Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

Passage of Vitter Amendment Shows Public Shift on Gun Rights After Katrina (SAF)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Senate's overwhelming 84 to 16 vote this week to prohibit gun confiscations from private citizens in emergencies shows there has been a remarkable shift in the public's attitude about gun rights after the Hurricane Katrina debacle, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) said today." ...

"'Incredibly,' [Gottlieb] continued, 'sixteen extremist anti-gun Democrats, led by Hillary Clinton, demonstrated by their vote that they think it's just swell for the government to seize private property from law-abiding citizens, often times at gunpoint and always without warrant or due process of law. This time, it's guns but what about next time? ... what would they advocate next for confiscation?'" ...

Pro Second Amendment Incumbents & Gun Raids
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"This column is two fold in scope: supporting pro Second Amendment incumbents and the recent raid on Richard Celata who owns KT Ordnance. I happen to know Richard and consider him a friend. I purchased a fine set of Made in America cast iron cookware for my new home from him; Richard is a distributor of this product and a wonderful line of organic products from Promised Land. This raid was conducted by the ATF, FBI and Canadian ATF. The raid was conducted with a search warrant, but the affidavit is still under seal. The local Sheriff determined that the warrant was valid and allowed foreign law enforcement to participate in a witch hunt against an individual engaged in a legal enterprise." ...

Stopping Gun Confiscation (NRA-ILA)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Second Amendment unquestionably protects the right of individual Americans to own firearms. Thankfully, most gun-owners are never forced to defend themselves, their families, their homes. But during an emergency or disaster, when police protection breaks down like it did in the chaos in New Orleans that followed Hurricane Katrina, lawfully owned firearms may be the only effective means of protection."

"In the days following Katrina, when police and other first responders where overwhelmed and overstretched ... the police began seizing legal firearms from law-abiding citizens. This gun confiscation defied common sense as well as the rights protected by the Second Amendment ..." ...

Senate Votes to Prohibit Gun Confiscation! (GOA)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Good news! The Senate voted yesterday 84-16 to pass the pro-gun Vitter amendment."

"The language, offered by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) as an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill ... will make it illegal for federal agents to confiscate firearms during an emergency or major disaster. The provision must now survive a conference committee -- where House and Senate negotiators will iron out differences between the spending bills passed in both chambers."

"If the Vitter language makes it to the President's desk, it will perfectly complement what has been happening in the states. This year, one of GOA's highest priorities has been to address the problems with so-called 'emergency powers' across the country." ...

'Shoot First' Laws Hit Courtrooms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Recently enacted laws that give citizens more leeway in using deadly force against attackers are already being invoked as a defense in several criminal cases across the country." ...

"Attorneys say these cases highlight a new self-defense trend in which people who are physically threatened by someone are no longer required to retreat ... before using deadly force. They can also use fear alone to justify their actions and, in some cases, be offered immunity from prosecution."

"'It's just kind of the mood of the country. A lot of people believe that, 'Hey, if someone threatens me with deadly force, they're acting wrongfully, why should I have to ... run from them?' said Tom Hagel, a part-time judge and law professor ..." ...

Gun Control: Campaign Finance and Historical Revisionism
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A recent article in U.S. News & World Report employs two common myths to explain why pro-gun groups allegedly wield too much political power:"

"Saul Cornell of Ohio State's Second Amendment Research Center, says polls consistently show broad support for gun control. What gives the gun lobby strength, he says, is that supporters see gun control as a make-or-break issue. With that passion comes money. Gun-rights groups contributed nearly 14 times as much as gun-control groups in the 2004 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.[2] [Emphasis added]" ...

Gun Purportedly Used by Gilmore Auctioned
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"The gun purportedly used by executed killer Gary Gilmore to commit his crimes is being offered for sale on a murder collectibles auction site for a minimum bid of $1 million."

"The owner put the .22-caliber Browning pistol on murderauction.com Wednesday with a description reading: 'The actual pistol used by Gary Gilmore for two murders. Absolute documentation.'"

"Gilmore was the first person in the country executed after a Supreme Court decision allowed states to restore the death penalty in 1976 after a 10-year moratorium." ...

"Can't" Miss
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"I could not believe my eyes. The instructor had just drawn his pistol and presented it on its side as part of a classroom exercise. His offending technique wasn't repeated on the firing line, so at the time I simply dismissed it as another Hollywood affectation creeping its way into life."

"Seeing him do that got me thinking about the dynamics of firing a pistol from on its side as opposed to upright. The real world does not always conveniently lend itself to a nice isosceles or Weaver stance, and there could be times when an unorthodox stance is necessary. Scenarios came to mind: cops having to shoot from under their cruisers while lying on their sides; homeowners firing from under the bed. ..." ...

MO: Fatal Shooting in Doniphan Appears to be Case of Self-Defense
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Doniphan man being held for the fatal shooting of another man following an altercation in a home shortly after midnight Thursday was released ... after investigators determined that he shot and killed 36-year-old Rodney Ray in self-defense."

"... Ray entered the home of 25-year-old Michael Boone around midnight Wednesday evening and began arguing with a woman ... inside a bedroom in the home. Chief Joyner said investigation shows that Ray then entered the home's living room and began arguing with Boone, who by that time had armed himself with a .22-caliber pistol and then asked Ray to leave. ... Boone fired two 'warning shots' ... at which point Ray allegedly advanced on Boone ... When that happened, Boone fired a fatal shot at Ray.: ,,,

AK: Tourist kills man who pointed gun at trooper
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A man was shot to death ... on Tuesday after pointing a long gun at an Alaska state trooper, officials said Thursday."

"The man was shot by an out-of-state fisherman who had called for trooper assistance because, he said, the man who was killed had earlier been shooting at him and a fishing partner. ..." ...

"Troopers also didn't say whether the fisherman, a 42-year-old tourist from Arizona, would be charged in the shooting."

"A law passed recently by the Alaska Legislature allows a person to use deadly force in self defense outside the home, but the law doesn't go into effect until mid-September."

"'There will certainly be an investigation into whether it was defense of self and defense of a trooper,' Anderson said."

PA: Attempted murder charge gone
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A York City man yesterday waived his preliminary hearing for allegedly shooting two men who burst through his door moments after arguing with him on the street." ...

"According to York City Police, the three men were arguing on the street outside Orris' home ..."

"... At some point, Orris ran back into his home and shut the door, but Washington and Stringfellow burst inside, police said."

"Orris then shot Washington, police said, and Stringfellow turned to run. Before he could, Orris shot him in the back, according to police."

"Although Spence acknowledged that Washington and Stringfellow burst into Orris' home, he said the charge was filed because Stringfellow was shot in the back while trying to flee." ...

OH: Two licensees hold neighborhood menaces at gun point
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Columbus NBC Channel 4 has a current story that should be a learning experience for every concealed handgun licensee: Drawing your firearm to hold someone until the police arrive is, technically, a criminal act. The question is if Ohio law recognizes the citizen's right to use 'reasonable force' for property crimes as opposed to 'deadly force' as the Ohio Attorney General's pamphlet on the use of deadly force implies. If holding someone suspected of a crime at gun point isn't 'reasonable force' what exactly is reasonable force?"

"The news media spins the focus of this story not on the individuals accused of being a menace to the neighborhood, but instead of the law abiding residents 'taking the law into their own hands'." ...

Tracing crime guns
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Eighteen U.S. police organizations have written Congress to urge rejection of a proposed law that would make it a crime for law-enforcement agencies to share information on tracing guns used in crimes."

KABA Note: That is a lie. The Tiarht Amendment would prohibit them from sharing information on guns not used in crimes.

"The group action should give a welcome boost to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's National Summit on Illegal Guns that was formed in May as a coalition of city mayors with the same goal. Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone joined the coalition with good reason. His city is on the front line in the battle against guns. ..." ...

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Rejects Amendment to Help Law Enforcement Stop Illegal Gun Trafficking
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Today the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations legislation that would have allowed state and local governments as well as law enforcement agencies access to crime gun trace data crucial in the effort to stop illegal gun trafficking. The amendment, offered by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), would have allowed state and local governments and law enforcement agencies access to information in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) crime gun trace database for the purpose of enforcing federal, state, and local laws and to help prevent and detect violations of law." ...

NY: Amicone Lobbies Congress Against Illegal Gun Dealers
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"In a rare foray into national politics, Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone joined mayors across the country in spending his Thursday afternoon on the phone with key members of the US Senate Appropriations Committee, lobbying against a measure that would strip local law enforcement of the ability to trace firearms back to their original dealers, significantly impeding his effort to get illegal guns off the streets of southwest Yonkers. The effort was organized by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg who formed a coalition of mayors against illegal guns more than two months ago." ...

IL: Is Roskam stepping into line of fire?
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Sixth Congressional District Republican Peter Roskam will roll the political dice Saturday by campaigning in Addison with the National Rifle Association, a move apparently controversial enough that organizers removed all mentions of his name from the invitation."

"Early versions of the electronic invitation to the 'Mix n' Mingle' asked attendees to 'help Pro-Gun congressional candidate' Roskam, listing his name no fewer than 11 times. The second version ... did not mention the ... name once."

"Roskam campaign manager Ryan McLaughlin said the NRA told him there was only one version of the invitation, which listed Roskams name. ... An NRA spokesman said Roskams name was removed due to federal election regulations." ...

IL: Gun Violence Survivors to Protest Roskam Campaign Event
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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... "Local families of victims of gun violence intend to respond to congressional candidate Peter Roskam's support of extreme gun laws while he "mixes & mingles" with the gun lobby group the National Rifle Association on Saturday, July 15."

"Gloria Padron, the mother of a murdered son and Bill Jenkins, the father of a murdered son and a member of the Illinois Million Mom March will join others outside Roskam's event. They will be available to members of the news media for interviews." ...

CA: Jury reaches verdict in former deputy's trial
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"It took a Tulare County jury just few hours to decide the fate of former Tulare County Sheriff's deputy Paul Turner."

"He was charged with negligently storing his pistol. Children found it in Turners home and used it to accidentally shoot and kill seven year old Gabriella Garcia."

"Turner showed no emotion as a jury exonerated him on all charges." ...

"His attorney said Turner resigned from the Tulare County Sheriff's department several months ago; and he's not sure that is next for his client."

NJ: Newark police fire two for Web criticisms
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Newark Police Department has fired two officers and is considering the dismissal of two others for anonymous comments they posted on a popular Internet blog." ...

"The department learned the officers' names with the help of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, which issued grand jury subpoenas to Newark Speaks, cable companies and others to obtain the information, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the investigation."

"Rubin Sinins, the attorney hired by the police union to represent all four officers, said the actions against them violate their constitutional right to free speech."

"Sinins said he is appealing the two dismissals to the state Merit System Board ..." ...

VA: Hampton ID data public / Social Security numbers became accessible
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"Hampton police have launched a criminal investigation into a courthouse computer that made confidential records publicly accessible. The data included the names and Social Security numbers of thousands of city taxpayers." ...

"[Privacy activist B.J.] Ostergren ... said she was amazed to find a computer offering access to a searchable, spreadsheet-like database of taxpayer information that is supposed to be kept confidential under state law."

"She suggested that police prosecute the city officials who made the computer accessible under a state law that makes it a misdemeanor for public officials to dispense confidential tax information."

"'The law has been broken,' she said. 'Just because these are elected officials, I don't want to cut them any slack.'" ...

UK: Police who broke up gunfight get awards
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"FIVE Swindon officers have been voted the bravest bobbies in the south west at the 11th annual Police Bravery Awards in London." ...

"They broke up a gunfight in London as they travelled undercover as part of an unconnected Wiltshire operation."

"The five were driving through West Norwood when they saw two men fighting at a bus stop. Shots were fired."

"One bullet shattered the glass of the bus stop while another passed over the bonnet of their car."

"The police arrested the men after a struggle. One man was acquitted. The other was found guilty of possessing a loaded pistol, a MAC-10 machine pistol with ammunition with intent to endanger life. He was jailed for 14 years."

NC: Resources abound for disabled sportsmen
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "Being incapacitated is, hopefully, a temporary condition for me and, with a lot of patience and a little physical therapy, I should return to 'fighting form' in the not-too-distant future. It made me pause and consider, however, what it must be like to have a long-term or permanent physical disability that keeps a person from being able to do the things they enjoy, things that make life fuller. ..."

"Persons who enjoy the outdoors are hit especially hard if they find themselves suddenly unable to get out and about like they have been accustomed to doing. ..."

"There are a number of resources available to handicapped sportsmen who live in this part of the country. The key is usually knowing where to look. ..." ...

TX: Bull's-Eyes of Texas: Getting a Gun License
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"The snap-snap-snap of small-arms fire was echoing around the Hot Wells Shooting Range in Cypress, Tex., as Jim Pruett set up a wall of humanoid targets against an earthen berm." ...

"It was the final exercise in a daylong course for a coveted Texas certification the license to carry a concealed handgun. 'In Texas, we dont carry guns because we have to,' Mr. Pruett told me later. 'We carry them because we get to.'"

"There's no telling how many Texans actually walk around armed, but by Department of Public Safety figures, 247,345 men and women, more than 1 percent of the population, may legally carry a handgun provided it is truly concealed and not out in mischievous view." ...

TX: Shooting comes in all bangs and targets
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Whether your goal is to shatter a clay, punch holes in paper or hunt game, making it happen requires shooting something."

"As a transplant to Texas, I never had much of an opportunity to handle firearms. The historical role occupied by guns in pioneering ... has been replaced by their use in sporting and outdoors activities."

"So, when I wanted to go shooting for the first time, it was with a friend who took me out to a range and put a variety of pistols in my hand and rifles on my shoulder. Since then, Ive also had the opportunity to shoot shotguns and put firearms to a recreational use."

"With this in mind, my thoughts on getting into shooting begin with this question: What do you want to use a gun for?" ...

ME: Maine doesn't need to 'toughen' up on gun laws
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"... I came across [an editorial] from Dec. 1, 2005, in which it was stated that Maine legislators should 'toughen' up on gun laws because we were becoming one of the so-called gun havens for criminals from other states buying and transporting firearms back to Massachusetts for criminal purposes."

"Well, it seems to me that Massachusetts, along with California, has some of the toughest gun laws on the books ... If they are so tough on guns, why are they trying to get other states to fix their problems for them? Maybe if some of the residents of Massachusetts didn't have to pay $100 and jump through hoops to get a carry permit ... they would be in a better situation to protect themselves." ...

WI: Schuetzen Fest takes aim at preserving history
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"New Glarus residents are taking aim at an old Swiss tradition in the hopes of preserving a piece of the town's ethnic history."

"Members of New Glarus Vision Inc. and Swiss Center of North America are banding together to revive Schuetzen Fest and save the historic Shooting Park barn, which will be 100 years old next year and is in need of repair."

"The Schuetzen Fest 2006 rifle competition will be held this Saturday ... on the Wilhelm Tell grounds ... outside of New Glarus. A non-alcoholic concert for youth ... will be held at the Shooting Park Barn on County Road O beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. All proceeds will go towards restoration of the Shooting Park barn." ...

KS: Early birds file for concealed gun permit
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Some citizens didn't wait long to take a shot at obtaining a permit to legally pack a concealed gun."

"County sheriffs' offices across the state have had dozens of people pick up"

"license applications since the state's concealed carry law took effect July 1."

"Several have even turned in applications, although permits won't be issued by the Kansas attorney general's office until Jan. 1, 2006."

"'The interest is there,' said Jan Lunsford, spokes-man for the attorney general. 'There's no question about that.'"

"Citizens wanting to apply for a permit can either pick up an application for a permit from their county sheriff's office or download it from the www.kansas.gov Web site." ...

MI: Deerfield Twp. won't restrict target practice
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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"Supervisor Keith Merser has heard his constituents loud and clear: There will be no ordinance limiting target practice or hunting in the Lapeer County township."

"A recent neighbor dispute prompted township officials to look at a Michigan Townships Association firearm ordinance that would have virtually banned all shooting in the township, except for at a licensed gun range."

"One neighbor complained to sheriff's deputies that her neighbor was harassing her by target practicing in his backyard, and the deputy said there was no local ordinance to control such activity, Merser said." ...

"If there is real harassment, it can be dealt with using current ordinances and state laws, Merser said." ...

IN: DNR considers rifles for deer hunting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Recent wording of a rule proposal from the DNR has a lot of deer hunters checking their gun cabinets for rifles that would qualify for whitetail deer hunting should the proposal come to be. The DNR is considering approval of modern weapons firing specific modern-day pistol cartridges. The wording for the proposal is: '4) A rifle must: (A) fire a bullet of ... .357 diameter or larger; (B) have a minimum case length of ... 1.16 inches; and (C) have a maximum case length of ... 1.625 inches. ... Over-and-under combination rifle-shotguns are prohibited.'"

"The proposed modification would allow only rifles with pistol cartridges to be used when hunting deer during the firearms season. ..." ...

DC: Spike in DC Violent Crime Blamed on Gun Ban
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The recent spike in violent crime in the nation's capital is the direct result of the District of Columbia's gun ban, a gun rights group said Thursday."

"D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey declared a "crime emergency" Tuesday following a spike in violent crime in which two separate groups of tourists were robbed by two armed men on the National Mall. On Sunday, a British political activist had his throat slashed in the Georgetown section of the city."

"Robberies are up 14 percent, and armed assaults are up 18 percent, a direct result of the restrictive gun control policy, according to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA). The city recorded its 14th homicide of July this week." ...

Rwanda: Reversing Arms Proliferation
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A total of one thousand five hundred small firearms and light weapons were on June 22, set ablaze in Ruhango district, Southern Province. Prime Minister Bernard Makuza, who presided over the function, challenged all Great lakes Region countries to redouble their commitment to eliminate the small arms proliferation menace."

"Deputy Commissioner General of Police, Mary Gahonzire ... hailed the masses at the same function for actively participating in the efforts to get rid of illicit arms. ..." ...

"Illegal firearms pose a major threat to public safety throughout central and East Africa, encouraging crime and fuelling and prolonging conflict. It is estimated that 300,000 people are shot dead over the course of a year using such illegal fire arms. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: So in all of Africa, in one year 'illegal fire arms' kill a third of the people that were massacred in 100 days in your country by attackers mainly using clubs and machetes.