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The Human Right of Self-Defense [.pdf]
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Is there a human right to defend oneself against a violent attacker? Is there an individual right to arms under international law? Conversely, are governments guilty of human rights violations if they do not enact strict gun control laws?"

"The United Nations and some non-governmental organizations have declared that there is no human right to self-defense or to the possession of defensive arms. The UN and allied NGOs further declare that insufficiently restrictive firearms laws are themselves a human rights violation ..."

"This Article investigates the legal status of self-defense by examining a broad variety of sources of international law. Based on those sources, the Article suggests that personal self-defense is a well-established human right ..." ...

Crunch Time May be Coming for Right to Arms for Personal Self-Defense, Warns Gun Law Expert
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'The crunch time for the individual Second Amendment civil right of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms for personal self-defense may be fast upon us,' gun rights expert John M. Snyder warned here today."

"Snyder noted that current significant factors in the continuing controversy are the forthcoming Supreme Court hearing in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, this year's presidential campaign, and ongoing attempts by gun-grabbing Members of Congress and state and local legislators to curtail the traditional American right to acquire and use personal firearms for defense of life, family and property."

"He pointed out that next month the high court is slated to hear arguments in the Heller case. ..." ...

Gun grabbers' gun violence grade cards; Media ignores trend of higher grades for more violent states
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Brady Campaign has released its annual 'State Report Cards,' scoring the states according to their gun control laws. What is most curious about this ranking is that, once again, there is an obsessive focus on guns rather than on crime. If anti-gun groups talk about crime at all, it's always focused specifically on 'gun crime,' as if getting killed by a gun is worse than being killed with a knife or a baseball bat." ...

"Neither 10TV.com nor the Dispatch bothered to note the fact that ... Brady's scores correlate inversely with states' crime rates. Indeed, the Brady rankings clearly demonstrate that states that have the most gun control tend to have the most violent crime. ..." ...

Press secretary evades gun, death penalty issues
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"President Bush's press secretary yesterday evaded questions on the issues of gun control and the death penalty ..."

"The questions came from Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House, who opened his questioning with a reference to the Justice Department's brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that says gun bans found 'reasonable' by a judge could be considered constitutional."

"The opinion has generated outrage among Second Amendment supporters nationwide already."

"'... if the Supreme Court were to accept the solicitor general's line of argument ... a categorical gun ban of virtually all self-defense firearms could well be found to be constitutional does the president agree or disagree?'" ...

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson on Second Amendment case
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Here is Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson's response on the Second Amendment Supreme Court Case:"

"Dear Mr. Horsley:"

"Thank you for contacting me regarding the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case, District of Columbia v. Heller. I appreciate the opportunity to respond."

"As you are aware, on March 9, 2007, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the District of Columbias ban on guns in the home is unconstitutional, violating the individual rights protected by the Second Amendment. The majority opinion wisely states: 'The phrase 'the right of the people'leads us to conclude that the right in question is individual.' ..." ...

Don't change park gun rules
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"When entering a national park, signs tell visitors that guns must be unloaded and stored; they cannot be pointed at a person or wildlife. Such rules are entirely reasonable. But for the last five years, the National Rifle Association has been trying to change them. Now, by spreading misinformation, the NRA has convinced 47 senators to sign a letter to do just that. The letter falsely states that people are prohibited from transporting firearms in national parks. In truth, hunters can carry rifles through a park, just as they have for years. In the 59 national park units that allow hunting, they can carry loaded weapons in season. ..."

Josh Sugarmann: Want Loaded Guns in National Parks?--Senator Tom Coburn's Your Man!
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"As early as next week, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is expected to offer an amendment to S. 2483, the 'National Forests, Parks, Public Land, and Reclamation Projects Authorization Act of 2007,' that would stop the enforcement of park service regulations requiring gun owners to keep their guns unloaded and stored while visiting most areas of America's National Park System."

"Under the Coburn Amendment, state law would supercede the current federal regulations. So, if you have a concealed carry license that's valid in the state(s) the national park you're visiting is located, go ahead, load up that handgun and carry it around your campsite, over to Old Faithful, back to the general store for a six-pack of beer, and then back to your tent. ..." ...

MD: A gun in the house
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"A great deal is not yet known about the horrific quadruple murders in Cockeysville that have led police to charge a 15-year-old honor student with murdering his parents and two younger brothers. But this much is clear: The presence of a gun in the house did not protect the Browning family; it put them at a greater risk of violence." ...
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KABA Note: Another tragedy being celebrated by the anti-gunners with their fallacious 'studies' and spurious statistics.

Lawyers Fighting D.C. Gun Ban Argue Against Militia Focus
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"If the Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a handgun, then the District's ban on such arms must be declared unconstitutional, lawyers for the man challenging the 'nation's most draconian gun laws' told the Supreme Court yesterday."

"Lawyers for Dick Anthony Heller, a security guard, filed a brief saying that the District's categorical restrictions are so broad that they cannot comply with the Second Amendment's protection of the right to bear arms." ...

Historic Supreme Court Brief Filed in Second Amendment Challenge to D.C. Gun Ban
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Today, attorneys challenging Washington, D.C's 31-year-old gun prohibition laws filed their written arguments[.pdf] in the U.S. Supreme Court. Washington, D.C. bans the possession of handguns outright, and further forbids rifles and shotguns from ever being operable in private homes for use in self-defense. The case, District of Columbia v. Heller, is named for Dick Anthony Heller, a private security guard who carries a gun at work, but cannot keep one at home to defend himself and his wife. 'I'm fighting for the constitutional right of law-abiding individuals who live in dangerous communities to have a firearm to protect themselves and their families from rampant violent crime,' said Heller." ...

KY: Homeowner Shoots Intruder Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Website: http://www.nysrpa.org	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
FULL TEXT BELOW: A homeowner took things into his own hands late Monday night in Southern Kentucky. The Whitley County Sheriff's Department says an intruder broke into a home on Highway 204 near Canada Town. Police say the homeowner was inside at the time and shot the intruder. Investigators say they found a trail of blood leading into the woods but weren't able to find the burglar.

PA: Police Find Blood Trail From Store To Alleged Robber's Doorstep
Submitted by: jac

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"It appears an armed robber picked the wrong store to hold up. Police said it's the robber who wound up getting shot." ...

"'There was a trail of blood and a hat found on the highway, and also a semiautomatic handgun. And the blood led down the street onto North 3rd Street,' Vanore said." ...

"Investigators said that they are still looking into both sides of the case, meaning the store owner with the gun as well as the alleged robbery. Police stressed that deadly force should only be used in the most extreme of circumstances -- when there is no way out, NBC 10's Deanna Durante reported." ...

Free Chicago! (Has a massacre happened in YOUR gun free zone today?)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Five more of my hometown brethren were killed this weekend, just outside Chicago at a Lane Bryant clothing store in Tinley Park. ... Many old northern cities have evolved to the point where the main city became irrelevant, like Detroit, MI ... yet Chicago has always been central to the suburb's identity."

"The anti-gun culture prevalent in the Chicago Mayoral administration and years of vilifying gun owners is also part of Chicago's culture. A sad situation that make pro-gun Chicagoans seethe with anger because year after year it is one of the murder capitals of the world. Still, Mayor Richard Daley chooses to disarm Chicago's law-abiding population without doing a thing to stem the tide of murders, rapes and robberies ..." ...

OH: The Power Of The Protective Order
Submitted by: Brent Greer
Website: http://thereadyline.blogspot.com

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"The friend riding in the car beside Stacey Lee Znamenacek was breathless and frantic when he called 911." ...

"'My friend just got shot in the head, her husband just shot her hurry, please hurry,' he begged the dispatcher. ..."

"Znamenacek ... had just been shot by her estranged husband ... She died a short time later." ...

"[Mrs. Znamenacek] obtained a domestic-violence civil protection order against Mr. Znamenacek from Fairfield County Domestic Relations Court on Jan. 15 ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: There is no power, for protective orders aren't worth the paper they are printed on. The residents of Canal Winchester, Ohio learned that the hard way Monday when one of their own -- a 37-year-old mother of two -- was brutally murdered by her estranged husband. He committed suicide shortly thereafter.

OH: Student expresses his views on why the campus should not allow guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In a world where students sometimes forget to turn off their cell phones in class, it is ludicrous to suggest that students carry firearms on campus."

"One can readily foresee the following classroom scenario: Bang! 'Ooops, sorry. I thought the safety was on. Anybody hurt?'"

"Accidents by well-intentioned, but all-too-human, concealed weapons carriers are much more likely than attacks by crazed gunmen."

"Think about it the next time a cell phone rings during lecture. Student concerns about possible rights under the Second Amendment are misplaced." ...
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Submitter's Note: Hoplophobic student concerns about negligent discharges are misplaced . . .

The Audacity of Gun Control?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Gun historian Clayton Cramer, whose work helped to unmask Michael Bellesiles as a massive fraud, minces no words regarding Barack Obama's position toward gun rights:"

"He was here in Boise over the weekend for a rally, and emphasized that he is not trying to take anyone's guns. He's a liar. It isn't just that he supports bans on semiautomatics, and more possession and purchase restrictions. He claims that he wants more laws to keep guns out of the inner cities. Why? Does he think black people lack the sense that white people have?" ...

Gun Control Advocates Call Clinton a Hypocrite
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Yesterday we took a look at Sen. Barack Obama's pro-hunter preaching in Idaho, wondering how it fit with a 1996 questionnaire in which he supported banning all handguns. Sen. Hillary Clinton implied Obama was a flip-flopper. ..."

"This aroused the ire of some gun control advocates, who pointed out that even if one considers this an Obama flip-flop (and Obama says that questionnaire was filled out incorrectly by a staffer), Clinton has made a much more dramatic flip." ...

Make gun restrictions consistent
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Like Sens. Tim Johnson, John Thune and nearly half of the U.S. Senate, we urge Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to lift restrictions that prevent citizens from carrying a firearm onto land managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."

"Currently, hunting is banned in most of Americas national parks. Any guns brought into those parks must be unloaded, cased and inaccessible. Hunters argue that is inconvenient and cumbersome during legal hunting seasons when they may cross NPS lands to hunt on other public lands that are open to hunting." ...

CO: Bill would crack down on careless gun storage
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A panel of state lawmakers gave initial approval Monday afternoon to a bill that could criminalize the careless storage of firearms."

"Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada, said the ready availability of firearms in some households has fueled teen suicides and school violence, and lawmakers should discourage the negligent storage of weapons."

"Senate Bill 49 would make it a misdemeanor offense for an adult to fail to safely and securely store a firearm, which a 16-year-old or 17-year-old child could then use to harm someone or take the gun to school." ...

"Dr. Tom Barrett, a professor at the University of Denver and Colorados former mental health director, said Windels' bill will help cut down on the number of teen suicides." ...

VA: Bill restricting access to list of gun permit holders passes House committee
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A bill that would restrict public access to a comprehensive list of Virginians who hold concealed handgun permits unanimously passed a House committee Friday morning.

HB982 would exempt the State Police list from Freedom of Information Act requests. The bill was spurred by the publication of the list on The Roanoke Times website in March, a move widely decried by gun advocates.

The bill doesn't affect public access to concealed gun permits filed at local court houses.

It was sponsored by Del. David Nutter, R-Christiansburg, a member of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee, which advanced the bill.

WA: Campus Carry Bill Hearing: Thursday, Feb 7
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "As of right now, schools can prohibit students via the WACs from carrying firearms. Each bill seeks to change this, but in drastically different ways."

"SB 6841 would"

"elevate carrying a firearm on campus to law
institute a gross misdemeanor charge for violation of this new law"

"subject the violator to the loss of their concealed pistol license, if any, for three years"

"require violators to undergo a mental health examination while incarcerated"

"SB 6860 goes the opposite way by:"

"bringing public, higher education institutions into alignment with firearm regulations that govern cities, counties, and other municipalities by
prohibiting them from making rules regarding the possession or carry of firearms" ...

WA: WA House Judiciary Casts Vote To Strip Gun Owners Of Right To Jury Trial
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Washington State House Judiciary Committee cast its votes today to strip Washington gun owners of the right to a trial by jury. Since at least 1959, Washington citizens have had the right to a jury trial with a standard of 'clear, cogent, and convincing evidence' before losing their right to bear arms due to being involuntarily committed for an alleged mental health illness."

House Bill 3095 ... effectively removes these protections by stripping citizens of their right to bear arms, perhaps permanently, after being involuntarily committed for a mere 14 days. In these 'probable cause' hearings there is no jury, no elected judge, and the standard of guilt is a mere preponderance of the evidence." ...

Publick Papers, "that most essential Right and great first Privilege, which God and Nature gave us, of defending our Lives, and protecting our Families", Nov., 1755
Submitted by: GunShowOnTheNet.com
Website: http://GunShowOnTheNet.com/

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"...praying for the Defence of our Lives and Properties, as a Matter of Grace and Favour on your Side; you will permit us to make a positive, and immediate, Demand of it, as a Matter of perfect and unalienable Right, on our own Parts, both by the Laws of God and Man; and to this we are induced by the following Considerations..."

"...2dly, The proper and natural Force of every Country is its Militia, without which we know of no Government, that ever could subsist itself; for it is highly unreasonable to think that the Burden of Defense should fall on a few Individuals, when the Design of Government is to obtain general Security by a general Union of the Force of Individuals..."

State of Louisiana, "whose age and infirmities exempted them from militia duty, formed military associations and arraying themselves in armour, became responsible for the internal tranquility of the state", Jan. 26, 1815
Submitted by: GunShowOnTheNet.com
Website: http://GunShowOnTheNet.com/

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"...and to the zeal with which the brave volunteers of Feliciana, Attakapas and Rapides, pressed forward in their country's service. . . . Were he to distinguish any particular corps, as pre-eminent in patriotism, he would remind the youths of Louisiana of the glorious example set them by their sires, He shall ever bear in mind that at his call, the fathers of families within this city and throughout the state, whose age and infirmities exempted them from militia duty, formed military associations and arraying themselves in armour, became responsible for the internal tranquility of the state, whilst their sons went forth to meet the foe..."

The speech of the Honourable William Gooch, "you will judge it adviseable, effectually to provide for the Defence of your Country", May 22, 1740
Submitted by: GunShowOnTheNet.com
Website: http://GunShowOnTheNet.com/

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"...to put our Militia upon such a Footing as will best enable them to contend with regular Troops, who excel other Men only by their exact Discipline: Do but consider what a lasting Disgrace it would be to our Name and Nation, if the personal Bravery of our Inhabitants, for want of being united under some such Influence, should be forced to to yield to the orderly Disposition of Adversaries, whom Man to Man they would Disdain..."

"...As it can't be reckoned an Encroachment upon Liberty, when meant to guard us against Dangers, however distant they may be thought, which threaten no less than our Lives and Properties . . . I suggest to you, that in case of an Invasion, as I must lead and conduct our Arms..."

To the inhabitants of the State of Vermont, "how much soever they might be oppressed, had that Fortitude and Patriotism that they dare appear in Arms to defend their just Rights", July 13, 1779
Submitted by: GunShowOnTheNet.com
Website: http://GunShowOnTheNet.com/

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"...the Right the People had to assume Government since the present Revolution--Constitution and Code of Laws astablished--Officers of Government, together with the Free-men of the State, sworn to support the Constitution thereof..."

"...People in general were under a strong traditional Bias in favor of Government, and but few, how much soever they might be oppressed, had that Fortitude and Patriotism that they dare appear in Arms to defend their just Rights, in Opposition to the undue Exercise of Law, when attempted to be exercised by legal Officers of Justice; and when they did, seldom failed of losing some of their Lives, and being vanquished by their Adversaries..."

The continuous asking of absurd questions
Submitted by: Barry Bright
Website: http://www.willowtown.com/

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"Would U.S. soldiers fire on U.S. citizens? Of course they would." ...

"Not all military people, like not all civilians, can be stereotyped. They represent a cross section of humanity. But my experiences in Uncle Sugars camping club and conversations I over heard and engaged in told me some people join up so they can see what its like to kill another human being, legally. Theyre a small minority, but theyre there." ...

NY: In Brooklyn, Police Work Is Undone by Scandal
Submitted by: Anonymous

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... "From quick collars on street corners to the patient business of nurturing a relationship with the dealer in Bay Ridge considered a big-time target the Brooklyn South narcotics squad has scored a range of arrests over the years."

"But now, after a corruption scandal involving four officers, the wheels of justice are grinding into reverse, undoing years of work by the police and prosecutors."

"... The Brooklyn district attorney's office has dismissed charges or vacated convictions in 183 cases because one or more of the four officers had played a significant role in them."

"In addition, the city's special prosecutor has thrown out five pending indictments against eight defendants." ...

TN: Tennessee sheriff arrested on extortion, money laundering charges in FBI sting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The sheriff of a southern Tennessee county was arrested Saturday in an FBI sting and charged with extorting money from video gambling operators."

"Between April and mid-December, Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long accepted $17,400, which he was told were payments from store owners 'to protect their video poker business and other illegal activity,' according to a federal affidavit."

"Long, 55, promised to inform them when he became aware of any investigation focused on their involvement in illegal activities, including selling ingredients used to make methamphetamine, the court record said." ...

IL: Opinions are points of view; everyone has a right to one
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A newspaper has two basic functions: to inform and to promote thinking. The first is done by reporting the news --who, what, when, where, why -- in other words, just the facts."

"The second is done by offering opinions covering, as much as possible, all sides of a question."

"The first is verifiable. ..."

"Opinions, however, are harder to verify as true or false. ..."

"A case in point is last week's article on page two of the Tuesday issue of the Daily Ledger by Charlie Wright and the rebuttal by Gary St. Clair on page four of the Thursday issue. Both pieces discussed the Second Amendment and the right of Americans to bear arms, both had rational arguments for their ideas, and both writers came to different conclusions." ...

TX: Bids to buy West Texas mountains rejected
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Offers to purchase the state-owned Christmas Mountains in West Texas were rejected Tuesday by Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the School Land Board, a move that signals the possible transfer of the mountain range to the National Park Service."

"But whether that happens still depends on the three-member School Land Board, over which Patterson presides. The Republican land commissioner earlier expressed opposition to transferring the land to the federal parks system if the agency insists on enforcing its normal firearms restrictions on the site." ...