Subtopics:
News media bias related to gun control issues.
If you think you get both sides of any story — or the whole truth about any story — on any
television station, you are sadly mistaken. This is especially true when the topic is gun control.
Airline security, especially the debate over arming pilots.
The federal government apparently cannot stand the idea that anyone should be allowed to
carry a gun who does not also carry a badge. This debate has little to do with the
protection of airline passengers' lives and much to do with government control.
Legitimate concerns about Constitutional issues - 2nd Amendment debates.
The Second Amendment, ratified in 1787, does not refer to the National Guard, which
was created 130 years later, in 1917.•
Cases in which guns saved lives
There are approximately two million defensive gun uses per year by law abiding
citizens, according to a recent national
survey.•
Notable Gun Control Failures, for example, "Gun Free Zones".
Leftist lies, misconceptions and disingenuousness
Zero Tolerance: Gun Regulation Taken to its Extremes
Civil Litigation, Boycotts and Other Organized Action
The United Nations efforts to disarm the U.S.
Gun seizures in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Recommended reading; book reviews.
Web sites about gun control and gun ownership
New:
President Obama's stealthy moves toward gun control
News and other items yet to be categorized:
Excellent!
Gun control fact
sheet: Law-abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves
against criminals as many as 2.5 million times every year — or
about 6,850 times a day.
Also excellent!
A Primer on the
Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
Don't Let Obama's
Anti-Gun Silence Breed Complacency. It's true that President Obama hasn't advanced the gun
control agenda. He hasn't even sought a renewed ban on "assault" weapons. However, the idea that
President Obama has more in common with Wayne LaPierre than with Sarah Brady is misleading. Remember
the "bitter clingers" comment? Therefore, if eternal vigilance is freedom's price, then complacency
must be its worst enemy. The Second Amendment is under assault even as the Supreme Court seems poised
to recognize the individual right it protects.
Chicago's
Pointless Handgun Ban: When Chicago passed a ban on handgun ownership in 1982, it was part of
a trend. Washington, D.C. had done it in 1976, and a few Chicago suburbs took up the cause in the
following years. They all expected to reduce the number of guns and thus curtail bloodshed.
District of Columbia Attorney General Linda Singer told The Washington Post in 2007, "It's a pretty
common-sense idea that the more guns there are around, the more gun violence you'll have." ... In the
years following its ban, Washington did not generate a decline in gun murders. In fact, the number
of killings rose by 156 percent — at a time when murders nationally increased by just
32 percent. For a while, the city vied regularly for the title of murder capital of America.
Chicago followed a similar course. In the decade after it outlawed handguns, murders jumped by
41 percent, compared to an 18 percent rise in the entire United States.
Another 1,000,000+ Guns Added to
American Homes in August. Data released by the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)
reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008. So
far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may
cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.
Guns decrease
murder rates. More guns in law-abiding hands mean less crime. The District of
Columbia proves the point. ... Local politicians enthusiastically embraced the 1977 handgun ban
predicting it would make Washington a safe place by dramatically reducing murder rates. But
they were as wrong three decades ago as they are now. A telling story is illustrated by the
murder numbers since the handgun ban and gun-lock bans were struck down [in 2008].
Gun owners in cross
hairs. The gun grabbers are at it again in Maryland. Next month, the state's House Judiciary
Committee will initiate hearings on legislation forcing firearms enthusiasts to register with the state government
before they can exercise their Second Amendment rights.
State Of
Emergency In North Carolina? No Guns For You. Residents in King were fumed over the
weekend after a state of emergency declaration restricted the sale of alcohol and the carrying of
firearms in vehicles.
Getting rid of gun
control: Virginia finally is poised to repeal its unusual law that prohibits law-abiding citizens
from buying more than one gun per month. It's about time, because the red tape has not had the desired
effect in lowering crime. There is no academic research by criminologists or economists that shows that
one-gun-a-month regulations reduce crime in either the states that pass them or their neighbors. The laws
have merely inconvenienced honest Americans who want to buy guns.
How Embarrassing Is It To Be A So-Called Liberal In The
Midst of a Holy War? Why is it that when a so-called liberal opens his mouth about the Ft. Hood
massacre by a Muslim jihadist I know that I'm going to feel less safe? The corrupt mayor of Chicago (and
presidential patron) blames the shooting of 41 soldiers — at the deployment center for the wars against
Muslim jihadists in Afghtanistan and Iraq — on the alleged fact that "America loves guns."
Mayor Daley Blames
Fort Hood on Guns, Not Islam. If this wasn't such a dreadfully serious matter, it would almost
be funny watching Democrats insist that there's no elephant in the bathtub. Perhaps the most bizarre of
these claims is that of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who insists that the core problem behind Fort Hood is
that "America loves guns."
In reality, the reverse is true.
How many at Fort Hood died
because of the Army's gun ban? Since 1993, there has been a gun-ban in place on our army bases. Here
we have soldiers, expertly trained in the safe and efficient use of guns, yet they are prevented by a cockamamie Clinton
ruling from carrying handguns on their bases. From reports of the Ft. Hood terrorist attack, the Islamic radical
enemy within was allowed a full 10 minutes of completely protected firing at soldiers before someone with a gun
arrived on the scene to fire back.
Looking to Capitalize
on Fort Hood: Gun Control Advocates. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Violence Policy Center,
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Freedom States Alliance, Legal Community Against Violence, States United to Prevent Gun
Violence, and more than two dozen other anti-gun organizations have decided to use the murder of American servicemen to
advance their own perpetual cause: the undermining of the Second Amendment.
What stops mass
murderers? A gun. Hasan reportedly had fired more than 100 rounds, requiring him to change
handgun magazines several times — Sgt. [Mark] Todd said Hasan was reloading again when he shot
the suspect. Why didn't any of the hundreds of Army personnel in the room shoot back, ending his killing
spree far sooner? Because they couldn't. Among President Bill Clinton's first acts upon taking
office in 1993 "was to disarm U.S. soldiers on military bases," the Washington Times points out.
Did
someone mention Fort Hood?
A gun case or Pandora's
box? Many have heard about the historic gun rights case going to the Supreme Court. Fewer
have heard that this is also a major case for businesses and family values. It could lead to anything
from court-ordered Obamacare to same-sex marriage. This is the biggest case of the year, and everyone
has a stake in it.
Is Barack Obama
Anti-American? [Scroll down slowly] Unlike citizens at all other times and in all
other places, Americans can protect these broad rights with firepower, because the Second Amendment
grants them the right to bear arms on their own soil, a right entirely separate from the military's
obligation to protect American citizens from foreign enemies. Given that the Second Amendment
was ratified on the heels of a successful revolution, the Founders manifestly intended that Americans,
protected by the military abroad, were free to protect themselves from their own government at home.
(To appreciate this right fully, remember that one of the first things the Nazis did was to make private
arms illegal, especially for Jews.)
America
armed, but guns not necessarily loaded. Bullet-makers are working around the clock, seven days
a week, and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
The Unrequited Dream of Smart
Guns. The underlying dream of smart guns has been around for well over a decade and the basic
premise is simple: design and build a firearm that works for authorized users, but not for anyone else.
State "Emergency Powers" vs. The Right to
Arms. After Hurricane Katrina, many New Orleans residents legally armed themselves to protect their
lives and property from civil disorder. With no way to call for help, and police unable to respond, honest citizens
were able to defend themselves and their neighbors against looters, arsonists and other criminals. However, just
when these people needed guns the most, New Orleans's Police Superintendent ordered the confiscation of firearms,
allegedly under a state emergency powers law. "No one will be able to be armed," he said. "Guns will be
taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns."
Demand for
Concealed Carry Inexplicably Up Since Obama Election. If you'll remember, a couple weeks ago Democrats
and anti-gun advocates painted concealed carry permit holders as dangerous crazies who are likely to go on shooting
sprees. Obviously, this means that are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of crazy people in America —
men and women, young and old! And, in their delusional state, they seem to think Democrats will restrict their
Second Amendment rights. I wonder why?
AG:
Landlords can ban guns of permit holders. A landlord can legally prohibit tenants who hold
handgun carry permits from bringing their weapons into a rented apartment, according to an opinion from
Attorney General Bob Cooper that was released today [10/28/2009].
Gun Control By Way Of Health
Reform. More than a decade ago Congress, seeing it as a backdoor assault on the 2nd Amendment
and the right to keep and bear arms, voted to cut funding for firearms research by the Centers for Disease
Control. Such research was viewed as one-sided and based on flawed assumptions that all gun use was
bad, even that which saved lives and deterred crime. The National Institutes of Health seemed to
have picked up the baton by funding similar studies of gun violence as a public health issue.
The
end of the Chicago handgun ban. The 2nd Amendment is about to arrive in Chicago —
which is good news for citizens who see a need to have a handgun in the home for protection against the
city's many criminals. It's bad news for Mayor Daley and other supporters of the existing ban on
handguns, one of the most draconian in the nation. Chicago has long behaved as though gun owners
don't have any rights. It is probably going to find out they do.
Politicizing tragedy:
Politics overwhelmed common sense in the aftermath of Wednesday's shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Less than two hours after the attack, gun-control groups were lobbying for strict new gun regulations to avoid more such
tragedies. Gun control is not the solution and would not have prevented last week's carnage. A statement was
released by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence before it was clear exactly what had happened.
Growing Up Without Guns. While
growing up, I knew there were guns and other arms, because the army and police had them. Us, ordinary people
didn't need them. The saying was "my police protect me". I don't think I ever saw a gun except in movies
or those carried by police on the streets. Some people in remote mountain villages had small rifles and a
limited amount of ammunition — mainly to shoot predator animals to protect their farm animals.
At 13, police were going door to door at night, pointing guns at my family and other neighbors. Later
I witnessed how government ordered army and tanks to the streets of my city under the cover of the night, killing
dozens of innocent people.
The Obama-ACORN Anti Gun Conspiracy. ACORN ... a
publicly funded national organization is using your tax dollars to actively interfere with the Second Amendment exercise of
gun rights in New Jersey and elsewhere. ACORN went public with its gun control activism when it intervened in an
unsuccessful attempt to defend Jersey City, New Jersey, a hot bed of anti-gun rights extremists, to disarm its citizens
with a local gun control ordinance.
Fear
of gun limits fuels a burst of demand for bullets. Since President Obama's election, demand for
guns and ammunition has skyrocketed. Gun shops have trouble keeping bullets in stock.
Bullet bill is loaded for
bear. One of the most controversial measures to come before the County Legislature in some time is expected
to draw an overflow crowd at a public hearing Tuesday night [5/26/2009]. At issue is a proposed law that would
require gun shops to register sales of ammunition, a measure that has been condemned by gun proponents as a back-door
means to register guns and learn what weapons people have.
Democrats Defeat
Controversial Gun Amendment. Senate Democrats on Wednesday narrowly defeated, 39-58, an amendment
to the defense authorization bill that would have allowed gun owners with concealed-carry permits to bring firearms
into other states with similar regulations.
Obama And ACORN Officials Set
Sights On Gunowners. ACORN, the publicly funded national organization linked to voter fraud
in several states, is now actively interfering with the exercise of firearm civil rights in New Jersey, and
the Second Amendment Foundation is calling for an immediate federal investigation. ... "ACORN has, since
1998, received an estimated $31 million in government funding," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. "Now
they have intervened in a New Jersey gun rights case in defense of an illegal Jersey City one-gun-a-month
ordinance that violates the state preemption statute."
NRA appeals handgun ban to Supreme Court. The National
Rifle Association is asking the Supreme Court to strike down strict gun control laws in the Chicago area, setting the stage
for another high court battle over Second Amendment protections for gun owners. The NRA wants the court to rule that
last year's gun rights decision invalidating a handgun ban in the District of Columbia applies as well to local and state
laws.
Chicago Law Banning Handguns
in City Upheld by Court. A Chicago ordinance banning handguns and automatic weapons within city limits was
upheld by a U.S. Court of Appeals panel, which rejected a challenge by the National Rifle Association. The unanimous
three-judge panel ruled today that a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year, which recognized an individual right to bear
arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, didn't apply to states and municipalities.
A legal shootout over
the right to own a gun. Two federal appeals court opinions — one signed by Supreme Court nominee
Sonia Sotomayor — have created a quandary for those who cherish the protections of the Bill of Rights and also
believe in meaningful gun control. But the way out of the dilemma is not to urge the high court to pick and choose which
constitutional rights are protected against state and local laws.
Obama era
triggers gun 'panic'. The US is in the grip of an ammunition shortage, thanks to a combination
of factors — the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have diverted production at factories, and
old-fashioned stockpiling as private gun owners throughout the US fear the Obama Administration will move to
limit gun ownership or tax ammunition heavily. "Since the election, everyone's in a panic," says John
Gilronan, of J&C Sales, one of the ammunition sellers. "They didn't announce it officially, but the
rumour is that they were going to raise the excise tax on it 500 percent.
Gun
sales soar amid fears of Barack Obama weapons ban. President Barack Obama may never have
fired a gun but he is turning out to be one of the best firearms salesmen in American history. "I've
sold probably four times as much in the last six months as I have in 20 years combined," said
Cliff Hunter, owner of Tommy Bronson Sporting Goods in Memphis. "Hand guns and the tactical
weapons, they're absolutely off the charts."
Obama's End Run on the Second
Amendment. The recent landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller put an end to decades of arguments
regarding the meaning of the Second Amendment. ... Just six months after Heller, however, Sotomayor issued an opinion
in Maloney v. Cuomo that the protections of the Second Amendment do not apply to the states, and that if your city or
state wants to ban all guns, then they have the right to disarm you. Such an opinion seems to fly directly in the face
of Heller, exposing Sotomayor as an anti-gun radical who will affirm full-on gun prohibitions and believes that you
have no right to own a firearm, even for the most basic right of defending your family in your own home.
Sotomayor Guns For The 2nd
Amendment. Those Pennsylvania townsfolk bitterly clinging to their guns may have been premature
in celebrating the decision in D.C. v. Heller that the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does
indeed guarantee an individual right to keep and bear arms. ... Surely a wise Latina with varied life experiences
such as Sotomayor can feel empathy for the unarmed and defenseless potential victims vulnerable to armed predators
in this country.
Obama 'stimulus' has sale of guns booming.
[Scroll down] While I was there, a steady parade of shoppers eyeballed firearms. "I saw it coming last summer,"
said Madeira doctor Lee Megois, who was shopping for a Glock. "I saw how the election was going." One Shot owner
Chris Roma said sales took off "the day after the election." He has guns and ammo back-ordered and sells whatever he
gets. "You can't find a box of ammo in a Wal-Mart in California," said William Smith of San Diego.
Obama May Grab for
Guns. President Obama voiced his support for an anti-gun treaty with such wide ranging implications
that it could ban everything from assembling guns in kits to repackaging spent shells. The treaty was
signed by former President Clinton, but never approved by Congress.
And the Purpose of Gun
Buybacks Is ... What? [Are criminals] turning in guns for the lure of the $100 gift card? An
armed robber prepared to take some risks can probably make that much in one liquor store robbery — and
certainly in two. ... How will having little old ladies turn in guns reduce crime?
Democrats hang fire on
guns. There is one thing that can be said of President Obama with certainty — his election
has had a phenomenal effect on gun sales. Across the country, ammunition prices are soaring and many guns
are in short supply as weapons fly off the shelves at stores. This is a telling economic indicator about
consumer confidence as many Americans stock up for fear that the end is nigh.
Mexican Standoff On Second
Amendment. Big lies die slowly. After a claim by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
that 90% of Mexican drug dealers' military weapons (machine guns, hand grenades and missiles) come from American gun stores
was exposed as a lie several months ago, it's back — this time with the imprimatur of the Government
Accountability Office.
Why the Lies About Guns Going to Mexico?
The Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Auturo Sarukhan, appeared on a CBS news program recently and repeated
a lie we have heard for many months about the violence in Mexico. The ambassador says Americans are to
blame for the violence wrecked on his country by the Mexican drug cartels because "most of the guns confiscated
by Mexican police can be traced back to the United States." That is not true, but the way that claim has
been accepted by American politicians and the mainstream media raises suspicions about a hidden agenda.
The Gathering Storm Over Guns.
Barely 100 days into the new Obama-Biden administration, ominous storm clouds are already gathering over your
most fundamental right as a free citizen: Your right to own a gun to protect yourself, your family and
your freedom. Betraying all their campaign promises to protect your right to keep and bear arms or your
freedom to hunt, the Obama administration has put its chess pieces in place and set in motion its strategy to
do just the opposite.
Bill Limits Gun Regulation.
A bill by state Rep. Leo Berman exempting Texas-made firearms, gun accessories and ammunition sold within the
state from federal regulation and law — including registration — was heard in a House
committee on Monday [4/27/2009]. The bill also provides for the Texas Attorney General's office to
defend Texans who run afoul of the federal government because of this law.
Texas on front line in feds' battle against gun
trade. Just a week after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton proclaimed Americans partly responsible
for Mexico's drug-fueled violence, Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder will head
to Cuernavaca on Thursday to forge support for improved gun screenings at southwest border crossings. Texas,
particularly Houston, is a central hub for purchasing guns that get smuggled into Mexico and end up in the hands
of drug cartels.
Sen. Kerry makes push for tighter gun
control. The United States does not need to send troops to the border in response to Mexico's
drug war, nor is Mexico in danger of becoming a failed state, law enforcement officials told a congressional
panel. Witnesses testifying before members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in El Paso on
Monday [3/30/2009] urged the lawmakers to bolster law enforcement in the region, increase aid to Mexico and push
it to reform institutions whose weaknesses have been exposed by their struggle with drug-trafficking gangs.
Hillary's
Assault on the Second Amendment: According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mexico's raging
drug war is largely the fault of the United States. As she tells it, illegal drugs have been flowing from
Mexico into the U.S. to feed "our insatiable demand" for those substances. In exchange, American
weapons — including a variety of military assault-type munitions — have been
streaming south into Mexico. ... There's only one problem with Clinton's version of the story:
it's nonsense.
A Call to Arms in Mexico.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the claim last week that, "Our inability to prevent weapons from being
illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police, of soldiers, and
civilians." Sadly, media already sympathetic toward gun control take such claims at face value, even
when the evidence proves that the most dangerous weapons used by cartels in Mexico come from sources outside
of the civilian U.S. gun market.
More Gun Control
Introduced in Congress. The liberals are at it again. In a new bill introduced the first
day of present session of Congress, and with zero coverage from the MSM, H.R. 45 (Blair Holt's Firearm
Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009) targets all gun owners in the U.S.A. This nefarious bill seeks
to strip us all of our Constitutional Rights to possess and bear firearms of any distinction. It requires,
within the first two years, that all new guns be registered. The bill goes retroactive after two years.
Meaning that two years after the passage of the bill, ALL FIREARMS in a citizen's possession must be registered,
not just those purchased after the bill passes, and this apparently applies to antique firearms as well.
Kansans to vote on right to own guns.
Kansans will have the chance to vote next year on a constitutional amendment guaranteeing individuals the right to
own firearms. The House passed a resolution Wednesday to place the issue on the 2010 general election
ballot. The vote was 116-9, far more than the two-thirds majority needed. The Senate adopted the
resolution Tuesday, 39-1. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1611 would change the state Constitution to
read: "a person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state,
for lawful hunting and recreational use, and for any other lawful purpose." Currently, the state
guarantees those rights for "the people."
Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton calls for assault weapon ban. Secretary of State Clinton called for a
new assault weapon ban in the U.S. on Thursday in hopes of cutting off arms flowing to Mexican drug
gangs — and was immediately blasted by the gun lobby. Clinton was naive in thinking
that "if Americans give up their freedoms, that it's somehow going to affect the operations of the Mexican
drug cartels," said National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam.
Toy-gun sales ban advances to House. A
bill aimed at reducing the risk of children getting shot by police cleared a state House of Representatives
committee Thursday [3/26/2009] but some questioned whether it would do anything. House Bill 2160 by
Rep. Fred Allen, D-Little Rock, would ban the sale of certain toy guns.
Democrat
Bobby Rush (D-IL) Wants To Let Eric Holder Take Your Guns Away. It sounds innocuous.
Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL), on January 6, 2009, quietly filed the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing &
Record of Sale Act of 2009 (H.R. 45) in the United States House of Representatives. While the
nation has been distracted by the bailouts, the stimulus, the AIG bonuses, and Britney Spears' comeback,
Congressman's Rush's legislation has been winding its way through Congress. Right now it is before the
Judiciary Committee. Should the legislation become law, the second amendment would be fundamentally
damaged. While distracted by pocketbook issues, Americans might want to pay attention to this.
Global gun control: There
may good reasons for deploying the National Guard along the U.S.-Mexican border, but illegal firearms isn't one of them.
The administration recently launched a study to examine whether soldiers should patrol the Southern border to staunch the
flow of firearms headed for drug dealers in Latin America. The silence you hear is the concern about armed drug gangs
headed here. In short, the administration seems more concerned about the guns going south than the non-citizens
streaming north.
Obama
secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns. After the September 11 attacks, commercial
airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would
unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into
buildings. Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety
on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.
Obama Blasted for Diverting
Money From Armed Pilots Program. A Second Amendment group is blasting the Obama administration
for quietly seeking to end the program that allows pilots — after special training — to
carry guns in the cockpit. The move will make air travel more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, something
that should outrage travelers, said the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) said.
Dallasites
turn in 147 guns in exchange for grocery cards. The city of Dallas' gun buyback program yielded
147 guns in exchange for $50 grocery store gift cards Saturday, the city announced. Although many
of the guns turned in were generations-old rifles and shotguns, a few of the guns more typically used in
crimes — handguns — were collected.
The Editor says...
Career criminals are not going to fork over the tools of their trade for a $50 grocery coupon.
And they certainly aren't going to attend any event that's swarming with cops, because cops have the
uncanny ability to remember everybody they've ever arrested.
New
York Fails To Revive Gun Lawsuit. New York City on Monday failed before the U.S. Supreme Court
to revive a lawsuit it filed against the gun industry. New York sued several gun manufacturers in 2000,
arguing the companies violated a state public nuisance law with their marketing and distribution of the
firearms products they sell.
D.C. rejects
woman's handgun over color. A D.C. woman claims she was banned from registering her .45-caliber
handgun in the District because the weapon was "the wrong color." Tracey Ambeau Hanson was one of three
city residents who filed a lawsuit against the District on Monday [3/9/2009] that challenges a city handgun
regulation prohibiting handguns not on a list of handguns approved by the state of California.
Obama, Ginsburg
and Guns. Last year the Supreme Court held in D.C. v. Heller that the Second Amendment secures
the right to bear arms for individual Americans. In doing so, the Court rejected the view put forth by
liberals that the Second Amendment only empowers state governments to equip their National Guard units.
But too many lose sight of the fact that the Heller decision was a 5-4 decision. Four justices —only
one short of a majority —adopted the liberal argument that the Second Amendment does not involve
any rights whatsoever for private citizens.
Parking Lot Gun Laws and the Right to Transport
Firearms: The U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of 46 states protect the right to arms and/or
self-defense. And since 1986, federal law has protected the right to transport firearms in vehicles interstate.
However, over the last few years disagreements over the right of people to leave firearms locked in their vehicles on
business property have arisen. As a result, five state legislatures have passed, and during their current legislative
sessions additional states are considering passing, laws to protect that right. The issue began in 2002 in Oklahoma,
when the Weyerhaeuser corporation fired employees for having guns in personal vehicles on company property.
Senate votes
to ease DC gun restrictions. District of Columbia residents would have far greater access to firearms,
including semiautomatic weapons, under a measure the Senate approved Thursday [2/26/2009]. The 62-36 vote was
a victory for the pro-gun lobby which has waged a lengthy battle against the tough antigun laws imposed by the
district on its residents.
An armed citizentry. Guns
are often used to commit violent crimes, but might they also be an answer for cities suffering from crime? St. Louis
Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe thinks so, and suggests citizens arm themselves. The Associated Press quotes him as
saying: "The community has to be ready to defend itself, because it's clear the economy is going to get worse, and
criminals are getting more bold."
The Editor says...
Welcome aboard the clue bus, Mr. Troupe. That's what the rest of us have been saying for decades.
Concealed Carry Permits Are Life Savers.
The right to bear arms is more than a Constitutional right: every human being has the natural unalienable right
to self-defense. Cicero said 2,000 years ago, "If our lives are endangered by plots or violence or
armed robbers or enemies, any and every method of protecting ourselves is morally right." The U.S.
Constitution, the constitutions of 44 states, common law, and the laws of all 50 states recognize the
right to use arms in self-defense. Right to carry laws respect the right to self-defense by allowing
individuals to carry concealed firearms for their own protection.
S.F.
Housing Authority agrees to let tenants own guns. The San Francisco Housing Authority has agreed
to allow its residents to own guns in a settlement of a National Rifle Association lawsuit that followed last
year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the right to bear arms.
New rule lifts ban on firearms in national
parks. People will soon be able to carry concealed, loaded guns in most national parks and wildlife
refuges. The Bush administration said Friday [12/5/2008] it is overturning a 25-year-old federal rule that
severely restricts loaded guns in national parks. Under a rule to take effect in January, visitors will be
able to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge — but only if the person has a permit for a concealed
weapon and if the state where the park or refuge is located also allows concealed firearms.
Group sues to reinstate
firearms ban. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence sued the Bush administration Tuesday [12/30/2008] in
hopes of stopping a new policy that would allow people to carry concealed, loaded guns in most national parks and wildlife
refuges.
Denver gun buy-back collects 15 weapons. Organizers of
a supposed gun buy-back had dozens of people lining up to turn in their weapons, although only 15 were collected today for
the Denver Police Department to destroy and melt down. Held at New Covenant Christian Church in Denver to raise
awareness about gun violence, the gun buy-back turned into a gun give-back event when the program could not afford to
pay $50 as initially advertised.
Perdue
signs law allowing guns in restaurants. Georgians with carry licenses will be able to tote their
concealed guns on public transportation, in restaurants that serve alcohol and in state parks under legislation
signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday [5/14/2008].
"Encoded Ammunition"/Bullet Serialization:
In 2007, the sponsor of "encoded ammunition" legislation in Maryland urged lawmakers across the country to
introduce the same kind of legislation in their states. The bill would require ammunition manufacturers
to engrave a serial number on "the base of the bullet and the inside of the cartridge casing of each round" of
ammunition for popular sporting caliber center-fire rifles, all center-fire pistols, all .22 rimfire rifles and
pistols, and all 12 gauge shotguns. [There are a number of] reasons to strenuously oppose this
legislation: People would be required to forfeit all personally-owned non-encoded ammunition. After
a certain date, it would be illegal to possess non-encoded ammunition.
High court strikes down gun ban.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a sweeping ban on handguns in the nation's capital violated the
Second Amendment right to bear arms. The justices struck down the ban in a 5-4 decision, with Justice
Antonin Scalia writing the opinion for the majority. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty said he was disappointed
in the ruling but will give the district's police department 21 days to implement a process for
registering handguns. It still will be illegal to carry handguns outside the home, and all pistols must
be registered with police.
Bull's-Eye! In
a 5-4 decision written by Antonin Scalia, the kind of justice John McCain says he'd appoint, the high court
overturned a draconian District of Columbia law enacted 32 years ago that barred private ownership of
handguns. The court ruled the Second Amendment indeed protected an individual right to possess a firearm
unconnected with service in a militia and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as
self-defense within the home.
Plaintiff
in gun ban case sues D.C. over new laws. The man whose lawsuit successfully overturned the
District's ban on handguns filed a new suit Monday [7/28/2008] charging the city with violating the spirit of
the Supreme Court's historic decision. Dick Heller, one of three D.C. residents who filed the suit in
D.C. federal court, argued in court documents that the city's new laws continue to violate citizens' Second
Amendment right to own a handgun for self-defense.
Update:
Man whose lawsuit
scuttled DC gun ban gets permit. The man whose lawsuit overturned Washington's handgun ban has
successfully registered his revolver, ending a more than 30-year wait to keep the weapon in his home.
Dick Heller walked out of D.C. police headquarters Monday [8/18/2008], clutching a yellow firearms registration
certificate stamped "approved."
Stop or I'll Vote.
Over the past two decades, it has slowly dawned on Democrats that gun control is a losing issue for them.
Gun owners care a whole lot more about the issue than non-gun owners, and there are 80 million of
them. The number of people for whom stricter gun control is a top issue is relatively tiny. Thus
the pro-gun position almost always moves more votes than the anti-gun position. This has caused a
divide in the Democratic Party.
Celebrate Freedom and
Learn What it Means to be Free. In the light of a modest civil liberties victory last week with
the Supreme Court's acknowledgment (barely) of the Second Amendment, it's important to remember this Independence
Day that rights are not assigned to us or given to us by government. The Declaration of Independence
tells us our rights come from the "Creator," they are ours by birth.
The Court defers to
plain language. No sulking conservative can imagine the Second Amendment would have been upheld
if Republican presidents had not appointed the five members of yesterday's majority. Who can doubt that
Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry and ol' Bubba would have appointed
judges dedicated to throwing out the constitutional guarantee upheld yesterday?
Silver
Bullet. The 2008 Supreme Court term ended with a bang yesterday as the Justices issued their
most important ruling ever in upholding an individual right to bear arms. The dismaying surprise is that
the Second Amendment came within a single vote of becoming a dead Constitutional letter.
What politicians can't
take from you — your right to carry a gun. Homicides in Oakland are up 27 percent so far
this year. In preparation for a mayoral run, a state senator and FBI suspect is resurrecting his worn
arguments favoring gun control. California and the Bay Area have tinkered with gun control for decades,
and yet Oakland falls further into chaos. Despite politicians' efforts to eliminate private firearm
ownership, homicide is nearly a daily event in Oaktown.
NRA sues to
overturn S.F. gun ban in city housing. The National Rifle Association sued the city of
San Francisco on Friday [6/27/2008] to overturn its ban on handguns in public housing, a day after the U.S.
Supreme Court struck down a handgun ban in the nation's capital. The legal action follows a similar lawsuit
against the city of Chicago over its handgun ban, filed within hours of Thursday's high court ruling.
Lawsuit filed over Atlanta airport
barring guns. The nation's busiest airport duelled with gun rights advocates Tuesday [7/1/2008]
over whether a new Georgia state law allows visitors to carry firearms at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport. City officials in charge of the airport declared it a "gun free zone" when the new law took effect
Tuesday. Gun rights supporters, including a state legislator who helped pass the law, quickly filed a lawsuit
in federal court challenging the designation.
Right to Bear Arms:
Washington, D.C., will become a safer place to live and work thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday
[6/26/2008] against the city's absolute ban on handguns. The Court ruled that the Second Amendment's
guarantee of the right to bear arms is an individual right, not just one that permits states to maintain
militias, striking down one of the nation's toughest anti-gun laws. As someone who lived in the
District at the time the city imposed its ban 32 years ago, I say it's about time.
Chicago ban is challenged, other suits expected,
now that DC gun ban is struck down. Gun-rights groups have already filed a lawsuit against
Chicago's handgun ban — after a similar ban in Washington, D.C. was struck down by the Supreme Court.
The National Rifle Association is planning to go to court and challenge San Francisco's ban.
Update:
Chicago continues to enforce gun
ban. The National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association filed federal lawsuits
to shoot down Chicago's gun laws after the U.S. Supreme Court voided the District of Columbia's handgun ban last
month. City Corporation Counsel Mara Georges told a City Council committee Thursday that she's prepared to
fight those lawsuits all the way to the Supreme Court. "Chicago's gun ordinance was not invalidated by
the ... decision. Three prior Supreme Court decisions have found that the Second Amendment does not apply
to states and municipalities," Georges said. "The decision did not change that case law."
DC Gun Ban Blown Away. As I swab
down one of my hundreds of privately owned, individually possessed firearms again this fine morning, I snicker
and shake my head in disbelief that there are four "justices" on the "supreme" court that do not believe Americans
have individual rights. Sure, I am somewhat pleased that we now have a SCOTUS confirmation of the
self-evident truth and God given individual right to keep and bear arms, but the 5-4 ruling is another painful
example, like Guantanamo and the decree against the death penalty for child rapist decisions that indicate a
divisive culture war raging on, and four supreme justices frighteningly disconnected from the heart and soul
of America.
Evanston is the
latest suburb to repeal handgun ban in wake of high court ruling. Following the lead of at least
two other Chicago suburbs, the City of Evanston has repealed its handgun ban in the wake of the June U.S.
Supreme Court decision that ruled blanket prohibitions of handguns in the home for self-defense violated
2nd Amendment rights.
Boston
police jump the gun with "Safe Homes". The police department in that Massachusetts city has just
launched an initiative that exhibits a cynical disregard for the rights of the citizenry, even as it cleverly
cloaks the program in language pretending to protect the people toward whom it is directed. I refer to
the "Safe Homes Initiative," with its slick brochures and smooth rhetoric.
4,000 man-hours down the drain due to irrational fear.
State Farm, police
pleased with response to security threat. About 2,000 employees spent almost two hours Thursday
afternoon in the lower level of the company's corporate headquarters at Veterans Parkway and Washington Street
after a passer-by reported seeing a man with a "long gun" outside the building. Police eventually determined
the person actually saw a custodian holding what probably was a pipe.
Chaos ensuing?
Politician wants you to keep your guns. Gun owners could get a guarantee that their
firearms and ammunition won't be seized during a state of emergency under a bill headed today to
the state Senate floor. The governor is allowed to commandeer and restrict the sale of guns,
alcohol, explosives and combustibles during natural disasters or other major emergencies under
state law.
Appeals
Court Shoots Down New York City Gun Law. The media have been telling us to watch the gun-control case now
before the U.S. Supreme Court, where we await a decision about Americans' Second Amendment rights. But the 2nd U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals just handed down an equally important gun decision that has additional implications against
judicial supremacy. The court, which convenes in New York City, shot down the longtime liberal dream of achieving
gun control by suing gun manufacturers for crimes committed by firearms.
Take-your-guns-to-work law passed.
Most Florida residents would be allowed to take guns to work under a measure passed by Florida lawmakers today
[4/9/2008]. The bill, allowing workers to keep guns in their cars for self-protection, was approved by
the Florida Senate by a vote of 26-13. It now goes to Republican Governor Charlie Crist to sign into law.
Control
Criminals Not Guns. Gun control laws will not protect us from murderers. We need
protection from the criminal justice system politicians have created.
Guns and Crime: Philadelphia had 406
homicides in 2007, and, at 28 per 100,000 people, it also had the highest murder rate of any major city in the
United States. No wonder Philadelphians want things done. Recently, the city focused on a new
tragedy, the murder of a 12-year police veteran and father of three, Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, by three bank
robbers with long, violent criminal records. To Gov. Rendell, Mayor Nutter, Police Commissioner Charles
Ramsey, and freshman U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, the solution is simple: more gun control.
The Roe v.
Wade of Gun Rights. Gun bans fall particularly heavily on women, minorities, the elderly, and the
disabled who own guns for self defense purposes. Though stereotypical gun owners are white adult males in
the prime of life, the reality is that these are the people who need guns the least. Most people are more
likely to be a victim of violent crime, and thus have a greater need for a tool that neutralizes any would-be
criminal's greater size, strength, or speed.
Gun Control
Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill. A gun control group is hailing Sen. Ted Kennedy
(D-Mass.) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) for introducing legislation that would require gun microstamping
in all fifty states. The National Crime Gun Identification Act, introduced in both the House and Senate
on Feb. 7, "will help law enforcement track down armed criminals and solve gun murders," the Brady
Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said. The National Rifle Association calls such legislation
"incremental gun control."
Some
worried by law that allows drivers to have weapon. The state's new castle law has grabbed the
spotlight. But some say a lesser-known gun law, which also took effect in September, could have greater
consequences. The law allows Texans to carry guns in their cars, even without a concealed handgun
license. As long you meet the law's other requirements — such as not being a gang member,
refraining from criminal acts and keeping the gun out of sight — you can pack heat in your
glove box.
Texas' Castle Law in its
entirety. [PDF]
Senators want guns allowed in national
parks. Nearly half the Senate is pushing the Bush administration to let gun owners carry handguns
and other firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges. Forty-seven lawmakers, including Sens. Jon
Kyl and John McCain of Arizona, have signed a letter asking Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to lift
Reagan-era restrictions that prevent citizens from carrying readily accessible firearms onto lands managed by
the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The Marxist tactic of Crisis
revolution: When Bill Clinton constantly perceived various crises which demanded solutions that involved the
passage of a new laws, he was unapologetically using the Marxist/Leninist "crisis revolution" tactic to spur passage of
Leftist-legislation. For example, with each violent crime, like Columbine or other public shootings that took place
during his presidency, Clinton pushed for more gun control to alleviate the crisis but he never enforced laws which were
already established.
Parking Lot Gun Laws and the Right to
Transport Firearms. The U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of 46 states protect the right
to arms and/or self-defense. And since 1986, federal law has protected the right to transport firearms
in vehicles interstate. However, over the last few years disagreements over the right of people to leave
firearms locked in their vehicles on business property have arisen.
New York City Lawsuit Against America's
Firearm Industry Dismissed. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act proved the basis for
today's dismissal of a lawsuit by the City of New York against the American firearms industry. This
lawsuit by the City of New York and Mayor Michael Bloomberg sought to hold manufacturers responsible for
the criminal misuse of firearms.
Appeals Court Overturns San Francisco
Handgun Ban. A San Francisco handgun ban approved by city voters in 2005 was overturned by a
state appeals court Wednesday [1/9/2008]. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal in San Francisco
said the measure, known as Proposition H, conflicted with state laws regulating handguns. The court
ruled in a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association, four firearms rights groups and seven individuals
to challenge the ban.
Arizona bill would let guns onto campuses.
Two Mesa lawmakers are drawing up legislation to give teachers — and some students — a chance to
carry firearms on campus. The proposals by Sen. Karen Johnson and Rep. Russell Pearce would allow anyone who has
obtained a state permit to carry a concealed firearm to bring it onto public-school campuses, something now a crime
under state law. It also would overrule similar policies at community colleges and state universities.
District
Files Supreme Court Brief Defending Handgun Ban. The District told the Supreme Court yesterday [1/3/2008]
that even if the Second Amendment affords an individual right to possess firearms, the city's ban on handguns
is a reasonable restriction to prevent the "tragic harms" brought by gun violence in an urban setting.
District
attorneys nationwide ask Supreme Court to keep gun ban. Prosecutors from across the country,
afraid that an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling could erode state gun laws, on Friday [1/11/2008] asked the
high court to uphold a ban on unlicensed handguns. The district attorneys, from 18 jurisdictions,
weighed in on a case in which justices will decide whether the Constitution's Second Amendment can
overrule tough Washington, D.C. handgun laws.
Justice
Dept. Critical Of Appellate Ruling On D.C. Handgun Ban. The Bush administration told the
Supreme Court last night [1/11/2008] that, although the Second Amendment protects an individual's
right to own firearms, an appeals court used the wrong standards in declaring the D.C. handgun ban
unconstitutional.
Bang, bang ... ban.
It's become as regular and predictable as a half-witted Canadian poet applying for a public grant. Assorted leftist
politicians, misnamed peace activists and fellow travelling dunderheads calling for a total ban on handguns. It happens
every time someone is killed on Canada's streets by an evil punk with a pistol. Which should lead us to call for a
total ban of evil punks. But no. That would require original thought and original policies.
New Gun-Grab Scheme
Exposed. Gun banners try new tactic on dealers; BATF aims to bankrupt honest sellers.
FBI's Gun
Ban Listing Swells. Since the Virginia Tech shootings last spring, the FBI has more than doubled
the number of people nationwide who are prohibited from buying guns because of mental health problems, the
Justice Department said yesterday. Justice officials said the FBI's "Mental Defective File" has
ballooned from 175,000 names in June to nearly 400,000, primarily because of additions from California.
HIPAA, Guns, and
Public Health. Now, most of us assume such sensitive health records are protected in the
interest of "privacy." Isn't that what we've been assured by HIPAA? So what's the loophole that
permits the feds access to sensitive hospital records to make their lists? What if I had an anxiety
disorder or depression in my medical history requiring inpatient admission. Would I end up on the
FBI's "Mental Defective File?"
Openly
carrying a gun is not a crime. In the political tussle over Ohio's concealed-carry gun law, one fact seems to have
been overlooked by many: You never needed a permit to carry a gun in public, and you still don't --- you just
can't conceal it. As long as you haven't been convicted of a felony, if you want to wear a pistol on your
belt or walk around town carrying a shotgun, Ohio has no law against it.
Your doctor could put you on
no-gun list. The House of Representatives has fast-tracked new legislation to "improve" the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System by allowing doctors to now decide who can own
firearms. … The plan is the first congressional effort to curtail gun ownership rights in a decade, but by
being put on the fast track was exempted from the ordinary committee hearings and public scrutiny most
proposals are sent through.
Support
for gun control dwindling in America. Public support for stricter gun control has reached a low ebb
in modern times, according to a new report of the Gallup Poll. Just 51 percent of Americans believe
that laws governing the sale of firearms should be made more strict. Those saying laws ought be kept the
same or made more lenient are running at a comparable 47 percent in the early-October survey.
Things to
Think About. What do Virginia Tech's 32 murders, Columbine High School's 13 murders,
Jonesboro Westside Middle School's five murders, Germany's Gutenberg High School's 16 murders, the murder
of 14 legislators in Zug, Switzerland, and the murder of eight city council members in a Paris suburb all have
in common? Answer: All the murders were committed in "gun-free zones." So a reasonable
question is: Does legislation creating gun-free zones prevent murder and mayhem?
Mayor
offers package of gun control laws. [San Francisco] Mayor Gavin Newsom quietly introduced a
package of gun control measures on Tuesday [5/16/2007] that would make it illegal to possess guns on
city-owned property and require residents to store handguns in locked containers. But, even some of the
legislation's co-sponsors conceded the proposals will have little effect on the proliferation of illegal guns
on San Francisco streets.
A liberal's lament: The NRA
might be right after all. Like many academics, I was happy to blissfully ignore the Second
Amendment. It did not fit neatly into my socially liberal agenda. Yet, two related cases could
now force liberals into a crisis of conscience. The Supreme Court is expected to accept review of
District of Columbia v. Heller and Parker v. District of Columbia, involving constitutional challenges
to the gun-control laws in Washington.
Gun Control on the Back
Burner. The gun control movement has lost momentum in recent years. The Democratic Party
has been conspicuously silent on the issue in recent elections because they know it's a political
loser. … Gun control may have faded as a political issue, but the mentality that Washington
knows best — and that certain constitutional rights are anachronisms — is
alive and well. Look for gun control advocates to bide their time and look for new ways to
resurrect the issue in 2008 and beyond.
Rifles And Rights: Zach
Doty is raising eyebrows by taking the Second Amendment for a walk. Doty, who turned 18 last month, has
been stopped by police twice in the past month after citizens spotted him with a loaded 9mm Glock pistol in a
hip holster in plain view. No citations were issued because Idaho code allows residents 18 and older to
openly carry a firearm in public. To carry a concealed weapon, you must be 21 and have a permit.
Illinois
County Says NO To Gun Control. The Media was all a frenzy on the debate about gun control right
after the VT killings cynically attempting to push their Constitutionally illegal gun banning ideas on a
grieving public. But one Illinois County has bravely decided to make moves to protect their
2nd Amendment rights with action by the County Board.
Guns are banned in the District of Columbia
Is it legal? Is it effective?
Washington, D.C. has, perhaps, the most restrictive gun control laws in the country, and yet it has one
of the highest murder rates in the nation.*.
The Case For Repealing DC's Gun
Laws: Thirty years ago, local politicians in the District of Columbia thumbed their noses at
Congress, the 14th Amendment's guarantee of "equal protection of the laws," and the rest of the United
States, and began conducting a social experiment of their own design, against the city's law-abiding
residents. The experiment, unlike anything known elsewhere in America, took the form of the multi-faceted
Firearms Control Regulations Act, imposed by the D.C. Council in 1976.
The DC Gun Ban: Understand that
residents of DC can be convicted of a felony and put in prison simply for having a gun in their home, even if
they live in a very dangerous neighborhood. The DC gun ban is no joke, and the legal challenges to the
ban are not simply academic exercises. People's lives and safety are at stake. Gun control
historically serves as a gateway to tyranny. Tyrants from Hitler to Mao to Stalin have sought to
disarm their own citizens, for the simple reason that unarmed people are easier to control.
Major ruling against D.C. handgun ban. In
the most important ruling on gun control in 70 years, a federal appeals court Friday [3/9/2007] for the
first time used the Second Amendment to strike down a gun law. In a 2-1 decision, the court overturned
the District of Columbia's long-standing handgun ban, rejecting the city's argument that the Second Amendment
right to bear arms applied only to militias.
Appeals Court
Refuses to Reconsider D.C. Gun Ban. A federal appeals court in Washington today [5/8/2007] refused
to reconsider a ruling that struck down a restrictive D.C. ban on gun ownership, setting the stage for a
potential constitutional battle over the Second Amendment in the Supreme Court.
D.C. gun
ban suit waits for last shot. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce by Tuesday [11/13/2007]
whether it will hear the District"s appeal of a federal court ruling that lifted the city"s ban on handguns.
The high court"s decision, which could come as early as today, may signal the end of the 30-year-old ban, considered
to be among the most restrictive gun laws in the nation.
Crime
Data Underscore Limits Of D.C. Gun Ban's Effectiveness. Three decades ago, at the dawn of
municipal self-government in the District, the city's first elected mayor and council enacted one of the
country's toughest gun-control measures, a ban on handgun ownership that opponents have long said violates
the Second Amendment.
High court takes no action on
D.C. gun ban. The Supreme Court took no action today [11/13/2007] in the case involving Washington
D.C.'s ban on handguns. The justices discussed the case at their private conference on Friday, but reached
no resolution.
Repealing the DC Gun Ban: It is
unfortunate that people in the federal capital city have for nearly thirty years faced some of the most
restrictive gun control laws in the country. This fact is particularly unfortunate given Washington,
D.C.'s recent history as the murder capital of the United States. Ironically, the place where people
most need to bear arms to defend themselves from violent crime has been one of places where the exercise
of that right has been most restricted.
District of Inequality:
It is one of the benefits of being a politician. While handguns are banned for citizens in Washington,
D.C., congressmen are allowed to have a gun for self-protection on the Capitol grounds. Well-known
liberal politicians such as Senators Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy have armed bodyguards. The wives of
politicians, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's wife, Linda, also have bodyguards. Undoubtedly,
these politicians and their families have extremely good reasons for this protection, but many other Americans,
especially those living with the high crime rates in D.C., also feel the same way.
Supreme Court Will Hear
D.C. Guns Case. The Supreme Court said Tuesday [11/20/2007] it will decide whether the
District of Columbia can ban handguns, a case that could produce the most in-depth examination of the
constitutional right to "keep and bear arms" in nearly 70 years.
Lawyers,
Guns and Washington. By deciding yesterday [11/20/2007] to hear the District of Columbia's
appeal of the federal court ruling that overturned DC's gun ban, the Supreme Court has ensured that gun
control and gun rights will play a major role in the coming election — and perhaps in the high
court's future, too.
"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit,
occidentis telum est."
(A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.)
— Lucius
Annaeus Seneca "the Younger"
(ca. 4 BC-65 AD) *
Blair wants gun crime age reduced.
Tony Blair wants to lower the age to 17 at which young people can receive long prison sentences for possessing
a gun. Announcing a firearms law review, he said he was considering lowering the age from 21 for a
mandatory five-year jail term for carrying a gun.
Gun
Owners Irked By Newspaper Database Ploy. Virginia handgun owners are fired up over
the publication of their names and addresses in a database posted online by a state newspaper. The
database of every Virginia resident who holds a state-issued permit to carry a concealed handgun
was posted on the Roanoke Times' website Sunday to accompany a column in the paper by Times
editorial writer Christian Trejbal.
Why
the Instant Background Check Is a Bad Idea. The Centers for Disease Control, an anti-gun federal
agency, has examined several studies that focused on guns and crime. Their conclusion? They found
that there is no impact from gun control laws, including the Brady Law, on crime. More dramatic evidence
comes from the "laboratory" of England. This island nation has banned handguns. They don't need a
background check because there are no legitimate sales. Following the confiscation of over
1.5 million guns, including all legally owned handguns in 1997, violent crime has skyrocketed.
Idaho town asks residents to own
guns. After seeing the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, a city councilor in this tiny Idaho town founded
by pacifist Quakers came up with a novel idea. Ordinance 208, passed by the City Council on
Tuesday [11/14/2006], asks Greenleaf's 862 residents who do not object on religious or other grounds to keep
a gun at home in case they are overrun by refugees from disasters like Katrina.
Southwest
Alabama lawmaker wants to ban cops from seizing guns during emergencies. Rep. Marc Keahey,
D-Grove Hill, said last week he will sponsor a bill in the Legislature to prevent the government from
seizing lawfully owned firearms in times of emergency, such as hurricanes. … The bill was inspired by
the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans police ordered people to surrender their
firearms. More than 1,000 guns were seized, according to the National Rifle Association.
Many
players regard firearm as a necessity. A tower of power, he stands 7 feet 1 inch,
weighs 325 pounds, and bears a tattoo of Superman's signature "S" on his massive left arm. Yet
NBA great Shaquille O'Neal protects himself off the basketball court with more than his physical might and
inky bond with the Man of Steel. He is licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
Guns and Crime: Atlanta suffers from a
rate of violent crime about four times the national average; murders take place in the city at a rate about
five times the nation's average. The reasons Atlanta's crime statistics remain stubbornly high are many
and persistent, but criminologists and law enforcement experts know that none of them is the fault of the
National Rifle Association.
Bar
Association, NRA Battle Over Guns In Cars. Employee parking lots have become an unlikely focus in
the fight over gun rights. The nation's largest lawyers group is taking on the biggest gun rights
organization over employers' rights to bar workers from leaving guns in their cars while on the job. The
American Bar Association says the issue is workplace violence and how to reduce it.
Over 60 and licensed to carry.
Elderly and middle-aged residents are more likely to get concealed handgun permits than people in their 20s,
30s and early 40s, according to Texas Department of Public Safety figures released last week. People 60
and older hold more than one-fourth of the permits in Texas. And although those 55 and older represent
just 28 percent of the state's population older than 21, they carry 42 percent of the permits.
House Suspends Trigger Lock
Requirement. The House on Thursday [6/29/2006] passed legislation that would suspend a new
requirement that gun dealers provide a trigger lock with every handgun they sell. The development came
on the heels of a 230-191 vote late Wednesday to block the Justice Department from enforcing the trigger lock
law. The vote came during debate on a spending measure funding the department's budget.
The
fall of gun control: Terror, hurricanes spur gun ownership. Since the Sept. 11
terror attacks and especially since Hurricane Katrina, Americans are taking pro-gun positions. Both
events underscored the ease with which civil order can collapse, and have renewed people's interest in
home security. Democrats have been getting the message that gun control is becoming a loser
with voters.
Start of hurricane
season triggers gun debate. The start of hurricane season has become a selling point for
gun-rights legislation spurred by Hurricane Katrina. During the during storm's chaotic aftermath,
government officials hoping to ensure public safety seized hundreds of legally owned guns from Louisiana
residents, some seeking to protect themselves from pillagers and assailants. The seizures have triggered
outrage among gun-rights activists, spawning a lawsuit and bills nationwide to ban future confiscations.
NRA warns of U.N. gun
control. An American delegation will participate in a controversial United Nations
small-arms conference criticized by Second Amendment advocates as a threat to U.S. gun ownership. The
U.N. Small Arms Review Conference will meet in New York City June 26 to July 7 to discuss
illegal trafficking in arms, "ineffective national controls" and related issues.
We're From
the U.N. and We Want Your Guns. The U.N. will gather in New York City this July for the 2006
Small Arms Review Conference. Doesn't the name alone make you nervous? The U.N. is "reviewing"
guns. If you don't own one, doesn't it make you want to go out and buy one just so you can be ready
for whatever Kofi's got planned?
Did
someone mention the U.N.?
Colorado
Supreme Court upholds Denver gun control law. The tie vote means that a lower court ruling
upholding Denver's law stands, but the high court gave no clear opinion on what the law of the state
should be.
New York Panel OKs Pistol-Packing
Judges. It's one way to assure order in the court. The New York state Advisory Committee
on Judicial Ethics has ruled that it is permissible for judges to pack a pistol beneath their robes while
on the bench.
Chestnuts
Roasting As We Open Fire. You may say that I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join me. And the whole Islamic world will know we live with guns.
Senate
unanimously OKs gun seizure bill. Legislation that would prohibit local, parish or state police
officers from seizing firearms from law-abiding citizens during a state of emergency sailed out of
the [Lousiana] Senate, 36-0, on Monday [5/22/2006] and headed back to the House for final approval
of minor changes.
Editor's note:
This was the result of gun seizures in the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina.
Have Gun, Won't Travel. The Gun-Free
School Zones Act … made it a federal crime punishable by five years in prison to possess a gun within 1,000
feet of a school. … According to an analysis by gun control scholar Alan Korwin, the gun-free zones created
by the statute cover so much of Phoenix and Cleveland that they are impossible for people traveling in those cities
to avoid. The upshot, he says, is that "virtually all public travel with firearms is now a violation of law."
Apply July 1 to carry a concealed gun in
Kansas. A new law will let Kansans carry hidden weapons, but permits won't be issued until
Jan. 1, and training is required of everyone.
Attacking gun rights
does not save lives. In 1982, the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution determined that
the Second Amendment protects an individual right. Last year, Congress reaffirmed that finding in
legislation that states, "The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the rights
of individuals, including those who are not members of a militia or engaged in military service or
training, to keep and bear arms."
Pro-Gun Liberals? The entire government
machine is based on force or the threat of violence. If I don't pay my property taxes, the government
sends out a bunch of guys with guns to kick me out of my house. If I don't claim all of my income on my
"voluntary" federal income tax return, then you send out the guys with guns to put me in jail for tax evasion.
NRA fights San Francisco
gun ban before judge. The National Rifle Association pressed its case against San Francisco's
voter-approved ban on firearm sales and handgun possession in court Thursday [2/23/2006], arguing that the
ordinance flouts state law by requiring law-abiding residents to surrender their pistols.
Granny
deserves self-defense. Luckily, Susan Buxton wasn't alone. Mr. Smith and
Mr. Wesson have been Susan Buxton's constant companions for the past twelve years, ever since
a stranger tried to abduct another granddaughter from her front yard.
Coming Next: A Ban on Sharp
Sticks? A ban on "long pointed kitchen knives" has been proposed by the authors
of an article in the British Medical Journal for the purpose of reducing the murder rate in
Britain. … Gun control interest groups on both sides of the issue in the United States
reacted with amusement.
Gun
Rights Group Outraged that New Orleans Officials Confiscated Guns. "There have been many
stories of self-defense, where stranded survivors were able to use firearms to protect what little they
had, against the criminal thugs who had been released from the prisons. To take away their firearms
now is simply adding 'insult to injury,'" said Erich Pratt. "Unfortunately, we have yet to learn
the lessons from previous dark episodes in our recent history," Pratt said. "We need to remember
those lessons, such as the riots of Los Angeles more than a decade ago."
New
Orleans Gun Seizures Allegedly 'Creating More Victims'. Few people objected when police
began gathering firearms they found in abandoned New Orleans homes, to prevent them from falling into
the hands of criminals. But one gun policy expert says confiscating guns from law abiding citizens
who remain in the city is increasing the danger posed by criminals.
NRA sues to
overturn San Francisco gun ban. The National Rifle Association sued Wednesday [11/9/2005] to
overturn an ordinance voters here overwhelmingly approved a day earlier that bans handgun possession and
sales of firearms in the city.
LA Sheriff charging for guns'
return. To the dismay of gun owners, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
is now charging $54 to return firearms seized during arrests or searches – even if the
gun was legally owned and not used in a crime.
Guns
in America: A national survey on private ownership and use of firearms. [PDF]
Guns and Public Health: [The
focus of this article] is the remarkable difference between the way medical and public health writers treat
firearms issues and the way social scientists treat those issues. Examination of the literature produced
by medical and health writers reveals why their conclusions on firearms diverge so radically from those of
criminological scholarship.
'If
you value your life carry a weapon'. In a bitter denunciation of the lack of police officers on
the beat and the lenience of the courts, Rod Eastman said it was better to risk arrest for carrying an
offensive weapon than risk being murdered by muggers.
A matter of
trust. Wisconsin is, by all accounts, a fairly modern state. They have interstate highways,
running water, electricity, and the internet. But Wisconsin doesn't have something that forty-six other
states do: concealed carry.
Armed Resistance to
Crime. Huge numbers of Americans not only have access to guns, but the
overwhelming majority of gun owners, if one can believe their statements, are willing
to use a gun defensively. In a December 1989 national survey, 78% of American gun
owners stated that they would not only be willing to use a gun defensively in some way,
but would be willing to shoot a burglar. … Nevertheless, having access to a gun
and being willing to use it against criminals is not the same as actually doing so. The
latter requires experiencing a crime under circumstances in which the victim can get to, or
already possesses, a gun. We do not know how many such opportunities for crime
victims to use guns defensively occur each year.
Don't
blame American guns. With Canada's murder rate rising 12% last year and this
year's high-profile rash of gang murders (six shootings just this week in Toronto), politicians
are looking for someone to blame. The bogeyman, as usual, is America….
Oshkosh
police conduct door-to-door gun confiscations. The shooting of an Oshkosh police officer results
in a knee jerk neighborhood gun grab.
Gun
Show Owner, Patrons May File Civil Rights Suit. The owner of a gun show targeted by federal
law enforcement for a half dozen undercover enforcement operations may join with some of his customers in
filing a federal class action civil rights lawsuit against the agencies that participated in the
operations.
Records
Confirm at Least Seven ATF Gun Show "Stings". Virginia State Police records
confirm that at least seven gun show "sting" operations since July of 2004 have targeted
gun buyers in the Richmond, Va., area. The documents support allegations that protected
information may have been illegally shared with local police and gun buyers' relatives
and neighbors.
Gun Facts
version 4.0: Over 80 pages of information, divided into chapters based on gun
control topics. Each chapter lists common gun control myths, then lists a number of
documented and cited facts that directly dispute the gun control claim. [PDF]
Senate poised to pass
a law that shields gun industry. Gun manufacturers have pressed for years for such
a law, arguing that it is needed to protect them from lawsuits filed by municipalities or individuals
that the industry says could bankrupt it. Dozens of such lawsuits are pending across the
United States.
City's assault-weapons ban is ineffective and
unneeded. When the federal assault-weapons ban expired in September [2004], its
fans claimed that gun crimes and police killings would surge dramatically. Sarah Brady,
one of the nation's leading gun-control advocates, warned, "Our streets are going to be filled
with AK-47s and Uzis." The Columbus City Council racheted-up the rhetoric, claiming the
banned guns are "the weapons of choice for terrorists." Well, more than 10 months have
gone by and the only casualty has been gun-controllers' credibility.
Quotes
from the Founding Fathers Regarding Guns
Shooting
Blanks. This month the National Academy of Sciences issued a 328-page report on
gun-control laws. The big news is that the academy's panel couldn't identify
any benefits of the decades-long effort to reduce crime and injury by restricting
gun ownership. The only conclusion it could draw was: Let's study the
question some more (presumably, until we find the results we want).
The Cold, Hard Facts About Guns. Myth
No. 3: The United States has such a high murder rate because Americans own so many guns.
There is no international evidence backing this up. The Swiss, New Zealanders and Finns all own
guns as frequently as Americans, yet in 1995 Switzerland had a murder rate 40 percent lower than
Germany's, and New Zealand had one lower than Australia's. Finland and Sweden have very different
gun ownership rates, but very similar murder rates. Israel, with a higher gun ownership rate than
the U.S., has a murder rate 40 percent below Canada's. When one studies all countries rather than
just a select few as is usually done, there is absolutely no relationship between gun ownership
and murder.
The Gun Show "Loophole:" More Gun Control Disguised as Crime
Control. Gun control advocates are seeking to close a nonexistent loophole. Logically, this
will lead to calls for closing other nonexistent loopholes until all private firearms transfers – even
those between family and friends – are under government regulation. California has already banned
all private gun sales, requiring that a licensed gun dealer handle them. There is also a fee for the background
check, a two-week waiting period and the sale must be registered with the California Department of Justice.
Gun control doesn't reduce crime,
violence, say studies. The National Academy of Sciences issued a 328-page report based on 253
journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, a survey of 80 different gun-control laws and some
of its own independent study. In short, the panel could find no link between restrictions on gun
ownership and lower rates of crime, firearms violence or even accidents with guns.
History of Gun Control
in England: Tony Martin of Emneth, Norfolk, England, killed one burglar and wounded a
second. In April 2000, he was convicted and is now serving a life term. How did it become a crime
to defend one's own life in the once great British Empire?
Connecticut Court Rules on Self Defense Shooting.
The state's highest court ruled Friday [7/9/2004] that a cab driver had no right to carry the pistol he used to
shoot a robber because his taxi is not a place of business.
How to collect
guns and irritate PETA: Mike Adams lists his favorite guns.
PETA-files. When
the assumption that rights apply exclusively to governments and not to citizens goes unchallenged,
tyranny is the inevitable consequence. So, today, I plan to fight your strategy to disarm me by
making a few additional gun purchases. The guns I plan to purchase have been selected for
two reasons. First, I do not actually need any of them. Second, the guns are all pretty.
"No
Guns" Signs Come Down in Ohio. Ohioans for Concealed Carry said it is pleased
to announce that two national chains — Southwest Ohio Kroger stores and Perkins
Family Restaurants — have "begun removing discriminatory signs banning concealed
handgun license-holders from their stores."
Release
of Home Addresses Angers Concealed-Carry Licensees: A Second Amendment group
says the sheriff in Shelby County, Ohio, had no right to release the home
addresses of 87 people licensed to carry concealed pistols.
Police seize legal gunowner:
A gunowners group is protesting the seizure of a legally armed citizen in a bookstore by two police officers who
responded to an anonymous caller alarmed by the weapon.
Who
Needs Guns? Newly elected Australian Prime Minister John Howard enacted laws
banning all self-loading rifles and shotguns. All pump-action shotguns were also
confiscated. (Pump-action guns were also confiscated in Germany in 2002, and
the "Million" Mom March favors similar confiscation in the United States.)
Gun Control: The Final
Blow. As the AP reported, "An independent CDC task force reviewed 51 published studies about the
effectiveness of eight types of gun-control laws. The laws included bans on specific firearms or ammunition,
measures barring felons from buying guns, and mandatory waiting periods and firearm registration. None of
the studies was done by the federal government. In every case, a CDC task force found 'insufficient
evidence to determine effectiveness.'"
Get a Gun: Someday
someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
Guns — Not Political Correctness
— Will Thwart Terrorists And Killers. Prior to the advent of thousands dying in fiery
skyscraper bombings, the serial killer was the most provocative news event that reporters could have come
across their desks.
Senator Bill Frist on Gun
Control: "Crime control begins with deterring criminals through both prevention and swift and
certain punishment. It is not achieved by restricting the liberty of law-abiding citizens. Regulating
gun ownership is not the answer to America's crime problem. A person intent on violent crime will not be
stopped by gun control laws. Our enemy is the criminal, not the weapon, and Congress should focus on
restoring common sense to criminal law."
"Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing
degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own
defense?"
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