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A Lakeland, FL Gun Shop Derringer Firearms is showing it's support for local Law Enforcement by giving customers "Support Law Enforcement" signs for their yard. Gun shop owner Dan Derringer said," with what we see on the news and the nonsense that is going on around the country I think it's time, the "good folks", stand up and let their voice be heard". Derringer went on, " Most of the folks in this country are honorable law abiding citizens, th
August 27th, 2015Article originally written NRA-ILA.Per The National Rifle Association, the NRA along with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle for violating a Washington state law. The current law prevents local municipalities from creating their own firearm regulations. "Once again, anti-gun activists in Seattle have chosen to violate the Washington State Constitution and trample upon the Second Amendm
July 29th, 2015In 2011, at the urging of the NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida, the Florida Legislature passed HB-155 by Rep. Jason Brodeur & Sen. Greg Evers to stop doctors from interrogating patients about gun ownership and entering gun ownership information into medical databases -- thereby creating a de facto database of gun owners. Simply put, physicians interrogating and lecturing parents and children about guns is not about gun safety. It is a political agen
July 23rd, 2015Supported by 70 signatures from members of Congress, Rep. Scott Rigell sent a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Ash Carter requesting that he end a Pentagon prohibition on military personnel carrying firearms to and from defense installations.The Virginia Beach Republican has argued that service members must be able to protect themselves in transit and at recruitment centers, noting the fatal shootings of four Marines and a sailor in Chattanooga, Tenn., last week.The letter as
July 20th, 2015 As the L.A. Times reported on July 18, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently developing a program to strip the Second Amendment Rights of over four million Americans currently receiving SSA benefits through a representative payee. Not only would this amount to the largest gun grab in American history, but according to the published report, would take place without any due process protections for recipients, amounting to a nullification of Second Amendment righ
July 16th, 2015Fairfax, Va. On behalf of our members in the State of Mississippi, the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund (PVF) proudly announces its endorsement of Governor Phil Bryant (R) for re-election.NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox stated, "Under Governor Bryant's leadership, Mississippi has significantly reformed its laws to affirm our Second Amendment freedoms by giving law-abiding citizens more legal personal protection options with less government interference.&nb
July 14th, 2015Important NRA-backed suppressor legislation, House No. 1305, will be heard in the Joint Committee on the Judiciary tomorrow, July 14, at 1:00 p.m. in Room A-2. H. 1305 would allow the possession and use of firearm suppressors in the state of Massachusetts, including the use of legally suppressed firearms while hunting.Sponsored by Representative Paul Frost (R-Auburn), H. 1305 would add Massachusetts to the growing number of states that allow sportsmen to own and use legally-
July 13th, 2015By now, knowledgeable members of the pro-gun community are well aware of Operation Choke Point (OPC) and its effect on lawful firearm-related businesses. As we have often reported (here, here, and here, for example), OPC is a deliberate attempt by federal regulators to pressure banks to sever or avoid business relationships with legitimate industries that are considered politically objectionable, including firearms and ammunition sales. The House Oversight and Government Reform Co
July 8th, 2015Article originally written on wjct.comAfter a high-profile legislative debate this spring about concealed weapons on college campuses, a state appeals court is poised to hear arguments in a dispute about whether guns should be allowed in residence halls and other housing at the University of Florida.Next Tuesday, the First District Court of Appeal is scheduled to take up a case filed by the group Florida Carry Inc., which says people have a legal right to possess firearms in their
July 6th, 2015Once again we owe thanks to reporter Lee Williams, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, for his willingness to expose the agenda of those who are the enemies of Freedom and the Second Amendment. On the day before Independence Day -- July 4th, he released an article exposing the agenda of those who conspire against the Second Amendment.We thought you should see it.http://thegunwriter.blogs.heraldtribune.com/19505/study-gun-control-groups-should-undermine-gun-culture-to-reduce-gun-ownershi
July 2nd, 2015On June 10, San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc., operators of the popular Uber ride-sharing cell phone application, altered company policy to prohibit its drivers and passengers from possessing firearms while using the service. Under the Legal portion of Ubers website, the company posted the following:UBER FIREARMS PROHIBITION POLICYWe seek to ensure that everyone using the Uber digital platformboth driver-partners and ridersfeels safe and comfortable using the service.
July 1st, 2015Today, House Bill 492, sponsored by state Representative Rick Jasperse (R-11), goes into effect. HB 492 clarifies some of the technical language from last years landmark pro-gun reform legislation, House Bill 60.Among many of the technical changes, HB 492 clarifies that government buildings are only a prohibited place for people who do not hold a valid Georgia Weapons License (GWL), allows for the renewal of a GWL up to 90 days before and 30 days after expiration and clarifi
June 24th, 2015"If Congress had passed some common-sense gun safety reforms after Newtown," President Obama said during a visit to San Francisco on Friday, "we don't know if it would have prevented what happened in Charleston." Actually, we do know: Had the bill to which Obama was referring been enacted, it would not have done anything to prevent Dylann Roof from murdering nine people at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Wednesday night. But as is usually the case with t
June 22nd, 2015Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Heller v. D.C. (2008) that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms and then ruled in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) that this right also restricts state and local governments, the high court has opted not to hear cases that might further define gun rights. This has been a little surprising, as some lower courts have actually produced majority opinions that are critical of decisions reached by other courts. Such conflicts at
June 18th, 2015Article originally written on the NRA-ILA website.On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced H.R. 2710, the Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act of 2015. This bill would remove BATFEs authority to interpret or reinterpret the sporting purposes clauses in federal law, which only serve to undermine the core purpose of the Second Amendment. Under Chairman Bishops legislation, all lawful purposes includin
June 12th, 2015COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio lawmakers are again trying to block journalists' access to county sheriffs' records on concealed handgun permits.A budget provision added by a state Senate committee Tuesday would repeal part of Ohio's concealed carry law that allows journalists to review records on the issuance, renewal, suspension and revocation of state permits to carry a concealed handgun.As the public as a whole already is blocked from viewing these records, the change would mean such re
June 8th, 2015It's happening again President Obama is using his imperial pen and telephone to curb your rights and bypass Congress through executive action.Even as news reports have been highlighting the gun control provisions of the Administration's "Unified Agenda" of regulatory objectives (see accompanying story), the Obama State Department has been quietly moving ahead with a proposal that could censor online speech related to firearms. This latest regulatory assault, published in the June
June 1st, 2015There's been a surge of gun-control legislation in Congress in recent weeks. The latest efforts would require gun owners to have liability insurance coverage before being allowed to purchase a weapon or face a fine of up to $10,000.The Firearm Risk Protection Act, introduced Friday by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, N.Y., provides an exemption for service members and law enforcement officers."We require insurance to own a car, but no such requirement exists for guns," Maloney said. "The resu
May 29th, 2015A federal judge on Thursday rejected a short-term stay of a decision that blocked the District from enforcing a key provision of its restrictive concealed-carry laws prompting the city to move to issue carry permits to the gun owners who had sued after being denied permits.However, U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. left open the possibility the District could obtain a stay pending appeal of his previous ruling, which called the citys requirement that gun owners demons
May 26th, 2015AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Two bills to expand gun rights that had been expected to fly through the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature have instead hit several snags and will need a big push during this final week of the session if they are to become law.A so-called campus carry bill, which would allow concealed handguns in college classrooms, cleared the Senate in March and is scheduled for a House vote Tuesday. An open carry bill, which would permit guns to be carried in plain sig
May 19th, 2015Federal authorities investigating a local gun manufacturer have confiscated more than 100 assault rifle parts from a New Britain facility after finding some 3,000 without serial numbers, which can be illegal, according to a complaint filed in federal court.According to the complaint, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives "discovered numerous violations of federal firearms laws and regulations" while carrying out a compliance check at Stag Arms in New B
May 7th, 2015Article originally written on Orlando Sentinal.TALLAHASSEE Failed efforts to allow people to carry concealed weapons on college campuses and some public-school employees and volunteers to be armed will be back before lawmakers next year.lRelatedResults: Municipal Elections 2015Politics Results: Municipal Elections 2015See all related8Marion Hammer, lobbyist for the National Rifle Association and the Unified Sportsmen of Florida, said Wednesday the measures will r
May 4th, 2015Thanks to diligent work by your NRA, an Obama administration policy that would have essentially stopped American hunters and sport shooters from traveling internationally with their personal firearms and ammunition has been suspended. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that it is returning to its previous system of facilitating the international transport of personal firearms and ammunition, after meeting with representatives from the NRA, firearms indu
April 15th, 2015Article originally written on NRA-ILA.Yesterday, April 13, Senate Bill 295 was transmitted to Governor Steve Bullocks (D) desk where it will await his consideration. Sponsored by state Senator Mark Blasdel (R-4), SB 295 would remove the prohibition on the use of legal suppressors while hunting. Currently, sportsmen in 35 states across the country are able to use these sound suppressing devices for the taking of wildlife.As previously reported, there are numerous bene
April 6th, 2015A bill allowing gun owners with concealed weapons permits to carry their guns on Florida college campuses cleared its final committee hurdle in the House today, despite arguments that it would jeopardize students particularly young black men in an environment where youthful poor judgment is sometimes dimmed by alcohol."I have to deal with racial stereotypes every day," Jamecia Gray, an FSU student with a permit, said after the House Judiciary Committee hearing. "I don't want t
March 25th, 2015You didnt need a crystal ball to see this one coming. On Monday, a week after the BATFE withdrew its plan to ban M855 as armor-piercing ammunition, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) announced that he intends to introduce legislation to extend the definition of armor-piercing ammunition to include all bullets that can pierce body armor and be used in handguns.The reason you didnt need a crystal ball is that gun control supporters have been pushing this idea for years. In the 1
March 20th, 2015Article originally written on the NRA-ILA website.Only two days after NRA and our members forced the Obama administration to table its ban on M855-type ammunition, BATFE gave gun owners notice that the battle over popular AR-15 ammunition isnt over. On Thursday, BATFE Director B. Todd Jones testified before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, during which he alluded to BATFEs continuing interest in reevaluating the legal status of a broad range of common ammunition
March 11th, 2015Fairfax, Va. The National Rifle Association (NRA) was instrumental in stalling the Obama Administrations initial attempt to ban commonly used ammunition for the most popular rifle in America, the AR-15. The announcement that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) will suspend its proposed framework to ban M855 ammunition validates the NRAs assertion that this effort was nothing more than a political maneuver to bypass Congress and impose gun control o
February 16th, 2015Bankrolling ceaseless endeavors to dictate what Americans can eat and how they can defend themselves, all while exhibiting a devout support for the surveillance state, ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is widely recognized as the country's foremost paternalist. However, recent comments suggest that his efforts on this front incorporate a disturbing racial component.On Friday Feb. 6, the Aspen Institute hosted "A Conversation with Michael R. Bloomberg," during which the
February 12th, 2015Article originally written on the NRA-ILA.On Thursday, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs will consider two NRA-supported measures:Senate Bill 11, sponsored by state Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury), would remove restrictions in state law that prohibit law-abiding adult Concealed Handgun Licensees from protecting themselves on college and university campuses.Senate Bill 17, sponsored by state Senator Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls), a proposal removing the requiremen
February 11th, 2015Article originally written on usnews.comMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) One of the most liberal states in the country also is one of the most passionate about defending the right to bear arms, a fact that is coming to the fore following proposed legislation to expand background checks and add other gun regulations.Hundreds of Vermont residents are expected to pack the state House chamber for a public hearing Tuesday night on Senate Bill 31, which would expand background checks from ret
February 10th, 2015Article originally written on The Washington Times.Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg reportedly argued Friday that guns need to be kept out of the hands of minorities in order to keep them alive.While speaking at the Aspen Institute, Mr. Bloomberg, 72, said 95 percent of murders fall into a specific category: a male minority between the ages of 15 and 25, The Aspen Times reported.Cities need to get guns out of this groups hands and keep them alive, the former three-term
January 12th, 2015Thanks to NRA members and Second Amendment supporters all across the country, Americas gun owners rang-in in the New Year with 85 new, NRA-backed, pro-gun bills on the books. Governors in 32 states signed bills expanding our freedoms into law. In sharp contrast, only four governors signed into law a total of eight anti-gun bills last year.In Florida, a new law will protect gun owners from discriminatory practices by insurance companies. Another law the so-called Pop Tart bil
January 5th, 2015A year ago this New Years Eve, John Filippidis of Florida was driving south with his family on Interstate 95 when the Maryland Transportation Authority Police pulled over his black Ford Expedition and proceeded to raid it while his twins, wife and daughter looked on separated in the back seats of different police cruisers.The officers were searching for Mr. Filippidis Florida-licensed, palm-size Kel-Tec .38 semi-automatic handgun, which he left at home locked in his safe. (M
January 2nd, 2015Gun control groups are scrounging for money and ideas as they prepare for the Republican-controlled Congress, which they expect will continue to thwart stricter firearm laws and move to expand gun rights.Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC, the group founded by gunshot victim and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, sent an email to supporters soliciting cash and guidance on how to advance its cause in the wake of repeated legislative and election defeats.The emai
December 26th, 2014A provocative public service announcement released by a San Francisco-based production company encourages children to put themselves at risk and commit a slew of crimes by stealing their parents guns from home and turning them in at school.In the anti-gun ad, published Dec. 13 by Sleeper 13 Productions, a boy who appears to be in his early teens is shown walking up the stairs of his home and wandering into his mothers bedroom.The boy is shown opening the drawer to his mother
December 23rd, 2014Its been six years since Robert L. Smith retired from his job as a corrections officer at the D.C. Jail, but he says he still receives threats from former inmates he supervised.He keeps a legally registered handgun inside his Southwest D.C. home, but he would like to be able to carry it to protect himself. As a former jail employee, he said, he should qualify for a permit under federal statutes that allow retired law enforcement officers to carry guns without obtaining state
December 17th, 2014HARTFORD, Conn. The families of nine of the 26 people killed and a teacher wounded two years ago at the Sandy Hook Elementary School filed a lawsuit Monday against the manufacturer, distributor and seller of the rifle used in the shooting.The negligence and wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Bridgeport Superior Court, asserts that the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle should not have been made publicly available because it was designed for military use and is unsuited f
December 11th, 2014TALLAHASSEE -- A Florida lawmaker has filed a bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons on the campuses of state colleges and universities.Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, said he already planned to sponsor the measure (HB 4005) before a shooting incident last month at Florida State University --- but that the attack, which left three people injured and the gunman dead, helps to make his point. The bill, filed Monday, would apply to people who are licensed to carry
December 4th, 2014On Tuesday, the D.C. Council will consider a more permanent version of the emergency measure that revived the citys long-standing concealed carry law. That bill turned D.C. into a may-issue jurisdiction, where authorities have discretion over who may carry and where they are allowed.At the same time, a pro-gun lawyer is on a mission to achieve what Second Amendment proponents in Congress have tried to do since the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller ruling: Wipe out the
December 1st, 2014Officials at Magpul Industries unveiled Wednesday its new facilities in Texas and Wyoming, making good on a vow to leave Colorado in response to the states sweeping gun control legislation.The firearms-accessories manufacturer announced that the company has finalized a contract on its corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas, after entering into a deal on the property in March. In the interim, Magpul had used a temporary facility in Texas, according to a Wednesday press release
November 12th, 2014Nevada voters will get to decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use and whether to extend background checks for all gun buyers, including people who purchase firearms over the Internet and at gun shows.On Wednesday, backers of two separate initiatives on pot and guns plan to turn into county clerks more than enough signatures to qualify for the 2016 ballot, meeting the deadline to submit petitions, supporters said Tuesday.Nevadans for Background Checks collecte
November 7th, 2014Article originally written on The Washington Times.Mike Bloomberg put $50 million into Tuesdays elections, and he doesnt have much to show for it. Someone, perhaps the Koch brothers, ought to treat him to a Big Gulp. The onetime mayor of New York City organized a group called Everytown for Gun Safety, meant to rival the National Rifle Association, and with a lot more money. The new group was supposed to put gun control on the front burner. Instead, the gun-control candidates
November 11th, 2014NRA Friends,The future of our Second Amendment rights comes down to one day Election DayTuesday, November 4.Tuesdays elections are the most important of our lifetime. Our fundamental right to keep and bear arms has never been in greater jeopardy. This election cycle, we face the best organized and most well-funded attack on our freedom since our forefathers put pen to paper to ensure our Second Amendment rights.As a Second Amendment supporter, you belong to one of the most
October 27th, 2014Hey, hunters you might not realize this, but youre business tycoons!Thats right. If hunting were a corporation, it would occupy the 73rd spot on the Fortune 500 list of top U.S. businesses.According to a report compiled recently by the National Shooting Sports Association, hunters spent $38.3 billion on their favorite pastime in 2011, the last year for which complete figures were available.Thats more money than Google ($37.9 billion) or Goldman Sachs ($36.8 billion) manage
October 28th, 2014Conventional wisdom holds that firearms are the preserve of conservative white men. You would never know this at my local shooting range, which happens to be in a majority African-American area, and has a clientele that reflects that fact. There, as a white man, Im often in the minority; just one more guy who likes to fire weapons another person to chat to and share stories with. It is, Id venture, how things should be.By rights, the Second Amendment should serve as a totem
October 23rd, 2014The Districts newly minted concealed carry laws require gun owners seeking permits to complete 18 hours of firearms training.One problem: As of Wednesday, the day before a court-ordered deadline for the permitting process to begin, no instructors had been approved to teach the compulsory course.The disparity is emblematic of the citys reluctant scramble to comply with the July order that overturned the Districts ban on carrying handguns in public.The Metropolitan Police Depa
October 20th, 2014E.R. Dickson Elementary School in Mobile, Ala., has introduced two new vocabulary words into their kindergarten curriculum: homicide and suicide. Local media outlets report that a 5-year-old was forced to fill out a bizarre safety agreement and risk assessment questionnaire containing those words after making an innocent gesture with a crayon.The kindergartner's mother told Mobile NBC affiliate WPMI that her daughter initially came to the attention of school officials aft
October 16th, 2014Article originally written on The Washington Post.A ballot initiative that would require background checks on all firearm purchases in Washington state, including sales at gun shows and online, has support from a majority of voters but that majority is shrinking.A new survey conducted by The Elway Poll, a longtime Washington pollster, shows Initiative 594 earning 60 percent of the vote, while 32 percent of respondents say they will vote no. The initiative took 70 percent of t
October 13th, 2014Article originally written on the NRA-ILA Website.Vice President Joe Biden emphasized the need to pass more gun control Friday during a memorial service for former Reagan White House press secretary James Brady, one of the champions of the movement. Vice President Joe Biden shares his memories of former White House press secretary James Brady during a memorial service, Oct. 10, 2014 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) What we need is anot
October 10th, 2014After endorsing Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) in his initial 2008 run, the Denver Post said Friday it had decided to back his Republican challenger, Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) this year."Congress is hardly functioning these days. It can't pass legislation that is controversial and it often can't even pass legislation on which there is broad agreement," the Post's editorial board wrote. "Its reputation is abysmal, and even its members rarely dispute the popular indictment.""It needs fres
October 9th, 2014Article originally written on wecarryagun.comSneaky Pete holsters are one of the newest holsters on the market. They're placed on the outside of the waistband and are meant to be easy access while complying by all of the laws for concealed carry.Wecarryagun.com compared the pro's and con's of these holsters and the findings are surprising. They make great points on the functionality of the holster itself and what it means to "Concealed Carry".One thing that took us by surprise i
October 8th, 2014Article originally written on The Bellingham Herrald.Voters will have to decide between two clashing gun initiatives on the November ballot. Initiative 594 would add another hurdle to buying guns in this state, while initiative 591 would limit government interference in these same gun sales.We are all for reducing gun violence, but there is no guarantee thats what will be accomplished if I-594 is approved.What is certain, however,
October 7th, 2014The arrest of a Connecticut man for refusing to show his gun permit -- dismissed by a prosecutor as a nothing case -- now has two state agencies battling in court, with the individual's right to carry hanging in the balance. The peculiar case started when Scott Lazurek, a security guard, was arrested in June 2013 for failing to show police his gun permit. He was stopped for walking in public with a hip-holstered pistol -- when he refused to show his documentation, which he act
October 3rd, 2014Kawasaki has unveiled the 2015 Ninja H2R, and its simply the most powerful production motorcycle ever. Its supercharged 998cc inline-4 pumps out an incredible 300 hp, substantially more than even a top flight MotoGP racer has.Its a track bike, and not street legal, but a road version called the H2 will be introduced in a couple of weeks, likely with somewhat less power.In the meantime, the H2R features carbon fiber bodywork shaped in a wind tunnel that looks straight out of an
October 3rd, 2014Gun rights advocates are blasting Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop for a new city initiative that the mayor says uses the power of the city's purse to reward "socially responsible" gun distributors.They say Fulop's plan will do nothing to stop the flow of illegal guns into the city, and is merely intended to tout his liberal credentials. Fulop is among the Democrats eyeing the governor's mansion in 2017.Fulop's political future may be torpedoed by his gun-control advocacy, Frank Fi
October 2nd, 2014War On Terror: The Islamic State's call for "lone wolf" attacks on Western infidels might have met its match in the Second Amendment, as an armed man saves lives by shooting a jihadist wannabe bent on heeding that call.Vaughan Foods employee Traci Johnson is alive today because the business she works for is not a gun-free zone at a time when the Islamic State is encouraging attacks on infidels in the West like the one in Moore, Okla., where co-worker Colleen Hufford was stabbed
September 29th, 2014New York (CNN) -- Bill Clinton addressed a number of crime and justice issues during a sweeping talk with CNN on Wednesday, including taking on the National Rifle Association and its pro-gun policy.The former president, in a conversation with CNN's Erin Burnett at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York, lumped together the NRA, stand your ground laws, and people surrounding themselves only with those who agree with them as problems that lead to a more violent clima
September 25th, 2014A federal judge has overturned a Hawaii law barring legal immigrants from applying for a firearm permit, the latest in a wave of rulings against similar laws across the country. Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled last week in favor of plaintiff Steve Fotoudis, an Australian citizen who is a permanent resident living in Honolulu. According to court documents, Fotoudis was a competitive shooter in his home country and had extensive training in firearms use and safety before he
September 24th, 2014 The D.C. Council voted Tuesday to grant residents and visitors the ability to carry concealed firearms in public, but the bill would establish a regulatory structure that could make it difficult for gun owners to secure a permit.Read more here: The Washington Post
September 23rd, 2014Article originally written on NJ.comOne city councilwoman knows first-hand the dangers of guns, which would prompt her to vote "yes" if the idea of banning realistic toy guns came to Bridgeton.Atlantic City officials voted last week to ban the sale of toy guns.Gladys Luardo-Hemple said she doesn't allow her grandchildren to play with the toy guns, and believes children need to learn what they are, even if they are fake."Parents need to talk to the kids and explain the dangers
September 17th, 2014The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is filing a lawsuit against online retailers that allegedly sold ammunition to James Holmes, the suspect accused of the Aurora theater killings.The lawsuit alleges that the websites negligently supplied Holmes with the arsenal he used to kill 12 people and wound at least 58 others by failing to use any screening mechanism to determine his identity or intent for the products, the Brady Center said in a media release, Fox-affiliated KD
September 15th, 2014When a fake police motorcycle went through a red light in Hamden, Connecticut last week with lights on and sirens blaring, the real police were there to see it and arrested the driver.Police said Nicholas Ferrucci, 21, of North Haven, was driving a motorcycle marked police at Whitney and Washington avenues around 3 p.m. on Sept. 10 when he went through the light and headed to James Street. The bike had a siren, red/blue LED emergency warning lights and a digital camera moun
September 15th, 2014(Reuters) - More Missouri teachers could carry concealed weapons under a measure state lawmakers approved late Wednesday that also bans local laws against open carry of guns.The Republican-controlled state General Assembly voted to override Democratic Governor Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that included the weapons provisions.The law allows school districts to select teachers or other employees to carry a concealed weapon or pepper spray as "school protection officers" if they p
September 10th, 2014LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The reported cost of concealed carry gun permits to Michigan taxpayers varies widely in each county, with a high of $214 and a low near $3.An analysis of county data shows estimated taxpayer charges are inconsistent across the state even though Michigan gun carriers pay a flat $105 fee for a concealed permit. Muskegon County says taxpayers pay nearly $26 to process each permit. Neighboring Newaygo County says it's $103.Michigan law requires counties to d
September 9th, 2014Following the release of new footage that seems to show now former-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée in the face, its important to remember that the prosecutor who let Rice off with a slap on the wrist is now trying to throw the book at a young mother of two who tried to protect herself and her family from violence.Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain approved an application for admitting Rice into New Jerseys Pre-Trial Intervention program t
September 8th, 2014SALT LAKE CITY When Dusti Shepard's husband got a gun last year, she decided it was time to put aside her fear of handguns and learn to use one.Besides practicing her skills at a new shooting range in Sandy called The Armory, the mother of two young children obtained a concealed firearms permit. Now Shepard plans to carry a gun with her at all times."I feel the world is a lot more dangerous than it used to be, and I wanted to be prepared," Shepard said.According to statistic
September 4th, 2014JACKSON, Mississippi -- If you're a sportsman, this weekend is your holiday.Mississippi's inaugural tax-free holiday will begin Friday. It runs through Sunday.The Legislature passed a law creating an annual tax-free weekend in September. The law went into effect on July 1. The holiday will be held annually on the first Friday of each September until midnight on the following Sunday.Individual sales of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, rifle scopes and certain hunting su
September 2nd, 2014MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Following moves in at least two other states, a proposed amendment to the Alabama Constitution would make owning firearms a fundamental right, and measures to control weapons would have to pass the toughest review by state courts.Residents will vote in November on the proposal, sponsored by Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia. He called the amendment a dose of caution should federal gun protections erode or should Alabama politicians try to enact overreaching
August 27th, 2014In March 2008 I chatted with a silver-haired law school professor under the marble pillars of the U.S. Supreme Court building. He was very excited. The court was to about hear Heller v. D.C. The case would decide whether the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects an individual right to own and carry guns. He had 20 law students with him. He said anxiously, When I put in the paperwork to get seats months ago I didnt know wed get to see one of the last unresolved co
August 26th, 2014Attorneys for the District formally asked U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin on Monday to reconsider his July opinion striking down as unconstitutional the citys ban on carrying handguns in public.The Districts attorneys argued that the move, which was anticipated, is a necessary step before the District decides whether to appeal Scullins opinion or the judge considers lifting or doubling a 90-day stay, as the District has requested, to give city officials time to enact
August 25th, 2014An 86-year-old Illinois man with a concealed carry permit fired his weapon at an armed robbery suspect fleeing police last month, stopping the man in his tracks and allowing the police to make an arrest.Law enforcement authorities described the man as a model citizen who helped others avoid being victims at an AT&T store outside Chicago where he witnessed the holdup. The man, whose identity was withheld from the press, prevented others from entering the store during the
August 22nd, 2014Remington is reducing its work force in New York, where the gun maker has operated a factory for nearly 200 years, and where new gun laws are in the spotlight.Company spokesman Teddy Novin said Remington is cutting 105 jobs from its workforce in Ilion, N.Y. He said that some, but not all, of those jobs are moving to Alabama, but he wouldn't say how many. Novin cited a consolidation of its production facilities and a softening market for the move. Remington wouldn't say whet
August 19th, 2014The Second Amendment does not include an unalloyed right to carry guns in public, District officials argued in a court pleading filed Monday that seeks more time before a judges ruling takes effect and overturns the citys ban on carrying handguns in public.In the filing, the D.C. attorney generals office for the first time hinted at arguments that it might make should authorities decide to fight in court. A key point: The court has upheld the governments right to ban guns
August 18th, 2014Gun background checks and permits are on the rise in Dona Ana County. Nearly 3,000 concealed carry weapon permits were issued to county residents in June, and more than 30,000 were issued in 2013. According to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, 343,185 New Mexicans received concealed carry permits last year. That's nearly 60,000 more people than in 2012.Gun owners can open carry in New Mexico, but a concealed carry permit lets
August 13th, 2014Shaneen Allen faces three and a half years in prison because she made an honest mistake, followed by a mistake of honesty. Allen, a 27-year-old phlebotomist who lives in Philadelphia, drove to Atlantic City with a gun in her purse, erroneously thinking her Pennsylvania carry permit would be respected in New Jersey. Then she told a state trooper about the gun when he pulled her over for a traffic violation.Last week a state judge refused to dismiss the resulting charges against A
August 12th, 2014Article originally written on NRA-ILA.It is easier for a business owner who conducts primarily cash transactions in Maryland to obtain a permit to wear and carry a gun, than a woman who fears she may be attacked by an ex-lover. "I am afraid for my life and safety due to being stalked, assaulted, threatened, and harassed," reads an excerpt from a denied application to obtain a concealed carry permit in Maryland. "I have filed charged against [redacted] for assault and threats. He
August 4th, 2014The nation's capital, long infamous for its strict gun control, is now one step closer to being forced to comply with the Second Amendment. On Saturday, July 26, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a decision in Palmer v. District of Columbia, which challenged D.C.'s ban on carrying firearms in public for self-defense. The court's decision prohibits D.C. officials from enforcing certain provisions of local law that interfere with the constitutiona
August 1st, 2014California battle over concealed-weapon rights could be headed for Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court has turned aside all Second Amendment challenges since a pair of landmark rulings in 2008 and 2009 confirmed the rights of individuals to keep and bear arms. But some believe a California case could make the high court return to the controversial area and determine whether gun ownership rights extend beyond the corners of one's home."If this goes to the Supreme Court, I'll probably b
July 30th, 2014FAIRBORN -- A group of people spent their Sunday at an all-day course, that taught them how to protect themselves and we are learning more and more women are signing up."I live in a rural area and it would take at best 10 minutes for any law enforcement to get to my home to help in any situation," said Linda White , who wanted peace of mind."I watch the news, I'm very aware of the violence in our society."So six months ago, White got her concealed carry permit. She's part of the l
July 18th, 2014Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress in April about an idea he had directed the Department of Justice to investigate: a requirement that gun owners wear electronic bracelets that would enable only registered owners to activate their firearms. Some critics, focusing on abusive surveillance powers, have called it Orwellian.But one needn't look to fiction to be wary: History offers numerous examples of well-intentioned policies to control crime that have had disastrous conseque
July 16th, 2014A Milwaukee nurse who shot an attempted carjacker likely helped break up a criminal ring that police believe has been involved in a string of robberies and carjackings as well as a recent shooting.Two teenagers a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old tried to steal Victoria Davisons car last month while she was in it, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.I want the keys, car, everything, commanded one of the teens, according to Davison.Davison hesitated, prompting one teen t
July 7th, 2014Joe Mantegna may be best-known in Hollywood for starring in everything from Godfather Part lll to Criminal Minds, but even before he was a big shot on the silver screen the 66-year-old was competing in both pistol and shotgun competitions.The devout firearms enthusiast is now loading up for his fourth season hosting the Outdoor Channels MidwayUSAs Gun Stories, which takes viewers through gun history exploring classics like the Mauser bolt-action to top-notch firearms like
July 1st, 2014(Reuters) - The first gun manufacturer to leave Connecticut after it enacted tough new gun control laws last year in the wake of the Newtown school shootings presented a commemorative rifle on Monday to the governor of South Carolina, its new home.PTR Industries Inc is among a wave of firearms makers moving or expanding away from the industry's traditional base in the U.S. Northeast to the more gun-friendly South.Gun sales in the United States have grown steadily over the past 30 y
June 27th, 2014President Barack Obama on Thursday said Congresss failure to pass legislation mandating new background checks ahead of gun purchases was his most disappointing moment with lawmakers.The White House and Congress have had their share of standoffs, including testy hearings over the Internal Revenue Service and Benghazi, debt-ceiling showdowns and a budget impasse that led to a partial government shutdown.But Mr. Obama said the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School
June 25th, 2014Gun control activists have repeatedly used national tragedies to try to push their agenda. They use grieving victims to invoke an emotional response and spread misinformation falsely claiming that enacting their agenda would have prevented these tragedies and will prevent future tragedies.Just yesterday, the former executive director of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloombergs anti-gun group admitted that mass shootings would not have been stopped by stricter gun control. Me
June 24th, 2014On Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed HB89, which mainly makes clear that self-defense laws including the Florida no-duty-to-retreat law (often called stand your ground) apply equally to defensive threats of force, including warning shots, as they do to actual force. This seems to me quite right: whatever one might think of the possible scope of self-defense, and of no-duty-to-retreat laws, if actually killing or injuring someone is justifiable self-defense, then threate
June 23rd, 2014Visitors will be allowed to bring concealed guns into the Kansas Statehouse starting in July because legislative leaders on Thursday refused to exercise the power granted to them by state law to prevent it.The change is part of a measure enacted last year, aimed at allowing holders of concealed carry permits to take their weapons into more public buildings. That law said top lawmakers could block Capitol visitors from carrying concealed if they acted but only this month and de
June 19th, 2014Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lashed out at opponents of gun control regulations Tuesday, saying they hold a viewpoint that terrorizes the majority of Americans.MoreLooks Like Brian Schweitzer Just Messed Up His Chances of a Democratic NominationHillary Clinton Backs Gillibrand Bill to Curb Military Sexual AssaultObama: U.S. Prepared to Take 'Targeted' Action in Iraq NBC NewsGlenn Beck: 'Liberals, You Were Right' About Iraq War Huffington PostTrucker in
June 18th, 2014The Transportation Security Administration is sending a message to travelers: Yes, it is within your rights to fly with your firearm. But dont even think about trying to take it with you through security.The number of firearms found at security checkpoints is on the rise nationwide. This month, a record 18 guns were confiscated in one day.Though behavior at Buffalo Niagara International Airport has not reflected the national trend so far this year, there has only been one found
June 11th, 2014The blogging site rolled into the White House on Wednesday with the president fielding questions from students in a session hosted by Tumblr founder and CEO David Karp.During the chat Obama revealed that being unable to implement basic gun control reforms was the greatest frustration of his presidency."We're the only developed country where this happens. And it happens weekly," he said."Our levels of gun violence are off the charts."Obama said Australia hadn't had a single
June 10th, 2014The number of gun permits issued in Tennessee has nearly doubled between 2012 and 2013.According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the state issued 192,613 handgun carry permits in 2013. Of that 58,833 were given to women and 133,780 were given to men. Compare that to 2012. That year the state issued a total of 114,031 permits. 32,354 were given to women and 81,677 were given to men.TN Dept. of Safety and Homeland Security: Handgun DataSunday,
June 5th, 2014Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) plans to introduce legislation that would allow family members to take guns away from "unstable" and "violent" people.Boxer said her Pause for Safety Act was in response to the May 23 mass shooting and stabbing spree in Isla Vista, Calif., by Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old former Santa Barbara City College student. Seven people died in the attack, including Rodger, who killed himselfBefore the shooting, Rodgers mother had called police and asked them to
June 4th, 2014The Obama administration, after failing to get gun control passed on Capitol Hill, has resorted to using its executive power to try to put some in the firearms industry out of business, House Republican investigators say.The assertion is included in a report recently released by California GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.Citing internal Justice Department documents, the committee concluded that the administration used a program
June 2nd, 2014A Massachusetts gun seller says its the latest victim of a federal multiagency task force that is squeezing financing sources for industries deemed high-risk by the Obama administration, such as porn stores, drug paraphernalia shops and gun merchants.Powderhorn Outfitters, which sells firearms, archery gear and fishing equipment in Hyannis, Massachusetts, posted in an online forum this week that its longtime bank TD Bank had suddenly dropped its account.TD Bank does not sup
May 28th, 2014On their first day back in the Capitol since the killing Friday night of six college students near UC Santa Barbara, Democrats in the California Legislature said the state should do more to keep mentally ill people from obtaining guns.Democratic Assembly members Das Williams of Santa Barbara and Nancy Skinner of Berkeley announced they will introduce a bill that would allow concerned family members or friends to notify authorities when a loved one is at risk of committing violence,
May 27th, 2014Mayor Rahm Emanuel is proposing a far-reaching ordinance that would keep gun stores out of most parts of the city and require them to videotape every sale to deter customers from buying firearms for crooks.The ordinance is a response to a federal judges ruling in January that Chicagos longtime ban on gun stores was unconstitutional.Emanuel chose not to fight the decision, and the court gave the city six months to approve store restrictions short of a ban. The deadline is July 14.
May 23rd, 2014Democrats in the House and Senate are pushing to spend $60 million for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to research gun violence, rekindling a debate over whether political agendas taint these taxpayer-funded studies.The legislation, introduced by Sen. Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts Democrat, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, New York Democrat, would provide $10 million a year for six years, beginning in 2015, for the research.President Obama, who last year lifted the 1
May 19th, 2014Hunters in five West Virginia counties will soon have the option to hunt on Sundays.Voters in Braxton, Webster, Wirt, Nicholas and Calhoun counties approved Sunday hunting, which is illegal in all but 14 of the states counties. The issue was on the ballots in Lewis and Gilmer counties as well, but did not pass. Although counties have had the option of placing the issue on the ballots for about 12 years, Jerry Jenkins, lieutenant colonel with the state Division of Natural Resources
May 17th, 2014The British author George Orwell's prescient novel "1984" has increased in popularity since the recent revelation of massive spying on Americans' private communications. Orwell is also credited with the sentiment popularized in the quote, "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."Orwell said words to that effect in 1942, back when clear-thinking people had no illusions about how to deal with enemies bent
May 15th, 2014COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio's attorney general reports that more than 16,000 new concealed-carry licenses were issued in the first quarter of 2014.The numbers released Tuesday showed 16,205 new licenses issued, and 15,832 licenses renewed in the first three months of the year, for a total of more than 32,000. Another 262 applications were denied, and 350 were suspended.That compares with more than 31,400 new permits issued in the first quarter of 2013, along with more than 6,300 ren
May 13th, 2014Washington, D.C. is the only place in the country where no one is allowed to legally carry a gun outside the home.District residents are trying to challenge the law in court, but the justice system has denied them due process. The almost five-year delay in Palmer v. District of Columbia is so extreme that some suspect political games.In August 2009, Tom Palmer and three other D.C. residents filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that said the total ban on carrying firearms -- open
May 9th, 2014WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the nation's gun culture had gotten "way out of balance" and that the United States needed to rein in the notion that "anybody can have a gun anywhere, anytime."The former secretary of state and potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate said the idea that anyone could have a gun was not in the "best interest of the vast majority of people." She said that approach did not conflict with the rights of people to own firearms.C
May 2nd, 2014Smartguns, which just entered the market, are firearms equipped with small embedded computers that are supposed to enhance safety by preventing anyone other than authorized parties from firing the weapons, and, in some cases, by ensuring that the guns only fire when aimed at inanimate targets.I do not doubt that supporters of smartgun technology wish to reduce gun accidents and violence. Thats a goal in which I firmly believe. But is smartgun technology really ready for prime time?
May 6th, 2014SANTA ANA, Calif. Pete Alexander celebrated the news that a federal court in California had thrown out this states strict requirements for obtaining a concealed-handgun permit among the toughest in the nation by calling the Orange County Sheriffs Department to apply for a permit he had long wanted.Im a gun enthusiast, said Mr. Alexander, a construction contractor who lives in Fullerton. Crime is encroaching on our neighborhood, and I dont feel as safe as I used to. This
April 23rd, 2014On Monday, NRA filed formal comments in opposition to a plan by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to expand the categories of persons prohibited under federal law from acquiring or possessing firearms because of having been "adjudicated as a mental defective" or "committed to a mental institution." The proposal is commonly referred to by its BATFE docket number, 51P.NRA shares the goal of keeping firearms out of dangerous hands. Its comme
April 23rd, 2014It seems that seldom a week goes by that there is not a new, outrageous case of over-zealous school officials abusing "zero-tolerance" rules. This week is no exception, as our "outrage" comes to us from Lewiston High School, in Maine, where administrators suspended a 10th grade student--for 10 days--after a bright yellow squirt gun fell out of his backpack.According to a Daily Caller article, administrators at the High School determined that the rules mandated a 10-day susp
April 22nd, 2014The U.S. Supreme Court has pushed its consideration of a case challenging New Jerseys mandate that citizens show a justifiable need to carry a gun in public for protection to April 25.The case which involves John Drake, who runs a Sussex County business that owns and services ATMs, as well as other plaintiffs had been scheduled to be heard in conference on Friday. But it was not listed on an order list of cases the court has agreed to hear and those it has denied that was
April 21st, 2014Certain things remain constant in America, despite the best efforts of, say, Hollywood, the mainstream news media, liberal culture and progressive politics. Old Glory and Old Faithful come to mind, along with the National Rifle Association which will show just how constant it is in about 48 hours, when the organizations annual membership meeting begins in Indianapolis. The theme this year is Stand and Fight. Though the group has mastered contemporary public outreach and comm
April 18th, 2014The administrator of the Facebook page, who refused to give their name, provided BuzzFeed with the following statement about the motivation behind the page: I took the Bloomberg name because I wanted this page to remain open to debate, unlike his group at Moms Demand Action that block anyone with alternative views. Gun owners are getting a bad rep nation wide from their anti gun propaganda. As to who I am, I am your average citizen that believes the second amendment shall not b
April 15th, 2014This year April 15 is more than the tax deadline for an estimated one million New York State residents. Its also the deadline to register assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. If they dont, theyll begin living outside the law. A lot of them have decided to do just that. Theyve decided to practice civil disobedience even though failure to register an assault weapon by the deadline is punishable as a class A misdemeanor, which means a maximum sentence of one year
April 14th, 2014Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton resigned Wednesday from Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an affiliation that has brought him grief from gun owners in the six-way race for the Republican nomination for governor."As a member of the Connecticut General Assembly, I was a strong supporter of the rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen in Connecticut," Boughton said in a statement posted on his campaign website. "This remains my position today."Boughton's resignation was immediately pub
TALLAHASSEE -- A bill that allows legal gun owners to conceal their weapons without a permit during mandatory evacuations continued to gain support in the Senate Tuesday despite concerns from law enforcement.The Community Affairs Committee voted 8-1 to pass SB 296, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, that would remove any criminal penalties for those found carrying weapons in public without a permit during evacuations ordered by the governor.Carrying a concealed firearm without a p
April 3rd, 2014Hunters should be able to outfit their rifles and shotguns with sound suppressors to hunt birds and other wild animals, according to a bill passed Wednesday in the Louisiana House.House Bill 186 sponsored by Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, expands a state law that already allows hunters to use suppressors when hunting nuisance species, such as beaver and nutria.While there is some ambiguity over whether suppressors are the same as silencers, Henry assured his fellow lawmakers that
April 4th, 2014HONOLULU (AP) - A record number of firearms were registered in Hawaii last year, prolonging a run of steady increases since 2000, the state attorney generals office said in a report released Thursday.A total of 60,757 firearms were registered in 2013, marking a nearly 21 percent increase from the 2012 record of 50,394, the report states.In addition, 21,544 permits were issued to acquire those firearms.Despite the increases over the years, firearm-related violent crimes remained l
March 21st, 2014The anti-gun politicians that control the New Jersey Legislature are racing to get a magazine and gun ban on Gov. Chris Christies desk.A bill that bans magazines over 10 rounds and classifies .22-caliber tube-fed youth rifles as assault firearms could hit the governors desk as soon as March 27, according to the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, which is the states affiliate for the National Rifle Association (NRA).Scott Bach, the executive director of the g
March 20th, 2014MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Senate is trying to expand gun rights in Alabama by allowing more motorists to carry loaded pistols in their vehicles.The Senate voted 20-7 Wednesday night in favor of a bill by Republican Sen. Scott Beason that would allow motorists without pistol permits to carry loaded pistols in their cars. The bill must be passed by the House and signed by the governor to become law. With only four meeting days left in the 2014 legislative session, Beason
March 17th, 2014Get ready for gun control supporters bogusly to start claiming that firearms "cause" more injuries than more than 150,000 other factors. The United Nations' World Health Organization is increasing its list of injury causes from 17,000 to 155,000, effective October 1, 2014.The U.N.'s injury list, which will be used by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is being expanded to include such commonplace mishaps as "Forced landing of spacecraft injuring occupan
March 12th, 2014The Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013 (H.R. 2959) has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Richard Nugent (R-Fla.) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah). The bill would allow any person who is not prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under federal law and who has a valid, concealed firearm permit to carry a concealed handgun in any state that issues its own residents permits to carry concealed firearms. Persons carrying a handgun i
March 11th, 2014In recent months, anti-gun groups such as Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the Brady Campaign and others have been putting increasing pressure on Facebook (and its associated platform, Instagram) to prohibit any online content that references the private sale of firearms.The demands to Facebook were based on the false premise that guns were being sold illegally through these forums simply because users posted information about a firearm they wished to sell. As we have often no
March 4th, 2013House File 2381 would allow Iowans to buy suppressors, or silencers, for their guns. Thats prohibited now by state law, according to floor manager Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, who called the bill a prime opportunity to expand the freedom and liberty Iowans deserve.Protecting their hearing from what one gun rights lobbyist called the danger of instant and irreparable hearing damage would be a completely legit argument, Windschitl added.However, shooters could wea
March 3rd, 2014A forthcoming study is challenging claims, repeated over and over in the media, that federal restrictions effectively froze gun research over the last two decades.The Crime Prevention Research Center study examined how a 1996 decision by Congress to strip funding for firearms research actually impacted the world of academia. To hear national media outlets tell it, the decision led to a drought in research from 1996 to 2013 -- when such funding was once again allowed. Stories from
February 27th, 2014In April 2009, my husband was shot six times in front of me in the middle of a busy restaurant by a man who was stalking me. I have a permit to carry a handgun but because of the law at that time in my home state of Tennessee, I had to leave the gun that I normally carried for self defense, locked in my car that night. My husband Ben and I ran our mobile karaoke business out of a restaurant that served alcohol and my gun was forbidden there. I obeyed the law but my stalk
February 24th, 2014The Supreme Court on Monday declined to wade into the politically volatile issue of gun control by leaving intact three court rulings rejecting challenges to federal and state laws.The court's decision not to hear the cases represented a loss for gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association, which was behind two of the challenges.The first case involved a challenge by the NRA to a Texas law that prevents 18-20 year olds from carrying handguns in
February 17th, 2014California may soon join 42 other states in letting people carry concealed handguns once they meet certain objective criteria.Thursday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state couldnt ban both concealed and open carry guns. The court also struck down the so-called good cause requirement for getting a permit, saying that concern for ones personal safety should be sufficient justification.The Constitution guarantees Americans the right to keep and bear arms.
February 13th, 2014Louis DiNatale didnt intend to enter Canada when he and his wife wound up on a bridge from New York state to Ontario province one day in September, misdirected by an unreliable GPS. What began as a U.S. couples getaway to Vermont quickly turned into a lesson on the stark difference between the United States and Canada when it comes to gun laws.DiNatale, whose request to turn around and cross back into the United States was denied, and then he made another mistake. When a bor
February 11th, 2014The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide this month whether to hear two cases seeking clarification on what the Constitutions framers intended in granting citizens the right to not only own but also bear arms.Lyle Denniston, a National Constitution Center adviser, writes on the Philadelphia Inquirers website that the National Rifle Association has, of late, brought two cases before the Supreme Court challenging prevailing legal wisdom that while the Second Amendment gr
February 6th, 2014COLUMBIA - Sometimes, political parties need a little bit of protection from themselves.That's the message that a state Senate panel sent Tuesday when it recommended a bill that would make it more difficult for Republicans and Democrats to choose candidates at party conventions, where typically only die-hard partisans and activists show up to make their voices heard.State Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, who is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Lindsey Graham, also pushe
February 3rd, 2014TULSA, Oklahoma -According to a news release from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, a new system has been launched that would allow users to submit applications to apply or renew handgun licenses online.1/20/2014 Related Story: Oklahoma Handgun Permits Issued More Than Doubled In 2013The Self-Defense Act License On-Line Application system can be accessed on the OSBI website.The new service, according to the news release, is a product of partnership between the OSBI an
Fifty-five percent of Americans reported in a new Gallup poll that they are dissatisfied overall with American gun laws and policies, an increase from 51 percent in 2013 and just 42 percent in 2012.But the most dramatic rise in dissatisfaction comes from the contingency of Americans who feel gun laws are too strict, rather than from those who think they aren't strict enough. This percentage jumped to 16 percent this year, a rate that more than triples the 5 percent recorded by Gallup last year.
January 28th, 2014A national newspaper chain never intended to create a multi-state database of gun owners with permits allowing them to carry concealed weapons according to its top executive, who told FoxNews.com a "poorly crafted" internal memo erroneously indicated such an idea was being planned.The memo -- sent by a top content editor to various editors at Civitas Media, which owns about 100 newspapers in 11 states, with 1.6 million in total circulation -- laid out a plan for an enterprise p
January 27th, 2014COLUMBIA, SC With Gov. Nikki Haleys signature, South Carolinians licensed to carry concealed firearms will be able to carry guns into bars and restaurants as long as they do not drink.The S.C. House passed a bill Thursday to allow concealed weapons in restaurants by a 90-18 vote, sending the bill to Haleys desk. Passage of the bill is an expansion of gun rights that had been sought for years by 2nd Amendment advocates.G
January 24th, 2014Smith & Wesson announced it will stop selling its handguns in California rather than manufacture them to comply with the new microstamping law. The other publicly traded firearms manufacturer in the U.S., Sturm, Ruger, also said this month that it will stop new sales to California.The announcement late Wednesday came a week after the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for firearms manufacturers, filed suit against California for requiring that
January 20th, 2014When Schuyler Taylor attended a gun buyback program in Seattle last year, he wasn't hoping to turn in an unwanted firearm for a $50 gift card. He was looking to pay cold cash for a rare weapon.Taylor, a 24-year-old gun enthusiast, is one of a growing number of collectors who has been showing up at the events, where towns, police departments, churches and nonprofits offer money or gift cards for old guns. The events have been held all over the country, credited by some for getti
January 16th, 2013The city of Chicago, which has fought for decades to keep guns out of the hands of its residents, now must craft an ordinance within 180 days that will allow gun stores to open there, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.U.S. District Judge Edward E. Chang granted the city's request for the delay, a small victory for a city that has lost a series of recent legal battles in its efforts to keep guns out. Chicago officials now find themselves ushering in a new era in which the city must
January 15th, 2014John R. Lott Jr. is president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of "More Guns, Less Crime"The new year has brought yet more gun-control regulations. President Obama announced new executive orders on background checks. Connecticut citizens stood in long lines to register their guns, and, next door in New York City, registration lists are used to confiscate them.While the research by criminologists and economists keeps showing that gun control doesn't work, t
January 14th, 2014DAYTON, Ohio (AP) The number of people registering silencers for firearms in Ohio is on the way up, a newspaper reported Monday.Silencers are one of the fastest-growing segments of the firearms market and registrations skyrocketed in Ohio last year, according to the Dayton Daily News (http://bit.ly/1d0or33).Ohio saw the second-largest increase in suppressor registrations in the nation. Experts said interest in the devices could increase if state lawmakers decide to allow th
January 13th, 2014Both sides of the gun law debate have geared up to wage war across the country in 2014 using millions of dollars, midterm elections, opposing messaging strategies and dueling grass-roots campaigns.This year, groups will focus on pouring money into candidates that support their ideals and changing or upholding laws in hot spots such as Colorado, Washington and Illinois.On one side, gun rights activists plan to challenge laws in states like New Jersey and California that they bel
January 10th, 2014Calling the ATF's tactics appalling, alarming, disturbing and "almost unimaginable," congressional members on Thursday slammed the agency for how it conducted storefront stings across the nation and renewed their demand for answers.The sharply worded letter is the latest salvo from members of Congress to U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director B. Todd Jones regarding the undercover operations.Members of both parties have been demanding answers from the
January 9th, 2014Article originally written on Motor City has become Murder City. With 333 homicides of all kinds last year, Detroit tops the list of major cities under siege by violent criminals. The man with the nations most thankless job, Detroit Police Chief James E. Craig, shocked the establishment when he said last week that he thinks the solution to Motowns crime is more guns.Chief Craig served nearly three decades in the Los Angeles Police Department, where it took an act of Congress
January 8th, 2014Today, Judge Edmond E. Chang of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ruled that the City of Chicago's ordinance banning virtually all sales and transfers of firearms inside city limits violates the Second Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional. In his ruling, Judge Chang noted the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms" includes the right to acquire firearms.As the court stated, "Chicago's ordinance goes too far in outright
Gun-control legislation got a much closer look over the past year in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings but the District and gun-rights activists have been fighting their own battle on the issue for the better part of a decade.And the experience in the nations capital is likely to provide clues to how the gun-rights debate is likely to go in 2014.Lawmakers on both sides of the issue on Capitol Hill consistently cited parts of the Supreme Courts 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller d
January 2nd, 2014Article originally written on The DC.When New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg leaves office today he will enter civilian life protected by firearms.The same man who has spent much of his career and personal fortune trying to render good, law-abiding men and women defenseless, will now surround himself with a team of armed bodyguards.Bloombergs security detail will be comprised of former police officers that he purchased away from the NYPD with the promise of early retirement,
December 31st, 2013Article originally written on CBS.LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) A controversial gun control measure passed by California lawmakers in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is set to take effect next week that will retain information on rifle and shotgun purchases statewide.Starting Jan. 1, the California Department of Justice will require gun dealers to register all long-gun purchases with the state, which was previously compelled by law to destroy such inform
December 30th, 2013Article originally written on CBS Local.SACRAMENTO (CBS13) A new gun law coming in 2014 has gun owners stocking up on long guns before a new registry begins.Even though the law is at least temporarily boosting his bottom line, Just Guns owner John Deaser isnt a fan. He says requiring people to register their rifles and shotguns is an unnecessary invasion of privacy.In the last week of 2013, he says sales of long guns are up 30 to 50 percent.The registry goes into effect on
Beretta has eliminated Virginia from its short list of states to move its company because anti-gun Democrat Terry McAuliffe was elected governor. The firearms manufacturer made the decision to scratch Virginia off the list after the McAuliffe campaign fixated on restricting gun owners rights after receiving over $1 million in campaign donations from billionaire New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The anti-gun ads that McAuliffe ran in northern Virginia were particularly offensive, Jeff Reh, g
December 26th, 2013Article originally written on NY Daily News.A prominent Democrat at the center of the proposed gun control legislation that failed earlier this year doesnt think passing a similar deal will be any easier in 2014.West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who helped broker a background check compromise that ultimately failed in the Senate, said Sunday that rounding up the votes needed to pass the bill next year would be difficult.Hopefully, wed have a few (lawmakers who voted against
December 23rd, 2013Article originally written Kansas City News.Establishing the policy was a direct result of controversy that erupted earlier this year when University of Kansas associate professor David Guth wrote on his personal Twitter account about the National Rifle Association and its members children. The comments went viral, and Guth was put on administrative leave until the university could figure out how to respond.When the incident with David Guth occurred at the University of Kans
December 20th, 2013Article originally written on Fox News.The most popular reality show in cable television history has sparked a heated national debate, laying bare a national rift over gay rights and free speech and prompting politicians, entertainers and ordinary folks to enter the cultural fray.Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, as well as former GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, have all come to the defense of 'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson, whose statements condemnin
CENTENNIAL, Colo. Its a stark fact that is fueling an already intense debate about gun rights in this state: It was an armed deputy who stopped the Arapahoe High School gunman last week from unleashing a deadly massacre, not the expansive new gun control laws approved by Colorado Democrats in March in reaction to two mass shootings.That is the increasingly inescapable takeaway as details emerge from the school shooting Friday, when the 18-year-old gunman injured another student at random befo
December 17th, 2013Article originally written on NY Times.GREELEY, Colo. When Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County explains in speeches why he is not enforcing the states new gun laws, he holds up two 30-round magazines. One, he says, he had before July 1, when the law banning the possession, sale or transfer of the large-capacity magazines went into effect. The other, he maybe obtained afterward.He shuffles the magazines, which look identical, and then challenges the audience to tell the diff
Two people were reported injured Friday afternoon during a shooting at a suburban Denver high school.Denver TV station KUSA said the shooting occurred at Arapahoe High School, in Centennial. KUSA said that one teen had a gunshot wound. But the extent of the victim's injury remains unknown.Police, who surrounded the school, describe the scene as a "active shooter situation" and a gunman was still believed to be inside the school.Students were seen calmly exiting the building single file with thei
December 13th, 2013Article originally written on The National Review.Since the president was reelected in November of last year, a good deal of poison has been poured into Washingtons grimy alphabet soup. Among the departments that have become embroiled in scandal are the IRS, the DOJ, the DOE, the EPA, the NSA, the USDA, and, of course, the ATF. This week, the lattermost is back in the news and for good reason.The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is probably be
December 12th, 2013Article originally written on Human Events.New Yorkers gauge registration and confiscation of firearms in the aftermath of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos landmark gun control law, the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013.The next relevant deadline is April 16, 2014 the date the people are supposed to have their long arms registered, said Assemblyman William R. Nojay (R. Pittsford).The registration system is in place and firearm owners can register today, he said.
December 10th, 2013JACKSON, Mississippi -- Certain gun owners can carry concealed weapons even in areas where a local government has posted signs banning them, the Attorney General's office said Thursday in an opinion aimed at clarifying Mississippi's gun laws.Gun owners who hold "enhanced permits" can take their weapons to places like churches, voting precincts and even inside passenger terminals of airports, even if there are signs posted to expressly prohibit guns, Assistant Attorney General
December 9th, 2013Article originally written on The Hill.Vice President Biden is declaring progress in the Obama administrations post-Newtown push to tackle gun violence via executive action.Each of 23 measures unveiled by the president in January has been advanced, Biden said in a message issued by the White House.Those 23 executive actions are keeping guns out of dangerous hands, Biden said. They're providing support for communities to hire school resource officers. And they're reducing th
December 6th, 2013Article originally written on WVAGO.CHARLESTON Attorney General Patrick Morrisey today announced that West Virginia and 25 other states and one territory have filed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing a federal government attempt to prosecute legal gun owners who wish to sell a weapon to another person who can legally own and purchase firearms.Our Office is proud to lead a bipartisan group of 27 states and territories in this brief t
December 5th, 2013Article originally written on CNN.Washington (CNN) - As memories fade from last December's horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a new national poll indicates that support for stricter gun control laws appears to be fading, too.According to a new CNN/ORC International survey, 49% of Americans say they support stricter gun control laws, with 50% opposed. The 49% support is down six percentage points from the 55% who said they backed stricter gun control in CNN pollin
December 4th, 2013Article originally written on NY Post.They call themselves Mayors Against Illegal Guns. But apparently not all of them are against all illegal activity.MAIG was co-founded in 2006 by Michael Bloomberg and his counterpart in Boston, Thomas Menino.But come January, the two men will be out of office. When they depart, attention will likely focus on some of their less well-known members and that could be a problem.The latest of the legally challenged is Mayor Gordon Jenkins of Mo
December 3rd, 2013Article originally written on NY Times.DENVER A populist backlash against Colorados new gun-control laws claimed its third political casualty on Wednesday as a Democratic state senator resigned her seat rather than face a recall vote that could have cost her party control of the chamber. For Democrats in this swing state, the resignation of the senator, Evie Hudak, was a sign of the growing political cost of their votes last winter to expand background checks and limit
December 2nd, 2013Article originally written on The Globe and Mail.The last remnants of the federal long-gun registry will survive into 2014.The Supreme Court of Canada agreed on Thursday to give the Quebec government one last shot at making the case for preserving provincial registry data.Records detailing more than five million rifles and shotguns owned by Canadians in the other provinces and territories were destroyed a year ago, but Quebec the birthplace of the registry has gone to court
(Texas Tribune) For years, supporters of open-carry gun laws have pleaded with lawmakers to allow Texans to bear their arms openly in public. With the front-running Republican gubernatorial candidate proposing open carry laws, many supporters believe the time has finally arrived for legislators to approve such a measure."I think open carry will be the Second Amendment issue this next session, and I do think that we can pass it because the support is just tremendous," said state Rep. George Lav
November 25th, 2013Article originally written on Volokh.The Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear Armsnot solely firearms. While firearms have always been the paradigmatic Second Amendment arm, there are many other types of arms which are protected by the Second Amendment. By far the most common of the other arms are knives.Now at the printer is the first detailed scholarly analysis of Knives and the Second Amendment. 47 University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, vol. 47
November 22nd, 2013Article originally written on LIMA Ohio.LIMA When Ohio first licensed citizens to carry a concealed handgun nearly 10 years ago, then U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine was a little skeptical.He wasn't so sure it was a good idea.But after nearly 10 years of concealed carry not only has DeWine, the current Ohio Attorney General whose office oversees the program, changed his mind but he became a supporter. He's also a licensed concealed carrier.People are just more comfortable with it and
November 18th, 2013Article originally written on The Bulletin.A couple of days before heading north to hunt moose in Vermont, I stopped by a local gun store for a box of ammunition, only to find out the store could not legally sell me the bullets because I didnt have a pile of newly-required permits in hand. To my surprise and dismay, a hunting license, which is earned by passing a rigorous 12-hour class, is no longer sufficient hoop jumping to buy bullets in Connecticut.The whole thing is a
November 15th, 2013Article originally written on A brief discussion during a meeting last week of the Swampscott Board of Selectmen has sparked outrage among gun-rights proponents and turned one selectman into the target of vitriolic e-mails, threatening phone calls, and online petitions from across the nation calling for his resignation.Under Massachusetts law, gun owners are required to keep their weapons stored in a locked container or locked in some other way. During the selectmens discussi
November 14th, 2013Article originally written on WNDU.comRecord levels of women are picking up rifles, shotguns and handguns. But the women behind the magazines and barrels arent your stereotypical gunslingers; instead theyre moms, doctors, lawyers and secretaries. The one thing they have in common is their decision to exercise their second amendment right to bear arms.In 2005 only 13 percent of gun owners in the United States were women. That number jumped to 23-percent of women reporting fir
November 13th, 2013Article originally written on CNN.(CNN) -- Two Gonzaga University students could be suspended or even expelled after using a handgun to defend themselves from an intruder in their university-owned apartment, an act which the university says violates the school's weapons policy.Gonzaga University, a private, four-year university in Spokane, Washington, says the students violated the school's weapons policy by having firearms in their apartment, which is in a complex near the ca
November 12th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Examiner.Nearly 10 percent of New York Mayor Michael Bloombergs anti-gun group Mayors Against Illegal Guns retired from their job or were sacked in Tuesdays elections, including the organizations two leaders: Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.Some 95 key members of the group that targets and criticizes lawmakers backed by the National Rifle Association are losing their title of mayor. According to an election review of B
November 11th, 2013One of the regrettable consequences of the political class's obsession with gun control legislation (despite the American public not considering guns a significant problem) is that it encourages people and publications that otherwise aren't political into sharing their oblivious opinions on the matter. Such is the case with a November 5th column on the website of Runner's World magazine. Nestled on a front page that includes an article on "How Pumpkins Can Help You
November 8th, 2013Article originally written on The Miami Herald.TALLAHASSEE -- Five hours have been set aside for Thursdays stand your ground hearing in the Florida House, where changes to the law, including its repeal, will be considered.For many, it will be their first exposure to the chairman of the hearing, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, a brash 31-year-old Twitter aficionado who three months ago declared he didnt support changing one damn comma in the 2005 law.Although Gaetz p
November 7th, 2013Gun-rights advocates around the country have inundated Leon County commissioners with emails against a proposed ordinance restricting gun sales in public places.Last week, the commission discussed an ordinance that would require gun sales by private individuals in public places to include a background check and up to a five-day waiting period. The next day, former National Rifle Association President Marion Hammer called on NRA members to voice their opposition.On Monday, Hamme
November 6th, 2013Article originally written on Kiro TV.Starting Monday, people will be allowed to bring guns into Seattle public libraries.The board of the library system said it did not have a choice but to remove the ban on guns that has been in place for a number of years.State courts ruled last year that cities had no rights to restrict guns in specific public places. This came after Seattle tried to ban them in parks and community centers. The state Supreme Court agreed with lo
November 5th, 2013A man who walked through a large northern New Jersey mall on Monday night firing a weapon and sending thousands of people running shot and killed himself early Tuesday morning, the authorities said. The man, identified as Richard Shoop, 20, of Teaneck, N.J., entered the Garden State Plaza in Paramus around 9 p.m. Monday, shortly before the mall was scheduled to close, and roamed the hallways before taking his own life, according to the Bergen County prosecutor, John Molinelli.N
November 5th, 2013Article originally written on Chicago Tribune.Since the Illinois State Police began releasing the names of instructors eligible to teach state-mandated concealed carry courses, residents have been filling up classes that will qualify them to carry guns in public.But in Illinois, there is no uniform concealed carry curriculum, and state police officials have no mechanism in place to determine whether each instructor is teaching what the law requires. The variation and lack of st
November 1st, 2013Article originally written on USA Today.BRIGGSDALE, Colo. A rural school here will allow teachers to carry concealed guns to keep students safe.Briggsdale School, which educates students from preschool to 12th grade, is about a 20-minute drive from the nearest police station, administrators say. And that's a problem if a shooter were to target the school."Twenty minutes is a long time," said Superintendent Rick Mondt of the Briggsdale School District, which has about 160 stud
October 31st, 2013Article originally written on Politico.President Barack Obamas behind-the-scenes plans for gun control go on but without Vice President Joe Biden.Biden, the White Houses public face of and private force behind the push for new gun control laws, and his chief of staff, Bruce Reed, are no longer involved in the long-term planning between the White House and major gun violence prevention groups, officials from several organizations tell POLITICO.The vice presidents disappearanc
October 28th, 2013Article originally written on The Daily Caller.By James W. Porter II, NRA PresidentAs NRA members, one of our key roles in defending liberty is to educate people who have little understanding of the real meaning of the Second Amendment. And often our responsibility is to dissect the biggest lies of the gun-ban crowdamong them, the notion that individuals dont need guns to protect themselves because thats the job of the police. a government and its agents are under no gener
October 25th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.Mark Witaschek, a successful financial adviser with no criminal record, is facing two years in prison for possession of unregistered ammunition after D.C. police raided his house looking for guns. Mr. Witaschek has never had a firearm in the city, but he is being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The trial starts on Nov. 4.The police banged on the front door of Mr. Witascheks Georgetown home at 8:20 p.m. on July 7, 201
October 23rd, 2013Article originally written on NRAILA.Fairfax, Va. Today, four members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter to President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and the United Nations with the clear message that the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty will not be ratified. Earlier this year, the U.N. adopted and President Obama directed Secretary Kerry to sign this treaty, which does not exclude civilian arms from its scope and therefore directly threatens the Second Amendment.This letter
October 21st, 2013Article originally written on Fox News.A staff member at a middle school in Nevada was shot and killed while trying to protect children after a student arrived on campus Monday and started opening fire, police say.The shooting occurred at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nev.One male student injured in the shooting has gone through surgery, while the other is doing well, Washoe County School District Chief of Police Mike Mieras said during a news conference. The suspected gunman
October 21st, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.The highly restrictive firearms laws in Washington, D.C., are enforced differently depending on your status and political position on gun control.Once again, the D.C. police are using their resources to provide illegal guns for a public relations stunt intended to pressure politicians to pass federal restrictions on the Second Amendment.Outside the Washington National Cathedral on Sunday, blacksmiths will forge firearms into g
October 16th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.The District of Columbia is the only place in the country that refuses to abide by the constitutional mandate that individuals have the right to bear arms. The city is a playground for criminals because they know the law-abiding arent armed. This week, however, one bad guy picked the wrong woman. On Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., an off-duty, female police officer was getting out of her car on 18th Street, S.E. when a man approached he
October 14th, 2013Article originally written on USA Today.WASHINGTON -- Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper suggests national gun-control groups stay away from a looming recall battle that could switch control of the state Senate to the GOP. The groups poured money into an unsuccessful defense of two state lawmakers recalled over their gun votes earlier this year."Colorado is a state that people like to be themselves and solve their own problems," the Democratic governor said in an interview with Ca
October 11th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.Alaska lawmakers accused the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of violating federal law by shutting down hunting on its lands during the government shutdown, saying a 1980 law guarantees state residents must have access to the land.It seems that agencies are working harder to keep people off federal lands than they have ever worked before to get them to visit federal lands, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, who questi
October 10th, 2013Article originally written on Washington Times.Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier seems to think that gun-control laws dont apply to the liberal elite. The police chief helped Sen. Dianne Feinstein acquire assault weapons, which are illegal to possess in the District, for a news conference early this year to promote a ban on these firearms, then tried to cover up the police involvement.Now, a response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request reveals C
October 9th, 2013Article originally written on The Daily Caller.The tyrants and dictators at the United Nations will stop at nothing to register, ban and, eventually, confiscate firearms owned by law-abiding Americans like you and me. The U.N. has been working for nearly 15 years to force its gun banning Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on the United States.Now, thanks to President Barack Obama, they are closer than ever.This past June, Obama helped the U.N. pass the ATT, thereby openly inviting the worl
October 7th, 2013Article originally written on the NRA-ILA Website.Back in February and March, NRA-ILA warned that Colorado's House Bill 1229, criminalizing the private transfer of firearms, was overbroad, and would unduly burden and ensnare law-abiding citizens. Lo and behold, less than seven months after Gov. Hickenlooper signed HB 1229, some victims of September's devastating floods are fearful of being prosecuted under the new law.According to an article published in the Greeley Tribun
October 4th, 2013Article originally written on NRA-ILA Website.A high school student who grabbed a National Rifle Assn. T shirt in her hurry to find something to wear to school was confronted by campus officials who forced the student to remove her shirt or face disciplinary action , the girl's parents said.Haley Bullwinkle complied with the demand, took off the white T shirt in the health office and put on a school shirt that officials at Canyon High in Anaheim gave her, but came ho
October 3rd, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.The National Rifle Association plans to sue the state of California if Gov. Jerry Brown signs a bill restricting the sale of some commonly used hunting rifles, raising the stakes as the deadline approaches for the governors decision.Our right to keep and bear arms has never been as seriously threatened in California as it is today, said the NRA Institute for Legislative Action in a Tuesday website post. After years of increm
September 30th, 2013Article originally written on Fox News.WASHINGTON Secretary of State John Kerry signed an international treaty on arms regulation Wednesday, angering conservative lawmakers and rattling the National Rifle Association despite claims that the treaty won't infringe on gun rights. So what's all the fuss about? The treaty, which took seven years to negotiate, would regulate the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms. The U.S. is the largest arms exporter in the worl
September 27th, 2013Article originally written on Fox News.Does the Second Amendment guarantee an individual right to own guns?The Supreme Court has ruled that it does. But you might be confused if you visit the official Senate web page on the Constitution, which says only: "Whether this provision protects the individual's right to own firearms or whether it deals only with the collective right of the people to arm and maintain a militia has long been debated."That particular wording was posted
September 26th, 2013The United States signed on to an international arms control treaty Wednesday that seeks to reduce global atrocities, but the road to ratification in the Senate may prove to be extremely bumpy and, possibly, insurmountable.Secretary of State John Kerry signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on the sidelines of this week's gathering of the U.N. General Assembly. The treaty, which nearly 90 countries have signed, requires signatory countries to ensure arm
September 25th, 2013Article originally written on Pantagraph.ARLINGTON HEIGHTS Illinois residents can begin applying in January for licenses to carry concealed weapons, but so far only 54 instructors most from northern Illinois have been approved to train them.State Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the agency has received as many as 1,000 applications from would-be instructors, and is ``confident that there will be enough instructors to provide training for prospective applicants.''In
September 23rd, 2013On the same day that lawmakers acknowledged that any attempt to crack down on firearms stands virtually no chance on Capitol Hill, President Obama made his strongest plea to date on the need to confront gun violence.Speaking at a memorial service for the 12 victims of last weeks massacre at the Washington Navy Yard, Mr. Obama again played the role of comforter-in-chief, a duty he has assumed many times during his presidency.This time, he said, weeping and sharing in grief sh
September 20th, 2013Article originally written on Rasmussen Reports.Despite the horrific mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, support for more gun control has fallen to its lowest level in over a year. Most Americans don't think tougher gun control would have prevented this week's killings anyway. Just 33% of American Adults believe its at least somewhat likely that stricter gun control laws would have prevented the mass shooting in Washington, DC, according to a new Rasmussen R
September 19th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, said that he hopes Mondays shooting at the Washington Navy Yard will reinvigorate the debate about gun control on Capitol Hill.My hope is this senseless killing will help us break through the gridlock that so obstructed us last time, Mr. Blumenthal said Tuesday morning on MSNBC Live.Many of his colleagues on Capitol Hill were shaken by the physical proximity of the shooting,
September 18th, 2013This article was originally written on The National Review.Female gun ownership has surged over the past five years, and its easy to understand why. Women who own guns consistently list the self-confidence and the sense of protection that having a firearm gives them, and the way it makes them feel in general: that rush of adrenaline, that inner strength, and perhaps even a little glamor. But nobody becomes a gun person overnight. There are many building blocks that go into m
September 16th, 2013DEVELOPING: At least 10 people have been shot with multiple fatalities at a Navy building in Washington, U.S. Navy authorities said Monday.A Navy Yard spokesman said the suspected gunman remains active and possibly barricaded following reports of shots fired at around 8:20 a.m. at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters in southeast Washington. A U.S. Navy official later told Reuters that it's possible more than one shooter is involved, although that has not been verif
Leaders of the National Rifle Association plan to press members of Congress in the coming weeks to block the National Security Agencys controversial program to collect records of Americans phone calls, arguing that the surveillance efforts can be used as a backdoor to construct a national gun registry.We will be up there and we will be making our feelings known, David Keene, a member of the NRAs executive board who served until this spring as the groups president, told NBC News. O
September 12th, 2013Article originally written on Reuters.(Reuters) - Chicago on Wednesday reluctantly abolished a 45-year-old requirement that gun owners register their weapons with the city, marking a victory for advocates of gun rights such as the National Rifle Association.The city council voted to end the gun registry in place since 1968 to comply with court rulings against Chicago and Illinois gun control laws, and to bring the city into line with a state concealed carry law."I happen to t
September 11th, 2013Article originally written on LA Times.The state Legislature this week is expected to decide whether to require special permits to buy ammunition and could outlaw the sale of rifles with detachable magazines.Both gun-control measures were introduced in the Democrat-controlled legislature in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December.The legislation is among the 400 or so bills that state lawmakers are scheduled to consider during the f
September 9th, 2013Article originally written on NRA-ILA.As the saying goes, there must be something in the water.A popular firearm safety class taught by NRA Certified Firearm Instructors at Pierce College, part of the Los Angeles Community College District, has been nixed for purely ideological reasons, and because--well, you will just have to see for yourself.The Los Angeles Daily News reports that the cancellation of an NRA Basic Pistol Course was achieved by the district's hasty adoption of
August 6th, 2013Article originally written on Reuters.(Reuters) - The National Rifle Association said on Wednesday it supports a lawsuit brought by civil rights groups to strike down the U.S. government's broad telephone surveillance program, citing potential violations of gun owners' privacy rights.In a brief backing the American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit against senior U.S. government officials, the NRA said the collection of vast communications threatens privacy and could allow the gove
September 5th, 2013Article originally written on on The Hill.Connecticut Democrats are throwing their weight behind the campaign pressing Starbucks to prohibit firearms in their coffee shops nationwide.Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and Rep. Elizabeth Esty endorsed a recent letter, spearheaded by family members of victims of December's shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, asking Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz to help "foster a culture of peace and ban guns from
August 30th, 2013Article originally written on Associated Press.Months after gun control efforts crumbled in Congress, Vice President Joe Biden stood shoulder to shoulder Thursday with the attorney general and the top U.S. firearms official and declared the Obama administration would take two new steps to curb American gun violence.But the narrow, modest scope of those steps served as pointed reminders that without congressional backing, President Barack Obama's capacity to make a differen
August 29th, 2013Article originally written on AP.orgWASHINGTON (AP) Striving to take action where Congress would not, the Obama administration announced new steps Thursday on gun control, curbing the import of military surplus weapons and proposing to close a little-known loophole that lets felons and others circumvent background checks by registering guns to corporations.Four months after a gun control drive collapsed spectacularly in the Senate, President Barack Obama added two more executi
August 28th, 2013Smith & Wesson has issued a major consumer safety alert for all M&P Shield Pistols manufactured before August 19, 2013.Released August 22, 2013, the safety alert identified an issue where the M&P Shields trigger bar pin could damage the triggers drop safety featureenabling the pistol to potentially discharge when dropped.Smith & Wesson urgently warns anyone with a Shield to: STOP USING YOUR PISTOL IMMEDIATELY UNTIL IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND, IF THE CONDITION
August 27th, 2013Article originally written on Fox.A pair of Democratic lawmakers are proposing steep new taxes on handguns and ammunition, and tying the revenues to programs aimed at preventing gun violence.Called the Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act," the bill sponsored by William Pascrell, D-N.J., and Danny Davis, D-Ill., would nearly double the current 11 percent tax on handguns, while raising the levy on bullets and cartridges from 11 percent to 50 percent."This bill repres
August 26th, 2013MIAMI In the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Pembroke Pines, students returning to school this year are being greeted not only by their teachers and principal. Theyre also meeting the armed school resource officer who will be stationed permanently on campus.Crime in this middle-class community has been on a steady decline, but city officials decided to place a school police officer at every elementary, middle and high school after a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy
August 23rd, 2013Florida legislators won't hold a special session to take another look at the state's controversial "stand your ground" law.While 47 state lawmakers voted in favor of holding a special session to discuss the law, 108 voted against it, Secretary of State Ken Detzner said in a letter Tuesday.State law requires a three-fifths majority of both houses of the Florida Legislature to convene a special session, Detzner said.The law drew national attention last year after George Zimmerman
August 20th, 2013Article originally written on The Daily Caller.As stunning revelations from the deepening scandals at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) continue to draw headlines, it is clear that the targeting of groups for their belief in the sanctity of the U.S. Constitution could easily spread to Americans who cherish the Second Amendment.Lost in much of the media coverage of IRS bullying tactics against tea party and patriot groups is the substance and breadth of the intrusion of fede
August 19th, 2013Article originally written on the NRA-ILA website.If you have the misfortune to be familiar with Piers Morgan, the British former tabloid "reporter" and "talent judge" known on this side of the Atlantic as CNN's most overbearing gun control proselytizer, you won't be surprised at what he did on Tuesday.It began during an interview with military history expert A.W.R. Hawkins, as Morgan pushed his theory that more gun ownership leads to more crime. Hawkins disagreed, noting that V
August 15th, 2013Article originally written on Washington Times.Politicians scared of legal guns lost their attempt to disembowel the Second Amendment, but theyre not giving up. President Obama and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City are in the gun-control game for the long haul, advocating reforms that sound like common sense until they become law.A straw purchase case that goes before the Supreme Court in October will be an important test. When someone who is ineligible to own a gun
August 12th, 2013Article originally written on News Press.The Florida Sheriffs Association is no longer neutral on the state's controversial "stand your ground" law.Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the new president of the association, announced Friday that members agreed earlier this week without opposition to support the law "as currently written.""Our current judicial system is comprised of multiple checks and balances to ensure fair and equitable application of all laws, including 'stand your
August 9th, 2013Article originally written on The Salt Lake Tribune.The fervor for gun control may be fading expanding background checks fell short in Congress, while recent polls show new gun-law support dropping below 50 percent but lawmakers in Utah are tightening their grip on bills aimed at easing gun restrictions and combating federal encroachment.Nine months out, Republican legislators are reloading for January.That means a sequel for HB76, the controversial "constitutional-carry" mea
August 8th, 2013Article originally written on ABC News.A firearms manufacturer in New York, partially blaming the state's new gun control law, said Wednesday it's moving its corporate offices and its plans for expansion to Pennsylvania.Kahr Firearms Group of Pearl River is the first gunmaker to announce it's leaving because of the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, which was put into law after closed-door negotiations in January. It was the first law in the nation prompted by th
August 7th, 2013- Article originally published on www.foxnews.com Amid calls nationwide for stricter gun control laws, Virginia is experiencing a unique trend: the state's gun-related crime is declining but firearms sales are increasing. Firearms sales rose 16 percent to a record 490,119 guns purchased from licensed gun dealers in 2012, according to sales estimates obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.During the same period, major crimes committed with firearm
August 6th, 2013Article originally written on NRA-ILA.On Wednesday, the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois dismissed a lawsuit supported by the Brady Campaign against the online gun classifieds website, Armslist, LLC.Armslist is a website that provides firearm owners and prospective buyers with a venue to advertise sale or want advertisements for firearms in a manner similar to newspaper classified ads. Armslist otherwise takes no part in any firearm transactions
August 5th, 2013Article originally written on NJ.comFor the first time in nearly half a century, the state Supreme Court will hear a landmark case that could redefine gun rights in New Jersey.The states highest court has agreed to consider a challenge to the toughest gun-control law in New Jersey, first passed in 1924, which says people must show "justifiable need" if they want permits to carry handguns.Thursday, a federal appeals court upheld the same New Jersey law in a separate case, saying
August 3rd, 2013A majority of Americans support controversial stand your ground laws, according to a new poll, but their views are sharply divided along racial lines.Voters back the self-defense laws 53 percent to 40 percent, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac, but when broken down by race, black and white voters have opposite views. White voters support such laws in their state 57 percent to 37 percent, while black voters oppose the laws 57 percent to 37 percent. Hispanic voters are spli
August 2nd, 2013.Article originally written on The Daily Caller.President Barack Obamas condescending commencement address urging Ohio University graduates to reject voices warning Americans of tyranny is an Obama-in-your-face reference to NRA and a host of groups his bureaucrats are trying to crush with their abuse of executive power.Specifically, Obama signaled what he sees as dangerous political speech in his May, 2013 address:Unfortunately, youve grown up hearing voices that incessantly
August 1st, 2013JACKSON, Miss. A posse of state officials and gun advocates has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to let them file briefs in support of the state's open-carry law.The court had not ruled Tuesday on the requests by Gov. Phil Bryant, about 80 lawmakers, the National Rifle Association and others. Their motions included arguments supporting the law.A brief has not yet been filed with the high court by those who challenged the open-carry law, including Hinds County District Attorn
July 31st, 2013Article originally written on The National Review.Perhaps the most boring thing that gun-controllers throw at advocates of the right to bear arms is the assertion, almost guaranteed to rear its doltish head in any conversation about the Second Amendment, that it is easier in the United States to own and operate a gun than it is to own and operate a car. This contention most often takes the form of a rhetorical question. Every state requires its residents to pass a test in order t
Gov. Rick Scott doesnt want to change Floridas controversial Stand Your Ground law, and public opinion polls and even Democrats indicate the Republican might be on safe political ground.The self-defense law became central to the nations political debate over guns after a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty in last years shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old from Miami Gardens.A group of liberal-leaning protesters has occupied the governors office lobby calling fo
July 26th, 2013Article originally written on Grand Forks Herald.FARGO A pro-gun control group of mayors started by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has scheduled an event in Fargo on Monday, but Bloomberg himself is not expected to attend.Neither is Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker, who said hes gotten nothing but flak from the tri-state area since announcing his membership in Bloombergs Mayors Against Illegal Guns group years ago.Ive never resigned, but Im not an active member either. So
July 25th, 2013Article originally written on Union Leader.Nashua Mayor Donalee Lozeau quit New York City Mayor Michael Bloombergs anti-gun group Mayors Against Illegal Guns after it exposed its true mission: to pursue strict new gun-control laws. She has had plenty of company. A review of the groups membership by news and entertainment website Buzzfeed.com found that it has lost more than 50 members who have quit, lost re-election or had their terms expire.Lozeau quit after she saw the groups
George Zimmerman, who has not been seen publicly since his acquittal in the murder of Trayvon Martin earlier this month, surfaced last week to rescue an unidentified family trapped in an overturned vehicle on a Florida highway, police said Monday.Sanford Police Department Capt. Jim McAuliffe told Fox News that Zimmerman, 29, was identified by a crash victim as the man who pulled him from the mangled vehicle.George Zimmerman pulled me out, firefighters were told by the unidentified driver, acco
July 22nd, 2013Black lawmakers and other groups are trying to harness outrage over the George Zimmerman verdict into a national indictment against the state of Florida, seeking to organize an Arizona-style boycott against everything from tourism to orange juice. But there's one striking difference. While Arizona had passed first-of-its kind legislation against illegal immigration when the uproar started over that state, Florida is hardly unique. At least 22 states have "stand-your-ground" laws -
July 22nd, 2013Article originally written on Reason.com.In April, the Senate rejected the Toomey-Manchin gun control proposal. In the wake of its defeat many asked why gun owners and their organizations resisted so limited a measure. Granted, it would have had little but symbolic benefit. Its core was to require background checks at gun shows (which Bureau of Justice Statistics concluded involved a whole 0.8 percent of crime guns) and on Internet gun sales (a miniscule proportion, most of which
July 19th, 2013A Washington state man who fired a shotgun to scare away possible car prowlers from his property was arraigned Wednesday for illegal discharging of a firearm, and he cited Vice President Joe Bidens public advice about shooting such weapons in the air in his defense.Fifty-two-year-old Jeffery Barton pleaded not guilty, Koin.com reports:Deputies have been investigating whether a large teen party that got out of control at a neighbors home may have been linked to the shooting. Howe
July 17th, 2013City officials acknowledge that Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plans to update the city's assault weapons ban and toughen penalties for some firearms violations near schools will have only limited impact on the gun violence plaguing parts of Chicago.That didn't stop the ordinances from advancing despite complaints from some aldermen that the measures don't go far enough. Both measures will go before the full City Council for a vote today.The Emanuel administration is pushing through the cha
July 16th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Post.The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to send President Obamas nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the Senate floor for a final vote.If B. Todd Jones is confirmed, it would be the first time in seven years that the agency that regulates firearms and investigates gun and explosives crimes has had a permanent director.The 10 to 8 party-line vote by the Senate panel came after a months-l
July 15th, 2013.Article originally written on The Chicago Tribune.SANFORD, Florida --Trayvon Martin supporters and civil rights demonstrators turned out at rallies across the country to condemn racial profiling after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of the unarmed black teenager even as President Barack Obama called for calm on Sunday.Zimmerman, cleared late on Saturday by a Florida jury of six women, still faces public outrage, a possible civil suit and demands for a fede
July 15th, 2013Article originally written on USA Today.SANFORD, Fla. -- George Zimmerman, the man accused of murdering Trayvon Martin, was found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter Saturday night.The verdict is the culmination of a case that captured the nation's attention and will undoubtedly be imprinted in America's history. For Zimmerman, it means trying to recapture his life after he was at the center of a national maelstrom over racial profiling, state gun laws and what con
July 12th, 2013Article originally written on The Denver Post.The first salvo in a legal battle to block Colorado's new limits on gun ammunition magazines fizzled Wednesday, but sheriffs, firearm dealers and other opponents still aim to have the law declared unconstitutional.Both sides in the dispute about the new gun law reached a last-minute agreement to clarify certain provisions of the law, which limits ammunition magazines to 15 rounds.That agreement came on the eve of a hearing before Chief
July 10th, 2013Article originally written on http://www.chicagotribune.comSPRINGFIELD -- Lawmakers made Illinois the last state to allow concealed carry of firearms in two quick votes Tuesday that formalized the deepening rift between Gov. Pat Quinn and the legislature.The House and Senate voted to override Quinn's amendatory veto of a legislative compromise aimed at satisfying a federal court deadline for legalizing some form of public possession of firearms. Illinois was the last state without
July 9th, 2013Article originally written on LA Times.COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Snug against the Rockies, this conservative bastion is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak, scores of evangelical churches and soon, perhaps, the most significant gun control fight in the country.Unless a judge steps in, John Morse, the Democratic president of the Colorado Senate, faces an unprecedented recall attempt arising from the sweeping gun laws passed after the school massacre in Newtown, Conn. Mors
July 5th, 2013Article originally written on The Chicago TribuneGov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday made sweeping changes to a bill that would allow concealed guns to be carried in public, writing in tougher regulations he deemed "common sense" amid staunch criticism from lawmakers who say they are poised to overturn his efforts when they return to Springfield next week.Flanked by gun control advocates during a veto ceremony, Quinn argued the legislation lawmakers sent him would harm public safet
July 3rd, 2013On June 27th, in a positive resolution to a case which has captured the attention of advocates for First and Second Amendment rights, the case against 14-year-old Logan Middle School Honor Student Jared Marcum of Logan, W.V., was dismissed with prejudice. Marcum had been charged with obstructing an officer following an incident stemming from a Logan Middle School faculty member's reaction to Marcum wearing to school an NRA t-shirt featuring the words "Protect Your Right" and
July 2nd, 2013TOPEKA Starting Monday, licensed gun owners will be allowed to bring their concealed weapons into more government buildings in Kansas and people who try to bring them into places where they are prohibited wont face criminal penalties. The provisions are part of an expansion of Kansas concealed carry law passed during last years legislative session as the federal government was discussing gun-control measures in the wake of a mass shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary s
July 1st, 2013The article was originally written on BizPac.Magpul Industries, a gun accessories manufacturer, thumbed its nose at the Colorado legislature that banned one of the companys most popular items 30-round magazines by giving thousands of them away two days before the law goes into effect.The event, billed as the Freedom Festival, drew in an estimated 5,000 Second Amendment advocates, who were able to pick up some 20,000 magazines 1,500 for free, the remainder at discounted pri
June 28th, 2013Article originally written on NRA-ILA.On February 28, NRA President David Keene addressed a rally gathered in Albany, N.Y. to protest the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms (SAFE) Act, telling the crowd of more than 10,000, Well help you overcome these statutes in court. On March 21, the NRA made good on that promise, assisting the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, the Westchester County Firearm Owner Association, the Sportsmens Association for Firearm Educatio
June 26th, 2013Article originally written on The Times Union.AlbanyTop law enforcement officials have filed court affirmations in support of New York's new gun control law, the SAFE Act as state lawyers moved to dismiss a federal challenge to the law brought by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard and a top State Police lawyer all filed sworn statements as part of over 100 pages filed by Attorney Gene
June 25th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.Liberals are trying every tool at their disposal this year to go after guns. They have failed on Capitol Hill to restrict the Second Amendment, so they are moving through the states to enact their agenda.The latest maneuver is to hike the tax on guns and ammunition to dissuade the law-abiding from buying firearms. Its the perfect storm of liberalism more revenue for a bigger government and fewer people keeping and bearing arms.
June 24th, 2013Article originally written on Politico.The name Mayors Against Illegal Guns is well known as Mike Bloombergs gun-control arm, which he spends his personal fortune through on ads. Yet the groups website is registered to, and handled by, official city government servers and staffers.Domain names for MAIG were registered in 2006 by the New York City Department of Information and Technology, and have remained on official city web servers ever since.Yet the groups action fund, t
June 21st, 2013Article originally written on The National Review.Kyle Coplen may not be a sidesaddle gunslinger the 29-year-old got his masters in public administration from the University of Houston this spring but he can handle a weapon. And he is working to make sure you can, too.Coplen is the founder and head of the Armed Citizen Project (ACP), a Houston-based nonprofit that trains single women and residents of crime-ridden neighborhoods in firearms use and then arms the
June 20th, 2013Article originally written on USA News"You just worry that you're going to see searches of the databases and an expansion for purposes that were not intended when the information was collected," theorized Chris Calabrese, an American Civil Liberties Union privacy lobbyist.Interestingly, those were concerns raised in April, two months ago, during the debate over the expansion of background checks for all commercial gun sales and the fear that the government would create a national
June 19th, 2013Article originally written on http://www.washingtonpost.com/WASHINGTON A scrappy Vice President Joe Biden vowed Tuesday to beat the gun lobby by ultimately passing stronger firearm laws and said some lawmakers who voted against background checks have privately told him they want another chance.With President Barack Obama away in Europe, Biden held a White House event to announce progress on executive orders to reduce gun violence while stressing the need for congressional acti
June 14th, 2013CARSON CITY, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed a bill Thursday that would have required a background check almost any time a firearm changes hands in Nevada, carrying through on his earlier promises to kill legislation that attracted interest in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting and a rampage at a Nevada restaurant in 2011.In his veto message, Sandoval said the universal background checks provision "imposes unreasonable burdens and harsh penalties upon law-abiding Neva
June 13th, 2013Article originally written on unionleader.com/New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending millions to attack Sen. Kelly Ayotte for opposing gun-control legislation Bloomberg likes. Bloomberg says tougher gun laws will reduce gun homicides. Has he ever compared his citys gun murder rate with New Hampshires?New York Citys gun homicide rate has fallen to 4 per 100,000, very good for a large American city. Bostons rate is 6.2, Washington, D.C.s 19, and New Orl
June 12th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Post.Six months since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., parents of some of the youngest victims plan to visit Capitol Hill again this week to meet with lawmakers about crafting a bill to impose stricter gun laws.Gun-control groups are scheduling the parents to attend another round of meetings and other public events including a reading of the names of people killed by guns since the Newtown shooting
June 11th, 2013Article originally written on NRAILA.orgWith the racetrack dust having barely settled after this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and with the final leg of the Triple Crown--the Belmont Stakes--scheduled for this weekend, we can't help but marvel at the incredible ability of a horse, with 120 pounds on its back, to sustain better than a 35 mph pace over up to 1½ miles, often topping 40 mph in the home stretch. But no matter how big an appetite the world's fa
June 10th, 2013The article was originally written on townhall.comThe specter of school shootings has brought a too-typical staple to local newspaper sections: the boys disciplined at (or suspended from) grade school for bringing a toy gun or anything resembling a gun. The Washington Post just found the latest wild overreaction, from Calvert County, Md., a blue state that's cracked down on gun rights. "A kindergartner who brought a cowboy-style cap gun onto his Calvert County school bus
June 7, 2013 When he responded in January to the massacre of 20 schoolchildren and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, US President Barack Obama issued 23 orders aiming to address the US epidemic of gun violence including one directing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to re-start gun research, which has languished since 1996. The CDC, in turn, asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a branch of the National Academies, to recommend a gun-resear
June 5, 2013 Two home invaders' plans were foiled when they busted into a Brooklyn, N.Y., family's home demanding money, only to be scared off by a worthy opponent: a 10-year-old boy. The suspects, two men in their 20s, forced themselves into the Canarsie home Monday evening at approximately 5:15 p.m., the New York Police Department said. Authorities said that the two armed men -- one was dressed in a FedEx uniform, the other in a black shirt -- told all four people inside to get down on the g
June 4, 2013 Connecticut lawmakers who passed strict new gun control measures in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre approved a package of revisions Monday to reduce confusion about the new rules and expand the list of officials who can legally possess restricted firearms. Both chambers of the state legislature voted to adopt changes and exemptions to the bipartisan deal that strengthened the state's assault weapons ban and banned the sale of high-capacity magazines. The legi
May 31, 2013 SPRINGFIELD --- The Illinois Senate today approved new version of legislation to give Illinoisans the right to carry concealed weapons as lawmakers try to get a bill to the governor's desk before today's midnight adjournment deadline. The House took up the bill this afternoon in a floor debate. Chicago's ban on assault weapons would be kept intact, and concealed weapons would be banned from numerous sites, such as CTA and Metra buses and trains, casinos, government buildings a
May 31, 2013 DENVER Colorado sheriffs upset with gun restrictions adopted in the aftermath of last year's mass shootings filed a federal lawsuit Friday, challenging the regulations as unconstitutional. The lawsuit involves sheriffs from 54 of Colorado's 64 counties, most representing rural, gun-friendly areas of the state. The sheriffs say the new state laws violate Second Amendment protections that guarantee the right to keep and bear arms. Opponents are criticizing the lawsui
May 30, 2013 CARSON CITY Fear held sway as Nevada legislators heard three hours of testimony this morning on a controversial gun background check bill. The competing spectres: an intrusive federal government or another mass shooting perpetrated by someone who shouldnt own a gun. The bill sponsored by Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, extends background checks from gun store purchases to private party transfers, a move that he says will deter criminals and prevent deaths. The contentious
May 29, 2013 Following TrackingPoint's "smart rifle," which has tracking and digital optic technology to create for a more precise shot, a California-based company has demonstrated a different type of smart gun technology. Yardarm has introduced its Safety First technology, which can allow gun owners to remotely engage or disengage the trigger safety on their firearms. The technology has to be built right into the firearm, though no gun manufacturer has yet done so. This is how it
May 28, 2013 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. A Democratic campaign office here usually would be quiet this time of year, a few weeks after the state's legislature wrapped up work and lawmakers headed off to summer vacations. But even though it's not an election year, the office is in full campaign mode, with volunteers working the phones and reviewing maps in anticipation of a new front of modern campaigning -- the recall phase. A handful of Democratic state lawmakers in Colorado face recall p
May 24, 2013 CLEARWATER Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri on Tuesday announced plans to strictly enforce a county law mandating background checks for all customers at gun shows, asserting local control in an area that has stubbornly resisted state and federal regulation. Gualtieri's initiative comes in response to a Tampa Bay Times story last month on the ineffectiveness of local laws closing the so-called gun show loophole. The Times reported that while seven of Flo
May 24, 2013 SPRINGFIELD Over objections of Gov. Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the House approved a concealed weapons bill today that is aimed at ending Illinois status as the last state in the nation without a law to allow its citizens to carry guns in public. But the gun bill backed by House Speaker Michael Madigan goes to a Senate where President John Cullerton has denounced the proposal because it would override local gun laws like Chicagos assault weapons ban. Cullertons stan
May 24, 2013 ALBANY, N.Y. County sheriffs have asked to join the federal lawsuit challenging New York's tough new gun restrictions, calling some provisions vague and impossible to enforce fairly. The New York State Sheriffs' Association and five individual sheriffs are asking U.S. District Judge William Skretny to add their position to the record. They support gun rights advocates seeking to block enforcement of new bullet limits for magazines and the tighter definition of assault weapo
May 23, 2013 HARTFORD, Conn. A group of Connecticut organizations that support gun rights, pistol permit holders and gun sellers filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday against Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and other state officials, arguing the state's new gun control law violates their constitutional rights. The plaintiffs are seeking a federal court injunction to stop the law from being enforced. Wednesday's suit comes more than a month after Malloy signed into law a wide-ranging gun con
May 22, 2013 SAN JOSE, Calif. A high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a wireless controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved and disable it remotely. The technology, but not an actual gun, was demonstrated Tuesday at a wireless technology conference in Las Vegas. It comes at a time when lawmakers around the U.S. are considering contentious smart gun laws that would require new guns to include high-tech devices that limit who
May 22, 2013 ALBANY, N.Y. Carrying American flags and signs supporting the Second Amendment, more than 200 people gathered at New York's state capitol building in Albany on Tuesday to press for repeal of the state's tough new gun law. A coalition of conservative groups delivered 400,000 signed postcards to members of the Assembly calling on them to roll back the measure passed in January. The law, enacted a month after the Newtown, Conn., school massacre, limits the number of rounds in
May 21, 2013 As Colorado lawmakers passed historic and sweeping gun control laws during the first quarter of the year, gun sales surged, breaking new records in the state. Over the weekend, The Denver Post reported that from January to March there were146,949 background checks processed for potential firearm buyers -- that's an increase of 69,628 checks from the same period just a year ago, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation data. The legislative session began in January an
May 21, 2013 How many guns is that, you say? One hundred and fifteen. The countrys clash over gun control has created anxiety about ammo shortages, increased applications for conceal-carry permits and even brought a Florida man social-media fame. @Gun Collector had 8,500 followers on the photo-sharing site Instagram before the December mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary bolstered calls for tougher firearms laws. Now he has a celebritylike following of nearly 40,000 fans who subscribe
May 20, 2013 Earlier this week, gun owners looking to use mobile payments for their gun purchases got some depressing news. The mobile payment company, Square, recently altered their TOS (Terms of Service) purposefully to prohibit anyone from using their service for a gun purchase of any kind. Their new TOS specifically forbids the sales of firearms, firearm hardware, ammunition and parts, and also blocks the sale of weapons in general. Heres the new add-on to their TOS, (23
May 20, 2013 When Maryland Governor Martin OMalley (D) signed sweeping gun-control legislation into law last week he finished a mistake that is anti-business, that weakens an individual right and that attacks an iconic image of the self-made American, someone who stands for what was once called the American way.OMalleys support for gun-control is certainly founded in politics in his very blue state, but its also based on a misunderstanding of America. First, the legislation Governor OMall
May 17, 2013 A Texas startup has developed a smart riflethat barely needs to be aimed. The maker of the gun, being shipped to stores this week, brags that even a novice shooter can become an elite long-range marksman in minutes. The company, TrackingPoint, has said its worlds first long range Precision Guided Firearms (PGF) integrate precision hardware, digital optics, and tracking technology to deliver an unmatched shooting experience. The line of rifles starts at about $22,
May 17, 2013 Maryland citizens had their Second Amendments rights infringed on Thursday when Gov. Martin OMalley signed more gun control into law. Mr. OMalley became the third liberal governor this year after New York and Connecticut to ram through pointless laws that will do nothing to reduce crime by exploiting the Newtown tragedy. However, Mr. OMalleys scheme was secretly watered down a little before it became law. The governor was fixated on banning assault weapons, ev
May 16, 2013 No matter ones position on gun control, there are lessons we can learn from the recent battle on background checks. According to Gallup, Over 90% of the public supports background checks for all gun purchases, yet the measure failed to pass the U.S. Senate. According to most published sources, the reason is simple: the NRA has tons of money and threatened to primary those who voted against their will in the next election. If only it were that simple. As my colleague Dr. Kelton
May 15, 2013 Whats a military museum without firearms of yesteryear? Chicago Alderman Edward Burke introduced an ordinance last week that would allow museums in the Windy City to possess and display unloaded guns classified as curios or relics after learning that the Pritzker Military Library and other city museums are currently banned from including them in exhibits. If passed, the museums president and CEO told FoxNews.com it would allow its estimated 15,000 annual visitors to see a sig
May 15, 2013 WASHINGTON -- When faith leaders sat down with Vice President Joe Biden last week to talk about the next steps in advancing gun control legislation, they discussed the usual issues like background checks and gun trafficking. But one aspect of gun violence came up that united the group in a deeper way, according to one of the attendees, and it's an issue that's getting hardly any attention on Capitol Hill: suicide. "That's when the meeting became emotional for a lot of folks," said
May 14, 2013 Square, a mobile payment startup, last week tweaked its terms of use to prevent gun retailers from using its technology. The startup changed the agreement signed by retailers, one section of which requires a commitment not to accept payments connected to certain business activities, such as escort services and drug paraphernalia. That section now includes: firearms, firearm parts or hardware, and ammunition; or weapons and other devices designed to cause physical inju
May 14, 2013 While Senator Joe Manchin decides whether to reintroduce his failed background checks bill, other lawmakers are busy passing new gun measures that decrease rather than increase regulation. In Arizona, where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot a little over two years ago in a rampage that left six people dead, including a federal judge, the legislature and the governor have devoted themselves to protecting the firearm supply. On Monday, Gov. Jan Brewer signed two gun laws. One would f
May 13, 2013 Supporters of a measure that would have expanded background checks for firearm purchases decried the bill's death in the Senate last month. But was the defeat really such a bad thing?Had it passed, the new law would have been hailed as a historic breakthrough by "anti-gun" forces and a historic mistake by "pro-gun" forces. But on the ground, where American citizens are being shot and killed every day, nothing much would have changed.That's the way things have gone for decades in the
May 13, 2013 Things haven't been very good for President Obama lately. This week, Congress heard from witnesses concerning his administration's fatal failures related to the September 11, 2012, attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Not buying into the make-believe nonsense that Obama has improved America's standing among terrorists devoted to our destruction, jihadists recently attacked the Boston Marathon. The unemployment rate has decreased by only 0.4 percentage point since January. An
May 10, 2013 The world's first 3D-printed handgun, The Liberator, has had its liberty taken away by the government. Plans for the working handgun were posted online by Cody Wilson, founder of Defense Distributed, potentially allowing anyone with access to a 3D printer to make a firearm from plastic. The plans, which had been in the works for months, caused alarm among gun control advocates but were seen by some Second Amendment advocates as a breakthrough. More than 100,000 copies of the plan
May 9, 2013 A spate of high-profile shootings has left Americans with the perception that gun crimes are on the rise, but a new study shows the opposite appears to be true, according to a study. A Pew Research poll released this week found that 56 percent of adults believe that gun crime is more common now than 20 years ago. But a report by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics seems to show that crime involving firearms has fallen dramatically over the last 20 years, with the rate
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. The Missouri Legislature sent the governor a bill Wednesday that would expand gun rights and declare all federal gun regulations unenforceable, in a response to President Obama's push for gun control legislation. The Republican-led Legislature passed the measure hoping to shield the state from federal proposals that would ban assault weapons and expand background checks. But the U.S. Senate's defeat of a background check expansion three weeks ago did nothing
The law already requires licensed gun dealers to run background checks, and over the last 14 years thats kept 1.5 million of the wrong people from getting their hands on a gun. But its hard to enforce that law when as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases are conducted without a background check. President Obama, remarks on gun violence, Jan. 16, 2013 Studies estimate that nearly 40 percent of all gun sales are made by private sellers who are exempt from this requirement.
While both sides in the gun control debate regroup after our victory in the Senate earlier this week, I want to give credit where credit is due. The credit for Wednesdays defeat of gun control goes to the countless gun owners and other Americans who drew a line in the sand--who sent emails and letters and made phone calls to their U.S. senators, urging them to protect private firearm transfers, semi-automatic firearms, and the magazines that millions of Americans own for self-defense. There is
May 6th, 2013The gun-control debate is one of the most dishonest arguments we have in American politics. It is dishonest in its particulars, of course, but it is in an important sense dishonest in general: The United States does not suffer from an inflated rate of homicides perpetrated with guns; it suffers from an inflated rate of homicides. The argument about gun control is at its root a way to put conservatives on the defensive about liberal failures, from schools that do not teach to police
May 3, 2013 Houston, Texas - Once you've made your way through downtown Houston and into the George R. Brown Convention Center, you might feel overwhelmed with all there is to do.We've packed this year's NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits with a ton of events and activities. Where should you go first? What should you make sure to see today?Here are the top seven things to do Friday at the NRA Annual Meeting:Register. Easy to do, but also easy to forget once you're looking around. You can't
May 2, 2013 The National Rifle Association opens its annual convention Friday in gun-friendly Houston, fresh off its success last month in blocking a congressional bid to expand background checks for firearms purchases.For the NRA's leadership, however, the three days of meetings, banquets and exhibits at the George R. Brown Convention Center will be anything but a victory celebration."The NRA doesn't do pep rallies," said Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA's director of public affairs. "We're e
May 1, 2013 Federal law does not restrict individuals (except convicted felons; persons under indictment for felonies; adjudicated mental defectives or those who have been involuntarily committed to mental institutions; illegal drug users; illegal aliens and most nonimmigrant aliens; dishonorably discharged veterans; those who have renounced their U.S. citizenship; fugitives from justice; persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence; and persons subject to domestic violenc
April 30, 2013 As gun owners across the South prepare to gather in Houston for the 142nd NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits next weekend, I want to thank the 5 million members of the NRA for all they do to make America safe and free.If you're an NRA member, you deserve to be proud.Because today, yet again, it's NRA members and the millions who agree with us - not the press or some in the political ranks - who are doing the thankless and heroic work of standing up for freedom. And it's NRA mem
April 29, 2013 WASHINGTON - Article originally written on articles.philly.com/. Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) dismissed talk Friday that he might take a second run at passing new gun laws, even as a new poll found voters in the state giving him high marks for backing a bipartisan plan to expand background checks."My own view is very simple: The Senate has had its vote. We've seen the outcome of that vote. I am not aware of any reason to believe that if we had the vote again that
April 26th, 2013This article was originally written on Fox.Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security is using roughly 1,000 rounds of ammunition more per person than the U.S. Army, as he and other lawmakers sharply questioned DHS officials on their "massive" bullet buys."It is entirely ... inexplicable why the Department of Homeland Security needs so much ammunition," Chaffetz, R-Utah, said at a hearing. The hearing itself was unusual, as questions abo
April 25, 2013 Second Amendment rights advocates in Louisiana claimed another victory Wednesday, when the lower house of the Legislature approved a bill to allow for lifetime concealed-carry permits.House Bill 265, which passed with a vote of 65-19, was the first lawmaking foray by Central Republican Barry Ivey, who beat Metro Councilman Scott Wilson in a special election in early March.Currently, concealed-carry permits cost $125 and last for five years. Ivey's bill would allow Louisianans
April 24, 2013 On Friday, the nation watched as the Boston area went under lock-down during a manhunt for the armed and dangerous marathon bombing suspect. If you were in that situation, would you want a gun at your side?Most American voters say yes, according to a new Fox News poll.Sixty-nine percent say if they were in a situation similar to Bostonians, they would want a gun in their house. That includes a large 88-percent majority of those in gun-owner households, a
April 23, 2013 A West Virginia teenager who was arrested and suspended from school after he refused to remove an NRA T-shirt is back in class. Fourteen-year-old Jared Marcum of Logan returned to Logan Middle School on Monday after serving a one-day suspension. His father, Allen Lardieri, told 13 News that the situation was exaggerated and said, "I don't see how anybody would have an issue with a hunting rifle and NRA put on a T-shirt, especially when policy doesnt forbid it."The school dis
April 22, 2013 On Wednesday, the Senate rejected a gun control agenda that President Obama has adopted as his own over the last few months, but to which other gun control supporters have bitterly clung for years: banning an ever-lengthening list of semi-automatic firearms, banning magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, and expanding background check requirements to require government permission for many transfers of firearms among private citizens.Within minutes of the Senates votes, whi
April 20, 2013 While both sides in the gun control debate regroup after our victory in the Senate earlier this week, I want to give credit where credit is due. The credit for Wednesdays defeat of gun control goes to the countless gun owners and other Americans who drew a line in the sand--who sent emails and letters and made phone calls to their U.S. senators, urging them to protect private firearm transfers, semi-automatic firearms, and the magazines that millions of Americans own for sel
April 19, 2013 By NEDRA PICKLER | Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) Blocked by Congress from expanding gun sale background checks, President Barack Obama is turning to actions within his own power to keep people from buying a gun who are prohibited for mental health reasons.Federal law bans certain mentally ill people from purchasing firearms, but not all states are providing data to stop the prohibited sales to the FBI's background check system. A federal review last ye
April 18, 2013 Today, the misguided Manchin-Toomey-Schumer proposal failed in the U.S. Senate. This amendment would have criminalized certain private transfers of firearms between honest citizens, requiring lifelong friends, neighbors and some family members to get federal government permission to exercise a fundamental right or face prosecution. As we have noted previously, expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their
April 17, 2013Article originally written at foxnews.com. The Senate has defeated a vital amendment seen as the linchpin to Democrats' gun control bill, dealing a major setback to President Obama as he campaigns to expand the federal background check system. The vote was 54-46, with supporters falling six votes short of the required 60-vote threshold. The Senate is proceeding to several other amendments, but the failure of the background check proposal authored by Sens. Joe Ma
April 17, 2013Self-defense is a fundamental right. The U.S. constitution, the constitutions of 44 states, common law, and the laws of all states recognize the right to use arms in self-defense. Right to Carry (RTC) laws respect the right to self-defense by allowing individuals to carry firearms for protection.The Supreme Court, striking down the District of Columbias handgun ban in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), ruled that the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Seco
April 16, 2013 The tough gun-control bill that President Barack Obama wants now has little, if any, chance of passing this Congress its struggling in the Senate and facing outright rejection in the House.Vice President Joe Biden worked the phones Monday to try to salvage a bipartisan bill in the Senate but has come up short. Personal appeals from parents of Newtown victims and former Rep. Gabby Giffords havent worked either and even if Senate negotiators get to 60 votes, the House
Houston, Texas Hosts Nine Acres of Guns, Gear & Outfitters.Fairfax, Va. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is pleased to announce this year's Annual Meetings and Exhibits, to be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas from May 3-5, 2013.Members of the news media who wish to cover this years event will need press credentials. For press credentials, please email your name, media affiliation, phone number, and email address to firstname.lastname@example.com. Credentials will be av
Thursday (April 11), by a vote of 68-31, the U.S. Senate voted to move forward with debate and votes on a variety of gun control proposals. The underlying bill that will be considered by the Senate is S. 649, the so-called Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013. This bill would criminalize the private transfer of firearms by law-abiding citizens, requiring friends, neighbors and many family members to get government permission to exercise a fundamental right or face prose
April 8th, 2013 Article originally written on In March, PoliceOne.com conducted the most comprehensive survey ever of American law enforcement officers opinions on the topic gripping the nation's attention in recent weeks: gun control.More than 15,000 verified law enforcement professionals took part in the survey, which aimed to bring together the thoughts and opinions of the only professional group devoted to limiting and defeating gun violence as part of their sworn responsibility.R
April 8th, 2013Article originally written on Politico.Kentucky Sen. Rand Pauls threat to filibuster any new gun restrictions is gathering steam, as a dozen of his Republican colleagues have now signed onto his plan.The Kentucky Republican and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) first wrote to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid late last month to warn him of their intention to try to tie up the Senate if, as planned, Reid moved forward with legislation that would expand background chec
April 1st, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.Even though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has stripped the controversial assault weapons ban out of the Democratic gun-control package headed to the Senate floor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein has vowed to graft parts of her arbitrary ban onto other gun-control legislation with bipartisan support. Throughout this process, the California Democrat and some of her colleagues have engaged in predictable public theatrics, factual distort
March 29th, 2013Article originally written on The Hill.President Obama is quietly moving forward on gun control.The president has used his executive powers to bolster the national background check system, jumpstart government research on the causes of gun violence and create a million-dollar ad campaign aimed at safe gun ownership.The executive steps will give federal law enforcement officials access to more data about guns and their owners, help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the m
March 26th, 2013Article originally written on NRA ILA.Soon after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced an assault weapons ban would not be part of a gun control bill, a new CBS News poll shows support for stricter gun control laws overall has dropped since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Currently, support for stricter gun control laws stands at 47 percent today, down from a high of 57 percent just after the shootings. Thirty-nine percent want those laws
March 22nd, 2013Senate Democrats said Thursday they will take up gun control immediately after a two-week Easter vacation, and said the bill theyll bring to the chamber floor will include universal background checks for all firearms sales and a crackdown on gun trafficking and straw purchases.The background checks are the biggest sticking point Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he will include a strict measure written by Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, rather than wait for a
March 20th, 2013Will trampling the rights of law abiding gun owners really do anything to help keep our children safe? Will piling unnecessary weight on a federal regulatory system that's already drowning help keep guns out of the wrong hands? The answers, of course, are "no" -- which is why a so called "universal background check" system should be dismissed by any lawmaker who is serious about protecting constitutional freedom and improving public safety.A mandate for truly "universal" backgrou
March 18th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Post.The National Rifle Association, which is battling a raft of gun control measures on Capitol Hill, also has an international fight on its hand as it gears up to oppose a U.N. treaty designed to restrict the flow of arms to conflict zones.Negotiations open Monday in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, which would require countries to determine whether weapons they sell would be used to commit serious human rights violations, terroris
March 13th, 2013Article originally written on The Denver Post.WASHINGTON The Homeland Security Department wants to buy more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition in the next four or five years. It says it needs them about the equivalent of five cartridges for every person in the United States for law enforcement agents in training and on duty.Published federal notices about the ammo buy have agitated conspiracy theorists since the fall. That's when conservative radio host Alex Jones spoke
March 11th, 2013Article was originally written on The Denver Post.A far-reaching package of Democrat-sponsored gun-control bills will move closer to becoming law or be halted Monday when the Colorado Senate reconvenes.Democrats hold a 20-15 majority in the Senate and were able to advance five bills Friday, despite more than 12 hours of impassioned floor debate largely from Republicans assailing the measures as flawed and ineffective.Two bills, dealing with liability for assault-style weapons
March 7th, 2013Article originally written on http://www.usnews.comThe National Rifle Association is reaching out to one minority group in a new slew of ads that encourage blacks to own firearms.The NRA is working to expand its appeal to minorities, with Internet gun enthusiast Colion Noir leading the charge.Noir will make appearances on NRA News in upcoming months, making the case for why the black community is highly susceptible to gun violence and why they should protect themselves not with ju
March 6th, 2013The article was originally written on The Denver Post.In a lengthy hearing that heard testimony from national figures, local law enforcement and victims of mass shootings, members of a Senate committee on Monday approved a measure that would require universal background checks on all gun sales.House Bill 1229 passed out of the State, Veteran and Military Affairs committee on a 3-2 party-line vote and will now head to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.The vote comes
March 5th, 2013Article originally written on The Denver Posts.Hundreds of Coloradans showed up at the state Capitol on Monday to cheer or jeer seven Democratic gun-control measures that senators debated late into the night.By late Monday, two Democrat-controlled Senate committees had passed all seven bills regarding stricter gun control.Earlier in the day, a biplane flew over the stately gold dome with a banner directed at Gov. John Hickenlooper, and drivers drove around and around the Capitol h
March 4th, 2013Article originally written on The Washing Post.Back in the crack-infused 1980s, young men with guns and drugs ruled the single block of Hanover Place NW. People who lived in the two-story rowhouses one mile north of the Capitol fell asleep year round to the sounds of the Fourth of July, a pop-pop-pop that they hoped was firecrackers. It rarely was.But after two decades of consistent and dramatic declines in homicides and gun violence in Washington and many other major cities, Hano
March 1st, 2013Originally written on The Washington Post.Senators postponed consideration of legislation limiting gun violence for at least a week Thursday as members of both parties said they wanted more time to review the bills and potentially propose amendments.The Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled the meeting to begin considering four bills sponsored by Democrats to expand the nations background check program for gun sales, make gun trafficking a federal crime for the first time, b
February 27th, 2013,As the number of proposed gun-control measures increase rapidly across the country, the amount of women purchasing guns is increasing even faster.A survey conducted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that 73 percent of gun dealers reported an increase in female customers in 2011, as well as the previous two years. In 2005, just 13 percent of gun owners were women. Today, that number is 23 percent--a 77 percent increase in 7 years.While folks in the media are bla
February 27th, 2013The House Judiciary Committee will not include a universal background check system in legislation it produces to reduce gun violence, the panels chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), said Wednesday.Goodlatte told reporters that his committee would focus on cracking down on illegal firearms and improving the existing check system. But he said he did not support universal background checks because of concerns that they would lead to a national gun registry, which critics have
February 19th, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.President Obama hit the road Monday on a nationwide gun-grabbing tour. His show doesnt have many fans inside the Beltway, since being seen favoring gun control can be the kiss of death for senators with rural constituencies. So Mr. Obama is trying to shore up fence-sitting members by bringing his community organizing skills to their districts.His first stop was Minnesota. I need everybody whos listening to keep the pressure
February 5th, 2013President Obama is saying that 70% of NRA members support "universal background checks." I assure you, that simply is not true!It appears he is citing a poll question from one of NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg's phony polls of people who "self-identify" as NRA members. The question was whether they would support "A proposal requiring all gun sellers at gun shows to conduct criminal background checks of the people buying guns." People could easily have assumed that "all seller
January 30th, 2012This article was originally written on The Washington Post.The nations gun owners will resist any attempt by lawmakers to pass new gun-control legislation, one of the nations leading gun advocates is expected to tell lawmakers Wednesday.Wayne LaPierre, executive director of the National Rifle Association, is one of five witnesses scheduled to testify Wednesday at the first Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun-related violence in 14 months. It is a setting that is likely
January 24th, 2012Article originally written on Fox News.Congressional Democrats introduced a new and broader assault-weapons ban Thursday, in a vivid press conference that included a display of various weapons they want to outlaw. It was a measure that was quickly condemned by the National Rifle Association as an assault on the Constitution, "instead of prosecuting criminals or fixing our broken mental health system." "The American people know gun bans do not work and we are confident Congress
January 16th, 2012Article originally written on Fox News.The following is a list, provided by the White House, of executive actions President Obama plans to take to address gun violence. 1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system. 2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from m
January 15th, 2012Article originally written on The Washington Times.WASHINGTON President Obama this week will embrace a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence that will call for major legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases and lay out 19 separate actions the president could take by invoking the power of his office, lawmakers who were briefed on the plan said Monday. Lawmakers and other officials said that the president could use a public event as soon as Wednesday t
January 14th, 2013Article originally written on Fox News.Washington President Obama renewed his threat Monday to use executive orders to push through controversial gun control measures with or without Congress blessing.The president made his comments during the final news conference of his first term.Obama said he is reviewing a list of recommendations from Vice President Biden on how to reduce gun violence. Obama is expected to announce the next steps on gun violence after he is inaugu
January 11th, 2013Fairfax, Va. The National Rifle Association of America is made up of over 4 million moms and dads, daughters and sons, who are involved in the national conversation about how to prevent a tragedy like Newtown from ever happening again. We attended today's White House meeting to discuss how to keep our children safe and were prepared to have a meaningful conversation about school safety, mental health issues, the marketing of violence to our kids and the collapse of federal pr
January 10th, 2012As a member in good standing in the "Support the United States Constitution Second Amendment"' club, I (The Gun Show Monster) finds the latest attempts of the administration to take advantage of a terrible tragedy to further their far left political agenda a disgrace.. Obama buddy, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's famous quote to "Don't waste a serious Crisis" seems to hit close to home at the White House as President Obama and his trusty side kick Joe Biden&n
January 3rd, 2013Article originally written on The Washington Times.The national debate over gun control may have been pushed to the back burner in favor of the fiscal cliff battle, but President Obama remains committed to confronting the issue no matter the resistance from gun owners and the National Rifle Association.In a rare appearance on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday, Mr. Obama expressed strong support for a reinstatement of the federal ban on assault weapons, outlawing high-
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)author of the federal assault weapon and large ammunition magazine ban of 1994-2004has announced that on the first day of the new CongressJanuary 3rd she will introduce a bill to which her 1994 ban will pale by comparison. On Dec. 17th, Feinstein said, I have been working with my staff for over a year on this legislation and It will be carefully focused. Indicating the depth of her research on the issue, she said on Dec. 21st that she had p
December 27th, 2012Article originally written on The Blaze.A map for Westchester county is also visible on the site.Unlike with the above map, however, on the Journal News website, you can click on any one of the dots and get the full name and exact address of the permit holder.AMI Global Security, which published an article condemning the massive privacy breach that is meant to intimidate the lawful and abrogate the Bill of Rights, collected a few of the first comments:If the h
December 26th, 2012Article originally written on The Examiner. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that she and other gun control advocates are considering a law that would create a program to purchase weapons from gun owners, a proposal that could be compulsory.We are also looking at a buy-back program, Feinstein said today in a press conference. Now, again, this is a work in progress so these are ideas in the development.Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., already discussed the possibili
Article originally written on the New York Times.December 24th, 2012Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Thursday that he had started discussions with leaders of the State Legislature about new gun control measures, and that he planned to propose a package of gun legislation in his State of the State address on Jan. 9. Theres a big difference of opinion on these issues, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said in an interview on an Albany radio station.The New York Assembly, controlled by Democrats, has voted for a
National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre on Friday dismissed calls for increased gun control in response to the Connecticut school shooting, calling instead for Congress to support a plan putting armed police officers in "every single school" in America. In an impassioned speech, marking the NRA's first in-depth public comments since the Newtown tragedy, LaPierre pointed the finger not at gun proliferation but violent video games, the media and the absence of armed guards at schools. He arg
December 20th, 2012Article originally written on USA Today.HARROLD, Texas (AP) In the tiny Texas town of Harrold, children and their parents don't give much thought to safety at the community's lone school mostly because some of the teachers are carrying concealed weapons.The nearest sheriff's office is 30 minutes away, and people tend to know and trust one another. So the school board voted to let teachers bring guns to school."We don't have money for a security guard, but t
December 19th, 2012Article originally written on The Atlantic.Former colleague Megan McArdle writes in The Daily Beast:I'd also like us to encourage people to gang rush shooters, rather than following their instincts to hide; if we drilled it into young people that the correct thing to do is for everyone to instantly run at the guy with the gun, these sorts of mass shootings would be less deadly, because even a guy with a very powerful weapon can be brought down by 8-12 unarmed bodie
December 18th, 2012Click here for the original press release.NRA STATEMENTThe National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting.The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributi
December 18th, 2012Article originally written on December 18th, 2012!The National Rifle Association has embraced a new, simple social media policy in the days following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting: don't use it.The NRA's Twitter account has been mute since early Friday morning, before the mass murder in Newtown, Conn. It has disabled comments on Google+ and YouTube updates, which stopped late last week. The official NRA Facebook account has not only stayed quiet, it has completely
December 18th, 2012Article originally written on CNN Money.A cacophony of calls to change gun laws has emerged after last week's tragedy in Connecticut, and the National Rifle Association has kept quiet.But no one expects silence from the NRA once President Obama or members of Congress make any move to change the laws.For years, the well-known gun rights advocate and lobbying group has laid the ground work to ward off any move to change national gun policy, spending millions of dolla
TALLAHASSEE Sometime next week in Florida, somebody will become the state's 1 millionth holder of a concealed weapons permit, solidifying the state's No. 1 standing in the nation in that category.Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam deemed that was worthy of a news conference Wednesday, flanked by U.S. and state flags."I've been asked about our licensing responsibilities as much as any other topic," Putnam said when asked why he touted the 1 million mark. No doubt, it proves the
December 11th, 2012 Originally written on the NRA-ILA website. Fairfax, Va. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled today that Illinois' total ban on carrying firearms for self-defense outside the home or business is unconstitutional. The case involves lead plaintiff Mary Shepard, an Illinois resident and a trained gun owner, who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun in both Utah and Florida. The National Rifle Association is funding this case. The Illinois State
November 29th, 2012Article original written on The Washington Times.The United Nations is pushing gun control on a global scale, and President Obama is on board. Just a few hours after re-election was assured, the presidents representative cast a vote for the Arms Trade Treaty at a U.N. committee meeting. The loosely drafted agreement doesnt go after guns directly, but the language enables activist judges to get creative in restricting Americans exercise of their Second Amendment rights. A fi
November 15th, 2012Originally written on The Daily Caller.The NRA has been saying all along that Barack Obama would unleash an assault on our Second Amendment freedoms if he won a second term. It sure didnt take long for him to prove us right. Just hours after Obama won re-election last Tuesday, his administration endorsed a new effort by the global gun grabbers at the United Nations to draft a gun ban treaty early next year. The official starting point for the new talks is last years
November 8th, 2012The article was originally written on Reuters.U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely because Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge Washington denies.The month-long talks at U.N. headquarters broke off after the United States - along with Russia and other major arms producers - said it had problems with the draft treaty and asked for more
November 7th, 2012Article originally written on The Advocate Louisiana voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a proposed constitutional amendment that gives the state the strongest gun laws in the nation, according to nearly complete state elections office returns.With just shy of 100 percent of the vote in, Amendment 2 was passing 1,237,596 or 74 percent to 428,906 or 26 percent in a state where gun rights have some of the greatest protections in the U.S.This is a truly histo
While investors moping over President Barack Obamas reelection sent the Dow spiraling down more than 300 points Wednesday morning, one sector is seeing a surge: gun manufacturing.Firearms maker Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. surged 10.8% to $10.48 a share in morning trading, more than double its price at the beginning of the year.Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. got a 6.4% boost to $47.48 a share, a 39% increase from early JanuaryThe impetus? Gun sales are expected to boom now that Obama
November 05, 2012Article originally written on The Washington Examiner.Spurred on by President Obama's debate pledge to push for an assault weapons ban and possibly limits on handgun ownership, the National Rifle Association is ending the presidential campaign season with its most "targeted" election effort in its 141 years. NRA officials told Secrets that they've expanded their campaign against Obama in some cases by over 500-times what the Second Amendment lobby did in the 2010 electio
November 1st, 2012Article originally written on the Chicago Tribune.Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday dropped plans for a 5-cent bullet tax but still wants to charge a $25 tax on every gun purchase.A compromise was negotiated over several days with commissioners John Fritchey and Edwin Reyes, both Chicago Democrats, who had balked at the guns and ammunition taxes.In exchange for their support, Preckwinkle agreed to create a $2 million fund to combat gun violen
Article originally written on USA Today.October 28. 2012 - What does USA TODAY's Editorial Board have in common with the majority of Americans?Not much, apparently, when it comes to effective public policy and sound politics.This newspaper bemoans a lack of debate over firearms ownership in this election, ignoring a fact that even most politicians now recognize. The vast majority of Americans treasure their constitutional freedom, and they don't trust politicians who meddle with it.Most candidat
MILLER: NRA vs. Bloomberg October 23rd, 2012 The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been saying for the past two years that President Obama would ban guns if given a second term. Mr. Obama had been careful to pretend otherwise until last weeks debate, when he let slip his intention to ban certain types of firearms. That has sparked a renewed political war on both sides of the issue. Mr. Obamas revelation has energized the pro-gun forces. The president peeked out from behind the
Philadelphia: City published personal information of some gun owners October 22nd, 2012 LAWRENCE ISN'T a violent felon or a stickup artist with a lengthy rap sheet. He's not a drug dealer holding down the corner with a Glock tucked in his waistband, or a straw purchaser selling guns to street thugs. He's a Philadelphia church pastor and a robbery victim who routinely carries large sums of money and drives a nice car. So he applied for a gun permit last year for his personal protecti
Obama comment stirs up gun-ban opponents October 18th, 2012 WASHINGTON -- The National Rifle Association is using President Obama's favorable reference to the assault weapons ban as a pro-Mitt-Romney rallying cry to gun owners in swing states. During Tuesday night's second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., the president "gave law-abiding hunters, gun owners a preview of what to expect in a second Obama administration," said Andrew Arulanandam, NRA's direc
Justice Department seeks dismissal of Fast and Furious lawsuit October 16th, 2012 WASHINGTON The Justice Department on Monday night sought dismissal of a lawsuit by a Republican-led House of Representatives committee demanding that Attorney General Eric Holder produce records about the botched law enforcement probe of gun-trafficking called Operation Fast and Furious. President Barack Obama has invoked executive privilege and the attorney general has been found to be in contempt
Facing debate over Fast and Furious October 12th, 2012 Murder is hard to sweep under the rug. President Obama may have invoked executive privilege to shield his Fast and Furious scandal from congressional investigators, but repeating this strategy wont go down well during a presidential debate. The administrations reckless scheme, which armed foreign drug lords, deserves a thorough airing before voters cast their ballots on Election Day. Fast and Furious weapons were used to gun dow
Historic opportunity for La. voters to protect their gun rights October 3rd, 2012 With just one vote on November 6th, you can build an iron wall around your Second Amendment freedoms and protect them from anti-gun, activist judges. Thats because on your ballot this year is an amendment to Louisianas state constitution that would provide the most rock-solid state-level legal protection for the right to keep and bear arms in the nation. The language of the amendment reads: The rig
MILLER: Gun carry in the Obama era Article originally written on October 2nd, 2012 The ability of Americans to bear arms is on the line in this presidential election. The Supreme Court, which started a new term on Monday, will have little choice but to take up the issue of carry rights within the next few years. All it takes is the appointment of one new justice to shift the balance on this constitutional question. Oral arguments were heard in Washington Monday in one of the cas
Article originally written on October 1st, 2012 Everyone believes criminals should be disarmed but disagrees on the means. Instead of controlling access, colleges rely on colorful "no gun" signs, foolishly expecting compliance from psychopaths. Such policies demonstrate consistent failure, serving only to render lawful citizens defenseless while empowering criminals to prey with impunity. (Imagine if airports replaced checkpoints with signs!) Some call armed self-defense an ext
Fallout In Sacramento Over Bill To Ban Bullet Button Article originally written on September 26th, 2012 SACRAMENTO (CBS 5) A bill that would have closed what gun control advocates call a giant loophole in Californias strict assault weapons ban has died. A CBS 5 investigation prompted Bay Area State Senator Leland Yee to sponsor the gun control bill, and this summers massacre in Aurora, Colorado that left 12 dead and 58 injured seemed to give SB249 some momentum. But that q
Article originally written on September 25th, 2012 National Rifle Association president David Keene told NRA News The Daily News with Ginny Simone that the Department of Justices collusion with left-wing advocacy organization Media Matters for America is a taxpayer-funded propaganda machine. This is not an administration that deals in issues, Keene, a veteran of GOP politics for several decades, said on the show. This is an administration that deals in personalities. Y
Justice officials need to be held accountable Article originally written on The Washington Post September 21st, 2012 After an 18-month investigation that produced a 471-page report on the flawed Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation, Republican lawmakers told the Justice Departments inspector general Thursday that senior Justice officials still need to be held accountable for the botched case. During a three-hour hearing, Republicans on the House Government Reform and Overs
The Wisconsin recall: A test of NRAs ability to deliver Article originally written on September 17th, 2012 As Election Day approaches, the National Rifle Association is gearing up in battleground states. With more than four million members and as many as thirty million Americans who tell pollsters they look to the NRA for leadership on Second Amendment issues, many feel the organization could have real impact in key states. Weve done it in the past and with NRA Executive Vice
Article originally written on The Daily Camera September 13th, 2012 The University of Colorado Board of Regents on Wednesday officially approved a revised gun policy for the Boulder campus -- allowing concealed-carry permit holders to bring guns most anywhere -- though one regent raised concerns that there are still gun-free zones on campus. CU had a campus-wide ban on guns that was overturned in March when the state Supreme Court ruled that the school cannot bar concealed-weapon p
NRAs Chris Cox Goes One On One With Governor Mitt Romney Article originally written on September 12th, 2012 This years election is going to define the future of our freedom, perhaps more than any other in our history. For gun owners, there are a number of areas crucial to the survival of our Second Amendment rights. Thats why I took the time to visit with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, to find out precisely where he stands on the issues of concern to gun owne
Gun discovered hidden in children's hospital ER Article originally written on September 7th, 2012 ATLANTA -- Authorities are trying to figure out why a loaded handgun was hidden in the emergency room of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding. Police tell The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://bit.ly/UvfsR7) that the .40-caliber Glock handgun had two fully loaded clips. It was discovered early Monday morning by a cleaning employee, as she changed trash bags in a b
Gunfire hits school bus full of kids in Chicago Article originally written on NBC News September 7th, 2012 Police say no one was injured when a bullet ripped through a school bus taking students to a Catholic school in the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago on Friday. The bus had 25 children onboard and was picking up two more children for school around 7:48 a.m. at 106th Street and Calhoun Avenue when shots rang out, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak
Nebraska family, school at odds over deaf boys gun-like sign language name Article originally written on August 29th, 2012 The parents of a 3-year-old deaf boy from Nebraska say his preschool told them he must change the way he signs his name because it looks like a finger-pistol, but the school says the family has their signals crossed. The family of pre-schooler Hunter Spanjer said officials at the Grand Island Public Schools told them the manner in which the boy signs his
"Fast and Furious" Failure Fosters Favoritism for Finagling Fed Article originally written on NRA-ILA Website August 27th, 2012 Fox News, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times, and The Hill are all over this one, as they should be. It seems that BATFEs William McMahon, who, as the agency's Assistant Deputy Director for Field Operations approved its catastrophic and deadly Fast and Furious operation, is being allowed to receive his six-figure federal paycheck for nearly half a year,
Ammunition bans are a sneaky attempt to deny self defense options Article originally written on The Washington Times August 24th, 2012 Gun grabbers arent getting far in their attempt to ban handguns, so the next best step is to go after ammunition. They use scary terms to demonize ordinary self-defense equipment, hoping this will make Americans more comfortable with their incremental effort to diminish and ultimately eliminate the Second Amendment. Federal agencies, for example,
Assembly urges Congress to ban assault weapons Article originally written on The Sacramento Times August 23rd, 2012 SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The state Assembly has passed a resolution urging Congress to revive a federal ban on assault weapons in the wake of recent mass shootings. The resolution passed Wednesday on 50-24 vote, without Republican support. It was introduced in early August by Democratic Assemblyman Mike Feuer of Los Angeles, weeks after a July 20 shooting in a Colorad
Gun sales rise amid fear of stricter gun control laws Article originally written on August 20th, 2012 Gun sales are rising across the country with 10.2 million guns sold this year, a record pace 20 percent ahead of last year according to the FBI. Los Angeles mother Michelle Schy is among a growing number of Americans arming themselves out of fear. Schy said the shootings in Aurora, Colo., Virginia Tech, and Columbine prompted her to take the classes. The after-school activitie
MILLER: Armed against tragedy Article originally written on The Washington Times August 20th, 2012 Liberals are anxious to talk about workplace or school shootings when it suits their political agenda. Thats why the usual suspects are observing a vow of silence regarding Wednesdays armed attack on the Family Research Council (FRC). This incident puts the debate over the right to bear arms in the District of Columbia into the spotlight. The nations capital maintains an all-ou
Article originally written on Gazette.com August 17th, 2012 In what it calls a contractual matter between landlord and tenant, the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs is putting freshman housing off-limits to concealed carry permits and also will ban permitted guns from large campus events. The new policy grew out of a Colorado Supreme Court ruling in March that allows students with a concealed-carry permit to have a gun on campus. But university officials say permitted we
Article originally written on August 15th, 2012 Local gun sales are going up, retailers say, as data show background checks for pistol permits are up nationwide.Brothers John and Frank Havlick, whose family has run Frank's Guns and Tackle Shop in Mayfield for 29 years, say business over the past four years has been strong.Since 2009, John Havlick said he's seen an increase in firearm sales and applications for pistol permits. He said he has almost 100 pistols waiting in the back r
New Bill Proposed: Buying 1,000 Rounds of Ammo would Raise Red Flag Article originally written on Fox40 August 15th, 2012, SACRAMENTO Bay-Area lawmakers proposed a new bill this week that would require gun vendors to report anyone who buys 1,000 rounds of ammunition within a five-day span. AB-2512 would give vendors 24-hours to report the name and address of anyone who purchased 1000-rounds. "A good person comes in, who enjoys shooting, you're putting them now as being a c
Zimmerman Will Not Rely on Stand Your Ground, Defense Attorney Says Article originally written on The New American August 14th, 2012, After announcing last week that George Zimmerman would seek a Stand Your Ground hearing to get the murder charges dismissed in the February shooting death of Trayvon Martin, defense attorney Mark OMara said Monday that his client would now be relying on a traditional self-defense argument instead. The lawyer argued that Zimmerman had no way to fl
House Committee Sues Attorney General in Gunwalking Probe Article originally written on The Wall Street Journal August 14th, 2012, As promised, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee sued the attorney general to enforce a congressional subpoena for documents related to the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious. The complaint, filed Monday in federal district court in Washington and embedded below, said Attorney General Eric Holder's notion of executive privil
Cuccinelli files brief in Maryland gun case Article originally written on Richmond Times Dispatch August 14th, 2012, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli hoping to be elected governor of Virginia in 2013 has filed a brief in a Maryland gun case that is bound to hit the target with firearms enthusiasts in Virginia. Cuccinelli's office last week filed a "friend of the court" brief on behalf of Virginia and 13 other states in support of a federal district court ruling that struck dow
Pikes Peak Hill Climb Results Article originally written on New York Post August 13th, 2012, Not even four years separate Courtney Rogers, the stay-at-home mom, from Courtney Rogers, political candidate. The path connecting the two runs through the election of a Democratic president, performances as a Revolutionary War soldier and a lecture series on the origins of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Somehow, this unlikely road has made Rogers one of the yea
Arsenal of gun-control bills ready for gov Article originally written on New York Post August 13th, 2012, ALBANY If Gov. Cuomos appetite for more gun control is serious, theres no shortage of bills on the menu. From microstamping shell casings and banning assault weapons, to toughening penalties for lax storage, teaching anti-gun violence in schools and providing tax credits for the purchase of gun safety equipment, lawmakers are pushing more than a dozen measures to beef up
NJ gun safety classes growing Article originally written on myCentralJersey.com August 13th, 2012, Holding steady despite the flash of gunfire, Mary Marrero of Manchester squeezed off six rounds from a .38-caliber revolver into a paper target. The training is part of the mother of twos desire to feel safer when her husband is working. You feel real powerful, like you have some kind of defense, said Marrero, 37, during her gun safety class at a Brick Armory, a gun shop and s
Maryland senator calls for gun training and off-limits locations. Article originally written on The Washington Times. August 10th, 2012, ANNAPOLIS Responding to a court decision that could scrap the state law requiring concealed-carry permit applicants to provide good and substantial reason for needing firearms, a Baltimore lawmaker wants to require handgun owners to complete a training course. Sen. William C. Ferguson IV, a Democrat, introduced a bill Thursday that would req
D.C. Mayor Gray protests a billboard advertising gun safety classes. Article originally written on NRA-ILA August 9th, 2012, Washington politicians are so anti-gun that they oppose a mere photo of a paper target. With D.C.s gun-grabber laws under fire and pressure rising to allow concealed carry, the citys liberal political establishment is panicking. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) put up a billboard in July at 13th and L Streets, N.W., that says, Hey D.C. It
California Legislature Ends its Summer Recess and Will Vote on Anti-Gun Bills. Article originally written on NRA-ILA August 7th, 2012, Recess is over for members of the California Legislature and they already have plenty of anti-gun bills scheduled to be heard as early as TODAY. As usual, the California Legislature is working hard to rid the Golden State of ALL firearms and law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen. Several anti-gun and anti-hunting bills have passed their house of ori
When only criminals have guns. Article originally written by Emily Miller on The Washington Times August 7th, 2012, In the nations capital, its a fair question to ask: Who gets the better deal, innocent citizens who want to own a gun, or dangerous criminals? The Districts deliberate policy of releasing criminals back onto the streets shows the liberal city councils answer has little to do with public safety. Take the case of Ramad Speight, an admitted psychotic and alleged co
State Sen. Michael Gianaris crafting package of bills to give New York the nation's toughest gun laws August 6th, 2012, ALBANY State Sen. Michael Gianaris points to recent gun violence in New York City, not to mention the Colorado massacre, as he crafts a package of bills to give New York the countrys toughest gun laws. And that was before a gunman opened fire at a Sik
The assault weapons myth - Article originally written on "The Chicago Times" by Steve Chapman. August 2nd, 2012, Gov. Quinn wants to outlaw the sale and possession of "assault weapons," insisting that "there is no place in Illinois for weapons designed to fire rapidly at human targets at close range." He doesn't mention that even if his ban were to pass, there would be plenty of other legal firearms that can be used to fire rapidly at human targets at close range -- or long range, for th
What Mayor Bloomberg Doesn't Know About Police and Guns - Article originally written on "The Wall Street Journal". August 2nd, 2012, In the wake of the recent mass shooting in Colorado, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called on police to join him in fighting for more gun control: "I don't understand why the police officers across this country don't stand up collectively and say we're going to go on strike." It is illegal for police to go on strike, and Mr. Bloomberg later backed off his s
Article originally written on NRA-ILA. July 31st, 2012, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have proposed an amendment to the "Cybersecurity Act" to ban standard capacity magazines. The amendment would ban import, possession, and transfer of magazines that accept (or could be readily converted to accept) more than ten rounds and that are manufactured after the enactment of the amendment. Pre-ban magazines could be possessed by the current owner, but not transfer
Article originally written on Highlands Today. July 30th, 2012, SEBRING Statewide concealed weapons permits are nearing the one million mark, according to a report from the Florida Department of Agriculture Consumer Services Division of Licensing, which monitors them.So far, Florida recorded 952,415 active concealed weapons permits. As of June 30, Highlands County residents held 5,160 of those permits.For $36.50, residents can go to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office and be fin
Article originally written on Politico. July 26th, 2012, President Obama suggested Thursday that he isn't backing away from talking about gun policy. "I'm sure we'll have more opportunity to talk about this," he said to a reporter's question after he made brief remarks pressuring the House of Representatives to pass the middle class tax cut extension that cleared the Senate on Wednesday. The president's response came to a question about whether
Article originally written on Daily News. July 19th, 2012, DATE: July 18, 2012 TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends FROM: Marion P. Hammer USF Executive Director NRA Past President Below are three items of importance for Florida members and firearm owners: 1.) Below is a link to the surveillance video taken of the attempted armed robbery in Ocala that everyone is talking about. Today's 71 Year Old CCW Permit Holder Foiling a Robbery Brou
Article originally written on Daily News. July 18th, 2012, With gun violence increasing along with the temperature in New York City this summer, a congressional hopeful says now is the time to give cops a new tool to use to make collars in gun crimes. Assemblywoman Grace Meng, a Queens Democrat, faulted the National Rifle Association and Republicans in the state Legislature for blocking a bill to require gun manufacturers to use bullet microstamping technology. The upg
Article originally written on The Daily Caller. July 13th, 2012, As Ive written before, the right to keep and bear arms is the only right our Founding Fathers described as necessary to the security of a free state. This designation is in the very language of the Second Amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Yet here we stand, perhaps unaware of the insidious action
Article originally written on Washington Times. July 9th, 2012, Obama administration officials must remind each other daily that they will never have to accept responsibility for anything that goes wrong on their watch as long as they can find some way to blame their troubles on George W. Bush. So it should surprise no one that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and the administrations surrogates are vociferously claiming that Operation Fast and Furious, the gun-walking scandal
Article originally written on The Hill. July 3rd, 2012, Some 130 lawmakers sent President Obama a letter on Monday expressing their opposition to a pending arms trade treaty if it impinges on gun rights and U.S. sovereignty in any way. The United Nations this week begins a month-long process of crafting a long-delayed treaty to create international standards for importing and exporting conventional weapons. Proponents say the treaty would bring much of the rest of the world in lin
Article originally written on Iowa Senate website. July 2nd, 2012, When a person dies in service to his country, and his own government may have contributed to his death, covered up evidence about the circumstances, or both, the survivors' families and the American people have a right to know the truth. That was the case with Pat Tillman, and it's the case with Brian Terry. The government should own up to any policies and practices that led to the harm of Mexi
Article originally written on NRA-ILA website. June 30th, 2012, Internet giant Google has adopted a new and discriminatory policy with respect to the advertising of firearms, ammunition and related products. The change affects the firm's "Google Shopping" function. For years, Google has refused to sell preferred advertising to sellers of these goods. That means Google search results don't show those products in featured positions, such as at the top of the page or on the right sid
Article originally written on The Washington Times. June 28th, 2012, The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Thursday on a contempt of Congress citation against Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. This unprecedented action has been made necessary by the Obama administrations consistent refusal to reveal the whole truth about the Fast and Furious gun-walking operation and the cover-up that followed. The contempt citation is over Mr. Holders failure to comply with an O
Article originally written on Kansas City website. June 28th, 2012, WASHINGTON Barring a last-minute deal, House Republicans plan historic votes Thursday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in civil and criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents related to a bungled gun-tracking operation. A sitting attorney general never has been held in contempt and Republicans picked an odd day to set a precedent. They scheduled the votes the same day the Supreme Court
Article originally written on Fox News. June 27th, 2012, House Republicans and some conservative Democrats are poised to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress on Thursday for withholding documents in the investigation into botched Operation Fast and Furious, which let guns slip into the hands of drug cartels. House Speaker John Boehner is pressing ahead with a floor vote that is almost certain to pass, with the majority Republicans expected to get the backing of
Article originally written on The Washington Times. June 27th, 2012, The Obama administrations hatred for the Second Amendment has reached new heights. After nearly a decade of safe operation, the White House is looking to reduce the number of pilots who provide an extra layer of security against airborne terror by packing a pistol in the cockpit. This plan shouldnt fly. The federal flight-deck officer program was put in place as a direct response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 200
Article originally written on Star-Telegram. June 26th, 2012, Obama administration officials and House Republican staff members Tuesday failed to resolve a document dispute that could lead to a precedent-setting contempt of Congress vote Thursday against Attorney General Eric Holder. A House Republican official, who was not authorized to be quoted by name, said White House and Justice Department representatives met and showed the GOP staff less than 30 pages of documents related to
Article originally written on NRA-ILA website. June 20th, 2012, The NRA fully supports this contempt resolution, said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. The American people – including millions of NRA members and tens of millions of NRA supporters – deserve the truth, and we will support any effort that leads us to that truth. The Committees report thoroughly details the immediate reasons for the resolution: the Justice
Article originally written on NRA-ILA website. June 15th, 2012, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was again on the proverbial hot seat this week as investigations into the infamous "Fast and Furious" gun-walking scandal continue.While a standoff in the investigation over providing subpoenaed information drags on, earlier this week, Holder suggested that he was willing to make "compromises." In response, on Wednesday House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa
Article originally written on NRA-ILA website. June 18th, 2012, DATE: June 18, 2012 TO: NRA & Unified Sportsmen of Florida Members and Friends FROM: Marion P. Hammer USF Executive Director NRA Past President Below is an article by Dara Kam published in the Palm Beach Post on June 17, titled "NRA goes after Florida sheriffs candidates with survey." Although the headline is slanted (and reporters don't write the headlines), Dar
Article originally written on NRA-ILA website. June 18th, 2012, Two years ago, explaining the effort, then Mayor Richard M. Daleysaid, "We have just too many guns in our society. When someone has access to a gun, they use it." The gun buyback is a way "we can reduce the number of guns on our streets," says Mayor Rahm Emanuel.But don't put too much stock in those pronouncements. The number of privately owned guns in America keeps rising, and at last count it totaled 270 million, or abou
Article originally written on NRA-ILA website. June 10th, 2012, New York is the least free state overall, and Maryland is least free in terms of personal freedom, according to a new study by the Mercatus Center at . The study, Freedom in the 50 States rated the states according their fiscal policies, regulatory policies, and laws relating to economic and personal freedom. Where each state stands on 30-plus gun laws accounted for 6.67 percent of its total fr
Article written by NRA-ILA official website. June 13th, 2012, Today, the Michigan House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to repeal the state handgun permit-to-purchase and registration requirements. House Bill 5225 passed in the state House by a 74 to 36 vote. HB 5225 would repeal the bureaucratic state permit-to-purchase handguns and instead utilize the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System. House Bill 5498 and House Bill 549
Story originally written on NRA-ILA Site. June 8th, 2012, As previously reported, H.R. 4089--the "Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012"--passed the U.S. House of Representatives in April by a bipartisan vote of 274 to 146. The bill will protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing and shooting. H.R. 4089 was a compilation of four different bills: H.R. 1558, which amends the "Toxic Substances Control Act"; H.R. 3440, the "Recreational Shooting Protection Act"; H.R
March 22nd, 2012, SOUTHPORT, CT --Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR), announced today that for the first quarter 2012, the Company has received orders for more than one million units. Therefore, the Company has temporarily suspended the acceptance of new orders. Chief Executive Officer Michael O. Fifer made the following comments: The Company's Retailer Programs that were offered from January 1, 2012 through February 29, 2012 were very successful and generated significa
Friday, November 18, 2011 Fairfax, VA -- The National Rifle Association (NRA) will fight the proposal by the Obama administration and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to drastically restrict recreational shooting opportunities on public lands. The NRA is particularly concerned about the stated motive of this action. A spokesman for the BLM told U.S. News and World Report that the proposed ban was being enacted in response to "urbanites" who "freak out" when they hear shooting on public lands. Th
Thursday, December 08, 2011 Fairfax, Va. - Governor Scott Walker has signed Wisconsin Castle Doctrine legislation into law. This common-sense measure strengthens the right of law-abiding citizens to use force, including deadly force, against an attacker in their homes, businesses or motor vehicles. It also strengthens protection from civil lawsuits by an attacker or attacker's family when justifiable defensive force is used. "Gov. Walker and Wisconsin lawmakers know that law-abiding citizens
Friday, November 18, 2011 The final conference report on the combined Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science (CJS) and Transportation/Housing/Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations billsalso known as the Mini-Bus, was passed by both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, and has been signed into law. One of the most important ways that Congress has protected the Second Amendment is through a number of general provisions included in various appropriations bi
NRA Files Appeal of Ruling on Handgun Sales Age Limits On Sept. 29, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas decided in favor of the federal government in a case brought by the NRA challenging the federal restriction on the purchase of handguns by 18-20 year old adults. The case is far from over, as the NRA has already filed an appeal. In the case, Jennings v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the NRA and a group of responsible young adults argued that since 18
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 The National Rifle Association has filed a letter protesting the Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) final resource management plan for Ironwood Forest National Monument that will close the entire monument to recreational shooting. The NRA and many of its Arizona hunters and shooters were deeply engaged in the planning process when the draft plan for the monument was released for public comment in 2007. Closure of the monument to recreational shooting was protest
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Today, an NRA-supported amendment offered by U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.) to prohibit funds from being used by the Department of Justice to conduct "gun-walking" programs similar to the now-infamous "Fast and Furious" operation was passed in the Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support (99-0). Specifically, the amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill states that: "No funds made available under this Act shall be used t
Friday, October 14, 2011 This week, the House Judiciary considered amendments to H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill, and defeated all anti-gun amendments offered in an effort to weaken or gut the legislation. The legislation is an important pro-gun reform that will provide for the recognition of carry permits in all states that issue permits. (For detailed information on the legislation, click here.) The bill, as originally written, was successfully amended at th
Friday, September 23, 2011 As we reported last week, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security recently held a hearing on H.R. 822, the "National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011."This critically important bill, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to sel
Tuesday, September 20, 2011The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been granted intervenor status by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in the legal challenge to the delisting of wolves from the Endangered Species Act in Montana, Idaho and portions of Oregon, Utah and Washington State. Anti-hunting groups continue to fight the NRAs efforts to defend the interests of its members and the hunting community.Being granted intervenor status is of paramount importance to the future of wildlife cons
Friday, September 16, 2011On Tuesday, Sept. 13, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security held a hearing on H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.The bill, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.S
Friday, September 09, 2011For months we have been reporting on a critically important bill: H.R. 822the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011. This vital NRA-backed legislation, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) will enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states. Thanks to much hard work and action taken by NRA and our members, H.R
Friday, September 02, 2011In the latest development in the on-going Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) Fast and Furious scandal, the Department of Justice announced this week the appointment of U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota B. Todd Jones to serve as Acting Director of BATFE, replacing Kenneth Melson. The DOJ also announced that Dennis Burke, U.S. attorney for the district of Arizona, has resigned. And theWall Street Journal
Friday, July 22, 2011For nearly 20 years, the NRA has worked tirelessly to oppose any United Nations effort to undermine the constitutional rights of law-abiding American gun owners. The latest attempt by the U.N. and global gun banners to eliminate our Second Amendment freedoms is to include civilian arms in the current Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which will be finalized next year.In order for any treaty to take effect, however, it must be ratified by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. To
NRA is fully funding and supporting a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's demand that Federal Firearms License holders report multiple sales of certain long guns in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. The lawsuits filed assert that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lacks statutory authority to demand these reports.NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox has long expressed skepticism for the motivation and the timing of this BATFE effort. "This is a bait-an
NRA members are rightfully concerned about the protection of gun rights and the longevity of the shooting sports. We know the successes we have enjoyed in the past are due in no small part to our strength in numbers. Furthermore, the key to maintaining and building on our past victories is not only to sustain, but to also grow the size of our organization. To that end, NRA tries to provide and promote opportunities for people to get involved in the shooting sports.The media, anti-gun groups and
Fierce Battle Over Gun RightsWatch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Introducing the NRA-ILA Legal Update!To give NRA members and gun owners the latest information on Second Amendment cases filed or supported by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (www.nraila.org), NRA-ILA is pleased to announce a new online newsletter, the NRA-ILA Legal Update.Since the U.S. Supreme Courts 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, holding that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms, hundreds of Second Amendment cases have been
By now you have seen the headlines and images of destruction: the rioting, looting, violent assaults, and arson. London and other UK cities look like war zones and their citizens are afraid to venture out, because the danger is very real. It's a view of the temporary breakdown of society. It is gut check time; a time when the concept of being able to defend oneself gives way to the stark reality that few viable options to do so exist. Gun laws in the UK are among the most
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has announced that on Tuesday, July 26, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will convene another hearing as part of the ongoing investigation into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Operation Fast and Furious. The committee called the program a tragically flawed effort that is connected to deaths on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.The hearing, Operation Fast and Furious: The Other Side
Today, during consideration of the FY 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill, pro-gun U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds for a new and unauthorized multiple sales reporting plan proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Amendment was passed by a vote of 25-16. The Rehberg Amendment, which was strongly supported by NRA, will defund the Justice Departments controversial and illegal move requiring fed
FAIRFAX, VA The National Rifle Association (NRA) recently announced the launch of a bold program created exclusively for Americas military and law enforcement personnel. Called NRA Life of Duty, the initiative encompasses a new class of sponsored NRA membership, a state-of-the-art online network and a digital magazinedesigned for those who make their living defending the American way of life.At NRALifeOfDuty.tv, those who wear a uniform and carry a firearm can find news, discussion and sup
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre drew a line in sand on behalf of American gun owners at the United Nations Thursday. LaPierre spoke to the UNs Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Preparatory Committee, the group drafting an international treaty that will supposedly control all non-nuclear arms, worldwide, including civilian firearms. He told the audience of delegates from approximately 150 UN member states that the NRA would vehemently oppose any UN treaty that in any way re
On Monday, July 11, the Obama administration announced that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will soon begin requiring firearm dealers in the southwestern border states to file multiple sale reports on detachable-magazine rifles larger than .22 caliber. Under the plan, each dealer will be required to report, to the BATFE, any sale of two or more such rifles to a single individual with a period of five business days.The administrations decision, supposedly aime