Obama's Ten-Point Plan to Change the Second Amendment: For the Brady Campaign, Violence Policy Center, Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, U.N. gun-ban extremist Rebecca Peters and her globalist billionaire sugar-daddy George Soros, for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his horde of big-city politicians - in fact, for all those individuals and organizations who would harm or destroy our Second Amendment rights - Barack Obama's mantra of "change" means their agenda will be harnessed to the total power of an aggressive, activist and radical federal government. "Change" means gun owners will be under siege like never before... http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?id=308&issue=047 --- NRA, Democrats Compromise on DC Gun Bill: Pro-gun Democrats have reached a compromise with the National Rifle Association to avoid an election-year showdown on gun laws in the District of Columbia. The deal was negotiated with the powerful gun-rights group by Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Mike Ross (D-Ark.) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.), according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. The NRA has also signed off. Details of the compromise were still incomplete late Wednesday, but a bill is to be introduced Thursday that would narrowly enforce a June Supreme Court decision rejecting the District's decades-old handgun ban. A vote on the bill could occur this week, but is more likely in September. Such a delay could give opponents of such a deal time to organize against it... http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pro-gun-house-dems-reach-deal-with-nra-2008-07-30.html --- The Washington Times Editorial on Heller II: Exactly two weeks ago, we told Mayor Adrian Fenty and the D.C. Council that the overbearing emergency legislation regulating gun purchases, registration and ownership they passed would face a lawsuit. The week before, we told them how to possibly avoid litigation. City Hall did not listen. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the District remains onerous...The issue is not whether City Hall "will vigorously defend" the city's statutes. The issue is twofold: 1) why City Hall refuses to obey the Supreme Court; 2) and why City Hall is becoming so litigious. The coolest of heads are needed when litigation involves the Constitution. http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jul/31/gun-ban-lawsuit-part-deux/ Related Article: ..."They're trying to make it as difficult and be as obstructionist as possible so that people are discouraged from getting guns," Halbrook argues. "In fact, there's no firearms dealers [sic] in DC because of the previous ban." Halbrook believes the District will try to block dealers from locating in the city through the use of zoning laws. "It's like the Supreme Court ruling that there's a constitutional right to possess books, but the [local] governmental body says, 'Okay, but you can't sell any,'" he adds... http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=196886 --- Another Look at Dick Heller, from Harvard: "Don't say my name out loud." That's the first thing Dick Heller told me as we stood outside the Supreme Court building on the morning of June 26, waiting for the decision in a landmark Second Amendment case. Heller, who wore a Supreme Court tie and a blue baseball cap with a miniature silver pistol on it, looked like just another enthusiast as he handed out newsletters. But as he lectured me and my friends on the history of the case, we responded with rapt attention rather than casual interest. Heller, a security guard from Washington D.C., was the eponymous plaintiff in the case, District of Columbia v. Heller... http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=523943 --- Students for Concealed Carry on Campus to Meet Tomorrow: Students for Concealed Carry on Campus will hold its first national meeting at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 1. The student gun rights organization will host a debate, a speaking panel, a legislators' panel and several notable speakers. SCCC anticipates an attendance of between 100 to 150 members, said SCCC Public Relations Director Katie Kasprzac. "This meeting is to show that we're an established organization, not just a Facebook group," Kasprzac said...SCCC claims a 32,000-person membership on over 500 campuses. The membership is 90 percent students, 10 percent faculty, parents and other concerned citizens, according to the SCCC Web site... http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/2008/07/30/sccc_to_meet_in_washington --- California Prepares to Misfire with Ammo Bill: A bill to increase state regulation of handgun ammunition sales is a feel-good proposal that would have little effect on crime. The Legislature should reject this unnecessary and intrusive legislation... Criminals buy guns from underground sources. They could buy ammunition there, too. That's one of the reasons the federal government abandoned its regulation of ammunition sales in 1986... http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_S_op_27_ed_ammo2.323dc0a.html --- Churches and Security Measures: Following the tragic shooting at a Knoxville, Tennessee, Unitarian Universalist church, many churches are now asking what they can do to protect themselves from such attacks...When violence breaks out and police are not there, Hawkins says a well-trained armed security force is the best protection for a church. But he also says criminals and terrorists are very aware that qualified civilians with concealed handgun permits usually cannot legally carry their guns in church. "They know that there probably will be nobody armed in there to confront them when they do start to carry out these acts," he warns. "So, I think these kinds of laws just work against the safety of the congregation in instances like this..." http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=197318 --- Gun-Toting in Georgia: If you intend to rob me, stab me or punch me in the neck because you think I looked at you funny, I recommend you glance at my waist before lifting the pull tab on that can of whoop-ass. I may be carrying a handgun. Nearly everyone in our state can legally keep guns in their home. I am one of the few, the proud, the Georgia Firearms Licensed - one of a reported 300,000 Georgians permitted to carry a gun in public. Unlike the 9.2 million-or-so Peach Staters who do not possess firearms licenses, I'm legally permitted to carry a gun pretty much everywhere I go - walking my dogs, sipping a latte at my neighborhood coffee shop, buying deodorant at Target... http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/gun_toting_in_georgia/Content?oid=528311 --- Florida Parking-Lot-Storage Ruling Dissected: ...So how come the judge threw out the part of the law that said customers can always have guns, too? Because of some clumsy wording by the Legislature. The law defined "employer" only as a business with employees who own guns. This was stupid on its face. Not all employers have employees with guns. Those that did also had to allow guns for customers, but those that didn't could still ban them. It made no sense. The judge noted that two businesses side by side, otherwise identical, were treated differently. The situation could even change randomly, day to day, as employees came and went. This was a violation of equal protection under the law. So the judge blocked it. If the Legislature chooses, it can always go back and clarify the language... http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article749408.ece --- Olofson Reports from Prison: On Monday I received a collect call from David Olofson. David says he is doing well. He was assigned to the prison law library and does duties as teachers aide, and helps other convicts look up the subject laws involving their cases. He tells me he helped three so far...David is very concerned for his family, his wife could use some encouragement. The fact is his family is getting the worst of the punishments according to David. His wife gets up at 4:00am to gather the children together so she can still work, as they have a home, and to make ends meet... (David Olofson was sentenced to prison for lending a friend an AR-15 that misfired at the range, leading BATFE to classify it as a machine gun.) http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/07/olofson-incarceration-update.html --- Oops, Wrong House: Chris Hooten, 34, of Greers Ferry, is recovering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen after a scuffle around 10:15 p.m. Friday. He reportedly entered a home without permission, fought and choked the homeowner, and was shot in the process. Hooten, and James Gadberry, 26, of Greers Ferry, reportedly went to the home of Don Brown on Shaw Road earlier in the afternoon Friday and an argument ensued. "Brown was upset over how Hooten and Gadberry reportedly treated a female," said Detective Phil Burnham with the Cleburne County Sheriff's Department. "Brown told them both to leave and they did." Hooten and Gadberry returned to the Brown home just after 10 p.m. "Brown was asleep on the couch when he heard someone beating on the door. He saw the two men outside and told them to leave..." http://www.thesuntimes.com/articles/2008/07/30/news/news01.txt --- Not Exactly Justified: ...According to the report, an employee of Rood Landscaping was mowing the grass at a home in the 2000 block of S.W. Silver Pine Lane at around 7:30 a.m. when Arthur Hechtman emerged from one of the units and began yelling at him...The landscaper, who does not speak English, continued mowing the grass, according to the report. According to the report, Hechtman then went inside and came out with an unloaded 12-gauge shotgun. He then asked the landscaper, "You don't want me to use this, do you?" Deputies questioned Hechtman, who admitted to confronting the landscaper with the shotgun. The landscaper declined to press charges against Hechtman, and no arrest was made. http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jul/30/hobe-sound-man-threatens-landscaper-shotgun-mowing/ --- Shooting of Cougar Ruled Justified: ...After spotting the lion in a tree near his house, Burg shot it with a rifle. The big cat jumped down and ran into some tall grass. A game warden was called and dogs were used to track the mountain lion. The wounded animal was found about 40 yards from the tree and was shot again. Officials say shooting the cat was justified because of its nearness to the ranch house and the threat to animals and livestock on the ranch. http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8751629&nav=1kgl --- NRA Mole Infiltrated Brady Bunch Board: This is the story of two Marys. Both are in their early 60s, heavyset, with curly reddish hair. But for years they have worked on opposite ends of the same issues. Mary McFate is an advocate of environmental causes and a prominent activist within the gun control movement. For more than a decade, she volunteered for various gun violence prevention organizations, serving on the boards of anti-gun outfits, helping state groups coordinate their activities, lobbying in Washington for gun control legislation, and regularly attending strategy and organizing meetings... http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/07/mary-mcfate-sapone-gun-lobby-nra-spy.html --- SWAT Team Honored for Raid on Wrong Home: On Monday, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan handed out honors to a team of officers involved in a botched raid at an innocent family's home more than seven months ago. The family is upset and their attorney criticizes the awards and questions the timing. Just days before Christmas, the sound of intruders breaking into their home in North Minneapolis prompted Vang Khang to grab his shotgun to protect his six children. His terrified wife called 911. Khang fired several shots at the "intruders" who turned out to be members of the Minneapolis Police Department's SWAT team. The officers returned fire. Their protective gear prevented them from being harmed by the bullets... http://wcco.com/iteam/swat.team.honored.2.783216.html --- "A Handgun Against an Army" Updated: Almost a decade ago now, I penned "A Letter From Hagood's Crossroads, Alabama," subtitled "What Good Can a Handgun Do Against an Army?" Over the years it has proven to be the single most popular piece I have ever written. To this day, I get emails and snail mails from folks who have stumbled across it for the first time, thanking me for writing it. It is a humbling experience for a scribbler such as myself to realize that he has struck a chord in his audience - humbling and gratifying. Still, I have always meant to rework "Handgun" to correct some of the minor errors and irritating flaws that always occur whenever you whip out a topical opinion piece, as I did this one... http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot.com/2008/07/vanderboegh-handgun-against-army-ten.html --- South Africa Court Rebukes License Authorities: A Pretoria high court acting judge on Tuesday had harsh words for the police and the Firearms Licence Appeal Board for the manner in which they handled the application for firearm licences by an antique firearms collector. Acting Judge Piet Ebersohn said there was a "lack of competency" by both the police and the Appeal Board in this regard. Ebersohn severely criticised members of the board for not having sufficient knowledge of firearms...Black turned to court in desperation after he was refused licences for the four firearms he wanted to add to his collection. Black's collection initially consisted of 62 firearms, some of which date back from the First World War to the Boer War...He ordered that Black be issued with licences. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080730055626552C766030 --- A Cartoon: (Too bad Mr. Beeler doesn't understand the difference between a bullet and a cartridge but the point is still well taken.) http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=71041 -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .