Ninth Circuit Incorporates Second Amendment: The Second Amendment Foundation today applauded the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco for ruling that the Second Amendment is incorporated against the states and local governments. The majority opinion was written by Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, with a concurring opinion from Judge Ronald M. Gould, who wrote, "The right to bear arms is a bulwark against external invasionĀ...That we have a lawfully armed populace adds a measure of security for all of us and makes it less likely that a band of terrorists could make headway in an attack on any community before more professional forces arrived." Although the court found against the plaintiffs in the case of Nordyke v. King - Russell and Sallie Nordyke, operators of a gun show in Alameda County, CA - the court acknowledged that its earlier position that the Second Amendment protected only a collective right of states has been overruled by the Supreme Court's 2008 historic ruling in District of Columbia v. Dick Anthony Heller. That was the case in which the high court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual civil right to keep and bear arms... (Of note, the Ninth Circuit is generally the most left-leaning of the federal Courts of Appeal.) http://www.saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=292 http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3704-Columbia-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m4d21-A-cautious-approach-to-the-9th-circuit-ruling-on-2A http://www.volokh.com/posts/1240247034.shtml http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m4d20-Ninth-Circuit-incorporates-Second-Amendment http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2009/04/20/0715763.pdf --- Insight on the Ammo Shortage: ... As one industry consultant has told me, ammunition demand over the years has been remarkably predictable. Ammunition wholesalers know (within a certain margin of error) how many units of each caliber they'll sell in the coming year, and approve purchase orders for the delivery of that amount of product during that year. Ammo makers, too, know with fair certainty how much they're going to sell to the wholesalers during that period, and sign contracts for the purchase of sufficient components to produce those products. They don't typically keep large stores of components on hand, as standing inventory is expensive, so components are delivered on a "just in time" basis. The suppliers of those components do the same thing with raw materials; again, ammunition is a stable business, which allows them to forecast with pretty good accuracy the stuff they need to make the components they sell. This pattern repeats itself on up the chain, all the way to the people who mine the stuff necessary to make a single cartridge... http://www.grantcunningham.com/blog_files/1f0a89deff589f5706c99bd0d0984930-512.html --- The Beat Goes On: Across Illinois, people are sticking to their guns. Firearm sales have surged in the state since President Obama was elected, mirroring a national trend fueled in part by concerns over the new administration's stance on gun control... Across the country, firearms sales in large retail outlets have jumped 39 percent this year and background checks rose 42 percent just in November, according to data from SportsOneSource and the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. In Illinois, the number of Firearm Owners Identification card applications and Firearm Transfer Inquiry Program background checks rose during the first three months of the year compared with the same period last year. In November, when Obama won the presidency, the state received 30,304 applications for FOID cards, up about 31 percent from the previous November. Another 30,639 applications were received in December, nearly 73 percent more than were submitted in December 2007... http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1534373,CST-NWS-gunsales20.article "We're swamped all the time," said B & J Guns Sales Manager, Chris Powell. "These people are not just buying one gun, they're buying multiple guns and plenty of ammo." The economy may be hurting many businesses across the state, but not gun shops. Sales of handguns and ammunition are way up, according to Powell. "We're seeing quite a few new gun owners, especially new pistol owners, people that are just applying for their permit. A lot of them have to pick out a gun before they go through the application process," he said. Thomas Clingan, Albany County Clerk, said, "As I actually look at the numbers for the past few years, it's up maybe five to seven percent." ... http://news10now.com/content/all_news/137800/potential-for-more-gun-control-increases-gun-sales/Default.aspx Despite a struggling economy, retailers are having a hard time meeting demand for guns and ammo. Gun sales are soaring in the Twin Tiers, and across the nation for fear the Obama administration will impose stricter gun control. Retail managers say once it looked like Obama would be elected president, gun and ammunition sales sky rocketed- and they're having a hard time keeping up. "The manufacturer has even told us, if you want a million dollar order, you may only get a couple hundred thousands of it," said Tom Witzel, the store manager of Hesselson's in Elmira Heights. He says his shelves have never looked so empty, and hunters are stocking up on gear - in fear of strict limitations and high taxes. "For people who have been hunting or target shooting are all of a sudden worried to buy a box of ammo that used to be $10 dollars a box is going to go up to $15 or $20 dollars a box," Witzel added... http://www.weny.com/News-Local.asp?ARTICLE3864=9144246 On a recent spring day at a private outdoor gun range in southern Vestal, Rick Hadley fired twice from his Browning rifle at a paper target about 100 yards away. The two rounds, which hit the mark, cost Hadley about $3.50 - almost double what he would have paid just a few years ago. Even in the mire of recession, at least one industry across the country and in the Southern Tier is growing: guns. Demand is soaring for guns, ammunition and pistol permits, according to interviews with gun store owners, buyers and the Broome County Sheriff's Office. According to many, President Barack Obama is the driving force. "Everyone fears that the Second Amendment will not be upheld," said Rudy Paoletti of Binghamton, who along with Hadley belongs to C and H Recreation, a hunting club that owns the outdoor gun range. He said he's had trouble getting rifle parts recently because suppliers have run out... http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904200381 --- The Beat Picks Up?: You see it when tens of thousands of citizens turn out to protest in "Tea Parties" across the U.S.; you see it in military personnel compelled to form "Oath Keepers," outlining orders they will not obey; you see it in a number of states debating sovereignty resolutions, in some cases even calling for secession; you see it in the number of people joining gun rights organizations; and yes, you see it in the number of people buying guns. Simultaneously, just as during the Clinton administration, malcontents have increasingly inflicted mass homicides on the American people. Is it part of the same unrest? If so, what causes it? The economy? Hatred for the Obama administration? "Right wing" talk hosts? Or something more fundamental and pervasive? ... http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m4d20-Guns-and-the-barometer-of-discontent --- Losing Tolerance for Zero-Tolerance: Ten years after the Columbine massacre, some states are losing their tolerance for the zero-tolerance policies that proliferated in the aftermath of the nation's deadliest high-school shooting. A week before Colorado marked the 10th anniversary of the iconic tragedy Monday, the legislature sent to the governor a bill making an exception in the state's zero-tolerance policy on weapons in schools. And on the day after the anniversary, Texas lawmakers will take more steps toward loosening their state's rules. Colorado state Sen. Kevin Lundberg said he proposed the legislation in his state after Marie Morrow was expelled for leaving three facsimile drill-team rifles in her car in the school parking lot. She missed six days of school before a school hearing officer allowed her to return, after the story made national headlines in The Washington Times and elsewhere... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/21/tolerance-waning-for-zero-tolerance-rules/ --- Wisconsin AG Endorses Open Carry: Under Article I, § 25 of the Wisconsin Constitution, a person has the right to openly carry a firearm for any of the purposes enumerated in that Section, subject to reasonable regulation as discussed herein. The Wisconsin Department of Justice (the Department) believes that the mere open carrying of a firearm by a person, absent additional facts and circumstances, should not result in a disorderly conduct charge from a prosecutor... The same concepts should apply to handguns. The state constitutional right to bear arms extends to openly carrying a handgun for lawful purposes. As illustrated by a recent municipal court case in West Allis, a person openly carrying a holstered handgun on his own property while doing lawn work should not face a disorderly conduct charge. If, however, a person brandishes a handgun in public, the conduct may lose its constitutional protection. Again, "[i]t is the combination of conduct and circumstances that is crucial in applying the [disorderly conduct] statute to a particular situation." Maker, 48 Wis. 2d at 616... http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/files/FinalOpenCarryMemo.pdf --- Georgia Legislator Meets with RKBA Group: Georgia 68th District Rep. Timothy Bearden spoke to the area GeorgiaCarry.org group Saturday. The group, which is head Tim Huett of Hinesville, had its monthly meeting at the Club house in Rye Patch. "Most people in Georgia don't realize it, but Georgians have some of the most restrictive laws in the nation on carrying firearms," Bearden said. "States like Washington and even California, which are states that a lot of people feel are liberal states, aren't as strict as we are here." According to the Villa Rica Republican, one of the problems that Georgia has, regarding the right to carry firearms is the vague interpretation of the Public Gathering Law. "This law has no clear guidelines and as a result of this any time three or more people are gathered together they can be interpreted as a group, and the law could be enforced, where they can't carry a gun," Bearden said... http://www.coastalcourier.com/news/article/13176/ --- Oops, Wrong Taco Stand: The attempted robbery early Sunday at the TacoMac in Virginia-Highland marks the first such incident for the TacoMac chain, which opened in 1979, according to the Tappan Restaurant Group. Spokeswoman Susie Oddo confirmed that an employee taking out trash after 3 a.m. Sunday morning was confronted by a gunman, who then entered the back of the restaurant on Virginia Avenue while holding a gun to the employee. At that time, the manager on duty, whose name has not been released, was cleaning in front of the restaurant when he saw what was unfolding inside. The manager rushed to his car to get his licensed gun, she said. According to authorities, the manager fired shots at the gunman. The would-be robber fled and may have been injured... (I have to wonder whether the manager actually ran to his vehicle to get his gun or had to claim that he did because of a company policy prohibiting carry at work.) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/04/20/tacomac_shootout.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab --- Oops, Wrong Shed: According to Livingston Parish sheriff's officials, a suspected burglar was shot, then caught Saturday morning after trying to break into a shed. The reported burglary happened near Highway 63 and Tyler Ballard Road. A Livingston sheriff's deputies say the suspected burglar, 32-year-old Charles Avants, tried to break into the shed when the homeowner shot Avants in the arm. Avants got away but went straight to a Hammond hospital for treatment, where sheriff deputies say they found him and arrested him... http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10207774&nav=menu57_2 --- Oops, Wrong Girlfriend: Livingston Parish sheriff's deputies say a woman won't be charged with shooting and killing her boyfriend because they believe the shooting was done in self-defense. Deputies say 49-year-old Suzanne Smith shot 26-year-old Mark Lockwood Tuesday morning in her Denham Springs home after he allegedly held a knife to her throat. Lockwood was shot once in the chest. Deputies say they're still investigating, but everything right now points to self-defense. http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10211205&nav=menu57_2 --- Right-Wing Extremist?: For the first time, an accused domestic terrorist is being added to the FBI's list of "Most Wanted" terror suspects. Daniel Andreas San Diego, a 31-year-old computer specialist from Berkeley, Calif., is wanted for the 2003 bombings of two corporate offices in California... The move to add a domestic, left-wing terrorist to the list comes only days after the Obama administration was criticized for internal reports suggesting some military veterans could be susceptible to right-wing extremist recruiters or commit lone acts of violence. That prompted angry reactions from some lawmakers and veterans groups... http://www.newsmax.com/us/us_domestic_terrorist/2009/04/21/205245.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .