McCarthy introduces new victim disarmament bill: "Anti-gun zealot Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) has launched her most recent effort to use Orwellian Big Government in order to seize your guns. In fact, her anti-gun bill was recently reported out of a House subcommittee. But when you look at the list of cosponsors on this bill, you find a "Who's Who" of the anti-gun Democratic elite: Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Barney Frank (D-MA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Pete Stark (D-CA) among others. They are all F-rated Representatives. HR 1415 -- the McCarthy bill -- would require states to "make electronically available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under [federal law" [Section 102(c)(1)(A)]. Among other things, the bill will help FBI officials to effectively stop thousands upon thousands of Americans from purchasing a firearm. Already, millions of Americans have been disarmed by the Lautenberg Gun Ban which President Bill Clinton signed in 1996. Because of the Lautenberg ban, people who have committed very minor offenses that include pushing, shoving or, in some cases, even yelling at a family member have discovered that they can no longer own a firearm for self-defense."


CA: Gun-wielding resident shoots at burglars: "A gun-wielding resident shot at two alleged burglars parked in his Temecula driveway. The resident called Temecula Police reporting an attempted break-in to his home about 10:30 p.m. located in the 2900 block of Bridgehampton Road. As the resident approached the unfamiliar vehicle, the front passenger window rolled down. He observed what he thought was a hand emerging as if the person in the car had a weapon and discharged a round at the vehicle. The vehicles drove off "at a high rate of speed," according to Sgt. Joe Borga."

NYC's BLOOMBERG PROBLEM

Then there's the gun control legislation that Mr. Bloomberg is hawking, delighting advocates who ignore statistics that discredit such laws. No matter how many laws are passed to control the sales, ownership, or distribution of guns, criminals will bypass them. Law-abiding citizens in New York cannot obtain legal arms to defend themselves against the lawless, and that is frightening to potential victims.

As the son of Holocaust survivors, Ralph Rubinek is acutely aware of how governments can strip the citizen's right to bear arms. The National Rifle Association member sent me a link to a video of a recent Klu Klux Klan rally where the speakers blamed the oil crisis, unemployment, and the war in Iraq on the Jews. It was disgusting to see these morons chant "Seig Heil" over and over.

It would be easy for some to debunk Mr. Rubinek's anxiety about such events as unfounded paranoia if one didn't remember the three-day pogrom in Crown Heights during the Dinkins administration in which blacks roamed the streets shouting "kill the Jews." Mr. Giuliani made such an event unthinkable. Anti-Semitism is on the rise all over the world as haters blame the Iraqi war on Israel and the Jews. How can any Jewish person not understand the importance of the Second Amendment?

Although Mr. Giuliani was not popular with civil libertarians before September 11, 2001, he helped bring about ethnic peace in New York City because he fostered a universal standard of decency.The quality of life policing methods he promoted with his first chief of police, William Bratton, was applied impartially, to all offenders. In spite of the hue and cry by civil rights groups, minorities actually benefited from these tactics, as crime fell dramatically in their communities.

I once read that all crime is committed by only 3% of the population; that percentage was targeted by the NYPD in the Giuliani administration. Despite reports that crime is down in New York, the city doesn't feel safe. A homeless man this week confessed to stabbing four people, including two Canadian tourists in the Times Square area and a Texan on a C subway train. Meanwhile the mayor goes after smokers, paint that adheres to metal, junk food in bodegas, and restaurant menus. These tactics may make statements, but they don't accomplish much.

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CA: County says deadly shooting justified: "A Cochise County Attorney's Office investigation of the July 23, 2005, shooting that left a local man dead and his wife injured has determined the shooting is legally justifiable as self-defense. The office made its findings public in a letter Wednesday addressed to the Sierra Vista Police Department, which was the investigative agency. The case will not be sent to a grand jury or a preliminary court hearing after the office's review, Cochise County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer said. Sierra Vista police and family members of the man killed expressed disappointment Friday that the case won't be reviewed by a grand jury..... "(The boy who shot Pence) was legally entitled to use deadly force in defending himself, his younger brother and their residence from Frank Pence," the letter from the county attorney's office stated. "Under Arizona law, he had no duty to retreat before resorting to the use of deadly force. Physical evidence in the case, including Pence's blood and cigarette butt on the inside of the boy's residence noted by Sierra Vista police investigators, combined with witness statements, indicate justification, "i.e., Frank Pence entering the residence with the intent to assault" the boy's younger brother. "Keep in mind that Mr. Pence had already assaulted (the 16-year-old boy) outside the residence," and the younger brother had physically pushed Mr. Pence off of the older brother and then ran inside, the county attorney's letter stated".

KY: Female store clerk shoots, kills robber: "A Lexington store clerk shot and killed a man who attempted to rob a downtown market this morning, Lexington police said. Charles F. Harmon, 26, of Lexington entered SubCity Market, at the corner of East Seventh Street and Shropshire Avenue, just before 9:30 a.m. and demanded money from the clerk behind the counter, Lexington police Lt. James Curless said. The clerk pulled out a handgun and shot Harmon, who stumbled outside the store and collapsed. The clerk then called 911, Curless said. When firefighters arrived they performed CPR on Harmon and transported him to the University of Kentucky Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:58 a.m., according to Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn. Police do not plan to file charges against the female store clerk, whom police did not identify. Curless said Harmon implied to the store clerk that he had a weapon. Police reviewed the store's surveillance video and found that the clerk's description of the robbery was accurate, a key factor in the decision not to file charges, Curless said. "The law allows you to use force, up to deadly force, to defend yourself if you are in fear of your life," Curless said.


AR: Sheriff says Logan County shooting likely justified: "The Logan County sheriff says homeowner who shot an alleged intruder was most likely justified in the shooting. Sheriff Mark Limbird says 22-year-old Casey Steele Weber went to the home early Saturday and demanded to see a person who did not live there. The homeowner told Weber that no one by that name lived at the home but Weber insisted. Two girls between ages 9 and 12 -- the homeowner's daughter and her cousin -- were awakened and the homeowner hid them in a bathroom. Limbird says that when Weber broke a window the homeowner fired a shotgun, inflicting a fatal wound. The sheriff says his office is still investigating and that it will turn over the case file to a prosecutor for review.

Canada: Gun thugs offer "amnesty": "The amnesty gives Powell River residents who have unwanted, unregistered or illegal firearms, which have not been used in a criminal offence, the opportunity to turn them into their local police force without being charged. Powell River RCMP Constable Carl McIntosh said if people have guns they want to turn in, police will go to their homes to pick them up. 'During the amnesty period, police will not be charging anyone,' he said. 'We're encouraging people who have unregistered firearms to let us know. They can do the same thing with ammunition.' Solicitor General John Les described the amnesty as another tool in the fight against gun violence. 'Removing guns from circulation will enhance public safety and reduce the risk of these weapons falling into the hands of criminals,' he said. Police would like all unregistered guns to be turned in, even imitation and pellet weapons. Other dangerous weapons such as registered firearms, pepper spray and knives will also be accepted under the amnesty."



MD: Grand jury -- no indictment for abused woman: "After hearing from the admitted shooter herself, a Baltimore County grand jury declined yesterday to indict a Randallstown woman who killed her estranged husband in April after, she said, he showed up unexpectedly at her home and threatened her with an ax handle. The 23 jurors deliberated for less than a half-hour before deciding not to charge Karen L. Foxx, 35, with a crime in the death of her husband, Herman E. Bullock, 45. In an extremely unusual turn of events, the grand jurors heard about 90 minutes of closed-door testimony from Foxx, and were given the chance to question her about the shooting and her husband's history of abusing her before making their decision. ... Foxx, an office secretary, had sought court orders to keep her estranged husband away, filed criminal assault charges against him, changed her phone number and bought a gun to protect herself."

All that California gun control bears fruit: "Sacramento's violent crime rate is at its highest since 1994, new FBI numbers show. Between 2004 and 2005, the city's number of violent crimes grew about 11 percent -- the biggest increase among California's 10 largest cities. It's the fourth time in the last five years that Sacramento has posted an increase. The numbers also show that the suburbs were not immune. In Roseville, the number of violent crimes jumped 27 percent last year, though the Placer County city's overall crime rate remains low. Roseville's increase ranked fifth among roughly 60 California cities with police departments serving more than 100,000 people. These statistics were drawn from data released Monday by the FBI. The nation's violent crime rate rose 2.5 percent, a modest increase but still the largest gain since the early 1990s."


San Francisco ban shot down "An initiative that San Francisco voters approved last November banning residents from owning handguns violated state law, a Superior Court judge ruled today. Proposition H, which won a 58 percent majority, would have outlawed possession of handguns by all city residents except law enforcement officers and others who needed the guns for professional purposes. It also would have forbidden the manufacture, sale and distribution of all guns and ammunition in San Francisco. The National Rifle Association sued on behalf of gun owners, advocates and dealers the day after the measure passed. The NRA argued that Prop. H overstepped local government authority and intruded into an area regulated by the state. The city agreed to delay enforcement of the measure while the suit was pending. In today's ruling, Judge James Warren said California law, which authorizes police agencies to issue handgun permits, implicitly prohibits a city or county from banning handgun possession by law-abiding adults. That law "demonstrates the Legislature's intent to occupy, on a statewide basis, the field of residential and commercial handgun possession to the exclusion of local government entities," Warren wrote in a 30-page decision."


MA: Springfield mayor joins victim disarmers' effort: "Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan has joined mayors from across the country in a collaborative effort aimed at cracking down on illegal guns. Boston Mayor Tom Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently sent letters to mayors around the country, inviting them to participate in the coalition. The letters followed the first Mayors' Summit on Illegal Guns, held April 25th in New York City. Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette said he plans on joining the coalition -- which is called 'Mayors Against Illegal Guns.'"

AZ: Court rebuffs appeal in hiker shooting case: "A state court today turned away an appeal asking that a new state law on self-defense be applied retroactively to the second-degree murder trial of a retired Phoenix-area school teacher in a 2004 fatal shooting on a hiking trail in remote southeastern Coconino County. The state Court of Appeals today declined to consider the appeal filed on behalf of Harold Arthur Fish in the May 2004 shooting death of Grant Kuenzli. Fish has said he shot Kuenzli when Kuenzli charged him and ignored warnings to stop after Fish fired a warning shot to keep two dogs away. The new self-defense law passed by the Legislature this spring took effect immediately with Governor Napolitano's signature. The law shifts the burden of proof from a person claiming self-defense to the prosecution and also elevates the level of proof needed."


NY: Court says insuror must pay for wrongful death defense: "An insurance company is being ordered to pay for the legal defense of a man who shot a business associate in self defense, but was then sued by the dead man's estate, the state's highest court ruled Thursday. ... During his trial, Cook testified that Barber, who weighed more than 360 pounds, barged into his home uninvited with two other men, began slamming his fists on tables and demanded money. Cook, who weighed 120 pounds, pulled out a .25-caliber handgun and ordered the men to leave. Barber laughed at the small size of the pistol, prompting Cook to run to his bedroom and retrieve his 12-gauge shotgun. When Barber moved toward Cook and ignored a warning, Cook shot him in the stomach. Cook was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges, but the administrator of Barber's estate filed a wrongful death suit against Cook, accusing him of negligence and with intentionally killing Barber. Cook said he only fired to protect himself."


MI: Senate approves self-defense bills: "The Michigan Senate has approved legislation aimed at fortifying and clarifying self-defense rights. The measures would allow people to use deadly force -- with no duty to retreat -- if they reasonably think they face imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault. The legislation also would protect people from civil lawsuits if they have used force in self-defense."

Legal Gun Ownership Saves Lives

It's an age-old story. A criminal shoots someone, and then politicians propose gun-control measures that would have done nothing to prevent the shooting. On March 26, Kyle Huff killed six people at a late-night party in Seattle. Seattle mayor Greg Nickels immediately called for more regulations on guns. None of his proposals would have prevented the tragedy.

There is another side to stories about guns. In 1990 a group of gang members pulled a Seattle man from his bicycle and beat him. He used his legally-registered handgun to shoot one of the assailants and stop the attack. In 2002 a West Seattle woman shot an intruder who had broken into her home and was beating her roommate. In 2003 an elderly Tacoma man confined to his bed shot an intruder who had kicked in his door and attacked him. In 2004 a Spokane woman awoke one morning to discover an intruder in her house, whom she held at gunpoint until the police arrived. In all of these cases, if it were not for the legal use of guns in self-defense, the victims would likely be dead.

The gun control debate has shifted over the last 20 years. Back then it was common to hear that it is in everyone's best interests if the government made guns go away. The legislative agenda of anti-gun groups was much more radical and overt. Activists pointed to Britain, Australia, and Canada as models of gun control policy.

In 1997 Britain banned handguns, and between 1998 and 2003 gun crimes doubled. According the British Home Office, between 1997 and 2001 homicides increased by 19% and violent crime increased by 26%, while in the U.S. those same crimes fell by 12%. Between 2000 and 2001, robbery increased by 28% in Britain but only 4% in the U.S. Domestic burglary increased by 7% in Britain, but only 3% in the U.S.

In 1996 Australia enacted sweeping gun control laws. In the six years following, violent crime rates rose by 32%. Canada isn't faring well under its stringent gun control laws. Today Canada's violent crime rate is more than double that of the U.S.

The fact that during this time right-to-carry laws were expanding in the U.S. makes these statistics all the more telling. Now 40 states issue permits for individuals to carry guns. Violent crime rates are steadily declining in the U.S. Research-and common sense-show the "right-to-carry" by honest citizens deters crimes against persons and property.

Now even the most vocal anti-gun groups in Washington admit there is an individual right to own guns. The debates rage not over the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns, but how to keep them away from criminals. But just because the debate has shifted doesn't mean we are immune from bad ideas masquerading as sound public policy. Exhibit one is Mayor Greg Nickels' knee-jerk call for more gun control.

Citing a rash of gun-related crimes in the past few months, the mayor wants the state to allow cities to tighten restrictions. He is going after the usual targets: "assault" weapons, the supposed "gun show loophole," and requirements for trigger locks and "safe storage." All of these are problematic.

There was a federal assault weapons ban in place from 1994 to 2004. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms says the ban did not reduce crime nationally. Criminals who wanted to obtain such weapons found easy ways to get them in spite of the ban. Moreover, law enforcement research shows these guns are used in only about 1% of violent crimes.

The National Institute of Justice found in the 1980s and again in 1997 that only 2% of criminal guns come from gun shows. A report by Handgun Control, Inc., (hardly a friend of gun rights) found only two of 48 big-city police chiefs said guns bought at shows were a major problem in their cities.

Research shows at least 2.5 million protective uses of guns each year in the U.S. Guns are used about three to five times as often for defensive purposes as for criminal purposes. Most often the mere sight of a gun prevents a crime from occurring or getting worse.

Reasonable gun restrictions are clearly necessary; obviously owning a machine gun shouldn't be legal. But gun ownership is not only a fundamental constitutional right, it is a proven way to reduce crime and save lives.

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Why tell the truth when a lie will do? : "A recent Washington Post article claims "More than 500 children die annually from accidental gunshots: Some shoot themselves, while others kill friends or siblings, often after discovering a gun.' To understand how a biased or under-educated writer makes an inaccurate and misleading error, we must first clarify the term "child." Oxford English Dictionary defines the word "childhood" as: "The state or stage of life as a child.the time from birth to puberty." Oxford defines "puberty" as: "The period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction, distinguished by the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics." In terms of age, there seems to be general agreement that this ability to procreate occurs by the age of 15: childhood is over by then.Citing 2003 data from the Centers for Disease Control-the latest available online-and using the standard definition of "child," the number of accidental firearms deaths was 56, and the total number for minors (under age 18) was 102. To reach the number stated in the article, we must include all fatal firearms accidents through age 45."

Catholic gun owners urged to send Vatican tough message: "'Law-abiding Catholic firearm owners in the United States should let Church officials know in no uncertain terms that hierarchical opposition to gun rights and the use of firearms to defend life from violent criminal attack simply will not be tolerated,' says gun law expert John M. Snyder. 'Gun owners can do this by depositing spent cartridge casings as well as St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc. coupons in church collection baskets,' he continues. 'The Society honors a nineteenth century Saint who used handguns to rescue Italian villagers from a gang of terrorizing renegade soldiers.'"


LA: Riley backs down on gun grab threat: "Within two hours of an announcement that the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) was calling for a Justice Department investigation of New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley's plan to confiscate guns again if a major storm hits the city this year, SAF learned that Riley has backed off. ...'For months, we ... were stonewalled, ignored and lied to about the post-Katrina gun confiscations,' Gottlieb said. 'After Riley's statement on Friday, SAF decided that enough was enough. Two weeks ago, we warned the city that we would be watching for this sort of thing. Our letter to the Attorney General stands, because we want Riley, and anybody else who considers gun grabs to be a good idea, to understand that we're simply not kidding around.'"

SC: Shooting injures suspect : "Richland County deputies are searching for two robbers. They believe one of the teens should be easy to spot. He's got a gun shot to the leg. How did the suspect end up shot? Jerome McFadden, a father and store owner, is also now a hero, 'You got to do what you got to do, and because of my son I put my life on the line here today.' Deputies say two teenagers held up Jerome's Fresh Meat and Produce Market on Farrow Road in Columbia. The owner wasn't there alone, his 12-year-old son was working with him. Mcfadden says, 'They told me if we called the police they would shoot all of us come back and kill us.' Defending his store, but more importantly, his son, McFadden fired two shots, hitting one robber in the leg."

KY: 81-year-old liquor store owner shoots would-be robbers: "Three men -- including a liquor store owner -- went to hospitals after a robbery outside Wilson's Liquors in the Shawnee neighborhood just before 5 p.m. yesterday. The store owner, who is 81 years old, shot the two men, ages 17 and 21, after they pistol-whipped him, said Officer Dwight Mitchell, a Louisville Metro Police spokesman. ... The owner was parking his car behind the store, at 3804 River Park Drive, when the two attackers tried to rob him, Mitchell said. The owner pulled a gun and shot at the robbers, who ran off, Mitchell said. Police would not specify either the number or nature of their wounds."


PA: Intended victim shoots robber: "An alleged robber got quite a shock from his victim, who pulled a gun on him and opened fire. ... Police said Luther Cook, 42, pretended to have a weapon and attempted to rob the victim. But the victim actually had a gun and shot Cook."

More mayors join gun grab conspiracy: "Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said Sunday that 37 more mayors have signed on to fight illegal guns, joining the 15 who convened in New York in April for the first Mayors Summit on Illegal Guns. At the April 25 summit, the mayors signed a six-point resolution to combat gun violence and said they hoped to put pressure on the federal government and state legislatures to strengthen anti-gun laws. New additions to the coalition include Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta, Mayor Martin O'Malley of Baltimore, Mayor Bill White of Houston and Mayor Manuel Diaz of Miami.

How not to use a gun: "A Hoquiam man who accidentally shot himself in the groin could face charges of reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm within the city limits. Police responded to a report of shots fired Saturday night and found the 21-year-old man bleeding. He told officers he was upset by personal issues and had fired the gun in the air. While putting the 9 mm handgun back in his waistband it accidentally fired again."

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New Orleans: Chief threatens to steal more guns: "Gun rights activists were up in arms Friday after New Orleans Police Chief Warren Riley said he would confiscate weapons should disaster strike. Frederick Thomas, from New Orleans, leaves New Orleans Police with his semi-automatic pistol that was confiscated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans on Monday April 17, 2006. The chief�s comments came after a federal lawsuit forced the city to return hundreds of firearms that were seized in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In an interview with WWL Radio, Riley said his officers would seize guns from people on the streets if another storm was to hit New Orleans. �During a circumstance like that, we cannot allow people to walk the street carrying guns�as law enforcement officers we will confiscate the weapon if a person is walking down the street and they may be arrested,� Riley said. The National Rifle Association sued the city and forced it to return hundreds of guns, after officers seized them during Katrina. Gun rights activists were once again outraged by Riley's comments. �It�s shocking, there's nothing about a police chief's opinion that gives them a super sized authority to throw the constitution out the window,� said NRA Executive Vice-President Wayne Lapierre".


New Zealand: Slain worker's colleague wants staff armed: "An employee at the Auckland dairy where a worker was shot and killed last year says his colleagues should be allowed to arm themselves in self defence. The call comes a day after a Hamilton dairy owner called for retailers to be allowed guns behind the counter amid growing concerns about robberies in that city. The Auckland dairy employee, who did not wish to be named, said he had been assaulted three times during convenience store robberies in the past five years. He said assaults were increasing and staff were defenceless to protect themselves unless they were armed. "It's not that I'm unlucky... I've heard (similar stories) from so many others," he said. His colleague Bhagubhai Vaghela was shot and killed while working in the Uptown Minimart in June last year. West Auckland man James Lawrie has been charged with his murder and the aggravated robbery of five other stores. After Vaghela's death, the Indian community called on the government for strengthened law and order, but the Uptown employee said he felt nothing had changed and police still did not place enough emphasis on superette robberies. "If you call them see how quickly they come and if I call them see how quickly they come. They'll say there's more serious matters to attend to."

Prowlers flee Florida homeowner's bullets: "A homeowner in Southwest Ranches said he was frightened by two prowlers when he fired the first shot at them through a garage window. About 2:45 a.m., a live-in housekeeper at a home in the 13400 block of Old Sheridan Street heard noises and saw the men in the garage area possibly trying to break into the garage or a 1995 Ferrari F512. She alerted the homeowner. While his wife was on the phone with Broward sheriff's deputies, he got his Walther P99 semiautomatic pistol and entered the garage through an interior door. Deputies dispatched on the call heard from the dispatcher that shots had been fired. They found seven spent shell casings on the front driveway, one inside the garage and a bullet hole in the garage window. The homeowner said he fired seven shots at the men before they jumped a fence into a neighbor's yard. One of the men wore a black ski hat, black shirt and black gloves. The second wore a light-colored shirt. A search of the area did not locate the prowlers and no blood was found to indicate that either man had been hit."



NC: Burglar assaults woman, is shot: "A Dunn-area man who allegedly broke into a Sampson County home and attempted to assault a woman at the residence was shot in the leg by another man who was at the home at the time, according to reports at the Sheriff's Office. ... Reports state that, just after 2 a.m. Saturday, a suspect barged into 366 Carrolls Store Road and attempted to assault Leslie Ann Skinner, 20, of Maxwell Road, Autryville, who was at the home at the time. William McPhail, 20, of the Carrolls Store Road home, reportedly shot Hickman in the left leg with a double-barrel shotgun."

TX: Clerk fatally shoots robber at liquor store: "A liquor store clerk shot and killed one of two armed men who tried to rob the southwest Houston business Wednesday night, police said. 'Two suspects came in; only one came out,' said Houston Police Department investigator A. Taravello. The men tried to rob the R-N-R Liquor store in the 10200 block of Beechnut about 7:30 p.m. when gunfire erupted, police said."


Founders faced many issues still here today: "When the Founders ratified the Second Amendment in 1791, they had in mind English politics of the 1680s, when a Catholic king (James II) was thought to be scheming to impose his religion on a Protestant nation by using a powerful army. After James was deposed, England adopted a bill of rights, including a right to bear arms. A century later the Founders supported militias and an armed citizenry, not to protect Protestants against Catholics, but to allow the states or the people to defend themselves against a national government gone wild."

TN: Crime victims stop would be robbers: "Usually criminals worry about being caught by police but in Murfreesboro criminals need to watch out for their victims. In the last two months, five different victims took bold risks in stopping crime. Tim Davis' Salt and Pepper Christian bookstore is full of statements that mirror is own beliefs. From commandments to bumper stickers, it all points to character and when a man tried to rob him, he believes he knows exactly what Jesus would do. Tim pulled out a pair of scissors and chased his robber down the street holding him at bay until police arrived. 'If you roll over and take it, they will do it again,' Davis defended his action. ... Guillermo Acosta sacrificed his own life while defending his neighbors during a robbery at La Tienda / La Carreta grocery story. A robber stormed into JD's Market and pointed a gun at Karim Barakat. Mr. Barakat remained calm but when the robber pointed the gun at his beloved wife, Barakat pulled out his own gun and shot the robber. A man robbed on East State Street exchanged gunfire with his robber."



Deadly force law goes into effect: "A new state law dubbed the "Castle Doctrine" takes effect today, guaranteeing Alabamians immunity from civil and criminal prosecution if they shoot intruders in their homes, vehicles or offices. The law, backed by the National Rifle Association and opposed by most black lawmakers, was approved by the 2006 Alabama Legislature. Ten other states have similar statues. Immunity is not extended, however, to someone if they shoot their spouses, bosses or others who have a right to be in the home, car or office in question. Individuals also don't have immunity if they shoot law enforcement officers.

"GUN-FREE" BRITAIN AGAIN

The Packington estate, so decrepit that it is scheduled for demolition, lies between streets of neat Victorian and Georgian terraces in the otherwise leafy borough of Islington, north London. Last Thursday three boys, all aged 15, sat in the estate's ramshackle play park eating Skittles and shooting the breeze. Even though two of them had their hoods up they were not especially intimidating. None had been excluded from school and when asked who they wanted to win this year's Big Brother they cheerily replied, "that one who's got Tourette's". These were normal inner-city boys. Nice, even.

Yet when asked whether they ever carried knives around the neighbourhood or had tried to take one to school, all three responded with a dismaying "for sure". To prove it one boy - who, incidentally, had an innocent smile and sunny disposition - reached into the folds of his tracksuit and pulled out a small kitchen knife, the sort you might use to chop mushrooms. This, he explained, was for "protection".

Perhaps it was to be expected. In recent weeks numerous reports of citizens attacked and slain have fostered the notion that every other hoodie in Britain is carrying a concealed blade. There were more than 50 knife attacks over the bank holiday weekend alone and horror stories involving good-hearted samaritans apparently breaking up public fights only to be knifed to death have multiplied.

Among them was Tom Grant, a 19-year-old student at St Andrews University, who was on the train travelling home to Gloucestershire last Saturday when he reportedly stepped in to help a woman having a savage row with a young man. He was stabbed fatally.

A few hours later in Nottingham, Ian Montgomery, 26, went to help a woman being beaten up outside a nightclub. He, too, was stabbed and is still recovering in hospital. Marlvin Jiro was not so lucky. The 26-year-old father was knifed at about the same time in Birmingham after a fight. He died at the scene.

Just three days later Barry Wilson, 29, was stabbed in Bristol. Following an argument he was killed on his doorstep in front of his two young daughters. Across town, less than 24 hours earlier, another man, an unnamed teen, had lain dying in a pool of blood, yet another victim of a knife. The following evening a 40-year-old woman was stabbed in Norwood, south London, her body left next to her VW Golf which still had its lights on and engine running.

These terrifying tales followed the recent public outcry over the death of Nisha Patel-Nasri, a special police constable whose funeral was held last Thursday. Patel-Nasri had her own kitchen knife turned on her when, for the second time in a week, she had challenged intruders at her home in Wembley, north London. A single clumsy stab wound to the leg was enough to sever her femoral artery. Later that week, 15-year-old Kiyan Prince was stabbed to death outside his school in north London.

Is Britain in the grip of a knife epidemic? Is blade culture out of control? The statistics do not entirely support this conclusion. Although there has been a recent burst of violence - which has coincided (embarrassingly for law enforcers) with a nationwide five-week knife amnesty - the percentage of knife-related violent crime has remained steady at 6% for several years. Home Office records show that the number of people killed with a sharp instrument in 1994 was 231. In 2005 that number was a near identical 236.

Anecdotal evidence from crime and social workers - not to mention the knife carriers themselves - suggests that more people are carrying knives. Last Monday in Luton more than 90 weapons (including scabrous blades, knuckle-dusters and a 10in carving knife) were confiscated from a crowd on its way to a carnival.

The exact percentage of blade carriers remains hard to calculate as it relies on the unscientific process of canvassing members of the public, who are prone to lie. In 2004 the British Crime Survey estimated that 60,000 children aged 11 to 16 were carrying knives, but what of the over-18s? Perhaps the most damning evidence that knives have become a fixture of British life is the rise in the number of people found guilty of carrying blades in public places, up 63.5% in five years.

This certainly chimes with opinion on the ground. "It's been getting worse for a few years now," says Dawn Irwin, head of Offroad Productionz, a mentoring group that tackles gang and violent crime. "Blades are everywhere."

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Hippies need guns too: "It was meant to promote peace and love, but ended in a hail of bullets. America's counter- culture has come back under the spotlight after the founder of a New York commune was repeatedly shot by an unhinged former member last week. As Jeff Gross was recovering from gunshot wounds to his chest and arm, the prime suspect for the attack, a 43-year-old woman, was still on the run this weekend. For New Yorkers long used to gun violence, the most shocking aspect of the shooting was the realisation that the hippie lifestyle continues to exist within the confines of their energetic and affluent city. The shooting on Staten Island, a sedate commuter borough, has exposed a tangled network of communal jealousies involving lurid tales of sex with dwarves and lesbian orgies. It has also sent a shudder through the shrinking world of American hippiedom, which has never fully recovered from the Jonestown massacre of 1978, when "Reverend" Jim Jones orchestrated the mass suicide of more than 900 followers at a commune in Guyana. Gross, 51, a co-founder of the Ganas housing co-operative, has identified his assailant as Rebekah Johnson, a former commune member who was expelled 10 years ago and who later returned to threaten Gross and other members."


Communists not gun-shy: "Venezuela has announced overnight it had received 30,000 AK-47 assault rifles from Russia, the first shipment of an order of 100,000. "This is an act of full national sovereignty, they are weapons for the defense of the country," said Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, speaking at the Puerto Cabello naval base, 130km northwest of Caracas. Mr Rangel also said the weapons were needed to replace outdated Belgian-designed FAL rifles currently in use "and discard obsolete equipment." Also in the shipment were 25 million rounds of ammunition. In mid-2005 Caracas signed an agreement to buy the rifles in a $US54-million deal with Moscow. The remainder of the weapons are scheduled to arrive in August and a third shipment late in the year. Within three to five years Venezuela will also have factories to manufacture both AK-47s and their ammunition, the head of the Venezuelan army, General Raul Baduel, said overnight.

IN GUN-BANNED BRITAIN, THE RIGHT TO CARRY KNIVES IS NOW UNDER THREAT:

As the following press release shows:

The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties policy institute, today calls on the Home Secretary to ignore the media-led hysteria over knife crimes, and to legalise the carrying and use of weapons for self-defence.

Libertarian Alliance Director, Dr Sean Gabb, says: "Laws against carrying knives in public - or any weapons - are an infringement of our liberties and are a waste of police time. The only people who obey such laws are the respectable, and these cause no trouble. Those who do commit assaults are no more likely to obey the existing or prospective law on weapons than they are to stop listening to horrid music or to wash their hands after using the toilet.

"Even turning the country into a police state, with powers of random stop and search and scanners in public places, will do nothing to disarm these creatures. Such laws will only inconvenience the respectable. They disarm us to the point where criminals can roam among us like a fox among chickens. If we are already disarmed, we still face the indignity of being searched by police officers who are increasingly useless and corrupt.

"We need to get back to the sane legal climate of the Victorian era, when citizens were expected to take part in defending themselves, and were encouraged to use lethal force when they believed it necessary.

"We must be allowed to carry knives for our self-defence if we so wish. But we should also be allowed to carry guns. After all, using a knife requires skills in which the criminal classes tend to have an advantage. But guns equalise, regardless of age or sex; and nothing beats a bullet. "To be precise, we need to go back to the laws of our ancestors when a person could walk into a gun shop and, without showing a licence or any form of identification, buy as many guns and as much ammunition as he pleased, and could keep these at home, or carry them about in public, for the defence of his life or property.

"At the same time, we need real punishments for real crimes. Those who commit assaults on others should be caught and punished with terrifying swiftness and severity. Assuming due process of law, I see no objection to the use of the death penalty.

"But the only certain way to clear away the human trash who infest our streets is to let us, the respectable public, take part in the cleansing. "Further laws to criminalise the carrying of weapons is a retrograde step and should be resisted by the authorities. They are nothing more than victim disarmament."

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GA: Teen burglar shot by homeowner: "Police say a man shot and wounded a teenager he found in his home -- attempting to rob him. Police say 27-year-old Ronald Ramsey arrived at his Lawrenceville home Tuesday afternoon and found 17-year-old Alrazi Basher of Duluth inside, robbing him. Officials say when Basher tried to flee the home, Ramsey shot at Basher and hit him and his vehicle. Basher drove to a friend's house nearby, running over a street sign along the way. The friend called 911 after seeing Basher had been shot. Basher was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center to be treated. He is currently listed in serious condition. The Ford SUV that Basher used to drive to a friend's house had been stolen from Lawrenceville. Officials say they found stolen property from other burglaries inside the vehicle. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Police say Ramsey is cooperating with authorities. Basher has been charged with one count of burglary and one count of theft by receiving a motor vehicle."

ID: Shooting leaves one dead: "A Valley County man is dead, and the man who pulled the trigger says he did it in self-defense. The 26-year old shooter admitted to police that he killed the man, but he says he did it for his own protection. ... According to police 11 people were at a party in the home when a fight broke out. Police say a number of metal weapons were used in the fight. The shooter tells police the Prescott brothers attacked him with the weapons, and that's when he shot James Prescott in self-defense."


SC: 2 gunned down in botched robbery : "Two men were killed early Monday in a gunfight sparked by an armed robbery attempt near the intersection of Cassandra Lane and 22nd Avenue South, Myrtle Beach police said. ... A police incident report said that Smith and a friend, Charles Melvin Stocker Jr., 26, of Hopkins, were near Cassandra and 22nd when McCullough and another person approached and tried to rob them at gunpoint. During the robbery, McCullough shot and killed Smith, police said. Stocker then pulled a gun he had and fired on McCullough, police said. Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said both men were shot multiple times while within a few feet of each other."

OR: Intruder shot multiple times: "A 9-1-1 call from a woman in Boring reported that a man who had been harassing her, broke into her residence and her boyfriend shot the intruder multiple times. It happened at about 2:30 a.m. Clackamas County Sheriff's officials say the woman told them the intruder had been stalking her. She says the man physically forced his way into her residence. The man, reported to be 49-years-old, was shot multiple times with a handgun in the upper torso and is reported to be in stable condition."



One guy who really needed gun training: "Police say a Salem man accidentally shot and killed himself Tuesday morning while he and his family were trying to climb out of a ravine after a car accident. According to police, 38-year-old Vladimir Gorkavchenko was driving near Detroit early in the morning when he lost control of his minivan. The car rolled multiple times, before coming to a rest at the bottom of a rocky embankment. Gorkavchenko, his wife, and their daughter were uninjured in the crash. Police say Gorkavchenko then removed a rifle from his van to take it with him as the three started climbing out of the ravine. According to police, Gorkavchenko was using the rifle as a brace as he climbed and apparently slipped, causing the gun to fire a round that hit him in his thumb and his head." He must have held it with the barrel pointing UPWARDS

NC: Squabble leads to gunfire: "A confrontation in Nebo Saturday night landed one man in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. Shortly after 9:30 p.m., McDowell County sheriff�s deputies were called to a residence on Southern Way owned by Darrell Freeman. Capt. Dudley Greene of the Sheriff�s Office said Freeman and several others were in his yard, when 34-year-old Mark Anthony Salyer of Southern Way showed up unannounced. Witness said a confrontation ensued and Salyer brandished a weapon, the captain stated. That�s when Freeman shot Salyer once in the chest with a .45-caliber handgun, according to Greene. "No charges have been filed at this time, but we continue to investigate," said the captain. "We�re still sorting out the details." Salyer was airlifted to Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was listed in serious but stable condition early Sunday morning. However, authorities say they received word later that Salyer was released. No one by that name was listed as a patient at the hospital Sunday evening."



MI: No murder charge for man who shot rapper Proof: "The man who shot and killed Detroit rapper Proof acted in self defense and will not face murder charges, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Tuesday. Mario Etheridge, 28, shot Proof, whose real name is Deshaun Holton, after Proof allegedly shot and killed Etheridge's cousin, Keith Bender Jr., a U.S. Army veteran. ... The C.C.C. club on 8 Mile was the place where Proof, 32, a close friend of Eminem and a member of the rap group D12, was shot three times in the head and chest after a fight about 4:30 a.m. April 11 -- more than two hours after the club was required by law to close. Before his death, Proof, shot the 35-year-old Bender, police said. Bender died a week later. Etheridge, who prosecutors said shot Proof, was charged last month with gun felonies, but not with the killing. Police said Etheridge, a bouncer at the bar, shot Proof after the rapper shot Bender in a fight over a pool game."