How to Influence the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

You can influence the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has become the linchpin for preserving the Constitution of the United States of America. Over the last 70 years, the SCOTUS had been used to radically change the United States legal structure. Progressive justices, both Democratic and Republican, have used the power of the court to accomplish things which could never have been passed through the Congress. This was one of the methods Progressives considered as ways to "get around" the limits on government power which the Constitution put into place.

As the people of the United States realized the profound changes the Supreme Court justices were making, they elected Republican presidents. Some Republican presidents started selecting Justices who would apply the Constitution as it was written, instead of the way Progressive leaders desired. In 2016, the people elected President Donald Trump. Donald Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices who held to the philosophy of Originalism and Textualism, creating the first majority originalist and textualist court in 70 years. Several previous, obviously unconstitutional decisions were reversed.

The pernicious Chevron Doctrine was struck down, removing the assumption that the administrative bureaucrats always know best, returning a semblance of independent judiciary review to administrative decisions.

The Bruen decision was written by Justice Clarence Thomas, confirming
the Second Amendment protects the right of the people to bear arms.

Roe v. Wade was reversed, returning the power of regulating abortion to the States.

Those who favor a government of unlimited power were not happy to see SCOTUS daring to follow the Constitution. They threatened the Justices from the front steps of the Supreme Court. They refused to protect justices and encouraged acts of violence. They threatened to gain control of the court through use of executive and congressional power.

Supreme Court justices are humans. They have varying degrees of courage. They should not, but can be intimidated. It appears some Justices, particularly Chief Justice Roberts, is afraid of the current administration, particularly when it comes to Second Amendment decisions.

A similar situation happened 90 years ago, when the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration threatened to pack SCOTUS. The court backed off. It started reversing decisions. Eventually, as Roosevelt was re-elected to an unprecedented four terms, the court became entirely Progressive. Justices read the media. They watch elections.

Constitutional Scholar Mark Smith has repeatedly stated: If former President Donald Trump is re-elected in November, especially if the Congress comes under Republican control, Chief Justice Roberts will gain confidence, lose fear, and the court will rapidly start to restore Second Amendment rights, with several decisions designed to slap down those circuit courts which are defying the Supreme Court on the Second Amendment.

This is how we influence the Supreme Court of the United States:

Elect Donald Trump as president of the United States. Keep control of the House of Representatives in Republican hands. Gain control of the Senate by Republicans. Supreme Court Justices who believe in originalism, textualism and the rule of law will be emboldened. They will expect to gain reinforcements on the court, instead of threats to pack the court. They will expect respect and aid from the executive branch instead of not so subtle threats.

Elect a government friendly to the Constitution, and the Supreme Court will be emboldened to uphold the Constitution.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

FL: Volusia County Father fires Rifle at Vehicle in Self Defense

Detectives learned the driver, identified as 47-year-old Marcus Blicker, started following and erratically swerving at 2 vehicles (driven by a neighbor’s son and his friend) after they drove past his house in their vehicles. The son called his father and told him he was being followed. When they got to the house, Blicker pulled in too, yelling and threatening the two drivers.

The father came outside armed with a rifle, told Blicker to leave, and fired warning shots in the air. Blicker’s truck reversed for a moment, then sped forward toward the father and another person who was standing nearby. The father fired several shots at the truck as it drove at them, and the truck came to a stop in the front yard.

The incident was captured on video and audio recordings, which supported the shooter’s and witnesses’ accounts.

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IL: Herrick Home Invasion ends with Death of Wade M. Barnes

“At 5:25 a.m., the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a home invasion in progress at a rural Herrick address within Shelby County,” McReynolds said in a press release. “The suspect was identified as Wade M. Barnes, 19 years old, of Cowden. Barnes was known by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office due to prior involvements, including a current criminal case.”

During the break-in to the residence, Barnes was threatening the occupants. An occupant armed themselves and issued verbal warnings for Bames to stop, according to McReynolds.

“Barnes continued into the residence, ignoring the warning,” McReynolds said. “Shots were fired in the direction of Barnes, striking him. EMS was dispatched. EMS transported to Good Shepherd Hospital, in Shelbyville, where he succumbed to his injuries, and was pronounced deceased at 7:16 a.m.”

According to online court records, Barnes was charged on Oct. 9 with aggravated fleeing from a police officer, possessing a firearm without a FOID card, transporting liquor by a driver under 21, damage to property greater than $300 and operating an uninsured vehicle. His next court appearance was scheduled for Nov. 20.

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MS: Adams County dispute over cup of ice Becomes Fatal Confrontation

Sheriff Patten stated this appears to be a senseless act of violence that will forever change two families’ lives. The shooter had placed a cup of ice down while inside
the store with other customers. The victim entered the store and retrieved a few drinks when he accidentally knocked the cup over. An argument ensued after the shooter implied he had a weapon but never pulled or pointed it at the victim. Keating then left the store and retrieved a handgun from his vehicle. Once he re-entered the store, he immediately confronted the shooter. The argument turned physical when Keating assaulted the shooter and the shooter in return, shot Keating multiple times.

Sheriff Patten explained that investigators have obtained a great deal of evidence (Video, Audio, & Witness Statements) and everyone present at the time of the shooting has been cooperative including the shooter. Sheriff Patten has consulted the District Attorney’s Office and requested the next Grand Jury consider the case to determine the appropriate charges or whether the homicide was justifiable.

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CT: Armed Victim Stops Knife Attack

The victim was not injured, police said, adding he reported that a man, later identified as Claud, charged at him with a knife in the parking lot. 

Police said the victim pulled his legally possessed firearm and was able to deter the attack. They said Claud then fled the area in his vehicle, but was later found in a local business in West Haven that police had tracked that car to.

 

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IL: Chicago, Car Burglar Shot during an Attempted Disarm of Armed Victim

CHICAGO — A man trying to break into a car in the Austin neighborhood on the city’s West Side overnight was caught by the car’s owner, a retired Chicago police officer, and shot in the right shoulder when the retired officer’s gun discharged during an ensuing struggle.

Initial police reports indicated that just before 2:30 a.m. Thursday, a 53-year-old man was attempting to break into a vehicle in the 300 block of North Mayfield Avenue when he was confronted by the vehicle’s owner, who fired a shot.

 

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Elon Musk offers $47 for Signatures of Registered Voters who Support Second Amendment

 

Elon Musk is offering $47 to registered voters in swing states for each signature referred of other registered voters who pledge support for the First and Second Amendments.

Presidential Candidate Donald Trump held a return rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to show his resolve in the face of two nearly successful assassination attempts. Elon Musk, staunch supporter of the First Amendment and genius entrepreneur, spoke in support of the First and Second Amendment. Elon made this generous offer:

In appreciation for your support, you will receive $47 for each registered voter you refer that signs this petition.

Our goal is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign in support of the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. This program is exclusively open to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada,  Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Expires October 21.

The petition requires first and last name, email address, cell phone number (to confirm identity of the signer, only) and mailing address. Once a person has signed the petition, they can refer others to sign.

The petition is available online. If you wish to show this correspondent, who is a registered voter in Arizona, as the person who referred you, you may put the email address of isherllc@gmail.com in the referral box. For the petition to be valid, the signer must be a registered voter in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, or North Carolina. You do not need to show who referred you to sign the petition.  This correspondent has signed the petition.

Elon Musk has placed himself squarely with former President Donald Trump in this election. It is a simple act of defense of self and the Republic of the United States of America. Elon is a naturalized citizen of the Republic. When Elon purchased X (formerly Twitter) in order protect free speech and to fight censorship, he placed himself, and his fortune in extreme jeopardy.

Elon Must has been relentlessly attacked by the Biden administration. The current administration has used their power to hinder his operation of Space X by delaying permission for his launches. When the Biden administration held a conclave of electric vehicle manufacturers, Musk owned Tesla, the foremost electric vehicle manufacturer, was not invited.  When Elon Musk proffered the low bid for rural broadband delivery, with Starlink, the bid was accepted by the FCC, then rejected by the Biden administration. Leftist influencer Keith Olberman has called for the Biden administration to deport Elon Musk.

Analysis:

Elon Musk has seen how this authoritarian abuse of power proceeds in other countries. If a Harris administration is placed in power, the enterprises owned by Elon Musk will be either be destroyed or co-opted by the government. The Biden/Harris administration has repeatedly ignored the rule of law. They have censored the opposition and conspired to illegitimately jail opponents. They have weaponized the Department of Justice to prosecute the opposition candidate, Donald Trump. They have been the most anti-Second Amendment administration in the history of the USA.

If candidate Harris becomes president with Democratic Party control of Congress, the election process will be altered to make a win by a supporter of the Constitution impossible. The Supreme Court will be neutered and/or packed with far left Harris supporters. The current censorship will be magnified many times.

A Trump administration has already shown it will allow Elon Musk to maintain control of his enterprises and will encourage him to succeed in free market competition.

This correspondent believes those who sign the petition will be encouraged to vote.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

IL: Chicago Man Shoots, Wounds 1 of 4 Carjackers

CHICAGO (CBS) — A teen was hospitalized after being shot by a FOID and concealed carry license holder during a carjacking in Auburn Gresham Thursday morning.

It happened just before 5:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of West 82nd Street.

Chicago police said the victim, a 47-year-old man, was inside his vehicle when a group of about four unknown males approached. The offenders demanded the victim's vehicle before discharging a chemical agent on the victim.

The victim, who has a valid FOID and CCL holder, then fired his gun.

One of the offenders, a 16-year-old boy, was hit in his left knee and suffered a graze wound to the left arm. He was taken to Christ Hospital in fair condition. 

 

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CA: Sacamento Man shoots Intruder attempting to break in

A man shot an intruder who was attempting to break into a house Wednesday morning in Sacramento's East Del Paso Heights neighborhood, officials said.

Emergency medical services were dispatched around 9:19 a.m. to Grand Avenue and Pinell Street.

Officers with the Sacramento Police Department upon arrival found a man with at least one gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to survive, Sac police said.

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OH: Gun fight in Canton, Woman Stops Armed Robbery

Deceased is Rajhion Davis. A police report said he was shot while showing a gun as he tried to rob the female victim.

A 911 call received at 8:19 p.m. Tuesday directed officers to a shooting in the area, Police Chief John Gabbard said in a prepared statement on Wednesday morning.

Officers contacted 19-year-old at the scene. Canton Fire Department medics took her to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, where she was in stable condition Wednesday.

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NM: Bernalillo County Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide that occurred Tuesday morning. Deputies responded to a call at approximately 3:45 a.m. regarding an intruder at a home in the vicinity of Lost Horizon Drive NW.

The homeowner reported shooting the intruder, who was then found critically injured. The individual was taken to UNMH, where they were later pronounced dead.

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Paperwork Disputes result in 150 firearms Confiscated in New South Wales, Australia

On October 16, 2024, 9news.com.au in Australia published an article about police confiscation of 150 guns. Most of the guns were confiscated at what appears to be a gun shop in Liverpool, a suburb of Sidney. A man and a woman were arrested. Both were released. Later, the man was arrested again and charged. A man and a woman were arrested in Port Macquarie when a search of a property at Bobs Creek turned up two replica guns and several boxes of ammunition.  The dark blue arrow shows the location of Bobs Creek. From 9news.com:

Over 150 guns have been seized and three people have been charged after an investigation into fake firearm licences across New South Wales.

Police allege businesses based in Liverpool, in Sydney's southwest, and Bobs Creek, south of Port Macquarie, had provided over 1000 people with fraudulent permission to shoot licences for a fee, which allowed them to obtain gun licences.

The majority of those people were from south-west Sydney, with some linked to organised crime.

Bobs Creek is a rural area about 15 miles (23 kilometers South of Port Macquarie.

In the current case, three people have been charged. All are out on bail.  One is a 50-year-old firearms dealer from Sydney. He is charged with 17 counts of failing to keep labels and records, and giving ammunition to a person not authorized to use it.

One is a 48 year old woman from Port Macquarie. She is charged with 14 counts of making a false document for financial advantage.

The third person is a 39 year old man from Port Macquarie. He is charged with two counts of possessing an unauthorized firearm and possessing ammunition without holding a license. This correspondent's speculation is the "unauthorized firearms" charges are for the two replica guns. The charge for possessing a replica gun and real gun is the same in New South Wales, Australia. The 9news.com reporting did not mention any real guns as found in Port Macquarie.

The investigation and raid appear to be centered around the allegations of documents used to show permission to shoot on a property in western New South Wales, hundreds of miles west of the coast. The allegations are about a thousand people were given permission to shoot on the remote property, when only one person's permission met the legal standards. In addition to the 150+ firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and $380,000 dollars in cash were seized.

In the Draconian Australian gun control scheme, only people with a "genuine reason" for owning a firearm are granted a license. People must apply to the Police Commissioner. Issuance of a license is theoretically discretionary and subjective. From the NSW statute:

The Commissioner may issue a licence in respect of an application, or refuse any such application.

In practice, most licenses are granted if the proper paperwork is submitted. One "genuine reason" to own a guns is a "permission to shoot" given by a land owner or property manager of rural land.

Analysis:

This correspondent suspects the "permission to shoot" was for the purpose of recreational hunting/vermin control (b1). From  nsw.gov.au:

Reason: recreational hunting/vermin control

The applicant must—

(b1)  produce proof of permission given by a land manager within the meaning of the Forestry Act 2012 to shoot on land in respect of which the land manager is authorised to exercise functions as land manager under that Act, or

If the "land manager" did not have the proper permission to be a "land manager", then the permissions given might be fraudulent.  This correspondent traveled in western New South Wales in 2019. There is a lot of land with little on it but kangaroos, goats (considered vermin) and very sparse graze.

 

Kangaroos are a common road hazard in western New South Wales.

Feral Goats are an exotic introduced species in Australia. They do much damage and are considered vermin.

Feral goats seen while on the road to Broken Hill, western New South Wales.

An alternate explanation was given by a source who has lived in New South Wales for 50 years. The source speculated the "permissions" to shoot were given to immigrant Muslims, as part of a way to train Muslim paramilitaries. Liverpool in New South Wales has a large immigrant population of Muslims.  This is pure speculation from the source.

This correspondent suspects a paramilitary organization would have had more arrests or better paperwork excuses. To this correspondent it appears the gun shop owner and/or the "land manager" got a little sloppy or creative, or a combination of both with the somewhat fluid definitions of "genuine" reason to possess firearms.  In the USA, the ATF has a current "zero tolerance" for paperwork errors.

The history of government controls over the ownership of arms shows a long, slippery slope where initial controls are gradually tightened over time, making legal ownership of firearms more and more difficult.

In the United States, the Supreme Court has ruled such subjective and discretionary schemes are not allowed under the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

 ©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

LA:Victim Wounded while defending Self

Victim Information:KNOWN  

Suspect Information:Unknown

 Gist:The victim was sitting on the curb when a friend was driving by and noticed him. The friend stopped and asked if he was okay, at which time the victim advised her that he was shot. The friend placed the victim in her vehicle, and he handed her a gun and advised her to give it to the police and stated it was self-defense. The victim was taken to a local hospital via private conveyance with a gunshot wound to the chest.Provided By: 730C (Sgt. S. Matthews)

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Or:Domestic Defense? Armed Man Assaults Woman, is Shot by Third Person

Upon arrival officers found 58-year-old Darrel Dow Dodd unconscious with apparent gunshot wounds. Although they attempted life saving efforts, they were unable to revive Dodd.

During their investigation, detectives learned that Dodd, who was armed, had broken into the residence where he began assaulting and strangling a female. He also threatened to stab her. Police say the two knew each other. Another person tried to intervene, but police say Dodd continued his attack, and that’s when he was shot twice by the third individual.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Elon Musk, SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla, and the Second Amendment

 

Starshp test five, first booster catch, just before catch occurs October 13, 2024

The future of Elon Musk, SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla and the Second Amendment are inexorably linked together with the future of the United States of America. 

Link to video of Elon Musk supporting the Constitution

This correspondent watched in amazement and awe as the SpaceX Starship performed its fifth test flight. The Starship is made mostly of stainless steel. Starship is the largest spaceship and rocket system ever built. It is designed to take 100-200 tons into orbit at a time. The booster (first stage) is about 400 feet tall. The cost to take a kilogram to orbit, before SpaceX, was about $11,000 to $13,000 per kilogram, or about $5000 to $6000 per pound. The Starship is projected to reduce the price of cost to orbit to $25-$15 per kilogram or $12-$7 per pound, a reduction of 99.8%.

The booster is about the shape of a crayon, but almost 400 feet long and 30 feet wide. To be recovered, it comes down with its motors slowing the descent until it hovers on its exhaust next to the launch tower. Two large arms on the tower, called chopsticks, grab the vehicle and hold it. At that point, the engines cut off.  The first test of the recovery system and the first successful recovery of the reusable booster occurred on October 13, 2024. 

The upper, orbital stage of the Starship came down a little later as part of the test. It successfully came down inside the buoys set for the test. It hovered for a few moments at the surface of the Indian Ocean then dropped into the water. In this test the Starship was not meant to be recovered. It was a complete success.

The incredible success of Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink are only possible in the United States of America. Only in the USA is the rule of law sufficiently established and honored that private projects of the magnitude, vision, genius, and impact as those of Elon Musk are tolerated. Only in the United States would Elon Musk be allowed to put the profits of those projects into new and greater projects. This can only happen if the rule of law is honored, if the rules are not constantly changed by executive fiat, if the government allows men of genius and vision to accomplish great projects which are not subject to the political whims of rulers.

The political fight in the United States is about restoring the Constitutional limits on government, and therefore, the rule of law, to the United States. It is all about restraining the US government, which has escaped the bounds of the Constitution, back to its proper place as serving the people and preserving their rights, including property rights and the safety of their persons.

Restoring Second Amendment rights is at the heart of the process of restoring the limits on government power. The Bill of Rights is in the heart of the rule of law.  Only in America are individuals free to own firearms without government permission and without being on a government registration list. Switzerland had less regulation of firearms than the United States, before 1998. Threats from the European Union pushed the Swiss into installing a regime of firearm and weapons restrictions which are now more restrictive than those of most of the United States.

Elon Musk, as a migrant from South Africa, knows how the descent into tyranny and away from the rule of law works. He saw it happen in Rhodesia, on the border of South Africa, when it became Zimbabwe. He saw it happen in South Africa. He saw it happen in Venezuela. He sees it happening in the United States of America. The Biden administration has been at the forefront of attacking the Bill of Rights, the rule of law, and Constitutional limits on government power. The Biden administration and the Democratic Party have directly attacked Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink. They have directly attacked Elon Musk's exemplary defense of the First Amendment through his purchase of Twitter. This election is make or break.

If Kamala Harris becomes president, she has vowed to gain control of the Supreme Court. The policies to do so are already drafted by the Biden administration. Harris' actions show she will continue to attack the Second Amendment (ban "assault weapons") and put in place gun registration ("universal background checks"). Harris and her Vice Presidential candidate, Governor Walz, despise free speech and consider control of the information flow over social media absolutely essential.  They cannot allow Starlink and Twitter to promote free speech and the free flow of information. If they cannot control the flow of information, they lose. Hillary Clinton recently explained, if social media companies do not moderate their content "we lose total control". From thenypost.com:

Clinton told CNN host Michael Smerconish that while there have been some steps taken at the state level to regulate social media, she wants to see more done by the federal government to moderate content.

Moderate content, in this political context, means censorship. The power of the unrestrained government in the United States rests on control of the information flow. When the truth of what the deep state is doing is revealed, they are booted from office. They lose control. 

The pattern of increasing government control is clear. Gain control and/or cow the Supreme Court into compliance with the executive branch. Censor opposition voices and shut down opposition media. Confiscate/regulate large private enterprises until they become mere appendages of the government. Register and confiscate firearms and ammunition, make legal ownership totally dependent on government permission. Arrest, fine, lock up opposition leadership and those who are seen as opposing the regime in power. Control the voting apparatus so that the opposition can never win another meaningful election.

All of those actions are either in process or being called for by influential members of the Democratic Party.  X (formerly twitter) is at risk. Starlink is at risk. Tesla is at risk. SpaceX is at risk. Elon Musk is at risk. Donald Trump is at risk. All supporters of the First and Second Amendments are at risk. We are all in this together.  To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin: Either we stand together and triumph, or fail to fight a common foe and are destroyed piecemeal.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

SC: Horry County, Disarm Attempt, Suspect Shot, Killed

Officers were told that Ryan Surujnauth, 34, was trying to enter the victim’s home.

During the incident, the victim and suspect reportedly struggled over a firearm, resulting in shots fired and the suspect sustaining a gunshot wound.

Upon arrival, officers found the suspect inside the home, bleeding and unconscious.

Surujnauth died at Grand Strand Medical Center from multiple gunshot wounds. Horry County Police Department is investigating.

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PA: Domestic Defense in Darby, 16-Year-Old Son Shoots Mother's Boyfriend

Bernhardt said Monday afternoon that from information detectives have gathered so far, the deceased got into an argument with his girlfriend, the 16-year-old’s mother. She put the man out of the house, but later let him return and that was when things really escalated, Bernhardt said.

The deceased allegedly had the woman pinned to the ground with a knife to her throat in front of both of her children at one point, and that is when the juvenile is believed to have shot the deceased in defense of his mother, according to Bernhardt. Police are still working out exact details, he said, but two firearms were recovered.

 

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IL: Victim of Drive-by Shooting Returns Fire

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Two Rockford men and two juveniles were charged in connection to a drive-by shooting in the parking lot of West Side Stop, 937 School Street.

According to Rockford Police, officers responded to the 900th block of School Street, near the Lee Street intersection, on Saturday night for reports of gunshots.

Witnesses say a vehicle drove through the parking lot and fired several shots toward a nearby group. One individual, an unidentified man, returned fire.

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MA: Man who shot Attacker in Self Defense Loses Job

BOSTON (VINnews) — The man who allegedly shot an anti-Israel attacker who charged through traffic and tackled him in Newton, Massachusetts, says that he has lost his job as a result of the incident. Scott Hayes was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and released on bail on September 13 after he shot Caleb Gannon in self-defense.

According to Kassy Akiva of Daily Wire, Hayes, a disabled Iraq War veteran, was employed by a company that is contracted with National Grid, however he was informed that the energy giant refuses to work with him due to the shooting.

 

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SC: Robbery and Attempted Disarm, Victim and Suspect Both Wounded

The two people met up in the 700 block of Patriot Parkway, which is west of Interstate 77 and south of Cherry Road, to "engage in the sale of THC vapes," according to the Rock Hill Police Department.

Authorities claim the suspect got into the victim's car and showed the victim a gun with the intent to rob them. Officials believe a struggle over the gun started, and during that struggle, the victim was shot in the abdomen and the suspect was shot in the arm. Both were taken to a nearby hospital for their injuries.

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TX: Domestic defense, two Brothers Killed Defending Woman and Children

The woman's boyfriend then came over, where he was confronted by the three brothers outside. Police said that is when the boyfriend reportedly pulled out a gun and fatally struck 2 of them.

HCSO said one of the three brothers also pulled out a weapon and returned fire at the suspect, who ran back to the home where he shared with the woman.

HCSO said that shortly after, the woman's boyfriend then turned the gun on himself once deputies arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said the two brothers who were killed were in their 30s and 50s.

 

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FOIA Find: Russian Experience with Bear Spray and Polar Bear

Wrangel Island near center, at about 71 degrees north latitude

A Russian security man's use of bear spray with a polar bear makes an amusing story with serious lessons. The incident was recorded by Anatoly Kochnev in 1993. It was uncovered as part of the Polar Bear-Human Information Management System database (PBHIMS) with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by AmmoLand. Further investigation revealed the live-journal blog where the original account was recorded.

Attempting to use bear spray to discourage a persistent young male polar bear had unpleasant results for the people involved. No one was seriously injured.

The incident happened on Wrangel Island on September 4, 1993. A computer translator from Russian to English appears to have been used to put the account in the PBHIMS. Use of the original Russian account and several translators allowed the resolution of some minor ambiguities. The names are probably not correct, as they are spelled in different ways by different translations.

In September of 1993, Japanese film makers were filming polar bears on Wrangel Island. Wrangel Island is part of Russia with a checkered history, in the Chukchi sea. It has a large concentration of polar bears for several months each year, and an even larger concentration of tens of thousands of walrus. The polar bears arrive in significant concentrations to feed on dead walrus, walrus calves, and stranded whales. Polar bear cubs are often the target of dominant boars (male bears).

It is very difficult to obtain permits to visit the island. Visitors are not allowed to have firearms. In 1993, Japanese filmmakers were able to bring in bear spray. Flare guns were allowed. Huts on the island were left over from previous occupants, and are heavily fortified against polar bears. The bears tend to be less aggressive because enough food is available to prevent starvation. One website claims the Island is used for Russian military exercises, and Russian military personnel occasionally kill bears.

The relevant report has been lightly edited to make for easier reading and to clarify a few mistranslations. Ivanitch is the Russian security man. Kenomaru is from the Japanese film crew. The remote camera was about 400 meters from the cabin where most of the action occurs.

In the evening a young male bear appeared on the Doubtful Spit. He did not pose in front of the remote camera, but immediately started to break it. What I, in principle, warned the Japanese about ... The cost of the camera was considerable, so Ivanitch and Kenomaru rushed to rescue it. They successfully took it away from the bear. He managed to bite through the enclosure, but the camera remained operational. 

The bear did not calm down. As soon as it got dark and Ivanich cooked supper, the animal went up to the cabin and began drumming with its front paws on the metal roof. The roar was terrifying, the rooms were shaking. 

Then Ivanitch got the idea to try pepper spray. He took the can, removed the safety catch from the lever, stood near the door and began to wait for the bear to get tired of knocking on the roof. Indeed, the bear quickly got bored of the entertainment, and he went around the cabin, sniffing noisily. When the sounds of air being drawn into the nostrils approached the door, Ivanitch opened a small gap and sprayed. And it began!

A small gust of wind sent almost all of the spray back into the cabin. Everything was filled with pepper mist. Kenomaru and Ivanitch did not stay inside for long. The pepper burned the skin and eyes. After a few minutes the experimenters jumped out screaming, fell into the snow and began rubbing their eyes. The danger of falling into a bear's clutches was ignored because no one thought about the beast. As soon as Ivanitch walked away a little, he immediately fired a flare. In its light, the figure of a bear appeared, which stood a few meters away and gazed at the circus performance in bewilderment. The flare made him leave the spectacle at a quick gallop.

After the occupants recovered and managed to air out the cabin, Ivanitch needed to urinate. He left the cabin, but forgot his fingers were contaminated with bear spray. The skin of private parts is sensitive, particularly to hot peppers. Many people who have eaten hot peppers with their bare fingers know what happened next.  The pain can be considerable. Most of the lotions available in the first aid kit arrived the next morning, in an attempt to ease the pain.

In the comments, the recorder of the incident is asked if the bear spray caused the bear to leave. He emphatically states, no, it was the weird behavior of the humans. This makes some sense, as polar bears tend to be cautious about taking prey they are unfamiliar with. Any serious injury  to a bear is likely to cause death through starvation.

This humorous incident shows the danger of using bear spray in an enclosed space. If the polar bear had been a bit more hungry or less cautions, the incident could have had a tragic ending.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

IN: Domestic Defense in Indianapolis? Woman pulls gun, is shot

Ram Singh said he checked the victim and a young child into the hotel after she and another man drove in from North Carolina.

Surveillance cameras outside the hotel allegedly showed an argument between two men known to the victim, during which the woman appeared to pull out a gun and one of the men responded by firing in her direction.

That shooter initially left the scene, but later surrendered and was released pending further investigation by the prosecutor’s office.

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CA: Man who Demanded to Kill Family, is Shot by Homeowner

After, investigators report Lugo began pounding the front door of the home with a hammer and began forcing his way in while simultaneously demanding the occupants come out so he could kill them.

Fearing for his family’s life, detectives say the homeowner retrieved a handgun and fired a round through the door, striking Lugo.

Police say Lugo fled the front door but was detained nearby. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound.

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AR: Father Shoots Man found in Car with his Child. No Charges Yet

 

According to authorities, deputies with the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home shortly after 1 a.m. after a juvenile was reported missing.

The deputies were told on the way to the home that Aaron Spencer, the father of the juvenile, had found the juvenile in a car with Michael Fosler, according to officials.

Authorities said there was an altercation between the two men which led to Fosler being shot. Officials said Fosler was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies said they took Spencer into custody on a preliminary charge of first-degree murder, and he was taken to the Lonoke County Detention Center.

As of Monday, no formal charges have been filed against Spencer, and no additional details have been released.

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TX: Houston Neighbor pushes into home, Threatens to Kill Homeowner, is Shot

According to the Houston Police Department, the neighbor, a young man, was drunk and knocked on the other man's door and accused him of calling the police on him. HPD said the accusations were not true.

At some point, the young man pushed his way into the home and threatened to kill the other man.

That's when the shooter opened fire, hitting the man twice. The man who was shot was taken to an area hospital and is expected to be OK. He's also expected to be charged. The shooter's case will be referred to a grand jury to determine whether charges are warranted.

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Amicus Brief in the Montana GFSZ case to be filed by Michel & Associates, P.C.

At the Gun Rights Policy Conference in San Diego, in 2024, this correspondent spoke to C.D. Michel about challenges to the Gun Free School Zone (GFSZ) Act. Michel & Associates have maintained an exceptional presence in Second Amendment lawsuits aimed at restoring the Second Amendment.

Michel & Associates has filed an amicus brief (friend of the court) in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals GFSZ case. When asked about the the GFSZ case in Montana, C.D. Michel asked for the particulars. The next morning, Konstadinos T. Moros, who is an attorney at Michel & Associates, informed me he will be filing an amicus brief in the Billings Montana GFSZ case.  The case, USA v Metcalf, is being appealed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Michel & Associates will be representing the California Rifle and Pistol Association, the Second Amendment Law Center, the Second Amendment Foundation, and Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. More organizations or individuals may be added by the time the brief is filed. Moros explained the amicus briefs are due in November of 2024 for the Ninth Circuit case.

This correspondent assumes the brief will be similar to the amicus brief filed on July 19, 2024, in the USA v Allam case in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Constitutional issues in both cases are similar. The facts of the cases are considerably different.

Gabriel Metcalf is an exemplary citizen with no criminal record. He moved to Billings to help his aging mother. He was attacked by a neighbor who was subsequently found guilty of assault and violating a restraining order. Gabriel was repeatedly assured by local law enforcement officials his actions were within his rights, as the officials attempted to persuade him not to exercise those rights. Gabriel and his mother live across the street from a local school.  This may be a useful distinction.

Unable to legally arrest Gabriel, the Billings Police enlisted the assistance of federal law enforcement.  Gabriel and his mother sought help from the FBI to end the harassment by local police, also hoping to persuade the local police to enforce the restraining order against their former neighbor.

Under the pretext of responding to the plea for help, a combined local police and ATF task force contacted Gabriel on a telephone call. They obtained information about carry of his single shot Rossi shotgun. They asked Gabriel to stop carrying the shotgun where others could see it. Gabriel complied and stored the shotgun before the school year started.  The task force used the call to Gabriel, with information from Billings Police and neighbors, to obtain a warrant. They arrested Gabriel and searched Gabriel and his mother's home. They unnecessarily broke a door and seized the Rossi single shot shotgun and six rounds of 20 gauge ammunition. The federal prosecutor charged Gabriel with violating the federal Gun Free School Zone Act.

The case has been extensively covered at AmmoLand. Gabriel entered a plea deal to stay out of prison. The plea deal preserved the right to challenge the constitutionality of the GFSZ Act on appeal.

In the Fifth Circuit case, little is known about the defendant. It is uncertain if he has as stellar a character as Gabriel Metcalf.  Character should not be considered in appeals cases on fundamental constitutional rights. However, Judges are human. Bad facts make for bad law.

The Fifth Circuit has tended to follow Supreme Court precedent for upholding Second Amendment rights. The Ninth Circuit has a considerable history of defying the Supreme Court to deny Second Amendment rights. Different outcomes in the two cases would make it more likely the Supreme Court will hear another challenge to the GFSZ act. The first case was USA v Lopez in 1995. In Lopez, the court found the GFSZ act to be unconstitutional because the federal government exceeded its power under the Commerce Clause.  President Clinton and his AG, Janet Reno, successfully lobbied for a dozen word change in the law. Some circuit courts have upheld the law as constitutional with the changed words.

Analysis:

Much depends on the 2024 election. The inferior courts which are defying the Supreme Court are fighting a delaying action, hoping for a Harris presidency to change the makeup of the Supreme Court. A Harris Supreme court would be Progressive instead of originalist and textualist. It would reverse the Heller, McDonald, Caetano, and Bruen decisions, pushing the Second Amendment to legal irrelevancy.  If President Trump regains the presidency, the Supreme Court is likely to make short work of the current defiance of their Second Amendment decisions in the inferior courts.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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GA:Atlanta Man Shoots, Kills Armed Robbery Suspect

Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach spoke exclusively with the shooter, who identified himself only as Joe. He says he’s not facing charges because he shot the man in self-defense.

Joe said he and his roommate invited a friend over to watch football on Sunday night. He believes that friend had two other people come to the door and pull on gun on him,

“I told them to leave. They left with no contest. When I turn around, there’s a barrel of a gun to my face. My roommate wrestled the victim to the ground with the gun pointed to me…which they separated and I opened fire in self-defense,” Joe said. “The victim had a gun in his hand and everything.”

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Gun Registration in Sri Lanka equals Gun Confiscation

Flag of the Democratic socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)

The Sri Lanka government has issued a directive requiring all people who have firearms and a permit to posses them for self defense to turn the firearms, ammunition, and permits the possess to the military authorities. The firearms must be surrendered by November 7, 2024. From dailynews.lk:

The Ministry of Defense has decided to temporarily take back all firearms and ammunition issued to civilians for self defense.

According to the powers vested on the Defense Secretary by Section 6 (1) and 6 (2) of the 1916 Firearms Act No. 33, these firearms and ammunition issued to civilians for self defense are being retrieved to conduct a review on them and to consider on returning them back after the conclusion of the review.

“All license holders must return their firearms and ammunition to the government’s Commercial Explosives Storage Facility in Welisara before November 07, 2024”, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement issued.

The government does not acknowledge any private property rights to firearms.

Historically, "temporary" orders requiring people to turn in firearms, tend to last for years, decades, or forever. The order does not extend to firearms "issued" for property protection, crop protection, or sports activities.   From onlanka.com:

Additionally, it is clarified that this directive does not apply to firearms issued by the Ministry of Defence for property protection, crop protection, or sports activities.

The issuance of permits in Sri Lanka is arbitrary and subjective. Permits may be  withdrawn at any time, at the whim of the Secretary or the Minister. The Minister may exempt any person or class of persons from the requirement to turn in firearms and permits. Members of Parliament have been deemed eligible for permits to have pistols. They are now deemed eligible to have "repeater" firearms as well.  The article does not define repeater firearms. From onlanka.com: 

The Ministry stated that, in addition to the currently issued pistol, it has decided to provide MPs with repeater firearms for their safety.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Defense has informed the Secretary-General of Parliament that all 225 MPs are eligible to receive these weapons.

The Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Anusha Rohanadeera, mentioned that so far approximately five MPs have applied for repeater firearms.

Sri Lanka devolved into civil war and authoritarian rule in the 1980's. Today, the only people who legally have permits to own guns for defense are people who had considerable political influence. The current order shows those in power fear the few people they previously trusted.

Sri Lanka's economy collapsed in 2022, with the central government forbidding the importation of fertilizer, to comply with "green mandates". Widespread hardship and hunger were the result. President Rajapaksa was driven from power by popular uprisings. From foreignpolicy.com:

But when it comes to agricultural practices and yields, there is no free lunch. Agricultural inputs—chemicals, nutrients, land, labor, and irrigation—bear a critical relationship to agricultural output. From the moment the plan was announced, agronomists in Sri Lanka and around the world warned that agricultural yields would fall substantially. The government claimed it would increase the production of manure and other organic fertilizers in place of imported synthetic fertilizers. But there was no conceivable way the nation could produce enough fertilizer domestically to make up for the shortfall.

Analysis:

The horrors in Sri Lanka are a classic case of disaster imposed by unchecked government power and central planning by directive.

The laws against firearms possession in Sri Lanka are a gun controllers wish list. In a previous article in AmmoLand, the essential equivalence of registration and confiscation was explored in depth. Gun registration assumes the government has the authority to determine who may posses what gun at any time.

The Second Amendment is the guarantee to the People that the People control the government, and not the other way around. Sri Lanka has joined a long list of governments who confirm the truth: "Gun Registration is Gun Confiscation".  Registration of firearms is in direct conflict with the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

SD: Mistaken Identity. Assailants target Innocent, Armed Victims. Assailants Shot, 2 Killed, 1 wounded.

Martinez arrived right behind the SUV and grabbed a gun she happened to have in her car, the affidavit states. She told her 14-year-old son to get back in the SUV, the affidavit states.

“There were different conversations taking place,” Clemens said, before Alvarez III first swung his bat at 26-year-old motorcyclist Tommy Fischer, who then allegedly drew a concealed handgun and shot Alvarez III in the chest, presumably as self-defense, according to the written affidavit.

“Everything happened quickly,” Martinez is quoted in the affidavit, which states that she then pointed her own handgun at Fischer, who then fired his gun again and shot Martinez in the arm.

Lastly, Alvarez Jr. swung his baseball bat toward Fischer’s head and Fischer fired his gun in response, shooting Alvarez Jr. multiple times in the back, the documents state.

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TX: Houston Armed Robber Shot, Killed by Armed Victim

HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting call in a business parking lot at the above address and observed a male with at least one gunshot wound.  Paramedics transported the male to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

A preliminary investigation and witness statements determined the male robbed another male at gunpoint.  During the robbery, gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was struck.  The shooter, who remained at the scene, was not struck by the gunfire.

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KS: Armed Victim near Manhattan Yuma Street Shoots Attacker

Riley County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Tokoi said in a written release officers responded to the report of shots fired in the 900 block of Yuma Street around 7:57 p.m. When they arrived, they found a 23-year-old man shot in the parking lot.

Tokoi said RCPD’s early investigation points to the shooter being a 26-year-old man who acted in self-defense. Police think there is little to no relationship between the two men, and the shooting appears to be an isolated incident that doesn’t pose a threat to public safety.

RCPD didn’t give the names of the two men involved.

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TN: Memphis Gunfight, Security Guards and Drive-by Attackers

Two cars of people shot at two security guards at the Chickasaw Place apartments on Mimosa Avenue just after 8 p.m., MPD said. The two guards ducked for cover when they heard the gunfire, but one was still grazed by a bullet, and security vehicles were shot up, according to police. 

One of the security guards returned fire, according to police, but both vehicles sped off. An officer on patrol heard the shots and spotted a red car and a tan Buick SUV quickly driving away from the scene. The Buick got away, but the red car with four people inside stopped. 

Two people ran from that car, police said, but Matthew White and Johnny Rias stayed inside the vehicle and were arrested. Thomas Mayo, allegedly one of the men who ran from the car, was also arrested a short time later. 

Three guns were found in the car along with several spent rifle casings, according to police.

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Update: ND, Donald Barron will not face charges in Self Defense Shooting

WEST FARGO, ND — Prosecutors say a West Fargo Teacher will not face charges after fatally shooting a man in self-defense.

The decision to not charge Donald Barron in the shooting was made public in a memorandum released to WDAY Radio. The August 17th shooting was detailed in the document, which describes 25-year-old Austin Strom attempting to gain access to Prairie Heights Church. Strom was confronted by 66-year-old Kent Hodges, who recorded the incident. Authorities say the cell-phone video ends when Strom attacked Hodges.

Barron was parked in a nearby parking lot when the attack began according to authorities. Sometime during the altercation, Barron drove to the fight, exited the vehicle, and yelled “What the f**k are you doing?”, commanding for Strom to get to the ground. After approximately two minutes of dialogue, Strom began to advance towards Barron. The following is described in the report, and is shown on dashcam video from Barron’s vehicle.

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MD: Armed Victim Survives Baltimore Carjack attempt Gunfight

Detectives say the 31-year-old man was seated in his vehicle in the 1200 block of South Haven Street when he was approached by a 17-year-old male armed with a gun.

The 31-year-old man produced his licensed handgun and exchanged gunfire with the teen, rendering the 17-year-old unresponsive.

The 31-year-old man drove away in his vehicle, locating an officer in the 3100 block of Boston Street.

At this time the 17-year-old male victim is listed in grave condition.

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TX: San Antonio Man Shoots at Car Burglary Suspects

Police said the man was inside his apartment when he got an alert from his monitor system app that someone was messing with his truck.

Officers said he grabbed his AK-47 and his wife grabbed a handgun and they went into the parking garage where they found two suspects around his truck. The truck owner told police he saw a weapon in the waist band of one of the suspect's and he fired a shot in their direction. The suspects took off.

Police said a few minutes later, a man showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound in the back. He is in critical condition.

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CA: El Cerrito Homeowner Shoots Burglary Suspect

At this point, the investigation indicates that the resident shot William Nidever after Mr. Nidever unlawfully entered the home. The resident realized that Mr. Nidever was an unknown intruder and thought Mr. Nidever was armed with a weapon. The resident feared for his life and shot at Mr. Nidever twice with a shotgun. The investigation has determined that Mr. Nidever was not in fact armed with a weapon.

 

Mr. Nidever is currently receiving treatment for his injuries.

The El Cerrito Police Department intends to present a criminal case for burglary to the District Attorney’s Office, once Mr. Nidever recovers.

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September, 2024 Gun Sales and NICS Checks Both Fifth highest in 25 years

The National Instant background Check System (NICS) numbers are in for September of 2024. They are slightly higher than those for September of 2023. There have been about two percent more gun sales than in September of 2023, and about three percent more background checks. Those increases are sufficient to place 2024 as the fifth highest September in the 25 years of NICS records, starting in 1999.

In 2024, September numbers are about 6 percent lower than they were in August. Handguns are down about 8%, long guns are up about 2 percent. Multiple gun sales are down 2.4% and other gun sales are down about 1.4%. As usual, handguns are the most popular, with long guns in second, other in third and multiple having the smallest number of NICS checks and sales. The proportions can be seen in the bar and line graphic.

 

 

 

August and September tend to have roughly the same overall number of gun sales. More long guns may be sold in September because of the coming hunting seasons.  August has been slightly higher than September for the last seven years. With the September sales, the total stock of privately owned firearms in the United States is approximately 512 million.

Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party candidate for president, is well known for her extreme positions on firearms and the Second Amendment. Last minute changes in her positions are unlikely to change the views of Second Amendment supporters who have followed her career. Now that Harris has a good chance of becoming president, her consistent threat to ban some of the most popular rifles in the United States, aka "assault weapons", may have contributed to increased long gun sales. The second assassination attempt on former President and Presidential candidate Donald Trump happened on September 15, 2024.  It probably did not bump the numbers  for September much more than already occurred with the first assassination attempt, which missed killing the former president by a few millimeters.

Increased political tensions, a chaotic world environment, the reminder of natural disasters from Hurricane Helene, and the potential shortages of a longshoreman's strike, are all plausible reasons for October numbers to be higher than the number of gun sales in October of 2023. The trend of 62 months of sales higher than one million per month is unlikely to be broken soon. November and December are traditionally high months for firearm sales. If President Trump is re-elected in November, firearm sales could drop below a million in January, though it seems unlikely. A president Harris administration would accelerate gun sales as people without semi-automatic rifles would attempt to get some before they are banned, and/or before the Harris administration finds a way to take control of the Supreme Court and reverse the Heller, McDonald, Caetano, and Bruen decisions.

Analysis:

A Harris presidency combined with a Democratic House of Representatives and a Democratic Senate might succeed in a radical transformation of the United States. The First and Second Amendments are routinely violated by the current administration. Kamala Harris' previous statements are considerably more radical than even President Biden's. The current administration has openly talked about bringing the United States Supreme Court under the control of a Democratic Party controlled executive branch and/or a Democratic Party controlled Congress. The precedents to criminally charge the opposition party candidate, to jail his lawyers and supporters, to censor vast amounts of opposition speech through the influence of the tech giants, have been set by the Biden administration.

The defiance of a few circuit courts to implement the restoration of Second Amendment rights appears to hinge on the hope a Harris administration will be able to extinguish an originalist and textualist Supreme Court.

 

 ©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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39th Gun Rights Policy Conference, 50th Anniversary of SAF (video available)

The 2024 Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) was held in San Diego, California. The location was not a universally popular choice. California has a deserved reputation as one of the few states which have enacted extremely restrictive legislation against firearms ownership and use. The restrictions make it difficult for law abiding people to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

California is at the epicenter of the battle to restore Second Amendment rights through the courts. There are millions of California gun owners who are impacted by the unconstitutional laws. There are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of activists who are fighting everyday to restore their rights. Many of them were in attendance at the 2024 GRPC.

The 2024 GRPC was the 39th Gun Rights Policy Conference. This correspondent has attended about a third of them. 38 of the GRPC events were managed and primarily, conducted, by Julianne Hoy Versnel. Julianne is married to Alan Gottlieb, who founded the Second Amendment Foundation. This was the first GRPC organized and directed, in the main, by other people.

2024 is  the 50th anniversary of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), which created the GRPC. Alan and Julianne have been a power couple whose teamwork has been tremendously important in creating the powerhouse SAF has become. Both have worked to insure the organizations survive beyond their mortal term. Alan Gottlieb has handed over most of the management of SAF to Adam Kraut, who has become the executive director of SAF.

This year, the GRPC had a different look. There were no panels of experts who each gave short presentations on a subject. There were the usual 15 minute presentation of subject matter experts to explain what was happening in a particular court case or a particular state activist group. There were, as usual, awards handed out to exceptional individuals for their accomplishments. Instead of panels of experts, there were "fireside chats" where a host asked questions of a couple of noteworthy personages. The luminaries gave detailed responses about subjects of interest. It was a format which worked well. Dave Workman was a fixture at the GRPC events in the past. Last year he retired. This year a new face was in front of everyone taking pictures and recording the event with professional skill.

All of the GRPC events attended by this correspondent over the years have been useful. One of the most important part of the conferences is the ability to meet prominent personalities and to network with other activists.

The GRPC is livestreamed on the Internet. If you were not able to attend in person, you can view the presentations given at the GRPC on Youtube.

Link to 2024 GRPC Saturday Session (nine hours and 53 minutes)

Link to 2024 GRPC Sunday Session. (three hours and 20 minutes)

All of the presentations are valuable. Highly recommended: Massad Ayoob starting at 4:05 on Saturday. The tile of his presentation is: How to Appeal to Emotions in the Argument for the Second Amendment.   Massad's presentation is a classic example of how to give an effective public presentation. It is educational, inspirational, and a call to action.  It is 15 minutes long, precisely the time allotted.

If you can attend a GRPC in person, do so. If you cannot, the presentations are online for your viewing convenience and pleasure.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

AZ: Glendale "Road Rage" ends with Defensive Shooting

Glendale police say one person was shot and taken to a hospital where he later died. The suspected shooter stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.

As part of the investigation, detectives learned the drivers were traveling eastbound on Camelback Road. Officials say when the cars came to a stop at 67th Avenue the driver of a silver pickup truck, that was hauling a trailer, got out of his truck and confronted the driver of a smaller tan pickup truck. A confrontation occurred at the tan's truck driver's side window.

During the confrontation, detectives believe the driver of the tan truck pulled out a weapon and fired a single shot, striking the other driver. The injured driver died at the hospital and has been identified as 29-year-old Ramses Saldano Lopez.

The driver who fired the weapon, identified as a 23-year-old man, remained at the scene and is not under arrest, police announced. Officials say the shooter believed his life was in danger when he fired the shot.

 

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IL: Gunfight, Suspected Theif Shot, Killed

A man who allegedly stole items from a south suburban Walgreens and pointed a gun at workers was shot and killed by an employee who possessed a concealed carry license, authorities said.

The shooting was reported at around 2:10 a.m. outside Walgreens, 522 Torrence Ave., in Calumet City. According to authorities, a 42-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were approached by employees after exiting the store without paying for merchandise they had taken.

Employees took the merchandise from the woman, who fled the scene on foot. The man, however, displayed a handgun when he was approached, police said. In return, a Walgreen's employee, who possessed a valid concealed carry license, opened fire, striking the suspect, according to authorities.

 

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OH: Armed Defender Shoots man who Attempted to Run him Over

The argument took place at a home in the 1800 block of Noe Bixby Road around 2 a.m. According to a Columbus Police report, Alexander Oglesby, 32, of the Northeast Side, drove his car onto the home's lawn in an attempt to hit three people.

One of the three shot at Oglesby in self-defense and struck him, according to police. Oglesby was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

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WI: Another Defense against Wolves Incident

Pack of wolves in Wisconsin game camera

 

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Chase Melton shot a wolf in defense of self and others. There were several witnesses. It happened near the town of St. Germain, Wisconsin, a township in the North Woods about 20 miles from the border of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A township is usually six by six miles square.

Chase is 19 years old. He and several of his younger friends had risen early to hunt ducks and geese. They arrived at their chosen location about 3:45 a.m. on opening day. They set up their blind and threw out their decoys just before it became legal to shoot. Sunrise was at 6:42, but it started getting light at 6:15.  One fourteen-year-old in the group saw what he thought was a deer. Chase stood up and looked. It was a wolf. Melton made noise to scare the wolf off. The wolf looked at him and started moving faster toward the group. From wjfw.com:

“So, I grabbed my gun just in case something would happen,” said Melton. “Then, the 13-year-old who was two people down from me said ‘Chase right behind you!’ I looked, and we had a wolf at about five yards - I probably could have touched it with my hand, that was extremely scary. So now, we’re really panicking were like alright were surrounded we have a wolf charging us right now.” Said Melton.

A witness that was hunting 300 feet away reported seeing at least five wolves surrounding the young hunters’ blind and another four in the general area. The witness also reported hearing barks, growls and howls coming from the wolves surrounding the young hunters’ blind.

“This wolf got within 15 yards and I’m like he’s still coming, he’s still coming, he got withing 8-10 yards and it’s not what I wanted to do but to protect us and to protect them we felt harmed, so I pulled the trigger,” said Melton.

Melton fired one shot, close range at the wolf’s face using a 12-gauge loaded with non-toxic waterfowl load.

“This wolf that was five yards behind us went off into the woods, came down, and then grabbed this wolf that I shot by the neck and started dragging it off. I’ve never witnessed something like that.”

Cannibalism of members of their own pack has commonly been recorded when wolves are severely wounded or killed, if the pack is hungry.  With nine members, this pack may be hungry. September is usually a good month for wolves to gain weight for the winter, no snow yet, and all the young animals which survived the summer are still available.

This defense against wolves incident was about 97 miles from the furthest north incident, in Bayfield County, which happened on  Christmas or 2023. It was  about 92 miles from the February 2024 wolf incident near Hayward, and about 122 miles north of the two more wolf incidents  south of Wisconsin Rapids, which happened in 2015.

The wolf population in Wisconsin has been growing rapidly. The original target of 350 wolves has been surpassed long ago. The population is considerably more than 1,000. Under the far left Evers administration, the Department of Natural Resources has created a new wolf plan, without any population limit. The legislature demanded a limit. Governor Evers vetoed the bill on March 29, 2024.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

GA: Atlanta "Investigator of the Year" Shot, Killed while Breaking into Home, possible drug involvement

”A person attempted to gain entry into the residence (and) when he gained entrance, the homeowner produced a firearm in self-defense and shot the individual. We believe the burglar lived in the neighborhood,” Mauney said.

Atlanta police identified the deceased man as Aubree Clay Horton. Last month, the Atlanta Police Foundation hosted its annual “Crime is Toast” awards breakfast, where Horton was recognized as “investigator of the year.”

In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, the Atlanta Police Department confirmed Horton joined APD in November 2015 and was most recently part of APD’s fugitive unit.

“We’re working closely with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about what occurred as they investigate the incident,” their statement read.

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Hawaiian Resident Uses Handgun to stop Mass Murder. AP Admits it was Defense

On August 31, 2024, in the neighborhood of Waianae, about 30 miles west of Honolulu, Hiram Silva attacked a home with a large frontloader, ramming cars into the home. The Silva had a rifle and a pistol. Silva then shot women in the carport, killing three and wounding another man and a woman.  Silva had four 55 gallon drums of fuel on the front end loader, and is reported as shooting at the fuel drums.

A resident of the home retrieved a pistol, rushed to the carport, shot and killed Silva, stopping the deadly attack before it became an inferno of burning fuel.

This is clearly a case of a legally armed person stopping a mass murder. It remains to be seen if it will be counted by the FBI as such. It is interesting to see how the heroic act was treated in the media. As reported in by the Associated Press, in kpua.net:

Police responded to a 911 call reporting their neighbor was operating a front-end loader and using it to ram multiple cars into the home where a family gathering was taking place, then opened fire at people gathered in the carport. The gunfire hit and killed the three women. A 42-year-old man living in the house shot and killed the man with a handgun, police said.

A man and another woman were injured in addition to the women killed.

Note the emphasis. The defender "shot and killed a man". Of the murderer, "The gunfire hit and killed three women."  The defender is personalized as a killer. The attacker just happened to be involved in an incident where "gunfire hit and killed three women".

John Lott and the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) have been tracking where mass murder has been stopped by armed defenders who are not police.The CPRC found the number from 2014 to 2022 to be under reported by the FBI. The FBI only found 14 cases where an armed defender stopped an active shooting situation. The CPRC found 157.

The resident in Waianae, Hawaii, 42-years-old, was one of the those who had a license to own a handgun in his own home. Handguns are more difficult to obtain in Hawaii than in most of the rest of the United States. Handguns in Hawaii make up more than half of all gun registrations. If we assume the registration numbers for guns over the last 24 years is roughly equivalent to the number of legal guns in Hawaii, then there are about 858 thousand legal guns in Hawaii, and over half of them are handguns. Hawaii, as with some other small states, has a low reported homicide rate. The latest comprehensive data is from 2020. If we look at the six states with populations just above and below the population of Hawaii, Nebraska 3.6 homicides per 100K population. Idaho had 2.2. West Virginia had 3.9. Hawaii had 2.9. New Hampshire had .90. Maine had 1.6. and Montana had 5.0. There doesn't appear to be any correlation. All six other states mentioned have Constitutional or permitless carry.

Consider another island under the jurisdiction of the United States. Both Hawaii and Puerto Rico are tropical islands. Puerto Rico is about a third the size  of Hawaii and has twice the population. Puerto Rico had much stricter gun laws until 2020. In 2020, Puerto Rico switched from "may issue" carry permits to "shall issue" carry permits.  The homicide rate for Puerto Rico in 2020 was 16.99, a considerable drop form 2019, when the homicide rate was 19.22. Legal gun ownership increased significantly from 2019 to 2023, but is still far lower than that of Hawaii, about .169 legal firearms per capita in Puerto Rico. Those numbers come from National Instant Background Check System figures for Puerto Rico.  There are about .6 firearms per capita in Hawaii.  The .6 figure comes from adding all the firearm registration in Hawaii from 2000 to 2023. Some of those registrations are known to be duplicates.

Legal gun ownership rates have no correlation to criminal homicides, although they may deter some criminality.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

CT:56-Year-Old Man with Machete Shot and Killed by Resident

The New Haven Police Department says it received calls that Reynolds was banging on apartment doors, rambling, and carrying a machete.

Following an altercation, police say a resident of the building shot Reynolds, leading to his death.

New Haven PD says they continue to investigate the case, including reports on Reynold's state of mind at the time of the altercation.

As of Saturday afternoon, the person who pulled the trigger has not been arrested.

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CA: Off Duty Police Officer Shoots, Kills man who Stabbed him

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An off-duty San Diego Community College police officer shot and killed a man who stabbed him on Fiesta Island Wednesday morning, according to the San Diego Police Department.

According to police, the call about the shooting came in at 10 a.m., and it was reported in the area of 1053 Fiesta Island Rd. SDPD Lt. Jud Campbell says the off-duty officer was taken to a nearby hospital via ambulance, and he is expected to survive the serious injuries sustained from being stabbed multiple times.

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Ex-Cop Gerald Goines: Guilty of Felony Murder in 2019 No Knock Houston Raid

Link to Youtube video of guilty verdict against Houston ex-Police Officer Gerald Goines

On Wednesday, 25 September, 2024, Houston ex-police officer Gerald Goines was found guilty of two counts of felony murder. Reporters in the courtroom, when the verdict of guilty against former officer Goines was read, said they were shocked he was convicted. Goines has been unconfined for nearly five years after he retired in March of 2019.

The sentencing phase of the current trial will start on September 26, 2024. From click2houston.com:

HOUSTON, Texas – The jury in the high-profile murder trial of former Houston Police Department narcotics officer Gerald Goines reached a verdict of guilty Wednesday afternoon.

Goines was found guilty of two counts of murder in the 2019 Harding Street raid that resulted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle, Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog.

The ex-officer’s sentencing phase will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. He faces up to life in prison. The same jury will also decide his sentence after hearing from witnesses during the punishment phase.

Goines' former partner, Steven Bryant, pleaded guilty  to federal charges of alteration or falsification of government records in 2021. His testimony was significant at the Goines trial this past week. From click to Houston on September 12, 2024:

After the shooting, Bryant testified that he heard former HPD Chief Art Acevedo tell several officers to turn off their bodycam video, to which they complied. When asked by attorney Manning if this was policy, Bryant testified “We are supposed to keep out bodycams on during a raid.”

Bryant was then asked by attorney Manning if any of the narcotics team had on bodycam video during the raid, Bryant said no but the narcotics team sergeant did have an independent body camera video.

AmmoLand has been in the forefront of reporting on the bloody Harding Street raid since it became known in January of 2019.  At the time, it was reported no officers were wearing body cameras. Now we know there were body cameras, but Chief Acevedo ordered they be turned off. Chief Acevedo resigned from the Houston PD in 2021, to take a position as police chief in Miami, Florida.  He was fired after six months on the job. Then he took a position as the police chief in Aurora, Colorado, in December of 2022. He resigned the position in January of 2023. Acevedo was appointed assistant city manager in Austin in January of 2024, but turned down the position later in the month.  Acevedo's decision to order officers to turn off body cameras has sparked a controversy.

Four other officers were charged after an investigation by the Harris County Attorney General. From a previous AmmoLand article:

Prosecutors charged six officers, including Goins and Bryant, on 1 July, 2020.

The additional charges are primarily for overcharges of overtime, false claims about money for informants, and tampering with government records. Several of the charges are based on phone records which show what was claimed on government forms could not have happened, given the location records from the phones.  One officer characterized them as “paperwork violations”.  Small violations led to a sloppy attitude about following the rules. Many would say overcharging on overtime is not a small violation.  Then Dennis and Rhogena paid the price.

In January, 2019, two innocent people were killed because dirty police officers lied on a warrant. There is significant evidence the corruption had been ongoing for years.  In the aftermath of the raid many are questioning the utility and overuse of no-knock warrants.

Goines still faces federal charges stemming from the no-knock raid. There are at least two ongoing civil cases resulting from the raid.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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