on the issue of

ILLEGAL/LEGAL IMMIGRATION

ARTICLES ON THE SUBJECT OF ILLEGAL & LEGAL IMMIGRATION

Three More States Protect American Jobs by Advancing E-Verify Legislation

It was another great week for us on the state level! Kentucky and Virginia each took big steps toward passing mandatory E-Verify for state agencies and contractors. And the Minnesota House approved an E-Verify amendment to a stimulus bill. Thanks to all our activists in these three states whose phone calls and faxes made a difference.

Congress will be back in town next week, and the Senate will begin work on a Jobs bill, so make sure you check with us early next week for any faxing/calling opportunities to ensure jobs created go to American workers and legal immigrants.

Three House Members have taken the lead on protecting American Jobs. Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) have formed the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus. Their goal is to raise public awareness of the connection between illegal immigration and unemployment, pressure the Obama Administration to vigorously enforce the laws against the employment of illegal aliens, work to implement legislation that will protect U.S. jobs from the impact of illegal immigration (especially to make E-Verify mandatory) and work to defeat legislation that will put U.S. jobs at risk from the impact of illegal immigration (especially to defeat amnesty).

If your Member of Congress hasn't already become part of this Caucus, there's a new fax on you Action Board urging them to join.

Thanks,
Chris Chmielenski
Website Content Manager

It was another great week for us on the state level! Kentucky and Virginia each took big steps toward passing mandatory E-Verify for state agencies and contractors. And the Minnesota House approved an E-Verify amendment to a stimulus bill. Thanks to all our activists in these three states whose phone calls and faxes made a difference.

Congress will be back in town next week, and the Senate will begin work on a Jobs bill, so make sure you check with us early next week for any faxing/calling opportunities to ensure jobs created go to American workers and legal immigrants.

Three House Members have taken the lead on protecting American Jobs. Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) have formed the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus. Their goal is to raise public awareness of the connection between illegal immigration and unemployment, pressure the Obama Administration to vigorously enforce the laws against the employment of illegal aliens, work to implement legislation that will protect U.S. jobs from the impact of illegal immigration (especially to make E-Verify mandatory) and work to defeat legislation that will put U.S. jobs at risk from the impact of illegal immigration (especially to defeat amnesty).

If your Member of Congress hasn't already become part of this Caucus, there's a new fax on you Action Board urging them to join.

Thanks,
Chris Chmielenski
Website Content Manager

Best Bayh Replacement on Immigration? Maybe a Dem Over GOP Candidate Coats or Pence

By Roy Beck, Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Sen. Evan Bayh's (D-Ind.) surprise retirement announcement sets up the possibility that the more restrictionist candidate in the general election to replace him may be the Democrat. . .
Read More >>

53% of Immigrant Families on Welfare!

By Jim Robb, Thursday, February 18, 2010 I'm sure you were as shocked as I to read the new findings that . . . . . . 53% of immigrant households with children collected welfare from at least one government program in 2008. These programs include food stamps, Medicaid, and free school lunches. And yes, that huge number also includes legal immigrants. Here are six things you can do TODAY to fight this outrage.
Read More >>

In the Crosshairs

Mike Piccione, Editor

Hey Gunners,

We have some hot issues this week. Oliver North is writing about gays in the military in reaction to Obama deciding that the military would be better if it were more gay. Read up so you can decide.

I’m very pleased to introduce Jim Robb of NumbersUSA who is writing for us this week on the subject of illegal immigration.

Last week I met Jim at his office and asked him what we can do to get illegal immigration back in the spotlight. He stepped right up to the plate with an article and a commitment to do whatever he can in this fight. But get ready for this folks: Jim also agreed to a mini town-hall meeting. Jim will be online and responding to comments from 1:00 – 2:00 EST today, Tuesday, February 9th. Here is your chance to get online with an expert. Just click on Jim’s article to get started. This should be very interesting. Get involved people.

Last year I surveyed our online readers and illegal immigration was the #1 concern they had for our country. My article has the analysis and some of my not so politically correct commentary. You are welcome to leave your comments there too.

Join our Facebook Fan Pages: Click here for NumbersUSA | Click here for Guns & Patriots.

Check out this week's video, it's great!

This should be an interesting week gunners. Thanks for reading Guns & Patriots.

Mike Piccione
Editor, Guns & Patriots

Dear Friend,

The other night, Tom gave the opening remarks at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville. And the controversy was immediate. Not with attendees, let me clarify; they gave Tom three standing ovations.

He was so great! Speaking from his heart, as Tom always does, he spoke of the Founding Fathers and how they were part of a country divided into three groups--the Patriots, the Tories, and those who didn't care. It is no different today, Tom told the crowd. Today's Patriots, including the attendees of this convention, are fighting for our Republic, our religion and our civilization.

But those that won this election, Obama and his Democratic cronies in Washington, will bring about the destruction of our Republic if they have their way. And then there are those who don't want to get involved in the battle.

We can't worry about those who don't care, Tom said, we must focus on winning this fight. We can do it, but only if we give it everything we have, and not give up until we have won. The stakes are too high for us to do less. But it can be done, and the great spontaneous uprising that has been spawned by Obama and his left wing policies proves we can win!

Tom called for the US to change the law on who can and can not vote. He said in this past election, people who couldn't even spell "vote" or say it in English voted in our election and they voted for Obama, a "committed socialist ideologue." He called for "Civics Literacy" tests for all citizens who want to vote.

It was this paragraph that got most of the press' attention. The media still can't abide any reference to Obama as a Socialist and they were laying in wait to characterize the Tea Party as racist and extremist. But there is no denying the fact that President Obama is a "committed socialist ideologue!"

And no matter how radical the Left attempts to portray Tom, the Tea Party or Americans who went to the town hall meetings and rallies and voted to throw out the Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, they can't change the fact that the revolution has begun. And Tom and Team America is going to do everything we can to keep it rolling, and we will not stop until American Patriots have taken the reins of power from the establishment politicians in both parties.

And I know we can count on you to be right by our sides in this battle for the heart and soul of our nation. Tom has been asked by a number of Tea Party leaders to speak to their state conventions and he has agreed to go wherever he can help build this movement.

We will let you know as soon as Tom's speech is up on YouTube, so you can see it for yourself.

I spent several days this week speaking with candidates and their campaigns. I am so impressed with the character, integrity and commitment of these Patriots who are bravely running to replace the arrogant, big-spending career politicians who are destroying this country. Most of those which Team America will be endorsing have never held public office!!

One who has held public office, but we're thrilled to endorse, is one of our heroes-the Mayor of Hazleton, PA, Lou Barletta. This time Lou is headed all the way to Washington where he will emerge as a national champion of real immigration reform as well as fiscal responsibility and smaller, leaner government. If you want to contribute to him, go to his website or give your contribution directly to Team America, and put Lou's name on the comment line. As always, we will send 100% of your contribution to Lou's campaign on your behalf.

Beginning this week you will be hearing more about Lou and the other fantastic candidates we are endorsing--and this year it will include some terrific Senate candidates. I am so encouraged by those who are running--they are boldly outspoken on controversial issues including immigration. I am truly hopeful about the future--with our help I know many of these Patriots will go to Washington and we will be that much closer to taking back our country from the career politicians.

It is an exciting time and Tom and I are sincerely grateful to be able to have your support for all that we do.

My sincerest thanks,

Bay Buchanan

Dear Friend,

Just days before Christmas, liberals in the U.S. House of Representatives delivered a big gift to those pushing for amnesty for illegal immigrants.

They introduced new legislation that would offer amnesty to more than 12 million illegal aliens living in the United States as long as they meet a short list of requirements, including paying a small, $500 fine for citizenship. This bill would also discontinue many immigration enforcement programs like the very successful E-Verify program, and it would create new programs that would benefit those who have been living in the country illegally.

Allowing millions of illegal immigrants to stay and take jobs away from citizens and legal immigrants is unacceptable. Illegal immigration must be controlled, and I am firmly opposed to amnesty of any kind. Amnesty sends the wrong message – that of a reward – to those who have been evading our laws. Also, it is extremely unfair to all of the legal immigrants who came to this nation and obeyed our laws to become citizens.

As we embark on a new year, I will be working against legislation like this and to strengthen and enforce our immigration laws.

Sincerely,

David Vitter
U.S. Senator

Subject: Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas,Democrats are still not satisfied with my former colleague Joe Wilson's apology after he shouted "You lie!"

when Obama said in his address to Congress that: "There are also those who claim that our reform efforts

would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who

are here illegally."

Nancy Pelosi's and other Democrats are threatening to discipline Joe for his violation if he doesn't apologize.

Whether or not Joe Wilson breached House decorum, Joe's actions were both true and effective. Obama admitted as much by proposing changes to the bill to limit illegal aliens' access to Obamacare. Joe's apology

is enough, but Obama's concessions are not..

Republicans twice introduced Amendments to require the SAVE program be implemented ("Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements" - a program to ensure that they are not illegal aliens., however it was voted down by the same Democrats who hypocritically added the clause that ostensibly barred illegals. It must be understood that this was not an oversight..

Furthermore, the current bill proposed by the Democrats does not say anything about illegal aliens not being able to participate in the taxpayer subsidized "Health Insurance Exchange" program.

Conservatives tried to bring these facts to the forefront of the healthcare debate, but the media and the Democrats simply ignored them or repeated their lie that illegal aliens would not receive government funded healthcare.

But Joe Wilson forced them to face the facts. On Friday night, Obama announced that he wanted to use the SAVE program and bar illegals from the Health Insurance Exchange.

This does not mean Obama was telling the truth when Joe called him a liar. On the contrary, it is an admission that before Joe called out Obama illegals were eligible.

Assuming the House follows through with Obama's newly proposed changes, there are still more loopholes.

As the Open Borders Lobby never fails to remind us, many illegal aliens have family members who are here legally. Often, they are "anchor babies" born to illegal aliens on US soil.

There is nothing in to keep them from getting healthcare. The Congressional Research Service issued a report noting:

"There could be instances where some family members would meet the definition of an eligible individual for purposes of the credit, while other family members would not... H.R. 3200 does not expressly address how

such a situation would be treated. Therefore, it appears that the Health Choices Commissioner would be responsible for determining how the credits would be administered in the case of mixed-status families."

It doesn't take a clairvoyant to guess where Obama's handpicked bureaucrats will come down on this issue.

But even if all the loopholes are closed, they will be meaningless if amnesty is given to illegal aliens.

If passed, Obamacare will not go in effect until 2013. Obama wants to pass amnesty in the beginning of 2010. He told Katie Couric he wanted to "create a situation where we're dealing with illegal immigration, so that we don't have illegal immigrants. And we've got legal residents or citizens who are eligible for the plan. I want a comprehensive immigration plan that creates a pathway to achieve that."

So if he gets his way, prohibitions against giving healthcare to illegal aliens will be meaningless because they won't be illegal aliens anymore.

Illegal immigration already costs billion$to our system. The Federation for American Immigration Reform

recently released a report that the cost of reimbursing hospitals for care of illegal aliens alone costs

10.5 billion dollar$a year. Another study by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated the cost of including illegals in Obamacare at 30.5 billion dollar$.

Turning illegal aliens into legal residents does not change these costs.

In July, Roll Call interviewed an anonymous Congressman from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, "Asked

if [CHC] leaders will ask Pelosi to specifically spell something out in the bill to address illegal immigrants, the Member said no. Rather, the Member said the CHC simply wants to make sure the bill-as drafted-doesn't prohibit illegal immigrants from accessing care."

They do not tell the American people what they really want because they know the American people are

against them. Like roaches, they will run for cover if you shine a little light on them. Joe did exactly that.

Tom Tancredo represented Colorado's 6th Congressional District from 1999 until 2009

where he chaired the 100+ member bipartisan Immigration Reform Caucus.

He currently serves as co-chairman of Team America PAC

and president of the Rocky Mountain Foundation.

Tomatoes

I have had to intervene several times for young and substitute teachers whose classes consist of many illegal immigrant students here in the country less then 3 months who raised so much hell with the female teachers, calling them "Putas" whores and throwing things that the teachers were in tears.

Free medical, free education, free food, day care etc., etc., etc. Is it any wonder they feel entitled to not only be in this country but to demand rights, privileges and entitlements ?

To those who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for tomatoes: spend some time in the real world of illegal immigration and see the TRUE costs.

Higher insurance, medical facilities closing, higher medical costs, more crime, lower standards of education in our schools, overcrowding, new diseases etc., etc, etc. For me, I'll pay more for tomatoes.

We need to wake up. The guest worker program will be a disaster because we won't have the guts to enforce it . Does anyone in their right mind really think they will voluntarily leave and return?

It does, however, have everything to do with culture: A third-world culture that does not value education, that accepts children getting pregnant and dropping out of school by 15 and that refuses to assimilate , and an American culture that has become so weak and worried about " political Correctness" that we don't have the will to do anything about it.

If this makes your blood boil, as it did mine, forward this to everyone you know.

CHEAP LABOR? Isn't that what the whole immigration issue is about?

Business doesn't want to pay a decent wage.

Consumers don't want expensive produce.

Government will tell you Americans don't want the jobs.

But the bottom line is cheap labor. The phrase "cheap labor" is a myth , a farce, and a lie. There is no such thing as "cheap labor."

Take, for example, an illegal alien with a wife and five children. He takes a job for $5.00 or 6.00/hour. At that wage, with six dependents, he pays no income tax, yet at the end of the year, if he files an Income Tax Return, he gets an "earned income credit" of up to $3,200 free.

He qualifies for Section 8 housing and subsidized rent.
He qualifies for food stamps.
He qualifies for free (no deductible, no co-pay) health care.
His children get free breakfasts and lunches at school.
He requires bilingual teachers and books.
He qualifies for relief from high energy bills.
If they are, or become, aged, blind or disabled, they qualify for SSI. Once qualified for SSI they can qualify for Medicare . All of this is at (our) taxpayer's expense .
He doesn't worry about car insurance, life insurance, or homeowners insurance.
Taxpayers provide Spanish language signs, bulletins and printed material.
He and his family receive the equivalent of $20.00 to $30.00/hour in benefits.

Working Americans are lucky to have $5.00 or $6.00/hour left after paying their bills and his.
The American taxpayers also pay for increased crime, graffiti and trash clean-up..
Cheap labor? YEAH RIGHT! Wake up people!

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING TO EITHER PARTY. 'AND WHEN THEY LIE TO US AND DON'T DO AS THEY SAY, WE SHOULD REPLACE THEM AT ONCE!'

THIS HAS GOT TO BE PASSED ALONG TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE OR WE WILL ALL GO DOWN THE DRAIN BECAUSE A FEW DON'T CARE.

Dear Friends,

The deception never stops with this Administration. I'm beginning to think they are plagued with a dishonest gene. President Obama knows Americans do not want illegal aliens covered under health care and so they just say they are not covered. But it's not true!

Today I called on the President to come clean and tell Americans the truth. I hope you will support me in this effort by repeating my demand at your town hall meetings, and in calls to your elected officials. We must stop this government by deceit---and we must stop this health care for illegals! We don't need any more magnets to attract more illegals aliens to cross our border.

Thanks for all you do for this great nation and all the support you are to me and to Team America.

God bless you,



Tom Tancredo

Dear Friend,

Illegal immigration remains an urgent issue facing our country, and I would like to update you about some recent actions I’ve taken to confront this problem.

Last month I coauthored and helped introduce the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act, which would implement a three-point approach to reducing illegal immigration based on the principle of attrition through enforcement. This principle is based on the premise that living illegally in the United States will become more difficult and less satisfying over time when all levels of the government enforce the laws already on the books.

The first part of the SAVE Act is focused on securing our borders. Under my bill, we would hire 6,000 more Border Patrol agents to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, and we would expand the use of new technology and specialized enforcement programs such as the Tunnel Task Force.

The second part of the bill would help to end unlawful employment by strengthening the highly successful Employment Verification Program, or E-Verify. E-Verify has been shown to work 99.6 percent of the time – an astounding success rate – and the SAVE Act would permanently reauthorize it and require all employers to participate.

Finally, the SAVE Act would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to employ more agents and would make grants available to local law enforcement agencies. It would also help with the removal of illegal aliens by expanding detention capacity and increasing the number of immigration judges to process immigration cases.

I will continue fighting in the U.S. Senate for this and other measures to secure our borders and reduce illegal immigration.

Sincerely,

David Vitter

Sessions E-Verify & DeMint fence amendments pass!!!!!! But need calls for 2 more amendments
FRIENDS, YOU WON!!!!!!!

Thanks to all of you who made emergency calls to Senators this morning. You won.

Sen. Sessions (R-Ala.) after multiple failures finally got approval of an amendment to require E-Verify for all employees on federal contracts. We got 53 votes.
Sen. DeMint (R-S.C.) won on an amendment to require the completion of 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican border. We got 54 votes.

Let's celebrate later because we have two more opportunities this afternoon to tighten enforcement against illegal immigration and to help unemployed Americans to get jobs.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS NOW to urge that they vote for these two amendments to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill:

Sen. Grassley's (R-Iowa) amendment to allow all employers voluntarily to use E-Verify to check the legal status of all their existing employees. Amazingly, federal law currently prohibits a company from checking on employees that were hired in the past before they started using E-Verify for new hires. There is no good reason to tie the hands of employers who want to make sure that all of their jobs are filled with U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.

Sen. Vitter's (R-La.) amendment to re-instate the "no-match letter notification" system in which the Social Security Administration alerts all employers of all employees whose SS numbers don't match records and orders the companies to fire employees who can't resolve the discrepancies.

202-224-3121

Friends, we have very little time. Pick up the phone now and call your Senator to ask for YES votes on these two amendments which will open up hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next year alone to returning veterans and other unemployed Americans.

Look on our home page to see if your Senator(s) voted against Sessions' and DeMint's amendments this morning.

If so, you will want to lambaste the Senator for voting against returning veterans and other unemployed Americans. Then, say that the Senator can redeem him/herself this afternoon with YES votes on Grassley and Vitter amendments.

I will be putting up an analysis of the votes today in my blog on the home page. At that time, I will talk about what is next. But for now, make those calls. Let's pick up another couple of victories today.

Be sure to check often on our home page as we keep you updated on the results of this exciting day.

THANKS,

Dear Friend,

A recent Roll Call newspaper article reported that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid believes he has “the votes and support” to take up immigration legislation this year.

In the same article, Senator Charles Schumer from New York said that the key principles to this legislation must include “a direct path to citizenship.”

In spite of the fact that the American people have spoken clearly that amnesty is an unacceptable means to address our ever-growing illegal immigration problem, liberal leaders in Congress keep pushing it.

As the Chairman of the Border Security and Enforcement First Caucus I will keep working with my likeminded Senate colleagues to stop this amnesty legislation.

Amnesty sends the wrong message – that of a reward – to those who have been evading our laws. And it is extremely unfair to all of the legal immigrants who came to this nation and obeyed our laws to become citizens.

Congress and the president should focus on securing our borders and strengthening our interior enforcement, not rewarding law breakers with amnesty.

We need to dramatically improve our border security by having more agents patrolling our borders and making major investments in infrastructure improvements, such as strategic fencing and increased detention space, and I’ll keep fighting for these principles in the Senate.

Sincerely,

David Vitter

Subject: 1907 Photo

I think this is one email that needs to be forwarded until every American with a computer receives it..

The year is 1907, one hundred years ago......

READ PRINT UNDER PICTURE !

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American....There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Every American citizen needs to read this!
KEEP THIS MOVING

http://www.vitter.senate.gov/

Dear Friend,

This week I introduced an amendment to the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights Act that would require the identification of any individual who is a non-citizen or U.S. National wanting to receive a credit card to be verified by the financial institution before receiving an account.

In many cases financial institutions accept minimal documentation that can be easily falsified. This current loophole in federal law is an open invitation for banks to allow illegal immigrants to open credit card accounts. And by giving rewards normally given to American citizens to those who are residing in the United States illegally it’s a form of back-door amnesty.

In 2007, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bank of America began marketing and offering credit cards to customers without social security cards, mainly targeting Illegal Immigrants. I find it appalling in the midst of the turmoil in the credit market that some banks still give out credit accounts to those without proper citizenship documentation. That is why my amendment would have required banks to only accept the most secure forms of identification that cannot be easily forged or duplicated.

I’ve been pressing for these answers for months, since well before the president even nominated a new FEMA administrator. After months of non-response, I set up a conference call with the acting administrator on Feb. 26, during which she said she understood the urgent nature of the matter and expected a positive resolution very soon. But we waited more than 70 days with no answers.

I believe that the current regulations that do not verify a customer’s citizenship identification are a disservice to the American people. And I will continue to push for a change in these regulations to help stem the tide of illegal aliens that benefit from this flawed practice.

Sincerely,

David Vitter
U.S. Senator

DID YOU KNOW THAT ARMED TROOPS AND POLICE FROM MEXICO HAVE BEEN VIOLATING OUR BORDER FOR YEARS, IN SOME CASES ESCORTING DRUG DEALERS INTO THE U.S. SO THEY WON'T BE CAUGHT BY U.S. BORDER GUARDS?

It's true.

ARTICLES ON GUN RIGHTS ISSUES & 2ND ADMENDMENT

Firearms now legal in some National Parks

The long-standing prohibition on firearms in National Parks was lifted today.

The new law, which went into effect this morning, mirrors state law. Simply put, you can now possess firearms in a National Park under the same state laws that govern firearms in the rest of that state.

The actual law reads:

(b) Protecting the Right of Individuals To Bear arms in Units of the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System.--The Secretary of the Interior shall not promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm including an assembled or functional firearm in any unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System if--

(1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm; and

(2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the State in which the unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System is located.

The truth is we don't really know how the National Park Service is going to apply the law. Often, the bureaucrats on the ground don’t really know the law and end up randomly enforcing what they “want” and not always what is law.

For the time being one thing we know is true; you can now posses a firearm in a National Park, so long as you are in compliance with the state law where the park is located.

The legislation in question, H.R. 627 the credit card reform bill, was amended by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to include the new pro-gun language.

Coburn’s amendment was a reaction to bureaucratic bungling by the Bush Administration. In the waning hours of the 2008, outgoing Interior Department officials attempted to change the rules to allow concealed carry in some parks.

However the last minute change circumvented the legal process for such rule changes and was blocked by a court order. Incoming Obama administration officials then reversed the rules, which led to Coburn's amendment of the credit card reform bill.

While these rules are certainly a step in the right direction they are a far cry from truly embracing our Second Amendment rights. Sadly, the fact remains that virtually no one can carry a gun at Minuteman Park in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

The very National Park that celebrates the armed uprising of our founding fathers, who were fighting against the British attempts to confiscate their firearms, remains closed to concealed carry.

We can -- and should -- celebrate this victory, but keep our long term goal of self-defense in all National Parks in mind.

One small step for Wyoming, one giant leap for gun rights

Wyoming is on the verge of passing two key pieces of gun rights legislation.

HB-95, The Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, and HB-113 “Alaska-style” permit-less concealed carry, are facing an up-or-down vote before the Wyoming State House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, National Association for Gun Rights Director of Operations Luke O’Dell was on hand to testify before the Wyoming State House Judiciary Committee on behalf of both HB-95, the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, and the HB-113, “Alaska-style” permit less carry.

You may be asking yourself, “Why do I care, I don’t live in Wyoming?”

It’s simple: The higher the bar is set, the more pro-gun pieces of legislation pass across the country, the stronger the gun rights movement gets.

Passage of permit-less “Alaska-style” concealed carry in Wyoming would be a huge step forward toward true firearms freedom. Only in Alaska and Vermont can law-abiding citizens carry concealed firearms for their own protection without getting Big Brother’s approval. Should Wyoming join their ranks, the right-to-carry will have taken a major step forward.

Additionally, Wyoming’s Firearms Freedom Act was written with much stronger language than similar legislation in other states. Wyoming’s bill included penalties for state law enforcement enforcing Federal laws which contradict Wyoming state law.

I’m happy to say that Wyoming Gun Owners, a partner of ours, has been leading the charge for both pieces of legislation.

Now it’s our turn to help out.

If you live in Wyoming, or know someone who does, please have them contact their Wyoming legislator and tell them to vote “Yes” on HB-95 and HB-113.

You can find contact information for Wyoming State Legislators here.

If you’re not from Wyoming, go ahead and drop them a line anyways. Tell them that you support their efforts to advance freedom in Wyoming.

And if you’d like to help Wyoming Gun Owners pass this legislation by making a donation, click here.

For Liberty,

Dudley Brown
Executive Director
National Association for Gun Rights

SAF, NRA VICTORY: COURT STRIKES
DOWN SEATTLE PARK GUN BAN

SEATTLE, WA - A King County Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association, striking down a ban on guns in city parks because it violates Washington State's long-standing preemption statute.

Judge Catherine Shaffer ruled from the bench that the gun ban, adopted under former Mayor Greg Nickels, violates Washington's law, which placed sole authority for regulating firearms in the hands of the State Legislature. That law was adopted in 1983 and amended in 1985, and has served as a model for similar laws across the country.

SAF and NRA were joined in the lawsuit by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, the Washington Arms Collectors and five individual plaintiffs.

"This is a great victory for the rule of law and Washington citizens," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "Greg Nickels was so blinded by his personal hatred for firearms owners and his own arrogance that he imagined the city under his control could simply ignore state law. That arrogance cost Nickels his job last year. We repeatedly warned him not to push a gun ban, but he refused to listen.

"It is also a victory for the Legislature," he observed, "because this case affirms the intent of lawmakers in 1983 to prevent cities like Seattle from creating a nightmare patchwork of conflicting and confusing firearms regulations. The ruling solidifies the legislature's authority and sends a message to city and county governments to stop meddling with the rights of Washington citizens."

Gottlieb suggested a review of local ordinances may now be in order, so that city and county governments can be compelled to remove old gun regulations or face legal consequences.

"This ruling puts anti-gun local officials on notice that legally-armed citizens have rights, too," Gottlieb stated.

The Tyranny of Emergency

The proponents of Big Brother Government are at it again.

While inches turned into feet of snow and life along the East Coast came to a standstill, government agencies were far from dormant. While some southern cities struggled to cope with the massive amounts of fallen snow, some local governments seized this opportunity to declare states of “emergency.”

Sounds benign, right? After all, government is here to help...

Authorities in King, North Carolina declared a state of emergency which not only prohibited citizens from driving on the snow-packed roads, but also banned the sale alcohol and banned the purchase or possession of firearms outside of their homes.

By declaring a state of emergency, the King City Council and police chief effectively declared martial law and rescinded the Constitutional rights of King’s citizens.

King Police Chief Paula May has tried to distance herself from the decision, and the ensuing public outcry. She claims that North Carolina state law was to blame for the ban on the sale and possession of firearms outside the home.

For the liberty-minded, these “emergency powers” should be cause for great concern. Regardless of the level of government, these assaults on liberty cannot go uncontested.

While many people, gun owners especially, are drawn to the glamor of Presidential and Federal politics, often many battles for liberty go on unheralded. In state legislatures and city councils across the country, liberals are working hard to strengthen the iron-grip of government on the rights of their citizens.

Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and in this modern age of the internet, vigilance is easier than ever.

All, however, is not lost.

Many liberty-minded state legislators are stepping up to fight these “state of emergency” attacks on our gun rights.

In Colorado, for instance, state Senator Scott Renfroe (R - Greeley) has introduced a bill to protect the Second Amendment rights of Colorado residents.

Renfroe’s bill would prevent the Governor of Colorado from suspending citizens’ right to keep and bear arms during a declared state of emergency.

National Association for Gun Rights’ Director of Operations Luke O’Dell will be testifying in favor of Renfroe’s bill later today in the Colorado State Senate State Affairs Committee.

You can listen to live audio of the hearing on the Colorado General Assembly website, by clicking here.

Have you read
America Fights Back...

The Book Most Feared by Gun Grabbers in Government and Media

Why? Because When You and Other Thinking Americans Read It They Can Kiss Their Gun Ban Plans Goodbye!

Dear Reader,

Here is what leading gun rights advocates are saying about Alan Gottlieb's and Dave Workman's gripping new book, America Fights Back: Armed Self-Defense In A Violent Age:

·        "In America Fights Back, through vivid real-life stories of citizens forced to face the reality of violence, Gottlieb and Workman provide an accounting of America's crime problem largely ignored by mainstream media."- Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association of America

·        "Americans love books in which the good guys win. Gottlieb and Workman are adding to that proud tradition with America Fights Back by documenting case after case in which gun-owning citizens who refuse to wear the label ‘victim' remain the winners."- Jill "J.R." Labbe, Deputy Editorial Page Editor, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508

·        "How envious the anti-gunners must be of Dave Workman and Alan Gottlieb, for the authors of America Fights Back have the one thing gun-control nuts never will: the facts about firearms and self-defense in the 21st Century. Presented here in compelling fashion, those facts paint a vivid picture of how Second Amendment freedoms deter and prevent crimes. America Fights Back is a must-read for anyone considering carrying a firearm for personal protection."- Brian Lovett, Editor, Gun Digest the Magazine

·        "Dave Workman and Alan Gottlieb are long-time heavy hitters in the gun owners' civil rights movement, and they keep their fingers on the pulses of what' s happening. This new collaboration of theirs is gripping for its deft combination of street action reports and legal/statistical correlation. It's a must-read for all those who argue for the right of the people to protect themselves and their loved ones."- Author Massad Ayoob, founder, Lethal Force Institute

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508

We couldn't have said it any better ourselves.

That's why the Second Amendment Foundation is urging you to buy this book today and help spread the word that gun ownership is important by making this book a bestseller.

The Gun Ban lunatics do not want you to read this book.

They know that this book is the ammunition that will shoot holes in all their twisted logic and emotional arguments.

"Now people will finally listen to the gun rights side," say Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman, authors of the soon to be bestseller, America Fights Back.

We sent a copy to every Senator and Representative in Congress - all 535 of them. And more copies to the White House and every State House. Why? The government's delusions about taking away your gun rights to fight crime are about to change forever...and soon.

It Could Have The Biggest Impact on Gun Rights this decade.

Will it make a difference that we sent this book? We can only hope so... But at the personal level, this book is a wakeup call - as well as a call to arms for every American.

Just read this:

·        "During my years in the U.S. House of Representatives serving on the Judiciary Committee, I tired of listening to the arguments of one gun-control advocate after another endlessly repeat the same tired, baseless arguments in support of their efforts to disarm law-abiding American citizens. Now, in America Fights Back - Armed Self Defense in a Violent Age, we have a well-written defense of the Bill of Rights that provides both sound substantive arguments in support of the right to keep and bear arms, as well as true-life stories of how the Second Amendment works in practice not just in theory. This book ought to be required reading for every Member of the House and Senate; and every occupant of the White House"- Former Congressman Bob Barr

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508

Trust us when we tell you this is a book you want to own.

Why?

Because America Fights Back contains gripping stories of armed self-defense by law abiding American citizens, woven into analysis of gun control laws and a broken justice system, and how they have failed to protect us.

America Fights Back is a blockbuster book filled with the latest guns and self-defense true stories and research from two internationally famous authors, Alan Gottlieb and Dave Workman. And what it finally uncovers is the whole secret story of the good side to guns and how and why America must stop the assault on our Second Amendment Rights. And more importantly, how you can protect yourself and your gun rights from this assault.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508

We strongly advise you not to miss the stunning truths exposed in this remarkable work that is full of insightful reporting about the real underbelly of why gun ownership in America is so important in the violent age that we live in.

Read About the Authors.

Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation is recognized as a member of the working press, maintaining active membership in the Outdoor Writers Association of America. He is listed in Who s Who in America, Who s Who in the World and Who s Who in American Politics. Alan has appeared on over 3,500 TV and radio talk shows, including the Lehrer News Hour, ABC s 20/20, CNN Crossfire, Fox TV, NBC Today Show, Larry King Live and Good Morning America. Alan is also President of radio stations KBNP in Portland, KITZ in Seattle, KITZ in Olympia and KSBN in Spokane and former Chairman of the Board of Talk America Radio Network with more than 700 affiliates coast-to-coast.

Dave Workman is a career journalist, freelance writer and author. Now senior editor for the Gun Week, he spent 21 years as a senior editor and writer at Outdoor Empire Publishing. Workman began his career running a small-town newspaper and "stringing" for the Associated Press. Over the years, his byline has appeared in several newspapers and publications. Both Gottlieb and Workman have written several books.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508

The One Book for Gun Rights Protection

Inside America Fights Back, you'll discover the specific things you need to know to protect yourself from those that want to disarm you and make you easy prey for violent criminals and power hungry politicians.

Don't be caught off guard. America Fights Back shares the things you must do now to protect your gun rights.. (If this book is not already on your bookshelf...you need to get it there right away.)

The only sure way to protect your rights is to understand the problem and take action. America Fights Back will help you do both.

America Fights Back may well be the most important reading you'll do in the next several years during this period of unrelenting assault on your Second Amendment Rights.

You can get your own copy of America Fights Back for just $15.64. That's over 30% off the cover price.

We believe America Fights Back, for less than $16, is the most important book purchase you can make this year.

After reading it, I'm sure you'll agree.

Sincerely,

All of us at the Second Amendment Foundation

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783508

P.S. America Fights Back shows that the Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms is our most important right in our constitution.

P.P.S. Will members of Congress read it? We think most will. They might even agree with these readers who say...

·        "Who needs a gun? You do! And this book gives the reasons, complete with dozens of actual cases in which the man or woman with a firearm made the difference between life and death, health or injury in the face of violent criminal attack."- John Snyder, Board Member, National Association of Chiefs of Police

·        "America Fights Back offers a stunning insight into the other side of the equation — the one where the good guys win, using guns."- Roy Huntington (retired police officer), Editor, American Handgunner Magazine

·        "In America Fights Back, Gottlieb and Workman draw you into the savage world of violent crime as confronted by ‘average Americans.' With gripping detail and a well-written page-turning style they weave together stories of how Americans turn to firearms to fight back against the worst, most violent and depraved predators that prowl our society. The story they tell in America Fights Back gives proof that…armed resistance to criminal predators works!"- Ted Deeds, Chief Operating Officer, Law Enforcement Alliance of America, Inc., (LEAA)

·        "America Fights Back doesn't just break the myth of the gun free zone, it shatters it. This book is a serious exploration of the effects of violent crime, our liberal criminal justice system, and what we need to do to survive. A must read for every American."- David Kenik, President of the Police Officers Safety Association, Inc. and author of Armed Response; A Comprehensive Guide to Using Firearms for Defense

·        "Wow! This is not a book full of statistics, but a book that gives you a punch in the stomach, a kick in the head. The authors wake you up to what kind of violence is truly out there and how men and women fight back and won't be victims. This is a must-read for all people who think the police will protect them."-Paxton Quigley, author "Stayin' Alive: Armed & Female In An Unsafe World"

·        "Part textbook and part 'Dragnet,' America Fights Back is a terrific exploration of current trends in the gun control debate interwoven will compelling real-life stories."-Peggy Tartaro, Editor Women & Guns Magazine

FEDS RESPOND TO FIREARMS FREEDOM ACT LAWSUIT MOTION TO DISMISS "EXPECTED"

MISSOULA - The United States has made its first response to a lawsuit filed in federal district court in Missoula to test the Montana Firearms Freedom Act (MFFA), passed by the 2009 Legislature and signed into law by Governor Schweitzer.

The MFFA declares that any firearms, ammunition or firearms accessories made and retained in Montana are not subject to federal regulation under the power given to Congress in the U.S. Constitution to regulate commerce "among the several states." The MFFA is a states' rights challenge on Tenth Amendment grounds, with firearms serving as the vehicle for the challenge.

This lawsuit to validate the MFFA was brought by the Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). The suit names U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as defendant, and is referred to as MSSA v. Holder.

The first response to the lawsuit by the United States is a Motion to Dismiss, submitted January 19th and considered to be a standard procedural maneuver in lawsuits against the U.S government . This motion seeks to avoid the legal merits by asserting that the Plaintiffs lack standing to sue, that a justiciable controversy does not exist, and that prevailing case law is against Plaintiffs.

MSSA President Gary Marbut, also a Plaintiff in the lawsuit explained, "The first import of this response is that the legal game is now on. There was some concern that the defendants would forfeit the game with no response in an effort to prevent this important issue from being adjudicated properly. We are now beyond that hurdle." However, the Motion to Dismiss by Washington also seeks to sidestep proper adjudication.

SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb said, "We are disappointed but not surprised that the government would try to kill this suit on standing, rather than arguing about the merits of the case."

The MFFA concept has gained traction across the Nation since its passage in Montana. Tennessee has enacted a clone of the MFFA, and other clones have been introduced in the state legislatures of 19 other states, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. . Ten or more additional states are expected to introduce yet more MFFA clones in the next few weeks. (See: http://www.FirearmsFreedomAct.com)

The U.S.'s Motion to Dismiss and Brief in Support are viewable at: http://FirearmsFreedomAct.com/montana-lawsuit-updates/

MSSA and SAF have assembled a litigation team for this effort consisting of three attorneys from Montana, one from New York, one from Florida and one from Arizona. Lead attorney for the Plaintiffs is Quentin Rhoades, partner the Missoula firm of Sullivan, Tabaracci and Rhoades. Other interested parties from both in and out of Montana are preparing to weigh in on this issue of national interest and national importance as amicus curiae (friends of the court).

Marbut commented, "The FFA concept has created a firestorm of interest nationwide. Lots of people and other states are watching carefully to see how Montana fares in this challenge to overbearing federal authority and to Washington's attempt to control every detail of commerce in the Nation, especially including activity wholly confined within an individual state. That level of micro management certainly was not the intent of our founders when they gave Congress limited power in the Constitution to regulate commerce 'among the states'." (See: http://FirearmsFreedomAct.com/what-is-the-commerce-clause/)

MSSA is the primary political advocate for gun owners and hunters in Montana, having gotten 54 pro-gun and pro-hunting bills through the Montana Legislature in the past 25 years. SAF is a pro-gun foundation in Bellevue, Washington, established to press the rights of gun owners primarily in judicial fora. SAF has been a party to numerous lawsuits to assert the rights of gun owners across the Nation.

Watch out for GOP wooden nickels

"Watch out for wooden nickels," is something my Grandpa used to tell me when I was a kid. The sentiment couldn't be more apt now though.

I've watched with some skepticism as Establishment Republicans have been swept into office on a tide of genuine political discontent. As the GOP claims "great" victories in states like Massachusetts and Virginia, gun owners should be hesitant to jump on the GOP bandwagon.

On Tuesday evening, GOP pundits were championing Congressman Mark Kirk's victory in the Illinois Republican U.S. Senate primary. Many of those same talking heads are enthusiastically trumpeting Representative Kirk's chances to win the Senate seat formerly occupied by President Barack Obama.

Is this Republican success reason for gun owners to be optimistic? Hardly.

Congressman Kirk has long been an enemy of gun owners, supporting legislation to close the so-called "gun-show loop-hole", ban certain types of semi-automatic rifles and require background checks to purchase ammunition.

Kirk is not the only anti-gun Republican looking for a promotion. His gun-hating compadre Congressman Mike Castle of Delaware is preparing to make a run for the Senate as well.

What does this mean for gun owners?

We cannot allow ourselves to be sucked into the hallow victories being celebrated by the Republican Party. Gun owners must be able to discern between the pro-liberty, pro-gun candidates and the anti-gun wolves hiding in Republican clothing.

That's why your involvement with the National Association for Gun Rights is so important. We are here to help you cut through the election year lies, through the political propaganda and expose the anti-gunners from BOTH parties.

Right now the staff at the National Association for Gun Rights is assembling data on candidates from across the country. We're beginning to target House and Senate races, and we're preparing our candidate surveys.

Gun rights surveys are an important part of holding politicians accountable and finding out their views on the Second Amendment. If you'd like to read our survey, you can click here.

Please take a moment to forward this e-mail to your freedom and gun loving friends and family members, remind them that just because a politician has an "R" after their name doesn't mean they're pro-liberty or pro-gun.

For liberty,

'SCROOGE' DALEY SQUANDERS $$DEFENDING
GUN BAN; SHUTS DOWN CHICAGO SERVICES

BELLEVUE, WA – Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is sending city employees home without pay on Christmas Eve, “just like Ebenezer Scrooge would have done,” yet he continues squandering scarce city funds defending an unconscionable, and soon–to–be unconstitutional, handgun ban, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“This is an indefensible ban designed to leave Chicago citizens defenseless,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “yet Mayor Daley is perfectly comfortable pouring public funds down a hole darker than the grave of Jacob Marley, clinging to a law that has been a public safety disaster.

“This folly has cost the citizens of Chicago untold thousands of dollars,” he continued, “and what do they have to show for it? Public employees don’t even get a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings, only a day off without pay. Daley has had years to repeal this law and turn over a new leaf, but his only response has essentially been ‘Bah, Humbug’!”

The city is being sued by the Second Amendment Foundation, Illinois State Rifle Association and four individual citizens to overturn its long–standing handgun ban. That case is going to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 2, and a ruling is expected sometime in June. This case could provide a landmark decision that incorporates the Second Amendment to the states through the 14th Amendment.

“Daley is claiming that every dollar saved from these unpaid furlough days helps save jobs,” Gottlieb noted, “but maybe it’s time to ask this Grinch just how much money is being spent to defend his gun ban. Surely that money could be far better spent by the citizens, and the employees whose pockets are being emptied for the holidays.

“Here’s hoping that Daley is visited by the ghost of Christmas Future Thursday night,” he concluded, “and that he sees a happier Chicago, where citizens will be safer once their rights are protected by the Supreme Court.”

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

SAF APPLAUDS TODAY'S APPEALS
COURT RULING IN ORD CASE

BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation is encouraged by this morning's federal Appeals Court ruling in the case of Ord v. District of Columbia that finds the plaintiff has standing to pursue legal action against the city, opening legal doors for the pursuit of other gun rights cases including one filed by SAF challenging the restrictive wording of the 1968 Gun Control Act.

Robert Ord is pursuing a legal action against the District for having issued an arrest warrant for him without probable cause because he had been hired to provide armed security at a District of Columbia school facility and he had status as a "qualified law enforcement officer" and "Special Conservator of the Peace," which exempted him from the District's ban on carrying firearms without a license.

"There are several significant aspects of this ruling," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. "One judge even argued that litigants should not be required to jump throughhoops to get past the courthouse door.' That judge also suggested that the Navegar case, which established that plaintiffs seeking to challenge criminal statutes must first demonstrate imminent or actual harm, ought to be re-examined and overruled.

"This ruling," he continued, "will help our lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder on behalf of citizens living abroad who cannot exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms when they visit on American soil, because they cannot legally purchase firearms as non-residents, under conditions of the 1968 Gun Control Act. The government has been arguing that we do not have standing to bring this lawsuit. They just lost that argument."

SAF and the American Civil Liberties Union filed the only amicus curiae brief in this case, supporting Ord, and the court relied on that brief to help form its opinion. That brief was written by attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the Heller case, which struck down the Washington, D.C. gun ban, before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008 and is now representing SAF in the Chicago handgun ban challenge, which will be argued before the high court next March.

He’s at it again.

Arch gun-hater Senator Frank Lautenberg is back on the warpath against our gun rights.

Lautenberg, who has already introduced a number of anti-gun measures this year, has just unveiled his latest assault on our rights.

S.2820, the Gun Owner Tracking Act of 2009, would allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to keep all National Instant Check System (NICS) data for every firearm purchased through a federally licensed firearms dealer for “up to ten years.”

What does this mean for gun owners? It means records of every firearm purchased through a dealer, along with the personal data of the purchaser, will be maintained by the federal government.

The serial number, make and model of every gun you purchase, as well as your personal contact information, will be available to the FBI and the notoriously anti-gun Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).

Put simply, this legislation would lay the groundwork for a national gun registry. If a federal ban on certain types of firearms were enacted, federal law enforcement agencies would be able to use this gun owner tracking system to begin firearms confiscation.

Sound far-fetched? Remember that tyrants throughout history, from Hitler to Stalin to Mao, have used gun owner tracking schemes as a first step toward total citizen disarmament.

Of course, Senator Lautenberg has masked this legislative abomination in the guise of promoting “homeland security.” He claims this gun owner tracking database will help Big Brother Government protect us from terrorists. But as you know, the Obama Administration and the Department of Homeland Security already think gun owners — like you and me — are “domestic terrorists.”

The Brady Registration Act of 1993 created the NICS system to verify the legality of firearms sales by licensed dealers. The law currently requires all information pertaining to the purchase of firearms, including the firearm serial number and the purchasers contact information be destroyed after 24 hours.

Let me be clear; the National Association for Gun Rights supports the repeal of the Brady Registration Act. Any attempt to further strengthen this unconstitutional intrusion in the lives and actions of law-abiding gun owners must not be tolerated.

Here’s what you can do to stop the Gun Owner Tacking Act:

·        Click here to contact your Senators and tell them to oppose S.2820, the Gun Owner Tracking Act of 2009.

·        Want to vent your frustration about this unconscionable measure? Click here to comment on the National Association for Gun Rights blog.

·        You can also help the National Association for Gun Rights fight S.2820 by making a generous contribution here.

To stay informed of all the latest developments on this, and other gun rights fights, visit the National Association for Gun Rights website www.NationalGunRights.org.

Stay Vigilant,

By now as you are probably aware the Second Amendment Foundation has filed its brief with the United States Supreme Court in our legal challenge to the Chicago gun ban.

The case known as McDonald v. Chicago is extremely important. It would incorporate the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms constitutional protection so that all fifty states could not deny rights guaranteed to you by the federal constitution.

Last week a number of Amicus Curiae briefs were filed on our behalf. You can read our brief as well as the Amici's at www.chicagoguncase.com along with news about this important Supreme Court case.

I know that as a concerned Second Amendment supporter you will want to follow this case and see exactly how the Second Amendment Foundation is spending your contributions.

If you would like to contribute to the Second Amendment Foundations legal action projects like the one above, you can do so by going to http://www.saf.org/default.asp?p=safdonation

Thank you for all your help and support.

Sincerely yours,

Alan M. Gottlieb
Founder, Second Amendment Foundation

PS..

The U.S. Supreme Court just notified us today that oral arguments are scheduled for March 2, 2010. I wanted you to be the first to know

It’s no secret that Chicago, Illinois is not gun friendly.

Chicago, and Illinois in general, have long been on the cutting edge of gun control. They’ve given us municipal handgun bans, mandatory gun registration, firearms owner ID cards and the most anti-gun President of all time, Barack Obama.

It should then come as no surprise that Chicago politicians think they’re above the law. While Chicago has some of the most anti-gun laws in America, politicians in Chicago have placed their own safety over the safety of the citizens who elected them.

Ordinary citizens are forbidden from owning handguns for self defense, but Chicago's elected officials had themselves classified as "law enforcement officers" so that they could carry handguns for self defense.

Recently, Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman took the city, the Illinois legislature and the state's political corruption to task over this very issue.

Click here to read Mr. Chapman's full column which is posted on our blog. Don't forget to join the discussion and comment on the blog.

In Liberty

What gun-grabbers don't want you to know

I hate to say I told you so, but . . .

Now there’s indisputable evidence of what gun owners like you and me have been saying for years.

Gun bans do NOT decrease gun crime. In fact, if anything, they increase it.

Banning guns only disarms law-abiding citizens while criminals are empowered knowing their targets have been disarmed.

Ownership of a handgun has been virtually impossible in Britain since 1997 but according to a recent article, gun crime has gone up 89% in the past decade.

Yet, every time there is any gun related violence the anti-gunners continue to repeat their worn out mantra: If we just banned guns it would all go away.

I’m sick and tired of them getting away with this sort of rhetoric.

It’s time they look at the facts and read the statistics and it’s time gun owners have the evidence they need to argue against the unfounded claims of gun-grabbers.

For more on this story, click here to see Luke’s blog.

In Liberty

What’s worse than an anti-gun liberal?

Simple: an anti-gun TV host masquerading as a gun rights supporter.

Jim Darnell is a prime example of that.

Mr. Darnell, the host of a syndicated outdoors television show "God's Great Outdoors" and author of a weekly outdoor column, has joined the ranks of noted quisling Jim Zumbo by calling the manufacture of AR-15 sporting rifles a “big mistake.”

Darnell’s column, which called the production of AR-15 style rifles a “big mistake,” was scrubbed from his website, shortly after it was published. Darnell went on to claim that the production of AR-15 style rifles for hunting only encourages and angers the anti-gunners. He concludes that bolt action rifles should be used for hunting because they’re safe and politically correct.

By conceding that the very possession of AR-15 style rifles is a mistake, Darnell gives the anti-gunners a foothold to justify banning other types of firearms. Using his own argument, Mr. Darnell's precious bolt action hunting rifles would be reclassified by the anti-gunners as high-powered sniper rifles, and therefore are a menace to society.

Darnell’s argument is as foolish and naive as it is dangerous. Gun rights activists must not give a single inch to the anti-gun liberals in Washington D.C. and in state capitals across the country. If we give them an inch, they will take a yard, and pretty soon we've been pushed a mile.

What can you do about it? That's simple:

·        Join in the online discussion by commenting on the National Association for Gun Rights Blog.

·        Write Jim Darnell a note and tell him these sort of quisling antics will not be tolerated, you can reach him via e-mail at: ggodarnell@gmail.com.

For freedom and liberty

With willing one-world accomplices in Washington, D.C., gun-grabbers around the globe believe they have it made.

In fact, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just announced the Obama Administration would be working hand in glove with the UN to pass a new “Small Arms Treaty.”

Disguised as legislation to help in the fight against “terrorism,” “insurgency” and “international crime syndicates,” the UN Small Arms Treaty is nothing more than a massive, GLOBAL gun control scheme.

Ultimately, the UN’s Small Arms Treaty is designed to register, ban and CONFISCATE firearms owned by private citizens like YOU.

That’s why it’s vital you sign special petition I’ve made up for your signature that DEMANDS your U.S. Senators vote AGAINST ratification of the UN’s “Small Arms Treaty!”

So far, the gun-grabbers have successfully kept the exact wording of their new scheme under wraps.

But looking at previous versions of the UN “Small Arms Treaty,” you and I can get a good idea of what’s likely in the works.

If passed by the UN and ratified by the U.S. Senate, the UN “Small Arms Treaty” would almost certainly FORCE national governments to:

*** Enact tougher licensing requirements, making law-abiding citizens cut through even more bureaucratic red tape just to own a firearm legally;

*** CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL “unauthorized” civilian firearms (all firearms owned by the government are excluded, of course);

*** BAN the trade, sale and private ownership of ALL semi-automatic weapons;

*** Create an INTERNATIONAL gun registry, setting the stage for full-scale gun CONFISCATION.

So please click here to sign the petition to your U.S. Senators before it’s too late!

You see, this is NOT a fight we can afford to lose.

Ever since it’s founding almost 65 years ago, the United Nations has been hell-bent on bringing the United States to its knees.

To the petty dictators and one-worlders who control the UN, the U.S. isn’t a “shining city on a hill” -- it’s an affront to their grand totalitarian designs for the globe.

These anti-gun globalists know that so long as Americans remain free to make our own decisions without being bossed around by big government bureaucrats, they’ll NEVER be able to seize the worldwide oppressive power they crave.

And the UN’s apologists also know the most effective way to finally strip you and me of ALL our freedoms would be to DESTROY our gun rights.

That’s why it’s vital you act TODAY!

The truth is, there’s no time to waste.

You and I have to be prepared for this fight to move FAST.

The fact is, the last thing the gun-grabbers in the U.N. and in Washington, D.C. want is for you and me to have time to react and mobilize gun owners to defeat this radical legislation.

They’ve made that mistake before, and we’ve made them pay, defeating EVERY attempt to ram the “Treaty on Small Arms” into law since the mid-1990s.

But this time, time won’t be on our side.

In fact, we’re likely to only have a few days or weeks to defeat the treaty.

Worse, there’s no longer any pro-gun Republican Senate to kill ratification of the treaty.

There’s no longer any Republican in the White House who has stated opposition to the treaty.

And you and I know good and well how Germany, Great Britain, France, Communist China or the rest of the anti-gun members of the United Nations are going to vote.

So our ONE AND ONLY CHANCE of stopping the UN’s “Small Arms Treaty” is during the ratification process in the U.S. Senate.

As you know, it takes 67 Senate votes to ratify a treaty.

With 40 Republicans, that should be easy, right?

Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

First, you know just as well as I do that not all the remaining Republicans in the Senate are “pro-gun” in any sense of the term.

Second, even with the partisan rancor in Washington, D.C., many GOP Senators get “queasy” about killing treaties for fear of “embarrassing” the President -- especially with “international prestige” at stake.

They look at ratifying treaties much like approving Presidents’ Supreme Court nominees.

And remember, there were NINE Republicans who voted to confirm anti-gun Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

A dozen more GOP Senators only voted against Sotomayor after receiving massive grassroots pressure from the folks back home.

So if we’re going to defeat the UN’s “Small Arms Treaty” we have to turn the heat up on the U.S. Senate now before it’s too late!

That’s exactly where this petition come in.

So won’t you click here to sign IMMEDIATELY?

And also, if you can, I hope you’ll agree to make a generous contribution of $200, $150, $100 or even just $35.

With your generous contribution, I’ll immediately begin contacting Second Amendment supporters through mail, phones and e-mail to turn up the heat on targeted U.S. Senators.

Tops on the list are the “usual suspects” like Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Lindsay Graham and the rest of the weak-kneed Republicans in the Senate whose votes we can never count on.

I also want to begin contacting gun owners in states represented by key Democrats -- like Senators John Tester and Max Baucus of Montana, Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb of Virginia, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

And finally, I’ve designed a “special” hard-hitting program especially for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to let Nevada gun owners know exactly what he and his anti-gun pals have planned for you and me.

Facing a tough reelection in 2010, Senator Reid knows he’s already skating on thin ice with Nevada voters.

So you and I could end up putting the final nail in his political coffin -- if I can pull out all the stops.

Direct mail. Phones. E-mail. Blogs. Billboards. Guest editorials. Press conferences. Hard-hitting newspaper, radio and TV ads. The whole nine yards.

Of course, if I can raise enough resources, my goal is to expand this full program to ALL our target states.

But that’s not going to be cheap, and we may not have much time.

In fact, if we’re going to defeat the UN’s so-called “Small Arms Treaty,” we have to start NOW!

So please click here to sign the petition to your U.S. Senators.

And if you possibly can, please agree to make a contribution of $200, $150, $100, or even just $35.

Every petition and every dollar count in this fight.

So please sign the petition and include your most generous contribution of $200, $150, $100 or $35 TODAY.

In Liberty,

SAF FILES SUPREME COURT BRIEF IN

CHICAGO GUN BAN CHALLENGE

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today filed its much-anticipated brief to the United States Supreme Court in the case of McDonald v. Chicago, which challenges the constitutionality of that city’s ban on handguns.

SAF is joined in the lawsuit by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) and four individual plaintiffs. They are represented by attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the landmark Heller case before the high court in 2008, leading to a ruling that the Second Amendment affirms and protects an individual right to keep and bear arms beyond the scope of serving in a militia.

The McDonald case not only challenges the Chicago ban, but also brings up the question of application of the right to keep and bear arms to the states through the 14^th Amendment.

“Our filing today will help establish that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right of American citizenship no city official can violate,” Gura said.

Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, added, “We brought this case because the Chicago ban has denied law-abiding citizens the exercise of a basic civil right for more than 20 years. We are delighted to bring this action with our colleagues in Illinois because this kind of onerous regulation simply cannot go unchallenged.”

“The Chicago case presents an opportunity to challenge a local law in a case that has national implications,” said ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson. “A victory in this case not only restores a fundamental right to Chicago residents, it will prevent other such outright bans all over the country.”

Oral arguments are scheduled before the Supreme Court in late February 2010 and a ruling on the case is expected sometime in late spring. The case may be followed at: www.chicagoguncase.com .

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org ) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

Another "Gun Free Zone" Tragedy.

Apparently it’s not enough for our government that the heroes in America’s armed forces risk their lives overseas defending our freedom.

These days, our soldiers aren't even safe here at home stationed on secure military bases.

On November 5th, a lone gunman murdered 13 fully-trained, ready to deploy soldiers, and wounded 29 more, in the most shocking terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11.

How was Nidal Hasan, a psychologist, able to take down so many trained soldiers? Because the government thinks its better to keep it’s armed service members unarmed . . .

That’s right. Our military men and woman are banned from carrying the weapons they are trained and trusted to use in the heat of combat.

President Clinton authored this asinine policy back in 1993 when he declared all military bases “Gun Free Zones.”

As you know, “Gun Free Zones” do nothing but assure criminals, and now terrorists, that they will find unarmed victims defenseless against a homicidal rampage.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I’d rather the soldiers delivered a barrage of bullets to end Hasan’s attack the second he opened fire.

I’d rather Hasan was dead and the heroes he murdered were still alive.

But because of Clinton’s ingenious policy of an unarmed armed forces, this psychopath methodically executed soldier after soldier before a local traffic cop could arrive on the scene.

If we didn't have “Gun Free Zones” and our armed forces were . . . I don't know . . . ARMED, Nadir Hasan would have met bullets instead of bodies.

On this Veteran’s Day, remember that the safety of our armed forces is of paramount importance whether it’s on the battlefield or here at home.

Please join the National Association of Gun Rights in our battle against "Gun Free Zones."

In Liberty,

CCRKBA BLASTS DALEY’S ‘NEW LOW,’ FOR BLAMING FORT HOOD MASSACRE ON GUNS

BELLEVUE, WA – Anti-gun Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has reached a new low in his attempt to blame the Fort Hood massacre on firearms, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“Mayor Daley is deplorably capitalizing on the outrage at Fort Hood to push his gun prohibition agenda,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “This is the height of moral bankruptcy from a man whose administration was sued Wednesday morning by the Chicago inspector general over apparent interference with an investigation into possible wrongdoing by current and former city employees.”

On Monday, Daley reacted to the Fort Hood shooting by telling reporters, “Unfortunately, America loves Guns. We love guns to a point where that, uh, we see devastation on a daily basis. You don't blame a group.”

“You don't blame guns, either,” Gottlieb fired back. “You hold the perpetrator responsible for his crime, not the instruments he used. Would Daley blame cars for the highway carnage created by drunk drivers?

“Perhaps the real culprit here,” he continued, “is former President Bill Clinton. The Washington Times revealed this morning that after he took office in 1993, the Army, under Clinton, instituted a ban on the carrying of firearms by military personnel on their bases. As a result, soldiers have been disarmed and left vulnerable to this kind of attack. Using Daley’s logic, he should blame Clinton for the Fort Hood massacre. That makes more sense than blaming guns.

“Daley has an agenda,” Gottlieb observed, “that he shares with other anti-gun extremists. They will exploit any tragedy to pursue their goal of public disarmament and destruction of the Second Amendment. Whether it is the assassination of a Seattle police officer, the murder of 13 people at Fort Hood, or the horrible body count of crime victims that has piled up in Chicago under Daley’s regime, they will dance through the blood toward the nearest sympathetic microphone to push their cause.

“America must ignore the ravings of anti-gun fanatics,” he concluded, “who are so blinded by a hatred for individual liberty and personal protection that they cannot see how foolish and petty they have become.”

Anti-gun government schools.

Great . . . more overreaction typical of the anti-gun culture permeating government institutions . . .

Educators at Brody Middle School must have had the fright of their lives given the way they panicked at the sight of a bag of empty shell casings . . . empty shell casings that had the word “Blank” clearly printed on the side of each one.

Knowing no other way to save their students from the horrors of empty blanks, school officials suspended Jazmine Martin, who had brought the casings to school for show and tell.

Jazmine and her family had recently attended an old west show during their visit to the Circle B Ranch on a summer vacation in South Dakota.

The show’s highlight was a simulated gun fight, after which Jazmine excitedly gathered up the shell casings.

“They picked up the shells as souvenirs of that event -- it was wonderful," said Chenoa Martin, Jazmine’s mother.

Her daughter was eager to show her findings to her science teacher, but it proved too much for her Principal, Randy Gordon.

Apparently, even a mere interest in anything related to firearms or ammunition is strictly forbidden in government schools, and anyone who steps out of bounds simply must be punished.

Thank goodness her parents are fighting this outrageous suspension to make sure their daughter maintains her unblemished record.

Call Principal Gordon yourself at 515-242-8443 to console him on what, judging by his reaction, must have been a very traumatizing experience.

In Liberty,

Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Newsletter

Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Project is based at the Independence Institute,
a free-market think tank in Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org

Delivery of this newsletter comes courtesy of the Second Amendment Foundation, in Bellevue, Washington.
http://www.saf.org

Please visit Dave Kopel's website, containing articles on the Second Amendment and other freedom topics.
http://www.davekopel.org

To unsubscribe from this newsletter please reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject. Please send all unsubscribe emails to subscriptions@liberty.seanet.com.

Table of Contents

A Special Note to Readers: 10th Anniversary!

New by Kopel: A New Book: Aiming for Liberty; Sotomayor Written and Videotaped Testimony; Short Articles on OSHA Head, Supreme Court on McCain-Feingold, Anti-Gun Books review, Sudan, Gun Ownership, Somali Pirates; Articles in Scholarly Journals on 'Gun-Free' Zones, the Arms Trade, Blogging and Citizen Involvement ; Podcasts and Videos, on Chicago, McCain-Feingold, Obama and Open Carry, The Thune Amendment, Article IV of the Constitution, Sotomayor, the 7th Amendment, Montana FFA and... The Nannyism Panel! Also Dave's Ongoing Blog Entries on Knife Rights, Juvenile Gun Possession, Chicago, CCW in Churches, Thailand, Conservatives and Civil Rights, Justice Stevens, Registration Allowed, Firearms Dealer wins in NYC, Misdemeanor Ban, and a Chinese Armed Victim

International: Ground Zero Recalled; Small Arms Treaty Redux; Canadian Registry Vote; Finnish Searches; Indian Gun Licenses; Irish Handgun Bans and Self-Defense; Mexican Gun Sources and Armed Mormons; Israelis Arm Themselves; Kenya Hangs for AK's; Philippines Reject Gun Ban; Russians Arming; Rwanda Disarms; Saudis Allow Gun Shops; South African Gun Control; Taiwanese won't Arm; British Culture; Venezuelan Ammunition Restrictions

Federal: Amtrak Guns; D.C. Representation; Public Housing; Udall and the Thune Amendment; Markey, Coffman on New Ranges

States: California Ammunition Law and Fees; Delaware Confiscation Gone; D.C. Tweaks Laws; Louisiana Parade Veto; Detroit Murders; Texas adjusts Laws; The NY Nunchaku Case

Self-Defense: ASIS Flips on Parking Lot Bans; MSU Allows CCW Transit; College Gun SPEECH Bans; Bad Polls for Gun Bans; Virginia Elections; Nevada Pols at Range Opening; Open Carry near Obama; Drug and Gun Control; Brady Campaign criticizes Obama

Law: Supreme Court on McDonald, Judge Stevens; Federal Case allows Registration; State Cases of the Seattle Parks Ban, Florida Castle Doctrine, Illinois Car Consoles, N.J. denies right to Handguns, N.C. Felon's RKBA

Research: Knife Rights; Modern Shooting Rifles; Gun Show Study and Criticism; School Shootings as Ban Justification; The 2nd and 14th Amendments; U.N. Treaty Analysis

A Special Note to Readers

November 4, 2009

Happy Tenth Anniversary! This issue marks the ten-year anniversary of this newsletter. I look forward to the next ten years of working with the Second Amendment Foundation to provide news and analysis about the right to arms and the right of self-defense. Sorry for the long delay since this last issue. Things have been busier than ever the past few months. I hope to get back on track for more frequent publication of this newsletter.

New by Kopel

New Book: Aiming for Liberty

Aiming for Liberty

David Kopel
Merril Press
December 4, 2009
http://www.amazon.com/Aiming-LIberty-Present-Freedom-Self-Defense/dp/0936783583/davekopel-20/
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Aiming-for-Liberty/David-B-Kopel/e/9780936783581/?itm=2

Dave's new book, Aiming for Liberty: The Past, Present, And Future of Freedom and Self-Defense, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Publication date is Dec. 4, 2009

Podcast on Aiming for Liberty

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Podcast
October 16, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast340.mp3

Dave discusses his new book for 11 minutes with Jon Caldara, and explains the book's contents and objectives.

Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee

Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee

David B. Kopel
Hearings before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate
July 13-16, 2009
http://judiciary.senate.gov/pdf/07-16-09KopelTestimony.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

Here is the longer written testimony presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Second Amendment record of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Live Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee

David B. Kopel
Hearings before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate
July 13-16, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yzwk42n

Here is the C-Span video of Dave's oral testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Second Amendment record of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Short Articles by Kopel

OSHEESH! How President Obama's Latest Anti-gun Appointee—proposed OSHA Director David Michaels—Could place Sweeping Restrictions on your Right to Keep and Bear Arms

David Kopel
America's 1st Freedom
November, 2009
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Mags/OSHEESH-David-Michaels-OSHA.htm

David Michaels, President Obama's choice to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, would have the power to ban firearms at workplaces and their parking lots throughout the United States. Dave fears he has that inclination.

Will the Supreme Court Set Speech Free?

David Kopel
America's 1st Freedom
September, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/Free-Speech.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

Dave discusses the Supreme Court, censorship of political speech, and the case of Citizens United v. FEC.

From Bad to Worse

Dave Kopel
America's 1st Freedom
October, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/Gun-Banner-Books.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

Here are Dave's book reviews of Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths that Paralyze American Gun Policy, by Dennis A. Henigan and Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea by Joshua Horwitz & Casey Anderson.

What's the Difference between a "Living Constitution" and a Dead Document?

Dave Kopel
America's 1st Freedom
September, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/Living-Constitution.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

The "living Constitution" theory of interpretation should lead to strong protection for a vital Second Amendment.

The OAS Treaty: Blueprint for Dismantling the Second Amendment

Dave Kopel
America's 1st Freedom
August, 2009
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/oas-treaty.htm

The current Administration's support for a dangerous international treaty shows its disdain for the Constitution and America's law-abiding gun owners.

The Guns of Sudan

David Kopel, Paul Gallant, Joanne Eisen
The New Ledger
July 7, 2009
http://newledger.com/2009/07/the-guns-of-sudan/

The U.S. and the U.N. are supporting an effort by the new Government of South Sudan to disarm the civilian victims of government atrocities.

The Liberal Argument for Gun Ownership

David Kopel
Boulder Weekly
June 2-8, 2009
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/OpEds/liberal-argument-for-gun-ownership.htm

"Should liberals respect the constitutional right to keep and bear arms? The answer is plainly "yes," especially if liberals adhere to their traditional best principles of tolerance and diversity, and of respect for civil liberties under a living Constitution."

Bloody Pirates!

Dave Kopel
America's 1st Freedom
July, 2009
http://nrapublications.org/a1f/BloodyPirates.html

How can a few thugs disrupt the entire shipping industry? It's simple when the good guys have water hoses and air horns for self-defense, and only the bad guys have guns.

Articles by Kopel in Scholarly Journals

Pretend 'Gun-Free' School Zones: A Deadly Legal Fiction

David B. Kopel
Connecticut Law Review
Vol. 42, No. 2, December 2009, forthcoming
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1369783

"Most states issue permits to carry a concealed handgun for lawful protection to an applicant who is over 21 years of age, and who passes a fingerprint-based background check and a safety class. These permits allow the person to carry a concealed defensive handgun almost everywhere in the state. Should professors, school teachers, or adult college and graduate students who have such permits be allowed to carry firearms on campus?" The text of the article may be downloaded from one of the sites linked to the Social Science Research Network's site.

The Arms Trade Treaty: Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Prospects for Arms Embargoes on Human Rights Violators

David Kopel, Paul Gallant, and Joanne Eisen
Penn State Law Review
Vol. 104, forthcoming
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1437204

"This paper first examines the ATT, and observes that the ATT, if implemented as promised, would require dozens of additional arms embargoes, including embargoes on much of Africa. The paper then provides case studies of the current supply of arms to the dictatorship in Zimbabwe and to the warlords in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The paper argues that the ATT would do nothing to remediate the conditions which have allowed so many arms to be acquired by human rights violators in Zimbabwe and the DRC. The ATT would have no more effective force than the embargoes that are already imposed by the UN Security Council; therefore states, including China, which violate current Security Council embargoes could just as well violate ATT embargoes." The text of the article may be downloaded from one of the sites linked to the Social Science Research Network's site.

Unraveling Judicial Restraint: Guns, Abortion, and the Faux Conservatism of J. Harvie Wilkinson, III

David B. Kopel and Nelson Lund
Journal of Law & Politics
2009, forthcoming
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1309714

This article is a critique of 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Wilkinson's Virginia Law Review article asserting that D.C. v. Heller is a 21st century version of Roe v. Wade. The text of the article may be downloaded from one of the sites linked to the Social Science Research Network's site.

Connecting Laypeople with the Law through Blogs

Dave Kopel
DU Process: An Online Supplement to the Denver University Law Review
October 19, 2009
http://www.duprocess.org/home/2009/10/19/part-two-connecting-laypeople-with-the-law-through-blogs.html

This material is Dave's part of DU's symposium on Legal Scholarship in the Internet Age, for which see here: http://www.duprocess.org/home/2009/10/19/part-two-connecting-laypeople-with-the-law-through-blogs.html.

Podcasts and Videos by or Featuring Kopel

Guns at Presidential Speeches

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Podcast
August 21, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast325.mp3

Kopel and Caldara discusses the lawful carrying of firearms outside of buildings where the President is speaking, and why Kopel thinks it is harmful to the pro-Second Amendment movement. Aug. 21, 2009. 11:58 long.

National Concealed Carry

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Podcast
July 29, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast319.mp3

Kopel and Caldara discuss the Thune Amendment, which would have created national concealed carry reciprocity. 11:35 in duration.

The Privileges and Immunities Clause

Dave Kopel with Rob Natelson
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Podcast
July 23, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast319.mp3

Dave interviews University of Montana law professor Rob Natelson about Natelson's research on the original meaning of the Article IV provision: "The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States." 46 minute podcast.

A Sotomayor Critic Weighs In

Dave Kopel with Todd Zwillich
WNYC, "The Takeaway."
July 15, 2009
http://www.thetakeaway.org/stories/2009/jul/15/hearing-voices-sotomayor-critic-weighs/

Kopel and Christian Science Monitor reporter Todd Zwillich discuss the Sotomayor nomination. This page leads to a summary, other material, and a link to the podcast. Dave's portion begins at about 5:10 in and continues for approximately 14 minutes.

Video from the Independence Institute's Panel on Nannyism

Dave Kopel
The Independence Institute
June 19, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yzcb9xh
http://tinyurl.com/yctp2t2

On the day before the Independence Institute's annual Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms day, there was a panel on Nannyism at the Warwick Hotel in Denver. Speakers included Andrew Breitbart (Drudge Report, Big Hollywood and the ACORN Videos), Radley Balko (Reason), Linda Gorman (Independence Institute), David Harsanyi (Denver Post), Andrew Boucher (NoCoPolitics.com), Jordan Lipp (Colorado Civil Justice League), Terry Gallagher (Smoker Friendly), and Dave. The videos are available on the Independence Institute's MySpace page, here: http://tinyurl.com/yctp2t2. The video of Dave's 18 minute presentation is here: http://tinyurl.com/yzcb9xh

7th Circuit decision in NRA v. Chicago

Dave Kopel with Jon Caldara
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Podcast
June 4, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast307.mp3

Jon Caldara and Dave discuss the 7th Circuit decision in NRA v. Chicago.

Guns in National Parks

Dave Kopel with Amy Oliver
The Amy Oliver Show on KFKA Radio
June 10, 2009
http://audio.ivoices.org/mp3/iipodcast304.mp3

Dave and Amy Oliver discuss the Montana Firearms Freedom Act, which attempts to exempt guns manufactured and possessed within Montana from federal laws based on the interstate commerce power. The podcast lasts for 16 minutes.

New Blog Posts by Kopel

Huge Win for Knife Rights

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
October 20, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/10/20/huge-win-for-knife-rights/

Dave here rejoices in the success of the citizens' group Knife Rights in removing import restrictions caused by an over-broad definition of 'switchblade' knives.

First Circuit Upholds Federal Ban on Juvenile Handgun Possession

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
October 6, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/10/06/first-circuit-upholds-federal-ban-on-juvenile-handgun-possession/

"As you'll see by reading the First Circuit case, there are good reason why the juvenile delinquent should not have owned a gun. But I [believe] that there is a less restrictive alternative than the federal approach."

Background Reading for Supreme Court's New 14th/2d Amendment Case

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 30, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/09/30/background-reading-for-supreme-courts-new-14th2d-amendment-case/

Dave here offers a collection of material for those wishing to acquire background for the NRA v. Chicago case.

Buddhists and Moslems Arm Against Terrorists:

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 21, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_09_20-2009_09_26.shtml#1253564382

Dave links to sources for information about a burgeoning civil war in southern Thailand and civilian efforts at self-defense against Islamic radicals..

Does CHL ban in Churches Violate the First Amendment?

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 29, 2009
http://volokh.com/2009/09/29/does-chl-ban-in-churches-violate-the-first-amendment/

This is a full deliberation on the correctness of Arkansas's Attorney General view that that state may ban concealed handguns in churches.

Conservatives and the Civil Rights Movement:

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 11, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_09_06-2009_09_12.shtml#1252645437

One Tim Wise makes the amazing assertion that conservatives are opposed to civil rights, and would have opposed the Reverend Martin Luther King. Dave points out that Charlton Heston marched with Dr. King and provides other contradictory examples.

More on Gun Registration, and Guns at POTUS Speeches

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
August 21, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_08_16-2009_08_22.shtml#1250902014

Dave links to an article with which he disagrees on firearms registration and offers some additional deliberation on 'open carry' at or near presidential events.

Justice Stevens Loves the NRA

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 9, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_09_06-2009_09_12.shtml#1252521881

Supreme Court Justice Stevens seemed to approve of an NRA alternative to bans on political speech under McCain-Feingold during arguments before the Court.

7th Circuit Says Gun Registration is OK. Guns at Obama Protests

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
August 20, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_08_16-2009_08_22.shtml#1250794427/

Dave points out the lack of substantiation for the 7th Circuit's opinion saying that registration short of a ban is acceptable under Heller. He points out the media manipulation of the 'open carry' event in the vicinity of a speech by President Obama in Arizona.

Second Circuit Rules in Favor of Firearms Dealers on Procedural Due Process

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
August 17, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_08_16-2009_08_22.shtml#1250527213

Here is an examination of the decision in Spinelli v. City of New York, in which the Second Circuit ruled on behalf of a New York City firearms dealer who had her stock seized and later returned by the city's police.

Tenth Circuit Split on Gun Ban for Misdemeanants

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
August 13, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_08_09-2009_08_15.shtml#1250211510

Here is an examination of a decision concerning the problematic federal ban on firearms possession by someone convicted of a misdemeanor act of domestic violence.

Chinese Woman Resists Rape, is Criminally Convicted, then Released

David Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
June 16, 2009
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_06_14-2009_06_20.shtml#1245187577

A waitress who fatally stabbed one Communist Party official and wounded another was convicted of assault and 'excessive defense' after she resisted the two men's attempt to rape and beat her. She was nonetheless released.

International

The View from Ground Zero

Scott Bach
nj.com
September 8, 2009
http://blog.nj.com/njv_scott_bach/2009/09/the_view_from_ground_zero.html

NRA Board member Scott Bach offers a poignant recollection of his immediate feelings after witnessing the aftermath of the assault of 9/11 upon New York City.

Arms-trafficking Treaty Threatens U.S. Sovereignty

H. Sterling Burnett
All Business
August 23, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yzcb9xh

The U.N. is urging its ineffective treaty on small-arms trafficking for passage in the U.S. Senate. Mr. Burnett urges its rejection.

Canada

Gun Registry Battle Rages

Kathleen Harris
London Free Press (Canada)
October 26, 2009
http://www.lfpress.com/news/canada/2009/10/26/11523566-sun.html

"The debate is heating up before a scheduled Nov. 4 vote on private member's bill C-391 to repeal the registry." Critics have long labeled Canada's registry of long guns a useless waste of resources.

Finland

New Gun Law Opening Doors To Police

YLE
Finnish Broadcasting Company (Finland)
August 16, 2008
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/08/new_gun_law_opening_doors_to_police_931965.html

"New gun control legislation may give police new enforcement powers. The Sunday newspaper supplement Sunnuntaisuomalainen writes that new legislation, under preparation, will allow the police to inspect the homes of gun permit holders without the need to establish suspicion of a crime."

Former Soviet Union

Russians Increase Purchases of Guns for Self-Defense

Paul Goble
July 20, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ngtkq7

"As the economic crisis deepens and fears of crime spread, not only are more Russians buying guns of various kinds -- including pistols and gas guns -- but many of them are buying more than one, trends that are prompting some Duma deputies to consider repealing existing restrictions on the purchase of hunting rifles for self-defense."

South Ossetia Tries to Disarm Its Citizens

Ellen Barry
The New York Times
August 14, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/world/europe/15ossetia.html?_r=1

"Now, with Russia guaranteeing its security, South Ossetia is asking residents to turn in their weapons voluntarily. The police have opened 50 criminal prosecutions for illegal weapons and plan to offer $300 to $400 for each Kalashnikov rifle, a top official said."

India

HC wants Guidelines for Refusing Arms Licence

Mayura Janwalkar
DNA (India)
February 13, 2009
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_hc-wants-guidelines-for-refusing-arms-licence_1230331

"The Bombay High Court (HC) on Thursday directed the state government to frame guidelines outlining the criteria for granting arms licences. The court also directed the state home department to reconsider the gun licence application filed by criminal advocate Khan Abdul Wahab and pass necessary orders in two weeks."

Ireland

Farmers urge Minister to Rethink Restrictive New Gun Licensing Laws

Ray Ryan
The Irish Examiner
August 22, 2009
http://www.examiner.ie/business/snsncweysn/

"Farmers have called on Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to rethink gun laws that have just been introduced. No new handgun licences will be issued under the legislation, with limited exceptions for Olympic shooting sports."

Right to Defend Your Home should not be seen as 'licence to kill'

Emer O'Kelly
The Sunday Independent (Ireland)
September 20, 2009
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/right-to-defend-your-home-should-not-be-seen-as-licence-to-kill-1891577.html

"But if any force used against an intruder is to be deemed 'reasonable', we will have a charter for unchecked lethal violence."

Israel

Number of Gun Applications Doubles

Yael Levy
ynetnews.com
September 17, 2009
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3762760,00.html

"Interior Ministry says recent surge in violence has it receiving twice as many requests for firearms permits. Number of appeals over denied requests nearly triples; those ineligible for gun license opt for tear gas, knives."

Kenya

Owning AK-47 Soon to be a Hanging Offence

Kenneth Ogosia
Daily Nation (Kenya)
October 6, 2009
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/669076/-/unii2d/-/

"Owners of illegal guns and police officers who rent their firearms to criminals could soon face the death penalty. Law enforcement agencies are pushing for tighter gun control and have proposed a raft of tough measures to be discussed by the Cabinet soon."

Mexico

Gun Traffickers Recruiting Women as Buyers

Kevin Johnson
USA. Today
August 23, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/m9w8qj

"Federal law enforcement officials don't track the numbers of women involved in gun-trafficking cases. But as the demand for weapons in Mexico has escalated in the past two years, trafficking rings have been increasingly recruiting women with clean criminal records to buy weapons for them, said J. Dewey Webb, chief of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Houston."

Gun Shows, Thieves Linked to Drug Weapons: ATF Says Most Weapons Didn't Come from Licensed Dealers

Stewart M. Powell
Houston Chronicle
July 16, 2009
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6533393.html

"Less than half of an estimated 18,000 American firearms used in Mexico's drug wars over the last three years have been traced back to licensed gun dealers — suggesting [emphasis added] most are stolen or bought at gun shows where background checks are not required, a federal law enforcement official told Congress on Thursday."

Mexico to Give Arms, Training to Mormon Community Anti-crime Force after Murder of Activist

Mark Stevenson
Associated Press
July 11, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yjthpjm

"Authorities in northern Mexico will give arms and training to members of an anti-crime group in a Mormon community after two local residents were killed by hit men with ties to organized crime, residents said Friday."

New Zealand

Gun Owners Angry after Siege Sparks New Rules

NZPA
Hawke's Bay Today (New Zealand)
August 18, 2009
http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/gun-owners-angry-after-siege-sparks-new-rules/3902985/

"Changes to licensing rules for military-style semi-automatic weapons would not have prevented the deadly Jan Molenaar siege on Napier Hill and was a 'knee-jerk reaction', say firearms lobbyists."

Philippines

Comelec Rejects Total Gun Ban

Aaron B. Recuenco
Manila Bulletin (Philippines)
August 13, 2009
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/215750/comelec-rejects-total-gun-ban

"The Philippine National Police (PNP) was left scrambling for another means to prevent firearms-related election violence in next year's polls after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rejected its proposal for a total gun ban."

Rwanda

Country Takes Firm Stand against Arms Proliferation

Gilbert Ndikubwayezu
Allafrica.com
July 9, 2009
http://allafrica.com/stories/200907090513.html

"According to the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA), Rwanda has carried out arms destruction exercises that have, since January 2009, seen over 16,000 obsolete, surplus and illegally held firearms destroyed."

Saudi Arabia

Saudi to Permit Gun Shops

Agence France Presse
October 17, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yfrwggd

"Saudis will be able to buy handguns and other personal firearms openly for the first time after the interior ministry said on Saturday it will licence privately owned gun shops."

South Africa

DA: Zuma Displaying Ignorance about Guns

Carien du Plessis
Cape Argus (South Africa)

http://tinyurl.com/ycu6h4u

South African President Jacob Zuma's call to eliminate civilian firearms ownership provoked a number of angry responses.

Gun control Law: Mthethwa Under fire

Pretoria News
September 1, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yg4gocr

"The Cape High Court has given Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa 90 days to draw up guidelines for compensation for firearms surrendered under the gun control law. The ruling could result in pay-outs totaling millions of rands for gun owners who have handed in weapons since 2004."

Black Gun Owners up in Arms

South African Press Association
June 25, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yhsmw4s

"Police are intimidating South African gun owners and defrauding citizens of their lawful property, black firearm owners said on Thursday."

Taiwan

Legalization of Gun Ownership Not Considered: Interior Minister

Lin Kun-hsu and Y.L. Kao
Central News Agency
October 22, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/y9ec7m3

"Jiang said the disadvantages of allowing gun ownership outweigh the benefits and that the ministry will only consider allowing security guards to carry firearms."

United Kingdom

There is a Compelling Case to Get the Hunting Ban off the Statute Book

Nick Herbert, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Telegraph (UK)
October 18, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yfselw9

"Labour's attack on hunting was an act of spite. It attempted to create two nations, dividing town and country. It treated the rural minority with contempt, bordering on hatred." In this context in the U.K., "hunting" means the pursuit of foxes on horseback with hounds.

James Chapman
The Daily Mail (UK)
August 26, 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208782/Britains-drug-gun-culture-bad-U-S-crime-The-Wire-say-Tories.html

"Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling will blame Labour for standing by while 'urban war' breaks out in parts of the country. Carrying weapons is becoming the norm, violence is 'routine' and families are terrorised by gangs, he will say."

Venezuela

Jeremy Morgan
Latin American Herald Tribune
September 28, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/y9jw9p5

Prodded by Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's National Assembly is considering legislation to limit ammunition purchases to fifty rounds per person per year.

Federal

Fight to Allow Weapons aboard Amtrak Trains could Derail Transportation Bill

Walter Alarkon
The Hill
October 25, 2009
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/64663-gun-fight-over-amtrak-could-put-transportation-spending-bill-off-the-legislative-tracks

"Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the appropriator who sponsored the Senate's transportation spending bill, voted against the provision. Murray is concerned that complying with the provision would be cost-prohibitive for Amtrak, said Alex Glass, a Murray spokeswoman."

Democrats Hold Fire on Gun Control

Jonathan Allen
Politico
October 28, 2009
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28819.html

"The struggles for Democrats in moving on D.C. representation show the success of the gun lobby — even when Congress and the White House are under complete Democratic control."

House Panel Adopts Amendment Allowing Guns in Public Housing

Karoun Demirjian
CQ Politics
August 31, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ygj99rj

"Gun rights advocates scored a victory Thursday as the House Financial Services Committee adopted an amendment to allow guns in public housing projects."

Gun Vote keeps Faith with Colorado Law

Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)
The Denver Post
August 2, 2009
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_12951534

The Colorado Democrat disputes the Denver Post's criticisms of his vote to support the Thune Amendment, which would have allowed nationwide reciprocity on concealed carry permits.

Markey, Coffman seek funds for shooting ranges

The Greeley Tribune (CO)
October 16, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ylyb7n8

"Two Colorado congressional members have introduced a resolution designed to improve and create more public shooting ranges for gun owners and sportsmen." Markey is a Democrat, representing Colorado's 4th District, Coffman is a Republican from Colorado's 6th District.

States

California

NRA Firing Back at Gun Bill

Katie Browning
San Diego News Room (CA)
October 27, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ykrhrv9

"The NRA and its supporters are promising to fight Assemblyman Kevin DeLeon's (D-L.A.) AB 962, the bill recently signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger that requires stricter control over the purchase of handgun ammunition and bans all internet ammunition sales. Because Schwarzenegger vetoed the same bill one year ago, gun groups were surprised by the action."

Bill to Narrow the Use of Hunting Fees Vetoed

Ed Zieralski
The San Diego Union-Tribune
October 16, 2009
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/16/bill-narrow-use-hunting-fees-vetoed/

"The bill would have mandated that user fees — about $9.5 million from the sale of bear, elk, wild sheep, antelope, wild pig, deer and upland bird tags and stamps — be used for related conservation activities and public hunting purposes. It would have required the DFG to file Internet reports detailing how the money was spent."

Delaware

NCCo Gun Laws Now in Line with State, U.S.

Around Delaware
The News Journal (Wilmington, DE)
October 28, 2009
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910280367

"A 1960s-era section of the code gave the county executive power to restrict weapons in the hands of residents during emergencies. County Council voted Tuesday to clean up language in the code by deleting a sentence that says the top administrator may impose 'limitations upon the carrying or stockpiling of firearms, weapons or ammunition' during declared states of emergency."

District of Columbia

D.C. Expands List Of Allowed Guns To Avert Lawsuit

Tim Craig
The Washington Post
June 20, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061901822.html

"The D.C. government released emergency regulations yesterday that greatly expand the models of handguns that District residents can own, a shift designed to stave off another lawsuit over its compliance with the Second Amendment."

Louisiana

Gov. Bobby Jindal Vetoes Bill to Ban Guns near Parade Routes

Paula Devlin
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA)
July 14, 2009
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/07/gov_bobby_jindal_vetoes_bill_t.html

Governor Jindal vetoed a bill that would have made it a crime to carry firearms within 1,000 feet of a parade or demonstration in Louisiana.

Michigan

Getting away with Murder is the Norm in Detroit: Police Chief Calls City's Closure Rate 'Abysmal'

Charlie LeDuff
The Detroit News
September 10, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yj5h6jy

"The most generous interpretation of 2008 homicide warrants and convictions supplied by local law enforcement officials shows that in more than 70 percent of homicide cases no suspect has been identified, arrested, charged or convicted of a killing."

North Dakota

New Concealed Weapon Permit Laws

Press Release
Wayne Stenehjem, North Dakota Attorney General
July 31, 2009
http://www.ag.nd.gov/documents/07-31-09_000.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

"Beginning August 1, 2009, applicants for a North Dakota Concealed Weapon Permit will have a choice of permits. In an effort to increase the number of states that recognize North Dakota's concealed weapon permits, the new law creates a two-tier system."

Texas

A Look at Some of the New Laws Taking Effect Tuesday

Associated Press(TX)
August 29, 2009
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=11009184

The article runs down some new provisions in Texas's concealed carry laws.

Self-Defense

ASIS Supports Property Owner Right to Prohibit Firearms

Sherry Harowitz
Press Release
September 25, 2009
http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/asis-supports-property-owner-right-prohibit-firearms-006217

This later post completely reverses an editorial posted four days previously by ASIS International, a corporate security firm, which objected to the efforts of corporations to prohibit firearms in their employees' cars while parked on company property. The earlier editorial is no longer available for public access.

Michigan State Approves Exception To Weapons Ban

Associated Press (MI)
June 20, 2009
http://www.wsbt.com/news/regional/48677387.html

"Michigan State University has approved an exception to its campus weapons ban allowing people with permits to carry concealed weapons to walk or drive through campus with a gun."

Some Colleges Bar Even Talking About Right to Bear Arms, Gun Advocates Say

Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Fox News
June 4, 2009
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525110,00.html

"Since the Virginia Tech murders in 2007, in which 32 people were gunned down by a student with a history of mental illness, a line has been drawn between those who feel that licensed gun owners should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus, and those who believe prevention and tougher gun laws are the best response to a campus gunman."

Politics

In U.S., Record-Low Support for Stricter Gun Laws

Jeffrey M. Jones
The Gallup Organization
October 9, 2009
http://www.gallup.com/poll/123596/In-U.S.-Record-Low-Support-Stricter-Gun-Laws.aspx?CSTS=tagrss

"Gallup finds a new low of 44% of Americans saying the laws covering firearm sales should be made more strict. That is down 5 points in the last year and 34 points from the high of 78% recorded the first time the question was asked, in 1990."

50% Oppose Stricter Gun Control Laws

Rasmussen Reports
October 5, 2009
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/gun_control/50_oppose_stricter_gun_control_laws

"A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 50% are opposed to stricter gun control laws, and 11% are not sure."

Editorial: Guns and the Virginia Election

The Washington Times
October 29, 2009
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/29/guns-and-the-virginia-election/

"Mr. Shannon's attacks on Mr. Cuccinelli are not only false; the policies that Mr. Shannon advocates would disarm law-abiding Virginians and increase crime. That's the real election issue for Virginians who care about their personal safety."

Politicians Aim for Shooters' Votes: Clark County Shooting Park Dedication Triggers Assertions of Gun Rights Support

Benjamin Spillman
Las Vegas Review-Journal
August 26, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ybflj2v

"Reid, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons and Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Harry Reid progeny Rory Reid all took turns declaring their support for gun rights in Nevada, a wide-open Western state where Democrats and Republicans love shooting."

Did Rifle-Toting Obama Protester Help or Hurt Gun Rights?

Patrik Jonsson
August 23, 2009
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8381740

"The appearance of weapons near the president at a speech and a healthcare town hall has been cast as either a danger to the president and public debate or a sign of that gun ownership is gradually losing its stigma."

Drug Control Begets Gun Control

Jacob Sullum
Reason Magazine
July, 2009
http://reason.com/news/show/133857.html

"Obama is right that the U.S. is largely responsible for the carnage in Mexico, which claimed more than 6,000 lives last year. But the problem is neither the drugs Americans buy nor the guns they sell; it's the war on drugs our government has drafted the rest of the world to fight."

Obama and the Gun Lobby: A Policy of Appeasement?

Dennis A. Henigan, President, the Brady Center
The Huffington Post
September 15, 2009
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-a-henigan/obama-and-the-gun-lobby-a_b_287152.html

"The guiding principle of the Obama gun policy seems to be: whatever happens, don't rile up the gun guys."

Law

The Supreme Court

ChicagoGunCase.com: Restoring the 2nd Amendment

Alan Gura et al.
The 2nd Amendment Foundation
Ongoing
http://www.chicagoguncase.com/

Here is an informational web page on the 2nd Amendment Foundation's and other activities on the impending McDonald v. Chicago Second Amendment Rights case due for arguments before the Supreme Court this November.

Arguing against the Gun Ban

Fredricka Whitfield with Otis McDonald
CNN
October 3, 2009
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/10/03/nr.gun.lawyer.cnn

CNN interviews Otis McDonald, the plaintiff in the above-mentioned case. McDonald is a 76-year-old resident of Chicago who desires a firearm for self-defense.

Justice Stevens and the NRA

Tony Mauro
BLT: The Blog of Legal Times
September 11, 2009
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/09/justice-stevens-and-the-nra.html

"During Wednesday's extraordinary Supreme Court oral argument in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, some of the more remarkable moments came when Justice John Paul Stevens repeatedly referred, with approval, to a brief filed in the case by the National Rifle Association."

Federal Cases

Appeals Court: Government Can Require Gun Registration

Declan McCullagh
CBS News
August 19, 2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/19/taking_liberties/entry5253857.shtml

"A three-judge panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said that, even after the Supreme Court's high-profile gun rights decision last year, the Second Amendment is no obstacle to mandatory gun registration."

State Cases

NRA Sues Seattle over Illegal Gun Ban

Press Release
The National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action
October 30, 2009
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=5194

"On October 28, NRA filed a complaint in the Superior Court of Washington State against the City of Seattle, asking the court to enjoin and declare invalid a recently enacted parks and recreation administrative policy that prohibits firearms in parks, community centers and other city-owned buildings. Other plaintiffs in the case include state correctional officers and private citizens."

SAF, NRA file Lawsuit to Overturn Seattle Parks Gun Ban

Dave Workman
The Examiner
October 28, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ykgltve

Here is a comprehensive news story about the lawsuit mentioned directly above.

D.C. Appeals Court Upholds Mandatory Gun Licensing

Declan McCullagh
CBS News
September 10, 2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/10/taking_liberties/entry5299667.shtml

"An appeals court in Washington, D.C. has upheld the city's extremely restrictive law requiring residents to obtain licenses to carry handguns outside of their homes."

Court Ruling Clarifies Self-defense Law

Bill Kaczork
The Associated Press
August 20, 2009
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090820/ARTICLE/908201072?Title=Court-ruling-clarifies-self-defense-law

"Florida's 'stand-your-ground' law allows the use of deadly force for self-protection even if an attacker or intruder is in retreat, an appellate court said Wednesday."

High Court Rules Guns Can be Stored in Car Consoles

Andy Kravetz
The Journal Star(IL)
May 5, 2009
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x593076740/Supreme-Court-upholds-ruling-on-Peoria-gun-case

"The state's high court held that transporting a weapon in a car's center console falls under the definition of case according to Illinois law."

People v. Diggins

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke
Decision of the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois
October 8, 2009
http://www.state.il.us/COURT/Opinions/SupremeCourt/2009/October/106367.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.

Here is the full text of the court's decision referenced above.

"Jury Awards Dad $50K for Teen's Suicide"

Walter Olson
Overlawered: Chronicling the High cost of Our Legal System
March 27, 2009
http://overlawyered.com/2009/09/jury-awards-dad-50k-for-teen%E2%80%99s-suicide/

Interesting discussion here about a case in which a troubled teen used one of his stepfather's guns to commit suicide. His biological father sued the stepfather for negligence and won.

N.J. Court Says Americans Have No Right To Buy Handguns

Declan McCullagh
CBS News
October 28, 2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/28/taking_liberties/entry5440647.shtml

"In a case decided last week, the superior court upheld a state law saying that nobody may possess 'any handgun' without obtaining law enforcement approval and permission in advance." The decision does say that an applicant for a handgun license has the due process right to demand justification for why he was denied.

NC Supreme Court Restores Felon's Gun Rights

The Associated Press
August 28,2009
http://www.kinston.com/articles/raleigh-58171-associated-restores.html

"The state's high court ruled Friday in the case of Barney Britt of Wake County that the General Assembly went too far five years ago when it toughened restrictions on felons owning guns as part of a broad anti-domestic-violence bill."

Research

Knife Rights: A Sharper Future

Informational Web Page
Ongoing
http://www.kniferights.org/

This web site of the Knife Rights Federation explains their objectives and provides updates upon the effort to preserve rights to arms that are not projectile weapons.

Modern Sporting Rifle

Informational Web Page
The National Shooting Sports Foundation
Ongoing
http://www.nssf.org/MSR/

"The National Shooting Sports Foundation has launched a national media campaign designed to correct widespread misperceptions among gun owners and non-gun owners alike about AR-15-style rifles, also known as Modern Sporting Rifles. It is essential to correct misunderstandings about the use and operation of these rifles because those who support legislation that would wrongly ban ownership of these and other types of semi-automatic firearms are aided by the confusion that exists."

Supply Restrictions at the Margins of Heller and the Abortion Analogue: Stenberg Principles, Assault Weapons, and the Attitudinalist Critique

Nicholas James Johnson
Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 60, No. 6
June 2009
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1494634

"This Article will show how assault weapons might be protected under Heller as a threshold matter, how Stenberg's guarantee of better methodologies to protect life or health applies just as easily to the assault weapons question, and how the response of Court liberals to an assault weapons case will be an important test of the attitudinalist critique." The text of the article may be downloaded from one of the sites linked to the Social Science Research Network's site.

UC Davis Report Exposes Loopholes in Gun-Control Laws

Press Release
The University of California at Davis Health System
September 2, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yfsfpxg

"Gun shows and the lack of uniform gun-control laws provide easy access to guns that can be used for criminal purposes, according to a new report released today from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program." This page contains a link to the full text of the article.

New Gun show 'study' re-warms emotion to push anti-gun agenda

Dave Workman
The Examiner
September 4, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/yhz4atl

"A new study from perennial anti-gunner Garen Wintemute, MD titled 'Inside Gun Shows: What Goes on When Everybody Thinks Nobody's Looking,' may have a short shelf-life after Wintemute acknowledged to a reporter for a Fox News affiliate in Sacramento that the data isn't there to support what amounts to personal opinion and insinuation." The study described is the UC Davis one referenced directly above.

Small Arms Manufacturing Industry in the U.S. and Its International Trade

Research and Markets
September 1, 2009
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/29a73d/small_arms_manufac

"This industry report contains 160 pages of in-depth market research with over 150 charts and tables."

Toward Cheaper Imaging Systems for Identifying Concealed Weaponson the Human Body

Daniel Kane
The University of California at San Diego
June 10, 2009
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/06-09ImagingSystems.asp

"Electrical engineers from the University of California, San Diego invented radio frequency integrated circuits that could lead to significantly less expensive imaging systems for identifying concealed weapons, for helping helicopters to land during dust storms, and for high frequency data communications."

Mass Shootings in Schools: The Worst Possible Case for Gun Control

Gary Kleck
American Behavioral Scientist
June 1, 2009
http://abs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/52/10/1447

"The most frequent policy lesson drawn following the Columbine school shootings was the need for more gun controls. Review of the details of both Columbine and other contemporary school shootings indicates, however, that the specific gun control measures proposed in their aftermath were largely irrelevant and almost certainly could not have prevented the incidents or reduced their death tolls." The full text of the article may downloaded from this abstract page.

'This Right is Not Allowed by Governments that are Afraid of the People': The Public Meaning of the Second Amendment When the Fourteenth Amendment was Ratified

Clayton E. Cramer, Nicholas James Johnson, and George A. Mocsary
Working Paper Series
October 19, 2009
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1491365

"If the Fourteenth Amendment is found to incorporate the Second Amendment against the states, what meaning of the Second Amendment does it include? This paper examines judicial and popular understandings of the Second Amendment in the period between ratification of the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment." The text of the article may be downloaded from one of the sites linked to the Social Science Research Network's site.

The U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty: A Dangerous Multilateral Mistake in the Making

Ted R. Bromund and Steven Groves
The Heritage Foundation
August 21, 2009
http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/bg2309.cfm

Here is an excellent backgrounder on the U.N's ongoing efforts at an international treaty regulating possession and transfer of small arms.

This newsletter is compiled with help from Dr. Rob S. Rice. For more on this eremic, yet gregarious individual, see here: http://robricebooks.com . Dr. Rice has provided audio samples of his prose and poetry. He sounds exactly as you've always thought he would.

Al Qaeda delenda est

Rewriting the Bill of Rights

Make no mistake: Our Founders were onto something when they enshrined the right to keep and bear arms as the Second Amendment to our nation’s founding document, the United States Constitution.

Because the Second Amendment is part of our nation’s supreme law, attacking gun rights means attacking the very foundation of the country.

The gun grabbers know they have to deal with this supreme law at some point if they’re going to push their radical agenda through.

And so they’ve decided to rewrite the Bill of Rights to best suit their plans.

That’s right. In an attempt to circumvent our nation’s fundamental law, Barack Obama has rewritten his own version of the Bill of Rights and posted it on the White House website.

According to Obama, “The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms.”

I don’t know about you, but my right to defend myself comes from my Creator -- not from government, not from some bureaucrat or politician, but from my very nature as a human being.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that redefining a fundamental right as a privilege is a very dangerous path to start down.

A right is inherent in our humanity and can never be taken away.

A privilege can be removed at the whim of one’s rulers.

But the President’s redefinition of our nation’s fundamental law isn’t enough for some anti-freedom zealots.

Gun grabbers in our government-run education system are now seeking to brainwash your children into accepting their anti-gun agenda -- also by rewriting the Bill of Rights.

Lesson plans in Garland, Texas, (Texas?! Really?!) now teach the Second Amendment by summarizing as follows, “Amendment 2: We can get permission to own weapons to protect ourselves.”

This couldn’t be any further from what the Second Amendment clearly states!

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

I want you to call the White House and the Garland Independent School District and demand they restore the original language to the Second Amendment.

The White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
GISD Superintendent Curtis Culwell: 972-487–3023

Tell them you will not stand for revisionist history or the weakening of our nation’s fundamental law. The Founding Fathers wrote it that way for a reason!

In Liberty,

 GUN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS FILE LAWSUIT TO STOP SEATTLE BAN

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation, National Rifle Association and five local residents today filed a lawsuit challenging a new Seattle parks regulation that bans firearms, arguing that the ban violates Washington State’s long-standing preemption statute. They are joined by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Washington Arms Collectors.

The lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court names the City of Seattle, Mayor Greg Nickels and Timothy Gallagher, superintendent of Parks and Recreation, as defendants. Plaintiffs are represented by Seattle attorney Steve Fogg with the Seattle law firm of Corr, Cronin, Michelson, Baumgardner & Preece LLC.

“This ban violates Washington’s 26-year-old model preemption statute,” noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “The ban makes it impossible, under threat of criminal trespass penalty, to lawfully carry firearms for the protection of spouses, partners and children on public property where these citizens have a right to be. We are once again delighted to be joined by the NRA in this action. Our successful collaborations in the past stopped illegal gun confiscations in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and nullified an illegal gun ban in the City of San Francisco.”

Individual plaintiffs in the case are:

Winnie Chan, a Department of Corrections employee who lives in Seattle and works in West Seattle. When she is not on-duty, she often carries her personal concealed handgun, particularly when she is going to be in unfamiliar locations, out late at night, or in large/crowded places. (DOC policy prohibits her from carrying her state-issued firearm when she is off-duty, and therefore she owns a personal firearm.) She is concerned that people she has encountered on the job may be disgruntled and pose a threat to her safety. She sometimes visits Lincoln Park for recreation, and she has seen a sign prohibiting firearms there.

Ray Carter, also a West Seattle resident employed as a car salesman at MC Electric Vehicles in Seattle. He is active in the gay community; he co-chaired the Pride Parade in the mid-1990s and founded the Seattle Chapter of Pink Pistols/Cease Fear. He has testified in Olympia and at City Hall regarding gun bans. The Seattle Weekly wrote an article about Ray in June 2000 entitled “Gays and Guns.” He carries his concealed pistol any place where it is legal, and he believes this is necessary because he is susceptible to hate-related crimes. Ray sometimes visits Lincoln Park and Alki Beach, and he states that he has seen signs prohibiting firearms at those locations.

Gary Goedecke, owner and proprietor of Pikeplace Marketwear, a 35-year old business at Pike Place Market. A Bothell resident, he has been actively involved with the Pike Place Market for years. Gary is an avid gun owner and carries a concealed pistol wherever he can. Gary notes that Steinbrook Park is directly adjacent to the Market and is a very dangerous place; he fears for the safety of his wife (who also works at the Market) and his employees.

Gray Peterson of Lynnwood, who often visits Seattle parks facilities with his domestic partner. Active in the Seattle-area gay community, Peterson is licensed to carry a concealed firearm and does so where it is lawfully permitted because of concerns that he is susceptible to becoming a victim of hate-related crimes. Signs have been posted at some of his favorite parks that prohibit firearms possession.

Robert Kennar, a Department of Corrections employee and resident of Federal Way. He frequently works in Seattle and visits parks and recreation facilities. Kennar has been a crime victim and he often observes criminal activity in Seattle. He is licensed to carry a concealed handgun and always carries his personal firearm when not on duty where he is permitted to do so. He is concerned about retaliation from people he encounters in his line of work. Kennar enjoys visiting Seattle parks, but one of his favorite parks now displays a sign prohibiting firearms.

“This ban affects the rights of all Washington citizens who may visit Seattle parks property and recreation facilities, and especially thousands of Seattle gun owners, many of whom are members of both organizations,” Gottlieb stated. “It essentially impairs the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms for personal protection, which is explicitly protected by Article 1, Section 24 of the state constitution.”

Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna has issued an opinion that the ban is illegal. Under provisions of the ban, legally-armed citizens face arrest for criminal trespass if they enter park property.

“The parks ban is a going-away gift of sour grapes from ousted Mayor Greg Nickels to the citizens of Seattle,” Gottlieb observed. “He is leaving a mess for his successor, and the taxpayers who rejected his third term bid, to clean up.”

 Citizens disarmed for their own safety.

“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”
The Declaration of Independence

Rest assured, your government overlords are working hard to keep you safe.

Last week, officials from TSA and several other government agencies swarmed the Orlando, Florida Greyhound bus station. Their ostensible goal was to keep passengers safe from “terrorists and [those] who mean harm.”

Violating the Fourth Amendment in an attempt to violate the Second, government thugs proceeded to search and disarm every passenger without cause, leaving a whole bus of defenseless and violated citizens.

The only weapons they actually found were a few knives and a single bullet. Yes, a single bullet, and all this, again, without any probably cause or warrants issued.

The Bill of Rights does not expire when you step onto a bus. Unfortunately, some government bureaucrats don't seem to understand.

In Liberty,

 ATF Tries to Revoke "Montana Made" State Sovereignty Laws

We all predicted this would happen.

In a move typical for that fear-mongering organization with an ever-swelling acronym, the BATFE has written gun dealers in the states of Montana and Tennessee to let them know the BATFE will be disregarding the state sovereignty gun laws of each state.

The "Montana Made" law, just like Tennessee's Firearms Freedom Act, is very simple.

Much of federal authority to regulate firearm sales and transfers stems from a liberal interpretation of every American tyrant's favorite subterfuge, the "interstate commerce" clause. In essence, this is what gives the BATFE its nasty teeth.

With this in mind, Montana correctly understood that any weapon made in Montana by Montana residents and sold in Montana to Montana residents is Montana's business and Montana's business only.

Montana thus sought to take charge of its firearms industry with the application of a simple truism:

Any gun made in Montana by Montana residents and sold in Montana to Montana residents is intrastate commerce, not "interstate commerce," and thus does not full under the purview of the federal government.

Potentially, the state would be able to say goodbye to NICS checks; Brady background checks; NFA taxes, bans and NFA databases -- and most importantly, federal "assault weapons" bans, which Montana and Tennessee rightly anticipated.

In effect, the "Montana Made" law would have permitted Montana gun companies to manufacture any kind of weapon banned by federal law -- including so-called "assault weapons" -- and sell them to fellow Montana residents.

Moreover, in this scenario, no one -- neither the manufacturer nor the dealer nor the buyer -- would have to kowtow to the BATFE by paying them a $200 tax and surrendering one's privacy to their notoriously inaccurate and oft-abused National Firearms Registry.

It was a new day for freedom -- and other states besides Tennessee were thinking of following suit: Alaska, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.

Well, the BATFE -- never one to have its power downpl