Barack Obama on National-Parks Carry: I believe in Second Amendment rights and I believe in the rights of hunters and sportsmen to bear arms and use them in a responsible way. I would want to review the National Park initiative to make sure that there was actually a rationale for it. People generally don't have hunting licenses in national parks, and if they don't have a hunting license, the question then is what are they going to use the firearms for? Presumably protection - if there was a bear that people came across, but I'd want to see the statistics in terms of how many actual bear attacks there have been before we decide that this is something that would be necessary, only because there are a lot of people who use the national parks. You could foresee the possibility of accidents. In wilderness areas where you know there's hunting, people take certain precautions. In national parks, people aren't expecting to have to take those same precautions. There are kids running around. I think there are a whole set of issues that I'd want to examine. http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2008/03/09/news/wyoming/doc47d2194969846435678843.txt --- Arizona Game & Fish Commission Opposes State Constitution Change: Some state lawmakers want to make the ability to hunt and fish a constitutional right in hopes of keeping their colleagues - and voters - from deciding people shouldn't be killing certain animals. A measure approved on a 6-3 margin last week by the House Committee on Natural Resources and Public Safety would raise hunting from a privilege to a right. The change, which now goes to the full House, ultimately requires voter approval in November. Wednesday's vote came over the objection of the Game and Fish Commission, the state agency that regulates hunting... (It would not appear that the commissioners agree with Obama that the Second Amendment is only related to hunting.) http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/228892 --- Wayne LaPierre on Campus Carry: ...They say that allowing Right-to-Carry on college campuses would lead to alcohol-fueled bloodshed. But they ignore the fact that there are many young adults who are already gun owners and Right-to-Carry holders across the country. They're serving in our military, they're serving as law enforcement officers, and yes, there are many who are just responsible gun owners. These young men and women are already gun owners of legal drinking age, and they're not causing mayhem...The gun-control crowd also likes to say that when a madman is shooting into a crowd of students and faculty, the presence of an armed citizen would actually make things worse, not better. This is a ridiculous argument. At Trolley Square Mall, at New Life Church, at Appalachian Law School, and on and on, the presence of gun owners - whether they were off-duty officers, volunteer security guards, or simply students - didn't lead to more violence, but to less... http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=369 --- Oklahoma College Presidents Oppose Campus-Carry Bill: College and university presidents are opposed to a bill that would allow students age 21 and above to carry concealed weapons onto campus and into the classroom. Chancellor Glen Johnson said presidents and campus law enforcement officials "have serious concerns about the proposal of having guns on our campuses." Jim Utterback, president of Seminole State College and legislative liaison for the Council of Presidents, said Friday the presidents unanimously approved a resolution agreeing the bill would "make our college and university campuses less safe and secure, putting our students, faculty, staff and visitors at risk." However, Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, who sponsored the bill, said he has heard from university personnel who would like the right to carry a concealed weapon extended to faculty and staff. http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080308_1_A1_spanc40100 --- Time Crunch Nixes Gun-Safety Training in Idaho Schools: If the call ever comes, Twin Falls Police Sgt. Mark Marvin will be ready. Videotapes, stickers and even "some comic-book things" starring the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle are stored away, awaiting the next group of Boy Scouts who will hear the character's spiel on gun safety. Marvin can just about recite the whole presentation by heart. But he rarely gives it these days, ever since the public schools let him know five years ago that they couldn't find time to fit him in... http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/03/09/news/local_state/132455.txt --- Ohio Student Teaches Marksmanship to Troops: ...Ohlinger, a Teays Valley High School graduate, is a senior on the Ohio State rifle team. Since 2005, the 22-year-old also has been moonlighting as a civilian marksmanship instructor for the Army. Ohlinger was 19 when he was selected as an instructor, which made him the youngest of the 30 chosen at that time...Meanwhile, the military was searching for expert marksmen to serve as instructors. Most soldiers get only a few weeks of instruction in basic training, aiming at targets 50 to 300 meters away. With the United States in protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, long-range marksmanship has taken on a new importance. The Army contacted the Civilian Marksmanship Program for help. Ohlinger applied to be an instructor and was selected. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/07/osu_rifle.ART_ART_03-07-08_A1_A19ILU5.html?sid=101 --- Guns Don't Shoot People, People Shoot People: A paralyzed woman, who was shot 20 years ago by a rejected boyfriend, who had stolen a gun from her father, moves back into her parents' home, only to discover that her father still owns firearms. She decides to confront him publicly...An ardent hunter, marksman, ROTC graduate and outdoorsman, Alban had long been devoted to his weapons. There was another reason for his fervor: He had watched helplessly decades ago as, a continent away, his fellow Jews were marched to their deaths. "The first thing Hitler did," Alban said, "was confiscate the guns. Guns were my culture. If anyone threatened my family, I'd rather die protecting them than walk to the gas chamber." http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-julie10mar10,1,6000524.story -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .