No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.3/174 - Release Date: 11/17/2005 Louisiana Legislator Pushes For Return Of Firearms: A state legislator has introduced a resolution to speed the return of of firearms illegally confiscated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051117/NEWS01/511170315/1002/NEWS --- Illinois Governor Intervenes In Gun Shop Licensing: A couple that is trying to reopen a Chicago-area gun shop that had developed an unsavory reputation under prior management has had the state's governor ask BATFE to refuse them an FFL. http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gun17.html --- Oops, Wrong House: A Utah man chose the wrong house to burglarize. All's well that ends well but this family seems not to have had a plan to deal with an intruder - if you fail to plan, plan to fail. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=129699 --- Oops, Wrong Business: A disgruntled former employee returned to a Christmas light company in Dallas and threatened two people at the scene with a firearm. He was then fatally shot by the business owner, who happens to be the son of a former local police chief. (Some of the details are from a separate report that requires registration to view.) http://www.nbc5i.com/news/5346972/detail.html --- Trigger Locks Kill: WorldNetDaily's Joseph Farah points out that accidental deaths involving firearms appear to be statistically insignificant yet laws continue to be passed mandating trigger locks. (He fails to point out that placing a lock inside a trigger guard is a violation of Rule Three.) http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47462 --- Rule Five Reminder: This tragedy may not have been preventable but it is worth noting that the killer was able to obtain a handgun from a friend, whether loaned or stolen. (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002628454_brodeur17m.html --- John Lott To Speak In Columbus OH: John Lott will speak at Capital University in Columbus OH on November 30. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article2817.html --- From KABA: Cast Your Vote In New Poll on 2006 Gun Rights Priority If you have not already done so, go to KeepAndBearArms.com and cast your vote in the poll. What should the number one priority in 2006 for the Gun Rights movement be? The poll appears in the left hand column of the web page. National gun rights organizations are monitoring this poll closely. --- From GOA: URGENT!!! URGENT!!! -- House to Vote Soon On Granting FBI Unlimited Access To Gun Sales Records 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 Thursday, November 17, 2005 Registration leads to confiscation. We all know that, and that is why GOA has vehemently opposed all attempts by government forces to compile or retain information pertaining to lawful firearms purchases. But in the name of fighting terrorism, the United States Congress is getting ready to trample on the rights of law-abiding Americans, no matter what the Constitution (and current law) happens to say. The House will be voting as early as this Friday (tomorrow) on the PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill (H.R. 3199). Congressmen have been ironing out differences in the House and Senate versions of the bill for quite some time, as GOA -- along with other interested organizations -- has watched carefully to see what the House-Senate conferees would produce. Well, the product stinks. GOA alerted you in June to the potential dangers in this legislation. Unfortunately, the problems have remained in the bill, and it poses a very dangerous threat to gun owners. This LATEST version of this bill has yet to be posted on Thomas (the legislative website for Congress) and, most likely, legislators won't even have this language in front of them before they vote on it. As has happened quite often, they MIGHT get a copy of the bill right before they vote, but they will certainly not have time to read it. That's why it's so important that you contact your Representative and tell him that gun owners are VERY concerned with this legislation. Capitol Hill sources have told GOA there is a provision in this bill (Section 215) which would allow the FBI to get a secret court order to seize ANY business records it believes would be relevant to an anti-terrorism investigation... without having to make the case that the gun records they're confiscating have any connection to a suspected terrorist. Hence, in the name of fighting terrorism, the FBI will be given a license for unbridled fishing expeditions. Gun sales are business transactions, and FFL holders must retain copies of the 4473 forms (yellow sheets) filled out on every gun sale. Thus, an anti-gun administration could easily determine that such records would be useful in the fight against terrorism, and demand them all. But that's not all. More than just your gun purchase records are at stake. Financial and medical records, library records and much more will now be open to FBI fishing expeditions. They won't have to get any prior court approval. It gets worse. If the gun dealer, where you purchased firearms, is required to hand over your gun purchase records, he is BARRED from telling you about it under the PATRIOT Act. So that dealer would be the ONLY person who could contest the action before your life is raked over the coals... and honestly, how many among us would risk everything rather than tell the feds who it was that stopped by to pick up a Glock a couple of months ago? Once the FBI has used these secret court orders to collect all gun purchase records across the country, your friendly anti-gun but oh-so-patriotic government would have brought about the gun owner's second-worst-case scenario: a national firearms registration list. Registration leads to confiscation. This monstrosity must be stopped. Please take the action requested below, and urge all freedom-loving Americans you know to do the same. ACTION: Contact your Representative. Politely but firmly demand that they oppose the conference version of the Patriot Act (H.R. 3199), and specifically, its provision to allow secret court orders to collect gun records. You can use the pre-written message below and send it as an e-mail by visiting the GOA Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm (where phone and fax numbers are also available). -----Pre-written letter----- Dear Representative: The Patriot Act expansion bill (H.R. 3199) would allow the United States government to seize every lawful gun sale record in the country... solely on the basis of a bureaucrat's determination that a national registry of gun owners would be useful in an anti-terrorism investigation. Registration leads to confiscation. Section 215 of the bill allow agents of the federal government to get secret court orders for any and all business records which, in their opinion, are relevant to investigating terrorism. Gun sales are business transactions, and FFL holders must retain copies of the 4473 forms (yellow sheets) filled out on every gun sale. Thus, an anti-gun administration could easily determine that such records would be useful in the fight against terrorism, and demand them all. Even more ominous, the gun dealers would be required NOT to disclose the existence of the investigation to their customers, meaning that the dealer (rather than the gun purchaser) would be the only person who could contest this action. And why should he risk his livelihood on my behalf? This is massive gun control by simple executive fiat. There is an illusory right to challenge the secrecy of the court orders, but it's just that... an illusion. If the government claims there is a national security issue at stake or that there's an ongoing criminal investigation, then the FBI's fishing expedition can remain a secret and remain unchallenged. I believe that a national gun registry is a step this country cannot afford to take, and one that the citizenry will not abide. I would ask you, in the strongest terms, to oppose this Patriot Act "reform" bill outright, and especially its secret court order provision. Please vote against H.R. 3199. Sincerely, **************************** Stop Supporting the Big Anti-gun Internet Service Providers! The parent companies of AOL / Time Warner / Compuserve, Sprint / Mindspring / Earthlink, and Southwestern Bell -- just to name a few -- have all given money in the past to Sarah Brady. Now, there is an ISP dedicated to gun rights and the sporting life. Plus a portion of your monthly fee will be donated to GOA. By switching to Outdoors Unlimited, you move money away from the Brady Bunch and to the fight for the Second Amendment. Check out http://www.outdoorsunlimited.net and consider switching your Internet service today. **************************** -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .