American Gun Owners Should Be Up in Arms: ... If this is the kind of "change" we can expect under the Obama administration, gun owners have reason to worry. The more that Democrats "change" the more they stay the same. American citizens flocked to gun shops after the election. Many of those people, ironically, were first-time gun buyers or gun owners who voted for the Chicago Democrat. Obama reinforced gun owner apprehension by appointing Rahm Emanuel - point man for the Clinton administration on gun control issues - as his chief of staff. Eric Holder, his expected nominee for Attorney General, signed an amicus brief in support of the Washington, D.C. gun ban, while arguing that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual right to keep and bear arms, positions soundly rejected by the Supreme Court... http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/nov/21/american-gun-owners-should-be-up-in-arms/ --- Pro-RKBA Democrat Ousted from Committee Chairmanship: ... The firearms owners and hunters in Michigan and the rest of the US have lost a strong pro-gun voice in Congressman Dingell. As bad as Waxman and others are for the future of American businesses, his selection for the chairmanship sets the stage for a new round of restrictive gun control legislation, more than likely centered on the business tax/trade fee paradigm. Americans must be vigilant as more coastal elites maneuver for positions of influence in the new congress; designed no doubt to ride herd on the more conservative Democrats from the heartland. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/11/post_138.html --- And We Can Take This to the Bank?: ...I don't think our Second Amendment rights are in any real danger. For one thing, there are much bigger dragons to slay at the moment. If the new president and Congress are ever able to get the economy under control, and can figure out just what we ought to be doing militarily overseas, they might turn their attention to gun control measures. Maybe. But for now, gun control figures to be way low on the Democratic agenda. We might as well discuss it, though. The issue could pop up someday. One high-profile shooting could easily rev up the gun control debate, and we might as well have a look at the battle lines now... (Easy talk for someone who is uncomfortable with licensed concealed carry and seems to believe that it's okay to ban entire categories of weapons and ammunition if they make police officers uncomfortable.) http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20081123/OPINION02/811230305 --- Phoenix Officers Ask to Purchase Own Rifles: Feeling they're at risk and need more firepower on the streets, Phoenix police union members are asking the city to allow 200 senior officers to buy their own semiautomatic rifles. Police officers say the additional firepower gives them a better match against criminals armed with AK-47s and other assault-style weapons. In a survey of 312 members of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, more than half said a rifle was not available when they needed it in the past six months. In the past year, 74 percent had a similar experience. About 76 percent said the job has become increasingly violent since they graduated from the police academy... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_POLICE_GUNS_AZOL-?SITE=AZTUC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/11/24/20081124policerifles1124.html --- What Constitutes an Assault Rifle?: ... Automatic firearms were severely restricted from civilian ownership by the 1934 National Firearms Act. By comparison, the politically labeled so-called "assault rifle"- the AR-15 is an example - looks like its military counterpart but functions only as a semi-automatic, firing just one round with each pull of the trigger, similar to many deer rifles and shotguns used to break clay targets. These semi-automatic rifles can be purchased and owned by civilians who pass the standard FBI background check. Although it has a modern military look, the semi-automatic rifle's operation is very different from a military machine gun and, in fact, is based on 100-year-old technology. It is not a "machine gun." To help promote accurate reporting about these commonplace semi-automatic firearms, the NSSF offers a media resource page located on the NSSF.org Web site in the Media Resources section at: http://nssf.org/media/FactSheets/Semi-Auto_Background.cfm [URL corrected from article]. http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811230302 --- Don't Settle for the Training That Comes in the Box with the Gun: The media have reported a spike in the sale of firearms. The number of people signing up for classes to qualify for concealed carry also has increased. Firearms instructors have seen more interest since 9/11. Local instructors also have seen the fraction of women in class rise from a quarter to half... (I recently replied to a question from a list member with some advice I had shared previously - if, after having stocked up on ammo and firearms you fear may be banned, you still have available funds, it might be a good idea to acquire some low-tech firearms, such as revolvers and lever-action carbines. What I had not mentioned previously is that, if you are not already competent with those weapons, it might also be a good idea to get some specific training in their use before attending such training becomes a red flag.) http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20081124/OPINION/811239983/1062/NONE&parentprofile=1062&title=If%20you%20buy%20a%20gun,%20make%20training%20a%20priority --- Students Push for Campus Carry: Student groups supporting the right to carry concealed weapons on campus are preparing to push for legislation in their favor when state governments reconvene in January. David Burnett, board member at large for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, said in an e-mail Friday the goal of the organization is to ensure holders of concealed handgun permits can enjoy the same rights on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else... According to Burnett, in past legislative sessions, 15 states have considered bills in favor of SCCC. "Most states adjourned without passing anything, but we look for more legislation on this issue as state legislatures begin to meet again," Burnett said. "Our efforts are ramping up for this upcoming year." http://badgerherald.com/news/2008/11/24/organization_hopes_f.php --- Bringing Samurai Swords to a Gunfight: A security guard at the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood on Sunday shot and killed a man wielding two samurai swords, police said. Police detained the guard for questioning but said that a surveillance tape at the facility backed his claim that he fired his semiautomatic handgun to protect himself and two colleagues. "The evidence is very clear the security officers were defending their safety," said Deputy Chief Terry S. Hara of the Los Angeles Police Department... http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-scientology24-2008nov24,0,6552577.story --- Don't Get the Lead Out: The anti-hunters at the Humane Society of the United States (the group that has nothing to do with your local animal shelter) are now trying to convince Americans that lead ammunition should be banned. The HSUS says a new study from the CDC shows that those who eat harvested game have elevated levels of lead in their blood. But here's what HSUS isn't telling you. According to that CDC study, which took place in North Dakota, the hunters and their families who ate harvested game had lower lead levels than the average American. In fact, the North Dakota State Department of Health says the highest lead level of an adult in the study was still below the CDC accepted lead level for a child, and was much lower than the CDC accepted lead level for an adult. HSUS is once again relying on scare tactics to advance its agenda, and gun owners once again have truth on their side. http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=470 -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .