Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

The Good Fight
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Every vocal pro-gun advocate is familiar with the condescending look of so-called friends or family members who are sure we're nothing but bloodthirsty members of the NRA cult. We've all been there when someone belittles our judgment by asking, 'I hope you have those guns locked up ...' or 'aren't you afraid you will shoot a family member by accident?' And then there's my favorite silly anti-gun statement, 'you know, someone who keeps a gun in the house is 75% more likely to kill a friend of family member than an intruder.'"

"Personally, I have a family member that is a self-described intellectual and, based on the desire to feed his feelings of superiority, he looks down his nose at anyone who carries a gun for self-defense." ...

Gun control is based on false premises
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A year has passed since the tragic events at Virginia Tech, and there are some assumptions upon which gun control is based that require investigation. Chief among them is the misplaced feeling that banning firearms somehow eradicates them."

"When examining this notion, we can look for another example of a ban to give us a sense of the difference between banning and eradication. There are people in America known as illegal immigrants who are banned from being here. If the state cannot keep a person from coming into the country illegally, what possible hope does it have in banning a gun? What is to stop the illegal immigrant from bringing guns with him?"

"Contrary to gun control wishes, government bans do not equal eradication." ...

Exploiting a Tragedy {WARNING: Strong Language}
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Let me state this very clearly, at the beginning of this post: Three mutants robbed a bank and one of them killed Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, a Philadelphia policeman. Any and every time a cop is killed in the line of duty, all of us who are law abiding citizens suffer a terrible loss and of course that pales in comparison to the loss felt by that officers family. In this post, I have no intention of belittling this tragedy or trying to minimize it in any way. Rather, I want to discuss the typical, knee-jerk reaction by liberal newspapers, politicians, and wannabe pundits who would use this awful crime to further their vacuous agendas and careers." ...

Bleak Times for Brady Campaign PAC?
Submitted by: Brent Greer
Website: http://thereadyline.blogspot.com

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"This could be an explanation for the shrill sound of desperation we've been noticing from the anti-gun camp lately:"

"They haven't been raising any money for their Political Action Committee. This is speculation, but my guess is they've been having to eschew fundraising for the PAC in order to keep their 501(c)(4) and (c)(3) activities afloat. This is probably the most critical election for the gun issue for some time, and I would just imagine if they could be raising money, they would be. ..."

"More importantly, if you go to opensecrets.org yourself, and look at NRA-PVF's top donors, you'll see professions like 'Machine Operator', 'Police Officer', 'Computer Technician', 'Engineer', 'Mechanic', 'Truck Driver', 'Art Teacher'. ..." ...

Wal-Mart's policy is just good business
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Wal-Mart was the nation's leading retailer of firearms before dropping gun sales at nearly two-thirds of its 3,000 stores a couple of years ago. The retail giant is a constant target of lawsuits and its board saw the complex federal guidelines for screening prospective firearms buyers -- and the potential for mistakes by its clerks -- as not being worth the revenues and risks the sales produced."

"Wal-Mart recently announced that it will be video-taping its gun sales and creating a computerized log of purchases for reference when a firearm is used in a crime."

"Wal-Mart clerks would thus be alerted and could refuse to make another sale." ...

States must unite to put an end to illegal gun trafficking
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Last week, a federal appellate court, citing a statute backed by the National Rifle Association that blocks municipalities from suing gun manufacturers, dismissed a landmark lawsuit seeking to put an end to the pipeline of illegal guns to New York City."

"Having failed in the courts, New York must seek to crack down on the influx of illegal guns to this city by entering into a formal agreement with states that would utilize shared data centers, the latest tool in combating crime in our post-9/11 world." ...

PA: How many must die before gun lobby gets message?
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"THE WOUNDS deepen."

"The city reels from the murder of Sgt. Stephen Liczbin-ski, and in the midst of it, there are more blows to our sensibilities:"

"There's the sickening eruption of what looked like gratuitous violence when police arrested three men driving away from the scene of another shooting - beating them and kicking them unmercifully, over and over, in a tableau of unchecked rage." ...

"There's the continuing mindlessness of the gun lobby's argument that weapons such as the SKS that killed Liczbinski should be available to one and all, as if only Second Amendment rights should be impervious to modification - unlike all the other rights we have." ...

A proposal for concealed weapons in national parks
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Department of the Interior is charged with managing America's national parks and wildlife refuges in a manner that ensures their conservation and the safety of those who visit them. As secretary of the interior, I am committed to accomplishing this goal with careful regard to the rights and responsibilities federal laws provide ..."

"America's government is firmly founded on the fundamental principle that states have the prerogative to develop their own policies and standards in many areas, and that the federal government should respect that right whenever possible. As Thomas Jefferson said during his first inaugural address, the states are 'the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns.'" ...

TN: Guns should be allowed in national parks
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"As one could only expect, the anti-gun, liberal Mountain Press has again come out against the Second Amendment. On May 1 you printed an editorial in opposition to guns in the National Park."

"What the editorial failed to say is that the rule change only applies to people who have satisfied state requirements and have obtained a state issued permit to carry a firearm for self-defense."

"When is the last time you read about a person who legally carries a gun violating the law? Self-defense firearms are not the weapon of choice for hunters and poachers and you definitely cannot compare the National Park to 'places such as courthouses, schools and airplanes.'" ...

The Pen is Mightierand More Dangerous
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"When Steven Barber turned in his midterm creative writing assignment at the University of Virginia's College at Wise ... he was hoping for a good grade to complement his 3.9 grade point average. Instead, Barber was expelled from school, locked in a mental institution for three days, and had his concealed carry permit revoked."

"Barber's fictional story was a first person narrative of a troubled college student consumed by depression, paranoia, drug addiction, and alcoholism ... The entire story is just contemplation no characters, real or fictional were harmed ... and Barber himself is nothing like the character he described."

"But Barbers professor ... and some of the class members were uncomfortable with the story ..." ...

CA: Tenured Fresno State professor suspended for alleged remarks
Submitted by: John Jorgensen/GS2AC
Website: http://www.gs2ac.com

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

California State University, Fresno is investigating allegations by two students that a tenured professor threatened to bring a gun to class and start shooting.

Meanwhile, the school has suspended 64-year-old Joe Parks, who has taught education at Fresno State for 10 years.

A student said in a police report that during a discussion of a school shooting, Parks said he wished he could bring his gun to class and "shoot all of you."

Parks denies making that statement during a teacher-preparation class in February, but concedes that he tends to be controversial in his remarks. Other students in the class also say he didn't make that statement.

WV: Mock Shooting Drill at WVSU
Submitted by: R.S.G.

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Some students at West Virginia State Community and Technical College received some hands on training Wednesday to learn how to respond to a school shooting.

It's all part of the certification process for paramedics.

Students and faculty helped staged multiple shootings near Ferrell Hall.

Organizers say the project was to help students learn how to respond to a real situation.

We're told the students have a little more training to do before they're certified in a few months.

FactCheck: Obama's wandering gun aim
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A mailer sent from Hillary Clinton's campaign to the homes of selected Indiana voters just before the Democratic primary goes after Barack Obama for allegedly shifting his position on guns to suit his audience. ..."

"Obama's state Senate campaign in 1996 did say in a questionnaire that Obama favored banning handguns. But Obama says he personally didn't answer the question, and that he's never felt that way."

"Obama has said he supports the Second Amendment as an individual right to bear arms. But he's also said he believes that government can regulate that right." ...

KY: More than 60,000 members of NRA expected in Louisville with the option of being armed
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"When Sen. John McCain appears at the National Rifle Associations convention in Louisville not only will his security detail be armed, so will the audience!"

"More than 60,000 National Rifle Association are expected in Louisville May 16-20, and thanks to Kentuckys concealed carry law, they can bring their guns with them."

"'John McCain's people (are) working with our people and security will rule the day,' Ashley Varner told WHAS11's Joe Arnold, 'But, he's well aware that many of the members will probably bring firearms with them and hes still excited to come and talk with them.'" ...

Letter from Gov. Grimes To President Pierce, N.Y. Times, Oct. 14, 1856
Submitted by: GunShowOnTheNet.com
Website: http://GunShowOnTheNet.com/

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"...They went to Kansas, relying upon and has a right to expect the protection of the General Government. In this expectation they have been disappointed. Citizenship has been virtually denied them. Their right to defend themselves and "to keep and bear arms" has been infringed by the act of the Territorial officers, who have wrested from them the means of defense, while putting weapons of offence into the hands of their enemies...."

"...The General Government having failed to perform its duty by protecting the people of Kansas in the enjoyment of their rights, it is manifestly the right of the States to adopt measures to protect its former citizens. If the people of Iowa are not permitted to enjoy the rights of citizenship..."

MA: ATF to open office in the greater Brockton area to crack down on gun crimes
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"To help the city and region crack down on gun violence, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plans to open a field office in the area soon."

"About 10 federal ATF agents will be in the new office one of three new field offices to be opened in the state as authorities renew efforts to crack down on gun violence in the region." ...

"Anderson said he expects the new office to be opened in the upcoming months. The exact location of the office would not be disclosed, he said." ...
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H/t to David Codrea who points out "Gee, I wonder why. BATFU does so much to engender good will among their countrymen."

UT: Students claim police chief who shot himself was careless
Submitted by: Wildfire

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"The police chief who shot himself in the ankle was waving a loaded pistol and being careless, according to two students who were attending his class to qualify for a concealed-weapons permit. 'We were told the gun is the chief's personal sidearm, but it looked to me like he didn't know anything about the gun,' Lewis Walker said."

"Bart Ulm, another student seeking certification to carry a concealed weapon, said he was surprised Chief Dave Hansen was using a loaded gun to show how it worked." ...

"[Lt. James] Ebert said the findings of an internal investigation would be announced Wednesday. He declined to offer specifics but disputed the accounts of Ulm and Walker, describing the pair as 'disgruntled.'" ...

NY: NYPD Cracks Sadistic Gang Of Cop Impersonators
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"A sadistic gang of police impersonators abducted and tortured scores of East Coast cocaine traffickers, forcing them to hand over multimillion-dollar stashes ..." ...

"Since the spring of 2003, the gang injured about 100 people while committing 100 holdups targeting large-scale traffickers ..." ...

"The robbers, court papers said, 'were particularly sophisticated in their tactics,' often conducting surveillance on the drug dealers for weeks before arming themselves with handguns and making 'a police-style car stop' in cars equipped with lights and sirens. Other times, the gang gained entry into victims' homes by identifying themselves as police officers, then holding entire families hostage at gunpoint for days on end." ...

ME: Gun accidentally discharges, kills Maine officer, police say
Submitted by: Rob Chapman

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"A nine-year veteran of the Portland Police Department died of injuries after his handgun discharged in what police described yesterday as a tragic accident."

"Sergeant Robert Johnsey was apparently preparing his duty weapon for his next shift when it accidentally discharged ..." ...

"Westbrook's police chief, William Baker, whose department led the investigation, said evidence at the scene clearly indicated that Johnsey's Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun went off accidentally."

"'Our preliminary assessment led me to conclude that Sergeant Johnsey was doing something that all of us in law enforcement do 240 times a year - that is, getting our duty belts ready for the next day of work,' Baker said." ...

PA: Video shows Philly cops beating suspects
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"More than a dozen police officers were filmed beating three shooting suspects Monday night in Philadelphia. The footage, captured by a WTXF-TV chopper, shows the men being punched and kicked after a chase through the northern part of the city." ...

"City officials pledged to conduct a full investigation into the officers' conduct. 'On the surface, it certainly does not look good in terms of the amount of force that was used,' Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey tells reporters, according to the Philadelphia Daily News." ...

OR: Private citizen issues parking tickets to Oregon cop
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"An Oregon man issued a series of parking citations to a uniformed police officer who parked his patrol car next to a 'No Parking' sign while he went to buy food at a Chinese restaurant last month in Portland."

Eric Bryant says he approached Officer Chad Stensgaard, but the cop dismissed his concerns about the illegal parking spot." ...

"'I think asking an officer to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find a 'legal' parking space that may be a long ways away from where they're going is unreasonable,' Assistant Chief Brian Martinek tells KGW-TV." ...
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KABA Note: But it is perfectly reasonable to ask a non-cop to do that?

OK: Police veteran charged for burglary
Submitted by: Trapper

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"An almost 20-year veteran of the Durant Police Department is accused of burglarizing a pharmacy last year in an attempt to steal prescription pills."

"Durant Police Lt. Johnny Rutherford was charged Tuesday with felony second-degree burglary. He is accused of breaking into Morrison Drug ... He ... has now been placed on administrative leave, pending the disposition of the case ..." ...

"Rutherford, 41, is also charged with misdemeanor crimes of malicious injury to property and breaking and entering a dwelling without permission. ..." ...

"The charges have stunned the law enforcement community. Rutherford has served almost 20 years with the department and was due to retire later this year. ..." ...

PA: A Provocative Thought Experiment On Guns (first letter)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"ABOUT 90 percent of the people shot in the city last year were African-American. While figures are unavailable, it is assumed by most that close to 100 percent of the perpetrators of these shootings were African-American."

"Almost all the firearms used in these shootings were obtained, possessed and carried illegally ... If, as is constantly claimed, we MUST DO SOMETHING to stop this violence, then why not ban African-American residents of the city from owning handguns?"

"The answer is that that is patently unfair and discriminatory. To judge an entire group as a problem and punish all members of that group ... is unconscionable."

"Yet, it's deemed perfectly acceptable to discriminate against one particular group - gun owners." ...

CA: Friends of NRA hold Thursday fundraiser
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Yolo County chapter of the Friends of NRA will hold its 13th annual Fundraiser Dinner and Auction at the Elks Lodge in Woodland Thursday."

"The prime rib dinner has attracted ,more than 200 local supporters from all over Yolo, Colusa and Solano counties in past years."

"The no-host bar will open at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 with the live auction, silent auction and special drawings for exclusive NRA merchandise such as prints, knives, jewelry and firearms to follow dinner." ...

OH: Tragedy Proves Parks Not Safe
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Unfortunately, it often takes the most heinous of crimes to remind us just how untrue the anti-gun rhetoric is."

"As many of you know, right now OFCC is embroiled in a case before the Ohio Supreme Court, fighting against the City of Clyde (and all anti-gun municipalities) who passed an ordinance banning firearms in their public parks (in violation of statewide preemption)."

"The anti-gun crowd will have you believe that you don't need your gun in a park and that banning guns make people feel safe. ..."

"Today, the newscasts are rife with stories about the woman who was abducted from the Lorain County Metro Parks' Carlisle Reservation, shot in the back, and raped." ...

KS: Area shooter takes second at state
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Adam Unruh of Newton placed second at the 2008 National Rifle Association Youth Hunter Education Challenge Kansas State Championships April 26 at the Chisholm Trail Antique Gun Association range in eastern Sedgwick County."

"Unruh competed in the senior division. He had a score of 1,465, 10 points behind winner Michael Fry of Derby." ...

"Divisions of competition were junior (11- to 14-year old) and senior (15- to 18-year old)."

"Unruh took first in archery, second in muzzle-loading rifle, second in wildlife identification and third in safety trail."

"Cliff Roby of Douglass won the junior division at 1,420, followed by Matthew Whisler of Hutchinson in second at 1,370."

"Jake Sorensen of Newton also competed."