Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

Virginia Tech Gun Dealer Offers Student Discount
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"The owner of an Internet-based firearms store that sold a gun to Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho says he is now offering a discount for students who want to carry guns on campus to protect themselves. ..."

"... Eric Thompson, announced today that for the next two weeks he will sell firearms at cost in the hopes of targeting students who may be on a tight budget. Customers will have over 5,400 different kinds of firearms from which to choose."

"'This offer allows students and people who might not have otherwise been able to afford a weapon to purchase one ...' Thompson told ABCNews.com." ...

"'The next news story I want to be involved in is how I sold a firearm to someone who helped stop a mass murderer ...' he said." ...

The most honest among us: CHL holders can be trusted on campus
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "I have worked on college and university campuses most of my adult life - first as a student, now as a professor. I have grown quite accustomed to the idea of citizen concealed carry. I know that such policies ... do not increase crime; in contrast, data suggests these allowances deter all but the most brazen (or stupid) criminals. Most importantly, I also realize that criminals can and will carry weapons anywhere they wish, despite the law."

"Concealed carry is analogous to driving down the highway. I know that at any moment, any of the thousands of drivers could swerve and kill me head-on. ... But day after year after decade, they do not. Why not? They are decent people, and well-intentioned, just like you and me. ..." ...

People are the problem, not guns
Submitted by: fire eater

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"There seems to be more talk every day about gun violence. That is just a prelude to a push for more gun control."

"Guns, being inanimate objects, do not cause crime. They are used to facilitate crime. If we are going to prevent crime, we have to deal with causes, not with tools."

"Gun violence is not uniformly present in this country. It is concentrated in certain areas and among certain people. A lot of it is related to drug gangs fighting over territory."

"Another human factor is that gun violence seems to be more prevalent among blacks and Hispanics than among whites. I know that is not a welcome thing to say, but it happens to be a fact." ...

BBC correspondent discovers gun-owning America feels safe
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Justin Webb, BBC's North America editor, reports to UK listeners and readers on the 'paradox' that America is less violent (and feels much safer) than Britain, where private hand gun ownership is banned." ...

"I credit Mr. Webb for his honesty, but wish he would explore the logic of this reality on which he reports with such surprise. He tut-tuts about a Washington, DC man who has been shot 9 times and who opposes the Supreme Court possibly overturning the DC gun ban. Yet he fails to note that it was that very same gun ban that made DC into the 'wild west' he deplores. I would recommend he read John Lott's classic study, More Guns, Less Crime. ..." ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

Strict Judicial Scrutiny Needed for Second Amendment
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"There has been little Second Amendment jurisprudence. In this vacuum, myths were cooked up and circulated to dilute the Amendment's original meaning. In the March 18, 2008 D.C. vs. Heller oral argument at the Supreme Court, these myths were thoroughly debunked by the Supreme Court Justices themselves. If honest, they will overturn D.C.'s functional firearms ban. They should also apply the Second Amendment to the States (incorporation) and establish strict judicial scrutiny."

"The Second Amendment was considered a fundamental individual right by those who wrote and ratified the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. A majority of Americans still considers it so today. ..." ...

Writer's interpretation has too many holes
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"To The Editor: My response to the letter dated April 15 titled, 'Amendment's aim was clearly military,' is, if as the writer claimed, the Second Amendment was strictly directed to the military, then it would seem logical that all civilians would not be allowed to possess firearms."

"If the latter is true then no firearms would be allowed for the Secret Service, BATF, FBI, DEA, Park Service or any other federal organization. In addition, state police ... and any other law enforcement organization would be prohibited from possessing firearms. I wonder how the president of the United States (acting in his civil capacity) would feel about the Secret Service being equipped with pepper spray and brass knuckles. ..." ...

NRA Misplaces a Million Members
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"When talking to the news media and policymakers, the National Rifle Association never misses a chance to boast of its membership of four million. From news releases to statements by its leadership, this number, virtually by its very utterance, is offered as validation of the organization's mission."

"And it's so much larger than the 30,000 Americans who die from guns each year."

"When asked for proof of these claims, the NRA cites the sanctity of its membership list and falls into its default mode of 'trust, but don't expect us to verify.'" ...
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KABA Note: Sort of like the "Million Moms" claims?

'Smart Guns' Nearing Reality
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Still in the development stage, so-called 'smart guns' that fire only in the proper hands are close to becoming a reality. The idea is to keep guns away from children who accidentally fire them. The US National Safety Council reports that nine children are killed every day from gun violence. ..."
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KABA Note: The inflated figure of "9 children a day" can only be reached by including "children" up to age 19. The average of accidental gun deaths among actual children (up to 13) over the last 7 years is one every 6 days. 59 a year is still too many, but it is a far cry from "9 a day".

'Pro-Gun' States Lead the Nation in Per Capita Firearm Death Rates
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"States in the South and West with weak gun laws and high rates of gun ownership lead the nation in overall firearm death rates according to a new analysis issued today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC) of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data."

"The new VPC analysis uses 2005 data (the most recent available) from the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The analysis reveals that the five states with the highest per capita gun death rates were Louisiana, Alaska, Montana, Tennessee, and Alabama. Each of these states had a per capita gun death rate far exceeding the national per capita gun death rate of 10.32 per 100,000." ...

Americans Back Ban on Semi-Automatic Guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Many adults in the United States believe a specific kind of weapon should be forbidden ... 55 per cent of respondents support a law requiring a nationwide ban on semi-automatic handguns, which automatically re-load every time they are fired."

"In addition, 77 per cent of respondents think people in their community should be allowed to keep handguns in their homes." ...

"Earlier this month, African American leader Jesse Jackson discussed the current state of affairs, saying, 'We should revive our ban on semi-automatic weapons. You only use them to kill people.'" ...

ABC News Caught Lying About Guns... Again
Submitted by: none

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The focus of the story, according to ABC News, is that U.S. dealers of civilian firearms are to blame for Mexico's drug cartels and their violence problems... so why do they highlight an M60 general purpose machine gun, a weapons still in use in Mexico's military, but impossible to find in the open U.S. civilian market?

From that visual deception, we'll transition to outright lie number one in the text, an attempt to smear the Bush Administration:
AK-pattern rifles were legal to own or import during the entire life of the 1994-2004 "Crime Bill," something that Ross knows for a fact... or should. This claim is a blatant falsehood.

TX: Houston pawn shop owner shoots man during hold-up
Submitted by: clell

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"A robbery suspect is in critical condition at a hospital after he was shot by a pawn shop manager during an attempted hold-up ..."

"The 17-year-old and two other masked men were holding pistols and rifles shortly before noon Wednesday when they forced their way into Mason's Pawn Shop ..."

"'They immediately started yelling for everybody to get on the ground,' said Houston Police Sgt. Brian Harris."

"The teenager jumped over the counter and threatened to kill everyone inside the store ..."

"'The manager was able to pull a pistol and shoot the man,' Harris said."

"The teenager was struck in the neck. ..."

"The two other robbers, who also were wearing ski masks, fled ..." ...

IN: 2 suspected robbers shot during attempted robbery
Submitted by: Daniel L. Moulder

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Two men were shot, another arrested, after police say the men attempted to rob an apartment on the city's near north side.

It happened just after 3 a.m. in the 4800 block of Park Forest Court. Authorities say three black males went into the apartment with a shotgun. Several shots were fired.

However, it's the suspected robbers who were injured. Two are being treated at the hospital this morning. Police say their injuries are not life threatening.

IN: One dead in video store parking lot shooting
Submitted by: Daniel L. Moulder

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

One person is dead another injured after a shooting outside a video store on Indianapolis' northwest side.

It happened Monday around 10:30 p.m. at the Family Video at 2940 Georgetown Road.

Twenty-eight-year-old Aaron Thomas told police he had given 19-year-old Shawn Reed a ride and that Reed tried to rob him while they were inside the car. The two struggled and the gun went off.

"It appears the individual who survived was the victim of a robbery, the other person pulled a gun and there was a fight over the gun, at which time the suspect was shot and killed," said Sergeant Paul Thompson with IMPD.

Medics took Thomas to Methodist Hospital. Police say he is in a medically-induced coma.

Zimbabwe: Arm Zimbabwe's Opposition
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Last July, former Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube raised the possibility of a British invasion of his country to topple Robert Mugabe's regime. 'I think it is justified for Britain to raid Zimbabwe and remove Mugabe,' he told the Times of London. 'We should do it ourselves but there's too much fear. I'm ready to lead the people, guns blazing, but the people are not ready.'"

"Perhaps the Zimbabwean people would be ready and less afraid if they actually had guns to blaze. They do not lack a passion for freedom; it is the necessary tools to wrest themselves from the yoke of tyranny that they need." ...
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Submitter's Note: But the Second Amendment is about duck hunting, right Sarah?

Green Bay Gun Seller to Speak at Virginia Tech
Submitted by: ChareltonHest
Website: http://atfabuse.com

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"The owner of the Green Bay-based web site that sold guns a gun to the Virginia Tech shooter and gun accessories to the Northern Illinois University gunman plans to visit Virginia Tech on Thursday." ...

"Thompson announced Wednesday students invited him to campus to talk about concealed-carry laws."

"'What I'm really hoping to do is just lend a voice. Unfortunately, a set of coincidences and circumstances, I've been in the media, and I think with that I have a special responsibility to help out,' Thompson said."

"He was invited by students for Concealed Carry on Campus, an organization that formed after the shootings." ...

NJ: Linden boy, 10, charged with bringing gun to school (follow-up)
Submitted by: fms

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"Linden police today filed charges against the 10-year-old boy who accidentally fired a semiautomatic handgun Wednesday at a wall inside his elementary school classroom."

"The fourth-grader, who was not identified, was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of possession of a firearm in an educational institution ... The student was released to his parents ..."

"Investigators believe the boy found the weapon - described as a .380-caliber Bersa - last week, in a gas grill in his family's backyard. Police said his parents were unaware of the gun's existence. They have not been charged."

"The boy kept the gun in his book bag for several days ..." ...

VA: Gun dealer whose company sold weapons to Cho to speak at Virginia Tech
Submitted by: ChareltonHest
Website: http://atfabuse.com

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"The man whose company sold a gun to Seung Hui Cho and gun equipment to the Northern Illinois University shooter will speak Thursday night at Virginia Tech."

"Eric Thompson ... says he believes he has, 'A special responsibility to do all he can to try to prevent further loss of life.'"

"In response to Thompson's visit, University Spokesman, Larry Hincker released this statement:"

"'Free speech is a hallmark of university life. Still, I find it terribly offensive to learn that the gun-seller of the weapons used in the Virginia Tech campus murders would set foot on this campus. Additionally, the organizers appear to be incredibly insensitive to the families of the victims who lost loved ones and to the injured students still recovering from this horrendous tragedy.'" ...

GA: Gun carriers 'deter' shootings
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Forty-seven: That is the total number of students and school personnel who have been gunned down on college campuses since 2002."

"One year after the terrible Virginia Tech massacre and two more campus shootings later, college campuses still remain vulnerable to campus violence."

"Due to their expansive layouts and open design, it is simply too difficult to secure college campuses adequately."

"This is why it is disappointing that Georgia legislators failed to pass the Second Amendment Protection Act of 2008, which would have allowed concealed-carry permit holders ... to carry their weapons at state colleges and universities." ...

"Simply stated, gun-free school zones do not protect students from suicidal murderers. ..." ...

OR: Linfield College Becomes Haven To Criminals and Psychopaths
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In a move that can only be described as deranged Linfield College has instituted a policy that 'prohibits weapons on college property, in any vehicle on college property, or at any college-sponsored event on or off campus.'"

"In a statement that could have been lifted from '1984' (Freedom Is Slavery, War Is Peace) Linfield College's Director of 'Campus Safety' Mike Dressel said the new policy was 'needed because of the violence that has flared on other U.S. campuses.'" ...

"As a result of the violent acts of criminals and the mentally ill, Linfield College's response is to institute a policy that has gotten students and staff killed and wounded across the country." ...

CO: Univ. of Colorado students petition to 'pack heat' in class
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"If a gunman were to burst into a classroom at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with murder on his mind, one group of students wants a chance to shoot back."

"But packing heat to class, even with a concealed carry permit, is prohibited by University of Colorado system policy and cause for expulsion."

"Now about a dozen students on the Colorado Springs campus have joined a national and fast-growing group, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, whose goal is to lobby legislators and school administrators to allow their handguns in class."

"'I carry because I'm a former Boy Scout and the motto is always be prepared,' said John Davis, 30, a UCCS senior who organized the local effort." ...

NJ: Boy, 10, fires semiautomatic at N.J. school
Submitted by: FMS

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Police say a fourth-grader fired a semiautomatic handgun inside a New Jersey elementary school as he was showing it to a friend.

Linden Lt. Raymond Tyra says no one was injured in the gunfire at School Number 2 on Wednesday afternoon.

A 10-year-old boy was showing the .38-caliber gun to his friend in a coat closet when the weapon went off. A bullet passed through the wall and into the classroom next door, where it lodged in a wall.

Tyra says most of the kindergarten to fifth-grade students who attend the school had gone home before the incident.

Police officers recovered the gun and secured the school.

Investigators are trying to determine how the child got the weapon.

IL: Debate sparks discussion on campus at DePaul
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"With the number of school shootings across the country, gun advocates are pushing for more weapons on campus."

"'Students for Concealed Carry on Campus' is a group pushing for at least a broader discussion of the idea, and they're being heard right here in Chicago.'

"You can walk into a student union building hangout on the DePaul campus and you won't be far away from a raging debate about safety, deterrence and the Second Amendment. It's typical of what's happening elsewhere, as scared students grapple with how to best protect themselves. And they're willing to listen to those who propose something that would seem to be anathema to most -- more guns in classrooms." ...

IL: Chicago refrain: 'Kids are getting killed'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Last school year 34 Chicago Public Schools students were killed; most by gunfire. This school year so far 24 CPS students have been killed. Again, in most of the deaths, guns were involved."

"Local elected officials and Chicago police are fed up and want stricter laws on firearms."

"Chicago aldermen traveled to Springfield recently to lobby for common sense gun legislation, arguing that the students' deaths are not just a city problem." ...

"'These kids are getting killed and folks aren't going to prison,' Alderman Walter Burnett said"

"And, said Burnett, too many guns are falling into the hands of the wrong people ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: So it's the gun's fault that people aren't going to prison?

GA: Gun bill critics urge gubernatorial veto
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Flanked by Atlanta business, law enforcement and transportation leaders, Mayor Shirley Franklin Thursday urged Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto legislation that would allow Georgians to carry concealed weapons into state parks, restaurants and onto trains and buses."

"'This is not about the right to bear arms,' Franklin said during a news conference at City Hall. 'This is about public safety ... of people who live in Atlanta, live around Atlanta, visit Atlanta or invest in Atlanta.'"

"The bill ... would let about 300,000 holders of concealed weapons permits carry them into certain public places, including restaurants that derive at least 50 percent of their revenue from food sales, and onto public transit, including MARTA trains." ...

VA: State crime panel will study 'gun-show loophole'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A limited look at Virginia's so-called 'gun-show loophole' will be among a dozen issues the Virginia State Crime Commission will study this year."

"The commission agreed yesterday to study the applicable state and federal firearms laws so that General Assembly members will have a clear understanding of the law in any future legislative debates."

"But recognizing the political divisiveness of the issue, the commission decided it will not recommend any proposed laws of its own ..."

"Legislation requiring criminal-background checks on all firearms transactions at gun shows was defeated at the most recent assembly session, and the crime commission was asked to study the matter." ...

GA: Political Crossfire Over HB89
Submitted by: Mark McCullough
Website: http://www.georgiacarry.org/

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"It could get a little crowded at Atlanta's City Hall [Thursday] morning. Mayor Shirley Franklin has scheduled a news conference; to urge Governor Sonny Perdue to veto the gun bill [HB89] the Legislature passed in the final hours of its final day."

"The bill allows folks with concealed weapons permits to carry their guns into state parks and restaurants that serve alcohol; and onto public transport (like MARTA)." ...

VA: Va. Lawmakers Commemorate Charlton Heston
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"The Virginia General Assembly has approved a resolution commemorating actor and gun rights champion Charlton Heston."
"
Sen. Ralph Smith, R-Roanoke, introduced the 'memorializing resolution' in a batch of measures Wednesday honoring people posthumously. ..."

"Senators don't vote on the resolutions. They agree to them by rising from their seats and standing silently for a moment, heads bowed."

"The House of Delegates also similarly approved the resolution later."

"The star of 'Ben Hur' and 'The Ten Commandments' headed the National Rifle Association, which enjoys strong support ..."

"Smith, an NRA member, said Heston's role with the organization was one reason he offered the measure. ..." ...

NY: Machine-Gun-Toting Officers To Patrol NYC Subway
Submitted by: Ed

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"More protection against terrorists is coming to a subway station near you. Starting Thursday, special bomb teams, known as 'Torch Teams,' will be toting submachine guns and bringing bomb-sniffing dogs onto the platforms and into the trains. CBS 2 HD was out first thing Thursday morning on the lookout for these significant security measure improvements."

"It's a first for mass transit in the United States. NYPD officers, armed with rifles, submachine guns, body armor and bomb-sniffing dogs will begin patrolling the city's subway system thanks to a 50 percent increase in a homeland security grant." ...

IL: City misfires on gun violence
Submitted by: Carl in Chicago

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"When a rash of gun murders takes place, it makes sense for the police to do one of two things: renew tactics that have been effective in the past at curbing homicides, or embrace ideas that have not been tried before. But those options don't appeal to Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis. What he proposes instead is a crackdown on assault weapons."

"I'm tempted to say this is the moral equivalent of a placeboa sugar pill that is irrelevant to the malady at hand. But that would be unfair. Placebos, after all, sometimes have a positive effect. Assault weapons bans, not so much." ...

"... As of March 31, there had been 87 homicides in the city. When I asked the Chicago Police Department how many of the murders are known to have involved assault rifles, the answer came back: One." ...
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Submitter's Note: Steve Chapman is on the Editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, and is a regular columnist there.

UK: Gun death family can sue police
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The family of a man who was shot dead by Sussex Police while naked and unarmed can sue the force for unlawful killing, Law Lords have ruled."

"James Ashley, 39, from Liverpool, was shot 10 years ago as he got out of bed at his flat in Hastings which officers had a warrant to search."

"The policeman who fired the fatal shot was tried for murder and acquitted."

"The force had argued the killing was the result of an honest mistake by the officer who thought he would be shot." ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

NY: COBIS Questions
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Last week, we told you about a push in the state legislature to make semiautomatic weapons sold in New York capable of microstamping ammunition."

"Some gun advocates point out that the state already has a system in place to trace spent shell casings and that system doesn't work."

"New York's seven-year-old database is called COBIS which stands for Combined Ballistic Identification System."

"Since police began implementing the system in 2001, the database of gun markings has been used in just two criminal cases but neither one of those resulted in a conviction."

"Nay-sayers call that track record pathetic but New York State Police say the program will pay off." ...