By Prof. Nicholas Johnson - 1/30/2014
When W.E.B. Dubois patrolled his home with a shotgun after the 1906 Atlanta race riot, he was an aberration. But not how you think. Dubois reports that he was unusual among his contemporaries because until that point he did not own a gun.
Dubois's gun purchase and his aggressive statements following the riot were not passion-of-the-moment things that he would regret. They were part of a continuing engagement of the practice and philosophy of armed self-defense. As editor of the NAACP's flagship magazine The Crisis, Dubois continued to champion armed self-defense as a core private interest. Indeed, in some instances, Dubois seemed to cast self-defense as a duty. After a lynching in Gainesville, Fla., he wrote: No Colored man can read an account of the recent lynching in Gainesville without being ashamed of his people. Without resistance they let a white mob whom they outnumbered two to one, torture, harry and murder. In the last analysis lynching of Negroes is going to stop when the cowardly mob is faced by effective guns in the hands of people determined to sell their souls dearly.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
President Obama says he will continue gun control push without Congress
By Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney - 1/28/2014
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he would continue to work to reduce violence in the United States despite a lack of support in Congress for gun control measures he failed to get passed last year.
"I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say 'we are not afraid,' and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools," Obama said, according to the text of his State of the Union address.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he would continue to work to reduce violence in the United States despite a lack of support in Congress for gun control measures he failed to get passed last year.
"I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say 'we are not afraid,' and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools," Obama said, according to the text of his State of the Union address.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The what and why of Negroes and the Gun: The Black Tradition of Arms
By Prof. Nicholas Johnson - 1/27/2014
Much of my scholarship over the last two decades has focused on gun issues. Some find this an odd specialty for someone like me. Negroes and the Gun is a sort of answer to people who wonder and often have asked, how is it that a black law professor at a New York City law school comes to write sympathetically about the Second Amendment and gun rights. But Negroes and the Gun also demands its own preliminary explanation.No one really uses the word Negro anymore. I haven't said it out loud in decades. So the title of this book is odd in that sense. But in other more important ways the title is entirely apt. Some will recognize the title as a variation on Robert Williams' memoir, Negroes with Guns (readers will become acquainted with Williams in the first chapter and again in Chapter Seven as he provokes a conflict with the NAACP that captures the central theme of the black tradition of arms). Negroes is also evocative of the deep roots of the black tradition of arms which emerged at a time in the American story when most black people had the legal status of mules and would have been gratified to be called Negroes.
Top 10 gun-toting American politicians
By Jarrett Stepman - 3/12/2013
America's strong gun culture has produced a large number of statesmen with firearm expertise. In fact, with the number of veterans that have served as elected officials, it is almost impossible to come up with a list of the best.
Here are the top ten politicians that could handle a gun and publicly demonstrated that expertise after they were elected.
1.) David Crockett
David Crockett
The hero of the Alamo was first known to Americans as a rough-hewn backwoods hunter from Tennessee who performed incredible feats of daring on the frontier. Most Americans today know him as Davy Crockett, but contemporaries in the early 19th century almost always called him David Crockett during his lifetime. However, Crockett did in fact have a .40 caliber flintlock rifle named Old Betsey that was named after his sister.
In between sessions of Congress, Crockett would hunt and provide for himself and his family, once killing six buck elk in one day and a staggering forty-seven bears in one season! He would dazzle audiences with incredible displays of marksmanship, shooting holes through coins, and was a wonderful story teller of his own exploits on the frontier.
America's strong gun culture has produced a large number of statesmen with firearm expertise. In fact, with the number of veterans that have served as elected officials, it is almost impossible to come up with a list of the best.
Here are the top ten politicians that could handle a gun and publicly demonstrated that expertise after they were elected.
1.) David Crockett
David Crockett
The hero of the Alamo was first known to Americans as a rough-hewn backwoods hunter from Tennessee who performed incredible feats of daring on the frontier. Most Americans today know him as Davy Crockett, but contemporaries in the early 19th century almost always called him David Crockett during his lifetime. However, Crockett did in fact have a .40 caliber flintlock rifle named Old Betsey that was named after his sister.
In between sessions of Congress, Crockett would hunt and provide for himself and his family, once killing six buck elk in one day and a staggering forty-seven bears in one season! He would dazzle audiences with incredible displays of marksmanship, shooting holes through coins, and was a wonderful story teller of his own exploits on the frontier.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Yale pediatric study against guns is spiked with gang-bangers up to 20 years old
By Bob Owens - 1/27/2014
If at first you don't succeed, manufacture results to your liking: that seems to be the trick to getting sufficiently scary numbers into a study chaired by Dr. John Leventhal, a professor of pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine.
Leventhal's study, published today in Pediatrics, says that 10,000 children are killed or injured by guns each year, but to get to that magic five figures, he has to do a statistical shuck and jive:
If at first you don't succeed, manufacture results to your liking: that seems to be the trick to getting sufficiently scary numbers into a study chaired by Dr. John Leventhal, a professor of pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine.
Leventhal's study, published today in Pediatrics, says that 10,000 children are killed or injured by guns each year, but to get to that magic five figures, he has to do a statistical shuck and jive:
- Studying the 2009 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), which tracks pediatric hospital stays, the Yale researchers discovered 7,391 children under age 20 had been hospitalized for firearm related injuries, with 453 of those patients dying. The data in KID has been gathered since 1997 as part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, with 2009 the most recent release.
- Most of the injuries, 4,559, resulted from assaults, while 2,149 were from accidents and 270, the result of suicide attempts. The most common types of injury, were open wounds at 52 percent and fractures at 50 percent. Brain injuries were more common in the younger kids, most of whom were hurt in accidental shootings.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
3-D gun bans mean more crime and violence
By: Raquel Okyay - 1/19/2014
Modern technology makes gun control measures even weaker as criminals continue to unlawfully use firearms while law-abiding citizens continue to follow the law.
Three-D metal printers make guns that look and function in exactly the same way as any metal gun would, said John Richard Lott Jr., founder and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, a research and education organization that studies the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety.
Proposed laws that seek to regulate the purchase of 3-D printers will have an opposite impact on violent crimes just as gun bans or background checks do, said Lott. It is already very difficult to stop criminals from getting a particular gun to use, it is simply impossible to try and stop them from printing-off their own gun.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
South Carolina bill allowing guns in bars, restaurants closer to becoming law
By State (Columbia, SC) - 1/17/2014
A bill to allow concealed firearms in businesses that serve alcohol cleared a critical hurdle Thursday as the state Senate passed the proposal without the midnight curfew that Senate Democrats had insisted on.
The bill that the Senate returned to the House would allow people who have licenses to carry concealed weapons to carry guns into bars or restaurants as long as they do not drink alcohol. Businesses also could decide not to allow firearms on their property by posting signs. The Senate vote, 34 to 3, was on an amendment to improve some of the bill's language -- changes senators said were minor.
If the House gives the bill final approval -- as it is expected to do -- and Gov. Nikki Haley signs it into law, it will prove a victory for 2nd Amendment advocates who had tried but failed to pass similar measures in the past. The proposal found new momentum last year in the national debate about gun rights that was sparked by mass shootings around the country.
The bill that the Senate returned to the House would allow people who have licenses to carry concealed weapons to carry guns into bars or restaurants as long as they do not drink alcohol. Businesses also could decide not to allow firearms on their property by posting signs. The Senate vote, 34 to 3, was on an amendment to improve some of the bill's language -- changes senators said were minor.
If the House gives the bill final approval -- as it is expected to do -- and Gov. Nikki Haley signs it into law, it will prove a victory for 2nd Amendment advocates who had tried but failed to pass similar measures in the past. The proposal found new momentum last year in the national debate about gun rights that was sparked by mass shootings around the country.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Home invaders didn't expect to see a .357 pointed their way - 2nd Amendment at work
By Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA) - 1/16/2014
Robbery attempt of armed man fails. 3 suspects in custody, 1 at large.
Francis Muchanic, Erica Major, Dylan Brewer and Evan Hess thought they had the robbery planned.
They didn't anticipate the .357 Smith and Wesson revolver in their target's hands. The fallout from the unseen variable led to three of them falling into police custody while one remains at large.
State police at Gibson said Mr. Muchanic walked up to David Braman's Creek Road home in New Milford and began to open the door just before 8 p.m. Monday. Mr. Muchanic, 31, of Susquehanna, said he was having car trouble and was hoping Mr. Braman would let him use the phone.
The 69-year-old man, armed with a revolver, knew it was a lie when he saw the ski mask and handgun.
Robbery attempt of armed man fails. 3 suspects in custody, 1 at large.
Francis Muchanic, Erica Major, Dylan Brewer and Evan Hess thought they had the robbery planned.
They didn't anticipate the .357 Smith and Wesson revolver in their target's hands. The fallout from the unseen variable led to three of them falling into police custody while one remains at large.
State police at Gibson said Mr. Muchanic walked up to David Braman's Creek Road home in New Milford and began to open the door just before 8 p.m. Monday. Mr. Muchanic, 31, of Susquehanna, said he was having car trouble and was hoping Mr. Braman would let him use the phone.
The 69-year-old man, armed with a revolver, knew it was a lie when he saw the ski mask and handgun.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
New York restrictions on bullet sales take effect
By API - 1/15/2014
ALBANY, N.Y. -- It is now illegal in New York state to buy ammunition unless a licensed dealer can actually see you.
The requirement for face-to-face bullet sales is part of the law pushed through a year ago by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, one month after the massacre of 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Conn.
The law has taken effect incrementally since, banning sales of some popular semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, requiring federal background checks on private gun sales and imposing felony penalties for illegal gun possession. It has also drawn crowds of protesters to the Capitol and lawsuits saying it infringes on Second Amendment rights.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- It is now illegal in New York state to buy ammunition unless a licensed dealer can actually see you.
The requirement for face-to-face bullet sales is part of the law pushed through a year ago by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, one month after the massacre of 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Conn.
The law has taken effect incrementally since, banning sales of some popular semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, requiring federal background checks on private gun sales and imposing felony penalties for illegal gun possession. It has also drawn crowds of protesters to the Capitol and lawsuits saying it infringes on Second Amendment rights.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Some realities to consider before passing more gun-control bills
By John R. Lott Jr. - 1/12/2014
John Lott is president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of "More Guns, Less Crime"
The new year has brought yet more gun-control regulations. President Obama announced new executive orders on background checks. Connecticut citizens stood in long lines to register their guns, and, next door in New York City, registration lists are used to confiscate them.
While the research by criminologists and economists keeps showing that gun control doesn't work, technological advances and practical problems mean the laws are increasingly likely only to disarm the law-abiding.
In the era of 3D printing, you won't be able to ban guns and it will be even more difficult to stop unapproved people from obtaining them. A part metal/part plastic gun printed from a 3D printer will be completely indistinguishable from a traditionally made gun, even down to whatever serial number you want.
John Lott is president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of "More Guns, Less Crime"
The new year has brought yet more gun-control regulations. President Obama announced new executive orders on background checks. Connecticut citizens stood in long lines to register their guns, and, next door in New York City, registration lists are used to confiscate them.
While the research by criminologists and economists keeps showing that gun control doesn't work, technological advances and practical problems mean the laws are increasingly likely only to disarm the law-abiding.
In the era of 3D printing, you won't be able to ban guns and it will be even more difficult to stop unapproved people from obtaining them. A part metal/part plastic gun printed from a 3D printer will be completely indistinguishable from a traditionally made gun, even down to whatever serial number you want.
Canadian Newsman Warns America about Gun Registration
By Michael Allen, Thu, January 09, 2014
Brian Lilley, a Canadian newsman, recently warned the United States that gun registration will lead to gun confiscation.
The Sun News host first showed a clip of President Obama speaking in 2013 about a federal gun bill that would have required universal background checks for purchases, but specifically forbids a national gun registry, which is already banned (video below).
Lilley then showed a clip of gun owners registering their guns in Connecticut under that state's law.
He claimed that Connecticut has a list of "every gun they don't like," but that would only be true if there were evidence that every resident actually registered his or her gun in 100 percent compliance.
Brian Lilley, a Canadian newsman, recently warned the United States that gun registration will lead to gun confiscation.
The Sun News host first showed a clip of President Obama speaking in 2013 about a federal gun bill that would have required universal background checks for purchases, but specifically forbids a national gun registry, which is already banned (video below).
Lilley then showed a clip of gun owners registering their guns in Connecticut under that state's law.
He claimed that Connecticut has a list of "every gun they don't like," but that would only be true if there were evidence that every resident actually registered his or her gun in 100 percent compliance.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Women arming themselves. . .a growing trend
By Montgomery Advertiser (AL) - 1/13/2014
With feet positioned shoulder-width apart and eyes narrowing in on a target several feet ahead, arms and hands are steady and knees, slightly bent.
The top third of the forefinger rests on the trigger of a .38 revolver and the outline of a man is the target. First shot: It is powerful and loud, with the sound of the force muffled only by ear protection. The target is hit in the chest area. The shooter looks at the instructor slightly and she is told to continue. Second hit: chest. Third hit. Fourth.
"You actually did really good," said Lt. Stephen Lavender, training bureau commander with the Montgomery Police Academy. "Want to do it again?"
The revolver is reloaded.
With feet positioned shoulder-width apart and eyes narrowing in on a target several feet ahead, arms and hands are steady and knees, slightly bent.
The top third of the forefinger rests on the trigger of a .38 revolver and the outline of a man is the target. First shot: It is powerful and loud, with the sound of the force muffled only by ear protection. The target is hit in the chest area. The shooter looks at the instructor slightly and she is told to continue. Second hit: chest. Third hit. Fourth.
"You actually did really good," said Lt. Stephen Lavender, training bureau commander with the Montgomery Police Academy. "Want to do it again?"
The revolver is reloaded.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Russian Gun Lobby Seeks Right To Bear Arms
By Glenn Kates - 12/19/2013
MOSCOW -- The mass shooting last week at an elementary school in Connecticut sparked calls for stricter gun control laws in the United States. But thousands of kilometers away, the fledgling gun lobby in Moscow drew a different lesson: Gun laws in Russia should be liberalized.
And while the powerful U.S. gun lobby group, the National Rifle Association, waited four days before issuing a public statement on the tragedy, which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults, the Moscow-based Right To Bear Arms made its voice heard within hours with an announcement on its website calling for increased access to weapons.
"In this shooting six teachers died, six people who could literally use only their hands to defend children," said Maria Butina, the organization's 24-year old founder. "The murderer planned this knowing that no one would be armed."
Saturday, January 11, 2014
A Lesson Learned As Chicago's Gun Laws Fall
By Bob Barr - 1/8/2014
In his ruling this week that struck down one of the last relics of Chicago's long-standing gun ban, U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang made a startling observation. Chang noted that while one of the fundamental duties of government is to protect its citizens, certain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, and thus should be outside government's reach. To put it more bluntly, government cannot and should not -- be trusted with those rights.
This was bad news for Hizzoner Rahm Emanuel, who along with President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, have been trying to rewrite America's gun laws during their tenure in power (in the case of Holder, I have called publicly for his resignation, and for Obama, the I word should no longer be off-limits).
Yet, Chang's ruling was just one of many since 2010 that have struck down, blow by blow, key parts of Chicago's gun ban that made it one of the most unfriendly cities in America for gun rights and, by no coincidence, among the most dangerous for its citizens.
In his ruling this week that struck down one of the last relics of Chicago's long-standing gun ban, U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang made a startling observation. Chang noted that while one of the fundamental duties of government is to protect its citizens, certain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, and thus should be outside government's reach. To put it more bluntly, government cannot and should not -- be trusted with those rights.
This was bad news for Hizzoner Rahm Emanuel, who along with President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, have been trying to rewrite America's gun laws during their tenure in power (in the case of Holder, I have called publicly for his resignation, and for Obama, the I word should no longer be off-limits).
Yet, Chang's ruling was just one of many since 2010 that have struck down, blow by blow, key parts of Chicago's gun ban that made it one of the most unfriendly cities in America for gun rights and, by no coincidence, among the most dangerous for its citizens.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Boom for guns likely to trigger rush on ammo
By Washington Times (DC) - 1/10/2014
Gun records checks, fueled by a post-Newtown boom of gun sales, hit a new high in 2013, and industry analysts expect ammunition to be the big seller this year as consumers catch up to all of those firearms purchases.
More than 21 million applications were run through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System last year, marking nearly an 8 percent increase and the 11th straight year that the number has risen.
Background checks serve as a proxy for the number of gun sales, which soared in the months immediately after the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. But NICS checks plummeted in November and December compared with a year earlier, suggesting that the boom may be over.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Locked & loaded: Gun maker finds warmer surroundings in South Carolina after leaving Connecticut
By Joshua Rhett Miller - 1/7/
FoxNews.com
From beat cops to cashiers to Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina’s newest gun manufacturer has received an “absolutely tremendous” amount of support since leaving Connecticut for The Palmetto State, according to the firm's CEO.
Josh Fiorini, CEO of PTR Industries, formerly of Bristol., Conn., told FoxNews.com that the firm’s new facility in Aynor, S.C., remains a week away from production, but 11 local employees began sorting inventory on Monday along with a team of training personnel from Connecticut. The manufacturer of military-style rifles announced in April that it intended to leave Bristol following the passage of gun-control legislation after the shooting deaths of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown.
“In general, things are going very well,” Fiorini said Tuesday. “Basically, we’re just unpacking and training right now, but the building is coming together and we’re putting on the final touches. We’re all very excited.”
Josh Fiorini, CEO of PTR Industries, formerly of Bristol., Conn., told FoxNews.com that the firm’s new facility in Aynor, S.C., remains a week away from production, but 11 local employees began sorting inventory on Monday along with a team of training personnel from Connecticut. The manufacturer of military-style rifles announced in April that it intended to leave Bristol following the passage of gun-control legislation after the shooting deaths of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown.
“In general, things are going very well,” Fiorini said Tuesday. “Basically, we’re just unpacking and training right now, but the building is coming together and we’re putting on the final touches. We’re all very excited.”
Utah gun manufacturing company has walked away from a potential $15 million deal
By Fox News - 7/1/2014
A Utah gun manufacturing company has walked away from a potential $15 million deal to sell precision rifles to Pakistan.
Desert Tech President Nick Young says he employs many military veterans, who expressed concern that their products could someday get into the wrong hands and be used against U.S. troops.
It was a hard decision, but we feel it was the right decision, Desert Tech Sales Manager Mike Davis said. Basically it was just our company's stance and we were sticking with our founding principles, and that was to keep the American troops safe, that's all the decision really was about.
A Utah gun manufacturing company has walked away from a potential $15 million deal to sell precision rifles to Pakistan.
Desert Tech President Nick Young says he employs many military veterans, who expressed concern that their products could someday get into the wrong hands and be used against U.S. troops.
It was a hard decision, but we feel it was the right decision, Desert Tech Sales Manager Mike Davis said. Basically it was just our company's stance and we were sticking with our founding principles, and that was to keep the American troops safe, that's all the decision really was about.
President waves privacy rights of citizens by executive order
By Neil W. McCabe - 7/1/1214
Editor, Guns & Patriots
President Barack Obama announced Jan. 3 his waiving of privacy requirements of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to allow states to turn over Americans' mental health files to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
"In April 2013, HHS began to identify the scope and extent of the problem, and based on public comments is now issuing a proposed rule to eliminate this barrier by giving certain HIPAA covered entities an express permission to submit to the background check system the limited information necessary to help keep guns out of potentially dangerous hands," according to a White House statement.
The HIPPA law has strict protections for patient privacy, and in many cases requires an individual's written permission before his medical or medical billing information can be released.
Editor, Guns & Patriots
President Barack Obama announced Jan. 3 his waiving of privacy requirements of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to allow states to turn over Americans' mental health files to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
"In April 2013, HHS began to identify the scope and extent of the problem, and based on public comments is now issuing a proposed rule to eliminate this barrier by giving certain HIPAA covered entities an express permission to submit to the background check system the limited information necessary to help keep guns out of potentially dangerous hands," according to a White House statement.
The HIPPA law has strict protections for patient privacy, and in many cases requires an individual's written permission before his medical or medical billing information can be released.
SIG P220 review: Ultimate .45?
By Richard L. Johnson - 6/1/2013
Get the pitchforks and torches folks, I'm going to commit firearms heresy. For my money the SIG P220 is the best .45 fighting pistol on the market. Yes! better than the 1911.
How can I suggest that something other than the 1911 is the best fighting handgun? After all, the 1911 is called the 1911 because that is the year the United States adopted it as the Army's official sidearm. In addition to the great ergonomics and high manufacturing quality, the P220 is reliable. Absolutely reliable. And for a fighting handgun, reliability must be absolute.
Monday, January 6, 2014
New York's Fact-Free Gun Ruling
By John R. Lott Jr. - 1/3/2014
Most of New York's new gun-control laws have been upheld on a totally dubious basis.
New York's new gun-control law, the so-called SAFE Act, largely survived its first federal-court challenge on this past Tuesday. The more than 1,140 New Yorkers it's made felons will remain so. But even the testimony of the state's own expert witness failed to show that the law will cut crime.
The judge in this case is William M. Skretny, chief federal judge for the Western District of New York. His decision upheld the state's gun-registration requirements and ban on assault weapons, but he rejected the seven-round limit for magazines, deeming it arbitrary.
Most of New York's new gun-control laws have been upheld on a totally dubious basis.
New York's new gun-control law, the so-called SAFE Act, largely survived its first federal-court challenge on this past Tuesday. The more than 1,140 New Yorkers it's made felons will remain so. But even the testimony of the state's own expert witness failed to show that the law will cut crime.
The judge in this case is William M. Skretny, chief federal judge for the Western District of New York. His decision upheld the state's gun-registration requirements and ban on assault weapons, but he rejected the seven-round limit for magazines, deeming it arbitrary.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Are blacks their own worst enemies?
By Felicity Bower
Is there really a covert movement underway to keep African Americans disarmed? Should the United Negro College Fund have a position on such a thing?
Is there historical proof to back up this radical notion -- which ties gun bans to slavery, and gun possession to freedom from slavery?
Were the anti-black Jim Crow laws the start of gun control, and do they exist to this day?
Is this a hot potato or what?
Should free speech even protect a discussion like this?
Detroit police chief: Legal gun owners can deter crime
By G. Hunter - 1/4/2014
Detroit If more citizens were armed, criminals would think twice about attacking them, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Thursday.
Urban police chiefs are typically in favor of gun control or reluctant to discuss the issue, but Craig on Thursday was candid about how he's changed his mind.
When we look at the good community members who have concealed weapons permits, the likelihood they'll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this Police Department, Craig said at a press conference at police headquarters, adding that he thinks more Detroit citizens feel safer, thanks in part to a 7 percent drop in violent crime in 2013.
Craig said he started believing that legal gun owners can deter crime when he became police chief in Portland, Maine, in 2009.
Detroit If more citizens were armed, criminals would think twice about attacking them, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Thursday.
Urban police chiefs are typically in favor of gun control or reluctant to discuss the issue, but Craig on Thursday was candid about how he's changed his mind.
When we look at the good community members who have concealed weapons permits, the likelihood they'll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this Police Department, Craig said at a press conference at police headquarters, adding that he thinks more Detroit citizens feel safer, thanks in part to a 7 percent drop in violent crime in 2013.
Craig said he started believing that legal gun owners can deter crime when he became police chief in Portland, Maine, in 2009.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Magpul taking 200 jobs out of Colo. over gun laws
By Associated Press - 12/3/2014
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - One of the country's largest producers of ammunition magazines for guns is leaving Colorado and moving operations to Wyoming and Texas because of new state laws that include restrictions on how many cartridges a magazine can hold.
Erie, Colo.-based Magpul Industries Corp. announced Thursday that it was moving its production, distribution and shipping operations to Cheyenne and its headquarters to Texas, making good on a vow it made to leave Colorado during last year's gun control debate.
"Moving operations to locations that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important," Magpul CEO Richard Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "Moving to a true multi-state operation will also allow Magpul to utilize the strengths of both Texas and Wyoming as we continue to expand."
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead said in a statement that Wyoming offers Magpul "a firm commitment to uphold the Second Amendment."
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - One of the country's largest producers of ammunition magazines for guns is leaving Colorado and moving operations to Wyoming and Texas because of new state laws that include restrictions on how many cartridges a magazine can hold.
Erie, Colo.-based Magpul Industries Corp. announced Thursday that it was moving its production, distribution and shipping operations to Cheyenne and its headquarters to Texas, making good on a vow it made to leave Colorado during last year's gun control debate.
"Moving operations to locations that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important," Magpul CEO Richard Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "Moving to a true multi-state operation will also allow Magpul to utilize the strengths of both Texas and Wyoming as we continue to expand."
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead said in a statement that Wyoming offers Magpul "a firm commitment to uphold the Second Amendment."
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Liberal, gay. . .and loves guns
By San Francisco Chronicle - 12/2/2014
Marlene Hoeber is feisty, tattooed, transgender, a self-described feminist, a queer activist -- and a crack shot with her favorite "toys," guns of just about every kind.
One thing she's not -- and proud of it -- is a member of the National Rifle Association.
"We make ourselves a special place where we don't have to hear about the 'Kenyan Muslim socialist' in the White House," said Hoeber, a biotech equipment mechanic who says she's politically "somewhere around Emma Goldman," the turn-of-the-20th century anarchist.
Instead, Hoeber -- whose array of firearms includes an M1 carbine rifle from World War II and a custom-made .44-caliber pistol -- and other left-leaning gun lovers have their own organization: the Liberal Gun Club.
A good thing, says Hoeber, since she would never consider joining any club that has "Grover Norquist on the board," as the NRA does.
Marlene Hoeber is feisty, tattooed, transgender, a self-described feminist, a queer activist -- and a crack shot with her favorite "toys," guns of just about every kind.
One thing she's not -- and proud of it -- is a member of the National Rifle Association.
"We make ourselves a special place where we don't have to hear about the 'Kenyan Muslim socialist' in the White House," said Hoeber, a biotech equipment mechanic who says she's politically "somewhere around Emma Goldman," the turn-of-the-20th century anarchist.
Instead, Hoeber -- whose array of firearms includes an M1 carbine rifle from World War II and a custom-made .44-caliber pistol -- and other left-leaning gun lovers have their own organization: the Liberal Gun Club.
A good thing, says Hoeber, since she would never consider joining any club that has "Grover Norquist on the board," as the NRA does.
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