The New York Times Supports National Parks Carry Ban: Forty-seven United States senators recently wrote to the secretary of the interior, Dirk Kempthorne, asking him to lift the ban on carrying ready-to-fire weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges. Under current law, guns carried into or through a national park or refuge must be unloaded, taken apart, or cased in a way "that will prevent their ready use." According to the senators' letter, this rule infringes on gun owners' rights and is "confusing, burdensome and unnecessary." ... They also appear to have forgotten that national parks and refuges are federal lands, set aside as peaceful preserves for all the species that enjoy them, including humans. Ready-to-fire guns have no place in them. (Unfortunately, criminals, by definition, don't obey rules and laws.) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/opinion/07mon4.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin --- Pizza-Delivery Shooting Spurs Debate In Missouri: Missouri's firearm statutes gave the Domino's pizza deliveryman who shot and killed a would-be assailant Dec. 28 every right to use a legal weapon to protect himself and his property. By simply carrying the gun, however, the still unidentified employee violated a company policy prohibiting Domino workers from packing a weapon even if, as happened in Ferguson on the night of the shooting, the employee was using his own car...Other businesses that send workers on the road with cash have policies that differ from Domino's. Deferring to state firearm law, the St. Louis Taxi Commission leaves the decision about allowing drivers to arm themselves up to the individual cab companies. St. Louis' Harris Cab Company, in turn, leaves the decision to the discretion of the drivers. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/EEBC706507326DE3862573C7000EE454?OpenDocument --- Virginia Tech Shootings Boost Mental-Health Budget: ...However, the critical issue this year for state lawmakers and Gov. Tim Kaine likely will be the aftermath of the massacre last year at Virginia Tech in which a mentally unstable student fatally shot 32 students and teachers. The proposed two-year cost of fixing the state's network of mental-health services - roughly $40 million - is negligible in the context of a $78 billion budget. http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080107/METRO/199983404/1004 --- Virginia Tech Shootings Unlikely To Affect Virginia Gun Shows: ... "Please," Goddard plans to tell legislators, "don't wait for another Tech tragedy before you act." Pro-gun legislators, who have defeated identical measures in each of the past three years, know how they'll respond to the Tech parents. "They'll very likely be asked to explain the connection between the gun show loophole and the massacre at Tech," said state Sen. Kenneth Stolle, http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/despite-tech-shootings,-gun-show-rules-unlikely-be-altered --- Newspaper Opposes Georgia RKBA Bills: ...Bearden's legislation goes well beyond a chicken in every pot; he wants a Colt in every pub. He eliminates virtually all the existing limits on where weapons can legally be carried in Georgia. His bill strikes the long-standing ban on weapons at "public gathering" sites, including private schools, athletic events, churches, colleges, political rallies, bars and public buildings, such as libraries and city halls... (More than 20 states do not ban firearms in bars and see no problems from the lack of such a ban.) http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/01/04/gunsed_0106.html Rant From The Georgia Chamber Of Commerce: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/010608/opinion_20080106027.shtml NRA Response: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/01/07/equaled_0107.html --- Michigan Sees More Permits, Fewer Shooting Deaths: Six years after new rules made it much easier to get a license to carry concealed weapons, the number of Michiganders legally packing heat has increased more than six-fold. But dire predictions about increased violence and bloodshed have largely gone unfulfilled, according to law enforcement officials and, to the extent they can be measured, crime statistics. The incidence of violent crime in Michigan in the six years since the law went into effect has been, on average, below the rate of the previous six years. The overall incidence of death from firearms, including suicide and accidents, also has declined. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/NEWS06/801060602/1008 --- While In Tennessee...: The number of justifiable homicides in Memphis jumped from 11 in 2006 to 32 in 2007. No one is sure why, but one man has a theory. "The thugs have started running into people who can protect themselves," said Tom Givens, owner and instructor at the firearms training school RangeMaster, 2611 S. Mendenhall in Memphis. Police detectives and prosecutors don't think it's that simple, and they acknowledge the spike could be a one-time occurrence. "It's hard to put your finger on it," said police Lt. Joseph Scott. "There are more handgun carry permits, there is more education, but you can't say that's the reason." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/05/justifying-homicide/ --- More Residents Of North Carolina County Take Up Arms: Don Le, owner of Andy's Pantry on Grove Street, came under fire as he closed his store last month. Mr. Le, no doubt to the disbelief of his attacker, returned fire and escaped uninjured. Jennifer Vincek, a convenience store cashier in Statesville, did not resist an armed man a few weeks ago. For her cooperation, Vincek, a mother of three, was shot in the leg and in the head... As store owner Don Le told a reporter last month, "The police can't be here 24/7." (The gun owner's mantra: "Call for a cop, call for an ambulance, and call for a pizza. See who shows up first.") Carl Abbe made a similar observation, stating that the police department's "serve and protect" motto can only be half-fulfilled. Law enforcement serves fairly well, but only after the fact. Protecting every citizen is impossible. Therefore, says Abbe, "We must be prepared to defend ourselves." http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/NRSTAFF/801060315 --- Pennsylvania Man Fights To Regain Permit: More than a dozen supporters of gun rights are expected to attend a Franklin County Court hearing on Tuesday when President Judge John R. Walker will hear arguments on whether a Chambersburg man should get back his permit to carry a concealed firearm...Wollyung revoked Rotz' concealed weapon permit after an incident at the New Franklin voting precinct on Election Day (Nov. 6). A state constable challenged Rotz who was wearing a handgun in a holster at his side. The constable cautioned Rotz to leave the gun in his vehicle. Rotz asserted his right to open carry. http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_7893130 --- North Carolina Dealer Fights To Keep Licenses: Jim's Gun Jobbery of Fayetteville and a sister store in Wilmington have been granted a trial in their fight to keep their firearms dealer licenses...In 2004, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked the gun sales licenses of the Fayetteville store and Jim's Pawn & Gun of Wilmington. The bureau contended that the stores were lax in keeping records of their gun inventory and sales...His ruling notes that the ATF sent a warning letter to Jim's that said, "it appears that you have made a concerted effort to comply with the laws and regulations governing firearms transactions." http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=282189 --- Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: A homeowner shot and killed a man as he forced his way into a home in Copperas Cove on Friday afternoon, police said. Police were called to 2204 Boland St. after shots were fired inside the home. They discovered a man who had been shot several times in the upper torso, Copperas Cove police said in a statement. Through the investigation, police learned the man was an intruder who had "entered the residence unlawfully and apparently used physical force against the homeowner," police said. http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/01/05/01052008waccops3.html?imw=Y http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=21834 --- Oops, Wrong House, Michigan Version: An 82-year-old man on Detroit's northwest side shot and severely wounded an intruder who walked into his Collingwood Street home Sunday afternoon. Police said that the intruder, a 44-year-old man from Redford, was visiting friends in the neighborhood when he entered the home of Thomas Jackson, 82, and his wife... Police are investigating why the man had entered the home, but a friend told Local 4 that the intruder has a history of mental illness. "What he does, he's been known to go into people's houses and just sit down," said friend Charles Smith. http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14989659/detail.html --- Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A Sikeston man was killed in what appears to be a firearm accident Friday...Reed had been target shooting prior to the incident, according to the DPS news release. He had purchased a bottle of cleaning oil and taken it to the shooting area. There was cleaning material, including the oil and cleaning pads on the counter in the shooting area of the store. There was no one else in the area at the time of the incident. (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule Two: Don't let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot.) http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/865/public/news866437.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .