The Peculiar Story of United States v. Miller: ...This essay suggests the conventional wisdom is only half-right, because Miller did less than generally supposed. Part I presents a brief historiography of Miller. Part II recounts the history of the case. And Part III analyses Miller in light of its history. This essay concludes Miller is coherent, but largely irrelevant to the contemporary debate over the meaning of the Second Amendment. Miller was a Second Amendment test case, teed up with a nominal defendant by a district judge sympathetic to New Deal gun control measures. But the Supreme Court issued a surprisingly narrow decision. Essentially, it held the Second Amendment permits Congress to tax firearms used by criminals. While dicta suggests the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to possess and use a weapon suitable for militia service, dicta isn't precedent. In other words, Miller didn't adopt a theory of the Second Amendment guarantee, because it didn't need one. (Dicta are commentaries by judges that do not form part of the actual judgment.) http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/PDF/0801/Law%20Review%20US%20v%20Miller.pdf --- John Lott on Philadelphia: Philadelphia had 406 homicides in 2007, and, at 28 per 100,000 people, it also had the highest murder rate of any major city in the United States. No wonder Philadelphians want things done. Recently, the city focused on a new tragedy, the murder of a 12-year police veteran and father of three, Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, by three bank robbers with long, violent criminal records...This debate might make more sense if there were some evidence that the Federal Assault Weapons Ban lowered crime rates, but all the published academic studies by criminologists and economists find that neither the initial ban in 1994 nor its sun-setting in 2004 changed rates of murder or other violent crimes. Similarly, there is no evidence that state bans have mattered... http://www.lewrockwell.com/lott/lott62.html --- National-Park Carry Rules Would Affect States Differently: ...With concealed firearms banned in North Carolina state parks by state law, gun rules would likely stay the same in parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Park service officials are waiting until the close of the public comment period on June 30 before taking a stance on the proposal. However, they can foresee complications in changing the rules, especially in places like the Parkway or the Smokies that encompass multiple states with differing gun laws... http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880525024 --- Pennsylvania Businesses Ban Guns?: The Police Department has been querying businesses to see where people are allowed to carry weapons, and where it is prohibited by company policy. The query follows an incident in which a dozen customers at Old Country Buffet were questioned by police for openly carrying guns. One person was detained and his gun confiscated. To Chief Stadnitski's surprise, the response from business owners has been overwhelmingly against allowing gun-carrying patrons in their establishments... (As I recall the incident, the restaurant had no problem with armed patrons.) http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19718990&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi= --- Texas College Banned Empty-Holster Protest: A college violated some students' constitutional rights by not allowing them to wear empty gun holsters as part of a nationwide protest over campus bans on concealed weapons, a student claims. Brett Poulos said that although he asked permission before last month's demonstration, a Tarrant County College official said empty holsters could not be worn anywhere on campus. Poulos said he was told students could protest only in the "free-speech zone" - a 12-by-12-foot concrete platform. "It was really upsetting to me because they wouldn't provide me a reason," said Poulos, 20, of Arlington. "And I've never seen anyone protest there. I've seen people pass out flyers and demonstrate on campus. Mine happens to be a protest over firearms, and I guess he disagreed with it personally." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5799126.html --- Georgia Dealer Stands Firm Against Bloomberg: A pair of binoculars is always on the ledge of a window that offers a view from Jay Wallace's office to the sales floor of Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna. He uses them to keep an eye on both customers and employees. "I'm proud of how I run my business," Wallace said. But on Tuesday he'll be in a New York courtroom, defending Adventure Outdoors against accusations that it is a "rogue" gun dealership that paid scant attention to whether weapons were sold only to those who could legally have them. A civil lawsuit contends Adventure Outdoors has helped fuel the so-called Iron Pipeline of firearms from the Southeast to New York... http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/24/guns_0525.html --- Obama's Remarks Prompted Car Dealer's Gun Offer: Ever since he announced his gas-or-gun promotion a week ago, cars and trucks have been flying off the lot of Mark Muller's dealership in Butler, Mo. After all, who hasn't heard of the stunt by now? ...There's the politics behind it. Muller claims his gun offer is a direct response to that remark Barack Obama made at a San Francisco fundraiser in the lead-up to April's Pennsylvania primary...But Muller is still plenty sore. It's not that he clings to guns and religion. But being a resident of rural middle of America, let's just say he embraces both in a firm fashion... http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/635744.html --- With Friends Like These...: ...I don't know whether the American Hunters & Shooters Association is a good organization or a bad one. What I found interesting was its willingness to say what many "pro-gun" Kentuckians like me think about this endless debate: that we need some intelligent compromises to protect responsible gun ownership and make communities safer. Many law-abiding Kentuckians want guns for self-defense or farm use, or because they enjoy shooting, hunting or collecting. Or they believe that America would be less safe if responsible, law-abiding citizens were disarmed. Members of the NRA and similar groups are generally the most responsible gun owners and shooters out there... http://www.kentucky.com/779/story/414808.html --- The Price of Freedom: How much is freedom worth to you? For Derek Hoskins, freedom is worth at least $650 each month. That's how much he pays for gas so he doesn't have to live in his native state of Massachusetts. Hoskins couldn't stand the gun laws in the state, so he moved to New Hampshire. And he's not alone. The Boston Globe reports the state has lost more than 300,000 residents this decade, and one in three people born in the state no longer live there. The only reason the state has seen a modest population increase is because of the number of immigrants who have moved in. The anti-gun and anti-freedom policies of the state are not only driving people away, they're putting the state in the position of not being able to afford its Nanny State mandates... http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=400 --- Oops, Wrong Wife: Authorities say they don't plan to charge a man who shot another man who tried to hit his estranged wife with his truck. The coroner's office told WSPA-TV that 36-year-old Kenneth Ross Jr. of Greer was shot several times early Saturday morning and died at the hospital. Deputies say Ross confronted his estranged wife and a male friend at her Spartanburg home and tried to hit the woman with his truck, but struck her car instead. Authorities say Ross then started coming toward his estranged wife. The man got his gun and ordered Ross to stop. Deputies say Ross kept getting closer, so the man fired. Investigators say they consulted with prosecutors and decided not to charge the shooter because he was acting in self defense. http://www.aikenstandard.com/m1031-BC-SC-ManShot-05-24-02212008-05-25T01-31-44 --- Last Bianchi Cup Match Has Been Held: Pistol shooting enthusiasts and professionals from around the globe will holster their guns for the final time in the Bianchi International Speed Event competition on Saturday. The speed event is the final competition of the 30th Annual National Rifle Association Bianchi Cup National Action Pistol Championship... (I assume that the competition has been terminated because the facility which hosted it, the Chapman Academy of Practical Shooting, has been shut dwon.) http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/05/23/pistol-championship-draws-contestants-around-world/ -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .