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CA: LAPD adds drones to arsenal, says they'll be used sparingly
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The Los Angeles Police Department has acquired some eyes in the sky.
On Friday, the department announced that it had acquired two "unmanned aerial vehicles" as gifts from the Seattle Police Department.
The Draganflyer X6 aircraft, which resemble small helicopters, are each about 3 feet wide and equipped with a camera, video camera and infrared night-vision capabilities.
In making the announcement, however, department officials were at pains to make it clear the LAPD doesn't intend to use the new hardware to keep watch from above over an unsuspecting public.
SUBMITTER' COMMENT: Yeah, sure. And the federal income tax started off at 1 percent! It's called boiling the frog. |
Bloomberg calls for stricter gun laws in wake of Isla Vista rampage
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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is weighing in on the rampage in Santa Barbara, California, calling both for stricter gun laws and for background checks for people with mental illness.
SUBMITTER'S COMMENT: And speaking of "people with mental illness," Nanny Bloomberg reminds me of Einstein's definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Every time there's a shooting, he drags out and spouts the same old platitudes -- and gets the same results! |
OK: Attorney says Warren Theatre footage supports plaintiffs’ claim that officers killed Luis Rodriguez
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More than three months after the death of Luis Rodriguez, his family is calling for action.
According to the family’s attorney, they want to pressure Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation into releasing pertinent evidence that will back up their claim that Luis was killed by law enforcement officers. ...
Rodriguez, 44, died Feb. 15 after an altercation with three members of the Moore Police Department and two off-duty Oklahoma game wardens working private security at the Warren Theatre. Rodriguez’s wife, Nair, said she believes her husband was beaten to death in the process.
In April, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. |
Australia: New Senator attacks National Party
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He's also taken aim at organic food production which he describes as 'less safe' than genetically modified crops.
'There's quite a lot of cases where organic food has led to food poisoning, due to the use of manure.'
Mr Leyonhjelm also wants more relaxed firearm laws in Australia, to give people access to weapons for self-defense.
'We are not permitted to have anything at all; guns, knives, pepper sprays, mace, for personal self-defence.
'It's an abomination.' |
WA: Concealed-carry permits skyrocket, especially for women
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The number of Washington state residents receiving a concealed-carry permit tripled between 2005 and 2012. The surge has been especially large among women, whose ranks have swelled twice as fast as men since 2011. Overall, more than 451,000 residents now have a permit.
Ed.: Same basic story as the other link, but the Seattle Times has additional graphics. |
WA: Bad news for Washington anti-gunners; CPLs ‘skyrocket’ says newspaper
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Evergreen state gun prohibitionists — especially those pushing Initiative 594, the 18-page gun control measure — may be having their Sunday ruined by a headline story in the Seattle Times that concealed pistol licenses are surging, “especially for women.”
It is part of a nationwide rise in concealed carry, and more importantly, a rise in the number of women who are buying firearms. One woman, Emily Miller, formerly senior opinion editor at the Washington Times and now chief investigative reporter for Fox 5 D.C., wrote a book about her decision to buy a gun for home protection in Washington, D.C. She earned awards for that personal story and has become a role model for other women seeking self-reliance. |
LA: Court: Enhanced Penalty for Gun Possession is Constitutional
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The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that enhanced penalties for the possession of a legal firearm while in possession of illegal drugs do not violate the States new protections of the right to keep and bear arms.
In 2012, the voters of Louisiana approved a constitutional amendment to the state Constitution that removed the constitutional provision that gave the State the power to regulate concealed weapons. It added the requirement that the court use the strongest level of judicial review, strict scrutiny, for Amendment 2 cases. There is a a good discussion of the history behind this amendment at the Volokh Conspiracy, by David Kopel. The amendment passed with over 73 percent of the vote. |
PA: Luzerne County sheriff granting machine gun permits
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Unlike his predecessor, Luzerne County Sheriff Brian Szumski is approving permits allowing fully automatic machine guns.
Prior Interim Sheriff John Robshaw had refused requests for Class III permits, which also allow weapon silencers and short-barrel shotguns and rifles, because he didn’t believe citizens should possess these items and didn’t want to be held responsible if they were involved in a crime. |
IA: Two men seriously injured after attempted robbery
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Police said that shortly after 6 a.m., a man knocked on the front door of a Coalville resident. The man cut the homeowner in the neck with a knife.
The homeowner then used a handgun to fire three shots into the man's torso. The suspect managed to drive five miles away from the scene on Old Mill Road, just south of Fort Dodge, where police ultimately found him. |
MO: Missouri bill to let concealed weapons into schools raises eyebrows
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Leaders of the Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri PTA are speaking out against the measure. The bill awaits the signature of Gov. Jay Nixon, who has not indicated how he will respond.
“It raises profound concerns about safety, in terms of people not knowing who’s armed,” said Otto Fajen, legislative director for the Missouri National Education Association. “That can create some uncertainty.”
Kim Weber of Columbia, who heads the Missouri PTA, said teachers should be able to concentrate on their students, not on making sure firearms are stored and used properly. |
MD: Police Face Air Gun Threat
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An investigation is underway in Prince Georges County, Maryland, to determine whether police officers were justified Saturday when they shot and killed a 20-year-old man carrying an air gun. Among other issues, the investigation will take into account both the perceived and real threat police face when confronted with air guns.
It is not uncommon for police to fire on suspects holding air guns. In May, officers investigating a domestic incident in the Denver suburb of Lakewood shot and wounded a man who pointed an air gun at them. In January, officers in Grand Rapids, Michigan shot and wounded a teenager who threatened them with an air gun resembling a semi-automatic pistol. |
The Democratic Assault on the First Amendment
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But just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it does. Senate Democrats have promised a vote this year on a constitutional amendment to expressly repeal the free-speech protections of the First Amendment.
You read that correctly. Forty-one Democrats have signed on to co-sponsor New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall's proposed amendment to give Congress plenary power to regulate political speech. The text of the amendment says that Congress could regulate "the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal elections." The amendment places no limitations whatsoever on Congress's new power. |
Sonic, Chili's ask customers to keep guns out of restaurants
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Two national chain restaurants have asked that customers refrain from bringing firearms into their establishments, saying the weapons can create an uncomfortable atmosphere for other diners.
Sonic Drive-In and Chili's Grill & Bar both issued statements Friday requesting that customers keep their guns out of their restaurants even if they have an open carry permit. |
IN: Two different ways to tackle urban violence
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Indianapolis also has an alarming and increasing homicide rate, one that threatens the city’s efforts to be known for its hospitality and business-friendly environment. Already ranked 22nd on the FBI’s list of deadliest cities, the city could move up and rival its 162 killings in 1998, the worst year on record, if the hot summer months accelerate the violence as expected.
Luckily for Indy residents, officials there have a more common-sense approach to the problem. A wide variety of efforts are being undertaken, some of them tried before, some of them untested. There is a proposed tax increase to strengthen the police force. |
CA: AB 1014: California Democrats Wage War on the Constitution
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Two California Democrats in the State Assembly, Nancy Skinner and Das Williams, have authored what may well be the most draconian and flagrantly unconstitutional bill in the state’s, and maybe even the nation’s, history.
AB 1014 provides for the addition to the California Penal Code of provisions involving “gun violence restraining orders” and associated “firearm seizure warrants.” |
WA: State near top for concealed weapons permits
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Oittinen is part of a rush of Washington state residents — and especially women — who have obtained concealed-carry permits in record numbers.
Between 2005 and 2012, the number of state residents receiving new concealed-carry permits tripled to 62,939. Now some 451,000 Washington residents are allowed to carry a hidden handgun almost anywhere they go, more than 100,000 of them women.
Notably, the growth rate for women getting new permits is twice as fast as that of men.
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Washington’s rate for concealed weapons is now higher than almost any state. Of the 36 states that responded to Seattle Times records requests, Washington ranked fifth in permits per capita — above Texas, Florida and Montana.
Ed.: Go Washington! |
IL: Chicago: Unable to Ban Gun Dealers, Emanuel Seeks To Regulate Them Out Of Existence
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The legislation even seeks to micromanage the way in which a customer could inspect a firearm. It would restrict gun handling to those with a FOID card and require the firearm to be “secured with a trigger lock or plastic tie.” Potential buyers would have difficulty comparing models (not to mention trigger pulls), as the measure would require dealers to restrict customers from handling “more than one firearm at a time.” It states additionally states, “Prior to permitting a customer to handle second a firearm, the first firearm shall be returned to a locked display case or other secure storage location.” |
Dangerously Mentally-ill People Shouldn't Have Guns, Lawmaker Says
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Under current law, an individual struggling with severe mental illness is only federally disqualified from purchasing a gun if that person has been involuntary institutionalized through a legal process or adjudicated as mentally ill. Cicilline's legislation would expand the disqualifying mental health criteria, to prevent a person from purchasing a gun if a mental health professional determines that the individual is likely to cause serious harm to themselves or others. |
End campus shootings by changing public opinion, school leader says
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Franciscan Sister Margaret Carney, president of St. Bonaventure University in Alleghany, New York, wanted to believe a victim's father's outrage could make a difference after the May 23 shooting rampage near the University of California at Santa Barbara.
The day after a 22-year-old's revenge-motivated killing spree, Sister Carney stood glued to her living room television watching Richard Martinez -- father of one of the six victims -- speak with raw anger and sadness about the need for stricter gun control laws. |
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