VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 5/14/12

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VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 5/14/12
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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1. Reporters beaten by mob and their newspaper stayed silent
2. CNN: A deadly combination - guns and 'stand your ground'
3. Updates for the VCDL discount page
4. Who needs a gun in a Wal-Mart parking lot?
5. Chesterfield man shot in back during attempted robbery
6. Eight ways the media doesn't understand gun owners
7. Two burglars dead after breaking into the home of two Marines
8. So you want to own a gun
9. Bloomberg loses another mayor - this one in Franklin
10. Not again: 70% of firearms recovered at Mexican crime scenes originate in U.S.
11. RT Editorial: Fast, furious and secret
12. Florida governor rejects gun ban for Republican convention
13. Supreme Court decision in Millender v. County of Los Angeles
14. New national alliance for armed citizens announced: ACA
15. Scout develops device to make reloading gun easier
16. 'Bullet button' used to get around California gun laws
17. Australia: Neighbors fight with chainsaw and sword
18. ATF's top 10 frequently asked firearms questions and answers
20. Finally: The tactical kilt we've all been waiting for


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1. Reporters beaten by mob and their newspaper stayed silent
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Walter Best emailed me this:

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From FOX News: http://tinyurl.com/bp56dkm

By Todd Starnes

Ethical questions are being raised both inside The Virginian-Pilot and in the Norfolk, Va. area after two of the paper's reporters were attacked and beaten by a mob of at least 30 blacks, but was downplayed by police and withheld from the public for more than two weeks by the newspaper's editors.

Reporters Dave Forster and Marjon Rostami were leaving a concert on the night of April 14 when a crowd of around 100 young people gathered on the sidewalk near their car. Rostami reached over to lock the door.

According to a police report obtained by Fox News, a black male hurled a rock at the car. Forster got out and tried to confront the individual who damaged his car. Instead, a gang of attackers began punching and pound the reporter. Police would not confirm the exact number - but at least one account put the number at 30.

Rostami tried to pull him back inside the car, but others in the crowd began attack her, the police report stated. She was beaten a half dozen times by an unidentified black man.

Rostami was eventually able to call 9-1-1. Police officers responded, they wrote an incident report and labeled it "simple assault."

The reporters had to take a week off to recover from their injuries. To date no one has been arrested for the crime.

There was no mention of the attack in the pages of The Virginian-Pilot until Tuesday - more than two weeks later - when columnist Michelle Washington wrote a detailed story on the police department's handling of the attack and she raised questions about her own newspaper's lack of coverage.

And she also mentioned another previously undisclosed component to the story.

The day after the attack Forster searched Twitter and found a chilling tweet Washington wrote.

"I feel for the white man who got beat up at the light," one person wrote.

"I don't," wrote another, indicating laughter. '(do it for trayvon martin) (sic)"

"Were Forster and Rostami beaten in some kind of warped, vigilante retribution for a killing 750 miles away, a person none of them knew?" Washington wrote. "Was it just bombast? Is a beating funny, ever?"

A police spokesman tells Fox News that the incident is still under investigation and they are also looking at whoever wrote the tweet. But as of now - the case is still a simple assault - and does not rise to the level of a hate crime.

But James Duane, a law professor at Regent University, said he is troubled by the police department's categorization of the crime.

"This is cause for serious concern," he told Fox News. "It sounds like it's much more than a simple assault. Any sort of criminal activity that is engaged spontaneously by a large crowd of individuals especially individuals who are merely strangers to them is a cause for serious concern and ought to be on the part of any police officer or police department."

Washington wrote that police seemed dismissive when they arrived at the crime scene, telling the injured Rostami to "shut up and get in the car."

"Both said the officer did not record any names of witnesses who stopped to help," Washington wrote. Rostami said the officer told them the attackers were 'probably juveniles anyway. What are we going to do? Find their parents and tell them?"

Duane said it was a "surprising characterization" and said the attack would warrant more charges "and at a minimum a more serious attempt at investigation than what we are led to believe happened here."

"Even simple assault is still a criminal offense," Duane said.

The Virginian-Pilot's readers have been sounding off online - accusing the newspaper and the police department of a cover-up and demanding answers.

"I sincerely believe that the Pilot has acted irresponsibly, and has, by omission, out right lied to its readers," wrote Thomas McElvy. "This crime, had the roles been reversed and it was two blacks attacked by thirty or more whites, would have made the wire services. All you have done is show your lack of journalistic integrity."

"This rag did not have the decency to print this story two weeks ago?" wrote Patrick Kenneally. "The police should be ashamed of themselves and a major investigation into what that cop was thinking should be conducted."

Another writer called it "downright shameful" and said the information needed to "get out so that somebody can clean up the streets."

The Virginian-Pilot's editor told Fox News there was debate in the newsroom over whether to cover the story - but in the end they decided not to - because they don't cover simple assaults.

"We bend over backwards not to treat ourselves any differently than the rest of the community," Denis Finley told Fox News. "We don't cover simple attacks. The fact that we know these folks doesn't make any difference. We don't want to be perceived as doing something different for ourselves than we would do for the rest of the community."

Finley strongly denied accusations the newspaper was covering up the story because of the racial component.

"We have no indication that this is racial, no indication that this was anything other than - so far - a simple attack," he said. "There have been all kinds of innuendo, assumptions, prejudices, you name it revolving around the story but the fact is it was a simple attack and we didn't put it in the paper."

He also defended their decision not to cover the tweets that suggested the attack may have had something to do with the Trayvon Martin case.

"That's another complication," he said. 'I don't know where those tweets came from. I don't know who said them. Anybody can say anything they want on social media after the fact. I have no idea what those tweets mean - if anything. They're no different than the attacks that have been leveled on me and the newspaper from some of my readers who have assumed some things that just aren't true."

Finley said the incident is a "sticky situation" for the newspaper.

"What would I have to gain by protecting someone who attacked my reporters?" he said. "That's a preposterous statement to make."

Michael Finch, a journalism professor at Lee University, believes The Virginian-Pilot did a disservice to their readers.

"It would seem to me this would definitely be a story," he told Fox News. "In journalism there are seven news values and it seems like this story really meets all seven of them - which is rare."

"It's a timely story, it has impact, it relates to a prominent event, it's in close proximity to their news outlet, it's a little bit bizarre, it includes conflict and it deals with public concern," he said. "It's as good as a news story as you can get."

Finch said he certainly understands the newspaper's dilemma "because it was one of their own."

However, he said, the sheer size of the attack mob elevated the story's newsworthiness.

And Finley promised that if the police department elevates the crime - they will certainly give the story "due diligence."


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2. CNN: A deadly combination - guns and 'stand your ground'
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In a nutshell Mr. NeJame doesn't believe that the protections a person has in their home should extend outside the home. So if a criminal breaks into Mr. LeJame's home, Mr. LeJame is comfortable with shooting him. BUT if that very same criminal, with the very same intent to harm Mr. Lejame, attacks outside on the street, then Mr. LeJame is OK with being helpless. Where, oh where, did I put that duct tape? My head is about to explode.

EM Dave Hicks emailed me this:

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From CNN: http://tinyurl.com/844xmxw

By Mark NeJame
April 30, 2012

If one brings a gun to a fistfight, then the fight becomes a gunfight. [PVC: Yes, and if the criminal is the one bringing the gun, then that leaves his victim using fists to fend off a gunfight. No thanks.]

Simple reasoning, of course, but it's also an unnecessary consequence of combining legislation that makes guns readily available with "stand your ground" laws.

I can already hear the clicking of keyboards from my desk, as the drinkers of NRA-flavored Kool-Aid feverishly type their outrage and disgust with any suggestion that gun laws need to be reviewed. [PVC: True, when you suggest stupid ideas, people are going to respond.]

I own guns. They are kept in my home. I strongly believe in the "castle doctrine," which essentially means that homeowners have no duty or requirement to retreat in their home if they are attacked within it.

If someone breaks into a stranger's home, the homeowner doesn't know whether the intruder is there to rob, rape, terrorize or have milk and cookies with them. Regardless, it's reasonable that a robber should have an expectation of death if he or she breaks into someone's home.

Unstable ground: The fine line between self-defense and murder

Florida's stand your ground law was passed in 2005, under Gov. Jeb Bush's administration. This is the law that has garnered so much national attention since the Trayvon Martin shooting and George Zimmerman's arrest.

Stand your ground legislation basically extends the castle doctrine to all places beyond the home. Retreat in order to avoid a confrontation becomes unnecessary even in a public place. Florida Statute 776.013 (3) states:

"A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony."

This law applies a confusing blend of subjective and objective standards. Stand your ground is appropriate in many circumstances, but the lack of clarity in the statute needs to be addressed and re-evaluated, particularly when firearms are so readily accessible in public places.

The way the statute is written, an individual who observes a fistfight could conceivably shoot and kill the dominator in the fight if they reasonably believed that person was going to cause "great bodily harm" to the other.

Even if the two combatants knew that the fight was nothing more than a "good ol' boy" disagreement, the way the statute is written could allow a gun to be used if the observer reasonably and actually believed that great bodily harm could occur.

Moreover, merging the statute with overly relaxed gun laws could open the door for the guilty to walk away without consequence. Consider another gun-toting observer of the hypothetical fist fight, who is an enemy of one of the combatants.

He could easily hide behind the claim that he reasonably believed that the other combatant was going to cause great bodily harm if the fight continued. The shooter could have every evil motive in the world, but so long as he stood behind the story that he reasonably believed the other person could suffer great bodily harm or death, then he could conceivably walk.

When guns are permitted in every public place and are mixed with such an obtusely written statute, a puzzling and perplexing standard of behavior regarding the use of guns occurs. This becomes a recipe for disaster and death.

Gun laws and the stand your ground law need to be re-evaluated and addressed responsibly very soon. If we don't learn lessons from the Trayvon Martin tragedy, then we are doomed to see similar events happen.


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3. Updates for the VCDL discount page
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EM Ed Levine emailed me this:

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http://tinyurl.com/c6e4kkq

jeksey.com
P.O. Box 101883
Arlington, VA 22210-1883
Telephone: (703) 243-6777
Website: http://www.jeksey.com

Contact Email: igugus@jeksey.com
Discount Offered: Discounts Up To 70% on top-quality gears.
Notes: We are proud to announce that 1% of our gross sales will be donated to VCDL. We will provide free advertising to businesses listed in the "VCDL Members Discounts" to become our strategic marketing partner.

Jeksey.com is a marketplace featuring exclusive deals for a limited time and limited quantities of name-brand tactical equipment and U.S. military surplus gear. We offer discounted deals on the latest in top-quality tactical gear, outdoor and survival equipment, adventure racing gear, endurance sport supplies and more.

Sincerely,
Ruveyde Gugus

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Suarez International

Telephone: In VA: 703 297 5085
Corporate HQ: 928 776 4492

Website: http://tinyurl.com/c6e4kkq

Email: JackR@suarezinternational.com

Discount Offered: 20% off all tuition for courses in VA (Held west of Winchester)

Contact Name: Jack Rumbaugh

Notes: Contact Jack for information on receiving your VCDL discount. Can not be combined with any other specials or discounts.


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4. Who needs a gun in a Wal-Mart parking lot?
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From WY Daily: http://tinyurl.com/88vvhzl

By Sam Thrift
May 3, 2012

A masked man wielding a box cutter robbed a woman Wednesday evening who was sitting in her car in the Walmart parking lot, located in the 7000 block of Rochambeau Drive in York County.

Around 5 p.m. the victim was sitting in her car with her door open when, police say, David E. Morris, a 36-year-old Hartfield, Va. man, approached her. According to a press release, Morris allegedly grabbed the victim and stole her property. When the victim was grabbed, she began screaming and resisted. The suspect ran away, got into a car and left the parking lot.

Witnesses were able to describe the suspect's vehicle and provide a license plate number. Police used the information to find Morris, who was later apprehended without incident by the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office in Middlesex County.

Morris's last known address is in the 100 block of Pineview Drive in Hartfield. He is being charged with armed robbery, abduction and grand larceny.

The victim was not injured, police said.



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5. Chesterfield man shot in back during attempted robbery
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Run away from trouble? Perhaps, but no guarantee you won't be shot in the back.

From NBC12: http://tinyurl.com/7wwdmvt

By Nicole Bell

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) -

A Chesterfield man is shot in the back while trying to run away from would-be robbers.

Now, police need your help finding the triggerman and his accomplices.

23-year-old Tyquan Kennedy was shot Tuesday morning in the 14500 block of Jefferson Davis Highway.

Investigators are calling the crime random.

Police say the victim did not know the men involved in the shooting.

Now, loved ones of the victim are seeking answers and praying for a full recovery.

"All I know is he was shot. Police came and knocked on my door at three this morning and said somebody tried to rob him and they shot him," said Shawndrell Maye.

Maye is Kennedy's girlfriend and the mother of his two children.

Kennedy was coming out of Maye's home at the Colonial Ridge Apartments early Tuesday morning when, police say, Kennedy was approached by men who tried to rob him Kennedy ran.

Police say that's when the three suspects jumped in their car and gave chase. One of the men shot Kennedy in the back.

"I fell to my knees. I didn't know how to feel. I was hurt and scared for him. I just wanted be there," said Maye.

Police say, the crime was random.

"He stays to himself. He has a circle of friends. He hangs out he has fun. He works and for something like this to happen, it's ridiculous," Maye added.

Neighbors in the community, including Pattie Starke, are worried.

"I just think it's tragic. No matter where you live you're not safe. This is definitely an eye opener," said Starke.

Chakelia Smith has two kids in the neighborhood a 17-year-old and a 9-year-old.

"What is the world coming to, that's my first thought," said Smith.

As for Maye, she has a strong message for those involved in the crime.

"They need to come forward because it's not fair for people to have to be scared and can't visit anybody without getting hurt or having somebody try and rob them."

Police say the suspects were driving a dark-colored Mitsubishi Galant.


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6. Eight ways the media doesn't understand gun owners
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Deborah Anderson emailed me this:

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This article is from Guns & Ammo. It's best to click on the link to the original article, so you can see the photos and video.

Blessings,

Deborah Jane


From Guns & Ammo: http://tinyurl.com/7xsllru

By Kyle Wintersteen
April 26, 2012

[SNIP]

This is a dire situation: I have three anti-gun media hit pieces left to read, and I'm down to my last antacid. I normally ration them, but that last story was a real doozy. Why endure such torture? If you can grasp the mindset of someone who fears gun ownership-who doesn't even trust himself with the right, let alone you-you'll be better equipped to articulate your point of view. The more we're familiar with the other side's argument, misguided as it may be, the better equipped we are to defeat it.

I've learned something through this approach: Big Media does not understand gun owners. Their anti-gun stories range widely in subtlety, and could be categorized as lazy, intentionally anti-gun or unknowingly biased. The latest antacid-popper comes to us courtesy of The New Yorker and falls into the "unknowingly biased" category. Jill Lepore thinks she is a liberal crusader out there just trying to make a difference, which she has attempted to achieve through an unfair and condescending portrayal of gun ownership in America (She actually compares the ambience of a gun range to visiting a porn shop-what the hell?). Lepore's story, while better written than some mindless anti-gun hit pieces, is undermined by a lack of empathy. There is a cavernous disconnect between liberal journalists (who don't even recognize their own biases) and the plight of gun owners. Here are the top eight things anti-gun journalists don't seem to understand about us.


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7. Two burglars dead after breaking into the home of two Marines
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Gil Sanderson emailed me this:

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What a shoot out! Better to pick a softer target to burglarize.

From Masscops.com: http://tinyurl.com/7us4uob


JACKSONVILLE, N.C.˚ Two Camp Lejeune Marines returned home early Sunday morning to find two men in their house. The intruders didn't make it out of the house alive.

33-year-old, Maurice Skinner and 33-year-old, Diego Everette were identified by police as the men killed in the burglary attempt. Both men are from Jacksonville.

Skinner and Everette were pronounced dead at the scene, but according to Jacksonville Police Chief, Mike Yaniero it is unlikely that anyone will be charged in the shooting.

"The investigation is ongoing, however at this time there is no evidence to suggest that criminal charges be filed."

Chief Yaniero says the department will increase their patrols in the neighborhood.

"We'll be in the neighborhood. We try to stay in those neighborhoods but we will be especially vigilant in that particular neighborhood in the next couple weeks."

Marine Corps officials have not released the names of the Marines who shot the intruders.

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - Authorities continue to investigate a Sunday morning shooting during a burglary that left two intruders dead.
The shooting happened around 2 o'clock Sunday morning at 107 Country Club Drive.

According to police, three residents returned home to find two intruders in the house.

Police say the intruders attacked the residents and gunfire was exchanged. The two intruders killed have been identified as 33-year-old Diego Everett and 33-year-old Maurice Skinner, both from Jacksonville.
The three residents of the home were treated and released from Onslow Memorial Hospital. Two of the residents are active duty Marines based out of Camp Lejeune.

No charges have been filed at this time. Jacksonville police say they are working with NCIS and the Jacksonville District Attorney's Office on the case.


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8. So you want to own a gun
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From PJ Media: http://tinyurl.com/br4y8gn

By Bob Owens
April 15, 2012

PJ Media actually hit me with a pretty tall order with what appeared to be a simple suggestion for an article: a step-by-step process for those who know absolutely nada about guns yet want to arm themselves.

My immediate response - "Sure, I'll get right on it" - was tempered roughly .00093 nanoseconds later by the realization of the task ahead of me.

Getting a gun - especially the first one - is a pretty big deal.

For those of us who grow up in "gun cultures" where firearms are merely another tool and fact of life, getting your first gun may consist of getting a pint-sized .22-caliber single shot rifle almost as long as you are tall when you are a child. It is a simple and expected rite of passage that is a mark of growing expectations, trust, and new-found maturity.

We're generally accompanied by an experienced and patient relative - a father, grandfather, aunt, or older sibling - and the time we spend with those first firearms fills us with nostalgia in later years. The adventures spent afield plinking at cans and paper targets or hunting is remembered as much or more for the bonding and the fellowship as it is for the experience of shooting a gun itself.

Over time, if we have good and patient instructors, we learn and apply the rules of gun safety religiously, develop an appreciation for the joy of marksmanship, and find a reverence and respect for nature that those who choose to remove themselves from the circle of life will never know. It is the sort of upbringing I experienced with my father. It is similar to the stories captured by fellow North Carolinian Robert Ruark in The Old Man and the Boy, his much-loved classic.

For those of us who come into knowing firearms this way, guns are pleasant touchstones connecting the past, present, and future. Many others have found similar if more transient first impressions about guns at summer camps or with scouting or similar youth groups, and they either chose to pursue their passion later in life or to hold the experiences as a fond memory.

Unfortunately, as our culture urbanizes and suburbanizes, and woodlands and fields fall prey to mall sprawl and McMansions, the first impressions many of us get of firearms don't come with gentle guidance. All too often, it comes through the crime reports on the evening news, the bloodied visages of victims of a tyrant's military oppression, or the heart-rending stories of suicides, murders, and accidents. This is compounded by ever-more-bloody Hollywood entertainment and video games that promote the most shocking and puerile use of weapons imaginable. We've become acculturated to view guns as malevolent occupying entities that have the power to thrust bloodlust upon us simply by picking them up, or as booby traps that will go off unexpectedly at the slightest touch. As a result of this cultural brainwashing, it is sometimes more difficult to get adults to act rationally around guns than children.

Despite these manufactured fears, gun ownership in the U.S. is now at its highest level in history [1]. Obviously, even the saturated biases of media aren't all influencing.

So you're interested in getting your first gun. Where should you start? First, you need to know what you plan to do with it.

Unfortunately, many first-time shooters feel pressured into buying their first firearm by the circumstance of fear. When I worked behind the gun counter as a salesman at a sporting goods chain, many of my first-time customers were young couples that had recently experienced a burglary or a similar "wake-up call" when a crime shattered the illusion of safety they had in their neighborhood.

This is not the best time to to buy a weapon. When you're emotional, you tend to latch on to the first thing that might possibly provide something that approximates a good answer to your problem. That leads to buyer's remorse. Nevertheless, if you have reason to fear an immediate crime from a specific source, just about any firearm is better than none.

In this specific unfortunate circumstance, I would try to guide the customer to a reasonably priced weapon that provides a balance of defensive firepower, practical accuracy, and user safety. At the time and in my long-gun-only chain, that choice was often either a .410 or a 20-gauge "youth and ladies" shotgun. The specific caliber, action, and configuration depended upon the specific characteristics of the users.

I tended to steer physically infirm or petite shooters towards the .410 because of the reduced recoil and lighter weight frame. I have a friend who is 6 feet tall and 240 pounds man and has severe carpal tunnel syndrome. He can't hang on to a gun with any noticeable recoil. The .410 would be the better option for him or for many people with similar maladies. I typically recommended the 20-gauge for other users, as it would provide an adequate mix of stopping power, inherent accuracy, and safety. I'd then try to tailor the ammunition to their specific living arrangements. If they lived in apartment buildings or densely packed urban housing, I'd generally suggest larger "game load" shot sizes used for hunting rabbits. If they lived in the suburbs, where there is a little more of a space buffer between homes, I'd recommend lower velocity duck hunting or turkey hunting loads. Unless a couple lived alone (no kids or pets) in a rural area, I almost never recommended the "conventional wisdom" defensive loading of buckshot, as the stout recoil, deafening indoor blast, and risk of overpenetration was too great of a risk.

Fortunately, most people won't find themselves in such a stressful position when contemplating their first gun purchases. Instead, they will be able to go find out what is best for their needs in a more relaxed and contemplative manner.

It returns to that first essential question: What do you you want to be able to do with your gun?

Are you going to buy it and a box of ammo and stick it in the back of the closet for "just in case"? Or are you going to buy a gun because shooting looks like a lot of fun? Do you intend to shoot socially, maybe even in some sort of shooting sport or competition? Are you looking at weapons because of an uncertain economic future? Are you a fledgling collector looking for a historical piece? Are you fascinated by marksmanship?

Congratulations! Any or all of these reasons (and hundreds more) are great reasons for starting down the path to gun ownership, which we'll begin tackling in more detail in the next installment.


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9. Bloomberg loses another mayor - this one in Franklin
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Another of Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" member is out of office! At least this one isn't headed to jail.

Alan Rose emailed me this:

From Tidewaternews.com: http://tinyurl.com/cr6d5ep


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10. Not again: 70% of firearms recovered at Mexican crime scenes originate in U.S.
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Here we go again. Be sure to parse the statement carefully:

"Nearly 70% of guns recovered from Mexican criminal activity during the past five years and traced by the U.S. government originated from sales in the United States"

So only those guns that Mexico chose to send to the U.S. government, and that the U.S. government chose to trace, or was able trace, were used to come up with the 70% figure (down from the 90% figure used before). So that could be 5%, 50%, 90% of the guns used in crime down in Mexico. We have no way of knowing the significance.

But in the end, it doesn't matter. This is Mexico's problem based on their own inability to control their criminals. Guns, including machine guns, grenades, and other weapons are flooding in to Mexico from around the world.

Joe Gherlone emailed me this:

From CNN: http://tinyurl.com/72o6arq

By Terry Frieden
April 26, 2012

Washington (CNN) -- Nearly 70% of guns recovered from Mexican criminal activity during the past five years and traced by the U.S. government originated from sales in the United States, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

All the guns that were traced were passed to the U.S. from Mexican authorities.

ATF Special Agent John Hageman was careful in his comments as he released the data.

"Our job is to provide the aggregate tracing figures and not to speculate," he said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, cautioned against reading too much into the statistics beyond that "most of these guns can't be traced to U.S. gun dealers" and some could be tied to "the federal government's own gun-walking scandal."

"We also have to remember that the only guns Mexico is going to submit for tracing are guns they know are from the United States, which clearly paints an incomplete picture of the firearms found in Mexico," he said in a statement.

But anti-gun advocates were not so restrained. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, a leading gun-control voice on Capitol Hill, said the figures are evidence of the need for stricter gun laws.

Some likeminded legislators claim that the National Rifle Association and the gun industry have downplayed the degree to which U.S. gun sales are responsible for weapons used by Mexican drug cartels and other violent criminals south of the border.

The newly released data show that from 2007 to 2011 in Mexico City, the ATF traced 99,691 firearms from their manufacture to the retail point of sale. Of those weapons, 68,161 were U.S.-sourced weapons, the ATF said.

Hageman said a significant trend over the past five years has been an increase in rifles among firearms that Mexico asked the ATF to trace.

"Law enforcement in Mexico now report that certain types of rifles, such as the AK and AR variants with detachable magazines, are used more frequently to commit violent crime by drug trafficking organizations."

Both the Bush and Obama administrations have been strong supporters of President Felipe Calderon's efforts to control drug cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border, and both governments have made efforts to try to curtail the illegal movement of firearms across the border to Mexico.

One operation, code-named Fast and Furious, went awry when hundreds of illegally purchased weapons, which were supposed to be tracked, got lost after they crossed the border. Two of the missing guns were found at the scene of the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry in Arizona, resulting in a wave of criticism of the ATF and its parent agency, the Justice Department.


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11. RT Editorial: Fast, furious and secret
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This was in the Roanoke Times? Calling for accountability by the federal government? No, can't be. I think they meant to run this in their April 1st edition.

From The Roanoke Times: http://tinyurl.com/8yg2kwn

May 2, 2012

Republicans for more than a year have tried to parlay a federal gun sting called "Fast and Furious" into a major Obama administration scandal.

They have not succeeded, but not for lack of trying.

Under Fast and Furious, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed American guns to go to suspected smugglers so ATF could track the weapons as they passed to higher-ups in Mexican drug cartels. Nearly three-quarters of guns found in Mexico come from the United States.

The plan backfired when ATF lost track of hundreds of those guns.

Many have since turned up in crimes, including the murder of one U.S. border patrol agent.

Congressional Republicans have held extensive hearings, dragging them out as much for political gain as for assessing the truth. The administration has released thousands of pages of records to congressional investigators, but many more have been withheld. House Republicans now contemplate a contempt resolution against Attorney General Eric Holder.

The more serious stonewalling has taken place with the public itself, not in the House of Representatives. CBS reported this week that it has been conducting its own investigation into Fast and Furious.

It has not gotten far because the Obama administration refuses to share information that would enable the public to reach a fair conclusion about who, if anyone, erred.

The administration continues to drag its feet in answering multiple Freedom of Information Act requests filed by CBS.

Some remain open, some the administration has refused to fill, and the one that did turn up documents yielded mostly blank pages after the administration redacted useful information.

Meanwhile, officials refuse interview requests.

So far, Fast and Furious has simmered primarily with the GOP faithful, on conservative blogs and among House Republicans looking for anything to smear the president. If the administration continues to conceal the facts from the American people and ignore legitimate media requests for documents, a scandal sequel could be in the offing. "2Fast, 2 Secret," anyone?


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12. Florida governor rejects gun ban for Republican convention
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Good for the Florida Governor!

Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this:

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From Yahoo: http://tinyurl.com/88d3xv7

By Michael Peltier
May 3, 2012

Tallahassee, Florida (Reuters) - Florida Governor Rick Scott has shot down a request by Tampa's mayor to allow local authorities to ban guns from the city's downtown during the Republican National Convention in August.

Citing Second Amendment protections in the U.S. Constitution, Scott told Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn that conventions and guns have co-existed since the nation's birth and would continue to do so during the four-day event beginning August 27.

"It is unclear how disarming law abiding citizens would better protect them from the dangers and threats posed by those who would flout the law," the Republican governor said in a letter on Tuesday.

Local officials need Scott's permission to enact the temporary restrictions after state lawmakers last year passed a measure that prohibits local governments from adopting gun ordinances that are stricter than state law.

Florida has some of the most lenient gun laws in the United States and by some counts leads the nation in gun ownership, with about 6.5 percent of all adults licensed to carry a concealed weapon, state records show.

New applications for concealed gun permits have quadrupled since 1998.

In a letter to Scott, Buckhorn said the Tampa City Council had banned a host of items from the area surrounding the convention facility, a list that includes water guns, poles and pieces of wood.

"One noticeable item missing from the city's temporary ordinance is firearms," Buckhorn wrote. "In the potentially contentious environment surrounding the RNC, a firearm unnecessarily increases the threat of imminent harm and injury to the residents and visitors to the city." [PVC: Are you saying, Mr. Buckhorn, that the police should be disarmed because of the contentious environment, since a "firearm unnecessarily increases the threat of imminent harm and injury to the residents and visitors to the city" ?]

Scott said he was confident law enforcement officials, who are expected to number nearly 4,000, would be able to protect the public without having to enforce a blanket gun ban.

That city officials have banned other items is irrelevant, he said.

"The choice to allow the government to ban sticks, poles but not firearms, is one that the people made in enacting their state and federal constitutions," Scott wrote.

Weapons will not be allowed in the convention center itself or in the immediate area surrounding the site. Security in that venue is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service.

The City Council wants to extend the restrictions to all of downtown, including areas that have been designated zones for protesters expected at the event.

"As governor, you have the duty to meet dangers presented by events such as the RNC where there is a threat of substantial injury and harm to Florida residents and visitors to the state," Buckhorn wrote. [PVC: What Mr. Buckhorn means is the Constitution should go in the shredder anytime there is any contention.]


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13. Supreme Court decision in Millender v. County of Los Angeles
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From The Firing Line: http://tinyurl.com/73qdabx

May 2012

[SNIP]

The ability to seek compensation for illegal police action that violates civil rights recently received a blow from the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Millender v. County of Los Angeles. In a disappointing decision for self-defense civil rights advocates, the high court held that officers were entitled to qualified immunity from civil suit when they conducted a search pursuant to a warrant authorizing the seizure of any and all firearms and firearm-related materials, even though the items seized were known not to have been used in the crime under investigation.

The National Rifle Association and the California Rifle and Pistol Association Foundation (CRPAF) submitted an amicus ("friend of the court") brief with the Supreme Court. That brief generally supports police, but raises concerns about certain police practices.

A copy of the NRA/CRPAF brief, the Supreme Court's opinion, and other case related documents, are posted at http://tinyurl.com/7l3ubn7


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14. New national alliance for armed citizens announced: ACA
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From Examiner.com: http://tinyurl.com/8abjs7j

By Dave Workman
May 4, 2012

[SNIP]

A new alliance of industry and armed citizens has been announced with the goal of providing ordinary gun owners the opportunity to "practice, train and become familiar with the use of concealed carry handguns and other personal defense firearms."


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15. Scout develops device to make reloading gun easier
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Dave Hawley emailed me this:

--

This is heartwarming in so many ways.


From WTOP: http://tinyurl.com/clx3ssa

May 1, 2012

Brian Nelle is only in seventh grade, but his ingenuity has already made a difference in the life of a wounded veteran.

The Brunswick Middle School student wants to be a physician's assistant, but his latest innovation has him thinking about a part-time career as an engineer, he said.

Brian, a Boy Scout, has made a device that makes it easier to reload a 9mm pistol magazine one handed.

"I have airsoft guns," Brian said, referring to replica guns that fire plastic pellets. "Those always interested me."

While Brian's innovation may sound advanced for a 12-year-old, it not only has a practical use, but it also has made a huge impression on the man for whom it was intended.

Adam Kisielewski, a retired Marine sergeant, lost his left arm and right leg in a bomb blast during a sweep for insurgents at a school outside Al-Karmah, Iraq, on Aug. 21, 2005. The blast killed his platoon leader, 2nd Lt. James Cathey.

"It was a pretty violent area and a pretty violent time. We were getting into stuff pretty frequently," Kisielewski said.

Kisielewski finished high school in Wisconsin early to join the Marines in 2002. He now lives in a ranch home in Thurmont with a large U.S. flag flying out front and a shooting range out back. It was there that his friend, David Staten, noticed Kisielewski had trouble reloading magazines for his rifle and pistol, Staten said.

Staten, who is retired from the Navy and works at the U.S. Public Health Service at Fort Detrick, mentioned Kisielewski's troubles to his colleague, Timothy Nelle, Brian's father. Staten thought the elder Nelle, an avid woodworker, could make a device to help. Brian, needing a science project, took note of the men's work and sought to improve it.

After some online research and a trip to the hardware store, a prototype was made, but it proved too tough to handle one-handed, Brian said.

On a second attempt, Brian -- with his dad doing the "dangerous" work -- came up with a design that includes a spring-loaded mount on a metal rod to hold the magazine upright. Brian added a commercially available loader that he modified to lock in place so bullets can be loaded into the standing magazine.

"My friend Jack, he wants to be a Marine, too, and I just like to know, if something happens to people, I can help them," Brian said.

The device is screwed onto a board that Kisielewski can bolt to his all-terrain vehicle to prevent it from slipping as he reloads.

Brian presented the final product to Kisielewski at Operation Second Chance, an organization in Clarksburg that helps wounded veterans. Kisielewski is its vice president.

Kisielewski called Brian's work ingenious and awesome.

"(It is) something I never would have ever dreamed up, and I'm 28 years old," he said. "I think he's definitely got a career in engineering in front of him or whatever else he wants to do."

Knowing that people like Brian are interested in helping make his life easier propels Kisielewski forward, he said.

"I've always had a lot of drive in life, but with so many people in your corner, it's hard to fail," he said.

Brian's project won first place in the middle school engineering division of the Frederick County Public School's Science and Engineering Fair and was the first runner-up in the overall middle school division, according to an FCPS news release.

Brian plans to submit the device at the state level this summer, he said.

"We're thinking about patenting it," he said.


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16. 'Bullet button' used to get around California gun laws
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Where there is a will, there is a way. When it comes to gun manufacturers, dealers, and owners, that way must be legal. In California, they found a legal way to have a magazine in a semi-automatic rifle, like an AR-15 or AK-47, that can hold more than 10 rounds. I'll be curious to see how long it remains legal. California is a real embarrassment to most of the country, and I expect they won't be changing that perception any time soon (for example they recently banned open carry of totally unloaded handguns, and now they are working to ban open carry of unloaded long guns).

Jay Minsky emailed me this:


From CBS San Francisco: http://tinyurl.com/buhhb2e

May 1, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. But one wouldn't know that going to the firing range these days. AR-15s and AK-47s are the must-have guns of choice. How can that be?

Every time California tightens up the assault weapons ban, the gun industry finds a way around it. The latest example involves a tiny device.

John Largaespada loves his AR-15 and goes to the range every week to fire it. And he's got plenty of company. "There is usually like a 30 minute to an hour wait for rifle lanes," he said.

That's because the most popular guns at the range these days are semi-automatic rifles. In a state with some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, how is it these military-style guns are legal?

Brian Normandy is an instructor at Jackson Arms. "As long as we don't have a detachable magazine in it, it's actually a legal firearm," Normandy said.

Other states allow people to use their finger to pop out the magazine and quickly reload. It's called a detachable magazine, and in California, its use in combination with other features such as a telescoping stock or pistol grip is illegal.

The intent is to slow down the process of reloading the weapon. But many target shooters don't like the reloading hassle. "For me to use this on the range, I would have to open up the receiver and top load it," said Normandy.

To get around this, gun manufacturers are selling firearms to Californians with what is called a "bullet button."

The user uses the tip of a bullet to release the empty magazine and pop in a new one. The button doesn't work with one's finger, so the magazine is considered "fixed."

That makes it an assault rifle that everyone is calling "California legal."

"Of course manufacturers don't want to break the law, so they are going to make a legal version of it that doesn't meet the restrictions," said Normandy.

And it's a hot seller. CBS 5 went undercover to a recent gun show at the Cow Palace in Daly City and found "California legal" assault rifles throughout. There were also were gadgets to release the bullet button, in case one doesn't have a spare bullet around, such as the "Mag Magnet."

So why isn't law enforcement cracking down on what appears to be a loophole in the state's gun control laws? CBS 5 put the question to Bay Area police departments. None would comment, same with the California Department of Justice.

Even Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of the strongest gun control advocates in the country, told CBS 5 she was "not able to participate."

But at least one group in Washington D.C. is watching the issue closely. "If the bullet button assault weapon is allowed to come into the state then the California assault weapons ban basically doesn't exist any more," said Josh Sugarmann with the Violence Policy Center.

Sugarmann said the bullet button marketing campaign is huge. "We are talking about every major assault weapons manufacturer in America. Companies like Bushmaster, Colt, Smith and Wesson and myriad others. And the reason they are all focusing on bullet buttons is because California's ban has been so effective, right now they view California as the last great market," he said. "The end result is that California law enforcement, California citizens will all be placed in jeopardy because of this marketing move by the firearms industry."

But gun rights proponents like Brian Normandy point to a lack of hard data showing assault rifles being used in crimes. He argues, why should law-abiding citizens be deprived?

"If Californians are wanting these things, someone's going to step up and make money while doing it and why not? I mean that's exactly what free America is," said Normandy.

Out on the rifle lanes, Largaespada said he can see both sides. "The bullet button, I could see where I guess officers and stuff would be concerned about that," he said. But for him, it's all about the thrill of owning an assault rifle.

"It's an adrenaline rush. You just feel like you're on top of the world," he said.


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17. Australia: Neighbors fight with chainsaw and sword
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Chet Szymecki emailed me this:

--

Reason enough to ban chainsaws and samurai swords! Or does Australia have a chainsaw loophole???


From U.K. Daily Mail: http://tinyurl.com/c2kwf3z

By Richard Shears
May 2, 2012

In a bloody battle between two warring neighbors in Australia today, one man's arm was almost severed with a chain saw, while another had a finger chopped off with a Samurai sword.

Surgeons were later trying to save the arm of the chain saw victim, Mark Jorgenson, 29, while his neighbour Troy Thornton, 26, was being treated after losing his finger to the Samurai sword.

Police who rushed to the small town of Minto, south west of Sydney, found pools of blood in the street and Mr Jorgenson crying in pain from his almost-severed arm.

Detectives are investigating claims that after the two men argued over loud music and reckless driving, Mr Thornton went to Mr Jorgenson's house with the chain saw.

Mr Jorgenson grabbed the Japanese sword and the bloody battle began. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Brett described the result of the confrontation as 'horrific'.

He said: 'A chain saw is a serious weapon which inflicts pretty brutal injuries.

It's very disturbing a chainsaw and a Samurai sword are serious weapons.' It is too early to say who'll be charged, he added.

After paramedics said that Mr Jorgenson's arm was so badly damaged that they believed it would have to be amputated, his father Laurie told Sydney's Daily Telegraph that the brawl with the next-door family started in the afternoon following complaints about noise.

Mr Thorton's mother, Wendy, confirmed that her son did wield the chain saw, but said he grabbed it to defend himself.

'They (the Jorgensen family) had machetes and bats and we had nothing so Troy grabbed the chain saw,' she said.

The two families agreed they had been involved in an ongoing war but Mr Jorgensen said sorting it out with a chain saw was extreme. 'Fists maybe, but this is just over the top,' he said.

Mr Thornton's family explained that he had been staying at the house to comfort his sister Nicole, who had recently lost her partner when his small boat overturned on a river.

Police said they had been called to Fenton Crescent, Minto, following reports a person armed with a chain saw had entered a house.

Forensic officers set up a crime scene as detectives began interviewing both families at length.

Chainsaws are powerful cutting machines that can be powered by a two-stroke motor, electricity, compressed air or hydraulic power. They are used mostly for felling trees and lopping thick branches.

The cutting part of the oblong-shaped device consists of a chain with small sharp cutting teeth. Some specialised machines are used to cut through concrete.

Many companies insist that operators should be certified or licensed to work with chain saws.

The terror that chain saws can bring when used against people was emphasised in the 1974 movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - considered so horrific that it was banned in several countries.


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18. ATF's top 10 frequently asked firearms questions and answers
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From ATF.gov: http://tinyurl.com/7xvexf3

ATF receives numerous telephone and electronic inquiries on a daily basis. In an effort to provide individuals with the most up-to-date information, ATF has compiled a list of the top 10 most frequently asked questions and provided answers to those questions:


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19. Finally: The tactical kilt we've all been waiting for
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Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this
--
From 5.11 Tactical ad: http://tinyurl.com/bn9n48o

Watch the video here: http://tinyurl.com/bvdawu7
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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]