No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/161 - Release Date: 11/3/2005 San Francisco TV Station Admits Cops Oppose Prop H: A major San Francisco TV station admits that the San Francisco Police Officers Association opposes the proposition on Tuesday's ballot to ban handgun possession in that city and county. (It also points out that officers would be exempted from the prohibition only while on duty.) http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=elections&id=3597947 Prop H Symbolic Gesture: The New York Times looks at Proposition H and concludes that it is a symbolic gesture, bound to be overturned in court. (The problem with municipal "symbolic gestures" in California is that they have a habit of becoming state law.) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/05/national/05gun.html --- Tragic Shooting Incident: A young single mother in Alabama went to a pawn shop to seek a handgun for protection of herself and her family. She made the mistake of asking to see the clerk's holstered handgun and he made the mistake of handing it to her without clearing it. http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/113109982589840.xml&coll=2 --- Bringing A Gun To A Wrestling Match: A New York City man, wanted in an earlier shooting incident, died when he struggled with a detective with a drawn gun. (If the finger drifts into the trigger guard, it's very hard to keep it from pressing the trigger while other hand and arm muscles are contracting.) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/05/nyregion/05shoot.html --- Former Officer Drops Suit Against Glock: A former police officer, who was working bank security in Lincoln NE, has dropped a lawsuit against Glock, in which he alleged that he got shot in a robbery because the Glock pistol malfunctioned after being struck by a bullet. (I have to wonder if there was actually a round in the chamber.) http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2005/11/03/news/nebraska/0c4c959ed4b96f05862570ae00122580.txt --- Cruise Ship Escapes Pirate Hijack: A cruise ship was able to outrun pirate bullets off the Somali coast and proceed to its Mombasa, Kenya, destination. Yet, most cruise lines bar their passengers from bring firearms on board. http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0%2C5936%2C17150183%25255E1702%2C00.html -- Brits Admit More Gun Losses: The British army has admitted that it has lost ten firearms over the past year and only recovered one. http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=2197312005 --- From SAF: NEWS RELEASE SAF APPLAUDS COURT FOR MOVING AHEAD ON DISTRICT HANDGUN BAN BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia "did the right thing" by setting the stage for filing of legal briefs and oral arguments in a challenge to the long-standing handgun ban in Washington, D.C. The case, Parker v. District of Columbia, seeks to restore the right of District residents to have handguns and functional long guns in their homes. Under current regulation, handguns are banned, and rifles and shotguns must be disassembled. Attorney Robert Levy, one of three attorneys on the case, announced Thursday that the D.C. Circuit Court had rejected a motion by the Washington, D.C. city government to dismiss the case, opening the way for the case to be heard. He is co-counsel with attorneys Alan Gura and Clark Neily. "We are not completely out of the standing woods yet," Levy said, adding that he expects a hearing schedule from the court within a few days. "For too many years," observed SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "citizens of the nation's capitol have had to check their Second Amendment rights, and right of self-defense, at the Washington, D.C city limits. Because of this ban, the city is a haven for criminals who enjoy a virtually risk-free environment because their victims cannot fight back. "The crime rate in Washington, D.C. is proof positive that the ill-advised handgun ban has not worked," he continued. "Stripping honest citizens of the ability to keep a handgun, or even an operable shotgun or rifle in their homes has not prevented a single violent crime. If anything, it has made the city even more dangerous for its law-abiding residents." Gottlieb condemned those who would defend and maintain the disastrous gun ban, including gun control organizations based in the city. "The city administration and the gun control crowd would rather leave residents of the District defenseless than see their firearm civil rights restored, and admit they've been wrong," Gottlieb stated. "We are glad that this case appears headed for a fair and full hearing before the court. After all, where is it more appropriate for citizens to exercise their rights under the Second Amendment than in the capitol of the country?" --- From NRA-ILA: NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol. 12, No. 44 11/04/05 D.C. PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT A TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY One of NRA-ILA's top legislative priorities in Congress continues to be the passage of S. 1082 and H.R. 1288--the Senate and House versions of the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act." This legislation seeks to restore the constitutionally-guaranteed Second Amendment rights of the residents of the District of Columbia. The need for this legislation is obvious. While effectively banning handgun ownership for over a quarter-century, Washington, D.C. consistently has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation. "D.C.'s politicians have stripped law-abiding residents of their ability to defend themselves and their families," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. "Passage of the 'District of Columbia Personal Protection Act' will remedy this senseless and dangerous injustice." Please be sure to contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support S. 1082 and H.R. 1288. For a list of Senate cosponsors, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01082:@@@P. For a list of House cosponsors, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR01288:@@@P. You can call your U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121, or your U.S. Representative at (202) 225-3121. VIRGINIA & NEW JERSEY ELECTION ALERT On Tuesday, November 8, Virginia and New Jersey will hold elections. NRA members in these states are encouraged to head to the polls and vote for those candidates who support our Right to Keep and Bear Arms! And please be sure to urge your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners to vote on November 8, as well. For up-to-the-minute campaign information, and to see what you can do to help elect pro-Second Amendment candidates, members are strongly encouraged to visit the NRA-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) website, www.NRAPVF.org. The site is loaded with all of the critical information you'll need to make informed decisions on Election Day, November 8. Included on the site are news stories, articles from NRA's magazines, NRA-PVF press releases, polling information, and a listing of NRA-PVF candidate grades and endorsements. In addition, you will find our multimedia section-- www.nrapvf.org/Multimedia/Default.aspx --which houses easy-to-access ads that are suited for distribution among your fellow NRA members. If you're already an NRA member, you will be able to visit the special "NRA Members Only" section with features exclusive to you. Simply log in with your NRA member number (the number is printed on your membership card and on the cover of your magazine). Once logged in, members will have special access to NRA-PVF screen savers and wallpaper, a convenient display of the candidate grades for your lawmakers, and a "Build Your Own e-Precinct" section. NRA members who have not received NRA-PVF endorsement information should visit the website, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) for additional candidate information. This information was also contained in the November issue of your NRA magazine. Please be sure to go to the polls on Tuesday, November 8, and "Vote Freedom First!" by supporting the pro-Second Amendment candidates in your area. Your vote could make the difference! STOP THE SAN FRANCISCO GUN BAN! On Tuesday, November 8, San Francisco voters will go to the polls to vote on Proposition H--a citywide gun ban. If Proposition H passes, it will become the most restrictive gun control law in the nation; even more restrictive than the egregious Washington, D.C., gun ban that NRA-ILA is currently working to overturn in Congress! The ordinance would ban residents from possessing any handgun and they would be forced to turn over their handguns within 90 days. The sale, manufacture, and transfer of any firearm or ammunition to anyone, including a family member, would be prohibited! The "San Francisco Police Officers Association" (POA), and the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and Sf-frontlines newspapers have all come out in opposition of this egregious ban, noting that it will do nothing to reduce crime, and will divert law enforcement officers from their job of apprehending violent criminals to enforcing this "feel-good" law. To educate and mobilize Bay Area pro-gun supporters, NRA-ILA created a website dedicated exclusively to exposing the truth about Proposition H. The website-- www.StopSanFranban.com --is designed to provide you with one-stop-shopping for the information and tools you will need to ensure Proposition H is defeated on November 8. Among the many features at www.StopSanFranban.com are: information on the proposed ban; sample letters and tips for identifying and writing letters to the editor of area newspapers; information on the benefits of firearm ownership for self-defense and the ineffectiveness of gun bans in reducing crime; voter registration links; e-mail sign-up; and more. Please be sure to visit www.StopSanFranban.com and then forward this link to your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners, both inside and outside of San Francisco, to ensure the collective voices of America's gun owners are heard loudly and clearly on, November 8! Those of you who don't live directly in San Francisco, but reside nearby, should visit the site immediately for updates on what you can do locally to ensure this deplorable proposition is defeated. Please visit www.StopSanFranban.com today to help us prevent San Francisco from becoming the next Washington, D.C.! A LOOK AT THE STATES (****For all of the action items below, you can find contact information for your legislators by using the "Write Your Representatives" tool at www.NRAILA.org. As always, thank you for your support.****) CONNECTICUT Tuesday, November 8, is a special Election Day in Connecticut. Please remember to vote, and please visit the "NRA Members" section of the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your county. ILLINOIS A disappointing Fall Veto Session ended today, and the General Assembly failed to override Governor Blagojevich's veto of three pro-gun bills. SB 57, a gun show bill that would have required the State Police to destroy its database of lawful firearm transfers, and HB 340, which would have waived the waiting period requirement when a law-abiding citizen trades one operating firearm for another, were never called. However, SB 2104, which sought to eliminate the confusing patchwork of differing regulations on transporting firearms, passed out of the Senate last week, only to fail in the House on Thursday. While the House did vote 67-44 to override the veto, 71 votes were needed. Governor Blagojevich united with Chicago Mayor Daley and Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D) to put on a full-court press in defense of his veto. The effort paid off, as several lawmakers abandoned their principles and voted against a bill they had previously supportd. NRA will continue to promote this critical reform, as well as the others, and we will do everything possible to elect true pro-gun legislators that will not succumb to pressure from anti-gun extremists, no matter what political office they may hold. A great deal of thanks goes out to those lawmakers who stood with us, as well to those NRA members who helped with their calls and e-mail messages to their elected officials. NEW JERSEY Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day in New Jersey. Please remember to vote, and visit the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your district. NEW YORK Tuesday, November 8, is a Special Election Day in New York. Sullivan County and Erie County Sheriff races will be held, so please visit the "NRA Members" section of the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your county. TEXAS Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) has negotiated, and Governor Rick Perry (R) has signed, Concealed Handgun License Reciprocal Agreements with the States of Indiana and Delaware. These agreements were made possible by the passage of key reforms to Texas' reciprocity in HB 225 by Representatives Joe Driver (R-Garland) and Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) and Senators Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) and Todd Staples (R-Palestine) during the 2005 Legislative session. Also, on Saturday, November 5, "Students for the Second Amendment" and the "Collegiate Firearms Instructor Program" will host their third official NRA Shooting Sports Camp, called "The Alamo City NRA Youth Sportsfest." The event will take place at the National Shooting Complex, in San Antonio, Tex. from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This event has been designated an "NRA Day" event. For additional event information, please visit: www.sf2a.org/NRACamp2005.htm. All youth groups, student groups, and families are invited and encouraged to attend. Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, entrance fees for this event are waived for all attendees 18 years of age and under! The first 500 youngsters in the gate will receive a free t-shirt. Please come out and support the future of youth shooting and our future defenders of our most cherished rights. For more information, please contact Damaso Torres, Executive Director, "Students for the Second Amendment" and the "Collegiate Firearms Instructor Program," at (210) 674-5559, or via e-mail at dtorres@sf2a.org. VIRGINIA Please join gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore (R) and President George W. Bush at a Victory Rally on Monday, November 7, 2005. The Rally will be held on Monday at Dominion Hangar, 5700 Clarkson Road, Richmond International Airport, Richmond, Va. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.; please arrive no later than 7:15 p.m. To request tickets for the rally, please visit: www.jerrykilgore.com/contents/72hour/bushrally.shtml. Also, please remember that Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day in the Commonwealth. Please be sure to vote, and visit the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your district. WASHINGTON Tuesday, November 8, is a Special Election Day in Washington. Please remember to vote, and please visit the "NRA Members" section of the NRA-PVF website (www.nrapvf.org) to check for endorsements in your district. WISCONSIN The Joint Senate and Assembly Committee met Wednesday for a hearing on the "Personal Protection Act," (SB 403/AB 763) Wisconsin Right-to-Carry legislation. The hearing lasted ten hours. Over 100 proponents showed up and many testified. Supporters significantly outnumbered the opponents in attendance. Thanks to all of those members who were present at the hearing. Keep up the good work and please continue to contact your legislators to let them know you support Wisconsin becoming a Right-to-Carry state. We will notify you of the committees that will be voting in the upcoming week. -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .