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American firearm groups unite during annual meeting to seek political and legislative victories, notes U. S. gun law expert
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'Major firearm rights groups meeting this weekend are uniting in order to pursue future political and legislative objectives,' gun law expert John M. Snyder observed here this evening."

"This weekend marks the 21st annual national Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC), co-sponsored by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF)."

"GRPC meets each year in different American cities in various sections of the United States."

"Among the scores of participating organizations are the National Rifle Association (NRA), Gun Owners of America (GOA), the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and dozens of state and local groups from around the country." ...

Was SAF/NRA Suit Cause of New Orleans Chief's Firing?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Was former New Orleans Police Superintendent Edwin Compass fired because his publicly announced gun confiscation policy resulted in a lawsuit against the city by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and National Rifle Association (NRA)?"

"That seems to be the inadvertent admission of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ..." ...

"Responding, Nagin said this: 'And I still stand by that. But he had to agree to step down because we were starting to get lawsuits.'"

"McGraw asked, 'What kind of comments were bringing lawsuits?'"

"And Nagin replied, 'Well, he made a comment about something with guns and the NRA fired up. ..."

"The 'comment' at the center of this firestorm was Compass announcement that nobody other than law enforcement would be allowed to have guns ..." ...

The Case of Cory Maye
Submitted by: Rick Schwartz

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"A cop is dead, an innocent man may be on death row, and drug warriors keep knocking down doors."

"Cory Maye had settled into a chair in front of the television and was drifting off to sleep. It was around 9 p.m. on the day after Christmas, 2001, and the 21-year-old father had put his 14-month-old daughter, Tacorriana, to bed an hour earlier. Her motherChenteal Longino, Mayes girlfriendhad left for her job on the night shift at the Marshall Durbin chicken plant in Hattiesburg, more than an hour away. The three shared half of a small, bright yellow duplex on Mary Street in Prentiss, Mississippi, a depressed town of 1,000 people in Jefferson Davis County, about halfway between Jackson and the Gulf Coast." ...

Gun Measures Congress Should Pass
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"As the current Congress winds down to election season, a top official with the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) offered something of a 'wish list' of measures Congress should take up to protect and enhance gun rights before the session is finished."

"CCRKBA Public Affairs Director John Snyder called for congressional passage of the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act. This measure would repeal the generation-old gun ban in the district that, say gun rights activists, has left law-abiding citizens disarmed and vulnerable to criminal predators."

"Another item on Snyder's wish list is passage of HR-4547, the so-called national concealed carry reciprocity legislation ..." ...

Beretta Backers Beat Down the .45 Revival
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Defense began a search for a new .45 caliber combat pistol. Now that search has been mysteriously called off. The Department of Defense has announced ... that is no longer looking for a new combat pistol."

"Last January ... the U.S. Department of Defense appeared to be getting rid of its Beretta M9 9mm pistol, and going back to the 11.4mm (.45 caliber) weapon. There have been constant complaints about the lesser (compared to the .45) hitting power of the 9mm, as well as reliability problems with the Beretta. And in the last few years, SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the marines have officially adopted .45 caliber pistols as 'official alternatives' to the M9 Beretta." ...

NY: Child Shot in Long Island Home Invasion
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"A 9-year-old boy was in extremely critical condition Sunday after he was caught in a shootout between would-be robbers and the owner of the house he was in on Long Island."

"The suspects fled, but police believe at least one was wounded in the gun battle." ...

"Police say the homeowner, a licensed gun owner, opened fire on the suspects and the suspects fired back. It's not clear if the victims were hit by the suspects' bullets or the homeowner's." ...

MN: Kids hide as mom, friend slain
Submitted by: Bob Gibson

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"Teri Lee feared her ex-boyfriend would kill her."

"After he was arrested in July and charged with attacking her with two butcher knives, she predicted it." ...

"... Friday morning ... Steven Van Keuren broke into Lee's Washington County home and killed her and a friend. Police shot and wounded him." ...

"The [12 year old] girl tried to call 911, but Van Keuren ripped the phone from her hand." ...

"Yelling for help at the neighbor's house, the girls said that Van Keuren was in the home. He had a gun. Shots had been fired. Their brothers, ages 8 and 10, were still in the house."

"A Washington County Sheriff's Office SWAT team descended ..."

"It took officials about 90 minutes to plan a rescue attempt. ..." ...
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Submitter's Note: $4,000 security system and Judge's 'No Contact' order fails to save the woman.

VA: Students, guns and safety
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Allowing students who have a concealed weapon permit to carry a firearm on college campuses is an important subject that deserves more serious consideration than it recently has been given in these pages. Whenever possible, we should look to the facts in assessing the arguments rather than rely on emotion."

"The arguments made by Larry Hincker and Harry Hambrick ... contain some truths but are also somewhat misleading."

"Commenting on an earlier essay written by Virginia Tech graduate student Bradford Wiles ... Hincker says that Wiles 'would have us believe that a university campus, with tens of thousands of young people, is safer with everyone packing heat.' No rational person would make that argument." ...

VA: Keep guns, licensed or not, off campus
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "Virginia Tech prohibits students from carrying handguns on campus under pain of expulsion. Wiles wants the policy changed so that he and other licensed handgun owners can safely walk around campus and attend class with concealed handguns. ... Wiles with his concealed handgun would take care of his own safety and perhaps that of others." ...

"I have a granddaughter who enrolled as a freshman at Virginia Tech. The thought of the university changing its policy so that some paranoid student can carry a concealed handgun on campus frankly scares the hell out me, not only for my granddaughter's well-being and personal safety but for the well-being and safety of all of the other students on campus." ...

UT: Danger on campus
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A few days after the Utah Supreme Court ruled that the University of Utah's ban on concealed weapons was unconstitutional, a gunman killed one and wounded 19 students at Montreal's Dawson College."

"Why are the 'progressive,' 'educated' elitists at the University of Utah so scared of law-abiding, responsible citizens carrying a concealed weapon on campus? How many more stories must we read of students being gunned down on their campuses because they have no means of self-defense?"

"Columbine, Dawson College, Pearl High School, Moses Lake, Jonesboro - how long before it's Hillcrest High School, Granite Elementary or Salt Lake Community College?" ...

OH: A little campaign target practice
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Ted Strickland and Ken Blackwell disagree on many issues, but the Ohio gubernatorial candidates do agree on the importance of the sportsmen's vote."

"'I think it is hugely important,' said Strickland. 'It is a vote that cuts across party lines . . . and is reflective of the values of the people of our state. I think there are people who don't have guns or an interest in hunting, but nevertheless are offended by those who would want to limit those rights.'"

"Blackwell, who likes to shoot clay targets, readily agrees." ...

DC: Capitol police warned of security holes (follow-up)
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Capitol Police officers warned their superiors this summer that the U.S. Capitol needed tighter security because of construction work, but a door was left unguarded this week, allowing the worst breach in eight years, officials said Friday."

"A drug-addled man easily drove a Chevrolet TrailBlazer through a partially blocked construction entrance to the Capitol grounds, according to officials and court testimony. The man then outran two dozen police officers into the building and went from floor to floor until a civilian employee lifted him up and literally handed him to police. The officers found a loaded pistol in the intruder's waistband." ...

CA: LA Gun Task Force Serves another Search Warrant (FCI)
Submitted by: Mike Spivey

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"The LA County Gun Task Force has served another search warrant on the home of another member of the fifty caliber community. On Monday September 18th, eighteen police cars swarmed the neighborhood where the FCSA member lives ...and confiscated all semi-automatic firearms belonging to the victim." ...

"FCI wants everyone to be aware that the LA County Gun Task Force is lead by agents from BATFE; LAPD and LASO. They appear to have focused their attention on members of the fifty caliber community and are aggressively trying to arrest law abiding citizens for just being 'Gun Owners'."

"... the victim ... had in his possession linked ammunition in quantities of more than 10 rounds of ammunition at a time. This has been interpreted as a violation of the 'High Capacity Magazine' portion of the Assault Weapons Act in CA. ..." ...

NY: Playmate sues taxi driver, NYC police
Submitted by: Protector

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"A woman who bills herself as the first openly lesbian Playboy Playmate sued a taxi driver, police and the city on Friday, claiming that officers needlessly roughed her up based on the cabbie's false accusation that she was armed and dangerous." ...

"The suit stems from a May 25 incident that began when Adams ... caught Darko's cab ... After the pair argued over where to drop her off, she alleges he cursed her out, called 911 and made the false report that she had a gun." ...

"A few moments later, plainclothes police officers surrounded Adams on the street with guns drawn, grabbed her purse and pushed her to the ground, she said. When they searched her bag and realized she was unarmed, they let her go without an apology." ...

UK: Soldiers' 'guns for coke' network
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A scandal errupted over the weekend after British soldiers were accused of smuggling stolen guns out of Iraq and allegedly swapping them for cocaine and cash on the black market."

"Security officials confirmed this weekend that soldiers from the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment are the focus of a criminal inquiry by the Royal Military Police (RMP) into a 'guns for cocaine' network."

"This is the first time military police have evidence that stolen weapons are being sold to pay for the increased popularity of illicit drugs among soldiers."

"One of the first soldiers to have been arrested is alleged to have bought drugs by trading handguns ... smuggled from Iraq to Germany on at least six occasions." ...

OR: Attendance booming at firearms show
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Ed Berry of Grants Pass remembers looking across the Willamette Events Center during the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club gun show last fall. Mostly, he said, he saw vendors like himself."

"This year, it was harder to see the vendors. Too many customers in the way."

"'They're still coming in,' Berry said Saturday morning from his Berryknives booth, which features knives, swords and other sharp-edged weapons."

"Organizers of this weekend's gun show, which concludes at 4 p.m. today at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center, said it's been the biggest one yet." ...

AZ: Public-buildings gun law eased
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Want to pack your pistol in a library or rec center? Not a problem, under a new state law that took effect Thursday."

"The law requires governments to provide citizens a safe and convenient place to store weapons if they're to be prohibited from public buildings." ...

"Most government buildings open to the public from administration buildings to park recreation centers historically have been gun-free zones.
If they want to stay that way, they need to have secure gun storage so as not to inconvenience gun owners."

"That's actually been the law since 2000, but many governments interpreted that to mean one gun locker at a courthouse or police station was adequate." ...

TX: Kids learn gun safety at field day
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A steady stream of youths along with adults flowed into the Greenwood Gun Club for a field day on Saturday."

"... With membership director Charlie Robuck in charge of the mandatory orientation, youths learned the essentials of gun safety. From shotguns to 9mm handguns to cowboy action pistols, participants had an opportunity to witness the power of these weapons."

"'Today I'm in charge of the 9mm handguns, and we are accentuating safety to the youths, young adults and adults,' Greenwood Club member Jerry Guerrieri said. 'Each individual is one on one with an instructor from each station in front of targets and we follow every procedure that we can.'" ...

ID: Homeowners told to get guns to keep crime rate down
Submitted by: AvgJoe

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"Violent crime is virtually unknown on the quiet streets of Greenleaf there hasn't been anything more serious than a fistfight reported for two years. But in this Canyon County town founded by pacifist Quakers, city leaders are asking citizens to take up arms to defend their property."

"...this town near the Oregon border seems an unlikely place for violent conflict. But with rapid growth in the Treasure Valley sprinting west and a new subdivision planned for Greenleaf, City Councilman Steven Jett thinks a draft ordinance recommending that every head of household maintain a firearm will keep Greenleaf safe as the community grows." ...

TN: Annual machinegun shoot raises money for St. Jude
Submitted by: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association
Website: http://www.nysrpa.org

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"Dorothy Farmer leaned on a rail, held the silver .32-caliber handgun straight and steadily squeezed the trigger. Her paper target shuddered as it took another bullet."

"'I'm really more efficient at shooting a rifle,' the grandmother said. 'My father shot a little pearl-handled pistol. (The .32) was different -- it was heavier and harder to aim.'"

"Farmer, her daughter and grandson attended a charity machinegun shoot Saturday at the Range USA on Whitten Road in Memphis."

"The shoot gave participants the opportunity to handle such weapons as the M3 submachine 'Grease' gun and the MP5, a submachinegun common to police forces."

"Proceeds from the shoot went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital." ...

TX: Falling TVs Kill 6 Kids In Houston in 2006
Submitted by: Tom Glass
Website: http://www.juryduty.org

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"A falling television has killed another Houston child, at least the sixth such death in the city this year."

"Manar Alkandari, 3, was trying to adjust the television when it fell on her head, officials reported. She was taken to an urgent-care center and then to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, where she was pronounced dead Thursday night."

"The death comes two months after Memorial Hermann and other health officials warned that the problem had become 'a public health issue.'"

"Memorial Hermann this year has treated 11 cases in which children were injured by TV sets tipping over. Six of those children died." ...
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Submitter's Note: If we could save one child's life by banning TVs . . .

IN: Disturbing the peace of gun-free parks
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The right to bear arms is a precious one to Americans and to Hoosiers ... But like any other constitutional right, it is not absolute."

"A person who's not on some type of police business cannot take a firearm into a school, airport, courthouse or sports arena, for example. Yet in any of those places, theoretically at least, a law-abiding citizen could feel menaced by someone and wish his handgun were handy to set the bad guy straight."

"Now, thanks to a policy change that Hupfer just happened to announce the day before Gov. Mitch Daniels' joint appearance with the president of the nation's largest gun lobby, pistol-packers will be welcome at state parks and indeed on all DNR land." ...

MD: Wanted: Gunslingers
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The ranch house is closed, the bunkhouse is boarded up and cowhands are nowhere to be found. Listening to the lyrics of that old cowboy's lament might lead you to believe that nobody's at home on the range anymore. Well, partner, that just ain't so!"

"At last count, there are some 70,000 living, breathing, six-gun-toting cowhands countrywide, all of them riders for SASS, the brand of the Single Action Shooting Society. More than 400 of them will be coming up the trail to the Thurmont Conservation and Sportsman's Club Thursday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 1, for the Mason Dixon Stampede." ...