New RNC Chairman Soft on RKBA: "...Society should draw lines. What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill. But I don't think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that. But what's the point of passing gun laws if we're not going to enforce them? If you want to talk about gun control, that's where you need to start. We've got 300 gun laws on the books right now. At the end of the day, it's about how we enforce the law." http://www.issues2000.org/Domestic/Michael_Steele_Gun_Control.htm ..It means once more the Republicans have abandoned their core constituency to chase after the false promise of moderation as the path to relevance. Say, how did that work out for John McCain and the rest of the party last November? ... http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m2d1-The-riddle-of-Steele --- The Beat Goes On: On the morning after the presidential inauguration, Sean Ely was in Cobb County Probate Court to apply for his first concealed weapons permit. The Acworth builder had read that it might become harder to get a permit during the Obama administration. "I figured I'd get it while I can," Ely said... Across Georgia, there's been a dramatic surge in applications for firearm permits, and no sign that the trend is slowing. Statewide, 121,219 applications were submitted in 2008, up 79.2 percent from 67,640 in 2007, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation... http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/02/01/gunpermits02011.html http://ap.onlineathens.com/pstories/state/ga/20090201/383644331.shtml http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/02/01/met_509842.shtml --- Michigan County Alters CPL Procedure: Law enforcement leaders are at odds over a majority decision to abolish monthly conferences between the Lapeer County Gun Board and citizens who hope to carry concealed weapons. Lapeer County Sheriff Ron Kalanquin believes the meetings with applicants who will have hidden weapons for the first time is an important part of the process. Michigan State Police F/Lt. Patrick McGreevy and the Lapeer County Prosecutor's Office consider the gatherings a waste of law enforcement resources... "If a person qualifies, is certified and they have no criminal history or mental problems, they're entitled to obtain the license," said Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh. "There is no reason they should be inconvenienced by having to meet with the gun board. They still have to go through the same process to obtain the license." ... http://www.countypress.com/stories/020109/loc_20090201134.shtml --- A Gun in My Pocket: In this day and age I would no more think of venturing out of the house without my gun than I would without my drivers license. It simply goes with the territory. Most people would have absolutely no idea that in my pocket is a firearm that can inflict deadly harm. I certainly don't look the part. I am professional, well-dressed and groomed, unassuming, and well-mannered. I am just going about my business in a normal fashion...at the supermarket, the bank, the drug store, and even at church... http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com/2009/02/gun-in-my-pocket.html --- Arkansas Bill Would Allow Guns in Churches: Should you be able to carry a gun to church? It's a question state lawmakers will be taking up next week when they debate a bill that's kicked up a little controversy. The bill being discussed would let churches decide on their own to post a sign to ban guns inside, but opponents say it should not even be an option. Grant Exton is a gun owner and president of the state's Concealed Carry Association. He's been working with lawmakers on a bill that would allow people licensed to carry a concealed handgun to take their guns to church. Exton says the proposed law's less about guns and more about property rights... http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0109/590527.html ... Another measure that lawmakers could consider this session would allow concealed handguns in the parking lots of colleges and universities and the state Capitol grounds. Nearly every session, lawmakers have attempted to expand the state's concealed-carry law. A decade ago, a bill that would have allowed concealed guns in public parks, some sporting events and restaurants died in a Senate committee. It originally would have allowed hidden guns in churches, but that provision was removed because of opposition. Six years ago, lawmakers agreed to allow concealed-handgun permit holders to take weapons into restaurants and parks. That measure was signed into law by then-Governor Mike Huckabee. http://www.kfsm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9768751 --- Castle Doctrine Clears Montana Senate: The Senate overwhelmingly endorsed a plan Friday that clarifies Montanans have no obligation to retreat before using deadly force to protect their homes. Supporters said the so-called "castle doctrine" legislation is needed to make sure the law is clear on the issue. They said Montanans already understand that it is legal to shoot intruders, and lawmakers need to make sure law specifically reflects that notion. "It does one thing and one thing only: It says you don't have to retreat in an occupied structure when you have the right to use deadly force," said Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman. "You shouldn't have to run when your life is threatened." That bill has the blessing of police and prosecutors. Another bill goes a step further. It states Montanans have no obligation to retreat anywhere - in their home or elsewhere - before using deadly force in the face of a threat. It is more controversial with police... (It is the latter bill that is the crucial one.) http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090131/NEWS01/901310317/1002/news01 --- Colorado Shooting Prompts Debate over Castle Doctrine: Sean Kennedy, a 22-year-old golf pro, drunkenly banged on the door, yelled obscenities and smashed a window as he tried to enter what he thought was his house. But it wasn't his home. The house, located a block from Mr. Kennedy's residence, but showing the same house number, belonged to James Parsons. As Mr. Kennedy reached his arm through the broken window in an effort to unlock the back door, Mr. Parsons, who was inside with his girlfriend, shot and killed him... Critics called the Kennedy case a classic example of a fatality that could have been avoided if the homeowner had taken evasive action - for example, leaving the house through the front door - but having a "Make My Day" law on the books makes it less likely that homeowners will do so... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/02/shooting-death-fuels-debate-over-deadly-force-laws/ --- Oops, Wrong Liquor Store: An off-duty customs agent shopping at a west Houston liquor store shot and killed a man who attempted to rob the store Friday night, police said. The man, who has not yet been identified by police, approached the front counter of Spec's Town and Country, at 12901 Queensbury around 7:30 p.m., pulled out a gun and ordered customers to the floor. "The agent pulled out his weapon and ordered the suspect to drop his weapon," Houston police spokesman Gabriel Ortiz said. "The suspect ignored that order and pointed his weapon at the agent," he continued. "It was at that point that the agent, obviously fearing for his life, shot the suspect." Seconds after that shooting, a second man fired at the agent from the liquor store's front door and fled, Ortiz said. The gunman remains a fugitive... (Take-home lesson: criminals often have partners - don't relax when you have dealt with the first one.) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6240692.html --- Rule Five Reminder: Authorities say an 8-year-old girl from northeast Ohio was shot in the head after struggling over a pistol with her 10-year-old brother. Elyria Police Lt. A.D. Eichenlaub says that Najia Boone was critically wounded when the weapon went off Sunday. Eichenlaub says the siblings were struggling over the .22-caliber pistol in an upstairs bedroom of the family's Elyria home. A nursing supervisor at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland says Boone was in critical condition on Sunday night. Police say the child's brother had taken the weapon from a relative's home on Saturday. (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/01/AR2009020102532.html?hpid=sec-nation --- Investing in Guns: At this point in history, I believe the opportunity presently exists for investing in the tools of liberty in combination with the ability to profit from the exchange. To any discerning, educated mind, the ability to purchase firearms and ammo could be rapidly coming to an end. FBI records indicate the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) experienced over 900,000 more requests (Form 4473) to purchase firearms in the last quarter of 2008 than the same period for 2007. This figure does not reveal the number of private purchases that occurred over the same period... (I take this article with a grain of salt. There are two major caveats about investing in tangible assets. Coin collectors are advised, "buy the book before you buy the coin." In other words, know what you are buying. A broader piece of advice is not to invest in any tangible asset that you won't enjoy owning if the investment proves unprofitable. As to the specific guns recommended, De gustibus non est disputandum.) http://www.lewrockwell.com/gaddy/gaddy45.html --- Tangentially Related: GOP leaders are warning that President Barack Obama's likely appointment of Republican Sen. Judd Gregg to serve as secretary of commerce could finally hand Democrats what they failed to win on Election Day: a 60-vote Senate majority that would render Republicans powerless to filibuster any legislation... This weekend, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., claimed that Gregg had negotiated a deal with Lynch that he "would be replaced by someone who would affiliate with other Republicans in the Senate." But The New York Times on Sunday had a starkly different take. The paper said that Gregg had only gotten a commitment from Lynch that he is "open to appointing a Republican to the seat." ... http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/gregg_obama_commerce/2009/02/01/177320.html --- Tangentially Related: Kirsten E. Gillibrand, New York's new senator, suggested to Latino elected officials on Sunday that she would take the lead on some immigration issues - and perhaps quickly drop some positions that they considered objectionable... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/nyregion/02kirsten.html?ref=nyregion Kirsten Gillibrand hopes to break the cycle of politicians appointed to the U.S. Senate by governors and then rejected by voters. To do so, experts said, the Democrat from upstate Hudson must discard her opposition to gun control and illegal immigration, both supported by large segments of her party. She also has to become known and seen to be working on behalf of Long Island, New York City and its other suburbs, home to nearly 60 percent of the population, they said... http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stsena016019945feb01,0,6393817.story -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .