Weekly Reminder: HR 45 has not even gained one co-sponsor in committee and S 2099 died nine years ago. It is not necessary to forward the hysterical mailings to me. Friday, January 23, 2009 U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently sponsored H.R. 45, also known as "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act." The bill is, at its core and as its name implies, a licensing and registration scheme. The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee. And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed! The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device..." without one of the proposed licenses. Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence. H.R. 45 is essentially a reintroduction of H.R. 2666, which Rush introduced in 2007. H.R. 2666 contained much of the same language as H.R. 45, and was co-sponsored by several well-known anti-gun legislators--including Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. H.R. 45 currently has no co-sponsors. Rest assured that NRA-ILA will continue to monitor this bill closely, and will keep you informed of any developments if they materialize. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=4329 Friday, May 29, 2009 In the last few weeks, NRA-ILA has received hundreds of e-mails warning us about "SB-2099," a bill that would supposedly require you to report all your guns on your income tax return every April 15. Like many rumors, there's just a grain of truth to this one. Someone's recycling an old alert, which wasn't even very accurate when it was new. There actually was a U.S. Senate bill with that number that would have taxed handguns - nine years ago. It was introduced by anti-gun Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and it would have included handguns under the National Firearms Act's tax and registration scheme. This has nothing to do with anyone's Form 1040, of course. Fortunately, S. 2099 disappeared without any action by the Senate, back when Bill Clinton was still in the White House. We reported about it back then, just as we report about new anti-gun bills every week. Now, it's time for gun owners to drop this old distraction and focus on the real threats at hand. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=4925 --- More UN Hypocrisy: Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, selected as the new American ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council, wants the UN to invade countries committing human rights violations. Initially, this sounds like good policy, as the idea of saving people from predatory governments is compelling. But sometimes, what starts out as good intentions ends up with unintended consequences. Other times, there is a hidden agenda, and what's promoted for good results in tragedy... The United Nations believes you have no right of self-defense: "Self-defence is a widely recognized, yet legally proscribed, exception to the universal duty to respect the right to life of others. Self-defence is a basis for exemption from criminal responsibility that can be raised by any State agent or non-State actor. Self-defence is sometimes designated as a 'right'. There is inadequate legal support for such an interpretation. Self-defence is more properly characterized as a means of protecting the right to life and, as such, a basis for avoiding responsibility for violating the rights of another." [emphasis added] ... (This is a complete fabrication. David Kopel [http://www.davekopel.com/] has produced an extensive body of scholarly research that demonstrates that self-defense is endorsed by all of the major religions of the world and has long been recognized in international law.) http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d27-Eileen-Chamberlain-Donahue-Second-Amendment-time-bomb --- Stopping Mass Murderers: Early in the morning of December 5, 1999, off-duty Las Vegas Metro police officer Dennis Devitte was one of the customers at Mr. D's Sports Bar, at Rainbow Boulevard and Oakey Drive, where he and some pals had gone to hear the band Pigs in a Blanket. A little after 1 a.m., three armed robbers charged through the back door with guns drawn and their faces covered with T-shirts or bandanas. "I'd only been in the bar a short time and was talking to friends," Devitte later told an interviewer for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Then, "I saw a ruckus at the end of the bar. ... "One of the gunmen went right by me and shot a man in a wheelchair, hitting him in the shoulder," Officer Devitte recalled. "I only had my small .25-caliber off-duty gun, which isn't very accurate, so I knew I had to get really close before I could start shooting. Otherwise I might hit someone else." The robbers might have taken a moment to consider the name of the band, which was also made up of off-duty officers. Mr. D's was often referred to as a "cop bar," though the IACP contends Officer Devitte was, curiously enough, the only patron armed at the time... (This is the first of three incidents reviewed by Mr. Suprynowicz, culminating in the recent rampage at Fort Hood. Note, however, the tactical and ballistic limitations of Officer Devitte having settled to carry off duty what is generally referred to as a "mousegun.") http://www.lewrockwell.com/suprynowicz/suprynowicz139.html --- Fifty Years Ago...: We recently saw my efforts to demonstrate why police are not the "only ones" who can be trusted with guns characterized by the Brady Campaign as "denigrating law enforcement." It's funny, because the anti-gun forces have been pretty tough on active and retired law enforcement and military personnel who proclaim fidelity to the Constitution. And they - and their media allies - have been positively silent about giving Law Enforcement Alliance of America any notice whatsoever for a recent warning that truly deserves public scrutiny... Before anyone at DHS starts thinking about classifying Mr. Bellah as a "Right Wing Extremist," and before Sen. Schumer puts his name on the "No Guns/Terrorist List," I should point out this letter was published 50 years ago. The Nov. 1959 issue of GUNS Magazine has been posted online. I could point out the many great articles, the classic period ads, the...but why not just go discover them for yourself? Just make sure you don't gloss over page 4's "Know Your Lawmakers" responses... http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d27-Gun-grabbers-Who-are-these-people --- Protecting the Oath Keepers: ...The Oath Keepers have vowed to risk their careers, and perhaps their very freedom, in order to protect our liberty. If they face attack from the Pentagon, it is only right that we do what we can to protect them. "But what," you may ask, "can we do to help them?" Glad you asked. There's something that the DoD fears more than the growing Chinese military, the resurgent Russian military, and a nuclear-armed Iran--combined: budget cuts. Get a few members of Congress - particularly defense budget committee members - involved, and the Pentagon becomes downright eager to please. There's recent precedent for this. Back in the spring, the DoD suddenly changed its policy for disposal of used cartridge brass, which had been sold to ammunition makers for "remanufacture" into inexpensive ammunition. Under the changed policy, the cartridge brass would be shredded, and useful only as scrap. This would have exacerbated what at the time was a pretty dire shortage of ammunition (particularly in popular calibers--which also happen to be military calibers - like 9mm Parabellum and 5.56x45mm), adversely affecting both private citizens and police departments - and wasting taxpayers' money... http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d27-Turnabout-is-fair-playhelp-protect-the-Oath-Keepers --- The Beat Goes On: As the annual gun deer season continues, Northeastern Wisconsin hunters are finding that some types of ammunition are in short supply. In Madison, meanwhile, background checks for handguns are running nearly 36 percent above last year, suggesting a big increase in gun sales. People on both sides of the gun control debate agree on this: People have been stocking up on guns and ammunition since President Barack Obama took office... So while gun control opponents may fear what the Obama administration might do, gun control supporters are disappointed with what the new president hasn't done. In the meantime, Northeastern Wisconsin hunters are facing a different market for guns and ammunition. Jim Brown of Appleton, who works at the Twin City Rod and Gun Club, has been hunting for close to six decades, and said he has never seen any shortages in ammunition like he's hearing about now. People are telling him 30.06 shells are especially hard to find, and he said prices for some other ammo have risen. He's heard rumors that people stocked up after Obama was elected, fearing that guns and ammo would be banned or heavily taxed... http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091127/GPG0101/911270554/1207/GPG01 --- Most Minnesota Representatives Back McDonald: The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to review an Illinois gun rights ruling has the backing of nearly all the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, the Bemidji Pioneer reported over Thanksgiving. "The court should take this opportunity to make clear what we all already know, that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments too," Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn, told the outstate Minnesota newspaper. "No state legislature can take away the freedom to protect yourself." According to Brad Swenson of the Pioneer, the only Minnesota representatives not to join in a friend-of-the-court brief asking the high court to uphold Second Amendment gun rights at the local level are Twin Cities Democrats Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, with family roots in the Iron Range, has joined in the brief. Sen. Al Franken, with roots in St. Louis Park, has not... http://www.startribune.com/blogs/76302462.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUHK:uUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU --- Ohio AG Signs McDonald Brief: Based on his longstanding support for Second Amendment rights, Attorney General Richard Cordray announced today that his office has co-sponsored an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court, arguing that these rights should be protected from undue restrictions imposed by state and local governments. The Supreme Court is examining this issue in the case of McDonald v. Chicago, based upon the court's landmark ruling last year in District of Columbia v. Heller. That ruling recognized that, with respect to the federal government, the Second Amendment affords individuals the right to keep and bear arms. "We are proud to defend the Second Amendment rights of Ohioans in this important Supreme Court case. We are joining with other state attorneys general in arguing that the court should hold that the people's constitutional right to keep and bear arms is fundamental and cannot be denied by state and local governments," Cordray said... http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/7003 --- Ohio Group Seeks Volunteers for Facebook and Twitter: ...Success in any political battle requires "spreading the word," aggressively and relentlessly. This is especially true with gun rights. To win hearts and minds, to get pro-gun candidates elected, and to assure good gun laws are passed and bad gun laws are defeated, we must get our message out to as many people as possible. Today, one the most powerful and efficient means of spreading the word is sharing pro-gun stories on social sites such as Facebook and Twitter... The Buckeye Social Strike Force is a team of smart, dedicated pro-gun patriots who use the power of social bookmarking to share stories that appear on our website with millions of other citizens in Ohio and around the U.S. Here's how it works ... http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/social-strike-force --- Seattle Man Files Suit over Local Gun Ban: A Kent man who chose to "exercise his right to bear arms" by carrying a holstered Glock pistol into a community center earlier this month has taken the mayor to federal court. Robert C. Warden filed a complaint against the Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and the city itself in U.S. District Court, alleging the city's gun ban defies his constitutional right to bear arms. The complaint cites an executive order Nickels issued in June, directing all departments to review then-present rules "to determine the extent to which departments could prohibit firearms on city property." ...Warden's complaint defines the gun ban as a "substantial and comprehensive infringement of Second Amendment rights" - an opinion the state Attorney General Rob McKenna shares, according to Warden. In a formal written opinion, McKenna said cities in Washington state do not have the power to regulate the possession of firearms on or in city property generally open to the public. The complaint seeks an order permanently prohibiting the city and Nickels from enforcing any law that "in any way regulates any aspect of firearms unless specifically authorized by Washington Sate statutory law." ... http://www.komonews.com/news/local/76420282.html http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reader_feedback/public/display.php?thread=220166 --- New York Pair Build Own Muzzleloaders: Lee Bidwell is proud of his guns, no matter how "ugly" they look. Others might have nicer-looking black powder firearms, he said, but they didn't build them nearly from scratch like Bidwell has done in his garage. He often uses odd materials and leftover parts from other guns, not to mention wood for the stocks taken from nearby trees. "I'll do everything but rifle the barrel," the 76-year-old Port Byron resident said, adding he usually buys the barrels. Bidwell, a retired salt mine worker, takes pride in the fact that his "ugly guns" fire just as well as any other traditional muzzleloader at the Elbridge Rod and Gun Club, where he is a member and regularly competes in muzzleloader shooting competitions. He first started building guns in the 1970s, when his wife, Norma, bought him a kit for a black powder rifle. All the metal parts were included and the stock was already cut and shaped. Bidwell said he sanded and varnished the stock and assembled all the pieces. Then, he decided to build his own and has been hooked ever since. He said he's successfully made about 10 guns. Some he's given away. He devoted about 80 hours to each one... (Curiously, in Colonial days, Americans made their own barrels but often relied on imported lockwork for their rifles.) http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2009/11/port_byron_guys_build_their_ow.html --- NRA-ILA Alerts: List members are encouraged to check the alerts for the week, posted on the NRA-ILA website. http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx --- Tangentially Related: ...The Mexican government is modernizing its ports of entry along the border, including its biggest crossing in Tijuana. The new infrastructure - which includes gates, cameras and vehicle scales - is meant to help curtail the flow of drug money and weapons to Mexican organized crime groups. But bolstered security means more border-crossing logjams, and business and trade groups fear that the new measures will deal another blow to a fragile regional economy. The System of Supervision and Vehicular Control is still in the testing phase ahead of its scheduled January rollout, but traffic jams already occur regularly at peak crossing times in late afternoon. Cross-border trips from San Diego that once took five minutes can take an hour or more... (But what is Mexico doing about corruption of both its police and military establishments, military desertions to the drug cartels and the porosity of its military armories?) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-border-crossing25-2009nov25,0,3756431.story To eke out an election victory over the city's low-key comptroller, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own fortune - or about $174 per vote - according to data released Friday, making his bid for a third term the most expensive campaign in the city's history. Mr. Bloomberg, the wealthiest man in New York City, shattered his own records: He poured $85 million into his campaign in 2005 (or $112 per vote) and $74 million into his first bid for office in 2001 ($99 per vote). And the $102 million tab is likely to rise, because the mayor has not yet doled out postelection bonuses to campaign workers, which have routinely exceeded $100,000 a person in years past. That spending will not be reported until after his inauguration in January. Mr. Bloomberg has now spent at least $261 million of his own money in the pursuit of public office, more than anyone else in the United States... But Mr. Bloomberg's unpopular drive to overturn the city's term limits law [emphasis added], his lavish campaign and a sputtering economy soured thousands of New Yorkers on him, even though most admired his record in office... (No mention is made of how much of his own fortune Bloomberg has spent to prop up his Mayors Against Illegal Guns group.) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/nyregion/28spending.html?ref=nyregion -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. The tactics and skills to use a firearm in self-defense don't come naturally with the right to keep and bear arms. http://www.spw-duf.info .