Administrative Note: The server that handles my incoming e-mail appears to be experiencing a problem today. I don't know how long it will take to be repaired but, if I don't seem to be responding to your e-mails for a while, this is the reason. --- Medical Marijuana and the RKBA: Redding resident and Army veteran Sean Merritt says he's been denied the right to purchase a firearm at a local gun shop owned by Redding Mayor Patrick Jones. The sticking point hinges on a line on a form required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which asks: "Are you an unlawful user of or addicted to marijuana, a depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?" Because he uses medical marijuana (and even though he has a legal recommendation), Merritt says he was told by Jones that he must answer "yes" on the form, which prevents him from purchasing a firearm at Jones Fort, a popular gun and pawn shop... When he inquired about purchasing a firearm at Jones Fort, Merritt said he wanted to make sure the drugs he was on wouldn't prohibit him. "They had no problem with the morphine or the klonopin, but when I said 'medical marijuana' (the employee) said, 'You will not be able to purchase a firearm because you will fail the background check with the FBI,' " Merritt said. "I said, 'That's impossible because my records are confidential and if the FBI wanted them, the person who gave them up would be the one to answer for breaking my confidentiality. Not only that but President Obama has given the power to the states on the medical marijuana issue." (This looks like another Tenth Amendment issue to me. Under California law, Merritt does not appear to be an unlawful user. I don't know why he even asked.) http://anewscafe.com/2010/02/03/medical-marijuana-and-the-2nd-amendment/ --- Southern Medical Journal Pushes Anti-RKBA Lies: Having a gun at home not only increases the risk of harm to one's self and family, but also carries high costs to society, concludes an article in the February Southern Medical Journal, official journal of the Southern Medical Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy... Based on a review of the available scientific data, Dr. Lippmann and co-authors conclude that the dangers of having a gun at home far outweigh the safety benefits. Research shows that access to guns greatly increases the risk of death and firearm-related violence. A gun in the home is twelve times more likely to result in the death of a household member or visitor than an intruder. The most common cause of deaths occurring at homes where guns are present, by far, is suicide. Many of these self-inflicted gunshot wounds appear to be impulsive acts by people without previous evidence of mental illness. Guns in the home are also associated with a fivefold increase in the rate of intimate partner homicide, as well as an increased risk of injuries and death to children... (Elements in the medical community abandon the usual criteria of scientific rigor when it comes to publishing any "study" that disparages the RKBA.) http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100204/Guns-in-homes-can-increase-risk-of-death-and-firearm-related-violence.aspx --- The Luntz Poll Fraud, Again: Could it be that the culture war over guns is more myth than reality? Yes, according to a recent article by the oddest of political couples, Republican messaging guru Frank Luntz and Democratic Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett of Milwaukee. In an op-ed appearing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Luntz and Barrett support their striking conclusion by citing Luntz's survey for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, of which Barrett is a member, showing strong support among gun owners, and even among NRA members, for measures to strengthen our gun laws. For example, 69% of self-described NRA members, and 86% of gun owners who do not belong to the NRA, support closing the "gun show loophole," by extending Brady Law background checks to private sales at gun shows. As Luntz and Barrett say, "the poll also found support among NRA members and other gun owners for numerous other policies to strengthen safety, security and law enforcement," including blocking gun sales to persons on the terrorist watch list, requiring gun owners to report lost and stolen guns, and providing more crime gun data to local police... (In fact, Luntz is a prostitute who virtually promises that his polls will generate any results his "johns" desire. I have linked the actual poll questions in the past and they leave little room to express anything other than what Luntz promised MAIG they would.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-a-henigan/frank-luntz-culture-war-o_b_447881.html --- Two Bad Candidates for Illinois Senate Seat: Illinois gun owners were unhappy but unsurprised as the Illinois Senate primary races concluded last night with victories for Alexi Giannoulias (D-Scylla) and Mark Kirk (R-Charybdis). Neither candidate is a friend of gun rights; Giannoulias is best known for his personal friendship with Barack Obama and the highs and lows his political career has absorbed from his family's bank, while Kirk will always be infamous among gun rights activists for his attempt to revive the Clinton "Assault Weapon Ban" four years after its sunset provision brought it to an unmourned end. In short, there is no credible pro-gun candidate in the race for the Senate seat currently held by Roland "Tombstone" Burris (D-Blago). This creates a deadlock on the issue; either man could gain an immediate advantage over his adversary by changing his position on guns - if, and only if, he could find a way to make the change credible. That might be easier for Giannoulias, who has no voting record and has not made gun control a central issue, than it would be for Kirk. But there is no indication that either man is contemplating such a step; more likely, gun rights will be treated by both campaigns as a fringe issue, with Kirk demanding that gun owners vote for him in order to further weaken the Democrat majority in the Senate and Giannoulias telling the Brady Campaign that even if Kirk is reliably anti-gun, they still need him in the Senate to shore up the Democrat numbers and ensure that Harry Reid remains the Majority Leader... http://www.examiner.com/x-17034-Chicago-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Kirk-vs-Giannoulias-gun-rights The Gubernatorial Race Will Offer a Choice: http://www.examiner.com/x-17034-Chicago-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d3-IL-gun-owners-face-easy-choice-for-Governor-tough-decision-for-Senate --- Indianapolis Mayor Likely to Veto Park-Carry Bill: Just a day after it was introduced, a City-County Council proposal that would allow permit holders to have guns in city parks seems like a long shot. Mayor Greg Ballard on Tuesday came out against loosening gun restrictions in parks, saying residents are content with the city's current policy and there's no need to change it. Democratic leaders on the council also have voiced opposition, dimming prospects that the measure would get the bipartisan support needed to override a mayoral veto. The measure, sponsored by Libertarian Ed Coleman, would amend a long-standing city policy banning anyone who is not authorized by the Parks and Recreation Board from carrying a gun in parks. It has drawn resistance from gun violence opponents, who say allowing more guns in parks poses a safety risk... (Linked page includes a poll.) http://www2.indystar.com/marmot/view/poll/47/new --- Arkansas Park Removes Illegal Signage: ...As recently as last summer, the signs at every opening to the park had included a prohibition to firearms. These signs are very familiar to residents of Fort Smith who use the park or drive by it regularly, and they have been an icon of the park for decades. However, look closely at the signs the next time you are entering the park. They no longer have the firearm ban! This change was made quietly by the Parks Department this past fall with no fanfare and without any coverage from the local press. But how and why did this rule change happen? In January, 2009, gun rights group Arkansas Carry contacted Joe Gaa, Sebastian County Parks director, in an attempt to have the signs taken down. The group claimed the firearm ban was illegal and in conflict with the Arkansas firearm preemption law. Arkansas Carry then contacted Judge David Hudson and the county quorum court, declaring the county law which prohibited firearms in the park was illegal. Subsequently, Sebastian County prosecuting attorney Daniel Shue advised county officials Arkansas Carry was indeed correct. In May of 2009 the county law was repealed... http://www.examiner.com/x-33857-Fort-Smith-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Concealed-carry-of-handguns-now-legal-in-Ben-Geren-Park --- Urination Contest in Tennessee: A Chattanooga man says a movie theatre violated his rights when managers refused to allow him to carry his gun into the theatre. Edward O'Brien has a valid Tennessee hand gun carry permit, but apparently that wasn't enough to get him and his gun inside the Majestic 12 Theatre in Downtown Chattanooga... O'Brien said five years ago he was robbed at gunpoint and had a gun put to his head. That was when he decided would buy a gun and get a Tennessee hand gun carry permit. he says he often wears his handgun in plain view, as the law allows. He says he believes that is a deterrent to would-be criminals. He was wearing his .45 calber semi-automatic on his side, in plain view, when he recently came to see a movie at the Majestic 12. Theatre managers stopped O'Brien... Mike Browning, the director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Safety, which enforces hand gun carry laws, says the law is clear. A business can only ban weapons if they post a restriction that's clearly visible to customers coming inside... (So, by insisting on carrying openly after being asked to conceal his handgun, this stalwart of the RKBA will probably prompt the entire cinema chain to post its theaters.) http://www.newschannel9.com/news/brien-988439-carry-gun.html --- Meanwhile, in Michigan...: Quite the scene developed outside Ponderosa Steakhouse in South Lansing this past Saturday afternoon. About seven men walked into the restaurant, packing guns -- open for all to see in holsters on their hips. A short while later, Lansing Police showed up to show the men out. A verbal argument between the gun carriers and officers ensued, caught on camera by a bystander (the video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzPTi8heUTQ)... Under Michigan law, people with legally registered handguns can openly carry them in public. Some of the men who walked into Ponderosa, in fact, were members of the Michigan Open Carry. They were holding a meeting to discuss gun rights. Only thing is, private property owners can refuse them... Officials from Michigan Open Carry say the owner of Ponderosa [a]greed to let them hold a meeting at the restaurant. But he says he didn't expect the meeting to be held on a busy Saturday - and certainly didn't expect the men to bring more than handguns. "At first, we looked the other way on the handguns," said owner Dennis Holleran. "And then some gentleman shows up with an assault rifle, and that was just too far over the top." That's when an assistant manager decided to call police. The open carriers say about 10 officers arrived on the scene and began harassing them... http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/83486052.html --- California City to Ban Sales of Guns, Ammo: Because they have too much time in their hands and a burning desire to take feel good but useless measures to reduce the number of murders perpetrated by gangs within city limits (over 600 last year), the Oakland City Council voted to pass a city ordinance prohibiting the sales of firearms and ammunition to law abiding citizens within city limits. Never mind there is not a single firearms or ammunition dealer open for business in Oakland (yep, that's right - their number is zero); never mind the drug gangs responsible for the murders don't buy their guns and ammo in gun stores but out on the streets. And never mind regulating out of existence gun stores that don't exist in the first place will not inconvenience hardened criminals... But the California gun owners are fighting back. And who would have thought? California, long regarded as a lost cause because of the most restrictive gun laws passed an imposed over the years against its law abiding citizens is nowadays on the forefront of the fight to restore the Second Amendment rights for the entire country. These days a grassroots organization of gun rights enthusiasts formed around the hugely popular Internet forum Calguns.com is spearheading the counterattack. The name of the organization: The Calguns Foundation... http://transsylvaniaphoenix.blogspot.com/2010/02/city-of-oakland-wants-to-ban-ammo-sales.html http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/oakland-tries-to-take-on-guns/ --- More South Carolina Women Are Arming Themselves: More women than ever are carrying and learning to fire guns, according to several Upstate gun instructors. At Allen Arms Indoor Range in Greenville County, women from their 20s to 90s come in to learn to shoot. Many moms are also taking the required course to get a concealed weapons permit. Sherry Harris said, "I believe by having your CWP and you have the ultimate in protection of the lives of yourself and your children." Almost 28 years as an Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Room trauma nurse, with exposure to countless numbers of gunshot patients, have made Ladye Kelley more resolute when it comes to maintaining her Second Amendment rights... Kelley's mother, Ann Eastland, also has her CWP. "She is very active with her church and often leaves late at night when the roads are desolate," said Kelley. Eastland was packing pistols long before now, according to her daughter. Eastland worked as a state constable during the governorship of Jim Edwards. She then went on to work for the SC Department of Corrections where she also carried a gun... http://www.wyff4.com/news/22420727/detail.html --- Arizona Town Seeks Range Expansion: Chino Valley has an opportunity to become home to an 80-acre regional shooting range. A month ago, the Chino Valley Town Council authorized the police department to apply for and accept a shooting range development grant up to $50,000 from the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to improve the safety and usability of the department's gun range. Chino Valley Police Cmdr. Mark Garcia said the department's current range in the southeast corner of Old Home Manor near Perkinsville Road isn't much. "We just shoot into a dirt bank," he said. Currently, there is a multi-station pistol range and 100-yard rifle range at the site. "The construction of proper berms would increase safety, reduce potential liability and reduce noise to the surrounding area," Chino Valley Police Cmdr. Chuck Wynn said... (Chino Valley is in Yavapai County, a little more than halfway from Prescott to Paulden. Paulden is the home of Gunsite.) http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?subsectionID=1&articleID=77346&SectionID=1 --- Oops, Wrong House: A homeowner shot and killed a teenager who allegedly kicked in his door, police said. The shooting happened Saturday night at a home at 559 E. Oak St. in Forest, police said. Two men, one of whom was armed with a .38-caliber pistol, kicked in the door and rushed into the home, police said. The homeowner shot Derrick Thickland, 17, once in the leg and twice in the chest, police said. Thickland was allegedly armed with the gun, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The second man, Luis Pedro, ran from the home and Forest police found him a few minutes later hiding across the street, officials said. Pedro admitted to police that he and Thickland had gone to the home to commit armed robbery and when they kicked in the door, they were met with gunfire, police said... Mississippi's Castle Doctrine provides that someone attacked in his or her home can use reasonable force, which can include deadly force, to protect his or another's life without any duty to retreat from the attacker. http://www.wapt.com/news/22403309/detail.html http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Armed-homeowner-stops-2-violent-home-invaders --- More on Hunter Shot by Own Dog: The Los Banos duck hunter who was accidentally shot by his own dog broke one of the cardinal rules of hunting safety and was fortunate to escape with his life, experts said. The accident occurred Saturday near Highway 152 and Midway Road when the female Labrador retriever stepped on her owner's loaded shotgun, disengaging the safety and causing the weapon to fire, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department... Much of the talk revolves around the lapse in judgment of leaving a loaded shotgun on the ground and walking away. The hunter did just that after exiting his blind to retrieve his decoys, authorities said. "Anytime that gun leaves your hand it has to be unloaded - period," said Susan Turner of Fresno, a longtime hunter safety instructor. "That's one of the first things you're taught." Added Jeff Carroll, chairman of the California Waterfowl Association's local chapter: "You never leave a gun loaded when you're not with it, and that's the end of the discussion." Both said the man was lucky to escape with minor injuries, let alone his life... (Hunter safety courses teach many more rules than the Basic Five [http://www.spw-duf.info/safety.html]. This incident could have been prevented under Rule Five - Maintain control of your firearm.) http://www.mercedsunstar.com/105/story/1297697.html --- There's a Reason God Put Those People on an Island: A police watchdog pulled a presentation on how officers target crimes involving firearms because of fears it would glorify gun culture. Anna Tapsell, chair of Lambeth's Community Police Consultative Group (CPCG), cancelled a presentation by specialist firearms officers scheduled for its meeting tonight. She had concerns the presentation could be "misinterpreted" by the public. Parts of the talk would have involved guns being passed around the audience, and a "shooting gallery" style simulation where people are put in the shoes of a CO19 officer in a crisis situation. It was designed as a hard-hitting portrayal of the work of police firearms teams. But a CPCG spokesman said it was felt the simulation could make gun crime seem "like a game"... (Many American departments conduct citizens' academies. When available, firearms-training video simulators, such as FATS, are often used to show these members of the public how quickly officers have to make life-and-death decisions. When not available, the same function is sometimes served by role-playing.) http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/4885501.Firearms_meeting_cancelled_over_fear_of_glorifying_gun_crime/ http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m2d3-UK-antigunners-deem-police-presentation-not-suitable Brits Average Attacks by Burglars Every 30 Minutes: A householder is attacked by a violent burglar every 30 minutes. The shocking statistic exposes for the first time the epidemic of terrifying intruder confrontations taking place in Britain. It will intensify demands for householders to be given greater protection if they use force to protect themselves and their family against a burglar. In the wake of the case of Munir Hussain, who was jailed and later freed for beating a raider, ministers insisted it was extremely rare for a person to find themselves in trouble with the police for fighting back against a burglar. But with householders suffering violence on 23,000 occasions last year, campaigners say the case for a change to the law is growing ever stronger... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245417/Burglary-victims-attacked-home-30-minutes.html http://www.examiner.com/x-18149-SelfDefense-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Defenseless-British-citizens-are-attacked-in-their-own-homes-by-violent-burglars-every-30-Minutes -- 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 .