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Gun makers already market assault weapons
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"With the federal ban on assault weapons set to expire next Monday, gun manufacturers are marketing military-style firearms and are ready to sell them as soon as Sept. 14, a consumer group said Tuesday."

" 'The gun industry is champing at the bit for the ban to expire,' said Susan Peschin, firearms project director at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit association of 300 consumer groups that released the study." ...

"For example, ArmaLite Inc., a gun manufacturer in Geneseo, Ill., is advertising a 'Post-PostBan Rifle Program,' offering consumers attachments to convert their firearms to their pre-ban configuration, with shipping available Sept. 14. ..."

Kerry co-sponsored bill banning the gun he waves
Submitted by: Eldon Eddy

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Kerry wanted to ban the same shotgun given to him as a gift. Waiting periods, background checks, paper work? Nah not for the elite.

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"Was Dem presidential hopeful John Kerry seen this weekend waving a gun which would have been banned if legislation he co-sponsored became law?"

"Kerry co-sponsored S. 1431 last year ('The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003') which would have banned a 'semiautomatic shotgun that has a pistol grip.' "

"Opponents of the bill successfully argued how nearly all guns have 'pistol grips,' including millions of Browning Auto-5 shotguns produced since 1903."

"Photos show Kerry's hand resting on the 'pistol grip,' as loosely defined in the bill. [Section SEC. 2; (H) (ii) and (b)(42): 'The term 'pistol grip' means a grip, a thumbhole stock, or any other characteristic that can function as a grip.'] "

"Kerry was presented with the semiautomatic shotgun during a Labor Day stop in Racine, West Virginia."

National Medical Groups Call for Action to Reduce Firearm Injury as Federal Assault Weapons Ban is Set to Expire
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"With the 1994 federal assault weapons ban set to expire next week, 13 national medical and health organizations are urging all candidates for public office to take immediate action to reduce gun death and injury. ..."

"Physicians and medical groups are calling for action because they view gun violence as an ongoing homeland security problem. The U.S. gun death rate far exceeds rates in all other wealthy countries; nearly 30,000 Americans die from gun injuries every year. ..."

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And once again we'd like to point out the disingenuousness of linking all firearm injuries, many of which are suicides, self defense shootings and criminal-on-criminal acts to the AW ban, when less than 2% of gun crimes are committed with these weapons.

Activists Mount Last-Ditch Bid to Extend Gun Ban
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"Gun control activists, health care advocates and law enforcement groups geared up on Tuesday for a last-ditch effort to prevent a 1994 ban on assault weapons from expiring next week, but even its most ardent backers acknowledge the drive is all but futile."

"But the influential National Rifle Association gun lobby, meanwhile, said it would 'not take anything for granted' as it works to send the ban into oblivion."

"Ban advocates called on President Bush to intervene and get Congress to act. But Bush, who in his 2000 campaign promised to sign legislation, has been publicly silent for months as the clock ticked."

Assault-gun ban to expire
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"The national ban on assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines is about to expire, even though a new report suggests criminal use of assault weapons fell as a result of the 1994 law."

"The 113-page study was prepared by researchers working under a U.S. Department of Justice grant to help Congress evaluate the ban. It offers ammunition to those on both sides of the debate."

"Study author Christopher S. Koper found assault weapons were used in few gun crimes both before the ban and after it took effect. But he also found that the criminal use of assault weapons fell between 17 percent and 72 percent in six test-case cities - including Boston, Baltimore and Miami - since the ban took effect."

Assault weapons ban to sunset
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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" 'I support a hunter's right to own a gun, but I don't think they need an AK-47 to shoot a pheasant,' Harkin wrote in an e-mail. 'This isn't a Second Amendment issue, it is a common sense issue. Unless you are authorized to own an automatic assault weapon by the federal, state, or local government, there is no reason to have one.' "

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Wrong! It very much IS a Second Amendment issue. The Founding Fathers never intended the government to outpower and outgun the citizenry. As a matter of fact, they specifically fought against standing armies, arguing that a properly armed citizens' militia would render a standing army useless. Richard Henry Lee also added, "A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves, and render regular troops in great measure unnecessary." And because the founders fully intended for the armed citizenry to be able to effectively resist a standing army, it is impossible to logically advocate limiting the people�s access to military weapons � weapons that are issued to our professional soldiers.

Police Chiefs Want to Meet with Bush on Gun Ban (JTO)
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"With the federal assault-weapons ban set to expire Sept. 13, police chiefs throughout the nation have requested a meeting with President Bush, The Hill reported Sept. 7."

"In a letter to President Bush, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and other law-enforcement groups requested a meeting with the president 'to share our perspective on the importance of preserving the ban.' "

"The White House did not indicate whether such a meeting would take place. In addition, Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser, declined to comment on whether Bush would urge Congress to renew the ban."

Clock Ticks on Assault Weapons Ban (JTO)
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"President Bush has repeatedly pledged support for banning assault weapons. During the 2000 campaign, George W. Bush said 'It makes no sense for assault weapons to be around our society.' "

"During his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, President Bush said that protecting the American people is his 'most solemn duty,' and that he is running on a 'compassionate conservative philosophy.' "

" 'Mr. President, the overwhelming majority of Americans, a bipartisan majority of the United States Senate, and police officers from across the nation are calling on you to protect us by banning assault weapons,' said Horwitz. 'There is nothing compassionate about an AK-47.' "

Bush hasn�t lifted a finger to help
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Washington is about to quietly do the unthinkable: It's going to allow the return of assault weapons to the nation's streets. All it takes is for President George W. Bush and Republican House leaders to do nothing, a course they, sadly, seem perfectly willing to take." ...

"Bush could change that. He says he supports the ban, but the president hasn't lifted a finger, or a phone, to lobby for a vote in the House, where the Republican majority has given him practically everything he has ever sought. So in this election year, Bush can whisper to the gun lobby that the ban will die while telling the rest of the country that he wants to keep Uzis, AK-47s and the like out of the nation's neighborhoods. Voters shouldn't let him get away with it."

The Issues: Gun Control
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"Middle-school teacher John Annoni needs his guns."

"Growing up on some of Allentown, Pennsylvania's meanest streets, Annoni says hunting kept him on the straight and narrow." ...

"So he started Camp Compass Academy, luring a new generation of inner-city kids off the streets and into the wilderness with the promise of hunting and fishing."

"Voters like Annoni see any increase in gun control as a potentially slippery slope that could lead to taking their guns away." ...

" 'I'm a hunter and I believe in the Second Amendment, but I've never gone hunting with an AK-47,' said Kerry."

"The president favors renewal of the assault weapons ban, but 'without additions or expansion,' which would allow the Bushmaster 'loophole.' "

"John Annoni would rather see less talk about which guns to allow, and more talk about how to handle them."

Report: Assault Weapons Ban's Impact Unclear (JTO)
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"A study commissioned by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) says that the federal assault-weapons ban can't be credited for a recent decline in gun-related violence, the Washington Times reported Sept. 1."

" 'We cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation's recent drop in gun violence. And, indeed, there has been no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence,' said the report written by Christopher Koper, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. 'It is thus premature to make definitive assessments of the ban's impact on gun violence. Should it be renewed, the ban's effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement.' "

Reject the National ID Card (by Congressman Ron Paul)
Submitted by: motoboy

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"A national identification card, in whatever form it may take, will allow the federal government to inappropriately monitor the movements and transactions of every American. History shows that governments inevitably use the power to monitor the actions of people in harmful ways. Claims that the government will protect the privacy of Americans when implementing a national identification card ring hollow. We would do well to remember what happened with the Social Security number. It was introduced with solemn restrictions on how it could be used, but it has become a de facto national identifier."

"Those who are willing to allow the government to establish a Soviet-style internal passport system because they think it will make us safer are terribly mistaken. Subjecting every citizen to surveillance and 'screening points' will actually make us less safe, not in the least because it will divert resources away from tracking and apprehending terrorists and deploy them against innocent Americans!"

Joseph Farah: Bush sees us as 10-year olds
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"If Bill and Hillary want to build a Nanny State, it seems George Bush wants to create a Daddy State. I'm not sure there's much difference."

"Now I know many of my friends don't think I should attack George Bush at all in the next two months, but I can't help it. I need to point out some serious problems in the guiding philosophy of the Republican standard-bearer. He is in need of correction. He needs to be held accountable. He needs to be reminded we have a Constitution in this country and not a monarchy. He needs to know not all of us are looking for a Daddy. Some of us just want the government to leave us alone." ...

"This is bad. Americans need to be weaned from government dependency, not hooked on more of it."

UK: Bodies of Man and Woman Found after Gun Incident Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The bodies of a man and woman have been found outside a house after a firearms incident, police said tonight." "The discovery was made between the villages of Wickhamford and Broadway in south Worcestershire at about 11.30am." "A West Mercia Police spokesman said officers were keeping an open mind about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, at an address near the A44 Evesham Road."

Canada: Gun law should change, says Dene leader
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"The federal gun law continues to cause headaches for some people in the Northwest Territories."

"Every gun-owner in Canada must be licenced to buy firearms and ammunition. Guns can be confiscated if they aren't stored correctly."

"At the recent Dene National Assembly, many people continued to complain about how the law is affecting them." ...

"Dene National Chief Noeline Villebrun says her organization should work with Justice officials to make the law easier for Dene people."

IA: Man charged with stealing officer's gun
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

CLINTON, Iowa Clinton police have made an arrest in the case of a stolen police gun.

Twenty-two-year-old Travis Birt of Clinton, who was arrested yesterday, is charged with third-degree theft, trafficking in stolen firearms and two drug counts.

The 40-caliber semiautomatic and holster were stolen from the officer's personal car on August 29th. The gun was recovered yesterday.

Chief Brian Guy says the circumstances surrounding access to the weapon will be handled internally.

CA: Taft friends of NRA to host 2nd annual banquet in Sept.
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"Taft Friends of NRA committee announces that it will hold its 2nd Annual Banquet at OT's Cookhouse on Thursday, September 16 at 6:00 p.m." ...

"Proceeds from the Taft Friends of NRA fundraiser benefit the NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and will help promote such projects as youth firearms safety and education, hunter training, shooting range development, marksmanship training, Second Amendment research and education, and conservation research throughout California."

"Last year, Taft Friends of NRA presented Taft Sportsmen Club with a check for $4,400 to help defray the cost of their annual Junior Pheasant Hunt."

UK: Robbie fled UK after gun horror
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"Singer Robbie Williams quit the UK scared for his life after discovering two bullet holes in a window of his home."

"Luckily for the 30-year-old he wasn�t in his Notting Hill home at the time the shots were fired, he was staying in the country."

"Robbie had just signed a �30million record deal and he feared he would become a target for kidnappers." ...

"Robbie now feels safe in his high-security LA home, which hides behind gated walls in a posh suburb."

CT: Season Over For Anti-Gun Program
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"The New Britain Rock Cats game Monday not only marked the end of the regular 2004 season, but also a summer-long effort to keep children away from guns and violence."

"About 600 children from cities across the state attended a stadium picnic and the game through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative to curb gun violence."

UK: As new season approaches remember safe gun handling
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"WITH many of the open seasons for sporting shooting now under way and the opening day of the pheasant season less than a month off, I hope that all of us who shoot this winter will remember the need for shotgun safety."

"It is estimated that there are more than 1.4 million shotguns legally held in Great Britain, the vast majority of which are, of course, used in a safe and responsible manner."

"However, many of those who shoot never handle a shotgun from one season's end to the start of another and a few reminders about safe gun handling are never wasted."

MI: Teamwork against guns: Gun violence in Detroit gives entire state of Michigan a black eye
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"...Two efforts to get illegal guns -- and their users -- off the streets are welcome attacks on the city's pistol of a problem. Escalating gun violence in Michigan's largest and most visible city has consequences for the whole state."

"A project dubbed Operation Gun Stop will pay cash rewards for tips about illegal guns. Another, called Project Joshua, involves state Attorney General Michael Cox placing state prosecutors in Detroit police precinct stations to help with investigations and accelerate prosecutions. The prosecutors will be able to have authority to use 'investigative subpoenas,' putting suspects under oath to force cooperation."

UK: Man attacked in home by gun-toting robbers
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"A MAN was brutally beaten by gun-toting robbers who sneaked into a house."

"The 27-year-old man was at a friend's home on May Street in Crosland Moor when the two attackers sneaked in at 1.50pm on Sunday."

"One pointed a gun at the victim and demanded money. When he said he did not have any, he was battered with the gun on his head and face."

"His friend was pushed to the floor but managed to escape from the house."

MN: Time to start teaching gun safety in schools
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"As the rest of Minnesota's kids head back to school today, they'll participate in a wide-ranging curriculum that will readily teach them how to swim, how to drive, how to safely handle potent chemicals... What it won't teach them is what to do if they ever come across a gun."

"In a culture obsessed with safety, this is a gaping hole in our public school curriculum. For while we can debate whether guns are good or bad until we're blue in the face, the undeniable fact is that guns are out there."

SD: Gun locks available again at Sheriff's Office and Deadwood PD
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"Safety gun locks that can be used on all types of firearms are again available for free at the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office and Deadwood Police Department during regular business hours, according to Lawrence County Deputy Sheriff Mike Shafer."

"The locks help gun owners do a good job in securing firearms so children and others cannot get access to a firearm, which could possibly hurt that person or others, said Shafer."

NY: Erie County man charged with raping teen at state park
Submitted by: medicdave

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

An Erie County man is accused of raping a teenager at Sampson State Park in Seneca County. Sheriff�s deputies arrested 43-year-old Ronnie Haight of Erie County. He is facing charges including first-degree rape and criminal sexual acts in the first degree. Deputies also tell News 10NBC that Haight forcibly restrained and raped the teen at the park. The teen was treated by medical workers and is said to be in good condition.

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Poster's Note: New York State law prohibits the concealed carry in state parks by law-abiding citizens. Had the victim been a 21-year-old woman who owns a handgun, she would have been completely defenseless, just like all those who obey the law in NYS. Note: This law does not apply to armed rapists.

NY: Man Stabbed to Death in Chili
Submitted by: medicdave

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"A town of Chili man is dead, and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department reports he was the victim of a stabbing."

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Poster's Note: Hmm. We'd rate the town of Chili pretty well - their town code has no anti-gun provisions, and their police department isn't listed by Project Childsafe as a place to get taxpayer-funded gun locks. Guess that means just one thing:

Knife control now!

UK: Gun victim arrested for firearms offences
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"A MAN was shot in the Stonebridge area of north London in the early hours of Sunday morning."

"The victim and two other men were leaving a house in Pitfield Way around 2.00am when a group of black males appeared and opened fire."

"The attackers, who were also black and wore dark clothing, fled in a car towards the North Circular."

"The victim was treated in hospital and released, though he has been arrested for firearms offences. He remains in police custody."

France: Who woulda thunk it? France has a "gun culture."
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"Who could seriously argue that a firearms ban would solve the problem? Like with killer dogs, we're told - and this time by the gun lobby - it's the owner who is the danger, not the weapon. It's difficult to fault that (self-serving) logic - just like a car isn't a weapon unless it's driven badly. There are more road deaths per year in France than fatal shootings - and there's no argument for outlawing car ownership."

"Britain, for example, has fewer guns per head than France, more restrictive rules about the ownership and use of firearms - and yet that didn't stop the mad gunman of Dunblane rampaging through a Scottish primary school."

NY: SUNY Geneseo Extends Policy on Arming University Police Officers; Limited Access to Arms Authorized
Submitted by: medicdave

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"In an amendment to a policy approved at the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1999, President Christopher C. Dahl has granted the college�s University Police access to arms in case of emergency, or if they must confront a threat to themselves or other members of the campus community. The new policy guarantees that while officers will not carry arms at all times, they are now authorized, in emergency situations, to gain access to arms that are secured in their patrol vehicles and in the University Police offices. The new policy is effective immediately."

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Poster's Note: The key phrase here is: if they must. And we all know that, when it comes to police protecting individuals, the word "must" doesn't enter into the conversation!

UK: Two teenagers kicked out of school in gun scare Submitted by: Newslinks Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"TWO teenagers have been kicked out of school after they brandished a pellet gun at terrified pupils. The third-year boys at Bearsden Academy, Glasgow, were suspended by headteacher Mike Doig - who branded the incident 'appalling' following the Beslan massacre." "Strathclyde Police are investigating while East Dunbartonshire Council have launched a probe." "Both boys could still be expelled."

Australia: Phone saves man's life in crossbow attack
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Sounds like it's high time for some "common sense" crossbow control in Australia.

"When Michael Brown was shot with a crossbow he couldn't use his cell phone to call for help. But he didn't need to - his handset stopped the bolt and likely saved his life."

"He was shot by a drug user who suspected he was a police informant."

UK: Weapons hoard caretaker escapes jail term
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"A school's board of governors will decide in the next few days if a caretaker who hoarded a cache of weapons including a stun gun and machete at his home will return to his job." ...

"A spokeswoman for Birmingham's local education authority last night said Batters would remain suspended until the school governors made a final decision on his job in the next few days."

"The conditions of his suspension mean he cannot be in the vicinity of the school, apart from his house which is adjacent to the grounds." ...

"The raid was part of Operation Bembridge, a national blitz on weapons bought on the internet."

"Officers also found flick knives, a machete and an imitation firearm in Batters' house."

UK: Armed police in gun siege drama
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"ARMED police swooped on a house in Cambridge to arrest a wanted man suspected of carrying a gun."

"Seige: Marksmen train guns on house
Four officers pointed firearms at the property, a dog handler patrolled the area and a dozen more sealed off an address in Logan's Way, Chesterton, at around 3.30pm on Tuesday."

"Police cordoned off all access roads including Church Street, St Andrew's Road and Mariner's Way while the property was under siege."

Call them weapons of mass confusion
Submitted by: D. Finlayson

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"The U.S. legal code defines WMD as nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. However, the Department of Defense's classification is growing in popularity; it includes chemical, biological, nuclear materials and high-yield explosive weapons (including radiological � 'dirty' � bombs and conventional explosives)."

"In October, a coalition of human-rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Oxfam, upped the ante by launching a global campaign to regulate the small-arms trade, calling small arms weapons of mass destruction. In support, Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, said 'small arms (are) weapons of mass destruction in terms of the carnage they cause.' "