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Are open-carry advocates helping or hurting gun rights?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The New York Times has a piece here about open-carry advocates. Most states have laws allowing gun owners to openly carry weapons in public, but it has the effect of, well, freaking some people out. In recent years, open-carry advocates have organized meetups where they'll all show up at a restaurant or coffee shop or what have you."
"They do this partly to show that, really, it's not a big deal -- mature, licensed gun owners are perfectly safe. Though some, the Times notes, are doing this because they can't get concealed-carry permits. In California, for example, acquiring a CCW permit takes some doing." ... |
Safer Streets 2010: Safer Starbucks?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The Brady Center ... has a March 8 piece turning up the heat on Starbucks yet again, or still. Why gun control activists are targeting Starbucks. Remember, that was their headline. This one is especially malicious and bitter.
Targeting is correct. It is an initiative move, it is aggressive, to be sure, and it is hostile. It picks a fight, which has some thinking what any real agenda of such pressure tactics is."
"The subtitle of the Brady commentary is The Brady Campaign is asking the chain to prioritize customer and employee safety, not take a position in America's gun debate."
"What do you think Starbucks is choosing? The chain is choosing customer safety and is not taking a position. It's position is to be neutral, but this isn't good enough to suit the anti-gun crowd. ..." ... |
The intellectual vacuum of 'temporary' tax hikes and anti-gun politics
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Before we get really cranked up, remember that gun owners are also taxpayers, and that shooters, as well as every other 'interest group' traditionally support their lifestyle with what we call 'disposable income.'"
"That is, money not spent on household necessities and other bills can be used for recreational and personal purposes. The Washington Legislature appears to have reached a decision to have citizens here dispose of that income in the form of additional taxes. The Seattle Times reports that lawmakers claim a new $890 million tax package 'is centered on a temporary three-tenths-of-a-cent sales tax increase.'"
"Did anybody in the Evergreen State ever hear of a 'temporary tax increase'... " ... |
Violent drug gangs on public land--still think self-defense not needed in national parks?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"On February 22nd, the federal prohibition against loaded firearms in national parks became relegated to part of our nation's shameful history of mandated defenselessness. Now, it's state law that determines the legality of carrying a firearm in our national parks."
"In the lead-up to this change, those who opposed it alternated (at dizzying speed) between hysterical speculation about the 'consequences' and contemptuous dismissal of the concerns of people foolish and paranoid enough to believe they would ever need a gun in a place as peaceful as a national park. The Violence Policy Center's Josh Sugarmann, for example, quoted a Park Service retiree:" ... |
Why Chicago's gun law failed
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Chicago�s gun ban ordinance was enacted in 1982 to stem increasing use of firearms in crimes in the city. From the beginning, the ordinance has been an utter failure in accomplishing that goal." ... |
How is the Philippines gun ban working out?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Remember that from January 10th to election day June 9th, in the Philippines nobody will be allowed to carry any weapon of any sort (even an air-soft toy) in public. Candidates are limited to 2 armed security people, and they must be in uniform. ..."
"So far, they have arrested 892 people ... The violators arrested have given up over 900 firearms. ..." ...
"How successful has this effort been so far in reducing campaign violence? In two months, 16 people have been killed and three wounded in this troubled nation. ..."
"Now, comes the money-shot for this whole story: The Calbarzon police director, Chief Superintendent Rolando Anonuevo has said that the Philippine National Police might allow the gun ban to continue past the scheduled June 9th end. OK, let us summarize:" ... |
Supreme Court Takes Aim at Chicago Gun Ban
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NYSRPA-PVF
Website: http://www.nysrpa-pvf.org
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"It's rare for Supreme Court justices to rib their robed brethren in open court. But that's what Justice Stephen Breyer apparently had in mind when he said recently that the court's conservative bloc was advocating the very thing that conservatives have long reviled: judicial activism."
"The comment came last week during oral arguments in �McDonald v. Chicago, a case over the legality of Chicago's handgun ban. Five justices appeared ready to strike down that ban, echoing a nearly identical 2008 case, Heller v. District of Columbia, in which the court threw out a ban in the nation's capital, citing the Second Amendment." ... |
A rare opportunity for North Carolina gun owners
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Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner
Website: http://www.GunsPoliticsandFreedom.com
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... "- Thanks to voter dissatisfaction, a record number of anti-gun incumbents in the North Carolina General Assembly have viable opponents;"
"- Meanwhile, the Democrat stranglehold on the NC Senate has self-destructed, but most importantly;"
"- The Supreme Court struck a blow for free speech by striking down the 'McCain-Feingold Act' that prevented GRNC from using organizational money to tell people what politicians have been doing to them."
"The result is a 'Perfect Storm' potentially enabling gun rights supporters to chart a course for at least the next ten years."
"But taking advantage of this 'Perfect Storm' requires money. Frankly, it requires your money." ... |
Second Amendment protects Americans
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Ask high school graduates whether the Bill of Rights governs cities and states and most of those who paid attention during civics class will answer, 'Of course.' But, the U.S. Supreme Court is pondering that very question."
"Proponents of social engineering frequently cite the Constitution as their justification for laws that intrude on personal liberties and the sovereignty of states. Yet they adopt a different stance when the nation's basic documents of government do not support them." ... |
Decision might prohibit gun bans
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The Supreme Court�s deliberation over a Chicago case might change the way the Constitution applies to state and local firearm bans." ...
"A common argument against applying the Second Amendment to personal carrying rights is that it will, in turn, infringe on another valued right."
"Summarizing the position, Pitts said, 'The Constitution protects the right to life, and people running around with guns threatens that.'" ...
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Submitter's Note: Almost got it right. Criminals 'running around with guns' threaten lives, which is why the law-abiding need to carry the finest self-protection tool in existence, to wit: a gun. |
More on the McDonald case
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Those who would deprive American citizens of the right to protect themselves and their loved ones against criminals who are capable of killing them, are not handling their portending defeat well. According to 'the usual pundits,' the indications from the recent US Supreme Court arguments in McDonald v. Chicago are that SCOTUS is likely to soon confirm that, for all the states in the union and not just the District of Columbia, the right to keep and bear arms extends to all Americans." ... |
Reflections on McDonald
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Well, McDonald v. Chicago � think of it as 'son of Heller v. Washington DC' in terms of its importance to Second Amendment rights � has been argued. I wish they had broadcast the argument in live feed: so much is lost when you only read the cold black and white print of the transcript, and can't catch all of the inflection in the voices, particularly the voices of the questioning Justices.
And why, with cases impacting literally life-or-death issues, are the advocates allowed only thirty minutes per side to argue their positions?" ... |
Praxis: The Thrift Store, the Militia Quartermaster's Friend
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Even when I've just got a couple of bucks in my pocket (which is more often than not) I stop by my local thrift store. Today was a good score, but not atypical of results."
"First, I picked up an old GI duffel bag, canvas, not nylon, with the single strap not the twin pack straps, for $2.99. Got a modern one in nylon, just like the photo above for the same price last week. (I gave that one to Pete)."
"Duffels are extremely useful for carting objects around and nobody takes much notice. I invite reader feedback on the largest, most unusual or most deadly thing they have ever concealed in a duffel bag." ... |
Praxis: Bangalores and grapnels
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Meet the bangalore torpedo."
"One of the points of Absolved is that there are no obsolete weapons, only obsolete tactics. Old weapons are also often reinvented with a wrinkle or two that make them much more useful."
"Such it is with the rather old idea of the bangalore torpedo. From Wikipedia:" ...
"Another lighter, easier to deploy tool for the modern trooper is the rifle-fired grapnel:" ...
"Launched Grapnel Hook (LGH)"
"The LGH has been designed to meet the U.S. Army requirement for a small, light, and highly effective means to defeat tripwire mines and booby traps. This requirement, as well as a need for efficient humanitarian demining equipment, is applicable throughout the world. ..." ... |
Why allow guns in some places but not others?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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... "Like [Ann Woolner], I watch in amazement as more states enact laws allowing guns in bars, churches and schools, and the Supreme Court continues to strike down more city ordinances ... I'm curious how sincere our senators, representatives (at state and national levels) and Supreme Court justices really are regarding the unrestricted rights of citizens to bear arms."
"When those legislative and judicial bodies debate the issue, do they allow spectators to enter their chambers with weapons? ..."
"If those galleries are closed, then one has to question the sincerity of those Second Amendment fanatics." ...
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Submitter's Note: In Minnesota we can (and I have) observed the legislature while armed. Bit by bit we work to regain freedom. |
NY: Man shot and killed in West Babylon home
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NYSRPA-PVF
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"A man was shot and killed inside a home in West Babylon, Long Island Monday night."
"It happened around 7:30 in the evening."
"When officers arrived, they found a man shot to death in the kitchen of the home ..." ...
"Apparently a woman and her boyfriend were inside the home when the woman's ex-husband came inside the home."
"The couple said they assumed a burglar was breaking in and the boyfriend allegedly shot the man."
"'It's an ongoing investigation. The deceased did not live at the house. The matter is under investigation at this time as to the circumstances of the shooting,' said Detective Lieutenant Gerard Pelkofsky, Suffolk Police Homicide Squad." ... |
One year after murder of IL pastor, more can be done to defend churches against killers
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"This past Sunday, Cindy Winters recounted the horror of one year ago, when a deranged man entered a Maryville, IL (just across the river from St. Louis) church, and fatally shot her husband, Pastor Fred Winters." ...
"Could an armed congregant or church official have stopped the killer sooner? We will never know, because Illinois remains one of two states (Wisconsin is the other) with no provision for legal carry of a concealed defensive firearm. Even in many states that do not generally prohibit handgun carry, it is illegal in churches, even with a permit." ... |
Firearms Freedom Spreading
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The Tenth Amendment movement sweeping across the nation has made its way to the Beehive State. The Utah-Made Firearm Act states that all firearms, firearm accessories, and 'ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately in the state to be used or sold within the state [of Utah] is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.' The bill, SB11, was signed by Utah Governor Herbert Cary on February 26 after passing through the state legislature in a near-party line vote."
"SB11 is part of a series of similiar Firearms Freedom Acts (FFA) that have also been passed in Montana and Tennessee and introduced in other states ..." ... |
OK: Federal Gun Laws Targeted by Brogdon
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Oklahoma could be headed for a showdown with the federal government over firearms regulation and the scope of interstate commerce."
"A bill that passed the state Senate last week asserts exemption from federal regulation for guns and ammunition manufactured, sold and used in Oklahoma. It is similar to one adopted by Montana last year."
"'Hopefully, it will do two things,' said the bill's author, Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso. 'It will help secure our Second Amendment rights and it will be a boon to economic development.'"
"Oklahoma has no civilian arms industry to speak of, but Brogdon said gun and ammo makers might move to the state if his bill is adopted." ... |
CO: Expanding the Castle Doctrine in Colorado
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The law has recognized that a man's home is his castle and he has a right to defend it. Now, businssmen and employees in Colorado may get the same legal protection away from home. Colorado's legislature is considering House Bill 10-1094. The intent of this bill is to expand the protection a homeowner has to use lethal force in defense of his home and family, called 'the castle doctrine', to businesses and dwellings other than home such as hotel rooms."
"Currently in the Judiciary Committee, the bill sponsored by Cory Gardner in the House and Ted Harvey in the Senate recognizes that criminals don't exclusively attack us in our homes. ..." ... |
GA: SB 308 passes Senate Special Judiciary Committee
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"SB 308 passed the Special Judiciary Committee on Monday with only one dissenting vote. The other two Democrats on the committee and all of the Republicans voted in favor of the bill."
"SB 308 has some major changes. In the new version that passed the committee, churches are off limits unless one has the permission of 'the presiding official,' and bars are off limits unless the owner specifically permits firearms. In addition, the bill would give the Board of Regents power to set policies banning firearms at colleges and universities."
"The new version of the bill with the changes made by the committee is not yet online. Once it is online, this article will be updated, and a link will be posted here." ... |
IL: Daley calls for new state laws on guns
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Flanked by several parents who had lost children to gun violence, Mayor Richard Daley on Monday called for new laws to restrict gun sales and stiffen penalties for criminals who use them."
"... this year's announcement took on added significance because the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn the city's handgun ban."
"'The aggressiveness of the gun advocates is just one reason it's more important than ever that we work for common-sense gun laws focused on stopping the flow of illegal guns into our communities and keeping the guns out of the hands of the criminals,' Daley said, standing next to tables loaded with weapons confiscated by Chicago police." ... |
AL: Firearms bill threatens workplace
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"It's obvious by his sponsorship of Senate Bill 360, Firearms in the Parking Lot bill, that Sen. Roger Bedford ... et al., doesn't read the papers or has never worked in a large business."
"I totally support the Second Amendment but most employers in this day and age do not want handguns within walking distance of their businesses. The papers and television news are replete with story after story of disgruntled employees who return to their places of employment and take out their frustrations, depression or disagreements on their fellow employees. At least if there are no firearms on the premises the employer has a better chance of securing the business and protecting their employees after the person leaves the premises." ... |
Why is ATF ducking questions about 'toy gun' seizure?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"'Why is ATF seizing 'toy guns'?' I asked in my Feb. 28 Gun Rights Examiner column. We were discussing the bureau's seizure of a shipment of 30 Airsoft-type guns�the kind that shoot plastic pellets�and an agent's claim that 'with minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun.'"
"KOINlocal6.com provides us with a follow-up. Go ahead and watch the video ..." ...
"The thing that's immediately noticeable is ATF has gone into full weasel-word mode." ...
"In order to be consistent, ATF must now raid every shop in the land that sells such 'toys,' and every internet vendor. They must attack the problem from both ends ... putting on a full court press to get these 'deadly machine guns' out of all private hands." ... |
Do You Feel Free Anymore?
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Larry
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... "Those police officers ought to be ashamed of themselves, but I know they are not. Like so many in America � myself included � they no doubt believe in their righteousness. But one has to ask: do you really feel free anymore? Do you find yourself in public constantly wondering if you can cross the street here or there? Whether you can ride your bike on a sidewalk? The shoulder of the road? When you see a cop car in your rearview mirror, do you feel safer or do you get a short shot of adrenaline and start wondering what he could pull you over for? What�s your speed and what�s the speed limit? Did you signal when you changed lanes? I think we all know the answer to that question." ... |
CO: An open letter to AG Eric Holder
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Dear Attorney General Holder:"
"The Colorado Springs Gazette ... respectfully joins four Colorado politicians who wrote to ask that you rein in your Drug Enforcement Administration officers in Colorado. They�ve acted with disrespect for the voters of Colorado to undermine our state�s constitutional right to buy, sell, produce and consume medical marijuana. ..." ...
"Mr. Holder, it was your office that released a memo Oct. 19 that announced, in clear terms, the federal government�s intentions to respect medical marijuana protections in Colorado and other medical marijuana states. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: So what recourse besides force of arms does the citizenry have when 'law enforcement' personnel disregard the law and their boss's orders? |
Czars to Serfs: Pay Up and Shut Up
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Larry
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"'If I'm the bad guy to the average citizen � and their taxes have to go up to cover my raise, I'm very sorry about that, but I have to look out for myself and my membership,' grunted Chris Mesley, president of the Albany, New York Police Officer's Union. 'As the president of the 'local,' I will not accept 'zeroes' [no increase in salaries or benefits]. If that means ... ticking off some taxpayers, then so be it.'"
"It would be difficult to find a more candid expression of the parasite class's predatory contempt for the productive than the words that departed Mesley's snout. The police union capo will occasionally remove that appendage from the public trough just long enough to spew demands for an ever-larger share of the wealth ..." ... |
OR: Police act swiftly after gun purchases
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Concerns about an Oregon Department of Transportation employee who purchased several guns after being placed on leave prompted law enforcement across Southern Oregon to step in."
"Negotiators and a SWAT team from Medford police safely took a man ... into protective custody Monday morning ..."
"He was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center for a mental-health evaluation."
"The man recently had been placed on administrative leave from his job and was 'very disgruntled,' the news release said." ...
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H/t to David Codrea who asks: "Hey, I'm "disgruntled" and I own guns. When can I expect the SWAT Team and a stint at the Soviet psych ward?" |
NY: NYPD Officers under 'quota' pressure
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Some police officers at the 41st precinct in the Bronx say they are under constant pressure to make a quota."
"According to them, it's 1 arrest and 20 summonses per month, better known as 1 and 20."
"'If you think 1 & 20 is breaking your balls, guess what you're going to be doing? You're going to be doing a lot more,' an officer is heard saying on tape."
"The audio tape that we obtained of a roll call underscores the emphasis that the precinct seems to place on numbers." ...
"It's that relentless pressure to write summonses that some young people in the community say has led to them being repeatedly stopped, questioned and even frisked for no reason." ... |
WI: Don't take your guns to George Webb's
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Like some of the saloons in the Old West, customers at the George Webb Restaurant near the intersection of Highways 164 and VV are being told not to bring guns with them."
"Dan Mueller, who grew up in the village and now lives in Hartford, is the local George Webb franchisee who also owns George Webb restaurants in Hartford and West Bend. He said it is his policy not to allow guns to be carried into the restaurants." ...
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Submitter's Note: In this horrible economy, it is good to see a business doing so well that it can afford to alienate customers. |
UT: Man challenges Utah university's weapons policy
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"A Utah Valley University student says a confrontation with campus police may have intruded on his ... rights."
"Nick Moyes says he was confronted by campus police last week ... Moyes, who holds a concealed weapons permit, had his gun in a holster on his right hip."
"Moyes says it's his right to carry the weapon but police say Moyes can't possess the weapon on campus openly without permission."
"... officers could confiscate his gun and cite him if he violates the policy in the future."
"Lt. Douglas Anderson of the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification says openly carrying a gun on campus is not expressly allowed or disallowed." ...
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Submitter's Note: In a free society laws tell you what you can't do. In a tyrannical society the laws tell you what you can do. |
WA: Lowering the common sense threshold in Yakima, upping the ante at Starbucks
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"One month ago there was a flap over a youngster�s expulsion from Yakima�s Barge Lincoln Elementary for, according to the story as reported by KNDU, �making a gun with his hands.'"
"The story got a renewed life recently when one of the national cable networks picked it up. This space has been home in the past for verbal barrages against so-called �zero tolerance� policies that punish kids for being kids. Remember the Portland youngster who was disciplined because he found a tiny rubber gun and action figure in his pocket? Recall the story about the 9-year-old in Staten Island, NY whose tiny figure and gun got him in trouble?" ... |
NJ: Little League Rejects Gun Sponsor
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"In October 2009, certified [NRA] instructor Matt Carmel -- who owns Constitution Arms -- applied to sponsor a team in the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball league. ...
"'A week ago Sunday I received an e-mail from the committee saying that they had voted 8-1 against me and no reason was forthcoming,' Carmel tells ParentDish."
"When he inquired further, Kate Schmidt, the acting director of the South Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, 'conveyed a message to me from the committee saying, 'Well, we'll let you sponsor, but you can't use the word arms.' I said, 'OK, how about guns?,' Carmel added with a laugh." ... |
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