Friday, May 24, 2013
Documentary exploring history of Second Amendment features Ted Nugent, Ice-T
When music fans think of West Coast rapper Ice-T, Ted Nugent may not be the first name that immediately comes to mind. But that’s who the rapper is teaming up with for a new documentary about the heated gun control debate.
The recently announced film, “Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire,” looks at the background of the Second Amendment.
“'Assaulted’ turns the gun debate around. It is a civil rights issue, and we take a look at the history of the Second Amendment. It’s a right that has been abused over the years and one that gets overlooked the most,” the film’s executive producer, writer and director, Kris Koenig, told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “It’s a self-defense right that gets distorted into self-offense. Our civil rights are very precious to us. The reason our country exists is to balance individual rights against the whole. It has kept our country safe.”
FL:Gun, drug texts feature in new Trayvon Martin shooting evidence
(CNN) -- Items taken from Trayvon Martin's cell phone -- including text-message discussion of drug use and pictures of a gun and marijuana plants -- are among new details released Thursday by attorneys for the neighborhood watch volunteer accused of killing him without provocation 14 months ago.
The evidence, George Zimmerman's attorneys say, paints a different picture of the 17-year-old than the one portrayed by his family and supporters. Lead defense attorney Mark O'Mara says he will try to use the evidence if prosecutors attempt to attack Zimmerman's character during his trial on second-degree murder charges, set to begin next month.
Much of the evidence disclosed Thursday in filings by Zimmerman's attorneys comes from Trayvon's cell phone, including photos showing a semiautomatic pistol and ammunition and small marijuana plants growing in pots.
AL:Husband Shoots Released Sex Offender
TALLADEGA COUNTY — A man in Talladega received a rude awakening after breaking into his neighbor’s home in the 100 block of Dusty Trail Lane early Thursday morning between 4-4:30 a.m.
Jimmy Lee Garrett, a 48-year-old male residing at 116 Dusty Trail Lane, was arrested and charged for second-degree burglary, but not before a catching a bullet in the foot for his troubles.
According to Talladega County Sheriff Jimmy Kilgore, a female resident told investigators she woke up and saw Garrett in her kitchen.
At that point, she yelled for her husband, who began chasing Garrett throughout their home while wielding a firearm.
Florida Carry sues Daytona Beach for its Anti-Gun policies.
Today Florida Carry, Inc., filed an action to stop Daytona Beach's illegal practice of refusing to return firearms to people, including veterans, who were Baker Acted but found to be no danger to themselves or others. For too long, many jurisdictions throughout Florida have refused to follow the law. In 2009 the Florida Attorney General made clear in an opinion that the continued detention of firearms after a person was released without being found to be a danger to themselves or others was prohibited by Florida law. Despite the clear instruction from the Attorney General and the legal prohibition on creating their own firearms rules since 1987, these individuals and agencies who have sworn to uphold the law, have instead violated the law and the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Florida gun owners. It is time to hold these jurisdictions responsible and require that these people in authority follow the laws they swore an oath to uphold and enforce.
Combat in and around vehicles
I do not think that the elite in this country has any idea of the caliber of men and women that they are constantly poking with a stick, with their infringements on the Bill of Rights.
I put in paragraphs and bold to aid in clarity.
After 2 months of snow delays I recently completed the vehicle combat training class I posted inquiries about last November.
http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/sh...-fire-training
The class was a solo student course lead by Firearms Iinstructor and assisted (ammo bitched) by an experienced IDPA\Highpower competitor.
The course curriculum was very in depth and complete. Ranging from at your door assaults, engagement ranges and choices, vehicles as cover, vehicles as weapons, point shooting, moving targets, moving shooter, moving vehicles, window shooting, cross passenger compartment engagement, vehicle egress, vehicle hard points, glass deflection, under vehicle shooting, equipment tricks, and hand to hand with pistol attacks.
We covered multiple scenarios, over multiple courses, using multiple weapons including AR-15 pistol/rifle engagements, and vehicles.
Friendly targets were mixed in through the hostiles, engagements ranged from 2ft to 80yrds. Targets were fired on using both hands, strong hand, and off hand.
All the targets were wearing T-shirts which was a nice touch.
I went through 200rnds .45acp, 200rnds 9mm, 150rnds 5.56mm and learned more than I could possible write down. I had several revelations during the day that changed completely how I looked at certain scenarios and how I would react if presented with them today.
Highlight of the day was probably completing a fast moving left handed course, brass rolling off the roof, and turning on the windshield wipers to clear 40 rnds of brass off the vehicle.
Cleaning up I found brass everywhere including jammed in my intake vents, radiator, roof rack, and rear bumper. I've still got brass rolling around under the seats and powder burns on my mirrors and hood.
My BDU's didn't survive, leaving with the bottom of my left leg half ripped off and 2 nice holes in the other leg.
Easily the most informative and fun training class I've taken so far.
Having an experienced mag monkey was also great as the flow of full magazines was non stop and no time was wasted reloading mags.
Just wanted to say thanks, that was a great training class I'd take it again any day.
Vandil
AaronS:
"Sounds like a great time. Boy, that was a lot of ammo in one day. I would have loved to just be able to watch the class."
Firearms Instructor:
"If any one is interested in doing similar training or other firearms training. I am a certified pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor.
With decades of instructing experience, from basic firearm to advance tactics back by 33 years of LEO experience and tactical training.
Feel free to PM and we will work something out."
ccwinstructor: I have known Firearms Instructor for decades
ccwinstructor:
"When you know someone so well, and have been active codefenders of Constitutional rights for so long, it may be hard to be objective.
He is an excellent instructor who takes his craft very seriously. He is a better shot than I am and much better at hand to hand. I do *write* better than he does, but that is because of differences of emphasis and practice. Firearms instruction has been a side business to me for 15 years. It has been an essential part of his profession for more than 30.
He has the added benefit of being an active hunter, of having actually killed hundreds of big game animals in the field. He knows and understands terminal ballistics. I only wish that I had his abilities with a shotgun, and I have been an active shotgun wing shooter for 47 years. Do you remember the Beverly Hillbillies, when Jed and Jethro were shooting flies (on the wing, with rifles) in their driveway? He has deliberately shot flies (with a rifle) that landed on his target at 200 yards. I think he once got three in a row.
If you go for this training, do not expect him to give demonstrations to impress you. He will be all business, working hard to give you the best value for your hard earned money.
I doubt that there are any other people and places that combine the private property with the physical capabilities of conducting this training safely and the level of expertise and experience offered.
I know the "mag monkey" as well. If you had to pay his going rate, the class would have tripled in price. He is a national level competitor, and Firearms Instructor has been his mentor.
I am proud to call both of them friends and brothers in the gun culture. I would trust either one of them with my life."
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Pistol Whipped Man Accesses Gun, Drives off Attackers
An East Palo Alto man turned the tables on two suspects during a home invasion robbery Wednesday afternoon.
Two men entered a residence in the 2200 block of Capitol Avenue at about 2:39 p.m. and tried to rob the resident inside, East Palo Alto police Acting Detective Sgt. Angel Sanchez said.
"They assaulted the victim with a handgun, pistol-whipping him and asking for money and guns," Sanchez said. "At one point the victim was able to retrieve a gun, and they saw that and fled."
As the would-be robbers ran away, the victim, who was in his 30s, fired a few rounds into the ground "to scare them," Sanchez said.
The detective said he didn't know where the victim got the gun, but said it wasn't taken from the suspects. It's also unknown why the robbers specifically demanded guns from the victim.
More HereMI:Detroit Gun Rights Advocates Stage Successful Protest At ‘Guns For Groceries’ Event
Detroit, Michigan – -(Ammoland.com)- This past Saturday, May 18th, 2013, approximately 50 gun rights activists attended a “Guns for Groceries” event to stage a demonstration of their own against the Wayne County (MI) government.
The Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and the Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon teamed up with a local church (The New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ), the Meijer’s grocery store chain, and the Goodman-Acker law firm to entice citizens to turn in their guns on a “no questions asked” basis.
All month long commercials were being ran over the airwaves seeking to convince Detroit residents that the cause of the violence in their town was caused by guns owned by them. Thus, if they wanted to reduce the amount of violent crime in Detroit, the “obvious” solution floated by the local county government was for everybody to sell their firearms for a $50 gift card to buy groceries at Meijer’s.
Local Detroit gun rights activists, however, know the truth about these “guns for goods” program ran by local governments all across our country:
- They have never been proven to have any positive effect on violent crime rates.
- They encourage firearm thefts because no questions will be asked.
- They potentially lead to the destruction of evidence used in crimes.
- They lead to the destruction of personal property of the rightful owners.
- They consume public resources that could be used to fight crime.
- They exploit the poor by offering $50 for potentially valuable hardware.
- They mislead the public by creating only a “feel good” fluff story in the media.
Accordingly, gun rights activists who are members of a variety of local organizations (e.g. Legally Armed in Detroit, Michigan Open Carry, Inc., Michigan Gun Owners, and Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners) set up for business in the parking lot of a local fast-food restaurant located next door to the church. Activists made sure that they were equipped to comply with current state law by having either a Michigan Concealed Pistol License or a Michigan Pistol Purchase Permits and Michigan Pistol Sales Record Forms.
Gun rescued by local gun rights activist
The protest was an instant success. Cars that carried people looking for the church had to drive by the gun rights activists in the parking lot. As such, many people pulled over and were willing to part with their firearms for cash, often more than $50, instead of a gift card for groceries.
It didn’t take long for the county officials to discover why their event wasn’t as successful as they thought it would be. In fact, about an hour into the selling period, the Wayne County Executive himself, Robert Ficano, pulled into the parking lot where the gun rights activists were set up and exited his vehicle to survey what was happening. He left 10 minutes. In his place, Wayne County deputies were sent to the lot in his place.
From that moment forward until the event ended, the gun rights activists were harassed by all day by Wayne County deputies. Their first act was to park one of their marked cars by the parking lot’s entrance and started directing people further up the street to the church.
Then a deputy went into the fast-food restaurant and talked to the manager on duty. We do not know what they told the manager, but suddenly, the restaurant reversed its decision to allow gun rights activists onto its property. Prior to contact with the deputies, their presence was allowed as long as it did not interfere with customers buying food.
Thus, the gun rights activists were ejected from the parking lot and had to move their cars. Apparently, the deputies thought their actions were enough to deter the activists. They couldn’t have been more wrong. The activists adjusted by walking up and down the public sidewalk while holding their signs.
The deputies responded by telling them that they would start writing tickets for both being on and obstructing the sidewalk in front of the church. It would be a hour or so later before discussions with the top deputy in charge confirmed that walking on the sidewalk was legal and that all deputies would be apprised of that fact.
One gun rights activists was detained for a while. It is unclear why it happened. After he was released, Rick Ector from Legally Armed In Detroit, interviewed him so that he could tell us what happened. Check out the video for an account in his own words.
At the end of the day, the Wayne County government bought 200 guns – many of them inoperable pieces of junk. The activists bought 40 guns in working condition. The activists prevailed because they did not quit, especially after being harassed by the Wayne County government.
About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school – Rick’s Firearm Academy of Detroit.
Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.
More at Ammoland.com hereTexas Reforms Concealed Hadgun Law
Yesterday, Texas HB 48 passed the senate. It is now on its way to the governor for a signature. This means that there is no longer a requirement for renewal courses every five years to maintain a CHL.
HB 48 would eliminate the requirement for a CHL holder to demonstrate handgun proficiency by taking a continuing education course to renew the license. The bill would repeal Government Code sections 411.188 (c) and 411.188 (j), which require a continuing education course for CHL renewal and would specify how DPS should adopt rules for this course.
DPS would mail a notice of license expiration, a renewal application form, and an informational form to a CHL holder at least 60 days before the person’s license expired. To renew the license, a CHL holder would have to submit electronically or via an application for renewal, payment of the nonrefundable fee and the signed informational form describing pertinent state laws such as those related to deadly force. DPS would issue the renewed license not later than 45 days after receiving these materials. The director of DPS could adopt rules enabling CHL renewal after the license holder submitted these materials by mail or online.
Active and retired peace officers carrying a handgun under an extension of the CHL license would not need to take continuing education courses or examinations. The bill would repeal Government Code, sec. 411.199 (e). The director of DPS would adopt rules as soon as practicable after the effective date of this bill. The bill would apply only to applications submitted on or after the effective date.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/BillStages.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB48
Beretta Leaving Maryland After Gov. Mandates Strict Gun Control Laws
On Friday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law the state’s comprehensive new gun control laws. The new laws, the stated purpose of which is to “save lives,” ban some “assault weapons” (whatever the heck gun grabbers think those imaginary weapons are), limits magazine capacity to ten rounds, and requires mandatory fingerprinting for gun purchase.
The first two prohibitions prove definitely that Maryland has no interest in “saving lives.” If it did, it would have paid attention to the fact that the Department of Justice has issued a report conceding that crime goes down when legal gun ownership goes up.
The legislation would make illegal the company’s ARX 100, which is Beretta’s newly issued civilian version of the ARX-160, a tactical rifle used in Italy
The magazine size limit also puts Beretta in a legal bind. For several of the guns in its product line, Beretta would no longer be able to stock appropriate, standard capacity magazines. While this wouldn’t necessarily force Beretta to close, it would complicate Beretta’s corporate life to the point of “why bother?”.
http://www.mrconservative.com/2013/05/16797-beretta-leaving-maryland-after-gov-mandates-strict-gun-control-laws/
Strong Gun Control, High Homicide Rate:US Virgin Islands
Guns are Tightly Controlled, but The U.S. Virgin Islands has one of the Highest Homicide Rates in the World
Not counted as a state or a city, the U.S. Virgin Islands is often missed in statistics about gun control in the United States.
Gun ownership is tightly regulated, with permission to own a gun only granted by the Police Commissioner upon application, and subject to the Commissioner's discretion. Even antique firearms, which are not regulated under U.S. Federal law, are not allowed unless they are inspected and "rendered useless".
476. Collections of antique firearms; certificates of uselessness.No provision hereof shall prevent that private collections of antique firearms, which may not be used as weapons. be preserved and maintained and that their owners possess them as ornaments or as matters of curiosity, nor the collections of firearms kept as relics, but for the preservation of any weapon of those included in this section the prior inspection thereof and approval therefor by the Commissioner shall be necessary and he shall render such firearms unless, so that the same may not be used as such. The Commissioner shall issue a certificate of uselessness of all the weapons possessed under the provisions of this section, and the possession of any firearm not included in said certificate shall be subject to all the provisions hereof. ****
In spite of, or perhaps because of, the extremely restrictive firearms laws in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the homicide rate may have been the highest in the United States in 2010, exceeding that of New Orleans or Washington, D.C., cities that often vie for the dubious distinction.
In 2010, Washington,D.C. had a murder rate of about 38 per 100,000. New Orleans had a a murder rate of 58 per 100,000.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, with a population of only 110,000, had a murder rate of 60 per 100,000.
The murder rate dropped in 2011, and rose again in 2012, averaging 45 per 100,000 for the three years. This is still one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Because the U.S. Virgin Islands are not a state, and not a city, most statistical crime analysis miss it completely.
Murder rates are primarily related to culture, not to the instruments used or to gun laws.
Link to Text of Virgin Islands weapons law, 1994
Link to article with New Orleans homicide rate
Link to article showing Washington, D.C. Homicide rates
Link to article showing U.S. Virgin Islands Homicide rate in 2010
Link to article showing Virgin Islands Homicide rates for 2010,2011,2012
Link to article comparing U.S to European Murder rates
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
CO:Homeowner holds intruder at gunpoint
A man held an intruder at gunpoint in his home Tuesday night while waiting for law enforcement to arrive, according to Colorado Springs police.
Jeremy Strong, 38, was relaxing with his family around 9 p.m. when he heard glass shattering and his wife screaming. A man had broken into his house, located on the 1900 block of South Corona Avenue, east of Southgate Road.
Strong stopped the intruder, holding him at gunpoint, police said.
FL:Homeowner wounds one of three Threatening Assault
A suburban Delray Beach resident shot at three males who were trying to burglarize his home this afternoon.
(snip)
He fired at the suspects, striking one of them in the arm. The males fled in an unknown direction and turned up at Delreay Medical Center a short time later.
Armed teachers bill passes without Governor's signature
MONTGOMERY, AL (WAFF) -
Alabama lawmakers stayed up late into the night to consider last-minute bills before the last day of the 2013 legislative session on Monday.
Both chambers in the state house voted to override Gov.. Robert Bentley's veto on a local bill that would allow armed teachers in Franklin County schools.
The bill will now become law without the governor's signature.
It will allow teachers and other school employees to carry a gun at school – so long as they are properly trained as police officers or sheriff's deputies.
Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow (D-Colbert, Franklin) has been a vocal advocate of the bill, saying schools in Franklin County cannot always afford to hire school resource officers.
More Here
Comprehensive Review of John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime" by Academic
First, some background about me: I am a Ph.D.-holder and tenured professor whose immersion in the insular politics of academia had led me to harbor many negative perceptions about firearms. Though I was never staunchly "anti-gun," I was not a gun owner, did not understand the appeal of firearms, and generally believed that gun control legislation was only common sense. That changed four years ago when I (finally) decided to look into the data on guns, crime, and public safety for myself. I am a trained researcher, but I conducted my research for personal not professional reasons. My wife was pregnant and I wanted hard facts--not talking point from the political parties--so I could make an informed decision about what to teach my children about firearms, and whether it would be prudent or dangerous to have one in our house.
I was drawn into that research almost immediately by the sheer force of my own disbelief. I discovered fact after fact that starkly disproved the claims and "facts" so many teachers and colleagues had expressed about firearms and their relationship to violence, and which, during my long trip through academia, had led me to believe stricter gun control was just plain common sense. For two years, I read thousands of pages of information, starting with raw data from the FBI and CDC so that I would be better able to assess the claims I subsequently read in books, peer-reviewed journals, news publications, blogs, and so forth. In the course of that research, I came across numerous references to John Lott's studies, but so many of them suggested there were "fatal flaws" in his methodology (and questions about his motives) that I never bothered to read him. I simply assumed based on the sheer number of such comments that his work was indeed more propaganda than serious study. Nonetheless, I turned up enough information over the course of two years to completely change my view about guns. I now believe wholeheartedly in the right to carry, the wisdom of the 2nd Amendment, the particularly important benefits of concealed carry for women, and the notion that more firearms in law-abiding hands does make society demonstrably safer.
Now that I have finally read John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime" (3rd edition, 2010), I am ashamed that I did not consult it earlier instead of accepting at face value the facile criticisms of his work. Lott's research and claims are astonishingly thorough--meticulously explained and documented. At every turn, he (accurately and clearly) explains the challenges, assumptions, and variables that inform his findings. Often, just to cover his bases, he runs the data with, and then without, certain questionable variables (arrest rates, county sizes, etc.). Again and again, he shows that with only slight variations in the magnitude of the results, more concealed carry permits equals less violent crime (murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robberies involving direct contact with the victim, such as muggings). He also observes that those permits may contribute to a smaller "substitution effect" that displaces criminal activity into less-confrontational forms, such as property theft. On all counts, this constitutes powerful evidence that the likely presence of a defensive firearm has a statistically significant deterrence effect on criminal behavior. More concealed carry permits lead to a net decline in assaults and deaths, and a net decline in the financial costs to society. Moreover, these benefits apply to all citizens--not just those who are armed--and they increase over time, as the number of carry permits rises. They also have the greatest positive impact on African Americans and women.
An Experiment in Crime Control & Social Engineering – One Free Shotgun at a Time
Southern California --(Ammoland.com)- In the past I wrote about social engineering by politicians and the media.
Private citizens perform experiments in social engineering as well. In this case some private citizens will give peace a chance, one free shotgun at a time. They think firearms will reduce crime.
The debate about violent crime is long running. To find out if guns will make us safer, we have to go talk to likely victims, and crime is anything but uniform. There are dangerous cities and violent areas within those cities. The Armed Citizen Project reaches out to the needy in our violent and crime ridden neighborhoods. They teach single moms in high crime areas about self-defense. Like all proper experiments, these potential victims, training and firearms are mixed under carefully controlled conditions.
The participants in the Armed Citizen Project are vetted. They are screened for criminal convictions, drug use, and must also pass a firearms background check. Then they are given instruction on home security, firearms storage and the legal and ethical use of deadly force. All this happens before they receive firearms instruction, including hands-on time at the range. They must pass each class before they are given a free gun and gun lock. Applicants are selected and trained in a several block area at one time. The first class from Houston, Texas graduated a few weeks ago. Classes are being organized in Tucson, Chicago and Detroit.
Now those targeted trained blocks, near Jester Park on Houston’s north side, are posted and publicized as an armed self-defense zones. What do you think will happen to the crime rate in those areas? Few criminals want to die in a stranger’s hallway. I think criminals will think twice about a burglary when the apartment could be occupied and the occupant might be armed and trained. Burglars will spend more time making sure the house is empty, and that takes time. Maybe a burglar will decide to rob apartments in some other part of town. We will see, because the Armed Citizen Project is collecting crime statistics in these areas and comparing the results against pre-selected control areas. Good experiments have a control group.
The armed citizen project predicts that the crime rate will drop. I think they’re right. Time will tell, and soon we will have another enduring truth to add to our SlowFacts. I met Kyle Coplen and the Armed Citizen’s Project in Houston. They have instructors lined up, but their rate of growth is limited by donations.They have my money. You can donate here.
About Rob Morse:
By day, Rob Morse works in Southern California as a mild mannered engineer for a defense contractor. By night he writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Gun Rights Magazine, http://gunrightsmagazine.com/contributors/rob-morse/ and writes the SlowFacts blog. https://slowfacts.wordpress.com/ .
He also loves the M1911 and shoots combat handgun on the weekends.
Source at Ammoloand.comWednesday, May 22, 2013
VCDL Takes on the Petersburg VA Circuit Court Clerk For Not Doing Her Job
Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- The Petersburg Circuit Court Clerk, Shalva J. Braxton, is refusing to do her job.
She is not following Virginia law when issuing CHPs, so VCDL is petitioning the Virginia Supreme Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus against Ms. Braxton!
(A Writ of Mandamus is where the Supreme Court orders a government official to do their job in cases where the official has no discretion under Virginia law.)
This all started when VCDL was notified by member Michael McNeill that Ms. Braxton’s office was requiring CHP applicants to take a check for $35 and their application to the Petersburg Police Department. Then, when the background check was completed, the applicant was to go to Ms. Braxton’s office and give her a check for $15. On top of that violation of law, renewals through the mail were not allowed by Ms. Braxton.
The law is clear: only one check is to be provided and it is to be given to the Clerk or an agent of the Clerk. It is also clear that a CHP holder can renew their application through the mail.
AZ:Tea Party Exercises First and Second Amendment Rights in IRS Protest
Four Armed Colorado River Tea Party Members Exercise Their Rights
About 50 people showed up at high noon in Yuma to exercise their First and Second Amendment rights. A common theme among the Tea Party members was that using the machinery of government to suppress dissent and political opposition is the very essence of tyranny.
Signs varied from "Shut Down the IRS" to "We will not be Intimidated" to "Obama IRS Tyrant!" to "Congress disregards the Constitution it's up to us to do something"
About 50 Protesters Showed up.
I counted nearly 40, and several joined the group over the next 15 minutes. The mood of the crowd was upbeat, looking forward to the 2014 elections, but weary of 5 years of the current administration and its scandals. In Yuma, the Fast and Furious scandal has been known for years, in spite of being played down in the national press.
A protester said that he wanted to see people go to jail.
The Gadsden flag and the American flag were prominently displayed.
One Protester wore this Fancy Single Action Rig based on the 3:10 to Yuma Movie
At least six open carriers were seen, with several people telling me that they were carrying concealed. A conservative estimate would be that at least 20 percent of the protesters were armed with firearms.
Tea Party members favored revolvers, and no rifles or shotguns were seen.
As could be expected for a protest organized in only a few days and held during the middle of the work week, many protesters appeared to be of retirement age.
Traffic on the street signaled their appreciation of the protest with honking horns and waving hands.
Unlike a pre-election rally, no discouraging signs were seen from the traffic passing by.
The event was well covered by local media.
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Kansas Moves to Enforce Constitutional Oath for Second Amendment
Making it illegal to use tax dollars to attack Constitutional protections would seem to be non-controversial. All legislators take an oath of office to defend the Constitution.
Kansas legislators are close to approving restrictions favored by the National Rifle Association on the use of state tax dollars to promote or oppose gun-control measures or to lobby local, state or federal officials on the issue.
The Senate approved the measure Friday on a 31-6 vote. The House could consider it as early as Monday, and its approval would send the measure to Gov. Sam Brownback. The Republican governor is a strong gun-rights supporter but hasn't said publicly whether he'd sign the measure.
TX:Store Owner Shoots Burglar
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Stopped by a store owner -- a robber finds himself face to face with a man who neighbors say was tired of being a victim. A north side business owner fired on a suspect trying to break into his convenience store.
Neighbors say this isn't the first time this store has been burglarized, and this would-be thief is no stranger to the store.
It happened at about 6:30am Friday on Airline near Cavalcade in north Houston. Police tell us they were called to the convenience store for a shooting, and arrived to find out someone had tried to break into the place.
We talked to the store owner's neighbor, who says the owner saw the man underneath the crawlspace of his attached home, trying to get in that way in order to break into the store. That's when the owner shot the man.
More Here$25 Gun Created With Cheap 3D Printer Fires Nine Shots (Video)
When high tech gunsmith group Defense Distributed test-fired the world’s first fully 3D-printed firearm earlier this month, some critics dismissed the demonstration as expensive and impractical, arguing it could only be done with a high-end industrial 3D printer and that the plastic weapon wouldn’t last more than a single shot. Now a couple of hobbyists have proven them wrong on both counts.
One evening late last week, a Wisconsin engineer who calls himself “Joe” test-fired a new version of that handgun printed on a $1,725 Lulzbot A0-101 consumer-grade 3D printer, far cheaper than the one used by Defense Distributed. Joe, who asked that I not reveal his full name, loaded the weapon with .380 caliber rounds and fired it nine times, using a string to pull its trigger for safety.
More Here at Forbes3D Printed Projectiles
Taofledermaus has done some experimentation with 3D printing of 12 gauge projectiles. They have had mixed results, but it is clear that there is promise in this approach. Combining the base wad with the projectile, while incorporating a hole in the nose for an embeded penetrator is one obvious possibility.
Making the projectile solid, with a hollowed base, could also strengthen the projectile and improve performance.
The slow motion video of the firing is fascinating to watch.
Dean Weingarten
TX:Clock Running out on Campus Carry
House Bill 972, an important NRA-backed self-defense bill that would repeal the criminal prohibition on the possession of firearms on college campuses by Texas Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHL), is still pending in the Texas Senate – where final action must be taken on the measure by this Wednesday.
Make no mistake: anti-gun Senators and gun control advocates are trying to run out the clock on this important reform bill, and it will die without a vote unless your state Senator hears from you TODAY!
While HB 972 gives individual higher education institutions the authority to adopt administrative rules and regulations governing whether CHLs may carry into their buildings and facilities, we believe that by eliminating the criminal prohibition and granting schools immunity from liability, more colleges and universities will consider changing their restrictive policies to allow law-abiding adult CHLs to protect themselves on campus.
This measure also requires an annual review of any restrictive policies, with input from law enforcement, students, faculty and staff. Additionally, it contains language preventing schools from adopting or enforcing policies which prohibit students with CHLs from transporting or storing handguns and handgun ammunition in their locked, private motor vehicles while driving through or parking on campus.
Please call AND e-mail your state Senator NOW and urge him or her to support HB 972, and to push for a Senate vote before Wednesday’s deadline. Contact information for your Senator can be found here:
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Members.htm
Alabama on Verge of Reforming Concealed Carry Law
Today, the Alabama House of Representatives accepted the conference committee report for Senate Bill 286 by a 73-28 vote. This measure now goes to Governor Robert Bentley (R) for his approval. While not perfect, SB 286 is an important step in the right direction for the law-abiding gun owners in Alabama and residents of other states traveling to and through Alabama. Therefore, it is critical you contact Governor Bentley TODAY and respectfully ask him to sign Senate Bill 286 into law.
Governor Robert Bentley:
(334) 242-7100
Click here to send an email
Sponsored by state Senators Scott Beason (R-17) and Roger Bedford (D-6) and state Representative Ed Henry (R-9), SB 286, if signed into law, will continue to restore and protect the rights of responsible gun owners and sportsmen in Alabama by reforming the state gun laws in the following ways:
- Allows those who possess a valid Alabama pistol permit to keep firearms stored in their vehicle while at work, as well as allowing those who possess a valid Alabama hunting license to store an unloaded rifle or shotgun in their vehicle while at work.
- Allows transportation of a handgun in a vehicle without an Alabama pistol permit as long as the handgun is unloaded, locked in a container and out of reach of the driver or passenger.
- Shifts the current “May Issue” concealed carry permit system to a “Shall Issue” permit system and requires that a sheriff must issue or deny the carry permit within thirty days. Should someone be denied a permit, a written denial must be provided and that applicant would have an opportunity to appeal the denial.
- A permit to carry a concealed pistol shall be good for one to five years (to be decided by the applicant seeking the carry permit).
- Requires sheriffs to use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to conduct a background check on concealed pistol permit applicants.
- Allows for all other valid state-issued permits to carry a concealed firearm to be recognized in Alabama.
- Strengthens Alabama’s firearms preemption statute by reserving for the state legislature complete control over regulation and policy relating to firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories in order to ensure that such regulation is applied uniformly throughout the state.
- Extends the current Castle Doctrine to include places of business to ensure the right of self-defense does not end when you enter your business.
D.C. Man Fined because He Saved Child
Authorities last week made an agreement not to prosecute a Northwest D.C. man who used his unregistered handgun to kill a pit bull in order to stop it from mauling a child in his neighborhood.
As part of the agreement, Benjamin Srigley, 39, was required to pay a $1,000 fine but will not have criminal charges filed against him for the three unregistered firearms and the ammunition that investigators found in his possession, said Ted Gest, a spokesman for the office of the attorney general.
Cody Wilson Explains Defense Distributed Liberator/ITAR strategy
DD ITAR Update 1
A few have criticized how quickly I responded to the DDTC and began participating in their regulatory process. It is said I should have stood and fought if I believed in keeping the files free, instead of complying. This compliance has been viewed as some kind of ultimate one, as if I don’t intend to do anything else.
“No takedowns, ever.” Was a motto I had built into my vision of DEFCAD.com, not DEFCAD.org, and it referred to a strategy for dealing with intellectual property claims and social pressure- this is NOT the strategy DD/DEFCAD.org can adopt with the Department of State. It seems we may have to have our rights declared in court to simply keep developing gun files to put into the public domain. DD’s right to exist is being challenged.
DD has maintained counsel for many months, and it happens that my strategy is not to just have DEFCAD seized and DD sued out of existence. No, as ever, I think DD/DEFCAD can win. The Liberator was a victory. DEFCAD serving near a million files is a victory. Letting the State Department get that global spotlight was a victory.
The Internet was asked to choose between guns and the control of information. Guess what it chose? We created an important moment for understanding a future with 3D Printing, and the Liberator is rightly everywhere.
Now the demonstration is over, and the hard work of having all our rights preserved is just beginning. ITAR might cover 3DP technical data for generations if DD doesn’t intelligently challenge this assertion of authority.
These politicians have looked like absolute monsters in the vacuum.
I will not apologize for knowing how to choose the battle.
CA:Homeowner with Sword faces two Armed Invaders; Kills one Drives off Second
Swords are arms protected by the Second Amendment.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two suspects committed a home invasion robbery around 2:30 Saturday morning. It happened on the 800 block of Dodderer in the city of Firebaugh. One of the suspects was armed with an axe, and the other was armed with a handgun. The resident of the home armed himself with a sword and killed one of the suspects.
AZ:Sharon buys a Makarov at the Phoenix Turn in (buyback)
Sharon at the Phoenix Gun Turn In
Sharon came to the gun turn in at the Sunnyslope Mennonite Church in Phoenix, looking for a pistol for self defense. She shoots at Shooters World, and intends to take the pistol there to have it checked out. She has children in the Army, and she expects that they will go to the desert for some family fun with their firearms.
Sharon said "We should have weapons to protect our families and homes."
Sharon's Makarov
The pistol that she obtained, a Russian made Makarov in .380 ACP, was in excellent condition with an extra magazine.
Sharon paid $80 for it, a bargain. Later, she passed on bidding for a $50 shotgun so that another buyer could purchase it for his child. She believes that teaching children how to handle guns safely is important.
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
AZ:Phoenix Gun Turn in (buyback) The Rolling Gun Show
Monday, May 20, 2013
AZ:Police Race to Waste Resources
Where is the difficulty? If they do not process the firearms (a dubious use of resources at best), the firearms are sold and the police department obtains additional resources to use to stretch tax dollars. It appears to be a win-win. Who came up with the silly idea of destroying the guns in a deodand ritual in any case?
Phoenix police are in a race against time in processing guns that the city purchased at recent gun buyback events.
A new Arizona law that hasn't yet taken effect bars cities and counties from destroying guns turned over to police at buyback events and instead requires that the guns be resold.
The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/19QbpVe) that Phoenix's program brought in 979 weapons in two sessions earlier this month and an additional 937 guns on Saturday.
The law will go into effect 90 days after the legislative session ends, which could be any day. Police are already struggling to process the weapons in their possession, and the influx of an additional 937 guns will make it even more difficult to move the weapons through the system before the deadline.
That leaves the program's supporters facing the prospect of forcing police to sell the weapons they are now buying from the public.
More HereNew Hampshire Legislator wants Gun Owners Liable for Criminal's Actions
A bill before the New Hampshire Senate would enable citizens to leave loaded guns scattered about their unlocked house without fear of liability if the guns are taken and used in a murder or some other crime.
HB 388, only one sentence long, states: No person who stores or leaves on premises under that person’s control a loaded or unloaded firearm shall be held liable in a subsequent civil case for the criminal acts of another person who illegally obtains possession or control of such firearm and uses such firearm in the commission of a felony or a misdemeanor.
The gun-owner = "terrorist" nonsense again
Daniele Perazzi, president of the Italian Perazzi Shotguns firm, was taken into custody yesterday by Adams County Deputies [see update, below] along with several prototype shotguns. The executive was picked up in the parking lot of the Denver Merchandise Mart, hosting the high-end Colorado Gun Collectors show this weekend, after a taxi driver, likely reacting to a suspicious activity reporting outreach program conducted by law enforcement, told authorities he thought he could be transporting an armed “foreign speaking” terror suspect.
“He loaded prototype shotguns into the cab on the way to the Merchandise Mart,” gun rights activist and newly-elected National Rifle Association Director Steve Schreiner, who is attending the event this weekend, told Gun Rights Examiner this morning. “The cab driver notified law enforcement he suspected he had a terrorist in his cab, and they were waiting to intercept him, evidently oblivious to the fact that he was arriving at a highly-publicized area gun show.
“He has two lawyers, Schreiner continued, “one of whom went to the police station, and convinced the police that the owner of one of the most expensive shotgun companies in the world was not a terrorist.
Perazzi was released a short time later and his prototype shotguns were returned to him, but reports have emerged that he was ordered by law enforcement to leave the state by nightfall, and sources tell Gun Rights Examiner he has gone one step further and left the country. He is expected to be returning soon with an eye toward filing legal action.
Gun Rights Examiner also spoke this morning with one of the two attorneys involved with helping Perazzi straighten matters out to obtain his release. That attorney essentially confirmed the account provided by Schreiner, albeit she characterized the authorities’ position on Perazzi leaving the state more as advice than an ultimatum by the sheriff to get out of town by sundown -- something that would have no readily apparent legal basis. A call has been put in to the Adams County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer for comment and clarification on this and other details, but a response has not been received at this writing.
Schreiner attributes the cab driver’s reaction to training authorities have provided taxi companies, where they are encouraged to call law enforcement and report suspicious activities and people based on subjective criteria and limited training.
Further confirmation of the incident and its details has been provided in a report on Fox 31 Denver, which also states “Just this past week, some Denver taxi drivers were honored for reporting incidents while on duty. A program called Taxis on Patrol (TOPS) encourages cabbies to report suspicious activity while they’re on the clock.”
Gun Rights Examiner has reported several times on the dangers of law enforcement “terror” profiling to create suspicion for things as innocuous as shaving a beard, being a “prepper” and supporting the Constitution. That Perazzi was able to obtain his safe release in a timely manner is the one positive outcome of a situation that nonetheless left a foreign national admittedly “scared during the incident because he’s not familiar with U.S. gun laws and thought he’d done something wrong.”
How much more scared a person would be who is not a corporate president and who can’t summon two lawyers on a Saturday is a fair consideration to question, as is the physical danger an innocent person and bystanders could be placed in when untrained persons are encouraged and rewarded for putting the finger on others based on poorly-defined tripwires, stereotypes and official hysteria.
Those dangers may get some major media attention soon, since Gun Rights Examiner just received word that Good Morning America has noticed this story and will be investigating and reporting on it in the coming days.
UPDATE: While gathering statements for this story, there was confusion on whether or not the officers taking Perazzi and his guns into custody were with the Adams County Sheriff's Department or from the Denver Police Department. Steve Schreiner just called to say he spoke with Joe Leiper, a gun show official, who told him that the Adams County deputies were in his office at the time of the incident and knew nothing about it, meaning if this bears out, it was Denver PD -- whether this could also result in jurisdictional issues is not known at this time.
http://www.examiner.com/article/shotgun-executive-taken-into-custody-at-colo-gun-show-on-cabbie-terror-tip
Swiss Vetterli Carbine from 1800's turned in at Phoenix Gun Turn in (buyback)
Swiss Vetterli Carbine Circa 1870
This Vetterli carbine was turned in very early on May 18, 2013, at the Phoenix gun turn in event. I photographed it on the turn in table at about 8:09 am. I cannot Identify it further, and this is the only picture that I have. Does anyone know if this is an original carbine, or is it a later conversion? The rifle was manufactured about 1870.
Dean Weingarten
Colorado Sheriffs file Second Amendment lawsuit against anti-gun bills by David Kopel
On Friday, May 17, fifty-four Colorado Sheriffs filed a civil rights lawsuit in Federal District Court in Denver, against two anti-gun bills passed by the Colorado legislature in March. Joining the Sheriffs as Plaintiffs are the Colorado Farm Bureau, disabled persons, Outdoor Buddies (an organization that helps disabled persons participate in outdoor sports), the Colorado Outfitters Association (the trade association for hunting guides), the National Shooting Sports Foundation (the trade association for the firearms industry), magazine manufacturer Magpul, federally-licensed firearms dealers, the state’s largest shooting range, the Colorado State Shooting Association (governing body for the shooting sports in Colorado), and Women for Concealed Carry. The Complaint is available here.
The lawsuit involves House Bill 1224 (a sweeping ban on magazines, including small magazines) and House Bill 1229 (an unworkable system of background checks for temporary transfers of firearms, and for private sales). The Complaint alleges violations of the Second Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment (vagueness), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A 38 minute video of the press conference announcing the suit is available on YouTube. In this case, I am representing the Sheriffs.
Friday afternoon, Grand County Sheriff Rodney Johnson joined the case, bringing the number of plaintiff Sheriffs to 55 out of the 62 elected County Sheriffs in Colorado. (Denver and Broomfield have appointed Sheriffs who run the jail, but do not have the comprehensive responsibilities of the elected Sheriffs.) The Complaint will be amended next week to reflect Sheriff Johnson’s participation.
Source:The Volokh ConspiracyMI:Detroit Second Amendment Activist offer alternative to police gun turn in "buyback"
DETROIT (WWJ) – At least 200 guns are off the streets of Detroit Saturday afternoon following a gun buy back program at a church on the city’s west side.
There were two efforts underway at the New St. Paul Tabernacle Church.
Wayne County and Goodman Acker both offered $50 Meijer Gift Cards for each unloaded gun, while gun-advocates like Rick Ector offered more in cash.
“I refer to them as LEFTs (Law Enforcement Firearms Transfers) they are misleading to the general public because they send a message that they are actually going to do something that’s going to affect the crime rate,” said Ector.
Ector says he’ll be using the guns he bought.
He feels these buy back programs have zero impact.
More HereSunday, May 19, 2013
MI:Gun advocate: Wayne County gun buyback just a 'glorified dog and pony show'
DETROIT — Rick Ector, a firearms instructor and advocate from Detroit, along with a number of other pro-gun activists, plan to compete with the government to purchase the public's unwanted guns Saturday.
While Wayne County plans to offer $50 in groceries from Meijer stores; Ector's group plans to offer cash, in many cases several hundred dollars, he said.
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano vowed during his State of the County speech in March to launch a gun buyback program aimed at removing unwanted guns from homes, thereby reducing violence.
The first event, dubbed Groceries for Guns, takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Detroit at the corner of Fenkell and the Southfield Freeway (M39).
Anyone may turn in a gun, "no questions asked," in exchange for a $50 Meijer gift card.
Ector calls gun buyback events "exploitative" and "ineffective."
"We refer to them as glorified dog and pony shows," Ector said. "We live in a community in which there is at least one murder, two rapes, 36 armed robberies and 87 aggravated assaults every single day in the city of Detroit.
"They need some positive press... They can smile in front of the cameras and say, 'Hey, we're doing something... we're making Detroit safer.'"
Ector takes issue with, among other things, the "transparency" of the event.
Officials say they check each gun to ensure that it's not stolen and claims to destroy each gun they receive.
More HereMI:Gun advocate arrested during protest of Wayne County gun buyback event in Detroit
DETROIT — As many as 40 protestors held signs and wads of cash outside New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Detroit Saturday protesting a Wayne County gun buyback event.
Jerry Acker, a partner in Goodman Acker, P.C law firm, fronted $50 Meijer gift cards for each of the 200 guns collected, a cost of $10,000.
Meanwhile, gun advocates waited outside offering cash for guns the government hoped to take off the streets and out of homes.
"In many cases, they'll end up circulating back in the communities we're trying to take them out of," said Wayne County Chief of Police Operations Rafael Washington said.
One pro-gun protester was detained temporarily and cited for disorderly conduct.
Washington said he was "impeding the walkway," "becoming very vocal," and "interfering with the process."
FL:Walnut Hill Homeowner Shoots Burglar
About 4 p.m., the resident of the 3900 block of Rockaway Creek Road reported a burglary in progress at his home. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said he arrived home to find two intruders inside of the residence.
The homeowner held the suspects at gunpoint while he called the Sheriff’s Office. As he was speaking with dispatchers, one of the suspects, identified at 33-year old Ricky Dewayne Taylor, lunged toward him. The homeowner fired a .38 caliber revolver, striking Taylor in the leg. Taylor was alert and conscious when he was transferred to LifeFlight to be airlifted to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. His injuries did not appear life threatening.
More HereFL:86 year old mother kills 64 year old son in self defense
LAKELAND --
A Lakeland mother shot her son in self-defense on Friday night, deputies said.
According to reports, 86-year-old Nancy Pennypacker told deputies she had shot her son, William Pennypacker, 64, in self-defense after he punched her in the face and fired a gun at her.
Deputies said moments later the two began shooting at each other, leaving Nancy with a bullet wound that shot through her finger to her shoulder.
William Pennypacker was found dead inside the home at Citrus Woods Estates off Orange Blossom Circle in Lakeland.
Nancy’s long time friend and neighbor, Sue Robbins, wasn't surprised and said there were plenty of warning signs.
more here
TX:Robber dead,victim injured
The victim has been released from the hospital
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An attempted robbery just outside of downtown Houston erupted into a gunfight that left one suspect dead and the victim injured, police say.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
OH:Woman uses Gun to Stop Home Invasion
The picture shows what appears to be a nice, 6 inch, .357 Smith & Wesson revolver in the ladies hands.
Tense moments in the early morning hours, as a woman carrying a gun confronts a man trying to get into her home.
The attempted home invasion happened on the 1900 block of Loxley near Upton, just before 5 a.m. Thursday.
It proved Betty Collins is a woman who stands her ground - with a gun in her hand.
"I said, 'Get on the ground.' and he got on his knees. I said, 'no, put your face in the dirt and you're gonna stay there.'," recounted Collins.
The past two mornings, she says, someone has stolen items from her car.
This morning, she says someone was trying to get into her house.
More HereIllinois Bill Would Give Police Complete Control Over Gun Permits
It may be a last ditch effort to keep ordinary citizens from having legal guns, but there have always been plenty of illegal guns in criminal hands in Chicago.
Recently, a federal court found that the Illinois ban on concealed carry firearms was unconstitutional. An Illinois Senate Panel was forced to approve a measure that allows people to carry concealed weapons, but state legislators are still having trouble seeing eye-to-eye over the tiny details.
The Senate Executive Committee voted 10-4 supporting a bill by Senator Kwame Raoul (D). Raoul acknowledged that his bill wasn’t bulletproof, but he hoped to act swiftly in response to the federal mandate. He said, "It's an imperfect process, it's an imperfect product, but it's an attempt to act on something. I don't know what the end game is, but I'm trying to do something to respond to the mandate of the court, to promote public safety and balance the right of law-abiding gun owners in the process."
It all sounds as though Raoul is working in the best interests of gun owners, when in fact gun owners are crying out against the bill. One of the biggest complaints is that Chicago residents would need to get both a statewide gun permit and a permit from the Chicago police. Essentially, this would give the Chicago police full discretion over who can and can’t carry a firearm inside of Chicago, because the state-issued permit would be next to useless on its own.
Raoul, who lives in Chicago, hasn’t been able to quell the concerns of gun rights activists. The NRA points to a clause in the bill that requires police to find that applicants are “of good moral character” and have a “proper reason” to carry a concealed firearm.
That vague terminology allows the Chicago Police Department to have the final say over who gets to legally carry a firearm in one of the nation’s most crime-wracked cities.
Sen. Dale Righter (R) feared that police would be able to deny permits for vague reasons like being a bad parent.
NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde said, "This is not a carry bill. This is a bill to discourage people and prevent people from exercising their fundamental, constitutional right to keep and bear arms for self-defense in the public.”
Is Sen. Raoul trying to defend the rights of gun owners by introducing this bill, or is this a last-ditch effort to keep guns out of Chicago?
SourceWhy Concealed Carry Permits Numbers are Soaring
Carry permits for concealed weapons are soaring all across the country. Part of the reason for this is uncertainty about the future. No one knows what is going to happen with tax rates, inflation, Obamacare, and the stock market.
This uncertainty has translated into uncertainty about public safety, both from ordinary criminals and from the possibility of a breakdown of public order.
A comment writer in Lane County, Oregon expresses the motives for and results of obtaining a concealed carry permit well:
After many years of no guns in the home (grandchildren, after all), we made the decision to resume owning and carrying firearms last fall. BEST DECISION EVER!It had been over 20 years since we had a gun in the house. So we took some courses (several, actually), carefully selected handguns and a home-defense shotgun that fit and suit us, and have discovered a peace of mind, confidence and security beyond anything I expected. I had expected we'd be anxious or worried about safety. The opposite has happened! I don't worry nearly as much about my wife going out, the house feels much more like a refuge, and I recommend it.
Only caveat: GET TRAINED! Don't settle for "knowing" what to do or even how to do it. GET TRAINED! Practice, and get some individual coaching. Practice some more. Develop solid safety habits. There are several excellent trainers in the area--find one whose personality suits you and keep going back. Or, attend a variety of classes. Personally, I like the different styles and emphasis each instructor has had. "You can't learn less!" And then, keep practicing.
Best decision we've made since deciding to get married! (Having kids was a pretty good decision, too!)
Lane County Oregon has been experiencing a surge of concealed carry permit applications. Over 8 percent of registered voters now have concealed carry permits, and the surge is accelerating.
Several other commentators echoed the response above.
Gains in the number of concealed carry permit holders are spread across the country, with increases in applications and permit numbers a common story across the states.
Even Illinois, the last holdout to forbid the carry of arms for defense by anyone not an agent of the state, is under Court order from the Seventh Circuit to pass a law to allow residents to legally carry weapons for self defense. If the Illinois legislature fails to do so, the laws forbidding the carrying of arms in Illinois will become null and void on June 10th, 2013.
There have been some setbacks in deep blue states such as New York and Maryland, or even in Colorado, where combined heavy lobbying by the Obama administration and heavy spending by Michael Bloomberg (Billionaire Mayor of New York) resulted in a flawed and unenforceable patchwork of emotional legislation directed against armed citizens.
Many more states are simplifying and making easier the ability to carry arms for self defense.
Texas is on the verge of reducing the hours of training required from 10 to 4. Arkansas has made carrying weapons simpler and safer through definitional changes in their law. North Carolina is strongly moving toward easier carry in restaurants and on college campus grounds. Missouri is moving to reduce the age required to obtain a concealed carry permit from 21 to 19. Louisiana passed a constitutional amendment to creating one of the strongest protections of the right to keep and bear arms in the nation.
This short listing is by no means exhaustive or complete. Legal challenges are already being filed against the hastily prepared laws passed under extreme pressure and sometimes bizarre circumstances in New York, Maryland, and Colorado.
The last comprehensive survey of states indicated that more than 8 million concealed carry permits were active across the nation. The data from that report was gathered more than a year ago. It would be reasonable to expect the number of people with concealed carry permits to be over 10 million at this time. To put that number in context, there are about 800,000 full time law enforcement personnel in the United States.
Surveys of criminals have verified that they fear armed citizens as much as police. Increasing the number of armed responders on the street make it likely that the multi-decade decrease in violent crime will continue.
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
Friday, May 17, 2013
WI:Man recovering from black bear attack
--When I roam the northwoods of Wisconsin, I carry a gun. In my case, it is loaded for bear.
SILVER CLIFF - A man is said to be recovering after he was attacked by a black bear in Marinette County, and his wife killed the animal by pounding a gun over its head.
Authorities said Gerre Ninnemann saw the bear running after his dog near his cabin at Silver Cliff yesterday. The bear tackled Ninnemann after a chase, and was biting-and-clawing at his back before he ran away. Sheriff’s deputies said he was mauled again. In the meantime, his wife Marie took out a gun but she didn’t know how to load it. So she pounded the weapon over the bear’s head, which let her husband escape. She then pointed the gun at the animal, as the couple backtracked into their cabin. A Marinette County deputy later killed the bear. There was no immediate word on Ninnemann’s condition. The bear was taken to Madison for a necropsy. A state DNR official said the animal was only a year old. Supervisor John Huff says there have only been a few bear attacks of people in Wisconsin in the last few decades.
Reese lawyers respond to government motion against joint representation
The court must be wary of “manufactured” government arguments masking its own “impropriety,” as well as mindful of attempts to “drive a wedge” between defendants and “impos[e] unnecessary financial burdens,” lawyers for the Reese family of gun dealers cautioned in a joint response in opposition to the government’s opposed motion for ruling on joint representation filed Tuesday in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Jailed for allegedly knowingly selling guns to cartel members, all family members were found not guilty on the most serious charges of conspiracy, and money laundering charges against them were dismissed. Husband Rick, wife Terri and son Ryin were convicted on a handful of lesser charges of making false statements on forms, basically under the presumption that they should have know federal agents were lying. Rick and Ryin were released on bond in February and Terri was released on bond last year. Son Remington was cleared of all charges, and a new trial for the outstanding convictions has been ordered following the judge’s ruling that the prosecutor withheld evidence from the jury.Yesterday’s action follows a motion filed Monday in the District Court of the United States for the District Of New Mexico asking that court “to enter an order authorizing the release of a portion of their seized assets to pay for upcoming legal expenses as well as to provide life subsistence.”
more at Gun Rights Examiner HereA reason for gun owners to home school
"And people wonder why I home school. Yet another example of a 'Zero Tolerance Policy' from the supposed promoters of tolerance, the liberal left. A 7 yr old boy pretends his pencil is a gun, and 'shoots' a kid he's playing army with. The school suspends the boy, claiming 'some would consider this threatening behavior.' What I consider threatening behavior is the relentless pursuit of a mindless, conformist society that is afraid of weapons and also cannot even consider playing cops and robbers or army. C'mon, folks. Kids play these games ALL THE TIME! 99.99999999% of those kids never go out and do something wrong with a weapon. Grow a brain."
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2013/tle720-20130512-08.html
Colorado sheriffs suing over gun control measures
DENVER (AP) — A group of Colorado sheriffs unhappy with recent gun control laws are planning to file a lawsuit to block them.
The sheriffs have called a Friday morning news conference to detail their federal challenge. The lawmen said they would challenge two new laws, one limiting the size of ammunition magazines and another law to expand gun background checks.
A Formation of Liberators
It seems like the verdict is in State Department’s attempt to do to DEFCAD what the DOJ is doing to the Associated (with terrorists!) Press and the IRS is doing to just about anybody who voices a word of criticism. And, while the East German judge gave the tactic an inexplicable 9, the Free World judges have some other things to say about USG’s attempt to stamp out 3D printing of gun parts.
Let’s start with a Liberator rendered on an older 3D Systems Cube, which is kind of like the Easy-Bake Oven of 3D printers.
Liberator printed on a 3D Systems Cube.
![Liberator rendered on a Printrbot [stet].](http://weaponsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Liberator-from-a-Printrbot.png)
Liberator rendered on a Printrbot [stet]. Click any of the pictures to embiggen ‘em.
Airguns at the Phoenix Gun Turn In May 2013
This Benjamin .22 pump air rifle was in like new condition
The gun turn in event at Phoenix the last two weekends also collected air guns. No gift cards were given for them, but a few came in anyway.
The lucky private buyer paid $45 for the Benjamin pictured above, including a tin of 500 pellets.
This table of air rifles and handguns was turned in on 11 May.
Most of them are relatively inexpensive, but you can see what appears to be a decent quality break open air rifle with scope under the imitation model 94 Winchester. The imitation was good enough on the 94 that I did not notice the difference until I was within a couple of feet.
The gift cards obviously made a difference, as only a handful of airguns was turned in compared to nearly a thousand firearms.
Link to Phoenix Turn In Part 1
Link to Phoenix Turn In Part 2
Link to Phoenix Turn In Part 3
Link: What my Waitress Thought of the coming Gun Turn In (Phoenix 11 May 2013)
AZ:Phoenix Early Gun Turn in (buyback) Luger and Holster, 11 May, 2013
AZ:Phoenix Gun Turn in .22 "assault rifle" Home Modification
AZ:Phoenix Gun Turn in (buyback) The Rolling Gun Show
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
NC House passes 'Save the Gun' bill
It appears that North Carolina is following the lead of Arizona in requireing fiscal responsibility in the disposal of firearms by state and local governments.
State House lawmakers voted Wednesday to forbid law enforcement officers from destroying fully-operating firearms, even if they were used in a crime.
House Bill 714, "Disposal of Abandoned Firearms," says that, if a firearm is fully functioning and still has a legible identification number, sheriffs and other law enforcement officers cannot destroy it, regardless of its background.
Instead, they would have to sell it at a public auction to a licensed dealer or permit-holder, keep it for department use or training or donate it to a museum or historical society.
More HereTX:Burglar Shot After Victim Forced into Closet with Gun
"Houston police said a home invasion suspect ended up hospitalized when he and his cohorts forced a resident into the closet where he kept his gun.
Police said three men kicked in the front door of the home around 2 p.m. Tuesday and attacked a resident who lives in the house with his parents.
The man waited in the closet until he thought the men had left and emerged armed with his gun, said Sgt. Jerri Brandon of the Houston Police Department. The man encountered one of the suspects downstairs and the pair exchanged gunfire."
UPI
Fortunately, the deadliest weapon in the closet wasn`t a pair of stiletto heels.
The homeowner was a responsible gun owner and not a Rambo itching to gun down the burglars. He waiting in the closet until he thought the bad guys had left. He encountered one of the suspects downstairs, the men exchanged gunfire, and the suspect got the worst of it.
The resident wasn`t hurt, and I`m sure he is thanking Jesus and his gun.
You don`t bring a frying pan to a gunfight, it`s imperative that you buy a gun to protect your home and your family.
Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Texas CHL permits will soar
At the end of last year Texas had 584,850 permit holders. Reducing the number of training hours to obtain or renew a permit from 10 hours to 4 to 6 hours will dramatically increase the number of permit holders (a copy of the bill is here). The exact increase in permits depends on how the final regulations on training are drafted, but it could increase the number of permits to over 750,000. Reducing the number of hours will reduce the cost of permits, and that will increase both the number of permit holders but also the share of permits held by poorer individuals. The $140 fee for permits will still make Texas' permits among the most expensive in the country. Texas is still relatively unique in requiring retraining for renewal -- eliminating that would have a dramatic effect on the number of permits.
Source John Lott Here
Ohio man sues town, police in open carry case
DAYTON, Ohio — While openly carrying his Springfield XDM .40-caliber handgun, Tipp City resident Roy Call walked into a Riverside Speedway store at 4:30 a.m. Aug. 12, 2012 to buy a sports drink.
That's when — as claimed in a lawsuit against the city of Riverside, its mayor and two police officers — Call said he was illegally detained and briefly had his gun confiscated. Call is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of $3.6 million in a lawsuit field in the United States District Court/Southern District of Ohio in Dayton.
More HereUT:Gun school for southern Utah teachers: Free training on a firing range
Wasatch Front teachers had their concealed-weapons crash course over Christmas. Now, five months after the Sandy Hook slayings, Utah’s leading gun lobby is offering a second concealed-training session for educators who plan to carry guns on campus — this time in St. George and with a live ammo shooting range.
The Utah Shooting Sports Council will put on this weekend’s gun school for free, saying it wants to help all school employees better protect their students and themselves. Similar classes have drawn fresh interest across the nation since the Dec. 14 slaughter of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn., and the subsequent National Rifle Association call for armed teachers to tighten security.
That message resonated for Melanie Spencer, a special education aide at Valley High School in Orderville, who plans to attend the weekend course, get a permit and carry a gun to school.
"I want to go I guess to be prepared in case we have any crisis in our school," says Spencer, an Orderville native whose experience with guns comes mostly from the annual deer hunt. "We don’t have a lot of problems here, but it could happen here."
The session opens Friday evening at the Dixie Center, where attendees will learn how to handle a firearm, how to load and unload, and the highlights of Utah’s handgun and use-of-force laws. On Saturday, certified range-safety instructors will provide guns and ammo for any educator who wants to squeeze off some rounds at the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park. Attendees are encouraged to pack their own guns and accessories, but plenty of extras will be on hand.
"We’re not arming teachers, we’re educating teachers," explains Clark Aposhian, the council chairman and a tactical firearm instructor. He says the majority of people registered hail from Kanab, Kanarraville, Cedar City, St. George and Hurricane. "We’re expecting to fill it up."
The Dixie Center lists the estimated number of attendees at 200. Aposhian says roughly 70 have signed up, but he expects more.
More Here3 Men Break into House and Put Son in His Dad’s GUN Closet
A 3 on 1 fight is not very fair, but when those 3 are dumb as rocks and decide to lock someone in a closet, it evens the odds when that closet is the place where the dad keeps his guns.
Houston police said that today 3 men forced their way into a man’s house and put his son in a closet while they ransacked the place.
Little did the 3 criminals realize that this closet was the same place where the resident kept his guns. When he thought the men were gone the son grabbed a gun and went downstairs where he had an encounter with one of the intruders.
The intruder was armed and the 2 exchanged gun shots. The son was not injured but he was able to land 2 shots in the suspects leg and shoulder.
The 20-year-old intruder fled the scene and collapsed a few houses down, crying for help in Spanish.
The other two men fled in an older model Chevrolet Tahoe, police said. The homeowner told police that he did not know the assailants.
http://gunsnfreedom.com/3-men-break-into-house-and-put-son-in-his-dads-closet/
NM:Reese family requests partial asset release for legal, living expenses
A Defendant’s Motion for Partial Release of Assets was filed Monday by attorneys in the District Court of the United States for the District Of New Mexico on behalf of the Reese family of gun dealers to substantiate reasons why doing so is not only critical to the family’s defense, but also why legal precedent requires it.
“Defendants, Rick Reese and Terri Reese … move this Court to enter an order authorizing the release of a portion of their seized assets to pay for upcoming legal expenses as well as to provide life subsistence,” the motion begins. Assets listed which could be used for this purpose include real property, vehicles, coins and currency.
Jailed for allegedly knowingly selling guns to cartel members, all family members were found not guilty on the most serious charges of conspiracy, and money laundering charges against them were dismissed. Husband Rick, wife Terri and son Ryin were convicted on a handful of lesser charges of making false statements on forms, basically under the presumption that they should have know federal agents were lying. Rick and Ryin were released on bond in February and Terri was released on bond last year. Son Remington was cleared of all charges, and a new trial for the outstanding convictions has been ordered following the judge’s ruling that the prosecutor withheld evidence from the jury.
“[T]he parties agreed that the civil forfeiture would proceed in January based on the trial record created during the criminal trial,” the motion reminds the court. “Following the entry of this Court’s order on February 1, 2013, granting Rick Reese and Ryin Reese’s Motion for New Trial, there is obviously no longer a trial record from the original case. As such, the Reeses are asking that the civil forfeiture action be stayed until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
More at Gun Rights Examiner HereWednesday, May 15, 2013
AZ:Phoenix Anonymous Donor Funds 18 May Turn In with Another $100K! Another Rolling Gun Show!
Some guns that went past private buyers and were turned in at the Phoenix eventsYes, you do see a stainless mini-14 with a folding stock, an M1 carbine, a utility double, and many more. Just short of a thousand were turned in.
Another mysterious source comes up with $100K to further fund gun turn in events in Phoenix this Saturday, May 18th.
The hours have changed to 0900 - 1300. Private buyers have made amazing deals at these events during the last two weekends, and some fantastic firearms have been turned in, in spite of dozens of private buyers offering cash instead of gift cards. Here are the three locations:
Southminster Presbyterian 1923 East Broadway Road
Betania Presbyterian 2811 North 39th Avenue
Sunnyslope Mennonite Church 9835 North 7th Street
The Mennonite Church is the most upscale, Betania Presbyterian the most modest, though last weekend it was the only location and therefore a hotspot. Southminster Presbyterian was in between.
Here are links to the Previous series of articles:
Link to Phoenix Turn In Part 1
Link to Phoenix Turn In Part 2
Link to Phoenix Turn In Part 3
Link: What my Waitress Thought of the coming Gun Turn In (Phoenix 11 May 2013)
AZ:Phoenix Early Gun Turn in (buyback) Luger and Holster, 11 May, 2013
AZ:Phoenix Gun Turn in .22 "assault rifle" Home Modification
AZ:Phoenix Gun Turn in (buyback) The Rolling Gun Show 11 May 2013
Here are some more of the guns turned in
©2013 by Dean Weingarten Permission to share granted as long as this notice is included.
AL:Robbery Suspect Runs Away When Pharmacist Pulls Out His Own Gun
ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) – A pharmacist stopped a robbery in Athens on Monday morning by pulling out his own gun on the crook.
Around 8 a.m. Noah Jay Davis, 22, walked into Westside Pharmacy, at the corner of Hines Street and Market Street. He handed the clerk a list of drugs he wanted.
“He said that he had a list of drugs and he would like for me to look at,” says pharmacist Terrell Milby. “He had questions about them. When he looked at them, the napkin that he had, something written on, he said this is the wrong list. And he turned around and left.”
Milby says about 20 minutes later Davis returned and this time he had found some courage.
“He came over and asked to speak to me again and he laid the napkin on the counter,” Milby says. “The note said that he had a gun and that not to press the emergency button that he would start shooting people if I didn’t give him oxycontin, adderall and needles.”
The pharmacist tells WHNT News 19 he pulled his own gun out, scaring Davis away.
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Two words of ultimate defiance
Another symbol of defiance
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” -- Thomas Jefferson
Note for non-American readers: Crime reports from America which describe an offender just as a "teen" or "teenager" almost invariably mean a BLACK teenager.
Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean
It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.
The intellectual Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) said: "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
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