"Gun Control" Not Gaining Traction, Yet: Members of Congress may be alarmed by the surge in Mexican drug violence and its potential to spill across the border, but they grow silent when the talk turns to gun control as a solution. With related kidnappings and killings occurring in the U.S., the Obama administration is likely to shift dozens of enforcement agents and millions of dollars to the fight against Mexican drug cartels. Yet when Attorney General Eric Holder suggested reinstituting a U.S. ban on the sale of certain semiautomatic weapons, many lawmakers balked. The 1994 ban expired after 10 years... After opposition from the National Rifle Association, 22 Democrats joined Republicans in a Senate vote this month to negate the District of Columbia's tough gun registration requirements and overturn its ban on rapid-fire semiautomatic weapons. More than 80 House Democrats backed a similar measure last year... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/24/for-seniors-canes-are-their-weapon-of-choice/ --- TSA Insists FFDO Program to Be Expanded: The Obama administration has no plans to end a program that trains commercial airline pilots to carry guns and thwart terrorist attacks, and in fact is seeking to expand resources for oversight and training, government officials and pilots organizations say. We're looking for new resources and more money to bring in for next year. The benefits of the program are obvious. The pilots are an intrinsic part of our whole aviation-security strategy and one of our layers of security," said Robert Bray, director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, which oversees the program... Mr. Bray and the pilots groups disputed a March 17 editorial in The Washington Times entitled "Guns on a plane: Obama secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns," which suggested that recent discussions about spending some of the program's money for supervisory jobs amounted to killing the program... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/24/gun-program-for-pilots-set-for-expansion-officials/ --- Veterans' Second Amendment Protection Act: North Carolina U.S. Senator Richard Burr, along with 14 other cosponsors, introduced legislation that would end a seemingly arbitrary process by which the government "strips" veterans and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights. Currently veterans who have a fiduciary appointed to act on their behalf are deemed "mentally defective" and are reported to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a system which prevents individuals from purchasing firearms in the United States. The Veterans' Second Amendment Protection Act would require a judicial authority to determine that a VA beneficiary poses a danger to themselves or others before VA may send their names to be listed in the FBI's NICS... http://www2.mooresvilletribune.com/content/2009/mar/23/burr-bill-preserves-vets-right-bear-arms/ --- Gun Dealers Feel Regulatory Pinch: Fifteen years ago there were 23 federal firearms licenses issued in Belchertown. Today, there are three. "I would say that's a pretty major decline," said Rich Kimball, of R&R Gun Sales, 450 State St., and one of the three remaining license holders. Stricter federal licensing regulations dating back to 1993, plus the overall climate in Massachusetts with some of the toughest firearms laws in the country, have made it tough for gun dealers in the Bay State, according to Kimball. The combination, he says, "caused a lot of dealers to get out of the business." Since 1994, the number of federal firearm licenses - FFLs - issued in Massachusetts has declined from 4,109 to 531, or by 87 percent... http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/gun_dealers_feel_regulatory_pi.html --- What Will Oakland Cop-Killings Trigger?: The city of Oakland will be looking for new laws that will stop the primal urge to kill after the murders of four policemen. None have worked so far. It appears that more regulation, more laws against possessing guns, and more laws against killing will keep murderers from killing. A former San Francisco police chief believes that these California police killings are a good reason why "assault weapons" should be banned. He probably didn't notice that "assault weapons" are already banned in California. They have been since 2000. You can't even inherit one. Law enforcement officials also say they believe this is an example of why parolees should not be allowed to have guns. They probably temporarily forgot that parolees in every state, including California are prohibited by laws from owning or possessing guns as a condition of parole... (As I understand it, Mixon used an SKS, which I don't believe is even classified as an "assault weapon" in California.) http://secondamendmentfreedom.blogspot.com/ --- California City to Consider Ammo Registration: On Tuesday, March 24, the Long Beach City Council is set to vote on whether to draft an ordinance to force ammunition sellers in Long Beach to record the identity of all ammunition purchasers, as well as other details of the sales transaction. These records would then be collected and used by the Long Beach Police Department to identify purchasers who are legally prohibited from possessing ammunition. This ordinance will do nothing to reduce crime. It is simply an attempt to restrict the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The results of previous ammunition registration experiments have been so dismal that other cities have abandoned these schemes rather than pay to maintain them. The ordinance is also illegal. These ammunition registration ordinances are preempted by state law and constitute an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment... http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-long-beach-set-to-vote-on-ammunition-registration --- California to Weigh Shall-Issue CCW: What issue could unite a Republican lawmaker from Southern California and a 46-year-old lesbian from Natomas? Guns, of course. A bill introduced in the state Assembly last month aims to make it easier for Californians to obtain a concealed weapons permit. Assembly Bill 357 - yes, the number is right - would change a state law that currently gives county sheriffs or chiefs of police final say in who can carry a gun. By stripping the local law enforcement discretion, the bill would mandate that any Californian who passes a training course and demonstrates "good moral character" can tuck a pistol into his or her waistband... But the aim of the bill is fairness, said the bill's author, Assemblyman Steven Knight of Palmdale. While some California counties are more liberal when it comes to issuing concealed weapons permits, others are "very strict, and they use that phrase 'good cause' to their benefit," Knight said. In addition, Knight said, there's an inherent unfairness in deciding that some people's perceptions of danger are more valid than others. "Lots of judges in California get permits," he said. "Does (the state) have the same amount of regard for the safety of a liquor store owner or a jewelry store owner?" ... http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1720695.html --- West Virginia Legislators Seek Permit Exemption: Controversy often inflames passions, and mindful of this lawless age and a propensity of some in society to go over the edge, a few lawmakers want the right to arm themselves without a weapons permit. One sponsor of such a House bill, in fact, Delegate Mark Hunt, D-Kanawha, relayed a personal threat directed at him and his family, penned by the hand of a convict. A self-described "monster," the man behind bars warned of what he intended to do to Hunt and his children. Hunt decided to leave nothing to chance and get a firearm, but was told he had to wait during a two-month concealed weapon application process... (If two months is too long for a legislator to wait for a carry permit, perhaps it is also too long for his constituents.) http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_079220842.html Related Commentary: http://www.register-herald.com/opinion/local_story_082214022.html --- North Carolina Expanded-Carry Bills Opposed: Attempts to allow people to carry concealed weapons into parks and restaurants misfired in a legislative committee. The legislation met opposition from committee members and the public. Representative Mark Hilton of Conover introduced legislation to permit people with concealed weapons permits to carry their weapons into a restaurant or bar. Former police officer Hilton Cancel said alcohol and guns don't mix. Representative Hilton said people with the permit know not to drink in a bar because they know their permit would be revoked. A subcommittee was assigned to consider it further. Hilton pulled another bill to allow concealed weapons in a park when the committee attorney said it would not permit it in state parks. Hilton wanted state parks included. http://www.ncnn.com/content/view/4133/26/ --- Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A well-known criminal who is a central figure in Limerick's ongoing feud was in a critical condition on a life support machine last night after he accidentally shot himself. Feared gangster Philip Collopy (29) from St Mary's Park, Limerick is in the city's Mid-Western Regional Hospital where he has been since he shot himself in the head on Saturday morning. The career criminal shot himself with a glock handgun at close range in a house at St Munchin's Street, St Mary's Park. He had been inspecting the gun and removed the loaded magazine from it while handling it. However, he failed to realise a bullet was still in the chamber before he discharged the weapon while it was pointed at his head... (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule Two: Never let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot.) http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gangster-who-shot-himself-by-accident--is-critical-1682424.html --- Cane Fighting Pitched to Seniors: ...At the helm of the class is one of the country's most recognized cane fighters, Mark Shuey, a slight man who, at 62, has hair and skin starting to show signs of age. He has traveled from Lake Tahoe, Nev., to teach this group of 16 how to protect themselves from attackers. He calls it Cane-Fu. Cane fighting classes have popped up all over the country, partly because of the influence of Cane Masters, the company Mr. Shuey founded that sells wood canes made of harder, thicker wood, to sustain wear and wider crooks to fit around an attacker's neck. Now, it's being offered at dojos and increasingly in senior centers and retirement communities... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/24/for-seniors-canes-are-their-weapon-of-choice/ -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .