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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?"
|
