Wayne LaPierre responds to Nevada shooting

Wayne LaPierre has responded to the attempted Mass Shooting in a bar in Winnemucca Nevada that was stopped by a CCW permit holder in his latest entry to his NRA News what they didn't tell you today blog.

Student Suspended Over Empty Shell Casing

Brady Gelsak, a 4th grade elementary student, was suspended from school 5 DAYS for brining an empty shell casing to school that was given to him as a souvenir by a Veteran on Memorial Day. Yet more Zero Tolerance=Zero Thought idiocy from some school idiotrators, I mean some out of control school administrators:

. . . After the piece of brass was confiscated, Ms. Geslak was called at work and told to come and pick up her son; he was being suspended for the next five days.

Her son was in tears when she got there. “I was totally shocked. I couldn’t believe this was happening,” she said.

“Ordinarily, I try to think ahead about things, but to me, this was something good, not bad. It was just an empty shell, not even from a real bullet. A sharpened pencil would be more dangerous than this piece of metal.” . . .

H/T to Cam on NRA News.

Funny Videos from Glenn Beck

A couple of funny videos from Glenn Beck. You can find more here.

What healthcare could look like if we Socialize it:



History of DNC Super Delegates:

Glenn Beck's NRA Keynote Speech

If you have not yet gone to watch ALL of the archived videos from the 2008 NRA Convention you are missing out big time (there are more available now since I first made the above post).

If you have not yet seen Glenn Beck's keynote speech you simply MUST watch it (also available in the NRA video archive). Give up sleeping tonight if you must to make the time - you will not regret it:

Fidel Castro Endorses Obama

Yet more Proof Obama would be BAD for our Country - Cuba's Fidel Castro has cast his endorsement for Obama:

. . . after hearing the speech Obama delivered on the afternoon of May 23 at the Cuban American National Foundation created by Ronald Reagan. I listened to his speech, as I did McCain’s and Bush’s. I feel no resentment towards him, for he is not responsible for the crimes perpetrated against Cuba and humanity. Were I to defend him, I would do his adversaries an enormous favor . . . this man who is doubtless, from the social and human points of view, the most progressive candidate to the U.S. presidency . . .

H/T to Glenn Beck

Defense Rifle used for Self Defense

A couple of thugs tried to rob the wrong coffee shop when they picked one owned by an armed citizen prepared to defend herself with a self defense rifle:

Bouaphan Chanthunom, 51, opened fire with an assault rifle, instantly killing Joseph Murphy McRae, 36, of Mount Gilead.

H/T to SayUncle, Gunpundit, & Clayton.

Bullet Counters

Great article on mainstream media editorialists writing sensational headlines & counting the bullets fired to stop an aggressor armed with a knife or a car.

H/T to Sebastian & Sharpshooters.

Canadian Gun Owners Fire Back!

Canadian gun owners fire back at the anti-gun Toronto Mayor David Miller:

Canadian Institute for Legislative Action (CILA) Executive Director Tony Bernardo stated, “If war is what David Miller wants, war is what he’ll get. But he needs to remember, there is one of him and two million of us” . . .

“Having Miller equate these upstanding Canadians with drug dealing hoodlums is degrading and insulting. Firearms owners intend to hit the City of Toronto where it hurts, right in the wallet”, Bernardo said. He added, “We have sent this website to our international partners and combined, they represent almost 200 million people. We have taken ads in U.S. firearms related publications to inform 80 million American gun owners that they are NOT WELCOME in Toronto and to encourage them not to come here.” “Vancouver is a much nicer option for the Pan-American Games”, he concluded . . .

Update 1: More details available at Torontothebad.com

The War on Guns: Illinois Makes it Illegal to Commit Illegal Gun Transfer Illegally to Minors Who Can't Legally Have Them Because it's Illegal

From David Codrea: The War on Guns: Illinois Makes it Illegal to Commit Illegal Gun Transfer Illegally to Minors Who Can't Legally Have Them Because it's Illegal

Reminds me of the law in Seattle Washington that requires criminals entering the city with intent to commit an illegal crime to notify the Mayor of the crimes they intend to commit.

NV: Mass Shooting Stopped by CCW Permit Holder

In the small town of Winnemucca Nevada a man bent on performing a mass shooting at a bar was stopped by an armed CCW permit holder who happened to be in the right place at the right time. The alleged mass murderer had already killed two victims & had injured two others with gunshot wounds, but after reloading to resume his shooting spree he was shot & killed by an armed CCW permit holder who was also at the bar. The alleged mass murderer & his two dead victims were already dead by the time Police arrived on the scene once again proving that when seconds count, only the immediate responders are already on the scene, while first responders (Police) are only minutes away. This is further proof that gun free zones are a travesty that must be ended.

. . .The officers on scene discovered three adult males who had died from obvious gunshot wounds. Two additional gunshot victims were also located. One of these victims, a 34 year old male, was transported to Humboldt General Hospital via private vehicle. The other victim, a 22 year old female, was transported via Humboldt County Ambulance . . .

. . . The subsequent investigation lead detectives to believe that Villagomez entered the bar and at some point began firing multiple rounds. At least two of these rounds struck and killed the other two decedents, Jose Torres age, 20 and his brother Margarito Torres, age 19 both of Winnemucca. At some point during this shooting spree Villagomez allegedly stopped and according to witnesses reloaded his . . . handgun and began shooting again. It was at this point that the second shooter, the Reno resident, produced a concealed handgun and proceeded to fire upon Villagomez who succumbed to his wounds. The Reno resident was in possession of a valid Concealed Carry Permit issued through the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office . . .

Luckily Nevada does not turn places that happen to serve alcohol for on premises consumption into a so-called "Gun Free Zone" or who knows how high the victim count could have been before Police could have arrived to end it. In Arizona & many other States citizens are not currently allowed to carry a defensive weapon into places that serve alcohol. It is long past time that we get rid of gun free zones, places where only the Police & the criminals are armed.



Update 1: Links to video of this story courtesy of Joe Carpenter:

I (live) in Reno, and this happened in Winnemucca, about an hour or two out of Reno.

KTVN ch2 CBS

KRNV ch4 NBC

KOLO ch8 ABC

Interesting how they all call it a "triple homicide"

Name of the CCW carrier is not being broadcast, prob due to fear of reprisal for putting the shooter down . . .

Update 2: Wayne LaPierre's response in his NRA News what they didn't tell you today blog.

Michael Bane's NFA Rant

Michael Bane explains why the National Firearms Act is ridiculous. I could not have said it better myself.

H/T to Sebastian.

Canada: Anti-gun Toronto Mayor David Miller

Unbelievable: Anti-gun Toronto Canada Mayor David Miller wants to close down gun ranges:

Toronto Mayor David Miller says he’s in favor of a report calling for recreational shooting ranges in the city to be shut down. He says nobody can deny that hobby directly results in people being shot and killed on the streets. Miller also wants to see his city have the power to block gun manufacturers and wholesalers from opening new plants or warehouses. He added that recreational shooting is a hobby that creates danger to others because guns are stolen routinely from so-called legal owners.

So-called legal owners? Nobody can deny that hobby directly results in people being shot? You bet I can deny it. Thugs don't practice at the range, they practice in the hood. I'd call his statements a load of hogwash, but even the hogs wouldn't eat that garbage for breakfast so I'll leave the hogs out of this one.

Update 1: Canadians gun owners fire back!

Canadian Institute for Legislative Action (CILA) Executive Director Tony Bernardo stated, “If war is what David Miller wants, war is what he’ll get. But he needs to remember, there is one of him and two million of us”.

Update 2: More details available at TorontoTheBad.com.

AZ: Governor Napolitano Vetoes More Gun Bills

Arizona Governor Napolitano pulled out her veto stamp yet again yesterday. She uses her veto stamp so often that she didn't even need to blow the dust off collected since her last veto. This time she vetoed SB 1106 (the option for the lifetime CCW permit), and HB 2629 (the bill that would have allowed the defensive display of a weapon in self defense if someone is using or attempting to use illegal physical force or deadly physical force). Feel free to take a look at her SB 1106 veto letter, and her HB 2629 veto letter.

Not surprisingly she lied in her HB 2629 veto letter - she falsely claimed that HB 2629 would have allowed someone to display a weapon when it was only a fight of words. The law actually would have required the attacker to be using or attempting to use deadly or unlawful physical force (such as whacking a victim with a baseball bat which certainly is unlawful physical force). She is either a liar or she didn't read the legislation, and since it is such an easy read even for her I'm leaning towards liar.

Lucky for us Arizona Governors are limited to two 4 year terms in office, so we can replace her with an honest to goodness pro-gun Governor when her final term runs out in 2010, as opposed to Napolitano who despite her campaign promises to be pro-gun now has a long record of using her veto against most of the good pro gun legislation that has reached her desk. Unfortunately 2010 seems so far away when suffering with an anti-gun Governor who loves to veto good pro-gun bills, and then use the excuse that she vetoed them because a group of Chiefs of Police took stands against them even though they are nothing more than political puppets controlled by the City Mayors & University Presidents that they work for & are appointed by. If you really want to know how the Police feel about any given bill, you need to talk to the officers who walk the streets, not the political puppets currently sitting in the Chief of Police office.

Update 1: Listen to Dave Copp & Michael Anthony describe why HB 2629 was so imporant in the Senate Judiciary Hearing. Also listen to bill Sponsor, Representative Pierce in the same hearing. You can also watch the video archive.

CA: Woman cited for carrying a shotgun

I guess in Longview California Police get a bit upset when you bear arms while walking down the street. At least that's the idea I get from the fact that they held a woman carrying her shotgun while walking to a Pawn Shop at gunpoint & demanded that she drop her weapon. After all that they added injury to insult by slapping her with a $250 fine for so-called "disorderly conduct."

I don't know about you, but I'd think an apology & a nice box of flowers would have been more appropriate than a $250 fine.

AZ: Dave Copp AZCDL President Interview

Dave Copp, President, co-founder, and chief lobbyist of AZCDL was interviewed on The Right Report this past Sunday. If you missed the interview, you can listen to a recorded version of it online in mp3 format. They touched on many important topics during the interview including the SB 1214 Campus Carry bill, & the Ammunition Encoding bill, just to name two.

1st Amendment Violation to protect 2nd Amendment Violation

In Fort Worth Texas, Tarrant County College denied approval to allow their students who were also members of Students For Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) to wear empty holsters in protest of the school gun ban. The existing gun free zone disarms 21 & older adults who have CCW permits allowing them to carry concealed weapons everywhere else, making them easy defenseless targets while at school for any thug looking for a target rich easy victim zone, such as muggers, rapists, and mass murderers. I guess Tarrant County College has as much disregard for the 1st Amendment in the Bill of Rights as they do for the 2nd Amendment.

Update 1: More here.

Especially for Memorial Day: Footnote.com

I just found out about footnote.com yesterday while watching Glenn Beck. It has a digitized version of the Vietnam Wall which allows friends & family members of those who gave their lives in the service of our Country to add information and comments. Footnote.com also has historical military records from many wars, even photos from Vietnam & World War II. I was even able to find a Civil War record of someone with my same last name, could be a distant relative since he also has the same first name as my great great great grandfather. Check it out, it's an excellent way to remember those who have served.

More info about the footnote.com digitized Vietnam Wall:

At full size, The Wall image on Footnote is about 460 feet wide (400,000 pixels wide by 12,500 pixels tall).
We found 58,320 names inscribed on The Wall.
There are about 70 names which are duplicates or misspellings. 26 names are listed as "not KIA".
8 names are women.
2,056 are listed as "body not recovered."
Average age is 22.8 years old.
6,301 images were photographed by Peter Krogh
Darren Higgins used six computers to stitch 1,494 images into a single 5 gigapixel image of The Wall.

Alan Korwin Responds to Media Bias

Alan Korwin responded to evidence of media bias via this letter to the editor in response to this Arizona Republic article from Tuesday.

. . . With news coverage that perpetually casts self-defense, personal-safety and civil-rights-protection bills as students-with-guns laws, it should come as little surprise that people don't trust or rely on the media the way they used to. That coverage also perpetuates hoplophobia, a debilitating, irrational fear of weapons.

Will you change? Everyone hopes so, but doubts run high.

Don't watch this if you love your Prius!

If you love your Toyota Prius please do NOT watch this video. For everyone else there are some nice guns toward the end of this video that provide indisputable evidence that the Toyota Prius is in fact, not bullet proof:



H/T to Tactical Cactus.

This covers some additional fun:

Buy a car, get a free gun!

What is more American than that?

Max Motors Customers in Butler, MO are being given the choice between a $250 gas card or a free handgun when they purchase a car, about 80% are choosing the gun. Smart choice.

Update 1: this article explains that this promotion is in direct response to Obama's comment describing god fearing gun owners as bitter.

Americans are not in favor of banning handguns

According to a new Poll released by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, only 36% of Americans would be willing to support a ban on handguns (Down from 44% in March of 2000). 36% of Americans willing to tread on our Constitution & Bill of Rights.

For those of you in the 36% camp who are willing to say that only the criminals & the government should have handguns, I have an easy solution for you. Move to the UK. The handgun ban is already in place there & they have free health care as an added bonus (useful if as a defenseless victim you get shot by an armed thug).

Just watch out for the thugs with guns. For some unknown reason thugs there are unwilling to obey the gun ban law, or any other law for that matter. Perhaps when thugs start obeying the "don't mug or rape people" law they'll also start obeying the gun ban law. Perhaps the UK should have waited to disarm the law abiding citizens until after the Thugs were disarmed, but I guess that would have required rational thought.

AZ: AZCDL President Dave Kopp on KFNX 1100 AM this Sunday Evening

Update from AZCDL:

Dave Kopp, AzCDL's President, co-founder, and chief lobbyist, will be interviewed by Mark Zemel of "The Arizona Right Report" this coming Sunday, May 25, 2008, between 8:10 PM and 8:45 PM.

The interview can be heard on KFNX 1100 AM in Phoenix. You can also listen live at http://www.1100KFNX.com.

We encourage everyone to CALL IN with questions and comments about AzCDL supported legislation, other gun bills, and the legislative process in general. Ask Dave what it's like lobbying for our rights at the Legislature, and how reality compares with the myths you heard in High School Civics.

You can reach the show in the Phoenix area at 602-277-5369, or toll free at 1-866-536-1100. If enough people call in, the interview time will be extended past 8:45 AM. This is YOUR chance to get the lowdown directly from AzCDL's President, and to publicize the efforts and successes of AzCDL!

Information on legislation that AzCDL is tracking can be found at: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html.
AzCDL requested and supported bills that are still making their way through the process are:

HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified.

HB 2389, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation, excluding public transit.

HB 2634, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit.

SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one.

SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit.

Let's not forget about SB 1214, the AzCDL requested bill that originally would have complied with Federal law by allowing adults with Concealed Weapons (CCW) permits to carry concealed firearms on school campuses. After being amended to allow carrying only on Universities and Colleges, the Republican controlled Senate quietly killed SB 1214, after attempting to neutralize it with more burdensome amendments.

And finally, there is HB 2630, the AzCDL requested bill that would have reduced the penalty for a law-abiding person carrying a concealed weapon without a permit to a petty offense, while increasing penalties for criminals. HB 2630 was vetoed by the Governor on April 29, 2008.

We encourage you to listen to Dave's radio interview this Sunday, and call in with your questions and comments!

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

AZ: Legislative Update from AZCDL

Legislative update from AZCDL:

HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified, passed the House Final Read on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, by a vote of 34-26, and was transmitted to the Governor, who has already threatened to veto the bill.

It is VERY important to contact the Governor, and urge her to sign HB 2629 into law. You can use your own message, or you can use the sample message below. Her email address is azgov@az.gov. You can also fax a letter to her at 602-542-1381.

Or you can mail it to her at the following address:

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

You can also call her office at 602-542-4331 or toll free, at 1-800-253-0883.

Following the sample letter are instructions on how to post your comments on the Governor's website.

Subject: Please sign HB 2629

Governor Napolitano:

The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) has informed me that important legislation, HB 2629, is awaiting your signature. I urge you to sign HB 2629 into law.

HB 2629 would add a new justification defense to ARS Title 13, Chapter 4 regarding the defensive display of a firearm. The U.S. Department of Justice has estimated that, nationwide, there are 1.5 million defensive uses of firearms each year (National Institute of Justice, NCJ 155476, May 1997).

In about 75% of defensive firearm instances, a shot is never fired and the threat is dissuaded via a defensive display or warning (Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun," Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 86(1):150-187, Fall 1995).

Unfortunately, Arizona law effectively rules out the use of anything other than lethal force with a firearm for self-defense. Under current law, a defensive display can be, and typically is, categorized as "endangerment"

(ARS 13-1201), "threatening and intimidation" (ARS 13-1202), "assault" (ARS 13-1203), or "aggravated assault" (ARS 13-1204).

Opponents of this proposal have suggested that people are not currently prosecuted for displaying a weapon when threatened with bodily harm, but testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee proved otherwise. Testimony during the hearing, especially from Michael Anthony, a recognized expert in the field, and the author of the text used by AZ DPS to train CCW instructors in Arizona's laws concerning the use of deadly force, shed quite a bit of light on the reality of the situation. The simple fact is that people are frequently arrested, and occasionally jailed, for doing nothing more than displaying a weapon in an attempt to defend themselves: http://tinyurl.com/4vxdeq

The proposed language should reduce the necessity to use lethal force in self-defense situations while assuring that law-abiding citizens are not unfairly targeted for prosecution when attempting to diffuse a threatening situation with a non-lethal defensive display.

Again, I urge you to support sound public policy, and sign HB 2629 into law.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Street Address
City, AZ zip-code
telephone number



You can go to the Governor's website, http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp, where you will find a fill-in-the-blanks form to register your opinion. For "subject", scroll down and select "Legislation." For "topic", fill in "HB 2629."

You can add your own polite message urging her to sign HB 2629 in the "message/comment" area, or you can use the sample message above.

Meanwhile, back in the Legislature, the House recovered from Tuesday's legislative shenanigans, and engaged in bipartisan voting.

SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one, passed handily by 43-17 in a reconsideration vote, after being defeated in Tuesday's vote.

SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit, also recovered from Tuesday's defeat, and passed by 35-25 in a reconsideration vote.

Both bills will now go back to the Senate for concurrence and a Final Read vote.

Over in the Senate, HB 2634, the AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit, passed out of the Senate Third Read on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, by a vote of 18-7 with 5 Senators not voting. HB 2634 now goes back to the House for concurrence and a Final Read vote.

Stay tuned! Information on these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

AZ SB 1070 & SB 1106 Passed in House

Good news, both AZ SB 1070 & SB 1106 passed in the AZ House 3rd Read today! SB 1070 passed by 43 to 17 with zero not voting, and SB 1106 passed by 35 to 25 with zero not voting.

AZ: Legislative update from AZCDL

AZ Legislative update from AZCDL:

It all started when a handful of Republican Representatives were absent during the House Third Read votes on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. Just enough were absent to erase the slim Republican majority in the House. Democrats flexed their muscles, and bills started going down in flames. Caught in this power struggle were two AzCDL supported, pro-rights bills – SB 1070 and SB 1106.

SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one, and SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit, both failed to pass during Third Read. Support vanished from virtually all the Democrats who had previously indicated they would vote for them. To avoid an irreparable loss, some quick thinking Republicans switched their votes to set up a motion for a reconsideration vote. Both bills are now on the House Third Read calendar for Wednesday, May 21, 2008. This is their last chance for passage in the House. Hopefully tomorrow clearer heads will prevail, absent members will show up, and SB 1070 and SB 1106 will pass with the bipartisan majorities we had expected.

Please take the time to send a polite note to your Representative urging them to vote for the passage of SB 1070 and SB 1106. You can find your Representative here: http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp
Please be sure to include your name, address, and phone number in all correspondence.

HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified, was also scheduled for the House Final Read on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, but, fortunately, was pulled from the calendar. It will be rescheduled. HB 2629 passed the House Third Read by a 33-26 vote (1 Representative not voting) on March 19, 2008, and the Senate Third Read by a 19-7 vote (4 Senators not voting) on May 12, 2008. If HB 2629 passes the House Final Read, it will be sent to the Governor.

Beware! The slim pro-rights majority in the House may disappear this Fall unless YOU vote in local elections. The scenario that happened today on the House floor will be the rule, not the exception. Pro-rights bills will be killed in committees and rights crushing bills like HB 2833, a stealth ammo ban which was dead on arrival this year, would be zipping through the Legislature and heading to the Governor for her signature. You can read more about HB 2833 at AzCDL's "News" page. Scroll down to the article dated February 12, 2008: http://www.azcdl.org/html/news.html .

House Caucus committees have passed HB 2389, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation, excluding public transit, with a recommendation that it be sent to a Conference committee, where differences between the original House version and the amended Senate version can be worked out.

Meanwhile HB 2634, the AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit, passed out of the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 and is now on the Senate Third Read calendar for Wednesday, May 21, 2008.

Stay tuned! Information on these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Brady Campaign says McCain isn't as anti-gun as they'd like

Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign says that McCain isn't as anti-gun as they'd like:

. . . while Sen. McCain talks about fighting terrorists abroad, he proposes little to help keep us safe at home. He opposes bans on military style weapons, waiting periods, and legal accountability for negligent gun manufacturers and dealers . . .

They are however happy that he does support a ban to bar private citizens from being able to sell privately owned property (guns) at gun shows without executing a background check:

. . .I was happy to see Sen. McCain reaffirm his support for closing the gun show loophole . . .

H/T to Keep & Bear Arms

AZ Legislative Update from AZCDL

Legislative update from AZCDL:

HB 2389, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation, excluding public transit, passed out of the Senate Third Read on Monday, May 19, 2008, by a 17-9 vote with 4 Senators not voting. AzCDL is working with the sponsor to get HB 2389 into a Conference Committee, where the differences between the original House version and the amended Senate version can be worked out, and the language from HB 2634 removed.

Meanwhile HB 2634, the AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit, is scheduled for debate in the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified, has been scheduled for the House Final Read on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. HB 2629 passed the House Third Read by a 32-26 vote (1 Representative not voting) on March 19, 2008, and the Senate Third Read by a 19-7 vote (4 Senators not voting) on May 12, 2008. If HB 2629 passes the House Final Read, it will be sent to the Governor.

Please take the time to send a polite note to your Senator urging them to vote for the passage of HB 2634, and to your Representatives urging them to vote for the passage of HB 2629. You can find your legislators here: http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp
Please be sure to include your name, address, and phone number in all correspondence.

We have more good news! SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one, and SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit, both passed out of the House COW on Monday, May 19, 2008. During the House COW debate, SB 1070 was amended, at the request of AZ DPS and the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA), to restore the language in the current statute requiring CCW instructors to create a training organization, and to make other technical changes.

Stay tuned! Information on these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

30 Military stories

30 Military Stories many didn't hear about, but should have.

Watch some of the speeches from the 2008 NRA Convention

I have very much enjoyed watching the speeches made available so far from the 2008 NRA Annual Convention going on right now in KY. I highly recommend you check them out at your earliest convenience if you have not already seen them. Start out with Oliver North, Mike Huckabee, & Mitt Romney just to get a taste, but they're all so good that you simply must watch them all. Go over to nra.org, select the "Browse Archives" tab on the right hand side next to the "Archived Materials" Heading, then select the "2008 NRA Annual Meeting" to see the available videos.

You won't regret it!

Olofson sentenced to 30 months Prison for Malfunction

Yesterday Mr. Olofson was convicted & sentenced to 30 months in Prison for lending out a gun that malfunctioned (see my earlier post on this topic). All because the ATF decided to persecute, I mean prosecute, him. Yet we allow dangerous felons out on the streets due to Prison over-crowding. What is this world coming to.

H/T to Armed & Safe.

Paul Helmke on the The Colbert Report

Too funny: Brady President Paul Helmke interview on The Colbert Report.



A few classic Brady quotes from the interview:

"We're still arguing about what the constitution means . . . it's the only amendment that's got the word regulated in it, they must have meant some sort of regulation"

"I don't ever carry a gun around, so I don't think I need a gun, if you came at me right now with a knife I'd try to trip you up and get away from you, I would try to appeal to your rational side, and if you don't have a rational side then I'd try to kick you in the, uh, where I could hurt you."

"I'm not anti-gun . . . right now we don't do anything to keep the crazy people hardly from getting the guns"

"Adding guns to a situation only escalates the situation, guns are dangerous weapons, talk to Jim Brady about what a bullet can do, he took that bullet in the head at the time of the assassination attempt of President Reagan, Jim Brady I think is really one of the true heroes of our society"

My favorite Colbert quote on the topic of using what happened to Jim Brady to push for gun control legislation:

"How long is he going to hold that up as like I know more about being shot than you do because I got shot, wouldn't it take more courage to be shot & go no, I'm not going to infringe other peoples rights just because something bad happened to me, that would be bold . . . I think people are tired of the `a lot of people have been killed by guns card`"

H/T to The Pro-Gun Progressive.

AZ: AZCDL Legislation Update

AZCDL Legislation Update:

The pressure you put on the Rules committees last week had an impact! The log jam has broken, and AzCDL requested and supported pro-rights bills are finally moving towards floor votes in the House and Senate.

HB 2389, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation, excluding public transit, passed out of the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. However, amendments were added during the COW debate, by Senators Cheverount, O'Halleran and Waring, which did not alter the existing language of HB 2389, but advanced their issues. You can read each amendment here:
Cheverount - http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/adopted/s.2389cheuvront.pdf
O'Halleran - http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/adopted/s.2389ohalleran.pdf
Waring - http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/adopted/s.2389waring.pdf

Update: -[SNIP] (a portion of the alert has been removed due to new information that has come out)

Meanwhile HB 2634, the original AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit, finally passed out of the Senate Rules Committee on May 12, 2008. Next stop is Senate COW, assuming that Senate leadership is still willing to hear the bill on the floor. Its fate could be dependent on removing the same language from the amended HB 2389.

We do have some good news! SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one, and SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit, both passed out of the House Rules Committee on May 13, 2008. From here they move on to the House COW.

Stay tuned! Information on these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Two Thugs Choose the Wrong Victim

Two thugs accidentally picked an armed gentleman to be their intended victim:

. . . Police officers arrived on the scene less than one minute later and found Kerry Von Pohle (9/18/1948) pointing a revolver towards Kevin Eber (10/7/1989) and Jacob Shelton (9/5/1988). Officers drew their firearms and commanded Von Pohle to put his weapon down. Von Pohle complied with these commands. An investigation revealed Von Pohle had drawn his gun in self-defense.

Kevin Eber had thrown a partially full beer can, striking Von Pohle's car. Von Pohle asked Eber why and Eber became violent, telling Von Pohle he was going to kill him. During that exchange, Shelton attacked Von Pohle, striking him with closed fists and slamming his head into a parked car.

Von Pohle attempted to fend off the attack but realized Eber was closing in on him as well. Von Pohle drew his concealed 9mm revolver (for which he had a weapon permit) and pointed it at both subjects telling them if they came any closer he would shoot. The suspects stopped their advance. Von Pohle also had called 911 to notify police.

Eber was arrested within minutes and lodged; Shelton had left the scene and was later arrested. Eber was charged with Menacing, and Disorderly Conduct, and Shelton was charged with Assault and Menacing. Both were lodged in the Curry County Jail. Von Pohle was not charged with a crime.

Update on US Soldier in Mexico Prison

For updates on the Spc. Richard Raymond Medina Torres story go to the ReleaseRichard.com website. As of now he is still in Prison & it looks like he'll know in a couple of weeks whether the remaining charges will be dropped or if he'll be sentenced to additional time in prison.

They also have set up a blog site where you can leave supportive comments.

Dirk Kempthorn on National Park carry

Nice article written by Dirk Kempthorn (Secretary of the US Department of the Interior) on the proposed changes to National Park Rules that would match up the concealed carry rules in National Parks with the Concealed Carry laws of the individual States they are located in for concealed carry in the given State Parks:

The Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and a number of state parks and refuges (already) authorize the possession of concealed weapons consistent with the laws of the states in which they are located. The evidence does not suggest visitors to these lands misuse their legally permitted weapons for poaching or illegal shooting, or that there is additional danger posed to the public from lawfully carried concealed weapons.

Remember to submit your comments on the proposed changes to National Park rules before the June 30th deadline.

AZ: Dictator Napolitano over-rules the people AGAIN!

Arizona Dictator Napolitano in addition to her veto letter telling gun owners to "get a permit" if they want to exercise their 2nd Amendment protected right to bear arms, Napolitano now has issued an executive order taking away 1.6 Million dollars of funding that had been allocated to the Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio's office by our elected representatives in the Arizona State Legislature to fund efforts to curb illegal immigration among other tasks. Napolitano apparently has not heard anything about the separation of powers between the executive & the legislative branches, nor the special emergency cases that executive orders were designed for. Either that or she knows exactly what she is doing & she just doesn't care.

Either way there is "a permanent cure . . . it's a big bitter pill called loosing the next election, and it may be tough to swallow, but take two & don't bother calling us in the morning." (Wayne LaPierre)

More here & here.

Great use of Stimulus money

I was not alone in thinking it would be great to spend our stimulus checks on anything in the shooting sports. Some of our fellow Americans have already made great use of their stimulus checks. Same with this fellow. Eric also spent his check very wisely. I couldn't be more proud.

If you spend your stimulus check on the shooting sports be sure to add an entry to howispentmystimulus.com & let me know by adding a comment to this post. It would be sure to infuriate both Hillary & Obama, especially if you used your stimulus money to buy a handgun or a so-called "assault weapon".

Scott Bieser British Gun Ban Cartoon

By Scott Bieser for KeepAndBearArms.com

The British Gun Ban is working so fabulously that the number of British Police Officers shot by criminals is actually on the rise . . .


H/T to David Cordera

AZ: Legislative update from AZCDL

Legislative update from AZCDL:

Your emails, letters and phone calls worked again! HB 2629, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified, passed in the Senate Third Read on Monday, May 12, 2008 by a vote of 19-7 with 4 Senators not voting. From here, HB 2629 will go back to the House for concurrence before being sent to the Governor.

We have some other good news. HB 2634, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit, has finally moved out of the Senate Rules Committee (thanks to YOUR pressure). The next steps are debate in the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW) followed by a formal vote in Third Read.

Meanwhile, HB 2389, an AzCDL requested bill decriminalizing carrying weapons in vehicles without a CCW permit, has been scheduled for debate in the Senate COW on Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

Please take the time to send a polite note to your Senator urging them to vote for the passage of HB 2389. You can find your Senator here: http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp

Stay tuned! As relevant legislation is introduced and progresses, we will keep you up to date via these Alerts: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AZCDL_Alerts/

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Glenn Beck Gun Week

I'm a huge Glenn Beck fan. Glenn Beck has declared this week to be Gun Week on his radio & TV programs:

Fans of the Second Amendment take notice---Glenn will be doing Gun Week all this week on both the television and radio programs. Great guests will come on the air to talk about the thing that makes Rosie O'Donnell cry herself to sleep---the right to own a gun.

Check back at the website all week for audio and video clips from Glenn Beck's Gun Week.

AZ: HB 2634 scheduled for Rules Committee Hearing today

The Senate Rules committee has scheduled HB 2634 for a Senate Rules Committee Hearing today on Monday May 12th. If in the past you have already gone to the AZ Senate or House to use a kiosk to set up your username/password you can use the online AZ Request to Speak system to enter some comments & register your support of the bill, which will be read by the Senate Rules Committee during the hearing. If you don't have a username yet you can also register your support and comments at any of the available kiosks there. It is scheduled to begin today upon adj or Recess of the Senate Floor.

HB 2634, is an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit.

Joe Chaim Gun Free Zone Cartoons

I found out about Joe Chaim's Cartoons from my United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) newsletters (PS -USCCA is currently offering a significant spring sale discount if you join or renew by this Friday May 16th, which I highly recommend - it also has a top notch magazine that I enjoy reading). You should check out all of Joe Chaim's Cartoons, they're very good. Below are a few of my favorites he has done on the Gun Free Zone topic:






See all of his cartoons on his website: www.chaimcartoons.com

NRA ILA Grassroots Alert

This week's NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert

This week's NRA-ILA Grassroots Minute Video

AZ: AZCDL Legislative Update

Hot off the press from AZCDL:

The legislative session is in overtime, and many of the remaining AzCDL requested and supported pro-rights bills are in a holding pattern in the Rules Committees in both the House and Senate. All bills must pass through the Rules Committee in each chamber, which determines if proposed legislation is constitutional and in proper form.

The House Rules Committee, which has not held a meeting since April 22nd, has yet to hear the following Senate bills:

SB 1070, an AzCDL requested bill that makes it easier for lawful gun owners who have satisfactorily completed training to obtain a permit, or renew an expired one.

SB 1106, Senator Chuck Gray's bill that provides for an optional lifetime CCW permit.

Over in the Senate, HB 2389 finally moved out of the Senate Rules Committee on May 5th. Its next stop is the Senate Committee of the Whole, probably next week. HB 2389 is an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that it is permissible to carry a weapon, without a CCW permit, visibly or concealed, anywhere within a means of transportation, excluding public transit.

The Senate Rules Committee has still not heard HB 2634, an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies that a person with an expunged or set-aside felony conviction, or one who has had their rights restored, may obtain a concealed weapons permit. Sen. Tibshraeny, the Rules committee Chairman, has told our lobbyists that he will hear the bill on the next agenda.

On a more positive note, HB 2629 was heard in the Senate Committee of the Whole on April 30, 2008 and is waiting to be scheduled for a formal vote by the full Senate. HB 2629 is an AzCDL requested bill that clarifies when a defensive display of a firearm is justified.

The pressure you put on the Rules committees last week had an impact! AzCDL's full-time volunteer lobbyists are at the Capitol, tirelessly working to get these important bills through the legislature and to the Governor. Stay tuned!

Information on these and other bills can be found at the AzCDL website: http://www.azcdl.org/html/legislation.html

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today!

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

Copyright © 2008 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

Update: The Senate Rules committee has scheduled HB 2634 for a Senate Rules Committee Hearing on Monday May 12th. If you have gone to the AZ Senate or House to use a kiosk to set up your username/password you can use the AZ Request to Speak system to enter some comments & register your support of the bill, which will be read by the Senate Rules Committee during the hearing. If you don't have a username yet you can also register your support and comments at any of the available kiosks there.

AZ: HB 2629 defensive display of a weapon

As in most States, in Arizona it is illegal to brandish or display your weapon to an aggressor who is using or attempting to use unlawful or deadly force before it reaches the point where you have to draw your weapon & shoot in self defense. If you show your weapon to ward off an attack before that you can be charged with brandishing a weapon among other possible charges such as reckless endangerment & assault with a deadly weapon. The first point a criminal threatening you will see your weapon under current Arizona law is when the 3 requirements for self defense are fully met & you are pulling out your weapon to aim at & shoot him or her in defense of your life or the lives of others.

HB 2629 (An AZCDL endorsed bill) if passed & signed into law would change that in Arizona giving law abiding citizens the option to display their weapon to an aggressor who is using or attempting to use unlawful or deadly force without having to shoot the aggressor. It has passed in the House and is currently being considered in the Senate. It passed the step of the Senate Committee of the Whole this past April 29th by a vote of 14 to 9, so the step left is the Senate 3rd read & final vote. You can view & listen to the Senate Committee of the Whole discussion of HB 2629 in video format. An audio only version is also available as an mp3 file.

During the Senate Committee of the Whole discussion Senator Miranda (District 13 Democrat) spoke out against HB 2629:

". . . It is not against the law to show a weapon . . . my concern in my district is that we're getting a lot of young men of color that are being injured, seriously injured, or death, we have a high incidence of violence, and in my community we do not need this, we do not need to escalate the danger of confrontations going fatal . . . why do we want to increase the potential of a fatal incident . . ."

Senator Harper & Senator Gorman both did an excellent job of speaking in support of the bill. Senator Harper said:

". . . if you're being physically threatened, and you do not want to wait until the person is about to kill you, it's a good idea to let them know that you have the means to defend yourself . . . but for some reason under the interpretation of the law that is being deemed a felony, and it should not . . ."

Senator Gorman said:

". . . I was somewhat surprised to find out that under current law if you properly and legally carry a weapon for defense & you find your life threatened . . . if you pull out your weapon defensively, you basically have to shoot & kill the guy or else you're in trouble for brandishing a weapon at that point . . . I'd like to give people the option of putting their gun back in the holster & not being arrested for brandishing a weapon."

Below is the text of HB 2629 as currently amended being considered in the AZ Senate:

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 13, chapter 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-421, to read:

START_STATUTE13-421. Justification; defensive display of a firearm; definition

A. The defensive display of a firearm by a person against another is justified when and to the extent a reasonable person would believe that physical force is immediately necessary to protect himself against use or attempted use of unlawful physical force or deadly physical force.

B. This section does not apply to a person who:

1. Unless otherwise justified pursuant to this chapter, points the muzzle of a firearm directly at another person.

2. Unless otherwise justified pursuant to this chapter, discharges a firearm in the direction of another person.

3. Intentionally provokes another person to use or attempt to use unlawful physical force.

4. Uses a firearm during the commission of a serious offense as defined in section 13-604 or violent crime as defined in section 13-604.04.

C. For the purposes of this section, "defensive display of a firearm" includes:

1. Verbally informing another person that the person possesses or has available a firearm.

2. Holding, exposing or displaying a firearm in a manner that a reasonable person would understand was meant to protect the person against another's use or attempted use of unlawful physical force or deadly physical force.

Whether or not you agree that it is tactically sound to show your weapon before it's time to shoot, I believe this law is a good step in expanding our freedoms that will give every citizen the free choice to make that decision for him or her self based on the facts of any given scenario.

Update 1: Listen to Dave Copp & Michael Anthony describe why this legislation is imporant in the Senate Judiciary Hearing. Also listen to bill Sponsor, Representative Pierce in the same hearing. You can also watch the video archive.

Texas backlogged with CCW permit requests

It is a good problem to have, to have a 40% increase in Texas CCW permit requests:

Last week alone, the state reported processing 1,043 original applications but receiving 1,871 requests.

If that rate were to become a consistent average Texas would have a backlog of requests growing at the rate of about 800 requests/week. By this time next year their backlog could grow by about 42,000 on top of the current backlog they already have which is currently causing permit requests to take 90 days for processing & renewals to take 125 days.

I have a couple of possible solutions for Texas:

1. Alaska & Vermont style concealed carry - no permit required for anybody legally allowed to be in our Country to conceal carry that is not a prohibited weapon possessor. After all, it is called "bearing arms" which is a constitutionally protected right that shall not be infringed or impaired.
   
2. Non-expiring lifetime CCW permits like Indiana: Requiring permits to have an expiration date is a worthless process that has no net benefit - renewals cause extra paperwork & administrative hours for the taxpayers & permit holders to pay for. The permit revocation process is computerized - if the Department of Public Safety revokes a permit for any reason it does not matter what the expiration date says on the permit, so just get rid of it or set it to lifetime - expires when permit holder expires. Arizona currently has a bill under consideration which would do that here if it passes in the House & doesn't get the Napolitano Veto (already passed in the Senate): SB 1106 - lifetime CCW permits.
   

H/T to Sebastian & Keyboard & a .45

AZ: Serial rapist/strangler on loose in Mesa

Another good reason to get self defense training & to own & carry a gun for self defense. When a serial rapist prefers to leave his victims dead it leaves Police little to go on in their search. Mesa Police held a community meeting warning residents to be careful & are offering a $1,000.00 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the rapist/strangler who has left at least 3 known victims in his wake so far, leaving at least 2 of them dead.

It would be so much better for all involved if at least one of his victims had been armed with a handgun for her own self defense. That would give a potential victim a very good chance of survival, and we could all read a headline of "The Killing spree of suspected rapist/strangler ended last night when he picked the wrong potential victim . . ." instead of the current headline of "Mesa Police offer $1,000.00 reward for serial rapist/strangler on the loose" - Police have little to go on but the investigation is ongoing . . .

The body of one woman was dumped in a canal and the other in an alley.

The rape victim was able to escape. Police say they are looking for the cab driver who picked up the woman after she was assaulted.

Detectives have little to go on with no suspect description.

FBI profilers are now working on the case, according to officials.

"I'm concerned for people," said Mesa resident Marie James. "I see people walking at night, walking and waiting at the bus stops and how long they have to wait and I uh took some extra fliers and I'm going to share them with my neighbors so we can watch out for each other."

Update 1: more on the rape victim that escaped.
Update 2: 4th Victim.
Update 3: Suspect now in custody.

Never bring a truck to a gun fight

This past Wednesday night, Phoenix Arizona resident Cody Geneha went outside with his gun to investigate why his truck was starting up in the middle of the night & found a vehicle theft suspect was driving off with it. The suspect saw the homeowner, made a u-turn, and accelerated toward him (on the sidewalk at the time) in an attempt to run him over. Luckily the homeowner was able to stop the truck attack with just a few gunshots, but he will need to replace the windshield as well as his burnt out tires.

Moral of the story: Never bring a truck to a gun fight, especially if it isn't yours.

Nutter & others calling for more gun bans

Nutter & his friends are up to their old tricks again, calling for yet more gun bans (Sebastian has the details). As if the slain officer would have been less dead if he had been killed with a handgun or a .306 hunting rifle instead? Mayor Nutter, criminals don't obey laws. In fact, criminals are already banned from touching a gun, much less possessing one, so in effect the existing ban on criminals owning guns should already be enough, but like all bans they simply don't work.

Why would taking away one type of rifle from law abiding gun owners based on cosmetic features like a pistol grip or a barrel shroud have saved this officer, especially when the rifle used by the criminal was not even banned by the expired ban on sale of so-called assault weapons? It's time to lock up criminals, not guns. The killer had a long wrap sheet & he should not have been let back out on the streets. If anything or anyone besides the criminal who pulled the trigger shares any blame for the death of the fallen officer it is the failure of the justice system to keep bad guys behind bars, not a lack of a gun ban. Ban criminals, not guns.

HR 4900 - Reign in the ATF

Armed & Safe has an update on HR 4900. If you have not already, be sure to contact your representatives to ask that they co-sponsor or at least vote for HR 4900, a bill designed to reign in the ATF abuses. H/T to Sebastian.

The 10 Lb handgun?

Wow, I wonder where this fellow found his 10 Lb handgun?

Dawson Wheeler, owner of Rock/Creek Outfitters in Chattanooga, has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and said he understands hikers’ fears, because there were many moments during his trip when he wished he had a gun.

But carrying a loaded gun on a trail is not practical, he said.

Handguns weighing five to 10 pounds are comparatively heavy, and if they are buried in a backpack out of sight it could take a hiker too long to reach one in an emergency, he said.

As for where to carry your handgun, it's always best to carry on your person. Not buried somewhere in your hiking backpack.

Dawson Wheeler also provided safety tips for ways to stay safe in the woods without carrying a weapon. I've corrected them below:

Corrected Safety tips:
TIPS ON HIKING SAFETY (corrected)

1. Never hike alone: hike with a slow runner - that way if you're attacked you don't have to outrun your assailant, just your hiking buddy.

2. Don’t leave your street sense (or your gun) at home.

3. Be careful in parking lots, roads, & on lonely hiking trails in the middle of nowhere.

4. Hike during the day, sleep at night (with your gun).

5. Pick trails with a lot of traffic.

6. Do homework before you go. Ask a park ranger or an outdoors store employee about your hiking or camping destinations, then be sure to carry your gun regardless. If you knew you were hiking into trouble, you obviously would not hike there. Better to be safe than sorry.

Restraining orders: worth their weight in paper

Restraining orders have their proper uses, but it takes a gun to defend your life. Evidence of this has been demonstrated many times over, but the latest example is Dr. Don Johnson who had issued a restraining order against his wife. Ignoring the restraining order she broke into his home in the middle of the night & attacked him with a Pick Ax. Luckily in addition to a restraining order he also had a gun, and was able to defend his own life.

Wrong Convenience Store

A suspect attempted to rob the wrong convenience store in Mesa Arizona yesterday. The suspect hit the clerk over the head with a pipe in an attempt to disable him in preparation for the planned robbery. The clerk first attempted to stop the suspect with a tazer but when failed to stop the suspect he pulled out his gun & shot him instead. The suspect is currently in the hospital in critical condition. The same Mesa convenience store (Mesa Mart) had been robbed twice last year. The suspect was driving a stolen vehicle & the Police did find the pipe that the suspect had used to hit the clerk. When a clerk is armed & willing to fight for his or her own life, a convenience store becomes much less convenient for criminals.

Update 1: More here.

Message to Ted Kennedy from Ted Nugent

I loved this line:

I've got a message for ya, but this is a family TV show, so you have to figure it out. It's in there, it's camouflaged, can you see it? Pick one.

Chicago Daily Herrald displays anti-gun bias.

Really? A Chicago mainstream media outlet showing anti-gun bias? Unbelievable.

The April 15 front page large print headline read, "Crowd split on gun laws." That in reference to a forum in Naperville the day before sponsored by California-based Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV). Moderating the forum was gun control movement veteran Steve Young.

Of the 175 or so attendees, all but a handful were gun-rights supporters. And I mean a handful … maybe five. You call that "Crowd split on gun laws"? That's a split? I'm glad you're not my partner. I thought split meant roughly 50/50.

. . . Probably the biggest blow to LCAV's credibility came when Steve Young showed polling data that supposedly showed 80 percent of Illinois gun owners support LCAV gun control policies. After the laughter subsided, Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association asked members in the audience who supported LCAV gun control policies to please stand. Not one person got up.

Or perhaps they just are not very good at math?

Just for fun - how common is your name?

Someone sent this link to me in an e-mail, and it was a bit of fun: www.howmanyofme.com

According to that site there was only one person with my first/last name combination in the entire US in the 1990 census data (the most recent year names were collected during the census). I know that currently there are at least 2 other people with my first & last name because I have googled it as well as searched in people search tools. There is a guy with my name in the Midwest who was sent to 5 1/2 years in Prison for involuntary manslaughter in the commission of driving under the influence of alcohol (Ran a man over who was out for an evening walk), leaving the scene of the accident, and for violating his parole provisions due to earlier convictions he had of drunk driving & Felony theft (I wonder what those provisions were - no drunk driving while you're on parole for drunk driving? No more Felony Theft while you're on probation? No manslaughter allowed?).

There is also a boy with my name in the Midwest that is currently a Sophomore in High School who is on a Junior Varsity Basket Ball team. Only two other guys in the entire United States with my name & one of them had to be a drunk driver who ran a Father over leaving his children fatherless. 2 out of 3 good uses of my name isn't so bad I guess, although come to think of it 66.7% is only a D grade. As they say though, you can't choose your relatives, and you certainly don't get to choose who gets to use your name. Not to mention Identity Theft, but I better not get started on that topic.