Another Look at HR 45: ...This nefarious bill seeks to strip us all of our Constitutional Rights to possess and bear firearms of any distinction. It requires, within the first two years, that all new guns be registered. The bill goes retroactive after two years. Meaning that two years after the passage of the bill, ALL FIREARMS in a citizen's possession must be registered, not just those purchased after the bill passes, and this apparently applies to antique firearms as well. Every five years the firearm owner must go through a complete renewal process for each weapon owned. Failure to comply carries stiff penalties including confiscation of the firearms and jail time (penalties as high as ten years imprisonment in some cases). The bill also authorizes government searches without warrant, the creation of a federal bureaucracy to monitor firearm possession, etc... http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/02/more_gun_control_introduced_in.html Related Article: http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1499423.html --- Big Brother's Questionnaire Prompts Oklahoma Bill: Legislation that would bar employers from asking job applicants if they own a gun has won preliminary approval in a state House committee. The House Judiciary Committee voted 9-2 Thursday to send the legislation by Rep. Rex Duncan of Sand Springs to the full House for a vote. Duncan, the committee's chairman, says the measure is a response to a questionnaire that members of President Obama's transition team were required to fill out. 1 of the questions asked applicants to provide registration information on any guns they owned. Duncan says he is concerned that the Obama administration will be hostile to the Second Amendment right to own firearms. But Duncan says he does not know of any Oklahoma employer who asks similar questions. (In retrospect, it looks as though Big Brother should have focused more on compliance with tax laws by his appointees.) http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=9796811 --- New Mexico Castle-Doctrine Bill Faces Opposition: A bill that would make people who kill or hurt a criminal while defending their property immune from lawsuits faces a hurdle, the bill's sponsor says. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Steve Neville, passed the Senate Public Affairs Committee on Tuesday by a 7-1 vote with one lawmaker absent. But it must clear the Senate Judiciary Committee before the Senate votes. The bill faces challenges in the judiciary committee, said Neville, R-Aztec. Civil libertarians and trial lawyers have argued that everyone has the right to sue. State law does not protect home and property owners from lawsuits brought on by criminals injured while committing crimes, Neville said. Neville's proposed legislation would force those lawsuits to be dismissed, unless the person injured or killed is a law enforcement officer performing his or her duties... http://www.daily-times.com/ci_11631425 --- New Mexico Restaurant-Carry Bill Clears Committee: On Tuesday, February 3, the House Business & Industry Committee unanimously approved House Bill 105, NRA-backed legislation sponsored by State Representative John Heaton (D-Carlsbad). HB 105 would permit Concealed Handgun Licensees to protect themselves in establishments that are licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises IF the establishment derives more than 60% of their annual gross receipts from the sale of food. Thanks go out to the supporters of the measure who attended the hearing and provided clear, concise, and compelling testimony to the committee! ...HB 105 now moves to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. NRA-ILA will keep you posted on the date, time and location of future hearings on the bill. The volume of phone calls and emails in support of HB 105 has been enormous. With the legislative session in full swing and many lawmakers working around the clock with little or no staff assistance, it's time to target our message for optimum effectiveness! ... http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=4375 --- South Carolina Bill Would Expand CCW Venues: Holders of concealed-carry permits could bring their weapons onto school grounds and into restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages under a bill introduced by state Sen. Shane Martin. On school property, a gun would have to remain in a locked vehicle. In a restaurant, a person carrying a gun could not sit at the bar. Sens. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, and Glenn Reese, D-Boiling Springs, have signed on as co-sponsors. Martin said the bill would keep "a good, law-abiding citizen out of trouble just from pulling onto campus," and would allow teachers and administrators who hold concealed-carry permits to keep their weapons in their vehicles while at work... http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090205/ARTICLES/902051095/1083/NEWS01 --- Illinois Sheriffs Support CCW: Support for allowing concealed carry of firearms in Illinois - one of just two states that still outlaw it - is coming from what seems like an unlikely direction: the Illinois Sheriffs' Association. The group, for the first time in its history, is taking a qualified stand in favor of the controversial practice. State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, proposed a bill (HB245) last week that would allow residents to obtain concealed firearm permits. It would require background checks and training in handgun use, safety and marksmanship. Similar bills have been introduced in the past, and died with little support. "I believe to be successful the key to concealed carry is training," said St. Clair County Sheriff Mearl Justus, voicing his support Wednesday. "If we allow concealed carry, we must make sure only the right people have the guns. This is best done by requiring training, proper identification, and a thorough background check - including a mental evaluation... http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/385D6275457E354286257554000E644A?OpenDocument http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/644292.html --- Accused Massachusetts Trooper Cites Heller: A state trooper accused of letting his 12-year-old son gain access to his unloaded gun wants the charge against him dismissed based on a recent ruling by the nation's highest court. Lt. Richard Bolduc, 51, of Sandwich appeared in Barnstable District Court yesterday for a hearing on a charge he improperly stored his gun. The charge is a felony that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. At the core of the trooper's argument for dismissal is a June 26 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, in part, said Washington, D.C., could not require trigger locks on guns. Bolduc is accused of leaving his service sidearm in an unlocked bureau while he was not at home. Police said Bolduc's 12-year-old son took the gun, pointed it at a 5-year-old neighbor and pulled the trigger. The gun was not loaded, but police said when they found the firearm, they also found a loaded clip in the same drawer... http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/NEWS/902050314/-1/NEWSMAP --- A Call for Firearm-Safety Training in Schools: In the past month, no less than four Ohio children, aged eleven, ten, eight and four, have injured or killed people with firearms. Two of the victims, aged eight and two, were shot by their respective siblings. One of the victims, shot by his eleven year-old neighbor, was seven. Three of the victims died of their injuries. In all but one case (wherein a four year-old boy shot his 18 year-old babysitter with a shotgun because she had accidentally stepped on his foot) the shootings have been ruled accidental. While the typical reaction from the loudest voices in our society (the establishment media) will be to demand laws that regulate safe storage of firearms (at a minimum) or that make it tougher for people to own firearms at all (more likely). We've tried it their way for long enough, and the results continue to be written in the blood of our children... http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6472 The Actual Figures: Women, particularly mothers, often express anxiety over keeping a gun in the home. They have heard reports that firearms in the home are more likely to kill a family member than a criminal attacker, or have seen a news report of a child who shot himself or another because an irresponsible adult left a gun lying around. But conclusions can be manufactured when the political agenda is strong enough. In this and future articles in this series, fatal injury data from the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] will help you assess risk/return of assuming responsibility to defend your children and yourself... http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner --- Oops, Wrong House: A man wearing only his underpants caught a burglar breaking into his home and held him at gunpoint until officers could arrive, police said. The suspected prowler was facing serious charges after the alert homeowner caught him in the act and held him at gunpoint early Tuesday morning in northeast Vancouver. Police said Matthew Morris, 24, was trying to break into the family's cars and possibly their home, when he ended up facing the barrel of the homeowner's gun... After a recent string of car break-ins, including one right next door, Sandy and her husband set out a motion sensor in front of their house. So when the alarm was activated early Tuesday morning, they didn't hesitate. "(We) went to the window and saw the person in between our two vehicles and then trying to look in the front window," Sandy said. Her husband grabbed one of their guns and ran out to confront the man... (The biggest problem with only wearing underwear in these incidents is the lack of a holster, a stable waistband or a pocket in which to secure the gun, particularly when police arrive.) http://www.kptv.com/news/18633420/detail.html#- --- What About the Second Amendment Foundation?: ...San Francisco's Housing Authority has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the NRA against their ban on gun possession by all residents in public housing. This blanket denial of Second Amendment rights for lower-income Americans could not survive our challenge, even though a defiant Mayor Gavin Newsome said his ban would be "absolutely defended." The NRA isn't through in California. We're challenging other gun control laws in the works, and we're assisting other cases working their way through the court system. In the meantime, congratulations to those living under the thumb of the San Francisco Housing Authority, whose constitutional rights are now restored thanks to NRA members like you. (Unfortunately, competition for donated dollars sometines leads organizations to neglect to mention the participation of their allies.) http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=494 --- Tangentially Related: Ringing, whining, whistling, hissing or whooshing. Any of those sounds in one or both ears when there is no external noise present could be a sign of tinnitus. The February issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource provides an overview of this common condition. It's estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of adults have prolonged tinnitus that often requires medical evaluation. This form of the problem can interfere with sleep, concentration and daily activities. Tinnitus - pronounced as either TIN-i-tus or ti-NIGHT-us, often is caused by age-related hearing loss. Exposure to loud noises also can damage hearing and lead to tinnitus. Tinnitus can be caused by something as simple as a buildup of wax blocking the ear canal. Some medications, certain antibiotics and cancer drugs can cause or worsen tinnitus. Aspirin - taken in excessive amounts - can cause temporary ringing in the ears, too... (With nearly 600 shooters on the list, I'm sure that several list members suffer from tinnitus. Article contains a few tips on managing it.) http://www.newsmax.com/health/Ways_to_Minimize_Tinnitus/2009/02/05/178647.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .