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NJ Gov. Christie commutes sentence in Brian Aitken gun case
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Gov. Chris Christie has commuted the sentence of a man who was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found with guns he'd purchased legally in Colorado. Twenty-seven-year-old Brian Aitken's case had become a cause celebre among gun-rights advocates. In 2009, he muttered to his mother that life wasn't living, then left her home in Mount Laurel. She called police, who found two handguns in the trunk of his car. He says he was in transit in a move to Hoboken which should exempt him from a weapon-registration laws. But Judge James Morley would not allow the argument in trial this year. Aitkens was convicted then sentenced to a 7-year prison term. Christie later declined to reappoint the judge because of an unrelated case.

NJ: Essex County sees fatal end to a violent weekend
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A man was shot and killed in Newark on Sunday night, capping a violent weekend in Essex County that saw nine reported carjackings, nine shootings and three attempted carjackings, authorities said. ...
Most of the violence this weekend was concentrated in Newark, where there were seven shootings and seven carjackings since Friday morning, Ambrose said. Three of the shootings happened on Friday, three on Saturday and two yesterday.

COMMENT: This is exactly the situation a thinking person would expect in a state where firearms are owned "at the peril" of the citizen and where CCW permits are virtually unobtainable.

NJ: Gov. Christie commutes Brian Aitken's sentence Submitted by: David Codrea Website: http://www.davidcodrea.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Good job to all who joined in the effort to free Brian Aitken."

ID: 1 dead, 3 injured in Bayview hammer attack
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A North Idaho woman died Monday after she and three others were bludgeoned with a hammer in what authorities describe as an ongoing neighbor dispute that took a violent twist.

A suspect, Larry W. Cragun, 31, was arrested after employees at several Bayview businesses said he walked in after the attack and said hed just killed four people with a hammer, according to police reports.

Cragun, who residents say has a history of odd behavior, remains in Kootenai County Jail on $1 million bail, charged with murder in the beating death of Patricia A. Heath, 43. Three others survived the attack, though one remains in critical condition.

The attack at Heaths mobile home at 34552 N. Limekiln Road in Bayview followed weeks of problems...

Reports on Traver nomination increase expectation tensions
Submitted by: David Codrea
Website: http://www.davidcodrea.com

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"This is the public face of the state of the nomination. Ive also received information from a confidential source that paints things in a very different light. Understand that this may or may not unfoldwhile my source characterizes it as 'solid intel, as far as it goes,' that qualifier acknowledges the reality that sometimes things dont go as weve been told, and sometimes, there is intent behind that. With that caveat, heres what Ive been sent, edited only for expletives..."

NY: Trash collectors to serve as eyes and ears in the street for police
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Waste Management workers are out and about when almost everyone else is not. Except someone who might be up to no good.
A former FBI agent recently trained all Waste Management drivers, helpers and technicians in Rensselaer and Albany Counties to act as a mobile community watch.
"They're on these routes every day so they're used to the normal situation so they are able to recognize a non-normal situation," explains Ken Bevis of Waste Management. Trucks are now armed with a cell phone, camera and incident reports so they'll have accurate information for police and, possibly, prosecutors.
"The drivers understand their main job is to observe and report and let authorities do their job," explains Bevis.

GA: Cop shoots, kills family dog
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A Clayton County mother of six said the family dog did what he always did when he saw someone. He barked.
But when "Boomer" started barking and running toward a police officer Saturday morning, the officer shot the dog and killed it, Lawrence King told the AJC Sunday night.
Hes a golden retriever," King said. "He barks, but hes never bitten anyone.
A Clayton County police officer was on foot patrol on North Shore Drive when the dog jumped off a porch and started barking and running toward the officer, Capt. Tina Daniel said. The officer ordered the dog to stop and when it didn't, the officer shot and killed the animal in its yard, Daniel said.

Gun lobby blocks efforts to stem border violence
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Once again the gun lobby has stepped up to oppose public safety, this time along the Southwest border where thousands upon thousands of Mexicans have died from battlefield weapons bought in the United States by drug cartel representatives and handed to assassins, some as young as 14.

In a move that should have been made much earlier but apparently was delayed for pure political considerations, the White House and the Justice Department have cleared a proposed policy that would require Southwestern gun dealers to report to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives multiple sales of high powered semi-automatic weapons.

IL: Cook County Misquotes Landmark Court Cases In Defense Of Its Gun Ban
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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In a case that challenges the precinct's existing law that criminalizes the possession of many common firearms, the Cook County State Attorney's office recently filed briefs that contained factual errors, including misquotes of past Supreme Court decisions. According to the ISRA, the documents contained errors in the DC v Heller and McDonald v Chicago cases, which upheld the 2nd Amendment.

When the mistakes were brought to light by the plaintiffs, Cook County's legal team filed a motion to withdraw the errors in favor of amended versions. The plaintiffs have moved to strike the amendments on the motion that the changes do not remedy the ramifications of the misquotes in the original briefs.

India: India's own Charlton Hestons
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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At a posh farmhouse outside Delhi, a group of gun enthusiasts gathered on a recent Sunday afternoon to compare weapons, do a little shooting and talk strategy. Software professionals, executives and salesmen in their 30s and 40s, they're typical upper middle-class Delhiwallahs. Except for one thing: While liberal India bemoans the gun culture taking over its metropolitan cities, they're fighting to make sure one day every Indian gets the right to bear arms American-style.

CA: People line up to turn in guns to cops Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
It took San Diego police officers only three hours on Monday to give away all of the $9,000 worth of grocery store gift cards they had to hand out in exchange for people turning in unwanted guns. We had a huge turnout, Sgt. Kurt Grube said. It was the third year that the United African-American Ministerial Action Council of San Diego has sponsored the event aimed at curbing gun violence.

US wants reporting for high-powered rifle sales
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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ATF, which tracks weapons found in Mexico and has tied tens of thousands of recovered guns to U.S. dealers, has been criticized for not doing enough to curb the flow of guns to Mexico, where firearms sales are highly restricted.

Last month a Justice Department report on the agency's Operation Gunrunner criticized the program as being narrowly focused on individual gun buyers and not larger smuggling organizations believed responsible for significant numbers of guns being shipped across the border.

Currently there are no reporting requirements for rifles.

NJ: Gov. Chris Christie commutes sentence of man convicted of having guns in N.J. illegally
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Brian Aitken, who was convicted of illegally possessing two handguns that he had legally purchased in Colorado, will be spending Christmas out of prison.

Gov. Chris Christie commuted Aitken's sentence, from seven years to time served, according to an order the governor signed today.

Aitken had appealed to Christie for commutation after being sentenced in August. According to the commutation order, Aitken will be released as "soon administratively possible."

AZ: Glendale shop found to be No. 1 for guns found at Mexican crime scenes traced back to their shop
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The Washington Post recently tracked the number of guns found at Mexican crime scenes which were traced back to gun shops in the United States.

They found that the Lone Wolf Trading Company in Glendale topped the list nationwide.

The Washington Post said Lone Wolf took the number one slot for Mexican traces after it found that 185 guns recovered in Mexico were traced back to their store over the past two years.

FL: No right of self-defense at schools?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Mr. Benson said it almost never happens that one student simply walks up and, unprovoked, hits another. There usually is back-and-forth taunting and provocation, he said. Thats why deciding who hit first isnt the same thing as deciding who was the aggressor. There are other things that can be done instead of hitting back, he insisted.

If I put my hand up to block the punch, he said, Im defending myself. If I punch back, thats offensive. Mr. Benson said that In almost every case of a fight, there were opportunities to avoid it.

IA: Real Right-To-Carry Poised To Make Huge Strides This Year
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Two years ago, when Iowa Gun Owners was formed, Iowa had some of the worst gun laws in the country.

You needed government permission to do virtually anything when it came to buying or carrying a gun for self-defense.

A permit to buyand the feeslater on a class on how to carry a gunand pay the fee after waiting for months for the class. Later on a permit to carryand pay another fee and wait for a few more weekswith baited breath.

Defensive Shotgun of the Week--Stoeger Double Defense
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Like a few of my compadres, I would have to say the Remington Model 870 pump gun is my favorite shotgun for home defense. I'd even go so far as to say that the 870 is my favorite all-around shotgun. I have owned 870s in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauges, and .410 Bore over the years, and they all performed equally well. I simply never had a single problem with their reliability. But I recently stumbled upon a very intriguing self-defense-oriented shotgun that I am chomping at the bit to try. It's the Stoeger Double Defense, and it's a double-barreled side-by-side.

Philippines: 120 shooters hunt for gold in Velasco Cup
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A HUNDRED and twenty practical shooters started to pit their skills as the third installment of the Commission on Elections Commissioner Armando Velasco hits full throttle at the Philippine Military Academy shooting range.

Although the bulk of the shooters come from Baguio City, competitors coming from Pampanga, Metro Manila and even as far as the Bicol region converged for the level II match under the Philippine Practical Shooters Association.

Blog Gives Superheroes and Supervillains Their Day in Court
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Is Supermans heat vision a weapon? If so, would the Second Amendment protect his right to melt pistols and cook hamburgers with it?

You might not have thought to ask these questions. You might have, in other words, a life. But a new blog and the interest it is generating shows that there are people who look at an epic battle between superheroes and supervillains and really, really want to know who should be found liable for the broken buildings and shattered streets.

VA: VCDL Second Amendment Lobby Day -- Calls for Team Leaders
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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VCDL Lobby Day at the General Assembly Building in Richmond (241 N 9th Street, at the SE corner of Broad St. and 9th St) will be held about a month from now on Monday, January 17th, and we need to get team leaders and team members lined up!

We will be assembling outside the main entrance at 8:45 a.m., and hope to be done with team and individual lobbying by 11:00 a.m. at which time we will have our rally at the bell tower. More will follow in a later alert.

The importance of Lobby Day to our second amendment rights cannot be overstated.

IA: Bettendorf council tables weapons ban
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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After a lengthy discussion about how to balance the publics Second Amendment rights with the citys obligation to provide its employees with a safe work environment, the Bettendorf City Council agreed Monday to table a proposed ordinance to ban the carrying of weapons in city buildings until more information can be gathered.

The ordinance, which had been placed on the agenda for Tuesday's city council meeting, was a response to a change in Iowa law that goes into effect Jan. 1 regarding the issuance of concealed weapons permits.

The new law required county sheriffs to issue concealed weapons permits to anyone who applies and meets the legal criteria. Currently, sheriffs have discretion over whom they issue such permits.

NJ: Chris Christie commutes gun sentence of Brian Aitken
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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We havent covered Aitkens case (except for a lone Headline item a few weeks ago), but hes a cause celebre among libertarians and Second Amendment fans for good reason. In a nutshell: He bought three guns, entirely legally, when he was living in Colorado and brought them back to New Jersey with him when he moved home to be closer to his son. To make sure he had his is dotted and ts crossed, he called New Jersey police for guidance on how to transport them. He had the guns in the trunk of his car, unloaded and safely locked in a case, and was allegedly en route to his new home in Hoboken when he got a call from New Jersey police asking him to drive to his mothers home.

CO: State Supreme Court agrees to hear guns on campus arguments Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A group that opposes guns on campus filed an argument with the Colorado Supreme Court urging the justices to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to give students the right to carry firearms at colleges. The Washington, D.C.-based Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said in a brief filed Monday that the Court should "protect students and faculty from the severe risks posed by guns."

AZ: Man shot in stomach in Glendale Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
The shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. in the 6000 block of West Golden Lane, near 59th and Olive avenues in Glendale. The shooter had a conflict with the victim, although Sgt. Brent Coombs, a police spokesman, would not elaborate. Police are looking into the possibility that the shooting was in self-defense, he said.

TN: Stumptalk: Constitutional rights and gimme rights
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Even so, for all that history the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights remain simple and straightforward: speech, assembly, press, and religion; self defense with firearms; no unlawful searches and seizures; no self incrimination; and no cruel and unusual punishments, to name the better known.

Today, however, many people insist that other Constitutional rights exist in spite of the fact that in the U.S. Constitution

TX: Hail the Second Amendment: Houston Store Owner Shoots Three Robbers Dead
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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What I understand was, they were trying to take his wife. So what he did was defend his family, and the guys got what they deserved. So spoke customer Theresa Arellano to Fox 26 in Houston about Thursdays attempted robbery at the jewelry store owned for 22 years by Ramon Castillo, 52, and his wife Eva, 48.

Castillo Jewelers is located in the 4500 block of Canal Street in East Houston. Around 2:00 p.m. on December 16, two of the would-be robbers entered the store and posed as customers needing service.

A third then came in with a pistol and declared, This is a robbery.

Feds want reporting for high-powered rifle sales
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The federal agency that monitors gun sales wants weapons dealers near the Mexican border to start reporting multiple sales of high-powered rifles, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has asked the White House budget office to approve an emergency request requiring border-area gun dealers to report the sales of two or more rifles to the same customer within a five-day period.

The emergency request, published Friday in the Federal Register, is likely to face stiff opposition from gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association. ATF wants the Office of Budget Management to approve the request by Jan. 5.