Newslinks for 5/17/2010 Submit
Meet the 'hot' shots of the NRA convention
Tasha Hanish, with a semiautomatic on her belt and a rifle in her hands, looks as if she leapt out of a video game onto the NRA gun show floor.
If FNH USA thought the athletic brunette would be good fishbait to lure male gunbuyers away from the Remington and Smith & Wesson booths, they were right: men were rapt as she showed off the features of FNH guns.
She knows what she's talking about. "I'm 30, and I've been shooting for 17 years," Hanish told the Daily News. "My dad took us out hunting in Oregon. He taught me.
WY: Grizzly trial this week
A Teton Village man is scheduled to stand trial this week on a misdemeanor charge alleging he illegally shot a popular grizzly bear in September while hunting north of Jackson.
Stephen Westmoreland, 41, pleaded not guilty in October. Westmoreland told Wyoming Department of Game and Fish officer William Long the day of the shooting that he killed the bear in self-defense after it dropped to all fours and began to approach him at a distance of 40 yards, according to Long�s report. Westmoreland shot the bear twice with a .270-caliber rifle and it died five feet from a moose carcass, the report says.
CA: Unloaded guns in public is 2nd Amendment cause
Between the fresh greens and the Asian foods, Phil Greubel had a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol holstered to his belt.
Vincent Burke decided what to have for lunch while packing a .40-caliber Glock. Over near the Greek salad, Gabriel Machan carried a 9 mm pistol on his hip.
Then there was Brandon Stevens and his girlfriend, Chelley Smith, waiting amiably in line, Brandon with a 9 mm Ruger strapped to his thigh.
Say hello to lunch with a sidearm of Second Amendment rights. And hold the bullets.
To the curious customers at Whole Foods, the benign intention of the eight men and women was clear � but their purpose was murky. While no one ran out the store fearful, some told me they felt intimidated.
FL: GOP candidates get armed at gun show
U.S. Senate hopeful Marco Rubio and four other Republican hopefuls stumped at Central Florida�s largest gun show Saturday, courting a powerful force in Florida politics: gun owners.
Rubio, a Miami native, made his rounds at the Central Florida Fairgrounds to meet gun enthusiasts and suppliers while displaying his support for the Second Amendment � the one protecting the right to keep and bear arms. Rubio received his concealed-weapons license last summer after announcing his Senate candidacy.
�It�s an important constitutional right,� Rubio said at the Great Southern Classic Gun and Knife Show. �It separates us from the rest of the world.�
LaPierre speech reminiscent of earlier effort to �control borders, not guns�
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre delivered a bare-knuckles address to thousands of NRA members here Saturday, challenging the Obama administration over its criticism of a new Arizona statute that cracks down on illegal aliens.
To underscore his fury, LaPierre introduced to the audience the family of NRA member Robert Krentz, the Arizona rancher who was gunned down earlier this year by a suspected illegal alien. Krentz� tearful family, all NRA members, stood to a thunderous applause, and LaPierre promised that �the NRA will not forget Rob, and we will not forget you.�
Memberless VPC Decries Meeting of 70,000 of NRA�s Members in Charlotte
For quite a long time now, the three or four anti-gun radicals that make up the Violence Policy Center haven�t had much to show the Joyce Foundation for the hundreds of thousands of dollars the leftwing foundation wastefully pumps into the anti-gun group each year.
As regular readers of AmmoLand well know, Second Amendment opponents� defeats have outnumbered their temporary successes by a wide margin lately.
So, to earn their keep, this week the VPC - so small that it could hold its annual meeting in a closet - issued a predictable rant about NRA�s 2010 Annual Meeting in Charlotte, N.C., at which 70,000 of NRA�s four million members will assemble...
Glenn Beck's message to the NRA: God, guns and voting
Conservative commentator Glenn Beck and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich rallied a National Rifle Association audience Saturday night to get back to God, guns and the polls.
"We're the people who always rise at the last moment to pull somebody's butt out of the fire," Beck said as he concluded at Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena. "We have to do it again. You are all here for a reason."
A crowd of more than 10,000 at the NRA's Celebration of American Values Freedom Experience stood and roared.
GA: Guns �n Airports: What is Georgia Thinking?
Last month Georgia lawmakers decided they would allow guns to be carried in those parts of the the state�s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport not expressly controlled by the Federal government. The airport is one of the worlds busiest.
While Georgia Governor Sonny Perdu has not yet signed the bill into law, the legislation allows the carrying of firearms in the airport lobby, ticket counter and baggage claim areas, places not specifically under federal jurisdiction.
Under a 2008 Georgia law, it�s already legal for anyone with a firearms permit to bring a concealed weapon into any public transportation venue. The new bill is an extension of the law.
IL: Secret weapon: Pending Illinois legislation could legalize concealed guns
McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery has plenty to do.
�As sheriff, if you find yourself with a couple of minutes to sit down and return phone calls, that�s a slow day,� said Emery. �Most of the time, I am returning phone calls on my way to my next appointment.�
But as a supporter of pending legislation that would give Illinois residents the right to carry concealed weapons, Emery would not complain if some of the workload, as a byproduct of new laws, falls on his department.
Carry and conceal, or CCW, refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one�s person or in close proximity.
PA: Wheelchair-bound ex-Marine fends off 3 home invaders
Police say that the ex-Marine, who is confined to a wheelchair, was in his secluded West Pike Run Township, PA home at 2am when his dog began to bark. Moments later, three home invaders reportedly rushed into the house from different directions, prompting the homeowner to grab his .45 caliber pistol and fire in self defense. Upon being fired at, all three home invaders are said to have fled, leaving the former Marine unharmed. Police are reportedly seeking the three suspects responsible for this crime.
NC: NRA Members Approve Of Concealed Carry Restriction At Annual Convention
The NRA is holding its annual meetings this weekend at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. Violence Policy Center executive director Josh Sugarmann noted this sign at the convention warning its members not to bring concealed carry weapons onto its property:
ThinkProgress spoke to a number of attendees and asked if they were bothered by the convention center�s policy. Nearly everyone agreed that there needed to be some sort of restriction, suggesting NRA members who attended the conference understand the need for sensible safety regulations. �I think that�s probably a pretty good policy,� one NRA member said.
ID: Second Amendment, DC v. Heller, and McDonald v. Chicago
Plaintiff Dick Heller and attorney Dane von Breichenruckardt, known for winning a landmark Second Amendment rights case spoke to Idahoans for Liberty, Political Action Committee, on Thursday, May 13, 2010, as part of an on-going effort to ensure Americans' individual rights to keep and bear arms. At both a luncheon and dinner, the topics included Constitutional rights, including the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
McDonald v. Chicago
Another topic of discussion was McDonald v. Chicago, another Second Amendment case. In the upcoming case, oral arguments were heard by the United States Supreme Court on March 2, 2010. At the date of this writing, no decision has yet to be handed down.
More 2nd amendment ignorance at NRA annual meeting
The NRA is in the midst of its 2010 annual meeting and as should be expected, there's been the usual display of ignorance, pandering and stupidity over the 2nd amendment, mostly by politicians..
There is no reason why gun enthusiasts need to be constitutional experts or historians and so their own ignorance of the 2nd amendment and what its about and what it means isn't really the issue, though the blatant dishonesty and distortion by the NRA is another story. But politicians have no excuse since they swear an oath to preserve and defend it.
What Do They Put in the Water?
In the early 90s when Mayor David Dinkins was in office, a Utah tourist was murdered by a knife-wielding assailant. The next day, Mayor Dinkins held a news conference saying that the previous day�s violence meant that additional gun control was needed in New York.
Fast forward to the wannabe car bomber who through no thanks to the authorities failed to carry out his murderous mission. The following week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg went to Washington to testify for a horrendous bill sponsored by that enemy of freedom, NJ�s Sen. Frank Lautenberg. The bill? A gun control bill.
DC: Washington's New Gun Rules Shift Constitutional Debate
Mark Snyder, an amateur biathlete, wanted to buy a .22-caliber bolt-action rifle for target shooting and figured the process would take about a week. After nearly six weeks, six visits to police departments and $300 in fees, he secured his rifle.
"I was not expecting a free ride," said Mr. Snyder, 45, "but this is an obstacle course they put in place."
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's 32-year ban on handguns in 2008, a victory for the gun-rights lobby that seemed to promise a more permissive era in America's long tussle over gun ownership. Since then, the city has crafted rules that are proving a new, powerful deterrent to residents who want to buy firearms.
MO: Churches Learn About Security at Seminar
"We've had situations throughout the country where churches are involved," said Sgt. Bill Lowe with Mo. Highway Patrol. "But, we haven't had anything to present or give good ideas for a security program until now."
According to the National Safety Council, the most common reason for church violence is conflict.
"The vast majority of incidents that get the publicity are the gun situations or domestic violence ones," said Sgt. Lowe.
Troopers want to teach church leaders that self defense is important, as well as having a plan, identifying a threat and minimizing violence.
Byron Whitmore is on his church's security team. He said many are glad to be able to worship in a secure place.
FL: Booby Traps are never legal
A booby trap involving a firearm, sometimes called a trap gun, is never legal, justified, or necessary. The idea is that the firearm is rigged inside a structure in such a way that if an intruder enters a structure, he sets off a mechanism that makes the firearm discharge.
Discharging a firearm at another is always considered the use of deadly force, regardless of the outcome. For someone to be justified in the use of deadly force, the surviving victim must have reasonably believed that the use of deadly force was necessary while acting in self defense to prevent an attack that would result in serious bodily injury or death. This bodily injury or death must be "imminent" in the mind of the reasonable person.
Guns For the Bug Out Bag
Submitted by: Anonymous
The downside of the .22 Long rifle round is limited range, penetration and stopping power when used in a self-defense mode.
I suggest a backup handgun chambered for a cartridge suitable for self-defense . I would not go below a 9 mm or 38 special here. Anything less powerful isn�t enough.
MI: 7-year-old girl killed in Detroit police raid
Submitted by: Larry
"Police obtained the "high-risk search warrant" based on intelligence, and it was approved by the prosecutor and a magistrate, Godbee said. "Because of the ruthless and violent nature of the suspect in this case, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of public safety to execute the search warrant as soon as possible and detain the suspect ... while we sought a murder warrant," he said."
Submitter's note: Because of the "ruthless and violent nature" of the uniformed home-invaders an innocent child is shot to death. "(T)he best interest of public safety" means anytime a JBT kills a mundane, it's just collateral damage. The comments section is loaded with the usual statist badge worship.
WV: Absurd: Shielding lawbreakers
Submitted by: West Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
Website: http://www.wvcdl.org/
Incredibly, conservatives in the West Virginia Legislature -- pandering to the gun lobby -- passed a bill to throw such whistleblowers into prison, on grounds that they're "enticing" amateur gun dealers to break the law. The legislators overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 1005, which would slap a 1-to-5-year sentence on any civilian who catches a shady dealer in action.
Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, told Statehouse reporter Phil Kabler:
"The whole purpose of this bill is to prevent entrapment. That is what was going on in Northern Virginia, with what were normally very reasonable firearms dealers there."
FL: Rubio says country relying too much on government
Gun vendor Khaled Akkawi offered to host a fundraiser for Rubio, who has a concealed weapons permit but hasn't owned a gun in four years.
"I didn't support him 100 percent until Crist went independent," Akkawi said. He contributed to Crist when he ran for attorney general in 2002 and governor in 2006, but hadn't donated to Crist's Senate campaign because Rubio caught his attention about six months ago.
The gun show offered several candidates a chance to win over Republican voters. At least six Republican statewide candidates including governor hopefuls Bill McCollum and Rick Scott attended the event, compared to no Democratic statewide candidates. Rubio shrugged off the idea that he is forging a conservative path.
Parking Ticket Police and Meter Maid Militia
The �security� sheeple will be trained to look for something suspicious: an abandoned car. If you thought you were getting poor police protection now because of the amount of time the police waste going after every pothead and junkie in the country, just wait until they have to check every abandoned car in the country because their �expert� parking attendants and meter maids have reported a �suspicious� abandoned car in their area.
As I pointed out in yesterday�s post, we are rapidly becoming one big State of Fear.
Guns Magazine Examines McDonald Case and More
Submitted by: David Codrea
Website: http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner
Read a free copy of the July issue of GUNS Magazine online.
Also see more Second Amendment March videos.
Anti-rights groups do our job for us
Youtube has an interesting video of an �immigrant rights activist� whose rhetoric should be seen far and wide, because it shows America what�s in store for us if we continue to avoid addressing illegal immigration.
Conservative TVonline Presents Second Amendment March Videos
"Videos for the April 19 Second Amendment March in Washington DC are now available online."
Those of you who did not make the event can experience the day.
WV: Homeowner fires at burglary suspect, one arrested
A Huntington man fired a gun at a man attempting to break into his home at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
According to Sgt. John Williams of the Huntington Police Department, 34-year-old Houston E. McClung was grazed by the bullet. McClung had broken through a section of glass on the front door.
McClung was located at his residence in the 300 block of West 7th Avenue. He was transported to St. Mary's Medical Center, where he was treated and released for a wound on his side. He was incarcerated at Western Regional Jail at 5:35 a.m., which reported McClung as being held on one felony count of nighttime burglary.
MI: Detroit girl, 7, fatally shot by officer during search
Squatting on the stoop outside his Detroit home Sunday afternoon, the father of the 7-year-old girl killed earlier that day gazed at photos of his only daughter at her sixth birthday party.
�She had a lively, free spirit,� Charles Jones murmured.
He then bent over, burying his face in his hands as he wept.
The scene Sunday outside Aiyana Jones� home on Lillibridge was a mixture of shock, grief and anger as family and friends gathered to try to make sense of a shooting death they said was caused by over-aggressive law enforcement.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury. � Alexander Tyler (in his 1770 book, Cycle of Democracy)