Moon over Yusufiyah

Via The Anchoress, comes this story of adversity and strength from the Mudville Gazette:

The Stokely family sat in a football stadium on a warm Friday night just before Memorial Day 2001 to watch Mike Stokely graduate high school. He already had boot camp / basic training and a year in the National Guard under his belt and would be heading off for Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Gordon in a few weeks. His little sister, Abbey, almost nine, couldn't let go of him, even to have a photo taken with Mike and their brother, Wes. yus1.jpg She swung on his arm adoringly - her look of love says it all.

On the morning of August 16, 2005, as my wife Retta and I sat with Wes and Abbey just after breaking the news to them of Mikes death earler that morning, then 13 year old Abbey buried her head into my shoulder, sobbing these words: "he was supposed to chase away my first boyfriend, he was supposed to cheer at my graduation from high school, he was supposed to be an uncle to my children..." These words seared my heart, broken as it was. I shall never forget them. She lost her oldest brother that day, her "Bubs" which she called him short for his nickname, Bubba. ...

Read it here, and as Anchoress advises, ponder grace.

Congressman worried Guam might capsize

Today's Congressional committee video - Georgia congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) shows the nation his concern for the island of Guam tipping over and capsizing (you can't make this stuff up) due to too many people on the island:




Just remember, we're paying this guy over $170,000 a year in salary, plus lavish benefits, plus official expenses like travel, a full time staff, etc.

Georgia: Proposed gun laws spark debate

From Georgia:

Georgia lawmakers will soon debate major changes to the state's firearm laws. One proposal would allow licensed gun owners to carry their weapons almost anywhere including school zones, college campuses, churches, and parts of airports.

Supporters say that more gun owners licensed to carry concealed weapons would lower the crime rate. Opponents argue that letting more people carry guns almost everywhere would lead to more violence. Legislators say they need to clarify and balance Georgia's gun laws.

One thing for certain, more Georgians are buying guns and getting permits so they can carry concealed guns for protection.

Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul said "We see more and more people in their 50 to 60 year old brackets, coming in to get guns, to get permits for them to carry weapons." ...

Article here.

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

Georgia Rep. Paul Broun on Sotomayor and the Second Amendment:

... If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Judge Sotomayor will likely be on the Supreme Court while a potentially groundbreaking Second Amendment case is decided. Constitutional scholars, gun owners and freedom loving Americans will once again find themselves on pins and needles.

For months now, the rights of gun owners all across this country have been in limbo as they experienced the fluid ups and downs of federal court opinions. At times they saw their individual rights eroding away under the weight of anti-gun activists who would impose personal views in place of the plain language of the 2nd Amendment. At other moments, it seemed the activists would be defeated by cases like District of Columbia v. Heller and individual rights would prevail.

In fact, over two hundred years ago – the author of the Declaration of Independence - President Thomas Jefferson, had many of the same concerns as he sat down to write a letter to his friend Wilson Cary Nicholas. Jefferson wrote, “Our peculiar security is in possession of a written Constitution. Let us not make it a blank paper by construction." ...

Another article on Chicago gun ban case:

Citing not the Constitution but judicial supremacy through legal precedent, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld strict gun control ordinances in Chicago and suburban Oak Park, Ill., stating the 2nd Amendment applies only to federal laws.

This is one of the rare times you will see the federal government deciding in favor of states. Except in this case, it’s misapplied and incorrect, because the Bill of Rights, wherein the Second Amendment is contained, takes precedence over any states’ infringement or cancellation of specific rights granted thereof. The Bill of Rights was meant to prohibit states from trampling on the rights of the people, just as much as it was meant to rein in such attacks from the federal level; it was meant to be a limitation on any government power.

Three Republican appointees — Judge Frank H. Easterbrook, Judge Richard A. Posner and Judge William J. Bauer — saw fit to hail their peers as the interpreters, deciders, and ignorers of the Constitution. Now the case will head for the Supreme Court in fall. And possibly by that time, Sonia Sotomayer will most likely have been approved by the Senate and sitting on the bench.

Sotomayer was part of a three-judge panel in New York that had already concluded that the 2nd Amendment and its protection does not apply to state and municipal laws. So the outcome of such a Supreme Court case leaves little to the imagination, as the justices will most likely try to squeeze out of the Second Amendment their own interpretation. ...

An open letter to liberals:

It’s time we talk. The debate over gun control is not about guns, it’s about culture, and here is how it works: You point to school shootings and other violence and say that it’s my fault because I support the right to keep and bear arms. I point to violent video games and sociopathic teenagers, and I say the problem is your fault, thanks to inadequately internalized values and morals.

But here’s the thing: Between guns and culture, only one thing has changed. Weapons have been in the hands of man since time immemorial. There is nothing special about semi-automatic “assault weapons.” In fact, until 1934 people could go out and buy fully automatic Thompson submachine guns, hand grenades or just about any other implement of destruction they could afford.
...
Now, we could go the way of the Brits who, after the Dunblane massacre, banned everything in sight. Unfortunately, in this most perfect of gun control laboratories – an island nation with strict laws and tight borders – the result has been an explosion in crime…and yes, that especially includes gun crime.

It has also led their inadequately socialized post-60s kiddies to stab each other with such alarming regularity that the British have now begun to ban knives, leading us to the sad but inescapable conclusion that Brits can no longer be trusted with sharp objects. ...

[Tennessee] Senate passes Firearms Freedom Act:

The State Senate approved legislation today "that seeks to combat the destruction of the 10th Amendment of the Constitution by the Federal government in their attempt to infringe upon states’ rights."

Senate Bill 1610, known as the “Tennessee Firearms Freedom Act,” sponsored by Senator Mae Beavers, "takes a step in the right direction to restore to the states control of intra-state commerce and the regulation of firearms manufactured and sold within Tennessee," she said.

“Be it the federal government mandating changes in order for states to receive federal funds or the federal government telling us how to regulate commerce contained completely within this state – enough is enough,” urged Judiciary Chairman Beavers.
...
The state House of Representatives passed the companion bill (HB 1796 by Ben West and Henry Fincher) last week and the bill will now head to the governor’s office.

There were 87 representatives and 21 senators who voted in favor of the bill.

[New York] Anti-gun politicians opine on the need for more infringements:

... Microstamping allows police officers to identify the buyer and seller of a gun used in a crime -- even if the gun is not recovered at the crime scene. Tracing shell casings found at the scene is no different than tracing a crime gun.

Here's how microstamping works:

Gun manufacturers already print a serial number on all guns, often on the barrel. If they also begin inserting a serial number on the firing pin inside the barrel, every time a gun is fired, a tiny stamp would be left on the shell casings, which police officers routinely recover at crime scenes.

Microstamping gives law enforcement a new link in the evidence chain.

With the serial number from the casing, police can identify the gun and trace it back to the original sale in a gun store to find out who bought the gun. Even if the first retail purchaser has nothing to do with the crime -- for example, in cases where the gun was stolen from a legal gun owner -- determining the chain of custody of a gun is a critically important lead that can break a case open.

Suddenly, a stolen gun becomes the key to finding the shooter.

This technology fills a critical information gap between crime scenes, crime guns and the criminals who pulled the trigger.

Microstamping is fully consistent with the Second Amendment, and it is supported by more than 60 New York police departments, the New York Association of Chiefs of Police, the New York State Fraternal Order of Police and 19 New York mayors who are part of the bipartisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. [emphasis added] ...

Comment: The idea that locating the rightful owner of a stolen gun is "the key to finding the shooter" is almost too stupid for words. Notwithstanding the fact that microstamping can be easily defeated with, e.g., a five dollar file or a new firing pin, even if it works it only points to the person who legally purchased the gun that was stolen. And of course it only works if you can recover a spent cartridge from the gun in question. Of course, all the anti-gunners support this latest infringement, with the typical list of police agencies and their support organizations, led by would-be tyrants masquerading as elected servants.


[California] Santa Clarita resident details his first gun purchase in anti-gun California:

The ".22" I bought is actually considered a small-bore rifle. Gun sizes or "calibers" actually refer to the inside diameter of the gun barrel. "Caliber" is interchangeable with the word "inch." So, a 0.22 caliber gun fires a bullet that is 0.22" across.

I would think that a gun that fires such a little bullet would not worry the anti-gun folks so much. Boy, was I wrong.

I have never purchased a gun in the state of California. I had been through a gun class recently, so I was aware that there was a 10-day waiting period. I guess that helps stop "crimes of passion" where people rashly go out and buy a gun to do someone in.

I'm really glad we have that law. Now, instead of guns, all these angry people can use knives, baseball bats, rat poison and any one of myriad other methods to kill someone. That's much more humane.

I had shopped around and knew guns were very hard to find these days.

All the latest moves by the Obama administration have convinced the gun community that guns will soon be very hard to acquire.
...
After checking out the goods, I decided to get it. Little did I know I was going to fall into Gun-Control Hell.

The pimply-faced, 18-year-old employee told me that there were a few formalities to take care of before our transaction was complete.

After fingerprinting me, verifying my driver's license, doing the laser eye retina scan and testing my DNA, he presented me with a small form to fill out.

"Small" is a relative term, of course. The extensive list of questions included queries about my criminal record, my relative mental stability, and whether I was a fugitive from the law.
...
After half an hour of fun and games, I was allowed to pay for the gun and leave the store- without the gun. I was now in my "waiting period."

This was fine with me because I now had to go find ammunition since a gun without ammo is like a Democrat without union money. Impotent. ...

[D.C.] Norton pulls D.C. Voting Rights Act, citing amendments to remove D.C.'s gun controls:

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton on Tuesday pulled the D.C. Voting Rights Act from consideration by the House of Representatives, as it became clear supporters did not have the votes to reject a pro-gun amendment attached in the Senate.

Norton, a Democrat, made the decision to withdraw the measure after meeting with key players over the weekend, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, according to an e-mail she sent to key voting rights backers. The bill would have expanded the House by two seats, one for the District and the other, temporarily at least, for Utah.

“All agreed that there were good reasons to wait — for now,” wrote Norton, D.C.’s non-voting delegate. “Please understand that we are holding the bill for now, not giving up on voting rights.”

The bill, which had suffered defeat twice before, is unlikely to return before the next congressional session. ...

Comment: D.C. pols are so wedded to the idea of defenseless citizens that they would rather continue their draconian gun controls than have a vote in Congress, although without amending the Constitution, such a vote would likely be unconstitutional. Not that the Constitution appears to be much of an impediment to Washington politicians.


Press Release: Remington acquires Dakota Arms:

Remington Arms Company, Inc. through its fully owned subsidiary DA Acquisitions LLC has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire certain assets of Dakota Arms, LLC including the Dakota, Miller Arms, Dan Walter and Nesika Bay Precision brands. The transaction closed on June 5, 2009.Established in 1982 and headquartered in Sturgis, South Dakota, Dakota Arms is the leading manufacturer of custom and semi-custom rifles for the sporting markets.

The Dakota product lines are universally recognized for outstanding quality, design, accuracy and aesthetic appeal. The Dakota brands include Nesika, Miller Arms and Dan Walter. Nesika Bay Precision actions and rifles renowned for their exceptional accuracy; Miller Arms is known for the reliability and performance of its single-shot actions and custom rifles; and Dan Walter Cases are regarded as the premier travel and display cases for shotguns and rifles. Dakota Arms is strongly anchored in the Black Hills of South Dakota and currently employs 35 people. ...

John Lott on Sotomayor and guns:

... Whatever Mr. Obama's true conviction, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, his pick for the Supreme Court, does not view the Second Amendment as guaranteeing an individual right. Yet media from the Los Angeles Times to The Washington Post think they have the proof she is not an "anti-gun radical."

Their logic goes something like this: Last week, a three-judge panel of Republican-appointed judges on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Second Amendment limits only federal gun laws, not state laws. Because Judge Sotomayor was being criticized for sitting on a panel that reached a similar decision and these Republicans can't be "anti-gun," neither can Judge Sotomayor.

But the media are either unable or unwilling to read beyond who won the 2nd and 7th circuit cases and the most basic parts of the decisions. Both panels said it really was up to the Supreme Court to apply the Second Amendment to the states. Yet Judge Sotomayor's panel tried to eviscerate the recent Supreme Court decision that had struck down the District's gun ban even for federal laws.

To her panel, the Second Amendment would not block any gun-control laws as long as the politicians passing the laws thought the weapon was "designed primarily as a weapon and has no purpose other than to maim or, in some instances, kill." With that interpretation, the Supreme Court never could have struck down the D.C. gun ban, let alone any other gun-control law.

That Judge Sotomayor would make such an argument less than a year after the Supreme Court's decision in the District of Columbia v. Heller means she would vote to return the D.C. gun ban the first chance she got. For those who have any remaining doubts, in a 2004 decision, U.S. v. Sanchez-Villar, Judge Sotomayor ruled "that the right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right." ...

South Carolina's Sen. DeMint says Sotomayor still troubles him:

... Though Sotomayor was "very personable and engaging," "I didn't hear anything today that eased my concerns," DeMint said in a statement.

"She was unwilling to say the Second Amendment protects a fundamental right that applies to all Americans, which raises serious questions about her view of the Bill of Rights. When I asked if an unborn child has any rights whatsoever, I was surprised that she said she had never thought about it. This is not just a question about abortion, but about the respect due to human life at all stages, and I hope this is cleared up in her hearings," DeMint said. [emphasis added] ...

[Arizona] Senate panel OKs restaurant carry bill:

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to let some gun owners bring their weapons into places where alcohol is served after the Arizona Restaurant Association dropped its objection to the proposal.

Monday's 4-3 vote came after assurances from the National Rifle Association that the provisions of SB 1113 are limited to restaurants. Todd Rathner, a member of NRA's board, said that goes along with his organization's belief that gun owners should not be required to leave their weapons in their vehicles simply because they want something to eat and the restaurant also happens to serve alcohol.

But Rathner acknowledged that the wording of the bill, which now goes to the full Senate, actually could let guns into more than just what are usually seen as restaurants.

SB 1113 allows someone who has a state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon to bring it into a place that has a liquor license and "offers for sale food for on-site consumption prepared in a kitchen located on the premises."
...
Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, said he sharpened this year's version to apply only to those individuals who have state-issued licenses to carry concealed weapons. That not only screens out those who haven't been through the training and background checks, but it also ensures no one has a visible gun strapped to a hip.

It also preserves language from prior years spelling out that anyone who is armed cannot drink. And it says any restaurant owner who doesn't want patrons carrying guns can keep the weapons out by posting signs to that effect at all entrances.
Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant Association, said his members still aren't supporting the plan. But they're no longer trying to kill it, either.

And Gov. Jan Brewer already has said that unlike her predecessor, who vetoed a similar bill in 2005, she's inclined to sign it. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[Tennessee] House overrides Gov. Bredesen's veto of restaurant carry bill:

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee House today voted 69-27 to override Gov. Phil Bredesen’s veto of a bill allowing handgun-carry permit holders to bring loaded weapons into restaurants and bars selling alcohol.

That was more than the 66-23 margin when the bill originally passed.

The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Doug Jackson, D-Dickson, has said he intends to bring the measure up before the chamber on Thursday.

The House action was the chamber’s first override of a Bredesen veto and also the first since 2001, when lawmakers overrode then-Gov. Don Sundquist, who vetoed an appropriations bill. ...

Comment: Given that the bill passed by wide margins in both the House and Senate, expect the Senate to override the Governor's veto as well. Note that, while critics and the media have referred to this as the "guns in bars" bill, no doubt to play up the image of drunken gunfights erupting, the bill is more accurately characterized as a "restaurant carry" bill. The official bill summary notes that the bill would prohibit permit holders from consuming alcoholic beverages while carrying, and would still prohibit carry in age-restricted establishments (where only those over 21 are admitted and patrons' IDs are checked at the door). That isn't your typical family restaurant that also happens to serve alcohol.


[Georgia] Columnist says state has more off-limits locations for gun carry than California:

Georgia or California: Which place has more off limits locations to bearing, i.e., actually carrying, a firearm. California has more than 50,000 people with firearms licences.

California is a "may issue" state.

But, if you are one of the more than 50,000 people who have a firearms license in California, are you better off than a Georgian? Prior to July of 2008, the members of GeorgiaCarry.Org, Inc. contended that Georgia had more places off limits to the bearing of arms than any state in the nation. Now, in 2009, Georgia still has more places off limits than California. Most people assume California is highly restrictive of the right to bear arms and that Georgia is a “gun friendly state.” Are these twin assumptions justified?
...
In sum, California, the state assumed to restrict and burden the right to bear arms, permits the bearing of arms in elementary schools, colleges, the State Capitol Building, the Governor’s Mansion, town hall, police stations, libraries, and in airports. Georgia, the state assumed to permit the free exercise of the right to bear arms, criminalizes the bearing of arms in all of these locations, in some cases imposing a felony charge, even if the person bearing a pistol has a firearms license issued pursuant to Georgia law. Hopefully, this short article has challenged your assumptions regarding the right to bear arms in Georgia and in California. In addition, by providing the actual Code Sections, it is hoped that this article will provide you with some of the intellectual ammunition you need to return Georgia’s right to bear arms to an actual “right,” rather than an overburdened “privilege.”

Comment: Of course, the likelihood that the ordinary, law-abiding citizen in California can get a carry permit is much lower than in Georgia. In most of California's large cities, the probability of an average law-abiding citizen getting a carry permit is vanishingly low. Fifty thousand permits might sound like a lot, until you consider California has about 37 million people. I'll bet Georgia, with a population of about ten million, has both a far greater percentage of permit holders (due to its "shall issue" permit law), as well as a greater absolute number of permit holders.

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

Fox News: Sotomayor's gun control positions could prompt backlash:

Judge Sonia Sotomayor could walk into a firestorm on Capitol Hill over her stance on gun rights, with conservatives beginning to question some controversial positions she's taken over the past several years on the Second Amendment.

Earlier this year, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee joined an opinion with the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Second Amendment rights do not apply to the states.

A 2004 opinion she joined also cited as precedent that "the right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right."

Ken Blackwell, a senior fellow with the Family Research Council, called Obama's nomination a "declaration of war against America's gun owners."

Such a line of attack could prove more effective than efforts to define Sotomayor as pro-abortion, efforts that essentially grasp at straws. Sotomayor's record on that hot-button issue reveals instances in which she has ruled against an abortion rights group and in favor of anti-abortion protesters, making her hard to pigeonhole.

But Sotomayor's position on gun control is far more crystallized. ...

NRA stays out of nomination battle, for now:

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is staying on the sidelines in the battle over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, to the dismay of conservative activists who hoped that the gun-rights group would pressure conservative Democratic senators to oppose her.

Republicans have repeatedly tried to draw the NRA into court fights over the years but with little success. The Bush administration, for example, tried to persuade the group to support a number of its nominees, as did Senate Republicans.
...
But a spokesman for the organization said it’s staying on the sidelines for now.

“Right now we have a lot of concerns and questions and we hope to have those addressed during the confirmation hearing and throughout the process,” said Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman. “As far as our actions, we reserve the right to do anything based on what we find out.

“All options are on the table,” he added. “As we speak today, we’re waiting for the confirmation process. A research team is looking into her record on our issue.” ...

[Ohio] More women buying and carrying guns [video available at the link]:

An unprecedented number of women are taking their protection into their own hands by getting a gun. Gun stores are seeing more women customers than anyone can remember. Many women are also getting permits to carry a concealed weapon.

Local 12 Reporter Liz Bonis shows us why many women are in a hurry to arm themselves.

When Jenny Jeffery recently made the decision to get a license to conceal and carry a weapon she says it wasn't because she feels threatened right now, but rather:

Jenny Jeffery, Gun Owner: "What I saw, where society was going as a whole, and the need to step up and be proactive in my safety and that of my family."

Apparently, Jeffery is not alone. Homer Cole has owned Shooters Supply for nearly a decade. Cole says, when it comes to sales of guns to girls...

[Nevada] Hunters may feel effects of ammo shortage:

It's the last week of May, and Nevada hunters soon will grow anxious awaiting the results of the big game tag draw. Those results should be available before long, but knowing whether you received a tag won't do you any good if you don't have ammo for your favorite hunting rifle.

"Yesterday I ordered two boxes of Remington Express shells in .243 caliber," one concerned reader recently wrote by e-mail. "Cabela's says maybe they will be available by late May. You could do hunters a real service by warning them of the ammo and component shortages. I am afraid if someone waits until the last minute they won't be able to make purchases in time."

My guess is the writer meant those who procrastinate buying ammunition could find themselves out of luck in the fall. I understand his concerns, and so should anyone who has shopped for ammo or reloading components lately. The wait in a Colorado firearms store my brother frequents is often several hours, and that's just to ask the guy behind the counter whether he has a certain caliber in stock. Many times the answer is no. Of course, he'll gladly put your name on a waiting list.

There is no waiting list, however, if you are interested in buying a military surplus rifle with a hard-to-pronounce name and Eastern European origins. For these he has plenty of ammo.

Here in town, a large department store near my home reportedly has limited the amount of ammunition a single buyer can purchase on a given day. But according to a friend who sometimes buys his ammo there, by noon there's not much left. ...

[Tennessee] Gov. Bredesen vetoes restaurant carry bill:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Phil Bredesen on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have allowed Tennessee handgun permit holders to take their weapons into establishments that serve alcohol.

He made the announcement at a late afternoon news conference where he was joined by police chiefs and district attorneys from around the state.

“Tennessee state law has long prohibited the possession of firearms in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol,” Bredesen said. “House Bill 962 would remove this protection in a manner that I, along with many law enforcement officers, believe to be reckless and lacking basic safeguards to ensure public safety. I respectfully ask the Legislature to rethink this issue.”

The measure passed the state House 66-23 and Senate 24-7 earlier this month. A simple majority is required in each chamber to override a veto. ...

Comment: The bill passed both chambers by wide margins, so I suspect a veto override, which requires only a simple majority in Tennessee, will get the bill passed into law soon.


[Tennessee] NRA says Gov. Bredesen "betrayed trust" by vetoing restaurant carry bill:

NASHVILLE — The National Rifle Association is accusing Gov. Phil Bredesen of having “betrayed” a “trust” by vetoing legislation Thursday allowing handgun-carry permit holders to bring loaded weapons into establishments selling alcohol.

The executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, Chris Cox, in a statement called the veto “a shock and a major disappointment to gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment because Governor Bredesen had committed to supporting this legislation.”

“During the 2006 campaign, Governor Bredesen assured Tennesseans — and the NRA in writing — that he would support this effort. NRA’s endorsement of Governor Bredesen that year centered largely on this promise. Today, that trust has been betrayed,” Mr. Cox said. [emphasis added] ...

[Washington] Seattle mayor, gun rights advocates in stalemate:

At least eight innocuous signs posted around the Seattle Center over the Memorial Day weekend during the Folklife Festival declared “No firearms allowed at this event or on these premises.”

The signs had no force of law, there was no authority cited, and there are anecdotal reports from some in the gun rights community that armed citizens simply ignored those signs, kept their pistols tucked under cover garments, vests or loose shirts, and contrary to what anti-gun Mayor Greg Nickels would have had everyone believe would happen, nobody got hurt.

For months, the mayor had been blustering and threatening and promising that he would issue an “executive order” banning firearms from all city property, including those carried legally by private citizens. For just as long, the Second Amendment Foundation in Bellevue, its sister organization, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the National Rifle Association, have been waiting.

Those groups are ready to hit Nickels with a lawsuit and he knows it. ...

[Germany] German cabinet approves more gun controls:

BERLIN -- Germany's cabinet approved legislation that would tighten gun restrictions, two months after a teenager shot and killed 12 people.

The law, which requires parliamentary approval, would mean stricter checks on weapons owners and a higher age limit for users of large-caliber weapons.
...
The Interior Ministry said the legislation also foresees an amnesty under which people could hand in illegally held weapons until the end of 2009. The government's plan calls for expanding inspections to determine whether people with weapons licenses are locking up their guns at home securely, as required. ...

[Germany] Another article on the proposed gun controls:

Under legislation to be put to a vote in parliament next month, Germany's gun owners, who number between 10 and 12 million, would be subject to unannounced random checks of how and where they store their weapons. [emphasis added]

If guns are accessible to anyone other than the license holder, that person will be subject to punishment. If a judge finds that someone deliberately allowed adolescents access to firearms, that person will face a prison sentence.

The age of those allowed to use high-caliber firearms will also be raised from 14 to 18. The Social Democrats wanted to ban high-caliber rifles altogether, but the ministers agreed not to go that far.

The bill also tightens up penalties for those who neglect the terms of gun licenses, which are required before being allowed to possess a weapon in Germany. ...

[Georgia] State rep gets county gun ban dropped:

State Representative Timothy Bearden (R - 68) is a member of the National Rifle Association and GeorgiaCarry.Org. He is also the author of the 2008 Georgia bill that removed the restriction on carrying firearms in restaurants that serve alcohol, state parks, and mass transit. So he was rather shocked to discover last week that his home county, Carroll County, had banned the carry of firearms at Snake Creek Reservoir when it opened the reservoir to public fishing. It is rule 3 on this pdf file brochure.

The new gun ban did not last long.

Georgia has a state law preempting local regulation pertaining to the carry or possession of firearms. A telephone call from Rep. Bearden to Carroll County put a quick stop to the new gun ban rule.

Carroll County has assured Rep. Bearden that the sign purporting to ban firearms will come down soon. ...

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. ...

If it saves just one life ...

So goes the tired refrain from the gun banners. Here's a story of one college student who used a gun to save his own life and those of his ten friends:

A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they’re thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked me who burst into an apartment.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones met with one of the students to talk about the incident.

“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.

Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.

“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.

Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.

That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment. ...

Article and video news report here. Incidents like this, where a would-be victim uses a gun to save innocent life, happen many times every day, all across the country. These stories typically get reported only at the local level. The national mainstream media rarely report such stories, as it doesn't fit their dishonest "guns are evil" civilian disarmament agenda.

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[Illinois] Gun, ammo sales booming:

Across Illinois, people are sticking to their guns.

Firearm sales have surged in the state since President Obama was elected, mirroring a national trend fueled in part by concerns over the new administration's stance on gun control.

"It's like when your radiator blows or your pressure cooker boils, that's the kind of spike we're talking about," said Mark Diaz, manager of the Smoke 'N Gun shop in Waukegan. "The joke is that the president is the No. 1 salesman in the firearm industry."

Nearly 80 percent of active hunters and shooters believe firearm purchases would be "more difficult" with Obama and a Democratic Congress, according to a recent survey by Southwick Associates, a research firm that specializes in fishing and hunting statistics. ...

[New York] Gun, ammo sales booming:

ALBANY, N.Y. -- "We're swamped all the time," said B & J Guns Sales Manager, Chris Powell. "These people are not just buying one gun, they're buying multiple guns and plenty of ammo."

The economy may be hurting many businesses across the state, but not gun shops. Sales of handguns and ammunition are way up, according to Powell.

"We're seeing quite a few new gun owners, especially new pistol owners, people that are just applying for their permit. A lot of them have to pick out a gun before they go through the application process," he said. ...

[New York] Another article on the gun, ammo sales boom:

ELMIRA HEIGHTS-- Despite a struggling economy, retailers are having a hard time meeting demand for guns and ammo.

Gun sales are soaring in the Twin Tiers, and across the nation for fear the Obama administration will impose stricter gun control.

Retail managers say once it looked like Obama would be elected president, gun and ammunition sales sky rocketed- and they're having a hard time keeping up.

“The manufacturer has even told us, if you want a million dollar order, you may only get a couple hundred thousands of it,” said Tom Witzel, the store manager of Hesselson’s in Elmira Heights.

He says his shelves have never looked so empty, and hunters are stocking up on gear - in fear of strict limitations and high taxes. ...

[Colorado] Bill seeks to inject some sanity in schools' "zero tolerance" weapons policies:

DENVER - Ten years after the Columbine massacre, some states are losing their tolerance for the zero-tolerance policies that proliferated in the aftermath of the nation's deadliest high-school shooting.

A week before Colorado marked the 10th anniversary of the iconic tragedy Monday, the legislature sent to the governor a bill making an exception in the state's zero-tolerance policy on weapons in schools. And on the day after the anniversary, Texas lawmakers will take more steps toward loosening their state's rules.

Colorado state Sen. Kevin Lundberg said he proposed the legislation in his state after Marie Morrow was expelled for leaving three facsimile drill-team rifles in her car in the school parking lot. She missed six days of school before a school hearing officer allowed her to return, after the story made national headlines in The Washington Times and elsewhere.

The bill isn't exactly sweeping - it allows students to bring facsimile or prop rifles to school as long as they leave them in their cars - but it passed unanimously in both houses. Efforts to do more were met with "pushback," said Mr. Lundberg. ...

[Georgia] Pro-gun rights legislator speaks to Georgia gun group:

Georgia 68th District Rep. Timothy Bearden spoke to the area GeorgiaCarry.org group Saturday.

The group, which is head Tim Huett of Hinesville, had its monthly meeting at the Club house in Rye Patch.

“Most people in Georgia don’t realize it, but Georgians have some of the most restrictive laws in the nation on carrying firearms,” Bearden said. “States like Washington and even California, which are states that a lot of people feel are liberal states, aren’t as strict as we are here.”

According to the Villa Rica Republican, one of the problems that Georgia has, regarding the right to carry firearms is the vague interpretation of the Public Gathering Law.

“This law has no clear guidelines and as a result of this any time three or more people are gathered together they can be interpreted as a group, and the law could be enforced, where they can’t carry a gun,” Bearden said.

The lawmaker discussed Georgia House Bill 65, which, according to him, “puts everything on the table.”

“If this bill passes, we can get some clarification on carrying a firearm, and some of this loose interpretation can be stopped,” he said. ...

Comment: I would argue that Georgia's gun laws, despite the noted problems, are still far more reasonable than California's.

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

The anti-gun New York Times, which probably hasn't ever met a gun-control law it didn't like, takes aim at gun shops in border states:

HOUSTON — John Phillip Hernandez, a 24-year-old unemployed machinist who lived with his parents, walked into a giant sporting goods store here in July 2006, and plunked $2,600 in cash on a glass display counter. A few minutes later, Mr. Hernandez walked out with three military-style rifles.

One of those rifles was recovered seven months later in Acapulco, Mexico, where it had been used by drug cartel gunmen to attack the offices of the Guerrero State attorney general, court documents say. Four police officers and three secretaries were killed.

Noting there are about 1,500 licensed gun dealers in the Houston area, Mr. Webb added, “You can come to Houston and go to a different gun store every day for several months and never alert any one.”

The case highlights a major obstacle facing the United States as it tries to meet a demand from Mexico to curb the flow of arms from the states to drug cartels. The federal system for tracking gun sales, crafted over the years to avoid infringements on Second Amendment rights, makes it difficult to spot suspicious trends quickly and to identify people buying for smugglers, law enforcement officials say.

As a result, in some states along the Southwest border where firearms are lightly regulated, gun smugglers can evade detection for months or years. In Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, dealers can sell an unlimited number of rifles to anyone with a driver’s license and a clean criminal record without reporting the sales to the government.

At gun shows in these states, there is even less regulation. Private sellers, unlike licensed dealers, are not obligated to record the buyer’s name, much less report the sale to the A.T.F. ...

Even the international press repeats the lie:

Police in Mexico have seized an anti-aircraft machine gun in the state of Sonora, near the US border. They also found ammunition and other heavy weapons. A woman has been arrested.

The seizure took place two days before US President Barack Obama is due to visit his Mexican counterpart, President Felipe Calderón. High on the agenda of the talks between the two will be the bloody drug war currently being waged, mainly with US weapons, by the Mexican drug cartels. [emphasis added] ...

Columnist skewers 20/20 report:

“If I only had a gun,” ABC’s recent segment of “20/20,” treated viewers to a biased and deeply flawed “study” promoting the opinion that armed citizens are incapable of stopping active killers in mass homicides. On Monday, “Myths of Armed Self-Defense” exposed “20/20’s” fallacy of the omnipotent killer, noting that personality characteristics of such killers actually make them more, not less, vulnerable to armed defense. Today, we discuss the advice “20/20” gave viewers unfortunate enough to find themselves in active killer scenarios.

This is what “20/20’s” “experts” advise you to do if confronted by an active killer:

* Try to run: Maybe he won’t shoot you, advises JJ Bittenbinder, ABC’s professed expert: “Only 12½ times out of a hundred” would you be killed. (I would include the link for this “security expert’s” website … if Google hadn’t flagged it for “malicious software.”)

* Play dead: “Remember that receptionist who played dead after being shot crawling under a desk and dialing 9-1-1- for help,” admonishes host Diane Sawyer. This, of course, required being shot first.

* Dial 9-1-1: This is liberalism’s best hope for self-defense; have someone else do it for you, albeit 10 or so minutes later, when people are already dead.

...

Dave Workman exposes 20/20 anti-gun hit piece:

New information has surfaced about the depth of bias that surfaced on ABC’s 20/20 hit piece that aired Friday, April 10 with Diane Sawyer as the host.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation revealed Monday that it had been “asked numerous times by 20/20 Senior Producer Muriel Pearson to participate in the story, but understanding the piece was a set-up, we refused.”
...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, fewer than 100 kids 15 and under are killed in gun accidents every year. - ABC's John Stossel

NSSF Public Affairs Director Ted Novin reported Monday afternoon that, even though the organization declined to participate, it reminded Pearson of the 20/20 team’s “responsibility to ask hard-hitting questions of those supporting gun control.” NSSF also provided 20/20 with information on the thousands of state, local and federal gun laws, along with data from the Department of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics related to firearms.

“Unfortunately,” Novin said, “given 20/20’s refusal to disclose any of the information we provided – information that interfered with their already pre-established and desired anti-gun conclusion – it has become all too clear that journalistic impartiality on firearms issues is limited to John Stossel.” ...

Buckeye Firearms Association deconstructs the 20/20 show:

Do you think it's a good idea to be armed during a mass shooting? Diane Sawyer and the producers of ABC's 20/20 aren't so sure. In fact, on Friday, April 10, 2009, Sawyer spent a full hour trying desperately to prove how dangerous guns are and how ordinary people can't possibly defend themselves with firearms. The show's snarky title: "If I Only Had A Gun."

Slanted information filled the report, seemingly pulled from the press releases of the Brady Campaign, with not a single dissenting opinion. The most egregious slight [sic] of hand was a rigged experiment that struggled to show why having a gun would do you no good in a Virginia Tech style mass shooting.
...
The show's conclusion? Having a gun doesn't protect you. Ordinary people aren't trained to handle stress. You might shoot innocent people. The bad guy might take your gun from you.

So having a gun is pointless, right? Well, hold on. Let's take a closer look at that experiment. ...

Comment: If the description in the article is accurate, then the experiment certainly sounds rigged to favor the bad guy. The bad guy is unlikely to know the identity (or identities) and locations of any armed good guys. In addition, what if there was more than one armed student? What if there were three armed students? Or five? In a large auditorium-style classroom, that's not an unreasonable number to expect. Plus, what's the alternative? Just sit there and die? Having a gun doesn't mean you'll prevail, or even survive, but it sure beats the alternative. Yet more mainstream media anti-self defense bias.


[Rhode Island] Gun, ammo sales spike:

Gun sales in Rhode Island spiked during 2008 to their highest level in at least a decade as firearms purchases in the state mimicked a national trend.
Related links

The surge continues in 2009 as gun sales in Rhode Island are on track to rise nearly 50 percent, to 13,000 firearms.

Politics and economics are the prime causes, say gun dealers and others.

“I’m hearing two things,” said Pawtucket police Chief George L. Kelley III, president of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. “The first is [people] are afraid the president may change some of the laws, and the second is the economy.” ...

[New York] Gun, ammo sales spike:

Fred Calcagno has owned American Sportsman, a gun shop in East Rochester for 22 years. But since Barack Obama became president he's noticed a spike in business.

"Since the election sales have been up because across the country, people are nervous that there are going to be more restrictions on fire arms."

He estimates sales have jumped between 10 and 25% in the last six months.

"There's a huge demand across the country and firearms, manufacturers are back-ordered so long that distributors cant get items to sell," says Fred Calcagno. ...

[Pennsylvania] Gov. Rendell proposes more infringements:

Prodded by the shooting deaths of police officers in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Gov. Ed Rendell will ask lawmakers today to enact a series of measures to control gun violence.

The Democratic governor will detail his proposal at a Harrisburg news conference.

Previewing the measures in Pittsburgh yesterday, Mr. Rendell recalled the memorial service last week for the three Pittsburgh police officers gunned down in Stanton Heights. Noting that any number of legislators had attended similar events during years of increasing gun violence, he argued that those lawmakers could pay a more effective tribute to fallen officers by enacting common-sense gun control laws.

"Our police officers in the state are simply outgunned," he said. [empahsis added]

Mr. Rendell has advocated gun control measures in Harrisburg in the past with little success. In particular, he has called for a limit of one gun purchase a month to curb the problem of straw dealers who legally purchase guns but then resell them on the black market. ...

Comment: Ah, the false "police are outgunned" argument. Law enforcement is fully able to purchase and arm their officers with fully automatic weapons, i.e., true assault rifles. The fact that such rifles (at least those manufactured after 1986) aren't available to "ordinary" citizens shows that it's "we the people" who are outgunned, not the government. Rendell has the argument exactly backwards.


[Pennsylvania] Another article on Gov. Rendell's push for more gun-controls:

HARRISBURG (KDKA) ― Just yesterday, Governor Ed Rendell spoke out about gun control laws.

Today, the governor asked federal and state lawmakers to do more to protect police.

Governor Rendell, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Police Chief Nate Harper gathered with other officials in Harrisburg to discuss how Pennsylvania can prevent situations like the death of three Pittsburgh Police officers from ever happening again.

"Make them decide who they're with. Are they with law enforcement or not," said Rendell.

With those words, Governor Rendell called on the public to push lawmakers to enact common sense gun measures to protect local police beginning with a ban on AK47s and other semiautomatics.

"These weapons have absolutely no purpose but to kill," said Rendell. "They can't be used for sport; they certainly aren't used for hunting."

Ravenstahl endorsed that ban and other proposals to require the reporting of lost and stolen guns and to give local communities the power to enact tougher gun measures.

"One thing that was also abundantly clear on April 4th was that our police officers were out armed," said Ravenstahl. "They were out armed. The individual that fired the AK47 had much more firepower and strength than these officers did. It was unfortunate and that has to change." [emphasis added] ...

Comment: So, we need to do more to "protect police"? Aren't the police, to hear the anti-self defense crowd say it, supposed to protect us? Even though they have no legal duty to do so? And "outgunned"? Again, the police are able to have far greater firepower under existing laws, today, than "mere" ordinary citizens. So if anyone's "outgunned", it's "we the people". As for these guns having "absolutely no purpose but to kill", well, yes, that's why they're useful. What an idiot. Why in the world would you want a gun that's not designed to kill, and is capable of killing people and/or animals? What sense does that make? The Second Amendment wasn't written to protect hunting, or target shooting, or sport shooting (although it protects such uses), the Second Amendment was written to ensure that we would always have a heavily armed populace capable of defending itself against thugs, and tyrants.


[Maine] Lawmakers kill gun control bill:

AUGUSTA -- A gun control bill supported by the father of one of the students killed at Columbine High School was rejected by a legislative committee Monday in favor of a voluntary measure.

The Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted down a bill sponsored by Rep. Anna Blodgett, D-Augusta, that would have required unlicensed and private gun dealers to perform instant background checks at gun shows.

"I think I did as much as anybody could do for that bill," Blodgett said.

Last week, Tom Mauser -- whose son, Daniel, was one of 15 people killed in 1999 at the Colorado high school -- traveled to Maine to urge legislators to support the bill. ...

[Ohio] Lawmaker introduces bill for Alaska-style carry:

Representative John Adams (R-78) of Sidney, Ohio has introduced House Bill 129. The bill is identical to Adam's HB225 from 2007, and substantially similar to HB91 from 2005 and HB559 from 2004, the latter two having been sponsored by Representative Tom Brinkman. HB129 would repeal many of the onerous provisions of our current concealed carry law and allow law abiding citizens to carry concealed without a license.

Alaska-style CCW is an exciting possibility for gun owners in Ohio. It shows Rep. Adams is in touch with the most conservative of the gun owner base/constituency. It is an important philosophical position.

Vermont and Alaska already allow citizens to carry concealed handguns without a license, but all other states require a license (CHL) to carry a concealed handgun. Like Alaska, this bill would leave the license in place so that people who travel outside Ohio can have a license to take advantage of the many states that already honor Ohio's license. ...

[Ohio] County government backs off on employee gun ban:

Last week, the northeast Ohio county of Summit announced they were considering passing an ordinance to prohibit county workers from carrying firearms while working or doing county business, even while in personal vehicles. At the time, it was stated that the reason for the proposed ban was "liability purposes", according to Jason Dodson, chief of staff for County Executive Russ Pry.

Councilwoman Gloria Rodgers, who has stated she is planning to obtain a concealed handgun license, immediately came out in opposition to the proposal, calling it unnecessary and reminding that "people have a right to protect themselves."

Tom Morneweck, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1229 which covers county employees, stated that the Union has no opposition to employees being legally armed and questioned whether banning in personal vehicles would even be within the county's authority. ...

[Tennessee] Gun, ammo sales booming:

Gun City USA, the largest gun store in Nashville, Tennessee, has sold arms to country music stars Hank Williams Jr., George Jones and their entourages. What it can’t sell them much of right now is ammunition to reload.

“We have very, very little of any caliber,” said Larry Baity, a 74-year-old counter clerk at Gun City who said he has waited on Williams. “We’re virtually out. We’ve got a lot of bare shelves.”

The scene at Gun City is playing out across the U.S. as record gun sales deplete stocks from ammunition makers Alliant Techsystems Inc. and Olin Corp. Demand for firearms is being driven in part by concern that U.S. President Barack Obama may impose new controls, said Matt Rice, a spokesman for Springfield, Massachusetts-based Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. ...

[Georgia] Gun, ammo sales booming:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. -- The way Jay Chambers sees it, the semiautomatic weapons in his firearm collection might be the most promising investment in his financial portfolio.

Like many gun enthusiasts, Mr. Chambers, a manager for a door wholesaler here, believes President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress soon will reimpose a version of an expired federal ban on the sale of so-called assault weapons. If such a law passes, he figures his collection -- enough guns, ammo magazines and weapon parts to assemble about 30 AK-47s, AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles -- could triple in value. [emphasis added]

"A guy could easily make a lot of money," says Mr. Chambers, 47 years old, while at Autrey's Armory, a gun store about 20 miles south of Atlanta.

Purchases of guns and ammunition are surging across the country. Nearly four million background checks -- a key measure of sales because they are required at the purchase of a gun from a federally licensed seller -- were performed in the first three months of 2009. That is a 27% increase over the same period a year earlier, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ...

Comment: Personally, I don't share information about my guns with reporters, or those I don't know and trust. Mr. Chambers' name, and the type and nature of at least some of the guns he owns, is now public knowledge. Not a good idea, in my opinion, but that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[Georgia] Atlanta's "gun-free zones" not so gun free:

Atlanta's gun free zones are not free of guns or violent crime.

Georgia has one of the toughest laws in the country when it comes to banning guns from school property. The law creates what it calls the "school safety zone," an area of 1,000 feet surrounding any school, including universities and adult technical schools, where it is a felony punishable by ten years in prison to possess a firearm or other weapon. So why do armed and violent criminals keep striking near Georgia schools?

In just the last couple of weeks, Atlanta's prominent engineering university, Georgia Tech, has experienced five robberies of its students, who are disarmed by law within 1,000 feet of campus.

In the first four incidents, Georgia's draconian "school safety zone" law did not deter the robbers from using firearms to commit their crimes. Here are the incidents as reported by Georgia Tech. ...

[Colorado] Gun, ammo sales booming:

RIFLE, Colorado — Business is booming for Edward Wilks, owner of The Tradesman in Rifle, Colorado.
Wilks said that most mornings, when he shows up to work, a line of customers is waiting at his door to get the firearms and ammunition they’ve ordered.

“We can’t keep up with demand,” Wilks said. “I’ve got no time because of gun sales.”

An increase in gun sales across the nation since Obama was elected and taken office, has not lessened in the two months since he took the oath. And the increase in sales also means an increase in background checks, which must be run through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The checks are taking upwards of three hours to complete, sometimes longer, while they used to take much less time.
...
Clem could only speculate on why gun sales were so high; however, strong gun sales are only one aspect of an increase in business for Wilks’ business. Wilks said that he’s incredibly busy with training classes and concealed weapon permit courses, even more so than in previous years.

He said that his concealed weapons courses are so booked right now that people who have recently signed up can’t get into a class until November. ...

[Colorado] Gun bill debate fires up both sides:

A bill that would get rid of background checks for concealed-carry permit holders who are interested in purchasing a firearm has fired up both sides of the gun-rights issue.

Proponents of House Bill 1180 say the background checks are redundant because the gun owners were checked when they originally got their concealed-carry permits — which last five years — while opponents claim the bill would end up with more weapons in the wrong hands.

Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the legislature should focus on getting rid of the hurdles that stand in the way of the “law-abiding residents of Colorado.”

“These are all honest, hardworking citizens,” he said. “That is their right to own guns.”

However, opponents of the bill said the lack of a reliable central database of concealed-carry permit holders, and the permits lasting for five years, makes it impossible for firearms dealers to tell if the buyers are, in fact, “honest, hardworking citizens.” ...

[Texas] Local government passes resolution opposing H.R. 45:

SEGUIN — It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes a federal law — in this case a proposed federal law — is upsetting enough at the local level that a local government takes notice of it and dashes off a resolution in opposition.

And that’s what happened in Commissioner’s Court on Tuesday, with the county’s government voting unanimously in favor of a resolution opposing a proposed new federal firearms law that would require licenses for anyone wishing to buy a semi-automatic rifle or a handgun loaded by a clip and prohibit sale of such weapons — including many used for hunting or home protection — to anyone but a licensed gun dealer or collector.

The bill, House Resolution 45 sponsored by Congressman Bobby Rush of Illinois, is called Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, and is named for a 16-year-old youth gunned down on a Chicago bus as he attempted to block a shooter from hitting another student.
...
Etlinger told the parable about how to entrap a wild hog.

“First, you put out food for it, and you get it used to it for a couple of weeks,” Etlinger said.

Then, he said, erect a fence around the feed stand a piece at a time, and eventually that pig can be trapped.

“And that’s how our liberties get taken away — a little bit at a time,” Etlinger said. “And this is one of the ways they do it.” ...

[Texas] Student op-ed in favor of campus carry:

Over the past couple of months, the issue of concealed carry on campus has come to the forefront of debate in both our Student Government and this newspaper. While I expected this issue to die in January after being overwhelmingly shot down in SG, it surfaced again this week as the House Public Safety Committee debated a bill Monday that would permit college students to carry firearms on campus. In this debate, more than 100 people, including UT faculty and students, voiced their opinions with relatively equal representation on each side of the issue.

At times, I have been shocked to see what opponents of concealed carry have resorted to in defense of their opinion. In general, it seems like they think that allowing licensed carriers to utilize their constitutional right would force our now-peaceful campus into something that resembles the Wild West.

But if you look at the issue through the unbiased eye of statistics, it is logical to conclude that concealed carry would only help, not harm, the atmosphere of our campus.
...
The most laughable excuse that opponents of concealed carry make is the assertion that someone who is willing to commit a horrible atrocity on campus will reconsider due to the fact that they are not allowed to carry. If you look back at mass murders committed on college and high school campuses, the perpetrators’ actions were premeditated — sometimes for months in advance. No one who has spent a significant amount of time preparing is just going to stop all of a sudden and think, “Oh darn, I forgot that I’m not allowed to have a gun on campus. Guess I can’t go through with this.” ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

Washington Times op-ed says Obama secretly ending armed pilots program [hat tip to reader Jim P.]:

After the September 11 attacks, commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into buildings.

Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.

The Obama administration this past week diverted some $2 million from the pilot training program to hire more supervisory staff, who will engage in field inspections of pilots.
...
Since Mr. Obama's election, pilots have told us that the approval process for letting pilots carry guns on planes slowed significantly. Last week the problem went from bad to worse. Federal Flight Deck Officers - the pilots who have been approved to carry guns - indicate that the approval process has stalled out.

Pilots cannot openly speak about the changing policies for fear of retaliation from the Transportation Security Administration. Pilots who act in any way that causes a “loss of confidence” in the armed pilot program risk criminal prosecution as well as their removal from the program. Despite these threats, pilots in the Federal Flight Deck Officers program have raised real concerns in multiple interviews. ...

Gun advocates brace for new AWB fight:

... Attorney General Eric Holder is using the drug violence in Mexico to "confuse and mislead" Americans in an attempt to reinstate the expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban, gun advocates claim.

Holder revealed his intention to reinstate the ban last month while announcing more than 700 arrests in connection with a crackdown on Mexican drug cartels operating in the United States.

"As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to re-institute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder said. "I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico, at a minimum."

Holder said reinstating the ban would decrease the flow of guns from the U.S. into Mexico. He declined to offer a timeframe for any re-implementation; Justice Department spokesman Matt Miller also declined comment on Tuesday.
...
During a House subcommittee hearing last week, Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, warned against making U.S. gun owners "scapegoats" for the Mexican crisis.

"The message here is clear: According to some, the violence in Mexico is not the fault of the drug cartels or their American customers, nor is it the fault of decades of Mexican government corruption," Cox said in prepared remarks.

"In their view, the fault lies with American gun owners. This is an outrageous assertion."

Authorities should ramp up border security and continue targeting so-called straw buyers who do the cartels' "dirty work," Cox said.

But Tom Diaz, senior policy analyst at the Violence Policy Center, testified at the subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on Thursday that the U.S. civilian gun market is fueling violence in Mexico and on both sides of its border.
...
... Arizona state Sen. Jonathan Paton, who testified at last week's hearing, said additional gun laws are just not the answer.

"It would actually hurt the problem rather than help it," Paton, a Republican, said of re-instituting the federal assault weapons ban. "They're not giving us the resources on the laws that we already have on the books. What makes me think they're going to give us the resources for new laws?"

Paton cited Mexico's far stricter gun laws as proof that new domestic laws in the United States won't deter criminals intent on trafficking arms.

"It's not going to solve the problem you have with M-16s and AK-47s; they're already banned and they're already going into Mexico at a feverish pace," Paton told FOXNews.com. "The day they start taking their border security as serious as we do, Mexico will cut down tremendously on its amount of guns."

[Kansas] Ammo shortages hit gun owners:

WICHITA - Around Wichita, the supply of ammunition -- particularly for handguns -- is not keeping pace with a strong demand. The demand is emptying shelves at the big discount stores, owners of local shooting ranges and gun merchants say.
...
At the Goddard Gunnery, which sells mainly hunting supplies but also handguns and ammunition, owner Monte Reese said he has gotten new customers who said they couldn't find ammunition at the big discount stores.

"There does appear to be a shortage through the distribution channels," Reese said. "Certainly... demand is outpacing supply."

In 15 years in business, he said, "we had the best year we've ever had last year."

"We noticed the trend well before the election," he said. "It certainly didn't slow down after the election."

At the Bullet Stop, prices are rising with the demand, Holman said. In the last six months, for example, a box of 50 rounds of one type of ammo has gone from $36 to $53.

The shooting ranges are restricting carry-out sales so they have enough for their range customers.

Holman said he's seeing more couples, more women and more families coming to the shooting range --"just a heavy migration toward an acceptance of firearms in the role it plays in their lives."

David Ewald, spokesman for Minnesota-based Gander Mountain, one of the nation's largest gun retailers, said the company has seen brisk gun and ammo sales for the last six to eight months. Gander Mountain has a store in downtown Wichita. ...

[Georgia] Atlanta ammo scarce:

Larry Guarcello is having trouble locating a source of discounted ammunition. He has been attempting to make a group purchase for members of GeorgiaCarry.Org who are attending firearms classes with instructor Ken Forbus at Firearmz. These courses are not run of the mill familiarization courses where a student might expect to expend a single box of ammunition, but intensive courses requiring hundreds or even thousands of rounds. At current prices, such prodigious shooting that can add up to a noticeable sum.

Because the cost is significant, Mr. Guarcello thought he could realize a substantial savings if the students banded together to purchase their ammunition, but so far he has met with frustration. "Nobody is willing commit to price or availability at this time," he remarked. He added that he has not given up.

Many readers no doubt have experienced similar frustration recently. Mike Jones was at the Walmart sporting goods counter in Fayetteville, Georgia this evening, looking desperately through the empty shelves for ammunition to feed his .45 ACP pistol. He did not find any, and his said that this was the second store he had visited in less than a week. ...

The Oath Keepers Project gets some press:

An invitation to soldiers and peace officers across the United States to pledge to refuse illegal orders – including "state of emergency" orders that could include disarming or detaining American citizens – has struck a chord, collecting more than 100,000 website visitors in a little over a week and hundreds of e-mails daily.

Spokesman Stewart Rhodes of Oath Keepers told WND his organization's goal is to remind military members their oath of allegiance is to the U.S. Constitution, not a particular president.
...
One testimonial posted by an active duty Army soldier, who was kept anonymous, said that message already has gotten through.

"I want you guys to know I'm with you 100 percent and so are a lot of my fellow soldiers. These kinds of discussions go on between us often, and we all know that we did not swear an oath to any politician (of either party)," he wrote.

"And just for the record not me or anyone else in my platoon would ever follow an order to disarm the American people," he wrote. ...

[Tennessee] Bill would end fingerprinting of gun buyers:

FOUNTAIN CITY (WATE) -- A 1998 state law that requires gun buyers to provide a fingerprint could soon be a thing of the past.

A bill that passed 82-11 in the State House is now headed for the Senate. It says firearms dealers in Tennessee would no longer be required to take thumbprints from people buying a gun.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation asks that gun dealers buy a specific type of ink and also provides them with a thumbprint form, but many local dealers say they're not taught how to accurately take a thumbprint.
...
The current law requires gun dealers to keep prints on file for a year.

TBI reports it has only requested one thumbprint since the current law was enacted. That print was smudged and unusable

"In the ten years I've been here I have never had law enforcement come in and say we would like to have the fingerprints from this individual," says Bowman. ...

[Florida] Broward schools may consider ammo a "weapon":

A box of bullets or shotgun shells brought onto Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports school grounds would be considered weapons if the School Board approves a recommended change to the district's student code of conduct.

Ammunition already isn't allowed on campus, though the school district does not classify it as weapons. The district's code of conduct does not specify how school officials will discipline a student who brings bullets or other similar items to school.

The proposed change comes just months after the November shooting death of Amanda Collette, who died after she was shot by a classmate at Dillard High School. It also comes amid heightened public concern over an increasing number of weapons found on Broward campuses. In the 2007-08 school year, school officials seized 503 weapons, up from 315 the previous school year.

If the School Board approves the change Tuesday, a student who next school year brings bullets or other ammunition to school would be considered in possession of a Class B weapon, the same category as knives, toy guns, razor blades, Chinese stars, nunchakus, pepper spray and ice picks. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[D.C] Anti-gun Violence Policy Center says U.S. gun industry feeding Mexican violence:

... "If one wanted to design a system to pour military-style guns into
criminal hands, it would be hard to find a better one than the U.S.
civilian gun market," [VPC Senior Policy Analyst] Diaz testified before the Subcommittee on National Security & Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "The only 'better' way would be openly selling guns to criminals from the loading docks of manufacturers and
importers."

Diaz pointed out that officials of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have stated that Mexican drug lords increasingly seek military-style weapons easily available on the U.S. civilian market. These include: the Barrett 50 caliber anti-armor sniper rifle capable of piercing armor plate from a mile and a half; semiautomatic assault rifles, including variants of the Colt AR-15 and the Kalashnikov AK-47; and, the "vest-busting" anti-armor handgun the FN Herstal Five-seveN 5.7mm pistol, known as the "cop killer" in Mexico. ...

[D.C.] Nevada Senator John Ensign writes and op-ed about the amendment to the D.C. voting bill to repeal D.C.'s anti-gun laws:

... The District imposed a number of restrictions, including burdensome registration processes and reporting requirements. It required parental consent for legal adults old enough to enlist in the military and carry weapons. The city also banned many firearms, including some handguns, which the justices noted are effective for self-defense. All of this serves only to frustrate and discourage D.C. residents from exercising their legal rights to bear arms.

If strict gun control worked, then the District -- which had long been home to the nation's most restrictive gun control measures -- would be the safest place in the country. But gun violence in the city was consistently among the highest in the nation throughout the 30 years that the city banned handguns. The reason is obvious: A gun control law will not dissuade violent criminals from killing or robbing with guns. Criminals use illegal guns purchased on the black market. Washington's police officers are on the front lines of the battle against violent crime, and they know, as the Fraternal Order of Police recently stated, that the handgun ban was "a miserable failure by any estimation." They also know that many city officials are devoted to the gun ban because it provides political cover for the District's dismal crime numbers.

Contrary to the impression left by some on these pages, my amendment will not turn the District into the Wild West of the East Coast. It would apply federal gun control law to the city. It would prohibit anyone from carrying any firearm in public without a permit; would require residents to submit to an FBI background check when they purchase a firearm; and would apply federal restrictions regarding, among other things, mental health issues, felony convictions, immigration status and age. My amendment upholds the court's ruling while allowing reasonable regulations consistent with the constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment. Those who seek to mischaracterize this amendment are only spreading fear. ...

National Park Service wants to ban all lead from fishing and hunting by 2010:

The National Park Service has set a goal of eliminating lead from fishing and hunting gear by 2010.

Acting Park Service director Dan Wenk announced the goal Wednesday in Washington. Fragments of lead bullets are suspected to contaminate scavenger birds, like ravens and eagles, and lead used as fishing weights could poison waterfowl and other species.

New regulations would have an effect in Grand Teton National Park, where hundreds of hunters kill elk every fall during an annual elk reduction program. Yellowstone National Park already has restricted the use of lead for fishing weights and lures; the initiative could extend restrictions to Grand Teton. ...

[Georgia] Appeals court upholds felon-in-possession ban:

... Carlton D. Brye, serving 22 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, appealed on grounds including last year's Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller, which overturned a ban on gun possession in the nation's capital. Brye, arrested in Clearwater, Fla., in 2007, said the ruling upheld Second Amendment rights of all Americans to "use arms for self-defense."

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the argument Friday. ...

New York Times says Dems still fear gun control issue:

... But there is one issue that retains the power to leave Democrats quivering: gun rights. Gun issues still persistently tie the party in knots and have been used by Republicans to stall two major bills this year, with more likely to come.

“It is a hot-button issue,” said Representative Allen Boyd, Democrat of Florida, a longtime hunter and one of the moderates who typically split from the more liberal wing of the party to support the rights of gun owners. “Some people around here know they can use it as a wedge issue, and they try to do that.”

It is a particularly hot-button topic with veteran Congressional Democrats who believe the party’s strong support for a 1994 assault weapons ban was the real reason they lost control of the House that year — not the House bank scandal, the failed health care initiative, the Contract with America or Newt Gingrich.

The power of that bad memory was unmistakable a few weeks ago in the immediacy with which Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot down the suggestion by new Attorney General Eric Holder that Congress might reinstitute the assault weapons ban.

“On that score, I think we need to enforce the laws we have right now,” said Ms. Pelosi, echoing the position often taken by advocates of gun rights.

Gun rights are probably equaled only by abortion rights in their ability to split Democrats and create political havoc.

Well aware of the Democratic sensitivity on guns and the reluctance of suburban and rural lawmakers to cast any vote that could be perceived as anti-gun, Republicans see the issue as one of their most effective poison pills to sabotage legislation. They were able to add an expansion of gun ownership in the District of Columbia to a long-sought measure giving the district a full-voting seat in the House of Representatives. Now the gun issue is an anchor on the bill in the House. ...

[Oklahoma] CCW permits applications, guns and ammo sales rising:

Four months after the election of President Barack Obama, firearms and ammunition sales in Tulsa remain at a fever pitch.

Popular self-protection ammunition is often sold out at local stores, weapons are flying off shelves and the state reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2009 over February 2008.

"People are hoarding. They're creating a shortage," Jim Prall at Sports World on 41st Street said of ammunition sales. "We've sold more ammunition in the last three months than we sold last year." [emphasis added]

Gun sales spiked in November with the election of Barack Obama and Democrats adding to their majority in Congress. But local gun dealers say the spike is turning into a steady climb with political worries about gun rights as well as worries about the economy and potential for increased crime.

Prall said his store planned ahead for the increase, having seen a similar spike
after Bill Clinton was elected, but the previous jump in sales pales in comparison to what's happening now. ...

[Kansas] Gun, ammo sales soaring:

Local gun shop owners say President Obama has definitely stimulated one part of the economy.

”Since November gun sales have increased 75 percent, 80,” Paul Duke, owner of Duke’s gun shop, said.

They tell me its no coincidence that there was a spike in gun sales at the same time the president was elected.

“He wants to do away with them, the way I hear it.”

[New Hampshire] Guns, ammo sales rising:

It's unclear how effective President Barack Obama's policies will be in reversing the nation's economic slide, but since his election he has proven to be a one-man stimulus package for one sector of the economy — gun sales.

Since November, sales of handguns and tactical or semiautomatic rifles have increased by 50 percent in 15 states as gun shops and sporting-goods stores like the Kittery Trading Post and Dick's Sporting Goods have benefited from concerns, real or not, that the Obama administration will enact strict gun-control laws such as a revival of the 1994 assault weapons ban — or even, as some pro-gun Web sites have suggested, take guns away from lawful owners.

Nationwide, according to data from the FBI and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, November gun background checks increased 42 percent from the year before. In December, background checks were up 24 percent, 29 percent in January, and 23 percent in February. Background checks are considered an indication of retail sale activity.

"We've had a double-digit increase in sales of handguns and tactical rifles beginning about a week before the election...," said Fox Keim, vice president of the Kittery Trading Post. "Manufacturers can't keep up with demand and we are seeing a backlog of orders ranging from six months to two years for certain products."

Smith & Wesson, which has a Rochester barrel-making facility and is one of the country's largest firearms manufacturers, reported in its most recent financial statement that hunting rifle sales were down nearly 46 percent, but "sales of all other firearms, specifically handguns and tactical rifles, were $70.7 million, a $23.8 million or 51 percent increase over the same quarter last fiscal year." ...

[Florida] Guns and ammo sales spike even makes the Times of London:

... Manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand, and many gun shops running low on stock as the US public buys weapons in anticipation of tighter controls.

On the campaign trail last year Mr Obama proposed restoring a Clinton-era ban on several types of military-style semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, as well as background checks for buyers at gun shows, and other "common-sense measures".
...
Personal background checks - which, under federal law, are required of people purchasing rifles and handguns - jumped 42 per cent at gun stores to a record 1.5 million in November after Mr Obama was elected. Since then, they have risen by an average of 25 per cent each month.

In Florida, state authorities have hired an extra 61 people just to help process the waiting list for gun permits. [emphasis added] ...