Caution On Heller: ...But beware of courts when they decide to hand down a definitive decision about a long-debated principle of constitutional law. That's what happened in 1857 when Chief Justice Roger Taney decided that the Supreme Court over which he presided was going to clear up the cloudy legal issues hanging over the South's peculiar institution...It happened again in 1973, when the Supreme Court in its wisdom installed abortion as the law of the land rather than leave so morally troubling a question to the several states. Instead of resolving the issue once and for all, the high court ignited it. The acrimony over abortion now has been mounting for decades and shows no signs of abating. That tends to happen when courts lose the sense of restraint that ought to mark prudent law... http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/COMMENTARY/111300019/1012/COMMENTARY Contrasting View: Timing is everything, and the Supreme Court's acceptance of a case regarding the constitutionality of a handgun ban in Washington, D.C. could become the most critically-timed examination of a civil right in the nation's history. A decision will come in the middle of the 2008 presidential campaign, galvanizing gun rights activists who will demand more than lip service about "support for the Second Amendment" from whoever are the front-runners in both parties by that time. An affirmative ruling by the high court that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms - beyond membership in a militia - will crush a cornerstone of gun control extremism, that the Amendment is protective only of some mythical "collective right" of states to organize such militias. It won't put the gun control lobby out of business, but they will have to re-write their rhetoric... http://www.lagrangenews.com/articles/2007/11/28/opinion/editorials/edit01.txt --- David Kopel On Heller: ... Millions of Americans own firearms and use them responsibly, and that right is guaranteed under the Second Amendment. The D.C. handgun ban is a very rare, extreme and unconstitutional prohibition. If the Supreme Court were to affirm the lower court's decision against the handgun ban, it would end the shame of our nation's capital city depriving its citizens of a right that legislatures and courts have protected almost everywhere else in the United States. (Scroll down to "Ban the Ban?") http://techcentralstation.com/ --- NICS Doubles Listing Of Mentally Ill: The number of mentally ill people named in a federal database barring them from buying guns has more than doubled since the Virginia Tech shootings, the Justice Department said yesterday..."As the Virginia Tech tragedy made clear, it is vital that [the database] have accurate and complete information on persons prohibited from possessing firearms because of mental health history," Mr. Mukasey told the National Association of Attorneys General. "Several states have begun submitting records that previously had not, or have worked to increase the number of records they submit." ...Despite Cho's gun purchases, Virginia traditionally has submitted far more names of mentally ill people to the federal database than other states, Justice data show... http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071130/METRO/111300072/1004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112901238.html Some States Wary Of Privacy Violation: U.S. states have put more names of mentally ill people into a database for gun-purchase background checks since April's Virginia Tech shootings, but some remain reluctant for privacy reasons, U.S. officials said on Thursday...Another six states are moving in some way to submit names, officials said. But other states remain reluctant, a department official said, often because mental-health status has "traditionally been considered pretty private information, and stigmatizing information." http://www.newsmax.com/us/mental_records_gun_buys/2007/11/29/53361.html --- Minnesota Church-Carry Battle: In Minnesota, the media's getting it all wrong in their coverage of a Right-to-Carry case. WCCO-TV reports that a couple of churches are trying to exempt themselves from Minnesota's Right-to-Carry law. But that's not really what's going on here. These churches can already nullify Right-to-Carry on church property if they want, just by posting the legally required signage...One church has posted a sign that says, "Blessed are the peacemakers. Firearms are prohibited in this place of sanctuary." I'd suggest that church read David Kopel's excellent article for America's First Freedom, "Is the Best Defense a Good Book?" They could also read Kopel's "The Torah and Self-Defense" as well. These church leaders might realize that there's no religious reason to be defenseless. http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=340 --- North Dakota College Contemplates Gun-Free Zone: ...This year NDSCS revised the firearms policy, which does not allow firearms on campus without written permission from the Director of Student Life. If a person receives written permission, they must keep their firearms cased, unloaded and locked in their vehicle. The new variation allows students in skeet-shooting classes to fill out a registration form with the Student Life office. Students who hunt are allowed to register their firearms only during the season and as long as they have a valid Minnesota or North Dakota license...Schmitz has also been pushing for a weapon-free zone for the campus. With many claiming Second Amendment rights and a large population of hunters attending the school, the campus police department received resistance to the idea. http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2007/11/29/news/news02.txt --- Cook County May Limit Gun Shops: Citing the senseless loss of life resulting from random gun violence, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin took a giant step today toward reducing the number of handguns on the streets of Chicago and Cook County by introducing an ordinance that would restrict the location where gun shops in suburban Cook County can operate. "I am tired of business as usual. I am tired of picking up the paper or turning on the news to see reports about innocent children gunned down in cold blood, because some gang member bought a gun at their local gun shop, "Suffredin said. "For nearly thirty years, I have fought for sensible gun laws. Whether it was against the NRA or legislative leaders, I fought to pass laws to keep guns off our streets." http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS52166+29-Nov-2007+PRN20071129 --- Age And Determination Beat Youth And Replica Gun: Thinking the gun pointed at him was real - and believing he might be shot - 72-year-old Reinaldo Herrera said he somehow found the strength to overpower a 21-year-old gang member allegedly sent by his own nephew to rob him at his home Tuesday afternoon in Westbury (NY)... "I just take the gun," Herrera said. "I don't know how I get the power." http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-ligang1129%2C0%2C4973637.story --- Shooter Banned From Gym: The man shot in a fight at a Northeast Knoxville fitness center and the man who police say pulled the trigger won't be welcome there anymore...Police said Kristopher Kitts, 29, shot Erik Knight, also 29, once in the stomach Wednesday night with a .22-caliber pistol during a fight in the locker room of the Rush Fitness Complex, 3001 Knoxville Center Drive...DeBusk said Knight attacked Kitts about 6:30 p.m., knocked Kitts down and was choking him when Kitts reached into his pocket and pulled out a pistol. DeBusk said Kitts has a carry permit for the weapon. http://knoxnews.com/news/2007/nov/29/gym-shooter-wont-be-charged-police-say-victim-star/ --- European Union Votes For Stricter Firearm Laws: The European Parliament has voted to tighten laws on obtaining and possessing firearms. The age at which a firearm can be bought or owned will be raised to 18, unless it is for hunting or target shooting under adult supervision. Blank-firing guns that could be converted will also be made illegal...EU governments are expected to approve the reforms by the end of the year and the directive is due to come into force in January 2008. Member states will then have two years to put the changes into practice. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7118719.stm --- Massive Firearms Raid In Britain: Nearly 120 people were arrested and 1,300 guns and imitation firearms seized in a major police crackdown, it was announced today. Raids in hotspots which account for more than half of Britain's gun crime - Manchester, London, Liverpool and Birmingham - involved more than 1,000 officers yesterday. The operation seized 10 handguns and £5,900 in cash. Officers also confiscated six imitation handguns, 1,290 other realistic imitation firearms, three CS gas canisters, a stun gun and four air weapons. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=497368&in_page_id=1770 -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .