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NC: 'Top Gun' actress Kelly McGillis left 'scratched and bruised' after home invasion
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Kelly McGillis said she plans to apply for a concealed carry gun permit after she was assaulted by an intruder in her North Carolina home Friday, June 17.

The actress, who is best known for playing Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood in "Top Gun," recalled the scary incident in a recent Facebook post. ...

This isn't the first time McGillis has been the victim of assault; she and her girlfriend at the time were raped in 1982.

SUBMITTER'S COMMENT: She also starred, with Harrison Ford, in "Witness" (1985). I'm surprised that, after her 1982 rape, she didn't already have a concealed carry permit.

TX: Gun shops see mixed reactions in wake of Orlando shooting
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In the wake of the Orlando, Fla., shooting that left 50 people dead, and increased talk of nationwide gun control, local gun shops are seeing mixed results when it comes to an uptick in sales.

More women in Central Texas are inquiring about buying a gun and learning to shoot, TammyJo McCleney, a Belton Police officer and a firearms instructor, said.

Anytime there is a mass shooting, it strikes at peoples fears. I see increases in the desire for handgun training. Women are calling about a league where they can learn to shoot, McCleney, also the owner and founder of growing Guns and Glitz Womens Shooting League, said.

Loretta Lynch: She's a Lover, Not a Fighter
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The Orlando attack was not about guns or gays; it was about Islamic jihad. Ironically, one of the best ways to help protect the gay and lesbian community in this country is the train them how to use weapons for self-defense and limit the number of refugees entering the country from Muslim countries. Both of these positions are anathema to liberal Democrats like Loretta Lynch who, after the San Bernardino jihadist attack, actually threatened to prosecute anyone who spoke out against radical Islam. In fact, Lynch said that anti-Muslim rhetoric was her greatest fear.

PA: W-B police: Stabbing was self-defense
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Police said the woman, identified in court documents only as Individual #3, stabbed McDonald once in the neck and twice in the back as he tried to break into an apartment at gunpoint around 10 a.m. on June 16. The woman and others in the apartment were consoling McDonalds live-in girlfriend, who complained that McDonald had beaten her earlier in the day inside their Sherman Hills apartment, police said.

Is there a Second Amendment right to semiautomatic rifles?
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Meet the Press host Chuck Todd did a double-take after House Speaker Paul Ryan made a claim about semiautomatic rifles, which was the type of gun used in the mass shooting in Orlando days earlier.

"I grew up hunting with Remington 7400s, which are semiautomatic rifles. Cosmetically they look different, they function exactly the same," the Wisconsin Republican said on the June 19, 2016 edition of the show.

"So, look, we can go into all of these issues other than to say, people have a constitutional right to bear arms. People have a constitutional right to have semiautomatic rifles."

FL: Scott skips over NRA-opposed lawmaker for judicial post
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Gov. Rick Scott appointed Robert Dees to the 4th Judicial Circuit on Friday, choosing the Jacksonville attorney from a list six nominees that included a Republican state lawmaker who had become the target of gun-rights groups.

Dees, a partner with Milam, Howard, Nicandri, Dees & Gillam, P.A., will fill a vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Harvey Jay to the 1st District Court of Appeal.

Scott's pick for the 4th Judicial Circuit --- made up of Duval, Clay and Nassau counties --- drew attention because influential National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer initiated a letter-writing campaign in opposition to Rep. Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, who had wanted the job as judge.

AL: Enterprise PD teaches S.A.F.E. gun training
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The training comes during a time of heated debates on gun control and gun rights. For those who support carrying one, the course covers all aspects of handling guns and self defense.

"We also talked about situational awareness in public. Don't leave your purse in the car, don't leave your firearm in the car, not that people don't know it, but just to bring awareness and really hit home on becoming a victim, Haglund said.

The class learned several different techniques, including how to properly hold a semi-automatic and a revolver, hand placement on the firearm, where to keep your fingers, and keeping your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot, he said.

NH: Rubens rips Ayotte for 'No Fly List' gun amendment
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Republican U.S. Senate challenger Jim Rubens says Kelly Ayotte's sponsorship of an amendment preventing persons on the federal government's "No Fly List" from purchasing firearms would result in a gross violation of constitutional due process.

He maintains that the result of such legislation would be to deny many innocent Americans of their fundamental constitutional rights.

Rubens, who faces an uphill battle in his primary challenge to the first term incumbent Ayotte, was in Laconia Friday morning for an interview on WEMJ Radio and then was questioned at length by The Citizen.

Deadly Falsehoods About the Orlando Shooting and Gun Control
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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As detailed by ABC News, the killer used a .223 AR-style Sig Sauer MCX semiautomatic rifle and a Glock 17 [9 mm] handgun. Like the Sig MCX, the Glock 17 is a semi-automatic firearm, which means it fires one bullet for each pull of the trigger.

In stark contrast, the most common military firearms, as explained in the book Military Technology, are fully automatic rifles and machine guns that fire multiple bullets with a single pull of the trigger. A key advantage of these guns is that soldiers dont need to aim them with pinpoint accuracy to hit the enemy. Instead, they can point the weapon in the general direction of their adversaries and mow them down en masse.

NH: Ayotte's stance on guns undermines her overall record
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Sen. Kelly Ayotte is in a tough spot. Long and rightfully criticized for her allegiance to the gun lobby and its fear-mongering, nonsensical absolutism on gun-owners rights vs. the right to not be shot to death, she now finds herself challenged by some members of her own party as being too soft on guns.

Chalk it up to the dangers of an election year, perhaps combined with a growing realization that her constituency may not be what she thought it was. New Hampshire has a history of respect for gun ownership, hunting and self-defense. Its home to major gun factories and independent gun-makers, professional firearms ranges and older, informal rod and gun clubs. But Granite Staters are neither stupid nor one-dimensional ideologues.

WI: GOP lawmaker plans bill holding gun-free businesses liable for firearm injuries
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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A Republican state lawmaker said he plans to introduce a bill that would hold gun-free zone businesses legally liable for injuries inflicted by weapons banned on their property.

Rep. Bob Gannon, R-Slinger, who has been an outspoken critic of gun-free zones, said the bill gives citizens a better chance of defending themselves and their loved ones.

"When we have 49 deaths and 50-some injuries in Orlando, to think that we could not have saved one life there is silly," he said.

Under current law, businesses that allow concealed carry are not held liable for injuries inflicted by weapons legally carried onto their premises. Gannon's proposal would add that gun-free businesses would be held liable.

DC: Bowser, Lanier cautious about LGBT gun ownership
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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier expressed caution during a news conference on Thursday at D.C. police headquarters about reports in the media that a growing number of LGBT people are considering applying for licenses to buy guns for self-defense following the mass shooting incident in Orlando.

We dont have any plan to promote firearm ownership or training in the District, Bowser said in response to a question from the Washington Blade.

Certainly people can avail themselves to what is legal, but we wont be a part of promoting it, she said.

CA: New Attack on CCWs via Fee Increase in California Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Even though AB 450 once dealt with the Streets and Highway Code yesterday, its sole focus now is on denying Californians the right to self defense. AB 450 forces sheriffs and police chiefs to raise CCW fees not only for the cost of issuance, but sufficient to cover the reasonable costs of issuing and enforcement of the license. Whatever enforcement of the license means to them!

Bishops seek assault weapons ban, say civilians have no need for them
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Two U.S. church leaders called for a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, saying they have no place in the hands of civilians.

Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas issued their appeals in response to recent incidents in which people have been killed by attackers armed with semi-automatic rifles.

Theres no reason in the world why these guns are available. Theres no logic, Bishop Farrell told Catholic News Service June 22.

The bishops stance puts them in opposition to gun rights advocates, who say that any effort to limit the sale and acquisition of firearms would violate the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

Guns and Docs: The Debate Continues
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The authors of the JAMA study had obvious conflicts, Wheeler said, with one being a member of the Coalition for Gun Control (Australia) and "Second author Philip Alpers is the founding director of the gun ban organization GunPolicy.org and is a delegate to the U.N.'s project to ban private gun ownership worldwide, the so-called Programme of Action. Mr. Alpers, although he holds the title of Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Sydney School of Public Health, apparently has no college degree and no evident qualifications other than being a premier gun prohibition activist. These are insurmountable shortcomings for authors of a supposedly peer reviewed scientific article in a journal with the reputation of JAMA."

NM: Father shot daughters ex-boyfriend out of self-defense, faces no charges
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An Albuquerque father who shot his daughters ex-boyfriend in the leg Thursday will not be charged in the incident.

...

Investigation revealed that Brandenburg was armed and had attempting to gain entry into the home of his ex-girlfriend and her 76-year-old father by breaking the front window to the living room.

The 76-year-old shot Brandenburg several times out of fear for him and his daughters safety, according to the Albuquerque Police Department. Brandenburg was transported to this hospital in stable condition.

ID: Some US Gun Owners Support Gun Control
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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That is not Dave Makings.

Makings, a retired university professor, owns a pistol, a couple of shotguns, a deer rifle and a Chinese version of the AK-47 semiautomatic assault rifle. He lives in rural southern Idaho, where he uses his guns to hunt for pheasants, deer, and elk - and in the event he needs them for self-defense. Guns also are a hobby for him, he says.

...

Makings supports expanded background checks. He wouldn't mind restrictions on assault rifles, even if it meant giving up his AK-47. "I'd be very willing to give it up if it were part of a comprehensive program" to reduce violence, he says.

These Celebrated Americans Were Once on Government Watch Lists
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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There is a lot of talk about government watch lists and how individuals on any such a list pose a threat to our nation and shouldnt be afforded the same rights as the rest of us. Then again, this is nothing new.

Demonization of ones opponents is one of the oldest and most effective short-term means of inspiring hatred toward the enemies of the state. The United States of America has used this technique many times in many different ways throughout its existence; but it was particularly active in doing so during the decades proceeding World War II. Communism became the preferred label. Its plain meaning was coopted; from an economic and social philosophy to a broad brush to label enemies of the state.

Helpless-Victim Myth If I Had A Gun A Crook Would Just Take It
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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If this myth had any serious grain of truth wed be in a world of hurt, because guns would be useless oxymorons and wed be defenseless slaves by now. Everyone would be slaves, even the slave masters. This myth could never work. Its circular logic that never ends. Lookit:

If you had a gun to protect yourself, but the crook could just take it from you, you wouldnt need a gun. You could just take the crooks gun and use that.

Folks, guns just dont work that way. If they did, guards could never guard anyone, slaves could simply shoot their masters, the masters could then just shoot the slaves, its absurd. The one with the gun gets things done son.

Pakistan: Orlando shooting: U.S. Constitutions second amendment under scrutiny
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The second amendment is often misinterpreted by many U.S. citizens. It neither allows individuals to purchase guns of all kind nor permits people to use them to harm others. The purpose of the second amendment rights was primarily to allow U.S. citizens to use certain weapons for protection and self-defense. The perpetrator of the crime, Matin pledged allegiance to ISIS before committing the mass murder. I, for one believe that it is time that the U.S. government re-writes the second amendment of the constitution.

Nate Bethea Reinforces Bankruptcy of Anti-Second Amendment Camp
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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I reported previously how Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) subordinated his prior honorable service in our armed forces to his party's official position on the Second Amendment. This is particularly disappointing because, while we expect somebody like Harry Reid to lie about the difference between military assault rifles and the kinds of rifles that are available to civilians, obfuscation and misrepresentation are not the kind of conduct we expect from a former Marine officer. Nate Bethea similarly begins his attack on the Second Amendment by misrepresenting what is and is not an "assault rifle."

No Fly, No Buy Sponsor: 2nd Amendment Will Not Protect Americans from Radical Islamic Terrorism
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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CNSNews.com asked Garamendi, who sponsored a no fly, no buy bill in the House last December and planned to reintroduce it in response to the Orlando massacre: Do you think the Second Amendment right will help protect Americans from terrorism? Do you think the individual bearing of arms will protect Americans from radical Islam?

No, Garamendi answered. It will not.

That is a fight that has to be carried on internationally, said the congressman, who participated in House Democrats' Wednesday sit-in over gun control. And were doing that over in the Middle East right now.

We need a true blueprint for gun control: Democrats must devise an in-depth strategy thats massive in scope
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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As the unprecedented sit-in in the House of Representatives unfolded on Wednesday, there were tremors of a world about to shift, in ways that it was impossible to imagine. When Civil Rights legend John Lewis initiated the sit-in, he called attention not just to the horrific levels of American gun violence, but also to the dysfunction, intransigence and inaction which had become normalized. Law-making had become so broken, he essentially argued, that simply getting government to work again now required breaking the law. But if that were so, was there any guarantee of where it would lead, especially given such a cynical and skilled opposition in power? That is what worried me as I watched the drama unfold.

WA: McKenna: Lawmakers in Washington would ban rapid-fire weapons at their political peril
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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However, they would not protect other rights and have refused to hear arguments over the right to carry weapons in public and purchasing rapid-fire weapons.

Dave wonders what gives the court the right to draw the line at handguns. Plenty of people agree someone shouldnt own a rocket launched, but a rifle isnt just for mass murder, he pointed out. They are used for target practice and hunting as well as home protection.

What is it about these assault rifles that would make the Supreme Court reject this appeal? Dave asked.