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Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Lauds House Passage of Nat'l Concealed Carry Measure
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The [CCRKBA] lauded today's 272-154 majority vote by the House of Representatives on passage of H.R. 822, the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011."

"'We're delighted at the outcome of this important legislation in the House,' said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, 'especially since the floor debate brought out all of the tired old cliche arguments. Congressional anti-gunners pulled out all the stops, but their rhetoric could not derail this common sense measure.'"

"'As so many of the bill's proponents wisely pointed out during the debate,' he continued, 'citizens do not leave their self-defense rights at a state border. Those who would argue otherwise evidently have no interest in public safety.'" ...

House passes CCW bill as antis plead states' rights
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"This time, it is official."

"Wednesday afternoon, the House of Representatives, by a 272-154 vote passed H.R. 822, the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, and as earlier indicated, one look at the vote breakdown says it all about how Republicans and Democrats are split on the subject of firearms rights. The Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms also presents a strong argument that opponents of this measure are also against the self-defense rights of their constituents. (Looks like this column, in its erroneous report Tuesday, was right...24 hours early!)" ...

CSGV laments 'slippery slope'--toward liberty
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Josh Horwtiz, as executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), wrote today in the Huffington Post about what he calls 'The Real Slippery Slope of Gun Laws.' As it turns out, Horwitz mostly talks about H.R. 822, the 'National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011,' which is scheduled for debate on the House floor early this afternoon, and is expected to pass in that chamber." ...

Up In Arms: Gallup Poll Shows Gun Ownership in U.S. Highest in Nearly 20 Years
Submitted by: GunPoliticsNY
Website: http://www.gunpoliticsny.com

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"Americans are taking advantage of their Second Amendment right to bear arms."

"According to a recent Gallup poll, self-reported gun ownership is at its highest since 1993. Forty-seven percent of adults report they have a gun in their home or on their property. That statistic is up from 41 percent since last year's poll and is two to three points higher than the statistics recorded in 1993."

"J.R. Hill, who is retired from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and part-time private gun dealer, said two factors could contribute to the rise in gun ownership: President Barack Obama's election and increased interest in concealed carry." ...

AMA Adopts Policies on Circumcision, Gun Safety
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates adopted a number of new policies at its interim meeting, including policies on male circumcision, physician discussion of gun safety, and a new medical coding system that will go into effect in 2013." ...

"The AMA adopted a policy opposing restrictions on doctors being able to talk to patients about firearm safety, including how to safely store guns so kids won't find them."

"In May, the Florida state legislature passed a bill that made it illegal for pediatricians and other physicians to ask patients or their parents whether they have guns in their home. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: And that law does nothing to prevent doctors from "being able to talk to patients about firearm safety".

Why The Right To Keep And Bear Arms Is A Human Right
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "Arms are the means by which a human must defend himself when all other attempts fail or when the threat to life is imminent. That is the reason our founders included the Second Amendment to the Constitution in our Bill of Rights. They fully understood that the right itself was not theirs to grant or deny. They did recognize that the right to keep and bear arms to protect one�s freedom is an inherent right and that under no circumstances should the group be allowed to infringe upon that right." ...

Crummy New York Times Gun Story Draws Wrong Conclusion
Submitted by: Opposing Views
Website: http://www.opposingviews.com

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"The New York Times Monday runs a front page story lamenting that on certain occasions state's allow felons to own guns, and that on even fewer occasions those felons use guns to kill others."

"It's certainly an interesting news story, especially so to The Times' presumed readership of worried liberals; certainly, they had a good reason to run it. Of course, it leads with a long narrative account of such a felon with that right restored who killed someone in a crime of irrational passion." ...

U.S. House of Representatives Votes to Expand and Nationalize the Carrying of Concealed Handguns Three Days After a Concealed Permit Holder Fires at California Highway Patrol Officers
Submitted by: GunPoliticsNY
Website: http://www.gunpoliticsny.com

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"Today the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill (H.R. 822) to nationalize the carrying of concealed handguns. The vote comes only three days after an emotionally disturbed man with a concealed handgun permit shot at two California Highway Patrol officers, wounding one, near Sacramento. The permit holder was shot and killed by police. Violence Policy Center (VPC) research shows that such incidents are far from unique. Since May 2007 at least 385 people--including 11 law enforcement officers--have been killed in incidents not ruled self-defense involving private citizens legally allowed to carry concealed handguns. Twenty of the incidents were mass shootings that claimed the lives of 89 victims." ...
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KABA Note: So even granting the validity of the VPC's numbers (a huge stretch), with about 6 million permit holders nationwide, in 4 1/2 years about 0.00458% of permit holders killed someone. That works out to slightly more than 1 killer per one hudred thousand permit holders per year. If the entire population of the United States 14 or older were as law-abiding as permit holders there would be about 11,230 firearm deaths per year, or about one third of the current rate.

Statement of Mayors Against Illegal Guns on House Approval of Bill to Override State Laws That Restrict Concealed Carrying of Guns Submitted by: GunPoliticsNY Website: http://www.gunpoliticsny.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Ten months after a disturbed man carried a concealed weapon to shoot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others, six fatally, the House voted today to gut state laws on who can carry concealed, loaded guns in public. This was an absolutely embarrassing display of putting special interests and fund raising ahead of public safety." ...

Cicilline Offers Two Amendments to Fight Gun Bill That Threatens Public Safety
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"U.S. Congressman David Cicilline ( D-RI ) fought hard today against H.R. 822, the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act, which undermines gun safety laws by forcing states to allow those with concealed weapon permits from other states to cross state lines and carry a loaded, concealed weapon ... Congressman Cicilline offered two amendments. The first would have required that before this law applies, a determination be made that the standards in the two states are 'substantially similar.' The second amendment would have prevented application of this provision to a suspected or known terrorist, a person convicted of a sex offense against a minor, stalkers or domestic abusers." ...

OR: Pub Employee Wounds Would-be Robber
Submitted by: Anonymous

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... "According to police, an employee of the pub at Southeast 72nd Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard called police at about 12:43 a.m. and said he had shot a person attempting to rob the business at gunpoint."

"When officers arrived, they learned the suspect entered the pub with a loaded sawed-off rifle and demanded money from the bartender. The bartender fled to the back room and the suspect chased him, then came back into the bar and opened the till, took money, and continued to threaten patrons with the rifle."

"A second employee, Ormand 'Stub' Fentress, 57, retrieved a gun from the bar and fired multiple shots at the suspect's lower body, hitting him and causing him to fall to the ground." ...

GA: Prosecutors drop charges against veteran
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Prosecutors dropped felony charges against an Atlanta veteran who fired four shots into the ground outside his home to scare off a man he suspected was a thief."

"But while he gained his freedom Friday after seven months in the Fulton County Jail, former Marine David Sturdivant, who served four tours of duty in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart, has lost a kidney after being shot by a police officer, his home, his business and all his possessions ..."

"Sturdivant, 64, could have been freed about two weeks ago if he had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, for which he would have received probation."

"But he refused, saying he did nothing wrong ..." ...

In self-defense: Walla Walla case has lesson for armed citizens
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"According to published reports, the Oct. 16 brouhaha began with an exchange of angry words in a dog park at Fort Walla Walla Park and ended with one man shooting the other in his leg."

"But according to the Tri-Cities Herald, a decision by Walla Walla County Prosecutor Jim Nagle to not file a criminal assault charge against 22-year-old Tyler B. Larson of College Place appears to have been properly by-the-book based on Washington State�s use-of-force statutes." ...

Gun Dean Commends House for Passing H.R. 822
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'The House of Representatives deserves the thanks and commendation of law-abiding Americans for passing today H.R. 822, the proposed National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, by an overwhelming vote of 272 to 154,' gun law expert John M. Snyder said here. ..."

"'This bill, if enacted into law, would allow an individual with a permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by a state to carry in other states,' he explained. 'The Senate should take up this measure as soon as possible and give it swift and positive consideration.'"

"'It's an idea whose time has come,' Snyder added. 'Studies show that where CCW legislation is enacted, rates of violent crime take a precipitous downturn. ..." ...

Concealed Weapons Bill Splits NY Delegation
Submitted by: GunPoliticsNY
Website: http://www.gunpoliticsny.com

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"Big city politicians --- Democrats and Republicans alike --- oppose the bill, while pols from more rural areas support it."

"Upstate Democrats like freshman Kathy Hochul (NY-26) and Bill Owens (NY-23) are backing the National-Right-to-Carry-Reciprocity Act, endorsed by the National Rifle Association."

"Downstate Republicans, from Long Island powerhouse Peter King (NY-3), former FBI agent Michael Grimm (NY-13) and Queens newcomer Bob Turner (NY-9) are voting against it." ...

Congressman Gibson House Floor Speech on Right to Carry Act (video) Submitted by: GunPoliticsNY Website: http://www.gunpoliticsny.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments

House Passes Concealed Weapons Permit Bill
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A state permit to carry a concealed firearm would be valid in almost every other state in the country under legislation the House passed Wednesday."

"The first pro-gun bill the House has taken up this year and the first since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was severely injured in a gun attack in January, it had the National Rifle Association�s backing and passed by a comfortable margin. The vote was 272-154, with only seven Republicans voting against it and 43 Democrats supporting it." ...

National Concealed Carry Bill Passes House 272 to 154
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A bill promising the most significant expansion of national gun rights since the current gun control regime began with the Handgun Control Act of 1968, passed the House 272 to 154 November 16 at 5:50 p.m. after two days of debate."

"'The right to defend yourself and your loved ones from criminals is fundamental, and it should not be extinguished when you cross a state border,' said Rep. Clifford B. Stearns (R.-FL), who lead the fight with his co-sponsor Rep. J. Heath Shuler (D.-N.C.) ..."

"'H.R. 822, the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act, recognizes this important fact by establishing the interstate recognition of concealed carry permits in much the same way driver's licenses are recognized,' said Stearns." ...

Right To Carry Reciprocity Act Passes
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, HR 822, by a vote of 272-154. I took the opportunity to watch the debate on C-Span, and it was interesting to listen to the anti-gunners branding those who lawfully carry concealed as 'dangerous' even as they made lame attempts to claim they supported the Second Amendment. ..."

"The bill basically says that if you have a CCW permit in your home state, you can travel to another state that issues CCW permits and your permit will be valid. Arguments were split along pro-gun/anti-gun lines of course but also along the states� rights/federal powers divide. ..." ...

Giffords Shooting Survivors Slam Grassley�s �Disregard� For Gun Violence Victims
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "Grassley had used the hearing ... to press FBI official David Cuthbertson about the controversy surrounding Fast and Furious. He also warned that the proposed legislation 'could have serious side effects,' suggesting that a family member of a victim of the Sept. 11 attacks who received mental health counseling could lose their Second Amendment rights under the new legislation."

"'Isn't it possible that this bill will become a new deterrent for those who need mental health counseling because they're afraid to seek it for fear of losing their Second Amendment rights?' Grassley asked."

"The eleven survivors and family members of victims of the attack told Grassley that it was 'inappropriate' for him to ... ask questions about an unrelated inquiry." ...
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Submitter's Note: And how 'unrelated' would the inquiry have been if, as local ATF agents initially feared, the shooter had used a 'walked' gun?

Obama Pushing Shooters Off Public Lands
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Gun owners who have historically been able to use public lands for target practice would be barred from potentially millions of acres under new rules drafted by the Interior Department, the first major move by the Obama administration to impose limits on firearms."

"Officials say the administration is concerned about the potential clash between gun owners and encroaching urban populations who like to use same land for hiking and dog walking." ...

WI: Gun rights advocates argue ban in city buildings goes too far Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Some local gun rights advocates say a proposed city ordinance banning weapons from city properties goes too far." "Wisconsin's newly enacted concealed carry laws, the critics argue, reaffirm every individuals' constitutional rights to bear arms, and those rights should not be interfered with by the proposed city ordinance." ...

NH: Allow Guns on Campus: "Gun-Free Zones are Killing Zones"
Submitted by: Opposing Views
Website: http://www.opposingviews.com

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"Lawmakers in New Hampshire will vote in January whether to continue to allow colleges in the state to ban guns on campus. Well, one Republican legislator is going public with his stance -- guns do indeed belong in schools."

"Weapons are currently banned on all campuses of the University System of New Hampshire, and the system would like to keep the right to regulate such matters but lawmakers may take that decision away."

"... [I]n an email to university officials and his fellow legislators, Rep. Mark Proulx said banning guns is a fatal mistake:" ...

NC: Gun decision best left in hands of citizens
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Havelock Board of Commissioners and Mayor Jimmy Sanders debated proposed new gun rules for city parks during Monday night�s meeting."

"We believe that no matter how the Nov. 28 vote comes down � and the board seems divided on the issue � the debate was well worth the time. It is through such conversations that understanding of the issues at hand can be gained."

"Sanders made a very good point that those who seem to distrust government the most are willing to trust the government to properly run a program that issues concealed gun permits. He fears � and others do to � that an upset parent will use a properly-permitted gun to settle a dispute on the field in front of children, possibly leading to injury and death of children." ...

North Carolina Court: Felons Can Own Guns
Submitted by: Opposing Views
Website: http://www.opposingviews.com

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"Yesterday�s Baysden v. State (N.C. Ct. App. Nov. 15, 2011) (2�1) holds that North Carolina�s ban on possession of guns by a felon violates the North Carolina Constitution�s right to bear arms provision as to someone with two over-30-year-old nonviolent felony convictions. This follows Britt v. State (N.C. 2009), which held the same on similar facts; a North Carolina trial court decision from last month, Johnston v. State, held the same under the Second Amendment, and People v. Dewitt (Colo. Ct. App. 2011) seemed to secure an even broader right � sometimes applicable even to criminals whose convictions are more recent � under the Colorado Constitution." ...

OK: Former Bryan County sheriff's deputy indicted on federal civil rights charges.
Submitted by: R. Smith

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"A federal grand jury has indicted a former Bryan County sheriff�s lieutenant on federal civil rights violations and obstruction of justice for allegedly using a Taser on a woman and two jail inmates last year." ...

"Prosecutors accused Holt of using a Taser on two occasions on a woman who had been arrested, plus using a Taser on two male inmates during incidents in September and November 2010." ...

"A former sheriff�s deputy who once spoke with the Democrat about the case, said that among the allegations was that Holt had used a Taser against inmates who were in a restraint chair." ...

VA: Liberty University OKs concealed guns on campus
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Liberty University enacted a policy allowing visitors, students and staff who have concealed weapons permits to carry guns on campus."

"The policy, approved Friday by the Board of Trustees and announced to students Wednesday, replaces a complete ban of firearms on university grounds."

"Visitors are now permitted to store their weapons in locked cars, while students can apply for permission from campus police to carry a gun on the outdoor grounds or in a locked car. Both groups must have concealed-weapons permits and are prohibited from bringing firearms into any campus building, including dormitories, stadiums and academic halls." ...