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D.C. Hypocrisy Stunning in Announced Appeal of District Gun Ban, Says SAF
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"When District of Columbia Attorney General Linda Singer attempted to justify the District's handgun ban as it announced its appeal of the Parker case to the Supreme Court, she revealed the depth of hypocrisy that lies at the core of this case, the Second Amendment Foundation said today."

"'Whatever right the Second Amendment guarantees,' Singer reportedly said, 'it does not require the District to stand by while its citizens die.'"

"That remark brought a quick reaction from SAF founder Alan Gottlieb."

"'The District, and the people who are elected to run it, have been standing by for years while citizens have been dying,' Gottlieb said. 'A string of administrations dating back 30 years have callously allowed residents of our nation's capital to die,...'"

The Secular Religion of the DC Government
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Washington Post reports today that the District of Columbia will appeal a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals that DCs law against possession of handguns violated the Second Amendment. Mayor Adrian Fenty who otherwise is getting good marks for his reforms of DC government and especially the nations worst public school system, issued a platitude ridden statement that 'The only possible outcome of more handguns in the home is more violence'"

"Anyone who has lived in the District of Columbia knows the truth of the statement that 'when guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.' The phrase 'mugged by reality' was coined to describe the terror of ordinary DC citizens who daily are threatened by vandals carrying guns." ...

Control criminals but not firearms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Just what is it that makes people of a liberal persuasion willing to lay down and die to protect the First Amendment of our Constitution freedom of speech, press and assembly but also not have a problem trampling the Second Amendment, which gives people the right to keep and bear arms?"

"During a goodly portion of Chris Core's radio show on WMAL (AM-630) last week, Mr. Core spent a great deal of time agonizing about the millions of Americans who own firearms. He asked callers what they thought about our 'love for guns,' comparing the United States with other countries who might not have the same fondness for firearms." ...

Security Pro USA Announces Tips for Choosing Body Armor
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Why would anybody want to wear body armor unless they were planning a vacation in Baghdad or a late evening jog through Newark?"

"According to Al Evan, President of Los Angeles-based Security Pro USA ... the reason is simple."

"'Things are getting pretty tough out there. There are more guns than ever in the wrong hands and more of those hands are willing to pull the trigger. The only safe solution to enhance a person's personal self defense, if one must be in dangerous places, is to have body armor.'"

"What is body armor in the first place? Think of it as a sleeveless T-shirt or vest that can slow down a bullet fired at your core. The key word is core. ..." ...

The Evolution of the 4473 Form (Red's Trading Post)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The ATF has issued a new 4473 form, this is the form that you must fill out in order to purchase a firearm. Since I have worked at Red's the 4473 form has been changed about 5 times ... The layout, the questions, the print, the number of pages (went from 1 to 3) and even the color has changed. I still get people saying 'Where is the yellow form to fill out?' It is no longer yellow, but white."

"In our 2000 audit the biggest violations for us was people filling out 'Y' or 'N' instead of 'Yes' or 'No'. An ATF inspector acknowledged later that the form was changed because of the layout, it did not provide room enough for customers to write out 'Yes' or 'No'. So it was changed. This was a common violation for a number of Dealers." ...

Guns are NOT evil
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"I am often surprised by how many times I hear anti-gun folks complain about the 'availability' of guns. Yes I can go & buy a gun at a shop after I pass a background check. ... What is wrong with that? What do the Brady folks want with more gun laws? Isn't 20,000+ gun laws in the US enough? Especially since all attempts to look at the effects of gun laws have proven that gun laws either increase the crime rate or have no noticeable effect whatsoever, depending on the particular gun law? The simple truth of the matter is that the Brady folks & those fighting with them for more gun laws (such as the Million Moms, Anti-violence groups, etc) are all trying to solve an important problem by going after the wrong source." ...

Is A Reasoned Approach Possible With Gun Control?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Daddy was right. Ain't no use in talking about religion, politics, whether that dress makes yer wife look fat, or guns... unless you're sitting among a bunch of hunters all dressed up in their 'out-to-kill' finery, oiling stocks and cutting cross-hatches into their bullet points." ...

"So, how does one rationally address this issue? (Pardon me while I fall off my chair laughing.)"

"Let us begin by acknowledging that the other side (whichever side you're on) has deep, powerful, often unconscious emotional reasons for their positions. And, while you're at it, admit you're in the same quandary. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: Actually my position is based on a rational assessment of the known scientific evidence.

SC: Deputies: Homeowner Shoots Kills Burglar
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"A homeowner shot and killed a man trying to burglarize a Greenville County home late Tuesday night, investigators said."

"Deputies said the homeowner was stabbed during the incident at a home on Lake Shore Drive."

"Investigators said they got a call about 11 p.m."

"The homeowners, a man and his wife, were inside the home when they arrived."

"Deputies said that when they arrived, the homeowner told them that the burglar broke in through a window."

"The homeowner said that he confronted the burglar in a hallway."

"During a struggle, the homeowner was stabbed and the burglar was fatally shot."

"The burglar died at the scene." ...

MN: Six to eight young men beat up Minneapolis restaurant owner
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"At first, Thom Pham thought it was a prank."

"He had just arrived in the parking lot of his restaurant, Azia, ... at about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday when someone grabbed him from behind."

"Pham ... thought some of his employees were playing a joke on him, as they often do."

"Instead, someone hit him in the face with a stick and three men began to beat him. Pham, though small in stature, is a former Judo teacher, and fought back." ...

"Pham was hospitalized with blunt force trauma to the head, lacerations to the skull and face, broken eye socket, concussion and severe bleeding." ...
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Submitter's Note: Azia is one of the very few restaurants in Minneapolis that still has "No Guns" signs.

The District Appeals
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"RARELY HAVE so few words provoked such fervent disagreement ... More than 200 years after the founders crafted the Second Amendment, debate rages about what those 27 words mean. ..."

"The Supreme Court, which has not ruled on such a critical a gun rights case since 1939, should finally answer the question by taking up the appeal filed yesterday by the District. ... We support the appeal on legal and public policy grounds." ...

"Even if the amendment is read to bestow an individual right to bear arms, we believe that the law and public policy prerogatives allow for reasonable regulation. After all, virtually every other right guaranteed by the Constitution, including free speech, is subject to some limitation. ..." ...

DC formally appeals handgun ban ruling to Supreme Court
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Washington DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DC Attorney General Linda Singer ... Tuesday formally appealed a March federal court ruling invalidating the District of Columbia's handgun ban ... to the US Supreme Court, setting the stage for the biggest Second Amendment challenge in almost 70 years. ... City lawyers have warned that the ruling 'severely limits' the ability of local and federal legislatures to regulate firearms to protect citizens and law-enforcement officers. DC's certiorari petition [PDF text] argues that"

"states remain free to regulate arms within their boundaries so long as they do not thereby deprive the United States of the ability to obtain the assistance of an armed citizenry in time of need." ...

D.C. gun case may hit Chicago
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Those who would do away with Washington's near-total ban on handguns will tell you point-blank their next target: Chicago."

"Gun-rights advocates scored a stunning success earlier this year when a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court in Washington swept aside the District of Columbia's ban on owning handguns, which had been in place since 1976."

"On Tuesday, the district government appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. If the court takes the case, as many observers believe it will, it could place Chicago's handgun ban, as well as similar laws nationwide, in jeopardy." ...

Fighting for Our Handgun Ban, Says Mayor of Washington D.C. (GunGuys)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In a September 4th op-ed in the Washington Post, the Mayor of Washington D.C., Adrian M. Fenty and its Attorney General, Linda Singer, cut right to the chase of the absurdity of a federal court ruling that would prohibit their city from banning handguns:" ...

"GunGuys has long argued that it is ludicrous to accept any notion that the Second Amendment, written well more than 200 years ago, would have proactively prevented local governments from regulating firearms that didnt even exist at the time that the Constitution was written. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: So the Gun Guys believe First Amendment doesn't apply to TV, radio and the internet? How about 'high-powered, fully automatic' printing presses?

D.C. Case Could Shape Gun Laws
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The District asked the Supreme Court yesterday to save the city's ban on handgun ownership, saying an appeals court's decision overturning the prohibition 'drastically departs from the mainstream of American jurisprudence.'"

"If the court agrees to take the case, as most legal experts believe is likely, it could lead to a historic decision sometime next year on whether the Second Amendment to the Constitution protects an individual's right to own a gun ..."

"It is a question that has been hotly debated in the nation's courts and legislatures for years, and a decision by the Supreme Court to settle the issue could carry broad implications for local governments and thrust gun control as an issue into the 2008 elections." ...

City asks high court to uphold gun ban
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"D.C. officials yesterday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that struck down the city's 30-year-old handgun ban."

"'I want to make clear that this is more than just an intellectual debate,' D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer said at a press conference outside Metropolitan Police Department headquarters in Northwest yesterday. 'It is, for the residents of the District of Columbia, literally a matter of life and death.'" ...

"Mrs. Singer said the petition filed with the Supreme Court outlines a three-pronged argument that will define the purpose of the Second Amendment, whom it covers and how much freedom it gives states to regulate guns." ...

DC's gun-ruling challenge could affect big cities
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The District of Columbia probably didn't have much of a choice but to ask the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday to take up the case of its handgun ban, which was invalidated by a lower court here earlier this year."

"After all, this is a city where gun crimes sometimes seem to be a staple of summer nights. The law, which had been in place for 30 years, banned ownership of handguns ..."

"But the district's decision could have serious consequences for other cities that have similar bans, like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco."

"If the right-leaning Supreme Court takes the case, it's possible that it could deliver the most affirmative endorsement of a broad reading of the Second Amendment in history." ...

Do Guns Cause Crime?
Submitted by: Jennifer Freeman
Website: http://www.libertybelles.org

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"The mayor of the District of Columbia is appealing to the United States Supreme Court to overturn a previous ruling that would allow law abiding citizens to own and possess handguns in D.C."

"In 1976, the District passed a law requiring a license to own or possess a handgun within city limits. The District then stopped issuing licenses thereby creating a de facto gun ban. As a result, Washington D.C. has one of the highest crime rates in the country."

"In a recent article on ABC News, D.C. Mayor Fenty is quoted as saying, 'Putting more handguns, even quote-unquote legal ones, into the quote-unquote law-abiding citizens could get into the hands of people who are going to use them in the commission of crimes.' ..." ...

Poll Center: High Legal Stakes With D.C. Gun Case
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT put up a united front on Tuesday, the day it officially asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold D.C.'s stringent ban on private ownership of handguns. Standing in front of Metropolitan Police Department headquarters with D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer and a crew of police officers, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said, according to The Post's Robert Barnes and David Nakamura, that '[t]he only possible outcome of more handguns in the home is more violence. Our appeal will help the District of Columbia be able to continue to reduce gun violence.'" [emphasis added]

"... if the Supreme Court chooses to take the case as many legal observers think is likely the future of D.C.'s gun restrictions could set a new precedent. ..." ...

OH: Buckeye Firearms Assoc. endorses Matthew McGowan for Mayor of Cheviot
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Buckeye Firearms Association is proud to endorse Matthew McGowan in his race to become Mayor of Cheviot, Ohio in the primary and general election."

"As a political action committee, Buckeye Firearms Association has been in the forefront of battling a number of cities in Ohio that have infringed on the rights of our fellow Buckeyes. Matt McGowan is a staunch supporter of our Second Amendment rights. He has been a gun owner for years. He is an early supporter of concealed carry, and as a husband and father he understands the desire of all to be safe and keep their loved ones safe."

"As Mayor of Cheviot we can count on Matt McGowan to ... respect and protect the rights of gun owners in the city." ...

Report: Air Force lost track of five nuclear missiles
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Mistakes by U.S. Air Force personnel left five nuclear warheads unaccounted for during a three-hour period on Aug. 30, according to Army Times."

"The paper ... cites anonymous sources who say that five Advanced Cruise Missiles were mistakenly loaded on a B-52 bomber that flew from a base in North Dakota to one in Louisiana. The missiles, set to be decommissioned, should have been removed from the plane. Instead, they were mounted on the bombers wings."

"'Air Force standards are very exacting when it comes to munitions handling,' Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Ed Thomas says. 'The weapons were always in our custody ...'" ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

TX: Ex-Bexar County Sheriff Enters No Contest Plea
Submitted by: jac

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Former Bexar County Sheriff Ralph Lopez pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor charges.

The three charges were accepting a gift by a public servant, failure to report a gift and tampering with a government record. He also agreed yesterday to pay a $10,000 fine.

The charges are related to a Costa Rican trip he took with a company that was awarded a lucrative contract at the jail.

Lopez resigned last week. He was Bexar County's sheriff for 16 years and was running for re-election.

He took the Costa Rica trip in August 2005. That year, Louisiana-based Premier Management Enterprises received contracts for the jail commissary and another annex generating $2 million in gross annual sales.

KY: Oldham officer charged with growing pot
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Oldham County police Officer Gerald W. Colston has been charged with growing marijuana, the department said today.

State police investigated Colston and said he had grown four marijuana plants at rental property where he lived off Rose Island Road.

He was arraigned in Oldham County District Court this morning and released on his own recognizance.

Police Chief Michael Griffin had asked for his resignation, which he turned in Friday. Colston was the departments only canine officer.

"This alleged misconduct is a disappointment to me and the other 29 officers in the Oldham County Police Department," Griffin said. "This is a very, very difficult time for all of us."
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H/t to David Codrea.

TN: Kingsport police officer arrested
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Johnson City police arrest an off-duty Kingsport officer this weekend after they say the man punched one of their officers in the face. Johnson City police charged Jason Mclain with simple assault, public intoxication, and resisting arrest early Saturday morning. They also identify Mclain as a Kingsport police officer."

"According to reports, police found the Mclain passed out in his car around 4:00 a.m. outside of the Electric Cowboy. When the Johnson City officer tried to wake up Mclain, police say the man punched him. Mclain has been released from jail."

"It's the second time in a month that a Kingsport police officer has come under fire for his actions outside of work. ..." ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

OH: Circuit City Shopper Cuffed for Refusing to Show Receipt
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "... this past weekend, an Ohio man decided to refuse the search of his bag at an area Circuit City and soon found himself behind bars."

"Though he tells the story in much more detail on his own blog, here's a synopsis of what happened to Michael Righi of Brooklyn, Ohio. ... Righi asked to be let go or he would call the police himself. They refused and Righi called the police. When the officer showed up, he inspected the bag and saw nothing had been stolen. He also asked Righi for his driver's license. Since Righi was not driving his father's car, he refused to give up his driver's license, but was happy to give his name and address at the officer's request. Not amused, the officer arrested Righi and booked him for 'Obstructing Official Business.'" ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

DC: Shooting Range Backfires on Capitol Police Submitted by: Anonymous	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
FULL TEXT BELOW: Capitol Police firing range instructors have temporarily suspended activities at one of the departments primary training facilities after several people were hit by bullet fragments during training exercises.

KY: Ex-officer pleads guilty to charge
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A former Lebanon Junction police sergeant has pleaded guilty in U.S. district court to charges that he planned to distribute OxyContin, law enforcement officials said yesterday."

"Daniel Carr, 32, of Mount Washington, was arrested June 25 by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents."

"He faces up to 50 years in prison and a $2.25 million fine and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10." ...

"Carr was immediately fired after his arrest, said Lebanon Junction Police Chief Darrell Paul. Carr had been with the department since February and was still in his one-year probationary period." ...

CA: Peeping Tom wants San Rafael to return his porn
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A convicted peeping Tom is demanding that the city of San Rafael return more than 700 pornographic videos and magazines that authorities seized during a 2001 investigation into his secret videotaping of a 45-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl in their apartments."

"In a lawsuit filed in March, Healdsburg resident Dennis Saunders, 59, argues that the collection of more than 500 videos and 250 magazines is legal and that the Police Department should give it back to him. He is not seeking the peeping Tom videos he recorded." ...

"... City officials have told Rankin that they do not feel comfortable releasing the pornography without a court order ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: A legal product, legally obtained, and they need a court order to return it?!?

PA: Convicted ex-trooper asks to keep guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Sentenced to probation for shooting two cars and holding police at bay for seven hours during a psychotic episode that ended with a trip to the mental-health ward and the discovery of child pornography on his computer, retired state trooper Stanley W. Foss III had one question for Judge John S. Kennedy."

"He wanted to know if the judge would lower the felony child pornography charge to a misdemeanor 'so I could keep my weapons.'"

"Kennedy declined, explaining that Foss had been involuntarily committed for a mental-health examination after the May 8, 2006, incident outside his Fairview Township home. He advised Foss that, if he had any weapons left in his possession, he must surrender them to authorities." ...
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H/t to Nicky F.

NY: Tough issues await gun panel
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"The city's police chief, a family court judge, a pastor and a criminal justice academic are among Mayor Jerry Jennings' six nominees to the Gun Violence Task Force."

"The council approved creation of the 13-member task force in July. The council, which must approve Jennings' choices, is expected to name an additional seven members sometime next month."

"The mayor named his nominees Tuesday." ...

NJ: Hunters argue DEP's Jackson erred in voiding hunt
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Hunting advocates on Tuesday argued that a 2006 decision by Environmental Commissioner Lisa Jackson to throw out a planned black bear hunt was invalid while the state and animal rights advocates argued she was well within her rights."

"In a hearing that focused mainly on issues of authority and rule-making and only rarely touched on the bruins, a New Jersey appellate court heard oral arguments on two lawsuits related to the hunt."

"One lawsuit brought by hunting advocates challenges Jackson's decision to cancel a hunt scheduled for December."

"They contend Jackson never had the authority to make the decision and didn't follow proper procedures in throwing out the state's black bear management policy that included a hunt." ...

IL: More nonsense from gun foes
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"So he's at it again. But now Rev. Jesse is taking his anti-gun rhetoric out of the city, and amassing in the suburbs. They found a new victim in suburban gun manufacturer, D.S. Arms."

"Since I knew nothing of D.S. Arms, I went to look at their Web site. Are they makers of cheap, easily available, easily concealed "Saturday Night Specials"? Hardly. The guns they proffer sell in the thousands of dollars. They are large, bulky, high-tech, tactical weapons used by military and law-enforcement."

"Is the reverend really suggesting that gang-bangers in Chicago are killing each other with these weapons?"

"Really? I highly doubt it, and anyone with any common sense would certainly agree." ...

SC: Friends of NRA fundraiser set
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Lowcountry Patriots chapter of the Friends of NRA will hold its second annual fundraising banquet at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Parks Automotive used car showroom ..."

"There will be a social hour, dinner, live auction, silent auction, drawings, games and door prizes. Among the drawing items will be a 300 Weatherby Vanguard .30-caliber rifle."

"Proceeds from the event support youth firearms safety and education, hunter training, shooting range development, marksmanship training, Second Amendment research, education and conservation research throughout South Carolina."

"In its first year, the banquet raised more than $11,000 for the Lowcountry and S.C. program."

Cost for the event is $25 per person, $40 per couple." ...

WI: It's the criminals, stupid
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Gov. Jim Doyle released a plan last month to combat violent crime. When liberals talk about crime, they always leave out the common denominator: Every crime involves a criminal. That explains why their plans to combat crime are worthless."

"Let's look at points in the governor's plan."

" He wants all gun transactions to go through a licensed dealer. This, of course, ignores the fact that criminals don't obey the law. Generally, their guns come through a straw buyer or through theft. This proposal would add costs for law-abiding gun owners who might wish to give a rifle or shotgun to their kid or to sell a gun they no longer use." ...

UK: Call for urgency in transfer of powers to ban air weapons
Submitted by: Russell M Middleton

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"SNP ministers are calling on Westminster to rapidly transfer control over airgun law to Holyrood so the weapons can be banned north of the Border."

"Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is to write to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith proposing that a 'legislative framework' be established so that the Scottish Parliament is given powers to legislate on the weapons."

"Scottish politicians of all parties have said they want to devolve the powers, in the wake of several high-profile crimes involving the weapons, giving them the chance to enact tough restriction on owning air guns."

"The murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones was not committed with an airgun, but it has placed renewed focus on the growing problem of gun crime." [emphasis added] ...

Ireland: Man had heavy-duty handgun for 'self-defence'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A man who was arrested recently while in possession of a heavy-duty handgun has had his bail on this matter upheld at a vacation sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he claimed he had been offered it for self defence following threats against his life."

"John Mangan ... claimed a girl had handed him the Magnum revolver ... minutes before his arrest in the premises."

"He told Judge Terence O'Sullivan that he knew nothing about guns and couldn't say what make or type of gun it had been."

"Mr Mangan said he had been offered the gun by a man he refused to name after he was notified of threats against his life by gardai. He had agreed to take the gun a week before his arrest and had asked for an unloaded gun." ...