Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

happy shoot-iversary to me
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"2 years and two days ago, I had never shot a gun. I didn't want to touch a gun. I didn't want guns in the house, didn't want guns in my life. No, no, no. No guns. No. I didn't like guns. A textbook case of hoplophobia, that was me."

"Mike spent a long time talking me into going to the range. I almost chickened out. I remember sitting on the couch, so afraid that I was near tears, saying, 'No. I can't. I just can't, I don't want to...'" ...

"Me, I was freaking out inside, alarms going off full tilt in my head. 'Gun! Oh no! Gun! Scaryscaryscary!' Looking back on it now, I realize that my reaction was completely ridiculous and irrational - and I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly what it was that frightened me so much." ...

J.P. Morgan Prepaid Debit Cards Help Brooklyn, Chicago Buy Back 7,500 Guns
Submitted by: Gun Legislation & Politics in New York
Website: http://blog.nysrpa.org

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"Brooklyn and Chicago recently used J.P. Morgan prepaid debit cards in successful campaigns to take firearms off the streets. The gun buy back programs were sponsored by local law enforcement officials who offered citizens prepaid debit cards for working guns, no questions asked. More than 7,500 firearms were collected at community churches and other turn-in sites in the two cities."

"'We are proud to assist a number of major cities become more secure through the distribution of J.P. Morgans prepaid debit cards' said Laurie Neill, managing director of public sector solutions, J.P. Morgan ..." ...
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KABA Note: Interesting concept of what actions assist cities in becoming more secure.

Smith & Wesson Ships Orders for M&P Pistols to International Law Enforcement Agencies
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Smith & Wesson ... announced today that it has filled orders for the company's M&P9 polymer pistols to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in the Caribbean and to the Sindh Police Agency in Pakistan."

"The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has purchased 1,500 M&P pistols, chambered in 9mm. The Police Service employs over 10,000 members and is one of multiple agencies that serve and protect the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. ..."

"The Pakistan Sindh Police Agency has ordered 548 M&P pistols, also chambered in 9mm that will be used as primary side arms. Officials at the Sindh Police indicated that they selected the M&P9 pistol for its reliability during testing ..." ...

IN: Mother of slain teen working for a safer community
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"More than a year after a fatal shooting rocked the Evanston community, the mother of victim Darryl Shanon Pickett is working to keep her son's name alive and pushing for stricter laws aimed at controlling senseless gun violence."

"'People won't give people guns so easily if they think they can go to jail for that,' said Kim Bell-Pickett ..." ...

"'These kids are not thinking,' said Bell-Pickett, who has brought her concerns to state lawmakers. 'You know kids fight all the time, but nowadays these kids pick up guns because they got in a little fight. And under the Second Amendment they don't have to tell you where they got the gun from. They should have to tell you.'" ...
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Submitter's Note: Um, Kim? That's the Fifth Amendment you're complaining about.

NJ: Homeowner shoots intruder in Ponce Inlet, police say
Submitted by: Gun Legislation & Politics in New York
Website: http://blog.nysrpa.org

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"As the intruder attempted to make his way farther into the Ponce Inlet house, Kenneth Nunnelley -- a senior assistant attorney general -- feared for the lives of his wife and children and shot the stranger in the stomach, police said Wednesday."

"Nunnelley, the lead prosecutor in the Florida Supreme Court for death penalty appeal cases including local murderers Troy Victorino, Jerone Hunter and Anthony Joseph Farina, was armed with a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun when 43-year-old Roman Nowak pushed his way into the house."

"No one in Nunnelley's family was hurt, police said, but Nowak was listed in critical condition at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach on Wednesday." ...

PA: Alleged teen robber shot by armed Wal-Mart shopper
Submitted by: John Misinco/Pocono Record
Website: http://www.poconorecord.com

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... "Police say Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg was unloading groceries at his car shortly before 12:45 a.m. today when a young black man wearing a bandana covering his face approached him, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he hand over his money." ...

"Eastman then took out his wallet and pushed the door of his truck more open to put it between himself and the suspect. The teen pointed his gun at Eastman's face."

"Eastman dropped his wallet and started ducking down. The teen fired a shot that went through the window..."

"Eastman pulled out a handgun he was carrying and fell to the ground. He returned fire under the truck's door with his pistol while the teen continued to fire his weapon." ...

Guns and Gustav
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"We just got a call from Devline Rossell, a charter captain based out of Venice, Louisiana. He was shopping in New Orleans to get some supplies before the arrival of Gustav (currently listed as a tropical storm that has left at least 22 dead in the Caribbean) and reported that the item most in demand was not food, clothing or shelter."

"'I just left a sporting goods store and you would think that the number-one selling item would be plywood or potable water or gasoline right now,' he said. 'Apparently it is AR-15s and .223 ammo. I watched at least 20 people buy AR-15s and cases of .223.'" ...

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H/t to Ohioans for Concealed Carry.

VA: Guns don't belong in school
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Chances are the teachers in the Harrold Independent School District in Texas will never need to use the guns they're carrying. ..."

"The teachers allowed to carry firearms would have to be licensed to carry concealed weapons, the district says. ..."

"So why not arm the kindergarten teacher?"

"It's a foolish idea. Schools are for teaching, and teaching impressionable students that people must carry weapons to protect themselves in ordinary circumstances will not lead to a civilization in which guns aren't needed. There is a place for firearms hunting, collections, target and other sports shooting, certain careers, et cetera but school isn't on that list." ...

Democrats bring up gun ban at convention
Submitted by: Gun Legislation & Politics in New York
Website: http://blog.nysrpa.org

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"You just knew these guys couldn't keep quiet. Patrick Kennedy brought up the AWB at the Democrat convention. The Press of Atlantic City has the story, 'New Jersey Democrats like what they hear from national party figures in Denver':"

"The son of Sen. Ted Kennedy and the governor of New York rallied New Jersey Democrats behind Barack Obama's candidacy Wednesday U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., fired up the troops at a breakfast meeting of several hundred convention delegates and guests Kennedy also praised former Gov. Jim Florio for working to ban semiautomatic assault weapons, saying 30,000 Americans die each year in gun violence. ..." ...

Gun control a silenced issue
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The long, low halls of Columbine High School are lined with blue lockers and crimson history ... cruised by laughing teens in Hollister and Aeropostale, then eerily silent when the classroom doors swing closed. We are nine years removed from the mass murder-suicide that happened here, and 10 miles south of a national political gathering at which the quieting of America's guns has never been mentioned." ...

"Ignored entirely in the electoral battlespace, yet unforgettable at Columbine and wherever else innocent life has fallen to a weapon fired in anger or insanity or accident, the issue of America's abundance of guns has made only a brief and semi-comical intrusion into Barack Obama's festival of Hope." ...

Ohio Congressman Bob Latta joins Sportsmen for McCain Steering Committee; Obama scores another faux gunnie
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign recently announced the National Steering Committee of the Sportsmen for McCain coalition. Included on that list are two prominent Ohioans - Michael Budzik, the former chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, and Congressman Bob Latta (R-5), a current Buckeye Firearms Association endorsee for Congress and multiple past-endorsee." ...

"Meanwhile, former Joyce Foundation board member Barack Obama has secured yet another faux Second Amendment supporter in 'lifelong Republican' Tony Dean, a long-time host of hunting and fishing television shows in South Dakota. Dean told the Dallas News hes switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group." ...

DNC Denver Acceptance Speech Special: Obama's Five Mile Gun Store Exclusion
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"This information originally appeared on the Sportsmen For Obama? blog."

"In 1999 Obama suggested a law that would prevent all gun stores within a five mile radius of schools and parks (See Obama's Draconian Gun Control). In the following map, the white area is the calculated exclusion zone along the I-25 corridor around Denver and farther north and south along the highway to the borders of Colorado. The exclusion zone extends from north of Fort Collins to south of Colorado Springs varying from about 5 miles to probably 60 miles wide." ...

NH: NRA endorses Bradley
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Former U.S. Rep. and 1st Congressional District candidate Jeb Bradley ... picked up the endorsement of the [NRA] today."

"'You have demonstrated your support in office for our Second Amendment Rights and hunting heritage,' wrote NRA Director of Federal Affairs Charles Cunningham in a letter. 'We appreciate your pro-gun actions in Congress during your tenure.'"

"Bradley, who is opposing John Stephen ... in the Republican primary for the chance to challenge U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter ... received an 'A' rating from the pro-gun rights group and was recognized for his cosponsorship and votes in favor of the DC Personal Protection Act, Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act and Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act." ...

AK: U.S. Senate Candidates Pick Up Endorsements
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The two challengers for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat both picked up endorsements Wednesday in Anchorage."

"The Anchorage Police Department Employee Association, a union representing more than 500 public safety employees, endorsed Mark Begich, the Democratic candidate and Anchorage mayor." ...

"Also today, the National Rifle Association endorsed the Republican incumbent, U.S. Senator Ted Stevens."

"Sen. Ted Stevens is a lifetime NRA member. 'This is a basic right for all Americans. The Second Amendment Right should not be under attack. I'm going to be there as long as I live defending the Second Amendment Right.'"

"Ted Stevens will face Mark Begich for the U.S. Senate seat on November 4th."

Feds suppress evidence in 'broken gun' conviction?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The federal government allegedly suppressed evidence and edited a legal definition in a Wisconsin case against a man who ultimately was convicted of transferring a machine gun, according to an appeal document."

"WND reported earlier on the case against David Olofson, who has begun serving a 30-month prison term for his actions, even though his defense lawyers argued the AR-15 rifle he loaned to a friend was broken, not a machine gun."

"The Gun Owners of America launched a campaign to help support Olofson's family while he was serving time, and his lawyers were working on an appeal. The appeal now has been filed with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals." ...

Instant Manufacturer: Just Add Arbitrary Ruling
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"So apparently, under the modern logic of ATF, should a MAACO repaint a damaged car sent to them by General Motors, MAACO is suddenly the exact same type of business AS General Motors. So is Bubba Joe's Hot Rods, if he installs a really sweet chromed air breather on some schmucks '74 Firebird."

"Or is he?"

"I am unclear."

"The new BATFE ruling (PDF File here) equates many basic gunsmithing functions with manufacturing, and would seem to force many current Type 01-Gunsmith FFL holders into re-upping ASAP as Type07 FFL manufacturers, or face being in violation of a shipload of regulations. So, without futher racket, here is the text of the letter I sent to ATF, looking for clarification." ...
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Submitter's Note: Viewing the page with Internet Explorer displays HTML formatting text, try Firefox or Safari.

WI: Search continues for missing police gun and badges stolen from Hudson detective
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Internal and external investigations into the theft of two Hudson police badges and a handgun continues today with few leads."

"A pistol and police identification, including two badges, were stolen recently in North Hudson from an off-duty Hudson police detective's unmarked car."

"Hudson Police Chief Marty Jensen said the theft was is believed to have occurred between Aug. 14 and 20 in North Hudson. Police reported the gun and badges stolen to Wisconsin and Minnesota law enforcement agencies."

"'Badges and a handgun are out there, and that is a big concern,' Jensen said. 'In my 21 years (with Hudson police) nothing like this has happened before, and with the Republican National Convention, it comes at a very bad time.'" ...

NC: Detention Officer Charged With Giving Drugs To Inmate
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

An Alamance County detention officer has been charged with giving drugs to an 18-year-old inmate, department spokesman Randy Jones said.

Jones said Jo Ann Hensley, 58, an employee at the jail for just over five years, gave marijuana to Jean Christopher Jerez, of Graham, sometime between Aug. 11 and 13.

She also gave the teen some other prohibited items, Jones said.

She was being held on a $2,500 bond.

Jerez was also charged with possession of a controlled substance on a jail premises.

Hensley was fired from her job, Jones said.

CO: ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators, Big Donors
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel."

"Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer ..."

"A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his hands on Eslocker's neck, then twisted the producer's arm behind him to put on handcuffs."

"A police official later told lawyers for ABC News that Eslocker is being charged with trespass, interference, and failure to follow a lawful order. He also said the arrest followed a signed complaint from the Brown Palace Hotel." ...

DE: Ruark wants gun charge wiped off record
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Wicomico County State's Attorney Davis R. Ruark is in the process of expunging a handgun possession charge stemming from a February traffic stop in which he also was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol." ...

"When questioned by officers, Ruark admitted to having a .45-caliber Glock 30 ..."

"Maryland law prohibits possession of a firearm while intoxicated."

"Ocean City police filed the gun charge independently of the DUI charge. When told of the additional charge, Ruark said at the time he was 'speechless' and 'disappointed' that no one from the police department told him it was coming." ...

"... A charge of handgun possession while intoxicated from the Feb. 22 traffic stop was dropped by prosecutors" ...

IN: Huntington police officer faces sex charge
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A judge has ordered a Huntington police officer held on $20,000 bond on a charge that he engaged in sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl.

Forty-one-year-old William Wike Jr. appeared in Huntington County Court on Thursday.

Whitley County Chief Deputy Prosecutor D.J. Sigler says Wike is accused of touching the girl, then 15, in a sexual manner sometime in late 2006 or early 2007. Sigler says the charges do not relate to Wike's work as a police officer in the city about 25 miles southwest of Fort Wayne.

Huntington Police Chief S. Thomas Emely says Wike faces suspension pending the outcome of the case.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment from Wike's defense attorney, Stephan Poling.

NY: So, Yankee Stadium Takes This No Moving During 'God Bless America'-Thing Rather Seriously
Submitted by: Larry

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... "I attempted to get up to use the restroom, rather urgently, during the 7th inning stretch as God Bless America was beginning. ... I was stopped by a police officer. He informed me that I had to wait until the song was over. I responded that I had to use the restroom and that I did not care about God Bless America."

"As soon as the latter came out of my mouth, my right arm was twisted violenty behind my back and I was informed that I was being escorted out of the stadium. A second officer then joined in and twisted my left arm, also in an excessively forceful manner, behind my back. I informed them they were violating my First Amendment rights and that I had done nothing wrong, with no response from them." ...

India: Cop dies as gun misfires at CM son's house
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"In a freak accident, an APSP constable who was on duty at the residence of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's son Jaganmohan Reddy in Pulivendula died when his gun misfired in the wee hours of Wednesday."

"Bulli Prakasam ... died after a bullet pierced through his chest when he ran for cover to escape the pouring rain at around 4.30 am. Sources said the gun misfired as the cop along with seven others, who were on duty ... rushed to take shelter near the verandah."

"Prakasam was rushed to Pulivendula area hospital but he was declared brought dead. ..."
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H/t to David Codrea.

NJ: Why I bought four handguns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Concerning Assemblywoman Quigley's letter on the subject of gun control ... she wishes to limit the number of handguns that such people may legitimately purchase. ..."

"May I offer my experience in buying more than one weapon a month?"

"When I first bought my XD-40 handgun, it was ... expensive to use for target practice. ... I immediately bought a smaller, inexpensive weapon ... for target practice, just to save money. There, already, were two guns in one month."

"However, both of those guns were too large for my wife to operate, so we bought a Lady Smith revolver ... At that time, we discovered that the XD-40 jams quite a lot ... so we bought a large Ruger six-shooter ..." ...
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H/t to Sebastian.

WY: Wyoming loses gun case in federal court
Submitted by: Anonymous

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"A federal appeals court in Denver has ruled against Wyoming in a lawsuit over a state law that seeks to allow people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to regain their gun rights."

"A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled that the procedure spelled out in Wyoming law fails to expunge the criminal record of people convicted of domestic violence." ...

"The 2004 Wyoming law at the center of the lawsuit allows people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence to petition in state court to expunge their conviction and restore their gun rights. The law requires that petitioners must have completed probation, and it limits people to just one such request." ...

NJ: Man charged with gun possession following accident in Westampton
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Pennsylvania man was injured in an accident in Westampton Tuesday and then charged with unlawful possession of a loaded handgun, police said." ...

"Following the 4:21 p.m. accident, officers located a 10 mm handgun in the console of Jones car ... The gun was loaded with hollow-point bullets ... Jones had a permit to carry the weapon in Pennsylvania, but New Jersey law does not permit him to bring the gun to New Jersey ..."

"Jones, who required medical treatment ... was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of penetrating bullets. He was released on undisclosed bail conditions ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: As Sebastian points out, "New Jersey laws are designed to do one thing: put firearms owners and shooters in jail."

NV: Fired up over local shooting park
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A group of northwest valley homeowners filed a lawsuit against Clark County on Monday, attempting to stop the construction of a shooting park so far north of town that it abuts a mountain."

"The plaintiffs object to the location of the park, still under construction." ...

"The distance from the edge of the complex to the nearest new home is half a mile, the litigants contend, placing the project within walking distance of Shadow Ridge High School and K.M. Ward Elementary School. That's much too close in a era where school shootings have become all too frequent, they argue." ...
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Submitter's Note: And what exactly is the connection between shooting ranges and school shootings?

OH: ODNR Seeks Public Input
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife will welcome the public to its annual Open Houses on Saturday, September 13, 2008, from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m."

"'Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio's professional wildlife management process is welcome,' said David M. Graham, chief of the Division of Wildlife. Graham adds that fish and wildlife biologists along with law enforcement officers will be on hand to answer questions."

"Open houses will be held at the same day and time in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay, and Xenia. Information recorded at these open houses is forwarded to the division's central office in Columbus ..." ...

CA: Teen Dies After Being Stabbed With Pen
Submitted by: jac

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"Police in Williams, Calif., said a teenage boy died after being stabbed with a ballpoint pen during a fight ..."

Edgar Ibarra, 13, died at the UC Davis Medical Center on Tuesday night, officials said."

"Police said Ibarra was fighting with his 13-year-old neighbor and classmate at Williams Junior High School, when his neighbor stabbed him." ...

"'It seems that he just had a pen in his hand and they started fighting and at some point during the fight he began to stab the victim,' Williams Police Chief Jim Saso said."

"Ibarra's family members said he was stabbed six or seven times in the chest and stumbled home."

The 13-year-old accused of the stabbing is being held at a juvenile hall." ...