tagged w/ Gun Rights
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On a smaller platform than some may have hoped, President Obama wrote an op-ed in today’s Arizona Daily Star launching his intention to tackle serious and “common sense” gun control. Two months after the Tucson, Arizona shooting tragedy, Obama seems to be searching for middle ground on the issue in an effort to protect “our children’s futures.”
Obama first reaffirmed he has no intention of confiscating guns:
Now, like the majority of Americans, I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. . . . And, in fact, my administration has not curtailed the rights of gun owners – it has expanded them, including allowing people to carry their guns in national parks and wildlife refuges.
And Obama discussed his awareness of how difficult it will be to approach an issue that both sides feel so passionately about:
I know that every time we try to talk about guns, it can reinforce stark divides. People shout at one another, which makes it impossible to listen. We mire ourselves in stalemate, which makes it impossible to get to where we need to go as a country.
Then Obama outlined a few practical beginning steps, including “enforcing laws that are already on the books,” strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, rewarding states that provide the best data, and making the background check system “faster and nimbler” so that criminals can’t escape it.
Concluding, Obama stated, “I want this to at least be the beginning of a new discussion on how we can keep America safe for all our people.” Given that NRA supporters often fear any increased federal gun control legislation could be a slippery slope towards greater restrictions in the future, and given that anti-gun activists will likely think Obama’s first steps here don’t go far enough, it’s likely many will be eager to participate in the “new discussion” Obama is starting.On a smaller platform than some may have hoped, President Obama wrote an op-ed in... more
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Thanks to Chris W. for sending this along, commenting, “Admit you’ve used illegal drugs? You may be disqualified if Senator Chuck Schumer has his way” (reported by Fox News):
If someone admits to a federal official that he’s used illegal drugs, that information should be sent to the FBI so that person can be disqualified from purchasing a gun, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday.
Noting that the alleged shooter in the Tucson massacre had admitted to military recruiters that he had used drugs on several occasions, Schumer said he is proposing to the Justice Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that the military be required to notify federal officials about such admissions. The New York Democrat said such a process does not require new legislation.
Jared Lee Loughner is charged with five federal counts in the killing of a federal judge and shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The mass shooting January 8 outside a Safeway grocery store resulted in six dead and 13 injured.
A military official told Fox News last week that Loughner was rejected from enlisting in the Army in 2008 because he admitted he had used drugs. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because privacy laws prevent the military from disclosing such information about an individual’s application.
Schumer said if military recruiters or other officials report admissions of drug use to a national database, those individuals could be denied a gun…
http://www.disinfo.com/2011/01/schumer-pushes-for-military-to-report-applicants-drug-use-to-prevent-gun-purchases/Thanks to Chris W. for sending this along, commenting, “Admit you’ve used... more
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“He starts threatening my family, my life. ‘Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead.’ So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass,” Grier said. Grier was later arrested. John Lewis is Grier’s attorney.“He starts threatening my family, my life. ‘Oh you’re dead.... more
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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Constitution's "right to keep and bear arms" applies nationwide as a restraint on the ability of the federal, state and local governments to substantially limit its reach.
By a 5-4 vote split along familiar ideological lines, the nation's highest court extended its landmark 2008 ruling that individual Americans have a constitutional right to own guns to all the cities and states for the first time.
In doing so, the justices signaled that less severe restrictions could survive legal challenges. The ruling involved a 28-year-old handgun ban in the Chicago area.
The ruling was a victory for four Chicago-area residents, two gun rights groups and the politically powerful National Rifle Association.
It was a defeat for Chicago, which defended its ban as a reasonable exercise of local power to protect public safety. The law and a similar handgun ban in suburban Oak Park, Ill., were the nation's most restrictive gun control measures.
Monday's decision did not explicitly strike down the Chicago area laws, ordering a federal appeals court to reconsider its ruling. It left little doubt, however, that they would fall eventually.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the court, said the Second Amendment right "applies equally to the federal government and the states."
The Second Amendment and gun ownership rights are finally protected. Now people will be able to have their own equal protection from criminals, who have been the only people who owned guns in some areas.WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Constitution's... more
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Here's a correspondence between an angry person who placed a classified ad soliciting "disguised weapons" and a chain-yanker who was very funny in response:
Thanks, BoingBoing
This is going to be the next meme, it is just too funyHere's a correspondence between an angry person who placed a classified ad... more
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1/29/2010 Ron Paul Republican Valerie Meyers appears on PFP Movement Radio to discuss the upcoming 2010 election, the economy, foreign policy, war on drugs, gun rights, and much more.1/29/2010 Ron Paul Republican Valerie Meyers appears on PFP Movement Radio to discuss... more
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"DENVER | It was a rough week for gun rights in Colorado.
First, Colorado State University voted to ban concealed firearms on campus.
Then the University of Colorado went a few steps further and cracked down on another nefarious threat: Nerf guns.
Plans for a student-led game of humans vs. zombies took a hit after campus security officials discovered that players intended to use the popular orange-and-green toy weaponry. Simulated guns, even those that shoot spongy Nerf balls, are banned at the University of Colorado.
The game, a national craze on college campuses, involves "zombie" students attempting to eliminate "human" students by pelting them with Nerf balls or socks. Once a "human" has been tagged, he becomes a zombie and must wear a bandana around his head.
Humans can stun zombies for 15 minutes by tagging them with a Nerf ball or sock. Zombies must hit at least one human every 48 hours or "starve." The game ends when all the humans have been turned into zombies or all the zombies have starved, which can take days.
CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard said students cooperated fully, replacing the Nerf guns with balled-up socks and even taking it upon themselves to hang fliers in dormitories warning players to leave their Nerfs at home. The game started Dec. 1 and ended a couple of days later.
Still, it didn't take long for cries of "liberal killjoys" to ring out across the Internet. The contrast was especially stark given the headlines that week at Colorado State University, thought to be the last college outside Utah that allowed students to carry concealed weapons on campus with a permit.
The CSU Board of Governors voted unanimously Dec. 4 to ban concealed weapons over the objections of students. Presidents of the Colorado State system have until February to submit a weapons plan that complies with the new policy.
At CU, the ban on Nerf guns isn't new. University officials pointed out that the Board of Regents banned simulated weapons from campus years ago, rather than just in time to suck the fun out of last week's game."
"No guns of any kind, real or toy, from air rifles to paintball guns to Nerf guns, are allowed on campus under the laws of the regents," said a statement issued by Joe E. Roy, chief of police at the University of Colorado Police Department. "We are simply enforcing a longstanding policy, not inventing a new category of enforcement."
The debate over Nerf guns isn't limited to Boulder. Since Humans vs. Zombies first began at Goucher College in Towson, Md., in 2005, colleges have wrestled with whether to allow students to pack Nerf heat. Opposition intensified after the deadly 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech.
Chief Roy noted that Nerf guns can look real to passers-by at a distance. Two years ago, Alfred University in upstate New York went on a two-hour lockdown after a faculty member reported a student carrying a weapon that turned out to be a Nerf gun.
That's even more likely now that some Nerf heat-packers are painting their plastic weapons to look like the real thing. Mr. Hilliard pointed to a Web site that advocates painting Nerf guns black in order to achieve that authentic look.
"We love Nerf guns as much as the next adult adolescent male. But there comes a day in all of our lives when we realize that you can't scare the hell out of anyone with a bright orange and pink pistol shooting foam darts," says the Gizmodo Web site under the heading "Realistic Nerf Weaponry Combines Laser Sights with the Color of Death."
At Bowling Green State University in Ohio, administrators banned the use of Nerf guns for a semester, but then met with student organizers and drew up a list of guidelines, such as keeping the game outside of school buildings. Students also agreed to refer to the weapons as Nerf "blasters," not guns.
The next semester, the Nerf ban was lifted, said Landon King, a junior and past president of the BG Undead, which organizes the games.
"We haven't had any issues, other than people coming up and asking, 'What's that?' " said Mr. King, who added that the group always coordinates its games with campus police. "My only advice for the University of Colorado would be to work with the university, listen to their concerns, and meet them halfway."
In the meantime, Colorado zombies were content to adhere to the no-Nerf policy, especially after learning that they could be charged with violations of the student-conduct policy or even arrested on charges of unlawful conduct.
"We told them that the violation of the weapons policy is a serious thing," said Mr. Hilliard. "If a third party happened upon this and called 911, we'd have to respond as if it were a real incident."
That was enough to convince students like junior Trevor Doner.
"It's not worth it," Mr. Doner told the Colorado Daily. "I'm just going to shed my dignity and bring a balled-up sock to chemistry class.""DENVER | It was a rough week for gun rights in Colorado.
First, Colorado... more
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President Obama's push to overhaul the nation's health care system has been sparking debate for months. But a new attack that emerged Saturday — from a gun-rights group — still managed to "surprise" the administration, according to communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
In this case, the surprise came just before the Senate's test vote on the health care bill Saturday night. A group called Gun Owners of America sent letters to all senators saying a vote for the bill was a vote against gun rights.
Pfeiffer put a post on the White House blog calling the claim "rather shocking."
But Erich Pratt, the group's communications director, says the big issues of the health care debate — such as costs and mandates — have left little room for discussion of other issues.
For one, Gun Owners of America challenges the idea of electronic health records. It says bad information from mental health records will infect the FBI's instant check database — causing interference when people want to buy firearms.
As Pratt put it: "Every medical record will be fed into a government medical database, which was created under the stimulus bill, and that information can be forwarded to the Brady background check system."
Not true, says Dr. David Blumenthal, who is in charge of the administration's initiative on electronic health records. "There is no such database and no plans to create one," he says.
Blumenthal says a unified database of medical records is far beyond the government's technology and budget.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120809045President Obama's push to overhaul the nation's health care system has been... more
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Major Nidal Hasan, accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood Army base, has been described by former colleagues as "psychotic." As more details emerge about Hasan's troubled state, gun safety advocates are launching fresh attacks on a Senate bill they say would make it easier for mentally unstable veterans to buy firearms.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) says his "Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act" will protect veterans' gun rights. But the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence calls it a "dangerous" proposal that could allow "over 100,000 mentally incapacitated or incompetent persons" to buy guns—people who would previously have been barred from doing so by the Veterans Administration (VA).
(click on the link for the full story and for the in-text links)Major Nidal Hasan, accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood Army base, has been... more
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"In the absence of the warrior-protector, the only way that a government can protect a society is to remove the freedom of its people. And in such a society, the sons and daughters of Lions become sheep".
James Williams
Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho
James Williams is the President of Bugei Trading Company, Inc. He has been studying martial arts since 1960 and teaching since 1975. James has trained, competed in, and taught a number of different martial disciplines: Japanese, Okinawan, Chinese, Filippino, as well as the Brazilian system of Jujitsu as taught by Rorion and Royce Gracie. His experience includes western wrestling, which he also coached, as well as competing in boxing and kickboxing. His love of samurai martial traditions came with his study of the Yanagi ryu of the Yoshida han under Don Angier Sensei and the martial traditions of the Kuroda han as taught by Kuroda Tetsuzan Sensei. James also studied Daito ryu Roppokai with Okamoto Seigo sensei.
James also teaches Close Quarters Combat to police and military both foreign and domestic. The method used, "The System of Strategy," is based on those skills developed and cultivated by ancient warriors. He is the designer of the "Hissatsu," a close quarter battle knife that is produced by Columbia River Knife and Tool. James is certified as an instructor of Systema, an Ancient Russian Martial Art taught by Mikhail Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev. Williams sensei teaches Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho, (kenjutsu, iaijutsu, tanto jutsu and aikijujutsu) and The System in Encinitas California.
"James Williams of Bugei Trading Company fame, treated the Blade Show attendees to a rare show of skill with the Japanese sword. We were all quite impressed by Mr. Williams' poise and presentation as he used both one and two handed cutting techniques to sever 4 inch and 5 inch bundles of Tatami (rice straw) mats. In particular, we enjoyed seeing Mr. Williams make multiple cuts in rapid secession and even sever falling mats in mid air. But perhaps the greatest exhibition of skill was the finale where Mr. Williams demonstrated how a highly killed swordsman could suddenly drop low to the ground to avoid an opponent's blow while simultaneously drawing and cutting with his own blade. Most impressive! While Bugei Trading is a fierce competitor of ours in the sword business, we never want to become so mean spirited that we can't recognize real skill and ability when we see it. We congratulate Mr. Williams on the fantastic demonstration we were privileged to watch and encourage all of our readers who love swords not to miss it next year!"
Lynn Thompson, Cold Steel Knives (read more testimonials)
Martial Arts Experience
• Wrestling at the high school and collegiate level
• Kenjutsu-Japanese sword art
• Iaijutsu-Samruai sword art
• Shorin ryu Okinawa-te
• Tanto jitsu-Samurai knife art
• Takwondo
• Hojojitsu-Samurai restraining art
• Judo
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• Aikido
• Temple Tai Chi
• Arnis de Mano
• Hung Gar Kung Fu
• Boxing
• Kick-Boxing
• Tang Soo Do
• Aiki Jiu Jitsu-Samurai unarmed art
• Systema-Russian military art (certified in Russia)
Instructional Experience
• Coached wrestling - Jr. High and High School Level
• Taekwondo
• Tang Soo Do
• Coached Boxing and Kick Boxing
• Currently teaching
Kenjutsu
Iaijutsu
Aikijujutsu
Systema
Military combatives and knife defense
Police Arrest and Control and knife defense
• Teaching seminars and giving demonstrations throughout the United States &
Canada
• SureFire Institute Low Light and Combatives Instructor
Specialized Experience
• Employed as personal bodyguard
• State of California Concealed Weapons Course
• Current CPR qualified.
• Designer of the Hisstasu, a CQB/Anti-Terrorist knife being produced by
CRKT (Columbia River Knife and Tool).
Military Experience
• U.S. Army Infantry
• Military Police
• 6th Army Competitive Pistol Team
• Officer Candidate School Graduate
• California Post Certified Firearms Instructor
• Advanced Hostage Rescue Course graduate • SFI Low Light Instructor
Agencies and Personnel Taught: List incomplete
• Naval Special Warfare Combatives Instructors
• Law Enforcement SWAT agencies nation wide
• USAF Air Mobility Warfare C
http://www.bugei.com/virtue.html"In the absence of the warrior-protector, the only way that a government can... more
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"President Obama's election victory sent weapon sales-and valuations of firearms producers
higher. Falling backlogs hint that sales are plunging.""President Obama's election victory sent weapon sales-and valuations of... more
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Neal Knox: The Gun Rights War is a collection of articles from magazines and newspapers that were written by the founder of the Firearms Coalition.
Neal Knox-The Gun Rights Wars was released on July 4, 2009 in celebration with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of The Firearms Coalition. It honors Neal Knox who became the architect of the legislation that became the McClure-Volkmer Firearms Owners Protection Act that reformed parts of the 1968 Gun Control Act.Neal Knox: The Gun Rights War is a collection of articles from magazines and... more
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Here’s good news for collectors of classic American military rifles. Over 100,000 M1 Garands and M1 Carbines are “returning home” from South Korea. The South Korean Defense Ministry recently announced plans to ship 86,000 Garands and 22,000 Carbines back to the United States for sale to American collectors. Originally made in the USA, these weapons were supplied by the US during the Korean and Vietnam war years.
Thankfully, South Korea’s plan to return the Garands and Carbines to the United States has received a “green light” from American officials. “The US government recently approved our plan to sell old M1 and carbine rifles, which were given to our soldiers as part of a US aid programme,” a ministry spokesman declared.
Most of the arms have been in storage at military warehouses, only occasionally used for drills by reserve forces. While South Korea plans to send back most of its M1 Garands, it intends to retain another 640,000 carbines for reserve units.
The 108,000 rifles set for return to America are collectively valued at over $108,000,000 (based on $1000.00 retail price per gun). Realistically, given the fact that CMP rack grade and service grade Garands sell for much less, we would hope many of these Korean returns would sell for quite a bit less than $1000.00. But, ultimately, supply and demand in the United States will dictate selling prices.Here’s good news for collectors of classic American military rifles. Over... more
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WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court says it will take up a challenge to Chicago's ban on handguns, opening the way for a ruling that could set off a vigorous new campaign to roll back state and local gun controls across the nation.
Last year, the justices struck down a prohibition on handguns in the District of Columbia, a city with unique federal status, as a violation of the Second Amendment. Now the court will decide whether that ruling should apply to local and state laws as well.WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court says it will take up a challenge to... more
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A tragic story that should remind everyone how important gun safety is.
An 8 year old boy in Vacaville California fatally shot and killed his 2 year old sister today.
This all took place in a beautiful suburban neigborhood, childrens father a military man in the reserves.
Police removed 6 guns from the home, though police do state there was a safe inside the home. reports ktvu.comA tragic story that should remind everyone how important gun safety is.
An 8 year... more
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In Portsmouth, N.H., a man carrying a gun, William Kostric, joined an Aug. 11 health care protest. This was blocks away and hours before Mr. Obama's town-hall meeting in that city. Mr. Kostric was given permission to be on church property where the protest occurred and was not at the place the president visited. What most of the coverage left out was that Mr. Kostric didn't carry his gun only for the protest; he legally carries a gun with him all the time for protection.
While the media regularly used terms such as "hotheads" to mischaracterize the situation, the coverage ignored that union members who opposed the protest had attacked Mr. Kostric and a friend, kicking, pushing and spitting on them. Despite violence against him by Mr. Obama's supporters, Mr. Kostric did not draw his gun or threaten anyoneIn Portsmouth, N.H., a man carrying a gun, William Kostric, joined an Aug. 11 health... more
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