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.

NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert

In case you missed it - last week's NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This evening I went to the gun range with one of my boys & we shot my AR-15, which was great fun as always. It begs the question of why Obama wants to ban the manufacture & sale of a type of semi-automatic (only one shot per trigger pull) firearm that is so much fun to shoot? What exactly does Obama have against my rifle that makes him want to ban it? But I digress.

I actually just wanted to wish everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving! I am very thankful for my family, my home, my Country, and of course my guns. I'm looking forward to hanging out with my family & enjoying Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and of course Pumpkin Pie. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! :)

PA: Meleanie Hain Files Million Dollar Suit

Remember Sheriff DeLeo who maliciously revoked Meleanie Hain's CCW permit without merit? She got it back, and now Meleanie Hain has filed a One Million Dollar lawsuit against Sheriff Michael DeLeo:

In addition to the monetary compensation, Weisberg said he is seeking a court order for DeLeo to undergo law-enforcement education.

“He needs to be educated that the complaints of a few do not compel him to suppress individual rights,” he said.

Hopefully Sheriff DeLeo will learn a valuable lesson: you don't maliciously violate people's natural born but second amendment protected rights & expect to get away with it.

WA: Spokane CCW Permit Applications Up After Election

In Spokane Washington the number of applications for CCW permits has been on the rise:

Despite the $55 price tag, the number of applicants has jumped from 25 a week in September to 50 per week in October. The week Obama was elected, 133 people asked for a license to carry a concealed handgun.

By my count that was a 100% increase of weekly applicants before the election by people worried Obama might get elected, followed by an additional 166% increase over that once everyone knew that Obama was elected, a 432% increase overall.

In effect, not only are more people buying guns after the election, but more people are opting to be prepared to defend themselves & their families at all times, even when away from their homes. This is good news for law abiding citizens everywhere, as an armed citizenry discourages criminal activity, but it is bad news for the criminals currently not residing in may issue States like California. Many criminals may wish to move to States like California where due to existing "May Issue" laws, criminals are less likely to encounter armed victims.

Of course, the ultimate US Utopia for thugs is Washington DC, where nobody but the police & criminals are armed outside of their homes. It isn't the Utopia for thugs that it once was now that the Supreme Court ruled on the DC vs Heller Case, but it is still the next best thing for them in the US. To find the ultimate in defenseless victim Utopias, criminals would have to move outside of the United States where in many Countries they find that their victims are not even allowed to defend themselves with their bare hands. People in some countries even get accosted by Police for daring to walk with a walking stick.

Update 1: More reports coming in from all over the US!

Another Handgun Ban Bites the Dust!

More good news:

Winnetka, IL Repeals Draconian Handgun Ban Becomes Third Chicago Suburb to Drop Total Ban Since Supreme Court Ruling

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Fairfax, VA-The Winnetka, IL Village Council has repealed its 20-year handgun ban following this summer's Supreme Court decision and subsequent lawsuit by NRA and three Winnetka residents. The village council voted unanimously to strike portions of its firearm restrictions raised by NRA lawyers in September of this year in U.S. District Court.

"This decision to repeal the Winnetka Village handgun ban marks another great victory for NRA members and firearm owners in Illinois," said Chris W. Cox, NRA's chief lobbyist. "This summer, our country's Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment right is exercised individually and belongs to all Americans. It is time this constitutionally protected civil right be returned to the residents of Winnetka Village."

The Winnetka Village Council's decision to repeal its handgun ban follows similar complete repeals by the councils of two other Chicago suburbs: Wilmette and Morton Grove. Evanston passed a partial repeal by allowing handguns in the home, but NRA’s lawsuit against it continues since the remaining ban prohibits possession of a handgun at any other place, including transportation of a handgun to one’s home.

"This victory in Winnetka is not the end for NRA's fight to bring the Second Amendment to lawful residents across America. We will continue with lawsuits in any area of the country that denies the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans in defiance of the Supreme Court's ruling."

-NRA-

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Nearly four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

AZ: Sources Say Napolitano is the Top Choice for an Obama Cabinet Position

I have mixed feelings about this news. On the one hand I would feel sorry for our Nation for unleashing Napolitano on the world as a possible Secretary of Homeland Security, but at the same time I would feel very happy for Arizona because if she decides to accept the position we would finally rid ourselves of "If you want to carry a gun, get a Permit" Napolitano who never saw a good gun rights bill overwhelmingly be passed by our legislature that she was not happy to use her Veto stamp on. We would thus have the blessing of Napolitano ending her own anti-freedom reign two years before Arizona State term limits would have ended it for her.

If Napolitano does decide to step down as Governor to accept the offered Obama cabinet position, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer would become our next Governor.

H/T to Dave Kopp, President of AZCDL.

Update 1: It's official!

National Ammo Day

Don't forget that today is National Ammo Day which marks the beginning of National Ammo Week. It's rather difficult to get your hands on ammo these days due to the fact that Obama is the most anti gun President Elect our Nation has ever had, but if you can get your hands on some, be sure to do so. I picked up a few hundred more rounds of 12 gauge shotgun shells today to add to my growing stockpile. If stored properly in a dry location ammunition lasts forever & it's best to get as much as you can now before Obama has a chance to raise the ammo & gun excise taxes that he eventually HOPES to.

The fact that we are now buying guns & ammo in record numbers should not be considered by the enemies of freedom as an indication that freedom loving people have given up. We WILL fight the anti gun legislation that Obama has HOPE of enacting, but it is better to be safe than sorry. It is better to have the ammunition and guns now before we need them, than to need them at a future date & not be able to get our hands on them.

As always, be sure that all of your friends join us in our fight. Now more than ever we need to have strength in our numbers. As one example, if the NRA were to go in representing 8 or 12 Million members rather than only 4 Million, imagine the added trepidation they could inspire in any anti freedom legislator who were to dare to back a gun ban or a radical increase in gun & ammo excise taxes (currently already at 10-11% built into the sale price before you add sales tax). Surely your freedoms are worth at least a $10 associate NRA membership. You can hardly even buy a box of ammo for $10 these days.

If you're already a member of your favorite gun rights groups, join another, or buy a membership as a Christmas gift for a friend. Last Christmas I bought a bunch of $15 youth Junior NRA memberships for my nephews & nieces. They LOVED it - it was a gift that kept on giving all year long (not to be confused with The Jelly of the Month Club) as they received their monthly NRA Insights magazines. Most of their other gifts are already long since lost or broken, but not their NRA membership. If we all manage to get only 2 people to join the national & local gun rights groups of our choosing, we could triple the membership numbers in each of the respective gun rights organizations.

Like many of you, Obama & his National Police Force can take my guns & ammo from my cold dead hands. But I'd rather contribute to the fight now so that it doesn't ever to come to that.

H/T to Mark for the link to the photo from Leyinglo.

ABC News Piece On Skyrocketing Gun Sales

This ABC news piece was aired before we knew that the number of instant background checks for gun purchases had increased by 48% during the first week after Obama was elected. Regardless, it is still an interesting piece.



H/T to Armed Citizens of Chicago.

AZ: PETA Requests Ban on Hunting by Youth

Last week I took my 11 & 14 year old sons out Quail hunting. All three of us have taken hunter safety courses & I was very proud of the responsible way that they followed safe & ethical hunting practices. We had a lot of fun, and we even managed to harvest some very tasty Quail for our dinner table. PETA recently sent a letter to Arizona Governor Napolitano asking her to support legislation that would ban anyone under the age of 18 from hunting. They argued that hunting animals somehow translates into hunting people. I don't know about you, but even though I've recently been shooting at quail I still have not had any urges to shoot at people, not even at the members of PETA that wrote the letter.

Personally, I like the hat that says "PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals" - it fits well because the Quail were indeed very tasty, and I am most certainly in favor of eating tasty animals.

H/T to Sebastian.

AZ: Tonights Table Mesa BLM Meeting

I attended the Table Mesa BLM Planning meeting this evening that I had posted about earlier. The BLM representative said that the turnout was much larger than expected. No exact count of attendees was given but the estimate was somewhere around 200 people. Gun owners were the largest group there so we were well represented. The second largest group identified themselves as rock crawlers. Several members of the rock crawlers group made some wild unsubstantiated claims.

One example was one rock crawler who stated "99% of the shooters don't clean up after themselves." I think it is easily agreed that 99% would be way too high of a number. My initial thought was that 99.643% of all made up statistics are 100% incorrect. I would tend to think it would likely be in the single digits but I am not aware of any studies that provide an actual number. I don't know what the exact percentage of irresponsible users would be who don't pack out their garbage, but I would agree that whatever the percentage of folks from all aspects of recreational public land use that don't clean up after themselves is, they do manage to do a large disservice to everyone. As an Eagle Scout I have always ascribed to the practice of pack it in, pack it out, and leave the area cleaner than you found it.

Some of the ideas proposed by our opponents included making certain areas off limits to shooters or even so far as to have one or two designated areas for shooting while making all other locations off limits. One gun owner at the meeting raised an excellent question. He asked how many people had been injured by irresponsible shooters in the past. The BLM representative had no idea. He then posited that perhaps they were trying to create a solution to a problem that doesn't even exist. I couldn't agree more.

They are accepting public comments until December 20th. Drop them an e-mail at AZ_PDO_Routes@BLM.gov & let them know that you are against restricting BLM public land use by hunters & shooters.

SCCC Pitch it to the People Week

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) is currently running "Pitch it to the People Week." In addition to spreading the word, they're asking all supporters to make small donations this Friday Sep 21st to form a grass roots money bomb to fund their 2009 operation expenses. There is a link to their donation page at the top of their site. Related story here.

Gun Sales Up: 48% jump in background checks

Last week the number of instant background checks requested nationwide for gun sales jumped 48% over the same period the year prior.

Yesterday on Gun Talk Radio Tom Gresham interviewed Pete Brownell of Brownells.com who reported that earlier this year they had several months worth of standard capacity 30 round AR-15 magazines on reserve in their inventory. Now their reserve inventory is all sold out, and they have added extra shifts to their manufacturing plant to increase production to the current rate of making 1,500 magazines per day which are essentially all being sold the second they come off the assembly line. Even with the increase in production they're still unable to meet the current demand for the magazines. In fact, as I'm writing this they currently show them as being out of stock. I'm sure other magazine manufacturers are seeing similar results.

Update 1: More news.

Update 2: CCW Permit Applications Up in Spokane WA.

AZ: Gun Owner Participation Needed at BLM Meetings

From NRA-ILA:

Please Stand-Up and Make Your Voice Heard!

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing a recreation plan for the Table Mesa area, north of Phoenix. This is a very poplar recreation area, especially for target shooting. The BLM wants to know what types of recreation and road access are important to people who recreate in this area. They want to hear from hunters and shooters about what areas are important to them for target shooting.

It is critical that recreational shooters who use the area participate in this process in order to counter the radical environmental and anti-gun forces who want to end all recreational shooting in Arizona. There is little doubt that they will be active in this public input process. The agency will be holding two public meetings and it is critical that hunters and shooters who use this area attend one of the meetings.

Tuesday, November 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Deer Valley Senior Center, 2001 West Wahalla Lane, Phoenix

Thursday, November 20, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Anthem Community Center, 41130 N. Freedom Way, Anthem

Following the public meetings, the BLM will prepare a Recreation Activity Plan/Travel Management Plan and release it for public comment. Should you have questions about the planning process, you may contact Tom Bickauskas, Project Manager, at 623-580-5502.

TN: Kindergartner with Toy Gun in Backpack Expelled For 1 YEAR

A Kindergartner with a Toy Gun found in his backpack was expelled for a YEAR! The idiocy of zero tolerance (with zero thought) policies is insane. The leadership involved in this foolish decision should be expelled for a year, not the kindergartner!

More from Terry Frank & Worldnet Daily.

PA: Is the Pottsville City Council Smoking Pot? They Decided to Victimize Crime Victims

Has the Pottsville City Council been smoking something that has damaged their brains beyond repair? A couple of days ago they passed a new ordinance that makes it illegal to not report your guns stolen within 24 hours of the theft.

“Unfortunately, sometimes you have to pass rules to make stupid people make the right decisions,” Councilman Dave Eckert, who believes the new law will act as a deterrent to illegal gun traffickers, said Monday.

I have this response to Councilman Dave Eckert's above comment: "Unfortunately sometimes members of the city council make the wrong decisions to pass stupid laws." Illegal gun traffickers are already doing something illegal - making it more illegal to do something illegal will not reduce crime, but it will create new victims by turning law abiding citizens into criminals & throwing them in jail for up to 90 days.

Perhaps when he & his fellow council members loose their next election they will finally understand that passing laws that victimize crime victims a second time by turning them into criminals themselves is nothing but idiocy.

Obama Sends Gun Sales Through The Roof

If you thought people were running to buy guns when they were worried Obama might get elected, you had not seen anything yet. Now the question isn't that we might loose freedoms, the question is how long do we have before Obama signs his first gun manufacture & sales ban into law?

. . . By midday Wednesday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's West Watch "Insta- Check" background check required for the sale of a firearm and typically about 8 minutes long was jammed with waits lasting more than two hours.

Gun-shop owners and buyers said the urgency was fueled by Barack Obama's presidential win and Democrats' increasing their majority in Congress . . .

Obama's Kind of Change

Great Glenn Beck Audio titled "Change" - it's about Obama of course:

Gun Rights in Peril

GOA wrote an article entitled: Gun Rights in Peril. I couldn't agree more. Now more than ever we need to mobilize those in favor of protecting our freedoms to join our ranks. Ask your friends who love our constitution to join their favorite local & national gun rights groups. The greater the numbers we can mobilize, the louder we will resonate in the ears of congress members. Obama is hopeless - he'll sign any anti-freedom legislation that comes across his desk. Our only hope is placing the fear of loosing the next election into anyone in congress that dares to infringe on our freedoms and natural but 2nd Amendment protected right to keep & bear arms.

If you live in Arizona I recommend AZCDL as a great local group to join that works very hard to protect our freedoms. For National groups there are many to choose from. Pick a few that best align with your goals, I have some of my favorites listed on the right under "Gun Rights Sites."

Annoy the Media - Go Vote

Newt Gingrich wrote a very nice article titled Annoy the Media: Go Vote. The mainstream media is hoping their predictions of an Obama Victory will discourage enough McCain voters to allow Obama to win by default. Ruin their day - go vote & prove them wrong.

GOA has a good election day message as does the NRA.

MO: Woman Successfully Defends Herself Against Rapist

Cape Girardeau, MO: Ronnie Preyer was a career criminal & rapist who had raped her 5 days earlier. He broke into her home again on Halloween night, but this time she was ready to defend herself with a borrowed shotgun. He's dead, she's safe. This is the way I like to see career criminals end their careers!



H/T to USCCA. More here.

Sandy Froman: Obama Promises Supreme Court That Will Destroy Second Amendment

Sandy Froman - Obama Promises Supreme Court That Will Destroy Second Amendment

. . . The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms survived by the slimmest of margins. If a single justice had voted the other way, the Second Amendment would have been erased from the Constitution forever. Obama’s record shows his assurances to gun owners are cheap campaign talk. He has an unbroken record of voting for every anti-gun measure to come before him. He’s voted to outlaw ammunition and to allow trial lawyers to sue gun makers and dealers for the misuse of firearms by criminals. He has voted against the self-defense rights of victims of crime. He even wrote as early as 1996 that he supported a law to ban all handguns.

But even if he had no anti-gun record, he has said who he would appoint to the Supreme Court and the justices he would appoint will take away our Second Amendment rights. He has singled out one justice on the Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as his model for Supreme Court appointments. Justice Ginsburg was one of the four who voted that private citizens have no Second Amendment rights at all, and voted to uphold D.C.’s handgun ban . . .

. . . As Theodore Roosevelt said, “A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” On Tuesday, use your vote wisely; vote to protect the Second Amendment, vote for John McCain.

Obama to Outspend Bush & Kerry Combined!

Obama is on track to outspend the amount Bush & Kerry spent combined during the 2004 election:

. . . Obama's reversal on public campaign financing, and the huge amounts of cash he is raising from unidentified or untraceable donors, inevitably will lead to a major scandal, McCain has warned. Obama has raised close to $200 million from donations of $200 or less, the level at which donors names do not have to be reported to the SEC. McCain has released the names of all of his donors, including those who contributed less than $200 . . .

. . . it now appears likely that Obama will raise and spend more money than President Bush and Sen. John Kerry, combined, spent in 2004. And those figures do not account for the massive assistance Obama has received from groups such as ACORN, the AFL-CIO, other unions, abortion-rights, and other organizations. . . .

Obama Supporter with High Expectations

This Obama supporter thinks that if Obama gets elected she won't have to pay her mortgage any longer nor for the gas her car runs on:



I know someone who says she is voting for Obama because she has no money & she could really use the new yearly $1000 welfare check along with the "free" health care. Due to the fact that under an oppressive high taxation Obama regime she'll probably loose her job, and consumer prises will skyrocket, I hope she can make that $1000.00 welfare check stretch all year long! I also hope she doesn't mind driving south to Mexico for critical health care when she can't wait 18 months for her turn in line under a socialized health care system!

H/T to Glenn Beck.

NRA's Chris Cox on Fox News

Chris Cox appeared on Fox Election Headquarters last night and did an excellent job describing Obama's long anti-rights voting record.

NRA-ILA Alert: More Deceptive Obama Tactics

Alert to NRA Members of Deceptive Tactics by Obama Supporters:

Friday, October 31, 2008

Fairfax, VA--The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today sent the following email alert to members following reports of deceptive phone calls in support of Barack Obama. The callers falsely claim to be from NRA and attribute Senator John McCain's pro-gun voting record to that of Obama.

Dear NRA Member,

It has come to our attention that with Halloween upon us, the Barack Obama campaign and its allies are up to dirty political tricks.

NRA members in key presidential battleground states have informed us they have received deliberately misleading phone calls from someone professing to represent the NRA, asking voters to support Barack Obama. This is an absolute and intentional lie.

NRA has long been on record as opposing Barack Obama, as Barack Obama has long been on record as opposing the rights of law-abiding gun owners. For example, Barack Obama:

• Voted to allow the prosecution of citizens who use a firearm for self-defense in the home (Illinois Senate, S.B. 2165. 3/25/04);
• Voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to put America’s firearms industry out of business (S.397, vote 219, 7/29/05);
• Voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting (United States Senate, S. 397, vote 217, 7/29/05);
• Supported a 500% increase in federal taxes on guns and ammunition (Chicago Defender, 12/13/99);
• Voted to ban hundreds of rifles and shotguns commonly used for hunting, including single-shot, over-under and side-by-side shotguns (Illinois Senate SB 1195, 3/13/03); and,
• Proposed restrictions that would close 90% or more of all gun stores in the U.S. (Chicago Defender, 12/13/99).

For more information on the TRUTH about Barack Obama's hostility toward the Second Amendment, please visit www.gunbanobama.com.

If you receive a call to this effect, please know that it is a deliberate attempt by Barack Obama supporters to mislead gun owners. Our opponents know that you can make the difference in this election, and they’ll stop at nothing to try and deceive you!

Thank you for your support, and remember to "Vote Freedom First"! on November 4th.

Sincerely,

Chris W. Cox
Executive Director, NRA-ILA

AZCDL Alert: Your Vote is Critical to your Rights in Arizona

ACDL Alert:

If you're thinking of sitting out this election, your decision could usher in an anti-rights regime in the Arizona State Legislature that is dedicated to turning gun owners into criminals. On Election Day, the Arizona House of Representatives could easily shift to an anti-rights majority if YOU decide it's not worth the effort to vote.

Thanks to a pro-rights majority, AzCDL has been building on a steady stream of successes: http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

If the State Legislature shifts to an anti-rights majority because of voter apathy, instead of continuing to restore our rights, we will be fighting an onslaught of bills to eliminate gun ownership. The following are just some of the bills that were introduced just last year, and were defeated, but would have a good chance of becoming law with an anti-rights majority:

HB 2833: http://www.azcdl.org/html/2008_bills.html#hb2833. Required ammunition manufacturers to encode an individualized serial number on each bullet base and cartridge case. Possession of non-coded ammunition would be illegal. All ammunition sales would be recorded. A 1/2 cent tax would be added to every round of ammo sold. Manufacturers and vendors would face stiff fines for not-complying. This bill would effectively end ammunition sales and reloading in Arizona.

HB 2430 & HB 2431: http://www.azcdl.org/html/2008_bills.html#hb2430 . These companion bills would make you a criminal and lifetime prohibited possessor, along with being subject to personal liability, if a minor gains access to one of your firearms and causes injury or death. Virtually identical bills were also introduced in the previous two legislative sessions.

HB 2429: http://www.azcdl.org/html/2008_bills.html#hb2429. Established a new 75 foot perimeter around polling places where weapons are prohibited. Current law prohibits weapons inside polling places.

HB 2358: http://www.azcdl.org/html/2008_bills.html#hb2358. Increased the penalty for possession of a firearm on school grounds to a Class 5 Felony.

HB 2786: http://www.azcdl.org/html/2008_bills.html#hb2786. Added "post secondary" institutions (i.e., colleges and universities) to places where weapons are prohibited.

If you are content to see legislation like the bills listed above become law, then sit out the election. However, if you want to continue to fight for your rights here in Arizona, then VOTE on Election Day.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -- Edmund Burke

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.

Nightmare on Obama Street

Last night I had the nightmare that shadows all nightmares. I had a nightmare that I woke up one morning & found out that America Hating Mrs. Obama was the first lady, and even worse, BHO was President. After he & the Democrat run Congress made it illegal to manufacture, sale, or possess all semiautomatic firearms as well as handguns of all types, he declared martial law & was going house to house searching for weapons to confiscate for destruction.

Lets all get out to vote this coming Tuesday & make sure my nightmare never becomes a reality.

NRA's Chris Cox: Obama & Guns

NRA's Chris Cox wrote an excellent article entitled Obama & Guns:

In speech after speech, Barack Obama has claimed he would "uphold the Second Amendment." Mr. Obama, of course, is a polished speaker who says "words matter." But records matter more. And while Mr. Obama is short on experience on most issues, he's long on anti-gun votes and even longer on rhetoric. Now's a good time to review both . . .

Scoundrels Vandalized My Yard Signs

I had an NRA-ILA Vote Freedom First and a McCain/Palin sign up in my front yard, until sometime this evening between the hours of 6pm & 9pm. Sometime during that period one or more dirty scoundrels walked onto my property, destroyed one of my yard signs, & stole the other. This is actually the 2nd such incident - the first vandalism incident occurred a couple of months ago when one of my signs had a hole burned into the center of it & the other sign was taken apart & knocked down.

I think the perp or perps in both events may have been Obama supporters but I can't be certain. I think it is rather enlightening that whoever they were only support freedom of speech if the speech in question supports their own agenda. Otherwise they trample the 1st Amendment under their feet like swine. Not unlike Obama himself.

The worst part is that I am unable to replace the McCain/Palin sign in time for it to reach me before the election. Luckily I did order a spare NRA-ILA yard sign so I'll be putting that up first thing in the morning. Next on my list is a video surveillance camera to monitor my front yard so I can catch the perp or perps in the act on his/her or their next attempt. Any suggestions on inexpensive video monitoring solutions?

Update 1: Check out the electrified McCain/Palin sign - thanks for the link Bob!

Update 2: Love this response to Obama Supporters that trample on the 1st Amendment (thanks USCCA!)

WA: CCRKBA Says Chief's Miissing Gun Bigger Threat

Press release from The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep & Bear Arms:

CCRKBA SAYS CHIEF’S MISSING GUN A BIGGER THREAT TO SAFETY THAN MOST FIREARMS

For Immediate Release: October 28, 2008

BELLEVUE, WA Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, quoted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer today claiming that more guns in the community does not deter crime should remember that his stolen gun is out there posing a greater threat to public safety than firearms belonging to typical law-abiding gun owners.

So said Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a Bellevue-based grassroots civil rights organization. CCRKBA still has a reward for the recovery of Kerlikowske’s stolen 9mm Glock pistol, taken from his city-owned car that was parked on a downtown street almost four years ago.

Kerlikowske, in New York preparing for a gun control debate on National Public Radio, is quoted by the newspaper arguing that research is clear that the more guns in the community, the more that are in circulation for criminals to get their hands on.

That’s a subject on which Kerlikowske should be an authority, Gottlieb observed. He carelessly left his loaded pistol where someone could steal it, and that gun has never been recovered. How dare this man start preaching about the pratfalls of gun ownership when he can’t even keep track of his own handgun?

In fact, he continued, research by Prof. John Lott and others indicates quite the opposite, that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens do have a deterrent effect on violent crime.

But fact apparently doesn’t matter to the chief, who has been an ardent proponent of restrictive gun laws ever since he arrived in Washington State. Evidently to his dislike, gun ownership is constitutionally protected here, Gottlieb said. He has continually lobbied on behalf of Washington CeaseFire, using his position of authority to attack the civil rights of law-abiding gun owners across the Evergreen State. No doubt he will be helping lead the charge to erode Washington’s long-standing state preemption law in Olympia in January, so his boss, anti-gun Mayor Greg Nickels, can push to disarm law-abiding gun owners living in Seattle.

We have a better idea, Gottlieb concluded. Chief Kerlikowske should spend every waking hour looking for his stolen gun, instead of trying to steal the gun rights of the citizens he was hired to serve and protect. Who protects those citizens from the thief who is now armed with Kerlikowske’s gun? Law-abiding armed citizens can take far better care of themselves than Chief ‘Empty Holster’ Kerlikowske.

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org

New Arizona Resident Loves New Found Freedom

A couple of days ago while at a gun store I was looking at the guns on display when a new Arizona resident asked the dealer if his Hawaii fingerprint card/permit to acquire a gun would be good in Arizona or if he'd need to submit new fingerprints & apply for an Arizona permit to buy a gun. Another Arizona resident standing nearby answered first by saying "you don't need that garbage here, you've moved to the free State of Arizona." His next question was how long the mandatory waiting period to purchase a gun was here in Arizona - is it 14 days like Hawaii or is it longer? You should have seen the joy on his face when he found out that all he needed to do was provide a valid drivers license, fill out the mandatory BATFE paperwork, and pass the required instant background check, after which he could walk out the door with his new handgun purchase along with boxes of ammunition for it that very same evening.

Although I do at times complain about Arizona & Federal laws that unjustly infringe on our natural but 2nd Amendment protected right to keep & bear arms, events like this remind me that in spite of the work we still have left to do to fully restore our freedoms here, as an Arizona resident & US citizen I do have much to be thankful for. This does not mean we can let down our guard, or stop our battle to restore essential freedoms, but it does mean we can & should take a moment to say a prayer of thanks for the freedoms we already enjoy.

DE: Age & Sex Discrimination, Illegal Record Keeping

A woman was denied "permission" to buy a .22 caliber pistol by the DE State Police during a State Police background check because of her age & gender. They also blamed the fact that after searching 7 years of their gun sales records they found she had never purchased a gun from a gun dealer in Delaware during that period (records which are illegal for them to maintain in the first place) so they ASSUMED it would have been her first gun purchase. Outrageous. The residents of Delaware should demand that the gun sales records being maintained by the State Police be destroyed, and those ultimately responsible for the records & this incident be fired.

H/T to David.

AZCDL Alert: AZ Democrat Party Slams Gun Show Attendees

Alert from AZCDL:

In a recent flyer attacking a legislative candidate in a Phoenix West Valley district, the Arizona Democratic Party claims that the candidate "voted to put guns in the hands of illegal immigrants, violent criminals, and even sex offenders."

Why would the AZ Democratic Party make such a claim? Because the candidate voted "Yes" on HCR2025 during the Third Read vote on the House floor on March 4, 2003.

Exactly what did HCR2025 do that would cause the Arizona Democratic Party to say such things? It was, quite simply, a concurrent resolution recognizing that gun shows are a lawful, normal, and reasonable means for law-abiding gun owners to exercise their First and Second Amendment rights. It stated, in part …

"Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

1. That the Members of the Legislature recognize that gun shows provide a safe, historical, valuable and indispensable community service for those citizens who choose to exercise their constitutional rights.

2. That such peaceable public assemblies should be protected from those who would further regulate, encumber or eliminate them through a campaign of misinformation."

It appears from the flyer that Democrats believe that if YOU attend a gun show you are a sex offender, violent criminal or illegal immigrant. What kind of support can we expect from legislators with a party like this behind them, backing and funding them?

If you are as offended by this disgusting personal attack on Arizona's law-abiding gun owners and gun show attendees as we are, please make your voice heard! Contact the Arizona Democratic Party at …

Arizona Democratic Party Headquarters
2910 North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602) 298-4200
Toll Free: 1-877-298-6837

You can contact Maria Weeg, their Executive Director, at the following contact web page …
http://www.azdem.org/?id=304

You can contact Emily DeRose, their Communications Director, at the following contact web page …
http://www.azdem.org/?id=599

The following is a cut-and-paste template you can use when communicating with the above individuals.

The Arizona Citizens Defense League has informed me that the Arizona Democratic Party recently distributed a flyer denigrating a legislative candidate's support of Arizona's Constitutional protection of law abiding citizens' right to keep and bear arms.

I am deeply offended by your disgusting insinuation that only "illegal immigrants, violent criminals and sex offenders" attend gun shows. I am a gun owner. I attend gun shows. I am a law-abiding citizen. I demand a public retraction of your statement and a written personal apology from your organization for your outrageous attack against me.

How do you expect to win elections when you ridicule and attack the voters you are asking to support your candidates? What kind of support can I, as a gun owner, expect from legislators with a party like yours behind them and funding them?

Sincerely,
You Name
Street Address
City, State zip-code


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 1: Looks like the DNC is up to the same dirty tricks in Ohio. H/T to Armed Citizens of Chicago.

AWR Hawkins: The NRA vs Obama

AWR Hawkins wrote a nice article articulating that the NRA is correct and Obama talks through both sides of his mouth:

With the 2008 presidential election upon us, the National Rifle Association is making their case against Barack Obama. They unflinchingly describe him as “the most anti-gun presidential candidate in American history” and have dedicated large sums of money to exposing his anti-gun agenda.

An in-depth look at his record justifies their position. Not only is Obama the economic socialist Rush Limbaugh has said he is, he is also a gun-banning associate of 1960s radicals who cannot wait to take away one of America’s greatest freedoms - - the right to keep and bear arms . . .

I couldn't agree more.

Chuck Norris - Before You Vote, Check Their Voting Record!

Excellent commentary by Chuck Norris " . . . check the candidates records, and see who stood up for your families, & who protected the criminals . . . "


H/T to USCCA.

David Codrea: Peaceable Armed Citizens

David wrote a nice article discussing Peaceable Armed Citizens:

It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it, a peaceable armed citizen? If they like peace so much, what are they doing armed? After all, aren't we told the only purpose of a gun is to kill people? . . .

He brings out many good points, check out the entire post. I myself am a Peaceable Armed Citizen. I interact with both armed & unarmed citizens on a daily basis, and as far as I know none of them have been aware that I'm armed (other than the occasions when I open carry). The only way any of them would ever figure out that I'm armed would be if they were to threaten the lives of my family or myself. In that situation to their dismay they'd very quickly learn that I'm armed.

Otherwise I'm just like every other guy you see walking by you on the street or in a crowded mall or movie theater, other than the fact that I'm more aware of my surroundings than many of the unarmed choose to be. Criminals cause crime, not guns. Like Eric says when he opens his Handgun Podcasts: "If handguns cause crime, mine's defective."

NRTPac Add: Obama Plan: Drivers Licenses for Illegals

NRTPac Add: Obama Plan: Drivers Licenses for Illegals

Gun Sales Up In Fear of the Worst

Fear of a possible Obma Presidency have driven gun sales up. More here. The new & "improved" (read EXPANDED) Clinton Gun Ban that Obama has promised to push for & sign if he gets elected would make it illegal to manufacture or sale hundreds of scary looking otherwise completely normal semi automatic rifles, shotguns, & standard capacity magazines. I'm adding what I can to my collection now before the election with the following premise:

1. Best Case Scenario: Obama looses his bid for the Presidency & I end up with a lot of very cool stuff I wanted to get eventually regardless.
   
2. Worst Case Scenario - Obama becomes President, demand & prices suddenly skyrocket, Democrat controlled Congress & Senate pass the new version of the Clinton Gun Ban on the manufacture & sale of hundreds of semi automatic rifles & shotguns (the gun ban would also include a provision for any President appointed US Attorney General to add ANY weapon to the ban list that he or she FEELS does not meet any so-called "sporting purpose") not to mention all of the newly banned standard capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. What I already bought will be all I can ever get. I will suddenly have in my hands a precious commodity worth hundreds or thousands more than I paid for them. That's not a bad return on investment, not to mention the fun & practical uses of the equipment itself.

In summary, if you want it and can afford it, get it now, because you might be unable to get it later.

Update 1: More from the Washington Post.

Obama Campaign Disabled Credit Card Security Protocols

The BH Obama Campaign has gone to great lengths of fraud to breach their contract with the credit card networks by illegally disabling the very most basic standard credit card security protocols on their campaign donation website to allow illegal fraudulent donations. As anyone who has made a credit card purchase online knows, you normally can't so much as miss a single digit on the billing address zip code or the transaction will be rejected. Not so on the Obama site. Examples found so far have included donations that came from fictional characters such as Daffy Duck & King Kong which has allowed donors to fraudulently donate more than the normal $2300 cap as well as to allow foreign nationals to make illegal contributions. Not to mention the easy use of stolen credit card data even when incomplete with only the credit card #, name, & expiration date.

Obama was probably planning to use the illegal funds toward his immediate goal of misleading voters via the largest Presidential media campaign in the history of the United States (on track to spend more than 86 Million just in the last 4 weeks of the election) after which he'd still have plenty of time to deal with the consequences after the election is done & over with. The more I learn about Obama the more I wonder how anyone can rationalize pulling the lever for him. He is a proven liar (many times over), a deceiver, an abomination, and probably isn't even a natural born US Citizen as required by the US Constitution. Don't elect him to run our Country or he'll turn it into an Obama Nation! If we as a nation elect evil into the office of the Presidency we WILL reap the consequences, and they WILL be dire. Just ask the Romans what happened when its citizens elected evil leaders.

Update 1: Update.