Are Democrats Abandoning "Gun Control"?: Last week, 27 Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass an amendment that allows concealed weapons in national parks. This week, the Senate could take the first step toward overturning a gun control bill passed by their own Democratic brethren more than a decade ago... The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is expected on Thursday to advance the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, which is being co-sponsored by Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The legislation would overturn a section of the law that prohibits veterans who are unable to manage their finances from obtaining a firearm. The bill maintains a 1990s gun restriction on veterans found to be a danger to themselves and others... Several political forces are driving the Democratic gun control conversion. The most obvious one is that gun control turned out to be a losing issue for dozens of Democrats... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22685.html --- NRA - New Face of the American Right?: When Kirby Warner, a trusty Ruger pistol strapped to his hip, sat around and shot the breeze with his fellow gun owners here at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting this weekend, they weren't just chatting calibers and cartridges. Nor did they stop at other tried and trusted fare, such as President Obama and gun control. This year, taxes, bailouts, and the general direction of the country was all on the docket. He remembers reading a sign at one of the national tea parties: "If First Amendment fails, see Second Amendment." ... The 47,000 gun-loving Americans who attended the 138th NRA Convention bore the hopes of many disgruntled, mostly white Americans who seek to check what they see as Washington's liberal trajectory. They represent one of the most organized and entrenched groups opposed to the Obama administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress, so it's no coincidence that Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona, potential Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, and GOP chairman Michael Steele all spoke Friday at a leadership forum here... http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0518/p02s04-ussc.html --- San Francisco Sued over Gun-Storage Law: The City is being sued by gun owners and gun-advocacy groups because of a local law that says firearms have to be locked up or kept disabled. The lawsuit, filed in federal court Friday afternoon, challenges a local restriction that forces handgun owners to either store their guns in a locked container or disable them with trigger locks. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the law into effect in August 2007. National Rifle Association attorney Chuck Michel, who filed the case, said the locking restriction interferes with citizens' rights to immediately defend their families. Plaintiffs include a group of San Francisco gun owners, retired police officers and the NRA... The suit also tackles The City's ban on the sale of fragmenting bullets, which break apart upon impact, and names Newsom and police Chief Heather Fong... (Yes, firearms should be secured when they are not in use; a firearm that is kept in a condition of readiness in event of the need for self-defense is in use. A firearm left behind when one leaves his home is no longer in use.) http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/San-Francisco-slapped-with-gun-lawsuit-45374737.html --- Tennessee Senate Votes to Expand RKBA: People with handgun carry permits could bring their weapons into all state and local parks in Tennessee, under a bill the Senate passed on Monday. The chamber also approved a bill to allow people with carry permits to transport ammunition alongside rifles or shotguns in the passenger compartment of their vehicles. The parks measure sponsored by Republican Senate Judiciary Chairwoman Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet passed on a 24-8 vote. "The point of this bill is to give law-abiding and responsible permit holders a fighting chance when confronted by a rapist or a murderer while within a local or state park," Beavers said... Since both bills differ from the versions earlier passed earlier by the House, the two chambers would have to iron out differences before they could head for the governor's consideration. http://www.pddnet.com/news-ap-senate-votes-to-change-gun-laws-for-parks-cars-051809/ --- Florida Judge Rejects Stand-Your-Ground Defense: A towing company owner must stand trial for fatally shooting a man who was trying to reclaim his wife's towed car, a judge ruled Monday. Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Robert A. Foster said the state's Stand Your Ground law does not give Donald Montanez immunity from prosecution. "It is inherently dangerous to pull a firearm and is best left to well trained individuals who have a duty to serve and protect," Foster said. "Citizens carrying firearms, whether licensed to do so or not, proceed at their own risk subject to the laws of the state of Florida, which are very clear. "Montanez was not justified in firing his weapon," he said... (Note the importance attached to the shot being fired through a side window of the vehicle.) http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/may/18/judge-rejects-stand-your-ground-defense-fatal-shoo/news-breaking/ --- Florida Governor Urged to Use Veto: As more people in Florida seek concealed weapons permits, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson wants Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a $6-million raid on a fund that pays for the program. Bronson's request presents a timely opportunity for Crist to score political points with gun owners just as he's embarking on a race for the U.S. Senate. In a letter to Crist, Bronson cited "unprecedented growth" in applications for gun permits that has created a "tremendous backlog" of cases to be processed. All applicants are subject to criminal background checks. To balance the $66.5 billion state budget that takes effect July 1, legislators swept nearly $600 million from dozens of accounts known as trust funds. Most funds are sustained with fees that pay for specific programs... http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/gubernatorial/article1002099.ece --- Oops, Wrong Store: A shop owner allegedly shot and killed a burglary suspect at a Carmichael shopping center early Monday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said. Officials said 65-year-old Bill Dunbar, who runs a coin and jewelry shop at Marconi and Walnut avenues, opened fire on two burglary suspects shortly after 4 a.m., sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said. One of the burglary suspects was hit and died in the parking lot. The other suspect, identified as 21-year-old Sergio Antonio Arauza, got away but was found nearby and arrested, Curran added... http://www.ksbw.com/news/19494251/detail.html http://www.sacbee.com/crime/story/1872730.html --- Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A 26-year-old Phoenix man accidentally killed himself early Sunday while explaining gun safety to two Sierra Vista residents. Samuel Benally Jr. was at an apartment on West Tacoma Street when he said guns should be kept unloaded because people could point them at their heads, said Sierra Vista police Sgt. Brett Mitchell. Benally then demonstrated by putting his own 9mm Ruger, which he believed to be unloaded, to his head and firing it, Mitchell said... (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule Two: Don't let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot. http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/293333 --- Rule Five Reminder: Police said a Northwest Side shooting death Sunday night could be justified in self-defense. Witnesses told police that 26-year-old Boanegres Najera broke into a friend's home in the 9600 block of Timber Laurel after he was kicked out of a bar for causing a disturbance. Najera allegedly stole a gun from the home. Later in the evening, the owner of the gun confronted Najera in the 5200 block of Northwest Trails. The men struggled over the weapon before a third man, the gun owner's brother, shot the suspect about 10:45 p.m., police said. Najera died at the scene, while the shooter fled. Police said the shooter likely would not face charges because he was defending his brother... (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.) http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/45325657.html http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Suspected-burglar-shot-after-allegedly-pulling/6p7unJzvIEukGFWvlF79PQ.cspx --- Paul Valone's Self-Defense Series: This is part two of a five-part series. As mentioned earlier, many of my views on this topic are already articulated on my own website, which I consider worth re-reading from time to time, much like my book. I will comment on the Eddie Eagle program. I consider it a starting point for younger kids but, as kids become stronger and more responsible, it is wiser to demystify firearms by teaching them to handle them safely, under supervision. This can also be used to teach them how to render them safe, for scenarios such as a friend saying, "Look at my dad's gun!" Merely trying to walk away from such a scenario may not be adequate. http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m5d18-Armed-selfdefense-Getting-essential-training --- Wait and See: Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is pleased to introduce the new Ruger SR-556 autoloading rifle - an innovative two-stage piston driven rifle. The SR-556 offers Ruger's legendary rugged reliability, redefining the AR platform with piston driven performance. The piston driven SR-556 runs cleaner, cooler, and is easier to maintain than gas driven rifles, offering significantly improved reliability. The patent pending two-stage piston driven operating system in the Ruger SR-556 provides a smooth power delivery stroke to the action and vents combustion residue out of the bottom of the gas block. The four-position adjustable gas regulator allows the operator to tune the rifle to specific ammunition and rifle conditions, minimizing recoil and maximizing reliability and long-term endurance. Reliability is further enhanced by a one-piece bolt carrier with an integral transfer key... (Ruger has had to recall its SR-9 and LCP pistols - newly introduced firearms are best given at least one year to evaluate and let the manufacturer work out all bugs.) http://www.ammoland.com/2009/05/18/ruger-ar-sr-556-autoloading-rifle/ -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .