Tuesday, August 6, 2013
US: One more example of "More Guns. . .Less Crime"
By Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - 8/5/2013
Gun-related violent crime continues to drop in Virginia as the sales of firearms continue to soar, a pattern that one local criminologist finds interesting "given the current rhetoric about strengthening gun laws."
Major gun crime collectively dropped for a fourth consecutive year statewide, while firearms sales climbed to a new record in 2012 with 490,119 guns purchased in 444,844 transactions -- a 16 percent rise over 2011, according to federally licensed gun dealer sales estimates obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The proliferation of guns occurred as the total number of major reported crimes committed with all types of firearms in Virginia dropped 5 percent, from 4,618 offenses in 2011 to 4,378 last year, according to Virginia State Police data.
Looking back over seven years, total firearm sales in Virginia have risen a staggering 101 percent from 2006 to 2012, while gun-related crime has dropped 28 percent during that period.
Stockholm Syndrome, Newtown, and the WW II Liberator Pistol
By Jack Baruthon - 12/26/2012
Two days ago, a man whom I've known and respected for over a decade launched into a more than slightly incoherent Facebook rant in which he explicitly blamed the NRA and law-abiding civilian shooters for the Newtown killings. Those children died, he wrote, so you could have your toys without any reasonable restrictions. I didn't know how to respond to the post.
After all, none of the reasonable restrictions now being proposed would have prevented Adam Lanza's affluent, well-educated mother from purchasing a gun. I tried pointing that out to my friend, only to have him dismiss me as a gun nut. Although he's normally a reasonable fellow, since Newtown happened he's clearly decided to let emotion take the wheel, at least for now. He's not the only intelligent person I've seen swept away towards irrationality in the past two weeks. Again and again, I've heard that reasonable gun control is now necessary, even inevitable. In my struggles to understand this, I thought back to World War II and the failure of what was perhaps the first-ever government-sponsored zip gun . . .The FP-45 Liberator.
Monday, August 5, 2013
US: Calif. Senator proposes ban on ARs in attempt to trash Second Amendment rights
By Robert A. Dahlquist
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is proposing an AR-style rifle ban while ignoring school security to save our children. Yet on this 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, she doesnt mention the 54 million abortions conducted in this country nor show remorse for this disrespect for human life.
Speeches at every Democratic National Convention reference abortion or a pro-choice platform to huge cheers from the rabid convention hall audience. Mother Teresa identified abortion as the greatest destroyer of peace today because it is a war against children, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. If a mother can kill her own child and then tell young people not to kill one another, it is the ultimate hypocrisy in the eyes of the young.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is proposing an AR-style rifle ban while ignoring school security to save our children. Yet on this 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, she doesnt mention the 54 million abortions conducted in this country nor show remorse for this disrespect for human life.
Speeches at every Democratic National Convention reference abortion or a pro-choice platform to huge cheers from the rabid convention hall audience. Mother Teresa identified abortion as the greatest destroyer of peace today because it is a war against children, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. If a mother can kill her own child and then tell young people not to kill one another, it is the ultimate hypocrisy in the eyes of the young.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Right-to-Carry permit holder defends himself and friend from violent attack
By The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio - 7/29/2013
Timothy Peak and a female companion were getting inside a car in his driveway in Cleveland, Ohio when a pair of armed and masked men confronted them. After one of the criminals pistol-whipped Peak, the homeowner and Right-to-Carry permit holder retrieved a handgun from his car and fired at his attacker multiple times, killing him. The deceased criminal's accomplice managed to escape the scene with Peak's companion's purse.
Following the incident, Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek showed support for Peak's actions, stating As far as I'm concerned, [the criminal] got exactly what he deserved lead poisoning. Polensek went on to say of the homeowner, If he hadn't had that gun, we'd be reading about him in a two paragraph story in the paper as another innocent victim of violent criminals looking to prey on him like jackals. [the criminal] picked on the wrong man this time.
Timothy Peak and a female companion were getting inside a car in his driveway in Cleveland, Ohio when a pair of armed and masked men confronted them. After one of the criminals pistol-whipped Peak, the homeowner and Right-to-Carry permit holder retrieved a handgun from his car and fired at his attacker multiple times, killing him. The deceased criminal's accomplice managed to escape the scene with Peak's companion's purse.
Following the incident, Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek showed support for Peak's actions, stating As far as I'm concerned, [the criminal] got exactly what he deserved lead poisoning. Polensek went on to say of the homeowner, If he hadn't had that gun, we'd be reading about him in a two paragraph story in the paper as another innocent victim of violent criminals looking to prey on him like jackals. [the criminal] picked on the wrong man this time.
US: "Silencers" are now legal for hunting in North Carolina
By McClatchy-TribuneWinston-Salem Journal - 7/30/20
Gun suppressors are now legal for hunting in North Carolina.
For decades, the closest most people got to a gun suppressor those metal cylinders that reduce a gun's bang was seeing one on a movie screen in the hands of an assassin or gangster.
But sweeping gun legislation has made suppressors, also known as silencers, legal for hunting in North Carolina. Law enforcement authorities are now trying to figure out how to shape polices to implement the new law.
Last week, the N.C. legislature passed a far-reaching bill that expands the places where permit holders can legally carry concealed weapons, including bars, restaurants and parks. But the legislation also deleted a provision that prohibited hunters from using suppressors.
Gun suppressors are now legal for hunting in North Carolina.
For decades, the closest most people got to a gun suppressor those metal cylinders that reduce a gun's bang was seeing one on a movie screen in the hands of an assassin or gangster.
But sweeping gun legislation has made suppressors, also known as silencers, legal for hunting in North Carolina. Law enforcement authorities are now trying to figure out how to shape polices to implement the new law.
Last week, the N.C. legislature passed a far-reaching bill that expands the places where permit holders can legally carry concealed weapons, including bars, restaurants and parks. But the legislation also deleted a provision that prohibited hunters from using suppressors.
Israel Gun reform: Psychological exam, physical now required for permit
Internal Security Minister Aharonovich announces reform to reduce number of available weapons in Israel from 290,000 amid wave of murders, suicides
By Omri Efraim - 7/31/2013
Israel News
This year, 11 individuals were murdered and five committed suicide in Israel using privately owned weapons, said Internal Security Minister Yizhak Aharonovich Wednesday.
At a meeting of the the Internal Affairs Committee on reducing weapons, headed by MK Miri Regev, Aharonovich stated that as part of the gun reform in Israel, anyone who wishes to receive a gun permit will be required to undergo a medical and psychological examination. "If they won't pass the psychologist's test, they'll have to see a psychiatrist," he said.
The minister announced that a new police order will be introduced under which an individual who has not renewed his license in over six months will be subject to criminal investigation. Aharonovich said that over 290,000 guns are in the hands of private individuals and security guards, and that he strives to lower that number.
By Omri Efraim - 7/31/2013
Israel News
This year, 11 individuals were murdered and five committed suicide in Israel using privately owned weapons, said Internal Security Minister Yizhak Aharonovich Wednesday.
At a meeting of the the Internal Affairs Committee on reducing weapons, headed by MK Miri Regev, Aharonovich stated that as part of the gun reform in Israel, anyone who wishes to receive a gun permit will be required to undergo a medical and psychological examination. "If they won't pass the psychologist's test, they'll have to see a psychiatrist," he said.
The minister announced that a new police order will be introduced under which an individual who has not renewed his license in over six months will be subject to criminal investigation. Aharonovich said that over 290,000 guns are in the hands of private individuals and security guards, and that he strives to lower that number.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Poll: Gun Rights Supporters Donate Far More on The Issue Than Gun Control Advocates
Pew pollsters find people who want more gun restrictions don't vote with their wallets
By Elizabeth Flock - 7/29/2013
Poll also found that gun rights activists are more politically involved than gun control supporters.
Gun rights supporters donate four times more and are more politically involved than gun control advocates, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center published this weekend.
In May 2013, six months after the Newtown school shooting that sparked a national conversation on guns � and a month after the Senate failed to pass a major gun bill � Pew found that 25 percent of people who support gun rights had contributed money to a second amendment group, while just 6 percent of people who support gun control had donated on the issue.
By Elizabeth Flock - 7/29/2013
Poll also found that gun rights activists are more politically involved than gun control supporters.
Gun rights supporters donate four times more and are more politically involved than gun control advocates, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center published this weekend.
In May 2013, six months after the Newtown school shooting that sparked a national conversation on guns � and a month after the Senate failed to pass a major gun bill � Pew found that 25 percent of people who support gun rights had contributed money to a second amendment group, while just 6 percent of people who support gun control had donated on the issue.
US: Arkansas district arming more than 20 teachers and staff
By Associated Press - 7/30/2013
As Cheyne Dougan rounded the corner at Clarksville High School, he saw three students on the floor moaning and crying.
In a split-second, two more ran out of a nearby classroom.
"He's got a gun," one of them shouted as Dougan approached with his pistol drawn. Inside, he found one student holding another at gunpoint. Dougan aimed and fired three rounds at the gunman.
Preparing for such scenarios has become common for police after a school shooting in Connecticut last December left 20 children and six teachers dead. But Dougan is no policeman. He's the assistant principal of this school in Arkansas, and when classes resume in August, he will walk the halls with a 9 mm handgun.
As Cheyne Dougan rounded the corner at Clarksville High School, he saw three students on the floor moaning and crying.
In a split-second, two more ran out of a nearby classroom.
"He's got a gun," one of them shouted as Dougan approached with his pistol drawn. Inside, he found one student holding another at gunpoint. Dougan aimed and fired three rounds at the gunman.
Preparing for such scenarios has become common for police after a school shooting in Connecticut last December left 20 children and six teachers dead. But Dougan is no policeman. He's the assistant principal of this school in Arkansas, and when classes resume in August, he will walk the halls with a 9 mm handgun.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Democrats vow to repeal Alabama's "Stand Your Ground law"
By Montgomery Advertiser (AL) - 7/25/2013
A Democratic lawmaker said Tuesday there would be an effort to repeal Alabama's version of Florida's Stand Your Ground law in the next legislative session, but acknowledged it could be a difficult fight.
"We know it will not just be uphill, but up mountain," said Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, at a news conference.
The Stand Your Ground law came into focus following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Florida teen, on Feb. 26, 2012. George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted earlier this month of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in Martin's death.
A Democratic lawmaker said Tuesday there would be an effort to repeal Alabama's version of Florida's Stand Your Ground law in the next legislative session, but acknowledged it could be a difficult fight.
"We know it will not just be uphill, but up mountain," said Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, at a news conference.
The Stand Your Ground law came into focus following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Florida teen, on Feb. 26, 2012. George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted earlier this month of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in Martin's death.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Canada: Quebec loses another gun-registry battle with Ottawa
By The Canadian Press - 7/23/2013
Quebec has come out on the losing side yet again in its gun-registry battle with Ottawa.
The province's highest court has dismissed a Quebec government bid to force Ottawa to keep data related to the federal long-gun registry.
The same court ruled last month that the federal government's destruction of the data was constitutional.
Quebec has come out on the losing side yet again in its gun-registry battle with Ottawa.
The province's highest court has dismissed a Quebec government bid to force Ottawa to keep data related to the federal long-gun registry.
The same court ruled last month that the federal government's destruction of the data was constitutional.
Chicago's Magnificent Mile becoming known as Mugger's Mile
By Jeremy Gorner - 7/24/2013
Chicago Tribune
More of a hub of violent crime than a shopping destination?
That's what the volunteer anti-crime group Guardian Angels claimed Tuesday as it handed out fliers referring to the elegant stretch of North Michigan Avenue as "Muggers Mile."
But Chicago police quickly panned the Guardian Angels' concerns as overblown. The department's crime data suggest strong-arm robberies, like the most recent high-profile one last weekend, have dropped sharply over the past couple of years, according to a Tribune analysis.
The move by the Guardian Angels came after a group of teens on Michigan Avenue mugged a woman from Michigan, stealing her iPhone, and punched a 15-year-old girl from Florida who tried to intervene Friday night.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
US: Communities refuse to enforce state weapons ban
By Don Babwin - 7/20/2013
Associated Press
CHICAGO — Faced with a new state law that gave them until Friday to ban or restrict assault weapons, the vast majority of villages, towns and cities in Illinois did nothing but let the deadline come and go.
On Friday, the Chicago suburb of Winnetka became one of the last communities to get something on the books, when it approved an ordinance that, while not banning assault weapons, regulates how they are transported and stored. It joined the fewer than 20 municipalities that rushed to enact a restriction within 10 days allowed by the state's new concealed carry gun legislation. That's out of 1,300 municipalities around the state.
Associated Press
CHICAGO — Faced with a new state law that gave them until Friday to ban or restrict assault weapons, the vast majority of villages, towns and cities in Illinois did nothing but let the deadline come and go.
On Friday, the Chicago suburb of Winnetka became one of the last communities to get something on the books, when it approved an ordinance that, while not banning assault weapons, regulates how they are transported and stored. It joined the fewer than 20 municipalities that rushed to enact a restriction within 10 days allowed by the state's new concealed carry gun legislation. That's out of 1,300 municipalities around the state.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Race and Self-defense: Blind Justice vs Social or Tribal Justice
By Cooper Sterling - 7/18/2013
We live in an era of extreme racial denial. The nation’s
media and political elites—what Joseph Sobran termed the “hive”—live in a
fantasy realm that dismisses latent racial differences, an existence defined by
unrealistic egalitarianism and hyper-liberalism; racial disparities are merely
symptomatic of the lingering impact of slavery, racism, and discrimination. The
emphasis is always on some inanimate object—“mean” streets, “gun” violence,
“epidemic of violence,” “crack” cocaine, “heat waves,” “underfunding” of Head
Start, the lack of upward “middle class mobility”; or the fault of law
enforcement—“police brutality,” “deficient” law enforcement strategies, “racial
profiling,” or “Stand Your Ground” laws.
. . .A Tale of Two Trials: What the George Zimmerman and O.J. Simpson Verdicts Reveal About Racial Denial
One transparent outcome of the “not guilty” verdict in the
George Zimmerman trial is the racial disconnect between the average American
and the nation’s powerful elites (the mass media, politicians, and “civil
rights” leaders). The ever-widening gulf between racial reality and racial
fantasy—the daily repetition of Black violence in contrast with the
media-driven narrative of nonstop injustices of an oppressed minority—seems
more pronounced in the wake of the Zimmerman verdict.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Why Gun Owners Are Right to Fight Against Gun Control
By David T Hardy - 7/18/2013
. . . .The anti-gun crowd doesn't want "compromise." They want confiscation and control.
In April, the Senate rejected the Toomey-Manchin gun control proposal. In the wake of its defeat many asked why gun owners and their organizations resisted so limited a measure. Granted, it would have had little but symbolic benefit. Its core was to require background checks at gun shows (which Bureau of Justice Statistics concluded involved a whole 0.8 percent of crime guns) and on Internet gun sales (a miniscule proportion, most of which probably go through licensed dealers anyway). But why not accept something so modest, in light of the draconian ideas then being floated as alternatives?
Understanding the rejection requires understanding gun owners'shared experiences. Compromise requires that both parties relinquish something. If your counterparts position is give me this now, and I'll take the rest later, there is no real compromise to be had. Over decades, that has been precisely the experience of American gun owners.
. . . .The anti-gun crowd doesn't want "compromise." They want confiscation and control.
In April, the Senate rejected the Toomey-Manchin gun control proposal. In the wake of its defeat many asked why gun owners and their organizations resisted so limited a measure. Granted, it would have had little but symbolic benefit. Its core was to require background checks at gun shows (which Bureau of Justice Statistics concluded involved a whole 0.8 percent of crime guns) and on Internet gun sales (a miniscule proportion, most of which probably go through licensed dealers anyway). But why not accept something so modest, in light of the draconian ideas then being floated as alternatives?
Understanding the rejection requires understanding gun owners'shared experiences. Compromise requires that both parties relinquish something. If your counterparts position is give me this now, and I'll take the rest later, there is no real compromise to be had. Over decades, that has been precisely the experience of American gun owners.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
US:Openly carrying a rifle? . . . .What are our rights?
By Kim Hilsenbeck
Walking along Goforth Road in Buda last week, two young adults carrying rifles on their backs created quite a stir. But the aftermath may be even more controversial.
Part of a group call Open Carry Texas, which, on the internet, seems to be associated with Opencarry.org, the two young adults were trying to make a statement, videotaping their interaction with police and posting it on YouTube.
What statement? That, by law, they are allowed to openly carry long guns in Texas.
Walking along Goforth Road in Buda last week, two young adults carrying rifles on their backs created quite a stir. But the aftermath may be even more controversial.
Part of a group call Open Carry Texas, which, on the internet, seems to be associated with Opencarry.org, the two young adults were trying to make a statement, videotaping their interaction with police and posting it on YouTube.
What statement? That, by law, they are allowed to openly carry long guns in Texas.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Americans Own Nearly Half of the Privately Owned Guns on Earth -
7/16/2013
In 1994, the United States was home to about 200 million privately owned guns. Today, that number has ballooned to between 270 million and 300 million. That's almost half of all privately owned guns worldwide, according to a new essay from the Brookings Institution.
In 1994, the United States was home to about 200 million privately owned guns. Today, that number has ballooned to between 270 million and 300 million. That's almost half of all privately owned guns worldwide, according to a new essay from the Brookings Institution.
Armed Americans pose no threat
By USA Today - 7/17/2013
Would George Zimmerman have left his car if he hadn't been carrying a gun?
Gun control advocates argue that Zimmerman's Kel-Tec PF-9 brought out his inner Dirty Harry, leading to the tragic shooting of a Florida teen. They reckon restricting firearms ownership would prevent this kind of murderous machismo, making both individuals and society safer.
It's an insidious, irrelevant argument that betrays a profound ignorance of the truth about guns.
Whatever you think about Zimmerman's decision to exit his vehicle, there's no question he had the legal right to do so. Also beyond dispute: Zimmerman was motivated by a desire to safeguard his neighborhood.
The legally carried firearm resting on Zimmerman's hip was there to protect life, not project personal power or facilitate a "hate crime." Don't take my word for it. Lest we forget, a Florida jury accepted his lawyers' argument that their client acted in self-defense.
Would George Zimmerman have left his car if he hadn't been carrying a gun?
Gun control advocates argue that Zimmerman's Kel-Tec PF-9 brought out his inner Dirty Harry, leading to the tragic shooting of a Florida teen. They reckon restricting firearms ownership would prevent this kind of murderous machismo, making both individuals and society safer.
It's an insidious, irrelevant argument that betrays a profound ignorance of the truth about guns.
Whatever you think about Zimmerman's decision to exit his vehicle, there's no question he had the legal right to do so. Also beyond dispute: Zimmerman was motivated by a desire to safeguard his neighborhood.
The legally carried firearm resting on Zimmerman's hip was there to protect life, not project personal power or facilitate a "hate crime." Don't take my word for it. Lest we forget, a Florida jury accepted his lawyers' argument that their client acted in self-defense.
It's Time for Americans to Admit That We've Had a Coup d'etat
By Paul Craig Roberts - 7/15/2013
Are Citizens of the U.S. oppressed by an illegitimate ruling government?
The American people have suffered a coup d'etat, but they are hesitant to acknowledge it. The regime ruling in Washington today lacks constitutional and legal legitimacy. Americans are ruled by usurpers who claim that the executive branch is above the law and that the US Constitution is a mere scrap of paper.
An unconstitutional government is an illegitimate government. The oath of allegiance requires defense of the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. As the Founding Fathers made clear, the main enemy of the Constitution is the government itself. Power does not like to be bound and tied down and constantly works to free itself from constraints.
The basis of the regime in Washington is nothing but usurped power. The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy. Americans are oppressed by an illegitimate government ruling, not by law and the Constitution, but by lies and naked force. Those in government see the US Constitution as a chain that binds our hands.
Are Citizens of the U.S. oppressed by an illegitimate ruling government?
The American people have suffered a coup d'etat, but they are hesitant to acknowledge it. The regime ruling in Washington today lacks constitutional and legal legitimacy. Americans are ruled by usurpers who claim that the executive branch is above the law and that the US Constitution is a mere scrap of paper.
An unconstitutional government is an illegitimate government. The oath of allegiance requires defense of the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. As the Founding Fathers made clear, the main enemy of the Constitution is the government itself. Power does not like to be bound and tied down and constantly works to free itself from constraints.
The basis of the regime in Washington is nothing but usurped power. The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy. Americans are oppressed by an illegitimate government ruling, not by law and the Constitution, but by lies and naked force. Those in government see the US Constitution as a chain that binds our hands.
USDOJ: Stand your ground laws 'senselessly expand the concept of self-defense'
By Orlando Sentinel (FL) - 7/17/2013
ORLANDO, Fla. - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation's first black to hold that post, urged NAACP members convening in Orlando on Tuesday to help overturn stand-your-ground laws that "senselessly expand the concept of self-defense."
The law was expected to be at the center of the second-degree-murder trial of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, but it was not raised at trial. The issue did surface when Zimmerman was arrested.
Rather than prevent violence, Holder said, such laws can encourage it.
"We must stand our ground," Holder said to thunderous applause, "to ensure our laws reduce violence."
ORLANDO, Fla. - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation's first black to hold that post, urged NAACP members convening in Orlando on Tuesday to help overturn stand-your-ground laws that "senselessly expand the concept of self-defense."
The law was expected to be at the center of the second-degree-murder trial of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, but it was not raised at trial. The issue did surface when Zimmerman was arrested.
Rather than prevent violence, Holder said, such laws can encourage it.
"We must stand our ground," Holder said to thunderous applause, "to ensure our laws reduce violence."
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
US Georgia police chief: Gun control talk all wrong
US Georgia police chief: Gun control talk all wrong
By Raquel Okyay - 7/14/2013
The new police chief for a Georgia county that includes 10 percent of Atlanta, Cedric L. Alexander told Guns & Patriots Americans need to hit the reset button when they talk about gun rights and responsibilities.
Today, we have a total disrespect for firearms, said Dr. Cedric L. Alexander, recently appointed chief of the DeKalb County police department. DeKalb County is Georgia's third largest county with more than 730,000 residents.
There is no easy solution to ending gun violence, he said. Unfortunately we are talking about the wrong things.
By Raquel Okyay - 7/14/2013
The new police chief for a Georgia county that includes 10 percent of Atlanta, Cedric L. Alexander told Guns & Patriots Americans need to hit the reset button when they talk about gun rights and responsibilities.
Today, we have a total disrespect for firearms, said Dr. Cedric L. Alexander, recently appointed chief of the DeKalb County police department. DeKalb County is Georgia's third largest county with more than 730,000 residents.
There is no easy solution to ending gun violence, he said. Unfortunately we are talking about the wrong things.
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