This weapon is set to stun!: "It's a fair question: 'What do the anti-gun people say when they see your film, Innocents Betrayed?' No matter what business you are in -- from landscaping to cooking, from health care to accounting, from trucking to making music -- you have to face the customers and the critics. It is no different when you make a strong film designed to persuade. Naturally, people have wanted to know whether Innocents Betrayed can survive criticism from the anti-self defense, gun-prohibitionist crowd. ... The folks at Salon.com called it 'outlandish' and tried their hardest to just broad-brush and dismiss the message. They wrote that Innocents Betrayed 'attributes most of the 20th century's genocides, as well as lynching, the Japanese-American internment and the rape of Nanking, to gun control.' To describe the film as simplistically as possible, they said: 'it first explains how a particular government passed laws limiting the ownership of weapons, and then cuts to pornographic montages of mutilated corpses.'"
The Democrats' spin on gun control: "Have the Democrats really changed on gun control? Would it matter whether Senator John Kerry or President George Bush won the election this year? Democrats have spent much time and effort trying to alter their anti-gun image. They seem to believe that the answers to gun questions really matter for the campaign."
Self defense banquet: "It was a joyous celebration of life, on the 10th anniversary of Arizona's self-defense law, which allows citizens with permits to discreetly carry a concealed weapon. Roughly half the attendees wore sidearms openly, in traditional, legal, Arizona style. Despite unusually long waits for dinner at the back of the huge Shrine Auditorium banquet hall, staff was treated courteously, the maitre de was pleased, and everyone had an excellent prime rib dinner and a good time. Several piles of cash from the event were counted openly in the hall without incident. 'It's the safest room in town,' said one of the guests."
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Monday, October 11, 2004
More seniors are gun owners: "Merilyn P. Senter, a selectman, is a former hunter who still has the .22-caliber rifle her father gave her on her seventh birthday. Over the years, Senter, 69, added a shotgun and a handgun to her collection. She got the handgun for personal protection after she received two threatening phone calls, including one after her efforts on behalf of residents upset about what they believed was a hazardous waste site in town. Senter bought a purse with a special compartment to carry her .38-caliber handgun, including on trips to the [NH] Statehouse when she was a state representative. 'People are shocked when they find out I carried a gun and that I'm a gun owner,' Senter said. 'I don't know why they should be.'"
Arnold vetoes anti-gun legislation: "The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) today applauded California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for applying his veto pen to two pieces of anti-gun legislation, including one that would have registered sales of ammunition. 'Although we scolded Gov. Schwarzenegger recently for signing into law a ridiculous ban on .50-caliber sporting rifles, we can honestly say he has used far better judgment in vetoing SB1140 and SB1152."
Rapist's gun turned on himself: "A man is in a coma after a woman shot him in self-defence with his own gun when he rape[d] her. Sergeant Charles Nkosi said the woman was apparently walking home near Balfour in Mpumalanga on Monday when a man wearing a balaclava approached her. He pushed her into bushes and raped her at gunpoint. However, she managed to get hold of the firearm and shot her attacker in the back. She fled to a nearby clinic, from where police was [sic] informed. Police took the man to hospital, where he was reportedly still in a coma. Nkosi said police found a shifting spanner, a crowbar and a bush knife, believed to belong to the attacker, at the place where the woman was raped. Nkosi said the man would be charged with rape. The woman might face attempted murder charges."
Arnold vetoes anti-gun legislation: "The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) today applauded California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for applying his veto pen to two pieces of anti-gun legislation, including one that would have registered sales of ammunition. 'Although we scolded Gov. Schwarzenegger recently for signing into law a ridiculous ban on .50-caliber sporting rifles, we can honestly say he has used far better judgment in vetoing SB1140 and SB1152."
Rapist's gun turned on himself: "A man is in a coma after a woman shot him in self-defence with his own gun when he rape[d] her. Sergeant Charles Nkosi said the woman was apparently walking home near Balfour in Mpumalanga on Monday when a man wearing a balaclava approached her. He pushed her into bushes and raped her at gunpoint. However, she managed to get hold of the firearm and shot her attacker in the back. She fled to a nearby clinic, from where police was [sic] informed. Police took the man to hospital, where he was reportedly still in a coma. Nkosi said police found a shifting spanner, a crowbar and a bush knife, believed to belong to the attacker, at the place where the woman was raped. Nkosi said the man would be charged with rape. The woman might face attempted murder charges."
Sunday, October 10, 2004
THIS MIGHT BE MORE REASONABLE THAN IT SOUNDS
This Eskimo village sits on the edge of the continent, part shantytown, part suburb, part Wild West. One can't go farther west without stepping into the Bering Sea - and just beyond, onto the frosty eastern tip of Siberia. No roads lead to Hooper Bay, which is why the modern world has taken its time coming here, and then only in spots. Clusters of plywood shacks stand a short distance from subdivisions of lookalike modular homes. There's no running water, but lots of VCRs and satellite dishes, and computers hooked up to the Internet.
One of the more curious aspects of life here has to do with firearms. Every household has an assortment of rifles and shotguns. When people are hungry, they go out and shoot something, like a walrus in the surf. Every adult has legal access to guns - except the police. The elders won't allow it. The policy - some would call it an edict - isn't written anywhere in the town's municipal code. It has simply been spoken by the gray-haired men and women with faces like carved driftwood who believe that armed officers would only create more trouble.
Hooper Bay is the only known municipality in the United States that prohibits officers from carrying firearms. Police Chief James Hoelscher wants to change that. For the past two years, the chief, half-Eskimo, has tried to convince leaders that a growing town of 1,200 needs a modern police department. "It's been like pedaling backwards going uphill," says Hoelscher, 28. He has a deep voice and friendly dark eyes that can turn intimidating in an instant. "They [town leaders] think we're still in the days of dog sleds and harpoons."
The debate ebbs and flows in town meetings and wherever else it happens to come up, like the lobby of the post office or the checkout line at the grocery store. It is a passionate, disjointed conflict that signals the larger phenomenon of a traditional people facing the pressures of the modern world, the old confronted by the new. The two sides are divided according to how they view their community. Those in favor of arming the nine police officers tend to see Hooper Bay as an American town; those against view it as an Eskimo village. "There are many ways to deal with dangerous situations," says City Administrator Raphael Murran. "If the police had guns, somebody might get shot. Somebody might get killed. Then there would be real trouble."
More here.
BRITAIN: YOU MUST NOT PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE NEW POLITICALLY CORRECT POLICE ARE TOO COWARDLY TO HELP
An independent report has condemned the tardy police response to a bloodbath at a family barbecue in Oxfordshire, England, in June 2004. Stuart Horgan ran riot with a shotgun, shooting his ex-wife, and her sister and mother - the sisters both died from their wounds; their mother remains in hospital. But police officers and an ambulance crew refused to enter the house, saying that there was a chance that the gunman could still be at large. Neighbours were left to comfort the victims for an hour-and-a-half, until paramedics finally arrived. Police concerns about their own health'n'safety means that they hold back on one of the few occasions when they might be quite useful.
Meanwhile, home secretary David Blunkett has said that the police 'need a public image boost' - telling them that they have to be better at answering telephones and dealing with the public. So call your local police station for a chat and expect an impeccable standard of service. But should you ever face the barrel of a gun, it seems that you're on your own.
From "Spiked"
This Eskimo village sits on the edge of the continent, part shantytown, part suburb, part Wild West. One can't go farther west without stepping into the Bering Sea - and just beyond, onto the frosty eastern tip of Siberia. No roads lead to Hooper Bay, which is why the modern world has taken its time coming here, and then only in spots. Clusters of plywood shacks stand a short distance from subdivisions of lookalike modular homes. There's no running water, but lots of VCRs and satellite dishes, and computers hooked up to the Internet.
One of the more curious aspects of life here has to do with firearms. Every household has an assortment of rifles and shotguns. When people are hungry, they go out and shoot something, like a walrus in the surf. Every adult has legal access to guns - except the police. The elders won't allow it. The policy - some would call it an edict - isn't written anywhere in the town's municipal code. It has simply been spoken by the gray-haired men and women with faces like carved driftwood who believe that armed officers would only create more trouble.
Hooper Bay is the only known municipality in the United States that prohibits officers from carrying firearms. Police Chief James Hoelscher wants to change that. For the past two years, the chief, half-Eskimo, has tried to convince leaders that a growing town of 1,200 needs a modern police department. "It's been like pedaling backwards going uphill," says Hoelscher, 28. He has a deep voice and friendly dark eyes that can turn intimidating in an instant. "They [town leaders] think we're still in the days of dog sleds and harpoons."
The debate ebbs and flows in town meetings and wherever else it happens to come up, like the lobby of the post office or the checkout line at the grocery store. It is a passionate, disjointed conflict that signals the larger phenomenon of a traditional people facing the pressures of the modern world, the old confronted by the new. The two sides are divided according to how they view their community. Those in favor of arming the nine police officers tend to see Hooper Bay as an American town; those against view it as an Eskimo village. "There are many ways to deal with dangerous situations," says City Administrator Raphael Murran. "If the police had guns, somebody might get shot. Somebody might get killed. Then there would be real trouble."
More here.
BRITAIN: YOU MUST NOT PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE NEW POLITICALLY CORRECT POLICE ARE TOO COWARDLY TO HELP
An independent report has condemned the tardy police response to a bloodbath at a family barbecue in Oxfordshire, England, in June 2004. Stuart Horgan ran riot with a shotgun, shooting his ex-wife, and her sister and mother - the sisters both died from their wounds; their mother remains in hospital. But police officers and an ambulance crew refused to enter the house, saying that there was a chance that the gunman could still be at large. Neighbours were left to comfort the victims for an hour-and-a-half, until paramedics finally arrived. Police concerns about their own health'n'safety means that they hold back on one of the few occasions when they might be quite useful.
Meanwhile, home secretary David Blunkett has said that the police 'need a public image boost' - telling them that they have to be better at answering telephones and dealing with the public. So call your local police station for a chat and expect an impeccable standard of service. But should you ever face the barrel of a gun, it seems that you're on your own.
From "Spiked"
Saturday, October 09, 2004
A LEFTIST DISCOVERS THAT GUN-OWNERS ARE SANE
"On the way to the range, I tried to do what few liberals ever attempt: I tried to understand the gun-owner's mentality. (Full disclosure: I'm so liberal that the "Dean Scream" sounded like a whimper to me, but you won't hear me challenging the Second Amendment. No matter where you put the comma, I think it's pretty clear that the Framers wanted us to be able to bear arms.) And Paul makes it easy to like a gun-nut. He doesn't keep loaded firearms around the house. He doesn't get his kicks out of shooting living things. He doesn't show off.
But he does say things like, "I would only use an assault rifle if civil order had broken down and I needed to defend myself." (By comparison, the only thing I fear breaking down is the soft-serve machine at my local Carvel.) And he also says things like, "A loaded gun is the most effective self-defense tool available" (although I suggested that a more-effective tool is the famous "Kuntzman unconditional surrender"). And he really does believe that if everyone was armed, there would be less violent crime in America (there are many statistics that bear this out, but there are other statistics that don't, which explains the expression, "Damn statistics!").
I don't agree with him on any of those points, but I'll allow Paul his opinion because he's so darn safe with firearms. His concern for safety made me feel bad that non-gun owners like me stigmatize people like him simply because they enjoy the company of a deadly weapon. "The vast majority of firearm owners are as responsible, if not more so, than I am about safety," he said, complaining that non-gun people simply can't accept that a "responsible gun owner" is not an oxymoron. "Often there is no distinction made between us and those who are not responsible-criminals. We're not about shooting people."
More here.
LOONY 9TH. CIRCUIT GETS ITS WAY
Alameda County won a final victory Monday in defense of its ordinance banning gun shows at its fairgrounds, as the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take the case. The high court's refusal means the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling, which rejected show promoters' arguments that their First and Second Amendment rights were being violated, will stand. San Mateo, Marin and Los Angeles counties have adopted ordinances similar to Alameda County's, and Monday's milestone could invite more counties to do the same.
The Nordykes, doing business as TS Trade Shows, promoted gun shows at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton from 1991 until 1999, when county supervisors adopted an ordinance making illegal the possession of firearms on county property. The ordinance came in response to a 1998 fairgrounds shooting in which eight people were wounded. The Nordykes sued in federal court, but U.S. District Judge Martin Jenkins of San Francisco refused to issue an injunction against the law. Among the Nordykes' claims was that the ordinance was pre-empted by state gun laws, so the 9th Circuit appeals court in 2000 asked the California Supreme Court to rule on that; the state's high court found no such conflict. In February 2003, the 9th Circuit upheld Jenkins' ruling.
"We conclude that a gun itself is not speech," wrote Circuit Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain. "Someone has to do something with the symbol before it can be speech. ... Typically a person possessing a gun has no intent to convey a particular message, nor is any particular message likely to be understood by those who view it." And, he wrote, "we have squarely held that the Second Amendment guarantees a collective right for the states to maintain an armed militia and offers no protection for the individual's right to bear arms."
The 9th Circuit's ruling was based on a ruling it made in 2002 upholding California's ban on assault weapons, in which it concluded the Second Amendment guarantees the right of the states to maintain armed militias but does not grant individuals the right to bear arms. The U.S. Supreme Court refused that case last year."
More here.
"On the way to the range, I tried to do what few liberals ever attempt: I tried to understand the gun-owner's mentality. (Full disclosure: I'm so liberal that the "Dean Scream" sounded like a whimper to me, but you won't hear me challenging the Second Amendment. No matter where you put the comma, I think it's pretty clear that the Framers wanted us to be able to bear arms.) And Paul makes it easy to like a gun-nut. He doesn't keep loaded firearms around the house. He doesn't get his kicks out of shooting living things. He doesn't show off.
But he does say things like, "I would only use an assault rifle if civil order had broken down and I needed to defend myself." (By comparison, the only thing I fear breaking down is the soft-serve machine at my local Carvel.) And he also says things like, "A loaded gun is the most effective self-defense tool available" (although I suggested that a more-effective tool is the famous "Kuntzman unconditional surrender"). And he really does believe that if everyone was armed, there would be less violent crime in America (there are many statistics that bear this out, but there are other statistics that don't, which explains the expression, "Damn statistics!").
I don't agree with him on any of those points, but I'll allow Paul his opinion because he's so darn safe with firearms. His concern for safety made me feel bad that non-gun owners like me stigmatize people like him simply because they enjoy the company of a deadly weapon. "The vast majority of firearm owners are as responsible, if not more so, than I am about safety," he said, complaining that non-gun people simply can't accept that a "responsible gun owner" is not an oxymoron. "Often there is no distinction made between us and those who are not responsible-criminals. We're not about shooting people."
More here.
LOONY 9TH. CIRCUIT GETS ITS WAY
Alameda County won a final victory Monday in defense of its ordinance banning gun shows at its fairgrounds, as the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take the case. The high court's refusal means the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling, which rejected show promoters' arguments that their First and Second Amendment rights were being violated, will stand. San Mateo, Marin and Los Angeles counties have adopted ordinances similar to Alameda County's, and Monday's milestone could invite more counties to do the same.
The Nordykes, doing business as TS Trade Shows, promoted gun shows at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton from 1991 until 1999, when county supervisors adopted an ordinance making illegal the possession of firearms on county property. The ordinance came in response to a 1998 fairgrounds shooting in which eight people were wounded. The Nordykes sued in federal court, but U.S. District Judge Martin Jenkins of San Francisco refused to issue an injunction against the law. Among the Nordykes' claims was that the ordinance was pre-empted by state gun laws, so the 9th Circuit appeals court in 2000 asked the California Supreme Court to rule on that; the state's high court found no such conflict. In February 2003, the 9th Circuit upheld Jenkins' ruling.
"We conclude that a gun itself is not speech," wrote Circuit Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain. "Someone has to do something with the symbol before it can be speech. ... Typically a person possessing a gun has no intent to convey a particular message, nor is any particular message likely to be understood by those who view it." And, he wrote, "we have squarely held that the Second Amendment guarantees a collective right for the states to maintain an armed militia and offers no protection for the individual's right to bear arms."
The 9th Circuit's ruling was based on a ruling it made in 2002 upholding California's ban on assault weapons, in which it concluded the Second Amendment guarantees the right of the states to maintain armed militias but does not grant individuals the right to bear arms. The U.S. Supreme Court refused that case last year."
More here.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Target practice triggers gun debate: "A couple of times a week, Jean Murray goes into her back yard, sits down in a plastic lawn chair, and aims her .22 caliber pistol at a makeshift target several hundred feet away. Murray is often joined by her daughter, Linda Rall, and Rall's boyfriend, Windy Skillin, each using a gun to fire at the sheet metal propped up by tires, which serves as their target. For the 67-year-old grandmother, target practice is not just a way to relax. Murray, a widow, says she doesn't care for the coyotes that roam the 40 acres of fields hand woods she owns around her home on the Bridge Road, and if she spots a coyote, she shoots to kill. Her weekly target practice sessions have riled neighbors and thrust Murray into a community debate over a new weapons ordinance that would require anyone who target-practices on a regular basis to register each year with Brunswick police."
THE RETURN OF THE MUZZLE-LOADER
In a new twist on the idea of concealed weapons, a local gun maker and gun shop are debuting a new type of firearm: one that could almost fit in your wallet. It's a two-shot weapon made from a piece of metal the height and width of a standard credit card, and about a half-inch thick. Each barrel fires seven standard steel BBs. It will retail for $100. "This I can see being the ultimate self-defense weapon," said Mark Koscielski, owner of Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, the only gun shop in Minneapolis.
Koscielski and Patrick Teel, who makes the guns in suburban Blaine at his company AFT Incorporated, gave The Associated Press a preview on Tuesday, a day before they planned to officially unveil the device. They said the guns are meant to be used for close-range self-defense and wouldn't be effective as offensive weapons. "They are very effective at five to 10 feet. They're absolutely useless at 20 feet," Teel said.
The credit card-sized shotgun is a muzzleloader, meaning it doesn't use shotgun shells. The user has to measure out some gunpowder, pour it in each barrel, drop seven BBs in each barrel, and tamp in a small wad of paper. A knob on one end serves as a safety, and two buttons set into a hole in the body are the electrical triggers. Each barrel fires with a loud pop.
Teel said the main value of the new gun is that it gives the owner a chance to get away from an attacker. "This is no more deadly than a .22," Teel said. "But the difference is you have multiple wounds, which means you'll try to get away quicker, and it will cause more pain. ... There will be more blood, which the cops will be able to see."
here.
THE RETURN OF THE MUZZLE-LOADER
In a new twist on the idea of concealed weapons, a local gun maker and gun shop are debuting a new type of firearm: one that could almost fit in your wallet. It's a two-shot weapon made from a piece of metal the height and width of a standard credit card, and about a half-inch thick. Each barrel fires seven standard steel BBs. It will retail for $100. "This I can see being the ultimate self-defense weapon," said Mark Koscielski, owner of Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, the only gun shop in Minneapolis.
Koscielski and Patrick Teel, who makes the guns in suburban Blaine at his company AFT Incorporated, gave The Associated Press a preview on Tuesday, a day before they planned to officially unveil the device. They said the guns are meant to be used for close-range self-defense and wouldn't be effective as offensive weapons. "They are very effective at five to 10 feet. They're absolutely useless at 20 feet," Teel said.
The credit card-sized shotgun is a muzzleloader, meaning it doesn't use shotgun shells. The user has to measure out some gunpowder, pour it in each barrel, drop seven BBs in each barrel, and tamp in a small wad of paper. A knob on one end serves as a safety, and two buttons set into a hole in the body are the electrical triggers. Each barrel fires with a loud pop.
Teel said the main value of the new gun is that it gives the owner a chance to get away from an attacker. "This is no more deadly than a .22," Teel said. "But the difference is you have multiple wounds, which means you'll try to get away quicker, and it will cause more pain. ... There will be more blood, which the cops will be able to see."
here.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Even a picture of a gun is incorrect! "The posture and pose are perfectly acceptable, Londonderry High School's yearbook editors said yesterday. But their consensus judgment deemed the shotgun slung over senior Blake Douglass' shoulder unsuitable for yearbook publication. They added that a firearm is 'inappropriate' for a school with a strictly enforced zero-tolerance violence policy. 'Blake looks appropriate, he's handsome and has a good smile,' said senior Danielle Taylor, the yearbook's senior class editor. 'But you can't have a gun in the photo. Guns are not allowed on campus.'"
New anti-"assault weapons" proposals threaten citizens' rights: "With the arrival of the ban's expiration, the hype over guns has returned. It provides us with an opportunity to counter the deception of the anti-gun movement and bring a dose of reality to balance the buzzwords used to woo congressmen into joining the Brady Campaign to ban guns at the behest of concerned 'soccer moms.' And if you think that there aren't people whose ultimate goal is banning guns, remember that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told us back in 1994 that if she 'could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate ... for an outright ban, picking up every one of them, Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in, I would have done it.' I have news for Senator Feinstein: there is, in fact, a Second Amendment; and I believe it takes more than 51 votes in the Senate to repeal it."
District of inequality : . "It is one of the benefits of being a politician. While handguns are banned for citizens in Washington, D.C., congressmen are allowed to have a gun for self-protection on the Capitol grounds. Well-known liberal politicians such as Senators Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy have armed bodyguards. The wives of politicians, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's wife, Linda, also have bodyguards. Undoubtedly, these politicians and their families have extremely good reasons for this protection, but many other Americans, especially those living with the high crime rates in D.C., also feel the same way."
New anti-"assault weapons" proposals threaten citizens' rights: "With the arrival of the ban's expiration, the hype over guns has returned. It provides us with an opportunity to counter the deception of the anti-gun movement and bring a dose of reality to balance the buzzwords used to woo congressmen into joining the Brady Campaign to ban guns at the behest of concerned 'soccer moms.' And if you think that there aren't people whose ultimate goal is banning guns, remember that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told us back in 1994 that if she 'could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate ... for an outright ban, picking up every one of them, Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in, I would have done it.' I have news for Senator Feinstein: there is, in fact, a Second Amendment; and I believe it takes more than 51 votes in the Senate to repeal it."
District of inequality : . "It is one of the benefits of being a politician. While handguns are banned for citizens in Washington, D.C., congressmen are allowed to have a gun for self-protection on the Capitol grounds. Well-known liberal politicians such as Senators Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy have armed bodyguards. The wives of politicians, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's wife, Linda, also have bodyguards. Undoubtedly, these politicians and their families have extremely good reasons for this protection, but many other Americans, especially those living with the high crime rates in D.C., also feel the same way."
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Illinois capitol murder proves gun laws do not stop killers: "Monday's brutal murder of an unarmed Illinois Capitol security officer by a shotgun-wielding killer proves that restrictive gun laws like those in the Prairie State cannot stop determined criminals, and never have, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) said today. 'If the Draconian gun laws in Illinois worked,' said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron, 'then security guard William Wozniak would still be alive.'"
Let's get rid of other gun control laws, too: "A teacher is hauled out of her classroom and arrested in front of her students in Virginia. A state legislator in Alaska is dragged into court by government agents, simply because the legislator -- a former Vietnam veteran -- is engaging in politically incorrect activity. Another military veteran moves from Florida to California, and later finds that he must surrender one of his firearms in the new state or risk becoming a criminal. What do all of these scenarios have in common? They were all law-abiding citizens. None of them had committed a violent crime. None of them had even threatened another person. All were found, however, to be in violation of gun control laws that quite often punish decent Americans for the mere POSSESSION of a gun, even when no real crime has been committed."
Let's get rid of other gun control laws, too: "A teacher is hauled out of her classroom and arrested in front of her students in Virginia. A state legislator in Alaska is dragged into court by government agents, simply because the legislator -- a former Vietnam veteran -- is engaging in politically incorrect activity. Another military veteran moves from Florida to California, and later finds that he must surrender one of his firearms in the new state or risk becoming a criminal. What do all of these scenarios have in common? They were all law-abiding citizens. None of them had committed a violent crime. None of them had even threatened another person. All were found, however, to be in violation of gun control laws that quite often punish decent Americans for the mere POSSESSION of a gun, even when no real crime has been committed."
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Gun maker not liable in NJ cop shooting: "Two former New Jersey police officers shot by a felon three years aren't entitled to damages from the company that made the gun he used. That's the ruling issued yesterday by a West Virginia judge. Dave Lemongello and Kenneth McGuire, who both served with the Orange police force, had sued Connecticut-based Sturm, Ruger and Company, the country's largest firearms maker, and a West Virginia pawnshop. The officers claimed they deserved damages because a Ruger handgun sold at the shop had been used to shoot them in January 2001. But the judge says the company didn't violate its duty to exercise reasonable care in selling its product. The officers had previously reached a one (m) million dollar settlement with the pawnshop."
Gun control pros and cons charge up 'Freedom Forum': "A discussion of gun violence and gun control elicited tears, angry words and extra security Wednesday night. In a "Freedom Forum" on gun safety at Salt Lake City's Main Library, family members and friends shared their pain at losing loved ones. Gun owners accused gun-control advocates of trying to take away their rights. And police patrolled the forum, "just to make sure passions don't get out of hand," said police chief Rick Dinse, who participated in the panel discussion. They didn't. But by the comments from the audience, neither did the participants find common ground."
Government not really interested in preventing gun deaths: "Inner city groups set up to steer young people away from guns and gangs say they are facing a crisis through a lack of basic funding. Some of the groups existed before the New Year shootings of Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis while others were launched in the wake of the city's reaction to spiralling gun violence. They include Partnership Against Crime, launched by Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie, Parents United, Young Disciples, Men to Men Mission and Families for Peace.They were meant to work together in a consortium called Prospects Unlimited which was funded by the city council.But a spokesman for Parents United said funding had run out for their group."
Gun control pros and cons charge up 'Freedom Forum': "A discussion of gun violence and gun control elicited tears, angry words and extra security Wednesday night. In a "Freedom Forum" on gun safety at Salt Lake City's Main Library, family members and friends shared their pain at losing loved ones. Gun owners accused gun-control advocates of trying to take away their rights. And police patrolled the forum, "just to make sure passions don't get out of hand," said police chief Rick Dinse, who participated in the panel discussion. They didn't. But by the comments from the audience, neither did the participants find common ground."
Government not really interested in preventing gun deaths: "Inner city groups set up to steer young people away from guns and gangs say they are facing a crisis through a lack of basic funding. Some of the groups existed before the New Year shootings of Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis while others were launched in the wake of the city's reaction to spiralling gun violence. They include Partnership Against Crime, launched by Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie, Parents United, Young Disciples, Men to Men Mission and Families for Peace.They were meant to work together in a consortium called Prospects Unlimited which was funded by the city council.But a spokesman for Parents United said funding had run out for their group."
Monday, October 04, 2004
Woman who killed intruder won't face charges: "Allegheny County [PA] District Attorney Stephen Zappala says a Harrison Township woman was justified in using deadly force to protect herself and her husband when a masked intruder broke into their Spruce Street home two weeks ago. Police say Eleanor Cash grabbed a shotgun and fired as Ras Saleem Hudson, 20, pistol-whipped her husband on September 13th. After investigating the deadly shooting, Zappala today announced that he won't file any charges against Cash for Hudson's death."
Family Chicken Feud Turns to Gun Battle
(The brainless ye have always with you)
BLUEWELL, West Virgina - A family meal erupted into a gun battle after a father and son clashed over how to cook chicken.
The two men argued Sunday over the best way to prepare skinless chicken for dinner. "It started out as a physical confrontation, but it escalated until both of them were shooting at each other," Detective Sgt. A.D. Beasley of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department said Monday. Beasley said each man fired a .22-caliber handgun at the other. Harley Shrader was struck by a bullet that went through the upper part of his right ear and lodged in the back of his head. He was treated at a hospital and released. The elder Shrader was not injured.
Jackie Lee Shrader, 49, was charged with malicious wounding and wanton endangerment. Harley Lee Shrader, 24, was charged with wanton endangerment.
Family Chicken Feud Turns to Gun Battle
(The brainless ye have always with you)
BLUEWELL, West Virgina - A family meal erupted into a gun battle after a father and son clashed over how to cook chicken.
The two men argued Sunday over the best way to prepare skinless chicken for dinner. "It started out as a physical confrontation, but it escalated until both of them were shooting at each other," Detective Sgt. A.D. Beasley of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department said Monday. Beasley said each man fired a .22-caliber handgun at the other. Harley Shrader was struck by a bullet that went through the upper part of his right ear and lodged in the back of his head. He was treated at a hospital and released. The elder Shrader was not injured.
Jackie Lee Shrader, 49, was charged with malicious wounding and wanton endangerment. Harley Lee Shrader, 24, was charged with wanton endangerment.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
WHATTA GUY!
Pity he didn't have a gun himself
"An Army MP just back from a tour in Afghanistan was shot in a donut shop parking confrontation but then beat his alleged assailant into submission. Jeremy Bailey, 24, of Weymouth, received stitches at South Shore Hospital to close a gash in his forehead left by the bullet, and was released. "He's lucky," Weymouth Police Capt. Brian Callahan said. "This was a dangerous, dangerous incident around 9 at night at a Dunkin' Donuts that is pretty busy."
Police arrested Edward Green, 20, of Mattapan and charged him with attempted murder, and Nicole D. Pina, 21, of 11 McCusker Drive, Braintree, who was with him. Callahan said she assaulted several police officers. "These people were totally out of control," Callahan said.
Bailey went to the Dunkin' Donuts in Weymouth Landing with his 16-year-old brother, Casey Toole, of Braintree shortly before 9:30 last night and found a car with two women and a man inside blocking the parking lot entrance. Bailey said he squeezed past the car, rolled down his window and yelled to the woman driver, "Why not just move over, honey."
He said she yelled something back at him and backed up as though she was trying to hit his car. Bailey said he drove to a parking space, and started walking towards the donut shop with his brother when the man who was in the other car came towards him. "I saw the guy take a pistol out of his pants about 10 feet away. I ducked and charged, and he shot me in the head," Bailey said. He said he managed to punch the man, who police identified as Green, and knock him to the ground.
Bailey said he was feeling dizzy, and as he kicked the gun out of Green's hand, he saw Pina get into his car, where he had left his keys, and begin driving it away. "I jumped in the window and slammed it into park," he said. "She was hitting me, and I pulled her out of the car through the window."
Bailey said that was when he saw Green coming at him with the gun again. "I punched him down to the ground, got on top of him and kept punching and trying to get the gun, and he was yelling, 'stop,'" Bailey said. He said Pina kicked him on the side of the head three times as he struggled, and that Green hit him on the head with the handle of the handgun."
More here.
Pity he didn't have a gun himself
"An Army MP just back from a tour in Afghanistan was shot in a donut shop parking confrontation but then beat his alleged assailant into submission. Jeremy Bailey, 24, of Weymouth, received stitches at South Shore Hospital to close a gash in his forehead left by the bullet, and was released. "He's lucky," Weymouth Police Capt. Brian Callahan said. "This was a dangerous, dangerous incident around 9 at night at a Dunkin' Donuts that is pretty busy."
Police arrested Edward Green, 20, of Mattapan and charged him with attempted murder, and Nicole D. Pina, 21, of 11 McCusker Drive, Braintree, who was with him. Callahan said she assaulted several police officers. "These people were totally out of control," Callahan said.
Bailey went to the Dunkin' Donuts in Weymouth Landing with his 16-year-old brother, Casey Toole, of Braintree shortly before 9:30 last night and found a car with two women and a man inside blocking the parking lot entrance. Bailey said he squeezed past the car, rolled down his window and yelled to the woman driver, "Why not just move over, honey."
He said she yelled something back at him and backed up as though she was trying to hit his car. Bailey said he drove to a parking space, and started walking towards the donut shop with his brother when the man who was in the other car came towards him. "I saw the guy take a pistol out of his pants about 10 feet away. I ducked and charged, and he shot me in the head," Bailey said. He said he managed to punch the man, who police identified as Green, and knock him to the ground.
Bailey said he was feeling dizzy, and as he kicked the gun out of Green's hand, he saw Pina get into his car, where he had left his keys, and begin driving it away. "I jumped in the window and slammed it into park," he said. "She was hitting me, and I pulled her out of the car through the window."
Bailey said that was when he saw Green coming at him with the gun again. "I punched him down to the ground, got on top of him and kept punching and trying to get the gun, and he was yelling, 'stop,'" Bailey said. He said Pina kicked him on the side of the head three times as he struggled, and that Green hit him on the head with the handle of the handgun."
More here.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
A TOKEN VICTORY FOR D.C.
"The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to repeal virtually all of the District's gun laws, urged by gun rights groups to deliver a victory before the November election over the vehement objections of Washington leaders who denounced what they called a historic violation of home rule. Voting 250-171, the House approved the D.C Personal Protection Act, which would end the District's ban on handguns and semi-automatic weapons, roll back registration requirements for ammunition and other firearms and decriminalize possession of unregistered weapons and carrying a gun in one's home or workplace. The bill also would prohibit the District's elected mayor and council from passing gun limits that exceed federal law or 'discourage ... the private ownership or use of firearms.
The measure now goes to the Senate, where it has almost no chance of passing. With little more than a week before Congress recesses for the fall campaign, only major legislation and uncontroversial measures are likely to reach the floor, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has indicated."
More here.
Yearbook publisher sides with district on shotgun photo: "Yearbook publishing giant Jostens yesterday said it supports Londonderry High School's decision to nix senior Blake Douglass' submitted yearbook photo featuring a broke-open shotgun. ... 'We support whatever the position of the school is, and in this case the school owns the publication because they signed the contract,' said Cole Harris, a Jostens yearbook publishing consultant, who is based in Portland, Maine.'And if guns are not allowed in the school, I feel it's inappropriate to have it in the yearbook. It's contradictory.'"
"The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to repeal virtually all of the District's gun laws, urged by gun rights groups to deliver a victory before the November election over the vehement objections of Washington leaders who denounced what they called a historic violation of home rule. Voting 250-171, the House approved the D.C Personal Protection Act, which would end the District's ban on handguns and semi-automatic weapons, roll back registration requirements for ammunition and other firearms and decriminalize possession of unregistered weapons and carrying a gun in one's home or workplace. The bill also would prohibit the District's elected mayor and council from passing gun limits that exceed federal law or 'discourage ... the private ownership or use of firearms.
The measure now goes to the Senate, where it has almost no chance of passing. With little more than a week before Congress recesses for the fall campaign, only major legislation and uncontroversial measures are likely to reach the floor, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has indicated."
More here.
Yearbook publisher sides with district on shotgun photo: "Yearbook publishing giant Jostens yesterday said it supports Londonderry High School's decision to nix senior Blake Douglass' submitted yearbook photo featuring a broke-open shotgun. ... 'We support whatever the position of the school is, and in this case the school owns the publication because they signed the contract,' said Cole Harris, a Jostens yearbook publishing consultant, who is based in Portland, Maine.'And if guns are not allowed in the school, I feel it's inappropriate to have it in the yearbook. It's contradictory.'"
Friday, October 01, 2004
Bullets better? "Law enforcement officials and stun gun maker Taser International of Scottsdale, Ariz., argue that Tasers are a safer and more humane way to subdue suspects or mentally deranged individuals than guns, batons, pepper spray or brute force. 'The Taser is just a cleaner, safer way to do business,' Detective Bill Veteran, Fremont police spokesman, told the San Francisco Chronicle. 'I've been in all kinds of wrestling matches, I've been pepper-sprayed, I've been hit by a baton, I've seen people get bit by a police dog.' But civil rights groups are alarmed that some agencies allow officers liberal use of Tasers rather than limiting their use to situations where a life is in danger. Over the past five years, more than 70 suspects nationwide have died after being shocked by Tasers, including 10 in August, according the American Civil Liberties Union."
Armed robber fatally shot: "A 64-year-old man gunned down an armed robber Friday night in an apparent act of self-defense during a card game at a social club on Genesee Street [Buffalo, NY], police said. ... Two masked men -- one armed with a shotgun, the other with a pistol -- showed up and told the five people playing cards not to move, Detective Mary Gugliuzza of the Major Crimes Unit said. A round from the robber's shotgun went off and a man playing cards hit the floor. Meanwhile, the 64-year-old man, who also was playing cards -- apparently believing his friend had been shot -- pulled out his gun and returned fire, police said."
Armed robber fatally shot: "A 64-year-old man gunned down an armed robber Friday night in an apparent act of self-defense during a card game at a social club on Genesee Street [Buffalo, NY], police said. ... Two masked men -- one armed with a shotgun, the other with a pistol -- showed up and told the five people playing cards not to move, Detective Mary Gugliuzza of the Major Crimes Unit said. A round from the robber's shotgun went off and a man playing cards hit the floor. Meanwhile, the 64-year-old man, who also was playing cards -- apparently believing his friend had been shot -- pulled out his gun and returned fire, police said."
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Criminals usually don't get guns legally: "Guns that are purchased and carried legally are not usually involved in crimes, law enforcement officials say. "A lot of the criminal element doesn't go to your local gun store and get a gun, nor do they come to the Sheriff's Department and get a gun permit," said Tulare County sheriff's Lt. Keith Douglas. "A large amount of weapons that are used in crimes, the people that have them don't have permits." Xavier Garcia, manager of Best Jewelry and Loan in Visalia, said the process for getting a gun, including the waiting period, helps prevent criminals from buying guns.'"
The dangers of democracy: "In order to understand why the right to keep and bear arms is crucial to a free society, it is first essential to realize that true freedom cannot coexist with coercion -- even if said coercion is perpetuated by a majority rule -- democracy. By its very nature, democracy is mob rule -- the many imposing their will on the few. And by its very nature, democracy is inconsistent with freedom. In a democracy your rights can be trampled by a simple majority vote -- without regard for objective, moral principles of right and wrong. And as Ilana astutely explains in her razor-sharp condemnation of Tony Blair's Britain, 'A right that can't be defended ... is a right that exists only in name.'"
A "successful" anti-gun policy: "In his 25 years of picking up fares, Roger McKinnon has been shot at, kidnapped and burned on the hand with a cigarette. During that time, six cabdrivers he knew of were killed; two of them were his friends. One was shot in the back; one, in the head. ... Yellow Cab's 350-car fleet is equipped with GPS tracking, two-way radios, on-board computers and panic switches installed in secret locations. ... But none of the cabs has a partition, and neither company allows drivers to carry guns."
Gun control never works: "Gun control never works because the logic behind it is completely flawed. Criminals do not purchase their weapons through legitimate gun retailers. They buy them on the street, where they are cheap and cannot be traced. Or they simply steal them. Putting gun control laws in place, only help to separate decent people from their constitutional right to own a gun. Thus, giving the upper hand to the violent criminals."
The dangers of democracy: "In order to understand why the right to keep and bear arms is crucial to a free society, it is first essential to realize that true freedom cannot coexist with coercion -- even if said coercion is perpetuated by a majority rule -- democracy. By its very nature, democracy is mob rule -- the many imposing their will on the few. And by its very nature, democracy is inconsistent with freedom. In a democracy your rights can be trampled by a simple majority vote -- without regard for objective, moral principles of right and wrong. And as Ilana astutely explains in her razor-sharp condemnation of Tony Blair's Britain, 'A right that can't be defended ... is a right that exists only in name.'"
A "successful" anti-gun policy: "In his 25 years of picking up fares, Roger McKinnon has been shot at, kidnapped and burned on the hand with a cigarette. During that time, six cabdrivers he knew of were killed; two of them were his friends. One was shot in the back; one, in the head. ... Yellow Cab's 350-car fleet is equipped with GPS tracking, two-way radios, on-board computers and panic switches installed in secret locations. ... But none of the cabs has a partition, and neither company allows drivers to carry guns."
Gun control never works: "Gun control never works because the logic behind it is completely flawed. Criminals do not purchase their weapons through legitimate gun retailers. They buy them on the street, where they are cheap and cannot be traced. Or they simply steal them. Putting gun control laws in place, only help to separate decent people from their constitutional right to own a gun. Thus, giving the upper hand to the violent criminals."
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
KERRY: A LIST OF HIS GUN DECEPTIONS
"Senator John Kerry has recently attacked President Bush for allowing a ban on military styled firearms to expire thereby confirming the Democrat candidate's true beliefs regarding the right to keep and bear arms.... Throughout his campaign, Kerry has sought to project an image of himself (just like the home movies of his Vietnam exploits) as an outdoorsman and sportsman. Hence we have all been treated to photos of him waving guns around and dressed in hunters garb. Contrary to NRA recommended safety practices, Kerry often appears not wearing the necessary ear and eye protection even while firing or ejecting spent cartridges. Experienced hunters were no doubt amused when Kerry was asked what kind of game he preferred. He responded, "I'd have to say deer. I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach." Seems like more Vietnam fantasizing to me. Apparently, Kerry's knowledge of shooting and hunting is as limited as his understanding of this ban, which is dangerous in both cases. Was he too busy downhill skiing or windsurfing or biking to study the history of this legislation to know of its profound influence in elections over the last decade?
John Kerry charges that President Bush "misled" the country on the war in Iraqi, but it is indisputable that Kerry is misleading the people on the question of assault rifles. Kerry exclaimed, "And so for the first time in ten years, when a killer walks into a gun shop, when a terrorist goes to a gun show somewhere in America, when they want to purchase an AK-47 or some other military assault weapon, they are going to hear one word: Sure." This is patently false. True assault weapons that have full automatic fire such as the AK-47 and the Israeli Uzi were banned from importation in 1989. Machine guns of any type have been illegal since 1934 and gun stores do background checks.
Kerry said allowing the ban to expire would only increase the threat from terrorists. He said such laws were "not just to fight ordinary crime but to take on terrorists." Such "thinking" ignores the obvious fact that terrorist are not likely to obey such laws. Why would a terrorist use an inferior weapon when they have access to fully automated true assault weapons? Kerry also said, "George Bush chose to make the job of terrorists easier, and the job of police officers harder." Not true. Banning such firearms only removes another tool from law-abiding citizens with which they can defend their homes. Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America refers to this type of gun as the "homeland security rifle."
In September in St. Louis, Kerry claimed, "I support the Second Amendment. I have been a hunter all my life." Earlier he has said, "I believe that the Constitution, our laws and our customs protect law-abiding American citizen's right to own firearms." So he says. But his voting record and endorsements clearly state just the opposite. During his time in the senate, he has cast 59 votes on 2nd Amendment matters nearly all of which were against the fundamental right of individuals to own firearms. He has received an "F" rating from the NRA and 0% rating from the Gun Owners of America. Conversely, the Brady Campaign (formally Handgun Control, Inc.) has given him a 100 percent rating as did the American Bar Association's Special Committee on Gun Violence and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. He has even gotten 100 percent approval from the Humane Society of the United States and Fund for Animals.
In addition, Kerry has co-sponsored S.1431 that would empower a U.S. Attorney General to prohibit any semi-automatic rifle or shotgun based on military or federal law enforcement agency design. Kerry was given a Remington 11-87 shotgun by the United Mine Workers in Racine, W. Virginia that could very well be restricted by the new law. Kerry has also mentioned that he has in his possession a Chinese AK-47 assault rifle that he brought home as a "reminder of his service" in Vietnam. Would it be impolite to ask the elitist John Kerry why he should have his own arsenal of assault weapons but will not allow others to do the same? This is just one more example of why you can't believe anything the Senator says.
Targeting President Bush for not pushing for renewal of the weapons ban will likely backfire on John Kerry.... Why would Senator Kerry risk political fallout by flogging this dead horse of useless mostly symbolic legislation? Is he so dim to see there is no political capital to be gained out of this? How does he expect to make points in the huge hunting states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania when such laws could be extended to include the ever-popular semi-automatic shotgun? Some 47 percent of households and 54 percent of union households own guns. Contrary to appearances, Kerry does possess a set of convictions. He just can't share them openly. If Kerry has ever been consistent on anything it has been his opposition to the right of Americans to defend themselves. When asked to explain Kerry's commitment to the ban despite the political risks, advisor Joe Lockhart said, "...it's a matter of principle."
John Kerry claims to be a champion of the Constitution, yet he has shown nothing but distain for the 2nd Amendment. His remark was, "I have never ever thought about going hunting with an AK-47 or an Uzi or anything else." This statement alone is sufficient to display Kerry's complete ignorance of the purpose for the Amendment. The Founding Fathers did not institute the right "to bear arms" to protect hunting, but to protect all the other freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights. Justice Joseph Story regarded the amendment as "the palladium of the liberties of the Republic'. It's a shame that a Senator from Massachusetts, home of the Revolutionary Minutemen, would be so opposed to the very right that gave birth to freedom on this continent".
More here
THEORY AND FACTS COLLIDE
"The so-called assault weapon (SAW) controversy is one that lends itself to plain reasoning. Just off the cuff, how many instances of gun crime nationwide and especially locally can you think of that involved sustained Hollywood-style gunfights between police and criminals? The typical exchange of gunfire is usually just a few rounds. One New York City study showed an average of 3.8 rounds fired by the police per incident. So much for the hazard of police being "outgunned."
As gun researcher Gary Kleck points out, nearly all studies of firearm-caused police fatalities put those killed by SAWs anywhere from zero to five percent of the total. In other words, officers killed by SAW-wielding criminals are an extreme rarity.
Do the high-capacity magazine weapons pose a greater danger to police than other firearms? Common sense indicates that a criminal with a 10-round firearm is virtually as dangerous as one with, say, a 20-round magazine. FBI data bear this out: 85 percent of all victim officers killed by firearms never fire a single shot, let alone get outgunned by a criminal with more ammunition.
Small wonder that Tom Diaz of the anti-gun "Violence Policy Center" said: "If the existing assault-weapons ban expires, I personally do not believe it will make one whit of difference one way or another in terms of our objective, which is reducing death and injury and getting a particularly lethal class of firearms off the streets. " Because, he explains, Washington, D.C. is surrounded by localities with softer gun laws. He seems to have forgotten that the assault weapons ban was nationwide while acknowledging it didn't help public safety.
Kleck points out that SAWs are not the choice of gangs or drug dealers. Looking at studies from 1989 to 1994 that dealt with firearms that President George H.W. Bush outlawed from importation, Kleck discovered that the banned weapons made up only 1® to 3 percent of the firearms confiscated from gangs and drug dealers. "Thus, assault weapons are virtually never used by drug dealers or juvenile gang members, just as is true of criminals in general." Too bad. The assault weapon boogeyman is yet another beautiful liberal theory mugged by a gang of facts.
More here:
"Senator John Kerry has recently attacked President Bush for allowing a ban on military styled firearms to expire thereby confirming the Democrat candidate's true beliefs regarding the right to keep and bear arms.... Throughout his campaign, Kerry has sought to project an image of himself (just like the home movies of his Vietnam exploits) as an outdoorsman and sportsman. Hence we have all been treated to photos of him waving guns around and dressed in hunters garb. Contrary to NRA recommended safety practices, Kerry often appears not wearing the necessary ear and eye protection even while firing or ejecting spent cartridges. Experienced hunters were no doubt amused when Kerry was asked what kind of game he preferred. He responded, "I'd have to say deer. I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach." Seems like more Vietnam fantasizing to me. Apparently, Kerry's knowledge of shooting and hunting is as limited as his understanding of this ban, which is dangerous in both cases. Was he too busy downhill skiing or windsurfing or biking to study the history of this legislation to know of its profound influence in elections over the last decade?
John Kerry charges that President Bush "misled" the country on the war in Iraqi, but it is indisputable that Kerry is misleading the people on the question of assault rifles. Kerry exclaimed, "And so for the first time in ten years, when a killer walks into a gun shop, when a terrorist goes to a gun show somewhere in America, when they want to purchase an AK-47 or some other military assault weapon, they are going to hear one word: Sure." This is patently false. True assault weapons that have full automatic fire such as the AK-47 and the Israeli Uzi were banned from importation in 1989. Machine guns of any type have been illegal since 1934 and gun stores do background checks.
Kerry said allowing the ban to expire would only increase the threat from terrorists. He said such laws were "not just to fight ordinary crime but to take on terrorists." Such "thinking" ignores the obvious fact that terrorist are not likely to obey such laws. Why would a terrorist use an inferior weapon when they have access to fully automated true assault weapons? Kerry also said, "George Bush chose to make the job of terrorists easier, and the job of police officers harder." Not true. Banning such firearms only removes another tool from law-abiding citizens with which they can defend their homes. Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America refers to this type of gun as the "homeland security rifle."
In September in St. Louis, Kerry claimed, "I support the Second Amendment. I have been a hunter all my life." Earlier he has said, "I believe that the Constitution, our laws and our customs protect law-abiding American citizen's right to own firearms." So he says. But his voting record and endorsements clearly state just the opposite. During his time in the senate, he has cast 59 votes on 2nd Amendment matters nearly all of which were against the fundamental right of individuals to own firearms. He has received an "F" rating from the NRA and 0% rating from the Gun Owners of America. Conversely, the Brady Campaign (formally Handgun Control, Inc.) has given him a 100 percent rating as did the American Bar Association's Special Committee on Gun Violence and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. He has even gotten 100 percent approval from the Humane Society of the United States and Fund for Animals.
In addition, Kerry has co-sponsored S.1431 that would empower a U.S. Attorney General to prohibit any semi-automatic rifle or shotgun based on military or federal law enforcement agency design. Kerry was given a Remington 11-87 shotgun by the United Mine Workers in Racine, W. Virginia that could very well be restricted by the new law. Kerry has also mentioned that he has in his possession a Chinese AK-47 assault rifle that he brought home as a "reminder of his service" in Vietnam. Would it be impolite to ask the elitist John Kerry why he should have his own arsenal of assault weapons but will not allow others to do the same? This is just one more example of why you can't believe anything the Senator says.
Targeting President Bush for not pushing for renewal of the weapons ban will likely backfire on John Kerry.... Why would Senator Kerry risk political fallout by flogging this dead horse of useless mostly symbolic legislation? Is he so dim to see there is no political capital to be gained out of this? How does he expect to make points in the huge hunting states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania when such laws could be extended to include the ever-popular semi-automatic shotgun? Some 47 percent of households and 54 percent of union households own guns. Contrary to appearances, Kerry does possess a set of convictions. He just can't share them openly. If Kerry has ever been consistent on anything it has been his opposition to the right of Americans to defend themselves. When asked to explain Kerry's commitment to the ban despite the political risks, advisor Joe Lockhart said, "...it's a matter of principle."
John Kerry claims to be a champion of the Constitution, yet he has shown nothing but distain for the 2nd Amendment. His remark was, "I have never ever thought about going hunting with an AK-47 or an Uzi or anything else." This statement alone is sufficient to display Kerry's complete ignorance of the purpose for the Amendment. The Founding Fathers did not institute the right "to bear arms" to protect hunting, but to protect all the other freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights. Justice Joseph Story regarded the amendment as "the palladium of the liberties of the Republic'. It's a shame that a Senator from Massachusetts, home of the Revolutionary Minutemen, would be so opposed to the very right that gave birth to freedom on this continent".
More here
THEORY AND FACTS COLLIDE
"The so-called assault weapon (SAW) controversy is one that lends itself to plain reasoning. Just off the cuff, how many instances of gun crime nationwide and especially locally can you think of that involved sustained Hollywood-style gunfights between police and criminals? The typical exchange of gunfire is usually just a few rounds. One New York City study showed an average of 3.8 rounds fired by the police per incident. So much for the hazard of police being "outgunned."
As gun researcher Gary Kleck points out, nearly all studies of firearm-caused police fatalities put those killed by SAWs anywhere from zero to five percent of the total. In other words, officers killed by SAW-wielding criminals are an extreme rarity.
Do the high-capacity magazine weapons pose a greater danger to police than other firearms? Common sense indicates that a criminal with a 10-round firearm is virtually as dangerous as one with, say, a 20-round magazine. FBI data bear this out: 85 percent of all victim officers killed by firearms never fire a single shot, let alone get outgunned by a criminal with more ammunition.
Small wonder that Tom Diaz of the anti-gun "Violence Policy Center" said: "If the existing assault-weapons ban expires, I personally do not believe it will make one whit of difference one way or another in terms of our objective, which is reducing death and injury and getting a particularly lethal class of firearms off the streets. " Because, he explains, Washington, D.C. is surrounded by localities with softer gun laws. He seems to have forgotten that the assault weapons ban was nationwide while acknowledging it didn't help public safety.
Kleck points out that SAWs are not the choice of gangs or drug dealers. Looking at studies from 1989 to 1994 that dealt with firearms that President George H.W. Bush outlawed from importation, Kleck discovered that the banned weapons made up only 1® to 3 percent of the firearms confiscated from gangs and drug dealers. "Thus, assault weapons are virtually never used by drug dealers or juvenile gang members, just as is true of criminals in general." Too bad. The assault weapon boogeyman is yet another beautiful liberal theory mugged by a gang of facts.
More here:
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
GOOD NEWS FOR DC?
Rollback in D.C. could be influential
WASHINGTON--When I moved here as a student in the early 1980s, I was appalled to learn that the city had passed an almost complete ban on the ownership of firearms, leaving me with no real means to defend my home or property. On Wednesday, the House will vote on a bill to restore to the residents of the District of Columbia the right to defend themselves.
The citywide gun ban is one of the country's strictest, requiring even the few rifles and shotguns that are allowed be disassembled, unloaded and locked up.... Preventing law-abiding people from owning guns in their homes (there is no talk of allowing residents the right to carry concealed handguns) has done nothing to reduce crime, which has skyrocketed in part due to police mismanagement and corruption. In the five years after the ban took effect in 1976, the murder rate rose to 35 per 100,000 people from 27. In fact, in the three decades since the ban took effect, the annual murder rate has only once fallen below what it was in 1976. In 2002 the murder rate hit 46 per 100,000 people. Robbery rates have also risen dramatically.
Washington residents tell me that the police response times to reports of crime are atrocious, and inner-city residents and the elderly are more vulnerable because the bad guys know they will likely be unarmed. Little wonder that last year six local citizens filed a civil suit in federal court seeking to overturn the gun ban..... District officials did reluctantly legalize pepper spray a decade ago, but they have turned a deaf ear to those who point out that district residents in high-crime areas are helpless until the police are able to respond to a call. That's why Rep. Mark Souder, an Indiana Republican, has introduced a bill that would restore the right of law-abiding, mentally competent citizens to own rifles, shotguns and handguns in the district.
Mr. Souder has assembled a diverse group of co-sponsors, including 41 House Democrats. Among supporters of ending the gun ban are Rep. Ciro Rodriguez of Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Another supporter is Carol Moseley Braun, the famously liberal ex-senator from Illinois, who told district residents during her presidential campaign that she supported ending the gun ban because she believes the Constitution guarantees the right to own guns.
Once Mr. Souder's bill has passed the House it will be sent to the Senate; between 48 and 51 Senators either favor it or are leaning in favor of it. No doubt this is one bill liberal senators will filibuster, so it won't become law this year.
The debate over the district's draconian gun ban should provide valuable lessons for other cities that have foolishly tried to fight crime by disarming their citizens. Chicago's gun ban, passed in 1982, has done nothing to curb that city's murder rate even though its police force is well-trained and well-equipped and has a good relationship with neighborhood leaders. Chicago's murder rate was 5.5 times as high as that of five surrounding counties in 1982, when gun control passed. During the next five years the murder rate soared to 12 times as great as in the neighboring counties.
Gun control is bad for public safety, in large part because criminals ignore gun bans that honest people feel compelled to follow. Bob Levy, a scholar at the Cato Institute in Washington, says lifting the Washington gun ban is a moral issue. "Right now, if someone breaks into a poor person's home here, their only choice is to call 911 and pray the police arrive in time," he says. "That's not good enough, and let's hope members of Congress grant the right to bear arms to people who can't afford to live in the safe neighborhoods they go home to at night".
More here
STRUGGLE FOR HUNTING RIGHTS IN MARYLAND
Opponents of bear hunting in Maryland said they plan to file a lawsuit today aimed at stopping the state's first bear season in 51 years, which is scheduled to begin late next month. The hunting opponents said yesterday that their suit will allege that the state Department of Natural Resources did not do enough research on the black bear population.... They should essentially have to do their homework before rushing to judgment and deciding that bears have to be killed for trophies," said Michael Markarian, president of the Silver Spring-based Fund for Animals. The suit names as plaintiffs the fund, the Humane Society of the United States and three Maryland residents, he said.
Heather Lynch, a spokeswoman for the department, said yesterday that the agency would not comment. In the past, state scientists have defended their estimates of the bear population and said a hunt is the best way to control a bear population that threatens to spread into more populated counties in the state's eastern half.....
The state banned bear hunting in the 1950s when only about a dozen bears were counted. But the animals have come back in Maryland and across the East Coast, helped by limited hunting and forest re-growth. State biologists, reacting to an increase in complaints about bears raiding cornfields and trash cans, this spring proposed a new hunting season.
More here.
Rollback in D.C. could be influential
WASHINGTON--When I moved here as a student in the early 1980s, I was appalled to learn that the city had passed an almost complete ban on the ownership of firearms, leaving me with no real means to defend my home or property. On Wednesday, the House will vote on a bill to restore to the residents of the District of Columbia the right to defend themselves.
The citywide gun ban is one of the country's strictest, requiring even the few rifles and shotguns that are allowed be disassembled, unloaded and locked up.... Preventing law-abiding people from owning guns in their homes (there is no talk of allowing residents the right to carry concealed handguns) has done nothing to reduce crime, which has skyrocketed in part due to police mismanagement and corruption. In the five years after the ban took effect in 1976, the murder rate rose to 35 per 100,000 people from 27. In fact, in the three decades since the ban took effect, the annual murder rate has only once fallen below what it was in 1976. In 2002 the murder rate hit 46 per 100,000 people. Robbery rates have also risen dramatically.
Washington residents tell me that the police response times to reports of crime are atrocious, and inner-city residents and the elderly are more vulnerable because the bad guys know they will likely be unarmed. Little wonder that last year six local citizens filed a civil suit in federal court seeking to overturn the gun ban..... District officials did reluctantly legalize pepper spray a decade ago, but they have turned a deaf ear to those who point out that district residents in high-crime areas are helpless until the police are able to respond to a call. That's why Rep. Mark Souder, an Indiana Republican, has introduced a bill that would restore the right of law-abiding, mentally competent citizens to own rifles, shotguns and handguns in the district.
Mr. Souder has assembled a diverse group of co-sponsors, including 41 House Democrats. Among supporters of ending the gun ban are Rep. Ciro Rodriguez of Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Another supporter is Carol Moseley Braun, the famously liberal ex-senator from Illinois, who told district residents during her presidential campaign that she supported ending the gun ban because she believes the Constitution guarantees the right to own guns.
Once Mr. Souder's bill has passed the House it will be sent to the Senate; between 48 and 51 Senators either favor it or are leaning in favor of it. No doubt this is one bill liberal senators will filibuster, so it won't become law this year.
The debate over the district's draconian gun ban should provide valuable lessons for other cities that have foolishly tried to fight crime by disarming their citizens. Chicago's gun ban, passed in 1982, has done nothing to curb that city's murder rate even though its police force is well-trained and well-equipped and has a good relationship with neighborhood leaders. Chicago's murder rate was 5.5 times as high as that of five surrounding counties in 1982, when gun control passed. During the next five years the murder rate soared to 12 times as great as in the neighboring counties.
Gun control is bad for public safety, in large part because criminals ignore gun bans that honest people feel compelled to follow. Bob Levy, a scholar at the Cato Institute in Washington, says lifting the Washington gun ban is a moral issue. "Right now, if someone breaks into a poor person's home here, their only choice is to call 911 and pray the police arrive in time," he says. "That's not good enough, and let's hope members of Congress grant the right to bear arms to people who can't afford to live in the safe neighborhoods they go home to at night".
More here
STRUGGLE FOR HUNTING RIGHTS IN MARYLAND
Opponents of bear hunting in Maryland said they plan to file a lawsuit today aimed at stopping the state's first bear season in 51 years, which is scheduled to begin late next month. The hunting opponents said yesterday that their suit will allege that the state Department of Natural Resources did not do enough research on the black bear population.... They should essentially have to do their homework before rushing to judgment and deciding that bears have to be killed for trophies," said Michael Markarian, president of the Silver Spring-based Fund for Animals. The suit names as plaintiffs the fund, the Humane Society of the United States and three Maryland residents, he said.
Heather Lynch, a spokeswoman for the department, said yesterday that the agency would not comment. In the past, state scientists have defended their estimates of the bear population and said a hunt is the best way to control a bear population that threatens to spread into more populated counties in the state's eastern half.....
The state banned bear hunting in the 1950s when only about a dozen bears were counted. But the animals have come back in Maryland and across the East Coast, helped by limited hunting and forest re-growth. State biologists, reacting to an increase in complaints about bears raiding cornfields and trash cans, this spring proposed a new hunting season.
More here.
Monday, September 27, 2004
THE ILLOGICAL JOHN KERRY
"John Wayne Kerry has unveiled his new counter-terrorism initiative. Naturally, it's a panacea liberals have been pushing for the past 40 years: gun control. Kerry claims George W. Bush is soft on al-Qaeda, et al., because the president didn't twist congressional arms to get an extension of the so-called assault weapons ban, which expired on Monday. 'Today George Bush chose to make the job of terrorists easier and to make the job of America's police officers harder,' Kerry squawked...
Try to imagine the following scenario: Abu Jihad al-Slay-the-Infidels saunters into a gun shop and asks to buy a military-style assault weapon - say one with a menacing pistol grip or a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. (Are these weapons of choice of holy warriors the world over?) Now, thanks to Bush's alleged caving to the gun lobby, he can get one by snapping his fingers. But prior to September 14th, when blocked from legally purchasing a TEC-9 by the ban, he presumably muttered Arabic obscenities, sulked and turned to peaceful protest. Only a Democratic presidential candidate would ask us to believe something so improbable.
In a 1993 letter to a constituent, Kerry confessed: "It is certainly true that many criminals do not obtain handguns through legal means; thus waiting periods do nothing to prevent them from getting guns." So, waiting periods won't stop common criminals who get their pieces illegally, but crafty and fanatical terrorists (hardly law-abiding citizens) were supposedly thwarted by the recently expired prohibition.
More here
GUNS AND THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS
Tim Lambert has a post about the efforts of Australian shooters to get guns on the agenda for the Australian Federal election on October 9th. I reproduce it in full (but without links) below. I think they are pissing into the wind myself. Australia's conservative government is very anti-gun and the Labor party opposition are only marginally better. Australia does not however have a violent black and Hispanic underclass so guns are less needed for personal protection here
"A commenter on my earlier post on John "I hate guns" Howard wondered: "If Latham wins, will the public generally credit this issue?" Some shooters have a plan to try to make it an issue:
Will their plan work? Well, I don't think they'll get that much support in the urban seats, but in Eden-Monaro and Page they have a chance of getting a decent number of votes. You can bet that the major parties will be looking very closely at where those preferences go. Both seats are very merginal so even a couple of percent of the vote could make the difference. If they do cost Howard two seats, it will certainly discourage what plans he may have for further gun bans, even if he wins the election".
"John Wayne Kerry has unveiled his new counter-terrorism initiative. Naturally, it's a panacea liberals have been pushing for the past 40 years: gun control. Kerry claims George W. Bush is soft on al-Qaeda, et al., because the president didn't twist congressional arms to get an extension of the so-called assault weapons ban, which expired on Monday. 'Today George Bush chose to make the job of terrorists easier and to make the job of America's police officers harder,' Kerry squawked...
Try to imagine the following scenario: Abu Jihad al-Slay-the-Infidels saunters into a gun shop and asks to buy a military-style assault weapon - say one with a menacing pistol grip or a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. (Are these weapons of choice of holy warriors the world over?) Now, thanks to Bush's alleged caving to the gun lobby, he can get one by snapping his fingers. But prior to September 14th, when blocked from legally purchasing a TEC-9 by the ban, he presumably muttered Arabic obscenities, sulked and turned to peaceful protest. Only a Democratic presidential candidate would ask us to believe something so improbable.
In a 1993 letter to a constituent, Kerry confessed: "It is certainly true that many criminals do not obtain handguns through legal means; thus waiting periods do nothing to prevent them from getting guns." So, waiting periods won't stop common criminals who get their pieces illegally, but crafty and fanatical terrorists (hardly law-abiding citizens) were supposedly thwarted by the recently expired prohibition.
More here
GUNS AND THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS
Tim Lambert has a post about the efforts of Australian shooters to get guns on the agenda for the Australian Federal election on October 9th. I reproduce it in full (but without links) below. I think they are pissing into the wind myself. Australia's conservative government is very anti-gun and the Labor party opposition are only marginally better. Australia does not however have a violent black and Hispanic underclass so guns are less needed for personal protection here
"A commenter on my earlier post on John "I hate guns" Howard wondered: "If Latham wins, will the public generally credit this issue?" Some shooters have a plan to try to make it an issue:
You Can Send John Howard And Canberra A Message From NSW Shooters
*Stop victimising sporting shooters
*Crime control, not gun control
*Stop confiscations and buybacks
*Restore our rights
In this election the Coalition of Law Abiding Sporting Shooters is standing candidates under the Outdoor Recreation Party banner to send a message to Canberra about gun laws. All candidates are sporting shooters standing on a pro-shooting platform. A vote for the Outdoor Recreation Party, in this election, is a vote for shooters rights.
In the Senate (Upper House): Vote 1 Outdoor Recreation Party above the line. Preferences will help to keep out a Green.
In the House of Representatives (Lower House): Vote 1 Outdoor Recreation Party in Eden-Monaro, Greenway, Page and Dobell, and then put Labor ahead of the Liberals and Nationals, Democrats and Greens. Preferences directed this way will help to drive a wedge between the parties and break down their anti-gun bias.
Will their plan work? Well, I don't think they'll get that much support in the urban seats, but in Eden-Monaro and Page they have a chance of getting a decent number of votes. You can bet that the major parties will be looking very closely at where those preferences go. Both seats are very merginal so even a couple of percent of the vote could make the difference. If they do cost Howard two seats, it will certainly discourage what plans he may have for further gun bans, even if he wins the election".
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Girl shoots rapist: "A 16-year-old girl opened fire on her alleged rapist in Tijuana on Tuesday. The shooting took place in the La Presa district. The girl told authorities she shot her cousin's husband four times when he entered her home. The teen said she didn't tell anyone after the 39-year-old man raped her two weeks ago. She told authorities that she was alone when he tried to go into her house Tuesday. The girl reportedly used her father's gun to shoot the man, who remains in the hospital Wednesday. There is no word on his condition."
Oppression by nonsense: "'It is not about putting a barrier between persons and their statutory rights,' Falls Church [VA] City Manager Dan McKeever explained to the City Council Monday about his new policy toward individuals bearing guns in public places. ... McKeever devised the policy in reaction to a new state law prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting the right of individuals to carry guns into public buildings. He said it was designed simply to clarify the intent of an individual who carries out that statutory right. It calls on City employees to notify the police whenever a person is encountered who is carrying a firearm, and that police should interview the person to assess his or her intentions. 'It's a common sense way to ask police to evaluate the reasons for a person to be there with a firearm,' he said, noting that an individual would not be required to cooperate."
BEAR DANGER: REALISM PAYS OFF
I am sure the anti-gun nuts would say he should have called the police instead
"Muldoon resident Gary Boyd was walking his boxer puppy Wednesday afternoon along the popular "tank" trail in the Chugach foothills north of Campbell Creek when he heard something big crashing through the brush behind him. "I thought it was a moose, but then I saw it was too low for a moose," said Boyd, a former Army helicopter pilot and retired maintenance chief. "I just had time to pull my pistol and spin around."
A massive male brown bear erupted from the forest less than 20 feet away, claws tearing up hard-packed earth as it charged toward the 57-year-old . The bear, later estimated at 750 pounds, had apparently been guarding the remains of a moose taken in a Fort Richardson bow hunt in the woods about 75 feet off the gravel track used by hikers, bikers and dog walkers.
"I fired the first shot, and I aimed at its shoulders," Boyd said. "When the first shot didn't faze it, I fired the second time, and it turned into the ditch, and I shot three more times, and it went down." With one shot remaining in his .44-caliber Magnum revolver, Boyd called Anchorage police on his cell phone and walked out a trail to the end of Klutina Street to meet Alaska state trooper Kim Babcock. It was about 12:30 p.m.
Babcock and Boyd returned to the scene and found the bear still alive but unable to move. Babcock finished the animal with a shotgun slug to the heart, while Boyd shot it in the head. The Alaska Bureau of Wildlife Enforcement trooper said she believed Boyd acted appropriately in defense of his life and was glad he had been armed and had the skill to hit the animal with so little time at such close range....
Boyd said he thought the bear had been reacting at first to his dog, a 22-month-old pup named Katie, as she ran ahead on the trail. Both Babcock and Boyd said they were amazed that someone else hadn't been attacked earlier in the day. It had been a big, mature animal, measuring 81/2 feet, a boar in its prime. "We hadn't had that bear dead within three minutes when 12 cross-country runners from the high school came by," Babcock said. "I'm just amazed that he didn't get somebody before me," Boyd added. "I see so many people back here that don't carry a weapon. Someone would have gotten hurt back here or killed."
More here.
Oppression by nonsense: "'It is not about putting a barrier between persons and their statutory rights,' Falls Church [VA] City Manager Dan McKeever explained to the City Council Monday about his new policy toward individuals bearing guns in public places. ... McKeever devised the policy in reaction to a new state law prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting the right of individuals to carry guns into public buildings. He said it was designed simply to clarify the intent of an individual who carries out that statutory right. It calls on City employees to notify the police whenever a person is encountered who is carrying a firearm, and that police should interview the person to assess his or her intentions. 'It's a common sense way to ask police to evaluate the reasons for a person to be there with a firearm,' he said, noting that an individual would not be required to cooperate."
BEAR DANGER: REALISM PAYS OFF
I am sure the anti-gun nuts would say he should have called the police instead
"Muldoon resident Gary Boyd was walking his boxer puppy Wednesday afternoon along the popular "tank" trail in the Chugach foothills north of Campbell Creek when he heard something big crashing through the brush behind him. "I thought it was a moose, but then I saw it was too low for a moose," said Boyd, a former Army helicopter pilot and retired maintenance chief. "I just had time to pull my pistol and spin around."
A massive male brown bear erupted from the forest less than 20 feet away, claws tearing up hard-packed earth as it charged toward the 57-year-old . The bear, later estimated at 750 pounds, had apparently been guarding the remains of a moose taken in a Fort Richardson bow hunt in the woods about 75 feet off the gravel track used by hikers, bikers and dog walkers.
"I fired the first shot, and I aimed at its shoulders," Boyd said. "When the first shot didn't faze it, I fired the second time, and it turned into the ditch, and I shot three more times, and it went down." With one shot remaining in his .44-caliber Magnum revolver, Boyd called Anchorage police on his cell phone and walked out a trail to the end of Klutina Street to meet Alaska state trooper Kim Babcock. It was about 12:30 p.m.
Babcock and Boyd returned to the scene and found the bear still alive but unable to move. Babcock finished the animal with a shotgun slug to the heart, while Boyd shot it in the head. The Alaska Bureau of Wildlife Enforcement trooper said she believed Boyd acted appropriately in defense of his life and was glad he had been armed and had the skill to hit the animal with so little time at such close range....
Boyd said he thought the bear had been reacting at first to his dog, a 22-month-old pup named Katie, as she ran ahead on the trail. Both Babcock and Boyd said they were amazed that someone else hadn't been attacked earlier in the day. It had been a big, mature animal, measuring 81/2 feet, a boar in its prime. "We hadn't had that bear dead within three minutes when 12 cross-country runners from the high school came by," Babcock said. "I'm just amazed that he didn't get somebody before me," Boyd added. "I see so many people back here that don't carry a weapon. Someone would have gotten hurt back here or killed."
More here.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Law needs changing: "A burglary victim became a defendant in the case when he fired off several rounds of a semiautomatic rifle as the alleged thief tried to flee, police say. Brian Napier, 46, was booked with illegally discharging a weapon after catching a man allegedly trying to steal fishing equipment from his garage. Chris Albarado, 43, of Bridge City, who was not hurt, also was arrested later while driving a van riddled with bullet holes, authorities said. He was booked with burglary, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Col. John Fortunato said. 'If someone is in your home and you feel that your life is being threatened, you can use whatever force is deemed necessary,' Fortunato said. 'He (Napier) was arrested for illegally discharging a weapon for shooting as the suspect was fleeing from him.'"
The first law of nature demands a Second Amendment: "Individual security is not the constitutional responsibility of government. More than one judicial decision will confirm such a statement. In other words, it is you, the individual that is obliged to make provisions for your own safety by adhering to the First Law of Nature. You must respond to this fundamental law, or perish. I recognize that this is harsh news for the politically correct sensibilities of most Americans, but this revelation is a simple fact of life. Self-defense is the natural and honorable stance that we must all promote. Without decisive steps to defend self and family, 'security' is only a word."
Mixed progress: "The governor of California exercised both his pen and his veto on Monday, resulting in a mixed return for the issues I've been watching. Here's the bad news: Schwarzenegger signed two gun control measures. One, SB 1858, prohibits public display of fake guns that look real. He also signed AB 2431, which will require police to return firearms seized if owners pass a background check showing they can legally own a gun. SB 1858 is silly -- it's another measure banning toy guns to help the police avoid shooting kids playing cowboys and indians. While I don't really have much problem with regulating toy guns, is it too much to ask for the police to evaluate the situation before shooting a kid? Who is the real threat to our children in this scenario?"
The first law of nature demands a Second Amendment: "Individual security is not the constitutional responsibility of government. More than one judicial decision will confirm such a statement. In other words, it is you, the individual that is obliged to make provisions for your own safety by adhering to the First Law of Nature. You must respond to this fundamental law, or perish. I recognize that this is harsh news for the politically correct sensibilities of most Americans, but this revelation is a simple fact of life. Self-defense is the natural and honorable stance that we must all promote. Without decisive steps to defend self and family, 'security' is only a word."
Mixed progress: "The governor of California exercised both his pen and his veto on Monday, resulting in a mixed return for the issues I've been watching. Here's the bad news: Schwarzenegger signed two gun control measures. One, SB 1858, prohibits public display of fake guns that look real. He also signed AB 2431, which will require police to return firearms seized if owners pass a background check showing they can legally own a gun. SB 1858 is silly -- it's another measure banning toy guns to help the police avoid shooting kids playing cowboys and indians. While I don't really have much problem with regulating toy guns, is it too much to ask for the police to evaluate the situation before shooting a kid? Who is the real threat to our children in this scenario?"
Friday, September 24, 2004
DON'T THESE SOUTH AFRICAN FARMERS REALIZE THAT THEY ARE DEAD MEAT NOW?
"Kwazulu-Natal's farmers feel under threat -- from criminals, the government's plan to phase out the commando system by 2009, and new gun laws that will curb farmers' 'firepower.' Spokespeople for the police and the army say farmers have nothing to worry about, and that a plan is in place to maintain law and order, even after the commando units are withdrawn. At the annual congress of the Kwazulu-Natal Agricultural Union in Pietermaritzburg, some farmers said recently promulgated gun laws would strip them of their ability to defend themselves against attacks on their farms. It was suggested that out of 12 500 recent firearm licence applications -- for self-defence reasons -- just 572 had been approved. This, along with the decision to do away with the commando units, was seen as a threat to rural security."
Nonsensical bear shooting case: "A Letcher County [KY] man pleaded no contest Monday to illegally shooting a black bear in his back yard in June. The plea came after his day in court ended in a mistrial when the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked. ... Brock entered an Alford plea, in which a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes there is sufficient evidence for a conviction. ... Brock said he tried to frighten the bear away by banging on the side of his mobile home and yelling while his wife called the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for help. Craig Nicholson, a dispatcher for the state agency, said he took the call from the Brocks. 'My statement then was, 'Ma'am, if the bear is threatening you or your livestock, shoot the bear,'' Nicholson testified. Conservation officers charged Brock with illegally killing the bear on June 2."
Ban knives! : "New Yorkers are at least four times as likely to be punched to death than to be killed with an assault-style rifle, unpublished state crime statistics show. The eye-opening figures -- obtained by The Post from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services -- reveal that New Yorkers are also at least twice as likely to be clubbed to death than shot dead by an attacker wielding one of the semi-automatic rifles previously covered by a federal government ban that expired last week. The most recent statewide statistics -- murder-by-weapon-type figures from 2002 -- also show that New Yorkers are at least five times as likely to be stabbed to death with a knife than they are to be shot with an assault rifle."
"Kwazulu-Natal's farmers feel under threat -- from criminals, the government's plan to phase out the commando system by 2009, and new gun laws that will curb farmers' 'firepower.' Spokespeople for the police and the army say farmers have nothing to worry about, and that a plan is in place to maintain law and order, even after the commando units are withdrawn. At the annual congress of the Kwazulu-Natal Agricultural Union in Pietermaritzburg, some farmers said recently promulgated gun laws would strip them of their ability to defend themselves against attacks on their farms. It was suggested that out of 12 500 recent firearm licence applications -- for self-defence reasons -- just 572 had been approved. This, along with the decision to do away with the commando units, was seen as a threat to rural security."
Nonsensical bear shooting case: "A Letcher County [KY] man pleaded no contest Monday to illegally shooting a black bear in his back yard in June. The plea came after his day in court ended in a mistrial when the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked. ... Brock entered an Alford plea, in which a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes there is sufficient evidence for a conviction. ... Brock said he tried to frighten the bear away by banging on the side of his mobile home and yelling while his wife called the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for help. Craig Nicholson, a dispatcher for the state agency, said he took the call from the Brocks. 'My statement then was, 'Ma'am, if the bear is threatening you or your livestock, shoot the bear,'' Nicholson testified. Conservation officers charged Brock with illegally killing the bear on June 2."
Ban knives! : "New Yorkers are at least four times as likely to be punched to death than to be killed with an assault-style rifle, unpublished state crime statistics show. The eye-opening figures -- obtained by The Post from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services -- reveal that New Yorkers are also at least twice as likely to be clubbed to death than shot dead by an attacker wielding one of the semi-automatic rifles previously covered by a federal government ban that expired last week. The most recent statewide statistics -- murder-by-weapon-type figures from 2002 -- also show that New Yorkers are at least five times as likely to be stabbed to death with a knife than they are to be shot with an assault rifle."
Thursday, September 23, 2004
A little gun talk: "I have collected large-frame revolvers, both single and double action, for decades now, and have them in three inches, four inches, four and five-eighths inches, five inches, six inches, six and a half inches, seven and a half inches, the aforementioned eight inches, and eight and three-eighths inches. There are a great many other choices offered, and I'm presently hankering after a five and a half and a ten. But what I've recently rediscovered is that the best all-round choice you can make if you want a good, reliable, sturdy weapon and you don't want to start a collection, is a five-inch double action revolver."
GOOD NEWS FOR BRAZILIAN CRIMINALS
"Tough new anti-gun legislation comes into force in Brazil on Wednesday, in a bid to curb what the UN says is the world's fourth-highest murder rate. Under the new rules, anyone carrying a gun without a licence will face a prison sentence. Permits will be issued only to police, security guards and others in high-risk professions - but they must be at least 25 years old. Anyone else caught carrying a firearm will face up to four years in prison.
"Those who currently have permits can carry their weapons until midnight, then they turn into pumpkins. After that, they'll be breaking the law if they take their guns out of their houses," a Brazilian justice ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday, before the law took effect."
More here
WHAT A BAD BOY!
A dealer forced underground by the sound of it
"Los Angeles police seized 388 guns from one man, more than were recovered in the city all last year, a police spokeswoman said. Police seized 11 guns from the car of Wayne Wright, 56, along with another he had illegally sold to an undercover officer. After his arrest, police searched his home in the nearby suburb of Simi Valley and found 376 more firearms.
"Last year there were 348 firearms seized in Los Angeles. This year there have been 411, including the 388 that were seized from Wayne Wright," Officer Sandra Escalante said. "There were rifles, shotguns, handguns and assault weapons" recovered from Wright's home, Escalante said.
A silencer and thousands of rounds of ammunition, including armour-piercing rounds, were also recovered from Wright's home, Escalante said. Possession of a silencer and armour-piercing bullets are felonies in California".
GOOD NEWS FOR BRAZILIAN CRIMINALS
"Tough new anti-gun legislation comes into force in Brazil on Wednesday, in a bid to curb what the UN says is the world's fourth-highest murder rate. Under the new rules, anyone carrying a gun without a licence will face a prison sentence. Permits will be issued only to police, security guards and others in high-risk professions - but they must be at least 25 years old. Anyone else caught carrying a firearm will face up to four years in prison.
"Those who currently have permits can carry their weapons until midnight, then they turn into pumpkins. After that, they'll be breaking the law if they take their guns out of their houses," a Brazilian justice ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday, before the law took effect."
More here
WHAT A BAD BOY!
A dealer forced underground by the sound of it
"Los Angeles police seized 388 guns from one man, more than were recovered in the city all last year, a police spokeswoman said. Police seized 11 guns from the car of Wayne Wright, 56, along with another he had illegally sold to an undercover officer. After his arrest, police searched his home in the nearby suburb of Simi Valley and found 376 more firearms.
"Last year there were 348 firearms seized in Los Angeles. This year there have been 411, including the 388 that were seized from Wayne Wright," Officer Sandra Escalante said. "There were rifles, shotguns, handguns and assault weapons" recovered from Wright's home, Escalante said.
A silencer and thousands of rounds of ammunition, including armour-piercing rounds, were also recovered from Wright's home, Escalante said. Possession of a silencer and armour-piercing bullets are felonies in California".
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