Last Gun Shop In Minneapolis: Vin Suprynowicz comments on the folly of Minneapolis attempting to force its last firearm vendor out of business. http://www.lewrockwell.com/suprynowicz/suprynowicz26.html --- Senators Would Overturn DC Gun Ban: A bill in the US Senate would overturn the ban on private ownership of firearms in Washington DC. http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0505/229319.html --- Cops vs. Citizens?: The Brady Bunch bemoans the defeat of a proposed amendment to the bill to block reckless lawsuits against the firearm industry. The amendment would have created an exemption for suits by police officers. Prohibitionists have been seeking to create a rift between law enforcement officers and private gun owners since at least the Clinton administration. http://press.arrivenet.com/pol/article.php/640062.html --- "Gun Control" And Erosion of Civil Rights: Howard Nemerov looks at the relationship between firearm prohibition and the erosion of the other rights in the Anglo-American tradition. http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=14647 --- Wrong Victim: An ex-con in Oklahoma got two shots in the chest for his efforts to break into a home. The woman of the house shot him after he got into an altercation with the man of the house. http://www.channeloklahoma.com/news/4503451/detail.html --- Texas Version: According to the homeowners, the man was shot with a .22 rifle after he attempted to force his way into their home while brandishing a handgun. http://www.ksat.com/news/4502567/detail.html --- Philippine Version: A journalist shot first, with an Ingram submachine gun, driving off two armed men in the apparent second attempt to carry out a "hit" on him. http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=37439 --- Iraqi Version Coming: The Iraqi government has begun to encourage physicians to arm themselves in the wake of a series of attacks by criminals masquerading as patients. http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/features/onlineextras/story.html?id=29eed09a-9e1b-4a83-88e8-b00aa8c6d91d --- Mississippi Officers Turn To Rifles: Officers in a Mississippi police department are training with recently acquired Army-surplus M14's and M16's, in response to the North Hollywood bank robbery, over eight years ago. http://www.starherald.net/articles/2005/05/19/news/news8.txt --- From GOA: Special Congressional Election This June Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund 8001 Forbes Pl Suite 102 Springfield VA 22151 http://www.gunowners.org May 18, 2005 Dear Friend of the Second Amendment, We have an incredible opportunity to elect a pro-gun leader to Congress. You probably do not live in the second congressional district of Ohio, but that doesn't matter. You may even have a Representative who votes to disarm you. Regardless, here is your chance to get a Representative who will fight for the freedoms of ALL gun owners. Ohio's 2nd district is vacant (the incumbent has been named by President Bush to be a U.S. trade representative). A special primary election to fill the vacancy will be held on June 14. That's less than a month away. The district is considered a "safe" Republican seat. Therefore, the winner of the June 14 Republican primary is almost certain to become the next Representative in Washington from Ohio. The good news is that you and I have a great pro-gun leader to support in this race. But first, let me step back and ask a question. Have you noticed that although 2nd Amendment supporters have the votes -- on paper -- in the U.S. Congress, the pro-gun agenda always seems bogged down? A big part of the problem is that there just aren't enough real leaders. Rather than simply vote the right way, we need people who will actively push the Second Amendment agenda forward -- even when their colleagues would rather not go on record. Well, I can tell you this: Ohio State Representative Tom Brinkman has a record of fighting to advance the rights of gun owners. Brinkman has repeatedly introduced and pushed for votes on what GOA calls "Vermont-style" concealed carry -- no permits, no licenses. This year he has introduced a variation of the Vermont model that was enacted in Alaska two years ago. It might be called "Vermont-Plus." The plus is a provision to allow a gun owner to get a permit if he wishes to do so. Some want a permit so they can carry a concealed firearm in the many other states that recognize Alaska permits. Others want permits so they don't have to go through a Brady background check every time they buy a gun. The point of the legislation is to leave the decision up to the individual gun owner. Ohio's Republican governor, Bob Taft, won election to that office the first time by convincing gun owners that he would sign a concealed carry law. But, once in office, he did all he could to kill the bill. In the end, Ohio got a concealed carry law, but it is one of the most restrictive in the country. Had it not been for Brinkman's constant push for less control via Vermont-style legislation, I shudder to think what might have finally gotten on the books. Such dedication to principle has not endeared him to the Republican establishment. Brinkman has opposed the establishment on other issues as well, particularly by helping to kill a number of tax increases. While GOA does not take a position on tax issues, I mention this to explain that Brinkman is not expecting a ton of money from those who had hoped to dine at taxpayers' expense. The support from you and me -- individual gun owners -- contributing whatever we can, be it $25 or $250, is the only way Tom Brinkman can raise the funds he needs to run his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in the very short amount of time before the election. Today, I am asking you to please join me in sending a contribution directly to Brinkman's campaign at: Brinkman for Congress PO Box 9714 Cincinnati OH 45209-0714 For added convenience, you can contribute online at http://www.gobrinkman.com using your credit card. Time is short, but the opportunity is great. Please help get Tom Brinkman elected. Sincerely, Larry Pratt Executive Director P.S. Please remember. This special primary election in Ohio for the U.S. House of Representatives is all over on June 14. Please contribute today by going to http://www.gobrinkman.com or mailing the Response Memo below along with a check. **************************** GOA-PVF Response Memo To: Rep. Tom Brinkman Brinkman for Congress PO Box 9714 Cincinnati OH 45209-0714 From: Title/Name _________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________ State/Zip _________________________________________________________ Phone # _________________________________________________________ Fax # _________________________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________________ ___ Yes, I want to contribute to your campaign. Enclosed is my check for ___$25, ___$50, ___$100, Other $________. ___ Please charge the above amount to my credit card: American Express #_______________________________; Expires__________ MasterCard #____________________________________; Expires___________ Visa #__________________________________________; Expires___________ ___ I would like to volunteer. Please have the campaign contact me. **************************** Paid for by Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund is a Project of Gun Owners of America. **************************** -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .