A "Progressive" Analysis of Heller: ...As such, if Heller was a "conservative decision" the financial support that allowed the suit to proceed and the intellectual underpinnings for the decision itself - that is there is a constitutional right the right of an individual to keep a conventional registered gun on his or her property - is based on the civil rights struggles of African Americans and other minorities to obtain the relief envisioned in the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment as "privileges and immunities" of United States citizenship and financial muscle in the form of a 1976 federal law that Reaganites opposed... http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/07/the_us_supreme.html --- A Libertarian Analysis of Heller: ...And it doesn't take 'em long, does it? Not even a week later, we have Mullenix v. BATF, in which the federal court relied on the Heller decision to rule against a firearms dealer who wanted to import a reproduction WW II-era German machinegun. No, the court said, Scalia made it clear that the Second Amendment is not "unlimited"; and that things like sawed-off shotguns and machineguns can of course be regulated! See also U.S. v. Dorosan, decided on June 30, 2008, just days after Heller, holding that because Heller makes it clear that the right to bear arms is not unlimited, and may be prohibited in "sensitive places such as schools and government buildings," then "39 C.F.R. § 232.1(1)[,] which bans possession of weapons solely on postal property is not unconstitutional as applied..." http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/021863.html --- Will Heller Boost Revolver Sales?: The Supreme Court's repeal of the ban on handguns in Washington, D.C., may be a boon for a segment of the firearms industry whose last major windfall might have been in the heyday of the Dirty Harry movies: those who make and sell revolvers. The court ruled that a blanket ban on handguns is unconstitutional, but D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and other Washington officials want to keep in place a prohibition on semiautomatic handguns - those in which a bullet clip is inserted into the gun's grip. For revolver manufacturers, a ban on semiautomatics in Washington could be good for business... (I fear it will be a long time before legal handgun purchases in DC reach the point where they will make much difference in profits for manufacturers. Virtually all modern autoloading pistols use magazines, not clips.) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,377203,00.html --- Chicago Rally for CCW: In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring gun ownership to be a constitutionally-protected individual right, the ISRA and other gun rights organizations are renewing the effort to pass concealed carry legislation in Illinois. The official kick-off of the campaign will occur during a July 11, 2008 rally outside the Thompson State Building, located in the heart of Chicago's Loop. The keynote speaker will be the Honorable Suzanna Hupp, D.C., former member of theTexas House of Representatives. Dr. Hupp is best known as the driving force behind passage of concealed carry legislation not only in her home state of Texas, but in many other states across the nation as well... http://newsblaze.com/story/2008070709530600002.pnw/topstory.html --- Texas CHL Applications Still Backlogged: ... The crunch - which some say is spurred by concerns about rising crime, the state's new castle law and uncertainty about future gun laws - has created a ballooning backlog of applications for the department and angered gun proponents... On average, new applicants are waiting between 80 and 90 days for their licenses; renewals are taking about 70 to 80 days to process, said Tela Mange, a DPS spokeswoman. By law, new applications should take no more than 60 days and renewals 45 days to process unless a required background check raises any flags... She said the DPS is paying overtime and has hired an additional 11 temporary employees to help expedite processing. The department says it will be playing a game of catch-up for the foreseeable future... http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/070808dnmettxguns.33c1afcb.html --- Arizona Governor Vetoes Vehicle-Carry Bill: Arizonans without state permits will not be able to carry loaded guns under the seats of their cars. Gov. Janet Napolitano on Monday vetoed legislation that would have made cars and trucks the same as someone's home, where you could have a gun anywhere, visible or not. The governor said the measure "would have added to the level of uncertainty and danger law enforcement officers who make traffic stops already face in the line of duty." (The biggest problem with Arizona law is that it is muddied by appellate court decisions that seem to say that a firearm legally worn in a holster must be visible to someone who approaches the vehicle. New Mexico, on the other hand, considers a vehicle an extension of one's home.) http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/247283 --- Oops, Wrong Neighbor: Police said a Mesa man who shot and killed his neighbor's boyfriend Sunday night "didn't do anything wrong." ...According to police operators, the girlfriend said her boyfriend was "going crazy" around 11 p.m. as he grabbed a billiards stick and started hitting things in the house. When he went outside, several neighbors also came out to see what was going on...One neighbor went outside armed with a gun and confronted the man, who had been swinging the stick outside. When the man advanced toward the neighbor, the neighbor fired, killing him...Mesa police will submit the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review to determine if the neighbor will face criminal charges. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0707evshooting0708.html http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/120228 -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .