And Claire Wolfe says them best:

DOING THE RIGHT THING. If you're a gun person, you probably know all about this weekend's Jim Zumbo flap.

Mr. Famous Outdoorsman, who's been writing about guns and hunting for 42 years, spewed forth an ignorant blurt about "terrorist assault rifles" that put him straight into the Brady camp. After several thousand howls of protest, he followed up with an alleged apology that made matters even worse. Said apology never actually apologized for calling millions of us "terrorists." It simply said (I paraphrase): a) I was having a bad day, b) Ted Nugent's still willing to hunt with me, c) how can you hate me when I'm a member of the NRA?, d) how can you question my patriotism when I fly my American flag every day?, e) I help disabled veterans, and f) if you hunt or shoot, I'm the very best friend you could possibly have.

Seriously. Our Very Best Friend. Never mind that he still believes we're all "terrorists." Never mind that the Brady campaign had already picked up his words and was busily battering us with them. (The link above will take you to all parts of the Zumbo fumble. The original blog entries and the thousands of comments they generated are gone -- more below on that -- but Google still has them in cache. Here's the cached version of Zumbo's original screed. Here's the cache of his self-serving non-apology.)

This arrogant ass sold out millions of gun owners -- sold out freedom itself -- and did it without apparently the slightest concern or understanding that he was, as one commentator put it, "deliberately poking a hole in the life raft we're all floating in."

But this isn't about Zumbo. This is about the companies that made Zumbo possible. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

REMINGTON. I was impressed with Remington -- big time. The Sunday night that Zumbo's sponsors and publisher were being buried in thousands of protest emails, I received a response from Remington's CEO, Tommy Millner, saying his company was already cutting Zumbo loose.

At first I didn't believe the message was actually from Millner; there was some question whether the email address circulating for him was accurate. And after all, how many times have you ever written to the head of a big company and actually gotten a personal repsonse from him? Never, right? Well, make that "at least once." Turns out Millner was in Europe, where he was taking the time to respond to that enormous barrage of mail on his Blackberry.

Now that's impressive.

By Monday morning, still on the holiday weekend, Remington had officially announced it was severing all ties with Zumbo. No ifs, ands, or buts.

GERBER. The blade maker, another Zumbo sponsor, was the next one I heard from. I guess a knife-maker thinks it has less at stake than a firearms manufacturer. Zumbo's sell-out of the Second is no big deal to them. Maybe the Gerberites figure that after "they" come for the guns, Gerber will be able to sell more knives -- for a while.

In any case, a flack sent a carefully innocuous piece of PR spam stating, "...we respect the opinion of our sponsored hunters and users however, we do not necessarily agree with all their opinions, nor do we endorse their public statements. Our presence and development in the tactical and hunting markets is proof-positive we are committed to supporting these industries and all those involved."

Bleah. To add to the unimpressive impression, the flack pointed to Zumbo's "apology" as though it meant something, even though my original message was headed "Zumbo's apology isn't enough."

Well. No more Gerber knives in my future. How about yours?

HI MOUNTAIN SEASONINGS. The Wyoming-based vendor of jerky- and sausage-making products gets my Shining Light Award. They had already announced on their web site that they were severing any relationship with Zumbo when I wrote to thank them. Hans Hummel and his wife Kimberly own the company that -- until today -- helped keep Zumbo's Outdoor Network TV show on the air. They even feature Zumbo on their packaging. Hans sent both his company's official response and a heartfelt personal one.

Here's the official word:

Dear Fellow 2nd Amendment Supporters:

I am writing to thank all of you for your activism in making us aware of the comments made on Mr. Zumbo’s blog. Hi Mountain Jerky and Seasoning has been a sponsor of his hunting show on the Outdoor Channel, but is in the process of terminating our relationship. We do not support his statements regarding his view of the Second Amendment and would not have supported the show or had his endorsement on our packaging in the past had we known this. We fully stand behind the individual right to keep and bear arms as our Founding Fathers intended. It is truly heartwarming to see the grass roots activism in support of our Second Amendment, please know Hi Mountain Jerky and Seasoning stands behind you.

Privately he mourned that it was especially wrenching for him to have to deal with this, given his own passion for freedom and liberty. He also asked everyone to be patient because it could take months for Zumbo to disappear from all Hi Mountain packaging at the retail store level. But the show sponsorship? That's over today.

Hi Mountain is a small, family-owned business. I'm sure this whole thing has been difficult -- and could be costly -- for them. So please go visit their web site and give them the most meaningful sort of thanks. Buy stuff. And tell your friends.

MOSSY OAK, the camo people, didn't respond to my email, but did swiftly sever their relationship with Zumbo via a notice on their (very beautiful) web site.

CABELA'S. I haven't heard from that lovely outdoor superstore yet, either. But a fellow letter-writer has. The official word is that they don't like what Zumbo did, they recognize Zumbo's views are antithetical to theirs and most of their customers'. And their lawyers are looking into the situation. Okay, it's a beginning.

OUTDOOR LIFE. Finally these are the folks who seem to deserve a thorough raking over red-hot coals. I don't think they deserve blame for publishing Zumbo's dumb blurt. They couldn't have expected one of their own "experts" to be not only an anti-gunner but an idiot who can't tell a semi-auto firearm from an "assault rifle." But so far, their only responses have been tepid at best, creepy at worst. First the editor puts up a note on the offending Zumbo blog entry, saying he liked Ol' Jim even if he didn't agree with him in this case. Well, okay, I can see responding like that while you're just trying to catch your breath. It's feeble, but it's something. Next, they discontinue the blog "for the time being." But instead of just freezing the thing, they "disappear" the blog -- and the thousands of outraged comments -- completely.

So, is that a preparation for canning Zumbo? Or is the sudden disappearance a cowardly attempt to shove the whole controversy down the Orwellian memory hole? (Ah, but the memory hole doesn't work so well in a Google-fied, blog-ridden world!)

Outdoor Life has also, to the best of my knowledge, not responded to any of the thousands of furious emails they've received. I've written three myself, copied to various OL addresses (kindly provided by Kregener on TCF) and haven't heard so much as a squeak.

So should Outdoor Life become the next Kmart? That is, the next target for a mass gun-owner boycott? For some, it's already begun. Me, I think they should get another 24 hours' chance to stand up and do the right thing. After all, this whole mess hit on a holiday weekend, and it hit them so hard they're probably still spinning. But heck, with major sponsors pulling out, canning Zumbo's not just the right thing to do for gun owners, guns, and freedom, it's the self-interested thing. So do it already, people. Get it over with.

So ... Mega-kudos to Remington, Hi Mountain, and Mossy Oak. No mucking about, no backpedaling, no compromises, no weasel words or weasel actions. Just respect for gun owners and the right to keep and bear arms. Next time you buy a gun or ammo you know for sure that at least one firearms maker really means it when they say they support the Second Amendment. Next time you buy jerky seasonings and supplies, Hi Mountain's the place to go. You'll know your freedom won't be abused. I hear their stuff is delicious, besides. Looking forward to trying it myself. You now know whose brand of camo you can trust -- and a visit to Mossy Oak's web site is a pleasure all by itself.

Cabela's? We're waiting to hear from you.

Gerber? Well, there are a lot of good knife-makers out there. We really don't need you as long as you give financial and moral support to enemies of freedom.

Outdoor Life? You still bear the major onus here. It's up to you. Hope you do the right thing.

And Jim Zumbo ... May you lie happily ever after in the arms of Sarah Brady, you ignorant, elitist, traitorous, backstabbing scum. Maybe she'll sponsor your program or publish your column now that the whole world knows you're on her side.

The decision to charge Auckland gun shop worker Greg Carvell has come as a complete shock to his family.

The 33-year-old has been charged with possession of a firearm without lawful, proper, or sufficient purpose, following the shooting of man who entered the Penrose shop in possession of a machete.

The man received stomach injuries, and was later charged with assault with intent to rob.

Carvell will appear in the Auckland District Court on December 6, and his father Ray says this is news to the family.

He says his son has not formally been charged and they have had to hear the appearance date through the media.

Ray Carvell says this is extremely upsetting as his son was acting in self defence.

So a machete-wielding guy tries to rob a gun shop, presumably to obtain a gun with which to further other criminal acts, is stopped by the store owner using tools available to hand, without even killing him, and then he is arrested for not having a lawful, proper, or sufficient purpose?

What kind of backward, third-world country is this from?

New Zealand - a society based on British laws, part of the Commonwealth and relatively civilized.

It seems as if they still lack a spine...

Titled:   Gun 'Microstamping' Bill Passes California Senate

The California Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would require the "microstamping" of semi-automatic handguns -- giving cartridges fired from those guns a unique imprint, which according to gun control advocates, would help police solve crimes.

Supporters say microstamping would turn spent cartridges into potential evidence in civil and criminal cases. According the California Million Mom March, "when the police retrieve the bullet casing at a crime scene, they can quickly track down the legal owner of the handgun that fired it."

Nonsense, say Second Amendment supporters, who view the bill as yet another attempt to burden gun manufacturers and further restrict gun sales in the state. They say that gun makers, faced with the added expense of microstamping semiautomatic weapons, would either stop selling their wares in California or drastically raise prices.

The bill (AB 352) would "expand the definition of unsafe handgun to include semiautomatic pistols that are not designed and equipped with a microscopic array of characters, that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol, etched into the interior surface or internal working parts of the pistol, and which are transferred by imprinting on each cartridge case when the firearm is fired."

Watch the revolver become the "weapon of choice" among street gangs in CA.

But the California NRA Members' Councils says the microstamping would create false evidence trails.

"Micro-stamped cartridge cases fired and abandoned at government agencies facilities or private shooting ranges could be gathered and used to 'seed' crime scenes with the with 'evidence,' implicating law enforcement officers and citizens" in crimes they had nothing to do with, the group said in an analysis on its website.

The gun-rights group also said microstamped cartridges could not be recycled because they might implicate secondary users of reloaded cartridges. "Millions of pounds of metals will be turned into scrap and require expense disposal requirements imposed so it will not enter landfills."

And without the ability to sell and recycle used (microstamped) cartridge cases, the cost of firearms training will increase for government agencies, the gun rights group added.

Second Amendment supporters also note that microstamps can be easily defeated by replacing parts of the handgun that have been stamped; polishing the microstamp with abrasives or modifying the stamp; and in some cases, the stamped markings may be filled in with residue produced by normal firing of the gun.

What is so wrong with ballistic fingerprinting Sure, I’ve heard the argument that gun barrels can be replaced or modified. As a parallel to actual fingerprinting, criminals sometimes wear gloves or alter their fingertips, but that doesn’t discourage us from collecting this kind of forensic evidence.

The ATF tracing initiative has consistently shown that less than 1 percent of gun dealers are linked to a majority of firearms recovered from criminal enterprises. While most of these traces may have involved legitimate transactions, ATF investigations have uncovered thousands of federal law violations by these dealers. Unfortunately, recent congressional legislation significantly limits public and law enforcement access to gun-tracing information, thereby shielding rogue dealers.

Aside from some paranoid view of government intrusion, what really is the danger of firearms registration or of background checks on all gun sales We register automobiles, and qualify and license drivers; why not do the same with guns and their owners It makes no sense to prevent law enforcement from tracking firearms transfers that fuel the illegal market. We could even install LoJack-style, GPS devices into new guns to curtail trade in stolen firearms.

Titled:   Some of them do get it - it's just the MSM can't bring themselves to say it 

I wrote earlier about a cop who was reported to have said:

"We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

This was in respect to a CPL holder that subdued a knife-wielding maniac that had just stabbed a number of people. 

It seems that the cops words were twisted by the MSM filter. He actually said something different:

The Sarge said that he had no problem with permit holders but if it were someone who had no training with firearms, did not know the law and had just grabbed up a gun it might not be a good idea.

Which I think we would all agree with.

He praised Mr. Cobb as a genuine hero from start to finish saying he acted in a totally professional manner through-out the entire ordeal. He then continued to say that concealed permit holders were top notch and he’d rather have some of them “…..backing me up than some police officers I know”.

Not the kind of thing they like to report, huh?

The man accused of barging into the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and killing one woman and wounding five others will be prosecuted on state murder and attempted-murder charges rather than federal hate-crime laws, officials said.

SEC. 280003. DIRECTION TO UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION REGARDING SENTENCING ENHANCEMENTS FOR HATE CRIMES.

(a) DEFINITION- In this section, `hate crime' means a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.
(b) SENTENCING ENHANCEMENT- Pursuant to section 994 of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission shall promulgate guidelines or amend existing guidelines to provide sentencing enhancements of not less than 3 offense levels for offenses that the finder of fact at trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt are hate crimes. In carrying out this section, the United States Sentencing Commission shall ensure that there is reasonable consistency with other guidelines, avoid duplicative punishments for substantially the same offense, and take into account any mitigating circumstances that might justify exceptions.

Haq, a U.S.-born Muslim, told authorities he was angered by the war in Iraq and U.S. military cooperation with Israel. According to a statement of probable cause, Haq told a 911 dispatcher: "These are Jews and I'm tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East."

The venue:

The Jewish federation, a group covering the Jewish community around the Puget Sound region, had organized a large rally last weekend to demonstrate support for Israel in its fight against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

At a news conference on Friday, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said, "This was a purposeful, hateful act as far as we know, by an individual acting alone."

A knife-wielding grocery store employee attacked eight co-workers Friday, seriously injuring five before a witness pulled a gun and stopped him, police said.

The 21-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld pending charges, was arrested and then taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pains, Memphis Police Sgt. Vince Higgins said.

The attack apparently stemmed from a work dispute, police said. Five victims, one in critical condition, were admitted to the Regional Medical Center, the main trauma hospital for the Memphis area. Three others were less badly hurt and treated at another hospital.

The attacker, chasing one victim into the store's parking lot, was subdued by Chris Cope, manager of a financial services office in the same small shopping center, Higgins said. Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup truck when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie."

"When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it." Police arrived within minutes and took the attacker into custody. "

He just kept saying, 'I'm insane. I wish I was never born' and that kind of stuff," Cope said. The attack started in an employee area of the Schnucks supermarket on the outskirts of Memphis and no customers were involved, Higgins said. Police said two large kitchen knives used in the attack were found at the scene.

Witness Frank Rector said the attacker held a knife high in a stabbing position as he chased a victim into the parking lot. The victim, Rector said, "was circling, trying to get away from him." The ages of the victims were not immediately released.

Higgins and a company spokeswoman said all the victims were employees of the store. The spokeswoman said officials from the St. Louis-based company were on their way to the scene. Higgins said police were pulling into the parking lot as Cope was confronting the attacker. "We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

Yup - the police would rather have the perp running about stabbing people before they shoot him when they eventually arrive, than a responsible citizen quickly put a peaceful stop to the problem on the spot and show how armed citizens can do good.

At least they haven't arrested the guy with the gun... but then this is TN not CA.

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed legislation Thursday that supporters say is aimed at strengthening and clarifying self-defense rights in Michigan. People now will be allowed to use deadly force, with no duty to retreat, if they reasonably think they face imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault.

They can use deadly force on their property or anywhere they have a legal right to be. The legislation also protects people from civil lawsuits if they have used force in self-defense.

"Law-abiding citizens will have the right to defend themselves against brutal violence without having to worry about being treated like a criminal," state Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, said in a statement.

The law also creates a "rebuttable presumption" -- a legal advantage that assumes, unless there's strong proof to the contrary, that people honestly and reasonably believe they face death, rape or great bodily harm when someone breaks into their home.

The presumption won't apply in domestic violence situations, disputes involving the police and if people using the force are breaking the law.

WLNS:

Mich. Governor Granholm has signed legislation that supporters say will strengthen and clarify self-defense rights in Michigan.

People now will be allowed to use deadly force -- with no duty to retreat -- if they reasonably think they face imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault.The law also protects people from civil lawsuits if they have used force in self-defense.

Critics says the law is NOT only dangerous but also unnecessary because prosecutors already don't charge people who have justifiably used deadly force to protect themselves.

Supporters say the law is needed to protect people from getting sued and partly because Michigan law previously required people to first retreat before using deadly force, putting them at a disadvantage.

The UN Small Arms Conference ended Friday in deadlock with no formal conclusions or recommendations. In the final analysis, the complexity of the issue and the concerns of hunters, sport shooters and firearms owners world-wide prevailed. No recommendations on ammunition, civilian possession or future UN meetings, or for that matter any other subjects, were adopted. The failure of this five-year program to impact the legitimate firearms industry, and the 2nd Amendment rights of U.S. citizens was total. Anti-gun NGOs and liberal governments served notice they would not give up and would present all of their issues to the UN General Assembly this fall.

Titled:   Senate votes to bar emergency gun confiscation

The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to prohibit the confiscation of legally owned guns during an emergency like last year's Hurricane Katrina, marking another victory for the gun lobby.

By a vote of 84-16, the Senate embraced an amendment by Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. He attached his measure to a domestic security spending bill for the fiscal year starting October 1 that the Senate is expected to pass soon.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed its version of the spending bill and negotiators will have to decide whether to keep the gun provision. The House is usually sympathetic to gun owners.

Citing the constitutional right to bear arms, Vitter said that during an emergency people should be allowed to hold onto "legally possessed firearms to defend your life, your property" at a time when telephone lines and cell phones probably are not operating and victims "can't reach out to law enforcement authorities."

Progress - But it is a pity that we have to put into law what is already there.

"Shall not be infringed"

Of course there is always a hopeful idiot at hand:

Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, added, "You send the National Guardsmen in ... and then snipers start shooting at them and the police make it known this is going to be a gun-free zone. We don't want any National Guardsmen killed because of this national emergency, this disaster. Is that an unreasonable thing?"

Yup - law abiding people waiting to ambush the National Guard. Happens all the time... such is the mindset of the crazy left. As if the criminals in an emergency are just going to hand them over peacefully...

Titled: Gun Sales Rise as Crime and Accident Rates Fall

New statistics show that firearm and ammunition sales are on the rise, coinciding with steady downward trends in gun crime, suicide and accident rates, in the U.S.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry, has released U.S. Dept. of the Treasury figures indicating that 2005 retail sales of firearms and ammunition rose 2.6 percent for a total volume of $2.1 billion.

U.S. Statistics	Source	Last Year*	Trend
Firearm & Ammunition Sales	U.S. Dept. of the Treasury	Up 2.6% to $2.1 billion	Up 27.7% since 1998
Firearms Produced for Retail Sale	Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)	2,947,008	22.8 million total since 1998
Firearms Imported for Retail Sale	U.S. Census Bureau	1,845,366	10.7 million total since 1998
Right to Carry Laws	National Rifle Association (NRA)	Passed in 2 more states	Now in 40 states; 9 added since 1998
Firearm Crimes	Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)	Down 2.4% to 339,280	Down 7% since 1998
Firearm Suicides	Centers for Disease Control (CDC)	Down 1.1% to 16,907	Down 1.8% since 1998
Accidental Firearm Fatalities	National Safety Council	Tied previous year’s all-time low of 700	Down 19.2% since 1998
Accidental Firearm Fatalities, Age 14 & Under	National Safety Council	Down to all-time low of 60	Down 50.4% since 1998

More at the NSSF site

Of course this is not news to those who pay attention to 2nd Amendment issues but it is nice to see the numbers to back it all up.

Titled:   Man Dies Days After Gun Went Off In Pants

Another reason the left should fear the gun-owning classes is the accelerated forces of Darwin inherent in gun ownership. Many feel called to own, train and use firearms, but there is always a minority who really need a little more help in understanding that power can be both good and bad, depending on the wielder.

On the good side are the relatively bright, solid, law-abiding, careful gun owners, who keep their guns under control, whether holstered, locked up - at least out of the reach of children. They practise good safety - assuming all guns are loaded, pointed in a safe direction, keeping your finger off that trigger and making sure they are well-maintained and functioning.

On the other side are the less bright, who tend to treat their firearms as toys, as an accessory - the types that look down the barrel after a misfire, tend to keep guns of dubious origin and regularly remove themselves from the gene pool.

A good example is Chavis Thompson, who decided it was good form to keep a loaded pistol tucked in the front of his pants. This wouldn't usually be a problem in itself, until it is combined with a few other factors. Namely sitting down while trying to tuck in into your waistband, combined with keeping your finger on the trigger.

This fatal combination was enough not only to result in a unexpected surprise for Chavis, the remove of certain bodily parts in an explosive manner, but also the severing of a major artery which eventually killed him.

The former Hubbard High School student and the eldest of four kids “was trying to holster the gun,” with his finger on the trigger, while sitting in his grandmother’s Honda, when “the gun went off,” said his cousin Ashlie Thompson.

Tucking a loaded gun into your waistband is not holstering. And not a clever thing to do while holding the trigger either. And the gun didn't "go off" all by itself. He shot himself in the undercarriage.

The overall result of this is a net increase in the proportion of bright, careful gun owners and one less Honda-borrowing, ganster-wanabee, pants-tucking young man. If this trend continues, the NRA may well end up merging with MENSA.

If you learn one thing from this sad example, make sure it is to not point any firearm, loaded or not, at any part of your body you feel an attachment to. After all, we all want to be on the brighter side, huh?

If you are in or near the Battle Creek, MI area and have an interest in firearms use and training be sure to visit the Southside Sportsman Club. They have an indoor range, CCW (CPL) training classes and much more. For more information visit their web site here.

Titled: Michigan's Castle Doctrine package heading to Governor's desk!

Michigan's Castle Doctrine package heading to Governor's desk!

Earlier this week, Michigan's Castle Doctrine package of House and Senate Bills was overwhelmingly passed by our State Legislators and are now en route to Governor Granholm's desk.

This package will help the citizens of Michigan by clarifying the rights and duties of self-defense and the defense of others while at home, in your vehicle, or anywhere you have a right to be. It will also provide immunity from civil liability for self-defense actions.

Given that Dick DeVos is on record as supporting this package, Granholm is expected to sign it, however, we encourage you to call Governor Granholm and urge her to support this vital piece of legislation!

I ran accross this Michigan Gun owners forum recently and thought I would pass it along. Its called the MGO Community Forum and can be found here.

In an article a few months back, I wrote about colored guns.

I would imagine enterprising bank robbers will soon be sporting orange-tipped weapons to give them a few seconds edge on the police and concealed license holders. If they're willing to rob a bank armed, what makes you think they won't apply some orange paint?

"Just think about how sick it is," Bloomberg said. "What possible reason can you give to want to paint a gun so it looks like a child's toy gun, other than to put a police officer in one of those impossible positions?"

Although no painted guns have been recovered in connection with crimes, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, the proposed law is a pre-emptive move, intended to stop criminals from potentially tricking police officers with candy-colored weapons.

Titled: Gun buybacks make return to Boston

Boston officials said yesterday they have raised approximately $40,000 to resume a gun buyback program, which will offer $200 Target gift cards for each working gun that is turned in.

"We want guns that are on the street causing the violence and maiming and hurting and killing people."

Old guns, particularly dangerous ones, are now worth $200 in Boston, no questions asked...

That should attract a fair few into the area and provide much needed funds for the purchase of newer, more effective models.

Titled:    Smart gun' shows promise - and promises controversy

As police in Philadelphia struggle to stop a scourge of shootings, some New Jersey engineers say they are closing in on a "smart" solution: a gun that can be fired only by its owner.

The prototype, developed at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, has pressure sensors embedded in the gun handle that recognize a person's unique grip.

The team says a commercial model is up to five years away, but if it works, it will trigger a singular - and controversial - state law. Within three years, all handguns sold in New Jersey would have to be personalized, with this or some other recognition technology.

...

Various smart-gun efforts have flamed out in the past, amid vocal skepticism by the National Rifle Association. Many gun owners chafe at the notion of any restrictions on their Second Amendment right to bear arms, and warn that any such modifications would make guns more expensive.

Gun-control advocates, meanwhile, are split, with some warning that personalized firearms would give owners a false sense of security.

...

Once the shooter squeezes the trigger, the grip sensors spring into action, recording the pressure for one-tenth of a second. In that moment, the pressure applied by each finger varies enough that engineers can distinguish between shooters with a high degree of reliability. A grip's signature does not vary significantly from firing to firing, even in stressful situations, researchers have found.

A year and a half ago, a prototype recognized authorized users nine out of 10 times. Now, the rate lies between 95 and 99 percent, said Michael Cody, a computer science engineer on the team.

At the very least, the technology would cut down on violence committed with the 500,000 handguns that are stolen each year, said Stephen Teret, public health professor at Johns Hopkins University. "If all those guns had been personalized guns," Teret said, "they would be useless when they were stolen."

What the news article doesn't mention is that most of this violence is the result of street gangs, drug gangs, et al. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about the 28,000 legally licensed citizens concealed-carrying. I'd be more concerned about the thousands of criminals who haven't bothered (and never will) obtaining a permit. They're the ones commiting mayhem. Bust-up the mutant gangs, throw them in jail, and watch the violence decrease. Don't start leaving the haplass honest folk defenseless.

Titled: Law-abiding residents should be able to protect themselves

Since the Michigan Legislature is currently considering legislation affecting self-defense measures, Dick DeVos issued the following statement regarding the package of legislation known as the "Home is Your Castle" doctrine:

"There have been and will continue to be many debates surrounding the rights given to us in the Second Amendment.  Let me be clear:  I support the rights granted to us by our Founding Fathers to keep and bear arms, and that is why I support the legislation known as the 'Home is Your Castle' doctrine.

"Protecting loved ones from danger is a natural response and people shouldn't be punished for protecting their family.  Every person should have the right to defend oneself and their family in the case of a forceful and unlawful break-in, without the fear of being sued for civil damages."

Yes indeed! Although he is wrong about one thing. Our rights were not granted to us by the founding fathers. And I quote. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Titled: Michigan "Castle Doctrine" Package Moving in the State Senate

The Michigan State Senate will hear the “Castle Doctrine” legislation as early as Tuesday, May 23.  This critically important legislation will help the citizens of Michigan in two ways:

• protects your right to self-defense, and ensures you do not have a “duty to retreat” from a violent attacker; and 
• gives immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force.

Lifted from the NRA-ILA Site

Titled:   General: Zarqawi 'Bloopers' Tape Found

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted man in Iraq, doesn't exactly look like a terrorist mastermind in a new videotape released by the U.S. military today.

In blooper-type footage from a Zarqawi video released last week, the al Qaeda in Iraq leader is seen fumbling with a machine gun.

It's quite a show. Firing at nothing in particular, then rotating around to point the barrel directly at a colleague. Then getting it stuck in single round mode, jamming and staring in confusion as someone has to un-jam it for him. Then others grabbing at the hot barrel and burning themselves. All in New Balance sneakers - infidel footware.

Certainly not the experienced combatant he portrays himself to be. 

I'm also not sure that New Balance can build much of an ad campaign around the footage.

Titled: Michigan Castle Doctrine Approved by House!

Law-abiding Michigan residents who actually and reasonably believe they are facing imminent death, great bodily harm or rape at the hands of a violent criminal are justified in using force to defend themselves and their families. They are no longer required to retreat from a violent attacker in their own home under a package of bills sponsored and spearheaded by state Rep. Rick Jones. The measures were approved today by the Michigan House of Representatives.

“One of Michigan’s most basic values is that a person’s home is their castle,” said Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “This legislation makes it clear that not only do you have the right to stand your ground and defend yourself, but you will not be prosecuted or sued for defending yourself or your family in your own home.”

The “castle doctrine” is enshrined as a sacred right in English common law. It holds if you’re wrongfully threatened or attacked in your home, you may meet force with force.

More at the MCRGO web site.

Titled:   'Give Me Your Money or I'll Kill You'

The gun-free shangri-las of the District and Maryland erupted yesterday in a rolling wave of violence, gunfire and car-jackings. This was an unchallenged romp by an armed gang that took full advantage of the safe, gun-free environment and took everything they wanted:

At a news conference outside police headquarters, D.C. officers said they believe the crimes started early Saturday in Northwest when a group of young men carjacked a Mazda 626. The next day, thieves stole a black Jeep Liberty parked near 12th and Varnum streets NE. Police believe that Jeep was used in many crimes that followed.

The next robbery, police believe, took place about 11:45 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of Fairmont Street NW. The crimes picked up again about 1 p.m. Monday when armed men attempted a carjacking in Mount Rainier, police said.

In the next few minutes, heavily armed men committed three more robberies in the Hyattsville area, pistol-whipping four victims in one of the holdups.

And it didn't stop there. The police seem to be dumbfounded and are making a slow start towards investigating the crimes:

"Hopefully, we'll get some fingerprints," McCoy said. "There are definitely other people out there."

Police said they were still trying to piece together the exact number and sequence of robberies and carjackings and were culling through reports to see whether other crimes might be connected to the group.

The sheep people are concerned:

Yesterday, some of those who live or attend schools in neighborhoods targeted by the robbers said they were shocked by the brazen crimes.

"It's so scary," said Lauren Treacy, 18, a freshman at Catholic. "I know I have to be careful."

About two miles away, at Howard, where one of the carjackings occurred, freshman Kimberly Williams, 19, was trying to come to terms with the suddenness of it all.

"I wouldn't expect that to happen here in broad daylight," she said.

You usually get what you vote for.

Hat-tip to Ravenwood

Titled: Legislative Update Michigan's 'Castle Doctrine'

After expressing initial concern with language 'substitutes' to the Castle Doctrine, MCRGO quietly set to work on changes acceptable to MCRGO's membership. The first step was MCRGO and Senator Alan Cropsey meeting with one of the sponsors to explore our concerns. The second was working with Senator Cropsey to schedule a Hearing (early March) to review the issue itself. The final step was sharing our specific concerns with NRA liaison Darin Goens earlier this month. He agreed with our assessment. United, we were then able to affect the necessary changes.

We join with the NRA in thanking Representative Jones for his assistance in developing language that everyone can support. Together with the Bills sponsored by Senator Alan Cropsey and State Representative Tom Casperson, MCRGO can now 'endorse' the entire package. With the coalition in place, action will now begin next week in the House under the able leadership of Representative William Van Regenmorter, Committee Chair and long-time 2A supporter.

We also wish to thank you--MCRGO's members--for your patience. While others continue to blindly bang the drum for calls and letters to Legislators, you trusted MCRGO's tried and true method of working respectfully behind-the-scenes with key Legislators in pursuit of effective language. It is this approach--and the relationship with Legislators we have developed--that has allowed MCRGO to build a record of uninterrupted victories in both the Capitol and the Courts.

While this is not over, we can see the light at the end of what's been a relatively long tunnel.

More at the MRGCO's web site.

Titled: House Bill 4643 Becomes Law: Public Act No. 92

This Bill was prompted by CPL renewal delay problems. HB 4643, requires that an application for CPL renewal must be either granted or denied within 60 days; failing that, the current CPL is automatically extended for 180 days. This bill was passed by the House in July of 2005, by the Senate in March 2006, and signed into law April '06.

More info at the MCRGO's Web site.

Toys in the Attic has a great post concerning the way to achieve our 2nd Ammendment rights - absolutely in one hit, or incrementally.

Towards the bottom of the page I found this, attributed to Tam at View From The Porch:

In 1933, you could send money to Sears and buy a machine gun through the mail, with no questions asked.

In 1967, a fifteen year-old could walk into a hardware store and, showing no ID other than some pictures of Andrew Jackson and filling out no paperwork other than the warranty card, walk out with the handgun of his choice. The only background check might have been the proprietor asking “Is this for you or your dad, Bobby?”

In 1986 a teen could walk into a sporting goods store in a mall and buy a semiautomatic rifle and five hundred rounds of ammunition after filling out one small form and undergoing no background check, and walk her purchase out through the mall, no questions asked.

In 1994 you could drive to Georgia from Tennessee and buy the scariest-looking riot shotgun on the rack with your photo ID and, again, no background check.

In 2006, to buy a simple single-shot .22 rifle, of the type used to teach gun safety and marksmanship to Cub Scouts, here in the gun-friendly state of Tennessee, you must show current photo ID, the address on which must match your current residence address. You must fill out a page and a half of a big tri-fold form, and then wait for the seller to fill out the rest. You must wait while an invasive background check is performed on you and the serial numbers of the gun (even if brand new) are checked to make sure it is not stolen. You must give your thumbprints, for Vishnu’s sake.

...and this, this is “more easily available.”

Progress is being made, albeit slowly. Sometimes we have to remember that we aren't winning all the battles and much work is left to be done.

Dave Kopel has written a detailed summary of current Concealed Carry laws.

Nebraska and Kansas have finally joined the shall-issue club, making 40 shall-issue States in the Union.

Progress is slow, but it is being made.

Titled:    Anti-gun advocate's son facing weapons charges

As is becoming all too frequent, the anti-gun activists are demonstrating an "OK for me, but not for you" attitude and failing to deal with reality even in their own homes.

"I have nothing to hide," Farquharson said to police. However, she was not the focus of the investigation.

Police were there because of her son Kadafi Farquharson, 23. He was arrested on weapons charges.

The mother and anti-gun violence advocate said someone else must have put the weapons in her house.

She berated officers as they left her home.

Police officers offered to show Farquharson the results of their search. Items allegedly found by investigators included a rifle magazine, a disassembled handgun and a quantity of ammunition.

After seeing what police had allegedly collected, Farquharson said she does not believe it. "No, my son wouldn't carry a gun, no," Farquharson said.

The son of a Toronto anti-gun violence activist faces multiple gun-related charges after he was arrested with two sawed-off rifles hidden down his pants.

Police from the Emergency Task Force surrounded the house of Kadfi Farquharson, 23, on Duncanwoods Rd. in the Finch and Islington area just before 4 p.m. yesterday after being called to the area by a man who said someone had tried to shoot him.

"I just want to hope that in the future there are a lot more programs like this," graduate Kadafi Farquharson told reporters. "Because we need a lot, lot, lot more programs like this to get more kids off the street."

Farquharson and the other graduates accepted their diplomas from Mayor David Miller himself. The program was part of Miller's Community Safety Plan and cost the city $27,000.

"We have to make sure our young people grow up safely, and we have to make sure they have a chance," Miller told CTV News. "If they don't have a chance, they get sucked into the gun and gang culture. Programs like the one we're at today give young people a real chance."

It certainly didn't seem to work for young Kadafi.

Titled:     Supersoaker flamethrower

Supersoaker flamethrower

Titled:   Man charged in road rage incident

A 36-year-old Lansing man has been charged in an incident that ended with a gun being pulled outside a Burger King.

Two drivers heading north Monday on Cedar Street got into an argument, according to the Ingham County Sheriff's Office. The Lansing man struck the other vehicle with his own. Both men then stopped and got out of their cars. The Lansing man approached the other driver with a baseball bat. That man - who has a valid concealed weapon permit - pulled out a gun and ordered the man to drop the bat. The driver with the bat was arraigned on two counts of felonious assault, authorities said.

A CPL holder uses a gun to stop and diffuse a violent incident without injury to either party. And the police seem to have understood the situation and arrested the aggressor. And the local press has covered it.

Maybe there is hope after all.

Titled: Granholm Signs Guns Transport Bill

Today Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM signed HB 4642 into law (Now Public Act 75), a measure that would allow an individual to carry, possess, use, or transport a pistol belonging to another individual if the pistol were properly licensed and inspected under the law and the individual carrying, possessing, using, or transporting the pistol had obtained a license under the law to carry a concealed pistol.

More at the MCRGO's Web site.

Titled:   Nation sees a sharp drop in gun dealers

The number of licensed gun dealers in the US is down.

People who held the government's most basic gun-dealer license totaled nearly a quarter-million in 1994. Last year, the number fell to fewer than 55,000, according to a recent report by the nonprofit Violence Policy Center, based in Washington.

The gun-grabbing VPC are quick to grab onto this as a victory, believeing it one of the few in a time when they are losing battles left, right and center:

"The sharp drop in gun dealers is one of the most important - and little noticed - victories in the effort to reduce firearms violence in America," said Marty Langley, a policy analyst for the Violence Policy Center.

What they won't say though is that this is mostly due to increased fees under Clinton-era reforms ($30 up to $200) and ATF pressure on dealers that due to local ordinances couldn't get suitable business zoning for their houses.

Many of the kitchen-table top dealers who bought and sold a couple of guns a year to friends baulked at the increased costs, legal hurdles and the photos and fingerprinting required and handed in their licenses.

I see this as a victory in some ways for regular gun owners. All this has done is drive gun sales off the books, with less registration, vetting, tracking and logging by the ATF. Licensed dealers are required to run background checks on new purchases, whereas in most states, unlicensed gun owners can buy and sell rifles and shotguns without checks.

This forms the basis of the mythical "gun-show loophole" in which owners and dealers gather to buy and sell firearms. The gun-grabbers are annoyed that all show sellers don't have to run checks.

Isn't it ironic that the very victory claimed by the VPC is the basis of one of their big headaches?

According to the ATF, the number of guns in the United States was at an all-time high last year, with an estimated 223 million firearms.

Update: House Bill 4642 goes to Governor

HB 4642 has passed both House and Senate and is now on it's way to be signed into law by the Govenor. This Bill would allow "an individual carrying, possessing, using, or transporting a pistol belonging to another individual (or spouse) if the other individual's pistol is properly licensed and inspected under this act and the individual carrying, possessing, using, or transporting the pistol has obtained a license to carry a concealed pistol."

Lifted from the MCRGO web site.

Titled:   We have improvements to make

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership Violence has bestowed an embarrasing "D+" for Michigan in its latest scorecard.

Embarrasing because we did not get an "F."

At least we did better than California:

Earning a grade of `A-`, California scored significantly better than the 32 states that received grades of either `D` or `F`. California was among only 10 states that received grades in the `A` and `B` range.

And at least we were part of the best 32 states, despite the blue taint.

Keep making progress folks - with the "Stand Your Ground" bill on its way and the potential for further CCW reciprocity, let's go for a solid "F" next time.

Titled:    Man Shoots, Kills 'Ninja' Attacker Near Home

This is from a couple of weeks ago but still worthy of attention:

Police Chief Susan Jones said the identification of the man who was killed is unknown because he had no identification. Jones said the man appears to have been in his 30s. He was dressed in a black ninja-style mask, black gloves and black clothing, Jones said.

The man was near the home's garage or carport when he attacked 64-year-old Sandra Phillips, Jones said. The two struggled and Phillips ran screaming into the house.

Her cries awoke her husband, 68-year-old Lou Phillips, who grabbed a .357 revolver and shot three times at the intruder who had one hand on Sandra Phillips and was holding what appeared to be a firearm, Jones said.

Icarry.org carries the following letter:

Larry R. Buechler

Chief of Police
P.O. Box 121,
Coal Valley,
Illinois 61240
309-799-5416
fax – 309-799-3651
LRBCVcHF@AOL.COM

February 2, 2006

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE

Dear Fellow Chiefs: As our troops fight for our freedoms overseas, as have American troops since the formation of this Republic, I question what freedoms we’ll have left to enjoy, considering the inclination of our several governmental bodies to enact legislation at the urging of every “squeaky wheel” group that comes along.

As police chiefs, it is our responsibility to protect the rights, freedoms, and liberties of those we serve, and I would suggest that the citizens we serve are then ill served by our support of the proposed ban on so-called assault weapons. While it may be true that “no law abiding citizen needs an Uzi or and AK-47 to be safe or to hunt,” as the talking points try to sway us, I would then allow, on the other side of the argument, that it is not our place to say what a law abiding citizen needs, or does not need. Certainly, the law abiding citizen does not pose a threat to our officers, or to the public in general for that matter, through the possession of any firearm. It is the criminal element that poses the threat. If then you consider the statement true, as I do, that if these weapons are outlawed, only outlaws will have these weapons, then the legislation proposed does nothing to negate the threat. Indeed, only the law abiding citizen will follow the guidelines of the statute, the criminal will not. What then have we accomplished other than to unfairly restrict or penalize the person that does not pose a threat in the first place?

There are thousands of sportsmen in this state that do nothing wrong other than to immerse themselves in the quiet enjoyment of their hobby or pastime with friends and family. These are collectors, target shooters, and firearms enthusiasts that enjoy the shooting sports, and are not strictly limited to those seeking a method of self-defense, or those with an interest in hunting. Let us deal harshly with the person that possesses or uses any firearm during the commission of a criminal act and leave the innocent man alone. In my opinion, there is no greater misdeed than to punish the many based on the unlawful acts of a few, and, with that said, I will close simply by expressing my best wishes and assurance that I remain,

Sincerely and Respectfully Yours,
Larry R. Buechler
Chief of Police

Hat-tip to TheWarOnGuns

Titled: Bill would allow guns in car trunks

Firearms owners would be permitted to carry unloaded weapons in their trunks, even if they don't have a hunting license, under legislation under consideration in the state House.

Rep. Tim Moore, the sponsor, said many well-meaning people are unintentionally breaking the present law.

"We want to make sure that law-abiding citizens don't face penalties," said Moore, calling it a "common sense bill."

The bill would require that all guns be unloaded "in both barrel and magazine and be carried in the trunk of a vehicle."

Currently, gun owners who are transporting guns must either have a hunting license or be en route to or from a "rifle or target range, trap or skeet shooting ground, or archery range." Violations carry a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $250 fine.

Rep. Tim Moore, the sponsor, said many well-meaning people are unintentionally breaking the present law.

I work by an indoor shooting range, which is several miles from my home. If I take my pistol with me in the morning so that I can go to the range during lunch or after work I would suddenly become a lawbreaker subject to 90 days in jail and a $250 fine. And only because I didn't go straight to the range. How stupid is that?

I am glad someone in government is using some common sense.

That destination provision makes the law unenforceable, said Sam Washington, executive director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. "I could say I was going out to a range, and the officer would have no way of knowing," he said.

Whats his point?

Gov. Jennifer Granholm supports the bill and will sign it if it comes to her desk, said spokeswoman Heidi Watson: "It simplifies current regulations."

The bill is before the House Conservation, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation Committee.

Chairman Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, said he expected the bill to sail through committee and pass the House because he and Moore have seen no significant opposition.

"Nobody's come forward to me to say that they're against it," said Moore.

Casperson said he plans to schedule a hearing this month.

It must be an election year in Michigan or something.

Titled:   Pivotal Ohio Gun Rights Activist Passes Away

Titled:   Chief’s Counsel: Responding to Gun Possession Reports

A well written and thought out opinion from the General Counsel of Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association on how cops should handle reports of gun possession:

Enforcement Guidelines
Where a police officer receives a report that a person is in possession of a firearm, but the weapon is not visible to the officer, the following options are available:

• Engage in a voluntary contact and simply ask the person if he or she has a firearm.
  
• If he or she confirms he or she is in possession of a gun, the officer may ask the person to voluntarily hand it over just while the interview takes place, or insist that they hand it over if there is a reasonable belief that the safety of the officer or public is in jeopardy, or that the person has used it in a crime or is about to do so.
  
• If the person denies having a firearm or refuses to answer, and the officer does not otherwise have (legally sufficient) reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, the officer must allow the person to continue on his or her way.
  
• If the person denies having a firearm or refuses to answer, but the officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and presents a danger to the officer or public, the officer may conduct a stop and frisk the person. If the officer finds a weapon, the officer may hold it while conducting the field inquiry. As long as the person is properly licensed, and no arrest takes place, the officer must return the gun at the conclusion of the interview.
  
• If the officer has a warrant or has probable cause to arrest the person for a crime, the officer may conduct a thorough search (not merely a frisk) and take possession of any weapon.
  
• Where the person appears to be a minor and therefore too young to have firearm (in most states), the police may have reason      to believe that a crime is being committed (unlawful carrying of a firearm) and may therefore conduct a stop rather than a mere encounter.

There is more, and it is well worth the read, if only to suggest that not all Massachussettes residents are crazy.

Hat-tip to SayUncle

Titled:   Anger over UK gun register delay

Just as Canada learns that gun registration is a thankless and expensive task, the UK marches onwards with plans to repeat the exact same experiment and hopes to achieve different results:

The government has said it still plans to set up a UK gun register amid mounting criticism over its delay.

Commons Leader Geoff Hoon said the government was still committed to a register as the UK prepares to mark 10 years since the Dunblane massacre.

...

Mr Hoon replied: "I recognise the disappointment, and I share it, that the national firearms licensing management scheme has taken so long to deliver.

"The Government remains fully committed to the project and it is planned to be rolled out to all forces in England and Wales from June, assuming that the final pilot in May is successful."

Titled:    Tory plan to kill long gun registry going strong

Canada's new minister of public safety says the government has no plans to back off on its intention to scrap the controversial long gun registry.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his plan to kill the registry during the election campaign, and Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day told CTV's Question Period the plan hasn't changed.

"We're not backing away at all," Day said on Sunday. "We're moving ahead on this. It was an election promise. It's something we've been talking about for years."

...

Day said the total registry costs could be approaching $2 billion, while the registry has not had a positive impact on gun crime.

"It has not reduced gun crime," he said. "As a matter of fact, homicide rates in the last two years have gone up in Canada. And we have committed to scrapping it."

$2 billion dollars, to keep a list that was never accurate and had no positive impact on gun crime! I hope those pressing for a similar registry in the US see what they get for the money.

Titled:   Scalia says don't link guns only to crime

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia fondly remembers carrying a rifle around New York as a boy and says outdoorsmen should attack the idea that guns are used only for crimes.

An avid outdoorsmen who has hunted with Vice President Dick Cheney, Scalia spoke Saturday at the National Wild Turkey Federation's annual convention.

"The attitude of people associating guns with nothing but crime, that is what has to be changed," Scalia told the audience of about 2,000.

"I grew up at a time when people were not afraid of people with firearms," said Scalia, noting that as a youth in New York he was part of a rifle team at the military school he attended.

"I used to travel on the subway from Queens to Manhattan with a rifle," he said. "Could you imagine doing that today in New York City?"

We've some edumucating to do.

News comes of the latest setback for the new Bond star, Daniel Craig. Not being content with losing his front teeth in early filming after failing to demonstrate the ability to fight, he has now come up with another problem; he is unable to drive a stick-shift:

James Bond star Daniel Craig has stunned movie bosses on the set of the new 007 movie, by revealing he can't drive the secret agent's hi-tech car.

Craig - who was signed to replace former Bond Pierce Brosnan last October - is only qualified to drive an automatic transmission vehicle, so was useless behind the wheel of Bond's manual Aston Martin DB5.

According to sources, filming has been halted while the actor learns to drive the car, which had been specially shipped to the Bahamas set.

One would think that if you were in serious contention for tough-guy movie roles, then learning advanced driving, fighting, skydiving, motorcycling and other such pastimes would be high on the priority list.

This reminds me of Jeff Cooper's article on a suitable skill set to help a young man through life:

Before a young man leaves home, there are certain things he should know and certain skills at which he should be adept. We used to kick this around on watch and we covered a lot of ground. What should a young male of 21 know and what should he be able to do? There are no conclusive answers to those questions, but they are certainly worth asking. We agreed upon "civics" or what was called American government. A young man should know how this country is run and how it got that way. He should know the Federalist Papers and de Tocqueville, and he should know recent world history. If he does not know what has been tried in the past, he cannot very well avoid those pitfalls as they come up in the future.

Superficialities, of course, are rife. A young man should be computer literate, and moreover should know Hemingway from James Joyce. He should know how to drive a car well - such as is not covered in "Driver Ed." He should know how to fly a light airplane. He should know how to shoot well. He should know elementary geography, both worldwide and local. He should have a cursory knowledge of both zoology and botany. He should know the fundamentals of agriculture and corporate economy. He should be well qualified in armed combat, boxing, wrestling, judo, or the equivalent. He should know how to manage a motorcycle. He should be comfortable in at least one foreign language, and more if appropriate to his background. He should be familiar with remedial medicine.

And that list is for all young men, not James Bond wanabees.

Titled: Castle Doctrine - Michigan Update!

Senate Bill 1046, introduced by Senator Alan Cropsey is moving into Committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear Senate Bill 1046 next Tuesday, Feb 21st.

This bill will clarify:

the rights and duties of self-defense

the defense of others

and provide for criminal and civil immunity under certain circumstances

and regulate the investigation of incidents involving self-defense

More at the Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners web Site.

Update: Your help is urgently needed to support Michigan's Castle Doctrine Bill

The Senate Judiciary committee will meet Tuesday, February 21st to consider, vote, and make recommendations concerning Michigan's "Castle Doctrine" Bill (SB 1046). This bill will clarify the rights and duties of self-defense and the defense of others and will also provide for criminal and civil immunity under certain circumstances. Please contact your State Senators today and urge them to support this important legislation, especially those legislators that embody the Senate Judiciary committee. More here.

Posted by Asa

Titled: Michigan Senate Bill 1046 (Repeal “duty to retreat” in home self defense)

Introduced by Sen. Alan L. Cropsey on February 15, 2006, to create a new law establishing that a person who uses deadly force for self defense in his or her home, contiguous private property or occupied vehicle need not first flee from a threatening attacker, and that a person who unlawfully and forcibly enters one of these is presumed is to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence, with certain minor exceptions. This would place the “home is my castle” doctrine in statute. Also, to establish that a law-abiding person who is attacked in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat, and can “stand his or her ground” and meet force with force, including deadly force if necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.

Read the text from the bill, analysis, and comments here.

Posted by Asa

Titled:    Poll: Republicans tend to be gun owners

PRINCETON, NJ, United States (UPI) -- A Gallup poll finds that Republicans are more likely to be gun owners and hunters than Democrats.

The poll found that 40 percent of U.S. residents say they live in a household with a gun in the home or on the property. Thirty percent say they own a gun personally while 12 percent say the weapon belongs to another member of the household.

A majority of Republicans, 55 percent, report living in a household with a gun, while only 32 percent of Democrats do.

Overall, equal numbers of gun owners use the weapons for protection, hunting and target shooting. But these numbers also have a partisan tinge, with Republicans more likely to give hunting and target shooting as reasons for owning a weapon.

The poll says that gun ownership has gone up and down over the years. In October, when the Gallup Organization conducted its most recent crime poll, it found that a smaller percentage of people own guns now than from 1959 to 1968 and 1989 to 1993. In 1999, only one in three households had a gun.

So over the last seven years, the percentage of households with a gun has risen from 33% to 40%.

There are an estimated 250 million firearms in the US. Between 300 million people and just over 100 million households. If only 40% of these have a gun, that makes for over six guns per gun-owning household.

Just six? It's nice to be above average...

Titled:    Cheney, in First Intervew, Gets it Exactly Right

WizBang nails the Cheney story right first time too:

If there are 2 stories the media are guaranteed to screw up, it is a story involving a gun or an airplane. (and they're not too good at hurricanes either) There is basically zero institutional knowledge about either guns or planes in the big media. Add the complication that it was a structured hunting trip and the big media had no chance of getting it right in a timely fashion.

And Cheney gets to the bottom of why the media is having such a cow over not being told sooner.

"I had a bit of the feeling that the press corps was upset because, to some extent, it was about them - they didn't like the idea that we called the Corpus Christi Caller-Times instead of The New York Times," he said. "But it strikes me that the Corpus Christi Caller-Times is just as valid a news outlet as The New York Times is, especially for covering a major story in south Texas."

Well worth the time to read.

Titled: U.S. Rep Joe Schwarz ( R-Battle Creek) cosponsors H.R. 4547

U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-Battle Creek) has agreed to cosponsor a bill that would create a national standard in accordance with which states would recognize other states’ conceal and carry weapon (CCW) laws.

H.R. 4547 (Bill Text) would mandate that when a CCW permit holder visits another state with a CCW law, that person’s CCW rights must be respected, so long as they adhere to the restrictions prescribed by the state they are visiting. If a CCW permit holder were to visit another state that does not have a CCW statute, that person would be allowed to carry a concealed weapon everywhere except for a police station, public detention facility, courthouse, public polling place, at a meeting of a state, county, or municipal governing body, in a school, at a professional or school athletic event not related to firearms, in a portion of an establishment licensed by the State to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, or inside the sterile or passenger area of an airport.

“I have always been a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, and I believe strongly in the right to protect one’s self and one’s family,” said Dr. Schwarz. “This bill ensures that all states respect a person’s right to carry a concealed weapon for personal protection.”

Dr. Schwarz is currently a cosponsor of H.R. 800, a bill that protects gun manufacturers from liability for injuries due to unlawful use of firearms and H.R. 1288, "The District of Columbia Personal Protection Act, a bill that would restore Second Amendment rights to the District of Columbia.

U.S. Rep. JOE SCHWARZ represents the 7th Congressional District of Michigan, which includes parts of Calhoun and Washtenaw counties and all of Branch, Eaton, Jackson, Hillsdale and Lenawee counties. A practicing physician for over 30 years, he previously served in the U.S. Navy, the Central Intelligence Agency, and in local and state government. He currently sits on the House Agriculture, Armed Services and Science committees.

Lifted from the MCRO (Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners) site.

Posted by Asa.

Titled:   When all else fails, crack down on the law-abiding folks

Wizbang brings us news of micro-stamping of ammo rearing its ugly head again. This time it's Boston's turn to penalize the law-abiding and avoid doing anything sensible to crack down on crime.

When problems refuse to be solved by the old methods, new ones are often required. Politicians need to look at new, novel approaches that might curb the crisis.

Unfortunately, the leaders in Boston can't quite grasp that. Instead, they are "stuck on stupid" and returning to variations on the classic liberal themes: don't single out the bad guys, blame everyone.

So, to keep criminals from shooting people, they're cracking down on those who buy bullets.

Their ideas so far are rather visionary, such as requiring guns to "micro-stamp" their serial numbers on the shell casings they fire. Other notions are restricting how much ammunition someone can buy at once and recording who buys bullets.

The irony is, there is a simple solution to their problem, one readily visible just across the border here in New Hampshire: it's called "punishing the guilty." We don't believe in punishing everyone just because a few act irresponsibly; we make examples of them, partly to encourage others to not follow their lead.

He references Boston.com News:

Police and city officials acknowledge that criminals could buy ammunition on the black market and out of state, but they say they have noticed an apparent shortage of ammunition on the streets. They also say that youths, who are both suspects and victims in many shootings, might be deterred if ammunition is more difficult to get.

I guess in the theoretical world of idealism, in which these folk live, it could really work, as long as you ignore criminal activity, ammunition theft, casings left at gun ranges, filing down of parts, reloading, black markets, insanity and the existing 300 million firearms floating around the country. 

It would certainly increase the market for revolvers, which leave no casings behind anyway.

Titled:      In wooing Cabela's, village suspends local gun rules

With no public discussion, the Hoffman Estates Village Board on Monday voted unanimously to eliminate parts of the village's local firearms ordinance.

The changes mean that gun purchases will not have to be reported to the Hoffman Estates Police Department. It also means that the police department will no longer run its own background checks on gun buyers and it will not issue permits.

Firearms retailers and consumers, however, must still comply with state and federal gun laws, which require buyers to obtain an Illinois Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card, submit to a background check and comply with the standard 24- or 72-hour waiting period, depending on what type of gun is being bought.

The new ordinance was tailored on behalf of Cabela's, a national camping and hunting outfitter which is planning to open a 200,000-square-foot store in Hoffman Estates in 2007. Cabela's will sell shotguns, long rifles and handguns in addition to second-hand firearms. The retailer is expected to generate annual sales tax revenues of about $2 million.

I know that they sell a lot of goods besides guns, but I still don't understand why they choose to patronize states that chose to restrict the liberties of their customers. Cabela's is a major attraction to any area. Michigan's store has become the state's greatest tourist attraction. Customers come from hundreds of miles around. I can't see many of the longer distance customers willing to drive back to the store after a 24-hour or 72-hour wait to pick up a firearm they could buy locally without a wait. 

I would rather they set up in gun-friendly states and pull the customers, and the sales-tax, out of the more oppressive areas.

Still, its a minor victory for that one small town.