Urgent Call For Pennsylvanians: Anti-gun rights Governor Rendell plans to take an unprecedented step and personally attend Tuesday's PA House Judiciary Committee meeting to attack gun owners and our constitutional freedoms by forcing bad legislation (HB 18, HB 22, and HB 29) out of committee. You need to act now!!! Please contact members of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today and keep it up through Tuesday morning. ASK THE MEMBERS TO OPPOSE HB 22, HB 18 and HB 29. The Committee Votes are scheduled Tuesday November 20 at 10:00 AM. Phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses are at the end of this message. PLEASE USE THEM. (Mailing delayed due to internet connectivity problem this morning.) http://www.ccrkba.org/pub/rkba/press-releases/urgent.action.pa.hb18.hb22.hb29.htm Related Articles: http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=19037824&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6 http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20071120_Face-off_is_today_on_Pa__gun_bills.html --- Gun Dealer's Suit Against Bloomberg Can Proceed: A South Carolina judge has ruled that a lawsuit against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and New York City over tactics used against out-of-state gun dealers can go ahead... The suit was filed in response to city lawsuits against gun dealers in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia alleging that improper sales practices had led to a large number of guns ending up in criminals' hands in New York. Some of the dealers settled the suits and agreed to work with a court-appointed monitor, but the owner of the Summerville shop, Larry Mickalis, countersued, accusing Mr. Bloomberg and the city of conspiracy, fraud and libel, among other charges. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/nyregion/20mbrfs-GUNS.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin http://www.nysun.com/article/66713 --- Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: Dallas police said a 76-year-old homeowner survived an altercation with an intruder Tuesday morning. The intruder also survived, despite three gunshot wounds, police said. The homeowner went outside of his home in the 3700 block of Fordham Road. Police said the suspect ran past the homeowner and into the house after the homeowner opened the door. The two wrestled briefly before the homeowner shot the iutruder in the arm, chest and face with a shotgun, according to police. (Those of us who subscribe to the safe-room concept would probably not have walked out the door to investigate.) http://www.nbc5i.com/news/14647144/detail.html --- Oops, Wrong House, Washington Version: A Yakima resident turned the tables on two burglars when he surprised them in his home, shot one of them with his handgun and then held them at bay until police arrived. The bullet hit a 17-year-old suspect who police said was armed at the time with the homeowner's own shotgun. Both suspects face burglary charges, and Yakima police say that for now they will not seek charges against the homeowner who fired his gun at them. (Note the threat to the homeowner, with his own unsecured shotgun.) http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/290335486986666 --- The Race Card?: A man who shot and killed two burglary suspects said it was self-defense, but a community activist called it murder, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday..."We believe Mr. Horn became judge, jury and executioner all at the same time. We believe that Mr. Horn violated direct orders from a 911 dispatcher," said Quanell X with the New Black Panther Party. (This case, shared earlier, definitely involved questionable judgment and tactics but I was unaware that a 911 dispatcher had the legal authority to issue a "direct order.") http://www.click2houston.com/news/14643409/detail.html --- Meanwhile, In Washington...: The family of a man who was shot to death in October at a Puyallup gas station announced Sunday they are holding a rally Tuesday in Tacoma. The event is part of the family's continued questioning of Pierce County prosecutors' decision not to charge the 21-year-old shooter after ruling he acted in self-defense. The shooter told investigators he was sitting in his car when Nicholas Cruz, 23, of Eatonville, approached and punched him several times, reportedly after breaking the driver's side window of the car. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/crime/story/207528.html --- A Lesson In Gun Handling: ...After last week's tragic crime, I was searching for anything that would make me feel safer on an increasingly dangerous campus. Given the prevalence of guns in Philadelphia, I thought that getting acquainted with a little metal might be a helpful way to protect myself. So I ventured to the gun club ready to get my lesson in self-defense. I ended up discovering that knowing how to shoot a gun probably wouldn't help me fend off criminals. Nonetheless, I left with a valuable lesson about gun safety and a familiarity and confidence with guns that every Penn student should have. http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/19/Opinion/Cassandra.Tognoni.A.Lesson.In.Gun.Control-3109254.shtml -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .