From GOA: Monday, November 3, 2008 The big day is finally upon us. The phone calls, television ads, mail and e-mails will finally come to an abrupt halt. Record numbers of people have already voted, and a record number of voters will be at the polls tomorrow. I hope everyone receiving this message falls into one of those categories. You've heard repeated over and over that this is an historic election. It is, but so is every election. Voting is one of the greatest responsibilities of a free society. The ability of the people to peacefully shift power from one party to another using the ballot box distinguishes free people from slaves, citizens from subjects. Remember, the responsibility to vote is YOURS. It's non-transferrable -- only you can fulfill it. Each election year, GOA offers a valuable tool for gun owners. Our candidate ratings guide offers insights into where candidates stand on your Second Amendment rights. Please consult the GOA ratings guide at http://www.goapvf.org before voting. On the website, you will also find candidates GOA is proud to support this year under the "Gun Owners Top Picks" section. Walter H. Judd, a medical doctor and missionary who spent 20 years in Congress following WWII, once remarked: "People often say that, in a [free country], decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote -- a very different thing." Gun Owners of America urges all members and supporters to make your voice heard this Election Day, and vote! Sincerely, Tim Macy Vice-Chairman **************************** P.S. Check out Larry Pratt's interview regarding Obama's close connection to violent, radical politics in Kenya. You can visit http://www.soundwaves2000.com/livefire to listen to Pratt's interview of New York Times bestselling author and journalist Jerome Corsi. --- Iowa CCW Law Challenged: An Ocheyedan man has filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of an Iowa law that requires individuals obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Paul Dorr, 52, said Thursday that Osceola County Sheriff Douglas Weber wrongly denied on a political whim his and his 18-year-old son's requests for permits to carry concealed weapons. Dorr filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Sioux City against Weber and Osceola County because Weber turned down the permit applications of both Dorr and his son in 2007. Dorr alleges that the sheriff denied his Second Amendment right to bear arms and 14th Amendment right to due process. "He just denied my permit to carry without foundation," said Dorr, a consultant for taxpayer and political groups. "That denial just brought to mind the lack of objective process that Iowa code allows for sheriffs..." http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081103/NEWS10/811030320/-1/BUSINESS04 --- Utah Cracks Down on Permit-Holders, Applicants: Scores of concealed weapon permit holders were able to carry their guns for months after they should have had their licenses suspended or revoked for crimes ranging from unspecified felonies to drunken driving. The problem wasn't fixed until the second half of 2007 when the state Bureau of Criminal Identification received a budget hike and hired four additional investigators. Those new staffers helped the agency to clear a huge backlog of shelved enforcement actions. The result was a dramatic spike in revocations and suspensions of concealed-carry permits. They jumped from 167 in 2006 to 568 in 2007... http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10885728 --- Exonerated Washington Shooter Seeks Compensation: ...The recently acquitted defendant in the 59th/Admiral shooting trial entered the courtroom today handcuff-free and with a huge smile for the civil hearing of this case. Under Washington state law, the former defendant is entitled to compensation, including legal fees (his lawyers worked for free), if there was an acquittal and if the jury based their verdict on reasons of self-defense. Today, the jury heard succinct statements from both the defense and the State and were asked to answer two questions. Only ten out of the 12 jurors needed to agree on both questions. The first question simply asked whether or not the verdict was based on self-defense. That answer came back "yes." The second question asked if they believed the defendant was engaged in criminal activity leading up to the shooting. That answer came back "no," meaning a full victory for the defense in this case... http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=11649 --- Morton Grove Drops Handgun-Registration Plan: For now, at least, Morton Grove trustees will not be considering any type of local handgun registration program. Trustee Georgianne Brunner said she no longer plans to present a gun registration ordinance to the village board, at least until there appears to be some support among other trustees. Brunner was the only member of the village board to vote against a measure repealing the village's long-standing handgun ban. "I did a lot of research on it. I could sense from the board there isn't a lot of support for it," Brunner said last week... http://www.pioneerlocal.com/mortongrove/news/1257246,mg-gunban-110308-s1.article --- When Guns Are Registered...: A Darwin man has been charged with firearms offences after shooting himself in the arm while hunting magpie geese yesterday. The 31-year-old man had been out shooting on a friend's property on Hardcastle Road at Bynoe Haven. After the shooting he managed to drive himself about 3km to the nearby Sandpalms roadhouse for help. Manager Kenny Dumigan used a telephone cable as a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood before an ambulance arrived...He is believed to have been heading off to fetch a goose he had shot when he tripped, with the double-barrel shotgun discharging as he fell. Police said he has been charged with possessing an unlicensed firearm and possessing ammunition without a permit. The owner of the property is understood to be offshore working on barges... http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/11/03/13551_ntnews.html --- Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: Dallas police said two armed men came to the door of a condo in the 5600 block of Harvest Hill, and when a resident answered the door, the men rushed in to rob him. The resident, armed with a handgun, chased the two men back out of the condo, fired a single shot that hit one of the robbers in the chest. The man was taken to the hospital where he died, the other robber got away. Residents report crime has gone up over the past two week, and that some of the apartment complexes have posted alerts warning of the spike in crime. Dallas police said the man opened his door believing a friend was at the door. Police said this incident serves as a reminder that you should always be on your guard. "It is better to check to try to determine who it is knocking on your door late at night." Said Dallas police Sgt. Bruce McDonald. The resident is not facing charges. The case will be forwarded to the Grand Jury for review. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Robber_Shot_by_Homeowner_In_North_Dallas.html --- Oops, Wrong House, Pennsylvania Version: Police say a 77-year-old woman shot an intoxicated art student who mistakenly entered her Pittsburgh home. The shooting happened early Saturday in the city's Hill District. Police say the 19-year-old Art Institute of Pittsburgh student got into the woman's home around 12:30 a.m. That set off an alarm. The woman went and got a gun. Police say she pointed it at him and told him to leave. When the student didn't leave, police say the woman shot him in the pelvis... http://www.timesleader.com/news/Cops__Woman_shoots_intruder_11-02-2008.html --- Gun Sales Surge in Oregon: At Cent-Wise Sporting Goods in Redmond, manager Kevin Moss says gun sales are up this fall, mostly because of consumer fears that the next president - whether John McCain or Barack Obama - is going to ratchet up gun control. "We're selling lots of handguns, ammo and more assault rifles, stuff people don't think they are going to be able to get after the election," Moss said. "The election is sparking a run on guns." At H & H Firearms and Tack in Bend, proprietor Del Hamberger said sales have increased by roughly 10 percent this year over last year, and that he's selling more handguns and smaller-gauge shotguns, which are easier to use for self-defense. Hamberger wouldn't speculate on a reason for the increase... http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081103/NEWS0107/811030387/1004&nav_category= --- And in New Mexico...: The prospect of a Barack Obama presidency may be fueling gun sales in Las Cruces, gun shop owners say. "We have seen an increase in sales of certain types of firearms," said Emerson Gates, a gunsmith at Custom Cartridge, 3225 S. Main St. "Specifically the AR-15-type firearms (assault rifles). "A lot of people are concerned because of Obama's standing in the polls, that should he get in, those are essentially the most vulnerable firearms to being legislated against..." http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_10884407?source=most_viewed --- And in North Carolina...: Local residents, fearful of the possibility that if Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama becomes president he will restrict gun laws so much they will not be able to buy them, have swamped area pawn shops and sporting goods stores to buy up guns before the election. "A lot of people fear that if a Democrat gets in power they'll try to restrict gun laws (and) make it harder (to buy guns)," Andy Peoples, president of Peoples' Pawn in Kinston, said Monday. While gun sales are typically up this time of year because of deer hunting season, Peoples noted that many people other than hunters have showed up at his store asking about firearms... http://www.kinston.com/news/gun_50774___article.html/obama_laws.html --- Tangentially Related: This article refers to a police principle known as "contact and cover," in which one officer makes contact with a subject and a second officer normally remains uninvolved, providing cover in event of an emergency. It contains some information that could be useful anytime that two people are together, especially if both are armed. http://www.policeone.com/police-products/training/articles/1751468-P1-Exclusive-Cover-officer-Person-or-position/ -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .