BRINGING GUNS TO WORK

If you are reading this column at work, don't panic, but I do have troubling news: your right to bring a gun to work may be in jeopardy. Yes, your capacity to defend yourself from that jerk in human resources may, just may, be going the way of the typewriter. But there is something you can do to stop the march of wimphood and protect your Second Amendment rights: don't buy gas from Conoco.

Here's the deal: Three years ago 12 workers at a Weyerhauser Co. paper mill in Valliant, Oklahoma were fired for violating the company's ban of having guns on its property, including the parking lot. The National Rifle Association led a crusade for justice. On June 9, 2005, according to an NRA press release, "Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry (D) signed into law today a National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed bill to prohibit employers from banning locked firearms in company parking lots." Phew.

But now ConocoPhillips and a bunch of other big employers in Oklahoma are being buttinskis and are suing to overturn the law, arguing they should have a right to control whether firearms are allowed on their premises, just like employers and businesses almost everywhere else in the country.

Well, rest easy, the NRA is not going to stand for that kind of anti-American, sissy stuff. They've organized a boycott of Conoco. "Across the country, we�re going to make ConocoPhillips the example of what happens when a corporation takes away your Second Amendment rights," NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said. "If you are a corporation that�s anti-gun, anti-gun owner, or anti-Second Amendment, we will spare no effort or expense to work against you, to protect the rights of your law-abiding employees. Their rights are worth more than your money!" Wow. So far there seem to be a couple of big signs around Austin urging folks to stiff Conoco (and find oil companies that allow guns in their parking lots!). But I'm sure the boycott will get rolling real soon.

You can take further comfort in the fact that Kentucky passed its own "no employer gun ban" bill and so far it has been free of anti-gun, anti-gun owner or anti-Second Amendment meddling. And the NRA is trying to get laws specifically to keep guns in parking lots in Minnesota, Utah and Florida.

But I don't mean to imply that you should be lax in your vigilance. Do you know that you might not even be able to take a gun into a bar after work? Yep, it's true. The wise legislature of Arizona passed a bill this year that would have sort of codified the perfectly obvious right to bring a gun into a bar or restaurant so long as you're not drinking. They agreed with the NRA's ironclad logic that, "Establishments that serve alcohol are not immune from life-threatening violence. Citizens deserve the opportunity to defend themselves and their families when they dine out." Duh.

Well, enter another buttinski in the form of Governor Janet Napolitano, who vetoed the bill. She apparently bought the inane nonsense spouted by the executive director of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police who said, "Guns don't mix with booze any better than driving has." Hard to imagine a man with a job like that just ditching his duty to protect his family with firearms in an eatery.

Luckily, one thing you don't have to worry about is Democrats on the national scene messing with gun control anymore. They've given up on gun control because they have special pollsters who tell them that's the smart thing to do to win elections. Look where that got them in 2004: second place in a presidential election in the greatest nation on earth. That's pretty good if you ask me. They walloped Ralph Nader. So with the Democrats out of the picture, the House of Representatives is poised to approve the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" - another NRA-sponsored bill that would give gun makers and gun dealers legal protections from lawsuits unlike those any other businesses have. The Senate has already passed the bill and the president is sure to sign it. I wonder if members of Congress can keep guns in their trunks at work.

Source

A lesson from the Third World about the value of gun control: "I've never owned a gun, nor do I plan on owning a gun in the future. I've never really felt the need to own one. I don't hunt. I'm not in law enforcement. I don't live on a farm where I might need one for varmints. I'm not involved in anything else where a gun might be needed. I've never felt the need to own one for self-defense. I've shot guns at targets or for practice once or twice, but that's about it. Part of the reason is that for most of 18 years, I lived in Papua New Guinea, a Third World country that has very strict gun control laws. One expatriate was kicked out for having a pellet gun. Yeah, a pellet gun. They didn't want any guns at all. Period. You would think in this country that had very strict controls on who could own guns that there would be little violence, right? Wrong. Their murder rate is twice that of the United States. And guess who had the guns? Sometimes not even the police because the criminals would steal them!"


Alaska shows the way: "Starting Wednesday, handgun owners won't need permits to carry concealed weapons in the seven Alaska cities where they're still required. There also will be no more restrictions on keeping a firearm in a vehicle. A new state anti-gun control law that goes into effect will essentially bar municipalities from passing gun laws that are more restrictive than state law. The National Rifle Association, which helped Republican state Rep. Mike Chenault write the legislation, says except for the concealed weapon permit requirements, most Alaska city and state gun laws are the same. What the NRA wants to do is prevent cities from passing more restrictive laws in the future. It calls it state pre-emption, and Alaska will be the 44th state to have such a law on its books. "We are looking to make it uniform to all 50 states," said NRA spokeswoman Kelly Hobbs. "Without it, it creates an unfair, inconsistent and confusing patchwork of local firearm ordinances."

Illinois: Homeowner fires handgun at intruder: "A Central Peoria resident who became alarmed by knocking fired his gun after his back door was kicked in by an intruder, police said. The resident, Jacob Scott, 30, told police he heard the noises and grabbed his handgun after the back door of his home was kicked in about 11:20 p.m. Scott, who couldn't remember how many times he fired the weapon, said he was afraid and wanted to protect his three children, who were asleep at the time."


Florida: Suspected home intruder dies: "An unidentified man shot by a homeowner in an apparent home invasion in Escambia County Wednesday night has died at a local hospital, said Sgt. Ted Roy of the Escambia County Sheriff�s Office. Roy said deputies were in the process of notifying the man�s family and soon would release his name. The shooting, which happened at a Chatham Avenue home, still is under investigation, he said. A homeowner allegedly shot the man in the chest during the apparent home invasion shortly after 9 p.m. The injured man was taken by Baptist LifeFlight helicopter to a Pensacola hospital where he was later pronounced dead".

Gun ban at FEMA City: "FEMA just flunked the personality test. FEMA officials didn't bat an eye when teams of police from other jurisdictions descended on New Orleans and St. Tammany Parish in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, disarming law-abiding citizens who had committed no crime. Nobody from FEMA uttered a peep when California Highway Patrol officers body-slammed Patricia Konie to the floor in her own home taking her revolver and forcibly removing her from her residence for evacuation. Yet FEMA went ballistic when a team of trained specialists came to help their fellow Americans, in a region gripped by anarchy, simply because the Phoenix group had the good sense to bring along four armed officers for their security ..."


FEMA firearms ban rouses gun groups: "Under pressure from gun rights groups, FEMA said today it is reconsidering a ban on firearms at a trailer park established to temporarily house Hurricane Katrina victims. The dispute involves a nearly 600-trailer encampment that opened last week near Baton Rouge. Katrina evacuees will be allowed to stay there rent-free while they try to find permanent housing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has been general policy at FEMA for several years to prohibit guns at such parks anywhere in the country. But the National Rifle Association threatened to sue, and another gun rights group, the Second Amendment Foundation, said it, too, was looking at legal action."


Georgia: Alleged hijack bid nonstarter: "Gwinnett police on Friday arrested a man they characterized as a would-be hijacker who tried to commandeer a tractor-trailer idling in traffic. Unfortunately for him, said officers, he chose a truck whose driver was armed."

Texas: Man foils robbery by shooting attacker: "A northwest Harris County man foiled an attempted robbery early this morning when he shot and killed one of two men who confronted him as he was walking to his car, sheriff's deputies said. ... No charges have been filed against the shooter. 'It appears to be self-defense,' said Harris County Sheriff's Department Lt. John Denholm, who was at the scene. The shooter told police he left his home and was walking toward his car to go to work when the two suspects confronted him. There was a struggle before the man took out a concealed hand gun."

Florida: Pol goes after workplace gun bans: "State Rep. Dennis Baxley is confident his proposed bill to allow employees to have guns in their vehicles on work property is a surefire winner. 'It's a national issue, really. I felt like Florida should take a position,' the Ocala Republican said Tuesday. 'It's just a matter of time until the anti-gun lobby gets to every major employer.'"

Indiana: Intruder killed, man wounded in 2 shootings: "A Chicago man was killed in a shootout with a Westside apartment dweller during a home invasion Saturday morning. ... Police said Franklin and the slain man, both carrying firearms, accosted two women at the apartment in the 7100 block of Heather Ridge Court around 4 a.m. Douglas Jones, 23, Indianapolis, also was inside the apartment. A shootout occurred, police said, with Jones, formerly of Chicago, armed with a handgun and a rifle. The Chicago man was killed, and Franklin was apprehended later, police said."


California: Program teaching kids about guns draws fire: "Five-year-old Jeff Jagels of Bakersfield is just starting school in Kern County, but he already knows what to do when he sees a gun. And other 5-year-olds in his neighborhood are about to learn what Jagels knows, too. 'Stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult,' is what the youngsters are told by cartoon character Eddie Eagle. The Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program is a free National Rifle Association project that teaches kids what to do when they see a gun. And Jeff Jagels' father thinks it's a great idea. ... But others disagree. Local emergency room doctor Art Kellermann ... said. 'Rather than try over and over again to gun-proof our kids, I think we ought to child-proof our guns.'"

Good news from Romania: "The thief shot dead inside the home of fashion designer Romanita Iovan should be granted a post mortem medal for having contributed to the promotion of the new Penal Code. Bogdan Iancu, a recidivist, has ended his mission on Earth after having stolen a handful of jewels from the home of Iovan family. He was just getting ready to return to Ferentari base. The operation was a half success as the owner of the villa in Primaverii St. no longer waited for the hare hunting season to begin and discharged the weapon for such game into the body of the 27 year old man. Right to the target. The following day, the newspapers wrote that the dead man was to blame as the owner has released the trigger of the gun in self defense. Tens of prime time talk shows and hundreds of ads would not have aroused so much interest for the changes brought to the Penal Code like the Wednesday night execution did. The extensive coverage of the case made us understand that the term of self defense is no longer an obsolete reply in the American movies. Now, self defense is also working in Romania. "


The family gunsmith: "Each month, I will lead the reader through a simple maintenence, refurbishment, redesign, or upgrade procedure that can be accomplished at your desk or on your kitchen table, employing only a basic minimum of hand-tools. Although I am primarily an adventure novelist today, I've been a shooter for much longer, and the first writing I was ever paid for appeared in gun magazines. Each of these new articles will consist of clear digital photos made with camera and scanner, and explanatory text based on my 48 years of experience with firearms (I was a competitive shooter at age 11), and my 38 years as a gunsmith, holsterer, and professional reloader, with additional stories and information gathered by a lifelong firearms enthusiast."

ANTI-GUN CANADA: BLACKS WANT APARTHEID AS A SOLUTION TO HUGE GUN CRIME PROBLEM!

The idea that making it easy for law-abiding citizens to arm themselves might help does not appear to have occurred to anybody. Criminals like to shoot but they sure don't like the idea of being shot

Decades after the civil rights movement fought for racial integration, a Toronto coalition of 22 black community groups disgusted by gun murders in the city wants a separate set of rules and institutions for blacks - from a government department to a diversion program for minor crimes. The ambitious demands are, black leaders say, a turning point.

Fifteen years ago, you would not have seen so many in the black community "so frustrated that they are willing to consider this a positive - this formation of separateness," said Zanana Akande, a former principal and an Ontario cabinet minister in Bob Rae's New Democratic Party government. "But blacks have now reached the point of such disgust, such frustration, such a feeling of rejection around these issues, that well-trained, well-qualified, capable people have given up and said, `You know what? Maybe we should have our own,'" said Akande, past-president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, which is not a member of the coalition. "The more unhappy people are with the systems that are in place, the more acquiescent they are to some special services. And people shouldn't feel good about that," she said. "We're not calling it segregation," said Sandra Carnegie-Douglas, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association and a coalition spokeswoman. "We know what we need. We live it. We attend the funerals. We deal with the dropouts and the children expelled from school. As it stands now, our communities are, in many ways, being destroyed."

Gun deaths have ravaged Toronto's black community more than ever this summer. Out of more than 60 homicides this year, a record 41 have involved a firearm. Black community leaders say "90 per cent" have involved blacks. The Coalition of African Canadian Organizations was spawned in August as a response to the bloodshed. It now represents a wide swath of the black community, which it believes is one of the most underserviced, underemployed, poverty-stricken and encumbered by racism.

Among the more far-reaching solutions proposed is a new provincial ministry office on African-Canadian affairs, created to help black Ontarians get access to services that alleviate poverty, help keep youth in school and allow them to thrive culturally. The coalition is also calling for:

A court diversion program for blacks who commit minor offences.

An economic development agency for blacks.

A skills training and employment access program focused on blacks.

Police to keep race-based statistics.

Repeal of the zero-tolerance school discipline policy, which the Ontario Human Rights Commission is investigating for accusations that it deals more harshly with blacks....

The coalition also supports calls for a black-focused school and envisions a vibrant African-Canadian cultural centre.

The focus of these proposals on a single group makes them highly controversial. Some of the ideas - such as a diversion program and a black-focused school - were broached more than a decade ago but vilified as segregationist. Last month, Premier Dalton McGuinty said he was "not comfortable" with the concept of a black-focused school. That rationale now infuriates these community leaders.....

Coalition members say it's time the black community took ownership of the problem, framing the debate and devising plans to lead, organize and monitor the progress of changes. "Our role will be to take on one of the defined solutions that need to be put to work and lead it. We all have to take a little chunk of it," said George Fynn, an account executive and president of the African Canadian Social Development Council. The coalition's manifesto is an "action plan" it hopes will form the basis of a summit with government leaders.

Members want race-based statistics kept for policing, employment and education, so a clear picture of the state of the community might emerge. And they want funding restored that was cut from social service programs, especially for at-risk youth.....

As to the charge that the proposals are segregationist, "I think that response comes from two types of people: an individual who doesn't understand the challenges the community faces, which are much more significant than those faced by other communities; and the individual who would not wish to see the community uplifted," Graham said.....

Not everyone in the coalition is entirely in agreement. Fynn, for instance, would like to see more effort to repair fractured relations with the police. Donkoh feels a black-focused school might not prepare students to live in wider society. Staff Sgt. Chris Bullen, head of the Association of Black Law Enforcers, a coalition member, said he's not sure about a separate black-offender diversion program. He favours making the current one more equitable. "If you look at a person who is going to make decisions about whether you got to a diversion program or not, they have to look like you. It helps," he said. But they all agree on the need for swift action. As Louis March put it: "I don't want to next year be talking about 100 shootings."

More here




And here is what happens when blacks DO run their own show. A report from Jamaica:

POLICE Commissioner Lucius Thomas who has been in the Jamaica Constabulary for 36 years, mostly in intelligence at Special Branch, often had one-on-one meetings with his predecessor, and so understood what the top job was all about..... I have also been travelling across the island visiting police stations to see the conditions under which police personnel work and live and operate. We are getting there.

Resources is a critical area for us. We pick up over 600 guns off the streets on a daily basis; 90 per cent of them are not analysed, so we have difficulty tracing them to determine whether it is so many guns being used in crime or the same guns being recycled. Also, we want the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), for fingerprint identification.

We picked up 74 persons in Tivoli Gardens on Tuesday and we held them for several hours. With the quick processing the AFIS system offers, we could run the fingerprints in a minute or two and determine, 'We don't want this man', and release him. Our communication system seems to be again running down, but I understand that government has a move afoot to adjust that."

If they pick up 600 guns a day, how many more must there be that the police DON'T pick up? What successful gun-control! (NOT)

Guns Banned at 'FEMA City' Outside Baton Rouge

A Second Amendment group is expressing "shock and disbelief" that people seeking refuge at a FEMA compound outside Baker, La., may not bring their firearms with them. According to a report that aired on the Lehrer News Hour on Thursday, displaced New Orleans residents are being allowed to move into a trailer and RV compound called "FEMA City," but the conditions for residency include a ban on firearms.

"This is not acceptable." said Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb. He noted that the Second Amendment Foundation and the National Rifle Association recently filed a lawsuit in New Orleans, winning a temporary restraining order against the confiscation of firearms by police in both New Orleans and in nearby St. Tammany Parish.

"It doesn't matter whether this refuge community is behind a gate, or whether it is patrolled by police and security guards," Gottlieb said. "This restriction appears to be illegal under Louisiana law and the state constitution, as well as under a federal court ruling some years ago that protected firearms owned by residents in a federal public housing facility in another state.

Gottlieb said his group is making inquiries about the firearms restriction -- and who ordered it. "When we find out, we are going to pursue legal action," he said. "Being the victim of a natural disaster does not require a citizen to surrender his or her civil rights, and that includes firearms rights and property rights," Gottlieb said. "The anti -gun attitude that seems to be growing out of Louisiana's disaster had better change, or we're going to change it in court."

Source





Wotta weapon! "General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a $14.7 million contract by U.S. Army TACOM-ARDEC for the production of 1,097 MK19 grenade machine guns. Deliveries will commence in June 2006. The MK19 is capable of firing up to 400 grenades per minute and can provide lethal fire against a variety of targets, including lightly armored vehicles and dismounted infantry. Its high lethality and broad versatility make it the prime choice of the U.S. Armed Forces as an essential weapon in both offensive and defensive operations. Program management will occur at the company's Burlington, Vt., facility. Production work will be performed at General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products' Saco, Maine, facility, which has produced more than more than 32,000 MK19 systems for the U.S. Government and its allies since 1984.

California: Wounded store owner shoots robber : "A wounded liquor-store owner shot a would-be robber around 9:30 p.m. Monday after being shot in the buttocks. Steven Groce of Stockton was shot while closing his El Dorado Liquor store, on El Dorado Street near Churchill Street, Stockton police said. He and the man he shot were taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center and San Joaquin General Hospital, authorities said. ... Police said men with bandannas pulled over their faces entered the store armed with handguns, one of them a long-barreled revolver."


California: Victim fights back: "On Sept. 29 at about 11:50 a.m. a subject entered the Hollywood Riviera Car Wash in the 1500 block of South PCH and brought an item to the counter with money to purchase it. When the cashier opened the register, the suspect allegedly threatened him with a gun. He was pointing the gun at the cashier and taking money out of the cash drawer when the cashier grabbed the gun. The suspect ran out of the business. The victim, armed with the suspect's .22 caliber revolver, chased him through the parking lot to Avenue H. As a white pickup truck slowed for the suspect to jump into it, a passenger in the truck allegedly pointed another handgun at the victim. The victim fired four to five shots at the suspects."

GOOD OLD GUN-FREE BRITAIN AGAIN

The British police seem able and willing to take guns away from whites only. The BBC report below follows the American practice of identifying blacks via photographs only. No doubt a "no photos of criminals" rule will soon be introduced

A woman has told how her life was saved when a bullet bounced off her bra. Helen Kelly, 25, was hit as shots were fired after last November's Urban Music Awards in Barbican, central London, in what police said was a gang feud. She told BBC News the underwire on her bra deflected a bullet away from her chest and into her right breast.

Linton Ambursley, 28, from Lewisham, south-east London, was jailed for 12 years on Friday at the Old Bailey after admitting wounding with intent. The court heard how the Ghetto Boys from Peckham and rivals from Bermondsey, both in south-east London, fired 18 shots as people left the awards ceremony.

Ms Kelly was hit as she and a friend ran for safety. "I heard some bangs but I didn't think it was gun fire," she said. "I started running. Then I looked down and saw blood on my stomach and it was only then I realised I had been shot. "I'm still not sure how it happened, but the underwire on my bra snapped when the bullet hit it and I think it did stop it going any further."

Det Sgt John Osibote, from the City of London Police, said: "There was absolute pandemonium. "Members of the public were caught in the cross-fire of two gangs who had the audacity to open fire in the centre of London." Tyrone Headley, 28, from New Cross, south-east London, was jailed for two years at the Old Bailey on Friday for assisting an offender. Ms Kelly, an accountant originally from Tyneside, was the only casualty.

Cayman Islands: Draconian new victim disarmament laws : "With the Government's continuing focus on crime part of a new bill to strengthen the judiciary and sentencing could see some offenders incarcerated for considerably longer periods than in the past. At a recent Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Wharf Restaurant, the Leader of Government Business Hon Kurt Tibbetts announced a number of new measures to address crime including changes to laws to help in the process of capturing and convicting criminals. Bullet Proof vests are soon to be outlawed in the Cayman Islands and firearms offences will land perpetrators behind bars for a minimum of 10, and up to 20 years."



Hey, Florida scum ... it's time for you to run: "As of this Saturday, October 1, 2005, the law abiding citizens of Florida have been 'given back' the already God-given, Constitution-given and no-duh-right to defend themselves, and if need be, use deadly force in so doing. That's right ... if you decide to rape, rob, car jack or accost a Floridian, you might want to think twice about that brain fart, as that may be the last thing you do before your soul wings its way to Hades. If you're the little weed contemplating these things, you should reflect a bit longer on the wisdom of this course of violent action, because we the people can now wale on you and be protected from criminal prosecution and/or an inane civil suit."

Nevada: Elderly man fights back: "Police say an 82-year-old man was washing his car near E. Sahara and Bruce around 10 p.m. last night when two men approached him with weapons and demanded money. The elderly man told the suspects that he had left his money at home. According to police, one of the suspects got into the back seat of the victim's car, demanding to be taken to the victim's home. The victim had a pistol hidden inside of his car, and he shot the suspect. The suspect in turn fired at the victim, striking him in the chest.The victim was transported to the hospital where he is in serious condition. The suspect died from his gunshot wounds."


The San Francisco or Sam Colt solution: "If you had a flat tire, would you fix the problem by replacing your car's muffler? I know, it sounds funny. But that's exactly the logic permeating throughout San Francisco's City Hall. When San Francisco's murder rate spiked in 2004, it could only be expected that local politicians would seek a solution. ... If you think that Mr. and Mrs. Law-Abiding Citizen are to blame for a surge in murder, then I've got oceanfront property for sale in North Dakota. In fact, they are exactly the ones who would suffer because of this myopia. ... It is simply incredible that the gun control lobby still perpetrates the myth that guns are to blame for societal ills. What they don't want you to know is that empirical research continues to challenge their feckless arguments."

Washington: Man justifies shooting as self-defense: "Stanley Douglas Nyberg was pushed off a river bank and was injured moments before he scrambled back up, pulled a pistol, and shot and killed his neighbor, Dina Camp, 44, with whom he had a longstanding property line dispute, Nyberg testified Monday. After he climbed up from the bank, he said that Camp took one or two steps toward him, and that's when he fired, Nyberg told a Snohomish County Superior Court jury."


Decisions, decisions: "While there are doubtless some politicians there who maintain that no one be permitted the means to self defense purely to acquire and assert their own power, I'd be willing to bet that the majority who favor such stringent gun control actually think they're doing the right thing. Their reasons are unassailable: They want to protect citizens, particularly children. Their methodology, however, will only work in a fantasy land where criminals obey laws. Since there is no such place, gun control in Washington (as well as New York City and Chicago) has succeeded only in disarming the law abiding and creating a haven for armed bad guys. The firearms laws in Washington (and anywhere else) that are causing the problem could be repealed tomorrow. But for that to happen, those who consistently vote for even more draconian gun control are going to have to admit that what they're doing isn't working, and that it never will."


The Brazilian referendum: "Next October 23rd. there will be a referendum in Brazil to decide whether or not to prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition to individual members of the public. It is the first referendum of this nature to be held anywhere in the world. In 2003 Congress approved the Disarmament Law (Law no. 10.826 of 23rd. December 2003) which prohibits the carrying and use of firearms by individuals, even if the said firearms are registered with the local authorities, and thus made it even more difficult to possess firearms in ones home".

Supreme court okays frivolous gun suit: "The Supreme Court refused Monday to block a lawsuit against gun manufacturers accused of negligence for firearms violence in the nation's capital. An appeals court had said the District of Columbia government and individual gun victims -- including a man who was left a quadriplegic after being shot in 1997 -- could sue under a D.C. law that says gun manufacturers can be held accountable for violence from assault weapons"


Alaska: Anchorage expands gun rights: "If you go to the mall, stop to get gas, have an after-work drink out with friends, be aware -- the people around you may be packing heat. The list of places you can carry a weapon in Anchorage is about to expand. In just a few weeks you can add city buildings to that list. So KTUU-TV is taking a look at just where you can and cannot carry a firearm. 'The vast majority of Alaskans think they ought to be able to carry a firearm wherever they wish,' said Wayne Anthony Ross, National Rifle Association board member. ... It may surprise you to learn that in addition to being allowed to carry a concealed weapon, you can also carry one in plain sight. But realize it may raise some eyebrows."

THE ASSAULT ON SELF-DEFENCE

Seven years ago, I came face to face with a masked man in an alley as I left work. He had a gun and a desire to do me no good! What if the gun control advocates had their way? How would I have fared that night? Considering that, I was cornered and unable to flee, or face my assailant on equal terms I might not be writing this at all. I might very well be a statistic.

Fortunately, for me the laws in Texas DO allow its residents to be armed. I was able, although cornered to have an equal footing. Because I was armed, and prepared, my attacker decided that his intentions were not worth dealing with my Colt.45. One criminal running away and one innocent, law-abiding citizen safe seems like a pretty good end does it not.

Not according to gun control advocates. According to their desires, I should have been forced to run instead of facing down the miscreant criminal. Got that? If you are minding your own business and are assaulted or threatened by a violent criminal the gin control crowd wants the onus to be on you to flee, or retreat, or do anything EXCEPT stand your ground with a firearm.

How morally and intellectually backwards can these folks be to adopt such an indefensible position? The duty and perfect right of a law-abiding citizen is to defend themselves with deadly force if need be against criminals. That is the essence of the disagreement between the opposing sides on gun control.

Forget the gun control advocates impassioned pleas for a �safer� nation. Guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans have proven to decrease violent crime time and again. It is not violent crime the gun control advocates have issue with. It is, instead, the right for us to defend ourselves.

For some definitive evidence of this consider a recently passed law in Florida that allows citizens to stand their ground and use deadly force when assaulted on the street or any other location other than their home. Gun control advocates were incensed that such a law could pass. In their ideology you, the law-abiding must run, even if it puts you at greater risk, rather than use your gun to stop the criminal who is trying to rob, rape, or kill you or your family.

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The Truth About Guns: "Since taking our handgun safety class and qualifying for concealed-carry permits, we have had several opportunities to talk with people about guns. Not formal presentations; just shooting the breeze, so to speak. In our last article, we speculated about the deep seated fears many harbor about guns. In this column we're going to talk about the response from a few "ordinary people" who aren't necessarily pro- or anti-gun, they just don't think about the subject much. As a result, they tend to rely on an un-examined belief that's invariably associated with guns. It's seldom directly articulated but you can hear it implied in their tone of voice when they say "Oh, you like guns" as though they were saying, "Oh, you eat babies for lunch." Consider one person who stated, as though everybody knew, that "People who carry guns are macho, people who need to abuse power." Then, without skipping a beat, he said, "... except for the people I know who carry guns; those are really nice people who are responsible about it, and in fact, very low key.""

Illinois: Shooting ruled self-defense: "Officials of the Rock Island County State's Attorney's office have decided that the teen who shot and killed James Teague Jr. was defending himself against an attempted robbery. Mr. Teague, 34, of Carbon Cliff, was shot dead around 1 a.m. Sept. 11 near 10th Ave. and 15th St. in East Moline. Jeff Terronez, Rock Island County state's attorney, said the 16-year-old shot Mr. Teague with a handgun after Mr. Teague stepped out of his vehicle, raised his gun and attempted to rob the teen."


Florida gets tough: "Proposed legislation says Florida businesses could face criminal charges if they try to stop employees from bringing guns to work in their vehicles. Senator Durell Peaden from Crestview and Representative Dennis Baxley from Ocala, both Republicans, have filed bills that would permit workers to have the guns on the employer's property as long as the weapons remain locked in their vehicles. Both proposals include provisions that shield companies from lawsuits in case an employee committed a crime with the gun they had been storing in their car. Some companies say banning guns from their property is simply a safety issue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shootings accounted for three-quarters of the 551 workplace homicides in the United States last year".

New Mexico: Homeowner shoots intruder: "Police say a West Side homeowner shot and critically injured an alleged intruder early Thursday afternoon. Albuquerque police said the homeowner was at his home in the 10,000 block of Del Rey SW during the noon hour and discovered the other man in his house, possibly burgling the home. APD officers say an altercation occurred and the homeowner shot the other man in the abdomen in the backyard. The alleged intruder was brought to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition."


South Africa: Man free after killing robbers: "A 46-year-old man who shot dead two robbers was released after appearing in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Monday, police said. 'He will at this stage not face prosecution,' said spokesperson Superintendent Andy Pieke. ... The man said that he was walking home at about 21:45 on Sunday when three men approached him, threatened him with a firearm and stole his cellphone and cash. 'The man allegedly went to his house and fetched his firearm,' Pieke said. The man returned to the area where he had been robbed and the same three men apparently tried to rob him again. He fired several shots at them, killing two of the men. The third man ran away."

Windsor store owner cleared in shooting: "A Windsor liquor store owner who fatally shot a robber won't face charges, Weld District Attorney Ken Buck announced Monday. Ron Trauernicht, 59, acted in self-defense when his store, Corner Liquors in Windsor, was robbed last summer, Buck said in a written statement. Douglas Wies, 32, of Fort Collins wore a mask and walked into the store, 117 6th St., on the afternoon of July 8. He told Ron and Norma Trauernicht he had a gun, brandished something in his hand covered by a cloth and demanded money from the cash register."


Arizona: Taser set to change marketing: "On the same day Taser International confirmed federal regulators are investigating the company, Arizona's attorney general said the stun gun manufacturer has agreed to change the way it markets its gun. Attorney General Terry Goddard's office said Tuesday that Taser has offered to increase product warnings, change some of its broad claims of safety and limit the use of the word 'non-lethal.' 'Our primary concern has been Taser's safety claims that we felt may have understated the risks of serious harm,' Goddard said in a statement to The Arizona Republic. 'We are encouraged that the company has agreed to make many changes that reduce or qualify these claims. We are now reviewing these proposed changes.'"

The assault on self defense: "The debate over gun control is decades old, it is also going to continue to rage on for decades to come. For many who do not really take sides or think the debate is just another partisan political fight which does not effect them, there is a new shining example of how there is no escaping this debate. The issue of gun control does indeed affect all of us. It does not matter if you own no guns or 100 guns. Whether or not you are a member of the National Rifle Association or the type of person who would never feel comfortable owning a gun matters not. The real essence of the battle between gun control advocates and gun rights advocates is not over guns. In the end, it is all about the right for you and me to defend ourselves."


Philippines: Gun toting journalists: "Earlier that morning, the reporters gathered in a pressroom at Camp Aguinaldo to explain the dire circumstances that drove them to start ARMED, a grassroots self-defense movement that has drawn worldwide attention, mostly because it so clearly breaks with the entrenched taboo against journalists carrying � and using � guns. Faced with seemingly intractable safety problems and the lack of government protection, the Filipino journalists have decided that they simply have to protect themselves. What is happening here could set a precedent in places like Colombia, Russia and Bangladesh, where attacks against the media also are common."