Another "Deal" From The NRA: The Oregon Firearms Federation takes a skeptical look at the NRA's deal with senior Democrats to "enhance" the NICS background check process, with mandates for states to furnish mental-health data. http://oregonfirearms.org/alertspage/06.10.07%20alert.html Related Commentary: http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/06/negotiate-rights-away.html --- College Students And Self-Defense: Gun Week's Dave Workman writes a letter to a Virginia newspaper lauding the efforts of Texas governor Rick Perry to eliminate no-carry zones for CHL-holders. http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/062007/06102007/287822 --- Open Carry Sparks Utah Debate: David Nelson is an activist for gay rights and gun rights, and those two passions collided last weekend during the Pride Festival at Washington Square in Salt Lake City. Nelson, a co-founder of the festival, also is the founder of Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah, formerly known as the "Pink Pistols." A concealed-weapon permit holder, he attended the festival with his pistol in a holster on his hip... http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_6102977 --- Indianapolis City Council Considers Firearm-Discharge Ban: The Indianapolis City county council takes up a controversial gun ordinance Monday night...Sponsor Angela Mansfield says what it does is expand the ordinance banning gunfire within city limits to all of Marion county. She says what it doesn't do is prevent people from shooting in self-defense, at authorized shooting ranges or on five acres or more of private property. http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=6637794&nav=9Tai --- Texas Liberal Gets His CHL: ...Given this liberal caveat, I am also a strong backer of the Second Amendment, though not as rigidly as my conservative friends. I am close to a First Amendment absolutist. Since the Second Amendment deals with bullets instead of words, I am a bit more cautious. Someone could get hurt. And you couldn't talk me into joining the NRA if you put a gun to my head. Well, maybe then... http://www.lufkindailynews.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2007/06/10/borders.html --- Three Kinds Of People: Criminologist Mike Adams presents his own view of the concept of people as sheep, wolves and sheepdogs after reading Dave Grossman's and Loren Christensen's book On Combat. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=three_kinds_of_people&ns=MikeSAdams&dt=06/11/2007&page=full&comments=true --- Way Back When...: An article about the Girl Scouts mentions that the organization's first handbook, published in 1913, includes a chapter on self-defense, instructing that "all Girl Scouts should know how to load and fire a gun or other firearms." (This part is about halfway down the page.) http://www.newsday.com/features/printedition/longislandlife/ny-licov5246242jun10,0,4765900.story?coll=ny-lilife-print --- And In Australia?: The state of Victoria's biggest pro-gun group wants children as young as 10 to be given firearms safety lessons and a chance to shoot. Combined Firearms Council of Victoria president Bill Paterson said controlled use of real guns would counter damage done to children who use firearms for virtual killing in video games. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21878959-661,00.html --- That Scene From Miami Vice: My CWP students will remember my caution that if you take someone at gunpoint and order them to raise their hands, the hands must be raised as high as they can go. I refer to the Miami Vice scene with Jim Zubiena, which is now available online. (Note that Zubiena was an IPSC competitor and reflexively cleared his pistol after shooting. A tactically unsound move, the director loved it and kept it in. Also silly, was leaving the gloves at the scene, with fingerprints on the inner surfaces.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOaGg1nXhgg -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .