It Looks as Though I Was Correct: Why is the Education Department purchasing 27 Remington Brand Model 870 police 12-gauge shotguns (all new, no re-manufactured products, thank you)? The guns are to replace old firearms used by Education's Office of Inspector General, which is the law enforcement arm of the department. Here's a statement from the office in response to a question about why need 27 shotguns with a 14-inch barrels: "The Office of Inspector General is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education and is responsible for the detection of waste, fraud, abuse, and other criminal activity involving Federal education funds, programs, and operations. As such, OIG operates with full statutory law enforcement authority, which includes conducting search warrants, making arrests, and carrying firearms. The acquisition of these firearms is necessary to replace older and mechanically malfunctioning firearms, and in compliance with Federal procurement requirements. For more information on OIG's law enforcement authority, please visit their Web site at : www.ed.gov/oig" You can find, here, a list of reports on fraud cases the office has worked on for the last decade... (I had replied to a list member but not included in a daily mailing my assumption that the firearms were for the OIG. Many federal agencies that one would not expect to be armed have OIG's, whose investigators are certified LEO's.) http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/education-secretary-duncan/ed-department-buying-27-shotgu.html?hpid=sec-education Tangentially Related: It appears that two-thirds of the jobs claimed to have been created or saved by Big Brother's stimulus program are in the Department of Education. One third of jobs in that department are union-member positions. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/03/graph_of_the_day_for_march_12.html --- From GOA: Remember the Senate's anti-gun ObamaCare bill that was crammed full of billions of dollar of bribes... And, lest we forget, remember the Senate ObamaCare bill which still allows the ATF to troll a health/gun database in order to take away firearms from tens of millions of Americans? Well, that's the bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now trying to cram down the throats of conservative House Democrats, who are being told they have to pass this bill that is filled with bribes and corruption - WITHOUT A SINGLE CHANGE. Not a single bribe will come out of the bill which Pelosi and Obama are now DEMANDING that the House pass by March 18. Sure, there will be a companion package - dubbed "ObamaCare Helper" - which will be "passed" by the House at the same time. But once ObamaCare is passed, what motivation do either Obama or Senate Democrats have to pass a clean-up bill for House Democratic suckers once they've gotten the trillion dollar Senate bill they want? So - how does Pelosi get the votes for ObamaCare Helper? Answer: More bribes, threats and corruption... (This link will allow you to send a letter or e-mail to your representative.) http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=14782496&PROCESS=Take+Action --- If It's Not Time to Start Shooting...: ... The above illustrates the difficulty facing the liberty movement today - the willingness of its participants to engage in philosophical discussion, policy talk, or social activism, but their reluctance to engage in political action, the only thing that counts on Election Day. Unfortunately this has even bled into the issue of gun rights, self-defense, and second amendment advocacy. Individuals who claim to support the rights of gun owners are too often preoccupied with personal recognition or high ideals, instead of focusing on eliminating bad policies and enacting good ones. Even nationally recognized organizations that pledge to defend the rights of gun owners often find themselves caught up in the pomp and circumstance of putting on a show for the cameras instead of focusing on tangible results... (This article is not linked as an endorsement of Ron Paul, third parties or any specific candidate but as a reminder that goes back to ancient Rome: You can ignore politics but politics won't ignore you.) http://www.ammoland.com/2010/03/11/gun-rights-politics-is-about-precinct-organizing/ --- Wyoming Governor Signs Firearms Freedom Act: Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Thursday signed into law a bill that seeks to exempt firearms made in Wyoming and used exclusively in the state from federal regulations, making the state the latest to try to undermine federal authority on gun regulation. Montana, Tennessee and Utah have already passed similar legislation to exempt firearms made in their states from federal regulations and Idaho and Alaska have been considering it. A lawsuit over the issue is brewing in Montana, where gun advocates are arguing that the state should decide which rules, if any, should control the sale and purchase of guns made and used in the state. Freudenthal expressed concerns that the new law could leave firearms dealers in the state caught between contradictory demands of state and federal law. Freudenthal wrote to legislative leaders saying he wanted to alert the public and lawmakers about problems he saw in House Bill 95, dubbed the "Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act" by supporters. The governor said it should have received greater attention in drafting and content. "This act is a notable illustration of well-intended legislation rushed through without appropriate consideration of potential unintended consequences," Freudenthal wrote. Yet in an interview on Thursday, Freudenthal said he didn't veto the bill largely because even though he sees the bill as confusing, "it doesn't really do any harm." ... http://www.trib.com/news/state-and-local/article_2370bae6-9ee5-59ca-9a4a-876712bd185e.html --- Gun-Show Bill Blocked in Minnesota: A proposal to require background checks on all persons buying firearms at gun shows in Minnesota failed to clear its first hurdle Wednesday before a House committee. The House Crime Victims and Criminal Records panel defeated the proposal 5-3, leaving its future in doubt. But Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, the bill's author, said he may at some point resurrect the proposal before this year's legislative session ends. "It's not over [at the Legislature] until, you know, the gavel comes down in May," he said... But gun-rights groups said Paymar and others had not been able to show that guns bought at gun shows without background checks were a significant factor in crimes. http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/87295992.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DU2EPaL_V_9E7ODiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU --- Missouri Candidate Touts RKBA Credentials: Missouri Sen. Jack Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon) took time out of his spring break to speak to the Missouri Southern College Republicans. Goodman is running for the Missouri 7th Congressional District seat, currently held by Roy Blunt (R-Springfield)... "We are one of the strongest Second Amendment states in the country. I wrote and passed Missouri's Castle Doctrine which states that you can use full force to defend your house. Before that if someone got into your house you had to wait for them to physically attack you or your spouse or your children before you could use full force to take care of them. What I was thinking were once they had broke in they've pretty much shown me that they aren't there to help me clean the place." ... (Blunt is currently rated "A-" by GOA.) http://media.www.thechartonline.com/media/storage/paper630/news/2010/03/12/State/Congressional.Candidate.Visits.Campus-3889218.shtml --- Gunners Protest Maryland Bills: The House and Senate heard nearly two dozen gun-related measures in Annapolis on Thursday. Supporters of the Second Amendment right to bear arms are crying conspiracy. They claim committee chairmen in both the House and Senate decided to hold hearings on gun legislation on the same day and at the same time to divide and conquer their opposition. They are particularly concerned with bills that tighten the rules for the sale and transfer of fire arms. "They try to tell you it's going to be a firearms safety bill, and really what it is, is a further restriction on the rights of law-abiding citizens to purchase and own handguns," said Paul Dembfrowski, the president of MarylandShallIssue.org... http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/22813638/detail.html --- Prohibitionists Protest Delaware RKBA Bill: About three dozen city residents Wednesday protested a bill that could ease gun restrictions in classrooms, day care centers, on DART buses, even in neighborhood group homes for people with mental illnesses. Rally-goers joined a growing list of critics of the bill, including Gov. Jack Markell, who sent the bill's sponsors a letter March 4 expressing his fears that the legislation would jeopardize public safety by eliminating many common-sense gun restrictions. Those concerns are groundless, say Millsboro Democrat Rep. John Atkins and Georgetown Republican Sen. Joe Booth, because the two lawmakers never intended to go beyond overturning restrictive gun policies at Delaware's four public housing authorities. Booth accused Markell of spreading misinformation, stoking the fears of preachers and anti-violence workers who staged the rally in front of a day care center... Booth chalked it up to a misunderstanding. He said he will be happy to make the necessary changes to limit the bill's reach to public housing agencies. "It was never our intent to have guns at day cares or school buses or DART buses or any of the others," Booth said. "A simple courtesy call from the governor would have resolved any confusion about the bill." ... http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100311/NEWS02/3110352/Gun-lobbyist-s-bill-draws-fire --- And the Problem with That Is?: Governor Bill Richardson announced in a press release today that he signed a bill that would allow concealed weapons in some restaurants. While doing so, Richardson announced that he was directing the New Mexico Department of Public Safety to revise a regulation that would make it clear that those with concealed weapons could not consume alcohol... One opponent of the bill, Sen. Eric Griego, told the Independent on the Independent's live blog during the regular session that he believes this legislation is "part of a national campaign by the NRA to broaden the use of concealed weapons." [emphasis added] ... http://newmexicoindependent.com/49427/governor-signs-concealed-guns-in-restaurants-bill --- Tennessee Restaurant-Carry Poll: In a city that averages at least one legitimate self-defense shooting a week, Memphis's Commercial Appeal has not been particularly friendly to the RKBA. Please hit this poll and keep it strongly in our favor. http://www.commercialappeal.com/polls/2010/mar/10gunpoll/ --- Massachusetts Lock Ruling Triggers Frustration: Richard Callaghan gives away a trigger lock with every gun he sells at his Mechanic Street shop in Marlborough, but he wonders why he's required to use one when he's in his own home. "If you are physically there, you are in control. When you're not home, you're not in control, and you should have it locked," said the owner of Callaghan Firearms. "If you have the gun for protection, why would you lock it when you're in the house?" Bay State gun owners will continue to be required to keep firearms either equipped with a tamper-resistant lock or in a securely locked container after a ruling by Massachusetts' highest court this week. The decision frustrated some local firearms sellers and advocates for gun owners, several of whom said the ruling upholds a law that is confusing or deals a matter that ought to be left up to personal responsibility... (The Heller ruling called DC's requirement to render firearms inside the home inoperable a violation of the RKBA. Perhaps Massachusetts gunners will have another shot at this issue after the McDonald ruling is handed down.) http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/features/x90197436/SJC-gun-ruling-triggers-frustration --- Time Discovers Open Carry: A typical frustration at starbucks is when the guy next to you is hogging the electrical outlets. But what if he openly wore a gun, like someone lost from a Clint Eastwood set? What would you do: take a seat next to him or get that cappuccino to go? The patrons of at least five Starbucks locations in California's Bay Area have faced this dilemma in recent weeks. Gun owners have walked into various Starbucks - including in liberal enclaves like San Francisco, San Jose and Cupertino (the home of Apple) - openly wearing weapons while they drink their coffee... (Seeing the photo of the guy wearing his exposed pistol in a holster with no retention device does not make me feel warm and fuzzy, even if it is unloaded. Perhaps those of you in the open-carry movement could address this issue more vigorously. On the other hand, perhaps it's intentional in California, to facilitate inspection of the pistol by police.) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1971411,00.html --- Illinois CCW Advocate, McDonald Plaintiff Profiled: Colleen Lawson has taken her battle for gun rights from Chicago to the U.S. Supreme Court. But Lawson found herself at the Illinois statehouse in Springfield on Wednesday as part of Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day. The 51-year-old explained how she unexpectedly became a crusader for gun rights. Lawson said an attempted home invasion convinced her city's ban on gun ownership was doing more harm than good... Lawson shared the stage with female representatives from some of Illinois' most prominent Second Amendment groups, including Paula Bratich with the Second Amendment Sisters. Bratich agrees Illinois' current gun control laws hurt women... Illinois House Bill 5221 would authorize the Illinois State Police to issue permits to carry concealed firearms to citizens who are at least 21. Applicants are required to complete specified training requirements developed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, consisting of classroom instruction and live firing exercises... The bill passed the House Agriculture & Conservation Committee with an 11-2 vote on Tuesday and will next move to the House floor for a vote. In the past, similar bills have been blocked by Chicago-area legislators, largely Democrats. http://thesouthern.com/news/local/article_22d9069c-2cd1-11df-b322-001cc4c03286.html --- Oops, Wrong House: A local Lakeside[AZ] man shot and wounded another local man when he discovered what appeared to be a burglary in process at his neighbor's home. The incident occurred March 2 at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the 4800 block of Rim Spur in Lakeside. Deputies responding to the scene met with Gaylon Crawford, who told deputies he had been asked by his neighbor to check on his residence because an alarm had been activated indicating a possible intrusion. The neighbor/ homeowner Jim Schueller, who lives in the Valley, was not home at the time of the incident. Crawford said he noticed the shop door appeared to have been forced open and the lights were on. When he entered the shop he saw two males in dark clothing, who told him they were retrieving their tools. Crawford said he drew his handgun and ordered both individuals to put their hands above their heads and advised that the police had been called. Crawford said one of the males eventually charged him and he fired his handgun when the individual came within three feet of him (Crawford) because he feared for his life. Crawford was knocked to the ground and lost the handgun and both individuals ran from the area... (All's well that ends well but, absent an imminent threat to life or limb, it might have been wiser to have waited for a police response and taken good mental notes. Lakeside is just up the road from me and I believe that that the Crawford involved is a retired physician. We refer to these parts as "the Mountain" and the Phoenix area as "the Valley." A large proportion of homes in this area are only occupied in the summer months.) http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20414868&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6 --- The Airsoft Bust - GOA Gets Involved: A gun rights organization has launched a Freedom of Information request following a decision by federal Customs and Border Protection agents to seize a shipment of toy pellet guns and a determination by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that they could be converted into machine guns so they must be destroyed. Government agencies have explained that the Airsoft toys, made of a soft pot metal and lacking a firing mechanism, easily could be converted into a true weapon capable of automatic fire. "Our firearms technology branch classified this as a machine gun," BATFE Special Agent Kelvin Crenshaw said in a report assembled by Gun Owners of America. "With minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun." Gun Owners spokesman Erich Pratt told WND today his organization has launched a FOIA demand for information to find out on what basis the government reached that conclusion... An analysis by John Velleco, director of federal affairs for Gun Owners noted that, "To make the transformation, the entirety of the upper receiver would have to be replaced, but the lower receiver would still be unable to endure the intense force of live ammunition because it is made of pot metal (inexpensive alloys) instead of hard steel... (Oops - the lower receivers of the AR-15 family are made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, not steel. That said, they are still substantially stronger than "pot metal," a term for Zamak, an alloy of zinc with small amounts of aluminum, magnesium and copper.) http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=127706 --- Facebook Users: A page has been set up to support Gerald Ung, the Philadelphia law student who shot a politically connected man, who, as part of a group, attacked him on a street. Ung is currently facing charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder for a shooting that was captured on a surveillance video camera, showing that it was self-defense. http://www.facebook.com/ggutfeld?v=feed&story_fbid=10150105089280214#!/group.php?v=wall&ref=ts&gid=442504090187 --- Getting Bored?: The publishers of Gun Digest have developed a new publication, Tactical Gear Magazine, to which they are currently offering a free digital subscription for the remainder of 2010. http://www.tacticalgearmag.com/ --- There's a Reason God Put Those People on an Island: A pair of burglars pleaded for their lives after they were caught trying to break into a pub by its gun-toting landlord. Simon Thomas spotted the thieves as they loaded stolen bicycles into the back of a car at 2am. The experienced hunter immediately grabbed one of his licensed shotguns and took aim from his bedroom window. He shouted: 'Don't move, I've got a loaded gun on you.' ... When police told him they could not get to the scene quickly the men unloaded the bicycles and drove off. Mr Thomas tried chasing after them in his Land Rover but lost sight of them as they drove through the village... Mr Thomas kept the shotgun pointed at the burglars as he told them he had called the police, even though he had not. The terrified burglars pleaded for mercy. Mr Thomas went back into the house, dialled 999 and put his gun safely back in the cabinet. He said: 'I called the police and they told me they didn't have anyone available to come over right away but to put the gun away so I did. 'When I went downstairs, they were getting the bikes out of the car and drove off.' Sussex Police said they were called to The Anchor just after 2am last Saturday but that by the time officers arrived, at 2.50am, there was no trace of the offenders. A spokeswoman said: 'The call was graded for immediate response. Officers arrived as soon as possible but were responding to other calls at the time.' ... (The second link provides more detailed explanation of the defense of his home and family.) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1256250/Pub-landlord-admits-wishes-hed-shot-burglars-stop-escaping.html http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d11-British-police-take-50-minutes-to-respond-thieves-get-away --- From AzCDL: HB 2347, the House version of the AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bill, passed out of the House Rules committee on March 8th. Its next stop is the House Committee of the Whole (COW) for debate and voice vote. Unfortunately, bills are added to COW calendars with very little advanced warning, so keep your keyboards ready for an "11th hour" email offensive. SB 1108, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry, is awaiting a review in the Senate Rules Committee before it progresses to the Senate COW. We are picking up disinformation that is being spread about the Constitutional Carry bills, so let's review their features. Article 2, Section 26 of the Arizona Constitution says that your pre-existing right to bear arms "shall not be impaired." The Constitutional Carry bills restore that right by eliminating the prohibition and penalties currently in place for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a CCW permit. The Constitutional Carry bills also eliminate the confusion in interpreting the statutes regarding open carry and vehicle carry that have been clouded since 1994 by Appellate court decisions. For all practical purposes the only current way to be sure you are legally carrying openly, or in your vehicle, is to have a CCW permit. The CCW permit becomes optional - it is not eliminated. Training requirements would be broadened to facilitate obtaining the optional permit. The expanded training opportunities include allowing the use of NRA training, proof of military service, college level courses and training from an approved firearms training school (e.g., Gunsite, Front Sight). Since these are similar to requirements in use by Florida and a number of other states, reciprocity should be unaffected. A CCW permit will still be required to carry concealed into establishments that serve alcohol and to bypass the NICS check when purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer. Additionally, language has been added in HB 2347 & SB 1108 that exempts CCW permit holders from the requirement to be unarmed when entering a "non-secure" state and local government building. A non-secure building is one that doesn't have the means to tightly control access by the general public. The majority of rank and file law enforcement organizations are not opposing the Constitutional Carry bills. Opposition remains from organizations representing the chiefs of police and some county attorneys, primarily political positions. There are many still working to defeat Constitutional Carry in the legislature. AzCDL is constantly working at the Capitol to count the supporters and influence the fence-sitters. Constitutional Carry has a good chance of becoming law this year, but our success will be totally dependent on YOUR involvement. When legislators hear from you, they get the message. Get ready! Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts. If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts . AzCDL "tweets" from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens. You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL . AzCDL's Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC . These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html . AzCDL - Protecting Your Freedom http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html . Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved. -- 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 .