Newsweek: Obama to push for more gun control

From Newsweek [emphasis added below]:

At the beginning of his State of the Union address, President Obama tipped his hat to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who’s now recuperating in a Houston medical facility. But throughout the hourlong speech, he never addressed the issue at the core of the Giffords tragedy—gun control—and what lawmakers would, or should, do to reform American firearm-access laws.

...

But in the next two weeks, the White House will unveil a new gun-control effort in which it will urge Congress to strengthen current laws, which now allow some mentally unstable people, such as alleged Arizona shooter Jared Loughner, to obtain certain assault weapons, in some cases without even a background check.

Tuesday night after the speech, Obama adviser David Plouffe said to NBC News that the president would not let the moment after the Arizona shootings pass without pushing for some change in the law, to prevent another similar incident. “It’s a very important issue, and one I know there’s going to be debate about on the Hill.”

The White House said that to avoid being accused of capitalizing on the Arizona shootings for political gain, Obama will address the gun issue in a separate speech, likely early next month. He’s also expected to use Arizona as a starting point, but make the case that America’s gun laws have been too loose for much longer than just the past few weeks.

Article here. I guess we'll find out if the Republican spine transplant operation from last November's election was successful. I think the prognosis, at best, can be described as "guarded optimism". We'll see if the R's can stand up to what will no doubt be described by the anti-gun media (but I repeat myself) as Obambam's "reasonable restrictions".

The mayoral faces of gun control

You've all heard of NYC Mayor Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Menino's unholy group Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Now we have Gun Owners Against Illegal Mayors. Go take a look at the caliber (pun intended) of some of the Bloomberg / Menino group's esteemed membership.

Washington Supreme Court rules Second Amendment applies to state

From Seattle Gun Rights Examiner Dave Workman, on a recent Washington State Supreme Court ruling:

The Washington State Supreme Court delivered a haymaker to anti-gunners – and strong reinforcement to gun rights advocates – Thursday morning when it handed down an opinion in the case of State v. Sieyes that states bluntly, “We hold the Second Amendment applies to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment due process clause.”

The majority opinion, written by Justice Richard B. Sanders, was signed by five other justices including Chief Justice Barbara A. Madsen, with a (sort-of) concurring opinion from Justice Debra L. Stephens that takes issue with the incorporation premise, and a partly-concurring and partly-dissenting opinion from Justice James M. Johnson that argues the majority ruling isn’t strong enough.

Although the issue of incorporation is at the heart of McDonald v. Chicago, the Second Amendment Foundation's case now before the United States Supreme Court for which oral arguments are scheduled March 2, Sanders notes in his majority state-level opinion that even though the high court “did not expressly consider incorporation of the right to bear arms” in the June 2008 Heller ruling, “that need not stop the rest of us.” He maintains that lower courts “need not wait for the Supreme Court” on the question of incorporation. ...

Read it here, with link to the opinion here.

Cops: Man with weapons preparing for 'Armageddon'

From the People's Democratic Commonwealth of Massachusetts, via the Boston Globe, comes this story:

A Manchester-by-the-Sea man who allegedly had a cache of weapons in his home told police he was preparing for Armageddon, authorities said.

Gregory D. Girard, 45, was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly storing several tear gas grenades and explosive pepper ball projectiles. He was also charged with the illegal possession of four police batons.

Just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Manchester-by-the Sea police executed a search warrant at 23 Bridge St., police said in a statement. Girard faces four counts of possession of an infernal device and four counts of possession of a dangerous weapon. Additional charges are pending, police said.

"He indicated to police that he anticipated some form of Armageddon to take place shortly and he was getting prepared," Police Chief Glenn McKiel said.

In addition to the grenade-type devices, police found approximately 20 weapons, including high-powered rifles, shotguns, and handguns. All of the firearms were purchased and registered legally within the past 10 months, McKiel said.

...

Police also found a large collection of camouflage clothing, knives, bulletproof vests, helmets, and eight pairs of handcuffs in Girard’s home. They also discovered stockpiles of medicine and non-perishable foods. An illegal indoor shooting range was also found in the attic, police said.

Police seized all the weapons and ammunition and revoked Girard’s license to carry firearms. ...

Article here. The Boston Herald also has an article here. Oh, the horror! Four counts of possession of those evil "illegal" police batons! Were they "assault batons"? And the police "discovered stockpiles of medicine and non-perishable foods." The article notes that the judge ordered him held without bail after his arraignment.

Over at LewRockwell.com, William Grigg's gives us his take on the situation:

“We feel our community is safer having this kind of weaponry off the street,” intoned a spokesman for the Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts police department

Granted, the invocation of that cliche is part of the familiar gun-grabber liturgy, but it doesn’t apply here, since the “weaponry” referred to was never on the “street” to begin with. It consisted of several firearms legally purchased by 45-year-old Gregory D. Girard, a computer consultant whose wife — was her maiden name Morozov, perchance? — told the authorities about her husband’s supposedly alarming view that martial law is imminent.

Since it is unacceptable for people to believe that government agents will carry out paramilitary raids to confiscate firearms, a paramilitary force was sent to Girard’s home to confiscate his firearms. ...

Mr. Girard's primary mistake appears to have been ... living in Massachusetts.

Utah Senate gives initial approval to Firearms Freedom Act

From the Beehive State:

SALT LAKE CITY — Guns made and kept in Utah would be exempt from federal regulations under a measure the Utah Senate gave its initial approval to Tuesday, despite concerns it could lead to a costly legal fight in a lean budget year.

Senate Bill 11 mirrors one signed into law in Montana last year that's intended to trigger a federal court battle.

Both are intended to allow guns made in their respective states to be exempt from rules on federal gun registration, background checks and dealer-licensing.

The goal is to circumvent federal authority over interstate commerce, which is the legal basis for most gun regulation in the United States.

In the process, it could lead to small arms dealers in the state operating with little to no oversight.

Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, said her bill is part of a broader effort to send a message to Congress that the federal government is overstepping its bounds.

"This is about our state's immutable right to establish control of our own rules and laws in our state," she said.

The Senate approved Dayton's bill 19-10. It needs one more formal vote before advancing to the House. ...

Article here.

Colorado, South Dakota Firearms Freedom bills introduced

From the Tenth Amendment Center:

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

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

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

Read it here.

Education board reverses expulsion for gun in truck

From California:

In the end, the case of a Willows teenager expelled for having hunting guns in his pickup truck parked next to campus didn't focus on gun rights.

It became a question of whether the authority of school officials to enforce the state's Education Code extended to the school fence – or a sidewalk's width beyond it.

On Friday, members of the Glenn County Board of Education drew the line at the gates of Willows High School.

They ruled that officials in the Willows Unified School District had exceeded their authority when they expelled Gary Tudesko – a 17-year-old with a history of disciplinary problems – for leaving two shotguns and ammunition in his truck parked a few feet from the school's tennis courts on a public street.

"The district governing board acted in excess of its jurisdiction to expel the Pupil," the board wrote in its decision. ...

Read it here.

GOA's State of the Union review

From Gun Owners of America, recapping last year's battle for our rights:

By the end of the month, President Barack Obama is expected to give the State of the Union address.

Oh, what a year it's been.

It was almost a year ago that President Obama took his oath of office. But soon after he raised his right hand and promised to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution, Americans became engaged in the fight of their lives to safeguard their liberties. The extremist Obama administration began pushing an anti-gun, socialistic agenda of the kind that most Americans have not seen in their lifetimes.

The President began placing gun-hating radicals in high positions of power -- both in the executive department and in the courts -- and he pushed a socialistic gun control agenda that kept gun owners busy throughout 2009.

Yet through it all, Gun Owners of America rallied the troops to oppose the President each and every step of the way. Some battles we lost. Others we won. Some are still at a stalemate.

Regardless, this 2009 review should encourage you. It shows that even though every institution in Washington is slanted against us, we can slow down, stop or reverse the march towards gun control.

And, yes, Gun Owners of America has won some incredible victories. In some cases, our organization fought these battles alone -- although in truth, we haven't been alone because we represent thousands upon thousands of active gun owners like you who are all determined to preserve our liberties. ...

Read it here.

New York Governor doubles security detail; size larger than that assigned to patrol all of Long Island

From the Empire State:

Gov. Paterson's security detail has been doubled in the last year for what are being called "political" reasons, and is now bigger than the entire State Police force patrolling Long Island, troopers have told The Post.

"The governor wants to have an entourage -- three or four cars -- wherever he goes because he thinks it makes him look more gubernatorial, it helps him politically," contended a senior official with firsthand knowledge of the situation.

Thomas Mungeer, president of the State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, said that while Paterson has been cutting the State Police because of Albany's worsening budget crisis, he's been increasing protection for himself.

"Despite the inadequate manpower due to attrition and requests for help by municipalities, the governor has reassigned road troopers to the detail assigned to protect him and his entourage, increasing the size of that detail to more than 200 members," according to Mungeer. [emphasis added] ...

Article here. Anti-gun politicians are rarely shy about making sure they are well protected, typically at taxpayer expense, while they work diligently to disarm the people they were ostensibly elected to serve.

High robbery rate gives NBA players reason to carry arms

From John Lott, writing at FoxNews.com:

Some people ask why a man who stands 6-foot-4, weighs 215 pounds and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him needs to carry a gun.

But Gilbert Arenas is not an anonymous physical specimen. He's a player for the NBA's Washington Wizards. And statistics show that the point guard's fame and recognition make him much more likely than the average man on the street to become the victim of a violent crime.

Arenas, who has no previous criminal record, was indefinitely suspended without pay Wednesday by NBA Commissioner David Stern for bringing unloaded guns into his team's locker room. Federal and local authorities are looking into criminal charges, particularly possible violations of the District of Columbia's strict gun laws.

...

For some observers, it is hard to comprehend why professional athletes carry guns. The massive size and strength of NBA players would appear to make them unlikely crime victims. But Gary Kleck, a criminology Professor at Florida State University and co-author of "The Great American Gun Debate," says that's hardly the case.

"Athletes in some respects constitute more attractive targets," Kleck says. "They have a high public profile and are known to have wealth and items that can easily be stolen, such as jewelry."

Statistics support Kleck's case. Five NBA players were robbed during the four years from 2005 to 2008 — a rate of 280 per 100,000 people, compared to 145 per 100,000 for the rest of the U.S. population. In other words, the rate that NBA players are robbed was about twice the rate for the rest of the country. ...

Read it here.

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?

Writer pushes "iron river" lie in new novel

From California:

SAN DIEGO -- A best-selling novelist from San Diego County is taking on the issue of guns traveling from the U.S. to Mexico where they are used by drug cartels, 10News reported.

T. Jefferson Parker's new novel, out this week, is fiction but based on a grim reality.

Parker has written 17 novels, has won several awards and has been on best-seller lists. He enjoys the Southern California lifestyle at his Fallbrook home, but he became increasingly concerned hearing about the drug violence in Mexico.

"These are all murders by gun. Where are they getting the guns? You can't buy them in Mexico. You can't go to a store and buy a gun," said Parker.

Parker said he found most of the guns used by Mexican drug cartels -- some say 90 percent -- come from the U.S. along what is called the Iron River, running from San Diego to Corpus Christi, Texas. "Iron River" is the title of Parker's newest novel. ...

Article here. Another ill-informed idiot, this one posing as an author. Or maybe he's another anti-gun leftist who abhors human rights, and his fellow citizens who dare to exercise them.

The reality, of course, is that the "iron river of guns" from the U.S. into Mexico is a big fat lie pushed by the anti-gunners and their media and FedGov collaborators seeking to further infringe upon our fundamental human rights. Most of the Mexican drug cartels get their guns on the black market from other arms-producing nations (South Korean grenades, anyone?), or from the corrupt Mexican military, much of which the U.S. Government supplied in the form of military aid, or obtained via U.S. Government approved commercial arms shipments to the Mexican government.

If Mr. Parker's novels are so poorly researched, I guess I won't be buying any of his books.

New Year's resolutions, Second Amendment edition

From David Codrea, comes some things to do this year (I may have missed some; see his whole list at the preceding link):

Read Second Amendment books

Attend an Appleseed

Know your representatives

Write letters to the editor

Join a gun rights group

Send a politician the gun rights questionnaire

Build a guns and liberty video collection

Take a new person shooting

Shoot a machine gun

Spread the word on Gun Rights Examiner

Go to a gun show

Guns, teachers, and self-defense

From that stalwart of the anti-gun mainstream media (but I repeat myself), the Boston Globe [hat tip to Tom B.], comes this letter to the editor from a self-described "progressive":

I AM a math teacher at Brockton High School, the site of a school shooting earlier this month.

Current school security procedures lock down school populations in the event of armed assault. Some advocate abandoning this practice as it holds everyone in place, allowing a shooter easily to find victims.

An alternative to lockdown is immediate exodus via announcement. Although this removes potential hostages and makes it nearly impossible for the shooter to acquire preselected targets, it unfairly rewards resourceful children who move to safety off-site more shrewdly and efficiently than others.

Schools should level playing fields, not intrinsically reward those more resourceful. A level barrel is fair to all fish.

Some propose overturning laws that made schools gun-free zones even for teachers who may be licensed to securely carry concealed firearms elsewhere. They argue that barring licensed-carry only ensures a defenseless, target-rich environment.

But as a progressive, I would sooner lay my child to rest than succumb to the belief that the use of a gun for self-defense is somehow not in itself a gun crime.

DOUG VAN GORDER
Quincy

[emphasis added]

Read it here, then read the comments to the letter here. I can't figure out whether this is satire, as one friend (and a few commenters) has suggested, or whether Mr. Van Gorder is serious. Most of the commenters, however, appear to take the letter's author at face value, and quite a few agree with him. (This is the Boston Globe, so I suspect many of the commenters are based in the People's Commonwealth of Massachusetts.)

As one commenter points out, if we were to apply Mr. Van Gorder's logic (I use that term loosely) to school fires, then we should keep everyone in the building, rather than "unfairly reward[ing] resourceful children who move to safety off-site more shrewdly and efficiently than others." After all, "schools should level playing fields" for the flammable, "not intrinsically reward those more resourceful. A level barrel is fair to all fish." And students should burn equally, in the author's progressive Utopia. Equal immolation for all.

Of course, we'll probably also have to create "nomex-free" zones in our schools to ensure that no student gets an unfair fire-resistant garment advantage (the evil "Haberdasher's Loophole"). Another "progressive" idea whose time has come, no?

Stephen Halbrook podcast interview

From Dave Kopel at Volokh:

A fifty-three minute podcast interview with Stephen Halbrook. Over the last three decades, Halbrook has been the greatest legal champion of Second Amendment rights. As a scholar, as an attorney (with a 3–0 record in the Supreme Court), and as a public advocate, Halbrook has done tremendous work in saving the Second Amendment from nullification, and in putting the courts and the legal academy back on the track of recognizing the right to arms in the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. We talk about the broad scope of Halbrook’s career, and about McDonald v. Chicago, in which Halbrook is representing the National Rifle Association as a party “respondent in support of petitioner.”

Listen to the interview here.

Guns permits surge in Massachusetts

From the Boston Globe:

The number of gun permits issued in Massachusetts surged by more than 15 percent over the past two years, reversing nearly a decade of steady declines and marking a pronounced departure for a state known for its antigun sentiment.

The magnitude of the rise, evident in nearly every corner of the state, surprised law enforcement officials, and gun advocates and opponents alike.

Some saw it as an echo of similar spikes across the country after President Obama’s election, when heavy gun sales were attributed to fears that he would impose strict new gun laws. But with more women and elderly residents signing up for gun classes in Massachusetts, many said the increase here has also been driven by worries about crime and a growing sense of vulnerability in the wake of the financial collapse and lingering fallout of the damaged economy.

“I think it’s a sign of the times,’’ said Mike Burchman, who teaches gun courses in Hop kinton, where the number of permits rose 25 percent. “There’s a general insecurity, and people are looking for personal protection. In the past two years, I’ve seen a real shift.’’

The increase in Class A permits - the largest and broadest category of gun license - amounted to a jump of more than 28,000 statewide to about 224,000 as of last month, according to data provided by the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The number had previously been dropping, from about 239,000 in 2001 to 192,000 in 2007. Class A permits, commonly called “a license to carry,’’ are the only permits that allow individuals to carry concealed guns and own all types of legal firearms.

Among those who recently got a permit was Ryan Fairbanks, a 23-year-old National Guardsman from Haverhill. Guns were anathema in his childhood home, he said, but a few weeks ago he got a permit and bought a gun to protect himself.

...

Law enforcement officials said that, while the sharp increase in permits is unexpected, it does not portend any increase in gun violence.

“We’re concerned about criminals with guns, not law-abiding citizens,’’ said John A. Grossman, undersecretary of forensic science and technology for the state Office of Public Safety and Security. “It’s the illegal gun trafficking we’re really focused on.’’

Police chiefs and district attorneys echoed that, saying they see few crimes committed with legally licensed firearms. ...

Read it here. Even in Massachusetts, a state overrun with anti-gun liberals, ordinary folks can see the writing on the wall.

Yeah, that'll work ... or maybe not

From the Lone Star State, comes this news from Fort Hood:

Fort Hood officials announced Thursday a new command policy regarding registration requirements for privately-owned firearms was signed into effect Tuesday by Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, III Corps and Fort Hood commander.

The policy, and Fort Hood Regulation 190-11, requires all service members and their families living, residing or temporarily staying at Fort Hood to register any privately-owned firearms kept on post with the Directorate of Emergency Services, a Fort Hood press release states.

The announcement comes more than a month after the Nov. 5 massacre on post claimed the lives of 13 and injured more than 30 – victims were shot by a soldier using a privately-owned firearm.

The new policy details how soldiers, family members and even civilians must go about reporting privately-owned weapons being taken on post.

"Service members living in barracks or in post temporary housing must notify their immediate commander of the possession of POFs and keep the weapon in their respective unit arms room in accordance with Army Regulation 190-11 and Fort Hood Regulation 190-11," the policy reads.

Under the new policy, service members and their families living, residing or temporarily staying at Fort Hood are required to immediately notify DES of any "sale, purchase, trade, gift, exchange or any other action that changes the ownership or long-term possession of a POF kept on the installation."

Besides detailing the responsibilities of service members, the policy additionally states that "all persons, whether service member or civilian, who intend to transport a privately-owned firearm onto Fort Hood must first register that firearm with DES."

It goes on to state that when entering Fort Hood, all persons are required to declare to access control point personnel that they are bringing a privately-owned firearm onto the installation.

"POFs being transported onto Fort Hood will, at all times, be accompanied by post registration documentation and are subject to inspection," the policy states.

The announcement Thursday specified that the new policy is "punitive in nature" and applies to all III Corps and Fort Hood service members, major subordinate units, tenant activities and family members across Fort Hood. ...

Read it here. A ridiculous, utterly ineffective, yet entirely predictable policy response. Perhaps Fort Hood entrance gates should have signs requesting all mass murderers to please check in with base security before commencing their murderous rampages. Pretty please?

Nevada U.S. senate candidates on gun control

From David Codrea:

Regular readers are familiar with the gun rights questionnaire, designed to elicit unequivocal answers from candidates about exactly where they stand on the right to keep and bear arms. It's proven a useful tool at separating those with the political courage to be leaders from those who would instead rely on meaningless platitudes, and those who think they deserve power without having to make an account of themselves to gun owners.

We've used the questionnaire in a number of races throughout the Republic so far, but have given special focus to the 2010 Nevada contest for U.S. Senate.

Why?

Because polls show incumbent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is vulnerable to challenge. It would be a major victory to demonstrate that one of the most powerful political figures in the country can be defeated by an unequivocal gun rights supporter. ...

Read it here, with links to the candidate responses of those who have answered the questionnaire.

California sheriff supports armed citizens

From the Fresno Bee:

The best gift for a law-abiding citizen this Christmas might be a concealed-weapons permit.

Even though Fresno police always are putting out press releases that claim crime is down, the city doesn't feel safe. Nor does it appear safe. Not on my side of town, at least. Not south of McKinley Avenue.

Look, there was a time when I believed that more guns led to more violence.

Now, in my gut, I have to agree with Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims. She says that a society is safer when responsible people bear arms.

"I think it's a good idea to keep the bad guys guessing so that they never know when they're coming up against a citizen who is carrying," Mims says.

Under California law, each sheriff can issue a concealed-weapons permit to anyone with a clean record who has "good cause." Some sheriffs are stingy with permits. Others, such as Mims, believe the permits should go to any eligible person.

For Mims, " 'Good cause' is, I can't put a deputy sheriff with every single citizen." ...

Read it here. According to the article, Fresno County under Sheriff Mims now accounts for almost 10% of all CCW permits in California, and the sheriff reportedly carries permit applications in her car to hand out to residents who want to apply for one. Now that's a pretty pro-self defense sheriff. And in California, no less.

IANSA and the UN want you disarmed

From NRA News: