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SAF Hails New Louisiana Law Prohibiting Gun Grabs
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today applauded Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco for signing into law a new statute that will prohibit the kind of sweeping firearms seizures from law-abiding citizens that happened in New Orleans ..."

"The new state law, which took effect immediately, makes it clear that emergency powers granted to the governor and local officials 'do not authorize the seizure or confiscation of a firearm, weapon, or ammunition from any individual if the firearm, weapon or ammunition is being possessed or used lawfully.' The statute does allow an officer to temporarily disarm an individual under some circumstances, but the officer is required to return the firearm to that person before they part ways." ...

The First Law Of Nature Demands A Second Amendment
Submitted by: GunShowOnTheNet.com
Website: http://GunShowOnTheNet.com/

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"The attacks on our World Trade Center have brought unimaginable grief to thousands of American families. They have also ignited a keen awareness of our vulnerability. And, the dereliction of federal government has become evident ... However, individual security is not the constitutional responsibility of government. More than one judicial decision will confirm such a statement. In other words, it is you, the individual that is obliged to make provisions for your own safety by adhering to the First Law of Nature. You must respond to this fundamental law, or perish. ... Self-defense is the natural and honorable stance that we must all promote. Without decisive steps to defend self and family, 'security' is only a word." ...

Gun Violence Prevention Advocates, Children's Defense Fund Decry Loss of Young Lives
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Gun violence prevention leaders in Minnesota today joined with leaders of the Children's Defense Fund in urging more public attention on the devastating cost of gun violence on America's children."

"On Tuesday, the Children's Defense Fund released their annual report on gun violence and young Americans. Citing the most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report reveals that 2,827 children and teens died as a result of gun violence in 2003 more than the number of American fighting men and women killed in hostile action in Iraq from 2003 to April 2006." ...
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KABA Note: Note that "children and teens" includes 18 and 19 year olds. Removing those adults removes over half, leaving 1309 "gun deaths". Suicide accounts for 377, and homicide in the violence prone 15 - 17 age group accounts for another 570. This leaves 362, or less than one "gun death" a day. Tragic? Yes. Sufficient grounds for further restricting our individual, human and civil rights? No.

U.S. Mayors Attack Illegal Guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"While violent crime in the country is up, according to the latest FBI crime statistics, it is down in the cities of Atlanta and New York. But, the mayors of those two cities are not content with their declines."

"Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are two of 52 mayors across the country that form a coalition to fight illegal guns in their cities."

"On Wednesday in Atlanta, Mayor Bloomberg said illegal guns were used in 60 percent of his city's homicides. 'This is not about ideology or the Second Amendment, its about the most fundamental responsibility as mayors; enforcing the law and protecting the safety of our citizens,' Mayor Bloomberg said." ...

Eminem to star in remake of TV western
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Eminem will return to the big screen in an updated version of the television Western 'Have Gun Will Travel.'"

"Paramount Pictures has extended an 18-month option on the property to develop it as a vehicle for the Detroit rapper, Daily Variety reported Tuesday. The show debuted on CBS in 1957 and ran until 1963."

"Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, has committed to shoot the role and is excited about his latest opportunity, Interscope Records spokesman Dennis Dennehy told The Associated Press. Dennehy did not provide additional details." ...

Children and Gun Safety: Education Is the Key
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Few children under the age of eight can reliably distinguish between real and toy guns or fully understand the consequences of an accidental shooting, yet kids as young as three are strong enough to pull the trigger of many handguns. When you put these two statistics together you get one very frightening reality." ...

"Dr. Collins is a pathologist ... Through her practice, she sees the devastating effects guns can have on children."

"Most unintentional firearm-related deaths among children occur in or around the home ..."

"If you have a gun in your home ... teach your children to use guns safely and responsibly. ... Once the mystery surrounding firearms is gone, potential incidents can be avoided." ...
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KABA Note: Accidental firearm deaths among children in the given age range (3 - 8) averaged 21 per year from 1999 - 2003. Accidental drownings for the same group in the same period were 281 per year. While firearms safety training is always a good idea, perhaps swimming lessons would be more beneficial.

Homemade weapons becoming more prevalent
Submitted by: Jerry Rowe

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"Police across the nation have recently been finding an alarming amount of homemade guns and weapons, Newsday reported."

"The New York Police Department, during a narcotics raid in the Bronx, reportedly found a gun made out of a flashlight, the newspaper said. Sources told Newsday that disguised weapons allow drug dealers and other criminals to stay armed without arousing suspicion."

"Police have said that the rise in homemade weapons is likely a response to the careful attention paid to finding and removing illegal guns." ...

"The recent rise in homemade weaponry has sparked fears of an evolution to more sophisticated homemade guns and weapons, the newspaper said."

TN: Man Shoots in Self-Defense, Police Say
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Police don't want people to go looking for trouble, but they say people have a right to defend themselves and their family. East Nashville residents tired of being targets said they're not going to let criminals control their streets."

"'We work hard every day, and we come home and stuff's torn up or stolen,' victim Teddy Frazier said."

"Frazier watched Monday as a stranger started casing his 1991 Chevy Silverado." ...

"The 46-year-old electrician grabbed his gun and confronted the thief." ...

"'I told him: 'You need to get off my truck.' I warned him twice before I actually pointed the gun at him,' Frazier said."

"Frazier said the man lunged at him. The pool of blood in the grass tells what happened next." ...

NY: Police had previously warned man who sparked school lockdown (follow-up)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The first two times were bad enough."

"Now, parents of students at a Binghamton-area high school are wondering why authorities can't do something about a man who caused another scare by carrying a gun past the school." ...

"State police were sent to the area around the school after a student spotted a man in fatigues carrying what appeared to be a rifle. The school was locked down ..."

"School officials say this was the third time in the past year the same man has caused a scare as he walked from his nearby home to a town-owned storage area where he shoots at a sand pile."

"After the first two incidents, the man was told by police that it wasn't a good idea to be walking around school property with the weapon."

PA: Grief, a gun and a stairway standoff
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In the darkened stairwell at Northampton Area High School, Max Brotzman sat alone May 25 with a loaded rifle and a drawing he had done hanging above him. Brotzman described the drawing as a smiley face."

"But Assistant Principal Maureen Sproul, who spent 20 minutes trying to persuade the senior to give up, said 'it was really a skeleton face.'"

"Sproul told police that with the rifle pointed in her direction and the odor of a 'firecracker bomb' in the air, Brotzman said he 'was really [expletive] up,' according to court documents from his arraignment Tuesday on charges of possessing a weapon on school property and making terroristic threats." ...

WA: Teens Arrested For Fights Posted On MySpace
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Two Washington state teens face assault charges for fights recorded and posted on the popular MySpace.com Web site.

One video was taken using a night vision lens. After the fight, one teen is shown with a shotgun and saying, "any of you all want to play with me? We'll play."

Investigators in Pierce County said the assault was payback for an earlier fight that also was videotaped and posted on the social networking site.

Deputies have arrested a 17-year-old on weapons charges after he allegedly brought a rifle, baseball bat and brass knuckles with him to school.

A 15-year-old junior high school student also was arrested for allegedly taking part in one of the fights.

Canada: Loaded pistol found in pack of girl, 14
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Dora the Explorer backpack taken from a 14-year-old Rexdale girl was packing a loaded magnum handgun and two 25-cm knives, Toronto Police said yesterday."

"The Grade 8 student with the backpack from the bilingual English-Spanish TV show for kids was arrested at a north Rexdale high school, which police refused to identify."

"'It is unbelievable and mindboggling that a young girl would carry a loaded gun to school,' a stunned Supt. Ron Taverner said. 'This is a huge and very powerful weapon.'"

"The teen had a third knife shoved up her sleeve, he said."

"The Ruger Blackhawk handgun, which was loaded with .44-calibre magnum hollow-point bullets, was made famous by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies." ...

UT: NRA endorses Cannon in re-election
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The National Rifle Association endorsed Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, Tuesday in his re-election bid."

"'Our members, armed forces, firearm manufacturers and dealers are forever grateful for your actions,' said Charles H. Cunningham, NRA director of federal affairs, in his letter to Cannon."

"Cannon's opponent, John Jacob, has made it clear that he will protect Second Amendment rights, too."

"'I grew up in the mountains with guns, hunting, fishing and doing sportsmen activities,' Jacob said."

"While he said that he could have received an endorsement as well, he believes it went to Cannon because of his record in Congress." ...

CA: Groups Oppose SF's Handgun Ban Appeal
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Several groups opposed to a citywide handgun ban in San Francisco expressed outraged today after the city attorney announced he would appeal a Superior Court ruling overturning Proposition H." ...

"Local activist group San Francisco Coalition Against Prohibition released a statement criticizing City Hall politicians for their persistence."

"'SF CAP deplores the ridiculous posturing by San Francisco's political establishment in the wake of the court's striking down of Proposition H, the illegal gun ban,' the group said in a release."

"Warren ruled that California has an 'overarching concern' in regulating firearms within the state, and no local law could preempt that authority." ...

The "Elite" (blog)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In recent days, someone who is supposedly a law enforcement officer has trolled onto this site and accused me -- and the site's readers -- of cop bashing and cop hating."

"I have little patience for blind stupidity and empty sarcasm, but I did try to explain the motive behind posting numerous stories of police negligence, criminal wrongdoing and societal double standards for police versus the general populace."

"FOR THE RECORD: I don't hate cops. I'm married to one. I have the utmost respect for very many of them. They put their lives on the line every day to enforce our laws and do their best to protect the rest of us. But I am also not blind. I see police being used as a disarmament tool by the gun grabbers. ..." ...

VA: Officer Who Shot Teen at IHOP Not Charged
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"An off-duty Alexandria police officer was acting in self-defense in February when he fired into a sport-utility vehicle outside a pancake house, killing a teenage passenger, and will not face criminal charges, the city's chief prosecutor said yesterday."

"In a 54-page report, Commonwealth's Attorney S. Randolph Sengel concluded that Officer Carl Stowe, working security at an International House of Pancakes, acted reasonably when he ran outside the restaurant over an unpaid $26 bill and signaled for the driver to stop. When the Jeep Cherokee suddenly lurched straight toward him, Stowe feared he would be run over and fired six shots, with one striking Aaron Brown, 18, in the back seat, killing him, Sengel said." ...

VA: Former police officer is back behind bars
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A former police officer who lost his job after he sold his service weapon for cocaine is back in jail." ...

"According to paperwork filed in Fredericksburg Circuit Court, Brown's probation officer claims he failed to complete the 200 hours of community service he was ordered to. ..." ...

"Brown had been with the Gordonsville Police Department for just over a year when he failed to show up for work in October 2003."

"A search and investigation revealed that he had been on a crack cocaine binge in the Mayfield area of Fredericksburg for several days."

"During the three-day binge, Brown sold his police-issued .40-caliber Glock pistol for $200. He used that money to buy more crack ..." ...

PA: Ex-cop's case going to trial
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The former city police captain accused of holding a loaded gun to another officer's neck waived his right to a preliminary hearing ..."

"William McLaughlin, 58, who retired after the Oct. 19 incident, will now face a reckless endangerment charge in Northampton County Court." ...

"District Attorney John Morganelli launched an investigation when the Bethlehem Police Department finally acknowledged the incident in April. Before then, department officials kept the police report from the public and did not inform Morganelli. They also did not feel criminal charges were warranted and had allowed the 26-year veteran to retire without further punishment."

"The misdemeanor McLaughlin faces is punishable by up to two years in prison. ..."

OK: Audit shows 125 firearms missing from museum
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

An audit of weapons at a Claremore gun museum has found not as many guns are missing as was thought, but the disappearances may go back nearly 40 years.

The state audit found at least 125 firearms are missing from the J-M Davis Arms and Historical Museum.

Rogers County District Attorney Gene Haynes asked for the audit and says more investigation is needed to determine who took the guns.

He says it's likely the weapons were taken by people who had authorized access to them.

Some guns in the museum are worth up to 50-thousand dollars and the collection includes a 500-year-old Chinese hand-cannon and the world's smallest automatic pistol.
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Submitter's Note: The museum is operated by the State of Oklahoma.

Philippines: Deadly prison break in Philippines
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Eleven prisoners escaped from a jail in the eastern Philippines after killing two guards and wounding two others, police said Wednesday." ...

"[Police Chief Superintendent Eliseo de la Paz] said one of the inmates armed himself with a smuggled gun and shot a guard on Tuesday. Other guards rushed in after hearing the gunfire, but were overpowered by other inmates."

"A second guard was killed and two others wounded in the ensuing melee before the prisoners escaped, de la Paz said."

"De la Paz said the prison houses more than 200 inmates, locked up in single cells."

"'Right now, we're trying to find out how the .45 pistol ended up in the hands of the prisoners without being detected by the jail officers,' he said." ...

UK: I Saw An Orange Spark And Heard A Bang.. Blood Was Running From My Chest
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"THE young Muslim shot in his own home during a massive anti-terror raid told yesterday how a cop blasted him in the chest without warning."

"Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, fought back tears as he said: 'I saw an orange spark and a big bang. I flew into the wall, slipped down.'"

"'I saw blood coming down my chest and saw the hole in my chest. At that moment I knew I was shot.'"

"'We both had eye contact. He shot me straight away.'" ...

"More than 250 police, many of them armed, took part in the June 2 raid ..."

"Mohammed and his brother Abul Koyair, 20, were arrested ..."

"The cops were looking for a chemical bomb but found nothing at the house. Mohammed and Abul were freed without charge after eight days in custody." ...

CA: Quill pens, guns, ink and bullets
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"When the Founding Fathers took the initiative to permanently inscribe our natural rights on paper, one can imagine it being done so with a quill pen." ...

"This freedom of speech includes our right to express ourselves with every available medium. At no point have we considered that the freedom of speech is limited to expressing oneself with hand presses and quill pens. We freely debate on the Internet, television, telephones and other forms of communication."

"So why is it that our Second Amendment is not treated the same as the first? The majority party in California and their anti-civil rights allies views our natural right to self-defense to be limited to the musket and the flintlock." ...

FL: Civilian outshoots the rest at Lee gun range
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"On Tuesday morning at the Lee County Gun Range, a lifelong civilian and two retired officers tried to split business cards edgewise with bullets."

"... The activity was part skill exercise, part macho posturing."

"Retired officer Jack Boris, the assistant commander of the range, sent his target 10 feet away. He straddled the card with shots to its left and right, hit a spot beneath it, then finally split it with the ninth shot, shells rolling behind him."

"Horatio Shonnard, a civilian resident of Fort Myers who shoots competitively, sent his target 60 feet back. He had to mark the card with a neon sticker so he could see it. After a few misses, he put a clean rip through the infinitesimal edge." ...

MD: Campaign focuses on illegal gun purchases
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The U.S. attorney's office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have issued a stern reminder to firearms dealers and purchasers: Helping a criminal buy a gun makes you one, too."

"Don't Lie for the Other Guy, a national public awareness campaign launched yesterday in Baltimore, seeks to curtail gun violence by cracking down on 'straw purchases' -- a common scenario in which a person with a clean record knowingly buys a gun on behalf of a criminal or other restricted person."

"But while proponents of tighter gun control praised the effort, they warned that awareness efforts alone don't go far enough in squelching the country's illegal gun trade." ...

TX: Turmoil clouds shooting center
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"International shotgun competitors at the Hill Country Sports Shooting Center unloaded more than $2 million on the Kerrville area economy during a match in May, reportedly a record amount for a single local event."

"'The impact of this facility is unbelievably important to us,' said Mindy Wendele, the city's director of business programs."

"'It's almost hard for us to understand how shooting events because we've not had this before can bring in so much money,' she said Tuesday."

"But the fledgling facility now designated an official Olympic training venue has misfired on its plans to host a similar rifle/pistol event next spring, due to delays constructing new facilities." ...

UT: Kirby: Machine gun, cell phone, car a bad mix
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "On Saturday, I got a chance to shoot machine guns for real. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office held a class on the history of organized crime in America. As part of the draw, attendees got to shoot real machine guns afterward."

"We fired the preferred machine guns of America's gangsters, including the highly popular Roaring '20s Thompson submachine gun, and even Bonnie & Clyde's personal favorite: the Browning automatic rifle (BAR)."

"The BAR is a man's weapon. It weighs 20 pounds and is nearly impossible to hide from. The bullets go through buildings, cars and telephone poles. ..."

"Oddly, the women on Saturday seemed just as interested in trying out the big dog of gangster guns. It was like watching kindergartners work a jackhammer." ...

MA: 100 Guns Turned Into Boston Gun Buyback
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In its third day, the new Boston gun buyback program has taken 100 working weapons off the street. ..."

"Anybody who turns a working weapon over at a Boston police station, or designated community drop-off location ... receives a $200 Target Gift Card. The weapons are received no-questions-asked."

"'These are high-powered handguns that are used every day in crimes in our city', Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Darrin Greeley said in a written statement."

"Among the weapons police have collected: a Ruger .22 caliber assault rifle, .45 caliber semi-automatic, .40 caliber Sig Sauer, and a .9 mm Smith & Wesson. Many of the weapons were turned in by young men. A grandmother turned in two guns she found in her grandson's room." ...

VA: Home on the Range
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Two worlds collide on Hopeful Road. ... While no subdivisions yet attest to sprawl, suburbanites and city transplants are increasingly calling this area of Hanover near the Louisa County line home. ..."

"It's also a place where recreational marksmen like to unload rifles and semiautomatic handguns. Members of the Cavalier Rifle and Pistol Club, located at the end of Boondock Lane for more than 40 years, relish their freedom to shoot in the great outdoors." ...

"The county is rich in the firearm tradition. In the 1700s, when Virginia's British Governor Lord Dunmore, fearing rebellion, seized the colonials' gunpowder stock in Williamsburg, it was Hanover native Patrick Henry and his militia who faced down the Brits ..." ...

VA: Fight drones over homes on the range
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"If terrorists were on the verge of invading western Hanover County, no one would be whining about all the shootin' going on at the end of Boondock Lane."

"But the only invasion going on is a stream of new residents settling into nice houses on private roads ..."

"And some of these newcomers don't much care for all the blasting and banging coming from the Cavalier Rifle and Pistol Club at the end of Boondock Lane." ...

"When residents ... complained about a perceived increase in shooting and competitions at Cavalier, county officials found that the 436-acre club had added shooting areas beyond its original 1965 permit."

"That gave ammo to opponents, who previously were unarmed because the range was there long before they arrived." ...

UK: Restaurant worker pistol whipped and stabbed in street
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A 24-year-old man was stabbed, pistol whipped and robbed as he made his way home from work in the early hours of Monday." ...

"The man was confronted by three men in West Green Road, Tottenham, at 12.30am. He was walking home from Turnpike Lane Tube station after finishing work in a Chinese restaurant in the West End."

"The men approached him and demanded money. They soon turned violent, hitting him in the face with a silver gun, knocking him to the floor and then stabbing him in the back."

"They then stole everything he had on him. The victim managed to drag himself to nearby Chedworth House where he collapsed in the doorway." ...

UK: Gun culture warning as firearms replace knives as latest must-have
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"GUNS are replacing knives as the 'fashion accessory' weapon of choice among Edinburgh gangs, senior police officers have warned."

"Criminals involved in the city's drug trade are among those carrying firearms as status symbols, police said yesterday."

"The warning comes as it emerged that Lothian and Borders Police firearms officers are now authorised to draw their weapons on the streets an average three times a week." ...

"Chief Supt Smith said: 'Firearms tend to be carried by younger people and can be part of fighting between rival gangs. These incidents do not involve innocent victims, but factions who have fallen out, and the level of violence escalates between them.'" ...

Malaysia: More good than bad or ugly
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"WHAT can you learn from firing a gun? It depends, I suppose, on where you acquire the training and what you plan to do with the shooting skills." ...

"As much as I dread the idea of teenagers handling guns, I find myself rather drawn to it, albeit with strict supervision, of course. While I am not an advocate of guns, I believe the good that can come from being given the responsibility of handling weapons could outweigh the bad."

"Adding the gun module would elevate the camps above what they are now ..."

"It is our unfamiliarity with guns that makes us fret the very idea of a gun and what it is designed for frightens us. We are often reminded of what guns can do, and it is not very pleasant." ...

Police don't have to knock, justices say
Submitted by: Michigan Gun Owners
Website: http://www.migunowners.org

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"The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that police armed with a warrant can barge into homes and seize evidence even if they don't knock, a huge government victory that was decided by President Bush's new justices." ...

"The case tested previous court rulings that police armed with warrants generally must knock and announce themselves or they run afoul of the Constitution's Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches."

"Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, said Detroit police acknowledge violating that rule when they called out their presence at a man's door then went inside three seconds to five seconds later." ...