|
|
States seek to protect gun rights
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
I mentioned the legislation in a letter to Representative James Comer. Mr. Comer informed me that there were actually two bills in the Kentucky legislature on this issue. "My constituents believe passionately in the Second Amendment, and I have always been a vocal and hard fighting member of the General Assembly to see that our gun owner rights are protected," Comer said.
According to the website a total of five states now have enacted this law with many more considering similar legislation. In Kentucky, HB 87 specifically states that "firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition that are made in Kentucky, marked ... in Kentucky, and used in Kentucky... are exempt from federal law"
|
Anti Freedom Brady Campaign Continues Slide Into Irrelevancy
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
This week, though, Brady lawyer Dennis Henigan—the world’s most prolific advocate of the legal theories the Supreme Court sent to the shredder two years ago—further diminished the group’s credibility by claiming “The evidence is overwhelming that the ’shall-issue’ concealed carry laws have been a disaster for public safety. . . . [T]he scholarly research shows that the laws generally have been ‘associated with uniform increases in crime.’”
If he had just pushed himself away from the computer after his first four words, he would have been much better off. There’s “evidence,” all right, and it’s certainly “overwhelming.” Today, there are 36 states with “shall issue” laws—an all-time high. |
MA: Founders knew need for defense against tyranny
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Your March 11 article "Ruling clouds gun laws" reports that the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has ruled the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution applies only to the federal government and not the states.
Does this mean that the other nine amendments of the Bill of Rights also do not apply to the states?
In its decision, the SJC has misinterpreted the intent of the amendment and ignored American history.
From experience the Founding Fathers well knew the importance of an armed citizenry. Numerous of their comments explain their reasoning for adopting the Second Amendment, not the least of which was as a defense against tyranny in government. |
WI: Open Carry Group Cleans Up A Beloit Park
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
ICarry.org is trying to make Beloit more beautiful by cleaning up two miles of Riverside Drive along the Rock River. They're doing this while trying to raise awareness about the right to carry guns. The pistols on their belts are there legally because in Wisconsin, you can carry them on the outside of your clothes as long as they're fully exposed. But it's illegal to conceal them. In fact, Wisconsin and Illinois are the only states in the nation where concealed carry is illegal.
|
Don't abridge rights based on technology
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The writer inferred that the Founding Fathers were talking about "single-shot muzzleloaders" when they wrote the Constitution. ...
... The Founding Fathers laid down principles for our country and our freedoms in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Once we start changing them due to advances in technology, we start down an increasingly slippery slope that leads to a significant loss of freedom for everyone. The Second Amendment was intended to insure that the government could not become too powerful and make "subjects" of the people rather than citizens, and I applaud the Supreme Court for recently reaffirming that it was intended as an individual right. |
Bahamas: Armed Bahamas resident shoots violent home invader in self defense
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Police say that a two armed men, who were wanted in connection with a string of burglaries and robberies, began breaking into a home at Assembly Estates around 2:00pm on Saturday. A resident and the intruders saw each other, at which point one of the intruders fired two shots from his handgun, which missed the resident, according to news reports. The resident reportedly grabbed his lawfully owned shotgun and fired in self defense, striking at least one of the home invaders and sending both fleeing. One suspect collapsed nearby and was taken to a hospital in serious condition, while the other suspect escaped and is being sought, according to police. |
OH: New permits in Ohio reached record last year
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Five years after it became legal for Ohioans to carry concealed firearms, more people lined up for permits than in any year since the law took effect.
A record number of permits also were issued in Michigan last year, and across the country sales of guns and ammunition soared as well. While many cite the Obama factor - some Americans feared the President would take away their right to keep and bear arms - they also say the recession has prompted security fears. |
IN: Emphasize gun safety
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
If even the most responsible, best trained gun handlers can make mistakes, what about lesser trained gun owners?
And consider that in Indiana, almost any adult without a criminal history can obtain a license to carry a handgun in public for life with no requirement of any gun knowledge whatsoever, much less training. Indiana lawmakers recently sealed those licenses from the public record, a move Gov. Mitch Daniels endorsed.
Another bill Daniels signed will change longtime laws that have allowed businesses to prohibit handguns on their property. The new law will allow workers to keep guns in the glove compartments of their cars � making guns just a parking lot away during heated workplace arguments. |
CA: Local Clerks Taking Arms Against Robbers
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
When two masked men, one armed with a gun, tried to rob this liquor store late Friday night, the clerk behind the counter took a stand.
"Due to the robbery and him feeling unsafe for his safety that he did use his firearm," Modesto police Ofc. Scott Nelson said.
Police said the clerk was within his right to arm himself and use the weapon.
"The Penal Code in California does give the business owner the right to have a firearm in his possession... He was acting in self defense," Nelson said. And self defense is what it comes down to. |
IL: Adding justice to frontier justice
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
I was surprised — shocked, even — to read last week that Cook County prosecutors charged Kristian Branch with first-degree murder.
Police say the 28-year-old Elgin woman accompanied her boyfriend, Mario Charles, Tuesday when he entered a Schaumburg hotel room to pull an armed robbery.
One of the intended victims also had a gun, though, and shot back and killed Charles.
Illinois' "felony murder" statute says that if you commit a serious crime that results in someone's death, you can face first-degree murder charges even if you were unarmed or didn't directly cause the death.
The idea is that if a pair of punks stick up a bank and one of them kills the teller, they're equally responsible. |
OH: Adding guns to where alcohol is served is not beneficial
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
State Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, has proposed some changes to the law, and while they generally make sense, we do have some concerns.
If Schaffer's amendment goes through, concealed-carry permit holders will be able to take their weapons into businesses that sell alcohol, including groceries, restaurants and bars -- as long as the business doesn't prohibit them, of course. That might be fine for stores and restaurants, but we seriously question mixing guns with alcohol in bars. The law would require those carrying guns to remain sober while doing so, but Ohio law also requires those who are driving to abstain from alcohol, and yet some still will consent to at least one drink. |
The Right to Hunt
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Hunters across America are wary of the political intentions of groups like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.) In particular, hunters are worried that PETA and other animal rights activists may be able to exert enough influence to get laws or local ordinances passed that make it difficult or impossible to continue hunting.
Although the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms, as it has been interpreted, there is no right to hunt. Indeed, hunting itself is licensed almost everywhere in America and hunting seasons define what times of year hunters can harvest particular types of animals. |
MO: Springfield City Council meeting on gun rights made great political theater
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Politely, Nick Ibarra had prepped his council colleagues about what to expect. The 40-minute commentary that followed might have been an official waste of time -- considering the council's limited power -- but it made for interesting political theater. And, like any good play, it deserves a review.
- Outshining his colleagues, at least when it came to timing, was Councilman Dan Chiles. He served up a killer of a one-liner.
Opining that the first reaction to times of economic stress might be to "to go out and get a gun," he called for collaboration instead: "getting to know our neighbors, growing gardens, planting things and helping others out."
Deadpanning, he added: "If all else fails, then we can buy guns and kill each other." |
MI: Speaker defends 'God-given right'
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Jack Reeck is a longtime member of the National Rifle Association.
A proud gun owner, the Tecumseh resident possesses a permit to carry concealed weapons.
"It’s a right to carry a gun," Mr. Reeck said Saturday at Cabela’s, site of the NRA Mega Weekend. The three-day event features several speakers addressing current and proposed gun laws.
Mr. Reeck was one of more than 100 people who attended the keynote speech by Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. |
TN: UT dismisses need for new state gun law
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A University of Tennessee spokesman said a state lawmaker's attempt to get involved with student-athlete gun rights is unnecessary, and the university has its own new policy.
Hank Dye, university vice president, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that earlier comments about a "zero-tolerance policy statement" regarding guns were overstated.
Republican state Rep. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville is sponsoring a measure that would prevent university officials from suspending athletes who have guns legally.
Dye said the university has a new zero-tolerance policy on athletes' possessing firearms when they are involved in university events and traveling to or from those events. |
Canada: U.S. gun rights advocates pack heat with pride
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
About 60 gun rights activists gather in a pizzeria in the Virginia suburb of Falls Church, just outside of Washington DC, their firearms openly displayed in waist holsters.
They are celebrating what they expect will be the successful enactment in Virginia of legislation expanding gun rights for residents. Republican Governor Bob McDonnell has pledged to sign the measure.
With gun control legislation stalled at the federal level in Congress, a number of states have taken matters into their own hands to make it easier for residents to pack heat.
As many as 43 states already have some form of open-carry laws that allow citizens to carry firearms in plain view. |
IN: Take your gun to work? Some are glad it's legal in Indiana now
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
For one, having a fellow restaurant owner killed during a robbery scared him into getting a permit to carry his gun.
For another, witnessing a domestic situation spill over into the workplace and leave a co-worker dead scared her into ensuring everyone gets home from work safely every day.
The experiences of Mickey Skoulos, owner of Sunrise Cafe on Beardsley Avenue, and Ariann Lawhorn, human resources manager at Mid-City Supply Co. on Industrial Parkway, shape their views of the "take your gun to work" bill that Gov. Mitch Daniels signed Thursday. |
AK: Anchorage Superior Court judge publicly reprimanded for driving drunk
Submitted by:
none
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
McKay, 57, pleaded no contest in October to the misdemeanor of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. His blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit
He was ordered to spend five days in a correctional halfway house, pay a $1,500 fine and was placed on three years' probation. His license was revoked for 90 days and an ignition interlock device was placed on his car for one year.
"I deserve this. I accept this," the judge said after Thursday's reprimand. "I would like to apologize to my family and colleagues."
Twenty-two years ago, McKay was convicted of drunken driving and received a mandatory minimum sentence of three days in jail. |
PA: Cops in beating get jobs back, free FOP beer; Suspects were cleared, too
Submitted by:
Larry
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Two years ago, eight Philadelphia police officers drew national scrutiny when a news helicopter caught them kicking and beating three murder suspects.
Tonight, their comrades will toast them with free beer and munchies. The officers will be the guests of honor at a bash hosted by the Fraternal Order of Police celebrating their reinstatement.
"Our Guys Are BACK!" proclaims an FOP flyer inviting officers to the free happy-hour party at the FOP office, on Spring Garden Street near Broad.
Submitter's note: I wonder if the outcome would have been the same if the JBTs had beaten a group of local politicians in this manner. |
MI: Let Them Eat Meat
Submitted by:
Larry
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Jerry Schneble. He is the Michigan director of the Great American Meatout — you didn’t know there was such a position? In shilling for vegetarian interests (and his own political views), Schnebel talked Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm into having an “official” Michigan Meatout Day. This is a state proclamation for a meatless day. Here’s Schneble:
“I would point out that two-thirds of all Americans are either overweight or obese, and I can guarantee you they did not get that way by overeating fruits and vegetables,” he said.
“Meat has no fiber, no phytochemicals, or antioxidants — all critical for good health.”
Ed.: The buffalo burger sounds delicious. |
NY: County sees increase in requests for pistol license permits
Submitted by:
NYSRPA-PVF
Website: http://www.nysrpa-pvf.org
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Sitting in my local barbershop getting a trim recently, the conversation turned to the previous day’s activities. My barber, his wife and another hairdresser had made a day of taking a pistol safety course in order to complete their handgun license applications. The female hairdresser said she decided to do it now “in case they made it illegal” to do so in the future. Apparently, she isn’t alone in this belief. In Columbia County, as well as across the country, requests for pistol permits are on the rise, along with gun sales and instruction. |
|
|
| QUOTES
TO REMEMBER |
| As I have stood in the crosshairs of those who target Second Amendment freedoms, I've realized that firearms are not the only issue. No, it's much, much bigger than that. I've come to understand that a cultural war is raging across our land, in which, with Orwellian fervor, certain acceptable thoughts and speech are mandated. — Charlton Heston |
|
|
