Followup OK: Man who Stopped Mass Attack says he is not Hero

Bryan Whittle doesn't think of himself as a hero for stopping the gunman outside Louie's Grill & Bar at Lake Hefner last Thursday.

"Oh, no. No, no. Not at all," the master sergeant in the Oklahoma Air National Guard told The Oklahoman. "I just feel like I'm just an average guy who had the right tool to help at the right time."

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MA: Clerk Shoots Man who Hold Knife to Customer's Throat

WORCESTER (CBS) – Police say a Worcester store clerk shot a man who was holding a knife to a customer’s throat.

Saturday around 8:40 p.m., paramedics were driving by No Name store when they saw 26-year-old Juan Ahorrio lying on the sidewalk. Ahorrio had been shot three times, suffering non-life threatening injuries.
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FL: Robber Shot by Armed Samaritan

A 60-year-old man in Santa Ana was robbing a restaurant early Saturday morning and taking cash from the register when a second man at the drive-thru window took out a gun, started shooting and struck the robbery suspect.

The robbery suspect was shot twice in the upper torso area according to the Santa Ana Police Department, and the shooting suspect drove off. No description of the shooting suspect was immediately available.
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IN: Domestic Defense: Father Shoots 34-Year-Old Son who Attacked him

Terre Haute Police are investigating a shooting after, police said, a man broke into his parents’ home on Hendricks Street and attacked his father late Thursday.

Austin Wilson, 34, was hospitalized for a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. Wilson now faces pending criminal charges.
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How To Get Inside the Mind of Someone Who Wants a Disarmed Population

There are a significant number of people in the United States who have chosen to be unarmed, and who want the government to ensure as many others are forcibly disarmed as possible. They are a small, but vocal minority. To most people in the gun culture, this is an alien mindset.

It is worthwhile to understand people on the other side of an argument. The left is routinely attempting to shout down and silence people in the gun culture; one of the strengths of Second Amendment supporters is the willingness to engage with people who want most people in America forcibly disarmed.

There is a simple way to understand how most people who want you unarmed think.

Make the internal assumption, for the sake of understanding them, that you have deliberately chosen to be unarmed. It is not that hard to do. Being armed requires effort. You have to choose to be responsible. You have to practice self-discipline. You practice safety and train. You think about unpleasant possibilities and plan for them. In many states, becoming armed takes considerable legal effort. You have to devote time and money to be armed.

Once the decision has been made to be unarmed, many arguments on the other side become understandable.  Unarmed people are often uncomfortable around armed people. Armed people have a significant power advantage over unarmed people.  Many unarmed people do not want to be reminded that armed people have more personal power. To avoid this, they want to force other people to be disarmed.

This explains why some unarmed people dislike concealed carry, but absolutely hate open carry. Open carry forces them to reflect on the power differential they have chosen. It reminds them of an unpleasant reality.

People are more accepting of information that reinforces their personal choices. If you have chosen to be unarmed, you want to hear news items that validate your choice. If a health professional tells you that keeping or bearing arms makes you less safe in your home and on the street, you will have an intrinsic bias to believe them.

If a politician proposes that restrictions be placed on gun owners and gun buyers, it makes perfect sense to you. You do not own a gun or intend to buy a gun, so these proposals are perceived to be without personal cost. The costs are born by people who have chosen to be armed.  It is hard to overemphasize this point: people, by nature, are willing to impose costs on other people, if they do not have to pay anything themselves.

Any restriction on people being armed will appear to be positive. The fewer armed people for you to contend with, the better. It does not matter how stupid the restriction, how draconian, how expensive, how ineffective it will be. The deliberately unarmed perceive the personal costs to be zero. Less guns, less fear of an imbalance of power on your part.

If you have chosen to be unarmed, you probably do not have much knowledge about firearms and firearms technology.  Learning and knowing about firearms is one of the costs that people avoid by choosing to be unarmed. When gun owners point out technical mistakes in articles and legislation concerning guns, it strikes you as meaningless babble. Semi-automatic, automatic- who cares? You are not interested in guns, so technical distinctions are considered unimportant.

Because you have chosen to be unarmed, you know you need an armed protector to keep you safe. That would be the government. To make such a choice, you assume that government is benevolent, concerned with your safety, and available in time of need. It helps to assume the need for an armed protector is minimal. Thus, unarmed people constantly attempt to minimize the need for armed protection.

This explains the arguments put forward to claim that crime is not a problem, the government could never become tyrannical, attempts to minimize the danger of wild animals and the desire to minimize government ineffectiveness during emergencies.  It explains why so much effort is expended to discredit the number of times firearms are used for self defense and to prevent crime.

The decision to be unarmed depends on a perceived high cost of being armed, and perceived low benefits to being armed. Every successful example of self defense works against that perception.

Several methods to counter the mind-set of the deliberately unarmed are effective. All work to show benefits of being armed (or allowing others to be armed) and the costs of being unarmed.

One of the strongest is to convince deliberately unarmed people that having armed citizens makes them safer rather than less safe. They need to know that legally armed citizens are not a threat, but actually prevent crime that threatens them.

People who obtain carry permits have been shown to be more law abiding than police officers. They have stopped numerous crimes and some mass killings. They have saved police officer lives. This information supports the idea that armed citizens are significant protectors of unarmed people; that they are assets, rather than a danger.  Being polite and reasonable during personal or Internet discussions helps to promote this thought.

Much of the propaganda from those who want a disarmed population is aimed at creating the impression that armed citizens present a net cost, rather than a net benefit. 

Reducing the cost of being armed makes an unarmed person more willing to see being armed as a potential choice. If you can bring an unarmed person to a range, and insure they have a pleasant experience, you will have significantly increased their information about being armed.  Having that information decreases their perceived cost of being armed. Have them shoot a .22, while wearing hearing protection, rather than a .44 magnum, without.

Another way to reduce the perception of the costs of being armed is to educate them about the tremendous strides made in reducing fatal firearm accidents in the United States. In the last 90 years, fatal firearm accident rates have been reduced by 94%. Most people do not know that. 

Showing unarmed people that being armed might be useful in the future gives them an incentive to keep their options open. The key is to educate them about  problems that being armed can reduce or solve.  This should be done in a non-threatening way. Giving them examples of individuals who used arms to defend themselves, their loved ones, or social order, can be very effective. Explain that these stories are routinely spiked by the national media.

The desire to be armed is virtually genetic. Something as simple as watching a movie in which being armed makes a positive difference, connects deeply with people at a very basic level.

Many who are unarmed by choice simply took the easy road, without much thought or reflection. They can be reached with gentle persuasion.

A second approach is to show them that disarming the population is not cost free. If people who wish to disarm the population realize there can be severe personal and societal costs to population disarmament, it changes the cost-benefit analysis significantly. Predictions of armed resistance, guerrilla war based on Second Amendment violations, and examples of the horrible violence that erupts when civil order breaks down, are very effective.

One of the effects of this approach is to moderate the tactics used by those who want to disarm the population. When registration of modern rifles is required by law, the national guard is not mobilized and sent on door to door searches. Instead, the 80-95 percent of people who choose civil disobedience and do not register their guns, are ignored. At least for the next few years. This puts the battle into the election booth and the courts instead of on the streets.

 It is worth while to remind people that there are over 400 million private firearms in the United States. Those who want the population disarmed often attempt to minimize the number of firearms in the United States and the number of armed citizens in the country.

A third tactic is to show those who wish the population to be disarmed, how this violates the rule of law and the Second Amendment of the Constitution. This is a powerful argument, which is why those desiring an unarmed population spend so much time attacking and misrepresenting the Second Amendment.

A fourth tactic is to show physical limits of government bans on firearms. Do this by showing how simple it is to evade those restrictions.  Show how easy guns are to make, how tribesmen with little technology make guns with ease; how criminals in places with strict gun control still have access to guns and ammunition; how hobbyists routinely make guns and ammunition; how gun technology is really a 14th century technology. It is hard for those who wish the population disarmed to argue physics and engineering. Those tend to be strong suites of the gun culture, and weak positions of those wishing us disarmed.

The gun culture has the Constitution, the facts, physics, and basic human nature on its side. It is only when the information flow is suppressed that those who wish the population disarmed, win. That is why restrictions on gun ownership and use are rushed through the legislature. it is why those opposing the Second Amendment oppose First Amendment rights. If deliberate thought and careful argument take place, Second Amendment supporters win.

In the United States, above almost the entire rest of the world, citizens have the choice to be legally armed or unarmed. Most people in the U.S. wish to keep that option. Most of the rest of the world does not have it.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

NV: Domestic Defense, Son Kills Father, Wounds Mother, is Shot, Runs off

Citing the preliminary investigation, Lt. Ray Spencer, of Las Vegas Metro police, said they believe a 15-year-old shot his father in the head in the garage. Shortly after, he went inside the home and shot his mother in the stomach. His mother grabbed a firearm and shot her son.

Spencer said the teen jumped over the back wall after the shooting but was taken into custody by responding police officers about a quarter-mile away.

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TX: Armed Victim Shoots Robby Suspect

Police responded to the area of Cedar Springs Road and Hawthorne Avenue around 3:25 a.m. after a person said someone tried to rob them.

Police said the victim pulled a handgun and shot the suspect to protect himself and the suspect fled to a hospital.
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Followup MI: No Charges For Shop Company Owner who Shot, Killed Robbery Suspect

The owner of an Ypsilanti meat company who fatally shot a robber in the head Wednesday in Eastern Market will not face charges, authorities said.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said the 35-year-old owner of Marshall Johnson's Wholesale Meats, who has a concealed pistol license, acted in lawful self-defense.

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TX: Domestic Defense? Woman Picks of Gun, Shoots Boyfriend

Bowie County deputies dispatched to the shooting found a deceased male lying on the floor of the home when they arrived. Deputies spoke with the female caller, Tonya Barnett, who was still at this residence in the 100 block of Parkway.

Barnett told deputies the deceased male was her boyfriend Cecil Ellis Jr. According to Barnett, Ellis choked her to the point that she passed out while he was assaulting her. She said she picked up a handgun to protect herself when she regained consciousness.

According to Barnett, Ellis continued his assault on her and was shot during the confrontation. Deputies say it was obvious that Ellis had succumbed to his injuries prior to their arrival.
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Followup PA: Derrick Jason Cosby Acquitted in Death of Jeremy Chasteen

NORRISTOWN >> A Hatfield Township man wiped tears from his eyes as a Montgomery County jury acquitted him of a manslaughter charge in connection with the fatal shooting of another man during a disturbance at a party at his home.

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NE: Resident Shoots Intruder

WISNER, Neb. —

A northeast Nebraska resident has reported that he shot an intruder, authorities said.

Officers were sent to a house in Wisner around 6:50 a.m. Thursday on a report that someone was trying to break into the locked home. They found a wounded man lying on a floor inside and a resident armed with a handgun that had been fired.
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TN: DEA Invades Wrong House, Confronts Armed Homeowner, no one killed or shot

"That's why it's really appalling that you would break in or you would execute a search warrant at the wrong house," he said.

"The fear is always that someone is going to get killed."

Renck was armed because he thought the SWAT team was an intruder.

"They had their guns drawn at me and I had my gun, trying to protect my family," he said.

"I didn't know what was going on. I was really close to being killed."

After 20 minutes, Renck said agents realized the problem and found the real suspect next door.

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Followup MN: Anderson Found Not Guilty in Killing of Johnson

Forty-four-year-old Carl Anderson was facing the possibility of more than two decades in prison had he been found guilty of second-degree murder. Anderson was the one who called 911 after shooting 62-year-old Donn Johnson in February 2017. Anderson and Johnson lived on adjacent lakefront properties.
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Ann Coulter: The Doomsday Scenario: What If School Walkouts Don’t Work?

The New York Times seemed to think it was bitterly ironic that some of the students at Santa Fe High School, site of the recent mass shooting, had staged a walkout last month in support of the Parkland, Florida, students. But now, only a month later, one of the students who participated in the walkout is in the hospital from yet another school shooting.

I suppose we could revel in the irony, but, as a more results-oriented person, what I take from that vignette is that school walkouts are not effective deterrents to school shootings. I’m not sure the poems did much either.

These are hideous events that require serious proposals, not the self-indulgent mawkishness our media keep serving up.

Here are some news items that might help us figure out how to reduce the number of school shooting victims.

— May 3, 2017, Arlington, Texas: James Jones went to the Zona Caliente sports bar and began yelling incoherently. When the manager, Cesar Perez, went to talk to him and calm him down, Jones pulled out a gun and shot Perez dead, then started shooting wildly at patrons. Luckily, a concealed carry holder happened to be having dinner at Zona Caliente with his wife that night. He shot Jones dead before anyone else was hurt.

— Aug. 7, 2016, Linndale, Ohio: Two men getting into their car in a Dollar Store parking lot were held up by a masked armed robber. As the gunman, Varshaun Stephen Dukes, was rifling through one of the men’s pockets, the other pulled out his concealed handgun and told him to stop. The robber fired at the man but missed. The concealed carry permit holder shot back, putting a .45 bullet in the robber’s brain.
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Followup IN: Lamar Foster Shooting ruled Justified

SOUTH BEND — No charges will be filed in the Tuesday shooting death of 18-year-old Lamar Foster.

After reviewing the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit's investigation, it was determined the shooting constituted a justifiable homicide, according to a news release from the prosecutor's office.

Around 9 a.m., South Bend police were called to the 1700 block of Pulaski Street to find Foster dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Foster and the person who eventually shot him had a documented history of domestic violence in which Foster was the perpetrator, according to the release. The other party was not identified because they are not being charged with a crime.
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OK: Armed Samaritan Shoots Man who Opened Fire in Restaurant

(This is an early report, with errors. There were two armed Samaritans, not one. I am sure more details will be coming out. Some are saying it is a mass killing stopped by armed citizens.)

Oklahoma City Lt. Jeff Flaggert said officers responded about 6:30 p.m. to Louie's Grill and Bar, 9401 Lake Hefner Parkway, where the shooting had occurred.

Capt. Bo Mathews said a man, whose name has not been released, went into the restaurant and opened fire, wounding two people. After leaving the restaurant, the suspect was confronted by a person who was armed with a gun and opened fire, fatally striking the suspect.
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TX: Veteran Evictied for Defending Self, Holding Attacker for Police

But it was what happened after Jacobs said he was attacked that left the couple facing eviction.

"I think they were trying to hurt me and potentially my friend so I felt the need to draw a firearm and, you know, defend myself," he said.

Moments later, video showed Jacobs looking for his attacker who ran off.

When he found him, Jacobs said he pulled his gun again.

"We walked him out our exit gate and here we are," Jacobs explained.

Jacobs said he never fired the gun.
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WA: Gun Beats Knife in Seattle

“The shooter told officers he had been approached by the victim who threatened him with a knife,” the Seattle Police Department blog report said. “The man then said he shot the victim, striking him four times.”

Officers searched the area and found a knife and a gun. Detectives were interviewing the man and will work with the prosecutor’s office to determine if any charges should be filed, police said.
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Leftmedia Falsely Accuses NRA of Advocating Limits to Free Speech

Responding to an argument without fully understanding the point that is being made only serves to make the responder look foolish. Or as Proverbs puts it, “It’s stupid and embarrassing to give an answer before you listen.” Such was the case recently when the Leftmedia outlet Vice News published an article blasting the National Rifle Association for a video by Colion Noir. The article’s headline read, “NRA wants Congress to set ‘limitations’ on how the news can cover school shootings.” Gee, so Noir, a popular leader in the effort to defend Americans’ Second Amendment rights, was exposed for calling on the government to limit Americans’ First Amendment rights? That’s what Vice News would have you believe, in spite of the fact that Noir was making exactly the opposite point.

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CA: 80-Year-Old Shoots Suspect Confronted in his Rental

A Tuolumne city resident investigating noises and voices coming from his rental house next to his own home shot a man he encountered inside Tuesday night, the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office reported.
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TN: Gunfight, Son Stops Armed Robbery of Mother

According to police, one of the suspects got out of the car and tried to rob the victim at gunpoint. The victim drove into the parking area behind her son’s house and began honking her horn. The son came outside with a gun and one of the suspects allegedly fired first.

The son fired at least three shots and the suspects drove away.

Police said no one was injured.

Police said the teens may have been involved in two other overnight armed robberies.

At 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday, the victim was walking on Illinois Avenue near 47th Avenue North when a black four-door car pulled up next to him. A gunman in the backseat demanded his belongings. The victim complied. When the suspects drove off, a shot was fired into the air.
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NC: Armed Resident Shoots Intruder

ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. (WNCN) - A search is underway after a home invasion suspect was shot by the home's occupant early Thursday morning in Roanoke Rapids, police said.

The incident was reported around 3:30 a.m. at a home in the 500 block of Raleigh Street in Roanoke Rapids, police said in a news release.

"The occupant reported to have been awoken after hearing a noise, retrieved a firearm, then confronted the suspect inside the residence," the news release said.
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The intolerant Left again: Hating on pro-gun student

Students are now threatening to boycott graduation next year if the number one ranked student in the 2019 class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Kyle Kashuv, becomes valedictorian.

Kashuv tweeted: “LOL just got told that a bunch of students said they’re boycotting graduation next year if I’m valedictorian. CAN’T WAIT TO HAVE EXTRA CAKE!”

Kashuv is probably going to have to work twice as hard as other students to maintain his excellent GPA given he way he’s been treated by his teachers since the shooting.

One student witnessed a Parkland teacher go on a massive rant attacking Kyle Kashuv, “It was basically a hate fest, They were just saying means things about Kyle. He talked about how he was right, and how Kyle was making an ass of himself. He did say he ‘was the Hitler type.’ I don’t really know what that means exactly, but I think he was just being crazy.”

According to Fox News:

The teacher allegedly also called Kashuv “dangerous.”

Though Kashuv was not in class that day, he responded to the controversy on Twitter.

“I find it utterly vile that he’d call a Jew the next Hitler,” said Kashuv, whose family emigrated from Israel in the 1990s. “It’s also quite telling that he doesn’t know that Hitler took the people’s weaponry and I want more law-abiding citizens to have firearms.”

Kyle is not only the most intelligent when it comes to gun control laws, but also the most intelligent in the classroom.

It’s petty how students would boycott their own graduation over someone with a different political view than them. But that doesn’t come as a surprise with how the intolerant left acts.

SOURCE 

Texas AG Proposes Israeli Solution to School Mass Killing

America is once again reeling from yet another deadly mass shooting. The victims at Santa Fe High School were taken from us too soon, and the prayers of Texas and the nation are with their families. There is something especially haunting about a killer targeting a school, where parents send their children on the assumption that they will be safe as they learn. Experience is a hard teacher, and with 2018’s second major school shooting behind us, its lesson is clear: We must secure our schools.

All over the country, schools lack security measures of any consequence — not enough armed personnel, few safety protocols and insufficient entryway monitoring. No federal government agency, airport or congressional office building would tolerate such vulnerability, so why the resistance to outfitting schools with the same level of security?

American policymakers should look to Israel for guidance. Living constantly with the threat of terrorism, Israel solved the problem of school security long ago by hardening the target and tightening security practices. Every school with 100 or more students has at least one well-trained armed guard stationed at entrances to monitor who comes and goes.

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Indiana shooting stopped by brave teacher

New details have emerged about how a heroic science teacher wrestled a student gunman to the ground and was shot three times after the youngster returned to his classroom from a bathroom break wielding two handguns.

Jason Seaman, 30, was shot three times as he brought the gunman to the ground in his classroom at Noblesville West Middle School on Friday shortly after 9am.

A 13-year-old girl was also shot and was taken to hospital in a critical condition afterwards.

The shooter was arrested shortly afterward Seaman tackled him and he remains in police custody.

The teacher's family have since revealed that he has undergone surgery and is doing 'well'.

The teenage girl's condition is not known and she has not been identified. 

As shots rang out in the school, terrified students hid in closets and sent petrified emails to their parents telling them that they loved them.

Once the suspect was brought into custody, the children were evacuated onto school buses to be taken to the Noblesville West High School where they will be reunited with parents.

There are 1300 students in the school, according to local media, and around 70 teachers. A school resource officer was there but it is not clear where he or she was stationed.

SOURCE 

Ohio Self Defense Reform Bill passes House Committee

Ohio bill HB 228 has passed out of the House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committe on a seven to three vote. The vote was along party lines, with seven Republicans voting for the bill and the three Democrats voting against the bill.

The Ohio legislature is looking to reform Ohio law on self defense. Currently, Ohio appears to be the only state where the burden of proof in a self defense case rests with the defender. When a person claims self defense in Ohio, the defender has to prove that they acted in self defense. In nearly every other state, the burden of proof is on the prosecution. They have to prove that the defender did *not* act in self defense. From the nraila.org:

HB 228 would place the burden of disproving a self-defense claim onto the prosecution, similar to how it is in almost every other state. Further, House Bill 228 would expand the locations that a person has no duty to retreat from before using force to defend themselves under both civil and criminal law.

Arizona flirted with this reversal of the traditional burden of proof for a decade. Prosecutors lobbied the legislature and reversed the ordinary burden of proof in 1996. It is much easier for prosecutors to obtain a conviction when the burden of proof is shifted to the defendant.

Harold Fish paid the price for the prosecutor's power grab.

Harold Fish killed a man who was charging at him and yelling that he was going to kill him. The first investigator on the scene reported it was such an open and shut case, he classified it as self defense and did not arrest Harold. The county prosecutor did not like that assessment, so they replaced the first investigator and arrested Harold Fish.

After much public outcry, involving three separate bills passed by the Arizona legislature to change the law, a long appeals process, two vetoes by Democrat Governor Janet Napolitano (a former prosecutor), $700,000 dollars spent on legal defenses, and three years in prison for Harold Fish, the trial court was found to be in error, and Fish was freed. He died three years later.

It is this type of abuse within the legal system that HB 228 is meant to prevent.

Prosecutors in our society have enormous power. They can lie. They can recruit false witnesses. They can have obvious conflicts of interest. They can repeatedly bring prosecutions against people who have committed not crime, for personal reasons. The Supreme Court has ruled that they can not be sued for any of this. They have absolute immunity.

Prosecutors have incredible levels of power. Shifting the burden of proof in self defense cases away from the defendant is a small step in placing limits on that power.

Jim Irvine of Buckeye Firearms says that Ohio is the only state in the United States that has this burden of proof placed on the defender. From buckeyefirearms.com:

"Ohio is the ONLY state in the U.S. with this absurd requirement for burden of proof," said Jim Irvine, Chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association. "It has been talked about in legal seminars around the country for years. It is an embarrassment to Ohio.

"People under attack should be able to defend their life. They should not have legal hurdles to jump before acting to defend themselves. They should not be second-guessed for years over a decision they were forced to make in a second. Ohio law should protect the victim, not the aggressor. This bill corrects this problem with Ohio law."

 HB 228 has 34 sponsors in the House, and one in the Senate. The Ohio House (the legislative assembly) has 99 members, of which 66 are Republicans. The Ohio Senate has 33 members, of which 24 are Republicans.

The Ohio governor is Republican John Richard Kasich, Jr.

 Governor Kasich has been making noises about supporting various restrictions on gun ownership. Those restrictions include outlawing private sales, allowing police to confiscate guns on the basis of basis of "gun violence protection orders" without any due process, and others.  It is unknown if Governor Kasich would sign this self defense reform bill.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

TX: Gunfight, Man Shoots Intruder who Attempted Break-in

It happened around 3:30 a.m. Thursday at the Mandalay Palms apartments on Cliff Creek Crossing Drive.

The man who lives there told police another man forced his way inside and a gun battle ensued.
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Followup FL: Man Held at Gunpoint by Homeowner, Tasered by Police, Dies in Hospital

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- The Tallahassee Police Department has arrested a man who reportedly attempted to break in to a home and was subsequently held at gunpoint by the homeowner.

Officials says around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, officers and Leon County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a residence in the 100 block of Lawndale Road regarding a burglary. Deputies say the caller informed officials that the suspect was banging on the door and screaming into the residence before breaking a window to enter.
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TN: Domestic Defense, Woman Shoots Ex who Assaulted her

McMINN COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVC) - A man in McMinn County is facing several charges after authorities say he violated an order of protection and assaulted his girlfriend.

Sheriff Joe Guy also says 37-year-old Reginald Moten is also recovering from being shot several times by the woman.
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FL: Armed Woman Confronts Man Attempting Break-in

Palm Bay police were dispatched to the 1500 block of Hayworth Circle NW in reference to someone trying to break into the home.

The homeowner said she was lying in bed when her daughter came running into her room to advise someone was outside her window, the report said.

With a gun in hand, the homeowner walked around the home checking windows. Once she was in the back of the house, she opened the blinds and saw Krzak trying to open the window. She pointed the gun at Krzak and told him to get off her property, according to the report.
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Interest in Guns Spikes After Mass Shootings

The increased calls for gun control may be prompting more Michigan residents to purchase firearms and learn how to use them.

It’s a cycle that’s played out several times: After a high-profile mass shooting, there’s an outcry by some for legislation they say would make it more difficult for bad actors to purchase guns — and then firearm sales spike.

Since Feb. 14, when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz allegedly killed 17 people inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many pundits, politicians and students have demanded tougher restrictions on firearms.

The gun control debate rekindled after a May 18 shooting that left eight students and two teachers dead in Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas.

While it’s impossible to determine why more people are buying guns and signing up for training, statistics show there has been an increase in sales and concealed pistol licenses issued since the Parkland shooting, while firearms trainers say more people are joining their classes.

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FL: Dogs Escape, Attack Goats, Get Shot, Killed

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Caleb Lowman says he was forced to use his shotgun on his neighbor's three dogs when they escaped their cage and began attacking his goats.

“When I came out, I had the shotgun with me with the hopes it wouldn’t have to be used,” Lowman said.

Lowman says this isn't the first time the dogs have gotten out and been aggressive. On last Monday, the dogs got out of their fence and attacked the goats in his yard. Photos show the goats suffered bite marks up and down their neck and legs.
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Tragic, More NC: Wife Killed by Suspects Bullet, Wounded Suspect in Hospital

Police identified the slain woman as 34-year-old Pamela Crumpton Hooks. The couple’s children were home at the time of the shooting, police said, but they declined to say how many children were there or their ages.

“What we know is that we have a guy who is in the hospital, who went to the residence with at least one other person to commit a robbery,” said Capt. Nathaniel Davis of the Greensboro Police Department. “At some point the homeowner attempted to protect his family and retrieved his own gun.”

As the husband and the suspects shot at one another, one of the suspects’ bullets struck Hooks inside her house at 716 Hidden Lakes Court in Browns Summit, Davis said.

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AL: Gunfight, Car Burglary Suspect and Victim Trade Shots

She says she asked him what he was doing. “I told him to stop. He didn’t respond. He kept running. That’s when I fired the two shots,” said Graves.


Graves missed and the man took off running. She followed in her truck and said she chased him approximately ten miles.


At one point he stopped, got out, and fired a couple of shots in her direction.
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Gun Shops: We're not all Dick's. We Sell AR15s

As the media onslaught to push severe restrictions on gun ownership and sales continues, the gun culture is fighting back. When Dick's Sporting Goods stopped the sale of modern sport and utility rifles, especially AR-15s, a Houston area gun store and range proclaimed its independence and support for Second Amendment rights. From chron.com:

Boyert Shooting Center, a combination gun range and store with two locations in the Houston area, is having a little fun with Dick's Sporting Goods' new AR-15 policy.

In the wake of the deadly school shooting in Florida, Dick's Sporting Goods announced it would no longer sell assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines in its stores and will require that any gun buyer be at least 21.

At the Boyert website, Boyert posted a notice of a gun sale.  From Boyert.com on 10 May, 2018:

In honor of Springfield Armory cutting off DICK’S from selling their products due to DICK’S hiring of anti-2nd Amendment Lobbyists, we will be featuring a Springfield Armory “DONE WITH DICK’S” Blowout Sale this weekend at both of our locations.

In South Carolina, a pawn shop that sells guns, does silk printing, and sells and installs audio equipment for cars, expressed a clever jab at Dick's.

According to a local news outlet, the banner got people talking.
From wmbrnews.com:

“It wasn’t nothing negative or trying to promote violence or anything,” Stamper said of the decision to put up the banner, which came just days before the tragic shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas that left 10 dead.

According to Stamper, a majority of people support the sign and don’t view it as offensive. He said supporters are calling from states like Texas, Missouri, Florida and Colorado.

“It’s about 99 percent support,” Stamper said. “Our phone’s ringing off the hook.”

Crossroads Pawn & Audio took the time to thank customers and the public for their support on the issue. From facebook:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their support. But with the tremendous outpouring of positive reinforcement comes those who dont have the same views. We respect everyone's personal opinion.

We would also like to clear up any confusion. An AR15 is NOT a combat weapon or a tactical assault rifle. And in no way are the horrific massacres happening to our children and in our schools acceptable. This violence must stop. But it's not the guns killing innocent Americans.

We will continue to take strides to reinforce and advocate for responsible gun ownership. We will also continue to be proud supporters and members of the NRA - National Rifle Association of America. 

Once again, from our Family; we thank you all.

It is hard to demonize a majority of the public when it refuses to be demonized.

The old media no longer have control of what information the public receives.  The public is making their own media, and refuse to be put in a box controlled by a few old ideologues. Ideologues who cling to their power to decide what people read, hear, see, and what to think about it.  Ideologues who do not want other people to own guns.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

Followup CO: Firing at Intruder Outside Daughter's Window may Result in Charges

LONGMONT, Colo. -- A Longmont man is facing possible criminal charges after firing his gun Sunday night at a man standing outside his teenage daughter's window.

The man's wife claims her husband was just protecting his family, but police say he might have broken the law.
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MI: Meat Company Owner Shoots Suspect Armed with Box Cutter

Police say the driver was making a delivery in that area, when the he came out from the business and noticed two men attempting to steal meat from the back of his truck.

Police said the driver got into a scuffle with one of the suspects who was armed with a box cotter. The owner of the meat company, who is a CPL holder, fired a fatal shot at the suspect.
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FL: Intruder Shot by Homeowner

OCALA, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - Police are looking into a shooting along Southeast 14th Street this Sunday morning.

They say that an intruder was shot by a homeowner.

The suspect is now being treated at the hospital.
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TX: Clerk Shoots Robbery Suspect

DALLAS - A Dallas convenience store clerk shot a robber early Tuesday morning.

Police said the robber had a bag in his hand and was demanding money from the clerk at a 7-Eleven store on Lake June Road in Pleasant Grove, which is in southeast Dallas.
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MO: Man Calls for Gun, Stops Assault

The video shows a man in his 80’s standing on his front porch when three teenagers approach him and point a gun in his direction.

He calls out to his wife to “bring out the gun,” and the three suspects quickly run off in the direction of Halliday and Compton. The homeowner called St. Louis Police, who told him they would be stepping up patrols in the neighborhood.
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CA: Business Owner Shoots, Leads to Arrest of Suspect

A south Bakersfield business owner fired a single round at a burglar who broke into his establishment Thursday evening, according to sheriff's officials.


A deputy heard the gunshot and found and detained the suspected burglar, 48-year-old Peter Marquez, who had a mask covering his face.


Marquez had broken into a business in the 1800 block of South Chester Avenue shortly after 8 p.m., according to sheriff's officials. The owner was inside and fired a single round at Marquez.
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Lawsuit Filed Against Boulder, Colorado, Ban on Rifles, Magazines

On 15 May, 2018, the Boulder, Colorado city council unanimously passed an ordinance banning the possession of various firearms and accessories.  The ordinance is so new that it has not shown up in the municipal code yet. The ordinance is voluminous and detailed. The brief for the ordinance cites several biased and partisan "studies" to attempt to make the case to pass the ordinance. The ordinance likely violates Colorado's preemption statute and State and Federal Constitutional protections.  The ordinance casts a wide net.

Legal pushback, in the form of a lawsuit, followed shortly after passage, as opponents to the measure had promised. From the denverpost.com:

Radio and TV personality Jon Caldara, the Boulder Rifle Club and Bison Tactical have filed a federal lawsuit claiming the city of Boulder’s new ordinance banning assault weapons and increasing the age of legal gun ownership to 21 violates their constitutional rights.

Bison Tactical, a Boulder-based maker and seller of shooting gear, the rifle club and Caldara, who lives in Boulder, would continue possessing and selling assault weapons if not for the unanimous decision Tuesday to ban the weapons inside city limits.

“The right of self-defense is an unalienable, natural and fundamental right,” says the lawsuit filed Wednesday by Mountain States Legal Foundation attorneys Cody Wisniewski and Sean Smith. “The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution memorializes the right of self-defense.”

The Mountain States Legal Foundation sums up the legal challenges succinctly. From mountainstateslegal.org:

Legal Question:

Whether a municipality can undermine the exercise of fundamental and unalienable rights and ignore the U.S. Constitution and controlling Supreme Court precedent?

Whether a municipality can ignore its state constitution and state law by infringing upon and criminalizing an individual’s unalienable and natural right to self-defense, and the right to keep and bear arms?

The lawsuit filing is available on line. Obvious arguments against the ordinance under the Second Amendment are listed.  Here are a few in the filing.
From Caldera V. City of Boulder:

87. The Second Amendment protects firearms in “common use, ”which “could contribute to the common defense.” United States v. Miller, 307 U.S. 174, 178 – 179 (1939).

88. Detachable magazines are an integral part of “Arms,” and thus, are protected by the Second Amendment.

89. Detachable magazines are typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, such as self-defense.

I was surprised I did not find a reference to Caetano V. Massachusetts in the lawsuit. Caetano is a unanimous Supreme Court decision declaring all bearable arms in common use are protected by the Second Amendment. The rifles and magazines affected by ordinance 8245 are far more common than the stun guns Caetano was concerned with.

Ordinance 8245 shows an interesting set of exemptions. It exempts members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) from the ordinance. To become a member of the ROTC, a university student need only sign up for a class.  Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC programs are all available at Boulder, Colorado.  From proposed ordinance 8245: (edited to show proposed ordinance without stike-throughs and underlines)

5-8-25. – Exemptions from Chapter. 

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to forbid any officer of the
United States including but not limited to federal agents and United States Marshals, any sheriffs, constables and their deputies; any regular or ex-officio police officer; any other peace officers; or members of the United States Armed Forces, Colorado National Guard or Reserve Officer Training Corps from purchasing, having in their possession, displaying, concealing or discharging such weapons.

Colorado is in the jurisdiction of Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Tenth Circuit has not ruled on the Constitutionality of a ban on semi-automatic "assault weapons" (variously defined) or or magazines with a capacity of over a certain number of rounds. Such bans have been upheld in the Second Circuit, the Fourth Circuit, and the Seventh Circuit, under very dubious reasoning. The Circuit Courts are attempting to rewrite the Heller case in order to write semi-auto firearms as not protected by the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court has refused to review those cases. Some have claimed the court is looking for a clear split in the Circuits in order to accept a case.

That might happen in the Tenth Circuit. I consider it unlikely. The Boulder ordinance is likely to be found in violation of the State preemption law, thus rendering the Second Amendment challenge mute. From findlaw.com:
Colorado Revised Statutes Title 29 Government Local § 29-117-103

A local government may not enact an ordinance, regulation, or other law that prohibits the sale, purchase, or possession of a firearm that a person may lawfully sell, purchase, or possess under state or federal law.  Any such ordinance, regulation, or other law enacted by a local government prior to March 18, 2003, is void and unenforceable.

The Boulder ordinance is believed to be impotent by all sides. Its passage is political virtue signaling.  It will accomplish nothing but entangle the city in a lawsuit the citizens may not pay for. Deep pockets outside the City have already offered to aid its attempts to disarm its citizens. From the dailycamera.com:

City Attorney Tom Carr said Boulder has received offers of gratis help from "outside law firms" that will reduce the impact of both cost and time to city staff.

In any case, Boulder is a wealthy city. They can afford such extravagances.

It would be ironic if the Tenth circuit struck down the ordinance on Second Amendment grounds, creating a Circuit split, to take the case to the United States Supreme Court.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

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FL: Armed Man hold Burglary Suspect for Police

GIFFORD — A man who said his home had been broken into used his video surveillance system and a handgun to find and apprehend the accused burglar Sunday.

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KY: Domestic Defense, Uncle Shoots Nephew who Attempted Break-in

KSP spokesperson Master Trooper Jody Sims said the two had been having problems for a couple of days and Henrickson was allegedly trying to get inside of Fugate’s residence to confront him. Sims said Fugate shot through the door, striking his nephew in the leg.
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TX: Legal Gun Carrier Shoots at Man who Assaulted, Killed Woman at School

As the woman was leaving the property, the man got into his Ford Focus and ran her over several times, authorities said. A witness with a concealed handgun license began firing at the driver and his car to get him to stop and blew out one of the man's tires.

Jose Sandoval, who lives behind the property, spoke to the woman just minutes before he witnessed her death.
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Book Review: 4 Seconds to Impact (The Skyrocketing Attacks by Predators on Humans)

By Bruce Buckshot Hemming, 2017, 320 pages, paperback.

Over the last three decades, attacks by large predators against humans have been skyrocketing in North America. It is not just a matter of reporting. Attacks by bears, mountain lions, wolves, and coyotes, have become expected, where they used to be rare or denied altogether.

Full disclosure: Hemming cites some of my work in the book.

Bruce Hemming does an excellent job in summing up the increases in large predator attacks. He offers a commonsense explanation as to why they are happening, why they are under reported, and how they can be minimized.

I received a review copy of the book shortly after I returned from Australia.
I started to read, and could not put it down until I had hastily read through the analysis. It took me four hours.

I was fascinated to learn that one of the major reason there were no "documented" wolf attacks before 1943, is that an early pro-wolf researcher defined a wolf attack as valid, only if the wolf were tested and found to be free of rabies. There is a serious problem with that approach. Testing for rabies only became available in 1943. The definition used in the "research" simply defined any previous wolf attacks out of existence, because they could not have been tested for rabies!

The book supports Hemming's analysis with comprehensive lists of large predator attacks.  Be warned: some of the pictures are gruesome. 4 Seconds to Impact has much more detail on these attacks than is commonly reported. The author went to considerable effort to collect data and interview people who were attacked.

An interesting part of the book is Hemming's analysis of how many attacks are not reported. He gives details of how many missing hikers and hunters could be victims of animal attacks. He explains that many people understand reporting an attack is an invitation to official and unofficial harassment and persecution, especially if the attacking animal was killed.

The book fearlessly avoids political correctness. Hemming offers clear and obvious reasons how and why hunting of large predators can minimize large predator attacks without endangering sustainable predator populations.

Hemming offers data on the effectiveness of both firearms and pepper spray in stopping attacks. He advocates for the use of both systems.

For anyone who is interested in large predator attacks, or for anyone who is considering how to protect themselves from predators, I highly recommend 4 Seconds to Impact.

The book is available at Amazon. $6.99 for Kindle, $18.99 paperback.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. 

Gun Watch

Encountering a Liberal Second Amendment Supporter in Deep Blue Madison, Wisconsin

I have been busy helping pick up the pieces after the death of a friend of 48 years. For the last few days, I ate breakfast at a McDonalds in Middleton, Wisconsin, part of the far left liberal environs centered around Dane County and Madison, Wisconsin.  My friend had lived most of his life in Madison and Middleton. He was a lifelong Second Amendment supporter, lifetime master pistol shooter, and a mentor.

At the McDonalds, I struck up conversation with a gentleman who I suspected to be a liberal. We had a connection because he was searching for information on friends who had recently died in Australia. I had recently been in Australia and have investigative experience.

I said I was a writer. On the second day, he asked what I wrote. I described Gun Watch. His demeanor softened a little. He described himself as a liberal gun owner.

The third day, he introduced his wife. They both had Wisconsin concealed carry permits. He showed a video of using tannerite to recreationally blow up targets in Northern Wisconsin. He introduced me to another member of his McDonalds breakfast group who was a retired Navy Captain.

Even in deep blue Madison, Wisconsin, there are significant numbers of Second Amendment supporters. Many of them are keeping their heads down because they believe they are surrounded by anti-Second Amendment leftists.

What they do in the polling booth may be different than what they admit to in public.

They may be part of the invisible Trump voters who helped put President Trump over the top in Wisconsin and other mid-west states.

Was my new found acquaintance one of them? It is hard to say. He sounded as though he had an open mind. He is bright. He is informed. Could he have voted against Hillary?

It seems likely to me.

It was obvious to both of us that he did not want his picture associated with this article. I said I expected he did not want his picture taken. He said I was exactly correct. He took mine, instead.

Second Amendment supporters in deep blue areas fear becoming known publicly. Social Justice Warriors often wish them harm. 

These people may support Second Amendment candidates.  Other Second Amendment supporters should encourage them to, at minimum, vote to protect the Bill of Rights.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

VA: Man Shoots Armed Robbery Suspect

When he asked for payment before giving Richardson the motorcycle's papers, the juvenile pulled out a gun and demanded the motorcycle.

Billett, who was armed, shot the juvenile in the neck.

Roanoke Fire-EMS took the juvenile to the hospital, where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
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MO: Former Marine Shoots at Thieves

Surveillance cameras show what happened next. Luigi said he grabbed his pistol, ran outside and found one of the thieves standing by the fence.

Luigi said he fired first, but then claims the thief returned fire. The video doesn't clearly show the thief firing back.

"Right there behind the tree. Right when he was standing by the tree is when he fired. He shot real quick and then I shot back at them and he took off," Giovanni explains.

The episode didn't stop there. Later Monday night, Luigi discovered his 8x5 trailer, along with a motorized quad bike, was stolen from his driveway.

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NY: Rabid Fox Bites Three Before Neighbor Shoots it

"Scared the daylights out of me. I fell down at one point just trying to get my bearings about me. Then I'm just trying to defend myself and trying to get inside the house away from it," Stevens said.

Once he got back inside the fox made its way to his neighbor's house where it attacked another man. Those neighbors believe the fox was living under a nearby shed before it began to act strange.

Eventually, the fox attacked a third man who shot the animal.
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Repeal of Louisiana Switchblade Knife Ban goes ot Governor Edwards

On April 13th, 2018, the Louisiana repeal of the switchblade ban (HB892) unanimously passed the House.  From legiscan.com:

(4)(a)
The manufacture, ownership, possession, custody or use intentional concealment on one's person of any switchblade knife, spring knife, or other knife or similar instrument having a blade which may be automatically unfolded or extended from a handle by the manipulation of a button, switch, latch, or similar contrivance located on the handle. Section 2. R.S. 14:95(J) is hereby repealed in its entirety.

CODING:
Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

 On May 10th, 2018 the repeal of the switchblade ban (HB892) passed the Senate. The vote was 21-yes, 11-no, and 7- absent.

Now the bill is going to Governor Edwards' desk.

The bill is part of the ongoing trend to restore the legal ownership and carry of knives in American society. The bans never made much sense. Why would a switchblade be more deadly than a fixed blade knife?  The bans were pushed as yellow journalism as part of the Progressive agenda. There was no serious data or study behind the bans - just prejudice and a push for publicity.  The federal ban on interstate sales of switchblade knives and the importation of them, was passed in 1958.

 It was fictional portrayals of youth gang violence that took the switchblade ban over the top, politically. "West Side Story" seems to have had a pivotal role. Consider the implications. It was not fact that drove the politics. It was fiction, promoted by the progressive media. It was a version of the "big lie" technique. The pro-genitive nature of the media coverage in promoting and eventually creating the ban on switchblades cannot be over emphasized.  From wikipedia:

During the 1950s, established U.S. newspapers as well as the sensationalist tabloid press joined forces in promoting the image of a young delinquent with a stiletto switchblade or flick knife. While the press focused on the switchblade as a symbol of youthful evil intent, the American public's attention was attracted by lurid stories of urban youth gang warfare and the fact that many gangs were composed of lower class youth and/or racial minorities.^[4] The purported offensive nature of the stiletto switchblade combined with reports of knife fights, robberies, and stabbings by youth gangs and other criminal elements in urban areas of the United States generated continuing demands from newspaper editorial rooms and the public for new laws restricting the lawful possession and/or use of switchblade knives.^[4] In 1954, the state of New York passed the first law banning the sale or distribution of switchblade knives in hopes of reducing gang violence. That same year, Democratic Rep. James J. Delaney of New York authored the first bill submitted to the U.S. Congress banning the manufacture and sale of switchblades.

West Side Story emphasized the role of the switchblade in juvenile delinquency.  It was nominated for six Tony awards in 1957 and ran for 732 performances in NYC before going on tour.  The switchblade ban, which did not make it out of committee in 1954, was passed in 1958.

The switchblade ban was a demonstration of the power of mass media to get laws passed with little or no facts behind them.

Much the same technique is being used to attempt to ban certain kinds of firearms. Reporters have little or no knowledge of the firearms in question. Facts about their uses in crime are ignored. The push is always for action, action, action, without serious debate.

Governor Edwards is likely to sign the knife law reform that has been passed unanimously in the House and by a two thirds margin in the Senate.

The ban on carrying the knives concealed is entangled in Louisiana's overall concealed carry law, so it was not addressed by this reform.

New Hampshire repealed their switchblade ban in 2010,  The Missouri switchblade ban was repealed in 2012, The Alaskan, Indiana, Kansas, and Texas switchblade bans were repealed in 2013. The Tennessee switchblade ban was relealed in 2014. Maine and Nevada switchblade bans were repealed in 2015.  Wisconsin repealed their switchblade ban in 2016. Colorado, Michigan, and Illinois switchblade bans were repealed in 2017.

If Governor Edwards signs the reform bill, 14 states will have repealed their switchblade bans. There were seven states that never passed a switchblade ban.

Laws among the states vary widely. If Governor Edwards signs the reform, it will still be illegal to intentionally carry a switchblade concealed on your person in Louisiana.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

DE: Gunfight,Attacker Shoots Mother, Daughter, Neighbor Stops Attack

An armed neighbor confronted Ballard as the shooting was happening and the two men exchanged gunfire. Officers were nearby heard the gunfire and responded.

Police say they were able to take Ballard into custody without incident. The neighbor was not injured and is being considered a witness in this case.

The two victims are currently being treated for life-threatening injuries.
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TX: Armed Intruder Shot by Apartment Resident

WACO, Texas (KWTX) An armed man who forced his way into an apartment early Friday in Waco was shot twice by a resident, police say.
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UT: Domestic Defense Father Wounds Son to Stop Assaults on Family

Derrick N. Christenson, who police say was intoxicated, was shot once with a handgun in his lower leg after he assaulted several family members, according to police. He was treated for the gunshot wound at an area hospital and then booked into the Summit County Jail.

Police say Christenson was booked for investigation of child abuse, aggravated assault and assault, domestic violence, domestic violence in the presence of a child, criminal mischief and intoxication.
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Stop Paying Mass Murderers to Kill Our Kids by Rob Morse

Mass murderers kill our kids for simple reasons. Mass murder of innocents gives the murderer a powerful reward. Yes, murder pays. In fact, the payoff is huge. The payoff is also extremely reliable. As shocking as it is when our innocent children are murdered in our schools, we are not coming anywhere close to best practice in our effort to stop these horrific events. The sad fact is that mass murderers are learning and reacting faster than we are. Murderers are learning faster than our politicians and our school officials. Murderers are certainly learning faster than our news media. It is time for parents and other concerned citizens to change that. We know how to stop these attacks. We know what to do and we’re not doing it. Here is what you can do to make our kids safer.

Where do we fall short?

The murderers learned their lessons well. Attacks follow a pattern and have a high probability of success. Some schools have a “full time” law enforcement officer at the school. That sounds good, but is a bad plan. Many schools don’t have that much protection and have to share an officer between several schools or between widely separated buildings. Stationing a law enforcement officer at the school may provide political cover for the sheriff and school board, but it is far from best practice. Are children gathered in a school location that is several minutes from the School Resource Officer? Are many children at school when there is not an armed adult protecting them? The answer is almost certainly ‘Yes!’ Are children off campus when with a school activity when they are unprotected? I’m sure they are.
Murderers learned to attack the school before staff are in place. The murderers learned to attack the School Resource Officer first, or to wait until the SRO is away from the scene. Armed volunteers who carry concealed are harder to spot. Best practice says that there should be several armed responders with children at all times. That usually means that volunteer staff carry concealed while wearing plain clothes.

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Trump Era Guns Sales (NICS) hits Record Month in April, 2018

The Trump era National Instant background Check System (NICS) hit another record month in April, 2018. Background checks recorded by the FBI numbered 2,223,213 in April. The next highest April recorded was in 2016, with 2,145,565.

The total NICS checks for the first four months of 2018 numbered 9,354,635.  That is  6.8% higher than the first four months of 2017, which numbered 8,756,657. 2018 is on track to replace 2017 as the year with the second highest number of NICS checks. The record was set in 2016.

 In 2016, a presidential election year, it was fear of a Hillary Clinton victory. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton embraced numerous restrictions on gun ownership. Fear of her election drove NICS numbers to record levels.

In 2018, the political signals are not as clear. In April, President Trump seemed to waver, hinting that he might support some restrictions on gun sales. Those fears were dispelled when he spoke at the NRA annual meeting in Dallas on May 8th. Fears of a "blue wave" of Democrat victories in the House, with notable Democrats calling for a Trump impeachment, may have been a factor.

In times of uncertainty, people desire security. Possessing a firearm and ammunition offer a basic level of security.

NICS checks are performed for several reasons. The number of NICS checks is not the same as the number of new gun sales.

NICS checks are performed for the sale of used guns. Those guns are already in circulation. NICS are done for carry permit background checks. Those numbers are soaring. Many people with carry permits are not required to have another NICS check done for purchasing a firearm. One NICS check can be done for multiple guns.

Because of this, the number NICS checks for each private gun added to the stock in the United States has varied from about .48 guns per NICS check to .76 guns per NICS check. The average is about .6 guns per NICS check.

A good approximation of the number of guns added to the private stock in the United States in April, 2018, would be 1.3 million. About 5.6 million have been added in the first four months of 2018.

The number of privately owned guns in the United States is now about 421 million. The number will probably reach 430 million by the end of 2018.  Most estimates of private gun ownership in the United States stop at about 2006, before the Obama administration. Over 100 million guns have been added to the privately owned stock of guns in the last decade.

The estimate of privately owned guns in the United States was made using the techniques pioneered by  Newton and Zimring, which includes the calculation of the 1945 number of modern guns added to the stock from 1899 to 1945.  Firearms manufactured before 1899 are not included.

From 1945 to 1987, the data was taken from "Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America" by Gary Kleck, Table 2.1.   The methodology used by Kleck, which extended Newton and Zimring's work, was applied to  the figures obtained from the ATF for later years.

421 million is the cumulative addition of domestic manufacture plus imports minus exports.  This does not count guns shipped to the U.S. military.  It does not include privately made guns, illegal imports, illegal exports, guns destroyed, or guns sold surplus from the U.S. military. The figures are rounded to the nearest million.

The numbers added to the private stock for 2017 and 2018 were estimated from the NICS numbers.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

OR: Self Defense Shooting of Career Criminal under Investigation

A Medford man confronted by a transient armed with a knife Monday night outside a Bend fast-food restaurant said he feared for his safety and shot him with a handgun he is legally allowed to carry as a concealed weapon.

Bend Police say Robert Joseph Garris, 39, shot Christopher Michael Nolan, 39, “multiple times” outside the Jack in the Box at 805 NE Third St. Nolan had allegedly pulled out a knife at about 9:38 p.m. and approached Garris, who was staying at a nearby motel, police said.
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MS: "Peach Cobler" Shooter Tells His side of Story

Stanley Woodson says the alleged victim, Logan Novascone, didn't tell the whole story when he said Woodson was mad his cobbler didn't have more peaches in it.

"He put me in fear for my life. He came over with something behind his back."

Stanley Woodson says remarks and fear of the unknown object he claims was hidden behind Novascone's's back is what pushed him to draw his gun.

"He said, 'I told you I will kill you.' I said, 'Why do you want to kill me?' You don't even know me."
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MO: Off Duty, Reserve Deputy Shoots Man in Self Defense

Deputies said they learned that an off-duty New Madrid County Sheriff's Deputy Reserve shot the 42-year-old man.

New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control Unit to investigate.

Officials determined the off-duty New Madrid County Sheriff's Deputy Reserve acted in self-defense during an altercation and no charges will be filed.
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Oklahoma Governor Fallin Vetoes Constitutional Carry

Oklahoma Governor Fallin vetoed the Constitutional Carry SB 1212, on May 11 of 2018. Governor Fallin is term limited out. She is not allowed to run for another term as governor. From kfor.com:

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin has vetoed a bill that would have allowed for permit-less carry.

Senate Bill 1212, also referred to as the “Constitutional Carry” bill, was presented by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow.

On 2 May, 2018, the Oklahoma Senate passed Constitutional Carry.  The popular bill passed both the House and the Senate by veto proof margins. It passed the Senate on a 33-8 vote. The Senate was able to vote for the bill because maneuvering in the Oklahoma legislature allowed it to bypass the Senate committee that was blocking it.

On 25 April, 2018, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed Constitutional Carry by a vote of 59-28.  The bill had already passed the Senate unanimously on March 6th, 2018, but as a bill removing wildlife refuges as gun free zones.

While SB1212 passed with strong, veto proof margins, the legislature has adjourned.  The legislature no longer has the power to override Governor Fallin's veto.
 
Second Amendment supporters and anti-carry groups engaged in heavy lobbying urging Governor Fallin to  sign the bill, or to veto the bill as a last ditch effort to stop the popular measure. From newsok.com:

Fallin has about two weeks to decide whether to sign Senate Bill 1212, which would allow Oklahoma residents who are at least 21 to carry a firearm without a permit or training.

Michael McNutt, the governor's spokesman, said Monday, "The governor's office is receiving heavy traffic in the form of emails and calls from both sides of the issue regarding SB 1212. The governor is discussing the measure with her staff as well as reviewing input from citizens, groups, agencies and others."

Most of the power of Second Amendment groups is in the votes they can mobilize. They have relatively little money. The strong suite of the anti-carry groups is lots of money to lobby with from former Mayor Bloomberg and other billionaires. Governor Fallin, as a term limited Governor, 

Constitutional Carry refers to the state of law when the Bill of Rights was passed in 1791. At that time, no permits were required to buy, possess, or carry firearms in the United States.  In states with Constitutional Carry, no permit is required for most adults to carry firearms openly or concealed.

A resurgence in Constitutional Carry has been happening since 2003.

In 2003, Alaska passed the reform to restore the exercise of Second Amendment rights. After seven more years, in 2010, Arizona passed Constitutional Carry. In 2011 Wyoming passed their version of the concept.

In 2013, Arkansas passed Act 746 into law. It is effectively Constitutional Carry, but is disputed by some county prosecutors. In 2015, Kansas, and Maine joined the Constitutional Carry club. In 2016, Idaho, Missouri, West Virginia, and Mississippi enacted Constitutional Carry. In 2017, New Hampshire, and North Dakota were added to the list. Vermont has always been a Constitutional Carry state.

Several other  Governors have vetoed Constitutional Carry bills. They include Governor Bullock (D) of Montana, Governor Tomblin (D) of West Virginia (overridden by the legislature), Governor Nixon of Missouri (D) (overridden by the legislature), Governor Hassan (D) of New Hampshire (since passed), Governor Daugaard of South Dakota (R) twice, and Governor Herbert (R) of Utah twice.

Montana, South Dakota, and Utah have all failed to pass Constitutional Carry to the present day.

There will be a serious push to pass Constitutional Carry in Texas in 2019 during the next legislative session.


 ©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

GA: Armed Father Shoots one of four Robbery Suspects

MPD said four men tried to rob a man leaving the McDonald's near the intersection of S. Trezevant Street and Lamar Avenue.

The man was carrying his daughter in his arms when the robbers approached him, according to a witness.

He pulled out a gun and opened fire on the robbers. One of them was shot.
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MO: Man Attempting Break-in Shot

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A man who was attempting to break into an apartment was shot overnight.

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GA: Guns Pointed, no shots

Ansley was accused of retrieving a shotgun from the trunk of a car, racking the gun and pointing it at another man and his 14-year-old daughter while they were sitting in a truck in front of Ansley’s house.

The 18-year-old man threatened to shoot the man and allegedly said, "don’t think I won’t blow your daughter away too,” according to the police report.

The father told a Coweta County Sheriff’s Deputy he grabbed his pistol to protect himself and his daughter from Ansley.
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NC: Clerk fires Shots, Stops Armed Robbery

LUMBERTON — A Pembroke store clerk thwarted a robbery when she grabbed her gun, pointed it at the suspect and fired shots at him as he ran away, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said.

It happened about 9 p.m. Monday at the Country Tobacco Oasis store at 2765 Prospect Road.

Witness said a man walked into the store wearing a black and camouflage mask over his face, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money, a Sheriff’s Office news release said.
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Is Governor Fallin Failing Constitutional Carry?

On 2 May, 2018, the Oklahoma Senate passed Constitutional Carry. The bill, SB 1212 has been sent to Governor Fallin's desk. The popular bill passed both the House and the Senate by veto proof margins. It passed the Senate on a 33-8 vote.

On 25 April, 2018, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed Constitutional Carry by a vote of 59-28.  The bill had already passed the Senate unanimously on March 6th, 2018, but as a bill removing wildlife refuges as gun free zones. The amendment process allowed the bill to bypass Senate committees that had blocked Constitutional Carry in the past.


But the legislature no longer has the power to overrule a veto by Governor Fallin, or a "pocket veto" which will happen if she simply ignores the law and fails to sign it. The legislature has adjourned for the year. From nraila.org:

Currently sitting on Governor Fallin’s desk is constitutional carry legislation, Senate Bill 1212. With time running out for her to take action, it is important that you contact Governor Fallin immediately and urge her to sign this important self-defense legislation into law.

(snip

Again, please contact Governor Mary Fallin at 405-521-2342 and strongly urge her to sign Senate Bill 1212 into law.

Anti-carry groups are engaged in heavy lobbying as well, urging Governor Fallin to veto the bill as a last ditch effort to stop the popular measure. From newsok.com:

Fallin has about two weeks to decide whether to sign Senate Bill 1212, which would allow Oklahoma residents who are at least 21 to carry a firearm without a permit or training.

Michael McNutt, the governor's spokesman, said Monday, "The governor's office is receiving heavy traffic in the form of emails and calls from both sides of the issue regarding SB 1212. The governor is discussing the measure with her staff as well as reviewing input from citizens, groups, agencies and others."

Constitutional Carry refers to the state of law when the Bill of Rights was passed in 1791. At that time, no permits were required to buy, possess, or carry firearms in the United States.  In states with Constitutional Carry, no permit is required for most adults to carry firearms openly or concealed.

A resurgence in Constitutional Carry has been happening since 2003.

In 2003, Alaska passed the reform to restore the exercise of Second Amendment rights. After seven more years, in 2010, Arizona passed Constitutional Carry. In 2011 Wyoming passed their version of the concept.

In 2013, Arkansas passed Act 746 into law. It is effectively Constitutional Carry, but is disputed by some county prosecutors. In 2015, Kansas, and Maine joined the Constitutional Carry club. In 2016, Idaho, Missouri, West Virginia, and Mississippi enacted Constitutional Carry. In 2017, New Hampshire, and North Dakota were added to the list. Vermont has always been a Constitutional Carry state.

If Governor Fallin signs SB 1212 into law, Oklahoma will be the 14th Constitutional Carry state in the nation.

Several other states have come close to passing Constitutional Carry. Utah, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana and others all have legislation that has come close to passage. There will be a serious push to pass Constitutional Carry in Texas in 2019 during the next legislative session.


 ©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TN: Robbery Stopped by Armed Victim

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - An attempted robbery was stopped by the victim after he pulled out his gun in defense.
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FL: Homeowner Shoots Intruder at 2:15 a.m.

LAKE WORTH, Fla. - A homeowner, who said he woke up to a flash of light, shot an unknown man last week inside his Lake Worth home, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies say.

The man, later identified by deputies as Christopher Mouassite of suburban Boca Raton, is accused of breaking into the home near 1100 block of Vermilion Dr. on May 10 around 12:15 a.m.
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AR: Man who Broke into Apartment Shot, Killed

The person who initially called police about a burglary said he heard someone beating on the door of his apartment and didn't get an answer when he asked who was there. A male and female then kicked in the door and entered the home, prompting the resident to fire a handgun he was armed with, the release states.

The male collapsed on the sidewalk, while the female reportedly fled in a silver passenger car.
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Disconnected Word Views at NRA Annual Meeting in Dallas 2018

At the NRA annual meeting in Dallas, Texas, in 2018, protests were held outside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Saturday, 5 May, 2018.  By the time I arrived at the protest site, the main group of gun control supporters had left. I was told they numbered about 200-250 people.

Their numbers were dwarfed by the attendees at the NRA annual meeting. An estimate for  meeting attendance was not available at the time of this writing. The last NRA annual meeting, in Atlanta, was 81,836. In 2016, in Louisville it was 80,452. 87,154  has been reported for attendance at the 2018 meeting.

When I arrived at the protest site outside, the action was centered around a group of open carriers that were counter-protesting those protesting the NRA. The counter protesters numbered about a hundred. There were a few anti-NRA protesters left. About 5-10 of them gradually came over to the open carry counter-protest.

The two world views illustrated by the signs seemed completely disconnected.

Open carriers, and Second Amendment supporters, equate the possession of guns to safety.

Those who want more legal restrictions on guns equate the absence of guns with safety.

Both views make sense from the viewpoint of those putting them forward.

If you choose to be unarmed, anyone who possesses a gun holds a power advantage over you. It is understandable that unarmed people would want everyone else be unarmed.  It is not easy for people who are unarmed to disarm people who have weapons.

If you are armed, those who desire to disarm you are a threat. Police are taught to never surrender their weapons. 

Machiavelli put it succinctly, speaking of leaders, in the Prince:

Because there is nothing proportionate between the armed and the unarmed; and it is not reasonable that he who is armed should yield obedience willingly to him who is unarmed, or that the unarmed man should be secure among armed servants. Because, there being in the one disdain and in the other suspicion, it is not possible for them to work well together.

In the United States, police and the military are supposed to be servants of the people.

I talked to police assigned to the event. They said the two groups were peaceful, with no shouting or boisterous behavior.  The behavior I observed was peaceful and polite.

Choosing to be unarmed is closely correlated with choosing to be ignorant about arms. Learning about arms, their use, their history, their proper employment, tactics, and legislation all take time and energy. The willingness and desire to be armed requires a certain self-discipline. Those who have chosen to be unarmed do so, in part, because they are unwilling to expend the time and energy to be armed.

In the armed camp, the members have made the choice to be armed. They have already invested the time and energy to learn about arms, tactics, history, and the legal consequences. Military veterans and retired police both have extraordinary percentages of members who are armed.

The two world views are different approaches to the same reality. Both recognize that being armed makes an individual more powerful. Those who want others disarmed fear the power of armed people. Those who have chosen to be armed fear being disarmed and losing the power they have.

It is a false choice to choose between a disarmed society and an armed society. There are no disarmed societies. There are only societies in which more or less people are armed. In the United States, because of the Second Amendment, almost everyone who wishes to be armed can be.

In Australia, even though legal gun owners only represent a few percent of the population, the police and military are armed with the latest weaponry. Every police officer I saw there was armed with a Glock semi-automatic pistol. In Japan, police and the military are routinely armed. Similarly, violent criminals usually have access to arms through criminal channels.

If the access to firearms is tightly restricted, then criminals can rely on impact weapons, the power of muscle, size, numbers, and youth, against all smaller, weaker, older, and outnumbered victims.

The number of firearms in society has little to do with the number of criminal homicides, and suicides in that society. Societies with few and many firearms have both high and low suicides and criminal homicides.

Those who do not wish to be armed have removed themselves from any danger of suicide by firearm, and from almost all danger of firearm accidents.

In the U.S., they want to remove the choice of being armed from other people. It is a false choice. If you have chosen to be unarmed, if you are ignorant of arms, if you believe governments are always beneficent... it makes sense.

Or, if you are armed, and believe only other people will be disarmed, that the government would never disarm you... it also makes sense.

You see those core beliefs displayed by those who argue for a disarmed society.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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