Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

The Firearm Derangement Syndrome Pandemic
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"In the 1920s, Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach developed the test now forever linked with his name. The idea behind the 'Rorschach Test' is that a person's interpretation of, or response to, a series of inkblots could help to reveal an underlying psychological disorder. ... the events of August 17 in Phoenix, Arizona offers observers of the American body politic the opportunity to study a similar phenomena." ...

"Perhaps we should call it Firearm Derangement Syndrome (FDS). The 'Rorschach test' for FDS is quite simple: when presented with a picture of a man with a holstered weapon, what do you see? A potential terrorist? ... Or do you see a citizen exercising his legal rights, behaving entirely within ... the law?" ...

Gun Rights 101: Making the decision to carry a gun
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"This column and the next will be about factors to consider when you are making the decision to become a concealed carry permit holder. What are some reasons that might play into your decision? When you're young and fit, you may have studied the martial arts, or recreational weapons like archery. Along with the fitness of youth is the illusion of immortality. You may feel perfectly competent to handle your own self-defense should the situation ever arise. Your material possessions are limited and you most likely are pre-family. Time changes people. You get thicker, slower and less fit. Your material possessions increase and you take on responsibility for others, usually family members. ..." ...

OSHA pick Michaels will use 'public health' scheme to 'regulate' guns
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"We talked yesterday about anti-gun David Michaels, Obama's pick to head [OSHA]. And we saw that a 'public health' excuse for infringing on the right to keep and bear arms has been used in the past. Continuing from 'Second Opinion: Measuring the Violence':"

"A pilot project at CDC in the 1990s to monitor firearm fatalities drew ire from gun advocates and was stopped after three years. Now all money appropriated to CDC to study injuries comes with a stipulation from Congress that the funds cannot be used to advocate for gun control."

"Why was that? From 'The Perversion of Science and Medicine (Part III): Public Health and Gun Control Research,' by Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D.:" ...

Appeals Court: Government Can Require Gun Registration
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"An appeals court in Chicago has ruled that the federal, state or local government can require all citizens to register their firearms under penalty of law."

"A three-judge panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said that, even after the Supreme Court's high-profile gun rights decision last year, the Second Amendment is no obstacle to mandatory gun registration."

"The case arose out of the Chicago-area town of Cicero's mandatory registration requirement for firearms. ..." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: Of course lawful gun owners may be required to register their guns, this is settled law. It is also settled law that criminals don't need to register.

Gun toters: Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's a good idea
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"First off, we want to establish our credentials as strong defenders of the Second Amendment. This writer holds a concealed handgun license and regularly enjoys plinking with handguns, shotguns and even the occasional assault rifle. It is a pastime in which we've indulged since childhood. We strongly believe in the right to bear arms."

"That said, we are utterly at a loss why folks are showing up at protests against President Barack Obama's proposed health care plan packing pistols and even semi-automatic rifles. What in tarnation does health care reform have to do with guns, other than the occasional accidental shooting might require an emergency room visit or worse?" ...
-------

Submitter's Note: Perhaps it has to do with the fact that even self-proclaimed pro-gun people find it strange for someone to carry a gun as a matter of course. As Willie Sutton might have said "That's where the media are."

Banning guns could hurt business
Submitted by: Daniel White
Website: http://www.OhioCCW.org

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Ohio law allows any private business who chooses to prohibit guns on their property to put up a 'no guns allowed' sign. Some do so because they don't like guns, some do it as a courtesy to notify gun owners that they serve alcohol so are off-limits under the Ohio Revised Code, and some do it because they have been mislead."

"There are many ways for a business owner to be mislead on the issue of whether or not to ban guns in their business. Some have been told by lawyers or insurance providers that they will have addition liability if there is a shooting, whether accidental or in self-defense. This is simply not true. ... the Ohio Revised Code grants all businesses immunity from any action taken by legal firearm carriers." ...

"Resistance Efforts," Guns and the Constitution
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"On Monday, it was national news when a man (identified only as 'Chris') appeared at a health care rally in Phoenix, Arizona, openly and legally carrying an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a semiautomatic handgun. He was not alone. While President Obama addressed a [VFW] convention directly across the street, Phoenix police and Secret Service agents actively monitored 'Chris' and twelve others who openly carried handguns ..."

"... 'Chris' initially told the press that he was carrying these weapons to exercise his Constitutional rights, stating, 'In Arizona, I still have some freedoms.' [Never mind that Justice Scalia made it perfectly clear that there is no Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in public in last year's District of Columbia v. Heller decision.]" ...
-------

Submitter's Note: Apparently Josh doesn't want to mind that the Arizona constitution states: "The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the State shall not be impaired ...". And isn't Josh on record as stating that the Second Amendment doesn't apply to the states? So why bring up Heller at all?

The President Belongs To All Of Us
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"White House press secretary Robert Gibbs answered questions yesterday about people bringing loaded firearms to protest events attended by President Obama, and Gibbs apparently gave the green light to this crazy practice."

"Gibbs said, 'There are laws that govern firearms that are done state or locally. Those laws don't change when the president comes to your state or locality.'"

"Hearing this from someone who speaks daily from the podium in the James S. Brady White House Briefing Room - named after a press secretary seriously injured in an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan - is bizarre." ...

Packing Heat Near the President
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"From the National Rifle Associations Web site: 'At the NRA, we're dedicated to the lawful, effective, responsible and above all safe use of firearms.' If the NRA were to take that commitment seriously, why wouldn't the organization loudly discourage gun owners from, say, bringing loaded weapons to a presidential town hall[sic], as several did recently? Or from threatening[sic] the president while wearing a packed leg holster?

Each incident happened this month, and they're scary -- even putting aside the fact that we're talking about disgruntled activists brandishing[sic] guns near the president. ..." ...

When Protesters Bear Arms Against Health-Care Reform
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"The fact that protesters at President Obama's political events have begun showing up bearing arms may be disquieting, but it's perfectly legal and the Secret Service, charged with protecting the President, insists that it is not unduly alarmed by the development. That's because while the Second Amendment guarantees Americans the right to carry guns, federal law also gives the Secret Service the right to keep gun-toting folks away from the President." ...

"But former Secret Service agent Joseph Petro thinks his former employer may be trying to put the best face on a bad situation. 'The Secret Service is very concerned about this,' says Petro, who spent 23 years as an agent ..." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: I suppose being able to read peoples' minds would be handy for an agent, but I doubt Joe actually can read 'his former employer's' mind.

Gun Nuttiness: Crazier By The Day
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Last week, it was a libertarian in New Hampshire asserting his right to bear arms ... This week, a man in a coat and tie with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder was among several gun-toting protesters at an Obama speech in Arizona. The two states are among several that permit people to carry loaded guns openly."

"This unprecedented display of loaded weapons at presidential events by Second Amendment absolutists signifies 're-normalization' of gun ownership in the United States, according to some gun-rights experts."

"We think it signifies just the opposite. We agree with Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who said that bringing guns to presidential events is 'craziness.'" ...

Heller High Water(Mark?) Lower Courts and the New Right to Keep and Bear Arms (.pdf download)
Submitted by: Rick Schwartz
Website: http://hubpages.com/hub/Jacks-World-Famous-Black-Bean-Soup

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

This paper examines the post-Heller Second Amendment case law in the lower courts and concludes that although federal courts are not rushing to overturn gun laws under the Second Amendment, they are moving more rapidly to implement Heller than under previous 'revolutionary' decisions such as U.S. v. Lopez. There is also some evidence that state courts are taking the right to arms more seriously, with the additional possibility that the new federal right to arms may boost interest in the numerous state right-to-arms provisions. Finally, by characterizing gun ownership as a protected individual right, Heller has served to "renormalize" firearms ownership, a change in legal philosophy that may be as significant as any doctrinal shifts.

GA: Ga. couple killed by pack of wild dogs near home
Submitted by: xqqme

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"Sherry Schweder worried about a group of mixed-breed dogs she saw wandering near her home, a pack that authorities say mauled her and her husband to death along a rural road in northeast Georgia."

"The 65-year-old animal lover was taking an evening stroll last week when she was attacked by the feral dogs, authorities believe. Her husband, Lothar Schweder, a retired professor, fell victim to the pack when he went out looking for her." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: An "unfortunate accident"? Nope. Dangerous and unattended, someone is responsible for the death came to two innocents.

Unlike a firearm, feral dogs have volition and, acting on instinct, will actively attack anything seen as "prey". A firearm just sits there until picked up by someone.

NJ: Unlike Trix, curfews are not just for kids ...
Submitted by: Larry

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"in New Jersey, if the State gunvernment has its way:"

"NJ city considers adult curfew after crime spate"

"Curfews might not be just for kids anymore in one city in northern New Jersey. Officials in Paterson are considering one for people of all ages in a bid to curb violence after a spate of deadly shootings."

"Several experts say they believe it would be the nations first curfew of its type to include adults. The state ACLU says it would open Paterson to legal action. The curfew would last for two months and would bar people from loitering outside from midnight to 7 a.m. Violators would face up to a $2,000 fine and 90 days in jail." ...

-------

KABA Note: But according to the Brady Campaign New Jersey should be the second safest state in the nation with a "Safety" score of 63!

WI: Thank you to Pewaukee and De Pere
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"We all know that open carry of firearms or weapons used for personal defense have been legal since the first explorers came to Wisconsin in 1622. Open carry has never been unlawful or prohibited by state statute (some restrictions do apply)."

"Pewaukee and De Pere have decided to repeal their city's unenforceable firearms ordinances. Although it probably seems like the right thing to do, repealing the ordinances really did not change anything."

"This is because all local firearms ordinances that are not the same as or similar to state law ... have been unenforceable since November 18, 1995. Since there is no state statute to ban open carry, all such local ordinances were likewise unenforceable." ...

CA: California micro-stamping law stalled just months before scheduled implementation
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that, two years after California passed a gun control law requiring the next generation of semi-automatic handguns to leave a microscopic identifying code on spent casings, the controversial technology appears no closer to being introduced in that state, let alone anywhere else."

"The story notes that California Attorney General Jerry Brown has not certified the law, which is required before it can take effect as scheduled on January 1, and his aides could not say when that may happen."

"Other states that were considering a similar gun control measure instead have pulled back, and similar federal legislation has failed to move." ...

KS: Former Lawrence police officer pleads guilty to selling stolen video games
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A former Lawrence police officer has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of federal wire fraud for selling stolen video games on eBay last year while he was a member of the police department."

"Robert Ryan Sayler, 32, who was once honored as a hero for his action in the deadly Boardwalk Apartments fire, entered the pleas Monday ..."

"Federal prosecutors had accused Sayler of executing a scheme in which he purchased video games from Target, removed the game discs from their original packaging, and returned the empty boxes to Target for a refund ..."

"Sayler then sold the games ... on eBay, an Internet auction site, according to U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch's office. The games were priced from $30 to $46." ...

TX: Katy School Officer Kidnapped in Waller County
Submitted by: jac

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A statewide manhunt was launched Tuesday after deputies say a Katy ISD police officer was abducted by a fellow cop."

"Sheriff Glenn Smith said Officer Rachel Hillsman was taken from her vehicle at gunpoint by her former boyfriend Julio Reyes, who also works for Katy ISD police." [emphasis added]

"It happened around 6 a.m. on FM 1458 in Waller County. Hillsman was opening the gate to her mother's house when she was grabbed in front of her two children. She may have been handcuffed."

"Officials believe Reyes was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, a pistol and a Taser at the time of the abduction." ...

CA: Officer Faces Charges for Pulling Out Gun in Crowded Bar While Drunk
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"A San Diego police officer is facing misdemeanor charges after witnesses say she got drunk and started waiving[sic] her gun around in a bar while off duty. Carlsbad police did not take the officer to jail. Instead, they released her to her mother." ...

"Carlsbad police responded to the bar and found 23-year-old Officer Christy Thurston visibly drunk. Police arrested her out in front of the bar after another patron took her gun away." ...

"Officers took Thurston to the Carlsbad Police Station. They gave her a breath test, cited her for misdemeanor drunk in public then released her to her mother." ...

"For now, Thurston is not facing more serious charges of brandishing a weapon." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: I'm sure that the CPD would treat any drunken gun waver the same way. Right?

TX: Second Amendment
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"I read Britt Towery's column Friday, 'Another look at the 1700s 'right to bear arms,' and was a little surprised to see what he thought. I am not some crazy gun-toting nut. I have spent 31 years in law enforcement."

"The Second Amendment is pretty straightforward. It seems that the last phrasing is what is in question. 'The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed' seems clear to me.

"As for the National Rifle Association, I have been a life member since 1967 and am proud of that fact. The NRA keeps asking for money to fight the anti-gun lobbyists, money to lobby and I guess money to pay for ads also. But it's not much different from most of the other organizations I belong to." ...

TN: Knoxville Bar Owners Are Not So Gun Crazy
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"As in nearly all other culture wars, the most effective arguments both for and against the Tennessee Legislature's Guns-in-Bars billnow lawwere supported at base by un- or at least half-truths. They were not all-out fabrications so much as exaggerations or omissions used to manipulate the public."

"On the anti-side, we had lots of imagery suggesting that upon the enactment of the bill the state would descend into a chaotic, Old West-like blood orgy, wherein corner watering holes would become scenes of nightly shootouts ... But last week marked a month since the law officially went on the books, and the world appears no more violent than it was before. ..." ...

IL: Gun violence in Chicago makes blanket conceal and carry in Illinois unlikely
Submitted by: Bruce Krafft

There are no comments on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments

"There is a war going on in Chicago's inner city. ... for those of us who live in Springfield or surrounding areas, we aren't affected by gun violence on a regular basis. However, for those who live in Chicago, the unfortunate reality of gun violence has become a pandemic."

"... As many supporters of concealed and carry strongly advocate the right of law abiding citizens to bear arms, many blame Chicago politicians for blocking efforts to pass conceal and carry. ... There is no doubt that with the level of violence occuring on Chicago's city streets a majority of people living in Chicago would like to see stricter controls on firearms, and are strongly opposed to conceal and carry. ..." ...