Friday, May 31, 2019

Brazilian Lawyer Cesar Mello: Watch Brazil, See the Failure of Gun Control






Brazilian gun laws are some of the strictest in the world. President Jair Bolsonaro started to reform the administration of the laws in 2019. He did this by using his power of Presidential decrees. This changes the rules of how the law is administered. Much of the abuse under the law was through the administrative rules.  Changes to the law must come through the Congress, those changes have not been enacted yet.

Because most Americans do not read Portuguese, Brazilian lawyer and licensed Professional Shooter, César Mello, made a youtube video, in English, to educate the rest of the world about Brazilian gun laws, their history, and what may be expected next.

While César apologizes for his English, it is quite understandable. I contacted César, and he helped clarify the information he is providing.

Because it is not fluent, colloquial, American English, I have condensed and summarized the most interesting and important points César makes.  It is worth watching the video, to see the impact of the Brazilian gun laws on the Brazilian population.  The video is 30:51 minutes long.





Link to video


 A major point from César is, prior to 1997, the gun laws in Brazil were almost non-existent. People could buy guns and ammunition easily. Carrying a gun without a permit was not a criminal act. It was like an American civil penalty, similar to a traffic ticket.

In 1997, this changed.  The socialist president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, made carrying a gun without a permit a crime.

In 2002, the extreme leftist, Lula de Silva, was elected President.  Lula bribed legislators to pass the extremely restrictive Brazilian gun legislation of 2003.  César says this is indisputable; it is a matter of public record in Brazil. Lula has been convicted and is serving prison time for corruption, although not the specific corruption involving the gun law.

The 2003 law was extreme.

1.  All permits to conceal carry guns were banned, except as the police allowed, by their complete discretion.

2. Only pistols of .380 caliber or less could be purchased by ordinary citizens.

3. Guns were only allowed to be possessed in the home. No transport of guns was allowed. No transport to a range, or to be repaired.

4. If you attempt to take a gun anywhere to shoot it, you would have committed a crime.

To summarize, with enormous expense and difficulty, you might be able to purchase a gun, but you could not train with it. Only 50 rounds of ammunition per gun was allowed per year. You were not allowed to take it anywhere to shoot the gun; You could not be certain the gun would even fire. If you actually  used the gun in self defense in the home in Brazil, you have a good chance of going to prison.

In 2005, there was a referendum on the total ban of the purchase of guns or ammunition by ordinary Brazilian citizens. It lost by a large margin.

In Brazil, all gun laws are federal. The 2002 law left the administration of the law up to the executive branch. President Lula, having lost the referendum, applied extraordinary bureaucratic restrictions to make it  difficult to purchase and own a gun.

First, as mentioned, obtaining a permit to purchase a gun, to keep in the home, was completely at the discretion of the police. A psychological evaluation was required. No criminal conviction, or accusation of a criminal act, was allowed.

The cost of the paperwork is about half the cost of a gun. The documentation is expensive and time consuming to create.

The documents must all be taken to the police, who then evaluate them over a period of months. It commonly takes 8 months to get permission to buy a gun. Then the permission slip must be taken to the gun store, a gun selected, and the document to take possession of the gun obtained. That document takes another four months, typically.

No guns may be imported under the administrative rules, so only Taurus, made in Brazil, is available. Only CBC ammunition is available.

It takes about a year to complete the paperwork, get police permission, and obtain a gun. The permit is good for three years, then the entire process must be done again. If, at any time, the police decide your reason to own a gun is not sufficient, you can be required to turn the gun over to them. The decision that the reason to own a gun is insufficient is completely arbitrary.

To refuse is a serious crime which can result in incarceration. If an illegal gun is used for defense in the home, the homeowner has committed a crime with greater penalties than the criminal who broke into the home.

As with Venezuela, the law put in place by Lula Siva allowed for police discretion. In practice, this meant the politically connected supporters of Lula were able to get permits to have guns,  just as in Venezuela, the supporters of Chavez, and now Maduro, are allowed guns.

Crimes of violence in Brazil became extremely brazen, carried out in broad daylight, because the criminals knew law abiding people no longer had guns.

Jair Bolsonaro, the new President of Brazil, known as "Trump of the Tropics", ran on two promises:

1. More economic freedom

2. Restore the ability of ordinary people to legally buy guns and use them for self defense.

 The people of Brazil understood that a politician who trusted them with guns, could be trusted, because he did not fear them.  The Brazilian people understood that gun bans did not work.

Jair Bolsonaro won the election because of the gun issue.

What is happening now that Jair Bolsonaro is President of Brazil?

With a presidential decree, President Bolsonaro has eliminated the discretionary power of the police to prevent an otherwise qualified individual from buying a gun.

There were complaints this was insufficient. His supporters wanted greater reform, a return to the gun laws before 1997.

In Brazil, as in the United States, the media attack President Bolsonaro daily. They say he is incompetent and cannot govern. The media is attempting to push the President into using bribes, as did his predecessors, to buy votes to get legislation passed. Then they would expose the bribes and use the legal system to drive him from office.

But President Bolsonaro is not taking the bait. He refuses to pay bribes to legislators. He says he will arrest people who ask him for bribes.

Recently, President Bolsonaro issued his second presidential decree about guns.  This is legal in Brazil. President Bolsonaro used the same power that President Lula did to enact the absurd administrative rules, to reform them. Bolsonaro overrode the equivalent of police chiefs and sheriffs, which he supervises through the Minister of Justice. In Brazil, if the person supervised has authority to do something (such as issue a permit), the person who supervises them has the same authority.

In his second presidential decree, President Bolsonaro changed the rules so that people in Brazil  can buy guns of any common caliber. They can buy ammunition of up to 5,000 rounds, instead of only 50 rounds, per year. He allowed gun owners to transport their guns to ranges and to train with them.

In his second presidential decree about gun laws, President Bolsonaro reversed Lula's decree about eligibility for the carry permit.  Lula's decree required people to prove they were at risk; Bolsonaro's decree reverses the burden of proof for certain high-risk groups. Under President Bolsonaro's decree, the police have to prove a member of those groups is *not* at risk, in order to refuse them a permit. 

Brazil is a very dangerous country.  In 2017 there were over 63,000 murders, 70% of them committed with mostly illegal guns. The police clearance rate for crimes is about 8%. It is impossible for the police to show these high risk groups are not at risk.

The categories of gun owners President Bolsonaro authorized to carry guns are these:

Lawyers: Being a lawyer in Brazil can be very dangerous. Because of the low clearance rates for crimes, people sometimes see killing or threatening the opposition lawyer as an alternative to using the legal system.  Cesar Mello was kidnapped and forced to give up his car at gunpoint.  It happened in broad daylight, on a major road, with numerous people who saw it but could do nothing.

Truck Drivers: Outside the cities, police presence is virtually non-existent.  Teams of criminals on motorcycles use guns to hijack trucks with regularity. Many truck drivers are murdered.

Professional Shooters: In Brazil, this means people who have gone to the extra trouble of obtaining a permit associated with the military, that allows for more calibers and access to sufficient ammunition to practice. These shooters are allowed to transport their gun to a range to practice. But the gun must be unloaded and, preferably, disassembled. This made their gun a prime target for theft. Now they will be able to carry their gun loaded and concealed.

Private Security Guards: Guards that are trusted with a loaded gun for security of businesses were required to store the gun and go home without it. Now they will be allowed to obtain permits to own a gun and carry it.

This is a total of about 1 million people in a nation of 217 million.

For the first time in 20 years, criminals will not know if the person they are attacking is armed or not. It will create uncertainty and fear in the criminal world. The homicide rate will drop.

The experience of Brazil will prove the restrictive gun laws were about control, not security.

The people of the world need to watch what is happening in Brazil.  Brazil's experience will show the false premise of gun control laws.

César Mello, asked that I include information that early reports are showing a 25% drop in Brazil's homicide rate, in the first quarter of 2019.  If this trend continues, 16,000 lives will have been saved in the first year of President Bolsonaro's time in office.


©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch




LA: Disarm, Man Shoots Intruder who Forced his way Into Home



At about 2:55 a.m. on May 30, a man entered the home of a 52-year-old man and 44-year-old woman in the 2300 block of Jackson Avenue, near Rev. John Raphael Jr. Way. He was armed with a gun and allegedly forced his way inside.

The intruder and the male resident reportedly struggled over control of the gun inside the home. During the struggle, the suspect was shot in the shoulder and thigh.
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WI: Domestic Defense, Boyfriend Shoots Girlfreind's Father



The argument escalated to where Luckfield began shooting at the couple-and they retreated to a bedroom, arming themselves with a rifle.

“There was a shot fired from the deceased at the other parties, and then at one point, the boyfriend armed himself with a rifle, there was an exchange between the two of them, and then more shots were fired,” said Captain Wall.

About 8 shots were fired in total.

The boyfriend telling police he feared for his life, and defended himself and his girlfriend.
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IL: 67-Year-Old Shoots Robbery Suspect



About 3:30 p.m., the 67-year-old man was unloading a vehicle in the back of a business in the 2800 block of West Belmont Avenue when an unknown man between the ages of 20 and 30 years old approached him, police said. The younger man began hitting the man in the head and face before taking his property.

The 67-year-old took out a handgun and fired shots at him, striking him in the lower back, police said.
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OH: Gunfight outside of Residence .22 v. 9mm, one person Arrested



A Springfield man has been arrested and charged, while another has been questioned and released after the two were allegedly engaged in a shoot-out on Monday night.

Douglas P. Allen, 25, was arrested Monday and scheduled to be in court Tuesday morning.
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GA: Gunfight, Shotgun beats Handgun in Confrontation with Wanted Felon



According to the Pike County Sheriff's Office, a homeowner and his son noticed a man on their property and when they went to check it out, the man began firing shots at them.


The son of the homeowner, later identified as Nathan Prater, was struck by a bullet but was holding a shotgun and returned fire. The suspect, identified as 45 year-old Darrell Brown, was hit and collapsed after trying to run away.
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Thursday, May 30, 2019

IL: CCW Permit Holder Shoots Armed Suspect


The man, 25, took out his own gun and shot the 20-year-old in his head, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

The older man was uninjured and showed officers a valid firearms ownership card and concealed carry license, police said.

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LA: Man Shoots, Wounds, Car Burglary Suspect



L’Jean McKneely, a public information officer with the Baton Rouge Police Department, said the owner of the car shot at the two men who were inside his car. McKneely added police believed the men were attempting to burglarize the car.

One of the males was shot and injured during the gunfire. That man, later identified as 27-year-old Jerret Cole, was transported to the hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening, according to McKneely.

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TX: Texas Truck Driver Disarms, Shoots Armed Robbery Suspect



Police said the suspect held the tow truck driver at gunpoint before the two got into a physical altercation. The tow truck driver managed to get the gun away from the suspect and shoot him in the arm and leg.

The suspect was taken to the hospital. He is expected to survive

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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

TN: Man Attempts to Stop Fight, is Assaulted, Shoots Attacker



Deadrick Esaw, 26, told police he shot Ceron Coleman, 37, in self defense shortly after 3 p.m. in the 200 block of Commerce Street.

Coleman, along with family and friends, left Brugada Bar when a friend of Esaw approached the group, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. An altercation erupted between the groups, which led to Coleman punching Esaw as he attempted to break up the fight.

Esaw fell to the ground and Coleman attempted to continue assaulting him, according to police. Esaw drew his gun and shot Coleman in the torso. Coleman later died at Vanderbilt University Medical

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CA: Home Owner Shoots, Wounds, Intruder



The report came in this afternoon that someone had broken into a house and the owner shot at the suspect, who fled, Saxon said.

The wounded individual was contacted and flown out for medical care, Saxon said.
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FL: Gunfight in Ft. Lauderdale Parking Garage, CCW permit Holder Survives



Anestor said Vil acted in self defense, shooting the man who died. Anestor said that man was the aggressor.

"He saved many lives by killing him. He's a hero," Anestor said.

Police are still investigating and have not released details about how the shooting happened.

Anestor said Vil was licensed to carry his weapon and was shot five times himself. Vil was wounded in his arm, thigh and buttocks, Anestor said. His girlfriend was also wounded in the leg, Anestor said.
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TX: Armed Woman shoots, kills man who attempted to break into her home



Shortly after deputies got the call, a woman contacted the Hays County Sheriff's Office and reported that a man tried to break into her house and she shot at him. The man was found near where the woman lives.

At last report, the woman is not facing any charges.
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PA: Home Invader Shot, Killed in Ongoing Dispute

According to police, McDonald drove to the 61-year-old man's house, entered his home and threatened him. THe homeowner than showed a shotgun and fired, hitting McDonald in the chest.

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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

NV: Home Invastion Gunfight, Victim, two Suspects Shot, Wounded



A homeowner told police that he was shot by two adult men who entered his home. The homeowner then fired at the men, prompting them to flee.

The victim was taken to University Medical Center, police said. His condition was not immediately known.

About 9:55 a.m., Las Vegas police received a call that two men suffering from gunshot wounds were dropped off at Southern Hills Hospital in critical condition.
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MO: Shotgun Beats Car in Kidnapping Dispute over Phone



Williams, who has since been released from the hospital, was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree assault with a vehicle following an investigation of the incident by the Newton County Sheriff's Department. A probable-cause affidavit indicates that investigators determined that Johnson shot Williams in self-defense while Williams was trying to hit Johnson and Wallis with a stolen car.
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FL: 18-Year-Old Shoots, Kills, Career Criminal who Broke Down Door to Home



He then told police he went to his bedroom to get his firearm, then went to the hall. He said he was starting to call 911 when the front door of his home was kicked open and he heard someone enter the home, JSO said. When he peeked around the corner, he was face to face with Davis and shot him several times out of fear, police said.

Davis then ran out of the home while the victim continued calling 911. When police arrived, they found 18-year-old Christopher Mangham attempting to revive Davis. Davis, who was also wearing surgical rubber gloves, was pronounced dead by rescue personnel.
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AR: Gunfight, Defender Wounded



Police in Little Rock said a man followed a married couple home Thursday night and then shot at them, striking one person in the wrist.

The shooting happened just after 11 p.m. on Dartmouth Street after the shooter followed the couple home and fired five to six shots, prompting the victim to return fire before a bullet hit him, authorities said.
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LA: Domestic Defense, Man Attacked by Date's Ex, Shoots, Wounds Self and Attacker During Fight



Sarah, the woman’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her child, allegedly began fighting with the victim inside the truck. Fearing that he would be killed, the victim grabbed a pistol from between the driver’s seat and the truck’s center console and fired in self-defense, Orlando said.

The victim ended up shooting himself in one of his legs and a forearm. He then corrected his aim, fired again and hit Sarah in the right leg, causing the man to retreat to a nearby driveway, Orlando said.
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IL: Homeowner Shoots Suspect who Broke into his Home



About 12:08 a.m., a 42-year-old man forced his way into a home in the 800 block of West Lakeside Place through a rear sliding door, Chicago police said.

He was confronted by the 39-year-old homeowner who shot him in the buttocks, police said. The homeowner is an FOID card holder.
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Monday, May 27, 2019

OR: Gun Beats Hatchet in Oak Grove, Oregon



The suspect then pulled a 12-inch hatchet from his pants at the counter. However, the clerk responded by pulling out a concealed handgun and calling 911 while holding the suspect at gunpoint.

The suspect then placed the hatchet on the counter and reportedly told the clerk, “I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”

The sheriff’s office says the suspect got on his knees with his hands in the air and then abruptly ran from the store. He was last seen running eastbound on Southeast Roethe Road.
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MN: Man, Pursued by Several Males, Shoots, They Retreat



A 27-year-old man with a gun permit told police he fired his weapon after he was chased by multiple people in St. Paul early Friday.

Soon after, a 15-year-old was brought to the hospital by three of his friends after being shot near his chin.
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AR: Home Intruder with Knife, Shot, Wounded, Arrested



Sherwood police officers responded to the 4200 block of Community Cove, where a homeowner told them a man entered his residence carrying a knife, the report said. The resident shot the intruder, who ran away.

Waymon L. Calloway, 47, was arrested after seeking help at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, officers reported.
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TX: Large, Modern Home on Acreage in Country: Home Invader Shot, Killed by Armed Woman

FORNEY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – A Kaufman County woman shot and killed a man who broke into her home in an unincorporated area along FM 2757 Thursday morning.
Authorities said it was self defense.

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LA: Shooting of Kody Kent Gage Apparent Self-Defense



Sheriff Richardson said they responded to a shooting call Wednesday morning at a home off Highway 171 in Mansfield, LA. Deputies found Kody Kent Gage, dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Sheriff Richardson says the initial investigation revealed that the shooting was believed to be self-defense, but the investigation is still ongoing.

More Here

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Idaho Commission Nixes Rule to Require Hunters to Carry Bear Spray: Why it was a Bad Idea




When various far-left ecology and animal rights groups such as the Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United States, the Center for Biological Diversity, submitted a petition, calling for the manditory carry of bear spray by hunters, it made national news. The petition was submitted to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and others. The petition claimed that "Studies show that bear spray is far more effective than firearms."

 That claim is not correct.

The petition was written about in several Idaho outlets, and nationally.

The Commission turned down the request that the carry of bear spray by hunters be mandatory.  From lmtribune.com:
The commission turned down a request from environmental groups that it create a rule that would require hunters in grizzly bear habitat near Yellowstone National Park to carry bear spray. Commissioners said the rule would be overbearing and difficult to enforce, and agreed with agency officials who said education about recreating in grizzly bear country would be more effective.
The coverage of the Commission turning down the petition was far less extensive.

Dave Smith, author of  Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters, has done significant work explaining how the carry of bear spray by hunters is not effective, and can be counter productive. Dave wrote a letter to the Idaho Fish and Game Department, IFGD, to educate them about the problems involved.

Dave's letter deserves a wider audience. Dave graciously gave permission for me to use it in this article.  Dave explains the problems with hunters relying on bear spray for protection from grizzly bears.  He carefully explains why the bear spray and firearm studies about defense against bears do not show that bear spray is more effective.  I have placed some of Dave's words in bold for emphasis:

Bear Spray Hoax: IFGD Betrays Hunters
I’m pleased the Commission recommends denying a petition that would require hunters in grizzly country to carry bear spray. But the petition is not being denied for the right reason: When a grizzly charges a hunter with a rifle after a classic surprise encounter at close range, bear spray will not keep a hunter safe. IDFG must prepare hunters to use an adequate rifle quickly and effectively.

In 1991, a Hunter/Grizzly Bear Interactions Task Team (that included U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grizzly bear recovery coordinator Chris Servheen) told the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee that bear spray has “minimal usefulness in trail encounters with bears at close range due to the difficulty of effective use.”

Bob Wharff, executive director of Wyoming Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that bear “spray isn’t the answer for every encounter, especially when it requires hunters to drop their guns when there’s little time to react. You’re talking milliseconds. It’s illogical that you’re going to set your gun down and get your pepper spray.”

Trina Jo Bradley, vice-president of the Marias River Livestock Association, said “Let’s just think about how we carry ourselves when we’re hunting. I carry a large caliber rifle in my hands, usually with a bullet in the chamber and the safety on. I can easily raise my rifle and fire if I see the game I am hunting, or if a bear attacks. Why in the world would I put down the firearm that I’ve used over and over to grab a can of bear spray?

It’s clear a hunter carrying a rifle cannot use bear spray in a safe or timely manner during a surprise encounter with a grizzly. IDFG and other agencies acknowledged this in 1991. But on September 1, 1999, these agencies did an about face on bear spray when U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service news release announced: “Outfitters And Guides Develop Safety Class To Prevent Bear Attacks.”

The news release said, “During the past year, over 200 outfitters and guides in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado have been trained to safely share the backcountry with bears.”

Were the outfitters and guides taught to use an adequate firearm effectively? No. “Course presenters discourage the use of firearms to mitigate bear attacks, because the practice has resulted in much greater frequency and severity of injuries to people involved [than bear spray]. The reliability and safety of pepper spray over other methods of deterrence has also been promoted by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.”

No data or references were provided to substantiate this claim. Nevertheless, these agencies adopted a de facto policy of discouraging firearm use, and promoting bear spray. The results have been disastrous. As the environmentalists’ bear spray petition notes, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team found that “54% of all injuries inflicted on humans by grizzly bears [in the Yellowstone region] involved hunters.”

In response to the environmentalists’ petition, Toby Broudreau said, “the Department already has a Bear Education Program within grizzly range in Idaho. That program helps inform hunters on bear spray use and benefits.”

That program does not teach hunters how to use bear spray with each of the six field carries for long guns. That program does not provide hunters with accurate, meaningful information about bear spray and firearms research. If you keep hyping bear spray—and use that as an excuse for not teaching hunters how to use an adequate rifle quickly for self-defense—you guarantee the carnage inflicted on hunters since 1999 will continue.

A 2008 study on the Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska said, "In 96% (69 of 72) of bear spray incidents, the person's activity at the time of was use reported. The largest category involved hikers (35%), followed by persons engaged in bear management activities (30%), people at their home or cabin (15%), campers in their tents (9%), people working on various jobs outdoors (4%), sport fishers (4%), a hunter stalking a wounded bear (1%), and a photographer (1%)."

Given that the purpose of stalking a wounded bear is to kill it, non-lethal bear spray was the wrong tool for the job. The study did not provide additional information about this mysterious incident. A 1998 bear spray study did not provide any information about the activity of people who used bear spray. So research tells us hunters carrying a rifle don’t use bear spray, and common sense tells us why: Hunters can’t use bear spray because they’re already carrying a rifle.

Bear spray advocates focus on the overall success rate from Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska: 3 people were injured during 75 incidents. Of 175 people present during 72 incidents, just 3 were injured. Bear spray advocates never inform hunters that 3 of 9 people who sprayed charging grizzly bears were injured.

Bear spray advocates have repeatedly made the indefensible claim that research proves bear spray is more effective than a firearm. One, they’re claiming that research on bear spray use by non-hunters (who are not carrying a firearm) proves hunters (who are carrying a firearm) should use bear spray. That does not make sense.

Two, there have been two interrelated studies on bear spray, and two studies on guns vs. bears. Bear spray advocates are really saying, if you compare the results of one bear spray study to the results of one dissimilar study on guns, bear spray wins. But Field Use of Capsicum Spray As a Bear Deterrent/Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska used different methodologies than Efficacy of Firearms For Bear Deterrence in Alaska. It is unethical to compare the two studies, because of the different dynamics involved.

In addition, you’ve got to be totally unprincipled to pretend a 1999 study on the Characteristics of Nonsport Mortalities to Brown and Black Bears and Human Injuries from Bears in Alaska does not exist. After reviewing 1,036 incidents from 1986 to 1996 when people killed bears in defense of life or property (DLP), the authors of the 1999 study wrote, “Most of the persons shooting brown bears or black bears in DLP circumstances indicated that no human injury occurred (98.5% for brown bears and 99.2% for black bears).”

Bear spray advocates deny the existence of the 1999 study because it does not advance their cause. “Research proves bear spray is more effective than a firearm” is not a factual statement based on research; it’s a baseless propaganda slogan. To provide for the safety of big-game hunters in grizzly country, IDFG must teach hunters how to use an adequate firearm quickly and effectively.

Dave does not address a basic premise of the advocates for the use of bear spray. The premise is that in a bear human conflict, it is better if the bear is not killed. The purpose of bear spray seems more to protect the bear than to protect the human.

Bear and human conflicts are rare. Most bears avoid humans. If all the bears that threaten humans were killed, it would not harm bear populations.

One major advantage of firearms over bear spray is the bear is usually killed. 

Bears that attack humans should be killed. Bears that are killed are not able to attack other humans. They are no longer a threat. If bears are not killed during the attack, they often must be tracked down and killed at some expense and danger.

Both grizzly and black Bear populations are increasing in North America. Bear populations will continue to expand, utilizing human developed food sources, as long as humans allow them to expand.  The grizzly bear population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has continued to increase, even though about 5% of the grizzly population is killed in bear/human conflict every year.  Humans must kill bears to keep the bear population inside acceptable limits.

It is poor management to attempt to prevent a bear attacking a human from being killed, so that another permit to kill a bear can be issued to a hunter in the necessary bear hunting season.

The idea that it is important to save the lives of bears who are threatening humans is a bad one. It is false economy.

Bear spray has benefits. It is useful to people who are afraid of firearms, or who do not wish to develop the modest skill necessary to use them to defend against bears.  Bear spray is useful where firearms are difficult to obtain, such as for American tourists in Canada. Bear spray does not present a lethal danger to bystanders, except as it may inhibit their own defenses, as it did with Tom Sommers.

Bear spray should not be mandated for people who are already carrying a gun to hunt big game. The idea that bear spray is more effective than firearms in stopping bear attacks is not proven.  It is junk science.

©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch



MS: Domestic Defense, Man Shot by Girlfriend



JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) - The Jackson Police Department is investigating a domestic-related shooting on Brown Street.

A male was shot by his girlfriend after assaulting her with a blunt object.

The male and female were transported with injuries.
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Followup IL: Mykel J. Curry Sought in Shooting Investigation



Mykel J. Curry, 29, is wanted on a warrant for aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Rockford police say he shot at a man just before 2:45 p.m. on Monday in the 400 block of 27th Street.

Police spokeswoman Christie Castillo said Curry and a 23-year-old Rockford man went to that residence and confronted a man about a prior dispute. Castillo said she didn’t know the nature of that dispute, but the resident returned fire with his own handgun after Curry shot at him.
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WA: Rancher Shoots Wolf after cattle, 280 yards from house, No Charges



The distance from the home’s back porch to the carcass was approximately 280 yards, according to measurements taken by the Fish and Wildlife investigators. The carcass was 56 yards from the pasture’s fence.

“Once in with the cattle, it may be difficult to shoot the animal actively attacking a calf,” one investigator wrote. “No charges were filed against the RP. Case closed.”
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TX: Father Shoots, Kills Suspect: Real Gun Beats Paintball Gun



Police now believe a group of people firing paintball guns at the family's home was the catalyst for the shooting.

“They were alerted to some sort of disturbance,” said Sgt. Joshua Horn with the Houston Police Department. “They believed that they were – that their house was being shot at. The homeowner, the father, came outside to the disturbance, approached a suspect who was standing out here. Believed that he was a threat, fearing for his safety, fired a round at him."

Horn said the homeowner also fired a couple rounds at the suspect's vehicle in the street.
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Saturday, May 25, 2019

GA: Gunfight in Atlanta, Victim and two Suspects all Killed

An attempted robbery at an apartment complex near Atlanta turned into a grisly scene when the robber and two victims were all killed in a gun battle.

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TX: Gunfight, Robbery Suspect Killed, Victim Wounded



Police said the resident who fired the deadly shot also sustained a gunshot wound, but was in stable condition. The resident was later identified by police as 26-year-old Justin McNeely.

Police said McNeely admitted to shooting the man, who hasn't been identified, during a botched robbery attempt. Investigators said physical evidence supported McNeely's description of what had happened.
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Followup UT: Raul Rivera (who was shot) Faces Multiple Charges

As detectives investigated the case, they learned that in the beginning of April, "Raul made threatening voice calls from the jail stating that he would get his 'people' to come up to Hurricane and kill them. It was also found that there were text messages sent to the (gunman's) wife or daughter that are threatening in nature of bodily harm as well," according to a search warrant affidavit.

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FL: Domestic Defense? Police Investigating Shooting Death



Neighbors said Clint Back, 34, was shot in the face and killed Saturday night in his mobile home in the small community of Sharpes.


But the question is, was it murder or self-defense?

Brevard County detectives say they know who fired the shot, and have not arrested him.
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IL: Chicago Man with Pistol Permit Stops Dog Attack, no Charges



Officers were called at 1 p.m. for a call of gunfire in the 7800 block of South Tripp Avenue, Chicago police said.

A man told officers that he was charged at by a pit bull and shot it twice in self-defense, police said.
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Friday, May 24, 2019

Croc Pictures in Albion Hotel Pub in North Queensland, Australia


These saltwater crocodiles were said to have been shot by Wolf Arnett, near Normanton, Australia in the North of Queensland. I stopped in the Albion pub there a few days ago, and one of the patrons filled me in.

The rifle appears to be a Marlin lever action, probably a 94. The caliber was not noted.

A bolt action rifle is shown in other pictures.



Most of the  information was from John Murr, a retired fisherman and roo shooter.



©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

AZ: Neighbor Shooots Pit Bulls, Stops attack on two Women, 57 and 61


Neighboring children heard the scream and let their mother know, according to the mother’s witness account. The mother quickly grabbed her handgun and went to see what was happening. She found the three dogs surrounding the two victims, trying to drag one of them under the house.


Afraid to shoot directly at the dogs, the armed neighbor fired a couple of rounds nearby as the dogs kept attacking, according to her account. Meanwhile, her friend called 911 as her husband arrived on scene. He took the handgun from his wife and ran up to where the attack was taking place. He was able to shoot one of the dogs immediately, and eventually another dog. He attempted to shoot the third dog but was unsure if he was successful. Two of the dogs ran off while the third remained where it was shot.
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KY: Domestic Defense, Current Boyfriend Shoots Ex-Boyfriend at 04:30 a.m.



Police say a man showed up to a home and started banging on the front door.

The homeowner came out and started arguing with the suspect.

That's when police say the homeowner fired several shots at the man in self-defense.

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IN: Domestic Defense, Father Shoots Son who Threatened Family with Shotgun

Police said he threatened family members with a shotgun for several hours. At one point, after family members tried to calm him down, Holloway’s father ran to retrieve a handgun. That led to a confrontation between the two men; Holloway pointed the shotgun at his father, who fired a single round that struck Holloway near the abdomen.

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HI: Judge allows for new trial in Shooting of Drunken Navy Man trying to Enter Wrong House



HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A judge ruled Tuesday that the state will have a second chance at prosecuting the man who fatally shot a neighbor trying to enter his West Oahu home by mistake.

John Hasselbrink, 41, was killed after a night out drinking in April 2018.

Authorities initially charged his neighbor, Gregory Farr, with manslaughter and firearm violations.

The criminal charges, however, were dismissed earlier this month when the judge ruled that several delays violated Farr’s right to a speedy trial.
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Followup KY: Intruder who was Shot IDed by Police

According to the sheriff’s office, a homeowner called 911 around 8 a.m. about his neighbor, Charlie Jean, trying to breaking into his house. The homeowner said the man was acting strange and threatening.

 The sheriff’s office says the homeowner shot Charlie Jean twice in the chest after the man got inside. Deputies say the neighbor was also armed.

More Here

Thursday, May 23, 2019

IN: Taxi Driver Shoots 17-Year-Old Armed Robbery Suspect



According to the Terre Haute Police Department, a cab driver from First Choice Cab picked up Young in downtown Terre Haute and drove him to Greenwood Manor to drop him off.

That is when Young allegedly pulled a gun on the driver and tried to rob him.

Police say the cab driver pulled out a gun and shot Young.
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OK: Domestic Defense, Father Shoots, Kills 20-Year-Old Son

 Police are investigating after they said a man shot and killed his 20-year-old son during a domestic situation in northwest Oklahoma City, police officials confirm.


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TX: Homeowner Confronts Armed Intruder, Disarms and Shoots Him



The homeowner told police that he saw the suspect entering his 13-year-old daughter's room with a gun. The homeowner says he confronted the man and wrestled with him to get the gun. According to police, the homeowner was able to get the gun and shoot the suspect.

Police say the suspect then ran downstairs, took a knife and began stabbing himself.
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Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Range Bill a Return to Legitimization of American Gun Culture



A nation of rifleman used to be a significant part of national defense. The bi-partisan passage of the "range bill" is an acknowledgment that promoting target practice is part of promoting national defense.

The bill is important because firing ranges are constantly under attack by those who wish for a disarmed population. The bill allows states to access excise taxes collected on the sale of  ammunition and guns for the  construction and improvement of shooting ranges.  From NSSF Press Release:

The Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, also known as the “Range Bill,” allows states to use their Pittman-Robertson Fund allocations to begin construction of new ranges, or improve existing state-run public recreational shooting ranges. Prior to this law’s enactment, states were required to put up 25 percent of the cost of range construction projects to access the matching 75 percent of Pittman-Robertson funds. Now, states can access those funds with a 10 percent match and will have five fiscal years to acquire land for range construction or expansion projects.

Pittman-Robertson funds are derived from an excise tax paid by firearms and ammunition manufacturers. Since 1937, the fund has generated more than $12.5 billion funding wildlife conservation and safety education programs in all 50 states. NSSF estimates more than 80 percent of Pittman-Robertson excise tax contributions are generated by sales attributed to recreational shooting. This means today’s recreational target shooter is an overwhelming contributor to conservation through excise tax support.

A recurring concern of recreational shooters, and those considering entering the sport, is proximity and access to a safe range. This new law would make it easier for states to enable recreational target shooters to enter the sport, which in turn would generate continued contributions to Pittman-Robertson funds and the conservation programs which it supports.
President Teddy Roosevelt promoted target practice as a means of preventing war and of projecting national power. From goodreads.com
“The great body of our citizens shoot less as times goes on. We should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys, and indeed among all classes, as well as in the military services by every means in our power. Thus, and not otherwise, may we be able to assist in preserving peace in the world... The first step – in the direction of preparation to avert war if possible, and to be fit for war if it should come – is to teach men to shoot!”
President Roosevelt understood that theory without action is impotent. As President, Theodore Roosevelt converted his thoughts into practical action. From accurateshooter.com:
In February 1903, an amendment to the War Department Appropriations Bill established the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP). This government advisory board became the predecessor to today’s Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety, Inc. that now governs the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). The 1903 legislation also established the National Matches, commissioned the National Trophy and provided funding to support the Matches. This historic legislation grew out of a desire to improve military marksmanship and national defense preparedness. President Theodore Roosevelt, Secretary of War Elihu Root and NRA President General Bird Spencer were among the most important supporters of this act.
President Theodore Roosevelt was following the example of England. England had created an National Rifle Association in 1860, and had promoted rifle practice with national matches before the United States NRA was formed.  From wikikpedia.com:
The NRA of England was founded 12 years before the American NRA. According to wikipedia, it was founded "for the promotion of marksmanship in the interests of Defence of the Realm and permanence of the Volunteer Forces, Navy, Military and Air"
A friend who I met in Panama, Dr. Nickolas Smythe, related to me how, as a boy,  in the 1950s, he bicycled around the English countryside with a .22 rifle on his handlebars, going to various matches, because the government wished to encourage rifle marksmanship

As technology advances, many have stated that riflemen are or will become obsolete.  The are of nuclear weapons was supposed to make infantry obsolete. The demise of the rifleman has not occurred. In several recent conflicts, riflemen remain relevant.

While the battlefield shifts with defense and offense gaining relative strength; while smart weapons, drones, autonomous vehicles and directed energy weapons all change the battlespace; ground must still be held by men with personal weapons in their hands.

It may be, as technological development makes it harder for a conventional rifleman to survive, insurgents with concealable weapons will become more important.  They are not as easily identified and destroyed by drones or robots.

As long as human governments rule, men with weapons will be relevant.

Promoting skill in the use of weapons does more than merely increase the skill level in the population. It promotes a mindset of discipline, ordered competence, and independence. Armed men think and act differently than unarmed men.

©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch




AZ: One Shot, Wounded, Aggressor, Shot, Killed, Possible Disarm

How did this all unfold? MCSO says 40-year-old Jose Vera started an argument with a man when things got heated. Deputies say Vera pointed a pistol at the man before 40-year-old Telesforo Rios jumped in and tried to stop him. That's when deputies say Vera shot Rios as they wrestled for the gun. Moments later, Vera was shot dead.

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LA: Clerk Shoots, Kills, Robbery Suspect



According to BRPD, 31-year-old Rico Clayton Jr. attempted to rob the Neighbors Food Mart on Dougherty Drive around 8 a.m. Sunday. Police said a store clerk pulled out a gun and shot Clayton, leaving him critically injured.
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FL: 80-Year-Old Shoots 73-Year-Old Robbery Suspect who Attacked Him



Police said Julio Perez-Delgado pepper sprayed and punched the older man as the man entered his car outside the Royal Arcade, 5440 West 16th Ave. He demanded the man turn over his money, but Ernesto Del Monte instead reached for his firearm inside his pocket and fired several shots at Perez-Delgado.

Riddled with bullets, Perez-Delgado took off. Police eventually found him about a half-mile away after receiving a call of a man down with multiple gunshot wounds in front of 1910 West 56th St.
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CT: Gunfight, Legally Armed Man Shoots back at Man who Shot into Crowd, no Injuries



Although the shooter’s bullets didn’t hit anyone, another person — who holds a valid pistol permit — returned fire at the shooter, Jones said.


The initial shooter was arrested, but the name, age and charges of that person were not provided Saturday. The person who returned fire acted in self-defense, Jones said, and was not charged by police.

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Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Darwin in WWII, Traveling into Western Australia. Writing limited for a few days



I have been to Darwin, Australia. It is a bustling, modern small city of 160,000 or so. At the start of WWII it was about 2,000.  The Japanese command saw Darwin as a useful place for the allies to use as a supply point.

On 19 February, 1942, they attacked with a similar force used on Pear Harbor. They sunk nine ships and destroyed 30 aircraft. They killed over 230 people (more than a tenth of Darwin's civilian population) though most were sailors and soldiers. They wounded 400 more.

The attacks continued for nearly two years, until late 1943.

In the current Darwin harbor, a Japanese four masted sailing training vessel was anchored. I  saw Japanese cadets in town, shopping.

Communications in Western Australia are spotty. The distance between accomodations is far.

Posting will be effected.Writing will be limited.

I should be through it in about a week, maybe less.

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

Gun Watch


TN: Gunfight, two Killed, Defender Wounded



The shooter was identified as Cameron Denton, 25, and was found to have sustained serious injury. He was transported to a local hospital. Police secured the scene and called for the CPD Violent Crimes Bureau to respond.

After discussing the case with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office no charges will be filed at this time as Mr. Denton appears to have acted in self defense. The investigation is on-going at this time.

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KY: Domestic Defense, Man Threathens Mother and Stepfather, is shot, Wounded



Police say that Hicks had been in a verbal altercation with his stepfather, 59-year-old Anthony Cox. Police say that Hicks had made several threats against Cox, his mother, and a 15-year-old man.

A press release from the police department said that when Hick attempted to approach the three, Cox fired three shots.
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GA: Woman Fired at Suspect who Attempted Break-in



"He went for the door and tried to kick at it," Wiseman said. "He got the door knob off again. Once I popped (fired the gun) he was gone and I called police."

Wiseman fired at the suspect and missed. He got away. She said the creepiest part about the attempted break-ins is that the man didn't take anything. When she saw him, he just stared at her.

Police said that all but one of the break-ins, nothing was stolen.

"It's creepier when you don't know a motive," Wiseman said. "Like, 'What do you want?' So it's obvious he wants to harm us. We have to be ready."
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FL: More Complications in Wabash Trail Shooting Homeowner Fired 25 shots from a Rifle



The homeowner saw the armed suspects in the kitchen, retrieved a rifle and fired 25 shots at Meeks and Tillman. They returned fire and fled in a stolen car. They left behind clothing, jewelry and a stolen gun.

A blood trail was noted leaving the house.
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Monday, May 20, 2019

Mt. Carbine in the Cape York Peninsula of North Queensland, Australia



While traveling to far North Queensland, Australia, I drove through Mt Carbine. The town has a history of a typical boom-bust mining town. Wolframite was discovered there in the 1890s. The town boomed with the price high, then depopulated after the end of World War I and the crash in the price of mineral markets, particularly for Tungsten.

The mineral leases were purchased again in 1968, and the town enjoyed resurgence from 1971 to 1986. Wolframite prices were falling, and the mine and equipment were sold off in 1993.

The town is said to be named after a racehorse called Carbine. There is no particular firearms provenance in the history of Mt Carbine.  There were a some of bloody conflicts between Aboriginals and European settlers in Cape York, especially near and in the gold fields.  Chinese were supposed to be preferred to Europeans by the Aboriginals for cannibalism, as they "tasted better". Those clashes happened 20 years before Mt Carbine was founded.



©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

UT: Domiestic Defense? Man Struggles with, Shoots Woman's Ex



During the struggle, the man reportedly shot the ex-boyfriend twice in the leg.

The ex-boyfriend was taken to Intermountain Medical Center where he is said to be in critical condition.
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CA: Armed Homeowner Shoots Intruder who Attacked Him



The Thurston County Sheriff's Office said when the intruder didn’t leave, he started to come through the back door and attack the homeowner.

Detectives say the homeowner did his best to fend off the burglary suspect in his kitchen, using a piece of wood. When that wasn’t enough, he fired a single shot, hitting the intruder in the chest.

"The homeowner knew that he did the right thing, and the only thing he could do to protect himself and his wife,” Lt. Rudloff said.
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AZ: Man Responds to Girlfriend's call Holds Intruder at Gunpoint for Police



PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A Phoenix man prevented a situation from getting worse when he forced an intruder to lie down at gunpoint, according to court documents.
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ID: Woman Fires Shot; Stops Intruder Attempting Break-in


In a press release Friday, Boise police said the woman heard a noise and then noticed that her front door was ajar. So she grabbed her gun before going to investigate.

She confronted the man on her front porch and fired the gun one time, police said. He fled the scene.

More Here

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Texas Votes to Repeal Weapons Bans, Restore Second Amendment Rights to Access Clubs and Knucks



The Texas legislature has voted to repeal the state ban on the possession, manufacture, transportation, repair, or sale of knuckles; and the ban on the carrying of a club. These bans clearly infringed on the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.  Texas continues to defer to federal law on the regulation of explosive weapons, machine guns, short barreled firearms, and firearm silencers.

They continue to ban armor piercing ammunition, chemical dispensing devices, zip guns, and a tire deflation device, all with rather esoteric definitions in the law.  Perhaps the legislature is saving the repeal of the bans on those devices for another day.  From dallasnews.com:

AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers have passed legislation lifting the state ban on brass knuckles, kitty keychains and other self defense items.

The Texas Senate gave the bill its final OK on Wednesday morning; it now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature or veto. Abbott's staff did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday. Bill author Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said the bill was "another step" toward getting rid of" antiquated laws regarding weapons."

"We did it with switchblades. We did it with knives and now with knuckles," Moody said Wednesday. "Hopefully, now, with this on the way to the governor, we can ensure these types of laws aren't being used inappropriately to go after folks who have legitimate tools of self defense."
HB 446 was passed in the House, on 9 April, 2019, 147-1, with 2 absent.

It passed in the Senate, on 15 May, 2019, unanimously, 31-0.

If Governor Abbott signs the bill into law, it will  take effect 1 September, 2019.

Another step in restoring Second Amendment rights. HB 446 was filed by Joe Moody, a Texas Democrat who represents El Paso. Seeing a Democrat champion the right to arms is becoming less of a rarity, as long as the arms are not guns.  Several leftist groups have joined with Knife Rights in an attempt to reform New York's knife law, because of the abuse of the law by New York City District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.

The knife reform bill has passed the legislature at least twice by nearly unanimous votes, only to be vetoed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

It is hard to argue, as Texas Representative Moody (D)-El Paso, noted, against the carry of knives, clubs, knucks and stun guns, when the carry of firearms is perfectly legal.

Thus the restoration of Second Amendment rights for one set of self-defense tools re-infoces the restoration of the rights of others.

The repeal of the bans on stun guns, knives, clubs, and knucks serves to reinfoce the legitimacy of self-defense. Self-defense, defense of others, and defense of the community are the key to restoring Second Amendment rights.

Those who wish to disarm the population specifically target the right to self-defense and work to de-legitimize it. In England, Canada, and Australia, defense is specifically excluded as a legitimate reason to own a firearm.

People will accept police discretion for who may play games with guns, hunt, or collect. They are far less willing to allow the police to decide who will have the ability to defend themselves.

If a plastic key chain set of knucks is legitimate for self-defense, how can a pistol not be?



 ©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch  



AL: Gunfight, Armed Resident Confronts Car Burglars, no Known Injuries

According to police, Wednesday around 1:15 a.m. a homeowner in the Glynwood Subdivision called police after confronting two people going through his vehicle. The homeowner says after confronting the suspects at least one of them fired three shots at him. The homeowner then returned fire at the suspects.

Police say no one was reportedly injured from the gunfire.

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SC: Resident fired at Intruders; says one had Rifle



After hearing an “unusual” knock on his door, North Charleston Police say the apartment tenant told them he opened his door to find two men standing outside, one holding a rifle. Police say the tenant claimed one of the two men then pushed him to the floor of his apartment.

The apartment resident, who was armed with a pistol of his own, pulled his gun and fired several shots at the two men in self-defense, police say. The two men then ran away from the apartment.

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NV: Armed Robbery Suspect may have been Wounded by Homeowner



COLD SPRINGS, NV (KOLO) - Washoe County Sheriff's deputies continue the search for three people involved in a residential armed robbery. They may be driving a black sedan last reported seen at the victim's home in Cold Springs, in the area of Aquamarine and Jutewood, and they are believed to have left the Cold Springs area.

Deputies say evidence indicates one of the robbers may have been shot by the homeowner, though no injuries have been reported.
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CA: Homeowner Fires Shots at Burglary Suspect



He found the shed door partially opened. When he went to open the door, the suspect pushed the door and knocked the homeowner backwards, police said.

The homeowner had a gun and fired several rounds in the direction of the would-be burglar. It's not known if anyone was struck by a bullet, police said.
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Saturday, May 18, 2019

Joe Biden is Corrupt: My Experience at the 1984 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee with Lt. Kayne Robinson's Wife





I watched with considerable alarm as Senator Joe Biden was elected Vice President in 2008. He was a very effective insurance policy for President Barack  Obama.

Vice President Joe Biden is corrupt. He has been at least since 1984. I learned this in 1984, in an interaction I had with Lt. Kayne Robinson's wife at the NRA annual meeting in Milwaukee.

Biden is an unethical bully. I watched him on C-Span as he interrogated Lt. Kayne Robinson during a Senate committee hearing on “cop killer bullets”. The hearing took place on March 7th, 1984. Kayne was unflappable. Biden gave him a complement by saying he could make it in politics. It was months later that I heard the rest of the story.

I was at the NRA annual meeting in Milwaukee in May, 1984. Lt. Kayne Robinson was giving a small session talk. Seating was limited to about 60 people, as I recall. I saw an attractive woman in the front row by herself, and suspected that she had a connection to Lt. Robinson.

I struck up a conversation and found that she was his wife. I told her to complement him on his Senate Committee testimony, and she said that I did not know the half of it. After Lt. Robinson had testified, Biden had a staffer call Robinson's police department to apply pressure to try to get Robinson fired.

I call that very close to Stalinist tactics.

I have not been able to find a video clip of the C-Span recorded session, but I found the transcript of it.

ARMOR-PIERCING AMMUNITION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1984 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, SUBCOMMIT'rEE ON CRIMINAL LAW, Washington, DC

 From Lt. Kayne Robinson's testimony before the judiciary committee on 7 March, 1984 Page 80:
In testing our own vests in the Des Moines Police Department, we manufactured-here are some samples of bullets. It took us about 15 minutes apiece to modify commonly available, ordinary, everyday police type ammunition that would shoot through our vests with no difficulty at all and penetrate way into our bullet catching device. It is the common one that is used, but it nevertheless absorbs energy to capture the bullet.

The point is that it is very easy for anyone to make this ammunition in his own basement. It is very, very easy to do. It is going to be extremely difficult to define that kind of a situation in the law. That ammunition obviously was not originally manufactured for that purpose. Yet it was very easy to modify it. Needless to say, that is cheaper and more readily available than some of the highly restricted ammunition like the KTW that would leave a more dramatic trail, certainly, with regard to the person who bought it.

So as regards the specific proposals that I have read, the one that is before the committee, it will ban many sporting cartridges. It will ban cartridges like some of those standing before you that were not designed to be armor piercing cartridges, and that is a serious problem.

 From Page 86:
Senator BIDEN. And speaking of Iowa's battles, there IS an assistant chief named Zinzer who says you do not speak for the dt~part­ment. I guess he is your assistant chief. We just got him on the phone.

Mr. ROBINSON. Is that right? Senator BIDEN. Yes. He says specifically you do not speak for the department. 1

Mr. ROBINSON. OK.
Senator BIDEN. Is that right? Did you think you did? I mean:. I am confused here.

Mr. ROBINSON. I am not going to debate you about what Assistant Chief Zinzer has to say, sir.

Senator BIDEN. Does that surprise you that he would say that? Mr. ROBINSON. I do not have any way of knowing what he said. Senator BIDEN. I'll tell you what, you could make it in the State Department. [Laughter.]

You might be able to make it in politics...
The account of Biden attempting to use his clout as a Senator to get a police officer fired, for giving effective testimony in opposition to the bill Biden was promoting, was obtained second hand. It was from a very credible source, Lt. Kayne Robinson's wife, who was intimately involved. It was told to me two months after the events occurred.

It was over 35 years ago, but I remember it very well. It changed my perspective by opening my eyes to the seamy side of American politics.

More and more of Americans are having their eyes opened to the seamy side.

Aftermath

In 1986, the "cop-killer" bullet ban was passed. It did nothing to increase officer safety, but it did chip away at the Second Amendment.

Yes, the NRA agreed to the final legislation, which was very limited. It was fighting a rear-guard action. There is a good chance we could have won on preventing any ban at all. Neal Knox thought we could. But the people in charge at the NRA were not willing to go to the wall for it, when they thought a compromise would do nearly as well.

Biden supported the ban on some bullets, the so-called, Orwellian termed "cop-killer" bullets, in 1986, when it passed the Senate
Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), chief sponsor of the bill, along with Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), noted that it is supported by numerous law enforcement groups.
The ban was never about protecting police officers. No officer was ever killed by an "armor piercing bullet" being shot through an armor resistant vest. It was a made up controversy to create the precedent the government could regulate the type of ammunition used by the citizenry.

 ©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

TN: Gunfight, Homeowner, Attacker both Wounded



Police say the victim was in the backyard of his home on Crowe Drive when two men walked up to him and shot him in the stomach.

The victim then pulled out a gun of his own and began firing but the gunmen got away. Police are still unsure if the victim hit either during the gunfire.

The victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries but he is expected to survive.
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OH: 1 of 3 Columbus Shootings on Wednesday was Self Defense



Police said the teen was found in the neighborhood, the other man who was shot, 21-year-old Adbulrahman A. Jamea, was found at a gas station on Morse Road. Police say Jamea was accused of shooting the teen and was shot in the leg as an act of self defense.
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TX: Domestic Defense? Woman Shoots Man she says Threatened Her



Believing that her boyfriend was retrieving knives to cut her, a woman shot him Wednesday inside their south Fort Worth house, police said.

The woman shot the man five times, in his torso and his arm, Fort Worth police said. The man was in critical condition in the minutes after he was shot and was in surgery at John Peter Smith Hospital. Police did not release his name or age.
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FL: Man Shoots Stallion that Attacked Him


Stallions are known to be dangerous when mares are in heat.


The owner of the pasture says the horse was going after his mares, according to police. When he tried to remove Bolt, the horse reared up, kicked him on the shoulder and seemed to be preparing to trample him.

That's when the horse was shot, police said.

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GA: Man Shoots Pit Bull to Stop Attack, then Kills the Dog



Williams said he went inside his house to get his gun and he shot the pit bull twice to get him to let go of his dog.

"When (the dog) came up beside me after being shot twice, I realized that I had to just give him a kill shot, which I thought I did the first two times,” he said.

Williams said his dog was dead but he killed the pit bull because he feared it would attack again.

Other neighbors have also filed complaints about the pit bull, according to WSB.
More Here

Friday, May 17, 2019

Arizona Repeals Decades old Ban on Nunchakus




Arizona has finally passed a repeal of its decade long ban on the possession of nunchakus. The ban was passed in the heyday of kung-fu movies. It stood as a monument to the power of the media to pass insanely stupid and intrusive legislation. Governor Ducy signed the bill on 10 May, 2019.

From and Arizona Citizens Defense League email:
On Friday, May 10, Governor Ducey signed SB 1291, repealing the decades old law that banned possession of nunchakus. We thank everyone who contacted on the Governor about SB 1291. You made a difference.

The nunchakus ban was so broadly written that in Arizona it is technically a Class 4 felony to be in possession of a jump rope ("two or more.... handles, connected by a rope...."). Arizona was one of only four states, along with California, Massachusetts, and New York, that banned nunchakus. In 2018, New York's ban was struck down in federal court as a violation of the Second Amendment.

The repeal of the nunchakus ban will go into effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends. The target for ending a legislative session is 100 days from the start. That date was Tuesday, April 23. Right now, the legislature is haggling over the state budget. We don't expect them to be finished anytime soon.
Dr. Kelli Ward, as an Arizona state Senator, had attempted to rid the state of the silly ban in 2015. She lost her bid to replace Senator John Kyle last year, and Senator John McCain before that. This year she became Chair of the Republican party in Arizona.  RINO republicans and the main stream media dislike Dr. Ward, as seen in this latimes hit piece.

I suspect Dr. Ward had some influence in the passage of SB 1291.

It appears the nunchaku ban was passed in the 1970s, when the kung-fu movie craze was at its highest. It was also the height of lack of respect for Second Amendment protections.  Restoring Second Amendment rights to bear arms arguably started in 1961, when Washington State passed a "shall issue" permit law. But it wasn't until 1980 that Indiana passed a "shall issue" carry permit statute, followed by Maine and North Dakota in 1985, South Dakota in 1986,   and Florida in 1987. Today, all but eight hold-out states have shall issue concealed carry laws or Constitutional Carry.

Gradually ridding states of silly weapons bans such as the nunchaku ban and bans on switchblades and other edged weapons builds support for the Second Amendment right to bear arms generally. Part of the reason the Arizona law was reformed was the New York court decision that an absolute ban on Nunchakus was unconstitutional.

Bans on arms that are considered less common are part of a "salami slice" strategy of erasing Second Amendment rights. Convince legislators that a ban on switchblades is a good idea, and you have proved the principle of banning a particular class of weapon. Everything can be banned piecemeal. Pocket knives, small handguns, cheap handguns, semi-automatic handguns, large handguns. Fortunately, we have stopped that progression with the Heller decision and the later Caetano decision from the Supreme Court.

It seems bizarre that weapons bans are based on works of fiction. Arguably, the switch-blade bans were pushed over the edge by "West Side Story"; the nunchaku bans by the kung-fu movies with Bruce Lee.  There is a persistent rumor in Queensland, Australia, that the ban on pump shotguns in the 1996 weapons law was because a legislator saw one used in an Arnold Swartznegger movie.

Repealing a ban on nunchakus may not seem an earth-shattering win for Second Amendment supporters. It is another incremental step toward restoring Second Amendment rights.


©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch










SC: Employee Fires at Fleeing Bank Robbery Suspect



Deputies say witnesses told them a man gave a note to the clerk, demanding money. The robber didn't show a weapon, however, nor did he imply he had one at the time.

Deputies then say the employee grabbed his personal gun and fired at the robber as he fled the scene. No one was reportedly injured in the shooting, however.
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OH: Armed Resident Fires at Suspect that Kicked in Door



As officers arrived on scene, two suspects allegedly ran from the home. A foot pursuit began and one of the suspects ran down a back alley; the other kicked in the back door of another house nearby. Someone inside that home fired shots at the suspect, according to police. No one was injured.
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OR: Armed Resident Stops Burglary in Coos Bay



Upon arrival, police learned one person had entered the house from a basement door while two others stayed outside.

The suspects fled when one of the residents confronted them with a gun.

The suspect’s vehicle was blocked in by another resident who was returning home.

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OH: Armed Man Shoots, Kills Man who Attacked Customers, Employees



Police say an initial investigation revealed that Morgan was reportedly intoxicated and engaged in physical altercations with both customers and employees prior to the shooting.

According to police, witness accounts suggest that Morgan escalated the confrontations to the point where one of the employees felt the need to fire a weapon at Morgan, fatally striking him.

Homicide detectives are reviewing surveillance video from the scene. No charges have been filed.
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Thursday, May 16, 2019

Murder Rates Drop in Bolsonaro's Brazil: More Guns, Less Crime



During the first two months of President Bolsonaro's term, the Brazilian murder rate fell by 25%.  From riotimesonline.com:
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The murder rates in Brazil for January and February this year were 25 percent lower compared to the same period last year, according to G1’s national homicide index. The index is based on official data from the 26 states and the Federal District.
 Jair Bolsonaro was elected President of Brazil on 28 October, 2018. President Bolsonaro has been adamant about reforming Brazil's extreme gun laws, to allow more Brazilians to defend themselves.

Did President Bolsonaro's reform policies in favor of self defense cause the drop in murder rates? The answer is complicated. Bolsonaro's policies probably had a positive effect.

President Bolsonaro's opponents have routinely predicted that homicides would increase because of his reforms of Brazil's gun laws.  From worldpoliticsreview.com, in March, 2019, before the new statistics were out:
But even if the law doesn’t pass, the presidential decree already represents a step backward for public security in Brazil. Broadening access to guns puts men, women and children at higher risk of lethal violence. Bolsonaro and other gun advocates say that more armed citizens will deter shootings, but there is simply no hard evidence that loosening restrictions on firearms improves public safety or security. In fact, research from IPEA shows that for every 1 percent increase in the number of firearms in circulation in Brazil, there is a 2 percent increase in homicides. In most other countries as well, there is a similar relationship between permissive gun laws and gun-related homicides.
Note the last sentence in the quote above. The author is not talking about a decrease in homicides, rather a decrease in gun-related homicides.

Those who wish a disarmed population assume that more guns = more crime. But numerous studies show there is no clear relationship. Some studies, done by John Lott and others show more guns = less crime. The effects are not extreme, but the overall trend shows a decrease in violent crime when more people are armed. Many studies show no relationship between guns and overall murder rates.

Decreasing gun-related homicides is ineffective if the overall homicide rate remains the same or increases. Much of the argument about restrictive gun law is about substitution effects. It does not matter to a murder victim if they are killed with a bomb or knife instead of a gun.  Making guns harder to get can also mean making victims easier to kill because they are unarmed.

President Bolsnaro issued his first decree reforming some of Brazil's extreme gun laws on 15 January, 2019. How could his decree have such a dramatic effect in such a short time? It is unlikely that the total number of Brazilians with legal guns increased significantly in from January 15th to the end of February.

The answer is an inversion of the copycat effect. Just as some people are more likely to commit horrific crimes because of media publicity, criminals are less likely to commit violent crime if they perceive the risk to be great because of media coverage.

When President Bolsonaro was elected, the publicity of his desired reform of the gun laws was tremendous. His actual reform decree on 15 January was widely reported all over the world.

Potential murders and violent criminals watch TV, listen the radio, and surf the Internet. When their perception is that crime is more risky, crime rates decrease.

There are historical examples that illustrate this effect. When women were widely reported to receive firearms training in Orlando, Florida, in 1966, the number of rapes decreased by 88% in the next year. There were similar effects when Kennesaw Georgia received substantial publicity for an ordinance requiring a gun in the home (an 89% decrease in residential burglaries). Several other instances are cited by Professor Gary Kleck in his seminal work, Point Blank, Guns and Violence in America.

In order to continue the initial drop in homicides, Brazil will need to reinforce the perception that violent crimes have become more dangerous.

The high level of reporting, as President Bolsonaro reinforces his push to reform the extreme gun laws, should help.  There was world wide coverage of his second reform decree on 7 May, 2019.

President Bolsonaro can assist by keeping the gun law reforms in the news.

The media in Brazil should publish stories of citizens purchasing guns, citizens receiving gun training, and successful instances of citizens using guns for defense of self, others, and their homes.

By the end of 2019, we will see if the experiment in reducing homicides by reforming the gun laws to make self defense easier, has had an effect.

Over the long term, more Brazilians will need to be armed and capable of defending themselves on the street to sustain changes in how criminals perceive the risks of violent crime.

©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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