National Association for Gun Rights

Colorado - -(AmmoLand.com)- While the prospects for Federal gun control continue to grow by the day, state groups across the country are making strides to protect and advance our right to keep and bear arms.

Wyoming
Wyoming Gun Owners (www.WyomingGunOwners.org) made a real splash during Wyoming’s short legislative session. WyGO pushed for two marquee pieces of legislation: a Vermont concealed carry bill (which WyGO dubbed “Constitutional Carry”) and their own version of the Firearms Freedom Act.

While the Vermont Carry bill (i.e. no permit needed) passed the House but not the Senate, the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act was passed by both chambers and signed into law by the governor. NAGR Operations Director Luke O’Dell testified on behalf of both of WyGO’s bills at the state capital in Cheyenne.

Wyoming’s Firearms Freedom Act was slightly different from the legislation passed in Montana. Wyoming’s bill included criminal penalties and fines for federal agents who try to enforce federal regulations that contradict this new Wyoming law. This legislation has real teeth, and has already created quite a stir in Wyoming as well as Washington. Bravo, Wyoming Gun Owners.

South Dakota
South Dakota Gun Owners (www.SDGO.org) continues to dominate their legislature with a pro-freedom agenda, passing a South Dakota Firearms Freedom Act through both chambers of the legislature, and signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds.

Iowa
Still less than a year old, Iowa Gun Owners (www.IowaGunOwners.org) has been making waves across Iowa.

Though their Vermont Carry bill died, the compromise bill pushed by the institutional gun lobby (which took several steps backward for state law) also failed. Unfortunately, compromise forces just resurrected this backward legislation earlier this week (in a cynical attempt to kill any future attempts at Vermont Carry).

This is frustrating because Iowa is one of the few rural states in America with a “May Issue” concealed carry law. Look for Iowa Gun Owners to change that in 2011.

Virginia
The Virginia General Assembly has seen a slew of pro-gun legislation this sessions. Most notably, Virginia’s 15-year-old ban on concealed carry in restaurants and bars is on the verge of being overturned through the hard work of two groups, Virginia Gun Owners Coalition (www.VGCO.org) and Virginia Citizen’s Defense League (www.vcdl.org). Under the current “criminal safe zone” law, concealed weapon permit holders are forced to disarm themselves before entering a restaurant or bar.

Legislation repealing the ban passed both chambers of the Virginia State legislature and is awaiting the signature of Governor “Gun Ban Bob” McDonnell.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Gun Rights An Update From The Front Lines

Florida

Florida --(AmmoLand.com)- When in Rome, you must follow Rome’s rules regarding carry. The good news is that both states’ concealed handgun laws are very similar.

Perhaps the most important thing is that in both states licensed carry is legal in establishments that serve alcohol, BUT PROHIBITED IN THE BAR PORTION. If an establishment derives more than 50% of its income from the sale of food, licensed carry is legal. But again, no carry is allowed in the bar portion of such restaurants, in both states.

Washington DOES allow carry in the non-secure areas of airports. Washington DOES NOT allow unlicensed carry of a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle. You MUST have a license recognized by the state of Washington to carry loaded in a vehicle (loaded referring to the handgun, NOT the driver!).

Also in Washington, a “concealed pistol license” is JUST THAT — it only covers handguns, NOT long guns or other weapons.

And Florida recognizes ONLY those licenses carried by a resident of the state that issues the license.

• Washington reciprocity web site:
  http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/news/concealed_carry.html
• Florida reciprocity web site:
  http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/news/concealed_carry.html
• Washington firearms code:
  http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41
• Florida firearms web site:
  http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/weapons/index.html

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Florida And Washington Agree To Honor Each Other’s Concealed Carry Licenses

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia Beach VA. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Unbelievably, Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks, Jr., speaking for the state association of the chiefs of police, has asked Governor McDonnell to veto SB 334, the restaurant ban repeal, because guns in bars would be a “recipe for disaster.”

Hmmm. The only people that the bill allows to mix guns and alcohol are police officers (on duty, off duty, and retired) and Commonwealth Attorneys and their deputies. So it sounds like Chief Jacocks is afraid of his own officers carrying guns and being able to drink responsibly. That’s a sad commentary on his department and the other departments that are backing this position. I wonder if these chiefs prohibit their officers from driving cars to restaurants, too?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a whole lot of chiefs of police are nothing more than political hacks that did not work their way up through the ranks and don’t share the beliefs of their rank and file officers on such matters.

Also, the Sheriff’s Association did NOT share the bogus concerns of the Chiefs.

I personally don’t donate to the Fraternal Order of Police for their past and current interference with our gun rights and I also have no intention of contributing to anything from the Association of Chiefs of Police, either, for the same reason. The Sheriffs Association doesn’t pull this kind of baloney.

The good news is that according to the article, the Governor is going to stand strong and sign the bill:

“McDonnell will sign the bill, said Taylor Thornley, the governor’s spokeswoman. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will ‘continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,’ Thornley said.”

Here is the story:

State’s police chiefs seek veto of guns-in-bars bill

http://hamptonroads.com/node/546409

By Deirdre Fernandes The Virginian-Pilot © March 17, 2010 VIRGINIA BEACH

Calling guns in bars a “recipe for disaster,” the state’s police chiefs have pleaded with Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto legislation that would ease Virginia’s concealed weapon laws.

Virginia Beach police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr. sent a letter to McDonnell last week on behalf of the state association of chiefs comparing the combination of firearms and alcohol with drinking and driving.

“We can fully expect that at some point in the future a disagreement that today would likely end up in a verbal confrontation, or a bar fight, will inevitably end with gunfire if you sign this legislation into law,” Jacocks wrote.

SB334’s requirement that anybody with a gun is prohibited from drinking and could be charged with a misdemeanor is “absurd,” Jacocks said, and can’t be enforced. [PVC: In that case, perhaps we need to just get rid of the penalty altogether or make it a civil fine.]

On Tuesday, Jacocks got support from Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, a McDonnell supporter and gun owner.

“Not only is it stupid,” Sessoms said, “I think it could be a fatal mistake.”

But their efforts seem unlikely to sway McDonnell.

McDonnell will sign the bill, said Taylor Thornley, the governor’s spokeswoman. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will “continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” Thornley said.

The bill deals only with concealed weapons; in Virginia it’s legal to carry a gun openly without a permit.

SB334 and its House counterpart, along with legislation that allows gun owners without concealed-carry permits to store firearms in locked vehicle compartments, were among the gun-friendly bills approved by the General Assembly this year. The Democratic-controlled Senate formed a special subcommittee late in the session to kill several gun-rights bills, including a repeal of the state’s one-handgun-purchase-a-month limit.

The police chiefs association has opposed the guns in bars bill in the past, but it also had a more sympathetic ear. Former Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine twice vetoed such bills.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police didn’t come out strongly against the bills during the session because it was spread too thin trying to preserve state funding for police departments, said Dana Schrad, the organization’s executive director. [PVC: Life does have its priorities ]

“We didn’t duck and cover on this one,” Schrad said. “We had to prioritize on budget issues.”

The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, the other large law-enforcement lobby in the General Assembly, did not take a stand on the legislation, said John Jones, the organization’s executive director.

“No, we’re not going down that road,” Jones said.

But association members recently did vote on a resolution supporting Second Amendment rights, Jones said.

Jacocks and Schrad did acknowledge that the letter was a last-ditch effort.

“It was important to let him know directly how we felt about this issue,” Jacocks said.

If police across Virginia see an increase in gun violence at bars, the association will come back and ask the General Assembly to reconsider its decision, Schrad said. [PVC: Or course any such violence would have to be unjustified and perpetrated by CHP holders, police, or Commonwealth Attorneys. Even then, that is why we have laws - to punish bad people, not to punish the good ones.]

Statistics on gun-related incidents at establishments with liquor licenses were not available Tuesday. [PVC: Again, unless they deal with CHP holders acting unlawfully, such statistics are irrelevant.]

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Virginia State Association Of The Chiefs Of Police Says You Can’t Be Trusted With Guns

KnifeRights.org

Arizona --(AmmoLand.com)- After hearing testimony from Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter, Senator Chuck Gray, the bill’s prime sponsor, and our lobbyist who clarified some technical concerns and with nobody speaking in opposition, the House Government Committee voted 5 to 3 to pass the our bill, SB1153, out of committee with a “do pass” recommendation.

Next stop is the Judiciary Committee. You can read my prepared testimony for the committee here: http://bit.ly/aqzTJj

We still need your support to get this bill passed; please contribute to this effort: http://bit.ly/Scvp9

Update on New Hampshire Knife Rights Bill

Rep. Jenn Coffey’s New Hampshire Knife Rights Bill which passed in the House has finally been given a hearing date in the Senate of Tuesday, March 23. Knife Rights and our lobbyists continue to work to get this bill passed.

We are holding a raffle in New Hampshire to raise funds in support of education about Knife Rights in New Hampshire. ONLY 300 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD and there are some really incredible prizes! Details: http://bit.ly/a4sABO

Knife Rights on Twitter

Follow Knife Rights on Twitter and receive the latest updates and notices as soon as they occur: http://twitter.com/KnifeRights

Knife Rights has quickly grown to become America’s largest grassroots knife owners organization. Invest in a Sharper Future™. Become a Knife Rights member and make a contribution to support the fight for your knife rights.

Join or Renew your Knife Rights membership today! http://tinyurl.com/qnu988

About:
Knife Rights. The first step to building an effective advocacy group is building the membership. Power comes from numbers. Knife Rights offers a range of Charter Memberships and there’s one that will suit you perfectly. Invest a modest sum in A Sharper Future. JOIN NOW!

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Update on Arizona Knife Law Preemption Bill

GrassRoots South Carolina

South Carolina --(AmmoLand.com)- H. 3994 would prevent a person, property owner, tenant, employer, or business entity from making a policy or rule that prohibits a person from transporting and storing firearms in a locked vehicle on property set aside for the vehicle.

If H. 3994 passes, gun owners will be able to legally keep self defense weapons in their vehicles virtually everywhere they go. No longer will gun owners be forced to travel unarmed just because some business or employer bans firearms since such bans will no longer apply to firearms in private vehicles. Once H. 3994 passes, the law would protect businesses from being sued without jeopardizing safety.

H. 3994 is both pro business and pro gun. GrassRoots GunRights has already proposed an amendment to allow possession in both a locked or attended vehicle instead of just a locked vehicle. So, be sure to tell them that “GrassRoots GunRights speaks for me!”

ACTION STEPS:

1) Call each member of the House General Laws Subcommittee and tell them the following:

“I urge you to pass H. 3994 NOW! This bill is both pro business and pro gun, which makes it good for South Carolina.

GrassRoots GunRights speaks for me!”

2) Email each member of House General Laws Subcommittee with the same message:

———————————————————————-

“Dear Representative (INSERT NAME):

“I urge you to pass H. 3994 NOW! This bill is both pro business and pro gun, which makes it good for South Carolina.

GrassRoots GunRights speaks for me!

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME)
(YOUR TOWN)”

———————————————————————-

Members of the SC House General Laws Subcommittee:

• Rep.Bruce Bannister
  (803) 734-3009
  BannisterB@schouse.org
• Rep. Dan Hamilton
  (803) 212-6795
  DanHamilton@schouse.org
• Rep. George Hearn
  (803) 212-6796
  GeorgeHearn@schouse.org
• Rep. Leon Stavrinakis
  (803) 734-3039
  StavL@schouse.org
• Rep.David Weeks
  (803) 734-3102
  JDW@schouse.org

Thank you for taking immediate action on this very important gun rights issue!

About:
The mission of GrassRoots is to educate and promote acceptance of responsible firearms ownership within the State of South Carolina and to protect the rights of law abiding citizens with regard to firearms ownership. Initially we focused all of our attention on merchants who posted against the lawful carrying of concealed weapons in their stores. Since then we have broadened our scope and are currently increasing information delivery to all firearms owners, SC concealed weapons permit holders, and firearms instructors. As GrassRoots continues to grow we will further broaden our objectives to improve all aspects of lawful ownership and carrying of firearms in South Carolina. Visit: www.scfirearms.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Tell South Carolina Lawmakers You Want Guns In Vehicles At Work Passed Now

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, VA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The National Rifle Association has selected Janet Nyce of Green Lane, Pennsylvania, to receive the 2010 Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award.

This award recognizes exceptional contributions to the preservation of the Second Amendment and the shooting sports through education, advocacy, volunteerism, and legislative activism in support of the goals of the NRA.

Nyce was introduced to hunting by her husband, James, nearly 45 years ago. Since then, the two have raised three children, nurtured six grandchildren and shared their passion for the outdoors with their Pennsylvania community.

An accomplished shooter, Nyce hunts with a rifle, shotgun, inline muzzleloader, primitive muzzleloader, and compound bow. Her devotion to training and education led her to become an NRA Certified Instructor in shotgun and Refuse To Be A Victim®. She also volunteers with her community’s Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinic and serves as a shotgun Range Master at the NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge.

“Being a mentor and instructor are two of the greatest joys in my life. The return factor is amazing,” Nyce said. “I always have felt this quote is so true: “the leader who shares experience ensures a bright future and leaves a legacy of success behind.”

A legacy of success is guaranteed with Nyce. As an appointee of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation, Nyce mentors 30 young people who make up the Governor’s Youth Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation.

In 2005, Nyce was a finalist of the Budweiser Conservation Award. She is a member of many hunting and conservation organizations; a Patron member of the NRA; a life member of both Safari Club International and Second Amendment Sisters; and countless others.

“It’s people like Janet Nyce who embody the true meaning of the National Rifle Association,” Hammer said. “Cultivating and instructing the next generation of hunters and shooters, as Janet has for many years, is the best, most direct way of preserving freedom for all Americans.”

Marion P. Hammer has influenced many in her fight to preserve Second Amendment freedoms. From her role as lobbyist in the passage of Florida’s Right-to-Carry legislation, to her grassroots efforts in educating youth about firearm safety, ownership and responsibility, Hammer exemplifies activism. As the creator of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program and first woman president of the National Rifle Association, she has significantly impacted her community, state and the nation. To honor her pioneering spirit, the National Rifle Association bestows the Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award in her name.

To learn more about the Women’s Programs offered by the NRA, visit http://www.nrahq.org/Women/.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Janet Nyce Wins NRA’s 2010 Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award

Buckeye Firearms Foundation

Toledo Ohio --(AmmoLand.com)- In Toledo Ohio, a thug has gone on an ugly and violent crime spree.

His technique is to prowl parking lots looking for an unlocked car he knows to be owned by a woman. He hides in the car then pounces when the woman gets in, robbing or threatening to rape the victim at gunpoint.

The advice from police? Lock your car doors.

That’s sensible advice, but it doesn’t address the central issue. What happens if the thug jumps you in the parking lot? Or what if he pulls out a gun while you’re in a fast food store? This particular thug has done both.

The real message from Toledo police is that they can’t protect you or prevent a crime. Your personal security is up to you.

Security experts will tell you to be aware of your surroundings and listen to your gut. If you see someone who appears out of place or threatening, you should take evasive action. That’s fine as far as it goes, but if you’re serious about security, you have to ask yourself an important question: “Then what?”

If you’re aware of your surroundings, see a threat, and do everything you can to avoid a confrontation but can’t, then what? If you lock your doors and turn on your security system and a bad guy breaks in anyway, then what? If you dial 911 and the operator tells you police will arrive within 10 minutes, but a criminal is threatening you now, then what?

This is one reason that maintaining the right to bear arms is such a vital piece of the security puzzle. Once you accept the fact that your security is up to you, not the police, and after you take ordinary precautions to lower your risk, you must ask yourself, “Then what?”

This is also why we decided to give away an Ithaca 12-gauge self-defense shotgun. If you’re in your home and encounter an unauthorized visitor at 3 a.m., this particular piece of hardware offers an immediate and effective answer to the question “Then what?”

Gun control advocates want to prevent you from having a good answer to that question. They assume we’re trying to force guns on everyone. We’re not. We just want to make sure people have all available options. Whether you choose to use them is up to you.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

About:
Buckeye Firearms Association is a grassroots political action committee dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities. Visit: www.BuckeyeFirearms.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

When You Exhaust All Other Options, Then What? Gun Rights Roundup

Most weekends will find my dad and me at the local gun range sharpening our skills. Every time I take aim I am reminded of the first time I shot a gun...

United States Concealed Carry Association

USA - -(AmmoLand.com)-  Often I am the only girl at the shooting range, but target shooting with my dad is one of my favorite hobbies.

The beginning of our shared interest grew from a night in an isolated desert camping spot. My parents and I had parked our motor home forty-five miles out of the small backwoods town of Safford, Arizona.

My dad likes to say, “We were the only human beings in the middle of twenty thousand acres.”

There was a symphony of coyote howls around us in the darkness.

Dad had a realization, “If Aruba [our family dog] was attacked, I would be helpless to save her.” He continued to think, “I would be equally helpless in front of the two legged version of a coyote and the cops are forty-five minutes away!”

When we returned home Dad started researching firearms and made the informed decision to purchase a gun. Since then Dad has taught me the different facts and techniques of shooting a gun properly. Most weekends will find my dad and me at the local gun range sharpening our skills. Every time I take aim I am reminded of the first time I shot a gun.

During the summer between fifth and sixth grade, my family caravanned west together with another family. The four adults had been friends since college, way before any of their children were born. Sami, Wendy, Angela, and I have been friends, literally, since we were born. Coming from Yellowstone in Wyoming, then Glacier in Montana, we were heading to Banff in Alberta, Canada, to complete our National Parks tour. Dad and Steve, the girls’ dad, had planned a surprise for us. During a stop in Montana, just before we crossed over into Canada, they took us all shooting. The dads thought this would be the best time because Steve could not bring his gun across the Canadian border as restricted by Canadian law. He was shipping it to a friend who has a Federal Firearm License permit, which allows the holder to ship and receive guns through a shipping company.

While sitting in the motor home we girls were instructed on the proper way to hold a gun and the function of each different part. When we set out to find a range, we had to drive around Belt, this little backwoods Montana town, for at least an hour or more without success. There were eight of us stuffed into a mini-van and the kids were getting bored and cranky. Finally, Steve and my dad found the police station where a local told them we could shoot in the old hay field the police used for practice. After making the drive out to the field, we had to climb over or under the barbed wire fence surrounding the place. We four girls shimmied under the fence, while the four adults used a blanket from the car to pad the fence, so they could climb over. Standing in the field I noticed the day was sunny and bright; a perfect day for shooting outdoors. The temperature was mild with a breeze blowing across the open field cooling what would otherwise have been an unbearably hot day in the boondocks of Montana.

We were shooting Steve’s semi-automatic Glock nine millimeter. On this type of gun the slide action cycles back and forth to cock the gun as it is fired. The gun has a type of sight known as a dot sight. There are two dots spaced out on the back of the slide and one dot centered on the front of the slide. When using a dot sight, you have to line up the three dots; the front dot has to be lined up between the back two dots. Then you put the lined up dots directly under your intended target.

Steve shot first to make sure everything on the gun was in working order. I watched as Sami, Wendy, and Angela shot their dad’s gun, before it was my turn. I did not want to go anywhere close to the big, scary piece of black plastic and metal known as a gun. As I was watching, I witnessed the multitude of moving pieces which could injure the shooter. The biggest fear I had was of the slide action. The slide travels directly over the shooter’s hand, and if his or her hand is up too high on the stock of the gun, it could be slammed back with a lot of force, ripped up by the edges of the slide, or can be pinched into the gun. I just did not want to push my luck.

After about an hour, all seven of the others in our group had taken their turn shooting. Steve and my dad were the only two in our group who had ever shot a gun before. I still had no desire to try, even after watching my mom shoot for her first time too. During her forth or fifth shot, a discharged brass cartridge flew from the gun and hit her in the head. Watching her as she tried to make sure the shell was off of her head was hilarious. She was flailing her hands, like she was trying to remove a bug from her hair, totally unconscious she still had the gun in her hand.

Even after everyone had a few turns, I had still not tried. My mom convinced me to shoot the gun at least once. She stressed how this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, not knowing then that three years later my dad would buy his own gun. Her impression was the loud sound of the gun firing was what was bothering me, even through the ear protection we were wearing.

Mom said, “If you do not try shooting, you may never get another chance, and you may regret it for the rest of your life.”

Still not optimistic, I went up to shoot. Steve explained he had not loaded the gun yet and told me to try pulling the trigger a few times, so I did as he instructed. After I felt comfortable with holding the gun and pulling the trigger, he loaded one bullet into the gun. I then tried sighting the gun. Sighting was a big challenge because I shoot with my right hand, but I use my left eye as my dominant eye to focus. I had to center my arms in front of my left eye, so I could focus on the target. Locking my right elbow, so I would not get hit in the head with the recoil of the gun, meant my left arm was bent at an irregular angle. After I had lined up the dot sight on the gun to the paper plate target, I pulled the trigger. I loved it. Then making sure the gun was clearly safe, I had handed it back to Steve to reload. The first words out of my mouth were, “Can I go again?” So I shot again and again and again. The surprised looks I received were priceless.

We had been in the field for a while when Steve suggested we four girls, Sami, Wendy, Angela, and I, have a sort of competition. There were only twelve rounds of ammunition left, so we each got three shots and our own clean paper plate. We shot in order of youngest to oldest. Angela being the youngest at seven went first with all of us watching. She hit her target once out of the three shots. Wendy, age nine, went next and missed all three shots. Then Sami, eleven years old, went up, and she too missed the target with all three shots. I am a few months older than Sami, so I took my turn last. Steve switched out the plates because Wendy and Sami wanted to keep theirs. I was again handed the loaded gun.

I sighted up the target and pulled the trigger. I hit in the lower edges of the plate. For my next shot, I forgot to sight it and actually closed my eyes; I wanted to make it so badly. I managed to blow the clothes pin holding up the plate to smithereens, but the shot still counted as hitting the target. For my third and final shot I did remember to sight up. I took a deep breath and then pulled the trigger. I had made it! Two inches away from the hole made by my first shot was the hole the third shot made. I was ecstatic, but I did not want to gloat in front of my three best friends. Inside I could only compare this feeling to winning my very first blue ribbon in a competitive Swim meet many years before, but I kept my feelings to myself.

When we got back to the campground, I searched the entire motor home until I found a sharpie permanent marker. On my target I wrote, “July 19, 2005, Becky M., Belt, Montana, 11 years old, and 3 bullets, 3 holes.” To this day my dad still has the paper plate and a picture of me shooting that day framed and hung up in his home office.

Now four years later, Dad recently told my aunt, “I’m proud of Becky’s mastery of such a complex activity and her accuracy.”

For himself, Dad currently owns a Springfield semi-automatic forty-five caliber and practices shooting on the weekends. As a big, not particularly athletic man, Dad likes the competitive nature of target shooting and appreciates the additional level of functional use which guns have for protection. Mom, on the other hand, has never shot a gun again and thinks it is a very expensive hobby without much return for her personally. Dad and I have had many conversations about gun safety and self-defense with a weapon.

He says, “Carrying a gun is not supposed to be comfortable, but comforting when faced with danger.”

In the end I feel ownership and proper use of guns depends on the character of the person wielding the firearm.

This is a paper written by 15 year old Rebecca for her freshman English Comp class (she earned an A on it).

About:
United States Concealed Carry Association is The Most Comprehensive, Up-To-Date Resource for the Law-Abiding, Armed Citizen. Visit: www.usconcealedcarry.com

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Shooting With My Dad

ICarry.org

Beloit, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- As you know, we are having an “Open Carry” event in Beloit this Sunday, March 21st!!

This event is for everyone from Illinois and Wisconsin to get a chance to meet one another, exercise their rights, and help the community out by cleaning up trash along Riverside Drive and Armstrong-Eddy Park.

One of our members, Todd, contacted the local media – Beloit Daily News – and they are going to publish a story before the event!! What better way to promote the event than to have a story not only after the event but before as well! The reporter wanted a member in Beloit, so we contacted them all and another member, Mildred, answered the call and will be having her photograph taken tomorrow for the story.

Thanks to everyone getting involved to make this event a huge success. I can’t wait to see everyone there! Even if the weather is not as good as it has been the past few days, we’ll still be out showing our numbers. I hope to see you there with us. There should be a lot of people we can help educate and spread the word.

Event Information: http://www.icarry.org/ftopict-2580.html

What: Open Carry litter cleanup and friendly gathering When: Sunday March 21st – starts at 12:30 PM – we’ll wrap up at 4:00 PM

Where: Meeting at Armstrong-Eddy Park in Beloit, Wisconsin (Intersection of South Riverside Drive and Valley Road) —->

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=armstrong+eddy+park+beloit&fp=1

Litter cleanup along Riverside Rd (we will stay outside of school zones and mark them off). We will also be picking up litter in the park and depending on time possibly sticks/leaves. If you can bring a rake, you should do so just-in-case. Local police have been very friendly and helpful and have worked with us to ensure a fun and safe event for everyone. The township has also given us the OK on the road/park cleanup and is providing reflective vests/bags/etc.

Bring the whole family and come out for a fun event! Beloit is right on the IL/WI border just north of Rockford and is a very short drive for anyone in northern Illinois!! Don’t miss out on the first major event of Illinois and Wisconsin firearms owners working together to better our communities.

Open carry is highly encouraged but not required of course. If you’ve never open carried, this is a perfect chance to give it a try. It’s a lot of fun!!! Any questions you have can be answered in our forum http://www.icarry.org/forum-28.html

Wisconsin Open Carry Info:

1) Open carry is well-established in Wisconsin and we have held many events and no one has ever had legal trouble arise from it. 2) No permit is required, no license, no FOID card even when in Wisconsin!!! 3) Must be 18 years old to OC 4) When in your car, your gun must be unloaded, in a case, and out of reach (or as far as possible) 5) Do not open carry within 1,000 feet of the property of any grades 1-12 school 6) Do not open carry in an establishment that serves alcohol

Dinner after event: We will be having dinner at an open carry friendly establishment in Beloit. The location of the dinner after the event is to-be-announced.

Facebook Link for Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=414977599111

Please RSVP on there if you plan on going

Check-in for March giveaway: http://www.icarry.org/checkin-fwj9o3fcnkgfse.html

We hope to see you out on Sunday!!! ICarry.org, 1817 18th Avenue, Rockford, IL 61104, USA

About:
ICarry.org, a website devoted to to bringing concealed carry to Illinois and Wisconsin – the only two states without it.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Firearms Open Carry Litter Cleanup And Friendly Gathering

To Where: Washington Monument Mall Washington, DC
When: Monday, April 19, 2010 10:00 AM – to – 4:00 PM

Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore

Maryland --(AmmoLand.com)- Join us for the Washington, D.C. rally in support of the 2nd Amendment sponsored by the 2nd Amendment March. Click here for the 2nd Amendment March Home Page.

The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore (AGC) has reserved two 54 passenger buses to provide comfortable, stress free transportation to and from the rally. Enjoy the comradery of fellow shooters, perhaps catch up with old friends, and make some new friends.

In order to accommodate as many persons as possible, the buses will leave from different locations, each will make intermediate stops as noted below and the buses will rendezvous at the Broken Land Park & Ride West. The buses will then travel together to the 2nd Amendment March Rally. Each bus will make the same stops on the return trip as needed.

The AGC is now using a new system to register participants and receive payments by credit card or personal PayPal account on a secure Internet connection.

Please note that the system requires that each person be registered separately AND by the bus you wish to ride in order to avoid overbooking the buses. Once we have reached 54 guests on a bus, the system will no longer accept additional bookings for that bus.

The AGC must pay in advance for the bus rental and therefore all bookings are final. No refunds will be made for any reason.

Click a link below to register for the bus you wish to ride on.

========================================

Bus #1

Departs:

Timonium Park & Ride
Greenspring Drive, North of Timonium Road

Departs Timonium Park & Ride at 8:00 AM

Intermediate Stops at:

Catonsville Park & Ride
Rt. 166, Rt. 195 & Rolling Rd.

Departs Catonsville Park & Ride at 8:40 AM

Broken Land Park & Ride West
Rt. 32 & Broken Land Parkway

Departs Broken Land Park & Ride at 9:00 AM

Click here to register for Bus #1 – Timonium Park & Ride Greenspring Drive – North of Timonium Road

=======================================

Bus #2

Departs:

AGC Marriottsville Trap Range
11518 Marriottsville Road

Departs AGC Marriottsville at 8:00 AM

Intermediate Stops at:

Rt 32 & I 70 Park & Ride
Rt. 32 .25 miles North of I-70

Departs Rt. 32 Park & Ride at 8:25 AM

Broken Land Park-n-Ride WEST
Rt. 32 & Broken Land Parkway

Departs Broken Land Park & Ride at 9:00 AM

Click here to register for Bus #2 – AGC Marriottsville Trap Range – 11518 Marriottsville Road

The 2nd Amendment March has provided the following Rally Rules and Code of Conduct:

• NO UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS.
• If you do not intend to comply with item #1, do not attend.
• If you break the law, Second Amendment March and the AGC will not be responsible.
• It is each attendee’s own personal responsibility to be familiar with the firearm laws in the areas in which he/she will be traveling.
• Please be courteous to everyone you encounter, including D.C. police and National Park Service rangers.
• Please be sure to dispose of all trash. Let’s strive to leave the grounds in better condition than when we arrive.
• If you have any concerns while at the event, please notify a volunteer or event organizer immediately.
• Your attendance at the Second Amendment March indicates your intent to comply with these rules/code of conduct and all local and federal laws.

This is a rain or shine outdoor event. Please bring whatever food, drink,equipment or supplies you anticipate needing, e.g. blanket, chair, sunscreen, lunch, beverages (no alcohol, wine or beer).

About:
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. (AGC), located in Marriottsville, Maryland. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. was formed on July 1, 1944 when a number of World War II veterans in the Baltimore, Maryland area began looking for a place for recreational and competitive shooting. They organized with several other Baltimore area shooting clubs to form the “AGC” Visit: www.associatedgunclubs.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

2nd Amendment Rally in Washington, DC Bus Trip – Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore

Iowa Gun Owners

Iowa – -(AmmoLand.com)- A few hours ago the concealed carry bill that we alerted you to yesterday, House File 2528, was handed over to a sub-committee consisting of Representatives’ Rick Olson, Jim Lykam, and Clel Baudler.

(This is the bill that the Democrat leadership brought forth on their own initiative. As a leadership bill it is exempt from the normal legislative deadlines.)

This is interesting indeed because Representative Olson is no friend to gun owners. In fact, when he was in charge of a previous concealed carry bill this year he took a compromised bill and made it far, far worse.

It was so bad that if you were to give a gun to your college bound daughter, or if a grandparent gave a gun of familial importance to a grandchild without state permission, both you and the recipient would be felons for life if convicted! This goes way beyond current Iowa code.

There was much more about that bill that was very dangerous but we didn’t alert you to it because it did not emerge from the funnel process in time for consideration and wasn’t ever actually filed. Instead, it was just being passed around the Capitol.

So with Rep. Olson in charge of the sub-committee anything could happen to this bill. He may do what his party leadership wants him to do and pass the bill out of committee as is. But he also may make the bill worse, maybe a lot worse.

Representatives of Iowa Gun Owners will be on hand to see how this plays out and will keep you updated.

As we said in our most recent alert, we want a vote on the REAL Right-to-Carry bill as it is brought forth as an amendment to HF 2528. We want your Representative and Senator to vote right on that. That’s the vote that we are grading. What happens on the Floor after that is less important to us and we are somewhat neutral on it.

However, all of that changes if this bill changes. If suddenly we see provisions that make gun laws more restrictive as mentioned above, or if we see language that allows you to lose gun rights because some government official thinks that you may, possibly, down the road sometime be a danger to yourself or someone else based on hearsay evidence or similar provisions, then we will be opposed to this bill in its entirety.

We are not going to support a bill that takes guns away from whole classes of people while granting them to a few.

The legislative process is very fluid and most of these deals are being cut behind closed doors and at the behest of the special interest lobbies. In fact, Capitol sources indicate that just moments ago lobbyists in favor of this bill were seen working together with lobbyists for anti-gun Attorney General Tom Miller. This bill may get way worse and we need to be prepared for that possibility.

Please take a moment to email these three legislators and tell them that you would like to see this bill get improved with an amendment using the language of House File 2241.

• You can reach Rep. Olson at this address: rick.olson@legis.state.ia.us
• You can reach Rep. Baudler at this address: clel.baudler@legis.state.ia.us
• You can reach Rep. Lykam at this addres: jim.lykam@legis.state.ia.us

Alternatively, or in addition to your emails, please feel free to call these three up and tell them this over the phone. Their numbers are given below.

• For Olson call: 515-281-7545
• For Baudler call: 641-431-3309
• For Lykam call: 515-281-3221 and ask to be transferred.

Please do this today as the details are being hammered out as we speak. And it does not matter whether or not you are a constituent of them or not. They are the ones that leadership has put in charge of this bill and, as such, are the ones to contact at this time.

We have included the same pre-written email below that was used a few days ago. Feel free to use it or write your own.

—————————————————————————–

(Pre-Written Email)

Dear ____________________,

House File 2528/Senate File 2379 is being billed as pro-gun but it is far less pro-gun that what is currently available in the legislative process.

This bills raises the age on applicants, allows me to lose my guns for mere misdemeanors, allows Iowa vets to lose their guns easier by incorporating dangerous federal language about mental health, creates entirely new ambiguous code sections related to carrying under the influence which can be harmful to gun owners, and more!

The only gun bill that I consider to be truly pro-gun this session is House File 2241/Senate File 473. The REAL Right-to-Carry bill restores my right of self-defense without making anti-gun compromises.

I therefore urge you to use all procedural tools available to you to move HF2241/SF473 onto the Floor as an amendment to improve this bill.

I will be closely watching your vote on this amendment process.

Sincerely,

—————————————————————————–

Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,

About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Iowa REAL Right-to-Carry Bill Update from the Capitol

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC – The anti-gun health care issue may very well be decided this weekend. Even if you have already called, faxed or e-mailed your congressman, it is imperative that you do so one last time. Please see contact information and suggested letter and talking points below.

This is gun owners’ last shot (so to speak) at saving the country from the worst piece of legislation that we’ve seen in years.

Make no mistake about it: The pivotal vote in the House will be – directly or indirectly – on whether to adopt the corrupt and discredited Senate ObamaCare bill verbatim. And the votes are being corralled by Obama and Pelosi through a new round of bribes, threats, and corruption.

Consider what has been implanted in the bill which will be voted on in the House this week.

1. Restrictions upon gun owners. The Senate-passed version would allow the ATF to troll your confidential medical records in order to take guns away from potentially tens of millions of Americans. The “individual mandate” (in Sections 1501 and 1502) will make it impossible for you to keep private, medical information out of the government-controlled medical database that was created in last year’s stimulus bill.

2. Bribes, bribes, bribes. The bill your Representative will be voting on still contains virtually all of the bribes that made the Senate version such a disgusting spectacle. This includes:

• Mary Landrieu’s $300,000,000 “Louisiana Purchase;”
• A broadened version of the nauseating “Cornhusker Kickback” to get Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson’s vote;
• The roughly $10 BILLION (with a “b”) bribe to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for clinics which could well be run by ACORN and Planned Parenthood;
• The $100 million Connecticut “Hospital Handout” bribe to corrupt Senator Chris Dodd; and
• The $300 million Libby, Montana, asbestos bribe.

3. Unconstitutional mandates. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill to be voted on this week would increase the cost of private insurance by 10-13% over what it would be if Congress did nothing — and require, under penalty of imprisonment, that you buy it.

4. Corrupt procedures. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) plan to ram this bill through the Congress and onto the President’s desk using cheat schemes called “reconciliation” and “self-executing rules.” This is nothing other than a slimy attempt to ignore the will of the people, who according to the latest polls, overwhelmingly oppose this legislation:

• Under “reconciliation,” any language qualifying for special Senate procedures had to have been reported out of committee by October 15, 2009. As of March 15, 2010, the language was still not available, even though the House Budget Committee voted to approve the non-existent draft.
• Under the Senate rules, these special procedures can be used only to reduce the deficit. Once you discount the accounting tricks and fraud that Reid and Pelosi are employing, ObamaCare would INCREASE the deficit by half a trillion dollars over the first ten years.
• Despite Obama’s lies, “reconciliation” has never been used for non-budgetary issues which do not reduce the deficit.
• Now, House Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) is proposing a plan (which has been approved by Pelosi) to “deem” ObamaCare passed without having the House vote on it. Read more about this plan at http://tinyurl.com/yk7s5a4 .

According to news reports, the phones are ringing off the hook on Capitol Hill. Estimates as to how close Pelosi is to delivering the votes vary widely. But Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), who opposes the bill on grounds that it would allow for taxpayer funding of abortions, says he thinks Pelosi is about 16 votes away.

Please take action now!
WHERE DOES YOUR REPRESENTATIVE STAND ON HEALTH CARE? You can go to two URLs to get the latest updates on where your Representative stands. Please see:

• http://tinyurl.com/ya3oulz
• http://tinyurl.com/y99ccy7

CONTACT INFO:

Phone: toll-free at 877-762-8762 or 800-965-4701; or call the regular number at 202-225-3121

E-mail: Visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send a pre-written message to your Representative.

—– Pre-written letter and talking points —–

Dear Representative:

I am writing you with one final plea to vote against the Senate’s corrupt and bribe-laden ObamaCare bill.

Despite the fact that the Senate tried to allay gun owners’ concerns, the Senate bill would still allow the ATF to troll the confidential medical records in order to take guns away from potentially tens of millions of Americans. This is because the “individual mandate” in Sections 1501 and 1502 of the Senate-passed bill would make it impossible for people to keep private, medical information out of the government-controlled medical database that was created by the stimulus bill.

The process that put together this Senate bill has been marked with bribes (such as the Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase, etc.), by unconstitutional mandates and by corrupt procedures. As to corruption, any rules vote on your part which “deems” ObamaCare as passed will be held in the greatest contempt by your constituents.

You represent my state, not the “state of Nancy Pelosi.” Americans overwhelmingly oppose this legislation. Please — please listen to your constituents and vote against ObamaCare.

Sincerely,
———————————————

About:
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue. ‘The only no comprise gun lobby in Washington’ – Ron Paul

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

CBO Number’s In On Anti-gun ObamaCare House Vote On For This Weekend

Second Amendment March

Nashua, New Hampshire --(AmmoLand.com)- Second Amendment March Founder, Skip Coryell, will be speaking at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum in Nashua, New Hampshire this weekend along with such notable speakers as Judge Andrew Napalitano, Representative Dan Itse, and Jacob Hornberger.

When not speaking, Skip will be at the Second Amendment March booth spreading the word and signing copies of his books. Second Amendment March literature and merchandise will be for sale at the booth all weekend long.

For speaking times and a schedule of events go to www.freestateproject.org

This event is sponsored by the New Hampshire Free State Project. For more information on the event, go to www.freestateproject.com.

Come on out, support the march and meet the man who founded it. Also, many thanks to Lorin Conrad for volunteering to help run the Second Amendment March table.

About:
The mission of the Second Amendment March is to galvanize the courage and resolve of Americans; to petition our elected officials against establishing anti-gun legislation; and to remind America that the Second Amendment is necessary to maintain our right to self defense. Visit: www.secondamendmentmarch.com

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Second Amendment March’s Skip Coryell Speaking at New Hampshire Liberty Forum

Letters to the AmmoLand Editor: Got something on your mind? Let us know and you can see it here.

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- I am constantly reading on the Net and in the media about so-called “gun rights” and “gun control.”

Some examples;

“The final briefs seeking to shape the Supreme Court’s coming decision on the reach of the Second Amendment’s protection of gun rights suggested Friday that states might be free to violate other parts of the Bill of Rights…”

“The National Association for Gun Rights, often referred to as “NAGR”, was founded to assist the growing movement of pro-Second Amendment organizations, especially state-level gun rights groups.

“The National Rifle Association is the largest gun rights lobbying organization in the United States.”

On one hand, we preach that guns are mere machines, inanimate objects and tools. On the other, we appear to be attempting to give ‘rights’ to these inanimate machines.

I submit to you a request; that we remove the phrase “gun rights” from our vocabulary and replace it with the more human, and more accurate, “gun-owner rights.”

The First Amendment does not guarantee rights to printing presses as machines; it guarantees the rights of people to use printing presses, radios, televisions and the Internet without restriction.

The Second Amendment guarantees no rights to guns themselves, as they are mere machines. However, it does guarantee the right of the people to keep and bear them.

The psychology behind what may appear as a minor ‘grammatical nit’ should be clear.

It is relatively easy for most people to hate an object. You can make up lies about an object, demonize an object and attempt to regulate and control objects. You can do so without fear of insulting the object, hurting its feelings, being sued by the object or facing any repercussions, it’s just a defenseless, soulless object.

When we replace gun rights with gun-owner rights, however, the issue becomes personal. Where many people and politicians [as opposed to people] find it easy and guilt-free to demonize guns as objects, it is far more difficult to for them to demonize a large segment of the population, gun-owners, as people.

Laws can not control inanimate objects, only what law-abiding persons do with those objects. Therefore, it’s technically not gun control, or a war against guns, it’s gun owner control, and a war against gun owners.

So let us end this futile battle for so-called, non-existent gun rights and gun control, and renew the charge in support of the very real and very important rights of the people who own defensive and recreational firearms.

It may seem like a grammatical nit, but impressions are everything.

That’s my opinion, and you’re welcome to it!

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

No More Gun Rights and No More Gun Control

County of Niagara

LOCKPORT, NY --(AmmoLand.com)- Niagara County lawmakers will introduce several resolutions tonight opposing a slew of anti-sportsmen and anti-Second Amendment measures being advanced by the New York State Assembly’s majority and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

“In typical Albany fashion, the Assembly will hold, probably sometime in April, an ‘Anti-Gun Day,’ putting on a big show for their Downstate constituents,” Legislator John Syracuse, R-Newfane, said, as he introduced three resolutions opposing various Assembly bills.

“They’ll ram through one piece of anti-gun legislation after another. The problem is, though, you can’t be anti-gun without being anti-sportsman and anti-Second Amendment. And here in Niagara County, we value our sportsmen and we believe in the Constitution as it’s written.”

Syracuse made the announcement late Monday at the Niagara County Public Information Office’s press briefing area, where he was joined by Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs President John Butcher, who said he supported the three resolutions. The Federation represents 27 sportsmen’s clubs and more than 5,000 sportsmen.

Several county legislators were particularly vexed by proposed legislation that would require pistol permit-holders to renew their permits every five years, enduring an invasive investigation every renewal—and being expected to pay for it. Syracuse said the measure was little more than a costly unfunded mandate from the state the created new bureaucratic hurdles for gun owners while doing absolutely nothing to improve public safety.

“Currently, pistol permits are issued for the lifetime of the permit-holder, provided they don’t have any tangles with the law,” Syracuse said. “If they do run afoul of the law, those permits are promptly yanked. The system works, and has worked just fine for Niagara County’s 26,000 pistol permit holders.”

Syracuse was joined sponsoring that resolution by fellow lawmaker Paul Wojtaszek, R-North Tonawanda, and Kyle Andrews, D-Wilson, who resigned from the Legislature yesterday to take on new duties as county treasurer. County Clerk Wayne F. Jagow has also indicated his opposition to the Assembly bill. A second resolution being introduced tonight by Legislator John D. Ceretto, R-Lewiston, will tackle an Assembly bill that would treat any private transfers of long guns in New York state as a gun show, and subject to state red tape. Syracuse also indicated he would introduce a resolution to oppose an extreme tightening of rules on magazine-fed rifles and shotguns.

“A third proposed law from Albany that this County Legislature will oppose would seek to make New York’s laws regarding magazine-fed rifles and shotguns, already the most-restrictive in the nation, even more restrictive,” Syracuse said. “This basically makes it illegal for private citizens to own much more than a bolt-action rifle.”

Syracuse said more resolutions opposing other anti-Second Amendment bills in the Assembly would be introduced at subsequent meetings of the County Legislature, noting more than a dozen such measures had been added to the Assembly calendar over the past two months.

“These bills in our State Legislature are wrongheaded,” Syracuse said. “Frankly, they show us that the Assembly leadership have their priorities far out of line, when they should be focusing on New York’s massive budget gap. We, of course, don’t share their zeal to repeal our citizens’ rights.” Syracuse was confident the resolutions would attract strong bi-partisan support, noting that the County Legislature had passed a resolution opposing most Assembly anti-Second Amendment bills last year by a 17-2 margin.

Butcher expressed his support and thanks for the efforts by Syracuse and his colleagues as well. “The citizens of Niagara County are fortunate to have legislators who share the same values as our forefathers and who are willing to draft legislation that will help preserve and protect their rights,” Butcher said. “These rights were given to the people as guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States and in the Bill of Rights with the Second Amendment.”

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

County Lawmakers Stand Up For Sportsmen Set To Oppose Radical Anti-Second Amendment Assembly Bills

When police administrators think analogously of canine teeth, they may imagine the wolf in the picture above.

Montana Shooting Sports Association

Montana - -(AmmoLand.com)- It is a matter of record that too many members of professional law enforcement, especially administrators, simply do not trust citizens to be armed and enabled to defend themselves from criminal attack.

Notwithstanding this too-common attitude among some law enforcement administrators, many street cops understand that they can rarely be present to stop a criminal attack – to interpose themselves between a criminal and his intended victim — no matter how they sincerely wish to protect people.

Why do some police administrators distrust armed citizens?

Do they seek a monopoly of force to build their bureaucracies by creating a “protection racket”? Dr. Sarah Thompson reminds us of the phenomenon of “projection” that we all learned about in Psych 101, and believes many who oppose firearm ownership do so because they project their own psychological instabilities onto the rest of us. Could projection be the primary motivator for law enforcement administrators’ opposition to citizen empowerment to reject victimization by being armed? Or, do they fear that the sheer volume and intrusiveness of the laws they are tasked to enforce will become insufferable to armed people?

Certainly there is a different perception of the armed citizen by firearm opponents than by the armed citizens themselves.

Consider only the language used by each. Those who object to firearms in civilian hands call self-loading rifles “assault weapons,” while the owners of these firearms call them “sport utility rifles” or “homeland defense rifles.”

There is no doubt that police administrators view citizen self defense from a unique perspective. Everyone sees the world from a unique perspective. Police administrators perceive the world from their unique point of view as full-time participants in the criminal justice system.

This unique perspective is influenced primarily by three factors:

1. The clientele they deal with are not a cross section of the population. The people subject to their work are primarily ne’er-do-wells of one sort or another, conditioning some in law enforcement to grow to believe that anyone not a police officer and not in jail just hasn’t been caught yet committing his or her special crime.
2. Their peer associations tend to be limited to their narrow circle of co-workers, so they don’t have the level of everyday exposure to usual citizens that those not in law enforcement have.
3. Their mission has changed. The primary mission of the people hired to wear badges and guns used to be to keep the peace in the community, and to prevent the strong and mis-intended from preying on the weak. They were called “peace officers.” Their title has gradually changed and they have come to be called “law enforcement personnel.” Along with that change in descriptor has come a change in mission. Their primary mission has come to be enforcement of government edicts of one sort or another.

These and other factors causes those overseeing the “thin blue line” to perceive very differently those people who do not wear uniforms but do have firearms, perceived from a very unique perspective.

Police administrators appear to be thinking only about how guns in citizens’ hands will affect their relatively small sphere of law enforcement activity, but not about how they will affect everything outside that sphere. In Montana, only about 7/10ths of 1% of the population are actively involved in law enforcement (including game wardens and detention personnel; 2/10ths of 1% with only sworn MHP, sheriffs and police – [mpera.mt.gov] ). Police administrators are a tiny part of that, a minuscule subset of Montana.

Analogies about how this tiny subset sees armed citizens differently than armed citizens see themselves are easy to offer.

Suppose two people look at an empty tube from a roll of paper towels. However, one looks at it end-on, and another looks at it from the side. Each will see, perceive and describe a much different reality.

This may be a better analogy. Some people describe firearms as our “liberty teeth.” Teeth and firearms are surprisingly analogous. They may each be used benignly, defensively or offensively. Teeth may be tools only (for eating), weapons for defending, or weapons for aggression.

My Golden Retriever: When I think of canine teeth, I think of this picture.

I often compliment my Golden Retriever, Lea, on what pretty, large, sharp, white teeth she has. While she can destroy a nearly bulletproof golf ball with these teeth in about 30 seconds, I am NEVER concerned that she will use her formidable teeth to rip out my throat in the night while I sleep. Never! When I think of canine teeth, I think of this picture.

When police administrators think analogously of canine teeth, they may imagine the wolf in the picture at the beginning of the article.”

This illustrates the difference between how most citizen gun owners see themselves and each other, and how Montana’s tiny subset of police administrators may see citizen gun owners. And, this matter of perception difference and perspective may explain some police administrators’ apparent fear of armed citizens.

About Montana Shooting Sports Association:
MSSA is the primary political advocate for Montana gun owners. SAF is a national organization headquartered in Bellevue, WA that works nationally to advance the interests of gun owners. Visit: www.mtssa.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

A Matter Of Perspective when Citizens Choose Guns for Self Defense

Women of IGOLD Deliver Message to Governor's Office

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- After entering the Capitol building, the women of IGOLD gathered in the rotunda for an address by Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno and Rep. Brandon Phelps.

Both legislators believe it is time for Illinois to join the rest of the nation by passing a Right to Carry law.

As has become the annual tradtion at IGOLD, each woman present then delivered a letter to the Governor’s office demanding that he support their constitutional right to carry a firearm for personal protection. And once again, in traditional fashion, the Governor was “unavailable” to speak with the women.

However, the Governor’s Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison did meet with the women and vowed she would relay the women’s message and letters to the Governor.

Women all over the state are encouraged to send their own letter to the Governor which states very clearly that if he does not support a woman’s right to self-defense then the women of Illinois will not support him with their vote in the fall election.

The letter is available below and for downloading and printing at IllinoisCarry.com. Print a copy for your female friends and family members, urge them to send a clear message to the Governor!

————————————————

Gov. Patrick Quinn
214 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Gov. Patrick Quinn,

I was very disappointed to hear of your lack of support for the women of Illinois and their great need to protect themselves and their loved ones against violent crime.

As you know, women are the prime target of violent assault, rape, and murder. Illinois women fall victim to the violation of nearly 4,000 orders of protection every year in Illinois. Thousands more of us are victims of random violent crime every day.

Here in Illinois I am not afforded the same protection women have in every other state in the nation. It is shocking in this day and age that the women of Illinois are relegated to hair combs, nail files, and car keys* with which to defend our very lives while the law-abiding and trained women of nearly 49 other states are licensed to carry a more effective means of self-defense.

Thousands of us have an out of state carry license which provides us the opportunity to protect ourselves and our families when we travel outside the state of Illinois. However, here at home – home where we should be and feel the safest – we are made, by law, to stand defenseless in the face of life-threatening danger.

Your vow to veto a License to Carry law which would provide a lawful means of self-defense for the women of this state is outrageous!! When the women of Illinois desperately need an advocate in the State Capitol, who will stand up for us? Who can we count on?

If you will not stand up for us in our need to protect our very lives – how can we stand up for you as Governor?

NO RIGHT TO CARRY? NO VOTE FOR PAT QUINN!

Sincerely,
Name:
Town:

* Illinois State Police website
www.isp.state.il.us/crime/saconfronted.cfm

————————————————

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

IGOLD Women’s Message to Governor’s No Right to Carry = No Vote for Pat Quinn

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day - Huge Success

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)-  Thousands of Illinois Second Amendment supporters marched to the State Capitol in Springfield last week to demand a Right to Carry law in Illinois.

An estimated 7,000 turned out for the largest Second Amendment march in Illinois history.

The crowd enthusiastically called for “Concealed Carry, NOW”. The huge turnout signals a real surge in public support for a carry law similar to laws in 49 other states. Illinois is the last and only state that still denies its law-abiding citizens the right to carry a firearm for personal protection.

Attendees were treated to a surprise address by Mr. Otis McDonald, key plaintiff in the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit

The big event began with a rally at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center. Attendees were treated to a surprise address by Mr. Otis McDonald, key plaintiff in the McDonald vs Chicago lawsuit challenging the Chicago handgun ban. Oral arguments in that case were heard recently in the U.S. Supreme Court. A final ruling by the SCOTUS will have far reaching effects on firearm restrictions all across the nation.

Mr. McDonald’s soft spoken and heartfelt address to the crowd was met with thunderous applause and numerous standing ovations – a fitting tribute to Mr. Donald’s patriotic stand to regain a Constitutional right for us all.

The march to the Capitol, led by the women of IGOLD, was punctuated by choruses of “Hey, Governor, leave our guns alone”, a response to Gov. Quinn’s vow to veto a Right to Carry bill if it made it to his desk. After another brief rally on the Lincoln Steps attendees entered the Capitol Complex to lobby their legislators, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, and President of the Senate John Cullerton in person.

After the lobbying was over, the huge crowd returned to the PCCC to meet with legislators and a special address by Sen. Bill Brady, gubernatorial candidate and strong Second Amendment supporter .

Photos and videos of the event are available at IllinoisCarry.com.

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day – Huge Success

Illinois State Rifle Association

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- Even with thousands of supporters of firearm rights expressing their opinion at IGOLD last Wednesday, anti-gun legislators continue to push for laws that would have little to no effect on actual criminals and only restrict the law-abiding gun owners of Illinois.

Thankfully, not all of the legislators have fallen for the myths of the gun control lobby. Many of them support the Second Amendment rights and have filed bills in support of your rights.

Please contact your state representative this week regarding the bills below. You can find contact info for your representative here. If you’re not sure who your representative is, please find out at the Illinois State Board of Elections.

When you contact them, -politely- urge them to SUPPORT these measures:

HB462, HB5221, & HB6249, are various bills for the Right-to-Carry with differences in the technical details on eligibility, requirements, etc.

• HB5231, allows the possession of a firearm in a place where alcohol is served if it is possessed by the business owner, or by employees he has given permission to, while on the premises.
• HB4835, currently in the Senate this bill eliminates the waiting period requirement on firearm transfers if the transfer involves trading one operable firearm for another.
• With the general belief that McDonald v Chicago is going to come out in favor of the plaintiffs, the supporters of more restrictive gun control measures are attempting to pass as many bills through as possible. When you contact your Representative, ask them to OPPOSE these measures:
• HB180 Handgun Dealer Licensing. Establishes an additional, state-based, licensing scheme for Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders that sell handguns. The only effect this would have would be to increase the bureaucracy for FFL dealers and increase the costs to buyers.
• HB5480 Bans Private Sales of Firearms. Restricts most private transfers of handguns, requiring the transfers to be processed through an FFL.
• HB5495 One Handgun a Month. Restricts purchases of handguns to one every 30 days .
• HB5849 Restricts Firearm Transportation. In a response to the ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court recognizing center consoles and other storage places inside a vehicle as acceptable for transporting unloaded firearms, this bill states that cases must be specifically designed for firearms.
• HB6123, Selling to Gangmembers. Makes it a felony offense to “knowingly” sell a firearm to a “street gang member” as defined in the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.

You can find up-to-date information on these bills as well as the ISRA’s stances on them and others at the ISRA Legislation page.

The ISRA will continue to advocate for YOUR rights as firearm owners and citizens (which Mayor Daley considers extremist) but it does not have the support of taxpayer dollars or the Joyce Foundation. If you are an ISRA member, we need your continued support. Please make a donation on-line here, or over the phone at 815-635-3198. If you would like to mail or fax a donation, we have a printable form here. Even better would be to sign up friends and/or family members with gift memberships.

If you’re not an ISRA member, now is the time. You can join on-line, or over the phone at 815-635-3198.

Please post links to this article to all internet blogs, bulletin and message boards to which you belong. Pass this article on to your gun owning friends and fellow sporting club members. You can also join us on our FaceBook page along with hundreds of other fellow firearm enthusiasts.

About:
The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. Since 1903, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners Visit: www.isra.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Gun Bills On The Move In Springfield Illinois

Montana Shooting Sports Association

MISSOULA, MT --(AmmoLand.com)- There will be a Second Amendment and Tenth Amendment rally on the front steps of the Montana State Capitol Building in Helena at High Noon on Saturday, March 27th.

The event is expected to last until about 2 PM.

Rally organizer Tim Ravndal is advising that any carried firearms be unloaded for safety reasons.

Feel free to bring and display posters and banners.

Tim says he has ordered nice weather for the event.

About Montana Shooting Sports Association:
MSSA is the primary political advocate for Montana gun owners. SAF is a national organization headquartered in Bellevue, WA that works nationally to advance the interests of gun owners. Visit: www.mtssa.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Montana Second Amendment And Tenth Amendment Rally

Illinois State Rifle Association

CHICAGO, IL – -(AmmoLand.com)-  Law-abiding African Americans and Hispanics would take it on the chin under a bill now moving through the Illinois General Assembly.

Sponsored by Rep. Harry Osterman (D-14), HB6123 would prohibit any person or entity from selling a firearm to a so-called “street gang member.” This prohibition applies even if the individual has passed a Brady Law FBI background check. Making a prohibited sale would result in Class 1 felony charges and possible jail time for the seller. Although the ISRA supports genuine efforts to curb criminal violence, the organization is strongly opposed to HB6123 as the bill’s provisions are arbitrary and pose an unreasonable intrusion on the rights of law-abiding Illinois citizens.

“HB6123 promotes racial profiling at its worst,” commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. “Popular culture has branded urban minorities with the ‘gangsta’ stereotype that is pervasive well beyond the confines of actual criminal enterprises. Today’s fashion, music, slang and lifestyle are all heavily influenced by the urban experience. Given that the provisions of HB6123 establish no test for determining ’street gang’ membership, and given the harsh penalties for violating the proposed law, it is understandable that retailers would shy away from selling firearms to persons whose speech, dress, mannerisms, or taste in music reflect the urban lifestyle.”

“Several Chicago nightclubs stirred considerable controversy recently when they denied entry to young men wearing baggy pants and cornrows in their hair,” continued Pearson. “The nightclub owners justified these actions by claiming that baggy pants and certain hair styles are indicative of gang membership – despite the fact that the young men had done nothing improper.

While the popular press bristled over the nightclubs’ actions, the press has ignored HB6123 although the bill would bless, and even require firearm retailers to discriminate against individuals based on their appearance. This sort of cultural profiling is vile enough when persons are denied entry into a private club, but denying one’s constitutional rights based solely on their appearance flies in the face of the principles under which our nation was founded. Of course, if a gang member wished to purchase a firearm, all he would have to do is don a Brooks Brothers’ suit and speak the King’s English and he’d be good to go.”

“The bottom line is this,” said Pearson. “If HB6123 is passed into law, the calendar on race-relations will be turned back 70 years and there will not be a gun shop in the state that will sell a firearm to an African American or Hispanic person. If that’s Rep. Osterman’s intent, then he has a lot of explaining to do.”

The ISRA is the state’s leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Bill Would Require Firearm Retailers To Discriminate Against Blacks & Hispanics

Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force

Anchorage, AK – -(AmmoLand.com)- Anchorage 2ATF has been involved with the carry on campus issue. Legal contends it’s the right of students to carry weapons for self defense as affirmed by the U.S. Constitution and State of Alaska Constitutions as well as state statutes. UAA is in violation of state law by its policy of no weapons on campus.

UAA has two options to comply with state law. (1) UAA shall abolish the no weapons on campus policy. OR (2) UAA shall comply with state statute by providing adequate security screening and armed guards at all entrances on all facilities where firearms are banned. Per: Board of Regents 02.09.020

We are aware that students have been attempting to get this situation rectified for more than a year and have been largely ignored.

Some of the actions are listed below.

• April 23, 2009 Off Campus Protest
• Dec. 3, 2009 Mr. Hines letter to Board Of Regents
• Feb. 8, 2010 Reply to George Hines declining campus carry
• Feb. 17, 2010 The threat of on campus armed protest resulted in UAA President Hamilton’s phone call to Mr. Hines

Recently we learned that Mr. George Hines, a UAA student threatened a protest on campus in an attempt to get the situation resolved. Mr. Hines has been granted a meeting with the Board of Regents scheduled for April 15, 2010 in Dillingham as a result of his action.

The 2nd Amendment Task Force Network and affiliated organizations say it’s time to get this situation resolved before a tragic incident occurs. Many also think that the Board of Regents will use more delaying tactics with Mr. Hines since they wield so much power over him. Many are suggesting we start immediate armed protests on campus with media attendance to bring this issue to resolution. Some want to protest daily and others want random protests once or twice a week.

This will be a topic of discussion at this week’s forum. If you have thoughts on this please contact us by email with your concerns. anchorage2atf@gmail.com

Monday Mar 15 6:30PM at Mei Garden (The old Royal Fork near Sams club on Bragaw)

About:
The mission of The Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force is to provide Alaskans with the knowledge of the meaning and true purpose of the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution, with which they may conduct themselves as responsible citizens of our republic. Visit: www.anchorage2atf.com

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

University of Alaska Anchorage Concealed Carry Situation Report

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Lt. Governor Bill Bolling confirms that Senators Saslaw and Marsh broke the rules of the Senate. And, worse, they will get away with it.

What hypocrisy. THEY break the rules, but expect US to obey them!

That is intolerable. The Virginia Senate needs new leadership. Period.

Unless the Senate votes in some new leadership, the elections of 2011 is where gun owners and other like minded Virginians will fix the problem.

The anger at what Saslaw and Marsh did to betray the public’s trust is palpable. Not since the Roanoke Times published the list of CHP holders have I seen this many furious emails!

With many Democrats already looking nervously over their shoulders as election day draws ever nearer, this move by the Senate Leadership is a form of political Darwinism for their Party – pouring gasoline on a fire.

Anti-Freedom Virginia Senator Marsh (D)

That’s too bad, as there are some very good pro-gun Democratic Senators who are being dragged down a path they probably would not go down on their own. But, they chose their leaders and, clearly, chose poorly.

For us, let’s not get angry – that accomplishes nothing. Instead let’s channel that energy into fixing the Senate.

Saslaw and Marsh have just awoken a sleeping giant who will make the Senate Leadership’s treachery a rallying cry.

We will come out as a huge voting block to remind the Senate Leadership that they serve at OUR pleasure. And we expect WHOEVER is in leadership to obey the rules and to honor and protect our right to self–defense.

Here is Freddie Kunkle’s article in the Washington Post:

http://tinyurl.com/ydpwxcw

Lt. Gov. Bolling: Anti-gun bill panel creation broke Senate rules Yes, Democratic leaders in Virginia’s Senate broke the rules when they killed a bunch of gun rights bills in a specially formed subcommittee. And, no, there’s not a thing anybody can do about it.

That’s the upshot of a ruling that came down Friday from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R), who is president of the Senate.

The controversy began when Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) and Courts of Justice Chairman Henry Marsh (D-Richmond) created a special subcommittee to consider several gun bills passed by the Republican-controlled House, including an attempt to repeal Virginia’s ban on buying more than one handgun a month.

Almost all of the gun bills, except those that were similar to measures adopted by the Senate, died there last week on party-line votes. Among the dead was Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s (R-Prince William) closely watched attempt to repeal the gun-a-month law….read more here. http://tinyurl.com/ydpwxcw

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Arrogant Senators Saslwa & Marsh Spit in the Eye of a Virgina Giant

RMGO Endorses Larimer for Sheriff

Rocky Mountain Gun Owners

Colorado - -(AmmoLand.com)- Today, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners’ PAC (the only pro-gun PAC in the state of Colorado) endorsed Republican Carl Bruning for Sheriff of Larimer County.

“The Sheriff is a very important elected official, especially to gun owners, “ said Dudley Brown, Executive Director for RMGO, Colorado’s largest gun rights organization. “If you value your right to keep and bear arms, Carl Bruning is the only choice for Larimer County Sheriff.”

Bruning is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and was a USAF pilot and commander in Operation Desert Shield. He was selected first in his unit to deploy to the Middle East, and led his aircrew on the first mission in theater. Following Desert Storm, Carl received his Masters of Business Administration degree. Bruning has served as a Vice President and senior executive, with proven leadership and management experience.

“Like 12 years ago, when Larimer County gun owners banded together to elect Jim Alderden as Sheriff, they’re banding together right now to elect Bruning,” Brown said. “Carl Bruning will be the kind of Sheriff Republicans can be proud of and will support for years to come.”

“Carl Bruning has not only answered our candidate survey 100% in favor of our Second Amendment rights, but has shown that he’s a Champion of the Second Amendment,” said Brown. “Given the threats to our gun rights, it’s vital we have leaders like Carl standing firm against gun control.”

Bruning faces a number of candidates in the August primary, as well as in the November elections.

About:
Based in Colorado, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners is Colorado’s largest state-based gun lobby. It is a group solely dedicated to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Our strategy is simple: don’t give an inch. Visit: www.rmgo.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Colorado’s Largest Gun Rights Group Endorses Bruning for Sheriff

FirearmsCoalition.org

Manassas, VA - -(AmmoLand.com)- Dr. Ignatius Piazza, founder of Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, is fond of talking about “the comfort of skill at arms.”

It’s not only a part of his sales pitch it’s also an integral part of the overall philosophy taught at the school. It is an important concept because having full confidence in your own ability to handle almost any serious encounter that might arise is a very comfortable feeling. Of course that comfort must never be allowed to slip into complacency or cockiness and that too is emphasized in Front Sight training. The comfort of skill at arms removes anxiety and makes the world a much more inviting, less threatening place.

There is a downside to the comfort of skill at arms though and that is the intensified discomfort of being disarmed.

I have carried a gun on an irregular basis over the past 25 years, I think I was like most concealed carry permit holders in that I didn’t carry all of the time, just those times when I was stretching my comfort zone a little: Road trips, visits to unfamiliar areas, walks in the wilderness or the wilds of an urban setting… It wasn’t so much that I was carrying only when I expected I might need it, but more that I didn’t carry in situations where I was comfortably confident that I would not need it.

It has only been in the past few years that I began carrying virtually all of the time. Again, this was not due to a fear that something might happen, but rather as a way to increase my comfort and familiarity with the gun on my hip. I realized that if I was carrying only when I was “uncomfortable” that meant that in that uncomfortable situation I had the added discomfort of a gun behind my belt that was not as comfortable as it should be.

Widely accepted training doctrine holds that in a serious, life-threatening encounter you can expect to function at about 50% of the skill level you demonstrated in your most recent practice session (assuming frequent practice sessions.) Think about how that 50% skill degradation is impacted by different clothing, different physical positions, and not having the luxury of adjusting your holster position right before the draw. You need to know exactly where your gun is riding so you can get a good grip leading into a smooth draw from any position. The gun on your belt should be as normal to you as the billfold or keys in your pocket and the only way to achieve that level of comfort is to make carry your regular routine – a habit.

Once I began carrying all of the time, I discovered a number of things I had not realized before. I became much more familiar with ways that my gun tends to shift and ride differently with different belts and different pants. I developed subtle ways of checking and adjusting the position of the gun with my elbow and realized that I needed more practice with a wider variety of concealment garments. I also became much more aware of the many roadblocks thrown up by hoplophobic politicians to discourage citizen carry.

I found that, even in gun-friendly Virginia, it is impossible to obey the law all of the time and still retain a reasonable level of basic safety, not to mention security.

It’s outrageous that politicians who have never handled guns dictate where I may and where I must not carry a gun and that they do so with no consideration of what happens to the gun while I am not carrying it, much less the inherent dangers of handling a loaded gun in public and in some cases having to unload it in order to remain in compliance with their ignorant rules.

After all of the work and concentration developing the comfort of skill at arms, it is decidedly uncomfortable to be disarmed.

• I don’t carry a gun because I’m looking for trouble. Because I carry a gun I keep a more wary eye out for trouble so I can better avoid it.
• I don’t carry a gun because I am fearful. What do I have to be afraid of, I’ve got a gun.
• I don’t carry a gun as my first response to trouble. I carry it as a last resort.

The real discomfort is knowing that in a worst-case situation when lives are in danger, if I have been disarmed, it is more likely that whatever remains as my last resort might not be good enough to effectively protect my family. That is a very discomforting feeling.

To receive The Firearms Coalition’s bi-monthly newsletter, The Knox Hard Corps Report, write to PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108.

Copyright © 2010 Neal Knox Associates – The most trusted name in the rights movement.

About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Discomfort with the Comfort of Skill at Arms

Rocky Mountain Gun Owners

Colorado - -(AmmoLand.com)- At a campaign rally on a cold winter evening, thousands of individuals crowd around a stage to hear a Presidential candidate speak on life, liberty, and the Constitution. Homemade signs litter the crowd as the fiery congressman from Texas speaks to a sea of activists, many whom had never before taken an interest in politics. As he concludes, cheers erupt from the mass of people as they celebrate the one man speaking what no other candidate dares to say. Ron Paul has ignited a crowd desperate for a leader and in doing so has energized the thousands in attendance, as he asks for their support in the upcoming Presidential primary.

The next day, about 75 percent of them do not show up to vote.

The above illustrates the difficulty facing the liberty movement today—the willingness of its participants to engage in philosophical discussion, policy talk, or social activism, but their reluctance to engage in political action, the only thing that counts on Election Day.

Unfortunately this has even bled into the issue of gun rights, self-defense, and second amendment advocacy. Individuals who claim to support the rights of gun owners are too often preoccupied with personal recognition or high ideals, instead of focusing on eliminating bad policies and enacting good ones.

Even nationally recognized organizations that pledge to defend the rights of gun owners often find themselves caught up in the pomp and circumstance of putting on a show for the cameras instead of focusing on tangible results.

With the shock of last year’s election fading and 2010’s mid-term elections rapidly approaching, we see many in the gun rights movement cling to the same techniques that have proven unsuccessful in political campaigns.

I count myself tremendously blessed to have experienced a number of facets of the liberty movement. I have been able to volunteer for Ron Paul in his candidacy for President as well as separately learn from many in the gun rights movement who have spent decades defending the Constitutional amendment that protects all others.

Later…
When I served as campaign manager for a Ron Paul-endorsed candidate for Congress, I was able to put those skills into practice. This essay relates what I have learned.

Liberty candidates and their supporters all too often believe a fancy website with an automated real-time ticker will revolutionize the campaign and bring immediate media attention to their cause. They believe simply announcing a “money bomb” will be all that is needed to reform the system and transform their candidacy from an upstart radar blip to a powerhouse ready to take on the political world. But, as wonderful as money bombs and interactive website assuredly are, there is more to real politics.

Despite the signs, the blimps, and the unmatched enthusiasm of Ron Paul’s supporters, on election night when the returns came back the votes were not there. Not in Iowa, or New Hampshire, or Wyoming, or Michigan. Paul’s supporters were often quick to react to the tactics of the political establishment and media, tactics we believed to be underhanded (and which oftentimes were). But the liberty movement limited its effectiveness when it only played defense. Ron Paul’s supporters watched political talking heads dismiss him as a fringe candidate, who purportedly had a handful of supporters spamming polls with text-message votes, and their only response was to complain about the bias they were up against. Just as gun rights advocates should not expect favorable editorials from the New York Times or the Huffington Post, we should never be content to sit and complain. We can whine about how unfair the media is and how we will never be given a fair shake, or we can do something about it. We can hit the establishment where it really hurts, not in the online polls, but where the political class is most vulnerable—in local elections and the grassroots organizations that are the base of the political pyramid.

Dedicated To Destroying Principles
One look to our town councils, state houses, or local political parties will show us the people we are up against. Many of these folks have dedicated their lives to destroying the principles we believe in.

They care nothing about the right to self-defense or those they hurt by refusing to allow honest Americans to carry firearms.

They have sold gun owners down the river for only a paycheck, their proverbial 30 pieces of silver, and sometimes only out of a desire to have a title or control an office. In response we have committed ourselves not to taking their titles and offices away from them but instead to complaining about the system and offering symbolic actions. If elections were won by rifle shoots, turnouts at gun shows, or empty holster protests, our movement would have achieved victory 20 times over. Instead we will continue to lose, and lose badly, until we realize it is up to us, as the next generation of freedom advocates, to learn how to win.

The starry-eyed second amendment activist believe a sound philosophy is what should take precedence above everything else in political life. He believes an un-comprising adherence to principle should trump hard-won victories, party politics, and a desire for power, fame, and fortune. The starry-eyed activist is 100 percent correct. It is in this that the true believer in the second amendment has the advantage.

When working for a political nonprofit that would by all definitions be described as one run by “Establishment Republicans,” I was often railed and berated for my defense of the Constitution, and the second amendment. As a gun owner living in the state of Virginia I am permitted to open carry by law. I exercised this right and carried a properly holstered pistol to the office each and every morning.

Though the office was filled top to bottom with self-described “conservatives,” day after day I was railed and berated for promoting my Constitutional right to carry a firearm. I was informed that cowboys weren’t allowed in the building, told I “wasn’t being responsible,” was called named on the email list-serve, and at times had to sit and patiently wait as co-workers brought Nerf guns down from other floors to engage in a “shootout” outside my office.

After one such defense of the ideals of our founding fathers I was called “young,” “naive,” and with a sigh and a chuckle was lectured by colleagues about how they, “Remembered when they were that immature and idealistic.” My response was simple: “good.” While I will not always be young, I hoped I would always be idealistic—always willing to put principle ahead of politics, even if that meant costing myself an election, being called names, or remaining unpopular with those in power.

The advocates of gun rights have a tremendous advantage over their entrenched political counterparts. While we face a foe that has the techniques and technical knowledge to win elections, we take solace in the fact that our foe is morally empty. Training oneself how to write a direct-mail letter, assemble a press release, or become a better public speaker is merely a skill that can be learned and refined. But having that skill and choosing to throw away political prestige in order adhere to a sound Constitutional philosophy is a road few people are willing to take. However, this does not mean we who support gun rights should fail to cultivate the technical skills our opponents’ possess. Our side must learn how to succeed not just on the Internet or in the journals of intellectual thought, but in the political races and campaigns that shape our government. Gun owners are among the most dedicated individuals one will find in any cause, political or non. Very few are willing to budge on any aspect of the second amendment no matter how small.

Yet this philosophical correctness is not enough to initiate the transformation that is needed in government. Believing you are correct is not enough. Even actually being correct is not enough.

Politics is not an art, expressive and creative, no matter how much so many of us want it to be. Campaigns and elections are very much a science, with tried and true methods that move votes from the living-room couch to the election booth. The science of elections is based on numbers, statistics, and techniques that have concrete goals.

Yard Signs vs Robo-Calls
Yard signs are popular campaign memorabilia—but yard signs do not vote. Volunteer for any candidate in virtually any race, and you will be hounded about yard signs. The candidate always wants to know what color they will be, where they will go, and how many can be placed along the highway. Yet yard signs are something that campaigns seem to do just for the sake of doing them; statistically they have an extremely low impact on changing minds, switching votes, or mobilizing the base.

By contrast, as much as many of us complain about automated pre-recorded messages from candidates—robo-calls—there is a reason campaigns, even in the age of advanced social networking, continue to do them: they work. Despite the anecdotal stories you hear about someone becoming angry at the flood of automated calls he has been receiving and pledging not to vote for that candidate out of spite … it does not happen. Ask yourself, if you truly believed in the message a pro-gun candidate was proclaiming and thought he was the only candidate in that race would defend your right to own a firearm, would you really refuse to vote for him simply because of a few automated telephone calls? If so, then statistically you weren’t going to vote for him anyway. Such voters are negligible.

Some dismiss old-fashioned direct-mail letters that include surveys and requests for contributions as either out of touch with the new way of doing things or simply as junk mail from groups that are out to make a quick buck. In reality, direct mail serves as a proven method to gauge what issues are important to an organization’s membership base. An organization which takes the time to find our which specific second amendment issue is most important to you, is an organization setting itself up to best serve you and its members.

From a fundraising angle, there is a reason groups send out physical mail asking for help to fund project proposals: it works. Every part of a direct mail letter is a scientific instrument used to provide the best product and service to the member of that organization. Direct mail should not turn off gun owners but instead bring them into a world where they too can learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to recruiting for a cause or spreading a message. There is a reason most direct-mail letters are printed in courier font. It is because most donors to political organizations are over 70 years old, and the font reminds many of them of a typewriter. It gives them a tactile connection to an organization with which they feel philosophical sympathy.

What is effective and what is easy are often two completely different things.

The most effective way of changing minds and recruiting new voters or members is the tactic so many of us shy away from—door-to-door recruitment. Political operatives, campaign workers, and volunteers all agree when asked what the best technique is to influence voters: knocking on their door, handing them a piece of literature, and talking with them. Despite right-wing jeers about Barack Obama’s label as a “community organizer, the ability to sort and mobilize a community is the most basic and most effective way to win in politics.

A successful movement breaks down its locality as specifically as possible in order to appoint outgoing organizers who are a good match for their areas. In the realm of political campaigns, the selection of “precinct captains” is made to ensure that those in charge have a friendly face and a strong tie to the community. In today’s world, we could live almost our entire lives without ever leaving our house. Delivery services, tele-commuting, and Netflix have made it theoretically possible never to need to engage another person in meaningful conversation. Yet despite all of our modern conveniences, deep down people long for individual connections.

Talking With A Complete Stranger
Going out of your way and initiating conversation with a complete stranger can be nerve-racking. You will undoubtedly run into individuals who make it quite clear that you are not allowed on their property again, especially when you mention how much you love guns. But the most important question to ask of yourself about that is, “So what?” We pay respect to a congressman from Texas who at age 72 sought the nomination for president despite being harassed, bullied, and excluded from debates by members of his own political party, and yet we are unwilling to endure the discomfort that might occur from an interaction on a neighbor’s porch?

A little awkward conversation is a small price to pay in the fight for liberty.

You don’t have to wait for the next campaign season to become active—organizing can, and should, be done everywhere and all the time. Instead of talking about the poor leadership that exists within your local political party, force a change. Find out the date of the next election for party chairman and spend the next several months recruiting gun friendly individuals who live in your county. Use established political techniques to build a network of activists and then file the paperwork to become a candidate. Make it clear that under your leadership the party will take a solid stand on the second amendment and will never leave a fellow gun owner out in the cold. Instead of talking about philosophy and the need to bring in new leadership to the county party, become the vehicle that accomplishes it.

Familiarize yourself with the Campaign for Liberty and make it a point to visit their web site each day. The organization formed by Ron Paul has established a national local coordinator program, offers new featured articles every morning, and hosts both statewide and regional conferences containing some of the best political training you will ever receive. Those who adhere to the ideals of freedom no longer have any excuse for not getting deeply involved. Through groups like the Campaign for Liberty, you can learn the political techniques you need to wrest control of government from those who have contributed to its overgrowth.

Your fellow gun owners do not need your homemade signs or your blog posts. They need votes to win their elections and restore strict constitutional government. There must come a time when each defender of liberty says “enough” and commits himself to a struggle that enacts change rather than merely discussing it. That time is now. This is your country, and it’s being taken from you one election at a time. Take it back.

About:
Steve Bierfeldt is the Director of Development for Campaign for Liberty. A version of this article first appeared in “Young American Revolution,” the official publication of Young Americans for Liberty, and is the premier publication for young libertarians, conservatives, and anti-statists of all stripes. www.YALiberty.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Gun Rights Politics is About Precinct Organizing, not YouTube Clips

Virginia Gun Owners Coalition

Virginia --(AmmoLand.com)- Yesterday, Senator Mark Obenshain tried to get a committee vote on HB 69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act, that declares guns made and possessed in VA to be free of federal control under the interstate commerce clause.

Chairman Marsh was so flustered that his political boss Senator Saslaw took over the committee and ruled all Senator Obenshain’s motions out of order.

Senator Obenshain then challenged the rule of the chair and lost 12-3. All Senators except, Hurt, McDougle, and Obenshain voted wrong. Senator Saslaw then tried to get the clerk not to record the vote.

Clearly the anti-gun forces are running scared and fear the recorded vote on such a popular issue.

There is only one option left and that is to use the rarely used Senate floor procedures to put the HB 69 on the Senator floor for a recorded vote.

Senator Jill Vogel has agreed to do this.

She has asked me not to say, for now, exactly how she will do it but she agrees with me that it is critical that you contact your Senator and urge them to support her efforts to get a vote on HB 69 on the Senator Floor.

The biggest excuse against doing this will be that is violates precedent.

However, I don’t care about historical precedent. I care about my liberties. It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to deprive us of a vote by breaking Senate rules.

That’s right!
The Senate rules say that the sub committee that Senator Marsh created to kill HB 69 can only make recommendations on bills NOT kill a bill.

You can also tell your senator that the rules exist for such a time as this. If not for this situation, then when would they be used?

Please email Senator Vogel at district27@senate.virginia.gov the following message.

————————————————————-

Dear Senator Vogel,

I understand from Mike McHugh that you are going to try to get HB 69 to the Senate floor. Thank you. I am urging my senator to support you.

YOUR NAME HERE

————————————————————-

If you don’t know your senator’s email please go to www.vgoc.org and click contact lawmakers to find out.

Please email your Senator the following message:

————————————————————-

Dear Senator THEIR NAME HERE

It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to break the Senate rules by not even allowing a vote on HB 69 which overwhelmingly passed the House.

Senator Vogel is trying to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.

Whatever motions she makes are appropriate for such a time as this.

I urge you not to disregard my sacred liberties. Please stand up to the federal government and protect me.

Please stop the tyranny of Senator Saslaw and Senator Marsh.

Please support Senator Vogel’s efforts to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME HERE

————————————————————-

About:
Virginia Gun Owners Coalition is Virginia’s only no-compromise, non-partisan gun lobby patterned after Gun Owners of America on Capitol Hill. VGOC is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(4) of the IRS code. Because we lobby politicians to protect and defend the 2nd Amendment, contributions are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Visit: www.vgoc.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Senator Saslaw & Marsh Conspire Against Virginia Firearms Freedom Act

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(AmmoLand.com)- The Ohio Supreme Court today agreed to hear Cleveland v. State of Ohio, a lawsuit in which the City of Cleveland is challenging the constitutionality of statewide preemption.

The lower courts have twice denied Ohioans For Concealed Carry’s efforts to intervene in the litigation despite our role as the plaintiff in the precedent case, Ohioans For Concealed Carry v. City of Clyde.

The local courts agreed with the legislature and refused to overturn preemption, but the appeals court sided with Cleveland and, to a certain extent, challenged the Ohio Supreme Court’s precedent on this matter in our case against Clyde.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments later this year. In cases like this the position of the legislature (and, in this case, Ohioans For Concealed Carry) will be defended and argued by the Ohio Attorney General’s office. Attorneys representing Ohioans For Concealed Carry will file friend of the court briefs in the coming months. A pro-gun “win” in this case would be a majority decision overruling the appeals court, maintaining the Ohio Supreme Court’s recent precedent in OFCC v. Clyde.

This case highlights the importance of upcoming Ohio Supreme Court justice elections.

For more on the story see this story on our website;

…A pro-gun win in this case will be a ruling against the City of Cleveland, and overturning the appeals courts decision that was in favor of Cleveland.

All this occurring as recent polls show Americans Say Cities Have No Right To Ban Handguns .

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Statewide Preemption Headed To The Ohio Supreme Court This Year

Below is an article written by a Florida Legislator, Paige Kreegel, who was a co-sponsor of Florida’s “The Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear arms in motor vehicles Act” — legislation that passed and was signed by Governor Crist in 2008. It is an excellent piece and I thought it might be useful to folks who are currently fighting these battles around the county. Thanks so much. Marion Hammer

Letters to the AmmoLand Editor: Got something on your mind? Let us know and you can see it here.

Florida - -(AmmoLand.com)- Frequently, editorials castigate legislatures and legislators, for passing or supporting legislation allowing law-abiding citizens to keep their firearms locked in private vehicles while at work or while shopping.

This is an issue on which thoughtful people can and do disagree. However, so many editorial contain enough errors, assumptions, and omissions, that it begs for – in Paul Harvey’s words – “The rest of the story”.

Derided as the “Bring your gun to work” bill, in Florida our bill/law is actually titled as “The Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear arms in motor vehicles Act”. It is in reaction to many businesses including Wal-Mart, Disney World and others prohibiting their employees from being prepared for legitimate self-defense while driving to and from work.

Consider a (depressingly) common situation: A single mother with custody of her child, dealing with an abusive, violent ex-husband or boyfriend, maybe even a stalker. These unfortunate women are not part of the leisure-crowd or the golf-and-tennis-scene. Mostly they are relegated to low-paying jobs in the service industry, often evening or night shifts.

From the time they leave the house, to drop off their babies at child-care, go to work, and then reverse the process 8 or 10 hours later, these women are completely vulnerable to premeditated violence from larger, stronger, and often obsessed males. There are not possibly enough police or armed guards to escort these employees safely to and from work. Moreover…..none are offered. Their only possible protection is a firearm.

Now, some employers would take away even that basic right–the ability to self-defense, and offer no alternatives. They have forced employees to sign waivers allowing their cars to be searched in the parking lots.

Private property rights of the employer are invariably invoked in this debate.

But what about the private property of the employee?

What is it about an employee’s car that does not seem to be “private property”?

Lobbyists for some industries claimed that employees lose their private property rights when they enter an employer’s parking lot.

Really? So then an employer could steal their car, sell it and not be violating the law?

Others claim that the employee has no right to privacy while on employer property.

Is that so??  Then is it OK for them to set up a hidden camera in the ladies rest room?

Much emphasis is given to the employees having “waived” their rights–in writing–as a pre-condition to employment.

If constitutionally guaranteed rights can be so casually dismissed, can the employee also be forced to “waive” their right to the minimum wage?

How about “waiving” your right to non-discrimination based on race, gender, or religion?

Some editors parrot what many businesses insinuate–that disgruntled employees are dangerous and violent. This is a cheap-shot, and a deceptive one at that.

What do the murders at Columbine, Northern Illinois University, the Amish Community School in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, Virginia Law School, and Virginia Tech have in common?

These massacres occurred at SCHOOLS. That’s right—-supposedly “gun-free” zones.

These tragedies never seem to occur at police stations, gun shows or biker-bars. The reason is obvious—folks in these locales will shoot back!

Fact is, whenever a psychopathic, murdering, domestic terrorist wants to carry out carnage, they invariably head for the “gun-free” zones of our schools and malls. “Gun-free” laws have arguably created these horrors where our children are led like lambs to be slaughtered.

Florida House of Representatives Paige Kreegel (R)

Does anyone really think that killers will obey the “gun-free” babble on their way to murder innocents?

And who are these citizens who will have their firearms locked in their cars? They are women and men who are taking responsibility for their own safety. They are law-abiding people and are habitual “rule-followers”.

They are NOT part of the problem, but they are able and willing to become a part of the solution. We in the Legislature should let them do so.

Paige Kreegel (R)
Florida House of Representatives
District 72

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

The Right to Keep & Bear Firearms in Motor Vehicles

Kansas State Rifle Association

Topeka, KS --(AmmoLand.com)- A hearing has been scheduled for HB 2620, The Kansas Firearms Freedom Act, in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee for this Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 1:30pm in Room 346-S.

The Kansas Firearms Freedom Act, House Bill 2620, crafted by The Kansas State Rifle Association was introduced in the Kansas House of Representatives by Representative Ray Merrick and several other co-sponsors.

The Firearms Freedom Act (FFA) is principally a Tenth Amendment challenge to the powers of Congress under the “commerce clause,” with firearms as the object – it is a state’s rights exercise. Originally introduced and passed in Montana, the FFA declares that any firearms made and retained in-state is beyond the authority of Congress under its constitutional power to regulate commerce among the states.

“The FFA may affect congressional authority other than for firearms.” said Patricia Stoneking, President of the Kansas State Rifle Association. “This legislation is actually about reducing excessive Federal regulation in areas such as education and intrastate trade.”

Proponents contend that the commerce clause was amended, by the Tenth Amendment, and that the Tenth Amendment, being the most recent expression of the enacting authority, must prevail over an unlimited interpretation of commerce clause authority to regulate firearms made and retained in a state.

The Montana Shooting Sports Association and the Second Amendment Foundation have filed a lawsuit in federal court to validate the principles of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act. The renewed debate over states rights and the pending litigation over the FFA have set the stage for re-examination of the scope of federal commerce clause authority. While it is still unclear exactly where this re-examination will end up, the outcome could drastically change application of federal authority.

“The Firearms Freedom Act has been enacted by two states, Montana and Tennessee.” said Stoneking. “Kansas makes the twenty-first additional state to introduce this bill and five other states have expressed their intentions to introduce this legislation at this time.”

STATUS: Hearing Scheduled for March 11, 2010 at 1:30pm in Room 346-S.

CLICK THIS LINK TO READ THE BILL

About:
The Kansas State Rifle Association has one purpose. To promote and strive for the improvement and protection of the firearms and sport shooting industry and protection of second amendment principals by encouraging and stimulating well-qualified individual citizens to run for public office and to take a more active and effective part in governmental affairs. Visit: www.ksraweb.net

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Kansas Firearms Freedom Act Hearing Scheduled (HB 2620)

Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore

Maryland – -(AmmoLand.com)- Perhaps the answer lies in the Declaration of Rights in the Constitution of Maryland:

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.
We, the People of the State of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty, and taking into our serious consideration the best means of establishing a good Constitution in this State for the sure foundation and more permanent security thereof, declare:

Article 1. That all Government of right originates from the People, is founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the whole; and they have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their Form of Government in such manner as they may deem expedient.

Click here for the on-line version of the Maryland Constitution.

About:
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. (AGC), located in Marriottsville, Maryland. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. was formed on July 1, 1944 when a number of World War II veterans in the Baltimore, Maryland area began looking for a place for recreational and competitive shooting. They organized with several other Baltimore area shooting clubs to form the “AGC” Visit: www.associatedgunclubs.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Why Do Maryland Politicians Fear Your Guns?

National Association for Gun Rights

Michigan - -(AmmoLand.com)- A six-year-old Michigan boy was suspended for making a gun gesture with his hand.

That’s right, hoplophobia and Big Brother Nanny-ism has reached a new low in Michigan.

From Fox News:
Erin Jammer, said her son, Mason, was just playing around when he made the gesture Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Press reported.

“I do think it’s harsh for a six-year-old. He’s six and he just likes to play. Maybe what you could do is take his recess away. He’s only six and he doesn’t understand any of this,” Erin Jammer said.

But officials at Jefferson Elementary School said the behavior made other students uncomfortable, and they suspended Mason for the remainder of the week, the paper reported.

Anti-gun activism is rampant at all level of government. Gun owners must continue to be vigilant, and counter these sort of outrageous actions.

Want your voice to be heard?
You can e-mail Jefferson Elementary School Principal Matt Vogel at: mvogel@ioniaschools.org.

You can also join the conversation by commenting on the National Association for Gun Rights blog, here.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Six Year Old Suspended For Hand Gesture

February Background Checks On Firearm Sales Second Highest On Record...

National Shooting Sports Foundation

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,243,211 checks in February 2010, ranking the month the second highest February (eighth highest month overall) for most NICS checks.

This figure, while being a 1.3 percent decrease from the 1,259,078 checks conducted in February 2009 – the early stage of an ongoing surge in firearms and ammunition sales – is an increase of 21.7 percent over checks in February 2008.

The total number of background checks reported since the beginning of NICS is 112,380,272.

69% of people surveyed say Cities Don’t Have Right To Ban Handguns
As the Supreme Court considers the McDonald v. Chicago case, a new poll from Rasmussen Reports shows that 69 percent of Americans say city governments do not have the right to prevent citizens from owning handguns.

These findings are unchanged from June 2008 just before the Supreme Court overturned Washington, D.C.’s law banning handguns in that city. Read the full story from Rasmussen Reports.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

16 Months & Counting US Demand For Firearms Keeps Marching

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, VA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The NRA is pleased to announce a recent donation to the Youth Hunter Education Challenge by Larry and Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA.

The $500,000 donation will strengthen a family-oriented event which builds character and reinforces life-lessons as much as it does safety and accuracy.

“The NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge has an impact on thousands of young people each year thanks to generous people like the Potterfields,” Kayne Robinson, Executive Director of NRA’s General Operations, said.

“We at the NRA are committed to preserving hunting for generations to come, and YHEC is a tried and true, hands-on approach to doing just that.”

Established in 1985, the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) is NRA’s “graduate studies” program in outdoor skills and safety training for young hunters. Though YHEC is a competitive program, the real “challenge” for participants lies with skill development and the advancement of hunter safety and responsibility.

Since its inception the YHEC program has reached more than one million young sportsmen and women. YHEC has grown from ten participating states/provinces to over forty.

The immediate benefits of YHEC on the participants are important as well as the long range impact of the program: the positive outreach and education the participants and volunteers bring to their families, neighbors and communities; the importance of promoting hunting as a viable and most efficient method of controlling wildlife; fostering propagation, growth, conservation and wise use of our renewable wildlife resources; developing environmentally aware leaders and encouraging our youth to be active citizens with an interest in preserving the hunting heritage.

Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA, is a longtime friend of the programs of the NRA. He is a sponsor of the Friends of NRA banquet program and many NRA-sanctioned competitions, including the NRA Bianchi Cup, held in Columbia, Missouri each year.

“Brenda and I are excited to be able to assist the NRA Foundation in supporting this type of initiative to focus on developing tomorrow’s leaders today,” Potterfield said. “Changing the future requires us to make the commitment in time or money to support these efforts.”

For more information about the Potterfields or MidwayUSA, visit www.midwayusa.com or call 1-800-243-3220.

For more information about the NRA Foundation and the Youth Hunter Education Challenge, visit www.nrafoundation.org.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Potterfields Announce $500,000 Donation To NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge

Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore

Maryland – -(AmmoLand.com)- There is a common misconception among gun owners that writing to elected official is a futile effort and a waste of time.

Some use this as an excuse to make themselves feel less guilty about doing nothing. Others unfortunately, truly believe this to be true.

Letters Do Make A Difference : Click to See

Those in the first category are fooling only themselves and those in the second category are simply wrong.

The following is a letter from the AGC asking the sponsor to withdraw the legislation. It was faxed on Friday, February 19, 2010. It was not read until late Monday afternoon on February 22, 2010.

The sponsor considered AGC’s & MSI’s positions and arguments regarding the unintended consequences SB 743 would produce and he withdrew the bill 3 days later.

The bottom line: Letters do matter.

About:
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. (AGC), located in Marriottsville, Maryland. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. was formed on July 1, 1944 when a number of World War II veterans in the Baltimore, Maryland area began looking for a place for recreational and competitive shooting. They organized with several other Baltimore area shooting clubs to form the “AGC” Visit: www.associatedgunclubs.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Do Letters to Elected Officials Make a Difference in Support of Gun Rights?Do Letters to Elected Officials Make a Difference in Support of Gun Rights?

Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore

Maryland – -(AmmoLand.com)- We will assemble on the northeast corner of the Washington Monument grounds at 10:00 a.m. The entire program will take place there. After speaking with D.C. police and the National Park Service, we decided that it would be logistically difficult to stage an actual “march”. We would rather put our time and energy into making the rally the best that it can be!

When: April 19, 2010 (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Where: Washington Monument grounds, Washington, D.C.

For information on the D.C. area and getting around D.C., please visit the D.C. Guide.

You can find detailed metro routes (bus and rail) via the D.C. Metro Transit Authority site.

The AGC will organize a bus (or buses) to and from the event if there is sufficient interest to cover the cost. Bus rentals are expensive and must be paid in advance. The number of buses and the departure locations will be determined by the number and location of persons who wish to participate.

Look for a Second Amendment March AGC bus trip announcement next week!

About:
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. (AGC), located in Marriottsville, Maryland. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. was formed on July 1, 1944 when a number of World War II veterans in the Baltimore, Maryland area began looking for a place for recreational and competitive shooting. They organized with several other Baltimore area shooting clubs to form the “AGC” Visit: www.associatedgunclubs.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Second Amendment March in Washington, D.C.

Wisconsin Carry

Racine, WI --(AmmoLand.com)- On September 9th, 2009 Wisconsin Carry member Frank Hannan-Rock of Racine was unlawfully arrested while open-carrying on the front porch of his home in Racine.

See www.journaltimes.com .

On January 8th Wisconsin Carry filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Wisconsin, City of Racine, 2 Racine Police officers, The City of Milwaukee and one Milwaukee Police Officer. In this lawsuit we challenge the constitutionality of Wisconsin’s Gun-Free-School-Zone Act. In this lawsuit we also brought on 2 Wisconsin Carry Members as co-plaintiffs. Frank Hannan-Rock of Racine was one of these co-plaintiffs.

A copy of the lawsuit can be viewed here:

http://www.wisconsincarry.org/pdf/GFSZ_Complaint.pdf

Frank was lawfully open-carrying on his own porch when Racine Police, who were summoned to his neighborhood on an unrelated call, observed and questioned Frank because he was open-carrying. After a few minutes of increasingly aggressive questioning Frank exercised his right to remain silent and was subsequently unlawfully arrested for obstruction of justice for refusing to give his name. In the state of Wisconsin no law allows officers to arrest for obstruction on a person’s refusal to give his or her name. “Mere silence is insufficient to constitute obstruction. Henes v. Morrissey, 194 Wis. 2d 339, 533 N.W.2d 802 (1995)”

Details of Frank’s encounter can be viewed by going to our website www.wisconsincarry.org and clicking on the October 16th blog entry.

Frank was unlawfully arrested and his firearm illegally siezed. He was later released without being charged.

Wisconsin Carry filed suit on Frank’s behalf for his unlawful detainment, arrest, and seizure of his firearm.

On behalf of myself, the board of Wisconsin Carry Inc. and all of our members, we are pleased to announce that The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin has entered a judgment in the amount of $10,000 in favor of Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and Frank Hannon-Rock and against the City of Racine and two Racine police officers.

We look forward to the precedent that this case will set for other municipalities who’s police officers operate outside of their legal authority and unlawfully detain, arrest, and seize property of law-abiding open-carriers.

A copy of this judgement can be viewed here:

http://www.wisconsincarry.org/pdf/JudgmentAgainstRacine.pdf

If you haven’t already done so, please consider joining Wisconsin Carry today and help us advance and protect the right of Wisconsin residents to keep and bear arms!

Online membership application: http://www.wisconsincarry.org/secure/php/application.php

About:
Wisconsin Carry, Inc is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the basic rights critical to a free society. We believe that “Open-Carry” and “Conceal Carry” are choices to be made by law-abiding citizens based on what suits their needs best. Our mission is to preserve, advance and expand these basic rights which law-abiding citizens are entitled to have a practical ability to exercise. Visit: www.wisconsincarry.org

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Wisconsin Carry Awarded $10,000 Judgment Against City Of Racine WI

IllinoisCarry.com

Springfield, Illinois --(AmmoLand.com)- HB6249 A Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. John Bradley passed out of the House Agriculture & Conservation committee this past week with a vote of 11-1.

It is now placed on the House calendar for Second Reading. HB462, another Right to Carry bill sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps is scheduled to be heard by the same committee on March 9, 2010 and is expected to pass out of committee with the same support.

Click on the bill numbers above to see if your Representative is one of the co-sponsors of these bills. If their name is not listed as a sponsor, call them and urge them to support your right to protect your self and your family. Urge them to show their support by signing on as co-sponsors of these bills.

If your representative does not support your right to carry, be sure to inform him/her they will not have your support in the next election!

Lobby in person for the Right to Carry, March to the State Capitol, and make your voice heard! Don’t miss an important opportunity to show your support for the Right to Carry!

Join the largest group of Second Amendment supporters IL has ever seen.

IGOLD participants will present their message to their state representative, state senator, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate!

Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day – IGOLD
Wed. March 10, 2010
Prairie Capitol Convention Center, Springfield, IL

Doors open at 10:30, Concessions open all day,
Pre-rally 11:45, Legislative Briefing Noon,
March to Capitol 1:15 pm!

IGOLD.isra.org
Deadline to reserve a seat on one of the many charter buses from around the state is Mon. Mar. 8th!

To expedite security procedures it is best to enter the Capitol with the least number of items that must be opened, searched or screened. If you can narrow that down to a wallet that can be tossed on the scanner bed all the better!

We thank you for your cooperation – and so will Capitol security!

IGOLD Marshals Needed!
Like to help others? Familiar with the State Capitol Complex? Volunteers for the IGOLD ground crew are needed. They are the friendly, smiling volunteers who assist at the Prarie Capitol Convention Center and the march to the Capitol. Once inside the Capitol they help direct attendees to their legislators offices.
If you would like to volunteer, please go the IGOLD Volunteer page for more info.

Help IllinoisCarry in the Fight for Right To Carry

About:
The IllinoisCarry forum was started in April 2004. The idea was that Illinois needed a central location to communicate ideas and information regarding 2nd Amendment issues in Illinois. There are many organizations in Illinois working to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights. Working with these groups IllinoisCarry has become the central location for information and Action Alerts. IllinoisCarry will not endorse political candidates. We simply provide information so voters can make informed decisions. Our goal is to join the other 48 states that allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms. We encourage you to register on our forum and join the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights in Illinois. Visit www.IllinoisCarry.com

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Right to Carry Bills Make Progress In Illinois General Assembly

This letter to the editor is in response to a recent OpEd in the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, FL: RE: Editorial “Setting up gun fund as sacred cow is poor budget management”

Letters to the AmmoLand Editor: Got something on your mind? Let us know and you can see it here.

Fort Lauderdale, FL - -(AmmoLand.com)- Poor budget management is robbing trust funds period.

For years the legislature fought gun owners over paying for a statewide licensing program that would provide uniformity and fairness to gun owners. Legislators did not want taxpayers to fund a gun program. Gun owners are tax payers too and wanted tax dollars to fund the program.

In 1987, the concealed firearms licensing law passed with a financial contingency.

The legislature insisted that the gun owner program not be dependent upon General Revenue or any government funding whatever.

The NRA, Unified Sportsmen of Florida and gun owners, insisted upon only being responsible for funding the program. They insisted that licensing fees only be an amount necessary to administer the program, no more, no less. Further, they insisted that the fees be held in a trust fund and used solely for the benefit of and administration of the program and never used for any other purpose.

That was the agreement. Language was put in the bill to insure that the terms of the agreement were met.

Gun owners have kept their part of the agreement. In the 22 plus years that this program has been in effect, not one single dime has ever come from general revenue or any other government fund — 100% of the funding has come from gun owners.

In keeping with good management practices, the trust fund is allowed to build funds in excess of current needs so that when the massive computers, both hardware and software, need to be repaired or replaced, and other equipment is needed to provide efficient administration of the program, money will be available. That is the only way to run the program without raising license fees.

Now the other half of the agreement needs to be kept.

Last year when the program needed to use trust fund money to hire new employees to keep up with the dramatic increase of license applications and clear the backlog of unprocessed applications, the legislature attempted to take $6 million from the trust fund. That not only would have crippled the program but it violated the agreement, the spirit of the law and the trust of gun owners.

Governor Charlie Crist stepped up and vetoed the raid on that trust fund, protecting the program and the agreement. No other trust fund has the same agreement and requirements as this one.

Further, there are legal ramifications that go beyond the agreement. This specific trust fund facilitates the exercise of a constitutional right.

• When government takes citizen money for general use by government, it’s a tax.
• When government confiscates user fees from trust funds intended to be used to administer specific programs and converts it to government use for other purposes, it’s a tax.
• When government leaders claim to oppose tax increases and promise not to create new taxes but then raid trust funds, they have created a new tax.

If the Legislature raids the concealed firearms licensing trust fund, they have created a tax on the exercise of the Second Amendment right.

Courts have ruled that states may not tax the exercise of a right protected by the federal constitution.  Passing this new legislation to insure that this trust fund is protected is appropriate.

About:
Marion P. Hammer is past president of the National Rifle Association and Executive Director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida. She has represented gun owners in Florida
for 35 years.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

“Gun Trust Fund” Protects Exercise of Constitutional Right

Dudley Brown & Congressman Paul Broun

National Association for Gun Rights

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Last week, National Association for Gun Rights Director of Operations Luke O’Dell and I were in Washington D.C. for a series of meetings with Congressional leaders.

I know I don’t need to tell you that the anti-gun lobby and their willing accomplices in Congress and the media are scheming to infringe upon our gun rights.

Despite the backroom dealings and the anti-gun maneuvering going on in Washington, the gun rights cause is not without hope.

I’m happy to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by the tenacity and gumption of many of the pro-gun members of Congress and their staff.

Both in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate we have a very smart, capable band of pro-gunners who are dedicated to advancing and protecting the right to keep and bear arms.

I was particularly pleased to meet with Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA).

Congressmen Broun has been a strong supporter of the National Association for Gun Rights. I was proud to discuss some of the important work he has helped us with.

While we have many, many battles facing us, including the looming U.N Small Arms “treaty” and a multitude of back-door attempts to pass a national gun registry and to disarm conservative activists as “domestic terrorists”, I know that we will be able to count on the leadership of people like Congressman Broun to help fight these important battles.

On a personal note, Congressman Broun’s support for gun rights isn’t just a Constitutional issue; he’s an avid hunter and gun owner himself.

Luke and I were impressed by the collection of mounted trophy game in his office, including an Alaskan Brown Bear.

(Left - Right) Congressman Paul Broun, Luke O'Dell, Dudley Brown

This weekend, if you have a spare moment, feel free to drop Congressmen Broun a line, here. Thank him for his leadership on behalf of our gun rights and his continued support of the National Association for Gun Rights.

Brought to you by - AMMO LAND.COM - Firearms & Shooting Sports News Ammo Land.comSubmit Gun, Ammo and Shooting Related News at Ammo Land.com

Pro-Gun leaders in Washington