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A Closer Look at Libertarian Presidential Candidate Aaron Russo
Submitted by: Angel Shamaya

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I had an hour-long conversation with Libertarian presidential candidate Aaron Russo Sunday evening. I found him quite articulate, knowledgeable and savvy -- not only on gun rights issues but on a host of other Constitutional issues. He's an impressive candidate, and a far cry above either Bush or Kerry on every single issue we discussed -- and we discussed at least a dozen important political, social, economic and of course Constitutional issues.

As a result of his professional success, Russo is very well connected in the Hollywood community. He's already been on the Howard Stern show (it's a start at reaching a certain national community, whether you like Stern or not) and is having conversations with several major Hollywood celebrities designed to get him on some of the biggest television talk shows.

I've reviewed Russo's television commercials, viewed his recent FOXNews interview, watched his personal message to Real Americans and am that much more impressed.

Give this candidate your attention long enough to come to understand his positions.

What I find most interesting is that though Russo is campaigning for the LP nomination, he's diametrically opposed to their platform position calling for open borders. I find this refreshing as I've lived in all four border states and have seen up close and personal how unproductive that idea is in 21st Century America.

Specifically, here are some links for you to consider:

* Russo TV Commercial #1
* Russo TV Commercial #2
* Russo Video Statement to Americans

FOXNews Interview:
Windows Media:
low speed connection | high speed connection
Quicktime:
low speed connection | high speed connection
Realmedia:
low speed connection

Angel Shamaya
KeepAndBearArms.com

Powell Says U.S. Supports Haiti Government
Submitted by: Keith Collins

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"Secretary of State Colin Powell gave assurances Monday of full U.S. support for Haiti's interim government but said democracy cannot flourish until politically motivated private armies lay down their weapons."

" 'Without disarmament, Haiti's democracy will be at risk,' Powell said at a news conference with Haiti's interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue. ..."

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Is it just me, or is citizen disarmament Bush & Co's answer to everything?

How is it that this administration can claim to be a friend of the Second Amendment and freedom, while going on disarmament binges?

When John Kerry's Courage Went M.I.A. Submitted by: Sean Glazier	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The Massachusetts senator, now seeking the presidency, carried out this subterfuge a little over a decade ago shredding documents, suppressing testimony, and sanitizing the committee's final reportwhen he was chairman of the Senate Select Committee on P.O.W./ M.I.A. Affairs."

"Why I Joined the N.R.A."
Submitted by: Mark H. Townsend

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A college professor explains a tragic event that caused him to buy a gun and take political action.

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"It was just after midnight in January of 1993 when John and Tiffany left a party at the Sigma Chi house in Starkville, Mississippi. The band was winding down as the couple walked to their car in the parking lot close to where Highway 12 runs into Scott Field on the campus of Mississippi State University."

"When they came upon a man who was trying to break into a car parked near their own, all hell broke loose. Before they knew it, they had been abducted at gunpoint. Words cannot describe the horror that John witnessed before Tiffanys life was taken. Shortly thereafter, he too was murdered execution-style by the side of Highway 45. ..."

Gun control is being able to hit your target
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"I suppose it had to happen. The Muhammad-Malvo sniper murders have reopened the debate on gun control. Bleeding heart liberal do-gooders are once again demanding that law-abiding citizens turn in their firearms. I say law-abiding' because it's a snap the criminals aren't about to obey the law and turn theirs in." ...

"There is scant evidence that gun control has reduced crime anywhere it has been introduced. In fact, quite the opposite is often the case. New York City, with some of the most stringent gun control laws in the country consistently leads the country in crimes of all types."

Ban assault weapons for King, Jackson says Submitted by: Sean Glazier	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Sunday that one way to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is to renew the federal ban on assault weapons." ------- Sure, go back to being disarmed slaves. The KKK would just LOVE that!

Responsible gun ownership often lacking
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Last Wednesdays Daily Times had three stories about guns. One was tragic. One, by some miracle, escaped tragedy. And one was a lesson. The tragedy concerned a Ridley man sentenced to prison in the shooting death of his younger brother. Patrick Sharkey was playing around with a gun when it accidentally went off and killed 12-year-old J.J." ...

"This is not a rant about restricting private gun ownership. It is not a suggestion that subtle stepping stones leading to gun removal from private hands is the way to check the terror of illegal gunfire."

"This is about personal responsibility. It is about parental responsibility. It is about fully enforcing all the laws already on the books about gun violence." ...

"The United States of America is not an authoritarian regime that must limit guns to keep its government operational. But, until the citizens of this nation regulate their childrens activities or think about the consequences of their own actions, this newspaper and other media outlets will have a never-ending supply of tragedies to report."

Anti-Gun Nonprofit Builds E-Mail List Through Viral Activism
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Though the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United With the Million Mom March expanded its e-mail list fivefold in the past five months through viral e-mail campaigns, it hopes to increase it several more times in its continuing fight for stricter U.S. gun laws and against gun violence."

"The organization teamed with application service provider Convio last fall to increase its e-mail list of 30,000 names and to boost efficiency in managing the file, said Heather Schatz, director of Internet advocacy at the Brady Campaign, New York."

The Commonplace Second Amendment
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"The Second Amendment is widely seen as quite unusual, because it has a justification clause as well as an operative clause. Professor Volokh points out that this structure was actually quite commonplace in American constitutions of the Framing era: State Bills of Rights contained justification clauses for many of the rights they secured. Looking at these state provisions, he suggests, can shed light on how the similarly structured Second Amendment should be interpreted. In particular, the provisions show that constitutional rights will often -- and for good reason -- be written in ways that are to some extent overinclusive and to some extent underinclusive with respect to their stated justifications."

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While this is not new, it is a terrific analysis of the Second Amendment and its verbal construction.

AGS Statement on the Appointment of New ATFE Director
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"For the past decade our federal gun laws have been woefully underenforced. It is our hope that with the appointment of a new Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATFE), the Justice Department will finally make the enforcement of our gun laws a top priority."

"We have been especially disappointed with the enforcement record of the current Administration because they came in promising to more vigorously enforce our gun laws. But as Department of Justice's own data show, 20 of the 22 major federal gun laws are enforced so rarely they might as well not exist." ...

"We hope that the appointment of Carl Truscott will lead to significantly higher levels of enforcement of illegal gun trafficking and corrupt gun store laws. ..."

Doug Klinkebiel: Buy a gun and learn how to use it safely
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"The police tell residents to not confront cat burglars, as they may become violent. Instead, you're told to call 9-1-1. I know the police mean well here, and there's not a uniform alive that wouldn't push his interceptor for all it's worth in this situation. But we could be in a predicament here where mere seconds, not minutes, can mean the difference between life and death. If my loved ones' lives are on the line -- and I will always assume this is the case if there's a stranger in my house at 3 in the morning (or at any other time for that matter) -- then I will handle things a little differently. See, I own a handgun. A Smith & Wesson .38, to be exact, that's loaded with hollow-point bullets. I own this gun for one reason and one reason only: to protect my family." ...

"There's an old saying: 'He who has the gun does the talking.' Make sure it's he who remains silent, not you."

The "government" hates the truth
Submitted by: LFA Editor
Website: http://www.libertyforall.net

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"The American people are so indoctrinated to believing every word uttered by any person they perceive to be in positions of authority to be truth that they refuse to accept facts as the foundation for truth but instead continue to believe the lies." ...

"Speaking of 'guns,' the Constitution's 2nd Amendment is quite clear, that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. However, many foolish and presumably intelligent people deny the facts concerning crime prevention by those bearing arms, and keeping loaded firearms in their homes and concealed in their modes of travel, such as autos and pick-up trucks."

"You see, most criminals are not really willing to risk their lives for a few dollars. In addition, they know that concealed weapons are a serious threat to them."

"Game Over, Man. Game Over." (blog)
Submitted by: Randy Hudson

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"After we fought the bloodiest war in our history in no small part to determine just who were and weren't citizens, we passed two Constitutional amendments. The 13th to define legally what a 'citizen' was, and the 14th to ensure that the fundamental rights of those citizens - which Chief Justice Taney in Dred Scott so accurately listed - would be honored and respected by our legal system. (Go back. Read the list again.)"

"But immediately after that the Supreme Court in 1873 negated the expressed intent of the 14th Amendment with its decision in the Slaughterhouse Cases, and then the Court in its 1875 decision in U.S. v Cruikshank used the precedent of Slaughterhouse to eviscerate the 14th Amendment and drive the first nail into the coffin of the Second Amendment. Both decisions can be laid at the feet of judges using their power to constitutionalize their personal preferences, which in this case can be boiled down to 'keep the darkies down.' (In the name of public safety, you realize.) (Yes, that was a sarcastic comment.)"

"From then to the present the judicial system has carried on this way, bending and distorting the clear intent of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in order to meet the preferences of the black-robed arbiters tasked to apply the law within the intent of that very Constitution. There were, of course, some victories, and there were some judges who understood their jobs and did them to the best of their impartial ability. ..."

University of Fear
Submitted by: Joshua L. Long

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"DHSs growing sugar-daddy role on American campuses is but one way in which the year-old security agency, formed in the wake of 9/11, has begun to leave a deep boot print on academia. Primed with a $70 million scholarship and research budget, DHS represents the biggest intrusion into Americas intellectual life by security agencies since the height of the Cold War. However, while the CIA surreptitiously worked its magic in the 1950s to control, say, the National Student Association, Praeger Publishers or Encounter magazine, DHSs influence is a broad-daylight affair."

Slippery Frogs and the US Supreme Court
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"When you get right down to it, I don't personally see any problem with giving my name to a law enforcement officer when asked, either. The problem is, instead, the probability that my name won't be enough. And if I give the name, then why would I withhold an address, a phone number, or a place of employment? Why wouldn't I be willing to give out the names of family members or tell the nice policeman where a friend lives? None of these things are necessarily bad things, nor do they imply any wrongdoing on my part. But the more information we freely give up, the more information will be demanded of us, and probably demanded at some near-future time by force of law."

"It will happen if we don't nip this tendency in the bud. ..."

GAO Says Army on Road to Ruin
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"It's been called the most ambitious military effort since the Manhattan Project, and the centerpiece of Donald Rumsfeld's plans to overhaul America's armed forces: a $92 billion push to change almost everything about the Army by 2010, from the guns GIs carry, to the officers they salute, to the tanks they drive."

"A new congressional report is alleging that the Future Combat Systems program is poised for major delays and a financial train wreck. Worst of all, the report claims, the Army knew this was going to happen all along."

Indoctrinating the youth through multimedia
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"I was with a friend of mine at an electronics store a few days ago when we came upon a game called New World Order with two guys with guns on the front. Immediately we though this might be of interest to you and when we read the description of the game on the back we were sure of it."

"You play as a member of the Global Assault Team (GAT) and go after terrorists all over the world using any means necessary. Surprisingly enough this isn't even government sponsored that I'm aware of but its still amazing that something like this has been put out."

Feds tell states 'VoIP is ours'
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Sen. John Sununu announced on Friday long-awaited Internet phone legislation that would effectively eliminate state and local authorities' ability to tax and regulate broadband phone calls."

"The bill, which is expected to draw fire from state governments, says all authority over regulating VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) services is 'reserved solely to the federal government.' "

"The measure, VoIP Regulatory Freedom Act, also imposes some curbs on the Federal Communications Commission's ability to extend to VoIP much of the thick quilt of rules and requirements that govern the traditional phone network. ..."

ShockRounds(TM) -- Non-Lethal "Electric" Bullets -- Laboratory Demonstration
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"The bench test demonstrates the viability and potential of ShockRounds(TM) confirming a platform for the next phase of development. During the course of the next 4-6 weeks it is expected that the production of initial ShockRounds(TM) test product will be commissioned for later testing with conventional firearms."

"ShockRounds(TM) are a potential breakthrough product for the law enforcement industry, the military and border control and anti-terrorism initiatives, due to their versatility and multiple applications. When fired, a ShockRounds(TM) specialized bullet generates an extremely high voltage charge. This voltage discharges instantly upon impact causing immediate target incapacitation."

Cox closes wiretap hole for VoIP
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Police can now wiretap all Internet phone calls on Cox Communications' network, kicking off a new era for law enforcement."

"The cable and broadband provider turned to security specialist VeriSign to supply the know-how, the latter announced Monday."

"Law enforcement officers can now eavesdrop on every call made by Cox's nearly 1 million voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone subscribers. ..."

Controversial Documentary Video Claims IRS Defrauding The Public
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Two IRS agents say that they quit after discovering what they believed to be IRS fraud regarding Section 861. Former IRS agent, Joseph R. Banister, who says he quit after discovering IRS fraud, states, 'I find it hard to fathom that such a lie was perpetrated.' He continues, 'The agency was knowingly deceiving the American public.' "

"The documentary video also features attorney John ONeill Green, who states, 'The truth is the written law. What do the tax laws say?' "

Traffic Safety Focus of Global Campaign Submitted by: Anonymous	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Traffic accidents kill 1.2 million people worldwide each year, the equivalent of wiping out the entire population of Dallas or Copenhagen, Denmark. But unlike diseases such as AIDS or malaria, there's no international clamor for a cure." ------- Compared to traffic deaths, there should be no political clamor whatsoever about private gun ownership.

What We Dont Know Can Hurt Us
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"The goal of TIA was this: to prevent another attack on American soil by uncovering the electronic footprints terrorists leave as they plan and rehearse their assaults. Before they strike, terrorists must enter the country, receive funds, case their targets, buy supplies, get training, and send phone and e-mail messages. ..."

"TIA would have been the most advanced application yet of a young technology called 'data mining,' which attempts to make sense of the explosion of data in government, scientific, and commercial databases. Through complex algorithms, the technique can extract patterns or anomalies in data collections that a human analyst could not possibly discern." ...

"The privacy vigilantes now have in their sights an airline-passenger screening system and an interstate network to share law enforcement and intelligence information. Both projects could go down any minute. As to whether that would be in the national interest, readers should ask themselves if they would be happy to fly seated next to Mohamed Atta. If yes, they neednt worry about the cancellation of the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II). And if they dont care whether police can track down a child abductor within minutes of his crime, then they shouldnt care about the crippling of the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange, either."

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We'd be much happier sitting next to Atta if we knew we were allowed to defend ourselves with firearms, instead of being disarmed sheep with bulls eyes on our backs.

Identity crisis
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"The biometrics gold rush has begun. And the prospectors, such as Massachusetts chief executives Bernard Bailey of Viisage Technology Inc. and Joseph J. Turek of Biometrics 2000 Corp., are panning in Washington." ...

"The Homeland Security Department last week expanded the US-VISIT program to include the fingerprinting and photographing not only of foreign citizens arriving in the United States with visas but also of millions of travelers from countries such as Great Britain, France, Germany, and Japan, for which visas are waived for short visits. ..."

PA: Couple resist paying to recover stolen weapons
Submitted by: awsmm
Website: http://www.geekswithguns.com

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"Before setting off for a trip to Florida last year, John and Sue McElhiney turned on the outdoor motion-detector lights and locked their Spring Twp. home."

"Inside, they left jewelry, a coin collection and 11 rifles, shotguns and pistols."

"During the week, three men broke in through a basement window and stole some of the McElhineys' most treasured possessions, including all 11 firearms."

"Most of the guns were recovered, but now the McElhineys say they feel like they are victims again, this time by the law."

"To get some of their firearms back from police, the McElhineys must submit to -- and pay for -- a federal criminal history check."

OH: Gun dealers expect new law will bring more business
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Based on what he's seen, O'Connell expects a lot of people to apply for the license at the early onset. He plans on applying for a license too, but he wants to wait until the rush subsides. 'I think it's going to stay pretty consistent and popular for the first six months,' he said."

"And with that popularity could come more sales for local gun dealers, speculated Dick Krikbride. But Krikbride, owner of Carlwick Muzzleloading Supply, doesn't expect to make a quick buck."

"He doubts his business will spike because he deals in black powder. He thinks other businesses with more modern firearms will benefit from the new law and a clientele looking for an accessory to their evening handbag -- women."

NJ: Student shot at N.J. college
Submitted by: george lortz

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"One student was shot and three other people stabbed in a fight that started during a dance at Fairleigh Dickinson University early Sunday."

"Authorities would not say whether arrests had been made. They said the injuries were not life threatening and appealed to the public for more information."

"The campus was closed to visitors Sunday and Morris County Prosecutor Michael M. Rubbinaccio said it would remain closed for the rest of the day."

"The fight involved visitors to the school as well as students from its campuses in Madison and Teaneck, about 30 miles apart in northern New Jersey, according to a statement from school President J. Michael Adams."

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This despite draconian gun control laws in New Jersey.

NY: Child Protectors With Mail-Order Badges
Submitted by: Anonymous

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NOTE:
Use the following information to access this article:
Site username: Newslinks
Site password: Newslinks
Must have cookies turned on for it to work.

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"The anonymous caller left only this tip: A young man in a public housing apartment had a machine gun. He was showing it to the children who lived there, maybe scaring them with it and pretending to shoot it. The caller gave a Brooklyn address, nothing more."

"But the men at the all volunteer, private Kings County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, who received the tip last Wednesday, needed no more. Four men put on bullet-resistant vests. Two of them were armed with guns. Carrying a police radio checked out from the 72nd Precinct earlier in the evening, the posse headed for the 78th Precinct station house, where they told the desk officer on duty that they were from child protective services and showed their badges and identification cards."

"In fact, they are not police officers or city welfare workers. They do not work for the state or any other government agency, and the city argues that they have no authority to investigate child abuse. A state investigation in 2001 said that several members had criminal records. Their badges were ordered from a private manufacturing firm, and a 2001 court order required the group to change its logo so that it no longer resembled the state seal."

AZ: Man shoots, kills his neighbor
Submitted by: Michael Lewis

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"An off-duty state Department of Corrections employee fatally shot a neighbor who was suspected of beating a woman early Sunday."

"Thomas Alfredo Keefe, 33, told police he saw Sergio Bustamante, 22, kicking his girlfriend in the head outside the couple's home in the 5700 block of West Glenrosa Avenue about 1:15 a.m., Phoenix Sgt. Bill Wren said."

"Keefe, who was armed with a handgun, confronted Bustamante to stop the assault, Wren said. Keefe told him to stop and Bustamante grabbed a gun from his truck, Wren said."

TN: 'Drive-by porn' to be outlawed?
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"The state Legislature of Tennessee is considering a law that would prohibit people from watching pornographic movies in their cars."

"The so-called 'drive-by porn' bill, already OK'd by the state Senate, will be heard this week in the House Subcommittee on Civil Procedure and practice, the Tennessean reported."

"Republican Sen. Mark Norris, sponsor of the Senate bill, is concerned about children in other vehicles being able to view pornography on the screens of in-car DVD players."

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Just another case of the nanny state intruding on your personal life for the "good of the children" of course.

Israel: Gun license holders should carry arms over Pesach
Submitted by: izaak
Website: http://www.eddieeagle.com

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It appears that someone understands the principle that an armed populace of law-abiding citizens prevents crime, not causes it.

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"Israelis with valid gun licenses should carry a weapon with them during the Passover holiday, Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonishki said Monday."

"The police have beefed up their deployments for the Passover holiday, which started Monday night, as all the security services move to boost the already high state of alert. "

PA: Pittsburgh to host NRA convention
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"In touting its selection of the Steel City for its 133rd annual convention, the National Rifle Association talks up the region's strong membership and Pennsylvania's rich hunting traditions."

"But it also is rallying support to keep President George Bush in office."

" 'Pennsylvania is going to be a battleground state again. We certainly will be working to activate our base,' NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said."

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So will they still battle to keep Bush in office after he signs the "assault" weapons ban?

KS: CCRKBA Urges Kansas Gun Owners to Call Gov. Sebelius, Lawmakers and Support CCW
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Responding to published reports that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is threatening to veto that state's recently-passed concealed carry bill, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) today called upon Sunflower State gun owners to contact the governor, and state lawmakers, to demand that this bill become law."

"House Bill 2798, known as the Personal and Family Protection Act, passed the Senate 28-12 and the House 78-46."

OH: Gun ban in fairgrounds buildings irks some
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Some gun owners and others are upset with plans to post 230 signs at the Richland County Fairgrounds telling visitors that concealed weapons are prohibited."

" 'If they're going to do that, I'm not going to go to the fairgrounds,' David Baker of Lexington, a firearms instructor, said."

"Richard A. Stark of Lucas believes the legal restriction will land county officials in court. He contends the state's new concealed-carry law, which goes into effect Thursday, spells out where licensed gun owners may take their weapons."

NM: Supreme Court Upholds Courtroom Gun Ban Submitted by: Sean Glazier	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"The state's highest court is leaving in place a ban on law enforcement officers carrying guns in Albuquerque's metropolitan courthouse while on duty." "The state Supreme Court has denied a request from the Bernalillo County sheriff and Albuquerque Police to block any rules prohibiting law enforcement officers from entering the court with a weapon."

Orrin Hatch is no Conservative
Submitted by: Anonymous

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He is originally from Pittsburgh. He was the lawyer for some of the most unsavory characters ever to have infected our city. You are making a mistake. He is no principled conservative.

"...Hatch wants to be loved by his enemies more than almost any Senator I have ever encountered in 38 years here."

"Hatchs enemies dont love him for his compromises. They have utter contempt for him. And unfortunately for him, he has made other enemies on the right in the process."

OH: Profiling people who dare to seek help
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Pop quiz: What do sufferers of eating disorders, combat veterans, rape victims, grief sufferers and police officers who have experienced traumatic events have in common?"

"If, as a means of recovery, they checked themselves into a counseling facility or stress center (or if a family member helped them check in), they share in common being profiled by the Ohio gun ban lobby and certain Ohio newspaper editors as being 'people no one wants to have packing a loaded handgun.' "

"Yes, that's right. If followed through to it's logical conclusion, the recent balleyhoo over a supposed conflict between the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Ohio's new concealed carry law would seek to prevent citizens like these from exercising their Constitutional right to self-defense."

OH: Gun ban extremists' expected 'Business Blitz' begins
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"As gun ban extremists have lost their fight against concealed carry legislation in state after state after state, their next course of action is to try to discourage people from exercising their newly-recognized right."

"Although the methods vary, the reason is transparent. As proven in state after state, the more people who carry, the greater the downward impact on crime will be, and the more their dire warnings will be shown for the fear-mongering that they are."

"And so it begins in Ohio. As we've all come to expect, the media is helping lead the charge."

OH: OFCC to Ohio businesses: "[We] will obey your sign, but it will cost you money"
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"OFCC warned supporters about the next battleground in the concealed carry fight just hours after HB12 was signed into law. In Gun ban extremists' expected 'Business Blitz' begins, we noted that Ohio's liberal media outlets were all-too willing to help 'share the gospel' of business bans."

"But as April 8 draws near, Ohio's media is placing a new, increasingly objective eye on this issue." ...

"OFCC has learned that despite claims of neutrality during the lobbying phase of HB12, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is now encouraging businesses to ban..."

OH: Businesses Debate Allowing Concealed Weapons
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"According to the new law, hidden guns are not allowed in many places, including schools, government offices and bars."

"Private business owners can decide for themselves if they want customers coming in with concealed weapons. There are some exceptions, however." ...

"The Ohio Attorney General's Office suggested that business owners get legal advice when deciding whether or not to allow guns in their stores."

OH: Concealed Carry Law Raises Concern About Vehicle Safety Submitted by: Sean Glazier	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Some law enforcement agencies recognize the demand for information and are adjusting to address concerns." ... "A majority of the citizens' concerns were related to carrying guns in vehicles." "Officials said drivers with permits must announce the presence of a gun to officers and the firearm must be locked up at all times."

OH: 44th state to have conceal carry law
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Ohio officials expect some 70,000 residents to apply for a permit to carry a concealed pistol when the state begins taking applications this week."

"Proponents of concealed-carry in the Ohio General Assembly managed, after a decade of failed attempts, to pass a bill the governor was willing to sign, the Toledo Blade reported Monday."

"The law requires sheriffs -- beginning Thursday -- to issue permits to anyone who is at least 21 years old, has lived in the state at least 45 days, the county or adjacent county for 30 days, completes a 12-hour firearms training course, and passes criminal and mental-health background checks."

OH: 'No guns allowed' is sign of times as law takes effect Submitted by: Sean Glazier	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Sure, Ohio now has a concealed-carry law, but once you get a license, your hidden holstered gun may not be welcome everywhere you want to go." "Like spring flowers, signs that prohibit firearms are popping up everywhere." "Businesses, including The Vindicator, that don't want employees, visitors or customers to enter armed are posting warning signs. Violators face a misdemeanor charge."

MA: New Software Seeking State Tax Scofflaws Submitted by: Anonymous	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Tax scofflaws, beware! A pack of digital bloodhounds may be on your trail. State revenue agencies across the nation are hunting for tax evaders with new high-tech tools: computer programs that mine an increasing number of databases for clues on the finances of people and businesses." "If your name is flagged, expect a letter or a call."

OH: Bill allows dealers to sell guns in homes
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"A bill passed by the state Legislature that allows gun dealers to open shops in their homes has some local officials up in arms."

" 'How could anybody in their right mind think it was appropriate for a gun shop to open up in a neighborhood?' said Bellevue City Councilman Tom Ratterman."

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What exactly is Mr. Ratterman's problem? Why does a lawful business that just happens to be someone's home an issue for him?

CA: Use of guns by teens for threats more likely than for self-defense
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"California adolescents are much more likely to be threatened with a gun than to use a gun in self-defense, according to an article in the April issue of The Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to information in the article, the United States has more guns, particularly handguns, per capita than any other high-income country, and has higher rates of homicide for adults and children." ...

" 'Approximately 4 percent of the adolescent reported ever having been threatened with a gun; only 0.3 percent reported using a gun in self-defense,' write the researchers. 'Boys, smokers, adolescents who threatened others, and adolescents whose parents knew little about their whereabouts in the afternoon after school were more likely to report being threatened with a gun. Most episodes of self-defense gun use seem to be hostile interactions between adolescents with weapons,' the authors write." ...

"The authors conclude, 'our results suggest that gun threats against adolescents in California are far more common that gun uses by them in self-defense. It appears that gun threats against adolescents at least for those instances when there was sufficient description to determine the age of the aggressor and what happened are mainly by other adolescents and that the typical self-defense gun use involves teenagers in armed confrontations.' "

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According to a DOJ study, 0% of kids that get guns from their parents commit gun-related crimes while 21% of those that get them illegally do.

The same DOJ study concluded that almost twice as many kids (24%) commit any type of street crime if they get guns illegally, as opposed to kids given guns by their parents and taught the proper way to use them (14%).

IL: Gun Talk: Illinois Handgun Ban Challenged
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Illinois's handgun ban is being challenged in the state legislature after a man was arrested for shooting an intruder in his home."

"An Illinois man who shot an intruder in his home last December has sparked a debate over a handgun ban in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette. Just before Christmas, Hale DeMar, 54, used a handgun to protect his home and family from a burglar who had entered DeMars house twice in 24 hours."

Watchdogs Push for RFID Laws
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"RFID is too powerful a technology and Wal-Mart and its suppliers are too cozy with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the companies to be trusted with the data gathered from radio tags on consumer goods, say a civil rights lawyer and a privacy law expert."

"But the companies, led by Procter & Gamble, are opposing RFID legislation, and want consumers to allow them to keep RFID tags active after checkout, and to match shoppers' personal information with particular items."

OH: Difficult mental health checks could leave gaps in background
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Bob Cornwell knows Ohio sheriffs will struggle as they try to conduct mental competency background checks before issuing concealed handgun permits."

"So the executive director of the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association is realistic about the outcomes."

" 'I hope I'm wrong, but someone will slip through the cracks,' he said. 'We are going to do everything in our power to ensure that doesn't happen.' "

Busch Gardens using hand scanners to ID
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"At airports, biometric systems are typically linked to a national database, which has enabled airlines to do background checks, but critics have raised privacy concerns."

"The park's HandEScan device measures the top of a person's hand, taking in finger height, knuckle shape and distance between the hand's joints. It takes two separate images and then combines the photos to create a 3-D image, according to officials. The information is stored in an internal system and then matched to each person's season-pass bar code upon entry to the park, Stagner said."

" 'There's really no privacy issue,' he said. 'It's not fingerprinting. This is just for our internal use, matching the person to the pass.' "

"But not everyone is convinced."

MA: BIO-key and HP Awarded Contract at Logan Airport
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"BIO-key International, Inc., the leader in finger-based biometric
identification technology and wireless identification systems for identity management solutions, announced today it was awarded a contract with Logan International Airport in conjunction with its partner, HP." ...

"The contract equips Massachusetts State Police Troopers with PSG's PocketCop(C) software running on HP IPAQ wireless handheld devices to conduct identification and background checks on passengers and suspects as well as performing vehicle identifications in and around the airport."

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In other words, your fingers and papers please, and you are suspect until we say you are innocent.

How can anyone oppose letting retired police carry guns?
Submitted by: Newslinks Admin

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"But how can anyone oppose letting retired police carry guns? We trust police when they are on the job. Research, including my own, shows that police are the single most important factor for reducing crime. But somehow, an officer we trusted for 10 years is no longer trusted the day he retires."

"Blagojevich's concern? He claims that adopting the bill will lead 'inexorably toward concealed carry laws' for all Illinois residents. ..."

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The question is not "How can anyone oppose retired police carrying guns?" The question is, "How can you justify creating an elite class of citizens who are more worthy of being allowed to exercise their constitutional rights than others?"

UK: ID cards 'compulsory by 2008'
Submitted by: Sean Glazier

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"Everyone in Britain could be forced to have identity cards within five years under a fast-track plan by David Blunkett which is backed by Tony Blair and gaining support within the Cabinet."

"Last month's bombings in Madrid and last week's arrest of suspected Islamic terrorists in Britain have persuaded more ministers that compulsory ID cards will have to be introduced much sooner than they originally envisaged. The Government announced last November that it would phase in voluntary identity cards from 2007-08 and decide in 2013 whether to make the scheme compulsory. ..."