Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

Department of the Interior Extends Deadline for Comments Regarding Right-to-Carry in National Parks and Wildlife Refuges Until August 8
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "For two months, we have been asking NRA members and gun owners to submit comments in support of allowing law-abiding citizens to carry their legally-owned firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges ... The deadline to submit comments expired on June 30 -- or so we thought."

"Rather than closing the proscribed comments period as scheduled and moving toward finalizing this federal regulation ... Senator Akaka and Representative Grijalva asked that the public comment period be extended, citing the recent decision in the District of Columbia v. Heller." ...

"The goal of their strategy is clear. Extending the public comment period amounts to a blatant and intentional stalling tactic ..." ...

John Longnecker: D.C. v. Heller: It's not about Guns, It's About Self-Governance, Safer Streets
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"There is no such thing as a sensible gun law, and gun bans are a fake-out fraud and abuse of power. Unwind Gun Bans and you begin to unwind other abuses so adverse to Family and Liberty."

"The Second Amendment to our Constitution was made absolute for several reasons. In fact, the Second Amendment wasn't even written for citizens."

"I get a predictable reaction when I say this, but follow-up clears it all up. Gun control is a European concept totally inappropriate for the Founders who escaped that kind of thinking at the nation's inception." ...

According to the Brady Campaign...
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Concealed Handgun Permit holders are just criminals who haven't yet discovered their true nature (at the 2:15 mark...the timer counts down):"

"'And we've seen that, just getting a concealed carry permit, all that means is that you haven't committed a crime yet.'
--Daniel Vice, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership Senior Attorney"

"They don't want to take guns away from everyone...just the criminals...but everyone is a criminal who just hasn't yet committed any crimes...hmmm." ...

Gun-toters in La-La Land
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The conservative answer to America's crime plague is to put more guns on the streets. If thats not counterintuitive, I dont know what is."

"The U.S. Supreme Courts June 26 rejection of Washington, D.C.'s gun ban is an antediluvian retreat into la-la land. Its decision to strike down the 32-year-old law has put Americas cities in jeopardy, and that should be anathema to progressives everywhere. Still, the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), is playing a telling game of hot potato." ...

Ban overturned, but are more guns a good thing?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"By a narrow, 5-4 margin, the U.S. Supreme Court returned a historic ruling June 26, deciding that the Second Amendment protects the constitutional right of an individual to own and keep a loaded handgun at home for purposes of self-defense. ..."

"'This is not really an issue about the Constitution, the Second Amendment. It's really about personal safety,' Prof. Charles Ogletree of the Harvard University School of Law told The Final Call. 'It's about the integrity of a process where we don't have peace. We have hundreds of millions of guns in the United States today, almost as many guns circulating as there are people.'" ...

Second Amendment Decision-Best of Both (Urban and Rural) Gun Worlds
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"As a gun owner and urban gun violence prevention activist I'm pleased with the recent historic Supreme Court decision on the Second Amendment. For more than 10 years I've been advocating for responsible national gun policies that effectively reduce gun access by kids, criminals and terrorists WITHOUT BANNING GUNS. With this decision the Supreme Court has put an end to the counterproductive debate pitting proponents of banning guns against champions of providing unlimited access to guns while 30,000 or more mostly urban Americans die every year from largely preventable gun violence. The opinion states that the Constitution protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms while leaving room for the government to regulate gun ownership ..." ...

... From my cold dead hand
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"I had given the speech and was taking questions from the audience - always easier than giving a speech."

"A man asked me if I had any ideas about how to achieve a rational system of gun control in this country."

"My answer surprised me."

"'No,' I told him. 'I've given up on gun control. That battle is over. We've lost. I no longer think it's an achievable goal and if I were a politician I wouldn't lose an election over it.'"

"The audience, a liberal group, was properly aghast. That answer was so unlike me."

"I've been writing a newspaper column for nigh on 45 years now and in that time I have written something on the order of 75 columns calling for more stringent gun control." ...

DC: Killer Ideas For Selling Guns in D.C.
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Now that District residents can legally keep handguns, prospective gun dealers will need creative ways to target them. Based on my survey of gun shops nationwide, I suggest they start with a catchy name."

"A name can reflect a state of mind or an ideology. Take, for instance, Gunslinger in Oak Lawn, Ill., or Ready On The Right in Kailua, Hawaii. Or you might choose to convey the threat implicit in the merchandise, with a name such as Ready Aim Fire in Bristol, Pa., or Smoking Barrels Guns in Lutz, Fla."

"Then again, if you're aiming for a younger clientele, playful-sounding names might work better, such as Guns 4 U in West Plains, Mo., or Guns N Stuff in Bloomington, Ill." ...

After high court's gun decision, what's next?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"THE U.S. Supreme Court last month announced its landmark Second Amendment ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, declaring unconstitutional the D.C. handgun ban and prohibition against having a functional, unlocked firearm in the home for possible immediate self-defense need." ...

"Thus were vindicated the many years of dedicated efforts by millions of American gun owners, under the determined leadership of the [NRA], Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, and countless state and local gun owner groups across the nation, to oppose and revoke the unconstitutional assaults on our Second Amendment right to arms."

"Thus also were discredited many political, Hollywood and other leading anti-gun zealots ..." ...

TX: Suspected copper thief shot by Garland store owner's son
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Garland police say they planned no criminal charges against a 25-year-old man who fatally shot a suspected copper thief this morning."

"The shooting happened shortly before 1:20 a.m. at the Bargain Town Variety & Furniture store in the 5700 block of Broadway Boulevard."

"The business owners son, identified by police as Sunny Sheu, had been guarding the roof after the store had been recently hit by copper thieves."

"The son said he confronted a man who had climbed on the roof, police said. The son fired his gun, striking the man in the torso, police said. The man fled, climbing back down the building and collapsing on the ground." ...

VA: Potential victims turned tables on robbery suspects
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"An armed-robbery suspect was shot by his potential victim Tuesday, the second time in a week where the tables were quickly turned ..."

"Just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, a 16-year-old was shot in his upper right leg as he attempted to rob a man at gunpoint in the backyard of a 25th Street home ..." ...

"Maurice Edward Simpson, a 19-year-old from Newport News, wasn't so fortunate.

"... Simpson was shot last week at an apartment complex on Cunningham Drive in Hampton, after attempting to rob a man. He was later pronounced dead ..." ...

"... the juvenile shot at 3:10 p.m. Tuesday was attempting to rob a 31-year-old Virginia Beach man, who pulled out his own gun. The 16-year-old fled after being shot ..." ...

UT: Are Utah gun laws effective?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Michael Mays was shot and killed yesterday outside a Salt Lake City restaurant."

"Witnesses say Mays was aggressive and violent, yelling at a group of men sitting outside Mama's Southern Plantation Restaurant yesterday. When he acted like he was going for a weapon, one of the men, a part-time security guard, George Harrison, pulled out his concealed weapon and fired."

"This story is generating discussion on our KSL.com comment boards about the effectiveness of Utah gun laws."

"While authorities investigate whether the shooter was justified, people on both sides of the debate have opinions of their own." ...

OH: What SB184 means to you: Part IV Transportation of Unloaded Firearms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"SB184 is 75 pages. It will go into effect on September 09, 2008. This is part of a series of articles looking at specific sections of the bill and how it will affect you. Keep in mind that I am not an attorney and this does not constitute legal advice. ..."

"Most gun owners think they understand the laws about transporting guns in cars, until they find their explanation of how they complied with one section of the law was actually an admission that they violated a different section of law. Guilty as charged."

"We documented the problem with our unloaded transportation 'white paper' ..." ...

GA: Shootout over gun decision
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"To get a glimpse of what we are in for after the Supreme Court recently threw in with libertarians and the gun lobby, turn to Atlanta's airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International. ..."

"The city has barred guns from its airport, despite a contrary statute enacted by the Georgia Legislature this year ..." [emphasis added]

"With U.S. airports stuck at anxious Code Orange since 9/11, it seems likely most folks would consider them reasonable candidates for gun-free status. That would seem especially so for Hartsfield-Jackson, by most measures the world's busiest airport."

"But Republican state Rep. Tim Bearden reads the state's new law as allowing concealed firearms right up to the metal detector." ...

Spontaneous Discharge of a Firearm in an MR Imaging Environment
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"An off-duty police officer went to an outpatient imaging center ... to have an MR imaging examination. ... The officer was carrying a model 1991 A-1 compact.45 caliber semiautomatic pistol ..."

"... the officer apparently misunderstood and took the gun into the MR suite. ..."

"Once the officer was inside the MR suite, the gun was pulled from his hand as he attempted to place the gun on top of a cabinet ... The gun was immediately pulled into the bore, where it struck the left side and spontaneously discharged ... The weapon's thumb safety was reportedly engaged when the gun discharged." ...

"The gun likely discharged as a result of the effect of the magnetic field on the firing pin block. ..." ...

Marine charged in Iraqi murder heard on tape
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Marine sergeant accused of murdering an unarmed Iraqi captive during heavy fighting in Fallujah in 2004 was heard on tape Thursday telling how his squad argued over what to do with their prisoners and saying he 'did one guy' as they sought to keep up with their unit."

"The recording was made when Sgt. Ryan Weemer, 25, was applying for a job with the U.S. Secret Service. It was played by military prosecutors at the start of an Article 32 hearing ..."

"In the interview, Weemer said he and other squad members killed four unarmed Iraqis they were holding in a boarded-up house because they didn't have time to take the men to a jail." ...

AL: Russellville Police Officer Arrested
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Russellville Police Officer finds himself on the other side of the law. He's been arrested on a felony drug charge."

"Officer Gerald Wayne McClurg has been with the Russellville Police Department since 2002."

"Wednesday night, the veteran officer was arrested. He's charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, which is a Class C felony."

"Police Chief Chris Hargett says McClurg was on duty when he allegedly tried to buy Loricet prescription pills."

"'He purchased the pills from one of the undercover informants that we have here at the police department,' says Hargett."

"... Officer McClurg has a history of medical problems and it's likely he became addicted to the medicine." ...

TX: Dallas Officer Charged with Road Rage Shooting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Garland police on Wednesday arrested a Dallas police officer for allegedly shooting at a vehicle during a road rage incident."

"According to Dallas police, Sr. Cpl. Daniel Hageman turned himself in to Garland police at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday." ...

"... Hageman was off duty when he opened fire at a vehicle, hitting its right rear tire."

"A woman and passenger who were in the vehicle said a man drove up behind them, started yelling and then fired several shots."

"Police said they were able to provide investigators with a detailed description of the vehicle, including a license plate. The car, police said, was registered to Hageman's wife."

"The victims were later able to identify Hageman in a photo lineup." ...

TX: Mother, Children Find Officer's Loaded Gun In Park
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A mother and her children discovered a police officers loaded gun while visiting a South Austin park, department officials said."

"Officer Daniel Eveleth did not know that his handgun had been missing for hours Monday in a South Austin park ..."

"Eveleths handgun may have fallen from its holster while he was training a police dog ..."

"'I don't think he took his weapon out specifically during the training, and I'm not sure how the weapon fell out or was removed from the holster and ended up at the park,' said police Sgt. Richard Stresing. 'When the officer left, obviously, the weapon was not with him.'"

"Eveleth remains on the force at this time, and police are still investigating the incident." ...

CA: Officer hurt in accidental shooting sues gun maker
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"An off-duty Los Angeles police officer who was paralyzed after his young son accidentally shot him in 2006 filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the manufacturer of the gun involved in the accident."

"Enrique Chavez of Anaheim was shot in the back by his 3-year-old son after the boy grabbed his father's Glock 21 a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from the back seat of his pickup truck."

"The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court, alleges that Glock Inc.'s gun was dangerous because its safety device was 'non-existent or ineffective' at preventing an accidental shot."

"Chavez, 35, is also suing the manufacturer of the gun's holster and the retail stores that sold him the gun and the holster ..." ...

TN: Sheriff Gobble: Gun Safety
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"From time to time, I receive inquiries from Bradley citizens as to how they can go about acquiring a hand gun permit, or whether the BCSO offers any sort of gun safety and training courses. The answer is yes, the Sheriffs Office does routinely offer gun and safety training."

"Anyone interested in taking the BCSO gun safety course, should contact Cathy Ruth at 728 7301. ..."

"I have always been a big supporter of our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The U.S. Constitution guarantees us that right. I am completely in favor of law-abiding citizens owning a firearm to secure their person, their possessions and their homes, as well as for hunting or sport shooting. ..." ...

CT: Another Madison officer faces criminal charges
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"It's an all too familiar scene in Madison. Another police officer faces criminal charges just as the department pushes for more recruits."

"The already short-staffed Madison Police Department is now down another man. Officer Ernest Boggs Jr. has been arrested and charged with operation of an unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of a license plate, and theft of a plate."

"He becomes the 8th Madison Police officer charged, fired or under investigation in a little more than a year -- including some accused of meeting with prostitutes while working the overnight shift."

"'A lot of things that have happened are really disgraceful,' Suzanne Martin, of Madison, said. 'And, we all feel sad about that.'" ...

IN: Woman Bound, Robbed When 911 Call Drops
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A woman called 911 as her residence was broken into, but police didn't arrive at the house for more than a half-hour."

"Police said the incident was a case of human error. It wasn't until a second call came in that the operator realized the mistake and immediately sent officers to the house."

"'She was hysterical, saying that somebody was in the house, had a gun, was going to kill her. Then we lost our cell phone call,' said Charles Conner."

"Police said the New Albany house was broken into while a 23-year-old woman was home alone."

"'She heard the dogs barking, then she heard footsteps,' said Conner, the woman's stepfather. 'So she calls 911.'" ...
-------

Submitter's Note: Fortunately she survived her mistake.

NY: Police Refuse to Take Responsibility For Botched Drug Raid
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"We have already grown accustomed to disappointing explanations from law-enforcement after they kick in the doors of innocent people, terrorize families, tear apart their homes, and then insist that such things 'almost never happen.' It happens all the time, as we know, and the pattern is terribly, depressingly familiar."

"Still, the latest botched drug raid, which took place outside Albany, NY on the eve of July 4th, prompted a reaction from police that is so callous and plainly dismissive that it managed to surprise even me. The point isn't that I don't believe some police officers think this way, but that I just wouldn't expect them to reveal it as shamelessly as this." ...

FL: Police Officer Charged With Sexual Battery
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"An Ocoee police sergeant was arrested Thursday afternoon on sexual battery charges." ...

"'We don't look at this whether this is a cop or not, we look at this is a victim,' investigator Matt Irwin said."

"On Tuesday, a woman went to the sheriffs office to report a crime. She said that at a party the night before, a man known to her as Maloney molested her and hit her with a belt." ...

"'(He) took her pants off and began to spank her,' Irwin said. 'He also fondled her.'"

"The woman said Maroney got her to the ground, held her down with his elbow and then spanked her a dozen times with his hand, took off his belt and spanked her with that, too." ...

NJ: Sheriff's officer charged with stealing $150G from ex-wife's family
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Monmouth County sheriff's officer has been charged with stealing nearly $150,000 from his ex-wife's elderly aunt and dead cousin ..."

"Christopher Donadio ... was charged Wednesday with theft by deception, misapplication of entrusted property and fraudulent use of a credit card ... Donadio was released from the Monmouth County jail in Freehold today after posting $75,000 bail."

"... Donadio, a 14-year veteran of the sheriff's office, held a power of attorney for his former wife's elderly aunt, who was living in an assisted-care facility. Between October 2004 and January 2008, Donadio withdrew more than $100,000 from the woman's bank account and used the stolen money for his personal expenses, the prosecutor said." ...

OH: Another OFCC Member Harassed for Open Carry in Northwood
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Yet another Ohioans For Concealed Carry member experienced harassment from police ignorant of the laws in Ohio regarding open carry."

"OFCC member Edwin Farbrother took his eighteen-year-old daughter out for ice cream on her birthday in the evening of Saturday, July 5th, 2008 in the City of Northwood. After being there for approximately ten minutes, a police car roared up and skidded to a stop. The officer approached a man later identified as an off duty police officer (department unknown at this time) who pointed Farbrother out to him. Farbrother knew immediately that the officer was there because he was openly carrying a firearm, and he was correct." ...

DC: D.C. still feeling a little gun-shy
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The question isn't whether you'll be able to get a District permit to own a handgun. The question is: Will you be able to get a gun?" ...

"Since there are no gun stores in the District of Columbia, residents wishing to own a gun will have to buy them in another state. But, you won't be able to transport the gun back into the District. It will have to be shipped to a federally licensed gun dealer in the city."

"And therein lies the rub."

"There are only six Federal Firearms Licensees in the District. WTOP contacted all six, and found only one is considering facilitating the transfers of handguns once the law changes." ...

FL: Disney's gun stance draws fire
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Chip and Dale's boss wants to pack heat."

"It's not that Susan Fiore's worried about her fur-suited Disney World workers -- it's those outside the Orlando-area theme park who worry her."

"Although a new and controversial ... law sought to give Floridians like her the peace of mind to carry a piece almost anywhere in their cars, Disney World has found what it says is an out tucked in the law."

"The exemption is for employers with a federal explosives permit, which Disney has for its massive, daily fireworks shows."

"That exemption isn't the only questionable part of the state law, which a federal judge in Tallahassee called 'stupid' because it didn't clearly define which employers it applied to." ...

MN: 'Gun control' aids criminals
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"There is no such thing as gun violence. It's criminal violence! Firearms have no ability to shoot anyone or anything. It takes a criminal to do criminal acts."

"Most states have licensed law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons and you never hear of them doing anything unlawful. 'Gun control' gives criminals the upper hand and places citizens and their families at risk."

"Until now, politicians managed to pass laws in contradiction of the Second Amendment to disarm good people while the criminals have the weapons. ..."

"Let's punish criminals who unlawfully use firearms, and reward law-abiding, well-trained citizens who choose to provide for their own safety." ...

CA: Junior shooter breaks or ties three national marks
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Chad Kurgan of Tuolumne reasserted himself as one of the best shooters in the land three times over during the Mother Lode Gun Club's July high-power rifle match."

"Kurgan, 17, claimed three national records with one scintillating performance in the rapid-fire prone category. His score of 200-13X he nailed all 200 targets with 13 perfect dead-centers gave him the record in the National Rifle Association's junior, open and civilian classes."

"He previously shared the junior record of 200-6X with his coach, Robert Taylor II of Columbia. Kurgan now shares the open and civilian marks with a shooter from Oregon." ...

DC: Unbridled government
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Thank you for the informative editorial, 'Keep it simple on guns' (Wednesday). Unfortunately, those who govern have the audacity to think that they know better what's best for the citizens than the citizens do themselves. This is, of course, one of the important things against which the Founding Fathers felt a compelling need to protect us. Past and present experience show all too well that unbridled government cannot be trusted to act in the best interests of the people at all times."

"The genocides in Germany, the Soviet Union, Cambodia, the Middle East and Africa attest to what can happen with an unchecked government and an unarmed or disarmed citizenry. ..." ...

FL: Times-Union wants to hear from you about the Second Amendment
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

After two centuries of ambiguity, a June 26 Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment affirmed the right for American citizens to bear arms. The Florida Times-Union would like to hear from you on the matter.

If youve purchased a gun since the ruling, have a concealed weapon license, support anti-gun legislation or fall somewhere in between, please e-mail reporter Matt Coleman at matt.coleman@jacksonville.com.

Your response could be used for a story and/or a video presentation on Jacksonville.com.