No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.7/436 - Release Date: 9/1/2006 From John Farnam: 28 Aug 06 It's the Law in MI! "I have a Remington 870 with a folding stock that was installed by the gunsmith you recommend. Registering it as a pistol seemed like a hassle, until I realized that I could then legally carry it with me in the front seat of my car. This provided a particular benefit for the type of housing-project security contracts we have. The practice seemed curious at first, but my registration card, plus my CCW permit, precluded legal unpleasantries. Now that I'm taking delivery of a new, folding stock RA/XCR, it is my sincerest intention to, once more, register it as a 'pistol.'" Comment: Legal nuances never fail to astonish me. It appears the folding-stock XCR is the perfect rifle for MI after all! /John 28 Aug 06 Ruger Mini-30 At an Urban Rifle/Shotgun Program in OH last weekend, we had, as usual, a number of AR-15s in 223, one DSA/FAL in 308, and one Ruger Mini-30 in 7.62X29 (Soviet-30). All ran fine, except the Ruger, which stopped cycling after hesitantly digesting two hundred rounds of Russian, steel-case ammunition. This is, unfortunately, all too typical for the Ruger Mini-30! We've seen a dozen of them over the last few years, and none have ever finished the program. All have gone down, usually on the first day. This student was using thirty-round magazines (hard to find now), which were difficult to insert, didn't want to lock in place, and generated one stoppage after another! The frustrated student finally put the Ruger away and changed over to a DSA/FAL, which, like all DSAs, ran fine for the rest of the weekend. We see many Ruger Mini-14s, and nearly all are okay, running nearly as well as most other 223, military rifles. But, the Mini-30 is a can of worms. Who wants a reliable, military rifle, chambered for Soviet-30 (7.62X39), should get hold of RA or Krebs and get their hands on a Kalashnikov. Caliber is great (superior to the 223 in every way). Magazines are plentiful and work well, and Kalashnikovs run just fine! /John (I will gladly accept correction if I am mistaken but it is my understanding that the Mini-30 came about as the rescue of an unsuccessful project to chamber the Mini-14 in 7.62x51mm [.308 Winchester]. I am also under the impression that the groove diameter is about .310", a compromise to allow the use of ammunition loaded with American .308" diameter bullets and foreign ammunition, loaded with .311" diameter bullets. I have no personal experience with the gun but I once witnessed a Mini-30 blow its magazine out of the magazine well when it was fired; the owner told me that it was a chronic problem with the gun.) 30 Aug 06 Sage comments from a friend and student in the Philippines: "An acquaintance and I were stuck in traffic last week, and talk drifted to training. He recalled that several years ago, I took the time to attend two courses in the States, one from you and the other from Louis Awerbuck. I described both in detail and sincerely suggested he do something similar. I was disappointed with his response, 'That's all basic. I can do that already. I want to study only high-speed stuff...' He is a competitive shooter and very comfortable. Yet, when on the range together, I am always able to hit far more consistently than is he, albeit slightly slower. He brushes aside his many careless misses as a 'necessary component' of a real fight. Just as importantly, I have managed to maintain my awareness to the point of spotting threats faster than he can, even when he is supposed to be watching my back. This, despite the fact that I am able to afford far fewer toys. My training DTI and Awerbuck accented (1) certainty of hits and (2) follow-through, If anything, your training emphasized that personal victory is predicated on mastery of the basics, and the ability to perform them subconsciously. Many have an adolescent romance with cinematic gunfights and tactics. The cold fact remains that most deadly encounters are quick, extremely violent, and devoid of drama. To ignore a periodic review of basics, under the watchful eye of a professional, is foolish, and will preclude one from ever obtaining the ethereal, high-speed/low drag skills that he may naively seek. The haunting memory of missed Rotators is what drives me to be cautious and deliberate with all my shots. I never properly thanked you for that lesson. It's profound value has now become clear." Comment: My friend, I'm sure, could have obtained similar training from any of my esteemed colleagues. I am honored to have been the one to influence him. /John 30 Aug 06 Vicki, along with two colleagues, spent last week with resident instructors at the USMC facility at Parris Island, SC. I was not there. Here are her comments: "I spent last week observing and training Marine instructors, enlisted and officers, at the Recruit Depot at Parris Island, SC. Our classes concentrated on the subject of teaching women to shoot, in this case, the M-16 Rifle. Everyone there is absolutely dedicated to doing everything possible to teach the young women in their charge to become competent and confident. That is the reason we were asked to come on board. While there, we were able to share with them information about the way women listen and process information, in contrast to the way men listen and process the same information. Perhaps the most astounding aspect of the week's training was when we realized that there are so many topnotch, young women willing to step up and defend our country. We hear precious little about them, but we all should be proud." Comment: It has been our honor to train Marines on a number of occasions over the past two years, in CA, AZ, and now SC. Student rank has ranged from PFC to three-star general! Our students have been characterized by extreme enthusiasm and capricious willingness to adopt new methods, even alter their entire training philosophy. We've shown them, for example, that: (1) Hot ranges are superior, in every way, to cold ranges, because Marines need to spend lots of time handling and carrying loaded guns. Spending time handling unloaded guns is of little value. (2) "Safety" should be defined as "reasonable measures and procedures taken in order to manage risk," instead of the more common, "a maniacal preoccupation with the categorical eradication of all risk, to the point where training goals are swept aside and eventually forgotten entirely," and (3) We're here because our students are here, not the other way around. We exist to serve them. It is our intent to continue to influence the System every chance we get! /John 31 Aug 06 Notes from Iraq, from a friend there: "NDs here continue to be more than just an occasional nuisance. The predictable command response is an endless plethora of high-level directives, declaring that all guns need to be loaded less and unloaded more, in soldiers' hands less, locked up more,. Whenever an ND occurs, several dozen more 'clearing barrels' suddenly appear! The result is that soldiers here, in the zone of supposedly active fighting, have fewer and fewer opportunities to handle and carry live ammunition and loaded guns. The real solution is to teach our soldiers to: (1) Keep fingers in register and out of trigger guards, except when intentionally shooting, and (2) Keep muzzles down." Comment: We're going in the wrong direction! UNARMED SOLDIERS MAKE TEMPTING TARGETS. Didn't we learn that painful lesson in Lebanon in the 1980s? Additional clearing barrels will not solve this dilemma. We need to be training professional gunmen who are accustomed to being armed, all the time. We won't win this war, or any war, with the fearful and timid, smothered in clearing barrels! /John From NRA-ILA: NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 13, No. 35 09/01/06 States with updates this issue: Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. GROUP PROPOSES ANTI-GUN AGENDA AT STATE & LOCAL LEVELS As if we needed any reminder that state and local elections are just as important as those for federal office, the anti-gun lawyers' group, Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), has released a lengthy paper premised on the view, "In the absence of comprehensive federal [gun control] regulation . . . the future of the gun violence prevention [sic] movement depends on building grassroots strength to achieve reform at the state and local levels so that, ultimately, nationwide solutions will be more easily achievable." Toward that end, LCAV urges passage of a variety of state and local laws, and coaches activists on how to write the necessary legislation. In 2004, LCAV published a similar paper proposing state and local "assault weapon" bans more restrictive than the federal ban that expired in September of that year. LCAV's new state and local agenda includes bans on "assault weapons," "large capacity ammunition magazines," handguns, and .50 caliber rifles; increased restrictions on "non-powder guns," such as BB and pellet guns; new and more restrictive minimum age requirements for purchasing and possessing guns and ammunition; strict requirements for gun dealer licensing and operation; background checks on private gun sales; gun owner licensing; gun registration; requiring "personalized" or so-called "smart" features on guns; imposing (presumably unachievable) gun manufacturing standards; requiring ballistic imaging of ammunition shot through privately purchased guns; waiting periods; restrictions on "multiple" gun purchases; and restricting the carrying of guns. The Joyce Foundation, which provided funding for LCAV's paper, got its money's worth, because foolish and false anti-gun verbiage abounds throughout the screed. As an example, it refers to "assault weapons" as, oxymoronically, facilitating "accurate spray firing." And despite a federally-funded study finding otherwise, it claims that semi-automatics that use detachable magazines possess more "lethality" than revolvers. LCAV notes approvingly that many kinds of guns use detachable magazines with more than 10 rounds capacity, and suggests that a restriction not exempt magazines already owned. No anti-gun paper would be complete without a wild statistical exaggeration, and LCAV's is no exception. It claims that, according to the CDC, there are "nearly 100,000 victims each year [of] gun violence," when in fact there are only about 14,000 firearm-related murders, non-negligent manslaughters, and self-defense fatal shootings by private citizens and the police. According to the CDC, however, "gun violence" includes fatal and non-fatal injuries due to criminal assaults, suicides and self-woundings, acts of self-defense by private citizens and law enforcement officers, with firearms, BB guns, pellet guns and various non-lethal guns. There are fewer than 80,000 such injuries annually, and LCAV simply rounded the number up to "nearly 100,000". SECOND ANNUAL "FIREARMS LAW & THE SECOND AMENDMENT SYMPOSIUM" TO EXPLORE PRESENT DAY APPLICATION OF SECOND AMENDMENT The 2006 "Firearms Law & The Second Amendment Symposium" will be held on Saturday, October 7, at George Mason University School of Law, in Arlington, Va. This event is hosted by Law Students for the Second Amendment at GMU, along with The NRA Foundation and NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund. Admission is free. Capitalizing on the success of last year's inaugural event, which brought together some of the nation's sharpest legal minds and more than 100 attendees, this year's event promises to be even better! Panelists will discuss and debate: current Second Amendment scholarship, litigation against the firearm industry, the U.N.'s intrusion into legal domestic gun ownership, and issues involving self-defense and Right-to-Carry reforms. Featured panelists at this year's event will include some of the country's most renowned experts on the Second Amendment and related issues, such as: George Mason's own Professors Nelson Lund and Joyce Lee Malcolm; George Washington University's Profs. Robert Cottrol and Renee Lerner; Lawrence Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation; attorney Richard Gardiner; David Kopel of the Independence Institute; Prof. Brian Patrick from the University of Toledo, and others. This event promises to present a thought provoking discussion of what has become the most controversial freedom in the Bill of Rights. Each Symposium registrant will receive a packet that contains the panelists' written materials on the subject--an excellent source for future reference. For guests who are attorneys, this year's event may once again meet state requirements for continuing legal education. The event, including all materials, food and beverages, is being held without charge. Online reservations will be accepted beginning late next week. To reserve your seat in the meantime, please call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683. YOUR ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THE FOLLOWING FEDERAL LEGISLATION There are a number of pro-gun bills pending in Congress that require your action. Please review these legislative initiatives and be sure to contact your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121, and your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, and urge him or her to cosponsor and support these measures. Additional contact information can be found using the "Write Your Representatives" feature at www.NRAILA.org. . H.R. 5092-Improves BATFE's process for punishing the few FFLs who violate the law, and establishes guidelines for BATFE investigations. This bill was drafted in large part to address recent BATFE abuses at Richmond, VA-area gun shows highlighted in hearings before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. . H.R. 5005-Codifies congressional policies, rolls back restrictions, and corrects errors in federal firearm laws. . H.R. 1384-Removes several antiquated and unnecessary restrictions imposed on interstate firearms transactions since 1968. . H.R. 1288/S. 1082-Repeals the draconian D.C. gun ban and restores the right of lawful District residents to own firearms to defend themselves and their families. . H.R. 4547/S. 3275-Allows any person with a valid carry permit or license issued by a state to carry a concealed firearm in any other state if he or she meets certain criteria. Importantly, the laws of each state governing where concealed firearms may be carried would still apply within its borders. Again, please contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and urge them to cosponsor and support these measures. For additional information on these bills, please visit www.NRAILA.org. NRA-ILA "MIX N' MINGLES" Much is at stake in this year's elections. Voters will decide if we continue to move ahead on the path of pro-gun reform, or if we will revert to the dark Clinton-Gore years. In order to ensure continued success for the Second Amendment, we must elect pro-gun lawmakers this year. To ensure victory for our pro-gun candidate, NRA-ILA will be hosting FREE NRA-ILA "Mix N' Mingles" across the country. These events will provide NRA members with training on what you can do locally to propel candidates to victory. The meetings also provide attendees the opportunity to meet and socialize with lawmakers, candidates, and their staffs; NRA-ILA Headquarters staff, fellow NRA members-and to earn FREE NRA fraternal items such as hats, pocketknives, buttons, etc. "Mix N' Mingles," including materials, food, beverages, and NRA items, are FREE! Mix N' Mingle events are scheduled for: - St. Joseph, MO 09/14/06 - Joplin, MO 09/16/06 - Green Bay, WI 09/21/06 - Towson, MD 09/23/06 - Henderson, NV 09/28/06 - Asheville, NC 09/28/06 - Norwich, CT 09/30/06 - Rock Hill, SC 09/30/06 - Stockton, CA 09/30/06 - New Hartford, NY 10/05/06 - Albuquerque, NM 10/10/06 - Tucson, AZ 10/12/06 - Cincinnati, OH 10/12/06 - Columbus, OH 10/14/06 - Eagan, MN 10/14/06 - Scottsdale, AZ 10/14/06 - St. Cloud, MN 10/16/06 NRA members who have access to the Internet can go to www.nraila.org/workshops/ to reserve their seats on-line. NRA members are encouraged to check this website address frequently to see if "Mix N' Mingles" are scheduled in their area. NRA members may also contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for details and to reserve their seats. ATTEND "LISTENING SESSIONS ON COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION" The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality are holding "listening sessions" around the country to exchange ideas on incentives, voluntary programs, and regulations that can improve results and promote cooperative conservation. These sessions provide a vital opportunity for NRA members and the hunting community to ensure that their voices are heard. The discussion topics will include how the Federal government can: · Better respect the interests of people with ownership in land, water, and other natural resources · Enhance wildlife habitat, species protection, and other conservation outcomes through regulatory and voluntary conservation programs · Enhance cooperation among federal agencies and with states, tribes, and local communities in the application of environmental protection and conservation laws · Work with states, tribes, and other public- and private-sector partners to improve science used in environmental protection and conservation · Work cooperatively with businesses and landowners to protect the environment and promote conservation These meetings will guide the federal government in the development of future policy proposals that build upon the success of cooperative conservation. The sessions listed below are the first of at least two-dozen that will be held around the country: Corpus Christi, Texas, 1 p.m., Sept. 5, 2006, Omni Marina Hotel, Riviera Ballroom. U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary David Sampson will attend. Show Low, Arizona, 10 a.m., Sept. 12, 2006, Northland Pioneer College, Silver Creek Campus (Snowflake), Performing Arts Center Theatre (PAC-103). U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Mark Rey will attend. Redding, California, 1 p.m., Sept. 13, 2006, Cascade Theater, U. S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment Mark Rey will attend. Colorado Springs, Colorado, 9:00 a.m., September 15, 2006, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the Gymnasium. United States Department of Agriculture Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey will attend. Pottstown, Pennsylvania, 10 a.m., Sept. 18, 2006, Montgomery County Community College - Community Room, 101 College Drive. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson will attend. Brewer, Maine, 4:00 p.m., September 20, 2006, Jeff's Catering Banquet and Convention Center. Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne will attend. Brunswick, Georgia, 1:00 p.m., September 21, 2006, Coastal Georgia Community College, Southeast Georgia Conference Center. H. Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will attend. Waco, Texas, 10:00 a.m., Sept. 27, 2006, Waco Convention Center. Deputy Assistant Interior Secretary David Verhey will attend. Colton, California, 10:00 a.m., September 28, 2006, Colton High School Auditorium. Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne will attend. Please be sure to attend and participate in these critically important sessions that will guide the federal government in the development of future policy proposals. Let your voice be heard! For more information, please refer to the "Listening Session" page on the Cooperative Conservation Website at http://cooperativeconservation.gov. A LOOK AT THE STATES (***For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org. For information on NRA-PVF candidate endorsements, NRA members are encouraged to call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683), or visit www.NRAPVF.org. If you go to the NRA-PVF site, you will have to provide your NRA member ID number to access the site. Your NRA member ID number can be found on the front of your NRA magazine or on your NRA membership card. Your ID number on the magazine's mailing label is the 10-digit number that follows the code: #07901. Examples of how to find your ID number can also be found at www.NRAPVF.org on the login page accessed by choosing your state. As always, thank you for your support.***) States with updates this issue: Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. ARIZONA The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is seeking public comment on the draft "Wildlife 2012" plan, which, according to AZGFD, is a "strategic plan that will guide how the agency manages wildlife, outdoor recreational opportunities, and its own operations for the next six years." Because the AZGFD determines issues important to the pro-gun hunting community in Arizona (such as shooting ranges, access to public lands, and overall hunting policies), it is extremely important that NRA members attend these informational meetings. The meeting dates are as follows (all meetings will be held from 6-9:00 p.m.): Yuma, Wednesday, September 6, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office, 9140 E. 28th Street; Kingman, Monday, September 11, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road; Flagstaff, Tuesday, September 12, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 3500 S. Lake Mary Road; Mesa, Thursday, September 14,Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 7200 E. University Drive; Pinetop, Friday, September 15, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.; and Tucson, Monday, September 18, Arizona Game and Fish Department/Regional Office: 555 N. Greasewood Road. For a copy of the "Wildlife 2012" plan, please visit www.azgfd.gov. CALIFORNIA AB352, legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Paul Koretz (D-42), that would require that after a certain date, the make, model, and serial number be microstamped onto the interior surface or internal working parts of all handguns in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted onto the cartridge case upon firing, was defeated in the closing minutes of the session last night. Per AB352, Handguns that did not include their identifying information would be defined as "unsafe," and their manufacture, sale, and transfer would be a crime. AB2714, sponsored by Assembly Member Alberto Torrico (D-20), is on the way to the desk of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). This legislation would require that no ammunition (or reloaded ammunition) may be sold in a retail transaction unless the purchaser personally presents evidence of his or her identity and age, as specified, to the seller of the ammunition. Additionally, it would severely undermine California's state preemption law. Please contact Governor Schwarzenegger today at (916)-445-2841, by fax at (916) 445-4633, and e-mail by visiting http://www.govmail.ca.gov to urge him to protect your Second Amendment freedom by vetoing AB2714. FLORIDA The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 5! For more information on voting in Florida, please use the following link: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on September 5! MARYLAND The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 12! For more information on voting in Maryland, please use the following link: www.elections.state.md.us/. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on September 12! Also, a Friends of NRA dinner and fundraiser will be held at the Holiday Inn in Cumberland, on Wednesday September 20, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The committee promises an entertaining evening with good food, great prizes, and a lively auction. Some of the great items featured for auction include the "2006 Weatherby .270 Gun of the Year," the "Case Buffalo Knife of the Year," and the "2006 Eagle Print of the Year," by Cole Johnson. 100% of the money raised at the dinner will be used to fund programs such as Women's and Youth safety and educational initiatives at the national and local level, with 50% of funds staying in the state of Maryland. For tickets or further information, please call chairman, Donald Schneider at (304) 738-2055. MICHIGAN The "2nd Annual Friends of the NRA Michigan Celebrity Shoot" will be held on Saturday, September 9! Please come join us as we get warmed up for hunting season by shooting with local celebrities, or just come for dinner. Also enjoy our many gun raffles and limited edition NRA commemorative items in our live and silent auctions! The "NRA Michigan Celebrity Shoot" is being held September 9, at the Detroit Gun Club (DGC), in Commerce Township. This is a 100-target shotgun fun shoot that includes 50 targets of Sporting Clays, 25 targets of Skeet, and 25 targets of Trap. All targets, shells, lunch, and steak dinner is included! Everyone will also receive a 4"x 6" squad photo. Some of the celebrities that attended last year were: former Detroit Tiger pitcher and World Series record holder, Mickey Lolitch; former Detroit Red Wing, Dennis Hextall; State Senator Nancy Cassis (R-15); and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard (currently running for U.S. Senate against anti-gun Debbie Stabenow); among many others. This is a great time to gather and shoot with pro-NRA celebrities, while also raising money to protect and promote the shooting sports for future generations! Money raised at Friends of the NRA events go toward educational programs, with 50% of the money staying in Michigan to be made available for pro-Second Amendment worthy causes in the form of grants. ADVANCE TICKET SALES ONLY - NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT! To buy your tickets, or for further information, please contact Jerry Kraus, Chairman of Oakland County Friends of the NRA, at (248) 706-1513, or by e-mail at jerrykraus@comcst.net. MINNESOTA The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 12! For more information on voting in Minnesota, please use the following link: www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=134. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on September 12! NEBRASKA In response to the concealed carry ban that currently exists in Kearney, some local citizens organized the Kearney "Right to Carry Concealed" Taskforce. The taskforce held their first meeting on Thursday August 24, to brainstorm ideas to help inform the City Council that concealed permit holders are law-abiding citizens and not criminals. The organizer and point of contact for all citizens interested in joining this group is Walter Kamp. He can be reached at 308-236-7854, or by mail at: 4664 W. Highway 30, #4, Kearney, NE 68845. Please continue to contact the Kearney City Council members at (308) 233-3216 and ask them to support lifting the city's ban on concealed firearms. NEW YORK The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 12! For more information on voting in New York, please use the following link: www.elections.state.ny.us/portal/page?_pageid=35,1,35_8617&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on September 12! In addition, the Sportsmen's Association for Firearms Education Inc. (S.A.F.E.) will be hosting its "2006 Right-to-Carry Conference & Second Amendment Rally" on Sunday, October 1, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 12:00 noon). The event will be held at the Sheraton, Long Island, 110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Smithtown, NY, (631) 231-1100, (on Motor Parkway on the North side of LIE between exits 53 & 55). In attendance at the event will be: Wayne R. LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President; Bob Barr, Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives and NRA Board Member; Jim Fotis, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Alliance of America; John Faso, Republican Candidate for New York State Governor; John Spencer, Republican/Conservative Candidate for U.S. Senate from New York; and John L. Cushman, S.A.F.E. President and Founder, and NRA Board Member. Attendees will get the latest information on the Right-to-Carry nationwide and locally. You will meet and network with fellow sportsmen and women concerning your civil rights and those of your children and grandchildren. This conference will raise issues of concern and give suggested courses of action with local and national leaders of Second Amendment organizations and legislators from all levels of government. You will also have a chance to win valuable prizes in drawings limited to attendees only. Admission and parking is free, and the event is open to your family and friends. RHODE ISLAND The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 12! For more information on voting in Rhode Island, please use the following link: www.elections.state.ri.us/. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on September 12! WISCONSIN The 2006 Primary elections are being held Tuesday, September 12! For more information on voting in Wisconsin, please use the following link: http://elections.state.wi.us/section.asp?linkid=155&locid=47. Be sure to "Vote Freedom First" on September 12! Registration for the NRA and Future Wisconsin Sportsmen's Conference is filling up fast! This event is open to the public, and the cost is $10. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 9, at the Bluemound Gardens Conference Center, 11703 West Bluemound Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226. The event begins at 7:00 a.m., with a breakfast buffet. Conference speakers include State Senators Tom Reynolds and Dave Zien, and State Representative Scott Gunderson among others. In conjunction with this event, you'll want to make plans to also join NRA-ILA Grassroots Division Director, Glen Caroline, and your fellow NRA members, for socializing at a FREE NRA-ILA Mix N' Mingle beginning at 1:30 p.m. To RSVP, please call (414) 258-1719, or e-mail jean@widigest.com. For more information, please visit www.widigest.com. -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .