Obama Lobbied By Prohibitionist Mayors: Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy chatted with one of the Democratic Party's brightest stars last week when he met Illinois Sen. Barack Obama during a mayors summit in Washington, D.C., that called for tougher federal gun control laws. http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1170400151286690.xml&coll=3 --- How NYC Controls "Illegal Guns": The New York Police Department released new information yesterday showing that police officers stopped 508,540 individuals on New York City streets last year - an average of 1,393 stops per day - often searching them for illegal weapons...It was unclear last night how much of the increase in stops was due to suspected gun possession or how many led to gun arrests. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/03/nyregion/03frisk.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=nyregion&pagewanted=all --- Nebraska Pre-Emption Bill Gets Unfriendly Reception: Those attending the Chamber Legislature Conference call this morning gave an overwhelming 'No' vote to Sen. Mark Christensen's bill that would limit the power of cities to regulate the carrying of concealed handguns as allowed by a new state law... Christensen defended LB695 and cited it was needed as inconsistencies exist the way the law is presently written. http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1187829.html http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/02/02/news/politics/doc45c3af3cda4c0782444826.txt --- Deal Appears To Be Made On Utah Campus Carry: Lawmakers and higher-education officials appear to have agreed on a bill that would enable universities to regulate guns in student dormitories and faculty and staff offices and put an end to a protracted legal battle over guns on campus. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5141315 --- Kansas University Town Unfriendly To CCW: Since the Jan. 1 enactment of the Kansas Family Safety Act, more commonly known as Concealed Carry, state residents can apply for a permit to carry concealed weapons. Several locations around Lawrence and the University of Kansas now display the image of a handgun with a red slash through it, similar to the traditional "No Smoking" logo commonly seen on storefronts and public sites. http://www.kansan.com/stories/2007/feb/02/guns/?news --- Longenecker Continues To Beat The Drum For S 388: John Longenecker continues his series supporting CCW for private citizens and S 388, the Senate version of the bill to mandate nationwide CCW reciprocity. (Some of us, however, dread letting the feds get involved in dictating recognition of CCW licensure for fear that it will lead to federal standards for such licensure, which could become very restrictive.) http://mensnewsdaily.com/2007/02/02/concealed-carry-of-weapons-superior-to-taking-weapons-s388-part-iii/ --- Florida's New Governor Concerned With CCW "Loopholes": Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday he was concerned about lawbreakers who are licensed to carry guns in Florida and was planning to meet with the commissioner in charge of issuing the licenses to discuss the problem. The comments from the newly elected governor, who most recently was Florida's attorney general, came in response to a series of stories this week in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that exposed how more than 1,400 people had valid concealed weapon licenses even though they pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-201cristguns,0,2352902.story?coll=sfla-news-sfla --- Stand-Your-Ground Bill Reintroduced In Minnesota: Saying Minnesotans have a right to defend themselves, an area lawmaker is planning to announce legislation today that would make it easier for people to use deadly force when threatened. http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_033110740.html --- Minnesota Farmer Charged After Chasing Thief: A farmer who chased down a thief and held him at gunpoint until authorities arrived now faces a more serious charge than the thief himself. Kenneth Englund, 74, was charged with second-degree assault, a felony. The thief, who the sheriff said admitted stealing about $5 worth of gasoline from Englund's neighbor, was charged with misdemeanor theft. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16942458/ --- Scientist Sentenced To 14 Years For Molestation: William French Anderson, among the world's most acclaimed scientists, was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison for sexually abusing the daughter of a researcher at his lab at USC. (Some may recall that Anderson, a police buff, used his own funds to write and publish Forensic Analysis of the April 11, 1986, FBI Firefight, which was distributed free to the law-enforcement community. For those who may wish to read it, a later edition is available from Paladin Press.) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-anderson3feb03,1,1563747.story?coll=la-headlines-california http://www.azstarnet.com/news/167557 --- Indiana Man Acquitted In Self-Defense Shooting: Jurors acquitted a defendant who claimed he acted in self-defense in a shootout at a busy commercial area of the city that killed a man...Winston took the stand and said he had no choice but to shoot after Moore came at him and his family with a gun...Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Peelle said evidence disputed Winston's claim that Moore fired the first shot. (I doubt that Indiana law requires allowing an assailant to fire the first shot.) http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/16609164.htm --- Wisconsin Self-Defense Shooter Charged With CCW: A pizza deliveryman who has shot two people on the job in the past seven months was hit with his first criminal charge Wednesday: carrying a concealed weapon. Andres Vegas, 46, who told authorities that the teenagers he shot last month and in July were trying to rob him, appeared in court and was released on a $1,500 signature bond Wednesday. He faces up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor. (Wisconsin remains one of two American states that have no statutory provision for private citizens to legally carry concealed firearms.) http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=560194 --- Rule Two, Rule Three Reminder: A Baltimore police officer making a traffic stop escaped serious injury when a bullet fired accidentally by a fellow officer struck his protective vest, police said. (Rule Two: Never let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot. Rule Three: Keep your finger out of the trigger guard, up on the frame, until your sights are on the target and you're prepared to fire.) http://www.examiner.com/a-541171~Baltimore_police_officer_shot__vest_stops_bullet.html http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-officer0131,0,6196367.story?coll=bal-home-headlines --- Does The New Testament Call For Pacifism?: David Kopel challenges Christian pacifists who use the Bible to push their agenda. As usual, Kopel provides an analysis of relevant quotations. http://davekopel.org/Religion/Is-the-best-defense-a-good-book.pdf Further Discussion: http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_01_21-2007_01_27.shtml#1169659075 --- Anti-Gun Columnist Dead Of Breast Cancer: She explained her views on gun control this way: "I am not anti-gun. I'm pro-knife. Consider the merits of the knife. In the first place, you have to catch up with someone in order to stab him. A general substitution of knives for guns would promote physical fitness. We'd turn into a whole nation of great runners. Plus, knives don't ricochet. And people are seldom killed while cleaning their knives." http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770201071 --- Knife Rights: An organization, previously know as the US Knife and Tool Association, seeks to provide knife owners with the same sort of advocacy and educational services as gun owners receive from a few complementary organizations. http://www.kniferights.org/ --- A Ray Of Hope In New Zealand Shooting Case?: The father of a man facing charges for allegedly shooting an intruder in self-defence in his Auckland gun shop says he is heartened by a judge's comments...Mr Carvell's father, Ray, who was at the sentencing of the man who was shot, says he is pleased at the critical comments Justice Rhys Harrison made over charges laid against his son. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200702022243/judges_comments_over_shooting_please_father -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .