From RMGO: an essay penned by Rep. Dave Schultheis urging the killing of a bad concealed carry bill. For more info on the bill please look here.

I wonder if this woman would be missing if she had been informed about her right ot bear arms regardless of NYC's laws. True, she might have opted not to be armed when she went out for the walk, but with NYC's severe treatment of citizens who only wish to protect themselves I cannot hold the city blamless. It would be one thing if she chose not to be armed, but currently the law forbids it.

Gun control seems to be doing well in England. Now the time between robberies has been reduced to less than 5 minutes.

Gun Control & the Commerce Clause from Robert Greenslade. An interesting look at what may be the most abused section of the Constitution & how it is used as a justification for abusing other sections of the Constitution.

Pragmatist vs. Principled perspective concerning Rights. It is penned by Ari Armstrong & is well worth reading. Also look at a related but not nearly as well developed previous blog.

Mr. Armstrong has another interesting read on concealed carry.

JPFO has a sweet deal. Front Sight Firearms Training Institute has donated 10 certificates good for up to a 4 day course to the first ten people who make an $800 donation to the Innocence Betrayed fund. The certificates are worth roughly $1,200 a piece.

Your help is needed to help arm all the pilots. For some reason congress left out language including cargo pilots when they voted to allow pilots to be armed. There is a bill in the Senate to correct this. Please contact your local congress-critter & have him/her vote to arm the all the pilots.
While you're at it mention that passengers shouldn't have to give up their right to self defense just because they don't feel like driving across country. Ask them to sponsor a bill that would arm the passengers as well. It doesn't have to be complex, just one that says no rights will be infringed while flying, including the right to arms & self defense.

Bill Clinton & Bob Dole are to debate weekly on a 60 Minutes segment. Obviously this should be amusing. But I would think it more interesting if they had chosen Alan Keyes or perhaps Harry Brown. & I'd have paid to see Clinton attempt to take on Larry Pratt.

Defeat the Colorado gun tax.


"The right of self-defense, which entails the right to keep and bear arms, is a fundamental human right properly infringed by no legislature. The right to bear arms is recognized by both the U.S. and Colorado constitutions. The notion of imposing a special tax on a fundamental right is repugnant and hostile to the principles of a free society."

"Martinez also explains why the committee suggested a fee of $10 rather than $14.80: '[Colorado Senator Ron]Teck [R-Grand Junction] said he thought it was too big a psychological jump for buyers.' He told Martinez, 'If we go from zero to $14.80, we will have problems'."

An article that expresses shock that local PD's are aquiring surplus military firearms. I can understand their concern that the police seem to be in a state of transition to something closely resembling a military agency. After all, the redcoats in 1775 were the policemen of their day as well as the soldiers. Of course I'm upset that civilians can't get the same good deals that the PD's can. Nevertheless the article does raise a good poinbt, though unintentionaly: why are local PD's gearing up for what would seem to be military-like operations?

California & Illinois are home to some pretty important battles over firearms laws.

Missouri may finally get a concealed carry bill, if they can convince the governor not to veto it.

"It's a way to get our foot in the door and maybe modify and change it later," said William Woodward of Columbia. "Everybody that says I have to have a permit to carry a gun is violating the U.S. Constitution."

Hopefully they'll remember that if it gets passed. far too many states promoted a shall issue permit to carry concealed as a first step. Sadly most view it as a destination rather than a beginning.

Here's a previous blog on some of the problems with concealed carry permits. & here's another previous blog.

I'm not a fan of the cops only nationwide concealed carry bill currently in congress. Neither are the unions that represent the police chiefs. Although my reasoning is that every person, not just cops, should not be arrested for exercising their right to carry, even concealed. The police chiefs are the elitists of the elitists & fear anyone not under their direct control who is armed. I imagine if the bill was police chiefs & retired police chiefs only they'd support it. The bill is kind of a joke to begin with as 'professional courtesy' often negates the need for a cop to have a permit in other jurisdictions.

But while it's a good thing that this elitist bill has some opposition, let's not forget that the police chiefs mentioned are not opposing it because they feel the right to be armed applies to everyone regardless of present or past employment, they oppose it because it interferes with their concept of power.

Baltimore passes law make sale of ammo illegal for non-dealers.

Here's a more detailed account.


"We aren't bashing stores who can legally sell ammunition and firearms, we are doing what is within our power, and is frankly our duty, to protect the lives and health of City residents,' stated Dr. Beilenson."

Nope, he's not bashing stores that can legally sell ammunition & firearms, he's outlawing them.

Sadly, in Maryland gun control groups, including some LEO's have a gun control package that looks like it could pass.

Here's an article on a possible confrontation in the legislature over the proposed gun control bills.

Gun control bills described as tools for law enforcement.

Editorial on proposed gun control in Maryland. Surpisingly it seems to be in favor of more gun control. I was shocked to find the media biased in such a way.

An article that briefly mentions Gov. Elrich's support of Project Exile. Look here for a previous blog with links to why Project Exile is not a good thing.

Gov. Elrich wasn't impressed by ballistic fingerprinting. At least as of Feb. 28th. Hopefully he'll stay unimpressed.

Colorado's House set to vote on the Preemption Bill. This bill would effectively eliminate gun prohibitions on the county & city level but it still leaves me a little uneasy as they may still be 'regulated'. Still, it might help Denver & other places which completely prohibit the carry of firearms & prohibit certain types of firearms realize that a persons' rights shouldn't be tampered with.

Denver & other cities are not happy. Also look here, here, here, here, & here. Also see a previous blog on the subject of the Preemption Bill.

The Assault Weapons Ban. It's due to sunset in 2004. Time to start thinking about it & to let your reps know that they will lose your vote if they vote to keep it alive.
Some food for thought:

Assault Weapons Ban & public opinion.
I would point out that Armed Females of America is much too kind to the NRA: while its electoral guides are influential, the NRA has a poor record of picking pro-gun candidates. Please look here for more info. Although it deals mainly with the Brady Bill it also touches on the Assault Weapons Ban.

Sen. Fienstien upset that ban may actually sunset.

Anti-gun supporters worried that Ashcroft didn't confirm the Bush Administrations committment to keeping the ban.

Assault Weapons are essential to the militia.

A previous blog on the Assault Weapons Ban & Bush's support of same.

Remember, Bush is not the pro-gun messiah most people would like you to think he is. Neither can the Senators & Representatives be trusted. We must apply political pressure to keep Sen. Fienstien from extending this bill. So write, e-mail, & call your elected officials & remind them that if they vote to extend the Assault Weapons Ban, you'll vote to limit their political careers. As a matter of fact, suggest that they vote to repeal the damned thing now instead of waiting until 2004.

Erik Root of the Carolina journal writes a piece bashing libertarianism, or perhaps just libertarians.
Michael Bragg of Liberty For All rebuts.

Mr. Roots assesment of libertarian ideas & their conclusions is not unlike recent bashes of libertarianism that I've seen. It argues from a very shakey position, in that it is based upon generalizations that are not accurate in their assumptions or conclusions about libertarianisms or libertarians.

The most striking one, & the one I see most often from republicans, is the assumption that libertarians disregard virtue & morality, while the republican ideal of government promotes them.
I cannot speak for all libertarians but from my understanding of the libertarian view, morality & virtue are essential. There is no questioning their importance in society. The difference between libertarians & republicans is their source: libertatians feel a person should evaluate & perfect his/her own morals & virtues, while the republicans feel that it is impossible for the individual & thus the job of the government.
The founders of this country believed that a society without morals was doomed, & I tend to agree. But I also feel that they realized that government could not & should not dictate morality. Government is ineffective at doing this & becomes very dangerous when it tries.

To quote Mr. Root, "A government that does not uphold some sense of eternal right, thus fostering private morality, will produce a decadent citizenry." That is, in & of itself, the credo of 'the nanny state'. To assume that an individual & thus society is the product of government & not vice versa is to take the first big step on the road to statism.

Mr. Bragg does a decent job at refuting a few of Mr. Root's points but by no means is it as thorough or complete a refutation as it could be. Perhaps if time permits I will get around to finishing the work that Mr. Bragg began.

An 'expert' on terrorism gives a lecture to Minnesota LEO's on possibly dangerous groups in the state.

"Chandler said there are a number of militia movement groups in the state that are extremely strong, especially outstate. He said one group met with the FBI and gave the agency information about its weapons. He said the group told the FBI that when things go bad in Minnesota, the FBI is welcome to join with them."

I wonder if the 'expert' on terror ever read this:

10 U.S.C. § 311 (enacted 1956, amended 1958).
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and . . . under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are --
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

Assuming Capt. Chandler is under 45 then he'd have to put himself on that list as he would qualify as a member of a 'militia'.

Our tax dollars at work. I would suspect the Cookie Monster wouldn't be the culprit, but I'm not so sure about the hamburglars innocence.

Most anti gunners claim we don't need weapons for self defense. The police will protect you. If someone in particular threatens you, get a restraining order.
That's what Omayra Soberal did. She's now in critical condition after being shot while in the back of a patrol car outside the police station where she filed a restraining order against a cop. Did I mention two cops were in the car when she was shot?

Think that's isolated? In Ohio a man was shot & killed while two cops were in the house.

Here's an article on the difficulty of obtaining & using protective orders.

A Wisconsin PD has arrived at the conclusion that individuals who file a protective order should be given alarms.

Of course when you can buy your way out of charges, then there's not much incentive to respect the restraining order.

Here's an article about the difficulties created when victims refuse to press charges in domestic violence cases.


Due to numerous socio-economic reasons, the police cannot protect an individual. In fact cases where victims of crime have sued various police departments for failing to protect them have been thrown out of court because the police are obligated to protect society as a whole & cannot be held accountable for every individual.
So whether you have positive or negative feelings about police officers & their role in society, just realize is that you must protect yourself.

Dimitri Vassilaros writes an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about Ronald Dixon's plight & how it could become our own. On the same subject Armed Females of America's Nicki Fellenzer has written an article worth viewing.

In a British school they've decided to ban books featuring pigs so as not to offend Muslim children.

I am not an expert in the religion of Islam, but I assume that they're view of pigs is similar to another faith where they consider the animals unclean & are forbidden from eating them. So if they are taking the correct action, then why didn't they ban books containing pigs before now out of respect for the Jewish children?

The San Fransico PD involved in a scandal. The gist of it is that two off duty officers attacked a man outside a bar when he refused to give them his fajitas. The scandal comes from an alledged cover up of the incident.

Here are some stories on this:

SF Chief & others indicted.

SF Chief indicted.

SF Chief demands probe of indictment.

Indicted SF Chief keeps job.

SFPD slow to act on citizens complaints.

SF Chief pleads not guilty to cover up.

SFPD Chief pleads innocent.

If i ever had to go into military service (other than the militia) I'd want to be a Marine. No matter how much technology changes the face of modern warfare, they still teach the basics.

If you sit back & think about it, can you really blame him?
I'm not happy he's being charged with a felony but I can't say he did the wisest thing in the world. All I can say is I understand.

In Texas the budget for concealed handgun licensing is in trouble, even though it appears to be turning a profit. There is a bill to loosen the restrictions on carrying concealed in texas but it's being met with opposition from all the usual places. Also look here.
The cowards at the Austin-American Statesman chose to write an article as the Editorial Board which condemned every proposed law that would encourage & protect concealed weapons carriers in Texas. I would take this to mean that they would prefer you boycott the entire paper instead of insisting just one or two writers be replaced.

A compilation of proposed firearms bills in the 108th Congress thanks to our friends at GOA.
Please note HR 153(Paul-Tx.), HR 276 (Goode-Va.), HR 357 (Everett-Al.), & HR 648 (Wilson-SC?). I don't think it's a coincidence that Representatives from the southern & western states are proposing positive firearms legislation, as culturally firearms are much more acceptable in those places. Nor is it happenstance that the Sponsors of the bills mentioned are A or A+ rated by the GOA's system. Come elction time forget what the NRA says & consult GOA.
Also please note the lack of similar bills in the republican controlled Senate. & I do not count a bill that would protect off duty & retired cops across the nation while they're carrying concealed as a positive step. It's elitist in nature & reinforces the idea that governmental employees past & present have more rights than the citizens.
Most gun owners would think that a republican controlled government would mean they could relax on the gun control issue. I'm afraid it just ain't so.

In Massachusetts the Governor is trying to increase state revenue. he's keeping his vow to not increase taxes & is instead calling them fees.


''...'I'm not going to try and be the dictionary here, in terms of defining the difference between a fee and a tax. For me, generally, a fee is something which applies to a subset of the population,' [Gov. Mitt] Romney said. 'A tax is something which is far more broadly applied.'
Not everyone agrees that the proposed fees are not taxes. The Gun Owners Action League said a proposed firearms registration fee increase from $25 to $75 is a tax.
'Romney said there's a difference. 'Taxes ... generally are not linked to a particular service,'' he said. 'Fees are typically associated with a specific service which generally is considered relatively voluntary.''

The seismic activity you feel in Mass is not an earthquake, but John, John Quincy, & Samuel Adams hitting high RPM's in their resting place.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wants gun owners registered in the same manner that sex offenders are as part of his gun control package. Gov. Blagojevich supports the plan.

What do you expect from a mayor in a city where transporting a gun legally to the range means felony charges. Roderick Pritchett obeyed every asinine law on the boos in chicago & Illinois. For his trouble he gets locked up for 72 hours. His car & gun are confiscated. he faces felony charges.

My advice to people in Illinois: Indiana, Kentucky or Revolution

In Arizona a Border Patrol Agent is attacked by illegal immigrants.

Liberals, or perhaps leftists, in the media are not happy with citizen efforts to protect the borders according to Larry Pratt. Mr. Pratt also provides an example of why protection of the border by citizens may be necessary. Also look here.

Vin Suprynowicz on the erosion of property rights.

Helga Hooper is worried about history repeating itself. Miss Hooper is 65.She is Jewish. She was born in Germany. She was put into a concentration camp 60 years ago.

More on airport security & the lack thereof.

"...We recently had a female pilot - in uniform - passing through airport security where she was slated to fly the airplane on her regular three-day trip. As she was having her carry-on bag searched, she inquired, 'What are you looking for?' The response she received from the security [person]: 'Anything that you could use to break into the cockpit and gain control of the aircraft.' Not only was she working the flight but in her pocket, as is the case with all of us, was a cockpit key."

A boycott of Delta is being called for because of Delta's plans to implement a passenger screening program.

Personally I wouldn't fly because the federal government denies me my right to self defense when I board the plane, not to mention the 4th amendment rights they toss aside in the name of airport security. But if those weren't considerations, this would definitely be a reason to avoid Delta.

California.

California is turning to E-Bay to dispose of items confiscated at airports.

"This (program) only expands as long as people don't leave these items at home," Deignan said. "This program could be over tomorrow ... This is not necessarily something we want to be in the business of doing."

Of course if California would stop trampling on the property rights of people the program could be over tomorrow as well.

A bill to ban all dove hunting has been introduced in the California legislature. Now maybe the Fuddites in Cali will wake up. Though I see them agreeing to go along with some other form of gun control, perhaps an affordable gun ban in exchange for leaving their hunting alone.

The sad part is this article on the non-voting habits of California gun owners.

Sen. Diane Feinstein is upset that a California gun enforcement official is being threatened with prosecution simply because he misused the National Instant Check System. She is palnning on question FBI director Robert Mueller on Tuesday about the Feds claims that California is not supposed to use the data base for anything other than checking backgrounds when someone purchases a firearm. California's stance has been that the law only prohibits gun dealers from using the system for other purposes. Attorney General Ashcroft has insisted that the NICS is only to be used for determining the eligibility of a person to purchase firearms & not for their gun confiscation programs.

My advice to people in California: Nevada, Arizona, Oregon or Revolution.

"Ownership or possession of a handgun is a misdemeanor. It carries a penalty of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. On a second offense, it is a felony, punishable by five years in prison and a $5,000 fine."

Think that's Great britain? Australia? Some eastern european country whose name you can never correctly pronounce? Nope, that's our capitol.

Here's a few articles on D.C's gun ban & the lawsuit that hopefully will change it.

From The Washington Times, Fox News, & The Washington Times.

The NRA & Sheriff's in Colorado are a little closer to getting their concealed handgun bill. The RMGO oppossed the bill but that didn't prevent a panel in the house from approving the bill. Now on the surface it might seem odd that the RMGO would be oppossing a bill that Colorado ceasefire (a local gun control group) also opposses, but the explanation is simple: this concealed carry bill is no better & in some ways worse than the concealed carry laws already in place. Here is a previous blog containing the details of both bills.

With friends like the NRA, who needs enemas?

In Utah the Senate passed a bill that allows guns on school grounds. Now most people recoil at the thought, but the truth is that banning guns from school property only affects those who are law abiding. hence it does not keep someone from bringing a gun to school to commit murder. There's a law against murder & that doesn't stop murderers, hence a law against carrying guns on school wouldn't affect murderers either. But what it does do is prevent teachers & parents from being able to defend themselves against a murderer. There have been at least 2 school shootings that were stopped by armed civilians. In both cases they had to run to their cars parked off campus before they could stop the shooting. It's possible that the shootings which they stopped could have been stopped much sooner had they not had to go an excessive distance to retrieve their weapons. Likewise, school shootings like the one at Columbine High in Littleton Colorado could have been stopped or perhaps prevented entirely if the teachers &/or faculty were armed.
But of note in the article about guns on school property it notes the opponents to having guns on school grounds quoted from a supposed proponent of the right to arms:

"That rankled some Democrats who tried to change the bill to an outright ban on weapons in schools, except for those carried by law enforcement or school security. They even quoted at length from a National Rifle Association document that makes the argument that guns have absolutely no place in schools."

For more blogs on the NRA's duplicity, look here, here, here, here, here & here.

for other peoples writings on the NRA please look here, here, here & here.


& to make things even more confusing about the NRA, a Connecticut on line publication has the story about the upcoming NRA banquet to help fund various state shooting & gun control programs.

Please visit the GOA & JPFO links on the left. It's much more ecomomical to support a pro gun org that doesn't support gun control.

Canadian Justice Minister Martin Cauchon was found in contempt of Parliament after he leaked out the costs of Canada's gun registry.
On the subject of Canada Larry Pratt of GOA has a talk show called Livefire on which last week he had a guest who discussed the political situation in Canada & the possibility of Canadian sucession if things get worse. You can link the RealPlayer file here.

Brooklyn D.A. Charles Hynes refuses to dismiss charges against Ronald Dixon. Look here for a previous blog on the plight of Mr. Dixon. & look here for another news story on the situation.

"Obviously, eight days of weekend incarceration pales in comparison to 365 days of incarceration,' Hynes wrote."

I wonder if this D.A. ( note - not an abbreviation for District Attorney) wonders if not being prosecuted for defending his family would pale in comparison to spending 1 second incarcerated? & I wonder if the D.A. would feel he got off light if he only served 10 years for violating a citizens rights instead of getting the chair?

Delta will start using a new passenger screening policy which will tap into databases to assign a threat level to each passenger. Also look here.

The Bush adminestration is establishing a biometric identification system to prevent terrorists from entering or exiting the country. In effect this would eliminate the need for national identity cards & passports & such as the identifier is already on you. Although some, such as Rowland Nethaway, the senior editor of the Waco-Herald Tribune will be disappointed if national I.d.'s are by-passed.

The U.S. defense Department has already issued millions of dollars in grants to research TIA - the Total Information Awareness Program. Also look here.

A judge has rejected a challenge to the FBI's spy power in the name of fighting terrorism.

Gov. Pataki of NY had an anti-terrorism bill rushed through the NY Senate which broadens local & state police powers. While the NYPD has restrictions on information gathering lifted.

John Wlalters, Washington's "Drug Czar" refused to disclose how much he spent to defeat a Nevada initiative which could have legalized marijuana in that state. He also has a complaint filed against him under the hatch Act, which restricts the campaign activities of federal employees.

In an internal memo from 2001 the FBI warns agents to be aware of those who mention the U.S. Constitution.

The FBI admitted owning a small plane that has worried some people in Bloomington, Ind. After initially denying knowledge of the plane they claimed it was being used for anti-terrorism surveilance but said no threat was known to the town or the state.

5 jurors have demanded a new trial for a man they found guitly on federal counts related to his growing & distributing marijuane for medicinal purposes, which is legal under California law. The jurors were never instructed concerning California law since he was being tried under federal law, & the judge forbade the defense from bringing it up.

The proposed Patriot Act 2 is causing concerns over eroding civil liberties. Also look here, here, & here.

Britain & other EU nations could have their citzens extradicted for 'thought crimes' that occur on the net..




Armed Females of America find it suprising - not that the above kinds of laws are being passed & enforced, but that people can't believe it's happening in America. C. Bradley Thompson may have the answer to the Armed Females of America's question.
Libertarians believe the government is failing in its duty to protect the people & spending too much taxpayer money in its efforts.
Ron Paul (R-Tx.) is concerned about civil liberties. & Prof. Eugene Volokh warns us of the 'slippery slope'.