New Hampshire Man Fired for Protecting Gas Station

It seems that if you are a responsible gun owner, using your legally purchased firearm to protect yourself AND your employer from loss or injury by would be thieves in this country, the reward coming your way for acting in what should be and used to be a logical and appropriate manner will result in your dismissal.

Shannon "Bear" Cothran told the Telegraph of Nashua that he was working at a Shell station in Nashua early Monday when a man approached him with a knife. Police confirmed that the would-be robber fled after Cothran pulled out a gun.
Cothran said he then filed a report with Nouria Energy Corp., which owns the station, and was fired hours later even though the store manager and a district manager lobbied to save his job.

The company states that while they are "grateful" no one was injured and there was no loss of property in this instance, their no weapons policy falls in line with the policies adopted by other companies across the country. One has to wonder, however, how many companies go along with policies like this under pressure of the anti-gun lobby, and how much longer will companies continue to run along like lemmings over the edge of a cliff while convenience store employees are killed because they ARE unarmed in accordance with company guidelines?

Find contact information for Nouria Energy Corp. here, if you wish to drop them a line and tell them what you think of their policies.

Sic vis pacem parabellem (if you want peace, prepare for war)

MT

 

NRA Begins Legal Assaults against Anti-Gun Municipalities

Hat Tip to Ed Morrissey at Hot Air.

With the passage of the United States Supreme Court's ruling on the Second Amendment to the Constitution, the National Rifle Association has taken their cue from Shakespeare; "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!"

As mentioned at the announcement of the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, the NRA has set it's sights on the anti-handgun policies of Chicago.

But Chicago isn't the first stop for the NRA, nor the only stop, as they begin a campaign of legal battles to have restrictive anti-gun laws overturned and erased around the country. The city of San Fransisco finds itself "under the gun" by the NRA and others over their ban of handguns in public housing, on the basis that the ban is unconstitutional and relegates those who live in public housing to a separate class of citizenship than the rest of the citizens of the city. San Fransisco, and other cities that are suddenly finding themselves facing lawsuits, are digging in and preparing to fight, despite the Supreme Court ruling this week.

But officials here and in other cities where gun restrictions are now being challenged took a defiant stance. As the lawsuit was being filed, San Francisco officials held a news conference in the city’s hardscrabble Western Addition neighborhood to announce a series of antigun measures. Mayor Gavin Newsom said the timing was coincidental, but apt.

Mr. Newsom, who said he suspected that the rifle association might also sue to overturn a local ordinance requiring trigger-locks, challenged N.R.A. officials to come to his city and spend time in public housing developments, which he said were often overrun with weapons.

“We don’t happen to believe that it’s good public policy in public housing sites where guns and violence is the highest in our city and, for that matter, respectively, in cities across America, to say ‘Hey, come on in; let’s everybody get guns,’ ” said Mr. Newsom, a Democrat.

Obviously Mayor Newson has never heard of the town of Kennesaw, Georgia.

The San Fransisco suit, interestingly enough for a city with a reputation of ensuring the rights of it's gay citizenry, was filed by a gay man living in public housing after being denied a handgun permit for the purchase of a firearm to use in self defense from potential hate crimes. According to NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre, denial of a certain population of the city based upon where they live, stating “It can’t be walled off by the political class. It would be the equivalent of saying you can have a right to free speech, but you can’t have a right to free speech in public housing.” The suit was filed against San Fransisco within hours of the release of the Supreme Court decision. San Fransisco virtually banned handguns within the city in 1982 when it passed ordinances in which no new handgun permits would be issued.

Officials in Chicago and New York City, two more cities that have restrictive gun laws, remain convinced that the high court ruling won't have any immediate effect on existing gun laws. Georgia's Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, on the other hand, has asked a Republican state senator to form an exploratory committee to determine which of Georgia's state statutes are in violation of the Supreme Court ruling. Cagle, a Republican as well, is a gun ownership advocate.

A city of about 725,000, San Francisco has 12,000 residents living in public housing, all of whom are required to sign a lease that forbids a broad variety of weapons, including pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, automatic rifles, BB guns, as well as nunchucks, brass knuckles and stun guns. This blanket ban was begun in 2006, and the penalty for violation of the lease is eviction.

In the case filed on Friday, an anonymous gay man said that stipulation had deprived him of “any effective means of self-defense.

In 2005, a city-wide ban was enacted, and overturned by the California State Supreme Court. Last year alone, there were 42 gun related deaths in San Fransisco, and residents of the city's public housing neighborhoods state that they hear gunshots on a daily basis, despite the ban on weapons in public housing.

When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

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Obama, McCain, and the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States

For at least the past 60 years, there has been a war being waged in the United States. Not with guns, but about them, and the citizen's rights to bear them. Today, the Supreme Court ruled on the side of the Constitution, and the candidates responded.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Those are the words, in their exact form, that have been in such hot debate for the past several decades. Those are the words that have been so divisive to some, and have created such anger and hatred between the pro-gun and anti-gun camps, and yet so many people do not know the words OF the Second Amendment which they stand either for or against.

"Shall not be infringed." To quote Barack Obama, "just words?"

Our founding fathers seemed not to think so, hence the inclusion of the Second Amendment, including the wording "shall not be infringed."

Historically, the Supreme Court has stayed pretty much away from Second Amendment cases, allowing lower court rulings to take precedence and establish or abolish laws in the regions which they represent. Today, however, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that the Washington, DC, ban on handguns was unconstitutional.

1. The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Pp. 2–53.

(a) The Amendment’s prefatory clause announces a purpose, but does not limit or expand the scope of the second part, the operative clause. The operative clause’s text and history demonstrate that it connotes an individual right to keep and bear arms. Pp. 2–22.

(b) The prefatory clause comports with the Court’s interpretation of the operative clause. The “militia” comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved. Pp. 22–28

There has been, of course, the expected amount of jubilation from gun advocates and the anticipated weeping and gnashing of teeth of the anti-gun left. The National Rifle Association has wasted no time in gearing up to challenge, next, a similar gun ban in the city of Chicago. Other pro-Second Amendment sponsors have responded as well, including one entrepeneuring venture that offers a free handgun with the completion of a training course.

But what of the candidates, in this Presidential election year? What are the responses to this landmark decision that the banning of handguns is a violation of the Constitutional rights of the individual? The answer, of course, will depend upon which candidate you ask.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, an open-carry state, has called the decision a "landmark victory for Second Amendment freedom," and has accused opponent Senator Barack Obama of reversing himself, once again, on the issue of Second Amendment rights.

“All I can say it’s one in a long, in a long series in reversals of positions,” McCain said. “In a few days he has gone from opposing nuclear power, to not a proponent, to willing to explore. I fully anticipate -- whether it be on his pledge on public financing or his position on the Second Amendment, or any other issues -- he is changing his positions. So it's not surprising."

McCain's remarks were made at a local town-hall meeting at Xavier University. Noticeably absent was Barack Obama, whom McCain had invited to attend for debate. McCain also made another jab at Obama in a writen statement, in which he said, "Unlike the elitist view that believes Americans cling to guns out of bitterness, today's ruling recognizes that gun ownership is a fundamental right -- sacred, just as the right to free speech and assembly." Former Presidential candidate cum McCain supporter Senator Sam Brownback, in a conference call with reporters, put forward his thoughts, as well, stating, "This is either an incredible flip flop or incredible inexperience on this issue. Anybody whose been around politics in Washington D.C. knows the center of this gun ban debate is whether this is an individual right.”

So why are the Republicans accusing Obama of flip-flopping again? First, an examination of his response to today's ruling is in order.

I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view, and while it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe. Today’s ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country.

As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe.

On the surface, it sounds great, and looks as if the Senator and Presidential hopeful has given his full support all along to the Second Amendment and the rights of gun owners. But the Republican's are quick to point out, on their website, Obama's previous statements regarding gun ownership, statements which clearly show that Obama, in his own words, is opposed to the private ownership of firearms. There is even a spot for a video from YouTube that is, mysteriously, no longer available for viewing, labeled as "mistatement" on the YouTube site. However, one doesn't have to go back very far to recall Obama's gaffe in Pennsylvania in which he called small town Americans "bitter," stating that they "cling" to religion and guns.

Obama's record is indicative of the inverse of the opinion of the American people, according to a Gallup poll released today showing that of those polled, 73% of the American people believe that it is their Constitutionally guaranteed right to own firearms.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Just words?

Perhaps it would behoove Senator Obama, who feels that the gun control laws of his home city of Chicago are so effective, to examine more closely a town hailed by gun ownership advocates as a true success story of the Second Amendment; Kennesaw, Georgia, a town in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, this past April celebrated their 25th year without a single murder. What makes Kennesaw the pride of the Second Amendment supporters? Their city ordinance requiring that every home own at least one gun:

The crime rate initially plummeted for several years after the passage of the ordinance, with the 2005 per capita crime rate actually significantly lower than it was in 1981, the year before passage of the law.

Prior to enactment of the law, Kennesaw had a population of just 5,242 but a crime rate significantly higher (4,332 per 100,000) than the national average (3,899 per 100,000). The latest statistics available – for the year 2005 – show the rate at 2,027 per 100,000. Meanwhile, the population has skyrocketed to 28,189.

By comparison, the population of Morton Grove, the first city in Illinois to adopt a gun ban for anyone other than police officers, has actually dropped slightly and stands at 22,202, according to 2005 statistics. More significantly, perhaps, the city's crime rate increased by 15.7 percent immediately after the gun ban, even though the overall crime rate in Cook County rose only 3 percent. Today, by comparison, the township's crime rate stands at 2,268 per 100,000.

This was not what some predicted.

Not what was predicted, but the results speak volumes. A lesson Senator Obama should examine closely in contrast with his own past stand on the issue of gun control.

A few more words Senator Obama should get used to hearing between now and November: "I'm the NRA, and I vote."

Once and Always, an NRA Membership Holding American Fighting Man

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Gun Rights Week

From Email:

Dear Fellow NRA Member,

In honor of NRA's upcoming annual meeting and his keynote address to our annual banquet on Saturday May 17, Glenn Beck is holding "Gun Rights Week" on both his radio and T.V. shows.

These shows will be broadcast on the Premiere Radio Network's 280 stations from 9 a.m. to noon, Eastern, and on CNN Headline News Network every night at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Each day, Glenn will feature a new gun rights segment on his shows. I'll be his guest on Tuesday, and NRA-ILA's Chris Cox will be the featured guest on Wednesday. And each day for the rest of the week, there will be another firearm freedom expert talking to Glenn and millions of his listeners.

The toll free call-in number for Glenn's radio show is 1-888-727-BECK. So if you have a question or comment about the elections, Right-to-Carry, crime, the Supreme Court Heller case, Castle Doctrine, or any Second Amendment issue, CALL!

For more information on broadcast times, stations and special guests, visit www.GlennBeck.com and click the "radio" or "T.V." banners. Glenn will also be providing transcripts and video links to all the interviews and segments in his free daily email newsletter, which you can sign up for on his site.

As one more favor to me, be sure to tell every gun owner you know about these important broadcasts. Please take a moment today, while you're sitting at your computer, to forward this e-mail to your contact list.

Also, be sure to keep your eyes on the national news this Friday between 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, when NRA kicks off our weekend-long event with our Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum.

Confirmed speakers include Kentucky Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, T.V. personality Ollie North, political strategist Karl Rove, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Senator Mitch McConnell, Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell, Governor Mike Huckabee, Governor Mitt Romney, and John McCain.

Over 10,000 NRA members will attend, making this the largest political event in NRA's history.

All the major national news outlets will have cameras and reporters on hand to cover this event. Live, for over four hours on Friday afternoon-and in thousands of broadcast hours, and electronic and print pages to follow-NRA and our election-year defense of Second Amendment will dominate the news.

Thanks again for your support of NRA and thanks for helping spread the word about these important broadcast events!

----------------------------------

Fred Doesn't Have a Hunting License, and Neither do I

I stopped watching CNN after they showed one of our soldiers being taken out by an enemy sniper. Through the years, they have done little more than piss me off anyway, so it was no big loss for my news hunting to do without the Caliphate News Network.

Now they're trying to call into question Fred Thompson's NRA and gun support because he doesn't have a current hunting license. Well big deal, I don't either, and haven't for several years. It's not that I don't like hunting, don't advocate it, and don't wish that I had the TIME for it, I simply DON'T have the time with my work schedule or I would be out there as much as I could doing the hunting and fishing I love to do and look forward to doing one of these days when I retire.

Thompson does not have hunting license

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Fred Thompson has made a point of visiting gun shops and gun shows while hitting the campaign trail in New Hampshire and South Carolina, usually with camera crews in tow.

But Thompson said Wednesday he does not have a hunting license, nor has be been hunting recently.

"It's been too long, it's been too long," Thompson told CNN Wednesday.

Asked if he has a hunting license, Thompson said he currently does not.

"At the present time I do not, but I have been hunting plenty of times. I usually hunt birds and used to have my own skeet shoot, and I got a chance to shoot and practice a lot back then."

Thompson, an ardent defender of Second Amendment rights, was appearing in Columbia to pick up the endorsement of South Carolina Citizens for Life.

(...)

Thompson said Wednesday he wished he had more time to go hunting.

"It seems like other things seem to be getting in its way," he said.

I can certainly relate to that sentiment, all too well.

It's like this. The Second Amendment is about the right to bear arms, NOT the right to hunt. It's a stretch on the part of CNN to try to make this into something that it isn't, and, as usual, highly irresponsible of them to make this attempt.

One more instance of CNN trying to twist things. Seems to me they're afraid of Fred Thompson...

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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Assaults on the Second Ammendment - NRA update 2DEC07

From email:

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK!

Brady's Shamelessness-Will They Ever Learn? This week's outrage comes, not surprisingly, from the Brady Center. You may recall back in May, we reported on the Brady Center prescribing its remedies for the horrific Virginia Tech slayings well before any of the facts were known. Not content to stop there, they even sent out an extremely distasteful fundraising solicitation seeking contributions in the amount of $32-one dollar for each of the Virginia Tech slayings.

You'd think the Brady Center would have learned its lesson after being pilloried for this stunt by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (among others), who said, "People who want to take this (the Tech shootings) within 24 hours of the event and make it, you know, their political hobby horse to ride, I've got nothing but loathing for them. To those who want to, you know, try to make this into some little crusade, you know, I say take that elsewhere. Let this community deal with grieving individuals and be sensitive to those needs."

Once again, though, the Brady Bunch has proven it has no learning curve.



Boston Gun Search Policy Raises Concerns: Boston police may soon begin asking parents to allow searches of their homes and children's bedrooms for firearms-without notice or warrants.



STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)

COLORADO: BLM Plans to Close Canyons of the Ancients to Recreational Shooting: The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft management plan for the 164,000-acre Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwest Colorado. All four management alternatives would close the entire Monument to recreational shooting. The BLM cites vandalism of cultural and natural resources and visitor safety as the reasons for closure. For more information about the plan, please go to http://www.blm.gov/rmp/canm/. Comments from the public are being accepted until January 25, 2008. It is critical that gun owners and sportsmen take an active role in this process!

BLM Plan Will Set Game Retrieval Restrictions: The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft management plan for travel routes on lands it administers within San Luis Valley, Colorado. The proposal will limit the retrieval of game off designated routes except to a perpendicular distance of 300 ft. from the edge of a route. Comments on the plan are being accepted until December 31. The document can be viewed at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/slvplc/Travel_Management.html. For further information, please contact Mark Swinney, Project Lead, by phone at (719) 655-2547, or by e-mail at mswinney@co.blm.gov. Once again, it is critical that gun owners and sportsmen take an active role in this process!

ILLINOIS: Continue to Express Your Opposition to Proposed FOID Card Regulations! As we have previously reported, the Illinois State Police has proposed enacting an age limit to obtain an Illinois Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card. This is apparently in response to an editorial by Daily Southtown columnist Howard Ludwig, who wrote an article about obtaining a FOID card for his ten-month-old son. Illinois law does not set an age requirement for issuance of a FOID card with a parent's consent, but imposing one could have disastrous effects on Illinois' rich hunting heritage and would endanger the lives of children. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) will determine if this rule will be enacted, but you can still submit comments in opposition to the proposal. Please address your comments to: Mr. John M. Hosteny, Interim Chief Legal Counsel, Illinois State Police, 801 South 7th Street, Suite 1000-S, P.O. Box 19461, Springfield, IL 61794-9461. Please be sure to ask Mr. Hosteny to share your comments with the members of JCAR. You can also send your comments directly to the JCAR at 700 Stratton Office Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706 or email jcar@ilga.gov.

VIRGINIA: Hunting With Hounds Under Review: The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has launched a review of hound hunting in the Commonwealth. Virginia Tech is conducting focus group meetings around the state during November and December. Trespass complaints from property owners have sparked this review. The Department's goal is "To provide diverse opportunities for hunting with hounds in Virginia in a manner that is fair, sportsmanlike and consistent with the rights of property owners and other citizens." The process includes many avenues for hound hunters to participate, such as focus group meetings with individual stakeholder groups, a survey conducted through the Department's website, opportunity to review all developments, public meetings, and by letter or e-mail. About half of the focus groups will be comprised of bear, deer, fox, and raccoon hound hunters. The remainder of the focus groups will be populated by landowners, government representatives, other hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. If you are a hound hunter, make your views known during this public process. Go to www.dgif.state.va.us/hunting/hounds for more information about how you can participate.

WISCONSIN: Vote Scheduled for Critical Emergency Powers Legislation! Assembly Bill 581 is likely to be voted on Tuesday, December 4. Sponsored by Assemblyman Scott Gunderson (R-83), AB 681 would prevent the state of Wisconsin from restricting the possession, transfer, sale, transport, storage, display, or use of firearms or ammunition during a declared state of emergency. Please contact the members of the Assembly Committee on Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and respectfully urge them to pass this important legislation. Contact information for the Committee can be found by clicking here.

I ask again, what part of "...shall not be infringed" do these people NOT understand?

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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What Part of "Shall Not Be Infringed" Needs Clarification?

The Supreme Court has chosen not to address the Second Amendment case concerning the rights of gun owners in Washington, DC. They have chosen, instead, to wait until after Thanksgiving to address the issue, if they choose to address it then.

No Decision Yet From Supreme Court on Washington, D.C., Second Amendment Case

Tuesday , November 13, 2007
By Lee Ross

WASHINGTON —
The U.S. Supreme Court held off Tuesday on deciding whether to take up a high-profile case on killing a Washington, D.C., ban on handguns, leaving observers guessing what the court would do next.

The court has not heard a case involving the Second Amendment — which covers the "right to bear arms" — since 1939.

Four justices must vote to grant an appeal that would allow the high court to hear the case. The justice don't always reach a decision the first time they consider taking a case. The next time the court could announce its decision about hearing the case is Nov. 26.

The case, District of Columbia, et al. v. Heller, pits Washington, D.C., city officials against a resident, fronting a group of individuals, who sued the city over its 31-year-old ban on weapons in- and outside the home.

The group, all of whom are D.C. dwellers, won a major victory in March, when a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of overturning the ban. A full panel of the court later decided against reconsidering the panel's decision, setting up the high court battle.

Court observers expected an announcement Tuesday on whether the justices would agree to hear the case. The court does not have to stick to its norms for announcing cases, and this was one of those times.

The Second Amendment simply reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The meaning of this 27-word sentence has been the subject of countless discussions over the decades but as of late, not inside the high court.

The District of Columbia's entrance into the debate began soon after gaining the right to establish its own laws, free from direct congressional review. In 1976, the District of Columbia passed one of the nation's toughest regulations on guns: no handguns for anyone who isn't a retired police officer.

Furthermore, the district's law does not allow the possession of any "long gun" — for instance a shotgun or rifle — that isn't unloaded, disassembled or immobilized with a safety lock.

The law's advocates say it's necessary to protect the citizens from gun-related violence. But opponents point out the strict prohibition didn't prevent Washington, D.C., from once being dubbed the nation's "murder capital" because of the significant number of gun-related homicides, which in the early 1990s soared past 400 in one year.

Opponents also contend the law is contrary to the Second Amendment's language providing for a right to bear arms...

So what, exactly, does the Second Amendment to the Constitution say, exactly?

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Does that say "the rights of the militia to keep and bear arms?" No, it says, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." That's pretty cut and dry in my opinion. Who are the people? YOU are the people, and so am I.

"...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Those on the left can offer whatever arguments that they wish to offer, but the words are there in black and white in the National Archives for all to read.

"...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

From the Rocky Mountain News (and I don't agree with everything the writer of this op ed piece says, for instance, I would NEVER live in a "zoned" community).

The most cursory glance at crime statistics shows that the ban - which was imposed to reduce violence - has been an abject failure. As recently as 2002, D.C. had the nation's highest murder rate; last year it was ranked seventh among major metropolitan areas.

But the court's role is not to determine whether a law has been effective. The justices must decide whether D.C.'s gun ban violates the constitutional rights of law-abiding residents.

In March, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 that the ban violates the Second Amendment, which "protects an individual right to keep and bear arms." The court noted that if the Founders intended the Second Amendment to protect the rights of states rather than individuals, they could have said so directly, as in "Congress shall make no law disarming the state militias" or "States have a right to a well-regulated militia."

They didn't, so it's logical to conclude that the Constitution confers an individual right to own firearms.

If the justices uphold the D.C. Circuit's decision, it will not pre-empt all local firearms regulations. For example, even most Second Amendment advocates have little problem with laws that prevent convicted felons or the mentally disabled from owning firearms. Possession and sale of automatic weapons have been strictly regulated since 1934 - before the Miller decision.

Let's say this again, one more time, the words of the Second Amendment to the Constitution: "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Exactly what part of that is unclear?

Here's are a few more questions for you. Why would anyone WANT to take firearms away from the general public? What is the ultimate agenda of an organization that wants to disarm the American people? If they first go after your rights to own firearms, what rights will they attack next?

Think me paranoid if you will, but if you look, the evidence is there. There is a clear assault on our Constitutional rights being waged under the guise of Political Correctness.

Make no mistake about it, Political Correctness is Marxism in a more modern guise.

"Political Correctness is inverted McCarthyism." Dennis Miller

"I'm NRA, and I vote."

I'm also a very strong Constitutionalist. Our Nation exists because of the blood shed by Americans willing to fight for our rights to be free and to live freely. The Second Amendment is one of those rights men and women have died to preserve.

"...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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Don't worry about the dog, beware of the owner...

Who is ultimately responsible for the protection of the home, those who live in it, or the police? Who is responsible for personal safety and well being away from the home, the individual or the police? What role does the police force have in our lives? "To protect and serve" is the motto seen on so many patrol vehicles around the nation. But how often do they actually catch the bad guys in the middle of committing a crime? How often do they come onto the scene while someone is breaking into your home?

Very seldom.

The fact is, they aren't mind readers. They don't have psychic powers to know ahead of time when a crime is being committed and where. They aren't supermen and superwomen. They're humans. And the majority of the time they don't arrive until after the crime has been committed and try to collect as much information as they can so they can go out and catch the bad guys AFTER the crime is committed.

To whom does this give the advantage, the criminal, or the cops? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

So what do you do when you're home and someone breaks in? I know what I'm prepared to do. Do you?

I have long been and advocate of an armed citizenry being a responsible citizenry. NOT JUST armed, however; a citizenry that is armed should know how to use their firearms. And know when to use them.

'Shoot first' laws make it tougher for burglars in the United States

Burglars in the United States could once sue homeowners if they were shot, but now a growing number of states have made it legal to shoot to kill when somebody breaks into a house.

John Woodson, 46, found that out last week when he ambled into Dennis Baker's open garage in a Dallas suburb. A surveillance video showed the robber strolling inside, hands in his pockets.

From the shadows, Baker opened fire and killed Woodson.

"I just had to protect myself and that was it," Baker told reporters despite the fact Woodson had not tried to enter the bedroom near the garage where Baker had been sleeping.

The incident made national headlines since it was Baker's parrot that gave the alarm when it innocently squawked "good morning" at the intruder.

But Woodson's death seemed anecdotal compared to another Dallas resident who a few days earlier had killed his second robber in three weeks inside his home.

Police are investigating both cases, but it is unlikely charges will be filed. Texas recently passed a law branding anybody breaking into a home or car as a real threat of injury or death to its occupants.

In contrast with traditional self-defense laws, this measure does not require that a person who opens fire on a burglar be able to prove that he or she was physically threatened, that force was used only as a last resort and that the victim had first tried to hide.

Florida was the first state to adopt in 2005 a law that was dubbed "Stand your ground" or "Shoot first."

But now they have proliferated largely under pressure from the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), the main weapons lobby in the United States.

Today 19 out of 50 US states, mostly in the south and the central regions of the country, have this kind of laws, and similar legislation is pending in about a dozen others.

"This law will bring common-sense self-defense protections to law-abiding citizens," said Rachel Parsons, a spokesperson for the NRA.

"If someone is breaking into your home, it's obvious that they are not there to have dinner with you," she continued. "You do have a right to protect your belongings, your family and yourself.

"The law needs to be put on the side of the victim, and not on the side of the criminal, who is attacking the victim."

Common sense in my mind.

There are, of course and as always, those who disagree. There always will be. To me, they do nothing more than create a situation in which the criminal has more rights under the law than those whom they prey on. Amazingly enough, if you look into it, some of the same groups who advocate self-defense classes for women also advocate gun control legislation.

But for the Freedom States Alliance that fights against the proliferation of firearms in the United States, these new laws attach more value to threatened belongings than to the life of the thief and only serve to increase the number of people killed by firearms each year, which currently is estimated to stand at nearly 30,000.

"It's that whole Wild West mentality that is leading the country down a very dangerous path," said Sally Slovenski, executive director of the alliance.

"In any other country, something like the castle doctrine or stand-your-ground laws look like just absolute lunacy," she continued.

"And yet in this country, somehow it's been justified, and people just sort of have come to live with this, and they just don't see the outrage in this."

It's up to you, America, to decide for yourselves, as individuals. But in deciding as individuals, LEAVE IT at the individual level whether you decide to be armed or not. Our founding fathers recognized the need for an armed citizenry and guaranteed that right be handed down through the generations in our nation. We as individuals have a right to defend ourselves, and a responsibility to do so.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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Restoring Rights for Felons?

According to Wikipedia:

The term felony is used in common law systems for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. This distinction is principally used in criminal law in the United States legal system, where the federal government generally considers a crime punishable by more than five days up to a year in prison to be a misdemeanor, while considering crimes punishable by greater than a year in prison to be felonies; crimes of five days or less in prison, or no prison at all, are considered infractions.

Serious crimes. VERY serious crimes.

So why is the ACLU interested in restoring the rights of full citizenship to those convicted of felonious crimes? Oh yeah, they're the ACLU, that's why. They're "inverted."

Hat tip to Jay at Stop the ACLU for this one:

American Criminal Liberties Union
by Jay @ 9:03 pm. Filed under ACLU, Illegal Activities, 2nd Amendment, News

The ACLU has begun a campaign to restore the rights of felons. People with felony convictions automatically lose the right to vote, run for or hold office, circulate candidate or referendum petitions, or to own, have, buy or use guns.

Which of these rights are the ACLU concerned with? The right to vote. It isn’t surprising that such a leftist organization would be concerned with this. Afterall, criminals trend to vote liberal. The way the ACLU’s argument goes is that once people have served their punishment, their debt to society is paid and they should be granted their full rights as a citizen. This is one reason they fight so hard for sex offenders and child molesters to live across the street from Elementary schools. Of course the arguement is flawed. If the ACLU really believed their own arguement they would be fighting just as hard for the other rights of felons, including their Second Amendment rights.

Go check the rest of it out at his site, it's well worth the read.

Give'em HELL, Jay.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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A Constitutional Stand earns a Mental Evaluation?

I heard about this on Steve Gill this morning and I have to say, it really set me off.

From TownHall:

College Admins: If You Favor Second Amendment Rights, You Must Be Crazy
By Jon Sanders
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Send an email to Jon Sanders

A Minnesota college student was suspended and ordered to undergo "mental health evaluation" for his response to campuswide e-mails from school officials concerning the Virginia Tech massacre.

The college, Hamline University, a private, liberal-arts institution affiliated with the Methodist Church, has a policy on "Freedom of Expression and Inquiry" that guarantees that Hamline students will be "free to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them and to express opinions publicly or privately."

With such a strong guarantee on students' "freedom from censorship and control" by the university, student Troy Scheffler's e-mail must have been horrifically bad to warrant such a crackdown. Right?

Wrong. What Scheffler did was make a gun-rights case for concealed-carry permits on campus to help ward off potential Cho Seung-Huis before they strike Hamline. This was no monstrous act; in fact, it was in line with public debate across the nation following Cho's rampage, not to mention an issue of perennial debate in America. Many researchers, most notably John R. Lott Jr., have shown conclusively that gun ownership itself wards off crime while laws banning guns lead to increases in crimes. Criminals are less likely to strike if they have reason to believe their prospective victims could be armed.

Scheffler had written in his April 17 e-mail reply to David Stern, Hamline vice president of student affairs, that "Considering this university also pushes 'diversity' initiatives like VA Tech, maybe its 'leadership' will reconsider [Hamline's] ban on conceal carry law abiding gun owners... Ironically, according to a few VA Tech forums, there are plenty of students complaining that this wouldnt have happened if the school wouldnt have banned their permits a few months ago."

He added, "I just dont understand why leftists dont understand that criminals dont care about laws; that is why they’re criminals... Maybe this school will reconsider its repression of law abiding citizens rights."

Two days later, Hamline President Linda Hanson e-mailed the campus about Virginia Tech. Scheffler replied to that e-mail also, expanding upon his comments to Stern.

In both messages, Scheffler made it clear to all but the most hysterically inclined person that his advocacy of concealed-carry permits was to protect the students from criminals. Scheffler recognized that this protection would be afforded primarily by predators' foreknowledge that any one of the students at Hamline could shoot back, but also – given that the administrators had both brought up the VT massacre – by students being able to stop a killing rampage before it got started.

In short, what Scheffler wrote was no preamble to a blood-lusty explosion of violence. At worst it was crude criticism of the university administration combined with a stark assessment of the true risk of a concealed-carry society like Virginia Tech's: total defenselessness against a Columbine-inspired mass murderer. Regardless, it should have been protected by the university's stated policy guaranteeing free expression.

Nevertheless, on April 23 Scheffler received a hand-delivered letter from Dean of Students Alan Sickbert that informed him his e-mails were "deemed to be threatening and thus an alleged violation of the Hamline University Judicial Code" and that he was placed on "interim suspension" to be lifted only after he agreed to a psychological evaluation by a licensed mental health professional...

So the kid does what the administration asks, sends his opinion, taking a Constitutional stand on the matter, and he's suspended and told he has to have a psych evaluation before he's allowed to return to school? Is Hamline College in some place other than the United States? Is this a lesson to be learned, that when a college administration asks for opinions, they really don't want to hear what you think? Such elitist thinking. It's no wonder academia is viewed as being a bunch of pompous leftist blowhards who have no substance.

I don't normally advocate this, but my advice to Mr. Scheffler is to get a good lawyer and sue them for violating his constitutional rights of free speech. Totally unConstitutional behavior on the part of Hamline College.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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NRA update 16

Not often I really rant about things that are posted in the updates I get from the NRA, but THIS update carries one that just absolutely is around the bend in my opinion. When you read down, you will see where New Jersey is considering legislation whereby it would be illegal to give toy guns to children under the age of 18. My mind wanders back to my own childhood, where, as my father is anti-gun, toy guns were VERBOTEN in my household. Did that stop us? Nope. I wonder if the State of New Jersey is going to include sticks SHAPED like guns, lego's, and (gasp) the forefinger and thumb pointed to PRETEND that it's a gun? Common sense has gone out the frigging window YET AGAIN, it would seem.

Here's a little reminder of what our founding fathers had to say about such as this. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

HCdL

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


U.S. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

PRESERVES TIAHRT AMENDMENT!

On Thursday, July 12, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted to protect language commonly known as the "Tiahrt Amendment," rejecting two separate amendments designed to strike and gut the language, in the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008. This language maintains firearm trace information within the law enforcement community and out of the hands of politicians, trial lawyers and special interest groups.


THE FACTS ABOUT OSHA'S AMMUNITION PROPOSAL: A recent proposal for new "explosives safety" regulations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rightly caused a flurry of concern among gun owners and those in the firearm business. OSHA had set out to make legitimate updates to workplace safety regulations pertaining to explosives; unfortunately, the proposed rule goes far beyond regulating true explosives. The proposed rules include restrictions that very few gun stores, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.

Labor Department Announces It Will Revise
Overreaching OSHA Explosives Rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will significantly revise a recent proposal for new “explosives safety” regulations that caused serious concern among gun owners. OSHA had originally set out to update workplace safety regulations, but the proposed rules included restrictions that very few gun shops, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.

Gun owners had filed a blizzard of negative comments urged by the NRA, and just a week ago, OSHA had already issued one extension for its public comment period at the request of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. After continued publicity through NRA alerts and the outdoor media, and after dozens of Members of Congress expressed concern about its impact, OSHA has wisely decided to go back to the drawing board.

Working with the NRA, Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) planned to offer a floor amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill this Wednesday when the House considers this legislation. His amendment would have prohibited federal funds from being used to enforce this OSHA regulation.

Such an amendment is no longer necessary since Kristine A. Iverson, the Labor Department’s Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, sent Rep. Rehberg a letter, dated July 16, stating that it “was never the intention of OSHA to block the sale, transportation, or storage of small arms ammunition, and OSHA is taking prompt action to revise” this proposed rule to clarify the purpose of the regulation.

Also, working with the NRA, Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) gathered signatures from 25 House colleagues for a letter, dated July 11, expressing concerns about this proposed OSHA rule. The letter calling the proposal “an undue burden on a single industry where facts do not support the need outlined by this proposed rule” and “not feasible, making it realistically impossible for companies to comply with its tenets.”

The OSHA proposal would have defined “explosives” to include “black powder, … small arms ammunition, small arms ammunition primers, [and] smokeless propellant,” and treated these items the same as the most volatile high explosives.

Under the proposed rule, a workplace that contained even a handful of small arms cartridges, for any reason, would have been considered a “facility containing explosives” and therefore subject to many impractical restrictions. For example, no one could carry “firearms, ammunition, or similar articles in facilities containing explosives … except as required for work duties.” Obviously, this rule would make it impossible to operate any kind of gun store, firing range, or gunsmith shop.

The public comment website for the proposed rule is no longer accessible. The Labor Department will publish a notice in the July 17 Federal Register announcing that a new rule proposal will soon be drafted for public comment. Needless to say, the NRA monitors proposed federal regulations to head off this kind of overreach, and will be alert for OSHA’s next draft.

We will post the letter to Congressman Rehberg shortly.


CONTRIBUTE TO NRA-ILA AND RECEIVE DISCOUNTED THEME PARK TICKETS!

Thanks to the generosity of Anheuser-Busch, NRA-ILA has the opportunity to make available a limited number of single-day passes to one of the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks in the United States. These passes are valid through April 2008, and are good for a one-day adult or child admission into SeaWorld Orlando, San Antonio or San Diego; Busch Gardens or Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; or Busch Gardens or Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

To make a contribution and get your tickets, please visit https://secure.nraila.org/buschgardens.aspx.

(Contributions to NRA-ILA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for Federal Income tax purposes.)

STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)

ALABAMA: City of Huntsville Violating Our Second Amendment Rights! It has been reported that the City of Huntsville has posted several signs stating it is unlawful to "possess firearms" on most of the major greenways including, the Aldridge Creek Greenway and the Big Cove Creek Greenway. This is in direct violation of state law as the regulation of firearms is entirely reserved for the Alabama State Legislature. Please contact the members of the Huntsville City Council at (256) 427-5011 or by
e-mail and urge them to remove the signs containing language relating to firearms possession from all of the major greenways throughout the city. For further contact information, please click here.


CALIFORNIA: Golden State Ammo Registration Bill Gutted! On Tuesday, July 10, the California Senate Public Safety Committee gutted Assembly Bill 362, and it will now be re-worked to require the California Department of Justice to only study the regulation of ammunition sales. AB362 would have required identification to be presented for all mail order and face-to-face ammunition sales. Sellers of ammunition would have been forced to keep detailed and accurate sales records. No retail seller of ammunition would have been able to sell, offer for sale, or display for sale any ammunition in a manner that allowed ammunition to be accessible to a purchaser without the assistance of the retailer or authorized employee.

Lead Ammunition Ban Still Pending in California Senate! A bill that would ban the use of lead ammunition for hunting in various hunting zones around the state that incorporate condor range could be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee as early as Monday, July 16. Please contact the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee today and respectfully urge them to protect California's rich hunting tradition by opposing AB821. Contact information for committee members can be found by clicking here.

California Microstamping Legislation Scheduled for Committee Hearing! Assembly Bill 1471 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, July 16. AB1471 would require that after a certain date, the make, model, and serial number be microstamped onto the interior surface or internal working parts of all handguns in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted onto the cartridge case upon firing. Under AB1471, the manufacture, sale, and transfer of handguns that do not include their identifying information would be a crime. Please contact the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee today and respectfully urge them to oppose AB1471. Contact information for committee members can be found by clicking here.

Mandatory Spay or Neuter Bill Held in Committee! Thanks to substantial opposition by NRA members and other sportsmen's groups, Assembly Bill 1364 failed to garner enough support to pass the Senate Local Government Committee and was pulled from committee. The bill will not be reconsidered again before January 2008. While this is a great win for sportsmen throughout the Golden State, the debate will continue in the future. Please continue to convey your opposition to this legislation to your legislators at every opportunity.

COLORADO: Hunting and Recreational Shooting Restrictions Proposed on BLM Land! Hunting and recreational shooting is being targeted by the Bureau of Land Management in south central Colorado near Salida. If you hunt, target shoot, use motorized vehicles, hike and/or camp on these public lands, the proposal will affect you. It is important that BLM hear from you. The management plan and information on how to submit comments can be found at: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/travel_mgmt/arkansas_river_travel0.html


ILLINOIS: Illinois Lawmakers Finally Turn Attention Away from Gun Control Governor Rod Blagokevich (D) tried to breath life into Senate Bill 1007 during a special session to resolve budget issues. SB 1007 would ban the manufacture, possession, delivery, sale, and purchase of standard capacity ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten (10) cartridges. Refusing to be bullied by the governor, the bill's sponsor in the House, Representative Harry Osterman (D-Chicago) made it known that they did not have the supermajority of 71 votes needed to see the bill passed, so there was no need to delay a budget resolution with an off topic vote that would be overwhelmingly defeated.

KENTUCKY: New Kentucky Hunter Permit Available July 1! On Sunday, July 1, a new permit became available for people who are interested in trying hunting in Kentucky. This temporary "try before you buy" permit would allow a person to hunt for one year without first completing a hunter education course. The licensee must be accompanied by a person who is at least 18 years and who has met the hunter education requirement. The permit will be available online at http://www.fw.ky.gov/ for a $5 fee and is available to both Kentucky residents and nonresidents.

MICHIGAN: "No-Net-Loss" Legislation Heading to Senate Floor! House Bill 4597, "No-Net-Loss" legislation, is heading to the Senate floor for consideration. This bill will protect Michigan's valuable hunting tradition by ensuring that today's total acreage of public hunting lands is not reduced. Please contact your State Senator at (517) 373-2400 and respectfully urge him or her to pass HB4597 to protect Michigan's hunting heritage.

NEW JERSEY: Bill to Reorganize Fish & Game Council Heads to Assembly Floor! A3275, a bill that seeks to drastically change the membership of the Fish & Game Council from six sportsmen and three farmers who represent various geographical regions of the state to seven political appointees recommended by the Governor, is now heading to the full Assembly. The bill passed the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee by a 5-2 vote on Thursday, June 14. Animal "rights" extremists testifying in support of A3275 derided hunting as a "15th century" means to wildlife management and touted this legislation as a "21st century" tool for wildlife management. They also expressed their desire to rid the Fish & Game Council of anyone with a "hunter driven background." Please contact your State Assembly member at (800) 792-8630 and respectfully urge him or her to vigorously oppose this anti-hunting legislation. To identify your Assembly member, please click here.

New Jersey Attacking Imitation Firearms Senate Bill 2810 would make it a crime to sell or give an imitation firearm (toy gun) to anyone under the age of 18, defining an imitation firearm as an "object or device that is reasonably capable of being mistaken for a firearm." Please contact the members of the Senate Committee on Law and Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs and ask them to defeat this ridiculous bill that attacks legitimate retailers instead of focusing on the criminals that use firearms, real and imitation, to commit crimes in New Jersey. Please click here for contact information.

OHIO: "Castle Doctrine" Bill Needs Your Help! As previously reported, on June 13, legislation was introduced in Ohio that would restore the most basic of fundamental rights: self-defense. State Senator Steve Buehrer (R-1) and State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R- 75) have introduced Senate Bill 184 and House Bill 264, a package that restores the right of individuals to respond in force in defense of their lives and family without fear of civil lawsuits by criminals injured or killed while attacking law-abiding victims. Please contact your State Senator at (614) 466-4900 and your State Representative at (614) 466-3357 and respectfully urge him or her to support SB 184 and HB 264.

OREGON: Oregon Emergency Powers Provision on Governor's Desk! House Bill 2370, a Homeland Security-related bill containing an amendment prohibiting any government agency from confiscating or regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms during a state of emergency, passed the Oregon Legislature and is on the desk of Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) for his consideration.

PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania Governor Still on Anti-Gun Rampage While speaking before the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, Governor Ed Rendell (D) tried to rally support for his anti-gun proposals for the next legislative session. He is urging law enforcement officials to sign-on to efforts limiting firearms purchases to one-gun-a-month as well as changing state preemption laws to allow local municipalities to pass their own laws. Please contact the Governor at (717) 787-2500, your State Senator at (717) 787-5920, and your State Representative at (717) 787-2372 and respectfully urge them to oppose any gun control measures.



Anti-Gun Philadelphia City Council Members Sue State Legislature to Implement Anti-Gun Ordinances! Philadelphia City Council Members Darrell L. Clarke and Donna Reed Miller have filed a suit against the Pennsylvania Legislature seeking to allow seven city gun-control measures to be implemented without approval from the legislature. Such implementation would be a clear violation of the preemption statutes currently in effect in Pennsylvania. Please contact your State Senator at (717) 787-5920 and your State Representative at (717) 787-2372 and respectfully urge them to continue to oppose any gun control measures that would make Philadelphia gun owners second-class citizens.


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Random Thoughts

Global Jihad

I suppose it's no secret now, except maybe to the extreme left in this country, that Radical Islam has declared war on the West. It boggles my mind how that the left can look at what is being said, HEAR what is being said, see what is being done, and refuse to acknowledge that our way of life is under attack. With two attacks on the World Trade Center, one which completely and utterly destroyed it, they stick their heads in the sand and pretend that it will all just go away if we stop our operations in the Middle East and come home. Do they honestly believe that those who wish to see us DEAD or subjected will stop just because we withdraw our troops? The stated GOAL of these people is to see the United States and Israel FALL. Are they so used to lying that they think everyone does it? Are they so blind to the fact that the stated GOAL of the Jihad is global Islam? Or is this what they want, hoping that there will be some sort of "special place for them" for their help in making this happen? Makes you wonder. I can't get over some of our retired generals with their criticisms of our involvements, our operations that ARE WORKING in securing the area; where are the Patton's, the Eisenhower's, the Bradley's of our time? Where is Stormin' Norman? Where ARE our heroes?

Superman where are you now?

We need heroes. We need someone to believe in, someone to look up to, someone to give us hope. Humankind is geared to a belief in something stronger than ourselves, something bigger, something more than what we are as individuals. Our own awareness of our mortality lends us to a belief in something bigger than mankind, something supernatural, something "beyond the strength of mortal man." Many people turn to religions for this, others turn to friends, some to individuals in the media. Unfortunately, we seem to be choosing the wrong people as the focus of our attentions...

Paris and Lindsey who?

I can't begin to tell you how SICK I am of hearing about Paris Hilton. WHAT has she done that has been in ANY way productive to society? Lindsey Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, I feel the same way about them. Britney Spears goes off the deep end, shaves her head, gets locked up in rehab, and she's praised for it? WHAT is WRONG with people that THIS is what we look to as "role models?" I certainly hope my OWN daughter doesn't try to emulate these "ladies." I hope she wants better for herself than infamy, because in my mind, to call this "being famous" is a horrible concept. Pacman Jones, don't think you've escaped my eye either just because you're not female. Your behavior has been appalling, disgusting, and out of control. You've yet to behave like a man.

The "Fairness Doctrine"

When a liberal complains "it isn't fair," you can rest assured that they've been defeated and are whining about how it was done. This is especially true concerning the radio waves. Air America failed miserably. No ammount of money that George Soros has pumped into it has helped. Why? The people who listen to talk radio don't WANT liberal hosts to listen to. They want to hear conservative talk hosts. Market after market has shown this over and over again. Larry King's radio show? History. Al Franken? Crash and burn. Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, G. Gordon Liddy? All thriving with growing audiences. What does this say about what people want to hear? I think it's obvious, personally. To institute the "fairness doctrine" would be completely and totally unfair to the American public, forcing them to endure periods where they would be turning OFF their radios and not listening rather than being force fed something they don't want to hear. As a talk radio listener myself, I know that the minute I hear that tripe come on I'm changing stations or slipping in a CD.

Double Standards

George W. Bush is under fire for the firing of a number of U.S. Attorney's. The Democratic controlled Congress is issuing subpeonas and demanding investigations. Where were they when Janet Reno fired EVERY U.S. Attorney during Bill Clinton's presidency? Where was the outrage? Where were the demands for explanations? Look back at things over the past few decades. The backbiting and posturing of BOTH sides of the aisle is unbelievable. "I can do such and such, but we're not letting you get by with it, no sir, no way, no HOW." It amazes me how that politicians are so willing to point fingers and accuse each other of wrong doing, only to act shocked and amazed when their own dirty laundry is aired. And the public is so willing to IGNORE wrong doing, depending on who the culprit is. Hillary Clinton is probably one of the most scandelized Senators to have ever been sworn into office. She flipflops constantly, she has no shame in changing her story to suit the moment, and she's applauded as being "brilliant." The only thing I see "brilliant" about Mrs. Clinton is her ability to lie through her teeth and point the finger of blame at others while she's as guilty as sin of the same and worse. This is the norm for several members of our government, Hillary Clinton is the main one that comes to mind at this writing, especially given her obviously Marxist leanings...

The Common Good

What, exactly, is the "common good?" According to Hillary Clinton, it means equalizing things to the point where the rich are no longer rich and the poor have more money. Think I'm wrong? Go find some of her statements. Go find some of her speeches. Listen to her when she speaks. "It takes a village?" It takes a family, not the entire neighborhood. If I caught a neighbor punishing my child for something rather than letting me know that they had done something, there would be HELL to pay. "The common good" is a way of pressing for more tax money from YOUR paycheck. More of YOUR money being put into public coffers for more public programs run by the government which will waste more of YOUR money. How much more money can you stand to pay in in taxes? Look at your paystub sometime. Look at how much you are actually paid as compared to how much you bring home after taxes. Then take a look at how much you pay in sales taxes. Fuel taxes. Property taxes. Wheel taxes. Can you think of anything else they
can tax you for? They can...

Doing the work of the people

Why do we send people into government in the first place? To make laws, to do what we need them to do for us. What exactly is that, anyway? Do we NEED more laws? How many laws do we already have, anyway? Does anyone know? Why do we constantly need to have new laws passed? I'll confess that from time to time things come up that do need handling, yes, but to constantly bombard us with new laws? Is this freedom? Is this the "will of the people?" Just this last week the people had to FIGHT their senators to make them shoot down a piece of bad legislation, this illegal amnesty bill that was being pushed through. I'll refer you back to talk radio for this one, because talk radio made the public aware of it, along with the internet, via blog sites like ours. The dinosaur media didn't report on it, not in any detail. Now ask yourself this; how much other bad legislation has been passed that you don't know about? How many
CONTRADICTORY laws have been passed? How many that are direct violations of the Constitution? I'll give you a little hint, every law restricting gun ownership by private law abiding citizens could be taken as being unconstitutional. There is NOTHING in the Constitution that allows for an income tax. The overWHELMING reach of the federal goverment is in direct violation of the Constitution. So what can we, as citizens, do about it?

Taking a stand

The first thing individual citizens can do to retake control of their government, OUR government, is to STOP being ignorant of what our government is doing. STOP relying on the nightly news and the daily newspaper to keep you informed. STOP paying MORE attention to Paris, Lindsey, Jessica, Pacman and the rest instead of what's going on at your city council or county commission. Do you KNOW who your city council and county commission members are? The running of this country belongs to US, the citizens. It's time we the people ran our government again.

Who is John Galt?

Ayn Rand created this catch phrase in her novel, Atlas Shrugged. The character, John Galt, set out to "stop the engine that runs the world." He succeeded. How? By going around to different people in key positions in industry and showing them how that they were being taken advantage of, and convincing them to walk away and live for themselves, not for others. He established a place where they could go and do what they loved to do without the constraints of government, a government that was robbing them of their creativity and individuality. Their oath upon entering Galt's private world? "I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." Isn't that a great concept? That
our lives belong to us, and not to others? It brings to mind a great sense of purpose to be the rugged individuals that made our country great to begin with, instead of the whining, sniveling, mooching looters that are trying to infect our country now. There was even a message for these people from the album "Hell Freezes Over..."


Get Over It

Often we hear a song on the radio that catches our ear. Most of the time we don't really pay that much attention to the words, even if they convey a specific theme or message. One of my favorite songs of all time that conveys a message is one by The Eagles, entitled "Get Over It."

In my mind, this song gives a very clear message about the feelings of a great many of us in regards to what we see and hear on television today.

Get Over It

The Eagles

I turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin' 'Don't blame me'
They point their crooked little fingers ar everybody else
Spend all their time feelin' sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma's too thin; your daddy's too fat

Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin' and cryin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it

You say you haven't been the same since you had your little crash
But you might feel better if I gave you some cash
The more I think about it, Old Billy was right
Let's kill all the lawyers, kill 'em tonight
You don't want to work, you want to live like a king
But the big, bad world doesn't owe you a thing

Get over it
Get over it
If you don't want to play, then you might as well split
Get over it, Get over it

It's like going to confession every time I hear you speak
You're makin' the most of your losin' streak
Some call it sick, but I call it weak

You drag it around like a ball and chain
You wallow in the guilt; you wallow in the pain
You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown
Got your mind in the gutter, bringin' everybody down
Complain about the present and blame it on the past
I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass

Get over it
Get over it
All this bitchin' and moanin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it

Get over it
Get over it
It's gotta stop sometime, so why don't you quit
Get over it, get over it

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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NRA update 8MAY07

Personal note here before the update. The Tennessean newspaper today has on their website a link to a listing of all registered handgun owners in the state of Tennessee. I can't think of anything that invades the individual rights to privacy of those who are simply following their constitutionally guaranteed rights to own firearms by a liberal newspaper that has a history of being anti-gun.

I don't buy the Tennessean, I don't look on their website for their "news." This is a personal request by me to all my fellow Tennesseans out there reading this to pass this information along and if you subscribe to this leftist rag, drop your subscription and stop buying it.

This time the Tennessean newspaper has crossed the line. This time they have willingly endangered gun owners.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

UPDATE 9MAYo7

Seems the Tennessean was flooded with phone calls from people all over the state and removed the page from their site. No apologies, no explanations, no nothing, just removed it.

I personally think they need to print a full page apology to the entire state for any potential problems that come from this. Further, I believe, personally, that any crimes committed against anyone who was listed on their site, if it can be shown that there is a connection to the crime and the fact that the victims name was listed, that the Tennessean be held criminally responsible as well.

Just my thoughts. Media is supposed to be responsible, not biased.

HCdL

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGREES WITH NRA-AGAIN!

Nation's Law Enforcement Opposes Release of Data on Gun Owners


For more than five years, cities suing the gun industry and anti-gun organizations have sought access to confidential law enforcement data on firearm traces¾records that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) compiles when it traces firearms in response to requests from law enforcement agencies. These efforts have been redoubled in recent years under the prodding of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R), who has funded a national television ad campaign that is so misleading that some television stations are refusing to run it because of its blatantly false statements!





NRA-ILA OPPOSES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROPOSAL: Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a legislative proposal, along with a letter of support, to Congressional leaders. The legislative proposal would allow this¾or any future¾Attorney General to deny a firearm purchase to individuals on terrorist "watch lists" without due process of law. Anti-gun Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has already introduced the legislation (S. 1237).





EXPLOITING TRAGEDY-AGAIN: Almost immediately following the horrific shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech, the anti-gun machine was revving into overdrive. Anti-gun politicians and gun control groups were having a field day jostling for an opportunity at any available microphone or in front of any camera.





STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)


ALABAMA: Pro-Gun Bills Pending in Alabama Legislature! Senate Bill 62, House Bill 23, Senate Bill 370, and House Bill 598 need your support. Please contact members of the Senate at (334) 242-7800 and urge them to support SB 370 and members of the House at (334) 242-7600 and ask them to support HB 598.



ARIZONA (1): Help Improve the Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range! Please help continue improvements at the Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range. Written comments to the Chairman of the Committee can be submitted no later than Thursday, May 31, 2007. For more information as to where to mail your comments, please click here.



ARIZONA (2): Arizona Game & Fish Department to Host Meetings on BLM and Forest Service Plans! The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host a series of meetings across the state to provide an overview of the Forest Service and BLM planning processes and how you can become engaged. The plans could potentially include proposed alternatives that change the way you currently enjoy public lands, particularly with regard to recreational shooting, hunting, vehicular access and transportation, designation of open and closed roads, dispersed camping and/or recreation, and motorized retrieval of big game lawfully taken by hunters.



ARIZONA (3): Stop the Bureau of Land Management From Banning Recreational Shooting on Arizona Public Lands! The 128,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is generally opened to dispersed recreational shooting. A management plan just released for public review and comment is likely to change that if BLM's preferred management alternative (Alternative C) is adopted. Alternative C would close the Monument to recreational shooting. Hunting would continue to be allowed for the time being. Let your voice be heard! Please send written comments to the BLM and let them know that recreational shooting is a legitimate use of public lands, and a legitimate and traditional recreational use in Ironwood Forest National Monument.



ARIZONA (4): Arizona Game & Fish Department Seeking Comment on Operational Plans! A series of eight public meetings will be held across the state to present a plan and to accept public comment regarding how the Arizona Game and Fish Commission will manage wildlife, outdoor recreational activities, and its own operations for the next two years. Your comments will play a major role in affecting the management of the AGFD. Help preserve Arizona's hunting and shooting heritage. Your participation is vital if we're to ensure the continuation of hunting and shooting sports for future generations.



ARIZONA (5): The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Tucson Field Office will host a public meeting to answer questions and take comments on the Ironwood Forest National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. The agency has previously hosted five meetings. The meeting is scheduled for May 19, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Pima Community College West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road, Tucson, in the Proscenium Theater, located on the east side of the campus. Sign in for speakers will begin at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be a question-and-answer format with a panel of BLM specialists. Each person will be given up to two minutes to ask a question or provide a comment, which will be recorded by a note taker. Comments to the plan will be accepted through May 30. Comments may be submitted in writing to: Mark Lambert, IFNM Planner, BLM, 12661 East Broadway, Tucson AZ 85748 or may be submitted via e-mail at AZ_IFNM_RMP@blm.gov.



CALIFORNIA (1): Urgent: Anti-Gun Bills Headed to California Assembly Floor! Two pieces of legislation, Assembly Bill 821 and Assembly Bill 334, that are critical to the rights of California's gun owners, are making their way to the Assembly Floor in the Golden State. Please contact your Assembly Member and respectfully urge them to oppose Assembly Bill 821 as well as Assembly Bill 334. Contact information for your Assembly Member can be found by clicking here.



CALIFORNIA (2): California Pro-Gun Bill Passes Assembly, Heads to Senate Assembly Bill 854 heads to the California Senate. AB854 would repeal a California law that restricts the publication of information about firearms that are not permissible for sale in California. Please contact your State Senator today and respectfully urge him or her to support AB854. Contact information for your State Senator can be found by clicking here.



CALIFORNIA (3): Golden State Ammunition Sales Registration Bill Stalled! Thanks to your calls and support, Assembly Bill 362 has been placed in the "suspense file." This will likely delay the bill until early-June. Please continue contacting the Assembly Appropriations Committee and ask them to oppose AB362. The Appropriations Committee can be reached by calling (916) 319-2081.



CALIFORNIA (4): California to Require Spaying and Neutering of All Hunting Dogs! AB 1634, currently awaiting a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, requires every dog older than four months to be spayed or neutered. Owners hoping to be able to breed their dogs at some point during their lives would be required to apply annually to their local government for an "intact" permit. It is critical that you contact your State Assembly Member and ask that they oppose this overreaching and discriminatory legislation. Please ask them to vote "no" on AB 1634. Contact information for your Assembly Member can be found by visiting http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset7text.htm.



COLORADO (1): Attack on Right-to-Carry Heads to Governor's Desk! Senate Bill 34 passed the House and is on its way to the desk of Governor Bill Ritter (D). If enacted, out-of-state carry permits would no longer be honored if the permit holder is not a resident of the state that issued the permit. Please contact Governor Ritter TODAY at (303) 866-2471 or email Governor.ritter@state.co.us and respectfully urge him to veto SB34.



COLORADO (2): Attention Colorado NRA Members: Please Urge Governor Ritter to Veto HB1174! If enacted, House Bill 1174 would permanently extend the database of concealed handgun permit licensees. Please contact Governor Ritter and respectfully urge him to veto HB1174. Governor Ritter can be reached at (303) 866-2471 or email Governor.ritter@state.co.us and respectfully urge him to veto SB34.



ILLINOIS (1): Many Anti-Gun Bills Still A Threat! There are still many anti-gun bills moving through both the State Senate and House. To view a list of all of these bills and how they work against our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, please click here: http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?id=2912. Please call your State Senator and State Representative today and urge them to vote "No" to all anti-Second Amendment legislation. The Illinois State Senate can be contacted at (217) 782-5715. The Illinois House of Representatives can be contacted at (217) 782-8223.



ILLINOIS (2): Illinois Anti-Gun Legislation Moving Swiftly! Senate Bill 1007 was hijacked and amended to include anti-gun legislation banning certain ammunition magazines. Any day, your State Senator could vote on legislation sponsored by former gun-ban lobbyist and current State Senator, Dan Kotowski (D-33). Please call your State Senator today at (217) 782-5715 and urge him or her to oppose Amendment 1 of Senate Bill 1007!



IOWA: Iowa: LeClaire City Council Meeting To Discuss Custom Gunsmith and Firearms Shop Moving Into The Area! Les Baer Custom, Inc. is no longer welcome in Illinois and has decided to move across the Mississippi to LeClaire, Iowa. Unfortunately, gun ban advocates are working against them in LeClaire too. Please call the Mayor and City Council and urge them to support Les Baer Custom Inc.'s move to LeClaire. For contact information for the Mayor and City Council, please click here.



LOUISIANA (1): Management Plan Underway for Mandalay and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuges! The National Resource Planner is taking comments on how Mandalay and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuges should be managed. Comments may be submitted until May 18th. Please address comments, questions, and requests for further information to: Charlotte Parker, National Resource Planner, Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 61389 Highway 434, Lacombe, LA 70445 or call 985-882-2000 or send comments and questions via email to Charlotte_Parker@fws.gov.



LOUISIANA (2): Legislation to Ban "Assault Weapons" Pending in Louisiana House! House Bill 869 would establish far-reaching restrictions on semi-automatic firearms (dubbing them "assault weapons") and large-capacity magazines. HB 869 affects every firearm modified to conform with the now-extinct federal gun ban plus other semi-automatic firearms that have no lineage to those rifles or any "military-style" orientation whatsoever. Please contact the members of the House Criminal Justice Committee and respectfully urge them to oppose HB 869.



LOUISIANA (3): Attention Louisiana Hunters: Help Protect the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge! A conservation plan has been made available by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service addressing the uses of the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge. To ensure that our nation's wildlife refuges remain open to hunting, it is important for the hunting community, particularly those who hunt on wildlife refuges, to submit comments for the public record. Comments will be accepted until May 21 and should be sent to: Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 401 Island Road, Marksville, LA 71351. A copy of the plan is available at: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/ .



MAINE: Maine's Hunting Rights in Jeopardy! Anti-hunting legislation, Legislative Document 1635, "An Act To Prohibit Recreational Bear Trapping," has been referred to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. This bill would abolish the open season on trapping bears, a long-standing Maine tradition. Please contact the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee Members today and politely urge them to oppose LD 1635 and save a tradition of hunting that has been used by Maine hunters for decades. Senate members can be reached at (207) 287-1583, and House members can be contacted at (207) 287-4469.



MASSACHUSETTS: One-Gun-A-Month Bill Filed in Massachusetts! Governor Deval Patrick's (D) gun-rationing scheme has become a reality. House Bill 3991 is currently in the Judiciary Committee. This bill would limit law-abiding Massachusetts gun buyers from purchasing more than one firearm in a month's time. Please contact the Governor and the members of the Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to oppose this gun-rationing scheme.



MICHIGAN: "No-Net Loss" Bill Heading to House Floor in Michigan! House Bill 4597, "No-Net Loss" legislation that would ensure that today's total acreage of public lands open to public hunting would not be reduced, is heading to the Michigan House floor for a vote. Please contact your State Representative at (517) 373-6339 and respectfully ask him or her to support HB 4597.



MISSOURI (1): Missouri "Hunting Heritage Protection Areas Act" Heads to House! Senate Bill 225, a bill aimed at preserving Missouri's time-honored hunting and sporting heritage by protecting hunting areas and wildlife habitat within the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers' flood plain, is heading to the House. Please contact your State Representative at (573) 751-3824 and strongly encourage him or her to protect wildlife habitat and hunting by supporting and voting for SB225 without any amendments!



MISSOURI (2): Pro-Gun Bills Heading to the Missouri Senate! House Bill 845 and Senate Bill 62, aimed at strengthening the Second Amendment in Missouri, are headed to the State Senate. Please contact your State Senator at (573) 751-3824 and respectfully urge him or her to support and vote for both HB845 and SB62 in their current forms.



NEVADA: Three Pro-Gun Bills Pending in Nevada Legislature! State Senate and Assembly Committee members need to hear from you on three important pieces of pro-gun legislation. Senate Bill 237, the long-awaited Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill; Senate Bill 92, to eliminate the immediate handgun registration in Clarke County; and Assembly Bill 95, the "Emergency Powers Protection Act." The full text of SB 237, SB 92, and AB 95, as well as contact information for the members of the Senate and Assembly Government Affairs Committee and the Assembly Judiciary Committee, can be found online by visiting www.leg.state.nv.us.



NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina Database Bill Heads to Senate! Legislation seeking to create a new statewide database to which sheriffs would report all individuals who have been denied a permit to purchase a pistol is going to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator and respectfully urge him or her to OPPOSE HB1287. Contact information can be found by clicking here



OREGON: Oregon "No-Net-Loss" Legislation Passes House, Moves to Senate! House Bill 3164, an NRA-supported bill that would require the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to replace any public lands it closes to hunting with an equal acreage of public lands that must be opened to hunting is moving to the Senate. Please contact your State Senator and urge him or her to SUPPORT HB 3164. For contact information or help identifying your State Senator, please click here.



PENNSYLVANIA (1): Gun Registration Legislation Introduced! Your State Legislators need to hear from you about House Bill 760! If enacted, HB 760 would require every firearm in Pennsylvania to be registered with the government! Please call your State Representative and State Senator today and ask them to oppose HB760! For contact information or help identifying your State Legislators, please click here.



PENNSYLVANIA (2): Philadelphia City Councilman Seeks to Usurp Preemption and Sue Commonwealth! Unable to pass an anti-gun agenda thanks to Pennsylvania's preemption statute, Philadelphia City Councilman Darrell Clarke (D-5) is now attempting to seek final passage on eight gun-control bills that have been sitting idle. Clarke even has claimed that the City Council is preparing a legal suit claiming the Legislature's inaction on gun-control measures. Please contact your City Council member and respectfully urge him or her to oppose any of these anti-gun measures that may come before the Council. To find contact information for your Philadelphia City Council Member please click here.



RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Legislation Targeting Semi-Automatics! Firearm microstamping legislation has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. For contact informatation for the House Judiciary Committee, please click here.



TENNESSEE: Several Pro-Gun Bills Headed to Tennessee Governor Bredesen's Desk! House Bill 1285 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, and House Bill 145, and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, are heading to the Governor's desk. Please call Governor Bredesen's (D) office at (615) 741-2001 and urge him to sign HB 1285/SB 1597 and HB 145/SB 135.



TEXAS (1): Texas Governor Signs Emergency Powers Bill Into Law! To ensure that what occurred in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will never happen in Texas, Governor Rick Perry (R) signed Senate Bill 112 into law on Friday, April 27. This NRA-backed legislation will prevent the confiscation of firearms and ammunition from law-abiding citizens during a future state of emergency or natural disaster.



TEXAS (2): Important Texas Right-to-Carry Confidentiality Bill Heads to Senate Floor! House Bill 991, NRA-supported Concealed Handgun License (CHL) confidentiality legislation, passed by a 6-2 vote on Monday, April 30. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration. HB 991 would restrict access to the CHL database to law enforcement only. Media organizations have launched a full-scale assault on HB 991, so it is critical that you contact your State Senator today and urge him or her to support HB 991.