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'America Has Lost A True Patriot,' Says SAF About Death of Charlton Heston
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'With the passing of Charlton Heston over the weekend, America has lost a true patriot, and a man who stood up for all civil rights,' said Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation."

"Gottlieb said the former National Rifle Association president and Academy Award-winning actor was a 'pillar of strength' for the gun rights movement, and his passing is a sad event for the entire firearms community."

"'Mr. Heston stood head and shoulders above other civil rights activists,' Gottlieb recalled, 'because he recognized that the Bill of Rights was all-inclusive. He marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King long before it was fashionable for Hollywood stars to involve themselves in social issues. ...'" ...

No forgiving Charlton Heston
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"My grandfather was a college football star who even played for the NFL champs back in 1928, so I was looking forward to seeing George Clooney's new 1920s football movie ... That's before I found out how Clooney ... had treated the late Charlton Heston."

"... '... In 2003 actor and leftist political activist George Clooney joked about Heston's illness [Alzheimers disease], and, after Heston criticized him for the remark, he retorted, 'I don't care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association. He deserves whatever anyone says about him.'"

"... To Clooney, Hestons embrace of ... the Second Amendment made him worse than persona non grata. He became subhuman, not even deserving of the most basic courtesies." ...

Heston never afraid to speak his mind
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"For younger Americans, Charlton Heston was the man who capped his address at the National Rifle Association's 2000 convention by hoisting a replica of a colonial musket aloft and shouting, 'From my cold, dead hands' -- a reference to an old NRA bumper sticker 'I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands.'"

"Older Americans might recall him as an early and active supporter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. The man who had portrayed Moses in 'The Ten Commandments' participated in the historic 1963 march on Washington -- a time when many celebrities stood on the sidelines -- and hailed King as 'a 20th-century Moses for his people.'" ...

America Still Loves Guns
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"By now you've probably read the news about Charlton Heston's death on Saturday. But most of the reports focused on Charlton Heston the actor, as well they should have. That was, after all, the man's career, and he gave us many wonderful performances during its 68-year span."

"But Heston also gained new celebrity in his role as president of the National Rifle Association from 1998-2003. In that role, Heston became a figure-head for a cause that turned a lot of would-be and former fans against him, while drawing others in." ...

OH: Concealed handguns don't belong in parks, or assault rifles in city
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"While the United States Supreme Court is deciding whether the Second Amendment grants [sic] individuals the right to possess firearms for personal protection, the Ohio Supreme Court this week will hear arguments on whether cities can ban concealed handguns from public parks as well as entirely ban assault weapons."

"Since April 8, 2004, Ohio has permitted carrying of concealed handguns ..."

"... public parks were not among sites where concealed guns were specifically forbidden."

"... the city of Clyde ... banned guns in its parks. But in 2006, the state legislature passed a law canceling such localized guns laws. The gun rights group [OFCC] has challenged Clyde's ban ... Cleveland is fighting the 2006 law because it erased that city's ban on automatic [sic] weapons.

VA: Virginia Tech blocks plans of gun-control group
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Virginia Tech said yesterday that it will not allow a national gun-control advocacy group to hold a campus demonstration on April 16 while the school commemorates last year's massacre."

"Tech spokesman Larry Hincker said neither the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence nor the co-sponsor of the planned demonstration, ProtestEasyGuns.com, had applied for an assembly permit, and even if they had, Tech only issues permits to student groups."

"Tech's position threw the Brady Campaign's plans into disarray yesterday: The noon demonstration at Tech was supposed to be the centerpiece of a nationwide series of events on April 16 in more than 70 cities and towns." ...

Obama's Gun Dance
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Barack Obama, who informs campaign audiences that he taught constitutional law for 10 years, might be expected to weigh in on the historic Second Amendment case before the U.S. Supreme Court. ... But Sen. Obama has not stated his position."

"Obama ... declares the Second Amendment's 'right of the people to keep and bear arms' applies to individuals ... In the next breath, he asserts this constitutional guarantee does not preclude local 'common sense' restrictions on firearms. Does the Draconian prohibition for Washington, D.C., fit that description? My attempts to get an answer have proved unavailing. The front-running Democratic presidential candidate is doing the gun dance." ...

Grover Norquist Endorses Condi Rice for Veep
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"No speaker goes to conservative activist Grover Norquist's Wednesday breakfast meeting without a purpose. And so it was with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice two weeks ago when she convinced a rapt audience -- without even raising the possibility -- that she should be the next vice president." ...

"Norquist, whose latest conservative tome is titled 'Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives', says Rice is 'very, very good on the Second Amendment.' And guns, he points out, right up there with tax cuts, is a 'key issue' with the intellectual conservative set that frequents his Wednesday meetings." ...

Obama and Guns: Two Different Views
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Something happens to Democrats on the gun issue when they run for president. For John Kerry during 2004, it was awkwardly posing in brand new hunting gear at a seemingly endless series of hunting photo-ops."

"But in what will probably be the most improbable change, the Politico reported on Saturday that Barack Obama was making a big play for gun votes in Pennsylvania. It is not particularly surprising that this change is occurring with the crucial Pennsylvania primary soon approaching." ...

FL: Senate To Vote On Allowing Employees To Have Guns At Work
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Doug and Linda Gray used to leave their home before sunrise every morning to make an hour-long commute to work at Walt Disney World."

"After being followed and run off the road one morning, the couple decided to buy and gun for their protection, they say. But when Disney learned about the weapon, the husband and wife were fired after nearly 10 years with the company. That's even though Gray holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon." ...

"The clash between people like the Grays and businesses like Disney reaches the Florida Senate on Wednesday. The chamber is set to vote on a bill that pits a person's right to protect himself against a business owner's right to protect his employees and customers." ...

CA: Gun-rights activists up in arms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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bill to clear the way for local handgun bans has a committee hearing today, delving into issues now pending before the state and nation's highest courts."

"Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, authored Assembly Bill 2566 in reaction to a state Court of Appeal ruling in January which upheld the voiding of San Francisco's Measure H of 2005, approved by voters to bar city residents from owning handguns or from making or selling firearms or ammunition in the city."

"The California Supreme Court is mulling whether to review this ruling, which found state law leaves no room for cities and counties to ban handgun ownership; Hancock's bill ... seeks to create that room by removing the state pre-emption entirely." ...

BATFE Spends $3 Million to Ruin Red's
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Ryan Horsley seems confident that he will triumph over a government shakedown that has cost his family business about $200,000 in legal fees, as he fights to keep Red's Trading Post, a fourth-generation firearms store, in operation."

"... Sometime this summer, federal judge Ed Lodge ... will decide if ... Red's 'willfully' violated the law by making a relatively small number of clerical mistakes in its firearms sales records." ...

"So, why did the BATFE bring what appears to be a weak case to court? Horsleys view is that the agency cannot very well spend $3 million just on its case against Redsto try to revoke an FFL that cost the store just $300 every three years to maintainand then drop the matter." ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

GA: Forest Park Officer Charged with Rape
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Forest Park police officer charged with rape, sodomy and sexual assault has been fired.
Officer Kenneth Schmidt, 38, is locked up in the Clayton County jail and is being held without bond."

"According to arrest warrants, Schmidt stopped a woman on traffic violations and had her car towed. But, instead of driving her home, police say he drove her shopping center and, in the locked police car, forced himself on her."

"Schmidt was hired in December, and was still on probation. The Forest Park police chief now wants to know more about that hiring."

"'This is not the type of conduct that comes out, typically,' says Police Chief Dwayne Hobbs. 'This is over the edge and can happen in any organization.'" ...

CA: Child Killed By Father's Service Weapon
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"It appears to be a tragic accident, but a Yuba City Sheriff's Sergeant may face charges after his three-year old son reportedly found his gun and shot himself with it. ..."

"'We believe, at this point in the investigation, that [the gun] was the officer's service weapon,' said Shawna Pavey of the Yuba City Police Department. ..."

"Authorities received a 911 call from the home of veteran police officer David Whiteaker late Sunday night, finding the boy dead inside the home. ..."

"The District Attorney's office is expecting an update on the incident on Wednesday, and will then determine whether to file charges against Whiteaker." ...

MN: Deputy Charged With Spending Shifts At Home
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Minnesota sheriff's deputy is in trouble, accused of spending large chunks of his shifts at home."

"... Joseph Dahl's bosses ... say they got suspicious when a GPS tracker in his squad kept getting turned off. He told them that he was having problems with the system but another deputy who used Dahl's squad car didn't notice any problems."

"So an investigator from a neighboring county secretly installed another GPS unit into Dahl's squad car. The investigator compared those GPS records to Dahl's daily log. ... the new GPS unit caught Dahl spending hours at home when he said he was patrolling county roads."

"Dahl has been charged with theft and misconduct of a public officer. He faces prison time and fines ..."

TX: Cop takes bullet in the hip unholstering own gun
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A Houston police officer was recovering after he accidentally shot himself in the hip, authorities said.

HPD Officer M. Reyes was off-duty at his apartment in the 6200 block of Tidwell on Friday when he was injured, police said.

Reyes, 23, was trying to unholster his pistol in the bathroom of the apartment about 8:15 p.m. when the weapon accidentally fired, police said.

Reyes was struck in the right hip. He was treated for the injury at Memorial Hermann Hospital, police said.
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H/t to David Codrea.

PA: Trooper Admits Tipping Off Pimps
Submitted by: jac

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A former state trooper has pleaded guilty to charges he tipped off pimps who ran a prostitution ring.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Kevin Coleman Sr., 42, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to obstructing and impeding justice.

Coleman was accused of disclosing information about police investigations in exchange for money and sex.

Prosecutors said that among Coleman's duties was conducting anti-prostitution patrols at Gables Truck Stop near Harrisburg at a time when pimps from Toledo, Ohio, were operating there.

Canada: Officer charged with threats put on desk duty
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"City police Const. John Couchman has been put on desk duty after charges of uttering death threats were laid against him last Friday ..."

"City police did not tell the public his name, even though the case is before the open court system, because the 50-year-old police officer is being treated like any other person charged in a domestic case ..."

"It is city police policy to tell the public it's a domestic case but not release the name of the accused because it might identify the complainant."

"Couchman was charged with three counts of uttering death threats Friday and taken into custody."

"He is not being suspended but will be put on administrative duty until the matter is resolved ..." ...

OH: 7 years too late: Columbus Dispatch finally discovers open carry isn't a viable self-defense option for Ohio
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "In the days leading up to passage of Ohio's concealed carry law in 2004, everyone was talking about the fact that there is no law in Ohio prohibiting the practice of 'open carry' ..."

"Despite warnings from pro-gun activists ... gun ban extremists and their media allies repeatedly argued that no concealed carry law was needed, citing the ability of Ohio citizens to openly carry firearms with no training or licensure mandates." ...

"Even though the potential trouble for persons who "open carry" has been well - documented over the course of several years, the Columbus Dispatch is just now discovering the problem, nearly seven years after the editorial quoted above smugly chided CCW proponents." ...

OH: Supreme Court Oral Arguments Wednesday
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The seven justices that fill these seats will soon hear oral arguments in Ohioans For Concealed Carry v. City of Clyde. On Wednesday April 9th at 9:30am attorneys from Attorney General Marc Dann's office and Ohioans For Concealed Carry will take sides on behalf of Ohio's law abiding gun owners."

"This case began in 2004 when the City of Clyde passed an emergency ordinance and enacted a gun ban against concealed handgun license holders in their city parks. After the city flat out ignored our requests to discuss the situation OFCC was forced to sue. ..." ...

PA: Second Amendment Rally Held At Capitol
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A number of Pennsylvania state lawmakers from both parties, as well as a number of key figures in the gun control debate, rallied in Harrisburg yesterday for the third annual Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally. The rally came on the heels of an unsuccessful attempt by the Pennsylvania House to pass a measure criminalizing the failure to report a lost handgun within 72 hours."

"'As citizens of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we do not need the U.S. Supreme Court, the United Nations or even the governor to reaffirm our God-given rights to defend our lives, loved ones and property,' State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), the host of the rally, told hundreds of onlookers at the rally in the Capitol Rotunda. ..." ...

Canada: Ban not enough to end gun violence
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In inviting speakers to the city's executive committee to back his call for a handgun ban, Mayor David Miller yesterday uncorked a flood of emotion ..."

"It was a cathartic morning, like a therapy session for locals rattled by the spray of gunfire that has claimed so many lives in town in the past few years. ..." ...

"The call to ban guns united all races yesterday, and it was refreshing to see council working together, too: Councillor Michael Walker, a frequent critic of the Mayor, brought the gun-ban motion to the committee, and the Mayor supported him yesterday. But banning guns is hardly going to rid our town of violence, and council is ultra vires anyway in this field of federal jurisdiction." ...
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Submitter's Note: Would it help if you banned murder?

Canada: Mayor Calls for a Handgun Free Canada
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"What would you do to save a life? Would you donate a kidney? Volunteer for a bone marrow transplant? Sign an online petition?"

"Mayor David Miller has gone online to get your support for his Community Safety Plan, including a petition asking the federal government 'to take immediate action to ban handguns in Canada.'"

"In a video posted on YouTube yesterday, Miller recalls consoling families and friends of victims of handgun violence and vows to each and everyone of them that he will do everything in his power to put a stop to it."

"A January CBC report states that 122 Torontonians lost their lives to gun violence between 2005 and 2007, up 42% from the previous 3-year period." ...

Canada: Saskatoon man gets five years for killing teen over ball cap
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"After warning a packed courtroom about the dangers of knives, a judge sentenced Bailey Lonechild on Tuesday to five years in prison for stabbing a teenager to death during a fight over a ball cap."

"'A strong message must be sent that carrying knives, even if intended for self-defence, can have severe consequences,' Court of Queen's Bench Justice Neil Gabrielson said. 'Because even without intending to use them, in the heat of the moment, a knife carrier may panic and use the knife with tragic consequences.'" ...

"Sproat was the first to start throwing punches at the party and, although some people saw Lonechild pull a knife, no one witnessed the stabbing." ...