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 R.S. 14:95(J) is hereby repealed in its entirety.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.

Gun Watch

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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