Minnesota Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance

Minnesota --(Ammoland.com)- The Stand Your Ground bill hearing is tomorrow. Please call and email the senators below and urge them to vote YES on HF1467!

If you attended your precinct caucuses last night, can you tell us whether the RKBA amendment resolution wasproposed and adopted?

Please visit http://goo.gl/Javog and fill out our brief form.

Please contact the members of the Senate Finance Committee, and urge them to vote YES on HF1467/SF1357.

Their contact info is below:

• Sen. Claire A. Robling
  Committee Chair
  (651) 296-4123
  sen.claire.robling@senate.mn
• Sean R. Nienow
  Vice Chair
  (651) 296-5419
  sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn
• Richard J. Cohen
  Ranking Minority Member
  (651) 296-5931
  Mail Form
• Terri E. Bonoff
  (651) 296-4314
  sen.terri.bonoff@senate.mn
• Michelle L. Fischbach
  (651) 296-2084
  sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn
• Barb Goodwin
  (651) 296-4334
  Mail Form
• David W. Hann
  (651) 296-1749
  Mail Form
• Bill Ingebrigtsen
  (651) 297-8063
  sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn
• Keith Langseth
  (651) 296-3205
  Mail Form
• Doug Magnus
  (651) 296-5650
  sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn
• Scott J. Newman
  (651) 296-4131
  sen.scott.newman@senate.mn
• Gen Olson
  (651) 296-1282
  sen.gen.olson@senate.mn
• Mike Parry
  (651) 296-9457
  sen.mike.parry@senate.mn
• LeRoy A. Stumpf
  (651) 296-8660
  Mail Form
• Linda Higgins
  (651) 296-9246
  sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn

sen.claire.robling@senate.mn ,
sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn ,
sen.terri.bonoff@senate.mn ,
sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn ,
sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn ,
sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn ,
sen.scott.newman@senate.mn ,
sen.gen.olson@senate.mn ,
sen.mike.parry@senate.mn ,
sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn

If you use those lists above, don’t forget these senators:

Richard J. Cohen’s Mail Form
Barb Goodwin’s Mail Form
David W. Hann’s Mail Form
Keith Langseth’s Mail Form
LeRoy A. Stumpf’s Mail Form

Please forward this email to gun owners and civil rights supporters, and ask them to sign up at http://www.gocra.org/join.html

About:
We are the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, the organization behind CCRN (Concealed Carry Reform Now!). We are people from all walks of life who have banded together to preserve and protect all of our civil rights as gun owners. Visit: www.gocra-mn.org

Pop Culture Pacifist - Making the World a More Dangerous Place

Student of the Gun

LUVERNE, AL --(Ammoland.com)-  During a recent outing to an indoor shooting range I encountered a fellow shooter and the subject turned to concealed carry and using a handgun for personal defense.

My practice sessions tend to be far from the normal stand and shoot affair and after observing me for a while the gentleman asked where I learned to shoot and what I did for a living.

I mentioned that I regularly taught courses at the range in question and he remarked that he indeed had a “concealed carry license” though he never carried. “I got it just in case” was his remark. He went on to comment that “I’m not trigger-happy” and “I don’t want to have to hurt anyone.”

My comment was simply that “Someone out there wants to hurt you. You just haven’t met them yet.”

While the casual reader might think that a callous or even snide remark, the fact of the matter is that from practical stand point my comment was right on the money. Right now, at the very moment you are reading these words there are people on planet Earth who would happily kill you.

The only reason that they haven’t done so is because you are separated by great distance and they cannot get you in their sights.

I spent 17 years as an Ohio State Certified Peace Officer. During my time spent with a badge I frequently encountered criminals, bad guys who I had previously arrested, in the aisles of the local grocery or big box store. My wife learned early on in our marriage that if I pointed someone out during a shopping trip we needed to move to another area of the store. The last thing I wanted to do was encounter some maggot I’d arrested a month earlier while my family was present.

For the naïve in the audience; no, the bad guys don’t go to jail and stay there after the police catch and arrest them. Vermin arrested for vicious felonies will bail out of jail and spend months on the street before ever going to trial. Even if they are convicted our broken justice system sees them back on the street much sooner than most citizens would imagine.

What’s my point in all this?
It’s simple, every time you leave your home and go out in public you are brushing elbows with felons. You just don’t know it.

After returning home from the range I posted the comments made by my new shooting acquaintance on an Internet forum and was deluged by additional postings from gun people. A couple of “reasonable” folks made the point that many citizens simply could never fight back against an attacker, particularly with a firearm. I conceded that life is full of choices. One choice that many people make is to be completely unprepared to defend themselves against criminal aggression. It is, however, a choice.

Far too often, when the subject of violent crime comes up, the ‘reasonable and rational’ members of society attempt to position themselves on the moral high ground. These people will make statements such as “I could never harm another human being” or “violence only begets violence”. That is very true. If you attempt violence on me or my family you definitely will beget some violence in return.

Words, nonetheless, are cheap. All people (felons exempt) want to be seen as reasonable and rational by their peers. But words are meaningless to the predatory element of society. The career criminal, social bully and deranged drug-user pays no heed to how reasonable and rational your friends might think you are. These creatures will take from you want they want up to and including your life.

The pop culture pacifist, the man or woman who prides themselves in telling others that they would do no harm to another ‘human being’ is a coward.

Yes, a coward.

Would they truly rather submit to a predator and be murdered than fight back? By their public statements these PC pacifists are saying that they would rather have their spouses widowed, their children orphaned, and their families left to deal with tragedy than to take up arms to defend their lives. That is the height of selfishness in my book.

Adding insult to injury, the PC pacifist is not satisfied to set themselves up as willing victims. These cowards push their poisonous rhetoric on all those they encounter. Any friend or co-worker who might mention owning a gun or thinking about purchasing one is barraged with accusations of paranoia. The friend is accused a being a “kook”, “gun-nut”, or “trigger-happy”. Yes, gun friends, these are all pejorative terms.

Finally, what is most insidious about the ‘do no harm’ crowd it that by their purposeful inaction they are doing harm to others in society. That’s right. Basic human psychology shows that acceptance of any type of behavior effectively reinforces that behavior. Total submission to a thief, robber, rapist, or murderer serves to REINFORCE that behavior. To believe that a rapist will be so overcome with remorse after having violated you that they will turn from their evil ways is the height of naïvet’e. That kind of thinking is delusional. The felon who successfully victimized you will be emboldened and more likely to attack a good citizen.

For those faithful in the audience, those with a firm belief in a Devine Higher Power, you should realize that your daily existence, your very life is a gift from God.

To passively discard that life and willingly cast it away as worthless is an insult to your Maker and the highest affront.

Before I conclude this piece, with all the aforementioned considerations addressed, I firmly believe that even the most public pacifist; those who have staked out their spot on the moral high ground are merely speaking from blind ignorance and a failure to comprehend real world consequences. When the Grim Reaper presents itself in form of a deranged sociopath set on taking their life, the moral elite will claw and scrape to stay alive.

Unfortunately for them, the ability and wherewithal to stop a vile predator does not magically appear and manifest itself during the moment of crisis. The unprepared fall to the way side and their lives are forfeit to fate and the non-existent mercy of the attacker.

Left with nothing but disbelief, the pop culture pacifist departs from the land of the living and is left with nothing but a surprised look on their face. Life is full of choice. Choose wisely.

Paul Markel © 2012

Follow Paul Markel at Student of the Gun.com and PaulMarkel.com. Look for Paul’s new eBook “Student of the Gun; A beginner once, student for life.” On sale now at BN.com and Smashword.com

Nebraska Firearms Owners Association - Victims Protection Act

Nebraska Firearms Owners Association

Omaha, NE --(Ammoland.com)- As I write this I have just finished preparing my testimony for the hearing on LB 804, scheduled for this afternoon. I am about to leave for the Capital. Before I do I wanted to get some important information to you.

What many have referred to as Castle Doctrine has been a priority of ours for the past few years. With LB 804, we have a shot this year. But we need Nebraskans to act. I need your help. Do you use Facebook? Share the ProtectVictimsNow.org website. Tell your friends about this important legislation. Please forward this note to your family and friends. Talk about this issue with your neighbors.

The 2012 Legislative session is in full swing. New Bills have been introduced and some of them have already been placed on the hearing schedules. This year we are only getting 7 days notice for hearing schedules. It was 10 or 11 days last year. Since this is a short session year things are moving fast

We tried something new this year for voting on the issues. In the past all voting occurred on our website, or the forum. This year we sent a link to the survey out with a newsletter in order to get wider exposure to the membership. If you haven’t voted, you still can. The link to the survey is here. Please take a moment and let us know what position you’d like the NFOA to take on these important pieces of legislation.

Priority Bill Needs Your Help
The NFOA has spent the last 3 years tirelessly working with the Legislature to pass a Victims Protection Act in Nebraska, which some have called the Castle Doctrine. In past years, we’ve been blocked by the stubborn resistance from several liberal senators on the Judiciary Committee who choose to protect criminals over victims. But this year will be different. This year, we have a new bill introduced: LB 804, and we see this bill making it out of the Judiciary Committee, to the floor for a general vote, and ultimately passing.

Our approach this year is much more aggressive. As an NFOA member, you know that we’ve launched ProtectVictimsNow.org, a website dedicated to educating Nebraska voters on the Victim Protection Act. But we need to reach Nebraskans who haven’t joined the NFOA yet. We need them to call and write their senators, just like you have been doing. So to reach them, we have prepared a radio ad ready to air on stations throughout Nebraska to call those Nebraskans to action and join you and I in working to get the Victims Protection Act passed.

The challenge is that airing radio ads costs money. And as a non-profit organization, the NFOA must raise those funds through donations. As a non-profit organization, we have worked out a greatly reduced rate of just under $5000 to air over 100 Victims Protection Act radio ads throughout the State that will reach over 70,000 Nebraska voters. That’s a lot of money, but we have well over 5000 NFOA members and if every single one of us chipped in, as little as $1, we can mobilize well over 10 times our NFOA membership and push this bill beyond the few obstructive senators in Judiciary Committee and to the Unicameral floor, where we know there is enough support for the Victim Protection Act to pass.

Do you want to be secure in knowing that your home is your castle? Do you want to have the piece of mind knowing that if you ever have to legally defend yourself or your family that the violent criminal (or his family) won’t be able to hire an ambulance-chasing lawyer to sue you for your life savings? Then please consider donating to the ProtectVictimsNow.org operation. Together we can get LB804 passed and have a Victims Protection Act in Nebraska this year!

Member voting
The position we take to the Legislature and lobby for is what you our members tell use to take. Take the legislative survey here.

To participate in discussions of these bills please join us in the forums.

Mission -
Nebraska Firearms Owners Association (NFOA) is organized for the purpose of voicing the opinion of its membership to the Nebraska Legislature and other law making bodies within the state as well as Federal level, as it pertains to firearms. NFOA members will also make it a priority to educate residents on firearms related issues.
On the web: www.NebraskaFirearms.org or email: AAllen@NebraskaFirearms.org for more information

Michigan's Castle Doctrine & No-Retreat Legislation Review

Michigan Coalition For Responsible Gun Owners

Michigan - -(Ammoland.com)- Occasionally we like to review Michigan’s version of the Castle Doctrine and No-Retreat Laws.

Each of these Bills provide rather specific circumstances and protections which, taken as a whole, provide strong protection for a person who is forced to defend himself from criminal attack (which here means grievous bodily injury, rape, or death)

PA 311 provides a “rebuttable presumption” in a civil or criminal case that a person who defends himself believes that criminal attack is threatened if (1) he is in a dwelling or business, or (2) the criminal is attempting to remove someone from a dwelling, business, or vehicle. This does not apply if the alleged criminal has a legal right to be in the dwelling or business, or if the person defending himself is committing a crime, or if the person entering is a law enforcement officer in the course of his duties.

PA 310 states that a prosecutor may still charge a person who has defended himself if the prosecutor can present to the court evidence that the person did not believe he was threatened with criminal attack. This represents a substantial change from the prior law which puts the burden of proof on the person defending himself to show that he did believe he was subject to criminal attack.

PA 309 says that if a person is anywhere he has a legal right to be, he has no duty to retreat if he believe he is threatened by criminal attack. Note that this differs from the home/business situation where it is presumed that he believes he is subject to criminal attack.

PA 313 is subtle: “Sec. 21c. (1) In cases in which section 2 of the self-defense act does not apply, the common law of this state applies except that the duty to retreat before using deadly force is not required if an individual is in his or her own dwelling or within the curtilage of that dwelling.”

PA 314 states that a person who defends himself (or in defense of another individual) with deadly force or less than deadly force anywhere he has a right to be is immune from civil liability for damages.

PA 312 provides attorney fees to a defendant if a civil suit is filed and the court determines that the defendant is immune from civil liability under PA 314. .

About:
The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Formed from just eight people in 1996, we now have thousands of members and numerous affiliated clubs across the state. We’re growing larger and more effective every day.

Our mission statement is: “Promoting safe use and ownership of firearms through education, litigation, and legislation” Visit: www.mcrgo.org

NRA News

Fairfax, VA --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-News is a valued partner that continues to cover breaking gun rights news with a new and improved short video format in the “NRA News Minute” videos.

To view the current firearms or gun rights news video, please click above:

Cam Edwards talks to Sheriff Chuck Wright of Spartanburg County, South Carolina on calls for him to stop telling folks to get a Concealed Carry License Permit…

Read More on these topics:

• Sheriff Chuck Wright Urges Women To Carry Concealed Weapons
• ARMED AMERICAN RADIO Welcomes Pro CCW Sheriff Chuck Wright
• Pennsylvania Self Defense Rights Are On The Line

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

NRA News

Fairfax, VA --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-News is a valued partner that continues to cover breaking gun rights news with a new and improved short video format in the “NRA News Minute” videos.

To view the current firearms or gun rights news video, please click above:

Cam Edwards talks to Marcus Flagg – President of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Association.

Read More on these topics:

• Rep. Paul Broun Introduces Concealed Carry Recognition Bill
• Concealed Carry for the President
• The Big Business of Concealed Carry

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Opening Up U.S. Campuses to Guns

AmmoLand Gun News

USA --(Ammoland.com)- After several recent college campus shooting incidents, many states are opening up their legislative agenda to the idea allowing students to carry guns on campus.

Utah is the only state that currently allows concealed carry at all public colleges and universities. Other than that, there is a mix between states that prohibit concealed carry on college campuses and states that leave the decision up to the college or university.

There’s a lot of talk about this issue, with many people “up in arms” about the possibility of a college student having the right to carry a gun to school. Even some gun rights advocacy groups are against this idea. Even I questioned the proposal at first thought, but I now see things in a new light.

It is ridiculous for anyone to believe that allowing students to carry concealed weapons on campus will change anything. This legislation won’t “open up” campuses to guns; campuses are already open to guns! If they weren’t, the gunmen of the past campus shooting incidents would not have been able to accomplish their attacks.

Although it may not be legal, it is easy to carry a concealed weapon on campus today.

Yes, this legislation will increase the amount of guns carried on campus, but it will increase the amount of legal and safe guns carried on campus. Right now, the only guns on campus are those carried by authorized university law enforcement and security and those carried by bad people looking to do bad things. Those students who have a concealed handgun license refrain from carrying their guns on campus, because they know they could be expelled or arrested.

In the event of a campus shooting, university law enforcement and security may not have enough coverage to stop an attack from a rogue gunman, but they are rarely present in classrooms and hallways where attacks often seem to occur. If students who are licensed to carry a firearm were allowed to bring their weapon to school, they could provide protection for themselves and those around them in the event of a school attack.

Although I do believe that students should be allowed to carry a gun on campus, I do think there should be a system in place to log which students have a gun license and choose to carry on campus and which students do not choose to carry on campus or do not have a gun license. This could be registered when the student goes to get his/her student identification badge. Campuses should then verify the student’s concealed handgun license and require them to attend a one-day conference to train them on how to react during a potential campus attack. Requiring this training will solidify their responsibility of carrying a weapon on campus.

Because many college campuses are open to the public, it is imperative that we give students the right to protect themselves and their peers. To learn more about our side of this debate, visit the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus website.

About: Shannon Barnett owns the site Careers in Criminal Justice. In her spare time, she enjoys writing articles for various other sites on many topics of interest.

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- Could Senate Republicans have prevented the murder of Danielle Watson?

Danielle was a manager at the Flying Biscuit Café. Last weekend, while closing the restaurant, she was murdered by an ex-con recently released after doing time for armed robbery.

In a classic application of “Dial 911 & Die!” Charlotte police botched their response to her fiancés 911 call, and never even discovered her body, stabbed and left behind a dumpster, until the next day. It was the second Charlotte restaurant murder in a single weekend, highlighting the need to pass House Bill 111, “Handgun Permit Valid in Parks & Restaurants.”

Right now, concealed handgun permit-holders are prohibited from protecting their families anywhere alcohol is “sold and consumed,” which includes many restaurants. This includes not only restaurant patrons, but also restaurant workers, since the only people exempt from the ban are restaurant “owners and lessees.” For full details, see GRNC president Paul Valone’s article at: http://exm.nr/StopRestaurantHomicide

How it should end
Now contrast this with another restaurant crime, only one week later. Just across the South Carolina border, in Spartanburg, Dante Lamont Williams and another man entered the Waffle House on Chesnee Highway, both armed with handguns. But when they held customers at gunpoint, a patron who was a concealed handgun permit holder shot Williams, killing him. The other robber fled, and innocent lives were saved.

Republicans do nothing
Despite passing in the House, however, the bill is languishing in the Senate Judiciary I Committee, where Republican Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (Guilford, Rockingham) has so far refused the bill a hearing on the premise that the topic doesn’t “poll well.” Meanwhile, as Republicans dither and fret about polls, restaurant workers are dying.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED:
Immediately email AND call

Republican leadership:

• Sen. Phil Berger, Senate President Pro Tem, at Phil.Berger@ncleg.net and (919) 733-5708
• Sen. Tom Apodaca, Senate Rules Chairman, at Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net, and (919) 733-5745
• Sen. Buck Newton, Senate Judiciary Chairman, at Buck.Newton@ncleg.net, and (919) 715-3030

Deliver This Message

(use subject line: STOP RESTAURANT HOMICIDE)

Dear Senator:

While House Bill 111, “Handgun Permit Valid in Parks & Restaurants,” languishes in the Senate Judiciary I Committee, restaurant workers are dying. In a single weekend, recently, Charlotte experienced two such murders, including that of 25-year-old Danielle Watson, a manager who was closing the Flying Biscuit Café when she was murdered by Mark Cox, an ex-con just released after doing time for armed robbery.

Police botched the 911 response, only finding her body behind a dumpster the next day, but it is your chamber that is preventing restaurant workers like Danielle from defending themselves: The Flying Biscuit has an on-premise alcohol consumption permit, where everyone but the “owner or lessee” is prohibited from protecting themselves with firearms.

Now contrast this with another restaurant crime, only one week later. Just across the South Carolina border, in Spartanburg, Dante Lamont Williams and another man entered the Waffle House on Chesnee Highway. Both men were armed with handguns. But when they held customers at gunpoint, a patron who was a concealed handgun permit holder shot Williams, killing him. The other robber fled, and innocent lives were saved.

Despite what newspaper editorials claim, nobody is advocating “drunks with guns.” As you well know, under HB 111, concealed handgun permit-holders will still be prohibited from imbibing alcohol.

Stop being a slave to polls, and start leading. Pass HB 111 to STOP RESTAURANT HOMICIDE. I will be monitoring your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

Evil Acts Must Be Countered By A Superior, Violent Force

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- One of the more insidiously deceptive lines of the socialist-liberal agenda is the banal phrase: “Violence doesn’t solve anything.”

How much retrospection is required to understand that Hitler wasn’t stopped by peace marches, negotiations, or “conflict resolution” sessions? It is a horrible, disgusting task, but evil acts, whatever shape they take, must eventually be countered by a superior, violent force.

The liberal doesn’t seem to understand that the threat of counter violence is perhaps the most effective preventative of actual physical conflict. Liberal pacifists in modern times mocked the phrase “peace through strength” as though the pragmatism contained within such an idea were rooted in some atavistic, macho, testosterone-poisoned psychosis that had been propagated by alpha males throughout history.

Can’t the liberal understand that bad people are prevented from committing evil acts by their fear of punishment?

Perhaps at a childhood level, the threat of adult disapproval or the disapproval of one’s schoolyard peers keeps the behavior of the youngster in some kind of conformity to morality. But it doesn’t take long for the criminally-minded teenager to realize that he really doesn’t care what other people think. Crime pays. Evil is profitable. Bullying works. Unless, that is, you are harshly confronted with the realization that your malicious behavior will be rewarded by a beating, a bullet, or a prison cell.

A peaceful, free society, of which America (even with its flaws) is the most outstanding example in all of recorded history, is preserved by the willingness of its people, either singly or as a group, to commit decisive acts of righteous violence to counter evil activity.

Hebrew scholars agree that one of the Ten Commandments has been mistranslated. “Thou shalt not kill” is more accurately translated from the ancient Hebrew as “Thou shalt not murder.” The punishment for murder in ancient Israelite communities was stoning. Murderers were killed by the citizens. They were executed. And stoning was the most effective way to spread the responsibility for the execution through the mass of individuals who were willing to pay the price for living in a peaceful, moral society. Because of its face-to-face horror, the compassionate individual would, one might imagine, actually cast the first stone …to make sure it knocked the murderer immediately unconscious, in much the same way the ethical hunter or fisherman puts his quarry out of its misery as quickly as possible.

The ancient Hebrews forced personal responsibility on each individual via the group act of stoning.

It comes down to individual responsibility. It comes down to the individual being willing to act with righteous force when confronted by certain criminal behaviors. How many of your would idly stand by and watch a man torture a helpless pup? You would first yell at him to stop. If he continued, you might grab at him or throw yourself between him and the bleeding, cringing animal. What if he slaps you aside and continues his barbarity? You look around and see a two-by-four on the ground. How many of you would not take that two-by-four to the man with a clear conscience? Sorry, there are no cell phones around. You can’t call the cops or the Humane Society. You have to act now! What do you do? Are you really going to stand by and watch the travesty, all the time telling yourself that “violence doesn’t solve anything”?

If you would club the animal torturer with a two-by-four, how much quicker should you come to the defense of a human victim? I grew up in the Marxist-Socialist, namby-pamby Bay Area, and I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard some pompous person tell me “I could never kill anyone!” I even said it a few times myself during my naive teens and 20s. It felt so good to utter that unctuous homily. But I don’t feel that way anymore.

I would kill another human being. I would do it to save my own life or the life of an innocent victim. The act would probably make me physically ill. I might have to live with it in my mind for the rest of my life, but I pray I would have the courage, yes, courage, to stop consummate evil with whatever means became necessary.

And it is for this reason that I am a fervent advocate of the right of the law-abiding and sane individual to possess and carry a firearm. The right to self-defense is not only a right guaranteed to us by the Constitution, it is a duty, a command of “Nature and Nature’s G-d” (to quote Jefferson) that each of us must confront if we are to preserve freedom and moral civilization in our communities and nation.

Modern-day “gun control” is not something invented in America by Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Adolph Hitler used firearms and ammunition registration to create the paper trails that facilitated the eventual confiscation of the firearms of his opponents in Nazi Germany. America’s Gun Control Act of 1968 bears such an amazing resemblance to the Nazi German law that every school child should be made aware of the similarity.

Or perhaps we should all think about a very simple fact: slaves can’t own guns.

Perhaps the world isn’t the way we wish it would be. We all might wish that evil men could be persuaded from their vile behavior with bleeding heart entreaties, a kiss on the cheek, or proper toilet training. But it ain’t that way, folks, Pacifism is a sickness, an actual moral perversity, and dangerous when its effects spread to anyone else beside the pacifist. You may choose to walk to the cattle car, but damn you if you let your children be led up the ramp. You must never allow any group or government to steal your right to exercise armed lethal force in a just situation.

One of the greatest instructors in the defensive use of firearms used to say to his graduating classes: “May you never have to use what you have learned here.” And in that spirit I would like to see an American citizenry that is armed to the teeth and as skilled in the use of pistols and rifles as we are in the driving of automobiles. Am I insane? Somehow, looking at the tragic lessons of history, I don’t think so.

NOTE: This is a reprint of an article Kirby Ferris authored for the Coastal Post Newspaper of Main County, CA in 1998; minor updates and edits have been made for JPFO.

Frequent JPFO contributor and strategist, Kirby Ferris, collaborated intensively with Aaron Zelman over the last two years of Aaron’s life. Ferris is currently the Research Director of JPFO.

See all of Kirby Ferris’ articles.

About:
Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership Mission is to destroy “gun control” and to encourage Americans to understand and defend all of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Those are the twin goals of Wisconsin-based Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.

JPFO is a non-profit tax-exempt educational civil rights organization, not a lobby. JPFO’s products and programs reach out to as many segments of the American people as possible, using bold tactics without compromise on fundamental principles. Visit www.JPFO.org – Copyright JPFO 2011

Free Women’s Self-Defense Class in Austin TX

Central Texas Gun Works

AUSTIN, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- With a mission to protect every woman in America, Resist Attack teams up with Team Haas Judo and Central Texas Gun Works to host a free women’s self-defense class in Austin.

Due to recent events in the area, these organizations feel that this is an opportune time to remind women to pay extra attention to safety while potentially violent and harmful attackers are at large.

The free self-defense class includes a simple introduction to basic self-defense techniques with Sensei Chad Haas, Judo and Jiu-Jitsu’s 5th Dan Black Belt, and situational awareness techniques with Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works. Space is limited so advanced registration is required.

Event Details

• Who: Resist Attack with Team Haas Judo and Central Texas Gun Works
• What: Free Women’s Self-Defense Class
• Where: Central Texas Gun Works; 321 W. Ben White Blvd, Suite 203, Austin, Texas
• When: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 – 6:00PM-8:00PM

For more information about this event and to register, visit www.resistattack17jan.eventbrite.com.

ABOUT RESIST ATTACK
Resist Attack founder James Shaw’s mission is to protect women from the vicious attacks we all hear about by providing every woman with free pepper spray. This program quickly launched and found widespread support from influential women bloggers and feminist groups alike. An all-women Advisory Board now helps the Resist Attack team with their mission. The first pepper spray giveaways started locally in Austin, Texas and are making a difference to women’s safety. For more information about Resist Attack, visit www.resistattack.com.

ABOUT TEAM HAAS JUDO
Sensei Chad Haas is a Guest Instructor for Austin-based F.B.I. Special Agents and The University of Texas at Austin Police Department cadets, training them in Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. He has studied for 18 years under two-time World Judo Champion Sensei Zdenek Matl, and is now a 5th Dan Black Belt. Currently, Chad is the owner and Head Instructor of Team Haas Judo & Jiu-Jitsu in Round Rock, Texas. For more information about Team Haas Judo, visit www.teamhaasjudo.com.

ABOUT CENTRAL TEXAS GUN WORKS
Michael Cargill has served as a Texas DPS-certified CHL instructor for over six years and has over 20 years of firearms experience. He is also a NRA-certified Range Instructor and a NRA-certified Chief Range Safety Officer. As of this year, Michael taught 1,426 applicants the required material to obtain a Texas CHL with a 99% success rate. In addition to his regular CHL classes, Michael held several private classes for groups of home owner associations, church groups, attorneys, judges, and the students, staff, and faculty of Texas Tech University and The University of Texas at Austin. Michael also teaches an informal class at the University of Texas at Austin every quarter. For more information about Central Texas Gun Works, visit www.centraltexasgunworks.com.

Moses Slaying the Egyptians

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The first weekly reading in the Book of Shmot (Exodus 1:1-6:1) introduces us to the central character who will be the main protagonist through the end of the Torah: Moshe (“Moses” in English).

Moshe is so important in Judaism that to this day we call him “Moshe Rabbeinu” — “our Rabbi and Teacher Moshe” – and indeed his teachings dominate not only the Written Torah but also the Oral Law. But just who is this man that will lead the Jews from slavery and bring us not only the Ten Commandments but also the entire Torah itself?

The Torah tells us few details about his early life; Torah is not intended to teach us history but rather the essential information that we need to understand the spiritual development of the Jewish People, and as such the lack of details of Moshe’s character are not surprising. But this dearth of detail magnifies the significance and importance of what is revealed.

Of his birth, we are told only that he is of the House of Levi. Fearful that their slaves will rebel, the Egyptians have decreed death upon all newborn Jewish boys; Moshe’s mother hides him from the Egyptian tyrants for some three months following his birth. When she can no longer hide him, she places him in a basket and he is found, adopted, and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. We know that he grew up in the Pharaoh’s palace and can guess at what that meant in terms of his education and social status.

A few verses later, we are told that Moshe grew up and “went out to see the suffering of his People.” (Ex. 2:11) Despite his upbringing, Moshe sees the Jews as his people — he identifies with the Jews, not the Egyptians. Rashi tells us of Moshe’ empathy: “[Moshe] directed his eyes and his heart to be distressed over [the Jewish people].” (Rashi’s comment is based on Ex. Rab. 1:27)

We are told of three incidents that follow in the coming six verses:

• First, Moshe sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and the Torah tells us that Moshe sees the Jew as “his brother.” Rashi spells out the detailed background for us. The Hebrew was the husband of Shlomit, the daughter of Dibri, (who will be mentioned in Lev. 24:10), and this Egyptian had forced himself upon her. To complete his destruction of this Jewish family, the Egyptian now beat her husband. Moshe steps in and kills the Egyptian — a righteous punishment in defense of the dignity of Shlomit and her anonymous husband.
• The second incident follows the next day, when Moshe sees two Jews arguing so fiercely that one is about to strike the other. He steps in to settle the dispute, but his intervention is rejected by the guilty party who asks him: “Will you kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” (Ex. 2:14) Moshe realizes that if the Jews know that he killed the Egyptian, the Egyptians surely know as well. He flees from Pharaoh, in fear for his life. Though we are not told so, we can surmise that the penalty for striking down an Egyptian is death — and that there is no such penalty for killing a Jew.
• Moshe flees to Midian where we hear of the third incident. Resting by a well, he sees the seven daughters of Yitro draw water for their sheep. They are attacked by a group of men who steal their water; Moshe intervenes on their behalf, fighting off the group of male shepherds who attacked them, and justice is served. (Ex. 2:15-17)

What do these incidents tell us of the character of Moshe? Indeed, though terse in words, the Torah reveals much.

In these stories, we are told one of Moshe’s defining traits: he identifies with and stands up for the rights of the oppressed. Not only does Moshe defend the weak and powerless, including slaves and women, he identifies with the oppressed on a personal basis. Further, he is an equal-opportunity defender, defending Jew from Egyptian, Jew from Jew, and the Midianite women from non-Jews.

These incidents are apparently all we need to know of Moshe’s character to prepare us for his greatness. We are next given genealogical details – he marries, has children – and then we learn of Moshe’s encounter with G-d at the Burning Bush. He has been chosen by Hashem to free the Jewish slaves.

This same characteristic that defines Moshe’s greatness in his early life, his quest for justice, is one of the many ideals we strive for as Americans. Our all-American fantasy hero, Superman, stands for “truth, justice, and the American way.” We are a country of equality before the Law, founded on the principle that “all Men are created equal.” Our ideals allow the oppressed to seek redress in court where they can expect fair and equal treatment before the Law, and we expect justice for Jew and non-Jew, Egyptian and Midianite. Moshe sees the Jewish slaves as his brethren, but more, he sees them as human beings, not property – human beings created in the Image of G-d.

As such, Moshe doesn’t hesitate to stand up in defense of the innocent — even at the risk of losing his status in Egyptian royalty (which he does), even at the risk of great personal harm when he is outnumbered at the Midianite well, even to the point of using lethal force against the Egyptian who attacked the Hebrew slave.

Moshe embodies a model of law and justice that ideally would be manifest in all our leaders. At the very least, we can seek to emulate his model in our own behavior: defend the rights of the oppressed, protect the innocent from harm, and seek justice and equal treatment before the law. In perfecting these and other manifestations of his character, Moshe will grow into the great law-giver who transmits the Torah, G-d’s Law manifest on Earth.

May we aspire to display his respect for justice and the dignity of others.

Shalom,

Rabbi Dovid Bendory

Rabbi Bendory is an NRA Certified Firearms Instructor.

The Rabbi’s Archive page.

About:
Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership Mission is to destroy “gun control” and to encourage Americans to understand and defend all of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Those are the twin goals of Wisconsin-based Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.

JPFO is a non-profit tax-exempt educational civil rights organization, not a lobby. JPFO’s products and programs reach out to as many segments of the American people as possible, using bold tactics without compromise on fundamental principles. Visit www.JPFO.org – Copyright JPFO 2011

CCRKBA.org

BELLEVUE, WA – -(Ammoland.com)- This week’s revelation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that homicide is no longer among the leading causes of death in the United States – at a time when gun ownership is at an all-time high – shows that the gun ban lobby has been wrong, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“The CDC’s report for 2010 that removes homicide from the top 15 leading causes of death in this country coincides with a period of record high gun ownership,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “At the same time, increasing numbers of citizens have obtained concealed carry permits and licenses. This is pretty strong evidence that rising gun ownership does not translate to more violence and murder.”

Gottlieb, co-author of the newly-released SHOOTING BLANKS: Why Facts Don’t Matter to the Gun Ban Crowd with Dave Workman, noted that the CDC has long been a source of data exploited by gun prohibitionists.

“I wonder how anti-gunners will try to spin this report,” he mused. “Gun control extremists will have a hard time explaining how, after years of repeated predictions and warnings that more guns in private hands will result in more mayhem, that homicides are no longer among the top causes of death in the United States.

“Gun banners can’t have it both ways,” Gottlieb continued. “If the data had shown murders on the increase, you can bet your life savings that they would be screaming ‘We told you so!’ on every front page in America.”

Gottlieb said the CDC report is just one more demonstration of how wrong anti-gunners have been in their campaign of fear against private gun ownership.

“This new information correlates with national crime trends over the past few years, showing declining violent crime while gun ownership has increased,” he concluded. “You simply can no longer demonize gun ownership or the Second Amendment as a leading cause of crime.”

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org.

Gun Rights Policies with John Snyder

Arlington, VA - Home invasions have become a serious problem. People use guns millions of times each year to thwart such criminal activity.

It’s time to kick out of office politicians who work to undermine the right to defend life and family.

About John Snyder:
Named the Gun Dean by Human Events, “the senior rights activist in Washington” by Shotgun News, a “champion of the right to self-defense” by The Washington Times, and “dean of gun lobbyists” by The Washington Post and The New York Times, John M. Snyder has spent 45 years as a proponent of the individual Second Amendment civil right to keep and bear arms as a National Rifle Association editor, public affairs director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation, and founder of www.GunRightsPolicies.org.

A former Jesuit seminarian, Snyder is founder/manager of Telum Associates, LL.C., founder/chairman of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc., a director of Council for America, and serves on the boards of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police & Concerned Citizens. He is also the author of the book Gun Saint. Visit: www.GunRightsPolicies.org

Wisconsin Gun Owners

Madison, Wisconsin --(Ammoland.com)- Until Dec. 7, Wisconsin was one of just 22 states without some form of “castle doctrine” or “Make-My-Day” law.

But passage of Assembly Bill 69 on that date changes everything by improving legal protections for home owners who use deadly force in self-defense.

“A person has a right to defend themselves and their family in their dwelling,” said Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), a lead sponsor of the legislation as reported on jsonline.com. “The fundamental issue is about protecting life, not property.”

The bill passed the State Senate 26-7 on November 3, and was sent to Governor Walker for final passage into law on Dec. 7.

According to Wisconsin Gun Owners, (WGO) the legislation — which was rammed through at 5 am in the morning — is a step in the right direction but could have been stronger.

The bill, said WGO, affirmed only the “privilege of self-defense, not the right (as enumerated in the Wisconsin Constitution’s Right to Bear Arms); it also didn’t include the language “any place you may legally be.

“Under AB 69 criminal courts can still litigate against gun owners like you, potentially costing you thousands of dollars in attorney fees,” said Dudley Brown, Executive Director of the National Assoc. for Gun Rights. “While AB 69 is not great it does significantly advance legal protections for Wisconsin’s gun owners because, unlike other states, it includes your home, car, and workplace.”

WGO plans to continue pushing for a better law, but aren’t holding our breath waiting for the institutional gun lobby to take up that torch.

In the meantime, anti-gun lawyers with the State Bar of Wisconsin — a group representing more than 600 criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges, academics and other numbskulls — opposed the bill crying foul that it would enable homeowners to shoot “trick-ortreaters.”

About:
WGO works for grassroots gun owners, not politicians. While many gun lobbies fight for “reasonable gun control,” WGO sets a higher standard: Defining the terrain of pro-gun political battle. Sure, many groups claim they’re “pro-gun” – all the while they provide cover for anti-gun deals cut by politicians – but only WGO truly informs gun owners, remaining committed to a 100% pro-gun position. We oppose all gun control – regardless of the political party – and work tirelessly to restore the Second Amendment. Visit www.wisconsingunowners.org

AmmoLand Gun News

COLUMBUS/SANTA FE --(Ammoland.com)- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and New Mexico Department of Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Gorden E. Eden, Jr. have signed an agreement that permits reciprocity between their states for citizens who have valid concealed carry permits.

“I am pleased that this agreement between Ohio and New Mexico will allow Ohioans who have concealed carry permits the same rights to carry a concealed handgun in the State of New Mexico, as well as New Mexicans who have concealed carry permits to do the same in Ohio” said Attorney General DeWine.

Secretary Eden reiterated those remarks. “As proponents of the Second Amendment, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety is happy to extend concealed carry rights to licensed Ohioans, as those same rights are extended to licensed New Mexicans who visit Ohio.”

Ohio law permits the Attorney General to enter into written agreements with other states whose laws are “substantially comparable” to Ohio’s eligibility requirements for a license to carry a concealed handgun. In New Mexico, this authority falls under the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.

New Mexico’s and Ohio’s concealed carry laws are very similar to one another. Both states require a background check for long-term residents of their state or an FBI III check for short-term residents of their states, and both require training in order to be eligible for a concealed carry license.

Concealed carry permit holders will be required to comply with all of the other state’s laws regarding possession, transportation, storage and use of concealed weapons and all other applicable laws except those regarding issuance, suspension, revocation and renewal of concealed weapons licenses, which remain within the power of the issuing state.

Each state will make their verification systems available to the other to be able to check the status of the other state’s concealed carry licenses.

The agreement remains in force unless statutory authority for it is withdrawn by either of the state’s legislatures or terminated in writing by either party upon 30 days notice.

With this signing, Ohio and New Mexico each now have reciprocity agreements with 22 states.

Rob Pincus Self-Defense Training Event At Gander Mountain Academy

Gander Mountain

ST. PAUL, MN --(Ammoland.com)- In a first-of-its-kind event, renowned self defense and firearms training expert Rob Pincus will teach his Dynamic Defensive Handgun Class in six different classrooms, in six different parts of the nation, at the same time this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17 and 18, Pincus will present his pioneering self-defense workshop live via video link at six different Gander Mountain Academy classrooms simultaneously. For more information, including registration for one of the classes, click on the “Gander Mtn. Academy” link at www.GanderMountain.com. Limited seats are available. Students may also register by phone at 888-5GANDER.

“These classes will be unique in that they will feature a nationally-broadcast series of lectures and discussions with students,” said Pincus. “I will be based in Gander Mountain Academy’s flagship facility in Florida, and we will broadcast the lectures out to five other academy locations around the country.”

Pincus and staff from the Lake Mary, FL, academy will run the class, while instructors from the academies in DeForest, WI, La Crosse, WI, Lakeville, MN, Spring, TX and Wichita, KS, will be in the classes and on the ranges at all locations to supplement Pincus’ instruction with hands-on learning.

Among the topics covered in the six-hour class are:

• Overview of Defensive Handgun Types
• Understanding the Context of Defensive Shooting
• Fundamentals of Intuitive Defensive Shooting
• Efficient Presentation from the Holster
• The Balance of Speed & Precision
• Training for Multiple Threats
• Home Defense Scenarios
• The Skill Development Cycle

“I’m really excited about this course,” Pincus said. “It’s going to bring all of the dynamic, practical, reality-based techniques that we teach people all over the world. It’s for people interested in learning how to use their firearm to protect themselves or others in a worst-case scenario. Along with qualified instructors, I’ll be delivering that information at amazing Gander Mountain Academy facilities.”

Rob Pincus is a professional trainer, author and consultant. He and his staff at I.C.E. Training provide services to military, law enforcement, private security and students interested in self-defense.

About Gander Mountain Company
Gander Mountain Company headquartered in St. Paul, MN, is the nation’s largest retail network of outdoor specialty stores for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products and services. Since 1960, the Gander Mountain brand has offered an expanding assortment of competitively priced outdoor equipment, technical apparel, rugged casual wear and footwear featuring national, regional and specialty brands as well as the company’s owned brands. Focused on a “We Live Outdoors®” culture, Gander Mountain dedicates itself to creating outdoor memories. There are currently 115 conveniently located Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 23 states. For the nearest store location call 800-282-5993 or visit www.GanderMountain.com Gander Mountain is also the parent company of Overton’s (www.overtons.com) a leading catalog and Internet based retailer of products for boating and other water sports enthusiasts.

CampusCarry.com

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- A routine traffic stop at Virginia Tech turned deadly.

A police officer conducting the stop as well as a second individual were shot and killed, apparently by the same assailant. At this time (4pm ET), the status of the assailant is unknown and Virginia Tech remains on lockdown. [It is now known that the Second victim was the initial shooter]

Students for Concealed Carry offer our condolences the victims, and deepest hopes that the suspect(s) responsible be brought to justice.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the officer killed at Virginia Tech,” states Thomas Burge, Texas Director of Students for Concealed Carry.

“It is sad and unfortunate that this occurred and even worse that it is not the first time on this campus. The VA Tech campus is a “Gun-Free” zone, but these zones are proven to be guns free for law abiding citizens only. This is a terrible reminder that we must have the ability to protect ourselves on campuses as much as we do in and outside our homes…”

SCC also sadly recognizes this incident proves yet again that nothing has changed at Virginia Tech. The college still entertain delusional beliefs that signs and stickers will prevent illegal weapons on campus, even as they protest paying fines for their failing to notify students of the initial murders preceding the worst shooting spree in history three years ago.

According to Students for Concealed Carry at Texas A&M University, “This incident continues to prove that campuses are not crime free. The same crime that happens everywhere else in the United States can happen just as easily and just as suddenly on a college campus. Yet, college campuses remain one of the last areas that law abiding adults with a valid concealed carry permit cannot carry a firearm for self-defense. This leave our campus students and faculty tragically defense free against the same crime that anywhere else we might be able to defend ourselves. This latest event shows evil people still exist in the world and all the laws in the world will not stop them from committing violent crime. Guns are not the solution to every problem, but they are a solution to some problems – a solution completely ruled out by college campuses in Virginia and most campuses nationwide.”

With licensed campus carry now a successful policy at over two hundred campuses in six states without incident, it is time for Virginia Tech and colleges nationwide to end the ban on campus self-defense.

In contrast, a sign saying an area is a “gun free zone” is a dangerous and deadly fiction.

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- The city council of Fayetteville NC claims to have been caught off guard by the implementation of HB 650 on Thursday, December 1st, so claims Mayor Tony Chavonne. So they meet tonight to consider the issue.

To give a flavor of the inclination of the city, Recreation Director Michael Gibson claims to respect the rights of lawful gun ownership, but illustrates a complete ignorance of the total lack of problems everywhere that legal concealed carry has been implemented by stating that he believes allowing it in areas where adults and children are together is “not a great idea” and that it makes him “uneasy.”

J.D. Pone, chairman of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission, makes no bones about his opposition. Pone says that he wished the city could continue to have a blanket ban on guns in all parks.

Yesterday’s Fayetteville Observer says: The item is on Monday’s consent agenda, which is reserved for noncontroversial items that require no discussion. On the night of meetings, council members can request to have items taken from the consent agenda for a debate and a separate vote.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED:

• Attend the meeting at 7:00 pm tonight.
• Contact the Mayor and City Councilors of Fayetteville, NC.
• Cut and paste email list: mayor@ci.fay.nc.us dhaire2@nc.rr.com kbates05@nc.rr.com kdavy@ci.fay.nc.us askia25@aol.com Bobbyhurst@aol.com wjlcrisp@aol.com vapplewhiteccd7@yahoo.com tmohn@aol.com jarp@ci.fay.nc.us

Deliver This Message

City of Fayetteville Representatives,

HB 650 was intended to increase the ability of law-abiding permittees to defend themselves and their families when visiting North Carolina parks. The need for citizens to be able to effectively defend themselves in Fayetteville’s parks has been played out in parks the state over such as earlier this month in Greenville by the brutal murder of Leroy Staton in Jaycee Park.

I urge you to remove all bans of lawful concealed carry in Fayetteville parks in the spirit if not the letter of HB 650.

I will be following progress through Grass Roots North Carolina.

Sincerely,

A concerned NC voter

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

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

New York --(Ammoland.com)- Dear: Governor Cuomo, State-Senator Leibel(now in prison), State Senator Ball, Assemblyman ????? (does it really matter, your a democrat)

Every year some new idea about how to make our streets safer via “Gun Control” arrives in New York. We’ve registered our guns. Violent crime continues. We’ve banned assault weapons. Violent crime continues. We ballistically identify our legally possessed pistols. Violent crime continues. There are 200 to 300 million firearms in this country – they are woven into the fabric of our society. For all the “wiz bang” technology that modern society has invented – rifles and pistols are still the foundation of our national and state defense. Thousands of times an hour they are used to dissuade another from pursuing an ill advised path; whether in the hand of a police officer or a private citizen.

Yes – accidents and tragedies happen, and a mature society must look itself in the mirror and draw the proper conclusions from these horrible events, but to think that by passing law upon law the public at large will somehow be magically made safer via “gun control” is psychotic and dangerous.

I and many of you witnessed the attacks on September 11, 2001. Had those pilots – many of whom were ex military officers – been required to carry a side arm; that day would have ended much differently. Imagine all the lives and treasure that could have been saved but for an irrational fear of the law abiding gun owner. Can any of you honestly say that over the past few decades your collective efforts have made New Yorkers safer? If any of you answered yes then you must take a close look at the FBI statistics on violent crime – you’ll find disappointment waiting for you. No law can urge the lawless to ask permission from anyone for anything.

Remember ladies and gentleman criminals, terrorists, and sub human miscreants are dumb, but they are not stupid.

The latest iteration of this policy is the idea that putting a serial number on a bullet casing as it ejects from a semi-automatic pistol will allow law enforcement to detect and thus incarcerate more criminals – this is also referred to as micro-stamping. So let us pretend that all of you are now criminals – how would you alter your behavior to avoid detection? Police your brass. Use a sawed off shotgun. Use a revolver. Gasoline and a match are very effective. Explosives work exceedingly well in motor vehicles. Poison – women seem to prefer this method – Spitzer should hire a food tester. There are very effective ways of killing people that never include a semi-automatic pistol. Not to mention the most obvious trick – remove the firing pin and file off the serializing mechanism.

What about something even more devious – picking up used serialized brass at a firing range and place it at the scene of the future crime to throw off the police. Serializing casings of pistol cartridges not only will not work, but it will create more permutations of that section of the population of New York State that are hell bent on killing for profit or psychosis.

New York State currently operates a system that ostensibly should be doing what micro-stamping or serializing a cartridge would do. That system is called “The New York State Combined Ballistic Identification System,” or COBIS. To date COBIS has cost the taxpayers of New York $30,000,000 and has produced only two matches in its database. It costs $4,000,000 per year to operate. We are not the only State to have attempted such foolishness – Maryland has attempted it also. The only difference is Maryland abandoned it because firearms possessed by law abiding citizens are use to commit crimes in infinitesimally rare circumstances. I could fill five pages with all I know of ballistic identification and it’s pros and cons – I sincerely suggest all of you educate yourselves and rethink New York’s current approach – last I checked New York was running a $5,000,000,000 deficit saving a few million here or there might start adding up to real money.

Many proven methods work to prevent crime, a solid basic education in how to behave in civil society, economic growth, engaged and active parents, etc. But the most effective methods that exist for reducing crime is self defense and long term humane incarceration for those who cannot coexist peacefully with their fellow citizens. New York State concealed carry law is a mess – some counties provide permits to law abiding citizens with out much hassle while others, “you have to know somebody.” Fix this and you’ll have a safer society. Don’t get me wrong – have stringent rules and requirements that are not capricious for the officials as well as the applicants, but stop deluding yourselves in thinking that permit holders and firearms are in and of themselves the enemy – the opposite is true – concealed carry holders are the most productive and law abiding segment of society.

Florida maintains excellent statistics on this point – less then one hundredth of one percent of all permit holders has ever committed any crime in its entire thirty year history of concealed carry! Before Elliot Sptitzers behavior was detected he let 200 murderers out of prison. These people did not steal a loaf of bread to feed their children – THEY KILLED AND RAPED PEOPLE. Fix this and you’ll have a safer society. Bring back the death penalty for criminals that take an officers life.

Please stop attacking me and my fellow firearms owners we neither deserve your ire or your ad hominem attacks.

Focus your efforts on what works and not what will get any of you reelected, stop using firearms as a means to win votes in an effort to demonstrate to your misguided constituents that you can save them from violent crime if only they surrender more of their forgotten liberty, when the opposite is true – even they at some point will recognize your hypocrisy for what it is.

Respectfully,

Joe Doakes

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- I voted Yes on H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, of which I am a co-sponsor.

This bill allows an individual with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry in any other state that issues concealed firearm permits, or that does not prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms for lawful purposes.

Instead, the bill requires states to recognize each others’ permits, in a similar manner to how they recognize drivers’ licenses.

Importantly, H.R. 822 does not change state laws regulating how concealed firearms are carried within any state. All state, federal, and local laws regarding carrying a concealed handgun that would apply to a resident of a state will also apply in equal force to a non-resident.

It is important to make certain law enforcement is appropriately prepared and equipped to enforce this new law. That is why I supported an amendment offered by Rep. Dave Reichert – a former sheriff - requiring a study to examine the extent to which law enforcement is currently able to verify the validity of out-of-state concealed firearms permits.

I voted Yes because the Second Amendment is an important individual right guaranteed to us at the federal level by the U.S. Constitution. I will continue to defend and support this right on behalf of law-abiding Upstate New Yorkers.

The bill was passed by a bipartisan vote of 272 – 154.

Gun Rights Policies with John Snyder

WASHINGTON, D.C.- “The House of Representatives deserves the thanks and commendation of law-abiding Americans for passing today H.R. 822, the proposed National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, by an overwhelming vote of 272 to 154,” gun law expert John M. Snyder said here. He is the Gun Dean, according to Human Events.

“This bill, if enacted into law, would allow an individual with a permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by a state to carry in other states,” he explained. “The Senate should take up this measure as soon as possible and give it swift and positive consideration.”

“It’s an idea whose time has come,” Snyder added. “Studies show that where CCW legislation is enacted, rates of violent crime take a precipitous downturn. People with drivers’ licenses issued by a state can drive an automobile throughout the country. There is no good reason for preventing people with state-issued CCW licenses from carrying concealed around the country.

“The opposition to this proposal comes on an ideological basis and not a factual one. It’s time to overcome anti-gun die hard politicians and mainstream media personalities. It’s time to enact this and other gun rights legislation into law. It’s time to begin rolling back some of the anti-gun legislation enacted into law by Congress and some state legislatures over the last several decades.”

Snyder said, “The issue is coming to a head as public opinion surveys indicate support for unreasonably restrictive gun legislation has been declining over the last half-century or so. Support for the individual Second Amendment civil right of law-abiding American citizens is at an all-time high. So is the purchase of firearms and ammunition.

“The gun rights movement has been and continues to be on the rise. The gun control movement is on the decline, even though it has had the support of much of the mainstream media over the last several decades. This is true even though millions and perhaps billions have been spent to support it. In this country, it’s a loser. The United States is gun country. It’s time for Congress to recognize this.”

About John Snyder:
Named the Gun Dean by Human Events, “the senior rights activist in Washington” by Shotgun News, a “champion of the right to self-defense” by The Washington Times, and “dean of gun lobbyists” by The Washington Post and The New York Times, John M. Snyder has spent 45 years as a proponent of the individual Second Amendment civil right to keep and bear arms as a National Rifle Association editor, public affairs director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation, and founder of www.GunRightsPolicies.org.

A former Jesuit seminarian, Snyder is founder/manager of Telum Associates, LL.C., founder/chairman of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc., a director of Council for America, and serves on the boards of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police & Concerned Citizens. He is also the author of the book Gun Saint. Visit: www.GunRightsPolicies.org

Gun Rights Policies with John Snyder

Arlington, VA - Now that the House of Representatives has passed a concealed carry reciprocity bill by a substantial margin, the Senate should follow suit and do the same.

About John Snyder:
Named the Gun Dean by Human Events, “the senior rights activist in Washington” by Shotgun News, a “champion of the right to self-defense” by The Washington Times, and “dean of gun lobbyists” by The Washington Post and The New York Times, John M. Snyder has spent 45 years as a proponent of the individual Second Amendment civil right to keep and bear arms as a National Rifle Association editor, public affairs director of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation, and founder of www.GunRightsPolicies.org.

A former Jesuit seminarian, Snyder is founder/manager of Telum Associates, LL.C., founder/chairman of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc., a director of Council for America, and serves on the boards of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police & Concerned Citizens. He is also the author of the book Gun Saint. Visit: www.GunRightsPolicies.org

Gun Owners of America

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The House passed national concealed carry reciprocity legislation on Wednesday evening by a vote of 272-154.

The bill, H.R. 822, is intended to allow persons who hold a concealed carry permit from one state to also carry anywhere in the country, with the exception of Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Though the bill passed by a wide margin, it was not without controversy on the pro-gun side of the debate.

In previous alerts, GOA has pointed out several flaws in the legislation:

• It forces Vermont residents (who do not need a permit to carry) to either obtain an out-of-state permit or to push their state to pass a more restrictive concealed carry law than it now enjoys;
• By requiring permits for reciprocity, the bill undermines efforts at the state level to pass constitutional carry (i.e., Vermont-style carry);
• In restrictive “may issue” states, the bill allows for non-residents to carry firearms in the state while most residents would still be prohibited, and;
• The bill is yet another example of Congress distorting of the Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

Representative Justin Amash (R-MI), who voted against the bill, addressed this last point in a statement, calling H.R. 822 “an unconstitutional bill that improperly applies the Commerce Clause to concealed carry licensing.”

Another freshman Representative, Rob Woodall (R-GA), noted that the right to carry a concealed firearm is already protected by the Second Amendment.

“If the Second Amendment protects my rights to carry my concealed weapon from state to state to state, I don’t need another federal law,” Rep. Woodall said. He went on to remind his colleagues of the original intent of the right to keep and bear arms.

“I don’t believe the Second Amendment was put in the Bill of Rights to allow me to shoot targets [or] hunt for deer and turkey. I think the Second Amendment was put in the Bill of Rights so that I could defend my freedom against an overbearing federal government.”

Anti-gun Amendment Passes
One extremely troubling amendment to the bill was slipped in on a voice vote. Sponsored by Republican David Reichert (“C” rated by GOA), the amendment instructs the Government Accounting Office to:

“Conduct a study of the ability of State and local law enforcement authorities to verify the validity of licenses or permits, issued by other States, to carry a concealed firearm.”

Nowhere in the Constitution is there even a hint of authority for the federal government to “study” the exercising of a right. Even worse, you can be sure that anti-gunners will use any excuse, including this study, to push for some type of national carry license.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where GOA is already working with key Senators to address ALL of the problems with the bill. GOA is also working with Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) on legislation, H.R. 2900, that takes a constitutional approach to concealed carry recognition.

You can click here to send you own Representative a message urging him or her to become a cosponsor of H.R. 2900.

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

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. --(Ammoland.com)- A 15-year-old deer hunter from Wayne killed a mountain lion near Creighton in northeast Nebraska on Nov. 12, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The boy, hunting a shelterbelt in Knox County, spotted the mountain lion 10 feet away before shooting and killing it.

The mountain lion was a young male, which has been typical of mountain lions found in Nebraska outside of the Panhandle, according to Sam Wilson, furbearer and carnivore program manager with Game and Parks. The carcass was turned over to Game and Parks, as required by law.

It was the 52nd confirmed mountain lion sighting in Nebraska outside the Pine Ridge population since 1991.

Mountain lions are protected year-round in Nebraska but may be killed if threatening people or attacking livestock. No charges will be filed, as evidence indicated self-defense.

“Game and Parks is interested in documenting observations or game camera photographs of mountain lions,” Wilson said. “Please report any observations to your nearest Game and Parks office or call 402-471-0641.”

Liberty University Vastly Improves Gun Policies

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Liberty University (LU) has just changed their firearms policies to be more in line with the University’s name.

Not perfect by any means but most definitely a whole lot better!

The timing is interesting: VCDL is in the middle of its Operation Campus Safety campaign AND I will be speaking at the University on December 5th (I’ll be speaking at the new College Constitutional Conservative Christian Coalition club meeting).

Probably a coincidence, but interesting nonetheless.

Liberty is a private university and is not bound by the recent Supreme Court decision nor the Attorney General Cuccinelli opinion on CHP carry on university property.

The new policy allows guests with CHPs to store guns in their vehicles or to have them outside buildings, but not carry them into the buildings. Faculty, staff, and students can seek permission from the LU PD to do the same. LU PD can also authorize certain faculty and staff to have guns inside buildings and stored in a secured container in their office.

Also, students, faculty, and staff with or without CHPs will now be able to store their guns with the LU PD.

Here is the announcement. I see one possible mistake: in the list of universities that allow students and others with CHPs on campus – University of Virginia doesn’t fit that mold exactly. If they are referring to just “others” with CHPs carrying outside of buildings, then UVA is valid, as would be any public university or college in Virginia. Currently CHP holders who are guests can carry inside the buildings of most public universities and colleges in Virginia, regardless of any school policies to the contrary. The exceptions are VCU and GMU.

VCDL applauds this important step forward by LU. That stands in stark contrast to UVA and some other universities, which are rushing to take a step backwards.

www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?pid=4153

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

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- On Tuesday, November 15, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act.” Please contact Representative Smith and urge him to vote for this pro-gun legislation.

This important bill would allow any law-abiding concealed carry permit holder to legally carry a concealed firearm while visiting any state that does not prohibit concealed carry.

Please contact Rep. Smith as soon as possible and urge him to vote for H.R. 822, the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act”.

Phone:
Washington, DC (202) 225-3765

Hamilton (609) 585-7878
Email: http://www.capwiz.com/nra/issues/alert/?alertid=55111516

The Facts About H.R. 822, the “National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act”
Unfortunately, but predictably, H.R. 822 continues to be attacked by anti-gun organizations and the media. Regrettably, even some so-called “pro-gun” organizations have joined with the anti-gun Brady Campaign and Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns to try to defeat this pro-gun bill.

This critically important legislation, introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.

There is currently only one remaining state (Illinois) that has no legal way for individuals to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Forty states [with the exception of New Jersey] have permit systems that make it possible for any law-abiding person to obtain a permit, while most of the others have discretionary permit systems. (Vermont has never required a permit.) 

H.R. 822 would mark a major step forward for gun owners’ rights by significantly expanding where permits are recognized. Dozens of states have passed Right-to-Carry laws over the past 25 years, because the right to self-defense does not end when one leaves home. However, interstate recognition of permits is not uniform and creates great confusion and potential problems for travelers. While many states have broad reciprocity, others have very restrictive reciprocity laws, and a few deny recognition completely.

H.R. 822 would solve this problem by requiring that lawfully issued carry permits be recognized in all states with some form of a permit system, while protecting the ability of the various states to determine the areas where carrying is prohibited within their boundaries.

Opponents of the legislation claim that it tramples on “states rights.” States, however, don’t have rights, they have powers. And while many anti-gun lawmakers who’ve long pushed national gun bans, national bans on private gun sales, national waiting periods and other federal restrictions have suddenly become born-again advocates of “states’ rights” in opposing this bill, several provisions in the U.S. Constitution give Congress the authority to enact interstate carry. Congress also has the power to protect the rights of citizens, nationwide, under the 14th Amendment (please see related article from last week’s Grassroots Alert).

Next, despite what a few so-called “pro-gun” activists have argued, this bill would not create a federal licensing or registration system, nor would it establish a minimum federal standard for carry permits. Rather, it would require the states to recognize each others’ carry permits, just as they recognize driver’s licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards. Unfortunately, these self-proclaimed “gun rights” supporters, who have no active lobbying presence in any legislature, have an agenda that has very little to do with promoting the interests of gun owners. Here are the FACTS about a few of their claims:

Myth: H.R. 822 would involve the federal bureaucracy in setting standards for carry permits, resulting in “need” requirements, higher fees, waiting periods, national gun owner registration, or worse.

FACT: H.R. 822 doesn’t require-or even authorize-any such action by any federal agency. In fact, since it would amend the Gun Control Act, it would fall under a limitation within that law that authorizes “only such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out” the GCA’s provisions. No federal rules or regulations would be needed to implement H.R. 822, which simply overrides certain state laws.

Myth: H.R. 822 would destroy permitless carry systems such as those in Arizona, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming.

FACT: H.R. 822 would have absolutely no effect on how the permitless carry states’ laws work within those states. For residents of Arizona, Alaska and Wyoming, where permits are not required but remain available under state law, H.R. 822 would make those permits valid in all states that issue permits to their own residents. Residents of Vermont, where no permits are issued or required, could obtain nonresident permits from other states to enjoy the benefits of H.R. 822.

Myth: If H.R. 822 moved through the legislative process, it would be subject to anti-gun amendments.

TRUTH: By this logic, neither NRA, nor any other pro-gun group, should ever promote any pro-gun reform legislation. But inaction isn’t an option for those of us who want to make positive changes for gun owners. Instead, we know that by careful vote counting and strategic use of legislative procedure, anti-gun amendments can be avoided or defeated.

H.R. 822 is a good bill for gun owners. Don’t listen to false or misleading accusations; instead, read the bill and our fact sheet explaining its provisions. Then, please contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to support the earliest possible consideration of H.R. 822 this year.

Please contact your Representative or by email by clicking here and urge him to stand up for gun owners’ rights by voting for this important legislation.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Range Master

Memphis, TN --(Ammoland.com)- When a responsible person first begins going armed, he is usually haunted by two recurring questions, or self-doubts:

1. If I’m really attacked, and my life is at stake, will I be able to handle it?
2. What if I screw up and kill an innocent person?

This is a normal reaction, and to a degree it is healthy. We do, however, need to address these issues and resolve them, before a conflict, so that they will not raise their ugly heads when we should be concentrating on winning the fight.

Remember, if an unavoidable fight is thrust upon us, we MUST WIN!

The alternative can be death, or crippling injury. The first issue to face is that of FEAR. Fear is a normal reaction to physical violence for most people. In addition, since most of us no longer have military experience and live in “civilized” surroundings, we may not have ever actually engaged in a true fight before our moment of truth in a criminal attack. This fear of the unknown is, for many, worse than the fear of being hurt or killed.

First, let me say this. Unless you are an exceptional person, a nutcase, or a liar, and you have actually been involved in armed conflict, you have tasted fear. I’m not ashamed to say I have been scared several times, and I fully expect to be scared again before my life is over. What you must learn to do is control your fear, and do what you must to win.

Fear can be controlled and overcome, even in life threatening circumstances. This is obviously true, and it is proven every day by hundreds of ordinary people all over the country. Here are some

Steps you can take to make this process easier:

1. Admit to yourself you are afraid, then move on. Concentrate your mental energies on the task at hand, not on your fear of death, injury, or loss of ego.
2. Avoid dwelling on the chance of failure. Concentrate on finding a way to win.
3. Take control of yourself. Autogenic breathing is the very best and most efficient way to do this. (Details later.)
4. Focus on getting the job done.
5. Have a Plan B. Always, always, always, expect Plan A to fail. Expect your gun to malfunction. Expect the suspect to stay up after being hit solidly. Expect to be injured. If any of these things occur, have a pre-planned option to continue (Plan B).
6. Turn anger into a motivator. Who does this clown think he is?!? What makes him think he has the right to (rob/rape/kill/ pick one) me?!?
7. Accept an element of fate in every situation. You can get hurt by accident after doing everything right. Control everything you CAN control (selection of equipment, getting adequate training and practice, being alert, thinking tactically) so there are fewer things you CAN NOT control. Stack the odds in your favor and fate has a lot less impact.

Courage under fire is not a matter of being without fear. It is a matter of being able to control fear and accomplish your mission, which is to stay alive. Only fools are fearless.

The other nagging self-doubt concerns over-reacting and shooting someone under unjustifiable circumstances. If you are reading this, that will not happen. Citizens who are responsible enough to obtain carry permits, seek expensive training, make time for practice sessions, etc. are simply too honest, caring, and self disciplined to shoot people without just cause.

In my own state, there have been eight fatal shootings by permit holders in the past three years. Every single one was judged to be justifiable and lawful by the Attorney General’s office. Not one of these permit holders was charged with any crime nor were they sued for anything.

Why? Because every single case was clear-cut, obvious, and morally, legally, and ethically justified. Private citizens have a great reluctance to shoot, even when it is necessary. In fact, for many the problem they will face is the exact opposite of being “trigger happy”. Believe it or not, every day, people who are armed and know how to use their weapons, and who have an opportunity to use their weapons to save their lives, fail to do so and die as a result. This happens to both private citizens and police officers alike.

You ask, “Why on earth would someone who is armed stand there and literally watch a thug kill him?” There are a number of reasons, and they stem from the socialization process that the normal person goes through from birth (but that the criminal does not).

These reasons most often include:

1.  Moral repugnance to taking a life: You have been taught all of your life that human life is sacred, that to kill is wrong, and that only bad people hurt others.
2. Failure to be mentally prepared: An astonishing number of people who go armed have never given any thought whatsoever to the fact that they may have to shoot someone. To many, the gun is a talisman, and wearing it is thought to ward off evil spirits. In fact, it is a tool, one used for regaining control of your immediate environment in an emergency.
3. Failure to understand the dynamics of armed confrontations: Many people armed with firearms are killed by thugs armed with edged weapons because they fail to take the “lesser” weapon seriously; they don’t understand that deadly force is deadly force, whether applied by gun or knife; and they don’t realize how quickly someone at ten feet can appear at one foot.
4. Inhibition by community pressure and fear of lawsuits: These are trivial matters compared to being killed, raped, or permanently crippled. Get your priorities straight! Unless you are alive, these don’t matter, anyway.
5. Uncertainty about when deadly force is justified: This is a training issue. Be certain that you understand the laws of your state as they apply to self-defense and the use of deadly force. Once you have internalized this information, it is simple and easy to see when the circumstances fit the law. There is nothing subtle about someone actually trying to kill you! It will be obvious to you, to any witnesses, and to the police.

The best way to be fully mentally prepared to actually press that trigger if you have to, is to develop a well thought out and plainly stated set of rules of engagement, long before you are faced with a crisis. This is referred to as a “pre-made decision”, thought out, verbalized, and firmly planted in your mind in advance.

I suggest the acronym IDOL, which stands for “Immediate Defense of Life”. Make a commitment that you will only fire as a desperate measure to terminate a threat to your own life, or the life of an innocent third party. If you pose an imminent and otherwise unavoidable threat to my life, or that of an associate (wife, partner, etc.) I will act swiftly and decisively to put you down and out. I will reach for my gun for no other reason, period.

Many people think about this incorrectly. They ask themselves, “If he does —-, can I shoot him?” That is a recipe for disaster! Your question should ALWAYS be, “ Do I have to shoot him?” Ask yourself, “If I don’t shoot this man, right here, right now, will I be killed or crippled?” If the answer is Yes, shoot him! If the answer is No, try something else.

As with most things, this is a matter of training. Proper training ingrains the proper responses. Repetition is the mother of all skill. With skill comes confidence. With confidence comes the ability to think under pressure and make sound tactical decisions.

To be of value to you, training must meet the test of the Three R’s. Training must be: RELEVANT REALISTIC RECENT.

Relevant training refers to exercises and skill drills pertinent to the task of self-defense. Bullseye shooting training, for instance, is not particularly relevant.

Realistic training is conducted on humanoid targets, from the holster, with a carry type gun and full powered ammunition, in varied lighting conditions, and under time pressure.

Recent training assures retention of motor skills, which degrade quickly. The skills involved in rapidly firing a full-power weapon with precision are perishable, and are lost completely without frequent practice. I suggest two or three sessions of dry practice at home each week, with at least one range session per month to maintain competency. Practice builds skill, skill builds confidence. Having a well developed skill set, and the confidence that well developed skill engenders, can help you keep your head and stay in control during highly stressful conflicts.

“An amateur practices until he gets it right. A professional practices until he can’t get it wrong.”

About:
Tom Givens and his many renowned guest instructors can provide the serious student with hands-on tactical training and mental preparation for the not-so-unlikely event that you are forced to defend your life or your family in the real world. Visit: www.rangemaster.com

Movement & Survivability in a Gun Fight

Modern Defensive Training Systems

Utica, NY --(Ammoland.com)- Movement is a critical component of surviving a combative encounter.

Armies understand the value of movement, boxers spend as much time on footwork as they do on punching, and offline lateral movement during close-range gun battles has been proven to drastically increase survivability.

Two or more combatants rarely remain stationary for very long while engaging one another with empty hands, knives, impact weapons or bullets.

Possessing the ability to move during a reactive incident provides numerous advantages, including escape, getting off the line of attack, opportunity to attain cover or concealment, alteration of one’s target profile, achieving a favorable angle of attack, and gaining a time advantage (however minor).

In simplified terms, moving targets are more difficult to hit, and a moving body is harder to isolate, entangle, and control.

All combative movement should initiate from a solid, balanced platform.

This will give you the ability to move rapidly in any direction, stability in case you have to absorb forward impact from one or more attackers, and flexibility to move over uneven terrain. This platform should replicate our instinctive body alarm reaction state as much as possible.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE HERE…

About Chris:
Chris Fry is the owner and director of training and curriculum development for Modern Defensive Training Systems in Utica, N.Y. where he conducts courses in reality driven practical combatives skills, extreme close quarters physical defense, tactical folding knife and edged weapon combatives and combative pistol, carbine and shotgun skills. MDTS offers a variety of courses for responsible citizens, corporations, law enforcement and the U.S. Military with a singular goal of providing up to date, realistic and practical personal protection training. Visit: www.mdtstraining.com

NRA News

Fairfax, VA --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-News is a valued partner that continues to cover breaking gun rights news with a new and improved short video format in the “NRA News Minute” videos.

To view the current firearms or gun rights news video, please click above:

Cam Edwards talks to Spartanburg County, South Carolina Sheriff Chuck Wright about his recent press conference urging everyone to carry concealed.

Read More on these topics:

• ARMED AMERICAN RADIO Welcomes Pro CCW Sheriff Chuck Wright to the Program this Weekend
• Wisconsin Concealed Carry Law Now in Effect
• Appleton Wisconsin Police on Concealed Carry

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org
Tags: Cam Edwards, Concealed Carry, NRA News, Self Defense
]]> http://www.ammoland.com/2011/11/02/sheriff-chuck-wright-urges-women-to-carry-concealed-weapons/feed/ 0 http://www.ammoland.com/2011/10/26/operation-campus-safety-comes-to-virginia-tech/ http://www.ammoland.com/2011/10/26/operation-campus-safety-comes-to-virginia-tech/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:39:32 +0000 Ammoland http://www.ammoland.com/?p=65279 Operation Campus Safety Comes to Virginia Tech

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Finally – we have a date and time for Operation Campus Safety at Virginia Tech!

**Mark your calendars, this is going to be big and you’re going to want to be part of it!**

We have approval for the protest from 8 AM to 4 PM on Thursday, November 17th. While some of us will be there early, the main protest will start at 11:30 AM and run until 4 PM. Speakers will start at 12 Noon and continue until 1:30 PM. We will need lots of people to carry signs, pass out literature, and answer questions.

This should be an excellent day to be on campus as it is a game day (UNC vs VT), allowing us maximum visibility. We are also looking at having a presence in nearby Blacksburg.

The protest will be held in front of the Squires Student Center (College Ave./Otey Street side), not far from the town of Blacksburg or the VT Drillfield.

More details will follow, including parking information and possible carpooling from area localities.

A very special thanks to Eric Smith, President of the Libertarians at Virginia Tech. The Libertarians are hosting the protest and Eric is working hard to make the protest a success, patiently working his way through the VT bureaucracy to get the event approved.

Another powerful force in bringing everything together is John Wilburn, a VT alumni. He has been doing all kinds of coordination behind the scenes and he, too, has made it a personal mission to make the protest a huge success.

This is a mission to save lives and that drives both Eric and John, just like it drives all of VCDL’s membership.

There is no way this would have come together so well without Eric and John!

Oh, and as if John isn’t doing enough already, besides running his own business (Hokie Real Estate, Inc.), he is a firearms instructor and will be giving away free CHP classes to two lucky attendees!

Thanks also to EMs Dave Hicks and Dave Knight, who are helping with both the VT and the Radford protests.

Radford and JMU students – come to Virginia Tech on November 17th and stand with Virginia Tech students in support of freedom and liberty. VCDL will ask the VT students to do the same when we announce the Radford and JMU protests in the near future.

Wild horses couldn’t keep me away – see you there!

No guns? NO FUNDS! (Remember: Donations for Virginia Tech can be sent to Blue Ridge Community College instead. )

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

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- Did you hear the one about the city council that refused to take a stand on an abridgment of your rights and put off the vote until after the next election?

Well, we wish we were telling you a joke, but unfortunately this is all too serious. The city of Garner is planning to do just this under the guise of studying the issue.

Strangely enough the study period seems to end after the upcoming election; because a future meeting afterward is when they plan the vote on their ordinance which will attempt a flanking movement on the new law allowing concealed carry in parks.

With that in mind, it is imperative that you force them to take a position so their constituents may vote accordingly. Sending those planning to vote for this anti-freedom ordinance will have a chilling effect on others thinking of doing likewise.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED:

Contact the following people:

• Mayor Ronnie S. Williams – 919-773-4404; rwilliams@garnernc.gov
• Mayor Protem Kathy Behringer – 919-772-3515; kbehringer@garnernc.gov
• Council Member Ken Marshburn – 919-662-0902; kmarshburn@garnernc.gov
• Council Member Jackie Johns, Sr. – 919-772-0929; jjohns@garnernc.gov
• Council Member Gra Singleton – 919-772-0924; grantraceysingleton@earthlink.net
• Council Member Buck Kennedy – 919-624-3696; bkennedy@garnernc.gov

Deliver the message below:

Dear Council Member:

It is time to take a stand one way or the other. I wish you to respect my right to self protection in parks as well as other places. Now it is time to let everyone know where you stand. Not after the election. Such political tricks will not be allowed. If you are comfortable and unashamed with your position, then go public with it.

I hope that you will respect my right to self protection in what are often dangerous locations, but equally important is that you must let me know if you respect my rights on this matter. I will be monitoring your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

CCRKBA.org

BELLEVUE, WA – -(Ammoland.com)- A spike in crime over the past few weeks while New York City policemen and women have been diverted to deal with the on-going Occupy Wall Street protest prove that Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun policies are working against law-abiding citizens who cannot protect themselves from crimes of opportunity, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

The New York Post reported over the weekend that the number of people shot went up 154 percent for a one week period, which is more than double the number of people shot during the same week last year, and overall jumped 28 percent during the past month.

“While the city is sending its cops down to Wall Street to handle the protests, the neighborhoods are being left vulnerable, and that’s because New York City continues to restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens to arm themselves,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.

“It is bad enough when citizens must jump through a lot of hoops and pay exorbitant fees to obtain a gun permit in the Big Apple during normal times, but when police manpower is heavily diverted, those citizens are victimized by the system as much as they are by the criminals.

“Crooks certainly realize when the cops aren’t around,” he continued. “The New York Post story essentially sent a signal that criminals have a much safer working environment with police spending their time downtown instead of out on their normal beats.”

The newspaper said there have been several more shootings this month than during the same month last year.

“This is nuts,” Gottlieb observed. “When honest citizens in the neighborhoods are essentially abandoned by police who are called to deal with an extraordinary situation in Manhattan, it begs the question, how long are they supposed to live with the city’s Draconian gun control laws? New York has a cumbersome system that Mayor Bloomberg is all-too-happy to perpetuate.

“It’s time for New York City to reform its gun policies,” Gottlieb said, “and in the meantime, return its cops to the neighborhoods where they can do the most to fight crime. But streamlining the gun permit process should be Priority One.”

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org.

NRA - ILA

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- NRA has filed friend of the court briefs in two separate cases involving the right to carry firearms outside the home for self-defense.

In Shepard v. Madigan, currently pending in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the lead plaintiff is church treasurer Mary Shepard, who, along with an elderly co-worker, was severely beaten at her workplace by an attacker with a criminal record. Mrs. Shepard has carry permits issued by two other states, but was left unarmed and defenseless by Illinois’ law. Her challenge – in which the Illinois State Rifle Association, NRA’s state affiliate, also joins as a plaintiff – contends that Illinois’ carry ban cannot stand in light of the Heller and McDonald decisions.

In Richards v. Prieto, currently pending in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in California, plaintiffs brought suit against Yolo County, Calif. Sheriff Ed Prieto for his refusal to issue carry permits to law-abiding applicants. The case was first heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, where the court ruled for the sheriff.

In both cases, the NRA, as the leading organization in the nation advocating for gun owners’ rights and specifically in advocating for the passage of right-to-carry laws in the states, has lent its expertise on the issue by filing briefs in strong support of the right to carry.

The briefs stress that the right to carry is an important part of the fundamental right of self-defense. Additionally, the briefs counter the arguments that permit holders are a public safety threat. Specifically, the brief responds to Brady Campaign claims that passage of right-to-carry laws lead to increases in crime. In fact, the briefs show not only that crime does not increase in right-to-carry states, but that right-to-carry laws contribute to a reduction in crime.

Small Self Defense Impact Tools

Modern Defensive Training Systems

Utica, NY --(Ammoland.com)- For years, I’ve carried one form or other of small impact tool as part of my everyday carry gear.

A number of excellent, highly concealable handheld tools that can be readily utilized for proactive or reactive personal protection are available today.

Small impact tools (SIT) offer the user another force option and are an effective force multiplier.

Most importantly, SITs are an excellent option for carry in non-permissive environments such as municipal facilities, hospitals and airports — places we may want to carry a more effective or devastating tool such as our handgun or tactical folding knife but cannot.

SITs share common movements with many practical empty-hand combatives skills, systems and point-driven edged weapon applications. SITs can provide the user with an alternative force option depending upon the circumstances of the situation.

Pulling a folding knife out of your pocket and striking with the closed folder are viable applications of non-lethal force, but in some jurisdictions may still be construed as you pulling a lethal-force tool. Some individuals are simply not comfortable carrying or deploying an edged weapon, but embrace the suggestion of a small handheld impact tool without hesitation.

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE HERE…

About Chris:
Chris Fry is the owner and director of training and curriculum development for Modern Defensive Training Systems in Utica, N.Y. where he conducts courses in reality driven practical combatives skills, extreme close quarters physical defense, tactical folding knife and edged weapon combatives and combative pistol, carbine and shotgun skills. MDTS offers a variety of courses for responsible citizens, corporations, law enforcement and the U.S. Military with a singular goal of providing up to date, realistic and practical personal protection training. Visit: www.mdtstraining.com

Wisconsin Gun Owners Don't Buy List Combats Gun-Free Killing Zones

Wisconsin Gun Owners

Wisconsin --(Ammoland.com)- Wisconsin’s new concealed carry law requires businesses to post “No Guns Allowed” signs if they want to keep gun owners with concealed carry permits out.

This is outrageous. But thankfully there’s a solution.

Of course, these idiotic signs advertise to everyone that they are a Criminal Safe Zone — an easy target for mass-murdering thugs.

The good news is this: We will find out very quickly who is pro-gun and who is anti-gun.

Don’t Buy List
I’d like to introduce a new WGO program called the Don’t Buy List.

You see, the Don’t Buy List Program is simple, and it’s been used by our pro-gun friends in other states to great effect. Here’s how.

When you encounter a business that won’t serve you because you’re armed, you’ll fill out and mail us a card, or fill out a form on our website that will alert us to the business in question. You can even remain completely anonymous. When we get this information, the business is placed on the Watchlist (which is not published). We then send a polite (but firm) letter to the business giving them a chance to “see the light.”

If they take down the signs, no action is needed, we win. If they don’t, they are placed on the public Don’t Buy List and immediately begin to lose customers.

The letter goes something like this…

We have been advised that your business is posting signs which prohibit citizens from carrying licensed concealed handguns. We freely acknowledge that it is your right to post a sign which effectively announces “Rob me. I’m unarmed.”

But by posting, you force law-abiding citizens who have gone to great trouble and expense to earn permits to leave the firearms they carry for protection at home, thereby defeating the intent of the law. Attorneys note that you might incur liability exposure by preventing citizens from protecting themselves as allowed by Wisconsin law.

We do not regard personal protection reform as just a gun issue, but rather one of empowering citizens to protect themselves when police are not able. We continue …

Accordingly, we have created the “WGO Don’t Buy List” .

Your business is slated to be added to a periodically-updated list which is distributed to tens of thousands of gun owners through gun shops, gun shows, concealed handgun classes, the Internet, sporting clubs, our newsletter and, frankly, any other available means. Recipients of the list will be advised to consider whether a business supports their right to personal protection when deciding where to spend money.

Your business will be added to the WGO Don’t Buy List if you do not notify us immediately that either an error has been made or that you have removed the signs. Your business will be removed from the list only when signs are removed.

An estimated 270,000+ Wisconsin residents will eventually take concealed handgun classes.

With your support of this program, we will send copies of the WGO Don’t Buy List to as many of those people as possible.

With the economy being what it is today, no business in Wisconsin can afford to lose any customers. They sure can’t afford to alienate gun owners in a state where opening day of gun deer season is virtually a national holiday.

Please do two things today. One, bookmark this page. If you encounter an anti-CCW business, fill out the form and let us know about it.

This program is not for sissies or crybabies.

If you don’t mind being segregated to the back of the bus and treated like a second-class citizen because you’re a gun owner, then please e-mail me your best excuse as to why you can’t support this program.

If, however, you truly want to make a difference for gun rights, then please do what you can to support the WGO Don’t Buy List.

Also your financial support will give us the resources to print and mail the Don’t Buy List postcards, print and mail the list to gun owners and hire additional help to manage the program. Please consider donating to WGO.

Remember to bookmark the Don’t Buy List form page. And be on the lookout. If you spot an anti-gun sign, take a photo, jot down some notes and utilize this page.

Sincerely,

About:
WGO works for grassroots gun owners, not politicians. While many gun lobbies fight for “reasonable gun control,” WGO sets a higher standard: Defining the terrain of pro-gun political battle. Sure, many groups claim they’re “pro-gun” – all the while they provide cover for anti-gun deals cut by politicians – but only WGO truly informs gun owners, remaining committed to a 100% pro-gun position. We oppose all gun control – regardless of the political party – and work tirelessly to restore the Second Amendment. Visit www.wisconsingunowners.org

IllinoisCarry.com

Illinois --(Ammoland.com)- The tide is turning in Illinois and the signs are everywhere!

For example, a Chicago legislator and member of the Black Caucus hosts not one but TWO town hall meetings about the right to carry, several leading Chicago newspapers print lengthy articles about the controversial topic, and a TV interview of two individuals who work in the Chicago media reveals they are hearing folks everywhere they go speaking up in support of the Right to Carry.

With Wisconsin’s new concealed carry law going into effect Nov. 1, leaving Illinois the last and only state without such a law, the issue of Right to Carry has been brought into focus like never before. Law abiding citizens are now demanding to know why they should be denied their right to personal protection simply because they live in Illinois.

Rep. La Shawn Ford First Chicago Legislator to Host Own Right to Carry Town Hall Meetings

Chicago Rep.La Shawn Ford was the only legislator to vote “present” on the first Right to Carry bill to be voted on in decades in the Illinois House of Representatives.

That means, he is the only Chicago legislator who did not vote no on the bill. Stating he wanted to hear more from his constituents about the issue, he recently held his own Right to Carry town hall meeting, asking speakers from both sides of the argument to present their views.

The meeting was well attended and Rep. Ford’s comments since the meeting are drawing a lot of attention all across the state. According to articles in the Chicago Sun-Times and the Austin Weekly, Rep. Ford may become the first Chicago legislator to support Right to Carry!

He is hosting an additional town hall meeting in another part of his district. If you live in Rep. Ford’s district and support Right to Carry, do not miss this meeting!! Make sure you voice is heard !

Rep. La Shawn Ford Right to Carry Town Hall Meeting

Wed. Oct 12, 2011
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Oak Park village hall
123 Madison St.
Oak Park, IL

Rep. Jerry Costello III to Conduct Gun Rights Town Hall Meeting

State Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Smithton, will host a gun rights meeting -
Tues. Oct. 11 6:30 p.m.
VFW Post 2698
1911 N. Market St.
Sparta, IL

The goal of the meeting is to update gun owners about efforts to pass concealed-carry legislation in Illinois. Also speaking will be Todd Vandermyde, the National Rifle Association chief lobbyist in Illinois, who will discuss NRA lawsuits to strike down some gun-control and anti-gun laws and statutes.

The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Costello’s office at 618-443-5757.

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

Florida Carry

Florida - -(Ammoland.com)- Florida Carry, Inc. has today filed a lawsuit against the University of North Florida (UNF), seeking a permanent injunction from enforcing its unlawful ban on firearms and weapons and a court order to repeal their unlawful regulations, remove all preempted signs.

Also that UNF pay fines, costs, attorney’s fees, and damages. Since 1987 the Florida Legislature has preempted firearms law and issued statewide licenses to carry for self-defense.

Florida Carry filed this case on behalf of Florida Gun Owners and our members. One such member, Alexandria Lainez, is a single mother who has received extensive training in firearms and self-defense to be prepared to protect herself and her young child should that horrible need arise.

Alexandria is a full time student at UNF and worries that she has to choose between her family’s safety and her education on a daily basis while attending college.

No public college or university has any right to prevent students from having a firearm in their car as long as the firearm is lawfully possessed under state law. Any public college or university which attempts to restrict students’ rights on this issue is subject to being sued under Florida Firearms Preemption law which was amended this year to make the 24 year old statute easier to enforce by organizations like Florida Carry.

Read the Complaint Here

About:
Florida Carry is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to advancing the fundamental civil right of all Floridians to keep and bear arms for self defense as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. Florida Carry, Inc. was organized by a group of Florida gun rights activists in order to better coordinate activities, effectively lobby the state legislature, and to provide a legal entity capable of filing suit to demand compliance with state and federal law. Florida Carry stands only to represent our members and the over 6 million gun owners of Florida. We are not beholden to any national organization’s agenda that may compromise that mission.
Florida Carry works tirelessly toward repealing and striking down ill-conceived gun control laws that have been proven to provide safe havens to criminals and be deadly to law abiding citizens.

NRA - ILA

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-ILA grass roots news continues to cover break gun rights news with a new and improved format for the “Grassroots News Minute” video!

To view the current video in its new format, please click above:

National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act and Expanded self defense laws on public land are the top stories.

Read More on these topics:

• Your Right To Self-Defense Shouldn’t End At State Borders
• HR822 – National CHL Reciprocity Plus More
• National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act – HR 822

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

No Weapons Allowed

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- In late July, EM Dave Hicks heard that the Town of Wise, Virginia, had a “No Weapons” decal on the the main door of their Administrative Building.

He documented that report with this picture above.

On August 3, he sent an email formally requesting copies of any records related to any ban of firearms on any Town of Wise property that were in addition to those restrictions expressly authorized by Commonwealth statute.

He cited Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2 -3700 et seq.). He also, referred to Virginia Code § 15.2-915 (prohibiting localities from adopting or enforcing such bans).

The decal banning weapons at the Wise Municipal Building was removed by the Chief of Police on Thursday, August 4, 2011 – as they could not find any local ordnance creating such a ban.

However, in the FOIA response the Town acknowledged that they had banned weapons in two additional properties – the Bear Creek Watershed and the Big Glades Amphitheatre. These bans had been enacted by the Wise Town Council.

Dave followed up with the Town until the Town Council adopted amendments to the document eliminating local regulation on the carrying, storage, or transporting of firearms, ammunition, or components thereof in the Big Glades Amphitheatre and in the Bear Creek Watershed.

As far as Dave has determined, the Amphitheatre, which was under construction at the time, had never been actually posted on site.

On September 19, 2011, the Town confirmed that the weapons prohibitions at the Bear Creek Watershed (which had been posted at that site — both by a sign and through display of the regulations themselves) had been removed and/or revised.

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

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- How can any American – much less any American Jew – view the mob lunacy that recently ravaged London and other cities and not contemplate the possibility of similar chaos on our own shores?

Armed with the knowledge that Londoners would be universally disarmed by England’s “enlightened” “gun control” laws, rioters plundered and pillaged orgiastically while timid citizens cowered in hiding.

This was the same nation that faced Adolph Hitler and the Nazi German war machine with heartrending courage? The video footage of this “new Britain” is horrifying, appalling, and shameful.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Anglo/European style “gun control” is the model that our social engineers, nanny state politicians, liberal elites, and authoritarian high-brows wish upon us. It is their not-so-hidden agenda. Some may try to dissuade us from spotting this agenda by throwing around comforting banalities like “reasonable”, “responsible” and “common sense”, but more and more Americans are learning to ignore their words and watch their actions.

Obama even warned us to watch for such duplicity: “Under the radar” as he described it.

While the grass-roots so-called “gun lobby” applies counter pressure with whatever direction and force we can morally and financially muster, the authoritarian collectivists and cultural Marxists are funded by at least two BILLIONAIRES, George Soros and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

So, with an understanding that America is likely headed towards more, not less, troubled times, and the parallel understanding that a controlling faction of our political and bureaucratic upper crust wants us disarmed, what is the average American citizen to do?

It cannot be more obvious: Buy more guns and more ammunition WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

Its The American Way
No law-abiding American home should be without reliable defensive firearms, whether a pump-action shotgun, handgun, or both. A rifle of some sort is of course a desirable addition to these basics. Learn how to use these firearms and to use them well. Jewish Law requires us to take defensive measures against threats we can expect or anticipate; these are the tools of defense against such threats.

If you are an urban dweller, it isn’t difficult to imagine a “flash mob” of “youths” raging down the street towards your home or business, leaving smashed cars, looted buildings, and bleeding victims in its wake. The “castle doctrine” and “stand your ground” laws of your state – and possibly of your city – will dictate when and how you are legally justified in using deadly force to protect yourself and others. Know these laws in advance as part of your preparatory training.

Jewish Law may allow you to use deadly force to defend any innocent bystander from violence, but Nanny States like New Jersey do not.

You will have to make split-second moral decisions if you see rioters physically attacking your neighbors or fellow business owners.

While the primary objective of armed self defense is to STOP THE ATTACKER, turning back a mob may very well involve more forceful measures. Ask yourself now, before you are in the situation, if you are prepared to take measures against multiple assailants. Can you live with yourself knowing that you left a dozen wounded lying on the pavement? Can you live with yourself knowing that you chose not to do so and instead allowed the mob to attack your neighbor?

In addition to your firearms, remember to keep an adequate supply of ammunition for each of your firearms. A couple hundred rounds of other common calibers, even if you don’t own a matching gun, is not a bad idea. You don’t want your neighbor, your brother in arms, running out of ammo, do you? The Brady Bunch may call that “hoarding” or “stockpiling”, but in Texas it’s just called “a few extra rounds” — “supplies for a rainy day.”

Rabbi Said What?
Why are you hearing this from a rabbi? I’m a man of peace. I relish life and respect the traditional American “live and let live” philosophy. This moral shelter has protected the Jewish people since our first arrival in America centuries ago. But the realization that it is the Second Amendment that protects the First has turned me into a gun owner, a certified firearms instructor, and then a co-leader of America’s most aggressive civil rights organization, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the Jewish People have lived by the pen and died by the sword for millennia. We now live in a country that recognizes the G-d-given right of self-defense; to fail to exercise that right when threatened is to hold G-d’s gift of life in contempt.

I remember the anti-Jewish riots in Crown Heights, just twenty years ago. Could such a rampant outburst happen again? Can anyone deny the possibility?

Jewish community centers, synagogues, and even the Holocaust Museum have been attacked by gun fire; innocents have been killed, injured, and traumatized by violent acts of Jew hatred. I watch these events and understand them both as a Jew and as an American.

Far too many Jews have been on the wrong side of the issue of self-defense, helping to con our nation into “gun control” rather than fighting against it. There are far too many Bloombergs, Schumers, Soros’s, Feinsteins, Foxmans, and others, misguided or ignorant of Jewish history and Jewish Law, and they have been too loud on this issue for too long. I will not be silent in the face of their distortions and lies.

And so I recommend as a first step: Get a gun. While you still can. Exercise your Second Amendment rights. Rejoice in the freedom of America.

With blessings of Shalom,

Rabbi Dovid Bendory
Rabbinic Director
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
(http://jpfo.org)
Rabbi Bendory is an NRA Certified Firearms Instructor.
The Rabbi’s Archive page.

Rabbi Dovid Bendory

About:
Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership Mission is to destroy “gun control” and to encourage Americans to understand and defend all of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Those are the twin goals of Wisconsin-based Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.

JPFO is a non-profit tax-exempt educational civil rights organization, not a lobby. JPFO’s products and programs reach out to as many segments of the American people as possible, using bold tactics without compromise on fundamental principles. Visit www.JPFO.org – Copyright JPFO 2011