Senators Seek Vote on DC Gun Bill: Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and 46 other senators have asked for Senate floor time for House-passed legislation to roll back District of Columbia gun laws. In a letter Thursday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., the group asked him to call up the bill before the end of the 110th Congress. "We ask you to ensure that D.C. residents do not have to wait any longer to realize their constitutional rights," Hutchison and her allies wrote. The letter was signed by five Democrats... http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=cqmidday-000002956120 --- Ohio Voters Warn Obama: The US state of Ohio has predicted the outcome of nearly every presidential election in the last century. And with just 44 days until the election, Ohio remains the ultimate bellwether when it comes to American politics...The economy is the number one issue with voters in Ohio, but some businesses are still doing a roaring trade, despite the financial upheaval buffeting much of the nation. At a gun store and indoor shooting range in the central Ohio town of Lancaster, business is brisk...It does not take long to realise the customers nor the staff are fans of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/22/2370488.htm --- UMWA Prez - Obama, Yes; NRA, No: United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts plans to hold a press conference in Charleston Monday to discuss what he describes as "attempts by a film crew hired by the National Rifle Association to get miners to distort the record of Barack Obama on guns and the 2nd amendment." "Our members were approached on company property by this film crew and were peppered with questions regarding Sen. Obama's positions on guns and the 2nd Amendment," Cecil Roberts said in a press release issued Saturday. "We're going to talk about that, because it marks a return of the gutter politics of the past by those of the say-anything, do-anything crowd who believe they can continue to use wedge issues to divide West Virginians. They think we're not smart enough to figure out what they're doing..." http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/28693459.html --- Texas Gun Owners Prefer McCain: Among the assault rifles and razor-sharp throwing stars for sale at a recent Freeman Coliseum gun show, fierce loyalty to John McCain also was on display. Lit by flashing red lights and imprinted on buttons, his name greeted browsers at the booths of dealers who consider this year's presidential contest a momentous occasion. "This election is the most important election in my lifetime," said Sheryl Loughlin, a 62-year-old Cibolo resident who wore a "No B.O." (Barack Obama) button high on her shirt... http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/28677674.html --- More Floridians Obtain CWFL's: The number of Floridians with permission to pack heat has jumped nearly 50 percent in three years. In 2005, one year before the state Legislature's decision to provide anonymity to people holding concealed weapons licenses, there were 347,350 active permits statewide. Now, that number has swelled to about 520,000. Some states ask applicants why they want a concealed weapons license. Florida isn't one of them. That makes it almost impossible to say who is getting licensed and why... http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article821302.ece --- CCW in Pennsylvania: A pit bull lunges for a 4-year-old boy as he walks with his father to Saturday services at a Harrisburg synagogue. The father pulls his pistol and shoots the dog. In the parking lot of an Annville-Cleona school, a student finds a loaded handgun. Turns out, a school bus driver with a permit to carry it dropped it from her purse. In the wake of a shooting outside Harrisburg Mall, police arrest and then release an armed man in a car. He's not a suspect, they say, and he has a permit to pack that pistol. Recent stories like these point to a quiet revolution in American gun laws that began two decades ago, with Pennsylvania in the vanguard... http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/09/guns.html --- Indiana County Tests Online Permit Applications: ...Now, one northeast Indiana county is part of a test project that will allow residents to apply for a gun permit online, making the process simpler. The permit allows residents to carry a handgun on their person. No such permit is required to carry a rifle..."It's far too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous guns in Indiana," said Brian Malte, director of state legislation for the Brady Campaign, based in Washington, D.C. The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, however, wouldn't change the laws in Indiana at all. The group believes Indiana state government respects law-abiding citizens, NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons said. The law requires a background check, which is in accordance with federal laws... http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/LOCAL/809210394/1002/LOCAL --- Where Have I Heard That Phrase Before?: ..."We make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons," Helmke said. "There are only a few national gun control laws on the books, and even those have loopholes. This leads to senseless gun violence devastating the lives of tens of thousands. We know we will have a partner in Bill Durston in fighting for sensible gun laws to protect you, your family and your community," Helmke said... http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/74873 --- Halbrook Discusses Career, New Book: As a young lawyer more than 20 years ago, Stephen Halbrook was published in the Vermont Law Review. Saturday afternoon, he was in the Green Mountain State to promote his latest book, "The Founders' Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms." At the Barre Fish and Game Club, standing among an assortment of game heads, with an occasional gunshot sounding in the background, Halbrook spoke of his law career that has focused on upholding the second amendment of the United States Constitution - the people's right to bear arms... http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/NEWS02/809210406/1003/NEWS02 --- Is This a Trick Question?: In the public news I've recently seen some stories about physicians having guns in their offices. This is in response to incidents where disgruntled or disturbed patients have come into physician offices and assaulted staff or physicians. In one instance, a pain and palliative care physician suffered a blow to his shoulder that continues to cause significant impairment and disability. Another incident involved staff being pushed to the floor by a patient. This has led some physicians to store firearms in the workplace...I'm curious to hear what people think. Would you not see a doctor if you knew he had a gun in his office? Do you feel that physicians are similar to the Red Cross and that they should be neutral and conflict avoiding? (How can a physician heal the sick if he has been maimed or killed?) http://brainblogger.com/2008/05/09/should-doctors-have-guns/ --- New Hampshire Woman Heads NRA Program: From rural Southwestern New Hampshire to suburban Northern Virginia, Vanessa P. Warner has stuck to her guns. The former Cheshire County resident moved recently to a bustling community outside of Washington, D.C., where the shooting enthusiast took a job with the National Rifle Association. Warner is the organization's manager of disabled shooting services, a job in which she plans, develops and puts together shooting and hunting programs for people with disabilities... http://sentinelsource.com/articles/2008/09/20/news/local/free/id_323897.txt --- Happy Birthday - Man Locates Dad's M1 Rifle: As gifts go, Jim Richardson's choice for his father's 79th birthday was a long shot. Virgil Richardson fondly remembered the .30-caliber M1 Garand rifle he carried during his time as a soldier during the Korean War. He even still had the weapon's serial number. Using that number, Jim Richardson went online and found the firearm at a Kentucky gun broker...Virgil Richardson said he'll wait until his Oct. 26 birthday to shoot the weapon. "What shocked me the most is how very heavy it is," he said. "I have trouble now holding it up and aiming it. I guess they were made for 20- and 21-year-olds." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,425678,00.html --- Judge Dismisses Gun Charge Against Jerry Lewis: A Las Vegas judge has dismissed a firearms charge against entertainer Jerry Lewis. Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Karen Bennett-Haron dismissed the case Friday after attorneys agreed to let the 82-year-old comedian off without fines. Lewis was cited in July for attempting to carry an unloaded concealed weapon through McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. He later said the weapon was a gift that he'd placed in a carry-on bag more than a year ago. He said he forgot it was in the bag until he was stopped at an airport security checkpoint. Lewis' lawyer, Ross Goodman, says Lewis was forced to surrender the engraved gun. Goodman calls the quick resolution "a good result for great guy." (In Nevada the entire terminal is a no-carry zone.) http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=722304 --- Ask the Gun Guy: ... Wondering if you're using the right ammunition for the old, unfamiliar rifle your father just left you in his will? Perplexed about having just dropped your shotgun in a stream while attempting to cross it? What's the best kind of scope for your firearm? Ask the Gun Guy. The Gun Guy's opinions are his and don't reflect those of the newspaper. Extreme care should always be taken when handling firearms. Gun owners should be familiar with their firearms before firing them, and the owner's manual is a good place to start. If you don't have an owner's manual, contact the company that made the gun, either by mail or online to see if you can get one... http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1221901141286160.xml&coll=1 -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .