Water pistols to be banned? The following was released by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA): "What kind of nut would want to ban squirt guns?" That's the question that tens of thousands of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners are asking today after it was revealed that Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) has co-sponsored a measure that would ban the possession of everything from water pistols to hunting rifles. The bill in question, HB4132, would ban the sale and possession of so-called "replica weapons" including anything that looks even remotely like a firearm or other materiel produced for military purposes. The ISRA stands firmly opposed to HB4132 as the bill is a thinly veiled attempt to ban private firearm ownership in the state. "Never in my career have I seen such a slick attempt at instituting a state-wide gun ban," commented ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson. "Nearly every firearm model for sale in Illinois was either designed for military use, or is used by the military for one purpose or another. Therefore, under this bill, nearly every pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun owned by Illinois citizens would be banned." ... "HB4132 is so sweeping that it would go as far as to ban cap guns and water pistols," said Pearson. "Given that this is an election year, I can't wait to see how Rep. Chapa LaVia will spin her ban on squirt guns to her political advantage."


UK: Anger at pupils' gun lessons: "Inner city children will be encouraged to take up shooting in the countryside as part of a new education initiative drawn up by a pro-hunting group. The Countryside Alliance is setting up a charitable educational wing, inviting city children to rural areas to learn about shooting, fishing and farming. ... Ms Hoey said she wanted to bridge the divide between inner cities and rural areas, but the plan was dismissed by anti-gun campaigner and Birmingham Labour MP Steve McCabe as a gimmick. ... Ms Hoey, the MP for Vauxhall, has already invited youngsters from her inner-city London constituency to a clay pigeon shoot to educate them about guns. She said: 'What I am interested in is the huge divide between inner city areas and the countryside. I have taken some constituents to experience the countryside and have a go at clay pigeon shooting. I think it is important that children understand that shooting can be a great fun sport where we win medals and children are taught about the discipline about handling a weapon.'"

CA: Man shoots intruder, charges possible: "Contra Costa County officials will decide Tuesday whether they'll bring assault charges against a Richmond man who shot an intruder at his home. It happened early Monday morning. Police say the homeowner saw someone in his backyard and shot several times with a small-caliber weapon. The law allows homeowners to use deadly force on their own property if they fear for their lives. But the issue is whether excessive force was used. Some neighbors say the man who was shot was drunk and wandered into the backyard. They say they heard six or seven shots fired. "


NV: Victims fight back: "Two victims in an attempted home robbery scared away their intruders Monday night when one victim pointed a gun at one of the suspects. Police say two suspect tried to open the door on a home on Holcomb Avenue. One resident heard a noise and opened the door. The suspects then pushed their way into the home, grabbing on victim by the throat and demanded money. One suspect went to the back bedroom where a female victim pointed a hand gun at the suspect, scaring both suspects away from the home."

CA: Home invasion turns deadly for robber: "A home invasion robbery went awry for three intruders late Monday night, leaving one dead following a gun battle with the home owner. The shooting happened at about 10 p.m. Monday. The Bakersfield Police Department said it received a 911 call from a home on Kearney Drive in northwest Bakersfield; the caller said shots had been fired. When police arrived, they found one man dead on the front lawn of the home and another man with several gunshot wounds. A third suspect had fled on foot. Police said the three men broke into the home and assaulted an elderly man. They said he pulled out a gun and fought back."

MO: Man charged in death of accomplice: "Tony Rolf, 19, was accused of storming into a Kansas City house, and together with his cousin holding a woman at gunpoint over a car -- a Monte Carlo with tricked out gold rims. What they didn't know was that the woman's boyfriend was about to defend her and their property. He fired several shots at Rolf and his cousin, hitting them both, according to police. Rolf's cousin, 19-year-old Ronnie Frederick, died at a hospital. Rolf was treated for a shot to the arm and released. Investigators said he refused to cooperate with them, saying they'd been victims of a drive-by shooting on Prospect Avenue. Ballistics cracked the case, according to authorities. Investigators said the bullet pulled from Rolf's cousin's body matched the homeowner's gun. Rolf was charged not only with two counts of armed criminal action and burglary but with second-degree murder as well because his cousin was allegedly killed in the commission of a felony."


Hitler's gun to be auctioned: "A gun that may have belonged to Adolf Hitler is expected to fetch thousands of dollars when it's auctioned off. The bidding on the German-made shotgun with the initials "A.H." begins Jan. 30 in an online auction hosted by a pawn shop in Bloomington, Illinois. Shop owner Wes Lane says he didn't believe it when he was first told the weapon once belonged to Hitler. But he changed his mind after hearing the story about how it was taken from one of Hitler's secret hideaways in May 1945. Now he's 'totally convinced.' The gun found its way into the hands of a soldier who settled in central Illinois and kept it under his bed. The man died more than a decade ago and his family no longer wants the gun. Net proceeds from the auction will go to the Anti-Defamation League."

Feisty Costa Rica diner: "Two youths stormed the Cebolla-Verde restaurant in Santa Ana Tuesday waving a 38-caliber revolver and threatening to rob the patrons, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. But they weren't ready for one of the guests to call their bluff. He opened fire on the two men causing them to drop their gun as they hastened to run away, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. Agents are still investigating the incident, they said.


UK: "Impossible" to re-hire teacher who defended herself: "It would be 'impossible' for a teacher jailed for firing an air pistol during a stand-off with 'yobs' to get her job back, an employment tribunal heard today. Linda Walker, 48, is claiming unfair dismissal from her 30,00 pounds-a-year post teaching children with behavioural problems. She was sacked after being jailed for affray and possessing a firearm after confronting youths who she said had plagued her family. But the headteacher of the school told an employment tribunal in Manchester today that it would not be possible for the school to re-employ her. Almut Bever-Warren is current head of New Park High in Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester -- a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16. She sacked Mrs Walker last July following a disciplinary hearing after she was jailed for three months at her trial at Manchester Crown Court. Ms Bever-Warren said working at the school was stressful and challenging because of the nature of the pupils. Teachers should be role models and 'remain calm' despite provocation from pupils and it was important to teach them how to function 'without taking the law into their own hands,' she added."

Italians get real: "The Italian parliament has passed legislation allowing people to shoot robbers in self-defence. The law permits the use of guns and knives by people in homes or workplaces to protect lives or belongings. The reform was introduced by the Northern League party, a right-wing member of the ruling coalition with a strong anti-crime platform. The opposition voted against the bill, which critics say will encourage people to take the law into their own hands. The new law will allow people to use legally registered weapons to protect themselves or others, and their property and the property of others, from harm. It applies if there is a danger of aggression and the attacker does not desist".



Wisconsin: City split on gun bill: "Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a bill Friday that would have lifted a 133-year-old ban prohibiting Wisconsinites from carrying concealed weapons, setting up a political battle that could test party loyalty as lawmakers try to override the veto.The bill would let Wisconsin residents who pass firearms training and obtain permits to carry concealed handguns, knives, billy clubs and electric shock weapons in most public places, with exceptions for schools, taverns and police stations.Doyle, a Democrat, said the bill endangers public safety by letting people carry guns in shopping malls, banks and movie theaters. Wisconsin remains one of the safest states in the nation, negating the need to carry weapons for protection, the governor added in his veto message."

WI: Intruders beware: Victims of burglaries could be armed: "These days, Mark Dempsey is easily startled when he hears a sudden noise at his apartment. Earlier this month, noises at his apartment door turned out to be the sound of would-be burglars. Two teenagers were trying to pry their way inside his home at 1107 Cleveland Ave. on Jan. 10. Dempsey, 52, shouted out the first thing that came to his mind. He asked them if they wanted to get shot, and they ran away. A broken foot prevented Dempsey from running after them, and they haven't been caught. During the month of December, Wausau police investigated two attempted burglaries to homes and one to a business. Police received reports of 11 burglaries in the city last month, including six to homes. Dempsey has a warning to potential burglars, and not just to the ones who tried to break into his apartment: Besides hurting the victims of your crime, you could be putting your own life in jeopardy."



Gun owners are people too, and alive to tell tale: "I use my right arm to do a variety of things. Shovel oily fast food into my mouth. Operate my TV remote. Turn the pages of this newspaper. Write letters. Bowl a cricket ball. Wave at people in the street. Vote with an X. .... I use my left arm to support the activities of my right arm, such as tying my shoelaces. Lift weights at the gym. Drive a car. Swim. .... My third arm is the most important. It is as important as my heart and lungs and brain. My third arm keeps me alive in the face of violent criminal attacks. It has done so four times in the past three years. It also occasionally helps me put biltong in my pocket. Any attempt by you, GFSA, to pass a law legislating that I am compelled to amputate my third arm will be met with a fierce and spirited resistance."

Houston: Feisty householder fights back against intruders: "Police say three men forced their way into the unit at the apartment complex on West Tidwell near West Sun Forest. The armed men demanded money. The victim first tried to stop the men with a steak knife. The suspects then grabbed the homeowner's 12-month-old daughter and threw her down the stairs. Fortunately, the toddler is OK. One suspect pulled a gun, but the victim was able to get it away from him and shot him. Then the suspect pulled a second gun. The homeowner got it away from him and shot him again, this time killing him. Police say the other two men fled the scene. "The two suspects are known to the complainant," said Officer Philip Yochum with the Houston Police Department. "The dead man is not known to the complainant. They left the scene before police arrived." Investigators say the victim knew the two suspects who got away and that both the victim and suspects are Katrina evacuees. Police aren't sure if the dead suspect is an evacuee as well".




Let me live: "Most states do not require a duty to retreat from violent attack while in the home. A provision of the law sometimes called the castle doctrine that stands in stark contrast to the requirement to retreat while outside the home. That means if you're attacked while outside the home and have a way to retreat the law requires you to take this course of action before deadly force is considered legal.Florida's recently enacted self-defense reform eliminates the duty to retreat while not in your home. Such reform gives the presumption of innocence in an armed encounter back to the law-abiding, and limits how an unscrupulous lawyer can use the law against an honest citizen. Despite claims by the anti-self defense movement Florida's law does not change that deadly force can only be used if a person reasonably fears for their life or has a fear of bodily injury. It also doesn't give immunity for someone who uses deadly force when it isn't warranted."

As the crime situation up north goes south: "Canada's gun control scheme has not just failed -- it has failed disastrously. Clear evidence of that can be found in a comparison of the crime rates for Canada and America. While advocates of Canada's type of restrictive gun laws will play with raw figures and show how there might be many more homicides in cities such as Chicago or Miami or Detroit than there are in Toronto, the real story is found by comparing the per capita crime rates. Do that, and you will discover that Canada's crime rate is skyrocketing while down in the states, overall crime is declining."



IN: Man storms into home of ex-girlfriend, is killed: "Jeffrey B. Randle, 44, 1100 block of West 36th Street, died of a gunshot wound late Wednesday after he stormed into his former girlfriend's Clermont home and charged her male companion, police said.The alleged shooter, Aaron Sterling, 44, was not arrested.Randle knocked on the door to Marcelene Robinson's home in the 7600 block of Marabou Mills Way about 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Department report.Robinson, 41, answered the door, thinking it might be her daughter. Randle, who police say was violating a protective order by visiting Robinson's home, saw Sterling and became enraged, according to the report.He pushed through the door, knocking Robinson out of the way, and charged Sterling, police said. Sterling produced a .44-caliber handgun and fired one shot, which struck the victim in the groin, police said.Randle died at Wishard Memorial Hospital."

CRIMINAL-LOVING BRITAIN AGAIN

Farmer robbed - and the useless British police confiscate his shotgun

Twyford strawberry farmer Eric Jarnet is fuming after police confiscated his shotgun on his 70th birthday because they feared he might emulate Norfolk farmer Tony Martin. Mr Martin became a national figure after the shotgun killing of a burglar at his farmhouse. An exasperated Mr Jarnet publicly admitted he might "do a Martin" after raiders stole hundreds of yards of irrigation piping from his 25-acre Twyford Fruit Farm in London Road, effectively putting him out of business.

Moments after he made his remarks police arrived to seize his shotgun, for which he has a licence.

Mr Jarnet said: "The thieves have all the rights in the world. Even if I had a dog here and he bit an intruder he would have to be put down. "And years ago we had the gypsies on my land, and all the layabouts on their motorbikes and quad bikes, who cost us a fortune. "And they keep breaking into the farm shop run by my tenants, so why put up with it? "I have had enough especially as it happened on my 70th birthday. I will go to America and then I can have my gun and a licence."

Mr Jarnet added: "Residents and farmers have no protection and the police have just proved my point about how far will somebody be pushed into doing a Martin up in Norfolk. "He was pushed too far. Nobody is saying he did the right thing, and I did not make a specific threat to a specific person. "I was asking if a person could be pushed too far and when a person could be pushed too far. "I gave up my gun voluntarily because there's no point in antagonising the police.

"The police and the judges are not doing anything to protect us. "The policeman took the gun and he hid it under his coat. If it was all legal and above board why did he have to hide it under his coat? "They have overreacted and they have proved they are protecting the villains. "In other words, they are saying 'you come on Mr Jarnet's land, at least he can't shoot you.'"

Police spokesman Tim Wiseman said: "If anyone is making these public comments then we have a duty to check them out. Firearms, particularly in West Berkshire, are a sensitive issue. "Concerns were passed to police following comments Mr Jarnet made on a local radio station. Thames Valley Police have a duty to make sure that no risk exists. "We obviously had to respond to this and a firearms inquiries officer went round, and Mr Jarnet surrendered his gun."

Source

"PRIVATE ENTERPRISE" MAKES GUN BANS FUTILE

Two young women are under arrest, accused of buying handguns in Alabama so they could sell them in Boston for a quick profit. Niya Mills, 23, of Roxbury and Sukia Omere, 20, of Boston were arrested Tuesday and found with six handguns and 50 rounds of ammunition in the car the women rented for their trip to Alabama, US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said. The women had hoped to resell the handguns for up to $800 each, he said.

Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole said yesterday that the firearms probably would have become ''community guns," weapons stashed at the end of streets and other convenient locations and shared by criminals. Community guns tend to be older weapons, like the .38-caliber revolvers, .380-caliber pistol, and .357-caliber revolver found in the suspects' rental car, she said.

Older guns, which are cheaper and harder to trace, are becoming the weapon of choice on city streets, police said. Of the 755 guns recovered by Boston police in 2004, about 64 percent were at least seven years old, said Officer John Boyle, a spokesman. ''They can certainly still function properly despite the age," said Jim McNally, spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Boston. ''The bad guys read the papers, watch the news. They get to know what law enforcement is doing to fight [crime], and they know tracing firearms is a big part of what we do. The odds of tracing [older guns] are not as good."

Boston police are grappling with an increasing number of weapons coming from out of state. Although most illegal guns found in Boston in 2004 came from Massachusetts, police have traced more firearms to other New England states, including Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, and Southern states such as Alabama, Florida, and Maryland.

Mills got the idea to buy and resell the guns from a friend who bought four handguns in Alabama for $800, according to an affidavit filed by ATF Special Agent Thomas F. Crowley. The friend, who was not identified, then sold the weapons, two Glocks and two .380-caliber pistols, for $800 each in Dorchester, Crowley said in the affidavit.

Source

FL: Fatal shooting ruled justifiable : "Charges are being dropped against a man arrested last Thursday night after a fatal shooting in Brentwood. Deounce Harden, 27, was arrested after calling police to report he'd shot someone and an officer arrived to find him standing over the body of Stevon Mitchell, holding a gun. After further investigation, police said Harden was acting in self-defense and ruled the shooting justifiable under a new state law that allows the use of deadly force when a person is being threatened."


NC: Man dies after allleged car theft attempt : "Ashley Demetrius Gilliam, 21, of 805 Rose St., Sanford, died around 4:40 a.m. Tuesday after being shot outside 3415 U.S. 421, Lillington. According to the report, Gilliam was allegedly trying to steal a car from that address, which is the home of Gary Nolan and Raquel Patterson Jackson. Gilliam was approached by Gary Jackson and his father-in-law Derrick Allen Byrd, who lived next door. An altercation started and shots were fired. Gilliam was shot and killed. By Wednesday, deputies had not filed any charges, although they said the investigation was still ongoing. Deputies have not said whether they believe whether Gary Nolan Jackson or Derrick Allen Byrd was responsible for shooting Gilliam, or whether Gilliam was armed and if he fired any shots."

ANTI-GUN DOCTORS

Politicians, scientists and the American public have now accepted gun-control as a failed social experiment, resulting in the proliferation of concealed-carry laws nationwide. The medical profession, however, stands as one of the few remaining special interest groups that still believes in disarming law-abiding citizens without regard for the clear public health benefits of gun-ownership.

By modest estimates guns are used in self-defense 2.5 million times a year with most instances not requiring a shot to be fired. Such a number dwarfs the roughly 28,000 people that die annually in gun-related incidents. Considering that suicides account for roughly half of gun deaths, the chance of an average American becoming a victim of random gun violence is slight. If you take out drug turf and other type of criminal-on-criminal murders, the odds of becoming a random victim of gun violence shrink even more.

The establishment media's coverage of children killed by firearms combined with statistics conjured by the Violence Policy Center make it seems like thousands of kids are killed every year in gun accidents. Those statistics are often padded by using a definition of children as people up to 24 years of age. There can be little doubt that the establishment media also hypes every gun-related incident as the next sad chapter in the scourge of gun violence plaguing America.

Inexplicably, the American Medical Association has bought into the myth and chooses to ignore the glaring flaws in such misleading statistics. In 1999, 65 children, aged 14 years and younger, were killed accidentally with a gun and undoubtedly each instance is tragic. The establishment media's sensational coverage of nearly every instance makes that number appear far higher yet more children are killed by neglect, medical accidents, drowning and falls than by firearms. Regardless, doctors often ask people whether they keep guns in the home but ignore other easily identifiable risk factors, which proves that their advice is biased. They also turn a blind eye to the number of cases where a family survived a violent attack specifically because someone in the home knew how to use a firearm.

The irony is that if the average person used the same convoluted logic to determine the value of modern medicine, few would risk going to the doctor since 400,000 Americans per year are killed by medical mistakes.

Like a scalpel or any other tool, guns kill and maim and when used improperly. Both gun accidents and medical accidents also have the same dynamic in that it is the person wielding the tool, be it a gun or scalpel, which is ultimately responsible for death or injury -- not the tool. Still, medical professionals and the establishment media somehow blame guns for gun-related deaths. The equivalent is to call for a nationwide ban of "assault scalpels" as a way to combat medical accident related deaths. Being human, medial professionals make mistakes which unfortunately lead to thousands of deaths each year. They should still be applauded for the work they do because despite the accidents they are undoubtedly a benefit to society.

Dissuading people from keeping a gun in the home due to a misguided anti-gun bias is one of the mistakes that can be helped -- not that doctors should tell everyone to run out and buy a gun. Instead they should simply seek out and tell the truth about the effects of having a gun in the home and allow the individual to make the decision. So, if your doctor asks about guns in the home tell them you love your children and therefore you keep a gun for your family's safety. If your doctor scolds you for your choice, don't get rid of the gun, get rid of the doctor!

Source

4-H shooting club back up, for now: "The Arizona Board of Regents has agreed, at least temporarily, to allow a 4-H shooting program to continue around the state.The Board oversees the University of Arizona-sponsored 4-H. It decided to end the long-time Shooting Sports Program after an audit alerted board members to its existence. The program was shut down for three days last month until outraged parents and participants persuaded the board to bring it back. The program teaches marksmanship and responsible firearm use of 22-caliber rifles, air pistols, air rifles, archery, shot guns and muzzle-loading arms. No live ammunition is used. Regents spokeswoman Anne Barton says the board wasn't comfortable with the university being responsible for the guns. While the participants or clubs use and maintain their own guns, the U-of-A would be legally responsible if there were any accident or incident related to the guns. The future of the 4-H program remains uncertain in Arizona".



David Friedman: "There is another, and perhaps better, argument for private possession of firearms. If the population is disarmed, protection against crimes is provided mainly by the police. People very much want not to be victims of crimes, so if protection depends on the police there will be public support for expanding the powers of the police in order to better protect us. The result is a more powerful government, which I think a bad thing."

WOMEN AND GUNS

Excerpt from John Lott:

What should a woman do when attacked by a criminal? Should she behave passively? Use pepper spray? A gun? ...It turns out that pepper spray may not do you a lot of good when it is raining or snowing. A woman is just as likely to disable herself as the attacker when it's windy or when using the spray indoors. Knives and baseball bats are particularly problematic, because women have to get very close to their attackers to use them, and male criminals--that is, most criminals--tend to be much stronger physically than their female victims. ...women who used a gun to resist an attack were 2.5 times more likely to escape uninjured than those who behaved passively.

Comment from here:

Growing up in Alaska, we took the low crime rate for granted. Nobody locked their doors. We counted it as one of the benefits of living in a small isolated community. Then the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline began and Fairbanks doubled its population in a year. One extremely cold night, three white males in Alyeska parkas decided to have some "fun" at the expense of local residents. First, they entered an unlocked and occupied cabin, beat up the owner (a Native man who, because of a previous felony, was not allowed to own a gun), raped his daughter and set fire to his cabin. Seeing as the police and fire departments were now busy, they then went down the street where my mother (all 92-pounds of her) met them at the backdoor with her loaded .357. They decided raping two women alone might be a bit problematic, so they went down the block a bit farther and tried the Mitchell cabin. Mrs. Mitchell (a fiery Irish immigrant with two teenage daughters and a husband on the Slope) discharged her shotgun through the woodstove vent to make the point that they didn't want to be kicking on her door any longer. Whoever they were, they went off into the Alaskan ice fog never to be seen again. The next day, on the front page of the paper, the police chief reminded local residents to install locks on their doors and to make sure they were prepared for "home protection." He didn't say the word "gun", but everyone who read the article knew what he meant. It was clear that the gun owners (small women with children both compared to a physically-strong ex-felon)had been the ones who weren't victimized. Guns make us equal and I have to wonder why anti-gun folks have such an objection to that.

**

NE: Some want charges against store owner who shot robbers: "Some midtown neighbors want a business owner arrested following a fatal robbery last month. David Kline was shooting at two robbery suspects who ran from his Hamilton Outlet Tobacco store, near 41st and Hamilton streets. Police said that during the gun battle, a robber's bullet killed store employee Sham Journey, 24, who was outside, too. Two people are under arrest. Omari Manuel, 23, and Herbert Elliott, 22 are charged with first-degree murder. Some neighbors said Kline should be jailed, too. 'I just like to know if we should all go get us a gun to defend ourselves,' said the Rev. Les Jordan, who witnessed the incident from inside his nearby church. 'When I looked out the window, I saw the owner of the store here in the middle of the street positioning himself like this and shot his gun several shots in a row.'"




Switzerland:Government seeks EU-style victim disarmament: "The Swiss government on Wednesday recommended to parliament that all gun owners must obtain a permit. Bowing to resistance from lobby groups, the cabinet decided against a plan to create a central national weapons register. The cabinet said it was opposed to the database on the grounds that the time and effort it would require would greatly outweigh the benefit. If accepted by parliament, the amended law will bring Switzerland into line with the European Union's Schengen accord on cross-border crime, which Swiss voters agreed to sign up to last June. The agreement, which removes border controls between signatory states, lays down minimum requirements for acquiring and possessing firearms."

MS: Pols consider expanded recognition of RKBA: "Four bills pending in the Legislature would broaden [sic] the right for people to shoot trespassers in their homes, cars or businesses. Senate Judiciary A Committee Chairman Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, who co-authored Senate Bill 2426, said the legislation will take the burden of proof off of victims of burglaries or carjackings who use deadly force. 'Anytime someone threatens you or attacks you, you do not have to retreat, you can stand your ground,' Ross said. Sen. Ralph Doxey, R-Holly Springs, co-author of the bill, said the legislation also will protect people from civil lawsuits. Three similar pieces of legislation are pending in the Mississippi House."



A guy who was assaulted in his home was charged with 'delay,obstruction, and alcohol violation'?: "A New Jersey man who was shot in the leg after he allegedly beat another man with a gun Friday was jailed on $50,000 bond, according to the Roanoke Rapids Police Department. Howard Boone III, of Trenton, N.J., went to the 1800 block of Powell Street Friday around 6:44 p.m., and broke into a house where Travis Price was staying, Police Chief Greg Lawson said this morning. Boone allegedly assaulted Price by hitting him with a gun, Lawson said. Outside the house the men exchanged gunfire and Boone was struck in the leg. He was taken to Halifax Regional Medical Center where he was treated and released. He was then placed in the Halifax County Jail and charged with first-degree burglary, assault by pointing a gun and communicating threats. Price was charged with delay and obstruction and an alcohol violation."

FL: Death sentence in killing of "Antichrist" : "A man who claimed he killed a retired police officer because he thought the 'A' on the victim's University of Alabama baseball cap meant he was the Antichrist has been sentenced to death. In addition to the death sentence, Ryan Thomas Green, 22, was given two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for the attempted murder and robbery of a housepainter, who was shot and now uses a wheelchair. The jury that found Green guilty in October recommended 10-2 that he be put to death. The death sentence will be appealed automatically. Green had testified during the trial that a talking bull, religious signs, colors and symbols influenced him to shoot [ex-officer James] Hallman."



CO: No charges against teen or homeowner who shot him: ""No charges will be filed against a teenager who was drunk when he walked into the wrong home in a rural subdivision after he was injured in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident, or against the homeowner who shot the intruder, the Weld County district attorney said Thursday. District Attorney Ken Buck said the evidence could not prove that Nathan Weathers, 19, knowingly entered the wrong home or intended to commit a crime inside the home. Weathers' blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.185 percent at the hospital, and he was disoriented from the motorcycle accident and believed he was entering his own home, Buck said. He also said the homeowner, James Haflich, was reasonably concerned about his safety and that of his wife, Cheryl Haflich, when he heard Weathers banging on his doors and windows and shot Weathers with a handgun, hitting him in the arm. ... The possibility of a drunk-driving charge against Weathers was still under investigation."

Why gun bans don't work � and what to do: "In November, voters in San Francisco approved a ballot measure to ban the sale and manufacture of firearms in the city, and ownership of handguns. Backers of the measure claimed that San Francisco taxpayers spent at least $31.2 million responding to gun violence every year. Proponents often said they "just didn't like guns around." The NRA has already filed a lawsuit to overturn the measure, but the vote sends a message. San Francisco joins Chicago and Washington, DC, Great Britain, Australia and Canada, in enacting draconian firearms regulations. Such bans are being pushed by a large, well-funded movement to restrict, license and ban firearms on the pretense that such bans will somehow reduce violence. And they are likely to grow in momentum, unless some drastic steps are taken. No one, except criminals, wants crime and mayhem. But however well-intentioned anti-gun folks may be, research shows that gun bans are likely to get the opposite results of what they are intended to achieve, because legal gun owners by and large are not criminally inclined. And without self-defense, people become easy prey for human predators. Simon Fraser University professor Gary Mauser finds that a year after the British obediently surrendered 160,000 legal handguns, London muggings were up 53 percent, gun murders up 90 percent and robbery up more than 100 percent. By the year following, annual gun crimes overall had risen 39 percent. This pattern has continued. The rate of violent crime in England and Wales is more than double the United States. It is now more dangerous to walk the streets of London than New York".



CO: Co-owner held in bar shooting : "The co-owner of the Funky Buddha bar is facing a criminal charge of first-degree aggravated assault in connection with the shooting of a burglar earlier this week. Christakes Christou, 60, is being held at the Denver County Jail on $50,000 bail. Denver police said he shot Dwayne Stepp, 44, about 3 a.m. Tuesday during a burglary inside the bar at 776 Lincoln St. Stepp, who was shot in the abdomen, is expected to survive. ... Police spokesman Sonny Jackson declined to say whether investigators believe Christou acted in self-defense, but emphasized the charge Christou faces indicates an aggravated assault. Business owners do not fall under the protection of Colorado's 'Make My Day' law that allows homeowners to defend themselves if they encounter an intruder, Jackson said."

New Hampshire shows the way: "Concerned by perceived abuses of Federal power during the Katrina crisis, New Hampshire state reps are reviewing a bill which would criminalize certain weapons seizures - even if the perpetrators are Federal officers. House Bill 1639-FN, prohibits the confiscation of lawfully owned and lawfully carried firearms during a state of emergency, making a felon of any law enforcement officer who attempts to seize such a firearm during a disaster.... The bill reads: "Any law enforcement officer, person acting as a law enforcement officer, or other public official who confiscates or attempts to confiscate lawfully carried or lawfully owned firearms in this state during a declared state of emergency shall be charged with a class A felony." In the chaos following Hurricane Katrina, various government agencies - including Federal Marshalls - made systematic attempts to sweep New Orleans of guns - even if that meant entering the homes of law abiding gun owners".


No safety for anyone in D.C.: "Washington D.C. City Councilman Marion Barry�s become the latest victim of violent crime. Barry was in his Southeast apartment this week when he was robbed at gunpoint by a group of young men. They entered his apartment, held a gun to his head, and took off with his wallet, credit cards, and cash. Barry had given the teens a few dollars earlier in the evening after they helped bring in some of his groceries. The former mayor describes the incident as �traumatic�. I�d describe it as common. This is life in �gun free� Washington, D.C. No one is safe. Marion Barry�s a victim of a home invasion. Supreme Court Justice David Souter was assaulted while jogging last year. Teresa Heinz was mugged outside her Georgetown home. Wanda Alston, the head of the mayor�s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Affairs was murdered in a home invasion robbery. You are not safe in Washington, D.C. No one is".