Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

A Rusty Old Codger Gets a Shiny New Gun
Submitted by: Larry

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"About six years ago, I met a gentleman who has since become one of my very best and true friends. He taught me a lot but one would expect that; he has the wisdom of more than 70 years."

"He is a no-nonsense gentleman. He does not suffer fools lightly. He quotes Atlas Shrugged. He cares more about freedom and classic liberal ideals than he cares about either political party. ...

"... three months ago he decided to get his concealed carry permit. This intrigued me because ... [t]he application, background check, and fingerprint requirements go against all he believes."

"... I wanted to ask him a few questions related to his new concealed carry permit and the new handgun he now has with him. ..." ...

'Inspector X'
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Recent Gun Rights Examiner columns regarding the [BATFE] reminded me of an interview I did some years back with a former ATF inspector. I went looking for it and found it has disappeared from the website that hosted it."

"I believe it is still (and especially) relevant today, so present it here ..."

"Interview with 'Inspector X'"

"When I was young, I worked for ATF.

There was a movie I saw once starring Burt Lancaster ... wherein he was asked where he learned how to shoot. He said, 'When I was an Indian scout!'

He was then asked, 'When was that?'

He responded, 'Before I knew better.'

Same for me.

- Inspector X"

"DC: How can someone in good conscience work for ATF?" ...

State Sovereignty: Freedom can protect itself
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The Idea of state sovereignty invokes the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to get out from under bigger government. It says: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

"The Constitution is filled with so many 'nots' that it is clear that the Founders put more limits on a central government than that government would like. Too bad. It's what we're all fighting over right now."

"I was first informed of this increasing freedom movement by news of Oklahoma State Senator Randy Brogdon who works for Oklahoma's state sovereignty, so I asked for an interview. ..." ...

Why people buy "assault weapons"
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The term 'assault weapon' was manufactured to define scary-looking legal civilian weapons. They have big clips, flash suppressors and bi-pods and folding stocks like military weapons, but the critical feature missing is full-automatic firing. At heart they are no different from the plain looking guns that employ gas pressure from the fired round to recock the gun and chamber the next round. This gun design has been around for decades and is legal. We should be able to buy legal guns that look scary-as-all-get-out for the same reason we can buy cars that go 120 MPH and look like they go 500. We who buy guns want the capability and the looks even if there's no promise that we'll get the chance to use it." ...

Clarifying the right to bear arms
Submitted by: James A. Farmer

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"This missive should clarify the true purpose of the Second Amendment."

"In 1980, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled there were three reasons for the Constitutional 'right to keep and bear arms' proviso: 1) As a deterrent against governmental oppression; 2) to make the right of personal defense meaningful; and 3) a preference for home-grown militia over a standing army."

"In Warren vs. the District of Columbia (1981), the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled that, 'Official police personnel and the government employing them are not generally liable to victims of criminal acts for failure to provide adequate police protection' ..." ...

Frivolous lawsuit against Glock dismissed
Submitted by: Daniel White
Website: http://www.OhioCCW.org

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"A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling and dismissed charges against gun manufacturer Glock Inc, citing the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Glock had been sued by victims of a 1999 shooting in the San Fernando Valley by a 'mentally disturbed man with neo-Nazi affiliations.'"

"Lawyers for the plaintiffs claim that Glock is responsible for the criminal use of their product because 'the manufacturers deliberately made more guns than the legitimate market could support and sold them through channels that would reach a 'secondary market' of private and under-the-table transactions.'" ...

Private gun sales
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"If I have NASCAR advertisements painted on my Honda Accord, does it make it a race car? If I put a Robert Mondavi wine label on a bottle of Welch's grape juice, does it make it Cabernet? If I put a racehorse saddle and accessories on a donkey, does it make it a racehorse? Similar foolishness renewal of the assault weapons ban and closing the gun-show loophole unfortunatelyt are once again in the news."

"The expiration of the so-called assault weapons ban had no impact whatsoever on the long-established, unambiguous laws against owning a machine gun, no matter what it is called."

"Media bias against the Second Amendment, however, has cleverly redefined semi-automatic rifles and pistols as assault weapons ..." ...

Push for stronger gun laws having opposite effect
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"We should all realize the common attitudes and views of the various states' residents and voters can differ, and this is becoming apparent as more states worry over the federal government's attempts to place increasingly more restrictive laws on firearm ownership by law-abiding citizens. On the heels of the historic Supreme Court ruling last year that the Second Amendment meant U.S. citizens of sound mind and clean records had the right to own firearms, governments, both at state and federal levels, are attempting to creatively circumvent that ruling. But in doing so, they have seemingly opened a Pandora's Box of challenges and opposite effects." ...
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KABA Note:

NRA Family SportsFest in Pleasant Valley is FREE this year!
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"If you attend the NRA Family SportsFest at the Pleasant Valley Trout and Game Club this Saturday, you may be surprised to find it lacking one feature from past years: There will be no one on hand to take your money as you come through the gate."

"Ken Foster, the event's organizer, told me tongue-in-cheek: 'This is one stimulus package you don't want to miss.' I guess he's right; there is not a lot you can get for free these days. The economy has put the squeeze on most everyone and the club decided that they would trim a few of the activities back and use the savings to entice parents to get the kids there. ..." ...

IL: NRA impeding passage of concealed carry?
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Mike and Valinda Rowe of rural Enfield have been leading the charge toward Illinois residents gaining the right to carry concealed firearms, like every other state in the Union except Wisconsin."

"But they say their most recent effort with a better promise of success is being impeded by, of all organizations, the National Rifle Association."

"For nearly 15 years, license-to-carry bills have been repeatedly introduced to the Illinois Legislature - and have repeatedly failed. The Rowes blame opposition from the Chicago and Cook County area legislators." ...

Whose Senate Is This?
Submitted by: Foo Bar

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"The gun lobby and its all-too-willing political accomplices have struck again. The Senate's version of urgently needed legislation to protect credit card users has been saddled with a dangerous and utterly nongermane amendment allowing visitors to openly carry loaded firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges."

"A disappointing 27 Senate Democrats ... eagerly signed on with 39 Republicans fawning together before the lobby's lethal diktat."

"None of that 66 dared to ask: What on earth does laissez-faire gun toting have to do with credit card fairness? And why should the national parks, which are supposed to be peaceful preserves, be filled with loaded AK-47s and other war weapons?" ...

Credit cards and gun rights - Huh?
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"What do guns have to do with credit cards?"

"Not much. Except they both share space on a bill that lawmakers want to deliver to President Obama's desk by Memorial Day."

"In a surprising move, the Senate voted 67-29 on Tuesday to attach a measure that would allow guns in national parks to a bill that cracks down on credit card fees."

"'It's just wacky,' said Jon Houston, an aide speaking on behalf of Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the bill's chief House sponsor who has been pushing for a crack down on credit card practices for two years." ...

Armed self-defense for gun owners, new and old
Submitted by: Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner
Website: http://www.GunsPoliticsandFreedom.com

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"The gun salesman of the year, a/k/a Barack Obama, has put guns into the hands of thousands of people who never before owned them. Maybe that is you; maybe its one of your friends or co-workers; maybe you've owned guns for years but want to get advanced level training."

"If you want basic or advanced handgun training, the 'Armed Self-Defense' series, over the next two weeks, will provide you guidance on:"

"Equipment selection and storage;
Basic firearm safety and courses available;
What to do after you take a basic course;
Concealed handgun permits; and
Intermediate and advanced-level training to include tactical considerations, malfunction drills and more." ...

OH: Pizza shop owner who defended his store shares his story
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Pizza shop owner Johnny Hayes not only had a legal right to defend himself and his business with lethal force, he felt an obligation to defend his staff and customers."

"Still, life after this death has not been easy."

"Each day since has become an emotional gut check over what can't be undone."

"Some police officers work a whole career without firing their weapon, but after just two years of owning a 9mm handgun, Hayes killed a man with it."

"'I live thinking about it every day. I am still concerned for my well being more so then ever, my employees and my family,' Hayes said."

"'I shot and killed a guy. I don't feel good about it.'" ...

Not just Mexico anymore: Congressman Eliot Engel expands the '90%' meme to Jamaica
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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Eliot Engel (D-NY) before, regarding his letter to President Obama, urging him to impose an executive order banning the importation of so-called 'assault weapons.' Here's Engel's justification for taking that course of action:"

"Over 90% of firearms confiscated yearly in Mexico orginate in the United States."

"In other words, although the supposed exportation of firearms was cited as the problem, the banning of their importation was offered as the solution." ...

"Perhaps because more and more of the public is catching on to the fact that '90%' of the Mexican drug cartels' guns do not come from the U.S., Engel is looking ... now applying the '90%' figure to Jamaica, as well." ...

Obama continues trend of appointing rabid gun-haters to important administration positions
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Obama's newly nominated 'drug czar' is Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. And just like a real czar, the drug czar ... can destroy rights instantly, and he can set the stage for additional harm."

"Before the dark days of the Clinton administration, few federal government officials had done more to damage Second Amendment rights than William Bennett, the so-called 'drug czar' under President George H.W. Bush. In March 1989, Bennett set off a national panic by pushing the first Bush administration to ban the import of so-called 'assault weapons.'"

"Bennett claimed that 'assault weapons' were the firearms of choice for violent drug dealers. The claim, of course, was nonsense. ..." ...

AZ: House approves guns in locked vehicles
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"The Arizona House has passed a bill that allows people to keep guns locked in their vehicles in public parking lots and garages."

"The bill, now headed to the Senate, is seen as a victory for gun owners."

"Its sponsor, Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, refuted critics' claims that the bill tramples on private property rights, i.e., the rights of the owners of parking lots and garages who do not want firearms on their properties."

"'This simply states that an employee, or anybody visiting a parking lot, has a right to keep a firearm hidden in their locked car,' said Kavanagh. 'This bill strikes a reasonable balance between the right of a private property owner versus the Second Amendment right of a citizen ...'" ...

Texas, Other States Introduce Firearm Freedom Act
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Following Montana's lead, the Lone Star State has introduced a bill in the legislature challenging federal authority to regulate guns under the interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. Under the proposed legislation, firearms and ammunition produced in Texas for use in the state would be exempt from federal laws and regulation."

"The bill's sponsors say it is more about defending states' rights and sovereignty from an over-reaching federal government than about guns. 'I think states have got to stand up or else most of their rights are going to be buffaloed by the administration and by Congress,' said Republican Texas state Rep. Leo Berman, one of the bill's chief sponsors. ..." ...

FL: NRA Fights Florida Tax on Gun Owners
Submitted by: Opposing Views
Website: http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-nra-fights-florida-tax-on-gun-owners

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"When government takes money from citizens for general use by government, IT'S A TAX."

"When government confiscates user fees from trust funds intended to be used to administer specific programs and converts it to government use for other purposes, IT'S A TAX." ...

"In a last minute sneak attack on gun owners, the Florida Legislature raided the concealed weapons and firearms licensing trust fund ..."

"They took $6 million from the Division of Licensing Concealed Weapons and Firearm Trust Fund that is intended, by law, to be used solely for administering the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program. ..." ...

SIG SAUER, Inc. Secures a $306 Million Pistol Contract by the U.S. Army's Material Command
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"SIG SAUER, Inc. announced today that it has secured a multi-year contract to provide pistols to the U.S. Armys Material Command. The potential value for all quantities and the related customer support package is $306 million. The initial order of 55,890 units is to be released as the standard sidearm for the entire Colombian National Police force. Shipments are to begin immediately with a second release of 42,000 pistols to follow. " ...
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Submitter's Note: If I read this right, the US Material Command is providing more than 55,000 Sig Sauer handguns to the entire Columbian National Police Force - at OUR expense. Is it any wonder that many guns in Mexico, Central and South America can be traced back to the USA?

Support Your Local Police?
Submitted by: Larry

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"Will Grigg's recent post about the beating of Pastor Steven Anderson, as well as the numerous cases of police misconduct that have been documented on this blog, show that the time has long since past when we can support our local police as a group. Yet, I noticed in my local paper (The Pensacola News Journal) last week (it was an accident--I never read the paper) that a Baptist church in Pensacola had their 16th annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. One officer rode his motorcycle through the church while others rappelled from the ceiling on a rope. There were flags everywhere. These are the same churches that usually have special military appreciation days and go crazy over the military on every national holiday." ...

Muscatatuck center expands stage for urban warfare training
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"This is how realistic the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center is: the Army constructed a bombed-out building here." ...

"'This is where the Army sees value and is willing to invest: nonconventional warfare,' [Indiana National Guard Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger] said."

"As if to underline Umbarger's point, Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week placed Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, an expert in counterinsurgency warfare, in charge of the war in Afghanistan."

"McChrystal replaced Gen. David McKiernan, described as a more traditional commander."

"At least 10 major exercises, with groups of up to 5,000 soldiers, will be held each year when the rehab at Muscatatuck is complete in 2012, Kelsey said." ...
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Submitter's Note: You know, sometimes Alex Jones looks pretty accurate.

Scouts Train to Fight Terrorists, and More
Submitted by: motoboy

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"Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor."

"The responding officers eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots BAM! BAM! fired from behind a flimsy wall. They move quickly, pellet guns drawn and masks affixed." ...

"'This is about being a true-blooded American guy and girl,' said A. J. Lowenthal, a sheriff's deputy here in Imperial County ... 'It fits right in with the honor and bravery of the Boy Scouts.'" ...
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Submitter's Note: It's the "and More" that concerns me.

Boy Storm Troopers of America (another view)
Submitted by: Larry

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"While we're on the subject of abusive cops, check out this article in the New York Times on the Explorers program, affiliated with the Boy Scouts, in which kids are taught 'skills used to confront terrorism, illegal immigration and escalating border violence.' They also simulate raids on marijuana fields and learn 'how to quiet an obstreperous lookout:'"

"'Put him on his face and put a knee in his back,' a Border Patrol agent explained. 'I guarantee that he'll shut up.'" ...

"Still, as the Times says, 'If there are critics of the content or purpose of the law enforcement training, they have not made themselves known to the Explorers' national organization ... or to the volunteers here on the ground ...'" ...

DEA agent indicted in Mansfield drug case
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"A federal drug agent who helped put more than a dozen local residents behind bars may soon face the same fate."

"Lee M. Lucas, 41, was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday in Cleveland on 18 counts related to a 2005 local drug investigation dubbed Operation Turnaround."

"He is charged with seven counts of obstruction of justice, one count of making false statements in official reports, seven counts of perjury and three counts of violating individuals' civil rights." ...

"According to the indictment, Lucas knowingly included false and misleading information and concealed evidence favorable to those accused." ...

US prosecutor admits error, hopes for 2d chance
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"A federal prosecutor acknowledged yesterday that she withheld evidence that could have helped clear a defendant in a gun case but said it was an inadvertent mistake and implored the chief judge of the US District Court in Massachusetts not to impose sanctions that could derail her career." ...
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H/t to David Codrea, who asks: What, you mean like one of those "willful violations" you lot tried to "derail the careers" of a certain gun shop in Idaho over? Was anyone concerned about "derailing" David Olofson or Wayne Fincher's "careers"?

CA: Gang-Bangers in Blue
Submitted by: Larry

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"How many things are wrong with the following headline describing this incident in El Monte, California:"

"'Cop Punts Suspect's Head --High Five Ensues; Fleeing from Police, Endangering Lives Earns Boot to Head.'"

"First of all ... when a cop with a drawn gun kicks the head of a prone, unresisting suspect, this is described as 'punting' the suspect, as if the armed bureaucrat had displayed some form of martial prowess, rather than the vindictive cruelty of a bully." ...

"El Monte Police Chief Tom Armstrong contends that the act of kicking the unresisting suspect in the face may be justified by the fact that 'the individual turn[ed] his head toward the officer.'"

"So the mere act of looking at a policeman creates an 'officer safety' issue?" ...

CA: SoCal Cop Punts Suspect's Head, Hi-Fives Ensue
Submitted by: Larry

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"Despite lying on the ground with his arms and legs spread, a suspect got a face full of police boot on Wednesday."

The kicking team added insult to injury (literally) by giving a post-beating high-five."

"The brutality was the final chapter of a pursuit that began about 1:30 p.m. at an attempted traffic stop in El Monte. Police tried to stop the motorist for a traffic violation, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jose Nunez." ...
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H/t to Strike-The-Root.com.

CA: Contra Costas budget woes impacts Sheriff's department
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"California residents have long assumed that they could successfully transfer responsibility for their safety to the professionals in law enforcement and criminal justice. But the state's economic downturn has led to drastic drop in property and sales tax revenues, and now municipalities are being forced to cut public safety budgets to the point that Californians must confront a harsh reality."

"A recent article noted how fiscal issues required Contra Costa County to cut back on both Sheriff's services and in the prosecutor's office. Fortunately, last-minute negotiations, along with a voluntary pay cut by District Attorney Robert Kochly, averted the proposed policy of not prosecuting certain misdemeanors. ..." ...

Man, woman injured in downtown shooting
Submitted by: R.S.G.

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"An investigation is underway after two people were shot early Thursday morning in downtown Nashville."

"Police said the victims, a man and a female, were shot along Second Avenue as they exited separate nightclubs just before 2:30 a.m."

"They did not know each other and told police they don't know why they were shot or if they were targeted."

"The victims were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries."

"Officers were just 20 feet away at the time of the shooting, and responded within minutes." [emphasis added] ...

Why many Valley gun shops are sold out of ammunition
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Grab a phone book and call every gun shop across the Valley."

"You will probably hear the same thing. It's been nearly impossible to keep ammunition on their shelves."

"Some companies, like Sportsman's Warehouse in Phoenix, have had to post signs letting people know that handgun ammo and other popular rounds are sold out."

"On Wednesday, the store started a new policy that customers can only buy two boxes per day."

"Manger Mark Russell said no one could have ever expected this level of demand."

"Jenni Rigs works the cast register and said she was seeing people buying boxes of ammunition by the cart full."

"Rigs thinks they are hoarding or stockpiling ammo." ...

The Ammo Drought
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Where has all the ammo gone? That's a common refrain these days and not just in a few places, but all across the country. The answer is simple and complicated, but it's not part of a nefarious plot hatched up by Washington politicians."

"Ammo supplies got thrown out of kilter as a result of military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and several former Warsaw Pact nations transitioning to NATO caliber arms. Some sources of military surplus ammo have been drying up under a UN agreement to 'de-militarize' (read destroy) surplus ammo rather than let it into the open market. During the same period the costs of metals for components, particularly lead and copper, started climbing due to global demand. ..." ...

Ammunition in short supply With gun owners stocking up, some stores are limiting purchases
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

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"Continuing a nationwide trend that began before November's presidential election, area gun retailers are reporting an increase in firearms sales."

"The result? Heightened demand has diminished ammunition availability at retail locations throughout the U.S. Although gun sales tend to go up during times of economic hardship, retailers, gun owners and industry insiders credit rising sales and declining supply to fear that President Barack Obama and a Democratically controlled Congress will enact strict gun-control measures."

"As shortages have grown, stores ... have limited ammo purchases on certain varieties to ensure availability to more customers. Manufacturers have cranked up production in response to demand. ..." ...

WV: State targets shooting range
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Matt Keplinger couldn't believe it when he heard that the Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area's public shooting range was set to close."

"Hunting is a family tradition for Keplinger, who got the news when he and his young daughter were spending some 'quality, together time' at the rural shooting range last Friday."

"After spending some time tracking down state Department of Natural Resources officials, Keplinger was convinced that the word he'd received from a friend was true and the range's closing was imminent."

"State confirmation that the range has a 'design flaw' hasn't made Keplinger feel any better because he now fears the range won't return once it is closed." ...
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COMMENT: This is a cautionary tale. Let's learn from it. The complaint, for a change, appears to be legitimate.