Parker/Heller, Again: ... Indeed, in the most authoritative explication of our Constitution, The Federalist Papers, its principal author, James Madison, wrote in No. 46, "The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any..." Alexander Hamilton was equally unambiguous on the importance of arms to a republic, writing in Federalist No. 28, "If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense..." Justice Joseph Story, appointed to the Supreme Court by James Madison, wrote, "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them." In other words, the right of the people to bear arms is the most essential of the rights enumerated in our Constitution, because it ensures the preservation of all other rights. http://archive.patriotpost.us/pub/07-46_Digest/ --- Pro-RKBA Democrats Seek Power In Virginia Senate: The Virginia General Assembly could become more friendly to gun rights advocates despite gains by Democrats in state elections this month, several lawmakers and advocates said... Democrats will control the state Senate with a 21 to 19 majority when lawmakers begin their new terms in January, but those who support stricter controls on gun possession and purchases will hold only a narrow majority in the Senate Democratic Caucus. Several Democratic proponents of gun rights are seeking seats on the committee that considers gun bills, and the possibility looms that the issue could get greater attention in coming months than under the moderate Republicans who had controlled the Senate and the committee. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701538.html --- Utahns Exercise Open-Carry Rights: Most Utahns are aware their state issues an easily obtained concealed-weapon permit. By passing a background check and basic course in gun safety, anyone over 21 can qualify to carry an undercover gun. But in how many places, outside parts of Africa and the Middle East, can you legally stroll down the street with a semi-automatic carbine slung over your shoulder, let alone a handgun on your hip? "Any citizen over 18 can protect themselves by openly carrying a firearm," says Brian Nelson, an emergency vehicle equipment salesman who lives in Layton. Nelson is the spokesman for the Utah branch of OpenCarry.org, a national network organization whose motto is "A right unexercised is a right lost." http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_7496036 --- In Loco Parentis?: Boston police are launching a program that will call upon parents in high-crime neighborhoods to allow detectives into their homes, without a warrant, to search for guns in their children's bedrooms. The program, which is already raising questions about civil liberties, is based on the premise that parents are so fearful of gun violence and the possibility that their own teenagers will be caught up in it that they will turn to police for help, even in their own households. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/17/police_to_search_for_guns_in_homes/ --- More California Police Get Patrol Rifles: In Oakland, violent crime skyrocketed by 1,870 incidents. To help crack down on this surge, more police are upgrading their firepower. A recent poll conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police found that all 20 departments randomly surveyed have either added weapons to patrol units, or have replaced firearms with military-style guns. Our investigation found that San Francisco Police will soon be part of this trend. Next year, the police department will implement a patrol rifle program, where assault-style weapons will be standard issue for street cops. (However, they remain banned for private citizens who reside in that state.) http://www.ktvu.com/station/14553769/detail.html --- FBI Forensic Test Quietly Abandoned Two Years Ago: ... The science, known as comparative bullet-lead analysis, was first used after President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963. The technique used chemistry to link crime-scene bullets to ones possessed by suspects on the theory that each batch of lead had a unique elemental makeup. In 2004, however, the nation's most prestigious scientific body concluded that variations in the manufacturing process rendered the FBI's testimony about the science "unreliable and potentially misleading." Specifically, the National Academy of Sciences said that decades of FBI statements to jurors linking a particular bullet to those found in a suspect's gun or cartridge box were so overstated that such testimony should be considered "misleading under federal rules of evidence." A year later, the bureau abandoned the analysis. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701681.html?hpid=topnews&sub=AR&sid=ST2007111701983 --- Rule Three Reminder: ...The suspect "was subsequently chased into a dark alleyway in the 100 block of Locust Street," the statement said, adding that he "would not comply with officers' commands to show his hands" and "remained in a crouched position with his hands out of view." According to the police account, officers tried to "pull him up" and take him into custody. At that point, "there was an accidental discharge" from Officer Howlett's weapon. (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. The risk of a negligent discharge when the finger is left inside the trigger guard is magnified greatly if the non-gun hand engages in some sort of grasping action, prompting a sympathetic response by the gun hand.) http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/nyregion/18shot.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin --- Rule Four Quandary: The two undercover police officers who got into a shootout with a shotgun-toting robber at a Vietnamese restaurant during lunch Wednesday also shot the three patrons injured in the melee, Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said Thursday evening. Whitman lauded the officers' quick thinking and credited them for saving lives, saying they were in an "impossible situation" between deciding to fire at the gunman or have him take a hostage...The chief said each officer fired six times. The injured patrons were seated behind the gunman. (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it. We must always be absolutely sure of our target but, in a fight, may not even perceive what's beyond it - this is why it's crucial to select ammunition whose bullet has a good likelihood of remaining within the intended target.) http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7477082 --- NRA-ILA Alerts: Alerts for the various states are posted on the NRA-ILA website. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/State/ --- From John Farnam: 14 Nov 07 On a History Channel presentation, entitled "Shootout-Iwo Jima," it was revealed that, when the battle was supposed to be won and over, somebody forgot to update the Japanese! While exhausted US Marines slept in tents, having been assured that they were "perfectly safe," a group of Japanese soldiers, armed only with knives, entered the tents and began systematically butchering the sleeping Marines. A Marine lieutenant awoke, saw what was happening, and fought back boldly with his K-Bar knife. Because of his courage and audacity, he lived through it. Many of his comrades didn't! Curiously, this embarrassing chapter is customarily omitted from most Iwo Jima battle accounts! Someone up the food chain had withdrawn all ammunition and most weapons from these Marines, afraid that they may have accidents, shoot locals, etc. At least, that was the cover story. In the final analysis, a general, whoever he was, didn't trust these men with guns. "Safety" was used as a convenient, and innocent-sounding, prevarication, much as it is today. Something similar occurred forty-four years earlier at Balangiga, Island of Samar, Philippines, again to unarmed Marines. And, again, it was the direct result of arrogant, self-righteous officers, afraid of guns, afraid of their men. The same thing happened to and entire battalion of US Marines in Lebanon in 1982. All that is needed to convert these pathetic massacrers into brilliant victories is that soldiers and Marines be continuously equipped with tools they need to accomplish their mission and protect themselves. Yet, military "leaders " still casually put men and women in harm's way without the necessary tools of their profession. It infuriates me every time I hear of our brave servicemen and women who are ordered to disarm in combat zones, so that they are all "safe." The second point greened from the Iwo Jima incident is that, no matter what the odds, victory is still within our reach, when we make it a habit of always looking for a way to win. All true Operators need to be able to instantly bring about a change in intensity and attitude, to "switch" from defense to offense, and to make this switch in an instant, accepting everything that comes after. Operators must always be pessimistic, even cynical, with regard to their "safety" at any place and at all times, accepting that deadly danger is never more than a second or two away. Indeed, naive assurances of "safety" are, and ought to be, objects of contemptuous laughter! However, while always being armed and on guard, Operators need to be simultaneously sanguine, confident in their own ability and will to do what need to be done and accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Having great faith in ourselves and none in circumstances, we go always forward, boldly! "Never give in to adversity. Never trust prosperity. And, never fail to take full note of fortune's irritating habit of doing exactly as she pleases!" /John 16 Nov 07 Earlier this week, I shot a four-hundred-pound Red Deer Stag during a hunting trip in the Midwest. Range was thirty meters, and I had a profile shot. He was hit, as is my habit, on the point of the shoulder. He took two steps and precipitously collapsed. Beautiful animal! I used my DSA/FAL/Congo with a forward-mounted Micro-Aimpoint and equipped with a Blue-Force-Gear/Vickers sling. Ammunition was Cor-Bon 168gr DPX. The opportunity was sudden. We saw the animal standing there, appearing, as it were, out of nowhere, and I was compelled to mount and fire immediately, as the window was closing fast. The FAL/Aimpoint combination is formidable! Fast and deadly, I was on him in an instant. When my shot broke, I caught the link immediately as I stayed in the sight, but decided against taking a second shot. It was my judgement that another hit was unnecessary. With the Micro/Aimpoint forward-mounted, I can shoot with both eyes open and thus stay in the sight longer than would be the case if I were using open sights or if the optic were mounted close to my eye. It is the set-up I recommend. The single DPX bullet did not exit, and we never recovered it, but, judging from the behavior of the deer, I have no doubt it performed well, as all Barnes bullets do! Vicki shot a running ram at one-hundred meters with her M1-Carbine, also using Cor-Bon DPX ammunition. Spectacular shot! One shot, and he was down for the count. Bullet went through-and-through, penetrating twelve inches of tissue. Iron sights still work just fine! As an Urban/Fighting Rifle, the FAL/Congo is hard to beat! Fast, handy, and relatively light, one can drive it to target in the wink of an eye, particularly when it is equipped with the Vickers sling. The M1-Carbine is an ideal car-gun. Short and light, with mild recoil and muzzle blast, it still packs a wallop! DPX ammunition has made it a legitimate weapon for both hunting and fighting. No point in using anything else! Great day! /John (John speaks of the Cor-Bon load making the M1 Carbine a legitimate weapon. I have carried one in my truck for years, secured in a Waller Soft Safe, whose magazine pockets allow me to pack a basic load of 120 rounds. For years all eight magazines were loaded with Winchester's very dynamic "hollow softpoint" X30M1 load, of which Jim Cirillo spoke very fondly. Since the advent of the Cor-Bon load for the M1 Carbine, I have split my basic load into 60 rounds of each. John places a high priority on being able to shoot through vehicle doors, which he claims the Cor-Bon load will do. On the other hand, it will also exit after penetrating 12 inches of living tissue. Since my Carbine is carried without a magazine in place, splitting my basic load allows, indeed forces, me to select the more appropriate load for the scenario - note the case of the Denver officers, above.) 16 Nov 07 Comments on the History Channel Iwo Jima Presentation, from a Korean War veteran: "This is disgusting! While stationed in Korea in the 1950s, I was always armed wherever I went, inside or outside the wire. Indeed, our regimental commander had standing orders that anyone, no matter his rank, observed going about without their weapon and basic-load of ammunition was subject to disciplinary action by him personally. In my company, most of us also had personal weapons, sent from home or acquired locally, to augment our Garands, M1-Carbines, BARs, and 1911s. In those days, personal weapons, pistols and blades, were not a problem. In fact, we were encouraged to have and carry them. One spring day we had a new lieutenant join us. This new lieutenant noticed a PFC carrying a 1928 Thompson, slung over his shoulder. Apparently wanting to mark his territory, the lieutenant informed the PFC that his Tommy Gun was 'unauthorized' and that he needed to turn it in. The lieutenant also wanted to know where he got it. The PFC replied proudly and confidently that his father bought it for him and that he knew how to use it and had, in fact, used it, with great effect, only a few days previous. Our captain, a real warrior who always lead from the front, got involved and countermanded the lieutenant's order, explaining to him, in no uncertain terms, that the PFC in question was a good man who didn't need to be screwed with! We never saw that lieutenant again. I never heard of any 'withdrawal of ammunition.' Even after the 'cease-fire' of 27 July 1953 we remained armed, and that included everyone. Of course, we did have a few NDs, and a suicide or two, but considering all those continuously-loaded guns, accidents were extremely rare. Unlike today, our Colonel had no fear of his men, regularly showing up in the lines, even personally inspecting our remotest of outposts, with only one other man with him. I only met him once in-Country, and he was carrying a personally-owned 357Mg revolver. Forty plus years later we were to meet again. Same man, steadfast and steady, even in old age. The Marine/Warrior spirit and bearing was still there, in spades. Unmistakable!" Comment: We've come a "long way" since then, eh? /John 16 Nov 07 In a recent Wall Street Journal article, it is revealed "home-invasion" burglaries are on the rise in the USA, particularly in high-rent districts. Along with kidnappings, such home-invasions have been common in Mexico for years. We're just now catching up! The vast majority of burglary suspects will not break into any building they believe to be occupied, wanting no confrontation with anyone who might be in there. However, home-invaders" are a much more dangerous breed, who actually seek confrontation with, and control of, residents of homes, so that they can steal cars, wallets, and compel householders to withdraw cash from banks, while holding other family members hostage. The article goes on to give the usual, tired advice: Lower your personal profile. Keep your mug off TV and out of newspapers. Install electronic security in you home, and use it. Don't open your door to people you don't know. All good advice, but like professing "journalists" everywhere, the author doesn't even mention the only strategy that is going to provide any species of real protection: Householders need to be continuously armed and eminently ready to repel criminal violence, with gunfire, at all times. The rest is just window dressing! In fact, arming oneself is referred to in the article as an "extreme measure" that should only be attempted with "proper licensing and training." Well, if any of these "journalists" ever set foot west of the Delaware, they might discover that in Colorado, for example, we don't have "licensing," except to carry concealed, and one may legally own any number of guns, even military rifles, without "permission" from any government agency. In Colorado, extreme risks thus attach to "home-invasion!" Once again, East-Coast elitists who author this rubbish are little more than frightened VBCs, who, like most of their readers, cannot imagine themselves ever taking decisive action in defending their homes and families. Instead of making necessary lifestyle changes, they prefer to remain apprehensive little cowards, huddling together in some Northeast metro area, deluding themselves into believing someone else will protect them. ... and they call themselves "experts!" /John (For most of the 12 years that I spent as a volunteer with the L.A. Sheriff's Department [1987-1999], my primary assignment involved computer entry of Asian-gang-crime intelligence from the San Gabriel Valley. It was during that period that we saw the growth of home-invasion robberies, which became so numerous that they were assigned their own section of the California Penal Code [PC 212.5 vs. PC 211 for most other robberies]. This trend was initiated by Vietnamese youth gangs, who targeted wealthy Asian immigrant families, known to keep large quantities of cash, gold, jade and even firearms in their homes. Victims were typically located by observing women wearing ostentatious gold or jade jewelry while shopping, then driving home in luxury cars, which were followed. Homes were then staked out for a few weeks and entry usually obtained by subterfuge, such as flower deliveries on Valentine's Day. As the young Vietnamese began to be convicted of these crimes, they apparently bragged of them while confined, spreading the MO to other group of criminals. Another group which came to be targeted are illegal aliens from Latin America, who typically keep cash in the home for monthly rent payments and transmittals back home. Some list members may recall a link to a video clip from the first episode of Miami Vice, in which Jim Zubiena executes a spectacularly fast draw from an apparent surrender position [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2Il86-38A]. What not everyone will recall is that the episode contains an earlier scene of a home invasion which is initiated with a phony flower delivery. I know not what course others may take but I will not even look through the peephole in my front door without at least one firearm on my person.) -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .