Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

CA: Proposed San Francisco Gun Ban a Bad Idea
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"Banning the lawful possession of anything has never stopped people from getting it, and it should be a no-brainer in the City of San Francisco, where citizens are well-educated and intelligent, that the proposed ban on the sale or manufacture of firearms and possession of handguns will not prevent criminals from arming themselves."

"The idea is evidently so bad that at least one of the original sponsors of the measure, City Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, has withdrawn her name from the ballot measure. Why the others continue to push this measure makes little sense, because a similar ban more than 20 years ago was struck down by the courts after the Second Amendment Foundation sued the city and then-mayor Dianne Feinstein." ...

CA: Lockyer holsters ammo-coding measure
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"Attorney General Bill Lockyer has shelved a novel gun-control measure that would have required manufacturers to stamp microscopic serial numbers on all handgun ammunition sold in California."

"Sen. Joe Dunn, a Garden Grove Democrat carrying the legislation for the attorney general, said he needed more time to resolve a heated debate over how much the potentially landmark tracking system would cost and who would pay for it."

"The bill, SB 357, has passed the Senate and is pending in an Assembly fiscal committee as the Legislature pushes through its final three weeks of this year's session. The measure may be taken up next year, the second in the two-year session." ...

Safely secured guns save children's lives
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

... "Carelessly stored firearms are more likely to harm a family member than to be used in self-defense against an unknown intruder. The victim usually is an impulsive, curious child who sees a real gun as a familiar, harmless toy."

"Easy access to a loaded weapon kept in the home also raises the chance of adult homicides and suicide -- a leading cause of death among teenagers." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: According to the CDC's WISQARS website, from 1999 through 2002 the leading causes of death among teens (13 - 19) were Unintentional injury (30,352 total, with 22,472 MV accident deaths) and homicide (8,340), followed by suicide (7,145 total, only 3,777 of those using firearms).

Justice Breyer Takes 'Originalists' to Task In a New Book
Submitted by: Anonymous

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

... "So whereas Justice Scalia has voted to strike down campaign finance laws, arguing that they restrict free speech, Justice Breyer espouses a much different theory. He has voted to uphold such laws, arguing that they actually support constitutional values -- such as the marketplace of free ideas -- by limiting the ability of monied factions to overwhelm other points of view." ...

"For example, he writes that some of the court's recent federalism decisions, while paying formal respect to state authority, may have the consequence of enlarging the federal bureaucracy and divesting local communities of control. He cites a 1997 decision that struck down part of the federal Brady Act requiring local police to conduct background checks on handgun buyers while a federal check system was being developed. Justice Scalia's majority opinion ruled it an unconstitutional effort to 'commandeer' state officials."

"Justice Breyer, one of four dissenters, writes in his book that such rulings impede 'cooperative federalism' and force 'Congress either to forgo the program in question altogether or, perhaps more likely, to expand the size of the ... federal enforcement bureaucracy.'" ...

Conservatives and the Constitution
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"This is not the first time conservatives have misapplied the Constitution either. In early August Wayne LaPierre ... improperly invoked the Second Amendment as he announced a nationwide boycott of energy and oil conglomerate ConocoPhillips."

"Reacting to a federal lawsuit filed by ConocoPhillips ... LaPierre stated, '[W]e're going to make ConocoPhillips the example of what happens when a corporation takes away your Second Amendment rights.'"

"... Mr. LaPierre nonetheless should have known better than to suggest that a private corporation has any duty whatsoever to uphold our right to bear arms." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: And we have the right to deny such corporations our business. Where's the conflict?

The Modern Muzzleloader
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"To many folks, the idea of shooting a black-powder gun isat firsta bit frightening. After all, the primitive explosive used (producing, upon detonation, clouds of smoke the likes of which you'll never see when firing a contemporary cartridge) must actually be handled by the shooter, since it's measured, and then poured directly down she barrel of the gun . . . a barrel which, if ,he weapon is one of the popular larger-bore muzzleloaders, looks almost big enough to accommodate a bantam's egg! It's understandable, then, that this collection of factors sometimes brings to mind images of accidental overcharges . . . of barrels peeled back banana-skin fashion . . . and of shoulderbreaking kicks." ...

AZ: Attempted break-in ends in shooting death
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"Amador J. Gonzales, 35, has been charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of 36-year-old Joe Paul Perez of Globe. Perez was shot in the chest with a 30-30 rifle." ...

"Gonzales reported Perez had tried to break into his home, first banging on his grandmother's window, then ripping a screen on the window to his bedroom. According to the police report, Gonzales said he pointed the gun at Perez and stated he was going to shoot him. Perez left the window and went to the door and began banging on the door. Gonzales said he thought the door was going to come off the hinges so he opened the door and pointed the gun at Perez. Perez did not gain entrance to the home." ...

ND: No charges filed against Mandan mobile home park shooter
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

FULL TEXT BELOW:

A man police say shot two people at a mobile home park here will not face charges.

South Central District Judge Donald Jorgensen on Wednesday did not find probable cause to charge Larry McCorkell.

Authorities say McCorkell, 58, shot two Bismarck men early Tuesday morning with a pistol after intervening in a dispute that started at a neighboring mobile home.

Charges have been filed against the shooting victims, whose injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Christopher Stone, 28, and Steven Bernie, 20, face simple assault and disorderly conduct charges.

TN: Man remains in prison after judge says he's innocent
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

NOTE:
Use the following information to access this article:
Site username: Newslinks@KeepAndBearArms.com
Site password: Newslinks
Must have cookies turned on for it to work.
-------

... "For three months now, Neal has been sitting behind bars ... even though a Knox County judge has deemed him innocent of double murder charges."

"That's because the state Board of Probation and Parole had accused Neal of violating his parole by possessing for a matter of minutes a gun he wrested from two intruders who broke into his East Knoxville home." ...

"... the pair stormed into Neal's apartment, threatened to shoot him and began looting his home, testimony has shown."

"Neal didn't know either man. He tried to run but wound up in a struggle with the men. He disarmed one of the intruders, shot him and tried to flee again when the second intruder began to attack him. Neal shot him, dropped the gun and ran." ...

MA: Boy Charged With Firing Gun Faces $250,000 Bond
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

FULL TEXT BELOW:

A juvenile court judge in Boston has shocked prosecutors by setting bail at $250,000 for a 12-year-old boy charged with firing a handgun in the city.

The district attorney's office had asked for a bail of $5,000 when the boy was arraigned Tuesday on a juvenile weapons possession charge.

But Judge Paul D. Lewis said he'd lost patience with youth violence in his 23 years on the bench. Lewis told The Boston Globe that youngsters are out of control.

The boy's lawyer describes her client as developmentally disabled and said this is the first time he's ever been in trouble with the law.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino applauded the high bail, saying it sends a message that "we're not going to tolerate guns on the street."
-------

Submitter's Note: That's right! Guns are evil! It would have been much better if he'd used a machete.

PA: Officer Accused Of Killing Wife Outside Hospital
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"There's a manhunt in progress for a policeman accused of fatally shooting his wife outside a Northumberland County hospital."

"Police in Coal Township are looking for Richard Curran. He is an officer for the Bernville Police Department in Berks County. They said he was last seen in a blue Ford two-door hatchback with Pennsylvania license plates ENT 8872."

"Police said Curran shot his wife, Tina, several times at a loading dock behind the Shamokin Area Community Hospital. That happened at about 11 a.m. Tina Curran, of Mount Carmel, was an emergency room nurse for the hospital. She later died at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville." ...

CT: North Branford to pay $1.5 million in fatal shooting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"The town has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a civil lawsuit stemming from the fatal 1999 police shooting of motorist Victoria Cooper."

"The settlement comes one month after a federal jury found it reasonable for police Officer Michael Breen to believe he was in immediate danger of serious injury or death when he decided to fire the fatal second shot at Cooper, but unreasonable for him to believe he could not safely get out of the way of her vehicle."

"David Rosen, attorney for Coopers survivors, said her family has mixed feelings about the resolution."

"'They have felt for six years that this shooting was completely unnecessary, unjustified, illegal and wrong,' Rosen said. ..." ...

PA: Chief probed over alleged misuse of funds
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"State police are investigating allegations that suspended West Mifflin police Chief Frank Diener used borough money to buy a gun and ammunition for personal use, according to court documents."

"According to documents requesting permission to search Diener's office, investigators were told that Diener received a credit of $1,140 from Pennsylvania Police Supply Inc. for turning in about 7,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition."

"Instead of turning the credit over to the borough, Diener used it to buy a .380-caliber pistol, two magazines, holster and ammunition for personal use without getting permission from the mayor or borough council, the documents say." ...

SC: Ports Authority police officer fired
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"A State Ports Authority police officer who drew his gun on dockworkers during a parking ticket dispute last year has been fired."

"Two weeks ago, the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy banned Patrick Ashley O'Neal from working in law enforcement after reviewing his suitability for the profession."

"Ports Authority spokesman Byron Miller said the state agency has no plans to appeal the academy's decision."

"Port officials have said they were unaware before hiring O'Neal in December 2003 that his former employer, the North Charleston Police Department, had investigated him for conduct in a 2000 Mount Pleasant bar brawl and a 2003 incident where a friend fired O'Neal's city-issued pistol during a fistfight." ...

WI: US cops swoop on Star Wars stormtrooper
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"Forget Jedi Knights and distant, computer-generated worlds - the new frontline in the battle against the Empire is Wisconsin, where fearless law enforcement operatives have been purging the streets of shifty-looking Galactic Stormtroopers bearing laser rifles."

"Yup, the good burghers of Janesville can tonight sleep sounder in their beds after locals alerted officers to a possible armed robbery at the Ramada Inn. The suspected armed perp was kitted out in full stormtrooper uniform and, as Sergeant Kay Nikolaus of the Janesville Police Department put it: 'Apparently some people who saw him felt there was a threat.'" ...

"Officers duly advised the stormtrooper to 'leave the plastic laser gun inside'. ..."

UK: Man freed over schoolboy shooting
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"A 70-year-old man arrested by police investigating the shooting of a schoolboy in County Fermanagh has been released pending police reports."

"Darragh Somers was shot in the head as he played at Mullinaskea Primary School, near Enniskillen, on 22 April." ...

"[Detective Chief Inspector Nigel] Kyle said the investigation would not have been possible 'without the full support of the local community'."

"'In particular, I would like to recognise the responsible approach adopted by all those whose rifles were seized for their patience during the period of time that it has taken to have them examined.'"

"More than 50 weapons were seized and checked as part of the police investigation into the shooting." ...

Trinidad: Hundreds gather for funeral of police shooting victim
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"Too many young Laventille men have 'died by the gun' and such deaths are both senseless and unnecessary, especially those that were provoked through gang-related incidents."

"This sentiment was expressed yesterday by Fr Dwight Merrick at the funeral ceremony for Kendell 'Soup' Hamilton at the Our Lady of Laventille Shrine in Laventille."

"Hamilton was shot and killed by Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) members on August 9 near his home ..."

"Police said the officers were forced to open fire on Hamilton in self-defence after the young man allegedly started to shoot at them, but family members who witnessed Hamilton's killing have denied this, claiming that he was an innocent bystander in the police shooting." ...

Nigeria: How We Sell Arms to Robbers, By Police
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"NINE Police officers alleged to specialise in supplying arms and ammunition to robbers with which they terrorise innocent Nigerians, were yesterday paraded by the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero, with one of them, Constable Musa Waziri, saying that Police Armourers sell a packet of ammunition of 20 rounds of live ammunition to robbers for between N300 and N500 each."

"The disclosure came just as Mr. Ehindero warned all police personnel to desist from dealing in arms and ammunition because with the new policy of applying intelligence gathering, the long arm of the law would catch up with them and they would be brought to book." ...
-------

Submitter's Note: So it's not 'don't do it because it is wrong', but 'because you'll get caught'. Interesting philosophy the top cops have there.

South Africa: Cop claims 'insanity' fired gun rampage
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"A Phillipi policeman charged with a shooting spree that left one of his colleagues dead and nearly killed seven other people is arguing he was temporarily insane at the time of the rampage."

"But Denver Prins, 34, cannot secure Legal Aid Board funding for a psychiatrist to back him up. His Cape High Court trial, scheduled to start nearly a year ago, was subsequently postponed yesterday to April next year."

"Declared fit to stand trial by a panel of Valkenberg psychiatrists last year, Prins faces one charge of murder, one charge of kidnapping, seven charges of attempted murder and four charges related to the illegal possession of arms and ammunition." ...

WA: Port Townsend woman wrangles top sharpshooting honors
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"As one would imagine, there is a story behind how Charlie Hetrick got the nickname 'Outhouse Charlie.'"

"'He was sitting in a port-a-potty, or a 'blue house,' Outhouse Charlie's wife Teri said, 'and a car backed into it and almost knocked him over.'"

"Teri's nickname is Willow Muddyfire. She got slapped with that moniker after using about 20 gallons of water to put out a smoldering grass fire. She also goes by 'Mrs. Outhouse.'"

"There are hundreds of other people with such nicknames, all earned at 'rendezvous' gatherings held around the Pacific Northwest during which participants arrive in authentic 1800s attire to trade goods, swap stories and line up to test their marksmanship skills." ...

WA: Local man's team takes national championship
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"It's a good time to quit when you are on top."

"That's Randy Gumm's position after his junior rifle team won the national championship."

"Gumm has been coaching rifle competition for the past seven years, and after a sea of medals and awards, his team won the one big honor that comes once in a lifetime."

"His three-position rifle team scored 2,285 out of a possible 2,400 to register the highest sectional score in the country, and the national title."

"Gumm's team, made up of Ty Freezer, Brian Morcon, Ben Brooks, all from Davenport, and Justin Malone from Wenatchee, are from 16-18 years old, and already have locked up the National Rifle Association's national championship." ...

NY: Rally focuses on ending gun violence
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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

"Parents, public officials and peace activists called for new ways to combat gun violence at a rally on Tuesday."

"'The first thing one thinks of when talking about peace and guns is the Iraq war, but peace issues are much bigger than that,' said Bill Washburn, who teaches at the College of Saint Rose." ...

"'I'm tired of fluff legislation,' said County Legislator Wanda Willingham, whose son was fatally shot in their home in the city. 'I chose this forum to put it to my other legislators and to you, DA Soares, to do something.'"

"In Albany, there have been almost 200 firearm-related incidents in the past two years. She demanded an end to the way guns 'terrorize our communities' and to plea bargaining gun crimes." ...

TN: Teen's extracurricular sport keeps him on target
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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

"This week the local chapter of the National Rifle Association had its annual banquet at Rothchild's in Ten Mile Center."

"It's never been on my calendar before. I never expected it to be. My son Ben Davis, a 16-year old sophomore and Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps student at West High School, attended, partly to thank the NRA for supporting his marksmanship team, the Blue Dragons from the Volunteer Rifle and Pistol Club, on Rifle Range Road in Halls."

"Thanks to the local chapter of the NRA, Ben has the left-handed air rifle he needs to pursue this ancient and honorable sport, one of the original games in the modern Olympics." ...

NJ: Alert For Predator
Submitted by: Anonymous

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

"Jersey City Police Chief Robert Troy is beefing up patrols in the wake of Saturday's abduction and sexual assault of a Heights teenager, and is asking residents to take some common-sense precautions to avoid becoming victims." ...

"'I'm saying the same thing I tell my daughter every day: you have to protect yourself at all times,' Troy said yesterday." ...
-------

Submitter's Comment: This is the same police chief who in January appeared on TV to validate Frank Lautenberg's hype about the "gun" that could pierce body armor. Evidently he is so wrapped up in his own spew that he wouldn't even let his own daughter avail herself of her Second Amendment rights.

MO: Kinder visits Hannibal to promote firearms safety program
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"One of the "big guns" among elected officials in the state of Missouri, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, was in Hannibal Tuesday to promote a firearm safety education program."

"Project ChildSafe has provided more than 840,000 free gun locks to Missouri residents over the past two years."

"'It should come as no surprise that law enforcement is going to support a program like this,' said Joey Runyon, chief of the Hannibal Police Department, which is participating in the gun lock distribution program." ...

UK: Cat shot in head by yobs
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"MOTHER has slammed thugs who took a shot at her pet cat leaving an air rifle pellet lodged in his skull."

"Vicky Buckley was sickened by the cruelty towards 10-month-old Felix after he was used as target practice on Wychwood Park, Weston."

"Security is tight on the development, but the cat was shot while out for a few hours on Monday."

"Shocked Vicky and her children, Ellie, seven, and Joe, five, had to act quickly to save his life."

"She said: 'He dashed in the kitchen covered in blood.'"

"'At first I thought he had killed a rabbit but there was too much blood down his front and on his paws.'" ...

Malta: Maltese trio test their wits in IPSC shoot
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"Association of Maltese Arms Collectors and Shooters (AMACS) member Mario Cassar recently had a creditable result in a Standard Senior Class shoot organised by the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic."

"Cassar, along with David Casha and Louis Farrugia, took part in the first 3-gun competition to be organised in Europe by the IPSC."

"Seasoned competitors from all over Europe participated, using a different firearm on each day of the tournament."

"Practical shooting combines speed, accuracy and power with shooters engaged in demanding courses of fire using pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun." ...

Australia: Workers unearth a blast from the past
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"IN THE demolition business, workers inevitably come across all sorts of interesting items."

"But during the destruction of a property in Dandenong earlier this week, employees of Hughes Demolition and Renovator's Paradise made a discovery that has a lot of people intrigued."

"As they knocked down a shed in Potter Street on Tuesday, workers found two pistols and ammunition wrapped in a page of The Argus newspaper dated October 17, 1936."

"The guns had been stashed in a metal box and one was loaded."

"'We couldn't believe it,' said Craig Hughes, co-owner of the family business. His brother Simon made the discovery." ...

Philippines: Killers back, slay victim in front of wife
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

"SHADOWY killers in inner city communities are back and they're bolder, this time chasing a man right down to his neighborhood and killing him in front of his pregnant live-in partner at Barangay Centro in Agdao, Tuesday evening."

"And still no one could describe the killers." ...

"Ungay and his live-in partner Emalyn delos Santos were standing outside their house at around 6 p.m. when three unidentified men passed by, one of whom called Ungay by his nickname."

"'One of the three men whose face was covered with a towel went to Ungab and stabbed him in the stomach,' Ramirez told Sun.Star Davao." ...

"'Five men chased him,' Ramirez said."

"Two gunshots were heard before Ungay was seen falling to the ground." ...

IN: Protect rights of both gun, property owners (third letter)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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

... "The NRA isnt really attacking the property rights of Conoco-Phillips. Instead, the NRA is standing up for the rights of the employees of Conoco-Phillips. In years past, labor unions used strikes and boycotts to influence big companies to treat their employees properly when it was obvious that no one employee, acting by himself, could achieve fair treatment."

"Conoco-Phillips is well within its property rights to prohibit its visitors from bringing guns onto its property."

"Employees have the right to negotiate work rules with management. Since labor unions have abdicated their responsibility to their members in this area, its appropriate for the NRA to 'step up to the plate' in the place of the labor unions." ...