Signs of life in NYC

New Yorkers demanded their right to self-defense Monday by taking to the streets with guns — "giant-size cutouts of guns," that is.

In what will hopefully be the first small step in standing up to Bully Bloomberg, Libertarian activist Nic Leobold organized the New York City Rally FOR Illegal Guns outside City Hall.

Eviscerating the 2nd Amendment has clearly had a chilling effect on the 1st in the Big Apple — clearly the intent, which is why civilian gun ownership is so important. Just showing up at one of these events is asking for more police scrutiny; especially with Bloomberg's crusade against guns in full force.

New York residents are to be highly commended for having the courage to go out there in public and speak out against an unpopular, but unconstitutional, policy.

Hopefully, they can find the resources to do this more often; like a Falun Gong-style sit-in outside Bloomberg's office once a week. A groundswell of public support is the only way they will get anywhere in this city. The politicians are too weak-kneed and corrupt. (Not to mention the local media who have not covered this rally at all so far.)

Show Bloomberg how many "extremists" — meaning those who would "extremely" prefer to defend themselves rather than submit to violent criminals — there really are out there.

Link: New Yorkers rally for 'illegal' guns

Gun Buyers Beware

As more gun dealers succumb to Bloomberg's mafia tactics, gun owners need to be aware of the privacy risks of doing business with these dealers:

Cole's Gun Shop, South Boston, Va.
Big Tom's Pawn Shop, Savannah, Ga.
Dunkelberger's Sports Outfitters, Stroudsburg, Pa.
A-1 Jewelry and Pawn, Inc., Augusta, Ga.
AAA Gun & Pawn Brokers, Hephzibah, Ga.

Under the deal announced Friday, a monitor selected by the city will review sales activities at the shops for at least three years. Sales clerks may be videotaped or subjected to spot checks by undercover inspectors.

Having some NY-appointed "special crony" rifling through sales receipts is troubling to say the least. I understand the position these small businesses are in going up against Bloomberg and his deep pockets in court — and it's unfortunate the national gun organizations are so busy with elections right now — but they are not doing themselves or their customers any favors by accepting this deal.

If you're going to shop at these stores, make sure you understand exactly how much of your information is subject to Mayor Bloomberg's perusal.

If you have shopped at these stores within the past three years, I would get on the horn with the ACLU and find out what they may already have access to, what they're allowed to do with it, and what recourse you have, if any.

Link: More gun shops targeted by lawsuit agree to be monitored by NYC

Baltimore airport evacuated after firearm scare

Unless I was a congressman, mayor, or some other privileged patrician — usually excused for this type of incident — and I realized too late I had made this mistake, I would run too.

Baltimore airport evacuated after firearm scare

Officials at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport held onto the carry-on but its owner continued through the checkpoint and disappeared, airport spokesman Jonathan Dean said.

Paper Admits Truth, Misses Point

The IndyStar admits that gun prohibitions do not necessarily make citizens safe. Just ask the students of Dawson College in Montreal or the employees of the U.S. Capitol building, both of whom recently saw armed attackers invade their "gun-free zones."

In fact, the paper makes the gun advocate's argument that the need for self-defense does not cease once you enter a school, airport, or sports arena.

But, unfortunately, they come to the wrong and worn-out conclusion of limiting the rights of law-abiding citizens — in this case, lamenting the idea of permit holders carrying firearms in the public state parks their tax dollars support.

Exposing their distrust of you — the lowly citizen — the media cries wolf yet again with dire warnings of deadly destruction wrought by otherwise peaceable people.

In Virginia, we've had concealed carry in state parks for years without shootouts between boaters and bird-watchers. But make no mistake: anyone threatening my or my family's life is not a "fellow human."

Link: Disturbing the peace of gun-free parks

Guns on Campus

On the heels of a debate over guns on U.S. college campuses, everyone's worst fear — no matter which side of the debate you were on — was realized. On Wednesday, a student at Dawson College in Montreal walked into a school building armed with a rifle and a handgun and started shooting. By the time it was over, he had killed one girl, wounded nineteen others, and shot himself fatally when confronted by police.

In August, an armed and deadly fugitive on the loose in Blacksburg — home of Virginia Tech — spurred a debate among students, faculty, and Virginia residents about the school's campus gun ban imposed on students, including those allowed by Virginia law to carry a concealed weapon. Virginia state law preempts all localities from enacting their own gun laws (except for some ordinances regarding the discharge of firearms, for example), but autocrats at VA Tech, and most colleges around the country for that matter, are loathe to think they are not in complete control over their mind-melting fiefdoms.

Then in September — only days before the Montreal shooting — the Utah Supreme Court, in a ruling that could have national implications, delivered a decisive blow to the University of Utah ruling that Utah colleges are not exempt from state law regarding preemption and therefore, may not institute a campus gun ban. In an article entitled, Gun Rights vs. College Rights, Michael Young, president of the University of Utah, was quoted as saying:

Our central argument is that within the context of the First Amendment, there is the capacity to control the environment within which the educational dialogue occurs, so we are within our rights to take steps that are central to the free and open debate that you need at a university.

First of all, colleges do not have rights. Individual people have rights.

It's not about 'academic freedom,' it's about personal freedom.

It's amazing how many people in so-called "higher education" cannot grasp this basic concept. Notice also he wants the "capacity to control the environment" to foster "free and open debate." Well, Mr. Young, it looks like the Utah Supreme court has declared a winner in the free and open debate about your illegal campus gun ban.

But what of our non-violent neighbors to the North? Gun laws and culture differ tremendously between the U.S. and Canada; concealed carry is not even on the table up there. But the tragic attack at Dawson College could not illustrate more precisely the fallacy that gun bans make campuses safe. What is it they want exactly? For someone committing crimes — including murder — to be charged with a campus code violation? So, in addition to the death penalty or life in prison if convicted, the attacker would also be expelled from school. Considering students like Kimveer Gill have resorted to killing people — and attackers don't often make it out alive — I think it's safe to assume they are not worried about returning to school to finish up their degrees.

News Flash: Crime Control Works

Police in Lansing, Michigan are attributing a drop in "gun crime" to the federal government's initiative to prosecute violators and lengthen prison sentences for those convicted.

Who would've thought?

Putting perpetrators behind bars cuts crime. Brilliant.

Perhaps Inspector Fox of Philadelphia, who said of a vicious double murder in his jurisdiction,

"It's a clear indication that there's too many guns on the street," Fox said. "(Police) get some guns off the street, only to be faced with the same people back on the street within days or weeks to commit the same type of crime over and over again."

, should get together with the good folks of Lansing and do a little "intelligence sharing."

Gun found in 'gun-freest' zone

What place on earth could be more gun-free than a Washington D.C. courthouse cellblock?

Finding a gun there — loaded no less — would be unthinkable, right?

Wrong. A cleaning person found a .25-cal in a toilet and now "everybody's a suspect."

This must mean they need to tighten up gun restrictions in D.C. — and especially in the court prisons.

Link: Loaded gun found in D.C. court cellblock

Picking Up a New Skill

One day, when I was about 26-years-old, I asked myself: if I had to pick up a gun in an emergency — and use it — would I know what to do?

I had shot a small bore rifle and revolver before, but it occurred to me that most of what I knew about firearms I had learned from movies and television.

I wanted to understand the mechanics: how do safeties work? how do you reload quickly? what happens if, when you pull the trigger, it goes "click" instead of "bang"?

This question led to my taking a basic handgun course and eventually owning several guns.

While I highly encourage training and ownership, it was heartening to read this story about a Ft. Worth man who saw an opportunity and grabbed it. After seeing a robber — attempting to enter his apartment through a window — drop his gun, the resident picked it up and fired, hitting the intruder several times. And all this after undergoing dialysis moments earlier. Impressive.

After training and practice, if put in a similar situation, I can now say — yes — I would know what to do. (Whether I could pull it off is another question.)

Intruder Shot Several Times After Dropping Gun

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A robber made a big mistake during a break-in in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth police said the resident heard a knock at his door but was unable to answer since he was undergoing dialysis at the time and attached to the machine. A few moments later, the resident spotted an intruder entering his apartment through a window.

The would-be robber then dropped his gun as he crawled through the window of the man's apartment on Great Oak Road. The resident picked up the gun and fired on the intruder, hitting him several times.

The robber escaped.

Police said a man with several gunshot wounds later showed up at Arlington Memorial Hospital claiming to be a victim of a drive-by shooting. That man was taken by Careflite to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.

Police believe the injured man could be the intruder and are investigating him in connection with the attempted robbery.

Copyright 2006 by nbc5i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Questions for a VA Tech student

"I support the 2nd Amendment, BUT..."

As VCDL president Philip Van Cleave always says: when you hear those words, watch out for what comes next.

In this case, it wasn't a politician playing semantics, but a college student who, presumably, can't do too much damage. His comments came following a debate on Virginia Tech's weapons ban; even students with a valid Virginia concealed carry permit face expulsion if caught with a gun on campus.

The students got a lesson in the disadvantages of disarmament recently when a Blacksburg jail inmate grabbed a deputy's gun, shot him and a hospital guard, then became the object of a manhunt for the next several hours. Virginia Tech students were instructed to huddle and cower in their dorms, missing the first day of class.

As with most who don't think through the logic of their arguments, this senior's letter raises more questions than it answers. I gave him a few to start with:

So, because Morva grabbed a deputy's gun, are you suggesting police shouldn't carry guns either?

If not, then what's the difference between police and college students being 'extremely cautious' when carrying a gun?

Lastly, if a student intent on retribution for a bad grade contemplates murder, do you think the threat of expulsion will deter him more than the death penalty?

Maybe you need to re-compute that one.

Gun control letters miss fundamental issues
September 6th, 2006
John Woods-Senior, Computer Science

The letters and editorials concerning gun control in the wake of the William Morva incident have missed a number of fundamental issues. One author suggested that had we allowed students to possess guns, the William Morva incident would not have posed a threat to students. I would suggest that if the sheriff deputy guarding Morva had not possessed a gun, Morva would never have become an armed fugitive in the first place. This serves to highlight what might have happened had students possessed guns in addition to law enforcement.

I am not arguing against the Second Amendment, which enables us to protect ourselves from a tyrannical government, foreign invasion or armed fraternity, gang or militia — even though we have none of these things in Blacksburg. I am merely suggesting that guns should be carried only with extreme caution.

More fundamentally, Virginia Tech would have a much more difficult time attracting good professors and instructors if students carried guns. How many people are comfortable grading strangers who might be armed with anything larger than a pocket knife? Would you want to give a machete-toting student an F on a final exam? I would teach — and do research — somewhere else, personally.

Considering that there are so rarely murders in Blacksburg, it seems to me that permitting guns on campus would both add fuel to the fire and diminish the quality of education at Virginia Tech.

New Yorkers shall carry — eventually

Kudos to the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association for putting pressure on the Evil Empire State to pass a "shall issue" concealed carry law — bringing the state in line with most of the rest of the country.

And kudos to the New York Sun for giving the story some ink — despite using the term "gun enthusiasts." (Are ACLU members "speech enthusiasts"?)

Converting New York to a "shall issue" state does seem an insurmountable task, but we've come a long way since Florida enacted the first such law back in 1987 — and you've got to start somewhere.

The best tactic now is simply to keep the issue on the table. Don't give politicians a pass because you assume it will never happen.

Make them explain why they don't trust the unwashed masses to carry guns. Make them explain why New York is not one of the 40 states in the Union with a "shall issue" law. And why the "blood in the streets" and "shootouts at the OK Corrals" — insipidly warned about on every editorial page in those states — never materialized.

And make them explain why the New York State Constitution contains no provision for the citizens' right to keep and bear arms.* (One of only six states, including California, New Jersey, and Maryland. Surprised, right?)

With all that explaining, eventually the unwashed masses will sit up, take notice, and demand their rights. It may take a while, but eventually they'll notice.

Link: N.Y. Gun Enthusiasts Call for Automatic Issuing of Permits



*Article 2 of the New York State Consolidated Laws contains nearly identical language to the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (And with only one comma instead of three!), but obviously the legislature isn't too concerned about adhering to it.

PA Dems Want Bans and Buying Limits

State Sen. Connie Williams of Montgomery County asks: How can Democrats convince Pennsylvanians their proposed gun control legislation is aimed only at curbing "gun violence" and not hunting rights?

The answer: Stop proposing legislation that punishes law-abiding citizens for the actions of criminals. Instead of imposing purchase limits and outright bans, put convicted criminals — who actually commit crimes with firearms — in jail and don't let them out.

Democrats call for gun laws

Legislative proposals would include limits on the sale of handguns to one per month; a ban on military-style assault weapons statewide; additional funding for police and police equipment; and a requirement that gun owners report a lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours.

...

Williams said voters in her Philadelphia state Senate district want sensible gun control. It is voters in rural Pennsylvania who need convincing, she said.

"How do we get people to understand that we're not taking away anybody's right to hunt," Williams said. "We're really trying to slow down the explosion of gun violence."

A Deadly Game of Hide and Seek

For this Philadelphia couple, returning home after a night out put them in the wrong place at the wrong time — fatally.

Coming home to find a rape occurring in your driveway would be both repulsive and stunning. Even more so when the assailant pulls out a gun and starts shooting at you.

For this couple, the instinct to run was helpful, but unfortunately, the instinct to hide was not. While trying to conceal themselves in a nearby grassy area, the "alleged" rapist found them and shot them dead.

It's understandable that many people cannot comprehend the fear, adrenaline, and split-second decisions that accompany a life threatening situation. Many have not been through one. But when you read a tragic story like this (and thank G-d it wasn't you), as hard as it may be, put yourself in that situation.

What would you do? How would that differ if your wife and kids were there? Would you have the means — and the will — to protect yourself and your family?

We may not be able to rehearse the physiological responses to a life threatening situation, but we can think through the logical ones. You never know what scenario you might walk into — even in your own driveway. Carrying a firearm for self-defense greatly increases your chances of avoiding a high-stakes game of hide and seek. Freedom comes with responsibility, but it's a life insurance policy worth having.

If your local laws permit you to carry a concealed weapon, strongly consider it. If not, question your government's distrust of you and willingness to put your life at risk.

People like Chief Inspector Fox, who sounds as if he's not sure whether to arrest people or guns, will discourage you. But remember it's not his job — or anyone else's — to protect you. It's yours and yours alone.

Police: Couple who happened upon rape in Philadelphia are killed

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - A couple who stumbled upon a man raping a woman in their driveway were killed by the rapist, police said.

The victim of the alleged rape in the Fern Rock neighborhood was shot in the arm and leg but was expected to recover, police said. The attack was one of six shootings - two of them fatal - overnight in Philadelphia.

The couple was returning home from a night out when they found the alleged rapist and his 18-year-old victim late Wednesday night, police said.

The woman broke free of her attacker and began screaming about the assault, according to police. The couple and the teen then fled on foot while the attacker fired at them with a semiautomatic handgun.

The three tried to hide nearby in a grassy area, but the assailant found them and fired several more shots while they were lying on the ground, said Chief Inspector Joseph Fox.

"It sounds like it was all happening in a matter of seconds," Fox said.

The names of the couple were being withheld pending notification of family.

Kevin White, 24, of Philadelphia, was arrested a short time after the 11:30 p.m. shooting and will be charged with murder, rape, aggravated assault and other offenses, Fox said. Police said they recovered a gun during the arrest.

There were five other shootings overnight in Philadelphia.

"It's a clear indication that there's too many guns on the street," Fox said. "(Police) get some guns off the street, only to be faced with the same people back on the street within days or weeks to commit the same type of crime over and over again."

CA Dodges Micro-stamped, Serialized Bullet

After reading this straight news story about the defeat of AB 352, a bill that would have required firearm microstamping and bullet serialization of all ammunition, it's hard to figure out what the supporting arguements were.

It's unreliable, it's easy to circumvent, and it costs more...Let's do it!

Looks like it's back to the drawing board for left coast gun grabbers.

Link: Firearms Industry Scores Major Victory in California Assembly; Microstamping & Bullet Serialization Bill Defeated

My Rebuttal to James Alan Fox

After an article in which James Alan Fox suggested that NRA influence led to a slight increase in violent crime last year (Violent Crime Up for 1st Time in 5 Years, AP, 6/12/06), we exchanged a few cordial emails in which he claimed that although certain gun control laws can't be proven to reduce crime, they should be passed anyway because they are "good."

Not very convincing.

Dr. Fox was at it again recently in his Aug. 14, 2006 article, Straight shooting for better gun laws, making weak arguments for ineffective laws.

An excellent rebuttal to Dr. Fox's article by Howard Nemerov was recently reposted at Newsbusters.

After reading Dr. Fox's article, I sent the following reply, but have yet to receive a response.

Re: Straight shooting for better gun laws

Dr. Fox,

In response to your suggestions:

Ballistic fingerprinting

It's impractical; useful only for wasting time and money. We could put "telescreens" in every home — the next step to follow "crime cameras" going up in cities everywhere — but it would be cost prohibitive, ineffective in deterring and prosecuting criminals, and most people would not accept the violation of privacy.

No one has even hinted at this obscure idea since the D.C. sniper case in 2002. In fact, a Google News search of "ballistic fingerprinting" turns up only your editorial.

Here's an informative article on the logistic problems and ineffectiveness with fingerprinting — as Maryland and New York can attest to — that go far beyond barrel replacement.
How Reliable Is Ballistic Fingerprinting?


ATF tracing

As you mention, tracing, which is used for various purposes, does not in itself indicate sources of illegal guns. Even the ATF does not want this data released to the public, subjecting it to misuse; only to law enforcement agencies directly involved in a criminal investigation.

The "thousands of violations" by gun dealers consist mainly of typos on required paperwork which bills HR 5005 and HR 5092 seek to address by instituting a system of tiered financial penalties instead of the current two-option system — renew or revoke the license.

The ATF has all the authority and ability it needs to shut down gun dealers in violation of the law which they have done several times recently:
Feds revoking licenses of two Merced gun stores
ATF yanks shop's gun license


Registration

Would you call people with home, car, life, and flood insurance 'paranoid of circumstantial intrusion'? Or smart and practical? The 2nd Amendment is similarly an insurance policy against oppressive or ineffective government. You hope you never need it, but you're glad to know it's there if you do.

Registration — especially "LoJack-style GPS devices" — would make confiscation by future governments far too easy, putting all our cherished freedoms at risk. In the meantime, the potential for hackers to compromise this information makes gun owners vulnerable to home invasion and robbery. (Registry alarms raised) And like ballistic fingerprinting, it's another white elephant with no practical purpose other than draining tax revenue. Ask Canada.


Conclusion

The difficulty gun control advocates face is not the powerful NRA lobby, but that they propose solutions — for most people — without a problem.

I live in the suburbs of northern Virginia outside Washington. People here are not concerned about "gun crime." When we drive around, we see car accidents — not bullet-riddled bodies. If we can get where we're going and back home without getting hit by a drunk driver or a teenager, we're happy.

Those advocating the gun control measures you suggest represent a tiny, fanatical minority that Congress has realized does not have the votes to send them packing (pun intended). While some areas of the country have problems with gang activity and violent crime, the vast majority of gun owning or gun agnostic American families see it for what it is: violent crime instigated by repeat offending violent criminals that have nothing to do with the guns they own for hunting, sport shooting, and self-defense.

Society accepts a certain amount of crime in exchange for liberty. It's part of the responsibility that comes with freedom. As long as the majority is not affected by it, the cries for more gun control — that "something must be done" — will go unnoticed.

Now, I have to get back to polishing my collection. :-)

D.C. Crime Wave Conundrum

As Police Chief Ramsey frets over shift shuffling and camera angles and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton worries about someone mugging the economy, D.C. authorities fail to grasp the simple, yet elegant, solution to their 'crime wave' problem restated recently in an Aug. 25 Richmond Times-Dispatch editorial — repeal the ban on civilian firearm ownership.

While you worry about protecting the economy, recognize the citizens' right to protect themselves.

Link: Capital Crime Wave Threatens Tourism

Link: 30 Failed Years