Distrust But Verify: The Violence Policy Center has a long record of cooking data to try to build a national case against civilian ownership of firearms. They've failed, of course; more Americans own guns today than ever, while the idea of a link between crime and the demonstrably law-abiding armed citizen is almost too specious for modern physics to measure. Gun control is a third rail like few others in American politics. Which doesn't mean they won't try; the VPC - the very definition of an astroturf group - has masters with deep pockets to obey. And so they keep cranking out the material. Like this "study" (which should be getting slavering coverage from the bought-and-paid-for lefty media) to show pervasive violence on the part of carry permit holders nationwide... http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2009/09/06/distrust-but-verify-then-distrust-some-more/ --- The Beat Goes On: With nationwide demand for firearm ammunition outstripping manufacturers' supply, empty shelves in Nevada gun stores have some consumers sweating bullets. On delivery days at the Bass Pro Shop in the Silverton, 20 to 30 customers will line up for the store to open, said Keith Rainey, an assistant manager in the hunting department. "They call us up every day to find out when the next load is coming in," Rainey said. "If you don't get there early, you don't get any bullets." John Lowrie, a sales representative at Discount Firearms on Highland Drive, said it's the same in every store. "We don't even stock to-go ammo on our shelves anymore. We get just enough to keep our range running," Lowrie said. Lowrie said even the big retailers are hit-or-miss. "If you go to Wal-Mart you've got two hours after they unload until they're basically cleaned out," he said... (You'd think that someone who sells the stuff would know the difference between bullets and cartridges.) http://www.lvrj.com/news/57603387.html Connecticut residents are arming themselves at quite a clip, with women, in particular, packing heat in growing numbers. The state issued 7,741 pistol permits from January through May, a 90 percent increase over the same time period in 2008. Nearly 12,000 new permits have been issued so far this year in a state that recently posted one of the lowest gun ownership rates in the country, according a study of 2006 data by the Violence Policy Center, a national gun control advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Connecticut gun retailers and educators who run the safety classes required for pistol permit applicants report a surge in first-time gun purchases, particularly by women, who account for up to half of the students taught in Torrington. "I think that the percentage that you'd see of women coming for the first time has quadrupled," said John Petricone, a staffer at Tactical Arms in Torrington. Pistol safety classes that once drew about nine men for every woman are now evenly split, Petricone said... http://www.courant.com/community/waterbury/hc-ap-ct-fea-gunsalessep06,0,1467517.story Veterinarian Richard Kimball of Burns has noticed a disturbing trend among some of his friends. A Rockaway Beach couple has stockpiled food and assembled survival backpacks for their three adult children in Portland and Eugene. "If chaos arises, they can put the backpacks on so they can get home," said Kimball, 72. "There is a pistol in each of the backpacks." Another longtime friend, a Harney County cattle rancher, recently bought an AK-47 assault rifle and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. "Does that tell you anything?" Kimball asked. "He's scared." La Grande welder and gunsmith Jim Rector, meanwhile, said he has supplies and a jetboat at the ready to carry him and his wife to a secluded hideout along the Snake River. They're all signs that the survivalist movement, slumbering since the Y2K scare and, before that, Jimmy Carter's bumpy presidency, has been shaken awake. Government officials, academics, authors and others - in addition to those doing the stockpiling -say a growing number of people are independently building caches of food, weapons and precious metals such as gold... http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/the_new_survivalists_oregon_pr.html Meanwhile, in Serbia...: Four explosions ripped through the Prvi Partizan munitions factory in the evening of Sept. 3, killing seven people, stated the assistant interior minister in charge of emergency situations, Predrag Maric. At least 14 ipeople were injured in the blast and they are not in a life threatening condition. The fire that followed the explosions has been localized, Maric said. According to BETA's correspondent in Uzice, the fire brigade received the call at 9:20 p.m. Unofficial sources have said that the explosion took place in the gunpowder propellant production unit. Serbian Interior Minister, Ivica Dac(ic', stated that the Uzice explosion happened in four underground tunnels of the factory at 21:30 local time, tanjug news agency reported. An investigation into the incident had been launched to determine the cause of the series of explosions. Prvi Partizan, which employs around 600 people, has been Serbia's major ammunition factory for 80 years, producing military and hunting ammunition as well as gun powder and explosives. (Prvi Partizan has been an exporter of ammunition to the US.) http://www.emportal.rs/en/news/serbia/97994.html --- F Troop Exposed: It appears that there is discord within the ranks: "Managers, Counsel, Internal Affairs and staff of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE or "ATF") have repeatedly given false testimony, concealed substantial waste, fraud and abuse, abused their lawful authority, and waged systematic campaigns of reprisal against their own employees that dare to speak out. This website is intended by members of the ATF community to promote restoration of integrity, accountability and responsibility to ATF's leadership, and regain the trust of the American taxpayer." (Be sure to click the Evidence & Discussion tab.) http://cleanupatf.org/ --- Firearms Coalition Update: Several new articles have been posted. Strangely, the website suggests they were posted back in April but I just received a mailing linking them, dated September 6. The Firearms Coalition was also know as The Hard Crops, in the days of Neal Knox, and seeks to serve as a less moderate caucus within the NRA. http://firearmscoalition.org/ --- Connecticut Citizens Defense League Debuts: The Connecticut Citizens Defense League is a non-partisan, grassroots organization devoted to advocating rights affirmed by the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Connecticut. We are especially dedicated to protecting the unalienable right of all citizens to keep and bear arms, for the defense of both self and state, through public enlightenment and legislative action. We welcome anyone who believes that the defense of our constitutional rights is critical to the longevity of our freedom and to the success of this nation, and in particular that the ights to self defense and to keep and bear the arms to actualize that defense, are fundamental and undeniable... http://www.ccdl.us/ --- Oops, Wrong Cabbie: A cab driver shot and killed a would-be robber around 10 p.m. Sunday at Carowinds Boulevard and South Tryon Street, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police said. The cab had been dispatched to the Colonial Village apartments at the intersection where he picked up a fare, said Capt. Allan Rutledge, of the Steele Creek Division of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police. The cab driver told authorities that the man he picked up pulled a gun, at which point the driver pulled his own handgun and shot and killed the man, Rutledge said. The driver then called 911. Two handguns were found at the scene and police were not looking for any other suspects, Rutledge said... http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/932309.html --- People Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn't Share Photos: A Queens couple was busted after taking pictures of their 11-month-old and 5-year-old boys - with handguns, police said. Mom Angela Haynes, 24, told cops "that she thought it would be funny to take the photos with the kids and the guns," according to court papers. She then e-mailed them to friends and family. But one recipient tipped off the Administration for Children's Services. Cops charged Haynes and boyfriend Jesse Kendall, 27, of South Jamaica, with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a weapon and possession of marijuana. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/queens/son_of_gun_parents_busted_Ck1bv0IAIi4vIk67eLsjbO --- Plea Bargain in landmark Israeli Shooting: The State Prosecutor's Office has made a plea bargain with Shai Dromi, the Negev farmer aquitted of murder after shooting and killing a Bedouin thief who broke into his home one night in January 2007... According to the deal struck Sunday between the state and Dromi's attorneys, the farmer will serve five months of community service for carrying firearms without a license. Dromi shot two Bedouin intruders in the middle of the night after awakening to find that the guard dog that had barked to warn him of intruders had been poisoned and was dying before his very eyes. As he gazed around the yard, he noticed wire cutters and realized suddenly there were four men in front of him, one clutching a large sharp object over his head, closing in on him. He fired, he said, first in the air and then at lower parts of their bodies in order to chase them away... Dromi was imprisoned for a month immediately following his arrest. Upon his release, he was further prevented from returning to his farm for several additional weeks. As a direct result of the saga that followed his arrest, the Knesset passed Dromi's Law, which states that all action taken by a person against one who breaks into his home or trespasses on his property is considered to be carried out in self-defense... http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133286 --- When Knives Are Outlawed...: Along with a box of matches and a piece of string, they've always been an essential part of a Scout's kit. But now penknives are going to be restricted on scouting trips as a seemingly innocent tradition succumbs to concerns over the nation's blade culture. The Scout Association is advising boys and their parents that they should not bring such knives to camp - despite it being legal for anyone to carry a foldable, nonlocking blade in a public place as long as it is shorter than 3ins... Last year camp fires were banned at an international Scouting jamboree held in County Kildare, Ireland, on health and safety grounds... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1211475/Britains-blade-culture-claims-victim--Scouts-penknives.html# -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .