Witness List for Sotomayor Hearing: ...For the Republicans: Linda Chavez, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity; Sandy Froman, the former president of the National Rifle Association; Dr. Stephen Halbrook, lawyer and gun-rights advocate; Tim Jeffries, founder of P7 Enterprises, a management consulting firm; Peter Kirsanow, a commissioner on the federal Commission on Civil Rights; David Kopel, a lawyer with the Independence Institute; John McGinnis, professor at Northwestern University Law School; Neomi Rao, professor of George Mason University School of Law; Frank Ricci, director of Fire Services in New Haven and the plaintiff whose discrimination case was decided in his favor by the Supreme Court; David Rivkin, a former associate White House counsel in the Bush-Quayle administration and now a partner at Baker, Hostetler law firm; Nick Rosenkranz, professor at Georgetown University School of Law, Ilya Somin, professor at George Mason University School of Law; Lieutenant Ben Vargas, New Haven Fire Department; Dr. Charmaine Yoest, Americans United for Life... http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/judiciary-panel-releases-witness-list-for-sotomayor-hearing/ --- Heller Attorney responds to Conservative Critic: "Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson criticizes the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller through the lens of post-Roe judicial conservatism, a doctrine that exalts judicial deference to the political branches above the interest in individual liberty. But that vision is incompatible with the sort of judiciary the Framers established, and Wilkinson's prescription does not lay out neutral guidelines for use of the judicial power. In Heller, the Supreme Court acted exactly according to Constitutional design, enforcing a fundamental right against recalcitrant political forces. Not just conservatives, but all Americans, should rejoice in the decision..." http://reason.com/blog/show/134693.html --- House Panel Supports RKBA in Public Housing: Gun rights advocates scored a victory Thursday as the House Financial Services Committee adopted an amendment to allow guns in public housing projects. The amendment, by Tom Price , R-Ga., would bar any housing authority from restricting legal ownership of guns. It was adopted, 38-31, as the committee continued its markup of a housing bill (HR 3045) that the panel is expected to approve next week. "Seniors and other individuals have the right to protect themselves," said Joe Baca of California, one of 13 Democrats who voted for the amendment. "Those guns would be registered, and those individuals have a right, in public housing or any other place, to protect themselves." ... (Recall that the San Francisco Housing Authority settled a lawsuit by the NRA over such a ban, in a case that was thought to have been a possible one to get a Supreme Court ruling that would incorporate the Second Amendment against the states.) http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003161861 --- Bill Would Amend Federal Switchblade Act: ... It was a good start, but was not quite acceptable for a variety of reasons. Knife Rights led an effort to "perfect" the language of the amendment. Working with our attorneys and AKTI representatives late into the night and early morning hours, Knife Rights drafted language that we felt would permanently solve the issue. With the cooperation of AKTI and NRA lobbyists this revised language was handed off to Sen. Pryor who worked to get Customs to accept the revised language. After a concerted effort by Sen. Pryor, a consensus revision emerged that had the support of Customs and was acceptable to Knife Rights and the industry. Late today a new Amendment Number 1447 was introduced by Senators Cornyn, Pryor, Hatch, Vitter, Risch, Chambliss, Corker, Enzi, Barrasso, Graham, Roberts, Wyden and Crapo that adds another Exception in Section 1244 that clearly covers conventional assisted openers and one-hand openers. It's not perfect, but it's good enough and a major step forward. Even better, it is a permanent solution rather than a stop-gap measure... The next step is a vote on this Amendment in the Senate. Yes, that means it is time to write again. And, hopefully you'll need to write again to support an effort to get it through Conference Committee. That we are in a position to ask you to do this is proof positive that it works. We have a short and simple letter this time. Please WRITE NOW! ... http://www.ammoland.com/2009/07/09/amendment-revising-federal-switchblade-act/ The Beat Goes On: Louisiana State Police report the rate of applications for concealed weapons permits has doubled this year. Last year, 4,130 first-time permits were issued, but halfway through this year the number of new permits has already exceeded that. When you add in renewals, it almost doubles... One long-time gun dealer says politics usually plays a big role in sales. "It's always on the back of people's mind, even if we have a very pro-gun administration," said Jim McClain of Jim's Firearms. "It's always like something in the back of people's mind. They always worry about the freedom of gun ownership." Ownership, especially for concealed weapons, is steadily rising. McClain says that is true for a new customer coming on board. "Women in shooting. That is an increasing market. It has exponentially grown, so more women are not only involved in shooting courses, but are also involved in self-defense now." Some folks will buy their handguns in sets. "There's no gender, no age, no race, it's kinda just a hodge podge of everybody, which is good." ... (Based on the estimated population for 2998, 22,000 CHP's is approximately 0.5%.) http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10671382 --- A Detailed Analysis of the 90% Lie: ... Another trend in recent years has been the steady movement of Mexican cartels south into Central and South America. As noted above, the region is awash in guns, and the growing presence of Mexican cartel members puts them in contact with people who have access to Cold War weapons, international arms merchants doing business with groups like the FARC and corrupt officials who can obtain weapons from military sources in the region. We have already seen seizures of weapons coming into Mexico from the south. One notable seizure occurred in March 2009, when Guatemalan authorities raided a training camp in northern Guatemala near the Mexican border that they claim belonged to Los Zetas. In the raid they recovered 563 40 mm grenades and 11 M60 machine guns that had been stolen from the Guatemalan military and sold to Los Zetas... http://www.rightsidenews.com/200907095405/border-and-sovereignty/mexico-economics-and-the-arms-trade.html Meanwhile, in DC...: D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) told members of the Obama administration that the United States is responsible for arming Mexican drug cartels and she was embarrassed that Mexico is not angry about it. "It's extremely embarrassing that Mexico has been as kind to us," Norton said Thursday at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "I would have been very, very angry at the Big Kahuna in the north that was essentially shipping down arms to kill my people." ... (This is the spokeswoman for an administration that wants a vote in Congress, despite the wording of the Constitution but wants to deny its own constituents the RKBA.) http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50808 --- Dial 911 and ...: The previous article examined a case where the criminal justice system failed to protect the citizens of Gaffney, South Carolina, from Patrick Burris. Now let's place that discussion into context: When it comes to fighting crime, the criminal justice system (CJS) can only do so much. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If our legal standards were similar to many other countries, where the accused is guilty until proven innocent, more habitual criminals might remain behind bars, but at the expense of incarcerating more innocents. Please view the following discussion from a Constitutional perspective, rather than affixing blame. Even the most diligent and honorable law enforcement officer or prosecutor may be restrained by the very laws and procedures which protect Liberty... http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m7d9-How-well-does-the-government-protect-us --- The "Gun Crime" Campaign: I don't like the term "gun crime" - crime is crime, and while crimes, of course, vary in heinousness, that variance is not a function of the criminal's equipment. The term is useful here, though, because today's discussion is about "crimes" that are only "criminal" due to the fact that guns are involved. An example is perhaps called for. Take, for instance, laws - such as California's - prohibiting faux "assault weapons." A violator of such a law need not do any harm - need not, indeed, intend any harm, but intent to do harm is irrelevant to the forcible citizen disarmament lobby - all that matters is that the violator is a "gun criminal." ... http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m7d9-The-Brady-Campaign-to-create-gun-crime --- Michigan AG Defends Pro-RKBA Stance: The Free Press editorialized Wednesday - "Your taxes at work for the NRA (and Cox)" - against my filing of a legal brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that supports the National Rifle Association's challenge of a Chicago ordinance banning the possession of most handguns. My support for this challenge to the Chicago gun ban is rooted in Michigan's own Constitution, which states: "Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state." ...The Free Press failed to mention that 34 attorneys general signed on to the NRA's challenge of Chicago's strict gun ban, including both Democrats and Republicans. This isn't about politics; it's about standing up for principle. It may come as news to the Free Press, but this office files amicus briefs all the time to protect the rights of the state and its citizens. For example, this office has filed amicus briefs in support of the Big Three auto industry and tougher standards to protect the Great Lakes... http://www.freep.com/article/20090709/OPINION04/907090384/1072/opinion/A+stand+for+principle+on+gun+rights --- Iowa Prohibitionists Lose Funding: An Iowa group once active in lobbying for gun control has disbanded after losing a major grant. The November 1st coalition began after the November 1, 1991 shootings on the University of Iowa campus and was later renamed Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence. U-I professor Rex Honey served on the board of directors and hopes to revive the group. "I will try in autumn to get some students involved at the University of Iowa, given that the campus was what started our organization in the first place," Honey said. "So, it's not that we don't think there's an issue any longer." Honey says most recently the group has relied on volunteers to lobby the legislature. "There was a grant with the Joyce foundation for a period of close to a decade from the mid 90s well into this decade, and that funding did end," Honey said... (Big Brother was paid $70,000 for eight years of service on the board of the Joyce Foundation, during which time it gave out at least nine grants, totaling nearly $2.7 million, to groups opposing the RKBA.) http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=50574BB9-5056-B82A-379E1A4DD3EAA3AB --- New York Legislator Bows to Pressure: Bowing to pressure from her district's residents, St. Lawrence County Legislator Laura J. Perry, D-Hopkinton, had a change of heart about supporting a state proposal requiring repeated background checks for pistol permit holders. "It turns out this is a very important issue to my constituency. I heard from them a lot about this," she said at Monday's Legislature meeting. "This doesn't address my concerns in checking on people's mental and physical well-being. It's more of a paperwork and fee issue." Lawmakers unanimously opposed Gov. David A. Paterson's proposal requiring background checks every five years for pistol permit holders. The proposal would allow counties to collect a $20 fee for permit renewals, but legislators said it would place a financial burden on lawful gun owners and wouldn't cover the cost of the added county clerk and law enforcement work. The law has little chance of passage soon. It is a one-house bill and the Senate stalemate means that even if that house reconvenes to pass critical legislation, it is unlikely this bill will be included. http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090708/NEWS05/307089970 --- Oops, Wrong House, Georgia Version: A quiet night in front of the television ended with a shoot-out in southwest Atlanta. A homeowner was in the hospital Thursday morning as police searched for the would-be robber. Officials said a homeowner will recover after suffering a gunshot wound to the ear during a gun battle when someone tried to break into his home. A shoot-out on Westmont Road between a homeowner and a would-be robber woke up several people in the neighborhood. "I guess I would say about 15 to 20 rounds was exchanged," said neighbor Otis Holliman. The homeowner told Channel 2 Action News her husband was in the living room watching television when he heard a noise outside the house. He grabbed his gun to check it out and that's when the gun battle erupted. The husband was shot once in the right ear and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital... (This would not appear to have been your "average" short-range, two- to three-shot gunfight. It's a good reminder that there is still a role for carefully sighted fire. Note the prior history of the home being breached.) http://www.wsbtv.com/news/20000577/detail.html --- Oops, Wrong House, Louisiana Version: Police say a deadly shooting on Alliquippa Street in Baton Rouge was apparently the result of an attempted robbery gone bad. They say around 2:00 Wednesday morning two men rushed into a home attempting to rob the people inside. Police say an 18-year-old inside the home grabbed his gun and started shooting, but so did a 38-year-old robber. The robber died at the scene, while the 18-year-old remains hospitalized fighting for his life. The second suspect ran off. If you can help police find him, call Crime Stoppers at 344-7867. http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10667957 --- Oops, Wrong House, Texas Version: An apparent ongoing dispute led to an intruder being shot after he forced his way into a Whitney area home late Saturday, July 4. Hill County Sheriff's Office deputies had been to a residence in the 300 block of Timberline Street off Farm Road 1713 earlier in the evening. The shooting was called into authorities at 11:53 p.m. after the victim forced open a door at the home to gain entry. The 46-year-old Whitney man struggled with the 43-year-old homeowner before he armed himself with a .22 caliber pistol. One shot was apparently fired, striking the older man in the abdomen. The victim fled and was taken to Lake Whitney Medical Center in Whitney by private vehicle... (All's well that ends well but it sounds as though the homeowner had to prevail in a struggle before he could arm himself. This is why it is best to keep a firearm on you person, even inside your own home. Note the prior history of a dispute.) http://www.hillsbororeporter.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=54&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=11106&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1012&hn=hillsbororeporter&he=.com --- Oops, Wrong Grocery: A suspected robber is being treated at a local hospital after being shot by a store clerk, and his accomplice is in police custody. It happened about 7:25 a.m. at Cherokee Park Grocery store in the 300 block of North Thomas Street, north of downtown Shreveport, said Cpl. Bill Goodin, police spokesman. Police say a clerk fired shots at two black males who entered the store with handguns and took some merchandise. One of the men was shot in the hip, Goodin said. He is being treated at LSU Hospital in Shreveport with non-life threatening injuries. The other is being questioned by detectives. http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090707/NEWS03/90707009/Clerk-shoots-suspect--during-armed-robbery --- Oops, Wrong Transmission Shop: A business owner who fought back foiled a robbery try early today and may have wounded one of the men who tried to rob him, Shreveport police say. At around 12:15 a.m., Shreveport police patrol officers were sent to Mitchell's Transmission in the 3100 block of Morningside Drive after getting reports of an attempted robbery there. Officers learned that three men wearing ski masks, one armed with a sawed-off shotgun, had tried to rob the owner as he closed the business. The business owner said he pulled out his handgun and fired two shots at the robbers, who ran off. The business owner was not injured... http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090709/NEWS03/90709008/Business-owner-foils-robbery-try --- Oops, Wrong Jewelry Salesman: As two of the four suspects in Wednesday's attempted jewelry heist-turned-shooting remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday, many Memphians applauded the actions the intended victim took to defend himself. The 62-year-old traveling jewelry salesman pulled his weapon and shot two men who tried to rob him in East Memphis on Wednesday afternoon. The other two fled and remained on the loose on Thursday. The shooting comes in the wake of legislative battles regarding gun rights in Tennessee, particularly concerning gun owners carrying weapons in public parks and in restaurants that serve alcohol... At about 3 p.m. Wednesday, four men - at least two of whom were armed - jumped the salesman as he left the Hobson Building at 5384 Poplar in East Memphis. The salesman pulled his weapon and fired, striking two of the suspects. Police said the salesman has a carry permit from Alabama, which is recognized in Tennessee... http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jul/10/most-say-shooters-actions-on-target/ --- Rule Four Reminder: It took a Pima County jury less than 30 minutes Thursday to reject the idea that last year's shooting of an 8-year-old boy was an accident. The jury convicted Jonathan "Jessie" Muniz, 19, of two counts of aggravated assault and one count of endangerment. Muniz is facing a prison sentence of at least 10 years when he's sentenced on Aug. 4. Cesar Peña was playing in his backyard with his 4-year-old brother, Andres, last July when he was struck in the forehead by a .22-caliber bullet. Deputy Pima County Attorney Jonathan Mosher told jurors that Muniz, who lived a couple of houses away, fired the shot while showing his rifle to two friends, ages 10 and 16. During closing arguments Thursday, Mosher told jurors that Muniz knew the two boys were nearby and "consciously disregarded" the risks of firing the weapon. Someone who consciously disregards the risks is someone who is "reckless" in the eyes of the law and therefore is someone who is guilty of aggravated assault, Mosher said. (Rule Four: Always be sure of your target and what's beyond it.) http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/300397 --- Rule Five Reminder: The first time Anaheim police chief John Welter's gun went missing was in 2006. It was stolen from his car - along with other stuff - while parked in front of his Anaheim Hills home. The weapon eventually surfaced in Whittier, and the gentleman in possession of it was arrested, said Anaheim spokeswoman Ruth Ruiz. Peace officers apparently lose their guns so infrequently that official-types don't even keep track of the phenomenon on a statewide basis. So, it could be considered a strike of very bad luck when, earlier this year, Welter's gun went missing again. This time, the chief was in San Diego on family business. The weapon was apparently found in the street by a young person - luckily, one without much of a penchant for mischief - who handed it off to official-types, who got it home to Anaheim... (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm. Imagine what would have happened if this had been one of the few Orange County private citizens who still has a CWP.) http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/07/07/anaheim-police-chiefs-gun-disappears-twice/25495/ --- Richard Mack Publishes New Book: For all those who are frustrated with our political system and endless corruption and abuse from a government who are supposed to protect the citizens, Sheriff Richard Mack has written a short book (only 50 pages) that focuses not on the long list of problems, but on the solution. The County Sheriff: America's Last Hope is a book aimed at concerned citizens and fellow law enforcement officers, especially our sheriffs. Mack explains our political system and how it can be used to correct the problems facing our country, even if we can't get the politicians in Washington to pay attention to the desires of their constituents back in district... (While sheriff of Graham County AZ, Mack successfully sued, blocking a portion of the Brady Bill that required sheriffs to conduct background checks of firearm purchasers. Unlike for NICS, which had yet to be created, the bill failed to provide funds for the sheriffs to comply with the interim federal mandate.) http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6769 --- From AzCDL: The Legislature adjourned on July 1, 2009 and sent a number of bills to the Governor. The Governor has three options when a bill gets to her desk - sign, no action or veto. Signing, or not taking any action on, a bill has the same effect - it becomes law 90 days after the end of the session. A veto requires an override by the legislature. The Governor has 10 days, not counting Sundays, from the end of the legislative session to veto a bill. That clock stops ticking this coming Monday, July 13, 2009. While the governor has vetoed a number of other bills and called the Legislature into a special session to rework the budget, pro-rights bills are still sitting on her desk. It's unlikely that we will know their fate before Monday. The bills we are awaiting the Governor's response on are: SB 1113, "Restaurant Carry". SB 1168, the "Parking Lot" bill that prevents any private or public employer, property owner, etc., from banning any person from keeping a firearm in a locked vehicle in a parking area on the property, with specific limited exceptions. SB 1243, the AzCDL-requested bill that clarifies and codifies the defensive display of a firearm. SB 1449, which retroactively applies the restoration of the "innocent until proven guilty" language, that became law in 2006, to cases pending at the time of passage. Stay tuned! We will notify you on the fate of legislation via these Alerts and Twitter. These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! AzCDL - Protecting Your Freedom http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html Copyright © 2009 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved. -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .