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There Is No Such Thing As An Illegal Gun, Part III: Let The Heavens Fall
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "In Part III, now, let me address your reason. Short of a Constitutional Amendment to repeal the Second Amendment altogether, what would happen if all gun laws were repealed instead? Suppose we went the other way and repealed all gun laws?"

"Do you believe the predictions of the hysterical left would come true? Think this through." ...

"I advocate the repeal of all gun laws, and a short list of defined offenses to replace them. You know, things like assault, robbery, murder, rape, mayhem. You know, violent crimes. [Oh! Those are already crimes?]"

"I don�t believe it�s a crime to tweak a weapon you own, and I don�t believe it�s right to dictate what an honest taxpayer may own. These silly rules prevent nothing in the way of violence. Nothing." ...

Reforms to Gun Dealer Sales Practices Reduce Supply of New Guns to Criminals
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"Reforms to the sales practices of a gun store --which prior to May 1999, sold more than half of the guns recovered from criminals in the Milwaukee -- resulted in a 44 percent decrease in the flow of new guns to criminals in the city, according to a new study from researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Gun Policy and Research."

"The study appears in the September/October 2006 issue of The New York Academy of Medicine's Journal of Urban Health." ...

Bloomberg Is Guest Gun-Control Lobbyist
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined the mayors of Philadelphia, Trenton and cities across Pennsylvania on Tuesday to lobby state lawmakers to approve a series of gun-control measures."

"Mr. Bloomberg said that he was fulfilling a promise to take his campaign against gun violence beyond New York City and into the halls of state legislatures and Congress. But about an hour after the mayor met with three Pennsylvania state senators here to push for stronger controls, members of Congress took a step in the opposite direction."

"The House of Representatives voted, 277 to 131, to pass a bill that would make it much harder for the [BATFE] to revoke the licenses of gun dealers who violate federal law. ..." ...

Mayor Takes Fight Against Illegal Guns On The Road
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"He says he's not running for president, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues to raise his national profile as he fights for stricter gun laws."

"The mayor traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Tuesday to join the mayor of Philadelphia in a statewide lobbying day pushing dozens of anti-violence resolutions before the Pennsylvania legislature."

"The measures are non-binding and are not expected to be passed by state lawmakers."

"Explaining his trip, Bloomberg said gun crimes in New York City aren't governed by borders."

"'Some of the guns come from Pennsylvania, for all I know, some of the guns that are used in Pennsylvania crimes comes from New York,' said the mayor. ..." ...

A judge who deserves to be benched
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Whenever I hear my fellow conservatives talk about sitting out the election in November, I want to grab them and shake them until their teeth rattle. Anything that puts Democrats even an inch closer to appointing federal judges should be more than enough reason to get every right-winger off the couch and down to his polling place."

"In case you think I'm engaging in election year hyperbole, consider Judge Stephen Roy Reinhardt. He has been the mainstay of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ..." ...

"But I'm only getting started. Judge Reinhardt is also the fellow who said, 'I don't believe the Constitution says that individuals have a right to bear arms.' Judge Reinhardt, let me introduce you to the Second Amendment." ...

Evidence scant on effectiveness of one-gun laws
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"One-gun-a-month laws sound attractive to gun-control activists and draw broad public support in polls. But it's not clear that such statutes have had much impact on gun violence."

"A study published last year in the journal Injury Prevention found that the laws restricting purchases had had no measurable impact. The study was done by a team of doctors from the University of Washington, using data from 1979 to 1998."

"Another study, done in 2001 by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, found evidence of a slight decrease in gun violence associated with Maryland's one-gun law."

"... there isn't much evidence to be had. What is available raises questions about the effect of limiting individuals to one handgun purchase every 30 days." ...

GA: Store owner fights back against burglar
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "Owner Jimmy Washington ... said he was watching TV inside his home, which is connected to the store, around 3:00AM Sunday, when he heard a noise."

"Washington called police then decided to check his store. '... He had his gun [a pistol] with him and he goes to the store,' said Thomasville Police Sgt. Ricky Singletary."

"... the intruder brushed Washington's right leg that's when he fired. 'He was shot in the leg, the liver, and one of the bullets is in his lung,' said Singletary.

"Fifteen minutes, later police found 22-year-old Terrance Smith on a nearby porch. He's charged with burglary."

"Georgia law allows you to defend your property, so Singletary said that no charges will be levied against Washington." ...

VA: Abduction, attempted sexual assault in Orange
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"State Police searching for a man who abducted and attempted to sexually assault a woman in the town of Orange." ...

"As we just told you, this is the third abduction report this week. ..."

"8News Anchor Christina Feerick checked in with local police about how you can protect yourself."

"Chesterfield Police say to have a plan and a cell phone. It is your best weapon for self defense." ...
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Submitter's Note: A cell phone? Really officer? Let's ask Dru Sjodin about that, shall we?

Quotations from Chairman Jeff
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Of all G&A's legendary contributors, none--with the possible exception of Elmer Keith--had been more impervious to the vagaries of fad and fashion than Col. Jeff Cooper. Whether you loved Cooper or not, he was compulsively readable. Here are some selected insights from his storied career with Guns & Ammo." ...

"SILHOUETTES
October 1960--'I have heard it proposed that we should never shoot at a silhouette, the idea of shooting at a man being too horrible to contemplate. Well now, are we suddenly unaware that there is such a thing as combat, or are we just trying to pretend that there isn't? This is a curious, latter-day parallel to the Victorian attitude about sex.'" ...

America lost a hidden gem
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"America lost a national treasure Monday, but most Americans will never know it."

"Yet many of those Americans may be alive today because of John Dean 'Jeff' Cooper, who died Monday afternoon at the Sconce, his beloved home near Gunsite, the shooting training center he founded about 10 miles north of Chino Valley."

"Most people who know anything about guns and shooting know who Jeff Cooper was. They rightly called him 'The Gunner's Guru.' He was the world's foremost expert on small arms (rifles, shotguns and handguns)." ...

Gun maker Cecil Brooks dies at 93
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A gun maker whose rifles have been presented to keynote speakers at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting since 1955 has died, the NRA and a longtime friend said."

"Cecil Brooks, 93, of Lowell, died Sunday of heart failure at Marietta Memorial Hospital. ..."

"Brooks was known for creating flintlock and percussion rifles, according to a news release on the NRA Web site. He showed his talent for engraving, carving and barrel making even into his 90s."

"'Cecil's death is a great loss to the NRA family and to the firearms community. His artistry and skills were legendary and unsurpassed,' NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said in the release." ...

UT: Ruling May Jeopardize University Gun Rules
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Three of Utah's four public universities currently enforce policies banning guns in all or a portion of their campuses - rules that may be illegal following a Utah Supreme Court ruling earlier this month." ...

"... While the U of U was the only institution directly involved in the case, other Utah schools with similar firearms policies may also be affected."

"Weber State University in Ogden prohibits firearms and other weapons on its property, except those carried by on-duty law enforcement officers. At Utah State University, concealed weapons permit holders may have firearms in their possession while on campus, but not in the dormitories." ...

GA: Still Defenseless, Students Accosted On Campus
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Once again, a hooligan has chosen a college campus to attack someone. In this case, a 17 year old freshman at Kennesaw State University in Georgia was nearly kidnapped on Monday. ..."

"The young lady ... was accosted at 1 p.m. (in BROAD DAYLIGHT) ... several other female students have come forward claiming to have been approached by the same man." ...

"Again, why is he attacking students on a college campus? Because they are disarmed. Guns are forbidden so he won't be shot. ... Pepper spray and mace are often forbidden on college campuses."

"Which makes it physical strength versus physical strength."

"Guess who usually wins in the 'Big Strong Rapist versus Seventeen Year Old Freshman Girl' fight? I'll give you a hint: Monday's incident is the exception to the rule."

CO: Gunman takes hostages at Colorado school
Submitted by: Protector

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"A gunman, possibly a parent, who said he had explosives opened fire at a Colorado high school on Wednesday, taking at least four hostages and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of students, police said."

"Police, bomb squads and SWAT teams surrounded Platte Canyon High School in the mountain town of Bailey, Colorado, southwest of Denver, and said the unidentified man was still inside."

"There were no immediate reports of any injuries. Television images showed students filing out of the area and onto waiting school buses."

"'It is a hostage situation, an adult is holding the hostages, he claims to have explosives,' said Colorado state police spokesman Lance Clem." ...

CO: Police: School gunman has hostages, bomb
Submitted by: Protector

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"Two schools were evacuated Wednesday after a gunman claiming to have a bomb opened fire and took hostages at a high school near Bailey, Colorado, officials said."

"Several shots were fired at the school, and the gunman is inside, Jefferson County sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said."

"The gunman was holding two hostages in a second-floor classroom, said Kelley. Six hostages were initially taken, but four of them were released, she said."

"The gunman told police he had a bomb, said Lance Clem, spokesman for the Colorado Public Safety Department."

"Kelley said she did not know if the hostages were students, teachers or both. However, both are female, she said." ...

CO: Colo. gunman shoots hostage, kills self
Submitted by: Protector

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"A gunman took six girls hostage at the high school in this mountain town Wednesday, holding authorities at bay for hours before shooting and critically wounding one of the girls, then killing himself as SWAT team members moved in." ...

"Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said authorities decided to enter the school to save the two remaining hostages after the suspect cut off negotiations and set a deadline. He said the suspect had threatened the girls throughout the four-hour ordeal and had shielded himself with the hostages."

"The gunman was not immediately identified, and the sheriff was at a loss to explain a motive." ...

CO: High school siege ends; one hostage shot, gunman dead
Submitted by: Protector

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An armed standoff at a high school in Bailey, Colorado, ended after three hours Wednesday with a hostage wounded and the gunman dead.

Sheriff Fred Wegener of the Park County Sheriff's Department said it appeared the suspect shot one of the two female hostages -- a student -- and then shot himself when SWAT team officers approached.

"We looked at the situation and [the gunman's] behavior, which was becoming more and more agitated," Wegener said.

"It was then decided that a tactical solution needed to be done in an effort to save the two hostages that were in the room," he said. "Entry was made. The suspect shot one of the hostages and then shot himself -- that's what it looks like at this time."

WA: SWAT team practices law enforcement with a bang
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The dynamic entry was scheduled to start off with a bang. ... Along the sides of the front door of the house, five men in olive green uniforms ... wait for the signal to go. The military-style CAR-15s and Glock 22 pistols in their hands are loaded and chambered for any trouble. ..."

"BANG!"

"As the stun grenade goes off, the men in position yell, 'Go, go, go!' The first man in the line slams a pry bar into the sturdy-looking front door to gain entry. From inside a voice yells, 'Get away from my house.' The men are not swayed, almost ripping the door off its hinges within a few seconds. 'Police, search warrant!!' is yelled. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: They throw a bomb into his house, ignore his order to leave, rip the door off the hinges and then identify themselves? The occupant would have been entirely within his rights to start shooting through the door at the armed, unidentified, violent intruders ...

UK: Praise for officers shot during struggle with suicidal killer
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A CORONER praised two police officers for putting their lives on the line while trying to arrest an armed Huddersfield man inside a pub."

"Det Con Jackie Hazel and Pc Andrew Cullingford were both shot by 28-year-old Alexander Lawton during the incident at The Fleece pub in Barkisland, near Halifax, in April last year."

"Mr Lawton, of Almondbury Close, Almondbury, was later found dying from a gunshot wound several miles away in Northowram."

"Recording a suicide verdict, Coroner Roger Whittaker sent his best wishes to the two officers and congratulated them on their willingness to put themselves on the line." ...

IN: Weapons at parks? Let's tell 'em to take a hike
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Every time I wander through the woods of Brown County State Park or McCormick's Creek or Turkey Run, it seems something is missing."

"Of course, I'm talking about the pitter-patter of gunfire."

"What goes better with fall foliage, after all, than firearms? What better way to enjoy the woods than with a weapon?"

"(Yes, this story broke last week. But I was on vacation, and there's no way I'm taking a pass on this issue.)" ...

"A friend offered this point: If someone has a permit and can take their gun just about anyplace else, why not a park?"

"He makes a decent point. And perhaps I don't have a better response than this one: Can't we have an occasional refuge -- a woodsy, folksy, outdoorsy refuge -- from firearms?" ...

UT: Shooting Ranges Serve Gun Owners
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Some gun owners spend a considerable amount of time practicing their shot at some of the nearby shooting ranges, including students. Local ranges include Rangemasters in Springville, the Provo City Gun and Pistol Range and the Provo Gun Club Shotgun Range."

"I shoot all over Utah County, but enjoy Rangemasters the most, probably because of their wide variety of equipment and because I can really do whatever I want,' said Dean Christensen, a 23-year-old BYU student from Mattawa, Wash. 'I really like how many different styles of shooting I can practice, and I really love how cheap it is to shoot there.'"

"Rangemasters is also popular with those in the gun-range industry." ...

TX: Richards' gun stance not worth applauding
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"The Sept. 18 Molly Ivins column lauded former, and now deceased, Texas Gov. Ann Richards. Ivins wrote: 'Annie told the Texas Legislature that if it passed a right-to-carry law, she would veto it. They did and she did.' Yes, Richards vetoed the law."

"A few weeks later in Texas, at a Luby's Restaurant, a crazed gunman shot 17 or 19 Texans who were disarmed by Richards' veto, but the same veto did not disarm the crazed gunman. Ivins makes a joke about Richards saying that a Texas woman wouldn't be able to find a handgun in her handbag."

"Well, there was a woman in Luby's that fateful day who could have found her handgun, but her gun was locked in her car's trunk in the parking lot, per then-Texas law and in accord with Richards' veto." ...

WA: Clatskanie gun club offering hunter help
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"The Clatskanie Rifle & Pistol Club is holding Hunter Sight-In Days at its range on Conyers Road from noon to 4 p.m. every day this week through Friday."

"Hunter Sight-In Days help hunters prepare rifles for the upcoming season. During the sight-in hours, a club range duty officer will be on site. There is no fee to use the range at these times. For a map showing the range location, visit the club website at www.clatskaniegunclub.com." ...

PA: Firearms owners go on the offensive
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The gun owners fired back yesterday."

"About 300 of them from around Pennsylvania roamed the Capitol encouraging legislators to oppose any new laws limiting the right to own and bear arms."

They were steadfast: crime is Philadelphia's problem, caused by Philadelphians, and any new laws to restrict the sale of guns won't solve it.

"The only solution, they said, is to crack down on criminals, enforce existing laws, and end what one gun supporter called 'Philadelphia's catch and release program.'"

"'It works with fish, but not with criminals,' said Dennis Pavlik, director of legislative affairs for Firearms Owners Against Crime in Presto, Allegheny County." ...

MS: Self-defense must be best defense
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"First of all, let me note that I am an adamant supporter of the right to bear arms. Anyone who questions that belief is welcome to try to climb in one of my windows one night ..."

"But I've found myself sounding a little like an anti-gun person after observing our last two murder trials and watching both shooters walk away. That said, the juries made the right decision with the information they had ... But here�s what's disturbing: The carrying around of guns to card games or just to hang out with friends or family is talked about with the same casualness as a woman would talk about carrying her purse. When did it become normal for people to be packing semiautomatic weapons for casual outings? ..." ...

PA: Gun protesters aim at state laws... as House panel backs expanded limits on deadly force
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"HARRISBURG'S message to Philadelphia yesterday? Lock and load."

"During the first day of a House of Representatives special session on crime and violence, legislators provisionally approved a bill that would expand the rights of gun owners to 'shoot first and ask questions later.'" ...

"Pennsylvania already allows people to use deadly force against intruders in their homes. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Steven Cappelli, R-Lycoming, also would allow people to use firearms in or around their businesses and cars if they face death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping or rape." [emphasis added] ...
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Submitter's note: Hardly "shoot first and ask questions later" scenarios.

MO: 11th annual Friends of NRA Banquet held
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The 11th annual Capital City Area Friends of NRA Banquet was held Thursday, Sept. 21, at the St. Martins Knights of Columbus Hall."

"Drawing a large crowd from a wide area, the event raised funds for the purpose of providing grants to youth groups."

"According to Gregg Peare, field representative for the National Rifle Association (NRA), funds raised at the Friends of NRA banquets held around the nation are used to provide funding for any youth group with a shooting program. The groups include 4-H, FFA and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts." ...

UK: Children's toy guns spark rise in armed police operations
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"CHILDREN carrying toy guns are causing a massive rise in armed police operations in Scotland, officers said yesterday."

"The Scotsman has learned that firearms officers were dispatched to incidents where a suspect was known or believed to be armed a record 374 times in 2005-6 - compared to 141 in 1999-2000."

"The biggest rise was in Strathclyde, where armed call-outs soared from 17 in 1999-2000 to 117 in 2004-5 and 203 last year."

"Police in Glasgow and Edinburgh have reported a growth in the carrying of guns, which have replaced knives as the 'weapon of choice' for some gangs."

"But senior officers yesterday said an increase in reports of teenagers carrying toy guns was largely to blame." ...

Canada: Student Charged
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In the wake of the shootings at Dawson College in Montreal, a University of Ottawa student has been charged by police after allegedly firing a pellet gun on university property on Sept. 14."

"Law student Alexander Bayus, 22, has been charged with careless use of a firearm, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon with a dangerous purpose, mischief, and endangering life." ...

"'... It was some horsing around between myself and a good friend of mine who was standing outside of school (Fauteux Hall),' said Bayus."

"'... it was a soft air gun - it is a clear plastic toy with an orange tip ...'"

"Constable Isabelle Lemieux ... feels that the type of alleged weapon used does not change the seriousness of the incident.

Switzerland: Gun issue remains controversial
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Parliament has been discussing changes to Swiss gun laws exactly five years after the country's worst shooting incident."

"But observers warn the changes, which will bring Switzerland in line with European Union guidelines and which were approved by the Senate in June, are unlikely to prevent future gun attacks."

"The EU's Schengen accord on cross-border crime lays down minimum requirements for acquiring and possessing firearms. Swiss voters agreed to sign up to the agreement last year and it is due to come into force in the country in the near future."

"However, questions have already been raised within the EU as to the usefulness of the guidelines." ...