List Members Reply: In response to Sunday's item about non-traditional handgun sights, I received no reports from list members regarding experience with any of the triangle-based systems. I received two favorable reports on the HexSite, including one from a special-operations veteran who would have liked to have had it when he was in the field. One relatively new shooter reported that she has given up on it, in part because she has shifted the emphasis of her training to point shooting. --- More Guns, Less Crime: Allegedly, the prevalence of guns leads to an increase in violence, especially murder. For example, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence promotes the "guns cause death" hypothesis. They claim that nearly 31,000 people die from "gun violence" each year, concluding: "Without stronger, sensible gun laws, thousands upon thousands of people will continue to die and be injured needlessly each year. The Brady Campaign fights for sensible gun laws to protect you, your family, and your community." Violent crime has been dropping since a temporary uptick in 2005 and 2006, capped by the FBI's announcement that 2009 preliminary violent crime data show a 4.4 decrease in violent crime and a 10.0% decrease in murder. Does this mean that fewer guns were sold since 2004? ...The AP article never mentions all the anecdotal evidence that law-abiding citizens have been arming themselves at an increasing rate in recent years. For example, there has been an ammunition shortage, as historically-high demand, caused in part by new gun owners, far outstripped manufacturing capacity. Women have historically been less likely to be firearms owners, but in recent years, women are the fastest-growing demographic... Currently, there are continued record levels of NICS requests, and the FBI reports dramatic drops in violent and property crimes across the board. Of course, there may be other influences, but these data seriously damage the Brady Campaign's "more guns equals more violence" theory, and indicate that the Second Amendment is the most sensible gun law ever written. http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m12d22-Crime-down-again-despite-economy Related Commentary: http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m12d22-FBI-report-points-to-inconvenient-truth-about-guns-and-crime http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m12d22-Murder-rate-declined-while-gun-sales-boomed-An-inconvenient-truth http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2684-Law-Enforcement-Examiner~y2009m12d22-FBI-Gun-sales-up-murders-down --- More on the Luntz Poll: In Monday's editorial, the New York Times reported the results of a Frank Luntz poll indicating that NRA members are much softer on key issues than the National Rifle Association itself... The second sentence calls Frank Luntz, the author of the study, a "conservative Republican," which he is neither. In fact, some would say that "conservative Republican" is an oxymoron in today's political climate. According to his own website, he shows himself to be a captive of the left, with connections to most of the major news media, and holding the requisite "liberal establishment" educational pedigrees. The editorial continues with a "hot label" reference to "card-carrying" NRA members, an obvious reference to the McCarthy era of investigations into communist infiltration of the State Department... By looking at the background of the poll, the sources financing it, and the credibility of the pollster himself, the results can be clearly understood by the best filter of all, the bright clarity of sunshine... Last July, a poll of 4,470 voters by Zogby International showed how the American people really feel about such issues. For the record, the concept of concealed carry for law-abiding citizens is supported by an overwhelming 83 percent. In fact, when analyzed by groups of voters, support for concealed carry is remarkable: Democrats, 80 percent in favor; young voters age 18 to 29, 83 percent in favor; Hispanic, 80 percent in favor, and Obama voters, 80 percent in favor. The Zogby poll also showed 84 percent supporting the Second Amendment as an individual right, and 67 percent believing that that right protects against infringements by state and local governments. http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/2614-gun-owners-filtered --- On the Eve of McDonald: Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is sending city employees home without pay on Christmas Eve, "just like Ebenezer Scrooge would have done," yet he continues squandering scarce city funds defending an unconscionable, and soon-to-be unconstitutional, handgun ban, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. "This is an indefensible ban designed to leave Chicago citizens defenseless," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, "yet Mayor Daley is perfectly comfortable pouring public funds down a hole darker than the grave of Jacob Marley, clinging to a law that has been a public safety disaster. "This folly has cost the citizens of Chicago untold thousands of dollars," he continued, "and what do they have to show for it? Public employees don't even get a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings, only a day off without pay. Daley has had years to repeal this law and turn over a new leaf, but his only response has essentially been 'Bah, Humbug'!" The city is being sued by the Second Amendment Foundation, Illinois State Rifle Association and four individual citizens to overturn its long-standing handgun ban. That case is going to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 2, and a ruling is expected sometime in June. This case could provide a landmark decision that incorporates the Second Amendment to the states through the 14th Amendment... http://www.ccrkba.org/pub/rkba/press-releases/SCROOGE.DALEY.SQUAND.12-22-2009.htm --- Proposed Washington "AWB" Challenged: In Seattle Democrats' latest assault on the Constitution, several state legislators are attempting to ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons and force current owners to submit to background checks. Why? Because "there's no place to have sales of military assault rifles or weapons in this state." Why? Because, according to Ralph Fascitelli, the board president of Washington Ceasefire, "These are weapons of war. They can kill, shoot 200 bullets a minute." All types of guns are weapons of war. All guns can kill. And no, these guns cannot shoot 200 bullets a minute, not with accuracy, and not at a sustained rate before they break down. (I want someone to explain why the board president of a gun control group doesn't know much about guns. You'd think being informed would be a prerequisite for a position like that.) ...Now, the text of the bill isn't up, but this would probably ban the sale of some hunting rifles, and certainly would ban the sale most semi-automatic handguns, because most of them can accept clips of more than 10 rounds, and were designed with military use in mind (for example, the classic 1911 was designed explicitly for use in war, and you could easily make the argument that all semi-automatic weapons were designed for military use, given that they all use concepts designed for military weapons)... http://soundpolitics.com/archives/013624.html --- RKBA. MAIG and the Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race: Its detractors say it is anti-gun, its members say it is only against illegal firearms, but, as the debate grows about the national organization called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Milwaukee mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett is emerging as one of its highest-profile members. The group, organized in 2006 by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino, featured Barrett on its website this week, posting a video address from the mayor in which he portrayed himself as a freedom fighter... MAIG's website boasts of 500 members, but, as the NRA ramped up its public opposition, 76 mayors, including seven in Wisconsin, had resigned as of Nov. 17, according to the NRA website... The stakes are even higher for Barrett. As a candidate for governor who will likely face another Milwaukee County but pro-gun candidate in next year's general election - Milwaukee County executive Scott Walker - the way the rest of the state perceives Barrett on the gun rights question could be decisive... http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=10672 --- Short mailing today - my canine companion Cristy is due at the vet's office for a minor procedure that requires anesthesia. -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. The tactics and skills to use a firearm in self-defense don't come naturally with the right to keep and bear arms. http://www.spw-duf.info .