GRE Round Up, Mar. 31

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Anthony Bouchard/Cheyenne:
Anti-Gun Bill Ayers UW engagement cancelled, not so fast

Don Gwinn/Chicago:
For anti-gun Northwestern professor, Constitutional ignorance is no excuse

David Codrea/National:
Was key evidence left out of DC gun case?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
D.C. court ruling reveals what anti-gunners call ‘common-sense gun laws’


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ICHV exploits 'Hutaree' hysteria to gin up support for 'assault weapon' ban

I have remarked before on the forcible citizen disarmament lobby's contemptible habit of exploiting tragedy--"dancing in the blood" of the victims, as it were. Now, though, with tragedies becoming inconveniently more difficult to come by, the ICHV has been reduced to attempting to exploit alleged atrocities that never happened [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Tell a friend?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 30

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
U.S. Concealed Carry Association has supporters, detractors

Anthony Bouchard/Cheyenne:
NRA gives Senator Reid more praise - enough already!

Dan Bidstrup/Denver:
Who are we protected from with a gun free zone?

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: American Militias.

David Codrea/National:
Why is government blocking access to ATF whistlebower website?

Chris Woodard/Tucson:
Arizona gun law is on the move.

Go. Read. And please share these links.

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Even MSNBC forced to admit numbers don't support 'gun control'

I have said over and over again, that I'm not much of one for justifying rights via statistics. I firmly believe that rights remain rights, despite the existence of people who will abuse them--and no matter the number of such people. Still, if the Violence Policy Center and Brady Campaign want this to be an argument about numbers, we can beat them on that, too. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Hope you find it worth your time.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 29

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
United States Concealed Carry Association: Web marketing experiment?

Don Gwinn/Chicago:
There's only one way to "make the Constitution relevant to modern society," Professor!

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Ohio Fraternal Order of Police opposes gun law changes in new bill

Dan Bidstrup/Denver:
Nearly done with the the Tanner Gun Show shooting

David Codrea/National:
Home defense illustrates injustice of Chicago gun ban

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Don’t confuse MI suspects with law-abiding gun owners

Go. Read. And please share these links.

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Mexican President Calderón--and Reuters--still blame U.S. 'gun lobby' for violence

On a more fundamental level, who cares about the numbers? If it really were true that "90%"--or even 100%--of the guns used by Mexican drug trafficking gangs started out on the U.S. civilian market, a free people cannot legitimately be punished for the criminality of others. That foreign officials are demanding just such a usurpation of American citizens' rights is a grave insult to our sovereignty. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a read, and tell a friend?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 28

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
Liability protection for Arkansas's crime victims

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: The health of the second amendment is the health of the nation.

David Codrea/National:
Military brass destruction update

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Illinois legislature apparently plans to punt on gun issues

On Friday, March 26th, just before breaking for their spring recess, the Illinois legislature seems to have sent every gun bill back to committee, which basically indicates that the bills won't be acted on. Illinois being Illinois, this is mostly good news, because most of these bills are so-called "gun control" bills. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner--borrowing heavily (again) from Days of Our Trailers (thanks, Thirdpower). Please give it a look.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 27

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Ed Stone/Atlanta:
Federal judge rules pistols holding more than ten rounds dangerous and unusual

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
The Arkansas Senate "whisper campaign"

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz -Knox County Mayor - Tim Hutchison
TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz - Governor - Ron Ramsey
TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz - Governor - Joe Kirkpatrick

David Codrea/National:
Federal judge rules against 2nd Amendment, for DC 'gun control'

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Marlin Firearms closure announcement was not funeral announcement

Chris Woodard/Tucson:
Is Obamacare unstoppable?

Go. Read. And please share these links.

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Federal judge edits 'not' out of 'shall not be infringed'

Judge Urbina ruled that every one of those restrictions was permissible under the Second Amendment. The tragedy here is that a reading of the majority decision in the Heller case, written by Justice Scalia, gives little reason for optimism that the Supreme Court will disagree (if the expected appeal ever gets that far). The further tragedy is that, as I discussed here, even the expected "favorable" ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago would mean that the Supreme Court's tepid endorsement of the right to keep and bear arms, as codified in the Heller decision, would become the only hurdle--nationwide--a prospective gun law would have to clear in order to be "presumptively lawful." [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 26

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Anthony Bouchard/Cheyenne:
Wyoming’s - NRA little brother the WSSA exposes its true colors

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Demonizing gun owners

David Codrea/National:
Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio celebrates 15th anniversary

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Gun prohibitionists are disingenuous, hypocritical


Go. Read. And please share these links.

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Used military cartridge brass once again being destroyed--robbing shooters, taxpayers

Basically, ATK/Alliant Techsystems, a private company with huge government munitions contracts, offers military installation commanders the option of selling the used cartridge cases directly to ATK, allowing ATK to destroy the brass right on-site, using portable shredders. The shredded brass is, as mentioned earlier, worth only about a quarter the value of intact, once-fired cartridge cases. The reason installation commanders accept the deal anyway, despite it being such a ripoff to taxpayers, is that the proceeds go directly to that military installation's discretionary fund, rather than into the DoD budget.

Particularly offensive is the fact that in brochures making the sales pitch to base commanders (here's an overview of the program, and here's one specifically for Ft. Irwin, CA--both pdf files), one of the selling points used in advocating this approach is the very fact that the used cartridge cases will never be available on the civilian market. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Worth a read, I hope.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 25

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Ed Stone/Atlanta:
SB 308 passes Georgia Senate by veto proof majority

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
Concealed carry in Louisiana (and Arkansas) state parks

David Codrea/National:
Was there a political motive in Phoenix gun dealer prosecution?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
MSNBC.com report hammers myth that more guns lead to more homicides


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Will St. Clair County Sheriff's Department destroy piece of history?

The problem, of course, is that the gun's nature as a machine gun transforms it--from a fascinating and proud piece of history, to a blighted, morally corrupt piece of contraband, subjecting the possessor to a quarter million dollar fine and ten years in the federal slammer.

Years ago, I wrote about something similar, although that machine gun had even vastly more historical significance, having been captured from the Germans by Alvin York, in the kind of magnificent feat of arms for which patriotic Americans still take justifiable pride, nearly a century later. That story ended well, with the gun going to a museum, but at one time, it seemed as if this magnificent piece of history would be destroyed, as directed by the ATF. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 24

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
Restaurant carry bill - urgent
Exercise your gun rights and make a little cash

David Codrea/National:
Tea Partying gun owners must make Republican candidates prove Second Amendment support

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Some WA cops not doing too well on constitutional issues lately

Go. Read. And please share these links.

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Missouri bill would explicitly recognize right to keep and bear arms as 'fundamental'

The fact that HB 2150 would also formally recognize the right to keep and bear arms as "fundamental"--something that, as Mr. Cassidy points out in his St. Louis State House Examienr article, has never been formally recognized by the Missouri Supreme Court, is also what Vice President BIden might describe as "a big f***ing deal." [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 23

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Think before sending: Some emails damage gun rights

Paul Valone/Charlotte:
8th District Republican Tim D'Annunzio speaks on guns, Constitution

Daniel White/Cleveland:
One Ohio newspaper says 'it's not broke don't fix it' of Ohio's gun laws

Dan Bidstrup/Denver:
56 hours and still no news about shooting at the Tanner Gun Show in Denver.....

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:

Oklahoma bill will extend "Make My Day Law" to businesses

David Codrea/National:
Don't let the 'teajackers' take over

Go. Read. And please share these links.

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Does having health care reform 'out of the way' move 'gun control' up on administration's agenda?

Those who support more and more restrictive gun laws, although disappointed with the Obama administration's apparent disinterest--so far--in aggressively pursuing such restrictions, have generally been willing to cut the president some slack, because he has had such a "full plate."

With a health care reform bill now signed into law, though, one of the biggest items on that plate is now gone. Does that mean the anti-gun heat comes on now? [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please give it a look.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 22

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:

Arkansas gun politics; make your legislator work for you

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
UT Knoxville reverses student-athlete gun ban

TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz - Knox County Commission, Seat 11 At-Large - Armstrong

TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz - Knox County Commission District 4 - Jeff Ownby

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: Beck and Palin, Part IV.

David Codrea/National:
Louisiana bill provides for guns in state parks

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Health care out of way, now let’s see what is ‘reasonable gun control?’ Start the debate here

Chris Woodard/Tucson:

Is health care now out of the way?

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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Is 'gun crime' inherently worse than other crime?

If we want to hit criminals with longer sentences for their crimes, let's make those crimes eligible for longer sentences. Let's not make up brand new "crimes," based on the perpetrator's possession of something that will do no harm unless he uses it, in commission of what is already a crime. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please give it a look.

Missourians, if you want the Firearms Freedom Act, 'raise a ruckus'

Mr. Marbut's advice to Missourians who want the federal government to get out, and stay out, of gun issues that are purely Missour's business, is:

Interested MO folk need to raise a ruckus to help Davis move her bill [and/or Smith move his].

The focus of that "ruckus" needs, at this point, to be the committee in which HB 1230 and HB 1506 are stuck. That's the Special Committee on Agri-Business (and no, I don't know what such legilsation would have to do with "Agri-Business," either). Here's the committee membership list: [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please give it a look.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 20

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Paul Valone/Charlotte:
Second Amendment Symposium adds heavy hitters to lineup

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:

Racist anti-gunners in Arkansas
Arkansas students practice being killed

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: Beck and Palin, Part III.

David Codrea/National:
What do Mexican police magic rituals have to do with 'gun control'?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
More about the medical marijuana shootout

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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Thousands of IL gun owners march on Springfield, maybe 100 anti-gunners in Chicago

The mass media has long been, and remains, fawningly subservient to the forcible citizen disarmament lobby. With the advent of the internet, and unprecedentedly widespread availability of information, the gun prohibitionists' monopoly on the megaphone is slipping. Perhaps that's why support for more restrictive gun laws is at an all-time low. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner, with thanks to Days of Our Trailers for providing not only the photo, but much of the information and inspiration.

Tell a friend?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 19

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
The Brady Campaign to Promote Violence?

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:

Safer Streets 2010: Beck and Palin out of their tree.

Safer Streets 2010: Beck and Palin, Part II.

David Codrea/National:
Toledo Blade warns against self-defense:

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Will the village idiots select Seattle’s new police chief?

Go. Read. And please share the links.
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A word from Mike Vanderboegh

And an important word it is.

And if we do a proper job, if we break the windows of hundreds, thousands, of Democrat party headquarters across this country, we might just wake up enough of them to make defending ourselves at the muzzle of a rifle unnecessary. [More]

Go. Read.

And get your throwing arm limbered up?

Missouri closer to legal self-defense for 21-year-olds

On Monday, we discussed the fact that Illinois may cease demanding parental consent for young adults who choose to buy or posess firearms and ammunition. Missouri may be in the midst of something of a "youth movement," as well. Currently, Missouri's minimum age requirement for legal concealed carry--23 years--is the oldest of any state in which concealed carry is permitted.

Efforts, though, are underway to change that. A House bill that would (among other things) lower the minimum age to the more standard 21 years seems to have some momentum behind it in the House. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look, and tell a friend?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 18

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Don Gwinn/Chicago:
Ralph Conner, head of CORE Chicago, ends a life of entrepeneurism and service

Daniel White/Cleveland:

Attempted robbery thwarted by armed citizen

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
Tiger swings at Masters, but Elin may not be out of the woods

David Codrea/National:
Is it anti-Semitic to say so if gungrabbers really are 'bagel brained'?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
This may be why they call the stuff ‘dope’

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'No guns for negroes,' Chicago-style

Whether Rep. Osterman intends it or not, the effect of this bill would be to make young, urban, minority males second class (at best) citizens when they walk into a gun shop--subject to suspicion based on such things as their skin color, clothing, mode of speech, etc.; and not at all on any criminal history on their part (which would be filtered out by both the federally-mandated NICS check and the FOID card requirement). [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 17

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Fiction writer Janet Evanovich promotes anti-gun agenda

Daniel White/Cleveland:

Bill for restaurant carry and vehicle gun transport reform introduced in Ohio

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
Recent gun news in the Arkansas-Oklahoma area

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
Guns, unlike Chucky, can be tools for good or evil

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: Los Angeles lecturing Starbucks.

John Pierce/Minneapolis:
National park carry in Minnesota

David Codrea/National:
Can health care bill still endanger gun owners?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Bellevue gun rights groups help form international alliance

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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SAF announces new international gun rights organization

These people want, in other words, a government monopoly on force--globally. Apparently, the fact that governments murdered scores of millions of their own citizens over the course of the last century is no reason not to trust them with the only guns in the world. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please give it a look, and spread the word.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 16

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Daniel White/Cleveland:

Elyria police officer killed in line of duty

Mike Stollenwerk/DC:
Pelosi to use Jedi mind trick to pass health care bill

Dan Bidstrup/Denver:
The evil in the gun

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
The discriminatory Arkansas CHL law

David Codrea/National:
Make would-be Tea Party leaders prove they support Second Amendment

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Why confusion reigns in wake of federal court ruling on Seattle lawsuit

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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Blaming guns for childhood obesity?

Give the gun prohibitionists some credit, though--they certainly are creative. Recently, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Sue Ontiveros came up with what might be the most . . . novel "public health" argument against guns--that guns are forcing kids to become couch potatoes. In "Childrens' fitness another casualty of random gunfire," she begins by talking about all the walking she did as a child, but says that she now understands why parents would be reluctant to allow their kids to play outside, out of fear of "gun violence" . . . [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Spread the word?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 15

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Self-Defense, California style

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Another Toledo robber shot, this time killed

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
Sara Palin to testify in Knoxville

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: 'Hollow victory' for gun owners in McDonald, Part II.

David Codrea/National:
Tea Partiers must examine would-be leaders closely

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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18 should be old enough to decide to be armed--even in Illinois

Yes--you read that correctly. Young adults--old enough to carry weapons in defense of the country--are not deemed old enough to buy firearms to defend themselves, without the equivalent of a note from Mother.

There seems a decent chance that this egregious wrong will finally be righted. State Senator Gary Forby's SB 1840, to lower the age of eligibility without parental consent to 18, passed the Senate Friday, and now heads to the House. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 14

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: 'Hollow victory' for gun owners in McDonald?

David Codrea/National:
Punishment for armed self-defense still the norm in NYC and DC

Chris Woodard/Tucson:
As gun owners, can we always call ourselves law abiding citizens ?

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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One police department suggests TASERs for self-defense; another trades theirs for 'patrol rifles'

That reasoning sounds (to me) troublingly like "don't worry your pretty little head about getting a gun--you might hurt someone." If we are not yet long past such a mentality, we need to get there, and quickly.

In the meantime, we find that the Elyria, OH police department hopes to sell their TASERS--never having issued them to officers--to help raise money to significantly boost officers' firepower. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Help spread the word?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 13

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Toledo robber shot by store owner

David Codrea/National:
Penn pal dictator Chavez proves 'gun control' fails at stopping crime

Nicholas Arnold/Parkersburg:
Meet the candidates and policymakers coming this week

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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Jogger killed by wolves shows wisdom of national park gun rule change

Some of our national parks contain quite a lot of wolves, and "the extremely low risks" would be of cold comfort while being torn apart when one does find oneself on the wrong end of that low risk.

Here in Missouri and Illinois, of course, wolves aren't a factor. Missouri does have, on the other hand, quite a lot of coyotes, like the ones that killed young Canadian folksinger Taylor Mitchell.

With a firearm, enough training and practice to gain proficiency, and the will to resist and prevail, a visitor to our national parks can protect herself from any assailants, whether on two legs or four. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Help out a friend?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 12

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Twilight’s Kristen Stewart flirting with death? (This one is actually quite funny, and I'll let you in on the inside joke: Some of us GREs have been digging at Examiner management in our group correspondences for being so anal about localized content and focusing so heavily on celebrity fluff--so you can help us--and Howard--prove a point by making this one popular.)

Ron Bokleman/Boston:
Massachusetts Supreme Court upholds state gun-lock requirement

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
Cowboy journalism in Arkansas

David Codrea/National:
Why do ATF employees question fitness of agent in 'toy gun' seizure?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
NY Times gets an education; Seattle Times wises up


Go. Read. And please share the links. Make them all popular.

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Gun 'safety' regulation, VPC style

It seems to me that if we want to talk about gun regulation and gun safety, a decent case could be made for the argument that over-regulation has decreased safety. A good example would be the more the draconian regulation of suppressors ("silencers," in popular parlance) for the last 75 years, and the ensuing, otherwise very avoidable hearing loss among many shooters. Another example would be the 10-year sentence and quarter million dollar fine for adding a second handle, to help stabilize a large pistol (particularly useful for a paraplegic like me, with my limited trunk strength). [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Help spread the word?

Excellent advice, then and now

Bear with me while I start on a subject that might not seem to have any relevance to the subject at hand--I'll get there.

Shortly after starting guitar lessons back in my middle school years, and influenced by my older brother, I adopted blues as my favorite genre of music--to the near exclusion of every other type. It didn't really matter what kind of blues--country blues, Chicago blues, psychedelic blues rock--if it was bluesy, and heavily guitar oriented, I loved it.

Since then, I've broadened my horizons considerably, but blues still gets top dog status.

Now to the gun relevance. It occurs to me, especially while McDonald v. Chicago is on everyone's mind, that the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's classic "Born in Chicago" has special relevance. Consider the first verse:

I was born in Chicago in nineteen and forty-one
I was born in Chicago in nineteen and forty-one
Well, my father told me, "Son, you had better get a gun"

I couldn't find actual video of Butterfield's band playing it--the YouTube "video" is just a series of still shots--but I couldn't bring myself to use someone else's cover of the song (even the YouTube has some quite good ones).

"Son, you had better get a gun" was superb advice in the '40s, and is superb advice now.

Enjoy.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 11

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Ed Stone/Atlanta:
SB 308 is a huge improvement over current law

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
British police take 50 minutes to respond, thieves get away

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Ohio supreme court to decide on home rule vs statewide preemption of gun laws

Denver/Dan Bidstrup:
Expanding the Castle Doctrine in Colorado

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
Don't bring a knife to a gunfight

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: Safer corporations too, Part II.

David Codrea/National:
Short barrel shotguns for Department of Education?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Why does Department of Education need 12-gauge shotguns?

Chris Woodard/Tucson:
The ‘Myths’ are circulating once again.

Go. Read. And please share the links.

You're doing that, right?

If Toyota made guns

Sugarmann wouldn't stop at banning handguns, though. The VPC's efforts to ban so-called "assault weapons" and .50 caliber rifles are well known. They would also ban accurate rifles of less than .50 caliber. One wonders, indeed, what firearms Sugarmann would not want banned.

Back when Sugarmann's "last unregulated industry" piece came out, I pointed out a curious statement of his.

Yet these are sales standards, not product safety standards.

That's what he said about the tens of thousands of firearms laws in this country. If they aren't for "safety," what are they for, Josh? [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Spread the word?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 10

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Gun bans and workplace violence

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
Open carry soon in Arkansas?

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: Safer corporations too, Part I.

David Codrea/National:
Nigerian 'gun control' enables massacre

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Lowering the common sense threshold in Yakima, upping the ante at Starbucks


Go. Read. And please share the links.

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April 19th: Liberty's show of force

Why a separate rally, near D.C., but not in it? Because the point of the Restore the Constitution Rally is for it to be a visibly (peaceably) armed rally, which would, of course, be more than a little illegal in D.C.--and an argument can still be made for the idea that the time for open (very open) defiance of gun laws has not yet arrived. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Spread the word?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 9

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Ed Stone/Atlanta:
SB 308 passes Senate Special Judiciary Committee

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Dad saves 2 daughters’ lives, Commercial Appeal calls him ‘suspect’

Paul Valone/Charlotte:
A rare opportunity for North Carolina gun owners

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: Safer Starbucks?

David Codrea/National:
Why is ATF ducking questions about 'toy gun' seizure?

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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One year after murder of IL pastor, more can be done to defend churches against killers

Missouri law on this issue could be further relaxed. If I am reading HB 1232 correctly, passage of the bill would mean that even people without concealed carry permits could openly carry a firearm in a church. Given my aversion to the licensing of fundamental rights, such as the right to an effective means of self-defense, I see this bill as a step in the right direction.

Even Illinois, of all places, is considering legislation that would give churches some degree of latitude in defense against killers. HB 5690 would permit churches to hire armed security guards, with some qualifications. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Give it a look, and tell a friend.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 8

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Violence Policy Center: Dancing on victim’s grave…again?

Paul Valone/Charlotte:
Kindergartner suspended for making mock gun with hand

Daniel White/Cleveland:
Cities must follow gun laws even if they don't like them

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
More Knoxvillians going forth armed

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: You won't get safer streets with Hate, Part III.

David Codrea/National:
Is armed self defense 'unwise' and 'wrong'?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
The intellectual vacuum of 'temporary' tax hikes and anti-gun politics

Go. Read. And please share the links.
You're doing that, right?

Violent drug gangs on public land--still think self-defense not needed in national parks?

Passage of this legislation that would allow firearms of all kinds in national parks is an absolute travesty. There is simply no need for it, given the extremely low risks that visitors face in national parks compared with everywhere else.

That's just one example of what some call an "extremely low risk," being used as justification to deny people the ability to deal with that risk when they are unlucky enough to draw the short staw.

And now we learn that the risk of encountering dangerous, violent people in publicly owned wild spaces is growing. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Spread the word?

Administration's mixed message on guns and medical marijuana sows confusion

At the same time, states that have passed some version of the "Firearms Freedom Act" have been told by the BATFE that those laws will be ignored.

This kind of confusion is inevitable when the federal government agrees not to usurp state sovereignty on one issue, but insists on just such a usurpation on another issue, that collides with the first. The solution is to obey the Tenth Amendment, and honor state sovereignty on all issues for which there is no Constitutionally recognized federal authority. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please share it around.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 7

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Mike Stollenwerk/DC:
Starbucks lauded for best business practice on customer gun carry

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz - TN State 7th Senatorial District: Campfield

David Codrea/National:
Uganda offers a 'gun control' paradise

Chris Woodard/Tucson:
Orange tipped toy guns.... A good idea gone bad.

Go. Read. And please share the links.

You're doing that, right?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 6

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
Tennessee Firearms Association March meeting update

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: You won't get safer streets with Hate, Part II.

David Codrea/National:
Why did NJ youth baseball league reject gun store sponsorship?

Dave Workman/Seattle:
A divided press, and a strong survey result in wake of SCOTUS arguments

Chris Woodard/Tucson:
Orange tipped toy guns.... A good idea gone bad.

Go. Read. And please share the links.

You're doing that, right?

More states pass 'Firearms Freedom Act' legislation

While I have my doubts about the federal courts willingly loosening their grip on power, I do see value in pursuing this. The so-called "Real ID" federal law, though still on the books, has been "nullified" by enough states that the federal government continues to "delay" implementation of it.

Also, I have noted before that the Obama administration has announced that the federal government will not "circumvent state laws" with regard to medical marijuana, federal marijuana laws notwithstanding. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner (was at the gun show earlier in the day). Spread the word?

GRE Round Up, Mar. 5

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Howard Nemerov/Austin:
Student break warning: Don’t visit Mexico

Daniel White/Cleveland:

Overreactions needed in order to support gun control

John Longenecker/Los Angeles:
Safer Streets 2010: You won't get safer streets with Hate.

David Codrea/National
NY gubernatorial candidate Warren Redlich answers gun rights questionnaire

Dave Workman/Seattle:

Is it water or Kool Aid that politicians drink? It certainly isn’t coffee, espresso or latte!

Go. Read. And please share the links.

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Employee of Massachusetts 'Only Ones' being a little too generous with freedom

Every once in a while, I see something happening in another state that makes me glad to live in Illinois. Check this out.

A Framingham police employee was fired last week after allegedly bending the rules for people seeking gun licenses - largely members of the armed services - by issuing licenses without authorization, upgrading licenses, and providing false addresses for applicants.

This woman wasn't, apparently, facilitating the arming of gangbangers, or selling permits to the highest bidder--she evidently simply thought that these licenses were too hard to obtain (gee--ya' think?).

McKinstry, a civilian employee, was still listed on the Framingham Police Department online directory yesterday as an administrative assistant to the police prosecutor. The website lauds McKinstry’s “tireless efforts’’ in helping the police prosecutor do his job.

Police said they began an investigation Feb. 3 when a lieutenant in the licensing bureau noticed that two gun licenses he had approved as Class D - for pepper spray only - had been entered in the state database as Class A, for large-capacity firearms, including semiautomatic weapons and assault weapons. The lieutenant also found other licenses that had been improperly upgraded or issued.

You need a "license" for pepper spray in Massachusetts? I guess they'd find Thai food as scary as the Brits apparently do.

She has already been fired, and may face criminal charges. Unbelievable.

David has more.

MO 3rd Congressional District candidate John Wayne Tucker answers gun rights questionnaire

Granted, it's nothing new for politicians to pose with guns, in order to win the gun owner vote (remember the famous John Kerry hunting photo), but most choose, as Senator Kerry did, to be seen with something other than a scary so-called "assault weapon." Mr. Tucker, on the other hand, is not afraid to show his support for private ownership of semi-automatic, detachable magazine-fed rifles, and the video shows him firing his very own AR-15.

Still, even that doesn't completely lock him into a completely unambiguous position as a defender of gun rights, from which no weasel-worded retreat is possible. For that, we need to go to National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea's gun rights questionnaire. After I presented the questionnaire to Mr. Tucker, he got back to me in less than 24 hours. Let's see how he did. [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please spread the word.

Actually, while on the topic of "spreading the word," this is the first time I've put David Codrea's gun rights political questionnaire to a political candidate, and that's shameful on my part. It's a great tool that I haven't been using. I suspect I'm not alone in that regard. Let's ask everyone who asks for our votes to answer that questionnaire. Refusal to do so would be an answer of its own, of course.

Mayor Daley is in a snit

For those who think I'm a complainer about how the McDonald oral arguments went, I strike a positively giddy tone, compared to Mayor Daley.

Still, Mayor Daley isn’t giving an inch. In fact, he’s ridiculing the high court for affirming the Second Amendment right to bear arms while sitting in a protective bubble.

Excuse me, Mayor--"sitting in a protective bubble"? This, from the man who has enough (taxpayer funded) bodyguards, even at his vacation home, to catch escaped convicts who come near?

“There’s a reality, but also there should be passion and common sense. We assassinated President John F. Kennedy. We assassinated Martin Luther King. And we assassinated Robert F. Kennedy — and we’re proud of that.

Um--we assassinated them, Mayor? My part in their assassinations was prenatal, apparently (pre-conception, in the case of JFK)--I'm more of a killer than I'd ever imagined.

That’s the answer to problems with a gun. That is not,” Daley said, again ladling on the sarcasm.

Well, he's certainly "ladling on" something.

David has more, including a link to a very topical cartoon.

GRE Round Up, Mar. 4

There's some good stuff being turned out. I hope you're availing yourself of it, and importantly, sharing these links via emails, on blogs and forums, with your local newspaper editor, etc.

A common complaint is media bias and absence of representation for "our side."

These people work hard to change that and ask for nothing from those of us their labors serve other than to help spread the word. I hope no one thinks that's too much to ask.

Here are their latest offerings:

Ron Bokleman/Boston:
U.S. Supreme Court likely to incorporate Second Amendment

Paul Valone/Charlotte:

McDonald v. Chicago: Is 'incorporation' a distinction without a difference?

Steve D. Jones/Fort Smith:
Sebastian County Sheriff's office and the Second Amendment

Liston Matthews/Knoxville:
TN candidates respond to gun rights quiz - TN 2nd US District: Leinweber

David Codrea/National:
Media picking up SPLC's hateful talking points against gun owners and Tea Partiers

Dave Workman/Seattle:
Gun rights before SCOTUS: Chicago will lose and the nation will win

Illinois defensive handgun carry bill clears first hurdle

Actually, if she's arguing that the restrictions make little sense for those who argue, as I do, that a well-defended society is a safe society (with apologies to Robert Heinlein), I agree. What she has chosen to ignore, however, is that maintaining the state-mandated defenselessness in such places is simply an acknowledgment of policital realities--rather than agreement with her . . . remarkable assertion that "people who carry concealed weapons are inherently unsafe." [More]

That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Spread it around?

Starbucks makes its position clear

I've been talking a lot about Starbucks lately (although not, I guess, as much as the Brady Bunch has). Almost a month ago, I had this to say:

Starbucks' response was pretty much what one would expect of a large corporation with enough sense to not be interested in being conscripted into either side of a culture war.

At risk of coming off a bit smug, I'll have to say that this Starbucks press release indicates I nailed that call (my emphasis added).

We recognize that there is significant and genuine passion surrounding the issue of open carry weapons laws. Advocacy groups from both sides of this issue have chosen to use Starbucks as a way to draw attention to their positions.

While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve. In this case, 43 of the 50 U.S. states have open carry weapon laws. Where these laws don’t exist, we comply with laws that prohibit the open carrying of weapons. The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores.

At the same time, we have a security protocol for any threatening situation that might occur in our stores. Partners are trained to call law enforcement as situations arise. We will continuously review our procedures to ensure the highest safety guidelines are in place and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement.

We have examined this issue through the lens of partner (employee) and customer safety. Were we to adopt a policy different from local laws allowing open carry, we would be forced to require our partners to ask law abiding customers to leave our stores, putting our partners in an unfair and potentially unsafe position.

As the public debate continues, we are asking all interested parties to refrain from putting Starbucks or our partners into the middle of this divisive issue. As a company, we are extremely sensitive to the issue of gun violence in our society. Our Starbucks family knows all too well the dangers that exist when guns are used irresponsibly and illegally. Without minimizing this unfortunate reality, we believe that supporting local laws is the right way for us to ensure a safe environment for both partners and customers.

In other words, F**K OFF, Brady Bunch!