Posts Tagged ‘Gun Control’

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AWB 2009? Some AG’s get it correct!

June 12, 2009

All to often in recent years we have seen various high end types in Law, as in attorney’s, seek to disavow their sworn oaths to the Constitution. Be that in wrongful prosecutions, or supporting ex post facto law simply based upon political correctness, or expediency.

So, I ask, is what follows the real deal? Or simply political posturing?

MCDANIEL SENDS LETTER TO U.S ATTORNEY GENERAL EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO REINSTATEMENT OF ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

Thursday, Jun 11, 2009

LITTLE ROCK- Today, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, along with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and 21 other State Attorneys General, sent a letter to United States Attorney General Eric Holder expressing their opposition to the reinstatement of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994’s semi-automatic firearms prohibition, which is commonly referred to as the “Assault Weapons Ban.”

In the letter, Generals Abbott and McDaniel note President Obama’s appreciation for the great conservation legacy of America’s hunters. They go on to say, “We share that appreciation for hunters and are committed to defending our Second Amendment rights–which is why we believe that additional gun control laws are unnecessary. Instead, authorities need to enforce laws that are already in place.

“I certainly share the President’s desire to reduce violent crime in our country, and across our borders,” McDaniel said. “However, based on the facts available, there is no reason to believe this law will result in any meaningful reduction in such crime and, therefore, does not justify further infringement on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.”

The text of the letter follows:

The Honorable Eric Holder
United States Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice

Dear Attorney General Holder:

We the undersigned Attorneys General respectfully write to express our opposition to the
reinstatement of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994’s semiautomatic
firearms prohibition, which is commonly referred to as the assault weapons
ban.

As the states’ top law enforcement officials, we share the Obama Administration’s
commitment to reducing illegal drugs and violent crime within the United States. We
also share your deep concern about drug cartel violence in Mexico. However, we do not
believe that restricting law-abiding Americans’ access to certain semi-automatic firearms
will resolve any of these problems. So, we were pleased by the President’s recent
comments indicating his desire to enforce current laws – rather than reinstate the ban on
so-called assault weapons.

As you know, the 1994 ban on so-called ‘assault weapons’ did not apply to machine guns
or other fully automatic firearms. Machine gun ownership was first regulated when the
National Firearms Act was passed in 1934. And more than twenty years ago, Congress
took additional steps to ban fully automatic weapons. Because fully automatic machine
guns have already been banned, we do not believe that further restricting law-abiding
Americans’ access to certain semi-automatic firearms serves any real law enforcement
purpose.

Recent public statements by congressional leaders reflect that same view. On February
26, 2009, The Hill newspaper quoted the Senate Majority Leader’s spokesman saying:
“Sen. Reid would oppose an effort [to] reinstate the ban.” When House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi was recently asked whether she supports reinstating the 1994 ban, the Speaker
reportedly responded “No…I think we need to enforce the laws we have right now.” We
agree with the Speaker and the Majority Leader.

The same sentiment has also been expressed to you by sixty-five (65) Congressional
Democrats in a letter dated March 17, 2009. In that letter, they astutely noted, “It is hard
to believe the ban would be…effective in controlling crime by well-funded international
drug traffickers, who regularly use grenade launchers, anti-tank rockets, and other
weapons that are not available on the civilian market in the United States.”

Under Title 18, Section 924 of the U.S. Code,
knowingly transferring a firearm to an individual who will use that firearm to commit a
violent or drug-related crime is already a federal offense. Similarly, it is also a felony to
possess a firearm for the purpose of furthering drug trafficking. At a recent
Congressional hearing, Kumar Kibble, the Deputy Director of the Immigration and
Custom Enforcement’s Office of Investigations, testified that the Patriot Act included
changes to Title 18, Section 554 of the U.S. Code, which improved federal authorities’
ability to investigate and prosecute illegal smuggling.

As Attorneys General, we are committed to defending our constituents’ constitutional
rights – including their constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms. This duty
is particularly important in light of the United States Supreme Court’s recent Heller
decision, which held that the Second Amendment “elevated above all other interests the
right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.”
The high court’s landmark decision affirmed that individual Americans have a
constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms. We, the undersigned Attorneys
General, are staunch defenders of that right and believe that it should not be encroached
upon without sound justification – and a clear law enforcement purpose.

We are pleased that the Administration appears to conform with the Congressional
leadership’s position on this very important issue. Importantly, the White House website
no longer calls for the reinstatement of the 1994 ban. In fact, it expressly acknowledges
“the great conservation legacy of America’s hunters.” We share that appreciation for
hunters and are committed to defending our Second Amendment rights–which is why
we believe that additional gun control laws are unnecessary. Instead, authorities need to
enforce laws that are already in place.

As Attorneys General, we look forward to working with you and President Obama on
common-sense law enforcement solutions to transnational crime. We stand ready to
cooperate and collaborate on crime prevention and law enforcement initiatives that will
protect our constituents, crack down on transnational crime, and help reduce narcotics
consumption in the United States. But, for the reasons explained in this letter, we do not
believe that reinstating the 1994 assault weapons ban will solve the problems currently
facing the United States or Mexico.

Sincerely,

SOURCE

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Men's Issues, mysandry, News, Non Compos Mentis, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

Second Amendment Newsletter: Dave Kopel

June 6, 2009

Kopel Newsletter [kopelnewsletter@liberty.seanet.com]
Sent: 6/5/2009 3:44:53 PM
To:
Subject:

Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Newsletter

June 5, 2009
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Project is based at the Independence Institute,
a free-market think tank in Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org

The Independence Institute publishes several newsletters on other topics, plus a weekly newsletter containing our most recent op-eds and news of our activities. E-mail subscription to any of these newsletters is free.

Delivery of this newsletter comes courtesy of the Second Amendment Foundation, in Bellevue, Washington.
http://www.saf.org
This email was sent to psperry1@aceweb.com

Please visit Dave Kopel’s website, containing articles on the Second Amendment and other freedom topics.
http://www.davekopel.org

To subscribe to this free e-mail newsletter, please send a request to:
kopelnewsletter@liberty.seanet.com

Table of Contents

  1. New by Kopel: Sotomayor; Nordyke v. King; No on Koh; Still More No on Koh; ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban; 10th Circuit on Firearms; Judge Wilkinson’s Errors on Heller; Journal on Firearms & Public Policy; Necessary and Proper Clause; Podcasts on Sotomayor; Nordyke, the Iliad; Chicago 7th Circuit Decision; Montana Firearms Freedom; Dave Debates Ken Gordon on TV on Nullifying the Electoral College
  2. Important Announcements! Alcohol, Tobacco, AND Firearms! Freedom Underground Symposium: Firing the Nanny (State), And… Dr. Rice Launches Web Page, Millions Affected! Or maybe just him…
  3. International: Koh wants to Ban International Firearms Trade; Canadian Gun Permit Prurience; Red Chinese Have Gun Problem; Germany Passes New Restrictions; Irish will have More Legal Guns; Mexican Border Sweeps Not Finding Guns; Tancredo weighs in on ‘90%’; UK Golfers Arrested for Taking Swings at Attackers
  4. Public Opinion, Culture & Media: The NRA Convention in Phoenix; Christian Science Monitors RKBA Bloggers; Gallup Finds Low Gun-Ban Support; AHSA ‘Rethinks’ RKBA Positions; Obama disappoints Brady Campaign; Failed War on Drugs leads to War on Guns; Philadelphia Gun Shop Protest Criminals; Anti-RKBA Former Surgeon General Indicted; LaPierre debates Rendell on CBS; ABC’s Laughable ‘Mass Shooting’ Simulation; Gun Group Hindered on Pennsylvania Campus? Barone on Elites vs. People on Guns and Climate; More on Gun-Free Zones
  5. Federal: Interior Department on Guns in National Parks; Democrats Giving Up Anti-RKBA; Obama Spares Tiahrt Amendment; New Bill on VA ‘No Gun’ List; RKBA Restoration for Minor Convictions; ‘Gun Show Loophole’ Re-Re-Redux; Tell the USAF about Your Guns
  6. States: Pro-Gun California City Attorney; D.C. having to cope with Legal Guns; Montana ‘Castles’; From Brady to NYC D.A?; OK allows trans-state Purchase; Texas Cracks Down (More) on Illegal Gun Trade; The NY Nunchaku Case
  7. Courts: RKBA Supporters Scared of Sotomayor; Gun Goes Off, +10 Years; SAF Sues California Sheriffs; No Guns on Colorado Campus; NRA vs. Chicago; Massachusetts Court Calls Banned Gun Possession ‘A Victimless Crime’; NJ Gun Rationing; NRA Sues Pittsburgh over ‘Report Stolen’ Law
  8. Research: VPC’s Figures Tell Pro-RKBA Tale; Brady Campaign Won’t Correct Article’s Outright Errors

New by Kopel

Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor versus the Second Amendment

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
May 26, 2009
http://volokh.com/posts/1243356423.shtml

Judge Sotomayor’s record suggests hostility, rather than empathy, for the tens of millions of Americans who exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

Sotomayor vs. the Second Amendment, Part II

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
June 2, 2009
http://volokh.com/posts/1243930775.shtml

The opinion in Maloney v. Cuomo is not a good example of intellectual rigor. When a judge treats a constitutional right as non-fundamental—yet cites no legal authority, and does not even acknowledge that the issue has been raised on appeal—it raises the possibility that the judge may be hostile to that right. There is a dedicated entry on the Maloney case below.

Highly Dubious Claim against Sotomayor

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
May 26, 2009
http://volokh.com/posts/1243364874.shtml

The blog article which created this item has a small tag on the article which says “satire.”

Should Repubs. Fight Sotomayor? Left Bloggers say No; Righties Split

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
May 27, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_05_24-2009_05_30.shtml#1243461980

“I voted ‘Yes,’ and wrote: ‘The Democrats who tried to block Roberts and Alito appear to have suffered no adverse consequences. [And, I should have added, neither did the Dems. who filibustered Miguel Estrada, who, like Sotomayor, is a Hispanic with an impressive life story.] Sotomayor is on the wrong side of fairness, empathy, the Constitution and the American people in regards to firearms ownership (Maloney v. Cuomo; United States v. Sanchez-Villar); wealthy people using the government’s eminent domain power to extort money from small business (Didden v. Village of Port Chester); and a racial spoils system for government employees (Ricci v. DeStefano).’ ”

Sonia Sotomayor

Dave Kopel with Amy Oliver
The Amy Oliver Show on KFKA Radio
May 27, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast303.mp3

Dave and Amy talk about President Obama’s first, controversial, nomination of a judge to serve upon the Supreme Court of the United States.

National Parks

Respecting States’ Wishes

David B. Kopel
Room for Debate, a Blog of the New York Time
May 22, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ptscbf

One of eight voices split on either side of the issue, Dave argues that state law will now regulate the practice of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the national parks, rather than national fiat.

Guns in Parks: The Hoplophobes’ Travel Guide to the United States

David Kopel
The New Ledger
May 29, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/l55l6q

Dave provides here a retrospective examination of the entire discussion on the New York Times blog, including analysis of the readers’ comments posted afterward. He then provides a helpful series of itineraries for those so affected by hoplophobia, the irrational fear of weapons, that they cannot transit entire areas in which legally-carried firearms might be present.

Nordyke vs. King

The State of Heller

Dave Kopel
America’s 1st Freedom
June, 2009
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Mags/State-of-Heller.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

Dave here examines the 9th Circuit’s Nordyke decision, which held that the Second Amendment is enforceable against state and local government.

9th Circuit’s Ruling Applies 2nd Amendment to States

Dave Kopel
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
April 20, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast285.mp3

Dave explains Nordyke v. King, in which the Ninth Circuit held that the 2nd Amendment is incorporated by the 14th.

Other Topics

The No on Koh Letter

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
May 20, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_05_17-2009_05_23.shtml#1242846839

Dean Koh is an excellent writer and an impressive scholar. But his legal vision is for a substantial diminution of the sovereignty of the American people, and as Legal Advisor to the State Department, he would have tremendous power to advance that vision. As Dean Koh has explained, his writings on transnationalism are not merely descriptive; they are also a strategy for activists. Of course Dean Koh has the right to advocate as sees fit. The Constitution, however, requires that major presidential appointees must earn the Advice and Consent of the United States Senate. The Senate’s duty to be especially careful on Advice and Consent would seem to be at its apex when an appointee’s record shows a long-standing determination to weaken the existing constitutional sovereignty of the United States of America.

Koh, No!

David Kopel
America’s 1st Freedom
July, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/koh-no.htm

President Barack Obama continues to fill his administration with devout gun-ban advocates, this time appointing transnationalist Harold Koh as legal adviser to the Department of State.

The Pieces Fall into Place

Dave Kopel
America’s 1st Freedom
May, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/kerlikowske.htm

With Gil Kerlikowske, President Obama continues the trend of appointing anti-gun activists to important positions in his administration.

The Second Amendment in the Tenth Circuit: Three Decades of (Mostly) Harmless Error

David B. Kopel
Denver University Law Review
Vol. 86, 901, 2009
http://law.du.edu/documents/denver-university-law-review/v86-3/Kopel.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

Here is the final text of Dave’s article in the Denver University Law Review’s annual survey of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Unraveling Judicial Restraint: Guns, Abortion, and the Faux Conservatism of J. Harvie Wilkinson, III

David B. Kopel with Nelson Lund
The Virginia Journal of Law and Politics
Forthcoming
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1309714

Critique of 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Wilkinson’s Virginia Law Review article asserting the D.C. v. Heller is a 21st century version of Roe v. Wade. Here is the updated, near-final version.

Journal on Firearms and Public Policy

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
May 20, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_05_17-2009_05_23.shtml#1242846839
http://www.saf.org/JFPPIndexhtmlpdf.htm

The Journal on Firearms & Public Policy, published by the Second Amendment Foundation, is an annual interdisciplinary journal. It publishes a mix of original articles, and reprints of important articles published elsewhere. Among the the authors of original articles who may be best-known to newsletter subscribers are Gary Kleck, James Jacobs, Roy Wortman, Gary Mauser, Clayton Cramer, Andrew McClurg, and David Beito. I am happy to announce that 14 of the 20 volumes are now available on-line, with most of the remainder coming soon. The URL for the Journal’s archive is here: http://www.saf.org/JFPPIndexhtmlpdf.htm

The Necessary and Proper Clause: An Explanation

Dave Kopel with Rob Natelson
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
May 14, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast292.mp3

Dave interviews University of Montana law professor Rob Natelson about the proper interpretation of the clause.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals Handgun Ruling

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
June 4, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast307.mp3

In an interview with Jon Caldara, Dave explains the new decision in NRA v. Chicago.

The Montana Firearms Freedom Act

Dave Kopel with Amy Oliver
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast/KFKA Radio
June 4, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast304.mp3

Dave explains the new Montana law which attempts to exempt guns which are made and sold intra-state from the application of federal gun laws which were enacted under the federal power over interstate commerce.

Should Colorado Join the Interstate Compact which Attempts to turn the Electoral College into a National Popular Vote?

Dave Kopel with Ken Gordon
Independent Thinking
April 10, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/kmojzd
http://tinyurl.com/mrenak
http://tinyurl.com/lpof9m

Dave Kopel and former State Senator Ken Gordon debate the issue on KBDI Public Television’s Independent Thinking. Kopel argues that the Electoral College is superior, and that, in any case, the compact is unconstitutional. Part 2 is here: http://tinyurl.com/mrenak; Part 3 is here: http://tinyurl.com/lpof9m.

Important New Translation of Homer’s Iliad

Dave Kopel with E. Christian Kopff
Dave Kopel’s Second Amendment Podcast
May 29, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast300.mp3

Homer’s masterpiece has been around since 800 BC, and adored ever since. Professor E. Christian Kopff of CU-Boulder recently wrote the introduction to the new translation of the Iliad; Dave interviews him about why this new version is important.

Important Announcements!

The Independence Institute’s 7th Annual Alcohol, Tobacco & and Firearms Party

Press Release
The Independence Institute
June 20, 2009
http://www.i2i.org/main/event.php?event_id=59

This annual event, in which all three of the above shall be indulged in proper sequence, features as a guest speaker Sam Wurzelbacher, AKA “Joe the Plumber.” Tickets sell QUICKLY.

Freedom Underground Symposium

Press Release
The Independence Institute
June 19, 2009
http://www.i2i.org/main/event.php?event_id=70

Dave and other regional and national thinkers shall discuss ways to resist Nannyism and the Nannyist state at the Warwick Hotel in Denver. The page contains registration costs and information.

Dr. Rice Announces Author’s Web Site!

Rob S. Rice
Informational Web Page
May 3, 2009
http://www.robricebooks.com

At last, the strange, sinister figure in between Dave and this newsletter sidles out from the shadows with an official author’s web site, as suggested long ago by… Dave! Upon this opaque sheet of photons shall you find samples of Dr. Rice’s historical prose, Dr. Rice’s hysterical comedic prose, his non-prose, his outright fabrications, and… one… song… Survivors will also find contact information, guides as to where to purchase Dr. Rice’s codified creativity, and with him explore the limits of good taste and self promulgation!

International

Koh’s Goal for the Legal Trade in Arms: Ban It

Theodore Bromund
The Heritage Foundation
May 11, 2009
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/05/11/koh%E2%80%99s-goal-for-the-legal-trade-in-arms-ban-it/

“Harold Koh, the nominee for Legal Adviser to the State Department, supports ‘the global regulation of small arms’ and a ‘global gun control regime.’ And he believes it is ‘needlessly provocative’ for any U.S. representative to refer to the right to bear arms when speaking to a foreign audience: the very mention of the Second Amendment, apparently, is offensive. ”

Canada

Want a Gun Permit? Tell us About Your Sex Life

George Jonas
National Post (Canada)
April 15, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/lh57jf

“Before renewing his gun permit in 2007, the authorities decided to inquire into Lemieux’s bedroom history. Did he divorce anyone in the last two years? Did he break up with a girlfriend? If yes, use a separate sheet to explain.”

China

Staring Down the Barrel: the Rise of Guns in China

James T. Areddy
The Wall Street Journal
October 14, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122394012224530655.html

“China may be freer from gun crime than many nations, and official statistics show overall crime on a continuous down trend. Yet, these days, reports about gun crimes turn up as often as several times a week even in the tightly controlled state-run media.”

Germany

Germany Moves to Tighten Laws over Gun Control

Associated Press
May 28, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124343392124058697.html

“Germany’s cabinet approved legislation that would tighten gun restrictions, two months after a teenager shot and killed 12 people. The law, which requires parliamentary approval, would mean stricter checks on weapons owners and a higher age limit for users of large-caliber weapons.”

Ireland

Handgun culture increasing in the State, says Deasy

Michael O’Regan
Irishtimes.com
May 29, 2009
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0529/1224247669572.html

“Current licensing laws could mean 10,000 legally held handguns in the State over the next five years, John Deasy (FG) told the Dáil. ‘I believe society does not want that,’ he added.”

Mexico

Southbound Checks at Border Yield Few Guns

Associated Press
May 17, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/m9w8qj

“The findings? Wads of U.S. currency headed for Mexico, wedged into car doors, stuffed under mattresses, taped onto torsos, were sniffed out by dogs, seized by agents and locked away for possible investigations. No guns were found as the reporters watched; they rarely are.”

Why the Lies About Guns Going to Mexico?

Rep. Tom Tancredo
Human Events
April 30, 2009
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31649

“Mexico needs to face its own demons, beginning with the corruption within its law enforcement agencies and at its ports of entry. The U.S. can help in many ways, such as enhancing our own border security. But adding more restrictions on the ownership of guns by law-abiding Americans will not help Mexico.”

United Kingdom

Golfers Arrested after Fighting off Gang Attempting to Steal Clubs

The Telegraph (UK)
May 12, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/oo2tc5

“A group of golfers have been arrested on assault charges after allegedly fighting off a gang who attempted to steal their clubs.”

Public Opinion, Culture, & Media

Facts from the NRA Convention

“Bitter Bitch”
Bitchin’ in the Kitchen: Food, Politics, and Comfort Food for the Soul
May 19, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/mmmunt

A blogger present reports some interesting and encouraging statistics from the NRA Convention held this May in Phoenix, Arizona.

Before Recent Shootings, Gun-Control Support was Fading

Lydia Saad
Gallup, Inc.
April 8, 2009
http://www.gallup.com/poll/117361/Support-Gun-Control-Laws-Time-Lows.aspx

In this curiously worded and framed article, Ms. Saad expresses frequent surprise that in the light of shootings of the defenseless by the armed, American support for a ban on legal firearms is at an all-time low.

A Rifle in One Hand, a Laptop in the Other. Behind the Scene with Pro-gun Bloggers

Patrik Jonsson
The Christian Science Monitor
May 16, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/qsnj8x

An even-handed survey of the presence, role, and effectiveness of the bloggers present at the NRA convention in Phoenix, with some interesting analysis.

The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come from U.S.

Jacob Sullam
Townhall.com
April 22, 2009
http://townhall.com/Columnists/JacobSullum/2009/04/22/drug_control_begets_gun_control

“The futile effort to stop Americans from consuming politically incorrect intoxicants is the real source of the violence in Mexico, since prohibition creates a market with artificially high prices and hands it over to criminals. ‘Because of the enormous profit potential,’ two senior federal law enforcement officials told the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, ‘violence has always been associated with the Mexican drug trade as criminal syndicates seek to control this lucrative endeavor.'”

Brady Campaign Rhetoric Then and Now: What a difference Six Months Makes

Kurt Hoffman
The St. Louis Examiner
May 21, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/qfqqrx

What the Brady Campaign hoped to obtain from the Obama Administration and the Democrat-controlled Congress and what it has received so far are very different things.

AHSA 2.0: A New Beginning?

“Thirdpower”
‘Dreams of Our Trailers’ Blog
May 24, 2009
http://daysofourtrailers.blogspot.com/2009/05/ahsa-episode-ii-new-beginning.html

The American Hunters and Shooters Association, a group generally considered to be a means of dividing pro-RKBA sportsmen, has announced that it is revising irs previous support for an ‘Assault Weapons’ ban and other legislation popularly considered antithetical to civilian firearms ownership.

Mennonite Preacher among those Arrested in Phila Gunshop Protests

Ken Ellingwood and Tracy Wilkinson
Pocono Record
May 24, 2009
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090524/NEWS/90524002/-1/NEWS01

“‘He purposely outraged people by doing stuff that was not acceptable in order to be able to create a new paradigm,’ Kauffman said. ‘I felt like that’s what I was doing. It’s so obvious we have problem and we have to… challenge the accepted way of doing things.’ ”

Phila. Gun-shop Protesters Acquitted

Vernon Clark
The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 27, 2000
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090527_Phila__gun-shop_protesters_acquitted.html

“‘After the verdict, defense attorney Lawrence Krasner said, ‘Justice was done. I hope Mr. Colosimo thinks twice before he continues to do what he has been doing.'” Mr. Colosimo is the owner of the Philadelphia gun shop.

Another Corrupt Anti goes Down

“Jacob”
Gun Legislation & Politics in New York Blog

http://blog.nysrpa.org/?p=2293

Antonia Novello is a former New York health commissioner and was the U.S. surgeon general from 1990 to 1993. In 2004 she spoke at a rally of the anti-RKBA ‘Million Mom March’ rally. On May 12, 2009, General Novello was charged with twenty counts of fraud and abuse of her office as New York State Health Commissioner.

Heated Debate Over Assault Weapons

CBS Interactive
“Face the Nation” Website
April 19, 2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/19/ftn/main4954990.shtml

“Governor Ed Rendell (D-Penn.) and the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association Wayne LaPierre engaged in a heated debate over the assault weapons ban on this morning’s Face The Nation.”

Debunking ABC’s 20/20 Episode “If I Only Had a Gun”

“Douva”
Rantings of the Last Skysurfer Blog
April 11, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/mhkxfa

ABC’s laughable ‘demonstration’ that an armed civilian would be helpless against a putative mass-shooter receives here a thorough de-bunking.

Student says CCAC is Trying to Thwart Gun Advocacy Group

Bill Schackner
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
May 28, 2009
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09148/973334-53.stm

“A Community College of Allegheny County student yesterday publicly accused the school of trying to stop her from organizing a group advocating the right to carry concealed firearms on campus.”

Elites out of Touch on Guns and Climate

Michael Barone
The Detroit News
May 26, 2009
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090526/OPINION03/905260311/1008/opinion01/Elites-out-of-touch-on-guns-and-climate

Michael Barone discusses the Gallup poll treated above and cites it as an example of a growing divide between the putative leaders and followers of American political culture.

Gun Free School Zone Follies

David Rittgers
Cato @ Large Blog
May 18, 2009
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/05/18/gun-free-school-zone-follies/

Two recent examples—intruders at a birthday party and an accosted bicyclist—illustrate the unfortunate requirements of those who defend themselves to be prosecuted due to the location of their means to do so.

Federal

Interior Spokeswoman’s Statement on New Firearms Law for Parks and Refuges

Press Release
U.S. Department of the Interior
May 22, 2009
http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/052209c.html

“The Department of the Interior will follow Congress’s directive and implement the new firearms law, which states that its provisions will take effect nine months from today. For the time being, the current Reagan Administration regulations governing possession of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges remain in place…”

Democrats Hold Fire on Gun Control

Jim DiMascio
Politico
May 19, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/lpxo5y

” ‘The NRA and its allies have succeeded in making the slippery slope argument stick,’ said Al Cross the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. ‘Any form of gun control is a step in the direction of outlawing guns. People have heard that for so many years, it’s become a very hard thing for Democrats to go against.’ ”

Reaction from Anti-gunners to Obama’s Support for Law Enforcement on Gun Tracing is Telling

Dave Workman
The Seattle Examiner
May 12, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ogn7aw

“Because Barack Obama’s 2010 budget request reaffirms a federal statute – the so-called Tiahrt Amendment that protects sensitive gun trace data from the prying eyes of lawsuit-happy mayors and gun control lobby attorneys – gun prohibitionists are wailing and the press can’t even get it right.”

Moran Introduces Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act

Press Release
Rep. Jerry Moran

http://tinyurl.com/lpdvf3

“Under current VA practice, veterans and other VA beneficiaries who have a fiduciary appointed to act on their behalf are deemed “mentally defective” and are reported to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a system which prevents individuals from purchasing firearms. Moran’s legislation would require a judicial authority to determine that a VA beneficiary poses a danger to themselves or others before the VA may send their names to the FBI’s NICS.”

Tupak Re-Introduces Second Amendment Restoration Act

Press Release
Rep. Bart Stupak
April 29, 2009
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/mi01_stupak/morenews/200904292guns.html

“U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) has introduced legislation to restore the gun rights of individuals convicted of minor, non-violent crimes. H.R. 2153, the Second Amendment Restoration Act, ensures states have the discretion to restore individuals’ gun rights after conviction of minor crimes. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has endorsed the legislation.”

Lautenberg renews Push to Shut Gun Show ‘Loophole’

Jordy Yager
The Hill
April 21, 2009
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lautenberg-renews-push-to-shut-gun-show-loophole-2009-04-21.html

“Several high-ranking senators led by Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) on Tuesday relaunched their push to require gun sellers to conduct background checks on purchases of all types of guns at state gun shows.”

Don’t be Gun Shy: Register Your Firearms!

Senior Airman Torri Larson
21st Space Wing Public Affairs
May 6, 2009
http://www.peterson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123147916

“There are many things to do when arriving at a new duty station: find a house, enroll the kids in school and register the car, among others. One duty many Airmen may overlook when residing in on-base housing is to register their privately-owned firearms.

States

California

Chuck Michel’s partner elected LA County Attorney

David Hardy
Of Arms and the Law Blog
May 21, 2009
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2009/05/chuck_michels_p.php

” ‘This is a tremendous victory for the Second Amendment, because Trutanich’s opponent, rabidly anti-gun- owner Los Angeles City Councilmember Jack Weiss, works closely with the gun ban lobby to advance its agenda. Weiss had promised to work with other anti-gun-owner cities and the Obama Administration to pass ill-conceived gun bans and to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling confirming your Second Amendment rights…’ ”

District of Columbia

Guns are up in D.C., Violence is Down

Don Surber
The Charleston Daily Mail (WV)
May 28, 2009
http://www.dailymail.com/Opinion/DonSurber/200905270619

“With the ban gone, Mayor Adrian Fenty was forced to ask city council to change the law and crack down on illegal gun ownership, said Peter Nickles, attorney general for the district.”

Montana

Montana Lawmakers Have it Right with New Statute on Self-defense

Dave Workman
The Seattle Examiner
April 30, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/cltagf

“The new statute squarely puts the law in the hands of the citizens, by plainly stating they have no duty to retreat if attacked in a place where they have a right to be. The law also allows armed citizens to use force or threaten the use of force when he or she reasonably believes an attack is about to occur, or to stop an attack already in progress.”

New York

District Attorney Candidate Unveils Gun Platform

Sewell Chan
The New York Times
May 4, 2009
http://www.ilaalerts.org/UM/T.asp?A1.2.4958.14.1218879

Richard Aborn is the former president of Handgun Control, Inc., the current Brady Campaign. He is running for Manhattan District Attorney. This story provides details of Aborn’s five-point outline to oppose firearms-related violence in New York City. Aborn’s scheme is replete with measures against civilian firearms ownership.

Oklahoma

Governor Signs Gun Legislation

News Channel 8, KTUL Tulsa (OK)
April 21, 2009
http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0409/615418.html

“Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has signed into law a bill that allows Oklahoma hunters and gun collectors to purchase guns in other states without violating the law.”

South Carolina

SC measure asks Voters whether Hunting is a Right

Associated Press
April 21, 2009
http://www.carolinalive.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=289859

“South Carolina voters may be asked whether their right to hunt and fish should be protected by the state constitution. The House voted 106-1 on Tuesday to approve a proposal that would allow voters to decide. The vote easily met the required two-thirds approval needed for a constitutional amendment.”

Texas

Gun-smuggling Bill Ready for Perry to Sign: Legislature Passes Measure Aimed at Stopping the Flow of Weapons to Mexican Drug Cartels

Matt Stiles
The Houston Chronicle (TX)
May 22, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/n7nclm

“While illegal gun trafficking is already a federal crime, the bill’s authors said they hope the legislation will give state authorities more tools to fight the problem, too.”

Courts

Gun Rights Groups are Wary of Sotomayor

Declan McCullagh
CBS News Political Hotsheet
May 27, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/lsvjd4

“Dave Kopel of the free-market Independence Institute predicts that ‘Judge Sotomayor’s record suggests hostility, rather than empathy, for the tens of millions of Americans who exercise their right to keep and bear arms.’ ”

Sonia Sotomayor on Gun Rights and Racial Preferences

Damon W. Root
Reason Online
May 26, 2009
http://www.reason.com/news/show/133722.html

“As a respected jurist with an impressive legal resume, Sotomayor appears just as qualified to sit on the Supreme Court as any recent nominee. But from the standpoint of individual liberty and limited constitutional government, there are significant reasons to be wary of her nomination.”

Court Upholds 10-Year Penalty for Robber’s Flub

Adam Liptak
The New York Times
April 29, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/nhhdt9

The Supreme Court ruled that a bank robber who accidentally fired his pistol during a successful robbery must still serve the additional ten year penalty for discharging a firearm in relation to a crime.

SAF, Calguns Challenge Arbitrary Denial of Right to Bear Arms In California

Press Release
The Second Amendment Foundation
May 5, 2009
http://saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=294

“In the action filed today, Plaintiffs challenge the policies of two California Sheriffs, in Sacramento and Yolo counties, who reject the basic human right of self defense by refusing to issue ordinary people gun carry permits. Of course, violent criminals in the impacted counties continue to carry guns without police permission.”

SAF Challenges D.C. Handgun Ban Scheme

Press Release
The Second Amendment Foundation
March 9, 2009
http://www.saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=287

“The Second Amendment Foundation and three Washington, D.C. residents today filed a lawsuit challenging a regulation by District of Columbia city government that arbitrarily bans handguns based on a roster of ‘acceptable’ handguns approved by the State of California.”

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit over CU Gun Ban

John C. Ensslin
The Colorado Springs Gazette (CO)
March 27, 2009
http://www.gazette.com/articles/judge-52991-ban-lawsuit.html

“Miller found that the students incorrectly described the regents as a local government affected by the state’s concealed carry law. Rather, the regents are a statewide authority with their legislative powers. He also found nothing in the state constitution that would prohibit the regents from enacting a gun ban on campus.” The student group plans to appeal Miller’s ruling.

Nos. 08-4241, 08-4243 & 08-4244 National Rifle Association of America, Inc., Et Al., v. City of Chicago, Illinois, and Village of Oak Park, Illinois

Judges Frank H. Easterbrook, Judges Richard A. Posner and William J. Bauer
United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
June 2, 2009
http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/tmp/O01FGGJE.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

A three judge Panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the previous rejection of the NRA’s suits against the city of Chicago and Oak Park on the grounds that the Heller decision is not binding upon the laws of the individual states and municipalities. Supreme Court nominee Judge Sotomayor was among the judges ruling to this effect in the appealed decision. The plaintiffs have announced an intention to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

08-4241 : National Rifle Assoc v. City of Chicago

Public Access to Oral Argument recordings, Opinions, Unpublished Orders, and other Selected Case Materials
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
March 13, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/mh4t9r

Here can be found a recording of the oral arguments in the NRA vs. Chicago case.

ChicagoGunCase.com: Case Filings

Mark Taff
The Second Amendment Foundation
Ongoing
http://www.chicagoguncase.com/case-filings/

The Chicago case filings are online here.

SJC Calls Illegal Gun Possession Victimless

John R. Ellement
The Boston Globe (MA)
May 5, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/czng28

The Supreme Judicial Court yesterday ruled that illegal gun possession is a ‘passive and victimless crime’ and that those charged with having illicit firearms cannot be held without bail as a danger to society.

NJ Court weighs Jersey City’s Handgun Limits

Victor Epstein
Associated Press
April 27, 2009
http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090427/UPDATES01/90427027

“The legal discussion revolved around whether the 2006 ordinance improperly pre-empts existing state gun laws by limiting handgun purchases to one per person each month. At issue is the ability of urban communities such as Newark, Camden and Jersey City to reduce gun-related crime by more closely regulating handgun purchases.” The link between limiting purchases and reducing crime receives no substantiation in the story.

NRA Sues to Overturn Pittsburgh’s Lost, Stolen Gun Law

Jeremy Boren
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
April 24, 2009
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_622166.html

“One of the four plaintiffs, Richard Haid, 60, of Mt. Washington, said the law unfairly punishes law-abiding gun owners… ‘What about the gun I use to shoot tin cans? I haven’t seen it in weeks. It’s locked in a cupboard. Am I supposed to do an inventory every day to see if it’s stolen?’ Haid said.”

Maloney v. Rice: The Nunchaku Case

James M. Maloney
Informational Web Page
April 30, 2009
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~jmm257/mvc.html

“The mere possession of nunchaku or ‘chuka sticks’ within one’s own home for peaceful use in martial-arts practice (or for home defense) by a person with no criminal record is classified as a misdemeanor that may carry up to a one-year prison sentence. Possession by a person who ‘has been previously convicted of any crime’ is defined as a felony. Based upon research that I have conducted, it appears that New York and California are the only states in the United States that have ever defined and prosecuted as a crime the simple possession of nunchaku within one’s own home. (Ironically, the nunchaku, which was originally a farm implement, was adapted for use as a weapon by the People of Okinawa after invading oppressive governments disarmed them, making it illegal to possess a sword or spear.)”

Research

Violence Policy Center Proves that More Guns Means Less Violent Crime, Murder

Howard Nemerov
The Austin Examiner
May 20, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/qmy85q

“Suicide rates drive the difference between ‘gun death’ in VPC’s ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ gun law states, but since ‘weak’ states also have higher rates of non-gun suicide, VPC must either admit there are other causative factors besides gun availability, or admit that if more guns cause more suicides, then guns also cause less homicide and violent crime. As it stands right now, VPC’s own data proves that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens is an effective anti-crime tool.”

Brady Campaign: Biased, Inaccurate Research

Howard Nemerov
The Austin Examiner
April 12, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/cbskr3

“In May of 2007, the Brady Center, research arm of the Brady Campaign, published a report entitled No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby’s Campaign to Push Guns Into Colleges and Schools. Though nearly two years have passed, numerous inaccuracies remain which, having persisted this long in a publicly-accessible document, call into question the Brady Campaign’s ability to publish credible reports and/or their capacity for telling the truth.”

This newsletter is compiled with help from Dr. Rob S. Rice. For more on this exsanguinous, yet rubicund individual, see here: http://robricebooks.com. E. Christian Kopff was Dr. Rice’s undergraduate advisor. Dave Kopel is Dr. Rice’s current employer. Kopel interviews Kopff! Koincidence?

Al Qaeda delenda est!

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7th Circus Court of Appeals

June 4, 2009

It would appear that yes, once again, a federal court needs to review basic civics. I held off on posting about this issue yesterday simply because more review was needed. The Prima Facie situation is really quite simple. Federal overrules State, overrules County, overrules Local authority. Social constructionist will do anything to get their way though. Be it alcohol prohibition, drugs, guns, or hunting on Sunday. There are simply put, hordes out there that know better than you how you should live your lives!

Some might argue that it is in fact the job of the courts to do that very thing. Others, like myself, would argue that the fundamental duty of government at all levels is the protection of the integrity of the individuals liberty. That, is the basis of the Bill of Rights. Yet, once again, a federal court seeks domination over the will of the people and those that founded this nation.

Fairfax, Va. – Today, the National Rifle Association filed a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of NRA v. Chicago. The NRA strongly disagrees with yesterday’s decision issued by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, holding that the Second Amendment does not apply to state and local governments.

“The Seventh Circuit got it wrong. As the Supreme Court said in last year’s landmark Heller decision, the Second Amendment is an individual right that ‘belongs to all Americans’. Therefore, we are taking our case to the highest court in the land,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “The Seventh Circuit claimed it was bound by precedent from previous decisions. However, it should have followed the lead of the recent Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Nordyke v. Alameda County, which found that those cases don’t prevent the Second Amendment from applying to the states through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

This Seventh Circuit opinion upholds current bans on the possession of handguns in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois.

“It is wrong that the residents of Chicago and Oak Park continue to have their Second Amendment rights denied,” Cox concluded. “It’s time for the fundamental right of self-defense to be respected by every jurisdiction throughout our country.

SOURCE

In light of previous rulings, well documented elsewhere, soon to be Justice Sotomayor should be expected to recuse herself when this comes before the Supreme Court. Why do I doubt that will happen?

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Anthrax and Al Qaeda coming to your town soon?

June 3, 2009

The utterly pathetic response by the government of the United States in border enforcement has not gone unnoticed by those that truly wish us harm. Both political parties can share equal blame on this issue. The issue is not about racism, that’s a red herring and I refuse to go fishing for that species.

It is however, about national security, and I’m not just talking about economic warfare. It is about criminal gangs crossing the border and committing crimes here in the United States. It is also about collusion between those gangs, and international terrorism. Be that violent criminals from the various drug cartels or maniac Muslim’s.

This all fits in quite well with the current administrations plans to disarm the American public. The “ninety percent” lie and other things that come straight out of the hate America first play book. The DHS is hell bent on lumping anyone that disagrees with the regime into some warped group that includes militia hate groups and other similar fallacies. While at the same time facilitating others that wish every man, woman, and child in America dead.

U.S. counterterrorism officials have authenticated a video by an al-Qaida recruiter threatening to smuggle a biological weapon into the United States via tunnels under the Mexico border, the latest sign of the terrorist group’s determination to stage another mass-casualty attack on the U.S. homeland.

The video aired this year as a recruitment tool makes clear that al-Qaida is looking to exploit weaknesses in U.S. border security and also is willing to ally itself with white militia groups or other anti-government entities interested in carrying out an attack inside the United States, according to counterterrorism officials interviewed by The Washington Times.

The officials, who spoke only on the condition they not be named because of the sensitive nature of their work, stressed that there is no credible information that al-Qaida has acquired the capabilities to carry out a mass biological attack although its members have clearly sought the expertise.

FULL STORY HERE

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Things that make Gun owners cringe

June 2, 2009

No, these are things that are even worse than activist judges. Worse than all the lies told by the VPC, the Brady Bunch and San Fran Nan combined.

It is the improper use of firearms, period.

Firearms are tools and nothing more. A tool is an extension of a persons will. Be it a hammer driving a nail, a scalpel in the hand of a surgeon, or a firearm being used to save, or take a life. Are these uses  questions of moral equivalency, or can they be divided into issues that are black and white?

I believe that it all comes down to a persons sense of responsibility and accountability. Two components without which one cannot have Honor, and further that  one must have a rather healthy dose of inner honesty in order to use the two previous qualities properly.

Of course I would never expect the various hopolophobe groups to acknowledge that guns are not evil in and of themselves. The flip side of this coin is that I do expect gun owners to realize the moral commitment that attaches to oneself simply by being an owner of weapons.

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Student Radicals!

June 1, 2009

Student radicals insisting on their rights is nothing new. The difference now being that the rights that are being discussed are rights actually spelled out in the Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

After the Columbine fiasco, as in the pathetic response to a couple of homicidal sociopaths there was a backlash against Constitutional liberty. That was pretty short sighted as well as the exact opposite of what should have been done. Many of us brought up the Israeli experience both before as well as immediately after the school was shot up, along with the bodies of people that were not only innocent of any wrong, but that trusted those in authority to make proper decisions in planning for, and implementing their safety.

Now, some ten years later, students are remembering the lessons taught them by those that are in fact knowledgeable about matters that involve life and death. Naturally, those that are “better then thou” in all things. Like politicians and social elitist’s are crying wolf, and at the same time feeding the innocent to the wolves…

Student unrest… The more that things change, the more they stay the same!

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GOA on Sotomayor

June 1, 2009

Obama Picks Anti-gun Judge for the Supreme Court
— Time to start contacting your Senators right away

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Friday, May 29, 2009

Unless you’ve taken a very long Memorial Day vacation, you’ve no doubt
heard the big news.

President Obama has picked an anti-gun radical to replace Justice David
Souter on the Supreme Court.

Obama’s pick is Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who is currently on the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Second District. There she has racked up an
anti-Second Amendment record and has displayed contempt for the rule of
law under the Constitution.

The Heller decision put the Supreme Court in support of the
Constitutional protection of the individual right to keep and bear arms.
Sotomayor, a politically correct lover of centralized government power
(as long as she is part of the power elite), immediately went into
counter-attack mode against the Heller decision.

Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel earlier this year which ruled
in Maloney v. Cuomo that the Second Amendment does not apply to the
states. As she and her cohorts claimed, the Supreme Court has not yet
incorporated the states under the Second Amendment. Until then, she
believes, the Second only applies to the District of Columbia.

This is pure judicial arrogance — something Sotomayor relishes (as long
as she is one of the ruling judges). In fact, protection of the right
to keep and bear arms was a major objective for enactment of the
Fourteenth Amendment, as recently freed slaves were being disarmed and
terrorized in their neighborhoods.

But Sotomayor disdains this important right of individuals, as indicated
by an earlier opinion from 2004. In United States v. Sanchez-Villar,
she stated that “the right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental
right.”

Sotomayor has held very anti-gun views, even as far back as the 1970s.
Fox Cable News reported yesterday that in her senior thesis at Princeton
University, she wrote that America has a “deadly obsession”
with guns
and that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual right to
firearms ownership.

Sotomayor’s Second Amendment views go hand in hand with her politically
correct views on the law and the role of judges.

In a speech given at Duke University in 2005, she made it abundantly
clear that judges are involved in making policy. Realizing that this
did not sound very judicial (even though most judges act on this basis),
Sotomayor tried to laugh off her brazen admission: “I know this is on
tape and I should never say that, [audience laughing], because we don’t
make law — I know. Um, okay. I know, I’m not promoting it, I’m not
advocating it.” The audience continued to laugh. They got the joke.

But Sotomayor’s joke will be on us and our liberties if she gets
confirmed to the Supreme Court. And that is why we need to start
contacting our Senators early and often, urging them to vote against
this dangerous nomination.

ACTION: Please contact your two Senators and urge them to oppose the
nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. You can
go to the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the
pre-written e-mail message below.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

If you cherish the Second Amendment and agree that it protects an
individual right to keep and bear arms — as stated by the recent Heller
decision — then you must vote against Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

This choice for the Supreme Court is totally unacceptable! Consider a
partial rendering of her anti-gun record:

* Sotomayor ruled in United States v. Sanchez-Villar (2004) that “the
right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right.”

* Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel earlier this year which
ruled in Maloney v. Cuomo that the Second Amendment does not apply to
the states. This makes her more liberal than the Ninth Circuit, which
stated in April that the Second Amendment does apply to the states.

* Sotomayor has held very anti-gun views, even as far back as the 1970s.
Fox Cable News reported on May 28 that in her senior thesis at Princeton
University, she wrote that America has a “deadly obsession”
with guns
and that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual right to
firearms ownership.

I will consider a vote in favor of Sotomayor as the most anti-gun vote a
Senator could cast. To send an anti-gun liberal judge to the Supreme
Court for the rest of her life is to establish “legislation without
representation.” After all, she says that the courts are where policy
is made, and once she’s there, we’ll never be able to vote her out.

Again, please vote against this dangerous nomination.

Sincerely,

There are times when people simply cannot fathom why I support the Gun Owners of America. Well? Read the above, then watch this from the wimps at the N.R.A.

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“SB-2099” e-mail a hoax

June 1, 2009

From Rocky Mountain Gun Owners:

“SB-2099” e-mail a hoax, but illustrates why you should be a member of a trusted pro-gun group

You may have received an e-mail about a bill in the U.S. Senate known as “SB-2099”.

There are a great number of indicators in this e-mail that prove the sender is not to be trusted.

“This bill will become public knowledge 30 days after it is voted into law.”  Baloney.  I don’t trust the scumbuckets in Washington, D.C. either.  But a bill can’t become law without “public knowledge” or without a vote.

If this were possible, is there any doubt the anti-gun liberals would use it to immediately enact their gun control fantasies?  The only thing stopping them is… well, frankly, you, and your outrage.

Another thing that tells you this isn’t accurate is that the US Senate doesn’t legislation as “SB 2099” or “SB-2099”.  It would be “S. 2099”.

The third glaring indication that it isn’t real is that when you do a search of “S. 2099” or even “2099” from the US Senate website, it returns nothing.

I’m a former US Senate employee (Sen. Bill Armstrong’s staff), and still have a lot of contacts on the Hill.  So I’ve got a good handle on federal legislation — we track federal legislation here:

http://www.nationalgunrights.org/billwatch.shtml

As you can see, no “2099” exists in the current Congress.

The one thing they did get right is that 2099 was, at one time, a bill in the U.S. Senate… in 2000.  And yes, it was a gun control disaster.  It didn’t get anywhere, but 9 years later its not still alive.

However, this illustrates why we exist: There’s a lot of misinformation out there — especially on the internet — and gun owners need someone they trust take the time to decipher it.  They want to know what’s happening without being scammed, so they become members of groups they trust.

If you are sent this e-mail, forward our above reply, with a note from you to the sender and all the recipients:

“I asked a gun lobbyist I trust about the legislation you referenced, “SB-2099”.  And, as you can see from this 15-year veteran of the wars to save our freedoms, the referenced legislation isn’t as advertised.

There are plenty of real threats to our right to keep and bear arms.  Let’s put our energy into fighting them, not ghosts.

That’s why I’m a member of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners: I trust them to know what’s happening and alert me when my help is needed.

If you live in Colorado, you need to be a member.  There is no other group in Colorado who truly defends our rights without compromise.

Click here to join RMGO

Click here if you’d like to receive more information about RMGO in the mail

Click here to read more about RMGO

If you don’t live in Colorado, you can always join the National Association for Gun Rights, which is led by the same staff.

Click here to join NAGR

This is a great way to turn a wild goose chase into an actual positive for freedom.

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Politicians hang fire on guns

May 22, 2009

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. It’s also a logical reaction to gun-owner fears that Democrats will implement far-reaching new gun controls. There is cause for concern. Leaders in the Obama administration and Congress have stated that they plan to limit what guns Americans can buy and that guns should be registered.

SOURCE

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. It’s also a logical reaction to gun-owner fears that Democrats will implement far-reaching new gun controls. There is cause for concern. Leaders in the Obama administration and Congress have stated that they plan to limit what guns Americans can buy and that guns should be registered.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Feb. 25 that, “As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi poured fuel on the fire five weeks later by admitting that Democrats want to register guns. “It’s a Democratic president, a Democratic House,” she said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “We don’t want to take their guns away. We want them registered.”

The gun controllers are at odds with public opinion. Despite Americans constantly being bombarded with attacks on guns by an anti-gun media, Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, notes that “Attitudes toward gun control have become more conservative, people not wanting gun control.” A Gallup poll released April 8 shows that only 29 percent of Americans support banning handguns. According to Gallup, “the latest reading is the smallest percentage favoring a handgun ban since Gallup first polled on this nearly 50 years ago.”

Popular support for the Second Amendment isn’t lost on all congressional Democrats. On May 12, 27 Senate Democrats voted with 39 Republicans to end a ban on law-abiding citizens carrying legal firearms in national parks. The amendment was attached to unrelated legislation to regulate credit cards. The same tactic was used Feb. 26 when an amendment striking down most of the District’s gun-control laws was attached to a Senate bill giving the District a vote in Congress. Twenty-two Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, voted for this amendment, which passed 62-36.

It’s too early to celebrate Democratic respect for gun rights. Some Senate Democrats who voted for the national park amendment complained that they were painted into a corner on the issue. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, the party’s chief vote counter, told National Public Radio last week that they were concerned about “how many more times they’d have to face such votes.” Democrats are torn between their constituents’ support for gun rights and an Obama administration committed to gun control.

SOURCE

And the obama continues to be “The Gun Salesman of the year!”

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The smell of napalm in the morning..?

May 21, 2009

No, not quite, but still a victory for freedom and liberty despite some whining from those that we expect that sort of behavior from…

Victory at Last
— National Park Service Gun Ban Repealed!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

“Gun Owners of America was the most consistent and loudest voice on
Capitol Hill in support of the effort to repeal the National Park
Service gun ban.” — Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Good news!

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill today that included an
amendment to repeal the gun ban on National Park Service (NPS) land and
wildlife refuges.

The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and attached to a
credit card industry reform bill, passed the House overwhelmingly by a
vote of 279-147.

For decades, law-abiding citizens have been prohibited from exercising
their Second Amendment rights on NPS land and wildlife refuges, even if
the state in which the land is located allows carrying firearms.

With some limited exceptions for hunting, the only way to legally
possess a firearm anywhere in a national park is by having it unloaded
and inaccessible, such as locked up in an automobile trunk. A Bush
administration regulation partially reversed the ban, but that action
was singlehandedly negated recently by an activist judge in Washington,
D.C. The Department of Interior decided not to appeal that ruling.

Senator Coburn believes, like you do, that Americans should not be
forced to sacrifice their Second Amendment rights when entering NPS land
and wildlife refuges.

GOA worked with Coburn on an amendment that simply allows for state and
local laws — instead of unelected bureaucrats and anti gun activist
judges — to govern firearm possession on these lands.

The anti-gun leadership in both the House and Senate went berserk and
fought to keep the Coburn amendment from being attached to the
underlying bill. Sparks were flying on the floor of the House of
Representatives today.

Anti-gun Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) whined that a “very
good” credit
card bill had been “hijacked” by the Coburn amendment. To
this, Rep.
Rob Bishop (R-UT) pointed out that gun control is the policy of tyrants,
as evidenced by the British attempt to confiscate firearms at Lexington
and Concord in 1775.

Congressional leaders and entrenched bureaucrats have fought GOA over
the NPS gun ban for the past eight years.

But your activism has finally broken through. The late Senator Everett
Dirksen said, “When I feel the heat, I see the light!” Well,
you have
applied a lot of heat. Members of Congress know that they oppose your
Second Amendment rights at their own peril.

As it stands today, both houses of Congress have now passed the Coburn
amendment — and President Obama is expected to sign the provision into
law (only because it is part of a larger credit card bill that he really
wants).

So, congratulate yourself for winning this long, hard battle. GOA was
the leading, and often only, national gun group involved in this fight.
You involvement was absolutely vital to achieving this win.

Of course, many more battles lie ahead. President Obama continues to
push for the Senate to ratify massive international gun control
treaties. There is a battle over a Supreme Court nominee coming up.
Anti-gun zealots in Congress are aggressively pushing to renew the
Clinton gun ban and close down gun shows.

And as the health care debate picks up steam in the coming weeks and
months, GOA is battling efforts to create a computerized national
healthcare database. Such a database can be used to deny people their
Second Amendment rights in the same way that so many veterans have lost
their gun rights based only on the diagnoses of a doctor for things like
combat-related stress.

GOA will be calling for action on these and other Second Amendment
issues as they move through Congress.

In the meantime, have a safe Memorial Day as we remember those who gave
the ultimate sacrifice so that America would remain “Land of the
Free.”

****************************

What’s Your Current GOA Status?

Obviously, we now face years of invigorated attacks on our gun rights.
Shutting down gun shows, prohibitions on specific calibers, another
semi-auto ban, and the anti-gun extremists’ Holy Grail of mandatory
federal licensing and registration of all gun owners — these are just
some of the horrors that we already know we’ll have to defeat head-on.
Meanwhile, we’ll take every opportunity to go on offense and advance the
Second Amendment.

It can’t be done without every single voice being counted. That’s why we
are asking you to consider making the commitment of becoming a Gun
Owners of America Life Member. By doing so, you put the politicians on
notice that neither you nor GOA is going away — that no matter who’s in
the White House, there is always going to be a solid wall of resistance.

Now is a perfect time to become a Life Member. And if you aren’t a GOA
member at all, isn’t it time you became one?

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