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GA: Judge, Two Others Killed in Atlanta Courthouse Shooting, Manhunt Continues
Submitted by: Howard Ross Nemerov

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"Atlantans were on edge Friday after a rape suspect shot and killed three people in a downtown courthouse and made a desperate escape, sparking a citywide manhunt." ...

"Nichols was at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta to face charges of raping and holding his girlfriend prisoner. But before entering the courtroom, he grabbed a sheriff's deputy's gun, which he used to kill three people, including Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes." ...

"A criminal investigation will likely focus on how the suspect was able to free the deputy's gun from her holster and why the two were alone. It is standard procedure for defendants suspected of violent crimes to appear in court without handcuffs and in street clothing."

LEAA: Courthouse Shooting Demonstrates Need for Disarming Legislation; Police Groups Model Legislation Targets Criminals Who Seek to Get Cops Guns
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"The tragic fatal shooting in Atlanta of a judge and several courthouse personnel by a defendant who stole the duty weapon of courthouse deputy shows the value of model 'disarming' legislation written and promoted by the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA). This model legislation is designed to be used as a tool by prosecutors against criminals who fight with police and attempt to take the officer's duty weapon. As we have seen in Atlanta, when a subject goes for an officer's gun, the intent to commit murder is clear." ...

"Thanks to this training and equipment the number of officers killed with their own firearm has declined significantly in the last decade. However, as we have seen so tragically in Atlanta, some criminals will still seek to attack officers and take their firearms."

Bill Would Target Criminals Who Grab Officers' Guns
Submitted by: News Admin

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"A conservative group that represents the interests of police officers and crime victims says the murders of a judge and two other people in a downtown Atlanta courtroom on Friday should prompt lawmakers to crack down on criminals who grab guns away from police."

"The Law Enforcement Alliance of America has drawn up model legislation called the 'Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer Act.' "

"The bill would provide severe penalties, above and beyond assault on an officer, for criminals who attempt to take an officer's firearm."

Alan Gottlieb & Joe Waldron: Senator Lautenberg spins GAO report on guns to terrorize public
Submitted by: News Admin

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"What Lautenberg didnt say and what would alarm the civil liberties crowd if they were as interested in firearms rights as in other civil rights is that during the same period, an estimated 650 NICS transactions 'generated initial hits on terrorist records' in the governments Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File. However, the report admits, 'The vast majority of NICS transactions that generated initial hits on terrorist recordsdid not result in valid matches.' Translation: The initial 'hits' were mistakes."

BuzzFlash.com Names National Rifle Association Vice President Wayne BuzzFlash.com as Its GOP Hypocrite of the Week
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"What is the chief honcho for the National Rifle Association and key Bush supporter doing with a French name? With a name like Wayne LaPierre, you'd think good 'ol Wayne would be buttering croissants with John Kerry instead of working to make it easy for terrorists to buy big guns." -- KABA Note: That's right. You can't attack with facts, so attack the man's name. Very mature and much expected from BuzzFlash.

"Oh, and we mean big guns. Like the .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle that a terrorist can use to shoot down a plane landing or taking off. Because of LaPierre's brass knuckle threats to Congress, he got them and the Justice Department to make it as easy for a terrorist to buy a .50 cal as it is to buy a rifle." -- KABA Note: Too bad for the panic mongers at BuzzFlash, the .50 cal. has never been used in a crime, let alone a terrorist attack.

"Because of the NRA, the Government Accounting Office said '47 known or suspected terrorists were allowed to buy firearms in the United States from February through October last year, including some who were under active surveillance.' That's the way Wayne wants it." -- KABA Note: What Scott Vogel and crew seem to forget is that the presence of a name on the terrorist watch list does not mean the person is a terrorist, as in the case of Clark Co., Nevada School Superintendent Carlos Garcia or Senator Ted Kennedy... Um. Well. Nevermind.

"In fact, The Violence Policy Center reported in October of 2001 that terrorists purchased .50 Caliber Sniper Rifles in a study, 'Voting From the Rooftops: How the Gun Industry Armed Osama bin Laden, Other Foreign and Domestic Terrorists, and Common Criminals with 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles.' " -- KABA Note Bin Laden's goons used box cutters to perpetrate mass murder on 9-11-2001. They may have bought the box cutters in the United States. Maybe BuzzFlash needs to demand background checks for the purchase of sharp objects.

"Wayne LaPierre is our hypocrite of the week because he's always babbling on about 'self-protection' and when given the opportunity to protect Americans from suspected terrorists with .50 caliber rifles, he just looks the other way." -- KABA Note: Right. Because preventing terrorists from purchasing a weapon they never used in a crime and probably never will is worth violating the Constitutional rights of all law-abiding Americans.

BuzzFlash logic.

Howard Nemerov: Violence Policy Center: The Star of Gun Control
Submitted by: News Admin

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"For those who thought the assault weapons ban was history, listen up. The gun banners had a taste of victory for ten years. They had stolen power from the people, and it was a rush. When the ban faded into the sunset last fall, there was a general wailing and gnashing of teeth among those who thought the end was near for civilian firearms ownership. Like addicts suddenly cut off from their favorite drug, withdrawal set in, along with an overwhelming desire for revenge on those they mistakenly hold to be accountable for their suffering. They are waiting for any opportunity, and when there is a mass murder using a firearm, the misinformation machinedormant but not dismantledwill swing back into high gear."

FL: Senators Want To Ban Use Of Taser Guns
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Two Florida lawmakers say they want to ban the use of electric shock guns in Florida until it can be determined if they're safe."

"The brand Taser is the most popular such device used in law enforcement. The Taser gun shoots two cables with darts that penetrate a person's skin, delivering 50,000 volts of electricity."

"The shock usually renders someone momentarily senseless, but there have been cases where people have died."

IL: Tragedy triggers push to let judges pack guns
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Judges in Illinois would be able to carry concealed weapons under a bill inspired by the murders of the mother and husband of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow."

"Sen. Larry Bomke (R-Springfield) said he decided to draft the bill after getting a call from Sangamon County Circuit Judge Patrick Kelley, a former prosecutor, who said judges are concerned about retribution from people who appear before them."

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When law abiding regular citizens get victimized by armed thugs in "gun free" Chicago, one only hears calls for yet more gun control, but no push to restore the right of the victim to keep and bear arms. But when one of the "elite" falls victim to vicious criminals, there's an immediate move to allow them to carry.

IL: Ross makes good case to send gun bills packing
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"In chilling, rage-filled, tormented detail, Ross recounted how he carried out the murders of Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey, the husband and mother of federal District Judge Joan Lefkow and why." ...

"What Ross' letter makes clear is that there was a very long list of people who had 'violated' him. Five doctors. Ten lawyers. Eleven state and federal judges. Not to mention two presidents, two governors, all of Congress, the Illinois Legislature, the media and the 'Church.' "

"No matter how many federal marshals or FBI agents or Chicago police stand at the ready, no matter how high the quality of their work, none of them alone or together could have anticipated or adequately protected against the rampage of Bart A. Ross." ...

"Bart A. Ross was a registered gun owner, according to Tom Ahern of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Even so, carrying and concealing a weapon in Illinois is illegal."

"That could change soon."

"Just this week in Springfield, two gun bills made it out of a House committee. Each would make it legal for citizens of this state to carry a concealed weapon. It is something ardently fought by Mayor Daley, who every year has urged lawmakers to enact more and tougher gun control measures."

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KABA Note: Right. Because some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country didn't stop Ross from committing murder, but a few more should do the trick.

IL: Daley says Lefkow killings show too many guns are on streets
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says the shooting deaths of a federal judge's mother and husband show that there are too many guns on the streets."

"Daley says it's all part of a mindset in society that guns can solve problems. He adds that he doesn't think arming judges and allowing regular citizens to carry concealed weapons will fix the problem, either."

"And the mayor says he'll continue his fight to get lawmakers in Springfield to pass gun-control measures."

MA: Shopkeepers Tired Of Being Robbers' Targets
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Residents in one Boston neighborhood say they are tired of being the targets of robbers." ...

"The specialty at the Balti European Deli is delicious Polish imports, but recently, they have become known for something else: robberies."

"On Monday afternoon, a man walked in to the deli, pulled out a knife and threatened the clerk. On the surveillance tape, the clerk is seen opening the cash register and the thief helped himself to the money. Earlier Monday morning, the owners discovered that their shop had been burglarized overnight."

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Could it be because Massachusetts has some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the country that the criminals feel reasonably safe robbing their victims and secure in the knowledge that they won't get shot?

CA: .50-caliber rifle banned
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"The .50-caliber rifle, which is said to be a 'potential terrorist tool,' weighs 30-plus pounds and the government says it should be banned. It costs several thousand dollars, which would drown the bank account of an average American. But it has never been used in a criminal way or in a terrorist manner."

"Here in California, the state legislature has passed a law almost making it impossible to obtain a .50-caliber rifle and Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed a bill into law. The law states that anyone who obtained a .50-caliber rifle on or before Jan. 1, 2005 must register it with the Department of Justice. Doesn't this just sound ironic? We saw Schwarzenegger in movies and he always had something to do with guns. They weren't your average .22-caliber rifle or .38-special hand guns. But yet he bans the .50-caliber rifle."

MD: Court throws out Md. gun show operator's lawsuit Submitted by: News Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"A federal appeals court panel in Richmond has thrown out a gun show operator's suit against a law in Maryland that denies county funding to public places that display firearms." "The three-judge panel today said that Frank Krasner could not sue because he was only indirectly affected by the law in Montgomery County, Maryland."

Firearms and terror
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"It shouldn't surprise anyone that 47 people on a federal terrorism watch list were permitted to buy guns last year. That's what comes of letting the National Rifle Association set national firearms policy." ...

"How about simply adding terrorist watch-list suspects to the list of felons, illegal immigrants, mentally ill and six other categories of people now banned from buying firearms?" -- KABA Note: Whatever happened to "Presumed innocent until proven guilty?"

"Peter Hamm, spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said current policies 'benefit terrorists and benefit criminals. For the last four years, the Bush White House and Republican leaders in Congress have been pursuing gun policies that are on the wish list of the National Rifle Association.' And, obviously, on the keep list of terrorists."

NY: Queens women celebrate passing gun control bill
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Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"The night was filled with a range of emotions that reflected the group's recent accomplishment as well as its founding purpose.

"It was the 11th anniversary marking the creation of Mothers against Guns and in an elegant celebration at Antun's Catering Hall in Queens Village Friday, there was rejoicing for recently passed gun control legislation along with solemn mourning for those who have been lost to gun violence."

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Ironically, this bill did nothing to protect the Queens woman who was shot by her ex-convict former boyfriend yesterday on the anniversary of the bill. Are these women celebrating their ability to disarm one of their own and render her a victim to a violent murderer?

'Gaping Holes' Remain in Airline Security, Pilots Charge
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft

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"The association representing America's unionized airline pilots Thursday issued a scathing 'Aviation Security Report Card,' blaming the government, airports and airlines for producing an air travel system that is only a bit safer than it was before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist hijackings."

"The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was quick to label the report card a publicity stunt and inaccurate."

"Airline security received failing grades in some areas, and an overall average grade of 'D,' according to the Aviation Security Report Card[.pdf], issued by the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association (CAPA). ..." ...

WA: Should parents be notified when police question kids?
Submitted by: Rick Schwartz

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"A bill that would bar police from interrogating juvenile suspects without notifying their parents, and in some cases obtain parental consent for an interrogation, has gained widespread support among lawmakers in Olympia." ...

"Both the Senate and House bills require law enforcement to tell juvenile suspects they have a right to confer with their parents before being questioned. The bills also require police to make a good-faith effort to contact parents before interviewing a child."

"Both bills say that if a parent shows up during questioning, the parent has the right to intercede and stop it if the parent and the child decide to do so."

Malaysia: 'Rogue policeman about to be sacked'
Submitted by: News Admin

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"A police lance corporal, one of two robbers killed in a gunbattle here yesterday, was in the process of being sacked." ...

"Lance corporal Zulhaime Darus, believed to be in his 30s, and married with a child, was attached to the Johor Special Branch."

"He and his accomplice, Mohd Khairul Anwar Jaafar, 33, who previously served with the Federal Reserve Unit, were members of a notorious robbery gang that had been active for several years."

MI: Toy Guns Create Scare In Two Communities
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Toy guns cause scares in two West Michigan communities. The incidents happened this morning in Greenville and Kentwood. Police say the common factor in both was guns that look too real."

"State law says you can have look-alikes, as long as the toy guns are marked with an orange sticker."

"Police in both cases say the guns were legal, what may be criminal is how they were used."

"Three young men were playing the pretend version of cops and robbers. When the real ones showed up."

AL: Former Mosses police chief sentenced on extortion, drug charges
Submitted by: News Admin

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"The former Mosses police chief has been sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison on extortion and drug charges."

"43-year-old Henry Lee Gordon Junior was sentenced on March 3rd. He was found guilty in March 2004 on charges relating to his use of his position as Mosses chief of police to obtain crack cocaine from drug dealers. He was also convicted of drug possession and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of crack cocaine."

Switzerland: Troops pay to keep latest assault rifle at home
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Soldiers who have completed military service can hold on to the army's latest assault rifle from April 1, but they will have to pay for the pleasure."

"The government says the weapons must first have their fully automatic capability disabled and owners have to foot the bill."

"Friday's ruling means Swiss soldiers can, for the first time, take home the SIG 90 assault rifle."

"Previously, they had only been allowed to keep the older SIG 57 rifle and regulation pistols."

OH: Caught: Gun Ban Lobby Attempts Rhetorical Revisionism
Submitted by: News Admin

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"In an op-ed published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch and Toledo Blade, Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence director Toby Hoover joins the chorus of opponents to concealed carry reform who are now backing away from dire predictions of what would happen in Ohio if concealed carry reform became law."

"Hoover now says she and the rest of the gun ban lobby 'never painted lurid pictures of bloody shootouts in the streets.' "

"But as recently as last week, Hoover was quoted in several Gannett News Service papers as saying, 'If we have more use of guns, then we're going to have more people who are injured and die.' "

UK: MP's joy at gun ban in Labour manifesto
Submitted by: News Admin

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"A Birmingham MP won a major victory in his battle for a ban on replica firearms when Tony Blair announced the proposal would be included in Labour's election manifesto."

"Steve McCabe (Lab Hall Green) has led calls for an end to the sale of replica guns."

"Mr Blair revealed Labour would launch a consultation on new laws to prohibit the sale and carrying of replica firearms, if it won a third term in office."

IL: North Aurora cop guilty of perjury, police panel declares
Submitted by: News Admin

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"The North Aurora Police Commission found an 18-year department veteran guilty of perjury Thursday, a charge resulting from a false statement he made during an inquiry into a domestic violence case at his home."

"Sgt. Randy Johnson remains on unpaid administrative leave and his final fate as a North Aurora police officer won't be determined until the police commission meets again at 7 p.m. March 24."

MI: County board opposes gun-range exception
Submitted by: News Admin

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"After listening to the comments of many residents in a standing-room-only audience Monday evening, the Livingston County Board of Commissioners went on record opposing a recently introduced state Senate bill that would exempt gun ranges from local noise ordinances."

"The legislation, Senate Bill 220, was introduced Feb. 17 by state Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom, R-Norton Shores, whose aide said Tuesday there are no problems with noise at gun ranges in his district. Legislative assistant Jeff Cobb said Van Woerkom, whose district includes Muskegon and adjacent counties, introduced the bill because of the ongoing disagreement over noise levels at the popular Island Lake range in Green Oak Township and input from constituents."

UK: Man jailed for 'mobile phone' gun
Submitted by: News Admin

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"A man has been jailed for five years after firing live rounds from a gun disguised as a mobile phone."

"A court heard the lethal device described as a tiny, silver, mobile phone-shaped weapon."

"Leon Ellison, 26, was caught after letting off two live rounds in a busy street in Nottingham following a late-night scuffle. He admitted possession of a firearm, and was given the minimum sentence by a judge at Nottingham Crown Court."

TN: State Lawmaker Wants Hunting Amendment Submitted by: News Admin	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Some Tennessee lawmakers say they are trying to save an 'endangered species' the American hunter." ... "Jackson is proposing an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution guaranteeing the right to hunt and fish. He says attacks on the sport by animal rights activists and America's move away from its agrarian roots have placed hunters in the minority."

NY: Dental office horror
Submitted by: Glenn Guest

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Submitter's Note: Another instance where a convicted killer was not deterred by New York City's deadly gun control laws. There is no doubt that the one said to be the murderer would have been forever deterred if he had been put to death after he killed his first victim.

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"A woman was shot to death in the crowded waiting room of a Queens dental office yesterday - allegedly by her ex-con former boyfriend - in front of her horrified daughter." ...

"Police said Cheung had not taken out a protective order against Hicks, but she reported a verbal dispute involving him in November."

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KABA Note: New York's restrictive gun laws didn't stop this convicted felon from walking into the office and shooting this woman. What, exactly, would a protective order have done?

MN: Bell-ringing ceremony to memorialize gun deaths
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.krafft

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"Duluth families who have lost a loved one to gun violence will lead a memorial bell-ringing ceremony during the annual meeting of the Northland Chapter of the Million Mom March on Saturday." ...

"A memorial bell will ring 82 times for the 82 people who are killed every day in this country by gun violence, according to the Million Mom March." ...

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Submitter's Note: To get the 82 figure they are including accidents and suicides as well as homicides (including justifiable homicide) but not 'legal intervention'. Arguably accidents and suicide are not 'gun violence'.

MI: Student with toy gun forces lockdown at Greenville High School
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Students at Greenville High School were searched Friday morning and no one was allowed to leave after school officials learned a student might have brought a gun."

"Greenville Public Safety and a Michigan State Police K-9 unit spent the morning searching the school for weapons." ...

"Police say the boy has admitted bringing the gun to school to intimidate another student. He will probably be suspended for up to ten days and maybe expelled. This case will also be turned over to the county prosecutor to see if charges will be filed."

TX: Bill To Exempt Military Personnel From Range Instruction
Submitted by: News Admin

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"The House Defense Affairs & State Federal Relations Committee reported out HB 685 by Rep. Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs), which exempts military personnel with recent handgun training from the range instruction portion of the Concealed Handgun License course. ...On Wednesday, March 16, the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee will consider SB 734 by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), which protects hunting opportunities on private land annexed by a municipality."

FL: How secure are local courthouses?
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Three people were killed and two wounded during a shooting at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. The shooting is leading many to ask whether the same thing could happen at local courts in Southwest Florida."

"Security at the Collier County Courthouse starts the minute you walk through the door when you walk through a security checkpoint. That's where items are confiscated, everything from guitars to nail files, even knives." ...

"The extra vigilance gives judges peace of mind." ...

"In Lee County, an incident like the one in Atlanta is not out of the question. Everyone except bailiffs and judges are required to put weapons in a safe as they enter the courthouse."

MS: Police giving away gun locks
Submitted by: News Admin

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

The Sumrall Police Department has 200 free cable-style gun locks to distribute through Project ChildSafe, a national firearm safety education program. The lock consists of an armored steel cable with one end permanently attached to a keypad padlock. The lock prevents the firearms action from closing.

In its second phase, the program is funded through two grants totaling $30 million from the U.S. Department of Justice. The first phase, funded by a $50 million U.S. Department of Justice grant, distributed 275,000 gun locks throughout Mississippi. Sumrall began participating in the program in October and received 700 gun locks.

OR: Bill Allows Military To Renew Concealed Permits By Mail
Submitted by: News Admin

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Sen. Gary George (R-McMinnville) has introduced SB 793, which allows active duty military personnel to renew their Concealed Handgun Licenses by mail. As you`ve read in previous fax alerts, the Senate is awash in anti-gun legislation. This is a good bill for our troops, which deserves consideration separate from the gun control bills filed by Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-Portland). Please contact Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) at (503) 986-1600 and urge him to bring SB 793 up for consideration in the Senate.

CA: Bravo to women who defend themselves
Submitted by: News Admin

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"Bravo. A standing ovation for Deborah Courtney, the rape victim who has learned how to defend herself with her Glock 9 mm. She redefines the term 'gun control' ['Steady aim, steel will,' News, March 5]."

"With the all-too-frequent incidence of rape-murders, it is hard to believe there are women who would voluntarily disarm themselves - the Million Mom March, Sarah Brady, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and the San Francisco anti-gun crusaders."