Chicago Could Mimic DC Handgun Ordinance: Chicago won Round 1 in its defense of the city's long-standing handgun ban, but Mayor Richard Daley said Thursday that he's looking at less sweeping gun-control measures in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision this year against such laws... The NRA immediately appealed Shadur's decision, and attorney Stephen Halbrook said the group is confident it will prevail in a higher court. Daley has maintained the ruling striking down D.C.'s handgun ban cannot be extended to states and cities not under federal control. The mayor said he's looking at new D.C. laws requiring gun owners to go through five hours of safety training, register their firearms every three years and undergo criminal background checks every six years... (It sounds as though Daley now recognizes that DC erred in its appeal to the Supreme Court and that similar action by Chicago could result in the Second Amendment being incorporated against that states.) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-city-gun-ban-19dec19,0,7441463.story --- Common Sense Is Not Very Common: Every time some anti-gunner proposes a new gun control measure, they always want to call it a "common sense" measure. As if anyone who didn't see things their way was stupid. "How can you oppose this? It's common sense!," they claim. And they always talk to you in their best Morgan Freeman voice, explaining how they have no intention of infringing on your rights, they just want people to be safe... Maybe I'm getting jaded, but every time I hear "common sense gun laws", I start tuning people out. Because I know common sense has nothing to do with the agenda at hand... http://www.ohioccw.org/content/view/4171/53/ --- The Beat Goes On: Ernie Lyles has operated a gun shop in Northern Virginia for 24 years, but he's never had a month like the one he had in November... Lyles likens the recent buying spree to the 1994 surge that preceded a 10-year ban on semiautomatic military-style rifles. Lyles said most of this year's gun buyers are worried that President-elect Barack Obama will re-impose that ban. "I lived through the Clinton years, but a lot of others in this business didn't," said Lyles. "Two out of every three gun shops in Virginia went under [during the 1990s]. You can only sell so many guns to police departments and federal agencies." ... (For those who may be new to what used to be called "the shooting fraternity," early in Clinton's first term there was a drive to eliminate "kitchen-table FFL's," licensed dealers who conducted part-time businesses, typically out of their own homes.) http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2008/dec/17/area-gun-stores-doing-brisk-business/ --- Give Her a Gun for Christmas: ...A lot of Christmas gifts end up as bothersome clutter, such as goofy trinkets or unread books. A gift certificate is a good sign that you don't know much about the person, but aren't quite thoughtless enough to just send cash. But with a gun you can give that person a new hobby, an ongoing lesson in responsibility, peace of mind, and make the world a better place... So get out there and give the gift that keeps on giving. Give a gun this Christmas to the people in your life you care about. (And don't let them settle for the training that comes in the box with the gun.) http://www.independentpub.com/gray/articles/2008121803.htm --- Castle Doctrine to Get Second Shot in New Mexico: A person who kills or hurts a criminal while defending his or her property should be immune from lawsuits, two Farmington lawmakers say. State law does not protect home and property owners from lawsuits brought on by criminals injured while committing crimes, state senators Bill Sharer and Steve Neville said. Neville wants to pen legislation that would force those lawsuits to be dismissed. He has not yet written the proposed law, but he hopes to gauge support for it before the next legislative session begins in January. A similar law was defeated by state legislators in the past... http://www.daily-times.com/ci_11258011 --- Pennsylvania County Sued Over Confiscation: Delaware County was hit with a federal lawsuit yesterday claiming that its policy of refusing to return confiscated firearms unless the owners obtain a court order is unconstitutional. The civil-rights suit was filed by C. Scott Shields, a gun-rights attorney and small-town political firebrand who has been the National Rifle Association's point man in fighting Philadelphia's attempt to write its own gun laws. The plaintiff, Thomas DeOrio, 21, of Glen Mills, argues that the county government, judges and Sheriff's Department illegally retain confiscated guns - even if a crime hasn't been committed - when the owner is entitled to retrieve them... http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20081219_Lawsuit__Delco_gun_policy_unconstitutional.html --- Virginia Open-Carry Activist Gets $15,000 Settlement: A Yorktown gun-rights advocate who sued Norfolk after his arrest at Town Point Park for openly carrying a handgun will receive a $15,000 payout to settle the federal lawsuit. Chester "Chet" Szymecki Jr. sued the city after his arrest in June 2007 on a charge of violating a city ordinance prohibiting firearms at Harborfest. The city later learned that the ordinance is unenforceable because state law prohibits localities from regulating firearms... City Attorney Bernard A. Pishko said the settlement avoids the high price of going to trial. The city did not admit any wrongdoing, he said... (The city later "learned" or "admitted"?) http://hamptonroads.com/2008/12/norfolk-pay-15000-harborfest-gun-arrest-case --- Raise in Ohio CHL Fee Thwarted: A fee increase for concealed-carry licenses survived inside House Bill 450 through the entire day Wednesday and even into early Thursday morning. But it's never too late for the National Rifle Association to make things happen. The bill, which passed the Senate by an overwhelming margin several hours earlier in the evening, was called up for reconsideration just before 1 a.m. Thursday morning, after the NRA and others contacted Republican lawmakers and expressed concern about an amendment to the bill that would increase fees for concealed-carry permits... The fee was stripped from the bill, which was then passed again without the provision... http://blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2008/12/nra_helps_spike_gun_license_fe.shtml --- Oops, Wrong Car: ..."A lady was flagged over Sunday evening about 6 p.m. on the interstate between Kelley Highway and the Arkansas river bridge." Lt. Steve Coppinger with State Police says that two men in a car signaled that the woman was getting a flat tire. "When she pulled over to check her tires one of those person in that other car got out and attempted to rob her at knife point." But what the thief didn't expect happened next. Coppinger says the female driver pulled out her handgun. "She pointed that at her attacker and he backed away, got in the car and they fled." ... (Note that the photo depicts a person drawing a handgun in a non-firing grip because the index finger is wrapped around the grip frame, behind the trigger guard. Some of my students question why I insist that they always grasp handguns in firing grips [with trigger fingers up on the frame] unless they are performing maintenance that requires an altered grip.) http://www.kfsm.com/global/story.asp?s=9541680 http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/12/18/news/news07.txt --- Oops, Wrong Dog Owner: A man walking his dog in Terrell on Wednesday shot and critically wounded an armed 17-year-old robber, police said. The incident happened at about 10:20 p.m. in Ben Gill Park in the 100 block of Lions Club Lane where, police said, a group of teen robbers surrounded the man. According to investigators, when a boy in the group pulled out a gun, the man, a licensed concealed handgun owner, fired shots. The teen was apparently struck in the head and was listed in critical condition at Parkland Hospital. His weapon was recovered at the scene and later determined to be stolen during a separate offense in Terrell, according to police... http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=8100189&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1 --- Oops, Wrong Parents: A Franklin County man was killed by his mother Sunday, likely in self-defense, after he reportedly pistol-whipped her and his stepfather, authorities said. Cameron Utsler, 22, was shot to death at the Prairie Street residence he shared with his mother and stepfather, north of Charleston, according to Lt. Steve Coppinger of the Arkansas State Police. "Right now it looks like a justified shooting," David Gibbons, Franklin County's district attorney, said on Monday... http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/12/16/week_in_review/news/tuesday/news12.txt --- Oops, Wrong Liquor Store: The co-owner of a Largo liquor shot and killed a man during an attempted robbery Friday, police said. Bill Miles, another co-owner of Kettering Liquors, was there. He saw the shooting. He says the would-be robber came in with a gun and a struggle ensued. Officers say it ended when Miles' business partner pulled out his gun and shot the man. There were a lot of us in the tussle and so it didn't work out too well for the other guy," Miles said. "It's tragic. Somebody died today. Good news is, it wasn't one of us. It was the bad guy." ... http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1208/577329.html --- Oops, Wrong Apartment, Kentucky Version: Lexington police were still searching Thursday for one of two men accused of entering an apartment near Shillito Park Wednesday night and attempting to rob a male resident. The Lexington man who lives at the apartment complex at 3500 Beaver Place, near Nicholasville Road and Man o' War Boulevard, told police he shot one of the intruders, who later died at the University of Kentucky Hospital, after the men entered his apartment about 10:45 p.m. The resident, whose name was not released, was armed with a handgun. He was also shot during a fight with the two men. The alleged intruder was identified by the Fayette County coroner's office as Anthony Bell, 27. He died of a shotgun would to the chest, the office said... (So who brought the shotgun to the gunfight?) http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/630911.html --- Oops, Wrong Apartment, South Carolina Version: The Newberry Police Department is investigating a shooting over the weekend that left a would-be robber dead. According to Newberry Police Chief Jackie Swindler, the investigation started Saturday night when 35-year-old Willie Hiller was found dead in the driveway of a home on 1st Street. At about that same time, a man went to the police station and told officers that he shot into a crowd of people as they attempted to rob his apartment at the Palmetto Point Apartments. That apartment complex is near the location that Hiller's body was found. The man who fired the shots told investigators a group of people tried to rob him at his apartment, and in self-defense, he fired into the group... http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9524085&nav=0RaPao87 --- Oops, Wrong House, Arkansas Version: It started out as a normal morning for the Newborns last Thursday, but as Lester Newborn was getting out of the shower he says his worst fears were realized as he heard his daughter scream "There's someone in the house!" Lester Newborn adds, "I have no idea what she was planning on doing all I know is she came in my house." Newborn says the intruder probably walked through the neighborhood looking for an open door or window and happened to find theirs. "I was messing with Christmas lights outside and I left a window unlocked and that's the window she came through." ...Brittney says as she screamed for her dad she left the room and he walked in with a .357 hand gun... http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=77382&catid=2 --- Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version 1: A Bradenton man reported shooting a man who came into his house and put a gun to his girlfriend's head early this morning, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's Office report. The 52-year-old homeowner said his girlfriend, 47, opened the door to their home, in the 6500 block of Wellesley Drive, just before 2 a.m. this morning. The girlfriend told deputies a man at the door tried to push his way in, while a second man with a gun got into the house and put a gun to her head, according to sheriff reports. The boyfriend said he came back from getting a gun and opened fire on the gunman when he saw the gun to his girlfriend's head. The boyfriend, who claimed his shot hit the gunman, said he only saw one person in his house, while the girlfriend said two men were there... http://www.bradenton.com/news/breaking_news/story/1106004.html http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081218/BREAKING/812180265?Title=Bradenton_man_shoots_intruder__frees_girlfriend --- Oops, Wrong House, Florida Version 2: Two masked, armed men broke into an Orange City house but fled empty-handed after the homeowner went after them with his own handgun, officials said Friday. The 36-year-old husband and his wife, 37, whom officials did not identify, were watching television in their bedroom at their Cedar Avenue home when they heard a loud crash in another part of the house at 9:45 p.m. Thursday. When they investigated, they were met by two armed men in their kitchen, Volusia County sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. The couple ran back to their bedroom where the husband grabbed a handgun and went after the armed men, who then bolted through the front door, Haught said. No one was injured in the incident, Haught said... (It's pretty risky to investigate strange noises unarmed. It's much safer to keep your handgun holstered on your person, even in your own home.) http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/wvlWEST02121308.htm --- Rule Five Reminder: A thief cut through a fence at the California Highway Patrol's Martinez office early Tuesday, broke into numerous cruisers, and made off with a semiautomatic rifle and ammunition, authorities said. The theft was discovered about 12:30 a.m. in the locked parking lot of the Highway Patrol office at 5001 Blum St., said CHP Officer Tom Maguire. The culprit cut through the fence, broke into several Ford Crown Victoria cruisers, and stole the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and ammunition, Maguire said... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/17/BA7214PJB4.DTL New Mexico Version: Whoever broke into five take-home police cars overnight Tuesday made off with assault rifles after defeating the locked brackets holding the weapons in place. Investigators said the thieves knew what they were doing when they first broke patrol cars' windows and then unlocked the doors, "And then that way the alarm doesn't go off," Sandoval County Sheriff John Paul Trujillo said. Once inside they went for one thing: AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles... (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm. Normally, one would think that a locking bracket would be adequate control but it appears that gang members are targeting police vehicles with knowledge of how the deivces work.) http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/crime_krqe_rio_rancho_gun_thieves_raid_cops_cars_200812180045 --- Australia to Ban Imports of Evil Black Rifles: Guns resembling military weapons and designed to appeal to young men will be banned from being imported into Australia. The Federal Government will change import regulations to tighten controls on firearms that have a "military-style appearance". Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said handguns and paintball markers resembling guns with fully automatic firing capabilities were already subject to higher import controls. "Manufacturers have now begun developing firearms that look more like machine guns in an attempt to appeal to a younger market," he said... (At least they are honest enough to admit that the issue is cosmetic down under.) http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24821135-5001021,00.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .