Happy Thanksgiving! --- Will Holder Respect the Second Amendment?: ...So last week's announcement that President-elect Obama has tapped outspoken gun control advocate Eric Holder to serve as his attorney general should come as something less than a complete shock. Holder, who served as deputy attorney general under President Bill Clinton and as acting attorney general under President George W. Bush (a position he held until John Ashcroft was confirmed), has pushed for sweeping and restrictive gun control measures throughout his career while also endorsing the now-discredited collective rights interpretation of the Second Amendment. Obama's selection of Holder raises some serious concerns about his administration's commitment to upholding the entire Bill of Rights... http://reason.com/news/show/130270.html --- NSSF Continues Opposition to Bullet Serialization: ...Bullet serialization - the process by which each individual round of ammunition is identified and marked with a laser engraved serial number - is not feasible from a practical standpoint and any legislation mandating such action could rightfully be considered a de facto ban on ammunition. While legislation has been introduced in more than 20 states, NSSF has successfully defeated all of these bills. NSSF will continue to closely monitor state or federal legislation to require bullet serialization and will continue to issue Legislative Alerts to industry members and Second Amendment advocates in those states when bills are introduced or scheduled for a hearing or vote... http://www.rightsidenews.com/200811262776/editorial/serial-numbers-on-ammo-or-bullets.html --- Is the NRA America's Only Hope?: ...I did something else around this time. I joined the NRA. All my life, I'd read about how the NRA is some evil organization that supports all the wrong ideas. But in fact, I discovered the NRA is not only a gun-owner's best friend, they are the linchpin for freedom in America. You see, as I became more familiar with guns and the shooting culture, I realized that guns are about more than just "guns." They're really about civic power. They are the symbol for who is really in charge in this country: ordinary citizens, not presidents or congressmen... (I have my share of disagreements with the NRA and feel closer, philosophically, to GOA but we need a strong NRA now more than ever.) http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6284 --- Pittsburgh Prepared for Court Fight: If your gun goes missing, you'd better report it, a Pittsburgh City Council majority declared yesterday in approving a measure designed to keep firearms from criminals, but also likely to keep lawyers busy. Council's legislation requires owners of lost or stolen guns to report that to police within 24 hours or face fines and possible imprisonment. If it wins final approval next week and is ever enforced, it will likely end up in court, said Councilman Bruce Kraus, one of its authors. He welcomed the court fight. "We know what we're doing is activism," he said. "It's what we intended to do." ... (This appears to be the California model - get enough cites to pass local RKBA restrictions that get tossed by the courts to push the legislature to enact them statewide.) http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08330/930486-53.stm --- Big Brother's Election Polarizes RKBA Fight: When Barack Obama became the president-elect earlier this month, there were two distinct reactions in the world of firearms. One reaction was cheering and praise, which came from those who support stricter gun laws... The other reaction came from gun owners who rushed to gun shops across the country to purchase rifles, shotguns and handguns. Their concern is once Obama takes office he will push for firearm bans... Arulanandam said the spike in sales is due to the "perfect storm" created with the combination of a president-elect and vice president-elect who have openly supported firearm bans along with newly elected senators whom the general public are unfamiliar with... http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2008/11/26/news/srv0000004136789.txt --- The Beat Goes On: Texas: Jeff Bussell of Brush Mountain Outfitters said he isn't a fan of Barack Obama's position on gun control, but at least for now, Obama's been good for Bussell's business. Bussell said the firearm sales at his shop tripled since the Democratic senator from Illinois was elected to be the next president earlier this month. Two other local gun shop owners approached by the Odessa American reported similar rushes on guns, especially assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, which are capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Both only became legal again after the Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004... http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2051294/ Virginia: Sales of firearms have increased since Barack Obama was elected president, some local gun shop owners say. "They are up dramatically," said Bill Randolph, owner of Stonewall Firearms on Valley Avenue. He began to see a spike in gun purchases a few weeks ago, and sales have remained consistently high. "It's definitely because of the election," Randolph said. "There's a real concern about what [firearms] will be available." He said his customers - including some first-time gun purchasers - have expressed concern that Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will move to restrict firearm ownership... http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=6&foldername=20081126&file=shopowners_article.html Commentary: ...Weldon asks, "After all, what does a homeowner need with an AK-47?" This is none of her business, nor is it the business of a grasping federal leviathan. But if they really must know, the people flocking to the gun stores by the million to purchase these semi-automatic rifles are not doing so with a view to turning them in when the Obamanoids pass further gun control. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20081126/OPINION02/811250349/1006/OPINION --- Tax-Free Gun Purchases in South Carolina: South Carolina will waive the state's sales and use tax on purchases of handguns, rifles and shotguns during the first annual Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Nov. 28 - 29. The 48-hour tax break on firearm purchases begins at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 28 and continues through midnight Nov. 29. The tax exemption also applies to any local sales and use tax. The tax break does not apply to accessories such as ammunition, black powder, holsters, archery supplies and similar items. It also does not apply to the sale of antique or collectible handguns or handguns that do not fire a fixed cartridge... http://www.gwdtoday.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=361&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=10802&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2071&hn=gwdtoday&he=.com http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jDRF2YQ4tuGTEhdxjLXPBig48DjQD94MT1L04 --- Oops, Wrong House: A man who was at home when someone tried to break into his residence on Monday apparently shot the burglar as he was coming through a bedroom window, authorities said. Colleton County deputies arrived about 9:30 a.m. at the home on Turkey Hill Lane and learned that the homeowner had fired his gun at someone coming in the window but found no suspects on the property. They later got a call from a woman nearby who said her 15-year-old grandson had been shot, Sheriff George Malone said... http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/nov/26/intruder_shot_while_entering_house/ --- Oops, Wrong SUV: Jackson police said the property owner who fatally shot a burglary suspect Saturday night had a right to pull the trigger under the Castle Doctrine. Brandon Lenard, 20, of Jackson was shot outside a row of townhouses on County Cork Road after he allegedly broke into a Cadillac Escalade parked in front, police said. Police spokesman Lt. Jeffery Scott said no charges will be filed against the owner of the SUV, whose name was not released... Lenard is the fifth burglary or robbery suspect to be shot to death in Jackson by a homeowner, property owner or store employee since the Castle Doctrine law took effect in 2006... (Generally, it is not a good idea to risk a shooting incident over an auto theft - the ensuing legal costs can easily exceed the insurance deductible.) http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20081124/NEWS/811240335/1001/news --- Oops, Wrong Pedestrian: An armed robber who tried to stick up a New Castle area man was shot himself when his would-be victim pulled out his own gun and fired at him... A 37-year-old man told officers that he was taking items out of his car when two men walked up to him and stuck an object in his side and attempted to rob him. The victim said he thought the assailants were going to shoot him, so he pulled out his own 9 mm handgun and fired one round at the suspects. Navarro said the man was not sure if he hit either of the assailants, although he did hear a loud moaning sound after he fired the shot... http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081125/NEWS/81125036 --- Son Fired to Protect Mother: A teen took aim with a gun, his mother said, but it was the shooting victim who was in trouble with the law Friday night. The teenager's mother, who was caught in the middle, said her son pulled the trigger and shot her ex-husband to save her... But at 2:30 a.m., he suddenly barged into her home. She said he pulled out a knife and dragged her into the front yard, and that was when she said her son grabbed a gun from the house and pulled the trigger, hitting his ex-stepfather in the stomach... http://www.kctv5.com/news/18036943/detail.html#- -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .