The Story Behind National-Parks Carry: Thanks to a new federal law beginning February 22, people who can legally carry concealed handguns according to state law can also carry within National Parks and Forests in that state, too. While this may help protect visitors from the parks' burgeoning crime problem, the story of this law's journey through Congress provides a lesson in campaign contributions and anti-Liberty special interests... Previous research uncovered a correlation between pro-gun control voting and campaign contributions by lawyers, and trial lawyers and large law firms standing to benefit from gun control. The same is true of public employee unions - government employees - because restrictive gun laws result in job growth and security in the public sector. Even though both industries contribute primarily to Democrats, these correlations persist within parties. For example, incumbent Democrat congressmen endorsed in 2008 by the pro-gun control Brady Campaign received larger portions of total campaign contributions from lawyers and public employee unions than did NRA-endorsed Democrats: 67.9% and 158.1% more, respectively. Greater percentages of total funding equals greater influence on grateful representatives, with the 378 re-elected representatives receiving payment for services rendered in previous terms of office. This special interest spending had an almost humorous effect upon the final House vote on the credit card bill... (The Coburn Amendment that overturned the ban on loaded firearms in national parks was attached to Big Brother's must-have Credit Card Reform Act. Thus, it is somewhat disingenuous to trumpet that Big Brother actually signed an expansion of the RKBA; he had little choice as he would have lost a showpiece bill in order to veto it. Nemerov corrects his initial description of the law as a concealed-carry measure; effective tomorrow, carry in national parks is legal in whatever manner it is legal in the surrounding state.) http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/national-parks-are-safer-with-right-to-carry-law/?singlepage=true Tangentially Related: Here is a brief breakdown of the [credit card] reforms and how they might affect your wallet... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021905952.html --- Update on the Bloomberg-Luntz Poll: On Dec. 11, 2009, we noted that a poll paid for by anti-gun politician-activist Michael Bloomberg, claiming to show that NRA members support gun control, was conducted by a pollster who has been reprimanded and censured by two professional polling organizations [emphasis added], and who (of course) doesn't have access to NRA's confidential member list. Since then, gun control supporters have cited the poll in numerous newspaper editorials, opinion columns, and letters to editors, all attacking NRA's opposition to gun control. Recently, however, Bloomberg's pollster, Frank Luntz, admitted how he gets polls to turn out the way his employers want. In a "Penn and Teller" interview posted on YouTube, Luntz says, "The key in survey research is to ask questions that people care about the answers [sic], and to ask the question in a way that you get the right answer." He added, "[W]ith just a single change of wording, you'll get a very different reaction in terms of how they think and how they feel." Thanks, Frank, for making it easier for us to write letters to newspapers pointing out why no one should take your "poll of NRA members" seriously. http://www.ilaalerts.org/UM/T.asp?A1.2.5884.9.3827746 --- DC Right-to-Carry Plaintiff Profiled: ...As one of the plaintiffs who sued the District for the right to keep handguns in the home, Palmer has one notch on his belt. Now he's suing the city again, this time for the right to carry firearms in public. Palmer, a 53-year-old fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, says he thinks he has the Constitution on his side. The Second Amendment guarantees Americans the right to "keep and bear arms," and "bear," he says, "means to carry." On the street in his Kalorama neighborhood. To the grocery store, the mall, the movies. But not everywhere: "There are all kinds of reasonable restrictions that can be established," he says. "But a blanket ban on carrying them does not seem to sit well with the Constitution itself." ...So the group that could make it legal to carry a loaded firearm through the streets of the nation's capital includes a self-employed tax accountant from American University Park, a communications lawyer from Adams Morgan, and a law student who lives in Nashville and was arrested for driving through the District with a gun in his car. And then there's Palmer, who says carrying a gun saved his life... (Note that this was a typical incident in which merely drawing the gun ended the threat.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022003376.html?hpid=topnews --- Interesting Position for a Libertarian: One local libertarian leader has an idea that would save the state more than $1 million a year - have the federal, not state, government run background checks for people buying firearms. Independence Institute President Jon Caldara is proposing that the state eliminate the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Insta-Check program, which scans more than six local and federal databases for background information on prospective gun buyers. Caldara thinks the state should instead rely on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's background check. Handing over background check duties to the FBI would save the state annually about $1.7 million... But supporters of the Colorado Bureau Investigation's Insta-Check program say the department's $1.7 million budget dramatically improves safety for Colorado. The background check conducted by the state is more thorough than the FBI's background check, they say. For instance, the Insta-Check program forbids people with protective orders filed against them from purchasing a firearm, while the FBI's background check does not search for protective orders filed in the state's judicial system... http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=7348 --- Another Look at the Ruger SP101: ...There are a lot of snub nosed revolvers out there to choose from, but out of them all the Ruger is unique. It is arguably one of the strongest of the breed of small framed snubbies. Strength is important even in a small gun. But with that strength comes a little extra weight. Trust me, this is a good thing. Have you had the chance to fire off one of these ultra-air-light-feather weight pocket revolvers? Using a full house .357 Magnum load? If you haven't, do this; put your Concealed Carry Magazine down, stand up, walk outside to your car or truck and open the hood... and then slam it down on your firing hand. Quite unpleasant. The SP101 is made of good old fashioned honest to goodness stainless steel, not something NASA mills space sprockets out of. The SP101 feels like a real gun when you pick it up, and when you fire it, it isn't going to punish you for doing it. You can actually enjoy going through a whole box of ammo in one shooting session. Amazing. The SP101 isn't even what I would call heavy. The two and a quarter inch barreled example weighs only twenty five and a half ounces. Not enough to displace your spine from wearing it on your hip all day, or pulling a shoulder out of socket if you carry it in your purse; but enough to give you courage when you hear your door being pounded on after midnight... (The SP101 definitely requires some work when it comes out of the box - contact me for details if you wish to do it yourself. I agree with the arguments in favor of the added weight, particularly if you go with the three-inch barrel, which has become my favorite length for carry revolvers. While its trigger stroke will not likely ever achieve the elegance of one on a well tuned S&W revolver, for the new user of a small-frame revolver, the SP 101 may be less intimidating to shoot.) http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35600 --- The US Army Marksmanship Unit: In this time of war there is no room for second rate shooting. Exceptional marksmanship that was once expected of the elite, Special Operations and Infantry Sharpshooters, is now expected of every soldier. Today's United States Army is considered the most lethal army the world has ever seen, and it is largely due to a more lethal Soldier who has undergone the most effective training in history. Training is the backbone of good shooting. And at the heart of marksmanship training in the US Army is the US Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). Through "train the trainer" workshops, direct training of experienced units, recruiting assistance and community outreach, the USAMU acts as a "force multiplier" for the Army, and it is considered one of the most unique units in the entire US Army... http://forums.gunsamerica.com/yaf_postst18_The-US-Army-Marksmanship-Unit--USAMU--Home-of-the-Champions.aspx --- Rule Two, Rule Three Reminder: Pankaj Kishore Karotia, 21, was just about to claim his new bride and take her from a wedding reception to her family home when his uncle drew his licensed handgun to fire a final shot in celebration. As he was loading it, it fired accidentally and hit his newly-wed nephew in the head. The reception party was almost finished when the tragedy happened. His new bride was waiting for him in the car as he died. The groom's father said the uncle was "eager and excited" about the wedding and wanted to fire another shot to make the end of the celebrations. A police spokesman said "the bullet made a hole in the brain" and confirmed the uncle had been arrested for culpable homicide. Gunfire has become an increasingly popular celebration custom at lavish Indian weddings in recent years. (Rule Two: Don't le the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot. Rule Three: Keep your finger out of the trigger guard, up on the frame, until your sights are on the target and you[re prepared to fire.) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7271134/Groom-shot-dead-at-wedding-by-uncles-stray-celebratory-bullet.html --- The "Center Mass" Myth: Surviving a gunfight isn't what you think it is. Don't let conventional wisdom get you killed. A well place round to "center mass" in your attacker may not take him out of the fight. Lots of people stay in the fight after "center mass" hits, and some even win it. If you expect to win your gunfight, you have to make sure that you have effectively ended the threat of your attacker. One, two or even several well placed "center mass" shots may not do what you think it will, and learning to recognize this before you gunfight may save your life... There is a well known video in training circles in which a Highway Patrol officer shoots an armed subject 5 times "center mass" (this is not my assessment but the statement of his immediate supervisors which are interviewed on the full version of the hour long tape) with his 4" .357 Magnum revolver firing hollow point ammunition. All 5 hits failed to do the job and the subject was able to fire one round which struck the officer in the armpit. That round wondered around in the chest cavity and found his heart. The officer unfortunately died at the scene and his attacker is alive today... ("Center mass" or "center of mass" is a misnomer when referring to the chest area; the center of mass of the human body is usually about three inches below the navel. I think Higginbotham may misunderstand the concept of aiming for the pelvis - it is not a technique to end a gunfight but one to end mobility. If an assailant is threatening you with a contact weapon, he can't use it if he can't reach you. It certainly is possible to shoot from a prone position, a supine position or any position in between. However, it is not easy to track a target moving laterally at close ranges from such a position, meaning that if you have taken a gunman off his feet, you need to be moving laterally and preparing your next shot. Consider the now-overturned conviction of Hal Fish, in a self-defense shooting of a man who charged him on a hiking trail. The prosecutor made an issue that Fish had shot Kuenzli three times in the chest, with a pistol "more powerful than those carried by police." A shot to the pelvis from the 10mm Kimber pistol would likely have dropped Kuenzli, leaving Fish to evaluate if further shots were in order.) http://forums.gunsamerica.com/yaf_postst14_The-Center-Mass-Myth-and-Ending-a-Gunfight.aspx --- Ten Critical Habits for Winning a Gunfight: After wrapping up a recent Airsoft training day in which officers encountered role-players in increasingly complex shoot / don't shoot situations - in both on-duty and off-duty settings - Farnam reflected on what he most often sees trainees learning from such scenario experiences. "There are certain lessons officers report over and over again," he told PoliceOne. In his mind, these comprise critical habits you need to develop and continually drill in order to win on that fateful day when you face a determined armed adversary for real... Stopping and standing still is a frequent reaction to scenario attacks, Farnam reports - "just the opposite of what's desirable." To maximize his chances of a successful attack, "a predator needs to get you stopped in a particular place. The longer you stay in one spot, the more likely his plan will progress to completion. "Get off the X. When you sense danger, move laterally to the threat. When you move forward or backward in a straight line, your relative positioning doesn't really change. "Keep moving until you're behind cover, when it's available. Your moving will cause your attacker to continually reset his plan and keep you harder to hit... (You will probably fight as you trained. Most famous schools and most police academies have students stand flat-footed in place on a firing line, not just while shooting but while scanning after shooting. I don't know if access to this very useful article is restricted. I have copied it into a Word document. In the event that you are unable to access the article online, ask me for a copy.) http://www.policeone.com/patrol-issues/articles/2005634-10-critical-habits-for-winning-a-gunfight/ --- 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 --- Gun Self-Defense Counter Web Widget: I believe I have mentioned this before but, if you have a website, you may want to post this automatically updating counter that compares and contrasts the numbers usually cited by the prohibitionists with the numbers of deaths from poisonings and the estimated number of the use of firearms in self-defense each year. http://actionamerica.org/guns/gun-web-widget.shtml --- From John Farnam: 17 Feb 10 This expression of concern from a college professor and student: "I know you've done a Quip or two in the past about the role metropolitan and campus police play in citizen/student protection, but I wish you'd cover the topic again, particularly in light of the current contestation regarding concealed carry at my campus, CSU (Colorado State University)." Very well. Here is the deal: Police are charged with a "general duty" to investigate suspicions circumstances and identify, apprehend, and charge criminals, once a crime has been committed. We also have a "general duty" to answer calls in a timely manner and patrol the community in a good-faith effort to deter crime. Of course, all this must be done within the constraints of our resources. In some cases, courts are empowered to issue "restraining orders," but, as we know, the "restraint" is not physical. The court-order is merely a piece of paper. Who ompulsively commit violent crimes are seldom deterred. So, "citizen protection" is, and must remain, a general term. Police do the best they can, but we are never tasked with a specific duty to provide absolute protection to any particular individual at any particular time nor place, nor are we required to respond to calls within a specific amount of time. And, we get paid the same, regardless of outcome! Logical conclusion: You're on your own! Colorado citizens, including students attending universities (assuming they are twenty-one or older), can own and even carry (with appropriate permits) guns for their own, personal protection. Guns, ammunition, and accessories are generally available via any number of commercial, retail sources. Competent training is also available through a number of accomplished instructors. Keep in mind that guns, like alcoholic beverages, are highly regulated, and thus technical violations of confusing and poorly-written ordinances, arbitrary "rules," as well as randomly-enforced political agendas, will always make it impossible to anyone to know is he is "law-abiding" or not! My suggestion is that every citizen/student look squarely at his personal security situation, and then make appropriate decisions. However, such decisions should be made based on facts and reality, not some self-deceptive, mythical notion of "police protection." Violent death is one thing you can't "do over!" /John 18 Feb 10 The "VSCV" Factor, from a friend and colleague: "There is a critical difference between being injured as a result of an accident, as opposed to an act of criminal violence. When I fall off a ladder and break my leg, although in pain, I'm laughing at my clumsiness the next day. Conversely, when I suffer the same injury as the result of some two-bit thug who first pistol-whipped me, and then shot me before departing with my wallet, I will forever curse myself for allowing a scumbag to terrorize me and my family. The critical difference is the 'Voluntary Submission to Criminal Violence' factor. That is the part that scars victims for life, the realization that they, for whatever reason, willfully allowed themselves to be vulnerable, and that someone would be evil enough to perpetrate such a malignant act. Victims of violent crime experience genuine terror, and it never ends! They don't laugh at themselves the next day, nor any day! They forever blame themselves for being weak, naive, self-righteously stupid, and intentionally unprepared. No amount of rationalization eases the pain! They vainly long for the opportunity to 'do it over,' but it is forever denied them! And, past-tense 'justice,' at long-last meted-out by the criminal-justice system, is ever of scant consolation! The exception is the select few of us who regularly go armed and are trained and prepared to use deadly force when necessary. When confronting violent criminals, we may be inconvenienced, even hurt physically, but we are not psychologically ruined. The next day, we are apprehensive and anxious, but we have a deeply-satisfying sense of personal pride for being able and willing to boldly, and successfully, stand up to depraved felons. We are more apt to feel like wounded warriors, than raped sheep." Comment: I don't thick that represents much of a choice! They're not getting me without a fight! /John 18 Feb 10 1911s in LA! LAPD's new Chief, Charlie Beck, has just approved the 1911 pistol for duty-carry by LAPD Officers! Approved brands are Colt, Kimber, and Springfield Armory. No word on ammunition yet, nor is there any word on which specific models are on the Approved List. The Academy has already put together an Orientation Course and is running the first groups of officers through. No guesses yet with regard to the exact percentage of officers who will exercise this new option, although I suspect it will be a minority, at least in the short-term. This represents a bold move for any big-city PD! /John (I guess one can argue that stepping back 99 years is a bold move. Preferring double-action Smith & Wesson revolvers, I like to joke that I see no need to use 99-year-old technology for self-defense when I am perfectly comfortable with the 111-year-old technology of my wheelguns. However... When the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department followed LAPD's lead in authorizing optional .45-caliber pistols, the top brass did so because it was the only way they could see to get deputies willingly to reduce the number of rounds they could fire before reloading. In their minds were the then-recent controversial high-volume shootings of Amadou Diallo, in New York City, and Tyisha Miller, in Riverside CA. Now consider that LAPD officers, for several years, have had the option of carrying .45-caliber Glocks, with the safety mounted on the face of the trigger and a higher ammunition capacity than a 1911. The latter design includes both a grip safety and a thumb safety. Admittedly, a 1911 with a single-column magazine may allow an officer with small hands to use a .45, when a Glock with a staggered-column magazine may be too thick. Somehow, I don't think it is those officers who will be lining up to qualify to carry 1911's. De gustibus non est disputandum.) -- 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 .