NM: Family Says Son Shot in Self Defense: "The family of shooting suspect Eric Marquez, 26, said Saturday that Marquez shot Julian "J.T." Melendrez, 22, to death in self defense, not cold blood. According to Marquez's girlfriend, she said Marquez told her what happened just before he allegedly reached for his gun. "When Eric looked up, J.T. (Julian Melendrez) was scrambling for something in his truck," said Marquez's girlfriend, who didn't wish to be identified. "He (Melendrez) was looking for a gun. Eric felt threatened, so the first thing to do was safety, self defense." Marquez's family said this shooting is the result of years of fighting between Melendrez and his friends... "Ever since then, they (Melendrez and friends) would just show up and do drive-bys," said Rosa, Marquez's mother, who didn't wish to give her last name. "We never knew what to expect." Currently, Marquez's home is covered in bulletholes from previous drive-by shootings."


Second Amendment Culture Wars: Eastern Elites vs. Gun-Friendly Red States: "America's gun-rights debate has moved into some new territory that highlights the ideological divide separating gun-hating Eastern elites from Americans in fly-over country. Recent events in New York City, Washington D.C., and in gun-friendly fly-over states (mostly red) demonstrate how profoundly the nation's Second Amendment debate is wrapped up with its culture wars. Consider how Americans on opposite sides of the liberal-conservative divide are viewing the gun-rights debates underway in at least nine state legislatures. According to Eastern elites, lawmakers are doing the unthinkable: They're debating whether to eliminate so-called "gun-free zones" on public college and university campuses... Conversely, 25 other states leave it to colleges and universities to allow or ban concealed carry holders; and so a handful of schools in the Midwest and West actually do allow concealed carry holders on campus to varying degrees."