Merry Christmas!

I'll be light on posting until after New Years as I'm on vacation with the family playing in the snow in Washington. I'll be heading to the range here on Friday to have some fun flinging some lead which of course will be a blast. Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!

NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert

This week's NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert.

Daniel White: Common Sense Not So Common

Daniel White wrote an article titled Common Sense Gun Control:

Every time some anti-gunner proposes a new gun control measure, they always want to call it a "common sense" measure. As if anyone who didn't see things their way was stupid. "How can you oppose this? It's common sense!," they claim. And they always talk to you in their best Morgan Freeman voice, explaining how they have no intention of infringing on your rights, they just want people to be safe . . .

Good article. When a politician calls a new useless gun control measure he or she is supporting "common sense gun control", it proves to me that common sense is something he or she is lacking. As far as I'm concerned gun control should be nothing more than the act of holding the firearm with good form in order to maintain good control of the firearm while firing it.

"You can't stop insane people from doing insane things by passing insane laws. That's insane!" (Penn & Teller)

AZ: Gilbert LEO Disarmed Him

I received the following first hand account via e-mail today and I was given permission to post his experience here. It has been over 8 years since I was last pulled over to be given a speeding ticket, so I have not yet experienced any LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) interaction of this type since I began carrying. The details of the event sent to me are below:

• I got pulled over, (my license is GUNTOTN).
• Officer asked me if I was carrying.
• Officer asked for my license and CCW.
• Officer Said I was speeding.
• Officer asked me to get out of the car and put my hands behind my back, thumbs together.
• Officer grabbed my thumbs, and disarmed me.
• Officer asked why I had a gun.
• I told him "it is my 2nd amendment right."
• Officer wrote me a speeding ticket and requested that I allow him to place my gun in my trunk so that he would not have to hand it directly to me.

This was a Gilbert LEO. I called one of my best friends who is a Gilbert LEO, he told me that the Gilbert PD council said that Officers could not disarm anyone unless there was a suspected criminal violation.

I think he pulled me over due to my plate and I am looking for the law or court case to back up my friends claim.

I am a bit puzzled as to why the LEO disarmed him and asked why he was carrying a gun. Why carry a gun? Isn't it obvious? If that LEO does not yet know why it is a good idea to carry a gun, why does he carry one in himself?

Update 1: Looks like Montana MHP Officers are doing the same thing. H/T to Gary.

Stealthbeast on AWB

Stealthbeast posted a video commentary on the so-called AWB that Obama wants to reintroduce. (Just as a heads up - Stealthbeast spends the first 3 minutes mocking the anti freedom folks by regurgitating their lame arguments):

WA: Diverse Group Opposes Nickels' Seattle Gun Ban

From Don Ward: Hands Off Our Guns:

"Nickels takes fire from gun rights activists". "Second Amendment supporters take aim at City". Make all the cute little headlines you want about last night's public hearing about Mayor Greg Nickels' proposed firearms ban on city-owned property, but the issue has caught the attention of the public. More than 150 people showed up at City Hall . . .

There were healthy numbers of liberals and progressives, environmentalists and community activists mixed in with Republicans and Libertarians who were opposed to the notion that, despite being licensed to legally carry a concealed firearm, they'd be forced to walk unarmed in city parks while gang members, stalkers and sundry other criminals are free to pack heat.

Lonnie Wilson, a Lynnwood resident, said he and his partner frequently visit Seattle because it is the center of gay cultural life in the region. He has had a concealed pistol license for eight years.

"As a gay man, I have to be very careful about holding the hand of my partner in public," Wilson said. "I don't want to hide myself just to be safe. Minorities such as myself are the biggest target of hate crimes."

Yvonne Kinoshita Ward, a civil rights lawyer and former President of the Asian Bar Association of Washington said the ban hurts the most vulnerable in the community, minorities, women, domestic violence victims and the disabled. She quoted FBI crime statistics stating that of the 9,000 hate crimes committed in 2007, 41 percent occured on government-owned property.

"Wicked and cowardly men who commit hate crimes do not obey the law," Ward said. "Do not disarm or criminalize those they seek to harm."

Maggie Willson, from Seattle, described herself as a "gun-toting tree-hugger" who campaigned for Barack Obama. She spoke about being raped at knife-point and living in fear for several years before a friend taught her how to shoot.

"Gun bans hurt women more than they hurt men," Willson said adding that she now feels secure, as a CPL holder, to hike at Carkeek Park . . .

Full article available here. Interestingly, Mayor Nickels was absent from the hearing on his own proposal. I guess Mayor Nickels is so ashamed of his own proposal that he could not even face the very people his proposal would impact.

More from King 5 News, KOMO News, Seattle PI, and the Seattle Times.

Update 1: Some video from the hearing. Full Video.
Update 2: First hand hearing report from Joe & Ry. H/T to Uncle.

WI: When Seconds Count, Police are Minutes Away

Some people believe that they have no responsibility to prepare themselves to defend their home and family because the Police will always be there to protect them. However, when seconds count, the Police are minutes away (or 48 minutes away in the case of slain student Brittany Zimmerman). She dialed 911 but like many defenseless victims, the Police were unable to arrive in time to save her.

To add insult to injury, we don't know if she was defenseless because she chose to be so, or if it was because she was going to school in Wisconsin, one of only 2 States that officially deny the right to bear arms, not even bothering with illogically selective May Issue laws, much less Shall Issue laws or my absolute favorite, no government issued permit required states like Alaska & Vermont. Although open carry itself is not prohibited in Wisconsin, it is if you happen to be driving a vehicle. I guess the legislators in Wisconsin feel sensible law abiding folks will suddenly be driven to become irrational criminals once behind the wheel if they happen to be bearing arms. Perhaps such legislators are thinking of their own bad driving habits.

Home Invasions On the Rise?

Home invasion rates are difficult to track because there is not a separate category for it in FBI data - it just gets lumped in with violent crime under the subcategories of robbery, assault, rape, or murder. However I've been hearing more & more reports that believe home invasions are on the rise. I did a quick google search for home invasion news stories over the past month & it returned over 10,000 results. Below are just a few of the hits from the first page of results, most of which took place in the past 24 hrs:

• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Bonneville, ID
• Adamsville, OH
• Port St Lucie, FL
• Loris, SC
• Newark, NJ
• Allentown, PA
• Greenville, SC
• Meridian, ID
  

We of course should not leave out the home invader who was shot & subsequently captured thanks to a vigilant homeowner in Gilbert AZ. This home invasion trend gives all the more reason to take steps to harden your home against invasion and of course to be prepared with a family plan on what to do in case the worst were to occur in your own home. Tom Gresham recently wrote an article on this topic:

. . . Here's what I think. Crime will be getting worse. The current economic situation is causing reductions in police patrols and cutbacks on law enforcement agencies. Note that I don't say that people who have been laid off will start committing crimes. I don't think that's what happens. If you are prone to crime, that's what you do, irrespective of the economy. When there are fewer police around, though, criminals are emboldened, and they come out more - in the daylight as well as at night . . .

The Crime Doctor has an interesting article as well:

. . . Home invaders know that they won't have to overcome alarm systems when the home is occupied or be worried about video cameras and silent alarms. Unlike robbing a retail store, home invaders expect privacy once inside your home and won’t have to deal with the police suddenly driving up or customers walking in. Once the offenders take control of a residence they can force the occupants to open safes, locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Home invaders will try to increase their escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard of for robbers to load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without anyone in the neighborhood taking notice . . .

If you've been putting off carrying a gun as well as obtaining self defense training, you might want to move those items to the top of your New Years Resolution to-do list. I keep our exterior doors locked 24/7, I holster my gun when I get dressed in the morning, and I don't take it off until I've turned on our perimeter alarm & gone to bed for the night. Even then I keep it loaded & ready in my quick open gun safe (digital) & I make sure I have a clear & fast path to it from my bed. I also keep a flashlight in my nightstand so I would not have to fumble in the dark.

Be sure to teach everyone in your household to never open the door for anyone they don't know, not even if the people at the door appear to be Police Officers (call your local PD first to confirm they are who they say they are, as Police impersonation crime does occur). Just some free advice from your friend in Arizona.

Update 1: Correction, it turned out that Bonneville CO stands for Bonneville County which is actually in Idaho, not Colorado. Thanks for the correction farmdad.

Gary Marbut: New Gun Rules for Parks Make Visitors Safer

As I mentioned earlier, new National Parks regulations will finally get rid of yet another gun free zone. Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association wrote an excellent article titled: New gun rules for parks make visitors safer

. . . In America, we are (as we should be) an independent and self-reliant people. We do not seek a government nanny to keep us on a short leash, all day, every day. Especially here in Montana, we expect to meet our own personal security needs, whatever those may be. We know that police cannot be there to defend us if we are attacked . . .

We've Got a Live One

Although F. von Zeikhoven is not offering much other than saying our Bill of Rights is outdated and that we think we live in the Wild Wild West, does anyone want to reply to this one? I'm hitting the sack right now, but will add my response later.

NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert

This week's NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert.

AZ: Gilbert Resident Ends Burglary Spree

A Gilbert Arizona resident brought an abrupt end to the burglary spree of a couple of thugs:

. . . Country Shadows Community, near Val Vista Drive and Riggs Road . . .

Police said the suspect, Richard Lopez, 24, of Coolidge knocked on the homeowner's front door around 10:17 a.m. After no one opened the door, Lopez started kicking it in, police said.

The homeowner, who declined comment when contacted by The Gilbert Republic, shot Lopez when he came through the door, police said. Lopez sustained gunshot wounds to the face and upper torso, but fled the scene with his brother, 18-year-old Mark Vega, police said.

Both were later arrested and are being investigated for other burglaries in the Southeast Valley.

Police said they did not know the motive for the break in, but said the homeowner faces no charges because it appeared he shot Vega in self-defense.

Thanks to his efforts there are now two less crooks walking our streets. Perhaps other thugs will hear about this incident & decide to choose a safer line of work. I hear McDonalds is hiring.

Here is another report of the same incident.

John Snyder: Gun Owners vs. Obama

by John M. Snyder: Gun Owners vs. Obama

Influencing My Relatives

Last year while visiting my wife's family up in Washington I took my Sister-in-law and a couple of her boys to the gun range to shoot my AR-15 - they loved it & now have an AR-15 on their want list. Since then I've taken others to the gun range to let them shoot my AR-15, including my Father-in-law. When he first found out about my AR-15, he didn't understand why anyone would want to own one. After he tried it out himself he realized how much fun he had been missing out on. Guess what he is getting himself for Christmas this year? That's right, he has a brand new Bushmaster AR-15 on a 3 month lay-away plan.

In addition to his initial curiosity about my AR-15, my father-in-law had not understood why I have my CCW permit & carry my gun around with me. We had several very cordial conversations on the topic & I guess he must have liked some of my arguments. Recently he applied for a CCW permit & bought himself a Kimber 1911 Ultra Crimson Carry II (a very nice gun, I've already had the opportunity to shoot it myself several times at the range). He told me that in the past he had never given the idea of concealed carry much thought, but after our conversations & thinking about the idea it started to make sense to him. He decided that he'd rather have a gun & never need it, than need it under a dire situation and not have it. It's much better to have more options than you need, than to suddenly find yourself cornered with no options at all. He thinks of it as a fire extinguisher that works against thugs rather than fires. I couldn't agree more.

More on Gun Free Zones

Great article discussing the impact of concealed carry on multiple victim crimes:

. . . Abhijeet Singh, founder of Indians for Guns, told CNSNews.com Tuesday that if the citizens of Mumbai had been allowed to carry guns, terrorists would not have killed as many people as they did--and might have been deterred from attacking in the first place . . .

Lott, author of “More Guns Less Crime,” said that multiple-victim public shootings are much less likely to happen in places where people are allowed to carry concealed handguns . . .

Police are easily identified,” Lott said. “Terrorists either kill police first or wait until they leave the scene to attack.” . . .

When states change their laws to allow people to carry concealed handguns, these attacks decrease by 60 percent, and the number of people injured or killed in them drops 78 percent, Lott said . . .

Every single multiple-victim public shooting in the United States, in which more than three people were killed, has taken place in an area where concealed handguns are not allowed . . .

"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest," Gandhi wrote in his autobiography, “Gandhi: An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth.”

Check out the full article.

NRA Life Membership

I'm currently in the process of upgrading my annual NRA membership to a life membership. For existing annual NRA members the NRA is currently running a couple of discounted offers for an upgrade to Life membership. The normal cost for life membership is $1,000.00 but for a limited time annual NRA members can upgrade to life for $500.00 through nravalidate.org.

Additionally if you know an existing NRA Life member who likes you very much, he or she can buy you a gift life membership for $300.00. I understand that the $300 gift membership offer will end on Jan 20th, 2009 although originally it was slated to end Dec 31st 2008. Life members should have received the required paperwork in the mail recently, or they can also call 877-NRA-2000 to give a life membership gift over the phone.

If you're not yet an NRA member and you own one or more guns you should consider joining (or even if you don't yet own one but want to remain free to own one in the future). Otherwise you're just sitting in the wagon letting the rest of us pull your weight. You should also consider joining other national & local gun rights groups, but join the NRA as an absolute minimum. If you can't afford $25 to support your own gun rights, then you really can't even afford the ammunition for your gun.

Update 1: Save $10 to $50 by joining, renewing, or giving the gift of NRA membership!

AZ: Petition - No New Taxes

There is a petition going for Arizonans asking that the current Arizona budget deficit be fixed by cutting spending rather than increasing taxes. Check it out, and if you agree, sign on.

AZ: Jan Brewer Transition Website

Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer now has a transition website up for her transition to Governor of Arizona. She has a form you can use to submit your top priorities. I plan to tell her I'd like to get rid of as many defenseless victim zones as possible (such as places that happen to serve alcohol or happen to have an educational emphasis), fix issues with open carry such as the difficulty with open carry while you happen to be in a motor vehicle, etc. Getting our budget back in the black would also be a nice bonus.

She also has a couple of videos.

Excellent News From DOI

Excellent news from the Department of Interior on removing their loaded weapon ban in National Parks! The National Parks will now defer to the gun laws in the host State. It's about time! Another Gun Free Zone bites the dust! A copy of the final rules is available here. Effective date not yet listed, right now it just says effective date: [insert date of publication here]

Update 1: NRA Press Release. CCRKBA Press Release.

Joe Bethancourt: We Did it to Ourselves

You may remember my post of Joe Bethancourt singing Me & My .30-06

Here he is singing We Did it to Ourselves:

Joe McNally Wants a Ban on Street Sweepers

Joe McNally is in favor of banning the manufacture & sale of street sweepers. Not sure what happened to him. Perhaps a traumatic experience when he was young? Did he nearly get run over by a Street Sweeper while walking to school? Or perhaps his mom accidentally dropped him on his head too many times?

Since most gun owners never shoot anybody, I naively believed a majority might one day understand the wisdom of restricting military-style street sweepers . . .

A surprising number of e-mails vehemently argued that automatic weapons of mass destruction were precisely the guns Americans needed most so that citizens could shoot their own government . . .

Yet another person to add to the list of those too lazy to find out that the Bill Clinton gun ban did not touch fully automatic rifles which are already heavily restricted & regulated by federal law. The expired Bill Clinton gun ban that Obama wants to expand & reintroduce only affects semi-auto weapons with 2 or more cosmetic features that he does not like.

First they'll start out with guns that are too black. Then they'll go for rifles that shoot too far or shoot bullets that are too big. Next will be guns that are too small. It's like Goldie Locks on steroids, no gun is just right for her. Nothing short of a comprehensive gun ban will make the gun grabbers happy, but they understand that they need to divide in order to conquer. Don't fall for it.

AK: Fort Richardson Soldier Dead Due to Army Policy

Unbelievable. Major General Stephan Layfield of Fort Richardson trusts his soldiers to bear full auto weapons when on base or on foreign battle fields to defend our Nation, but when it comes to defending their own lives on our streets, he disarms them of all weapons capable of causing physical injury. Not only is that unconstitutional, it's disgraceful.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
HEADQUARTERS, U.S. ARMY ALASKA
724 POSTAL SERVICE LOOP #5000
FORT RICHARDSON, ALASKA 99505-5000

APVR-RUPM

20 Sep 2007

MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT: Concealed Weapons Policy (CG/CofS Policy #0-20)

1. Carrying concealed deadly weapons by USARAK Soldiers represents a significant risk to the safety and welfare of this command. Accordingly, all Soldiers assigned or attached to USARAK are prohibited from carrying a concealed deadly weapon in public places off of all USARAK posts. All persons are prohibited from carrying concealed deadly weapons on USARAK posts IAW USARAK Regulation 190-

2. Definitions:

• a. Carry means on or about the person, or uncased within the immediate vicinity of the person, so as to be available for immediate use, e.g. in the person’s automobile.
• b. Deadly weapon means any firearm or anything designed for or capable of causing death or serious physical injury.
• c. Concealed means hidden from plain view.
• d. Firearm means a weapon, including a pistol, revolver, rifle, or shotgun, whether loaded or unloaded, operable or inoperable, designed to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive charge or primer.
• e. Public place means a place to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access. This includes locations involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages, highways, transportation facilities, schools, places of business, places of amusement, parks, playgrounds and prisons. It also includes hallways, lobbies, and other portions of apartment houses and hotels not constituting rooms or apartments designed for actual residence.

3. This policy is punitive. Soldiers who fail to comply with the requirements of this policy are subject to adverse administrative action and/or punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

STEPHEN R. LAYFIELD.
Major General, USA
Commanding

DISTRIBUTION:
A

As a direct result of that idiotic Fort Richardson Army Policy, Army Sgt. Evan Minnear was defenseless when he was shot & killed by a Felon walking the streets of Anchorage Alaska who was already on probation for a previous Felony Assault. Army Sgt. Evan Minnear survived a 15 month tour in Iraq, but once home & disarmed he was unable to survive our city streets. Major General Stephan Layfield and anyone else in command above him responsible for disarming our soldiers have his blood on their hands. My sincere condolences to the family of Army Sgt. Evan Minnear, may he rest in peace.

The Prescription Palm Pistol

An interesting singe shot 9mm Palm Pistol concept for people with medical disabilities in their hands.

• One 9mm hollow point bullet: $1.25
• One 9mm Single Shot Palm Pistol: $300.00
• The look on your doctor's face when you ask for a prescription to buy a pistol: Priceless

The FDA has already classified it as a Class 1 Medical device. Currently waiting for approval from Medicare/Medicaid to register it as a piece of Durable Medical Equipment.

H/T to Gene of MedGadget.

For Those Who Say Only The Police Should Have Arms

For all the folks who say nobody but the Police should have guns. I support the Police because they provide a great service & they risk their necks for all of us on a daily basis. Just don't expect me to give up my personal responsibility to protect my own family. Anyone who says we should all give up our own responsibility for self protection & expect the Police to make up for it is out of their mind. The Police can't be everywhere all the time. I carry my own gun everywhere I go because it's easier than carrying a Police Officer (that and it's simply my own responsibility). When seconds count, the Police are likely minutes away.

If someone breaks into my home or attacks my family while we're out & about in a Mall, Museum, Hotel, or most anyplace else other than while in a Gun Free Zone, they can expect to eat some of the lead from my gun. I won't go down without a fight when it comes to protecting my family, and I always have at least 31 rounds of ammo with me in addition to the extra 60 rounds in spare magazines in my car just in case I need more. It's always better to have more than you need than to run out while in a time sensitive critical situation. I just hope nobody ever assaults me while I'm in a Gun Free Zone - in that case all I'll have to fight back with is a mop from the janitorial closet (that and the pocket knife in my pocket).

Update 1: Related article written by John R Lott Jr:

Banning guns is in the news. India practically bans guns, but that didn’t stop the horrific Muslim terrorist attacks this last week.

A football player concerned for his safety violates New York City’s tough gun control regulations by carrying a concealed handgun, and people call for everything from banning NFL players from carrying guns to demanding that the athlete serve many years in jail . . .

AZ: It's Official, Napolitano Leaving Town

It's official, Napolitano is leaving town. The early reports have been confirmed. Unfortunately, she has announced that she won't be stepping down until after her nomination has been confirmed by the Senate. On the bright side, if she is confirmed she will be long gone before any 2009 legislation comes across the Governors desk so any pro-gun legislation that our legislature passes in 2009 will be safe from her veto. Perhaps with Jan Brewer's help we can get the budget balanced as an extra bonus. Icing on the cake.

Update 1: Jan Brewer Transition Website.