Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

The NRA vs. The Second Amendment?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"This month's American Bar Association Journal has a fairly good article about the District of Columbia gun ban case currently under consideration by the Supreme Court, and the surprising role that the National Rifle Association took in trying to derail the lawsuit in its infancy:" ...

"And so, when the D.C. case was just beginning, the NRA did everything they could to discourage the Plaintiffs from going forward and, even to this day, it lobbies Congress to repeal the D.C. Gun Ban itself � which would make the case, and any Supreme Court consideration of the Second Amendment implications of the law, entirely moot."

"Now that the case is on the verge of being accepted for appeal, though, the NRA is jumping on the bandwagon:" ...

If The Brady's Words Were Applied To The 1st Amendment
Submitted by: Brent Greer
Website: http://thereadyline.blogspot.com

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"Daniel Greenberg is a junior at the University of Arizona. A Bexley, Ohio native majoring in political science, Daniel wonders what would happen if the very same shrill words and claims from both Handgun Control Inc./Brady Campaign, and anti-gun politicians and news organizations, were applied to another amendment in the Bill of Rights -- the First Amendment. Here is Daniel's first Ready Line contribution, a humorous look at such a Brady campaign would sound:" ...

David Codrea: ACTION ALERT: Red's Trading Post
Submitted by: Idaho Ordnance
Website: http://www.id-ord.com/

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I am declaring tomorrow, November 8th, NATIONAL REPORT ATF ABUSE DAY. I am encouraging everyone to contact the US Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (who has been very critical of the ATF in past reports) and your Congressional Delegates.

Please follow the title link, read the rest of Ryan's post, and send an email to the OIG about BATFU abuses.

And please forward that information to your gun-owning friends, blogs you frequent and forums you belong to. Please do this NOW.

The media's assault on truth
Submitted by: Kurt "45superman" Hofmann
Website: http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com

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"I hesitate to write this, because the issue has already gotten so much superb coverage recently at War on Guns, Say Uncle, Snowflakes in Hell, Call me Ahab, Illspirit, Dustin's Gun Blog, Carnaby Fudge, The Real Gun Guys, Days of Our Trailers, and undoubtedly others. Those are some sharp folks, and I don't have such a high opinion of myself that I think I have much to add."

"Still, KX Blogs and Talk takes us back to another instance of media (CNN, once again) distortion about so-called 'assault weapons' that is so grotesque that even though it's several years old, deserves another look. I refer here to the time they tried to claim that a round of ammunition fired from an 'assault weapon' is much more powerful than an identical round shot from a more politically correct rifle." ...

CNN lies & fakes the story once again!
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"I really wish I could just believe that CNN is full of incompetent reporters & editors. Unfortunately it is equally as likely that they are just a bunch of liars who wish to mislead their audience in order to support their own liberal dream of re-enacting the Clinton gun ban (commonly called the 'assault weapon' ban by the gun grabbers) that already expired without renewal."

"This is a repeat of the same lies & propaganda spewed by CBS news last month as reported in blog entries such as Days of our Trailers & Say Uncle, with new lies added in by CNN for extra putrid flavoring. ..." ...

Smith & Wesson M&P40 Wins Most Innovative Firearm of the Year
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation ... today announced that it has received the 'Most Innovative Firearm of the Year' award for the company's M&P40 polymer pistol. The 2007 Innovation Awards were presented during the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference held October 14-16, 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana."

"The 2007 Innovation Awards program is sponsored by Cygnus Business Media's Law Enforcement Group, which publishes Law Enforcement Technology and Law Enforcement Product News, sponsors The Enforcement Expo ... The Innovation Awards recognize companies whose products have best responded to the needs of law enforcement professionals by offering creative and forward-thinking features. ..." ...

FL: Orlando victims scare off armed robbers with own guns
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Two holders of concealed-weapons permits surprised armed thugs who approached them in west Orlando this week."

"Both men opened fire rather than surrender their wallets. The robbers beat it."

"'They left with broken egos. They didn't get nothing from us,' Juan Amezaga said Tuesday. 'If more people stood up for themselves, a lot of crime could be prevented. And the concealed-weapons permit, that's great.'" ...

Finland: Fatal shooting at Finnish school
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"At least seven people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting at a school in southern Finland, medical officials say." ...

"Finnish media reported that the shots had been fired by an 18-year-old man at the town's Jokela secondary school."

"The school building has been evacuated and police inspector Tero Haapala said the situation was now under control."

"Mr Haapala said that 'there is no danger to outsiders', without commenting on reports that police had arrested the gunman." ...

"... the gunman opened fire during a lesson at Jokela secondary school, which has 400 pupils between 12 and 18."

"Students and staff fled in panic, and a number of heavily armed police were later seen rushing to the scene." ...

Ron Paul hauls in $4.2 million
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"With one year to go until the United States elects a new President, Texas Congressman Ron Paul raised a record $4.2 million in a single day for his bid for the Presidency. Paul�s campaign is looking to secure $12 million in the fourth quarter of 2007 in and effort to position himself to receive his party's nomination. Ron Paul�s camp has raised over $7.5 million as of November 7th, 2007. Online betting giant BodogLife.com has Ron Paul at 11 to 1 odds to receive the Republican Nomination." ...

"... Ron Paul is the ideal candidate to retain these libertarian Republicans from voting for the Democratic candidate in 2008. Paul wants to get rid of the Patriot Act and is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment." ...

Fred Thompson on ATF Abuse
Submitted by: Idaho Ordnance
Website: http://www.id-ord.com/

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"While I still haven't gotten a response from Fred Thompson's campaign directly; Field and Stream's David E. Petzal asks the question alot of us have and candidates have avoided:"

"Under the Bush administration, the BATFE seems to have been concentrating their efforts on prosecuting legitimate dealers for paperwork errors ... If you were President, would you have the BATFE relent on this practice, and what would you ask them to focus on?"

"The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives should have as its priority its efforts to combat violent crime, violent criminal gangs, and to interdict and disrupt the gun traffickers who supply violent gang members with firearms. ..." ...

Fred Thompson Answers Questions on Guns for Field and Stream
Submitted by: Red's Trading Post Inc.
Website: http://www.redstradingpost.com

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Thompson has a long list of answers. Here is one on the BATFE:

While one way to curb illicit gun trafficking is to ensure that legitimate dealers maintain their paperwork in good order, these paperwork violations should in no way be BATFE�s focus. I would also consider giving BATFE a wider range of sanctions so that dealers� simple paperwork violations do not result in license revocations. Finally, having a politically accountable BATFE Director, who is now subject to Senate confirmation, instead of a career bureaucrat should also help change BATFE�s priorities and make the agency more responsive. . . .

SC: Thompson Big Hit In Upstate
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Fred Thompson got out of the front of the black Ford Explorer, shook hands with a small host of local dignitaries and supporters as he quickly tried to get out of the cold Greenville air and into the warmth of the restaurant." ...

"He touched on many of the key issues amongst South Carolina conservatives, such as the Second Amendment, illegal immigration and terrorism. His speech routinely drew rounds of applause."

"After months of rising poll numbers during the summer, his support has fluctuated dramatically in South Carolina in the last two months. Some polls show him with a comfortable lead, others showed him tied, while others show him back in the back at fourth." ...

VA: Gun control dumps Davis deep and bombs Bloomberg bad, says firearms law expert
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"'Tuesday's overwhelming defeat of incumbent Virginia State Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis shows that support for restrictive gun control is a losing proposition for Republicans and that support from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the gun issue may be a political kiss of death,' gun rights expert John M. Snyder said here today."

"Republican Davis lost to Democrat John Chapman 'Chap' Petersen by a 56 percent to 44 percent margin, according to late night news reports."

"During the campaign, Davis attacked Petersen for his 2005 support of a bill in the Virginia legislature to exempt concealed firearm permit holders from a ban on firearms on school property while in their vehicles dropping off or picking up their children." ...

VA: Bloomberg-Backed Candidate Is Unseated in Virginia
Submitted by: Gun Legislation & Politics in New York
Website: http://blog.nysrpa.org

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Democrats seized control of the State Senate in Virginia on Tuesday. Why might a New Yorker care? As we reported last week, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg flew to northern Virginia to endorse State Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, a moderate Republican who represents Fairfax County. Ms. Davis � whose moderate, pro-gun-control positions were lauded by Mr. Bloomberg � lost to a Democratic challenger, J. Chapman Petersen. As Ian Urbina reports today, the Democratic gains in Virginia could signal that the state is becoming a battleground in next year�s presidential election.

MA: Lawmakers to consider ending longtime Sunday hunting ban
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Jim Wallace likes nothing more than a day out in the woods, listening to the birds, scanning the tree line for pheasants or grouse, and taking aim with his 20-gauge shotgun."

"But with all the meetings and programs he runs as the director of a nonprofit organization, he has little time to fire his Ruger. Making it harder is a law more than a century older than the United States that prohibits him from hunting on Sundays, often the only time he has available."

"The ban is one of the last of the blue laws ... and one of the few actually enforced."

"Lawmakers on Beacon Hill will consider a bill today that would repeal the hunting ban, sending it the way of the Sunday ban on alcohol sales and other Puritan-era laws." ...

MD: Senate Seeks to Override O'Malley's Veto of Gun Bill
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Maryland Senate is poised tomorrow to vote for the first time to override a veto by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D)."

"During the last legislative session, lawmakers in both houses unanimously passed a bill that would allow law enforcement agencies to dispose of agency-owned guns by selling them to a manufacturer. Under current law, an agency may dispose of guns only by destroying them or selling them either to another law enforcement agency or an active or retired officer." ...

"Haines and other lawmakers were surprised O'Malley vetoed the bill after the session ended, writing in his veto message that 'police weapons should not be potentially made available outside of the law enforcement community.'" ...

National Report ATF Abuse Day is Tomorrow!!
Submitted by: Red's Trading Post Inc.
Website: http://www.redstradingpost.com

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"I am declaring tomorrow, November 8th, NATIONAL REPORT ATF ABUSE DAY. I am encouraging everyone to contact the US Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (who has been very critical of the ATF in past reports) and your Congressional Delegates."

"The BATFE has done more than any other Government Agency to destroy our rights in order to justify their own existence. We need to begin reporting these abuses and there are quite a number of them. Whether it is their agenda of shutting down the firearms industry, the continued waste of tax money, or their development of a gun registration system."

"US DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine's ... e-mail address is: [email protected]" ...

IL: Chicago Police Tasered 82-Year-Old Woman
Submitted by: Clell Adams

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"Chicago's Police Department is investigating an officer's use of a Taser last month on an 82-year-old woman who was swinging a hammer when police arrived."

"Officials with the city's Department on Aging went to Lillian Fletcher's home Oct. 29 to make a welfare check, and called police when they saw Fletcher in a window swinging a hammer back and forth ..."

"Officers arrived and in an attempt to subdue Fletcher one of them used their Taser, Bond said. The department is trying to determine if the officer violated department policy regarding the use of stun guns." ...

FL: Fla. Deputy Shot Bringing Man to Court
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"An elderly sheriff's deputy was fatally shot Wednesday as he transported a convicted robber from jail to court, and authorities were investigating whether the attack was an ambush."

"The suspect, Michael Mazza, left the deputy in a parking lot and then escaped in the department medical transport van with the deputy's weapon, sheriff's spokesman Elliot Cohen said. The Broward County deputy, 76-year-old Paul Rein, died at a hospital a short time later, Sheriff Al Lamberti said." ...

NY: Kerik Indictment Expected for Evading Taxes
Submitted by: jac

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"Federal prosecutors are expected to ask a federal grand jury tomorrow to indict former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik for failing to pay taxes on free apartment renovations and rent, two federal sources say." ...

"... Kerik's fall from grace was swift. It began the same day the appointment was announced with a swirl of allegations of misconduct, including the employment of an undocumented immigrant as a nanny and the acceptance of what amounted to large gratuities, according to ABC News accounts at the time and other published reports. It was just a matter of time before he was the subject of a criminal investigation by a New York prosecutor that led to a 2006 guilty plea." ...

FL: Cops in arms race with criminals
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"The war on the streets is escalating. As gangs and other criminals pack more firepower, police departments say they find themselves in an arms race."

"The officers say they need to level the playing field to survive. ..." ...

"The fatal shooting in September of a Miami-Dade police officer by a man using an assault weapon put all South Florida police departments on edge ..."

"'It's not nice we have to arm ourselves like the soldiers in Iraq,' said Sgt. Laurie Pfeil, who ... is now certified to carry a semiautomatic AR-15 ..." ...

"As a result, the Brady [Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence] supports police officers arming themselves with high-powered weapons 'to protect themselves and their communities,' he said." ...
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KABA Note: Is this the same Brady Bunch who has said that the sole purpose weapons like the AR-15 is "to kill lots of people in a short time."?

UT: Curb to power
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is meaningless when the Fourth and Fifth amendments have been rendered useless by The Patriot Act. A whole lot of people had better start reading and understanding both, or we are all in a lot of trouble.

And if you think that the power George Bush and Dick Cheney have accumulated will disappear when they leave office, think again. The next president - Clinton, Obama, Kucinich, Dodd, Romney, Giuliani, whoever - will have the same power and likely would expand it. Any branch of government with unchecked power is a threat to our Constitution and way of life.

Impeachment is the constitutional cure.

Robert Mayhew
Salt Lake City

WA: Did you know you may be living in a shooting zone?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Waking to the sound of gunfire: Baghdad? Darfur? Try unincorporated Thurston County on a Sunday morning during duck-hunting season."

"If you live in a shooting zone (anywhere in Thurston County except 42 designated no-shooting zones) licensed hunters can legally stand just over your property line, or in the case of Henderson Inlet, float their boats inches from your beach, and shoot."

"This is not a Second Amendment column opposing the constitutional right to bear arms. It's not a Bambi-lover column ... It's a column that asks whether it's wise public policy for armed men in camouflage-painted boats to fire shotguns into the fog a few feet from a residential neighborhood." ...

OH: Taking back their party
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Republican gun owners have spent the better part of two decades frustrated by a party that has talked pro-gun while campaigning, but time and again acted anti-gun once in office. Until the veto override of Republican Governor Bob Taft on HB347 last year, Republicans have done almost nothing for law abiding gun owners since taking control of the state legislature, other than passing a poison-pill laden concealed carry bill. That veto override followed an election where the Republicans lost seats in the Ohio House and four of five statewide positions, including the Governor's office to pro-gun Ted Strickland (D). Many Republicans are upset with their party and want to return it to the values they hold dear ..." ...

CO: Women on target - Course teaches women to handle guns safely and sanely
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Some disapproved of guns, some feared them and others had owned a gun for years without ever learning how to use it."

"Whatever their relationship had been with guns before that day, the 15 women who showed up for gun training at the Lake Havasu Sportsman's Club Saturday had a single goal: to stare through the sights of a firearm and pull the trigger �� and to do it safely and sanely."

"The course is called Women on Target, and it's designed and sponsored by the National Rifle Association. Marlene Duncan, president of the Lake Havasu Sportsman's club and a certified shooting instructor, coordinates the classes to introduce women to the sport she loves." ...

TN: Once More Into The Breach!
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The case of Richard Hamblen of Nashville, Tenn., provides an unhappy example of a good cause caught in a mesh of bad facts. The gentleman is now in prison. He's a gun nut."

"The facts are not greatly in dispute. ... In September 2001, when terrorists attacked ... the Tennessee volunteer guardsmen were called briefly into security duty."

"Captain Hamblen 'recognized that the Guard was woefully unprepared to fulfill its duty if called upon to act as an armed force.' Guardsmen historically have provided their own weapons. The captain proposed to provide his battalion with at least a few machine guns. He acquired and repaired nine of them. Then he stored them in a concrete safe at his place of business in Nashville." ...

KY: Closing the gun show loophole in Kentucky? Not likely
Submitted by: Barry Bright
Website: http://www.willowtown.com/reality/blacksburg.htm

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... "Gun shows are very big business, here in Kentucky and across the United States."

"I just wonder how many illegal aliens and would-be terrorists show up to shop." ...

"The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence just released their own report, titled, 'America's Gun Shows: Open Markets for Criminals.'"

"It said an estimated 5,000 gun shows are held each year in the United States, and federal law requires legitimate, licensed dealers at such events to conduct background checks before completing sales."

"However, there's a loophole big enough to accommodate a Humvee. Excused from the requirement are private sales by those 'not engaged in the business' of selling firearms, and those who make only the 'occasional' sale." ...

TX: Christmas Mountains Sale Delayed Until After Christmas
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Today's decision by a Texas government land agency to postpone the sale of the wilderness Christmas Mountains for 90 days is exactly what environmental groups and many Texas citizens wanted."

"More than 6,300 Texans have signed petitions asking for such a delay to give the National Park Service time to find a final solution that will keep the 9,200 acre Christmas Mountains in West Texas in public hands." ...

"Patterson has said he wants to sell the Christmas Mountains to private owners because he wants the property to be available to hunters. Patterson claims this is a second amendment issue. ..." ...

OH: Ignore the hoplophobes and pass Castle Doctrine reform now!
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "For some time Kenn Blanchard has attacked the anti-gun crowd with humor and logic in books and a podcast that I recommend highly."

"... The characters he comes up with to make his points are hysterical. ... I thought of a couple new characters Kenn could use if he ever does a piece on Ohio. I would call the first 'Baffled Buckeye', and base her on the hapless Toby Hoover."

"Why 'Baffled Buckeye' you ask? It is quite simple. Having predicted, prior to the passage of Ohio�s concealed carry law, that if we ever got our right to carry arms restored, there would be constant gun battles. ... She must truly be puzzled that is has not come to be. ..." ...