Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

Neal Knox � The Gun Rights War A new book from the Knoxes
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"July 4, 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of The Firearms Coalition and our bi-monthly newsletter The Hard Corps Report. It also marks the release of a long overdue book, Neal Knox � The Gun Rights War. Dad always wanted to write a history of the gun rights movement and it turns out that he had already done so in his columns and articles while the history was being made. Now, thanks to a lot of hard work by my brother Chris, it is finally about to be released."

"As we prepare for the book�s July 4 debut, we thought it appropriate to reprint the story of Neal Knox's personal rights epiphany. Chris chose this story as the prologue to the book and we offer it now to remind us all just what we're fighting for." ...

Whining versus resisting
Submitted by: Larry

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... "Personally, I hope that Obama and his fellow control freaks in Congress ('R' and 'D' alike) completely outlaw dissent, and ban all religion (except for the most popular religion: worship of government). I hope they make all private gun ownership illegal, and nationalize all industry. I hope they repeal the Constitution outright, declare martial law, and post gun-toting, jackbooted fascists on every corner. I hope they impose a 100% income tax, and seize all private property. And I hope they start arresting all who complain, throwing them into concentration camps, and torturing and executing them."

"Because if all that happens, maybe�just MAYBE�Americans will grow a spine, and start actually resisting. ..."

Ted Nugent Receives 'Defender Of Freedom Award' At NRA National Convention
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Multi-platinum guitar icon, author, outspoken activist, outdoorsman and TV personality Ted Nugent was honored with the '2009 General Edward J. Bronars Defender Of Freedom Award,' presented by Taurus International during the 138th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Phoenix, Arizona May 16. Ted � recognized as America's number one proponent of the Second Amendment � has served continuously on the Board of Directors of the NRA since his initial election to the board in 1995." ...

Wal-Mart case clearly separates criminal mind from that of law-abiding armed citizen
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Let�s get this up front: One does not walk deliberately up to an armored car guard, aim a handgun at his face and unintentionally put a bullet through his head; a bullet that strikes an innocent bystander."

"But that is what 34-year-old Calvin Finley, one of four suspects in the brutal robbery/murder at the Lakewood Wal-Mart Tuesday, June 2 that left veteran guard Kurt Husted, 39, dead and customer Wilbert Pina wounded in the shoulder, is reportedly claiming in a court document that leaves one shuddering."

"Armed citizens carry guns not to commit heinous acts like this, but to defend themselves, and their loved ones and other innocents in the event they happen to be caught in the middle of a vicious crime. ..." ...

America was founded on rights like gun ownership
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"To say I was stunned to read Paul Zach's letter (May 28) would be the understatement of the year. Was that letter sent from a cave in Afghanistan? Was there a white substance in it? I have to assume that it wasn't booby trapped or the letter never would have made it to press."

"At any rate I'll just pretend it was a more or less legitimate letter and answer it. Obviously his experiences down the rocky road of life couldn't have been more different than mine. Paul knows very little about good governments and bad. When the bad guys have the guns and the good guys are disarmed - that is a dictatorship. When the good guys have the guns and the bad guys are disarmed - that is a democracy." ...

Picnic-Packin'...Heat
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"It's one thing to pack for a picnic. A church picnic."

"It's quite another, to pack...heat."

"The pastor of a church near Louisville, Kentucky has triggered quite a controversy after encouraging his flock to carry firearms, at a church picnic scheduled for tomorrow, 'Honestly, I would really like to see this mushroom into a Thunder over Louisville, where we are just inundated with civil-minded responsible gun owners.'"

"Pastor Ken Pagano is a former Marine weapons instructor who says he wants to promote responsible gun ownership. He says without the Second Amendment ... there would be no First Amendment, the right to free speech. Together, the way Pagano sees it, it gives a church the right to picnic with guns." ...

Richard Childress elected to the National Rifle Association board
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The National Rifle Association's 4 million members voted Richard Childress onto its Board of Directors. He joins men like Lt. Col. Oliver North, Karl Malone, Ted Nugent and Tom Selleck who also serve on the NRA's board."

"It's an incredible honor to have been elected to the National Rifle Association Board of Directors,' said Childress. 'I've been a member of the NRA for a number of years and have strongly supported our country's Second Amendment rights. I also applaud the great work they do with their training, education and public service programs. These are very important times for our country and I�m looking forward to being a part of the decision-making process on a number of issues the NRA is currently working on.'" ...

Public interest in gun rights continues to rise
Submitted by: Daniel White
Website: http://www.OhioCCW.org

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"As I first wrote about almost a month ago (High rate of Concealed Handgun License issuance in Ohio continues) and again last week (CHL issuance continues strong trend with 139% increase), the increase in sales of firearms being reported from all over the country is being accompanied by a similar increase in the number of people carrying those firearms for self defense. An amusing factoid I noted in that first article is that the number of Ohio CHL holders outnumbers Canada's military by 2 to 1!"

"A very detailed article on Ohio.com looks at the issue to try to determine the causes. ..." ...

"While fears of Ohio's CHL program being eliminated are probably unfounded, there are certainly concerns that the poor economy could lead to an increase in crime ..." ...

The Real Reason Texas Campus Carry Failed
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Republican legislators in the Texas House of Representatives were so hell-bent on passing this repressive and useless 'Voter ID' law that they scuttled their own time-honored rules of procedure just so they could keep Democrats from blocking a vote on the Voter ID bill. The result was a five-day filibuster on the House floor, courtesy of Democratic legislators, that stretched over Memorial Day weekend. When the dust settled, Voter ID was dead, but so were hundreds of other bills which were simply tossed aside by House Republicans in a vain effort to save Voter ID. One of those bills thrown on the funeral pyre was the campus concealed-carry bill, which had already passed the Texas Senate and was simply awaiting a vote in the House." ...

Neither NRA, Chicago giving up on gun fight
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The National Rifle Association and Chicago long have been the biggest and toughest guys on the block in the fight over handguns."

"After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban last year, communities around the country revoked their handgun bans -- but not Chicago. When a federal appellate court this week upheld Chicago's ban, saying Second Amendment protections for gun owners apply only to federal laws, the NRA immediately appealed to the Supreme Court."

"'I've always thought that the one that would fight the longest and hardest and the one that would be the candidate for the Supreme Court would be Chicago,' said Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist with the [NRA] in Illinois. " ...

Sotomayor Has Decided That The Bill Of Rights Does Not Apply To The States
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"If you thought the Bill of Rights gives you constitutional protection for freedom of speech, of religion and a free press; you are wrong according to Obama Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The likely newest member of the high Court decided that all these rights guaranteed by the first Ten Amendments which make up the Bill of Rights can now all be taken away from us at the whim of our state legislatures ..."

"Sotomayor has been criticized for racist statements and a belief that courts set 'policy' not just issue decisions based on the law ... but her credentials as judge have been accepted without question � this is a big mistake." ...

Take a course
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"During the past months, gun sales and concealed carry permit applications have reached an unprecedented level. We applaud the right of our citizens to keep and bear arms as guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but with every privilege comes responsibility."

"Shooting and following safe firearms handling fundamentals is a skill that is learned and a skill that is easily forgotten. Statistics show that most firearms accidents are the result of poor training or carelessness. Once a bullet is fired, it cannot be called back. Accidents can be avoided by following three simple rules:" ...
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Submitter's Note: To their three rules I would add: Be sure of your target and what is behind it.

Church gun event misguided
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"You'd think as a Gun Rights Examiner, I'd be all in favor of an invitation by a Kentucky pastor to have people bring their guns to church. After all, we've seen from recent news that people intent on using guns to commit violence will bring them where they want. Likewise, we've seen that arms in moral private hands are literally lifesavers."

"So why might I have anything negative to say about New Bethel Church in Valley Station pastor Ken Pagano 'encouraging people to bring their guns to church on June 27'? And why might I be unimpressed by his assertion that 'This is for anybody that believes in second amendment rights. And that is the buttress to first amendment rights'?" ...

Bring your gun to church day
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The pastor of the New Bethel Church in Louisville, Kentucky has invited his congregation to bring their guns to church for a special event later this month. He wants to celebrate the right of all Americans to bear arms. It will be an event to underscore the second amendment and offer education about guns and gun safety."

"Of course, there is the condition: He said 'You can bring your firearm, but it has to be unloaded and in a safe secure receptacle.'"

"Oh, please! I think his heart is in the right place, but his brain isn't fully thinking this through. If he wants to raise the discussion of carrying arms, why neuter the event by assuring everyone that all of the guns brought are about as dangerous as a waffle iron? ..." ...

Second Amendment right not unlimited
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Mr. Winters from Ogden wrote in this newspaper on June 3 that I was 'very misinformed' regarding the Second Amendment; and he stated that the 'Second Amendment prohibits the federal government from infringing upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms.'"

"In response, I would rather be 'misinformed' as apparently by implication so are U.S. Supreme Court Justice[s] SCALIA, ROBERTS, Chief Justice., and KENNEDY, THOMAS, and ALITO, [who] held that:"

"'Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: ...'" ...
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Submitter's Note: Yep, they are 'very misinformed' also.

TN: Guns To Mix With Alcohol
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Alcohol and ammunition - the two will be mixing very soon and it's an issue that has some people fired up. Last week Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen vetoed a bill allowing guns in establishments that serve alcohol, but today the state senate fired back."

"Bullets mixing with booze - we didn't have to go far to find strong opinions on both sides of this issue." ...

"'I just think it's a bad mix some people say it's worked other places but I just think it's potentially dangerous,' Representative Mike Turner says."

"The Bill has conditions including the person has to have a handgun carry permit and the person cannot consume alcohol." ...
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Submitter's Note: Nope, no media bias here!

WV: Harden case overturned
Submitted by: West Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
Website: http://www.wvcdl.org/

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Supreme Court Issues Important Self-Defense Ruling

"The state Supreme Court of Appeals overturned a Culloden woman's murder conviction Thursday, and set forth new case law regarding self-defense and domestic violence."

"By a 4-1 vote, the high court remanded Tanya Harden's case back to Cabell Circuit Judge Alfred Ferguson.. The opinion ordered immediate acquittal and release." ...

"Kim Carico defended Harden at trial and described the court's ruling as 'a breakthrough,' ... The opinion removed the victim's duty to retreat a jointly owned residence, and states prior violence is relevant in determining the person's state of mind when deciding to use deadly force." ...

IL: Concealed guns would help 'gun-toting granny' feel safer
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"I don't know if there's such a thing as a typical supporter of Mayor Jim Ardis' concealed-carry proposal."

"But my last guess might be Wanda and Ron Swenson, a pair of gray-haired retirees who live in a nice condominium in northwest Peoria."

"Their dwelling and station in life seem far removed from the gangs, shootings and mayhem that regularly plague certain slices of the city. Still, they feel the creep of crime, so much so they often feel like prisoners in their own home. They'd feel much safer if they could pack a firearm when about town."

"The couple, married for 18 years, were thrilled to hear the mayor's suggestion that Peoria become a test city for concealed carry. The Legislature would have to approve such a move." ...

TN: Local Legislators Explain Votes For Veto Override
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Greene County's two state representatives each voted Wednesday to override Gov. Phil Bredesen's veto of a bill that would have banned guns from places that serve alcohol." ...

"The veto was also overridden in the state Senate on Thursday, but state Sen. Steve Southerland, R-1st, of Morristown, was absent, on a trip long planned on the assumption that the legislative session would end in May."

"In a telephone interview this morning Southerland said he voted for the original bill and would have voted to override if needed, 'but we had plenty of votes to override the governor's veto.'"

"Southerland added, 'All we were doing was upholding the Constitution,' which he noted 'guarantees citizens the right to bear arms.'" ...

TN: Idea of guns in bars upsets some; others pleased or confused
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The prospect of handgun permit holders being allowed to carry firearms where alcohol is served drew a strong reaction from Gary Jeffers as he nursed a beer Thursday night at Susie Q's, a tavern in South Knoxville."

"'That's the dumbest move that anybody in the Legislature has made in my lifetime,' he said. 'That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.'" ...

"Jeffers, a 54-year-old former bouncer who drinks regularly at the small watering hole on Maryville Pike, said his years of experience corralling drunks has taught him that bars aren't the place for weapons."

"'People who are out drinking do not need a weapon on their side,' he said. 'I don't think that should ever be allowed.'" ...
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Submitter's Note: And under the new law it's still not allowed.

SC: Gun law sparks debate on safety
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"A third-year sociology and psychology student at the College of Charleston said hearing that it's now legal for firearms to be in enclosed compartments in vehicles on her campus makes her feel anything but safe."

"But that's exactly what soon could be the case since South Carolina's concealed weapon permit (CWP) holders now can legally have firearms in closed compartments of their car while on school property, furthering the reach of the pro-gun-rights activists and angering the anti-gun-rights movement."

"'I think they should not be anywhere near a school or near any sort of students in our teenage years,' Christeen Faucette, 20, said. ..." ...

Surprise - Arkansas Jihadist Had Prior Weapons Arrest
Submitted by: ARCCA
Website: http://www.arkansascca.org

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"The thug who murdered an Arkansas soilder in cold blood and wounded another had prior weapons charges in another state. The shocker is that for some reason, the charges were dropped. And no one seems to want to talk about why they were dropped."

"This from Fox News, 'A Muslim convert accused of fatally shooting an Army private and wounding another had previously been arrested on a weapons charge in Tennessee, but that charge eventually was dropped.'

'Police say Abdulhakim Muhammad, then known as Carlos Bledsoe, was arrested in February 2004 after a traffic stop in Nashville.He was found with an SKS rifle inside in the car, with five rounds in a clip and one round in the rifle's chamber. Officers also found a sawed-off shotgun ...'" ...

Police shootings are common (second letter)
Submitted by: James A. Farmer

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"'Police nightmare in N.Y.: shooting of fellow officer' (Mail Tribune, May 31) elicits scrutiny. This article alluded to friendly fire between law enforcement officers where a fellow police officer in plain clothes is accidentally shot by responding officers."

"This happens often. According to Jeffery R. Snyder's 'A Nation of Cowards' (Public Interest Quarterly: Fall 1993) the error rate for police shootings is 11 percent, or more than five times as high versus armed civilians who employ deadly force in self-defense shootings."

"In fact, armed citizens kill 2,000 to 3,000 violent criminals and felons annually, three times the number killed by police. ..."

New Uses For Electro-Shock Torture
Submitted by: Larry

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"A police officer assigned to prowl the halls of Pennsylvania's Penn Hills High School came across a student using his cell phone, a violation of school rules except in an emergency."

"The officer was ignored when he told the student to turn off the phone. So he ordered the student to the principal's office. ... 'The student resisted, pushed the officer. The officer, defending himself, took out his stun gun and did a drive stun.'"

"A 'drive stun' consists of placing the Taser directly to the subject's body, temporarily immobilizing him. The student fell to the floor, where, after he continued 'resisting' ... he was handcuffed.

"All of this was less disruptive than the student's cell phone use, one supposes." ...

Military-backed public schools on rise in the U.S.
Submitted by: Larry

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"The U.S. Marine Corps is wooing public school districts across the country, expanding a network of military academies that has grown steadily despite criticism that it's a recruiting ploy."

"The Marines are talking with at least six districts � including in suburban Atlanta, New Orleans and Las Vegas � about opening schools where every student wears a uniform, participates in Junior ROTC and takes military classes, said Bill McHenry, who runs the Junior ROTC program for the Marines."

"Those schools would be on top of more than a dozen public military academies that have already opened nationwide, a trend that's picking up speed as the U.S. Department of Defense looks for ways to increase the number of units in Junior ROTC ..." ...

NY: NY Car Ticketed Repeatedly With Dead Body Inside
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Police made a gruesome discovery earlier this week while getting ready to tow a heavily-ticketed van � a decomposed body in the back seat."

"It was that of a missing man, and now his family wants to know to how officers could ticket the vehicle numerous times -- and never notice what was inside." ...

"His daughter suspects George Morales, who suffered from diabetes and heart problems, may have felt ill, and pulled off the road for a nap. A window was cracked. The odor became overpowering. After the car was ticketed each Monday for a month, a marshal, about to tow the van, noticed a body in the back seat." ...

NY: NYPD considers smart-gun technology
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"The [NYPD] is looking into futuristic technology that would allow officers' guns to recognize one another."

"It is aimed at avoiding the type of shooting that killed a plainclothes police officer in Harlem last week."

"Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has compiled a list of department initiatives that would help avoid officer confrontations." ...

"Officers' guns would be implanted with a chip that would send a signal to another gun."

"The research is still very preliminary."

"Last Thursday, Officer Omar Edwards was chasing a burglary suspect with his weapon drawn when other officers in plainclothes came upon the scene."

"Mr. Edwards was fatally shot by an officer."

TN: Sheriff Gobble Gets It Right Submitted by: Larry	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
FULL TEXT BELOW: A while ago, I had a pretty mean response to a piece written by Sheriff Tim Gobble of Bradley County, Tennessee, and I am not apologetic for it. However, he had another piece recently that supports the Second Amendment, and I figure if I am going to be honest, I need to applaud when someone in law enforcement gets it right.

TX: Women Allege Judge Molested Them
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"He called himself the Lion King, the emperor of Galveston, and more simply, 'the government.'"

"At 6-foot-4 and more than 250 pounds, he was impossible to escape in the close quarters of an office. And his alcohol-laden lunches could foreshadow vulgar, racist language and sexual assault."

"That was the description of U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent at a hearing Wednesday before a House Judiciary Committee task force considering his possible impeachment. The stunned hearing room was silent as two victims of Kent's sexual misconduct detailed their personal ordeals that lasted years." ...

"Both Kent and his lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, declined to appear ..." ...

TX: Fort Bliss soldiers told to register private guns
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Another major U.S. military base is requiring soldiers who live off the premises to provide descriptions, serial numbers, calibers, makes and models of any of the guns they own privately, and do not take onto the premises of the installation."

"According to a copy of a 'Weapons Registration Form' submitted to WND by a soldier from Fort Bliss in Texas, the soldiers have to provide ... the serial number, type, action, make, caliber, finish, location stored, model, overall length and barrel description of each weapon they own."

"Base public information officer Jean Offutt told WND that ... there's no enforcement procedures available to the military if someone chooses not to submit that off-post information." ...

Sales of guns shoot skyward
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The recession has hit a lot of people hard with job layoffs and home foreclosures across the country, but times are good in West Texas for sales of guns and ammunition."

"'In the nine years I've been here, we've had special orders, now we have waiting lists,' said Gary Hicks, a salesman at the Outdoorsman sporting goods shop ..."

"Prices have gone up and, in the case of ammunition, shortages are occurring, say people in law enforcement and firearm sales."

"'At first we thought it was the increase in the prices of metal,' Hicks said. 'A bullet is made of brass, copper and lead. Those are heavy metals, too, and costlier to ship when fuel prices were high. Now we know it is supply and demand forcing prices to go up.'" ...

KY: Gun-loving pastor to his flock: Piece be with you
Submitted by: G. Hughes

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"A Kentucky pastor is inviting his flock to bring guns to church to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment.

New Bethel Church is welcoming 'responsible handgun owners' to wear their firearms inside the church June 27, a Saturday. An ad says there will be a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety."

"'We're just going to celebrate the upcoming theme of the birth of our nation,' said pastor Ken Pagano. 'And we're not ashamed to say that there was a strong belief in God and firearms -- without that this country wouldn't be here.'"

"The guns must be unloaded and private security will check visitors at the door, Pagano said." ...

OH: OH Atty General files Motion to Intervene in Buckeye Firearms Foundation suit against City of Cleveland
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Buckeye Firearms Association is pleased to report that Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray's office has filed a Motion to Intervene in a lawsuit filed by Buckeye Firearms Foundation, Inc. against the City of Cleveland."

"The lawsuit was filed by the Ohio not-for profit foundation, to stop the City of Cleveland from prosecuting law-abiding gun owners under local ordinances that restrict gun ownership and concealed carry (CCW). The lawsuit also asks the Court to declare 20 different local ordinances unconstitutional on the grounds of state preemption of firearm laws, on the grounds that the ordinances are in conflict with R.C. 9.68." ...

OH: Contenders Marksmanship Pistol & Rifle Club Grand Opening a roaring success
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"On Saturday, May 23, Second Amendment advocates and firearms enthusiasts gathered just east of Lancaster near Rushville, Ohio, to celebrate the opening of the new Contenders Marksmanship Pistol & Rifle Club."

"The program got under way at noon. Following a short prayer delivered by Coach Dave Daubenmire of Pass the Salt Ministries, the coach introduced Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America."

"Many attendees stood and listened as Mr. Pratt spoke from the stage, while others set up along the firing lines and took in his inspirational words via loud speakers. Pratt touched on the current state of political affairs. ..." ...