Missouri: Council Fails To Override Veto On Weapons Bill

From the Show Me State:

RAYMORE, Mo. -- The Raymore City Council failed on Monday to override the mayor's veto of a bill allowing council members to bring a gun into chambers.

Bill 2514 was first introduced in November and passed with a majority vote in December, but the mayor vetoed it.

The bill would have allowed city council members who have conceal and carry permits to bring those weapons to meetings.

"I fall into the camp that I think if you give as many law-abiding citizens as much second amendment freedom as possible, that that enhances public safety rather than detract," said Councilman Jeff Cox, who wrote the bill.

Mayor Juan Alonzo said he couldn't sign off on a bill that would only allow council members to bring guns to meetings and not citizens.

"We can't say everybody in this chamber can carry a weapon, but we can say nobody will carry, and I think that it's a lot more fair if nobody is armed than the governing body is and the citizens aren't," Alonzo said. [emphasis added]

City Council members failed to override the veto by one vote.

Article here. Good for Mayor Alonzo. If ordinary citizens (you know, the ones who pay the politicians' salaries) can't carry at City Council meetings, then why should City Council members?

Newspaper: We were wrong on concealed carry law

From the Show Me State (better known as Missouri), comes this admission:

... Sheriff Greg White is a proponent of the conceal and carry law, passed by lawmakers in 2003 after Missouri voters rejected a similar law in 1999.

The law requires people to attain a standard of proficiency with weapons before they are permitted to carry a concealed gun. Proponents of the law believe it offers a greater sense of security and decreases crime by prompting felons to consider the consequences of armed confrontation.

We confess to harboring some reservations about the concealed carry law. Our fear was an increase in guns in public would result in more guns being displayed prematurely and/or more accidents.

White said recently: “All the fears over conceal and carry have never manifested.”

We concede the point. [emphasis added]

Anecdotal evidence does not suggest an increase in accidents or unprovoked gunplay.

The evidence, however, does show people defending themselves from harm. ...

Read the editorial here. This media outlet got it wrong, and is willing to admit it in light of actual experience. Good for them.

I won't hold my breath for the anti-gun bigots at the New York Times to similarly allow empirical evidence (or common sense, for that matter) to intrude on their ideological collectivist aversion to the fundamental, individual human right of self-defense.

More people seeking concealed weapon permits

From USA Today, on the rise in permit applications:

Gun owners are packing heat in record numbers, fearful of stricter gun control under the Obama administration and higher crime in a sour economy.

Some states and counties report a surge in applications for concealed weapons permits since the November election. All states but Illinois and Wisconsin allow concealed weapons, but requirements differ.

Applications already have hit a record this year in Clay County, Mo., where the sheriff's office received 888 through June, compared with 863 in all of last year, says Sheriff Bob Boydston. The office recently hired two part-time workers to deal with the rush.

In the past, applicants tended to be middle-aged men, he says, but recent applicants include "grandmothers, older folks, young women, young men."

They tell him the bad economy will lead to more thefts and break-ins, he says, but his statistics show violent crime related to the recession hasn't gone up.

They also say they fear gun control, he says. Last week, Boydston spoke with an elderly couple seeking a permit. "They are positive the president is on the verge of coming to our homes and taking our weapons," he says. ...

Article here.

Video of a young soldier explaining the Constitution to Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) at a Town Hall meeting in St. Louis:




[Via Hotair]

Free AK-47 with every truck purchase

Today's automotive promotion, Missouri edition:

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

Fed's blame U.S. gun owners for Mexican violence:

"This report is really affirming the information received by the professional gun grabbers at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In fact, it uses numbers provided by the ATF without questioning where those numbers came from to begin with," says Lt. Stephen Rodgers, a police commander who favors the Second Amendment.

"My fear is that the Obama Administration will create a phony 'crisis' in order to justify violating the rights of citizens to own and bear arms, a constitutional right that sticks in the craw of the liberal-left power structure in this country," adds Rodgers.

The GAO claims that evidence indicates a large proportion of the firearms fueling Mexican drug violence originated in the United States, including a growing number of increasingly lethal weapons. While admitting it is impossible to know how many firearms are illegally trafficked into Mexico in a given year, over 20,000, or around 90 percent, of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced over the past 5 years originated in the United States, according to data from DOJ's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

However, observers believe that the "90 percent" figure is based on information provided by a foreign government that relies on the US for millions and millions of dollars in aid each year in fighting the so-called war on drugs.

“There’s just one problem with the 90 percent ‘statistic’ and it’s a big one: It’s just not true. In fact, it’s not even close. The fact is, only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been traced to the US, ” said Snyder, who also serves as an advisor to the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police.

"A large part of the guns recovered in Mexico do not get sent back to the U.S. for tracing, because it is obvious from their markings that they do not come from the US," he added. ...

Meanwhile, Congressmen push White House for new "assault weapons" ban:

WASHINGTON – Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives asked President Barack Obama on Friday for an improved strategy against the arms traffic to Mexico, beginning with the reinstatement of a ban on U.S. imports of assault weapons [emphasis added]

In a letter sent Friday, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and other lawmakers asked that efforts be made to step up the fight against the arms trade that fuels drug-cartel violence blamed for more than 10,000 deaths in Mexico over the past 2 1/2 years. ...

[Florida] Free class promotes safe gun handling and use:

With her daughter, Jessica Hurford, 30, Myers enrolled in one of Von Bender's free "Concealed Carry Training" classes through the Armed Citizen League. The women learned how to choose a handgun, how to safely store and clean a firearm and how to buy ammunition.

"My daughter and I went together because we're both single and we live alone," Myers said. "Right now, especially after 9/11, there are so many single women out there, and we need to know how to protect ourselves.
...
A former drill instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Von Bender has been a National Rifle Association-certified teacher for nearly a decade. He started offering his training classes seven months ago, holding sessions twice a day, five times a week, at no charge. He also runs the Suncoast Gun Club, a gun education program for children.

"I have ladies 50 and older that are coming in that have never held a gun before, and they're doing this because they're scared," Von Bender said. "It's sad that that's the world we live in. But this is a way for people to feel a little safer. I try to help them as much as I can." ...

[Kentucky] Pastor opens church to open carry event:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A southwest Jefferson County church opened its doors to guns as the pastor makes a point about the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

At the New Bethel Church, Reverend Ken Pagano said the church is celebrating the independence and freedom provided by the constitution by raising awareness about being a safe and responsible gun owner.

Pagano said he felt he had a duty to teach that to his community and congregation. He decided to do so by allowing everyone to carry guns into the church.

"As a church, we're here for the community and also want to address community minded issues," Pagano said.

On Saturday, he open the sanctuary of the church to an "Open Carry Celebration." ...

[California] Ammo registration, "smart" gun bills frustrate gun store owners:

Two new pieces of legislation related to guns are making their way through Sacramento — and making gun store owners in the Mid-Valley frustrated at what they call political myopia.

The bills, AB 962 by Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-East Los Angeles, and SB 697, by Senator Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, are aimed at reducing gun violence and improving gun safety.

But gun store owners like Lee Smith said the bills are pointless at best, and full of unintended consequences at worst.

"It does nothing other than create more paperwork and make a crime out of exchanging ammo between two people," said Smith, managing partner of Shooting Gallery in Yuba City, of AB 962. "They're do-nothing bills that restrict what's now a constitutional right."

AB 962 would compel those who sell ammunition to be licensed the same as gun dealers, and mandate a face-to-face transaction when someone buys ammunition.
...
DeSaulnier's bill, SB 697, would mandate safety measures be included in every gun sold in California. That technology would be used to tell how many unfired cartridges remain in a gun, to avoid accidental shootings when thought to be empty.

Guns would also have to have biometric technology to prevent them from being fired if someone other than the registered owner tried to do so.

Gun store owner and former Sutter County Sheriff Roy Whiteaker said such technology would add so much to the cost of a gun, it could kill gun manufacturers' willingness to put product into California. ...

[Ohio] Church rallies for gun rights:

A rally was held Monday, June 29 in west Toledo in support of the right to bear arms.

Sponsors say they are worried about the Obama administration's view on gun control, even though there's been no new restrictions.

The rally pointed to numerous biblical references claiming Jesus Christ would support second amendment rights. "We're just informing our folks you got to be able to protect yourself and what does the Bible have to say about it. We know our constitution. But this is the final authority here above our Constitution is the word of God," said Reverend Andrew Edwards with the Northwest Baptist Church. ...

[Tennessee] Cities look to ban guns in parks:

Local governments and advocates for firearms owners are gearing up for a summer face-off over how far to take a new state law that lets people with carry permits bring handguns into parks.

City councils across Tennessee, including Nashville and Hendersonville, are moving to reaffirm their bans on handguns in parks following passage of a new state law. But people opposed to handgun restrictions are mobilizing to block their efforts.

"I don't think it's necessarily reasonable to close all of them," John Harris, executive director of the Tennessee Firearms Association, said of Metro's plans to keep parks closed to handguns. "I don't think it's necessarily reasonable to close any of them."

A state law signed earlier this month by Gov. Phil Bredesen has touched off the debate.

The law is meant to let handgun permit holders carry their weapons into every park in the state, wiping out local policies governing handguns.

But in a compromise to smooth the law's passage, legislators included a provision that gives local governments the power to ban guns in some or all of their parks by passing a new ordinance. ...

[Missouri] Residents seek record numbers of CCW permits:

Jackie Poynter surveys the row of handguns on the metal table and picks out a silver .22-caliber Smith & Wesson.

With protective ear muffs on, the 31-year-old Independence woman waits for the firearms instructor to give the signal before squeezing off a series of shots.

“We’ve got a marksman right here,” she exclaims. “Lord help anyone breaking into my house.”

Across the Kansas City area, record numbers of people like Poynter are applying for permits to carry concealed weapons. The surge reflects the fears of rising crime in a down economy and concerns that the election of President Barack Obama might bring new limits on gun rights.

Clay County has seen the biggest increase.

From Jan. 1 through the end of May, 801 Clay County residents applied for permits to carry a concealed weapon — compared with 863 in all of 2008.

Sheriff Bob Boydston said that in January the line of applicants stretched across the office. Each week, the line got longer.

Eventually, Boydston had to pull deputies from other duties to handle the demand. The county has gone from accepting applications two days a week to five. ...

[Ohio] Concealed carry permits on the rise:

... More and more Ohioans are carrying concealed weapons, with an enormous increase this year alone. Most officials attribute that increase to the fear that Barack Obama's administration in the White House will take away guns, coupled with the struggling economy and an increase in crime.

Through March, Ohio reported 159,000 residents with concealed carry licenses, which represents about 1 percent of the population. Of that number, 16,323 were new licenses issued in the first three months of the year, a number that continues to climb at a high rate.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates 25 percent of the U.S. population owns a gun of some type, and half the households in the country have at least one gun inside.

Many local counties report doubling or tripling the number of applicants for the first six months of the year compared to all of 2008. In Auglaize County, 92 licenses were issued last year, compared to 295 so far this year. Allen County issued 323 licenses last year, compared to 449 so far this year. ...

[Arizona] Lawmakers pass restaurant carry bill:

PHOENIX — The Arizona Senate has approved a bill to allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry a gun into a business that serves alcohol.

The 19-8 vote completes Legislative action on the bill and sends it to Gov. Jan Brewer.

The measure has pitted powerful groups representing gun and bar owners against each other.

It would require bar and restaurant owners who want to ban weapons to post a sign next to their liquor license. Drinking while carrying a weapon would be illegal. ...

[Tennessee] Beale Street merchants to ban guns:

Beale Street developer John Elkington calls it the “summer of discontent.”

It was the summer three years ago when the entertainment district cracked down on minors being on the street late at night and began screening the adults at different checkpoints along the street. Elkington remembers 650 knives being seized that first summer.

Later this month, Beale Street will break out the hand-held metal detectors at the entrance points and use other security measures to keep guns out of the three-block area day and night.

The new measures are a reaction to the Tennessee Legislature’s passage of a law permitting those who legally own handguns to carry them concealed in places that serve alcohol as long as they aren’t drinking. ...

NICS now requires place of birth:

Beginning June 29, 2009, the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) section is requiring that place of birth be provided for all FBI-initiated transactions. This will be a valuable and efficient addition to the NICS process for the following reasons:

Currently, place of birth is a mandatory field on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 and is therefore readily available for inclusion in the NICS check. There are no additional information disclosures for the potential purchaser or data collection requirements for Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs).

Being a name-based search, having additional data points such as the place of birth helps to increase the accuracy and efficiency of firearm eligibility determinations. Place of birth is either a mandatory or optional field for entry of records into all three of the databases that the NICS searches against: the Interstate Identification Index (III), the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and the NICS Index. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[New York] Article: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to introduce gun ban bill:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat and member of the so-called Blue Dog Coalition, plans to introduce an assault weapons ban this week. Gillibrand, the junior senator from New York, was at one time highly rated by the NRA for her advocacy of the Second Amendment.

Newsday claims Gillibrand has “undergone a transformation” over the last three months and has moved away from “her House record that won the NRA’s top rating while remaining a supporter of Second Amendment rights to gun ownership.” Since her Senate appointment, she has “passed just about every test on guns set by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy,” who reintroduced a bill closing the so-called gun-show loophole at a news conference last week.
...
Senator Gillibrand is working closely with gun-grabbing organizations, including New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and the Brady Campaign, according to Matt Canter, Gillibrand’s spokesman. New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and others are working with Gillibrand on “anti-trafficking legislation to stop the flow of illegal guns,” Canter told Newsday. [emphasis added] ...

[California] Federal appeals court upholds gun manufacturer and seller liability protection law:

Firearms manufacturers and sellers cannot be held liable for criminal misuse of their products, a federal appeals court panel ruled Monday in a case stemming from a white supremacist's 1999 shooting rampage at a Jewish community summer camp in Granada Hills.

The suit brought by the mother of a man fatally shot by Buford O. Furrow Jr. and the families of five others wounded -- including three preschool children -- sought to hold Georgia-based Glock Inc., dealer RSR Wholesale Guns Seattle and a Chinese manufacturer liable for negligence.

In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld the constitutionality of a 2005 federal law that retroactively shielded gun makers and distributors from responsibility for criminal acts involving properly functioning weapons. ...

[Utah] Lawmaker wants states rights gun law:

New protections for gun owners are on the agenda in Utah, where state Rep. Carl Wimmer is preparing to introduce a bill that would assert the state's sovereignty under the Ninth and Tenth amendments.

Utah apparently is following Montana's lead in attempting the plan that would protect residents' Second Amendment gun rights.

Wimmer intends his legislation to exempt from federal gun regulations any Utah resident seeking to own a firearm made in Utah.

Wimmer explained to WND that he intends to introduce a bill, not a resolution.

"A resolution has no teeth to it because a resolution amounts to a state saying to federal government, 'We are going to stand up and assert our rights, if you will let us please do so, federal government,'" said Wimmer. "A bill is an actual state law that will put into place the fact that if a firearm is manufactured in Utah, sold in Utah and kept within the boundaries of Utah, that firearm will be exempt from federal regulation under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution." ...

[Missouri] Lawmakers debate campus carry, but bill stalls:

JEFFERSON CITY - Only supporters made their voices heard at a Senate hearing on a bill that would allow guns on college campuses.

Five people defended a measure which would allow for college students to carry and conceal firearms on the state's college campuses.

Originally, House Bill 668 was a measure to lower the age for a gun permit to 21 from 23. But then the legislative process ran it course, which led to an additional amendment to allow for concealed handguns on college campuses.

The University of Missouri System and Missouri State University each opposed the measure when the conceal and carry provision was added.
...
Senate Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Jack Goodman, R - Mt. Vernon, offered several opportunities for anyone to voice their opposition but no one did.

The committee chair, Sen. Matt Bartle, R - Jackson, has already spoken up in support of the bill. The measure needs only one more vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee before it reaches the Senate Floor.

By early Tuesday morning, it became clear the bill will not be able to go through all of the steps needed for it to pass before the legislative session ends this week.

[Nebraska] City amends concealed carry ban to conform to state law:

City officials passed an amendment Monday to allow concealed weapons, putting Beatrice in line with state statute.

The Beatrice Council approved 7-0, with councilman Calvin Carey absent, an amendment to the city’s ordinance that would allow for concealed weapon permit holders to carry within city limits.

Under previous city law, concealed weapons of any kind were not permitted within city limits. However, the amendment makes allowances for those individuals with a permit to carry. ...

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[D.C.] Op-ed points out the futility of registration in solving crimes, but the usefulness of registration in gun confiscation:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, announced last week that she wants to register guns. Her next move will be to try to confiscate them.

The speaker picked a television show with a viewership of 4.6 million to float the Democrats' coming gun-control push. Questioned on ABC's "Good Morning America" about the prospect of new gun-control laws now that "it's a Democratic president, a Democratic House," she responded, "We don't want to take their guns away. We want them registered."

Politicians and bureaucrats routinely claim that registration helps solve crimes. If a registered gun is used in a crime and left at the crime scene, registration supposedly lets the police trace the gun back to the criminal. Though this turn of events might work on fictional TV crime shows, it virtually never occurs in real life. Criminals' guns are rarely left at crime scenes. When guns are left behind, it usually is because a crook has been seriously injured or killed and the police are poised to catch him anyway.

The few guns left at crime scenes rarely - if ever - are registered to the perpetrator. If they are registered at all, it is to someone else, whose piece was stolen. Despite what Mrs. Pelosi might think, those who use guns to commit major crimes such as robbing and killing are unlikely to respect her request to file paperwork so the government can catalog the tools of their trade.

Numerous examples disprove gun-control propaganda. Hawaii has had licensing and registration of guns for about 50 years. After all of the administrative expenses and inconvenience imposed on gun owners, police there cannot point to a single crime that has been solved as a result of those programs. Given Hawaii's remote island geography, this should be an ideal place to keep track of guns because movement in and out of the state is limited and legal importation is controlled. If registration is going to work anywhere, it should work there. Unfortunately, criminals seem to be able to get their hands on guns virtually anyplace in the world.
...
Because registration doesn't help solve crime, it is important to ask why government wants to register the people's firearms. History provides the answer. In countries from Australia to England, registration has been used to create lists of guns that later were confiscated by their governments. Despite Mrs. Pelosi's assurances to the contrary, Americans' fear that registration will lead to confiscation is well-founded. Indeed, Mrs. Pelosi's own state of California already has used existing registration lists to confiscate so-called assault weapons just a half-dozen years ago. [emphasis added] ...

NewsBusters: CNN anchor suggests U.S. adopt European gun controls:

During the 7:00 p.m. hour of Saturday’s CNN Newsroom, anchor Don Lemon pushed the view that Barack Obama should try to emulate European gun laws as a way of reducing gun violence in America as he discussed the subject with four guests. During an interview with former FBI agent Gregg McCrary, who expressed support for an assault weapons ban, Lemon suggested Obama learn from the Europeans: "The one person who can probably weigh on this and may have the most influence is the President. Since he's over there in Europe now, and they're, you know, they're not perfect, but it seems that their gun laws seem to be at least working in a way that ours are not." ...

Mexico keeps lying about source of guns:

Stopping the flow of money and weapons from the United States into Mexico is critical to dealing with the violent drug cartels creating havoc on the border, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. said Sunday.

Mexican officials think that 90 percent of the weapons seized in their country can be traced to the U.S., Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan said.

“The key issue right now is how can the United States help to shut down those guns and shut down that bulk cash that is providing the drug syndicates in Mexico with the wherewithal to corrupt, to bribe, to kill,” Mr. Sarukhan said on CBS' “Face the Nation.”
...
Although Mr. Sarukhan contended that the cartels' use of assault weapons rose dramatically after the U.S. ended its ban on the firearms in 2004, he stopped short of advocating that Congress reinstate the ban.

“What we will say is ... by reinstating the ban, that could have a profound impact on the number and the caliber of weapons going down to Mexico,” he said. ...

Another debunking of Mexico's 90% lie:

It’s been confidently reported, as of late, that the United States is the source of 90% of all the weapons utilized in Mexican crime. This has become a dogma, repeated by no less than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others. It’s an impressive-sounding statistic – but is it true?

In a word, no.

It’s not correct. The 90% figure was originally based upon a misunderstanding, and thereafter it has been constantly repeated in the media and political world.
...
So where do all the non-US weapons in Mexico come from?

They come from all over. They are brought by sea by the boatload. They are brought overland from Central America (where weaponry galore is left over from the civil wars there).

There are weapons in Mexico from South Korea (fragmentation grenades) and China (AK-47s). There are rocket launchers that came from Israel, Spain and the former Soviet Union.

There are Russian Mafia groups in Mexico which are sources of weapons. The Tijuana Cartel has an alliance with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), which is another source of weapons.

A lot of weaponry comes up through Guatemala. A recent bust on that border, reported in the Guatemalan press in late March, confiscated grenades and AK-47s.

Many Mexican army deserters, of whom there have been a staggering 150,000 in the past six years, have brought their weapons with them (including M-16s). ...

David Codrea takes on the reliability of ATF records:

Gun owners who are active in protecting their rights may know of this--a lot of you may not.

The following transcript is from Oct. 1995. The speaker was Thomas Busey, then chief of ATF's National Firearms Act Branch. The subject was the NFRTR, the National Firearms Registry and Transfer Record. It's the official record the government keeps on all National Firearms Act-registered weapons, such as machine guns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, suppressors, destructive devices and AOWs, or "Any Other Weapons" the agency deems taxable/requiring registration. Here's what Mr. Busey said about it:

Let me say that when we testify in court, we testify that the data base is 100 percent accurate. That's what we testify to, and we will always testify to that. As you probably well know, that may not be 100 percent true.

...

Howard Nemerov points out Brady Campaign bias and inaccurate research:

In May of 2007, the Brady Center, research arm of the Brady Campaign, published a report entitled No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby’s Campaign to Push Guns Into Colleges and Schools. Though nearly two years have passed, numerous inaccuracies remain which, having persisted this long in a publicly-accessible document, call into question the Brady Campaign’s ability to publish credible reports and/or their capacity for telling the truth.

The topic here is theirallegation that getting a concealed carry license is too easy and therefore a threat to public safety:

Over the last decade, the gun lobby has pushed hard in all 50 states to permit the carrying of concealed weapons by nearly everyone except convicted felons. These “shall-issue” carrying concealed weapons (CCW) laws require state authorities to issue CCW licenses to virtually anyone who applies, regardless of whether the applicant can demonstrate a need to carry a gun. As a result, millions of Americans are now licensed to carry concealed handguns in public.

To bolster their claims, Brady’s report contains an appendix of stories where alleged CCW licensees broke the law. Two of these incidents have proven to be self-defense, while Brady maintains both cases were murder. ...

John Longenecker takes aim at 20/20 story's media bias against guns:

... At the very end of the program, Ms. Sawyer said that they could not find any studies supporting the numbers of self-defense shootings which seem to have inspired this entire report — the idea that an armed citizen can blunt or even stop a killing. The exact quote is: "And by the way, if you're wondering where all the studies about the effectiveness of guns used by ordinary Americans for self defense are, well, keep searching. we could not find one reliable study and the ones we found were contradictory."

This statement is perhaps the most outrageous of the entire report. It could be her misguided opinion, perhaps her staff misled her, but the statement is entirely untrue. She just misled the American Public, intentionally or not. That ABC News could not find what Professor John Lott, Gary Kleck et al, our own Department Of Justice, beat police officers and researchers could find from professional experience and from FBI crime data does not pass the test of reasonable expectation. We found it. So can ABC News. Ms. Sawyer's closing line is the exquisite example of the kind of movement blatantly opposing liberty in discouraging the armed citizen by way of hiding facts, values and discouraging the American spirit of Independence from our servants. The thing that gets tens of millions of gun owners is that these people are fighting us instead of fighting crime. ...

[Ohio] Gun, ammo sales booming:

Ralph Scott has an easy explanation for why sales at his gun shop — the Lock, Stock and Barrel — have been booming since Barack Obama’s election last November.

“Here’s the sad fact of the matter — our business thrives on bad news,” he says.

Scott’s firearms store in Portsmouth, Ohio, an economically stressed river town on the edge of Appalachia, has seen a 40 to 50 per cent spike in sales over the past five months, reflecting a national surge in demand for personal-use weapons that dates to just before the Nov. 4 election.

Across the United States, firearms buyers have reported difficulty finding ammunition at major retailers like Walmart, while manufacturers like Winchester and Remington Arms say they are running at full capacity.

The evidence of a sustained run on guns isn’t just anecdotal. ...

[New York] Gun, ammo sales booming:

If the rash of mass shootings nationwide is leaving you thinking that there are too many guns in Buffalo and in America, just wait.

Gun sales are booming nationwide — and in Erie County, applications for pistol permits are rolling in at nearly three times last year’s rate, the county clerk’s office reports.

Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital, gun control has become, in essence, dead on arrival.

Chalk it all up to the election of a Democratic president with a long record of supporting gun restrictions and a Congress that includes a surprising number of pro-gun Democrats from rural areas.

The election of Barack Obama as president is sparking a run on firearms and ammunition in both Buffalo and nationwide, according to gun dealers and experts on the issue.

“Am I getting calls like crazy? You bet,” said Wilson H. Curry, who runs Williston Auctions in Wales Center, which also does business under the name Aurora Shooting Supplies. ...

[Missouri] University president comes out against self-defense, prefers unarmed victims for mass murderers:

University of Missouri system President Gary Forsee has denounced legislation approved by the state House that would allow concealed weapons to be brought onto college campuses.

Forsee said in a written statement Friday that the legislation "increases the risk that our university family could be put in harm's way."

He added: "Missouri's college students should be allowed to learn and exchange ideas in an environment free from the threat of concealed guns."

Forsee, who was hired December 2007, leads a four-campus university system that governs public institutions in Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla and St. Louis.

A 2003 state law allows Missouri residents to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons if they are at least 23 years old, have no felony convictions and pass a firearms training course and background check. That law also bars concealed weapons in certain places, such as schools, public hospitals and stadiums with at least 5,000 seats.

Legislation, which received initial House approval Wednesday, would lower the minimum age for obtaining a concealed-carry permit to 21 and lift the ban on concealed weapons at public colleges and universities. The bill needs another House vote to move to the Senate. ...

Mike Adams proposes a solution to Somali pirates:

There are a couple of rules anyone must follow when venturing into potentially dangerous waters – and by “potentially dangerous waters” I mean anything but a small lake or pond. First, it is a good idea to bring a few friends. Second, it is a good idea to require every adult on board to remain sober and bring a firearm.

I don’t fish as often as I did in the Texas Gulf Coast in the 1970s. But I do get an occasional invite to go deep sea fishing off the Carolina coast with three good friends. Two of these friends work in a national security capacity for the federal government (please pardon the pseudonyms). So it should go without saying that we have the hardware and skills to defeat a small (or large) band of pirates whenever we venture into the Atlantic Ocean. We don’t have any evidence of piracy off the Carolina coast. But we all subscribe to the belief that it is better to have a gun and not need one than to need a gun and not have one.
...
I understand quite well that there are ports that will not allow entry to boats that are carrying firearms. And I understand that they are in places where we would like to deliver humanitarian aid. But the solution is not to go into these areas unarmed. The solution is to tell the nations in which these ports are located that they must change their laws or forfeit charitable goods coming from our generous Christian nation.

Gun Rights News Roundup

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

[Ohio] Gun shops report ammo shortage:

... "That's it. This is basically what I've got for the month," said Todd Garland of Rattlesnake Hill Sporting Goods in Newton Falls as he gestured to a shelf of shells.

"I've got people from Canton calling, 'You have that? Hold it, we're on our way.' That's 60 miles away."

Local owners of gun and hunting shops say they are waiting longer and paying more for boxes of ammunition from their suppliers.

Whether the culprit is the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or increased demand over fears the new presidential administration will seek stricter gun laws, the drought seems to have touched most gun owners indiscriminately.

Collectors, hunters, those buying firearms for their own protection and even police officials - who point out that they have enough to go about their day-to-day business - have noticed a pinch.

These worried shop owners are going to lengths to keep their customers happy but said they sometimes have to limit sales or create a waiting list.

"We're limiting it to one box per customer until we get some more," said Nancy Hagmaier, the owner of Slugmaster's in Braceville.

Big box stores are being hit, too. ...

[Utah] The Salt Lake Tribune editorializes against guns in National Parks:

Ken Salazar, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, will review the eleventh-hour decision of the Bush administration to allow loaded guns to be carried in national parks and wildlife refuges.

But, in a bow to gun-rights activists, Salazar says it's not a top priority, or a matter of great urgency. "It is one of those issues that ... distracts the Department of Interior from the more important agendas."

If the protection of wildlife, the value of the visitors' experience and the safety of park patrons and employees are not important to Salazar, he needs to re-examine his priorities.

For 70 years, loaded guns were banned on National Park Service property. While it was legal to transport firearms through parks, weapons had to be safely stored in vehicles or campers in a place that was not readily accessible. It was a sound policy that has helped make the parks among the safest places in America. Your chance of being a victim of a violent crime in a park is about 1 in 700,000.

But Bush, to the chagrin of the National Parks Conservation Association and groups representing retired and acting parks service employees, overturned the ban. Loaded guns are now permitted in parks in states that permit firearms in their own state parks, including Utah.

Poaching is already prevalent in our parks and wildlife refuges. More than 400 incidents were reported in 2006. Allowing loaded and accessible weapons will only make things easier for poachers, and more difficult for undermanned park service staffs.

Plus, some armed visitors will be emboldened around wildlife, resulting in unnecessary confrontations and needless destruction of wildlife. Public safety is an even greater concern. Roadside and campground altercations are common, and could easily escalate now that guests are allowed to carry loaded guns. ...

Comment: This is basically the shop-worn (and demonstrably false) "there will be blood in the streets" argument, updated to "there will be blood in the campgrounds". According to the op-ed, poaching, i.e., breaking the law, is "already prevalent", but allowing law-abiding citizens to carry will somehow make things worse. Sigh.


[Tennessee] Newspaper editorializes against pro-gun bills:

Alcohol and guns make a dangerous cocktail past 11 p.m., but they're OK at 10:59. Evidently that's the thinking behind one of four firearms-related bills put on a fast track by the Tennessee General Assembly's Hand Gun Study Committee Thursday.

The panel wants to amend the law prohibiting people from carrying guns into establishments where alcohol is served to make it legal until 11.

Committee members would also maintain a ban on people who carry handguns from drinking alcohol and a ban on handguns at establishments that have age limits for entry -- mostly bars where smoking is allowed.

In the rush to expand the territory in which people with permits may carry their handguns, the committee also recommended passage of a bill allowing guns in state, county and municipal parks -- the ballfields, golf courses, picnic areas and other spots typically enjoyed by families with children.

It would also be OK, under a committee recommendation, to pack firearms in what have been protected wildlife areas. ...

[Missouri] Firearms Coalition says state police report profiles "modern militia movement":

A document from the Missouri Information Analysis Center, a division of the state police, conflates privately organized militia groups with libertarians, Ron Paul supporters, Constitutionalists, race separatists, and even some collectivists, who distrust the Federal Reserve. The document, which we obtained last week, is marked "Unclassified, Law Enforcement Sensitive," indicating that the Missouri state patrol guys don't want to talk about it. We can confirm that last bit as they failed to return phone calls or email. Before running the document I wanted to verify it. The Associated Press has since picked the story up, so we're running it now.

You can see the document here.

The AP story quotes Lt. John Hotz of the Missouri State Highway Patrol who called the report "an educational thing."

"Troopers have been shot by members of groups, so it's our job to let law enforcement officers know what the trends are in the modern militia movement."

The most encouraging thing I see in this story is that it leaked.

[Montana] State Senate debates gun bills:

Two bills regarding gun rights were presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday as lawmakers approach the last 30 days of Montana's 61st legislative session.

The first bill was a resolution in support of the United States Interior Department's regulation update to provide guidance and controls for possession and transportation of firearms in national parks.

MT State Representative Wendy Warburton (R-Havre) said, "Some people may not believe resolutions accomplish much, but I really believe this resolution will help the Department of the Interior in their case. When we resolve that the people of Montana stand behind them, our NRA-endorsed Governor stands behind them and that we've asked our Attorney General to stand ready to support them - it makes a powerful statement that won't be lost."

The other measure, House Bill 228, addresses several gun issues, including the "Castle Doctrine" theory, which states that people have the right to self-defense without first retreating. The bill passed fairly quickly through the House. ...

CCW applications surge in Missouri

And the beat goes on. From the Show Me State:

SIKESTON, Mo. — Local concealed-carry firearms safety courses are booming.

Missouri's concealed weapons law became effective Feb. 26, 2004. Among the requirements to apply for a concealed-carry endorsement is completion of an eight-hour firearms safety course.

Because of concerns President Obama may try to push for a federal ban on carrying concealed weapons, instructors are seeing a surge of people taking these firearm safety courses.

"All of your people who are real gun shooters, your diehards, came in the first year or two," said Marty Williams of Charleston, Mo., a reserve sheriff's deputy for Mississippi County who has been teaching firearms safety courses at Re-Armms in Sikeston and at a community center in Mississippi County since the law took effect.

"We're getting a different crowd now," Williams said. "Most of the people we are getting now are people who shoot very little or have never shot."

Article here. We can thank Gun Salesman of the Year Barack Obama for the influx of new gun owners and the rise in CCW applications.

Concealed carry permits spike in Missouri

From the Show Me State:

SPRINGFIELD -- Gun rights supporters fear the new president will get Congress to impose new gun control laws. That fear triggered a surge in gun sales nationwide after the election in November.

Instead of waiting, more people are exercising their right to personal protection.

"I know Obama said he wouldn't take away any of our gun rights but that remains to be seen," said Glen Hirsch, who was buying a gun on a recent day.

In Springfield, concealed carry courses are booked full through April.

"I want to be able to have it when I need it," said Kevin Hale of Aurora.

Instructors even added Sunday sessions.

"The demand for this course has pretty much tripled over what it was a year ago," said Randy Gibson, a concealed-carry weapons class instructor.

Article here.

Missouri CCWs increasing

From the Show Me state:

HALLSVILLE - Missourians are doing more to protect themselves from burglaries and other crimes.

They're carrying concealed weapons, legally.

While Conceal and Carry instructor Tim Oliver takes aim at his target, his students are eyeing the calendar.

It's 40 days until Barack Obama's administration, and many Missourians are applying for a conceal and carry permit.

"Based on voting record and past statements, a lot of people feel that President-elect Obama is going to interfere with our gun rights," Oliver said.

Since the fall there's been an increase in these Conceal and Carry courses. Oliver has doubled the amount of classes he offers, and in those classes, the amount of students has also doubled.

Article here.

Stopping power, deer hunter edition

From the Show Me state:

SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) - A hunter bagged a big buck on the second day of firearms season, but the kill caused him a lot of pain. Randy Goodman, 49, said he thought two well-placed shots with his .270-caliber rifle had killed the buck on Nov. 19. Goodman said the deer looked dead to him, but seconds later the nine-point, 240-pound animal came to life.

The buck rose up, knocked Goodman down and attacked him with his antlers in what the veteran hunter called "15 seconds of hell." The deer ran a short distance and went down, and died after Goodman fired two more shots.

Article here.

St. Louis alderman calls on constituents to arm themselves

From the Show Me state:

ST. LOUIS — Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe's neighborhood has seen nine homicides in 10 months this year, more than all but one other section of the city.

With gunplay wreaking havoc on his ward, Troupe thinks he has found an answer: citizens arming themselves.

The alderman is pleading with constituents to get guns of their own — and learn how to use them. Troupe, who represents a swatch of north St. Louis, is encouraging residents to apply for concealed weapons permits so they can start carrying a firearm.

The city's new police chief, among others, worries that introducing even more guns into high-crime areas is a recipe for greater turmoil, not less.

Troupe, however, says he has lost faith in the Police Department and is urging residents to take it upon themselves to protect their homes and property.

"These are God-fearing people. These are law-abiding citizens," Troupe, 72, says. "They have a right to own a gun, and they have a right to carry a gun."
...

Article here.

St. Louis politician tells constituents to arm themselves

From the you-won't-see-this-in-New-York files:

Ward One Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe says shootings happen in his district on an almost regular basis, so he’s calling on the more law abiding citizens of his Ward to be armed with guns for protection.
...
Troupe is encouraging his constituents to arm themselves for protection, but also wants them to call police “your only challenge is to stay alive until police get there and the only way for you to do that, in many cases, is to own a gun, know how to use it, and more importantly know when to use it.”

Article here.