Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

David Codrea: The Right Kind of Gun Rights?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Reasonable self-defense leaves room for firearms regulation. Exotic and highly destructive weapons could be restricted or banned, because no one needs a machine gun or grenade launcher for protection against ordinary crime." ...

"This is what happens when you let the 'moderates' drive the bus--they can't find enough of 'those people' to run over. It's happened with the 'Big Tent' Republicans, and it's happening in the gun rights movement--with the complicity of many who claim political expansion through compromise is more important than fidelity to principles and core constituency." ...

Our Biggest Problem: Anti-gun Gun Owners
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The District of Columbia v. Heller case was argued before the United States Supreme Court just a few days ago. ... and as usual, different factions of gun owners are hoping for different outcomes."

"Self-defense advocates ... are hoping for a broad ruling that strikes down all restrictive gun bans."

"There is another large faction of gun owners, however, who don't really care whether the D.C gun ban is upheld. They are the type who live with their head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge they are part of the problem. Instead, they are either only interested in owning a gun for hunting, or only want a gun for home defense and don't see a need to go through life armed." ...

Banning the .50 Caliber Rifle in Hawaii Sets a Bad Precedent
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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... "I am Ronnie Barrett, President of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. In 1982, I invented a rifle and started producing it in my gravel-floor garage. Through hard work and financial risk, my company has grown into a brand that is known around the world for its products and services."

"What began for me as a personal sport shooting rifle has evolved into one that is used by many sportsmen throughout the country, the United States military, law enforcement agencies and by nearly 50 American allied countries around the world." ...

Court Shows Courage on Guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Big Tim Sullivan was a notorious Irish gangster whose mob controlled New York City south of 14th Street around the turn of the 20th century ..."

"He made the relatively easy transition from dangerous street thug and political ward heeler to New York state senator first in 1894 ..."

"In 1911, the Irish and Jewish mobsters who put him into office faced a growing problem -- the Italians. Immigrant mafiosi newly arrived from Sicily and Naples were horning in on what had once been their exclusive domain ..."

"Not to worry, Big Tim told the boys. And in 1911, he took care of the problem."

"The Sullivan Act was passed into law in New York state in 1911 and remains Big Tim's primary legacy ..." ...

Britain is world's 7th most stable and prosperous nation
Submitted by: John Rich

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... "A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries and dependent territories has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations. ..."

"The US lies 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th, losing points in the assessment of its social achievements." ...

"Mr Le Mičre said that the US had fallen down the scale, although it still scored an average of 93 out of 100, partly because of the proliferation of small arms owned by Americans ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: In other words, Janes Information Group considers the right to keep and bear arms to be a NEGATIVE factor in stability and prosperity.

Don't Let Anti-Gun Groups Fool You
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"With the 2008 presidential election looming larger on the horizon, it is important for those who believe in the constitutional right to bear arms to keep close watch on groups who profess to support your Second Amendment rights, and those who are front groups for destroying those rights one step at a time."

"It has been a trend in the last few years for anti-gun organizations to change their names so as to seem less threatening to firearms rights." ...

"Now, on the scene is the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), and its executive director Bob Ricker. The board of directors of this group is staffed with dedicated Second Amendment haters ..." ...

Court mulls key gun case
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The heaviest fire in the war over firearms in the United States has come from those who are absolutist in their view that there can be no legal limits on gun possession and from those who see no such right in the Constitution or in civilized society."

"After what was, by Supreme Court standards, a protracted argument last Tuesday, it may be hoped that the justices are prepared to split the difference. It would be the right thing to do. But it could well serve to complicate the lives of the gun-rights and the gun-control advocates of the future. Not to mention the dockets of judges." ...

Second Amendment Under Fire
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"As the U.S. Supreme Court considers the matter of 'gun control' in the District of Columbia, many Americans understand that the issue is about 'control' not 'guns.'"

"It's no secret that guns in the hands of law abiding citizens threaten only those seeking control over those citizens, be they criminal or over-reaching government. It's also no secret that no law will keep guns out of the hands of criminals, who by definition dont care what any law says."

"Is there a message hidden in the fact that the cities with the strongest gun control laws also have the highest violent crime rates in our nation?" ...

2nd Amendment Rights Are Fundamental
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Firearms have long been a part of the history and culture of South Dakota. It is difficult to imagine homesteaders defending their claims without the assistance of rifles, and it is hard to ponder an autumn in South Dakota without the blaze orange vests and shotguns that are everywhere during pheasant season. Guns are a part of life in rural South Dakota, but Second Amendment rights are not so universally respected in other parts of the country."

"On March 18, the U.S. Supreme Court heard an important Second Amendment case challenging the constitutionality of a law that bans most privately owned firearms in the District of Columbia ..." ...

Gun case off target
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The column on Washington, D.C.'s gun ban shows the typical far-left rationale or lack thereof when it comes to the Second Amendment ('D.C.'s gun ban in court's hands,' March 20). The premise of the entire argument is two-fold."

"First if we get rid of guns altogether all violence will stop and we will all give each other a big hug. Let's ignore the fact that most repressive governments in history have confiscated guns. Countries that have banned guns recently, or have very strict laws such as England and Australia, have had large increases in crime."

"I would invite the authors to move into a bad area of Boston or any city and put a sign saying that their house is a gun-free zone. You know, like at Virginia Tech." ...

D.C. v. Heller Eyewitness Report Analysis 1
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"It is a most dangerous game we're playing here. The major 'news' outlets seemed to agree with my assessment (and I went out on a limb with that, 12 hours before any of them), that the High Court seemed ready and willing to unequivocally affirm an individual right to keep and bear arms. ..."

"But it doesn't end there it barely starts there. If they affirm, does that mean Gun Laws of America (listing every federal gun law, with plain English descriptions), is erased? How much of it becomes null and void? ..."

"'Gun laws will be over' is the hysterical cry of the antis ... And those are almost the fears of the pros too any finding less than total uninfringed keep and bear will jeopardize 200+ years of firmly established cherished rights." ...

LA: Impact of D.C. gun-law case could be felt in Louisiana
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"The Supreme Court's review of a ban on handguns in the nation's capital has touched off a debate on gun rights that's likely to impact Louisiana." ...

"If the court declares Washington's handgun ban unconstitutional, legislatures in Louisiana and other states as well as federal lawmakers would have a tougher time tightening restrictions on firearms."

"Donald Stern, a former U.S. attorney in Massachusetts who has credited gun laws with aiding the prosecution of criminals in Boston, said the Supreme Court's upcoming decision could 'dramatically alter the landscape for prosecutors and law enforcement officials.'" ...

FL: Police: Intruder Shot, Killed In Break-In Submitted by: RPA-PAC Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
FULL TEXT BELOW: An intruder who tried to break into a southwest Miami-Dade County home was shot and killed early Tuesday morning, police said. The fatal shooting occurred at about 2 a.m. outside 5851 SW 118th Ave. When Miami-Dade police arrived, they found the security chain on the fence that borders the property broken and the body of a 38-year-old man.

VA: VA Tech SETTLEMENT?
Submitted by: mindful musings
Website: http://chris-horton.blogspot.com/

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"Those close to the victims of the Virginia Tech mass shootings offered mixed reactions Tuesday to a proposed multimillion-dollar state settlement and whether it will properly honor their loved ones."

"Families of the victims have until Monday to say whether they'll accept the settlement, which would give $100,000 to representatives of each of the 32 killed and ensures that families will have the chance to talk to the governor and university officials about the shootings." ...
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KABA Note: So VA Tech thinks that the life of a student they disarmed and then failed to protect is worth $100,000? Despicable!

VA: Learning the Hard Way -VT Fails To Address Truth Regarding Legal Firearms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Jonathan Swift said 'There's none so blind as they that won't see.' So many people walk around their whole lives with their eyes wide shut. The highest paid, most powerful voices here at Virginia Tech are effectively blind to what is going on outside of Burruss Hall."

"As the Hokie Nation quickly approaches the anniversary of the shootings of April 16, nothing has changed. ..."

"Closely resembling a presidential candidate during a press conference, the administration has dodged every substantive question it has been posed. What is the most common reason behind avoiding a question in a political context? The answer." ...

Why have Clinton and Obama ducked gun control issue?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"When Supreme Court justices debate the legality of the District of Columbia's ban on handguns in coming weeks, their file will include a legal brief from Vice President Dick Cheney, Arizona Sen. John McCain and 54 other senators asking that the law be overturned."

"But they won't find anything from Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton ... or Barack Obama ... They didn't sign the rival brief from other members of Congress who back the tough handgun restrictions."

"The Democratic presidential candidates' silence is part of a pattern. For years, the national party has downplayed its historic sympathy for gun control for fear that emphasizing it would be politically costly." ...

CT: Proposals on gun control, civil unions stall in Hartford
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"Several pieces of legislation fell by the wayside yesterday as the Judiciary Committee scrambled to pass more than 100 bills and resolutions before a 5 p.m. deadline."

"But two high-profile proposals involving gun control and civil unions received the ax over the weekend when committee members met to craft yesterday's agenda." ...

"Such was the case with a proposal requiring any new semiautomatic pistols sold in Connecticut after Jan. 1, 2010, to employ a fledgling technology that would brand an alphanumeric code on bullet cartridges when fired." ...

FL: Chamber takes aim at 'guns at work' legislation
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Destin Area Chamber of Commerce is urging its members to lobby their legislators to vote against a bill it says hurts Destin's employers and business owners."

"The bill, currently working its way through both houses of the Florida Legislature, would make it illegal for any public or private party to prevent anyone from having a legally-owned firearm in their vehicle while parked on private property."

"The chamber says the bill, HB 503, is not a protection of the Second Amendment as its proponents claim but instead is an infringement on the rights of property owners statewide." ...

CA: City Council to weigh in on gun control case
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Bakersfield City Council will take up the issue of gun control Wednesday as it considers a resolution about a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court."

"The city isnt considering a change to any of its own laws, but instead will consider whether to weigh in about a Washington, D.C., law. That law, banning handguns in the city, was struck down by an Appeals Court and is now being considered by the Supreme Court."

"Bakersfield City Councilman Zack Scrivner said the city should send a message to the federal government that the Second Amendment provides an individual right, and that no government should be able to infringe on that right." ...

FL: In this fight, even gun sellers are called 'anti-gun'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In Tallahassee, you sometimes hear outlandish statements ... This year I haven't yet heard of anything as odd as the retail industry's gun sellers being labeled 'anti-gun.' The paradox might be amusing if it weren't so troubling. ..."

"... I have been one of the visible opponents to the Florida gun lobby's three-year push to erode property rights and management rights. ... the gun lobby has been pushing a bill in Florida to prevent property owners and business managers from restricting guns in the workplace. Despite the absence of any evidence that such policies have caused a problem, the gun lobby's mission has been to convince legislators that the business community is out to take guns away from law-abiding citizens." ...

Boston and D.C. Gun Grabbing Schemes Fizzle
Submitted by: clell

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"It's not working, much to the displeasure of the Boston cops."

"'Boston police officials, surprised by intense opposition from residents, have significantly scaled back and delayed the start of a program that would allow officers to go into people's homes and search for guns without a warrant,'reports the Boston Globe. ..."

"It should be dubbed homes outside the purview of the Fourth Amendment. But thankfully some residents and community groups have a handle on the scheme, designed to get people accustomed to surrendering their liberty. ..." ...

Photos Show Bullet Damage to Plane (follow-up)
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: HTTP://WWW.RPA-PAC.ORG

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"The pilot of a US Airways plane may have mishandled a firearm that went off in flight, piercing a hole in the cockpit wall, a federal air marshal said Tuesday."

"'This is an extremely safe and reliable weapon,' said Greg Alter of the Federal Air Marshal Service. 'It's not going to discharge on its own, is the bottom line.'"

"The pistol -- a .40-caliber semiautomatic H&K USP -- discharged shortly before noon Saturday aboard Flight 1536 from Denver to Charlotte, as the plane was at about 8,000 feet and was approaching to land. Photos obtained by The Associated Press show a small entry hole in the lower side of the cockpit wall and a small exit hole on the exterior below the cockpit window." ...

MA: Police limit searches for guns
Submitted by: Paul Shoemaker

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"Boston police officials, surprised by intense opposition from residents, have significantly scaled back and delayed the start of a program that would allow officers to go into people's homes and search for guns without a warrant."

"The program, dubbed Safe Homes, was supposed to start in December, but has been delayed at least three times because of misgivings in the community. March 1 was the latest missed start date."

"One community group has been circulating a petition against the plan. Police officials trying to assuage residents' fears have been drowned out by criticism at some meetings with residents and elected officials." ...

DC: D.C. Gun Crackdown Meets Community Resistance
Submitted by: Paul Shoemaker

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... "Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the 'safe homes initiative' is aimed at residents who want to cooperate with police. She gave the example of parents or grandparents who know or suspect their children have guns in the home."

"Community leaders went door to door in Ward 8 Monday to advise residents not to invite police into their homes to search for weapons."

"'Bad idea,' said D.C. School Board member William Lockridge. 'I think the people should not open your doors under any circumstances, don't even crack your door, unless someone has a warrant for your arrest.'" ...

NY: Cops Beat The Living Hell Out Of Peaceful Tibetan Protesters IN AMERICA
Submitted by: Benjamin Rush

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"Disgusting video footage of New York cops clubbing and arresting peaceful Tibetan protesters who were merely walking down the street has gone relatively ignored beyond Youtube."

"While stories emerge out of China every day of police beating and killing Tibetan protestors in the streets, the same sort of behavior by cops in America tells its own story."

"The footage was shot at a free Tibet peaceful assembly in New York on the 14th of March."

"It shows the protestors holding flags and signs and peacefully walking down the street towards the UN building in the Turtle Bay neighborhood only to be accosted by police officers with batons." ...

TX: Trial for man beaten by Austin police set to begin
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Federal court on Monday is set to hear the 2005 case of a man beaten by three Austin police officers."

"Ramon Hernandez was beaten and shocked with a Taser during a September 2005 arrest for leaving the scene of an accident, a charge that was later dismissed. ..."

"Only one of the three officers involved in the case still works for the Austin Police Department. ..." ...

"Video from a dashboard camera showed Ramon Hernandez as he was handcuffed, with his face in an ant bed, and shocked with a Taser 11 times. He was also kicked and punched more than a dozen times." ...

OH: Lebanon ex-officer charged with theft
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A former Lebanon police officer has been indicted on two felony charges alleging that 'he took a handgun from evidence and sold it,' a Warren County grand jury report says."

"Larry Loveless, 36, of Milford, faces charges of theft in office and theft of a firearm."

"The charges were made public Monday following a months-long investigation. They carry a maximum prison term of eight years if Loveless is convicted." ...

Canada: Army begins using $150,000 artillery shells in Afghanistan
Submitted by: Paul Shoemaker

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"Canadian army gunners in Afghanistan are now cleared to fire GPS-guided artillery shells at Taliban militants at the cost of $150,000 a round."

"The Excalibur shell could very well be the most expensive conventional ammunition ever fired by the military."

"Supporters argue that the weapon, which has the ability to correct itself in flight, has pinpoint accuracy. They predict that will cut down on the mounting civilian death toll from air strikes in a war-torn region, where insurgents often hide among the population."

"'It lands exactly where you want it to land,' said Col. Jim Willis, a senior officer in charge of acquiring the munitions."

"'It provides more safety.'" ...

Australia: Policeman admits to drinking 18 beers and being on duty
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A POLICE officer who admitted to drinking at least 18 beers before going on duty to carry out a breath test has not been disciplined."

"Instead, Senior-Constable Adam Reedy has been promoted despite telling a court last month about a wild night in Cunnamulla that ended with him knocked unconscious after trying to arrest a woman."

"Reedy was at the Warrego Hotel about 10pm on May 14, 2005, when asked by colleagues to carry out a breath test."

"After the test he drank two rums at the Club Hotel and about 12.45am declared himself on duty to arrest local woman Corrinne Mitchell, who he says spat on him, sparking a fight that ended in Reedy being flown to Toowoomba Hospital for treatment." ...

Australia: Police officer charged with child sex offences
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A 31-year-old policeman has been charged with indecently dealing with a child under 13 he is related to.

Officers from the Child Protection Unit and Internal Affairs arrested the man on Thursday.

He was also charged with aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm.

The man has been a police officer for almost four years and has been stood down from operational duties.

He will appear in the Armdale Magistrates court on Friday.

MN: State gun report may miss target
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "On the home front, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension just released its 2007 Permit to Carry Report. More than 50,000 Minnesotans, about 1 percent of our state population, are now legally permitted to carry firearms in public." ...

"Is this report helpful in shedding any light on the gun-control debate? Perhaps the single biggest omission in the report is the absence of any crime rate data, except crimes by permit holders. To get that, we must look outside the report to the Uniform Crime Reports. In doing so, we learn that ardent anti-gun groups' predictions of doom and gloom and increased violence have not materialized after the PPA." ...

MN: Heather Martens: It's simply safer to regulate guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"... Under current law, we are entitled to self-defense as an exception to the laws against murder. Self-defense doesn't appear in the Bill of Rights, but it does fall under a basic right in our law -- the right to life. State laws have done a good job of allowing for the defense of the oneself and others. Nobody is in jail for self-defense. But some states have substituted their idea of the 'right to self-defense' for the 'right to life' under 'shoot first' laws, and the problems are becoming evident. Under these laws, when someone kills, the prosecution must prove, along with everything else, that the killer did not feel threatened. This change yields an unintended boon for sociopaths -- a potent new tool for getting away with murder." ...
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Submitte's Note: Heather Martens is president of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, an astroturf organization funded by the Joyce Foundation

NV: Storey County sheriff working to clarify rules with gunfighters
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Ordinances regulating activities of gunfighters and other costumed characters in Virginia City are going to get a second look by the sheriff's office as it tries to balance conflicting rules."

"Storey County Sheriff's Lt. Chris Parsons said because the rules aren't uniform for all types of characters in period costume and their activities, and because there are also state laws governing the use of firearms, the department is getting together with all involved parties to find a workable solution."

"'Obviously we have to observe both state law and county ordinance,' he said. 'I can't bend the rules because I don't like what one or the other says.'" ...

CT: State Judge Rules For Gun Club
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Superior Court judge has ruled that a group of local residents failed to show that the Metacon Gun Club poses a threat to the environment, eliminating the sole pending allegation of the three lawsuits the group filed four years ago."

"'Based on the more credible evidence the court finds that the plaintiff has not met its burden of proof, and therefore finds for the defendant without costs,' Superior Court Judge William T. Cremins said in his decision."

"The Simsbury-Avon Preservation Society LLC alleged in three lawsuits two in state court and one in federal court that the gun club's shooting range is unsafe, too noisy and poses an environmental threat." ...

Australia: Blood and horror on a suburban street
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"AFTER the hustle and bustle of the Easter weekend, life in the leafy street in northwest Sydney was getting back to normal yesterday."

"Parents were up early getting their children ready to return to school and mothers, with their babies in prams, were enjoying their morning walk."

"But the peace was shattered by the sounds of sirens as police rushed to the street after receiving a desperate triple-0 call for help."

"Just after 7am, residents woke to police confronting a 16-year-old neighbour in the driveway of his two-storey home - allegedly just minutes after he killed his father and critically injured his mother." ...
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Submitter's Note: But without guns, all violence is supposed to vanish!

Australia: Fish market robbers armed and courteous
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"MINUTES before opening fire at a Sydney Fish Market security guard, three would-be armed robbers politely moved their parked car to make way for an electrician."

"The men, who were on the run today, had been asked to shift their vehicle as they waited for the guard who was carrying thousands of dollars in takings from the market's Easter trading bonanza."

"The security guard escaped uninjured in the attack but his car was left with two large bullet holes." ...
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Submitter's Note: But -- but, I thought the government had all the guns Down Under!