VIOLATES INDIVIDUAL RIGHT TO OWN A GUN
This week, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Second Amendment is an individual right and concluded that the District of Columbia's ban on guns in the home is unconstitutional. According to the majority opinion, "[T]he phrase 'the right of the people'...leads us to conclude that the right in question is individual." Also, earlier this week, Second Amendment supporters on Capitol Hill introduced H.R. 1399 -- the "District of Columbia Personal Protection Act."
HUNTING PROGRAM ON FLORIDA REFUGE IS UNDER PUBLIC REVIEW A draft Waterfowl Hunting Plan and Environmental Assessment for Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge www.fws.gov/southeast/TenThousandIsland/ (NWR) in Collier County, FL is available for public review until April 3, 2007.
SPACE FILLING UP FAST FOR GRASSROOTS EVENTS AT ANNUAL MEETINGS! The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division will host its FREE Grassroots Workshop on April 13, in conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in St. Louis. (Please click title link above for more information or to register.)
SECOND GRASSROOTS EVENT PLANNED FOR ST. LOUIS In addition to the FREE Grassroots Workshop being held in conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in St. Louis, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is holding an additional FREE event in St. Louis.
STATE ROUNDUP
ARKANSAS
Help Protect Arkansas' Hunting Heritage! Please continue contacting members of the Senate and House Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs, and urge them to co-sponsor Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7). State Senators can be reached at (501) 682-2902 and State Representatives can be reached at (501) 682-6211.
"Castle Doctrine" to be Heard by Arkansas Committee! The House Judiciary Committee will soon be taking House Bill 1027, self-defense legislation, also known as "Castle Doctrine," into consideration. Please contact committee members and respectfully urge them to support your right to self-defense by approving HB1027. Contact information for the House Judiciary Committee can be found by clicking here.
Governor Signs Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Reform! Governor Mike Beebe (D) signed SB 268. This legislation will now recognize all valid RTC permits issued by another state as long as the other state recognizes an Arkansas RTC permit. Our thanks go out to Senator Faris (D-27) and Governor Beebe.
COLORADO
Anti-Gun Legislation Moving Through Colorado Legislature! House Bill 1174, legislation that would repeal the sunset review of the statewide database of persons with Right-to-Carry permits, is heading to the Senate floor this week. Please contact your State Senator today at (303) 866-2316 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose this bill.
Right-to Carry Under Attack In Colorado! Legislation that would invalidate non-resident permits in Colorado, Senate Bill 34, will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee soon. Please contact the committee members and respectfully urge them to oppose this bill and protect your Right-to-Carry. For contact information on the House Judiciary Committee members, please click here.
FLORIDA
"Employee Rights" Legislation Facing Opposition! Your help is needed to pass HB 1417 and SB 2356 and STOP corporate giants from trampling our Second Amendment Rights. Representative Dennis Baxley (R-24) and Senator Durell Peaden (R-2) have filed identical companion bills to stop anti-gun businesses from searching customer and employee vehicles in parking lots and from taking punitive action against people who keep firearms in their vehicles for self-defense and other lawful purposes. Please email the Florida Legislature today! For a list of all the Senate and House email address, please click here.
ILLINOIS
Gun-Ban Extremists Attacking Right to Keep and Bear Arms In Illinois! Several anti-gun pieces of legislation are currently moving through the State Legislature. Please contact your State Legislators and let them know you oppose al attacks on law-abiding gun owners. The State Senate can be contacted at (217) 782-5715. The House of Representatives can be contacted at (217) 782-8223.
KENTUCKY
Important Kentucky Pro-Gun Bills Need Your Help! There are two pro-gun bills that are currently going through the Kentucky State Senate. Please contact your State Senator and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee at (502) 564-8100 and respectfully urge him or her to support the Second Amendment by supporting HB469 and HB354.
MASSACHUSETTS
Bay State Governor Considering Removing Notification of Expiring Permits! Please contact Governor Deval Patrick (D) and your State Legislator today and respectfully urge them to oppose a budget proposal to repeal laws requiring the written notification of expiring Firearms Identification Cards and License to Carry Permits. The Governor's office can be reached at (617)-725-4000 and your legislators can be reached at (617)-722-1276.
MAINE
Maine Legislature Considering Making Right-to-Carry More Difficult! Your State Legislators need to hear from you. Please call your State Legislators and urge him or her to oppose Legislative Document 778, which will make Right-to-Carry more difficult in Maine. Your State Legislators can be reached at the following toll-free numbers: Maine House of Representatives 1-800-423-2900 and the Maine Senate 1-800-423-6900.
Maine Bill Introduced to Restrict Firearms Sales! Please contact your State Representative at (207)-287-1400 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose Legislative Document 361, which would mandate a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of firearms in Maine.
MARYLAND
General Assembly Still Considering Anti-Gun Legislation! House Bill 617 and House Bill 441 need to be stopped! Please call your State Delegates today and urge them to oppose HB 617 and HB 441. Contact information for your Delegates can be found using the "Write Your Representative" feature found at www.nraila.org.
MINNESOTA
Critical Minnesota Self-Defense Bill Being Held Hostage! Important self-defense legislation ("Castle Doctrine") could be defeated without being debated because of tricks played by the Chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, State Representative Joe Mullery (D-58A). Please contact Representative Mullery by phone at (651) 296-4262 or via email at rep.joe.mullery@house.mn and Speaker Margaret Kelliher (D-60A) at (651) 296-0171 or via email at rep.margaret.kelliher@house.mn and respectfully urge them to support your right to self-defense by allowing HF498 to be heard.
NEVADA
Committee to Consider Vital Right-to-Carry Reform! On Wednesday, March 14, Senate Bill 92, introduced by State Senator John Lee (D-Clark 1), will be heard in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Please call the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee today and urge them to support SB 92. For contact information on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, please click here.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Bill Seeking to Make Right-to-Carry More Difficult in New Hampshire! A bill to make it easier for the issuing authority to deny a Right-to-Carry license in the Granite State has been scheduled for a hearing next week. Please attend this hearing or respectfully urge Senate Bill 44's sponsor, State Senator Peter Burling (D-5), to withdraw the bill by contacting him at (603) 271-2642 or via email at peter.burling@leg.state.nh.us.
NEW MEXICO
Two NRA-backed Self-Defense Bills Need Your Support! House Bill 588 and Senate Bill 111 need your support, please call their respective committee members today. For HB 588, please click here for contact information on the Senate Judiciary Committee and for SB 111, please click here for contact information on the House Business & Industry Committee.
NORTH DAKOTA
Important North Dakota Self-Defense Legislation to be Heard Soon! House Bill 1319 has passed the North Dakota House of Representatives and is now heading to the Senate Natural Resources Committee. State Senator Stanley Lyson (R-1), is considered to be the swing vote needed to pass this important piece of legislation. Please contact Senator Lyson at (701) 572-7025 and respectfully urge him to support HB 1319
TEXAS
NRA-Supported "Emergency Powers" Bill Has Hearing Next Week! House Bill 258 will be brought before the House Defense Affairs & State-Federal Relations Committee on Tuesday, March 13. Please contact members of the committee and urge them to support HB 258 and the Senate companion bill, SB 112. Click here for committee contact information.
VERMONT
The Future of Shooting and Hunting Needs Your Support! New legislation, S. 152 and H. 352, will endanger the future of shooting and hunting in Vermont. The State House of Representatives will hold a special hearing on H352 on Tuesday evening, March 13 at 7:30 PM in the House Chamber in the State Capitol Building. Please call your State Legislator today at (802) 828-2228 or (800) 322-5616 and ask him or her to oppose H352 and S152!
WASHINGTON
Oppressive Anti-Gun Show Proposal Could Be Voted Out of Committee! Senate Bill 5197 could be voted out of committee any day. Please contact your State Senator toll-free at (800) 562-6000 and respectfully request he or she oppose SB5197 should it come to the floor for a vote.
WYOMING
Governor Signs Wyoming Pro-Gun, Pro-Hunting Legislation! Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) signed a measure that would allow for the carrying of firearms during bow hunting season. (Senate File 50)
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
NRA Gets Reimbursed Court Costs From City Attorney in New Orleans
Fairfax, VA-Today, attorneys for the National Rifle Association of America received a check from New Orleans City Attorney Joseph Vincent DiRosa, Jr. who was ordered to pay partial legal fees and costs to NRA's attorneys for expenses incurred. Mr. DiRosa's delaying tactics were called "wholly unprofessional" by Federal District Court Judge Carl Barbier.
While we are grateful for this small payment, we remain steadfast in our belief that the City of New Orleans continues to be in contempt of court and must make every effort possible to return the wrongfully and illegally confiscated firearms to their rightful owners.
Every ruling thus far by the courts has reinforced the fact that the Second Amendment applies to all law-abiding Americans, including law-abiding residents of the City of New Orleans.
This is in direct contradiction to the absurd claims made by the Nagin Administration that the Second Amendment somehow did not apply in New Orleans.
If you would like to help us with our ongoing efforts in this case please click here.
www.NRAILA.org
Please do not reply to this email as you will not receive a response. This email is a broadcast email generated by an automated system. To contact NRA-ILA call 800-392-8683.
Address: 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030
While we are grateful for this small payment, we remain steadfast in our belief that the City of New Orleans continues to be in contempt of court and must make every effort possible to return the wrongfully and illegally confiscated firearms to their rightful owners.
Every ruling thus far by the courts has reinforced the fact that the Second Amendment applies to all law-abiding Americans, including law-abiding residents of the City of New Orleans.
This is in direct contradiction to the absurd claims made by the Nagin Administration that the Second Amendment somehow did not apply in New Orleans.
If you would like to help us with our ongoing efforts in this case please click here.
www.NRAILA.org
Please do not reply to this email as you will not receive a response. This email is a broadcast email generated by an automated system. To contact NRA-ILA call 800-392-8683.
Address: 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Sunday, March 4, 2007
How do youngsters get guns?
JOHN SHANKS is a liar and an advocate to take your freedoms away. The teeth to the US Constitution is the 2nd Amendment! Statistics show that gun violence is DOWN not up! His cigarette example is stupid! Kids still get, use sell and trade them eventhough there are laws against this. There are enough gun laws on the books and more and more gun laws will not stop criminals any more than the 20,000 laws that we already have! Does anyone cry out to ban matches when we know that it is not the matches but the arsonists who are at fault! How about vehicles? Ban them? More people, men, women, chidren, are killed every year on the roads than all the deaths of the Viet Nam war! Come on Shanks - the gun lobby is not to blame. Look at Australia where crime increased 300% AFTER national gun confiscation. The UK and any country where guns are illegal has tremendous crime rates. More gun control makes more crime!
GUN violence in America is on the rise. The number of gun deaths is escalating at an alarming rate. The problem is that it is way too easy for criminals, youth gangs, and other prohibited individuals to obtain and use firearms. Something must be done about the violence.
Last week, 35-year-old Toledo Police Detective Keith Dressel was shot and killed in the line of duty, allegedly by a young gun-wielding teenager just 15 years old, a youngster who might be tried as an adult and could face life in prison.
How do these young people get their guns? They are too young to buy them legally, so who supplies them with handguns? Shouldn't we as a society have sufficient safeguards in place to keep firearms out of the hands of our youth?
Common sense says yes; the gun lobby says no.
Under current law, both of the young people arrested after the shooting were prohibited from buying handguns. They were too young to go into a licensed firearms dealers and buy a handgun. The alleged shooter is too young to buy a pack of cigarettes, but we have laws on the books to keep young people from buying smokes, and a huge enforcement effort to go along with it. So why not guns?
The gun lobby has no rational argument as to why it continues to block common-sense measures that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and safe from children. The gun lobby cannot and will not respond to the families of slain victims of gun violence and especially not those family members of a slain police officer.
Someone supplied this young man with the gun allegedly used to kill Detective Dressel, either through negligence or through an illegal sale.
We know that an estimated 40 percent of all gun sales are private, not through a licensed dealer, which means they are legal sales. In most states there is no requirement for background checks or record keeping for these secondary sales, and there is no requirement to ask for identification or determine whether the buyer is old enough to buy a gun.
The fact is many of these secondary sales, private transactions between two people, are fueling the criminal element with guns, including the gun used to kill Detective Dressel.
Enough is enough. It is time for the people to take a stand and stop the senseless deaths of our children, our adult citizens, and our public safety officers. These hidden sales need to be regulated.
Background checks and identification must be verified and records must be kept as to who is selling and who is buying guns in our communities. Then we would see an impact on gun crime, and a reduction in the senseless deaths of our citizens.
John Shanks is director of Law Enforcement Relations for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington, D.C., and a former San Antonio police officer.
Toledo Ohio police . . .
. . . are seeking information through the Crime Stopper program about the sexual and physical assault of a 16-year-old city girl on Thursday at Highland Park in South Toledo.
The teenager was approached by two suspects about 7 a.m. as she was putting air into a tire on her vehicle at South Avenue and Spencer Street, police said. She was shoved into the vehicle, robbed, and forced to drive to the nearby park at South and Champion Street, where she was assaulted. A black handgun was brandished, police said.
After the assault, a passerby helped the girl. She was treated at Toledo Hospital.
One suspect was described as white or possibly Hispanic, 17 to 19 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a thin build, brown eyes, thin nose and lips, and dark peach fuzz above his upper lip. His bottom teeth were crooked. He wore a black baseball cap turned to the right, a light blue, hooded jacket with multi-colored print, and black pants with yellow straps at the knee and ankle and the insignia "M+FG."
The second suspect was described as white, 15 to 16 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a thin build and light-colored eyes. He was wearing a red baseball cap turned to the right, a tan "bubble-style" jacket, blue jeans with orange straps and the "M+FG" insignia, and possibly white tennis shoes, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stopper program. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
The teenager was approached by two suspects about 7 a.m. as she was putting air into a tire on her vehicle at South Avenue and Spencer Street, police said. She was shoved into the vehicle, robbed, and forced to drive to the nearby park at South and Champion Street, where she was assaulted. A black handgun was brandished, police said.
After the assault, a passerby helped the girl. She was treated at Toledo Hospital.
One suspect was described as white or possibly Hispanic, 17 to 19 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a thin build, brown eyes, thin nose and lips, and dark peach fuzz above his upper lip. His bottom teeth were crooked. He wore a black baseball cap turned to the right, a light blue, hooded jacket with multi-colored print, and black pants with yellow straps at the knee and ankle and the insignia "M+FG."
The second suspect was described as white, 15 to 16 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a thin build and light-colored eyes. He was wearing a red baseball cap turned to the right, a tan "bubble-style" jacket, blue jeans with orange straps and the "M+FG" insignia, and possibly white tennis shoes, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stopper program. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
So BIG Bro lies and media supports that gun control is in place to help us. That is BS propaganda. The criminals could care less about gun control. If this girl had access to a weapon like a pistol or a stun gun maybe she would have come out of this situation as a winner and not a victim!
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Traffic Ticket Lawyer Guns Down Would-Be Robber
MIAMI Scott Hidnert was driving out of his office parking lot at 720 NW 102nd St. on Thursday evening when he claims a would-be robber pulled the trigger of his weapon, but the gun jammed.
No words were exchanged. Hidnert snapped open his glove compartment, grabbed his handgun, opened the driver's side-door and fired ''several shots,'' according to Jonathan Bennett, office manager of the Traffic Ticket Office, founded by Hidnert.
Another robber, lurking beyond the gate of the parking lot, disappeared into the night.
''I'm lucky to be alive,'' the lawyer said. Hidnert has been called the ''granddaddy'' of ticket defenders. He founded a firm called Ticket Busters in 1992, one of the first to focus on misdemeanors such as speeding and running red lights. The firm's name changed to Traffic Ticket Office three years later.
Last year, a new Florida law was enacted that loosened the standard for self-defense, allowing threatened citizens to shoot first even if attackers don't show a gun. ''I don't expect any charges. He had a gun and was aiming at me,'' Hidnert said. ``If his gun didn't jam, he would have shot me.''
Miami-Dade police spokesman detective Roy Rutland declined to discuss charges. ``The entire case is still under investigation.'' Said Miami-Dade State Attorney's spokesman Ed Griffith: ``As part of the normal procedure, we always review all of the details.''
Miami-Dade's homicide bureau didn't release the name of the slain robber
No words were exchanged. Hidnert snapped open his glove compartment, grabbed his handgun, opened the driver's side-door and fired ''several shots,'' according to Jonathan Bennett, office manager of the Traffic Ticket Office, founded by Hidnert.
Another robber, lurking beyond the gate of the parking lot, disappeared into the night.
''I'm lucky to be alive,'' the lawyer said. Hidnert has been called the ''granddaddy'' of ticket defenders. He founded a firm called Ticket Busters in 1992, one of the first to focus on misdemeanors such as speeding and running red lights. The firm's name changed to Traffic Ticket Office three years later.
Last year, a new Florida law was enacted that loosened the standard for self-defense, allowing threatened citizens to shoot first even if attackers don't show a gun. ''I don't expect any charges. He had a gun and was aiming at me,'' Hidnert said. ``If his gun didn't jam, he would have shot me.''
Miami-Dade police spokesman detective Roy Rutland declined to discuss charges. ``The entire case is still under investigation.'' Said Miami-Dade State Attorney's spokesman Ed Griffith: ``As part of the normal procedure, we always review all of the details.''
Miami-Dade's homicide bureau didn't release the name of the slain robber
Guns in homes
We need right to defend ourselves, not run
Re: "Bills would arm owners with right to use deadly force – Legislature: Residents would not have to try to flee first," Wednesday news story.
Marsha McCartney says people defending themselves are not going to jail – "That's just not the case," she says – but that's just not true.
Many Texans who have defended themselves from criminals bent on violent actions found themselves held up to scrutiny as suspects and had to expend funds to defend themselves. Ms. McCartney conveniently forgets that they exist.
Gordon Hale III was arrested for his self-defense shooting of Kenny Tavai and had to wait for a grand jury to no-bill him. Four other Texans were acquitted at jury trial, people who would not have had to go through what they did if this "castle" law were in effect.
The Rev. Peter Johnson says, "The solution to violence is not more violence," and he may be right, but the only response to a violent attacker is adequate self-defense, not retreat.
Texans need the right to defend ourselves, not the obligation to run away.
Jim Longley, Allen
Many law enforcement officials don't support it
Your article failed to mention the numerous district attorneys, police chiefs and other law enforcement officials who oppose this "castle" bill.
You also failed to mention all the Texans who know that you don't fix something that isn't broke. No one is in jail for acting in what a jury decided is legitimate self-defense. This law represents a dangerous step backward in public policy. It encourages the use of deadly force and empoweres potentially dangerous people.
It creates a loophole that allows a shooter to use deadly force as a first resort, rather than a last resort
Lori Jefferson Foster, Dallas
'Shoot-first' characterization is a scare tactic
Marsha McCartney of the North Texas Brady Campaign relies on scare tactics by referring to this bill as a "shoot-first bill." She paints a picture of homeowners basically firing at will at anyone coming on their property.
Regardless of what she wants us to believe, House Bill 284 does not change any of the required legal justifications for using deadly force in self-defense. The legal justification must be met, or that person would be subject to prosecution.
Similar scare tactics were used against the current concealed handgun license bill. Opponents offered images of carnage in the streets; none of those dire predictions came true.
Phillip Herbst, Rockwall
Re: "Bills would arm owners with right to use deadly force – Legislature: Residents would not have to try to flee first," Wednesday news story.
Marsha McCartney says people defending themselves are not going to jail – "That's just not the case," she says – but that's just not true.
Many Texans who have defended themselves from criminals bent on violent actions found themselves held up to scrutiny as suspects and had to expend funds to defend themselves. Ms. McCartney conveniently forgets that they exist.
Gordon Hale III was arrested for his self-defense shooting of Kenny Tavai and had to wait for a grand jury to no-bill him. Four other Texans were acquitted at jury trial, people who would not have had to go through what they did if this "castle" law were in effect.
The Rev. Peter Johnson says, "The solution to violence is not more violence," and he may be right, but the only response to a violent attacker is adequate self-defense, not retreat.
Texans need the right to defend ourselves, not the obligation to run away.
Jim Longley, Allen
Many law enforcement officials don't support it
Your article failed to mention the numerous district attorneys, police chiefs and other law enforcement officials who oppose this "castle" bill.
You also failed to mention all the Texans who know that you don't fix something that isn't broke. No one is in jail for acting in what a jury decided is legitimate self-defense. This law represents a dangerous step backward in public policy. It encourages the use of deadly force and empoweres potentially dangerous people.
It creates a loophole that allows a shooter to use deadly force as a first resort, rather than a last resort
Lori Jefferson Foster, Dallas
'Shoot-first' characterization is a scare tactic
Marsha McCartney of the North Texas Brady Campaign relies on scare tactics by referring to this bill as a "shoot-first bill." She paints a picture of homeowners basically firing at will at anyone coming on their property.
Regardless of what she wants us to believe, House Bill 284 does not change any of the required legal justifications for using deadly force in self-defense. The legal justification must be met, or that person would be subject to prosecution.
Similar scare tactics were used against the current concealed handgun license bill. Opponents offered images of carnage in the streets; none of those dire predictions came true.
Phillip Herbst, Rockwall
‘Worried’ farmer to lose guns
This is in Australia where there is strict gun control, confiscation and licensing. See how easily a citizen becomes a criminal - USA next?
A FIFTH generation Table Top farmer has lost firearms estimated to be worth $20,000 after failing to safely store them.
Terence Robert Wright pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court yesterday to charges of failing to safely keep a prohibited weapon and failing to safely keep a non-prohibited weapon.
Twelve other charges were withdrawn by police prosecutor Sgt Bob Hanzic.
Wright was placed on a 12-month bond without conviction on the two charges.
Magistrate Tony Murray was told Wright, 56, of “Dundooga”, had seven firearms dismantled and secreted in the roof of his house in an attempt to hide them from his son.
Wright left some gun parts in his gun safe and put other parts elsewhere.
Wright was concerned about his son or his son’s de facto having access to the guns because there was an ongoing dispute between them.
But Mr Murray said it was a poor judgement call by Wright to adopt the approach he did.
“The penalties provided by the legislation are quite severe,” Mr Murray said.
Under the legislation the firearms had to be forfeited and that was a severe penalty in itself.
Barrister Guy Newton told the court Wright had tried to protect his son and his son’s partner and the circumstances of the case were “somewhat exceptional”.
He said Wright has been using firearms from a young age and they were essential in his occupation as a farmer.
The loss of a firearms licence would be a significant penalty.
Kangaroos were causing problems and cockatoos recently attacked a grain storage bunker causing $50,000 to $60,000 damage.
Wright has a 1200ha property running sheep and cattle.
Mr Newton said Wright had no previous convictions.
Wright was suspended from possessing and using a firearm when the guns had been seized on March 20 last year.
One of the guns seized, a .22 rifle with a scope, was given to him on his 12th birthday.
Mr Murray said it was his opinion that the NSW Police Commissioner should not take any action on Wright’s firearms licence and he should retain it.
Guns, a million rounds and a tunnel in Norco
NORCO - Neighbors who lived alongside him for years say they never saw Thomas McKiernan roll up the garage door of his Norco home.
Now they know why.
On Friday, authorities found more than 125 rifles and handguns, about a million rounds of ammunition and 60 pounds of gunpowder stockpiled in McKiernan's home on the 1800 block of Pali Drive -- enough to level several houses in the quiet Norco neighborhood under the wrong circumstances. They also discovered a tunnel beneath the garage.
The cache was found after a fire Thursday.
As Riverside County sheriff's investigators uncovered the arsenal, along with reserves of food and water, they began to develop a profile of the 62-year-old retired machinist, who was identified as the home's owner by neighbors and property records.
"We're possibly dealing with a survivalist," said Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, a Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman.
McKiernan, who, officials said, punched and kicked rescue workers to get into the burning house, is being held for a mental evaluation, Gutierrez said. McKiernan has not been arrested.
Police evacuated the entire neighborhood Thursday as firefighters worked to put out the blaze amid bursting rounds of live ammunition.
Fire crews discovered an eight-foot deep tunnel 30 feet from the middle of the garage to a spot beneath the main house. Local and federal officers pulled three barrels out of the tunnel using hooks and poles, said Norco Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank deBoer. They contained rice, water and cooking oil.
Investigators worked into the evening Friday to locate and remove weapons found in the kitchen, living room and bedrooms. Two locked safes, reinforced with chains, had yet to be opened, he said.
It will take days for deputies and agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to catalog or destroy the guns and ammunition, Gutierrez said. It could be days before officials decide whether to charge McKiernan.
The only illegal items investigators have identified so far are five assault rifles, several high-capacity magazines and the 60 pounds of gunpowder. It is illegal to possess more than one pound of gunpowder, Gutierrez said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. Authorities condemned the house because of the tunnel.
On Friday, two-thirds of the driveway leading to McKiernan's modest, shingle-roofed home was filled with ordnance. Cardboard boxes and green metal, military-style containers of ammunition were stacked next to canisters and cookie tins packed with gunpowder.
The ammunition ranged from .22 caliber bullets for small arms to .30 caliber rounds used in high-powered military rifles.
It's not uncommon for collectors to have dozens of guns, but storing that much ammunition is hazardous, said Mike Raahauge, who owns a shooting range in Corona. (Probably left over from the feared infamous Y2K scare)
"You can shoot 500 rounds of shotgun shells in a normal day of hunting or shooting," he said. "But a million rounds - holy Toledo! No normal person would have a million rounds of ammo in their house."
Neighborhood Reaction
Residents -- many of them retirees -- of the quiet neighborhood said they were thankful the damage wasn't worse.
Gary Eppler spotted the smoke and flames coming from McTiernan's roof. While his wife called 911, Eppler banged on his neighbor's door, but got no response.
The screen door was unlocked and he entered. McTiernan was lying on a couch in the living room, seemingly passed out, Eppler said. A small fire extinguisher was within reach.
Eppler helped a staggering McKiernan outside.
"But he went around back and said, 'I've got to save my house.' I don't know what he was doing around there."
According to police and neighbors, it took three deputies to restrain McKiernan, who rambled anxiously after his struggle with firefighters.
Neighbors describe McKiernan as a quiet, soft-spoken man who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years with no trouble. They said he is a military veteran who sometimes went to a nearby shooting range for target practice with his son, who they said is in the military.
Pali Drive resident Sylvia Madruga described McKiernan as a nice, friendly man with a passion for discussing politics.
"He wasn't radical or anything like that," she said. "He had the same feelings that everyone had, he was tired of the liars in the government, and a government that doesn't listen to its people."
According to Madruga, raised his five children at the home. One of his sons was serving with the Marines in Afghanistan, Madruga said.
Madruga said McKiernan was a voracious reader of politically-themed novels and once borrowed a copy of a book based on the life of FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover.
"He was very well read," she said. "He felt that the government was not doing enough to protect and secure our borders."
Profile of a Survivalist
On the surface, McKiernan fits the profile of a survivalist, said James Houston, a criminologist and professor of criminology at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
"Neighbors always describe them as quiet and helpful," said Houston. "It has to do with their strong sense of isolation."
They are working-class individuals who tend to share a distrust of the government and lean politically to the right, Houston said. Survivalists struggle to understand the cultural and technological changes happening today.
The idea that the government is not doing enough to protect them from crime or waves of illegal immigration is often why they stockpile weapons and supplies, he said.
Many survivalists are susceptible to the idea of "culture wars" played up in the media, Houston said.
"Some people to take it to heart, and they have guns to prepare themselves for when the time comes," Houston said.
Reach Sarah Gordon at 951-893-2114 or sgordon@PE.com.
By GREGOR McGAVIN, SARAH GORDON, LAURA RICO and PAIGE AUSTIN
The Press-Enterprise
Now they know why.
On Friday, authorities found more than 125 rifles and handguns, about a million rounds of ammunition and 60 pounds of gunpowder stockpiled in McKiernan's home on the 1800 block of Pali Drive -- enough to level several houses in the quiet Norco neighborhood under the wrong circumstances. They also discovered a tunnel beneath the garage.
The cache was found after a fire Thursday.
As Riverside County sheriff's investigators uncovered the arsenal, along with reserves of food and water, they began to develop a profile of the 62-year-old retired machinist, who was identified as the home's owner by neighbors and property records.
"We're possibly dealing with a survivalist," said Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, a Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman.
McKiernan, who, officials said, punched and kicked rescue workers to get into the burning house, is being held for a mental evaluation, Gutierrez said. McKiernan has not been arrested.
Police evacuated the entire neighborhood Thursday as firefighters worked to put out the blaze amid bursting rounds of live ammunition.
Fire crews discovered an eight-foot deep tunnel 30 feet from the middle of the garage to a spot beneath the main house. Local and federal officers pulled three barrels out of the tunnel using hooks and poles, said Norco Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank deBoer. They contained rice, water and cooking oil.
Investigators worked into the evening Friday to locate and remove weapons found in the kitchen, living room and bedrooms. Two locked safes, reinforced with chains, had yet to be opened, he said.
It will take days for deputies and agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to catalog or destroy the guns and ammunition, Gutierrez said. It could be days before officials decide whether to charge McKiernan.
The only illegal items investigators have identified so far are five assault rifles, several high-capacity magazines and the 60 pounds of gunpowder. It is illegal to possess more than one pound of gunpowder, Gutierrez said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. Authorities condemned the house because of the tunnel.
On Friday, two-thirds of the driveway leading to McKiernan's modest, shingle-roofed home was filled with ordnance. Cardboard boxes and green metal, military-style containers of ammunition were stacked next to canisters and cookie tins packed with gunpowder.
The ammunition ranged from .22 caliber bullets for small arms to .30 caliber rounds used in high-powered military rifles.
It's not uncommon for collectors to have dozens of guns, but storing that much ammunition is hazardous, said Mike Raahauge, who owns a shooting range in Corona. (Probably left over from the feared infamous Y2K scare)
"You can shoot 500 rounds of shotgun shells in a normal day of hunting or shooting," he said. "But a million rounds - holy Toledo! No normal person would have a million rounds of ammo in their house."
Neighborhood Reaction
Residents -- many of them retirees -- of the quiet neighborhood said they were thankful the damage wasn't worse.
Gary Eppler spotted the smoke and flames coming from McTiernan's roof. While his wife called 911, Eppler banged on his neighbor's door, but got no response.
The screen door was unlocked and he entered. McTiernan was lying on a couch in the living room, seemingly passed out, Eppler said. A small fire extinguisher was within reach.
Eppler helped a staggering McKiernan outside.
"But he went around back and said, 'I've got to save my house.' I don't know what he was doing around there."
According to police and neighbors, it took three deputies to restrain McKiernan, who rambled anxiously after his struggle with firefighters.
Neighbors describe McKiernan as a quiet, soft-spoken man who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years with no trouble. They said he is a military veteran who sometimes went to a nearby shooting range for target practice with his son, who they said is in the military.
Pali Drive resident Sylvia Madruga described McKiernan as a nice, friendly man with a passion for discussing politics.
"He wasn't radical or anything like that," she said. "He had the same feelings that everyone had, he was tired of the liars in the government, and a government that doesn't listen to its people."
According to Madruga, raised his five children at the home. One of his sons was serving with the Marines in Afghanistan, Madruga said.
Madruga said McKiernan was a voracious reader of politically-themed novels and once borrowed a copy of a book based on the life of FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover.
"He was very well read," she said. "He felt that the government was not doing enough to protect and secure our borders."
Profile of a Survivalist
On the surface, McKiernan fits the profile of a survivalist, said James Houston, a criminologist and professor of criminology at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
"Neighbors always describe them as quiet and helpful," said Houston. "It has to do with their strong sense of isolation."
They are working-class individuals who tend to share a distrust of the government and lean politically to the right, Houston said. Survivalists struggle to understand the cultural and technological changes happening today.
The idea that the government is not doing enough to protect them from crime or waves of illegal immigration is often why they stockpile weapons and supplies, he said.
Many survivalists are susceptible to the idea of "culture wars" played up in the media, Houston said.
"Some people to take it to heart, and they have guns to prepare themselves for when the time comes," Houston said.
Reach Sarah Gordon at 951-893-2114 or sgordon@PE.com.
By GREGOR McGAVIN, SARAH GORDON, LAURA RICO and PAIGE AUSTIN
The Press-Enterprise
NEWLY REVAMPED NRA-ILA GRASSROOTS ALERT
Striving to Better Meet Your Needs
2007 marks the 14th year of the Friday NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert. Those of you who have been receiving the Alert since its inception, probably remember when the weekly Alert was transmitted exclusively via fax!
We've certainly come a long way from where we began in 1993, and we have always tried to improve both the content and design of our weekly update to better serve gun owners.
With this issue of the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert you will notice our latest improvements.
First and foremost, you'll notice a different layout that is much more user-friendly. To ensure the weekly Alert is easier on the eye, we will provide you with briefer story summaries, along with the option to click the story title if you wish to read the entire piece. This will translate into a much shorter Alert that will allow you flexibility in determining which stories are of most interest to you.
Also, we have made a major modification to the "A Look At The States" section, where we report on state and local activities. Now entitled "State Roundup," this new section will allow you to view alerts from as many states as you wish. By clicking the section title, you will be brought to a map of the United States; clicking any state will bring up corresponding alerts. As for breaking news, each week, we will list specific states that have updated alerts posted, along with a brief description of the issues at hand. By clicking on the specific description you will be able to read the full story associated with that particular alert.
Of course, we will continuously strive to further improve this product. In the meantime, we ask that you work to ensure that your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners are receiving the Friday Grassroots Alert so they, too, may stay on top of developments pertaining to our firearm freedoms, take the corresponding action, and share with their pro-Second Amendment networks. To sign up to receive this Alert, and ILA's other legislative and political updates, click here (link to e-mail sign up) and provide your e-mail address.
We hope that the reformatted Grassroots Alert will better fit your needs as a grassroots activist. Of course, if you have additional suggestions on how we may improve this weekly update, feel free to contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 or via e-mail at ila-contact@nrahq.org.
Thank you for your continued support and readership!
NRA PRESIDENT TO CO-HOST RADIO SHOW: Please mark your calendar and listen to NRA President Sandra S. Froman, as she co-hosts Jim Soloman's radio show Xplor the Southwest, this Sunday March 4, from 7:00-9:00 a.m. You can listen on "The Fan," AM 1060 Sports Radio Phoenix, broadcasting from the new Cabela's store in Glendale (store opens at 9:00 a.m.), or worldwide via streaming video at www.Xplorsw.com. Following the broadcast, President Froman will be discussing NRA and the Second Amendment in the Seminar Room, beginning at 10:00 a.m. If you're in the area, please be sure to stop by on Saturday morning to meet President Froman and hear her speak. If you're not in the area, please be sure to tune in!
CPAC 2007 NRA Members are invited to attend CPAC 2007, the 34th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference, still going on today and tomorrow (March 2 - 3, 2007). For additional information, or to register for the conference, please call (703) 836-8602, or visit CPAC online at www.cpac.org
PLAN TO ATTEND FREE ST. LOUIS GRASSROOTS WORKSHOP! The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division will host its FREE Grassroots Workshop on April 13, in conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in St. Louis. (Please click title link above for more information or to register.)
SECOND GRASSROOTS EVENT PLANNED FOR ST. LOUIS In addition to the FREE Grassroots Workshop being held in conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in St. Louis, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is holding an additional FREE event in St. Louis.
FEDS CONSIDER REMOVING WOLVES FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT The federal government is holding open house public hearings in different states to obtain public comments regarding the delisting of Rocky Mountain wolves from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Please attend the hearings in your area and let your voice be heard!
FUTURE OF RECREATIONAL SHOOTING ON THE ARAPAHOE AND ROOSEVELT NATIONAL FORESTS UNDER REVIEW The Boulder Ranger District of the Araphoe and Roosevelt National Forests is conducting a planning process to determine how recreational shooting, dispersed camping, and campfires will be managed in the future. Issues concerning these activities have been developed based upon public input through written comments or at one of the public meetings held last May. The final public meeting to discuss solutions to the issues will be held March 3, in Longmont, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., at the Longmont High School, 1040 Sunset Street. Comments may be sent to cluna@fs.fed.us. For more information you may call the District Ranger's office at (303) 541-2500, or go to the website at: www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/projects/ea-projects/brd/ufc/index.shtml.
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ARIZONA:
Major Self-Defense Bill on Its Way to the Governor! Senate Bill 1302, a much-needed fix to Arizona self-defense statutes, is on its way to Governor Janet Napolitano (D) for her consideration. Please contact Governor Napolitano today toll-free at (800) 253-0883 and urge her to sign this very important measure.
"Emergency Powers" Legislation Clears House, Heads to Senate! "Emergency Powers" legislation, cleared the House this week with amendments approved by the author and Governor Napolitano (D). Please contact your Senator today at (602) 542-3559 and respectfully urge him or her to support this important bill.
Right-to-Carry Legislation Reform Slated to be Heard in Committee! House Bill 2469 is slated to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, March 5. Please contact members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to support this legislation. A roster of committee members and contact information can be found by visiting http://azleg.gov/CommitteeInfo.asp?Committee_ID=10.
ARKANSAS:
Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Reform Heads To Governor! The Arkansas Senate passed SB 268, the NRA-backed Right-to-Carry reciprocity clean-up bill. This bill now heads to Governor Mike Beebe (D).
Help Protect Arkansas' Hunting Heritage! Please continue contacting members of the Senate and House Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs, and urging them to cosponsor Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7). Arkansas State Senators can be reached at (501) 682-2902, and State Representatives at (501) 682-6211.
CONNECTICUT:
One-Gun-A-Month Initiative Still Awaiting Committee Vote! We are continuing to watch over Senate Bill 938 (one-gun-a-month legislation) for the committee vote which could be as late as Thursday, March 8. A vote must be made by that date, as it is the bill-reporting deadline for the Public Safety Committee. Please visit www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2625 for a list of committee members.
HAWAII:
Two Important Pro-Gun Bills Heading to Senate Floor! Senate Bill 702 and Senate Bill 1617, passed out of their policy committees with amendments. Please contact your State Senator today at (808) 586-6720 and respectfully urge him or her to support these bills when they reach the floor.
ILLINOIS:
Attention Gun Owners: Please Attend IGOLD on March 14! Pro-gun margins are razor-thin in the Illinois State General Assembly, so NRA is encouraging all law-abiding gun owners to take part in IGOLD 2007 - the Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day, on Wednesday, March 14. For more details, including information regarding busses scheduled to transport activists from across the Land of Lincoln, please contact the ISRA at (815) 635-3198, or go to http://igold.isra.org/.
KENTUCKY:
Five Pro-Gun Bills Need Your Help! Please contact your State Representative and your State Senator at (502) 564-8100 and respectfully urge him or her to support the Second Amendment by supporting House Bill 354, House Bill 375, House Bill 469, Senate Bill 8, and Senate Bill 48.
MAINE:
Legislature Considering Making Right-to-Carry More Difficult! Recently introduced legislation, LD778, would require all new applicants and renewing holders of a concealed firearms permit to show documentation they have completed a firearms safety course that includes at least "6 hours" of course work! Please call your state legislator today and urge him or her to oppose this legislation. Your legislator can be reached at the following toll-free numbers: Maine House of Representatives 1-800-423-2900 and the Maine Senate 1-800-423-6900.
MARYLAND:
Senate Committee to Consider "Castle Doctrine" Next Week! Next Thursday, March 7, the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hold a public hearing on SB 518. Please contact the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee members at (410) 841-3623 Annapolis/Balitmore area or (301) 858-3623 Washington, D.C. area and voice your support for SB 518.
MISSOURI:
"Castle Doctrine" Bill Set for Final Passage Soon! Castle Doctrine legislation, Senate Bill 62, could be on the Senate floor for final passage as early as Monday, March 5. Please contact your State Senator at (573)-751-3824 and strongly encourage him or her to protect your right to self-defense by supporting and voting for Senate Bill 62.
NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Anti-Gun Legislation Looms in the Senate! Senate Bill 44, seeks to change the concealed carry licensing statute to make it easier for the issuing authority to deny a license. Please contact your State Senator today at (603) 271-2111 and urge him or her to oppose SB44.
NEW YORK:
Nomination of Anti-Hunting, Anti-Gunner Advocate Put on Hold! The New York State Senate this week put "on hold" the nomination of Alexander "Pete" Grannis for Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner as it explores the mounting opposition to his confirmation. Please continue contacting your State Senator at (518) 455-2800 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose Grannis' nomination as DEC Comissioner.
NORTH DAKOTA:
"Castle Doctrine" Legislation Heads to State Senate! House Bill 1319 has passed the North Dakota House of Representatives. Please contact the members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and respectfully urge them to pass HB 1319.
PENNSYLVANIA:
House Committee Schedules Statewide Hearings on "Gun Violence"! The House Judiciary Committee, Chaired by Tom Caltagirone (Berks -D) has scheduled statewide hearings on gun-related crime. This will be an opportunity for gun owners in Pennsylvania to express their concerns regarding the many recent anti-gun proposals introduced in the House of Representatives. If you are interested in presenting testimony or need further information on any of the informational meetings please contact John Ryan or Bill Andring at 717-787-3525.
SOUTH CAROLINA:
Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Reform Prevails in the House! In spite of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's efforts, which nearly led to the bill being sent back to the Judiciary Committee for reconsideration, our Right to Keep and Bear Arms prevailed, and HB 3212 passed second reading on the House floor on Thursday, March 1, with an overwhelming 100-2 vote. Please, contact your State Senator at (803) 212-6200 and urge him or her to support HB 3212 in its current form.
VERMONT:
Legislation Takes Aim at Ammunition! The controversial anti-gun "Get the Lead Out of Vermont" report released last month by the Vermont Attorney General and State Department of Health has spawned a far-reaching bill that could allow Vermont municipalities to outlaw shooting ranges and even the mere possession of lead ammunition. Please call your legislator today at 802-828-2228 and ask him or her to oppose H352!
VIRGINIA:
Four Pro-Gun Bills Heads to Governor! With the legislative session now completed, several pro-gun measures are now headed to Governor Tim Kaine (D) for his consideration. Please contact the Governor's office at (804)-786-2211 and strongly encourage him to sign those bills in their current form
WASHINGTON:
Bill Attacking Gun Shows Heads to Senate Floor! SB5197, a measure that would mandate that all firearms sold at gun shows be transferred through a federally licensed dealer, passed out of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, February 27. Please contact your State Senator today toll-free at (800) 562-6000 and respectfully ask that he or she oppose this bill.
WEST VIRGINIA:
West Virginia House Passes Two Important Right-to-Carry Bills! Legislation that would amend Right-to-Carry reciprocity requirements, authorize the Attorney General to execute reciprocity agreements, and restrict public access to the records of carry permit holders passed the West Virginia State House on Tuesday, February 27. Please contact your State Delegate today at (304) 340-3200 and thank him or her for their support and votes for HB3074 and HB2223!
WYOMING:
Wyoming Pro-Gun, Pro-Hunting Bill Heads to Governor's Desk! A measure that would allow for the carrying of firearms during bow hunting season, is on its way to Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) for his consideration. Please contact the Governor at (307) 777-7434 and respectfully urge him to sign this critical piece of legislation.
2007 marks the 14th year of the Friday NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert. Those of you who have been receiving the Alert since its inception, probably remember when the weekly Alert was transmitted exclusively via fax!
We've certainly come a long way from where we began in 1993, and we have always tried to improve both the content and design of our weekly update to better serve gun owners.
With this issue of the NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert you will notice our latest improvements.
First and foremost, you'll notice a different layout that is much more user-friendly. To ensure the weekly Alert is easier on the eye, we will provide you with briefer story summaries, along with the option to click the story title if you wish to read the entire piece. This will translate into a much shorter Alert that will allow you flexibility in determining which stories are of most interest to you.
Also, we have made a major modification to the "A Look At The States" section, where we report on state and local activities. Now entitled "State Roundup," this new section will allow you to view alerts from as many states as you wish. By clicking the section title, you will be brought to a map of the United States; clicking any state will bring up corresponding alerts. As for breaking news, each week, we will list specific states that have updated alerts posted, along with a brief description of the issues at hand. By clicking on the specific description you will be able to read the full story associated with that particular alert.
Of course, we will continuously strive to further improve this product. In the meantime, we ask that you work to ensure that your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners are receiving the Friday Grassroots Alert so they, too, may stay on top of developments pertaining to our firearm freedoms, take the corresponding action, and share with their pro-Second Amendment networks. To sign up to receive this Alert, and ILA's other legislative and political updates, click here (link to e-mail sign up) and provide your e-mail address.
We hope that the reformatted Grassroots Alert will better fit your needs as a grassroots activist. Of course, if you have additional suggestions on how we may improve this weekly update, feel free to contact the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683 or via e-mail at ila-contact@nrahq.org.
Thank you for your continued support and readership!
NRA PRESIDENT TO CO-HOST RADIO SHOW: Please mark your calendar and listen to NRA President Sandra S. Froman, as she co-hosts Jim Soloman's radio show Xplor the Southwest, this Sunday March 4, from 7:00-9:00 a.m. You can listen on "The Fan," AM 1060 Sports Radio Phoenix, broadcasting from the new Cabela's store in Glendale (store opens at 9:00 a.m.), or worldwide via streaming video at www.Xplorsw.com. Following the broadcast, President Froman will be discussing NRA and the Second Amendment in the Seminar Room, beginning at 10:00 a.m. If you're in the area, please be sure to stop by on Saturday morning to meet President Froman and hear her speak. If you're not in the area, please be sure to tune in!
CPAC 2007 NRA Members are invited to attend CPAC 2007, the 34th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference, still going on today and tomorrow (March 2 - 3, 2007). For additional information, or to register for the conference, please call (703) 836-8602, or visit CPAC online at www.cpac.org
PLAN TO ATTEND FREE ST. LOUIS GRASSROOTS WORKSHOP! The NRA-ILA Grassroots Division will host its FREE Grassroots Workshop on April 13, in conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in St. Louis. (Please click title link above for more information or to register.)
SECOND GRASSROOTS EVENT PLANNED FOR ST. LOUIS In addition to the FREE Grassroots Workshop being held in conjunction with NRA's Annual Meetings in St. Louis, the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division is holding an additional FREE event in St. Louis.
FEDS CONSIDER REMOVING WOLVES FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT The federal government is holding open house public hearings in different states to obtain public comments regarding the delisting of Rocky Mountain wolves from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Please attend the hearings in your area and let your voice be heard!
FUTURE OF RECREATIONAL SHOOTING ON THE ARAPAHOE AND ROOSEVELT NATIONAL FORESTS UNDER REVIEW The Boulder Ranger District of the Araphoe and Roosevelt National Forests is conducting a planning process to determine how recreational shooting, dispersed camping, and campfires will be managed in the future. Issues concerning these activities have been developed based upon public input through written comments or at one of the public meetings held last May. The final public meeting to discuss solutions to the issues will be held March 3, in Longmont, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., at the Longmont High School, 1040 Sunset Street. Comments may be sent to cluna@fs.fed.us. For more information you may call the District Ranger's office at (303) 541-2500, or go to the website at: www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/projects/ea-projects/brd/ufc/index.shtml.
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ARIZONA:
Major Self-Defense Bill on Its Way to the Governor! Senate Bill 1302, a much-needed fix to Arizona self-defense statutes, is on its way to Governor Janet Napolitano (D) for her consideration. Please contact Governor Napolitano today toll-free at (800) 253-0883 and urge her to sign this very important measure.
"Emergency Powers" Legislation Clears House, Heads to Senate! "Emergency Powers" legislation, cleared the House this week with amendments approved by the author and Governor Napolitano (D). Please contact your Senator today at (602) 542-3559 and respectfully urge him or her to support this important bill.
Right-to-Carry Legislation Reform Slated to be Heard in Committee! House Bill 2469 is slated to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, March 5. Please contact members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to support this legislation. A roster of committee members and contact information can be found by visiting http://azleg.gov/CommitteeInfo.asp?Committee_ID=10.
ARKANSAS:
Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Reform Heads To Governor! The Arkansas Senate passed SB 268, the NRA-backed Right-to-Carry reciprocity clean-up bill. This bill now heads to Governor Mike Beebe (D).
Help Protect Arkansas' Hunting Heritage! Please continue contacting members of the Senate and House Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs, and urging them to cosponsor Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7). Arkansas State Senators can be reached at (501) 682-2902, and State Representatives at (501) 682-6211.
CONNECTICUT:
One-Gun-A-Month Initiative Still Awaiting Committee Vote! We are continuing to watch over Senate Bill 938 (one-gun-a-month legislation) for the committee vote which could be as late as Thursday, March 8. A vote must be made by that date, as it is the bill-reporting deadline for the Public Safety Committee. Please visit www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2625 for a list of committee members.
HAWAII:
Two Important Pro-Gun Bills Heading to Senate Floor! Senate Bill 702 and Senate Bill 1617, passed out of their policy committees with amendments. Please contact your State Senator today at (808) 586-6720 and respectfully urge him or her to support these bills when they reach the floor.
ILLINOIS:
Attention Gun Owners: Please Attend IGOLD on March 14! Pro-gun margins are razor-thin in the Illinois State General Assembly, so NRA is encouraging all law-abiding gun owners to take part in IGOLD 2007 - the Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day, on Wednesday, March 14. For more details, including information regarding busses scheduled to transport activists from across the Land of Lincoln, please contact the ISRA at (815) 635-3198, or go to http://igold.isra.org/.
KENTUCKY:
Five Pro-Gun Bills Need Your Help! Please contact your State Representative and your State Senator at (502) 564-8100 and respectfully urge him or her to support the Second Amendment by supporting House Bill 354, House Bill 375, House Bill 469, Senate Bill 8, and Senate Bill 48.
MAINE:
Legislature Considering Making Right-to-Carry More Difficult! Recently introduced legislation, LD778, would require all new applicants and renewing holders of a concealed firearms permit to show documentation they have completed a firearms safety course that includes at least "6 hours" of course work! Please call your state legislator today and urge him or her to oppose this legislation. Your legislator can be reached at the following toll-free numbers: Maine House of Representatives 1-800-423-2900 and the Maine Senate 1-800-423-6900.
MARYLAND:
Senate Committee to Consider "Castle Doctrine" Next Week! Next Thursday, March 7, the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hold a public hearing on SB 518. Please contact the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee members at (410) 841-3623 Annapolis/Balitmore area or (301) 858-3623 Washington, D.C. area and voice your support for SB 518.
MISSOURI:
"Castle Doctrine" Bill Set for Final Passage Soon! Castle Doctrine legislation, Senate Bill 62, could be on the Senate floor for final passage as early as Monday, March 5. Please contact your State Senator at (573)-751-3824 and strongly encourage him or her to protect your right to self-defense by supporting and voting for Senate Bill 62.
NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Anti-Gun Legislation Looms in the Senate! Senate Bill 44, seeks to change the concealed carry licensing statute to make it easier for the issuing authority to deny a license. Please contact your State Senator today at (603) 271-2111 and urge him or her to oppose SB44.
NEW YORK:
Nomination of Anti-Hunting, Anti-Gunner Advocate Put on Hold! The New York State Senate this week put "on hold" the nomination of Alexander "Pete" Grannis for Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner as it explores the mounting opposition to his confirmation. Please continue contacting your State Senator at (518) 455-2800 and respectfully urge him or her to oppose Grannis' nomination as DEC Comissioner.
NORTH DAKOTA:
"Castle Doctrine" Legislation Heads to State Senate! House Bill 1319 has passed the North Dakota House of Representatives. Please contact the members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and respectfully urge them to pass HB 1319.
PENNSYLVANIA:
House Committee Schedules Statewide Hearings on "Gun Violence"! The House Judiciary Committee, Chaired by Tom Caltagirone (Berks -D) has scheduled statewide hearings on gun-related crime. This will be an opportunity for gun owners in Pennsylvania to express their concerns regarding the many recent anti-gun proposals introduced in the House of Representatives. If you are interested in presenting testimony or need further information on any of the informational meetings please contact John Ryan or Bill Andring at 717-787-3525.
SOUTH CAROLINA:
Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Reform Prevails in the House! In spite of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's efforts, which nearly led to the bill being sent back to the Judiciary Committee for reconsideration, our Right to Keep and Bear Arms prevailed, and HB 3212 passed second reading on the House floor on Thursday, March 1, with an overwhelming 100-2 vote. Please, contact your State Senator at (803) 212-6200 and urge him or her to support HB 3212 in its current form.
VERMONT:
Legislation Takes Aim at Ammunition! The controversial anti-gun "Get the Lead Out of Vermont" report released last month by the Vermont Attorney General and State Department of Health has spawned a far-reaching bill that could allow Vermont municipalities to outlaw shooting ranges and even the mere possession of lead ammunition. Please call your legislator today at 802-828-2228 and ask him or her to oppose H352!
VIRGINIA:
Four Pro-Gun Bills Heads to Governor! With the legislative session now completed, several pro-gun measures are now headed to Governor Tim Kaine (D) for his consideration. Please contact the Governor's office at (804)-786-2211 and strongly encourage him to sign those bills in their current form
WASHINGTON:
Bill Attacking Gun Shows Heads to Senate Floor! SB5197, a measure that would mandate that all firearms sold at gun shows be transferred through a federally licensed dealer, passed out of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, February 27. Please contact your State Senator today toll-free at (800) 562-6000 and respectfully ask that he or she oppose this bill.
WEST VIRGINIA:
West Virginia House Passes Two Important Right-to-Carry Bills! Legislation that would amend Right-to-Carry reciprocity requirements, authorize the Attorney General to execute reciprocity agreements, and restrict public access to the records of carry permit holders passed the West Virginia State House on Tuesday, February 27. Please contact your State Delegate today at (304) 340-3200 and thank him or her for their support and votes for HB3074 and HB2223!
WYOMING:
Wyoming Pro-Gun, Pro-Hunting Bill Heads to Governor's Desk! A measure that would allow for the carrying of firearms during bow hunting season, is on its way to Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) for his consideration. Please contact the Governor at (307) 777-7434 and respectfully urge him to sign this critical piece of legislation.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Upgrading varmint shell worthwhile
I have no idea how many 22.250 Remington heavy barrel varmint rifles are in this area. I am sure that it's a substantial number.
After I served 3 1/2 years in the military, I took up woodchuck shooting. Truth is, I was a dedicated groundhog hunter long before the military called. I served a long apprenticeship, from digging out dens to trapping them. Anything to get rid of those garden pests.
During those years, heavy-barrel varmint rigs were not in vogue. The relatively few varmint hunters who used heavy-barrel outfits had them custom made. As late as 1946, varmint shooters didn't have access to factory heavy-barrel varmint rigs. After Remington's 222 varmint shell won wide acclaim, the picture began to change.
The factory 222 round offered top accuracy even in sporter-type hunting rifles. It was soon learned the 222 offered critical accuracy when fired in heavy barrel rifles. In fact, many benchrest competitors switched to the 222.
By Don Lewis
Outdoors Columnist
After I served 3 1/2 years in the military, I took up woodchuck shooting. Truth is, I was a dedicated groundhog hunter long before the military called. I served a long apprenticeship, from digging out dens to trapping them. Anything to get rid of those garden pests.
During those years, heavy-barrel varmint rigs were not in vogue. The relatively few varmint hunters who used heavy-barrel outfits had them custom made. As late as 1946, varmint shooters didn't have access to factory heavy-barrel varmint rigs. After Remington's 222 varmint shell won wide acclaim, the picture began to change.
The factory 222 round offered top accuracy even in sporter-type hunting rifles. It was soon learned the 222 offered critical accuracy when fired in heavy barrel rifles. In fact, many benchrest competitors switched to the 222.
By Don Lewis
Outdoors Columnist
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Two cats shot with air rifle
A Shropshire woman today called for a change in the law governing the use of air rifles after her two pet cats were shot.
ALERT!! ALERT!!
Two mosquitoes killed with fly swatter!
Of course the cat owner is not responsible for keeping the law by keeping her cats only on her property and not wandering over unto neighbor's yards to leave their shit and kill squirrels and wild birds eating at the bird station while the children observe nature. But the roaming cats also like to KILL these birds and squirrels! So what's her bitch? Keep the cats at your place and all will be fine! People don't come to her place looking for them - do they - of course not!
ALERT!! ALERT!!
Two mosquitoes killed with fly swatter!
Of course the cat owner is not responsible for keeping the law by keeping her cats only on her property and not wandering over unto neighbor's yards to leave their shit and kill squirrels and wild birds eating at the bird station while the children observe nature. But the roaming cats also like to KILL these birds and squirrels! So what's her bitch? Keep the cats at your place and all will be fine! People don't come to her place looking for them - do they - of course not!
Unrestricted Tanaka M700 rifle to be released for export
Graham from Ironfoot has been in touch with exciting information about a new, unrestricted export-edition of the Tanaka M700 to be released soon:
As many of you may know Tanaka had dropped their adjustable bolt system on the M700 range of rifles following the new below 1 joule Japanese limit, and the latest rifles were coming without an adjuster and the appropriate parts missing and blanked.
We are please to say that after asking our Japanese agent to lobby Tanaka they have reported to us today that “After hard negotiation with Tanaka and public safety commission about “exporting” the original gun called “Export Version” an unrestricted Gas rifles which non-relating to a new Japanese toy gun regulation “1-joule restriction” it will be ended soon so that we can offer you an original powerful gas gun as before pretty soon I hope.
(Tanaka gas rifles for only “export version” will have power adjustment but no collar in the nozzle for 1-joule restriction as well said Tanaka.)
If Tanaka do hold to this, its great news, it would have been a great shame to have lost the adjustable bolt, as we think its one of the main sales point of the Tanaka, and an extremely useful option for countries with variable maximum powers on Sniper Rifles often from one Game site to another.
Published by Marlowe February 28th, 2007 in Manufacturer News and Retailer News.
Tags: Manufacturer News, Retailer News.
As many of you may know Tanaka had dropped their adjustable bolt system on the M700 range of rifles following the new below 1 joule Japanese limit, and the latest rifles were coming without an adjuster and the appropriate parts missing and blanked.
We are please to say that after asking our Japanese agent to lobby Tanaka they have reported to us today that “After hard negotiation with Tanaka and public safety commission about “exporting” the original gun called “Export Version” an unrestricted Gas rifles which non-relating to a new Japanese toy gun regulation “1-joule restriction” it will be ended soon so that we can offer you an original powerful gas gun as before pretty soon I hope.
(Tanaka gas rifles for only “export version” will have power adjustment but no collar in the nozzle for 1-joule restriction as well said Tanaka.)
If Tanaka do hold to this, its great news, it would have been a great shame to have lost the adjustable bolt, as we think its one of the main sales point of the Tanaka, and an extremely useful option for countries with variable maximum powers on Sniper Rifles often from one Game site to another.
Published by Marlowe February 28th, 2007 in Manufacturer News and Retailer News.
Tags: Manufacturer News, Retailer News.
Tips for Choosing between Paintball Guns
Paintball guns, commonly called markers, are crucial to the sport of paintball. Markers are used to fire the paintballs and come in all shapes, sizes and prices. You’ll find markers ranging from as little as $100 to as much as $1000 or more. For someone who’s just starting out with the sport, choosing the right marker can be confusing. Keep reading to learn more about the various types of markers available these days and their benefits and drawbacks.
Pump style markers are some of the most affordable on the market today. These are different from other types of markers such as semi-automatic or automatic because the paintballs must be manually pumped into the firing chamber. Pump markers are thought to be accurate as well as cost-efficient for beginners and advanced players alike.
For all articles: Tips for Choosing between Paintball Guns
Pump style markers are some of the most affordable on the market today. These are different from other types of markers such as semi-automatic or automatic because the paintballs must be manually pumped into the firing chamber. Pump markers are thought to be accurate as well as cost-efficient for beginners and advanced players alike.
For all articles: Tips for Choosing between Paintball Guns
House OKs new version of weapons bill
PHOENIX Acting on an issue that drew a veto last year, the House on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to generally prohibit Arizona governors from having residents' weapons and ammunition seized during an emergency.
The House vote sent the bill to the Senate which has already passed similar legislation.
The bill is similar to measures adopted in other states and was proposed after New Orleans police confiscated guns from residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The National Rifle Association successfully sued to have the weapons returned, and Louisiana last year prohibited confiscations.
Napolitano vetoed a version of the Arizona bill last year, saying it would bar the government from removing stores of ammunition from harm's way, such as the path of a forest fire.
This year's version was amended under a change negotiated by lawmakers, Napolitano's office and the N-R-A to allow ammunition to be moved if exposed to "dangerous conditions."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The House vote sent the bill to the Senate which has already passed similar legislation.
The bill is similar to measures adopted in other states and was proposed after New Orleans police confiscated guns from residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The National Rifle Association successfully sued to have the weapons returned, and Louisiana last year prohibited confiscations.
Napolitano vetoed a version of the Arizona bill last year, saying it would bar the government from removing stores of ammunition from harm's way, such as the path of a forest fire.
This year's version was amended under a change negotiated by lawmakers, Napolitano's office and the N-R-A to allow ammunition to be moved if exposed to "dangerous conditions."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Guns Don't Kill People, Gun Control Kills People
Taking guns at gunpoint / Uganda terrorizes its own citizens under the auspices of UN gun-control mandate
Illegal firearms have replaced bows and arrows as the weapons of choice for the pastoral people on the borders of Kenya and Uganda. The recent escalation of tension between these governments and cattle raiders not only poses a threat to political stability in the region, but has also led to widescale human rights abuses.
North-east Uganda’s Karamojong and their neighbours in Kenya, the Turkana and Pokot, have been engaged in cross-border conflict for centuries, often resulting in death and destruction of property.
Violence in notoriously lawless Karamoja has long been fuelled by inexpensive, semi-automatic firearms smuggled from Somalia and other countries in the Horn of Africa. The border tribes regularly engage in cattle raiding against their northern neighbours, the Toposa of Sudan.
The Ugandan government has encouraged voluntary disarmament of the rustlers in past years, but the Karamojong say [that] they need guns to protect their way of life: they have to guard themselves against other cattle rustlers, as well as hostile government soldiers. Meanwhile, the dry region remains the least-developed in Uganda, lacking infrastructure and basic services.
Kenya and Uganda agreed in June to cooperatively confiscate all arms from their borderlands. It is estimated that the pastoralists possess up to 200 000 guns in Kenya and up to 150 000 in Uganda. Both governments claim that their gun confiscation programmes are in accordance with the Nairobi Protocol, a treaty banning unlicensed gun possession. A government programme to rid the region of firearms recovered 4 500 guns in “cordon-and-search” operations between January and October, along with thousands of looted cattle and goats.
But local Karamajong leaders have accused the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) of numerous human rights abuses in the course of the disarmament programme, a claim [that] the government has denied. In mid-2006, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) halted its own disarmament programmes in Karamoja, in protest against UPDF abuses during the gun-recovery process, which they said were worse than the violence committed during cattle raids.
The UNDP has recently lifted its suspension of activities in the area. Last November, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour released a report that found that the soldiers used “indiscriminate and excessive” force, killing 55 civilians, including women and children between late October and mid-November 2006. She called on the UPDF to halt a six-month disarmament campaign, until it could guarantee civilian safety in the Karamoja region.
The Kenyan government says [that] a strong hand is necessary to ensure the peaceful handover of guns by the Pokot and Turkana pastoralists. Last March, the Kenyan Internal Security Minister, John Michuki, issued a shoot-to-kill directive to the police.
Allegations of murder, rape and torture by state forces in West Pokot have been reported and thousands of people have fled to Uganda, leaving behind ghost towns.
Despite the professed collaboration between the two governments, there is still frequent movement across the porous border. And the countries’ solution to the armed conflict so far appears to have primarily left thousands of refugees, burned villages and destroyed livelihoods.
From "Reason" (by three members of the Independence Institute)...
The country of Uganda plans to send about 1,500 troops to Somalia as part of an African Union peace-keeping force. The goal is to stabilize the weak government of Somalia, with the hope that the warlords will voluntarily disarm. Hopefully, Ugandan troops will be more successful in Somalia than they have in their own country.
For months now, Ugandan army troops have been garrisoned in the northeast part of the country under orders to disarm the local populace—pastoral, cattle-herding tribes known as the Karamojong. The army is attempting, and failing, to quash an uprising which was caused by a prior attempt to disarm the same tribes.
But in its effort to "disarm," the Ugandan army, supported by tanks and helicopter gunships, is burning down villages, sexually torturing men, raping women, and plundering what few possessions the tribespeople own. Tens of thousands of victims have been turned into refugees. Human rights scholar Ben Knighton has used the term “ethnocide” to describe the army's campaign.
This is not the first time the central government in Kampala [...] has persecuted the Karamojong. During the Idi Amin regime, the Karamojong were selected as special targets for genocide. Against Amin's armies, their traditional bows and arrows were futile. So it's understandable why they'd be reluctant to voluntarily lay down their weapons.
This time, the pretext for the "disarmament" of the Karamojong is United Nations gun control. The Ugandan military is trying to round up every last firearm in Karamoja, supposedly for the Karamojong's own good.
The procedure is euphemistically called “forcible disarmament.” It works something like this: The misnamed Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) will torture and rape Karamajong, after which some Karamojong might then disclose the location of some hidden guns. Or the army will burn down a village, after which it might find some guns in the ash left behind.
If the pastoral tribespeople's bloody history with Amin weren't enough, they don't much have reason to trust the current government of Uganda, either. The current government has repeatedly broken its promises of goods, services, and personal protection for tribespeople who voluntarily disarmed.
According to David Pulkol, the former Director of External Security Organisation (part of the Ugandan government’s intelligence agency), the disarmament process is a tactic to facilitate robbing the Karamojong of their resources. The Daily Monitor newspaper, for example, reports that the Ugandan government has announced plans to confiscate “about 1,903 sq km out of the total area of 2,304 sq km of the Pian Upe game reserve” for private investment purposes.
This government predation has naturally sparked resistance. More and more Karamojong are wearing traditional ethnic garb—not only as a symbol of solidarity, but also because the loose clothing makes it so easy to conceal weapons. The tribes are also uniting and improving their tactical skills. The weapons that had been taken by the government have been replaced by better ones from the ubiquitous black market. The helicopters that have been bombing the populace and burning their villages are now at risk from high-powered rifles. The Karamojong women aren't remaining passive while their families suffer, starve, and die, either. Some Karamojong widows have taken their husband’s firearms and are actively defending themselves, their families, and their cattle.
Last summer, the Ugandan army's atrocities led the United Nations Development Programme to cut off its disarmament aid to Uganda. But the outrage didn't last long. This year, the aid was restored. Although the United Nations does not fund the Ugandan army, the UN does provide a public relations sanction for the disarmament. In November, Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated: “The actions of the UPDF do not comply with international human rights law and domestic law.” But, she also stipulated, “the decision of the Government to undertake renewed efforts to eradicate illegal weapons in Karamoja is essential….” Never mind that the disarmament campaign also eradicates people.
If the Karamojong didn’t have to worry about the central government targeting them for genocide, or stealing their land, one could possibly make an argument that they would be better off without guns. The various tribes have a long tradition of inter-tribal cattle rustling, and the cattle-raiding would undoubtedly be less dangerous if perpetrated with stone-age weapons instead of AK-47s. But as a practical matter, there have been numerous instances of civilians who have voluntarily disarmed, and were then—despite government promises of protection—robbed by the competing tribes who remained armed. And the loss of even a small number of cattle can place a subsistence level family at risk of starvation. Of course, cattle-rustling never led to the deliberate destruction of entire villages, turning thousands of people into refugees. Nor has it ever paved the way for government theft of the land the tribespeople need to survive.
The number of illegally possessed firearms prior to the disarmament campaign had been estimated at between 50,000 and 150,000. On November 10, New Vision reported that “since this year began, they have recovered 4,500 guns.” So the Ugandan government is wiping out the very people the government ostensibly claims to protect, and that "protection" amounts to just 3-9 percent of unauthorized weapons. And all the while, the Ugandan government is using its own guns to destroy Karamoja, burn villages, slaughter the defenseless, and perpetrate ethnocide.
Seems like the kind of "protection" the Karamojong could live without.
David Kopel is research director for the Independence Institute. Paul Gallant and Joanne D. Eisen are senior fellows at the Independence Institute.
Illegal firearms have replaced bows and arrows as the weapons of choice for the pastoral people on the borders of Kenya and Uganda. The recent escalation of tension between these governments and cattle raiders not only poses a threat to political stability in the region, but has also led to widescale human rights abuses.
North-east Uganda’s Karamojong and their neighbours in Kenya, the Turkana and Pokot, have been engaged in cross-border conflict for centuries, often resulting in death and destruction of property.
Violence in notoriously lawless Karamoja has long been fuelled by inexpensive, semi-automatic firearms smuggled from Somalia and other countries in the Horn of Africa. The border tribes regularly engage in cattle raiding against their northern neighbours, the Toposa of Sudan.
The Ugandan government has encouraged voluntary disarmament of the rustlers in past years, but the Karamojong say [that] they need guns to protect their way of life: they have to guard themselves against other cattle rustlers, as well as hostile government soldiers. Meanwhile, the dry region remains the least-developed in Uganda, lacking infrastructure and basic services.
Kenya and Uganda agreed in June to cooperatively confiscate all arms from their borderlands. It is estimated that the pastoralists possess up to 200 000 guns in Kenya and up to 150 000 in Uganda. Both governments claim that their gun confiscation programmes are in accordance with the Nairobi Protocol, a treaty banning unlicensed gun possession. A government programme to rid the region of firearms recovered 4 500 guns in “cordon-and-search” operations between January and October, along with thousands of looted cattle and goats.
But local Karamajong leaders have accused the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) of numerous human rights abuses in the course of the disarmament programme, a claim [that] the government has denied. In mid-2006, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) halted its own disarmament programmes in Karamoja, in protest against UPDF abuses during the gun-recovery process, which they said were worse than the violence committed during cattle raids.
The UNDP has recently lifted its suspension of activities in the area. Last November, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour released a report that found that the soldiers used “indiscriminate and excessive” force, killing 55 civilians, including women and children between late October and mid-November 2006. She called on the UPDF to halt a six-month disarmament campaign, until it could guarantee civilian safety in the Karamoja region.
The Kenyan government says [that] a strong hand is necessary to ensure the peaceful handover of guns by the Pokot and Turkana pastoralists. Last March, the Kenyan Internal Security Minister, John Michuki, issued a shoot-to-kill directive to the police.
Allegations of murder, rape and torture by state forces in West Pokot have been reported and thousands of people have fled to Uganda, leaving behind ghost towns.
Despite the professed collaboration between the two governments, there is still frequent movement across the porous border. And the countries’ solution to the armed conflict so far appears to have primarily left thousands of refugees, burned villages and destroyed livelihoods.
From "Reason" (by three members of the Independence Institute)...
The country of Uganda plans to send about 1,500 troops to Somalia as part of an African Union peace-keeping force. The goal is to stabilize the weak government of Somalia, with the hope that the warlords will voluntarily disarm. Hopefully, Ugandan troops will be more successful in Somalia than they have in their own country.
For months now, Ugandan army troops have been garrisoned in the northeast part of the country under orders to disarm the local populace—pastoral, cattle-herding tribes known as the Karamojong. The army is attempting, and failing, to quash an uprising which was caused by a prior attempt to disarm the same tribes.
But in its effort to "disarm," the Ugandan army, supported by tanks and helicopter gunships, is burning down villages, sexually torturing men, raping women, and plundering what few possessions the tribespeople own. Tens of thousands of victims have been turned into refugees. Human rights scholar Ben Knighton has used the term “ethnocide” to describe the army's campaign.
This is not the first time the central government in Kampala [...] has persecuted the Karamojong. During the Idi Amin regime, the Karamojong were selected as special targets for genocide. Against Amin's armies, their traditional bows and arrows were futile. So it's understandable why they'd be reluctant to voluntarily lay down their weapons.
This time, the pretext for the "disarmament" of the Karamojong is United Nations gun control. The Ugandan military is trying to round up every last firearm in Karamoja, supposedly for the Karamojong's own good.
The procedure is euphemistically called “forcible disarmament.” It works something like this: The misnamed Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) will torture and rape Karamajong, after which some Karamojong might then disclose the location of some hidden guns. Or the army will burn down a village, after which it might find some guns in the ash left behind.
If the pastoral tribespeople's bloody history with Amin weren't enough, they don't much have reason to trust the current government of Uganda, either. The current government has repeatedly broken its promises of goods, services, and personal protection for tribespeople who voluntarily disarmed.
According to David Pulkol, the former Director of External Security Organisation (part of the Ugandan government’s intelligence agency), the disarmament process is a tactic to facilitate robbing the Karamojong of their resources. The Daily Monitor newspaper, for example, reports that the Ugandan government has announced plans to confiscate “about 1,903 sq km out of the total area of 2,304 sq km of the Pian Upe game reserve” for private investment purposes.
This government predation has naturally sparked resistance. More and more Karamojong are wearing traditional ethnic garb—not only as a symbol of solidarity, but also because the loose clothing makes it so easy to conceal weapons. The tribes are also uniting and improving their tactical skills. The weapons that had been taken by the government have been replaced by better ones from the ubiquitous black market. The helicopters that have been bombing the populace and burning their villages are now at risk from high-powered rifles. The Karamojong women aren't remaining passive while their families suffer, starve, and die, either. Some Karamojong widows have taken their husband’s firearms and are actively defending themselves, their families, and their cattle.
Last summer, the Ugandan army's atrocities led the United Nations Development Programme to cut off its disarmament aid to Uganda. But the outrage didn't last long. This year, the aid was restored. Although the United Nations does not fund the Ugandan army, the UN does provide a public relations sanction for the disarmament. In November, Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated: “The actions of the UPDF do not comply with international human rights law and domestic law.” But, she also stipulated, “the decision of the Government to undertake renewed efforts to eradicate illegal weapons in Karamoja is essential….” Never mind that the disarmament campaign also eradicates people.
If the Karamojong didn’t have to worry about the central government targeting them for genocide, or stealing their land, one could possibly make an argument that they would be better off without guns. The various tribes have a long tradition of inter-tribal cattle rustling, and the cattle-raiding would undoubtedly be less dangerous if perpetrated with stone-age weapons instead of AK-47s. But as a practical matter, there have been numerous instances of civilians who have voluntarily disarmed, and were then—despite government promises of protection—robbed by the competing tribes who remained armed. And the loss of even a small number of cattle can place a subsistence level family at risk of starvation. Of course, cattle-rustling never led to the deliberate destruction of entire villages, turning thousands of people into refugees. Nor has it ever paved the way for government theft of the land the tribespeople need to survive.
The number of illegally possessed firearms prior to the disarmament campaign had been estimated at between 50,000 and 150,000. On November 10, New Vision reported that “since this year began, they have recovered 4,500 guns.” So the Ugandan government is wiping out the very people the government ostensibly claims to protect, and that "protection" amounts to just 3-9 percent of unauthorized weapons. And all the while, the Ugandan government is using its own guns to destroy Karamoja, burn villages, slaughter the defenseless, and perpetrate ethnocide.
Seems like the kind of "protection" the Karamojong could live without.
David Kopel is research director for the Independence Institute. Paul Gallant and Joanne D. Eisen are senior fellows at the Independence Institute.
Keeping Guns Off City Streets
(plushy news like this makes me want to vomit! It is all political. Guns do NOT commit crime - people do whether they have a gun - illegal or not - or a baseball bat!)
The Macon Police Department says more patrols and a new program have increased the number of guns they've taken off the streets.
Last year alone 354 guns were either turned in or confiscated.
Guns that officials say criminals could have used (BUT did not use!) to increase the violence in our community.
Mayor C. Jack Ellis - Macon
"It's bad that we have that many weapons, illegal weapons in our town. That's bad. The good news is they're no longer on in the hands of criminals."
The Police department also says pay raises, new equipment and boosted morale increased the number of confiscations. The weapons will be destroyed. This year 40 have already been turned-in or taken this year.
Submitted by Aundrea Cline-Thomas on Wed, 02/28/2007 - 7:39pm. News Local
Mobile ice cream vendors in San Diego would be barred from selling toy guns
(lets see now - ban assault weapons because they are never used in crime and ban toy guns because someone might use it to commit a crime - BUT never able to shoot it unless it was a water gun and then . . ad et nosiam!)
SAN DIEGO – Mobile ice cream vendors in San Diego would be barred from selling toy guns that resemble the real things under a proposed ordinance that was unanimously approved by a City Council committee Wednesday.
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee voted 3-0 to amend an existing law to specifically forbid mobile street vendors from selling anything but food or candy.
The guns “look so realistic” that if someone stuck one in their waistband and flashed a jacket open, the average citizen couldn't tell whether it was a real firearm, Maienschein said.
At a City Hall news conference Tuesday to promote the changes, city and law enforcement officials displayed samples of the toy guns, which could easily be mistaken by police officers as the real thing.
According to the chief of the San Diego Unified School District Police Department, 37 of the fake weapons have been seized from students over the past year, most of them coming from ice cream trucks.
“We are very fortunate that we have not had a tragedy as a result of these,” SDUSD police Chief Don Braun said.
San Diego Police Department Chief William Lansdowne said the replica guns, which cost between $10 and $100, not only pose a “huge problem” in the city of San Diego, but also around the country.
“It's young kids using these types of look-alike guns that are committing street robberies, who are taking them to school,” he said yesterday.
Maienschein said fake guns are available through other sources, but ice cream vendors are the primary source for children.
The amended law will be considered by the full city council in about 30 days, Maienschein said.
The councilman said notices have already been sent to vendors notifying them of the proposed law. If the ordinance changes are approved, the SDPD's Vice Unit would begin random inspections of ice cream trucks. Violation would be a misdemeanor.
State law already prohibits the sale of imitation firearms, with exceptions for theatrical productions, military ceremonies, out-of-state sales, sporting events and school anti-gun displays.
SAN DIEGO – Mobile ice cream vendors in San Diego would be barred from selling toy guns that resemble the real things under a proposed ordinance that was unanimously approved by a City Council committee Wednesday.
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee voted 3-0 to amend an existing law to specifically forbid mobile street vendors from selling anything but food or candy.
The guns “look so realistic” that if someone stuck one in their waistband and flashed a jacket open, the average citizen couldn't tell whether it was a real firearm, Maienschein said.
At a City Hall news conference Tuesday to promote the changes, city and law enforcement officials displayed samples of the toy guns, which could easily be mistaken by police officers as the real thing.
According to the chief of the San Diego Unified School District Police Department, 37 of the fake weapons have been seized from students over the past year, most of them coming from ice cream trucks.
“We are very fortunate that we have not had a tragedy as a result of these,” SDUSD police Chief Don Braun said.
San Diego Police Department Chief William Lansdowne said the replica guns, which cost between $10 and $100, not only pose a “huge problem” in the city of San Diego, but also around the country.
“It's young kids using these types of look-alike guns that are committing street robberies, who are taking them to school,” he said yesterday.
Maienschein said fake guns are available through other sources, but ice cream vendors are the primary source for children.
The amended law will be considered by the full city council in about 30 days, Maienschein said.
The councilman said notices have already been sent to vendors notifying them of the proposed law. If the ordinance changes are approved, the SDPD's Vice Unit would begin random inspections of ice cream trucks. Violation would be a misdemeanor.
State law already prohibits the sale of imitation firearms, with exceptions for theatrical productions, military ceremonies, out-of-state sales, sporting events and school anti-gun displays.
St. Paul approves ban on display of real-looking replica guns
(So kids just see guns and they become criminals! Good idea - ban TV and Hollywood too! - How stupid can politicians get? - Unlimited stupidity?)
ST. PAUL - The City Council on Wednesday approved a ban on the public display of real-looking replica guns.
Council member Lee Helgen proposed the ban because of a recent increase in juveniles carrying airsoft guns. A public hearing was held on the ordinance last week, but nobody testified against it. Breaking the ban is a misdemeanor.
A representative of the gun industry said it was "common sense" not to display fake guns that look real.
The guns must now be painted a bright color to make it easier for police and others to identify them.
ST. PAUL - The City Council on Wednesday approved a ban on the public display of real-looking replica guns.
Council member Lee Helgen proposed the ban because of a recent increase in juveniles carrying airsoft guns. A public hearing was held on the ordinance last week, but nobody testified against it. Breaking the ban is a misdemeanor.
A representative of the gun industry said it was "common sense" not to display fake guns that look real.
The guns must now be painted a bright color to make it easier for police and others to identify them.
Take a Shot at These Gun Stocks
There are only two major gun and firearms manufacturers in the United States, one of which is Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. (RGR), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
This Connecticut based company has been manufacturing rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers since 1948. Some of the positives on this stock:
Although the trailing P/E is 140, the forward P/E is 29.
The stock has a reasonable Price/Sales ratio of 1.45
Quarterly revenue growth year over year is 18.6%
The company has no long term debt
Last month, the company announced a buyback of $20 million of its shares
The company anticipates cutting its payroll by about $3 million this year from its buyouts of approximately 150 employees
The other American gun manufacturer that you can take a shot at is the NASDAQ traded Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC), a famous name in firearms which has been around since 1856. The company was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson, after selling out their first company, Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, to Oliver Winchester. The company manufactures and sells revolvers, pistols, rifles, handcuffs, and clothing, and also owns law enforcement training facilities. A few of the positives on this stock:
Although the trailing P/E is 44, the forward P/E is 21.
Quarterly revenue growth year over year is 42.7%
Quarterly earnings growth year over year is 312%
The company recently purchased the Thompson/Center Arms company, which will give it expansion into the hunting rifle and black powder markets
The stock has a Price Earnings Growth Ratio of .72
Disclosure: Author owns RGR.
Posted on Mar 1st, 2007 with stocks: RGR, SWHC
Stockerblog submits:
This Connecticut based company has been manufacturing rifles, shotguns, pistols, and revolvers since 1948. Some of the positives on this stock:
Although the trailing P/E is 140, the forward P/E is 29.
The stock has a reasonable Price/Sales ratio of 1.45
Quarterly revenue growth year over year is 18.6%
The company has no long term debt
Last month, the company announced a buyback of $20 million of its shares
The company anticipates cutting its payroll by about $3 million this year from its buyouts of approximately 150 employees
The other American gun manufacturer that you can take a shot at is the NASDAQ traded Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC), a famous name in firearms which has been around since 1856. The company was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson, after selling out their first company, Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, to Oliver Winchester. The company manufactures and sells revolvers, pistols, rifles, handcuffs, and clothing, and also owns law enforcement training facilities. A few of the positives on this stock:
Although the trailing P/E is 44, the forward P/E is 21.
Quarterly revenue growth year over year is 42.7%
Quarterly earnings growth year over year is 312%
The company recently purchased the Thompson/Center Arms company, which will give it expansion into the hunting rifle and black powder markets
The stock has a Price Earnings Growth Ratio of .72
Disclosure: Author owns RGR.
Posted on Mar 1st, 2007 with stocks: RGR, SWHC
Stockerblog submits:
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Goldsboro Rifles subject of speaker
Local historian Stacey Jones will discuss the Goldsboro Rifles militia in the aftermath of the Civil War on Thursday night at a meeting of Camp 760 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Seven Springs Restaurant.
The military unit created in the first half of the 19th century was re-established in 1875 and in 1898 was called to active duty with the U.S. Army in the Spanish-American War.
The public is invited.
The military unit created in the first half of the 19th century was re-established in 1875 and in 1898 was called to active duty with the U.S. Army in the Spanish-American War.
The public is invited.
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