A Slippery Slope: Nationalization of concealed carry laws would make things in this country simpler and much safer. Currently, under federal legal precedent it is legal for states to allow concealed carry with a permit, or even with no permit at all, says Laurie Ekstrand, established author. By nationalizing concealed carry laws, all states would have to have the same regulations governing concealed carry, making things much simpler than in the status quo. Because this would require permits to be issued and background checks to be conducted before concealed carry would be allowed, things would be much safer. This would also impose strict regulations on who can carry a concealed weapon and where they can carry it, thus making the chances of accident or misuse much slimmer... (At least this advocate admits that bringing in the feds would entail "strict regulations." She neglects to deal with how such regulations would not eventually include psychiatric exams, the same "qualifications required for LEO's, certification of need, etc. I hope that by "federal legal precedent" she means that the federal nature of our republic mostly allows each state to set its own standards.) http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2283371/why_the_united_states_should_nationalize.html --- The Beat Goes On: The demand for concealed handgun licenses is on the upswing, and a local police department is meeting the need to teach people how to exercise their right responsibly. The trend is widespread across Texas, and most people are attributing the increase to the presidential election of Barack Obama because people started fearing their right to bear arms may be limited under the new administration. Beginning in December 2008, the Texas Department of Public Safety started receiving an unprecedented number of applications of concealed handgun permits, said Tom Vinger, assistant chief of DPS media relations. During the first six months of 2009, DPS received an average of 12,700 applications per month, which is 46 percent more than the average for the first six months of 2008, which was 8,700. Montgomery County is no different than the rest of the state. The state granted 1,892 CHLs to county residents between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008. For the same period from 2008 to 2009, with two months to go, 2,464 have been granted to residents, which is a 30 percent increase... http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/10/19/conroe_courier/news/handgun1020.txt --- More people are learning how to shoot on target. According to Fayette County's New River Concealed Carry owner Kevin Willis, who's also a Fayette County [WV] Sheriff's deputy, requests for concealed weapons permit training courses - which are required by the state prior to obtaining a permit - are on the upswing. The 11-year police veteran says this is a good thing. "Any person that wants to use a handgun for self-defense should know how to own and operate one safely," Willis commented. Willis says an increase in crime rates and a fear of stricter gun control under the Obama administration are the plausible motivations behind the public's newfound interest in guns... Once the course is completed, students can apply for a concealed weapons permit at their local sheriff's department for a fee of $75. The permit remains active for five years... http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_292235529.html More than 2,000 people walked through the UAF Patty Center doors this weekend for the annual Tanana Valley Sportsmen's Association Fall Gun Show. Buyers, sellers and spectators alike this weekend attributed the nationwide surge in gun and ammo sales to worries that the Obama administration and a Democratic-controlled Congress will make a move to restrict gun ownership. Though this weekend wasn't the first gun show since the presidential election, the record turnout was also boosted by the release of the Permanent Fund Dividend. "I think it's common to see sales go up a little when the PFD comes out, but I think there is a lot of fear out there that is fueling people to buy guns and ammo," said William Galligan, a senior at UAF and member of the Alaska Nanooks rifle team. "Smith and Wesson sales have gone through the roof since the election, not to mention the price and availability of ammo. You almost can't find it anywhere and a lot of people have resorted to trying to make their own." According to his teammate, Cody Rutter, finding ammo in town has become a challenge, even at major retailers like Sportsman's Warehouse... (The PFD is a form of royalty that Alaska residents receive from the petroleum industry.) http://newsminer.com/news/2009/oct/19/obama-and-pfds-recipe-record-fairbanks-gun-show-tu/ --- Fifth Circuit Upholds USPS Parking-Lot Ban: On October 14, 2009 the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the conviction of a postal employee for possessing a gun in his vehicle while parked on a non-public United States Postal Service (USPS) parking lot in violation of a federal regulation at 39 CFR 232.1(l). The court's opinion in United States v. Doroson can be found here. Mr. Doroson had appealed the conviction on the ground that the USPS gun ban violated the Second Amendment. The Fifth Circuit panel disagreed, writing that, "the Postal Service used the parking lot for loading mail and staging its mail trucks. Given this usage of the parking lot by the Postal Service as a place of regular government business, it falls under the 'sensitive places' exception recognized by Heller." The Court did not indicate whether the Second Amendment would protect gun owners from prosecution if they possess a gun in the public areas of USPS property. Even though USPS parking lots are often indistinguishable from other public parking lots, and are not posted to warn the public of the gun ban, USPS spokesperson Joanne Vito told the Examiner.com that 39 CFR 232.1(l) ... (As to mailing firearms, FFL's can actually mail handguns to each other but the process requires a written declaration.) http://www.examiner.com/x-2782-DC-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m10d19-US-Postal-Service-enforces-gun-ban-in-public-parking-lots The Plot Thickens: "The Concealed Carry in the Post Office Analysis by Robert P. Firriolo, Esq. usually at this URL has been removed pending a review in light of recently revised U.S.P.S. regulations, specifically a new introductory clause to 232.1." (Previously, the argument had been made that it might be legal to carry on Postal property "for lawful purposes.") http://www.thegunzone.com/rkba/rtc-usps.html ... (l) Weapons and explosives. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, rule or regulation, no person while on postal property may carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, or store the same on postal property, except for official purposes. http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=06498327767+2+1+0&WAISaction=retrieve --- A Proposal for Wisconsin: Open carry has always been the law of the land in Wisconsin, however some people are now having regrets they supported the Governors two veto's of concealed carry legislation. There is new talk from the Milwaukee District Attorney and Milwaukee Police Chief about passing a concealed carry law in exchange for our liberty. Well, no thank you... Since a carry law is not really about guns (or "gun rights") but a citizen's right to possess the proper tool needed to maintain their constant state of peace, I am providing a basic framework below about what a good carry law for Wisconsin should include. Anyone may disagree but if you do there are some rules you must follow. I expect you to provide independently verifiable evidence why I am wrong (your opinions do not count) and then offer an alternative idea that can be verified will work better. If you want the legislature to write a good carry law, it is more likely to happen if you tell them exactly what you want... (When licensed CCW was being debated in the Arizona legislature, there was one group of gun owners who opposed it, for fear that a drop in lawful, unlicensed open carry would eventually "allow" the legislature to restrict or ban that practice.) http://www.examiner.com/x-5103-Wisconsin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m10d19-Proposed-Wisconsin-carry-law --- Here's a Suggestion: In these difficult economic times, Gov. Paterson has called for $3 billion in budget cuts. The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association has a suggestion for saving several million taxpayer dollars each year: abolish the Combined Ballistic Identification System (COBIS). The COBIS program was introduced by Gov. Pataki in 2000. Its stated purpose is to collect identifying data from the shell casings of all new handguns sold in the state. This information is then entered into a database for use by law enforcement to aid in identifying and prosecuting criminals. Since its inception, over a quarter of a million shell cases have been collected and entered into the database at an estimated cost of $32 million and not a single arrest or conviction has resulted. In fact, COBIS has proven to be such a boondoggle that no other state is even considering implementing their own version of it. If Gov. Paterson is serious about saving money, then COBIS ought to be at the top of the list of programs to be cut. (I believe that Maryland has a similar program, if it's still in operation - a few years back the state police ask to scrap it so that they could use the funds for more productive projects.) http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/New-York-State-Rifle-Pistol-Association-Advises-Gov-Paterson-to-Cut-COBIS-Program/969644 --- Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200: A 39-year-old man, who reportedly shot and killed another man in self-defense Sunday night in Anderson, has been turned over to U.S. marshals in anticipation of a federal weapon charge. McDonald County [MO] Sheriff Robert Evenson said Matthew D. Robertson, 32, died of a single shotgun blast during an altercation with Michael J. Smith at the Wallain Court apartment complex in Anderson, where both men lived in separate units. Authorities received a call at 8:30 p.m. reporting the shooting at the apartments and found Robertson dead, the sheriff said. Evenson said deputies determined that Robertson was in the act of breaking in the door to Smith's home when Smith shot him in the chest with a .410-gauge shotgun. "It appears that he is not going to be charged with any homicide-related charge," the sheriff said... But, because of a prior felony conviction, the U.S. attorney's office in Springfield plans to charge Smith with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Evenson said. Smith was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Specifics of the prior felony conviction were not available Monday night... (The late Elmer Keith opined that once a man has "paid his debt to society," he should regain the RKBA.) http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_293001308.html --- But the Deaths Were Not Firearm-Related: Two people died in Okanogan County [WA] during the inaugural weekend of the general firearms deer hunting season. Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said deputies and dispatchers had a busy opening day of deer season Oct. 17. Among the calls were the two deaths, lost and injured hunters, and trespassing and shooting complaints. A boy called dispatch around 3:35 p.m. to report that his father had fallen and struck his head on some rocks, Rogers said... Deputies and Aero Methow Rescue personnel responded and found the man, who was deceased, Rogers said... Earlier in the day, at 6:30 a.m., dispatch was notified of a possible heart attack victim on Baldy Pass near Conconully. The man, 42, was transported off the mountain in a private vehicle, which was met by emergency personnel. The man was taken to Mid-Valley Hospital, Omak, and died there, Rogers said... (Those who hunt are often advised to take a couple of months prior to the season and ensure that they are in adequate physical condition to do so.) http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n091018b.shtml --- Another Look at M4 Failures: ...There was one thing mentioned in the news stories that has some relevance, and that's rifles jamming (not because of heat problems). This goes back to the decades old argument about replacing the recoil system in American assault rifles. This came to a head (again) two years ago, when the army ran more tests on its M-4 rifle, involving dust and reliability. Four weapons were tested. The M4, the XM8, SCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) and the H&K 416 (an M4 with the more dust resistant components of the XM8 installed). The testing consisted of exposing the weapons to 25 hours of heavy dust conditions over two months. During that testing period, 6,000 rounds were fired from each of ten weapons of each type. The weapons with the fewest failures (usually jams) were rated highest. Thus the XM8 finished first, SCAR second, 416 third and M4 last. In response, the army said it was satisfied with the M4s performance, but was considering equipping it with a heavier barrel (to lessen overheating) and more effective magazines (27 percent of the M4s 882 jams were magazine related.) The army noted that the M4 fired over 98 percent of its rounds without problems. The army had been forced by Congress to conduct the tests. Congress was responding to complaints by the troops...(The die has already been cast with SCAR for SOCOM, which is proceeding with SCAR Light [.223] and SCAR Heavy [.308].) http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20091019.aspx --- Cerberus to Go Public with Firearms Unit: After bad bets on cars and home loans, Cerberus Capital Management is turning to guns and bullets. The private-equity firm is in advanced preparations for an initial public offering of Freedom Group Inc., said people familiar with the situation, hoping to sell shares in a little-known company it has built into a dominant player in the red-hot rifle-and-ammunition business. Over a three-year span, Cerberus - while under the spotlight for ill-fated acquisitions of auto maker Chrysler LLC and lender GMAC LLC - has acquired at least seven U.S. gun-and-ammunition makers. Those companies have been consolidated into a Madison, N.C.-based company ... (Ellipsis in original - this is the full article.) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125599020732295081.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_business --- When Guns Are Outlawed: Punishment or "respect" shootings are a growing trend among young gang members in London, say police. Officers from the [London] Metropolitan Police are looking into 72 reported cases of people being shot in the legs this year, more than double the 33 incidents in 2008. The cause, according to senior officers, could be an increase in punishment shootings, or attacks to garner "respect", where shooters intend to wound their victims rather than kill them. Commander Martin Hewitt of the Met said: "We are noticing a propensity amongst a small element of people to use extreme levels of violence for seemingly very little reason. "Often this is done to, in some way, protect their reputation in the eyes of their peers." He added: "When Trident first started, the gun crime that was taking place was the enforcement offshoot of organised crime. "Where it is different now is that it is less to do with organised crime but more to do with respect issues and disagreements. It is more chaotic, more spontaneous. It is a matter of reputation and issues around peer pressure." ... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6881280.ece http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23758106-teenage-respect-shootings-soar-as-met-warns-of-chaotic-violence.do --- Tangentially Related: Howard Unruh, who carried out one of America's most infamous mass shootings, killing 13 people, three of them children, in a 20-minute, seemingly emotionless stroll through his neighborhood in Camden, N.J., in September 1949, died Monday at a nursing home in Trenton after 60 years' confinement. He was 88... Mr. Unruh was found to have paranoid schizophrenia and never stood trial. He was confined to the high-security Vroom Building for the criminally insane at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital until 1993, when he was transferred across the grounds to less restrictive wards in a geriatric unit... Mr. Unruh fled to his apartment. Some 50 police officers converged there and blazed away with machine guns, shotguns and pistols... After the police fired tear gas, Mr. Unruh came outside, his hands held high, his bow tie still in place... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/nyregion/20unruh.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries&pagewanted=all --- ...The women I queried yammered on and on. They giggled as they told of lying to - or withholding the truth from - their partners about their dress sizes, the cost of their hair highlights, whether they got Botox injections or how much reality TV they watch. "You mean the old 'new clothes out of the Nordstrom shopping bag into the cleaner's plastic garment wrap before you come into the house' trick?" asked a human-resources executive in San Francisco, who has been married for 37 years. "Well, obviously I plead guilty." ... (Bernstein is most probably a Noo Yawkah or she would have realized that many married men do similar things with gun purchases.) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703816204574483151421332702.html?mod=djemLifeStyleh --- Gratia-Hupp Book Released: Women who make a difference: The title of this article is also the title of a new book coming out in November. It was written by Dr. Suzanna Gratis-Hupp who testified before congress telling the graphic story of how she witnessed 23 people gunned down in a restaurant named "Luby's" in Killeen, Texas - those victims included her parents who has just celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary. It was a bright shiny day outside on that fatal day on October 16, 1991. But the memory of that day will forever bring darkness to the hearts of those who lost loved ones on that day. Dr. Gratis-Hupp is a chiropractor by profession; but has also served in the Texas legislature. Her new book, "From Luby's to the Legislature: One woman's fight against gun control," is the result of seeing her parents and others gunned down by a mad man, whom she does not hold anger against; but is angry against the congress that caused her not to have her gun with her on that fatal day. You can see and hear her story on the video below. As in many cases, when a person suffers a tragic event in their lives; it spurs them on to make a difference and to make changes... (Her maiden name is actually "Gratia,") http://www.examiner.com/x-26504-Atlanta-Woman-to-Woman-Examiner~y2009m10d20-From-Lubys-to-the-Legislature-One-womans-fight-against-gun-control?cid=channel-rss-Society_and_Culture --- Something to Think About: ...Now you have an opportunity to help the NRA by sharing your thoughts on policy, politics, corporate partnerships, and more. We are excited to announce the launch of the NRA-ILA Online Advisory Panel, a community of our most active and loyal supporters. As a part of the Advisory Panel, you will have the opportunity to engage with other NRA members, take weekly polls and surveys, compare your Members of Congress, track federal legislation, and more. This is your chance to make your voice count. NRA-ILA wants to know what you think and what gun owners are concerned-or excited-about in your part of the country... (Registration requires a user name, password, nine-digit ZIP Code, sex and date of birth. Polls are multiple-choice but a feedback from is available for individual comments.) http://nra.civicscience.com/ -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .