VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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1. VCDL to protest Virginia Beach Mayor on Tuesday, November 24th
2. Reminder: Sussex County Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday
3. Easy way to introduce friends to VCDL
4. American Firearms Training discount codes
5. Virginia incumbents' losses explained by weakness on gun rights
6. Column: On sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs
7. Anti-gun article where VCDL President is quoted
8. Fight to expand gun rights is far from over
9. Concealed carry is coming to Virginia campuses
10. Gun-friendly tank museum
11. TEXT: Manassas PD press release
12. LTE: Guns to blame for shootings
13. National Park Service to educate public on gun rights
14. Column: Time to eradicate VD
15. Massad Ayoob on Ft. Hood
16. Editorial: End Clinton-era military base gun ban
17. Anti-gun nuts: Let's ban more guns because of Ft. Hood
18. Here goes the spin: 'Cop Killer' gun used in Ft. Hood shooting, officials said
19. Is .357 Sig ammo safe (part III)?
20. Statistics show concealed carry saves many lives, takes few
21. Opinion: Leave campus gun laws to university
22. Concealed carry increases safety
23. Council locked, loaded -- literally
24. America's gun outrage: 276 people killed or wounded a day
**************************************************
1. VCDL to protest Virginia Beach Mayor on Tuesday, November 24th
**************************************************
Board member John Fenter will be addressing the Virginia Beach Mayor
regarding his membership in Bloomberg's gun-control organization -
Mayors against Illegal Guns.
Let's have a good turnout to back up John!
The City Council meeting starts at 6 PM. John will be there early to
handout Gun Save Lives stickers to those attending.
The address is:
2401 Courthouse Drive, #281
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
**************************************************
2. Reminder: Sussex County Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday
**************************************************
We need a large turnout this Thursday at the Sussex County Board of
Supervisors meeting to try to block an ordinance that would require a
conditional use permit for ranges in the County.
The meeting starts at 7 PM and I will be there at 6:30 PM to handout
"Guns Save Lives" stickers.
Address:
15080 Courthouse Road
Sussex, VA 23884
**************************************************
3. Easy way to introduce friends to VCDL
**************************************************
VCDL member, and activist extraordinaire, Ed Levine's challenge: get
100 people to sign up for VCDL paid memberships
http://tinyurl.com/yel4g4g [Image]
http://opencarry.mywowbb.com
Ed's VCDL Membership Drive
Posted: Sat Nov 14th, 2009 06:35 pm
As I talk to gun owners that have owned for years and also new gun
owners, I am floored when they have never heard of VCDL. Many say
they are NRA members or are thinking about joining. I encourage them
to do so but I also get them to sign up for VCDL. I have even paid
for over 10 memberships just to make it easy for folks.
So . . . I am taking it as a personal challenge to add a hundred
members to the VCDL PAID membership and hope that each of you join me
in the challenge. If you run into the folks that are interested and
they (or you) can't afford to pay the $25.00 for a year, at the VERY
LEAST get them signed up for the FREE VA-ALERT so that they can lean,
stay informed and call their representatives when asked to do so.
In the spirit of my Open Carry Business Cards, I have created the easy
to carry "JOIN THE VCDL" card. It is my plan to drop them off anytime
I am at a range, or gun show, or Open Carry Dinner, etc.
Like my Open Carry Cards, if you want any of these, send a Self
Addressed Stamped Envelope to me with two stamps on the return to:
Ed's VCDL Drive, 46554 River Meadows Terrace, Potomac Falls, VA 20165
**************************************************
4. American Firearms Training discount codes
**************************************************
VCDL members and VA-ALERT subscribers get $5 discount on online CCW
training course
http://tinyurl.com/yl4t588
Ladies and Gentlemen of the VCDL,
In an effort to expand the availability of concealed carry permits to
the citizens of Virginia, my team at American Firearms Training has
developed an online class that fulfills the educational requirement in
the Commonwealth of Virginia to get your permit. The class can be
found atwww.VirginiaConcealedCarry.com and takes about an hour to
complete. It consists of six fun and informative videos with quizzes
and a final exam. We as a company have always believed very strongly
in the efforts of the VCDL and have decided to do what we can to
support them.
It is with this in mind that we have developed a program to both
provide a discount to the services that we offer to VCDL and VA alert
members as well as fund the organization that does so much to protect
our rights to keep and bear arms in the Commonwealth.
We have generated a discount code (368899) that not only gives the
user $5 off of our class, but also makes a $5 donation the the VCDL's
general fund.
Taking the class couldn't be easier, here are the steps:
1. Go to http://www.VirginiaConcealedCarry.com or http://www.VACCW.com
2. Click on "Take The Online Course" in the top right hand corner
3. Fill out the required info including your discount code: 368899
4. Take the class
5. Print out your certificate of completion
Again, the whole process takes about an hour.
The fun and simple course "Introduction to Pistol Safety" satisfies
the educational requirement in the Commonwealth to get your concealed
permit as much as any full day course.
Again, for every person that uses the code, the VCDL will pocket $5.
It is a donation that we are happy to make! This code may be used
by any member, their friends and family.
Help us raise money for the VCDL and save a few bucks for yourself in
the process. Please give us a call with any questions.
Thanks!
Eric Korn
President and CEO
American Firearms Training Corporation
(540) 288-4262
**************************************************
5. Virginia incumbents' losses explained by weakness on gun rights
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/yduuep3
http://www.examiner.com
Virginia incumbents' losses explained by weakness on gun rights
November 8, 2009
By Mike Stollenwerk
[SNIP]
Last Tuesday's election in Virginia has been reported by some as a
vote of
no confidence in the Obama administration. Maybe it was - but a
closer look
indicates that seven of the nine incumbents who lost were caught flat
footed on gun rights.
**************************************************
6. Column: On sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs
**************************************************
Member Tillman Cuttino emailed me this:
--
Hi,
First, this is not an email forward. This is a piece I found by an
author I respect and I've hand picked the recipients of this message
as people I consider to have the qualities described in Lt. Col.
Grossman's passage. Those of you with law enforcement or military
backgrounds are likely aware of Lt. Col. Grossman already. I hope you
enjoy it, whether it inspires you, affirms you, or maybe helps
quantify what you never could put into words about why you are what
you are. Maybe it will help a spouse or family member understand you,
should you choose to share this with them.
Take care,
Tillman
http://tinyurl.com/39bfoe
http://www.pgpft.com
**************************************************
7. Anti-gun article where VCDL President is quoted
**************************************************
VCDL's President is an 'extremist,' so says Elita Habtu, one of Cho's
shooting victims who survived.
I plead guilty. But, as Barry Goldwater once said, "Extremism in the
pursuit of liberty is no vice..."
She totally misses the point - Cho didn't need a permit to do what he
did on that fateful day in April, 2007. No permission required, nor
any asked for. And no training is necessary. Cowardly acts don't
require much of anything, but hatred, insanity, or both.
http://tinyurl.com/yfnj55g
http://www.collegiatetimes.com
Concealed carry permits are too easily obtained
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
by Elita Habtu, guest columnist
For the safety of the students and faculty at Virginia Tech, I hope
Ken Stanton is wrong in his prediction that our state legislature will
pass legislation this January that will force universities to allow
concealed handguns on campus (CT, "Concealed Carry is Coming to
Virginia Campuses," Nov.
.After a new law passed earlier this year allowing Virginia residents
to satisfy the "training" requirement for a concealed carry permit by
taking an online course, I was curious to see how easy it is to obtain
a permit online. My first step was to complete an online training
course from the Concealed Carry Institute. Let it be clear that I have
never touched a gun, never mind fired one. The closest that I have
ever been to a gun is when being under attack in Norris Hall on April
16, 2007.
The "training" I received was simply to watch a 30-minute
instructional video on handgun safety and to successfully answer 15
out of the 20 questions on the multiple-choice test. The following is
a question that actually appeared on my test:
When talking about semi-automatic handguns, the magazine is:
a) A brochure that describes the firearm
b) An instruction manual for the firearm
c) The part of the firearm that holds ammunition
d) The mechanism that puts the firearm on safety
Needless to say, I passed the test. Although the test is not
difficult, and I can retake the test many times, there is a great
potential for cheating online. Anyone can easily have another person
take the test for them, or one can open a separate Web browser to
search for the correct answers.
My next step was to apply to my local circuit court and pass a
computerized background check. Despite my total lack of experience
with firearms, in a few weeks I had received my concealed carry permit.
That was it. There was not a firearms instructor to show me, in
person, how to use a gun, and no requirement to fire at a shooting
range and demonstrate my proficiency with a handgun. This is the
training regimen that Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC)
want us to believe will "protect" us in classrooms if facing a lethal
threat.
Ken Stanton lauds these requirements as "some of the best measures in
the country to ensure responsibility when carrying," but is the bare
minimum truly enough to protect you?
SCCC claims that all concealed carry permit holders are law abiding
citizens, but it is possible to qualify for a concealed handgun permit
in Virginia even with multiple misdemeanor convictions on your record.
Individuals who have previously been the subjects of restraining
orders, convicted of drunk driving, or treated for mental health
illness can also obtain a permit.
It's shocking but not surprising that there have already been four
confirmed shootings this year by concealed handgun permit holders:
Michael McClendon in Alabama (killed 10, wounded six), Frank Garcia in
upstate New York (killed four, injured one), Richard Poplawski in
Pittsburgh (Neo-Nazi who killed three police officers, injured one)
and George Sodini in Pittsburgh (health club shooter who killed three
women, injured nine).
Like the Editorial Board of the Collegiate Times, I was deeply
disturbed when the SCCC invited Eric Thompson to Tech shortly after
the one-year anniversary of the shootings. The online gun dealer sold
guns and accessories to the Tech shooter, to the Northern Illinois
University shooter, and to George Sodini, the aforementioned concealed
carry permit holder and mass murderer.
SCCC's featured speaker on Monday night, Philip Van Cleave of the
Virginia Citizens' Defense League (VCDL), is equally such an extremist
on the gun issue. Van Cleave and the VCDL have pushed to force guns to
be allowed everywhere, including in government buildings, restaurants
where alcohol is served, and now on school campuses. At a recent
speech at Liberty University, Van Cleave noted with pride: "At the end
of the day, I don't think there should be restrictions of firearms.
Period."
That means no background checks to help prevent dangerous individuals,
like the Virginia Tech and NIU shooters, from wreaking havoc with
easily obtained handguns and assault weapons. SCCC and VCDL might be
content to settle matters by engaging in shootouts with disturbed
individuals who have gained easy access to firearms, but the rest of
us deserve more thoughtful, practical solutions on how to prevent
violence on America's college campuses.
**************************************************
8. Fight to expand gun rights is far from over
**************************************************
Concealed carry on campus is only the first step toward eliminating
all gun-free zones (and this is a bad thing?)
http://tinyurl.com/yl2dhr3
http://www.roanoke.com
Metro columnist Dan Casey: Fight to expand gun rights is far from over
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
By Dan Casey
This is a big week for the Virginia Tech chapter of Students for
Concealed
Carry on Campus.
It's Defense Education Week, and the student group, which has 100 to 200
members, has organized a week's worth of seminars and gatherings in
support of
concealed carry on Virginia college campuses.
Monday night's featured speaker was Philip Van Cleave, president of the
pro-gun Virginia Citizens Defense League.
Earlier Monday, I spoke to Ken Stanton, 32, a serious-sounding
engineering
graduate student and the vice president of the Virginia Tech chapter
of the
concealed carry group.
Here's his argument in favor of guns on campus:
"We've had a couple years since April 16 to discuss this issue, to do
research, to discuss this with legislators," Stanton told me. "We have
not
found a single argument that says we should not allow it."
Stanton's chief contention is a familiar one: Law-abiding handgun permit
holders should have the right to defend themselves from gun-toting bad
guys.
Right now at Virginia Tech, where guns are banned, "We have no chance.
We
literally are sitting ducks. We're seeing way too much evidence of
that,"
Stanton said.
Though his argument sounds simple, it has some interesting implications.
You see, since the 1990s, the National Rifle Association has been wildly
successful in expanding concealed carry permit laws in states across the
country.
Now, 46 states issue concealed carry permits to law-abiding citizens.
Only two
states, Wisconsin and Illinois, have blanket prohibitions against
concealed
carry. It's legal in Vermont and Alaska without permits.
But many of those states have various exceptions where concealed
handguns are
prohibited. Those include college campuses, schools, sports arenas,
government
buildings and churches.
All those exceptions are the rub among the pro-gun-rights crowd, such as
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.
And what the SCCC campaign tells us is this: The fight to expand gun
rights is
far from over. If or when concealed carry becomes legal on campuses, the
battle will shift to other places where concealed carry is forbidden.
Imagine the names of those new pro-gun-rights groups that could emerge,
fighting supposed infringements of the Second Amendment:
a.. Churchgoers For Concealed Carry could argue that packing heat
during
services will help ease the minds of the faithful, so they can better
focus on
sermons about turning the other cheek. [PVC: For self-defense
turning the other cheek isn't required.]
a.. Patients for Concealed Carry in Hospitals might contend they
need guns
to protect themselves in their sickbeds, where they're more
defenseless than
usual. You can't have security guards in every room, after all.
[PVC: So crime never happens in hospitals? Casey needs to read his
own paper from time to time.]
a.. Teachers may form Concealed Carry in Public Schools -- because
some
students already are carrying illegally. Just one teacher with a
pistol might
have been able to stop the tragedy at Columbine High School, you
know? [PVC: Yes, and your point is, Dan?]
By the time all the places above are concealed gun-approved zones, we
could
reach the absolute nadir of the gun rights splinter groups.
I hope the day never comes that criminals organize and call for the
repeal of
laws that prohibit felons from carrying firearms. Or sue to overturn
those
laws in federal court. [PVC: A non-violent felon who has done his
time should be given his rights back.]
a.. Felons For Concealed Carry might argue it this way: There's
nothing in
the Second Amendment that says it applies only to law-abiding citizens.
They could further argue that ex-cons need protection, too, from all
the other
legally sanctioned concealed carriers out there.
Such as Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army major and Virginia Tech graduate
who is
suspected of killing 13 people and wounding 29 at Fort Hood, Texas. He
was
granted a Virginia concealed handgun permit back in 1996.
I hope that group and the others never form.
But that's the direction we're heading in -- chipping away at those
no-concealed-carry exceptions one by one. [PVC: You bet!!]
Like it or not.
**************************************************
9. Concealed carry is coming to Virginia campuses
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/ycz3laj
http://www.collegiatetimes.com
Concealed carry is coming to Virginia campuses
Sunday, November 8, 2009
by Ken Stanton, regular columnist
I'm making a bold prediction: this year, the bill will pass to allow
state-permitted individuals to carry on Virginia's public campuses;
next week, we will be making the case for it.
November 9 - 14 is Defense Education Week, hosted by Students for
Concealed Carry on Campus at colleges across the country, where the
issue will be brought forward as we advocate for self-defense rights
on campus. The argument is simple: there are no grounds to deny the
right to carry on campus lawfully and responsibly for the purpose of
self-defense.
Campus is not immune to crime, and students, faculty, and staff who
have permits should have the choice to carry while on campus, with
their firearm being a last resort should their lives be endangered.
Such permitted individuals must be 21, have had a background check,
and have received training, some of the best measures in the country
to ensure responsibility when carrying.
On Monday, Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia gun-rights
group VCDL, will be speaking at 7 p.m. in McBryde 129 along with
representatives of VT's SCCC chapter. The questions on the table are:
What is the case for concealed carry on campus? Is this just about
April 16? Following the talks, a forum will be held to answer
questions and concerns.
This is the time to engage if you support the cause, are unsure, or
disagree with the arguments. We welcome dissenters just as much as
supporters, as we believe our case is strong and well researched. For
some this may be a sensitive, personal, and emotional issue, but we
hope to have some civil dialogue to address concerned individuals. As
well, gun owners and gun-rights advocates who are unsure about their
position with concealed carry on campus are encouraged to attend.
Over the rest of the week, we will be exploring related questions
like: Has anyone ever used their firearm in self-defense? Who actually
carries a gun? What kind of training is ideal? What is legal and
illegal? Would everyone carry if the law were passed?
We hope you join us while we make the case next week. Check
http://www.sccc.org.vt.edu for a full list of speakers and special events!
**************************************************
10. Gun-friendly tank museum
**************************************************
Wayne Robinson emailed me about a gun-friendly tank museum. THIS is
where I would rather spend my money:
--
Philip:
We have a gun friendly tank museum in Prince William County.
The National museum of Americans in Wartime.
These folks are truly gun friendly and welcome our organization to
next years event to be held in August.
You can also ride in a track vehicle and see the many tanks and other
pieces of equipment MR. Alan Cors has on display.
If you or any other board members would like a personal tour of the
facility please contact me and I will make sure you get a first hand
look at the facility.
It is worth the trip and we will be glad to have you.
**************************************************
11. TEXT: Manassas PD press release
**************************************************
Who needs a gun for self-protection in Manassas?
MANASSAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
November 6, 2009
Robbery/Home Invasion
The Manassas City Police are investigating a Robbery/Home invasion
that took place in the 8700 block of Ditmars Court on Thursday,
November 5, 2009 at approximately 9:30 p.m.
The victims, a 35 year old male and 32 year old female reported that
they arrived home and parked in front of their house when three black
males approached them with handguns and demanded money. The male
victim was assaulted and the couple was forced into their residence by
suspects where a third resident was confronted (54 year old female)
and money was also demanded from her. Suspects took items including
wallets containing identification, credit cards, an undisclosed amount
of cash, jewelry and computer equipment. Suspects fled the scene in an
unknown direction and unknown type of vehicle.
Suspects are described as three black males with braided hair, all in
their twenties, armed with hand guns, wearing all black clothing.
**************************************************
12. LTE: Guns to blame for shootings
**************************************************
Robert Thomas emailed me this:
--
http://tinyurl.com/yzdhrze
http://www.newsleader.com
Guns to blame for shootings
NOVEMBER 14, 2009
The numbers from the latest shootings -- 13 dead and 35 wounded,
including a pregnant woman. Do we add the unborn child or not, since
it is legal in America to kill unborn children?
All the news accounts and opinion pages talk about the mental health
system or the religious beliefs of the shooter. I have a new flash: We
will never be able to control or account for undiagnosed mental
illness or religious fanaticism.
What is the common element in all the mass killings? The answer, of
course, is guns. The NRA gave $50 million to try and defeat President
Obama, and when that failed, they spread paranoia that caused a run on
handguns, assault weapons and ammunition among the fanatics who care
more about their toys than they do about human life, even the lives of
their own children and grandchildren.
The NRA is the biggest ally of the terrorists. Twelve thousand
Americans are killed by guns every year, four times as many as were
killed on 9-11. [PVC: Mostly drug related murders and also suicides.]
When are we Americans going to come to our senses and start getting
rid of these guns that have no sporting or hunting use? Where are the
mothers, grandparents, teachers, school administrators, law
enforcement officers and medical professionals who should be screaming
for the repeal of the Second Amendment?
The servicemen and women, the students and innocent bystanders could
be our family members. Do we all have to lose a loved one before we
become outraged? Are we going to continue to elect politicians who
have the highest NRA rating? [PVC: Ah, liberty. Such a unfathomable
concept to Mr. Driver.]
DAVID W. DRIVER Staunton
**************************************************
13. National Park Service to educate public on gun rights
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/yb7jney
http://www.examiner.com
[SNIP]
According to National Park Spokesperson Phil Selleck, the Park Service
is not going to go through any formal rulemaking process for each
park. Instead said Selleck, the Service is going to work to "educate
the public" and park employees on the gun carry rights in each park.
Selleck said that federal law at 18 U.S.C. 930 continues to ban gun
carry in "federal facilities," but advised that the Park Service does
not consider unattended structures such as "outhouses" to be federal
facilities because "employees are not regularly present there to
perform official duties."
**************************************************
14. Column: Time to eradicate VD
**************************************************
'Victim disarmament' made Ft. Hood carnage worse
http://tinyurl.com/ye97mnx
Jeff Knox emailed me this:
--
http://mail.google.com
From the Firearms Coalition
Time to Eradicate VD
By Jeff Knox
(Manassas, VA, November 12, 2009) There has been a close
association between sexually transmitted diseases and the military for
as long as the two have existed, but the focus of this article is not
Venereal Disease, but a different kind of VD that has shocked the
military community and the nation. The VD which currently plagues the
military and puts our soldiers at grave risk is the policy of Victim
Disarmament which has been increasingly prevalent even as laws in the
civilian world have been moving in the opposite direction.
While some have pointed to regulation changes during the
Clinton administration as the turning point, VD on military bases has
been the trend since at least the 1960's and to a lesser extent even
before that. In military society, so heavily steeped in discipline
and control, it is only natural that those in power would be inclined
to drift in the direction of micro-management and centralized
control. Commanders in the modern military seem to have gravitated
toward a paternalistic role and that paternalism runs all through the
chain of command and seems to apply to all subordinates regardless of
their age, rank, or experience.
When a Muslim major decided he was on the wrong side in the War
on Terrorism and began shooting soldiers and civilian workers in a
premeditated attack at a Ft. Hood processing center, we were all
shocked. Shocked that anyone in the U.S. military could turn on his
brothers- and sisters-in-arms with such viciousness. Shocked that a
commissioned officer could hold such radical religious views and not
be recognized as a threat.
But we were especially shocked that anyone could go on a
killing spree in the middle of a busy Army base and not run into any
armed resistance for over 10 minutes.
The public was dumbfounded to learn that virtually everyone on
all military bases outside of war zones is required to disarm while on
base. Even officers and senior NCOs who are licensed to carry
concealed in the state where the base is located are forbidden to have
a readily accessible firearm virtually anywhere on base. Only MP's
and contract security guards may legally go about a military
installation armed and even they are generally forbidden to carry when
not on duty.
But who could have imagined that anyone would ever dare to
attack soldiers on an Army base? Well, just as the "unimaginable"
idea of using commercial aircraft as guided weapons had been widely
publicized in popular novels and was officially included in national
threat assessments as a likely scenario, the idea of attacking
personnel on a military installation was not novel or new. A group of
home-grown wannabe Muslim terrorists made elaborate plans to do just
that back in 2007. After their plot was uncovered, many in the rights
community pointed out the huge vulnerability created by the Army's
Victim Disarmament policies and called for changes, at least to allow
qualified officers and senior NCOs to keep weapons handy. Those calls
went unheeded. Some commands went in the opposite direction with
commanding officers tightening restrictions on weapons in base housing
units and even forbidding soldiers from legally carrying when off-base
and out of uniform.
In the wake of the atrocity at Ft. Hood the Army says it -
along with the other branches - will be reviewing security policies
and procedures. I don't expect to see them give up their VD
policies. It is much more likely that they will conclude that they
need to hire more civilian security guards and perhaps implement some
sort of alert system similar to those implemented by universities,
based around text messages sent to cell phones.
After all, what if the Army allowed soldiers to be armed and
they used them to commit crime, or to shoot each other over traffic
disputes? What about the danger of police mistaking an armed defender
for the active murderer or an armed defender accidentally shooting
innocent bystanders?
We've heard all of the "what if" arguments in every state that
has ever debated concealed carry legislation or talked about extending
the right to carry to college campuses. For some reason the fact that
none of the dire "what ifs" have ever materialized and that armed
defense is consistently demonstrated to be safe and effective, just
carries no weight with paternalistic authoritarians who don't fully
trust their charges.
More than two years after the Army received a dramatic warning
about the vulnerability created by their VD policies, that
vulnerability has been horrifically exploited. And in the face of
that experience, soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines remain helpless
in the face of threats of armed attack.
Unlike Venereal Disease, Victim Disarmament can be easily
eradicated, particularly in the military. All it takes is the will
and a little bit of trust.
**************************************************
15. Massad Ayoob on Ft. Hood
**************************************************
Blame the killer, not the weapon
http://tinyurl.com/ygqswkh
http://backwoodshome.com/
Massad Ayoob
FORT HOOD: Go ahead, blame the weapon, not the killer.
As we learn more about the man who shot 40-some people, leaving 13
dead thus
far, at our largest military base, we predictably see certain forces in
society demonizing the weapon, not the demon who carried out the act.
From the
first day, we saw CNN et al emphasize that the slayer had used a
(shudder!) semi-automatic weapon.
When it came out that he had used a 5.7X28mm pistol, to wit the FN
Five-SeveN,
some in the media and among the brie-and-chablis crowd seemed almost
to wet
themselves. This gun had already become a focus of the anti-gunners,
who call
it a "cop-killer."
Now, I'm a little more on top of murders of police, and officer survival
issues, than the average bear, and I've not yet found a case of a police
officer being murdered with this particular handgun. But, I'm an old
guy and
probably getting forgetful. Can anyone ELSE document such a case? If
so, post
it here, please. Forgive me if I don't hold my breath too hard.
The mainstream media is, in large part, overlooking the fact that the
accused
mass-murderer had studied under a radical Islamist who had also taught
some of
the 9/11 terrorists. And that the accused killer had allegedly
posted on the Internet, comparing suicide bombers with soldiers who
throw
themselves on grenades to save their comrades in battle. AND that
he was a totally hypocritical FALSE Muslim. Out of one side of his
mouth, he
sought a traditional Muslim bride who would wear the hajib and pray
five times
a day. Out of the other side of his, uh, mouth, he apparently sipped
light
beer and bought lap dances for $50 a time from American blondes at
strip joints.
My heart goes out to the victims and their families. I have family at
Fort
Hood myself. And I feel for the estimated 3500 followers of the
Islamic faith
who honorably serve at this writing in our nation's armed services. I
hope
these loyalists won't be tarred by the same brush as Hassan.
And I am saddened to see clueless journalists instead blame and
demonize the
gun, which has roughly the on-paper ballistics of a .22 Magnum rifle
that you
or I might use to shoot woodchucks on the farm to keep them out of the
lettuce
patch.
The 5.7 in its original SS190 military load was indeed designed to
pierce
armor, and still tumble through flesh, creating substantial wound
potential.
From its inception a score of years ago to now, there has been much
controversy over whether it's a magic man-stopper or an impotent mouse-
gun.
Morbid as it sounds to say it, a LONG time from now, once the medical
reports
and autopsy results have been tallied and declassified, this terrible
incident
will give researchers information that may answer that question.
For now, it suffices for logical people to recognize that the pistol
was not
the demon.
In this terrible incident, the demon was the one holding the pistol.
**************************************************
16. Editorial: End Clinton-era military base gun ban
**************************************************
There actually has been a gun ban on military bases long before
Clinton was President. He might have turned the heat up, though.
http://tinyurl.com/ygcq7ou
http://www.washingtontimes.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
EDITORIAL: End Clinton-era military base gun ban
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Time after time, public murder sprees occur in "gun-free zones" -
public places where citizens are not legally able to carry guns. The
list is long, including massacres at Virginia Tech and Columbine High
School along with many less deadly attacks. Last week's slaughter at
Fort Hood Army base in Texas was no different - except that one man
bears responsibility for the ugly reality that the men and women
charged with defending America were deliberately left defenseless when
a terrorist opened fire.
Among President Clinton's first acts upon taking office in 1993 was to
disarm U.S. soldiers on military bases. In March 1993, the Army
imposed regulations forbidding military personnel from carrying their
personal firearms and making it almost impossible for commanders to
issue firearms to soldiers in the U.S. for personal protection. For
the most part, only military police regularly carry firearms on base,
and their presence is stretched thin by high demand for MPs in war
zones.
Because of Mr. Clinton, terrorists would face more return fire if they
attacked a Texas Wal-Mart than the gunman faced at Fort Hood, home of
the heavily armed and feared 1st Cavalry Division. That's why a
civilian policewoman from off base was the one whose marksmanship
ended Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's rampage.
Everyone wants to keep people safe - and no one denies Mr. Clinton's
good intentions. The problem is that law-abiding good citizens, not
criminals, are the ones who obey those laws. Bans end up disarming
potential victims and not criminals. Rather than making places safe
for victims, we unintentionally make them safe for the criminal - or
in this case, the terrorist.
The wife of one of the soldiers shot at Fort Hood understands all too
well. In an interview on CNN Monday night, Anchor John Roberts asked
Mandy Foster how she felt about her husband's upcoming deployment to
Afghanistan. Ms. Foster responded: "At least he's safe there and he
can fire back, right?"
It is hard to believe that we don't trust soldiers with guns on an
Army base when we trust these very same men in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr. Clinton's deadly rules even disarmed officers, the most trusted
members of the military charged with leading enlisted soldiers in
combat. Six of the dead and wounded had commissions.
Most people understand that guns deter criminals. Research also shows
that the presence of more guns limits the damage mass murderers can
unleash. A major factor in determining how many people are harmed by
these killers is the time that elapses between the launch of an attack
and when someone - soldier, civilian or law enforcement - arrives on
the scene with a gun to end the attack. All the public shootings in
the United States in which more than three people have been killed
have occurred in places where concealed handguns have been banned.
Thirteen dead bodies in a Texas morgue are the ultimate fruit of gun-
control illogic - in which guns are so feared that government
regulation even tries to keep them out of the hands of trained
soldiers. With the stroke of a pen, President Obama can end Mr.
Clinton's folly and allow U.S. soldiers to protect themselves. Because
we clearly cannot protect our soldiers from harm, the least we owe
them is the right to protect themselves.
**************************************************
17. Anti-gun nuts: Let's ban more guns because of Ft. Hood
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/y9bswbo
http://hotair.com/
Anti-gun nuts: Let's ban more guns because of Fort Hood
POSTED NOVEMBER 8, 2009
BY MADISONCONSERVATIVE
Of course. They tried it with Columbine and Virginia Tech, why not the
tragedie du jour?
--Nidal Malik Hasan, the Muslim American army psychiatrist, who ran
amok at Fort Hood army base in Texas killing 13, used a controversial
Belgian weapon. Hasan employed an FN 5.7 pistol.
The weapon is produced by arms manufacturer FN at Herstal in Belgium.
Hasan was able to purchase the arm without any difficulty at an arms
dealer's.
The 5.7 pistol is an extremely powerful semi-automatic arm. Using a
special type of ammunition it can pierce through bullet proof vests
even at a great distance.
This makes the weapon extremely popular among criminal gangs. It has
been dubbed the "cop killer".--
Well, it certainly seems that this vicious, evil 5.7 FN pistol is some
kind of magical killing machine. The question is, how? The article
seems to discuss both the pistol on its own, as well as a particular
kind of ammunition. So, is it the pistol? Does it only fire bullets
which pierce armor? Um, no.
--The 5.7 x 28 mm cartridge was designed for pistols, submachine guns,
personal defense weapons and carbines. It was developed by Fabrique
Nationale Herstal (FN Herstal), Belgium and primarily marketed to
European militaries for use by vehicle crewmen, artillery personnel
and combat engineers and as a military and law enforcement round that
has more effective performance against modern body armor when compared
with traditional pistol caliber ammunition. The ammo for the civilian
market WILL NOT penetrate Level IIA and Level IIIA Kevlar, Kevlar 129
or Spectra vests, contrary to popular myth put originated by misguided
politicians and gun control advocates trying to advance their agenda.
Ballistically, the 5.7 round is very similar to the .22 WMR
(Winchester Magnum Rimfire) round.--
So wait...the ammunition being used is available only to law
enforcement and...military? Why, yes it is, according to FN's own
website. You can buy and use a number of different rounds for that
pistol for self-defense, target shooting, or whatever legal purpose
you wish, and police officers are at no more risk than if you had
picked up a package of 9mm rounds at Wal-Mart. I guess adding in the
little detail about Hasan only being able to purchase the AP rounds
due to being a member of the military might have blown their argument.
Must have just slipped their mind. It even slipped the mind of the
writers of the above news article, since the blue-tipped rounds in the
included picture indicate that they are, in fact, not armor piercing.
So it's not the gun, yet gun control advocates still want it banned.
By their logic, we better ban all other standard caliber handguns as
well. The military also has access to a lot of other weapons and
equipment not available for civilian use, so do we ban the military
from having it? How strange that they would be calling for the
outlawing of a firearm based on completely flawed thinking,
particularly with such hyperbole at their disposal as "cop killer".
**************************************************
18. Here goes the spin: 'Cop Killer' gun used in Ft. Hood shooting,
officials said
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/ykn498j
http://abcnews.go.com/
Cop Killer' Gun Used In Ft. Hood Shooting, Officials Said
Suspected Massacre Weapon Purchased Legally At 'Guns Galore' Shop in
Texas
By MATTHEW COLE, PIERRE THOMAS, JASON RYAN, and RICHARD ESPOSITO
Nov. 6, 2009
The gun thought to be used in the Fort Hood massacre packs so much
firepower,
it's known as 'the Cop Killer,' federal law enforcement officials said.
Major Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly packed a FN Herstal Five-seveN
tactical
pistol, which according to federal law enforcement officials, was
legally
purchased from the "Guns Galore" shop in Killeen, Texas in Aug. 2009.
The
store's manager, David Cheadle, said that particular firearm can hold 20
rounds in a standard clip and take a ten round clip extension. Cheadle
said
with one clip and one round in the chamber, one could fire 31 rounds
before
reloading.
Hasan may have used an expanded clip in the shooting.
On FN Herstal's webpage, the benefits of the Five-seveN pistol note
that it
can "defeat the enemy in all close combat situations in urban areas,
jungle
conditions, night missions and any self defense action."
-----
http://tinyurl.com/y8be927
http://www.google.com
AP Sources: Rampage gun purchased legally
By LARA JAKES and DEVLIN BARRETT (AP) - 18 hours ago
WASHINGTON - A 5.7-millimeter pistol used in the Fort Hood shooting was
purchased legally by suspect Nidal Hasan at a Texas gun shop, law
enforcement
officials said Friday.
Army Col. John Rossi, deputy commander at Fort Hood, confirmed at a news
conference late Friday in Texas that the two weapons carried by Hasan
were not
military arms, but "privately owned weapons ... purchased locally."
He said more than 100 rounds were fired during the attack.
Records indicate Hasan bought the FN 5.7 at store called "Guns Galore"
in
Killeen, Texas, in recent months and that gun was used in the attack
that left
13 people dead, one of the officials said. The pistol has been dubbed
a "cop
killer" by those who have tried to stop its use.
The law enforcement officials spoke on condition of anonymity because
they
were not authorized to discuss the case.
One of the law enforcement officials said that the second gun was an
older
model Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver, but the official added
there's
nothing so far to indicate the second weapon was fired. The official
said the
revolver was so old, investigators doubt it could be traced to a
specific
purchase.
The most powerful type of ammunition for the FN 5.7 gun is available
only to
law enforcement and military personnel. Gun control advocates call it
a "cop
killer" weapon because that ammo can pierce bulletproof vests, and its
use by
Mexican drug cartels worries police.
It is not clear what kind of ammunition was used in the Fort Hood
attack.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,
as well
as the Texas Rangers have interviewed store personnel about Hasan's gun
purchase. One official said the store records do not indicate Hasan
purchased
any ammo when he bought the gun.
-----
http://tinyurl.com/ylq4vzf
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Fort Hood shootings: gunman used 'cop killer' weapon in massacre at US
Army
base
The US Army major who carried out the Fort Hood massacre sprayed more
than 100
rounds at his comrades using a gun nicknamed the "cop killer."
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, used an FN Five-Seven, a semi-automatic
pistol
popular with SWAT teams, that can fire armour-piercing bullets.
A total of 13 people died in the bloodbath at the Texas military base
and 38
were wounded.
Hasan had bought the weapon legally at a gun store close to Fort Hood in
August and practiced at a nearby shooting range.
During the attack he also carried a Smith & Wesson .357-calibre
revolver but
it was not clear if he used it.
The killing spree only ended when Hasan was shot and seriously wounded
by two
police officers, Sgt Kim Munley, who was herself shot in the thighs
and wrist,
and her partner Sgt Mark Todd.
Sgt Todd said: "When we got there he was hiding behind a telephone
pole firing
at people as they ran around.
"He fired at me and I fired back. I was about 15 yards away. I could
see into
his eyes and he was calm. We did what we had to do, I wish we could
have got
there sooner."
Sgt Munley, who is only 5ft tall, is being treated for her wounds in
hospital
and has been described by friends as a "ball of fire" and a "great
cop." When
she arrived she saw Hasan firing at a fleeing, wounded soldier. She
chased him
and opened fire only for Hasan to turn and unleash his "cop killer"
weapon.
Sgt Munley is married to Matthew Munley, a member of the special
forces who
has done two tours of Iraq.
Her stepmother, Wanda Barbour, said: "She is a very great person with
a great
spirit. We are just so grateful and thankful to the Lord that she's
safe." The
eruption of violence was over in just 10 minutes.
It began as 300 soldiers had been waiting to get vaccinations and have
their
eyes tested at a Soldier Readiness Center. Some witnesses reported
that Hasan
shouted "Allahu Akbar!" during the chaos.
Specialist Elliot Valdez, who survived, said: "I felt like I was back
in Iraq.
The noise, the chaos. It felt like Iraq."
The victims included a pregnant woman. Francheska Velez, 21, from
Chicago, was
filling out paperwork when the shooting started.
She had only just returned from a tour three days before and was
expecting a
baby boy in May.
Hasan's family said in a statement that his alleged actions were
"despicable
and deplorable." His cousin Nader Hasan said: "Our family is filled with
grief. Our family loves America. We are proud of our country." In the
days
before the attack Hasan had been saying goodbye to friends, had given
away his
possessions and begun distributing copies of the Koran to neighbours.
At 2.37am and 5am on the day of the massacre he called Willie Bell, a
neighbour at his apartment block, and left a message saying: "Nice
knowing
you, old friend. I'm going to miss you."
Mr Nelson was later interviewed for four hours by the FBI after it
emerged
Hasan had borrowed his computer for two months, even though he had his
own.
Police are also looking for a man in Islamic dress who was seen going
into
Hasan's apartment two days before the massacre.
Alice Thompson, 53, who manages the two-storey block of flats, told the
Telegraph: "It was very unusual because he had never had anyone round
before.
He had long black hair and a moustache and a dark complexion.
"He stayed about five minutes and then left. We'd never seen him
before."
The following day Hasan knocked on the door of his next door neighbour
Patricia Villa, 47 and gave her many of his belongings, including
clothes,
furniture and vegetables, and a copy of the Koran.
"He said he was going to Oklahoma on Thursday morning and then
deploying to
Afghanistan," she told the Telegraph.
"He came in and put the bags down in the living room and he seemed
nice and
normal. I didn't think it was odd because sometimes people don't want
to throw
things away. I'm just shocked."
On the morning of the massacre Hasan was seen throwing garbage bags
into a
rubbish skip at the back of the building.
Mrs Thomson said: "It was the first time I'd seen him throw anything
away. I
saw there was shredded paper in there. After it happened the police
came and
took the bags away."
She said Hasan paid $325 a month rent and had paid six months in
advance.
Despite telling her he was leaving for Afghanistan, he didn't ask for
any
money back.
-----
http://tinyurl.com/y9l6y95
http://www.examiner.com
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, used an FN Five-Seven, a semi-automatic
pistol
popular with SWAT teams that can fire armor-piercing bullets commonly
called
the "cop killer. A total of 13 people died in the bloodbath at the Texas
military base and 38 were wounded.
Our corrupt politicians, leaders and the Lying Liberal Media want to
parse
words and play politically correct games with our serviceman's lives.
Hassan
is a terrorist no matter what his creed or religion.
The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition
defines ter.ror.ist as one that that engages in acts or an act of
terrorism.
Nowhere does to call attention to state of mind nor religious pursuits.
Hasan gave away possessions prior to his attack but more importantly
he went
to a gun shop and bought a handgun that has one purpose and that is to
kill
policeman or soldiers that may be wearing body armor.
The FN Five Seven is a killing machine and armor piercing rounds are
available
for this ultra hot firearm which can spit bullets out its muzzle in
excess of
2000 feet per second.
The UK Telegraph reports,
"He fired at me and I fired back. I was about 15 yards away. I could
see into
his eyes and he was calm. We did what we had to do, I wish we could
have got
there sooner."
Sgt Munley, who is only 5ft tall, is being treated for her wounds in
hospital
and has been described by friends as a "ball of fire" and a "great
cop." When
she arrived she saw Hasan firing at a fleeing, wounded soldier. She
chased him
and opened fire only for Hasan to turn and unleash his "cop killer"
weapon.
Is there any doubt that his man terrorized the 300 plus soldier's he
fired
upon with every intention to kill them and aren't you tired of
politically
correct terms that distort the facts and our collective morals.
**************************************************
19. Is .357 Sig ammo safe (part III)?
**************************************************
The debate over .357 Sig "setback" and whether or not such a problem
is dangerous to shooters continues.
Jeff Knox emailed me this:
--
Keeping the conversation going on the topic of bullet setback. I
recently spoke with a Federal Ammunition rep. about their high-dollar
Personal Defense loads in .45ACP setting back. In the .45 I doubt
there is much to worry about regarding chamber pressures, especially
in the relatively lightly loaded Federal PD loads, but looking at two
rounds of the same ammo and seeing that one is a full eighth on an
inch shorter due to set-back leaves an uncomfortable feeling. I
wonder about feeding issues - though I have had no problems in the
tests I have run.
On the issue of cannelures and crimps on the .357 Sig, it must be
remembered that such retention systems are a two-way street. A case
which is crimped too tightly on the bullet can significantly increase
chamber pressures. Temperature and other factors can impact both the
powder response and the crimp's effectiveness and can combine to cause
catastrophic fluctuations in chamber pressures. Perhaps the easiest
solution to this problem would be a crimp in the case forming a shelf
for the bullet base to butt up against.
Jeff
**************************************************
20. Statistics show concealed carry saves many lives, takes few
**************************************************
This was in response to "7. Anti-gun article where VCDL President is
quoted," above:
http://tinyurl.com/yffx3td
http://www.collegiatetimes.com
Statistics show concealed carry saves many lives, takes few
Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Andrew Buyalos, guest columnist
First of all, let me begin by saying that Elilta Habtu submitted a
well-written and well-researched article in Thursday's paper. I was
impressed at her determination to go through the process of obtaining
a concealed carry weapon permit for the sake of the column. I do,
however, wish to dispute some of her findings.
As a CCW permit holder, I am legally able to carry a concealed handgun
for my personal protection in all but a few places. I am a current
student at this great university, and have been a lifelong hunter as
well as an avid participant in the shooting sports. My love of hunting
and target shooting has led me, through experience and a hunter's
safety course, to be very comfortable and safety-conscience when
handling firearms.
Whereas I have learned safe firearms training through my own
determination, Habtu readily admitted that she had no experience or
any desire to carry a handgun when she applied for her permit. The
majority of people who are going to apply for permits are those who
are already comfortable with firearms and wish to be able to legally
protect themselves. As a member of the Virginia Tech Clay Target Team,
I have many friends who either currently carry or plan on carrying in
the future. We are all competent with firearms, and we have all taken
classes to receive our permit.
If Habtu were actually planning on carrying and wished to actually
know what she was doing, she would take the initiative to attend a
classroom version of the CCW permit class. I will agree with her that
the online class requirement seems easy to pass. This is a new
amendment to the requirements. People who wish to do harm usually do
not go through the process to become CCW permit holders. Habtu failed
to mention the real deterrent to a criminal in receiving a permit,
something that makes it much more difficult to obtain one than she
admits to. The permit requires you to submit fingerprints and have a
background check, something that a typical criminal would not submit
to. In my opinion, the online class makes it easier for legal,
eligible, upstanding citizens to mark off one step of the process.
Those who wish to do harm to others wouldn't bother to go through the
process of obtaining a permit or taking classes. Denying responsible
permit holders from carrying does nothing to stop the gun violence of
criminals.
Habtu's article also brings up the statistic that four CCW permit
holders have committed firearms-related murder this year, four in
almost an entire year. How many crimes are committed each year by
people illegally carrying firearms or with illegal firearms
themselves? The U.S. Department of Justice states on its Web site that
of the 16,137 murders in 2004, 66 percent or 10,650 were committed
with firearms. The four occurrences she has listed seem to be
outweighed by this statistic. The Texas Department of Public Safety
released a study in May of 1999 that showed that permit holders in
Texas accounted for 0.246 percent of all aggravated assault crimes
that involved a deadly weapon, four out of 1,629 convictions. It also
shows that there were 3,303 convictions for people unlawfully carrying
a weapon: One percent of these were permit holders. In the year 1999
the rate of murder convictions for permit holders in Texas was zero
percent. There were none. I think that you will find that the ratio of
crimes committed by permit holders to total permit holders is a tiny
percentage compared to crimes committed by those without permits.
Permit holders have had to prove to a court that they are upstanding
citizens with clean records. They are statistically the safest and
most well informed people to be carrying guns, so the law allows them
to. How many lives have been saved this year by those carrying
concealed handguns? The article "Richmond Store owner grateful for man
who shot owner" (Richmond Times Dispatch, July 15), tells the story
about a shooting in a convenience store that is not far from my home
near Richmond. On July 13, 2009, a man entered the Golden Food Market
on Jefferson Davis Highway in south Richmond. The man entered the
store, shot and wounded the clerk, and fired at several of the store
patrons before being wounded and subdued by a gunshot from a CCW
permit holder who was in the store.
Police determined that the shooter had run out of bullets and was
attempting to reload at which point he was shot by the permit holder.
In this case, the permit holder saved the lives of the eight people in
the store. News reports also stated that the other citizens in the
store urged the permit holder to shoot the man again and kill him. The
permit holder refused and calmly awaited the arrival of police. There
are a significant number of these cases in the U.S. each year.
According to a study by criminologist Gary Kleck of Florida State
University, there are approximately 2.5 million cases of people using
firearms for self-defense in America each year. Also, according to the
Department of Justice's 2007 Uniformed Crime Report, states with right-
to-carry laws have a 30 percent lower homicide rate, as well as a 46
percent lower robbery rate. Four shootings by permit holders continues
to be a tiny minority in gun crimes statistics.
I will finish by saying that I fully support concealed carry on
campuses, and I hope that in a life or death situation someone with a
CCW is around. Statistics prove that the smartest and most responsible
citizens carrying guns are permit holders. Do you think a deranged
person is going to worry about whether or not he has a permit to
carry? No; it's the responsible people who care about those around
them that choose to concealed carry. God forbid that Tech, or any
other institution, experience a tragedy such as that of April 16,
2007. However, if a tragedy such as that were to occur, I could only
hope to have the safety of Tech's concealed carry permit holders.
**************************************************
21. Opinion: Leave campus gun laws to university
**************************************************
Board member Bruce Jackson emailed me this:
--
My comment...
Sorry Sarah, but we tried it your way AT VaTech and it did not work
Sorry Sarah, but we tried it your way Northern Illinois University and
it did not work.
Sarah, look around and consider that almost all the mass shootings you
hear about are already GUN FREE ZONES!
What? Do you think the criminal just did not get the word and if he
had they would have decided to not break the gun prohibition and gone
away?
You need to do a bit of research and stop living in that ivory tower.
Google Gary Kleck and you will find that guns are used defensively in
this country 2.5 Million times per year. Guns SAVE Lives!
-------
http://tinyurl.com/yd46qh9
http://media.www.thenorthwindonline.com/
Leave campus gun laws to university
Sarah O'Neill
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Opinion
On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho committed the
second deadliest mass shooting in
U.S. history when he took 33 lives on the university's campus.
Presidents of universities throughout the country, including NMU's Les
Wong, lent their condolences and support, declaring: "Today, we are
all Hokies." It was on this day that every college administration's
greatest fear became a reality.
Cho had a history of being mentally unsound, and lawmakers were
outraged at the fact that he was still able to purchase the guns used
in the massacre. According to a report released by the Brady Campaign,
a campaign dedicated to ending gun violence, a law strengthening the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was signed by
President Bush on Jan. 5, 2008, putting forth effort to make sure
something like the Virginia Tech massacre never happened again.
Current Michigan state law prohibits city and local governments from
regulating concealed weapons, but allows universities and colleges to
regulate weapons on campuses. Michigan state Rep. Wayne Schmidt has
proposed a bill that would make regulation of concealed weapons
consistent across the state. This is a step backward in the work that
has been done since the Virginia Tech massacre to keep guns off
college campuses.
The State of Michigan should not be directly responsible for the
safety of students and employees at a university. College campuses are
often safer than the communities that surround them. A study by the
U.S. Justice Department found that between 1995 and 2002, college
students 18 to 24 experienced violence at lower annual rates than
non-students the same age. This is because college campuses enact
stricter gun laws than the cities that surround them.
According to the 2008 state census, Michigan has 10,003,422 citizens
to try and control, while large universities such as Michigan State
only have 46,648. We should give the power to the administrators with
not only fewer people to manage, but a closer proximity to those
people. If the state wants to take on the added burden of making sure
college students do not abuse loosened concealed weapon laws, they'll
have to be willing to take the blame when something goes wrong. And
let's face it, something will. Even though background checks for
purchasing guns have been tightened, there will always be those who
slip through the cracks. Making it okay to bring guns into such a
high-strung, competitive and emotional environment could dramatically
threaten students' safety.
Some people believe arming students would prevent campus shootings.
This is wishful thinking, and we need to leave safety up to those in
charge. Universities have a duty to provide their students with a
quality education, while making sure they are as safe as possible.
It's their job to keep us secure, and I take comfort in the fact that
the people who pledged to keep me safe are located less than a mile
away. I wonder if Wayne Schmidt has children, and if so, if he'd like
their safety monitored by someone sitting at a desk hundreds of miles
away, versus someone right across the street.
**************************************************
22. Concealed carry increases safety
**************************************************
http://tinyurl.com/ykmzpge
http://media.www.reflector-online.com
Concealed carry increases safety
Damn Yankee
Ariel Natchtigal
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Opinion
On April 16, 2007, Sueng-Hoi Cho entered a dorm and later an
educational building on the Virginia Tech
campus and ended the lives of 32 men and women. Undoubtedly one of the
worst school shootings on a college campus, the Virginia Tech
shootings invigorated the debate on gun control.
Prior to the shootings, a bill was introduced to the Virginia House of
Delegates which would have permitted people with a state-issued
concealed carry permit to carry guns on campus. It did not pass. Had
it passed, this tragedy might have been prevented, paving the way for
firearm reform across the country.
In the state of Mississippi, it is legal to register and take classes
to allow an individual to obtain a conceal carry permit. However,
according to the law, you may not conceal carry on any school campus,
whether it be an elementary school, community college or a university
campus.
I can understand where conceal carrying on an elementary school campus
should be illegal. Anyone who needs to carry a gun while working with
seven-year-olds should not be working with kids.
What I do not understand is what harm would come from conceal carrying
on a college campus? If students at Virginia Tech were allowed to
carry on campus, it is possible Cho would have been stopped sooner.
It would take some time getting used to seeing people carrying on
campus. The first time I was in a public place and noticed some one
carrying, I felt a little apprehensive, but then I gave it some
thought. In order to get a permit, a person has to pass certain
criteria. This man needed to be able to prove he had never been
convicted of a felony, was mentally stable, did not abuse alcohol or
any other controlled substances and was physically able to operate a
handgun or a revolver.
Not only does one need to pass these criteria, but when you register,
you must bring in a passport photo, get fingerprinted and allow the
Department of Public Safety to look up your records and make sure you
have not lied about your past. Does this mean everyone who carries has
gone through this process? Of course not, people illegally carry
firearms more often than you would think. I, for one, would like a
chance to defend myself legally from an attacker.
Now, I am big guy. Why should I need to carry a gun on campus? Why
not? No matter how big I am, a would-be attacker with any weapon would
still have the ability to overpower me. I would much rather have an
equalizer at my disposal to either dissuade the attack, or if
necessary, choose my life over that of my attacker.
What about the young women on campus? My wife goes to the Sanderson
Center three times a week, usually later at night. Every time she
leaves, she calls me on the phone and stays on until she is in her car
and the doors are locked. If, God forbid, something were to happen, I
would be much happier knowing she had a way to defend herself.
With the state requirements being so strict, should there not be some
way to monitor concealed carry on campus? We all have student IDs, so
the school already has our pictures and personal information on file.
Could the university not also keep a record of who is carrying on
campus? It would be great if all it took to carry on campus was
filling out a form with campus security and following guidelines the
state provides.
There could even be a firearm safety class offered each semester to go
hand in hand with carrying on campus. Educate people about firearms
and the responsibilities of owning them instead of passing rules and
regulations banning them without really giving people a chance to make
their own decision. This is college, after all, where we get a chance
to make our own choices.
**************************************************
23. Council locked, loaded -- literally
**************************************************
Majority of Detroit City Council members to carry concealed firearms
http://tinyurl.com/yfyb592
Bill Stewart emailed me this:
--
http://www.freep.com
Council locked, loaded -- literally
BY ROCHELLE RILEY
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
POSTED: NOV. 10, 2009
Come January, a majority of the Detroit City Council will be packing.
When seven of nine newly elected or re-elected council members held
their first joint conversation with the news media, they talked budget
cuts and efficiency. But three also revealed that they have concealed-
weapons permits and carry guns. A fourth confirmed later that he does,
too.
And the Rev. Andre Spivey, pastor of St. Paul AME, said he plans to
get his CCW permit before Thanksgiving.
"My members have been telling me for years to get one, before I even
ran for council," he said. "It's not an indictment upon the citizens
of Detroit but just for my own personal assurances. I was concerned
that the city of Detroit not turn into the wild, wild West, but I've
talked with several incumbents, and the office presents some
challenges. I don't feel I have to use it, but I'll feel more
comfortable having it."
The disclosures that Gary Brown, Kwame Kenyatta, Charles Pugh and
James Tate are usually armed (Pugh was wearing his gun in the WWJ
studios for last Thursday's conversation) arose as members answered
questions about whether to save the city money by giving up council
security details.
Personal Police Protection
The Free Press reported in February that, despite the city's $300-
million budget deficit, the council has a full-time, nine-officer
police unit. Eleven cities surveyed by the Free Press with populations
and government bodies about the size of Detroit's limit security for
their members mostly to council meetings. None have a designated unit.
Former council President Monica Conyers' security team traveled with
her on business trips to San Francisco, Atlanta and Orlando because
the council president gets security service from the time he or she
leaves home until they return at night.
Council members also can request individual security when they feel
threatened.
Pugh said he has received death threats, and Kenyatta said that
members sometimes must ward off irate citizens. Tate said that as the
spokesman for the police department, he used to be mistaken for a
homicide detective.
"If good-hearted people can confuse me with an officer, then people
with ulterior motives would mistake me for one as well," he said. (He
has had his permit for two years.).
Council members Brenda Jones and JoAnn Watson said they have neither
permits nor guns. Watson, who with member Ken Cockrel Jr., didn't
attend the conversation, said later that her "preference of protection
is spiritual."
Cockrel said personal security is a private issue.
"That's just one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't
questions," he said.
Like Pugh, Cockrel said he has received death threats, though most
came last year "from people who saw me as out to get the mayor."
No Laughing Matter
The disclosures elicited some nervous laughter in the WWJ studio in
Southfield last Thursday. But newly elected Saunteel Jenkins was not
laughing about the gun issue at the session sponsored by WWJ and the
Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Jenkins, whose 14-year-old brother was a victim of gun violence, said
carrying guns sends the wrong message.
"When I say I'm anti-violence I mean it," she said the next day. "It's
an indication of the failure of leadership in this city when people
think that the only way to protect themselves is to strap on a gun.
That's exactly where we don't want to be in this city, taking the law
into our own hands. It made me kind of sad.
"I wished I had spoken up" at the studio "and said, 'This is no joking
matter.' ... We don't want this to be what we become."
It is quite the conundrum: To carry or not to carry in a city where
gun violence is as prevalent as Temptations music, so mundane that
children are used to it.
"I know firsthand the impact of gun violence," Jenkins said. Guns are
"why we have a greater level of violence than any other industrial
country because we have more guns on the street. You can't do a drive-
by stabbing. Seven kids at a bus stop wouldn't get stabbed. Part of
the solution to Detroit's problems is getting guns off the street."
But Spivey said the matter may be a practical one.
"I'll be coming home later more often," said the minister, who added
that his wife will be trained with him in firearm use and safety. "I
hope no one will be out to hurt me or any councilperson. But we're in
a different age."
So a new council that has appeared determined to get along and to
agree on most issues may have one that divides them: whether to leave
their guns at the door.
**************************************************
24. America's gun outrage: 276 people killed or wounded a day
**************************************************
America's gun culture to blame, U.S. oblivious to carnage
Here come the unarmed Aussies to tell us about how we should be like
them:
http://tinyurl.com/yhydpfc
http://www.smh.com.au
America's gun outrage: 276 people killed or wounded a day
BERNARD LAGAN
November 9, 2009 - 4:58PM
By now you will have heard of Major Nidal Malak Hasan, the US Army
psychiatrist who shot 13 of his colleagues dead and wounded 31 inside
the army's largest base, Fort Hood in Texas, last Thursday.
Taryale Petter, John Herman, Jason Rodriques and Marcus Gonzalez are
names you may not know.
Taryale was only 15 years old. Early on Friday morning, aboard his
Philadelphia school bus, he pulled a handgun from his bag and shot
another child.
On average guns kill or wound 276 people every day in America.
Hermann, a Minnesota cop, on Tuesday shot dead a man who ran over a
plastic traffic cone in a car park.
On Friday morning, Rodriquez, 40, walked into the Florida engineering
consultancy from which he had been sacked and opened fire, killing a
young father and wounding five others.
Gonzalez, 29, who was jilted in love, shot dead four people on
Wednesday in the North Carolina town that inspired fictitious Mayberry
- the almost crime-free, one-traffic-light town, inspired by the 1960s
Andy Griffith Show.
There are more, a lot more, from the past week. Such as Robert
Appointee who, on Sunday, the opening day of the Maine deer-hunting
season, attached a rope to his rifle and tried to haul it up to his
treetop hideaway. He shot himself.
Or poor Michelle Valentine of Rhode Island who, this week, distraught
over a broken love affair, held a gun to her head. When she wouldn't
put it down, the police shot her.
Or New York policeman James Pileggi, who, on Thursday night, was
showing his new laser-guided pistol to his best friend. It went off.
His best friend died.
I could go on, of course. Another week of guns and blood across
America and before a public and polity so astonishingly impervious to
the carnage that it is treated almost as if it were measles.
After 15-year-old Alex Bolar was shot and killed while playing in a
park near his Memphis school on Wednesday, the Reverend Joe Hunter,
who helps teens in the neighbourhood, railed against the deafness.
"Give me a break," Hunter said. "If we can't get in an uproar about
that, what can we get in an uproar about?"
On average, guns kill or wound 276 people every day in America. Of
those shot, about 75 adults and nine children die.
That adds up to just over 100,000 victims of gun violence a year. The
rate of firearm murders in the United States is about 16 times that in
Australia and 26 times that in Britain.
In 2000, Britain's Home Office published a study that compared murder
rates in the world's capital cities. Canberra had 0.64 homicides per
100,000 people. London had three times that rate. Washington, DC's,
murder rate was 93 times that of Canberra's.
Martin Bryant was the Tasmanian misfit who, on an April afternoon in
1996, used two military-style assault rifles to take the lives of 35
people in eight, dreadful minutes.
To his lasting credit, the then newly elected prime minister, John
Howard, seized the moment and stared down the gun lobby to give
Australia one of the tightest sets of gun ownership laws in the world.
He declared at the time: ''I hate guns. One of the things I don't
admire about America is their slavish love of guns ... We do not want
the American disease imported into Australia."
Australia endured 11 mass shootings in the decade leading to the day
Bryant ran amok. There have been none since. [PVC: No mass
shootings, but plenty of individual murder, robberies, and home
invasions.]
It is, of course, wishful thinking to expect that an American
president could, or would want, to intervene in the way Howard did to
curtail gun ownership.
Emboldened by the Second Amendment which, they contend, still protects
their right to bear arms, many Americans, in the words of one of their
greater jurists, Joseph Story, consider gun ownership to be the
palladium of the liberties of the republic.
Nevertheless, past presidents and the Congress have certainly tried to
reduce the insanely high level of gun violence; the assassinations of
Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King led to bans on mail order guns;
the 1981 shootings of Ronald Reagan and his press secretary James
Brady spawned the criminal background check and cooling-off period for
handgun buyers and, when Bill Clinton became president, 20 types of
assault rifles were banned.
Given the red-necked rage of the National Rifle Association whenever
somebody tries to block the sieve of US gun law - and the many
politicians beholden to the association's millions of dollars in
funding - the changes achieved in the past are no small thing.
Just last Thursday, as the deranged Hasan pulled out his gun in Fort
Hood, the leadership of America's biggest anti-gun lobby, The Brady
Campaign, happened to be meeting in Washington to work how to counter
the gun lobby's latest campaign to overturn a law that bans mentally
incompetent and incapacitated military veterans from owning guns.
There are 116,000 of them. Hasan will be one more.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is one of the very few leading
politicians who has stood up to the National Rifle Association. He may
be hated for it, but Bloomberg has made it very hard to own a handgun
legally in New York.
New York police frisk hundreds of thousands of people annually to
enforce his law. In September, Bloomberg sent out undercover
investigators with hidden cameras, to prove how easy it was for people
who would fail a background check for gun ownership to simply roll up
to weekend gun shows in other states and buy whatever weapon they
wanted.
When the undercover agents warned they wouldn't pass a background
check, 19 out of 30 gun sellers took their money anyway and handed
over the guns. One thing the National Rifle Association can't explain
is why New York's murder rate is on track this year to dip below 500 -
the lowest since 1963, when reliable figures became available. In
1990, the bloodiest year in the city's history, there were 2245
murders.
However Bloomberg can't change America's relationship with guns by
himself. Will President Barack Obama help?
The likelihood, for now, is not much. Consumed by two wars, recession,
and health care, there is no stomach within the Obama Administration
to open up a new front with opponents as rabid as the US gun lobby.
During his campaign for the presidency, Obama promised to restore a
federal ban on several of the most lethal semi-automatic assault
rifles. A bill to close the gun-show loophole is stalled in Congress.
When Newsweek put questions to the White House in April about what had
happened to gun law reform, it was told by White House spokesman Ben
LaBolt: "There isn't support in Congress for such a ban at this time."
LaBolt said: "The President supports the Second Amendment, respects
the tradition of gun ownership in this country, and he believes we can
take commonsense steps to keep our streets safe."
He pointed to $US2 billion in new funding for state and local law
enforcement in the stimulus package.
It doesn't help that Hasan simply walked into the Guns Galore shop in
Killeen, Texas, and bought the gun he used, an FN Herstal Five-seveN,
quite legally. According to the website, they sell for about $US1000
and are about the most murderous handgun it is possible to buy,
designed to shred body armour and favoured by the Mexican drug
cartels.
The US anti-gun lobby has been vocal for several years about why these
weapons - marketed by the gun industry as elevating the power of a
handgun to a high-powered rifle - should be banned.
The national anti-gun Violence Policy Centre was the most vocal and
began a long report it published last year into why the weapons should
be stopped, with a quote from San Jose gun dealer Jim Reed: "These new
guns generate the incentive for the consumer to be the first among his
buddies to own the 'biggest and the baddest' handgun on the market,
which computes into sales ... The consumer who buys the big boomers
will continue to purchase the new big calibres as long as
manufacturers keep building them. This is good for business!"
Bernard Lagan is an Australian journalist living in New York.
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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/]