More on Holder's Hypocrisy: ... One of my sources in federal law enforcement in the El Paso area stated it was common for his forces to be totally outgunned by members of the cartels. To believe these weapons came from weapons that are currently legal in this country is preposterous and an obvious lie... A February 20, 2009 State Department memo stated, "...with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades." Everyone with the exception of new presidents and attorney generals are aware neither automatic weapons nor grenades are legal in this country. But, this is what we must endure when we elect "anointed" people to high office... (Automatic firearms are not exactly illegal in the US but the process to purchase them legally is so cumbersome that they are not available for the straw purchases claimed to be supplying Mexican drug gangs.) http://www.lewrockwell.com/gaddy/gaddy49.html ..."Assault weapons" is that incendiary phrase often employed by the anti-Second Amendment crowd to incite the public to demand action. After all, who needs an "assault weapon" to hunt squirrel, they say. But there's more to the story and the phrase than these folks reveal. For Dimmycrats are wont to employ a liberal (what else?) definition of "assault weapon." To them, it's virtually all semiautomatic rifles, handguns and some shotguns. And astute bloggers have been noting how Mr. Holder is grossly misrepresenting the weapons being used in the Mexican narco-trade wars - military assault weapons smuggled into Mexico from South America and China... http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_613795.html ... Well that's odd. California - number one Brady-ranked California - is the second greatest source. Even stranger is the fact that a large part of California's high rank comes from its implementation of the very laws the Brady Campaign says will effectively combat gun trafficking - laws like "gun show loophole" closure, one-gun-a-month, universal background checks, etc. Oh, did I mention that California already has a ban of so-called "assault weapons" (and California's AWB casts a particularly wide net), and a ban of non-reduced capacity magazines? But I hear those are just the kinds of weapons that are causing the biggest problems (after the machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers, and mortars that aren't coming from anywhere in the U.S.)... http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2009/02/gloves-come-off.html --- Brady Bunch Attacks CCW: Would you feel safer having more loaded and concealed guns being carried in the public places you and your family visit? The issue has been in the news recently, including editorials in the New York Times last Friday and the Washington Post today. On the one hand, the gun lobby wants to force concealed weapons (unconnected to law enforcement) into nearly every place you can imagine, including National Parks, college campuses, airports, even churches. On the other hand, most Americans probably agree with the statement President Obama made on concealed weapons during his campaign: "I am not in favor of concealed weapons. I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations." ... (If one wants to argue statistics, one should compare the rate of offenses committed by permit holders to those committed by non-permit-holders or at least to the general population.) http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-brady-campaign-obama-agrees-on-dangers-of-concealed-carry --- Gillibrand Crosses Over: We've all heard the cliché story of the small-town girl who gets discovered by the rich and powerful. Suddenly she finds new opportunities, new suitors. Her old life and her old beau seems rustic, embarrassing - actually a drag and a threat to the possibilities her exciting new life can give her... Wake up. It's over. She's made her choice, and it isn't gun owners, the ones who gave her that NRA A-rating promise ring with the understanding that she was their girl... http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d28-For-Kirsten-Gillibrand-breaking-up-isnt-hard-to-do --- Paul Harvey Was RKBA Advocate: ... In remarks made in 2000, Harvey noted how gun control was merely one step in the takeover of whole peoples around the world, with deaths numbering around 56 million in the last century alone. Totalitarian regimes begin as harmless and with good intentions, but they eventually get around to murder in the name of the state. From firing squads to the pronouncements of treason of whole families of innocents, to make the example in intimidation, people are murdered. Much of the news coming out of these countries is portrayed as civil war we in America might perceive as a simple dispute, but it is actually one-sided marauding and murder, long after the populace had been entirely disarmed. Disarmed for peace ostensibly, the murders continued and continued. It was this observation that Harvey made. There are no exceptions... http://www.examiner.com/x-2323-LA-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m3d1-Why-they-take-guns-from-the-people-at-all-With-thanks-to-Paul-Harvey-Patriot?cid=examiner-email --- Alaska House Opposes HR 45: The Alaska House sent a message to Washington, D.C. last week opposing a measure that would require federal firearm licensing for some guns. All 40 representatives signed onto House Joint Resolution 17, sponsored by Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez. The Senate is working through a mirror resolution. Introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., the national bill isn't expected to go far, National Rifle Association spokeswoman Rachel Parsons said. Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, initiated the resolution and asked Harris to sponsor the House version urging Congress to oppose House Resolution 45, the Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. The federal bill would require a federal license to possess certain firearms, including handguns and some rifles. The bill also makes it a felony to violate license-related rules... http://newsminer.com/news/2009/mar/01/alaska-house-fires-back-proposed-federal-gun-regis/ Senator Murkowski Comments: http://www.sitnews.us/0209Viewpoints/022809_lisa_murkowski.html --- More Toxic Waste from New Jersey: ... In the past week, 15 people have been wounded in shootings in Newark, leaving no question that guns are a problem in New Jersey's largest city. Meanwhile, legislation that would have restricted handgun purchases in New Jersey to one per month stalled in the state Senate this week, leaving lawmakers who argued for stronger gun control scratching their heads. As well-intentioned as the bill is, it's not the real answer to New Jersey's crime problem. In fact, many of the guns brought into the state illegally come from midwestern and southern states, particularly Virginia, which already has a one-gun-per-month restriction. And New Jersey has strict gun laws that make it almost impossible to make straw purchases here... (Could it be that the problem is criminals, not guns?) http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2009/02/newark_shootings_show_need_to.html --- Utah Still Debating Out-of-State Instructors: A state lawmaker's bill to eliminate out-of-state instructors from Utah's concealed-carry permit process has triggered a fight between the National Rifle Association and the state gun lobby. Accepted in 33 states, Utah's concealed-carry permit is considered the platinum card of permits. But problems with out-of-state instructors raised some concerns. Utah Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, initially proposed a bill to eliminate out-of-state instructors. He's now swapped it for an unseen proposal after pressure from the National Rifle Association. Gun Owners of Utah policy director Charles Hardy says his organization fears the new bill won't take care of the problems. He says they had hoped to have the NRA's help in addressing the issue of problem inspectors. (Arizona requires all courses to be conducted in-state, presumably so that they could be audited. Budget cuts put an end to routine auditing; I have no idea when DPS last audited a course in response to a complaint.) http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9926528&nav=menu554_2_3 --- Oops, Wrong House: Gwinnett County police say a homeowner shot and killed 1 of the intruders when two men kicked in his front door. The incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. Friday when the men knocked at the door and when no one answered, kicked it in. Police spokeswoman Illana Spellman said the resident fired, striking and killing one in the doorway. She said the second man ran away and police using search dogs were unable to find the man. No charges have been filed in the incident. http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9922659 -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .