IN: Two Invaders Shot, Killed, Charges Filed Against Accomplices

MUNCIE, Ind. — Two recent fatal shootings in Muncie could lead to the filing of murder charges — but not against those who fired the gunshots.

City police say both of the shooting victims — 26-year-old Scott Allen Gilliam on Sept. 21, and 21-year-old Trayon L. Turner on Oct. 8 — were gunned down while trying to force their way into local homes to commit armed robberies.
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NC: Pizza Hut Employee Shoots, Kills Robbery Suspect

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A west Charlotte Pizza Hut employee is on leave after shooting and killing a man police said was trying to rob the restaurant early Sunday morning.

Police identified the would-be thief as 28-year-old Michael Grace.

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OH: Woman Fires Warning Shot, Scares off Man with Clown Mask and Rifle

The victim told police that she was preparing dinner in the kitchen when she saw a reflection in the lenses of her glasses. When she turned around, there was a male at the back door with an “unknown long rifle,” according to a Dayton police report.

She said the man was wearing a clown mask, a long-sleeved black shirt, black gloves and black jeans. The man was telling the woman to open the back door that was locked at the time. The victim ran into the living room, where she was able to see two other men in her front yard.
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GA: Prankster Shot Dead

"At this time it appears to be what we believe to be accidental. The best way to describe it is identification of an intruder versus a friend playing a prank.

"He thought he heard someone enter his home and had his pistol in his bedroom for protection. As he was coming down the hallway, it appears Mr. Copeland jumped out to scare him and to pull a prank on him. The lights weren't on in the hallway and he didn't recognized his face. You're talking about a split-second decision when two people turn a corner, one has a gun and the other one is jumping out."
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Venezuela Needs a Second Amendment - too late!

Sometimes, even the old media can see the obvious.  This picture is from a recent article in the Atlantic. From theatlantic.com:
The headline and subtext from the article using the picture above is this:

How Much Longer Can Venezuela Go on Like This?

Large numbers of citizens want to oust President Nicolas Maduro. But he commands the loyalty of many men with guns.

The fact the Venezuela has become another socialist distopian nightmare is obvious to any who care to look. Even a far-left writer from the Washington post can see it. It is hilarious how he admits that reality has a "Right wing" look to it.  From the Atlantic:

Toro: It’s really difficult to get across how badly governed the country is. If you just describe what happens, [you sound] like a shrill, far-right-wing lunatic who’s describing some kind of Fox News dystopia. But, it’s like that. [The government has] taken over virtually all of the large companies. [It has] taken over most of the mid-size manufacturing companies—everything that makes something you might want to consume. The few [it] hasn’t taken over, you’ve created this regulatory nightmare around them where you can’t do anything and nothing works. Nothing works. Businesses can’t produce. That sort of worked when oil prices were very high, because [under those conditions] who needs to make anything? You sell oil, you get money, and you buy stuff abroad. You just import your way out of the crisis. Oil prices fall and suddenly the basic lunacy of trying to run the country this way comes home very clearly.

People are hungry. The thing that’s been shocking [to] us here is the democratization of hunger and political insecurity. Even people who aren’t hungry are one mishap away from being hungry. When there is no food, people want a change.

The Atlantic, to its credit noticed this "But he commands the loyalty of many men with guns." I, and many others have written about how the Venezuelan socialists made private ownership of arms illegal.  Black market guns went up in value so much that police are routinely murdered there ... for their guns.  Those who were not convinced of the fundamental reason for such disarmament then may have a better understanding now.

Would Maduro still be in power if the 80% of the people who voted for a referendum to remove him were armed?  Even with single shot shotguns and .22 rifles? I doubt that it would have gotten this far. He is hanging on now because a tiny fraction of the population is protecting him with their government issued weapons.

And doesn't the "regulatory nightmare" that has been put in place in Venezuela sound terrifyingly similar to what Hillary wants for the United States?  We are well on the way there already.

The article reinforces the point still further:

Mahanta: One thing I’m curious about is, how does Maduro retain enough support going forward to hang on to power? Where is his genuine source of support at this point?

Toro: People with guns. That includes the military of course, which has been given enormous privileges during the last 18 years. [It has] been put in charge of mining businesses, been part of the oil industry, and smuggling, and cocaine, and a lot of other things.

The article mentions a large number of para-militaries who are in direct contact with and under a fair amount of control by the military.  It is common practice in distopia socialist systems like Venezuela for the government to arm its followers and use them to oppress everyone else.

Venezuela had a gun destruction a few months ago. It collected a lot of homemade pistols and single-shot shotguns.  The current government is propped up by thousands of Cuban "advisors" throughout the military and police that serve as informants with no skin in the Venzuelan game.

The fall of any socialist distopia is not pretty.  But the continued down-slide toward North Korean standards is downright ugly.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

NC: Homeowner Fires on Home Invasion Suspects

According to CMPD, officers responded to a breaking and entering call in the 10700 block of Osprey Drive just after 9:30 Friday night. Police say their preliminary investigation indicates that the homeowner fired shots during the break-in and possibly struck one of the suspects.

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NC: Off Duty Police Chief Shoots Intruder

Brinson, who was armed, told deputies the first man ran away, but he managed to stop the second one who started walking toward him. The victim said the second man had something in his hand, and he was physically assaulted. Brinson said the man was trying to get his gun, and during the struggle the gun went off. The suspect then ran from the area.

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ID: Gunfight, Son with Shotgun wounds Handgun shooting Intruder

Further investigation revealed that the home owner discovered a suspect inside his residence. The suspect allegedly fired multiple rounds from a handgun at the homeowner.

At that time the homeowner’s son retrieved a shotgun and shot the intruder in the lower abdomen.

The suspect was located in the front yard of the residence on the deputies arrival.

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SC: Domestic Defense, Mother Shoots Son

BARNWELL, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) -- A Barnwell woman will not face charges for shooting her son after he allegedly threatened her and attacked the mother of his children.

According to Chief Reuben Black, Bettie Ann Newton shot Venson Jones outside her Turner Street home on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Chief Black said that Jones was attacking the mother of his 4 children, 37-year-old Wanda Badger.
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TN: Warning Shots used to Drive off Robbery Suspects

Metro police told News 2 the victim was robbed as she was returning to her apartment. An alert citizen witnessed the robbery and fired warning shots, which scared the suspects away.

Officers were able to track the suspect’s vehicle to Glenrose Avenue in south Nashville, where they reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and took off running.
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WI: Gun Owners for Trump Rear Window Art

A correspondent noticed this Gun Owners for Trump art on the back window of the Jeep in front of him.  It occurred this morning about 7:55 a.m. in Northern Wisconisn (Ladysmith) in a gun free school zone. 

He later found that he knew the woman who owned the vehicle and sign.  She is an ardent Second Amendment defender who is passionate about self defense.

There are large areas of the country that are dominated by people in the gun culture, just as there are large areas of the Eastern Seaboard and West Coast cities dominated by anti-Second Amendment politicians.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
 
Link to Gun Watch

GA: Woman lets Strangers Know she was Armed

COLUMBUS, Ga.- Imagine being startled by two men, one of them shirtless, walking up the steps into your home, one of them actually puts his foot inside the door. What do you do? One woman grabbed her gun and let the intruders know that she was armed.

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NH: Armed Resident Fires at Intruder

A resident had confronted an intruder inside 56 Wood Hill Drive, said Lt. Charles Pelton.

A shot was fired, but no one was injured police said.

The intruder then ran into the woods, which prompted an extensive search with State Police, Rockingham County Sheriff's Office and police K-9s.
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Homeless Black Trump Supporter Beaten by Hillary's Bullies

 Link to video

Scott Adams was right.  Hillary's words are empowering bullies to pick on the helpless.  From Scott Adams Blog:

I’ve been trying to figure out what common trait binds Clinton supporters together. As far as I can tell, the most unifying characteristic is a willingness to bully in all its forms.

These are classic bullies.  Picking on a frail woman because she represents a political movement that threatens their power.

Spread it around.  Views are low at the moment, about 500.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Support for "Assault Rifles" Ban at all time Low Gallup

Gallop released results of a poll taken on the 5-9 of October, 2016.  The last time they had asked the question was in 2012.   Support for a ban is the lowest it has ever been, since the question was first asked.

I am not surprised at the drop.  It indicates that the population is becoming more educated about crime and "assault rifles".  Gallup notes that the drop in support for an "assault rifle" ban correlates with a general decline in trust in the government.

Historically, people who own guns have been far, far less in favor of placing more infringements on the Second Amendment.  Many assume this is because they reasonably oppose more regulation on their activities, while people who do not own guns show a "free rider" effect.  More regulation of something that you do not have does not impose an obvious and immediate personal cost to you.  Part of what we are seeing is due to a significant rise in gun ownership, especially ownership of the rifles mentioned.  Many millions have been sold in the period covered by the graph.

An often overlooked explanation of why gun owners oppose more gun restrictions is seldom mentioned, but obvious, once considered.  Gun owners know more about the subject than non-gun owners.

Unfortunately, Gallup has never asked a "calibration" question to determine the knowledge of the facts by the people answering.  I would like to see a question by Gallup such as "How many people are murdered with rifles in a given year?"

There could be multiple answers:  30,000, 10,000 3,000,  1,000  300  100  10.  Then the closeness to the correct answer (300) could be used to see whether people who were more or less informed responded to the desirability of a ban.

Bans on ownership of firearms have always been driven by people who are ignorant of guns.  It is why the bans on guns in England and Australia were able to be put in place in democratic countries.  The large majority of people in those countries did not own guns and were ignorant of them.  This is a major reason the drive for more infringements on the Second Amendment is failing in the United States.  As a wealthy society, guns are more affordable for more people than ever before.  Nearly a hundred million guns have been added to the private stock during the Obama administration.  That is a 30 percent increase in eight years.

In spite of ambiguous surveys that show rapid drops (and increases) in gun ownership, other indicators show a strong and growing population of gun owners.   The number of individual people who admit to being gun owners in this Gallup poll was 29%.  That is not households, but individuals.  The number has varied from 27% to 34% over the last 12 polls and 17 years.  The lowest was at the first poll in 2000 and in 2013; the highest in 2011.  About one third of people say that they would not tell  a pollster if they had a gun, which would indicate the gun owning percent of the population is near 44%.  The gallop question does not allow for an answer of more than one gun owner in a household.

Indicators such as increasing gun ownership among minorities and women, as well as skyrocketing gun carry permits and gun sales, suggest ownership is much higher than is shown in the surveys.

We do not know how many gun owners there are in the United States; but increasing gun ownership, and knowledge about guns, can explain much of the drop in support for gun bans.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Chinese Heroine Drives off 3, Kills one, 2nd Time She Shot Pistol (video)

Link to video of action

At a little before 4 a.m. on September 16th, in Gwinnet County, Georgia,  three armed home invaders picked the wrong house.  The video shows much of the action, but written accounts fill in some interesting details.  The Chinese immigrant woman, Chen Fengzu, had recently been given a gun by her husband. She had fired it at the range one time.  A shop assistant was staying at the house that night, (in a separate bedroom).  The shop assistant was rousted first.  He shouted a warning, "No Money!"  He was not armed.  But Chen Fengzu was.  She came out shooting. This is a good tip, a good way to alert others in the house while appearing to be compliant.  It does not reveal the existence of another resident.

From the video, it appears that she fired a full sized semi-auto eight or nine times.  She killed one invader, and likely wounded another, after one session at the range earlier in the month. From shanghaiist.com:

The burglars quickly fled under a hail of bullets. One of them was shot and died on Chen's driveway. Another is believed to have been shot as well. Last week, the Gwinnett County Police Department released the footage of the incident, hoping it would help find the two fugitives who made it out alive and are still at large.

"She simply exercised her right to defend her livelihood and property," said a local police department spokesman about the shooting. Chen's husband had given her the gun just one month earlier. Prior to that night, she had only fired it once before, at a shooting range.

There is much that can be criticized in Chen Fengzu's tactics, if you wish to do so.  She acted with admirable courage and delivered a fine performance for her limited training.  She is serving as an inspiration for millions of Chinese around the world.  Her example was played on the Chinese official government television, and has gone viral in China.

In the United States, Chinese immigrants are telling others to take advantage of their Second Amendment rights, to arm and protect themselves. While this may simply be Internet bluster, here is a comment, from the Youtube video site:

My sister in law is Chinese. If this was her, she would have shot dead all of them with two shots to the chest and one to the head before any would have reacted. She has a HKP9 and can fire with freakishly good accuracy and reload crazy fast.

Anyone considering the proposed ban on "Large Capacity Magazines" would do well to notice that Chen Fengzu shot her pistol empty, but did not seem to notice.  It might have been a critical difference if there had been four intruders, or if they had not fled so quickly.  A pistol with an 11-20 shot standard magazine would have given her more defensive flexibility.

You can see the pistol with the slide locked back, after the shooting is done.  In the video, her last shot is at the door to the outside.

Pistols are meant to be user friendly and ergonomic.  I have read of several instances where first time users are effective with the pistols that they fire.  Most defensive actions are by people who have not invested a lot of time in shooting practice.  The video illustrates that high levels of training are not necessary for effective action.

Highly trained individuals tilt the odds in their favor.  But not everyone can be highly trained in every useful skill.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Jurors Refuse to Convict Oregon Refuge Protesters: Not Guilty on all Counts

A federal jury on Thursday found Ammon Bundy, his brother Ryan Bundy and five co-defendants not guilty.......

"More than we could have hoped for," said one of Ammon Bundy's lawyers, J. Morgan Philpot......

Ammon Bundy, his hands clasped behind his back, nodded as the "not guilty" verdicts were read for him first. As he sat, he smiled and rubbed the shoulder of his lawyer, Marcus Mumford.

His older brother Ryan Bundy stood. As the "not guilty" verdicts were read, he nodded, and mouthed to the jury, "Thank you." Defendant Neil Wampler hugged and kissed his defense lawyer, Maxfield.

The coda to the stunning verdict, undoubtedly a significant blow to federal prosecutors, was when Ammon Bundy's lawyer Marcus Mumford argued that his client, dressed in a gray suit and white dress shirt, should be allowed to walk out of court, a free man.

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown told him there was a U.S. Marshal's hold on him from a pending federal indictment in Nevada.

"If there's a detainer show me," Mumford stood, arguing before the judge.

Suddenly a group of about six U.S. Marshals surrounded Mumford at his defense table. The judge directed them to move back but moments later, the marshals grabbed on him.

"What are you doing?" Mumford yelled, as he struggled and was taken down to the floor.

As the deputy marshals yelled. "Stop resisting," the judge demanded, "Everybody out of the courtroom now!"


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LPG Supertanker attacked with RPG and Small Arms off of Yemen

Image from splash247

The Galicia Spirit is a fairly new Liquefied Natural Gas carrier that was built in 2004.  It is 280 meters long by 43 meters wide. It was attacked on October 25, 2016, by armed men on a fast small craft.  The attack occurred in the choke point of the Bab el Mandeb between Yemen and Djibouti and Eritrea. Super LPG tankers like this are big, fat, slow and unmaneuverable targets.  It was fired on with small arms and a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG).  RPGs are designed to pierce tank armor, so one should be able to pierce the hull of a oceangoing vessel. From gcaptain.com:

British maritime security firm MAST said a small vessel had approached the tanker and fired a rocket propelled grenade (RPG).

“MAST understands that the vessel had no armed security team on board, and that the vessel sustained small arms fire as well as the RPG,” it said. “It is unclear whether this is a terrorist attack or piracy.”

In 1915, the British would have been astonished if anyone would have suggested that they could not carry weapons on their private ships.  A few years before, an American had made the first solo circumnavigation of the globe.  He carried a rifle with him to fend off pirates. Today, a hundred years later, a UK security broker gives this advice. From splash247:

“The use of RPGs in an attack against a vessel in this shipping choke point is very worrying,” UK security broker ASKET said in a note today, adding: “Crews are advised to maintain a good lookout by radar and enhanced watchkeepers, crew should take cover in pre designated areas away from the side of any threat if possible and be prepared to fight any fires caused by an exploding warhead.”

Fortunately, the RPG hit the poop deck, and was not aimed at the load of LPG.  It is not clear if an RPG would be able to ignite LPG on such a vessel.  The LPG is likely carried inside of pressurized containers that have some space separation from the hull. From splash 247:

Ambrey Risk, a UK security consultancy, is warning of a step change in violence seen in waters in the southern Red Sea in the past month. With three instances of skiffs approaching three ships in the past month, including one where an RPG was fired at an LNG carrier resulting in damage to the poop deck and citadel, the British firm is warning pirates in the region are stepping up activities further ashore with a view to boarding larger ships.

Having armed naval escort ships or having armed security on board that is willing to shoot back, has proved to be an effective deterrent against attack by pirates in small boats. A change in the Law of the Sea treaty to cement the right of ships officers to legally have defensive arms aboard would be a good reform for the U.S. to seek.

It would be much cheaper than providing naval escorts. A combination of a few fast and agile naval vessels and some defensive small arms on board many private vessels would be a hard to beat combination against pirates and terrorists.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

James Edming : Member of Wisconsin Legislature that is a Firearms Instructor

James Edming, (screen right) is said to be the only member of the Wisconsin legislature that is a certified firearms instructor. He is a successful businessman who represents Assembly District 87 in the North Central part of the state.  He has deep roots in the area, living on land his grandfather purchased after he came over from Sweden in 1886. James has taught numerous concealed carry courses.  In the picture above, he has no problem standing next to a constituent who is proudly and openly carrying his holstered Glock.

Open carry of handguns has always been legal in Wisconsin, but was discouraged in the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee and Racine. Until 10 years ago, police in those cities routinely violated people's rights by charging open carriers with disorderly conduct.

That has changed now.  Wisconsin has one of the best shall issue concealed carry permit systems in the country.  But even the best can be improved. 

I was able to talk to Representative Edming for a few minutes.  He is an ardent Second Amendment supporter.  The gun culture is strong in Assembly District 87.  James Edming has an A rating with the NRA. In any given election it is likely that people with concealed carry permits will make up 10-15% of the voters in his district.

When I discussed the Wisconsin permit system, I mentioned that Wisconsin is missing an opportunity to have non residents contribute to Wisconsin government coffers.  Through the machinations and compromises made when Act 35, the Wisconsin concealed carry bill, was passed, citizens who are not residents of Wisconsin are unable to apply for a Wisconsin permit.  Consequently, people who wish for a permit outside of their home state apply to states other than Wisconsin, most notably to Florida and Utah, which issue hundreds of thousands of out of state permits.

Assemblyman Edming mentioned that Wisconsin has reciprocity to accept permits from all other states.  This is true, but there are still a few states that make it very difficult for their residents to obtain permits.

People from those states often obtain permits from another state to be used when they are traveling.  In addition, there are people who collect permits much like others collect stamps.  They wish to have a permit from every state that is available.  There are people who would like to have a permit from a given state for sentimental reasons.  I grew up in Wisconsin, and am proud of the progress Wisconsin has made in restoring the right to keep and bear arms.  I would like a Wisconsin permit to show my gratitude and to remind me of my roots.

The Wisconsin permit has advantages over other states as a choice for out of state residents.  The Wisconsin legislature wisely did not require a photograph or fingerprints to obtain the permit.  They are not necessary in the age of the nationwide background check system run by the FBI, and they would add significantly to the cost of a permit.  Wisconsin recently made a website available for the application and renewal process.  Wisconsin's frugal government has kept the permit fee low and easily accessible.  It is not unreasonable to expect four to five million dollars a year to flow into Wisconsin's Department of Justice from out of state permit applications.

Assemblyman Edming said that an amendment allowing out of state people to apply for Wisconsin permits would be likely to pass the legislature, but it would have to be introduced in the next session.

That depends on James Edming winning the election in the next two weeks.  He is popular.  He has shown himself to be disciplined, well organized, and tuned in to his constituents.  I would usually think he would be a shoo-in for re-election, but this is a crazy election cycle.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

WV: Clerk Shoots Robbery Suspect in Leg

The suspect was able to steal an undisclosed amount of cash from the register drawer, but was shot in the leg by the clerk. The clerk wasn't hurt.

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VA: Gunfight Three Armed Robbers lose to Delivery Driver

A man is in jail after an attempted robbery last week in Henrico.

According to Henrico police, three suspects — one of whom was armed — tried to rob a food delivery driver about 11 p.m. Friday in the 300 block of Keeton Road. The driver also was armed and fired at the suspects, who ran away.



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Followup VA: Man who shot Dog Justified

An investigation, according to reports, determined that two large-breed dogs, who were being walked off the leash, behaved aggressively toward a man who was walking in the park.

Investigators determined that one of the dogs, the 11-month-old puppy, circled and jumped up on the walker and the dogs’ owner failed to secure them despite his repeated requests.


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TX: Armed Homeowner Shoots Man Attempting Break-in

Police arrested a 39-year-old man Monday night after a homeowner shot and wounded him while he was trying to break into a house in north Houston, officials said.

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TX: No Incidents at UTEP wih two months of Campus Carry

One of the problems with excessive hyperbole in propaganda is when people experience the reality of what was hyped. They realize someone lied to them. A level of credibility has been lost.  This has happened over and over again, with a repetition that has become boring, as the right to bear arms in self defense is being restored and ... nothing happens. It happened at the University of Texas in El Paso. From kfoxtv.com:

Claster contacted the University to find out if anything has happened regarding Campus Carry, or if there have even been any calls to campus police since August 1. UTEP officials sent her a statement reading, "There have not been any reported gun-related incidents, or calls since SB11 went into effect."

"I guess I feel safer,” Gallegos said. “Because we have heard about other colleges having incidents. You never know what the case might be, so it would be nice if people on campus that are carrying guns also know how to use them."

"I feel less safe because I'm not 21 yet, so I can't have a gun yet. So I feel less safe,” Salado said.

Both Gallegos and Salado are young women. Before you write off MS Salado as having bought into the propaganda, read her next statement.

"Are you going to buy one once you turn 21?" Claster asked Salado.

"Definitely,” Salado answered. “If they have one, why shouldn't I have one?"

The idea that young people are lost to the gun culture is as false a narrative as claiming that allowing people with concealed carry permits on campus makes the campus less safe.  It is not true. From thetandd.com:

Young people are, in fact, the most pro-gun generation in America. For many pundits who see millennials as hippie liberals, this is surprising. Two-thirds of young people have considered owning a gun in the future. Millennials are the least likely generation to support gun bans, with 70 percent of young Americans saying they believe civilians should have the right to own assault weapons, compared with just 51 percent of Americans overall. The millennials consensus is that gun control restricts law-abiding citizens without reducing violence.

It isn't surprising that young people are more receptive to an armed population. They have been raised in an era with many data sources, not just three TV channels.

If they want more data, they look it up on their phones.  TTAG does a great service.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

Two Types of Campaign: Manufacturing Consent v. Majority Goals

We are witnessing the competition between two different types of campaign. The first, with Hillary Clinton as its champion, is the type that has been successful, with the exception of Reagan, for the last 60 years.  In this type of campaign, the ruling elite decides what they want to do.  They start propaganda campaigns to popularize what they want to do.  Most of the projects are long term, such as disarming the population, eliminating borders, or changing sexual norms.  They belittle opposition and do not allow the opposition to get their message out.  The technique is called "manufacturing consent."  The election is part of the process, where the elite have manufactured consent, with their propaganda, that results in electing a candidate that will do what the elites want done.

The other type of campaign is best epitomized by Ronald Reagan.  Reagan traveled around the country, figuring out what people wanted, what the goals of the majority were.  He summarized and collated what they wanted into a campaign that promised to do what they wanted.  He won overwhelmingly.  He acted as a focus for what the public wanted rather than as a tool for what the elite wanted.

Donald Trump is pushing a campaign of the Ronald Reagan sort.  The elite see it as a rollback of their plans, and oppose it with every tool at their disposal, including nearly all of the media. They have turned it into a campaign where they are attempting to  manufacture opposition to Trump.  It is what they have to do to stop him. It did not succeed against Reagan, in large part because the elite believed their own propaganda.  A large part of their propaganda was that the media part of the elite were objective and truthful. They were blinded to their own bias.  Most believed their agenda was objectively correct. Most believed that the public wanted what they wanted.

The elite are the equivalent of "the party" George Orwell wrote about in the novel 1984.  Their primary concern is to stay in power in order to exercise power.  In Orwell's 1984, part of doing that was for members of the party (the elite) to be able to believe two opposite things at once, and to always believe and speak the party line, even if it contradicted itself, to accomplish staying in power.  In Orwell's 1984, the party had near absolute control over information and the flow of information.

If you look at Donald Trump's positions, they are widely and wildly popular.  Virtually all of them are supported by strong majorities of voters.  It is why the elite are not willing to engage on the issues.  On the issues, Trump wins overwhelmingly.  It is similar to the position of Ronald Reagan.  Trump has figured out what the public wants, and is working to give it to them.

In Reagan's 1980 election, the media did not want what the public wanted, but they were so good at lying to themselves, they thought the public wanted what the elite did.  They thought the public wanted to disarm itself, as an example. So they allowed Reagan's message to get out.  Reagan won in a landslide.

Since Reagan, the elites have become better at realizing that what they want is not wanted by the public. They know that the public does not want to be disarmed.  The media knows they have to lie, obfuscate, and discourage Trump voters if they are to preserve the goals of the elites in power. They are doing so with all the power at their disposal.  It is hard for them to do, because their ability to control the flow of information has been eroded by technology and Reagan's removal of the FCC's Orwellian named "fairness doctrine".

The two campaign strategies are not 100 percent distinct.  Popular goals will always need elites to refine them and put them into practise.  That is why our republic is a representative democracy with checks and balances.

Elite schemes to manufacture consent will always have some element of popular goals, or they become lemons that no one is willing to consider. For example, consider Universal Background Checks (UBC). People want to keep violent criminals and violent mentally ill people disarmed.  UBC does not do that.  UBC creates precursors for universal gun registration, to set up the ability to disarm the public.  The public does not want that, so elite media lie and obfuscate to "manufacture consent".  Donald Trump does not support UBC.  Hillary Clinton does.

The biggest single difference is in philosophy.  In the United States the predominant philosophy, for 100 years, with perhaps the exception of Reagan, has been "progressivism". At its core, "progressivism" is the rule of elites and manufacturing consent.  In this philosophy, the elites know best and the people must be lied to for their own good. The limits on government enshrined in the Constitution are seen as impediments to doing what the elites want.

For the previous 125 years, marred by slavery, the Civil War, and its aftermath, the dominant philosophy was to refine and implement what the majority wanted. In that system, the elite work hard at determining what the people actually want, and the best way to get there. The limitations on government enshrined in the Constitution are seen as protections from excesses desired by the majority.

This election will determine if the people have recovered enough control over their own information flow to elect a champion for them, instead of one for the elites.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

SD: 71-Year-Old Shoots Suspect who Punched Him, Tried to Steal Prius

A 71-year-old man and his wife were sitting in a 2013 Toyota Prius outside the Red Rock Inn on Friday night when another man opened the car door and began punching the man in the head before trying to steal the Prius, police spokesperson Sam Clemens said.

The victim, who is from Bixby, Okla., pulled out his concealed carry handgun and shot the suspect twice, hitting him in the arm and back, Clemens said. The suspect then ran off and was found by police outside a nearby McDonalds after the victim called 911.

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TN: Domestic Gunfight, Wife Kills Husband who Violates Protection Order

The investigation revealed that Delauter, who was living near Rutherford, Tennessee, parked his vehicle about a half mile from Lee Ann Delauter's home.

He then broke into the home and assaulted Lee Ann with a knife and fired more than one shot at her with a semi-automatic firearm, according to Captain McGowan.

Lee Ann Delauter had her own firearm in the bedroom and returned fire, hitting Delauter.
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WA: Intruder shot, Refuses Medical Care, Dies

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. -

Spokane County Sheriff's detectives are trying to figure out why a man who was shot by a homeowner Sunday night would hide from police and refuse medical help, even though he was bleeding to death.

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John Lott Predicts CDC wrong on Gun Accidents. Prediction Confirmed.

In January of 2016, John Lott notified the CDC that their numbers for accidental firearms deaths in Tennessee were in error.  He spotted the error and made the prediction that the number was incorrect, based on his knowledge of the statistics.

In September of 2016, an anti-Second Amendment group, put out a news release, touting the numbers and calling for harsh new infringments on the Second Amendment.

That press release page has been taken down, without any correction.  But the press release lives on in a Tennessee paper's reporting.  From memphisdailynews.com:

In a news release, The Safe Tennessee Project, a grassroots gun-violence prevention organization, said that 105 people died in the state from accidental gunshots in 2014, media outlet reported.

The year before that, there were 19 such deaths in Tennessee, and the state had ranked ninth in accidental shootings.

"We've actually been aware of the new numbers for several months, but the increase was so dramatic that we wanted to confirm the numbers before reporting them," said Beth Joslin Roth, Policy Director for The Safe Tennessee Project.

According to Roth, the group first asked the CDC and state health officials to check the numbers for accuracy. Those figures were then verified.

But John Lott had already alerted the CDC to the problem in the data.  The CDC has not yet corrected the data, though they admit an error that increased the numbers was made. From CDC:

Note Regarding Unintentional Firearm Deaths in 2014

There was a coding error in the 2014 file that increases the number of unintentional firearm deaths (W32-W34: Accidental discharge of firearms) substantially in some states. The error was not technically isolated to any particular state, but because of the nature of the error, data from some states (TN, NC) were affected more than others in 2014. Results for 2014 unintentional firearm deaths should be interpreted with caution.

Lott has reported that the actual number for Tennessee was 5, not 105.  That is a drop from 19 in 2013, to 5 in 2014.

An error of 100 is enormous in this data set.  It is 20% of all the fatal firearms accidents in the United States.  The corrected number for 2014 should be 486, not 586, for the entire nation.  That would be the lowest number of fatal firearms accidents in a year on record.

One of the most important tests of scientific theories are their predictive value.  This correction does much to cement John Lott's reputation for understanding the phenomena better than those who disagree with him.  He saw the data, predicted that it was in error, and his prediction has been validated.

I look forward to the corrected data being published by the CDC.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

TN: Standing for Lawsuit to Protect Carry Rights Confirmed

The restoration of the right to bear arms continues in Tennessee.  Laws originally intended to keep slaves disarmed were altered after the Civil War, to keep freed slaves disarmed.  Those laws ran up against the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and had to be altered to apply to everyone.  Except they didn't.  The authorities routinely used the law to disarm black people, but did not apply to laws to the vast majority of white people.

That started changing with the change in the power structure from the 1960's on. More and more places began applying the gun bans to most people. That enforcement change sparked a reform movement to restore carry rights.

By the late 1980's, the reform movement to restore carry rights had started sweeping the nation, with "shall issue" concealed carry laws, so that any non-felon could obtain a permit to carry.  The reforms often left a sprinkling of localized carry bans in place.  Gradually those bans are being removed.  In Tennessee, in 2015, the legislature removed the ability of local governments to enforce most of the local gun bans.

Liston Matthews has a good history of these reforms, and details on the current lawsuit.

In Knoxville, a local ban has persisted at Chilhowee park, where the state fair is held.  That ban is being challenged in court.  The challenge has just passed one of the first hurdles in striking down the ban.  The Court ruled that one of the plaintiffs has standing to proceed with the lawsuit. From knoxnews.com:

A lawsuit contesting the city of Knoxville's ban on guns at Chilhowee Park has withstood a challenge for dismissal and will live to face another hearing.

Knox County Chancellor John Weaver on Oct. 3 found merit in the city's argument that one of the two people who challenged the gun ban did not have standing to file the lawsuit. But Weaver ruled the second person involved in the action had standing.

This is how activists incrementally restore the right to bear arms.  It is happening all over the country.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

TX: Father Shoots Intruder who Threatened Arson of Home

Police say a father shot a home intruder in the stomach after the intruder broke into his family’s home and attempted to start a fire early Sunday in Central Lubbock.
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FL: Victim Retrives Shotgun, Shoots Armed Robber

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. - Police said an armed robber in Riviera Beach is dead after one of his victims shot him Saturday night.

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WY: Bear Attack Stopped with Pistols

The attack occurred in September of 2013, but was not reported to the public until 2015. The information was obtained with a freedom of information act request. The men were dressing out an elk shot by a client.

Then at about 2:45 p.m., a collared boar grizzly identified
as bear No. 764 came uncomfortably close. The group’s
canister of bear spray was in a backpack by their horses. A
warning shot went off, but the big grizzly didn’t turn back.

“The bear stood up and growled, like something you would see in a movie,” an eyewitness later told investigators.

From less than 10 feet away, the guide and camp worker drew their .44 and .357 magnum revolvers and together fired four times, ending the 17-year-old bear’s life.

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Fraction of Suicides with Firearms Compared to per Capita Firearms in U.S.A.

The number of firearms in private hands has been rising for at least 70 years.  During the last 20, the numbers of murders, murders with guns, and violent crime with guns has been dropping sharply.  It has become very hard to say that more guns equal more crime with a straight face.  Fatal gun accidents are at an unprecedented low.  The rate of fatal gun accidents has dropped 94% in 85 years.

The response of those who wish to disarm the public has been to focus on suicides.  They lump in suicides with murders and accidents and call the whole mismash "gun violence".  But if you look at the actual numbers of suicides committed with guns, you come to an understanding at odds with the gun haters narrative.  As the number of guns per capita has increased, the percentage of suicides with guns has dropped.

The percentage of suicides with guns held steady, with a little spike in 1997, likely associated with a record keeping change to tighten up the data input. But from 1997 on, there has been a steady decline in the percentage of suicides committed with guns.

More guns have not increased the fraction of suicides committed with guns over several economic cycles.

Guns were chosen for .58 of all suicides in 1981, the fraction of suicides committed with guns rose to a high of .61 from 1990 to 1997 (the high point of homicides was 1993-95), then started a long decline ending at .49, the record low, in 2014.

The rates of suicide used are those from the Center for Disease Control WISQARS data base.  The CDC adjusted the rates to account for changing age distributions.  The age correction does not make a large difference. It removes the variation associated with changing percentages of various age groups over the decades examined.

The number of private firearms was calculated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) numbers, using the method developed by Newton and Zimring, expanded on by Gary Kleck in "Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America".  Census figures were used to determine the per capita numbers.

As there are many easily substituted methods for committing suicide, this is not surprising.  Many nations with small numbers of guns and political gun control that is very harsh, have suicide rates far higher than the United States.

Suicide is a matter of many other factors that operate independent of the number of guns in society.  When someone commits suicide with a gun, it is fairly obvious.  When someone commits suicide with a car or motorcycle, or by lying down on a railroad track, it is not nearly as obvious and is likely to be ruled accidental.  A correspondent on The Truth About Guns noted that suicides in Australia did not drop as initially reported.  They were misclassified. 

In short not only were half of decreased gun suicide immediately replaced by other means known suicide – Australia also saw a sharp and immediate increase in self caused fatal “accident” death associated with suicide. Unless one posits another reason for an immediate increase in Australians driving alone into abutments and trees, taking “accidental” fatal overdose, falling onto train tracks, falling out of windows, in 1997s and after, it is clear there was no drop in suicide, just a increase in suicide by replacement methods and an increase suicide means that were incorrectly tabulated.

The correspondent backs up his assertions with this link and quote:

''What that revision of ABS data will show us is that really we have gone nowhere in terms of overall reductions from the peaks in suicide rates in the early 1990s, and we have certainly gone nowhere among reducing suicide in indigenous populations. They remain four times higher overall,'' Professor Mendoza said.

Governments had done little more than the bare minimum to prevent deaths, said Dawn O'Neil, chief executive officer of Lifeline.

''Once we got confirmation the rates were not coming down … the Government didn't want to know, politically they wanted to believe that the suicide rates were falling.''

It sounds much like the United States.  "Studies" that support the political narratives preferred by the powerful social engineers, are touted.  Those that do not follow the party line, are sidelined.

Claiming that harsh restrictions on guns will reduce suicides is a dead end. It is being used as an emotional tool to obtain something else that is desired, a disarmed population.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Former PA AG Democrat, Convicted Felon Kathleen Kane Sentenced to Jail

Kathleen Kane is another of a long list of corrupt politicians who have promoted strict gun control laws.  She was found guilty of two felony perjury charges and several lesser crimes.  From mcall.com:

Kane pleaded with a judge to spare her teenage sons the pain of being separated from their mother when she spoke Monday during her sentencing in Montgomery County Court.

Kane, convicted in August of two felony counts of perjury and less serious charges of false swearing, obstruction, official oppression and conspiracy, apologized for leaking grand jury secrets in a plot to discredit a foe whom she believed was responsible for a negative newspaper article.

Kane was sentenced to a minimum of 10 months, and a maximum of 23 months in the county jail.

Another scandal came from disclosure that Kane shut down a "sting" operation for Philadelphia officials.  From philly.com:

Kane's tenure has been marked by controversy over the last year, much of it generated by an Inquirer disclosure that she had secretly shut down an undercover "sting" investigation that had caught elected officials from Philadelphia on tape accepting cash.

Kathleen Kane was elected in 2012, and is an avid proponent of infringing on  Second Amendment rights.   She refused to defend a law designed to put in place potential penalties for cities that violate Pennsylvania gun law and citizens second amendment rights.

Laws that disarm citizens have long been associated with corrupt politicians and organized crime.  One of the first of the "progressive" gun control laws was the Sullivan Act, the foundation of the New York gun laws.  It was created in 1911 to protect organized crime, and was pushed through by "Big Tim" Sullivan, one of the criminal bosses of the Tammany gang.

The "SAFE" act is one of the most restrictive gun control laws in the United States, imposing further restrictions on already strict New York State laws.  There has been massive civil disobedience with the law.  Numerous Sheriff's have refused to enforce it.  It is currently being appealed as unconstitutional.

Three men have been widely criticized for pushing through the "SAFE" act in the dead of night as as so called "emergency measure", without debate or public input.  Those three men were New York State Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver, New York Majority Leader Dean Skeltos, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.  Silver has been convicted of corruption.

Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, for decades one of the state's most powerful politicians, was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in federal prison for collecting millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan federal court said she hoped the penalty would cause "the next corrupt politician to hesitate" before accepting a bribe.

Dean Skelos has been convicted.

 A judge sentenced former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to five years in prison Thursday for running a federal shakedown scheme that “caused immeasurable damage.”

 Governor Cuomo has not been indicted, tried, or convicted. 

Politicians that push for more infringements on the Second Amendment may not all be corrupt.  But that is the way to bet with politicians who take an oath to uphold the Constitution, only to ignore or conspire against the Second Amendment as soon as they gain office.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

MN: Emotional Gun Hatred Disguised as "Safety Concerns"

The Hibbing Minnesota School District has become a battleground in the culture wars around the Second Amendment.  When the Lincoln Elementary School was being built in 1956, it was seen as reasonable and proper to include a gun range in the basement.  The range has been in continuous use for almost 60 years.  The range has a spotless safety record.  There have not been any injuries in the entire 60 year history of its operation. From hibbingmn.com:

Director Jeff Polcher noted that there have been zero incidents at the gun range in its nearly 60-year existence. He said requiring a safety officer to be in charge of granting access to the gun range could resolve some of the issues.

“Now someone raised a stink literally two weeks ago and now we’re talking about shutting down a landmark of the school district,” Polcher said. “No one has never been injured down there. The perception that guns are harmful is wrong. Guns are a way of life up here.”

Such a spotless safety record is only possible in a culture of individual and community responsibility. People from other places have decided that the range cannot be allowed because "guns!" Superintendent Brad Johnson made these comments.  From hibbingmn.com:

“People are more sensitive than they used to be,” said Johnson. “There are concerns from people who are here for activities or events from other towns who are seeing people going down to the rifle range. It’s causing lots of questions and concerns.”

The school district quickly caved to a tiny minority of "concerns" while telling the community that it was not caving.  The range was closed, indefinitely, while the Superintendent made noises about it not being "closed". From hibbingmn.com:

“We’re not closing the gun range,” said Superintendent Brad Johnson. “No one said we’re shutting it down and I’m sick of hearing it. As the superintendent, I’m trying to find an amicable solution.”

At the Oct. 5 meeting, the school board formed a committee to research ways to ensure safety while allowing access to the gun range. Due to safety concerns from the community, the gun range was temporarily closed and will remain that way until there’s a solution in place.

Consider this.  A local institution, in use for 60 years with a spotless safety record, is closed on the mere disapproval of few gun haters.  It is not maintained in operation while a committee investigates.  It is immediately shut down on emotion, with no evidence of any problem.

It appears the community is fighting back. Whether the national anti-Second Amendment narrative "Guns Bad"  "No Guns near Children" pushed by the gun haters will prevail remains to be seen.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

"Amerca's Morning News" All in for Hillary

I was listening to the radio when America's Morning News came on with some election "news".  It was essentially a campaign ad for Hillary Clinton disguised as "news".  It dwelt on the made up "scandal" of Trump accusers that have been mostly debunked.  Not a single word about the multiple Hillary scandals from exposing U.S. classified information, pay for play as Secretary of State, transferring  half a million dollars to the campaign of the wife of the FBI individual who was supposed to be investigating Hillary, and on and on.

I have never seen the full force of the organized media so completely all in for one candidate before.  It is an amazing display of propaganda and coordination.

Much of that coordination has been exposed in the wikileaks information that *surprise*  the same media refuses to cover.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

IL: Homeowner Fires at Burglary Suspect, Suspect Arrested

According to Covelli, the male homeowner was sleeping on a couch in an office area in the basement when he heard someone trying to enter through a window. The intruder also had tried to get in a side door, Covelli said.

The male resident retrieved a semi-automatic pistol and fired at the intruder identified by authorities as Mota.

"He (the resident) fired four times. One of the rounds appears to have struck Mota in the pants leg, one of the rounds hit Mota's vehicle and the other two missed," Covelli said.
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VA: Gunfight with Intruders- Homeowner wounded

The homeowner and a suspect fired shots at each other before both suspects fled the scene. The homeowner was shot in the left leg.
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IN: Woman Grabs Husband's Gun, Shoots at Intruder who Attacked Her

She said she was able to get away and run upstairs, but was followed by the attacker. That’s when she said she went to her bedroom, grabbed her husband’s gun and shot at the man twice before he ran away. Investigators believe the man was not hit. The woman went to a neighbor’s house to call for help.
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Followup NC: Home invasion Suspect Dies in Hospital

The suspect in the early Saturday morning home invasion incident has been identified as 32 year old Jeremy Batson. Batson died from his wound Saturday afternoon at Vidant Hospital in Greenville.

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Al: Armed Employee's Father with .45 Shoots Robbery Suspect Armed with .22 Pistol

The exact circumstances of this shooting in Anniston, Alabama, are a little uncertain. It happened on 22 October, 2016, just before 8:59 p.m. One source says that Malachi Hicks, the robbery suspect, was running away when he was shot by the employee's parent, who was armed with a model 1911 in .45 ACP. The Anniston Police Chief, Shane Denham had this to say.

From annistonstar.com:

Denham said Hicks was apparently lying in wait as employees were closing the restaurant for the evening. Hicks was armed with a .22 caliber pistol, Denham said.

“He forced his way into the back of the business and got that night’s proceeds,” Denham said.

Denham said that as the crime occurred, one employee ran out the front of the business to where his parents were parked to pick him up. Upon hearing of the robbery, the employee’s father grabbed a .45 caliber pistol, confronted Hicks behind the building, then shot him multiple times.

Shooting at someone who is running away is frowned upon in most states. But it always depends on the circumstances and the state you are in.  In Texas, for example, there are special provisions if the crime occurs at night, on your own property, or if a reasonable person would believe it would be necessary to prevent the loss of movable property.  It is important to know the laws for the area where you live. There are some general guidelines that apply across the nation as a whole.

If someone has moved far enough away so that they are no longer a threat, shooting at them is a bad idea.  That bullet has to be accounted for.  In densely populated areas, there is the chance that it will hit an innocent.  There is a real chance of property damage.  But there is one situation where juries and prosecutors usually agree that shooting can be considered reasonable.

That is where the the person doing the shooting has already been threatened with a weapon that is effective at a distance, such as a gun.  The person cannot know if the movement of the person threatening them is really a retreat, or simply a tactical move to cover or a better position to shoot from.  It is not uncommon for criminals to fire back toward possible pursuers, to cover their escape.  They are still a deadly threat.

We do not know how the prosecutor in this case will rule.

Anniston, Alabama is a fairly small town of about 23,000.  It is home to the Anniston Army Depot, which employs 3,400 people directly.  The Army is obviously a major employer in the area.  Small town, with the Army as the major employer.  A great place for military retirees.

I doubt that the man with the .45 will be charged.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Followup WA: Drunk acted the fool at the Wrong House, and Died

Drinking and acting the fool is dangerous.

Yeates first knocked on the front door, then got into the house through the garage door. He came face to face with the resident, Chapman.

Chapman shot him, fearing for his life after Yeates lunged at him.

Sant says this is the second example in two years of a homeowner shooting and killing a drunk intruder.
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Bobcat and Coyote at Ranch, October 9th, 2016

That is a good sized bobcat and a small coyote.  The confrontation took place at my ranch at 0918 on October 9th, 2016, according to the game camera.

This shows the coyote 12 minutes earlier.  I suspect she sensed the bobcat at that time, but it did not show up on the camera.

I keep the water running to attract wildlife.  The water hole is about 10 yards from the pistol range backstop.

Deserts do not support a tremendous biomass, so wildlife is much less common than in many other areas.  I do not have livestock, and have no desire to shoot coyotes or bobcats at the ranch.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

NJ: Robbery Suspect Shot at Tobacco Store

GARFIELD – A would-be robber was shot and wounded Thursday night during a holdup at a smoke shop, police confirmed on Friday.

The unidentified suspect was shot at the Tobacco Road store, 320 River Drive.

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New York Times gets Gun Stories Wrong

The New York Times produced another hit piece on guns, pushing for some sort of general increase in the current infringements on the Second Amendment.  At Reason.com, Brian Doherty did a good job of taking apart much of the bias and ignorance displayed in the article. The Reason.com article is worth reading, and I recommend it.  A fair amount can be summed up in these two paragraphs.  From the nytimes.com:

The findings are dispiriting to anyone hoping for simple legislative fixes to gun violence. In more than half the 130 cases, at least one assailant was already barred by federal law from having a weapon, usually because of a felony conviction, but nonetheless acquired a gun. Including those who lacked the required state or local permits, 64 percent of the shootings involved at least one attacker who violated an existing gun law.

Of the remaining assailants, 40 percent had never had a serious run-in with the law and probably could have bought a gun even in states with the strictest firearm controls. Typically those were men who killed their families and then themselves.

I read the article at the New York Times.  I seldom visit it because of their highly selective rendition of questionable facts, and their obvious pushing of an anti-Second Amendment agenda. Why corrupt the data stream with data from an obviously corrupt source?  But this article was in my area of expertise. 

The article referenced three cases that I recognized, cases I have written about. The New York Times mis-characterized or left out important information in all three cases. Color me not surprised. 

The Conyers, Georgia case involved an attempted mass shooting that was interrupted by an armed citizen.  The NYT mentions the armed citizen, Todd Scott, but fails to mention that he was openly carrying his firearm.  It is noteworthy, because of their characterization of open carry in another of the three cases.

In the Colorado Springs case, the New York Times mis-characterizes the shooting rampage as someone openly carrying.  A man in the middle of a crime spree was carrying a rifle between two buildings, going in and out.  The NYT claims that police response was delayed 11 minutes because open carry is legal in Colorado.  That is simply false.  The police in Colorado Springs responded as if the call were a burglary in progress.  The New York Times accepted a debunked hypothetical that the police would have responded faster if open carry was illegal in Colorado.  It it highly unlikely.  Criminals who are committing crimes are not the same as citizens openly carrying.  In this case, the lawbreaker was acting suspiciously and carrying a rifle back and forth and in and out of two buildings while carrying gas cans. The actions warranted a burglary call. The police responded appropriately. The NYT focuses on creating the false impression of open carry in this case, but failed to mention that it was an open carrier who stopped the mass killing in the Conyers, Georgia case.

The last case is the shooting that occurred at Northern Arizona University.  It is a claimed case of self-defense.  The New York times left out important information, and emphasized other information to make it appear that the shooting was not justified.  The case is in the courts.  The prosecutors office is notoriously biased against armed self defense, as evidenced from the Harold Fish case.  It is likely the final result will be that a jury finds the shootings justified.  An important fact the NYT conveniently left out: all the attackers were found to have high levels of alcohol in their blood, several had THC (marijuana) traces.  The shooter had no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system.

For decades the NYT has been all in on pushing to neuter or destroy Second Amendment rights.  It is no surprise that their stories reflect this.  We are returning to the era where every media source was known to be partisan, and people accepted that, and took it into account.

Our problem is that most of the old media has come into being and has been granted special legal privileges on the basis that they would be objective and fair reporters of fact.  It has lead to the current crises, where a minority trust what the old media says, but the accumulated power may still be enough to determine who wins this presidential election.

Be skeptical of what you read and hear, and compare a number of sources.  You will come closer to the truth with that approach.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

National Park Service: Discharging Firearms for Self Defense Illegal

Image from nbc29.com

The National Park Service is giving bad legal advice to people who visit their web page and attempt to find out about firearms policy at various national parks. 

For Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, they claim that firearms "cannot be used as a wildlife protection strategy". From nps.gov:

Federal law also prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park (such as visitor centers, government offices, etc.); those places are marked with signs at all public entrances. Firearms may not be discharged in this national park (except during legal hunting seasons) and can not be used as a wildlife protection strategy. Bear spray and other safety precautions are the proven methods for preventing bear and other wildlife interactions. See the Bear Safety and Wildlife Viewing pages.

Having a firearm as a "wildlife protection strategy" is not illegal.  It is not something the park has any say over.  It is ruled by state law, not park regulations. The Supreme Court has ruled that the carry of firearms for self defense is a constitutional right, in Heller v. District of Columbia.

For Yosemite National Park in California, they claim that "Discharging a firearm for any reason is illegal." From nps.gov:

It is the responsibility of visitors to understand and comply with all applicable state, local, and federal firearms laws before entering this park. As a starting point, visit the California Attorney General's website.

Federal law also prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park; those places are marked with signs at all public entrances. Discharging a firearm for any reason is illegal.

Discharging a firearm for defense of self and others is legal.  You may have to show that your purpose was defense, and that a reasonable person would have done what you did, but it is not illegal.

Going to the Frequently Asked Questions Implementation of Firearms Law link gives you this inept "DRAFT - Do Not Distribute" pdf. From nps.gov:

As this document is only a "draft" from 2010, that was never supposed to be distributed to the public, I would suggest this modest addition:

Q.  Why was the National Park Service allowed to ignore the Second Amendment for nearly a hundred years? 

A.  The ban on firearms was an administrative rule designed to reduce poaching in the parks.  As the penalties were small compared to the costs of challenging an administrative rule on constitutional grounds, the National Park Service ignored the Second Amendment until the people pushed Congress to act.

There are numerous other FAQs that some imaginative and paranoid person at NPS put together in this DRAFT.  It has stayed up at the site, never being updated, for the last six years.  One of the most amusing is this:

Q. I am frightened by firearms and am leaving the park. Can I have my entrance fee refunded? My annual pass refunded?

A. Park superintendents have the authority to provide a refund if the circumstances warrant it.

Have any refunds ever been given?  Perhaps it could be determined with a FOIA request.

The NPS is not known for its high level of competence. I suspect a mundane case of bureaucratic inertia, compounded by the usual lack of "blood in the streets" following the incremental restoration of Second Rights. From eenews.net:

Mark Magnuson, the chief ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park, was hard-pressed to come up with examples of the law's effects. But one was immediate confusion from visitors.

"The year after the law change, we had several complaints from visitors about people openly carrying firearms -- which was now legal," he said. "So it was a little bit of an educational learning curve for members of the public, but not a huge deal." 

It is time for the National Park Service to move into the 21st Century, and do away with their 20th Century prejudices.

They should update their websites to reflect reality and update their hastily made DRAFT FAQs from 2010.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

OH: Couple holds Suspect at Gunpoint for Police

AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron husband and wife held a break-in suspect at gunpoint until officers arrived to arrest him, police said.

DeJuan McCraney, 38, of Akron, is charged with aggravated burglary and having weapons while under disability in the Sunday incident at a house on Cordova Avenue.

More Here

Wisconsin CCW Permits Reach new Heights in 2016

Wisconsin reached over 300,000 active concealed carry weapon permits in 2016.  The number of permits issued reached 300,000 by the end of March, but the number of active permits is a bit behind the number of permits issued.  People die.  People move. People forget to renew their permit.

I obtained information on the number of active permits from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.  As of 1 January, 2016, there were 276,011 active permits.

Three months later, as of 1 July, 2016, the number of active permits was at 305,463.

92.5% of all applications received in the first six months were approved for new permits.  Some of there rest were for renewals and others had insufficient documentation or incomplete forms.  The breakdown for 2016 will not be available for a few months, but in 2015, less than 1.5% were turned down for legal reasons ranging from not being a resident of Wisconsin to a felony conviction. One person out of the 45,549 applications in 2015 was turned down because their check bounced.

That correlates with my experience in teaching concealed carry courses in Arizona for 15 years.  In that entire period, I never had a problem with bounced checks.  The people who decide to legally carry guns are incredibly responsible.

A website dedicated to new applications and renewals was made available to the public on 1 July, 2016.  It had the capability to make applications for new permits and renewals easier and faster than it has been previously.

People who prefer to apply by mail will still be able to.

About 10,000 applications were submitted from 1 July to 31 October.

An additional 9,900 new permits were approved, bringing the total active permits in Wisconsin to 315,363 at the end of September. At that rate, Wisconsin can expect to have between 325,000 and 330,000 permits by the end of the year.

I have only been able to find one permit holder who was convicted of any sort of homicide in the five years of the Wisconsin program so far.  That means that Wisconsin permit holders have a homicide rate among the lowest in the world, about .1 per 100,000 per year.

The world rate for homicides is 7.6 per 100,000.  The U.S. rate was 4.5 per 100,000 for 2014.  The Wisconsin rate was 2.9 per 100,000.  Japan's rate was .3 per 100,000, still three times higher than the rate for Wisconsin Concealed Permit holders.

Wisconsin permit holders have been involved in numerous cases of self defence and the defense of others.  One of the more famous cases occurred during an attempt at an armed robbery in a Milwaukee barbershop.

Of course, one homicide over five years is a very small number.  Another unjustified homicide or two could happen at any time, increasing the figure dramatically.

The extremely low rate shows the success of the Wisconsin permit system, which is one of the most liberal, least expensive, most efficiently run, and easiest to use of any in the United States.

The Wisconsin DOJ has done an excellent job.

The legislature could improve the system where the DOJ cannot.  Open the system so that people from other states could apply.  Utah and Florida get the greatest share of out of state permits now, and Wisconsin does not get any.

The Wisconsin DOJ could easily gain a few million dollars a year for its budget, if the legislature would allow people outside of Wisconsin to apply for permits. I grew up in Wisconsin, and spend time there.  I have Arizona and Florida permits.  I would gladly pay $50 to obtain a Wisconsin permit.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Alaskan Girls Enthusiastic about Shooting Pistols

Four decades ago, gun clubs in schools were common.  Then came the all out assault on the Second Amendment.  Educators and the NEA were (and are) firmly in the hands of "progressives". Gun clubs in schools had to go.  There are only a few gun clubs in today's schools.  "Progressives" want to be sure to indoctrinate the youth that guns are bad and should be strictly left to the police.  The message has not resonated, and is being fought.

Gun clubs in schools are starting to make a come back.  People are finding a way to get around school gun bans imposed by legislatures, or even school boards.  In Alaska, a popular program for young women has been created on the Kenai peninsula. You can see some of them in the picture above, courtesy the Peninsula Clarion. From peninsulaclarion.com:

The young women were members of Teens on Target, created by Elaina Spraker, and they were just getting into their third meeting of this year’s course at the gun club in Kenai. Spraker said she got the idea for the program back in 2009 when she asked her son, then a student at Soldotna High School, whether the girls he hung out with enjoyed going to the shooting range as much as he and his male friends did. His answer was that they tended to hang back, which got Spraker thinking of a way to get young women more involved in shooting and firearm safety.

“What we discovered in the years from then until now, is an amazing thing that has happened with these women is just the strength and empowerment and what it does to their self esteem,” Spraker said.

Most of the experience girls have with shooting in Alaska is shooting rifles and shotguns. An especially interesting part of the program is teaching teenage girls to shoot popular handguns. Faith Glassmaker is 14. She went through the class last year. This year her friend, Morgan Reynolds, 14, is attending for the first time. Both were excited about shooting pistols.  Glassmaker said:

“Last year when you (Spraker) had us shooting the pistols, I (thought) ‘This is, like, intense,’ and my adrenalin was just like overflowing,” she said. “And after a couple shots you’re like, ‘I got this.’”

Boatright and Glassmaker have already been through the self-defense class portion of the program taught by members of the Kenai Police Department. Boatright said it was informative and that she only hopes she’d be able to recall what she learned while under the pressure of an emergency situation. 

What they learn in the course makes them subject matter experts among their peers. Being familiar with firearms can be a life and death matter in Alaska, in ways unlikely in most states. In June of 2013, a man was killed and eaten by a black bear because his wife was not familiar with firearms.  From topix.com:

"The information we have is they yelled at it, and the bear moved away and went over to some brush, and it was watching them from the brush," Dahlke said.The couple started walking toward their cabin, Dahlke said."It attacked him. Then the victim told his wife to run to the cabin, so she ran to the cabin," he said.Weaver's wife grabbed a gun from inside the cabin, but the gun jammed when she tried to fire it, Dahlke said. A family member said the woman also tried to throw things at the bear."The bear obviously was not scared of her at all.

Almost any sort of pistol would likely have stopped the attack, but the couple did not have one with them.  If the wife had been familiar with the firearm, she would almost certainly have been able to shoot the bear and kill it or drive it off.

Bear attacks are extremely rare, even in Alaska.  An Alaskan is far more likely to face a human predator. In either case, the girls are learning a valuable life skill and a lifelong sport that can be practiced long past when other sports have become something for younger people.


 ©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch