Lautenberg- Gun-Show Bill Is Greatest Threat So Far: Exploiting the tenth anniversary of the Columbine tragedy, perennial gun control advocate Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced his latest gun show bill. Lautenberg was joined at the press conference by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jack Reed (D-RI)... The bill is S. 843: "A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows." What makes it a greater threat than other gun bills in the 111th Congress is the fact that Lautenberg has signed eleven powerful Democrats as cosponsors, including formerly pro-gun Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Although text of the bill is not available at the time of this writing, it is expected to be substantially similar to Lautenberg's gun show bill of the last Congress, S. 2577... http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m4d23-Lautenberg-gun-show-bill-is-greatest-threat-so-far --- But Don't Forget...: While the Obama administration wants to lull gun owners into complacency, it's only a matter of time before a massive campaign is launched to deny our firearms freedom. That's straight from the mouth of one of the most aggressive gun-haters on Capitol Hill- United States Senator Diane Feinstein. "I'll pick the time and the place, no question about that," Feinstein told CBS on "60 Minutes," when asked if she planned on mounting an effort to renew the Clinton Gun Ban on lawful semi-automatic firearms. Feinstein made that comment after claiming- wrongly- that American gun shows were responsible for arming drug cartels and violent gangs with so-called "assault weapons." But despite the facts that prove her claim wrong, the anti-gun senator from San Francisco is as determined as ever to bring back the old gun ban ... and she knows she'll have support from President Barack Obama... http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=513 --- A Signal from Holder?: Attorney General Eric Holder says he is concerned that a law limiting the use of gun-trace data may be too restrictive. Holder said at a congressional hearing that the so-called Tiahrt amendment - the subject of a long-running legislative battle between opponents and supporters of gun control - may limit evidence-sharing by state and local authorities. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a national gun control advocate, has long urged Congress to abolish the Tiahrt amendment. Gun rights advocates say the legislation only prevents frivolous lawsuits against gunmakers. The attorney general said the Obama administration has not yet come to a firm conclusion on the Tiahrt amendment. (The Tiahrt amendment does not limit access to law enforcement - it blocks cities from using its statistics in nuisance lawsuits against the firearm industry.) http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/us_holder_guns/2009/04/23/206667.html --- From JPFO: ...Back to Milwaukee: Wisconsin has had legal open carry for 137 years. This law isn't something recently cooked up by the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy". The Attorney General simply reminded this particular Goon-In-Blue that he (and his "troops"?) must now obey the law. Flynn's idiocy continues as he asserts that felons carrying guns will now do so openly! Like the cops don't know who each of these guys are from mug shots that would cover a pool table? Please! Flynn should pray that the dirt bags pack openly! A slam dunk arrest and conviction! But there is deeper, more sinister, issue at work here. It is a somber matter that few Americans are at all aware of: No police officer has ANY duty whatsoever to protect you! ...Directly related to this state of affairs, a JPFO funded lawsuit has been filed in Federal Court against the city of West Milwaukee and three police officers. On its face it seems like no contest. Three cops unlawfully disarmed and detained a peaceable man (exercising his right to carry a firearm openly in Wisconsin), and confiscated his private property in the process. There were some other denigrating rogue cop mind games involved as well... http://www.jpfo.org/kirby/kirby-wi-top-crim.htm Related Commentary: http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2009m4d22-Milwaukee-WI-police-chief-setting-stage-for-confrontation --- The Beat Goes On: Recently two people robbed at gunpoint in Augusta fought back. They both fired shots at the robbers. Both had something else in common, a concealed weapons permit. Court clerks tell NBC Augusta 26 News the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit has nearly tripled this year. "It's scary to know how many people actually have a concealed weapons permit and the places that they can carry them now," said Angela Rice, Director of Richmond County Probate Court. Rice says there's been a dramatic increase in the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit. In 2007, 1,213 people received permits to carry a gun. In 2008, that number slightly increased to 1,229. From January of this year to April the court has already issued almost 1,200 requests, and the year isn't half way over... (Scary to whom - the crooks in the area?) http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/local/43585002.html The number of people in Grand County seeking permits to carry a concealed handgun increased by 283 percent from 2007 to 2008. Statewide, the increase was 212 percent, and the trend shows few signs of abating. "We just haven't seen an end to it," said Grand County Sheriff Rod Johnson. County sheriff's departments are the issuing agencies for carry and conceal permits under a 2003 Colorado law. That law, said Johnson, also mandates that if applicants meet the criteria, sheriffs "shall" issue a permit, as opposed to the previous law, which said sheriffs "may" issue a permit. "We believe it started with the presidential election," the sheriff said of the rapid acceleration in the number of people seeking the permits. He said permit-seekers often volunteer political views regarding Second Amendment issues and that many of them recently have expressed concerns about the Democrats controlling Congress and the White House... http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20090423/NEWS/904239977/1079&ParentProfile=1067 You've undoubtedly seen local and national reports about the firearms and ammunition buying frenzy over the first five months of the current Administration in Washington. March firearms sales jumped 29.2 percent compared to March 2008. That followed a 23-percent rise in February, a 28-percent rise in January, a 24-percent rise in December and a 42-percent jump in November, when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed. Correspondingly, ammunition manufacturers are reporting record sales across the country as demand continues to outpace supply. Thus it's natural that we think the firearms industry is thriving. But that is, unfortunately, not the case. Granted, a couple of categories are running at full capacity, unable to keep up with orders. But, according to industry watchdog Jim Shepard's online Outdoors Wire, the manufacture of rifles, pistols, shotguns or revolvers that aren't labeled "tactical", "personal defense" or contain letters "AR", is not thriving at all... http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904230341 --- Texas Professors Support Campus Carry: Mass public shootings are a horrific feature of modern life. Many of the bloodiest examples of this scourge have occurred on college campuses. As professors, we are particularly sensitive to this danger. Despite this - no, because of this - we support a bill currently pending in the Texas Legislature that would permit the concealed carrying of firearms on college and university campuses in the state by holders of concealed-handgun permits... If gun bans truly reduced the risk of mass public shootings, then gun-free zones would be refuges from such havoc. Sadly, the exact opposite is true. All multiple-victim public shootings in the United States with more than three fatalities have occurred where concealed handguns are prohibited. Moreover, the worst primary and secondary school shootings have occurred in Europe, despite its draconian gun laws... http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-liebowitz_23edi.State.Edition1.205ac09.html# --- Oops, Wrong Car: A woman was shot with her handgun by a driver she and another woman tried to carjack at an East Side drugstore Thursday, a Tucson police spokeswoman said... The driver was awaiting service about 12:30 a.m. at the drive-through window of the Walgreens on East Grant Road near North Swan Road when the two women approached him. One of them brandished a pistol and demanded his car, Galindo said. The man struggled with her, wrested the handgun away and shot her. The man drove from the area and called police, who found the wounded woman at the drugstore, Galindo said... http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/115060.php --- Oops, Wrong Girlfriend: Police say a fatal shooting in Springfield was an act of self-defense. The shooting happened Monday night at a home on the 2300 block of E Street. Investigators say Rodolfo Baldenegro, 47, went to the home looking for his estranged girlfriend. Investigators say the woman had filed a restraining order against him. Police say Baldenegro forced his way into the residence and got into a fight with the woman and another man. Police say the other man shot Baldenegro in self-defense. Baldenegro died at the hospital. http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/UPDATE-Springfield-police-say-fatal-shooting-was/beNcYr5ec0aTCTegcF5syg.cspx --- Oops, Wrong House: A group of apparent home invaders met their match when they tried to kick in the door at an off-duty Buffalo police officer's home. The cop shot two of the men, killing one of them. It happened just before 9:30 Wednesday morning. The Buffalo police officer who lives on Burlington Avenue in the northeast part of the city says he heard people trying to kick in the side door of his home, so he grabbed his gun and fired. "They were confronted by the off-duty officer and got shot," says Chief Dennis Richards of the Buffalo Police Department... The Buffalo Police Professional Standards Division will conduct their own investigation. That is part of the normal procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting. Police are not saying at this point if the suspects were armed. There are other unanswered questions at this point too including whether the suspects knew the officer or if they randomly chose that house. The off-duty officer is now on administrative leave. http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/43489022.html --- Oops, Wrong Yard: Spartanburg County deputies determined that a man who shot two people Monday night outside his residence was acting in self-defense and charged the two men on Tuesday. Daniel Scott Byrd, 22, of 115 Keith Street, Greer and Josh Duncan, 24, of 207 Church St., Wellford were each charged with one count of assault and battery. Byrd's stomach was grazed by a bullet and Duncan was struck in the buttocks during a fight Monday night outside a Keith Street residence. Larry James Pruitt Jr., 41, told deputies that a group of people were causing "a bad ruckus" outside his home and he asked them to keep it down. Pruitt said Byrd and Duncan then came into his yard and began choking and assaulting him. Pruitt said he pulled a revolver from his pocket and fired several times, then ran into his home, reloaded his gun and waited for deputies... http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090422/ARTICLES/904221075/1083/ARTICLES?Title=Shootings-found-to-be-self-defense --- Oops, Wrong Store: Two men were hospitalized on Wednesday after they were shot during a hold up at a drive-thru on the city's northeast side, 10TV News reported. The shooting occurred at about 3:30 p.m. at Dani's Drive-Thru, located near the corner of Westerville and Agler roads. Investigators said a man walked inside and tried to rob the clerk, but the clerk produced a gun and opened fire, wounding the man in the legs, 10TV News reported. The man was apprehended about a block away near a home on Cleveland Avenue. The other person wounded in the shooting may have been an innocent bystander, police said. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. No other injuries were reported... http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/04/22/story_drive_thru.html?sid=102 --- Oops, Wrong Pizza Man: An 18-year-old was shot after investigators say he tried to rob a pizza deliveryman at an empty house. A delivery in Augusta turned into a crime scene Sunday for Papa Johns Driver Tavarius Lewis. When he tried to deliver a pizza to this house on Dent Street Sunday night, investigators say Kevin Martin pulled a BB gun and tried to rob Lewis. "[Lewis] started backing up, reached in his pocket and pulled out a .40 caliber handgun and shot the suspect," said Sgt. Blaise Dresser, of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. Dresser says Lewis shot in self-defense, not realizing Martin's weapon was only a BB gun... The driver, Lewis, is on paid leave from Papa Johns while the sheriff's office investigates. Papa Johns has a policy that says no workers can carry concealed weapons, either on them or in their car. http://www.wrdw.com/crimeteam12/headlines/43310322.html --- Goodbye to J No?: Originally touted as a tough, no-nonsense ex-prosecutor from a border state, former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano seemed unlikely to be among the early resignations from the Obama Cabinet. She was close to the new president - one of his earliest supporters - and had generally good marks from Republicans. But in less than a week, Napolitano has managed to insult war veterans and conservatives, muddle laws, and spark a diplomatic incident with Canada. House conservatives are demanding her resignation, and there are signs that their numbers may grow in the coming days. The controversy isn't going away, either. Napolitano is scheduled to meet Friday with the American Legion and she'll likely be apologizing for a DHS report that suggested the next wave of terrorists could come from the ranks of the enlisted... http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/napolitano_gaffes_gop/2009/04/23/206736.html -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .