Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

MN: Which bank would you choose to rob? [Letters]
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://www.idcwebdev.com

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

First four letters on page.

"Once again, the liberals of this state have it backward. As the concealed carry law goes into effect, many business owners are jumping on the bandwagon posting signs noting guns are not allowed on their property."

"When a business puts up a sign saying, 'Guns are banned on these premises,' they might as well put up another one saying, 'Now entering unarmed victim zone.' "

"If I owned a business (especially a bank), I would have a large sign saying, 'Concealed permit holders welcome.' Put yourself in the criminals' place. Which bank would you choose to rob?"

MN: Ready, amen, fire: Clerics are splitting hairs
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://www.idcwebdev.com

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A fellow would just as soon move on. Gun talk, and gun writing, can get a bit tedious, but it remains fascinating to watch so many people react so illogically to the idea that a law-abiding citizen might have a gun."

"Clerics, in particular, are behaving in ways that suggest that they do not trust their congregations and apparently have never trusted them. Last Sunday I guess everybody came to church seething with frustration over having to leave the Gat at home, but next Sunday they will stick a Saturday night special in the usher's ribs and steal the collection basket."

MN: Gun applicants pack iron wills
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://www.idcwebdev.com

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"On the first day of Minnesota's new permit law, some people said they needed guns for safety as others � also citing safety � put up signs banning guns." ...

"At 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, Bruce Kraft was among the larger applicants Wednesday at the Ramsey County sheriff's office in downtown St. Paul. Kraft said he knew what some people might think when they saw him."

" 'They're asking, 'Why does he need a gun to protect himself?' ' said Kraft, 42, of Maplewood. 'But I had a heart attack a few years ago, and I can't move as fast or as far as I could when I was 20 years old. Am I going to go looking for things? For problems? Hell, no. But when the eggs hit the fan, it's a lot better to do something besides standing there and curse at someone.' "

Slay the Withholding Beast Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Few Americans under 65 realize the withholding box on their pay stubs is a relatively recent addition. Federal withholding of income taxes was a �temporary� measure enacted during the Second World War as a means to ensure that the government received desperately needed revenue to fund the war effort." ...

Disarming The People Of Iraq
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"I recognize that there is an issue about the safety of our military personnel in Iraq (and I have a son in the military, so I don't take this lightly). Still, it could be argued with equal validity that there's a safety issue for police (and/or others) inside the United states if we are allowed to keep our guns, so all of us ought to be disarmed, too - only police and military should be allowed to possess firearms, the policy the United States seems to be imposing in Iraq."

TX: Anti-prostitution statute may draw lawsuits, city told
Submitted by: Orange Fuzzy

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Houston City Council on Wednesday passed an anti-prostitution ordinance -- which many acknowledge is unconstitutional on its face -- after the Legal Department warned there is a strong chance it will be challenged."

"This ordinance makes it a crime for looking like you want to proposition someone for sex," ...

"In this country, we only arrest people for committing a crime, not for looking like they are about to commit a crime."

CA: Attempted homicide suspect arrested at Tahoe in blow torch attack
Submitted by: Orange Fuzzy

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Officers responding to a call said they found the male victim bleeding from cuts to his neck, chest and face. He also had burns on his right side."

"The victim and his fiancee - whose names have not been released - told police they were asleep in the apartment when they heard someone kick in the front door. They said the suspect allegedly attacked with the blow torch and an unknown knife-like weapon."

"The victim was able to defend himself with a stick of wood..."

OH: Ohio police academy training cops to arrest those who "open-carry"
Submitted by: Ohioans for Concealed Carry PAC
Website: http://www.ofccpac.org

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

An Ohio police officer has told Senators that he was trained in police academy to charge persons carrying a firearm openly with disorderly conduct or inciting panic!

-------
"As to the question of open carry, when I was in the police academy we were told by our instructors to arrest citizens who open carried and charge them with disorderly conduct or inciting panic. While this is not a written rule I have seen it followed throughout my career as a police officer."

MD: For city witnesses, life's like a prison
Submitted by: Orange Fuzzy

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"One of about 140 witnesses each year to get aid from the Baltimore state's attorney's office, Wolfe is eligible for temporary housing, a voucher for permanent public housing, transportation to court proceedings and occasional food vouchers - but little else. Once they're done testifying, witnesses are basically on their own."

"Unlike the federal protection program, which was founded in 1970, the city's witness assistance unit cannot offer witnesses a new name, face, job or identity. It doesn't provide the round-the-clock police protection that other cities such as New York can offer. It has a staff of three and a budget of about $455,000 a year."

Big Hole In America's Security Net
Submitted by: paul raynolds

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"While it may be causing heartburn for the rest of us, the heightened alerts have been a bonanza for the gun business..."

" 'When the higher level comes, we start seeing people come in and buying more guns. They're sacred,' says gun dealer Don Davis." ...

"What's scaring many lawmen, however, is just who may be buying those guns. Currently, phoned-in background checks only filter out convicted felons, fugitives and a handful of others before a sale is completed."

"None of the names on the State Department's terrorist watch list or the no-fly list, for example, are on the background checklist. Even Adnan Shukrijuma, a suspected al Qaeda cell leader sought as a material witness by the FBI, would not show up in a background check by a gun store."

-------
This again begs the question: why would terrorists spend hundreds and thousands on guns here in the States, when they can get them free of charge from willing and compliant terrorist supporters like Syria?

CA: Exonerated cops, relieved, angry
Submitted by: Anonymous

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"After a devastating month in which they went from respected ranking police officers to accused criminals, the five indicted San Francisco police officers expressed relief at their exoneration Friday and anger toward the district attorney for tainting their reputations."

"Leland Davis, Deputy Chief David Robinson's attorney, said Robinson, a 28-year veteran of the SFPD, was relieved the presiding judge dropped all charges against him and that he could get back to work."

Guns Kill people, Gun Control Kills More
Submitted by: Wildfire

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"The picture on the front page of the Miami Herald�s local section spoke volumes. A mans lifeless body laid covered by a white sheet, next to his outstretched hand lay a crowbar. His name was Jonada Campos a 49 year old immigrant from Nicaragua who was shot to death by robbers at his jewelry store. His wife Angela also died as a result of the shooting."

"Mr. Campos died while trying to defend his wife and son with a crowbar, unfortunately his assailants had guns. Why would a jewelry store owner not have a gun on the premises? The most telling part of this story comes from comments made by Scott Miller General Manager Opa-lacka Flea Market where the store was located. When asked about the Flea Markets policy on guns, Mr. Miller responded 'If a vendor was found to keep a weapon at the booth, they would be gone; no second chances-it�s a zero tolerance policy.' "

-------
This sounds like a lawsuit in the making. Life was lost as a direct consequence of the flea market's "zero tolerance" (and sense) policy.

ACLU: Remove Bible From Granite Memorial
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"The American Civil Liberties Union is asking that a Bible be removed from a granite memorial that sits in front of a Texas courthouse because it might offend non-Christians, reports the Houston Chronicle." ...

"The memorial has been in front of the Harris County Civil Courts Building for 47 years, according to the Chronicle, and was built in 1956 to honor a business owner who helped the poor. It is maintained by a local mission group."

NY: 'Quality-of-life' crackdown has New Yorkers seeing red
Submitted by: Orange Fuzzy

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Crystal Rivera had no idea she was on the front lines of New York City's battle to plug a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. But after the pregnant woman received a $50 fine recently for sitting on subway steps, she got the picture in a hurry."

"The police officer who cited her for briefly blocking a stairwell didn't seem to care that she was exhausted and reluctant to sit on a filthy subway bench, Rivera recalled." ...

"There's Jesse Taveras, who sat on a milk crate outside the Bronx hair salon where he works, and was fined $105 for 'unauthorized use of a milk crate.' Israeli tourist Yoav Kashdia got a $50 citation for taking up two seats on an empty subway train." ...

"Pedro Nazario, an 86-year-old Manhattan resident, was fined $50 by police for feeding pigeons in a park. Sal Boyd, a Greenwich Village merchant, got a $400 citation because officers said there were too many words on the awning over his small store, according to a little-known 1961 ordinance. Jacob Walzer got a $55 fine last week because police determined that the black plastic frame protecting the license plates of his parked car constituted an 'improper display.' "

Brazil: Drop those guns, ladies! Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
NOTE: The URL for this story was too lengthy for our Newslinks system. Click here to access this story. ------- "At the request of the national Olympic Committee, the Brazilian women's synchronized swimming team has agreed to remove 'scenes of violence' from their routine for the Pan American games in Rio de Janeiro. Officials were afraid the show would reflect negatively on Rio."

Iraq: Townsfolk Riot After U.S.-Led Weapons Search
Submitted by: Orange Fuzzy

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"The police station in the tense Iraqi town of Hit smoldered on Thursday, a day after it was set alight in what residents said was a riot over intrusive weapons searches by Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers." ...

"Another resident, 24-year-old Amer Aziz, who said he represented the young men of Hit, told Reuters the trouble began when police and American troops began a house-to-house search for guns on Wednesday morning."

Brazil launches inquiry into U.S. population activities
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A U.S.-sponsored program that resulted in the sterilisation of nearly half of Brazil's women has prompted a formal congressional inquiry, sponsored by more than 165 legislators from every political party that is represented in the Brazilian legislature. The investigation was initiated after information about a secret U.S. National Security Council memorandum on American population control objectives in developing countries was published in the Jornal de Brasilia, Hova do Povo (Rio de Janeiro), Jornal do Brasil, and other major newspapers in early May."

"That U.S. foreign policy document, officially known as National Security Study Memorandum 200 or NSSM 200, detailed a plan to target thirteen large developing nations with intensive efforts to promote population 'policies' that would allow the U.S. to run massive birth control and sterilisation projects in those countries."

Bangaladesh: Police get OK to shoot at will Submitted by: Blacksnake	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Bangladesh has authorized police to shoot at will as part of its anti-crime campaign, an official said Friday after reporting more than 350 deaths to gang violence in the past two months." ... "Huda said the country's criminal law allows police 'the right to shoot on sight' while pursuing criminals." ...

Cops catch illegals, then let 'em go free
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Local authorities are catching then releasing illegal aliens despite the nation's increased terror alert status because there are too few regional U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services agents to pick them up."

"While the so-called 'catch-and-release' strategy isn't a new practice for many local police departments, some of the most recent cases have been occurring despite the Department of Homeland Security boosting the nation's terrorist threat level to orange..."

WI: Girl will get to sing religious song at graduation
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A graduating senior of Winneconne High School is going to sing a religious song at commencement ceremonies for her public high school after all, a school official and the teen's attorney said Thursday."

"Rachel Honer's plan had stirred a court fight over the separation of church and state."

"But a lawsuit has been resolved with a compromise: Honer will no longer be a graduation speaker. Instead, she will be listed on the program as a graduation performer."

Iraq: US gunfire kills three teens at wedding
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"US soldiers opened fire on a festive wedding parade earlier this week, killing three teenagers and wounding seven others after the celebrants fired weapons in the air." ...

"The incident highlights a clash of cultures. It is a popular custom in Iraq to fire weapons in the air to celebrate weddings and other festive events."

"But the practice has been prohibited under a new weapons policy being enforced by US troops."

VA: Suburban wives arm themselves against terror
Submitted by: [email protected]

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A poll has confirmed what Ginger Wright already knew: September 11 and the terrorism alerts since have prompted a shift in America's gun debate, most dramatically among married suburban women."

"Such women - the 'Soccer Moms', as pollsters call them because of the hours they spend ferrying children from one after-school activity to another - were until recently in the forefront of support for gun controls."

Bill of Rights 'unconstitutional' (Satire)
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"In a 9-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today in the case of United States of America vs. the Dixie Chicks that the Bill of Rights is unconstitutional. Writing for the majority, Justice Rehnquist made it clear that the court wasn't completely opposed to freedom of speech, religion, assembly, etc., but that the Bill of Rights as written was simply too vague and could, therefore, be used in the wrong way by people opposed to our democratic way of life."

NY: Bodega Owners Want Help
Submitted by: paul raynolds

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A group of bodega owners Friday pressed for new gun regulations they say would make it easier for them to protect their businesses after a worker was charged this week with using an illegal handgun to kill a would-be robber."

" 'We feel like we are being made to choose between going to jail for using an illegal weapon or being killed by a robber,' said Jose B. Fernandez, president of The Bodega Association of the United States, standing on the steps of City Hall."

SD: Choosing a handgun for defense
Submitted by: paul raynolds

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Before we get into the guns I have to emphasize two important points when it comes to firearms and personal defense. First, there is no harder decision for a person to make than to take the life of another, but that's what it comes down to when you decide to carry a gun. You carry it with the full knowledge that you may one-day need to use it to protect yourself or a loved one from imminent personal harm, and using it might very well mean killing another human being. The time to decide if you're capable of doing that is before you even consider buying a gun. Secondly, you must familiarize yourself with the laws concerning when you may and may not use deadly force in a defensive situation."

Homeland Insecurity: Going Toe to Toe With The TSA
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

What a terrific reply to a TSA gasbag who had the temerity to complain about a Sierra Times report of the TSA personnel in American Airports!

-------
"As a reward for the brave actions of our fellow Americans, we - the last line of defense - are now subject to being groped, fondled, molested, striped, violated, randomly searched, harassed, detained, arrested for talking, and overall humiliated before we board a commercial aircraft. And what's best: we get to pay for it all via that September 11, security fee. This, while any Johnny Jihad simply needs to take a course in marital arts along with his next flying lessons to bypass all your new security."

TX: Texas Border-Watch Group Gets Sued Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"A self-styled border-watch group was accused of terrorizing six undocumented immigrants in a lawsuit aimed at bankrupting the organization and any ranchers who cooperate with it." ... "Ranch Rescue's stated mission is defending private property, and it has conducted 'operations' along the country's southern border, rounding up undocumented immigrants and even seizing drug loads."

Can Congress Regulate Firearms Through its Taxing Power?
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"The taxing power of the federal government is found at Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution for the United States. This provision grants Congress the power '[t]o lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States�' Pursuant to this clause, Congress can only impose taxes for the three (3) purposes enumerated in this provision. It cannot constitutionally use this provision for regulatory or social engineering purposes. The stated purpose of any legislation being enacted under the guise of taxation must be for the purpose of raising revenue, i.e. 'to pay the debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States�' "

"Unfortunately for the American people, the constitutionally challenged members of Congress claim this clause, specifically the general welfare phrase, grants them a separate legislative power [i.e., they have the power to legislate for the general welfare generally]. This assertion was universally rejected by the Founders and early legal scholars."

MN: County board prohibits firearms in buildings, vehicles Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Pipestone County Court Administrator Steve Schulze said Tuesday that district court services have a 'wanding' that law enforcement implements for hearings that could be 'tense.' Since the new law, Schulze said the chief justice of the Fifth Judicial District has ordered that no concealed weapons � except those carried by uniformed law enforcement officers � may be brought into a courtroom."

IL: NRA Derails Gun-Control Measures (thankfully!) Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Illinois State Rifle Association successfully lobbied the state legislature to reject Daley's gun-control package, which included bills to limit gun purchases to one a month, require gun dealers to obtain state licenses, and require background checks at gun shows."

Swaziland: King blames trousers for world's ills Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
This report comes to you from the "Aren't you glad you don't live there?" files. ------- "Swaziland's absolute monarch has singled out women wearing trousers as the cause of the world's ills in a state radio sermon that also condemned human rights as an 'abomination before God.' "

WA: Tacoma Police Suggested Chief Give Up Gun Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The city's personnel director said Friday that he and other city officials recommended taking away Police Chief David Brame's gun the day before he fatally shot his wife and himself, but that the city attorney opposed the idea."

UK: Gun attack by burglars
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Two people were badly injured after being pistol-whipped by three burglars who burst into a Battersea flat last week."

"The 43-year-old owner of the flat in Dagnall Street needed three stitches after he was hit on the back of the head with a handgun when three men barged their way into his home at 9.30pm on Wednesday, May 14."

"His friend, a 39-year-old woman, was also hit across the cheek with the gun and suffered a cut to her face during the burglary."

VA: A radar gun for everyone
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

... "In Fairfax County, Virginia, county supervisors are considering a scheme to provide radar guns to civilians to combat speeding. This so-called citizen radar patrol is one neighborhood-watch program we are wholeheartedly against."

"If the policy is instituted, volunteers using county-distributed equipment would clock cars and send the vehicle identification of alleged speeders to the police department."

'Instant' gun checks draw fire Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The system for checking the backgrounds of prospective gun buyers improved last year to the point that 91 percent of the checks were completed during a single telephone conversation. In 2001, that figure was 71 percent." ... "Still, gun control advocates argue that the program does not go far enough, and is full of loopholes that could allow terrorists or others to gain access to firearms."

OR: There is no quick fix for ending violence (Letter)
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"While his argument on tax credits for safe storage is semi-legitimate (but not practical), he veers off the path of reality and sanity a number of times. He begins his column with a heartstring-puller about a severely troubled 14-year-old who took the life of his high school principal and then turned the weapon on himself."

"I don't understand how this story helps him prove his case for gun control." ...

IN: Gun advocate loses security challenge
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://www.idcwebdev.com

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A Plainfield man proclaimed his Constitutional right to bear arms today, but lost his challenge of a Hendricks County ordinance barring weapons in the courthouse."

"Judge G. Thomas Gray imposed a $83 fine after finding that Will Hutchens, 55, brought a semiautomatic .45-caliber pistol into the county courthouse in Feburary."

"Hutchens admitted walking up to Deputy George Scott and showing him a semi-automatic pistol. Hutchens then asked to be cited for violating the 1992 county ordinance."

MN: Law enforcers brace for change in gun culture
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://www.idcwebdev.com

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Twin Cities law enforcement officials see the new handgun law that takes effect today as the start of a cultural change that requires officers and others to get used to seeing law-abiding residents carrying firearms."

"From officers making traffic stops to the influx of 911 calls from residents concerned about someone with a gun sticking out of a purse, police and the public are in for a learning curve that may take months, said St. Paul and Minneapolis police officials and others."