Farewell, Teddy: Now that the news is all Ted, all the time (which at least is a relief from all Michael, all the time) and the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy is on his way to being Saint Teddy, we should remember that he was an implacable enemy of the Second Amendment, and that there never was an anti-gun law he did not like. Kennedy blamed guns for his brothers' deaths. The reality is a little different. John Kennedy was killed because the Secret Service, in a city where many people were known to hate him, allowed JFK to ride in an open automobile, and advertised his route in advance. Bobby Kennedy was killed because, rather than employ professional bodyguards in Los Angeles, he used a former football player named Rosey Grier, plus a few others who were equally well qualified. Grier was an all-pro lineman, but he was not much of a bodyguard. Condemning guns for a tragedy rather than affixing the blame to arrogance, incredible lapses in judgment, and incompetence saves one a lot of trouble, does it not? After all, how do you legislate against human failings? http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nut/2009/08/petzal-parting-thought-senator-kennedy --- GOA Director to Speak at Second Amendment March: I just wanted my Examiner friends to be the first to know that Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America, has agreed to speak at the Second Amendment March on April 19th, 2010 on the Washington Monument Grounds. Myself and the leadership of the Second Amendment March are currently evaluating others who have asked to speak at the event. I'll announce other speakers as the information becomes available... (It would appear that Pratt is not the activist who requested a $40,000 speaker's fee plus expenses.) http://www.examiner.com/x-18561-Grand-Rapids-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Larry-Pratt-to-Speak-at-The-Second-Amendment-March --- Why American Are up in Arms: Leftist elites are up in arms about Americans up in arms. At two recent Obama town hall meetings, men exercising their Second Amendment rights were spotted carrying firearms. While we do not condone threatening the president or anyone else for that matter, these citizens are well within their rights. It is legal to carry a firearm while demonstrating to protect your liberties... These liberal media elites outraged by gun-bearing citizens showing up at Obama events have probably never used a gun in real life. Chris Matthews, Rick Sanchez, Contessa Brewer and the rest who assume guns represent violence don't likely own a firearm. Most Americans don't see firearms as a symbol of violence, like our founding fathers, they see them as a tool for personal protection... William Kostric and Chris have it right, if we don't stand and demonstrate peacefully for all of our freedoms, they will quickly slip away and vanish. Remember, it's much easier to hold onto something, than try and get it back after you've lost it. http://townhall.com/columnists/FloydandMaryBethBrown/2009/08/27/why_americans_are_up_in_arms&Comments=true?page=full --- Meanwhile, in California...: A retired Navy petty officer is encouraging fellow gun owners to bring unloaded weapons to weekly rallies in Escondido next month to strike a blow for the right to bear arms. Gerald Reaster, 69, said the purpose of the rallies, which will begin Tuesday, is to assert Second Amendment rights and the freedom to carry unloaded firearms openly without a license, as allowed by state law, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported... Similar "open-carry" events have been staged around the country over the past several years. Reaster said he has not decided on locations for the rallies, but that he will notify Escondido police five minutes prior to each rally, according to the Union-Tribune. Escondido police told the newspaper they will not try to stop Reaster's rallies but they will check every participant's firearms to be sure they are not loaded... (Californians who lack CWP's are banned from carrying loaded firearms in a "public place," as a result of a law signed by Ronald Reagan, after armed Black Panthers marched into the legislature. There are those who fear that the appearance of armed demonstrators at presidential appearances could provoke similar legislation in other jurisdictions.) http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-27/news/local-county-news/second-amendment-rights-celebrated-at-gun-rallies CCW Battle Warms Up: California law gives county sheriffs and city police chiefs exclusive authority to issue concealed weapons permits. It also lays out criteria they are supposed to follow. In general, to be eligible to carry a hidden handgun, a person has to pass a criminal background check, have no record of mental illness and complete a firearms training course. The law also requires that the person seeking the permit have "good cause" for having a concealed weapon. "Good cause" is interpreted differently in different jurisdictions. But generally it's applied to merchants who make large cash bank deposits at night, for example, or real estate agents who regularly show properties in remote locations. Many advocates of gun-owner rights think the "good cause" criterion is an infringement on their rights. Now a faction in El Dorado County has made concealed weapons a litmus test for candidates running for sheriff. They want the new sheriff to allow virtually any law-abiding citizen to carry a hidden handgun. Proponents argue that with sheriff patrols reduced due to budget cuts, people in remote areas especially need the means to protect themselves... (Of note, no mention is made of a pending lawsuit regarding restricted issuance in Sacramento and Yolo Counties.) http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_13219193 --- RKBA Victory in Illinois: ...HB-182 simply established the right of property owners in Illinois to give permission to their guests to possess firearms. Previously, it was legal to possess a loaded firearm outside its case only in one's own home or place of business (plus the inevitable exceptions for hunters during hunting season with valid hunting licenses, et cetera.) But to possess the same gun in your neighbor's house or on his land was to invite arrest; the owner of the private property could protest that you had his permission to possess your gun, but that wouldn't make it legal, as demonstrated in the case of Illinois v. Price. Kirk Price was arrested in his sister's home and charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a weapon for possessing what the court humorously calls a "fully loaded .57 Ruger revolver." Price appealed his conviction, arguing that the Aggravated UUW statute contained an exception for possession in one's "abode," but the Appellate Court agreed that one's abode could only be one's actual home, not a place where one slept temporarily (the Appellate Court's decision - all 26 pages - appears at the bottom of this article for anyone who wishes to read it or save a copy.) ... http://www.examiner.com/x-17034-Chicago-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Illinois-Governor-Quinn-HB-182-Gun-Rights --- North Dakota to Discriminate against Those Who Can't Kneel: I've been a North Dakota concealed weapons test administrator for a lot of years, as well as a National Rifle Association-certified pistol instructor. But with the recent changes made by the North Dakota Legislature, I may be weeded out soon. Concealed weapons permit instructors in North Dakota now are required to attend a training course in Bismarck consisting of classroom, a written exam and a shooting qualification at a range. The classroom and exam wouldn't be any problem for me. The fact that they require kneeling to shoot is the problem. I was told that they would not make any allowances for physical disabilities. (I suffer from arthritis and various injuries, so getting down to kneel is a problem for me in recent years.) ... (My CWP course has always exceed the state mandate. The range session includes moving to, shooting from and recovering from kneeling positions, at ten yards, for those who are able to do it. This is a valuable skill if you have to use low cover, such as the front end of a motor vehicle, but not a requirement to pass my course or to receive and Arizona CWP.) http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/131351/group/Opinion/ --- Oops, Wrong House: There is no suspect in the burglary attempt that occurred August 18, in Eagle Run at 1139 38 ½ Ave. W., where the homeowner, Jason Fonder, fired a single shot at an intruder discovered in his residence. Also home at the time were his wife, and two-year old daughter. There were no injuries and nothing was taken. West Fargo [ND] Police responded to a call of a burglary in progress at about 1:30 a.m. By the time they arrived, the suspect had fled and has yet to be found. The suspect is believed to have entered through an unlocked door. He is described as around 5'10" to 6 feet tall, in his late teens to early 20s, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and some sort of cap underneath the hood.... (It's foolish to leave doors unlocked and windows open.) http://www.westfargopioneer.com/event/article/id/15183/ -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .