Miami Herald Calls Second Amendment "Mythical Right": The Miami (FL) Herald let lose with another propagandistic broadside against the 2nd Amendment on Thursday featuring some more moaning and false statements about how horrible it is for America that the misnamed "assault weapons ban" has lapsed. There is much wringing of hands, waterworks, histrionics and over dramatics by the aptly named Fred Grimm here. In "What's a few dead cops to the gun lobby?" Grimm's final pronouncement is that the 2nd Amendment is a "mythical right" but in between there are many misstatements and out right lies... http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2008/06/05/miami-herald-2nd-amendment-mythical-right-private-citizens --- Discretionary-Issue Defended in Massachusetts: ...Police chiefs are in the best position to know the background of applicants in their community, which is why state law provides our local chiefs with the job of determining an applicant's overall suitability for a license to carry concealed weapons. As a coauthor of the Massachusetts Gun Control Act of 1998, which remains the nation's toughest and most effective gun control law, I can tell you that investing police chiefs with this discretion was a very intentional decision. Those who think such licenses should be given out without meaningful review are putting the interests of gun enthusiasts before public safety and the public interest. Getting such a license should not be easy or automatic, and our police chiefs should have the opportunity to gather information they feel is needed to make these judgments... (Not discussed is the issue of chiefs who believe that no private citizen should carry a firearm in public.) http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/05/let_chiefs_have_say_on_gun_permits/ --- SFPD Chief Doesn't Bother to "Qualify": After being assailed by the police officer whose satiric videos earned him and nearly two dozen others suspensions in 2005, San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong acknowledged that she has gone years without taking the target practice required for officers who carry guns...Department rules require all police officers who carry guns to pass shooting range tests every six months. Fong said in a statement this week that "the duties of a police chief are demanding and time-consuming. I acknowledge that I have not scheduled time for firearms re-qualifications. This will be addressed for future re-qualifications." ...Cohen noted that in the last five years, "scores of officers" have been disciplined and even denied pay raises and promotion for the same infraction the chief has committed... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/06/04/BARR1138G6.DTL --- Chicago Alderman Wins Gun-Registration Do-Over: Ald. Richard Mell got a City Council committee to approve a change to a Chicago law on his behalf Wednesday, but argued it would benefit thousands of other city residents who, like him, simply failed to renew their gun licenses. "It was probably good I didn't [renew], because there are an awful lot of other citizens" who had the same problem, Mell (33rd) said after the Police and Fire Committee approved an amendment to the gun registration ordinance. The change would allow those whose registration lapsed to renew at a higher fee. Re-registration of the guns would have to occur within 4 months of passage of the ordinance by the full City Council, which could come as soon as Wednesday... http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-dick-mell-gunsjun05,0,2542506.story --- Oops, Wrong House, Arizona Version: A Phoenix homeowner shot and killed a home invader who had kicked in the front door of the house and was attempting to break into the bedroom where he and his family were sleeping, Phoenix police said. The victim died at the scene near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road, investigators said. The unidentified 38-year-old homeowner awoke and found the man was carrying a weapon, police said. The resident pulled out a rifle and opened fire, killing the intruder, officers said. http://www.kpho.com/news/16506447/detail.html --- Oops, Wrong House, Kentucky Version: Two teens who were fatally wounded Tuesday night were apparently breaking into a house when the owner shot them, according to Louisville Metro Police. Earl Springer, 19, of the 2600 block of Algonquin Parkway, died of a gunshot to the chest outside the home at 35th Street and Broadway, said Larry Carroll, a deputy Jefferson County coroner. Desmond Deshawn Turner, 19, of the 800 block of Sutcliffe Avenue, died several hours later at University Hospital of gunshots in his neck and arm, said Jo-Ann Farmer, chief deputy coroner. The teens were shot shortly after 5 p.m. when they broke into the house, police said. One of the teens had a weapon. During a fight inside the house, owner Billy Jackson shot both teens, apparently in self-defense, said Officer Phil Russell, a department spokesman. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080605/NEWS01/806050530 Survivor Tells His Story: http://www.whas11.com/news/local/stories/whas11_topstory_080605_robbery.2bbaf11.html --- Oops, Wrong House, California Version: A midmorning burglary at an Anaheim police officer's home came to an abrupt end in Garden Grove on Tuesday morning when the burglary suspect was shot in the jaw and chest by an off-duty police officer who surprised the man in the middle of the heist. The officer came home about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday to find the door to his Hazard Avenue condominium open and a longtime member of a local Vietnamese gang inside. Authorities said the off-duty officer pulled out his gun and, believing the intruder was armed, began shooting, said Garden Grove police Lt. David Kivler. After being shot twice, the suspect ran, leaving a trail of items believed stolen from the officer's home. A 911 call started a search through the neighborhood for the wounded man... http://www.ocregister.com/articles/officer-home-grove-2059126-police-garden --- Farina Charged in LAX Gun Incident: Dennis Farina has been charged with illegally having a gun in his luggage at Los Angeles International Airport. The city attorney's office on Wednesday charged the "Law & Order" actor with three misdemeanor counts involving possession of a concealed and loaded weapon. The charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 2 1/2 years in jail and $3,000 in fines. (It would appear that the case garnered too much attention to be swept under the rug. My bet is that he gets probation.) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080605/ap_en_tv/people_farina_2 --- DOJ Sues Honeywell over Faulty Ballistic Vests: The government is suing diversified manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. for selling material used in bulletproof vests that it alleges the company knew was defective. According to the Justice Department lawsuit filed Thursday, Honeywell had scientific data that showed the ballistic material, known as Zylon Shield, "degraded quickly over time, especially in hot and humid conditions," leaving the vests unfit for use by law enforcement agencies and military personnel. The department also alleges that Honeywell failed to notify the government or the vest manufacturer, Armor Holdings Inc., of the defect... http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004459658_aphoneywelllawsuit.html?syndication=rss --- Blackwater Opens San Diego Training Facility: A new counterterrorism training facility operated by military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide echoed with the grunts of Navy sailors, a day after a federal judge ordered the city to let classes begin. The 24 trainees batted and punched each other Thursday as they learned basic strike tactics in a corner of the 61,000-square-foot converted warehouse in an industrial area near the U.S.-Mexico border. For the next three weeks, they'll practice shooting inside a 25-yard indoor firing range and learn to wear sidearms safely while wriggling through ship hatches and up narrow ladders installed in white metal cargo containers stacked along one wall of the building to simulate a ship. Trainers from Blackwater will quiz them on distinguishing small boats carrying cargo from those carrying bombs... http://www.newsmax.com/us/blackwater_fight/2008/06/06/102181.html --- Arizona Loses Cowboy Shooter: An inspiring obituary. http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/242508 -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .