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AK: First rule of shooting: Hold a shotgun like you mean it
Submitted by: Corey Salo

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A shotgun was the first firearm handed to me with the expectation that I would know what to do with it. I held it the same way I held the first infant given to me � speculatively and about a foot away from my body.

My qualifications to hold a gun or a baby were minimal and unverified, and my behavior communicated self-doubt. The baby looked at me with scrutiny as I held her as securely as possible in my outstretched arms.

Likewise, when handed a shotgun, I held it out awkwardly in my upward facing palms like a single piece of firewood. What I lacked in familiarity I made up for in grip.

"That's not how you hold a baby," my sister had said.

"That's not how you hold a gun," Steve had said.

MI: Mich. Senate OKs guns in schools, churches, preschools
Submitted by: Corey Salo

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Despite outcry from Democrats and school groups, people could carry concealed guns inside schools, bars, preschools, churches and other places where they�re currently prohibited under a plan the Senate approved Wednesday.

The Republican-led Senate approved the bills in a series of 26-11 and 25-12 votes along party lines. Sen. Marty Knollenberg of Troy was the only Republican to vote no � on Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof�s bill to allow guns in currently gun-free zones, including bars, arenas, stadiums, hospitals and casinos, at the discretion of the private property owner.

Active Shooters and Self-defense
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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In the wake of the horrific mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, citizens are taking proactive steps to defend themselves. It almost goes without saying now, after yet another church attack, that radicals with murder on their minds consider churchgoers good targets because they appear defenseless � much like kids in schools. But while some church leaders have acknowledged the necessity of armed self-defense, others have not yet taken that step. They should.

KY: Break-in prompts question: What are a homeowner�s self-defense rights?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A home invasion in Graves County has homeowners wondering what their rights are when protecting their homes.

Kentucky State Police investigators say a homeowner shot and killed 46-year-old Timothy Roper, who is accused of breaking into the home with two other people, beating and robbing the elderly homeowner.

The neighborhood where it happened is in Boaz, Kentucky. Lawrence Bermingham lives across from where the home off of McNeil Lane. He said the neighborhood used to be a peaceful place, which is why he moved there to retire. The neighborhood is shocked by the news of the break-in.

If The Supreme Court Takes This Gun Control Case, Its Decision Will Be Huge
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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When the Supreme Court meets later today to discuss pending petitions for review, the justices� conference calendar will include a pivotal Second Amendment case: Kolbe v. Hogan.

In Kolbe v. Hogan, the full Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Maryland�s ban of semiautomatic rifles and detachable ammunition magazines that exceed ten rounds. In doing so, the Fourth Circuit became the fourth federal appellate court to uphold the constitutionality of a ban on �assault� weapons and large-capacity magazines. The Second, Seventh, and District of Columbia circuits have previously upheld similar bans, and, to date, the Supreme Court has refused to enter the fray.

But Kolbe v. Hogan will likely force the justices� hand. Here�s why.

Hey Kathie Obradovich, Good Guys (and Gals) With Guns Do Save Lives
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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After Sunday�s tragic shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, that left 26 dead and 20 wounded, Kathie Obradovich with The Des Moines Register wrote: ��Good guys with guns� rhetoric doesn�t save lives, it sells guns.�

I like Kathie, while I don�t always agree with her, I think she is fair. However, I was disappointed to read her opinion comparing �good guys with guns saves lives� rhetoric to an advertising campaign.

I want to counter some of the claims she made in her piece.

TX: Dallas Bishop Tells Parishioners Guns Still Not Welcome at Mass
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A Texas bishop is saying parishioners must still be disarmed on church property after 28 people are murdered by a gunman.

Bishop Edward Burns of the diocese of Dallas is responding to the November 5 murder of 28 people in Sutherland Springs, Texas, by telling Catholics in his diocese they don't have permission to carry guns for self-protection in Church.

In a statement released on November 6, Burns requests that parishes "consider appropriate safety measures" by removing signs forbidding concealed carry in churches in order to "eliminate any perception that any of our parishes would be an easy target for terror."

The statement goes on, however, to note that concealed carry is still forbidden on diocesan property.

Is It Safe?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Americans are not safe at concerts, festivals, shopping malls, schools or even church.

This country has been bamboozled and brainwashed by the weapons lobby into buying into the Second Amendment excuse for unfettered gun ownership and use. Please wake up, people. The NRA and its supporters exist solely to sell more weapons; it has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. It�s about money, pure and simple. And the weapons lobby donates to all of our gutless politicians. We�re getting drilled (and not in a good way!).

TX: �Good guys with guns�: How Austin case highlights gun control debate
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Josh Williams was halfway through his three-mile run along an Austin hike-and-bike trail on the morning of Sept. 15 when a woman�s screams overpowered the music in his earbuds.

In the predawn darkness, he ran closer to try to find her. He pointed his flashlight in her direction, then realized she was being attacked.

Williams slipped a Glock 43 pistol from a holster he had strapped to his waist. In his first time to ever point the gun at another person, he said he took aim at the man and �I told him to get off her.�

�I told him to get down on his knees, show me his hands, so that I knew he didn�t have a weapon,� Williams told the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV in a recent interview.

TX: Texan Goes on TV to Defend Second Amendment After Church Shooting, But His Shirt Steals the Show
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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A father whose son witnessed the horrific mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, came out in support of the Second Amendment following the massacre.

The Texan, Mike Jordan, was first asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham if anyone was carrying a firearm when the gunman opened fire in the church.

Jordan then revealed that an acquaintance of his son, who was at the church when the shooting occurred, usually carries, but he left his gun at home with his wife that day.

CA: Sacramento group demands �sensible� gun control
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The toll of recent mass shootings across the country has prompted the formation of a new group in Sacramento with a goal of "sensible" gun control.

The newly formed Sacramento chapter of "Everytown for Gun Safety-Moms Demand Action" prayed on the steps of the state Capitol Wednesday night for the victims of the Texas church shooting.

The group said it focuses on legislation that helps keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Their greatest challenge is getting stronger background checks across the nation.

MD: Gun Violence
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Gun violence in this country is a toxic crisis! What more do you all need to put down your guns and admit it? You guard your gun rights with your lives, literally.

The Second Smendment did not say, infer or even mildly gesture that guns were imperative for our survival. The Second Amendment only referred to that period of history when men were expected to be "ready" to defend our government. Men propped up their guns outside their doors for "readiness."

Texas massacre is seized on by both sides in gun debate
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Gun-rights supporters have seized on the Texas church massacre as proof of the well-worn saying that the best answer to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Gun-control advocates, meanwhile, say the tragedy shows once more that it is too easy to get a weapon in the U.S.

To no one's surprise, many Americans on opposite sides of the gun debate are using the latest mass shooting to reaffirm their opinions about firearms, drawing very different lessons from the rampage.

Sam Bee: We Need More Than Prayers to Stop Guns Killing America
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Samantha Bee began Wednesday�s Full Frontal with a celebration of the previous night�s electoral victories for Democrats. �Damn, Virginia, you look good today!� she exclaimed. �Did you lose some dead weight?�

But �as great as these victories feel, they only matter if we use them to fight important battles,� Bee said. �And after the week we've had, there is nothing more important to me than gun control. Look, I would love to not talk about gun massacres but we can't ignore them. That's Congress' job.�

OR: Can Medical Cannabis Cardholders Own Guns? Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Dear Pot Lawyer, I read that medical cannabis cardholders cannot have guns. Is that right? Under federal law, that�s correct. Under Oregon law, not so much. But in the event of any conflict between those laws, federal law will prevail. So if you are a medical cannabis cardholder and the feds want to come for your guns, they certainly can.

TN: Grab a Gun, Go See Your State Representative
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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When legislative leaders started to allow guns in the Legislative Plaza nearly two years ago, the Sierra Club�s Scott Banbury had his daughter take pictures of him wearing his holstered Ruger and lobbyist ID card to put on lawmakers� desks with the question: �Is this what you want?�

Even though Banbury considers himself a Second Amendment supporter, having grown up in Arizona, where weapons are prevalent, he isn�t enthused about the new dictate enabling carry permit holders to bring their guns into the Cordell Hull Building where the Legislature is moving to new quarters.

MO: Makes sense to have limits on owning combat weaponry
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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I am glad my sister owns a handgun, so that when she drives long distances she can have it, just in case. I am glad I can purchase a rifle when my boy gets a little older so we can shoot together. I am glad we have a well-managed conservation department that allows people to hunt within limits using shotguns and rifles.

But why should a citizen have the right to purchase combat weaponry if it infringes upon others� right for self-defense? My sister�s pistol and my rifle are no match against combat weaponry.

This Gun Instructor Says Many Who Carry A Gun Aren't Trained To Respond To A Shooter
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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When President Trump was asked about the shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that killed 26 and injured 20, he brought up the fact that a man nearby grabbed his rifle and ran to the church.

Here & Now�s Jeremy Hobson talks with Mike Weisser (@MikeTheGunGuy), NRA member, firearms instructor and author of the blog Mike The Gun Guy, who says it�s not realistic to think more armed citizens will be able to prevent mass shootings.

ND: Simple, common-sense steps can increase your safety
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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This is not a firearms instruction course and does not include instruction in physical combat self defense. It is appropriate for anyone who can follow instructions, Ricigliano explained.

The course includes classroom instruction on criminal psychology, automobile crimes, cyber safety, home security and a variety of crime prevention techniques, in addition to the use of personal safety devices and other strategies.

Students will receive the Refuse To Be A Victim handbook, brochure, firearms supplement and course certification.

CA: Gun range's latest advertising controversy
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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"I've been here for at least 5 years and I've been 'coon-called' at least 5 times," said Chico State student Rex Bell.

Bell says the "Black Lives Matter" movement is a reminder of his own self worth.

"Even when it comes to crimes in our community it's hard to tell someone that a black life matters when there's so much going on to show that it doesn't" said Bell.

So when a Chico gun range put up a billboard saying "Black Friday Matters" ... Bell says they crossed the line.

But Down Range's owner says the "Black Lives Matter" movement isn't exactly harmless.

CA: California�s gun-confiscation program gets spotlight after Texas massacre
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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It�s difficult to keep guns away from ex-cons and the mentally disturbed, but a one-of-a-kind California program is designed to do just that. And in light of the Texas church shooting that left 26 dead, some are debating whether a program like it could have thwarted Devin Kelley�s murderous rampage.

The Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS) program, proposed in 1999 and updated in 2006, makes California the first and only state in the country to establish an automated system for tracking firearm owners and to provide the legal authority to proactively disarm convicted criminals, people with certain mental illnesses, and others deemed dangerous.

It�s Time For Gun Controllers To Put Up Or Shut Up
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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There is a decent chance that the individuals who continue to demand nameless gun control, or who propose gun control measures that really wouldn�t do anything to stop gun violence, are actually interested in a lot more than simple gun control policy. They are very likely more interested in greatly diminishing if not outright eliminating gun rights in American society, and are simply taking an incremental approach to getting there.

Maybe that�s an uncharitable assumption. But then it�s worth stating the question to these types of partisans outright: since your gun control ambitions are either incoherent or purposeless, what, exactly, are you after?

Undermining Gun Ownership Contributes Nothing to Solving America�s Mass Shooting Problem
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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In the hands of a Johnnie Langendorff or a Stephen Milleford, a gun could never be a tool for murder or terrorism, because they simply don�t have it in their hearts to commit those sorts of crimes. Conversely, deadly crime, including mass murders and lethal terrorist attacks, continue to rise, undeterred by laws restricting gun access in Europe, and yes, even Australia.

If guns don�t make people more dangerous or more violent, that still doesn�t explain the mass shooting epidemic in the United States. The evidence points to two major problems: insufficient background checks and mental illness.

ID: Form Bonner County Militia to solve 'problem' Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
However, I have a proposal to satisfy Mr. Wythe. I propose the formation of the Bonner County Militia. There will be no meetings, no training, and no membership dues. The only requirement for membership is to own a gun and be willing to come to the defense of your neighbors if needed. Problem solved.

TX: Time to talk about gun control (again)
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Unfortunately, the conversation about gun control only arises after an incident where several people are killed at one time. But what about the 90 people who the Center for Disease Control states are killed on average each day in the U.S. (excluding suicides)? Even if we take mass shootings out of the equation, Everytown Research found more than 10,000 people still die each year from gun deaths in this country.

In the immediate aftermath of such events, talk about banning assault rifles is also sensationalized, but most gun deaths in the U.S. actually occur by handguns.