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DC: Handgun Hubris!
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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So Adrian Fenty’s announced that the District will be appealing the federal court decision overturning the D.C. handgun ban to the Supreme Court.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Have you been reading the papers, your honor? ...this court will care for the sovereignty of the District about as much as it does for the sovereignty of high-school students to spout vaguely drug-related nonsense.

Not sure who the constitutional-law genius was who had the mayor’s ear on this one. The macho we-gotta-stand-up-for-our-rights talk is admirable, but even Clarence Darrow wouldn’t take this case to a court where it not only probably won’t win, but threatens to impose bad law on the rest of the country, too.

PA: North Side man shot by store clerk identified Submitted by: Mark A. Taff	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Police said Mr. Crawford, whose listed address is in Northview Heights, entered the gas station at 1910 Saw Mill Run Blvd. in Beechview, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money and cigarettes. The clerk initially complied, but police said when Mr. Crawford demanded more cigarettes, the clerk reached under the counter, pulled out a gun and fired.

DC: Washington, D.C., to Take Gun Ban Appeal to Supreme Court
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Washington's gun law dating to 1976 bars residents from keeping handguns in their homes and prohibits the carrying of a gun without a license. Registered firearms must be kept unloaded and disassembled. The city's sweeping gun ban is matched only by Chicago among large U.S. cities.

If the high court takes up the case, it would mark the first time in 70 years that justices will consider the breadth of the Second Amendment. In 2003, the court chose not to take a case that challenged California's ban on assault weapons.

PA: Beechview cashier might be charged in death
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Surveillance tapes of the Saturday night incident at a BP service station on Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Beechview appear to show that clerk Walter C. Wetzel Jr., 58, of Mt. Washington, acted in self-defense when he shot Raymond Crawford, 30, of Northview Heights, Pittsburgh police said.

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Police are conferring with prosecutors to determine if Walter Wetzel Jr. will face charges, said Mike Manko, a spokesman for the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office. Wetzel couldn't be reached for comment.

LA: Youth gun camp kicks off today Submitted by: Mark A. Taff	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Each day, a new set of campers will participate in gun safety education, target shooting on the range, self defense tactics and more, Cindy Chadwick, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said.

PA: Gun-control bill passes legislature
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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The state legislature last night passed a gun-control bill advocated by Philadelphia lawmakers, a notable feat in a state so strong on the right to bear arms and so hostile to the city's efforts to regulate them.

The Senate passed the legislation, 50-0, following overwhelming passage in the House last week.

The two measures in the bill, called minor by gun-control supporters, were nonetheless hailed as an important step in a new working relationship between the National Rifle Association and urban lawmakers.

FL: Authorities To Decide If Father Will Be Charged In Son's Fatal Shooting
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Detectives, trying to determine whether the father's action was a crime or self-defense, interviewed Ronald Burchfield. He was not immediately placed under arrest.

"According to the law, we have to look into all of the facts in this case ... that state of mind was, what the son was doing there, what his intentions were and what threats, if any, were made during the argument," Mulligan said on Monday.

Deputies said Ronald Burchfield doesn't have a criminal record, but the victim was arrested more than a dozen times, including on charges of grand theft, forgery, burglary and weapons charges. He was most recently released from prison on March 9.

UK: Weapon wielding householders
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Almost a third of UK residents store a weapon close to their beds to use against intruders.

According to a survey, householders confessed to stashing items such as golf clubs, cricket bats and heavy torches [Ed.: flashlights] to use in self-defence.

And more than half of those people said they are willing to use the item as a weapon against an intruder if they had to, insurance company Cornhill Direct said.

OH: D.C. appeals overthrown gun ban ruling to U.S. Supreme Court
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Alan M. Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, has stated that “the time is long past due for the Supreme Court to hear a case that has such gravity in terms of the Second Amendment and its true meaning. For almost 70 years, a state of confusion has existed over whether the Second Amendment protects an individual civil right, as we are certain it does, rather than affirming some convoluted ‘collective right’ of the states to form militias. That interpretation has been carefully fabricated over the years by anti-gun zealots whose ultimate goal is to strip American citizens of their firearms rights.

NC: Some robbery targets fight back
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Three times last week, would-be victims fought back against people trying to rob them, injuring two and killing a third.

The incidents span Charlotte and include the city's most recent slaying, a 24-year-old who was shot after struggling with the occupants in an east Charlotte house whom police say he was trying to steal from.

In North Carolina, it's legal to shoot someone in self-defense or while defending another person. It's also dangerous, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police recommend against it. Comply with the robber, they say, then call officers afterward.

WI: Mental health care? Don't overlook unexpected consequences
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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The Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to keep and bear arms, might be saved. This is because mentally ill people, who could become violent and resort to using firearms to kill other people, would receive the mental health services they require. Therefore, a national health insurance program with a mental health benefit would destroy one of the major arguments for gun control: preventing the mentally ill from owning guns.

Gay Gun Advocates Draw Bead on O'Reilly
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Wheeler added a lurid detail to the talk of an epidemic: He told O’Reilly that some gangs called themselves “the pink-pistol-packing group” and assaulted people with pink 9 mm Glock handguns.

That’s where the sensational report bumped against a real-life interest group. There is, as it happens, a national coalition of some 10,000 gay and lesbian gun owners called “the Pink Pistols.” But far from visiting mayhem on unsuspecting young girls and random passers-by, the group conducts advocacy work on behalf of the traditional conservative cause of defending Second Amendment freedoms.

Canada: We must stand up for non-violence
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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Unfortunately, resident Marty Gobin doesn't appear to agree. Mr. Gobin seems to want a gun in the pocket or handbag of all citizens. Certainly, gas station employees face violent criminals far too often but saying every Tom, Dick and Sally needs a gun for security and self-defence is not the answer.

To fight violent crime all citizens can and must stand up for non-violence. As a teacher in a local high school, it is clear to me our community can demand a higher profile for anti-violence initiatives and campaigns, we can do better in addressing youth prone to violence, we can improve support to law enforcement in areas of violence prevention...

MD: New police policy on gun purchases worth a try
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff

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With little fanfare, the newly appointed Maryland State Police superintendent, Col. Terrence Sheridan, last month sent a letter to state gun dealers requiring that anyone who applies to purchase a handgun after July 31 sign a release allowing police access to the applicant's mental health records.

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Anyone who refuses to sign the release will be prevented from purchasing a handgun in Maryland.

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They [gun rights advocates] maintain that the action is not needed because mental health commitments are already reported to police. And, they say, the policy is illegal because it exceeds what is allowed by a 1996 state gun law.

Australia: Youth workers report knife-carrying trend Submitted by: Mark A. Taff	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
It is usually alcohol that has parents worried when they allow their teenage children to go to parties on a weekend. Now knives have become a common threat. ... Officially, police say there is no evidence the problem is getting worse, but that is a line contradicted by youth workers and officers on the beat.

KY: An Eastern Kentucky Shooting Sends One Man To The Hospital Submitted by: Mark A. Taff	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Police say Oakie Fannin drove to the home of his ex-wife Tameila Burchett, just minutes after he called her and threatened her husband. Authorities tell us that Fannin then drove through the yard, then turned and headed directly for Charles Burchett. That's when Mr. Burchett fired several shots at Fannin in self defense, hitting him several times.

NY: Butler calls on state police to consider Remington firearm products
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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Assemblyman Marc Butler, R,C,I - Newport, has called on the New York State Police to consider Remington firearms products in the performance of their duties. He said he wanted to be sure Remingtons name will be included in the mix, and has received assurances from the state police that Remington will be considered. Butler pointed out that Remington has a long history in New York, hires Mohawk Valley residents and pays taxes in New York. I would therefore suggest that the New York State Police give Remington an opportunity to either bid or supply our states troopers with the tactical rifles and other types of rifles and long guns they require in the performance of their duties, Butler wrote to Fulton.

DC: Brady Center Statement on the District of Columbia's Decision to Appeal Second Amendment Ruling
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence President Paul Helmke issued the following statement on the decision by Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty to request U.S. Supreme Court review of the ruling by a Federal Appeals Court striking down the District's strict handgun law: "The Appeals Court decision striking down the District of Columbia handgun law was a highly questionable example of judicial activism. It ignored longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent, discounted the express
language of the Second Amendment, and substituted the policy preferences of two federal judges for those of local elected officials and the citizens they represent.

NY: Gun buyback program proclaimed a success
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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The six-week Orange County gun buyback program ended over the weekend with some 200 weapons turned into the city police departments in Newburgh, Middletown and Port Jervis. The no-questions-asked program redeemed weapons for gift cards to local Shop Rite supermarkets. Orange County Emergency Services Commissioner Walter Koury Monday said the program was successful in that it took that number of weapons off the streets.

IL: Obama Calls for Permanent Assault Weapons Ban to Combat Inner-City Violence
Submitted by: Anonymous

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Standing before a church congregation that has witnessed inner-city violence firsthand, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Sunday that more must be done to end a social ill that is "sickening the soul of this nation."

Obama told churchgoers at the Vernon Park Church of God on Chicago's South Side that too many young lives are being claimed by violence and more must be done to combat the problem. ...

"We need to express our collective anger through collective action," Obama said.

He said the government needs to permanently reinstate an assault weapons ban and close regulatory loopholes that protect unscrupulous gun dealers.

ID: New Gun-Grab Scheme Exposed
Submitted by: Red's Trading Post Inc.

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A tyrannical trend has rocked the world of Second Amendment supporters. The oldest still-operating gun store in Idaho, Red's Trading Post in Twin Falls, is being targeted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), a relic from the days of Prohibition that is setting its sights on law-abiding firearms sellers, nitpicking over clerical errors to wage a war of attrition.

More troubling still is the fact that this appears to be part of an organized campaign to force gun dealers out of business across the country.

DC: Threat of Handgun Ban Repeal Puts Lives of DC Residents in Supreme Court Balance
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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Following today's announcement by DC Mayor Adrian Fenty that the District of Columbia would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court the decision in Parker, et al v. the District of Columbia overturning on Second Amendment grounds the District of Columbia's handgun ban, the Violence Policy Center released the following statement: "The earlier split decision by the Court of Appeals to overturn the District of Columbia's handgun ban was not only contrary to the overwhelming weight of legal authority, but would certainly increase gun death and injury among District residents while also increasing the risks faced by the law enforcement personnel who protect all residents and workers in Washington, DC."

DC: Mayor To Appeal Gun Ban Ruling Submitted by: Tom Perkins Website: http://tomdperkins.blogspot.com/	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Sources told News4 on Monday that D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty will appeal a federal circuit court's decision to overturn the city's 30-year-old handgun ban. Fenty will have to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

D.C. to Appeal Handgun Case to High Court Submitted by: Anonymous	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced today that the city will appeal to the Supreme Court to uphold a long-time ban on handguns that was overturned by a lower court in March. Submitter comment: Looks like the ball is rolling on this one...do you think the court will take it?

NY: Congress should ensure sharing of firearm data
Submitted by: RPA-PAC
Website: http://www.rpa-pac.org

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The gun-rights lobby in Washington did the right thing this year when it supported tougher measures pushing states to share mental-health data so they are available to sellers when screening potential buyers. That was the right response to a problem that emerged after the horrific shootings at Virginia Tech. But the National Rifle Association and others clearly aren't sold on the idea of sharing in other instances. An effort in both houses to repeal an amendment blocking police and local governments from access to gun-buying information held by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been frustrated. Lawmakers must keep trying to find a compromise keyed on sharing data in a controlled way.