weekend and charged with plotting an
uprising against the government, prosecutors said Wednesday. The
militia's leader, David B. Stone Sr., asked the agent to provide
explosives that could be used to attack police officers and instructed
him to make armor-piercing bombs using pieces of road signs as shrapnel,
an assistant United States attorney, Ronald Waterstreet, said at a
hearing Wednesday...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/us/01militia.html?ref=us
..In the 1990s, the FBI was at the center of the militia scare, with
its snipers and strongmen turned against peaceful separatist Randy
Weaver and his family, and later at the Waco, Texas, standoff with
Branch Davidians, at the end of which FBI agents gassed, shot and killed
dozens of David Koresh's followers at their home at Mt. Carmel. They
used incendiary devices, which might have brought on the fire, and then
lied about it. It was in this period that the modern left became
enamored of the federal police state and especially the FBI. Almost none
of them stood up for the Branch Davidians. They came to think of FBI
agents as a professional, national and enlightened force populated by
such figures as the Jodie Foster character in Silence of the Lambs, an
agency that enforced civil rights, protected the country from "rightwing
extremists," and overturned the injustices of local, prejudiced law
enforcement...
http://www.independent.org/blog/?p=5565
..Celente stresses the importance of people thinking for themselves in
survival mode. He discusses what he's doing, and what one can do, to
prepare for the worst during these difficult times:
* When arriving in a new city, go on a tour first to get an idea of
the layout.
* Belong to a network/community of like-minded people and stay in
touch; Plan with a group.
* Keep enough cash on hand and out of banks; Don't count on an ATM.
* Have gold in possession.
* Buy clean, local food (organic when possible).
* Use a water filtration system with reverse osmosis for clean
drinking water.
* Keep at least 3 weeks of dried foods and water in storage.
* Exercise Second Amendment rights and have protection on hand.
* Think for yourself, lead yourself, and heal yourself.
* Become more aware of what's going on; Look for new opportunities
and new ways of thinking...
http://www.lewrockwell.com/celente/celente27.1.html
---
The murder of a respected rancher in southern Arizona Sunday has state
lawmakers calling on the federal government to step in and help secure
the border with Mexico... Gov. Jan Brewer again called for action from
the federal government to increase public safety along Arizona's border
through the addition of National Guard soldiers and airmen following
Krentz's murder, but made her initial request for additional help to
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on March 11, 2009. This was
followed by a joint letter from four border governors to congressional
leaders on April 22, 2009... "At this point, it remains unclear who is
responsible for the tragic murder of Robert Krentz," she said in a news
release. "What is clear is that Americans are increasingly at risk from
the growing bloodshed and lawlessness along the border. If Mr. Krentz's
death was related to Mexican drug cartel and smuggling activities, it
would be a drastic escalation of their violence and would require an
immediate and direct response..."
A memorial fund for Robert Krentz has been set up at Wells Fargo, the
release said. Donations to the fund can be made at any Wells Fargo Bank
with account number 5560960899.
(Rob's widow Susan and his sister-in-law Carrie have been members of my
mailing list for years. I encourage all list members who can help this
wonderful family in their time of need to make a contribution to the
above mentioned account.)
(
http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20419600&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6)
--
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
