Colorado sheriff gets it right

Kudos to Larimer County, CO Sheriff Jim Alderden, who apparently takes his oath of office seriously and will refuse to enforce a gun ban on the Colorado State University campus in his jurisdiction:

The Colorado State University Board of Governors voted unanimously Tuesday to place students at both of its campuses in harm’s way with a sweeping weapons ban law-abiding citizens will obey and criminals will ignore.

Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden, outraged by the ban, told The Gazette’s opinion department he will undermine it in the interest of student safety.

CSU-Fort Collins Police Chief Wendy Rich-Goldsmith, a relative newcomer to the campus, supports the ban.

“I have told the CSU police chief I will not support this in any way,” Sheriff Alderden told The Gazette. “If anyone with one of my permits gets arrested for concealed carry at CSU, I will refuse to book that person into my jail. Furthermore, I will show up at court and testify on that person’s behalf, and I will do whatever I can to discourage a conviction. I will not be a party to this very poor decision.” [emphasis added]

Though each CSU campus has its own police department, Alderden issues all cops on the Fort Collins campus a deputy sheriff’s commission card. He also runs the county’s jail, which campus police use after making arrests.

Alderden said ban advocates have been unable to cite a single study or statistic to show that students will be safer as a result of a weapons ban. He’s convinced they will be much less safe as a result of the ban, which will leave most students defenseless. The ban establishes the campuses as “soft targets,” meaning armed criminals will have a reasonable expectation their intended victims aren’t armed. ...

As Sheriff Alderden told the lefties at National Public Radio:

The region's county sheriff, Jim Alderden, says if the CSU policy is put into place, he will not jail anyone found guilty of violating it.

"What CSU is trying to pass is a policy," Alderden says. "And their position is that the university policy trumps state law and the U.S. Constitution."

Colorado, South Dakota Firearms Freedom bills introduced

From the Tenth Amendment Center:

Introduced in the State Senates of both Colorado and South Dakota last week is a bill known as the “Firearms Freedom Act.” If passed, the bill would make state law that “any firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately in the state and that remains within the borders of the state is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.”

This now makes Firearms Freedom Acts already passed in Montana and Tennessee, and currently introduced in these 21 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

According to Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association and author of the original bill that was introduced in Montana, “It’s likely that FFAs will be introduced soon in West Virginia, New Mexico, Idaho, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina and maybe elsewhere” ...

Read it here.

CSU student board votes to support campus carry

From the Rocky Mountain State [thanks to reader Jim P. for the link]:

FORT COLLINS - Only a few universities in the country allow students to carry guns on campus, and one of them in Colorado is considering a change.

At Colorado State University in Fort Collins, public safety experts and the president's cabinet support a gun ban.

Before the decision is made, however, the school wants to hear what students think.

Wednesday night, the student governing body voted 21-3 in support of keeping CSU a conceal-and-carry campus. Five student senators were absent or did not vote.

The student leaders will now submit their resolution to the CSU president for consideration.

Author of the bill, CSU Junior Cooper Anderson said, "We wrote this bill because we felt that a student should have the right to self defense on campus. We don't believe that crime stops at a campus' borders."

CSU spokesperson Brad Bohlander says the Public Safety Team and the president's cabinet are united against the issue.

"More availability and more access to weapons on a highly populated college campus can potentially lead to more negative incidents," Bohlander told 9NEWS.

Besides Utah, where universities aren't allowed to ban guns, CSU is one of only a handful of universities across the country allowing concealed weapons.

CSU has never had a violent gun incident on campus.

"I think whenever you create a gun-free zone, you have an opportunity for criminals to act with impunity," Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said. [emphasis added] ...

Article here. The CSU president and his cabinet are united against the fundamental human right of their students to defend themselves from unlawful criminal violence. There, fixed it for them. Note that the CSU student board vote was 21 to 3 in favor of campus carry. Seems like the students have more common sense than their school administrators. I also like the Larimer County sheriff's common sense (but politically incorrect) quote.

Nancy Pelosi, Queen of the Astroturfers

Via The Anchoress, comes this photo essay by El Marko on a recent Denver protest. An excerpt:

This is the first time in my life that I can recall a government in North America organizing protests of one group of citizens against another. This is standard operating procedure in countries with left-wing governments.
...
This clinic is adjacent to Denver’s day laborer pickup street, Park Avenue. Being fluent in Spanish, El Marco asked these guys “¿hablan ingles?” “casi nada” was the reply from our amigo on the left. I asked him if he could tell me what the signs said. “¿Quien sabe?” (who knows?) was all he said to me, with a big grin. I’m kicking myself for not asking them how much they were getting paid to support the grassroots.

Go take a look. You may want to read The Anchoress' take (with lots of links) on the vilification of the townhall protesters here.

Personally, I think the Left is just getting warmed up with these tactics, aided and abetted by an adoring mainstream media that, with few exceptions, is totally in the tank for the Left. Witness the general lack of coverage of the Tea Party protests, or the use of the term "Teabagger" (a slang term describing a sexual act) to derogate their message of fiscal restraint and obedience to the Constitution.

Expect more union goons to be sent forth by their masters in the White House to bully and intimidate more middle-aged and middle-class parents and grandparents trying to make their voices heard by their elected servants. I wouldn't be surprised if the currently isolated physical confrontations become more widespread, as the Left steps up its intimidation tactics, and the tension, frustration and resentment at such tactics grows.

Of bears and ammo selection

From the Rocky Mountain State, comes this story:

BOULDER, Colo. — It took three rounds from a shotgun, five bullets from a handgun and two shots from a rifle to kill the 120-pound black bear that broke into a Boulder County home early Monday morning.

The bear break-in was the fifth time in a week hungry bears have gotten into Boulder County residences, all while the residents were home. That has wildlife officials urging area residents to take precautions and bear proof their homes.

Brenda Fischer's barking dog woke her at about 2 a.m. Monday morning. When she went upstairs to investigate, she found a bear in the kitchen of her home on Poorman Road, between Sunshine and Fourmile canyons.

Fischer quickly returned downstairs to wake her two children and her husband.

"As soon as I knew there was a bear inside the house, I went to gather up both our weapon and our ammunition, because they are in two different places, and went to place myself with the weapon between the family and the bear," said Paul Fischer, Brenda's husband.

"As soon as I moved to try and make a place for him to get out, he charged me," Fischer continued. "That's when I shot him and he kept charging me. I shot him a second time, and he kept charging me. I shot him a third time and he was finally disoriented enough for me to get away."

The first two rounds from the 12-gauge shotgun were birdshot and the third was rubber bullets, according to a report by the sheriff's office. The Fischers escaped through a bedroom window, leaving the wounded bear inside the house. [emphasis added]

When officers arrived on the scene at about 2:30 a.m., they found a bloody bear trying to claw his way through a screen door.

Sheriff's Sgt. Lance Enholm, after determining that the bear was severely injured and would need to be put down, fired his .45-caliber handgun five more times at the animal.

"(The first shot) struck the bear in the head, and it immediately reacted and began flopping around and growling," Enholm wrote in his report. "... I fired another round from my handgun, again striking the bear in the head. This didn't appear to have any impact on the bear, and it kept coming towards me."

It was shot number nine, however, this time from the sergeant's .223-caliber rifle, that finally felled the bear; a final round ended the bear's suffering, according to the police report. ...

Article here. Note that a 120 pound bear isn't all that large. Birdshot and a rubber baton round are poor choices for stopping a bear attack. Slugs would have been a much better and effective choice. I suspect that on a small bear like that, even 00 buckshot would have had the necessary penetration to reach vital organs. Indeed, the sergeant's choice of .223 was probably sub-optimal as well (depending to some extent on the particular ammo), although some agencies have removed shotguns from their patrol vehicles as they have transitioned to patrol rifles typically chambered in .223 Rem or 5.56 mm NATO.

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories, and op-eds of interest to gun owners:

[Colorado] Demand for guns up:

GREELEY - Signs that segments of the nation’s economy struggling are nearly endless, but the sales of guns is not one of them.

Sales of handguns, rifles and shotguns remain high, area dealers say, and the surge in sales following the results of the November election continue.

Zeke Garretson, owner of Garretson’s Sports Center, 3817 10th St., in Greeley, said sales of guns, particularly handguns, has been steady since late last year. The current buying frenzy, he said, started the day after Barack Obama was elected president. He said he has heard customer after customer explain they are buying weapons ‘‘while they still can’’ or something to that effect. ...

[Florida] Gun lobby fires back at CCW permit funds raid:

TALLAHASSEE -- Despite a huge backlog for gun permits, Florida legislators have signed off on taking $6 million out of a trust fund dedicated to helping process concealed weapon permits.

Gun rights advocates, however, are firing back, calling on Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the move.

Florida’s gun lobby said between the backlog and applications up 60 percent, the timing could not be worse. ...

[Massachusetts] Op-ed: More infringements on the way:

Gov. Deval L. Patrick's recently filed gun control legislation ought to leave most lawful gun owners in Massachusetts' feeling like Al Pacino in The Godfather, Part III: "Just when we thought we were out, they pull us back in."

State officials readily admit that Massachusetts already has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation. Now, they have returned to file the "Act to Reduce Firearm Violence," a series of measures that take a scatter-shot approach to reducing gun violence in the state.

We think the act puts too much of a burden on sportsmen and recreational shooters.

A key provision of the bill would limit licensed gun owners from buying more than one gun a month. ...

Anti-gun liberals: Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest:

The positions of most urban liberals on firearms are dumb, dumber and dumbest.

It is dumb to suppose that the way to decrease crime is to make sure all potential victims of violent crime are disarmed. It is dumber yet to believe that a criminal will obey a gun-control law. No bank robber or rapist has ever set out and then stopped and said, "Gosh, I don't have a permit for this weapon, so I guess I'd better not rob that bank or rape that girl." No serial killer has ever said: "Gosh, I can't kill this person with an unregistered weapon. That would be against the law."

The dumbest idea is to suppose that an inanimate object can turn a noncriminal into a criminal. To believe that guns cause crime is as stupid as believing that hammers and saws cause houses. It is the grossest kind of mindless superstition to suppose that some magical qualities of an inanimate object can overpower the human will.

A gun is neither a romantic nor a sinister object. It is just a plain tool, like a hammer, a saw or a router. It can be used for recreation, and it can be used for self-defense. Like a chain saw, it can hurt its owner if the owner is careless or stupid. But the modern firearm is inherently safe. The gun cannot load itself or fire itself. Properly stored and used, it is safer than a stepladder or a swimming pool or an automobile. It is even safer than eating.

Here are the statistics from the National Safety Council: In the year 2000, firearms killed 600 Americans accidentally. That's 600 out of nearly 280 million. Here are the other numbers of accidental fatalities for that year: autos, 43,000; falls, 16,200; poisons, 11,700; drowning, 3,900; ingestion of food or other object, 3,400. The only number of fatalities lower than accidental firearms deaths is that from poison gases – 400. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories, and op-eds of interest to gun owners:

[Wisconsin] Progress in the Badger State:

In just the past month, gun rights advocates have managed to do the following, under the noses of the most radical gun hating administration at the federal level, and Jim Doyle and friends in Wisconsin.

One month ago, Attorney General J B Van Hollen said in a memo to law enforcement publicly what has been the law in Wisconsin since forever. Open carry is lawful and is not by itself, disorderly conduct.

His memo has (predictably) prompted talk at the Capitol of a bill to ban open carry. This is good. The people of Wisconsin passed an amendment in 1998 to protect their rights to bear arms for self defense and other lawful purposes. They have been prohibited from carrying a gun concealed for 137 years but since open carry is allowed, the states law and constitution worked well together. If open carry becomes prohibited, it will be impossible for anyone to exercise their constitutionally protected right and the Wisconsin Supreme Court will get to decide which (or perhaps both) law to overturn. This outcome will give some anti-gun democrats serious heartburn because they know your good judgement can’t be trusted (you did elect them after all) but it is not likely to stop them from trying to deny you your rights anyway. You can fix this problem at the polls.

There is also talk of repealing the states preemption law which says local jurisdictions can not create ordinances which are stricter than state law. Well, unconstitutional local ordinances will not stand either, and for the same reasons. This is an opportunity for a few people to sue for civil rights violations in federal court and redistribute some city’s wealth to them self. ...

[Georgia] Open carry arrest prompts lawsuit:

... When the police first stopped and surrounded Mr. Woodard, he asked "What is the problem?" He was told that the problem was that he was "carrying a firearm openly." His attempts to explain the legality of his conduct fell on deaf ears. Ironically, Mr. Woodard was not charged with carrying a weapon openly, but with carrying a concealed weapon.

Because the charge of carrying a concealed weapon is a disqualifier, Mr. Woodard lost his Georgia firearms license, and he was facing two years in jail. The charges against Mr. Woodard were pending for months until the intervention of the Georgia organization GeorgiaCarry.Org and Marietta criminal defense attorney Doug King. The criminal charges have now disappeared, and Mr. Woodard retained Roswell attorney John Monroe to file a federal lawsuit for violation of his Fourth Amendment rights. Yesteday, Mr. Woodard filed a motion for summary judgment. ...

Democrats beat retreat on gun control (for now):

... Amid the ambitious sweep of the '09 policy agenda, it's easy to overlook the battles that Obama is loath to fight. Case in point: He and the Democrats are notoriously gun-shy. They don't dare clamor for a crackdown on the easy purchase of over-the-counter weaponry, because they have judged the gun-control issue to be a stone-cold political loser, now and forever. On this front in the long-running culture war, they have surrendered and the gun lobby has won.

The White House line is that any fight for the restoration of the assault-weapons ban would distract Congress at a time when the economic and health-care crises deserve top priority. That's true, as far as it goes; tangling with the National Rifle Association, and putting the squeeze on pro-NRA Democratic lawmakers, would require the expenditure of precious political capital.

Obama's reluctance is merely the latest manifestation of Democratic skittishness, stretching back nearly a decade. The party's surrender isn't necessarily rooted in the belief that the gun-control argument lacks merit; rather, the party has made a practical determination that the issue hurts them with blue-collar white guys.who view all gun curbs as akin to confiscation or privacy invasion. ...

[Oklahoma] Guns in parking lots law stands:

A 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that allows Oklahomans to store firearms in locked vehicles parked on company property will stand after the filing deadline passed for further legal appeals, Attorney General Drew Edmondson announced.

Edmondson's office, in partnership with the National Rifle Association (NRA), defended the constitutionality of two Oklahoma gun laws that prohibit businesses from forbidding their employees to store firearms in locked vehicles parked on company property. ...

[Louisiana] Gun, ammo sales tax holiday bill advances:

Gun, ammunition and other hunting-related purchases would be exempt from sales taxes one weekend a year under a bill approved Thursday by the Senate.

The Senate voted 34-0 to establish an annual Second Amendment sales tax holiday the first weekend in September.

The tax break would cover sales between Friday and Sunday.

State and local government would lose about $263,000 in revenue, according to a fiscal note on the measure from lost sales taxes.

State Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete, said his Senate Bill 52 had the support of the National Rifle Association and hunting supply stores.

The tax break only applies to consumer purchases. ...

Guns barred in National Parks until Feb. 2010:

The Interior Department says a new law allowing loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges will not take effect until next year.

President Barack Obama signed the gun law Friday as part of a measure creating new rules for the credit card industry. But the Interior Department says that because the credit card law won't take effect until nine months after it is signed, the gun measure also will be delayed. ...

[New York] Ammo registration proposal sparks debate:

ALBANY — One of the most controversial measures to come before the County Legislature in some time is expected to draw an overflow crowd at a public hearing Tuesday night.

At issue is a proposed law that would require gun shops to register sales of ammunition, a measure that has been condemned by gun proponents as a back-door means to register guns and learn what weapons people have. Supporters say it is merely an attempt to close a loophole in state law governing how ammunition is purchased.

In the weeks since the March meeting when proposed Local Law A, gun rights advocates have spoken at public forums before the start of legislature meetings. The measure is sponsored by three Democratic legislators: Phil Steck of Colonie and Wanda Willingham and Doug Bullock, both of Albany.

In advance of this week's hearing, opponents have distributed fliers at guns shops and sportsmen's clubs, and, for the last week, they have taken to the airwaves. ...

[Tennessee] Op-ed by widow of man killed in bar supports restaurant carry bill:

I am Nicole Goeser, widow of Benjamin Felix Goeser. First, I want to say that I love my husband very much and I miss him terribly. He was the most giving, loving, concerned, thoughtful person I have ever met.

My husband was gunned down on April 2 right in front of me at Jonny's Sports Bar on Nolensville Road here in Nashville. There is a very important bill that has passed the House and Senate called the Restaurant Carry Bill. This bill is awaiting Gov. Phil Bredesen's signature.

I support this bill.

I am a permitted gun owner here in the state of Tennessee. If I could have been allowed to carry my gun that night, perhaps I could have saved my wonderful husband (Metro Police have charged Hank Calvin Wise, 43, of W. Main Street in Hendersonville with Benjamin Goeser's death).

I can tell you that the odds would have been more in our favor. I had to leave my gun locked in my car in the parking lot that night because we have a law in place right now that makes innocent people "helpless" and at the mercy of people with horrible intentions. People who have gone through proper training, a complete background check and have the permit should be allowed to carry a concealed gun for their own protection and protection of loved ones as long as they are not under the influence of alcohol. ...

[Colorado] Firearm training classes booked:

More and more people are trying to learn how to use handguns, and at least one local instructor chalks up the interest to fears about the Obama administration.

Another, though, says interest in self-defense started with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and has never really abated.

Either way, instructors said, they’re seeing more women joining men in looking for training on how to handle a handgun.

“It used to be about 20 percent” of his students were women, said Linn Armstrong, a National Rifle Association instructor. “After 9/11, it went up to 40 to 45 percent” and has remained at that level, he said.

Randy Jones, also an NRA instructor, said he likewise saw an increase after 9-/1. “And then it leveled off until last fall” after the presidential election,” Jones said.

“I hear people say that,” Armstrong said, though he added that his classes are as crowded as ever.

Either way, Jones said, he’s now booked five to six months out, and there’s no sign of slackening interest. ...

Retired cop asks: Does gun control benefit law enforcement? (lots of comments on his op-ed at the link):

... Gun Control Laws actually have existed for hundreds of years. Of course, in colonial America they were vastly different than they are today. For instance, in colonial Massachusetts, it was required that any citizen traveling more than one mile from home be armed. Get that? It was required that they carry a gun! Can you imagine? In Massachusetts no less?

Today - a couple hundred years and a lot of technological evolution later - the reality of citizens carrying guns isn’t embraced quite as strongly by most state governments and usually not by the federal government. And, although we can all be cynical and wonder what’s really behind the votes, even our current federal government seems to want to avoid gun control issues… for now. Just recently Congress passed a bill that will allow those with concealed carry permits to carry those weapons in federal parks. While this bill may have passed because it was attached to a Credit Card Reform bill, the separate vote taken indicates suprisingly large support for the carry law.

But let us return to the question at hand: do Gun Control Laws benefit law enforcement? ...

[D.C.] Gun case triggers amicus support from ACLU:

Robert Ord says he stays away from the District of Columbia because he fears he will be arrested on a gun charge. The private security officer unsuccessfully sought a declaration in federal court that he is immune from prosecution on D.C. gun laws. His suit was tossed for a lack of standing.

Ord is challenging the dismissal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where the Second Amendment Foundation and the ACLU National Capital Area are participating as amicus curiae in support of Ord, saying his case against the city should move forward. At issue on appeal is whether Ord has standing to sue the District.
...
The amicus curiae lawyers, Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky and Art Spitzer of the ACLU National Capital Area, say the D.C. Circuit has adopted too narrow a standard to prove standing, effectively limiting access to the courts.

“We think the doors to the courthouse ought to be open to people who have legitimate disputes,” Spitzer says. Gura, who successfully argued in the Supreme Court the landmark Second Amendment case, D.C. v. Heller, says the Ord case is a chance for the D.C. Circuit to “correct its error” in how to show standing. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories, and op-eds of interest to gun owners:

Critics deride King bill:

A bill designed to keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists is drawing fire from gun rights advocates who say it could infringe upon regular citizens' constitutional right to bear arms.

The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009 would authorize Attorney General Eric Holder to deny the sale or transfer of firearms to known or suspected terrorists -- a list that could extend beyond groups such as radical Islamists and other groups connected to international terror organizations.

Critics say the names of suspected terrorists could be drawn from existing government watch lists that cover such broad categories as animal rights extremists, Christian identity extremists, black separatists, anti-abortion extremists, anti-immigration extremists and anti-technology extremists.

"It doesn't say anything about trials and due process," said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. "This is one of the most outrageous pieces of legislation to come along in some time. It's basically saying, 'I suspect you, so your rights are toast.'"
...
The proposed gun control bill, which was introduced by Rep. Peter King, R-NY, last week and has bipartisan support, is currently before the House Judiciary Committee.

A spokesman from King's office said his decision to propose the bill had nothing to do with either DHS report. This is at least the second time the congressman has pushed a bill designed to restrict gun sales to suspected terrorists.

But, while nobody wants domestic terrorists to have easy access to guns -- King called the bill a "no-brainer" in a statement released by his office Tuesday -- some critics say it could be treading a thin line constitutionally.

Taking away an individual's constitutional right without giving him the opportunity to stand trial would likely open the federal government to legal challenges, said Robert Cottrol, a law professor at George Washington University.

"There is a Second Amendment right to hold and bear arms," he said. "That right is not absolute, for instance with convicted criminals. But there would have to be an individualized determination, as in a trial, to prove someone is guilty of something before they are deprived of such a right." ...

Comment: Mr. King, a Republican, is from the socialist, anti-gun hellhole of New York, so his support for denying citizens their constitutionally-protected rights without trial by a jury of their peers is not that hard to fathom. Would be tyrants are sadly alive and well in both major political parties.


[D.C.] Coburn Amendment legalizing National Parks carry draws fire from anti-gunners:

Opponents say U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn’s efforts to change decades-old rules for national parks could lead to loaded guns, even assault weapons, in some of the nation’s most sacred sites.

"This is a bad idea,” said Scot McElveen, president of the Association of National Park Rangers.

McElveen even took issue with the Oklahoma Republican’s claims that his Senate-passed amendment would not apply to monuments.

"That’s not how I read it,” he said, citing Coburn’s own language that indicates his amendment, if it became law, would apply to all units of the National Park System.

McElveen said that would include Southwest sites that are "very sacred” to some American Indians.

"To have folks with firearms there would be very disturbing to them.”
...
Insisting his legislation was not a "gotcha amendment,” Coburn claimed his proposal was to ensure constitutional rights were not being trampled by unelected bureaucrats.

"It is to say, does the Second Amendment mean something?” Coburn said.

His language would allow visitors to carry loaded guns into national parks located in states that do not bar such activity. ...

Christian Science Monitor on the rise of bloggers:

... But here’s the real news: In the press box, bloggers outnumbered national reporters by a good margin. And officially, nearly 50 bloggers — compared to 100 mainstream print journalists — were accredited by the NRA press office to attend the 138th annual convention.

Experts say that ratio at a major national news event featuring a panoply of GOP stars — including John McCain and Mitt Romney — presents a stunning affirmation of the rise of a mix of both partisan and fiercely independent and sometimes downright cranky “New Media,” marking its growing power to not only cover breaking news, but set the tone for political policy — and, in the case of Second Amendment rights, even the direction of the NRA itself.
...
No matter where you look on the Internet these days, bloggers are mucking it up, taking on the big bad “mainstream media” with a mad mix of polarization, cheerleading, and snark. But just as lefty bloggers got the word out about the promise of Barack Obama during last year’s election, the rightosphere is pulling out its big guns, too. And in few places is the keyboard jockey scene as fast-growing or as influential as the world of firearms and Second Amendment rights.

While their standard battle stance is from an underdog position, the pro-gun forces are, for now at least, winning the battle for hearts and minds, even gun control advocates concede. ...

[Colorado] Ammo supplies scarce:

He came in search of ammunition.

Walking the length of Sportsman's Warehouse on Friday, John Lewis found only empty shelves. Tiered displays at the end of each aisle, once overflowing with bullets — with even more in the back — now held black canvas bags instead. Orange signs limited purchases to two boxes of ammo per person, if even that many could be found.

It's a shock for gun owners like Lewis, a 52-year-old former Marine looking to buy 9 mm rounds.

"People are afraid," he said. "They're getting concerned."

Sporting goods stores across Colorado Springs are reporting the same thing: ammunition sales are booming, in some cases leaving shelves drained and customers disappointed. This mirrors a national trend fueled in part by President Barack Obama's stance on gun control and the introduction of a gun-control bill in Congress.

Still, others say they're worried about their safety as the economy worsens and major cities see the number of break-ins and violent attacks tick higher. ...

[Massachusetts] Newbie gun owner writes about his experience:

ON A BEAUTIFUL May morning I leave my house and walk a short distance to a shop advertising "sporting goods and firearms." As I approach the counter, a man asks if he can help. Trying not to stammer, I say I want to buy a gun. I have various stories prepared to explain my odd request but he simply asks, "Do you have a permit?" When I say no, he says that I need one from the police, which they will issue only after I have taken a gun safety course. This costs around $100. I leave the shop clutching not a deadly weapon but several phone numbers.

The following morning, I step into a room where a man is sitting at a table with half a dozen handguns. We shake hands and he asks what I want a gun for. "Self-defense," I say, and, worrying that this is implausible, quickly add something about friends in Maine who hunt. But again, there is no need to elaborate. "Right," says my teacher.
...
I pass the multiple-choice quiz and my teacher issues me a certificate and wishes me luck. I am ready for the next stage: applying for a class "A" permit, which will allow me to carry a concealed weapon. I phone the Cambridge police and learn that this costs $100. Along with my certificate, I must provide proofs of residence and citizenship, and write a letter stating the purpose for which I want a firearm. The permit takes four to six weeks. As I am rapidly discovering, Massachusetts offers no quick route to legal gun ownership.

But drive only 45 minutes north and everything changes. In New Hampshire, money and a valid ID will get you a handgun, although the dealer - a Federal Firearms Licensee - will conduct an instant background check by phone. Assuming you are not a prohibited person, at age 21 you can buy a gun and carry it openly. ...

Comment: Note that if the author is a Massachusetts resident, he could not legally purchase a handgun in New Hampshire.


[Alabama] Lawmaker says he'll push guns in parking lots bill again next session:

Bills to allow employees to store guns in their cars at the workplace were shot down this Legislative session, but a powerful state senator said he will reload and pursue similar legislation next year.

The legislative session ended Friday without the House and Senate bills com­ing up for a vote. Time just ran out: amendments were tacked onto the Senate ver­sion late last week and there weren't enough days left in the session for the bill to work through committees and then both chambers.

"Late in the session bills can get held up, competing with 200 other bills trying to come out," said state Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russel­lville. "I wholeheartedly sup­port the bill, and hope to work with the NRA next ses­sion to introduce similar leg­islation."

Democratic Rep. Craig Ford also sponsored a bill in the House. The bills would have made it a Class A mis­demeanor for companies to ban firearms locked in vehi­cles in parking lots. ...

[California] San Francisco sued over gun controls:

The City is being sued by gun owners and gun-advocacy groups because of a local law that says firearms have to be locked up or kept disabled.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court Friday afternoon, challenges a local restriction that forces handgun owners to either store their guns in a locked container or disable them with trigger locks. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the law into effect in August 2007.

National Rifle Association attorney Chuck Michel, who filed the case, said the locking restriction interferes with citizens’ rights to immediately defend their families.

Plaintiffs include a group of San Francisco gun owners, retired police officers and the NRA. ...

[Florida] Governor urged to veto permit fund raid:

TALLAHASSEE — As more people in Florida seek concealed weapons permits, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson wants Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a $6-million raid on a fund that pays for the program.

Bronson's request presents a timely opportunity for Crist to score political points with gun owners just as he's embarking on a race for the U.S. Senate.

In a letter to Crist, Bronson cited "unprecedented growth" in applications for gun permits that has created a "tremendous backlog" of cases to be processed. All applicants are subject to criminal background checks.

To balance the $66.5 billion state budget that takes effect July 1, legislators swept nearly $600 million from dozens of accounts known as trust funds. Most funds are sustained with fees that pay for specific programs. ...

[D.C.] Dems hold fire on more gun controls:

Last week, 27 Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass an amendment that allows concealed weapons in national parks.

This week, the Senate could take the first step toward overturning a gun control bill passed by their own Democratic brethren more than a decade ago.

After a soul-searching exile, the Democratic Party that regained control of both Congress and the White House in the past two election cycles is proving in many ways to be a distinctly different breed than the one that last ruled the capital.

Nowhere has that transformation become more evident than on the issue of gun control, which was promoted by Democrats in 1992 to attract suburban voters and abandoned by Democrats in 2008 to gain support among rural voters.

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is expected on Thursday to advance the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, which is being co-sponsored by Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

The legislation would overturn a section of the law that prohibits veterans who are unable to manage their finances from obtaining a firearm. The bill maintains a 1990s gun restriction on veterans found to be a danger to themselves and others. ...

David Codrea says ATF gun raid sends us all a message:

There's been an armed raid in Connecticut. Mary Ellen Godin of the Record-Journal reports:

A usually quiet mobile home park was shaken Friday morning when about 15 officers from the U.S. bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local police descended on one of their neighbor's homes with force.

"They had their guns drawn and were surrounding the house," said Jennifer Monroe of Hosford Bridge Road. "These weren't small guns, they were machine guns. It wasn't normal."

"Machine guns"? You know, true "assault weapons," not the neutered kind the citizen disarmament cartel says you and I can't be trusted with, because they are "weapons of war designed only to kill people."

Except when deployed by the "Only Ones," they magically transform themselves into "patrol rifles"...

And the purpose of the raid? The compelling reason 15 heavily-armed police state ninjas used a battering ram on an unlocked door, assaulted and threw citizens to the ground, put guns to their heads, terrorized a man with a heart condition, destroyed and seized property, and generally trashed the place?

Because a son who "was arrested 34 years ago at the age of 17 with a friend who had forged a check [and] hasn't been arrested since" was living with his gun owner father. ...

Comment: Read the Journal Record's article on the raid here, which depicts a rather sordid treatment by the ATF of the family. I recall reading that there are over 3,000 crimes classified as felonies at the federal level, with likely many thousands more at the state level. Many of them don't involve acts of physical violence against others. Restricting those convicted of violent felonies to (legally) own guns arguably makes sense; restricting the fundamental human rights of those convicted of non-violent offenses who have served their time and paid their debt to society in full makes much less sense.

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories, and op-eds of interest to gun owners:

[West Virginia] Ammo sales booming:

PRINCETON — An increasing demand for ammunition has led to its increasing scarcity on retailers’ shelves in both Virginias and across the nation.

In the past, hunters and other gun owners usually purchased a few boxes of ammunition at a time, but now they buy whole cases at a time when merchandise is available.

Concerns among gun owners that the new president’s administration will alter gun laws or increase taxes on ammunition sales is sending consumers to retailers. Some are looking for a new firearm, too.

“It isn’t necessarily because they (gun owners) are afraid of the government putting taxes on it. It’s because of the president we elected,” said Marlin Douglas of Douglas Sporting Goods in Princeton. “Right now, I can’t buy a small handgun from any of my suppliers because they’re totally out. It’s due to the fact of electing a president who has been a strong advocate to get rid of guns.”

The public has responded by purchasing more firearms; even people who did not own a gun are buying one, Douglas said. Demand for bullets of all calibers and shotgun shells has increased. ...

Karen De Coster says: Women, stop watching Oprah and learn to love guns:

... Women never cease to amaze me. The majority of them are still "afraid" of guns. Afraid, as in "oohhhh, they are so scary." They say things like "I don’t like them around" and "they’re dangerous." I know of women who have defense-minded, pro-gun husbands and they will not let their guy talk about those nasty things in their presence. Shhh, the children will hear, or, they might actually see an evil gun! Keep them locked away. Don’t tell the neighbors you have a gun in our house, or we’ll be outcasts. And in the background you can almost hear another feeble Oprah sermon keeping women stupid, but oh, they feel good about themselves and their newfound self-esteem.

All the time, women are shocked, shocked! to hear that I have a gun, and worse, I have several guns. And then, oh no, I actually carry one with me. That’s so odd, they think. Oh she’s different. Why more than one gun? She must be the aggressive type. After all, the Oprah way is to trust everyone and insist that all people have good intentions always.

Although I tend to think that most women don’t make sense, period, I especially believe this concerning the gun issue. It’s not only difficult to get women to come around to wanting a gun of their own, but they still can’t get to the point where they will understand and accept why others want to own them. ...

[Nebraska] High court says Sheriff wrongly denied man gun permit:

LINCOLN — An Omaha man who once expressed homicidal and suicidal thoughts was wrongly denied a state handgun buyer’s permit by the Douglas County sheriff, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday.

Joseph D. Gallegos had never been "committed" to a mental institution under the definition of the 1968 federal gun law, according to the court’s unanimous opinion.

He should not, therefore, have been denied a handgun permit in 2007, the court said. ...

[Colorado] Op-ed in favor of campus carry:

... Regents, it's time to realize that just because you may doesn't mean you should. Ask yourselves a few questions and open your minds to honest conclusions: Will a person who doesn't respect laws against rape, murder and other violence obey your gun rule?

Will a suicidal maniac with plans for murder, like the Virginia Tech psycho, opt for peace because you say "no guns"?

Gun bans have no effect whatsoever on the behavior of violent criminals. Those who obey them are the kind of people who brought this lawsuit. They are people like plaintiff John Davis, a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs senior who spent 12 years in the military and serves as a sergeant in the Army Reserves. Davis will obey your gun ban each time he steps foot on campus. If he ever hears shots ring out or sees students screaming and running, he won't be able to use his weapon and skills to save lives and bring peace. He will be hobbled by your rule. Davis won't be able to use what Miller said "any right-thinking person" must acknowledge as a legitimate hedge against crime.

Instead, Davis and others licensed to carry guns will run for cover and wait for police. As sirens wail in the background, the killer will kill and kill and kill. You and your policy will be at fault.

The Virginia Tech maniac had two hours to kill on a massive campus. Nobody could stop him because of the gun ban. The ban was more helpful to the lunatic than his own guns.

Protected by the ban, he could have killed at leisure with hammer or a knife. ...

[D.C.] Dept. of Justice report says FBI terror watch list "flawed":

Nearly eight years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI's terrorist watch list is so flawed that at least 10 people who should have been kept out of the United States were allowed to cross its borders, an internal audit released Wednesday shows.

Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn A. Fine concluded that the bureau also was slow to remove names that should not have been on the list, leading to outcries from civil libertarians who have long been critical.

The list also audited more than 65,000 names and concluded that more than one-third were outdated. The whole list includes 1.1 million names, though aliases and variant spellings mean these represent fewer people.

"That the FBI continues to fail to place subjects of terrorism investigations on the watch list is unacceptable," said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the FBI.

"Disturbingly, today's report reveals that in 72 percent of the cases, the FBI has also failed to remove subjects from the list in a timely manner. ... Given the very real and negative consequences to which people on the watch list are subjected, this is unacceptable." [emphasis added] ...

Comment: Remember, this is the same list the anti-gunners want to use to deny Americans the right to purchase or possess guns.


Columnist explains why liberals should get guns:

What is a life worth? We often hear about the thousands of people every year who kill themselves with guns, the thousands more who kill others with guns and the hundreds of lethal accidents that happen in a year with a gun. The anti-gun crowd wring their hands over this carnage and begs America to disarm. They believe that if we could get rid of guns, all these deaths could be avoided. This is wishful thinking and bad logic.

Estimates I have found for the worth of a human life range from $1 million to over 7 million, depending on who is doing the figuring. They factor in lost earnings, medical costs, and legal costs. Using punitive and "pain and suffering" awards from juries in civil cases, they try to calculate a cost for the intangibles such as the anguish of the bereaved family. Violent crimes not resulting in death introduce the pain and time of healing and physical therapy, and the permanent damage to the victims spirit and mind. Whatever amount you agree with, in America we value life, and seek to avoid people getting killed needlessly. Getting rid of guns among law abiding citizens will cause more, not less death and violence.

1. Removing guns from the hands of law abiding citizens does not remove them from the hands of criminals. As has been abundantly proven with drugs in America, we cannot stop the flow of anything illegal if there is enough demand for it. Criminals prefer guns as the tool of choice for their profession. ...

[Wyoming] State's congressional delegation supports National Parks carry bill:

U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., have added their names as co-sponsors of a bill that would allow individuals to carry concealed weapons into national parks.

The legislation, called the Preservation of the Second Amendment in National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges Act, seeks to replace an administrative rule that has been mired in court proceedings since January that would also allow visitors to carry concealed weapons into national parks.

A federal judge in April struck down that administrative rule, which was set in place last December by the outgoing Bush administration, after several conservation and other groups filed a lawsuit.

“While the appeal of the rule to allow guns in national parks is a small setback, the pressure to do what is right and preserve Second Amendment rights in and out of national parks will not stop,” Enzi said in a statement released Thursday. “The Wyoming delegation is turning up the heat.”

The two senators join U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., who is co-sponsoring an identical bill in the House. ...

Comment: Unfortunately, given the anti-gun Democrat control of Congress, don't expect these bills to go very far.


David Codrea takes on latest "iron river of guns" to Mexico lie:

... Come we now to a new investigate report, from the Associated Press of all places. I'm astonished because it is not the usual ignorant propaganda I've come to expect. The headline says it all:

Mexico cartel weapons cache stymies tracing

And then we learn:

Deep inside a heavily guarded military warehouse, the evidence of Mexico's war on drug cartels is stacked two stories high: tens of thousands of seized weapons, from handguns and rifles to AK-47s...

In all, the military has 305,424 confiscated weapons locked in vaults, just a fraction of those used by criminals in Mexico...

A fraction? You mean there are...millions?

That ought to give us quite an inventory to trace, right? It ought to. But then we're told:

The Mexican government has handed over information to U.S. authorities to trace 12,073 weapons seized in 2008 crimes...

Wait a minute--they have the guns all neatly stored in a warehouse, inventoried, cataloged...if this is such a huge problem, we can't just get a printout? Mexican bureaucracy (if you buy into that being the real reason) won't allow it? So the easier solution is to adjust your and my rights accordingly?

But perhaps I'm being unfair. After all, we're told there's a Spanish language barrier that hampers the effort. Lord help us finding anyone in our government who can communicate in that obscure dialect.

And then we have this astounding admission:

About a third of the guns submitted for tracing in 2007 were sold by licensed U.S. dealers.

Really? Not 90% of "Mexican crime guns" (or "95% to 100%" if you shill for the Brady Campaign)?

And remember, that's a third of the relatively insignificant quantity of guns reported, vs. actually warehoused, and that assumes what is in official inventory reflects 100% of what has been seized. Any bets that it's even close? ...

Dave Workman says pundits, politicians, and press out of touch on guns issue:

Recent national polls by CNN, NBC News and the Wall Street Journal have revealed that support for new gun control measures is declining in the United States, despite efforts by the Obama administration and its media cheerleaders to demonize guns by sensationalizing recent shooting incidents, and the bloody drug war in northern Mexico.

In April, CNN polling found that 46 percent of Americans say existing gun laws are adequate, and another 15 percent believe they ought to be relaxed, while only 39 percent of those responding want stricter gun laws.

Also last month, an NBC News/WSJ poll revealed that support for restrictions on so-called “assault weapons” had dropped from 75 percent in 1991 to 53 percent today, which may have something to do with the rush on gun shops over the past six months by people buying those guns and case upon case of ammunition for them. ...

Obama blinks on scrapping Tiahrt Amendment:

... Meanwhile, the administration is steering away from another politically-sensitive fight by proposing only minor changes to a legislative language, known as the Tiahrt Amendments after Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas), which limit the use of gun tracing data maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Obama’s budget would slightly ease restrictions on the use of the data. The changes would allow the tracing data to be shared with state and local officials even outside the context of a investigation of a specific crime. Localities could use the data to identify gun dealers who sell lots of guns traced to crimes, but rules prohibiting the use of such data for civil suits would remain in place. ...

Boo hoo: Brady Campaign's head says he's "profoundly disappointed" with Obama:

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is profoundly disappointed that President Obama has failed to follow through with his promises for 'openness' by reaffirming much of the so-called Tiahrt Amendments.

This means a continuation of the reckless Bush-era policies that endanger public safety and make it easier for criminals to obtain illegal firearms.

President Obama's proposal undermines the landmark Brady Law by continuing the dangerous Bush administration policy requiring the destruction of most Brady background check records in just 24 hours. ...

That was quick: Massachusetts governor files bill to close "loophole" due to state high court ruling, adds more gun controls:

Governor Deval Patrick is filing legislation today to reduce gun violence that includes a provision to restore a crime-fighting tool for prosecutors that was taken away by a court ruling Monday.

The bill would allow suspects to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing for charges that involve illegal possession, use, or trafficking of guns, the governor's office said.

The legislation would also create a new felony of using a gun while committing a misdemeanor, limit gun purchases to one per month, and require sales of guns by private parties to be recorded by licensed gun dealers. ...

Comment: See my post here for discussion of the high court ruling at issue. Typical that the Boston Globe would characterize the court's ruling as taking away a "crime-fighting tool" - the court simply ruled that mere unlicensed gun possession (without more) did not fall under the statute that authorized pretrial detention for those accused of certain serious felonies.


[California] Ammo bill shelved:

One of the worst pieces of anti-gun owner legislation in a number of years effectively has been tabled by the California legislature when Los Angeles Democratic Assemblyman Kevin De Leon's AB962 was put in the Suspense File by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday this week.

While the bill can be revived, it is likely dead for this year.

The bill would have stopped the private transfer of more than 50 rounds of ammunition per month between individuals or by stores to individuals. It would have licensed and taxed anyone selling ammunition commercially and forced these stores to get background checks on anyone selling ammunition. It would have required a thumbprint from anyone buying handgun ammunition (and a costly bureaucracy to manage those thumbprints) and it would have banned all mail-order ammunition sales. [emphasis added]

The stated intent of the bill was to stop felons and gang members from getting ammunition. If you can figure out how those provisions would have somehow stopped that, give me a call and explain that to me. ...

[Wisconsin] Open carry bicycler stops robbery with gun in school zone, legal question remains:

RACINE — Four teens knocked a 42-year-old Racine man from his bike Friday night. He thought they were going to rob him.

The man pulled a Smith and Wesson revolver from his side holster, pointed it at the sky and yelled, “Gun!”

The four suspects ran, and the man flagged down a Racine police officer.

The incident will perhaps mark the first time a new opinion allowing open carry of firearms is put to the test here, as it conflicts with another state statute that makes it illegal to possess a gun within 1,000 feet of a school, if not on private property.

The Racine man involved, who asked not to be named and declined to comment on the alleged robbery attempt when contacted by The Journal Times, was assaulted in the 1100 block of Grand Avenue, which is within 1,000 feet of Walden School, 1012 Center St.

Police did not arrest the man. After he was treated for head and wrist injuries at the scene by Racine rescue, officers escorted the man home and returned his gun to him.

But that doesn’t mean charges won’t be filed against the man, and police are questioning how such situations should be handled in the future. ...

[Germany] More gun controls on the way:

BERLIN - THE GERMAN government has agreed to curb gun rights, two months after a 17-year-old killed 15 people with a pistol taken from his father's bedroom, according to press reports on Thursday.

The left-right 'grand coalition' has agreed to present a series of measures to parliament in late May tightening arms control laws, several dailies said.
...
The proposals on the table include banning paintball, a game in which players use air rifles to shoot ammunition filled with paint at opponents.

Lawmakers say the sport 'simulates killing' and should be outlawed.

The draft law would also bar youths under the age of 18 from shooting high-calibre guns at target practice and permit police to conduct checks at the homes of gun owners to ensure their weapons are under lock and key.

An electronic registry of firearms would also be introduced along with, eventually, biometric security systems to help ensure weapons are only used by their rightful owners. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories and op-eds of interest to gun owners:

[Colorado] Ammo hard to find:

Gun shops across the country are reporting a run on ammunition, a phenomenon apparently driven by fear that the Obama administration will increase taxes on bullets or enact new gun-control measures.

The run on ammo has left many gun stores' shelves sparse. Some stores have imposed limits on buying.

"In the last two months it's gotten very, very difficult to find ammunition," says Richard Taylor, manager of The Firing Line, a gun shop and shooting range in the Denver, Colorado, suburbs.

"There are a lot of rumors floating around that the present government would like to increase taxes on ammunition. I think [there is] just a lot of panicked buying going on."

While campaigning for the White House, Obama supported re-enacting the now-expired ban on assault weapons. But there is no indication that the administration will take up that measure -- or any other gun-control initiative --anytime soon.

Nonetheless, some gun owners aren't taking any chances.

Two weeks ago, The Firing Line was forced to impose a four-box-per-customer limit on ammo. Before that, the shop was selling 10,000 rounds of 9 mm handgun ammunition a day.

Some calibers of ammunition have been unavailable for months.

"Currently no .380 ammunition -- I haven't seen any for about four months ... .38 special, it's been at least a couple of months," Taylor says. "It's just that there's been a huge demand and it's far outweighed supply right now." ...

[California] Ammo is short supply:

Ammunition is in short supply at area gun stores, and even some law enforcement agencies are having a hard time getting what they need for training.

And the biggest reason, some local gun dealers say, is fear.

They attribute the shortage to panic buying because of legislation being considered in Sacramento and Washington that would affect ammunition sales and manufacturing. They also point to the demand for bullets by U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Sheriff’s deputies are required to requalify with their firearms quarterly. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office recently ordered 200,000 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition — about a six-month supply — for about $41,000.

Longtime Fresno gun dealer Bill Mayfield said he has trouble finding the most popular handgun calibers, such as 9 mm, .40 caliber, .45 caliber and .38 caliber. In fact, his supply of .380-caliber handgun ammunition was so low that Mayfield recently bought three boxes from a customer who said he didn't need them.

The demand, Mayfield said, has caused manufacturers to start rationing ammunition to retailers. And gun enthusiasts who assemble -- or reload -- their own ammunition are having difficulty, too. Primers, a key reloading component, are hard to find in gun stores and on the Internet. ...

[Ohio] Need for protection prompts new gun purchases:

... However, a significant portion of those sales are going to new gun owners, people who previously hadn't given much thought to owning a gun. The continuing decline of the economy leads not only to fears that desperation will cause crime levels to increase, but also to a decrease in police protection from financially strapped cities and towns.

Take Toledo, for example... a town whose politicians and media outlets have long railed against gun rights. Friday, the latest layoffs saw 75 police officers lose their jobs, with the possibility of more on the way. More and more people are starting to realize what many gun owners have known for years, that you're most likely have nobody to rely on but yourself if faced with a violent criminal hell bent on taking what you own. It is for that reason that gun shops like Toledo area Clelands are reporting not only an increase in sales of guns and ammunition, but that more people are taking training classes as well. ...

[Utah] State can't keep up with concealed carry permit applications:

SALT LAKE CITY -- Concealed firearm permits are a hot item in Utah these days. So much so, that the state agency in charge of issuing those permits is behind to the point of technically breaking the law.

State law says concealed firearm permits have to be issued within 60 days. It's taking at least 70 days right now.

Since November, more people have become interested in exercising their right to carry a concealed weapon and the number of applications has skyrocketed.

Along with the increase in concealed permit applications at the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification, local gun shops are noticing increasing demand for weapons, ammunition and safety training.

That interest is swamping the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI). This month, the agency is adding six full-time employees just to process gun permits.

An avalanche of applications is overwhelming them. "We're doing the best that we can with the staff that we have available, and we just don't seem to be able to catch up," said Utah BCI Chief Janet Erickson. ...

[Wisconsin] Olofson conviction upheld:

What a federal agent did during a testing procedure to result in "automatic" fire from an AR-15 has no bearing on the case of a man convicted of transferring a "machinegun" after he loaned to a prospective buyer the gun he considered a semi-automatic rifle, according to a ruling from a panel of appellate judges.

The ruling has come in the case of David Olofson, a Wisconsin man sent to prison for 30 months after a semi-automatic rifle he loaned to a prospective buyer unleashed several bursts of multiple rounds and then jammed.

His defense team had explained the case is about nothing more than a malfunctioning gun, and there was evidence to support that. But according to judges Daniel Manion, Michael Kanne and Virginia Kendall of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals the weapon is a machinegun, and government information about the tests that determined that are not pertinent.

Constitutional lawyer Herb Titus, who argued at the appellate level on behalf of Olofson, said the government's case was simple: "Olofson's malfunctioning semi-automatic rifle functioned as a machine gun because it fired more than one shot at the single pull of a trigger."

However, Titus contended the government's position is contrary to fact, established law and precedent. ...

[Oregon] House OKs permit privacy bill:

Concealed handgun licenses would be exempt from Oregon's public records law under a bill passed Monday by the Oregon House, making it much more difficult to find out who is getting the permits.

Citing privacy and safety concerns, lawmakers said people who apply for and receive permits to carry a concealed weapon should be assured that their names, addresses and other personal information won't be made public.

"It's about protecting the rights of the good guys," said Rep. Chris Edwards, D-Eugene, one of 54 House members who voted in favor of the exemption. "This is not about protecting the rights of punks, of hooligans, or meth tweakers."

Under current law, concealed handgun licenses, like all state licenses, are considered public information. Sheriffs in some counties, however, have balked at releasing the records, usually after a request by a newspaper. ...

[Arizona] Venue asks state to suspend liquor license to allow visitors to (lawfully) carry during NRA convention:

Phoenix Convention Center officials asked the state to temporarily suspend part of its liquor license so that gun enthusiasts can tote weapons at next week's National Rifle Association convention.

The NRA will start its three-day national convention in Phoenix on May 15. The event is expected to draw as many as 50,000 people.

In Arizona, people can't carry weapons where alcohol is served. If the center did not suspend its license, gun owners would not be able to bring weapons into the convention center complex. NRA plans to hold a gun expo in the convention center's 300,000-square-foot lower level. ...

[Arizona] Guns in parking lots bill under consideration:

A bill being considered by Arizona legislators is seen as pitting gun owners' Second Amendment rights against the private property rights of businesses and others.

Backed by the National Rifle Association, the bill would permit gun owners to keep legally owned weapons in their locked, privately owned vehicles while they're parked in parking lots, garages or other parking areas of private property where the owner has a policy against allowing guns on the property.

The Republican lawmaker sponsoring the bill (HB2474) said it is intended to overturn bans that deprive employees and others of their Second Amendment rights. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories, and op-eds of interest to gun owners:

[New York] Assembly debating more infringements:

The Assembly continues to chip away this evening on a package of bills to combat gun violence. The legislation would help police investigate illegal firearms, prohibit felons from buying guns, require child-proof devices on guns, and banning advanced firearms and ammunition used to kill police officers, according to the Assembly.

A number of Republicans, who are in the minority in the Assembly, are speaking against the bills.

A bill that is being debated now would require that semiautomatic pistols manufactured or delivered to any licensed dealer in New York be capable of microstamping ammunition. Microstamping means information that identifies the make, model and serial number of a gun is “stamped” onto a cartridge as the weapon is fired. ...

[New York] Another article on the proposed microstamping bill:

One of several gun control measures passed yesterday in the Assembly included a plan to mandate micro-stamping on semi-automatic pistols. The Assembly and Senate sponsors, Michelle Schimel and Eric Schneiderman just concluded a press conference to promote the idea, in which new handguns would have a laser-printed unique identifier on their firing pins, which police could then match with shell casings from fired weapons.

Like other measures, the plan has some opponents including a trade group for gun manufacturers who believe it isn’t workable, but Schimel and Schneiderman, both Democrats, gathered a lot of law enforcement support for the measure. Police view it as another tool they could use to help match spent cartridges with a particular weapon, similar to what they do with ballistics.

While the proposal passed handily in the Assembly, it’s unsure if the Senate, with 32-30 D-R majority including several upstate rural Democrats, has the votes to pass it. ...

Gun groups oppose Rush Limbaugh's ads for HSUS:

Rush Limbaugh's new pet project — fighting animal cruelty for the Humane Society of the United States — is riling sportsmen from coast to coast, prompting fears that the talkster typically supportive of gun rights is aiding a group they say has a secret agenda to end all hunting in America.

Almost 30 groups representing millions of hunters and sportsmen are demanding that the conservative radio commentator end his collaboration with the Humane Society and stop "helping them to mainstream their image in the minds of reasonable people."

"Despite a few programs designed to attract support from the general public, HSUS is in fact an organization that opposes hunting, fishing, and trapping," the groups, including Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, wrote in a letter to Mr. Limbaugh last week.
...
But the 28 wildlife-conservation organizations that represent hunters, anglers and trappers say the Humane Society has a nefarious agenda.

"The Humane Society of the United States is public enemy number one for sportsmen. We believe firmly that they're against all forms of hunting. We actually battle them in state after state, and they back all types of different legislation, ballot issues, that seek to restrict the rights of hunters," said Greg R. Lawson, a spokesman for the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, which has about 3 million members.

"The concern we have with what Rush did is not so much the actual content of the new public-service announcements . . . It's the very fact that he recorded anything for that group because of their agenda against the sportsmen community."

The letter says [Humane Society president and chief executive] Mr. Pacelle once said to the Associated Press: "If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would." [emphasis added]

He told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, "Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cock fighting and dog fighting. Our opponents say hunting is a tradition. We say traditions can change," according to the letter. ...

Gunowners of America says time for Specter to go:

First, Senator Arlen Specter provided the instrumental Republican support to get anti-gun Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed by the Senate.

Then, he singlehandedly pushed through the massive economic bailout, the so-called stimulus bill, which contained several provisions of concern to gun owners.

So it comes as no surprise that liberal anti-gun Specter, who has no loyalty to the Constitution, also has no loyalty to the political party that elected him. Specter announced this week that he will leave the Republican Party and run as a Democrat in 2010.

Specter's announcement comes only after poll after poll showed him trailing pro-gun conservative Pat Toomey in a Republican primary. ...

[Ohio] Op-ed by county prosecutor supports gun rights:

Congress will consider legislation next month that would require people wanting to speak in public to first undergo a background check and pay a permit fee.

Not really! But how would you react if it was true? What if your other constitutional rights were treated the same was as your right to bear arms? Whether you own a gun or not, the Second Amendment should matter to you – because if one constitutional right can be taken away by majority rule, they all can be.

Imagine if you had to get a government license before you were allowed to freely worship, or to be safe in your own home from warrantless searches and seizures. ...

[Colorado] Gun sales, carry permits on the rise:

Local firearms sales and concealed weapons permits are higher than ever as gun enthusiasts fear Democratic legislation restricting the Second Amendment.

“All our firearms dealers we deal with have been pretty much out of stock since the day after the election,” said Shelly Malish, co-owner of Kremmling Precision Ordinance, which sells guns in Kremmling.

The number of concealed weapons permits issued in Summit County has doubled every year since 2006.

By late April, the number of applications — at 122 — has already surpassed those for all of 2008, according to Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff John Minor said several people have told him they have a “very strong fear” federal legislation will be passed restricting their rights. ...

[Iowa] Concealed carry permit applications surge:

Concerns about personal security appear to be fueling a surge in handgun sales and an increase in permits to carry concealed weapons in parts of Eastern Iowa.

Jones County, for example, issued 42 new concealed weapon permits in March — well above the average of about 15 new permits per month during the past year.

Jones County Sheriff Mark Denniston said he has noticed the surge, which began in February with the issuance of 32 new permits — up markedly from eight in January and four in December.

"From the feedback I'm getting, it has a lot to do with personal protection concerns," said Denniston, who personally interviews each applicant.
...
Applicants seem more aware of and concerned by news reports of strong-armed robberies and other crimes that threaten victims' personal well-being, he said.

New concealed weapons permits also have surged in Linn County — from 24 in the first three months of last year to 103 in the comparable period this year — but Sheriff Brian Gardner attributes the increase to the removal of a requirement that applicants had to regularly carry at least $500 for a permit to be issued.

Unlike his predecessor, Sheriff Don Zeller, Gardner said he accepts lawful self-defense as justification for issuing a permit.

Gardner acknowledged that other factors, such as heightened concerns about personal safety, also may be contributing to the increase.

The change in Linn County policy under Gardner reflects the latitude of Iowa law, which specifies that county sheriffs "may issue" concealed weapons permits to qualified applicants.

[Sheriff] Denniston, who describes himself as "a huge believer" in the Second Amendment's right to bear arms, said he believes Iowa's law should be changed to "shall issue," which would limit the discretion of individual sheriffs and make it consistent with the laws of more than 35 other states. ...

Comment: I find it curious that Iowa, with its large rural areas, is still a "may issue" state, when surrounding states Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota are all "shall issue". Of course, Iowa also borders the two "no issue" states, Wisconsin and Illinois, so maybe that has something to do with it. At any rate, you Hawkeyes need to get with the program. :)


[Alaska] Pro-gun rally draws hundreds:

It was standing room only at the Soldotna Sports Center last night as many from the Kenai Peninsula attended the rally of the Second Amendment Task Force of the Kenai Peninsula. Even the presenters discussed the turnout, including Bob Bird of Nikiski. He was gratified with the turnout. He explained to the audience that the rally was not called as part of the National Rifle Association, or as part of the Gun Owners of America.

Those speaking at the rally wanted to relay the message that there is a reason American’s should be concerned that the freedom to keep and bear arms is being threatened. Bird asked everyone in attendance to sign a statement of solidarity at the end of the meeting.

The wording in the statement calls on the Alaska Legislators, Governor, Judges and other public officials of Alaska to stand with them in defending their Natural Law right of self-defense from any infringement by the federal government. ... [paragraph breaks added for readability]

[Virginia] Democrat gubernatorial candidates agree on more gun-control for Old Dominion:

BLACKSBURG, Va. | Gun control shot to the forefront of the fourth Democratic Virginia gubernatorial debate, on Wednesday less than a mile from the deadliest campus shooting in American history.

State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, former national Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe and former House of Delegates Democratic Caucus leader Brian J. Moran all agreed on closing the loophole in state law that exempts gun shows from background checks on buyers.

They clashed for the second time in as many days in a restored theater in Blacksburg, a short walk to the scene of the worst mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history, in April 2007. Mr. Moran said every gun buyer should have to face the same checks that federally licensed gun dealers must perform regardless of venue. ...

[Wisconsin] Gene German says time for civil obedience:

Civil obedience is the expectation that citizens follow the law and those citizens expect others to do the same, particularly law enforcement officers. Law abiding citizens expect the police to understand the laws and to act lawfully. This is a very minimal expectation of citizens for the police to meet. Citizens will not tolerate the police abusing their “police powers” and treating citizens who do absolutely nothing wrong like a violent or dangerous criminal, by drawing their guns and pointing them at citizens and threatening citizens with death or great bodily harm.

How about some examples?
...
Let’s try another one. Let’s say you just turned old enough to vote. The local cops see you standing in line at your polling place minding your own business. Since they never saw you vote before, they draw their guns and point them at you; they order you to the ground and handcuff you for their safety. Then they get your ID out and call in to the station to see if you are a felon and you may not be eligible to vote. They find out you are not a felon and you can vote after all. They still don’t like it, so they arrest you for disorderly conduct because after all, you upset them and probably someone else too. You get hauled off to jail and you are prosecuted. You loose your job over the publicity and no one wants to hire you. Your bills continue to show up each month anyway. You have extra legal expenses to pay on top of your bills. The judge decides six month later that you were really not acting in a disorderly manner while waiting to vote. But the judge commends the police for handling the situation with you as they did because after all, they have difficult jobs fighting crime and who knew you weren’t a felon trying to vote.

The second example really happened although the person was not waiting to vote, but was merely exercising their right to be lawfully armed. It is time that citizens demand that no protected right may be infringed upon, be it the right to vote or the right to be armed.

[Wisconsin] Op-ed supports right to bear arms:

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's statement that openly carrying a gun doesn't constitute disorderly conduct is, taken at face value, obvious.

How could exercising one's constitutional rights without endangering others ever be perceived as a punishable offense?

I don't often see pedestrians "packing heat," as my dad would say, but it still feels like something is wrong here. The fact that Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn would tell his officers to ignore Van Hollen's memo reeks of lawlessness-of the same caliber of criminals who ignore our society's laws. West Milwaukee is currently being sued in federal court for civil rights violations. Plaintiff Jesus Gonzales alleges officers illegally detained, harassed and arrested him when he was legally, openly carrying a gun. It looks like the courts might have to change Flynn's attitude. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

Articles, news stories, and op-eds of interest to gun rights:

Sen. Lautenberg wants to close the gun show "loophole":

Exploiting the tenth anniversary of the Columbine tragedy, perennial gun control advocate Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced his latest gun show bill. Lautenberg was joined at the press conference by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jack Reed (D-RI). "The Hill" quotes Lautenberg as saying:

“There is no rational reason to oppose closing the loophole,” said Lautenberg, the bill’s sponsor. “The reason it’s still not closed is simple: the continuing power of the special interest gun lobby in Washington.”

The bill is S. 843: “A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows.” What makes it a greater threat than other gun bills in the 111th Congress is the fact that Lautenberg has signed eleven powerful Democrats as cosponsors, including formerly pro-gun Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

Dave Workman says Milwaukee police chief setting stage for confrontation:

Milwaukee, WI Police Chief Ed Flynn is playing with political nitro glycerin, and he doesn’t seem to realize it, or perhaps he simply doesn’t care.

Quoted by the La Crosse Tribune, Chief Flynn says he will ignore a finding by State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen that peaceable open carry of firearms is legal. Flynn’s directive to officers in his department is “if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we’ll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it.”

The chief displayed a rather cavalier, if not outright arrogant, attitude when he added, “Maybe I’ll end up with a protest of cowboys. In the meantime, I’ve got serious offenders with access to handguns. It’s irresponsible to send a message to them that if they just carry it openly no one can bother them.”

My message to my troops is if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we’ll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it.

Perhaps some higher legal authority might explain to the chief that it is also irresponsible to send a message to the public that a police chief can literally tell the state attorney general to pound sand, he’s going to do it “his way,” and too bad if that violates someone’s civil rights. Already, some people have been arrested for carrying openly, according to my colleague Candace Dainty.

Note to Chief Flynn: Wisconsin is still part of the United States, not a police state. This is the kind of attitude that gets people grumbling about “jack-booted thugs.”

Yet “police state” is exactly what critics in the Open Carry movement have suggested Flynn is trying to establish, evidently with the support of anti-gun Gov. Jim Doyle, and State Rep. Leon Young, a Milwaukee Democrat who plans to introduce legislation banning open carry. ...

[Colorado] CCW permit applications soar:

The number of people in Grand County seeking permits to carry a concealed handgun increased by 283 percent from 2007 to 2008.

Statewide, the increase was 212 percent, and the trend shows few signs of abating.

“We just haven’t seen an end to it,” said Grand County Sheriff Rod Johnson.
...
“We believe it started with the presidential election,” the sheriff said of the rapid acceleration in the number of people seeking the permits.

He said permit-seekers often volunteer political views regarding Second Amendment issues and that many of them recently have expressed concerns about the Democrats controlling Congress and the White House.

Democrats traditionally are more inclined than Republicans to favor gun-control legislation.

“I believe that citizens have the right to own and carry” firearms, [Sheriff] Johnson said. “Permit holders have never caused me any problems.” [emphasis added] ...

[Texas] Op-ed: College professors support campus carry bill:

Mass public shootings are a horrific feature of modern life. Many of the bloodiest examples of this scourge have occurred on college campuses. As professors, we are particularly sensitive to this danger.

Despite this – no, because of this – we support a bill currently pending in the Texas Legislature that would permit the concealed carrying of firearms on college and university campuses in the state by holders of concealed-handgun permits.

Any public policy involving matters of life and death should be decided only after weighing carefully the competing risks. Examining the relevant facts and data indicates that permitting Texas permit holders to carry weapons on college campuses would improve safety because:

•The best available empirical evidence shows that concealed-carry laws reduce the incidence of mass public shootings.

•Mass public shootings occur almost exclusively in places – like universities – where concealed carry is proscribed.

•There are numerous examples of firearms owners acting to disarm would-be mass murderers, thereby saving lives.

•Concealed-handgun-permit holders are overwhelmingly law-abiding individuals.

If gun bans truly reduced the risk of mass public shootings, then gun-free zones would be refuges from such havoc. Sadly, the exact opposite is true. All multiple-victim public shootings in the United States with more than three fatalities have occurred where concealed handguns are prohibited. Moreover, the worst primary and secondary school shootings have occurred in Europe, despite its draconian gun laws. ...

NSSF explains why Tiahrt amendment restricting gun-trace data is needed:

There are good reasons for preventing firearm tracing data from becoming public information. Doing so protects the lives of law enforcement officers and also the integrity of undercover operations that may have been in place for weeks or even months. Restricting access also prevents the misuse of the data to bring nuisance lawsuits, as New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg did when he launched his own private sting operation against out-of-state firearms retailers and interfered with up to 18 federal investigations for which he was chastised in a letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

For these reasons and others, legislation called the Tiahrt Amendment rightly protects gun ownership information from being released to the public, while at the same time allowing law enforcement to access and share the data for their investigations.

Introduced by Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) in 2003, the legislation has been renewed every year since then and has the support of the Fraternal Order of Police. Even New York's police commissioner, Ray Kelly, opposed the public release of such sensitive information, saying in a 2002 letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft, "The release of trace information . . . seriously jeopardizes not only . . . investigations, but also the lives of law enforcement officers, informants, witnesses, and others." [emphasis added] ...

Gun, ammo sales booming:

Gun sales are soaring in the US amid fears that President Obama is planning a new crackdown on the ownership of weapons.

The country is even facing a shortage of ammunition as gun stores are besieged by customers - even though the President has insisted he is not planning new legislation.

Seven million people have applied for background record checks with the FBI in the last few months so they can obtain a gun licence.

The Guns and Ammo store in Manassas, Virginia, says it has seen a 50% rise in sales since November's election. ...

[Pennsylvania] NRA sues Pittsburgh over city gun ordinances:

The National Rifle Association today sued Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Pittsburgh City Council in an effort to overturn a law that penalizes gun owners who fail to report lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours.

The 19-page lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on behalf of four Pittsburgh gun owners who say the ordinance — intended to crack down on "straw purchasers" of guns — "severely restricts" their Second Amendment right to keep firearms in their homes.

"The plaintiffs will be prevented from exercising their rights under state law to freely own, possess and transport firearms," according to the lawsuit.
...
The NRA argues the law should be declared invalid because city lawmakers don't have the authority to regulate firearms under the state's Uniform Firearms Act of 1939. It states: "No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession or transportation of firearms." ...

[Wisconsin] Anti-gun Gov. Doyle wants to repeal state preemption law:

Governor Jim Doyle (D) is proposing to repeal the state's preemption statute which prohibits localities from passing gun laws that are more restrictive than the state's. Wisconsin's preemption law was originally passed in 1995 when Doyle was Attorney General. Doyle was vocally opposed to statewide preemption and its passage left a bitter taste of defeat in his mouth that has never gone away. Now, Governor Doyle is using the arrest of law-abiding Wisconsin citizens exercising their constitutional right to openly carry a firearm for self-defense as a platform to call for its repeal.

If Doyle succeeds in repealing preemption, it would bring Wisconsin into the dark days of draconian gun laws. Cities, counties, and municipalities cannot be allowed to pass ordinances, rules, or regulations more stringent than state law. This leads to a patchwork of laws across the state, which can be confusing for residents and non-residents visiting the state. It can also make criminals out of law-abiding citizens who inadvertently run afoul of a local ordinance. Imagine the extremists in Madison determining their own gun laws! Rest assured, they would use Chicago as their model for their gun laws. ...

[Wisconsin] Mike Stollenwerk says Milwaukee police chief using Bull Connor's playbook:

Earlier this week WISN.com TV News caught on video a consensual encounter between West Allis police officers and Brad Krause who happened to be open carrying a holstered handgun in public. Like the old Roman saying, the police officers' action can be described simply as: they came, they saw, they left.

In states where open carry has become popular the police often don't even come anymore unless they see or are told of actual unlawful conduct.

But while Wisconsin gun owners like Mr. Krause prepare to play ball with consensual police inquiries into their orderly open carrying of holstered handguns, Milwaukee police chief Ed Flynn appears to be borrowing a page from Bull Connors' playbook. As the Birmingham, AL Public Safety Commissioner in the 1960s, Bull Connors became a symbol of bigotry by using fire hoses and police attack dogs against protest marchers.

Now comes Milwaukee police chief Ed Flynn - hailing recently from Massachusetts but acting like he's from the old South - telling his officers to "take down anyone with a firearm despite Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's finding that people can carry guns openly if they do it peacefully." Chortled Flynn, "My message to my troops is if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we'll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it."

With good reason, Reason Magazine notes "You know you have a problem when the chief refers to peace officers as 'troops.'" ...

[Wisconsin] Gene German muses on lawmaker's proposed ban on open carry:

... The Governors reaction to last Monday’s memo by Attorney General VanHollen was to suggest that the state should return to the days when local jurisdictions could enact their own set of ordinances – implying Milwaukee for example could ban open carry if it wanted to. What the Governor (who is also a former Wisconsin attorney general) seems to have ignored is a local ban on open carry would also be an unconstitutional infringement on a citizens protected right.

Rep Leon Young, a former Milwaukee cop is telling everyone that he is “fast tracking” a new state law to ban open carry statewide. Of course, that law would be unconstitutional also for the same reasons. Fortunately, we already have a pretty good idea what the Wisconsin Supreme Court will say about any such law.

Chief Justice Shirley Abramson said in her dissent in Hamdan;

Article I, Section 25 does not establish an unfettered right to bear arms. Clearly, the State retains the power to impose reasonable regulations on weapons, including a general prohibition on the carrying of concealed weapons. However, the State may not apply these regulations in situations that functionally disallow the exercise of the rights conferred under Article I, Section 25.

So, what we don’t know yet is would the Wisconsin Supreme Court only overturn Rep. Young’s new law banning open carry or would the court overturn both the new law and the old ban on concealed carry too? Why force the court to choose? The court could just overturn them both. The sooner Rep. Young can “fast track” his new law banning open carry to the Governor’s desk for his signature, the sooner we will be able to get the Supreme Courts answer to which law or laws will have to fall.

With the help of Governor Doyle and Rep. Young all Wisconsin citizens may soon be able to carry guns totally unrestricted like they did before 1872 - again. ...

[Alaska] College students rally for campus carry:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Some students at the University of Alaska Anchorage want to be allowed to carry guns on campus.

George Hines, a UAA student, organized a protest Thursday against a UA-system gun ban. About 15 sign-waving students showed up for the protest, held at a street corner near campus. ...

[California] Shooting sports fair closes due to ammo shortage:

The Raahauge's Shooting Sports Fair, a hands-on gun show where you can shoot all the latest firearms on the market, has been cancelled for 2009. The Sports Fair is normally held the first weekend in June each year at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises in Corona. Mike Raahauge said the fair was cancelled because it had become impossible for all the firearm makers to get enough ammunition for this event.

"I just spoke with all of the manufacturers and none of them can get ammo," said Raahauge late last week. "We could hold the fair, but we'd probably be out of ammunition by Friday afternoon."

"Whether the shortage is due to the election of President Barack Obama or the economic downturn or fear of an increase in crime, ammo sales have been like plywood and bottled-water sales before a hurricane in Florida," Raahauge said.

Since President Obama's election, gun and ammunition sales have skyrocketed. Most ammunition manufacturers are operating multiple shifts on their production lines and still can't produce enough ammunition in the major handgun and military-style rifle calibers to meet demand. Besides ammunition, there is also a shortage of semi-automatic handguns, semi-automatic rifles, and reloading components. ...