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Is NRA changing stance on campaign finance exemption deal?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"On Tuesday, we talked about an exemption being carved out for NRA on a campaign finance bill. This has kicked over a hornet's nest in the 'pro-gun' community between NRA defenders and gun owners who oppose special privileges that will not be afforded to all political groups."
"I just received the following first-hand report on my WarOnGuns blog that may (or may not) indicate an NRA reversal:" ... |
Safer Streets 2010: Taking a stand, you say?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"I'm looking over the editorials castigating gun owners and I'm seeing a trend for some time. I've put this off long enough."
"Gun ownership and the second amendment are two safeguards of the public interest. Since the nation is its people, an armed citizenry is in the national interest. Governments cannot do half the job the people do in fighting crime as one threat to our wealth and independence. The boondoggle that is gun control is the exquisite example of how silly some Americans can be in presuming that absentee bureaucrats can do a lot of things better than the citizen can. To my way of thinking, maybe this is best for them, but not for tens of millions of others." ... |
An internet activist's war against police brutality
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"'I'm not a cop hater.'"
"Carlos Miller felt the need to tell this to me after we'd spent nearly 20 minutes talking about his blog's role as an internet refuge for those who have been blighted by the law and have the video evidence to prove it. Naturally, as someone who has become semi-famous for exonerating American citizens from bogus charges — charges often brought about through deliberate abuse perpetrated by law enforcement officers — Miller gets regularly peppered with hundreds of emails from all walks of life ..."
"But despite his assertion that he’s not a cop hater, there's little doubt that his very existence makes many police officers bristle. ..." ... |
Fire away! Fresh ammunition for 2nd Amendment fight
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, securing 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms," is under fire, and now WND is providing you with frontline intel on the battle over gun rights in America."
"Beginning today and continuing weekly each Friday on the WND Diversions page, look for a new column from second-generation gun-rights activist Jeff Knox called 'The Knox Gun-Rights Report.'"
"'We're thrilled to have the opportunity to share our information with WND readers,' Knox said. "The gun-rights issue is much more than just hunting or target-shooting – or even self-defense. Gun rights are an important part of our fundamental human rights, and the right to arms is the final bulwark against tyranny." ... |
Gun ruling may trigger new legal fights
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Paul
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"As Chicago awaits a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this month that could overturn its 28-year-old handgun ban, City Hall is considering a host of countermeasures that might set off another round of legal fights with gun advocates."
"In an interview with the Tribune, Mayor Richard Daley acknowledged an uphill battle against the gun industry, which he described as the most powerful lobby in the United States. Even so, he vowed that in the event residents are allowed to have handguns at home, the city would take steps to ensure that officials can account for the weapons." ...
"Daley said he likes all aspects of the D.C. law and that Chicago could look there for ways to strengthen its licensing procedures. ..." ... |
National Rifle Association Clarification On H.R. 5175, The Disclose Act
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"We appreciate the concerns that some NRA members have raised regarding our position on H.R. 5175, the 'DISCLOSE Act.'"
"Unfortunately, critics of our position have misstated or misunderstood the facts."
"We have never said we would support any version of this bill. ..."
"Through the courts and in Congress, the NRA has consistently and strongly opposed any effort to restrict the rights of our four million members to speak and have their voices heard on behalf of gun owners nationwide." ...
"We didn’t 'sell out' to Nancy Pelosi or anyone else. We told Congress we opposed the bill. As a result, congressional leaders made a commitment to exempt us from its draconian restrictions on free speech ..." ... |
Democrats' NRA Ploy May Kill Shady 'Disclose Act'
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the now famous Citizens United v. FEC restored the ability of corporations to exercise their rights to political speech under the First Amendment. Congressional Democrats--who didn't very much like the decision--have responded to it with the Disclose Act, legislation that, as written, not only would overturn the court's ruling but would greatly expand the range and scope of the prohibitions on free speech that existed before the case was decided. But political maneuvering by the Democrats intended to circumvent the opposition of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and ensure the bill's passage may end up killing it." ... |
The NRA's Deal with the Devil
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Disappointment does not come from opponents; it comes from friends."
"Earlier this week, the NRA issued a statement when it was becoming known that Democrats had cut a deal exempting the NRA from coverage under the DISCLOSE Act, which is the Nancy Pelosi-Chuck Schumer response to the Citizens United First Amendment decision by the Supreme Court that targets free speech."
"The NRA's initial statement of justification reflected the logical inconsistency of the NRA's position ..." ... |
NRA Trades First Amendment Rights for Second Amendment Rights
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The National Rifle Association (NRA) has confirmed that they willingly cut a deal with Congress at the expense of free speech. The compromise is simple: We will not stand in the way of the proposed Disclose Act, believed to infringe upon First Amendment rights, if you do not infringe on our Second Amendment rights."
"What's worse is that the NRA will be exempt from the rules outlined in the Disclose Act." ... |
Is NRA selling out for its own good?
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The last couple of times I've renewed my membership to the National Rifle Association, I did it for five-year stints, and when it comes due next year I probably will renew again."
"Why? I'm a member of the NRA because it has represented me and lobbied for me in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. For so many of us, the NRA represents more than a protector of the Second Amendment; it has been my voice, your voice, our voice in a time when the First Amendment doesn't mean much to an individual today ..." ...
"So this week has been perplexing for me in my support of the NRA. At some level, I feel like a union member whose union has gone astray ..."
"This week the NRA chooses to remain silent on ... the DISCLOSE Act ..." ... |
The all-powerful NRA
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Democrats hold a majority in Congress, but so does the National Rifle Association, which can command votes from both Republicans and Democrats. The House is hashing out new campaign finance regulations, and the NRA has named its price for not opposing the legislation: that it be exempted from the new disclosure requirements."
"House Democrats added an amendment to the campaign finance bill that would remove disclosure requirements for large nonprofits like the NRA (an exemption that could only apply to a handful of other nonprofits)."
"Even in a town accustomed to political sausage-making, the deal has infuriated both conservatives and liberals. ..." ... |
Disclose Act - Good News and Bad
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"I have some good news and some bad news to share with you about the NRA free speech sell out."
"First, the good news."
"Our pressure is working. It appears the momentum behind the anti-free speech DISCLOSE Act may be losing steam. Grassroots outrage over the NRA's sickening attempt to cozy up to anti-gun Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi is slowing down the bill."
"Today, Forbes is reporting that Democrats are feeling the heat over their devils’ pact with the NRA."
"That is good news, but the bad news is worse…"
"Establishment leaders from both parties may very well try to sneak this legislation through when we least expect it." ... |
Fury continues over Disclose Act 'deal' for NRA, from without and within
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"In the 48 hours since an apparent 'deal' was struck between Congressional Democrats and the [NRA] to carve out a special exemption for the NRA and a handful of other special interest groups from provisions of the so-called 'Disclose Act,' a tidal wave of outrage has erupted across the political spectrum."
"Other gun rights organizations have cried foul, liberal special interest groups are fuming as is the liberal media, and even a member of the NRA Board of Directors ... has blasted the exemption. The bill ... has been portrayed by supporters as a way to keep a rein on big corporate spenders during political campaigns, and by opponents as a deplorable move by Congressional Democrats to silence their opposition ..." ... |
Perriello: Don't tread on the NRA
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Adding his voice to the chorus backing the NRA on a controversial exemption to campaign-finance reform legislation today was Fifth District Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello."
"'The DISCLOSE Act is about taking control of our politics away from corporate front groups and handing it back to the people. The NRA, with its 4 million dues-paying members, is the epitome of people-powered politics, and they deserve to have their voices heard in elections,' Perriello said in a statement released on Thursday." ...
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Submitter's Note: And Minnesota's Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, paid for with $5 and $10 donations collected at gun shows isn't "people powered politics"?!? |
Threat to Free Speech Fires Up Gun Rights Grassroots
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"'[T]he NRA — on whose board of directors I serve — rather than holding steadfastly to its historic principles of defending the Constitution and continuing its noble fight against government regulation of political speech instead opted for a political deal borne of self-interest in exchange for ‘neutrality’ from the legislation's requirements.' — NRA Director Cleta Mitchell, June 17, 2010"
"The above quote — part of an editorial authored by NRA Director Cleta Mitchell — ran in The Washington Post today."
"Like Mitchell, bloggers and editorial writers around the country have lit up the Internet with the story that we have been alerting you to over the past 48 hours."
"Here are just some of the headlines:" ... |
Perriello defends NRA in campaign finance fight
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) is wading into the controversial fight over Democrats' pending campaign finance reform measure, defending the [NRA] for its role in the debate from critics on both sides of the ideological divide."
"The DISCLOSE Act ... would require most unions, corporations and nonprofit groups to disclose more information about their donors and their political activities. The original version of the bill set off alarm bills at the NRA, which strongly opposed having to reveal so much information about its donors. Recognizing the political clout of the pro-gun lobby, Democratic leaders cut a deal with the NRA by carving out an exemption from the disclosure rules ..."
"Then the trouble started. ..." ... |
Friendly Fire: Gun Rights Advocates In Shootout Over Campaign Finance Bill
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Gun rights activists are accusing the National Rifle Association of 'selling out' to Congressional Democrats over a new measure aimed at requiring more disclosure from corporations getting involved in political races. The NRA was granted an exemption from legislation that would require other groups to disclose top donors, prompting one Virginia group to accuse them of being 'bought off' and 45 groups to lodge a formal protest with Speaker Nancy Pelosi."
"Democratic leaders cut a deal with the NRA, fearing that, if they didn't, the bill's passage this summer would be doomed by members spooked by the potential backlash from the group, an important source of support for gun-friendly lawmakers." ... |
NRA sellout on HR 5175 creates national maelstrom
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Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner
Website: http://www.GunsPoliticsandFreedom.com
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"On Tuesday, the NRA confirmed that it had carved out a narrow exemption for itself from HR 5175, the misnamed 'DISCLOSE Act.' Among onerous requirements, the bill would require any political organization which mentions a candidate for most of an election year to report names of some donors and members to the [FEC]."
"When NRA leaders signed on to the deal brokered by Representative Heath Shuler ... they almost certainly anticipated an outcry from liberal organizations. Indeed, 45 such groups have come out in opposition."
"What they probably did not predict, however, was vociferous opposition from their own ranks. Scores of gun rights organizations and ostensibly friendly conservatives have lined up against the NRA ..." ... |
GOP Senate Nominee Sharron Angle Breaks Her Silence
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"As Sharron Angle greeted supporters at Stoney's Restaurant in Las Vegas, ... Reporter Nathan Baca approached her to ask about her Social Security plan." ...
"She told the assembled media she'd answer four questions, but refused to answer Baca's question about a previous Angle statement in which she said, 'If this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking towards those Second Amendment remedies.' Baca kept asking into the parking lot, but received no answer."
"The reaction from the Angle campaign was swift. A campaign spokesperson called Nathan Baca 'an idiot' and another term that can't be repeated. The campaign spokesman did say he would detail Angle's positions, but he refused to answer on camera." |
OK: Dan Boren is no moderate, Houchen says
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Howard W. Houchen wants to represent Oklahoma's Second District in Congress to help restore traditional rights and values to American citizens."
"Houchen is running for the GOP nomination. U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, a Democrat, is running for re-election."
"Describing Boren as a 'conservative Democrat' is a myth, Houchen said." ...
"Houchen affirmed the Second Amendment and the right for Americans to bear arms."
"'As an avid hunter, shooter, gun collector, and self-defense advocate, I cringe at each and every attempt by any government entity to infringe on any of my constitutionally guaranteed rights,' Houchen said." ... |
FL: McCollum, Scott file for gubernatorial runs
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Republicans Bill McCollum and Rick Scott formally squared off Thursday in a costly summer slugfest for the Republican nomination to become Florida's next governor."
"McCollum, a 20-year Orlando-area congressman who has been attorney general for nearly four years, and Scott, a multimillionaire hospital executive who has mostly self-financed his television campaign as a no-nonsense businessman, flaunted their conservative credentials. ...
"'I'm an across-the-board conservative,' Scott told the Capital Tiger Bay Club after qualifying. 'I believe in job growth, I believe in growth in the state, I believe in the Second Amendment, I am pro-life and I'm pro-family.'" ... |
OH: Governor Strickland caves in to the NRA
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"THE National Rifle Association made Ted Strickland's day this week. Ohio's Democratic governor is locked in a tight race with Republican John Kasich, and the NRA's endorsement of his re-election was a major boost to his campaign."
"How sad. What does the NRA's first general-election endorsement of the 2010 midterm cycle say about the politician who got it - and who now basks in the glow of its affirmation?"
"Is this what it takes to get elected in Ohio - chumming with the powerful who play hard but speak for just a small percentage of the voting public? Does this leave a bad taste in anyone else's mouth about the decline and fall of representative government?" ...
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Submitter's Note: If the NRA did indeed "speak for just a small percentage of the voting public" then their endorsement would be meaningless. Obviously they do not and it is not. |
FL: Meet Craig Miller
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"It may seem a bit early to air commercials for an August primary, but when you're the best-funded name on the ballot, those dollars give you the luxury of introducing yourself in your own way, before anyone else tells voters what to think. That's happening this week along Florida's Space Coast."
"Republican Craig Miller, the former CEO of Ruth's Chis restaurants, is introducing himself to voters with a bio spot that tries to hit all the basics."
"Military background? It's in there ... Stand on abortion? Pro-Life, illustrated with a quick image of a cute baby. Guns? He's pro-Second Amendment. Is he an insider? No, the commercial soothes, he's 'a businessman, not a politician.'" ... |
FL: NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida Back Adam Putnam
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The National Rifle Association and the Unified Sportsmen of Florida ... announced they were backing U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican from Polk County, to be Florida's next commissioner of agriculture and consumer services."
"'Adam's solid pro-sportsmen, pro-Second Amendment, pro-freedom record has earned him our endorsement and our gratitude,' said Marion Hammer, executive director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida and past president of the NRA. 'No other candidate in this race has the background of dedicated legislative service that he has demonstrated to the cause of freedom, the Second Amendment and protection of constitutional rights. The citizens of Florida could have no better champion than Adam Putnam.'" ... |
Rehberg introduces Firearms Freedom on Federal Lands Act
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Paul Broun (R-GA) have introduced the Firearms Freedom on Federal Lands Act to prevent the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior from issuing or enforcing any regulation or executive order, including presidential declarations authorized under the Antiquities Act, that prohibit an individual from possessing a firearm on lands managed by the Forest Service or [BLM]. The legislation responds to the Obama Administration’s disturbing pattern of bypassing congressional authority and public input when making decisions that affect our public lands, including the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) leaked plan to designate 13 million acres as new National Monuments." ... |
NY: State Sen. Eric Schneiderman reloads Mayor Bloomberg's gun bill
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NYSRPA-PVF
Website: http://www.nysrpa-pvf.org
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"The sponsor of the so-called microstamping legislation, which was abruptly yanked Tuesday when state senators refused to pass it, is planning to bring it back for another vote as early as next week."
"'I think the public outrage over essentially voting to protect gun criminals - shooters and murderers - because of some mythical harm that might be done to legitimate gun owners is just not flying,' said state Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan)." ... |
NY: Eric Schneiderman To Reboot Push For Microstamping
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NYSRPA-PVF
Website: http://www.nysrpa-pvf.org
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"Manhattan State Sen. (and state AG hopeful) Eric Schneiderman, who saw his hopes for the passage of a bill that would require the gun industry to institute microstamping crumble this week, says he's launching a grassroots campaign to get the issue back on the table:"
"'Microstamping ... technology allows law enforcement officials to trace firearms through shell casings found at crime scenes, even if the crime gun is never found,' said Schneiderman, one of the sponsors of the bill -- which is strongly backed by Mayor Bloomberg."
"'Republicans can run, but they can't hide. Starting today, advocates are taking this fight to their districts ... to urge them to stop blocking this commonsense legislation. ...'" ... |
MO: Schnucks Allows Concealed Weapons in Stores -- Here's Why You Need Them
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"The Post-Dispatch reports today that Schnucks has removed the signs outside its supermarkets banning patrons from carrying concealed weapons.""'As the discussion continued, we decided to make the change in policy based on the idea that any customer who has a valid license to carry a concealed weapon should be allowed to do so,' [Schnucks spokesperson Lori] Willis said. 'It really seemed to us as if it were a nonissue.'" "As I write this, the post has nearly 100 comments, most displaying the intellectual rigor and lambent prose for which Post-Dispatch commenters are well known." ... |
NY: LI corrections officer arrested after shooting spree leaves her ex-girlfriend and her uncle dead
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Anonymous
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"A Correction officer went on a shocking shooting spree on Long Island Wednesday, gunning down her ex-girlfriend before attacking her own family, police said."
"Kim Wolfe apparently snapped after dropping off food to her former lover, nurse's aide Stacie Williams, during her break at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow about 1:35 a.m."
"After a heated argument, Wolfe, who was off duty, shot Williams several times outside the hospital - then sped 3-1/2 miles to her family's home in Hempstead, where she caused even more bloodshed, cops said." ... |
NJ: N.J. trooper's death highlights 'very real problem' of suicide in law enforcement
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Anonymous
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"Corrections officer Gregory Cirillo was on his way to the police academy in Sea Girt Wednesday morning when he saw a State Police car on the side of a Garden State Parkway offramp in Wall Township."
"'I noticed the driver’s side window was broken,' Cirillo said. 'That was the sign something was wrong.'"
"He pulled over and found Trooper Scott Graham, 35, slumped in the front seat. Cirillo said he ran around to the passenger side, opened the door and called for help on the car's radio."
"Dozens of police officers descended on the scene, cordoning off the parkway exit as helicopters buzzed overhead. The Middlesex County medical examiner later said Graham died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound." ... |
UK: Christian preacher arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin
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"Dale McAlpine was charged with causing 'harassment, alarm or distress”'after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of 'sins' referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships." ...
"'My freedom was taken away on the hearsay of someone who disliked what I said, and I was charged under a law that doesn't apply.'" ...
"Sam Webster, a solicitor-advocate for the Christian Institute, which is supporting Mr McAlpine, said it is not a crime to express the belief that homosexual conduct is a sin." ...
"'Case law has ruled that the orthodox Christian belief that homosexual conduct is sinful is a belief worthy of respect in a democratic society.'" ... |
OR: Oregon gun ruling a victory for medical marijuana users
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Bruce W. Krafft
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"Oregon's 32,929 medical marijuana users can't be denied concealed handgun licenses, despite the efforts of at least two sheriffs who want to keep concealed weapons out of those hands."
"The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled this week that Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon and Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters were mistaken in their interpretation of the federal Gun Control Act. The act states that 'an unlawful user ... of any controlled substance' can't own a gun, and the sheriffs contended the federal act trumps Oregon's medical marijuana law. Though federal law prohibits marijuana, Oregon's 12-year-old law legalizes pot possession for patients with qualifying ailments and a doctor's approval." ... |
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