Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

CA: Our Voice: Congress: Renew assault weapons ban legislation without delay
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A tidal wave of assault weapons will soon legally flood the country unless Congress acts quickly to renew expiring federal legislation."

"Just what we don�t need -- more opportunities for deadlier weapons to fall into the hands of criminals -- and more 'play toys' to attract our children�s attention."

"But that�s the harsh reality if Congress doesn�t stop playing chicken on this issue. Republican or Democrat -- someone needs to take the lead on this legislation for the good of the country -- and not worry about losing votes from the National Rifle Association and other interested parties." ...

"Here are a few startling facts that will result if this legislation is allowed to expire:"

"Eighteen-year-olds will be able to walk into gun stores and buy new American-made AK-47s." [And buying American is somehow bad?]

"In many states, it will be possible to bring concealed TEC-9 assault pistols, loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, into bars, churches and sports arenas, public schools or universities." [Only the states where it is currently legal to do so.]

"New rapid-fire ammunition magazines that allow guns to fire up to 100 rounds without reloading will be mass-produced and will be widely available." [Ummm, what is a "rapid-fire" magazine? And 100 rounds is about 5 pounds. Ever try to conceal a gun with 5 pounds of ammo in it?]

"Brand new assault weapons will be available -- even to terrorists -- without background checks, at gun shows in most states." [No, because "brand new" guns are only sold by FFL dealers, and all the laws that apply outside a gun show apply inside too.] ...

Managers not prepared for workplace violence
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"In an average week in U.S. workplaces, one employee is killed and at least 25 are seriously injured in violent assaults by current or former co-workers."

Many of those attacks might have been prevented.

"In nearly eight of 10 cases, killers left behind clear warning signs � sometimes showing guns to co-workers, threatening their bosses or talking about attacking. But in the majority of cases, employers ignored, downplayed or misjudged the threat, according to a USA TODAY analysis of 224 instances of fatal workplace violence."

"Less than 20% of the companies targeted in such attacks beefed up security or took other internal prevention steps. It is not known how many called police before the attacks took place." ...
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And the vast majority of companies require, enforced by threat of termination, that their employees be disarmed.

Kerry's Looming Gun Battle -- The senator shows off his shotgun in the search for NRA votes
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Campaigning in Wisconsin over the Fourth of July holiday, John Kerry stopped by the Gunslick Trap Club in Holmen, snapped up a Beretta 12-gauge shotgun and coolly dispatched 17 of 25 clay pigeons. "I'm just doing what I normally do," Kerry told reporters. But Kerry supporters see their candidate's hunting skills as a shield against the National Rifle Association, which in 2000 gave the Bush campaign nearly $92,000 and spent more than $2 million helping the G.O.P. ticket attack Al Gore. Of late, the N.R.A. has been uncharacteristically quiet. The lobby has given the Bush ticket just $1,250 this year and spent nothing at all on supportive issue ads, according to the Center for Responsive Politics and FEC records." ...

OR: Renew ban on assault weapons
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"As we Americans concern ourselves with the major political issues that have become prominent over the last year � namely gay marriage, abortion and the war on terrorism � there is another issue which has been flying under the radar."

"The 1994 ban on assault weapons will expire in September, and it will again become legal to purchase the dangerous, rapid-fire guns most commonly seen in action movies. It is imperative that Americans ask Congress to renew this ban, keeping assault rifles out of American gun stores."

"For that matter, it wouldn�t hurt to ban handguns as well. Both of these types of weapons are not used for hunting and have no purpose in America but to commit violent crimes." ...

CSGV: Urge Congress to Take Action on Assault Weapon Ban (JTO)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"There are less than 15 legislative days before the federal Assault Weapons Ban expires!"

"The current ban on military-style assault weapons is set to expire on September 13, 2004 unless Congress and the President act."

"Help us keep these deadly weapons off the streets."

"We need your help to generate as many calls and emails as possible to your members of Congress."

"TAKE ACTION:"

"1) Call your Senators NOW
Call the Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your senators' offices."

"2) Call your Representative NOW
Call the House Switchboard at 202-225-3121and ask to be connected to your representative's office." ...
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Yes, call your representatives and let them know that their jobs are in your hands . . .

FL: Florida Citizens to Help Catch Terrorists
Submitted by: Anonymous

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Law enforcement officials in central Florida are planning to train cable repairmen, exterminators and apartment managers to report signs of terrorism inside their clients� homes.

Supporters of the program say making private citizens the eyes and ears of the police will save lives.

But opponents, like the ACLU, call the plan �un-American� and say it�s a violation of privacy.

Operation TIPS (search), a similar program proposed by President Bush, was withdrawn in 2002 after critics said it would lead to racial profiling.

So far, 5,000 brochures detailing the Florida plan have been printed, and volunteers will be trained what to look for.

But Orange County officials stress that people who go through the training will be encouraged to only report what they see � not search for evidence.

A Bush League NAACP Move
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"SPEAKING yesterday at the 95th annual NAACP convention, Sen. John Kerry took a jab at President Bush for declining the convention's invitation: Kerry stated that he wouldn't be afraid to speak to audiences with which he disagreed."

"So, should we all be looking forward to Kerry's visit with the 3 million-member National Rifle Association?"

"Don't hold your breath."

"Ronald Reagan is the only president to actually attend an NRA convention, though Vice President Dick Cheney got a warmly welcome when he addressed the gun owners earlier this year."

"For a very good reason."

"The NRA is now a solid, influential member of the conservative coalition." ...

Presidents for Gun Control
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Few Americans favor a return to the day when military-style assault weapons like AK-47's, Uzis and Tec-9 pistols could be manufactured and sold in this country, making them readily available for use by gangs and drug traffickers engaged in violent crime. Yet President Bush has still not made any effort to stop the 10-year-old federal ban on assault weapons from expiring on Sept. 13."

"Seeking to prod the White House into action, two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein of California and Charles Schumer of New York, released a letter this week that was signed by Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and urged Mr. Bush to take a forceful role in rallying Congress to save the law. ..." ...

Forgotten promise -- Who's afraid of an assault weapons ban?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"On Sept. 16, 1991, George Hennard drove his pickup truck through a cafeteria's plate glass window in Killeen, Texas, took out a Glock 9-milimeter semiautomatic pistol and a Ruger P89, and methodically shot 22 people to death before shooting himself in the head."

"The next day, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to reject a ban on semiautomatic weapons. 'Obviously,' the first President Bush said at the time, 'when you see someone go berserk and get a weapon and go in and murder people, of course, it troubles me. But what I don't happen to have the answer to is can you legislate that behavior away.'"
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And an AWB would have prevented this . . . how?

President Tells Citizens of West Virginia There's "More to Do" in the Next 4 Years
Submitted by: Jim Sr

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... "We stand strongly for the Second Amendment, which gives every American the individual right to bear arms."

"My position and my record stands in stark contrast to my opponent's record of voting against the rights of law abiding gun owners."

"Listen, as a sportsman, I understand that gun ownership carries serious responsibilities. When someone uses a gun to commit a crime, they should be prosecuted and sent to jail. Over the past three years, federal prosecutions of crime committed with firearms have increased by 68 percent. The way to make our communities safer is to lock up more gun-toting criminals, not to restrict the constitutional liberties of law abiding citizens."
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KABA notes that during his campaign in 2000, and still today, President Bush said he would sign a renewal of the "assault weapon" ban.

Ban the Gun Bans! They Motivate Crime!
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Prior to the enactment of completely unlawful, unconstitutional firearm laws, restrictions and infringements, perpetrated against the American people by their alleged representatives in the Congress, harangued gun owners had always contemplated a sort of self-destructive or self-defeating death wish of sorts."

"If only there was a way to bring about the wishes of gun controllers [read gun abolitionists] and simply enact a total ban such as Senator Dianne Feinstein is on record as desiring, and then analyzing honestly and openly the results of that experiment. And fortunately, this much-needed experiment and its results are in! This will serve to end the debate as to whether or not gun control reduces crime." ...

FL: Paralyzed teen gets closer to gun buy
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A California teenager hoping to buy and melt more than 75,000 unassembled guns from the maker of a .38-caliber pistol that paralyzed him a decade ago is now one step closer to his goal."

"The federal judge in Jacksonville agreed Thursday to hold an auction for Bryco Arms' assets. Bids will start at $175,000, the same amount Brandon James Maxfield, a 17-year-old paralyzed since he was 7, offered in his attempt to buy the now-bankrupt company's assets."

"Brandon was paralyzed from the neck down after being struck by a bullet accidentally fired by a baby sitter trying to unload the weapon." ...
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KABA Note: Taking the gun off safe to rack the slide is not a design defect, having your finger on the trigger and pointing the gun at a 7 year old when you do so is a mental defect.

MI: County's gun pleas free more than 100 -- Some offenders went on to kill, commit robberies
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Plea deals that disposed of gun cases without any penalty but helped prosecutors claim higher conviction rates have set more than 100 criminals free in Wayne County since 2000, according to the prosecutor and a review of court records." ...

"... The upswing in violence has politicians, prosecutors and law enforcement officials grappling with the issue of illegal guns and the criminals who use them."

"This week, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced a zero-tolerance policy for any parolee caught with a firearm, or for being in the company of someone with one. The penalty is five years in prison, or the remainder of the person's original sentence, whichever is less."
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So if a parolee reports a crime to a police officer, he goes back to prison?

PA: Road rage victim upset his aggressor hired as cop
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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... "In April 2003, Timothy Charette of Hazleton pleaded no contest to charges of reckless endangerment..."

"According to state police, Charette flashed his high beams and tailgated Houghtalen for several miles. When Houghtalen pulled off the interstate behind Charette to get Charette's license plate number as directed by state police during a cell phone conversation, Charette approached Houghtalen's vehicle with his gun drawn."

"As Houghtalen was pulling back onto the interstate after giving state police Charette's license plate number, Charette fired his gun."

"The Times Leader reported on Friday that Sugarloaf Township supervisors on Tuesday voted to hire Charette as a part-time police officer ..." ...

MN: Tim Penny: For a better permit-to-carry law
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Last week's court decision to strike down the 'conceal carry' gun law was based on Article 4 Section 17 of the Minnesota Constitution."

"Section 17 is short and to the point: 'No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title.'"

The intent of this provision is to assure an open and fair lawmaking process. When unrelated items are lumped together in one bill, it denies the opportunity for a thorough airing and discussion of the issues. This approach to legislating diminishes lawmaker accountability." ...
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What Mr. Penny fails to mention is that the bill was debated for almost 8 hours in the Senate, the longest such debate in the state's history. For further fisking see here.

VA: Legal, Not Always Welcome -- Some Va. Businesses Might Ban Armed Patrons
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"On Friday afternoon, Kevin M. Tracy ordered signs to be posted in the windows of the four The Bungalow restaurants in Northern Virginia. They'll read: 'The Bungalow, a Homeland Security model facility. No firearms, no WMDs, safe zone.'"

"Tracy, the restaurants' director of operations, said the small chain decided to ban gun-toting customers in March after a man with a firearm strapped to his hip sat down in its Franconia restaurant and ordered a margarita. The man properly asserted that Virginia law allows him to openly carry his weapon. But Tracy thinks guns, with the exception of those carried by police officers, have no place in his restaurants." ...
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Because police are, of course, better than "civilians".

OH: First Merit: Another armed robbery in 'gun-free' bank
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Law-enforcement agencies were searching Friday evening for a man who robbed the First Merit Bank branch on Ashland Road of an undisclosed amount of cash." ...

"Viars said the robber got away with an amount of cash that 'wasn't real substantial. It was basically money from teller drawers.'" ...

"Commentary:
Ohio has one of the highest bank robbery rates in the nation. The Ohio Banker's League is distributing instructions on how banks can ban CHL-holders. But clearly bank robbers could not care less about FirstMerit's discriminatory signs." ...

Analyzing the Second Amendment Submitted by: TriggerFinger Website: http://triggerfinger.org/weblog/index.jsp	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
... "Earlier, Don Kates analyzed the second amendment for OutdoorsBest. He gets some things right -- but some things horribly wrong. In particular, he thinks that the 2nd Amendment permits registration, licensing, and laws forbidding concealed carry. Such restrictions are not compatible with a right of the people." ...

What a Mainstream Libertarian is, and is Not
Submitted by: LFA Editor
Website: http://www.libertyforall.net

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"It's another election season, and with it comes the inevitable false stereotyping of 'mainstream' and 'hardcore' Libertarians. To some 'mainstream' Libertarians, anyone who doesn't wear a suit must be wearing mustard-stained t-shirts on the campaign trail, driving a 20 year old 'trashed' car and ranting away in unintelligible and unappealing jargon. Opposing them are certain 'hardcore' Libertarians who suspect that any mainstream type in a suit and tie must be a lying weasel, ready and willing to sell out all principles at the first opportunity." ...

PA: Man loses license after telling doctor about drinking
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A man who told his doctors that he drinks more than a six-pack of beer per day is now fighting to get his driver's license back because the physicians apparently reported him to the state."

"Keith Emerich, 44, said Tuesday that he disclosed his drinking habit in February to doctors who were treating him at a hospital for an irregular heartbeat."

"'I told them it was over a six-pack a day. It wasn't good for me -- I'm not going to lie,' Emerich said in a telephone interview from his home in Lebanon, about 30 miles east of Harrisburg."

"Emerich received a notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in April that his license was being revoked effective May 6 for medical reasons related to substance abuse." ...
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So what happens when you tell your doctor about your guns?

MN: Jeff Dege: Minnesota Concealed weapons law overturned RESPONSE
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"The internet is a fascinating place. I do a search of Google News and I find a piece in Pravda concerning Minnesota's new gun law."

"I expect that for many Pravda readers, Minnesota's gun laws aren't among their highest priorities. But after reading Michael Berglin's 'Minnesota's Concealed weapons law is overturned', I feel it necessary to point out a number of factual failings."

"Berglin writes: 'The new criteria for granting a concealed and carry permit under the new law, was limited to only two criterions: If the person had a felony record, or was/is confined to a state hospital for mental illness.' This is simply not true." ...

MN: Hate the criminal, not gun [7th letter on page]
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

The Star Tribune stated in its July 15 editorial, "We still believe that increased accessibility to guns is not the answer to either personal protection or reducing crime. Nor is adding more guns to a nation already overrun with firearms."

This is classic liberal hooey, and as always, you offer no solution to the problem. What would you like us to do?

Every tree-hugging Wellstone lover hates guns, but has no idea how to take them out of the hands of the people committing crimes. So, instead, you try to limit responsible hunters, sportsmen and legal permit holders from carrying or owning a gun. Go after the slugs using the guns to commit crimes, not me.

MN: Be reasonable, rational [last letter on page]
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"The controversy over gun control is myth. Most Minnesotans believe that we, as ordinary citizens, have the right to own weapons for hunting, sport and defense, and likewise, most Minnesotans believe that we, as society, have the right to set limits and regulations about what type of weapons can be privately owned and how they may be used and carried."

"The Personal Protection Act was slipped into an unrelated bill for the sole purpose of skirting the debate. It was a debate that needed to be heard. Our old system of issuing permits at the sole discretion of county sheriffs was arbitrary and varied tremendously across the state. ..." ...

TN: Accused trooper disciplined before, state records show
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who resigned Thursday after being accused of misconduct on the job already had an array of previous disciplinary problems on his record dating back to 1998, according to state records."

"Albert B. Ford, 39, quit this week after being accused of visiting the Sumner County Jail in Gallatin on July 6 while he was off duty."

"He told officials he was investigating a drug case and a bad-check ring, to get access to a jail inmate there, said Beth Denton, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol."

"Ford actually was not investigating those cases and had a personal dispute with the inmate over a female acquaintance, authorities have charged." ...
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But only cops and the military . . .

Date rape a bigger campus threat than night stalkers
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Q: I'm a recent high school graduate and this fall I'll be attending a very large university. I will be living on campus and a dilemma has come up that I need help with."

"One of my classes gets out three times a week after dark and the class is on the other side of campus from my dorm. I'm afraid that I might be sexually assaulted after class some night. ... I'm already taking some preventive steps to avoid this happening to me ..." ...

"A: ... First of all, the self-defense class you mentioned elsewhere in your letter was a good idea but it's highly unlikely such a class could actually give you enough moves to fend off a determined or armed attacker. ..." [emphasis added] ...
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Even McCalls gets it. Karate classes are fun, and good exercise, but armed self-defense is still your best option.

MN: Minnesotans firing back on gun ruling
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Standing at a busy St. Paul intersection with a .40-caliber Ruger semiautomatic holstered on his hip, Lucky Rosenbloom said a judge's ruling last week that Minnesota's handgun law is unconstitutional hasn't hurt his business of training applicants for permits to carry firearms."

"'Quite the opposite,' he said. 'More people have been stopping and asking me about it. I'm telling them: 'Get your training in now and you can get licensed once there's a stay of the judge's order.'"

Then, even if the ruling by Ramsey County District Judge John Finley is upheld in higher courts, permit holders could keep packing in public because they'd be grandfathered in, gun-rights advocates say." ...

South Africa: Prisoners strangle cop
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Seven awaiting trial prisoners killed a policeman before escaping from the Theunissen police station, in the northern Free State, at the weekend."

"Police spokesperson Captain Rose Benade said Inspector Jonas Tesa, 35, had been attending to a request for a prison visit when he was strangled."

"The seven prisoners took his service pistol before fleeing." ...

"Tesa, who had been with the SA Police Services 10 years, leaves a wife and three children." ...
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A terrible thing, but this incident illustrates why it is foolish to require citizens to depend on the police for protection.

NM: Police: Bicyclist shoots, kills owner of dogs chasing him
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Police say a bicyclist shot and killed the owner of a group of dogs that chased him, a story Eyewitness News 4 broke.

Police say the 39-year-old bicyclist was riding down a steep mountain road near Cochiti Lake at 7:00 Thursday night when dogs started chasing him. That�s when, police say, he started shooting at the dogs.

The dogs� owner got in his truck and followed the bicyclist.

Some time after the owner started following the bicyclist, according to police, the bicyclist shot and killed the owner, who also had a gun. The bicyclist then called 9-1-1.

Investigators say the bicyclist has been extremely helpful in the investigation. He has not yet been charged with anything related to the incident. They have not released his name.

Police haven�t released what factors were involved in the incident.

South Africa: Lone female cop foils armed jailbreak
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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... "'I'm not a hero. I was just doing my job,' the 27-year-old said after receiving her award."

"Makhutle was taking statements at the charge office when she heard shouting coming from the cells shortly after two officers went to check on the inmates."

"Twenty-eight inmates, who had been arrested for crimes including murder and hijacking, had disarmed one of the officers and grabbed the keys to the cell."

"Makhutle rushed to the scene, where one of the prisoners pointed a gun at her and said that if she did not do as she was told, she would be shot."

"Makhutle said she pretended to comply, but her service pistol was concealed in her jacket." [emphasis added]

"She drew her gun and ordered the armed suspect to drop his weapon, which he did. She radioed for help and opened the cells where the two overpowered officers were locked up." ...
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Concealed carry works!

UK: Jail for man with 'arsenal of weapons'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A FATHER-OF-TWO was yesterday jailed after police discovered an 'arsenal of weapons' in his bedroom."

"Married Darren Williams, 37, kept a stash of illegal weapons under his bed, discovered during a search."

"Cardiff Crown Court heard the weapons included a stun gun, a .22 pistol, a machete, a hunting knife, canisters of CS gas and bullets."

"Prosecutor Rachel Knight said, 'Williams was arrested by police in the Thames Valley area in February this year.'"

"'As a result of inquiries there was a search made.'"

"'Officers found an arsenal of weapons in the bedroom, not secured in any cabinet but in a drawer under the bed. A number of these were prohibited weapons.'"

Trinidad: Army Gets The Gun [That They Lost In The First Place]
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"'ANYTHING that belongs to the army, that gets out of here will be returned.'"

"That was the certain declaration made by the soldier who uncovered the army's stolen Galil assault rifle yesterday from where it was hidden at a location in East Trinidad."

"The weapon went missing from a locker at Camp Ogden, Long Circular Road, St James, last Wednesday."

"A release issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment said military personnel were involved in the movement of the weapon from the camp." ...
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But only cops and the military are trustworthy enough to have guns, right Sarah?

Australia: Demand to ban thrill-kill game
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A COMPUTER game based on contract killings with lessons for aspiring hitmen has angered crime victims groups, who want it banned."

"Video chain Blockbuster, which rents the new release game Hitman: Contracts, says it provides a 'variety of ways to make the perfect hit'."

"'A new graphics engine showcases your 'work' in brutal detail and brings the dark and disturbing world of the Hitman to life,' the Blockbuster website states."

"But Crime Victims Support Association president Noel McNamara is disgusted by the latest thrill-kill game."

"'This is just encouraging kids to grow up to sneak around and shoot people in the back of the head,' Mr McNamara said." ...
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First the guns, then the knives and swords, then the video games . . . what's next?

Bermuda: Man sentenced to nine months in jail for weapons possession
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A 58 year-old man was jailed for nine months for the possession of prohibited weapons and firearms when he appeared in Magistrates� Court yesterday."

"The court heard how Police discovered a wrist rocket sling shot, a Crossman air pistol, a Gamo air pistol, and Olan 12 gauge signal flare launcher with flares when they searched the home of Dennis Roberts in April."

"Defence lawyer Mark Pettingill urged Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner to be lenient on Roberts, pointing out that his client had no prior convictions. ..." ...

"But Mr. Warner felt that 'times have changed with regard to this community and violence in this community...' and that no possession of prohibited weapons or firearms could be taken lightly." ...
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KABA asks "What violence?!?" There was no violence, no threat of violence and no intimation of violence!

South Africa: Air-gun 'toys' a threat to pets -- Cheap air rifles can be bought at hardware stores and flea markets
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Animal conservationists are warning that an influx of cheap air rifles poses a threat to animals."

"This week John Ledger, an environmental consultant, said Joburg's bird life was at risk due to the sale of powerful air rifles from China and some European countries. The guns are easily available from hardware stores and flea markets."

"'Joburg has the biggest man-made forest in the world and has impressive bird life, but all this could change if nothing is done about re-regulating laws about air rifles,' said Ledger."

"'We have received reports that the number of injuries inflicted on birds and domestic animals has increased since the government scrapped licence requirements for certain types of air rifles.'" ...
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Can you say "incrementalism" boys and girls?

India: Govt. negligence forced us to go beyond shame say protestors
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"The women in Manipur, who recently staged a nude protest against the custodial death of a woman, today said 'silence' of the state authorities and 'negligence' in redressing their woes forced them to go beyond shame."

"'Silence of the state authorities towards our appeal and their negligence in redressing our woes forced us to go beyond shame,' said 62-year old Thockchom Ramani, one of the many women who staged a nude protest on July 15 here against the custodial death of 32-year old Miss Thangjam Manorama alias Henthoi."

"Her bullet-riddled body was found near Ngariyan hills under Irilbung police station of Imphal east district on July 11 after she was picked up by a team of 17 Assam Rifles(AR) personnel shortly after midnight." ...

TX: Overpass to be optimized for outfitter
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"As the largest retail venture in the city of Buda's history begins to take shape, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is doing its part to make room for the giant Cabela's Outdoor store."

"Hays County Commissioners this week approved a deal with TxDOT to replace the FM 2001 overpass bridge as well as provide for frontage road improvements along IH-35 near the future store. TxDOT's contribution will be $19.5 million, the county's $500,000." ...

"The $70 million, 40-acre store, which is expected to open late next summer, will sit on 260 acres on the west side of IH 35 just south of the H-E-B grocery store. Ketteman says that Cabbala's will offer 500 full and part time jobs while serving as a premiere source for hunting and fishing equipment." ...

NY: Teen fatally shoots man, flees
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"A teenager shot and killed a man in a Harlem alley Sunday, then fled on foot, police said."

"The shooter fired once in the air at 12:40 a.m. before training the gun on his victim, Robert Maybank, 25, and pulling the trigger, sources said."

"Maybank was standing in an alley near his building at 101 W. 147th St. when the shooting occurred, police said. Paramedics rushed Maybank, who was hit in the right side of his chest, to Harlem Hospital. He died about a half-hour later, police said."

"Investigators are still looking for a motive in the shooting. The suspect remains at large, and no weapon was recovered. ..." ...
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But guns are banned in NYC!

NC: DuPont named in rifle lawsuit -- N.C. family alleges defect caused injury
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"A North Carolina mother and her teenage son, who was shot in the leg with a rifle that they contend was defective, have filed a federal lawsuit against three businesses, including the DuPont Co."

"Tammy and Andrew May ... also have sued Remington Arms Co. and Sporting Goods Properties, which the lawsuit said is operated by DuPont."

"The lawsuit centers on a Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle manufactured in December 1994. The Mays contend it unexpectedly fired a bullet into Andrew's leg when he removed it from a truck after a day of hunting with his uncle."

"'The firearm actually discharges when you engage or disengage the safety,' said Wilmington attorney William W. Erhart, who represents the Mays." ...
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From the Remington Model 700 Owner's Manual:
"A superbly crafted gun is only as good as the hands that hold it. You can never be too careful. Shooting accidents are often caused by careless oversights such as failing to control the direction of the muzzle, failing to fully engage the safety, leaving ammunition in the chamber or using improper loads. These oversights can result in the destruction of life, limb or property. There�s no calling back a bullet once it�s been fired, so it�s critical that you know the principles of safe gun handling and storage before you ever take your new Remington firearm out of the box."

CT: Expect bears to stay in Nutmeg State
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"Picking up the phone and hearing �I�ve got a bear in my back yard� would have been pretty extraordinary five years ago for Al Cambo." ...

"But the number of black bear sightings has lately increased to the point where what was once a wildlife novelty has become a common and oftentimes destructive nuisance in town, according to Cambo."

"Many of the bear sighting calls Cambo now receives come from frenzied residents near Pinnacle Mountain or Metacomet Road, asking him to drive out to their property with his rifle and stop the bear from rummaging through their trash cans or crushing their bird feeder, he said." [emphasis added]

"'I�m getting calls on the average of once a week,' Cambo said. 'We�re starting to get overrun.'"
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More examples of the "Dial 911 and let gov't officials handle it" mentality that killed 3000 on 9/11/01

Josey: Clean guns often for reliability
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft/

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"Is it important to clean your guns? Why? How clean is clean?"

"I have asked, and been asked these questions for decades."

"I am not a gunsmith, but I do have a general knowledge of what makes a gun tick - and what makes it stop ticking. When I wore the uniform of the United States Military, I was taught that my weapon (we never called them guns; there was a punishment for that slip of the tongue) was my best friend. Take care of it, and it will take care of you." ...

"I always loved the aroma of Hoppe's No. 9 gun cleaning solvent, even more than Chanel No. 5. My basement still has that lingering aroma. I have used it by the gallon, and for years it did a good job for me. ..." ...

OH: Gun law reciprocity growing for Ohio
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"Since Ohio's concealed carry weapon law was created earlier this year, there have been eight states which also issue licenses to carry concealed handguns that have signed reciprocity agreements with Ohio."

"Such agreements are now in effect with Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Washington and Wyoming."

"The agreements came about in part because Ohio's attorney general has the authority to make such pacts under the Ohio Revised Code." ...

"Rick Kaleda, Mahoning County Coordinator for Ohioans for Concealed Carry, said the agreements are a step in the right direction for the state and for those who support the CCW law." ...

"'In the last 2 weeks, Ohio has entered into [reciprocity] agreements with [Delaware], Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Washington, Wyoming, and most importantly, North Carolina and Florida,' Kaleda said." ...

PA: As Police Use of Tasers Rises, Questions Over Safety Increase
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"As the sun set on June 24, something snapped in Kris J. Lieberman, an unemployed landscaper who lived a few miles from this quiet town. For 45 minutes, he crawled deliriously around a pasture here, moaning and pounding his head against the weedy ground."

"Eventually the police arrived, carrying a Taser M26, an electric gun increasingly popular with law enforcement officers nationwide. The gun fires electrified barbs up to 21 feet, hitting suspects with a disabling charge."

"The officers told Mr. Lieberman, 32, to calm down. He lunged at them instead. They fired their Taser twice. He fought briefly, collapsed and died." ...

Brazil: Bullet-Riddled Brazil Puts Gun Measure in Place
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"...As many as 20 million firearms are in circulation in this nation of 180 million people, who suffer from one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the world."

"Now, officials hope to stem that tide with an ambitious plan to disarm the populace. Under a new law hailed by supporters as the most sweeping gun-control measure in South America, only Brazilians with valid reasons � police and security guards, for example � are allowed to carry firearms in public. Ordinary citizens who own guns must either register their weapons, turn them in or face jail time."

"Proponents of the law, which took effect this month, see it as a badly needed step toward ridding this country of weapons too easily acquired and too often used to kill. Critics call it a misguided attempt that will do little to take guns out of the hands of drug dealers and other violent criminals who build their private arsenals through a flourishing illegal arms trade." ...

FL: Man assaults woman with alligator
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"A Port Orange man is facing a battery charge, accused of assaulting his girlfriend with a pet alligator he kept in his bathtub, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office." ...

"... The 39-year-old victim told the deputy that an argument had started between her and Havenner that escalated into violence when he started hitting her with his fists."

"He then went to the bathroom and returned wielding a three-foot alligator, swinging it at the woman. He hit her arm with the reptile as she tried to escape. He then threw empty beer bottles at her and finally shoved her out the front door of the house. The woman went to a neighbor's house to call for help." ...

GA: On some questions, you can't shoot from the hip
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"It was one of those expected, but not really welcomed moments, that heart-stopping pause when a youngster asks a question and you don't answer."

"You could easily. A 'no,' and it's done, quick as that."

"This question wasn't as complex as the mystery of life or the rules surrounding the creation of it, though those inquiries also turn the blood to antifreeze."

"The question was about guns, and reasonable enough."

"'Can you take me to shoot a gun? I have never shot one.'"

"These tools of destruction are on television constantly, making faint popping noises and producing enormous sparks, like fireworks only with lots of fire and little work. On TV, everyone has a gun or needs one." ...

DC: Police Investigate Armed Robbery Spree
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"Police are asking for help finding a group of armed robbers who were caught on tape."

"The culprits are dangerous, police said. In the first robbery ... they reportedly fired a weapon, grazing an employee. Police say that robbery was first in a pattern in which masked, armed robbers knock over convenience stores."

"A man who wished to remain anonymous believes the same group robbed him that same morning."

"'The next thing I know, the gentleman came out and stuck a pistol in my face,' he said. 'Told me to 'Empty your damn pockets.'"

"Over the next week, the culprits -- two teenage men and a woman -- hit another 7-Eleven and a hair salon, police said. In the most recent robbery ... a surveillance camera videotaped the group." ...

LA: Teenagers with guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"Three years ago, Brian Terrebonne approached Teurlings Catholic principal Mike Boyer about participating in the 4-H Outdoor Skills program which involved the shooting of firearms."

"And while Lafayette Parish wouldn�t entertain the idea, according to Terrebonne, Boyer was more open-minded."

"'When I told Mike about the program, he asked me what I knew about it and that he would look into it,' Terrebonne said. 'This program is pretty big all around the state.'"

While some may have reservations about pursuing the activity, Boyer embraced the new concept.

"'I just looked at it as another opportunity for kids to compete competitively,' Boyer said. ..." ...

MA: Big Brother Sets Up Shop in Boston (suprise, suprise...)
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... "While video surveillance has become a common tool for police and private security personnel, Boston police and federal officials concede that the additional cameras and new technology represent another chapter in Boston. And it's here to stay: Boston police say the 30 or so cameras installed for the convention will be used throughout the city once the event is over."

"'We own them now,' said police Superintendent Robert Dunford. 'We're certainly not going to put them in a closet.'" ...

OR: Federal prison guard charged with kidnapping rape and attempted murder loses job
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"A federal prison guard, charged with the kidnapping, rape and attempted murder of an 18-year-old woman, has lost his job at the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, according to an FCI spokesman."

"Robert James Stamper Jr.'s termination Friday came only after he was sentenced to 14 months in prison Thursday in a separate case in which he pleaded guilty to choking and beating his girlfriend. He had kept his job despite being jailed three times this summer for violating a restraining order. " ...
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But Sarah Brady thinks that "professionals" like these (who, it should be noted, are not representative) should have a monopoly on force.

IA: Kerry not a friend of gun industry [letter]
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
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"When I saw John Kerry's picture in the Courier in a hunting outfit with a shotgun in his hands, I had a big laugh. How in the world is a guy like that a hunter and a sportsman."

"Since being a senator he had voted against the second amendment 51 times he always votes for more gun laws along with Ted Kennedy, Hillary, Schumer, and that bunch, they are always trying to pass more gun laws through the senate, he knows there are a lot of gun owners and IRA members in this area."

"Come on people out there wise up, he is a complete phony. He is also in favor of letting the United Nations make laws for us which would trash the second amendment. Can you imagine, foreign dictators making gun laws for us? ..." ...